Presentation Information

Preparation for the group project started with the reading material; a couple chapters from our book of choice, Burn Rate, were distributed evenly throughout the group. I was in charge of chapters five and six, which unfortunately fall directly in the middle of the reading. This was a very confusing way to collect information as a group because one had to assume what was going on before the start of the chapter that was assigned. Professor Fry led us to the idea that we should share our findings on our readings as a group so the contents become more clear. As our group came together to collect the information notes from other chapters, everyone seemed to be a little confised about the plot. Thankfully, Scott volunteered to read the entire book on his spare time in order to patch up the missing peices of the storyline. Hearing the storyline from one person helped everybody in the group to understatnd what they would be delivering in the presentation. On monday we hope to have somewaht of a rough draft for the actual presentation. We will be following a short powerpoint as our presentation is being delivered to the class which will explain the plot of Burn Rate briefly and what we, as a group, thought about the read.

Vritual World Traveling

If i had to travel to a virtual world i would most likely visit a place i was unable to visit in the real world on a short term notice. Somewhere like Africa, China, or the UAE would be favorable. Most people in the U.S. aren't able to say they have been to a place like this throughout their lifetime which is why i would like to experience these places. Of course there is nothing like the real experience of being in a place, smelling, hearing and feeling the different climate changes on your skin, however, if i was not able to travel because of my income i would be interested in traveling to exotic and far away places in a virtual world.
As talked about in class, virtual worlds can give people feelings and emotions as the real world does, but in a different sense. You could say that i have little experience with living in a virtual world. I have played many Sims games and at one point was putting in long hours that seemed to pass like minutes. Other video games serve as virtual worlds, like call of duty and Banjo Kazooee in which you have to pass levels to get to harder, more exciting areas of the game. Games like these have similar aspects as Triggerstreet, which was introduced to us today in class. On this website you have to earn a certain number of points in order to grow and become a higher part of the Triggerstreet society. Much time is spent on the making of these second worlds including many details in order to capture a most realistic feeling and sense about a specific place. If these worlds on the Internet gave the same experiences as real world traveling because of the many details that are included in the very diverse areas of the virtual world, one could learn much about the world within a short amount of time and best of all, at no cost to the user. Life experiences such as these could teach one how other people live, it introduces a new way of living for you, and disparity between you and others.
One thing I would not do in a virtual world is get involved with relationships and create somewhat of a second life online. I would specifically use this as a tool for traveling to places i would want to know more about. When people get too involved within virtual communities they miss out on what is happening in the real world. if there were not a demand for such sites, the sites would not exist. In reality many people may feel like outcasts so they visit these worlds to fulfill their desires. the safety of these net worlds allows for dissonance to take place.
Traveling or living in a new world can teach you life altering lessons and puts a new perspective on the area you are familiar with and grew up in. This is one reason why traveling through different virtual worlds could be a positive learning experience especially for people with lower incomes. Virtual worlds, if used correctly could be an advantage for those who want learn more about the different nations throughout the earth.

Kevin Freitas

Kevin Freitas, who specializes in web application development currently works for a company called site crafting. He certainly has a passion for the web as he has created multiple websites including kevinfreitas.net and the most interesting, Feed Tacoma. The website, Feed Tacoma, acts as a community resource made possible by Tacoma residents and other people who are interested in the area. The website enables people of Tacoma to blog about new restaurants, construction projects, and other important events that occur in Tacoma. As Kevin was speaking about his creation to our Living in a Virtual World class at UWT he explained how the blogs "equalize voices" as people spill their feelings about the community that they know and love so much. As the city changes and goes through periods of gentrification, city residents are sure to have a say about their home town; this website provides a way for the people of Tacoma to communicate about something they all have in common, their love for Tacoma. The website not only offers the blogging, there is much more. For instance, small Tacoma shops and boutiques are able to post pictures of goods that they offer and prices are included, its almost as if people can virtually shop in Tacoma. This allows for businesses to have a unique marketing strategy and for shoppers to have the convenience of knowing which store fits them best. Interestingly enough, Feed Tacoma is also a place where you can get to know people who have similar interests as you. Kevin mentioned he has run into some of his blog commenters in local bars or restaurants and has made friends with some of these random encounters.
So Feed Tacoma not only serves as a website to learn more about whats happening in your local community, it can lead you to finding the best places to picnic, to the boutique that is unique to fit your style. Feed Tacoma also brings the community together in a sort of festival sense. Also the people who blog and post comments on the website have made friends through this connection. Feed Tacoma has been a success for the Tacoma community, making residents more aware of whats happening in their town, therefore, every town/city should have a feed site.

Online Financial Possibilities

Convenience. This is the reason so many people in today's society agree with the idea of financing online. The world wide web provides the ability for purchases made easy, instant bank statements, applying for loans or credit, and easy ways to sell. An immense amount of people post their personal information everyday when interacting with these online financial possibilities which classifies financing online as unsafe. Plenty of people, although aware of the dangers of posting personal identifiable information on the web, are following through with potentially harmful practices.
Purchases are made online everyday for the convenience of shopping from your in home PC. Shoppers risk putting personal information on the web in exchange for a lower opportunity cost. By doing this, people can spend their time doing something of more worth to them instead of shopping outside of the home which takes up valuable time. Instant bank statements have become extremely useful today. Bank statements use to be delivered once a month and check/card users would have to keep a close record of their spending. Now instead of keeping track of purchases in a check book, purchasers are able to go online to view their spending record and is guaranteed to have no mistakes. People now have the ability to apply for loans and credit online through their personal bank. The process works the same, however it provides convenience and saves time. Instead of dealing with an actual person, the only thing you have to face is the screen of your PC. Selling is another way to do financing online. EBay has become an extremely popular selling site and gives people the ability to auction off products. Craigslist has also become familiar to many, acting as the classifieds section of a newspaper, Craigslist offers a wide range of purchasing and selling possibilities, to just marketing for businesses that are offering jobs. Sites like these offer easy to find information, rather than going out to do your shopping at local stores.
Financing online has grown in popularity as more and more people become familiar with the Internet and its possibilities. These online abilities are great for saving time to maximize your utility and to lower opportunity cost, however, the process which involves these financial abilities is not always safe. Personal identifiable information is posted on websites everyday and who knows who has the ability to see or even use this information for their own online financial possibilities.