VIDEO #3---AND BLOG POST REFLECTION ON CLASS SO FAR

My own self-critique of video:

• --Messy background
• --Too long
• --Abrupt ending

I keep doing these same things over and over! I promise my next video will be PERFECT! :)

WEB 2.0 & SOCIAL NETWORKING CLASS SO FAR

I love that the class is two-pronged: Web 2.0/New Tech/New Media and Social Media/Social Networking. If I had to rate myself before this class I would have rated myself thus:

• Understanding 90%
• Use 80%

How would I rate myself after the beginning of this class?

• Understanding 90%
• Use 75%

Why no demotion in understanding, but definitely in use? I have always kept up reading about and studying "digital ethnography." I get it. I also lived with an early adopter, uber geek-nun for the past 8 years who also studied the culture, but she was also very techie and got me doing things online I didn't think I could, should, or wanted to do.

However, as we've developed new skills and investigated the inner workings of new technologies/sites, I realize that I need to do more with the technical side of things. In the past, when I could learn/master a technology right away, I'd just write it down on my wish list (yes, I have a list of new technologies I need to learn!) and settle back into the things I already know well. For me, it's not so much a matter of lack of desire now, but lack of time.

NO EXCUSES & AN ACTION ITEM

As I remind people today in my Media Literacy workshops, we have no excuse not to keep up with news because it is everywhere and free, and we have access to the good, accurate sources wherever we go now (mobile devices). I must read this same riot act to myself! I no longer have to be a programmer because everything is very user-friendly if I just take the time to master some simple tools. 

So, seriously? I'm dusting off that wish list so that I can become what my "future self" Wordle looked like! I loved how it was focused and clean, not all cluttered like my "now self" is, doing a million different things. First on my "technological know-how needed" wish list is video-editing on my Mac. Even just simple videos. I sincerely don't have time in 2015, but 2016 is not far away.... 

We live in a visual society that communicates through--in a sense more human, not so distant and removed--voice, audio, images, videos of ourselves. So what could be more important in my media choices and priorities? Especially in a visual/media culture where young people are proficient at these media.

MY SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS

(IN DESCENDING ORDER OF USE)

I had meticulously linked all of these to my actual accounts, but where I am traveling right now, the internet went down right in the middle of writing this post (even though I'm a scrupulous saver) and I lost them all. So I'm just re-listing without links.

So, how do you know which services you really use the most? When you are in the bathroom for "a while," which apps do you have to check?

Twitter -- www.Twitter.com/SrHelenaBurns You can find me here ALL the time
Email -- I love my vintage AOL. It still does things other services can't. My whole life is saved and organized on AOL. helraphaelfsp@aol.com
Facebook -- www.facebook.com/helena.burns.921 I got on Facebook as soon as it wasn't limited to .edu accounts. I have never used it well, though. And I have to get over my dislike of it.
Quizcross -- I know it's a trivia game, but my brother loves it and we keep in touch by the chat function!
Blogger -- I post movie reviews and interesting videos. I used to write more, but it's going all visual....
Viber -- Although this is calls/texting/video and image sharing, it's FREE and international and the phone technology is crystal clear. It also has a desktop version. I use this to collborate on projects with those near and far.
Instagram -- I find that taking just one quality picture a week gets a good response.
Vine -- I don't post that much, but I'm addicted to watching, and marvel at the brilliant storytelling and pranks in 6 seconds. I also like to observe how business/commercial accounts pour tons of money and energy into things like nanosecond stop-action Vines to promote a product.
YouTube/Vimeo -- I'm constantly looking things up here, and uploading my own vids that I need to embed elsewhere. No consistency/cohesiveness in my YouTube channel.
Soundcloud -- I've begun uploading my one-minute movie reviews and occasional radio interviews.
iTunes podcasts - I've piggybacked on a priest-friend's account (who's widely listened to) and put my talks there
Reddit -- I only joined for class and was very disappointed to find out how quirky they are. They only want old news! It has to be 2 months old. Also, very fussy rules and headlines protocol.

The following 3 accounts I hardly ever go to (and just use to "dump" things I'm promoting: bad new media etiquette!)
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Google+ (It says I have 13,000,000+ views, but that is just ridiculous. Must be some kind of glitch.)