Pop Culture and AKB48

Do you know AKB48?
Maybe some of you have heard the name at least one time.
AKB48 is one of Japanese idol group which is really influential for Japanese pop culture.

AKB48 is Japanese idol group that was produced by Yasushi Akimoto.

AKB48 was advertised as "Idol You Can Meet": create a theater based idol group whose fans could see their live daily.

That is really new style concept of idol group, but because of the concept, they make many kinds of problems.

I will pick up three AKB48's common and popular problems in here.

①Fake Popularity

Usually, their CD pertain an event ticket which fans can see them and shook hands.

Some core fans want to shook hands many time, so they buy bunch of CD.

According to the guys, he waist on his money for buying CD. He spend about 2,000,000 yen for this, and he bought at least hundred of CDs for each.

Recently, these kind of "Core Fan" appear to be growing.

I think they can be a reason why AKB48 sell many CD and seems like it became a big hit and topped the Oricon chart.

②Bad Rumors on the Internet

Some of anti-AKB fans spread rumors about AKB48 members: some of them create a movie thing and upload on Youtube or nikoniko-douga.

Generally, most of the rumors are about members' cosmetic surgery performance.

These anti-fan's purpose for spreading rumors is to attack their favorite idols' rivals which in turn would shift their popularity onto their favorite one.
There are many kinds of disgusting things about AKB48.

These rumors can be a reason that members disaffiliate from group.

③Unofficial AKB Products
Some fans create many unofficial AKB products.

One of the famous example is "Oppai(boobs) Mouse Pad"

 

It can destroy image of AKB48 members, but many AKB fans bought the unofficial products.

You still can buy this on Yahoo auction

The three problems are really common to Japanese idol group, not only AKB48.

Internet supported AKB48 to be popular, but ironically it has helped negatively.

Whether they are good or not, we can not harm them.

Fans should support them in right way.

Unofficial products and rumors do not help AKB at all.

Sadly, we still can see the negative things on Internet.

We should realize how social media and Internet are powerful to influence someone, something, and somewhere.

Language is pop culture

How many foreigners think that Japanese are pretty difficult to learn?
I believe most of them think like YES!! learning Japanese is pretty difficult!!
However, do you know Japanese used to use only Kanji for long time ago?
Hiragana is easy style of Kanji. We Japanese made and changed Kanji which learned from China.

This is basic form of Hiragana.
You can see how Japanese made it for more esay and useful way.
Writing Kanji is so compricate and annoying sometime.
Now we feel exactly same thing as our ancestors.

We always make our language easier.
However, this is part of Japanese pop cultuer now.
Have you ever seen and/or heared something like "KY" or "ggrks" or some other things?
These words look like nothing specific meaning.
Unfortunately, this is what I want to show you something like NEW japanese language pop culture.

There are many kinds of abbreviations in Japan.
These are used to use in some Japanese Internet forum.
In addition, these are made by the people who used to come to internet forum often.

Firstly,these words were using only inside of internet forums.
However, some of them started to use the words at some SNS, or thier individual Emails.
Nowadays, these words are really common for Japanese, especially young people.
In fact, I cannot understand some of these words, because these kinds of thing change so fast.

Many young Japanese use the words, and they still make new words.
That kind of trend became Japanese pop culture now.

Youtube myspace I will google your yahoo....????

When I do not have nothing to do, I always turn on my laptop and see many website(which is web-surfing).

Have you ever considered why we can go so many web pages with only one click?
My answer is NO because I think nobody does not care why we can link bunch of websites.
Nowadays, computer and Internet are one of the basic needs for most of us.
Then, lets think about who made such a wonderful computer thing HERE!!

1945, Vannevar Bush propound "Memex" which is basic idea of hypertext and computer system.

This "Memex" is influenced technology of hypertext, but "Memex" and hypertext system is not same. "Memex" is only basic idea for hypertext.
He wrote "As We May Think", and in the article, he said; there is brand new encyclopedia in near the future. Each article can be shared and linked just like spider web. Then Memex will really help for work up such a technology.

Now, please remember when you search some information on Internet.
We definitely click the links, and move other webpage.
Wikipedia is really good example of hypertext also.
"Memex" erected computer technology which is sharing information by LINK.

Additionally, our smartphone is also use hypertext system.
Smartphone is kind of small computer for us because we can use Internet without Wi-fi thing.
Do you think had Bush ever thought we can get such a small and useful computer for only 60 years?
In the near future, we might not need to carry laptop anymore. I believe the much small and useful smartphone will coming up.
Then how computer technology will change? I do not know.

Aside from this, I want to share with you something fun!!
You know how to click your mouse. Then I believe it will be so much fun for you!!
Escape!!!! (For non Japanese speaker)
Escape!!!! (For Japanese speaker)

This is what I do when I was bored.
It is pretty easy to play; main gale is escape from place where you are in the game.
Click everywhere and find some items; items will help you to escape.
I think this click things are kind of similar to hypertext system.
When you want to change the scene or use the items, you will CLICK.
Then your game scene will be changed by only a click.(I think both scenes linked each other).

If it is not related hypertext or Memex or something like computer technology, I am really sorry.
Then just enjoy your escape lol

Information Structure

"A user interface should be so simple that a beginner in an emergency can understand it within ten seconds"


Ted Nelson is an American pioneer of information technology.
He is one of the person who propound "Hypertext".

As everyone know, computer network is not always easy to everyone.
I believe most of people are not familiar with computer network and/or interface.
At the beginning of computer's history, most of computers were used by someone who were familiar with information technology or something like that.
Other people can not use computer because it was too complicated to them.
Nelson's purpose is making easy to use computer for everyone who are not do not have any particular information.

Firstly, Nelson suggest "Project Xanadu".
It was the world's first project of hypertext.
Project of hypertext is exactly what we are using NOW!!
Put simply, there are many websites in Internet. Hypertext links every website.
Imagine "Wikipedia", and there are many "links" which drift other information.

This idea is coming from "Memex" that we just learned these days.


However, this project was failed by "World Wide Web"(W3).
W3 is same idea with Project Xanadu.
Project Xanadu can link both sides, and the links never break.
On the other hand, W3 can make a link only for one way, and the links sometimes break.
Comparing two types of hypertext, Project Xanadu seems like mush more useful.
Unfortunately, Project Xanadu is really difficult to implement, and it needs to do version control.
 for these reasons, project Xanadu was failed.

Now Nelson consults on new type of information structure "ZigZag".

In the near future, our information structure might change......


Also if anyone who can understand my English, or what I am talking about, you can chack this site (Japanese). Oh this is LINK!!!!

HelloWorld!!

Miki is here!!

This blog is for my CIS class.