Ideas for blog topics

So, I have noticed that the slacker factor has taken affect for about half of the class on getting these blog posts up and going so I thought I would post a few ideas that might help encourage the thought process. I also want to remind everyone that blogging is a public space and ask the question of what responsibilities we have when posting ideas in a public sphere? As we have discussed stereotypes in race and gender, the idea of language and how we use language is a constant concern for communication scholars. As you contribute in these spaces you are socially constructing and reifying ideas, identities, and relationships. Be reflective about what you are posting and how you are using language to construct your reality and how that reality can be constructed for others.

Now...IDEAS!

1. Create an avatar on second life and spend a little time in the virtual environment - then reflect on how that process fits with your theme. How is your virtual identity similar to or different than your own? Do these realities enable or disengage citizenship and public participation? How might virtual environments create and divide communities. This week is a virtual world week - so doing this might be of interest.

2. Track your ICT (Information Communication Technologies) use for a 24 hour period - make a log and reflect on your results. How long are you on your cell phone, the internet, playing a video game, watching digital TV and DVD's? How does the time you spend doing these things relate to your theme? Does it enhance or disrupt your friendships/romance? Who is part of your community and who is not based on your use of ICT's? How "aware" are you of political issues and how does your use of ICT's interrupt or enhance that? How much of your own identity is wrapped up in your use of ICT's? Are you an I-phone or blackberry person, do you prefer console video games to MMOG's?

3. Do some research of your own on any of the following topics in relation to your theme - then write about it:
1. Goldfarming/Leveling
2. Crowdsourcing
3. Digital divide - in relation to a particular community
4. Massively Multiplayer online games
Look at youtube videos, blogs, news articles or academic research to learn more about these areas and see how well they connect/disconnect from what you have already read in class.

4. What is going on in the news when it comes to new media? Twitter has been popular this week - Barack got to keep his Blackberry - The white house does a weekly podcast - Utah downloads the most porn - Google maps track those who contributed to prop 8 - facebook changed their user agreement, then changed it back - Facebook is being used to market "The People's Bribe". Read the news and write about it in relation to some of the things we have read/talked about.

I hope some of these ideas can help you all get started. The blogs need to start coming for you to post and respond in the time allotted, form groups, and present final presentations. Remember blogs need to synthesize your outside research, your experience, and readings from class with your ideas. They should be equivalent to 2-3 written pages. I look forward to your ideas!