Well, this is my last blog a bit sad really isnt it! Did we end up forming a community? well not quite but a damn good network and some awesome revision notes to read through!! anyways onto the task at hand!
SELF and CYBORG:
As there was only Myself, Kat and Eugene actually in the seminar on the thursday i thought i would help you all out and share what we were discussing, well as much as i can remember!
So in the lecture we were talking about RFID implants and there different uses as a 'tagging' type system which could store things like medical history and of course the great Starbucks example where human interaction becomes minimal (a future that would mean I'm too busy to order a meal or swipe my eftpos card is a scary one).
This example became so ingrained in my head that i actually ended up having a dream that night where i walked into a shop and was looking at a dress and they instantly took the money out of my credit card (stored on my RFID chip) without me asking I didn't even want it!! and no i didn't make this up as sad as it may be I actually dreamt it! Thanks to Erika it seems I'm subconsciously harbouring a fear of the cybotic future!
Anyways back to the seminar... we discussed that the thought of an actual implant wasn't really up our ally so we settled on an ID type card that would store this information.. but which information were we happy to share?
Firstly we decided (after Eugene suggested it) that we should have two different accounts on the card kinda like a cheque and a savings,
One would have information like loyalty programme, Drivers license details incl WOF and Registration, doner details, Next of Kin, bus pass, train pass etc
The other would contain medical history, address information, email address, phone number- more personal things that you dont want everyone to read
there would be an access pin for each account
You may notcie that bank account details are not on either account, this is because we felt the security risk was too large and we would feel more comfortable having that on a separate card altogether, this may have been thanks to my dream scare!
we also thought that there would need to be a dormant GPS system that could be activated if you were lost or lost your card- which you could then call a number and have the card wiped if neccessary
Our main concerns about the future of the RFID chips was security factors that thought of having your life sandwiched within a piece of plastic is a very scary thought for me, it feels like we would be even more open to identity theft. Also the problem of what do you do if you loose the card we all know what a pain it is to replace a drivers licene etcc..
unfortunatly this may be a fear i have to overcome as according to Porush's Law if this is the way technology is going to go theres no way i can opt out ill just have to go with it!
well guys i guess this is it for now its been an awesome experiment and best of luck with exams!!
Dana :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
My killer App
The topic of convergence culture seems to be dominated by the iPhone. Apple's Steve Jobs says that it is the future so i thought i would try and figure out whether the iPhone or a similar mobile/internet device will be relevent to my future, what killer apps will make it easier for me to part with my money...
1) starting with the basic mobile function, If I do end up in PR I imagine i will be feilding alot of phone calls back and forth with clients, the media and colleagues. Blue tooth capability will probably come in handy so i can wear one of those snazzy ear pieces while my i use my hands to do a million other things at once! (except drive.. of course.....)
N.B. I like the idea that someone bought up in class about having two seperate numbers so that once it hits 7 any calls to the work number will be directed to my voicemail
2) The internet is the next BIG thing, like liv was saying we dont really notice how much we use the net until it craps out on us conveinently when we need it the most!!...being able to check my emails without being restricted to a bulky laptop or desktop is key, Also as Im from auckland the city of traffic and increasing petrol prices i could find myself on dare i say it a BUS to work and the ability to download tv programmes to keep me entertained would be a benefit (so i dont have to you know... socialize)
Plus if I am driving around half the city or even the country built in maps or GPS will also be an advantage
- of course there would then be need for a more reliable network and imporved interface from what we have now (i Phone achieves this well)
3) back to my bulky comment thsi be all end all communications device will have to be lightweight thanks to permanent damage to my shoulders from my ancient laptop but in saying that it still needs a big enough screen for when my eyesight enevitably fails!
4) finally it needs to be easy to use with straight forward navigation symbols and and a help menu of call centre (although we all know how unaffective these can be especially telecom!)
OH!! and it needs to be durable Im one of those people that cant stray to those sexy motorola flip tops or well anything that isnt Nokia .. because i drop my phones.. ALOT.. a back up solar battery could also be helpful when you just need that little extra beofre you can reach your charger..
Fingers crossed that by the time I need and can afford one of these type of devices all the kinks will be ironed out.. one is allowed to dream right?
1) starting with the basic mobile function, If I do end up in PR I imagine i will be feilding alot of phone calls back and forth with clients, the media and colleagues. Blue tooth capability will probably come in handy so i can wear one of those snazzy ear pieces while my i use my hands to do a million other things at once! (except drive.. of course.....)
N.B. I like the idea that someone bought up in class about having two seperate numbers so that once it hits 7 any calls to the work number will be directed to my voicemail
2) The internet is the next BIG thing, like liv was saying we dont really notice how much we use the net until it craps out on us conveinently when we need it the most!!...being able to check my emails without being restricted to a bulky laptop or desktop is key, Also as Im from auckland the city of traffic and increasing petrol prices i could find myself on dare i say it a BUS to work and the ability to download tv programmes to keep me entertained would be a benefit (so i dont have to you know... socialize)
Plus if I am driving around half the city or even the country built in maps or GPS will also be an advantage
- of course there would then be need for a more reliable network and imporved interface from what we have now (i Phone achieves this well)
3) back to my bulky comment thsi be all end all communications device will have to be lightweight thanks to permanent damage to my shoulders from my ancient laptop but in saying that it still needs a big enough screen for when my eyesight enevitably fails!
4) finally it needs to be easy to use with straight forward navigation symbols and and a help menu of call centre (although we all know how unaffective these can be especially telecom!)
OH!! and it needs to be durable Im one of those people that cant stray to those sexy motorola flip tops or well anything that isnt Nokia .. because i drop my phones.. ALOT.. a back up solar battery could also be helpful when you just need that little extra beofre you can reach your charger..
Fingers crossed that by the time I need and can afford one of these type of devices all the kinks will be ironed out.. one is allowed to dream right?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
My digital life
Ok so this weeks blogs we are mapping our use of digital technology in a day, lucky for me at the moment I'm constantly on some thing due to a million essays due in the next two weeks!
Tuesday May 13th:
9a.m- wake up thanks to my alarm on my phone
9.15 a.m- finally build up enough effort to drag myself out of bed switch on computer and t.v before getting ready
9.25 a.m- check emails in hope of something exciting
9.35 a.m- watch Good Morning while eating brekkie
9.55 a.m- Turn up to VISC 301 lecture with Erika, and throughout the lecture are shown a couple of you tube clips
10.50 a.m- Head down to the library computers to print off a journal article that may be the key to pulling off my COMS205 essay (finally found it!), also check uni emails- nothing exciting as usual.
11.15 a.m- Head home and settle in to start essay and sort refernces into piles for each paragrapgh, procrastinate by constantly checking emails, facebook for online friends to chat to and just updates in general (new pics i an flick through fro the latest 21st), also keep and eye on trade me which keeps enticing me with "more things you might like", start to get bored text a few people including flatemate in the other room to organize when to have our lunch break (yes its sad but you dont understand how old our flat is haha)
1.30 p.m- Take a break for lunch with flatmate turn on tv to watch a bit of Dr Phil (our excuse is that we are giving our brains a rest)
2.15 .m- Dr phil wasnt trashy enough so decide to go back to work, sit down re check emails, facebook and bid on trademe after someone out bid me, After sorting through half of my research realise i still need a little bit more and go in search of Lessig lecture on regualtion of the net- its 40mins so while it downloads on you tube i chat to one friend on gmail chat and another on facebook chat.
2.30ap.m- downloaded so sit back, watch and frantically take notes
3.15 p.m- take a break to do flat chore- listen to ipod as i scrub the toliet and entire bathroom- it helps a little
3.45 p.m- Back to work, check emails and download photos from camera of a promotion i did on monday and email to my boss, lso forward on breifing details to another girl for upcoming job.
4.00 p.m- Start to write introduction, restart and alter about 50 times which also means going back and altering essay plan- check facebook for friends- end up having a wee conversation while chopping and changing intro
5.00 p.m- scroll throug library catelogue having a brief look for info related to another essay i will start at the end of this week *sigh*
5.30 p.m- stop and watch home and away before scooting out to netball game
7.00 p.m- come home and have dinner while watching shorty st- think they have found the worst actress yet with Anya( the model) gets too
7.40 p.m- back up to my room- check emails, facebook, get into a bidding war with someone over a top- they put on an auto bid so i kept pushing it up to their limit (mean i know but i really wanted it)
8p.m- back to work sorting out my references and getting my mind around what exactly i wanted to say in my essay
9p.m- conversation on facebook chat turns into sharing funny you tube clips- i win with "funny dui" and "fox grape stomp"- check it out for a laugh
10p.m- finally sorted through all research get into convo with flatmate over stupid trade me postings (we all trade me while doing essays) such as used lipsticks- grosse
10.30p.m- have an early sart in the morning (coms205) so go to bed and watch an episode of extras- lights out
Ok so there is my day, no its not an average day.. well at the moment it kind of is with all the work going on, i just cant believe how much time i spend on the net of on my phone talking to people and reserching!! its hard to believe that there are people out there who have never even used a phone when these types of technologies play such a massive role in my life- after last weeks lecture and through the research i have been doing for my essay Ive come to realise just how important projects like OLPC are, we are living in a digital age and although food and clean water are just as important- the ability to access the internet and other digital technologies and having the skills to execute it are vital in ensuring that all people rich and poor, old and young do not get left behind. People below the poverty line need to develop their own skills to help pull themselves out and the furthur behind they get the harder it will be. Im going to be really cheesey but i think this quote fits well here
"give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him ow to fish and he will eat for a life time"
Tuesday May 13th:
9a.m- wake up thanks to my alarm on my phone
9.15 a.m- finally build up enough effort to drag myself out of bed switch on computer and t.v before getting ready
9.25 a.m- check emails in hope of something exciting
9.35 a.m- watch Good Morning while eating brekkie
9.55 a.m- Turn up to VISC 301 lecture with Erika, and throughout the lecture are shown a couple of you tube clips
10.50 a.m- Head down to the library computers to print off a journal article that may be the key to pulling off my COMS205 essay (finally found it!), also check uni emails- nothing exciting as usual.
11.15 a.m- Head home and settle in to start essay and sort refernces into piles for each paragrapgh, procrastinate by constantly checking emails, facebook for online friends to chat to and just updates in general (new pics i an flick through fro the latest 21st), also keep and eye on trade me which keeps enticing me with "more things you might like", start to get bored text a few people including flatemate in the other room to organize when to have our lunch break (yes its sad but you dont understand how old our flat is haha)
1.30 p.m- Take a break for lunch with flatmate turn on tv to watch a bit of Dr Phil (our excuse is that we are giving our brains a rest)
2.15 .m- Dr phil wasnt trashy enough so decide to go back to work, sit down re check emails, facebook and bid on trademe after someone out bid me, After sorting through half of my research realise i still need a little bit more and go in search of Lessig lecture on regualtion of the net- its 40mins so while it downloads on you tube i chat to one friend on gmail chat and another on facebook chat.
2.30ap.m- downloaded so sit back, watch and frantically take notes
3.15 p.m- take a break to do flat chore- listen to ipod as i scrub the toliet and entire bathroom- it helps a little
3.45 p.m- Back to work, check emails and download photos from camera of a promotion i did on monday and email to my boss, lso forward on breifing details to another girl for upcoming job.
4.00 p.m- Start to write introduction, restart and alter about 50 times which also means going back and altering essay plan- check facebook for friends- end up having a wee conversation while chopping and changing intro
5.00 p.m- scroll throug library catelogue having a brief look for info related to another essay i will start at the end of this week *sigh*
5.30 p.m- stop and watch home and away before scooting out to netball game
7.00 p.m- come home and have dinner while watching shorty st- think they have found the worst actress yet with Anya( the model) gets too
7.40 p.m- back up to my room- check emails, facebook, get into a bidding war with someone over a top- they put on an auto bid so i kept pushing it up to their limit (mean i know but i really wanted it)
8p.m- back to work sorting out my references and getting my mind around what exactly i wanted to say in my essay
9p.m- conversation on facebook chat turns into sharing funny you tube clips- i win with "funny dui" and "fox grape stomp"- check it out for a laugh
10p.m- finally sorted through all research get into convo with flatmate over stupid trade me postings (we all trade me while doing essays) such as used lipsticks- grosse
10.30p.m- have an early sart in the morning (coms205) so go to bed and watch an episode of extras- lights out
Ok so there is my day, no its not an average day.. well at the moment it kind of is with all the work going on, i just cant believe how much time i spend on the net of on my phone talking to people and reserching!! its hard to believe that there are people out there who have never even used a phone when these types of technologies play such a massive role in my life- after last weeks lecture and through the research i have been doing for my essay Ive come to realise just how important projects like OLPC are, we are living in a digital age and although food and clean water are just as important- the ability to access the internet and other digital technologies and having the skills to execute it are vital in ensuring that all people rich and poor, old and young do not get left behind. People below the poverty line need to develop their own skills to help pull themselves out and the furthur behind they get the harder it will be. Im going to be really cheesey but i think this quote fits well here
"give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach him ow to fish and he will eat for a life time"
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Catch Up- Surveillence
As some of you may understand I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to research and write up essays and i just realised Ihave let my blogs slip so im attempting to get back on track now!
So last week we were discussing surveillence and what types of surveillence we deem acceptable. This subject really has me torn Ive been over in two classes with Erika and Im still not 100% When first asked i quite happily said "yes" i think surveillance is predomiantly acceptable. but that was when i thought of surviellance purely as security cameras and CCTV which are there to keep me safe (or atleast catch someone who has just stolen my bag or hit me in the face). When Erika started to talk about the digital or online surveillance I started to question it a little more.
Firstly P2p (peer to peer)
Although I get a little uneasy at the thought of people i dont know scrolling through my facebook page, I feel i have to accept it or label myself a hipocrite as on a few occasions Ive scrolled through friends of friends pages out of boredom or curious interest in the different costumes at someones Ball or party.
Although my facebook page is set to private Im stillv ery cautious as to which photos I post as the thought of prospective employeers scanning this page has me a little on edge.
And that leads nicely onto Workplace surveillance:
The question of whether i feel my boss should be able to scan my email also has me at odds
one one hand I understand why they would do it espcially if your in a competitive market, you dont want you secrets being leaked out to another company. You also want to know that you employees are working to their full potential and no slacking off all day.
So yes i think i can come to grips with the fact that my future company email could be under surveillance.
My personal email I would object to however I know this contradicts my theory on spillign secrets as you could obviously sneakily forward it through your gmail account. Maybe eployers should look at blocking email sites except for the company one.. jst an idea.. I wouldnt want cameras in my home and i consider my email and my phone a part of that personal space. I wouldnt want it spread around the water cooler or better yet coming out in a drunken blurt at the company christmas party what ive been writing y partner about the annoying women in the office.
Echelon: paint bomb the white house 911 times -(just gettng their attention)
Those strange white mushroom like domes at Waihopi the stuff conspiracy theories are made of.
Should the government be able to key word search our online activity?
I dont really mind that much if a computer which cant judge me or share work stories when it gets home at night is scanning my online activity for key words. But i do think we are entitld to know why they are doing it and how the information is being used, i wouldnt let someone go through my room without being given a very good reason.. who knows maybe it is a conspiracy if Im not in class next week maybe ive been kidnapped and sent to some scientology like re-auditing centre to cleanse myself of evil thoughts about echelon Ha!
Regardless it still leaves me wondering why I am so accepting of surveillance, maybe I just need an example fo how it could negatively affect me to change my mind.. I mean when we talk about what these types of surveillence are sanning for: porn, bomb making etc I think well vie never been to any types of those sights.. until i look back on first yr when you would come home to find certain web pages on your screen thanks to some hilarious guys down the hall.. it was all fun and games at the time but could this come back to haunt us?
So last week we were discussing surveillence and what types of surveillence we deem acceptable. This subject really has me torn Ive been over in two classes with Erika and Im still not 100% When first asked i quite happily said "yes" i think surveillance is predomiantly acceptable. but that was when i thought of surviellance purely as security cameras and CCTV which are there to keep me safe (or atleast catch someone who has just stolen my bag or hit me in the face). When Erika started to talk about the digital or online surveillance I started to question it a little more.
Firstly P2p (peer to peer)
Although I get a little uneasy at the thought of people i dont know scrolling through my facebook page, I feel i have to accept it or label myself a hipocrite as on a few occasions Ive scrolled through friends of friends pages out of boredom or curious interest in the different costumes at someones Ball or party.
Although my facebook page is set to private Im stillv ery cautious as to which photos I post as the thought of prospective employeers scanning this page has me a little on edge.
And that leads nicely onto Workplace surveillance:
The question of whether i feel my boss should be able to scan my email also has me at odds
one one hand I understand why they would do it espcially if your in a competitive market, you dont want you secrets being leaked out to another company. You also want to know that you employees are working to their full potential and no slacking off all day.
So yes i think i can come to grips with the fact that my future company email could be under surveillance.
My personal email I would object to however I know this contradicts my theory on spillign secrets as you could obviously sneakily forward it through your gmail account. Maybe eployers should look at blocking email sites except for the company one.. jst an idea.. I wouldnt want cameras in my home and i consider my email and my phone a part of that personal space. I wouldnt want it spread around the water cooler or better yet coming out in a drunken blurt at the company christmas party what ive been writing y partner about the annoying women in the office.
Echelon: paint bomb the white house 911 times -(just gettng their attention)
Those strange white mushroom like domes at Waihopi the stuff conspiracy theories are made of.
Should the government be able to key word search our online activity?
I dont really mind that much if a computer which cant judge me or share work stories when it gets home at night is scanning my online activity for key words. But i do think we are entitld to know why they are doing it and how the information is being used, i wouldnt let someone go through my room without being given a very good reason.. who knows maybe it is a conspiracy if Im not in class next week maybe ive been kidnapped and sent to some scientology like re-auditing centre to cleanse myself of evil thoughts about echelon Ha!
Regardless it still leaves me wondering why I am so accepting of surveillance, maybe I just need an example fo how it could negatively affect me to change my mind.. I mean when we talk about what these types of surveillence are sanning for: porn, bomb making etc I think well vie never been to any types of those sights.. until i look back on first yr when you would come home to find certain web pages on your screen thanks to some hilarious guys down the hall.. it was all fun and games at the time but could this come back to haunt us?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Pink Elephants
Until i took this course I have never really seen much about these second life type of virtual games.. now though the stories keep seeming to find me, first it was a few trashy magazine articles.. you know those "real life" i married my lover online before we even meet.. and today as i was studying hard i happened to turn on Dr Phil to see that even he was addressing this issue with a 14 yr old girl who was being sucked into a second life type game. Her mother got worried when her scantily dressed avatar was kissing a boy in her virtual bed. Dr Phil being the fantastic psychiartrist that he is quickly told her to "get real" pun intended.
anyways as i have said in other blogs I find this world of avatars really facinating so i thought i would go and try my hand at making an avatar Thats her on the left yes thats right she is wearing the famous Bjork swan dress (i couldnt resist), I'll admit it was alot of fun took me back to years if dressing up barbies and what not.. i have already started to see how addictive they can get. I sat down thinking i could whip up a quick little picture slap it on my page and that would be it. How wrong could I be first i had to pick which kind of avater i wanted.. whch face shape.. eye shape and colour hairstyle and colour, body shape, makeup and finally a dress.. next thing you know an hour or so of my life is *poof* gone, i still have no idea what my flatmates were laughing about...
So now i have some idea of how addictive it can get and that was only the creation stage, but i still stick by the fact that i dont think i could ever get sucked into a virtual world enough to spend every waking minute there.. well to be safe im not going to try!
Augmented Reality Games if your like me and had a hard time getting your head around them follow the link it should (fingers crossed) take you to a video of a demonstration of how the augmented reality game work, its really interesting and well ...really very cool even makes me want to have a go and watch another couple of hours dissapear before my eyes.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Web blogs, virtual craze or here to stay?
Alrighty, so last week i missed out on the lecture thanks to my frustrating cough and the resulting lack of sleep causeing me to sleep in!
I managed to make it to the seminar and the thing that realy sparks my interest is not the political blog *yawn* (if i want to be entertained by american politics ill watch FOX news) but instead the idea of corporate blogs as Byron said on his blog i too wouldnt mind being asked to write a blog for money. Infact it seems enevitable that i will be as my career of choice is to go into PR (think "thank you for smoking" but a little less controversial") Anyways as i was saying because this area interests me i thought i would google some PR blogs and what a gold mine of information! there are even blogs dedicated to listing the blogs of PR companies worldwide. I know this may not be exciting to some but for someone trying to break into an industry that is largely about networking and who you know, not what you know its a well needed starting point!
In saying that I should probably be practising blogging in more formal way rather than a stream of consciousness but its late so i wont start tonight.
The second reading as those of you who have read it know looks at credibility perceptions of web blogs amoung blog users and it made me think about what i think about blogs as a news source.
Before this course i would had said they were not credible, actually before this course i had never looked twice at blogs as i associated them only with people spilling out what i deemed to be useless info of their day to day lives.
To some extent i still feel a little sceptical over whether i would fully trust a blog as a credible source of information as they are still highly personalised (e.g me metioning my cough) but on the other hand i have found this blog helpful and while doing recent research on miliblogs (blogs of soldiers in combat) if found they allow you to explore avenues of issues they are for the most part left out of mainstream media.
I wish i could then go on to say that this meant I now had the ability to open my eyes to all aspects of an issue but i have to admit that I only really look at these alternative outlets that are either reccomended by a lecturer or share the same views as i do on that topic. There is little to no chance I would read a blog written by Bush on the success of their presense in Iraq nor one that tries to explain that the whalers really are doing it for important scientific research.
It just isnt really in our nature to sit on the fence on every issue and the beauty of blogs and other online platforms is that if we dont like what we are reading we can simply click out and move on to the next one.
could this be the one downside to blogging; that it lowers our tolerance of other peoples opinions?
I managed to make it to the seminar and the thing that realy sparks my interest is not the political blog *yawn* (if i want to be entertained by american politics ill watch FOX news) but instead the idea of corporate blogs as Byron said on his blog i too wouldnt mind being asked to write a blog for money. Infact it seems enevitable that i will be as my career of choice is to go into PR (think "thank you for smoking" but a little less controversial") Anyways as i was saying because this area interests me i thought i would google some PR blogs and what a gold mine of information! there are even blogs dedicated to listing the blogs of PR companies worldwide. I know this may not be exciting to some but for someone trying to break into an industry that is largely about networking and who you know, not what you know its a well needed starting point!
In saying that I should probably be practising blogging in more formal way rather than a stream of consciousness but its late so i wont start tonight.
The second reading as those of you who have read it know looks at credibility perceptions of web blogs amoung blog users and it made me think about what i think about blogs as a news source.
Before this course i would had said they were not credible, actually before this course i had never looked twice at blogs as i associated them only with people spilling out what i deemed to be useless info of their day to day lives.
To some extent i still feel a little sceptical over whether i would fully trust a blog as a credible source of information as they are still highly personalised (e.g me metioning my cough) but on the other hand i have found this blog helpful and while doing recent research on miliblogs (blogs of soldiers in combat) if found they allow you to explore avenues of issues they are for the most part left out of mainstream media.
I wish i could then go on to say that this meant I now had the ability to open my eyes to all aspects of an issue but i have to admit that I only really look at these alternative outlets that are either reccomended by a lecturer or share the same views as i do on that topic. There is little to no chance I would read a blog written by Bush on the success of their presense in Iraq nor one that tries to explain that the whalers really are doing it for important scientific research.
It just isnt really in our nature to sit on the fence on every issue and the beauty of blogs and other online platforms is that if we dont like what we are reading we can simply click out and move on to the next one.
could this be the one downside to blogging; that it lowers our tolerance of other peoples opinions?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Wikipedia and Web 2.0 ??
Ok so this weeks subject of Social Networks and User generated content has been a mixed bag for me. I understand the differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 with the shift in the nature of authority and how Wikipedia is an example of this shift. That is going from something like Encyclopedia Britanncia in which we are told by the author what to think to Wikipedia where it is opened up into a public discourse where we can challenge that information and author. The problem here is that because we are students of the wikipedia age and have had it drilled into us about how its not a scholorly source we know that some of the information posted is questionable, people who arnt subject to this enlightenment however can fall victim to its deceptive suffix.
"pedia" those five simple letters are what I beleive gives Wikipedia the chance at unchallenged authority.. I know that when i was at high school i read pedia on the end of it and automatically associated it with its older sibling Encyclopedia and thought it to be the best source ever ( the wiki part.. well i thought it was just there to give it a modern- cyper kind of twist).
Thats not to say I a strong anti wikipedi person, im definatly not i still use it as most of us discussed in class as a starting point from which we then compare other sights against, Im yet to have started and essay without using it!
The part of the seminar i really still am a little stuck on is whether wikipedia is challenging the notion of authors and authorities. I know we said that it is the gatekeepers that create authority and that wiki without gatekeepers should thus challenge it.. Im still not entirely sure .. even without the internet publications were always being updated and changed and scholorly journals often debate over someone elsse theory.. the internet has simply sped this process up and taken it to a larger audience... maybe thats exactly the point im supposed to get... :s think i will patrol through the rest of your blogs and see what i can nut out
thats my rant for today
"pedia" those five simple letters are what I beleive gives Wikipedia the chance at unchallenged authority.. I know that when i was at high school i read pedia on the end of it and automatically associated it with its older sibling Encyclopedia and thought it to be the best source ever ( the wiki part.. well i thought it was just there to give it a modern- cyper kind of twist).
Thats not to say I a strong anti wikipedi person, im definatly not i still use it as most of us discussed in class as a starting point from which we then compare other sights against, Im yet to have started and essay without using it!
The part of the seminar i really still am a little stuck on is whether wikipedia is challenging the notion of authors and authorities. I know we said that it is the gatekeepers that create authority and that wiki without gatekeepers should thus challenge it.. Im still not entirely sure .. even without the internet publications were always being updated and changed and scholorly journals often debate over someone elsse theory.. the internet has simply sped this process up and taken it to a larger audience... maybe thats exactly the point im supposed to get... :s think i will patrol through the rest of your blogs and see what i can nut out
thats my rant for today
Saturday, March 29, 2008
useless info
Ok this has no relvance to this weeks blog i havnt had enough time to sit down and write that yet.. BUT please tell me someone else saw the news report on the Korean "E-Athletes".. that is teams of guys who are now famous.. for what? for online gaming they even have a coach! Is this where our sports will be heading? i get mental pictures of overweight people with extremely toned and freakishly strong fingers
Just something i couldnt help but share!
Will do my web 2.0 blog soon i promise!
Just something i couldnt help but share!
Will do my web 2.0 blog soon i promise!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Virtual Communities
I think the great thing about this weeks topic was that for most of us its made us a take a step back and look at our own online behaviour. Because all or atleast most of us are plugged into one of the many networking sites it makes it easier to understand the topic as we have something to relate it back to. Also if your like me and have been in Erikas classroom before, this week would have been a nice refresher and an oppertunity to feel good about yourself for actually knowing something!!
The thing i find interesting is that during our seminar the consensus seemed to be that we are all security conscious and like to think that we only divulge personal information to our close friends because we know the dangers in talking to complete strangers who may not be who they say they are. Then how do some people get so caught up in their online lives that they could go as far as to marry some one they have never meet online before meeting them and moving in (i recently saw an article about a couple who did exactly that in a womens day or something). If you look at the second video on my "video bar" it is an introduction to the online community Second Life If you were in Erika's 201 coms class you will know about it if not take a look. It makes you think again about the question of whether or not offline communities could be replaced by online ones. there must be something about it if even Harvard has classes there with open debates and Duran Duran has concerts... For me this is a scary thought yes the internet is becoming vastly important to our everyday lives but to actually live your life in a n online world and even buying land and houses with real money... well its yet to convince me. (That wedding kiss would be quite as special) It is however realy interesting and well cool to look at...anyways im getting really off track
Ill be sure to come back to second life when we go over avatars, as you can tel I am quite fascinated with them
The thing i find interesting is that during our seminar the consensus seemed to be that we are all security conscious and like to think that we only divulge personal information to our close friends because we know the dangers in talking to complete strangers who may not be who they say they are. Then how do some people get so caught up in their online lives that they could go as far as to marry some one they have never meet online before meeting them and moving in (i recently saw an article about a couple who did exactly that in a womens day or something). If you look at the second video on my "video bar" it is an introduction to the online community Second Life If you were in Erika's 201 coms class you will know about it if not take a look. It makes you think again about the question of whether or not offline communities could be replaced by online ones. there must be something about it if even Harvard has classes there with open debates and Duran Duran has concerts... For me this is a scary thought yes the internet is becoming vastly important to our everyday lives but to actually live your life in a n online world and even buying land and houses with real money... well its yet to convince me. (That wedding kiss would be quite as special) It is however realy interesting and well cool to look at...anyways im getting really off track
Ill be sure to come back to second life when we go over avatars, as you can tel I am quite fascinated with them
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
hackers, missunderstood?
Ok so last week we looked at hackers and hacktivism and after completing the reading i realise there is a huge amount of politics surrounding these terms. As my mind is all over the place at the moment my points may be a bit disjointed so i have decided to do my blog this week in bullet point form with nuggets of what i have come to understand about this topic
off to class .. see you next week
- I am not pleased to admit it but I had fallen prey to the mass media's portrayal of hackers as socially inept "computer geeks" who can manipulate the net to break into bank accounts to steal money or even steal and destroy our identities like they did to Sandra Bullocks character in The Net . After finishing the readings however I have found some respect for the art of hacking and am once again left questioning the reasons behind the media framing hackers as purely criminal. Is it simply because they make the better news stories?.. Well as most of us are Comms students we know that the mass media companies are predominantly only out for themselves. By only broadcasting news stories portraying hackers as criminals the more the public becomes "afraid" (insert better word) of them and the easier it is for the companies to persecute them when it is their websites that are interfered with.
"We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn't run by profiteering gluttons... My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for" -Lloyd Bankenship (1985).
- From the readings it seems that there are 3 main categories that a hacker can fall into.
- Those who enjoy to test the system and "explore" the net and abide by unspoken rules to "never act maliciously" and "never hack for financial gain" this type of hacking is usually associated with old school hackers.
- Those who hack with criminal or harmful intent such as Robert Morris who used a self-replicating virus to ring a whole network down. This type of hackers were referred to as crackers
- Hackivism is the convergence of hackers and activist, due to the far reaching scope of the Internet it seems like the perfect marriage. Hacktivists use electronic civil disobedience to raise awareness of unethical acts by individuals, organizations and governments. This could involve sending out emails of even breaking into a website and rearranging the page and posting social and political messages.
- Although hacktivist are acting non-violently out of ethical concern they too are starting to be associated as criminals and even worse; cyberterrorists. Since 9 11 we all know how much power the word terrorist holds and so do the governments who are using it. Because it is largely government websites that the hacktivist are targeting they need to find a way to discredit what they are saying... what better way than to label them as something the public fear most.. the most evil of all evils. a TERRORIST!
off to class .. see you next week
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Weeks 1-2
Ok, so my flat finally has broadband up and running and I can sit down and work on this blog!
Firstly I would like to say how impressed and a little intimidated I am with some of your blogs, I can really see how beneficial this little project will be when it comes to revision and exam time. I hope that at some point I will post something beneficial for someone.. anyone ha.
Anyways after that nervous ramble I wil get on to the subject of week two that is Architectures.
Architectures as we learnt in class are made up of three intertwined layers of users,networks and structures, to analyse this I thought it would be good to look at these through the example of our Blogger project.
Firstly lets look at users and identity:
The users in this case are obviously our class of COMS205 students (and of course Erika). The interesting thing will be how we each develop our online (Blogger) identities. A large part of this will come down to what we each chose to disclose: some of us may just disclose details only related to themselves as a COMS205 student and others may become more comfortable and disclose more personal details about their lives offline. I guess this will depend on those who decide to really immerse themselves in the project and those who are just filling it in for that precious 40%. I have a sneaky suspiscion that even the most sceptacle of us will eventually warm up to it and if not .. well unfortunatly as we learnt this week there is no such thing as anonymity online, once you have that blog set up then we can and probably will engage with you forcing you to interact!
I understand that the overall aim of this project is too see how communities are formed and if infact by the end of these 13 weeks we will have our own virtual community defined by Reingold (1996) as:
"social aggregation that emerge from the internet when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough with sufficient human feeling to form webs of personal relationships..."
Will the fact that we are all first and foremost doing this for marks mean that we will be unable to really form a community as subconciously we will not be able to let "human feeling" interfere with the acedemic task at hand?
OR
Will we fall into the trap of Blogger like most of us have with the likes of facebook and bebo, let our walls down and become a true online community of interest (not neccessity)?
Will the fact that we communicate in the real world in class and seminars have an affect?
At the moment I think that we will form a great acedemic network but i find a true online community will be a stretch... who knows i look forward to finding out!!
This is getting huge so i will just touch on the third layer: structures
In our offline world we have a top-down structure where the are rules put in place by our government and punishments enforced by our legal system for breaking those rules.
Our Blogger community on the other hand has a lateral structure meaning that we will adhere to social norms such as not swearing excessivly and refraining from personal abuse. If someone were to deviate from these social rules they would most likely be punished by the other bloggers in a way which we see fit eg. exculsion from blog, cold shoulder in class :P
Surveillance works by shaping and framing that is athough we may feel we have the ability to choose how we navigate the network as we please our choices are restricted by structures as in Erikas aquarium example. In our case although Blogger is a space for personal blogging, in order for us to gain 40% we have to critically discuss lectures and readings on a weekly basis and interact with others in our class. Thus our blogs have already been shapedto some extent before we have even logged on.
well thats all for now, please feel free to add to this or even correct me where you see that i havnt quite got the point haha
:):)
"
Firstly I would like to say how impressed and a little intimidated I am with some of your blogs, I can really see how beneficial this little project will be when it comes to revision and exam time. I hope that at some point I will post something beneficial for someone.. anyone ha.
Anyways after that nervous ramble I wil get on to the subject of week two that is Architectures.
Architectures as we learnt in class are made up of three intertwined layers of users,networks and structures, to analyse this I thought it would be good to look at these through the example of our Blogger project.
Firstly lets look at users and identity:
The users in this case are obviously our class of COMS205 students (and of course Erika). The interesting thing will be how we each develop our online (Blogger) identities. A large part of this will come down to what we each chose to disclose: some of us may just disclose details only related to themselves as a COMS205 student and others may become more comfortable and disclose more personal details about their lives offline. I guess this will depend on those who decide to really immerse themselves in the project and those who are just filling it in for that precious 40%. I have a sneaky suspiscion that even the most sceptacle of us will eventually warm up to it and if not .. well unfortunatly as we learnt this week there is no such thing as anonymity online, once you have that blog set up then we can and probably will engage with you forcing you to interact!
I understand that the overall aim of this project is too see how communities are formed and if infact by the end of these 13 weeks we will have our own virtual community defined by Reingold (1996) as:
"social aggregation that emerge from the internet when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough with sufficient human feeling to form webs of personal relationships..."
Will the fact that we are all first and foremost doing this for marks mean that we will be unable to really form a community as subconciously we will not be able to let "human feeling" interfere with the acedemic task at hand?
OR
Will we fall into the trap of Blogger like most of us have with the likes of facebook and bebo, let our walls down and become a true online community of interest (not neccessity)?
Will the fact that we communicate in the real world in class and seminars have an affect?
At the moment I think that we will form a great acedemic network but i find a true online community will be a stretch... who knows i look forward to finding out!!
This is getting huge so i will just touch on the third layer: structures
In our offline world we have a top-down structure where the are rules put in place by our government and punishments enforced by our legal system for breaking those rules.
Our Blogger community on the other hand has a lateral structure meaning that we will adhere to social norms such as not swearing excessivly and refraining from personal abuse. If someone were to deviate from these social rules they would most likely be punished by the other bloggers in a way which we see fit eg. exculsion from blog, cold shoulder in class :P
Surveillance works by shaping and framing that is athough we may feel we have the ability to choose how we navigate the network as we please our choices are restricted by structures as in Erikas aquarium example. In our case although Blogger is a space for personal blogging, in order for us to gain 40% we have to critically discuss lectures and readings on a weekly basis and interact with others in our class. Thus our blogs have already been shapedto some extent before we have even logged on.
well thats all for now, please feel free to add to this or even correct me where you see that i havnt quite got the point haha
:):)
"
Sunday, March 2, 2008
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