media meditation four: oh i get it!

Sometimes I need to look for inspiration - I know...shouldn't it just come to me, the graphic designer? Unfortunately, that's not the case when I am expected to "be creative" everyday...impossible, sorry. I found an extremely inspiring website that collects logos. Not just any identity though, the standards for Logo Faves are that it has to be both complex and simple. All the logos are more than one thing, while maintaining one shape.


CFO Cycling Team
Because a dolphin fin is a very recognizable element, the designer does not include the entire dolphin. Less is More.
Sounds bars indicating music--again less is more, with a small element of the club in the logo.

Sky of Love, an organization that helps out orphans in Ghana. The plane represents the delivery of medicines, foods, and water to Ghana.
You have probably seen this one before.

This describes some recent trends in logo design - I bet you'll think of one you've seen for each trend in here.


Identities that make you say, "i get it! oh i like that, i LIKE that," which is definitely what you want for your product. If your branding is spot on, that will carry your product so much easier than just relying on it's quality. We are all suckers for good packaging.

media meditation three: thefacebook vs. harvardconnection

Photo from The Social Network webpage.

Ben and I decided we should go see The Social Network last night. It was great - really really great. The actors were awesome and the movie, though about web script and legal actions, put my limbic brain on a trip. The emotional transfer was really strong, because it dealt with friendship and betrayal. The director didn't dare give Zuckerberg any dialogue in which he admits or denies stealing the idea for the website-nor does the film show his feelings on the matter. That probably would have had to include the programmer in the film process, which definitely would not have happened considering the controversy around facebook's dealings. Zuckerberg had multiple responses to the film, which he said he wasn't planning on seeing, but has now seen. Here are his reactions to seeing the film.


So he just likes to build things? Nothing about girls or status? I suppose Hollywood could have easily just exaggerated this point, because it's...well...Hollywood. Mark says he has had the same girlfriend since before facebook, so I suppose that is entirely fabricated. So what else was fabricated?

The ethics of this "stealing" problem is hard to come to just one opinion on. On one hand, it's clear Mark sort of sniped the Winklevoss' ideas, but on the other hand, his idea for the facebook was a bigger and better one - it could grow. Harvard Connection? Seems like it would die out. It's much too exclusive.

I found a great article on this issue that reveals a lot of information about the real (not the movie) scandal. How Facebook Was Founded, an article from the Business Insider site contains dialogue between Mark and his friends and Mark and the Winklevoss' during that time right before facebook was launched. In the end of the Winklevoss lawsuit, it's summed as "dorm-room chit-chat" and the parties settled on 65 million to the brothers.

I'll end with some photos of the real people the film is based off of....because that's what I looked up right when I got home from the movie.

Zuckerberg (Jill Greenberg's photography always makes me laugh)

Photo from GQ.com

The Winklevoss Brothers


Eduardo Saverin

Photo from Internet Techies

Censored 2011: Some finds

3. Further research you've done on this story - links to and/or "embeds" of at least 3 videos, photos, political cartoons, blogs, or articles that relate to your story.

I went to the censored story’s webpage and it was very interesting to see some of the sources of the story. The student researchers and faculty evaluators of this story were from Sonoma State University, the same school that was featured in the previous censored book under the “Schools are more Segregated now than in 1950” story. This school is accused of trying to obtain a wealthy-white reputation and has been ridiculed for their application/acceptance process. This story and my story are closely linked, and I thought that was really odd that they are being accused in one story, and used as sources in the next. Hmmmmm

A video I found where Obama talks about his ideals for education.


I watched a handful of video excerpts, and they all said the same thing…accountability for our school, time to get into the 21st century, and more money to the right places. At least he is consistent.





Some political cartoons I have found as well.

Censored 2011: Is it Censored?

2. The specific results of your LEXIS NEXIS search for articles about your story - is this, in fact, a truly "censored" story? Provide us with as many links as you can to news coverage of this story in the U.S. and global press;

After searching on LEXIS NEXIS, I found that this story isn’t really censored, just sort of under the radar. Obama is a huge supporter of charter schools, regardless of the effects on the traditional public education and teachers unions. It’s the second part of that statement that, I suppose, could be considered “censored.” While it’s pretty public that he is a supporter, the effects his support (and his education chair, Arne Duncan’s support) has aren’t as well known. It isn’t talked about much anyways, considering the other big issues Obama is, or isn’t, dealing with.
One article , from the Christian Science Monitor, touched upon the arguments of teacher’s unions, but then dismissed them stating that “When charters show success, the unions argue it's because the schools skim off the most motivated kids (and their parents). A September study puts that argument to rest. The study examined New York City charter schools that determine admission by lottery.” This could either be just one example, shown to make it seem like the union’s arguments are void, or it could really be just one of many valid examples. It’s tricky to say, because I do know that the Christian Science Monitor is usually a fairly unbiased publication, but their single example is questionable, because charter schools are everywhere in the US, not just NYC.

Another article I found stated the parts of Obama’s education plan —the supposed “censored” parts. He has publically stated that his plan is to base teacher’s pay upon merit and student performance. Armed with “tens of billions of dollars,” to promote charter schools, and said that the Bush administration underfunded the education system. He also says he’ll use the money to support teachers—but the article then goes onto say the support will be based upon student/school performance.

Other short articles were about charter school funding, the downsides to Obama’s education plans, and a Washington Post article about what the president could/should do about education.

Censored 2011: Obama's Charter School Policies Spread Segregation and Undermine Unions

1. 5-7 essential "facts" re: your Project Censored 2011 story, based on your reading of the PC2011 text;

I. Charter schools tend to work against healthy diversity, by race and class, whereas public schools maintain a more equal “playing field” for students of different backgrounds. This is especially true of Charter schools in western states (102-103).

II. Obama’s education plans encourages the growth of charter schools “to undermine public education,” (103) and teacher’s unions. He would like a teacher’s pay to be based upon student performance (test scores).

III. Obama believes that these schools are innovative and will raise a public education. Many teachers and community members think charter schools actually demean public schooling. These schools are also accused of selectively choosing high scoring students to increase their funding and disregarding low-income or “difficult-to-teach students” (103).

IV. Obama, and his secretary of education chair Arne Duncan, lay out the policy of open more charter schools = more money for education, as well as merit-based pay and changing/disregarding teacher’s union policy = more money for education.

V. Arne Duncan has overseen and assisted in the closing of many public schools, and his most famous act was in 2004 when he oversaw the attempted closure of twenty public schools in Chicago. These schools were attended by low-income students “of color,” (105) and did this “with little or no community input,” (105).

VI. There is an immense movement toward privatizing the education system, where entrepreneurs and the Department of Education are “anxious to get their greedy hands on the 5.6 percent of the national economy that education represents,” (106). In their “Race to the Top” the privatization of the education system is causing schools to change their policies and adapt to Duncan’s “four assurances” in order to receive any of his $4.3 billion in funding. These four assurances were not created by teachers. “This is the Wal-Mart model of education,” (108).

midterm reflections: google, power tools, mediums

1. After studying media for eight weeks in this class, what have you learned?
I have learned how important it is to be able to understand the difference between info-tainment and entertainment—separate the news from the “news.” The Power Tools are also extremely useful in breaking down any story a medium is telling, which aides in knowing how real/truthful the story is.


2. What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as a critical reader, a writer, and a thinker in this class so far?
This class has definitely caused me to reconsider what I believe on television or the Internet. I have realized that my critical reading and thinking skills have improved, because I pay attention to different elements now and am able to see more clearly the messages in anything media-related. The article Is Google Making Us Stupid? caused me to notice when I’m skimming and not reading.


3. What’s one thing you would do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
I’m not sure I would change anything about my first half of the semester. Reading the books and articles has enhanced my knowledge of the dangers of being inattentive to the effects a medium has on me.


4. What’s one thing you would like me to do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
Maybe discuss how forms of social media help/hinder different kinds of careers…I don’t know you pretty much have it covered. The power tools, readings, and blogging all work very well.
I loved this commercial you showed in class...it's horribly sweet, yet commercialism nonetheless.


5. Please comment on the usefulness of the power tools, our quizzes, the course blog, your personal blog, our films, and our books (AMUSING, FEED, MEDIA/ SOCIETY) as learning tools.
The power tool were very, well, powerful in helping me understand the form and content of stories told by a medium, while the quizzes made sure I didn’t forget (obviously). The course blog is a nice change of pace, instead of long group discussions, which can take up time instead of moving onto new things. The personal blog has made me feel more comfortable with blogging, and I feel I will start my own finally. The films were all really interesting to apply our power tools to and the books formed concrete evidence of what we learned in class.

camp champ radio spot: you won't go hungry with feed

HORN
— Hey, do you like being left out? Being meg boring?
— Do you like lugging your laptops, cell phones, and mp3 players around all the time?

JORDAN
— You don’t have to anymore! You have worked hard, now let FEED work for you.
— It does everything, so you don’t have to.

GEOFF
— Just think, you are dying to hear that new Justin Bieber track, but you don’t have it on your mp3 player, and it’s not on the radio. Just request the song on your FEED and just like that, it plays!

TEDDY
— Quendy and Titus love their FEEDs!

HORN+JORDAN
— (say together, monotone) All my friends have the FEED. I love my FEED. It’s so meg brag.

TEDDY
— Don’t be weasel-faced! Get a FEED!
— The FEED will make all your dreams come true.

REBEKAH
— And now, with this limited time offer, when you buy your first FEED, you get a second FEED half-off. Hook up your entire family today!
— Feed your family, feed yourself. FEED. When everyone has it, no one goes hungry.

GEOFF
— Side effects may include headache, dizziness, chest pain, loss of appetite, hair loss, and memory loss. In rare cases, the FEED could malfunction fatally. It could improve your social life and make you illiterate. User Experience May Vary.