Over the past couple weeks, Twitter has slowly been releasing a new website design with new features to it's users. Some people have had the new Twitter for a while, but I just received it yesterday and I've been doing a lot of playing with it.
Here is a video introducing the new Twitter...
New Design: The new Twitter has a new design, with two columns. On the left is your feed with links for mentions, retweets, searches, and lists just above it. Your timeline is no longer limited to a certain number of tweets before you have to select "view more." Instead, simply scroll down and see an infinite amount of tweets. On the right you can see your tweets, followers, lists, and trends. You can also view Twitter profiles on the right, while still reading feeds on the left. The new design makes the website much easier to navigate.
Sharing Media Content: The new Twitter allows you to attach embedded pictures and video right to your tweets, and view them right on the website. Even tweet pictures from your phone!
Integrating media content into tweets is the biggest advancement of this new Twitter.
The new Twitter represents several of our 21st century media culture shifts...
1.) Personal Shift: Twitter is a great example of how our media is becoming more and more participatory.
2.) Aesthetic Shift: This new Twitter allows for convergence. Different media technologies continue to come together forming new multimedia platforms.
3.) Cultural Shift: The new Twitter, because of how easy it is to upload media now, is taking yet another step away from privacy and toward surveillance. Anytime you are putting information on Twitter it is available to the world. Now you can add pictures and videos, putting much more personal information online.
I continue to play with the new Twitter, and I find the website increasingly easier to use the more that I get used to the new interface.
The Office is back! This first episode of season 7 premiered September 23, and shows a lot of potential for a great season. This opening scene reminds us all how much we love each and every one of these characters.
PLOT SUMMARY
Everyone at Dunder Mifflin talks to the camera about their summer. Michael tells us that he had West Nile Virus, and is happy that he lost a lot of weight as a result. In the picture below, Andy finds out that Gabe is now dating Erin but he claims not to be jealous.
(www.nbc.com)
Over the summer, Dwight made an investment by purchasing Dunder Mifflin's building.
(www.nbc.com)
As expected from last season, Kelly participated in the Minority Executive Training Program and now thinks she is a smart business woman. Michael hires a new assistant, Luke, who does not complete tasks on time and messes up coffee orders.
(www.nbc.com)
In response to the office's disapproval of the new assistant, Michael calls a meeting where he admits that he hired Luke because he was his nephew.
(www.nbc.com)
Angela calls the staff to the parking lot, where they notice several packages in the back of Luke's car that he was supposed to send to corporate. Meredith breaks in to the car, unlocks the trunk, and the workers take back their paperwork.
(www.nbc.com)
Pam decides to prank Dwight by having Kevin wire the elevator so that it will only go to the third floor. Pam gets Dwight in the elevator and the elevator gets stuck. Don't worry though, Dwight knows the perfect emergency procedure.
(www.nbc.com)
At a staff meeting, Luke does not listen to Michael and he is asked to leave. Michael follows to have a talk with him, and Luke still refuses to listen. Michael bends him over and spanks him in front of the whole office!
(www.nbc.com)
Gabe tells Michael that he will probably loose his job should he not attend 6 sessions of counseling with Toby!
After watching this episode several times, I began to take a closer look at how this episode serves as a form of MEDIA...
This episode stimulates the entire brain.
Neocortex because of thinking and analyzing the plot
Limbic because of the song at the beginning and the images we see on the TV
Reptilian because there continues to be times when our instincts tell us to fight a certain character because of how they are acting or mate with them.
The Office continues to use very unique production techniques. The show is set up such that the actors are workers in an office and being recorded by a camera crew. By traditional production techniques, the characters would act as if they did not notice the presence of recording equipment in the office. Instead, the characters routinely make direct eye contact with the camera, talk directly to the camera in private, and sometimes ignore/recognize the camera-man. This all adds for a very humorous, entertaining, and unique show.
Personally, I have watched all of the previous 6 seasons and continue to be shocked by the show's use of emotional transfer. The viewer develops such a close relationship to the characters. At different times I have loved, hated, been disappointed with, and been happy for each and every one of the characters. Although it is just a TV show, the viewer creates a bond with the characters very different from traditional TV shows.
TV runs at 30 frames per second, and we consciously process only 8. This means that we miss a lot of information the first time we watch a show. This is very true with this episode. Especially in the first musical clip; the more times you watch it, the more things you notice and laugh at.
Humor. Humor is what powers this show. The everyday office life is livened up to produce a hilarious and action packed story.
"The Office feels like a hybrid program, located somewhere between the more traditional comedy and a reality program....We seem to be in the midst of a cultural shift in our taste and interest in storytelling."
If you haven't been hooked yet, then I suggest giving The Office a try!
1. Where are you from? State or province, and town? I was born and have lived my whole life in Rockaway, New Jersey.
2. Describe a fun media experience you had during your summer vacation. BE SPECIFIC. This summer I attended Gathering of the Vibes music festival and had a great time listening to good music. I've always grown up listening to the Grateful Dead, so this festival is perfect. Headlining was Furthur with Bob Weir and Phil Lesh from the Dead. Check it out....
3. Describe one thing you LIKE about our 21st century media culture, and one thing you DON'T LIKE about our 21st century media culture. BE SPECIFIC! One thing that I like about our media culture is how accessible everything is on the internet. Just about anything you need to know is one Google search away. One thing that I don't like is facebook. It's a good site for networking and staying connected, but I hate how everyone is addicted to it. I hate facebook notifications when people "like" something I do, but mostly I dislike peoples' obsession over putting pictures on the internet and tagging. But, I am a user and you can add me here.
4. What vision do you have for your future, professionally? I'm very interested in graphic design. However, I am a marketing major. I would like to work in the marketing field where I can use my skills in photoshop, illustrator, etc. Here is a couple pictures of my friends and I that I've messed around with recently.
