DTC 355 10 steps for a portfolio website

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/02/26/10-steps-to-the-perfect-portfolio-website/

I really liked the suggestions on this website and the examples had some really great designs. After looking at them, I won't use all the 10 of the steps. I won't have a logo because I haven't really branded myself yet but I will have my name stand out on the first page. The tag line seems useful for conveying the real purpose of the website instantly.  I will obviously try to put up high quality images for the portfolio, but I'm not sure what kind of image viewer yet. I will definitely include an about me and link to a blog (although it's just academic stuff at the moment,) and a link to a contact page will be on the home screen but I don't think I'll link to my facebook. I don't think you have to be facebook friends with clients. The call to action on the first page will likely link to the portfolio, but the about me and contact links will stand out as well.

I like Ryan O'Rourke and Chikezie Ejias (Nine Lions) websites. First I liked the thumbnail on the 10 steps page but naturally, both sites are different now. I was initially drawn to the large room at the top that was designated for their name/logo. I like graphic design and that would be a cool way to show some skills on the very first page. Also, the image sets the color scheme for the rest of the page and it has a clean readable feel on both. On the new Nine Lion page, I like that the first page is just attention grabbing text/image that makes the viewer want to learn more. They are already interested before they learn anything. That also might be a dynamic way to set up a home page.

http://rourkery.com/

http://www.nineliondesign.com/

DTC 356 egypt and facebook

I thought Tom Slee's article "More Egypt, More Facebook" did  a good job relating the Arab spring event to previous revolutions. He talks about generational space, something that usually features a new technology that activists employ in order to raise awareness or coordinate events. He points out "... Facebook is still a generational phenomenon (60% of Egypt’s Facebook users are under 25 (»)). It is an environment where youth feel more at home than the older generation and the authorities, at least for now." It makes sense, the younger generating has latched on to something that they consider second nature, using this technology to further their cause.

On TV and in different articles, all I heard was that Facebook started a revolution. I'm glad that this article illustrates that is the people who started the revolutions, and they simply used Facebook as their modern tool. "Yes, the activists used Facebook and other tools, because that’s where the people are and because that is the medium characteristic of the time and place. But the Internet has not leant a new character to the uprising." Like pop music in the 1960s, Facebook was able to reach a widespread international audience. Facebook was something that everyone was paying attention to. Everyone heard the messages and common feelings of dissent were building.

This relates to the movie "Pump Up the Volume" with Christian Slater as a pirate DJ who ignites rebellion at a school (we watched it in my Digital Diversity class this summer). The kids rebelled because through their medium, in this case radio, they were all able to share collective feelings. They were able to come to the same conclusion at the same time which resulted in direct action.  

               

 Slee goes on to talk about how Faecbook is a big corporation and that they are making lives unnecessarily difficult for the young leaders. Facebook tends to delete accounts abruptly based on their rules for posting. He says "Most problematic is the policy that bans pseudonyms. Facebook defends the policy by saying their service is about “real people making real-world connections.” But what if the real world is full of secret police looking to crack down on dissent, or snooping bosses who might be supportive of a regime?" This is a good point but I don't think Facebook has an obligation to these people. Maybe they don't really want to get actively involved. Facebook was the right place to start and get the attention of their peers but before it was deactivated, but maybe they should have posted a link to a new blog or something. Facebook isn't the only option and shouldn't be have to be relied on entirely.

That being said, it would have been reasonable for Facebook to give them a warning, or at least give them a day or two before deleting accounts, given the gravity of the situation.

We would love if Facebook stepped up. If they recognized that they could play an important role as the new generational space. However, they must choose to take on that responsibility. However, they are a business, and they can choose to run it how they please. We all choose to sign up. 

DTC 356 new job openings

To start off I liked really liked some of the copyright related comments from John Perry Barlow. "We will need to develop an entirely new set of methods as befits this entirely new set of circumstances" While this seems to point at material the last half of the class, the important part of this statement is that we have an entirely new set of circumstances.  "They are proceeding as though the old laws can somehow be made to work, either by grotesque expansion or by force. They are wrong" (2). This applies to all policies that govern our current relationship with the internet not merely copyright.

The InfoDev article illustrated that an entirely new economic system is being developed due to new online work opportunities. They aren't talking about internet start-ups, but unskilled labor that completes simple tasks. It's funny they use 'unskilled'. Not too long ago my grandma put typing on her resume as a skill. While I didn't understand a lot of the economic jargon, I was really intrigued by the possibility of the third world getting involved with these jobs. With a little infrastructure, they could work online mining for gold, then receive online payment. The hardest part might be establishing a way to use that money when an ATM doesn't seem like the right fit. I don't know how it would work but some really smart people are probably gonna figure it out soon.

I read an article recently where One Laptop Per Child gave a bunch of kids in Ethiopia a box with tablets and no instructions. The kids were able to open the box, turn on the tablets, and begin using apps. While how much they will learn on their own is an interesting study, a little instruction could go a long way too. Now what if some of those apps taught the children how to mine gold, fill out forms, etc? When an internet connection is available, they will already have the skills to work on the spot.

If one laptop per child is successful, there will be an entire generation of people in third world countries that will be digitally literate. A entire work force with the skills and tools ready to make an impact on the economy. I don't think these developments will be easy to regulate, especially on a global scale. The normal economic policies will all have to change to respond to these new jobs on the rise.