The first time I live-tweeted an event, it was unintentional. I was watching the Golden Globes and began using the hashtag (#goldenglobes) for the sake of convenience in following everyone else’s awards commentary. It didn’t occur to me that what I was doing was considered “live-tweeting, ” until I suddenly gained 20 new followers and potentially had 20 other followers who were ready to yell at me in 140 characters or less. Then I started to understand the pros and cons of live-tweeting.

Provided that the event itself is buzz-worthy (highly-anticipated, well-attended/viewed, featuring people with influence/celebrities), the hashtag should itself gain momentum. All of this criteria applied to the Golden Globes. I had conversations with people who were watching the awards at the same time, as well as those who could not access a television and were thankful for tidbits of real-time information (i.e. “Kate Winslet is so classy!” and “Why does Drew Barrymore’s hair keep getting bigger???” and “Did Colin Farrell really just make a coke joke?”). Of course, there were people on the West Coast who were understandably peeved about having to avoid Twitter for the fear of ruining the surprise of who wins; others simply did not want #goldenglobes to continually dominate their tweet feeds. The former are the people who followed me (as I found people through Twitter Search and followed them) and the latter are those who temporarily hated me.

When it come down to it, live-tweeting involves talking about ONE subject repeatedly. Just as it gets tiresome to overhear two people’s conversation without being able to leave, it is much the same on Twitter with @replies.

******In the middle of writing this post, I read on Twitter that a plane crashed in Clarence, NY, on its way to Buffalo from Newark, NJ.  It was a Continental commuter plane carrying 44 passengers and 4 crew members, none of whom are reported to have survived. The plane also struck 1 or 2 people on the ground. @KeithBurtis was the first to tweet about it and is getting numerous phone calls from the media for eyewitness reports; he’s understandably upset about the circumstances while still having to provide information to news outlets, who will thus report to the rest of the world:

Another neighbor, SpiketheCowboy711, took a video of the crash site and the massive fire.  He zooms in on the firemen at the scene.  His raw footage was already played on CNN and is being retweeted over and over on Twitter.

I promise to continue my original post as soon as possible but this tragedy was just too immediate to ignore.  As for @KeithBurtis and SpiketheCowboy711 (as well as all of my followers who kept me posted before I could find any information on CNN or The New York Times), they’re the real live-tweeters I need to be following tonight.

President Obama is, undeniably, the first U.S. President of the digital age. Throughout his election campaign, Obama became a wildly popular participant in a wide range of social networks (from Twitter to YouTube, LinkedIn to Flickr; and, of course, on Facebook and MyBarackObama.com). By utilizing online technologies to reach out to citizens and to organize countless enthusiastic communities, Obama and his new media team amassed millions of supporters through conversation and interaction. By talking as well as listening to voters, Obama successfully opened up the lines of communication with citizens – people developed immense loyalty and support for the candidate who could seemingly empower and unite anyone, in a genuine and far-reaching way. Of course, this story is already old news because the technologically-savvy President is now in office. That is, the transition to a two-way administration that facilitates increased transparency has only just begun. Case in point: digital fireside chats (formerly located here, before Inauguration), The Citizen’s Briefing Book, and the first ever Presidential Blackberry.

What comes as more of a surprise, however, is the legislative branch’s own forays into new media tools. Beginning to break its closed shell of stodginess, Congress can be found tweeting under the Twitter usernames @HouseFloor and @SenateFloor

They may not @reply or follow others - however, it's definitely a new form of communicating Congressional activity.

Perhaps even more exciting, Congress has been developing their commercial-free YouTube “hubs” for both the House of Representatives (HouseHub) as well as the Senate (SenateHub). These sites feature an interactive Google Map through which users are encouraged to “Discover, Connect, and Engage with [their] Government.” By clicking on a state, the map displays the links to that state’s Representatives’ or Senators’ YouTube channel (provided they have one). Though YouTube manages these hubs, each Congressperson’s office creates the original content for their individual channels – a huge step in the direction of a more transparent and open government.

In addition to clicking on the state, there is also a drop-down menu from which you can select your state.

In the video below, both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate welcome citizens to check out Congress’s new home on the internet. Despite their differences, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says, “one thing we can agree on is the importance of utilizing technology to communicate with constituents.” They welcome comments and response videos from citizens, thus encouraging people to directly access and communicate with their elected officials. In other words, instead of mass calling a Senator’s office, people can also create YouTube video responses. This ability has shifted into every internet user’s hands, along with the responsibility to find their representatives on YouTube and to keep tabs on their activity in Washington D.C. This “backstage pass to government” may be unprecedented, but it is certainly welcome.

Oh, and there’s also a new iPhone application called Town Hall that gives you information on all current or past members of Congress – it even gives Twitter Search results that display what people are tweeting about that representative. Now if only this application would also link to each Congressperson’s YouTube page…

Despite the busy week and the fact that I should be reviewing Supreme Court cases, I’ll attempt to list the news I’m currently excited about.  If this bullet format seems like a trend of mine, you can attribute it to my love for Twitter – which happens to fit my scattered thoughts perfectly.  As I’ve said before, Twitter is always the best place to see what I’m doing/thinking (also known as virtually lurking me – it’s okay, that’s kind of the point).

• President Obama gets to keep his beloved Blackberry, though he’s upgrading to a more exclusive, high-security version.  Barackberry v.2?  I completely understand this personal victory, as I’m becoming more attached to my own new Blackberry.  This change in the executive branch’s connectedness should be welcome because Obama IS the first U.S. President of the digital age (the White House, on the other hand, needs some adapting).

• In addition to CNN/Facebook’s livestream and feed of Facebook updates, Microsoft Photosynth was taking people’s 2D photos of the event and overlapping each picture’s unique perspective to create a 3D experience. Last spring, a speaker came to my Anthropology of Media course and actually demonstrated this technology – he showed us how thousands of individual tourists’ photos of Notre Dame could be “stitched together” in a way that allows people to explore popular destinations from their computer.  From what I remember, you can click on any single layer (representing an individual photo) and the program will show you the exact position from which the picture was taken (i.e. where the photographer was standing).

• The Undercurrent Social Island(TM) is in full effect, as Julia put it the other day. We’re avid socializers and self-proclaimed digital ninjas (hii-yah!):

Also in this pic: Ana and Sean, Julia took the photo. I'm hunched over, writing something down.

Sorry for the rushed post.  Until next week.

A month or so ago, I gave a presentation to my Thinking About Seeing class (a Gallatin seminar about visual communication – art, media, etc.) about Marshall McLuhan‘s theory as it applies to the Internet today. That is, “the medium is the message” in that the internet collapses time and space restrictions while facilitating real-time communication within online communities, ultimately altering our perception and awareness, and thus “retribalizing” the world into a new “global village” where people “react and interact simultaneously to every stimulus.” (Yes, I just tried to cram several of McLuhan’s central theses into one run-on sentence.) To give a web example, I introduced and explained Twitter as a medium for “citizen journalism” and a network through which to build community and conversation. Considering that the internet is an inherently interesting and relevant topic to college students, and the fact that I was channeling my tour guide skills, the presentation went very well.

One of my presentation slides

Certain people’s reactions to Twitter, however, really bothered me. One girl immediately raised her hand, accused me of “drinking the Kool-Aid,” and exasperatedly declared, “But it’s NOT REAL.” Another boy waited until the next class to inform me, “I was laughing all weekend thinking about you Twittering.” I initially thought he was curious and suggested he join Twitter, to which he replied with disgust. This pretentious close-mindedness still frustrates me, even a month later. After all, I’m quite the Junior McLuhan when trying to analyze the contemporary desire to cling to “the real world” of print and all things non-digital. In other words, people who hate on Twitter, or the digital world in general, do so because they’re romanticizing past media; by attaching “realness” to print media, they’re expressing nostalgia for the kind of physical tangibility (specifically touch and smell) that the internet cannot provide. Of course, the fact that the internet transcends the realm of the “real” derives from this very lack of physicality, for physicality in media is bounded to time and space.

Despite what these digital skeptics believe, Twitter has recently received MSM attention in light of social media’s response to last week’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The New York Times defined Twitter as “a short-message service that has evolved from an oddity to a full-fledged news platform in just two years,” whereas CNN began its article with the following statement, which has since been edited out: “It was the day social media appeared to come of age and signaled itself as a news gathering force to be reckoned with.” Both sources wrote about the utility of Twitter and the way it enabled those living or staying in Mumbai to tweet about the situation as it unfolded. One of my Twitter followers, @gsik (Gaurav Sikka), only recently moved from NYC to Mumbai; I found out about the attacks when his tweets appeared in my feed. Based on his updates, I quickly checked MSM sources online to confirm what was happening. Two or three days into the attacks, Gaurav blogged about his experience – including his mention on CNN and various interviews. In his words: “I’ve always been a huge Twitter fanboy but am still marveling at its worldwide adoption over the past several hours as an instant communication and event tracking tool! Tipping point for twitter? I think so.”

The #mumbai hashtag allowed for all relevant tweets about Mumbai to be aggregated into one tweetstream

This “tipping point” has been in the making since I first joined Twitter in May, as evidenced by the social media community’s response to other crises or breaking news – i.e. the earthquake in California, Tim Russert’s death, Election 2008, and #MotrinMoms. But after the events of this past week, Twitter has proven its value in the so-called real world. Because the internet, whether or not people choose to acknowledge it, is rapidly becoming an integral part of the real world. It is real because it can no longer be separated from real news or real people. The relationship between the real and digital worlds flows in both directions – it is one of constant dialogue between official sources and social-media-enthusiasts-cum-citizen-journalists.

The latest MSM opinion in this conversation? It comes from CNN’s conclusion that “although Twitter remains a useful tool for mobilizing efforts and gaining eyewitness accounts during a disaster, the sourcing of most of the news cannot be trusted,” ultimately amounting to “an endless circle of recycled information.” (Somehow, I find this statement self-serving – probably because only CNN provides trustworthy news?)

Mathew Ingram makes a strong argument against this stance that Twitter provides unsubstantiated journalism, instead emphasizing how Twitterers quickly corrected the false reports on the status of the attacks in Mumbai. And as VentureBeat adds, “Twitter is just another source” of journalism, albeit one that happens to come directly from those at the scene. Therefore Twitter isn’t just a “circle of recycled information” – it fosters conversation between people who share information and those who want to know if that information is true. Twitter and social media constitute a launching pad for further inquiry or research into any news topic.

TechCrunch blatantly puts it best: “You can jump up and down and shout all you want that Twitter isn’t a real news source. But all you are doing is viewing the world through a reality lens that’s way outdated.” The digital world is merging with the real world in a way that infinitely expands access to information and connectedness with others – what remains is the decision whether to embrace and benefit from new media, or to denounce it and get stuck in the past.

Image from www.darkroastedblend.com

• This Thursday, 11/13, the Gallatin Journal of Global Affairs will be holding its delayed launch party for the 2008 edition in which my paper (“From Combined to Green Propaganda: BP’s Decade-Long Greenwashing Cycle”) is published. I originally wrote the research paper for my Propaganda course last fall. I volunteered to do a 5-minute reading of it at the event, which will probably be small and intimate (true Gallatin-style). Any NYU student can come so if you’re interested in free “global” food and drinks, and my nervous tongue-tied reading, definitely come (715 Broadway, Rm. 522, 7 pm)!

• On an equally (if not more) dorky note, I can’t wait to register for spring semester courses. My top choices? New Media Research Studio, Finance for Social Theorists, Law & Society, and Biology & Society. It would be fair at this point to conclude that I like society and all things social. If you were my mom (and yes, my mom does read my blog), this would be the point at which you ask me what I plan to do with my life…to which I would respond with a deeply-frustrated sigh and again bring up the possibility of law school to assuage her (and my) anxiety.

Since I actually abandoned this post halfway through and have now returned to it whilst in the middle of writing said fifth paper, I will make this last point short.

I AM EXCITED THAT BARACK OBAMA IS NOW PRESIDENT-ELECT.

notice "flagboy" who eventually got arrested. pic from Max's iPhone.

A little delayed, but there we go. It’s old news but it’s amazing news. Max and I spent Election Day (that is to say, Election Night) celebrating with the huge crowds in Union Square and in the East Village. Everyone was ecstatic, high-fiving, cheering, and simultaneously shouting variations of “Obama,” “No More Bush,” “Yes We Can (Si Se Puede),” and “Yes We Did.” There was one guy who kept trying to start a “The Red is Dead” chant, which signified to me the bipartisanship/divisiveness which Obama denounces. What immediately ran through my head was the following: “We have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.” So in the unifying spirit of Obama’s victory and an unbelievable Election Day, I started cheering “USA,” and people joined in (that is, after the guy with the bullhorn helped).

Max's again.

And the fact that Obama’s victory was largely attributed to his engagement with and mobilization of people on the internet is unprecedented. Change.gov allows people to send in their stories and reactions to the election, submit their ideas on what the next administration should do, and also apply for a job. Seriously. This website, along with the fact that my.barackobama.com is going to “live on” (thanks Mike for the link) makes me excited about the ways in which the people will interact and communicate with the next President of the United States. There has been much talk about digital “fireside chats.” TechPresident is also a website tracking the presidential campaign/administration’s relationship with the internet (Barack + internet = BFF, IMO). Bottom line: A new and connected kind of presidential administration? Yes, please. I will work for your new media team anyday, Barack!

Badass.

I have to return to my paper now but expect a post soon about the possible deterioration of intellectual life in college and why I think that is bull.

So the picture's grainy and the bottom is cut off, but look, it's me!

I’ll be a part of this panel on Thursday and it promises to be interesting (who hasn’t been talking about the presidential election and its various campaigns?).  The event is open to any NYU student/faculty member and provides FREE COFFEE.  Come watch and discuss (the second half is an open discussion!) while caffeinating yourself for a long night of midterm studying!

PAPERS PAPERS PAPERS – one was due Tuesday, one was due Thursday, two more due Monday

(writer’s block turned into writer’s paralysis. hence the aversion to writing

ECONOMY – more so due to my macroeconomics midterm this morning. also due to the financial crisis.

ELECTION – the media as a monster/evil/machine of distortion?? or the distributor of information?

the boy and girl who cried, “gotcha” journalism!!!

Palin. ? ! …

Jessica Alba and other celebs for the Declare Yourself campaign

IMPORTANT SITES FOR VOTING INFO

countmore.org

[if you're a college student, tells you which state should you vote in according to last election's margin of victory]

https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx

[for New Yorkers - check to see if you (or your friends) or registered to vote]

declareyourself.com – convinces young adults to vote via funny videos and disturbing ads of Jessica Alba (and other celebs)

Google Maps voter info – literally shows you where you can vote and how to register

OR if you’re tired of politics and just want a Japanese site that’ll let you mix-and-match the “melodies” of lingerie pieces to create your own song…um, click here? (seriously).

The icon is a woman whose back is turned, holding her hands (and the p-mate) in front of her crotch.

After looking at the photos on their site , I would say that it is essentially a paper penis.  It’s designed to go under your crotch and stick out the front, so that the urine rolls down the path (gravity’s awesome!) and out onto the ground, like…if women were to have penises.  In which case, the world would be our urinal as well.

Hahaha.

There are so many things I could say but I’ll just put them in short blurbs.  The P-mate is convenient.  And ridiculous and hilarious.  Pleasepleaseplease go to the photos on the site because they’re even more hilarious (specifically, “Avoid beasts of all kinds” and “Stand by your man!”).  And while you’re at it, please buy the P-mate mug and thong. On a less hilarious note, however, I am scared of the kind of people who will find this post via dirty, late-night Google searches.

A mug? Really?

Jamie Chung (from Greek & Real World) = the Samurai Girl

It’s always refreshing to see Asian/Asian-American actors on TV: Sandra Oh on Grey’s Anatomy; B.D. Wong on Law & Order: SVU; the Korean couple in Lost; Lucy Liu in, um, lots of things. (And no, that random Asian girl on Gossip Girl doesn’t count because all she does is give scornful looks in time with Blair Waldorf/Leighton Meester). Margaret Cho had a show in 1994 (“All American Girl”) about her Korean-American family but it was cancelled early on.

Look, it's B.D. Wong!

I’m all for Asians becoming more visible on screen (more AZN celebs/role models, plz!), though it’s a bit annoying that the “Samurai Girl” storyline has to involve ancient prophesies and a martial arts/samurai theme. Also, did I mention Heaven’s sensei is a white guy (her brother’s friend) who she more than likely falls in love with? That makes sense, though, considering there are plenty of white male/Asian female couples these days (um, guilty). But as long as there isn’t another “wax on, wax off” scene, I’d much rather see “Samurai Girl” kicking ass on screen than the usual “Happy Ending Girl” fulfilling creepy men’s fantasies.

Brendan Fehr = the white guy/sensei/love interest

Since this blog isn’t the right place for me to go over the definition of racism, I’ll give my basic opinion: this gesture was incredibly stupid. Stupid and disrespectful. Because I can understand celebrating the Beijing Olympics by displaying the Chinese dragon and wearing red uniforms (the Chinese color for luck), but slanty eyes? Come on. Even if the ad wasn’t intended to be offensive to the host country, this is definitely not a case in which imitation is the highest form of flattery.

And, apparently, “Asia-mocking” (as Gawker called it) is a trend in Spain, because the tennis team thought they’d capture their own “Look Ma, I’m Asian!” picture. Pair this incident with the fact that China is steadily becoming an economic threat and I can’t help but cringe at the yellow peril that seems to be lingering in the western air.