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.