Video from the Nap Mob

This is very short -- then again, it's not like this was an action packed event! Thanks to Caitlin Smith, videographer, and Dr. Elaine Reed, who loaned us her camera.  Thank you both!

More on social networking getting folks into trouble

Publicists now find themselves having to approve their clients' tweets!

Are our cellphones making us rude?

Some folks in this  David Carr article certainly think so.

Love on MMPORGS -- for SPE 245

From Sunday's New York Times  -- just what we talked about this past week...Oh, and it reports the latest figures on who plays video games.  Women 40 and up now OUTNUMBER young men.  Interesting!

Comcast to take over sportscasts in NBC locals

One example of synergy from the Comcast-NBC-Universal merger from the Philadelphia Inquirer. At this point the company says the move will not result in any layoffs.

Interesting use of computers for content analysis

So many games, so little time -- and too few humans to do the rating. Computers will do the analyses.  This from the New York Times  April 18th.

Flash Mob 2011

We did it! About 50 of us took five minutes to blend our online and f2f lives into a bit of performance art on Thursday, April 21st.   It was, as far as we know, Kutztown's very first nap-mob.

Fixing a bad "web reputation"

It's expensive, but there are companies that will help you if your image has taken a hit on the web.  This from Riva Richmond of the New York Times.

Distracted Driving

The scariest finding noted in this article that even people who've been in an accident would REPEAT the hazardous behavior!  From The New York Times  April 12th.

Blog Post #10 for SPE-245 Due Wednesday, April 20th

Be sure to read your text re. copyright. On Monday I will lecture on Copyright and the internet. Feel free to visit Lessig's Creative Commons site.  Then write your post on what shape YOU think copyright law should take in the 21st Century.

SPE-212 Blog Post Assignment #10

Please read & watch some news from Al Jazeera English and discuss whether in YOUR opinion it has any discernable bias, compared to American Commercial networks and the BBC:

http://english.aljazeera.net/

Reputation and the Web

The Times recently put the spotlight on companies that help people clean up an internet reputation problem. It's expensive.  Some of those paying for these reputation "fixes" were harmed by anonymous reviews or legal troubles long in the past.

Cable & Sports Contracts

Some of my students are interested in how cable companies can lock exclusive deals with sports franchises -- here's an article on how some customers are fed up Inquirer 4/10

Cyberbullying

This woman lost her daughte to cyberbullying and now tours the country to warn of its dangers: 
Philadelphia Inquirer

SPE-245 Blog Assignment for April 13th

As discussed in class: We need to plan our flash mob.  Please use your post to propose an appropriate activity for our class -- this means -- inexpensive, nothing messy, and nothing that will get your professor fired.  Please also consider Wasik's article and the nature of flash mob performance.

SPE-212 Blog Assignment for Wednesday April 13

Please read the following letter to the editor from the New York Times and respond, based on what we've covered in class (and in the textbook) regarding America's strong tradition of freedom of speech under the First Amendment.

Afghan Violence Over the Koran Burning in Florida

Published: April 4, 2011
To the Editor:


Re “Afghans Avenge Koran Burning; Protest Kills 12” (front page, April 2):


If I had the honor of speaking on behalf of our servicemen and women serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as for our Foreign Service officers throughout the world, I would say one thing to Terry Jones, the Florida pastor whose church burned the Koran: “You are not helping.”
Despite the warnings he was given, it is clear now that Mr. Jones has directly placed our service members in harm’s way.
It is bad enough that our soldiers take fire every day from insurgents and must brave the murderous improvised explosive devices of terrorists. Why must they now also contend with the consequences of the shortsighted, insolent and childish behavior of people sitting comfortably and safely back home?
In fact, those who encourage the burning of Korans or any similar type of action should enlist in the armed services and take a post overseas. They should put on a uniform and put their yellow-ribbon bumper stickers where their mouths are.


JOSHUA S. EISENBERG


New York, April 2, 2011