Backup Post And A Little Jambalaya
Before I dig any further, I must admit that I’m a little overwhelmed with the integration of all this new technology into our daily lives and that’s why my last post may have seemed a little scattered. Jumping from my iPhone, to iGoogle, to gamers and bloggers so quickly, when each of them need an entire blog, I’m looking for more time and faster, more efficient technology and losing references of focus. Everywhere I click, there’s a blogger and OMG I’m one of them!
Today’s media has a new flavor. There has always been a little sugar and salt, but bloggers are adding a new spice called Opinion to daily news. Just like the great selection of salads at McDonald’s, I’m loving it! ;-P The best thing about blogging is knowing that there is no official rule book, so that huge cloud of objectivity is thrown out of the window. Opinion matters because it’s spicy and people want that extra taste, like hot sausage in jambalaya.
That’s why I think washingtonpost.com is smart to feature bloggers on its site, in the mix with so-called objective news articles. Readers want to know key issues and bloggers are giving it to them, so why shouldn’t washingtonpost.com take advantage of this as a company on a mission to share news with the public? Getting too caught up in objectivity, as many journalists and readers have done, can be an obstacle in the search for the truth. I won’t get into the popping ethical issues with all this on our stomachs, just yet.
Today’s washingtonpost.com is like a steaming bowl of New Orleans jambalaya with thousands of baby spoons. Bloggers are everywhere, discussing political campaigns, health issues and other issues in the media. In fact, I sometimes get articles confused with blogs, so forget it and just give me the whole bowl because it’s all going to the same place anyway, right?
Get Hip: Who Needs The Old Shovel When There’s iPhone?
The buzz on the internet today is that new technology is giving individuals and companies more tools and indefinite options.
So you know, now that I’ve got my iPhone handy everywhere I go, I feel fully equipped for today’s world. I’ve never had a Blackberry, but I hear those are great companions too. I’m a little frustrated with AT&T’s service—I have a strong signal when I’m at work in Greenspring Valley, where NO ONE can get reception. But, at home I have to stand near a window and wave the phone around to catch a piece of a signal. Anyhow, my signal doesn’t usually stop me from using my web tools, I just can’t talk on the phone (which is great because the pricing suggested a low-minute/unlimited web access plan in my opinion, so that’s what I went with). Still, I feel strong when I have my music, pictures, videos, messages and documents clenched in my hand and my trustworthy (darn, TWO YEAR contract) Verizon Wireless phone in my purse.
I haven’t explored all the possibilities of my new little friend, because I’m still in the process of getting fully hip to iGoogle and my new Gmail account. Google Alerts sends me D.C. news highlights all day and Google Reader feeds me new articles and blogs about my iPhone, Google, Facebook, and Wikipedia as they post.
Getting hip to gamers is quite hard for someone who never had a Nintendo, but now I know that it’s essential to understanding personal and corporate messages. I did have a Gameboy a long time ago, but I only played Tetris, Super Mario Bros. and PacMan. Finally, one Christmas I got a Sega Genesis, but it was far too late. I missed the Nintendo, so I was completely out of the loop and only mastered Sonic the Hedgehog, the game that came with Sega, because that was the only one I had. Much later I got an Xbox and used it mainly as decoration under my television and occasionally to hurt my thumbs during Tekkon battles.
Now I’ve been introduced to Second Life for the second time, this time in more depth, and I’m staying tuned for information about Barack Obama’s campaign in the virtual community as part of my Media Relations course at Georgetown. When my mom first told me about Second Life, I didn’t believe that people really spent money in Second Life, for fun. I’m still curious to know what these people in Second Life are doing and why. And I’d like to know if there’s a secret I should know about, but I don’t have the patience to find out through my avatar, so I’ll do my own investigating.
I’m not the only blogger who is doing investigative work out here. The Washington Post features an excellent blogger, Michael Dobbs, who aims to get to the truth of memorable, false statements in The Fact Checker. Clear and concise, he includes a quote, an image of the speaker and identifies problematic statements. Dobbs goes on to give all known facts related to the subject, revealing bogus quotes from political figures and others we should all be able to trust.
Now I’m off to see what else my buddy and I can dig up.
