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What makes a toy popular? (Bonus Question)

I. Observation or Discovery is made

Have you ever wondered what makes a toy popular vs. unpopular? Why were cowboys and hula hoops popular back in the 1950s? Why were the Smurfs, Mario Brothers, He-man, and Thunder Cats popular when I was a kid? Often around Christmas time I will go on black Friday with some of my friends and wonder why that certain toy is the favorite this holiday season. I will never forget when the tickle me Elmo came out and everyone had to have one. They were selling on eBay for like $500. Then after Christmas was over they had flooded the market with them and I even found some on discount. My own personal opinion is that I would have just told my kid that the Easter Bunny would bring it. The elves just couldn't keep up with the orders. LOL ha ha ha That is ridiculous in my opinion to pay that amount for a toy. However, people were paying that amount just to make their kids happy on Christmas Day. A movie that relates to this idea is a movie called "Jingle All the Way" with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad. Have you ever seen it? It is about two guys fighting over one toy that they want to buy for their kid for Christmas. So what makes something popular? What made Tickle Me Elmo so popular? Why wasn't it tickle me Kermit the frog or tickle me Snoopy??? What makes Elmo so popular with kids? How could a little furry red monster from Sesame Street cause so much frustration? As a new media student about to graduate and about to go into the real world I would like to explore this topic for my own sake. Perhaps one day I might invent the next popular thing? Who knows right?

II. A Question(s) is asked based on that Observation or Discovery

What makes a toy popular?

III. How does this question(s) validate as being a "Month Long Question"?

My original question was "What makes something popular?". Steve had suggested to me that this is a huge topic. I agree! So I rephrased the question to be "What makes a toy popular?". I am a big kid at heart. I think narrowing down the topic a bit will help here. For me this question is a bonus question that I would like to explore along with my other 3 Month Long Questions. This question validates as being a "Month Long Question" because I think the topic is so wide range. Yet I feel my question is simple enough that I have directed my question towards the toy market industry. My question stimulates thinking and I feel it can't be really answered right away. Often the toy that was popular last year is totally different from this year's popular toy. I think for my own purposes I want to explore this question as to understand how to create something that the majority of people out there might find appealing. As Steve said in class one time if there is a market out there for it; Why not do it? One example he gave in class was to have a kid's social network. I mean adults have Facebook and MySpace. Why not have a kid friendly social network that parents could moderate? Why just look at the cell phone! For some they didn't even know they needed it until they had it. My thinking is if I can better understand what makes a toy popular for example it might help me in the new media world to design something that is more user friendly and something that catches one's eye. Why do you have a desire to need something or want something? What makes something appeal to a child during the holiday season?

IV. Where has this Observation or Discovery been?

According to an article titled "The Most Popular Toys of the last 100 years" found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10387831/ gives the scoop at where toys have been in the last 100 years. The article claims that some of the most popular toys are actually very old and traditional. My thought is that yes Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls are or were popular, but what made them popular? Perhaps in further research I will find that answer. According to the article it claims that some 4000 BC that chess was popular and yo-yos started out being made of stone.

The article mentions the popular board game Monopoly. I believe that this is still a popular game today. I believe it started during the times of the "Great Depression" when people could barely afford anything. Sort of like what we went through in 2009 and we are still slowly but surely coming out of a recession. So here is a thought does something become popular based on the conditions of society? If the "Great Depression" had never happened would Monopoly for example still be as popular as it is today or would have something else replaced it?

The article mentions Crayons as being something that is popular with the kids. I think it was popular when I was a kid. I think in a way most kids have a need to let out their creativity. Kids often are very imaginative. When you get to be an adult you sometimes loose that imaginative ability.

Mr. Potato Head was created during the 1950s. My mom told me that Mr. Potato Head was popular when she was a kid. It started out that Mr. Potato Head was created by using a real life potato. Today Mr. Potato Head is made of plastic.

In my observation there are many toys that have evolved through time. A few examples right away that I notice is toys like Mickey Mouse and the Barbie doll. Why is that some toys still remain popular today as they were back then? Then here is another question. Why is that some toys have their 15 minutes of fame and then die out fairly quickly? I have noticed that Beanie Babies for example were once very popular and now they are not so much. You can find them fairly cheaply.

Why is that when you mention a certain toy that some toys are found to be dated? What I mean by that is when you think of the 1980s, the era I grew up as a child, you may associate the Cabbage Patch Kid Dolls with the 1980s decade. To further prove that if you will notice that according to http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com/Cart_Pages/milestones.html it states "A nationwide public vote selects Cabbage Patch Kids as one of 15 stamps commerating the 1980’s in the U.S. Postal Service’s Celebrate The Century stamp program. " So why was the Cabbage Patch Dolls popular back in the 1980s and not a hot thing now? An article entitled "Whatever Happened To Cabbage Patch Dolls? " located at http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa090101a.htm suggests it might be that people like the thrill of the hunt. If something is rare and hard to find they will want it. If something is flooded with the market and can be found anywhere they will not want it. So could that be the case with the Tickle me Elmo doll? Was it because the Tickle me Elmo doll was rare and hard to find and that is what made it so popular? Did the producers of the toy purposely not make enough just so everyone would want one?

V. Where is this Observation or Discovery at present day?

An article located at http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=461&id=85 by Stevanne Auerbach called "What Makes a Good Toy?" written fairly recently back in 2000, but could still be applied to the present suggests the parents are the ones who pick out the toys. The article suggests that a parent will often question a toy in how it will develop their child's skill level. Naturally parents want what is best for their child. We often think of what the child wants. This article suggests what the parents want for their children. This puts a whole new spin on the idea of what makes a toy popular. Could it be that what makes a toy popular is what a parent decides? However you will hear many times of kids saying mommy or daddy I want that toy. I know I told my mom many times that I wanted Snake Mountain from the series He-man back in the 1980s. On Christmas morning Santa brought it for me. This toy did not stimulate learning for me or did it?

VI. Where do you see this Observation or Discovery moving towards?

A funny article I found was about one's view of how might the future be several thousands of years from now in terms of popularity with toys. The article can be found at http://www.alaboola.com/FutureTechnology/FutureToys/tabid/204/Default.aspx
The article suggests that we will become simpler. Popular toys will go back to early things of the past. Children will like dolls made out of rags and old socks. This may prove to be true. I have heard of children being bought fancy toys only to discover that they would much prefer a card board box to play with. He describes a world that reminds me of the movie Terminator. Life will be more precious as it will be harder to have children due to radiation. Kind of scary if you think about it. I am hoping that this is not our future, but could very well be a possibility.

I think this futuristic idea reminds me of an idea I had thought about earlier. You remember how I talked about the game of Monopoly being created in hard times. You know people did not really have the money to be going out so they stayed home and played board games. So my question is does what is going within society affect what is popular in terms of popular toys for children?

VII. What are your opinions about the subject matter?

I am trying to remember back when I was a child. Why did I like a certain toy? I remember all my friends had Micro Machines. Do you remember those? I found it interesting reading some of the history on Micro Machines. The history of Micro Machines can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Machines. I remember wanting some Micro Machines because all my friends had them. I got them as a birthday gift one year. I even liked the play sets so that I could drive my cars through the miniature cities. I remember I use to like to trade them back and forth with my friends. I like the old cars and my best friend in 4th grade liked the motor bikes. So we traded. It was fun! It would be something I would bring over when I would spend the night. Could it be that what everyone else has makes a toy popular? However, what started the craze of Micro Machines? If everyone else has them, who started the trend here? Could it be advertising them was the key to success? Was it the gimmick of the guy talking really really fast about the Micro Machines a catchy a commercial that caused little boys, like me, to want these?

Advertising could very well be one theory as to why a particular toy is popular. However, before the invention of TV and the magazine what did they do? On the same note, I would imagine that there were toys out there that were advertised but never caught on. In other words, the toy line was a big flop. Also, what about those toys that were never made? I found an article that was kind of interesting talking about toys from the 1980s that were never made. The article suggests that in the 1980s that the toy market was more controlled. Check the site out at http://www.nevermadetoys.com/.

Have you ever noticed toy companies never seem to make enough of the bad guy? Later, collectors of toys find the bad guy to be the most popular vs. when the toys first came out the good guy was popular. One toy line that seems to be true with that statement is the Star Wars Series. The original Darth Vader from the 1970s seems to be popular now a days. However, I have been told that they produced more of the Luke Skywalker characters because the good guy was often found to be the most popular. I am a Disney collector myself and an eBay seller at that. I have noticed in my own observation that the villains are the most popular. Seems like evil fascinates people. Good guys seem to be boring. The bad guys are more interesting. I have heard of movie actors saying that they would rather play a bad character vs. a good character because it is more fun. Are the bad guys more fun? Toys are about playing right?

VIII. Can you back up any of your thoughts?

So what is the best answer here? I think you have to be a trendsetter to know what makes a toy popular. I viewed a video once through eBay talking about the Christmas rush and it in fact told me that you have to notice trends. They created the video for eBay Sellers like me who wanted to get a jump start to my inventory for the Christmas season. What she had told me in the video is that you need to start looking at Back to School items. Meaning take a look at what characters appear on backpacks and folders. Then go back and see what is left over. What seems to be out of stock in most cases? Usually what is popular during the Back to School Season is what is going to be popular for Christmas. Not always, but is a very good start.

I think you also have to be a visionary. One who can for see the future. Someone who is a custom to change and thinking outside the box. Someone who is not happy with the way things are now and wants to make a change. Which is very much what we are doing for this class. I would say it is one who asks the question. We are designers of mediated experiences. We are designers or artist, at least most of us are. :) One article that I read that might prove this idea is called "How to Be a Trendsetter" located at http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Be-a-Trendsetter-in-Changing-Times&id=3252423

What inventions would make the process of finding a job easier?

I. Observation or Discovery is made

In my 3rd question I would like to write about the process of finding a job. Is there an easier way? Wouldn't it be nice if your dream job would be handed to you on a silver platter? But, that is not reality. Finding a job seems to be a full time job in itself. My mind begins to ponder. There must be an easier way to find a job. It can be very discouraging in this economy finding a new job. In my observations, it seems to be these days all about building relationships with other people. As a society I am noticing that we are becoming a social networking society. Especially with the invention of social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and MySpace. An old phrase comes to my mind when searching for a job. "It is not what you know, but it is who you know". To some degree, in my opinion, this is very true. People land jobs everyday by meeting the right people through networking. Although, from various people I have asked claim that networking for them is not always easy. Beth Haggenjos, our Career Advisor at IUPUI, has taken it upon herself to try to do that very thing for us. She helps us with the networking process. But, is there something else we can be doing? What is the best way to find a job? Sure there are job sources for finding a job like Career Builder and Monster.com. Even IUPUI has their own job site http://informatics.iupui.edu/careers/job-board/. As I approach my graduation date I begin to wonder; How do I network?, What is the easiest way to find a job?, How do I get from point A to point B?, How do I reach my dream job?, What does it take to get into a job I love doing?, How can I make myself stand out?, etc. But, what is the core question I am asking here? I think the best way to ask this question is to just be very straight forward. What inventions would make the process of finding a job easier?

II. A Question(s) is asked based on that Observation or Discovery

What inventions would make the process of finding a job easier?

I am defining the term "easier" as inventions or ideas that might make the job process easier than it is now. Inventions that might take the frustrations out of finding a job. Something that gets you where you want to be in a heartbeat.

III. How does this question(s) validate as being a "Month Long Question"?

I think this question validates as being a month long question because there is no black and white answer here. What maybe one person's idea of easier might be more difficult for another? It is hard telling what the future may hold for the job searching process. It is my job with this question to find out what new inventions or ideas maybe might be coming out in the near future to help with the process of finding a job. I intend to explore this idea and see where it takes me.

IV. Where has this Observation or Discovery been?

The finding a job process now has not changed much other than methods of technology. The newspaper was one way that people would usually find a job before the internet. Now with the invention of the internet people have job sites like Career Builder and Monster.com that they can located and find a job. People often did not travel much. Now with the invention of the airplane people travel all over the world in a short amount of time. However, before this invention took place people did not have the means to travel. Many people stayed in the same place that they grew up. For example someone in California would probably not apply for a job in New York as it is today. I am not saying there were not a few here and there that make take on that adventure. It just was not heard of for people to travel distances. Many people got jobs in their local towns or cities. Mostly you would hear about a job through word of mouth or by the newspaper. There would be application fees. You would have to type your resume on a typewriter and mail it in through the US Postal Service. Radio and TV were considered too expensive to advertise jobs. The newspaper was the way to go. I found an interesting article that explains more in detail what the job process was like in the 20th Century. You can find that website by going to the following link. http://www.cenedella.com/stone/archives/2010/01/history_of_job_search_20th_century.html

V. Where is this Observation or Discovery at present day?

In today's market is all about showing what you can do and building relationships with people. I always thought it was just New Media people or computer people that had to build portfolio websites. This is not the case anymore! Everyone or at least the majority of people need a portfolio website to demonstrate their skills. Visuals and Photos seem to be attractive and are just what employers maybe looking for. Many employers do not even take the time to look at resumes. Most of the time you get the job by knowing someone within the company. Take for example myself. I am going to be a teacher for a Day Camp this summer. I would never have known about the job if it had not been for my co-worker at my weekend job. She had worked there the previous summer. I applied for the job and I got it.

Cool Web Link
http://www.ecu.edu/e3careers/pdf/ePortfolio.pdf

Of course what I am seeing today is that we are in fact a social networking society. In class Steve always told us that things are becoming more blurred. That it use to be that things were more clearly defined. In terms of being called now a "social networking society" the lines between home life and the work life are blurred. Often in the office world people will sneak onto Facebook or twitter to talk to friends they have outside of work. Often I have heard about co-workers becoming Facebook friends and socializing outside of work. I have recently done this myself. I am currently staying in touch with co-workers by means of social networking on-line. A great website I found on-line talks about all of this. Check it out at http://www.pcworld.com/article/162719/how_social_networking_has_changed_society.html


VI. Where do you see this Observation or Discovery moving towards?

The concept of finding a job appears to be all on-line anymore. This is to continue in future years to come. Today over half of employers are recruiting people every day on-line. Companies are no longer waiting for resumes. Employers are actively searching for employees as well as employees are searching for employers. I found this concept very interesting. One article in particular talks about where the process of finding a job is moving towards.

The link is located at http://www.career-intelligence.com/transition/FutureofJobHunting.asp

According to this article people of today are becoming more and more tech savvy. Which means that most people know how to surf the web and check email. This opens the doors into the way we search for jobs. Everything can be virtually found on-line anymore.

As said before many companies are now turning towards the internet to search for possible candidates for jobs in which they wish to fill. What is important now is to market yourself. Many employers are using Google or other tools on the net and locating people that fit the criteria in which they are looking for. So in a since when trying to find a job you are now advertising yourself to companies. You are showing your skills and what you are into. The term that this article uses is java beans. If say an employer in Atlanta, Georgia wanted to find someone who knew something about java beans all they would have to do is a search. The article explains that 6 candidates show up. It is assumed that there are probably a lot more than 6 people in Atlanta, Georgia that know something about java beans. However the 6 candidates know something most people do not know. They know how to market themselves. I read a very good article talking and explaining about all of this.

Again the link to the article in which I found is located at http://www.career-intelligence.com/transition/FutureofJobHunting.asp

VII. What are your opinions about the subject matter?

Virtually anything can be found on-line these days. This would also include finding a job. I predict that society will invent easier and more efficient ways of connecting the employees with employers and vice versa. However, how will society do that? What inventions might be developed to make the job process easier in terms of being more efficient?

Wouldn't it be great if there was one centralized location that most people could go to in finding a job? I am finding society is searching for ways to make things more fun and less boring. For example, it use to be people were very strict with the way in which writing is composed. However, now with the invention of social networking sites and blogging people are not worried about spelling or grammar errors as much. As long as people are getting what you are trying to say people seem to be fine with it. At least in my observations and when I question others this seems to be the case. I mean they are still important, but not as much as they once were in society.

My prediction is that the process of finding a job will be much like a dating service. You will set up a profile with telling the employer who you are and what you are about. You will be able to show your skills. It seems that people are already doing this by way of web portfolios. However, many people do not want to take the time to set up their own websites. Many are not skilled in this area, but find a need to have one. Much of what is on-line now seems really crowded and text based. Would it be better to have visuals? Maybe photos of you and your skills. Most people these days seem to be visual people or ones who have a photographic memory. I know at my internship with the Federation, my supervisors described this to me. They are visual learners or remember things by way of pictures. Having a profile that employers could look at would be one step in making the job process easier. Many people find love every day and have fun with it by using on-line dating services. Why not do the same for finding a job?

I found some of the history of dating on-line sites to be quite appealing. They describe a transition of where we have been and where we are going. It is expected that finding a mate will be as easy as picking out a sofa at the store. All possible prospects will be laid out for you. Then you are free to meet up with that person and see if that person is a good fit for you through the process of elimination.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5380367_history-dating-sites.html
http://brainz.org/history-online-dating/

Most of which I find is that before the internet people had a need to connect with one another. One old source they used and that we still use today is the newspaper. People would put personal ads and respond by way of the newspaper. It use to be if you used these types of services you were considered desperate to find a mate. Now I think that has changed. In fact, it has become the norm when looking for a mate. You see the ads or advertisements such as eHarmony on TV. I found that one of the first dating sites was called kiss.com and match.com. These sites were created by the same person back in the mid 1990s. The movie "You Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan actually changed the views of society in the matting process. The movie "You Got Mail" was actually a remake of an older movie. At least this is what I have heard. However, in that movie they would write letters. This is how my mom and dad met. It use to be that women were given the names and addresses of service men serving in the military. The men and women would exchange letters and get to know one another much like we do today with on-line dating services.

Much like a dating site, people only want a temporary profile up until they find what they need. In the case of a dating website people are searching for love. When they find the person that they want to spend the rest of their life with or find a person in which they want to steadily date, often times people will delete their profiles. People when searching for love can search for a mate by categories. They can search for a mate by eye color or by age now. They can select body types and characteristics they are looking for in a person. Basically, they are cutting to the chase. They are searching for the exact person that they might be interested in. They also might not know who they are interested in. They can also just freely search people and reply to those who interest them.

I predict that this maybe the best route in searching for a job in the work place as well. People could set up a temporary profile of their job skills. Employers could make a profile explaining the jobs that are available and people they are looking for in terms of filling the position. Both are looking for a cheaper route to take in landing a job or finding the person to fill the position.

Something that I found while researching is that there are literally companies out there that market Dating Software so that you could create your own dating website. I wonder if you could use the Dating Software package and turn that into a Finding a Job site??? Meaning people could set up their profiles as either a business or an individual and they could find each other.

http://www.webscribble.com/


VIII. Can you back up any of your thoughts?

As I was researching to back up my thoughts earlier I came across a much different idea. Take a look at this site called Job search 2010. It has a new way of thinking about the future of job searching. Check it out at http://www.internetinc.com/future-of-job-search-business

From what I have found on the net many people instead of finding a job will create their own businesses. It is happening now and is predicted to happen more often in the future. So here is a new concept. Remember mom and pop places? Perhaps they are on their way back. The economy I think has caused a lot of problems recently and a lot of people are out of work. Many older people are taking jobs at McDonalds that were once considered to be teenage jobs.

To prove this idea I read an interesting article entitled "Do Small Businesses Care More About Their Customers Than the Big Guys?". Which maybe proving that people would much rather do business with a small business than a monopoly. Remember how we were talking about how society has become more of a social networking society? Well if more and more people are upset with larger companies and prefer small businesses perhaps the future of searching for a job is not actually searching for a job. Perhaps the future of searching for a job is to create one. Read this article "Do Small Businesses Care More About Their Customers Than the Big Guys?". I find it very interesting. The article can be found at http://entrepreneurs.about.com/

Who or what should censor our children’s films?

I. Observation or Discovery is made

When referring to Disney Animated Movies, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is considered a “G-Rated” movie for kids. Yet, there are some horrible scenes in my opinion that are not suitable for children. You might have seen several G-Rated movies yourself that contain language, violence, themes, and images that are not considered acceptable for children.

II. A Question(s) is asked based on that Observation or Discovery

Who or what should censor our children’s films?

III. How does this question(s) validate as being a "Month Long Question"?

I have been working with Steve on redefining this question. I am finally happy with where this question is leading. My original questions were; 1) What is the rating system based on? 2) How does one determine what is a G Rated Movie verses a PG-13 Rated Movie? Furthermore, is there a MIC Technology that would allow automated censorship by computer and a pre-determined set of guidelines rather than human observers who could fail in their duties? These are all fine questions to ask, but what is the big picture here? What am I really trying to ask with this subject matter? Steve replied to me and said; "Is it possible not simply to edit a movie to make it “Safe” but, rather, is it possible to write a movie (or a song, or a novel, etc.) using software with only a little bit of some human “steering."" Which lead me to asking the real question here. "Who or what should censor our children's films?"

How does this validate as being a month long question you ask? It validates as a month long question here because there is no specific answer or at least an answer you can give right away. Everyone has his or her own opinions as what is considered a G-Rated Movie verses a PG-13 Movie. The root of the core of this question is pretty much almost everyone is in favor of censoring our children's films. However, "Who or what should censor our children's films?" is the key question here. I plan to have my own thoughts about this topic and question the subject matter that I am researching. Who knows what I might read that might convince me or change my opinion or vice versa. I am ready for the challenge here! I am ready to explore these areas. I feel that this is a month long question as there is no indefinite answer you can give right away as there are many possibilities or ideas people have of the censorship of children's films. I talk about Disney films specifically, but it could be any children's films. I plan to explore this and see where it takes me.

IV. Where has this Observation or Discovery been?

I found it interesting that before the MPAA rating system, as it is today, there was the Hays Code. The Hays Code was put into place during the 1930s. 1930s based films that come to my mind are Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind in 1939. The MPAA's film ratings system was started on November 1, 1968. As I was reading the webpage at Wikipedia it claims that all through history parents have had a need to distinguish films for their children. In 1984 the films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins were in controversy. As parents claimed that the movies were very gory for kids to watch. They were originally rated as PG movies, but later classified as PG-13 movies. Hence, the PG-13 rating was put into play.

For more details please have a look at the following site.

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

Another article I read says that the MPAA was actually started in 1922. Movie ratings are determined by 10 board members who view each film. So you are telling me that the whole fate of movie ratings rest on 10 initial people. How can 10 people decide the fate of my child's future? In recent years movie makers have been in a dispute about rating systems. Basically it all leads to money and profits. NC-17 is not permitted in most theaters. Why you ask? Kids and Teenagers represent a huge amount of people who actually go to the movies a pay for a movie ticket. Well their parents might pay for their movie ticket, but that is not the point. The point is it is all about maximizing profits. If you take the young population out of the equation you are going to lose money. I found the article to be interesting. Please see for yourself.
http://movies.about.com/od/miscellanous/a/mpaa012907.htm

V. Where is this Observation or Discovery at present day?

Steve has been a big help on this question. He had recommended to me to look at something called the Motion Picture Association of America to better understanding rating scales. In my discovery I found a very unique site that just explains the bases for rating scales.

According to the article presented on http://www.mpaa.org/FilmRatings.asp, it explains that the parents are actually the ones who rate the movies. An independent Board of parents that have no affiliation with the movie business decide what is appropriate for children. Movie ratings allow parents to make up their own minds in what would be best suitable for their children. Movie ratings however are not movie critics. They do not tell you if the movie is good or bad. Movie ratings only provide whether or not a movie is best suited for children or more for adults. They warn parents of sensitive content. MPAA believes that movie makers should have the freedom to produce whatever movies they would like. However, parents should have the authority to decide whether or not a movie is deemed appropriate. Movie ratings actually accomplish both goals. They provide information to parents to warn them about inappropriate movies and allow filmmakers the freedom to create movies.

This site actually lead me to another site called http://www.filmratings.com. It actually explains what each type of rating means and what you should be aware of when choosing a movie for yourself and/or for your children.

G - THE MOTION PICTURE CONTAINS NOTHING THAT WOULD OFFEND PARENTS FOR VIEWING BY THEIR CHILDREN.

PG - PARENTS ARE URGED TO USE "PARENTAL GUIDANCE", AS THE MOTION PICTURE MAY CONTAIN SOME MATERIAL PARENTS MIGHT NOT LIKE FOR THEIR YOUNGER CHILDREN TO VIEW.

PG-13 - PARENTS ARE URGED TO BE CAUTIOUS. SOME MATERIAL MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR PRE-TEENAGERS.

R - CONTAINS SOME ADULT MATERIAL. PARENTS ARE URGED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MOTION PICTURE BEFORE TAKING THEIR YOUNGER CHILDREN WITH THEM.

GENERALLY, IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR PARENTS TO BRING THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN WITH THEM TO R-RATED MOTION PICTURES.

NC-17 - PATENTLY ADULT. CHILDREN ARE NOT ADMITTED.

VI. Where do you see this Observation or Discovery moving towards?

So where are we going with movie ratings? What will movie ratings be like in the future? One such article I found amusing. The article questions movie ratings. The author of the article Sex, Violence, or Stupidity - The Future of Movie Ratings located at http://www.adultfilmmakingsecrets.com/218/sex-violence-or-stupidity-the-future-of-movie-ratings/ points out some interesting things. One such thing is that society seems to fuzz out or censor nudity. Yet, violence seems to be no big deal anymore. Shouldn't violence be also fuzzed out or censored? Isn't violence just as bad? He makes a comment about which is better for your kids to see nudity or someone cutting someone's throat open? So that leads me back to my original question "Who or what should censor our children’s films?".

VII. What are your opinions about the subject matter?

My feelings about the subject matter are that the movie rating systems should not be determined by the fate of only 10 people. They should instead be reviewed by many people. I would say at least 100 - 500 people. To me that would make much better since and may create a more accurate reflection of what the true rating of a film must be. My feeling is how do they determine the winners of the Grammies or the Oscars? How about the People's Choice Award?

When I did a little research for Grammies or Grammy Awards I found out that song writers and singers enter their work on-line. Then once the work has been submitted, experts from the recording industry review them. Only five acts can be nominated for each category.

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

When I did a little research for Oscars I found that directors vote for directors and writers vote for writers. This might be a bad concept or bad example when it comes to voting on Movie Ratings. In the case of the Movie Rating System, it is determined by parents who have no affliction with the movie business.

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

The People's Choice Award might be a better way of thinking in terms of voting for Movie Ratings. According to my research the show has been held annually since 1975 and is aired on CBS Television Station. The awards are voted on by the general public.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Choice_Award

For my own example, The People's Choice Award might be a better example of how the Movie Ratings should be voted upon. I would say we should let the general public decide what is deemed appropriate for children.

So my next question is how do we do that?

My answer is how about the internet? How about we allow the general public access to watch the movie and determine for themselves if the movie is suitable for children.

However another thought accrued in my mind. Movie Makers are trying to make a profit. The whole purpose of producing a movie is to get people to watch the film for money. So how is that going to work?

My thought process would be how about a much larger board to decide the fate of Movie Ratings. Also how about having people all across the country decide. Which another thought occurred to me. How do we determine the president of the United States? We have the Electoral College and Electoral votes in which determine the fate of who wins the Presidency. In other words we have a point system and representatives "us" who vote to decide the major majority.

My thought would be how about having a small board of people from different states and having them decide as a group what in fact a movie should be rated. Then that group from each of the 50 states would submit their ballots on-line. Then MPAA I feel could make more of an accurate decision in what determines the rating of a certain movie.

After further research I encountered a program called ClearPlay. What the program basically does is takes R-rated movies for example and makes them G-rated or at least PG-rated. At least from what I understand. It allows parents to be able to select what is appropriate vs. what is not appropriate for their children. The DVD will then automatically speed forward through inappropriate scenes and the viewer won't even know they are gone. Filters are added and updated daily for new movies that are released. Basically the program automatically takes those parts out or scenes that are not suitable for children. In many cases parents have been doing this and not even knowing it. If they play a movie and find a certain scene inappropriate then they may stop the film or fast forward to a different scene. The only problem with this is in some movies it may all be inappropriate and you may lose the story line. So as you can see there are disadvantages and advantages about everything, but this maybe a start in the right direction. Perhaps the same technique could very well be applied to movies in a movie theater.

This concept or idea reminds me of when movies are edited to fit the time segment on TV. In most cases, some movies that are shown on TV are not the full versions of the movie. Rather, they have been edited to fit the time slot.

Another Idea might be that film makers need to come up with different versions of their movies. Maybe a version that is a little less intense and for people who like action develop a more intense film. I found the article to be pretty cool.

At any rate check the article out at http://www.blogher.com/censorship-if-you-could-change-movie-would-you

VIII. Can you back up any of your thoughts?

Basically what I wanted to prove here is that there is a problem with our Movie Rating System and perhaps we ought to consider changing it to meet the arguments of today.

To back up my thoughts about Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame take a look at this review written by Janet Maslin in 1996. What I want you to take a look at is this first paragraph. I did not write this. This is what Janet had to say.

"Having explored so many other avenues in the world of animation, Disney tries something new: self-parody. Or so it often seems during "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," the latest and most uncertain of Disney's animated efforts, with its manic mood swings and cloying, none-too-cuddly hero. In a film that bears conspicuous, eager resemblances to other recent Disney hits, the film makers' Herculean work is overshadowed by a Sisyphean problem. There's just no way to delight children with a feel-good version of this story."

Article can be found at http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9901E3DE1539F932A15755C0A960958260

To further prove my point at least that Movie Rating Systems seem to be corrupt check out this website "Are MPAA Movie Ratings Obsolete?" http://www.wisegeek.com/are-mpaa-movie-ratings-obsolete.htm

In that article it explains that sex is always voted to be an NC-17 rated movie. Violence is only considered to be R rated. So that brings up yet some more questions. Why is it that seeing body parts is considered absolutely forbidden to see by children and that violence is considered ok with some adult supervision? Shouldn't violence be considered just as forbidden as nudity? Many are claiming that the rating system is out of date for a 21st century audience. I agree completely.

According to the article, "Beware of the Movie Rating System" located at http://www.wayoflife.org/files/cb16cd5ed9bcfd5b8293927eee7eea67-468.html claims that the Walt Disney Company is not following the word of God. That many of their characters follow pagan traditions. Subject matter such as witches, demons, sorcerers, spells, genies and goblins are found to be inappropriate by many Christian families.

Now in my own personal opinion I would not have a problem with this. I find Disney for the most part to be fun, imaginative, and magical. I would think in most cases Disney is ok for children to watch. However, in the case of some Disney films like Hunchback of Notre Dame I beg to differ. Therefore, the idea here is this. Everyone has their own ideas of what is considered appropriate. So what is the best solution here?

I think the best solution here is to allow the general public to decide the rating systems somehow and by increasing the number of board members who view these types of films. Secondly, I think the concept of having different versions or edited versions by a software program maybe a great idea to suit everyone's needs.

What does the future hold for Disney Animation?

I. Observation or Discovery is made

In my observation, it seems that more and more CGI Animated films are being released since the debut of Walt Disney's Toy Story movie in 1995. Toy Story has changed the face of animation. Up until that point we didn't really have any movies that were full-length animated motion pictures using exclusively all CGI technology. Throughout history the Walt Disney Company has made some Revolutionary changes in terms of how we think about animation.

II. A Question(s) is asked based on that Observation or Discovery

What does the future hold for Disney Animation?

III. How does this question(s) validate as being a "Month Long Question"?

This class is about asking the question, rather than the answer. This class is about making the discovery. This question is very straightforward and I think it really more or less describes exactly what I was going for here. It really doesn't matter which animation is "better" or "valuable". The fact of the matter is this is happening as we speak! CGI is happening right now! What is next? Kind of like what is the next Twitter? This is asking I think what is the next CGI? So I think the better question to ask is; "What future things should we expect from Disney Animation?" or rather simply put; "What does the future hold for Disney Animation?" There are thousands of websites talking about the future of Disney Animation. I plan to research a few of them and see where that goes. Which means it could play into easily as saying this is a "Month Long Question" indefinitely. The question in fact in my opinion can never be completely or fully answered. "Why you ask?" Because the future is ongoing. The ideas and thoughts we have now about Disney Animation or about anything really will change as time moves forward. I really think I have made a break through with this question. I feel really good about this question! I hope you do too! Disney has been always something that has fascinated me ever since I was a kid. Steve had told us to write something that we feel very passionate about and that is what I am doing.

IV. Where has this Observation or Discovery been?

Steamboat Willie was one of the first animated shorts featuring Mickey Mouse that I can remember. When I researched it I found out that the Steamboat Willie classic was actually released on November 18, 1928. It was actually the third animated feature with Mickey Mouse. Somehow I thought it was the first. According to Wikipedia there were two others before this one. They were Plane Crazy (released six months earlier) and The Gallopin' Gaucho. Snow White was actually the first FULL length animated feature, but until then Disney created animated shorts like Steamboat Willie. To read more about Steamboat Willie go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboat_Willie



V. Where is this Observation or Discovery at present day?

As you know this summer Toy Story 3 is coming out! In my observations I have noticed if a Disney Animated movie does well they often will come out with sequels. This is the case with Toy Story. It was the original CGI animated classic. They are introducing the character Ken to add to Barbie from Toy Story 2 which I think is cool. So what next a bug's life 2? Monsters, Inc. 2??? Cars 2??? Could very well be a possibility.

According to Disney's Future Animated Projects website http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/09/disneys-future-animated-projects-will-they-succeed-under-la/ I was right! They are coming out with a Cars sequel! Ten cartoons are supposed to be released by the year 2012. Toy Story 3 I already knew was coming out this summer in 2010. Something called "The Bear and the Bow" will be coming out through Pixar. I have never heard of this fairytale before. They also will be releasing something called "newt".



VI. Where do you see this Observation or Discovery moving towards?

Reference Link
http://magicneverends.com/blog/five-concept-art-images-from-disney%E2%80%99s-rapunzel/

I made a very interesting discovery today. I found out that Disney is going to produce a new animated fairytale movie called "Rapunzel". It looks as though it is more 2D then 3D or CGI, but that they plan on using the computer and or CGI technology to help with the film. The film that came out last year was called Princess and the Frog. I find this very interesting. Could it be that Disney if finally realizing that they should not totally do away with traditional cartooning? Traditional in a sense like all the other Disney Princess films such as Snow White, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast. In recent years I have been kind of upset at Disney for producing only CGI films it seems. I always like the more traditional 2D animated films that I grew up with when I was kid. I am wondering what the future holds for 2D animated films. Could it be that they are not on their way out? Could it be that maybe they will not be as many as there were before, but that Disney will still produce them for future generations to come? This sets a whole new way of thinking for me in the aspect of the future for Disney Animation.

VII. What are your opinions about the subject matter?

My own personal prediction of the future of Disney Animation will be that from CGI they will move in on the next best thing. I feel as though Holographic movie making will be the next dimension in animated films as well. Can you imagine seeing Snow White for example as a real life 3D animated character that walks around like she is real in your living room? This is what I am for seeing in the future. If you will take a look at past blogs of mine you will see that I have already done some research in by way of Holographic technology. Please locate my blog entitled "Could Holographic Video be the next Twitter?”. No longer is what you see in Star Wars Science Fiction. It could very well be actual real technology we will be using someday. In fact, experiments are already taking place in this technology.

VIII. Can you back up any of your thoughts?

There is an interesting video on YouTube about Claymation Animation using Holographic Technology. Check this out!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMHvAyRBks8

As I was searching for Holographic Technology I came across an interesting site that pretty much sums things up. It is called Holographic Video and is located at http://holovideo.net/ . It says that Holographic technology is likely to come out in the next 5 years or so. Prototypes are still being made and experiments are being created in laboratories of this technology.

CNN created a Hologram out of a newscaster named Jessica. I guess through different camera angles and cameras talking to each other they are able to produce these forms or images. I ran across this video on YouTube. Check it out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thOxW19vsTg

Here is another related link to a video on YouTube of the same nature
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deoOTqT-SMI

How it works

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRck4hpWRKs&feature=related

Here is something funny! This video is a make believe commercial to buy your holograms. Say you have a loved one that cannot be there or that they are gone. Now you can enjoy people beyond the grave. Sounds farfetched now, or is it? With the way technology is going. Could this funny video actually be a reality some day? Check this video out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4A_u67EKnU&feature=fvw

David Kelley had a further thought about this concept. He had told me to look up Augmented Reality. I had never heard of it before. Perhaps this might be the future for Disney Animation. When I looked up Augmented Reality at Wikipedia it states that Augmented Reality combines real and virtual together, is interactive in real time, and is registered in 3D. Basically to give you an example of what that means is this. If you watch football on TV you will notice that the football players and field are real. However, the yellow "first down" lines, which are drawn over the image by computers, are not real. This is the virtual reality element that blends in with actual reality. To find out more go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality

Rick's 8 Step Month Long Question Outline Model

I truthfully feel that a month long question is not about answering it in one month. It is about making a discovery or observation and asking a question in the area that you feel most passionate about. That question leads into other questions and so on. I have come up with an outline that I plan to use when asking all of my month long questions. I intend to follow that structure as that is something that works for me. As Steve told us in class what works for one person, may not work for another. Steve is also right we are not in undergrad anymore. We are graduate students. We should set our own rules here. This is what I plan to do.

Rick's 8 Step Month Long Question Outline Model

I. Observation or Discovery is made
II. A Question(s) is asked based on that Observation or Discovery
III. How does this question(s) validate as being a "Month Long Question"?
IV. Where has this Observation or Discovery been?
V. Where is this Observation or Discovery at present day?
VI. Where do you see this Observation or Discovery moving towards?
VII. What are your opinions about the subject matter?
VIII. Can you back up any of your thoughts?

Month Long Question Ideas

Disney Animation

1. It seems that CGI (Computer Animation) has taken over. For example Toy Story 3 is coming out this summer. Toy Story was one of the first computer animated movies of its kind and since then more animated films have followed. Is CGI Animation (Computer Animation) better than traditional cartooning? Is traditional cartooning valuable? Is it just a thing of the past? Is traditional cartooning on its way out?




2. When referring to Disney Animated Movies, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is considered a “G-Rated” movie for kids. Yet, there are some horrible scenes in my opinion that are not suitable for children for example. You might have seen several G-Rated movies yourself that contain language, violence, themes, and images that are not considered acceptable for children. Therefore, one must ask the following: 1) What is the rating system based on? 2) How does one determine what is a G Rated Movie verses a PG-13 Rated Movie? Furthermore, is there a MIC Technology that would allow automated censorship by computer and a pre-determined set of guidelines rather than human observers who could fail in their duties?

Finding a Job

1. How will finding a job of mediated experiences be easier and/or harder in the future? Is there a way to make the finding a job process easier and what would that be?




2. Is it people who define the job or does the job “being designers of mediated experiences” define us?

3. One of my favorite shows on TV is “Undercover Boss” that comes on Sunday Evenings. The point to the show is for CEOs to see the truth in what goes on behind the scenes of their companies. Is society loosing touch with people or human interaction? If so, is there a mediated experience that we could develop in order to fix this problem? OR Is developing mediated experiences such as Facebook the problem? Are we all plugged into the internet and loosing site of more traditional forms of communication? OR Do we define being plugged into the internet as a new way of life and communicating?


Future Technologies

1. As things are rapidly changing each day there seems to be a new set of rules for things; Is there an easier way to learn future technologies?





2. In today’s world there seems to be a lot of different gadgets doing a lot of different things. Where do we draw the line? How do we juggle all of these gadgets to suit our needs? How does one pre-determine what is the appropriate gadget for he or she? What are consumers of today looking for and what will they be wanting in the future? Where is technology going in
terms of advancement?

Mediated Experiences / Pop Culture

1. What defines a Mediated Experience and could virtually anything be considered a mediated experience?

2. In terms of pop culture and mediated experiences what makes an idea or fad cool and/or popular? What makes something catch on fairly quickly?

Multimedia Fusion 2.0 / Vex Robotics

OMG!!!! Kids are making their own video games now! Why buy the games, when you can create them yourself? This puts a whole new perspective on things! Back in my day I was just happy with Mario Brothers. This is super cool! Check it out!!!

http://www.clickteam.com/eng/mmf2.php

OMG!!!!! Kids are making their own machines now!!! Why buy the remote control car when you can create one yourself? You can create your own Wall-E Even!!!

Hello Class! I need your thoughts! I am excited! I have an opportunity to maybe be a teacher for the University of Michigan. I will be teaching summer courses there from June - August 2010. It will be a Summer Day Camp Program in which I teach Elementary and Middle School Students basic New Media principles. Lessons will be done for you. All I have to do is learn them, then teach them. I have never lived outside of Indiana or never really had the college experience away from home. So this will be a new experience for me if I get the position! I feel like it would be a perfect opportunity for me. Perhaps this is my calling to get my foot in the door! You never know right? You know it is all about networking! My boss from my weekend job told me about it. I went through my first interview and it was a success! Now I will be going through a 2nd interview!

In addition to teaching web stuff and flash animation they want me to teach something called Multimedia Fusion 2.0 and Vex Robotics. Does anyone know anything about this? All I know is from what I have researched from Google. My topic could also translate into some "Mediated Experience" disscussions. What is Vex Robotics? What is Multimedia Fusion 2.0? From the videos I can't believe that kids are doing this! It should be simple for us adults right? It looks very complex, but at the same time maybe once I get the hang of it, it will be easy! Vex Robotics looks very cool! Looks like they have some competions in schools. Looks like that these kids are putting parts together and making a robot out of them. Very Cool! They just might be the next inventors of space technology or the colonization of Mars. You know I wrote about a guy who invented an alternative power source. He use to work for NASA. He used his invention, originally for Mars, and applied it to what we need here on Earth. I am not sure if people even knew we needed this. It reminds me of the cell phone. People didn't realize they needed it until they started using it. More and more as I walk past people now I have such a new perspective on life and technology. The cross between people and technology is a blur for me now! I think this is what Steve has been trying to tell us. It is all starting to make sense to me now! I see people constantly on their mobile devices. Technology is constantly changing! If someone could fill me in on this Multimedia Fusion 2.0 and Vex Robotics I would appreciate it. I think from researching it I have some idea of now what they are. This is too cool! Very Awsome! What do you think of my discovery? Any Comments would be most appreciated.

My Card Game Idea

I never got a chance in class to express my card game idea. One of my favorite games that we usually will play at family get togethers is Taboo! For those who do not know the rules of the game or how it is played go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo_(game). I was thinking that you could play with a deck of cards much similar. For example, if you had a 2 of Clubs in your hand. You would be trying to make your partner say the card that you are holding without he or she seeing your card. However, you would have to explain what card you had in your hand without saying 2 of Clubs, Clover, Black, etc. This would make the game more challenging! My idea would be a relationship builder game. My idea would be for example married couples to work on communication, maybe a marriage counceling thing. The idea is to communicate with your partner.

As for a mediated experience I would say that we could design an application that would help improve marriages. As you know most marriages die out in the first year or at least people do not stay married like they once did. I think this might help re-kindle a relationship. I also see it as an on-line dating thing. I have even thought about making the way we search for jobs more fun! What about making a profile much like you would do if you were dating. Then employers or companies could also make a profile, much like your facebook fan pages and the two could unite. Basically instead of matching two people together to form a relationship. You would be matching an individual with a company to form a work relationship. A lot of people have the skills, but not really sure how to network. Companies maybe looking for someone in particular, but they are not sure how to find these people. I also see it as a way to connect people in the housing market. How about doing the same idea with connecting an individual or family with a home. Both finding a job and finding a home can be time consuming and a pain. Why not make it fun? Just something I am thinking about right now. Like Taboo is fun! So why not make job hunting or finding a home fun?

Green Sky Media - 03/01/10

March 1, 2010 - 10am, Company: Green Sky Media ( http://www.greenskymedia.com/ ), Presentation - Small company, Up to 15 students, Target: Video Production & Photography

On my birthday (March 1st) I decided to go job hunting! LOL ha ha Actually there was yet another student tour from IUPUI going to Green Sky Media. So I thought to myself why not go? My career advisor always tells us the best way to find a job is through networking. Sometimes just going on these student tours, job shadowing, or getting your foot in the door is key. It is all about developing relationships with people. People in your field. Perhaps you might not get the job, but perhaps they might know someone that might lead into a different job.

We went to Green Sky Media today! It was awsome! There website is http://www.greenskymedia.com/. They have some pretty interesting things. You should check it out! I was impressed! They not only do photography such as weddings, graduations, senior photos, etc. They also develop advertisements. One of the ones that cracked me up was a stop animation of limes with swords against salt pepper shakers. It was really cute! I always loved stop animation. I loved some of the Holiday Classic TV Specials growing up as a kid like Rudolph. I am hoping to maybe get a job there. If not, maybe some freelance work. If nothing else I really had a great time meeting the folks that work there. They are based in Carmel, IN.

Student Group Tour - 2/26/10

February 26, 2010 - 10am, Company: Bluefish Wireless ( http://www.bluefishwireless.net/ ), Presentation & Tour (approx 1-2 hours), Up to 15 students, Target: Informatics & Media Arts Science - Developers

February 26, 2010 - 2pm, Company: Innovative i ( http://www.insidethei.com/ ), Presentation & Tour (includes a view of a Screen Room)

Up to 15 students, Target Students: Media Arts & Science

Today was awesome! I got to go on a student group tour to Bluefish Wireless and Innovative. As you know Beth Haggenjos is our IUPUI Career Advisor. She has been organizing these trips for us. It is all about networking! I am ready to graduate! I am only 2 months away from graduating from my Masters Degree in New Media Arts & Science. It is time to find a good paying job! It is time to get my life started! I met with several other students on campus. Our first stop was a company called Bluefish Wireless Management. It was founded in 2001. They started out as a retail store for cell phones. Then they moved to their corporate offices in 2002. They work with a company called Sprint. They make their money off of commissions. I found that very interesting. They also work with other famous companies like IBM, Kellogg’s Cereal, Government Agencies, CISCO, etc. The guy there told us about a system they developed in which they called "Chuck Norris". They said Chuck Norris kicks butt and this system does too! LOL Most of the interns there that became full time employees told us a lot of interesting things. One you have to get your foot in the door somehow. That is key! You got to network! The best way to do this is to enter into an internship. That is what I have been doing, but haven't had much luck of landing a full time position. So far I have been in 3 internships. One of the guys said that most of your learning happens on the job site. School can only teach you so much. I have heard that before. I can't wait to finish school! Can you believe it? Me, Rick J. Morris will have a Masters Degree. Now how many people can say that? I am planning on having a big open house!

The next big company we went to was a company called Innovative. The outside of the building was not as fancy as bluefish, but the inside was pretty cool. They showed us the latest informatics new media projects they have been working on. They have been developing projects such as video promotions for the 2011 and 2012 Super Bowls. As you know Indy (Indianapolis, IN) We are going to be hosting the Super Bowl in 2012. I think that is awesome! Just think Our City is going to be going to converted into a Football Paradise. I got to see first hands the big plans of how all the streets downtown are going to be turned into what reminds me of a carnival. They are going to have rides and everything. The buildings even are going to be decorated in Football decorations. They even made videos for our Indiana Pacers Basketball Team. They told us always beware you might think the project kicks butt, but the client however might have other ideas. They had developed a pin ball machine advertisement for the Pacers. The client didn't get it so they had to redo the whole project. They went with the monster basketball players downtown playing a little b ball and them crashing down on Conseco Fieldhouse. It was awesome! I see why they chose that one over the other. We got to go on a tour of both places. This company in particular had cool offices. They had little toys on their desks and on shelves. They even were the designers of some of the Children's Musuem Exhibits. I had a blast! It was fun! On my birthday this coming Monday March 1st I will be going on yet another tour.

Could Jurassic Park be a reality?

Could Jurassic Park be a reality? Could Extinction be the thing of the past? Could we resurrect Dinosaurs in a living state of being? If you recall the movie Jurassic Park was about resurrecting the Dinosaurs. The plan was to make a living dinosaur through DNA. Later their idea was to make a park in which people could view these Dinosaurs. Can you imagine living in a world filled with these creatures? Could we use new technology to recreate the past? And if so would this be dangerous for us humans? Many of the dinosaurs would be meat eaters and be predators of humans. Could we have a Dinosaur Park and view the Dinosaurs much like we do the Indianapolis Zoo here in Indy? I am not talking mechanical Dinos either. But, the real genuine article.

Well According to another 60 Minutes Episode it may be possible to recreate the extinct. Scientist have made a breakthrough in discovering the genetic coding of animals. One in particular species is the Wooly Mammoth. According to this video it would be fairly easy to get the genetic coding or DNA from an old hair sample. Better yet find the extinct animal frozen in snow and ice and use the tissue to break the genetic coding. You may have heard of the cloning of a sheep or animals. Scientists now have discovered a way to change the DNA Genetic Material in extinct's family counter parts to recreate them. They suggest reconstructing the DNA Genetic Material in eggs so that extinct species that have been gone for millions of years can relive again! How far is going too far? Is this playing God? Will we be killed by Robots or Dinosaurs? This brings up a strong concern of mine. Yet again my point is that most of Hollywood at the time might seem very farfetched, yet some of the technologies seen in movies are now becoming possibilities. This kind of scares me a little bit. Could we be destroying ourselves here or are we really making our own lives better? I think with anything if they are going to do this that they need to set limitations or be protective of the technology in which they have invented. I wouldn't want the human race to become extinct.

What kind of game are we playing with? In class we talked about finite vs. infinite rules. We know in basketball the finite rules, but this is something different. I would say this is dealing with infinite rules. I do not think we know what we are dealing with here. The rules are unfamiliar. Are we breaking the rules of extinction here? What is breaking the rules? Will breaking the rules of extinction change the world? And if so how will it change the world? Is breaking the rules here a bad or good thing? Could this be the solution to extinction? Is extinction ok or not ok? Why or why not is it ok? What does everyone else think? What are some of your ideas?

Link to 60 Minutes Video relating to this blog.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6078982n&tag=cbsnewsSidebarArea.0

Could a New Energy Source Change the World?

I swear you can get the best ideas for blogging when you watch 60 Minutes. They have a lot on there about new inventions and things coming up. I saw on 60 Minutes the other day that one man invented a new energy source. It is called the "Bloom Box". The guy who invented it is K.R. Sridhar. It will require no outside sources. Just think if we did away with all of the Nuclear and Coal Powered Power Plants how much cleaner our environment would be. Also just think that our houses would no longer be required to be next to one of them. You could build your house literally anywhere. The disadvantage of solar power is you need the sun in order to power. This will require no sun to power our homes and businesses. Can this box really do it all? According to some studies it can! I think this opens up much in the way of possibilities.

K.R. Sridhar is an entrepreneur. His project was funded by a guy who loves finding individuals that want to change the world. Isn’t that what we all in a since want to do or will do? How it works is you compact beach sand into squares and you coat both sides with a special blue and green paint. Only this guy knows what the formula is and how it works. You stack them up and these babies put together can construct a great amount of energy. They could literally power a whole house or even a whole company such as Google or eBay. Google was his first client and is already using this form of technology. He originally developed the technology for colonization on Mars. I think this is a cool and different idea. It really will change the way power is created in homes and in commercial buildings. It also claims to hold power and be able to regenerate itself. Isn’t that also our complaint about perhaps the power might go out? We had mentioned in class about if only we could find a power source that would be good for like 400 years. Well how about forever. That works for me! How about you? The power from what I understand actually regenerates itself. Therefore, he has produced a never ending energy source. Not to mention that the materials used to create the object are natural and plentiful. What does everyone else think?

Links

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/18/60minutes/main6221135.shtml

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=17752

Could Holographic Video be the next Twitter?

What is next after Twitter? Personally, I do not like twitter because you cannot upload photos or really blog. All you can do is put in status lines and have people follow you and leave comments. Twitter to me is nothing more than a way for people to stock you. I worry about privacy and potential employers getting a hold of the information and not hiring you because of what is being posted. Myspace is ok, but I have noticed that there is no real way to have a multiple people conversation. Some of the pages seem to be hard to open because they have so much junk on there. It might be nice to have multiple pages instead of one. I think Facebook is the best social networking site so far in my opinion. There also seems to be so many sites out there that you can link to by using Facebook. Other social networking sites I have heard of are Friendster, Hi5, Yahoo, Classmates.com, etc. I would have to say that Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are the top 3 in terms of popularity.

In my opinion, the next dimension of Twitter is Holographic Video. In other words, we will be meeting people by 3D or 4D video images. The people will appear as though they are standing right before your eyes, but they are actually located in a completely different part of the world. People will have the ability to be right there beside you without really being there in person. They can not harm you because they are not physically there. I see people beginning to have virtual experiences with other people who are really not there. I see this technology being brought into the Military, Business World, Schools, and even the homes in which we live in. There will be no use for computers of today's standards. Everything will be virtual. You will be able to see products, people, etc. without it being there physically in person. In the Dating World you could go out on a date with someone without having to actually meet in person. You could literally see the person virtually. You could eat, talk together, see movies together, and other experiences. The only thing you could not do, that you can do in person would be have the physical capability to touch that other person. What might be scary is you could make a home video of a person that might pass on later. You could see them like they were there for real, but it would actually be an artificial 3D or 4D video recording of that person. They would look and appear to be there, but they really are not there at all. If you were to reach out and touch the person all you would feel is air.

The Science Fiction Technology seen on Star Wars or Star Trek may not be Science Fiction after all.

http://www.allanjosephbatac.com/blog/2008/05/star-wars-hologram-communication-now-a-reality.html

Below is a really cool video I found of how Holographic Video Technology maybe possible in a not too distant future.

What does everyone else think of my discovery?

http://www.musion.co.uk/Cisco_TelePresence.html

Cisco On-Stage Holographic TelePresence Experience from Musion Systems on Vimeo.

Can you imagine watching the Super Bowl in your own living room by using this form of technology? Holographic Video Technology could combine social medium on the web with TV. You could actually see the football players and it would almost be like they are right there in your living room in person. Can you imagine watching Disney movies in Holographic Perception? Could Sesame Street and Barney be real life for your child? We could even design and make up people that are not real and appear before your eyes as if they are actually real life people standing before you. Could this also be the next dimention of Horror films and Haunted Houses?

On-line Dating

Since last weekend was Valentine's Day, I wanted to take a little time to write something about On-line Dating. Is On-line Dating a good idea or a bad idea? Are people truly interested in finding that special someone or are they more into playing games? Do these On-line Dating relationships really work?

I have noticed that for some it is about how much money you can get out of a person or use them for other reasons. People have been known to ask total strangers for money by way of pretending they are interested in a person. These are called scams. I have heard meeting people on-line can be dangerous. How can Dating Sites be safer? How can technology really help with the concept of Love? I have heard horror stories of girls getting rapped or much worse killed. Do these Dating Sites take responsibility for these actions? On the other hand I have heard of two people meeting on-line, meeting in person and falling in love instantly. They even get married. They simply use the On-line Dating sites as a tool to meet other singles out there. Which is fine in my opinion, but how far is too far? I have heard of sites taking the concept of love to extremes. I seen the other day of a concept called getting married on one of these social network sites. In other words, they get married on-line. Can you truly be in love with a person with whom you never met? Do On-line Dating Services really work?

Some questions come to my mind when talking about On-line Dating. What does the future hold for On-line Dating? How will technology be a part of it? Is Dating On-line Sites like Shopping Sites? Are you shopping for a boyfriend or girlfriend? How is Social Networks different from On-line Dating Sites? What are the best On-line Dating Services? Does On-line Dating really work? What are the setbacks? What are the advantages? Who invented On-line Dating? How long has On-line Dating been around? How can we protect ourselves from scams? How much is too much information?

My parents have been married for nearly 38 years. Before there was On-line Dating services there use to be a concept in which women would write to service men overseas who were lonely. They would be given a name of a service man in which seems to be looking for the same things that the woman would be. The snail mail, mailing address would be handed to a woman and she would get a chance to write to a lonely service man overseas. This is what happened with my mom and dad. My mom was given my dad's name and address. They started writing to each other and fell in love. With On-line Dating, does this concept really work? You are still writing letters to one another to see if there is a connection there. I am very curious to see what others think about this concept.

Something I have noticed in the past is that people stayed together more. In today's world it is very much unheard of for a couple to stay married for 50 years let’s say. In today's world I have noticed if something does not work most people throw it out or get rid of it. The same concept can be applied to relationships. We have become very much a disposable society.

In a way I see it as a good thing because like me I am busy all of the time and really don't have time to go out and meet people. I am not really much of a bar person. I ask the question. What does the future hold for On-line Dating? How will this advance? I have noticed that some on-line dating sites are considering videos, voice recordings, etc. to enhance this experience. What will be the next dimension of On-line Dating?

Thoughts of Class 02/04/2010

According to Dictionary.com Socioeconomics means the study of the interrelation between economics and social behavior. Then I looked up economics and according to Dictionary.com it says that it is the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, or the material welfare of humankind.

I had never thought of it that way, but it is true. We are becoming a very social society. I myself hardly watch TV anymore. As I use to watch it all the time. I like having a conversation with you on a one to one basis. I like finding what someone likes or dislikes. I guess that is how you befriend someone. It is how you connect with someone on any kind of relationship level. Whether it be a friendship, teacher, student, doctor, lover, etc?

I have heard of the idea that in the future products will find you and you will not be looking for the products. Although I might disagree a little about the statement "you will not be looking for products". It is hard to imagine not still looking for a product that perhaps a friend of yours has and you would like it for yourself. I think I mentioned this earlier that perhaps someday there might be a chip built inside of you that will send electronic messages to billboards and other advertisement means to gear towards your needs. For example I use yet again the example if you like strawberry ice cream perhaps ads about strawberry ice cream will appear. Perhaps something like strawberry bubblegum will appear or something similar to strawberry icecream.

My response to Broadcasting vs. Socialism is this … To me someone yelling their lungs out with a megaphone on top of a building is one sided or like TV is sort of one sided. It is the message transferring to a group of people, but there is no response back. But if you consider feedback in terms of emails received about a particular show then I would consider that to be Socialism.
Socialism to me is feedback and responding back and forth about something. Where as Broadcasting is one sided. It is making a public announcement to the universe. Sort of like the President coming on TV and announcing the Haiti earthquakes. We are not talking to the President back and forth about it. Although when two people talk about the President’s Speech about Haiti Earthquakes then I would consider that to be Socialism.

In response to the question; Why would you trust your friends over an advertisement? It is simple! In Advertising they often will lie about the product so that they sell it to you. In one of my former blogs I mention about the exercise industry. They try to sell you all of these phoney pills that claim to make you skinny, but they really don’t. They really don’t care as long as someone is buying the product. It is all about marketing and getting customers to buy their product. A friend’s opinion about the product is much more valuable. Why? Because in most cases they are users of the product. Basically, advertisements lie to sell the product. Friends are more likely to tell you the truth as what to do they have to gain to lie to you about a product? Why would they lie in the first place? If a friend lies to you than you have bigger problems I think. I might question then why are you friends with this person if they are going to lie to you. A real friend is someone you trust.

In response to the question; What is News? News to me is anything that is information about something. To me there is personal news like what is going on in your personal life and then there is worldly news like the earthquakes in Haiti that everyone is talking about. Is “I got up in the morning and did this today” news? I would say yes! It is not probably going to make the headlines in the newspaper, internet or TV, but it might make it to a few comments on some of the various social networks sites. If you were to say something on twitter; Would it be considered News? Yes, would be my response once again. If someone is interested in what you are doing they are the recipients of the news. You are giving that information about what you are doing.

If you look it up at Dictionary.com the definition of News you will receive the following.
1.
a report of a recent event; intelligence; information: His family has had no news of his whereabouts for months.

2.
the presentation of a report on recent or new events in a newspaper or other periodical or on radio or television.

3.
such reports taken collectively; information reported: There's good news tonight.

4.
a person, thing, or event considered as a choice subject for journalistic treatment; newsworthy material. Compare copy (def. 5).

In my opinion, I think we are becoming Movie Stars or famous people! We have our own poporotizi or fans! What I mean by that is our so called friends on many of the social networks are interested in what we are doing. So perhaps you are not a singer or a movie star, but people are into your life and what you have to say. I know in some cases many people are always interested in what I have to say. I seem to have a very creative and thoughtful mind. Some people seem to be attracted to that. Not to sound vain or anything, but usually people are attracted to good looking people. Now you might say what is a good looking person? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder is my response to that question. But, perhaps the magazines sitting on the newsstands actually tell us what is beautiful and what is not.

Does News have to be an impact? All news is an impact whether it be big or small in my opinion. If a person is reading it, it will create some sort of feeling inside. To me any information at all given and someone receives it is news. News for you could be taken as what interest do you have? I know myself I am more likely to read something if I am interested in the subject matter. If I am not interested I find it very boring. I know in school they would give us all of these text books and things of which I was not interested. I sometimes would fall asleep while reading it. Why? Because my brain wants to shut off. It is just not interested and therefore just does not want to comprehend it.

In response to Wikapedia, trust issues, and editng content and is it like a newspaper? I would have to agree with all of the statements made during class. I would say if you are not really sure if it actually the truth or if it is accurate I would say get a second opinion. Much like if your doctor would say you had cancer you could always ask another doctor and they might say something completely different. The beauty of the net is that there are so many sites doing the same things. I am sure there are other sites that act much like Wikapedia and you could verify the information. If you have found the information to be the same on different sources than my conclusion would be this must be right.

What is society and being social? For me society is the people and world in which we live in today. Being social is just that being social and talking to other people. It is called networking in the business world. Sometimes it is not what you know, but who you know.

Being Social and Being Public is about the same thing as Broadcasting vs. Socialism. Broadcasting and being Public about something are really the same things. Being Social and Socialism are the same things as well. Being Social interprets a response or interaction between two people or groups of people. Public is one sided. It is kind of like a dictatorship. The news on TV for example is being Public. I cannot talk back to the person on TV. Well I could but that person is not going to hear what I have to say. LOL

In my opinion; “Will you be my acquaintance?” does not sound as good as; “Will you be my friend?” It just sounds more like you want to connect with that person or reach out. Acquaintance almost sounds like you are stuck up and have no desire to get to know me. I guess what I am saying is the word “friend” sounds friendlier.

I looked this up at Dictionary.com
1.
a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

2.
a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter: friends of the Boston Symphony.

3.
a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile: Who goes there? Friend or foe?

4.
a member of the same nation, party, etc.

5.
(initial capital letter ) a member of the Religious Society of Friends; a Quaker.

In response to the Promo for on-line advertisement video we watched in class and is that advertising? I would say yes! The video seems very believable. It makes a connection with what I already know about the net and the world in which I live in today. It is very persuasive and I think it does a good job with its message. In a sense I think it plays on some ideas of what most people already know. Are the percentages accurate? Well perhaps the percentages are not accurate, but it is very believable. It just doesn’t sound very farfetched in my opinion.

Is Google God? Being at a Christian stand point No! Google is Not God. Being at student of study and working in the field of New Media I would say yeah Google could be considered a God. However I would call it more of a medium tool. It allows you to search for just about any answer. I use it a lot for tutorials on how to do something. Especially for certain pieces or gimmicks in software or for coding purposes.

What did we do before Youtube.com? My response is we use to have a thing called VHS tapes. We would have our own libraries of videos. We would just watch them or perhaps a friend would have a video and we watch it. We also had video rental stores, much like we have Family Video today. But, instead of DVDs, we had VHS tapes. I could then see before than we had the TV and then even before then we had the radio. Two things come to my mind when I think of radio back in the days before TV would be the movie Annie and the TV series the Waltons. My mom was always crazy over the Walton series and it is how I got my middle name Jason. I was a kid during the 1980s. I remember going to the drive-in movies to see the movie Annie. We even had a field trip in school where we seen Annie. Beef & Boards Recently had the play Annie last year. What I am remembering is the part where Daddy Warbucks does a Radio announcement that they are trying to find Annie’s real parents. I also remember from the Waltons the Waltons family sitting around the radio listening to it much like the familes later did with TV.

I think in response to writing, video, scrolls going to books than now to the Kindel DX device on Amazon and also with the iPad that apple is introducing these are all methods in which to store information. I think that was the whole point of bringing up the subject. I think it doesn’t matter what you use I think humans all through history have had a desire to record information or to archive it for future use. Humans study history. My cousin the other day wrote her grocery list down and brought it in to show me while I was at work one day. In Business, it is often important to store data for future use. A company could look back upon the last year and try to use that information to make improvements for the following year.

My fear is if we go with more of an electronic way of storing materials will we lose it if say the power would go out? What happens when a major disaster happens? At least with things written on stone or on paper it is most likely going to last to be shown to future generations. How do you think we know so much about the Egyptians? We have studied the paintings on the walls of the Pyramids that they left for us. But, What if society no longer writes anything down on paper and we go to archiving all information by electronic means? Well as long as we have electronic devices and power to view the content I do not see a problem. I am just wondering though if we were to have a major disaster that wipes out electronic devices; how would we recover that data? How would future generations know what happened in the year 2010 for example?

My point is we may lose our history if it is not written down. Lets look at history before things were written down. Are we becoming a society once again that does not write anything down permanently for the next generation to see? Haven’t you ever heard of the expression nothing is set in stone? Stone is permanent or will last a long time, much like the bones of dinosaurs are left behind to prove that there were these creatures that lived 50 million or billion years ago.





The movie Time Machine comes to my mind in lot of these ideas. The new one, not the old one. I looked it up and it came out around December 2001 or around 2002. It was a huge hit! I remember going to see it with some friends when it first came out. That movie speaks to me! It is about this guy who wants to go back in time to save his girlfriend. No matter what he does she always dies. Which goes to show it was meant for her to die. If you recall the future people in the movie blew up the moon and that actually caused a major disaster causing an evolution in people. It caused an evolution into two different species. One lives above ground and the other lives below ground. My point is that they actually did not know the world of today. The only thing left were stones. They didn’t even know the English language or how to read it. They even had this one guy that was actually a computer stuck in some mirrors or glass at the library from a short not too distant future accusation. Anyway my point is we may be sent back to prehistoric times if technology fails.

What if we lose our electricity? Books do not require electricity. What will we leave people of the future? How will we be perceived by people of the future? How will they learn about the world of today? How will the 21st Century play out? If you will notice that the 20th century is very different from the beginning to the end of the century. Rapid change in technology advances happened. Much of the way of Pop-Culture changed as well. My prediction is that the 21st century will evolve in the very same way. We have already experienced the 1st decade of the 21st Century. What will the next decade bring? The 2010s? Then even the decades ahead! 2020s? 2050s? 2070s? 2090s? Only Time will Tell! Time has always been a fascination of mine.

What are your thoughts?