Welcome to Social Media

No "We" in DIY

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:46:00 -0400

Fashion floods the World Wide Web, and we experience and judge it at every turn. Photos, videos, and advertisements bombard us with each click of the mouse. Runway shows are publicized, celebrity style is critiqued to no end, and ever-growing online stores pay dearly to have their latest designs border pages which we might frequent, so they might take our money and give us wearable art in return. These examples successfully support money (business) and fun (entertainment), but lack a certain sense of creativity (interaction). This is where Do-It-Yourself, or DIY, fashion takes over. DIY provides opportunities, to the novice and nuanced alike, to design and create fashion that fits their style. There happens to be a bit of an issue, though. It’s really tough to create a solid community based on something like DIY fashion because it is very subjective and difficult to discuss. Comments on DIY posts generally lack the depth of those on many other topics, such as gaming, gossip, and gadgets. Why is this and what can we do to fix it? I’m curious, so walk with me as I have a look.

Imagine you’re on a trendy website called “PS I Made This.” There is a stunning DIY project to make some really kickin’ pants using a pair of jeans (that you don’t mind sacrificing for the sake of style), fabric paint (that suits your style), sponges (sliced and diced) and scissors (to slice and dice the sponges). Under photos of the project is a charming paragraph calling the style “just what the DIY doctor ordered” followed by directions on how to make the style yourself and a modification if you prefer a slightly different style. You continue to scroll, wondering what others thought of the piece, but hit the bottom of the page in a snap and are left without any opportunity to read about how others perceive the style or comment on it yourself. Well, my friends, this is a reality, and what a shame it is.

Web 2.0, the version we currently see, filled with opportunities for interaction and input, is a gem that makes the world of those with internet access a little smaller each and every day. Websites, such as “PS I Made This” that don’t contribute to this world-condensing phenomenon are a little puzzling. Why would you not want your creations to inspire discussion? Well according to a study published in 2011 by Wesley Shu and Yu-Hao Chuang, it is not necessarily the promise of response that drives internet users to share information, but “moral obligation and community interest”. While comments make it clear how the contribution of knowledge is building community, they are not necessary, or necessarily made public. While we, as readers may not have easy access to the opinions of others on posts, the poster themselves likely receive plenty of feedback through private messaging and other means. This format is not the only one out there, however.

It’s time to put on your self-created imagination pants again and slip on some bedazzled shoes so we can take another walk down interaction lane. You’re on a sweet little site called “I Spy DIY” filled to the brim with fashion walkthroughs. You’re scrolling away and an onscreen shimmer catches your eye. The project: take some old heels and make them into a spectacular statement with just masking tape and Krylon Glitter Blast Glitter Spray in your choice of color. What a find! I’m wondering what other people have to say about the style, are you? Let’s take a peek. I’ve done a couple minutes of comment evaluation (it really only took that long) and have found these to be the three most substantial comments: “Any idea a handy place to get a glitter spray?”; “Followed the instructions and when I removed the tape, almost all of the top leather coat was pulled off. Had to spray the glitter over the whole pump to cover.”; “Maybe an idea for a Christmas party one year? Thanks for this really cool!” This would be a great sign if all the posts were akin to these, but those three are unusually involved. Nearly all of the rest are simply “I love this,” “great idea,” or linking to another, similar project. Unfortunately, there were also a plethora (Caillou and friends taught me that word) of anonymous posts. While this form of posting gives people freedom to speak their minds, it also makes it very difficult to form online relationships. For these reasons, anonymity is one of the most and least beneficial aspects of Web 2.0.

These ideas which test the internet’s ability to bring all communities closer through communication all exemplify where there may be roadblocks. Not all topics can support discussion and community interaction. DIY fashion has proven to be one of many topics that struggles to maintain a strong and personable community. This is unfortunate because many of those who take the time to develop their own personal style not only through putting pieces together, but also through designing their own, would likely connect on many levels through their shared creative spirit.

Digress.it didn’t quite catch that there was a second...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:50:23 -0400

Digress.it didn’t quite catch that there was a second comment.

Yet.

Optimize Your Facebook Page

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:25:37 -0400

Optimize Your Facebook Page

7 Reasons Businesses

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:21:54 -0400

7 Reasons Businesses

Visual Representation of Social Networking in College

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:16:57 -0400

Visual Representation of Social Networking in College:

This is probably one of the most pertinent links I could ever post. Ever. Haha. Enjoy!

As Long As We're Discussing Gender... Flirtatious Facebooking (by Fledglings!)

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:33:15 -0500

As Long As We're Discussing Gender... Flirtatious Facebooking (by Fledglings!)

I’m so surprised nobody found this before I did. In...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:36:00 -0500

I’m so surprised nobody found this before I did. In response to my previous “article” about Memes and their rising popularity…. I give you Condescending Wonka, one of the more popular Memes as of late.

And That, Son, Is How Social Media Is Made

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:29:00 -0500

And That, Son, Is How Social Media Is Made:

The history and development of Social Media from 1978 to this year’s Superbowl. In essence, it took us 34 years to get from the first concept of “social media” to where we are now. Think about how much time you spend on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. It only too 34 years for us to evolve from zero hours of social networking per week to DOZENS. We are always waiting for the next new thing, the iPad 3, the newest Android OS, the “Xbox 720,” etc. Maybe technology is moving a little too fast. Maybe it’s time we slow down and appreciate the PEOPLE we network with. Not the technology we use to do it.

Neat Stuff about Neat Sites

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:14:48 -0500

Neat Stuff about Neat Sites:

Check out these little snippets of info about Facebook, Twitter, Google+, StumbleUpon and Reddit. Incredibly pertinent and incredibly awesome. Enjoy the graphic!

Social Media Organized In Terms of Maslow's Heirarchy

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:06:05 -0500

Social Media Organized In Terms of Maslow's Heirarchy

Feel like being exploited? Pinterest can help!

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:02:06 -0500

Feel like being exploited? Pinterest can help!

Feelbook: The link between Facebook and Self-Esteem

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:35:00 -0500

Feelbook: The link between Facebook and Self-Esteem:

This post briefly examines the results of studies claiming Facebook ruins self-esteem and compares the two “Facebook personas” most users have. After reading, I found it especially interesting to think back to the status updates I’ve posted at various points in my life, what they meant then, and what they might say about me and my transition into who I am today. Check it out and consider what Facebook says about you.

College Memes Madness : PBS Article

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:16:02 -0500

College Memes Madness : PBS Article

Memes and their Rising Popularity

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:46:00 -0500

If you use the internet ever, you’ve probably seen a lot of what are called “internet memes.” There are a number of definitions of a meme.

First, there is the traditional definition of the word according to Merriam Webster.

meme (noun) : an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture

Seems pretty vague, doesn’t it? But the culture of memes online is, as I’ve observed it, very precise and almost pretentious. People who perceive themselves to be some variant of meme experts are very critical of those who attempt to imitate their wit and creativity.

Let’s look at another couple definitions of “meme,” as presented on Urban Dictionary.

An inside joke of the internet and those that lurk around it. -TaylorXD

In blogspeak, an idea that is spread from blog to blog. -Emme

Most memes fall into one of three categories:
- ‘Quirky’ stuff that isn’t funny.
- Pathetic stuff that fills you with vicarious despair.
- Revolting pictures that could be presented to some alien jury as evidence that humanity is cancer. -Lord Grimcock

None of these definitions are terribly comprehensive. Possibly because there is no set definition for what is a meme. It’s some combination of all the things above. The most accurate and thorough definition I’ve found is on a website called Know Your Meme.

An Internet memes is a piece of content or an idea that’s passed from person to person, changing and evolving along the way. A piece of content that is passed from person to person, but does not evolve or change during the transmission process is considered viral content.

Know Your Meme is one of the more popular websites dedicated to the culture that is memes, along with Memebase and Quickmeme. Know Your Meme is especially helpful to those new to this form of communication and sharing. It thoroughly explains the origins and meanings of a variety of memes, including “Good Guy Greg,” “Forever Alone,” “Condescending Wonka,” “Trollface,” “Y U NO Guy,” “Scumbag Steve,” and “Rage Guy,” and hundreds more.

There are a number of other websites associated with memes. Most notable, and this may be where the pretentious nature of memes comes in, are 4chan and Reddit. I’m not here to insult users of these websites. My cousin is an avid reader and I, myself have a Reddit account. The issue with die-hard users is that they often express that internet memes began on their websites and everyone else is abusing and misusing them. The easiest way to put this is that those users are some form of hipsters. They believe because “they” started it, nobody else has a right to piss all over their form of self-expression.

http://www.hipsterkitty.com/memes

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Now to apply this to my life. St. Olaf recently developed a college meme page on Facebook. I’ve posted one or two and am rather amused by most of the others, despite the fact that many are “trolling” (making fun of, intentionally confusing) many of those who visit the page. Some people aren’t feeling quite the same though.

There is a St. Olaf page for Reddit, and some of the users are expressing disappointment with the transition of memes to something as mainstream as Facebook. You’d think they’d be proud to know they were at the start of such an epidemic. You’d think they’d love to take the opportunity to be the most knowledgeable about something that’s become so popular. Unfortunately, this is not so. In a recent discussion concerning the opinion of St. Olaf Reddit-users on the new St. Olaf meme page, certain ideas were shared (please pardon the inappropriate language contained in the following quotations).

It fucking sucks. The Facebook meme epidemic is seriously out of control. -SuspiciousEmu

To be honest…I’m pretty hugely disappointed that we sunk to that level. -ActualGreg

Agreed. Most of these suck. Then again I don’t want to be the kid that says “HEY ASSHOLE! YOURE NOT DOING IT RIGHT!!” -horatiogo15

horatiogo15 also provided this link response:

This sums up this thread.

I’m not entirely sure how to react to such negative posts. I understand they’re passionate about it, but really, what’s so bad about Oles enjoying a little internet humor? Nobody wants to be on the outside of an inside joke. Everyone is simply trying to understand and enjoy themselves a little. It’s similar to the development of MLIO (My Life Is Ole). That died down within a couple months and hasn’t had a single post in a fair few months.

While there are those who aren’t taking well to mainstream’s adoption of meme culture, there are some who are being a little bit more gracious about the situation, even on Reddit where they risk ridicule by their (hipster) peers.

Honestly, at first I was super pisses but now I think it’s pretty funny. The only downside is 75% of them suck. -Aj101011

It sucks that we have one now, but now that it’s there we need to make good ones. This is going to spread and it won’t self-destruct. We might as well do it right. -ThatOneTallKid

I mean, it’s the natural progression of things. Something that’s hugely popular in some subculture is adopted andadapted by the mainstream. What’s going to happen is they’ll tire of it eventually (probably going to happen before too long) or they’ll figure out how to use them properly and it’ll become a new mode of expression. -Gamagori

I don’t think it’s such a bad thing. Nobody is required to participate. It’s simply another way for Oles to communicate and share what they see as humorous. The specific nature of these memes is the most appealing part. A general meme is often relatable, but it’s relatable to a very broad audience. Humorous posts such as internet memes that are so pertinent it’s almost tangible are significantly more stimulating.

Connecting to a meme might seem insignificant, but if the internet is making us a global village, shouldn’t we take some comfort in that there are still closer connections than worldwide? You could read a meme and think ‘Oh, there’s a post about teenage girls? I’m one of those! Neat,” which is wonderful, but not quite the same as ‘Oh, there’s a post about Kildahl, that’s where I live! Haha that’s so true.” The idea of memes as a whole may be silly to some, but it’s really nothing more than another trend in communication technology. It has clearly come, and whether or not it will go is yet to be seen. In the meantime, why not enjoy the opportunity to learn, share, laugh and enjoy?

What do you think of the meme explosion? Do you consume or produce memes? Besides being a major timesuck, how do you see the new Ole Meme Page and other college meme pages like it?

Barbie I Can Be Computer Engineer? I don’t think so,...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:31:12 -0500

Barbie I Can Be Computer Engineer?

I don’t think so, Barbie. Not until you can English.