p.33 If new media allows more people to be involved in cultural production what are these new voices saying in public?
The easy answer to this question could be, “anything they want to say”. Millions of niche interest groups have formed from web 2.0. This outlines many positive uses of new media, freedom of speech and the meeting of like-minded people, however this comes with an inherent danger, Lister outlines that anyone with an online account can post with “little or no reference to the kinds of market constraints or regulatory controls that characterised previous twentieth-century forms of mass media” (Lister et al, 2003:33)
I have mentioned these dangers in an earlier post (Monday, 26 January 2009) so will mention the positive effects of web 2.0.
It is not only a way to put your opinions across to the world, which is an extraordinary thing to be able to do, but it also a way to promote your brand, your business, your talent. You can find a consumer or a producer for almost anything you need. We are truly living in on online global village.
p. 42 Is there such a thing as 'ideal interactivity'? what form might it take?
Ideal interactivity would take on all of the positive characteristics of the different types of interactivity, however there needs to be a balance between the users freedom of choice and speech, and their effect on the web. Discussed in the lecture was Meikle’s four types of interactivity which are as follows:
Transmissional interactivity: some degree of user control/choice over fixed programmed informational flow.
Registrational interactivity: we (the user) produce the information, but have NO control over how it is used.
Consultational interactivity: I select, I choose, I use, but from a limited set of fixed choices.
Conversational interactivity: meaning itself gets created via the exchange. It’s about making new media, not about consuming it. It’s about unfinished processes, not closed ones. It’s about intercreativity.
(taken from the lecture notes)
Personally, I would say that consultational interactivity is the most balanced between the positive characteristics and limited possible negative effects. It includes enough choices to personalise your use of the internet, without letting people with ulterior motives influence others interactivity too much. I believe that this is the format of social networking sites.
Friday, 30 January 2009
Topic 2 week 2 part C
Time – activities being over a week?
The forums can be both synchronous and asynchronous which is useful for people which opposing schedules. It is easy to safe drafts and do small sections when you have the time, and you can also take the time to think about the questions. Time management can possibly become an issue when the activities can be done at any point in the week, procrastination is an easy trap to fall into and motivation to get them finished on time is not spurred on by a lecturer who will expect it in his/her hand.
Do you have the knowledge, the media ‘literacy’ to be a user, and advanced user? If not how does it feel
Perhaps this will be seen as a generalisation, but I think that modern day students have been brought up in a time where we embrace new technology and are often at the forefront of ‘new media’. Whilst I would in no way describe myself as a computer expert, I have unintentionally picked up the skills necessary to run a blog through using the new technology available to me, such as email and social networking sites. I understand certain acronyms and shortcuts like ‘lol’ and ‘rincy.’ I would say that in general, most of my peers would have similar skills and computer literacy, and I can imagine that if you did not understand the codes and conventions of new media, you would feel alienated from the online community.
The forums can be both synchronous and asynchronous which is useful for people which opposing schedules. It is easy to safe drafts and do small sections when you have the time, and you can also take the time to think about the questions. Time management can possibly become an issue when the activities can be done at any point in the week, procrastination is an easy trap to fall into and motivation to get them finished on time is not spurred on by a lecturer who will expect it in his/her hand.
Do you have the knowledge, the media ‘literacy’ to be a user, and advanced user? If not how does it feel
Perhaps this will be seen as a generalisation, but I think that modern day students have been brought up in a time where we embrace new technology and are often at the forefront of ‘new media’. Whilst I would in no way describe myself as a computer expert, I have unintentionally picked up the skills necessary to run a blog through using the new technology available to me, such as email and social networking sites. I understand certain acronyms and shortcuts like ‘lol’ and ‘rincy.’ I would say that in general, most of my peers would have similar skills and computer literacy, and I can imagine that if you did not understand the codes and conventions of new media, you would feel alienated from the online community.
lister question G
What do you understand by ‘non-linear, non-sequential reading and writing?’
It will be interesting to note what will happen to the future of learning, reading and understanding texts, with the rise of ‘new’ media. The ‘linear’ form of a book appears constraining when compared to the seemingly infinite choices we have on the internet. As discussed in the lecture, books have only one (rational) available method of reading, which is turning the page, however new media opens up reading, allowing the reader to look at only the relevant or interesting parts of the text, or pinpointing a specific subject. This non-linear way of reading and writing has been described in Lister et al. as “multi-linear” (Lister et al, 2003:27). This phenomenon “threatens to overturn the organisation and management of knowledge as we have known to date”, whilst this view is extreme, I think that the future of reading and writing will be very different to the ways in which we have learned them in the past, and perhaps new skills will be required to keep up to date with new media technologies.
It will be interesting to note what will happen to the future of learning, reading and understanding texts, with the rise of ‘new’ media. The ‘linear’ form of a book appears constraining when compared to the seemingly infinite choices we have on the internet. As discussed in the lecture, books have only one (rational) available method of reading, which is turning the page, however new media opens up reading, allowing the reader to look at only the relevant or interesting parts of the text, or pinpointing a specific subject. This non-linear way of reading and writing has been described in Lister et al. as “multi-linear” (Lister et al, 2003:27). This phenomenon “threatens to overturn the organisation and management of knowledge as we have known to date”, whilst this view is extreme, I think that the future of reading and writing will be very different to the ways in which we have learned them in the past, and perhaps new skills will be required to keep up to date with new media technologies.
Topic 2 week 2 part B
Authority and identity, who's in charge?
In a lecture room, the space is set out in such a way that the lecturer is in control. The seat's face the front, the lecturer can operate the equipment and the rooms are institutional, advising the students that it is time for serious work. The discourse of a lecture means that the lecturer decides on the topics of discussion.
By contrast, the blogs and forums are on a topic of our choice, and the hypertext and cyber dashboard can be personalised to give students a sense of individuality often lacking in a lecture room. The blogs are done over a week so that the student is put in control of their time management. In this sense, the blogs and forums seem to have little authority and the student is put in charge of their own learning.
In a lecture room, the space is set out in such a way that the lecturer is in control. The seat's face the front, the lecturer can operate the equipment and the rooms are institutional, advising the students that it is time for serious work. The discourse of a lecture means that the lecturer decides on the topics of discussion.
By contrast, the blogs and forums are on a topic of our choice, and the hypertext and cyber dashboard can be personalised to give students a sense of individuality often lacking in a lecture room. The blogs are done over a week so that the student is put in control of their time management. In this sense, the blogs and forums seem to have little authority and the student is put in charge of their own learning.
Speech/Writing
Although grammer rules are not as strict on the blog, we tend to stick to them loosely, putting question marks after questions, and starting new paragraphs for our musings. In this sense, the blogs and forums have predominantly written features. In other ways, the forums tend to follow certain rules of conversation, the colloquialisms and the communicative nature, and it has been described as an "online conversation". I think that online media attempts to encapsulate the more convienient characteristics of both, and there are of course are features, such as the photographs, hyperlinks etc. that are only characteristics of 'new' media.
Lister question's e) and f)
Digitality and Code
How would a hand-written editing and composition process be different?
Copying and pasting paragraphs to change the order, coping quotes or references from websites is something that I take for granted whilst writing assignments. As Lister et al summarize, new technology allows for a “permanent state of flux” (Lister 2003:17) It is easy to change words or sentences without altering any other part of the text. Editing is infinitely easier, taking out or swapping phrases do not mean re-writing an entire page. Hand-written texts risk mistakes and poor penmanship ruining the aesthetics of a text that, as a student, you want to appear professional looking.
At G.C.S.E, there was a rule that at least on of the essays you wrote had to be handwritten, I can’t imagine why, as the editing and composition process seems to be so much easier, can anybody tell me why this was, or see any advantages to a hand written assignment?
Lunenfield’s concept of immersive interactivity, what could we apply to it?
Lunenfield describes a virtual world in which the user can immerse themselves. This high level of interactivity requires a huge data base found on games such as ‘Tomb Raider’ or ‘Doom’ (Lister 2003:21). Lister et al outline, “When interacting in immersive environments, the user’s goals and the representational qualities of the media text are different.” (Lister 2003:21)
An online example of immersive interactivity is the famous ‘second life’ site in which millions of 3D avatars move round and interact in a virtual world in which they use real money to buy the ‘Linden Dollar’ to buy virtual goods and property. Immersive interactivity can go on to strengthen the concept of escapism in the media, getting away from the real world and submerging yourself into a virtual world that you can “explore and navigate in visually represented screen spaces.” (Lister 2003:21)
How would a hand-written editing and composition process be different?
Copying and pasting paragraphs to change the order, coping quotes or references from websites is something that I take for granted whilst writing assignments. As Lister et al summarize, new technology allows for a “permanent state of flux” (Lister 2003:17) It is easy to change words or sentences without altering any other part of the text. Editing is infinitely easier, taking out or swapping phrases do not mean re-writing an entire page. Hand-written texts risk mistakes and poor penmanship ruining the aesthetics of a text that, as a student, you want to appear professional looking.
At G.C.S.E, there was a rule that at least on of the essays you wrote had to be handwritten, I can’t imagine why, as the editing and composition process seems to be so much easier, can anybody tell me why this was, or see any advantages to a hand written assignment?
Lunenfield’s concept of immersive interactivity, what could we apply to it?
Lunenfield describes a virtual world in which the user can immerse themselves. This high level of interactivity requires a huge data base found on games such as ‘Tomb Raider’ or ‘Doom’ (Lister 2003:21). Lister et al outline, “When interacting in immersive environments, the user’s goals and the representational qualities of the media text are different.” (Lister 2003:21)
An online example of immersive interactivity is the famous ‘second life’ site in which millions of 3D avatars move round and interact in a virtual world in which they use real money to buy the ‘Linden Dollar’ to buy virtual goods and property. Immersive interactivity can go on to strengthen the concept of escapism in the media, getting away from the real world and submerging yourself into a virtual world that you can “explore and navigate in visually represented screen spaces.” (Lister 2003:21)
Topic 2, week 2 part A
After discussing the issues surrounding 'new' media culture in my group, I found topic 2 to be particularly pertinent in analysing our new experiences with both blogs and forums.
In a way web forums can become an online conversation. Forums allow synchronous communications in the way of an instant reply if the other person is online, this can continue for as long as the conversation lasts.
Lacking in this online community, however, are the social cues and non-verbal communication that you get interpersonally in ‘meatspace’. It can also be asynchronous allowing for people to check it at a later date, or even have some thinking time over the answer they will give. This would, I think, inevitably be a different answer to one in a swift conversational reply.
In seminars usually, I would simply voice any opinions I had surrounding the topic, however the media blog gives me time to think through how and what I want to say and gives me the opportunity to change it. In forums, conversation seems to take a logical ABAB approach, whereas in ‘meatspace’ there are often overlaps and fillers.
I think it’s easy for people who are shy in social situations to take a backseat in seminars and allow more confident characters to overshadow them, their intellectual contribution lost. In web forums and blogs, however, communication can seem less daunting and it is a chance for everyone to have an equal opportunity to speak, regardless of their self confidence. This is also helped by the fact that it can be asynchronous, so that you can see the opinions of everyone on the course and aren’t limited by the 1-2 hour timeslot.
Also, face-to-face seminars can snowball from one topic, to another, which I agree can be perhaps less relevant. However, this doesn’t tend to happen on the blogs or forums and I think bouncing off of each other’s ideas in a ‘live’ or synchronous way can be beneficial to the expantion of your thoughts on certain topics.
Any thoughts?
In a way web forums can become an online conversation. Forums allow synchronous communications in the way of an instant reply if the other person is online, this can continue for as long as the conversation lasts.
Lacking in this online community, however, are the social cues and non-verbal communication that you get interpersonally in ‘meatspace’. It can also be asynchronous allowing for people to check it at a later date, or even have some thinking time over the answer they will give. This would, I think, inevitably be a different answer to one in a swift conversational reply.
In seminars usually, I would simply voice any opinions I had surrounding the topic, however the media blog gives me time to think through how and what I want to say and gives me the opportunity to change it. In forums, conversation seems to take a logical ABAB approach, whereas in ‘meatspace’ there are often overlaps and fillers.
I think it’s easy for people who are shy in social situations to take a backseat in seminars and allow more confident characters to overshadow them, their intellectual contribution lost. In web forums and blogs, however, communication can seem less daunting and it is a chance for everyone to have an equal opportunity to speak, regardless of their self confidence. This is also helped by the fact that it can be asynchronous, so that you can see the opinions of everyone on the course and aren’t limited by the 1-2 hour timeslot.
Also, face-to-face seminars can snowball from one topic, to another, which I agree can be perhaps less relevant. However, this doesn’t tend to happen on the blogs or forums and I think bouncing off of each other’s ideas in a ‘live’ or synchronous way can be beneficial to the expantion of your thoughts on certain topics.
Any thoughts?
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
topic 2 week 1 part A
Goebbels, seems to be a man, so intent and passionate that the Nazi regime was good for Germany that he saw the radio as a positive way to keep the masses “up to date” (Goebbels, 1993) which you can’t help wondering is a euphemism for “converted”. Although he does say “That does not mean we want to turn the radio into a spineless servant of our partisan political interests” (Goebbels, 1933) I see hints of his plans for the overhaul of German radio to be for blatant propaganda of the Nazi way of life. I can see that I may have extrapolated from the text with stereotypes and prejudices of the Nazi government. It is true that Goebbels may see the radio as a fresh and interesting way to keep Germany up-to-date with what is happening through a time of crisis, but his constant distinctions between "them" and "us" (Germany and German Government) and the line, “It would not have been possible for us to take power or to use it in the ways we have without the radio” (Goebbels, 1993) demonstrates his thoughts linking the media and power. On an unrelated website, I have found this quote from Goebbels, “The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never again escape from it.” (Goebbels, date unknown)
He expresses annoyance that the radio was not before used for political purposes and was used for entertainment and games, pass times which he alludes to being redundant in the morale of the nation in times of “particular domestic crisis” (Goebbels, 1933). He see’s the potential of radio to reach the masses.
Refs
Goebbels, J (1933) Calvin, minds in the making The Radio as the Eight Great Power http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/goeb56.htm [28/01/09]
Goebbels, J (Date Unknown) History learning site http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/joseph_goebbels.htm [28/01/09]
He expresses annoyance that the radio was not before used for political purposes and was used for entertainment and games, pass times which he alludes to being redundant in the morale of the nation in times of “particular domestic crisis” (Goebbels, 1933). He see’s the potential of radio to reach the masses.
Refs
Goebbels, J (1933) Calvin, minds in the making The Radio as the Eight Great Power http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/goeb56.htm [28/01/09]
Goebbels, J (Date Unknown) History learning site http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/joseph_goebbels.htm [28/01/09]
Monday, 26 January 2009
Topic 1 week 1 part B
I think websites have become such a huge influence on our daily life that it deserves it’s own blog.
According to searchsoa.com “a Web site is a related collection of World Wide Web (WWW) files that includes a beginning file called a home page. A company or an individual tells you how to get to their Web site by giving you the address of their home page. From the home page, you can get to all the other pages on their site.”
I have come to rely on websites really heavily, not just for communicating, but also for quick information such as cinema times, addresses etc. I also use websites to gain knowledge surrounding the course, looking for theorists and relevant facts. I also use websites for online banking, managing my phone bill and shopping. I shop for not only clothes, CD’s and books (which all seem to be cheaper and are more convenient to buy online) but have also experienced doing the weekly food shop online. Using websites is quick and easy, and there is a wealth of information that is unrivalled from any other place. The drawback to this is often that it can take time to find what you are looking for trawling through a lot of unrelated spam. Websites can also be a place for people with unhealthy interests, such as hate gangs and paedophilia, to meet and share information.
I have been reading a lot in various magazines about the pro-ana and pro-mia websites and forums where users share their mantras and photo’s of this extremely harmful condition and find it really interesting that this can occur uncensored, but of course there are huge issues surrounding censorship of the internet, the vastness of the internet would mean that it would be virtually impossible to do, and the level of censorship would have to be brought into question, not to mention the right to freedom of speech and self censorship. What does everyone else think about censorship of the internet? How far should filtering software go?
Also the rise of web 2.0 means that anybody can contribute to a number of sites, obviously most of it is fine and is just sharing opinion, but there are some dangerous people out there, do we need to stop their ideas being brought up or should the freedom of speech and the will and common sense of the readers mean that we shouldn’t need to?
According to searchsoa.com “a Web site is a related collection of World Wide Web (WWW) files that includes a beginning file called a home page. A company or an individual tells you how to get to their Web site by giving you the address of their home page. From the home page, you can get to all the other pages on their site.”
I have come to rely on websites really heavily, not just for communicating, but also for quick information such as cinema times, addresses etc. I also use websites to gain knowledge surrounding the course, looking for theorists and relevant facts. I also use websites for online banking, managing my phone bill and shopping. I shop for not only clothes, CD’s and books (which all seem to be cheaper and are more convenient to buy online) but have also experienced doing the weekly food shop online. Using websites is quick and easy, and there is a wealth of information that is unrivalled from any other place. The drawback to this is often that it can take time to find what you are looking for trawling through a lot of unrelated spam. Websites can also be a place for people with unhealthy interests, such as hate gangs and paedophilia, to meet and share information.
I have been reading a lot in various magazines about the pro-ana and pro-mia websites and forums where users share their mantras and photo’s of this extremely harmful condition and find it really interesting that this can occur uncensored, but of course there are huge issues surrounding censorship of the internet, the vastness of the internet would mean that it would be virtually impossible to do, and the level of censorship would have to be brought into question, not to mention the right to freedom of speech and self censorship. What does everyone else think about censorship of the internet? How far should filtering software go?
Also the rise of web 2.0 means that anybody can contribute to a number of sites, obviously most of it is fine and is just sharing opinion, but there are some dangerous people out there, do we need to stop their ideas being brought up or should the freedom of speech and the will and common sense of the readers mean that we shouldn’t need to?
Saturday, 24 January 2009
topic 1 week 1 part A
This post will evaluate some new media in terms of their characteristics and their usefulness in everyday life. A subsequent post will follow with the remaining new media of task 1 on it.
Email
According to Lister et al, email and email lists allow for one to one and one to group text based message distribution. (2003:166). It is instant, free and can often hold 10-15mb of information without upgrading. Files and pictures can also be sent through email. Whist I agree that email is one of the most important inventions of the last 30 years, the more up-to-date and appealing way for me to communicate with friends and family is through social networking sites, which allow me to keep up with the goings on of my friends, but also allows me to look at and share pictures with them. Email does, however, allow me to communicate quickly and effectively with tutors on the course and people involved in the university whom I do not know personally. I also imagine that it will become a huge part of communication in the workplace after University. There are particular drawbacks to this method of communication though. Email lists are a way for marketers to push their, often unwanted, products towards a mass audience, and they are also a way to spread email viruses throughout a mass range of computers. Email is also an impersonal way of communicating and sometimes what’s written in an email can be ambiguous and context can be lost.
Does anyone actually use email to communicate with their friends or have mobiles and social networking sites taken over?
IRL's chat rooms, messenger services.
An IRL, or 'internet relay link' is described in Lister et al (2003:166) as “live synchronous text-based conversations constructed by participants”. IRL can also be shorthanded to IRC (replace link with chat) Chat systems may have numerous channels or rooms which the people that use them may enter. Messenger services are an easy and instant way to communicate. I use them frequently to talk to friends and family because it is direct and free. As with emails, some context can be lost through text as opposed to face-to-face interaction but as the interaction is instantaneous, any ambiguity can be quickly cleared up. Chat rooms have had a lot of negative press for linking up people with false identities and are often blocked out on child protective software for this reason. I have never been interested in using chatrooms as I prefer to talk to people that I know personally. It can, however, bring people of similar interests together, which is often difficult for niche groups. This is why some say the internet has created a global village.
Any one have any experience of chat rooms and know more about their characteristics? does the press surrounding peadophilia put anyone off? or even the stereotypes of a chat room user (lonely, no communicative skills, a bit sad? ) put any one off?
According to Lister et al, email and email lists allow for one to one and one to group text based message distribution. (2003:166). It is instant, free and can often hold 10-15mb of information without upgrading. Files and pictures can also be sent through email. Whist I agree that email is one of the most important inventions of the last 30 years, the more up-to-date and appealing way for me to communicate with friends and family is through social networking sites, which allow me to keep up with the goings on of my friends, but also allows me to look at and share pictures with them. Email does, however, allow me to communicate quickly and effectively with tutors on the course and people involved in the university whom I do not know personally. I also imagine that it will become a huge part of communication in the workplace after University. There are particular drawbacks to this method of communication though. Email lists are a way for marketers to push their, often unwanted, products towards a mass audience, and they are also a way to spread email viruses throughout a mass range of computers. Email is also an impersonal way of communicating and sometimes what’s written in an email can be ambiguous and context can be lost.
Does anyone actually use email to communicate with their friends or have mobiles and social networking sites taken over?
IRL's chat rooms, messenger services.
An IRL, or 'internet relay link' is described in Lister et al (2003:166) as “live synchronous text-based conversations constructed by participants”. IRL can also be shorthanded to IRC (replace link with chat) Chat systems may have numerous channels or rooms which the people that use them may enter. Messenger services are an easy and instant way to communicate. I use them frequently to talk to friends and family because it is direct and free. As with emails, some context can be lost through text as opposed to face-to-face interaction but as the interaction is instantaneous, any ambiguity can be quickly cleared up. Chat rooms have had a lot of negative press for linking up people with false identities and are often blocked out on child protective software for this reason. I have never been interested in using chatrooms as I prefer to talk to people that I know personally. It can, however, bring people of similar interests together, which is often difficult for niche groups. This is why some say the internet has created a global village.
Any one have any experience of chat rooms and know more about their characteristics? does the press surrounding peadophilia put anyone off? or even the stereotypes of a chat room user (lonely, no communicative skills, a bit sad? ) put any one off?
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Playing with fonts and colours
Hey guys
This is my first ever blog ever, so I thought I'd entertain you with a load of different colours and fonts.
This is pink and bold and italics
This is green because yellow is too hard to see
Can you read me?
This is as far as I've got
Lucy xx
This is my first ever blog ever, so I thought I'd entertain you with a load of different colours and fonts.
This is pink and bold and italics
This is green because yellow is too hard to see
Can you read me?
This is as far as I've got
Lucy xx
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