Hold up Google, are you serious?

Recently, when you Google News keyword search for Richard Parsons, Time Warner CEO, one of the most prominent black executives in corporate America, the results of the search had you looking at a photo of two rhesus monkeys. Yes monkeys!

However, Parsons is part of no monkey business. Parson will depart as CEO of Time Warner Inc. at the end of the year, five years after taking the helm of the world's largest media conglomerate and rebuilding its stature following a disastrous merger with AOL.

Was this a racist move or simple computer glitch?

And since the Don Imus incident, are we on high alert about anything that may seem racially motivated in today’s media?

According to a Google spokesman, the glitch was an inside job and blames its computers and algorithms. Why mention inside job and computer problems in the same sentence? It’s an either or factor here. Google went on to decline to openly discuss details of the primate episode and even unwilling to go on record and explicitly disavow any racist motivation.

After doing a search today, the problem has seemed to be resolved. Whether intended or unintended, the Google situation highlights that the technology industry is not immune to social consciousness nor can we simply point the finger at a search engine, because this issue is much bigger then that.

Save Ellis Island

It's not often that I find myself clicking on banner ads on a website. After being online for 4 or 5 hours each day you start to become immune to them after a while. Today was different.

As I was checking the news on CNN, I ran across the ad that I have placed above and found myself drawn to it for a couple of reasons. First, being a fan of The Soprano's, when I saw Johnny Sack's (Vincent Curatola) face it got me paying attention. Second, the slogan "It would be a good idea you made a donation" isn't exactly something that you see every day in an ad (even if it isn't grammatically correct). Third, the other slogan of the ad, "Save Ellis Island," easily invokes curiousity. I for one, know a little about Ellis Island (where it is and it's significance), but I had no idea it was in need of "saving." Fourth, as much as a corporate sponsorship would usually turn me off from clicking on an ad, the fact that Arrow was sponsoring this (and the whole Save Ellis Island campaign), somehow lent credence to the idea that this was a serious campaign with a serious problem.

Even though this is probably one of the best internet banner ads that I've ever come across, what is even more amazing is what happens when you click on it. weareellisisland.com has to be one of the best advocacy websites that I have ever seen. The videos and images evoked feelings of heritage and history that still have me sitting here with goosebumps. One video in particular has me at a loss for words... The images, the music, everything is perfect. Take a look...

Personally, I don't know if any of my ancestors came through Ellis Island or not, but I have to say that this video has left me wanting to find out.

Prehistoric women were fashionable, who knew?

A headline can make or break an article. An article posted on MSNBC.com recently caught my attention based on the headline, “Prehistoric women had a passion for fashion.” In Plocnik, Serbia, excavations point to a sophisticated metropolis with a taste for art and fashion. The article describes how archaeologists recently uncovered a Neolithic figurine of a girl in a short skirt and ornate top. The tribe lived between 5400-4700 BC at what is now Plocnik and knew about trade, handcrafts, art, and metallurgy. A thermal well might be evidence of Europe’s oldest spas, and this tribe pursued beauty by making clothes and jewelry. The most significant find, however, was the discovery of a sophisticated metal workshop with furnace tools including a copper chisel, which might prove that the Copper Age started in Europe at least 500 years earlier than believed. I don’t normally read articles on archaeology, but this one caught my attention solely because of the headline. A few words hooked me into reading a whole article about the Copper Age, which I actually thought was pretty interesting.

The New Age of Research

With the mobile culture that young people have adopted recently, tracking down college students in the greater D.C. area to attend a focus group about Metro policies must not be easy. Or is it?

Last week sometime I logged into my Facebook account to find an invitation to that very focus group. The creator of the event works for the research group who is conducting the focus group and he had invited a whole lot of his college age "friends" on the social networking site to participate. Other age groups were apparently invited through other means. After all, how many middle aged and elderly people have Facebook profiles?

The interesting part of the invitation was the number of people who had to be invited through Facebook in order to get a reasonable number of people to RSVP "yes" to the event. To get 7 confirmed guests, there is one "might show up" response, 22 people who said "no," and 20 people never responded to the invitation. So what does this say about communicating with young people?

Even though the image of the young professional or college/graduate student today is attached to the cell phone and the PDA, we are so mobile in a physical sense that tracking us down still proves to be difficult. That serves as quite a problem to researchers whose job it is to get people of all ages to participate in events such as focus groups. The incentive had better be pretty good to get us to sit in a room for an hour and discuss something other than our Master's thesis or Monday Night Football.

If researchers realize these sort of problems they should come up with new ways to approach young people when requesting their input. What about a focus group in a sports bar? Buy everyone a round of Cokes and start with game talk. Then get down to business. Don't disguise the fact that it's a focus group on Metro policies or whatever the topic, but accept the fact that to get some research done you have to accomodate your respondents.

I doubt very much that focus groups will ever be run this way, but who is to say that they wouldn't be successful?

Abu Ghraib at AU

Tonight from 5:00-7:30p.m., the AU Museum, Center for Social Media and Washington College of Law's Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law will present the acclaimed documentary Ghosts of Abu Ghraib in conjunction with the exhibition Fernando Botero: Abu Ghraib.

The film, featured on HBO and in the American Documentary Competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, is an in-depth look into the psychological and political contexts of the torture in the Iraqi prison. Producer Liz Garbus will be in attendance to discuss the making of the film.

Fernando Botero: Abu Ghraib marks the first complete showing in the U.S. of the artist’s seventy-nine paintings and drawings depicting the infamous torture at the prison. The exhibition is part of AU’s ART of CONFRONTation: AU Exploring Human Rights through Art series that emphasizes the overarching themes of political and social protest in artistic expression.

AU was chosen to display the works for its long-standing commitment to international human rights. The film and exhibition are important to the public discourse. As AU Museum Director and Curator Jack Rasmussen claims, “Our students, faculty and, especially, the Washington, D.C. community will be able to discuss human rights and war not through a political lens, but through art. Art cannot change the war but it can bear testimony.”

The screening of Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, will be held at the Katzen Arts Centertonight at 5:30 p.m. and Fernando Botero: Abu Ghraib will begin at 6:00pm.

Sources: http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/event_description.cfm?event=500
http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/museum/exhibitions.cfm
http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/events/2007_hrfs/695

Photo Source: http://www.artinfo.com/articles/story/21231

A Chance for Answers

Unlike Cindy Sheehan, the ever-suffering military mom who demanded a meeting with President Bush after her son was killed in action, Donna Zovko is going to get to meet with the man she holds responsible for the death of her son.

Jerry Zovko was killed in Iraq while working as a security contractor for Blackwater, and she is haunted by the image of her son being dragged through the streets and mutilated on camera. She has appeared on tv herself, appealing to Blackwater Chairman Erik Prince to speak to her about her son's death.

Donna Zovko told CNN.com that Blackwater chief Prince showed an interest in doing the right thing after the terrifying death of her son, but she was disappointed with the lack of information given to her about the circumstances involved in the incident. She is still looking for answers to the many questions she has.

Prince is doing the right thing by agreeing to speak to Zovko. Blackwater has faced a great deal of controversy about their role in several incidents in Iraq, and the for the chairman to speak to a mother of one of the victims of such an incident will help the company combat the negative image it has acquired. In this case, being upfront with information will help improve how the public sees the company.

source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/07/mom.blackwater/index.html

Dumbledore is gay?

This summer, after a much anticipated wait, the 7th Harry Potter novel was finally released – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” Fans of the novels, written by J.K. Rowling, have followed Harry from his adolescence to his final face off against the evil Lord Voldemort.

Though the primary audience for the novels may be children or youth, even young adults and adults take interest in the stories. Even those who may not read the novels may have seen the Harry Potter movies that have come out. It’s hard to miss the reign of Harry Potter.

Those invested in the books are likewise invested in the characters in the books. They crave information regarding the details of the lives of Harry, Ron, Snape, and so on. That’s why when J.K. Rowling announced this week that master wizard Dumbledore is gay, people were shocked and surprised.

For many, the character of Dumbledore has a special place in their hearts. He is wise, kindhearted, and genuine. He provided guidance for Harry and his schoolmates as well as other wizards in the face of a wizarding war.

Rowling’s announcement was met with a mixture of criticism and support. However, many believe that the outing of Dumbledore will help to increase tolerance toward homosexuality. If people loved Dumbledore before they knew he was gay, why should they change their minds now?

I personally believe that Rowling was wise to withhold this information until the books had all been released, making Dumbledore’s sexuality a non-issue. While some may claim that her announcement was simply a way to generate more publicity for the franchise, I disagree. A careful analysis of the literature shows that Rowling appeared to know that the character was gay long before anyone else did.

In my opinion, her revelation is one that should be applauded. Announcing that Dumbledore is gay is a great way to stimulate conversation and introduce a gay character to a large audience.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071021/ap_en_ot/books_potter_dumbledore

Are PCs Becoming a Thing of the Past?

According to a recent article on MSNBC.com, personal computers may be a thing of the past, if the rest of the world follows Japan’s current trend of slowing personal computer sales. There are just too many other new products to choose from, and the issue of clutter continues. The new iPod Touch and other smart phones that act like pocket size computers are diminishing the need for personal computers.

The Japan technology market continually stays ahead of the curve, and their PC market is already shrinking. MSNBC.com reports that PC shipments in Japan have fallen for five consecutive quarters, the first drawn-out decline in PC sales in a key market, and analysts wonder whether Japan will become the first major market to see a decline in personal computer use, 25 years after it revolutionized household electronics.

Manufacturers of personal computers are aggressively marketing their products in places that have never had PCs, and outside Japan, Asia is a key growth area. They feel that computers are still crucial in linking the digital divide and are releasing laptops priced below $300 for the holidays.

While some have made the leap to checking their e-mail and downloading music and movies directly onto their cell phone, I am still loyally returning to my Mac everyday to check my e-mail and buy songs on iTunes. However, knowing that 50 percent of Japanese people send e-mail and browse the Internet from their cell phones, I know that I will probably soon be doing the same.

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21624720/

Brrrring... It's Your Favorite Presidential Candidate

Ringtones, wallpapers, text messages; three things that many of us have and use on our cell phones all the time, but until recently, were not associated with political campaigns. Enter Obama Mobile, a site that Barack Obama's campaign introduced earlier this summer as an effort to utilize the power of the cell phone. 

On Obama Mobile, you can get ringtones featuring popular Obama quotes set to music and wallpapers of Senator Obama and his campaign logo. You can even sign up to receive text messages about the campaign and upcoming events. For those who truly live and die by their cell phones, Obama Mobile also offers text updates on specific issues such as healthcare, education and Iraq. 

While Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Mitt Romney have also introduced text message updates, Obama is the only candidate that has an entire page on his website dedicated to mobile technology and is the only candidate that gives people the option to receive issue-specific text messages. With more and more people owning cell phones (especially those under the age of 30), text messages seem like a great way to keep people interested and informed about the campaign. 

The other aspect of Obama Mobile that is particularly interesting to me is its use of ringtones, since, so far, Obama's campaign is the only one to offer them.  I believe that candidate ringtones, if created and marketed properly, could be a great tool for creating buzz and increasing interest in a candidate, especially from people who do not traditionally vote. 

Imagine sitting at a bar and hearing your friends phone ring to the tune of Go Obama (see example below). At first you would probably chuckle to yourself, thinking about how much of a political nerd your friend is, but after that you're probably going to be curious as to what the heck that was. Your friend then has the perfect opportunity to talk to you about Obama and why they support him, which in turn could lead to you becoming interested in Obama and so on.  

Unfortunately, there is currently no real research on the use and effectiveness of political ringtones, though I hope to do some primary research on this emerging medium this spring for my thesis.

Here are few of the ringtones that Obama's campaign is currently offering:

Letter to Obama (Go Obama)

2004 DNC Speech - Hip Hop

2004 DNC Speech - Alternative

Obama’s Strategic Laugh

After calling Hillary Clinton a “textbook” candidate, Barack Obama takes another jab at his running mate in the opening sketch of Saturday's "Saturday Night Live."

The sketch of Saturday's broadcast featured actors Amy Poehler and Darrell Hammond, as the Clintons, hosting a Halloween party. Toward the end of the sketch a man walked in wearing an Obama mask — which he removed to reveal he was, indeed, Barack Obama.

"I have nothing to hide," Obama said. "I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween."

It wasn’t your best acting; however Senator Obama was strategically able to get this message across about Senator Clinton while gaining a few laughs at the same time. Due to Clinton’s considerable lead over Obama in the polls, I’m sure the Obama campaign has a few more tricks up their sleeves to get Obama some more national exposure.

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071104/ap_on_el_pr/obama_snl_4;_ylt=AqNj2tir9glmhqIt8.ajAxvkbeRF

Take a look:
http://my.barackobama.com/snl

Writers on Strike

This week, Hollywood writers will go on strike. The Writers Guild of America (WGA), a labor union representing more than 12,000 TV and movie writers, has ordered the strike for 12:01 a.m. PT Monday. This strike will halt production of movies, and force TV stations to run repeats.

Screenwriters say, they are entitled to a bigger share of the royalty payments for the use of movies and TV shows on the Internet and handheld devices, and increases for sales of DVDs. The WGA also faults studios for getting non-guild writers to write character blogs, MySpace profiles, as well as video game, mobisode, and webisode spinoffs.

The online market is becoming an increasingly influential medium. It is the responsibility of studios to recognize the new media’s changing role in the entertainment industry.

Many believe, however, that this strike is a catch-22. The lack of new entertainment on TV will drive more people to watch programming online and as a result many Hollywood writers could move to the Internet.

Hopefully the entertainment industry, studios and writers alike will see that television series, movies and new media are no longer mutually exclusive--sooner than later.

Sources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15315098
http://newteevee.com/2007/10/25/what-does-a-wga-strike-mean-for-new-media/

Photo Source: http://www.elsanchez.com