Cloud Computing and Social Networking

This week, we learned about cloud computing and social networking. Cloud computing is the ability to use server-based applications as a service rather than being tied to a specific platform, machine, or device. Examples of this would be Google Docs and Delicious. Google Docs is an interesting program because it allows users to create spreadsheets, calendars, presentations, and documents and then share that information with other users. The group is able to edit and update materials and keep everything together instead of on different computers, etc. Delicious, and other social bookmarking sites, let people tag different sites and share them. This allows users to share their favorites and pick-up a few new favorites along the way. We also learned about social networking sites and how they are both helping and hindering effective communication. Social networking sites like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace promote social interaction through a computer but seem to be taking away the "human" aspect of relationships. Long-term effects (whether detrimental or beneficial) are still to be determined and will have to monitored in the long run.

I will definitely use social networking and cloud computing in my field. I will use Google Docs to share ideas and schedules with my producers and co-workers. Delicious will be a great resource to discover what audiences are interested in. By paying attention to websites like Delicious, I will be able to find the latest viral video or helpful website and then share it with my viewers in the "kicker section" of a news cast. I will use social networking to find interesting videos or stories about people and to also keep in touch with viewers.

I found this article that outlines the positives associated with social networking. Since we talked about this subject in our class forum this week, I thought it was fitting to use this article from The Washington Times. This article highlights that parents have a huge responsibility to monitor content, limit the amount of time their kids are spending online and to also set ground rules for safe websurfing.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/28/social-networking-benefits-validated/