Troll! (COM0011)

Troll! Most people who aren’t on forums and website would most likely think that it is a hideous thing living under a bridge throwing stone at people! But the world troll doesn’t mean the same thing as it did 10 years ago. With freedom of speech on Social Media there will always be that person who wants to get under everyone skin or make a comment on someones video that will be funny to some people but to the person not taken the same way. What a Troll is to break it down really quickly is someone who post’s mean, hurtful or witty comments that try to spark a reaction from a person or people on the Internet.

Being a troll on the internet is really a funny subject I find. People really have no limits on what can say to Celebrities, Athletes and many other figures since everyone is hiding behind there screen. Trolls has even sparked Jimmy Kimmel to make a segment called “Celebrities read Mean Tweets” where Celebrities read tweets that these people have sent to them, trolling them on there newest movie or how they look. Having that kind of connection is quiet frankly amazing having just a “Post” or “Send” button away from a famous person knowing who you are! With having all that personal connection tho people can push people way to far like Zelda Williams getting Trolled off the twitter and instagram after her father Robin Williams passed away with all the verbal abuse.

When having such a freedom of speech there will always be that bad egg like in real life that you think “Are you mentally stable” with that comment on a video or tweet? I guess when you want to test a mans character, give him power. When having the world to see what you have to say at your finger tips different people will do different things, Some people troll and some people will be normal.

#Gamergate? (COM0011)

Gamer gate? Something a lot of people have never even heard of but is starting to sweep across gaming community. Gamer gate, to sum it up really quickly is just the corruption of “Gaming journalist and reviews” were youtubers and journalist are being either bribed or sponsored to give a great review or in some cases being flipped around and reviewers black mailing the company with a bad review.  There is also another level which is a little more extreme with Gamer gate where death and bomb threats being called in on “Feminist Critics of Video Games.” I will save that for another day tho and just focus on the Social Media aspect on reviewing VIA youtube and other forms of reviewing. I’ll add a follow up link if you want to read more into the “Feminist Critic” at the bottom.

One of the highest debated topics of Gamer gate is the sponsorship of reviewing a video game were youtubers are being paid to review these games and not give it a bad review. They target youtubers more because gamers are more influenced and have a far better relationship with there audience then having read a review on a blog or in a magazine (Isn’t the 90’s anymore) from a random journalist. Although this is nothing new were gaming companies will fly reviewers out and give them a 5 star treatment, give them a wink and say sooo what do you think? Gamers are starting to lash out at these Sponsored/ Lop sided reviews because they feel like the developer has full control over the review.

Personally I think this Gamer gate is getting blown way out of proportion.  Reviews have always had there positives and negatives. For example; The restaurant industry, I have seen people give 1 star reviews because they didn’t get comp’d for a 40$ salmon they didn’t want, why would you order in the salmon in the first place… who knows…  Then I see people who actually PAY people for there reviews then when people finally get to those restaurants the food is brutal. No matter what industry you are in weather it’s gaming or movie or some other industry, there will always be corrupt opinions and paid opinions on the product. Yes I love playing video games and a positive or negative review won’t really alter my decision personally if I will be playing or not. What it really comes down to is being an educated consumer knowing what you are researching, know what you are listening to and if someone says they are loving it make sure they generally love it for whats in front of them. But.. Let’s be serious here tho, there is a lot bigger problems in the world then “Corrupt” gaming reviews.

(“Feminist Critics of Video Games.”)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/technology/gamergate-women-video-game-threats-anita-sarkeesian.html?_r=0

Social Media in the NHL (COM0011)

Paul Bisonnette, Andrew Shaw, Mike Commodore and Colby Armstrong. Players you might not have heard of on the ice but off the ice they are Super Stars in the Social Media world. NHL players one of the funniest/ most interesting people to follow on twitter. You don’t need to be a super star, you don’t even have to play in some cases in NHL games to be famous the way the NHL is heading towards social media. The NHL with twitter is hands down the best sport to provide fan interaction and make fans feel even close to there Idols.

The NHL does have a “blackout period” tho that they put into effect back in 2011 season where you cannot use social media 2 hours before the game and until post-game media obligations have been fulfilled. NHL play players playing or not playing don’t have a problem with this as Paul Bissonnette replied to fans when asking about the new NHL social media policy “I don’t even play much and I don’t tweet on game days. Plenty of off days.” The policy was also a guide to players and clubs about how to communicate with fans in “the best possible social-media dialogue with fans”.

Paul Bissonnette- “Hey if u are curious to as why u always see pt cruisers causing accidents, its because its an old person car. Do the math.”

I personally am good with the stance in the NHL policy with the blackout period, I wouldn’t want anyone on my team tweeting and checking there facebook before they play. With all the good with social media in sports there is also they bad. The biggest black eye on social media in the NHL is racism, If any other race scores a OT goal or does something amazing, the worst of the worst people get attention they don’t deserve. NHL players don’t mind if you tweet them about how they played or how they don’t play but when it comes to Race, Religion and others stuff remarks like that.

Besides the negativity NHL players are very great with fan interaction which is growing the sport bigger and bigger. Social media make watching your favorite team feel more personal when you get to talk and see what your favorite player is doing. Being part of a community of fans on social media is what sports are going towards. The new age fan is more interactive then ever and has a bigger say on whats going on in the league then ever before, which for me personally makes watching the NHL just that more exciting.