Over the last decade with the rising popularity and dependency of wireless technology, name your pick, there is no such thing as private spaces or privacy anymore. Personal time is no longer personal; whereas once one was able to appreciate any slow and quiet time, now that same person is more inclined to fill that void with social media, texting, or even a leisurely phone call. The privacy one can sometimes long for has ceased to exist thanks to the virtual noise of wireless technology. That much-needed expresso or latte is now posted online because of it’s cute yet impressive foam art or it’s the universally symbolic status of an exhaustion fighter, the wireless world keeps conversation constant even during that blissful moment of privacy. This also includes vacations- before the advent of modern smartphones, we would often take pictures from a disposable camera or use a personal camcorder to capture certain highlights of the trip, now every five seconds, a picture is taken or a live video is streamed; no longer signifying the privacy of our personal time. Privacy has become public- there’s no doubt about that. 

I usually have a rule when it comes to enjoying private time with friends, family, or on a date; put the phone down, put it away, or turn it off unless an important call is expected. However, when I notice that the phone becomes more of a priority than myself then the social event comes to an end. As Yudhjit Bhattacharjee writes “…When people had access to their phones, they were also more bored, which is not what we were expecting,” Dwyer says. Having your phone on the table while dining, he adds, is “probably not going to ruin your meal, but it could chip away at your enjoyment.” The toll exacted by this phenomenon on close family relationships is easy to extrapolate…” Constant checking of social media, texts, emails- symbolizes boredom in a not so subtle way making it very clear that either you’re wasting someone’s time and vice versa. The urge to smash someone’s phone will be there until the function has ended. 

Now, in order to use our phones or other wireless devices, there must be antennas. Lots of antennas which is not an issue for big cities around the world, in fact, we tend to overlook these antennas seeing how they fit in with modern buildings but it becomes an eyesore for once beautiful areas filled with lupins, lush forests, valleys, and gorgeous rolling hills. These quiet and often gorgeous areas fall victim to monstrous antennas which take away from nature’s beauty. As cell phone usage rises, this means more antennas, which requires more electricity, which in turn requires more scenic areas to be spoiled. Victor Epand writes “…In suburban and semi-rural areas, on the other hand, the large, steel-grey structures needed to support larger cells are harder to hide — yet some operators have nonetheless come up with innovative solutions. In South Africa, for example, at least one operator has taken to camouflaging GSM towers in tropical palm trees, with surprisingly successful results. Elsewhere, the tall spires of churches and cathedrals are being used to hide antennas, representing a positive solution for both the general public and the religious organizations which suddenly find themselves with a profitable antenna-site rental on their hands.”  It’s gotten to the point where antennas need to be camouflaged as to not disturb the scenic environment. 

Private spaces are now a thing of the past. We can no longer get away from the busy world around us without being reminded of our dependency on wireless devices; whether it be our phones physically or the antennas used to maintain reception. 

Wireless technology changed how we think of public vs. private spaces and in the reading, you get to see how technology has merged with society. In the first article ”Social Impacts The Telephone And The Cell Phone Has Had On Society”, Victor Epand, you get to read how the internet has changed over time and literally became a way for companies to make a profit out of it, also it’s interesting how they got churches to allow antennas on to there cathedrals, by implementing antennas into building it’s like the internet is merging itself into society. The second article “Wifi Hog” talks about a device that allows you to block other people from accessing a public wifi outlet which I find to be very interesting cause this was my first time hearing about something like this. Just imagine going to a public spot and doing that now and how many people will freak out cause they don’t have wifi. In the last article, “Starbucks Clashes With WiFi Hobbyists Over Airwaves” it talks about how Starbucks was trying to take over public are which gave free wifi but now they took it down and want to charge the people a monthly fee of 30 dollars which is utterly ridiculous and dumb, I would never pay a company that I spend nearly  10 dollars for a cup a coffee and then proceed to pay them 30 dollars for wifi, that is the most absurd thing I have ever heard, I would rather use the data on my phone for that, And the people who had comments posted how unfair and how unjustly this was to them and how it’s crazy that they want to charge for it.  In the last article “Corruption, Treachery and Deceit at Wikipedia,” it states that “No matter what you search for both of these search engines give preferential treatment to Wikipedia. The only reason why Wikipedia remains popular is because it’s a hegemonic relationship with Google and Yahoo. Without any disclaimer or warning, Wikipedia has thrust down the throats of unsuspecting people just looking for some factual information on the web.” and its funny cause when ever I search something up Wikipedia is the first thing that pops up.

How is crowdsourcing changing the way that companies approach creating content?

To begin what is crowdsourcing? Crowdsourcing is the method obtaining information or statistics from an enormous group of people typically through social media and other internet outlets. Both big and small companies are being drawn to crowdsourcing more and more for the ability to create content and market it in a way that is relatable to people and their target audience. By staying on top of the trends and what’s in and what’s not you can create a product that will sell and have a high demand for with your target audience if you can pin point their interest. Jeff Howe explains how crowdsourcing is so beneficial especially with increasing demand for a product which will increase overall sales for a company and also help provide consumers with exactly what they want from a product. For companies crowdsourcing can be cost effective because instead of hiring an expensive professional to do market research and obtain data and information companies can do it themselves with todays social media platforms to help them understand what their consumers want and need and probably be able to execute things in a faster manner since people today are always posting information it’s a lot easier to get the type of data one may need for creating products or content.

Crowdsourcing has made such a huge impact for companies. Companies no longer have to shell out all this money to have content for their audience. Instead of paying experts a price they deserve (whether it’s because of their schooling or their equipment), they are now paying amateurs a price that is unbeatable. Because amateurs do not have the same experience as an expert, they charge way less and they are content with it because they know they are getting paid for something they have no serious skill in. The first time I ever saw a company use crowdsourcing was when I watched ‘Best Week Ever’ on VH1. They were taking content that had gone viral on the internet and bringing it to TV and it was a hilarious show. The only work they did was have comedians make jokes and have a dialogue about the content. Since then, I feel like that is all you see. Companies are banking on viral videos b ut the sources of the videos are not getting paid, so really the companies are winning in the situation. The video source only wins if their video somehow in turn gets them some type of deal or recognition bigger than just being shared on tv or a social media platform.

Crowdsourcing involves obtaining work, information, or opinions from a large group of people who submit their data via the Internet, social media, and smartphone apps. Crowdsourcing changes the game of the internet this allows companies to advertise to a large number of people and allows them to collect data which then lets the,m figure out what people want or need, one company that very good at this is Amazon whenever you go on there app or website and look up a certain item they make sure you see another item that may go with it or they even may recommend an item that you might want by them doing this it’s like there forcing the item to you. Crowdsourcing happens on youtube every day with commercials before every video you watch and even YouTubers or social media influencers would be Guerrilla marketing a certain app or item so people would go check it out. An example is In the article The Future of Crowdsourcing said  “It’s been used to come up with new business ideas, solutions to social problems, funding new products, mapping environmental disasters, identifying potholes that need to be repaired, and even getting someone to wait in line for your new iPhone.It seems like every day there are new products and services being launched that are leveraging the power of the crowd to do something.” and this is very interesting cause this is what every major corporation does.

How is crowdsourcing changing the way that companies approach creating content?

Crowdsourcing is obtaining information and data from a large crowd, usually from social media or the internet. Companies can crowdsource to see the latest trends and create products to fit those trends and sell.  This is becoming easy and efficient to do, and helps companies get information faster. If people are going to post on platforms like Youtube and Instagram, then companies want to take advantage of that open material to gain an insight on what their audience thinks and wants. This can increase as more people create more content in today’s digital age. More content is more data for these companies, and people are giving them this for free by simply posting. You can learn almost anything online through readings or visual tutorials, and as helpful to the viewer this is also helpful for companies and politicians even. Anyone can access this information and use it for whatever intent they may have. This can both be beneficial and harmful if not used correctly.

How is crowdsourcing changing the way that companies approach creating content?

Firstly What is crowdsourcing? Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services if a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the internet. In the article by Jeff Howe, he explains how much using the media or crowdsourcing is beneficial in terms of increasing demand also getting a certain product out there for the public to see.  “Technological advances in everything from product design software to digital video cameras are breaking down the cost of barriers that once separated amateurs from professional. Hobbyists, part-timers, and dabblers suddenly have a marketer their efforts, as smart companies in Industries disparate as pharmaceuticals and television discover ways to tap the latent talent of the crowd” (Howe). What the quote means to me is that companies in different avenues can use crowdsourcing in a mo0re beneficial way for them to outsource a product new or old.  More exposure and more demand is what these companies benefit from.

Crowdsourcing is the attaining of information, media, and laborers from data that has been submitted online through the internet, smartphone applications and social media. This trend is becoming increasingly popular by both large and small companies in an approach to create content. According to Larry Huston, the vice president of knowledge and innovation at a company called Procter & Gamble, “we’re talking about bringing people in from outside and involving them in this broadly creative, collaborative process” (Huston, Howe 2006). While company heads such as Larry Huston say things like that, they know the sharing of creative content online will never stop, so why not take advantage of it? More and more users are creating content online than not it seems, whether it be contributing to a feed like Twitter and Instagram or creating an entire brand through Youtube videos or blogs. Companies such as Procter & Gamble know the difference between obtaining creative content from highly paid professionals and willing amateurs. “There were professionals who produced content and were paid for their trouble. And there were amateurs who consumed content and paid for the privilege” (Mcardle 2010). For one, crowdsourcing from people who contribute to online platforms is cheaper, more convenient and less time consuming. Why would a company waist time trying to find a professional which is more expensive, when they could give a random individual “the honor” in being involved in their creative process for sometimes 99% less pay. Not only are several creative professionals’ jobs at risk, but also the research jobs behind these companies that are supposed to seek out these creative professionals. Furthermore, crowdsourcing is another form of a network and shows how individual to individual connections are networks as well. Creative content is more easily accessible than ever because people no longer just consume media and leave its content to the professionals, anyone and everyone could contribute to it and they are! We all are!

Crowdsourcing is the practice of getting information by volunteering the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet. According to an article on wired.com, It’s been used to come up with new business ideas, solutions to social problems, funding new products, mapping environmental disasters, identifying potholes that need to be repaired and even getting someone to wait in line for your new iPhone. An example of a popluar site that uses crowdsourcing is Wikipedia. Wikipedia is information gathered by people on the internet. Crowdsourcing is changing methods of labor on the internet because there are so many people online, you do not need a specific person to do the labor you need to get done. There is more freedom with workers as well, meaning they do not have to stick with one company, and they can gather information for multiple companies.

The future of crowdsourcing is still changing and there is no limit to where it can go, it terms of the internet growing.

Bear in mind, little changes can lead to significant renovations in your cardiform heart health and wellness.