Reality to Virtualism - why I think it's bad?

problems
I have nothing against technology, in fact I am one among the tech lovers. But I think these days its getting way to much blurring the lines between the real and the virtual world. To analyse what happens when we enter into a virtual world, I started playing the game Yoville and Happy aquarium in Facebook. I wanted to find out why was that so addictive. So, Starting with Yoville first, to explain to people who don't know about it, its like a virtual game that you play through your Facebook account and you get to make so called 'Friends' and what is far more exciting you have different places like beach,restaurant, coffee place, Hair salon's and what not. Don't get way too excited, there are many more things in this . So, Out of curiosity did make an account, but my motive was to find out how it gets addictive in a few days.



First few weeks it was all about making friends, did make some, oh! Just forgot, you even get your own house, I mean you can build houses with lavishing swimming pools, backyard, frontyard, buy and sell things, yard sale, get invited for a house party, have a fashion pagent - like Woah, yes! It's sure addictive, but why? That's when I got the answer Virtual worlds can just gobble up you from the real world. This really makes me think why do people really have to do this? For money? Is it really worth it, is the question that pops up in my mind every time. Once we created this whole new world we call technology, which is now an integral part in every aspect.

Another thing I noticed with my little investigation is that, people were forgetting the fact that they are in a virtual world, talking about real life scenario's, it was like a mirage, which they never noticed. In my knowledge it's high time people move away a little bit from the technology in certain circumstances like these. The worst part you buy coins with your own hard earned money, and it's sad that people do it too with heights of addiction. 

Why I like Rebecca Black?

rebecca black
It's Friday,Friday which was an overnight sensation and one of the highest disliked videos of YouTube which accounts to about 80% of the total ratings in YouTube was sung by Rebecca Black. Receiving a lot of hate comments even after 4 whole years of broadcasting that on YouTube, this teen is still strong. Never discouraged by these, and hitting the instant high pedestal on TV shows she is now one of the most popular american singers, be it love or hate. Of course as of date this song has earned $20,000 dollars as of now, estimated by Forbes and has entered Billboard Hot 100 songs. 


Her next shot was 'My Moment' released on the same year. This song even though it received a lot of hate and a bit of love made things flip over. Her confidence after been dealing with a lot of hate is adorable. For any teen that would have been a severe nightmare when you wake up everyday to hate and you choose to pursue your dreams instead. Parodies and Jokes all over YouTube has never deterred her. Why bother when its all for the good?! 

Youtube has been a path for many of young teens to explore out there talents and also be recognized by it. Many singers have been given a chance to do big live events based on their YouTube careers. Never we can downgrade the efforts of anyone who works hard to bring out what's efficient in them. One of my favorite quotes recently have been to truly believe in the fact that, every expert was once a teenager. 

Best android apps for an organized lifestyle

app


Of the 1000 emails of self promotion by various stuff that we have subscribed to, we are bound to miss some of the important emails and have suffered the consequences.We all would been there someday or the other. Do you have a problem with switching back and forth from your official mail to personal mail or from yahoo to gmail or even had two gmail accounts which you were never able to be logged in at the same time. K-@ mail, this app is an absolute life saver at such situations. 
Design and usability: This app has one of the simple design that you would have imagined with great user experience and usability. It is very easy to switch between different email accounts be it yahoo, gmail or Hotmail which also has a automatic setup facility. The other function that you might like are the colored markers for mails between different accounts which makes it easy to filter official mails, so you don't miss them. The other facility that makes it more usable is the immediate notifications from all your accounts, which at times even a dedicated Gmail app misses. There are facilities to view a combined inbox, which makes things easy at the end of the day to be able to organize and plan for the next day. Its very quick and responsive with search results. Its easy to mark some mails that you receive along the day to be important and read it later, so you never miss them by any chance.

Drawbacks: The only thing is that it takes some time to retrieve some emails. 



You want most of the data you store to be accessible anytime, anywhere. Aspiring to be a Journalist and being designing my hobby, most of the time I am out there having to organize and write down things, upload, and use them anywhere I want to to. Mega is a secure cloud storage service that gives you 50GB for free.

Design and Usability: This app is really handy at many times. You can upload things very easily from your phone and use it later. 




Push bullet is one of the best apps that I have been using for a long time now. Basically the major advantage of this app is that it is lightning fast when it transfers files, pictures, links, bookmarks from your PC to mobile and vice versa. Never miss another phone call or text message again while using your computer! Pushbullet automatically shows you all of your phone's notifications right on your computer. This means you can see who's calling or read text messages even if your phone is on silent or in another room. 

It is a simple notepad app that has more uses than you think it would have. Its very quick and responsive. So, you can add notes easily, add checklists which is a lifesaver at many times. The colornote widget is another thing that really helps because you can place it on screen, especially so that you don't forget. The other useful feature that this app possess is the automatic save feature. When you are in a hurry to note things, you write them down and close it, and now you have not lost it. This makes me happy. You can color coordinate and organize. 

Real time translated conversations with Skype Translator

communication
Skype who roll on with the tagline 'We keep people together, wherever they are' are now in the process of creating real time translated conversations to break the language barrier across different countries and various conversations. This idea was initiated over an year ago with many attempts by the Microsoft research team to make this a success story.Chris Wendt, program manager of the Machine Translation team says “We felt speech translation was a very natural evolution of the text-translation work we’ve been doing,” .This technology would help people from various parts of the world to successfully communicate with others thus breaking the language barrier that might hold them back.

The problems that are faced in creating a technology that translates real time conversations as noted is the 'disfluecy', where there are a lot of pauses and unusual utterances while talking and also use of the social media way of talking or the internet slang. We can understand how extremely difficult it will be  to recognize and translate all possible accents and languages, this initiative by Skype is highly appreciable and would find high level of usage in both professional and personal life.

Once these are fixed, the skype translator is scheduled to be made available for windows 8 beta app by the end of this year (2014). 

Youtube Culture

bethany mota
Not so long ago I did a research on how people perceive virtual communication, to be precise concentrating on what impact that the youtube vlogs have on their audience, whether the clip culture pretends to be real when it is not really the whole picture about a person's life. My findings from that research was the fans of the famous youtubers who I might call here as the 'Youtube celebrities' knew that they were subjected to a hyper real or environment but most of the time the content produced tends to blur the lines between reality and hyperreality. 

To explain it with an example that I have quoted in my research where I concentrated on Bethany Mota's vlogs, who is a Youtube teen who produces content on makeup and some parts of her life that she likes to share with the people around the world. Talking about both the ends, starting with the Youtuber's end, most of the vlogs are filmed in their bedroom,car, or even on a picnic. What this exactly does is create an artificial environment which undergoes a lot of editing, lighting and we see just the best bits, which is critical and is not easy to comprehend the difference between what is produced and what happens in reality. 

To be fair to the Youtubers part who are similar to any other individuals who deserve privacy and also the same treatment everyone needs. The exact problem arises when they produce a content that looks like it is going to showcase most of there life when we leave out the other part. So, the audience of these celebrities are trying to take more advantage/ which naturally happens when we tend to consider someone very close to us, when we really cross the border and are not able to take in any other flaw about them even if the YouTubers themselves tend to agree. (Of course, to Err is human). The strong cult that they have grown over years make it difficult for them when there happens a sudden change in there life which they don't want to take in as a part of the youtubers life. 

But we cannot forgot, what they do is also a business and they can very well take advantage of their audience and play a part of manipulating there mind. It's the human nature that when I strongly believe in a person whatever they tell to me is going to be true and also If they recommend me something, then my mind insists me to go out and buy them if it is a product or use them if it is a service. This is none less than a celebrity endorsement that we see on TV. There is more sense of endorsed content when we watch it on the television, because it definitely strikes our mind that happens on TV is edited. 

When we see the problem of blurred lines between the content that doesn't seem like a content but looks like an interactive venture (hyper realism). Ofcourse, I truly support YouTube on providing a platform for a lot of people in connecting the world which was not made possible before Youtube. There are many many advantages of youtube as it helps in crowdfunding, connecting the two worlds, a great platform for exhibiting the new talent and projecting them, some errors like this can be avoided by just changing the perspective and the way the content is perceived by both the producers of content and also the audiences/fans of the content.

Here is a link to the research report on how people perceive virtual communication and the impact of vlogs on the audience.

Live Life♥

thoughts

Ranjani Ramanathan 

That awesome feel you get, when you blog after a long time!

Drizzly mornings, hot coffee with still the steam rushing out of the mug, sitting by the window, inhaling the fresh air with the mild tinge of mud breezing in through my window, listening to The Fault in Our Stars from which every sentence lingers in your mind with the spatter of the rain on my sunshade can be quoted as a blissful morning. At last its time to relax after all the night time studies, pulling through an all nighter (Which I wouldn't recommend! seriously my eyes hurt even now! lol, just kidding), delusional sleeps, exams are finally over. I went to a lot of places as soon as my holidays started.

This time in my holidays I was a little confused on what was I doing all my life, and what I really want and wish to do. This confusion broke out as I try to convince myself what I was dealing with was the right way. But, Convince is the key there, I wish to do what my heart wants to do and I live by that. So, this time convincing it to do something was never a choice for me. What I wanted to do this time in my holidays was to go out and feel the nature. It had different choices, as I was going with my family. The last call was Wayanad and Coorg. Coorg is a kind of place that one will fall in love with at first sight. It is a bliss to be at the top of Talakavery which is one of the remarkable places, and to be there for the second time without the rush is totally a magic. All you can see from the top is the mountain ranges and clouds which give you chills midst the really cold climate that one can die for. (And from chennai though, you can understand! :p) 

So, why I felt the need to explain about my trip here is that, I recently checked out the video that literally answered all my querries on what I was feeling. Liked the way that my mind kindoff alerted me to do the right thing at the right time.

 



Share your stories, feel the change, Live Life!

What not to do on Facebook?

comments


The Good mornings
Really do you think your 800 friends are just waiting for you to say Good morning to them?





Click the Unfollow post button
One comment I make and receive a thousand notifications the next time I login, essentially missing out my important notifications. Damn, Thanks for the unfollow post button.



Oh! The new page
Please like my page, seriously do you think I am going to like a page of yours that just consists of random pictures and some of your thoughtful good morning friends, please share this page with your friends. (P.S. Genuine pages are really interesting, I love them)

Another game invite, yay!
The candy crush invites. I played frigging 120 levels at a stretch and even have had times when I was waiting for an extra life every twenty minutes. Thanks for that! (Finally it got deleted and yet again, so and so invites to play candy crush, WAIT! WHAT?!)


The unknown status
The facebook statuses probably poiting at a enemy but then You decide to make it your Facebook status,

Some people are annoying. Cried all night.

so you think they would atleast see that and know what that exactly means with your 300 other friends who are literally confused and comment WHAT HAPPENED?
Obviously you would never want to reply!


Out of the world requests
The unknown friend request. You live somewhere, do whatever, have no mutual friends, no connection and you suddenly want to be my friend out of somewhere. A moment of silence for your effort to find me from all over the world.



You will die if you don’t share this
And can we forget the creepy chain messages,

‘If you’re reading this, then you’ve already started the chain reaction and there’s no going back. The events I am about to warn you about will definitely unfold, even if you close this email now. The best thing you can do now is read on and carefully follow my instructions.
It is said that the damned soul of the tormented electrician escaped Jessica’s home that night and seeks nothing but to torment the living souls of this world he is trapped in.
If you do not pass this letter along to 5 other people in the next 24 hours, your home will be plagued and you too will have to be untangled from the wiring.’

P.S. Thank you for forwarding this essential piece of information and I am sure am going to share it.

So, should I post it on twitter/fb?
Cross-Posting From Twitter

Do you really want me to read this reply that you have sent to someone that reads, 
RT @randomstranger is it at 2?  #cray #overwhelmed #thanks #noonecares #itsannoying #please stop.


Liking your own status and posts?

P.S. Because others liking it is too mainstream.



The 1000 likes
Watching an episode, and you like that so much that you ended up liking every page that is vaguely related. If you like New Girl,

New girl – Like
New – like
Girl – like
Series – like
Episodes – like
Jess – Like
Zooey Deschenel  - Like
Nick Miller – like
Schmidt – like
Really?

P.S.

 STATUS I have made 1000 likes in facebook until now! Having a great life, so happy.
COMMENT  Congratulations….I am soo happy for you. #crying #happytears #wootwoot #waytogo #bestie.



How Social media #GetInked selfies work!

elections2014

Social media has been effective at all times and this time its the Election 2014 in India. Posting selfies is fancy but flaunting with your inked finger is all fancy this Election. When we look at social media as a whole it has been very impressive in communicating and collaborating with a large mass. It's not rare anymore, since we already saw how Arvind Kejriwal and his party (AAP) ruled social media and effectively communicated to youngsters, it has been a game changer in the recent years. 

Coming back to the #GetInked selfies in Twitter and Facebook it looks like more than the PSA's and manifestos the social media trump card worked. Great to see a social change brought alongside using technology, this clearly showcases how we can never underestimate the power of social media. It's not just another entertainment platform, but on seeing the involvement of the youth of today, looks like it could change political positions. 

Not long ago Facebook which joined with Watsapp has introduced I am a voter button. Along with clicking on that button users can share a story in their timeline. This button will be visible on Facebook when the local area election polling starts. As this time its going to be the millions of first time voters who are going to be influencing the ruling party, political parties have been continuously campaigning and connecting with the first time voters.

In my honest opinion an effective campaign can easily influence a first time voter, since they are very vulnerable and haven't been around in a while in this whole political setup. Taking an advantage of this social media works its chart out in the LoksabhaElections2014.

Another interesting website I as a first time voter myself came across is ADR (Association of Democratic Reforms) not to mention that this was also shared in my social media page through which I came to know about this. So, what's there in this website ?

1)It let's you know who is the candidate from your constituency contesting in the Elections. (Oh! wait, the main picture is not this, its the second point)
2)Background reports based on
  • Criminal
  • Financial
  • Educational
  • Income Tax details of Candidates and Winners (MPs, MLAs and Ministers) who have contested Elections to State Assemblies. 
3)It has an app that let's you know about the parties who break the election campaign rules, and acts as a link between the people and their representatives and has many more exciting features if you want to look it up!

Get involved and Get Inked. Vote for Change!

*Designs by Chumbak

Real Beauty Ad campaign by Dove - My thoughts!

advert

It has not been so long when I talked about how some advertisements objectify women, use them to sell their product. No! It's not just another feminist ramble here, I want to make some points very clear through this post. 

So, on 9th April Dove owned by Unilever has come up with an ad to showcase the real beauty of women. It's not an advert which tries to sell you any product, but tells you to believe in the real beauty and real you. This advertisement uses a placebo effect, which might seem a bit complicated to understand - but to put it simple, it is the act of believing without actual evidence. To put in big terms, it is providing medically simulated or ineffectual treatment for a medical condition to deceive the patient. 

Not deviating from the real story, recently there was a controversy in the Facebook page of Women's rights news, which is a feminism related page that addressed this advert to be 'awful' and makes women look more gullible and dumb. Shocked to hear such a thing about a dove ad campaign which has proved its way to touch the hearts of many women all round the globe, this is my point of view about it - In my eyes this advert just tries to tell you that you don't need any product be it a beauty cream or a face wash that can give you instant fairness. It tries to stand for the women and get them to believe in the 'real beauty'. 

When we think about this in a broader perspective, Dove is trying to put down its opponents without making a big statement, but indirectly influencing the minds of their target audience and additionally what they get for it is we believe in real beauty. On a contrary, Dove is owned by Unilever and the brand also makes the commercials for 'AXE'. Needless to explain how they objectify women to sell the product, and the amount of bans they have underwent to broadcast their adverts. 

Before you believe in anything, just question yourself on is it worth believing. That would make a change.

Have your say on this advert?


Women Power : Making a Change

thoughts
Another usual day it was, as we drove down  East Coast Road and reached Vishranthi,  a home for old and destituted women in Palavakkam. Unlike the buzz of the city traffic  we were left with a feel of tranquility for the start. Welcomed by the trustees and members of Vishranti they explained to us on how Vishranti came into being and sustenance. It was obvious to note that they all missed Savithri Vaithi, ill in the past month, the women who is instrumental for starting this retreat for the old and destituted women for decades now.

Meeting the inmates of Vishranti, the one person who instilled a sense of hope,trust and stuck in our thoughts for days was Sanjivi, 86, an inmate of Vishranti for more than 20 years. The moment  we met her we knew she had something different to say. Born in a small township in Kerala, she said she was married at the age of 11, which we were not shocked to hear as we aware the cultural injustice that lasted for decades, the child marriage where a girl gets married at or before attaining puberty. At the age of 13 after attaining puberty she was compelled by her family to move to her husband’s house for which she strongly opposed. This made us question why and how as this was something rare to hear about. “Women of my time suffered a lot after getting married, more like slaves for the husband and their families,Why would my parents allow me to suffer that way?”, as she says it was clear that she was deeply affected by the sufferings that the women of her time had to face.

All the misleading customs like Sati, blaming the wife for not having children, dowry death has made her to think at that tender age to hate the concept of getting married. Threatened by her family to leave to her husband’s place, she was strong in her decision of not wanting to leave. As the curiousity to know what happened after that which made us question, “So finally you went to your husband’s place?” which made her a little furious to say, “No, why I should have to go there and be his maid for my entire life I chose to leave my home instead!” . A thirteen year old girl, abandoned by parents for not giving in and adhering to the decisions of her husband, she was left homeless. As she continued, she said, “I learnt it the hard way, did every other job that I was able to do at the tender age, earned wages that is comparable to men at that time.”

After undergoing a lot of practical difficulties of facing life as a single women, here I am, happy and content.  “For the youngsters of today, I think that the choice is their’s. Equality is something to be demanded.” 

Microsoft's 'Child Of The 90s' advert

thoughts

This is about a new advert released by the Microsoft for the new internet explorer. Every second of this advert makes you smile if you are the child of 90s. Those nostalgic moments just strike your head and makes you think back down the memory lane. Even though internet explorer is now just an ultimate browser that everybody uses to download chrome, safari or some other browser, I found this ad really good on the promotional basis, because it tries to create an emotional bonding to the product at sale. This is how adverts capture our attention on the whole. As of now there are many adverts that are out of the box and are creatively framed up to get in straight to the mind of the buyer. These adverts break all the barriers and stereotypical cause and effect advert making logic and strikes apart. 

Some other examples, that rise up on the top of my head are the Dove adverts. They just do it right. Empowering women, breaking barriers of same old adverts, getting it straight. Dove's ad campaign that points out how critical women are of their own looks is named one of 2013's best ads by some of the top executives in the advertising business.