I Search Topics- Money, Money, Money

The three topics decided upon differ greatly from one another. Each deals with a different section of America’s culture and interest. At this immediate point in American history, money is an ever occurring factor of any topic and indeed, it is the one linking similarity between the three potential topics. While interest in the economy would discuss interest in saving money and most likely delve into the mortgage crisis. This topic would center around the transfer of money within our economy and discuss why American citizens and companies seem to be losing money. However, the other two possible topics have more to do with making money. While some individuals want to save money by drilling for more oil, supporters of such endeavors as the Aptera car intend to make money by not using oil. The idea of making money and indeed industries on the back of green technology and the want to better the environment is an ever evolving business. While this may seem like the worst time to be launching companies with certainty in their future, it is happening and at an alarming pace, providing many continuous flows of interesting information. Another industry still thriving is that of the visual entertainment industry. However, this industry, loosing money to pirated copies of work, is currently racing to launch full fledged internet based media delivery methods. However, their success is threatened by that of smaller, strictly web-based productions that manage to draw millions of viewers through the likes of websites such as YoutTube. Web-TV is also a topic, changing every day and with hundreds of companies continually adding to the mix of information sources, in many ways a gold-mine of information.

The economy is of course, present not only on the minds of adults dealing with it currently. However, it is certainly also an issue on the mind of those who might be flung into the roller coaster ride of unpredictable stock markets and mortgages at the worst possible time. This topic would give opportunity to trace the roots of what is now being called a depression by some, back to where it all started. Was it Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae like some of our most respected politicians state? Or does it have more to do with misguided banking systems? A plethora of information is already available and very current simply on the relatively short history of this crisis. However, the stock market and indeed the entirety of America’s economy changed drastically every day. Thousands of news feeds are readily available, offering an overwhelming amount of information. Information that can very often contradict itself and others. Simple Google news searches turned up a flood of information and not all of it from very well known sources. Indeed, Masterfile produced an article from aljazeera.net. Written by a reporter from the middle east, it expressed an extremely interesting look at our economy. This topic would have the issue of too much information being present. Picking through it to find good reliable sources that list facts, not biased opinions, would be quite a challenge, albeit possibly provide an extremely intricate groundwork for an incredibly interesting paper.

Moving away from the economy and into the world of silicon valley and hopeful company start-ups, the very well known and certainly very advanced industry of visual media appears. This is an industry that has, like the economy, certainly had it’s own ups and downs. From the writer’s strike to material being pirated, this industry is certainly one that has struggled staying on it’s feet at times. As the internet has expanded over the years and larger percentages of the world population has gotten access to high-speed internet, the internet has become a potential gold-mine of ad revenue for media companies. Thus began a sort of silent, little known world of small internet start-ups attempting to finally bring TV to the internet. However, these start-ups were not left to fight this battle alone. Large media giants such as Apple or Netflix or even production studios themselves attempted to merge Internet and television. However, none had as much success as renewable, public entertainment sites like YouTube. However, while large prime-time productions or even Hollywood movies were struggling to make their mark upon the internet crowd, small, independent production studios, many having no intentions of making a profit, began to crop up and become extremely popular. Small groups like Smosh and Next New Networks draw a fan base of millions of viewers every week through YouTube alone. Internet media is a fascinating topic in and of itself. However, this would not be the intention nor direction of this topic. Indeed, the internet offers far more resources when it comes to analyzing just how and why these small production studios are keeping pace and in some cases, exceeding the popularity of many other made-for-television productions. While Google News and MasterFile returned results based more around large productions studio’s attempts to launch Web-based media distribution programs, there are hundreds of opportunities to, ironically, work away from the internet with a topic such as this. Interviews could easily be made directly with producers and directors of such production studios as Next New Networks. There is of course however, a vast amount of information available on the internet discussing what tactics these productions use to draw such large fan-bases.

There are indeed other industries thriving in America today such as the green technology industry. Consisting mostly of small, private enterprises, and not of large public companies governed by board members, this industry is one continually offering unique and new inventions and innovations. One section of the green technology industry that is particularly interesting is that of the electric and plug-in hybrid car business. Companies such as Tesla Motor and Aptera are gaining increasing media attention due to their release of such vehicles as the Tesla Roadster and Aptera Electric Car. A very competitive and ever evolving industry, the green car business is one that routinely falls under harsh criticism and skepticism. It is however, one that provides a very large amount of information through the internet. Of all the topics researched, this is the one that has had the most relevant results returned. Many articles were found pertaining to the Aptera car company along with companies such as Tesla Motors. Both of these companies and many others like them have cars in the works that are completely electric. Indeed, many of these companies have already easily out done large companies such as Ford and GM and they continue to advance everyday. This topic would, in some cases, direct contact with high ranking personnel due to the small scale of many of the companies. Many magazines such as WIRED and Popular Mechanics also cover these topics continuously and in great detail. A topic such as this would provide a wide array of possible sources from which to pull information.

All three of these potential topics provided an outstanding amount of interesting information. While they all differ greatly from one another, they are all interlinked with the continuous quest for money. In a time such as this, no company has a predicable economic future yet they continue to forge ahead. The stock market and the American economy as a whole is of course suffering greatly yet, it has suffered in the past and it has made it back to the top. This is a time in American history that should by no means be ignored. This is an incredible opportunity to research the US economy. It is possible that never again will one be able observe and analyze an economic crisis such as this while it is occurring it would be a waste to let it go by untouched. However, applies to both the green technology revolution and the Web Entertainment industry. Both of these industries are going through changes now that may never again be repeated. All of these topics have great potential for incredible break-through’s in the next several months.