Books Are an Obsolete Medium

With all the technology of today, books are becoming, if they are not all already, old-fashioned.

Kindle and Nook are the newest inventions that erase the need for print books.  They can hold 1,500 digital books with their internal memory alone.  There is also a slot in which you can add a memory card to get even more books.  The bookshelf in my house can not even hold that many books.  Kindles and Nooks give people the option to hold numerous amounts of books without the clutter and need for space.

Books used to be the main go to item for research, but today, the Internet is taking over.  Students who need to do research like to find sources online because it is more convenient, it is easier to find information inside the source with search buttons, and most are just too lazy to go to a library or actually read a book.  Google even offers full texts of certain books, making it unnecessary to pick up a print book.  Books without partial text are still being used by students who want to pretend they have an actual source for papers; they use whatever information is available to them.  The students of today are cheating themselves from actual learning by trying to take the easy way out.  Books used to forced students to read through multiple pages in order to get the information desired. This gave them more knowledge and ability to do proper research, but sadly enough, books are becoming less important.

Personally, I love holding books and turning the pages.  I have tried the new e-book inventions and they are just not the same.  I feel like I need a break from technology sometimes and print books give me this escape.  The library near my house has even thrown out many of their books, replacing them with DVDs and CDs.  It will be a sad day when libraries turn completely to technology and delete books from our lives.

Video: Fox Business: Are Books Becoming Obsolete?

Conglomerates Affect Print Publishing

Conglomerates are greatly affecting print publishing in both positive and negative ways.  In negative ways, they are not providing a diversity of opinions.  If one or two media conglomerates are in control over a single market, only their opinions, which may be one-sided, are going to reach audiences.  Another problem it can create is if they do not provide the proper information because they do not approve of it, they think it is too damaging for the public to hear, or if they just do not feel that the audiences need to know.  Sometimes, a reporter’s story can be so altered and edited that the story is not the same anymore.  People who read this report will believe it either way because they trust print media.  The right of free speech is slowly being lost within the conglomerates. 

A positive of this issue would be those conglomerates that do not hide both sides to a story, does not edit a report to make it different, and does not with hold any information.  People need to hear all sides of a story in order to create their own opinions and feel connected to the debate.  All information must be given in order for people to understand the situation.  If information is withheld, depending on the situation, the results can be tragic.  Editing is even more harmful.  Editing a story in print media to change the meaning causes that person to be a liar.  This gives people false information that can manifest into riots or violence.  Conglomerates that are not changing their content to appease people are saving the world from ignorance and should be allowed to take over the media.

Copyright Issues for Print Media

Copyright issues are a big problem in the recent years.  People like to take the easy way out, not do their own work, and take credit for someone else’s hard work.  In print media, there is the issue of people photocopying information, pictures, or fonts. 

Individual authors have the right to keep their name on their property and should not have to deal with someone stealing it. 

In schools, students and teachers have photocopied material that has been copyrighted by publishers.  University course packets now have a fee so that the true author of the packets can get reimbursed for providing these students and teachers with educational material.

Main Trends in Book Publishing

Magazine distributors have the ability to choose what gets put onto the newsstand.  Wal-Mart, bypassing the distributor, is very selective in what it takes.  It has become a major power in magazine retailing.  It also does not take sexually provocative material, which I believe to be a good trend it is following.

Major mass-market books continue to become more expensive to produce due to increased costs of marketing and other costs.  This results in publishers feeling that they have to sell more copies of fewer books.  This is a very bad trend.  There is only going to be a limited numbers of subject materials out there if they do not publish more books.  Our society is going to lose the ability to have an opinion if we can not learn through the use of various types of books.

Make Yourself Safe Online

There are three basic protections you can use: virus scanner, spam filter, and spyware eraser.  Most colleges, including Concordia College, offer these protections for free.  The one we have here is called Cisco Clean Access.

You need to make sure to do certain procedures in order to be better protected.  For one, beware of downloading protections from unknown sources.  Never open e-mail attachments from unknown correspondents, click on web links sent to you in e-mail, or respond to requests to verify the receipt of e-mail.  Always read user and privacy agreements to check for spyware before you download software.

Having a Facebook, I need to be careful what information I put online, what pictures I post for everyone to see, and I should not stayed logged to my account.  I do not put where I am from, how old I am, where I have worked, my cell phone number, or my address.  I also should not stayed logged in to my e-mail and definitely not my bank account.

In the past, I have gotten my screen name stolen.  Someone found out my password and would not give my screen name back.  I was forced to create a new account and learned to have a longer, harder to guess password and to never stay logged in.  You never know who can be trying to steal your personal information.

Having a MacBook Pro, I do not have to worry too much about viruses or hackers because they are already so well protected.  Just for a secondary precaution, I installed Norton onto my laptop to scan everything to check for viruses before the items are allowed to be on my computer.

Who Runs the Internet?

Three groups run the Internet: International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, Internet Society, and Internet Engineering Task Force.

The International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) decides who gets the rights to domain names and charges an annual fee to the domain owners for the privilege.  They authorize 100s of registries around the globe for when you do not need to deal directly to ICANN.

The Internet Society (ISOC) is a nongovernmental international membership society that promotes the orderly use and development of the Internet.  Internet Architecture Board (IAB) is a committee within ISOC that makes important policy decisions about operations and future developments.

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) oversees technical matters.

Content Providers vs Internet Service Providers

Content Providers supply information such as news, entertainment, and graphic design.  Facebook, an example of content, has users who provide most of the content and interact with each other.  Content can range from National Weather Service to lunch menus at a school.  These create raw information that others shape into information services.

Internet Service Providers connect users to the Internet and provide e-mail accounts.  An example is EarthLink.  EarthLink provides access but little content and portal pages welcome users with hourly news.  Internet Service Providers lease high-speed connections from telecommunication carriers and local phone companies.  Over 300 Internet Service Providers in the United States with national coverage.

Hardware vs Software

For hardware, Dell and Hewlett-Packard are the leaders.  Apple and IBM, the minor players, are the ones who started the personal computer trend.  Lenovo, a Chinese company, bought IBM’s personal computer operation.  Cisco Systems is the leading maker of network gear for the Internet.  I believe that someday very soon, Apple is going to become the leader of hardware, passing Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

 

For software, Microsoft dominates personal computer operating system software, including word processing and web browsers.  Software is becoming an important component of electronic commerce by being bought and downloaded over the Internet.  Most software is becoming freeware or shareware.

Good Web Page Design

Web page designers have the job of making people stay longer and return in the future to their websites.  They use eye-catching colors, attractive layouts, and framing with the logo.  Many users get hooked on a website by playing games, social networking, or emailing.  Designers use this type of interaction to attract audiences.  Personalization of content is important to certain sites.  For example, Amazon offers “products that you may like” based on what you have bought or searched in the past. 

Webby awards state that lots of empty dark spaces (any color) with small print, intriguing flash animations, and large graphic design spaces are the most effective.  Sony and Nike Women have gotten high marks for this.  I agree with the Webby awards.  That type of format is cleaner are more professional than one with huge words, no space, and plain looking.

Types of Content on the Web

Electronic Publishing includes magazines, newspapers, and books that are now available online.  Today, there are online magazines with full content.   This helpful for college students who do not receive magazines because are able to read the articles without needing to obtain the physical version.  Some examples of electronic publishing include weather.com, and corporate sites.

 

Entertainment is the downloading of music, movies, and television.  It mostly occurs due to file sharing like Napster and BitTorrent.  YouTube, another example, has more viewers than prime-time television.

Online Games on the Internet can be described as intense inactivity.  A large numbers of users play together online.  World of Worldcraft, a game of sorcery and magic, has about 9 million players, including my own brother.  There are also social interactive games, such as The Sims.

Portals are web pages that users launch when they first log into the web.  These may include Yahoo!, AOL, and MSN.  Conventional portals are in competition with social networking sites.

Search Engines find information that best matches the words typed into the search window.  The giant of this content is Google.

Communities are social media where users share content with each other.  Facebook and MySpace include profiles, news, and entertainment.  Another example, Wikipedia, is a site that is edited by its users.

 

Blogs are personal web pages, online directories, personal diaries, or newspaper editorial pages.  An example is what you are looking at right now!

Electronic Commerce is shopping online.  Amazon offers vast amount of products like a mall.  You can also buy services, such as Expedia, a travel agency.

Target market

A target market profile is a description of an individual who is most likely going to buy a specific product.  Sellers take into account the person’s age, ethnicity, sex, and income (also known as demographics).  They also look at the consumer’s interests, opinions, and attitudes (or psychographics).  Companies make sure to research the demographics and psychographics of people to find who their potential buyers are and where they come from.

Demographically, I am in many target markets by being a woman, 21 years old, Caucasian, and a college student.  By being a 21 year old, I am targeted by beer companies.  Seeing all the posters or bright signs either at bus stops or in bar windows grabs my interest.  If I see a sign for Blue Moon, I get very tempted to stop whatever I am doing and go buy one.  As a college student, I am targeted by graduate schools, grocery stores, and bookstores.  Graduate schools send out commercials on television and radio stations.  They specifically put them on the stations most viewed/listened to by college students like me.  Bookstores have advertisements on television, internet, and radio stations.  College students are always looking for ways to obtain their required books for as cheap as possible.  By being a woman, there are all types of products that target me.  This may include certain medications, clothing, and beauty products.  These items are advertised effectively to me through television commercials and magazines.

Looking art my psychographics, I am in a vast amount of diverse target markets.  Things of interest that are targeted towards me are Nintendo games, movies, NY Yankee items, and Harry Potter.  Television commercials, radio station ads, or even sponsors on Facebook get me to buy the products that I have an interest, good opinion, or positive attitude towards.  I am more likely to notice something due to my general desires rather than my needs.  On the other hand, I would more likely buy items of necessity more quickly than those of desire.  Either way, the products I have mentioned above all have done an effective job in marketing to my needs and specific interests.

Advertising – Good for Society

No matter how annoying advertisements get, we cannot look past all the benefits we receive from them.  Without advertising, there is no possible way to know about all the helpful and desirable products that are out there.  We would only be able to find out through our acquaintances, which doesn’t give us a big diversity.  We would miss out on a lot of products needed in our lives.  

Advertising provides us with choices.  We are able to see various commercials or posters about medicines, colleges, jobs, food, vacation spots, entertainment (movies, games, etc.), beverages, insurance, transportation; among many others.  Many people out there need certain health services and find out about reliable and efficient services through advertisements. 

For me, I usually do not pay much attention to commercials unless I relate to them.  The advertisements I pay attention to benefit my life.  When I wanted to choose a college, I would look at various advertisements to increase my knowledge to be able to choose which college I presumed to have what I needed.  Other advertisements I notice are movie or game trailers.  I love being informed of all the new forms of entertainment out there and when they are released.  

Commercials make it easier to find out what is new.   I never would know about all the wii games that are released; or when they are released.  Even with movies, I would never know about the new releases without trailers or billboards broadcasting the release date everywhere you go.  If I ever forget the date of a release, I can just wait until commercials come on; because odds are it will be shown.  Advertisements are a hinder and an asset to my life and to society.  

Advertising Age

This website provides news, columns, and blogs/pods.  They focus on the marketing and advertising of all types of businesses.  On the first page, you can see articles on Busch Light, Yahoo, Twitter, and even small agencies.  They contain global news, CMO strategy, agency news, and even Hispanic Marketing.  This site supply the reader with various articles, text and audio, to help them research strategies that companies have done and keep up with current events of companies they may be interested in.  

An article from the Small Agency Diary, Don't Let Losing Employees and New-Business Pitches Slow You Down, was written by a small business owner trying to help others in the same area to keep their head up and push through the hard times.  “Like you, we aren't crying in our soup -- we don't have the time and sandwiches are faster. We simply brought on new personnel (lots of talent out there), which we believe makes us stronger and in the long run better off.”  http://adage.com/smallagency/post?article_id=146622

The site also provides articles on famous companies, including Coca-Cola.  In one of their articles, Coca-Cola Restructures Marketing Communications Team, they mention, “the organization will now be structured around the principles of content, connections and integration”.  It shows viewers that you must always be on your toes and ready to make the necessary changes in order to be successful. http://adage.com/article?article_id=146623

Ad Week

This website is for “creative thought leaders and top agency influencers” who are looking for new ideas, strategies, and jobs.  It has both online and print coverage weekly, advertising to a broader audience with consistency.  It ranges through a vast amount of topics, including new media and design.  They contain various articles to keep the viewers up to date on issues that could affect their decisions and workplace.  

One article, Consumers Don't Warm to Eco-Friendly Products, states “Two surveys released last month find many consumers lacking enthusiasm for buying green goods, particularly if (as people suspect is typically the case) they'd have to pay a premium for them.”  This article is available to anyone entering the site without a fee.  It helps those who are trying to sell “green” products to rethink their strategies.  http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/strategy/e3i05a30aa117cd49d6a508f54965ec178d

Another article, Microsoft Looks to Reinvent Display Ads, gives details on what Microsoft is currently working on.  “We have to completely reinvent display advertising,” she said. “The digital industry faces [the] challenge [of convincing advertisers] that the Internet is a good place to build a brand. That’s why I want to reach out to the creative community. That’s priority No. 1.”  This site is great for receiving information about top companies and their plans on making a bigger profit. http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i39cbc5228150ebabe83b70a402110d2e

Mediabistro.com

This website provides opportunities for people currently in the media industry, or looking to be in the media industry, to showcase their work, improve skills, share resources, receive job opportunities, and meet other people in related fields.  Industries they deal with include: advertising, book publishing, film, radio, magazines, online media, etc.  This site contains articles that people have written to share their success stories, things to look out for, and how to effectively pitch an idea, do an interview, or get a job.  

In the article, 10 Tips for Pitching Multimedia Content, they state “most of the bigger online publications with a strong commitment to multimedia have full-time photographers and even video producers on staff.”  They try to guide people looking for media jobs in the right direction to help them pitch ideas.  http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a10976.asp

In another article, Hey, How'd You Build an Entirely New Publishing Business, Eileen Gittins, CEO of Blurb, a company was created from scratch.  “Helmed by Mediabistro Circus speaker Eileen Gittins, the company has emerged from the sidelines to make it possible for anyone to publish a professional-quality book”.  These articles help to inspire people and get them on track to finding and gaining the best job. http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a10867.asp

Apple Television

Apple TV is going to be the next big electronic device that everyone will want to buy.  It is smaller and less expensive than the older model they created.  Steve Jobs, the genius that he is, went straight to the customers to ask of their opinion.  They returned their advice to him and he responded accordingly. 

I agree with what the customers wanted: HD, lower prices, and don’t want a computer.  I loved finding out that he actually was able to connect the television with the Internet so that people can see YouTube videos on the set. 

The only thing it cannot do, due to Steve Job’s interpretation of customer opinions, is the viewing of video on other sites, including Facebook.  I think that is the right move.  People need a break from Facebook.  Most of the videos I see on that site are usually from YouTube anyway.  You do not need to have Facebook, and other video sites, when you sit down to watch television.

Steve Jobs used the term “amateur hour”, saying that customers want Hollywood movies and television, not unprofessional content.  I agree with Steve Jobs.  When you go to watch television, you want to see interesting and entertaining programs that have been done by professionals.  If you want to see videos done by your friends, you go to a computer and look it up.

People are never satisfied.  They are always left wanting more, and will not rest until all their spontaneous demands are met.  Steve Jobs has a big and crazy job ahead of him and he will have to choose between his own opinions and the opinions of the consumers.


Article: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/do-people-want-amateur-hour-on-their-tvs/

What Should Replace the Conventional Network TV Model?

The conventional network model of television is dying out.  I believe that it will be replaced by the Internet.  You can already go on numerous websites to watch your favorite shows, including YouTube and Hulu.  The Internet is already taking over regular television shows.  People do not have the time or the attention span to watch shows weekly.  They want to be able to watch their shows at a time that is convenient to them.  DVR has been an attempt to save the television model, but it is not good enough. 

The Internet is portable.  Making things portable automatically gains everyone’s interest and attention.  People love to be able to choose when and where; it gives them more freedom and makes them feel powerful.  People want to be in control of everything that happens in their lives.  With portable, anytime, anywhere Internet, they will be able to satisfy that need.

The same thing goes with movies.  People, including me, do not like to wait for movies to come out on television.  A lot of the time, you have to pay for it on HBO.  I rather get it right away on the Internet for free.  It is more convenient for people with busy lives and gives them what they want, when they want it.

Television programs are even being replaced by everyday people’s YouTube videos.  Most of my friends today watch more videos on the Internet than they do television.  They rather watch short, random videos than wait for their shows to appear on television.  YouTube even has programs from television on it.  People record episodes and post them on this site.  You do not even need to own a television set because odds are that someone is bound to post it online.