I went back home after teaching on Monday. My wife looked angry. This is never a good sign. We had some small talk. Then, she asks me a question that shocked me… "why are you listed as single on Facebook?" Huh?!? I rush to my laptop to check my status ,...
Ping.fm is just one example of a "modular distributed conversation" application designed to work with multiple social media services. (illustration/Courtney Engle Robertson) I've been using Ping.fm for almost a month and what I noticed that the service allows me to form my thoughts without worrying about how it may fit...
Many times I am forced to use a locked computer that has limited access online and zero ability to add software that I need for other projects. This point of frustration is why I believe initiatives such as the Open Source project and, more importantly, Portable Apps will be a vital...
It seems that Apple, Microsoft, and Google are shying away from rigid, structured operating systems as the future of their respective companies. Apple and Microsoft have essentially spelled out that their next version of their OS (Snow Leopard and 7) would be the last traditional OS they would offer. Both...
One of my friends (Drew) has a fantastic blog that presents the critical issues of politics. The "Pseudo Body Politic" has the right balance of analysis, insight, and humor. Mainly, I'm jealous of his ability to write every day. So, I've been inspired by his work. Since the election is...
First of all, the Association of Internet Researchers held a fantastic conference this year at the IT University of Copenhagen. The building is indeed an architectural work of art and is a beautiful complement to the learning that occurs in this institution. I feel that sharing what I've learned during...
It's about 8 am, and I'm crossing my way thru the dark inside of the Easton Towne Center. My MacBook in one hand attempting to connect to the WiFi and the other hand used to open the door to the outside courtyard. I can hear the mass of humanity from...
The last three months of the research process will be the virtual ethnography research method. I will talk to ten students from each of the universities based on the interview pool or if there is attrition in the pool, a new group of students from those who took the survey...
The first method that will be used for this triangulation study will be a survey designed to look at the overall superstructure that defines this online social network. This survey will be designed to observe the individual habits of first-year students with regards to their Facebook usage and the individual's...
The purpose of this proposal is to describe the focus of my dissertation, which will be observing incoming traditional first-year students to Midwestern universities, whose hometowns are small towns and see how those first-year students use Facebook as a coping mechanism. The paper will begin with an in-depth discussion of...
