An interesting memory...

  
When my girls were babies, I had an "Ernest" mask on a stick (You know those movies... the late Jim Varney, "Ernest Goes to Hell," or wherever). I would play peek-a-boo with the mask... my oldest would start crying every time I covered my face with the mask... it was funny the first couple of times I did it (in an America's Funniest Home Video lowbrow sort of way)... I ditched the thing soon after... it stopped being funny... Maybe that explains a lot....

Money

I know that when you read the contents of this letter, you will understand why it is so IMPORTANT that I contact you right away. I have information for you that you CANNOT HESITATE TO HEAR. 

It’s about the most IMPORTANT questions of your life.

Your EMOTIONAL WELL –BEING and PERSONAL FINANCES will be affected by what you do with this information, so I cannot stress how ESSENTIAL it is that you get in touch with me or my trusted advisors as soon as possible.

It would be a PLEASURE to assist you in understanding the EXTRAORDINARY changes that are about to very soon about happen to you. Through my experience, I have NEVER been wrong when it comes to these matters.

I have experienced three traumatic near-death experiences. However, the universe had other plans for me. Soon afterwards, spirit guides who understood my potential to communicate their messages to this plane of existence began contacting me.

Since then, I have been assisting many dear friends who have been SEEKING FOR ANSWERS from the universe. The plan for my life became clear. My pleasure is in GIVING AID AND COMFORT to those who have uncertainty. As my reward, I have happy to use the GREAT TALENTS given to me.

Of course, this letter isn’t about me. It’s about YOU!

Lately, I have been CONCENTRATING ON YOUR SPIRIT. I asked my spirit guides for direction about the things that have been troubling you. I have focused on your FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES and your LONELINESS.

What I received in return was nothing short of PHENOMENAL!

Not only did my spirit guides give me a GREAT LOOK INTO YOUR FUTURE, but also revealed to me the POWERFUL POSITIVE ENERGY meant for you. It will make your prospects nothing short of FANTASTIC.

A letter alone cannot do justice this new information. I must impress upon you PERSONALLY how POWERFUL this message is, and urge you to get in touch with me AS SOON AS YOU CAN. I know that you will not hesitate, since you have been STRUGGLING with these doubts for quite a long time and desire peace of mind. Without YOUR SPECIAL INPUT and EFFECT OF YOUR SPIRIT, I am limited as what I can do for you.

Neither you nor I want limitations on knowing the SPLENDOR OF YOUR DESTINY.

PERSONAL INTERACTION is the most effective way I can see DEEPER INTO THE DIRECTION my spirit guides have been hinting at for you. Only a personal reading can determine ALL of the information, the details that you will need to begin PREPARING yourself, and to have all the knowledge you will need during this EXCITING period.

It is certain that this event is now VERY CLOSE and unfortunately, until you ASK ME FOR THIS GUIDANCE I will not be able to begin it for you.

I’ve seen WONDERFUL things for you, not only MONETARILY but also in your PERSONAL LIFE. GREAT THINGS are in store for you. The future is holding some EXCITING plans for you.  The guides have begun to tell me so much as that.

My guides did tell me things I can say about you at this point. I’m sorry they are not as detailed as I would like them to be:

- A FINANCIAL SUCCESS, most likely linked to a COMPETITION or to the LOTTERY.

- A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT of greater SATISFACTION and HARMONY in your love life.
- An improvement in your PROFESSIONAL or BUSINESS dealings.
- The start of a NEW AND EXCITING PHASE in your life.
- A KEY ENCOUNTER that will bring SWEEPING CHANGES into your existence.


In the meantime, the most I can do is to WARN YOU about what I can see about you and tell you that THIS EVENT IS COMING SOON. I know that you want more, with no doubt; I have intuition through my spirit guides to bring them to you WITH MORE CLARITY.

There are three things I can discuss with you with SPECIFIC PRECISION, but first we must work on the most pressing problem in your life—MONEY.

Money has been tight. It has become the most BURNING ISSUE on your mind. It has dominated your thoughts and has become a weight holding you down from many of the other good things in your life. The negative effects of your financial problems have crowded out all of the POSITIVE MESSAGES the universe is trying to tell you.

I’m here to tell you, I have the means to help you get the SUCCESS that you’ve been dreaming for. With my help, in the worries about money I will give you a SENSE OF PEACE.

I’ve seen a way to your FINANCIAL WELL-BEING. I will be HAPPY to discuss them with you in detail, so you can begin ENJOYING YOUR LIFE IMMEDIATELY.

Please do not misunderstand; you need to know about ALL of these things, since I also want all of them for you.

As a TRUSTED FRIEND your SUCCESS and HAPPINESS is ESSENTIAL. By taking care of your problems ONE AT A TIME, it is the BEST way I can guide you to the ACHIEVEMENT that I have seen for you in the future.

I know that once we get a handle on your money problem, we can work on your other concerns with a RENEWED SENSE OF PURPOSE.  A psychic weight lifted by ELIMINATING YOUR MONEY WORRIES will make the rest of the burdens easier to manage.

As I have already mentioned, I have been given a talent to see what will be in store for your future. What you need from me are the tools to benefit from what my spirit guides have been hinting at, so you can MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT THE UNIVERSE IS BRINGING TO YOU.

Only with a FULL READING, the details of what is in store for you can be revealed. A hint of luck or the scent of good fortune is nice, but a STRONG GRIP on what the universe has in store for you would be better for you. I know you desire CONFIDENCE and SELF-ASSURANCE. With my help, you can make the most of the GREAT THINGS IN YOUR IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

To resolve life’s problems takes KNOWLEDGE AND PREPARATION. I have the ability to OFFER YOU BOTH.

There is so much more to tell, but I am limited by what I can do for you without your PERSONAL INPUT. An essential part of helping you is through the interaction between us.

This is why I URGE you to contact me or one of my trusted advisors right away.

We need to be able to use the energy of the cosmos to get the love, wealth and happiness you deserve. With that, I may get an even MORE ACCURATE READ on the major events that are taking place in your life right now! 

Dreams

I hope you are not surprised I am contacting you today. Not only am I SENDING YOU ENERGY for a POSITIVE day, but also to give you some THRILLING NEWS. It is with great EXCITEMENT I need to make you aware of an AMAZING TIME just now beginning in your life. I know you are feeling that something EXTRAORDINARY is about to happen, since I have also sensed this for you.

I recognize you have been DREAMING in ways you cannot quite explain. After waking up you are feeling that there may be MORE TO YOUR DREAMS than you are aware. You may not even remember having a dream.

Please, do not worry. It is quite common for our minds to communicate with us during dreaming, without our brains KNOWING the message. The HIDDEN POWERS of your DREAMS is what is making me EXCITED for you. My purpose is to help you MAKE SENSE of these messages.

After three near-death experiences, I began sensing especially POWERFUL LIFE ENERGIES. Although my SPIRIT GUIDES have shown me this energy for quite a while, in the past few days the guides helped me realize the INTENSITY in YOUR LIFEFORCE.

It is what I can only describe as UNIQUE.

My focus today is on YOU, and the MAGNIFICENT ENERGY within your spirit.

For some time, POWERFUL DREAMS have been directing me in this way. They have been pointing me to one UNDENIABLE conclusion. The universe has some FANTASTIC THINGS in store for you, and I am so PLEASED to be the instrument of your HEALING.

I have seen many visions of energy before. However, in your case, these visions have such CLARITY and SENSE OF PURPOSE.

As you know, LOVE is a UNIVERSAL POWER that is POTENT. We not only FEEL love but we must also GIVE IT freely. That is why your EMOTIONAL ENERGY is so IMPORTANT. You are an EXTRAORDINARY PERSON who not only DESIRES love, but also has so much love TO GIVE. For your HAPPINESS, I URGE you to come in touch with this energy. To help you CONNECT with the POWER of your dreams, I would be honored to assist you by TEACHING you the VALUE of this EXTRAORDINARY TIME.

Through the nature of your UNIVERSAL SPIRIT, I see our relationship as key to REALIZING YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE. I will support you in learning what the universe is trying to say to you, as well as showing you the means to REALLY FEEL THE BEAUTY in your life. Your dreams are hinting at a blueprint for YOUR BRILLIANT FUTURE. It is for us to assist you in your quest.

In my many years of experience as a healer and reader of dreams, it is been rare to view a THERAPEUTIC ENERGY in the universe as POTENT AND DRAMATIC as what I am seeing for you. My spirit guides have given me AMAZING INSIGHTS on the importance of healing.

Healing is ESSENTIAL TO YOUR NATURE because it allows you to live your life to its fullest. Becoming a FULLY REALIZED PERSON is when you can TRULY ENJOY all the cosmos has to offer. It is essential for your LOVE, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS.

I have studied dreams for many years, and experienced many BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS. Yours is EXCEPTIONAL. With a surge in the psychic energy I see inside you, now is the time where your DREAMS CLEARLY LAY OUT YOUR FUTURE. It is a TRULY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. My guides reveal the UNIVERSAL ENERGY you can use to bring you TRUE HAPPINESS. This energy is also ESSENTIAL for stronger relationships to our surroundings as well as to the ones we love. NOW is the perfect time, when the energy is at its GREATEST.

This is what I am seeing for you RIGHT NOW. It is the opportunity for you to become THE PERSON YOU STRONGLY WANT TO BE. It is exciting for me to have this chance to direct you to REALIZE your DEEP DESIRES for the IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

Through contacting me or one of my close advisors, we can help you UNDERSTAND the WONDERFUL ASSOCIATIONS that are in your reach.

We are here to GUIDE you through this electrifying time. By establishing a PERSONAL CONNECTION with you, I can zone in on the MEANING OF YOUR DREAMS, and aid in your HEALING. This will allow you to ENJOY the UNBELIEVABLE POWER of the universe.

Community Profile

Community Profile

By Phil Ammann

Neighborhood News Bureau

On a warm Sunday evening at a gymnasium in the heart of St. Petersburg, more than a thousand Midtown residents gathered to honor some of their most talented high school students. It was a music-filled celebration reminiscent of the rich past of “the Deuces” mixed with the hope for a new generation.

For one Midtown native, a night of dancing, fashion, rap and jazz was to be something special.

Toriano Parker, born to a single mother and raised in Jordan Park, saw the event as his crowning achievement.  As the founder and owner of the Advantage Village Academy, Parker sponsored the night’s activities. It would represent the most ambitious event yet from his fledgling organization.

Through Parker’s eyes, the show could only succeed with the hard work of his 25-person, all-volunteer staff.  Their efforts would be the key to a winning evening.

 “There was a lot of sweat and blood that has gone into this show,” said Parker as the activity of the evening rushed around him. “The neighborhood participation has been phenomenal.”

Parker, 39, a lifelong resident of Midtown, came a long way from the Gibbs High School class of ‘90. After graduating, he went on to earn his business degree from Waynesburg University, a Christian college 25 miles south of Pittsburg, Pa. Upon returning to St. Petersburg in the mid-1990s, Parker spent several years working at Equifax.

Parker branched out five years ago by starting his own financial services company, focused on serving his old neighborhood. Advantage Financial Services provides tax-preparation, accounting and money management services to the Midtown area, where the median annual income is less than $25,000.

The Labor Day weekend event was held at the Midtown Youth and Family Enrichment Center, commonly known as the old Jordan Park Gym, located at 1201 22nd St. S.  The center sits in the heart of the historic Midtown district known as “the Deuces.”  The center is across the street from the Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center and only steps away from the recently renovated Royal Theater.

The show started with a burst of energy. Boca Ciega High School saxophonist Jarred Armstrong began the entertainment by playing a jazzed up version of the “Star Spangled Banner.” The audience cheered louder.

In the hall were St. Petersburg City Council members Wengay Newton and Karl Nurse, as well as Florida State Representative Darryl Rouson.

 “From the words of my mouth, to the bottom of my heart,” Newton said to the crowd, “I want to thank you all for tonight.”

“We must keep coming out and supporting our kids,” said Rouson.  “We are displaying their talents. Thank you Advantage Village Academy for doing what you are doing.”

Featured sketches were by teenagers from all seven south Pinellas County high schools. The acts included a high-energy fashion show of “club wear” as well as “step team” choreography by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Gibbs High School student Oreion Crittenton, Jr. rapped solo, followed by local recording artist Shawty, singing his hit “I Made It Rain.” The crowd went wild. After the show, there was a chaperoned youth dance.

Parker established the Advantage Village Academy in May 2009 as a nonprofit organization offering after-school activities, sports and education for residents of the community.  According to its website, the Academy was “established to promote self-sufficiency, financial stability and economic development within the community.”

Parker created the association with the goal of “keeping the center going” and giving back to his neighborhood.  To keep services affordable for low-income families, the Academy charges a yearly fee of $5 to $10. The fee goes to help cover operating expenses.

At the end of 2008, while the Midtown center was still under the management of the St. Petersburg Department of Parks and Recreations, the City Council was presented with a difficult choice. Although the Midtown Youth and Family Enrichment Center remained popular, city leaders felt the budget could not sustain both the Midtown location and the nearby Wildwood Community Center. Earlier in the year, the gym had hosted a professional match for Florida Championship Wrestling. After that, the building sat vacant.

The city’s plans frustrated Parker, whose office on 22nd Street South is located next door in full view of the center.
 

“I was sitting in my office looking at an empty building,” Parker says. “I decided we needed to do something to just get it open.”

Using a combination of personal funds and private loans, Parker started the Academy. He petitioned the city to take charge of the operation for the Center.  A few months later, Parker and the Academy entered into an agreement with the St. Petersburg Housing Authority, who holds the deed to the building, to maintain the Center. The city would still own the building, but Parker had an option to buy.

Concerned an empty building would cause more crime in the neighborhood, Parker believed that by having the Academy based in the Center, it would be a good sign to show Midtown residents community involvement.  Looking back, Parker now feels he was right.

“Before, I had my door ripped off a couple of times and they tried to get at the computers in my office,” says Parker. “Now, the people are the same and the computers are still here.  What has changed is how people look at things.”

On this night, the Sunday before Labor Day, Parker was at the center of constant activity. Dressed in a grey t-shirt and jeans, he hurriedly rushed through the crowded basketball court, greeting friends and politicians, directing volunteers, talking with performers and other well-wishers.

After the Academy took control of the Center, with some remodeling and landscaping, residents of the “the Deuces” now had their own active youth multipurpose community center. The building houses a computer room with nine workstations, as well as an exercise area filled with free weights and treadmills in a converted laundry room.

There is a dodge ball tournament every two months and Parker hopes to get the Florida Championship Wrestling match back soon.

Parker purchased the computers himself. Stetson Law School and other local businesses donated the weights and exercise equipment.

According to Parker, his group of volunteers offers activities and services for up to 75 kids a day. In addition to computer training, they have FCAT tutoring. On Sundays, a local pastor holds a church service. The organization is looking to rent out the main basketball court for other events, weddings and birthday parties. There are also plans to expand to adult learning, offering GED classes.
   

“There are kids that take three buses to get to our front door,” says Parker. “For every nine kids that use the computers, there are nine more on a waiting list. It is a problem, but a good problem to have.”

Anthony Hart, facilities director for the Academy, hopes for more from the City of St. Petersburg.

“We are doing good deeds in this (22nd Street) corridor,” Hart says. “We have to scrounge for everything. There should be more than a physical presence from politicians.”

Apart from the nominal yearly user fees, donations and the occasional grant money, the Academy does not rely on outside revenue.  However, without more successes like the one this past Labor Day weekend, Parker said the situation can change. His goal this year is to secure a steady cash flow to cover operating costs.

“The current financial situation is making it difficult,” Parker said. “My mom is praying we get funding.”

Parker sees the main obstacle for Midtowns is communication.

“There must be an understanding between the opportunities and the people,” said Parker. “Sometimes you just don’t know what is in the community.”

With the turnout for his triumphant Sunday night show, it may be that Toriano Parker is well on his way to showing Midtown what is out there for them.

Mindfulness of the Complexities of the Journalist and the Reader

The central thesis in my research is to create a strategy for “branding” a journalist, using new media and business models.  My analysis will assess the changing landscape of communications, such as the Internet and social websites, and see how to bring clear, reliable voices to news consumers.

During my examination of the ever-shifting forms of communication, I noticed a common theme of “convergence.”   Convergence has become a buzzword representing the current push to provide information through several channels.  A working definition can be (1.) to come together or towards the same point and (2.) to approach from different directions.  To apply the term to the media suggests the classic inverted pyramid, a broad funnel of information on top with the point resting firmly on the consumer. Instead of solitary strands of information leading to an interested individual, converged news becomes a blend of formats co-existing to create a service, not a product.

My focus rests on the feeling that it would be incomplete to discuss the rise of new methods of expression without examining how professionals can develop skillsets that embrace these opportunities. 

Working within a converged media, it is important for the journalist devise a strategy to market their talent through more than one avenue.  The journalist cannot rest on just one foundation, such as print alone.  A fluency of online and broadcast methods can only improve a reporter’s viability.  In the desire to develop a brand, it is necessary to develop traits such as credibility in many platforms. It helps to understand how methods such as branding are essential for success in the ever-changing structure of today’s media. 

It is with this in mind we discuss the concept of convergence.

In the book “Convergence Culture,” Henry Jenkins discussed the pioneering theories of MIT political scientist Ithiel de Sola Pool: “‘Once upon a time,’ Pool explained, ‘companies that published newspapers, magazines, and books did very little else; their involvement with other media was slight.’ Each medium had its own distinctive functions and markets, and each was regulated under different regimes.”  A broad vision is needed in the new business of journalism.

Historically, it had always been the main task of business to market products (or services like news information) to an audience.  Success rested on the ability to gauge interest and predict trends—an elusive goal for many.  In addition, the media of the past itself had limitations.  Dominating the media were niches with limited crossover.  Any particular medium, even though having a loose relation to other forms of communication, for the most part did not infringe on the territory of the other.  Television was separate from radio, and both were distinct from print, which itself was split into magazines and newspapers.  There was little coherence across platforms.

The rise of the participatory culture of the Internet changed all that. Convergence puts providers of content, as well as consumers, in a turbulent climate of information.  The Internet succeeds in binding traditional forms of communications, becoming a sort of convergence glue. It is hard to imagine any form of news or entertainment that is not now embracing the Internet as a way to connect and expand its core audience.  

The Internet is only the most visible catalyst of convergence. Newspapers and television have become increasingly cooperative, where stations are “partnering” with papers to offer more in-depth product.  Of course, such consolidations also stem from a struggling economy, where cutbacks are commonplace.

The struggle to keep up with reader preferences reflects not only an age-old need for business to predict flowing trends, but also to keep up with a now-raging torrent of tastes, set about in a hyper-drive.  Blink and you will miss your next customer.

Convergence represents a movement of information through channels that are constantly broadening, as opposed to the centralized models of the past.  In our participatory culture, new technologies give consumers a great degree of freedom.  They have the power to change preferences, and do not hesitate to exercise that power.  Media organizations are competing for readers and viewers with a frenzy unlike any time in history.  

In addition, the ability for consumers to offer immediate feedback and insight makes them more a valuable resource.  We are able to instantaneously know what is important to the reader, and tailor services to fit their needs. 

However, reader feedback in journalism creates a fine line.  Instead of giving the audience what they only want to hear, offering a product narrowly constructed and manufactured, the new converged journalist must seize the opportunity to broaden the knowledge and education of the reader.  Knowledge of audience tastes poses a challenge: to give them what they want, while getting them to see something new.

Author Bill Tancer sees convergence culture as something more: “search and Internet behavioral data can go beyond simply providing the strength of a candidate or a computer’s brand; it can provide insight into the decision process itself, and unlike with traditional surveys, this observed behavior isn’t skewed by any participant bias.”

Competition for viewers is not a new challenge. It has always been the “hard sell.”  But today the forums have changed, now with a new twist. 

In researching business models, I have found several methods of marketing and consultation that offer strategies applicable to journalists.  As a business model, consulting offers several tips the writer can use to get his message to a wider audience.

The most important rule in consultancy is to understand the client—to see problems from the client’s standpoint.  This is equivalent to a writer knowing their audience.  This important lesson of consultancy is in the ability for the journalist to embrace fully the reader’s point of view, translating complex issues to a larger audience.  Being able to identify topics that affect people, understand universal themes, as well as clearly tell a story is the best opportunity to show readers you have what it takes to earn their trust.

This increased dialogue between journalist and reader is the mark of an age of transition, full of competing interests and unintended consequences.  Convergence of media only heightens the multifaceted nature of modern communication.   Mindfulness of these complexities will determine success in branding voices in journalism.

The New Media

We are in a time where the news comes to us from everywhere.  Wireless telephony, with hand-held devices such as cell phones, netbooks and iPads, is bringing the individual a never-ending stream of data. It is only up to us to whom we listen.

Convergence in media is a process that succeeds in creating the perception of choice.  Multiplying the strands of communication leads to a wealth of available information.    It is now, with the advent of convergence, where the capacity to access information and news is obtainable to a wide audience.  This leads to higher—perhaps unrealistic—expectations; journalists know readers possess tools to search the Internet for additional information.  The push for accuracy is like never before. To be viable in the increasingly competitive information marketplace, the journalist must stay abreast of the capacity of a changing audience.

However, is the direction of constant information one that will promote an insightful citizenry?

The ability to take data from several sources has always been the mark of discerning thinkers. News is a major factor in promoting an informed and educated society.  It is the reason our Bill of Rights affords us a freedom of the press separate from free speech and expression. As Epictetus wrote, “Only the educated are free.”

According to the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, news flows from several sources, allowing users to “pick and choose” simultaneously.

Asked specifically about their news habits on ‘a typical day,’ the results are striking: 99% of American adults say that on a typical day, they get news from at least one of these media platforms: a local or national print newspaper, a local or national television news broadcast,  radio, or the internet. (Edmonds, et al., 2010)

Today’s news is increasingly fragmented.  In addition to the traditional sources, cable and Internet news websites offer 24-hour news cycles that thrive in immediacy and change. With this appeal, news reflects patterns of thought that are byproducts of increasing Internet use. In a 2008 article in The Atlantic, changing models of thinking are affected by reliance on search engines such as Google.

“As we use what the sociologist Daniel Bell has called our ‘intellectual technologies’—the tools that extend our mental rather than our physical capacities—we inevitably begin to take on the qualities of those technologies,” writes Nicholas Carr in “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”

Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle. (Carr, 2008)

The more the Internet is involved in our lives, the more our brains become “wired” to reflect the tools we use.  Our minds develop to be increasingly “staccato,” sweeping along text as users evolve into consumers skimming over chunks of data, as opposed to balanced examination.

In a 2008 survey of virtual library usage conducted by the University College London, the “Google generation” is showing an alarming lack of depth.

The use of the Internet is “a form of skimming activity, where people view just one or two pages from an academic site and then ‘bounce’ out, perhaps never to return. The figures are instructive: around 60 per cent of e-journal users view no more than three pages and a majority (up to 65 per cent) never returns.”

“…deep log studies show that, from undergraduates to professors, people exhibit a strong tendency towards shallow, horizontal, ‘flicking’ behavior in digital libraries. Power browsing and viewing appear to be the norm for all. The popularity of abstracts among older researchers rather gives the game away.  Society is dumbing down.”

During a speech in 2000, science journalist Laurie Garrett talked of what is missing in the flood of information through the modern media. Writing about health issues, Garrett has won Peabody and Polk awards, as well as the 1996 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism.

“What suffers in this atmosphere of immediacy is analysis,” Garrett says.  “What suffers in this search for speed is depth. The wealthy world media is becoming increasingly simplistic, superficial and celebrity focused.”

It is certainly cause for concern over the degree of skimming while utilizing the Internet for academic research, although there may be a trend even more troubling for journalists.  

If news for the “Google generation” exists simply for superficial examination, it suggests a degree of homophily, where Internet “surfers” only view information that falls in line with their existing worldviews.  There are people who do not experience the Internet beyond a short list of “bookmarks.”  The vast choice of the online world leaves some to restrict information to only that which appeals to their comfort zone. 

Thus, online, people can hear others articulate sentiments similar to their own, and can gather arguments and evidence to reinforce their own positions. In their offline worlds, if they perceive themselves to have a different set of opinions on a political subject from those around them, they can go online and find support. They can find reassurance, for example, that they are not alone in their opinion. (Stromer-Galley, 2003)

           

            The spectrum of information that goes into a discerning citizenry could be limiting instead of broadening communication.  On news aggregate sites such as Fark.com, discussion boards offer a robust exchange of views over varied posted links.  What is telling about the depth of examination is the frequent use of the acronym “RTFA”—Read the Freaking Article (to be polite).  It is a common putdown to opinions posted without fully reading the topic of the discussion. It is also a signal to the superficiality of Internet discourse.

            
The amount of information online can also lead to a sense of distraction. Many workplaces are restricting access to various entertainment sites.  In a July 2, 2010 memo to Transportation Security Administration employees, websites with “controversial opinions” will be blocked on TSA computers. The TSA views the sites—such as “Gaming” and “Chat/Messaging”—as distracting and potential security risks.     

Wired magazine editor Brendan Koerner would disagree with “distracting.” In the March 2010 edition, Koerner suggests that the small breaks offered by sites such as Facebook and Twitter can actually help productivity.

“Humans weren’t designed to maintain a constant focus on assigned tasks,” Koerner says. “We need periodic breaks to relieve our conscious minds of the pressure to perform—pressure that can lock us into a single mode of thinking.  Musing about something else for a while can clear the way the mental detritus, letting us see an issue with fresh eyes, a process creativity researchers call incubation.”

In developing a voice for providing news for today’s audience, what is necessary is a mindfulness of the changing dynamic of the online audience.  Online writing, concise and presented in easily digested “chunks” to viewers constantly scanning a story for points of entry, is a form appealing to the fragmented thought patterns of the “Google generation.”