Jackie & Technology Today

You have now arrived at Part III of my technology autobiography.

Thanks for staying on the ride! :]

I chose to use my blog for this last part because it’s truly representative of how I use technology today and it is an easy way to feature the rest of what I use. A blog is representative because I update my MySpace blog quite often and I now use technology to communicate almost more than anything else, with entertainment as a very close second. By the way, if you took Part II of my project, here are the answers: B, D, A, C, C

I think it’s clear that my use of technology has transitioned from entertainment to an integration of work and play, so to speak. Today I own a Zune, own a digital camera (see Capture El Paso for some recent pictures I've taken), have a MySpace and play video games online and on several consoles. However, I also use a computer daily to check my e-mail and I use professional journalism programs to help me do my work at the El Paso Times as an agate clerk. Obviously, computers have a very important role in my life today. Their role is definitely different than just using them to play games as earlier in my life.

I also thought I might visually share a few portions of the technology that is currently important to me.

First, these are recent screenshots of my MySpace.


A portion of my profile.



My top 8, haha. I'm an Obama supporter as if you hadn't noticed.

Now, I know that it’s easy to make fun of MySpace and people that use it. But when MySpace is "used for good and not evil" and the way it was intended, it can be a really useful tool. I check it every day to keep up with my friends, to keep up with the bands I like (which was its original purpose) and to keep up with my hero, Barack Obama, and his presidential campaign. I view it as one of the most convenient ways to access all this information. It’s an easy way to customize the type of information you want to receive. Also, MySpace is an excellent way to share what you've created and what you think. I really value that characteristic when it’s used for significant purposes.

Next, I’ve included screenshots about some of the products I use at work. These are both basically used to publish newspapers. These screenshots are from the software manufacturer’s Web site.



IQue, a management system.


News EditPro, a software program used to create stories for publications.

If you’d like more information check out this IQue brochure.

So, hopefully, you have seen a clear transition in my technological life from entertainment to work and entertainment. I think my use of mixed modes for this project also represents my current technological know-how and shows my technological evolution too.

I am definitely a digital native and because I am, I think this transition has been quite easy for me. From video games and music to publishing software and blogging, technology has quietly and securely embedded itself in my life in many ways, and that's just the way I like it.

Thanks for the read.

- Jackie