B&W, or Valencia?

It’s become obvious over the last few years that people are more and more obsessed with how they appear to other people online. Obviously when MySpace was around, people still cared about how they looked (which is why we had hot pink and black pages, with Avril Lavigne quotes everywhere). But now it has shifted into something completely different. Even I’m a culprit. There have been times where I’ve made my friend take dozens of photos of me in the same position, just so I can get at least one good one for Instagram. And sometimes, if the photo doesn’t fit the aesthetic of my “feed”, I won’t post it anyway.

So over the last couple of days, I’ve tried to stop that and just post what I want to post. Raw and authentic (with the exception of a black & white filter every now and then). I began this journey by going through my camera roll and finding the ugliest photo I have of myself, and posting it without any filter or editing. Surprisingly, I received such a good response. People kept liking and commenting, and surprisingly, I gained followers.

It made me think that maybe, sometimes, people are more willing to follow someone who shows humour on their page or showcases a more realistic lifestyle that people can relate to. Obviously having a cohesive feed works (considering so many “Instagram models” have millions of followers and dollars) but maybe taking the other route will make us more happy as a society and also less pressured to fit into unrealistic moulds set by “famous” people on social media.

While I’m here, feel free to check out the GLORIOUS photo of me on my Instagram, that sparked this journey – @josiehowl

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Transmedia

Harry Potter is one of the most epic examples of transmedia (in my opinion) (and you should agree with me) (because it is fantastic).

Let me start off by explaining transmedia storytelling. It is described as “the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies” (Wikipedia, 2016). With Harry Potter as an example, we see that the stories were originally told through print, a.k.a books. AMAZING books, might I add. Then it developed into the story being told through film. Through these different medias, they told the same story in two different ways. Now here is where it gets tricky: it continued on from there. Fans of the series created fan-fiction, creating another separate yet still linked story to tell. Then new books were written, with separate storylines but still set in the same universe. Then theatrical shows and plays were produced, telling yet another story to an audience. Websites have been created and merchandise is sold and worn my hundreds of thousands, if not millions. The original Harry Potter story developed into something so much bigger than what it was originally.

And that is what transmedia storytelling is. Now go watch Harry Potter.

The Age Old Battle Between Open & Closed Source Software

I know that was a bit dramatic.

Anyway, I’m going to attempt to give you an explanation of what open and closed source software is, and their purposes, pretty much in layman’s terms. (think of /r/explainlikeimfive)

Open: This means that the code of the source is basically universally available (this means many different people can work on it, as well as expand and develop it). This is typically free (not always), but it is cheaper to create. It allows you more freedom in changing and developing it, with the input of a whole other community. An example of open source software is WordPress (ooh inception).

Closed: The “source code” is created by fancy tech people to guard it like it’s top secret, so the business can remain competitive. The code also controls how everything works, and can be updated or fixed only by the fancy tech guys. Closed source software is less likely to get bugged or glitchy and is generally quicker/easier. An example of this is Microsoft Office.

Info found at:
https://www.itgct.com/whats-the-difference-between-open-source-and-closed-source-software/