Week 5 topic 2

I think the actions by Julian Assange are good. Julian Assange emblems the modern definition of online activism, through the brave activities by WikiLeaks, the public can understand relevant information that they should be aware. More so, the actions of WikiLeaks assist in fighting graft by exposing some of the corrupt deeds committed by leaders in the position of power. Furthermore, some of the organization spends a lot of money in concealing information that would be critical to the public.

Following the ousting of the Kenyan dictator, Daniel Arap Moi, the government created a commission with the aim of cleaning out corruption perpetuated by the previous regime. However, after the findings of the report, the government failed to act as per its recommendation and instead used the information as leverage of the former country’s president. The public of the country had been unaware of the corrupt actions of the government. However, WikiLeaks helped in uncovering the story which the Kenyan public would not have been able to access.

I am satisfied with the steps that are being taken on the protection of copyrights. With the introduction of mobile applications such as tidal, Spotify, apple music, the artist can get the best out of their musical material. The move has helped in removing the exploitive middlemen in copyright industries and record labels. More the current technology has contributed immensely in contributing to freedom of speech. The current technology gives the artist the ability to air their projects without the interruptions by music labels.

YouTube is an excellent example of how the current technology has helped in relaxing exploitive copyright laws.  For instance, any talented musician has the freedom to redo and air a song by another artist. The mechanism is known as cover music, and with the exposure, it has been possible to scout talent that had been previously suppressed.

Week 5 Topic 1

           The people at the concert have been deemed as carrying out illegal behavior because they are listening to remixed music. Culture always builds from the past, therefore making their action unlawful creates a moral dilemma which should further be explored instead of criminalized. The activities are similar to past music which carried similarities in recordings such as the Staple Singers, “this may be my last time” and the Rolling Stone, “the last time”. Additionally, the corporates are allowed to file lawsuits on what they feel does not suit them.

Copyrights were created to encourage creativity. However, huge corporations are exploiting the music institution to make money rather than the desired effect of encouraging originality. Through the creation of strained laws, the corporates build exploiting rather than stimulating production. Additionally, the law is supposed to provide between personal data and that of the public domain, however, creating restrains creates a monopoly in the music industry.

Napster allowed sharing of music which is an essential component towards the innovation of more music. However, when the corporate instructed the shutdown of the website, they went beyond their reach. More so, they went further to incriminate individuals. In essence, by criminating Napster, the corporation created a monopoly which aims at satisfying their selfish needs rather than giving power to the people.

When people share information without any contribution to the creator, it is illegal since the hard work of the artist goes unrecognized. However appropriate laws should be created to allow free sharing considering that not all people are financially endowed. More so, the current laws suit by record labels and copyright industries serve to their benefit rather than the artist and the public. As a result, the oppression affects both the creativity of emerging artists and the artist owning the work.

Taste The Feeling - Coca Cola Ad (NCT 127 Ver.)

Coca-Cola Taste the feeling Ad( Project#1)

The ad begins with the scene of a glassful of Coca-Cola overflowing ice. It is followed by various scenes of excitement, friendship, and love. In the first incident, some friends are skiing, in the next, some friends are having a good time together, and then, a girl and a boy are smooching in the library. One scene shows a party in which a young couple drinks the coca cola from the same bottle. In the end, it is ‘taste the feeling.’ When you are alone, coca cola is still there, being the great companion that it is.  

The ad depicts the presence of coca cola in the lives of the youth, bringing them joy and laughter. No fun moment and friendship is complete without coca cola. The advert is made to just shake your emotions, making you feel nostalgic about moments of friendship, love, and fun. The ad closes with a guy gulping a coca cola and then a girl is in a bear hug. The emotions that the ad provokes are those of longing, happiness, and fun.

The target population is the millennial generation, whose life is hip and fun. The advert is built based on the lifestyle of a young person. Most millennial people are always looking for a fun time and life at the moment. The Coca-Cola Company contends coca cola is the best company for enjoyable times. The fellows in the advert are picked from the millennial generation, which is the target audience. The ad presumes that the target group is already conversant with the product. Its main objective is to reminisce. The ad portrays the ordinary life of a millennial and their ‘work hard play hard’ lifestyle. When the ad was made, its intention was to connect with the feelings it elicits and mirrors the same enthusiasm that the millennial generation has. The ad implies that y drinking coca cola, you bring more joy, delight, and glory to your life.

The ad uses Coca-Cola with friends, friends with stories, coca cola with smiles, smiles with secrets, secrets with fun, fun with coca cola, coca cola with love text throughout the ad. Through using writings, the text tries to passionately connect with the youth. People who have coca cola are great friends and great secret-keepers. Whenever there is music, food, good times, and good friends, coca cola is always there. The values that the ad champions are those of the contemporary generation, that is, liberty, love, friendship, and happiness.

The American culture believes in liberty and respect for the feelings of others. It is built on friendship, love and great energy. It is social and celebrates cultural values. When these values are practiced, people feel immense joy. Like the millennial generation, Coca-Cola believes in everyone being a winner, and each moment is a moment of triumph. Coca-cola is for everyone. The ad is successful in instantly connecting with the young generation. Then, it effectively creates a recall. An ad like that seeks to engage customers, retain the existing ones while attracting new ones. Going by the simplicity and splendor of the advert, it effectively achieves what it expects to.

Based on the ad, I learned that coca cola is tasty and I would buy a coca cola. I would also recommend it to another person. Watching the ad makes me thirsty for a coca cola and for fun times with friends. What surprised me most in the ad is that everyone is so happy doing any activity they do. It is not always the case. 

Other blogs about the ad

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tiffany-leigh/taste-the-feeling-with-coca-cola_b_9390862.html

http://blog.catalpha.com/branding-experts-weigh-in-on-coca-colas-newest-campaign-slogan-taste-the-feeling

WEEK2: Topic 2 THE INTERNET

Everything that Turkle says in her Ted Talk is true. Cellphones, texts, e-mails, posts, etc. are supposed to make us connected rather than isolated from one another. Apparently, the impact of the internet and technology to us is the latter. I have noticed this, many times myself as well. When I went out with my high school friends the other month, all we did was talk and look at our cell phones. We took a lot of photos and posts them on our Instagram and other social media accounts. This lunch out was planned months ago yet when we were face-to-face, it did not seem like we wanted to see each other, or we missed one another. So although we were at the same table, it did not feel like we were really together. We were just there, ate and talked a little, and used our mobile phones a lot. At home, the same case is true. Before having breakfast, lunch, or dinner, everyone is using their mobile phones. Everyone would just stop while eating because this is our number 1 rule at home. We are not allowed to use our phones while at the table. Since we only spend like thirty to forty minutes for every meal, we make sure that we do not spend most of that time looking down at our phones. I believe this is a good rule because somehow, we have a moment wherein we really connect and see one another. 

I am also guilty of using my mobile phone and staying online almost every minute of every day. I realized that I spend 30 hours a week in digital gaming and social networking. I learned to play the League of Legends which takes up most of my time in a day. I like it because it is an interactive game. However, I am not a part of any online community because I do not like to post comments. Aside from gaming, I usually use the internet for researching and getting the necessary information that I need for school. It has been my replacement for reading and going to the library. 

WEEK2: TOPIC 1: SOCIAL MEDIA

One of the accounts that I follow on Instagram is "the good quote". This account posts quotes on a daily basis. Most of the quotes are inspirational and I can relate to them that is why I followed it. I find peace and assurance every time I read some quotes that are related to whatever situation I am in or any feelings I have. This account helps me see more about life and other people. It teaches me how to deal with my issues and problems.

Another organization that I follow is "Tesla Motors". I have always been amazed by the inventions of Tesla. The company aims to create environmentally friendly products such as cars, solar panels, etc. I am mesmerized by their dedication to create something that is not just relevant and useful nowadays but is also safe for the environment. One of the posts that I recently liked is the one posted on June 10 which is a picture of Tesla’s 10,000th Supercharger located in Belleville, Ontario. This makes me wonder and imagine what the future holds and how many more inventions can the company contribute to lessen the pollution across the globe.

Lastly, I am following Sam Smith. He is an incredible singer. I mentioned that I would like studying vocal music after I graduate from university because Sam Smith helps me to mold music work in the mind the image, feels the work the emotion and the intrinsic spiritual strength.

The post that I recently liked and could not resist but share is “Sometimes recognizing you may be wrong is just as powerful as being right”. This quote makes me realize that as much as we always want to be right, we could not be 100% right all the time because we all have our own imperfections. Sometimes, we need to admit our shortcomings and weaknesses and eventually learn something from it.

Information Sources and Fake News

The fake news may have a large negative impact on people's lives. For instance, as Stephanie Busari told, fake news about the kidnapping of girls by Boko Haram is a hoax caused a serious delay in the rise of public attention and the start of real actions to return them. This is why it is important not to take all the information we are bombarded with for granted.

My three main information sources are Weibo, Instagram, and Wechat. These are my go-to information sources because most of my digital social activity occurs in the first two, while the last one is a reputable source, where I can easily filter information and read only on those topics that interest me. Generally, I would not call Weibo and Instagram reliable news sources because most of those who publish news there does not verify the information they post. Certainly, there are trustworthy pages on Weibo, but they are very few. The news that can be trusted in these two social networks is first-person testimonies with real photos. Wechat, in contrast, is a much more trustworthy information source because it is socially moderated, and those authors who publish faulty information are simply banned.

I am usually not very concerned about some piece of news being a fake because the vast majority of news is not important for me personally or for our society. However, I am concerned about controversial news or those that are personally or socially important. When I doubt, I check the Internet for similar reports. I look at reputable sources and foreign media to get the clear picture. After that, I can decide if the news is fake or real.