Social Media Project 2

350.org
 

350.org is a non profit organization with a goal of informing the world about climate change, and claims that we need to act now and work together if we are going to save our planet. 350 is working to build a movement to solve the climate crisis. They do this with online campaigns, and organizing local workshops and protests. They have thousands of followers in over 188 countries who organize themselves in protests and rallies aiming to bring awareness of the climate crisis to absolutely everyone.

350.org claims that 350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in "Parts Per Million" in our atmosphere. They say that we now have 392ppm in our atmosphere, and we must reduce it back to at least 350 to avoid rapid climate change. 350 claims that we need to stop using fossil fuels and find a new green energy source.

The greatest means of sharing information in modern culture is through the use of social media. Websites such as twitter, Facebook, and Youtube, have been exploding in popularity in recent years and have become the best forum for spreading information. 350 encourages people to join up and start helping by just being a part of some organization. 350’s goal is to teach other people how to start organizing movements in any way they can. They teach workshops on how to spread the warnings of climate change, and how to organize a 350 movement in your area. The social media sites give constant examples of some member of 350 out in the world attempting to make a difference.

The social media sites for 350.org are constantly generating news for followers. The Facebook page has a steady stream of videos and articles from many different contributors. The greatest thing about this organization is its grassroots approach to its mission. There is contributions to the Facebook wall from individual members and other organizations all with the same goal of social awareness on climate change. There are new videos posted every day on the Facebook and Twitter account. The posts on the wall are from members sharing information on climate change or their opinions on how to help the cause. There is news updates from around the world regarding oil companies, or protestors trying to shut them down. The greatest benefit from using the social media sites is the number of people they can reach. A tactic 350 uses is to gather as many followers as possible. They have nearly 90,000 followers on twitter, and over 190,000 people like their Facebook page. The number of followers comes to great use when 350 posts a petition. They are able to get ideas from thousands of people, and their signatures or vote.

The information distributed on their websites is to prove that there is global warming, and that it is caused by us humans, and that it is a threat to us. 350 attempts to inform people on how to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It also preaches importance of finding a solution to the problem.  This is something they recently posted on their Facebook page claiming 2010 to be the warmest year on record.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/perfect-storm-erupts-over-new-climate-data-20120320-1vib5.html

A major part of the social media is to simply get people aware and interested in helping out. The social media is constantly asking for the help of whoever is reading to “like” something on Facebook or re-tweet on Twitter. The organization really wants the people all over the world to be a part of this solution and encourages a grassroots approach in gaining support. They mean to get people interested enough so they will start to organize on their own and recruit more people. They believe if they build local chapters of 350 followers across the world it will be the most effective way of stopping the climate change. The problems that we face to end the use of fossil fules are too large for one group to tackle, so 350 aims to spread as much as possible. 350 uses workshops that they will setup with current members any where they are asked to go. They will set up workshops to educate people about climate change, and how to organize local groups to help more. They post over and over the times and dates that they are organizing rallies. They want as many people be involved with them as possible so they wil try to get people excited about a certain day so people can participate the world over together. This is “the Invitation” http://www.climatedots.org/

There are many comments on the things posted on 350 by the members, mostly all agreeing, and adding information in connection with the post. The Twitter account is more directly responsive, answering questions and re-tweeting to members.

350 uses their social media really well. They have a ton of followers and members, so they have clearly been successful making their presence known online. The media that they use such as videos are very effective in delivering their messages. The Youtube account has a lot of videos, and some have a good amount of views, and are effective in their messages. This is a video that they have posted at the bottom of their “mission” page. This is a short but effective video in showing what 350 is about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kg1oOq9tY&feature=player_embedded

chapters 6,7,8

Chapter 6

“A long sequence of printed pages assembeled between a pair of stiff covers has proven to be a remarkably robust technology, remaining useful and popular for more than half a millennium.”

Its amazing to think how long books have been around, and how little they have changed since they were invented. The basics of what a book is (words on a page of paper) is a simple but powerful technology, and the last few years we have seen the first challenging advances in technology like the Kindel.

“Many observers believe its only a matter of time before social networking functions are incorporated into digital readers, turning reading into something like a team sport. We’ll chat and pass virtual notes while scanning electronic text.”

The future of reading seems like it is on the verge of change. Having your book connected to the internet and the rest of the world seems like it would interfere with the basic act of reading a book from start to finish. A book could possibly be better digested by someone if everything in the book they could google search, but It seems to me like this would take all the critical thinking out of reading a book, and just leave people with a spark notes understanding it.

“Electronic text is impermanent. In the digital marketplace, publication becomes an ongoing process rather than a discrete event, and revision can go on indefinitely.”

The information that we access will be constantly updating. Everyone will be able to share ideas instantly around the world, and what we think we know and understand will be a constant cycle of new information.

Chapter 7

“With the exception of alphabets and number systems, the Net may well be the single most powerful mind altering technology that has ever come into general use.”

This statement terrifies me. My generation is the first to see the internet be born and start to grow. The fact that the internet can alter the way our brains work seems like something we need to be on top of. With everything going on right now about trying to own and regulate the Net we could be allowing government and corporations to have a mind control device that is in the hands of every citizen. The technology is getting into younger kids than ever before as well.

“When were online, we’re often oblivious to everything else going on around us. The real world recedes as we process the flood of the symbols and stimuli coming through our devices. “

The internet demands a lot of our attention. We can become so focused on the little screen, and not think enough about what is going on around you. Our priorities get mixed up in the internet age. While we are communicating through our devices all day, there is real human interaction that we will not be having. We have become zombie like walking around with our heads lost in the world wide web.

“If they stop sending messages, they risk becoming invisible.”

I understand this idea, but don’t understand why it has become such a major issue on young peoples minds. There is so many people posting and messaging together, it is easy to fall out of the loop now days. The feeling of not having your phone or an internet connection makes me feel like I’m no longer connected to everyone. We are so connected to each other it is in a way a giant safety net. If I ever need anything I always have my list of contacts and the internet to ask for answers. I prefer to live without these tools, but it is becoming harder to give them up.

Chapter 8

“Irene Au, the companies director of user experience, says that google relies on “cognitive pshychology research” to further its goal of “making people use their computers more effectively.”

The company carries out thousands of expeiriments everyday, and uses the results to improve upon their search engine. Google knows how the human brain reacts to their search engine. They know how to shape it and how to best work with our minds.

“Anything that stands in the way of the speedy collection, dissection, and transmission of data is a threat not only to google’s business but to the new utopia of cognitive efficiency it aims to construct on the internet.”

What could be a threat to google? Google is becoming too big of a company it owns too much. The only way for Google to obtain their goal of “the perfect search engine” they will need to own and have acces to everything on the Net, and as of now they seem to be on the right track.

“If our brains are computers, then intelligence becomes can be reduced to a matter of productivity of running more bits of data more quickly through the big chip in our skull. Human intelligence becomes indistinguishable from machine intelligence.”

If this was completely true then the accessibility of the internet, and the speed of how quickly we can gather information, should give us all we need to become extremely intelligent. We are now able to put in an endless amount of information all day everyday as long as there is an internet browser nearby.