Convergence and Creative Engagement

In today's day and age technology has made it possible for media from all different countries and cultures to be shared with the rest of the world. Just because we can share it with the world doesn't mean that the world has the same views on the media/material as we do. Cultures tend to have drastically different perspectives and values so when media and information is exchanged meaning can be lost in translation. Meaning that we attach is only recognized by ourselves or by the culture that we belong to and another culture may look at the subject in a completely opposite fashion. I believe that is the point Jenkins is trying to make. It's a problem that we are going to figure out but I believe that as the world becomes more "global" our cultures will start to blend a little bit more and maybe sharing images, videos, music, etc will be better understood by the citizens of the world.

Creative Engagement: When individuals of one culture or multiple cultures join together and combine perspectives to help create something that might be designed for one group of people but instead will appeal to a larger number of individuals. This world needs more creative engagement, chances are it will make it a more beautiful place.

Long Tail Theory

When I think about the Long Tail I think about Etsy. This is a website where individuals are able to sell items that they have created, truly niche items that aren't available to the masses. Etsy allows consumers to search their site for numerous items that range from jewelery, clothing, art, home decor, etc. Anyone can create an Etsy account and then can begin to sell their product. This creates a huge niche market where many products can be found . Also itunes is a great example. They have around 2 millions songs available to purchase online and musicians can get their music on itunes while your local Walmart can only offer you around 25,0000 songs of the artists they choose to carry.

I have a very particular style when it comes to dressing so the internet and this "Long Tail" are a blessing. I'm able to search websites that carry hundreds of clothing brands not just one. I don't love a brand I just like individual items of clothing so these websites like Karmaloop.com and JackThreadz are perfect for scrolling through tshirts, hoodies, and snapbacks until I find something I really enjoy. Also these niche websites usually have some awesome deals.