The Big "Switch-Over"

Since analogue television relied heavily on magnetic signals, electronic waves and chemical changes, some would say analogue is a thing of the past. With the creation of digital television, which is simply a series of 0s and 1s placed into a specific format that can be easily transcribed by microchips, television production became much faster, cheaper, and easier. Everyone probably remembers when the United States make a big hoopla about the big "switch-over" from analogue to digital. Most countries have already replaced all analogue televisions with digital, except the UK; they plan to make the big "switch" this year.

So aside from being cheaper and faster, why is digital better? Well, let's start with the ratios. Analogue ratios were 4:3, whereas digital ratios are 16:9; this allows for less boxy television viewing. Basically, you can now watch your favorite movie at home without each side being cropped by a few inches.

But let's backtrack even further and take a look at how television works. Typically, the United States used a 525-line picture and each line was scanned from top to bottom starting with odd numbered lines first (1,3,5 and so on), then back to the top to get those even numbered lines. But the digital world of television has many different terms. For instance, 1280 x 720 (in terms of pixels in scan mode) is shortened to 720p; 1920 x 1080 is shortened to 1080i (or 1080p depending on what scanning mode). Even though it sounds more complicated, digital television is better because the screen is easier to view and the amount of "noise" interference is limited.



When the public caught wind of the digital television wave, they were sold. There are many different ways of viewing digital t.v. such as through satellite, cable, Internet, and DVD. With so many choices, people couldn't help but be forced to use digital.

Digital television became much more convenient for viewers when systems like DVR and TiVo came out. These boxes allow the user to pre-record their shows and watch them later. So for instance, if you are out a a company dinner and your favorite show comes on at 8 p.m., you no longer have to purchase a blank tape and set the VCR to record. You just set up your shows on the DVR systems with a click of a button and it does the work for you.

Having the capability to view shows online is also more convenient to the public. Some people do not have time to sit in front of a television set and watch programs, but are making time or prefer to sit in front of their computers. This allows viewers to catch their favorite sports programs, realitytv, or news on the go. This is becoming more of a fad for the younger generations as computer technology continues to grow.

Even more interesting is the new way of reporting the news. There are many news stations taking on this idea of the viewer reporting. CNN has the iReport and many local news stations urge people to call in, text, tweet, or upload breaking news or videos. The underlying question is does this make jobs easier for reporters or harder?

I look at this two-fold. A reporter should be reporting the news to the public; plain and simple. They should already know the breaking story because that is their job. However, given the many capabilities of technology, I believe that the public gets excited about the idea that they can send in home-made videos. The quality of what the public sends in is probably not as good as the edited news reel, but this idea still offers user interaction with their television.

One of the newer capabilities of television is Internet interaction, also known as SmartTvs. We see this with video games and televisions. Consumers have the option of purchasing a t.v. that has Internet. This allows people to browse the Internet and watch YouTube videos right on their t.v. These can get pricey ranging anywhere from $900 to $5,000.

With all these new options to choose from, one might wonder "what's next?"

Wiki Wiki Wikinomics

By now you've probably all heard of Wikipedia, but what about Wikinomics? Sure the names sound similar, but do they actually have anything in common? Well, yes. They both have the similar notion of a mass amount of people collaborating together. But how are they different?

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia of sorts where people can contribute to adding knowledge of someone or something. Wikinomics is more of a term that describes the effects that this mass collaboration has on the corporate world and marketplace. Basically, if you've ever visited a website that has an online community or forum, you've seen the beginning stages of Wikinomics.

In the book Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, authors Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams want their readers to know that there are four principles behind the central concepts of wikinomics.

The first concept they describe is openness. This means having open standards and also allowing open content; but it also means being open to outside ideas and resources. The second concept on Tapscott's list is peering. Peering, a term they derived from Linux, is defined as voluntary interconnection of separate networks for the purpose of exchanging traffic between the customers of each network.
 

 The final two concepts go hand-in-hand. Sharing and acting globally. The sharing aspect not only means sharing information, but also sharing bandwidth and products. Acting globally means embracing outside cultures and ignoring the boundaries that would typically divide society, such as physical, geographical, individual and corporate levels.

According to Don Tapscott, Wikinomics is changing the way corporations operate. The term that many corporations are embracing is saving money by allowing these companies to find outside resources using the new Internet, Web 2.0. Wikinomics changes the way companies innovate new products and how they communicate with the world. Companies that use this theory, or practice, are becoming more successful.

According to Tapscott and Williams, this is the way of the future and companies that do not follow this practice will lag behind the rest of the world. They explain that Wikinomics is an exciting concept for individuals and small businesses because they can now contribute to the production of society and add more value to the large-scale economic system; whereas before, this would be nearly impossible.

I was able to find a ten minute video of author Don Tapscott discussing the basis behind Wikinomics and how it will change the future. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.

Video Game Memories

Video games are part of daily life for a majority of the population whether it's through phones, televisions, or computers. The term video is used to signify that a game has a visual display. Otherwise, the "game" could be something as simple as a game of cards or dice. In chapter five of the book Digital Cultures, Gerard Kraus explains the history of video games.

Like the video above, Kraus details one of the first video game creations. It was called Noughts and Crosses, otherwise known as Tic-Tac-Toe. Even though this game was usually played on paper, Cambridge University took the idea and applied it to their EDSAC computer in 1952. The creation of the Internet began as a way for the military to communicate. The government thought this was the most secure way to pass messages without our "enemies" spying. This happened during the time of the Cold War, which is also when the video game Spacewar was created.

Video games evolved from huge machines that were almost the size of refrigerators down to handheld remote controlled games. Some of the original big machines included Pacman and Asteroids.

Although I do not consider myself a video-gamer addict, I grew up with these classics. We also had the game system Atari and eventually worked our way up to a Super Nintendo. My sister and I had to go up the street (early 90s) to play regular Nintendo, so you can imagine our excitedment when we got our very own. The best games on Atari were Frogger and Space Invaders. Playing these video games as young girls gave us the chance to bond with each other.

As the gaming systems got more advanced, we grew out of them. It wasn't until about four years ago that I brought another gaming system into my house - a Wii. Even though I don't spend much time playing on it, I guess it is still considered a video game. I'm definitely not addicted to them, but sometimes I get caught up in some games on my phone, like bowling and Hanging with Friends.

The visual effects and graphics in video games have also gotten more advanced. A player can have a 360 viewpoint or a straight-on viewpoint. Because the graphics have gotten so life-like, there are many critics that blame crime and adolescent anger issues on these video games. When I was young, I would get mad if I died or lost in a game. Sometimes I got so mad that I threw the remote at the television. Hence why I went outside to play! I think all things are fine in moderation. Maybe it's possible that people develope issues if they play murder games or GTA (Grand Theft Auto) for hours and hours at a time, but that's when parents need to step in and set time limits. Parents should also make sure they check the ratings on each game their child has. They are rated just like movies and depending on how graphic the content, the child has to be a certain age to play the game.

What's missing?

What if obtaining love or attention, in any form, was as easy as pressing the enter button on your computer? The world we live in today is so technology-based that many people probably wish it was this easy. The truth of the matter is people are starved for attention. We try to gain the attention of our peers, teachers, parents, co-wokers, and even complete strangers on a daily basis. People want attention and will find a way of getting it, whether it's good or bad. But the question is why have traditions changed? Why have people changed?

To answer that, we have to start from the beginning; before all the fancy gadgets and modern technology. I like to call it: Pre-tech era. Before television was invented, people had to rely on each other for fun. Kids would get together and play outside or even create their own games like bat-the-can, which was a simple form of baseball.

Life was considered "cookie cutter" Mom stayed home and watched the children while dad went off to work. Dinner was on the table by 5 p.m. every night and then the family would sit around the radio together and listen to the news or radio dramas/comedies. Life was good. The reason it was probably so good was because the parents (and kids) did not have any distractions. Plus, no one knew anything other than the life they lived. They had no clue about technology because it didn't exist, and these families managed to get through life just fine without it.

So then why did people change? With the invention of all things technical, people became crazed to get the latest and greatest thing. The standard saying, "Keeping up with the Joneses" turned into who can surpass the Joneses faster! Technology grew, lives grew, homes grew, but while those things grew bigger, quality family time grew smaller. Families are too distracted with their phones, computers, and televisions to realize that the people that matter most are not getting the attention they deserve.

In Alone Together, author Sherry Turkle touches on nostalgia of the youth in chapter fourteen. The issues she raised in this particular chapter dealt more with children's feelings on their parent's addiction with technology. How often can you think back in the past week, or even the past day, about when you saw a parent figure too entwined with their phone to watch the child with them? Children that grew up with all this technology should be used to it by now. So, why are they yearning for the days before computers and smart phones?

If these children don't know the difference in life before technology, how will they know they like it better than now? There's a few reasons I can think. One is that the children used technology itself to "Google" how life was back in the day, pre-tech era. Another theory is maybe they heard stories from their grandparents who talked about how they had to walk back and forth, five miles to school, in the snow, uphill and don't realize how good they have it now.

But do they have it good, or better then their grandparents? In a way, inventions are great. They invention of new medical machines and medicine helped the general life-span of the average person. Cures for certain illnesses weren't around fifty or one-hundred years ago.

But the invention of technology such as cell phones-good or bad? Well, the answer is both. However, according to many teens in Sherry Turkle's book, the answer is bad. These teenagers have a nostalgia for a time period in life that they never knew. They are constantly being ignored by their friends, and much worse, by their parents.

If mom or dad is too busy texting or emailing through their phone, then they just don't have that one-on-one connection with their child. The problem with these gadgets is they can go anywhere and everywhere the parents do. They go on family vacations, to the playground, and even to dinner. They know no boundaries.


The problem that children face today is that they have to battle not only with their parents going off to work or out with friends, but also with mobile devices. Kids already act out in different ways to get their parents attention and it seems for this young generation, the attention is less and less each day; thus causing the children to act out even more.

When I was watching The Real Housewives of Orange County a few seasons back, one of the mothers on the show was giving her two teenage daughters everything they wanted, except punishment. The fifteen year old began staying out late, drinking, getting mixed in with the wrong crowd and back-talking her parents. The mother could not control her because she wanted her daughter to see her as a friend, not a parent. All the daughter wanted was to be grounded.

Weird, right? What teenager WANTS to be grounded? The issue was that the daughter was trying to get the mother's attention, but her actions still didn't work. This is a vicious cycle that will continue until people realize they need to put down the phone and interact with their friends and family. Kids don't want to tell their parents to get off their phones because the children know they are just as guilty of constantly using their own phones.

I get so frustrated when I'm meeting a group of friends that I haven't seen in a few months and we're all sitting at a table in the middle of a restaurant and I look up and see every person on their phone. What is the point of catching up on each other's lives if we aren't going to talk? I often wonder what life would be like if all things technical and electrical stopped working...just for one week. I don't think people would know what to do with themselves. We rely so much on other people for tasks as simple as grocery shopping that I really do not think the majority of the population could figure out how to live off the land. Imagine if your car broke down and your cell phone didn't work. Back in the 70s and 80s (and even early 90s) you had to flag a ride from a stranger. People would gasp at the thought now, and that wasn't even twenty years ago!

Can you keep a secret?

In today's social groups, gossip quickly becomes the root of all conversations, and evil. Do you ever wonder why or how we get caught up in gossiping so easily? I can confess that even though I try to avoid the "drama" that comes with everyday life, I've found myself caught up in my share of gossip. But what can we do to prevent getting sucked into this lifestyle? And furthermore, where can we share our deepest feelings without threat that a friend might spread them around or give us negative feedback that we don't want to hear?

When we vent to our friends, family, or spouse, we expect them to listen intently. However, we don't want their feedback unless it's to tell us we're right in whatever situation it might be. If the person we're venting to doesn't agree with us, then this could become a precursor to a fight. Some people try to find alternate ways to relieve problems like writing them down on paper, then crumbling (or tearing) the paper up and throwing it in the trash. Others keep diaries and some people use online blogs to voice their frustrations or opinions. There's an even newer online fad that has more people signing on. Websites that are created strictly for sharing your feelings, and even better, darkest secrets.

There are websites like Noteful, Confessions, and PostSecret that help people vent online. Since I've never heard of these sites until now, I decided to take a look at a few of the secrets that people posted. One on PostSecret reads: "My first rescue dog really did rescue me. Saving his life and the lives of my other dogs has kept me from taking my own". That is really deep! When I first heard about these sites, I was in shock. I thought to myself, "who would actually post a secret online...that seems so stupid". Pardon me for assuming the worst right off the bat because I was wrong.

I can completely understand why these people are posting their secrets. Although I have many of my own secrets and can't imagine ever sharing them on the Internet (some things you take to the GRAVE with you), I believe that letting out those emotions in any form has to feel better then keeping them bottled inside. After reading through these websites, I've noticed a pattern. These people are battling depression, anxiety, low self esteem/poor self image, and some are as simple as having a bad day.

Some secret websites allow other people to comment on the post. In reading about true confessions in Alone Together, I found that people actually enjoy hearing the opinions of complete strangers. Though the comments can be brutal, the person that posted the secret feels a sense of gratification knowning that someone read the secret and took the time to reply. It's an emotional investment by the person posting the secret. Whether they really care about what the stranger thinks, there is still an emotional vulnerability. Another good fact about posting secrets is your identity can remain a secret. The people reading and commenting can also choose to remain private.

Even though this is not a confessional website, I find myself replying to Yahoo! Answers.  At first, I felt like people might not like my answers, but once I started getting voted "best answer", I posted more and more. I eventually changed from anonymous to showing my screen name. I felt like I no longer had to "hide" behind my computer.

One secret I can divulge is that I battled with depression a few years ago. It was a feeling that I couldn't explain because I didn't understand what was wrong with me. I stayed inside most days with the black curtains blocking the sunlight out of my room. I slept a lot and lost a lot of weight. I painted my nails black and wore heavy black eyeliner. It took me a long time to open up enough to talk about it. When I realized that I could help people in my life through the experience I went through, I was very willing to discuss my depression. I I'll never know if one of these secret confessional websites would have helped me through those times, but I'd like to think maybe it would.

You never know what kind of day someone is having. It might just take a quick kind word or action to change their entire mood. I found this on PostSecret, and thought what a great idea!

I found this on my car after I came out of a store. It helped make a grumpy day a little brighter.
Thank you whoever you are! - Post Secret

A radio station in my area has a task they ask every listener to perform. When you are going through a drive-thru for your morning coffee or biscuit, purchase the order for the car behind you. This small act of kindness can mean the world to someone and really change the outlook of their day. A quote I really love that everyone should follow: "I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give 'em yours!" - Dolly Parton