So...It's time to reflect on my blog and the task of writing one throughout the semester. The reality is that If I didn't choose to Digital Media Culture, then I would never engaged in posting a blog online. I really didn't feel that anything I had to say would be very interesting, and I wasn't ready to deal with the issues that arise from blogs. I didn't want to be stereotyped as one of those people who is egotistical and self absorbed due to having a blog, nor did I want to deal with the backlash that comments I make would recieve. I have seen what people write on youtube and in forums, and it is some seriously harsh and demeaning stuff, and I couldn't be bothered in getting in the arguments online that often occur as people call each other everything under the sun and no one seems to win the argument.
However, after undertaking the blog writing process for this subject, I found it to be a postive experience and one which helped me with the subject overall. By having to write a blog, it made me think about the different topics we dicussed in class and analyse and discuss them. It gave me a deeper understanding and forced me to think of the issues outside of class. Will I be keeping a blog now that the class is over? I doubt it. Maintaing twitter and facebook is enough for me, so I'll probably be retiring my blog now! It's been fun though!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Justin Bieber, Youtube and Accelerating Media
Let's look at Justin Bieber, to some an annoying 16 year old singer with legions and legions of young female fans. However, more importantly, two years ago he became the blue-print for the modern day rise to fame. His talents were discovered via youtube and next thing you knew he was selling millions of albums. It is incredible to think that he rose to fame so quickly thanks to a couple of uploads onto youtube. However, I think we will find that this will become a legitimate avenue for people to travel to become famous and to promote themselves. Trends such as the viral nature of YouTube videos, the ability for memes to spread rapidly through social networking, and the self-referencing and amplifying attention of the major media are all going to help this process.
Accelerating media has brung about viral marketing, self propagating news cycles, internet memes and allows for the free exchange of information via the internet which allows people to spark each other's interests at a speed which has never been seen. This in turn helps the rise to fame by people such as Justin Bieber.
So be on the look out, as the internet and accelerating media trends are only going to get stronger and are going to begin to fund multibillionaire industries and make musicians millionaires over night!
Reference:http://singularityhub.com/2010/03/16/justin-bieber-and-the-rising-importance-of-accelerating-media/
Accelerating media has brung about viral marketing, self propagating news cycles, internet memes and allows for the free exchange of information via the internet which allows people to spark each other's interests at a speed which has never been seen. This in turn helps the rise to fame by people such as Justin Bieber.
So be on the look out, as the internet and accelerating media trends are only going to get stronger and are going to begin to fund multibillionaire industries and make musicians millionaires over night!
Reference:http://singularityhub.com/2010/03/16/justin-bieber-and-the-rising-importance-of-accelerating-media/
Monday, October 11, 2010
Privacy and the Social Media realm
The notion of privacy and what people keep private and what should be discussed in an open forum such as the internet and social media has changed dramatically as of recent times. People now discuss the different issues in their lives and share intimate knowledge and situations, whether it is via their facebook statuses or blogs.
Updating facebook and twitter statuses and feeds, or blogging or commenting on message boards is a way for people to express themselves to others and a way to share their lives with others. Often people will choose to hide their true identities via nicknames and alias as a way of staying anonymous to avoid being caught out. The internet can be seen as an escape, a place where people are able to let out their true feelings without having to do it in front of others, or they may just want to talk about themselves and share information they may feel is entertaining.
Updating statuses on social media sites like facebook or twitter, and commenting and talking on message boards has now become a way for people to express their true feelings and talk about things that they may not feel comfortable discussing in public or face to face. It's almost as if privacy has shifted and that due to this, blogging or expressing feelings over statuses has become almost more private than talking to people face to face.
Updating facebook and twitter statuses and feeds, or blogging or commenting on message boards is a way for people to express themselves to others and a way to share their lives with others. Often people will choose to hide their true identities via nicknames and alias as a way of staying anonymous to avoid being caught out. The internet can be seen as an escape, a place where people are able to let out their true feelings without having to do it in front of others, or they may just want to talk about themselves and share information they may feel is entertaining.
Updating statuses on social media sites like facebook or twitter, and commenting and talking on message boards has now become a way for people to express their true feelings and talk about things that they may not feel comfortable discussing in public or face to face. It's almost as if privacy has shifted and that due to this, blogging or expressing feelings over statuses has become almost more private than talking to people face to face.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Internet, Social Networking and the Future!
After doing the readings from this week, I found it very interesting as to people's thoughts as to whether the internet is going to continue to be a positive thing for the internet or whether it will be a negative thing. The Anderson articles were particularly interesting, as after numerous surveys of technology experts and stakeholders, the majority found that the internet is a positive thing now and will continue to be in the future. The research findings found that the internet will be beneficial, socially, for businesses and for intelligence and education.
I found myself agreeing with these findings, particularly when it comes to social media. I refute the notion that the internet and social media is adversely effecting the way people go about communicating with one another. On the contrary, I believe that the internet has, and will continue to allow for people to rediscover social ties without cost constraints, and will allow for people to easily access people they may not have the time to communicate with in person. It is only going to continue to expand and allow for more access to people, and while it should never replace actual interaction with people, it provides an outlet to communicate when people are unable to in person. I am able to communicate with people overseas who I cannot connect with regularly, without the significant costs of making a phone call, or the time that it takes to write a letter, send it and receive one back.
The internet is, and will continue to be, a very useful tool in communicating, and it is important that it is looked upon in a positive light so expansion of it's capabilities in terms of social media can be made.
I found myself agreeing with these findings, particularly when it comes to social media. I refute the notion that the internet and social media is adversely effecting the way people go about communicating with one another. On the contrary, I believe that the internet has, and will continue to allow for people to rediscover social ties without cost constraints, and will allow for people to easily access people they may not have the time to communicate with in person. It is only going to continue to expand and allow for more access to people, and while it should never replace actual interaction with people, it provides an outlet to communicate when people are unable to in person. I am able to communicate with people overseas who I cannot connect with regularly, without the significant costs of making a phone call, or the time that it takes to write a letter, send it and receive one back.
The internet is, and will continue to be, a very useful tool in communicating, and it is important that it is looked upon in a positive light so expansion of it's capabilities in terms of social media can be made.
Self Revelation and the Idea of Identity..
When looking at personal pages and blogs, there are many reasons as to why people use them. To keep in touch with others, to connect and interact with others, to gain access to news and other information are all reasons as to why people use social networking and personal pages.
However, another reason which I feel is significant is the notion that people want to know, to some extent, whether they are successful in terms of socially. Social status within the confines of a media environment is very important for many in today's society. People want to market their own identity and image, especially in today's society where people are constantly being judged. Many judge people through the internet via pictures, friends, interests and conversations. Therefore, social networking provides a outlet for people to establish themselves and their identity within society.
However, another reason which I feel is significant is the notion that people want to know, to some extent, whether they are successful in terms of socially. Social status within the confines of a media environment is very important for many in today's society. People want to market their own identity and image, especially in today's society where people are constantly being judged. Many judge people through the internet via pictures, friends, interests and conversations. Therefore, social networking provides a outlet for people to establish themselves and their identity within society.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Technology and it's uses
When looking at technology and it's advancements, it is not plausible for it's inventors to foresee exactly what kind of, side effects or advantages and disadvantages that may come out of it. For example, who would have ever predicted that the internet would be used for all the positive things it is today, and who could have ever predicted that it would be used for things such as pornography.
Therefore, there is no telling what certain technologies can be used for, and it is hard for inventor's to determine this. Thus, they cannot be blamed.
Therefore, there is no telling what certain technologies can be used for, and it is hard for inventor's to determine this. Thus, they cannot be blamed.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Privacy
The notion of privacy and social media is one which is prevalent within society today. What is privacy? I view it to be one's personal space, their personal information which they have control over in terms of who can access this information.
With the introduction of things such as social media, privacy and it's boundaries are beginning to change and alter. There is a very visible and distinct cultural shift in relation to privacy with the introduction of new technology and social media. Boundaries which define privacy are continually changing. Privacy is all about social conventions, however with the introduction of social media, often these conventions are being ignored.
To use a recent example which I have experienced, my own privacy was, in a sense, violated in a public forum. I am a regular poster on a basketball message board, and enjoy engaging with other's in relation to the competition I currently compete in. However, some members of the forum found out personal information about me and began to post it online, and it was seen by many people I know. Things I had told others in confidence had been shared in a public forum, and my trust had been broken. For lack of a better way to put it, information I had shared had come back to bite me!
This is just one very real instance of privacy being violated via online conventions, and shows that the notion of privacy is very different from years ago since the introduction of the internet and social media. The message is to be very careful when sharing information, in general life or online, to preserve self esteem and to not have your reputation damaged.
With the introduction of things such as social media, privacy and it's boundaries are beginning to change and alter. There is a very visible and distinct cultural shift in relation to privacy with the introduction of new technology and social media. Boundaries which define privacy are continually changing. Privacy is all about social conventions, however with the introduction of social media, often these conventions are being ignored.
To use a recent example which I have experienced, my own privacy was, in a sense, violated in a public forum. I am a regular poster on a basketball message board, and enjoy engaging with other's in relation to the competition I currently compete in. However, some members of the forum found out personal information about me and began to post it online, and it was seen by many people I know. Things I had told others in confidence had been shared in a public forum, and my trust had been broken. For lack of a better way to put it, information I had shared had come back to bite me!
This is just one very real instance of privacy being violated via online conventions, and shows that the notion of privacy is very different from years ago since the introduction of the internet and social media. The message is to be very careful when sharing information, in general life or online, to preserve self esteem and to not have your reputation damaged.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Gifting
"...Some people distribute several thousand movies and I don’t understand what their driving
force is."
— Henrik Pontén, lawyer
This quote to begin one of the readings this week got me thinking!
As someone who posts songs and movies online so others are able to download them, I wondered why I went to the effort and what I was getting out of doing it. For me personally, I like to share files over P2P programs such as LimeWire so other people can enjoy the music and videos that I enjoy.
I get satisfaction out of knowing that other people are able to experience the same things that I enjoy, and don't do it for any other reason or for my own gains. It feels good to be able to give something without expecting anything in return. So i found the Gifting article by McGee and Skågeby interesting to see the different reasons as to why people "give" over the internet.
force is."
— Henrik Pontén, lawyer
This quote to begin one of the readings this week got me thinking!
As someone who posts songs and movies online so others are able to download them, I wondered why I went to the effort and what I was getting out of doing it. For me personally, I like to share files over P2P programs such as LimeWire so other people can enjoy the music and videos that I enjoy.
I get satisfaction out of knowing that other people are able to experience the same things that I enjoy, and don't do it for any other reason or for my own gains. It feels good to be able to give something without expecting anything in return. So i found the Gifting article by McGee and Skågeby interesting to see the different reasons as to why people "give" over the internet.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Social Media and Lebron James
The use of social media has never been more apparent than in today's society. Almost everyone I know has a facebook site, a twitter account or blog. The notion of social media is one that is talked about reguarly and the phrase "social media" is one which is thrown around regularly, and I like to define it as social instrument of communication which is a two way street where people can produce and consume as much as they like.
What amazes me these days is the prominence of social media. I, like many others I know, reguarly are checking, updating and communicating via Facebook. It is such a significant apart of many lives, and I find myself often checking Facebook to gain insight on news and affairs within society. A recent example was when I was extremely interested in where National Basketball Association basketballer Lebron James was going to sign for the upcoming season. He was a free agent, and was holding a press conference to announce his decision. I was unable to view the press conference due to the fact that I was at work, and thus, instead of listening to the radio, or checking the NBA.com website or ESPN.com website, I chose to check Facebook to see where he decided to sign as I knew people would be making status updates about it.
Naturally, people had been talking about it on their Facebook pages and I was able to be informed that he had signed in Miami. To think of social media as an outlet for news and information a few years ago would have been unheard of, however now you are able to gather news and information through peer to peer networking.
The joys of Facebook!
What amazes me these days is the prominence of social media. I, like many others I know, reguarly are checking, updating and communicating via Facebook. It is such a significant apart of many lives, and I find myself often checking Facebook to gain insight on news and affairs within society. A recent example was when I was extremely interested in where National Basketball Association basketballer Lebron James was going to sign for the upcoming season. He was a free agent, and was holding a press conference to announce his decision. I was unable to view the press conference due to the fact that I was at work, and thus, instead of listening to the radio, or checking the NBA.com website or ESPN.com website, I chose to check Facebook to see where he decided to sign as I knew people would be making status updates about it.
Naturally, people had been talking about it on their Facebook pages and I was able to be informed that he had signed in Miami. To think of social media as an outlet for news and information a few years ago would have been unheard of, however now you are able to gather news and information through peer to peer networking.
The joys of Facebook!
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