I have chosen The O.C. Wikipedia page because I do know a lot about the show and a big fan of it.  I watched all four seasons religiously when it was first aired and have re watched it numerous times.  The Wikipedia page has plenty of sources and is completely allowed to be edited.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_O.C.

I have to agree with the “hippie notion” that was brought up in class.  Any sort of knowledge that for the most part, betters the person who is obtaining it, should be available to all anywhere.  The internet is the medium with which we can now obtain information about just about any topic that we can imagine.  If a person is skilled enough with computers, he/she could most likely even get to some information that is not intended for their eyes.  The internet is full of exponentially growing information, and unless there is some unexplained loss of all electricity, it will continue to grow.  With the growth of all of this technology and outlets to put such information, it leads to things like wiki’s for specific things such as television shows, book, movies, actors, or just general controversial topics.  Two huge and most likely still growing wiki’s I know of are the one for Harry Potter, which I have visited numerous times, and the one for Lost.  Both of these stories are so complex that they are more than suitable for a wiki that goes on to explain things that might not have been so thoroughly explained in the TV show or the book/movie.  Wiki’s are really just the product of the super fans who know virtually everything there is to know about a certain show/book/movie/musical artist.  Wikipedia on the other hand is looking more to inform and educate in some respects.  Most people do typically just use Wikipedia for general information because basically all school classes do not allow it to be used as a credible source because of how often is vandalized or just plain mistaken.  Wikipedia is becoming more and more efficient at having the correct information, and I would not be surprised if it eventually becomes available to be used as a credible source in research paper classes in the future.

The idea of a Convergence Culture is definitely a reality today.  I would not say it is exactly how early predictors pictured it, but it is happening and continuing to happen in cultures around the world.  We started out with basic electronic advances such as the television, computer, telephone, and music player (record player, walkman, stereo, etc.)  Although these things are not all gathered together and used at once on a big wall, there are plenty of electronic devices that have two, three, and even four of the functionalities of these objects.  The most obvious one that a huge majority of the population now has is the smart phone.  They may not have the memory storage a desktop computer has, they can still surf the web just like a desktop or laptop can.  They can hold music, they can stream movies and television shows from the internet, and of course they can also make phone calls.  That smart phone, in my opinion, is the epitome of the convergence culture.  There are a few more examples.  There are televisions that have internet capabilities.  Game systems can also connect to the internet and play music and high definition television shows and movies.  The early idea of convergence culture was that it would all be stationary.  Some things are stationary like multi-function television and desk top computers.  Smart phones and handheld game systems were what changed that with us wanting to be able to take our technology with us wherever we go.

Money making is what it is all about in the entertainment industry, and up until a little after the turn of the millennium, hits were the biggest way to do that.  The industry had finally figured out the formula to get everyone to buy what they wanted them to buy.  With the expansion of media outlets that were being created online though, the leaders of this industry could not focus on just the central outlets anymore, such as CD’s and merchandise sold in stores.  Now not only were products being sold online through outlets like ITunes and Amazon, but even more music and movies were being obtained and shared illegally through programs like Limewire and many other websites.  The very last hit record sold was N’SYNC’s No Strings Attached.  It is still today the world’s fasting selling album.  It sold 2.4 million copies in the first week and 1.1 million on the first day alone, which is another record.  It is the epitome of the top end of the long tail.  Record sales have been slowly sinking since the release of No Strings Attached.  Amazon, Spotify, and Netflix are so popular and so successful because they do not only sell the hits, but they also sell everything that is in the long tail.  All the less popular item sales typically make up 25% of total sales for companies like these.  This leaves places like Wal-Mart, who only sell the hits, 25% short.