Straight in at 201

power to the people :: week 11

It is undeniable that the internet is empowering everyday citizens like never before. The readings this week focused on how new media encourages empowerment through different ways, whether it be citizen journalism (Bentley et al. 2007; Leung 2009) or religion (Ess 2007). Traditionally, the only people who had true freedom of speech were ‘educated people with property’ - or people who had access to a newspaper, radio or TV station (Ringmar 2007, 12). Today, twitter, blogs and the rise of news websites written by and for everyday citizens means that it is easier than ever to get your voice heard. At least, in most Western countries…

Trammell et al. (in Leung 2009, 1330) suggest that there are 6 major self-motivations for blogging: self-expression, social interaction, entertainment, passing the time, information and professional advancement. Typically, I tend to agree- certainly, they are the reasons why I’ve blogged in the past. However, after doing some research for my final essay in this subject, I’d actually argue that there is a 7th reason. In repressive societies such as Iraq or China, blogging is a way of voicing opinions that would otherwise be covered up by the government. Blogs have inspired political action in France, China, Iraq and Turkey, amongst others (Ringmar 2007).

However, Governments across the world are threatening this power that the internet gives users, by introducing harsh censorship laws. In China, censorship is so prominent that anyone who types in ‘democracy’, ‘freedom’ or ‘human rights’ into a search engine receives an error message (Dorwell 2006, 113). Even in Australia the Government is proposing to filter the internet (Foley 2008). Governments and their citizens need to come to an agreement in order to balance freedom of speech and government power, and stop this controversy. After all, without open access to the internet, blogs (and even university subjects) such as this one could not exist!

References

Bentley, C., B. Hamman, J. Littau, H. Meyer, B. Watson, and B. Welsh. 2007. Citizen Journalism: a Case Study. In Blogging, Citizenship, and the Future of Media, ed. M. Tremayne, 239-259  New York: Taylor & Francis: 239-259. Available as an e-book at the library. http://reader.eblib.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/Reader.aspx?p=283669&o=96&u=Rk81OeD%2b30nmHMKMLdDBVQ%3d%3d&
t=1273475496&h=DDBA6DDA0D42A9A48698EA06BB6CFD53082F3AD3&s=3146431&
ut=245&pg=1&r=img&pat=n (accessed May 10, 2010)

Dorwell, W. 2006. The Internet, Censorship and China. In Georgetown Journal of International Affairs,
http://gateway.library.qut.edu.au/login?url=http:
//proquest.umi.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/pqdweb?did=1095074661&sid=1&
Fmt=3&clientId=14394&RQT=309&VName=PQD (accessed May 5, 2010)

Ess, C. 2007. Cross-cultural perspectives on religion and computer-mediated communication. In Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(3). http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue3/ess.html (accessed May 10, 2010)

Foley, M. 2008. Proposed Web Filter Criticized in Australia. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/technology/internet/12cyber.html (accessed May 5, 2010)

Leung, L. 2009. User-generated content on the internet: an examination of gratifications, civic engagement and psychological empowerment. In New Media and Society, 11(8), 1327-1247. https://qutvirtual.qut.edu.au/portal/pls/portal
/olt_material_search_p?p_unit_code=KCB201 (accessed May 10, 2010)

Ringmar, E. 2007. A Blogger’s Manifesto. New York: Anthem Press.

writer’s block :: week 10

As I sit here wondering how to start this blog, I’m recalling all the other times throughout my 2+ years at university I’ve sat at my desk, wine glass in hand, pondering how to begin an essay. It can be a pretty stressful task - possibly even the most difficult of the whole essay writing process - especially if it’s 7pm and the essay in question is due the next day.

This week I’m going to take a brief look at my essay writing skills and how they differ from other forms of writing; this blog for example. On the surface it would seem simple - essays are a far more formal affair than what I’ve written on here -  however, it’s not as much as one would think.

Over the course of my 2+ years at uni. I’ve developed a style of writing essays that is much more conversational than most. I’ve never seen the point of writing so densely that you have to read a sentence 3 times to understand it, and so instead I write closer to how one would normally write a speech. Of course, I still keep it to the generic conventions of a successful essay: topic sentences, well organised paragraphs, relevant examples and correct referencing (Rao, Chanock & Krishnan 2007).

Sometimes I do worry whether tutors and lecturers will approve of my writing style, but I’m yet to do badly in an essay, so I guess I’m doing something right.

References

Rao, V., K. Chanock & L. Krishnan. 2007. A Visual Guide to Essay Writing. http://www.aall.org.au/sites/default/files/documents/essayWritingVisualGuide.pdf (accessed May 5, 2009)

just another (KCB201) weblog :: week 9

This week I’ve decided to focus on both my personal and uni-related blogging experiences. Way back in the dark ages of 2007, I decided to create a blog to keep all of my freshly graduated friends up-to-date with the happenings of post-high-school life. Looking back now, it was mostly a whole bunch of ramblings of a teenager who really had nothing much to talk about, and yet still wanted to be heard. It would be pretty safe to assume that not a single person read the posts, and the blog soon faded into obscurity.

Since then I’d like to think I’ve learned from my mistakes. While I am still a teenager, and sometimes I do question the things coming out of my mouth, I like to think of myself as at least slightly older and wiser. Despite being somewhat questionable at times, blogging for KCB201 has undoubtedly helped me with my web-writing skills, particularly in the area of getting my thoughts out in a concise manner.

So what actually makes a good blog then? Pick (n.d.) believes they should be niche-focused, attention-grabbing and scannable. McIntosh (2007) stresses they need to be more than just a one-way flow of information. All of which are pretty difficult for a blog that has a maximum readership of myself and my tutor. Yet these tips will certainly be helpful for when I’m required to actually blog for real people in the future. For when I have something more important to write about than what I had for lunch.

References

McIntosh, E. 2007. Just because you can blog in one click doesn’t mean you should. http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2006/11/just_because_yo.html (accessed April 26, 2010)

Pick, M. n.d. How to Blog: A Beginner’s Blog Publishing Guide. http://www.masternewmedia.org/independent_publishing/blogging-how-to- blog/guide-to-publishing-first-blog-20071104.htm (accessed April 26, 2010)

world sick :: week 8

One side effect of the rise of new media has been the abundance of health information that is now available online. One of the perceived benefits of the internet is its individuality and ability to ‘self-manage’ one’s health (Lewis 2006, 524). However, there has been extended concern from both medical professionals and academics about the validity of health information on the internet, giving rise to increased misuse of prescription drugs and ‘cyberchondria’ (Lewis 2006; Nielsen and Barratt 2009). While not believing everything you read on the internet is a good principle to live by, these detractors (in particular Nielsen and Barratt (2003)) often tend to be quite sensationalist.

While there is undoubtedly misuse of internet-prescribed drugs, in reality accessing health information on the internet is so much more than just looking up the cure to some obscure disease. As Lewis (2006, 522) explains, health is treated as a broader linking of ideas of the ‘body, self and lifestyle’. Wyatt et. al. (2008, 8) go on to suggest that the internet could be described as an ‘Info(r)mediator’, rather than a typical mediator.

As my mother is a nurse, I’ve never really needed to look to the internet for stereotypical health problems. However, I regularly use it to monitor my exercise, lifestyle and dietary habits. This is a much more realistic way of looking at health and new media, rather than resorting to the moral panics of old.

References

Lewis, T. 2006. Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria? In Media, Culture and Society, 28(4): 521-539. https://qutvirtual.qut.edu.au/portal/pls/portal
/olt_material_search_p?p_unit_code=KCB201 (accessed April 21, 2010)

Nielsen, S. and M. Barratt. 2009. Prescription Drug Misuse: Is Technology Friend or Foe? In Drug and Alcohol Review, 28: 81-86. https://qutvirtual.qut.edu.au/portal/pls/portal
/olt_material_search_p?p_unit_code=KCB201 (accessed April 21, 2010)

Wyatt, S., R. Harris and N. Wathen. 2008. The Go-Betweens: Health, Technology and Info(r)mediation. In Mediating Health Information: The Go-Betweens in a Changing Socio-Tehnical Landscape, ed. Wyatt, S., N. Wathen and R. Harris, 1-12. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.  

career advice :: week 7

Ultimately, the goal of every university student is to get a job. However, particularly within the creative industries, it is no longer as simple as the education -> interview -> permanent career path of old. This week’s readings focused on new media and work, and the consensus was that there has been a shift from permanent contracts to more volatile freelance job prospects (Dueze 2009; Gill 2007). There was one thing in particular that caught my attention; something which has been extremely relevant to me recently- the uncertainty that lies in working in new media.

Gill (2007) talks about the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” so often asked in job interviews. I was recently asked that very question at an interview, only to find it was very difficult to answer. It’s because I don’t know where I’ll be in 5 years. Heck, I don’t even know what I’ll be doing next year. It’s true that most people who work in the field have no interest in the safe, stable, linear career (Gill 2007, 41) – but it’s still a scary thought. Gill (2007, 41) hits the nail on the head when she explains that the “inability to think about the future is precisely the outcome of how hard it is to survive in the field, even right now”.

As I draw ever closer to my graduation from university, this uncertainty is only going to become more relevant. To be completely honest, at times it is terrifying. But then I think of the alternative – working in an office 9-5 – I remember that this is why I chose this path.

References

Dueze, M. 2009. The People Formerly known as the Employers. In Journalism 10(3), 315-318. https://qutvirtual.qut.edu.au/portal/pls/portal/olt_material_search_p? p_unit_code=KCB201 (accessed April 12, 2010)

Gill, R. 2007. Informality is the New Black. In Technobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New Media Work in Amsterdam a decade after the web, 38-43. https://qutvirtual.qut.edu.au/portal/pls/portal/olt_material_search_p? p_unit_code=KCB201 (accessed April 12, 2010)

i’m feeling lucky :: week 6

In a world where search engines are ubiquitous and ‘Google’ is now a verb, it would appear that using a search engine was a simple task. However, this week’s readings showed there is much more to how we get our information than simply typing in some keywords and viewing the responses. Instead, other influences such as work and education affect how we search for information (Howard and Massanari 2007).  Castells (1999) suggests that these technologies have led to a networked society, where the concepts of space and time are being redefined.

While there are many concepts that Castells (1999) put forward about the information age, the one that stood out for me was the idea of ‘Timeless Time’. He suggests that new information technologies are ‘annihilating’ the fundamental concept of time, compressing years into seconds (Castells 1999). Furthermore, he explains that the sequence of time itself is slowly being eliminated (Castells 1999). Both these theories can be applied to search engines. Searching for a particular piece of information 50 years ago could have taken years, now thanks to Google- it takes seconds. Furthermore, the notion of hypertexts means time on the Internet is no longer linear. Rarely do we read online content from start to finish- instead we click on links to find new information, etc. While the notion of timeless time is certainly strong; search engines are still the ones organizing the content- they provide a structured, mediated context for information gathering (Howard and Massanari 2007)

References

Howard, P. and A. Massanari. 2007. Learning to search and searching to learn: Income, education, and experience online. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(3). http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue3/howard.html (accessed April 2, 2010).

Castells, M. 1999. An Introduction to the Information Age. In The Media Reader: Continuity and Transformation, 398-410. ed. H. Mackay and T. O’Sullivan. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_
60765_1%26url%3D (accessed April 2, 2010)

public displays of connection :: week 5

It’s become pretty apparent over the last three or so weeks that new media plays an integral role in how we communicate and form identity. This week, however, saw a new aspect being thrown into the mix: locative media. Despite enormous increases in technology, up until recently desktop computing has been just that- desktop computing. With the rise of smart phones such as the iPhone though, the notion of locative media technologies is slowly working its way into the mainstream.

In her article on the subject, Hamilton (2009, 393) explains that the possibility of combining locative media with online participatory culture (as explored in previous weeks) can “support the formation of online communities of place”. Basic geographic applications such as Google Maps can be combined with gaming, or social networking- two applications which have traditionally put disregard the notion of physical space- to create new levels of interactivity between producers and consumers, and amongst consumers themselves.

Unfortunately I am one of the (few) people to not own an iPhone, which meant I couldn’t test out Hamilton (2009)’s theories. It has been interesting however to see how users of what has traditionally been a private activity, interact with each other in the public sphere. While at the moment locative media may still only be a niche market, I can definitely see it growing into a worldwide reality.

References

Hamilton, J. 2009. Ourplace : the convergence of locative media and online participatory culture. In OZCHI 2009, Melbourne Victoria, November 2009, 393-396. Melbourne: Melbourne University.

blake’s got a new face(book) :: week 4 

Over the past decade, we’ve seen the rise of a phenomenon that has changed the way we communicate with each other. Social networks such as Myspace, Twitter and Facebook have undoubtedly affected our everyday lives, friendships and how we present ourselves. 

Long before facebook was ubiquitous, the notion that media can affect how we act and present ourselves was still prominent. Thompson (1995, 211) argued that the “development of communication media has had a profound impact on the process of self-formation”. Undoubtedly, ‘traditional’ media such as film and television still can have an effect on one’s formation. Things that I saw as a child still affect my behaviour and attitudes today.

Despite being a more modern article, Rosen (2007) takes a much more critical approach towards social networking. She believes that it has negatively affected the notion of ‘friendship’ (Rosen 2007). While some points are valid, I don’t necessarily agree- Facebook has meant that I am able to communicate with those I wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to keep in touch with. The article also tends to be quite sensationalist, like many publications on this issue. I never knew anyone with ‘kissing girls’ (Rosen 2007) as their Myspace backgrounds.

Despite the criticisms, it cannot be denied that social networks have changed the way we communicate with each other. Whether this will be ultimately good or bad will remain to be seen.

References

Rosen, C. 2007. Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism. In The New Atlantis 17(2007). http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/virtual-friendship-and-the-new-narcissism (accessed March 15, 2010)

Thompson, J. B. 1995. The Self as a Symbolic Project. In The Media and Modenity: A Social Theory of the Media, 209-219. Cambridge: Polity Press. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/cmd/KCB201/KCB201_BK_272535.pdf (accessed March 15, 2010)