Is this why privacy wasn't included in the Bill of Rights?

The purpose of this blog is not as much to inform as it is more of a general inquiry.

We are all in agreement that social media has changed a lot of things in the world. But I can't seem to figure out how. It seems like before Myspace and Facebook first hit the internet, everyone wanted their privacy. Everyone seemed a little timid to give out any information on the internet.

So what changed? Rather than keeping to themselves, people now send updates via twitter every few hours to let the entire world know what happens to them. Most the time the stuff doesn't even matter anyways. People post pictures and videos from every aspect of their lives. And nearly anyone can look at these things. Sure, they have blocks and security features, but there are always flaws in the system.

Is this uniting society? Or drawing us apart? While we all meet at the same place, none of us are physically there. Maybe it is simply because the benefits finally outweigh the risks.

Any thoughts?

What if @the_Real_MartinLuther were here?

I have a feeling that if Martin Luther were alive today, his 95 theses wouldn't have been posted on the door of a church cathedral, but more likely a status update. I wonder if I would follow @the_Real_MartinLuther or not?

Why did he post them on the doors of a church? Because that is where everyone would see it. I don't think doing the same thing today would have an equal effect (unless you wanted to reach BYU religion students, because then the JSB might be just as good). Where is everyone else? On the internet, of course. What does it take to inspire the masses nowadays? How about a YouTube video that goes viral, or a twitter account with thousands of followers? These are the thought leaders of our day. They are the ones that drive us to act.

So it would make sense then for marketers to congregate there. "There" of course being a metaphorical term spreading the globe. I think the most effective part of this new social media type is the operational costs. Marketing and advertising can now be done for next to nothing. Hire someone that knows his social media stuff, and set him loose.

I saw this in action from the people who work as publicists and marketers for certain players of the Utah Jazz. Deron Williams and Kyle Korver recently hosted a charity dodge ball event called the "Dodge Barrage" in Salt Lake City.

How did they spread the word? It all started with this video on YouTube. They both tweeted about it and had blogs posted on their individual websites. Once the buzz started and they got enough hits on their sites, the TV news stations came calling--some at the national level. Within a few days, every opening for the charity dodgeball tournament was filled. The only way to get a team after that was to sponsor the event as a company, which many ended up doing. And just like that, publicity followed. This was only for charity, think of what a company could do with a continued effort.

I hate to make a comparison, but I think @D_Will_8_4real might have more followers than @the_Real_MartinLuther had people who actually saw the Theses posted on the door.

300 Million user may not be enough

I'm sure many have now all heard about the recent milestones for Facebook, one of the head honchos in social media. 300 million users--Impressive! Especially how they reported 250 million only a few short months ago. Not to mention that they are now finally beginning to turn a profit. But is that enough? Is all really well in Wonderland? Or does it appear as a duck in a pond, calmly sitting on the surface while its legs kick in a frenzy beneath the water to keep it afloat. Now I'm not suggesting that the downfall of Facebook is upon us, or anything close to that really. But there was an interesting article in a recent issue of the New York Times concerning some changes taking place. Apparently Twitter has made some interesting changes to the entire dynamic that is social media, and Facebook hasn't let them go unnoticed. In fact, they have even made several changes to more closely resemble their mini-blog counterpart. New York Times Article A few people, on behalf of Facebook, have downplayed the changes, suggesting that the changes simply came as a result of following trends and demands of users. But if you ask me, they're scared. Looks like the small peasant uprising is beginning to make a stir in the King's court. Twitter is the new fad. Joining Facebook has become a thing of the past. Everybody who is anybody in this world is already a user. But many people with Twitter accounts can be considered cutting edge. Just listen to what people are saying around you, and you'll notice the puzzling inquiries, "So you're on Twitter? What is it exactly?" It sparks a buzz. It creates headlines. And Facebook doesn't like the attention going elsewhere. Maybe Facebook got in over their heads. Maybe they created too many options. No matter how you look at it, Twitter is simple, and Facebook is jealous that people somehow keep buying into it. So they mimic the competitor and copy their success. After all, anything you can do, I can do better, right?. Well, let's see. Because when all is said and done, the users will decide. Their success is ultimately in the hands of the consumer. And when videos like this start popping up on the internet, you might look to make a few changes as well. So do you blame them? I'll admit I am just as much a Facebook user as the next person. I'm just glad I'm not the one calling the shots.

Back in the 801

That's when I realized...

...I wasn't living in paradise anymore. Reality had struck. I was back in the real world. Well, I was in Provo, however you want to interpret. No more swim suits and flips flops. Beard had to go; Hair lasted not much longer. Here's how it all happened.
For my few current readers, you all should remember that our darling sister tied the knot and became Mrs. JJ Anderson not too long ago. I arrived back in the states with not an extra minute to spare in time for the wedding. I'm not sure my family expected to pick up a homeless looking man at the airport. They soon found out that Grizzly Adams-- did indeed have a beard. The free-spirit that had overcome me while being gone left me slowly in part in the form of small, surprisingly red, hairs in the bathroom.

And so life went on. I moved home and packed up bags for the journey down south. PROVO! I was holding on to the little dream I had left on my head. School started on Monday, and I kept it going. With the help of two twisties and an oversized hat, you would never have known that my hair was anything but honor-code appropriate. I unfortunately found a job on campus and got hired. They were quite ready to inform me that hats would not be allowed on the job. And so the dream died. And it was Fantastic Sam's that killed it.
I was a new man. But my feelings about most of BYU's standards didn't change. I 'm not sure what it is about this place, but it just tends to make me angry. Or at least the administration does. I'm pretty sure my hair looked more respectable than many of the other "honor-code abiding" students. Not all, but at least a few. Here is a picture of the glory days (last week).One day i won't be in school, and nobody will tell me how to wear my hair. Until then, I will just keep my mouth shut and act like I'm supposed to. I guess no one told them that long hair inspires creativity. I mean, think about all those famous, popular people. My road to stardom has just hit a few speedbumps and a minor detour.

Dedication

This is the start of a second revolution. The blogging for 2009-2010 will officially begin from here on out. No more cop-outs on my part. I'm dedicating myself...

I know exactly what Jake is thinking right now.

Just Stay Tuned

A much needed break

So I have been in school now for a year and a half straight with no breaks more than a week or two at a time. I am ready to do something a little different. And especially to take a step out of the cougar spotlight. Don't get me wrong--I have enjoyed my time at BYU very much, but there is only so much I can handle. I am ready to read something other than a text book for the first time in 3 1/2 years. To celebrate, I have thought of a list of things that I cannot stand about BYU and Provo, and will take the time to vent about them.
-Dress and Grooming standards (so what if i like long hair? i'm not a bad person)
-BYU girls
-Professors that need to get off their high horse cause they teach at BYU
-Provo drivers
-BYU pedestrians who walk into the road without looking
-zoobies
-being stereotyped as a zoobie
-university parking enforcement
-textbook sell-back policies
-no spring break
-required religion classes being my lowest grades in college. (i'm pretty sure i understand the book of mormon better than the fall of rome)
-couples holding hands and cuddling as they study on the grass outside the library
-girls who ask why you seem distant after you kiss them, when you have only known them a week
-"So how long have you been back from your mission?"
-"what's your major?"
-people wearing capes around campus as part of the medievil club
-I'm not looking to marry someone after a first date, so stop asking
-paranoid BYU students who spend way too much time studying and forget that they are in college
-The testing center
-rape hill (well i'll kinda miss it)
-the look certain people give you when you cross the street while the blinking red hand is still showing on the walking sign
-when people take a test and make a huge display about saying a prayer beforehand. Hat off, check. folded arms, check. head bowed, check. eyes closed, check.
-people praying out loud over lunch in the student center
-anything to do with BYUSA
-paying $150 for a paper/spiral bound textbook

feel free to add any of your own, I know those of you from outside Provo may have even more than me.

Freedom, here i come. for 4 full months!

To blog or not to blog...

So the many followers of this blog (i believe there are now 3 of you) have probably been wondering why the author has been seemingly absent from his own blog for an extended period of time. You may be asking yourself, "Hey what gives?" Well, i have no answer for any of these questions. It comes down to pure lack of effort. I believe my brother Jake predicted my near undeniable failure as a blogger, and throughout the past month or two, I half to admit I agreed with him. Why is it that I sometimes stare at the update blog tab on my computer only to turn away or simply browse Youtube aimlessly for 45 minutes to an hour? What was pulling me away from the world of bloggers with an almost physical force? Could I not accept the social tag that came with it? Did I really have it in me? I have come to a few realizations though... and I think the most important question I could really ask myself right now, is why not?

That is what life can come down to. Why not? why not aim for greatness? Why not shoot for the stars? If you think about it, you can aim for the treetops and realistically drag your feet in the mud, or you can aim for the stars and drag your feet in the treetops. I can be a moderate, blog-when-convenient type, or I can buckle down and give my readers what they want to hear. But I'm not just doing it for you, I'm doing it because sometimes I need to put my thoughts on paper (or in cyberspace for this case) to really understand what I'm thinking.

Does any of this really make sense? probably not. But "whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more!"

So here it is, my inner struggle: To blog or not blog

Adventures of a lifetime

Usually when working on a project with specific deadlines, the experiences you have along the way can be brushed over or under appreciated. But by in the process of making my latest application video for school, it was anything but the norm.
It all started with a "quick" visit to the salt flats, or at least what I thought would be. Turns out the Salt Flats are a lot farther away than I had anticipated. I ventured out with my childhood amigo, Scotty Barth. I'm glad at least one person was there to share this moment with me. Everything was going well on the way out there: good company, even better playlist, and the smell of the Great Salt Lake for the majority of the ride. We arrived at what we only could assume were the salt flats, (we had driven forever and didn't have a whole lot of time to make it back). So we set up shop and shot the footage we need.
Much to our surprise, what came on right as we started the car? That's right...the gas light. For anyone who has been to the salt flats, you know that there aren't many signs of life for about an hour in either direction. And I have now grown to hate exits that post small blue signs below them reading, "no services." Several times we were excited when we saw a sign for the next town, only to be devastated at the news. So on we went, with hopeful thoughts and a prayer that the gas tank would run on fumes for as long as possible. You can see from the picture what we were going through.
Thank goodness for early gas light warnings, because we drove for over 40 miles with the light on before we found a gas station about 45 minutes outside of Tooele. It was a salt flats miracle. And it made for a hilarious memory.
The next weekend, we trekked out to Tooele again, this time not quite as far. We found an abondoned building and trolley car to use for a couple other shots in the video. This place was super awesome. Everything was tagged in bright colors everywhere. It made for great shots. It is funny how something that is considered junk or useless can be used so artistically. There were actually several other photographers out there doing similar things.
All this work went into a 60 second self-advertisement. It was a lot of work for a short video, but hopefully it will be creative enough that the Advertising department likes it and accepts me.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Here goes nothin...seriously

Well, where do I begin. I am new to this blog world. It was mostly a new years resolution to document the happenings in my life better. I have taken from the great examples of two of the three important women in my life. My sister, Stacie, and my sis-in-law, Lindsey. I am pretty comfortable with the fact that they may be the only two people reading this blog for the first several months. I hope to grow this audience steadily of course, and maybe even start my own small cult from it...if all goes well.
So look out bloggers, there is a new kid on the block. I am terribly sorry to those of you that receive a fewer number of hits on your own page because your friends are busy reading mine. I'll make this short and leave the genius for next time.