i N d E p E n D e N t S t U d Y p R o J e C t

Topic: Choice #5 - The Evolution of Media

The internet may be the most popularly used thing in the world as of right now. It truly is absolutely amazing. Something that hasn't even really been around, used worldwide for even 10 years, is now one of the most used types of media in the world.

The internet has changed the way media is presented in so many ways. It has made things better and it has made things worse. It has changed the way we look at things, the way we feel about things and the way we perceive things. But for this I'll just tell about my opinion about the history of the internet and how it has become the super media goliath that we all know today.

My first experience with fully getting to grips with the Internet was when my family got our first computer back in 2003, I really remember that time well because it was a craze that a lot of friends and family around had fallen into at the time. Everyone was buying computers and saying it was the next biggest thing in technology. As a chubby little 10 year old who's idea of awesome technology was being able to play Super Smash Bros. 4-players, right beside each other on a Nintendo 64, the thought of something being more technologically superior than video-games really had me thinking.

I remember at first when we first got our computer was hooked up and running and such me and my parents were really interested in it. However the computer was used mostly as my mom's work computer for her to do her work stuff on. It was open to me often but since neither of my parents really used a computer for entertainment at the time, I really saw nothing amazing that took me over for my love of video-games. It wasn't until I was about 11 or 12 that I really started using the Internet and got to know what it was all about.

When I was 11 or 12 is when I really started to use the Internet, at first it was all about play flash games from various TV shows from Cartoon network, I wasn't playing it all the time as much as a console video-game system like my N64 but it was a nice little diversion. However the first time I really got interested in the Internet was in 2006 when my friend Patrick started making videos on Windows Movie Maker and posting them onto a site called "YouTube". From then until about 2008 I made YouTube videos off and on for about 2 years until I decided to just stop making them around the start of high school. It just seemed like a little kid thing to do.

However YouTube has totally changed from what I once knew it to be in 2006, Now a marketing giant for anything YouTube is to me not about people to post videos and show them to everyone, It's a huge marketing company, Any other company can put a commercial at the start of a video, which is a trend I really hate, which didn't really start until early 2010. There's add's everywhere around the videos, YouTube is just one huge bank, and it can really get as much money as they want, I'm not saying that what they are doing is bad, I mean they are a company after all and that's a company's number goal is to please the consumer, However since I knew YouTube when it wasn't really that well known, YouTube just doesn't feel as personal to me as it once did.

Now a day's though the Internet has completely changed from what it first was in 2003, People can literally use the Internet for everything, Wanna send somebody a picture without using the post office? Go ahead. Wanna talk to a friend without calling them and getting a higher phone bill? Go ahead. Wanna download things illegally and not have to pay the consequences? Go ahead! Which brings me to my next point, The Internet is a convenience an inconvenience at the same time. While we, the people, are happy to be able to do whatever we want, whenever we want. It's coming at the cost of the people and company's we know around us. Music has for sure taken it the hardest, nobody has to try to make an album with 12 songs that they put time and effort into anymore. They can just make one catchy song and sell it on iTunes for $3.99. Ask 10 teenagers if they have ever downloaded music for free of the internet and I guarantee that at least 8 of them will say yes.

I can download any record, any video-game and CD and movie, whenever I want for free without paying a dime out of my pocket for it. Were getting what we want when we want it. But is it really worth it? From an honest standpoint I can say Yes and No. Knowing that I can literally get whatever I want to entertain myself of the Internet for absolutely free it just crazy. It's basically stealing with the very small minuscule chance of paying any sort of consequence for it. But then again it's like a cold, So many people are doing this, and downloading music, movies and games and other stuff that they should be paying for, It's basically impossible to stop everyone who is downloading to stop.

But besides Television the numbers of hours spent on a Laptop or desktop computer or even a browser on a cellphone is most likely bigger then that of a TV, however for all time hours spent, Like in the history of time, TV still probably has the Internet beat by a lot. Anybody can visit any website they want at anytime and most likely that website will have add's and commercials on there that are going to appeal to them. Which is what makes the Internet the most diverse and huge media supplier in the whole world.

You can do whatever you want in the real world, on the internet, with the convenience of being able to do it on the internet, Buy this, Download that. However the Internet, from what I remember was not used for entertainment as much as it was for today. Today people are on the Internet may more then they do say watching Television, especially with the ever-increasing popularity of social networking websites.

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Mini review #1: Stop a Gaben

Stop a Gaben is a video released by YouTube user TF2Pyrosux on May 1st 2010. The video contains a still image of Gabe Newell with a pirate hat on and an eyepatch on his face. The song is made up of voice clips of Gabe Newell speaking. The song has a fast catchy beat making the song exciting and fun to dance to. The song currently has 418,983 views with 4,107 Likes and 69 Dislikes showing that many people also like this fine tune.

Gabe Newell being my hero it is nice to hear a song that is not taken serious but to just laugh at and enjoy, Hearing Gaben's witty and insightful sayings put to music is a thing of beauty. Not many people in the world can enjoy the greatest experience in the world, that being hearing Gabe Newells lovely voice. But people should if they can. I recommend this video to anybody in the world who can listen to it.

Overall this video is awesome because of it's unique blend of placing you in a world where nothing can go wrong and still be serious and wacky. Hearing Gaben's soothing voice relaxes you and puts you into a state of mind that can be achieved by nothing else on Earth. The things he says in the video is very funny as well. Not only is this one of the greatest things ever. It's the greatest thing on Earth.

11/10.

Yes, that's not a typo.

Thanks for listening, and have fun!

Mini review #2: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I hate this stupid movie.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a film that was released on March 19th 2004 which was directed by Michel Gondry and stars Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst and Elijah Wood. Looking at everything that I had just shown to you except for my opening statement looks nice and interesting, lots of good actors. A good director, an interesting movie title, Without knowing anything about the film and that's all that you heard, the actors, director and the title would be bad in some cases. But in this case it would sound like a good movie. Sadly though it is a horrible, crappy, worthless waste of time… at best.

The acting is well done in the movie, but that is really the only good thing that I can say about it, The one thing that totally killed it for me with this movie was that basically the whole film I really had no idea what the Gaben was going on. The movie is very hard to follow and I shouldn't try to have to understand something to enjoy it, unless I really want to enjoy it. I honestly did try to understand what was going on in the movie but I just couldn't keep up with it. The movie moves way to quickly and add that with a confusing storyline and you have a major disaster.

Another thing that totally killed this movie for me was the lack of action, This was a strictly dialogue driven movie, that wouldn't be so bad if I could understand what the Gaben was going on but because this movie moves way to quick and it was confusing to being with, the lack of action made it seem to me that not only was this movie disappointing but also lacking. Lacking the thrill of an action scene, the excitement. This movie disappointed me on so many levels, I finished this movie with more questions then answers. Still trying to figure out in my head what the Gaben was going on.

To be somewhat fair, it may be my own fault that I wasn't able to follow the film, maybe it's not the films fault at all. But still, I left disappointed and felt that I had wasted 1 hour and 48 minutes of my life that I could not get back. This movie is horrible. Please don't watch it.

3/10.

Mini review #3: Sin City comics

Sin City sticks out from the rest of any comic books that I have every read in my entire life. Sin City sticks out of the crowd like a sore thumb in a good way though. The way Sin City sticks out to me is because of it's very little use of dialogue. With a heavier emphasis on the artwork in the comic. It's a neat and interesting experience to be able to rea… well I guess view a comic such as Sin City. When I was re.. viewing Sin City I felt a greater sense of an alone atmosphere, One where the only person who you get to really find and see the true nature of is the main character.

With any other comic book series it's more of an experience of reading a story and experiencing that story, However with Sin City I feel like I'm experiencing a way of living almost from a different point of view, which is very hard to do with any type of media.

Comic books to me is something hard to review, especially jut one specific book when there was most likely a series made out of this, but to review this one I must. I really enjoyed the Sin City comic book that we read in class and I thought it was interesting because of the atmosphere that the feeling that it gave me and I honestly think that this would have not been achieved if it had as much dialogue as a normal comic book. But that is what makes Sin City different, it's a change of pace, and one that's for the better.

7.5/10

I Love Gabe Newell

I do not agree with what the filmmaker is saying, I do not think that downloading is ok, It really is just stealing a product. But the people who are remixing from different songs are trying to make a profit of it. They're just trying to make a income of an already existing product, theyre just editing how it sounds, which is neat but it's not their creation, If I took a picture of Gabe Newell and put a pink bow-tie on him and tried to sell it for a profit that wouldnt be cool.

It is alright to have a bias film but only to help stress your point even more, They did show some parts of the people against downloading music, but 99% of the movie was stressing their point. There is nothing wrong with it, but I think help showing flaws or bad ideas in the opposing people would help prove your point even more.

I think because of the Internet people can do whatever they want whenever they want, and because people can listen to whatever song they want and I think that is decreasing the quality of music and it gives artist less insentive to make every song a good one on their album and make 1 or 2 good songs and to just make the rest "fillers". I do not think it is alright to download music or movies unless you have paid for it, cause it is a form of stealing.

I thought the film was interesting to watch even though I didnt really agree with what the filmmaker was saying, downloading music is used just to listen to it way more than it is for remixes. I think it shows one side of the arguement and I totally disagree with what they stand for. They think it is okay to make a profit off of somebody else's creation which I think is wrong.