Thankyou!

Professor Hendron, Just wanted to say thanks for a great class. I really enjoyed the topics, I loved writing my own blog for the first time,he and most of all-it was really interesting to read and learn about all these different perspectives. I definately think this is one of the most interesting classes I have taken at JMU and it has been the subject of many of my conversations haha. And I know I made this clear before, but I especially loved learning about the flash mobs which I had never heard of before! In fact, I shared the idea of the flash mob with my mom. She loved it! And now, she has coordinated a flash mob for a convention that her company is hosting next week at the Gaylord Opreland Hotel in Nashville Tennessee. Pretty cool stuff. Anyways, thanks agin for the class-really enjoyed it!

Epilogue: "Unlearning"

Well a simple but classic example: If you had to send a message to someone far away, you use the postal service. Now you can send messages through email, facebook and aim chat. Probably one of the first things that my generation learned in seventh grade was that you could have conversations with the opposite sex (and remember, in seventh grade when boys and girls are shy to talk to eachother-this was a big deal) through instant messenger. I am willing to bet that 90% of my generation LOVED instant messenger becuase it gave you an easy, unintimidating way to talk to your crushes! This may seem like a childish example, but Im willing to bet that this realization to my generation was like the discovery of the cell-phone to the modern day businessperson! In addition to this, you can have "pen-pals" through the internet. Anytime you enter a chatroom-it's like having a pen pal! Someone you don't know, but you can talk to about yourself and/or about your common interests.

Chapter 11; Merchants

The rating systems that Amazon and EBay uses are real. They are real people giving real testimonies; it is not a thought-out commercial. The comments are "nuts-and-bolts" straight up feedback. Although this system, which in many ways reminds me of folksonomy, is probably not 100% representative of the true characteristics of a product, I think that for the most part, it works. For instance, my Dad bought a playstation off of EBAY from a seller who was rated by others as a legitimately reliable seller-unfortunately, even though my dad had that suppossed re-assurance....we had problems with the Playstation. However, what makes me look past his example? Well, the reason is because EBAY is a very recognized term. Pretty much anybody you run into on the street is going to know what you are talking about if you mention the word EBAY. Why? Because EBAY is well-known because alot of people use it because nine times out of ten, it works!!! The same philosophy holds true for Amazon.com. If people are posting comments and testimonies to this website, most of them are probably accurate or Amazon.com would not have the success that it has. I have personally had great success with Amazon; I used it to purchase my Shirky and my Abelson Books for a lower price than Barnes and Noble!

Chapter 11; Shirky; Wisdom of Crowds

I would caution them to double-check the source itself. Crowds can be very persuasive. People generally like to get along with one another and be included; sometimes though, you have to step back and use your own thought and judgement to make sure that whatever you are taking part in or whoever you are taking advice from is aligned with your philosophies. Take for instance the infamous "kool-aid" incident...those people just went along with whatever Jim Jones and everybody else there was doing without logically thinking through it. Now granted, that is an extreme example, but it does point out the danger of going along with everybody else and not thinking for yourself. However, one the other hand, when you are a part of a good crowd that is interested in benefitting eachother and somehow adding value to society, amazing things can be accomplished! Take for instance groups who form to raise money for cancer by participating in marathons. The overall objective of the group is adding value to society and doing good for people who are sick: it's a pretty safe bet that gathering information from a "Walk for Leukemia" website is going to be a healthy place to speak with others and gather information concerning this topic. However, even in groups that do good, it is always best to re-evaluate and think for yourself. Sometimes people get so caught up in something that it can impair their better judgement. We are given our reasoning skills and judgement so that we can not only help ourselves, but also help others.
When looking to a socialized website or resource, I would pay attention to the values, philosophies and objectives of the group in general and I would especially pay attention to thier overall repuatation. Reputations are often very telling.