Wiki Leaks: War on Journalists

On the topic of Wiki Leaks, I did what every college student does to understand something: turn to the internet, specifically YouTube. I browsed a simple question: Is Wiki Leaks considered journalism? And I was honestly surprised with the results on YouTube. The titles of videos were like:

"Wiki Leaks Video: War on Journalists, War on Civilians"
"The War on Journalism"
"Wiki Leaks: US trying to "criminalize' journalism..."

I was thinking it was, but is it? It is an anonymous, non-profit website made for whistle blowers. But if it is like Wikipedia, is it reliable? That's what I want to know. Does journalism meet conspiracies? Furthermore, in a way it sounds like civilian journalism. There is that idea of the public's right to know. Both are controversial. I would still conclude that Wiki Leaks is journalism, just it's own form entirely.

Cookies...and not the kind you eat

I have an old AspireOne netbook. I got it in high school to take notes and it often moves rather slow these days. Every now and then my dad cleans it out for me and always, and I mean ALWAYS, comments on the amount of useless storage and "cookies" he had to clean out using programs like C Cleaner. I always assumed cookies were associated with internet page use but I didn't know the actual definition until this year.

I looked at the cookies currently on my internet browser I use: google chrome. What surprised me  most was that the websites that left cookies on my computer were ones I don't remember accessing! A couple I recognized but the majority I don't. So in my shock I changed my settings to block cookies. I swear, almost every website wanted to set cookies. It was so annoying it makes me want to just keep it on automatic.

But the annoyance doesn't change my initial shock. I know websites use cookies to track my digital path online, and from a technological standpoint it's clever and useful. However, as an internet user it's creepy. Even when I delete my cookies or internet history, there is still a digital trail. Good for them, bad for me. Is it ethical? Honestly, I think by using the worldweb, social networking sites, etc, you are putting your life out there. If you want something to stay private, look it up at a public computer or library book. Companies are getting clever and productive by taking advantage of the situation, especially when many users don't even know what is happening.

For my own situation, the cookies will have a short life-span on my computer since I delete them and my history to free up space on my computer. (What's annoying is that blogger just put 10 cookies on my computer)

Gamer Gate

One of my brothers is a huge gamer and I have always been used to watching him play the hottest, newest games. I have also always remembered being shocked at some of the content on them. Video games have never been appealing to me, because of the cinematography, content, and context. When I used to watch my guy friends play Grand Theft Auto, I would be shocked because of how females were treated on that. The men could rape prostitutes or kill them. LIKE WHAT?

GamerGate is an online battle going on involving feminists and gamers. Gamers are getting upset because they feel like their identity as gamers is being confused. Gamers are being grouped together, feminists are upset about womens image in video games, and everyone is lashing out at eachother. Many people refuse to define what GamerGate is because it has so many interpretations and people involved. I see it as cyber bullying. This whole idea of media ethics is being argued and woman designers, journalists, and gamers are being black balled. They are being accused of sleeping around to get specific games more publicity, but this is a practice many businesses do-just look at politics. Gamers get offended because they feel like the good and bad games are being misrated. No one is winning right now. It's an all out war. If everyone just stepped back and talked calmly, many of this could be solved.

Learning and Doing in Entertainment

I googled "Recording Industry in Louisville, KY" and the first link that came up was this:
http://www.recordingconnection.com/school-locations/louisville/

I clicked on the link and was immediately attacked by bright graphics and visuals. There was almost no negative space on the page, it was all being used. (Sorry, that just really stuck out to me). This is a school that trains its students and pairs them up with actual mentors and teachers who are extremely credible. It emphasizes affordable tuition, valuable experience, the hands-on classroom, and its many locations.

On the left side, it gives some credible sources: "Learn at the studio where John Mayor records", "Michael Jackson's audio engineer...", Kanye West producer, Eminem's producer....I was convinced and I'm not even interested in working in entertainment.

"I'm a Visual Learner" so I love magazines these days

Visuals are everything. I have a subscription to many magazines, Teen Vogue being one of them. I've had this subscription since I was in middle school: and I remember why...PICTURES. The part in magazines that I enjoyed the most was looking at the photography and the models and thinking "wow I want to look like that". It was easier to connect to than words on a page and usually I didn't read the words. I liked Teen Vogue because it was dominantly pictures. The amount of photo shoots they did had to be enormous. 

From a PR or advertising point of view, it is so easy to advertise a product. "(insert celebrity) is using (insert product) so you should too because they can't live without it!" I mean look at these examples of the inside pages of Teen Vogue:

I got so many ideas from within the pages of Teen Vogue, many of which I could never dream of affording. But the pictures are definitely a defining factor.