Next New

We currently live in an exciting ever changing technological revolution. It's almost overwhelming to think of the next new thing in new media , because more likely than not it already exits. Usually when one thinks of something new in new media it's an extension of something that already exists that needs improvement. I would probably create a file sharing app that allows students of a given class share copies of chapters of their textbooks. I have spent many of times copying chapters of  multiple textbooks in the library, and after the semester was done it would go in the trash. This could help someone who cannot afford a textbook, and help the environment by saving trees. The user would have to search for the class, the book and download the images on their mobile devices.

P2P

File sharing is the act of sharing and distributing digital media such as music, movies, literature (e-books/textbooks; my personal favorite), games, software programs or photos. Kazaa, Napster, Pirate Bay were controversial programs that allowed users to share and download digital media free of charge which created issues of piracy, copyright infringement, intellectual property and many ethical problems. To simply define Peer to peer (P2P), it is when 2 or more computers are networked to allow files and folders to be shared publicly or with a selected amount of users. An example of P2P is the infamous Napster. It was the first time I have heard of MP3, and it was so simple to use and best of all free.

Music was being downloaded over the Internet in monumental amounts and this created a huge controversy when record companies and music artists began to sue fans for piracy. Music companies began to see the financial loss with programs like Napster . The article titled "Online Piracy and the Emergence of New Business Models" explains the revolution of P2Ps programs like Napster. "Napster and its followers’ contribution to technology was noteworthy. A leading entertainment and media analyst considered Napster to be “absolutely a groundbreaking technology that changed the way consumers listened to music, discovered music, and interacted with music." Napster influenced the tech world in a major way. While MP3 files are still available to download over the internet, not easily so like it was 15 years ago. 

Privacy and Confidentiality in New Media

 

More and more, people are connected and subscribed to new media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Netflix and the list goes on, has billions of users signed up. All these sites require some personal information, and paid subscriptions are sensitive to having ones financial information exposed. The issues of privacy and confidentiality have been brought to the forefront with reports of hacking, issues of personal information and photos being potentially used against users,  identity theft, and corporations who have had customers financial information unsecured and potentially exposed to hackers. 

 

Most of the new media discussed today are accessed through portable devices such as phones and tablets. Because people have such easy access to post updates on their lives, some might give away too much information that can be used against them.  Heavy users of such platforms like Facebook or snap-chat may be more susceptible to have issues of privacy, for example public figures. For instance there have been news reports in the past to homes being burglarized of celebrities because they would let their large audience of followers know they were out the country. It doesn't only happen to celebrities, but everyday people. While social networking sites have tried offer options of privacy to its users, it continues to be a problem.