Digital versus Paperback

Avid readers can agree that one of their favorite parts of reading a new book is physically having the book to page through and even the smell of the pages is enticing. With E-readers, people lose that physical connections with their books. But is that aspect important enough to discard the idea of investing in an E-reader? My experience with my Kindle Fire has proven that having an E-reader has made me enjoy reading even more. Often times I research new book series and I love that I can obtain any book I wanted within seconds. Having a virtual library to thumb through helps me collect more novels for my personal library. I may not be able to smell the physical pages of a book but having thousands of books in one device is far better than having to wait to go to the store. It’s hard for people to change their mindsets. Most people do not want to transition to E-readers but they would be surprised at the advantages they would gain if they did.

Facebook

Facebook has become an addiction for most. It is our source of news and our portal for anything a person could possibly like. Most importantly, Facebook has become a way to waste time; however, if used to its full potential, Facebook can be a resourceful tool. Facebook has become a portal for advertisement. Businesses can make a fan page. People can then like that page which shows up on their friend’s news feed which promotes that business even more. Supporting businesses tends to be something done purposely by users; however, people inadvertently advertise for movies and tv shows daily. When liking a fan page or making a status about a show you just watched, a person is creates a buzz about that show which makes advertisement for that show. Most of my friends utilize Facebook for posting statuses about television. With the transition of new media becoming the primary source of advertisement, Facebook is a resourceful tool to use, if used correctly.

New New Media

Paul Levinson’s book, New New Media is a culture shock because of its depiction of new media portals. Levinson introduces us to the concept of the consumers becoming the producer. It’s a concept that I had never considered until I read the very first chapter of his novel. With the unlimited internet access that everyone has admission to, anyone is able to become a producer. Internet users spread advertisements without even realizing it. Say you watched the finale of your favorite television show and you wanted to share what you just witnessed with everyone. You would just hop onto Facebook and make a status about it. Then you have people commenting on your status therefore advertising that show. People absentmindedly use social media as a form of advertisement on a daily basis. These portals have plat formed businesses as well as crumbled others. For example, most people hear about the news from Facebook, Imgur, or blog posts instead of tuning into the local news station or reading it online. The New Yorker is an example of a business that lost readers because most people can read the same news stories from other social media. Does that mean internet users have too much power in their hands? Not exactly. It just means that we are advancing and business need to learn how to work with the consumers. Internet popularity has spiked over the last ten years and is only going to become more progressive. With the transition towards New New Media, businesses can thrive.

Harry Potter-Tale of the Three Brothers Depiction

I am a Harry Potter nut. I love the books and the movie but one of my favorite parts from the seventh movie was the telling of The Tale of the Three Brothers. I enjoyed how the movie transitioned from live action to a cartoon depiction of the story. It would be interesting to take a piece of literature and create a story using drawings and pictures. The retelling of the story using technology interested me.

Thoughts

1. Software that I use and are familiar with.
I am familiar and thus far like using Photostory and Windows Movie Maker.

2. Media that I engage with.
I am obsessed with my Kindle Fire. I love being able to obtain any book within seconds and having hundreds of books with me on one device. After reading with the Kindle I have come to the conclusion that I have become a faster reader.

3. Ultimately cool convergences of english for new media
I like making Word Clouds from different texts to see what words are incorporated the most.
I love the telling of the story "The Tale of three brothers" from the book, "The Tales of Beadle the Bard" depicted in the Harry Potter movie. The movie transitions from real life into animation.

4. Engaged in websites that I like that no longer exist
When the third Harry Potter movie cam out, there was a website that I would go onto regularly to play games and take quizzes. Once the fourth movie came out the cite no longer existed.

About me

My name is Katie Barbetta and I am an English for New Media Major at Dakota State University. My favorite aspect of being an English major is reading. I read fantasy novels and romance and usually stick with young adult authors. I aspire to use the skills I learn in my major towards a job that requires utilizing social portals for advertising.