Internet Security: Are you reading this from a secure connection?

         I've always been a preacher when it comes to internet security. If your grandmother would disapprove of your online profiles, make them private. For many reasons: defamation of character, a possible employer looking at your keg pictures and the usual creepers. Most of us aren't public figures unless we put ourselves in the spotlight. We're not celebrities on Twitter, with millions of followers. But with one wrong click, one indiscretion we can be. Just ask  New York's U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner. First of all, is your profile public or private? It makes a world of a difference. If you're profile is public, the audience is millions through the world wide web. A private profile compensates for not allowing everyone in on your daily life. Even then Facebook and Twitter have ways around your privacy.

         James Poniewozik's Time Magazine's article covers Weiner's downfall. He posted infamous pictures of his erection or crotch to ALL his Twitter followers. Weiner was Twitter savy as a lot of celebrities SEEM to be. Twitter has a Direct Message function folks. If you're profile is public and you post a picture of your latest tattoo or apartment you have some considerations to make. Yeah, those are pretty cool things. But anyone can see them, including future employers and the next Craigslist killer. If you complain about family or relationship issues, there's always a possibility relatives or your significant other's friends can find your profile and read it. It sounds great to be witty and snarky and vent. But it's not worth the consequences.

        Facebook has a function that allows you to check-in to places. A lot of the time you get prizes for being the 100th person to check-in to an public event or restaurant. At the same time you are letting everyone know where you are at the exact time you are there. I'm not sure I'd want some of my 250 Facebook friends to know where I am by myself much less the entire internet. There's some crazy person out there who could be watching. It's not paranoia. Everything is up for grabs on the internet. If someone figures out your schedule they could rob your place when you're on vacation. (Providing they find your address on the online White Pages). Or stalk you. Especially if they know you to some extent already.

        Delete any public tweets that you want. There's the nifty cache function which can still show your boss or mother those tweets where you complain about your job or sex life. If a profile was ever public at one time it's on the internet's permanent records.

        Even if you make your Facebook profile private this does not stop friends from tagging pictures of you. Regardless if their profile is public or private. Those pictures can show up anywhere. Through networking the wrong person might see it. Those pictures of you barfing at your favorite club? It doesn't matter if your best friend's profile is private. She could be friends with people who work at that job you're applying to. And when they review your application they might remember your face before they get to the resume.

        I'm not condoning people hiding their lives or keeping it all secret. But I am advising everyone to keep their lives as private as they can. Facebook is maintained by advertisers who have hold of all your information unless you specifically comb through your privacy tab and uncheck some of those subtle boxes.

        Control your life offline unless you want your life to spin out of control online. Or don't do anything stupid period. I'm sure all of us would've been happier had Weiner not used a popular networking site to send pictures of his privates.

A Reoccuring theme: Ivory Coast

I have been on a hiatus and I apologize to my five followers. My academic life has been hectic to say the least. Today I saw a copy of the Sunday issue for the Seattle Times and casually picked it up.  I was flipped through and A5 caught my attention.
A president's inauguration occurs amidst political unrest and bloodshed. Well, that's nothing new in Africa. Blunt statement is pretty blunt. However don't think I'm being dismissive. Africa's history should be prominent and known in the media. Sadly until recently I always noticed a gap with news and Africa. Those two in a sentence only happened in circumstances such as Darfur and genocide. By then it was often too late, cue in Rwanda for a haunting example.
However more recently has the news become embedded with African international current events. Egypt and Liberia. Corrupt leaders, democracy and the United Nations have all been exposed and highlighted.
Cue in the Ivory Coast, which has slowly been descending into madness under Laurent Gbagbo's rule. Civil war was arising and mass graves were being discovered.
The new president is Alassane Ouattara. He was inaugurated in a barricaded hotel. Gbagbo had empoyed his army to block the hotel entirely.  Ouatarra was democratically elected but his supporters have been pitted against Gbagbo supporters, hence civil unrest. Ouatarra had made several diplomatic attempts to make Gbagbo step down. The one mistake Ouatarra may have made was to resort to an anti-Gbagbo rebel group for help.Gbagbo's residence in the capital was seized by the French and the U.N. on April 11. Only then were the rebels able to capture and arrest Gbagbo. In the meantime, Gbagbo and Ouatarra supporters killed themselves.
Even though a new president has arrived the Ivory Coast is unlike Egypt and other African countries vying for independence. Ouatarra is still holed up in his hotel. His rebel groups have killed many Gbagbo's supporters. Blood continues to spill on both sides and is unlikely to stop. This halted issue will affect other countries--it will be interesting to see if Burkina Faso and Ghana will become part of the ripple effect. Trade relations and international attention are a question mark for the Ivory Coast. While I remain happy Africa is getting more coverage--I am afraid it will only be for a short amount of time. And if anything, the world needs to keep watching this pattern for democracy in Africa.

Mark Zuckerberg: You're an amazing genius but I kind of hate you

This post was inspired by the Social Network,to avoid movie spoilers scroll past the picture. The gist remains: Mark Zuckerberg created one of the most efficient social tools for the public and media. However his creation completely changed how people socialize with one another, for better or worse.
Case in point:
Zuckerberg's business partner, Eduardo Severin, is fighting with his girlfriend:
"Why are you still single on Facebook?
I-I was single when I created it!
AND YOU DIDN'T FEEL THE NEED TO CHANGE IT?"
I think a lot of people's reactions would be:

A lot of this sounds trivial and immature right?
Well..hold on a beat....

 The Social Network may have convinced people that Zuckerberg is a jerk. But the movie also portrays how genius he is. Once upon a time Zuckerberg and Severin created a social networking site for Harvard students to use to their advantage for dating opportunities. Now Facebook has over 600 million registered users. As mentioned in the movie, Bosnia is part of the Facebook generation, regardless if they have working roads or not.
On the down side Facebook has replaced communication in so many ways. So far I have noticed it's a bigger deal on Facebook as opposed to offline:

• When people get into a relationship, going from single to in a relationship
• When people break up, going from in a relationship to single
• When someone gets a new job/internship offer
• When someone is fired from a job and etc.
• When people get into a fight or have an ongoing issue
• When deleting people is a fate worse than death; losing them in real life is forgotten as long as you stay Facebook friends

The sad part is everyone goes on Facebook to update their newest success or tragedy. Venting, celebrating and talking to people offline seems to come in second place. A lot of voice is lost and replaced by assumptions and fake appearances. I doubt I'm the only one who has witnessed a seemingly casual Facebok status turn into a fight between other people through comments.When a Facebook fight breaks out, you pull up a chair and read. Sometimes with popcorn.
Facebook is now a cop out, if you can't face someone offline you can with your computer screen. Not to mention it has become a part of everyone's daily life, sometimes replacing actual interactions.
Two or more people having a conversation through wall posts...while sitting next to each other in the same room. Someone Facebook messages their roommate with a serious concern..while both are home. Watching your ex/crush like someone else...through Facebook updates. Keeping up with people's lives by Facebook stalking as opposed to talking face-to-face. When someone asks another person what is wrong, their reply could very well be "It's a long story. Go on Facebook for all the details."
You know, I'm pretty sure if you took Facebook out of the equation all these situations would be just as likely to happen offline. With the painful awkwardness intact. I remember those days. I even miss those days. Raise your hand if you agree? (Or even better, leave a comment)
 In the end, I would like to recognize that I believe Zuckerberg is one of the most innovative 26-year-olds out there. But I also kind of hate him. Facebook is in, communication is out. So much for the old days.

Happy Fifth Birthday, Twitter!

Tweet tweet...you hear those sounds?
Twitter celebrates its fifth birthday today. I've taken a break from my photoblog but I'm back. Right now I'm on spring break and have no SLR camera in my grasp. I'm done with photojournalism class but plan to continue posting photos. However, for today, I would like to open Twitter to discussion.
I must admit, when I first heard of Twitter I was hesitant. 140 characters? A profile consisting of statuses only? I didn't think 140 characters would limit statuses I often saw on Facebook..such as "I'm going to eat a burrito now" or "I am sooooo drunklgiy3w6r83". I was confident I'd see less ranting statuses however.
Atleast on Twitter other people's awkward drama would show up in repeat statuses right? And hopefully get lost among your other followers and their tweets?
I've had my Twitter for about two years and I'm impressed. It's more than a social network. Twitter is news..which can sometimes be real or fake.
I've seen multiple death hoaxes since joining. Or otherwise fake rumors. Who has the most followers: Lady Gaga or CNN/Fox News combined? Don't get me started on Charlie Sheen.
On a more positive note Twitter is its own news outlet. I found about the U.S. bombing Libya on Twitter. When a US Airwars airplane crashed into the Hudson pictures were uploaded to Twitter from nearby ferry passengers. Egyptians fighting for their freedom used Twitter as their platform under dire circumstances. I'd have to say Twitter has come a long way since hatching five years ago.
Twitter and Facebook have become media outlets. Who is next? Tumblr, Plurk wanna step up and follow in this powerful stead?
I will toast to Twitter tonight: enjoy 5 more years of followers, breaking news and tweets. However after the clock strikes midnight I am back to Facebook stalking.

Picture Story: Woods Coffee

Our last assignment: the picture story. I wanted to do mine at a location. I was torn between Boulevard Park's boardwalk or the Arboretum lookout tower. However the boardwalk has been overdone and I was too lazy to hike to the lookout a few times a week. Then I thought of my latest addiction. My brain connected it to one of Bellingham's most popular coffee shops: Woods Coffee. The franchise is slowly extended with 10 locations and steady popularity. My story angle was going to be their sculpture design contest but that fell through. If this were to be a story it'd be based on Woods Viking Blend, a roast coffee specifically made for the Western and local community.
Things I learned from this:
5Ds are still better than 20Ds.
I need to tweak shutter speed, aperture and ISO to my definition of perfect.
Taking pictures of something coffee related was fun.
Taking outside shots in windy rain is a challenge and recipe for bad hair.
I managed to avoid spilling coffee on school equipment. Is my Nobel Peace Prize coming in the mail?

Brianna Clemen, 20, studies at Woods underneath a display of subdued excitement. Her friends Will Luce and George Watrous, 20 and 21, join her.

Woods Coffee added their 10th location, the Flatiron Prospect, in Jan. 2011.

Miette Dahlgren, 21, enjoys visiting Woods once a week to study.

Woods has a Viking Blend, which is a darker toast with all proceeds going to Western., says Woods music coordinator  Seth Overby.

Jessica Mecknee and Andy Stromberg, 31 and 29, like to meet at Woods with friends. Stromberg lives down the street from the Flatiron location

.

      

Oh my...Coffee and Man Pies!

Cutline: Lindsey Bear, 21, works at Man Pies Wednesday afternoon. “Man Pies sales started out busy then slowed down, now we sell a steady amount,” Bear said

Stephanie Allen, 21, poses to illustrate how much money college students spend on caffeine.

 

I mixed up my assignment and shot both a cutline and photo illutstration. Most newspapers use a cutline as an interesting photo (such as Western Front's second page). The photo doesn't need action but an underlying theme or story should be present. I chose the Man Pies food stand on vendors row because of their decision to open a branch on Western's campus.

I decided to do a photo illustration of how much $ college students spend on coffee. Being recently addicted myself I witnessed irony get the best of me. I only had about $11 in cash and couldn't find any fake/toy money. Also my flames were not as cool as what I could've done in Photoshop or with a real lighter. A photo illustration can be posed and I was able to use a friend. 

I know from experience that buying coffee a couple times a week is pricey. Do I care? Not really. I still buy my mochas. Addiction or not, caffeine is something millions of people are willing to spend money on. Hence why I filled three grande Starbucks cups with cash and put little caps in front to demonstrate the flames as my friend, Stephanie, pretends to sip coffee in the background

The things I learned from this assignment? 

1. I CAN slack off a bit. Instead of using crayons to draw flames on cup tops I could've used Photoshop. Oh technology how I avoid you sometimes. Nostalgia got the best of me when I decided to be a kid again and use Crayola.

2. Finding a good window seat at Viking Commons is about as possible as finding a green pebble in grass. Try it sometime. Lighting also plays an important factor. A rainy day was better than sunny because I didn't have glaring light interfering with the photo.

3. Good lighting in the Humanities building on campus is unspoken of.

4. 5D cameras are better than 20Ds.

Western trombone players Hayden Lemaster and Casey Schwenk, both 18, enjoyed showing their school spirit to a Central fan at the televised Western vs. Central basketball game Feb. 16. “We yelled at them and we were louder too!” said Schwenk laughing.

Lemaster and Schwenk gear up before the game

Trent Spanger, 18, dances while he listens to music at the Valentine Day Flash Mob in Red Square.

My assignment for last week: taking a picture of action and stopping it.
It was my best assignment yet. I feel like I took somewhat decent pictures and gained confidence as a journalist.

My first idea was the “What is Love” Valentines Day Flashmob on campus. Between the passing period of 10:50 to 11, students simultaneously gathered and danced to the 1993 dance track by Haddaway. This felt like the perfect opportunity. Even though it was a cloudy day with some rain I showed up early, hiked up my camera ISO and got close to the crowd.

As entertaining as the event was, I had to try again. I only got one good motion picture. Trent Spanger, 18, had been excited to attend since he heard about the event. However I knew I could take better pictures. I knew I was capable of taking better quality pictures.

So off to the Western vs. Central game I went. As a former band geek I had major nostalgia. I was initially afraid of shooting games because my sports knowledge is almost nonexistant. I checked out a 5D camera and instantly fell in love. Better lenses, frames and zooming. I could have a higher ISO. My first challenge was finding a good seat. I luckily got the second row by the basket. By sheer dumb luck a female student informed me their friend was not coming. I didn't leave my seat once. I know I should've ran around the court but I had a great view. My only issue was people's heads sometimes. Aside from that there were several students lurking behind me like vultures waiting for a good seat.

Two Western band members and two Central fans started yelling at each other a few rows below me. Hayden Lemaster and Casey Schwenk, both 18, enjoyed showing their school spirit against their opponents. “We yelled at them and we were louder too!” said Schwenk laughing. By the end I was more comfortable with shooting games. Even though I don't keep up with sports I like following the excitement and action. 

The biggest mistake I took involved  the Western band members and Central fan. I took two pictures of them Only one has the Central fan. The problem? One picture also has a photographer right in the fan's face taking pictures. Needless to say it doesn't add to my picture at all. I decided to choose the picture of the Western band members only. It's not as good but there's still motion (and no additional photographers).