Week 12: Head in the Clouds

With collaboration becoming one of the more important elements of usability on the web, cloud computing has rapidly become a popular way of working on projects and compilations with multiple people across friend groups, departments and companies.

In class, we experimented with using Google Docs and explored the uses of Delicious, a website dedicated to hosting bookmarks by tags that would otherwise be lost in the muck of the standard browser Favorites section. For journalists, Google Docs are undeniably one of the more useful developments for collaboration as they can be formatted to either mimic Microsoft Word or similar functions of PowerPoint but still allow multiple users to add to the document.

An excerpt from the test document I sent in for class further articulated how cloud computing adds to the media industry:

"Cloud computing resources like Google Documents are invaluable in the media field. The collaborative function of it hosted on such a universal server like Google makes it easily accessible for multiple editors and reporters to have access to the same information. This makes the editing process infinitely easier and would make it more likely to prevent spelling or fact errors. Shared calendars and spreadsheets also make it easier to plan events and make sure that news would be covered in a timely manner with shared responsibility. In addition, shared documents could also be an easy way to compile an application packet for a job. For example, I applied to work as a summer intern for The Village Voice newspaper in New York, and their application required compiling work samples, a resume and cover letter within a shared Google Doc."

Here is a list of the top 15 social bookmarking sites according to Ebizmba.com. In particular, I'm a fan of Digg and Reddit, in which users submit news and interesting articles for others to comment on and share. Both sites have served as a forum of knowledge for the web-savvy younger generation, and those who want information quickly would definitely enjoy the frequently updated site for their browser homepage.


Sara Solano thought Delicious was a fansite for Iron Chef: America.

Week 10: Media Never Sleeps

Spring Break.

I spent most of it in Miami soaking up the sun and an excess of blood alcohol content. But between South Beach and XBox, I spent much of my days coursing about the Internet in the way that I can imagine a lab mouse does when it's let loose in that maze used in cartoon science experiments.

I found my cheese. Oh, I found it alright. Found it in resident Hollywood nut Charlie Sheen -- the darling of the social media blitz. As if garnering one million followers on Twitter in 24 hours wasn't enough, the next of kin to the Mighty Ducks legacy made a call via his Twitter to college students and bored cubicle workers everywhere to be his next #TigerBloodIntern.

Being the healthy, irony-loving American that I am, I instantly applied. As did 75,000 other people from across the globe. According to Internships.com, a surprisingly legitimate resource to be hosting something so seemingly bizarre, the intern would work directly with Sheen's personal staff to manage his social media accounts in a paid, 8-week trip to Sober Valley. Sure enough, Round 2 had me submit resume information and by Round 3, the applicant pool was narrowed down to the top 250...and I was somehow still in the running.

Round 3 called for applicants to submit a two-minute YouTube video answering one of three questions concerning social media in politics, international affairs or corporations. I was also rather caught off-guard by the demands that the videos be taken seriously and with a professional attitude. However, I am competitive by nature and the chance for adventure was remarkably enticing (as was wearing a suit on camera). Hence, I enlisted the help of a friend of mine who's well-versed in the ins and outs of telecommunication production and made my submission.

Here I am rambling pontificating talking about CNN's use of social media:

Here's hoping to a Round 4?


Sara Solano genuinely had no idea what else to blog about to have enough for this second set of entries and hopes this is funny enough to suffice.

Week 11: Hipsters for Handouts

As a college student, there are two words that strike a chord above all others: "free" and "fair trade." If there's one thing that the youth of today enjoy, it's taking advantage of projects made by others with the intent to share without the burden of corporate backing. Open source software is the equivalent of going to an independent coffee shop or eating organically grown tomatoes, but for the Internet.

This week's examples of open source software included Open Office, a free comparable version of Microsoft Office programs and SourceForge, a database for open source projects circulating throughout the web. From a journalistic perspective, some of the most useful online apparatuses stem from open source software. For example, the popular browser Firefox is open source and is used by about one-third of Internet surfers, and is especially popular among the younger, web-savvy crowd. FTP programs such as FireFTP are only available for Firefox and, more often than not, the browser displays XHTML and CSS more accurately than popular default browsers like Internet Explorer in Windows and Safari in the Mac OS.

Osalt is similar to SourceForge in that it provides information about open source alternatives to corporate programs such as iTunes and Movie Maker.


Sara Solano is trying to breed actual firefoxes. 

Bonus Blog: Nomcast Ep. 1

Podcasting has become a popular means of getting information and discussion in an era in which people are connected to sound via earbuds and Apple products. Ranging from news coverage to every day topics such as Kevin Smith's comedic Smodcast, Bill Simmons' sports/pop culture-themed B.S. Report and local improv troupe ArACkA Spontaneous Comedy's ArACkast (you're welcome, Rich). Sound is an easy way for people to download what you have to say via their mp3 players and listen on the go -- whether on the bus, in the car or at the gym, it's a quick and easy way to have portable news without wondering where to recycle your newspaper.

http://saraeme2040.podbean.com/

Sara Solano really likes pancakes.

Week 8: Picture Books For Adults

Digital storytelling is what cardboard baby books were for us as children -- bright, stimulating and impossible to put down. However, these visuals are not merely to pass the time, but now serve a relevant and important function in today's media industry.

In class, we discussed the programs used for making digital storytelling compilations and how they can be used. On a similar vein, my Communication on the Internet class discussed how audio and visual components greatly enhance a news story. What truly can make a story "sing" as my professor says is what brings the text to life -- stirring photos and emotionally charged interviews and other sound bytes. Keeping this in mind, the Internet has played a major role in expanding newspapers' repertoire to Soundslides (which overlay audio on photos), slideshows and video.

This link from the University of Houston has a great guide on how to utilize digital storytelling techniques in education.


Here's a sample Animoto clip from my recent Orlando trip:


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.


Sara Solano is the Mother Goose of our generation.