Social Networking

Part #1
I started using social media about 8 years ago when I was 13. I used the social service, AIM, which stands for AOL Instant Messenger. On AIM, I would chat with friends from high school online. However, I didn't get really into social networks until I was about 15 and my friends had created me a Myspace. Myspace was one of the most popular upcoming social networks at the time. I still use both of these services, but not as often as a similar social network which is Facebook. I signed up for Facebook about 3 years ago and I use it a lot more than I do AIM or Myspace. Facebook allows the users to communicate much more quickly with wall posts and instant messaging. The features provided on Facebook are more professional looking while also offering fun apps for users. The site allows you to do several things at once which is always a plus in our media-filled world.

Part #2
I chose to join Twitter for my new social network.

Part #3
Design Analysis of "Twitter."

The social service I have joined is a micro-blogging social network called Twitter. The community it serves ranges through hundreds of thousands of people. It serves people within art & design, sports, music, charity, books, businesses, news, politics and so on. Twitter is open to the general public and there are people from all over the world that tweet. My experience while signing up for Twitter was very simple. All the application requires is a name, username, password and an e-mail address. However, once I started operating on my profile, it was a little confusing. I wasn't sure how to start tweeting or even how to find some of my friends. It's not like other social networks that I'm use to where you add friends, but instead on Twitter, you follow people instead. To interact with other users, you simply follow their tweets and profiles. You are able to read what they have updated and you are able to reply to their updates.

The goals of this social network is to follow many people and have them follow your profile. The interactions that serve this goal is by updating your tweets and replying to others. To be socially successful in Twitter, you need to follow people, get followed by others, and create lists. Social status is measured on Twitter by how many followers you have, as well as how many people you are following. But the main way that social status is displayed is by how many followers you have checking on your tweets. For example, one of the pages I decided to follow is the singer, Shakira, she has over 1, 000, 000 followers, yet only follows 30 people's tweets. From my small amount of experience with Twitter, I have found that it is a very simple form of social networking. The main idea of this social service is to update your status about what your doing, where your going, who your with, etc. To me, I don't find it very entertaining or original, I just feel like it's not necessary for hundreds of people to know all that information about your what your doing with your life.

Part #4
Based on my experience with social networking, plus the knowledge of the history of computers, the Internet, and interfaces, I think that the future of social networking will only advance in it's technologies. The future of digital social networking services has an endless number of possibilities, such as computers with a touch interface design. It could be possible that people in social networks can communicate virtually face-to-face with a more advanced webcam device. For example, this type of social networking would be similar to Skype. I also think that as time go by, computers and the Internet will only get faster, more reliable and assessable to more and more people. I think that in the future social networking might be a way for people to get noticed by employers. For example, companies might do interviews over the computer instead of in-person.

The mistakes that social networks are dealing with now, will definitely help future versions of these social services and what they are trying to accomplish. Another advancement in social networking that may take place is separate social networks for different cities and countries. Like if my neighborhood community had their own social network where they would post up community events, as well as things that our community should be working on to create a better environment. One thing that won't change regarding social networks is that some people can spend hours on social services, whether it's talking to a friend, playing different games, updating your profile, or checking on other people's profiles. As the future approaches, I feel there could be major accomplishments in social networking.

Virtal Worlds

Designing my virtual identity/avatar

My chosen virtual world is Toontown. The name of my avatar is Miss Dee Dee Twinkletoes. My avatar’s virtual identity is in the form of a dark purple dog with floppy ears, white gloves, a green shirt with stripes, and green shorts. My avatar is very joyful and happy, and isn’t mean or rude to any of the other avatars. She never denies a friend request and always chats with avatars that approach her. However, she is a strong competitor in games and challenges. Her goal is to defeat all the cogs in ToonTown, but her real dream is to be an actor. When she obtains more jellybeans, she’ll probably pay for acting lessons. She’s a pretty fast runner and she’s not afraid of heights. She’s somewhat of a tomboy, but has a passionate approach to life. She grew up in a loving happy family of dogs and has a great sense of humor.

Attending a social event

In Toontown, I couldn’t really find an event schedule that had social events listed. However, the playground is where all the avatars meet and can chat with one another. Therefore, I felt that the playground was like a community social gathering. I entered the playground where there were about 20 avatars. Some avatars were walking or running, others were fishing, some were chatting/instant messaging, and others were looking through the schticker book that all players receive. Since my second ToonTask was to ride the trolley, I went there first and played a few games to earn jellybeans and points. When I went back into the playground, there were over 30 avatars online. I started requesting friends, almost everyone I asked accepted my friendship. Then I began chatting with a few other avatars. Many of the avatars were friendly, but some wouldn’t respond or would just run away. I started fishing for a while, but there was a long line and didn’t want anyone to complain so I stopped fishing to chat more. I have never been a member of a virtual world, so having this type of experience to chat with other people through avatars was very interesting. Even though you have no idea who the other person really is, it doesn’t matter because you’re in character. Research design questions

1.Identify 3 components in the interface or world provide you with TEXT-based information. How are they designed and how do you interact with them?
One component in the interface that has text-based info is the schticker book. The schticker book is a little green book icon with a question mark on it in the bottom right corner of the interface. You interact with it by clicking on it and turning the pages. The schticker book includes options, districts, maps, gags, ToonTasks, gag track training, cog gallery, fish bucket, albums, trophies, calendars, hosting and invitations. Another component in the interface that is text-based is the friend icon. The friend icon is a green small circle with three characters in the center. When you click on the circle, it shows your online toon friends and all toon friends while giving you various options to do with your friends. The third component that is text-based is the ToonNews icon which is also in the interface. Its right next to the friend circle, but this one is red and has a centered picture of a typewriter. When you click on the red circle it shows the Toon Newspaper which contains large amounts of text.

2. Identify 3 components in the interface or world provide you with NON-TEXT-based information. How are they designed and how do you interact with them?
One component in the interface that provides non-text-based info is the laff meter. The laff meter is in the bottom left of the interface and it provides no text. It’s designed as a small smiling head that’s the same color as the avatar. You interact with it by adding or losing laffs, this is a significant item for the toons because laughter is a big part of their existence. Another component that provides non-text-based info in this world is the fishing pond. There are no signs posted that state fishing is at that location, but they do have about four small decks for avatars to stand on and cast their poles. You start by standing on the deck and your fishing pole pops out, and then you click the cast button while swinging it back. The third component in the world that is non-text-based is some of the houses in the neighborhood that my avatar lives in. You are able to enter the homes but they are empty inside with no text or images anywhere. They are designed like my house but with only carpet inside.

3. Give 3 examples of how color, shape, contrast, position, motion, or sound function in the world or interface design?
In ToonTown, sound functions in the world by making you aware of who is talking. All the sounds in this world are animal noises and robot mumbling. Motion functions in this world by advancing you in the game and interacting with other avatars. For example, when you motion towards another avatar, it shows that you either want to have a conversation or be their friend. Color functions in this world by showing you when the cogs are near and where they have changed environments. The toon buildings are bright and colorful, whereas the cog buildings are dark and gruesome.

4. How are various tasks and goals communicated to you at the start? How does this evolve as you gain more experience? Name a few ways that you are encouraged to complete tasks and attain goals.
Tutorial Tom helps in the beginning by telling you how to move, how to attack cogs, and gives you prank items to defend yourself with. This evolves the experience of the avatar by helping you defeat cogs and gain points. Encouragement to complete tasks and attain goals comes from the Head Quarters officers and also the rewards of jellybeans and points. 5. Which features of your selected world contribute to an immersive feeling (like you are really there) (reading: HOH-Immersion) and which features break it?
In ToonTown, one aspect that makes me have an immersive feeling is when I’m chatting with other avatars. I start to phase out all the colors and background motion and just focus on the conversation which makes me feel like I’m really in the game and seeing the world through my avatar’s eyes. Like in the reading, it’s true that my words through the keyboard feel like they’re processing as fast as I’m thinking them. The only feature that breaks that feeling is the animal noises and clicking sounds.
6. Attempt to socialize with other avatars. Describe the basics of what you did and the results. What were the limitations you experienced?
While attempting to socialize with other avatars, I first found that I only had speedchat. Speedchat is pre-defined list of words and phrases you can choose from to say. I experienced a lot of limitations with this type of chatting because it took me a while to find responses to what the avatars were asking or stating. So I went back to my account management to open my chatting options. Now I can type in my responses and questions without looking through a list, there are no limitations to this type of socializing.

7. What is the basis of the economy of your selected world? Give some concrete examples of ways your avatar participates in that economy.
In ToonTown, the basis of economy is jellybeans. The use of jellybeans is like money in reality. My avatar collects jellybeans by participating in trolley games and uses those jellybeans to buy housing supplies, clothing, lessons, and prank objects to defeat cogs.

8. Identify your favorite in-world activity and why it was your favorite.
My favorite in-world activity is the trolley games because there are always different challenges. Sometimes you have individual challenges and sometimes it’s teamwork that helps you win. Sometimes my avatar has to work as a team with other avatars to complete a challenge to receive more jellybeans. The games are not too hard, but they are pretty entertaining.
9. How do in-world objects tell you how to operate them and/or aid in that operation?
The avatar first learns how to use their in-world object when they receive it from Tutorial Tom or a Head Quarters officer. However after that, the in-world objects tell you how to operate them by sliding the mouse over the object and a little box pops out with instructions. Some objects you need to click on to make work.

10. Identify 1 aspect of your selected world that relates directly to the HOH-Agency Chapter and explain how.
One aspect of ToonTown that relates directly with the Agency Chapter of HOH is the pleasure of navigation. In ToonTown, your main purpose is to move through different virtual lands and experience different avatars and environments. The users of ToonTown find pleasure and enjoyment in navigating through different places and obstacles of this world.