Google Maps

View West Portal in a larger map

Google Maps is a very straightforward site to use. I decided to use the neighborhood of West Portal, mainly just West Portal Ave, for my Map. I plotted my favorite restaurants and shops along the street, and many of them were already set. I then selected pictures and links for the assignment. It was very simple and I feel that most people would be able to use Google Maps to set up their own maps.

I think it would be a great site to make myself a map of my favorite restaurants all over the city. That way when I do not know what type of food I am in the mood for, or where I want to go, I can easily browse the best around. Maybe I would even assign a different color tack to each different type of food. (Yellow for Chinese food, Red for Pizza, Green for health food.)

The map is different from the timeline because location is a big factor instead of time. Both Dipity and Google Maps have their design set up similarly. Users are able to click once for more information and creators are able to easily add pictures and links. I think I prefer Google Maps to Dipity because I did not come across as many faults with Google Maps as I did when I tried Dipity.

Google maps are very helpful in today’s world. People use it daily to find where they are going or where they have been. I do not have GPS so I often print maps and coordinating directions to help me get wherever I am going.

Dipity

DIPITY Timeline for FORD MUSTANG

Ford Mustang on Dipity.

For my Dipity timeline I chose to use Ford Mustang history and events. Doing the entire timeline of Ford’s past would be near impossible so I used events and dates that I find interesting, and added my personal opinion to the topic.

I like that when using Dipity’s Timeline format, users are able to scale years so that there are not HUGE gaps between events depending on how far apart they occur.

Since Dipity is relatively new it still has some flaws, which can be very frustrating. One thing I noticed is that when I entered the date, it would sometimes change it, or add a time of day. It was annoying because I had to reset the time over and over until it stuck. Another defect was apparent when using links. Dipity darkens the background space and brightens the pop-up link page, which would be nice except there is no way to exit this mode without refreshing the entire page. The other problem with this feature is that the linked page opens in a small area of the main page and users are unable to scroll or enlarge it. For one of my links, the only part shown is the top of the page and the pictures are unavailable.

Also, in timeline view, sometimes my events disappear. When scrolling through the years, select events are not there. Even when I select the year and try to find where it is, it is unresponsive. This being said, please grade my Dipity timeline while viewing the List format.

Without these defects, Dipity has potential to be a great online tool. I think that the most valuable application of it will be for news related topics. I have noticed that there are timelines for political events, natural hazards, and economic measures. It is useful to keep track of articles, statements and viewpoints based on the point in time they were brought up. I have found it to be educational to visually and simply keep track of events in the news.

Part 1- Social Media

My first experience of social media was with MySpace. A friend introduced me to MySpace, and signing up for it was the only reason I made my first email address. MySpace was fun for a fourteen-year-old girl. I thought I was hot stuff with my pimped out layouts and angled pictures. I became addicted to MySpace for about a year. Luckily, I recovered when I realized how juvenile it was and how silly it made me. I rarely go near MySpace now unless a notification email slips by my spam folder, but even then it’s just to deny an annoying band or creepy friend request. I just don’t have the heart to delete my page. After my rendezvous with MySpace, I was hesitant to join Facebook. Joining Facebook is almost inevitable for most college age kids, so of course I have. I am very careful not to become obsessed with it, so I visit the site about once a week.

For social media other than Facebook, I use email to communicate socially. I have two emails, one for school and business, one for family and friends. I use both emails daily, and I usually check them at least 5 times per day.

Design Analysis of Yelp

Title: Design Analysis of Yelp

Yelp is a site for consumers that allows users to rate, write, and read about specific goods and services such as, restaurants, shops, hotels, salons, products and parks.

Setting up my Yelp Account:

To sign up for Yelp I simply had to enter my Name, Email, Zipcode and create a password. It was extremely easy and I now have a yelp account where I can enter more information (optional), about my hobbies, my nickname, what I do for a living and other random and quirky facts. As soon as I sign up I can begin rating services. My first choice is to rate Betty’s Burger in Santa Cruz, home of the best veggie burger I have ever tasted. It is a very explanatory experience as the site shows me how to choose a star rating, a price rating, and add additional pictures.

The purpose of this site is to let participants share their thoughts on the places they go and the food they eat. It is user friendly because it is entirely based on the users. The goal of the average user is either to promote a good service or to complain about a terrible service, or sometimes to simply offer advice about a particular place.

To be socially successful within Yelp, users must receive “compliments” and can become “elite” members. Elite members are the gods of Yelp. To gain compliments or become Elite,other Yelp members have to find your posts “funny”, “useful”, or “cool” and rate them as such. Becoming an Elite member takes time and dedication, but once Elite you receive a badge and power!

Yelp reviews can be skewed by user bias, and most often is. Its hard to know what to trust and what not to. I have found that some restaurants and stores that fellow Yelpers love, I hate!

Part 4 - Future of Social Media

I know this is not the most popular view among people my age, but I hope that social media frenzy declines. HOWEVER, I doubt that to be the fate of the multi-media, multi-million user scheme that is social media. It seems to me that social media sites are going to expand until one takes over the others. Already social media is being intertwined, so it makes sense that in the future we will be able to tweet, poke, and post with the same App.

I believe that before the next big thing arrives we will have bad copycats. Perhaps more than expected because people are bound to get stuck in a rut. After the loads of generic crud, there will be the next step. The next step will take it too far and cause trouble, so copy cats will have to spew until a middle arrives to balance it out. This will repeat.

I am concerned for the safety of users of new social media. Not only for the psychological effects of competing with one another to have the most outrageous life (www.fml.com), but for the lack of privacy and the results. There are apps that let users see where, physically, other users are. This is dangerous for apparent reasons. People friend others that they do not actually know, the other person is creepy/psycho, they stalk them via the new app, and someone gets hurt. I don’t think that society is responsible enough for the new technology. History repeats and the young girl who meets up at the mall with her unknown chat friend “bluedolphin534~” becomes the young girl stalked by the not so friendly twitter follower.

Part 2 – Virtual Identity/ Avatar

ToonTown

Lady DizzyBumper

Lady DizzyBumper, Lady Diz for short, is a turquoise Pig. Lady Diz is a very affable piggy and is always looking to make friends. She will always accept any friend request during her journeys in ToonTown. She is a happy-go-lucky type of gal and is always in a good mood. This is because she doesn’t have a reason to be in a bad mood and because she wouldn’t know how to be upset. When Lady Diz was just a wee piglet she was bumped on the head and has been slow ever since. She lost some mental ability in the incident and now becomes dizzy at times and bumps into other Toons, which is quite fitting for Lady DizzyBumper. Lady Diz is a very generous and caring Toon. When ever she passes a Toon on the street that is single handedly fighting a Cog, she will stand by and see if they need help. She does what ever she can to help other toons even when they cant understand her, since her speech is somewhat effected by the bump on her head, so she blurts out random things.

Part 3 – Social Event

Lady DizzyBumper went to Lily’s Party. The party was very busy and had 4 different games; Cannons, Trampolines, Fruit Catch, and Tug of War and Fireworks! I made a friend named “Skinny Lollipop FunnyDoodle.” We had this conversation:

Her: “Hi”

Me: “Howdy!”

Her: “How are you doing?”

Me: “This party rules!”

Her: “Watch me jump”

Me: “Trampolines are fun”

I watched her jump and then we watched the fireworks.

It was like a child’s party and we conversed like kids, which makes sense since it’s a cartoon game.

PART 4 - Research Design Questions

1. Three components using text based information:

A) Toon Tasks are interacted with by talking to HQ Toons who “talk” with text bubbles. It is nearly impossible to understand the intended task without reading the text.

B) Speed Chat is what avatars use to communicate “verbally” with other Toons. Players must use pre-written text to use this form of communication. You can choose from pre-worded sayings to mean “sorry”, “hello,” or to ask for help. It is designed to help players understand each other without the possibility of grammatical errors or crude language.

C) Tips are text shown during transitions or while the next screen is loading. It is entirely text and its purpose is to make waiting time more interesting.

2.Three components using Non-text based information:

A) Maps are mostly non-text based and instead rely on pictures. The only interaction possible by a non-subscribed member is to look at the map to see where you are and where you have been by observing where clouds have covered parts of the map.

B) Buying Gags is another task that does not require text. Players can simply look at the pictures and click on the gags that they want.

C) Fighting Cogs is mostly non-textual as it involves pictures and colors to represent progress.

3. Three examples of color, shape, ect…

A) The Cog has a circle that changes colors from green to red as you defeat him.

B) Cogs and Cog buildings are gray while all Toon objects are very colorful. In the world color represents Good while grey shades represent Evil.

C) Color and Shape are the first things in the game. When you create your avatar you choose what size to make your Toon as well as, the color of its skin, clothing and speech bubble.

4) Tasks are communicated as previously said, by HQ Toons by reading speech bubbles. Players can also view their tasks by looking at their task charts in the menu book. How you receive the tasks remain the same but the difficulty of the tasks increase. Each task completed is rewarded with some sort of level up in the game.

5) It is hard to feel immersed in ToonTown because the graphics are not at all life like. The most immersive aspect would have to be traveling by foot, running through the streets is time consuming and slow and therefore hypnotic. Trolley Games are least immersive because they are simply 2D games.

6) As a non-$ubscribed Toon, my communication is limited. I have to use pre-worded phrases, which take time to locate, and can be difficult when socializing. To socialize with other Toons, players can ask them to be their friends and then use the phrases to Speed Chat with them. I start out with a greeting and then ask them what their tasks are and try to have a conversation or see if they want to fight cogs with me. Other players are not always receptive.

7) The economy is made up of Jelly Beans. Jelly Beans are needed to buy gags to fight cogs, and to fish. Jelly Beans are also needed to buy things for your Toon house and clothing for your Toon. I use Jelly Beans to fish, I then trade the fish I catch for more Jelly Beans, and I use those Jelly Beans to buy gags.

8) Fishing is my favorite in world activity. I enjoy fish bingo, which can be played with other Toons. It is my favorite because it is very simple and the fish are cute.

9) In-world objects have limited instructions in my opinion. For instance, I did not know I could jump until I got stuck in a fountain and ended up pushing keys until something happened. I feel like to get a proper sense of the virtual world ToonTown forums and cheat sheets are needed and even though I had looked over forums I didn’t know how to jump. (it was probably simple to all but me)

10) Without subscribing to ToonTown and paying a fee, players are not really given a feeling of agency. Players can point and click, play games in a point-by-point manner and run a certain way but overall players are not able to really interact with anything.

This is my MacBook Pro taking a picture of itself in the mirror.

I wake up to the beep of my cell phone alarm, I fall asleep to the amplified MP3s on my iPod Touch. My days are filled by digital accomplices to keep things running smoothly. On a daily basis I use my MacBook laptop computer, a Razor cell phone, iPod, Nintendo Wii and Television. Each of these things provide a different service, I can call and text on my cell. I play games, listen to music and keep notes on my iPod. I surf the web, do homework, email and use Photoshop on my laptop. Without these technologies my life would be different. Contrary to my mother’s belief I would still be able to function, however I may sleep too late, be bored on the bus and miss homework assignments.

Because my life is integrated with so much technology I consider myself to be digital, my Nonna (grandmother), on the other hand, is analog. Her house has a lack of “damn gadgets” ,as she calls them and therefore carries out her days differently than I. For instance, while I look up recipes online, she looks through her trusted cookbooks. When I wonder what time it is I pull out my phone, she glances at her wrist watch. The difference is not a problem unless my Nonna wants to check her email, which she cannot do without help, or if she wants to know what a “tweet” or “myface” or “Spacebook” is. Things that I use everyday without issue she has trouble understanding and that is because she is not digital.