Thursday, April 12, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
The Block
Hey people! Following from last post, I have made a mini-comic thingo with the GIF animator. Its called 'The Block', and is made with lego (how strange). This episode is actually kinda sad, and shows that the block isn't all fun and games. Enjoy!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Dear Blog,
I'm so sorry that I have failed you. I haven’t posted for a while after I promised that I would post regularly, the last post was drab, unfortunate, and 0% fun, and even this post isn't going to be anything substantial. However, you will be pleased to know that I have been doing many media-flavoured things, including becoming obsessed with GIF animation, and this Blog will be more colourful. Yes Blog, you know, that type of animation responsible for those annoying web banners and animations! It truly is an art form. Well after Theo's inspiring lecture the other day, I went home, got some freeware and started creating. I've always wanted to do some GIF stuff, but never had the means. Well now I do (for a trial period of 15 days).
My first 'piece' was a profile pic I did for My MySpace. Now Blog, I know you must think I am an exhibitionist to have one of those animated profile pictures (with an emo theme), that only bands and annoying people have - but really I'm not I swear. It’s just that they are so cool-looking; its about the art. Anyway being the non-exhibitionist I am, I went and took lots of photos of myself in a mirror. Then after some experimenting (I maintained concentration for quite a while since I loved doing it), I created my first GIF!
Then, since I was on a roll, and Ness was there on msn, I told her I would be kind enough to make her an animated profile picture, using images on her MySpace. I must note that at this point in time, she hasn't made it her profile picture :(.
The next GIF I made was a photo sampler for Liette, since I haven’t been able to give her all the photos on my camera from ‘the other night’. Ciao bella!
Today Blog, I had an epiphany! What if I combined my love of parody, satire, toilette humour and comics, which I developed at a young age reading so many MAD magazines, with this new found art form? What would happen if I intergrated the 'culture jamming' we heard so much about in ITR? Well the possibilities are endless...
(Ok, its kinda shoddy, but good for a first comedic effort. For about 3 seconds of animation this was a bitch cos’ I had to 'create' the products and the rooms from pre-existing web graphics found in Google images, and some photos I took around my home...So you'd better appreciate it Blog!)
Love, Joel.
I'm so sorry that I have failed you. I haven’t posted for a while after I promised that I would post regularly, the last post was drab, unfortunate, and 0% fun, and even this post isn't going to be anything substantial. However, you will be pleased to know that I have been doing many media-flavoured things, including becoming obsessed with GIF animation, and this Blog will be more colourful. Yes Blog, you know, that type of animation responsible for those annoying web banners and animations! It truly is an art form. Well after Theo's inspiring lecture the other day, I went home, got some freeware and started creating. I've always wanted to do some GIF stuff, but never had the means. Well now I do (for a trial period of 15 days).
My first 'piece' was a profile pic I did for My MySpace. Now Blog, I know you must think I am an exhibitionist to have one of those animated profile pictures (with an emo theme), that only bands and annoying people have - but really I'm not I swear. It’s just that they are so cool-looking; its about the art. Anyway being the non-exhibitionist I am, I went and took lots of photos of myself in a mirror. Then after some experimenting (I maintained concentration for quite a while since I loved doing it), I created my first GIF!
Then, since I was on a roll, and Ness was there on msn, I told her I would be kind enough to make her an animated profile picture, using images on her MySpace. I must note that at this point in time, she hasn't made it her profile picture :(.
The next GIF I made was a photo sampler for Liette, since I haven’t been able to give her all the photos on my camera from ‘the other night’. Ciao bella!
Today Blog, I had an epiphany! What if I combined my love of parody, satire, toilette humour and comics, which I developed at a young age reading so many MAD magazines, with this new found art form? What would happen if I intergrated the 'culture jamming' we heard so much about in ITR? Well the possibilities are endless...
(Ok, its kinda shoddy, but good for a first comedic effort. For about 3 seconds of animation this was a bitch cos’ I had to 'create' the products and the rooms from pre-existing web graphics found in Google images, and some photos I took around my home...So you'd better appreciate it Blog!)
Love, Joel.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Mobile Phone Presentation by Ross and Joel ("... to contibute to the class archive, and interest your peers!")
“What supports ‘Collective Intelligence’ in mobile phone technology?”
Introduction: Mobile Phones and Collective Intelligence.
Mobile phones are an ever expanding technology, and the number of applications mobile technologies can have in society is increasing. The concept of collective intelligence, the ability to tap into vast resources of information, is inherently present in the technology of mobile phones.
Description of the Technology
Mobile phones are portable electronic devices used for personal telecommunications over long distance.
Mobile phones are “extremely sophisticated radios,” that connect to cellular networks at base stations. It is then interconnected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
As Ling points out;
“…Mobile telephony has grown from being a rather ponderous and awkward system to being an easily transported part of everyday life.”
Yuki Noguchi describes the increasing popularity in mobile camera phones, and described the emerging prominence of mobile phones in society; and how;
“Wireless companies have recently started offering video camcorders on their phones that can nearly instantly transmit moving pictures over e-mail or onto the Internet.”
Uses and implications of mobile phone technology; information-sharing, entertainment and social practices.
Obviously a technology as versatile as the mobile phone has extensive uses. Information-sharing is an integral function of the mobile phone.
A prominent example of mobile phones demonstrating an ability to convey information and support the concept of a collective intelligence was the bombings in London’s underground train system on the 7th of July 2005. Not long after the event the BBC was able to produce video footage, eyewitness accounts, and photography relating to the event on its television news service. James Owen of the National Geographic News highlighted that:
“The BBC said it received around 30 video clips from members of the public …TV news channels, meanwhile, aired cell phone video footage within half an hour of the explosions.”
In this instance mobile phones (featuring SMS and picture-messaging) were used by some members of the public to contribute to a collective intelligence, which in turn was available to other members of the public via their mobile phone web browsers and news feeds from the BBC.
Of course information sharing can take many forms. As Sean Coughlan of the BBC commented, the British elections in 2005 utilized mobile technology to distribute results.
Also, days after Saddam Hussein was hanged, mobile phone images and videos were all over the web, which was very controversial.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6225337.stm
However, not only current affairs can be shared, and many other information services are available on mobile phones, including sporting results, bus and train timetables, and email. For example, cities like London Helsinki, and Finland now offer train tickets sent directly to the mobile phone. Hopes are to shorten ques for tickets and it is quicker and more convenient.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/6079608.stm
This leads into the entertainment aspects of mobile phones. Recently LG released its ‘chocolate’ handset, which encompasses all of the entertainment capabilities of most new mobile models. The many functions of mobile phones for the entertainment, present in LG’s model, include:
• MP3 and midi playback
• Internet browser with JAVA
• Game capability.
• Radio
Models such as the Nokia Engage took mobile entertainment to a new level, enabling the user to purchase game cartridges for the phone. Apple’s iPhone integrates apple’s popular iPod product into the handset, further demonstrating how entertainment is becoming intertwined with the concept of the mobile phone.
The mobile phone has also, to an extent, shaped contemporary social interaction, and its development. It has created new social practices and behaviours relating to:
• Interpersonal Situations; Ling highlighted; “The mobile phone intrudes into the complex web of interactions, and it demands that they be rearranged” (Ling pp.130)
• Changing of language
• instant communication, social networking
• Security, belief that mobile phones provide security
• Making the world smaller
• Time management, and the ability to, as Ling articulated, “soften schedules”;
Aspects of technology supporting practices
Technological features of mobile phones such as built-in camera and microphones to record and play, video, images and photos, enable the capture of information. Transmission is then facilitated by;
• SMS (short message service)
• MMS (Media message service),
• WAP (Mobile internet access technology),
• 3G video calls,
• Regular phone calls.
These allow captured information to be distributed, for example to the BBC, where it is in turn broadcast to a larger audience. Yuki Noguchi of the Washington post reiterated this;
“The availability of the cameras, combined with the ability to transmit pictures and text instantaneously, is enabling the world to view news with nearly the immediacy of a victim or eyewitness.”
How easy is it to use such technologies?
For the digital natives, it seems that the use of mobile phone technology is an easy task, as they have grown up witnessing and experiencing the development of the technology. Mobile phone companies such as Nokia integrate a series of menus, commands and shortcuts, into their phones, to create a user interface that is as easy to use as possible. However, for digital emigrants, the mastering of mobile phones may be a more challenging task, as it means adapting to, and learning about new ways of manipulating and using technology; this can be difficult despite how ‘easy’ mobile phone production companies attempt to make their handsets.
Reference List
BBC News, Train firm to issue phone tickets, viewed 20 March 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/6079608.stm
BBC News 2007, New unofficial Saddam video posted, viewed 20 March 2007,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6243747.stm
Brian, M, Layton, J, Tyson, J, How Cell Phones Work, viewed 20 March 2007,
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone.htm
Coughlan, S 2005, The First Mobile Phone Election, viewed 19 March 2007,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4457723.stm
Hirst, M, Harrison, J 2007, Communication and New Media, Oxford University Press,
Melbourne Victoria, Australia, pp. 258-259
Ling, R 2004, The Mobile Connection, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, San Francisco, U.S.A., pp. 11, 130, 69.
Noguchi, Y 2005, Camera Phones Lend Immediacy to Images of Disaster, viewed 18 March 2007, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070701522.html
Owen, J 2005, London Bombing Pictures Mark New Role for Camera Phones, viewed 18 March 2007, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0711_050711_londoncell.html
Wikipedia, Mobile Phones, viewed 20 March 2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Phones
Introduction: Mobile Phones and Collective Intelligence.
Mobile phones are an ever expanding technology, and the number of applications mobile technologies can have in society is increasing. The concept of collective intelligence, the ability to tap into vast resources of information, is inherently present in the technology of mobile phones.
Description of the Technology
Mobile phones are portable electronic devices used for personal telecommunications over long distance.
Mobile phones are “extremely sophisticated radios,” that connect to cellular networks at base stations. It is then interconnected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
As Ling points out;
“…Mobile telephony has grown from being a rather ponderous and awkward system to being an easily transported part of everyday life.”
Yuki Noguchi describes the increasing popularity in mobile camera phones, and described the emerging prominence of mobile phones in society; and how;
“Wireless companies have recently started offering video camcorders on their phones that can nearly instantly transmit moving pictures over e-mail or onto the Internet.”
Uses and implications of mobile phone technology; information-sharing, entertainment and social practices.
Obviously a technology as versatile as the mobile phone has extensive uses. Information-sharing is an integral function of the mobile phone.
A prominent example of mobile phones demonstrating an ability to convey information and support the concept of a collective intelligence was the bombings in London’s underground train system on the 7th of July 2005. Not long after the event the BBC was able to produce video footage, eyewitness accounts, and photography relating to the event on its television news service. James Owen of the National Geographic News highlighted that:
“The BBC said it received around 30 video clips from members of the public …TV news channels, meanwhile, aired cell phone video footage within half an hour of the explosions.”
In this instance mobile phones (featuring SMS and picture-messaging) were used by some members of the public to contribute to a collective intelligence, which in turn was available to other members of the public via their mobile phone web browsers and news feeds from the BBC.
Of course information sharing can take many forms. As Sean Coughlan of the BBC commented, the British elections in 2005 utilized mobile technology to distribute results.
Also, days after Saddam Hussein was hanged, mobile phone images and videos were all over the web, which was very controversial.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6225337.stm
However, not only current affairs can be shared, and many other information services are available on mobile phones, including sporting results, bus and train timetables, and email. For example, cities like London Helsinki, and Finland now offer train tickets sent directly to the mobile phone. Hopes are to shorten ques for tickets and it is quicker and more convenient.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/6079608.stm
This leads into the entertainment aspects of mobile phones. Recently LG released its ‘chocolate’ handset, which encompasses all of the entertainment capabilities of most new mobile models. The many functions of mobile phones for the entertainment, present in LG’s model, include:
• MP3 and midi playback
• Internet browser with JAVA
• Game capability.
• Radio
Models such as the Nokia Engage took mobile entertainment to a new level, enabling the user to purchase game cartridges for the phone. Apple’s iPhone integrates apple’s popular iPod product into the handset, further demonstrating how entertainment is becoming intertwined with the concept of the mobile phone.
The mobile phone has also, to an extent, shaped contemporary social interaction, and its development. It has created new social practices and behaviours relating to:
• Interpersonal Situations; Ling highlighted; “The mobile phone intrudes into the complex web of interactions, and it demands that they be rearranged” (Ling pp.130)
• Changing of language
• instant communication, social networking
• Security, belief that mobile phones provide security
• Making the world smaller
• Time management, and the ability to, as Ling articulated, “soften schedules”;
Aspects of technology supporting practices
Technological features of mobile phones such as built-in camera and microphones to record and play, video, images and photos, enable the capture of information. Transmission is then facilitated by;
• SMS (short message service)
• MMS (Media message service),
• WAP (Mobile internet access technology),
• 3G video calls,
• Regular phone calls.
These allow captured information to be distributed, for example to the BBC, where it is in turn broadcast to a larger audience. Yuki Noguchi of the Washington post reiterated this;
“The availability of the cameras, combined with the ability to transmit pictures and text instantaneously, is enabling the world to view news with nearly the immediacy of a victim or eyewitness.”
How easy is it to use such technologies?
For the digital natives, it seems that the use of mobile phone technology is an easy task, as they have grown up witnessing and experiencing the development of the technology. Mobile phone companies such as Nokia integrate a series of menus, commands and shortcuts, into their phones, to create a user interface that is as easy to use as possible. However, for digital emigrants, the mastering of mobile phones may be a more challenging task, as it means adapting to, and learning about new ways of manipulating and using technology; this can be difficult despite how ‘easy’ mobile phone production companies attempt to make their handsets.
Reference List
BBC News, Train firm to issue phone tickets, viewed 20 March 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/6079608.stm
BBC News 2007, New unofficial Saddam video posted, viewed 20 March 2007,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6243747.stm
Brian, M, Layton, J, Tyson, J, How Cell Phones Work, viewed 20 March 2007,
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone.htm
Coughlan, S 2005, The First Mobile Phone Election, viewed 19 March 2007,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4457723.stm
Hirst, M, Harrison, J 2007, Communication and New Media, Oxford University Press,
Melbourne Victoria, Australia, pp. 258-259
Ling, R 2004, The Mobile Connection, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, San Francisco, U.S.A., pp. 11, 130, 69.
Noguchi, Y 2005, Camera Phones Lend Immediacy to Images of Disaster, viewed 18 March 2007, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070701522.html
Owen, J 2005, London Bombing Pictures Mark New Role for Camera Phones, viewed 18 March 2007, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0711_050711_londoncell.html
Wikipedia, Mobile Phones, viewed 20 March 2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Phones
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Four Things.
A thing. When one wishes to refer to their MySpace, should they say for instance “The thing is on MySpace”, or “You can view the thing on my MySpace”? Ok so it’s only a subtle difference; yet it still interests me. To me the former seems rather clumsy (my, my, my, MySpace) the latter more appropriate, simple, with parsimony.
The way we refer to MySpace may seem like a miniscule and trivial thing to ponder and investigate. However, after thinking about this in detail, and having discussed it with friends; many curious issues arise. This first relates to the term itself and what it means. The reason why the most elegant solution, simply referring to your section of MySpace as ‘MySpace’, is also the most invalid solution is because the term is ambiguous and simply untrue. MySpace is the brand, the logo, the trademark. To what extent is your MySpace actually your own personal area, with which you can do what you wish?
Everyone’s MySpace is essentially the same. Everyone has boxes or sections of information and/or photos and other media, with links to other information photos and/or other media. Everyone’s MySpace has advertising around it. I don’t want that in my MySpace but its there; despite the fact that it’s not MyAdvertisting. While I can select a layout for my MySpace, I am essentially limited to the same layout of certain boxes and windows, and if I am unfamiliar with HTML I am restricted even further. I could choose a layout from a MySpace pimpin’ site, and feel content that I chose it and that it represents me, but then I don’t know that Bobby Bob along with a thousand other people around the world have also picked that layout. And if I custom design it, I still have to have certain things, and pick certain colours, and I can’t avoid advertising the MySpace pimpin’ site dumps into the ‘about me’ section. Thus, while the makers of MySpace intended for users such as I to refer to their MySpaces as simply MySpace, they can’t. I can only refer to my MySpace as just that; it isn’t just MySpace because MySpace the entire company; it dictates how I must present and operate it.
I also think this demonstrates how new technology eventually alters social interaction and communication. As new technology emerges, society is constantly confronted with new terms such as “MySpace” to incorporate into its own vernacular, and witnesses changes in behaviour and social interaction due to technology.
On one level, technology changes language, and alters behaviour in that way. Everyday I use letters to communicate entire words in SMS messages, because it saves time and energy which I need to write this crap. Similarly the words ‘blog’ and ‘podcast’ change our behaviour because they exist and we discuss them, and use them in everyday speech.
On another level, technology actually alters social interaction. Have you noticed how people might get angry with you if you don’t reply to a SMS or an email, or even a MySpace comment? It’s almost as if one must act a certain way in the cyber world in order to succeed socially in the real world. Seemingly both worlds are merging to the point where a particular action or behaviour in one has an impact on the other. Recently we discussed this in tut, and I thought, yeah….yeah, viva the revolution! Why should technology determine my behaviour!?
But then I realised it’s becoming unavoidable. Once I’ve integrated myself into the system of mobile phones and internet chats, it is almost impossible to get out. Upon each technological appendage I attach to my lifestyle, I develop a new dependency, and it becomes riskier in a social sense to simply 'bail out'. If I threw away my mobile phone people would get pissed off because they might want to contact me, and now I’ve inconvenienced them. Maybe there should be rules, or a code of conduct or something, about how we should behave in the digital world.
A second thing. The other day my mum said to me, “I want to set up a blog”. “Ok” I said, “So what purpose shall this blog serve?”. “I’m not sure…what is a blog?”. Immediately a significant flaw in the plan instantly arose. How could we move past the planning stage, of the blog, if the actual meaning of the buzzword was not familiar to all parties involved? An emerging trend seems to be that digital emigrants want to emigrate…now. Recently I have encountered several friends whose parents have created their own MySpaces. Furthermore mother and daughter might share the same friends on MySpace. Gwen’s mum adds Gwen’s friends, Gwen’s friends think its cool that Gwen’s mum has a MySpace, and interact with her and so on, much to the dismay of Gwen!
But does Gwen’s mum actually want to learn about new technology, or just keep tabs on Gwen? Is it a case of simply using the technology because its there, its in the moment, and it’s a fad. If this isolated case became a widespread phenomenon, I dare say MySpace would die from a severe loss of ‘cool’. But having to adopt and adapt to new technology will be eventually unavoidable for digital emigrants. Personally I think that it’s quite neat when people go outside of their comfort zone, going forth to prosume! (pf!)
A third (random) thing. I am ignorant and uninformed in a lot of computing areas, but one thing in particular troubles my little head. When (not if, when!) Windows crashes and Windows prepares an “error report”, what is the significance of this? If I choose to send Microsoft an error report what actually happens? Does it go to the desk of some caffeine-addicted sleep-deprived programmer, whose sole function within the corporation is to solve the problems that are brought to light by so many “error reports” that bombard him from the myriad of proverbial pneumatic tubes that descend upon his workspace, eventually engulfing him in millions of small proverbial plastic containers containing “error reports”? Does anyone actually bother to click on the option to send the report? Who are these people? Are these people who harbour a pressing desire to work at Microsoft, because they managed to ‘hack’ iTunes on their brother’s Dell yesterday, and think they are Radical? Do I continue to be provided with the option to send an error report, because people like me refuse to send the error report out of anger, in turn failing to initiate the process whereby caffeine-addicted programmers resolve the issue which prompts the creation of the error report in the first place?
A fourth and final thing. So the stoush between Viacom and Youtube continues. Apparently if Viacom win the upcoming case in the US against Youtube, it will mean a lot of dosh for Viacom, and a lot less dosh for Youtube and other internet institutions that function like Youtube. But I do have to give credit to MTV, and give them credit for having created an industry out of promotional music videos, because it has meant that some awesome music videos have been made.
On 20 to 1 the other night, Bert counted down the 20 'Amazing Moments in Music', in which they counted down the most influential, and amazing music videos. Oh and by the way (I feel a tangent coming on), who decides what crap goes on that program anyway? I’m sorry, but when was the national referendum which determined what should be proclaimed the most ‘Amazing Moment in Music’, held? I missed that, and now I can only see a corporation dictating what is and was cool, via a cheesy countdown-style nostalgia show – it must be the binary opposite of prosumer media. Yes, Channel Nine’s 20 to 1 is a fascist institution; the media’s answer to Mussolini.
But anyway this leads me to my next observation; that there was not one single White Stripes video in the countdown, WTF!? The White Stripes have the most brilliantly original music videos I have ever seen. This merely consolidates the belief that 20-to-one is second to all. This was the countdown:
· 20. If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
· 19. Weapon of Choice - Fatboy Slim
· 18. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan (Mediate - INXS)
· 17. Let's Get Physical - Olivia Newton-John
· 16. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
· 15. ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
· 14. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis
· 13. Close to Me - The Cure
· 12. You Can't Touch This - M.C. Hammer
· 11. Freedom - George Michael
· 10. Get Back - Beatles (U2 - Streets Have No Name)
· 9. Rock DJ - Robbie Williams
· 8. Take on Me - A-HA
· 7. Girls on Film - Duran Duran
· 6. Addicted to Love (Simply Irresistible) - Robert Palmer
· 5. Like a Prayer - Madonna
· 4. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
· 3. Come Into My World - Kylie Minogue
· 2. Thriller - Michael Jackson
· 1. Sledge Hammer - Peter Gabriel
http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=252899
Well anyway, the White Stripes rock, and their videos are amazing moments.
The way we refer to MySpace may seem like a miniscule and trivial thing to ponder and investigate. However, after thinking about this in detail, and having discussed it with friends; many curious issues arise. This first relates to the term itself and what it means. The reason why the most elegant solution, simply referring to your section of MySpace as ‘MySpace’, is also the most invalid solution is because the term is ambiguous and simply untrue. MySpace is the brand, the logo, the trademark. To what extent is your MySpace actually your own personal area, with which you can do what you wish?
Everyone’s MySpace is essentially the same. Everyone has boxes or sections of information and/or photos and other media, with links to other information photos and/or other media. Everyone’s MySpace has advertising around it. I don’t want that in my MySpace but its there; despite the fact that it’s not MyAdvertisting. While I can select a layout for my MySpace, I am essentially limited to the same layout of certain boxes and windows, and if I am unfamiliar with HTML I am restricted even further. I could choose a layout from a MySpace pimpin’ site, and feel content that I chose it and that it represents me, but then I don’t know that Bobby Bob along with a thousand other people around the world have also picked that layout. And if I custom design it, I still have to have certain things, and pick certain colours, and I can’t avoid advertising the MySpace pimpin’ site dumps into the ‘about me’ section. Thus, while the makers of MySpace intended for users such as I to refer to their MySpaces as simply MySpace, they can’t. I can only refer to my MySpace as just that; it isn’t just MySpace because MySpace the entire company; it dictates how I must present and operate it.
I also think this demonstrates how new technology eventually alters social interaction and communication. As new technology emerges, society is constantly confronted with new terms such as “MySpace” to incorporate into its own vernacular, and witnesses changes in behaviour and social interaction due to technology.
On one level, technology changes language, and alters behaviour in that way. Everyday I use letters to communicate entire words in SMS messages, because it saves time and energy which I need to write this crap. Similarly the words ‘blog’ and ‘podcast’ change our behaviour because they exist and we discuss them, and use them in everyday speech.
On another level, technology actually alters social interaction. Have you noticed how people might get angry with you if you don’t reply to a SMS or an email, or even a MySpace comment? It’s almost as if one must act a certain way in the cyber world in order to succeed socially in the real world. Seemingly both worlds are merging to the point where a particular action or behaviour in one has an impact on the other. Recently we discussed this in tut, and I thought, yeah….yeah, viva the revolution! Why should technology determine my behaviour!?
But then I realised it’s becoming unavoidable. Once I’ve integrated myself into the system of mobile phones and internet chats, it is almost impossible to get out. Upon each technological appendage I attach to my lifestyle, I develop a new dependency, and it becomes riskier in a social sense to simply 'bail out'. If I threw away my mobile phone people would get pissed off because they might want to contact me, and now I’ve inconvenienced them. Maybe there should be rules, or a code of conduct or something, about how we should behave in the digital world.
A second thing. The other day my mum said to me, “I want to set up a blog”. “Ok” I said, “So what purpose shall this blog serve?”. “I’m not sure…what is a blog?”. Immediately a significant flaw in the plan instantly arose. How could we move past the planning stage, of the blog, if the actual meaning of the buzzword was not familiar to all parties involved? An emerging trend seems to be that digital emigrants want to emigrate…now. Recently I have encountered several friends whose parents have created their own MySpaces. Furthermore mother and daughter might share the same friends on MySpace. Gwen’s mum adds Gwen’s friends, Gwen’s friends think its cool that Gwen’s mum has a MySpace, and interact with her and so on, much to the dismay of Gwen!
But does Gwen’s mum actually want to learn about new technology, or just keep tabs on Gwen? Is it a case of simply using the technology because its there, its in the moment, and it’s a fad. If this isolated case became a widespread phenomenon, I dare say MySpace would die from a severe loss of ‘cool’. But having to adopt and adapt to new technology will be eventually unavoidable for digital emigrants. Personally I think that it’s quite neat when people go outside of their comfort zone, going forth to prosume! (pf!)
A third (random) thing. I am ignorant and uninformed in a lot of computing areas, but one thing in particular troubles my little head. When (not if, when!) Windows crashes and Windows prepares an “error report”, what is the significance of this? If I choose to send Microsoft an error report what actually happens? Does it go to the desk of some caffeine-addicted sleep-deprived programmer, whose sole function within the corporation is to solve the problems that are brought to light by so many “error reports” that bombard him from the myriad of proverbial pneumatic tubes that descend upon his workspace, eventually engulfing him in millions of small proverbial plastic containers containing “error reports”? Does anyone actually bother to click on the option to send the report? Who are these people? Are these people who harbour a pressing desire to work at Microsoft, because they managed to ‘hack’ iTunes on their brother’s Dell yesterday, and think they are Radical? Do I continue to be provided with the option to send an error report, because people like me refuse to send the error report out of anger, in turn failing to initiate the process whereby caffeine-addicted programmers resolve the issue which prompts the creation of the error report in the first place?
A fourth and final thing. So the stoush between Viacom and Youtube continues. Apparently if Viacom win the upcoming case in the US against Youtube, it will mean a lot of dosh for Viacom, and a lot less dosh for Youtube and other internet institutions that function like Youtube. But I do have to give credit to MTV, and give them credit for having created an industry out of promotional music videos, because it has meant that some awesome music videos have been made.
On 20 to 1 the other night, Bert counted down the 20 'Amazing Moments in Music', in which they counted down the most influential, and amazing music videos. Oh and by the way (I feel a tangent coming on), who decides what crap goes on that program anyway? I’m sorry, but when was the national referendum which determined what should be proclaimed the most ‘Amazing Moment in Music’, held? I missed that, and now I can only see a corporation dictating what is and was cool, via a cheesy countdown-style nostalgia show – it must be the binary opposite of prosumer media. Yes, Channel Nine’s 20 to 1 is a fascist institution; the media’s answer to Mussolini.
But anyway this leads me to my next observation; that there was not one single White Stripes video in the countdown, WTF!? The White Stripes have the most brilliantly original music videos I have ever seen. This merely consolidates the belief that 20-to-one is second to all. This was the countdown:
· 20. If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
· 19. Weapon of Choice - Fatboy Slim
· 18. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan (Mediate - INXS)
· 17. Let's Get Physical - Olivia Newton-John
· 16. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
· 15. ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
· 14. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis
· 13. Close to Me - The Cure
· 12. You Can't Touch This - M.C. Hammer
· 11. Freedom - George Michael
· 10. Get Back - Beatles (U2 - Streets Have No Name)
· 9. Rock DJ - Robbie Williams
· 8. Take on Me - A-HA
· 7. Girls on Film - Duran Duran
· 6. Addicted to Love (Simply Irresistible) - Robert Palmer
· 5. Like a Prayer - Madonna
· 4. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
· 3. Come Into My World - Kylie Minogue
· 2. Thriller - Michael Jackson
· 1. Sledge Hammer - Peter Gabriel
http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=252899
Well anyway, the White Stripes rock, and their videos are amazing moments.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
In medias res.
1) Invasion of the “Digital Natives”
Apparently I ‘m a ‘digital native’. I didn’t know it until yesterday, but that’s what I am. Those on the other side of an apparently vast generational divide, who must actively seek out the tools so readily at the disposal of the digital natives, are classed as the ‘digital emigrants’. It is highly likely that your parents fall into the latter category; mine certainly do (heck I can send a sms, whilst my parents despise the thought of even turning on a mobile phone!). Regardless, this is my life now; I sense a new frontier approaching after having the realisation that I belong to the digital native tribe.
But what the flichen is a digital native really? It is true that I and my digitally native colleagues have been presented with a textbook definition of what it means to be a digital native. However, I suppose I have only to observe my own behaviour to discover what it really means to be classified as a digital native. Today in the Introduction to Media tutorial we were told that one simple method of creating a ‘professional portfolio’ would be to buy a small book and fill it out with our thoughts and observations from our daily immersion in the big splashy realm of the media. Despite this, I thought it would be easier to start a blog rather than use a more traditional medium. My parents don’t get blogs,; and as such find them relatively inaccessible. Case closed; divide observed.
Hence from this point on I shall attempt to maintain a blog that not only record aspects of my life, but also the lives of others, and their representation in the media, as well as other occurrences in the media that I find particularly interesting or intriguing. Whilst I believe there is a distinct elegance in utilising a medium to discuss the issues of that medium, in this case the internet, I will not restrict my blog to a discussion of the purely ‘digital’, and I’ll try to record aspects of print, television, radio and myriad other forms. Yay for the prosumer, viva the presentational, and Horay for professional development peoples!
2) Curious Rabbit Hole.
The ‘media’, in a general sense, encompasses an immense landscape. The internet, I believe, is emerging as its most predominant landmark, yet paradoxically as it develops and becomes more familiar to more and more people, it becomes stranger and stranger.
Recently Viacom, a parent company to MTV challenged Youtube in a bid to have the site remove all content originating from the music channel, or any of its other subsidiaries. Now to me Youtube represents free media; a shift from members of the community acting as consumers toward being ‘prosumers’; media by the people for the people….or whatever. However, as Youtube has progressed from an infantile website, into a highly publicised and popular cyber destination, it has regressed in its ability to provide freedom, and its boundaries have become more solidly defined. This is horrible, because for a long time I enjoyed watching MTV’s animated sitcom Daria on Youtube, which is not currently available on DVD in Australia. Now obviously MTV won, and rightly so; Daria and other material have been removed, yet I find this quite ironic. While MTV attacked Youtube, due to a lack of licensing to its content, it failed to provide a DVD of Daria and thus fill the void it has created by scolding Youtube’s presentation of the program. A DVD release is stalled by the licensing problems associated with the music it borrowed over the years to complement the show’s wonderful animation and dialogue. Is MTV practising what it preaches?
On another note, some things that have saddened, yet have also intrigued me recently, are the tragic events surrounding Carly Ryan’s death, and how these events have influenced and have been influenced by the internet. The story has been covered extensively by various digital print websites including ABC; http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1854715.htm.
One interesting element is the negligence of the mainstream media, and the current coverage of the issue itself. Brandishing labels such as ‘emo’ and ‘goth’, the mass media has extensively utilised Carly’s Myspace to construct an image of her. It would seem that the mass media believes Carly’s online existence and real existence were indistinguishable, and that for much of the media, Carly provided a definitive depiction of herself through Myspace.
Undoubtedly legal proceedings will eventually arise from the current investigations. To what extent then, will the current actions of the media hinder the course of justice in the future? Does the media have a responsibility to provide a more balanced representation, that does not focus predominantly on an identity created (and I use this deliberately as one does literally create their identity on Myspace) on the internet?
Seemingly, Carly’s Myspace has emerged as an important tool is ascertaining who was involved with her death, and much emphasis has been placed on this source of information in the media. However, I would imagine that police involved in the investigation, or journalists tracking the story would be immensely frustrated by the extensive control of information Myspace users possess. For example, I have read several times on various news sites remarks such as the following;
“… Most of those MySpace sites - which pay tribute to Carly and could potentially hold vital clues to investigating detectives - have been blocked by their creators to everyone but her tight-knit group of friends.”
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21272701-5006301,00.html
And…
“The blocked profiles have become an obstacle for detectives, who believe the pages could possibly hold vital clues.”
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=228930
Is this a subtle cue from the media for Myspace users to alter the accessibility of their profiles? It is quite possible that this is yet another example of an emerging social divide, and the influence of ‘digital revolutions’. For many digital natives and informed digital emigrants Myspace is a world of its own, with rules and laws of its own; that can obviously be misunderstood and misinterpreted by uninformed digital emigrants. If someone sets a profile to private – it is private! The law of our material world does not pervade this virtual world and hence police cannot easily open these avenues of inquiry, as they would in a normal case. Perhaps we are beginning to see the implications of the digitalisation of social interaction, and perhaps the digital emigrants will have to adapt to this ever-changing landscape, developing new methods of penetrating the new virtual barriers that guard information, within this landscape, that have not previously existed.
Apparently I ‘m a ‘digital native’. I didn’t know it until yesterday, but that’s what I am. Those on the other side of an apparently vast generational divide, who must actively seek out the tools so readily at the disposal of the digital natives, are classed as the ‘digital emigrants’. It is highly likely that your parents fall into the latter category; mine certainly do (heck I can send a sms, whilst my parents despise the thought of even turning on a mobile phone!). Regardless, this is my life now; I sense a new frontier approaching after having the realisation that I belong to the digital native tribe.
But what the flichen is a digital native really? It is true that I and my digitally native colleagues have been presented with a textbook definition of what it means to be a digital native. However, I suppose I have only to observe my own behaviour to discover what it really means to be classified as a digital native. Today in the Introduction to Media tutorial we were told that one simple method of creating a ‘professional portfolio’ would be to buy a small book and fill it out with our thoughts and observations from our daily immersion in the big splashy realm of the media. Despite this, I thought it would be easier to start a blog rather than use a more traditional medium. My parents don’t get blogs,; and as such find them relatively inaccessible. Case closed; divide observed.
Hence from this point on I shall attempt to maintain a blog that not only record aspects of my life, but also the lives of others, and their representation in the media, as well as other occurrences in the media that I find particularly interesting or intriguing. Whilst I believe there is a distinct elegance in utilising a medium to discuss the issues of that medium, in this case the internet, I will not restrict my blog to a discussion of the purely ‘digital’, and I’ll try to record aspects of print, television, radio and myriad other forms. Yay for the prosumer, viva the presentational, and Horay for professional development peoples!
2) Curious Rabbit Hole.
The ‘media’, in a general sense, encompasses an immense landscape. The internet, I believe, is emerging as its most predominant landmark, yet paradoxically as it develops and becomes more familiar to more and more people, it becomes stranger and stranger.
Recently Viacom, a parent company to MTV challenged Youtube in a bid to have the site remove all content originating from the music channel, or any of its other subsidiaries. Now to me Youtube represents free media; a shift from members of the community acting as consumers toward being ‘prosumers’; media by the people for the people….or whatever. However, as Youtube has progressed from an infantile website, into a highly publicised and popular cyber destination, it has regressed in its ability to provide freedom, and its boundaries have become more solidly defined. This is horrible, because for a long time I enjoyed watching MTV’s animated sitcom Daria on Youtube, which is not currently available on DVD in Australia. Now obviously MTV won, and rightly so; Daria and other material have been removed, yet I find this quite ironic. While MTV attacked Youtube, due to a lack of licensing to its content, it failed to provide a DVD of Daria and thus fill the void it has created by scolding Youtube’s presentation of the program. A DVD release is stalled by the licensing problems associated with the music it borrowed over the years to complement the show’s wonderful animation and dialogue. Is MTV practising what it preaches?
On another note, some things that have saddened, yet have also intrigued me recently, are the tragic events surrounding Carly Ryan’s death, and how these events have influenced and have been influenced by the internet. The story has been covered extensively by various digital print websites including ABC; http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1854715.htm.
One interesting element is the negligence of the mainstream media, and the current coverage of the issue itself. Brandishing labels such as ‘emo’ and ‘goth’, the mass media has extensively utilised Carly’s Myspace to construct an image of her. It would seem that the mass media believes Carly’s online existence and real existence were indistinguishable, and that for much of the media, Carly provided a definitive depiction of herself through Myspace.
Undoubtedly legal proceedings will eventually arise from the current investigations. To what extent then, will the current actions of the media hinder the course of justice in the future? Does the media have a responsibility to provide a more balanced representation, that does not focus predominantly on an identity created (and I use this deliberately as one does literally create their identity on Myspace) on the internet?
Seemingly, Carly’s Myspace has emerged as an important tool is ascertaining who was involved with her death, and much emphasis has been placed on this source of information in the media. However, I would imagine that police involved in the investigation, or journalists tracking the story would be immensely frustrated by the extensive control of information Myspace users possess. For example, I have read several times on various news sites remarks such as the following;
“… Most of those MySpace sites - which pay tribute to Carly and could potentially hold vital clues to investigating detectives - have been blocked by their creators to everyone but her tight-knit group of friends.”
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21272701-5006301,00.html
And…
“The blocked profiles have become an obstacle for detectives, who believe the pages could possibly hold vital clues.”
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=228930
Is this a subtle cue from the media for Myspace users to alter the accessibility of their profiles? It is quite possible that this is yet another example of an emerging social divide, and the influence of ‘digital revolutions’. For many digital natives and informed digital emigrants Myspace is a world of its own, with rules and laws of its own; that can obviously be misunderstood and misinterpreted by uninformed digital emigrants. If someone sets a profile to private – it is private! The law of our material world does not pervade this virtual world and hence police cannot easily open these avenues of inquiry, as they would in a normal case. Perhaps we are beginning to see the implications of the digitalisation of social interaction, and perhaps the digital emigrants will have to adapt to this ever-changing landscape, developing new methods of penetrating the new virtual barriers that guard information, within this landscape, that have not previously existed.
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