Breaking the Bank

Debit or Credit?? I'm sure these are words we all here oh so often nowadays because we are (mostly) all responsible enough to handle our own savings and checking accounts. I for one use my debit card more than usual because I don't like carrying cash around anymore. It's much easier to steal cash and use it than have someone try to use your debit or credit card, especially these days with technology tracking devices the way they are. Sure, I could go into the lecture about how people can hack your pin number and take your money, but then again, if you're that negligent with your account, than you really should not have one, or take better care of it at least.
Today I want to blog about how online banking has changed me and the way I go about things, and hopefully I'm not the only one.
Used to: Carry cash because it was convenient, no questions asked
Now: Debit card...no cash 90% of the time because it's more secure that they now ask you 45 questions before your transaction is complete (i.e. pin, money back, signature.)

Used to: Have to run to the bank to deposit a check
Now: Type in the check number and amount from the comfort of my own computer chair.

Used to: Have to drive to the banks ATM to find out my account balance
Now: A few keystrokes of a keyboard, and clicks of a mouse and I know how much I don't have.

Used to: Be "rewarded" with a piggy bank for opening an account.
Now: Earn points for real rewards every time you swipe your card.

Online really gave banks a breath of fresh air from my stand point. Remember the shows and cartoons where everybody is at the bank on Friday?? Have you been to a bank on a Friday lately, it's officially just like every other day of the week. Bankers smile on their way out the door because they don't feel as pressured with a thousand transactions a day. That to me is a "game changer" in the banking industry. They took a chance on the online side of things, and I feel that they really made out as soundly if not more than many professions here in the U.S. But then again, it could just be me. So next time you get asked the question "Debit, or Credit?" reply with a smile, because not only did you just save some banker some time and effort, but you may have earned your very own points reward.

Heads or Tails?

Remember the days when it was forbidden to shop online? When Christmas' were insane because it was extremely terrifying to point, click, and be done? Lately (The 2000's) our society has increased online shopping by the millions. Although the internet is not completely secure, it has come great distances from the days of non-encrypted pages. I thought about all that I have bought thanks to the internet, and all the face to face confrontations I've had the pleasure of avoiding...and I was immediately surprised! Books, games, clothes, CD's, equipment, vitamins...the list can go on and on. The point is, our society has come up with a strategy to cut out the middle man in the consumer, supplier relationship. Previously, the supplier had to seek many employees to come and and accept the currency, stock shelves, sweep floors, etc...now, not so much. Companies have automated accounts that accept credit cards online, so there goes the cashier. There are no shelves to stock because the order goes straight through the main store and into the docks. Meaning the item is specially ordered and comes in straight from the truck, to your door. Then of course, there are no floors to sweep because....well, there are no floors. Just like that 1 store eliminated approximately 50 jobs in one store.
You may say, well 50 jobs isn't horrible, there have been worse developments...well let's say that the online store does well...there goes another store, and another, and another...until all but a few stores are left purely for convenience. I didn't think it was possible either, except for the fact that a major superstore's online shoppers have increased nearly 300% in 2 years. Some people don't even have to leave their home if they wish to do so, they log on, point, click, and bang there is a delivery truck there like a pizza to deliver your groceries. As in anything there are two sides to this coin...on one side it's amazingly convenient, and you can shop in your underwear if that's how you roll. However, on the flip side, the money you spend online is money you aren't spending at your local store, and may infact be a trend of your community. In any business, if business is good, it's great...and we all know there's no such thing as bad business. So head's or tails?

Internet Week

I can officially put any rumors to rest that I, DJ Yokley will never take part in and/or enroll in an online institution. As much as I enjoyed no physical class, I found it much more difficult to keep myself focused online. I found it confusing at times, and inconvenient at others. I can associate and put things in order better when I hear things and see people, not words. For example, I'd have more success remembering if I heard someone physically say something to me, as oppose to a message board or emails.
It wasn't completely miserable though...I feel it was a good experience because I had been looking into a couple online classes during the summer, however, after this week...I'll take a pass and stick with good ole' Westminster for another full semester. If I don't take anything else out of this experience, I'll take that I'm not built for e-mail association as much as I am for face/word.

iDJ

It's official. I've given into the temptation of the iPod. I know you may be sitting there wondering why I'm bringing an iPod to a communication discussion...well I've found out in the 24 hours that I've had it that having an iPod is almost like being in a club. It doesn't just play music, it has games, calendars, world clocks, a notepad, shows photos, videos...it never ends...the only thing it doesn't do is have a phone on it...oh yeah, they just created that too (thats where I draw the line.) My mom just gave me her Palm handheld, and it's almost completely useless to me now considering everything I do on the handheld I can now do on my mp3 player.
I can communicate my whole life through this device, and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I'm finally growing accustomed to the fact that my cell phone can tell me where I am anywhere in the world through G.P.S. I'm not sure I'm comfortable yet with my music telling me what time it is in Nicaragua and being an on the road replacement for my gaming console...I also have found out that I can subscribe to podcasts of nearly anybody or anything that puts one out. People can communicate nearly anything they want people to hear through the internet, and through the "iPod community."
Does anybody else find it frightening sometimes how much technology and communication blurs into one device, and how much we are actually drones when we have a particular device activated? It's like the first week when we learned how iPods can be used to put up a wall...HA, I guess if you think about it, with Apple throwing everything and the kitchen sink into a 5 inch plastic/tin case...they now even put the wall up for us so we don't have to.

CMC in Sports

We always talk in class about how CMC effects us in our everyday lives. Today I'm going to shake it up a little bit and show how CMC has changed the face of sports for the better...and the worse. I'm going to share the pro's and con's for each in my opinion. Let's get this party started:

First and foremost: Fantasy Sports

Fantasy sports came on the scene in the mid 1990's where people who were interested in statistics could combine players of all professional teams in one sport onto one team. So how did this little hobbie become a national obsession? Money...the almighty dollar has a tendency to make things a little more interesting, especially when it comes to males and sports. CMC may not change the athlete in this scenerio, but rather the faithful fan. I was at the Cleveland Browns/New York Jets game this year, where the game came down to the wire. The Browns ended up pulling it out, however, I heard some people earlier in the game cheering the Jets QB Chad Pennington after he threw 2 touchdown passes. Why?? They weren't Jets fans, so I wondered to myself, and eventually found out that Chad Pennington was on their "Fantasy Team" and they had successfully attained 15+ points for scoring on their favorite team. Loyalty goes right out the window when it comes to watching football anymore, as long as your "Fantasy Team succeeds."

Secondly...the use of the headset in football

This may not be the most obvious, but let's think about it...without the headsets implanted into the helmets of all NFL QB's, chances are the wide out would still be responsible for running in the plays. How does that change the sport? Imagine if you will a world where Terrell Owens brings in a play. For those of you who don't know T.O. he likes getting the ball, even when he's nowhere near open. I can almost foresee him calling his own number every time he receives a play (Or at least 81% of the time. ;-D ) The headset changed all that, the QB is now solely responsible for the receiving of the plays, and as technology continues to excel, I can expect text messages to the armband of the QB so there is no mistaking or muffled sound from the booth to the field.

Finally...computer illustration

From everything from instant replays, to fastball projectiles...computer illustration is officially everywhere in sports...Can you remember the days where the bright yellow line didn't mark the first down, you had to rely on the announcers and your very own eyes? What about that strike 3 call you saw on your favorite player that was completely out of the zone?? With computer illustration they can show you exactly where that ball is in a matter of seconds, with his hot and cold zone. This to me is probably the most useful out of the computer advancement in sports, mainly because it does nothing but help the audience. People go crazy with the telestrator (John Madden) but ultimately its a device that makes understanding the game, and the plays in sports much easier to comprehend.


Bottom line...CMC has changed the face of sports forever, and continues to do so. I've only named a few minute advances, there are thousands of them out there. So next time you're watching a game and instant replay comes on...see how many advances CMC has made for us...I bet you'll be surprised. Until next time...

Message Board Chaos

Message boards...love them or hate them. Many people enjoy going onto a messageboard and being part of an online community. You can give your visions, your insight, your opinions, and fact that you learn that others may not know...basically you give your 2 cents. On the other hand there are people who just like to stir the pot of a messageboard, or chatroom. These people do whatever they can to slam, put down, and embarasss a certain subject. Of course there are the people that just make up things to try and get some attention. These people are often ignored because they talk out of context, and provide no proof or links to their "stories." I love going on the Steelers messageboards for inside info, and often times it will either give me what I want to know, or lead me to where I can find it. However, there are those times when people go too far and give a little too much of how they feel. The funny thing about the moderators in the Steelers MB is that the fans moderate more than anybody, if you do something wrong, the posters will point you out long before a moderator even has a chance to. Self-modding is something that has been occurring more and more along online communities, which is definitely a good thing, perhaps online moderators will start a union just like what seems to be every TV station known to man.

I see online communities as a way to relieve all the pent up stress you have without people having to put a face to a name. It's very much an example of anonymity and how you can have your suggestion/opinion/fact heard without a true identity (with the exception of some of course.) They can be used for both good, and bad causes, and taking note of what the majority of posters do on boards, the majority of the time it's used for opinions or breaking news. Lord knows if you ask Mr. Weaver, the blogs will soon take over the internet and cause mass chaos. The bottom line for me is that as long as people continue to respect the online community, and respect those in an online comm. there really won't be much of a problem. It's when a board gets bombarded by trolls that they'll start to be a nuisance and turn the online community into an online catastrophy...(i.e. sportspickle.com)

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