Discussion questions

1.  I don't think professional production values will only sink deeper and deeper until "homegrown" production takes over television completely.  Despite its seemingly universal popularity, there are plenty of people who won't watch reality television shows, because of its superficiality or because they just don't find it interesting.  People go to school to learn how to create and produce TV shows, and still treat it as an art that requires more than giving a few unprofessional actors fifteen minutes in the limelight for them to last in the business.  

HBO's most popular shows, such as True Blood and Entourage, have complex plots, settings, and  techniques that make the shows what they are and are appreciated by their viewers.  Amateur television seems to be getting closer and closer to home, which may add to its appeal. However, in my opinion, "homegrown" and reality TV seem like a generational phenomenon, but it will never completely get rid of the need for professionally produced television.

  

2.  I find myself using Facebook more than any other site mainly because i can get in contact with virtually any of my friends.  I think Facebook has become more successful than MySpace because Facebook offers more to its users.  There are games, chat, and other things that MySpace added only when they saw that Facebook  was benefiting from offering these.  Also, Facebook seems to have more security.  MySpace starting getting a bad reputation for having too many "creeps" who would try to get in contact with strangers.  This can obviously happen on any site, but Facebook offers a little more information that makes it easier to know exactly who you are talking to.  Also, businesses, events, and promotions all have a hand in getting their word out through Facebook, so it allows information to spread much more quickly than it would on MySpace.

It's really difficult to say whether Facebook is "here to stay" or not, because as we've seen with MySpace, it's impossible to predict how quickly a trend like a website will decrease in popularity, even when it seems to be at its peak.  I can't see Facebook being around in 20 years, at least not the way we know it today.

3. Transparency is an important concept because it goes so much deeper than whether someone is being honest or not.  It questions our motives for almost any and everything we say or do in the Social Media world, since there usually is a motive for everything we do.

I think it's just as important in the offline world, because while the interaction or transparency is not as physical online, it still masks a personal incentive that could drive someone to say or not say something they would otherwise.

McLuhan Final Project

In my image, I wanted to convey the impact and the "message" OnStar ultimately holds.  On the road, there are endless possibilities for things to go wrong, and we are not always prepared for them.  The message, as McLuhan would call it, is giving drivers a security that they wouldn't have otherwise.  In cases of emergency, people want to know that there is help nearby, and more conveniently, able to contact literally at the push of a button.  OnStar provides this to people, whether they have an emergency or are just in need of directions or a phone.  I wanted to convey that in virtually any situation drivers may face on the road, OnStar is meant to make the trip easier and safer. 

Photoshop project part I

The medium I am choosing for this project is OnStar.

Its contents include speech, gps, sensors, and satellite.

Its message is aid and assistance through human interaction.  When you contact OnStar, or vice versa, you are talking to a live operator rather than a recording.  This is to ensure that they can assess your situation effectively and send help or give you the appropriate aid you need.

3 Mediums assignment

"The Last Exorcism" movie has used shock and surprise to advertise through Chat Roulette.

OnStar provides roadside assistance, emergency phone and aid, driving directions, and other features through live operators for drivers. 

Blu-Ray players now not only allow the clearest HD and 3D picture quality, but also access to stream videos from programs like Netflix.  They also include features such as live movie reviews and comments and creating trivia quizzes that can be rated by other users.