Femi's Blog

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Terms of RoadChap app usage

RoadChap is an app that will be developed for commuters to share and discover road conditions which gives them ability to plan their routes through images. Unlike other image sharing platforms, the RoadChap app is striving to keep up its standards as the best place to share opinions and help others. If any post that does not visualize a road condition is found on the platform, it should be reported and taken down.

Terms of service and community guidelines are essential information important for users to understand the consequences of using a community app service like the one undergoing development, RoadChap. Since the evolution of community image sharing platforms, there have been cases of misuses which prompted the developers and users to come up with rules that must be obeyed if a media platform is to be utilized.

The most popular platform out there is Imgur which has billions of pictures hosted with rules backing its usage. Often, users don’t read these guidelines and break the rules which results into further actions taken like ban, suspension or legal interference. After taking a look at the guidelines and terms of use of imgur which is similar to the app that is going to be developed, I discovered some interesting facts that could be overlooked but integral to the user experience on the platform.

THINGS TO DO & THINGS NOT TO DO

Reading through the imgur community rules, I discovered that they highlighted the things which are expected from every contributor (things to do) and what also violates the platform labeled as things not to do. Clearly stated on the page, users are not expected to upload content which they do not have a full copyright ownership of.

I find this fact interesting to consider while developing the RoadChap app because users are required to posts pictures of the road conditions which may involve billboard ads, road signs and vehicle plate numbers. Private information is highly recommended not to be shared or visible on any post a user uploads. It would be a good idea to consider an option for users to censor any copyright elements that may cause their post to be down voted or reported. Just like snapchat, a feature could be introduced to let user cover signs or posts in their pictures without totally disrupting the image.

GOOD SHARING PRACTICES

The last part of the Imgur rules states the good sharing practices which I think helped the platform again a reputation for user credibility. They value transparency and respect which are vital in the creation of the Road chap platform which will build trust relationship between users on the platform. Below is the quote from the page:

Value

Good sharing means posting content which brings value to the community. Content which opens up a discussion, shares something new and unique, or has a deeper story to tell beyond the image itself is content that generally brings value. Ask yourself first: is this something I would be interested in seeing on Imgur if someone else posted it?

Transparency

Imgurians expect that the original poster (OP) will be explicit about if and how they are connected to the content they are posting. Trying to hide that relationship, or not explaining it well to others, is a common feature of bad sharing.

Respect

Good sharing means knowing when the Imgur community has spoken through upvotes and downvotes and respecting that. You should avoid constantly reposting content to User Submitted that gets downvoted. This kind of spamming annoys the community, and it won't make your posts any more popular.

TERMS OF SERVCICE

Every platform that involves people interaction should have a contract which binds the users together and serves as the conditions for making the best use of it. It is well explained in the imgur terms of service that content on the platform should not be used for commercial purposes but can be used for research and journalism.

The last part is the trademark use policy which has its own chapter that explains how the name “imgur” and its properties can be used in order not to violate or offend the brand rules. These would be a fact to consider as the RoadChap app will have its set of fonts, logos and colors which ties to the trademark that would be used appropriately.

[femifolarin]

The Coming Karma of VR/360

Photo: www.wareable.com/vr/vr-and-vice-9232

It is no longer news that 360/VR is the new way of telling very engaging interactive stories. Developers have stepped up the game from 3D illustrations to putting the user inside the experience of the story. This virtual reality experience could be effective positively and also negatively.

In schools, virtual reality is known to have helped students discover and learn about subjects that would be understood when seen than spoken. Situations whereby students are nervous about delivering live presentations, the public speaking simulator with Samsung gear has helped them prepare better and feel more comfortable.

Even though this technology seems very interesting and addicting, there are some major ethics that 360/VR creators should consider while taking users through this breathtaking experience. 

Age Restriction

The application of virtual reality can be seen in movies, documentaries, games, hospitals, music videos and lots of interactive stories which create a wide outreach of audience across the globe. It is clearly displayed on Samsung VR at launch that the headset should not be used by people aged fewer than 13 because it could have a negative effect on human minds especially children that are growing up. 

Imagine having a kid of 7 years old using a VR for the first time, it could be a sort of confusion to the young lad after he returns from the VR journey to face the actual reality. One moment he was in the sitting room and in few seconds with the device on his head, he is in Disney world. This could have a deep psychological effect on this kid’s emotion and believing what the actual real world is while he grows up

Recommendation

Age restrictions should be enforced on exuberant immersive world and parents should be advised on monitoring what their children see in the virtual reality. In learning environment, head mounted devices should be limited only in situations where alternatives can be provided. It is important for content creators not to frown at creating content for children but they should be aware of the innocence and the long term impact on kid below the age of 13.

Health Issues

Head mounted devices work well by projection of very bright lights to the eyes. With the direct projection of these bright pixels of light, a lot of stress can be caused to the pupils. According to ARVR Magazine they indicated that in some eye studies, that the source of the light is within 1mm, is enough to cause minor damage. This could also aggravate to a very real and unknown potential for eye cancer caused by retinal radiation from HMD’s needs further research. This is mostly common in young children that still have a lot of development going on in the body.

For those that easily suffer from shock, it might be a hard time to recover from an immersive experience with first time attempt of some interactive horror stories told on the virtual reality world. This happened to a friend of mine in Atlanta during the Halloween period when he tested a trailer of Residence Evil on the Samsung VR. He said he has never been so scared like he was on that day which discouraged him from using the device until after a couple of months he recovered from the shock.

Recommendation

It is very important that VR content creators put themselves in the shoes of the viewers. They can perform several user testing on their content and make adjustment based on user reaction and comments which they provide. In a virtual environment at least if there has to be an intense scene about to be featured, they could inform the user so their brains are prepared and they are not left out in shock.

Game Addiction

With the advanced skilled professionals evolving in the world of game production, the VR has created a genesis of another level of thinking. Content creators have the ability to transform the thoughts and actions of the user just with the head mounted device. Some game developers have improvised peripheral connected controllers which gives users more flexibility and freedom to automate their virtual world how they like it.

Truly, lots of games have turned some people to couch chips eating gamers, but with the immersive experience of VR, it could do a lot worse especially playing the roller-coaster games. Also there are Japanese developers who have turned the gaming into cybersex where users can gain pleasure from by interacting with the environment. For further reading on VR porn or cyber sex you can check on this link.

Recommendation

Revenue or income should not be the game developer’s focus which creating their stories, they should pay attention to user’s reactions when they experience their content and the long lasting impression they find from the scenes

 Summary

Though the VR market has been largely accepted by lots of individuals and the industry expanding drastically which draws the attention for us be aware about the dangers that might surface if proper measures are not taken early enough. Thorough user testing on various platforms should be considered as top priorities before finally launching the project. We know it could be time wasting for us that cannot wait for the release of a VR content, but we should also be careful not to mess with the health and well-being of he users. Using deep inc. as an example, they have created successful VR contents that are short, immersive and non-threatening to the users.

[femifolarin]

The coming fear of 360/VR

It is no longer news that 360/VR is the new way of telling very engaging interactive stories. Developers have stepped up the game from 3D illustrations to putting the user inside the experience of the story. This virtual reality experience could be effective positively and also negatively.

In schools, virtual reality is known to have helped students discover and learn about subjects that would be understood when seen than spoken Situations whereby students are nervous about delivering live presentations, the public speaking simulator with Samsung gear has helped them prepare better and feel more comfortable.

Even though this technology seems very interesting and addicting, there are some major ethics that 360/VR creators should consider while taking users through this breathtaking experience. 

Age

The application of virtual reality can be seen in movies, documentaries, games, hospitals, music videos and lots of interactive stories which creates a wide outreach of audience across the globe. It is clearly displayed on Samsung VR at launch that the headset should not be used by people aged under 13 because it could have a negative effect on human minds especially children that are growing up. 

Imagine having a kid of 7 years old using a VR for the first time, it could be a sort of confusion to the young lad after he returns from the VR journey to face the actual reality.One moment he was in the sitting room and in few seconds with the VR on his head, he is in Disney world. This could have a deep psychological effect on this kid’s emotion and believing what the actual real world is while he grows up

Recommendation

Age restrictions should be enforced on exuberant immersive world and parents should be advised on monitoring what their children see in the virtual reality

[femifolarin]

THE SUCCESS OF INSTAGRAM AND IMGUR

INSTAGRAM

Ever since the invention of Facebook as a photo sharing site, other companies have grown into offering similar services and even improvising them. The most popular of them is Instagram which has been acquired by Facebook in 2012. Other competitors were Flickr, Pintrest and Snapchat. These other photo sharing apps provided some features that are not clearly available on Instagram.

Reddit and Imgur are similar platforms which have been the competitive sites for photo sharing but those did not really have a stable app for mobile device users until 2013 which is a way Instagram became more resourceful and gained more grounds at first launch. The readily available app on the app store was an irresistable way for users to test the platform on their phone using their camera capabilities. This gives users a reason why their phone camera could be of use to share what is of interest to them.

The ability for users to rate, like and comment on photos is one factor more people remained loyal to the service. This gives them freedom to show their expression on what they see and another reason to interact with any content that they have access to on the platform. Unlike Facebook that has the dislike button, there is only a like button on Instagram. There is some sort of pleasure when users like or double tap on content, an exciting animation displays as a heart that shows as the system status.

The easy sharing of content on other platforms in a clear intuitive way makes Instagram the leading image sharing platform in the market. In about two clicks, users can share their contents on favorite platforms like Facebook, twitter, reddit and website. Content embedded or shared to other platforms retains its originality and properties of the images.

IMGUR

Imgur is another successful image sharing platform significantly because it solved an issue for users who do not want to sign up before using a service. The social media platform got into mainstream through community sharing by photo enthusiasts who tested and liked it. Users have the freedom to remain anonymous while using this site but they will have to register if they want to vote or comment on an image.  In short, users can decide to leave the site or app at any time without been tied down to any contract or subscription.

The site is not only limited to pictures, users are able to upload Gifs and videos on their profile. Ability to decide which graphical type of content users want to see and upload grants them flexibility to choose what suits them at any time. There is also a search and follow option for most people who are curios or want to learn more about a specific topic. They can also interact with other users with the use of the friendly chat function which is only available once signed up as a registered user.

Loyal users are rewarded for their content sharing by gaining points and evaluation from viewers that see their content. There is a competitive approach to every content and profile which gives users a reason to post something meaningful and helpful so as to gain more attention. This feature gives users insights on how their posts are doing on the site. They know immediately if their pictures are good or not based on viewers reactions when they come across it.

[femifolarin]

Diversity in Interactive Media Leadership

HOW TO BE AN ETHICAL MANAGER/LEADER IN A DIVERSE TEAM

Figure 1; https://forcechange.com/20270/promote-diversity-in-the-media/

Equality is about creating a fairer society, where everyone involved can participate and has the opportunity to reach their desired potential. It is the act of ignoring discrimination regardless of people’s gender or gender, race, nationality, religion, ethnic, marital status, age, color, physical or mental disability, social background or sexual orientation. This way a workplace can be considered professionally ethical.

Diversity on the other hand goes beyond mere “equality” which means recognizing and celebrating the differences that exist between individuals as sources of strength and enlightenment. Diversity in the sense that staff, students, careers and families bring to the organization should expand the variations of thinking, communication styles, skills and behaviors which broaden the peoples’ horizons.

Since communities are becoming more mixed and diverse societies and there is a need to be able to incorporate that appropriately and sensitively when creating content as professionals. In the human rights legal framework covering our employment practices and service delivery there is equality and the need to ensure it is strictly considered to work within this framework and avoid discrimination.

http://www.management-standards.org/sites/default/files/B12%20-%20Promote%20equality%20of%20opportunity,%20diversity%20and%20inclusion%20in%20your%20organisation.pdf

 HOW AN INTERACTIVE MEDIA PROFESSIONAL CAN PROMOTE EQUITY/DIVERSITY

-          Picture people as individuals respecting their beliefs, views and lifestyles even when they are different from our own.

-          Take into account work mates and audience religious, cultural and social needs.

-          Challenge questionable attitudes in contents if you feel someone is behaving inappropriately.

-          Report discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimization of any kind towards anyone to a line manager.

-          Ensure we collect information about our staff and target audience so we can monitor how the policies are serving everyone.

-          Everyone involved in recruitment should have some basic training around equality and diversity or have completed the relevant recruitment course.

-          Encourage teams and colleagues to look into the different areas of equality more detail in the content to be published.

-          Complete equality analysis on any service activity, developments, policies to see if they impact upon any group(s) fairly.

 For further reading;

http://www.robertpicard.net/files/Measuring_Media_Content_Quality_Diversity_Book.pdf

http://www.sunshinecare.co.uk/docs/145.pdf

http://www.management-standards.org/sites/default/files/B12%20-%20Promote%20equality%20of%20opportunity,%20diversity%20and%20inclusion%20in%20your%20organisation.pdf

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[femifolarin]

HOME ALONE DINNER

Sometimes, home work gets me so busy that I might forget that time had swept away into darkness. At these dark moments, it could be very hard to decide on what to appeal the worms rumbling in the belly. It was fall season and the windows were down, curtains up, the little beam of light shining into the living room was from the kitchen. Staring quietly at my laptop, concentrating on the assignment, the only distraction was the stagnant sound of the fridge which is unavoidable until I checked the time; “Damn, Its past 8pm! That was when I realized why I couldn’t find answers to my homework.

It could be hard sometimes for the brain to function with an empty belly and also could be hard to decide what to eat when you are alone. In one of my recent posts on Slack, I mentioned that Google was an exciting source for me to get answers and information as soon as I wanted. So here is my journey on how I got myself a Home Alone Dinner;

First went to google.com

When you are on google, you could literally type anything and you will find results. As a hungry man and new to the area, I typed “home eat delivery barrignton avenue” Don’t mind my sentence but I was anxious to say I wanted to eat food either delivery around barrington avenue. Yala!

After about 0.76 seconds, Google showed me these results. The top five were just-eat.com. So I entered the Shopsite

Looking at the landing page, it seemed like the headoffice is in Halifax, So I typed in my Postal Code and clicked Feed me NOW!

After a few scrolls, I found a restaurant 2 blocks from where I live, and I saw it was also a free delivery service

  On the next page was the selections of the varities the resturants offered, thn I saw that you need to purchas over 15$ for delivery

 I had to create a new account on the website to complete my transaction

This took me a bit of time to confirm my pickup time

It was very cool because I would rather pay online with these many options

The website seemed secured and genuine so I continued with my transaction

At last, My order was successful, looking at the receipts contains additional information…

I became a bit bothered about the pickup time that says tomorrow.

So I had to call the restaurant to make sure my order was placed

Shortly, I walked a few steps to the restaurant and I fed my hungry belly