Convergence and the New Generation

Carr Article

"Stupid is as Stupid does" is something Forrest Gump would say and the article by Carr seems to suggest that "stupid is what stupid doesn't do." Carr suggest that convergence of mediums is taking us on the fast track to changing our thinking process into becoming mindless autobots who thrive on the quick, convenient, skimming processes of the Internet while giving up the enjoyment and quality of older more formal mediums like reading a printed novel. He suggests that we've reduced quality while increasing quantity of our information input thus changing our brains thought process.

Audio Presentation

Cangialosi suggests that e-mail is the dominant medium and utilizing the social aspect of e-mail with the medium of Podcasting is the way to go for marketing a product, business, organization, etc. He believes convergence has caused the shifting of mediums, the old are still there but are improving by the demand that information become customized and individualized and all are integrating changing the notion of communication as we know it. It allows for greater expanse of audience to include customers, employees and the media.

Chaudhry
Discusses the influence blogs have in the political arena. Politicians are turning to blogs and those blogging to strengthen their ideals and elections.

Carr Article Key Points

• The net is the most popular and utilized medium for information we gather. It is biological in nature by us seeing, hearing and thinking. The problem with this is it becomes the output of our intelligence making it mechanically influenced, step like, measurable and optimizable.
• The Internet is changing our thought process of how we concentrate, comprehend, and think causing us to switch from quality of thought processes to quantity of information and the computer is the tool linked to this change in process.
• The Internet is becoming the tool that is everything to us consuming our day and taking the place of other intellect tools we use like clock, newspaper, pen and paper, telephone, TV, radio and it goes on and on.

Cangialosi Key Points

• E-mail is the dominant medium and it is important to maximize your marketing process by utilizing this social medium.
• There is a shift in mediums that improve the existing, integrate them with the new and each other creating the shift to individualized and custom communication. He sees it as a pyramid as such:

Podcasting

Digital Text - Audio Video

Radio and TV Older Mediums

• Podcasting allows the expansion of ones addition to include the press and media, customer, and even employees therefore any kind of business, organization or individual can utilize it. It enhances, expands, and amplifies the effects of marketing while allowing the individual producer of the podcast to be the inventor of it. It gives the ability for the individual person, organization or business to establish and brand themselves, gain a larger audience and keep a record or library of content concerning themselves.
• Its utilization is for outreaching, educating, branding, building relationships with public and media, advertising, marketing, archiving, increasing effective communication and even training.

Chaudhry

• Democrats embrace blogs to help with political success called "netroots."
• The American public can blog anything they are thinking and feeling and the blogs represent democratic values as well as bringing about changes in society norms.
• There is debate as to if blogs can influence all aspects of elections.
• Blogs are considered the new social speaking medium.
  

Challenging Concepts

Carr Article

A challenging concept for me is how we will deal with the convergence concept while we keep the entities of thought process to provide quality and not just quantity. Teachers are already recognizing this in the next generation of students who write, read and think outside the box and differently causing it to be harder to teach them.

Cangialusi

The challenging concept here is the extent to which communication will evolve and become individualized, I'm wondering if there will be more innovators of communication than those who will listen. Then it will become saturated and just another thing that's there instead of the marketing giant they want it to be.

Chaudhry

Is there a challenge or social discourse amongst those who can and can not afford to be a part of the blogging society, is the influence then unbalanced and unfair?

Questions:

• What are the ways folks notice the quantity vs quality of thought process in those around them both adults and children?
• Will podcasting become the next yellow pages that talk?
• Is it really feasible that politicians who utilize the blogs are being fair, unbiased and representing all their constituents?
  

Relationship to the real world is that I already notice the thought process change in my grandson, he'd much rather click the mouse quickly for pictures and info then spend the time sitting and improving his reading skills and he's only 6. Even though the older medium of print exists in the books and on paper, he wants the mouse for his pencil and the screen for his book.

Podcasting is available with the push of my computer button, after reading the article I encouraged my son to perhaps think of doing one for his business.

I personally read the Drudge, Politico, and Huffington during the campaign.