BLOG POST: MY TERM RESEARCH PROJECT

My project is about advertising and marketing in the virtual world. As we are living in the age of new media, there is no doubt that something like virtual worlds would come along and capture our imagination. With virtual spaces like Second Life becoming ever so popular nowadays, corporations must look to take advantage of this growing demographic. They have an advantage in doing this because most of the users of virtual worlds are often immersed in the experience, so the advertisements within the virtual worlds will be particularly engaging.

First, corporations must find a way to get a foot in the door of the virtual world. There have been many tactics, including the tying in of both the virtual world, and the real world. For example, if one’s avatar has earned enough points or merits, then the person behind the avatar may gain access to special discounts on products in real life. Another approach that companies have used is to create their own virtual world. This way, they have control over what the users of this world experience and can market their own product without fear of competition. However, this is a costly investment. Corporations also faced a problem when advertising to virtual worlds, because they did not know whether to target the avatar, or the person behind the avatar. After some research, they realized that for the most part, avatars are what the people who created them aspire to be, so by catering to the avatar, the person will be drawn in as well.

Corporations must realize that although the world has experienced globalization, there still is no one magic marketing technique. Each virtual culture must be approached with different strategies, because various groups have opposite extreme views.

Real-world politics has also had a place within virtual worlds. This is important because in the corporate world as well as political campaigning, tapping into a new market can give you the edge. By targeting a demographic your competitors do not know about, it is possible to gain a significant competitive advantage.

Corporate sponsorships have also worked in drawing consumers in. By sponsoring branded events in the virtual world, buzz will be generated. This will attract more customers and generate greater profits.

There are also many real challenges and risks associated with virtual marketing. There are technological issues, where the platform where a certain virtual world is hosted may have too many requirements for an average computer system. The users themselves may be a problem, as they may not want corporate advertising encroaching upon their virtual way of life. Privacy issues are also a concern, as corporations want to track the behavior and decisions of virtual world participants. The players within the game, on the other hand, want companies to respect their rights.

The virtual world is growing in popularity and technology is changing the way we experience it, as well as the way corporations can advertise to us. In order to be successful in this field, organizations must be creative and innovative. Research is also important, as it provides information on what kinds of decisions to make. In old media, advertising was a one-way communication. In virtual worlds, it can work in two channels. In games such as Second Life, people can respond and even deface advertisements. If corporations learn to take advantage of this two-way communication, it would revolutionize the marketing field.

BLOG POST: BARUCH NEW MEDIA - OUR CLASS WIKI - SO FAR

For my class wiki, I wanted to write about and contribute to a subject I have substantial knowledge about. Before I wrote it, I thought for a few minutes about a topic I have done extensive research on such that I would be a knowledgeable person to ask if one wanted to know about this topic. What I decided to do was to create a wiki about myself. Professor Schwartz told us to be creative, play around, write whatever we wanted and to let our minds wander. I decided I would use this wiki to detail the events in my life, along with adding pictures to enhance my wiki page. I basically went in chronological order, noting important points, and inserting a few pictures here and there to help my story telling. I also played around with the links and the headings and sections. Having never created one of these before, overall I am very proud of my first wiki page.

BLOG POST: THE NEXT NEW THING

If I had the capacity to create a new type of media, it would be an enhancement to virtual worlds. I would suggest a virtual world where people can not only see and hear each other, but actually be able to touch a virtual character located half-way around the world. This type of occurrence would be possible when people put on a special suit designed for these types of virtual worlds, and log onto the internet. The virtual world would mimic your real-life motions through your avatar, even down to your facial expression.

This form of new media would be monumental in revolutionizing society because it makes for a much more immersive experience. For example, long distance relationships would be a lot easier. If somebody is learning physical movements online, such as a martial art or dance, this new media would be of great assistance. Instructors can actually physically move their students in order to show them the correct movements and techniques.
This new media technology would also be helpful in corporate meetings, as every movement in real life is captured in the online universe. Even the slightest cues are picked up virtually, so the avatars/people on the virtual world can pick up on subtle body language, making communication a lot easier.

However, with new media, comes new problems. For example, physical harassment might be an issue. People might also get addicted to this form of new media, as virtual worlds has become so real to them that they become dependent on it. Whatever the case, new media in itself is not bad or good, it is what you do with it that counts.

BLOG POST: ADVICE TO BARUCH COLLEGE

My experience at Baruch College has felt like years at another high school. This is because Baruch College does not have dormitories, leading to the fact that the social atmosphere at Baruch is severely lacking. That is why I would advise Baruch to crate its own social networking website. This website would be devoted entirely and only to Baruch students and faculty. It would be similar to facebook in that you can plan events, except that the events must be Baruch College related in some way. A different way to view this proposed social networking website would be to think of it as a much more extended and customizable version of Blackboard. Students can keep in touch with their professors and fellow classmates and plane vents. Though users will have the ability to post personal information, a good amount of the content on the website will be academic and school related. This website can also serve as an online planner where students can post their schedules and make it public for the world to see. Students will be able to stay on top of what they have to do for school, and interact with other Baruchians in a virtual social atmosphere.

I would also make a suggestion to Baruch College to make virtual classrooms available. I do not know if Baruch has these already (I know that Baruch has online classes but my idea goes beyond that), but they can serve several different purposes. For example, it can enhance the online class experience, by giving students a set time in which students can access their virtual classroom from anywhere and learn. This would be helpful for students who have a long and/or hard commute to school who want to take an online class but also want a more interactive atmosphere. This kind of technology would also be helpful to Baruch College students who are sick, bed-ridden, and/or physically disabled, whether temporarily or permanently. If such students desire an interactive academic atmosphere but cannot make the trip to school, then they can log onto the virtual classroom. This classroom can be entirely virtual, or the student can log in and participate through a computer in an actual physical classroom with actual physical professors and students.

Baruch College definitely has not taken advantage of the technologies of new media. Though lack of funding might be a problem, soon, due to the advances in science, this technology will be much cheaper, more affordable, and more readily available to universities and colleges like Baruch.

BLOG POST: OLD VS. NEW

There are several ways in which we can distinguish old media from new media. One of the easiest ways is to apply the 5 C’s rule. We can look at different forms of mediums and see if they satisfy one of the five C characteristics. For example, if a medium is communication intensive, that is not just one-way, then there is a good chance that that medium is a part of new media.

Communication is the most important of the 5 C’s. In old media, there has for the most part, been only been one way communication. Examples of this include television, newspapers, magazines,
Community is also an integral part of new media. In old media, community either meant meeting in person, or mass mailings. However, with the technology of new media, people that are part of communities that share similar interest can now meet in online forums or social networking websites.
Collaboration over projects has increased dramatically with the introduction of new media. In the past, people have had to meet in person in order to collaborate on projects. However, this was could happen to be very difficult depending on the physical location of the people needed to collaborate on the project. For example, if two people needed to collaborate were half-way around the world from each other, then they might have to work together on the phone, which is much less efficient than working in person. Due to the increasingly new technologies of new media, people can collaborate on wikis, or in virtual worlds.
Creativity has been an emerging theme in new media. In the forms of old media, communication was almost entirely one-way based. People presented their content to you, and that was it. However, because in new media, people have the ability to respond and criticize, new ideas can be generated, leading to more creativity.
Convergence has also been an emerging theme in new media. As journalism evolves, journalistic corporations have realized that newspapers and magazines are just not enough. They must expand to the internet and write blogs in order to attract more readers, because that is what is popular nowadays. Television stations have also realized the same thing. By using the internet and showing episodes on the web, they can enhance, improve, and expand their firm. Basically, convergence is when old media and new media combine in order to improve the whole.

In order to differentiate between old media and new media, we must look at what technological advances there have been. Old media has historically been a one-way presentation of information and knowledge, while new media tends to be a more immersive experience for everyone. The past has been characterized by just seeing, but in the modern day, people are doing more than seeing. They are interacting, and participating, leading to the exchange of new and innovative ideas. That is what separates old media from new media.

BLOG POST: MODELING REALITY WITH VIRTUAL WORLDS

Virtual worlds are an amazing technology that has many benefits, both in and out of the corporate world. In the video we saw in class, we saw that virtual worlds benefit the physically disabled. Some people are disabled to the point where they are physically unable to leave their homes. Virtual worlds provide a way to experience the world. It is a portal to the outside world for these people, who otherwise have no other form of entertainment or escape. Virtual worlds can also be used as baby steps in order to ease people with anti-social diseases such as autism into the real outside world. For example, for people with social problems, a virtual world might be able to “get them familiar with an environment before they actually try it out in real life” (Saidi, 2008).

Virtual worlds can also be very beneficial in the corporate world. Meetings between people on opposite sides of the world can be held in a much more interactive atmosphere instead of through a conference call. Virtual worlds can also be a very useful training tool, as it “adds a dimension to training because people don’t perceive it as learning. That makes them more willing to take risks and be more flexible in their thinking” (Frauenheim, 2006). Having virtual world training also might be very attractive to young employees who might think it would be a very unique experience.

The benefits of virtual worlds are very vast. For one, they can provide people with countless hours of entertainment, as the worlds built in a virtual environment can be limitless. Virtual worlds can also be used to help people who are anti-social, by helping them take slow steps towards going out and interacting in the real world. Virtual worlds can also be used as a meeting place for people who live thousands of miles away from each other. In corporations, it can be used as a training tool to provide a very interactive, realistic, low-risk, and safe training experience.

There is definitely a dark side to participating in the virtual world. Like social networking, one of the most glaring problems is getting too dependent on this type of technology. For example, autistic people who use virtual worlds to try to get a feel for what the real world is like from a safe distance may become addicted to the virtual world. They may feel so at ease in this “comfort zone” that they may never want to leave, which is counter productive in their situation. The very thing that was supposed to help them cure their disorder would become another problem. Basically, as technology advances, we can become dangerously dependent on it, and virtual world technology is no different.

I feel that in the future, virtual world technology will evolve to become even more realistic. In the video we saw in class, the avatars looked relatively realistic, but it still had a very pixilated look. In the coming years, technology will advance such that the avatars will become much more detailed and the landscapes and environments will become even more realistic, making the virtual world a much more immersive experience.

Frauenheim, Ed. "IBM's Virtual World for its Employees: IBM Learning Programs Get a 'Second Life'" Workforce Management 11 Dec. 2006: 6.

Saidi, Nicole. "IReport: 'Naughty Auties' battle autism with virtual interaction - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. 28 Mar. 2008. 18 June 2009 .

BLOG POST: SOCIAL NETWORKING

Social networking technologies can be used in a variety of ways. The obvious way is through a nonprofessional framework. For example, facebook connects millions of people around the world, often in an unprofessional setting. People can use social networking sites to meet people, stay up-to-date with the goings on of current friends, as well as keep in touch with old friends. With many social networking websites, personal information can be posted publicly for everyone to see, making it easy to learn about somebody else. Because of these websites, social knowledge can be spread much more quickly.

However, social networking technologies are not limited to the casual world. Corporations have used social networking websites within the company for a variety of purposes. For example, Nissan has created a website called N-Square to “circumvent the formal bureaucratic channels and create unexpected partnerships” (Hall, 2007). Usually, in order to set up meetings, people would have to set up pre-meetings just to discuss what topic the meeting would be about. By having a social networking website to share information and overcome large physical distances, Japanese office workers at Nissan have been able to get things done much more quickly.

The benefits of these social networking technologies include being able to keep in touch with a greater number of people. A person’s friendship circle increases exponentially as it is much more convenient to keep in touch with friends online through a massive database such as facebook. Through social networking sites like Twitter, news can be spread quickly. Celebrities who have large followings on Twitter can generate a lot of publicity with a simple status change. Social networking technology in corporations also has many benefits, as it allows for employees to feel connected with the company as a part of its culture. By feeling connected, top performing employees are less likely to leave. With the popularity of social networking increasing, by having a social networking website, Nissan stands a better chance at attracting prospective employees.

There is a dark side to social networking. Since this technology has become such a staple in our everyday lives, we sometimes “experience a feeling of isolation when our internet connections go down, revealing just how dependent we’ve become on the connective power of the Web” (Dubner, 2008). By becoming so dependent on social networking, we have in a way, let it rule our lives. There are also many privacy and protection issues regarding social networking, as a person who posts too much personal information on the web can be the subject of stalking and other crimes. While social networking allows us to share information freely, sometimes there can be too much information, and information can fall into the wrong hands.

I think that the most popular social networking websites will one day evolve into a virtual world. For example, on facebook or myspace, you will no longer be looking at text, you will be able to “walk” to your friend’s profile through a virtual world. If your friend is online as well, you would be able to interact with him or her. Basically, I feel that social networking technology will quite possibly be a very interactive environment in the future. However, like Twitter, social networking websites are “precisely what you want [them] to be” (Pogue, 2009).


Dubner, Stephen J. "Is MySpace Good for Society? A Freakonomics Quorum." The New York Times 15 Feb. 2008.

Hall, Kenji. "Why Is Nissan Mimicking MySpace?" Business Week 30 Oct. 2007.

Pogue, David. "Twitter? It’s What You Make It." The New York Times 11 Feb. 2009.