Exceeding 3GB Data Usage Results In ATT Wireless Reducing Data Speeds

The ATT Wireless and U-Verse divisions are giving it to the public in the A-S-S with their new data usage caps. Since when did they get so stingy with their data, or my data as I would still like to believe. Not only is there data usage cap in the ATT Wireless Division, but there is also a data usage cap on the ATT U-Verse Wi-Fi. Thus far, the amount of data used with your U-Verse home internet is not divulged to you until you’ve already cap-sized. What are they trying to pull over there? The wool over our eyes?

Grand Fathered In | ATT Wireless

I know what your saying to yourself, ” Hey, if you’re grandfathered in, what are you complaining about?” Well it’s true, I am an established ATT Wireless customer and have been for some time, hence the grandfathered in perk of having unlimited data usage with my ATT Wireless service. Here is how the  connection between my ATT Wireless and ATT U-Verse exists. First, let me tell you that I work at home from time-to-time and listen to music on Pandora, or online sports talk radio (Sports Radio 1310AM and 96.7 FM The Ticket). If I were to do this whilst using my Wi-Fi it would eat up my data usage from my ATT U-Verse service. Therefore, I chose to consume my media using my 4G ATT Wireless Service via applications available for download (Pandora and SportsDay) on my cell phone. Haha! I outsmarted you wicked data trolls…so I thought.

I can now say that for being such a faithful, upstanding ATT Wireless customer and most recently an ATT U-Verse customer, I am valiantly being threatened to cease using so much data on my phone. The threat in effect is the following, “ATT Free Msg: Your data usage is near 3GB this month. Exceeding 3GB during this or future billing cycles will result in reduced data speeds, though you will still be able to email & surf the web. Wi-Fi helps you avoid reduced speeds.” Or, in other words, you thought you found a loop hole, congratulations. Now, were sending you and your phone back to the same internet speed you had when you became a customer…enjoy dial-up speeds as you try to pull 3GB of data next month, loser!

It Pays To Be On LinkedIn

Tell us a little about yourself.

If you don’t know who Guy Kawasaki is…you should. He is an idol of mine. He was a technology evangelist for a little company named Apple and he is known for bring them back from the dead…twice. He has created numerous software companies, written a few books and I aspire to be like him, a technology evangelist. But this sort of title isn’t granted to someone over night it requires experience, knowledge, passion, drive and most of all time. I have most of the attributes listed above and am working towards acquiring the rest. We all have to start somewhere and that’s why I just interviewed for a promising start-up application design company today.

While I was sitting in the parking lot, because I arrived about 30 minutes early from lack of sleep due to excitement, I browsed the UTD (University of Texas at Dallas) EMAC student group page on Facebook and found a ‘Good short read’ about interviewing tips, posted by Dave Yeti. EMAC is an acronym for Emerging Media and Communication and acts as an umbrella for all emerging media. One of the main goals of this program is to adapt messages to audiences and technological constraints while retaining (and amplifying) the benefits provided by existing and emerging media. In this short but sweet article posted on LinkedIn, Nicholas Thompson, Editor of NewYorker.com, discusses when to “…present yourself as a specialist and sometimes as a generalist” (Thompson, NewYorker.com).

 

Thompson talks about how that NewYorker.com is in the process of hiring and he is conducting a lot of interviews. He states, “If applying for a job at a place that’s growing fast…be more general.” And that’s what I did. I assured my potential employers that I can offer what many other people cannot, an umbrella of skills that could possibly help the growth of this start-up application design company that is growing fastidiously and vastidiously (okay so maybe the last word isn’t really a word, but you grasp what I’m tossing at you). I was confident, humble and feel I have a good shot at getting the position…fingers crossed. Thanks Dave Yeti and Nicholas Thompson, I might just owe you one in the future!

Also, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be. In 2012, I was in the top 5% of most viewed profiles among 200 million users and I only have a standard free account with LinkedIn. This is how I received information about the job opening at the app design start-up and it could work for you too!

Resources:

Yeti, D. (JUL 24 2013) Facebook: EMAC Student Group. Link: A tip for job interviews. Retrieved on July 24, 2013 from: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EMACstudents/607686182584762/?notif_t=group_activity

Thompson, N. (JUL 23, 2013) LinkedIn post. A tip for job interviews. Retrieved on July 24, 2013 from: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130723022529-7070331-a-tip-for-job-interviews

Image credit: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbusiness-english.pl%2F%3Fp%3D344&h=0&w=0&sz=1&tbnid=45tJRi66Pe24iM&tbnh=192&tbnw=263&prev=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Djob%2Binterview%26tbm%3Disch%26tbs%3Dsur%3Afmc%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=job%20interview&docid=wa2nhmcgjiOOKM&ei=PAjwUfDUNYuG9gT79YHIDg&ved=0CAUQsCU

How do YOU use “ephemeral-humanized” media like Snapchat?

Stephen Colbert Report Interviewing Snapchat founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy

As Stephen Colbert interviewed the founders of new social media app he mentions a possible “sexting” use for the app and can be quoted as saying, “I can’t think of a better way” which obviously means that Colbert is a sex-crazed, dehumanized…genius. But lets not split atoms. The talking point here is the use of the new app Snapchat. It was rumored that Einstein destroyed half of his work because humanity was not ready to understand and utilize his discoveries properly. After all, look what we did when we learned how to split atoms.

When I initially found out about Snapchat I immediately thought of how easy it would be to sext with this application. Snapchat, plain and simple, allows you to take a picture and send it to a friend, but the important feature with this app is that when you send a picture your friend is only allowed to view it for up to 10 seconds.

However, after watching the always hilarious Stephen Colbert interviews Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy about their new app, the creators discuss giving the app a “human” aspect in its daily “ephemoral and transient experience” (Colbert Report Video footage from http://mashable.com/2013/05/02/stephen-colbert-snapchat/). This also registered with me because often times consumers adapt applications to their needs, which may differ from the original use the the creators had intended it to be used.

Finally, I will mention that in this application, there are different increments of time in which you can allow your friends to view, (from 1 second to 10 seconds) This feature has not been mentioned anywhere, which leads me to believe two things: One, the creators of this app may have intended for this app to be used for sexting, and two no one else reporting on Snapchat took the time to use the app. I believe that allowing your friends to view your pic in lower time increments, such as 1 second may insinuate sexual teasing…or maybe I’m a sex crazed dehumanized genius like Stephen Colbert.

Resources:

http://www.snapchat.com

Hernandez, B.A. (May 2, 1013). “Stephen Colbert asks Snapchat founders if their profit disappears too.” Retrieved from Mashable.com on May 12, 1013 from: http://mashable.com/2013/05/02/stephen-colbert-snapchat/

Artwork by Billy Simpson. Screenshot of Stephen Colbert report compliments:

“Stephen Colbert asks Snapchat founders if their profit disappears too.” Retrieved from Mashable.com on May 12, 1013 from: http://mashable.com/2013/05/02/stephen-colbert-snapchat/

Snapchat App button. Retrieved on May 12, 1013 from http://www.snapchat.com

Thank you Siri.

I was dictating a joke to Siri, so she could make a note that would say:

“The government created social media to keep better track of our lives, but their plan backfired. In doing this they made identity theft easier, only creating more work for themselves.”

Instead:

“The government has a big planned create social media but it backfired I’ll see the created social media so that they can make it easier to check it down the Diaz unmade underneath it easier to Witchmaker more work for them for it backfired”

Like this if you think Siri’s is funnier!

(Is Siri outsourced?)

TWX Probable Profits

Pay me money.

Well, I lost some money in the stock market after investing in Time Warner (TWX) after the release of the Ben Affleck flick, Argo. Once again I learned why staking your money for such a short period of time based on a small portion of the overall profit calculation for TWX is not a wise decision. But at least I’m learning, we are learning together. As we follow up on what we learned from this experiment it is crucial that we take into account our findings, so that we don’t lose money in the same fashion as we did previously.

Today we look at a few different sources as they announce their position on the TWX stock overall, we incorporate this information, if credible, into our own analysis to assess the probability of profitability, if any such exist. We may find that it may have not been a wise decision to invest in TWX for a month as I did previously. The Street and Market Watch list TWX as a buy option, whereas Zack’s analysis maintains a HOLD status. But who is Zacks and what is their supporting data leading to a HOLD status of TWX?

By simply scrolling to the bottom of Zacks.com I was able to locate the About Zacks link. The first thing my eyes were drawn to a was the following in bold, “Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices” Len Zacks PhD form MIT, founder of Zacks research. Like every other investment research company they humbly brag about being a leading industry resource and then on the same page they give it to you straight, just as The Street does, “Zacks rank is completely mathematical. It’s cold. It’s objective. The Zacks Rank does not care what the hype on the street says.” Therefore if they take out the rumors and assimilate their equations with raw data to analyze prospective stocks by means of analytical analysis.

It appears that the stock market has been doing for years, what analytical social media data is currently mimicking. Analysis of purely analytical information is the market research for stocks as well as consumers engaging in social media. That was purely a tangent but relevant for another blog entry in the future.

The Street and Market Watch are confident on the success of the TWX stock due to recent success and upcoming proven profitable ventures. In a nutshell, as reported on The Street, TWX earnings growth has helped raise shares by 26.69% within the past year, it has improved it’s earnings per share by 10.3% in the most recent quarter, and the debt-to-equity ratio is somewhat low at 0.66. One last point The Street points out is “The firm exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of 6.52%” (TheStreet.com).Market Watch reports the upcoming money makers that TWX is about to release, “Time Warner is excited about its prospects in films, especially with the success of “The Dark Knight Rises” and the promise of a “Hobbit” franchise in the works.”  To sum up, judging TWX’ performance in the most recent quarter, the low debt-to-equity ratio, and promise in upcoming projects, Time Warner investors may have something to look forward to for the upcoming 2013.

So who do we trust for our information? The Street claims to use cold, objective numbers just as Zacks claims, and yet the two have different outcomes for the status of the stock. It comes down to trust and track record of the research firm. All the numbers and data used between each firm is constant, their analytical calculations differ. The one thing the stock market isn’t…predictable. Therefore, I can run numbers on trends, past successes, and predict future trends, but never actually pinpoint the success of a stock. The only assurance I have are my knowledge of a stock, the market, and know my limitations. This may sound vague but it is a great stepping stone to getting your feet wet. Baby steps.

Contributing Sources:

http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/87337/the-zacks-analyst-blog-highlights-heartware-international-thoratec-news-corp-walt-disney-and-time-warner

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11772433/1/time-warner-inc-stock-buy-recommendation-reiterated-twx.html

http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-11-07/commentary/34964542_1_film-series-film-studios-time-warner

Money Image: http://nyaltnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/6551534889_9c8ae52997.jpg

 

Pace Yourself For The TWX Marathon, Do Not Freak Out

As I stated in the beginning, when I first introduced this blog, profits for publicly traded companies are interdependent on the success of its many umbrella companies. Which for this in this bloggers case is not necessarily a good thing. If you haven’t checked your stocks lately, Time Warner Inc. (TWX) is not doing so great. When you the reader and I sat down to discuss buying TWX the stock was at $45.01, and it is now at $44.02. Ouch! But don’t fret analysts suggest that we buy TWX now for a few different reasons. We will discuss, why The Street analysts support buyingTWX we will explore the reasons why Stockpickr supports the future success of TWX, and finally we’ll discuss other options for the skittish investor  with “The Walking Dead.”

The Street Wire, a blog on TheStreet.com, gives great detail in why you should buy TWX and I agree with the logic. “Compared to its closing price of one year ago, TWX’s share price has jumped by 38.74%, exceeding the performance of the broader market during that same time frame” (TheStreet.com). On top of the great share price, the debt-to-equity is 0.68 with a quick ratio of 1.11 (pertains to short-term cash flow). The companies P/E (profit/ earnings) ratio is 17.7, the net operating cash flow has gone up and “In addition, TIME WARNER INC has also vastly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of 14.61% All these numbers are promising and if you don’t know what they mean you need to get educated. Ask me for resources if you would like. I encourage engagement and also encourage you to buy. Why? Here are a few more reasons to be confident in TWX.

AMC’s “The Walking Dead”

If we have already forgotten what a powerhouse TWX is lets leave it up to Stockpickr.com to remind us of a few excellent companies under the TWX umbrella of holdings,”The firm owns a portfolio of television networks that include HBO, CNN and TNT, the largest combined film studio in the world in Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, and a publishing arm that produces print names like People and Time.” I simply state to Stockpickr: You had me at HBO. But wait there is more and I didn’t even realize this, but Stockpickr stated that TWX pays a nice 2.3% dividend. Mainly though, we learn that the ability to share its content between networks will bring more benefits, “The biggest benefit to Time Warner today is the fact that the firm is able to share content between units to earn a higher return on every title in its library” (Stockpickr, 10/22/12).

I understand that you invested your children’s college fund on ‘Argo’ but my only advice is: Buy More. But if you don’t want to take a chance on TWX that’s your choice. If you haven’t heard about the recent success about the TV series on AMC entitled “The Walking Dead” it is worth giving a once over, “This year opened with about 11 million viewers (15.2 million overall), reports The Washington Post. And that was without help from DISH Network” (Daily Finance, 10/22/12). The DISH Network is such an important part of this statement because as of Sunday, October 21, 2012 AMC’s “The Walking Dead” was viewable to DISH Network subscribers which will brings the numbers in viewership up. So if you feel like you are the walking dead because of the slide in the TWX stock, then I have two pieces of advice. First, if you are going to panic during the marathon, just remember it’s not a sprint, so stop being a nervous Ned/ Nelly. Secondly, if you’re looking to diversify and buy into a few more options, then take a peek at the Daily Finance article posted here about the up and coming success of “The Walking Dead.”

Bottom line, do not give up on TWX, we invested for a month, and those the rules I have set in place and I am a man of my word, so I’m not quitting Ben Affleck and his ‘Argo.’ I’m not worried though, because reliable, knowledgeable sources like TheStreet.com, Stockpickr.com, and Daily Finance give us news, options, and awareness.

Accredited Sources:

• ‘Argo’ earnings calendar via BoxOfficeMojo.com retrieved on 10/23/12 from:

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=argo.htm

• “The Walking Dead” picture via Daily Finance retrieved 10/23/12 from:

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/22/investing-profit-walking-dead-zombie-apocalypse/

• Link to Cramer’s Portfolio retrieved 10/23/12 from: 

http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/prm.do?OID=019175 via http://www.thestreet.com/story/11742310/1/time-warner-inc-stock-buy-recommendation-reiterated-twx.html?puc=aol&cm_ven=aol&source=motleyfool

• The Street Wire. Blog via TheStreet.com. Time warner inc stock buy recommendation reiterated (TWX). Retrieved on 10/23/12 from: 

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11742310/1/time-warner-inc-stock-buy-recommendation-reiterated-twx.html?puc=aol&cm_ven=aol&source=motleyfool

• Elmerraji, J. Blog via Stockpickr.com. 5 rocket stocks ready to rally this week – views. Retrieved on 10/23/12 from:

http://www.stockpickr.com/5-rocket-stocks-ready-rally-week.html-0?puc=aol&cm_ven=aol&source=motleyfool

‘Obscure’ to Patent My Ideas/ Property?

Julian Assange Wikileaks named Man of the Year by Le Monde by Abode of Chaos

Is the practice of paying to use someone else’s legal property usually regarded as unclear or obscure? Whenever you download a song on iTunes, is it unclear or obscure to you why you have to pay $0.99-$1.29 per song? Well that is what Geoffrey Ingersol would have you believe as cites Enigma, of TorrentFreak.com. In, A Super Obscure Patent Now Blocks 3D Printing Of Weapons, Food, Prosthetics, Even Human Skin, Ingersol starts with the following, “The future of 3D printing was bright, until an obscure patent filed in 2007 passed just the other day.” It is my understanding that patents are set in place to protect proprietary rights. Getting a head start on fair and reasonable licensing should only be seen as obscure to persons who plan on unlawfully ripping and replicating 3D designs in the future, or has done so in the past. Do me a favor and follow this link to Cramer’s Soundboard page and push the ‘Sell, Sell, Sell’ button rapidly, because I’m not buying what Ingersol is selling.

Retrieved 10/13/12 from: http://www.cnbc.com/id/18724672/

This statement, to me, suggests that it is obscure for a company to patent their own legal property. Ingersol references Enigmax claiming that he/ she “goes into great detail” when discussing the print copying, movie, and music copying industries. I found no such documentation by Enigmax from the links provided in Ingersol’s post. The only evidence I did find was a single sentence stating the following,”During the last 20 years inkjet printers made an unholy mess of the short-run commercial print guy’s business, enabling just about anyone to print on anything from paper to plastics with a relatively tiny outlay” (Enigmax, TorrentFreak.com). The logic that accessibility hindered the print copy industry is valid, but the argument that the new patent being adapted will negatively affect the personal 3D printing industry, is half correct at best.

(c) 2012 Loius Seigal// seigalphotopgraphy.com

If Ingersol’s argument is that these patents will call for only licensed individuals to own and operate these complicated machines, then I may argue that having a professional operate these machines might not be such a bad idea because it may bring down the costs of, for example, going to the dentist. In the case of 3D Systems (DDD), a 3D printing company that is revolutionizing the industry, recently released a new way of printing dental film that, as written by GlobeNewswire in 3D Systems’ VIDAR Digitizer makes Dentistry Today Readers’ Choice, retrieved from eresearch.fidelity.com, “…can also digitize x-ray films for integration into patients’ digital records to achieve a completely digital workflow at a fraction of the cost of digital panoramic solutions.” Therefore, lower operating costs for the business owner, could potentially relate to price savings in services and products for the consumer.

All companies have and will suffer from affordable internet and peer sharing, not only the film and music industries. Whenever I go to a printing store, nowadays, not only do I see the same printing options seen before the inkjet printer boom, but also a multitude of other internet services, hardware upgrades, and various other options that I might not have otherwise seen. Because more and more inkjet printers were affordable and accessible small printing, scratch that, all printing companies had to overcome, evolve, and set new policies in place to keep pace with innovation and adaptation to the market. Even the copying industry was affected by “affordable internet and peersharing.” We are now witnessing the early stages of that cycle once more with 3D printing and its evolution to become more accessible.

According to USLegal.com, “Proprietary information assets are critical to the success of many, perhaps most businesses,” and I think that any artist, business owner, or patent holder would agree. I found another article by Enigmax entitled Paramount Cease and Desist Targets 3D Printer ‘Pirate’ that talks about a designer who illegally distributes replicated objects/ merchandise from feature films and was issued a cease and desist order. Enigmax was defending the ‘pirate’ by ending with, “Hollywood created the replicator, but will they and other rightsholders be able to kill it?” (Enigmax, TorrentFreak.com) After reading Ingersol’s, A Super Obscure Patent Now Blocks 3D Printing Of Weapons, Food, Prosthetics, Even Human Skin, I get the perception that he himself see no wrong doing by the ‘pirate.’ His favorite source is Enigmax, of TorrentFreak.com; case and point.

Sources:

Ingersoll, G. BusinessInsider.com. A Super Obscure Patent Now Blocks 3D Printing Of Weapons, Food, Prosthetics, Even Human Skin. Retrieved 10/13/12 from: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-super-obscure-patent-blocks-3d-printing-of-weapons-food-prosthetics-even-human-skin-2012-10

Stock Quote Pricing via CNBC.com. Retrieved 10/13/12 from: http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/ddd

Enigmax. TorrentFreak.com. 3D Printer DRM Patent To Stop People Downloading a Car. Retrieved 10/13/12 from: http://torrentfreak.com/3d-printer-drm-patent-to-stop-people-downloading-a-car-121012/

Staff. US Legal. Proprietary Information Law & Legal Definition. Retrieved 10/13/12 from: http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/proprietary-information/

Staff. Globe Newswire via eResearch.Fidelity.com. 3D Systems’ VIDAR Digitizer Makes Dentistry Today Readers’ Choice. Retrieved 10/13/12 from: http://eresearch.fidelity.com/eresearch/goto/evaluate/news/basicNewsStory.jhtml?symbols=DDD&storyid=201210100921PRIMZONEFULLFEED10007886&provider=PRIMZONE&product=FULLFEED&hlinks=vnhl

Enigmax. TorrentFreak.com. Paramount Cease and Desist Targets 3D Printer ‘Pirate.’ Retrieved 10/13/12 from: http://torrentfreak.com/paramount-cease-and-desist-targets-3d-printer-pirate-110628/

Which #1 Studio Has Grossed $1.3 Billion In 2012, So Far?

Who is #1?

According to boxofficemojo.com, the movie studio with the most market share, at 16.1%, is Sony/ Columbia. This percentage translates to a $1.3 billion total gross from 22 movies in 2012. The highest grossing movie, thus far, for Sony/ Columbia is The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, with $262 million at the box office. In second place, we find MIB3, starring Will Smith, Josh Brolin, and Tommy Lee Jones, which grossed $179 million.

Previously, I invested in SNE, just before MIB3 was released on 5/25/12, and held it for a month. According to CNBC.com, SNE stock opened at $13.30/ share on 5/25/12. One month later, 6/25/12, SNE stock opened at $14.10, which amounts to an awesome 5.67% gain. Therefore, count a victory against the market for us! If I were to invest in a bond, sit on it for 6 months to a year, I might gain 3%, but we almost doubled that amount in one month with our reasonable, well-researched, and analyzed experiment.

Experiment in Investment Strategy: Savvy, or Sappy?

I have recently been trying my hand at the stock market and think I’ve come across a secret in investing. My hypothesis states: I Billy Simpson, under liberty, and justice for the rockets red glare, do declare that when highly anticipated movies are released, stock prices raise, accordingly, for those companies that own production studios. One company, whose stock may raise in the coming week due to “Men in Black 3” or “MIB3” being released this Friday, May 25, 2012, is the Sony Corporation (SNE).

??????????06/10/12??????????

Recently, Disney (DIS) released the epic money maker “The Avengers” and its stock went up accordingly. At close, 4/24/12, DIS stock was $42.18/ share and 17 days later it peaked at $45.56/ share. Check my math but that might just be an 8% increase in 17 days. Now,this may seem like a sure bet on any other major motion picture relaese, but you have to think about the movies success, anticipated release, and other contributing factors that may have led to the epic success of the DIS stock.

The Street, recently wrote an article entitled, ‘Sony Corporation Stock Downgraded (SNE)’, which discusses the stock being downgraded from hold to sell. In the same article it references that the net operating cash flow for SNE is, “still fairing well by exceeding its industry average cash flow growth rate of -71.16%” (www.thestreet.com). This news, does not mirror the same positive news surrounding DIS great quarterly report that was released in early MAY 2012, but I am confident that “MIB3″will parallel the success of, if not surpass “The Avengers” worldwide success. Will Smith reaches a far greater demographic range than a lot of other actors and I’m betting all his fans will go support his long awaited “MIB” addition.

“MIB3” is set to release May 25, 2012…visit the blog daily. We will compile and compare notes leading up to June 10, 2012.

5/23/12 CLOSE: $13.83 DOWN -0.17 (-1.21%)

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

THE STREET

WIKIPEDIA

SONY CORPORATION

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

CNBC

Gatekeeping and Drawbridging?

Gatekeeping and Drawbridging?

My opinion of the media online and offline is the same: they are byproducts of the greed that breeds greed. It is hard to trust the media and their perceived truths because of a theory named ‘gatekeeping.’

If we start with an example of a local news reporter’s professional goals, we will be able to sum up the untrustworthy, conceited abuse of hierarchal texts, it models from traditional rhetorical public speaking, but without an immediate rebuttal from the audience. “In traditional public speaking the structure of relationship calls for one person to speak while many people listen. One person is, therefore, put in a position of advantage over others, at least for the moment” (Brummett, 43).

A local reporter’s ultimate goal is to reach the position of national news anchor, but the only way this position is acquired is by jumping through all the hoops of pleasing network affiliate stations and ultimately the sponsors. ‘If it bleeds it leads,’ is the best summation of contemporary news gathering because of their goal to be revered and feared at the same time.  This is how they become opinion leaders and ‘gatekeep’ public information.

It is hard for me to trust media online or offline, because the processes of gathering, filtering, and exposing content is all determined by advertising by way of operating revenue and/ or the public by way of Wikipedia. I’m skeptical about putting too much importance on wiki-type websites, because I’m entrusting my information gathering process with the public. I don’t know about you, but there have been numerous occasions where I downloaded a virus and lost a little more trust for the public.

Here is an interesting theory I like to call “drawbridging,’ if the show Family Guy was put on the air (chosen by a gatekeeper) and then taken off the air by the same gatekeepers, but dictated to be put back on the air because of public popularity, this is ‘drawbridging.’ What do you think, am I reaching?

Additional Readings:

Brummett, Barry. Rhetoric in Popular Culture, Third Edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.