Technological Audiences Games

Recently video games activity has been skyrocketing. No matter the country or the age, the amount of people playing video games and the amount of time they play has been increasing.

Imagine a world where blogging, Tweeting, and commenting with other people was no longer done through sitting behind a computer, cell phone, or any other mobile device with Internet; but instead, if a virtual world could make it real. Think of the game along the lines of Second Life. You create yourself to go on about your usual day of being an audience to their favorite celebrities and television stars, but instead of writing to them and about them, you meet them and speak to them. You’re technological interaction because face-to-face instead of screen to screen. Another level of the game is you being a celebrity yourself. The player would be given a situation where they would have to find a way to publically address their audiences. The challenge would to get the most reactions from their audiences through technological outlets. It’d be a game as well as a lesson in Public Relations.

Social Networking in the Diamondback

"AXE deodorant, shower gel & hair products help guys look, smell & feel their best. We discuss products for men and serve up cool giveaways, hot new offerings & updates from AXE events. Become a fan of AXE... You can thank us later."

 

The most recent issues of the Diamondback have been filled with a half page advertisment from Axe. Towards the bottom right side of the page is the opportunity for viewers to log onto Facebook. This access to Facebook invites the readers of the Diamond to access their social networking site where they have the opportunity to learn more about the advertisment's information and also interact with other viewers of the ad.

The purpose of the advertisement is to make fans aware of the Axe Undie Run Challenge. One people go onto the fan page they can get more information on the challenge and also discuss anything on the wall. The Facebook fan page addresses their viewer with this statement: "We are always tuning into the discussions, chats, postings and other happenings on here. Comments that are unlawful, obscene, spam or otherwise offensive will be deleted. Basically, just keep in clean." This is a perfect statement to demonstrate Axe's attempts to get feedbacks and comments from their audiences.

Alternative information can be found on these following websites...
http://www.theaxeeffect.com
http://www.twitter.com/axe
http://www.youtube.com/axe
http://www.myspace.com/axe

A Day in DC

 

I know this picture does not actually visualize my topic but I heard it mentioned in class once that artistic photographs were open to be posted as well, so here one is! I went to Washington, DC this passed weekend to see the monuments. I really liked this picture and thought it followed the rule of thirds as well the other requirements.

Hanging With Abe.

 

This fan of Abraham Lincoln is startled by all of the technology that his camera provides!

Working Hard... or Hardly Working?

 

Even at work Vivienne can't help but need to follow her favorite celebrities on Twitter. This picture shows a fan at work quickly taking a look at what her favorite celebrity has to say on his Twitter account.

Stamp Student Union's Twitter Advertisement

Even the University of Maryland's Stamp Student Union is advertising the use of Twitter. After watching the screen go through the text display message, it encourages fans to further look into the organization's advertisement by following their Twitter. When I saw this at Stamp the other day I knew I had to come back to film how much of an communication outlet that Twitter as become. Viewers of the message can interact with other people within the organization by logging onto the Twitter link that they offer at the advertisement's closing. I wonder if any audiences of their display message got interested enough to contact them.

American Idol Interaction

This is my roommate Jen, an American Idol fan who talks about her experiences with interacting through the use of technology to cast her vote on who she thinks should be the next "American Idol." She goes into detail by explaining the technological process it takes her to text in her vote to the show twice a week. She has been an avid viewer since the show's beginning and has no shame in the fact that she calls in and texts messages her vote at the end of the show. This is her primary source as being a technological audience.

This is my first video that I am ever posted on YouTube. I am aware that there is background noise causing a muffle in the back and also that she is looking directly at the camera while she is speaking. For my next interviews I will be sure to hold the camera at the proper angle to improve the visuals of my interviews.

MTV interacts audiences with a live chat

With everyone’s busy lives, it is not always possible to be in front of your television for initial airtime of your favorite television show. Luckily, MTV is always willing to put up full episodes online for their audiences to catch up on during their convenience on their computers.

While I am watching my missed episode online I start to notice moving texts to the right side of the screen. As I look I begin realizing that a side-box chat room is running a thread for me to read as I watch the show. MTV places an interactive and instant chat room to be provided for all of the viewers who are currently watching the same episode online to comment and talk to each other while watching the episode online.



This is the most instant technological way to audiences to comment their thoughts that I have seen thus far. While blogs, comment boxes, and Twitter let audiences interact after an event occurs, MTV has provided an outlet for audiences to interact while the event occurs. Not only are the viewers commenting for the stars to see, the audiences are speaking and reacting to each other.

As I was reading I came to find that a lot of the people had already known each other. I went to other television shows to see if the comment box was there as well and if audiences are interacting as much as they were in others. The leading chat with the most conversation was for 16 and Pregnant. It seemed as though a lot of teen mothers were the ones on the site talking to each other. A lot of them were pregnant or already had a child. There shared their personal stories and information with each other. They also comment on the episode as well, speaking of how the new mother was handling the experience compared to how they had handled the experience.




People can also comment below the playing episode in the usual style that blogs and other sites allow people to comment.

Comments generally follow the format on the one below:



Kobe commented | 17 hours ago

hi i'm kobe i have watched all of these 16 and pregnant episodes and i'm 13. I am not looking for a child right now. I just wanted 2 tell you that you have really inspired me in this journey!! Thank you so much

Altered Photography to Visualize a Topic

This photograph is relatable to my topic because I sometimes write about people using blogs as an outlet to interact technologically with others. While it could be a celebrity’s blog to respond to an event, or the audience’s thoughts on the event on a public site or also the stars personal comment, blogs are using throughout my topic to pass along the interaction. When people blog they can either use their cell phone, iTouch, a keyboard, or anything with a keypad and Internet to write their thoughts and comments.

This specific picture taken from IBM, Microsoft, LSI and Silicon Graphics “mini-blog” experiment shows a keyboard, which goes along with a computer. The experiment consisted of technology experts from each company agreeing to “blog’ live’ for four days only – a unique opportunity for the IT and data storage communities to join a dialogue w/business-critical technology providers.”

What jumped out at me about this picture is that the keyboard is not the standard keyboard. Instead the keyboard letters spell out “blog” instead of having the usual letters, “d, f, g, h” in their place. This picture is clearly altered to send a specific message to the viewer about their this picture is trying to convey. The use of a keyboard having the letters “blog” spelled out connects the two items to take a related topic. This picture is similar to the one discussed in class related to the “Medical Technology” picture. While that picture illustrated a laptop with a stethoscope coming out of the side, this picture is also clearly altered from its original form after the photograph was taken.

I think that this picture does a good job at illustrating what the creator(s) are trying to visualize. There is no confusion as to what this picture is trying to convey. At first glance it is clear that the picture is relating the using of a keyboard to blogging. As I said before, I believe this picture is an example of a visualization of my topic, as blogging is an outlet for audiences to technologically interact.

Picasa Pictures

 

This illustrates two girls using their mobile devices as a source of interaction. While it in unknown as to what they are exactly looking at, it can be assumed that they are possibly texting a question to ask the stars of Mtv's Real World: DC to be read out loud by the host during the reunion show and then answered by the stars themselves. The girls could also be texting in their vote for who they thought sung the best on tonight's American Idol and deserves to stay on the show for another week. Regardless, the girls seems to be enjoying the use of their cell phones to partake in any interact technological behaviors.

 

 

These two photos can go along together or separate. The top one shows a girl in class using several forms of technology. While is she is using her personal computer to read PerezHilton.com's blog, she is also looking at the screen above during her class. It is clear that there are other students in front of her who are also using their computers as well as looking at the screen above them. The picture is a classroom setting.
The second picture can just be a person alone at the desk reading blogs. It illustrates people's use of blogs to read about their favorite celebrities and television shows. The blog can also be used to have the reader make their own comments on what they are reading about.