Twitter Gang Goes Bang

NBC New York - No longer just for posting funny links and telling the world what you ate for breakfast—Twitter has a new use for New York City gang members. Gangs are apparently use the social networking site to set up fights and threaten other gang members, reports the New York Daily News. “I know bitches from oyg that would dead mob yah s—t in harlem,” tweeted a member of East Harlem-based gang OYG, also known as Jeff Mob. That tweet and others in the same series of attacks are available through a public search of the gang’s name. Last week, Perfect Peace Ministry Youth Outreach stopped a fight after reading threatening tweets posted by the Get Money Boys. The group uses instant messaging, Myspace, and Twitter to keep track of 4,000 teens involved in gang activity. Some gang members seem to be aware that their tweets are public. Lil V, a 15-year-old who is part of The New Dons gang, said he keeps his gang’s Twitter page private and uses slang that no one would understand

Well if you read my story about Bryant's Twitter....just kidding. Turns out I won't be joining twitter anytime soon unless i'm trying to increase my street cred and slang vocab. However this story made me think of the knowledge gap hypothesis (KGH)and how it just doesn't really apply here. KGH states that the information rich have a higher base knowledge than information poor and thus harnass and control attempts to lessen the gap better. Socioeconomic status is listed as a primary indicator, but here we got the Get Money Boys and OYG sending out facebook event invites for a shootout....ridiculous. Wondering if they have a tv time out for reloading and twitter updates halfway through. According to the theory though these guys should be the last to adopt and use the technology in a beneficial manner. I just have one thing to say tho....look out. Starting my own thing. Knowledge Gap Hypothesis....Guys. KGH ya hurrdd.

Breaking News....Heart Breaking

Bryant gets twitter before I do? What in the? I think i'll have to finally break down and get a twitter account if Machtley and the gang are already doing it.Not only that, but I've seen the admission's office facebook page, as well as each counselor's facebook account accessible to prospective students. Nicely done Bryant. Perfect example of how technology is completely changing the way we do everything, from college recruiting to cell phone internet. Information is becoming more rapidly available to those who can access it, and the less developed countries are falling farther behind. I can't remember the last time I friended someone from like, the Republic of Congo. Social media sites, once considered a fad, are becoming the ideal way for universities and businesses to reach their target market, all across the world.

Here's where I get confused. I haven't been on myspace since i friended Tila Tequila in 8th grade, but i checked it out to see if Mr. Technology Savvy Bryant University jumped on the bandwagon. Turns out Bryant is on my space as a 101 year old female with a a private page? What in the? What's next a craigslist ad?? C'mon Bryant we're classier than that.

Tiger Dominates Newspulse

CNN's newspulse shows the most popular recent news stories at the top of the page, making it easier for people to see what's important and what's not. Days after Tiger's nascar like wreck in his driveway, it is still the number one story. The screen shot shows El Tigre at the top, followed by a police shooting, and some other interesting stories. Almost fifteen stories down, buried under three other meaningless Tiger stories, the white house dinner party crashers, and the "surprisingly successful New Moon," a little blurb about Iran's authorization of ten new nuclear power plant appears. Wait what? People care more about the domestic life of the best golfer ever than Iran's disobedience of the Internation Atomic Energy Agency?? Global Village like WHOA SEGWAY KIIDDDDD.

Geeze i got a little excited there but it's a perfect example of the agenda setting theory, in a couple different ways. First off, agenda setting theory in its most basic form is the ideology that the news tells us what is important. We assume the most prevalent and pressing issues today are what is on the news, regardless of whether or not they actually are. Only certain people in control of the news decided what we see, adn therefore the news isn't completely biased. It can have implications on a global level, especially if news is being exported.

But what's going on here is a little different. CNN.com posts stories written from a western perspective for a western audience and lets the readers choose which stories to read. But due to newspulse, the most eye catching stories at the top are the ones being read most. From this picture and the order of the stories, CNN is turning into TMZ ever so slowly. Wait, no, i get CNN's angle now. Iran's nuclear increase and potentially world threatening decision can only be stopped by one man. Tomorrow's headline "EL TIGRE SAVES THE ENTIRE WORLD FROM IRAN"

SNL slams Obama

This Saturday night live clip is hilarious yet frighteningly accurate. I wonder if Obama himself saw it. Anyways this is notable because of our type of government and our media purpose. Libertarian governments are most aligned with pure capitalism and the press is free and open. Anybody who has the financial and economic means can access the press. The press serves as a check on government as it informs, entertains, discovers truth, and again keeps government in line. In a different country that has authoritarian or soviet totalitarian would have absolutely censored this video. It's a direct stab at the United States government and Barack's policies. Like the middle east the press is supposed to be the arm of government and protect the established order. Good ole USA press serves as a watchdog, and SNL takes real political problems and communicates them in a truly hilarious manner.