My Blog.

2009-12-01T20:53:00.001-08:00

History of Facebook

Facebook, also known as thefacebook, is a social networking website, the second largest social network on the web. It was created by Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Harvard students Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. It started off as a hobby for Mark with some financial help from friend Eduardo Saverin, it didn’t take long before the idea of facebook spread through the halls of Harvard. Making way to other major schools where it became widely endorsed. Before long Facebook was known as a network phenomenon, Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard and ran the website full time. No longer known as thefacebook, the domain name facebook.com was now the home of Facebook, which was purchased for 200,000. (Sid Yadav)

Who created it?

Created by former Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, now a young American billionaire. He is one of the co-founders for the popular networking site that we all know as Facebook. Mark is the CEO (Gillian Reagan, 2009-03-10) and president of facebook, and his new found prosperity is a subject for controversy when it comes to his business (news.com article 02138) and wealth (Thomas Owen, 2008-12-15). Facebook was launched on February 4th, 2004 out of Zuckerberg’s dorm in Harvard. The idea came from his earlier days attending Phillips Exeter Academy which had a tradition of annual student directory, soon after Facebook was formed. At first he built the program to help his father’s employees communicate; he designed a game called risk and a music player called synapse, which later on Microsoft and AOL tried to buy from him and offered him a job, but Zuckerberg denied the offer and attended Harvard instead.

2009-12-01T20:52:00.001-08:00

Myspace VS. Facebook

Most people who use online networking have both Facebook and Myspace accounts, but users sometimes prefer one over the other. Considering their differences there’s a reason why one is used more than the other. At first, Myspace was more frequently used by teenagers, where as Facebook could only be used by college students who have a college email. But as time went on Facebook was more open to other users, and now teenagers also have a Facebook, as well as college students using Myspace. The real difference here is professionals using Facebook for networking and job hunting, no doubt there are professionals who use myspace, but it’s more for local musicians and comedians trying to get themselves noticed. So facebook is used more for communicating with students and professionals, and myspace is used more for creativity and socializing. (Kathryn Vercelli, 'Myspace VS. Facebook')

Communication

Like Myspace and other websites that are used for communicating and networking, which provides faceless communication. Communicating online means that people can be easily misunderstood because it doesn’t involve speaking or showing emotion through actions, often the people we are talking to misinterpret our true meaning of what’s being told with the lack of body language and mannerisms. Not even the little smiley faces can complement our interactions like a raised eyebrow could or a shrug of the shoulder. So we need to be aware that online communicating can be neglectful to our ‘social graces’ (Richard Perkins, 2007-07-31, Faceless Communication). Throughout all the social interactions we need to learn to respect one another, and understand that it’s just harder to express ourselves online.

2009-12-01T20:50:00.003-08:00

Addictive nature

Many would say Facebook is addicting, take Laura Levin for instance who broke up with her boyfriend because he was tracking her every move on Facebook. One of the reasons facebook is so often used is the convenience, people can find out so much about another person before you even date them. So the ways men and women interact has been revolutionized by social networking. Facebook is a global phenomenon, four in ten adults say they visit these sites on a daily basis using them to build friendships. Research has found that users spend an average of 5.3 hours a month on these sites and visit them at least 23 times a day. These are just averages but it goes to show you the addicts who are merging forward (Tom Rawstorne, 2008-02-05, Are you on Facebook? and is it runing your life?).

Exploiting

Facebook shows the great dangers that a networking site can provide through exploiting. So who would think that anyone needs to worry about facebook during a tragic event? Apparently tragedy and facebook go hand and hand (Alyssa D' Anna 2007-04-19). And it seems Facebook is being used as a tool to exploit and satisfy curiosity during events such as the Virginia Tech shooting, people join groups just to use people as a source of information. These online sites make us seem more like the paparazzi, granting us permission to look up anything we want to know at any given time. And as anyone can see from the VT shooting, we now have access to everyone’s privacy and emotions as soon as you sign into your facebook page.

2009-12-01T20:50:00.002-08:00

Reference List

1. Mashable contributor Sid Yadav and edited by Pete Cashmore.

2. Gillian Reagan (2009-03-10) ‘Thumbs up! There’s a lot to like about ‘Like’

3. news.com article about 02138

4. Thomas Owen (2008-12-15) “Facebook’s new value: 1.3 Billion?”

5. Kathryn Vercelli ‘Myspace VS. Facebook’

6. Richard Perkins (2007-07-31) Faceless Communication

7. Tom Rawstorne (2008-02-05) Are you on face book? And is it ruining your life?

8. Alyssa D’ Anna (2007-04-19) Tragic events turn facebook into a tool for exploitation

2009-12-01T20:50:00.001-08:00

Work Cited page

http://mashable.com/2006/08/25/facebook-profile/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg

http://hubpages.com/hub/MySpace-vs-Facebook

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/2007/07/31/faceless-communication-the-facebook-phenemenon/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-512535/Are-Facebook-And-ruining-life.html

http://media.www.thelamron.com/media/storage/paper1150/news/2007/04/19/Opinion/Tragic.Events.Turn.Facebook.Into.A.Tool.For.Exploitation-2853236.shtml

Text Wrestling essay

2009-11-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

In this article, “Our Cell Phones, Ourselves” Christine Rosen discusses the changes of cell phone use over the years and the various uses, ranging from socially acceptable to demeaning and dangerous. Now a days cell phones are more used than telephones, Both in the united states and internationally. On average, Americans spend atleast 7 hours out of the month talking on the phone. This is such a problem that the World Health Organization did a study on the possible effects that cell phones could cause by electromagnetic fields. So how has it changed our behavior, and how might it continue to do so?

Connection is now the ultimate sign of power. Before cell phones, anyone from the top mob boss to a superhero was communicating through technology, being able to talk to anyone, at anytime. Everything changed in the 1990’s, cell phones became cheaper, smaller and more readily available. In some countries, cell phones are still limited to less fortunate, but as for the rest of the world technology is becoming obsolete. I think the big question here is, why do people use cell phones? For convenience maybe, which ranges from all different types of behaviors. Now people can switch on the heat before they return home, and paramedics can send pictures straight to the hospital. Combined with the everyday use of cell phones, such as making appointments, locating friends, or simply checking voicemails. Cell phones just make everything more convenient.

These devices also make people feel safer, nearly 156,000 emergency phone calls are recorded each day, making that 108 calls every minute. But of course, the need for a technological safety device can create more worry and anxieties, in some cases it gives good excuses for kids to their parents “my cell phone battery died.” I’m sure nearly everyone has been through panic when a loved one was supposed to call and they fail to answer the phone, something must have happened. The use of mobile communication does not always have positive results for those who use it. We’ve all heard about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving, 54 percent of drivers use the phone for talking or texting while operating a vehicle, eventually all drivers will be required to use hands free technology.

We are in the midst of a period of adjustment. With the memory of old social rules, reminding us to be courteous of others, especially in confined areas. But it’s clear that the use of technology and cell phones has disturbed our ability to enforce on social rules. We will spend more time rationalizing our own need to make cell phone calls than thinking about how it might affect others. But we know the reasons why people own a cell phone-convenience and safety. Cell phones provide us with a new, but not exactly a superior means of communication between each other. They encourage talk, not conversation. They link us to the ones we know, but provide us with safety against strangers surrounded in a public area. Their use is undeniably useful.

Will one of these photos work?

2009-11-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

essay part 1

2009-09-30T22:59:00.001-07:00

I always thought moving out of my parents house would be one of the greatest times of my life. Finally, I would get to live free of rules, make one’s own decisions and provide for myself. I got to experience this freedom for five very long months, or so it seemed long. I moved out of my parents house on impulse, I didn't really put too much thought into it. Even though I thought it was a good oppurtunity at the time, because it just so happened to be the same apartment building that my brother recently moved into. My friend Brandon, my former roommate, had moved in and my brother lived downstairs from him, so Brandon asked me to live with him one day, and I agreed. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.
At first and for a while things couldn't have been better, I was out on my own having the time of my life. It was like living in a frat house most of the time, people would just stop by without asking, everyday was like a party at that house. And we knew all the tenants so nobody cared about the noise level. I was living carefree and I stopped at nothing to have a good time, I was at the point in my life where I just turned 21 and I was ready to have some fun. But it wasn't always fun, Though I was on my own and having a great time, being on your own is a lot of work. I didn't even have to pay rent, just being independent can get really frustrating sometimes. Especially when you've lived in one house your whole life, and then you move into a small apartment with a guy friend, a slobby guy friend I might add.
Sometimes it was like taking care of a kid, I would constanstly be picking up after Brandon. He would leave all the condiments out after making a sandwich, and if I didn't put them away then they would stay there until he decided to make another sandwich, or just wait for me to put them back. I was raised in a very clean house, so this transformation was pretty rough, and he knew I liked everything clean so he took advantage of that. When I decided to move out I knew that I would have to deal with some changes, but I didn't know I would become a housewife to my friend, I just figured he was someone I could trust, or atleast I thought I could trust him.

essay part 2

2009-09-30T22:58:00.001-07:00

As time went by my friends started realizing things about Brandon that never really bothered me too much at first. I knew he had some issues with lying, in High school he did a lot of acting so I thought it had to associate with that. But my friends didn't appreicate his exaggerated stories he would always tell. So the parties died down and people stopped coming by as often. And I kept to myself a lot more. For about a month Brandon had been lying about his job, he made up some stories about being sick, so he lost his job. He promised to get a new one or else we wouldn't be paying rent. For a while I didn't think much about his lying, but it got progressingly worse. It got a lot worse.
A couple of weeks went by and I didn't ask to much about his job, we tried to keep or personal lives to ourselves, but as a roommate I felt obligated to know what was going on, after all if he fails, then so do I. So I tried my best to help him with food and other things we needed around the house. For two months I helped him buy food and paid a share of the rent, all I asked in return was his honesty. I didn't think it was too much to ask. Apparently it was because I started to catch on to him. He started making promises to pay me money back that he owed, but his pay check would never come in. And he would make up a new story everyday that his check wouldn't come in, saying his Aunt had it, and then he cashed it in the bank and had to wait for the check to clear. It was almost believable. So I took it upon myself to see what was really going on.
I called his aunt one day and asked her if he ever had a check sent there and if there really was a check pending, and of course her response was obvious. He never had a job or a check coming in, he didn't have a job for two months. So for two months he lied to me, took all my money for food, and felt no need to tell me that he had no job and no intention of ever finding one. That's what you get for trusting someone, but it didn't stop there. After he was confronted about his lying, the lying only got worse. In his attempt to get better and find a job, he figured the best way to do so would be getting help for his lying first. Which would seem like a logical idea.

essay part 3

2009-09-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

However, you can't get help from someone if you're lying about what the problem really is, which is lying. So Brandon tells me that he's getting medicine that will help him with his lying and he gets to go on disability for a while. I think, great, well I guess it's a way to pay the rent, but not exactly they way I would have intended. Except, The doctor prescribes him medicine for anxiety and depression. Now why would a doctor do that for someone who is lying? Because the doctor thinks that Brandon's son just passed away, he does have a son, but he's still very much a live. So he's prescribed for his depression which he doesn't even have. Now more problems arise.
His aunt contacts me two days after Brandon was prescribed these meds, at this time I have no idea that Brandon lied to the doctors and he's taking meds that he doesn't need. Turns out Brandon took a visit to his aunt's house, and he had overdosed on the pills, but luckily it didn't kill him. So his aunt informs me that he took sixty three pills in two days, more than anyone should ever take. And she takes them away from him, while he's going through this four day overdose. His only reaction is to somehow get the pills back. One night while I'm sleeping, Brandon takes my car keys from the house to travel to his aunt's, to get his meds back. As he does this, by some miracle he didn't kill himself or anyone, but he did smash up my car and knock off my mirror. I packed up my stuff the next day, that was the end of my experience.
Even though all this crazy stuff happened, I really enjoyed my time on my own. I learned a lot of responsibility, and I now have greater appreciation for what my parents have to deal with when I was growing up and they always cleaned up after me. I also learned a great sense of value for myself, I'm proud that I did make it, and the only reason it didn't work out was because I would never be able to afford that apartment on my own. And regardless of what has happened between me and Brandon, we're still good friends. I moved out but he still lives there. I feel as even though he did a lot of bad things, he had a problem with lying, and because I didn't give up on him he wouldn't be where he is now. He has a good job, and he's able to afford his rent, and he met some friends of his own. And as for me, I'm happy back at home, I got all my friends back. And the best part of all is, I can finally save money again.

First post.

2009-09-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

so this is my first post, this isn't much different from Myspace, and considering I go on myspace everyday it's not very difficult at all to me. I'm not sure what to blog about. Computers are a easy thing for me. I can pretty much figure out anything on the computer, quickly, along with fixing it, so if you ever need me to help out with classmates I'd be more than welcome. Usually when I blog it has to do with how i feel at the time or what I'm thinking about. I feel tired.. but I'm not going to write about that. And what I'm thinking about I don't feel like writing, plus that would take up the whole class. It's like a journal to me. I'm a free writer, I love to just jot things down and get all my thoughts and feelings out so that way when I write it, I can look over it and see exactly how I'm feeling, It gives me a better understanding of myself too. Why talk to people when you can talk to yourself through writing. Besides the only one who can really help you is yourself.