Tuesday, July 29, 2008
End of Summer Thoughts
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Atlas vs. Nvivo
I've spent a few days trying to 1) Learn Atlas and 2) get Nvivo to work. I was successful in one and failed miserably at the other. I can see huge benefits in learning Atlas; I just have to be patient with the learning curve. It's frustrating sometimes to learn new things and I tend to try to rush through them. I'm thankful my experience over the past couple of years have taught me to be open to new software programs. I think, too, that I have also learned to have more patience. :)
I've noticed that while Atlas is a useful tool, it is still primarily the researcher's responsibility to analyze and provide observations based upon the data. The program can't do the "real" thinking. It also seems that there are many ways to perform the same functions. This can be good if a user is very familiar with the program, but it could also be discouraging to a novice.
Since I couldn't get Nvivo to download more than 83% onto my laptop, I did research to see what the program was like. It appears that Nvivo allows for audio and video analysis, something that I don't think Atlas.ti can do. If I was interested in studying video data, I might decide to use Nvivo over Atlas.ti.
I've noticed that while Atlas is a useful tool, it is still primarily the researcher's responsibility to analyze and provide observations based upon the data. The program can't do the "real" thinking. It also seems that there are many ways to perform the same functions. This can be good if a user is very familiar with the program, but it could also be discouraging to a novice.
Since I couldn't get Nvivo to download more than 83% onto my laptop, I did research to see what the program was like. It appears that Nvivo allows for audio and video analysis, something that I don't think Atlas.ti can do. If I was interested in studying video data, I might decide to use Nvivo over Atlas.ti.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Reflections on Research Experiences
I've rather enjoyed my experiences with Atlas.ti. I hadn't known that programs like this existed, but I can definitely see the usefulness. I had a hard time getting used to this program and it seems like the formatting is vitally important in order to import the documents. I like the easy process for coding. I can really see the usefulness of this product for myself over the next couple of years while I finish my grad degree. I'm very interested in my paper topic and I'd like to start putting in research as I find it so that I can be prepared for the final dissertation.
Applebee's Case Study
I dropped off the questionnaires at Applebee's and am keeping my fingers crossed for some good results. My question is this, what do researchers do if their case study fails? I'm sure I will get some feedback, but I'm not sure of the quantity. While I'm waiting to pick up the completed forms, I've been doing more case study research and am trying to read as much literature as possible on the researching fields. I must say, I had no idea so much was involved in putting together a case study and a subsequent research paper. This is like nothing I've ever done before. With that said, I am finding the process supremely enlightening and am very excited that I now have the tools to write scholarly papers. I'm having daydreams of becoming published someday.... :)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Research Status
I've spent a lot of time this past week performing additional research for my project. My main problem still seems to be narrowing down the topic so I can sufficiently handle examining all the issues. I've narrowed down my methods to a lit review and a case study. I have a million ideas on the food industry and digital technology, but for now I must focus on one aspect and that will be the case study of Applebee's. I've made preliminary steps in using them for research and hopefully it will all come together. This summer has been full of so many ups and downs, but I have faith it will come togher.
Pros and Cons about case studies and technology
While there are pros and cons regarding case studies and technology, I think the pros far outweigh the cons. A few cons I can think of are:
- Individuals use technology in so many different ways, it may be hard to compare case studies
- It can be difficult to perform similiar case studies on different age groups; certain age groups may be opposed to new technology
- Case studies are more time consuming and it can be difficult to get technical people to 'volunteer' their time
- Especially in the case studies of text-messaging use, the results may not be wholly accurate because participants may have withheld those messages that contained very personal information
A few pros I can think of are:
- Researchers are performing up-to-date and relevant research in the area of technology and cultural use
- While case studies may not be comparable, this very fact can illustrate the importance of using case studies and technology
- It may be easier to gather data since every call, message, or text that is sent or received is time stamped and logged
- Since data is logged, vast amounts of information is available to the researcher which could provide a more comprehensive analysis
- Studies on how individuals use technology can be helpful to those companies that are creating new technologies
I really enjoyed tonight's reading. I thought the chosen case studies were informative and entertaining. I did have a question on Chapter 6: Sophie's Story. On page 191, the author states that "She was interviewed again in May 2004 to make her data comparable to the other participants' data." What exactly does this mean? Sophie had been interviwed in March and April 2003. How would an interview a year later make the data more comparable? Did the researcher 'update' the original results?
A point that I really liked is found on page 216. After the case studies were described and analyzed the author pointed out a major difference: "One of the major differences between the rhetorical purposes of American text messages and Chinese text messages is that American particpants texted more for expressing purposes and Chinese participants texted more for informing purposes." I really liked that she explained this main difference. I felt that it effectively summarized some of her research results and observations.
- Individuals use technology in so many different ways, it may be hard to compare case studies
- It can be difficult to perform similiar case studies on different age groups; certain age groups may be opposed to new technology
- Case studies are more time consuming and it can be difficult to get technical people to 'volunteer' their time
- Especially in the case studies of text-messaging use, the results may not be wholly accurate because participants may have withheld those messages that contained very personal information
A few pros I can think of are:
- Researchers are performing up-to-date and relevant research in the area of technology and cultural use
- While case studies may not be comparable, this very fact can illustrate the importance of using case studies and technology
- It may be easier to gather data since every call, message, or text that is sent or received is time stamped and logged
- Since data is logged, vast amounts of information is available to the researcher which could provide a more comprehensive analysis
- Studies on how individuals use technology can be helpful to those companies that are creating new technologies
I really enjoyed tonight's reading. I thought the chosen case studies were informative and entertaining. I did have a question on Chapter 6: Sophie's Story. On page 191, the author states that "She was interviewed again in May 2004 to make her data comparable to the other participants' data." What exactly does this mean? Sophie had been interviwed in March and April 2003. How would an interview a year later make the data more comparable? Did the researcher 'update' the original results?
A point that I really liked is found on page 216. After the case studies were described and analyzed the author pointed out a major difference: "One of the major differences between the rhetorical purposes of American text messages and Chinese text messages is that American particpants texted more for expressing purposes and Chinese participants texted more for informing purposes." I really liked that she explained this main difference. I felt that it effectively summarized some of her research results and observations.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Response to Tonight's Reading
There were a couple of interesting comments in Sun's article for tonight and I would like some clarification if possible. She discusses her case study approach to gathering information and discusses how she examined the patterns. She says, "cases with interesting patterns of use were selected to bear futher exploration using methods of qualitative interviewing..." How did she determine the "interesting patterns." Is this a case of researcher bias? And, if not, then how did she ensure that she didn't unknowingly bias the study based upon her own personal interests? The second comment I found interesting was: "Particpants were offered payment for their work based on the local hourly rate.: I did not know that researchers were allowed to pay for research. Did this present a bias as well? How could she ensure she got an accurate sample of participants. Upon finishing reading the methods chapter, I did notice that she took a lot of time to explain how she tried to recruit other types of people beyond the college age and that it was rather difficult. It doesn't seem that an hourly rate would be enough of an incentive to get young professionals to participate. How would a researcher reach an older group that did not feel like volunteering their time and energy? I can see why there would be hesitation here on the participants part. How does the researcher bypass this?
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Research Reflection
This morning I'm finalizing my Annotated Bibliography and I find myself constantly questioning my sources and my criteria for good sources. Are they informative, sholarly, and relevant to my research? Will they help me answer my question or are they opening up too many possibilities to be covered in a Summer course?
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed narrowing down my topic. I narrowed it to just technical innovations occuring in restaurants in America, but that still leave a lot of room for study and analysis. I was thinking if my case study on Applebee's fell through, I could analyze this website I found for Arby's at www.arbysrescuebrigade.com. It's a website dedicated to changing the face of fast food. It's pretty interesting to me how restaurants like Arby's have decided to use social networking via MySpace or Facebook to garner more interest in their food.
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed narrowing down my topic. I narrowed it to just technical innovations occuring in restaurants in America, but that still leave a lot of room for study and analysis. I was thinking if my case study on Applebee's fell through, I could analyze this website I found for Arby's at www.arbysrescuebrigade.com. It's a website dedicated to changing the face of fast food. It's pretty interesting to me how restaurants like Arby's have decided to use social networking via MySpace or Facebook to garner more interest in their food.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Research Reflection
This course has been, and is currently, a big learning experience for me. I am finding valuable information in all of the readings. I especially liked Huatong Sun's thesis. I had never considered how emerging technologies are affected by localization issues and cultures. It made me stop and ponder how these issues affect my current research in digital restaurant innovations. Are the digital innovations we are becoming familiar with in America being similiarly adopted in other cultures? Are they being used and adapted in the same way?
I also greatly enjoyed Chapter 15 in "Digital Writing Research." I had never heard the term technofeminist before, but it is something I would like to explore furthur. I was also surprised at the statment "that an overemphasis on the 'authorial I' may lead to self-indulgence and the silencing of other voices" (310). I was introduced to feminist theory during my undergrad, but had never considered the implications that were brought forth in this chapter. I am familiar with the old, well-established research methods, but these new ones are the ones that intrigue me the most. I look forward to learning more and I look forward to learning enough to be able to conduct studies from this perspective.
I also greatly enjoyed Chapter 15 in "Digital Writing Research." I had never heard the term technofeminist before, but it is something I would like to explore furthur. I was also surprised at the statment "that an overemphasis on the 'authorial I' may lead to self-indulgence and the silencing of other voices" (310). I was introduced to feminist theory during my undergrad, but had never considered the implications that were brought forth in this chapter. I am familiar with the old, well-established research methods, but these new ones are the ones that intrigue me the most. I look forward to learning more and I look forward to learning enough to be able to conduct studies from this perspective.
Justifying "unprofesional" electronic environments
Given that some electronic environments won't be seen as "professional", how do we justify studying them?
When I first read this question, I decided to come up with a list of electronic environments that don't seem professional. These are the ones I came up: YouTube, MySpace, SecondLife, Facebook, and Twitter. There are many more online environments, but these are most familiar to me. I can see why some researchers may think these sites are unprofessional. They are created and maintained by the average person. YouTube contains outrageous videos of human interactions and MySpace is simply an online environment for people to stay in touch and upload pictures of friends, family, vacations, and random good times. So, one might ask, why would it be good to study these?
I think these sites would be good for a researcher who was interested in social issues, whether they be national, cutural, or ethnic issues. YouTube can give a researcher a window into society at its "finest." The videos aren't being influenced by a researcher and, in most cases, probably not even influenced by authority or created with possible ramifications in mind. (Take, for instance, the videos that were posted months ago of boys beating up other boys and posting for their own macabre amusement.)
From a law enforcement perspective, these sites can be a minefield of information. Many young people have a MySpace page. Imagine if police could keep tabs on their juvenile deliquents and learn what they were up to in their spare time. Of course, they would have to tread water carefully in order not to break any laws, but this could potentially help law enforcement in their investigations.
Since digital environments are so prevalent today, and are the environments in which we interact on a 24/7 basis, I would argue that they are the best environments to study.
When I first read this question, I decided to come up with a list of electronic environments that don't seem professional. These are the ones I came up: YouTube, MySpace, SecondLife, Facebook, and Twitter. There are many more online environments, but these are most familiar to me. I can see why some researchers may think these sites are unprofessional. They are created and maintained by the average person. YouTube contains outrageous videos of human interactions and MySpace is simply an online environment for people to stay in touch and upload pictures of friends, family, vacations, and random good times. So, one might ask, why would it be good to study these?
I think these sites would be good for a researcher who was interested in social issues, whether they be national, cutural, or ethnic issues. YouTube can give a researcher a window into society at its "finest." The videos aren't being influenced by a researcher and, in most cases, probably not even influenced by authority or created with possible ramifications in mind. (Take, for instance, the videos that were posted months ago of boys beating up other boys and posting for their own macabre amusement.)
From a law enforcement perspective, these sites can be a minefield of information. Many young people have a MySpace page. Imagine if police could keep tabs on their juvenile deliquents and learn what they were up to in their spare time. Of course, they would have to tread water carefully in order not to break any laws, but this could potentially help law enforcement in their investigations.
Since digital environments are so prevalent today, and are the environments in which we interact on a 24/7 basis, I would argue that they are the best environments to study.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Research Reflections....
Wow...I don't even know where to begin. I have been learning so much since this class started. I am so much more aware of how I write content, review digital content, and consider the digital environment. I took a short break from researching my restaurant idea and instead focused on learning the digital research methods. I feel a little behind in the course (since this is the first grad course I've taken at Texas Tech and have never seen the background material) however, I spent the entire weekend reading our textbooks and considering how to apply the material to the task at hand.
I had never considered before the issue of private information vs. public. I've just assumed that everyone knew that just about everything on the web was searchable. I was taught from an early age to not type anything that I could potentially be embarrassed by or regret later. It was a good learning experience to have my assumptions trumped by research.
I also thought the concept of the participants helping the researcher vs. the researcher helping the particpants was intriguing. I had assumed prior to the reading that the researcher would be a lurker and make as minimal an impact as possible. To become more of a community member and interact with the community while researching must be a difficult position to maintain.
I'm still trying to figure out which methods are best suited to my research, but so far I feel I'm heading in the right direction.
I had never considered before the issue of private information vs. public. I've just assumed that everyone knew that just about everything on the web was searchable. I was taught from an early age to not type anything that I could potentially be embarrassed by or regret later. It was a good learning experience to have my assumptions trumped by research.
I also thought the concept of the participants helping the researcher vs. the researcher helping the particpants was intriguing. I had assumed prior to the reading that the researcher would be a lurker and make as minimal an impact as possible. To become more of a community member and interact with the community while researching must be a difficult position to maintain.
I'm still trying to figure out which methods are best suited to my research, but so far I feel I'm heading in the right direction.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Studying Online Environments
One of the biggest problems regarding studying online environments is the dynamic nature of the sites. A researcher could spend a lot of time analyzing a particular site only to have it archived later. The decision would then need to be made to either continue analyzing the archived site, or choose a new site which could still be accessed by those reading the article.
Another problem is the issue of privacy. Some people may assume that what they say or do online will always be public while others may have a sense of privacy regarding their postings. This issue must be handled carefully because, as researchers, we do not want to accidentally expose someone and harm them. We need to ensure that we are treating their words and thoughts with the utmost respect and, if necessary, seek permission before publishing anything. As stated in our reading, even renaming a participant may not be enough if their quoted passage is unique enough to recall the original posting.
Another issue is the relationship between the researcher and the participants. Is interaction within the group too much or too little? Is the researcher changing the dynamics of the environment? If the researcher is just lurking, is their mere presence causing a threat to the community?
Personally, I had not realized how much was at stake in studying online environments. I am very glad to have read these chapters and plan to approach my research with additional care and thought before I proceed.
Another problem is the issue of privacy. Some people may assume that what they say or do online will always be public while others may have a sense of privacy regarding their postings. This issue must be handled carefully because, as researchers, we do not want to accidentally expose someone and harm them. We need to ensure that we are treating their words and thoughts with the utmost respect and, if necessary, seek permission before publishing anything. As stated in our reading, even renaming a participant may not be enough if their quoted passage is unique enough to recall the original posting.
Another issue is the relationship between the researcher and the participants. Is interaction within the group too much or too little? Is the researcher changing the dynamics of the environment? If the researcher is just lurking, is their mere presence causing a threat to the community?
Personally, I had not realized how much was at stake in studying online environments. I am very glad to have read these chapters and plan to approach my research with additional care and thought before I proceed.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Online Communities
I am a part of many communities. I'm a part of online communities, professional communities, and personal communities.
My online communities consist of MySpace and Weight Watchers. These are digital support systems for me and ways to stay in touch with friends and family. I would not mind anyone researching my interaction with these members on either community. In fact, it would be hard to prohibit someone from studying MySpace, unless I blocked their access. On Weight Watchers, I would be comfortable with being studied because I am provided anonymity via a screen name.
My professional communities are made up of various companies I've worked for and the professionals within them. I would welcome someone trying to study the group dynamics. I often find myself to be the youngest person in meetings, discussions, and decision making groups. It would be interesting for someone to conduct a study on how well this relationship does or does not always work based on age and gender differences.
Personally, I am a part of a running community, a biking community, and the Harbour Gates community (my apartment complex). I particularly enjoy my Harbour Gates community because it is made up of many different types of people. Again, it would be interesting for this community to be a research focus because there are many types of people here I interact with on a daily basis. There's the wonderful maintenance man next door, a quiet couple across the hall, a dear 80-year old couple a short walk away, a trumpet player below me, and a 5-person family above me. I would be comfortable allowing someone to study this community because I think it is an eclectic community that works well together.
In general, I would not mind my communities being studied so long as the group dynamics were not altered.
My online communities consist of MySpace and Weight Watchers. These are digital support systems for me and ways to stay in touch with friends and family. I would not mind anyone researching my interaction with these members on either community. In fact, it would be hard to prohibit someone from studying MySpace, unless I blocked their access. On Weight Watchers, I would be comfortable with being studied because I am provided anonymity via a screen name.
My professional communities are made up of various companies I've worked for and the professionals within them. I would welcome someone trying to study the group dynamics. I often find myself to be the youngest person in meetings, discussions, and decision making groups. It would be interesting for someone to conduct a study on how well this relationship does or does not always work based on age and gender differences.
Personally, I am a part of a running community, a biking community, and the Harbour Gates community (my apartment complex). I particularly enjoy my Harbour Gates community because it is made up of many different types of people. Again, it would be interesting for this community to be a research focus because there are many types of people here I interact with on a daily basis. There's the wonderful maintenance man next door, a quiet couple across the hall, a dear 80-year old couple a short walk away, a trumpet player below me, and a 5-person family above me. I would be comfortable allowing someone to study this community because I think it is an eclectic community that works well together.
In general, I would not mind my communities being studied so long as the group dynamics were not altered.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Source Question
First of all, I'd like to say "Thank you" to those of you who have provided a bit of feedback and suggestions to me. They have been very helpful.
During my research, I found this tool called eMarketer and I am curious if it is a valid tool for research. It's description says: "eMarketer is "The First Place to Look" for market research and trend analysis on Internet, e-business, online marketing, media and emerging technologies. eMarketer aggregates and analyzes information from over 3,000 sources, and brings it together in analyst reports, daily research articles and the most comprehensive database of e-business and online marketing statistics in the world. With eMarketer, you understand the growth and impact of the Internet. Plus, you stay ahead of the curve on new trends such as blogs, social networking, podcasting, mobile marketing, and many others that are profoundly affecting the business landscape."
To access the statistics, you need to subscribe to the service. Has anyone heard of this before and how do I determine if it is a valid source of information for a scholarly paper?
During my research, I found this tool called eMarketer and I am curious if it is a valid tool for research. It's description says: "eMarketer is "The First Place to Look" for market research and trend analysis on Internet, e-business, online marketing, media and emerging technologies. eMarketer aggregates and analyzes information from over 3,000 sources, and brings it together in analyst reports, daily research articles and the most comprehensive database of e-business and online marketing statistics in the world. With eMarketer, you understand the growth and impact of the Internet. Plus, you stay ahead of the curve on new trends such as blogs, social networking, podcasting, mobile marketing, and many others that are profoundly affecting the business landscape."
To access the statistics, you need to subscribe to the service. Has anyone heard of this before and how do I determine if it is a valid source of information for a scholarly paper?
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Research Status
Today I went to the library to perform research on how restaurants are evolving to meet the consumer's digital needs. I found an interesting article on Papa Johns. They created a service that allows users to order, pay, and have their order delivered via text messaging. How smart! The concept is simple to use. The user needs to create an account on Papa Johns website with a few pieces of information and they are set up to go. The article also stated that this service is easier to use than Domino's web ordering service. I also found an article on how Arby's created a facebook page to start a social-networking campaign.
I found this information on a website called http://www.nrn.com/. NRN stands for Nation's Restaurant News. They call themselves the "The News Leader of the Food Service Industry." I'm currently searching to find more articles on technical innovations. One piece of information I'd like to find is when/how pagers were incorporated into the food industry. Outback, Olive Garden, and many others use the pager service to alert customers when their table is ready.
I'm still trying to come up with an outline on how I am going to approach this subject. It is pretty huge and I want one single theme running through the document rather than a dozen ideas.
I'm having trouble locating scholarly articles on how restaurants have evolved with digital technology, but I'm going to be focusing on some journals databases I found today and hopefully will come up with some more information. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!
I found this information on a website called http://www.nrn.com/. NRN stands for Nation's Restaurant News. They call themselves the "The News Leader of the Food Service Industry." I'm currently searching to find more articles on technical innovations. One piece of information I'd like to find is when/how pagers were incorporated into the food industry. Outback, Olive Garden, and many others use the pager service to alert customers when their table is ready.
I'm still trying to come up with an outline on how I am going to approach this subject. It is pretty huge and I want one single theme running through the document rather than a dozen ideas.
I'm having trouble locating scholarly articles on how restaurants have evolved with digital technology, but I'm going to be focusing on some journals databases I found today and hopefully will come up with some more information. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!
Monday, June 9, 2008
New Idea
I was out to dinner tonight with my boyfriend at Applebee's. The waiter placed an electronic device on the table and said, "If you need me and I'm not around press this button." He went on to explain that pressing the button activates his watch and causes it to vibrate. When he looks at the display, it shows him which table summoned him! Along with this nifty capability, the watch also has timers which times how long it takes to clear a table, sit a table and serve the customers their food. This experience got me thinking....
I'd like to do a paper on how the restaurant industry has become digitalized. From the invention of the drive-thru with speaker phones, to automated registers, to devices that vibrate and jingle when activated, the restaurant industry has joined the digital world along with the rest of us.
Perhaps I can focus on a popular website on the East Coast. (It might be elsewhere, but I just thought of the idea and haven't researched much yet.) The website is called http://www.carryoutmenu.com/. It allows people to search for local restaurants in their area, view a menu online, place the order and pay via credit card. A delivery person drives to the restaurant, picks up the order and then delivers it. Of course, this service costs the user a small fee, but sometimes it's difficult to not pay a small price for convenience.
Perhaps I can tie this in with the http://www.foodnetwork.org/. I view this website virtually everyday and search for recipes, my favorite chefs, and entertaining ideas. Today it is so easy to learn how to cook authentic fettucinne alfredo, poach salmon, or whip up a chocolate mousse. Yes, there have been cookbooks around for centuries, but I no longer dig through my bookshelves when I want to make creme brulee. I type the request into food network and have dozens of recipes within seconds.
Just thought of weightwatchers.com. That would provide a forum in which to study interactions in an online community. This (obviously) relates to food. Has easier access to food led to an increased need for weight loss support? How does the online community deal with these issues? Is online interaction more successful than traditional weight loss methods?
More thoughts on this to come....If I can combine my love of writing, research, and food, I think this will be the most fascinating summer yet!
I'd like to do a paper on how the restaurant industry has become digitalized. From the invention of the drive-thru with speaker phones, to automated registers, to devices that vibrate and jingle when activated, the restaurant industry has joined the digital world along with the rest of us.
Perhaps I can focus on a popular website on the East Coast. (It might be elsewhere, but I just thought of the idea and haven't researched much yet.) The website is called http://www.carryoutmenu.com/. It allows people to search for local restaurants in their area, view a menu online, place the order and pay via credit card. A delivery person drives to the restaurant, picks up the order and then delivers it. Of course, this service costs the user a small fee, but sometimes it's difficult to not pay a small price for convenience.
Perhaps I can tie this in with the http://www.foodnetwork.org/. I view this website virtually everyday and search for recipes, my favorite chefs, and entertaining ideas. Today it is so easy to learn how to cook authentic fettucinne alfredo, poach salmon, or whip up a chocolate mousse. Yes, there have been cookbooks around for centuries, but I no longer dig through my bookshelves when I want to make creme brulee. I type the request into food network and have dozens of recipes within seconds.
Just thought of weightwatchers.com. That would provide a forum in which to study interactions in an online community. This (obviously) relates to food. Has easier access to food led to an increased need for weight loss support? How does the online community deal with these issues? Is online interaction more successful than traditional weight loss methods?
More thoughts on this to come....If I can combine my love of writing, research, and food, I think this will be the most fascinating summer yet!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Digital Age
What is most interesting in the digital age? I think the fact that immense amounts of information is available within seconds to everyone who has internet access is the most interesting fact. A few questions it raises for me are:
1. What type of people post information? Is it people with knowledge or those that just want to join a conversation they may know nothing about?
2. Who ensures that posted information is correct? Wikipedia is largely un-monitored. Searching medical questions can lead to inaccurate information.
3. Who decides which links pop up first during searches? Is it consumer-driven based upon which links are activated? Or is it driven upon who can pay Google the most to have their sites display first?
4. How does one keep their medical records private from the rest of the world? Is it even possible?
5. How does one keep himself/herself private from the rest of the world? It takes two seconds to type your name into Google and discover that all your past residences and current residence is posted online, along with your telephone number. Is it possible to maintain anonymity in a world obsessed with sharing knowledge?
6. Has society lost the human touch? You can pay bills, buy merchandise, return merchandise, make doctor’s appointments and even view test results online. You don’t even necessarily have to go to the grocery store if you don’t want to. Simply sign up for an online service, enter your grocery list, and within a few days, groceries will be dropped off at your front door.
7. Where will the digital age lead us in the next 5, 10, or 20 years?
8. Can virus companies keep up with the bugs and malware that are released everyday?
9. How has online education changed the nature of traditional education? Is the change for the better?
For me, the most interesting online environments are those that are fluid. YouTube, MySpace, and iReports are sites that host videos and commentary from average everyday people. There is no censorship allowing for true freedom of speech. People can post their views and have them heard on every topic.
YouTube videos give us a glimpse into the shenanigans of our neighbors, our workmates, even other cultures. Amateur videos give us insight into world events and sometimes first hand coverage that even news stations are unable to get. For decades people had to rely on the mainstream news media; now we can report the news as soon as it happens AND learn about it from several viewpoints.
MySpace now allows us to stay connected to people across the world. It’s not uncommon to have friends or relatives living in other countries. With MySpace, these people can stay in touch via postings, pictures, even video.
The real question is, how do we examine and study these sites? How important are they in shaping the digital society?
1. What type of people post information? Is it people with knowledge or those that just want to join a conversation they may know nothing about?
2. Who ensures that posted information is correct? Wikipedia is largely un-monitored. Searching medical questions can lead to inaccurate information.
3. Who decides which links pop up first during searches? Is it consumer-driven based upon which links are activated? Or is it driven upon who can pay Google the most to have their sites display first?
4. How does one keep their medical records private from the rest of the world? Is it even possible?
5. How does one keep himself/herself private from the rest of the world? It takes two seconds to type your name into Google and discover that all your past residences and current residence is posted online, along with your telephone number. Is it possible to maintain anonymity in a world obsessed with sharing knowledge?
6. Has society lost the human touch? You can pay bills, buy merchandise, return merchandise, make doctor’s appointments and even view test results online. You don’t even necessarily have to go to the grocery store if you don’t want to. Simply sign up for an online service, enter your grocery list, and within a few days, groceries will be dropped off at your front door.
7. Where will the digital age lead us in the next 5, 10, or 20 years?
8. Can virus companies keep up with the bugs and malware that are released everyday?
9. How has online education changed the nature of traditional education? Is the change for the better?
For me, the most interesting online environments are those that are fluid. YouTube, MySpace, and iReports are sites that host videos and commentary from average everyday people. There is no censorship allowing for true freedom of speech. People can post their views and have them heard on every topic.
YouTube videos give us a glimpse into the shenanigans of our neighbors, our workmates, even other cultures. Amateur videos give us insight into world events and sometimes first hand coverage that even news stations are unable to get. For decades people had to rely on the mainstream news media; now we can report the news as soon as it happens AND learn about it from several viewpoints.
MySpace now allows us to stay connected to people across the world. It’s not uncommon to have friends or relatives living in other countries. With MySpace, these people can stay in touch via postings, pictures, even video.
The real question is, how do we examine and study these sites? How important are they in shaping the digital society?
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Research Ideas
I have a couple of ideas for a research project and am trying to flush out which one might be the most interesting project to pursue. The following is a list of ideas.
1) Research how society uses Wikipedia. Wikipedia contains a mass amount of information and is used by people worldwide. How accurate is this information? Who reviews the information to make sure that it is accurate? What type of people post information and what motivates these people to use their own spare time to disseminate knowledge to the benefit of others? I thought the article on participation inequality was interesting because it gave statistics on the number of people who contribute and the number of people who simply observe. Is Wikipedia in fact a useful tool considering that the information comes from a select few?
2) Research online communties that focus on the Iraq war effort and our fallen soldiers. Are the pictures of the war more accurate than the written accounts of the war? How does this effect society's impression of our involvement in Iraq?
3) Research how presidential candidates have used myspace to promote their campaigns. The candidates all have a myspace page. Did campaigning via the web have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on their campaigns? I did a brief look on myspace to see what the candidates posted. At first glance it appears that information is minimal, however I would be interested to research the motivation behind the candidates using myspace and whether or not they found it successful. Is using myspace a new a way for politicians to reach those people who might not otherwise care?
I think I am leaing towards #3. It'd be interesting to see if candidates were able to reach a younger generation because they began to speak to them in the same way younger generations communicate with each other.
Any suggestions/comments would be very helpful.
1) Research how society uses Wikipedia. Wikipedia contains a mass amount of information and is used by people worldwide. How accurate is this information? Who reviews the information to make sure that it is accurate? What type of people post information and what motivates these people to use their own spare time to disseminate knowledge to the benefit of others? I thought the article on participation inequality was interesting because it gave statistics on the number of people who contribute and the number of people who simply observe. Is Wikipedia in fact a useful tool considering that the information comes from a select few?
2) Research online communties that focus on the Iraq war effort and our fallen soldiers. Are the pictures of the war more accurate than the written accounts of the war? How does this effect society's impression of our involvement in Iraq?
3) Research how presidential candidates have used myspace to promote their campaigns. The candidates all have a myspace page. Did campaigning via the web have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on their campaigns? I did a brief look on myspace to see what the candidates posted. At first glance it appears that information is minimal, however I would be interested to research the motivation behind the candidates using myspace and whether or not they found it successful. Is using myspace a new a way for politicians to reach those people who might not otherwise care?
I think I am leaing towards #3. It'd be interesting to see if candidates were able to reach a younger generation because they began to speak to them in the same way younger generations communicate with each other.
Any suggestions/comments would be very helpful.
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