A Little Introduction

Hi everyone!

My name is Corey Rivera, and I am a recent transfer student at Georgia State University, where I will be studying film in the hope of becoming a director.  I am interested in all manner of art, from the painterly to the musical and, of course, the cinematic.  Although I am a quiet and introverted person, I believe I have a lot to offer once I open up and get to know someone.

As an introduction to my "Computer Skills" course this semester, all students were asked to create - on our blog - a list of eight web communication tools we use or want to use.  Here's my list:

1)  Email - I have various email accounts for different purposes (academic, personal, one for formal contacts) and I check at least one every day.  Email is a primary tool for the modern college experience.

2) Skype - I don't use Skype very often, but it is useful for a one-on-one conversation with someone if in-person communication isn't available.  I use it to connect with friends on a casual basis, but I doubt if I would ever use it for academic purposes.

3) Facebook - For a long time I avoided Facebook, thinking it would be an annoying thing to maintain, but it has actually been beneficial to my social life.  Since I am a relatively reserved person, social networking has helped me to open up and get in touch with people I otherwise would likely not have contacted.

4) Blogging - This is actually the first blog I have ever created, though I have visited others' in the past.  However, I have thought about starting one in order to advertise and possibly sell my art.  I'm not sure if this is something with which I'd keep up, but it's definitely worth a shot.

5) Video sharing - I don't visit sites like YouTube everyday, but I do use them to view videos when I need to.  The great thing about sites of this nature is that they span the entire spectrum of purposes; they can be used for academic reasons, for sharing important information, or just for personal enjoyment.  I make use of all three.

6) Instant messaging - Admittedly I haven't used an instant messaging service in a while (unless texting on a phone counts), but it is something I have used frequently in the past.  If texting falls under this category, then it is certainly a useful tool for all types of communication in my life.  When it comes to school, it can help me get in contact with other students.

7) Wikis - I have used websites such as Wikipedia to check information, but I have never actually contributed to any of them.  Maybe this semester I will make more of an effort to share information in areas in which I am knowledgeable.

8) Folksonomies - This is the one communication tool in which I am not active, but I would like to participate more.  I feel as if this is a very smart-phone-savvy area, and since I don't own a smart phone at the moment, I don't have much access to folksonomies.