Chapter 5 Question No. 1

Chapter 5

Question No. 1: With the existence of film and television, do you think still photography is as relevant as it used to be? Why or why not?

I think that photography is definitely still relevant today and I think that it always will be. I know that there are many news sites and blogs that are showing more and more videos. There are also sites like Youtube, which are entirely dedicated to showing videos. I know that saying that newspapers are not a good example of photography still being used because they are slowly being phased out. But I think the best examples are the social networking sites. For example, these social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are comprised of mostly photographs (over videos). Also, most people do not hang videos of their family members on the wall, they hang pictures. The right picture can capture a moment just as good as video can. Everyone knows the saying, "A picture can tell a thousand words." It can capture joy, love, disappointment, sadness, or many other emotions. I think photography, like everything else, is evolving and changing with the times. What I mean is that cameras are getting more advanced and there is software that is available to improve photos or edit a picture. Media like film and television allow us to see amazing things but so do pictures. The bottom line is that there will always be a place for photography and it is definitely still just as relevant as it used to be.

Journal No. 2

Chapter 4

Question No. 4: I f you were an emerging artist starting to build a following of fans online, would you offer your songs for free download on your website? Why or why not? If not, what would you charge for your songs?

If I was an artist that was trying to break through to the mainstream, I would offer my songs for free download. I would do this because I would want to build up a strong following. I think it would be a lot easier to build that strong following if you are offering your songs for free. People do not want to pay for music from an artist that they are not familiar with. If a new artists songs are free I think it can help their popularity to grow faster. An example of this is if word of mouth about an artist is growing and people are telling their friends to check this person out, how many of the people are going to pay money when they get t the website. They do not yet know what they are getting and I believe that this would deter a sizable amount of people that refuse to pay money for something that they are not sure that would like. I am aware that are probably many "starving artists" that need the need all the money they can get and can not take the risk of offering free downloads. But if I were an artist then I would not charge money to people trying to download my music as a I make a name for myself. I think after my popularity starts to grow and I start to get a solid following then I would start to charge for my newer songs. 

Journal Entry No. 1

Chapter 1

Question No. 8: List some changes you have seen in the past few years on the internet in terms of your own use of digital media, and explain why you think these changes came about and whether you feel they are for better or worse.

I have noticed quite a few different changes in my digital media use over the past few years.  I remember when Myspace was popular and I did not really know what to make of it. It seemed to me that it was a fad that would eventually die down. I guess I was right as far as Myspace but Facebook and other social media have definitely taken off. Since opening a Facebook account a few years ago, I could see why these social networking are so popular. I have been able to keep in touch with friends and relatives across the country and I have also made connections with people that I believe could be helpful to me when I am beginning my career. Since I arrived at ONU I have made a few other adjustments. When I was growing up, my dad would buy the newspaper every day. I would always read the paper when he got home. When I moved out, I started to buy the paper myself. But now if I want to read about the news, I get onto the internet. There are sites like Yahoo Genio that bring you the most current events that you are interested in all on one page. If you see something interesting, you click on it. If you want to see all the news you can  go to many different sites and see what is trending. I do like that you can get up to the minute news. I feel that the changes are for the better because they help people to be more efficient. It does seem that the things like the print newspaper will eventually "bite the dust" and I will be sad to seem it go. But people are becoming less patient, they do not want to buy yesterday's news. They want up-to-the-minute updates. Another positive is that people can communicate with people on side of the country or the world. People can communicate with celebrities through things like Facebook and Twitter and it brings them a lot closer than they ever became in the past. One negative to me is that people can always be reached. For example, if someone goes on vacation there is always a way to reach them through email, social networking sites, or cell phones. People can not just away and relax the way they used to. Even though there are negatives like the inevitable end to print newspaper and the fact that people never seem to have complete privacy, all the technology is for the better and it the use of digital media will continue to evolve in the future.