Kiley Dorton - Blog

The Facts about Bottled Water (via onlineeducation.net)

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:08:33 +0700

Zack Goulet shared this link with me, check out the image below. It may surprise you...

Why To Start A Company In A Bad Economy: A College Viewpoint on Kevin Rose's Idea

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:01:54 +0700

Heard a great video by Kevin Rose at his website, http://kevinrose.com/, and thought I'd share it to my audience (albeit infinitely smaller!). Please comment and let me know what you think, and if you'd like to hear more of these types of videos!

Credibility and Social Media: Welcome to Grad School

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:01:16 +0700

Grad school is a lot like beef jerkey--it's tough, it has a kick that'll make you sweat, and too much will kill you. And yet, people still eat beef jerkey. Heck, I love beef jerkey. And I love grad school.

Dr. Sweetser, my professor in research methodology, has assigned me quite possibly the most difficult project I've ever had to undertake for a class. Not only that, but she has attached a time limit that is next to impossible considering the fact that I have three other classes with similar projects and impossible deadlines.

And I couldn't be more excited.

I am working with four other grad students. We are researching credibility and social media; specifically, we are asking the following questions:

RQ1: When a link is shared via social media, does someone who is familiar with social media find the linked video encouraging HIV/AIDS testing more credible if it is endorsed by a peer rather than an unknown, official entity such as the CDC?
RQ2: When a link is shared via social media, does someone who is not familiar with social media find a video encouraging HIV/AIDS testing more credible if it is endorsed by an official entity, such as the CDC, rather than a peer?
RQ3: Is there a correlation between the credibility of an endorsed message and the likelihood of someone familiar or unfamiliar with social media to get tested for HIV/AIDS after watching the video?

To answer these questions, we have constructed a survey (technically, an 'instrument') that uses proven scales to test credibility, index one's social media familiarity, and measure one's intended behavior change.

This survey will be administered to a sample of students and adults over the age of 18 over the next few months. We will then compile the data, analyze it, and then complete our research by writing an article.

Our article, the main deliverable of the research project, will hopefully be published in a respected journal, such as JCMC (Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication). After we submit our article, you can bet I'll have a beverage and a big, spicy beef jerkey to celebrate!

Here is a diagram I made to model our research:

Model for our research

Global AIDS Personal Public Service Announcement Project

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:38:23 +0700

This year will be my first as a graduate assistant in the UGA New Media Institute. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities I am about to encounter. Here is an example of a project I'll be working on this spring, the Global AIDS Personal Public Service Announcement Project!

Problem

Worldwide, over 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and 25 million people have died from the illnesses associated with AIDS since 1981. It is estimated that over a third of those infected do not know their HIV status. Over half of the new HIV infections worldwide are in young people under the age of 25 (UNAIDS/WHO).

Worldwide, over 3.9 million people have mobile phones. And that number is expected to rise to 5.6 billion by 2013.By 2010, it is estimated that over half of the world's population will have at least one mobile phone (Strategy Analytics).

Proposition

In the Global AIDS Personal Public Service Announcement Project (GAPPSA), ten student teams on six continents will use cell phones to fight AIDS. In one day, student teams using only cell phones and laptop computers will plan, script, shoot, edit and premiere video messages encouraging their friends to be tested for HIV. Through the GAPPSA young people will use their most cherished technology to live longer, healthier lives.

In the 30 years since the launch of the first cellular networks, mobile phones have gone from purely interpersonal communication devices to media devices. Not only are people watching video on phones, they are creating their own videos. Unlike the shared medium of television, its small screen size and communication uses make the cellphone a uniquely personal media device. The personal nature of the cellphone gives it a unparalleled potential to influence personal change. Watching a video about HIV testing on the same device that a young person uses to communicate with his or her friends and family will have a different impact than watching the same PSA on a television in a room with other people.

In addition, the personal nature of the device facilitates customization of the messages to fit the demographics and media consumption patterns of the user. And, perhaps most importantly, the cell phone offers an "action outlet" to the user after watching a message. After a user watches a video encouraging HIV testing, the user can request a list (via SMS) of the HIV testing locations nearby. By creating videos that can be distributed directly to cell phones, the GAPPSA project will explore important pro-social uses for the fastest growing communication technology, mobile phones. In addition to being used to view video, cell phones now have powerful media creation capabilities. The ability to quickly shoot video on a device routinely carried in a pocket, purse, or pack opens new opportunities for rapid-response, low cost media production. And using videoconferencing technology to guide cell-phone "shooters" remotely allows talented producers to work on important social topics without expensive and time-consuming travel. Without leaving their offices, the GAPPSA will allow professional videographers to collaborate with highly mobile cell phone equipped student production teams all over the globe to create fresh messages encouraging young people to make good health choices.

The GAPPSA expands upon the success of the previous two AIDS PPSA projects to explore the global potential for new types of mobile media messages and production models. In AIDS PPSA events in both Philadelphia in 2007 and Atlanta in 2008, mobile teams were able to create a series of high quality PPSAs in a single day. The Global AIDS PPSA will add two new technological challenges to the mix. First, teams will use powerful new video conferencing technology to interact with producers on different continents. In the Global AIDS PPSA project, a producer in New York might work with a team of students in Tanzania. Or a producer in Hong Kong might collaborate with with a student team in Copenhagen. The second technological challenge will be that the only equipment used in the field to shoot video will be a cell phone, the Apple iPhone 3G(S). In the Atlanta AIDS PPSA, all the video was shot with a cellphone but the remote teams had to transfer the video to a computer they carried with them in the field to transmit the video. Now with the new iPhone 3G(S), teams will shoot and transmit their videos directly to the producer working with them in another part of the world.

Players

Several different teams will collaborate in the GAPPSA: Project Producers, Student Production Teams, Remote Producers, AIDS/HIV Experts, Mobile Media Experts, and the Pitch Review Committee. Project Producers. The Project Producers will coordinate all aspects of the GAPPSA project. These producers are in charge of all administrative tasks involved in the planning and execution of the project.

Student Production Teams. Ten student teams at universities around the world will be selected to participate. The GAPPSA project will include one student team from each of the following locations: Europe, Africa, Asia, Austrailia, and South America. North America will be represented by teams from Mexico, Canada, and three regions within the United States. Each student team will consist of 3 - 5 students and a faculty adviser. These student teams will be charged with scouting locations, recruiting actors, assisting in planning the production, shooting the video for the production, and transmitting raw video to the remote producer.

Remote Producers. The GAPPSA will enlist ten video producers from a variety of different locations to collaborate with and guide the student production teams. These remote producers will be be charged with planning the production, supervising the student production team, and editing the final production.

AIDS/HIV Experts. The GAPPSA will utilize a variety of experts on several facets of HIV/AIDS and testing. In addition to international experts, local experts will provide information on the local context for HIV/AIDS.

Mobile Media Experts. The teams will receive basic training on the mobile media equipment and techniques used in the project from professionals knowledgeable about mobile media technology.

Pitch Review Committee. A panel of HIV/AIDS and media experts will serve as the review committee to evaluate each teams "pitch" for their PPSAs. This committee must approve the project proposals before the production can begin.

Process

The GAPPSA can be divided into five different phases: Planning, Preparation, Production, Premiere, and Promotion.

Planning. The planning for the GAPPSA will begin in October. From October until December, the locations and participants will be determined. On World AIDS Day (December 1, 2009), the full details of the project will be announced. Site visits will be conducted January through March. Equipment will be shipped to participants no later than April 5.

Preparation. Several weeks of preparation will culminate in the actual production of the PPSAs on April 22. The participants will be prepared in several ways.

Podcasts. Beginning on 3/22/09, a new podcast for event participants will be made available every week. These podcasts will include information about AIDS/HIV, mobile equipment to be used in the project, and the participants. Each participant must listen to these podcasts each week.
Location Scouting. Each student production team will scout at least five locations that might be used in their productions. Each location must be within walking distance or accessible via public transportion. Scouting reports on these locations including pictures and a map will be posted on the GAPPSA website. These reports will allow the remote producers to formulate production strategies and schedules. Location reports must be online by April 16.
Actor Auditions. Each student production team must secure the participation of 15 potential actors. These actors must agree to be available on the GAPPSA production day, 4/22. Video recordings of the each actor audition will be placed on the GAPPSA website so that the producers can make casting decisions. Actor auditions must be posted online by April 16.
HIV/AIDS -- Global Orientation (4/21/09). Public health and HIV/AIDS experts will provide an overview of the global dimensions of HIV/AIDS including the science of the disease and testing issues. This orientation will be hosted in Atlanta and will be available to all participants via iChat videoconferencing on the provided equipment.
HIV/AIDS -- Local Testing Challenges (4/21/09). Experts in each of the production locations will provide background information on HIV/AIDS in their location including special challenges their regions face with HIV testing. Each local expert will use iChat videoconferencing technology to make their presentation from the local GAPPSA location.
Mobile Media Production Training (4/21/09). Participants will receive instruction in the equipment and techniques that will be used in the production. Experts in Atlanta will present the technology via iChat videoconferencing system.
Idea Generation (4/21/09). The remote producers and the student teams will use collaboration software such as iChat to plan their PPSAs.
Pitch (4/21/09). Each team will "pitch" their ideas for their production to the Pitch Review Committee via iChat. The Pitch Review Committee will offer suggestions and feedback. Each team will have to have the approval of the Pitch Review Committee before they can begin their production.

Production. Beginning at 8A local time on 4/22/09, each team will begin their production. The student production team will only be allowed to carry their iPhones on the shoot. They will be able to contact the producers via the iPhone. They will also be able to push the remote producers video clips throughout the shooting. All field production must terminate with all files transmitted by 6P. The Remote Producers will have until midnight to finalize and post their PPSAs.
During production, the public will be able to witness and monitor the GAPPSA in real-time through an iPhone app. This app will include interviews with participants, documents used in production, and GPS enabled maps showing the locations of each team.

Premiere. All of the PPSAs will be debuted on 4/23/09 via a live webcast. Each team will introduce their PPSA and explain why they chose their approach. In a webcast panel discussion, participants will review the project and its outcomes. After the premiere event, all of the PPSA will be submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services for clearance. Only those videos which are approved for distribution will be available to the public.

Promotion. The "Global AIDS App" will be released on National HIV Testing Day, June 27. This smartphone app will work on the primary smartphone platforms: the iPhone, Blackberry Storm, and Google G1. The "Global AIDS App" will include all of the cleared PPSAs. Users will be able to watch the PPSAs and then share them with their contacts via text messaging. The app will allow users to learn more about HIV testing including the location and protocol of local HIV testing centers. In addition, this app will provide researchers the opportunity to track how people are accessing HIV/AIDS information.

Equipment

The GAPPSA will utilize two types of equipment:

iPhone 3G(S). This phone is capable of 30fps VGA quality video recording. The iPhone will be used by the student production team to shoot and transmit their video. The iPhones will also allow the student teams to communicate with the remote producers. Each production team will carry two iPhones -- one as a spare device. Each remote producer will also be equipped with an iPhone to allow constant communication with the production teams in the field via voice and text messaging. With 10 teams participating in this project, 30 iPhone 3G(s) will be required.
Macbook Pro. The Macbook Pro laptop computer will be used in all stages of production. And it will provide the videoconferencing link via iChat. A total of 20 Macbook Pros will be necessary to equip each student production team and each remote producer with one.

Tentative Budget

Administrative Assistance (Graduate Research Assistant) = $20,000
Material Production = $13,000
Site Visits = $50,000
Equipment = $65,000
Connectivity = $5000
TOTAL = $153,000

Contact

If you are interested in this project in any way, contact:
Scott Shamp
Director
New Media Institute
Journalism
University of Georgia
sshamp@uga.edu
706.542.2857

What I got out of my Cognitive Science major at UGA – my exit essay

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0700

I never thought of myself as a science kid. Throughout high school, my strengths were decidedly in English and History and I tended to avoid science, math, and psychology courses like the plague. Maybe I was uncomfortable balancing equations, maybe I just had a fear of actually understanding myself. Nevertheless, English was my calling and I planned on pursuing that in college. But I did play a lot of computer games, mostly simulations and strategy. Though I did not think much of it at the time, these games involved a great deal of psychology and artificial intelligence. The concepts and principles of the field of Cognitive Science began to slowly creep into my mind and academic interests. I bought a subscription to Scientific American, I wrote essays and poems with subjects of mental states and philosophical questions, and I began to see the brain as an organ functioning with rules and observable patterns. With a heavy background in writing, I became a Cognitive Science major and had hopes of better understanding the brain and potentially the mind to which it is so closely connected.

In the Cognitive Science program, a student must choose three main areas of study from the following disciplines: Anthropology, Psychology, Computer Science, Philosophy, and Linguistics. My passion in writing and debate pushed me to focus on Philosophical Foundations as my first discipline of choice; my interest in the workings of the human brain led me to Psychological Foundations as my second; and finally, my experience with various languages brought me to choose Language and Culture as my third area of study. The three disciplines began to influence every facet of my life. I found my studies of philosophy caused me to question my religion, opened my mind to new perspectives and world-views, and valued my efforts and activities in both humbling and inspiring ways. From the basic, thought-provoking questions raised in Philosophy 1000 to the mind-boggling conundrums I tackled in Philosophy of Mind, the classes relentlessly forced me to rethink and reevaluate my positions—just as good philosophy courses should. My experiences in my Psychology and Neuroscience courses were similarly rewarding: I learned not only how the brain functions, but why it tends to react, change, and grow in the manner science has observed. I was able to engage in hands-on interaction with various methods of neuroimaging, and participated in psychological experiments that were both surprising and educational. In my Language and Culture coursework, I learned how languages originate, grow, change, and die. The range of study was great: from the tiny pieces of morphology and phonology that make up all languages to the grand, sweeping evolution of language and grammar over decades. These three areas of study melded perfectly together to become a well-rounded higher education, and collectively have bestowed upon me a much more accurate understanding of the brain, the mind, and everything in between.

Though many Cognitive Science majors are likely to migrate into the exciting, burgeoning world of Artificial Intelligence, I have chosen to apply my skills elsewhere: in the dynamic arena of New Media. New media is a world with a landscape that changes almost daily—literally at an exponential rate. Inside its expanding sphere one must question the status quo with relentless vigor, much like my philosophy courses forced me to question myself. The components and building blocks of new media change as quickly as the applications themselves, with new code libraries and even languages forming every year. These languages change in recognizable, observable, predictable ways and are in fact very similar to human language. As coding languages advance, I find myself applying lessons learned from my language and culture coursework in new, exciting ways. Syntax and style in code can be beautiful, just as beautiful as poetry. I never could have seen the true beauty in perfectly styled code without a background in linguistics. And finally, perhaps most importantly, my studies of the human brain, how it functions, why it reacts in certain ways, and how our mental state is affected by various stimuli has greatly changed the way I format applications, websites, and other user interface-heavy devices. Creating applications that function in ways that mimic the human brain makes them simpler, more intuitive, and just feel right. I can find the frustrating aspects of an application and name exactly why it is frustrating, based on psychology and neuroscience courses I have taken. The application of psychology to new media is, unfortunately, far too rare. A new breed of applications and devices are headed towards our desks, laptops, and pockets; the Cognitive Science major imparted upon me the perfect blend of linguistics, philosophy, and psychology to help me ensure that the new media in our immediate future is robust, intuitive, and useful.

New Media Update: My Shiny New Podcast

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0700

Zack and I are at it again. New Media Update is the official video podcast for the New Media Institute at the University of Georgia. Zack and I noticed that a ton of great things are happening inside walls of the New Media Institute at the University of Georgia. Students are creating professional quality work, hosting events that influence and benefit real people in the real world, and learning how to use new media to make a difference. In fact, so much is going on in the NMI that some of the most important projects don’t get the recognition they truly deserve. New Media Update is a project dedicated to reaching out to the world and sharing everything that’s going on inside the walls of the NMI. Outreach via video podcast, created with professionalism by students in the very heart of the NMI, will both increase the visibility of the projects in the NMI and help people get involved who might not have previously heard about it. We are doing great things; let’s tell the world about it!

So we created a proposal, presented it to Dr. Shamp, and he liked the idea! After hours and hours of hard work getting everything ready and filming, the first episode is up and running! Check it out at http://newmediaupdate.net/ or watch Episode 1 below!

And please leave comments if you have suggestions for the show!

MobileDawgs – A Look into Mobile Television on a College Campus

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0700

I spend a lot of time every day thinking about what will be ‘the next big thing.’ Often my friends and I will throw out ideas over beers about what might just be the next iPod, the next digital camera, the next notebook computer, the next must-have game-changing device. I always start by identifying a problem, then search for solutions.

Right now, a problem is creeping up in the mobile media world: screen size. How can we cram high quality content onto tiny little mobile screens? We can’t really repurpose content from TV or the movies, it just doesn’t work. Not only are the shots framed much, much too far away to see clearly on a little itty-bitty screen, but the format of the shows are all wrong. People aren’t likely to sit through a 30 minute show on their mobile device. If they watch a movie on their iPhone, it’s likely to be only during a flight or a long car trip. How do we make content that works for a small screen during the day-to-day, 5-10 minute segments during which people use their mobile devices for entertainment?

A few weeks ago I completed a project with the New Media Institute at UGA that addressed the mobile content creation connundrum directly. The University of Georgia recently purchased bandwidth from a local TV station, WNEG. Part of that bandwidth will go to simulcasting the current UGA station, but a small portion of it has been sectioned off for mobile television broadcasting. The New Media Institute took hold of this opportunity and spent the last 6 months producing content to be aired on the mobile tv airwaves. The capstone class in the NMI was able to produce 6 or 7 one-episode shows, but since I already took the capstone I chose to work through an Independent Study. My two favorite NMI friends and I created a group called the MobileDawgs, and we produced two three-episode shows made specifically for the mobile tv platform.

We wanted to use the interactive components of mobile phones to show off how mobile tv can be used to work with consumers. In direct contrast to traditional television, the mobile tv station at UGA has a special channel that is dedicated to transmitting data two ways. With our station, advertisers can get specific metrics related to who is watching their ads, for how long, and more–with traditional tv, producers and advertisers dump their content out into the airwaves and just sit back with their fingers crossed. The best consumer data they can receive involves market research studies and extrapolation–with mobile tv the data is not only generally statistically superior, but every number is connected to a real person who made a real decision (to watch or to flip the channel). I can just see the ad people jumping up and down now…

So how did our shows utilize the interactive features of cell phones? Well, there ended up being a slight disconnect between what we dreamed up and what we were actually able to make happen. But what’s new, eh? One of our shows is called CitySmart, and each of the three episodes focuses on a different category of restaurant in Athens. We filmed all of the episodes using only a Nokia N95, a decision that caused some headaches but also helped in a few ways–but I’ll save my take on filming with mobile devices for a future post. Table for Two highlights three excellent date locations, Exotic Eats showcases three of our favorite foreign food restaurants, and Insomnisnack points viewers to great late-night hotspots. Every episode prompts viewers to press one of their softkeys on their phone at any time during the show to receive a text with directions to the restaurants. The viewer simply hits a key and within seconds they get a text with a live URL that links to a Google Map with every restaurant in the episode already pinned. The phone numbers, reviews, and directions from their current location are only a few clicks away.

Try doing that with a TV and a remote control.

When we showed off our projects to executives from various mobile media companies (incredibly intelligent crowd, from Nokia to AT&T to ad agencies like Moxie Interactive), we were overjoyed to see the excitement in their faces. We had a guy come up to our station who worked with mobile tv in Helsinki, and he threw out some excellent ideas like attaching a way to make reservations for the currently highlighted restaurant within the show’s framework–a concept that sounds incredibly useful and wouldn’t be all that hard to accomplish. In short, the people who will be heading this new mobile media initiative in the near future loved our stuff. It was a huge relief and a major win for the NMI!

So what’s next? Well the NMI is working on creating even more content for this mobile tv station and beyond. We have produced a detailed guide that explains “How to Produce Content for Mobile Television” that even includes a proposed framework for how the station would run its programming. Will mobile tv be the next big thing? Who knows, but if it is the New Media Institute and the MobileDawgs will be right there at the front of the pack, cell phones in hand!

Placid Thoughts For A Rainy Day

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0700

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Thank You For Your Order

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0700

Today, after over a year of working with a machine that crashes, holds no more than 5 minutes of battery, and cannot run half of the programs I need to accomplish even the most basic creative tasks, I finally found the courage to click the ‘place my order’ button on the Apple Store. I’ve configured probably over 20 different cart variations (you know you’ve done it–nothing wrong with wishful thinking), and I finally landed on the one shown above. In just a week I’ll have the custom-designed Timbuk2 messenger bag above, Final Cut Express, MS Office ‘08, Adobe CS3, and a brand new, aluminum 15″ MacBook Pro!!

I cannot express the excitement and joy I am feeling right now! The time to create great things is upon us, and I am finally going to have the tools to make it happen. I can’t wait!

(for you techies out there interested in the specs: 320 GB Serial ATA @ 7200, 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2×2GB, SuperDrive 8x, and both NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M of course)

From Computer Nerds to Sexy Geeks: how college techies learned Cool++

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0700

I was taking apart a friend’s computer the other day to install a fresh new stick of RAM, and she caught me off guard when I unscrewed the plastic case and opened up all of the chips and boards and gizmos inside her machine. She saw that I was working with little tools from my computer-modding toolset (I like to call it my utility belt, or my armory) and she shocked me when she said, “oo, that’s sexy.” Sexy? Really? Taking apart a computer to install RAM can be sexy?

Then I thought about it and realized that yes, in fact, taking apart a computer can be sexy these days. She compared it to a guy fixing the engine in her car, just with smaller tools and less grease. Both sexy. Now I’m asking myself, when did nerds transform from dorks in dark rooms with thick glasses and absolutely NO social lives to sexy geeks with skillz?

This new breed of eligible bachelor works in the garage on computers, not cars. Rather than chugging beers, he runs a website on the side that sells rare wines. He has a different playlist for each activity he does, from basketball to grilling burgers to Call of Duty 4. He flirts on gchat and facebook wall-posts more often than in person, and he likes it that way. And so do the girls.

Girls used to look at computer nerds and see pocket-protecting, socially awkward sketchballs. But something happened, and suddenly some computer nerds transformed into [potentially] sexy geeks that might just be boyfriend material. But the question is: what happened?

I’ve narrowed it down to three things: Neo, MTV, and Zuckerberg. Movies like The Matrix started it all, think about it: a computer nerd is the only hope for saving the world, and he becomes almost infinitely powerful by the end of the trilogy. Heroes like Neo planted the seed in people’s minds that there might be more behind nerds’ thick glasses than meets the eye. Then MTV began highlighting bands like The Hives and Panic At The Disco. People started associating skinny ties, black suits, and otherwise dorky attire with being hip. Combine rock and roll with (almost) anything and it immediately becomes cooler. We are one step closer to the evolution of sexy geekdom. To finish off the process, Facebook hits the scene in ‘04. People start checking their facebooks obsessively. It’s not ok to forget to post a ‘happy birthday’ message on your friend’s wall. We begin to see our computer as a means of communicating with actual people. Our laptop becomes a medium with which we can truly cultivate a relationship rather than just a schoolwork, occasional solitaire-in-class machine. Because of facebook and other social media, college students’ concept of the purpose of spending time on a computer began to radically change. Forget late-night gaming, forget programmers and dungeon and dragons, forget leaving your computer behind when you go on a trip. Laptops are college kids’ far-reaching, constant connection with all of their friends–whether they’re at home or traveling the world. And somewhere deep down it clicked with people: it can be cool to be good at computers. Somewhere between figuring out that computers connect people not motherboards, that laptops with bumper stickers on the back can be more expressive than tattoos–somewhere in there, being a geek became just a little bit sexy.

Of course, I’m not saying a that all geeks are sexy. I’m definitely lacking in the sexy-geek area (every time I try to get people to call me Neo it never really goes well). But there are some out there–and they are like heroes to all of us aspiring geeks. Take Tina Fey, Kevin Rose, Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrel, Jake and Amir, Jim Carey… All dorks, all cool.

Now, if I could only figure out how to get the girls to post on my wall, too…