Week 2 Analysis Virtual Pets

There is just so much going on with the internet these days that it does not surprise me that we can even have a virtual pet. The first time I came in contact with this was on MySpace. They have pets you can adopt and take care of. This has got me to thinking that this is somewhat of another way for people to disconnect them selves with real life.

We already do just about everything online that this is just another way to live via the internet. There is nothing like the love we have for our pets and how therapeutic it is to pet them and love them. As I was searching the internet to see if there are more happening in the virtual pet world. I found a bunch of sites that allow a person to sign up and get a virtual pet. You can pet them, feed them, change their living environments, shop for them and even make them dance and show affection to other pets. The list of what you can make them do goes on and on.

You can adopt animals such as horses, snacks and mice not to mention the unreal ones like form the Neopets website (Neopets, 2009). This reminds me of Lilo and Stitch cartoon. I even found a website that had virtual pet fish (Virtual Fish Tank, 2009). Ok I had real pet fish before and its not like they are real interactive so virtual fish can’t really be that entertaining. You should check out what the internet is offering in terms of virtual pets and post a comment on what you all think of them.
Do you think we need to slow down with what we do on the internet and have more real life interactions or is this something you think is ok and not harming our ability to socialize with real life and people?


Virtual Pet Fish

Three Contemporary Icons

Ok, I hope I am not way off base here with my selection of contemporary icons. It is my understanding that they do not have to be just a person, image or place. I made a list of seven possible choices and they narrowed it down to the three. First is the all mighty women’s purse. Second is The Pope and third is the Bible not religious specific.





I chose the women’s purse because in our reading this week especially our key points the definition of an icon fit this. There are many women all over the world that worship their pursues and hold them dear to their hearts. They spend a lot of money on them and they also collect them. Women do not want anyone going in them and usually never let it out of their site. I chose The Pope for all the obvious reasons as well as he is highly guarded by so many as superior and untouchable. Finally I chose the bible because it too fit with the definition of an icon as he has an extreme emotional hold on other or shall I say impact.

To me the purse means all of a women’s secrets in one place, basically her life in a handbag. We carry our feminine stuff our personal beauty stuff and what’s most important or relevant for that day/evening. We want no one to touch it especially our husbands/boyfriends and we freak out if we can not find it. It terms of the Pope if memory serves me correctly he is one of the youngest ones we have had and that is what makes him contemporary and pertinent to the time. Now the bible which is old but we have so many versions and religions translating and publishing their own versions that’s why I considered it to be contemporary as well.

Week One Analysis "Online Dating"

The new hype on online dating is fascinating. In the past online dating has had a negative stigma attached to it. I think a lot had to do with friends and family frowning upon using the internet for finding a mate. There were a lot of people who thought that people that used online dating services were weird, socially inept, or even people that could not get a so called real date with the traditional dating methods. I even remember Saturday Night Live doing a skit on online dating which portrayed it use for the bizarre and creepy.

In the 1990’s online dating was a relatively new concept and Morgan Hamilton believes that the movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan called ‘You’ve Got Mail’ had some impact on creating a positive vibe on the use of the internet for dating (2007). Now online dating is definitely more acceptable and it shows by the thousands of sites available and the millions of dollars spent on these personal services. Online Publishers Association and COM Score Networks have positioned online dating as the leading segment of paid content on the Internet (Hamilton, 2007).

Around 2006 online dating services were plentiful, with such sites as Match.com, eHarmony,

Yahoo Personals (Hamilton, 2007). Currently advertising plays a bigger role in marketing the sites and people tend to believe in this media. There are commercials on TV and a load of advertising online. Accessibility is also a big contributor to its growth. I’m sure by now most homes in the US have a computer and internet access, just as shopping online has taken off so has using dating services. It’s all about the ease of use and its connivance (Geek, 2007).

Just like anything you buy online, buyer beware. There has been some news about the safety of using these types of sites. There have been instances that I can recall such as rape and kidnapping. At the same time I think this would also be a concern using traditional methods of dating. I would have to say try not to tell anyone any personal information like your address or place of employment. With all that said online dating is still very popular and gaining more favor for even the “normal” people.

References

Geek, Blonde (2007). Why is Online Dating so Popular? Retrieved August 23, 2009, from Associated Content Web site: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/464957/why_is_online_dating_so_popular.html?singlepage=true&cat=41

Hamilton, M. (2007, January 5). Why Online Dating is Becoming so Popular. Retrieved August 23, 2009, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Online-Dating-is-Becoming-so-Popular&id=405879

What is Pop Couture:
In the most basic form popular culture has been defined as everything from "common culture," to "folk culture," to "mass culture." While it has been all of these things at various points in history, in Post-War America, popular culture is undeniably associated with commercial culture and all its trappings: movies, television, radio, cyberspace, advertising, toys, nearly any commodity available for purchase, many forms of art, photography, games, and even group "experiences" like collective comet-watching or rave dancing on ecstasy. While humanities and social science departments before the 1950s would rarely have imagined including anything from the previous list in their curricula, it is now widely acknowledged that popular culture can and must be analyzed as an important part of US material, economic and political culture. "Pop culture" is also one of the US' most lucrative export commodities, making everything from Levi's jeans to Sylvester Stallone movies popular on the international market.
Reference: http://english.berkeley.edu/Postwar/pop.html

My take on Pop Culture:
When I think of Pop Culture I think of current music, TV, fashion and even crimes. With music its interesting to see the carry over from culture to culture. A good example is the increased popularity of Bollywood. I know if I went to a party or club in my early twenties and this music was played the DJ would have been booed and I even like this music. TV has had a big impact on pop culture since unfortunately people spend way too much time in front of it and it is what is helping raise our kids. (Even some commercials are inappropriate for children.) I think the biggest impact has been reality TV putting so called real people in real life situations on TV for display. Some how we all are drawn to it just like those magazines in he check out isle that we all know is fake. Moving on to fashion we are all subjected to this how could we not its pretty straight forward as fashion changes so does the clothes offered in the department stores. When I mentioned crimes I am really thinking about the new type of crimes not the more traditional robbery , murder and violence. With the increase in technology crime has taken a new path an electronic one. We have identity theft, computer hacking and even the ease of access victims via the Internet.



My Artifact of choice:
It is the all mighty reality TV. There are so many shows like this one that it has become a little overwhelming. But yet they are so popular. If memory serves me right I think one of the biggest movements into reality TV started with MTV and the show called Real World. I seen this first few seasons and I remember thinking to myself that I was unsure that it was real or were they all actors. (I am still on the fence with this one, LOL) Reality has evolved so much that I would guess that every network channel has some form of reality TV on it and is scheduled during prime time hours.
This is a small list of some shows you all might be familiar with:
The Amazing Race American Idol America's Got Talent America's Next Top Model The Apprentice The Bachelor The Bachelorette Big Brother The Biggest Loser Dancing with the Stars Extreme Makeover Great American Road Trip Hell's Kitchen The Hills I Survived A Japanese Game Show Jon & Kate Plus 8 More to Love Project Runway The Real Housewives The Real World So You Think You Can Dance Survivor Top Chef Wife Swap

So what do you all think about Reality TV and what is your favorite one I know you have one, LOL. My favorite is Hell's Kitchen