Monday, April 6, 2009

Final Citizen Media Project




Lifestyle

PicoCool

This is a really interesting site that I came across in the first week of classes. It is quite a recent blog/website and already has great ideas and articles and most importantly has a good following. PicoCool is now a global social community dedicated to uncovering new and interesting ideas and concepts from the citizen media world. PicoCool discovers upcoming “designs, cool products, micro-trends, subcultures, artists, human experiences, innovations, philosophies, technologies, and more.” PicoCool shows you what is really “cool” in social media.  

To contribute to the website you have to become a member, which is very easy and simple, otherwise feel free to take an aesthetically pleasing tour. Once your in you will not want to leave. There is just so many new and crazy ideas that are discussed on this blog. If you want a blog that will keep you interested for hours then this is the right one for you. PicoCool has awesome stories on anything from street art in Brazil to super mario cupcakes, the possibilities are endless. Sometimes life gets boring and this site try’s to find those moments of real brilliance that can lift the spirit.

Individual posts deal with “art, architecture, design, environment and science, technology, fashion, travel, and lifestyles.” Everything that matters in life can be found right here. Once you become a member you can create and submit your own interesting tidbits of information that other members can see and comment on. I really think this a fresh new type of citizen media site that is hip and funky and one that will be very attractive to young social media bloggers. Everybody has the opportunity to have a voice and become heard by their peers. It is very important to me that people have some way of getting their ideas and voices out into the public. It is a great way to become informed about new technologies and social media ideas. If you are a person that has to be up to date on new funky things then PicoCool is for you.


The Fantasy World of Sports


A fellow class mate sparked my interest in this topic. This is a topic that I have known about for years but have not truly understood until now. What is this Fantasy sports thing anyways? This sporting phenomenon has been around for a couple years now and shows no sign of slowing down. Thanks to the internet people now have the ability to go online and create their dream sports team. This dream sports team can be in basketball, soccer, hockey, etc... These fantasy leagues work on a point bases. Every week you receive a certain amount of points depending on how your fantasy players perform. With more points people can buy new and better players to better your fantasy league. Every week grown men wait by their computers to see how their baby fantasy team is doing. Not surprisingly this new sport craze has become huge especially between for men.
I have always thought it was a great social networking tool that anyone can take part in. It is easy and really fun to do, the only problem is that it does become a little addictive. Sports fans from different corners of the world can chat and compete in these fantasy leagues. It is great to see diehard sports fans coming together for their true love of athletics. “It's estimated by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association that 29.9 million people age 12 and above in the U.S. and Canada played fantasy sports in 2007[1]. These numbers were not shocking to me as many of my friends take part in these online sports leagues. It is just another way for avid sport fans to stay connected in the socially mediated world. People enjoy the sense of being part of a particular group identity and fantasy sports leagues are no different.

Slackers Get More Work Done


Studies have recently shown that goofing off at work from time to time may actually help in productivity. Researchers from the University of Melbourne confirmed this idea and found that employees who use the internet for personal reasons during work become 9% more productive then those who don’t. This personal time can be used on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Employees who take part in this “Internet slacking” have better concentration after taking a break from their work.

I would have initially thought it would have been the opposite. That going on facebook and twitter at work would lower productivity not increase it. But, I don’t think it is that easy. Here are 8 more reasons that the article proposes that shows how internet slacking increases productivity.

The subconscious mind keeps working

The mind is always working and thinking about mental tasks. The process of working through these mental problems works well during “slacking” time. Even when your sleeping the mind is racing and problem solving, hence the phrase, “Why don’t you sleep on it?”.

It gets personal things off your mind

It is hard to work your best when you do have personal issues on your mind at work. Taking a little time to use social networks like facebook and twitter will help ease those problems and let you get back to work and focus.

It builds work relationships

Companies spend a lot of money on team building activities but most of them do not get the desired result because they are forced upon the workers. Social networking on the other hand allows workers to go at their own pace and interact with fellow employees and build teamwork.

It converts real-time interactions into asynchronous ones

Everyone has had a friend drop in at work to say hello for a few minutes but have you noticed that this distraction actually throws you off for much longer then the interaction. Why is this allowed in the workplace while facebook and other social networks are not. These social networks are controlled by the user and can be used during mental breaks.

It makes work more enjoyable

Finding a person who really loves their jobs in this day an age is becoming more and more difficult. Lets face it, most people hate their jobs, so why not let them have a little joy in the day and use facebook and twitter. These social networks could make work bearable for the employee. Most importantly, happy employees are good employees.

It replaces bad slacking with good slacking

This idea of workforce slacking is nothing new as people have always found ways to distract themselves at work. However, none of them were as beneficial as internet slacking. After using facebook and twitter the mind feels rejuvenated and ready for work.

The Internet is educational

Scanning the internet for interesting sites and blogs will educate the employee by instilling time management skills that they did not originally have.

The mind will not be contained

A person may be forced to work in a small office for eight hours a day but the mind is always wondering with curiosity and thought. It is essential that you allow the mind some free time to relax and wonder the social networks. Otherwise the mind will lose focus and become useless. Let yourself search the internet for a little break and allow the mind to relax and enjoy, and this will increase productivity.

Definitely an interesting article to say the least. Facebook and twitter have always been a hot topic in citizen media and for good reason. These social networking tools are relatively new and we do not really understand how they affect certain individuals. The majority of people look at them as big time wasters but what if they are not? What if, when used properly these social networks can increase productivity? Personally when I need a little break from work I always go on facebook and other social networks. It is a nice break and allows the mind to relax and focus on something that isn’t work. I know some people use facebook and twitter excessively and this is not good especially in the workforce, but if used properly in small periods of time I think it is a positive productivity tool.

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