Q. What are the uses/limits of the internet in terms of politics and/or democracy? Should we rethink the nature of the political? What happens to the nation/state in the age of networks that have the potential to span the whole planet? What has happened to the idea of "community" in the age of networked digital media? Discuss with an example.
Politics has been greatly influenced by the internet with the emergence of political forums, blogging sites and various other political based online communities. Access to these sites has extremely enhanced democracy in the political field as it offers people to have a say and voice their opinions in a domain where they can give and receive feedback. One concern that has occurred due to this is the fact that it may change the way society views democracy and politics in general. There is however the concern that people may be persuaded into different views due to the influence of others on such sites. Stockwell (2008) suggests that the threat of new media toward the grass-roots of democracy is growing. He also suggests that the growing global society may lead us to lose touch of the niche issues and focus purely on the universal. This could occur as people will be influenced by global issues and become less focused on issues within our nation that need attention.
With references to various political websites, networks and thorough research into in internet, this essay will discuss the following topics. The uses and limits of the internet, the effects on the nation or individual states in an era of global networks, the idea of a digital media community and whether society should rethink the nature of politics.
Online communication has been defined by Michiel Backus (2001) by a term called “E-Governance” which is the use of all online communication, apposed to phone calls, letters or face to face contact. E-Governance has emerged with the growth of online political sites which gives options to sign things such as e-petitions and comment in political message boards. There are many examples of E-Governance including YouTube videos from premiers and politicians. Every political speech made can be found on YouTube and this gives people all over the world the ability to hear political speeches in various countries. Anna Bligh has even taken online communication one step further and announced an election via YouTube in March 2009 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzjnJ5wRYJk). This form of communication has become popular for politicians as it gets messages out, quick and fast to their target groups. The way society views such videos has however led to the question of whether society needs to rethink the nature of the political. The political sector on the internet is growing and using the internet is becoming more common to provoke political actions.
Bikson and Pannis (1996) have stated that people whom use digital media communications are generally more informed on political, organisational and professional concerns than those who don’t. This obviously therefore enhances democracy in politics and the internet is educating people and encouraging them to raise political issues with their local, state and national governments. Digital media is largely responsible for many peoples interest in politics, as the information id far easier to obtain than it has been previously. This not only helps to build a much more well informed society in political issues but also promotes peoples ability to understand the importance of democracy. This is achieved as online users of digital media become involved in e-petitions and various other political activities that enforce democracy within our nation.
As mentioned earlier, the large amount of political networks available to people may begin to alter their political views and opinions. This could inturn change the way people vote. There are many sites which promote online voting, one example is http://www.e-voting.cc/ which encourages users of the site to post their opinions and comment on others. It also gives users the ability to see different views from others and helps them to understand their reasoning for their opinions. Arge (2002) said that “voting is a central ritual of democracy, as well as a process of information capture and aggregation, so it seems natural to use digital networks to facilitate the voting process”. People changing their political views are most likely due to communities that they join online. Online communities generally consist of people with similar interests. Thomas Bender (1982) said that “a community involves a limited number of people in a somewhat restricted social space or network held together by shared understandings and a sense of obligation. Relationships are close, often intimate. Individuals are bound together by affective or emotional ties rather than by a perception of individual self-interest. There is a “we-ness” in a community; one is a member”.
The idea of “community” has changed as there are many more networks available with few restrictions on the content within them. A great example of an online community is “Cool Vegan”. (http://www.coolvegan.com/comm.html).This site consists of a message board, links to other similar sites, recipes and encourages communication between other vegans around the world. The message board displays political views of individuals and this is a prime example of being persuaded into political views whilst participating in an online community. This site in particular pushes for environmental issues to be raised to our governments and aims to get others on board through by providing links of detailed information on their environmental concerns.
There are also many other ways people can communicate such as online chat rooms, Skype and MSN (http://windowslive.ninemsn.com.au/messenger.aspx). Political issues can be raised in all communicating technology and this is an example of how the internet has led to a better educated society regarding political issues. Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) and MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/) are two other social networks which enable companies, politicians and individuals to promote their ideas or products to people all over the world. Many nations also use these sites to promote tourism and relay messages to users of these sites.
In relation to these social networks, digital media has in fact changed the way communities are viewed. The Australian Communications and Media Authority states that “Developments in digital technology have had significant effects on the way individuals interact with communications and media services. An increasingly wide range of sources of information, ways of doing business, services (including government services) and entertainment are now commonly made available and accessed online and/or through digital media”. Online communities have a much different way of operating due to new media and they are growing continuously. In this sense the uses of the internet have risen substantially and it is no longer purely used for work, it is now widely used for networking, researching and communicating (ACMA, 2009).
With all this open communication demonstrating the way the internet can be used, there are however limitations on the internet that affect the nation. A prime example of limitations on the internet is a newly introduced concept of “clean feed”. Clean feed is a plan from the Australian Federal Government that will censor the internet to all Australians. The problem that arises with these limitations is that both illegal and legal material will be censored which not only hinders our rights to knowledge but also highly contradicts Australia’s freedom of speech policy. Filtering will be mandatory in all homes, even when no children are present. This means that as a society we will be limited on the information we can gain on numerous legitimate topics (A,Harrison, 2009). Global networks have the ability to span the whole planet and limitations on accessing information will change the nation as a whole. There are many issues with such limitations as the nation will be segregated from the rest of the western world. The United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art of through any other media of his choice" http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cpr.html#%2019.2.
If clean feed is brought into Australia, the nation will suffer immensely. Many online websites have enhanced democracy and made political issues much more accessible to a large number of people. A great example of an online political site aimed at educating youth on such issues is Free Child, http://www.freechild.org/politics.htm . This website gives in depth classifications of the different voting categories, lists many organisations that encourage youth voting and posts many issues online hoping to get youth interested in the world around them. If clean feed were approved, sites such as these would most likely be blocked and youth would be highly disadvantaged regarding access to political issues. This would take away our rights and utterly diminish democracy in this country. It has taken many political networks years of networking to reach the users they currently have. Government censorship will be devastating to online political groups and it could potentially lead to a generation of ignorant youths. There are also a vast amount of people whom join political networks to keep abreast of current affairs as they may live in much more restricted parts of the world, where information is not so easy to find. These sites are a life line to them and if censorship was granted in Australia many neighbouring countries could follow its lead, which would truly be total democratic disaster.
The internet has opened many doors to political debate and opinions. It has expanded interest among society and made political issues much easier to attain and understand. Communicating through digital media has become vital to the establishment of many private companies, government agencies, international trading and human interaction. The uses of the internet regarding politics have broadened with political networks. The nation has therefore changed dramatically due to democracy being strengthened with the added interest in politics among online users. The idea of a community has ultimately changed with the arrival of so many political networks available. The limitations of suggested internet censorship could however have large negative implications on digital media and the freedom we currently have to access any information we wish. Limited access to the internet will weaken democracy both online and more importantly in society in general. Online communication has improved democracy and society would suffer with such strict limitations on our ability to access community networks via digital media. The Internet has the potential to achieve greater imminence in society as online communication connects people of all types. The internet provides an area where we are free to discuss any issues we wish without limitations or restrictions. If limitations were put in place, the internet as a whole would be greatly affected and digital media would no longer be an affective way to promote political issues, or continue to comprise communication in any way. Digital media has become a very important part of society and the ramifications of losing such strong communication would be devastating to the ideals of democracy.
References
ACMA, 2009, Viewed 10 December 2009, http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311470
Annablighandlabor, 2009, A clear choice on 21 March, Online video, accessed 10 December,2009,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woChI2ft92M&feature=player_embedded
Arge, P E. 2002, ‘Real Time Politics: The Internet and the Political Process’, The Information Society. Vol 11. pp311-331.
Backus, M. 2001, ‘E-Governance in Developing Countries – Research Report’, The Hague: The International Institute for Communication and development (IICD)
Cool Vegan 2001, Viewed December 10 2009
http://www.coolvegan.com/comm.html
Facebook!, 2009, Facebook, viewed 09 December 2009,
http://www.facebook.com/
· E-voting.cc (last updated 2009), Austria, accessed via http://www.e-voting.cc/topics/News/
MySpace, 2009, MySpace, viewed 08 December 2009,
http://www.myspace.com/
Ninemsn, 1997, Viewed on 10 December 2009,
http://windowslive.ninemsn.com.au/messenger.aspx
No Clean Feed, 2009, Viewed 09 December 2009, http://nocleanfeed.com/
Stockwell, S 2008, ‘We’re All Hackers Now – Doing Global Democracy’, AUC-Griffith University, Create World.
The Free Child Project, 2008, Viewed 10 December 2009,
http://www.freechild.org/politics.htm
· Thomas Bender, Community and Social Change in America (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982 accesses via http://www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/IPPP/fall1999/internet_community.htmUnited Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Viewed 09 December 2009, http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cpr.html#%2019.2
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Overview Of Course
New Communications Technology Evaluation
Over the past 10 days this course has covered many concepts, ideas and demonstrations of new technologies and how they affect us. I found it a very useful two weeks that will help me to understand the internet a lot better. I feel more aware of the things available to us online and have a better understanding of things like virtual worlds, artwork online, and the endless amount of activities available online. This course has been a great introduction into media studies and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the latest technologies. As an intensive course I feel there was just the right amount of information to get a good grasp on each concept without an information overload. All in all I think New Communications Technology is a great subject for those heading into the media industry, or even for those in other fields who use technology in their field. The course has covered the most important areas of communication technologies and displayed the pros and cons of each one. I feel the material learnt in this subject will be very useful for any further studies in any field that involves any type of technology.
Over the past 10 days this course has covered many concepts, ideas and demonstrations of new technologies and how they affect us. I found it a very useful two weeks that will help me to understand the internet a lot better. I feel more aware of the things available to us online and have a better understanding of things like virtual worlds, artwork online, and the endless amount of activities available online. This course has been a great introduction into media studies and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the latest technologies. As an intensive course I feel there was just the right amount of information to get a good grasp on each concept without an information overload. All in all I think New Communications Technology is a great subject for those heading into the media industry, or even for those in other fields who use technology in their field. The course has covered the most important areas of communication technologies and displayed the pros and cons of each one. I feel the material learnt in this subject will be very useful for any further studies in any field that involves any type of technology.
Day 10 Blog
Media Tetrad
1. Old medium of communication: Television
Enhances:Not just sound technology like Radio, also introduced visual technology. Television was more descriptive (less imagination was needed)
Retrieves:Television is similar to radio (in retrieving information) as it is a form of entertainment e.g. – it entertains audiences with soap operas, dramas and news, similar to radio.
Reverses:When pushed to the extreme, television becomes reality television. Television then starts to become a mirror of society instead of a means of entertainment (when pushed to the extreme, shows on television could become “just like” reality e.g. - shows which showed surveillance camera footage).
Obsolesces:It does not make radio obsolete; however it makes other domains of radio obsolete (“video killed the radio star”).
2. New medium of communication: The Iphone
Enhances:It enhances the older phones by combining different technologies into one (e.g.-computer and phone). The phone is not just a means of communication; it is a form of entertainment.
Retrieves:It is still used for communication (such as calling and texting others) however, other content (being retrieved from technologies such as computers) has also been added, such as email, GPS, access to social networking sites and internet surfing.
Reverses:When pushed to the extreme, Iphones can become a form of control of everyday devices and technologies (e.g.-controlling home appliances from your Iphone or controlling military machines). It becomes a basic devise of control, like a remote.
Obsolesces:The Iphone can make the computer and older phones obsolete. It does this by allowing access of both technologies, in one devise- therefore cutting down time spent on these older technologies.
1. Old medium of communication: Television
Enhances:Not just sound technology like Radio, also introduced visual technology. Television was more descriptive (less imagination was needed)
Retrieves:Television is similar to radio (in retrieving information) as it is a form of entertainment e.g. – it entertains audiences with soap operas, dramas and news, similar to radio.
Reverses:When pushed to the extreme, television becomes reality television. Television then starts to become a mirror of society instead of a means of entertainment (when pushed to the extreme, shows on television could become “just like” reality e.g. - shows which showed surveillance camera footage).
Obsolesces:It does not make radio obsolete; however it makes other domains of radio obsolete (“video killed the radio star”).
2. New medium of communication: The Iphone
Enhances:It enhances the older phones by combining different technologies into one (e.g.-computer and phone). The phone is not just a means of communication; it is a form of entertainment.
Retrieves:It is still used for communication (such as calling and texting others) however, other content (being retrieved from technologies such as computers) has also been added, such as email, GPS, access to social networking sites and internet surfing.
Reverses:When pushed to the extreme, Iphones can become a form of control of everyday devices and technologies (e.g.-controlling home appliances from your Iphone or controlling military machines). It becomes a basic devise of control, like a remote.
Obsolesces:The Iphone can make the computer and older phones obsolete. It does this by allowing access of both technologies, in one devise- therefore cutting down time spent on these older technologies.
Day 10 Lecture Summary
Today we touched on Media Ecology
Media Ecology is the study of media environments. Such as media technology, we will also be looking at the environment.
Marshall Mcluhan is a man who has some very interesting suggestions on clothing being extensions of our nervous system.
The medium is the message.
*How media affects us, e.g. how we understand information, how we organise our daily lives and how we relate to each other.
Tetrad of media
Questions asked are-
1. What does a medium enhance or extend
2. What does it obsolesce
3. What does it retrieve from older media
4. What does it reverse or flip when pushed to its extreme
Neil Postman –brings up the idea that technology has a downside. He says technologies are just techniques used by people. These techniques are used for social and cultural purposes.
Media, Technology and Culture.
Mcluhans focus on media as channels and vectors of communication.
Some contemporary Media Ecologists
· Erin Mcluhan
· Lance Strate
· Robert Logan
How does the internet shape certain things such as artwork. We are internetworked individuals!... we don’t use internet that isolate one another.
Relating this lecture to previous lectures:
Session 1- what is the invisible environment
Session 2- appreciating how environment has come to be as it is
Session 3- a shift in history about some ideas about social media
Session 4-introducing creative commons (in order to shape relationship/environment between social media and the law)
Session 5- Philosophy-the nature of reality (the biggest invisible environment of ALL)
Session 6- Video games, an example of a particular medium
Session 7 and 8- Politics (is a big part of our environment- especially in new media technologies)Session 9- Artwork, idea of the internet as a medium but a medium of creativity- unique to the internet.
The three ecologies: environment, social and mental.
If our environments are invisible we need to constantly draw attention to them!
The experience of everyday life is not based on one medium, but MANY- multiplexity
Media Ecology is the study of media environments. Such as media technology, we will also be looking at the environment.
Marshall Mcluhan is a man who has some very interesting suggestions on clothing being extensions of our nervous system.
The medium is the message.
*How media affects us, e.g. how we understand information, how we organise our daily lives and how we relate to each other.
Tetrad of media
Questions asked are-
1. What does a medium enhance or extend
2. What does it obsolesce
3. What does it retrieve from older media
4. What does it reverse or flip when pushed to its extreme
Neil Postman –brings up the idea that technology has a downside. He says technologies are just techniques used by people. These techniques are used for social and cultural purposes.
Media, Technology and Culture.
Mcluhans focus on media as channels and vectors of communication.
Some contemporary Media Ecologists
· Erin Mcluhan
· Lance Strate
· Robert Logan
How does the internet shape certain things such as artwork. We are internetworked individuals!... we don’t use internet that isolate one another.
Relating this lecture to previous lectures:
Session 1- what is the invisible environment
Session 2- appreciating how environment has come to be as it is
Session 3- a shift in history about some ideas about social media
Session 4-introducing creative commons (in order to shape relationship/environment between social media and the law)
Session 5- Philosophy-the nature of reality (the biggest invisible environment of ALL)
Session 6- Video games, an example of a particular medium
Session 7 and 8- Politics (is a big part of our environment- especially in new media technologies)Session 9- Artwork, idea of the internet as a medium but a medium of creativity- unique to the internet.
The three ecologies: environment, social and mental.
If our environments are invisible we need to constantly draw attention to them!
The experience of everyday life is not based on one medium, but MANY- multiplexity
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Day 9-Lecture Summary
Day 9-Lecture Summary
Creative use of internet technologies
Google maps (disaster) connects to every country and displays world disasters.
Speed Test.net – is a site that displays information on any server around the world.
When we access a site, we are collecting data from all around the world.
Personas – characterizes a name
Create a generator- People can create
The idea of our software on a memory stick was brought up. This would be convenient as a computer would just become a shell, it would act the same way a dvd player works, you can enter the memory card and all your information will be there.
Eraser portable- hard drive keeps all information
Key logger – Keeps a record of every key stroke made on a computer
Freeware genius- a site that has free software
Creative use of internet technologies
Google maps (disaster) connects to every country and displays world disasters.
Speed Test.net – is a site that displays information on any server around the world.
When we access a site, we are collecting data from all around the world.
Personas – characterizes a name
Create a generator- People can create
The idea of our software on a memory stick was brought up. This would be convenient as a computer would just become a shell, it would act the same way a dvd player works, you can enter the memory card and all your information will be there.
Eraser portable- hard drive keeps all information
Key logger – Keeps a record of every key stroke made on a computer
Freeware genius- a site that has free software
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Day 8 Blog
1. This is How you will die
How does it make you feel?
This particular one was very sinister!..it is set up with a "deatch spin" which you click in order to find out your fate. When i clicked it it told me i would live to 97, and my ex lover would steal my mothers fur coat, not sure how its possible for my mother to be alive when im 97!...very strange little game!..in all made me feel confused and disturbed!
What does it makes you think about?
Life and weather we hit a "death spin" button everytime we make a decision, that chooses a different path for our life to take.
What are the other media forms that it uses, or is similar to?
He has expaned the definition of poerty, by presenting it in differnt ways, using technology, sound and visual media.
If we accept that Jason's worksre poetry - How do you "read" digital poetry like that?
This particular one can be read the same as standard poetry as there is a lot of text used to explain this piece.
2. Poem Cube
How does it make you feel?
Intrigued, i want to keep scrolling to see what is says.
What does it makes you think about?
random sentences that get put together to make some kind aof a story. It makes me think about writing something similar as i liek this style of writing.
What are the other media forms that it uses, or is similar to?
It uses visual aspects to display the content. It is similar to credits at the end of a film as the content scrolls down the screen.
If we accept that Jason's worksre poetry - How do you "read" digital poetry like that?
This one is also very similar to regular poetry as it can be read online just liek other forms of poetry.
3.Pandemic Rooms
How does it make you feel?
This one was my favourite, it made me feel uneasy, scared, on edge and interested!
What does it makes you think about?
Being captivated or kidnapped and being kept in a dark room, unable to get out, or catching a disese and not being able to have contact with others.
What are the other media forms that it uses, or is similar to?
This piece is all 3d and acts like a movie. The message in this one is shown throight the various rooms you can view based on emotions. For example if u press "Panic" it shows the camer angle of running through hall ways. Very similar to watching a movie.
If we accept that Jason's worksre poetry - How do you "read" digital poetry like that?
A lot of the messages are displayed visually, there is some writing to explain the scene however most of the content we gather through watching and interpreting what we see. I foudn this an excellent way to show poetry as it has a greater affect on ones emotions triggering fear throigh the visual content.
How does it make you feel?
This particular one was very sinister!..it is set up with a "deatch spin" which you click in order to find out your fate. When i clicked it it told me i would live to 97, and my ex lover would steal my mothers fur coat, not sure how its possible for my mother to be alive when im 97!...very strange little game!..in all made me feel confused and disturbed!
What does it makes you think about?
Life and weather we hit a "death spin" button everytime we make a decision, that chooses a different path for our life to take.
What are the other media forms that it uses, or is similar to?
He has expaned the definition of poerty, by presenting it in differnt ways, using technology, sound and visual media.
If we accept that Jason's worksre poetry - How do you "read" digital poetry like that?
This particular one can be read the same as standard poetry as there is a lot of text used to explain this piece.
2. Poem Cube
How does it make you feel?
Intrigued, i want to keep scrolling to see what is says.
What does it makes you think about?
random sentences that get put together to make some kind aof a story. It makes me think about writing something similar as i liek this style of writing.
What are the other media forms that it uses, or is similar to?
It uses visual aspects to display the content. It is similar to credits at the end of a film as the content scrolls down the screen.
If we accept that Jason's worksre poetry - How do you "read" digital poetry like that?
This one is also very similar to regular poetry as it can be read online just liek other forms of poetry.
3.Pandemic Rooms
How does it make you feel?
This one was my favourite, it made me feel uneasy, scared, on edge and interested!
What does it makes you think about?
Being captivated or kidnapped and being kept in a dark room, unable to get out, or catching a disese and not being able to have contact with others.
What are the other media forms that it uses, or is similar to?
This piece is all 3d and acts like a movie. The message in this one is shown throight the various rooms you can view based on emotions. For example if u press "Panic" it shows the camer angle of running through hall ways. Very similar to watching a movie.
If we accept that Jason's worksre poetry - How do you "read" digital poetry like that?
A lot of the messages are displayed visually, there is some writing to explain the scene however most of the content we gather through watching and interpreting what we see. I foudn this an excellent way to show poetry as it has a greater affect on ones emotions triggering fear throigh the visual content.
lecture 8-Summary
Lecture 8 summary
Internet censorship and file sharing
Censorship and internet filtering are closely related
Internet filtering- this allows for government to filter websites, it has been proposed that the net can choose what we can and cannot look at.
File sharing
The content industry – acts as a publisher on behalf of creators
Controversy arises on music download.
Intellectual property is the oil of the 21st century
The network (the internet) was built with nobody in charge, everyone is partly in charge of their own work
One big controversy includes music and movie download piracy- e.g. - stopping Napster
Consequences on piracy needs to be tougher
Internet censorship and file sharing
Censorship and internet filtering are closely related
Internet filtering- this allows for government to filter websites, it has been proposed that the net can choose what we can and cannot look at.
File sharing
The content industry – acts as a publisher on behalf of creators
Controversy arises on music download.
Intellectual property is the oil of the 21st century
The network (the internet) was built with nobody in charge, everyone is partly in charge of their own work
One big controversy includes music and movie download piracy- e.g. - stopping Napster
Consequences on piracy needs to be tougher
Monday, November 30, 2009
Day 7 blog
What opportunities can you find for political participation via the internet:How many of the following can you achieve while sticking to your political beliefs?
Sign an e-petition.
I signed an Epetition on rehabilitation for sex offenders, here is the link:https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/Confirmation.aspx?PetNum=1345&lIndex=-1
Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.
I posted a blog regarding Obamas way of dealing with 911, Picking up where Bush left off.
http://www.911blogger.com/
I also commented on the following blog:
Woman Develops Cancer from Second-hand Asbestos Exposure
on http://www.bloggernews.net/
What is Barak Obama up to today?
Changes to Afghanistan strategy in store
— By Michelle Austein Brooks, 30 November 2009
President Obama plans to speak to Americans via a prime-time address December 1 about new plans for the war in Afghanistan, which has now lasted about eight years.
His top political advisors and military commanders are aware of the upcoming changes, as President Obama met with them Sunday evening in the oval office. This comes after months of reviews of current Afghanistan policies and meetings with top officials.
The new strategy will likely include an increase in troops and plans to further strengthen the Afghan and Pakistani governments’ involvement. Before announcing it to the American people, the president plans to talk to leaders of some of its greatest allies, including Great Britain and France.
i found this on :http://blogs.america.gov/obama/
Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are.
Federal representative is Margaret May
State representative is Raymond Stevens
Local representative is Ron Clark
Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.
Christine Smith is the member for Burleigh and she last spoke in parliament on the 22nd April 2009. On this day she said "I Am pleading with the Minister for Health—to review the funding of Mirikai residential beds and I need members to assist me in supporting this"
http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/doc/Christine%20Smith%20spk%20Burleigh%202009_04_22_88.pdf#xml=http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/hilite/
Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.
This lecture and the content we covered has given me a deeper understanding of how political the internet is!. I have a much better understanding of censorship and how things are controlled on the internet. The idea of the government controlling what we look at is a riciculous propossal that we need to fight. This will become a very political issue on the internet and much debate will arrise. In saying this, in other sreas politics is nesseasry on the internet, to control spam and other annoyances. In terms of political issues being advertised or campigned online I think the internet is a good way for political issues to get out there and be heard.The internet is a great place to research political issues and an even better place to get involved in them. The internet should be monitored for our safety, however we should always have the freedom to look at what we like with no restrictions!.
+ adam asks: What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")??? What place does censorship have in a democracy?
Censorship on computers linked to a school system, public library or any other places where children have access to computers is understandable and should still be in place, however to censor the content that adults can view in the privacy of their own homes is out of order!. That is not a democratic policy at all. The idea of the "Cleen Feed" which has been discussed in parliament that blocks certain sites is in complete contradiction with our democratic rights. We should continue to have the right to view any information we wish, as any sources we look at all add to our knowledge which in the long run makes us make certain decisions or stances on political issues. With censorchip on what we can and cant look at, we are not making decisions based on our own background knowledge but instead we would be persuded into certain ways of thinking based on the material we can view. Censorship this strong would go against the ideals of a democratic society and would defeat the purpose of being apart of one.
Sign an e-petition.
I signed an Epetition on rehabilitation for sex offenders, here is the link:https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/Confirmation.aspx?PetNum=1345&lIndex=-1
Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.
I posted a blog regarding Obamas way of dealing with 911, Picking up where Bush left off.
http://www.911blogger.com/
I also commented on the following blog:
Woman Develops Cancer from Second-hand Asbestos Exposure
on http://www.bloggernews.net/
What is Barak Obama up to today?
Changes to Afghanistan strategy in store
— By Michelle Austein Brooks, 30 November 2009
President Obama plans to speak to Americans via a prime-time address December 1 about new plans for the war in Afghanistan, which has now lasted about eight years.
His top political advisors and military commanders are aware of the upcoming changes, as President Obama met with them Sunday evening in the oval office. This comes after months of reviews of current Afghanistan policies and meetings with top officials.
The new strategy will likely include an increase in troops and plans to further strengthen the Afghan and Pakistani governments’ involvement. Before announcing it to the American people, the president plans to talk to leaders of some of its greatest allies, including Great Britain and France.
i found this on :http://blogs.america.gov/obama/
Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are.
Federal representative is Margaret May
State representative is Raymond Stevens
Local representative is Ron Clark
Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.
Christine Smith is the member for Burleigh and she last spoke in parliament on the 22nd April 2009. On this day she said "I Am pleading with the Minister for Health—to review the funding of Mirikai residential beds and I need members to assist me in supporting this"
http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/doc/Christine%20Smith%20spk%20Burleigh%202009_04_22_88.pdf#xml=http://parlinfo.parliament.qld.gov.au/isysquery/a549808b-14a2-4711-a039-e90c1bd7f590/1/hilite/
Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.
This lecture and the content we covered has given me a deeper understanding of how political the internet is!. I have a much better understanding of censorship and how things are controlled on the internet. The idea of the government controlling what we look at is a riciculous propossal that we need to fight. This will become a very political issue on the internet and much debate will arrise. In saying this, in other sreas politics is nesseasry on the internet, to control spam and other annoyances. In terms of political issues being advertised or campigned online I think the internet is a good way for political issues to get out there and be heard.The internet is a great place to research political issues and an even better place to get involved in them. The internet should be monitored for our safety, however we should always have the freedom to look at what we like with no restrictions!.
+ adam asks: What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")??? What place does censorship have in a democracy?
Censorship on computers linked to a school system, public library or any other places where children have access to computers is understandable and should still be in place, however to censor the content that adults can view in the privacy of their own homes is out of order!. That is not a democratic policy at all. The idea of the "Cleen Feed" which has been discussed in parliament that blocks certain sites is in complete contradiction with our democratic rights. We should continue to have the right to view any information we wish, as any sources we look at all add to our knowledge which in the long run makes us make certain decisions or stances on political issues. With censorchip on what we can and cant look at, we are not making decisions based on our own background knowledge but instead we would be persuded into certain ways of thinking based on the material we can view. Censorship this strong would go against the ideals of a democratic society and would defeat the purpose of being apart of one.
Day 7-Summary
Lecture 7
Political Possibilities
Political battles are going on to do with the digital divide.
Cyber politics is concerned with democratic consequences if people cant access the machinery to be involved in accessing the internet.
Traditional politics-good example is Obamas campaign.
Politics also comes into the area of the internet when satire is published online.
The difference between scientific opinion pol and a voluntary pol.
Gaps in the mass media
Increasing concentration, centralisation and commercialisation of the mass media appear to have foreclosed avenues for democratic participation in currently existing representative democracy.
· The internet is providing a lot more opportunities to send our opinion out, this is a shift in the way politics is changing. There will be a lot more alliances forming into wider groups about opinions, this will create a new form of politics.
· The question of what skills a person should have, has been a political issue on the net.
· Active citizens are going to need to know how to find information on the net in order to create political opinion.
Citizen Hacker-Doing Global democracy
Using the skills for citizens of the future.
· The internet can be used to engage in local politics. The computer plays a large role in political issues.
If people are keen to adapt to technologies positive politics can be made on new technologies in general.
CyberPunk
Themes
1. Technology and mythologyIncluding Greek societies
2. Utopia and Dystopia
Some of the most powerful myths for and against technology have been intertwined with utopian wiring.
3. Cities as MachinesThe city is a machine for living
4. Technological change
The shift between the first media age and the next.
5. Modernism to PostmodernismSet of ideas about each of them
New communications are great however it’s become very materialistic and there are key spots that are monitored by switches.
This is a large part of the political side of things on the internet.
Political Possibilities
Political battles are going on to do with the digital divide.
Cyber politics is concerned with democratic consequences if people cant access the machinery to be involved in accessing the internet.
Traditional politics-good example is Obamas campaign.
Politics also comes into the area of the internet when satire is published online.
The difference between scientific opinion pol and a voluntary pol.
Gaps in the mass media
Increasing concentration, centralisation and commercialisation of the mass media appear to have foreclosed avenues for democratic participation in currently existing representative democracy.
· The internet is providing a lot more opportunities to send our opinion out, this is a shift in the way politics is changing. There will be a lot more alliances forming into wider groups about opinions, this will create a new form of politics.
· The question of what skills a person should have, has been a political issue on the net.
· Active citizens are going to need to know how to find information on the net in order to create political opinion.
Citizen Hacker-Doing Global democracy
Using the skills for citizens of the future.
· The internet can be used to engage in local politics. The computer plays a large role in political issues.
If people are keen to adapt to technologies positive politics can be made on new technologies in general.
CyberPunk
Themes
1. Technology and mythologyIncluding Greek societies
2. Utopia and Dystopia
Some of the most powerful myths for and against technology have been intertwined with utopian wiring.
3. Cities as MachinesThe city is a machine for living
4. Technological change
The shift between the first media age and the next.
5. Modernism to PostmodernismSet of ideas about each of them
New communications are great however it’s become very materialistic and there are key spots that are monitored by switches.
This is a large part of the political side of things on the internet.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Day 6 Blog
Write out the question that you would like to answer for your essay. Find at LEAST 5 books or journal articles that you are useful to answering your question.
The idea of the internet as cyberspace has been a part of our contemporary culture for some time, particularly in the popular medium of film. But is the concept of cyberspace still relevant to our contemporary society? Discuss with reference to your own experience of contemporary media.
1.The emerging geographies of virtual worlds
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/216004?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dvirtual%2Bworlds%26wc%3Don&item=1&ttl=14317&returnArticleService=showArticle
This key information in this source is of virtual reality creating new virtual worlds. The four main themes covered are the arts and literature, military, the preservation of aspects of reality and finance or business. The ideas presented are very similar to other aticles iv read and it contributes to my argument as it gives great background information on virtual worlds and how they work on the internet.
2.The Laws of the Virtual Worlds
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/3481444?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dvirtual%2Bworlds%26wc%3Don&item=4&ttl=14317&returnArticleService=showArticle
The key information in this article is the in depth description of virtual worlds and also gives a brief history of how virtual worlds came about. This article contributes to my argument because it examines the two legal questions raised by virtual world societies. I think this article will help em to build my argument on the dangers of virtual worlds.It also talks about the interaction between real life and virtual worlds.
3. Emotional experiences in Virtual Environments
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/1576338?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dvirtual%2Bworlds%26wc%3Don&item=7&ttl=14317&returnArticleService=showArticle
The key information in this article is the concept of virtual worlds being used for military training and the emotional impact these worlds can have on its uses. The ideas in this article are unlike any others iv found and also puts forward the idea of virtual worlds being the new creative form of expression. The article also brought the concept of artists using these worlds to share a life they could have only experienced within their own minds.
4.Cyberspace and Virtual Places
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/216003?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=life&term=second&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dsecond%2Blife%2Bvirtual%2Bworlds%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3Dsecond%2Blife%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=12&ttl=10069&returnArticleService=showArticle
This article includes information on networking in cyberspace, creating a work environment and ging for coffee with a friend at a virtual cafe. The article, like many others displays a great insight into what goes on in virtual worlds and the endless possibilities of gettin involved in virtual activities. It will help with my argument as it provides great information on the things people do in virtual worlds, helping me to be abale to make researched statements on how involved people become in them.
5. Second Life: an overview of the potential of 3-D virtual worlds in medical and health education.
This article outlines the dangers of virtual worlds regarding childrens education. I will use the follwoing information to back up my argument on the dangers of virtual worlds.
"This hybrid review-case study introduces three-dimensional (3-D) virtual worlds and their educational potential to medical/health librarians and educators. Second life (http://secondlife.com/) is perhaps the most popular virtual world platform in use today, with an emphasis on social interaction. We describe some medical and health education examples from Second Life, including Second Life Medical and Consumer Health Libraries (Healthinfo Island—funded by a grant from the US National Library of Medicine), and VNEC (Virtual Neurological Education Centre—developed at the University of Plymouth, UK), which we present as two detailed 'case studies'. The pedagogical potentials of Second Life are then discussed, as well as some issues and challenges related to the use of virtual worlds. We have also compiled an up-to-date resource page (http://healthcybermap.org/sl.htm), with additional online material and pointers to support and extend this study. "
The material above is a good foundation to build an argument on.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118001785/HTMLSTART
6. Life in virtual worlds
The key information in this article is that Virtual environments present researchers with a range of methodological considerations, both new and old. With the advent of embodied online worlds, experiences with distributed presence, anonymity and multiple modes of engagement increasingly become the norm.
Avatars and their textual counterparts lead us to critically encounter how research can be most meaningfully handled given a terrain in which users are actually embodying themselves digitally, and often in multivalent ways. This article discusses some of the theoretical issues at stake in this form of research, as well as providing several grounded practices to help methodologically negotiate virtual worlds. This information will help in my research on virtual worlds.
http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:rxEcxnrVUUIJ:scholar.google.com/+virtual+worlds+pros+and+cons&hl=en&as_sdt=2000
The idea of the internet as cyberspace has been a part of our contemporary culture for some time, particularly in the popular medium of film. But is the concept of cyberspace still relevant to our contemporary society? Discuss with reference to your own experience of contemporary media.
1.The emerging geographies of virtual worlds
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/216004?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dvirtual%2Bworlds%26wc%3Don&item=1&ttl=14317&returnArticleService=showArticle
This key information in this source is of virtual reality creating new virtual worlds. The four main themes covered are the arts and literature, military, the preservation of aspects of reality and finance or business. The ideas presented are very similar to other aticles iv read and it contributes to my argument as it gives great background information on virtual worlds and how they work on the internet.
2.The Laws of the Virtual Worlds
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/3481444?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dvirtual%2Bworlds%26wc%3Don&item=4&ttl=14317&returnArticleService=showArticle
The key information in this article is the in depth description of virtual worlds and also gives a brief history of how virtual worlds came about. This article contributes to my argument because it examines the two legal questions raised by virtual world societies. I think this article will help em to build my argument on the dangers of virtual worlds.It also talks about the interaction between real life and virtual worlds.
3. Emotional experiences in Virtual Environments
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/1576338?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dvirtual%2Bworlds%26wc%3Don&item=7&ttl=14317&returnArticleService=showArticle
The key information in this article is the concept of virtual worlds being used for military training and the emotional impact these worlds can have on its uses. The ideas in this article are unlike any others iv found and also puts forward the idea of virtual worlds being the new creative form of expression. The article also brought the concept of artists using these worlds to share a life they could have only experienced within their own minds.
4.Cyberspace and Virtual Places
http://www.jstor.org.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/stable/216003?&Search=yes&term=virtual&term=life&term=second&term=worlds&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dsecond%2Blife%2Bvirtual%2Bworlds%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3Dsecond%2Blife%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=12&ttl=10069&returnArticleService=showArticle
This article includes information on networking in cyberspace, creating a work environment and ging for coffee with a friend at a virtual cafe. The article, like many others displays a great insight into what goes on in virtual worlds and the endless possibilities of gettin involved in virtual activities. It will help with my argument as it provides great information on the things people do in virtual worlds, helping me to be abale to make researched statements on how involved people become in them.
5. Second Life: an overview of the potential of 3-D virtual worlds in medical and health education.
This article outlines the dangers of virtual worlds regarding childrens education. I will use the follwoing information to back up my argument on the dangers of virtual worlds.
"This hybrid review-case study introduces three-dimensional (3-D) virtual worlds and their educational potential to medical/health librarians and educators. Second life (http://secondlife.com/) is perhaps the most popular virtual world platform in use today, with an emphasis on social interaction. We describe some medical and health education examples from Second Life, including Second Life Medical and Consumer Health Libraries (Healthinfo Island—funded by a grant from the US National Library of Medicine), and VNEC (Virtual Neurological Education Centre—developed at the University of Plymouth, UK), which we present as two detailed 'case studies'. The pedagogical potentials of Second Life are then discussed, as well as some issues and challenges related to the use of virtual worlds. We have also compiled an up-to-date resource page (http://healthcybermap.org/sl.htm), with additional online material and pointers to support and extend this study. "
The material above is a good foundation to build an argument on.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118001785/HTMLSTART
6. Life in virtual worlds
The key information in this article is that Virtual environments present researchers with a range of methodological considerations, both new and old. With the advent of embodied online worlds, experiences with distributed presence, anonymity and multiple modes of engagement increasingly become the norm.
Avatars and their textual counterparts lead us to critically encounter how research can be most meaningfully handled given a terrain in which users are actually embodying themselves digitally, and often in multivalent ways. This article discusses some of the theoretical issues at stake in this form of research, as well as providing several grounded practices to help methodologically negotiate virtual worlds. This information will help in my research on virtual worlds.
http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:rxEcxnrVUUIJ:scholar.google.com/+virtual+worlds+pros+and+cons&hl=en&as_sdt=2000
Day 6 - Lecture Summary
Day 6 – Lecture Summary
Video Games Studies
Today we looked at the way video games play a part in our world of technology and the different types of games that exist.
Two types we looked at are:
Narratology -Studies the narrative of stories. Ludology - Study of games, this theory asks what is it about games that makes us want to play them?..is it the fun factor?
Video Games Studies includes the following types of games:
Arcade Games
Consoles
Mobile handheld consoles
Computer Games
MUDs
MMOGs
Interactive fiction are video games based on text, they are stories we can interact with.
A new field emerging is platform studies, where we can trace the history of video games according to their hardware platform, from arcade machines to consoles and home computers.
Video games can be seen as a media of communication or expression.
Questions of design was brought up, including artificial intelligence.
Some other questions asked were, “how are games virtual worlds?”, and “What is real and what is virtual?”.
Video games have been looked at recently in terms of how they can educate us and what they can do to benefit our lives academically.
Video Games Studies
Today we looked at the way video games play a part in our world of technology and the different types of games that exist.
Two types we looked at are:
Narratology -Studies the narrative of stories. Ludology - Study of games, this theory asks what is it about games that makes us want to play them?..is it the fun factor?
Video Games Studies includes the following types of games:
Arcade Games
Consoles
Mobile handheld consoles
Computer Games
MUDs
MMOGs
Interactive fiction are video games based on text, they are stories we can interact with.
A new field emerging is platform studies, where we can trace the history of video games according to their hardware platform, from arcade machines to consoles and home computers.
Video games can be seen as a media of communication or expression.
Questions of design was brought up, including artificial intelligence.
Some other questions asked were, “how are games virtual worlds?”, and “What is real and what is virtual?”.
Video games have been looked at recently in terms of how they can educate us and what they can do to benefit our lives academically.
Day 3
How do search engines rank the stuff they find on the internet?
Search engines operate algorithmically or are a mixture of algorithmic and human input. There are differences in the ways various search engines work, but they all perform three basic tasks:
1.They search the Internet -- or select pieces of the Internet -- based on important words.
2.They keep an index of the words they find, and where they find them.
3.They allow users to look for words or combinations of words found in that index.
Crawler-based search engines, such as Google, create their listings automatically. They "crawl" or "spider" the web, then people search through what they have found. If you change your web pages, crawler-based search engines eventually find these changes, and that can affect how you are listed. Page titles, body copy and other elements all play a role.
Human-Powered DirectoriesA human-powered directory, such as the Open Directory, depends on humans for its listings. You submit a short description to the directory for your entire site, or editors write one for sites they review. A search looks for matches only in the descriptions submitted.
http://searchenginewatch.com/2168031
2. Who, or what, makes one page (that you might get in your search results) more useful than another one, so that it is put at the top of your search results?
One of the main rules in a ranking algorithm involves the location and frequency of keywords on a web page. Sometimes it is called the location/frequency method, for short.
If the word "Snow" is entered into a search engine, pages with the search terms appearing in the HTML title tag are often assumed to be more relevant than others to the topic.
Search engines will also check to see if the search keywords appear near the top of a web page, such as in the headline or in the first few paragraphs of text. They assume that any page relevant to the topic will mention those words right from the beginning.Frequency is the other major factor in how search engines determine relevancy. A search engine will analyze how often keywords appear in relation to other words in a web page. Those with a higher frequency are often deemed more relevant than other web pages.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/search-engine.htm/printable
what are some of your favourite search engines? why do you like one more than others?
I like to use google, i have used it for many years to search for all kinds of information. I know of other search engines but tend to just always use google out of habit and because i find it very easy to use. Google brings up a lot of good sites and I have never felt the need to look elsewhere for information. I have used alta vista during this course but find that google is just as good, and has a lot more information and many websites that bring up key words i have searched for. I have never had much trouble with finding information on google so i use it for all my internet research.
Search engines operate algorithmically or are a mixture of algorithmic and human input. There are differences in the ways various search engines work, but they all perform three basic tasks:
1.They search the Internet -- or select pieces of the Internet -- based on important words.
2.They keep an index of the words they find, and where they find them.
3.They allow users to look for words or combinations of words found in that index.
Crawler-based search engines, such as Google, create their listings automatically. They "crawl" or "spider" the web, then people search through what they have found. If you change your web pages, crawler-based search engines eventually find these changes, and that can affect how you are listed. Page titles, body copy and other elements all play a role.
Human-Powered DirectoriesA human-powered directory, such as the Open Directory, depends on humans for its listings. You submit a short description to the directory for your entire site, or editors write one for sites they review. A search looks for matches only in the descriptions submitted.
http://searchenginewatch.com/2168031
2. Who, or what, makes one page (that you might get in your search results) more useful than another one, so that it is put at the top of your search results?
One of the main rules in a ranking algorithm involves the location and frequency of keywords on a web page. Sometimes it is called the location/frequency method, for short.
If the word "Snow" is entered into a search engine, pages with the search terms appearing in the HTML title tag are often assumed to be more relevant than others to the topic.
Search engines will also check to see if the search keywords appear near the top of a web page, such as in the headline or in the first few paragraphs of text. They assume that any page relevant to the topic will mention those words right from the beginning.Frequency is the other major factor in how search engines determine relevancy. A search engine will analyze how often keywords appear in relation to other words in a web page. Those with a higher frequency are often deemed more relevant than other web pages.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/search-engine.htm/printable
what are some of your favourite search engines? why do you like one more than others?
I like to use google, i have used it for many years to search for all kinds of information. I know of other search engines but tend to just always use google out of habit and because i find it very easy to use. Google brings up a lot of good sites and I have never felt the need to look elsewhere for information. I have used alta vista during this course but find that google is just as good, and has a lot more information and many websites that bring up key words i have searched for. I have never had much trouble with finding information on google so i use it for all my internet research.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Day 5 Blog
Instant Messaging Vs Virtual Worlds
What is the difference between what happens on these two sites?
Instant messaging is a lot different to the 3D aspect of virtual worlds in many ways. In instant messaging there is an option to display a photo on the chat window, where people usually display an image of themselves. Instant messaging also requires an email to sign in which is available to all contacts added to the messaging friends list. For both of these reasons instant messaging is a far more realistic way of chatting. There are generally no false screen names, no 3D created physical bodies to represent the speaker and no created profile like virtual worlds have. The major difference between the two is that in virtual worlds you can create a make believe "second life" , where you can choose your appearance, choose a screen name, buy property and create a life online while chatting to others. Instant messaging is a much more simplified way of communicating, with no profiles or created characters, just a contact list and the opportunity to post a single photo. Instant messaging is a simple way of communicating with friends we add whereas virtual worlds are a lot more likey to be a meeting place to meet others on the site and to engage in a much more indepth way of socialising.
Virtual worlds could lead to a very different way of socialising in the future. It could lead to an obsession in society with wanting to be somebody else and having the ability to do this in virtual worlds will make this obsession very easy to fall into. Virtual worlds have taken communicating with others to a whole new level, that could cause problems for thoes whom begin to spend more time in their virtual world, then living their actual life. The thrill of chatting to others as a person they have created as apposed to chatting as oneself on instant messaging could become a problem for many users. If thoes signing up to virtual worlds are there as a means to communicate and they dont get carried away with the created character they could be a fun way of chatting online, but there is a very fine line to letting the virtual world take priority over their real world.
What is the difference between what happens on these two sites?
Instant messaging is a lot different to the 3D aspect of virtual worlds in many ways. In instant messaging there is an option to display a photo on the chat window, where people usually display an image of themselves. Instant messaging also requires an email to sign in which is available to all contacts added to the messaging friends list. For both of these reasons instant messaging is a far more realistic way of chatting. There are generally no false screen names, no 3D created physical bodies to represent the speaker and no created profile like virtual worlds have. The major difference between the two is that in virtual worlds you can create a make believe "second life" , where you can choose your appearance, choose a screen name, buy property and create a life online while chatting to others. Instant messaging is a much more simplified way of communicating, with no profiles or created characters, just a contact list and the opportunity to post a single photo. Instant messaging is a simple way of communicating with friends we add whereas virtual worlds are a lot more likey to be a meeting place to meet others on the site and to engage in a much more indepth way of socialising.
Virtual worlds could lead to a very different way of socialising in the future. It could lead to an obsession in society with wanting to be somebody else and having the ability to do this in virtual worlds will make this obsession very easy to fall into. Virtual worlds have taken communicating with others to a whole new level, that could cause problems for thoes whom begin to spend more time in their virtual world, then living their actual life. The thrill of chatting to others as a person they have created as apposed to chatting as oneself on instant messaging could become a problem for many users. If thoes signing up to virtual worlds are there as a means to communicate and they dont get carried away with the created character they could be a fun way of chatting online, but there is a very fine line to letting the virtual world take priority over their real world.
Day 5-Summary
Lecture- Day 5 Summary
Today we are looking at virtual philosophy
We looked at virtual reality. The matrix is a good example of this, a quote that was particularly interesting is “What is real, how do you define real?” by Morpheus in the Matrix.
Critique of virtual rationality
Plato’s main idea is that there are a bunch of people (prisoners) which are everyday people. His idea is that behind all the people are the essences of life. We can’t see them; they are the fire of life. When the fire cast shadows against a wall, that shadow is reality.
We looked into the idea that we are not getting the full side of reality.
Guy Debord said we are a society of spectacle, as people don’t like to live in reality, we are always looking for something else. We have come to expect our life to be mediated.
Umberto Eco believed in Hyer-Reality, he said thanks to all our extensions we can feel reality like we haven’t before.
Jean Baudrillard said that everything we do and feel is not really reality, it’s similar to reality.
William Gibson said cyberspace is important to us because it’s a way of information spaces.
Gilles deleuze and Felix Guttari summed up all this with the idea of “Becoming media”.Their thoughts can be explained in terms of the actual, the virtual and the real.
The idea of the internet being a virtual space has been argued as its part of an everyday life.
We watched a 4 Corners episode on Virtual worlds. Second life is the one the show focused on, its a place online where you can buy property, buy clothes and engage in a sex life!. On this site you can choose your appearance and talk to others.
To summarise the idea of virtual worlds is a very very interesting but disturbing part of new communication technologies!
Today we are looking at virtual philosophy
We looked at virtual reality. The matrix is a good example of this, a quote that was particularly interesting is “What is real, how do you define real?” by Morpheus in the Matrix.
Critique of virtual rationality
Plato’s main idea is that there are a bunch of people (prisoners) which are everyday people. His idea is that behind all the people are the essences of life. We can’t see them; they are the fire of life. When the fire cast shadows against a wall, that shadow is reality.
We looked into the idea that we are not getting the full side of reality.
Guy Debord said we are a society of spectacle, as people don’t like to live in reality, we are always looking for something else. We have come to expect our life to be mediated.
Umberto Eco believed in Hyer-Reality, he said thanks to all our extensions we can feel reality like we haven’t before.
Jean Baudrillard said that everything we do and feel is not really reality, it’s similar to reality.
William Gibson said cyberspace is important to us because it’s a way of information spaces.
Gilles deleuze and Felix Guttari summed up all this with the idea of “Becoming media”.Their thoughts can be explained in terms of the actual, the virtual and the real.
The idea of the internet being a virtual space has been argued as its part of an everyday life.
We watched a 4 Corners episode on Virtual worlds. Second life is the one the show focused on, its a place online where you can buy property, buy clothes and engage in a sex life!. On this site you can choose your appearance and talk to others.
To summarise the idea of virtual worlds is a very very interesting but disturbing part of new communication technologies!
Day 4-Summary
Lecture Summary – Day 4
Today we covered community, collaboration and choice. We covered the themes of free culture and free society.
Copyright – what is it?
It is the legal protection of our work. It was brought in to help people keep their work unique to themselves and make sure others cannot steal it and publish it as their own.
The big idea came up that culture is not a crime!..He didn’t like that copyrights stops us from sharing things.
Creative commons
Wants to create legal copyright, relaxed copyright-changing things from “all rights reserved” to “some rights reserved”
Where did the philosophy of creative commons come from?
Part 2
Free/Libre, Open Source Software (FLOSS)
How software worksSource code, which is the instructions written in programming languages.
Sharing open source code can be understood in terms of something similar to sharing recipes with your friends!
The man who started the free software foundation in 1981 was Richard M Stallman.
Freedom 0, 1, 2 and 3.
To enforce the four freedoms of free software Richard Stallman created the GNU Public Licence.
Open Source-What about it?
Attempt to push free software.
Proprietary VS Open Source
Proprietary software includes Vista, Internet explorer. Open Source is programs like Firefox.
Today’s lecture introduced GNU, which is an operating system that we can use instead of windows.
To summarise-
Community-people who want to share and do better things
Collaboration-working together
Choice-choosing between proprietary software and open source
Today we covered community, collaboration and choice. We covered the themes of free culture and free society.
Copyright – what is it?
It is the legal protection of our work. It was brought in to help people keep their work unique to themselves and make sure others cannot steal it and publish it as their own.
The big idea came up that culture is not a crime!..He didn’t like that copyrights stops us from sharing things.
Creative commons
Wants to create legal copyright, relaxed copyright-changing things from “all rights reserved” to “some rights reserved”
Where did the philosophy of creative commons come from?
Part 2
Free/Libre, Open Source Software (FLOSS)
How software worksSource code, which is the instructions written in programming languages.
Sharing open source code can be understood in terms of something similar to sharing recipes with your friends!
The man who started the free software foundation in 1981 was Richard M Stallman.
Freedom 0, 1, 2 and 3.
To enforce the four freedoms of free software Richard Stallman created the GNU Public Licence.
Open Source-What about it?
Attempt to push free software.
Proprietary VS Open Source
Proprietary software includes Vista, Internet explorer. Open Source is programs like Firefox.
Today’s lecture introduced GNU, which is an operating system that we can use instead of windows.
To summarise-
Community-people who want to share and do better things
Collaboration-working together
Choice-choosing between proprietary software and open source
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Day 3
1.What did Alan Turing wear while riding his bicycle around Bletchley Park?
Alan Turing use to wear a gas mask while riding his bicycle around Bletchley Park to prevent hay-fever symptoms.The search engine I used was AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://www.valeriapatera.it/patera_final.pdf
2.On what date did two computers first communicate with each other? Where were they?
The first computers talked to each other in 1969 through a network called ARPANET. The computers were located in California and Utah. I used the AltaVista search engine. The website I got the answer from was:http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_t45/internet-computers-first.html
3.What is Bill Gates’ birthday and what age was he when he sold his first software?
Bill Gates was born on the 28th of October, 1955. So if Bill Gates first sold his software in 1975, which would make him 20 years old, to find this I used AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1029934/Life-times-Bill-Gates-Microsoft.html
4.Where was the World Wide Web invented?
Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at CERN, invented the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1989. The search engine I used was AltaVista.The search engine I used was AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://public.web.cern.ch/public/en/About/Web-en.html
5.How does the power of the computer you are working on now compare with the power of a personal computer from 30 years ago?
A computer in 1979 had an 8088 8-bit processor. A computer in 2009 has a 2.60GHz, 800FSB, 2MB processor.The search engine I used was AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/pa-microhist.html
6.What is the weight of the largest parsnip ever grown?
A PARSNIP weighing 2.3 kilograms and measuring about 35 centimetres long was picked from the garden of Port Lincoln man Ken Holden.
The search engine i used to find this answer was alta vista, the website used was, http://www.portlincolntimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/holden-growing-more-giant-vegetables/1570577.aspx?src=rss
7.When did Queensland become a state and why is the Tweed River in New South Wales?
Queen Victoria gave her approval and signed Letters Patent on June 6 1859 to establish the new colony of Queensland. The two sates of QLD and NSW were seperated in 1859, there were many reasons for why the boarders between states are where they are and these reasons can be found on the Queensland Government Mapping and Surveying website. I found this information on altavista, which led me to the website http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/mapping/index.html
8.What was the weather like in south-east Queensland on 17 November 1954?
It was raining at this time as it was when QLD had severe floods. To find this information i searched altavista for qld weather and found the bureau of meteorology website, http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld/fld_history/floodsum_1950.shtml
9.Why is is Lord Byron still remembered in Venice?
He wrote Don Juan and many other famous pieces, i found this on the bbc history website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/byron_lord.shtml which i found by searching Lord Byron on Altavista
10.What band did Sirhan Chapman play in and what is his real name?
The Black Assassins is the bands name which i found by searching "Sirhan Chapman" which led me to the website http://web.revolutionrock.com.au/oral-hist/index.php?id=36.
I then searched the links on this page which led me to their myspace page, it stated Sirhan Chapman - does Keyboards & Vocals. I couldnt find his real name but i did find an article by searching "Sirhan Chapmans real name" which said, "Keyboards and lead vocals are by Sirhan Chapman, Bass and vocals by Putty Nose Sarjeant, Lee Harvey Hinkley is on drums and Mohammed El Jackal on guitar and vocals.Needless to say those are their stage names. "We'll rip your mothers heart out", they said, warning me not to print their real names". http://www.blackassassins.net/CourierMailReview.html
Alan Turing use to wear a gas mask while riding his bicycle around Bletchley Park to prevent hay-fever symptoms.The search engine I used was AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://www.valeriapatera.it/patera_final.pdf
2.On what date did two computers first communicate with each other? Where were they?
The first computers talked to each other in 1969 through a network called ARPANET. The computers were located in California and Utah. I used the AltaVista search engine. The website I got the answer from was:http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_t45/internet-computers-first.html
3.What is Bill Gates’ birthday and what age was he when he sold his first software?
Bill Gates was born on the 28th of October, 1955. So if Bill Gates first sold his software in 1975, which would make him 20 years old, to find this I used AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1029934/Life-times-Bill-Gates-Microsoft.html
4.Where was the World Wide Web invented?
Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at CERN, invented the World Wide Web (WWW) in 1989. The search engine I used was AltaVista.The search engine I used was AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://public.web.cern.ch/public/en/About/Web-en.html
5.How does the power of the computer you are working on now compare with the power of a personal computer from 30 years ago?
A computer in 1979 had an 8088 8-bit processor. A computer in 2009 has a 2.60GHz, 800FSB, 2MB processor.The search engine I used was AltaVista. The website I got the answer from was:http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/pa-microhist.html
6.What is the weight of the largest parsnip ever grown?
A PARSNIP weighing 2.3 kilograms and measuring about 35 centimetres long was picked from the garden of Port Lincoln man Ken Holden.
The search engine i used to find this answer was alta vista, the website used was, http://www.portlincolntimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/holden-growing-more-giant-vegetables/1570577.aspx?src=rss
7.When did Queensland become a state and why is the Tweed River in New South Wales?
Queen Victoria gave her approval and signed Letters Patent on June 6 1859 to establish the new colony of Queensland. The two sates of QLD and NSW were seperated in 1859, there were many reasons for why the boarders between states are where they are and these reasons can be found on the Queensland Government Mapping and Surveying website. I found this information on altavista, which led me to the website http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/mapping/index.html
8.What was the weather like in south-east Queensland on 17 November 1954?
It was raining at this time as it was when QLD had severe floods. To find this information i searched altavista for qld weather and found the bureau of meteorology website, http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld/fld_history/floodsum_1950.shtml
9.Why is is Lord Byron still remembered in Venice?
He wrote Don Juan and many other famous pieces, i found this on the bbc history website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/byron_lord.shtml which i found by searching Lord Byron on Altavista
10.What band did Sirhan Chapman play in and what is his real name?
The Black Assassins is the bands name which i found by searching "Sirhan Chapman" which led me to the website http://web.revolutionrock.com.au/oral-hist/index.php?id=36.
I then searched the links on this page which led me to their myspace page, it stated Sirhan Chapman - does Keyboards & Vocals. I couldnt find his real name but i did find an article by searching "Sirhan Chapmans real name" which said, "Keyboards and lead vocals are by Sirhan Chapman, Bass and vocals by Putty Nose Sarjeant, Lee Harvey Hinkley is on drums and Mohammed El Jackal on guitar and vocals.Needless to say those are their stage names. "We'll rip your mothers heart out", they said, warning me not to print their real names". http://www.blackassassins.net/CourierMailReview.html
Day 3 summary
Today we covered...
Themes:
Virtual community: When people carry on public discussions to form webs of personal relationships2.
Individual identity: Experimenting by constructing and reconstructing the self- we self-fashion and self-create.
Communications over the internet was centred on shared interests in the early days (early 90’s) however this has changed to an ego-centric social network (you become the common interest, the common thread- become networked individuals)
The way people present themselves online was covered, and the idea of the ego centric social network. The focus has moved away from groups of people with common interests to a much more self involved social area.
Web 2.0- A new era in the web’s history (thinking in a new way) The term "Web 2.0" is commonly associated with web applications which facilitate interactive information sharing, folksonomy, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Features include:
When technology (such as web 2.0) is used in a social and cultural context= social media e.g. - web blogs, social networking websites, content sharing communities.
Attention economy- advertising on certain websites (such as facebook) and what websites do to keep you browsing their page (facebook uses certain advertisements coinciding with people’s personal information) If there is a social media, where is the anti-social media (negative relationships, being connected to the people you dislike etc.)
Social media covers thinsg such asmicroblogs, we watched a good video on "Twitter" which demonstrated the trivial stuff we talk about on these sites.
The big question was then asked..
What role do we play on social media? Are you consumers or creators?
Today i learnt about new media, understanding the concepts of virtual community/individual identity Internet studies and understanding the idea of social media.
Themes:
Virtual community: When people carry on public discussions to form webs of personal relationships2.
Individual identity: Experimenting by constructing and reconstructing the self- we self-fashion and self-create.
Communications over the internet was centred on shared interests in the early days (early 90’s) however this has changed to an ego-centric social network (you become the common interest, the common thread- become networked individuals)
The way people present themselves online was covered, and the idea of the ego centric social network. The focus has moved away from groups of people with common interests to a much more self involved social area.
Web 2.0- A new era in the web’s history (thinking in a new way) The term "Web 2.0" is commonly associated with web applications which facilitate interactive information sharing, folksonomy, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Features include:
When technology (such as web 2.0) is used in a social and cultural context= social media e.g. - web blogs, social networking websites, content sharing communities.
Attention economy- advertising on certain websites (such as facebook) and what websites do to keep you browsing their page (facebook uses certain advertisements coinciding with people’s personal information) If there is a social media, where is the anti-social media (negative relationships, being connected to the people you dislike etc.)
Social media covers thinsg such asmicroblogs, we watched a good video on "Twitter" which demonstrated the trivial stuff we talk about on these sites.
The big question was then asked..
What role do we play on social media? Are you consumers or creators?
Today i learnt about new media, understanding the concepts of virtual community/individual identity Internet studies and understanding the idea of social media.
Day 2 - part 2
How long have you been using these communication technologies?
I have been using the internet and my phone since around 12 0r 13 years old.
What influenced you to start using these particular technologies and how did you find out about them?
The internet was introduced at school,which was my first interaction with it. I then continued to use it at home. My first phone was given to me from my brother, as a way for my family to contact me when i wasnt home.
Is privacy an issue for you when using new technologies? What do you think of companies like Facebook and Google who collect information about their users? (How do you deal with issues around privacy?
I dont think we should post our details online at all, its a big case of big brother!..tho i admit i do use facebook and do have personal information on there, thinking about this has made me more concerned with my privacy and i will be careful with what i put on there now.
Do you have friends whom you know only from the internet and have never met in person? Is this different to people that you know in person? Describe the difference?
When i was younger i used chat rooms, looking back it was quite dangerous, i shared a lot of personal information with complete strangers!..Its very different to people in real life, as you never really know whos sitting behind the computer on the other end.
The other side of this might be that you don't use new communication technologies for such trivial things as socialising. Explain why you don't use them. Is it a very conscious choice? Underwhat circumstances do you think you would consider using them?
The main reason i would use other social networks would be to keep in touch with friends overseas, i have met many people overseas and sites such as facebook is the only way i keep in touch with them. I have never chosen not to use them, its always been a case of discovering a new site and joining, however i only stick to one, i have not joined any others i dont see the point in having a bucnh of social networks, one is enoigh to keep in touch with close friends overseas.
I have been using the internet and my phone since around 12 0r 13 years old.
What influenced you to start using these particular technologies and how did you find out about them?
The internet was introduced at school,which was my first interaction with it. I then continued to use it at home. My first phone was given to me from my brother, as a way for my family to contact me when i wasnt home.
Is privacy an issue for you when using new technologies? What do you think of companies like Facebook and Google who collect information about their users? (How do you deal with issues around privacy?
I dont think we should post our details online at all, its a big case of big brother!..tho i admit i do use facebook and do have personal information on there, thinking about this has made me more concerned with my privacy and i will be careful with what i put on there now.
Do you have friends whom you know only from the internet and have never met in person? Is this different to people that you know in person? Describe the difference?
When i was younger i used chat rooms, looking back it was quite dangerous, i shared a lot of personal information with complete strangers!..Its very different to people in real life, as you never really know whos sitting behind the computer on the other end.
The other side of this might be that you don't use new communication technologies for such trivial things as socialising. Explain why you don't use them. Is it a very conscious choice? Underwhat circumstances do you think you would consider using them?
The main reason i would use other social networks would be to keep in touch with friends overseas, i have met many people overseas and sites such as facebook is the only way i keep in touch with them. I have never chosen not to use them, its always been a case of discovering a new site and joining, however i only stick to one, i have not joined any others i dont see the point in having a bucnh of social networks, one is enoigh to keep in touch with close friends overseas.
I chose this video as I feel it is very relevant to the content of this subject. So far we have covered the history of communications and this video covers the next step of the future of communications. The concept behind this video is of a virtual reality where we can be anywhere at anytime. This is quite scary as it brings a whole new type of reality that is not necessarily real. We can live through the computer and mould our lives to the way we want them, without leaving our computer chairs.
The future of communications is an unknown, somewhat scary world where anything can be possible in a false created world. Movies like the matrix could become the norm for the way people live, and soon people wouldn’t know the difference between reality and their created reality.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Lecture Summary - Day 2
Today we covered the history of computing and the internet.
The question of what a computer is and what it means was brought up and explained in terms of "mathematical calculations". A computer originally meant people computing, where they were performing mathematical functions. Computer use to mean calculate, it was calculating and performing mathematics.
Computers were first commercially produced by IBM in the 1950's. They were large, expensive machines purely used by the military, government and corporate work. By 1965 the computers became less expansive and a lot smaller.
A topic we covered that was particularly interesting was on the term hacker. A hacker use to be an expert on computers that knew how to put everything together and get things to run as they should. Nowadays a hacker is sadly now more associated with criminal activity on computers.
An interesting court case that has arisen in the history of computer software was a case where Windows sued apple claiming they had stolen their idea of icons on a desktop with a cursor controlled by a mouse.
History of the Internet
The internet is 40 years old, and came about before personal computers. One very important rule to remember about the internet is the internet is very different to the World Wide Web. This can be better explained in the terms that the internet is the whole spectrum and the web is one area of it. The internet includes file sharing, msn and applications and the web is a separate part altogether.
Email was first developed in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, he also invented the @ symbol. Emoticons which have been widely used and still used today followed shortly after in 1979.
The question of what a computer is and what it means was brought up and explained in terms of "mathematical calculations". A computer originally meant people computing, where they were performing mathematical functions. Computer use to mean calculate, it was calculating and performing mathematics.
Computers were first commercially produced by IBM in the 1950's. They were large, expensive machines purely used by the military, government and corporate work. By 1965 the computers became less expansive and a lot smaller.
A topic we covered that was particularly interesting was on the term hacker. A hacker use to be an expert on computers that knew how to put everything together and get things to run as they should. Nowadays a hacker is sadly now more associated with criminal activity on computers.
An interesting court case that has arisen in the history of computer software was a case where Windows sued apple claiming they had stolen their idea of icons on a desktop with a cursor controlled by a mouse.
History of the Internet
The internet is 40 years old, and came about before personal computers. One very important rule to remember about the internet is the internet is very different to the World Wide Web. This can be better explained in the terms that the internet is the whole spectrum and the web is one area of it. The internet includes file sharing, msn and applications and the web is a separate part altogether.
Email was first developed in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, he also invented the @ symbol. Emoticons which have been widely used and still used today followed shortly after in 1979.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Introduction Blog
Why i picked this subject
I have chosen to do New Communication Technologies as part of my Journalism and Communications degree. I want to write for a travel magazine so I need to be up to date with the latest communications available online to be able to find the most effective ways to communicate in the media industry.
My experiences with communication technologies
I use the internet everyday for either social networking, university work, searching various information on the net and day to day activities such as banking. I use my mobile daily and i also use the internet for watching tv series and downloading music. I find i use communication technologies regularly and a lot of the things i do daily would not be possible without them.
I have chosen to do New Communication Technologies as part of my Journalism and Communications degree. I want to write for a travel magazine so I need to be up to date with the latest communications available online to be able to find the most effective ways to communicate in the media industry.
My experiences with communication technologies
I use the internet everyday for either social networking, university work, searching various information on the net and day to day activities such as banking. I use my mobile daily and i also use the internet for watching tv series and downloading music. I find i use communication technologies regularly and a lot of the things i do daily would not be possible without them.
Lecture Summary- day 1
Day 1 – Lecture Summary
Today we covered communication and technology. Aristotle summed communication up as “The speaker produces a message to a reader”.
We covered intersubjectivity which is the way a reader interprets a message. Intertextuality was also covered which is the concept of no message ever being complete.
The question “What is technology?” was asked which was summed up with “The scientific study of mechanical arts and their application to the world”. It is also the techniques of how its used.
Technology is the extension of the human body. For example the invention of the wheel is the extension of the foot. The book is the extension of the eye etc.
Mcluhan suggested the “medium is the message”, to better understand this the newspaper can be seen as a medium. The newspaper is a medium as it transfers information to its readers. It transmits news to us, it’s the middleman between the information and the reader.
Summary
We learnt about communication and how technology plays a role in our daily lives.
Today we covered communication and technology. Aristotle summed communication up as “The speaker produces a message to a reader”.
We covered intersubjectivity which is the way a reader interprets a message. Intertextuality was also covered which is the concept of no message ever being complete.
The question “What is technology?” was asked which was summed up with “The scientific study of mechanical arts and their application to the world”. It is also the techniques of how its used.
Technology is the extension of the human body. For example the invention of the wheel is the extension of the foot. The book is the extension of the eye etc.
Mcluhan suggested the “medium is the message”, to better understand this the newspaper can be seen as a medium. The newspaper is a medium as it transfers information to its readers. It transmits news to us, it’s the middleman between the information and the reader.
Summary
We learnt about communication and how technology plays a role in our daily lives.
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