Discussion Questions

Today many TV shows and advertisements try to look amateurish or "homegrown" to emulate what is often seen on the Web. Do you think professional production values will continue to drop, or do you think amateur user-generated content will get better over time? WHY??

I do think professional production values will continue to drop, but only for a period of time. I feel as though this is one of the latest trends that seems as though could never fade out of style, yet in a few years will become obsolete. At this time we say we do not mind the low quality of productions, however what would productions such as the movie Avatar been like without its incredible animation quality?? I believe we will, and rightly so, fade this trend out over time.

What social media sites do you find yourself using the most, and why? In your opinion why is Facebook so    much more successful than MySpace, and do you think Facebook is "here to stay" for the long term.

I use mostly facebook. Facebook is the most popular social networking site used by my friends. I can be "connected" with them at all times. At any given time I can view my friends pictures, leave a message or comment on their wall, and now I can even instant message them through facebook no matter where you are in the world. I also enjoy using facebook because it is interactive. I can actually be doing something on the site rather than just sitting at a computer starring at the screen. 


Why is transparency such an important concept in the Social Media world? Is it MORE or LESS important in the offline world? Why?


Transparency is a very important part of social media. Transparency shows us, the public, the truth about companies. The definition given for transparency in a social setting implies "openness, communication and accountability."  The actual need for it in social media is becoming increasingly important. For instance, the Facebook scandal in early 2009. If Facebook had just been upfront about the changes there would have been no problems.