STOMP The Power of Technology and Media

STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print) is setup by Straits Times to allow readers to share their views of the news they read. The website of Stomp integrates content and activities in the three platforms of print, online and mobile. It was voted the best online media gold award.

Free access to the website allows Singaporeans to bond together by common interests. Users are able to post photo they taken into the website and discuss on any topics. As you enter the website, there is so many interesting links. The topic I want to discuss here with your is under the link “Singapore Seen”.

In this link, you will be able to see the “True Colors” of some Singaporean. Although it may invades the privacy of the public, but it will also create awareness to the public. This is due to the fact where people could just upload any photos they taken in the street and comments about it. Nowadays, with the availability of cameras, people can just take anything anywhere. People will take cautious of their behaviour in the public to prevent their improper conduct being post online.







In one of the article in Stomp, posted on 24th March this year, the victim in the topic is really an innocent party. She does not know what she did will be posted online and thus ruin her reputation. She might just lose her job because of one incident and this advance technology. This was the price she pays as an educator.

With this features provided by Stomp, it is not hard to see that more people is willing to provide news they discovered. Prize can be won for those who surf the website also helps in creates more news to the public.

I felt Stomp is a good place to gather people of the common interests. It can also create awareness of some inconsiderate act of Singaporean, as well as facts and news that occur recently. It will help Singapore in some way with its impact on the public.


References and Image Source:
Singapore Seen, This Urban Jungle, viewed 26th March 2009, <http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/viewContent.jsp?id=63441>

The Singapore Edison Chen

The headline is extremely catching. My initial thought was how is this act happens in Singapore. As I went on with the article, I was cursing and swearing the male lead of the news. He is a disgrace to the man, especially to Singaporean.

He claims to have bedded many women and posts their video online. He might be lying about his conquest, but he is fast gaining online reputation after his self-filmed sex videos. This shameless act has also draw the revolt from a number of forum members. In additional, he claims his online name, Gary Ng, is his real name.

For those who don’t know Edison Chen, he is a Chinese actor which embroiled in a high profile sex scandal after pictures of him having sex with several Hong Kong Starlets were leaked online last year.

Gary Ng, reveal his reasons for posting those videos online. He said he did it because he wanted to take revenge on women. It’s all started with the broken relationship he had previously and one after each hurts him more until he gives up in going into relationship.

I was sympathise for his story, however, he still do not have the rights to post the videos online without the acknowledgement of the women. In the first place, he should not even take videos of the women with them unaware.

Singapore has always been a conservative world to me and to foreigner. This action of his might change the impression of the foreigner have on us. I sincerely hope that I am wrong, and Singapore wills still remains as one of the favourite place for foreigner to migrate here.

Newspaper Sources:

The New Paper 22^nd March 2009, ‘Singapore’s Edison Chen’, p. 2~4

Image Source:

http://www.sgclub.com/singapore/gary_ng_singapores_142094.html

Poor Economy, Rise in Conferencing Industry

According to the daily news in 31 Dec 2000, it says that web conferencing leads way. It is emerging as a strong substitute for business travel.

From last year until now, the market is deeply hit by the economic crisis. Graduates find it hard to find jobs. While companies are trying to cut cost and manpower, the company that benefited from these will be those in the Audio Visual Conferencing industries.

Evident is there where less people travels overseas for business trip. This is due to the fact that companies are cutting expenses on travelling. However, companies still need to carry out meetings with clients or partners or headquarters. This is where I feel that this industry will grow steadily during this crisis period. Companies will resolve these issues by using conferencing instead of travelling overseas.

Different kinds of conferencing such as audio conferencing, web conferencing and video conferencing serve as a different form of communications among companies. It can involve more people to have meeting together and save on the costs to sent people abroad.

I feel that it is quite an impressive invention. Although there may be some disadvantages such as security issue, but the chance to involve more people in the meeting creates cohesion among the company. With this technology, even junior staffs in the company are able to see their big boss in the overseas headquarter. This will creates a sense of security among those junior staffs.

Video conferencing is emerging to be one of the latest acquire among companies due to the fact that image and audio can be transmitted at the same time. It also allows user to connect up to four parties at one time and presentation to be show to the other parties while still in communication mode.

Polycom, Sony and Tandberg are some of the examples of video conferencing companies.


References:
Travel Weekly, Web Conferencing Leads The Way, viewed 18th March 2009, <http://www.travelweeklyweb.com/article-9676-webconferencingleadsway-TravelWeekly.html>

Image Source:
http://www.free-phone-service.com/News.htm

The generation of Email and Text-Messaging

*!#@& The E-Mail

Younger staffs are using emails or text-messaging as their default mode of discussion. How true is this sentence? I think whoever sees this agrees with it. My friend working in a private company also tells me her situation in her company. She tells me that she communicates with her colleague which sitting just next to her cubicle by text-messaging. When she stands up, she could talk to her, but they simply like to communicate through text messaging. This is the reason why the CEO want to launch a “no e-mail Fridays” campaign.

This is a good idea for cohesion in company. There are also pros and cons for the introduction of the campaign. The pros will certainly be on the cohesion and encourage teamwork. The cons will be on the introverts which might become self-closing instead of opening up their thoughts. However, if it is able to get them to open up their thoughts, it will benefit the company.

Although emails and text-messaging is a good way of communication, it is hidden with a lot of faults in the messaging. With smiley faces and exclamation points, it will add a layer of confusion for recipient to understand it meanings.

Those sentences which appears in email might be destructive if interprets wrongly; especially where there is recipient in the CC and BCC fields. From the local film, Just Follow Law, you can understand the meaning of a real business class email.

References:

The Business Week, *!#@ The E-Mail. Can We Talk?, viewed 14th March 2009, <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_49/b4012096.htm>

China's very own facebook!~

China had come out with a Social Networking Site (SNS) which seems to be a Chinese version of Facebook.

This is not the first time we have seen such cases in China. Previously, China biggest instant messenger, QQ, came from the idea of ICQ. In addition to that, China also has the clone of “I Phone”. Hence, it is not so surprise that China come out with a clone of Facebook.

What’s so great about Facebook? It is one of the SNS that emerge to be one of the most frequent website over the recent years. Before Facebook was launch, “Friendster” is definitely one of the leading SNS. It allows users to know friend’s friends and also people who is practically an unknown to user. Now, even “Friendster” adopts the ideas of Facebook.

Before Facebook was introduced, peoples define SNS as a place to browse photos and profile of friends. It also offers interaction from both parties by messages. The perception has since been changed through the introduction of Facebook. It adds exciting features to the then dull social networking sites. Features such as games interaction, group discussion as well as photo tagging adds different dimension to SNS.

In conjunction to the success of the Facebook, China has also launch their version of Facebook in Chinese. It resembles much features of Facebook. China uses interesting name like “Kaixin” which stands for happiness and “Xiao Nei” which stands for inside school for their website.




The websites is a hit among the Chinese. Both of which uses the concept from the Facebook to construct their website. When a closer look is taken towards “Xiao Nei”, you can notice a similarity between “Xiao Nei” and Facebook. “Xiao Nei” uses almost the same colors and layout which Facebook used. Even the logos and games available is about the same.

Over a short period of time, Ms Chai Lin is able to make over 200 friends in a short period of time. This is possible due to the credibility of SNS. Users can provide unreliable information that misleads other user without offending any violation. My cousin is among one of which who provides false information online and get to know 100 friends within a short period of time. She gives details such as she is 18 years old in age where her actual age is actually 13 years old.

As a Facebook user myself, after trying out both “Kaixin” and “Xiao Nei”, I found that “Xiao Nei” is more interesting and user friendly than “Kaixin”. It may due to the reason that “Xiao Nei” resembles much of Facebook. After you test out “Xiao Nei”, you will there is actually a slight difference between “Xiao Nei” and Facebook in the way they offers the applications.

With Facebook as a pioneer, I can foresee the success of the China version of Facebook. Although others might see it as a clone of Facebook, but in fact, it is just another offer of SNS. Moreover, a Chinese version of Facebook might just interest those which grow up in the Chinese industry. Those which prefer Chinese social networking sites could go and try out share your point of view.

Reference:
AsiaOne Digital, Net-weather friends, viewed 2nd March 2009, <http://www.asiaone.com/Digital/News/Story/A1Story20081129-104337.html>

Image Source:
http://www.facebook.com
http://www.xiaonei.com
http://www.kaixin001.com

Introduction to my first web blog!~

Welcome to Jayis first web blog.

This web blog is setup for my current assignment. In this blog, i will discuss on issues you have seen on the media. There is also personal views and opinions base on changes that happens lately.

By the end of my assignment, i hope to achieve motivation to continue my blog postings on future New's analysis and discussion.

What's so different between web blog and printed article.

The difference here is online postings can be edited and discussed anytime, whereas printed article could not. Once the article is posted, it cannot be edited. Hence, any comments and discussions is greatly welcome. I will consider any suggestions for improvement in my future posts.

Please drop by more frequently and recommend this blog to your friends if you find it good.