Charlie Joslin

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I realize I haven’t posted much on here in the last few weeks. Since I last had a legitimate post on here I’ve: graduated from college, spent a week in Boulder, CO for my cousin’s graduation from CU, and continued my search for a job. The first two were great. The third thing is-well, I’m still working on that. 

My last few weeks at ASU as a student were filled with studying for finals and finishing off my time working with The State Press. I had a good time getting to know the editors and reporters and thank them for allowing me to be apart of the newsroom. It’s been a good four years at ASU and I want to thank the people who helped me get through all the crazy and not-so-crazy experiences I had. I’m losing my appetite for the cliche, profound life advice that’s common at this point in life. Let’s just keep going forward.

I followed up my graduation with a trek up to Boulder, Colorado for my cousin’s graduation from the University of Colorado. She graduated with Honors with a degree in Environmental Studies. Her plan is to attend Law school after taking this upcoming year off. It was a good week of spending time with family I haven’t seen in a while and eating a ton of food at restaurants on Pearl Street. 

Now that I’m back in Tempe for the summer I’m spending most of my time trying to find a job. I have a few good leads, so hopefully I’ll have better news here in the next few weeks. Until then, the search continues. 

The past few months have provided us with a great deal of controversy when it comes to political issues. Women’s rights and contraception has been a big one as well as various economic issues. There has always been a need for politicians and people involved in government to hold themselves to a certain level of integrity, so to speak. Being the public figures that they are, every move they make and word they say is critiqued by the public and mass media. That has now been magnified with social media in play. If a politician does something they probably shouldn’t on Twitter, it can easily be shared with thousands and even millions of people. Even if they delete it, like many things on the internet, it can’t be unseen. 

This also applies to pundits and talking heads. Rush Limbaugh received criticism for his comments on Georgetown Law student, Sandra Fluke. The video was immediately shared across multiple platforms and people started calling for a boycott of his show and advertisers began pulling their support of his radio show. The insanely fast spread of information can have a great influence on a persons career. 

Despite the possibility for controversy, many politicians have put social media to good use. Obama used social media masterfully in 2008 to build support for his campaign. Getting the youth vote engaged in discussions online and offline helped seal the victory for our current President. Ron Paul, famed libertarian from Texas, has also taken advantage and created tight knit online communities. These continue to hold true for this election as well. With a strong presence on YouTube, Paul has had a better shot than ever at winning the Republican nomination. 

These are just a few cases of the influence of social media in the political world. More and more discussions are taking place online. The public square has moved online and will continue to grow. I even contemplated creating a social network entirely for politics. Still have the idea, but it’s a distant dream for the time being. 

I wrote this last summer, but I wanted to repost it on my own personal blog. 

I’ve come up with a list of various social media sites and different gadgets that can be used in education and how we could use them. 

Facebook

• Teachers/Students create a Groups for classes
  • Teachers can post homework/syllabus/worksheets using the Document app
  • Create Events for tests/projects
  • Post links to relevant material
  • Can use Group Chat in class discussions
  • Use Question feature for extra credit
  • Create Group email that parents can contact
  • Students can collaborate on study guides, projects, etc.

Twitter

• Teachers have school only accounts
  • Students follow teachers
  • Students can respond in class discussions w/ hashtag
• Schools can create accounts and post updates, events, etc.
  • parents can follow school and teachers
  • better communication between school, parent, teacher
• Teachers can post relevant material

Foursquare

• Use check in’s for out of class, extra credit points
• Possible to use check in’s for attendance

Instapaper

• Teachers create account that all students can access
  • Teachers can post readings for class or extra credit.
  • Teachers can link to Twitter account

Skype

• Professors can hold Skype office hours
• Professors can provide lectures from home if sick or on the road.
• Faculty, Staff, and Admin can all communicate better
• Students can collaborate on projects, study guides.

Google

• Google+
  • Teachers can create Circles for their classes and post updates
  • Teachers/Professors can use Hangout to talk with students (same as Skype)
• Google Apps (Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Sites, Cloud Connect)
• Students can use Google Docs for papers, study guides, projects, etc.
  • Teachers can create in class assignments that students can collaborate on
  • Teachers can edit and proofread papers in real time with the student
• Google Chrome on every computer
  • Allows for synching across computers

Blogger/Tumblr/WordPress

• Teachers/Professors/Schools can create blogs to keep parents updated
  • can also post relevant material for students

Online File Storage

• Colleges get plans for students from either box or Dropbox.com

Computers

• Google Chromebooks

• Chromebooks for students
• Chromebox Desktops for schools and campuses
• Apple iMac/Macbook
  • iMac Desktops for schools and campuses
  • Macbook Labs for students

Tablets

• Apple iPad
  • iPad carts for students
• Android Tablets
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Carts for students

Getting to work with a bunch of journalists almost every day has opened my eyes to another world of control and rules that are just asking to be broken. The traditional industry of journalism is steeped in prestige and talent. But it is starting to stumble with the shift to digital media and publishing. This isn’t just about the fact that the demand for classic newspapers is dwindling and that many news organization’s business models need to be tossed out the window. But it’s about some of the smaller, yet very important shifts in this industry. 

With sites like Twitter, there is a constant stream of breaking news. News outlets post up-to-the-minute tweets about breaking news, political events, and anything else news related. But with this new medium, it opens the door for a huge influx of amateur content. Anyone who has a camera and an internet connection can become a citizen journalist. Now people can argue over what qualifies someone as a journalist, but with the news media structure changing like crazy, the old school definitions don’t apply anymore. 

People in journalism school will argue that there is still a need for the traditional rules and control. I believe there isn’t. The smug industry is at a point where they have to adapt or die. And I’m not talking minor changes, but major changes to every aspect of their business. They have to start respecting citizen journalists and bloggers who know more about certain topics than many journalists do. The tech world is a good example. If I want up-to-date or even in-depth tech news, I don’t go to the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. I go to my favorite tech blogs. I do this because I know I’m going to get better coverage from a biased but truthful blogger than I will from a journalist who’s thousands of miles away from the action. I don’t know how well this translates to other topics like politics or entertainment, but I’m sure it’s slowly becoming an issue in those worlds as well.

Social media plays a big part in this as well. The Associated Press created a set of rules that restrict what journalists can do on their own Twitter and Facebook accounts when it comes to breaking news. This is ridiculous. I’d rather have a biased and truthful journalist who knows his stuff compared to someone who has to hide and restrict his biases as if readers are too stupid to figure stuff out on their own. Stop trying to control things and let the readers (market) decide. If this means bloggers become the new journalists, then so be it. People will always know where to look for the right news, so the journalism industry really needs to just let things go. It’s okay to have guidelines, but rules that are too easily broken only hurt the system. 

In class we’re beginning to cover social media sites like Yelp, Pinterest, and other consumer sites. In my mind it brings to light, the idea of using social media as a tool. These sites show it off as a tool to help consume. Consuming just to consume or keep up with the neighbors is detrimental to ourselves and to society, but if we use them to make smarter decisions when it comes to consumption, they really make great tools. 

But there’s a problem. Sites like Pinterest don’t promote smart decisions, it only promotes the mindless consumerism that plauges our society today. It just tells people that who they are and what they have isn’t good enough. Granted there are good ways to apply the use of Pinterest and other sites for work or school but for the most part it’s all about pinning photos of stuff you don’t have. This is not healthy for us. Now if you use these sites to invest in good quality things that last you a long time, then have at it. But chances are that’s not the case. 

Even sites like Yelp and sites that provide discounts aren’t exempt from this criticism. I don’t use Yelp when I’m in Phoenix because I know the places I like to eat and shop. So it’s aimed more at people unfamiliar with their current location and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for people who waste money, it just seems like another enabler. And discounts and deals, though good marketing schemes, just makes you spend more money. There have been a few studies that showed people who use coupons on a regular basis are more likely to spend more money at a store or restaurant than others. 

Since, I try not to criticize without providing solutions, I’ll give mine. Use moderation and use them only as tools to complete necessary tasks. If you’re looking for fun new place to eat or shop as a one time deal, that’s okay, but if you use these sites as a way to spend more and more money, you’re just hurting yourself. You can’t buy your way to happiness. 

We all strive to find a way to control our lives. We look for structure and mainly, rules. We look for inspiring quotes that tell us how we should live our lives. We find phrases with anonymous authors and act as though they’re the key to life’s meaning. Religion is based on this but I won’t get too far into that. I did find a text called Tao Te Ching. It’s the central text of Taoism. It teaches of the ‘Tao’ or the way. The Tao seems to be a sort of mindset that one must have in order to find peace and happiness. 

It’s not a long read compared to say The Bible and it’s translation isn’t perfect, but it gets the right ideas accross. One of it’s main philosphies is to not try to control your world. Let things happen and only do what is necessary to survive and you’ll be fine. It’s a very appealing and relaxing read and I would encourage everyone to take a look at it. Near the end it states what one’s three greatest treasures are: 

“I have just three things to teach:

simplicity, patience, compassion.

These three are your greatest treasures.

Simple in actions and in thoughts,

you return to the source of being.

Patient with both friends and enemies,

you accord with the way things are.

Compassionate toward yourself,

you reconcile all beings in the world.” 

Of all the lists of rules, quotes, phrases, and other texts claiming to be the moral way to live life, I think this is the most simple. If you keep your life simple, in every aspect, you will find happiness easier than most. If you’re patient and dont let people or things frustrate you, you won’t worry as much. And If you’re compassionate towards everyone you meet as well as yourself you’ll be better off. I don’t see how anyone can find a list as simple as this. I’m not going to make these my “rules to live by” but it’s worth a look. If everyone did those three things a little more often, we would all be happier. 

I have always been fascinated with the future. Whether it’s my childhood dream of becoming an Astronaut or science fiction movies and artwork being my guilty pleasure, I’ve always tried to grasp what the future would be like. I’ve dreamed about what it would be like to be able to live forever and get to see how far the human race could progress. Obviously, I’ve had to come to more realistic terms, but I still think it doesn’t hurt to think about what the future holds in store, at least in a hopeful sense. We shouldn’t necessarily live in terms of worrying about the future, but it’s good to keep looking ahead. Over the past year I’ve seen many video series and seen what the future might hold for us when it comes to technology and creating a networked society. 

Ericsson and IBM have each made their own initiatives to educate people about what society could look like in the next five to ten years. Ericsson has interviewed people in a wide number of industries and areas of study that have provided in depth predictions of what could happen to our global society. They have talked about the younger generation being the catalyst in many companies and organizations and creating new ways of operating or producing content, goods, and services. They talk about the ever changing use of the Internet and mobile devices connected to it. They discuss cities becoming connected in ways that allow its residents to “talk” to it. Watching them makes me extremely excited to see what incredible innovations take place over the next few years. 

But then I check a news site. It brings me back to reality that shatters that excitement for a time being. Wars and violence. Economic struggle. Poverty and health issues. Political idiocy. It all acts as a giant wake up call. It’s disappointing because our society has become so obsessed with superficial things. It’s hard to do half the things the videos talk about when you have people running for office that have worldviews and beliefs better suited for centuries past. I’m also reminded of all the industries that would have to radically change their business models, but won’t because it’s not economically convenient in the short term. It makes me wonder where the idea of “sacrificing now for a better, long term benefit” went. We’re all trained to think short term and do all we can to satisfy our emotional wants now, rather than our long term, rational needs. 

This doesn’t mean that the work that innovative scientists, academics, businesses, and entrepreneurs are doing is useless. But some of the things that would better our world tomorrow require change that society seems to be resistent to. Well, we have to suck it up. If we want to have the incredible future we dream of, we have to do the hard things now and make a sacrifice now in order to have that benefit down the road. This means radical changes must take place in smug institutions like education, finance and banking, news, media and entertainment, and especially in politics. No one is going to hand us the future on a silver platter. We have to build it ourselves. So the next time we hit a small speed bump in the road, instead of arguing about who’s right, let’s suck it up and deal with it. Nike got it right: Just do it.