THE NEXT NEW THING

The next new thing may be some sort of application or site in which people can link others to related interests. Users can use this new medium to locate the best deals for food, movies, clothes, etc. in specific areas. They can continue with the sharing of news, information, updates, and such. They can use the site to promote events or causes, allow people to meet and share ideas, etc. I feel word of mouth is an important aspect when it comes to new media, and something that can allow people to come together to discuss or relay information on many, if not all, categories (entertainment, dining, politics, etc) would truly catch on like wildfire.

Advice to Baruch College

Some suggestions I would make to improve Baruch College would be to definitely incorporate Second Life into our academic environment. It is truly an innovative way to hold classes, and even meetings. The online environment makes it more fun for students, spiking their interests. It also may be more convenient in that students wouldn't have to commute for their class. As for meetings, if students have a group project or if professors want to set up meetings with students outside of class, Second Life may be useful for those purposes as well.

Another suggestion that may be beneficial to Baruch would be to incorporate the Student newspaper in a blog or wiki form. News and information can be shared several times a day. Of course, that doesn't mean everyone in the student body will contribute but there can be sections where students can share information or such [like a wiki answer], sharing new trends, deals, etc.

The biggest different between new media and old media lies in the fact that new media is linked to technology. Old media items come in the form of books, newspapers, face to face interaction, letters, and mail, etc. There's usually only one party who provides information and everyone else more or less just accepts it. There are a limited amount of people who take part in information sharing and such. New media on the other hand uses technology to reach the masses. There are little to no geographic limitations in new media; people are able to connect for personal or business purposes without having to be face to face or in the same vicinity. People collaborate in sharing and editing information and sharing experiences. People are able to share photos, news, and trends within a day. And, people can use new media to meet new people and discover new things that would normally not be possible had these new doorways been open. To distinguish between old and new media, you should see if the information, item, activity, etc. is linked to technology in any way. And also see if it is accessible by anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Does it also permit user input including modification or suggestions? These are the typical aspects of new media that old media tends to lack.