Putting Down the Phone for a Pick-Up Jam

Our class blog assignment for this week was to put down our cell phones and actually connect with a complete stranger. At first, I did not quite know what I should do for this assignment, but the way this story played out is incredible.

Ironically, my put-down the phone anecdote begins with me picking up my cell phone! I was driving home from a friend's house on Sunday evening and listening to Radio 104.5. An announcement came onto the radio that prompted listeners to text the station. The first 20 to respond would receive passes to the Radio 104.5 Studio Session with the band named Mona. I texted in, figuring “why not?” and I won!

After arriving at the studio for Clear Channel Philadelphia and waiting for a while, we were directed back through the inner workings of the studio. We watched the two guitarists from Mona as they had an awesome acoustic performance. The video isn't up yet, but when it is it will be available here.

After Mona performed their 3 songs, all of the audience was given a Mona promotional poster. The band all sat at a table and signed everyone's poster before having their picture taken. My picture with Mona and my friend Mike can be found here, once it is uploaded.

You may ask, “Where is the connection with a stranger?” Well, after meeting with the band, we went out a doorway. There, one of the Radio 104.5 DJs, Wendy, was giving directions on how to exit the building. I approached her and asked, “Is there any possibility of a tour of the studio?”

To this, she responded with a hesitant, “Well...”

My signed poster

“I only ask because I'm an Electronic Media Major at Kutztown University,” I elaborated. She gave me a surprised look and then explained that she was a Kutztown Alum! She then gave me her e-mail and offered me a tour at some point. She also mentioned that Clear Channel offers internships, which are a program requirement for Kutztown's Electronic Media degree.

Overall, I am incredibly pleased with the results of this assignment. I was able to connect with a complete stranger who works at a popular radio station. It is interesting that my story began by using computer mediated communication (CMC) via SMS and also that the follow-up is via e-mail, another form of CMC. Even so, without physically standing in front of Wendy, it would not have been possible for me to get a tour of the station.

Stay tuned to my blog for more about the studio tour! Hopefully I will be allowed to post pictures to the Blog of Charles Hanlon :) Wendy's blog can be found here.

(448 words)

My Favorites Bar

When, at the beginning of the semester, I discovered that we would have to sign up for a Twitter account, I couldn't help but let out a groan. Frankly, I thought that Twitter was a pointless, shortened version of Facebook for the middle aged.

However, my experience proved anything but. I enjoyed working with Twitter from the start-up page all the way through. I found it a lot more user friendly than Facebook was when I first started using it.

The premise of Twitter is simple: you have 140 characters to say something, anything. While I originally equated this with Facebook's status feature, I can see that it has a lot more potential than that. While Facebook statuses are generally about what a given person is doing, Twitter is more about headlines of what is going on or trending anywhere.

This idea has repercussions both good and bad. From a positive end, it allows thousands of "followers" instantly receive a message to help keep them informed. This is a great way to help encourage community.

However, when you only have 140 characters to say what you want to say, it makes it difficult to explain complex situations or ideas. Thus, it leads to the polarization of ideas. Even so, the inclusion of links helps to mitigate this effect.

At the end of it all, unlike Second Life, I think I will continue using my Twitter account because I find it a useful tool to give me the "highlights" of what is going on in the world. For better or worse, Twitter has been added to my favorites bar.

(268 words)