The End

So this is my last blog for this DSP class. I am now a pro at blogging. I never thought that this day would come... Well this class was interesting to say the least. I genuinely loved meeting all of the people in our class. We were a very diverse class, and everyone brought something to the table, even the people that dropped it... I liked working together on all of the projects, we were able to create strong friendships, like "The Back Line", and the tripod! This class was nice to be a part of because I felt like our class was really a cosmopolitan canopy. We had a very open and friendly atmosphere. This class also made me more computer savvy. I was totally unaware of SL before this class. I do not think that I will continue exploring SL, but it was definitely an interesting experience. Exploring SL Amsterdam was fun. People in SL are very outgoing and friendly. I feel like pretty much everywhere in SL is a cosmopolitan canopy. 

The other activities that we did like BAFA BAFA, the video about Barbies, were really interesting.  It was nice to hear everyones opinions during class, because since our class was so diverse we were able to have several different views. 

The UK Field project made me realize how oblivious I was to implicit rules of society. I never really payed attention, but after discussing them in class I was surprised to realize how many there are. For example; don't talk while on the elevator, don't talk in the bathroom(for guys)- girls don't follow this rule at all... which is also somewhat strange to me. While working on my UK field project I realized some implicit rules of the Library, like adults don't study on the third floor at one of the large study tables, or that you don't dress up to go to the library. 

Overall I think this class was a good class. I'm not going to lie, I was not expecting the work load... it was a lot of work. I think that the work load was tolerable because of the people in the class, I made some really good friends (tripod and back line). 

Have a great break, and good luck everyone! Stay in touch!

DSP Showcase

The group that I am in for the DSP Showcase is "Team SL; Guiding You Through Your Virtual Reincarnation". 

The people in our group are: Landre, Reecie, Elle, Raito, Phoolendu, Maekeo, Azriquel, Rasay, and myself. We are a large group but we have combined all of our SL projects into a nice slideshow presentation for the Showcase. We are going to have two computers and two projectors. One computer and projector will have Second Life open so people can come and play around in there, and someone can explain to them what SL is all about and help them explore. Hopefully people will want to play on Second Life, I guess we will just make it look as exciting as possible.... Then on the other computer we will have a continuous slideshow going on that will give people a general overview of SL. Then the people working by the powerpoint can tell people about SL projects that we did in class. I think this is a good group, we have several different places represented. This will give our visitors a more well rounded view of Second Life. We represent Amsterdam, Mexico, Bogart's Jazz Club, and Atlantic Wave.  These areas are all completely different and we are all familiar with the University of Kentucky Second Life site, so we can tell them whatever about any of those sites.

Paper for Field Site

Writing this paper is turning out to be a little bit more challenging than I had anticipated. I think I can cram everything in there, but I am nervous about turning in my final paper. 

There are several resources on campus to use, the key is to actually use them.  So far the only resource that I have tried to use are the librarians- I emailed them to find out more about the history of the library. I am now just waiting for a response. Otherwise I rely on other people in the class to help me out, we talk about how each other's projects are going. 

Well I think that Landre is working on a similar type of place, we both are working on a place that is centered around academics, but there tends to be a significant amount of socializing in each place. Reecie and Walugo also have similar places to mine, people go to their sites to study too.  While they are both studying lounges, they are both studying places where people often go to study as well.

The people that I am working with for the DSP Showcase are everyone that wanted to work on showcasing Second Life at the showcase. This includes the members of "The International Back Line",  members of "ECSL", a lone member from "The Cholos". We are a large group, but I think that we will all work well together.

UK Communities Presentation

I am not sure what type of visuals I will end up with for my presentation of the third floor of the William t. Young Library. I think I will probably end up using a poster. Everyone in the class knows about the library so this would just help them pay attention a little bit more. My poster will mostly be pictures. I think that everyone knows about the library but some people do not actually utilize it. I use the library all the time, but do not always use all of my resources that I should until the last minute. I think my project will also help people come to the library.... maybe. 

I think it will be easy for me to talk for a while. There are lots of things that I did not realize about the library that I do know after being in there so much. Maybe I will make people feel more comfortable going to the library if they know what it's all about! After seeing my presentation they will know what they edict is like on the third floor. They will know that it changes depending on the time of day. I think this is the case for many places that the change from day to evening causes a change in peoples attitudes.  

Hopefully my classmates will be willing to comment on my site and project. I think I will just ask if anyone has any questions at the end. 

Another Interview

So I conducted my fourth interview today! It was great because the guy that I interviewed was an Anthropology major! He was great! He was not to excited to be interviewed at first, but I was charming, so he came around.  He does not really come to the library that much, pretty much only when he needs to, but that's ok. He is a senior, and is very academically disciplined, he is not like most kids who come to the library and plan to study but end up spending most of their time on facebook.  He was very nice, and was  the first person I interviewed that was a complete stranger. I was really nervous! I still feel really awkward asking people all of these questions. 

He was also the first person that I interviewed that was not a freshman. This made his situation totally different from everyone else that I have interviewed, because it is a lot more convenient for freshman whole live on campus to come to the library- but he has to make an effort to go to the library to study and work. I think this is why he is so much more productive than most other students that come here, he even said that when he comes here he "comes for a purpose, so I works the whole time." For students who live on campus coming to the library is not as much of a deal because it is a simple couple minute walk from south campus.  So people come to the library to socialize more when they live on campus I think, when they live off campus- I think those are more productive students (this is just a generalization).

revised second interview

So I had an original script and I realized after I did one interview that it was a little to vague. Then I read my script out loud in class and the entire class gave me some really productive feedback. They came up with a lot of other questions that I hadn't really gotten when I was making up my own questions. I had good starter questions, but then I did not really have any follow through questions.

I still feel really shy to go up to a complete stranger and start interviewing them. So for my second interview I interviewed an acquaintance. This I think was a god way to start because I can build up my confidence to making a good interview- so that for my next interview who I promise will be a complete stranger- I will be able to have all the kinks worked out and I will be able to have a smooth conversation with that person.  

After already completing two interviews, I am realizing that this project is going to be a harder than I had originally thought. I still notice that people mostly come with computers, and people think that they are spending their time wisely- but they all usually end up on facebook, or playing some type of game. The computer is really important to have because so many classes put homework, study-guides and your grades online that you really need one to keep up. So my conclusion is that having a computer is essential but also very distracting. 

Interviewing

So I conducted my first interview today. I was shy, so I interviewed a friend. She was willing to help, and this was a good way for me to start out. I was able to build some confidence with the first interview, I am easing my way into this assignment. I am nervous to go up to complete strangers and just start interviewing them. That is just a little weird for me. I do not know, I just feel like a creeper when I am like "Hey I am studying the social environment of this area- can I interview you?".  I know it is not really that weird, but I just feel slightly uncomfortable. So to try to make myself more comfortable I interviewed an acquaintance first.

I do find the results of the interview interesting, besides my previous statements. I think that it is interesting that people do become territorial of their spaces. Some people are more than others. For example I have noticed that some people always come to the third floor to study- but not necessarily in the same spot. Some people need to study in the same spot every time, but others just come to study on the third floor- it does not really matter where. I think it is kind of amusing that people become so territorial over a public place. 

I have also noticed that people stick together and rarely branch out to talk to new people. The only way people talk to others is generally if they have a question and realize that they are both studying the same topic.