Untitled

[shaylynnhayes]

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration Facebook has been dominating the communication sphere since it moved from the US College community in 2007 and allowed the general public to take part in what was already taking off. Facebook has become ingrained in the lives of both rural and urban users in developed countries and lesser developed countries (LDCs) around the globe – and now, it aims to take over the untapped market of non-internet users in LDCs. At surface level, Facebook may seem like an innocent online social media platform. It connects grandmothers and grandchildren, long-long childhood friends, and has even been used for groups such as Autism or Mental Health support. The uses of Facebook are limitless – and thus includes negative drawbacks along with its positive applications. Facebook is a media conglomerate through purchasing popular communications apps, and has been exporting their model to LDCs through electronic colonialism, whilst ignoring international borders by taking part in transnationalization. Most of the world’s global media is concentrated through conglomerates such as companies that are bought and owned by larger parent companies. Mergers are very common in the media industry, and concentration of media is then concentrated between a small number of competitors who bought out the numerous smaller competition; these mergers are ignorant of cultural/physical nation-state boundaries. As McPhail points out, “[c]onvergence involving the interlocking of digital technologies, computing, telephony, and global networks, is rapidly changing the commercial environments, with new stakeholders entering the arena on an almost daily basis. Think Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Youtube and the pace of changed involved becomes obvious” (McPhail, 2014, 45). It is interesting to note that Google owns Youtube. Media concentration in conglomerates leads to [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is Introduction The consumption of media content has changed a lot over the past 150 years. From newspapers, to radio news, television, and now online media. As new forms of media come into the mix, it is inevitable that older forms of communication decline, or have to re-arrange their distribution models. As the internet has grown, the access to information has become saturated. Modern media companies are facing more challenges than ever before when it comes to monetization, and many of these companies are fretful that their tried-and-true means of revenue, advertising, has come under attack from Adblocker technology. Online advertising is an important source of revenue source of revenue for global media companies; however, current online advertisement policies are intrusive, unsafe, and warrant ad-blocking until the industry reforms its complacent policies. The Importance of Media Media companies provide an important societal contribution, journalists help us understand the world around us. A world without access to information would certainly be undesirable, especially since democracy requires a “free and independent press” to hold politicians accountable to their constituents. However, instead of slowing down, the internet has provided numerous alternatives to traditional news media – many of them increasing in popularity such as Youtube, Facebook, and blogging networks. Many of these companies rely on video advertisements or native advertisements that serve advertisements to viewers based on their interests. According to an article by Edward Helmore, “Google made $4.7bn in advertising from news content last year [Written 2019]” (Helmore, 2019, n.p.), it is important to note that google owns Youtube. Media continues to be important in the lives of individuals but the way that consumers interact with information has changed. While advertising [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

How to find a novel topic to write about

How to find a novel topic to write about Finding a topic to write a novel about can be difficult. You want something that you’re passionate about so you can stay interested, but you don’t want something that’s been overdone. The best way to find a topic is to research the hell out of it. Look into every possible angle and determine if there’s enough material for a full-length novel. If you can find several different sources that discuss the topic in different ways, you’re on the right track. fiction writing is a popular hobby for many people, but coming up with an idea for a story can be difficult. Some people start with an idea and build the story around that, while others let the characters dictate the plot. No matter which method you choose, it’s important to find a topic you’re passionate about and do your research. Novels are often based on real life events, or at the very least, are inspired by them. This can make the process of finding a topic to write about a novel daunting. It’s important to find something you’re passionate about and then research the hell out of it. Whether it’s delving into your family history or taking a deep dive into a specific topic, make sure to immerse yourself in as much information as possible. Here are some tips for finding a topic to write about: Write about what you enjoy Write about something that you’re emotional about Read books about similar topics to see how others write about it If you’re writing something based on reality, considering weaving in your own fictional ideas for a rich story [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing We’ve all had it happen. We sign up for a free trial, they take our credit card information, and then 3 months later we login to our bank and realize we’re paying for a service we used for 20 minutes. It’s not illegal for the company to do this. After-all, you signed up for this trial, and you agreed to the fine print. After the trial, you’d be billed. Cancel anytime, they say! Well, if you’re not super organized and set phone reminders about cancellations (which I now try to do), then you might check your bank account and find these charges. And hey, this business practice is completely legal (at least in Canada and the USA) so why wouldn’t they continue to do so? It’s free money from people who aren’t constantly checking their trial subscriptions. Even major retailers like Amazon and Netflix use this model. The presumption is most people will want to keep using their service, and those who don’t want to can merely cancel it. Great! The problem is that many of these companies (I’m looking at you Wallstreet Journal), make it nearly impossible to cancel their “free trial”. In the age of anxiety, and when many people don’t make phone calls—some of these companies take things a step further and make people call them to cancel the free trial subscription… which is completely insane considering you can sign up without ever talking to a human. This banks on the discomfort of picking up the phone to call, and it banks on the lack of time that a lot of people have – waiting in a que to cancel is difficult when you’re busy. Recently I tried reaching out to CreditVerify to cancel my free trial—they too have a “call us” policy, and I emailed their support roughly 10+ times. No answer. At all. When I finally went to call, they were closed. Of course I can call back at another time, but my god… I am jumping through hoops to cancel something I never even [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

How to find a novel topic to write about

How to find a novel topic to write about Finding a topic to write a novel about can be difficult. You want something that you’re passionate about so you can stay interested, but you don’t want something that’s been overdone. The best way to find a topic is to research the hell out of it. Look into every possible angle and determine if there’s enough material for a full-length novel. If you can find several different sources that discuss the topic in different ways, you’re on the right track. fiction writing is a popular hobby for many people, but coming up with an idea for a story can be difficult. Some people start with an idea and build the story around that, while others let the characters dictate the plot. No matter which method you choose, it’s important to find a topic you’re passionate about and do your research. Novels are often based on real life events, or at the very least, are inspired by them. This can make the process of finding a topic to write about a novel daunting. It’s important to find something you’re passionate about and then research the hell out of it. Whether it’s delving into your family history or taking a deep dive into a specific topic, make sure to immerse yourself in as much information as possible. Here are some tips for finding a topic to write about: Write about what you enjoy Write about something that you’re emotional about Read books about similar topics to see how others write about it If you’re writing something based on reality, considering weaving in your own fictional ideas for a rich story [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is Introduction The consumption of media content has changed a lot over the past 150 years. From newspapers, to radio news, television, and now online media. As new forms of media come into the mix, it is inevitable that older forms of communication decline, or have to re-arrange their distribution models. As the internet has grown, the access to information has become saturated. Modern media companies are facing more challenges than ever before when it comes to monetization, and many of these companies are fretful that their tried-and-true means of revenue, advertising, has come under attack from Adblocker technology. Online advertising is an important source of revenue source of revenue for global media companies; however, current online advertisement policies are intrusive, unsafe, and warrant ad-blocking until the industry reforms its complacent policies. The Importance of Media Media companies provide an important societal contribution, journalists help us understand the world around us. A world without access to information would certainly be undesirable, especially since democracy requires a “free and independent press” to hold politicians accountable to their constituents. However, instead of slowing down, the internet has provided numerous alternatives to traditional news media – many of them increasing in popularity such as Youtube, Facebook, and blogging networks. Many of these companies rely on video advertisements or native advertisements that serve advertisements to viewers based on their interests. According to an article by Edward Helmore, “Google made $4.7bn in advertising from news content last year [Written 2019]” (Helmore, 2019, n.p.), it is important to note that google owns Youtube. Media continues to be important in the lives of individuals but the way that consumers interact with information has changed. While advertising [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration Facebook has been dominating the communication sphere since it moved from the US College community in 2007 and allowed the general public to take part in what was already taking off. Facebook has become ingrained in the lives of both rural and urban users in developed countries and lesser developed countries (LDCs) around the globe – and now, it aims to take over the untapped market of non-internet users in LDCs. At surface level, Facebook may seem like an innocent online social media platform. It connects grandmothers and grandchildren, long-long childhood friends, and has even been used for groups such as Autism or Mental Health support. The uses of Facebook are limitless – and thus includes negative drawbacks along with its positive applications. Facebook is a media conglomerate through purchasing popular communications apps, and has been exporting their model to LDCs through electronic colonialism, whilst ignoring international borders by taking part in transnationalization. Most of the world’s global media is concentrated through conglomerates such as companies that are bought and owned by larger parent companies. Mergers are very common in the media industry, and concentration of media is then concentrated between a small number of competitors who bought out the numerous smaller competition; these mergers are ignorant of cultural/physical nation-state boundaries. As McPhail points out, “[c]onvergence involving the interlocking of digital technologies, computing, telephony, and global networks, is rapidly changing the commercial environments, with new stakeholders entering the arena on an almost daily basis. Think Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Youtube and the pace of changed involved becomes obvious” (McPhail, 2014, 45). It is interesting to note that Google owns Youtube. Media concentration in conglomerates leads to [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

How to find a novel topic to write about

How to find a novel topic to write about Finding a topic to write a novel about can be difficult. You want something that you’re passionate about so you can stay interested, but you don’t want something that’s been overdone. The best way to find a topic is to research the hell out of it. Look into every possible angle and determine if there’s enough material for a full-length novel. If you can find several different sources that discuss the topic in different ways, you’re on the right track. fiction writing is a popular hobby for many people, but coming up with an idea for a story can be difficult. Some people start with an idea and build the story around that, while others let the characters dictate the plot. No matter which method you choose, it’s important to find a topic you’re passionate about and do your research. Novels are often based on real life events, or at the very least, are inspired by them. This can make the process of finding a topic to write about a novel daunting. It’s important to find something you’re passionate about and then research the hell out of it. Whether it’s delving into your family history or taking a deep dive into a specific topic, make sure to immerse yourself in as much information as possible. Here are some tips for finding a topic to write about: Write about what you enjoy Write about something that you’re emotional about Read books about similar topics to see how others write about it If you’re writing something based on reality, considering weaving in your own fictional ideas for a rich story [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing We’ve all had it happen. We sign up for a free trial, they take our credit card information, and then 3 months later we login to our bank and realize we’re paying for a service we used for 20 minutes. It’s not illegal for the company to do this. After-all, you signed up for this trial, and you agreed to the fine print. After the trial, you’d be billed. Cancel anytime, they say! Well, if you’re not super organized and set phone reminders about cancellations (which I now try to do), then you might check your bank account and find these charges. And hey, this business practice is completely legal (at least in Canada and the USA) so why wouldn’t they continue to do so? It’s free money from people who aren’t constantly checking their trial subscriptions. Even major retailers like Amazon and Netflix use this model. The presumption is most people will want to keep using their service, and those who don’t want to can merely cancel it. Great! The problem is that many of these companies (I’m looking at you Wallstreet Journal), make it nearly impossible to cancel their “free trial”. In the age of anxiety, and when many people don’t make phone calls—some of these companies take things a step further and make people call them to cancel the free trial subscription… which is completely insane considering you can sign up without ever talking to a human. This banks on the discomfort of picking up the phone to call, and it banks on the lack of time that a lot of people have – waiting in a que to cancel is difficult when you’re busy. Recently I tried reaching out to CreditVerify to cancel my free trial—they too have a “call us” policy, and I emailed their support roughly 10+ times. No answer. At all. When I finally went to call, they were closed. Of course I can call back at another time, but my god… I am jumping through hoops to cancel something I never even [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is Introduction The consumption of media content has changed a lot over the past 150 years. From newspapers, to radio news, television, and now online media. As new forms of media come into the mix, it is inevitable that older forms of communication decline, or have to re-arrange their distribution models. As the internet has grown, the access to information has become saturated. Modern media companies are facing more challenges than ever before when it comes to monetization, and many of these companies are fretful that their tried-and-true means of revenue, advertising, has come under attack from Adblocker technology. Online advertising is an important source of revenue source of revenue for global media companies; however, current online advertisement policies are intrusive, unsafe, and warrant ad-blocking until the industry reforms its complacent policies. The Importance of Media Media companies provide an important societal contribution, journalists help us understand the world around us. A world without access to information would certainly be undesirable, especially since democracy requires a “free and independent press” to hold politicians accountable to their constituents. However, instead of slowing down, the internet has provided numerous alternatives to traditional news media – many of them increasing in popularity such as Youtube, Facebook, and blogging networks. Many of these companies rely on video advertisements or native advertisements that serve advertisements to viewers based on their interests. According to an article by Edward Helmore, “Google made $4.7bn in advertising from news content last year [Written 2019]” (Helmore, 2019, n.p.), it is important to note that google owns Youtube. Media continues to be important in the lives of individuals but the way that consumers interact with information has changed. While advertising [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing We’ve all had it happen. We sign up for a free trial, they take our credit card information, and then 3 months later we login to our bank and realize we’re paying for a service we used for 20 minutes. It’s not illegal for the company to do this. After-all, you signed up for this trial, and you agreed to the fine print. After the trial, you’d be billed. Cancel anytime, they say! Well, if you’re not super organized and set phone reminders about cancellations (which I now try to do), then you might check your bank account and find these charges. And hey, this business practice is completely legal (at least in Canada and the USA) so why wouldn’t they continue to do so? It’s free money from people who aren’t constantly checking their trial subscriptions. Even major retailers like Amazon and Netflix use this model. The presumption is most people will want to keep using their service, and those who don’t want to can merely cancel it. Great! The problem is that many of these companies (I’m looking at you Wallstreet Journal), make it nearly impossible to cancel their “free trial”. In the age of anxiety, and when many people don’t make phone calls—some of these companies take things a step further and make people call them to cancel the free trial subscription… which is completely insane considering you can sign up without ever talking to a human. This banks on the discomfort of picking up the phone to call, and it banks on the lack of time that a lot of people have – waiting in a que to cancel is difficult when you’re busy. Recently I tried reaching out to CreditVerify to cancel my free trial—they too have a “call us” policy, and I emailed their support roughly 10+ times. No answer. At all. When I finally went to call, they were closed. Of course I can call back at another time, but my god… I am jumping through hoops to cancel something I never even [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration Facebook has been dominating the communication sphere since it moved from the US College community in 2007 and allowed the general public to take part in what was already taking off. Facebook has become ingrained in the lives of both rural and urban users in developed countries and lesser developed countries (LDCs) around the globe – and now, it aims to take over the untapped market of non-internet users in LDCs. At surface level, Facebook may seem like an innocent online social media platform. It connects grandmothers and grandchildren, long-long childhood friends, and has even been used for groups such as Autism or Mental Health support. The uses of Facebook are limitless – and thus includes negative drawbacks along with its positive applications. Facebook is a media conglomerate through purchasing popular communications apps, and has been exporting their model to LDCs through electronic colonialism, whilst ignoring international borders by taking part in transnationalization. Most of the world’s global media is concentrated through conglomerates such as companies that are bought and owned by larger parent companies. Mergers are very common in the media industry, and concentration of media is then concentrated between a small number of competitors who bought out the numerous smaller competition; these mergers are ignorant of cultural/physical nation-state boundaries. As McPhail points out, “[c]onvergence involving the interlocking of digital technologies, computing, telephony, and global networks, is rapidly changing the commercial environments, with new stakeholders entering the arena on an almost daily basis. Think Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Youtube and the pace of changed involved becomes obvious” (McPhail, 2014, 45). It is interesting to note that Google owns Youtube. Media concentration in conglomerates leads to [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

How to find a novel topic to write about

How to find a novel topic to write about Finding a topic to write a novel about can be difficult. You want something that you’re passionate about so you can stay interested, but you don’t want something that’s been overdone. The best way to find a topic is to research the hell out of it. Look into every possible angle and determine if there’s enough material for a full-length novel. If you can find several different sources that discuss the topic in different ways, you’re on the right track. fiction writing is a popular hobby for many people, but coming up with an idea for a story can be difficult. Some people start with an idea and build the story around that, while others let the characters dictate the plot. No matter which method you choose, it’s important to find a topic you’re passionate about and do your research. Novels are often based on real life events, or at the very least, are inspired by them. This can make the process of finding a topic to write about a novel daunting. It’s important to find something you’re passionate about and then research the hell out of it. Whether it’s delving into your family history or taking a deep dive into a specific topic, make sure to immerse yourself in as much information as possible. Here are some tips for finding a topic to write about: Write about what you enjoy Write about something that you’re emotional about Read books about similar topics to see how others write about it If you’re writing something based on reality, considering weaving in your own fictional ideas for a rich story [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing

CreditVerify and The Predatory Nature of “Free Trial” Billing We’ve all had it happen. We sign up for a free trial, they take our credit card information, and then 3 months later we login to our bank and realize we’re paying for a service we used for 20 minutes. It’s not illegal for the company to do this. After-all, you signed up for this trial, and you agreed to the fine print. After the trial, you’d be billed. Cancel anytime, they say! Well, if you’re not super organized and set phone reminders about cancellations (which I now try to do), then you might check your bank account and find these charges. And hey, this business practice is completely legal (at least in Canada and the USA) so why wouldn’t they continue to do so? It’s free money from people who aren’t constantly checking their trial subscriptions. Even major retailers like Amazon and Netflix use this model. The presumption is most people will want to keep using their service, and those who don’t want to can merely cancel it. Great! The problem is that many of these companies (I’m looking at you Wallstreet Journal), make it nearly impossible to cancel their “free trial”. In the age of anxiety, and when many people don’t make phone calls—some of these companies take things a step further and make people call them to cancel the free trial subscription… which is completely insane considering you can sign up without ever talking to a human. This banks on the discomfort of picking up the phone to call, and it banks on the lack of time that a lot of people have – waiting in a que to cancel is difficult when you’re busy. Recently I tried reaching out to CreditVerify to cancel my free trial—they too have a “call us” policy, and I emailed their support roughly 10+ times. No answer. At all. When I finally went to call, they were closed. Of course I can call back at another time, but my god… I am jumping through hoops to cancel something I never even [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is Introduction The consumption of media content has changed a lot over the past 150 years. From newspapers, to radio news, television, and now online media. As new forms of media come into the mix, it is inevitable that older forms of communication decline, or have to re-arrange their distribution models. As the internet has grown, the access to information has become saturated. Modern media companies are facing more challenges than ever before when it comes to monetization, and many of these companies are fretful that their tried-and-true means of revenue, advertising, has come under attack from Adblocker technology. Online advertising is an important source of revenue source of revenue for global media companies; however, current online advertisement policies are intrusive, unsafe, and warrant ad-blocking until the industry reforms its complacent policies. The Importance of Media Media companies provide an important societal contribution, journalists help us understand the world around us. A world without access to information would certainly be undesirable, especially since democracy requires a “free and independent press” to hold politicians accountable to their constituents. However, instead of slowing down, the internet has provided numerous alternatives to traditional news media – many of them increasing in popularity such as Youtube, Facebook, and blogging networks. Many of these companies rely on video advertisements or native advertisements that serve advertisements to viewers based on their interests. According to an article by Edward Helmore, “Google made $4.7bn in advertising from news content last year [Written 2019]” (Helmore, 2019, n.p.), it is important to note that google owns Youtube. Media continues to be important in the lives of individuals but the way that consumers interact with information has changed. While advertising [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration

Facebook’s Domination of Global Communication Through Media Conglomeration Facebook has been dominating the communication sphere since it moved from the US College community in 2007 and allowed the general public to take part in what was already taking off. Facebook has become ingrained in the lives of both rural and urban users in developed countries and lesser developed countries (LDCs) around the globe – and now, it aims to take over the untapped market of non-internet users in LDCs. At surface level, Facebook may seem like an innocent online social media platform. It connects grandmothers and grandchildren, long-long childhood friends, and has even been used for groups such as Autism or Mental Health support. The uses of Facebook are limitless – and thus includes negative drawbacks along with its positive applications. Facebook is a media conglomerate through purchasing popular communications apps, and has been exporting their model to LDCs through electronic colonialism, whilst ignoring international borders by taking part in transnationalization. Most of the world’s global media is concentrated through conglomerates such as companies that are bought and owned by larger parent companies. Mergers are very common in the media industry, and concentration of media is then concentrated between a small number of competitors who bought out the numerous smaller competition; these mergers are ignorant of cultural/physical nation-state boundaries. As McPhail points out, “[c]onvergence involving the interlocking of digital technologies, computing, telephony, and global networks, is rapidly changing the commercial environments, with new stakeholders entering the arena on an almost daily basis. Think Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Youtube and the pace of changed involved becomes obvious” (McPhail, 2014, 45). It is interesting to note that Google owns Youtube. Media concentration in conglomerates leads to [Read More]

[shaylynnhayes]

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is

Adblockers are Not Killing Digital Media Revenue, Complacency Is Introduction The consumption of media content has changed a lot over the past 150 years. From newspapers, to radio news, television, and now online media. As new forms of media come into the mix, it is inevitable that older forms of communication decline, or have to re-arrange their distribution models. As the internet has grown, the access to information has become saturated. Modern media companies are facing more challenges than ever before when it comes to monetization, and many of these companies are fretful that their tried-and-true means of revenue, advertising, has come under attack from Adblocker technology. Online advertising is an important source of revenue source of revenue for global media companies; however, current online advertisement policies are intrusive, unsafe, and warrant ad-blocking until the industry reforms its complacent policies. The Importance of Media Media companies provide an important societal contribution, journalists help us understand the world around us. A world without access to information would certainly be undesirable, especially since democracy requires a “free and independent press” to hold politicians accountable to their constituents. However, instead of slowing down, the internet has provided numerous alternatives to traditional news media – many of them increasing in popularity such as Youtube, Facebook, and blogging networks. Many of these companies rely on video advertisements or native advertisements that serve advertisements to viewers based on their interests. According to an article by Edward Helmore, “Google made $4.7bn in advertising from news content last year [Written 2019]” (Helmore, 2019, n.p.), it is important to note that google owns Youtube. Media continues to be important in the lives of individuals but the way that consumers interact with information has changed. While advertising [Read More]