Social Software : From friends to foes at the press of a button

Social software is all software that allows its users to share data and interact with other users. Currently the most popular forms of this social software are Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Skype, MSN, and Blogger. It involves lots of different aspects from profile site to video sharing to instant messaging programs and blogs. In the last decade he use of these sites and programs has shot up drastically. Practically everyone with a computer has used at least one of these methods

It has so greatly affected the way communication happens that entire relationships and even business organizations run through this form of technology. No one is spared, everyone is exposed to addictiveness of these sites. The purpose of social software is to connect people with each other and provide another way to share what is on your mind. However, many problems have occurred to users of these programs.


Best friends can become the worst enemies because of the power of this communication technology. This computer mediated communication has its flaws. Twitter for example is a platform that allows users to update their status very often and tell other what they are doing. This communication can be hazardous because people often assume that the post is related to them and may take offence. Recently a couple friends of mine got into an argument because one posted “irritating person near me blithering nonsense”. The other automatically assumed that he was talking about her cause she was sitting next to him in class and they got into an argument…turns out that the post had nothing to do with her and was actually referring to the person sitting in front making annoying remarks to his friend.

The other problem faced with sites like Facebook and Myspace is false communication…the creep factor. Profile sites have long been unsafe with the potential stalkers and pedophiles hunting people down using this form of communication. It makes anonymity very simple and could have dangerous repercussions. For example “Hi my name is Ashley, we went to school together back in grade 1” the start of a conversation with a person you cannot remember but are trying to. Later turns out the person is an old man running under false labels and is just trying to get to you.


That’s not all, there are still more problems associated with communicating through social software. One of these issues is an addiction, Twitter, Facebook, and even Youtube is filled with addicts as they feel the need to keep everybody updated on their life minute to minute. I have one such friend who once went clubbing with me, he was busy updating his facebook status every couple minutes to the point where it began to irritate me. His posts were along the lines of:-
“in line outside Zouk”
“still in line outside Zouk”
“have moved closer to the entrance of Zouk”
“Phuture is already full so going to enter Zouk”
“just entered Zouk”
“waiting in line to get my free drink”
“saw hot babe while waiting in line for drink”
…you get the idea…

When social software becomes your primary means of communication you lose your grip on reality and you also lose the privacy that you had as people get into the habit of just posting everything without thinking of future consequences.

Over and all social software is the latest trend for communicating one on one as well as your thoughts to the general public. It is very efficient as many people are now on it, but it must be used with caution as there are many problems associated with it.

Club Generation : House Culture

Butter Factory, Zouk, and Attica are all prominent clubs in Singapore’s nightlife scene. What do these clubs all have in common? House music is becoming a very prominen genre of music. With more and more popular artists getting involved it has become one of the latest trends. Take for example Will.I.Am, frontman for the RnB group Black Eyed Peas, him and world famous DJ Steve Aoki collaborated for a song named “I’m In The House”. Will.I.Am, under his new alias Zuper Blaqh sang to the beat that Steve Aoki spun.

House music has been around since the 80’s but became widely known in the last 3 years. With more and more artists heading to blend their lyrics to house beats this culture has taken shape and influenced music mass media in a dynamic way. Clubbers are widely exposed to this music and it changes the way people do things. For example, “shuffling” is the latest fad in clubs and is best associated with house music. The cultures involves people moving to slightly faster and more bass oriented beats.

House music culture is very interesting as it very easily incorporates other genres of music. Intercultural communication is very prominent in this manner with regards to house music as it is so easy to mix with other cultures of music. David Guetta, currently one of the world’s most popular DJs, released his album “One Love” with every one song involving tracks from other genres like R&B, rock and even pop.

Culture is said to be learned, shared, dynamic, multifaceted, and has identities that are overlapping. The culture of house music matches all of these characteristics much like the way David Guetta mixes his music. There is no definitive list of criteria that defines what House music truly is, just a string of pre-requisites: that of electronic sounds and lots of bass. Much like culture as a whole, it is constantly evolving, and the face of house music can change from year to year.

Widely distributed through the mass media in different forms, the house culture has spread to soundtracks for more than just Hollywood based movies. Even Indian music has begun to incorporate more and more traces of the house genre. One of the functions of media is to transmit culture, in this manner the radio has been of great assistance in the spreading of house music. One of the most heard songs one radio in the last few months has been David Guetta’s “Sexy Chick”.

The house culture is shaping the music industry as a whole. All forms of mass media are now heading to involve house music in any manner they can. It is a powerful tool that does not hold any specific message and allows followers to listen with no strings attached.