Communicating with Memes

Today I would like to talk about internet memes how and we use them to communicate in a different way.

Internet memes are expressed in:

• One picture
• A series of still pictures
• An animated gif
• Captions to get point across

What are memes use them for?

Memes are made to express an idea or feeling. Some memes are made to be comical, while others are meant to convey some deeper meaning that words alone could not express. I will be linking popular posts found via the r/AdviceAnimals subreddit on reddit.com and imgur.com for the purposes of this discussion.

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” ― Ansel Adams

How are memes used?

People use memes to express to the world, sometimes anonymously, things big and small that happen in life. Many times, they express minor annoyances, such as anti-piracy on legally obtained DVDs - http://imgur.com/Gzivvh4 - or having to wait 40 minutes for updates on games to load - http://i.imgur.com/m4Zyuwc.jpg. Sometimes memes can express embarrassment from awkward moments and paradoxes - http://i.imgur.com/S9ubkVT.jpg - or perhaps something that may me odd to share to people around you - http://www.livememe.com/3p3kdd. Memes can bring home a serious, yet obvious point with issues such what happened with the New York Police Department with #myNYPD - http://imgur.com/eSPn9MX.

In this Socially Awkward Penguin meme - http://imgur.com/lg9k4wx - this person believes hunting wild animals for food is more human than eating animals who are mistreated their entire lives. The awkward looking penguin is what bring homes the point that they feel like this may not be a socially accept thought that words cannot do alone.

Memes can even be used in a way to uplift others, such as this husband’s appreciation of how his wife handled her mother’s illness - http://www.livememe.com/3o6advl - or showing gratitude for the that let the person off to his grandfather’s funeral without a ticket -http://imgur.com/LqgvKTO.

Interview with Adrienne

Businesses use social media every day to communicate to customers and clients, old and new. Today, I interviewed a good friend of mine, Adrienne, and asked her how she uses social media in the real estate world.

Q: What type of business are you in?

A: I am a Real Estate agent for RE/MAX Gold Coast Properties.

Q: What is the name of the company you work for?

A: RE/MAX Gold Coast Properties

Q: What is your current position? 

A: Real Estate Agent/Sales Consultant

Q: What types of social media do you utilize in your business and how?

A: Well, since my job is really a personal contractor type of position, I make sure to utilize all the benefits of social media that I can. From Instagram, to Facebook, Google+ to Twitter - I use them all for advertising!

Q: How has social media changed how you interact with customers and other businesses?

A: Social Media has made my life so much easier in the fact that it gives me free advertising for my company. I can advertise open houses on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to all of my friends and co-workers who can then re-tweet or re-post the items and get in touch with all of their circles of friends and families. I use it for listings and just to keep everybody in the know that I am a perfect fit for all their real estate needs.

Q: Can you tell me more about social media and advertising?

A: Social Media has really helped lower my advertising costs because it has become a direct marketing tool for me. I can send out information to my friends, acquaintances, family, etc. and then they can pass that information on to whomever. It has created this immensely huge network of people that in the past I have never been able to reach - all for free! It's awesome! Also, since I mainly do leases it has definitely given me an edge on a younger demographic who use social media as something in their daily lives.

Q: How often would you say you get new clients from your interactions on social media?

A: Honestly, recently most of my leads and clientele has come directly from social media. It has definitely expanded who I can send my direct marketing and information to from a smaller circle to an almost endless one of new people and points of contact.

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Q: What are some of the negative aspects of social media in your business?

A: Thankfully, I have not encountered any negative aspects of social media into my work life. I know that it could definitely have some negative aspects in somebody's personal life, but luckily I have yet to experience them.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?

A: Social Media is a great outlet for businesses and companies that do not use this to their advantages are really missing out. It is a critical connection to clients - new and old and really is a super useful media in today's marketplace.

A Look at Online Dating Statics

While writing Wednesday's post I found some statics about dating sites:

What I find most interesting is the statics about what people lie about the most. Weight comes in first place with 60.5% of males lying about their height along with a close 59% of females. Next with 55.3% of males and 41.5% fibbing a how tall they are. What really surprises me is the gab in age of men lying, 24.3% and women, 13.2, lying about their ages [1]. It's a common belief that women do fudge a bit on their age, in the online dating world this seems to be the opposite.

Kind of makes you wonder what people are really hiding, doesn't it?

References:

[1] Hancok, J. (Director) (). The Truth about Lying in Online Dating Profiles . CHI 2007 Proceedings 

. Lecture conducted from CHI 2007 Proceedings, San Jose, CA.

Other references in graph:

. (2011, August 26). Unmarried and Single Americans Week Sept. 18-24, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff19.html

Broussard, M. (n.d.). Dating Stats You Should Know: Numbers about love that make all the difference. Match.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from http://www.match.com/magazine/article/4671/

Rudder, C. (2008, February 8). The Big Lies People Tell In Online Dating. The Big Lies People Tell In Online Dating. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/the-biggest-lies-in-online-dating/

. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/21/online-dating-relationships/

Online Dating

We interact more with technology every day. Naturally, this has changed the way we also seek companionship. Instead going out on blind dates that our concerned aunt has setup for us or going out with that guy who we’ve avoided for the last six months from work, are able to go outside of our social and professional circles and find millions of people via our computer. Like other outlets of social media, matchmaking websites have branched out to our mobile devices, making our ability to find someone a completely interactive experience. We are able to check out a potential match's vital information from anywhere, any place, and any time. Have some spare time during lunch? Why not check out your potential matches thoughts on last week's episode of Game of Thrones or check out their latest photos? 

Social media has allowed us access to a larger pool of potential mates than ever before while removing the awkwardness of possibly rejecting or being rejected by someone in person. Online dating has taken hold in all aspects of society, instead of beint seen as used by the antisocial and mentally defective. People that would otherwise never encounter one another in social situations are thrown together and equalized, where only their words and photos are taken for what they are. The ability to communicate on a level that you wouldn't normally be able to ups the game to a point where you're really forced to consider what a person is like, without taking into account all of the little factors that might distract you from making a quality choice in "reality". 

You can't very well throw thousands of overly-eager and diversified individuals together and expect anything useful to come of it, of course. These sites have developed all kinds of methods for matching potential daters with one another, all using different methods of information harvesting. Lengthy questionnaires, location, ratings of both themselves and other individuals all play a part in being able to decipher who is going to be worth your time in contacting. But even as advanced as these algorithms have become, it does still boil down to plain old social chemistry. Were they lying about some things on their profile? Are they able to communicate with you in a way you enjoy? The matching aspect helps narrow down from the thousands and thousands, but its still on the individual and direct communication to make the process a worthwhile one. 

More options, less commitment.

Business and Consumer Relationships

Feedback online changes business practices  

The internet has created new relationship dynamics/interactions with for businesses and their customers.  With the creation of the internet, customers can leave open feedback in public causing the products to both look better, or worse, for the entire world to see. Amazon has a one to five star rating system with open, honest feedback from verified purchasers. Other businesses have created similar feedback systems for their own customers because of how helpful Amazon customers have found this option. Feedback options such as this have inevitably made an impact on the consumer behaviors. For instance, if a person is unsure of a product because they have never purchased it before and are unsure if it will be compatible with something else, other customers who have purchased that item for such a purpose can inform others on if it would be a good fit. This has reduced the need for front line customer service and returns on products. 

Twitter is known for causing PR disasters. The employees in charge for creating tweets have been known for forgetting to switch from their person account to the business account. Gloria Huang [1] mistakenly sent a tweet to from the @RedCross Twitter account, believing they were sending it from their own personal account saying “Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch beer…. When we drink we do it right #gettngsizzerd” [2]. The Red Cross was able to avoid a PR disaster while using humor to directly respond to the tweet. Saying “We’ve deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we’ve confiscated the keys.” Public figures are perhaps the most at risk for the negative effects of twitter. Anthony Weiner, Mark Cuban, and Gilbert Godfrey have all suffered the consequences of believing that such public forums aren't nearly as private as they'd like to believe. 

References:

[1] https://twitter.com/riaglo

[2] Todd, W. (2011, February 16). Red Cross Does PR Disaster Recovery on Rogue Tweet. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/02/16/red-cross-tweet/

How the Web Affects the News

Internet and the News

The internet has had a dramatic effect on the way news has been disbursed for a long time. News spreads faster through internet channels than before. Because of these new avenues, a number of problems and advantages have emerged.

On one hand, it has caused reporting to be more specific with fact checking. Users can quickly check other sources and history of events. Outting public figures, whistleblowing, and organizing public protests are easier to accomplish as well. Anyone with a camera on their cell phone can quickly take a snap shot of public figures in questionable acts. In cases such as this, the news media can be left out of the loop completely, left playing catch up.

On the other hand, with information moving at a rapid pace and without the time restraints of fact checking or verifying sources, the information is circulating through these channels and can be exceptionally harmful. False reports containing everything from celebrity deaths to major terrorist plots move like wild fire. Propaganda for corporations, political parties, or lobby groups are reporting without any of the rigor of traditional news media. False information is written about on private sites as though it was fact, potentially harming those simple enough to subscribe to them.

Because of this, we've seen a rise in fake news, biased news, and outright conspiracy sites on the internet become a booming business. These sites gain so many followers, legitimate news organizations will pick up these fake stories and report them as news without bothering to check the original sources.

In our society where any press is good press, the equality of the internet has had a stunning effect on what press reaches an audience.

Bonding Online

Last week, I touched on the topic of anonymity on the internet and discussed how it negatively influences communication. This week I will discuss a few of the many positive aspects of anonymity.

Coming together

The perceived anonymity of social media allows people to feel more comfortable saying what they want to say to everyone who will read it such as with the ethos behind the hacker and social justice groups, sometimes known as “hackitivist”. The idea behind these social groups are to make ideas greater than the people who have them. In many social settings online, users can drop notions of class and create an even playing field for the discussions and debates of ideas. Opinions are heard equally throughout the web for anyone willing to pay attention allowing for an open source of ideas to flow and people to help each other grow ideas without the issues of worry of what people in their work and family circles will think about them.

Anonymity, like most things on the internet, allows people to make real connections with others that would not happen in face-to-face interactions. Ideas and hidden beliefs that are considered shameful and taboo in many communities are embraced openly online. Freedom to speak openly creates healthy dialog that can break down social barriers and create understand and self-awareness that could not have been expressed before. A 30-something anime enthusiast now has others around with whom he can share his interest. A hopeful fan fiction writer can share their ideas in a place with others just like them to find a creative outlet.

Victims of abuse often are not comfortable enough to open up to even their closest family and friends. Many anonymous forums allow people to go into detail about events that have taken place. Places such as this have become a safe haven for abuse victims. This is an amazing tool for people learning to grasp the horrors of traumatic events.

Then there are the heated topics. Abortion, sex and political, movements have been fueled by the internet’s  ability to give people surface anonymity. Bullying and double standards have no grip within these communities and allow people open discussion their views on sensitive topics without fear of judgment.

What I find the most interesting is how people are able to reach out to one and bond with connections far beyond the psychical without the use of non-verbal cues that encompass most of what people see as communication.

Dissociation Effects

In my last post, I explained what it means to be anonymous. An entire blog could be decided to how to be more anonymous online, so for now, I will skip that and dive straight into how people change their behavior online while they are interacting in ways that they perceive themselves to be anonymous to the general public.

With this perceived anonymity brings on different types of behaviors one would not exhibit in normal face-to-face interactions, such as the Online Disinhibition Effect.

The Online Disinhibition Effect

The Online Disinhibition Effect explains how we communicate digital without the benefit of face-to-face interactions. [1] This is the influences the feelings, needs and drive that a person has and the dissociation that comes with not having the person on the receiving end in front of you. This can manifest in both positive and negative ways. For most people this dissociation is minor and allows the person to feel more like their true self, while in others there is much larger gap. Take for example the bullies on news sites that attack each other and the authors of the article. YouTube is laced with references to the posters homosexuality in derogatory terms. Sexual deviants are allowed to run free on 4chan. Most of these people would suffer large repercussions in the real world if acted out publicly.
Even when speaking to people we know online, we cannot see their reaction to what we are saying. Emoticons have effects that trigger the same emotional responses as a genuine smiling face in front of us does; however, these can be presented falsely when hiding behind a screen.

In a recent case involving one of the more notorious of these trolls, Michael Brutsch,  we can not only see the impact the reality this behavior has on the individuals its directed toward, but also the repercussion that happen when anonymity is lifted and the individual responsible is exposed [2].


Despite this, there appears to be such a strong drive for individuals to act in an obscene fashion that they disregard common decency and forget about any possible legal action. One could guess that these individuals are so dissatisfied with their own lives and look to cause harm in others. It is possible that these people are just so restrained in their own lives and that when given the opportunity to exist in a world that has no perceived repercussions, they go a little wild. Regardless of the reasons, trolling and bullying appear to be a “new normal” among online personas.


References:

[1] Suler, J. (2004). The Online Disinhibition Effect.Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 7(3),

[2] Fitzpatrick, D., & Driffin, D. (2012, 10 19). Man behind 'Jailbait' posts exposed, loses job. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/18/us/internet-troll-apology/

Anonymity Online

Communication has been a driving force for technology since before written history. The internet is no exception.

With advancements in technology comes the desire to communicate anonymously. While participating in activates such as blog comments, chat rooms, instant messaging and Twitter it give users the feeling of being anonymous and these users are free to feel as though they  can be their "true self" to express their opinions in a fashion that will not reflect on their local persona.

What is Anonymity?

Gary Marx defines anonymity as not being identifiable according to his seven dimensions of identity knowledge [1], which are:

1. Legal name
2. Locatabililty or the ability to reach a person on or offline
3. Pseudonyms that can be linked to legal name or locatability
4. Pseudonyms that cannot be linked to other forms of identity knowledge but can provide other clues
5. Pattern knowledge than can be revealing
6. Social categorization such as gender, ethnicity, religion, age, etc.
7. Symbols of eligibility/non-eligibility

Using this definition in conjunction with current events about anonymity, it can be said that there is no such thing as true anonymity on the internet.  Edward Snowden's recent whistle blowing on the NSA's monitoring practices has exposed exactly what kind of monitoring practices are not only implemented by our government, but what is possible by private organizations and individuals alike.[2]

How This Affects Communication

It has long been speculated that anonymity on the internet gives users the sense of security and separation that allows them to act in negative ways that they would not otherwise in face-to-face interaction.

In my next post I will cover in-dept how this applies to online interaction. 

References:

 [1] Marx, G. (1999). What's in a name? some reflections on the sociology of anonymity. The Information Society,15(2), 99112.

[2] The Editorial Board. (2014, Janurary 01). Edward snowden, whistle-blower. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/opinion/edward-snowden-whistle-blower.html

Changes in Online Communication

What This Blog is About

This blog is my way of explaining how emerging digital communication is changing the way we commutate. Today’s rules of grammar, speech, and vocabulary are rapidly morphing into a new language because of the use of platforms such as:

• Email
• Instant messaging/Chat
• Snapchat
• Video chat
• Social media

I will cover how these emerging digital communication platforms are changing these rules and interpersonal communication with the use of the multitude of different devices and mediums not available too far into the past, such as:

• Desktop computers
• Laptops
• Netbooks
• Tablet
• Mobile phones

I will delve into relevant works such as Internet, Society and Culture by Tim Jordan and others as well.

About the Topic

Growing up on the internet in the 1980s and 1990s I have witnessed the internet change from computer hobbyist to being an integral part of everyday life. Since I was a small child, I have both been involved in both small and large internet communities and have been fascinated in how people come together from different background and are able to connect to each other with a common interest.

Who am I?

I am a returning college student attending The University of Texas at Dallas considering a degree in Arts and Technology or Emerging Media and Communications.