The Alert for an RSS

Many of us today take full advantage of the Internet, we have our usual sites that we go to and check daily, we have our usual round up of information. Read, type, read, type, it's a vicious cycle. But now, it can be easier, you can have everything brought to you. So now, the process goes type, read, read, read, read, and well, you get the picture.

Yes, this sounds like an advertisement, because well, it might as well be one. By setting up an RSS feed, you get everything brought to you. You can do this with many sites, personally, I put my comfort in the hands of Google, however the choice is yours. If you go to your favorite site, you're going to see a link that looks like the picture above. Click on that button, enter your information, and tada! Now all you have to do is log onto your RSS feed page, and everything is there for you. It will notify you of any updates on any of your favorite sites! Crazy, right? In case my description isn't clear enough, here is an informational video to help you understand the wonders of the RSS feed.

Oh, the wonders of the RSS. As someone who is looking at going into a public relations field, this is very vital to my career. If I need to get my updates quickly in the morning so I could make decisions about what to m

ake my press release about, I can have all the latest news just sent to me to view quickly, and in one place. I would no longer have to go searching for the information, when it's just brought right to me. Not enough people take advantage of this concept, but I'm sure if they tried it, they would understand.

As helpful of a trick as an RSS feed is, Google Alerts are equally as helpful. If you go to your google account, and sign up for what is called a "google alert" then you can type anything you have questions about in. For example, I had questions about the iPad when it was first released, I was curious to see what others were saying, and what reviews it was receiving. So, I went to my Google Alerts and typed in iPad, and from the point on, twice a day I receive emails that include links and stories that were published all over the web that pertain to the iPad. This information is brought right to me.

Google Alerts are another trick of the trade to know for someone that is going into the PR field, for example you can easily find out what is being said about your company by anyone who accesses the Internet. How much easier could your job be? Here is a video about how to use Google Alerts.

Google Alerts and RSS feeds go hand in hand in how they are helping to shape a media driven world. While they are easy to use and help us greatly in the day to day routine, what is it really doing for us, and how are they effecting us? Everything falls under the tool sets, even things that make our lives easier. ESPECIALLY things that make our lives easier.

They effect the brain especially in the neocortex because it is all through reading. Everything that you put onto your RSS feed or receive through email from your Google Alert involves reading, and then processing the information that you are reading, that you take in. The neocortex is where all the higher level thinking takes place.

RSS and Google Alerts are a perfect example of the aesthetic shift as they take something that was meant for many, and bring it directly to you. When you no longer have to go visit companies web pages to get their information, you are not seeing everything else they want you to see. No advertisements, no other stories that are placed to grab your attention. They are also examples of the technological shift as you are accessing all this information for your self, your own personal viewing, it's being brought to you and only you in this direct format.

In my opinion, these two methods of information are examples of ownership. You are doing what these companies want, you are such a loyal customer that you are limiting your search for information to there information and their information only. For example, usually to get the news, you'll scan sites to find what you want, however, with RSS feeds you are getting direct feed back from only the sites that you want. You are limiting yourself to the information you are getting, which then leads into "reality" construction/trade offs because you don't know what is being told, and what isn't being told. You are trusting the specific sources you get.

In terms of persuasion techniques, it really involves all of them depending upon the information that you are getting from using Google Alerts and RSS Feeds. This could be all of them, maybe just a hand full, but it is at lest a few of them.

RSS Feeds and Google Alerts are new for our time, but it's something that was a long time coming. These are two things that are vital for most career tracks, and even if it has no relation to something you are studying in the future, it's a great way to keep informed. As someone who uses both of these informational techniques, I would recommend them in a heart beat. Alright, this is the end of this advertisement.

Chirp Chirp, Tweet Tweet.

I did the unthinkable, something I promised myself I'd never do. Something so disappointing to myself, something so treacherous that it's causing me to lose sleep. So disappointing, that my even my cat is upset with me. I joined Twitter.

For so long I promised myself that Myspace and Facebook were enough for me in terms of social networking sites. After all, Myspace grew old, and Facebook, well, let's just say it's my number one excuse for not getting work done. That and playing with my overly energetic kitten.

I always felt that the concept of twitter was just, pointless. 140 characters to get my point across to the "twitter-verse", well, that's the same as updating my Facebook status. So, why did I need to then go and join this sight as well? Because, I'll do anything for a good grade, and joining this social networking site, that has to many clever phrases from it's name, was a homework assignment.

Once I got past the initial shock of actually having a Twitter account, I realized that I have no idea how to actually use the thing. My roommate and I sat for an hour just trying to figure the thing out! We ended up calling one of my friends, who had recently decided to put his beak away and stop twittering, to come and show us the ropes. After he showed us the basics, he then sent me a tweet saying I had "awoken the twittering beast" and got him back into the bad habit. I also found this helpful video to just lay it out for me.





They make it so simple, allowing you to update your tweets right from your phone. Even myself, who has had no experience with this program, have added Twitter as a new contact in my smart phone. I'm embarrassed to have admitted this, it's worse then admitting a new crush in middle school. okay, maybe not to that extent, but it's up there for sure.

Being a member of Twitter has an impact that uses all of our tool sets. To start with the brain, my Reptilian brain is engaged for me personally, because I want to flight, but I fight to stay. My Limbic brain feels the emotions of not only me being on Twitter, but in reading all of the posts that I'm able to see using Tweet Deck. I will praise Twitter in that I find it interesting that I don't need to be someones "friend" in order to see what they are tweeting. I just need to look up the network and I can see all of it's members. It's like a marketing professionals dream! My Neocortex gets to read and process all that is coming at me, and all that I'm submerging myself into.

In terms of the shifts, it's a perfect example of the Technological Shift, because not only is Twitter a perfect example of the web taking over, but even marketing professionals use it for advertising. You reaching a large audience. Which transitions perfectly into the Personal Shift. Also, it's an example of Cultural Shift because while we feel things like Facebook pages and Twitter home pages are ours, they are accessible to anyone and everyone who knows our names.

Moving nicely into the basic principles, it fits into the standards of Production Techniques, because it's with these techniques that twitter considers itself to be unique and original. Giving you only 140 characters to get your message across, there is nothing else like that. It raises the questions of Ownership, thinking about who owns this source of medium. We think we do, but really someone is making bank off us tweeting things to each other. Not to mention all the companies that make accounts on these pages to gain awareness and look to enhance their company names through word of mouth.

Twitter can use as many persuasive techniques as the day is long, because it depends on the people who use Twitter, which we know includes people of all ages, as well as companies trying to gain recognition, even people that are hosting local events will make a Twitter page, and then delete it once the event has passed.

Everyone has a twitter, everyone wants to take in the benefits that come along with typing 140 characters to everyone saying what's on your mind and what your doing. What is it with today's society that wants everyone to know their every action? Does privacy not exist anymore? I understand that as a youth in today's society who does have social networking pages I'm including myself in this category, but that doesn't make it any less true.


Once this class is over, and my grade is done, I'm going to delete my Twitter, and take a breath of fresh air knowing that I can go back to just go back to updating my Facebook status without having to log into a whole other network that makes no sense to me.

Oh Twitter, keep on tweeting.

Midterm Maddness

1. After studying media for eight weeks in this class, what have you learned?
I've learned a lot. A big part of what I've learned is the importance of understanding the web, such as twitter and blogging, it's all down me just how important the Internet really is to today's society.

2. What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as a; 1. critical reader, 2. a writer, and 3. thinker in this class so far?
-As a critical reader, that I need to read things more then once sometimes to fully take in the meaning of the writing, especially Media related things and now understand the tool sets, I try and see if they are featured.

-As a critical writer, I need to read things out loud to myself to make sure that my message is coming off in the way I really want it to. I try to make sure that the language I use is effective in getting my point across in a direct manner and that I'm not just confusing anyone reading.

-As a critical thinker I realize that I'm always thinking with a media mind. When I see advertisements I don't play into them like I used to because I understand now what the owners are trying to get me to believe.

3. What's one thing you would do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
I feel that it subjects like media studies, there are so many great documentaries. Short of a Michael Moore movie, there are plenty out there, and I feel that watching these offers a lot of insight. I would just play a movie for the class, to have visuals go with the words is really driving the information into the brain.

4. What's one thing you would like me (Dr. W.) to do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
Whenever I do the readings from the book I always find the information so interesting, because they are things I felt were so generic but turn out to be so unique in their own form. I really enjoy reading from the book, so I would want to incorporate the readings into the class more, like, just spend more time going over them and maybe in more detail.

5. Please comment on the usefulness of the course blog, your personal blog, our films, and our books as learning tools.

-Course blog I really like having because I can always check it. As someone with a smart phone and always has it with them, this works out well for me. If I'm ever at work and trying to get work done, I can just check the course blog and not have to worry about having a syllabus with me to check it.

-Personal blog, I like having that because I feel it's really beneficial to have. I like that it's where most of our homework assignments are, it's a new unique way of doing homework, it's really changing with the times.

-Films, we haven't watched any yet! We have watched various things on YouTube which have been interesting, yes, but not a full film. The German drink commercial scared the crap out of me, the super bowl commercials never get old, and the video we watched for our midterm was very interesting.

-Book, I really like having the book. It's not only a good reference tool, but it's a good paper weight. Just kidding, but really I do enjoy the book, I really like reading from it, which is great because I'm never dreading doing my homework.

Stuck on The Island (Media Meditation 1)

A few weekends ago, I went and paid the $7.25 to go to the movies and see Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. This movie is a psychological thriller/ mystery movie, and it kept me guessing until the end. I'm glad to say, that I absolutely loved this movie.

There have been a lot of mixed reviews when hearing about it, but this is the type of movie you really need to have a taste for. It's a movie you really have to pay attention to because all the small details come together to make perfect sense, but if you miss one of the details, you are left a little in the dark. I don't want to spoil the end, but you'd never guess it coming. And even when it's laid out for you, you don't know which is the real thing; is he crazy or sane?

It was a thriller, and my reptilian brain was loving this. It was controlling my body to deal with the jumps, shocks, and fear in some cases. My heart rate was always up an then down, and then up, and then down. My limbic brain was loving all the images, the set was so well done, it made you feel like you were really there. My emotions went for a ride in the end, as I really didn't know what to believe anymore! Finally, my neocortex was fully engaged, as this movie really made me think. I had to thing back to the entire movie and think about all the small meaningless actions, that turned out to be so important to the movie in general.

The movie in itself featured a bit of the cultural shift. It was taken place in a psychiatrist facility, and there was always someone watching, they never had any alone time. I thought it made an unintentional connection, or maybe it was just me, to how life is these days. That, if something is wrong, we just get rid of the problem, and in this case it's the people. They are always watched, and the only time they were alone is when they ran away, or made a great effort to hide. In one scene, even in the case where they are hiding, they are still found unknowingly. This is like todays media culture. It's everywhere, and we can't get away.

It used good examples of value messages as it makes us question some things. Me personally, it made me question the insanity of the main character, and how someone can create a different personality to escape their real life, or, if that was really the case, and he was just brain washed. It's like today, were we can be convinced of anything, even losing sight of ourselves and who we really are. If someone has a convincing argument, then, that's all it takes.

In terms of persuasion techniques, it really was based around the big lie. You're not supposed to know what's real and what's not, even though to the end of the movie. They are not telling the truth about something, but it's unknown when it really is. They use bandwagon techniques in both positive and negative ways to the story line. The movie is based around one rhetorical question of what happed to patient 67. And, of course, fear is used, as it is a scary movie.

This movie didn't use to many specifics from our four tool sets, but it really worked my brain on all three levels. I would pay to see this movie again, I loved the thrill so much. Two thumbs up Leonardo, I hope you get off the island eventually