John there have been problems with all the blogs appearing as some of them are quite large. The last blog in "May" is titled "Sim-tastic" so please make sure it comes up before you mark!

Thanx!

Marnie-Banarni

Reflections ...

So here we are at the end of the semester ... finally only 3 weeks left until holidays!! Here's my reflection of using a blog over the past semester. I guess I should also take this opportunity to say that the subject has definitely been interesting, contrary to what I thought at the start of the semester.

To be honest: I’m not used to keeping a blog. I wouldn’t think many procrastinating, stressed-out university students would have enough time to post regularly. Seems I was wrong. Being as nosy as I am (and I’m sure many other student’s are also), I looked over everyone’s blog. A lot of really good opinions. A few people, like Chris, have kept a regularly updated blog for a few years. But seeing as I wasn’t used to keeping a blog, I found it difficult to keep remembering to write a couple of posts every few days. It sort of felt the same way as doing a subject with heaps of little assignments throughout the term ... frustrating at times!

But, at the end of it all I could see the relevance: a form of new media that ties in with the subject content, and that allows you to give your opinions on the subject content. Not too many subjects let you freely shell out your ideas. However, it was difficult because you had to lay off on all the academic jargon used in an essay, which, being a university student I'm not used to!

Blogs exist in a virtual space, where paper journals are .... well pretty self explanatary. Virtual spaces can be viewed by bazillions of people around the world … who can comment … and link it to their homepages! If I wanted to, I could be famous … !! But to bring out my critical side: blogs do not have a lot of the intimate thoughts and reflections that paper journals have. Well you could, but would you want strangers to know about your intimate life? Blogs are public, and paper journals are private.

Additionally, a weblog is completely useless for public discussion if no one reads it and posts comments. There are millions of blogs on the internet, what makes mine so special? I think for it to be worthwhile for me to follow a blog, the author has to have some established credibility. Like an industry professional of some sort, otherwise I wouldn't want to waste my time. Some of my friend's have blogs, but all they do is talk about their day out shopping, or having dinner with their parents. How invigorating.

But should a weblog have an audience, it is great as a communication medium to discuss various issues. Nobody posted comments on my blog so clearly it wasn't a very good communications medium. Although I did get one comment: an advertiser. A very annoying difference between paper journals and weblogs is that bloggers get advertiser's who try to sell you things. But some other students, like the author of arbitrary culture, had real comments posted on their blog which exemplifies how it can be used for public debate.

So to start summing it up ... a paper journal is personal; a blog is public whilst still allowing for personal expresion. A paper journal slow to write; whilst a blog is relatively fast depending on how well you type. Blogs also enable more creative uses than paper journals, which are more suited to personal thoughts and feelings about life. Cyber-journalism, political ranting and online activism are only a few of many uses.

The use of the journal online makes it easier to link your opinion/argument to specific examples online – something that a paper journal doesn’t provide. If you don’t want to define a concept, you just make the word a link to a page that provides a definition of the concept. Paper journals … you have to define it in writing. Blogs have search tools built in to find previous posts: paper journals rely on the reader to flick back through past entries.

I think the differences between paper journals are pretty obvious now huh? I think each to his own, but weblogs are an established, ideal communications medium for anyone on the positive side of the digital divide, especially if you like ranting and raving. Keeping a weblog this semester has been fun now that I look back on it. Even if I did get frustrated at having to do work on it every week. Maybe I'll continue this blog?? I think so :). Bye for now!

This is my dog Zoe by the way, she's reading about copyright laws and digital sampling! Haha how cute is she?!?!?!? Have a good one guys!

The Social Software Revolution ...

The week 12 lecture re-capped on all we have studied this past semester. I'm really glad I went because John filled us in on the most important theories/ideas in our book of readings that are likely to be on our exam ... which I haven't even started to think about.

One small thing that John touched on I found extremely valuable: are new media cultures shaped by technologies or are technologies themselves shaped and reconfigured by social and cultural conditions/contexts? John said that new media cultures are both technological and cultural. I agree with him there. Technologies are continually being shaped for use in the way people/communities want to interact. I don't think that new media cultures are shaped by technology as technology is designed and/or re-invented to 'make easier' person-to-person interaction. Technology and social software provide a platform used to maximise social capital by users, in turn "integrat(ing) the internet further into our everyday lives," as put by good 'ol Terry Flew (2002).

Social software promotes a high level of sustained and effective interaction amongst community members or outside individuals ... just look at MSN, ICQ or WAYN. Social software also refers to wikipedias. "We are entering an era in which informal networks are rivalling the power of hierarchical organisations," stated Flew (2004, p.78). This could not be more true: the results of a Wikipedia vs. Britannica study released not more than 6 months ago revealed that Britannica, the subscription based 'god' of reference books is almost equal in academic error to Wikipedia. Wikipedia undoubtedly has an enormous breadth of topics on its website that are free to users, who even have the option of editing site information if they want. If Britannica and Wikipedia both have a similar average of errors: it says a lot for Britannica's academic advantage doesn't it? Why bother buying Britannica if you can get the information online for free? This is an example of the corporate upheavel that social software is only starting to produce.

In the chat sessions on friday, we talked a little of free internet. EmailAddress.com provides a list of internet servers around the world that provide the internet for free. Can you imagine if this number increased to the point where it threatens corporate giants like Telstra and AOL? Although this website has no listings of completely free access in Australia, I don't think it's far away. But as I've mentioned before, it's just one more thing to increase the problem of the digital divide. The government would only enable free internet access in city areas as there are more people, so people living in outer Brisbane and rural areas miss out.

Activism ... it's not just for hippies anymore

In this blog I intend to explore the opportunities that having access to the internet has provided for activists. I must admitt that I have never participated in a rally or any form of group activism, although I do appreciate the power they may have in influencing political or governmental decisions. It seemed to me that the opportunities to participate in a rally were rare, and when they did occur I never seemed to hear about them. Actually ... I never bothered to find out about them either.

It occurs to me that not everyone is aware of the opportunities technology and internet networking provide for activism. People who are on the positive side of the digital divide have at their fingertips a gateway to worldwide networks. People also have an opportunity for their voices to be heard simply by being connected to the internet. Establishing websites where people can speak out provides a space (albeit virtual) for groups, who do not normally associate with each other, to bond together to create a significant movement.

Unfortunately, not too many Australian organisations exist online to fight political, social or environmental causes. Getup.org is a fairly influential Australian activist website that deals with all matters regarding the government, politics and media policy. The Australian Labour website also lists numerous unions currently fighting for various causes.

Overseas: moveon.org, deportation-class.org and DFA Link are influential websites that have achieved world-wide credibility.

The internet has made it easy for campaigns: by collecting donations online and distributing an emailed newsletter, rather than a printed newletter. This may help to reduce costs for a struggling activist organisation. In addition, the campaign can be funded by online donations, where large amounts of money can be raised at minimal cost.

However, there is a negative to basing a speak out website online. If the website communicates through email newsletters and informs its followers of rallies online, then it alienates a certain sector of the population. This may be elderly people, the poor or the minorities who do not have the internet, or who do not possess the computer literacy skills to use it.

But I just think if you've got something worthwhile to say, be heard! And the internet certainly aids in facilitating that.

Creepy Cultures

So I went to the lecture tonight, and I actually did the reading before the lecture! It was amazing for me that I was actually organised this week! hehehe.

Anyway, to be honest, some of the content relayed in the lecture was based upon was really really useless, obvious information that is pointless, unless they're from another planet and they don't know what the internet is. Hrrmm ... maybe aliens do exist?

A German PHD student was taking the lecture and talked about how in person-to-person interactions people will know who they are ringing if they call someone's mobile phone. Well duh. Even in the reading, Wellman (2001, p.26) talks about how people and places are connected with little social or physical intersection between households, manifested by the need for aeroplane travel, telephones and email in order to keep in touch. Jeez clap clap for captain obvious! What a revolutionary discovery ...

I just don't agree with the quote "reading and responding to the internet is more personally immersive than watching television or talking on the telephone" (Wellman, 2001, p.31). Is it really? Wellman didn't reference that in his article, how does he know that for sure? Did he do a worldwide survey did he? Because I certainly don't agree. I would prefer watching an episode of The Scrubs ON MY PLASMA to chatting in any online community (even the one I did for the assignment), immersing myself in a good war story to reading the newspaper online and talking to a hot guy over the phone rather than in MSN.

Probably the only worthwhile thing I got out of that lecture was when the lecturer described how people who cannot read or who don't have the internet will remain poor in social capital. However, people who are rich in social capital will get even richer as they expand their knowledge with the use of the internet. That point is highly valid because as we progress through time, the digital divide will grow bigger and bigger. We cannot just snap our fingers and provide everyone in third world countries with IT education. Nor can we slow down the rate of development in technology.

One useful point that the reading had was the comparison between past and present social interaction. Making reference to the fact that people used to walk to visit each other and then placing this alongside a description of place-to-place communication, highlights how rapidly technology has evolved over the past 250 years. Especially in the way of communication.

Steering back to the lecture however, MySpace was discussed, which is a social networking site where people can add anyone they like as their 'friend' in order to meet new people who they are socially compatible with. He also showed a video of this man with 9000 myspace friends, even though he didn't know any of them. It was taking the piss out of people who like to meet people online, which was funny but at the same time my sister is one of those people who randomly add people she doesn't know. Hrrmmm ....

But to the point of MySpace: it's used not only by innocent place-to-place communicators, but also sexual predators. I was posting in FanForum the other day in one particular thread about a female pedophile who had been released from jail after 28 counts of sexual assault on a 13yr old boy. She used myspace to set up a way to contact that 13yr old again, and send a message to him on his myspace page.

A nice, creepy thought to finish up with. Sleep tight.

Chit Chat Bang Bang

Hello again, 'tis been a long time since my last post (1 whole week!) but I have been struggling to understand the content discussed in the week 10 reading. The content that is subsequently the topic of this blog.

Protocol is a sticky subject to discuss. At large, "protocol is a type of controlling logic that operates outside institutional, governmental and corporate power" (Galloway, 2004, 132).

In the lecture, John Banks discussed negotiated social protocols (Netiquette) that he defined as "acceptable ways of behaving online." Undeniably, rules and regulations must be enforced in chatrooms, otherwise all kinds of behaviour would occur. Cybersex, offensive language, chatrooms would be flooded and virus' would be easily sent to unsuspecting individuals.

However, you can't regulate communication too much. Having too many rules restricts free expression and debate. So yes, if you are angry at someone you should be able to use CAPS. One annoying experience I encountered when participating in my chosen online community FanForum was that when the conversation thread became too controversial, it was deleted. It wasn't fair! The topic of the thread was gay marriage rights so it was inevitable that conversation would lead to the Catholic Church. As soon as members started to post arguments that the teachings of the church were outdated regarding homosexual couples, the thread was deleted because it was offensive. Well if what is true is offensive then I'm concerned about these rules we are being forced to follow online.

It's worrying enough that just anyone can submit an internet standard, where international bodies decide on what gets established. I'm hoping the people on the selection teams are tough enough on what gets passed and what doesn't.

At first I was against international regulating bodies, but now I'm sitting on the fence as not every website is controlled by international regulations. And I think it should stay that way. For example, the ACMA deals with internet content on Australian based websites (as John spoke briefly of). I just think these international bodies should have responsibility, but no power. Just like the UN's job ... you know what I mean? Responsibility to set standards, but websites can choose whether or not to follow them.

Virtual Community Report

FanForum is an online community for fans of tv shows, female celebrities, male celebrities, movies, music, news and other entertainment. The community is designed for the most obsessive of fans, providing almost 160 message boards covering news & politics, spoilers, fan art, fan fiction, general discussion, role playing games and other entertainment talk. People use the community to gossip about, for example, about their favourite actors or what is happening in their favourite TV shows.

People of all ages belong to FanForum, however I met people who were generally younger (15-30yrs). Members who post regularly have friendships with many people in the community who visit the same boards as they do. Due to the diverse range of topics, users can feel a close connection with other users according to their range of interests.

Members can communicate on the message boards by posting a reply to a thread, or starting a new thread entirely. They can also send messages through a private message system that resembles an email inbox which only registered FanForum members can send messages to. A wide range of information is provided on members profiles. Most users are willing to share their interests and personal information such as their email address, location, birthday, interests and occupation rather than keep it private.

There is certainly no difficulty in determining whether this community is a success or not! The highest record of people online in one thread was 6401 early this year. There are at least 3-4 threads started per day per board, and one only needs to look at the extensive number of message boards available or the friendliness between members to realize that FanForum is a very successful community.

I thoroughly enjoyed communicating in this online community, and believe I will continue long after I have finished this subject. It is amazing that the owner has been able to keep the site running without charging a subscription fee or using advertisements to fund the domain name/space. It's wonderful!!

This link will take you to a thread in FanForum I have posted on about internet pedophilia. My post is #23 (down the bottom).