One of the topics we had to talk about in class was whether or not we are bothered by the amount of "kids" on sites like Facebook. By kids, I am referring to the ones who are not yet 13 years old, and therefore technically not supposed to have an account. I do not have as much of a problem with the fact that they have an account on Facebook, simply because I don't have to deal with all the dumb things they post. I have my own friends' posts to do that. The only problem I have with it is that they don't always know what they are doing, and can be susceptible to online predators. However, I think that's more of an issue for parents, and there's not really much of anything I can do to babysit other people's kids.
It also doesn't bother me that people actually take the time to make celebrity accounts, or even one for their dog or iguana. Once again, I don't have to directly deal with that, and if they want to waste their time on that more power to them.
Going back to the young'uns, though, I do have one issue of them being where they don't belong, and I think anyone my age with a PS3 or Xbox 360 will agree with me; Apparently 98% of the people that play violent shooting games online are children 13 or younger, or at least it seems like it. Making matters worse, they all apparently have headsets, so I have no choice but to sit and listen to them chat with each other and insult my mother with words I didn't know existed until I was much older than they are. I understand why they like it so much, when I was younger I always wanted to do what my older cousin did. But I also enjoyed reading and doing other kid stuff, instead of pretend shooting people all day after I got out of school. That's grown-up stuff.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Ethnography Project
For my class, we had to write an ethnography project about an online community. Basically, I had to comb through an online community and learn about its purposes and the people that inhabit it. Seeing as how I belonged to a bit of a unique online community in the past, I decided I might as well write about that. So, without further ado, I bring to you my ethnography on the GBYWN.
The GBYWN
For my ethnography project, I decided to do my report on an online community that I have belonged to. I decided to choose the GBYWN, or Global Backyard Wrestling Nation. Before I became a professional wrestler about two years ago, I was travelling around the Midwest practicing my craft in random backyards and buildings with my friends, both new and old. Many of the people I have met through this online community have had similar experiences, and a handful have even performed on national television. The Global Backyard Wrestling Nation community can be found at www.thegbywn.com.
The Inhabitants
The other members of the GBYWN are mainly from the United States, most notably in the Midwest and East Coast. However, there are different groups, or “federations,” from all over the rest of the world. There are at least a handful of federations from England, France, Canada, and even Australia. A large majority of the members are male, aged between fourteen to twenty-five. They come from all different races, religions, neighborhoods, and lifestyles. Despite all their personal differences and all the distance between them, all members of the GBYWN share one major similarity; they enjoy professional wrestling.
While the community is brought together by wrestling, members of their group express their passion differently. Some go to talk about the televised wrestling shows, spreading backstage information and rumors that they come across. One such instance of this comes when a rumor broke that Randy Orton, a famous wrestler for the WWE, got injured during a show. Although there was no mention of it on television, the rumor was spread throughout the GBYWN (www.thegbywn.com/t16074-orton-injured). Finally, days after the incident was reported, news broke on WWE’s official website reporting that Randy Orton had indeed been injured, and was being pulled off a future event in order to recover (http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2012-02-13/orton-suffers-concussion). In this way, the GBYWN is in a way like an information community, where members come and talk about wrestling and share media. However, while some members are content with discussing wrestling with their peers, others pay homage to their love in a more active way.
Although it sometimes gets viewed in a negative light, backyard wrestling is a very common activity for the members of the GBYWN. Backyard wrestling, otherwise known as “yarding,” involves two or more individuals coming together or recreate their own wrestling match. Despite a concerned outcry from adults and parents that backyard wrestling resembled a group of young kids beating each other up for no reason, yarding more closely resembles the half-choreographed, half-athletic contests highlighted in the WWE and in other top wrestling promotions. Almost every member of the GBYWN has in some way been involved with yarding, and some have even travelled large distances to meet others who participate in the activity as well.
Although many members of the GBYWN enjoy travelling to meet new friends and holding yarding events, they are not always able to do so freely. Travelling always costs money, and many members of the GBYWN community have jobs and other responsibilities. Therefore, some groups within the community will invite many out-of-town wrestlers to come visit at once, and a “supershow” is created (www.thegbywn.com/f7-gbywn-supershows). A supershow is when members of different groups will come together in one location for a day or longer, dedicated to yarding and meeting new people in person that they had only met online. All assembled members will get together and pair off, with the intention of putting together their own wrestling match. Everyone involved will then try to put on the best performance possible, and will try to out-do the other matches that take place. Afterwards, members who do not have to travel home right away will usually go off somewhere and hang out, usually at some food establishment or someone’s house.
Communicating With Others
The most common way that members of the GBYWN keep in touch with each other is the large forum on the website. The forum is broken up in many sub-categories, some which are dedicated to wrestling while other categories are about other trivial things, such as music or other sports. Another category on the forum is the Media Section, where members will post some of their own matches for others to view and comment on. Most of these were linked from Youtube (www.youtube.com) and other video hosting sites, such as the now-defunct MegaUpload (www.megaupload.com). Another way they keep in touch is through Facebook (www.facebook.com). Another tool the moderators use to communicate with each other is by using Skype, a program that allows one user to talk to another with a webcam (www.skype.com). Other community members will use Skype to talk about upcoming matches, or to plan a large supershow that is coming up.
A Supportive Community
Through the GBYWN, many of the community members have developed close friendships with others. I myself have met dozens of great new people from around the United States and Canada, and many of these people have become some of my closest friends. I have even wrestled some of them in professional wrestling promotions, and we hang out whenever we get the chance. However, sometimes bad things happen to people, and members of the GBYWN are not exempt from this rule. One of my friends suffered a few concussions, and was in very bad shape mentally after it happened. When others heard about his problems, they tried everything they could to show their support and let them know he had friends there for him (http://www.thegbywn.com/t14901-focalin-head-injury-ongoing-recovery).
Online Etiquette
While every forum will always have its drama, the GBYWN actually runs fairly smoothly in that. Some forums are full of people who have problems with “noobs,” or people who are new to either the site or backyard wrestling. That does not seem to be the case with the GBYWN, who is normally pretty welcoming of new members as long as they do not come in and immediately act rude or obnoxiously. All members are welcome to post their own media for others to see, who can then comment on and hopefully give constructive criticism on how to improve their work.
However, as with any activity involving competition of some kind, sometimes people will develop egos. Arguments are all over the place as to who is better or who doesn’t know how to wrestle, while other arguments happen between others who just plain do not like each other. Further blurring the line is that wrestling has a history of larger than life personas, and even members of the GBYWN will sometimes play different characters, or gimmicks. Some will even pretend to be more arrogant or cocky than they really are, which may in turn annoy others. Despite the occasional bickering, the GBYWN is really a very friendly and open community, and in a lot of ways acts like a large family would.
Goals of the Community
Simply put, different group members have different goals for what they want to accomplish in the GBYWN. Some solely want to be able to talk about wrestling with people who enjoy it as much as they do, while making friends on the way. Other people like the travelling and meeting other members. Some like performing in front of a crowd, and competing with their peers to put on the best match they can. Still others have even grander goals. While some people who perform have no intentions of ever moving out of the backyard, others dream of one day working for a top professional wrestling company. Some people started yarding and then went on to get professional training, and currently work for independent wrestling companies who are not yet as popular as the WWE. A few have even made it to the “big time,” making televised appearances in AAA, Mexico’s most popular wrestling promotion. Some have taken it a step farther and have made appearances on The United State’s top two companies, TNA and WWE.
(I do not own this video.All rights reserved to the WWE and Youtube user DannyDangerPro.)
In conclusion, the GBYWN is many different kinds of online communities at once. It has become an information community, where wrestling aficionados come to talk about their favorite form of sports entertainment. It is a support group, lending support and assistance to those in need of help or even just a friend. It has become its own social networking site in a way, where different people from around the world come and make new friends. The GBYWN has become a place of competition, where athletes all meet up and try to entertain and out-perform each other. Still, for others, it’s simply a starting place for those who want to live their dream of becoming a professional wrestler one day.
Friday, January 20, 2012
A look at other bloggers: Fred First
One of our assignments for class was to look at an interview with a well-known blogger, as they talk about their blogs and how they blog in those blogs. Then, we had to write a blog about how we felt about that blogger and their blogs. The one I chose to read up on was Fred First, if that is his real name.
There were a few things I took away from Fred's interview that I found interesting. He started his own blog after being discouraged about a former career, and had nobody to really talk to about it. This is something I can definitely relate to. In one of my previous jobs, I worked for a family member of mine (NEVER a good idea.) One of the managers apparently felt threatened by this, and made it a mission to have me evicted as soon as possible. Most of the co-workers were on my side but couldn't say anything, and talking to my family about it would have led (and almost did) to a huge confrontation. Wisely, I decided to get up on out of there, but it was definitely a very frustrating time and I can relate to wanting to have an audience to air my grievances out for.
Another thing I noticed was that his blog usually isn't very political. He even says he makes it a point to try and stay fairly neutral about topics like that, and instead will talk about "whatever was touching my mind or heart at the moment." I think that a blog should be more open-ended and should be about anything or everything you have on your mind, and does not always have to be about the pressing issues of the day. First also mentions how some readers take exception when he does interject some of his opinions in his work. He says he was angry, understandably so, but stopped himself from posting a heated response back to one of his haters.
In my opinion, while having an audience decide that what I have to say is important enough to spend their time reading it is flattering, at the end of the day the blog belongs to its blogger. If that means losing a few people who don't always agree with every last syllable I type, then oh well. They probably sucked anyway. A blog should be an expression of what's on the mind of the blogger, the same way a canvas holds the ideas of an artist.
Or, at least I think that's what it should be. I still have no idea if I'm doing this right.
There were a few things I took away from Fred's interview that I found interesting. He started his own blog after being discouraged about a former career, and had nobody to really talk to about it. This is something I can definitely relate to. In one of my previous jobs, I worked for a family member of mine (NEVER a good idea.) One of the managers apparently felt threatened by this, and made it a mission to have me evicted as soon as possible. Most of the co-workers were on my side but couldn't say anything, and talking to my family about it would have led (and almost did) to a huge confrontation. Wisely, I decided to get up on out of there, but it was definitely a very frustrating time and I can relate to wanting to have an audience to air my grievances out for.
Another thing I noticed was that his blog usually isn't very political. He even says he makes it a point to try and stay fairly neutral about topics like that, and instead will talk about "whatever was touching my mind or heart at the moment." I think that a blog should be more open-ended and should be about anything or everything you have on your mind, and does not always have to be about the pressing issues of the day. First also mentions how some readers take exception when he does interject some of his opinions in his work. He says he was angry, understandably so, but stopped himself from posting a heated response back to one of his haters.
In my opinion, while having an audience decide that what I have to say is important enough to spend their time reading it is flattering, at the end of the day the blog belongs to its blogger. If that means losing a few people who don't always agree with every last syllable I type, then oh well. They probably sucked anyway. A blog should be an expression of what's on the mind of the blogger, the same way a canvas holds the ideas of an artist.
Or, at least I think that's what it should be. I still have no idea if I'm doing this right.
Google- What's the deal?
We have been talking a lot in class about just how pervasive Google is, from logging all our personal information to infiltrating every form of media the web has to offer. The fact is that Google has become the most recognizable website in the world today, as "Facebooking" someone isn't as common as "Googling" something. While they technically can't be considered a monopoly on the web, they really are as close as they can get. The big question, though, is where will it end?
One of the best arguments for Google is that they claim to collect information for "our convenience." It remembers searches we have made, Google Chrome (like most other browsers) remembers our login information for sites we frequent, and even has all our billing information memorized. While some people are okay with having all that free information saved in our history (like I said, it makes everything faster), I simply have that turned off. Or, at least, as much as possible. I am of those people that still types in their user name and password for the websites I log in to. I just feel more secure that way, even if in the grand scheme of things, some random stranger knowing my Photobucket account info really doesn't affect me one way or the other.
The other really troubling thing people have considered is what Google will do once they do feel they have enough of our personal information. Some have speculated that they will sell all our personal information, all willingly supplied by us to them, to third parties looking to bombard us with advertisements they think we may be interested in. Or, even worse, they can sell our credit card info, once again supplied by us and saved in the system, to others that can exploit that information. They may even do it themselves.
While I'm not saying Google is a terrible, terrible company, I do believe they should probably have an eye kept on them. There is no problem with collecting information about your customers, as it helps a business cater to them. I even understand that a company 's fundamental purpose is to make money, so if they can profit off of using some of our information without harming us in any significant way, I am cool with that too. I just think that there is such a thing as one entity knowing too much about everyone, and we should all be a little bit more wary about how much of ourselves we give away. We have no idea where it will end up in the end.
One of the best arguments for Google is that they claim to collect information for "our convenience." It remembers searches we have made, Google Chrome (like most other browsers) remembers our login information for sites we frequent, and even has all our billing information memorized. While some people are okay with having all that free information saved in our history (like I said, it makes everything faster), I simply have that turned off. Or, at least, as much as possible. I am of those people that still types in their user name and password for the websites I log in to. I just feel more secure that way, even if in the grand scheme of things, some random stranger knowing my Photobucket account info really doesn't affect me one way or the other.
The other really troubling thing people have considered is what Google will do once they do feel they have enough of our personal information. Some have speculated that they will sell all our personal information, all willingly supplied by us to them, to third parties looking to bombard us with advertisements they think we may be interested in. Or, even worse, they can sell our credit card info, once again supplied by us and saved in the system, to others that can exploit that information. They may even do it themselves.
While I'm not saying Google is a terrible, terrible company, I do believe they should probably have an eye kept on them. There is no problem with collecting information about your customers, as it helps a business cater to them. I even understand that a company 's fundamental purpose is to make money, so if they can profit off of using some of our information without harming us in any significant way, I am cool with that too. I just think that there is such a thing as one entity knowing too much about everyone, and we should all be a little bit more wary about how much of ourselves we give away. We have no idea where it will end up in the end.
Oh, hey there.
Well, let's cut to the chase; I have been assigned to create and maintain a blog for one of my classes. Part of me was worried about this, as I'm not entirely sure what a blog is supposed to be about. Some of the blogs I've read acted solely as news outlets, taking all the big stories today and molding them into bite-sized pieces for others to read and be informed by. Others tend to read more like journals, taking random issues the author deems necessary to write and give their own opinions about. On the other hand, I do enjoy writing, and I wanted to give the whole "blogging" thing a shot. All I had to do was wait for inspiration to strike.
That still hasn't happened, so I'll just wing a couple until my muse comes back.
I guess the easiest thing to do would be to talk about myself for a bit. I'm Dominic. I'm looking to be a graphic designer, and I enjoy working on projects with Photoshop and Flash. I am also learning how to create websites from scratch, and know a little bit of html. I have also been teaching myself how to edit videos in my free time.
Despite this, I'm not a complete nerd. I'm a big sports fan, mainly hockey and football. I have been a huge 49ers fan from birth, so even though they may lose to the Giants this Sunday, I'm ecstatic they made it this far. When I'm on campus and not in class or on my Mac, you can usually find me in the weight room. I love working out and will do so 4-5 times a week. I work at the Sports Authority in Aurora, and I'm also really big in to Texas Hold'em. I think that's pretty much it- oh wait, I'm also a professional wrestler in my spare time.
Yeah, that's me. I'm obviously not quite in the WWE or anything (yet), but I travel around the Midwest and perform in front of a couple hundred people a few times a month, so it's something. It's actually very fun to do, and I love all the road trips with friends. It's also A LOT harder than you might think, but it's something I really enjoy doing, at least for the time being.
Well, I suppose that's enough for a brief opener. Like I said, I have no idea if I'm blogging the right way or not, but this is just the introduction, so who cares. I'll talk about stuff during the next one.
That still hasn't happened, so I'll just wing a couple until my muse comes back.
I guess the easiest thing to do would be to talk about myself for a bit. I'm Dominic. I'm looking to be a graphic designer, and I enjoy working on projects with Photoshop and Flash. I am also learning how to create websites from scratch, and know a little bit of html. I have also been teaching myself how to edit videos in my free time.
Despite this, I'm not a complete nerd. I'm a big sports fan, mainly hockey and football. I have been a huge 49ers fan from birth, so even though they may lose to the Giants this Sunday, I'm ecstatic they made it this far. When I'm on campus and not in class or on my Mac, you can usually find me in the weight room. I love working out and will do so 4-5 times a week. I work at the Sports Authority in Aurora, and I'm also really big in to Texas Hold'em. I think that's pretty much it- oh wait, I'm also a professional wrestler in my spare time.
Well, I suppose that's enough for a brief opener. Like I said, I have no idea if I'm blogging the right way or not, but this is just the introduction, so who cares. I'll talk about stuff during the next one.
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