Vector Art Model

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I responded to the posts of kolby, robert, and becky.

Posting 2.0: Facebook Cookie-Cutters

Question: As we join groups and social networks from affinity sites to Facebook, are we extending and expanding identities, or increasingly conforming to the cookie-cutter profiles demanded of these interfaces? Is the loss of "personal space" and "reflection" so many users complain of merely the necessary surrender of "ego" as we learn to participate as members of a more evolved "collective organism" of "hyper-people?

Response: Before the days of Facebook, “friends” were the people you hung out with on a Saturday night, “profiles” were not available on request, and a “wall” was only coated with paint. Although, one can still find “pictures” on both a Facebook wall as well as a wall in their living room wall, Facebook has changed our perspective of the people we know and the world we live in. People argue whether we are expanding our identities or conforming to cookie-cutter profiles in this new online community; I believe that we are limiting our identities and personalities behind the comfort of our computer monitors.

Society tells us how to think, act, and look – it provides everyone with the social norm. However, with the popularity of the internet, the social norm is not restricted to our physical being, but our virtual being, too. We can analyze Facebook piece by piece by starting with profile pictures. Profile picture selection is an important deal for a lot of people. Facebook users can spend days debating what picture they want to post in order to show the personality they want to label themselves with. Many people would state that a profile picture would expand ones individual personality because the user has full control and judgment of what they choose to post. Yet, many Facebook users will not post a pure personality picture because they want to maintain a professional image for perspective jobs, co-workers, and bosses. Instead of them laughing in Saturday Night wear having a good time, a college guy may post a picture of him making a speech over a podium or marching in his graduation uniform. People want to maintain their virtual professionalism and this is becoming a cookie-cutting factor that people are following. There is a legitimate paranoia of people losing their job opportunities because of how their present themselves online. There is a restriction as to how much personality can be advertised in a profile picture.

Another example of how people cookie-cut themselves online is through netiquette. On Facebook, it is not seen as the social norm to openly express your opinion of politics or defend your thoughts either. Political, sport, and personal arguments are seen a rude gesture to the rest of the Facebook community. People usually tend to restrain themselves from arguing against a friend’s status in which they may personally disagree with. There is a fear that messages may come across differently then intended and enemies can be made through miscommunication. In the real world, one can have a friendly argument with their friends, without the rest of the internet witnessing the pros and cons or back story of the subject. In other words, our personality is less restricted in physical conversation. Our personalities would not come out as effectively if we held arguments over Facebook walls.

We are all part of a “collective organism” when it comes to Facebook personality because we all tend to follow the online social-norm and the unwritten rules of the social network. Our freedom of speech, physical behavior, and overall personality messages are a lot more effective when displayed face-to-face. The internet hinders who we really are.

Questions

1) Today many TV shows and advertisements try to look amateurish or "homegrown" to emulate what is often seen on the Web. Do you think professional production values will continue to drop, or do you think amateur user-generated content will get better over time? WHY??
I feel that professional production value will continue to grow. If we look at film, it is first and foremost still seen as an art form. Many people in the industry will continue to make professional quality films even though their competition looks amateur. Technology is always evolving and upgrading itself, too. New film techniques are constantly being discovered and thus encouraging better quality films. Professional films, as well as user-generated films will continue to improve in quality and function. An example of a popular amateur user-generated film would be the jackass series. Though they have a camera crew, the staff acts unprofessional and immature. The movie resembles as well made youtube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGTrTyscmvI

2) What social media sites do you find yourself using the most, and why? In your opinion why is Facebook so much more successful than MySpace, and do you think Facebook is "here to stay" for the long term.

When I was younger I started my social blogging through xanga.com. It was just one of many blogs and social networks that have thus been ignored due to the popularity of Facebook. Facebook is more successful for multiple reasons. First of all, it is clean cut; all pages are uniformed and organized, thus giving the media site an image of professionalism. When I visit Myspace, the site has a whole looks virus worthy and sketchy. Facebook also allows who can see your profile. The site gives the user control over privacy aspects, a successful move in blogging. One of the reasons people did not join Myspace was because strangers could view their profiles. With Facebook, all of those people are put at ease and have no qualms about joining. Thus, there is a significant boost in membership over other sites. I think Facebook is here to stay long term. In the next ten years, I foresee old classmates sharing pictures of their families and chatting. Reconnecting with people will be much easier than it is now.

3) Why is transparency such an important concept in the Social Media world? Is it MORE or LESS important in the offline world? Why?
Transparency is an important concept in the Social Media world because amateur text can offer unintended emotion. Many times in Social Media sites, like Facebook, friends can write on each other’s wall and comment on pictures. For example, a “like” on a Facebook photo can mean various things. It can mean, “You look hot”, “Cool location”, or “I am friends with everyone in this picture”, however, it can also be used as sarcasm. An example would be if an ex-girlfriend liked a picture with your new girlfriend. Different messages come across.
Trust is also a large issue in the Social Media world. Let’s look at movie blogs. If a person is deciding what movie they want to see, they may consult a movie blog. By doing this, they are trusting a person they have never met before, maybe even never heard of, and taking their advice on whether they would personally enjoy the film. This involves transparency because people do not realize that these critics have no idea of their personal taste in movies, yet they base their afternoon on what these strangers have to say.
Transparency is just as important in the offline world because people like to hear the truth or opinions through speech rather than text. At least, that is how I feel. People feel more comfortable when transparency is more evident, and words are directed towards them. Physical expression and tone of voice can interpret better meaning in a situation.