Week 9: Politics & Internet

There has been much talk about how the Internet is supposed to help bring politics to a whole new level. There has been many compelling evidence for this argument as well, but is the Internet really helping politics?

In the context of the US, I would suppose so; after all, Obama leveraged the power of social media and Internet to win votes and much-needed funds for campaigning.



Even his inauguration was viewed by millions around the world. People no longer had to stay glued to their TV sets to watch it. Now news is about what you want, when you want it, and we are pickier about our choices than ever before.

But what about locally? With the upcoming elections, all the different political parties in Singapore are turning to the Internet for a leg-up. Since the opposition parties do not get enough attention from the mainstream media, they try to use websites, social networking and so on to get their point across.

Though it may help to increase awareness, sometimes this awareness backfires.



Let's look at Tin Pei Ling.

She's the youngest MP candidate introduced by the PAP this year, and she has been the brunt of ridicule on the Internet ever since. Even though the Internet can raise awareness, it can also raise awareness of the wrong issues.

Instead of going after her policies, or what she can contribute to the society, netizens are vicious in their personal attacks on this candidate. They misuse the Internet to expose trivial details about her, and the entire debate disintegrates into childish name-calling and malicious remarks.

I am sure the with the upcoming general elections, the entire point of discussing politics on the Internet is to facilitate understanding, to weigh the pros and cons of each candidate and each political party before casting a rational vote. Unfortunately, political discussion on the Internet has been reduced to mud-slinging.

Because this is controversial, and it is also interesting, it captures the majority's attention. People may not actively go out and source for objective material about the important things that matter - the polices, what each political party stands for and their plans for our future.

Let's not let the loudest voice on the Internet prevail; don't let it drown out the more important things at hand. Remember that with the Internet, the information is there at your feet, just waiting to be discovered.

Week 8: Multimedia

Marketing is a huge part of business, and everyone has an online presence these days. So how do you keep your customer engaged and coming back for more? You certainly can't rely on a traditional web page with just text and links, can you? You have to use multimedia.



According to wikipedia, multimedia is media and content that uses different combinations of content forms, like text, audio, video, images, animation and interactivity.

But how do you integrate multimedia and marketing?



Most importantly, it has to be of a certain quality. You wouldn't want to stumble across a multimedia corporate website that looks like one of those bastardized MySpace profile page with too much animated glitter, awful music and jarring videos right?

Everyone can preach quality, but how exactly do you come up with something of good quality? Mashable has a good idea of how small businesses can leverage techniques to obtaining good videos.

Multimedia is extremely useful, but what content should you put up? If it does not further your company vision, increase brand awareness, engage customers or sell a product, then why put it up at all?

According to Mashable, here's what NOT to do with your company's blog:

1. Don't start without a strategy
2. Don't make it all about you (i.e. it's not a bulletin board!)
3. Don't forget to link (sources, competitors, anything you refer to!)
4. Don't forget to be yourself (customers are all about sincerity)
5. Don't ignore social media

Lastly, here are some tips on how to be future-proof for at least the next year:

1. Go mobile. Get a slice of the smartphone pie. 
2. Use Facebook social plugins. (Place the "like" button next to your posts!)

Week 7: Malware on Android

Are you using an Android phone? Well be afraid, be very afraid! The next time you go app-shopping on the Android marketplace, don't download just any app, for they might contain malware!

You don't exactly want to open an app containing a trojan, do you? 

Worms, viruses, trojans, spyware, and even phishing can not only target your computer, but they also are quickly invading the smartphone platform. eWeek reports that most smartphone users aren't too careful when it comes to their mobile devices, downloading at whim and not evaluating the sources stringently. If we are careful when it comes to our PCs, we should do the same with our mobile devices too. You don't want to receive a phone bill costing thousands just because a malware is texting premium rate numbers, right?

So far, Google has responded pretty well by removing these malicious apps from the Android marketplace after being informed by bloggers at Android Police. Google also remotely removed apps from user's devices, which is honestly quite creepy because it's a huge invasion of privacy, even if it's to fix a security threat.

However, the worst isn't over yet. The security app released by Google has been duplicated by hackers and there are malicious apps in the Android marketplace masquerading as the Google security app.

Of course, not all hope is lost, and you shouldn't be too hasty to throw your Android device down the chute just yet. PC Mag has a few tips on how to protect your android phone.

CNET also gives a useful overview on top apps to secure your Android device.

Part of the reason why Android is facing this problem is because they believe in open source developing, and therefore there is no gatekeeping for apps put up for download. Open source breeds progress? Well maybe, but it's also an open playground for viruses and security threats. My iPhone and iPad have no fear (for now) because of its relatively closed system of developers, even though its millions of users are a huge temptation for malware producers. I'll take Apple over Android any day.

Week 6: Internet Tools & the Power of Video

Personally, I've had some experience with video editing, so let me share with you some of the videos I have done as well as some tips to making better videos.

How to make a good video:

1. Tell a story
2. Use a software you are comfortable with
3. If you don't know how to use the software, search for tutorials on YouTube
4. Use music
5. Don't use complicated transitions like the ripple effect (Fading to and from black is your best bet)
6. Don't use too many effects
7. Choose a good place to host your video

Here's example of what you can do with just an iPhone and iMovie: 

This is a short clip made to introduce a business plan for a spa facility.

Of all the video editing software available, my personal favorite is still Final Cut Pro. Obviously if you don't want to buy it (or pirate it), the next best thing would be iMovie. No, Windows Movie Maker doesn't cut it because videos produced on it usually look amateur. In iMovie, it is relatively simple to edit, trim clips, add music, voiceovers, credits and smooth transitions without much effort at all.

Another thing to keep in mind is the material you are using in the videos - are they all original content? If you use copyrighted music like I did, YouTube tends to flag it and take it down. So to get around it, just host it on another video sharing site like Vimeo. Avoid sites like Tudou, Youku and Xtube, because they are better known for hosting either undesirable videos or copyrighted materials like full movies, so it indirectly associates your video with their negative image.

Other than that, go out and shoot some footage with your cameras and have some fun with the videos you can come up with!

And if you don't actually have a camera with video recording capabilities, fret not. You can make an equally compelling video with still pictures and extremely creepy music.

Watch at your own peril. Don't say you haven't been warned!

*Disclaimer: All videos in this post were shot and edited by me. Still images and music may have copyright issues.