Blog written continuously over a 10 week peirod, entries submitted weekly covering Digital Culture lessons (lectures and seminars).
WELCOME
WELCOME! ... Hello, welcome to my blog, this is my general recording of lectures and seminars for the subject Digital Culture. Information Included: course content, background information, researched topic informationa and explanation of researched topic information.
The Social Context (1)- Community, Participation & Web 2.0 (Community, Participation & Web 2.0)
Lecture:
Web 2.0
... is all about making new and improved forms of connections on the net, Web 2.0 sites allows users to interact and collaborate' with each other in a socially in a virtual community.
Examples of Web 2.0 include: social networking sites, blogs/ blogging, tagging, wikis, video sharing sites and mashups.
I included this video as it is a clear explanation of whatWeb 2.0 is.
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Specific examples are;
'Wikipedia', 'MySpace','Facebook', 'Twitter', 'Msn', 'Bebo','You-Tube' and many more....
Seminar:
We discussed why Web 2.0 is called Web 2.0, one of the main reasons that we came to is because is seen as the updated version of the World Web Wide, hence the number 2, almost as if this were he second version.
Web 2.0 is very popular, especially amongst young people however it has it bad points:
Pros Cons
of Web 2.0
Difference between Web.1and Web2.0...
“Web 1.0 was all about connecting people. It was an interactive space, and I think Web 2.0 is, of course, a piece of jargon, nobody even knows what it means. If Web 2.0 for you is blogs and wikis, then that is people to people. But that was what the Web was supposed to be all along.”
Tim Berners-Lee (2006)
What is so appealing about Web 2.0 ?
Web2.0 is forever updating, facebook for example is always changing or updating it fit with the times, wheher its introducing a new way to upload images, suc as via mobile of just the general layout you can guarentee that within a few months facebook has some new or fresher aspect whilst still following its general purpose- to connect people.
Facebook is a site where everyone is mutual, no one is of a high status or rank than anyone else. Everones overall facebook layout is pretty much the same as you cannot change it, meaning that people can concentrae more on doing the normal things in life, such as interacting.
Many people have found love, friendships and unfortunately enemies on facebook but i all comes as a package.
Although sites like facebook can connect people together alot of trouble can be caused, just like the real wold there are always problems.
Web 2.0 sites like facebook take you away from the real world and let you enter the virtual world. Its almost an escape from the reality as like myspace, twitter, bebo ect. you can create your own profile exactly how you would want to, choose who your friends are and allow people to only see as much content as you want to.
For some social networking (we2.0 sites like facebook) are like a little bit of freedom, its actually quite ironic as these sites are very controlled and in a way monitored.
Sites like these are oftedlargely controlled as they are user generated sites; its what people put into the sites that make them what they are.
Websites like 'wikipedia' are a great example; its a user website where anyone with internet access can upload or add what they would think to be helpful, educational or informatiove, so long as it is factual and relevant.
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that any one can use or add to (its a way of 'sharing human knowledge'). It is used as a source or to reference peopels work and plays a large role in shared/open source of education on the internet.
The online community and contributers to sites are called 'prosumers' as they, the user of the product/ service ate involved in the making.
An exampleof this is 'Wikinomics' where users are able to share, connect with one another as a global community.
The Ontological Context (4)- Issues of Intelligence: AI & Robots
(No Lesson: Replacement work= Personal Study- The Development of the Internet)
The Internet and World Wide Web are the greatest telecommunicational breakthrough since the telephone. The enormous growth that the web has enjoyed in the last decade has come very quickly to a system still in its relative infancy.
How the Internet came about
The foundations of the Internet were formed in 1960 when packets of data information were formed on one side transmitted in a machine and transported and resembled at the other side. The only other clear explanation I can give for this would be that it is like the boy in charlie and the chocolate factory who wants to be on television, 'mike tv'.Who uses the machine to be broken down into tiny pieces whilst being transported into the tv and resembled on the other side.
Doing this means that a single signal can be routed to multiple users, and an interrupted packet may be re-sent without loss of transmission, this is when computers were massive and had many connections and interconnections, its all alot moresimple now.
Now that computer technology is all alot more simple, it can be broken down meaning smaller gadgets and technology.
The internet has changed the world and revolutionised peoples lives, especially in terms of communicationa dn entertainment. People can now send instant messages, via msn and facebook chat, additionally instead of writing letters or making a phone call, there are now so other options; e-mail, video chat or recorded message, all of which are alot quicker, easier and most are cheaper. This also applies with gain infomation from a source, instead of going to the liabary people can gather the information they need by simply typing in a search engine and the search comes up in a matter of seconds. And for those who prefer a primary source of informaion you can even read books online read books. There is a wide option, so theres something for everyone. We can also watch live channels and play online games with others on the move with no need of TV and video games, everthing can be done via the net. Even shopping which can be delivered straight to your door. The powers of the internet!
The Ontological Contect (3)- Issues of the Body: Cyborgs & Alfie
(Identity & Representation)
Lecture:
Identity- Who are you ... in Cyberspace?
The definition below taken from an online dictionary full explains the world insidee the computer, known as the virtual world...
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virtual world (definition) Virtual World Definition used, above and below
A virtual world is a genre of online community that often takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment, through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. Virtual worlds are intended for its users to inhabit and interact, and the term today has become largely synonymous with interactive 3D virtual environments, where the users take the form of avatars visible to others graphically. These avatars are usually depicted as textual, two-dimensional, or three dimensional graphical representations, although other forms are possible(auditoryand touch sensations for example). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users.
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Who is our audience?
In a way our audience on a site when we represent our selves through characters is the other people connected to that site. Everyone makes their profile knowing that other people are going to see it or read it, that is what makes our audience people that we interact with. Old friends, new friends, family ect.
Do we have separate identities for different websites?
Most people have separate identities for different sites without even realising it. It’s like having a password, or homepage, we often have more than one and in terms of homepages they are not always in the same layout. For example a person may have a different layout, picture or overall persona on a social networking site like facebook compared to their Bebo or Myspace. I additionally depends on what is on offer form the sites as a site like Myspace is more free in layout and design that facebook where everyone is equal as everyone is as human.
Who is accessing your information online?
The majority of websites have pass codes/ passwords as well as the option to change your setting, even blogger does. People have the right to privacy, if someone didn’t want another specific person to see something on their profile it is possible for that person to be blocked. I believe this to be very important as everyone is individual and some people prefer more privacy than other so the option should be available.
Seminar:
In cyberspace you can be your own person, everything is virtual, you can even give virtual hugs and kisses, basically cyberspace is a place where you can exaggerate your personality.
Many sites on the inter allow you to create your own person/ image of yourself, facebook for example has programs like ‘Farmville’ linked to it, where you can make a mini character of yourself. You have the ability to change skin tone, hair styles, clothing ect. Like the video game ‘The Sims’ you can be who you want to be in the environment of your choice.
Farmville is not the only place you can create a virtual character there are many other sites of similar aim; ‘Habbo hotel’, ‘Ciytville’ ect.
Having different games and sites that cater to every means that everyone is happy. It’s great that there is a place for everyone to make their own ‘mini me’ on the net, whether your into films, sports or chess, it’s just another way to socialise.
The Ontological Coontext (2)- The Birth and Death of Cybersace
(The Birth and Death of Cyberspace)
Lecture:
Cyberspace = the creation of a new world.
The creation of a new eletronic world. A world of which anything can happen, away from the normal world. The term cyberspace was first used by William gibbson, it's all about science and eletronic communication.
To understand the idea of cyberspace i found that thinking of the 'Matrix'helps as it is along the lines of that.
Its a virtual world, the characteristics of which are made up by the computerised environment.
Virtual worlds are common nowdays, it's like a separate online community, they can be found in online games and video games such as 'Halo' and 'Second Life
"cyberspace is socialising however through a computer, it's all quite technical when you look at it in depth"
Charlie Nelson, computer graphics
Seminar:
HOW IS CYBERSPACE SIMULAR AND DIFFERENT TO REAL LIFE:
The Ontological Context (1)- Issues of the Interface...................................... (Design & the Desire for Immediacy)
Lecture:
"User Interface is a means by which people interact with a particular machine, device or computer programme." (google)
Ipad, and any smart phone (such a blackberry or ipohne) can be classed as interface, because you can do multiple things with it- including interact.
Deviceslike these enable people to use the internet, download (apps or) applications, as well as use the phone, text and use instant messenger. With Blackberry for example you can use 'Blackberry messenger' (BBM).
A devide labelled as interface is powerful as it has more than one use,
allows someone to use more than one system of communication at once,
the term interface includes the layout and how the controls on the device respond.
This is mostly because it is interactive, the user can touch and interact with the screen.
(Almost as though you finger is a magnet and inside you device there is another magnet,
when the magnets connect the device comes to life )- metaphor.
What makes interface good: visual design, content, overall look, animation,video, sound and quality.
The Historical Content (2)- The Mythologies & Ideologies of Early Digital Media (News & Technologies)
Lecture:
What is News?
The dictionary definition of the word ‘news’ is “a report of events or previously unknown information”. It is actually a lot more complex than that, News is now just about giving out information. It can also about informing people, making them aware of specific issues, educating people or alerting their target audience about important happenings or events in their home town or globally.
Although it may seem like ‘The News’ is very wide spread, it isn’t there are many issues that are not raised in the daily news as it just wouldn’t be possible to include every type of interesting news that has occurred in one newspaper or one television broadcast/newscast; so information that would be of public interest rather than individual interest would more likely to ‘make news’.
‘The News’ that the public see is chosen by media experts, as well as the press, those that own/ run newspapers and reports. Everything is very selective; the global new is based around people collectively together from all parts of the world, whereas local news can be distributed to people in a weekly paper to in their area.
Reports and the News can be a very delicate thing, information has to be expressed correctly and to the right audience as topics to some may be more sensitive that some topics to other .
News can be dangerous: too more information can lead to social uproar and moral panic where as too little and the public may think that something is being kept form them, when working in the news sector that has to be an even balance.
"News is the communication of selected information on current eventswhich is presented by print, broadcast, internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience. " - (dictionary)
“Perhaps the most valuable news we can receive is warning of a clear and present danger”
Mitchell Stephens – (A History of News pg24)
“The rapid circulation of news is evidence of more than just the desire of individuals to know and tell; it is evidence of a societal commitment”
Mitchell Stephens –(A History of News pg15)
Seminar:
In this specific case many peoeple have seen this news to be ‘quite ridicilous’, where as other were actually concerned for the welfare of the cat.
This news story is about the woman who gently stroked a neighbours cat shortly before leaving it for 15 hours in a wheely bin!
Story below:
In my personal opinion I don't think that something like this should be on a newscast, although very interesting as it shows how insensitive people can be, I do not think this should be classed a s 'News'. I actually think that there should be a separate program where news that isn't classed as'life changing' should be.
Maybe it’s because I am not an animal lover but I just
think that a national broadcast should be of more importance for example
showing missing children, or informing people more about topics that are going
to affect their lives now and in the future.
Video clips and stories like the woman putting the cat in
the bin I think should be left to television programmes such as ‘rude-tube’;
broadcasted on channel 4 and presented by Alex Zane the comedian showing the
top 50 you-tube videos of interest or of which are comical, alongside videos
such as 'charlie bit my finger'.
The Historical Content (1)- The Early History of Digital Media (Thinking about Media Change)
The World Wide Web
is a global information medium that is accessed via the internet on the computer. Launched in 1990 this system of interlinked documents which has become a world of knowledge. The terrific idea of a web browser allows people to quickly and easily find what they are looking for.
Question: Where would we be without the internet
today? Many would see the world at a loss without the internet today, as it is so important and influential to so many peoples lives. Billions of people use the internet everyday day; at home, at work, in education centers (such as college or universities), people even carry the internet around ion their pockets and use it on their phones.
The internet can be described as a revelation, greatly altering the way in which the human race do many things, including communication between one another.
Question: What would come of the world if the internet was taken away?
If the internet were to be taken away from people in todays society, there would be uproar. Dependent on the internet, people of today that have it would be lost without it.
The internet is not only a source of education but also a factor of entetainment. With so many different type of websites int the net its no wonder people have been labelled as 'addiceted' to 'surfing the web'.
Social networking sites such as ms, facebook and twitter have proved to be more popular than sites that provide information for academic enhancement.
Using the internet has become a way of life, almost automatically people wake up int he morning and one of the first things they do is use the net, for some it comes even before brushing their teeth!
To check the weather, to see whetther or not there traffic, to listen to the radio. For many people the internet falls into their daily routine- some even feel like they couldnt live with out it.
Survey:
For this weeks lecture I decided to do a simple survey asking 12 students at random from the University lounge area whether or not they could go a whole day with out any technology
1 Question Interview:
Myself: Do you think you could give up using the internet... forever?
Student: I actually don't think I could go the week without using the internet, let alone my entire life. It's
abnormal. I just have to use facebook or update twitter... and how am I suppost to do
As an introduction to the lesson we looked at the 'knowledge machine' an early model of what would later become the computer and internet. Created in 1934, this is an aspect that helped start of the history of the Web.
Wide Web was known as another imitation of paper. It was a way of thinking out of the box. It belittles the idea of 'hypertext', another original idea that led to what we have today.
Hyper Text = basis of world wide web
"escaping the prison of paper" Nelson's idea for 1960 onwards.
Ted Nelson is a socilologist and philosopher,prepared the world for the new idea revolving information technology. Nelson introduced the hyper text in 1963, this was alongside hypermedia.
Hypertext
"a method of storing data through a computer program that allows a user to create and link fields of information at will and to retrieve the data nonsequentially" Hypernedia
The the first hypertext project, it was an improvement of the World Wide Web, saying claiming that 'todays' software simulates paper. The project came to life and was up and running by 1960.
Nelson belives that...
"A user interface should be so simple that a beginner in an emergency can understand it within ten seconds."
Nelson is important to the histor of media and the world wide web has he started of the revelotion and break away from paper to the web. He was the one who realsied that there was a gap in the market as well as change and time for something new.
Are all new media just building on old media? After the seminar and lecture I came to the conclusion that in some respects the answer to the about question is yes, that people are comming out with media and technology that is just the updated version of old media, rather than completely new media being created. I think this is partly because people often stick to what they are fimular with rather than branching out and using something completely new. For example the xbox kinect. Its an updated version of the xbox with wireless controllers which was the updated version of a console connected to a controller.
On the other hand, technological wonders wii are completely new as they introduce the idea of exercise as well as a game which has been a good seller in its recent years of production.
When looking at this question more in terms of media I can see that the answer to the question leans more to yes rather than no, this is because media includes media types such as:
video players > dvd players > blu ray dvd players
There is a continous pattern where the technology either gets samller or of better quality which definately classes as new media being built on top of old media.
Media is all very different now. Meida today is all interlinked, you can navigate between these links and different types of media using hyperlinks. These hyperlinks link different types of media that together are also known as multiledia, this includes, text, photos, videos, sound clips, illustration, animation ect.
How old media led to new media...
Wanting improvement
Social change
The need to update technology- making new things possible as well as quick& easier.
Modern society
People wanting to revolutionise
Wanting to be educated
Wanting more ways to communicate
How it all started...
The printing press > moveable type
The telegraph > telephone
Recorded content: music > film
Radio signals > broadcastng radio broadcasting TV
Our social tools are not an improvement to modern society; they are a challenge to it. New technology makes new things possible: put another way, when new technology appears, previously impossible things start occurring. If enough of those impossible things are important and happen in a bundle, quickly, the change becomes a revolution.
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The hallmark of revolution is that the goals of the revolutionaries cannot be constrained by the institutional structure of the existing society. As a result, either the revolutionaries are put down [sic], or some of those institutions are altered, replaced or destroyed.
Why call it 'New Media' ?
“In recent years the ‘newness’ of new media has attracted an increasing groundswell of rebellionagainst using the term at all"
Sue Thomas, 2006
Seminar: As extra work before this weeks seminar I decided to do some background and research work. I chose a sameple of 12 students, again from the university lounge area and asked them...
whether or not they could go a whole day with out any technology...
&
would they find it easy living without ever being able to use technology again...
Results: 9/12 people said theycould go a whole day without technology. & 1/12 people said they would find it easy to live without techmology.
The results show just how much people, especially students, are linked to and dependent on technology, particually the ones that believe they cannot live without it.
__________________________________________ Internet (positives) (negatives) ____________________________________________ Educates (educational) Distraction Informs Unlimited Entertainment Bad websites Interacting Incorrect information Socialising Cost (computer, laptop or phone) Communication Dangerous Freedom of Speech Protection (children) Expression Unlimited Quick, Easy, Simple
Above are some pros and cons of the internet as nothing is completely perfect. Looking at there pros and cons overall enable us to see just how much the net has influenced todays world. This also shows that even thoguh the WWW (world wide web) has been enhanced and is now a form of new media, does not mean that all its problem have gone.
