Webcams, YouTube, and You November 29, 2009

Throughout numerous online mediums, an individual has the power to communicate to an unseen audience from the privacy and sanctuary of their bedrooms.  In doing so, they are revealing themselves in a way that has never before been done.  With the aid of youtube and webcams, an individual is able to share parts of themselves that they might not normally think of.  They are able to convey messages that grow and inspire other individuals in a novel and powerful way.  This form of communication is a type of collaboration that can occur over a wide period of time and space.  There is no limit to who will see your post/video, but the point is that it is out there for people to see, share, and experience.  By creating these videos, people are uniting and receiving comfort from other people, which they do not know, because they have gone through or felt the same way at some point.  They are the extra boost that helps you get through a stressful day at work or the death of a loved one or just a difficult time.  Webcams allow you to change your personality, they are a form of self awareness and discovery and reflection.  An individual is able to experiment with their own understandings of their self.  They can tweak their identities and feel things differently so that they can better understand themselves.   

Individuals are able to break down boundaries within themselves as well as with those around them.  People can express strong values in a silent way; they are showing ways of accepting yourself as well as other people.  There is a video on youtube with a man carrying a sign labeled with:  “free hugs;” at first the crowd does not take to it, but gradually they start to give the man hugs.  Eventually other people from all over the world start using their own “free hugs” sign and they are able to connect with complete strangers on a very elemental level.  Another youtube video poster goes by the name of MadV, he wears the mask from the movie V for Vendetta so he can remain anonymous, and he has trademarked palm messages.  These hand messages depict strong values that may at times be forgotten, desired, taken for granted, or needed.  Some examples are:  love yourself, smile to strangers, be kind, forgive and forget, united, and one world, etc.  These messages are definitely breaking down boundaries in novel ways by non-verbalizing vital values that are needed today.  This is interesting because these values are felt or thought about in this powerful way, but they are not necessarily spoken about. 

What’s in Your Post? November 19, 2009

The people you follow or who follow you can say a lot about the type of person you are, what you’re interested in, and how you like to spend your time.  When someone posts information about you or opens an online discussion about a given topic, these posts can say more about you than you anticipated.  One person in particular was professor of art and spreader of good energy.  This person loved to provide help through multiple channels about various types of products, online forums, and places of interest.  The posts also discusses the channels, as well as the creation of art, art in general, references on art, and discussions about artwork, artists, art pieces (self or others), and art tools (basically anything art related).  Some examples of this person’s resourcefulness and information that is presented show that this person not only loves art, but wants to be helpful to the new members using the application.  This person is not only informative, but also likes to make clarifications about anything that his/her students have questions about.  There are multiple posts that answer and pose questions for the professor.  This only further proves that this individual enjoys helping and providing enough resources in case the question was not fully answered.

There is certain information that shows what type of things you are interested in.  In one instance, there were posts that were filled with all types of helpful links.  For example, there were instructions for newcomers to the online chat discussion as well as helpful information that provided links to other discussion threads or articles/websites that an author found valuable.  When an individual posts resourceful information, it shows that the person wants to help expand the general knowledge of others, or they want to provide multi-faceted and argumentative information so that the viewers can be properly informed about the topic. In doing so, the author is showing that he/she does not want to persuade you about something, but wants to provide you with enough information so that you may contribute to the conversation, or provide a starting point so that the viewer could follow through with their own information/ideas/viewpoints.

There are also useful announcement tidbits that people post.  For example, art shows, national galleries, Paris exhibits, book announcements about famous pieces of art (Sistine Chapel), book reviews, quotes that demonstrate the different aspects of art that can be found in the world around us, museum guests/openings, reuse (environmentally friendly) openings, and alternative art examples/discussions/styles (graffiti writers).  All these examples discuss the value and importance of art that the author is trying to convey to his/her students.

What’s in your post?  Does it reflect you?