Improved Entertainment :-)

Entertainment is one of the main things that the internet is used for these days. If asked, many people would probably say that for entertainment they use the internet rather than the TV, like it used to be. There are so many websites around that offer entertainment for everyone’s needs, that the choice is endless. Entertainment online includes: gaming, videos, gambling and even connecting with other games consoles. Lots of the sites for this type of service are also free to use, which makes them even more popular.
A key form of entertainment online is gaming, with thousands of websites offering you the chance to play alone or with other people from around the world. Gaming sites are easy to understand and within a matter of minutes you can be playing your favourite game. You simply type in the website address, or look for it in a search engine, and then find your chosen game on the site. The key target audience for gaming online is teenage years but this could extend to a much older age range. Being able to play with anyone anywhere is a real benefit to this online service, it also makes playing far more interesting as you can compete with others, a drawback of this being that some people may get too competitive. As we can access these sites anywhere, via wireless and mobile internet, you may become addicted making it an unhealthy obsession. Gaming websites are suitable for their purpose as they offer a way to entertain us but a possible enhancement could be setting a time limit on how long you can use them at one time, so that people don’t become addicted. Also with gaming online you can enter into virtual worlds, using sites such as www.meez.com and www.secondlife.com. In these sites you can create a version of yourself and then use it to interact with others. The benefit of this is that you can be who you want to be and get along with anyone, regardless of your gender or age. The key drawback to worlds like this is that some people may just abuse these websites and try to use them to harm others, being a security issue. The non internet alternative to gaming online is playing with board games, which don’t tend to interest people as much as playing online as they are not as interesting or interactive, which is what people enjoy about games online. There are few limits on gaming on the internet; you can find just about any genre of game meaning there is something for everyone.
Videos are another key form of entertainment online. Using sites such as YouTube and Google Video it is free to watch and upload videos. The target audience of this is really any age. The sites are simple to use and all you do is type into the search bar what video you are looking for and then it shows you the most relevant videos. There are videos of just about everything on these websites, meaning that they fit their purpose and can entertain any age, any time by using mobile internet. The main drawback to being able to watch any video online is that young viewers may see inappropriate things because on YouTube there isn’t anything to stop young people looking at older material. An enhancement to the service could be that if there were ratings on the videos and you had to enter your date of birth before the video loaded. The main benefit is that being able to watch the videos and upload them is free of charge so anyone can use the service and it makes it more widely available.
Another form of video online is watching TV and film. Using sites such as BBC iPlayer and Demand Five you can catch up on shows you have missed, when you want to. This service is useful and convenient meaning that you have more choice as before you could only watch programmes when they were shown on the television. You can also make this service portable as you can download TV shows and films onto iPods and MP4 players. Many of these services are free but some aren’t, meaning a drawback to this service is some sites, such as iTunes, have fees for downloading. The main audience for this is teenagers upwards and an enhancement to this would be having better quality videos.
I mentioned Gambling earlier in the Commerce section but it is also a form of entertainment. It can be used to relax and as a form of enjoyment. The target audience is 18+. As I said before gambling can lead to an addiction, so this service can definitely be improved by setting limits. Gambling is fit for its purpose as it gives many people enjoyment from their own homes.
Music is another key form of entertainment online. There are many different sites which let you listen to live radio (e.g. www.southernfm.co.uk) and you can also find music to listen to for free on YouTube and MySpace. To download music online usually costs money from sites like iTunes but you can also download it for free but this is illegal in most cases, by sites such as www.limewire.com. The main benefits to this service are that music can be found much easier and it is more widely available and accessible. Also it is usually cheaper than buying CD’s and you don’t have to have every track, by downloading it also makes music more portable via MP3 players and iPods. There are however drawbacks to getting music online. The physical industry is collapsing as they are losing millions of pounds as people continue to download music illegally and for no cost. The upside of this however is that it is easier for an artist to get their music heard and helps them to make it in the music business.
The latest advancement in entertainment online is being able to connect other games consoles to the internet. This allows you to play with other people from all over the world and even with your friends but from your separate houses. This technology is growing as now you can even talk to people at the same time as playing with them by using Bluetooth headsets and wireless communication. The main consoles that you are able to use this service with are Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360. You have to connect your console to an internet connection and then find someone else who is online to play with. A benefit of the service is that you can play with anyone, which makes it a fairer game as when you just play with the programmed computer it knows what it is going to do, so playing with other people makes it much more exciting and enjoyable. A drawback of this service is that you may play with other people who cheat making the game not as fun for you. The non internet alternative to this is playing with someone else but on the same console, so it has to be someone that you know and is with you at the time. This service shows the development of online services and how they are still changing.
Entertainment on the internet includes a wide range of services as I have shown. The choices available online show the current scope of the internet, how it has developed and how it could develop even more. By looking at the main services offered in entertainment online it has helped me towards seeing the internet as a whole and how worthwhile it can be.

First Blog

Welcome to my life!

I am writing this for ICT, as we will be learning about blogging and the blogosphere.
This year I hope to learn loads in ICT and develop my skills.