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.