tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72461774748211582772024-03-09T21:46:39.842-05:00Cold Class CommunicationsThis is the class blog for the Understanding New Media graduate class at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.Lance Stratehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13033954765699126246noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-57471327159744450662010-04-26T22:18:00.001-04:002010-04-26T22:21:01.445-04:00New Media; New Politics<br /><br />Introduction<br /><br /> New media and new new media have reached into modern Americans lives in ways in which previous generations could have only dreamed. New new media has become almost the norm for young Americans to express themselves and make themselves be heard by multitudes, not only in this country, but literally around the world. It is no surprise that during the political campaign of 2008, new new media such as YouTube, Facebook and Digg, were invaluable tools which helped break through the wall of political apathy that had plagued young Americans, compelling them to go out and vote in numbers that had not been seen in 36 years (Levinson, 2009, p.60), making the 2008 election historical in numerous ways ranging from sociological to technological. <br />New new media has not only provided a highly visible forum for political candidates to reach new audiences, but proved itself to be an incredibly effective fundraising tool that empowered financially-challenged candidates, such as Howard Dean in 2003, and Barack Obama in 2007-2008; the latter ultimately winning his bid for the presidential election. Just like previous media savvy presidential candidates, such as Franklyn D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, Obama became a master of New and new new media and exploited them to his advantage in ways his rivals could not (Levinson, p.62). <br />New media and new new media have, just like radio in 1936 and television in 1960 (Levinson, p.6), marked the beginning of a new era in American politics in 2008.<br /><br /> Old Media vs. New New Media Campaigns<br />Unlike Old media political campaigns, in which a candidate’s ability to project his image and message was inextricably correlated to the extent of his campaign budget as well as the limitations of air time by the stations broadcasting these messages; neither of these limitations apply to new new media. New new media operates in both real time and virtual time (Strate, Jacobson & Gibson, 2003, p.370). No longer does a candidate need to wait for a specific air time, or television interview, or to keep paying for ad space in a newspaper for him to be able to deliver his message. In new new media, a candidate’s message and image are available 24 hours, seven days a week; so long as he, and his supporters, have the ability to sustain a website, blog, and or keep postings, links or keep embedding his message to other internet outlets his presence will only increase. Additionally, candidates have the ability to communicate directly with their audiences through live web events, above all, at a considerably lower price than broadcasting it through old media. Candidates also have the ability to add follow ups, responses and updates to any messages they would like to continue to emphasize throughout their political campaigns.<br />Most notably, in old media days advertising prices ranging anywhere from $20,000 for a 30second off-peak spot to $394,000 for the same air-time during Desperate Housewives (Atkinson, Claire, 2006) represented insurmountable obstacles to overcome for candidates without the support of billionaire donors and lobbyists .<br /> But air time restrictions do not apply in new new media. Audiences now have the ability to not only access a candidate’s message any time they choose to, but to manipulate their candidate’s audio, video and freeze frame the image to exert control over it anyway they want. <br />Arguably the VCR and tape recorder gave audiences some of these capabilities, but new new media has enhanced them exponentially. <br />New Technology; New Challenges<br />Although with any new technology, the advantages of new new media also present additional challenges for which candidates and their media advisors must keep a close eye on, as doctored videos, images and sound bites can be created by opponents and spread like wildfire over the internet if not properly controlled. New new media can make or break a candidate who knows how to harness it, or fails to do so.<br /> Howard Dean, a Doctor and former Vermont Governor, generally considered a pioneer of online campaigning, and a victim of new media as well. During the 2003 primary campaign season Dean was able to raise an unprecedented $15 million dollars through his online campaign. <br />Driven by his internet savvy campaign manager Joe Trippi, Dean was not only able to effectively raise money, but allowed other decentralized internet groups to raise his profile on the internet allowing him to reach younger voters in a way no other candidate had been able to up until that point (Wolf, Gary, 2004). Dean’s successful online efforts inspired even Republican candidates such as Ron Paul and John McCain to follow suit, with Ron Paul raising more than 66% of his campaign funds from his online fundraising (Terhune, Leah, 2008).<br />However, on January 19th of 2004, Dean’s success would come literally to a screeching halt due what many in the media dubbed as the “I have a Scream” speech. <br />While giving a passionate concession speech at the end of the Iowa Caucus, a tired, hoarse-voiced Howard Dean emitted an emotional scream at the end his discourse. However, when the audio clip of Dean’s scream was incessantly played by the media (old and new), the sound of the scream became such a nuisance that it led Dean’s critics to imply that he did not have the composure to be a viable presidential candidate. Dean’s failure to quell the media crisis triggered by his scream eventually cost him his campaign.<br /><br />Howard Dean 2.0: The Obama Campaign<br />According to Lawyer Phil Nash, and internet activist who runs the Campaign Advantage organization, President Barack Obama’s successful online campaign was not limited to his ability to successfully raise funds online but the ability of his team to communicate and engage audiences throughout the internet (Terhune, 2008). Powerful elements of the Obama Campaign such as Facebook co-founder, Chris Hughes, left their successful venture to join him and to help him engage a new generation which had been long disconnected from politics as usual and had built their society in their new social media outlets. <br />With the help of Hughes, Obama’s campaign management team was not only able to build a successful website in which people could donate and follow Obama’s campaign messages, but they also targeted other highly visible and diverse social websites too such as MySpace, Twitter, MyBatanga, MiGente, Asian Ave, Facebook and YouTube. Obama’s opponent, John McCain, soon followed in his steps but with much less success (Terhune 2008).<br />Obama’s successful presence in the internet created other byproducts which worked to his advantage. One of these byproducts were the videos of aspiring singer/songwriter Leah Kauffman, better known as “Obama Girl” Kauffman, along with Video producer Ben Relles, created a video which received more than 2.3 million views during its first when it was posted in YouTube in June of 2007(Levinson, p.59).<br />Although exact measures of Obama Girl’s impact could not be accurately quantified, scholars like Paul Levinson attribute a great deal of responsibility to her videos for attracting the attention of the under-30-years voter demographic. And even though many of those who voted for Obama will not remember a word of his speeches, they will certainly remember the hook for Obama Girl’s hit: “I’ve Got a Crush on Obama”.<br /> Overall, Obama’s success was mostly based on perfecting the foundation laid out by Howard Dean’s 2003 campaign. His ability to strategically exploit new new media, in a way unmatched by any other candidates, resulted not only in catching the attention of a new generation of voters, but their contributions as well. More than 80 percent of all online contributions were made by people between 18-34 years old benefitting the Democratic Party (Edsall, Thomas, 2006).<br /><br />New New Media: New Debate Format<br />New new media changed the 2008 presidential not only in the way candidates disseminate their message to their audiences, or fundraise, but it also changed the way presidential candidates debates are conducted. For the first time, a major news network, CNN, allowed potential voters to ask questions directly to a candidate via YouTube (Levinson, p.60). No longer were audiences subjected to see and hear only the questions asked by professional reporters. Now regular people could have the same chance by uploading their video questions for everyone, especially the candidates to see.<br />This unorthodox new type of debate allowed for a different tone during to be set, and allowing the candidates to answer in a way that was more candid than had ever been seen before. Even though, in the eye of some experts, some of the questions may have seemed coached (Levinson, p. 61) questions like the one directed to Barack Obama regarding whether he was a legitimate African-American, and his evoked answer, “Ask the New York Cabbies”, are media moments which could not have been replicated by any professional reporter; professional reporters would have shied away from such a question.<br />Ultimately the CNN/YouTube debates did more than just change the format of presidential debates; it infused new life in an old media formula. The republican debate broke ratings records by attracting an estimated 4.4 million viewers while the Democratic Party debate attracted 2.7 million (Seely, Katherine, 2007). The fusion of old media with new new media has set new standard of collaboration that can be foreseen as yet another step of media convergence.<br /><br />New New Media; New Political Reporting<br />Just like seemingly trivial gossip bloggers like Perez Hilton have impacted the internet blogosphere and gossip journalism in general, new new media has given rise to new media political outlets and pundits. Websites such as the HuffingtonPost.com, Politico.com, and DailyKos.com have become open forums for liberal and conservative authors to openly express their political points of views; although the actual impact of such blogs is undetermined; their trends seem to be followed closely by political advisors close to those in power such as Sarah Palin and Barack Obama (Levinson, p.46,48). <br /> Despite a sharp decline in printed media and the loss of thousands of journalistic jobs, experts still believe that old media and professional journalists are still necessary (Levinson, p.54) and that the rise in the “citizen-journalism” is due to so many professional journalists being displaced from old media to new new media after being laid off. The rise of new media journalists can be seen as a necessary compliment to conventional media which can help fill in the news gaps left by old media such as the failure to report the absence of weapons of mass destruction after the Iraq invasion in 2003 (Levinson, p.55)<br />However, those who venture into the world of “citizen-journalism” have received less than a warm reception and unlike conventional journalists employed by an old media source, citizen-journalists are technically not protected by a federal shield law the way traditional journalists are. As seen in the cases of reporters such as Judy Miller, and video Blogger Josh Wolf, both of whom spent three to eight months in jail respectively, can attest that online journalism is still a grey area to which the first amendment will not always lend its protection (Levinson, p.39,40). <br /><br /><br />Public Relations Challenges<br />As previously discussed during the New technology, New Challenges chapter, the immediacy and wide dissemination of information can present serious public relations challenges for candidates if not promptly addressed. As illustrated in the Howard Dean’s “I have a scream” crisis, his passiveness on attacking the issue cost him his campaign. <br />Barack Obama went through some serious public relations hurdles which emerged and spread through new new media, most notably a YouTube video of Barack Obama’s church pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. On March 13, 2008 it was reported that a video, originally taped in 2003, showed Reverend Wright, making some very inflammatory remarks against the United States (Ross, Brian; El-Buri, Rehab, 2008). The video was widely disseminated in both, old and new media and Obama’s opponents wasted no time in exploiting the video for their political advantage; associating Obama to Reverend Wright’s ideology. Obama expeditiously made a posting in the Huffington Post the day after newscasts broke the story, condemning what Reverend Wright had said (Obama, Barack, 2008). Obama followed up his posting by making a video in YouTube touching on the sensitive topic of race relations in the United States; an issue he had carefully managed to dodge up until that moment.<br />Obama’s quick reaction towards his crisis, as well as carefully crafted messages repudiating Reverend Wright’s rants and his video making a call for better race relations outmaneuvered his opponents’ attempt to smear who would eventually become President Obama. <br /> <br /><br />New New Media Levels the Political Field<br />The incorporation of new media and new new media in the political process has done more than changed the way politicians replenish their campaign coffers; it has leveled the playing field for candidates, voters and those involved in reporting the political process. Candidates who would have been considered non-viable by their own parties now have a direct line of communication with their constituents as well as a stable platform to broadcast their message without having to pay exorbitant amounts of money as they would have to do through old media outlets. <br />New new media has also created a forum for voters who would have been largely disfranchised: young voters and small donors. These voter segments have been for years, whether due to a generational gap that could not be abridged or due to restrictive economic barriers that were designed specifically to keep them out, they too now have a direct line to their candidate in which they can be a part of his/her movement. As democratic candidates have proven since 2004, the model of connecting with a large number of small donors can be just as rewarding as pampering to a few large ones.<br /> New new media, and social media, though seemingly trivial before 2004, have proven to be powerful tools that can benefit or damage a candidate’s reputation, as well as a great source of information for voters to make educated decisions. Even though many people have made the mistake of writing them off as a fad, new media and new new media have proven they can, and have changed the world, and will keep on changing it as new technology emerges and progresses. <br /> <br />References<br />Edsall, Thomas B. (2006, March 06). Rise in Online Fundraising Changed Face of Campaign Donors.<br /> WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved April 3, 2010 from<br /> http://ww.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/05/AR2006030500816pf.html <br /><br /><br />Levinson, P. (2009) New New Media. Boston: Pearson.<br /><br /><br />Obama, Barack, (2008, March 14). On My Faith and My Church. The Huffington Post. <br />Retrieved April 3, 2010 from <br />http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barack-obama/on-my-faith-and-my-church_b_91623.html<br /><br />Ross, Brian & El-Buri, Rehab (2008, March 13). Obama’s Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11. ABCNews.com. Retrieved April 3, 2010 from <br /> http://abcnews.go.com/blotter/democraticdebate/story?id=443788.html<br /><br /><br />Seely, Katherine Q (2007, November 29). CNN/YouTube Breaks Ratings Record. NewYorkTimes.com<br /> Retrieved April 2, 2010 from <br /> http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/29.cnns-ratings-break-record-for-campaign.htmlEd Tejadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00760364525195177607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-17012198007887089332010-03-06T22:49:00.002-05:002010-03-06T23:05:12.508-05:00Flames in CyberspacePhilip A. Thompsen discusses the idea of flaming, in Cyberspace and Communication, an issue which we discussed briefly in class today. Personally, I appreciate the original definition of flaming, "to speak rabidly or incessantly on an uninteresting topic or with a patently ridiculous attitude." This came out of a 1983 version of "The Hacker's Dictionary" and I have to say that translates to a point to today's version of flaming (331.) <div><br /></div><div>But, personally, I have witnessed a lot less of overtly flaming on the internet, but more manipulation in order to transmit the same or similar emotions of anger, frustration, and argument that flaming is defined as. I do not see flaming as much, but more so constructive, relatively cruel, critiques of individuals in a Myspace/Facebook environment, or a blog/academic environment. </div><div><br /></div><div>I agree with Thompsen when he suggest that flaming is a mixture of media experience and skills, and the social influence of the form. More flaming I have witnessed occurs on message boards, where the open forum makes flaming almost permissible. On blogs or Facebookesc sites, I see less flaming because of the nature of the "social influence" of the forum. As Professor Strate mentioned in class, Facebook is a "safe" environment, and there is no room for flaming to be a common place.</div><div><br /></div><div>What do you think? I think web 1.0 types of websites allowed for flaming to occur more than Web 2.0, which makes interpersonal conversation more constructive, then 1.0 which made it constrained to a more linear form. But honestly, I do not see flaming as much now than I saw it say 7 or 8 years ago. Why?</div><div><br /></div><div>-Jessica Vanacore</div>Jessica Vanacorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12500763299958767662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-37710788043458697752010-03-05T23:43:00.002-05:002010-03-06T00:01:56.509-05:00Getting Over the Edge, or already there?<p>Class,</p><p>Taking another look at Communication and Cyberspace drew me to the essay, "Getting Over the Edge"by Stuart Moulthrop. It is an older piece. dating back to the 1990s but it raises important questions regarding the rise of new media that still translate to today. </p><p>Not to mention, his writing style is distinct from other scholarly writings on these issues. ""Cyberculture may just be the last holiday orgy of the yuppies, replete with silicon sugar plums for all" (256).<br /></p><p>Moulthrop questions the implications of the soon to be fiber optic data routes, suggesting this will bring enormous change to culture. But the main idea of his article lies in the issues of communication over the web/cyberspace/net and how it is routed in text. He talks about those who are innovating and a major part of the web culture are those routed in old print media, and people who often are highly literate and and "staunch defenders of high literacy and even the canon" (258). </p><p>He also says that the text in cyberspace will not replace that of the print. I agree with him in a way because he discusses a great deal about Hypertext, something that is almost defunct today. On the other hand, I do think that the abilities we now have well smart phones and laptops has effected the print medium, especially in terms of news moving onto the internet, and the growth of online libraries with scanned texts. It's the convenience today, that I believe, is making the "cyberspace text" take the lead.</p><p>But I have to agree with the statement, "Even after we have fully given up on print, the majority of "really electronic" text will be hopelessly contaminated with the old ways of knowing" (261). </p><p>-Jessica Vanacore</p><p><br /></p>Jessica Vanacorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12500763299958767662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-85091223294822040812010-03-05T21:37:00.001-05:002010-03-05T21:37:49.950-05:003-D<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hello class:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">During the last few years more and more 3-D films are released, taking the film industry to a whole new direction. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">What are the benefits and what are the drawbacks of such a change?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">3-D televisions are currently on their way to replace “old-fashioned” TV sets and enhance one’s visual experience. It is interesting to witness this transition from the old to a new innovative tool. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Certainly the wide release of 3-D films is mean to ease this transition while increase demand. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">It will be very challenging to resist to this change and see how long it will take until everyone feels as if this new tool is essential. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Is the attraction of 3-D the fact that one is now at the center of the movie? Could this be another on-demand effect, perhaps? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">What are your thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Margaret M. Roidi<o:p></o:p></span></p>Margaret M Roidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02287369543375965255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-49820875802400212142010-03-05T21:16:00.000-05:002010-03-05T21:17:04.279-05:00Mise-en-scene<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hello class:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I am reading Lev Manovich’s book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Language of New Media</i> and I came across one of his ideas about film:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">“Cinema is the art of the index; it is an attempt to make art out of a footprint,” (295). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">These sentences provide a very interesting break down of what film is about. His perception of film as a collection of frames recording reality, which could be stylistically enhanced by a careful and sophisticated use of technical elements, is very refreshing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The short video we watched in class is a clear example of this idea. The use of images to tell a story, the incorporation of sound, multiple screens, they all aim to communicate a specific feeling and thought based on reproducing reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Manovich’s breakdown of modern cinematic means reveals a demystified approach to this medium. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Margaret M. Roidi<o:p></o:p></span></p>Margaret M Roidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02287369543375965255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-7152673615669222542010-03-05T18:26:00.000-05:002010-03-05T18:26:52.036-05:00Speaking of Podcasting...<span style="font-size: small;"></span><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I thought that you might be interested to know that, on the advice and urging of Paul Levinson, I've started a podcast, well, just one podcast, so far. So, you can find my profile at <a href="http://lancestrate.mevio.com/">http://lancestrate.mevio.com</a>, which is separate from my podcast page, it just seems like every site nowadays has to have a profile page, as part of the social media trend. As you can see, I set it up at <a href="http://mevio.com/">Mevio.com</a>, a site that Levinson recommends, and over there they call your podcast a <i>show</i>, a term I find <i>amusing</i> (as in, somewhere up there Neil Postman is laughing, I know). And I had to come up with a name for the show, so I named it, <i>Ear Relevance</i>. Maybe it's a bad pun, but the pun itself is a play on the spoken word. So, I also decided to keep the title consistent with the name of my two blogs, and call it <i>Lance Strate's Ear Relevance</i>. I figure it would be a loose and open-ended educational program, at least, that's how I tried to describe it. I'm not sure how far I'll go with it, at least a few episodes though.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, in setting up the show, they asked for a picture to represent the show, and rather than use another picture of me (one, which was already there from my profile page, is more than enough), I asked an outstanding artist I know from MySpace, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/amulet_cypher">David Arshawsky</a>, if he would do something up for me, and gave him an idea of what I was looking for, and here's what he came up with:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBSsXvMIt3f7u_GGLWOWIo29fJkvzyzlUvmzef_qM-w_8UqtiyUc1SPRacq-_E_FRqdoKmTRFWQ6jUOgZ6qJ0zAKXt0iI8_5fGqaaY5AZe-bJ1ZiPGIw433jMmxyr814LIg26UOMy3O8/s1600-h/ear2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBSsXvMIt3f7u_GGLWOWIo29fJkvzyzlUvmzef_qM-w_8UqtiyUc1SPRacq-_E_FRqdoKmTRFWQ6jUOgZ6qJ0zAKXt0iI8_5fGqaaY5AZe-bJ1ZiPGIw433jMmxyr814LIg26UOMy3O8/s320/ear2.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So with that image, all I needed was the actual podcast itself, which took a lot more time than I thought it would, but I finally got my first episode completed and uploaded last month. I recorded and edited it on my Macintosh laptop, using the GarageBand program, and I had two options, so I first uploaded the episode in the better quality MP4a format. But I learned that older devices can't play it, and when accessed online it plays more slowly than the more universal, lower bandwidth MP3 format, so I uploaded a second version in MP3, and I'll stick to that format from now on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So, here is the URL for my podcast </span><span style="font-size: small;">page</span><span style="font-size: small;">: <a href="http://earrelevance.mevio.com/">http://earrelevance.mevio.com</a>. If you go there, you can "become a fan" and get email updates from Mevio whenever there's a new episode, and there are also links so you can subscribe via RSS feed, Zune, or iTunes--the URL for the iTunes subscription is <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/lance-strates-ear-relevance/id355714984">http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/lance-strates-ear-relevance/id355714984</a>. Mevio also gives embed codes, much like you can get for YouTube videos, so I'll give that a go now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Before you listen, let me acknowledge that it's amateurish, my recording expertise is limited and my equipment far from professional (for example, you may need to push the volume all the way up, depending on the system... oh, and let me warn you that the episode is about forty minutes long). But that is part of the whole point, isn't it? Anyway, here it is:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNjY3MjQ*NDkxMTYmcHQ9MTI2NjcyNDQ2MjI5OCZwPTQ*MTQ*MiZkPSZnPTImbz1mNmY*ZmQzYWNhYmU*NWI2YTMy/ODlmODY3N2I*NzJiMSZvZj*w.gif" style="height: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 0px;" width="0" /><object align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="336" id="MevioWM" width="600"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://ui.mevio.com/widgets/mwm/MevioWM.swf?r=35855 " /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="FlashVars" value="distribConfig=http://www.mevio.com/widgets/configFiles/distribconfig_mwm_pcw_default.php?r=35855&autoPlay=false&container=false&rssFeed=/%3FsId=24353%26sMediaId=7818003%26format=json&playerIdleEnabled=false&fwSiteSection=DistribGeneric" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /> <embed src="http://ui.mevio.com/widgets/mwm/MevioWM.swf?r=35855 " quality="high" bgcolor="#000000"width="400" height="224" FlashVars="distribConfig=http://www.mevio.com/widgets/configFiles/distribconfig_mwm_pcw_default.php?r=35855&autoPlay=false&container=false&rssFeed=/%3FsId=24353%26sMediaId=7818003%26format=json&playerIdleEnabled=false&fwSiteSection=DistribGeneric"name="MevioWM"align="middle"allowScriptAccess="never"allowFullScreen="true"type="application/x-shockwave-flash"pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed></object></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm getting a better microphone and pop filter, so the quality should better next time. I don't have any specific podcasting schedule, it'll just be whenever I can get them done, and whenever I want to get them done. If you subscribe, you'll get them automatically, if not, well, I'll be posting them on my blog, and tweeting them too.<br />
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</span></div>Lance Stratehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13033954765699126246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-63125146024229039482010-03-05T15:48:00.000-05:002010-03-05T15:49:51.560-05:00Websites for All...<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hello class,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">I was reading the headlines from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">New York Times</i> and one article draw my attention. Here I am providing a link to read it further:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Human-t.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Human-t.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">There are so many issues with this story. The fact that there are websites promoting such actions illustrates how cyberspace can be used to reproduce imagery that is powerful enough to generate social uproar. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The public’s anger is fueled by the demand to punish the woman subjecting the kitten to a cruel and painful death. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The internet can provide a stage for all to perform the lead role of their sickest obsession. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Margaret M. Roidi<o:p></o:p></span></p>Margaret M Roidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02287369543375965255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-17746036430655860042010-03-04T21:24:00.002-05:002010-03-04T21:29:51.533-05:00New Media StrategiesClass,<br /><br />I was just browsing the web, and decided to plug “new media” into Google to see what would pop up. I’m surprised I didn’t do this before…anyway, I found a very interesting company called New Media Strategies. What this company does is online marketing and advertising, by means of social media.<br /><br />The company performs word of mouth campaigns, and utilizes the new new media for advertising campaigns. On their site, their most recent client is Chrysler auto.<br /><br />On the “Areas of Expertise” section of their website, they say, “And we have helped our clients achieve a greater understanding of how their corporate brand (as well as individual product brands) are perceived and discussed by members of the online audience.”<br /><br />They then give an example of a campaign they did for online advertising of JC Penny’s Jewlery sales and “Beware of the Doghouse” campaign. Their goal: to promote and generate online buzz for JC Penny.<br />This is the process that they took:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><p>EXECUTION<br />Interacted with targets in parenting & motherhood, women, men,<br />bargain shopping and marketing & advertising communities through word of<br />mouth messaging, digital PR, and micro-blogging to build awareness and drive<br />video views<br />Created an official Twitter handle, "askJCP," used to promote<br />campaign initiatives and build brand recognition </p><p><br />RESULTS<br />NMS efforts<br />reached more than 4.4 million unique users and garnered over 18.2 million<br />estimated impressions across 200 communities, increasing campaign and brand<br />discussion by 90%<br />"Beware of the Doghouse" video received more than 3.4<br />million views during the 2-month campaign<br />NMS outreach grew the "askJCP"<br />Twitter handle to more than 300 followers and was featured on influential<br />Advertising & Marketing blogs including, No Turn On Red and The Caffeinated<br />Blog </p></blockquote><br />It’s amazing how an old media such as advertising has adapted to an online environment, using social media for promotion.<br />LINK: <a href="http://nms.com/about/areas-of-expertise/corporate/">http://nms.com/about/areas-of-expertise/corporate/</a><br /><br />-Jessica VanacoreJessica Vanacorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12500763299958767662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-71370544436149523482010-03-04T19:26:00.000-05:002010-03-04T19:27:10.393-05:00Cyber ScalpersI read an article in Tuesday’s edition of the Bergen Record regarding Cyber Scalpers. This seems to be an on going issue with the use of online ordering for ticket sales. A new software called CAPTCHA Bots is the latest system that generates tests, such as distorted text visuals, which the buyer must re-enter in order to process with the purchase. Current computer programs are supposedly not able to use this function. The CAPTCHA Bots stands for “complete automated public turing test”, which distinguishes between computers and humans. The recent scandal found that programmers in Bulgaria to established a nationwide network of computers that impersonated individual visitors and vendors. I find it interesting that we need systems in place now to tell us if a human is real. This is scary as a user, and makes you think of the future of the security of cyberspace. Cyberspace crimes are on the rise and I wonder if we can really control everything and every system that exists. Now I know why I couldn’t get tickets for Hanna Montana for my daughter last year! The more and more we depend on our high tech devices and computers, and the less we have interaction with humans, we will be finding ourselves searching for the human element in this cyberspace.lisastolarzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607937985854634635noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-50680832379831302682010-03-04T03:30:00.001-05:002010-03-04T03:36:39.547-05:00Thoughts on Second life<span style="font-family:arial;">I believe that certain areas of Second life have gotten out of hand and are weighing in on how we interact as individuals face to face. The Second life lifestyle has given people the opportunity to live out their fantasies and establish a personality that they do not possess on a daily face to face basis. At first, this idea seems entirely harmless, possessing an alter ego and expressing it online to the people you most likely will never meet, seems like it may be playful with no long term consequences. However, every guilty pleasure could be taken to the limit, and so has this idea of a second life.<br />In the cyber world we are given opportunities to interact, to be journalists, to be sellers and buyers, but at what cost? When individuals are restricted, they may find ways to rebel against that restriction, or they may not. However, when the access to the world is readily available without any restrictions, it is difficult to hold yourself back. Prostitution has found a way to no longer consist of girls on the street, but can be conducted via internet without the fear of being prosecuted by the law. The second life that people live over the internet has created crimes that were not possible to commit before the internet age. I suppose we put ourselves in certain virtual world situations voluntarily, however it becomes more dangerous each year and we should protect ourselves from being trapped in this cyber world. I believe this changes the way people act in person entirely. The internet is no longer only on our computers, it is also on our phones making it impossible to escape. The world is only a click away and we are a very easily influenced society. Whether we are at home, in the car, at a restaurant, it is all irrelevant; we can access the web at any time and any place.<br />People have become anti-social to a certain degree due to the fact that everything is conducted through email, since it is now easier and a more efficient way to contact a person via email rather than giving them a phone call. By the time these individuals get home, they are more likely to text their friends rather than actually call them. Therefore the people who have an entirely different personality over the internet when conducting business or sexual relations, it most definitely will eventually interfere with their personal lives. Some may spend even more time on the internet simply because they are more comfortable with their internet personality rather than their actual one. This kind of behavior will inevitably cause a drift in their personal relationships outside of the internet, their communication skills will suffer, and there is no doubt that they will lose the people they love over a guilty internet pleasure. As seductive as the cyber world may seem, too much of something is damaging, and therefore it is best to avoid it rather than let yourself turn into a person that you no longer even recognize when you look in the mirror.</span>Maihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02061531723972450865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-29797651857868177022010-03-03T20:58:00.002-05:002010-03-03T21:01:12.854-05:00PodcastsNew New Media- Podcasts<br />I feel sometimes like I am the biggest critic of new new media, and am always trying to look at the darker sides to find the biggest problems they could have on society. Podcasting, however, has had me completely dumbfounded for the longest time. I don’t like them, but I don’t hate them. I honestly never gave them much thought, but noticed more and more that my friends (with iPods and Macs) were becoming obsessed with them. Specifically, podcasts were becoming a huge part in the online Harry Potter fan culture.<br /><br />Lame, I know. I used to be completely obsessed, but since the seventh book was released I dropped off the HP online planet. But, it still exists, and podcasts have become a huge drive for these sites. Mugglenet.com is a site that was founded by a bunch of kids who really liked Harry Potter and it became a tremendous phenomenon to the point that it is the world #1 Harry Potter website. Time Warner and Chevy have advertising spots right on home page, and a counter at the bottom is indicating to me now that there are over 1500 people on the site.<br /><br />I figured this would all die down after the books and movies came out, but they have embraced new new media to its fullest extent, and the site(still ran by kids) produces podcasts to keep the attention and liveliness of the fan site alive. They are able to book interviews with writers,and actors in the HP films and discuss aspects of the movies and books in a new way. After reading Levinson’s chapter on Podcasting I can see how it is becoming very popular, especially now that people are able to load podcasts into their cars and listen to them any time they desire. His explanation of Grammar Girl’s success as a podcaster illustrated this and made me think of Mugglenet as another example.<br /><br />In addition, the way he describes the ease of producing a podcast makes me want to do it. It is easier to manage sound for the amateur more than video, and it is cheaper to produce as well. Another interesting point was podcasting and music, and the issue of copyright law. The solutions that podcasters have found, such as Adam Curry’s “Podsafe Music” website really shows how this is a growing aspect of new new media that will remain as more and more people utilize it.<br /><br />I kind of want to try making a podcast to work on my style of producing, and use it almost as practice in the professional setting. I feel as if the podcast, especially in the broadcast world, could be great practice for producing...even if no one listens to it!<br /><br />-Jessica VanacoreJessica Vanacorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12500763299958767662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-16255702808839882952010-03-03T18:46:00.001-05:002010-03-03T18:47:50.614-05:00Green Day's LyricsI came across the lyrics for the rock band Green Day’s song “American Idiot”. There were very interesting to me. They read: <br />Don’t want to be an American idiot<br /> Don’t want a nation under new media<br />And can you hear the sound of hysteria<br />Welcome to a new kind of tension<br />All across the alien nation<br />Where everything isn’t meant to be okay<br />Television dreams of tomorrow<br />We’re not the ones who’re meant to follow<br />For that’s enough to argue….<br />One Nation controlled by media<br />Information age hysteria<br />The song is right on point with the notion that the new age media is causing hysteria. The digital world we live in is changing us… the way we learn, communicate, socialize, work, and perform everyday functions. For an example, the IPhone is advertising a new application, which can now turn off your lights at your home if you forget. Cyberspace can now control functions in real time. Are we now living in the world once portrayed in the cartoon series “The Jetsons”. Is this what the song writers meant when they wrote “Television dreams of tomorrow “? Every day I can pick a newspaper (yes, I still read the news in paper form) and there are stories regarding the new digital world and the effects that they are having on us and our surroundings. I think the “hysteria” is more the obsession with all our new toys, and the quest to get your hands on the latest and greatest edition of our devices.lisastolarzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607937985854634635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-61819565245232658572010-03-03T00:29:00.001-05:002010-03-03T00:34:32.291-05:00New new media abuses<span style="font-family:arial;">On the internet, we are all journalists in our own right reporting of our daily lives and experiences and this has opened the door for all eyes to see. Once you post, you really have no way of knowing who can see all of this information regardless of how much you secure your privacy settings, you really have no way of knowing who will be looking at this information. In this information age with an extreme lack of privacy, we have opened the door for anyone to put their two cents in regards to what we post, and not all of the feedback will be positive. Although this behavior is unfortunate it is somewhat expected. In such a multicultural and multiethnic world, we cannot expect everyone to agree and therefore we are unaware of the fact that maybe what we consider to be entirely innocent, another may consider it offensive and therefore they may react by insulting you in forums and other social websites. Cyberbullying trolling, flaming, online gossiping, amongst many others are becoming a real issue lately. It in fact reminds me of the story, which has been previously mentioned, about a teenage girl committing suicide due to the cyberbullying she was receiving from her classmates via internet. The worst part about this story is that this is not the first case of suicide due to cyberbullying nor will it be the last. At schools, if there is bullying, it is easier for school officials to track it down and prosecute the students involved. However, in the internet age it is impossible to track and therefore the students doing the bullying usually do not get punished for their behavior until it is too late. Although it does seem impossible at the moment, I believe that a solution is very necessary because this will get out of hand, if it has not already. The internet has in many ways desensitized us as human beings, there are certain things said over the internet that one would not be able to say in person. The distance from one computer to another has given us incredible strength in terms of what we can say to others. Although, it may sometimes seem that your insults will do no real harm except temporarily hurt a person’s feelings, time as well as the news, have shown a different side to the effects of cyber taunting.</span>Maihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02061531723972450865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-87203160469426894552010-03-02T18:20:00.001-05:002010-03-02T18:23:04.822-05:00Wikipedia<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Wikipedia has created a name for itself unlike any other online source of information. Many students have grown to become extremely dependent on this site, and I am no exception. Whenever I need quick facts or information regarding anything I tend to turn to Wikipedia. It became a bad habit, and that is why many professors do not recommend the use of Wikipedia as a source. I personally like using Wikipedia because unlike encyclopedia which tends to have a fee for using the information on the site, Wikipedia is completely free and it possesses the same amount, if not more, information. What really amazed me is the study that has been conducted in 2005 to examine the accuracy of information distributed in both Wikipedia and Britannica. The result showed that “an average of four inaccuracies per Wikipedia article and three per Britannica article- in other words, not much of a difference” (93).<br />However, as great as this website may seem, it really should not be considered as the final word for the research. Although Wikipedia does have editors to make sure the information is checked, most of the information written is by ordinary people like us. If I decided that I was an important enough figure in the society and thought I should have my own identity on Wikipedia, I would be able to write out a biography of myself and my accomplishments. The editors may track that information and remove my page; however, they also may not. Also, If you are someone who tends to visit Wikipedia often, you will begin to notice that the information on the site changes, due to new information regarding the topic. Therefore, whatever information is on the website is not to be taken as something written in stone. <br />Another important factor is that since editors have little say on how people would see or use Wikipedia, we cannot say for sure whether Wikipedia is an encyclopedia or a newspaper. Since there is a wide range of people that have daily access to it across the world, we really cannot be certain of how they would distribute information. As Levinson said, “All consumers, in general- always determine how the new new medium is used” (96). Over all, I think that Wikipedia is good when it comes to getting a general idea on a topic but it is in no way a substitute for a library or books. Sadly the internet age has deterred us from libraries because we feel we can apprehend all necessary information over the web, when in fact sometimes it is best to go back to basics in terms of research.</span>Maihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02061531723972450865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-25881813168905718582010-02-27T16:01:00.004-05:002010-02-27T22:29:31.032-05:00Internet Privacy- Final PaperJessica Vanacore<br />Understanding New Media<br />Professor Strate<br />February 27, 2010<br /><br />Internet Privacy<br /><br />Internet privacy is a concern to users globally, but the concept of internet privacy has yet to be clearly defined. There is no definite understanding as to what internet privacy is, and if it really even exists under any context. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the definitions and conceptualizations of “privacy” in the age of the internet, and some historical back ground as to what privacy has meant to the individual in light of new technology in the past. Threats to privacy and personal information that is processed over the internet will be explored, such as the implications of computing power, technological developments, connectedness, as well as governmental and non governmental surveillance issues. Some programs and websites that appear to invade privacy will be discussed as well as the effects of internet viruses. Security protection programs and a closer look at how personal information is collected and used for marketing purposes will also be discussed.<br /><br />The idea of privacy originated in the late 19th century, when Warren and Brandeis in 1890 co-authored a famous article entitled “Right to Privacy,” defining privacy as “the right to be let alone” (Woo, 5). After the increase of print technology, new affordable texts such as the Penny Press allowed individuals to read information in their own homes for the first time. This provoked individualism within society, with a new value of private property, and privacy as a “social value being able to read a book in your own private home” (Woo, 6). Privacy began to be viewed as a power against authority, and a means to balance social control from others; information becoming a source of privacy. The birth of the printing press and the affordability of the news fueled mass media. Soon, technology developments, as author Louis Brandeis discussed in his article regarding the effects the then new camera was having on the individual’s privacy, enabled the mass media to produce pictures and print private information on citizens, making it public (Waldo, 88). This increased the importance of privacy in the individual, and also shaped it as “the people’s right to be free from the government and mass media intruding into their lives (Woo, 6).<br /><br />It’s important to remember that media is always growing, and new media always succeeds an old media that once was new. The printing press, photography, and the telephone, have always questioned the ability to maintain an individual’s privacy.<br /><br />Today, the computer age has posed new threats. Since its birth in the 1980s, the internet as a new mass media is still dealing with the issue of privacy, and it is becoming an ever growing problem the more it is being relied, used, and integrated into the modern world. The National Research Council established the Committee on Privacy in the Information Age, who identified four key factors of privacy in the modern age. The first was the areas of concern associated with new technologies and the individual’s personal information. Next were the technical and sociological effects of technology, ranging from the collection devices and methodologies that put personal information at risk. These include storage, communication, and the user’s voluntary and involuntary sharing of information. Next was to asses the developments in government and private sector practices with the growth of technology and last to examine advertising aspects of information sharing (Waldo, 20).<br /><br />As technology develops, so does the computational power. Today, the amount of storage space that is available is ten-fold to what it was in the last decade, allowing there to be traces of data left from nearly any action that users take while using a computing device (Waldo, 92). The more power, the more data can be stored for purposes the information was not originally intended for, such as advertising. Additionally, the massive amounts of storage space leave enough room that files may not even need to be erased, but can be compressed and uncompressed, making information nearly impossible to destroy once it has been produced. Even on a home disc drive, it is possible to recreate deleted files, and restore erased data. This ability to never really destroy stored information and processes questions how private a digital aged archiving system is (Waldo, 93).<br /><br />Yet, storage doesn’t just have to be looked at from a computing power angel either. Today it is easier than ever to take and store pictures and video on cell phone and music devices than it was. And with this it makes it easier for there to be an invasion of ones privacy if you have the ability to record, store, and transfer private acts on a device. But cell phone computing power poses new issues of privacy such as GPS, calling and message records that are solicited for purchase on the internet, from companies that fraudulently obtain user data over the internet (CNET). Such abilities to buy cell phone records make it easy for any individual to threaten and stalk another.<br /><br />In addition, the connectedness that the internet has enveloped has now made it easier to access information that was previously only obtainable physically. Now it is possible to track credit history, real estate transactions, and public records over the internet (Waldo, 99). Overall one would argue that this eases the invasion of ones privacy by making it easier to obtain documents on an individual that might normally have taken more time, effort, or required a legal reason. But there are also benefits to the connectivity that straddles the privacy line. Such websites like Family Watch Dog (<a href="http://familywatchdog.us/">http://familywatchdog.us/</a>) enable anyone in the United States to look up and discover where registered sex offenders live, what crimes they were prosecuted for, and any additional offenses they have made in addition to their photographs and detailed descriptions of the individuals.<br /><br />The website<br /><br />However, the Family Watch Dog website also makes it possible to search email addresses and uncover personal photos that have been on websites and video from any individual with a working email address. The website, Spokeo.com, searches through social networking sites to reveal personal details on individuals by use of their email address. The service offers for free the individuals name, age, sex, location, pictures, and networking information if found. There is also an option to pay to allow the service to offer more data that is linked to the individuals email address, such as blog posts or anything published on an online networking site. Many websites like these exist, such as 123.people.com supported by Intelius that allows you to do background checks on individuals using their paid service. It also offers free searches that allowed you to view the town and state the individual lives. For a fee of a dollar you can find out DOB, address, telephone number, address history, average income, and value of an individuals home. Intelius is a public record database, and their privacy policy states that all the information they collect is either of public record, or is personal information that was made commercially available. The Intelius privacy policy states,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote>Publicly available information consists of online and offline information that<br />is generally available but is not maintained by a government agency, such as<br />names, addresses and telephone numbers of individuals and businesses,<br />professional licensing and trade organization information, press releases and<br />newspaper articles and content from blogs or social networking sites. Commercial<br />records consist of information that is maintained by enterprises and is<br />available for purchase, such as marketing and telemarketing lists, phone connect<br />and disconnect information, and business profile data (Intelius, Privacy<br />Policy). </blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br />These websites exist and are a testament to the fragility of personal information and privacy in cyberspace. What’s even more important to note is that many users of the internet are unaware of these websites and what they are capable of uncovering.<br /><br />The growth of technology has also allowed surveillance easier access, speed and a wider scope. Surveillance is defined as the collection and processing of personal data, whether it is identifiable or not for purposes of influencing or managing those whose data have been garnered. The surveillance becomes broader and more prevalent, but harder to identify as the technology advances. Private and corporate agencies are using increasing technological capabilities to build knowledge about consumer behavior for commercial purposes and citizen behaviors to detect crime (Dinev, 214). Cybercrime defense began in 2002 by the FBI who declared cybercrime their third top priority, and began internet surveillance of vendor and online service providers (Dinev. 215). Other laws such as the Patriot Act make the government’s surveillance legal and legitimate, with the government having the ability to tap into phone conversation without a warrant (Lee, 2003). This also allows room for government seizure of internet history from search engine providers such as Google, who refused to turn over data from their repositories after the Bush Administration in 2006 issued a subpoena, fearing it would be an invasion of its user’s identity and privacy (PBS). Other search engine powerhouses such as Yahoo and AOL turned over data, but did not fully comply with the government’s requests.<br /><br />The government’s access to new technology in the internet age has given them the ability to watch dog users, and look for suspicious behavior, as opposed to having probable cause then observing for suspicious behavior. The technology removes the first step of probability, and instead just observes for out of the ordinary behavior, putting every user under the scope of surveillance (Waldo, 256). As well as surveillance, the government has control over censorship of internet materials. For example, China is one of the most policed countries in the entire world, and in 2006 Google agreed to censor search results from its search engine to meet Chinese government standards in order to enter the largest internet market in the world (BBC). Four years later, Google announced on January 12, 2010 that they would no longer comply with the Chinese restrictions of their services (Business Week). But it took Google several years of backlash from the Chinese government, people of China, and activist groups before the company buckled and refused to comply with the censorship. Another reason why Google may have finally went against the Chinese government was because they only had 35.6 of the Chinese internet market, where as BIDU was the leader by a substantial amount. Was Google finally making a statement of the right to information and privacy of the Chinese people, or was there not enough money involved to make it worth censoring China?<br /><br />Despite government and nongovernmental surveillance, another main concern and aspect of internet privacy is the collection and use of personal information. A major threat to a user of the internet would be marketing practices. A users understanding of privacy strategies also hinders the ability for there to be effective tools to protect information being distributed over the internet. There are several practices that are performed by websites that have to deal with the dissemination of personal information.<br /><br />Internet cookies, which are data that is sent between the website and the web browser, contain tracking information of a user’s internet history; what websites are visited, for when, how long, and what they are looking at. Mobile phone numbers, and those shopper loyalty cards (those CVS, Shoprite cards) are also used, much to people’s surprises, for marketing purposes (Zero Knowledge, 1). These sources and cookies help collect information and store them in databases that log the activities, movements and purchases online of a user. This information is used for advertising purposes, and the “knowledge guiding the treatment of the individual” (Zero Knowledge, 1). Websites are serving as surveillance for advertisers, tracking internet behavior in order to classify them into certain groups for advertising purposes. An example would be the practices in which the Wall Street Journal uses internet cookies. WSJ has eight categories it uses cookies to track its users into, and then feeds this information to advertisers who use ads to target a user’s particular interest, like business or travel.<br /><br />Personal information is also used by social networking sites that benefit from advertising to generate revenues. So do websites that request information in exchanges for services. Let’s examine two of the most visited websites who fit this description according to the web information company Alexa: Facebook and Google. Facebook has a unique advertising platform that it established in 2009 in order to generate increased revenue after it anchored itself as the leader in the social networking market. Facebook advertises to potential clients that their site enables a business to display their ad to the exact demographic that they need in order to generate the most business. Directly from the Facebook website, they use an example of a wedding photographer who was able to use Facebook ads to have their ad displayed on the pages of 25-30 year old, recently engaged women.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://b.static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/z3Y86/hash/aa4fhpq7.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 142px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 178px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://b.static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/z3Y86/hash/aa4fhpq7.png" /></a><br /><blockquote>"Over 12 months, CM Photographics generated nearly $40,000 in revenue<br />directly from a $600 advertising investment on Facebook. Of the Facebook<br />users<br />who were directed to CM Photographics’ website from the ads, 60%<br />became<br />qualified leads and actively expressed interest in more information."<br />(Facebook Ad Page)<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br />The question now is, how does Facebook collect this information on its users? On their privacy page, Facebook states their privacy policy, and states how basic information that the user provides in exchange for the Facebook service are used for advertising purposes in order “to serve personalized advertising to you” (Facebook Privacy Page). Facebook has an intricate privacy policy that addresses every possible issue related to the user’s information.<br /><br />The next site to examine is Google and its privacy policies and pages. Their privacy center claims that it has 5 privacy principles to describe how Google “approaches privacy and user information across all out products” (Google). Their five principles are as follows:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><br /><br /><p>1. Use information to provide our users with valuable products and services.<br />2. Develop products that reflect strong privacy standards and practices.<br />3. Make the collection of personal information transparent.<br />4. Give<br />users meaningful choices to protect their privacy.<br />5. Be a responsible<br />steward of the information we hold.<br /></p></blockquote><br /><br />The page also has videos describing Google’s privacy standards, and there is a privacy page for each of Google’s products. Google also lists how they collect user information and how it is used. The first is information that the user provides in exchange for services. They also use cookies, log information, various user communications, affiliated Google Services on other sites, Gadgets, location data, and links that are formatted to track the users use of them. Google also includes a note that their privacy policy is for Google services only, and does not translate to search results that are clicked and selected from Google’s search engine. They also note that they process personal information for the use of:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote>• Providing our services, including the display of customized content and<br />advertising;<br />• Auditing, research and analysis in order to maintain, protect<br />and improve our services;<br />• Ensuring the technical functioning of our<br />network;<br />• Protecting the rights or property of Google or our users; and<br />• Developing new services. (Google) </blockquote><br /><br /><br />It is important to note that information that can be gathered and stored with speed also can be analyzed, changing the economics of what it is possible to do with information technology. Hardware, hardware connections over networks, advances in software to extract data info, organizations and companies that sell/offer information they have gathered themselves can organize and analyze information without the user even knowing it, any time they use the internet (Waldo, 93). The Federal Trade Commission five core principles of fair information practices: Notice, choice, access, security, and enforcement. But how often is a consumer aware that their information is being collected and used?<br /><br />Other technologies called “Data Gathering Technologies” that are on the rise are GPS devices and cell phones that are emergency 911 capable. Sensors, infrared and thermal detectors, radio-frequency identification tags, spy and remote cameras, and traffic flow sensors are among many new technologies that invade personal privacy that have been embedded into normal every day life (Waldo, 94). Certain cell phone and GPS enabled devices are able to trace an exact location that the user is at any given moment in time, and are sometimes marketed for parents being able to trace their children. There are even mobile applications and services from Google that allowed a user to see other users on a map, and know if they are at work, school, or at home. Users consent to using these devices, but how do you know if you are being tracked or not when using a phone? What kind of surveillance is united with all of this technology, and what price is privacy paying?<br /><br />An example of GPS technology invading privacy is the “Guardian Angel Locator” cell phone company. It allows parents to view their child’s exact location by tracking it via GPS embedded software and viewing a map on a computer. The site says that it uses GPS technology to send data over the cell phone provider’s network to their secure servers. Satellite views of maps make it possible for a parent to track a child’s exact movements, and even speed and direction of a vehicle they may be in. It also stores locations that the child has been in for up to a month. Services like this exist within cell phone providers, who in emergency situations can track where the user of the cell phone is.<br /><br /><br /><br />Below is a link to a promotion video from the Guardian Angel website, that shows how the technology works.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardianangeltech.com/video_flash.php">http://www.guardianangeltech.com/video_flash.php</a><br /><br /><br /><br />This is a picture from the website of how the monitoring system works via the internet.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardianangeltech.com/images/map_03.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 332px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.guardianangeltech.com/images/map_03.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As for pervasive sensors and remote cameras, they are becoming a normal part of ordinary life. In the UK, CCTV (close circuit television) has become a complete norm- with millions of cameras located all over the country and cities, as they are used to reduce crime. According to the BBC, the average citizen in the UK is on CCTV cameras 300 times a day, and that was a record from 2002. The smaller these devices become, the less they are noticed by citizens.<br /><br />Some other examples of technology that exists, but is often not though upon, are advances in software such as the programs used by banks that monitor and check credit card purchases. These programs, referred to as “data mining and information fusion” assist understanding user behavior. It is not uncommon for a person’s credit card to be denied, or suspended if “suspicious” use is sensed by a program. For example, someone one who travels to another credit card may be denied it’s usage in another country if they do not alert the credit card company (Waldo, 96).This programs are designed to track the consumers’ behavior and be able to identify any uncharacteristic purchases. But is this invasion of privacy or protection? What if a consumer is denied usage of their credit card in an emergent situation? The problem with this technology is that the software believes it knows your behavior, but sometimes can become a bigger problem for the user.<br /><br />These “data mining and information fusion” programs are also used for government agencies, whether it is to track potential terrorist threats, or to reveal someone’s identity based on a name and color of a vehicle. These programs create a system that allowed the exchange and transfer of information over incredibly broad fields, sometimes facilitating behaviors that are not in the interest of protecting a user, but abusive such as target marketing. The technology is making it easier to classify and group users into categories that can be used for advertising, or manipulative services (Waldo, 97). And because most of these programs are operated over massive networks, they are easily accessible, and there is allowance for massive storage on sever bases anywhere in the world.<br /><br />Another simple example of GSP technology is when you sign into an internet service provider from a Starbucks coffee shop. In order to use that service you need to give personal information and create an account in order to access the internet. From there, once you log in, the system shows you where your location is (the Starbucks store you are in). For all intents and purposes, if you have supplied a real name and personal information, this internet provider now knows exactly where you are.<br /><br />But for all that threats privacy, there are companies that privately own and operate the internet. VeriSign is one of those companies, founded in 1995 by Jim Bidzos, present Executive Chairman and current President and CEO Mark McLaughlin. VeriSign manages two of the world’s 13 internet root servers and is considered national IT assets by the U.S. Federal government, and generated 1.026 billion dollars in revenue. VeriSign quotes itself as “the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world.” It protects more than one million Web servers with digital certificates, protecting the majority of secure Websites on the internet, including 93% of Fortune 500 sites.<br /><br />VeriSign is the company that issues SSL certificates that legitimizes the companies name and website, providing them with a secure connection. How SSL Certificate works is it establishes a private communication channel which enables encryption of data during the transmission. Any website that is SSL certified will have a little handshake or padlock during transmission. Any website with a log in feature, an online store that accepts online orders and credit cards, and if you process sensitive private data (addresses, phone numbers, etc). VeriSign gives users a real sense for privacy, and protection. VeriSign also is the SSL Certificate and provider of choice for 96 of the world’s 100 largest banks. An SSL certificate allows the user to know that the site is real, and any information they share is secure.<br /><br />But how many users of the internet know that these systems of protection exist, and how to look at the indicators that a site may not be legitimate? Despite all of the private sector and governmental protection, threats still lie to the uneducated internet user. There are still programs out there that intend to do harm, at a PC level, such as the more recent phenomenon of “phishing.” Phishing is when a spammer lures a user into clicking a malicious link where they will ask for their log in information to proceed to the next site. It’s called “phishing” because the user is tricked into clicking a link that appears to be a real message, and when the user clicks on a malicious link, the website appears to be identical to the true website.<br /><br />Recently in the news, Twitter was invaded with phishing links that were able to trick several important people into getting their information, including UK’s Secretary for Energy and Climate Change, and subsidiary of HSBS Bank. Once they clicked these malicious links, they were prompted for login information that appeared to be legit. Their Twitter accounts then proceeded to spam porn links. Although none of this situations happened to be too detrimental, it just can example of the privacy issues that are facing us today. Newer versions of Windows no have built in Phishing detectors that warn the internet users the possibility that the site may be “phished”, and ways of detecting if it is.<br /><br />In addition, there is also the threat of spyware, spam clients, malware, and the fear of cybercrime that put the users’ privacy at risk. Spyware is malware that collects small portions of a user’s information without their knowledge, hidden within software files that may have been downloaded onto the computer buried within a system. Certain types of spyware that has been prevalent have been programs that are disguised as trusted anti-virus programs, but are really spyware. Spyware is on the list of concerns by the US Federal Trade Commission. In 2005 AOL and the National Cyber-Security Alliance conducted a study that revealed that 61% of those surveyed had spyware on their computers. Of 61%, 92% of those said they did not even know it was on their computer (Stay Safe Online.org).<br /><br />Anti-virus programs such as Norton and McAfee , Kaspersky, F-Secure, and Bit-Defender are additional, and often necessary programs installed to prevent a computer from being infected. Users can subscribe to these services, with the top providers being based on monthly or yearly fees. These anti-virus programs now provide the user with a protective armor; one of which they are willing to pay. Free anti-virus programs exist, but often times do not have the detection capabilities that paid programs do. This software is able to detect threats to your internet usage, and protect email, web activity, instant messaging, and file sharing (Symantec).<br /><br />Cybercrime most recently has come in the form of malware, bots, phishing, and Trojan horses and is aimed at stealing personal information for profits. Cybercrime comes in the form of identity theft, ways of accessing bank account information, or credit card numbers to make purchases online, or drain bank accounts. Today, this is the biggest form that Cybercrime has taken. Again, the question can be asked as to how private is personal information on the web, and is it possible to completely keep every aspect of one’s cyber life private, even with the use of security services. After examining many of the technological developments, it seems that privacy may never truly be able to exist in a digital world.<br /><br />It is conclusive to say that privacy in the internet age is constantly being threatened. Although protective services are available to a user such as Anti-Virus software and companies like VeriSign, there are still a number of other implications that arise from new technology, such as viruses, malware, spyware, surveillance, and phishing. In addition to software threats, there are company threats that exist just to sell personal information, such as Itelius and Spokeo.com. Computing power now makes it almost impossible to destroy data that has been produced, and allows the ease of collection of mass data from “data gathering technologies”. Even though websites and companies have privacy policies and post them, how many internet users are aware of what their information is being used for? The internet is still shaping and growing even today, but privacy is crucial issue that still remains to be solved.<br /><br /><br />Works Cited<br /><br />Dinev, Tamara. Hart, Paul. Mullen R., Michael. Internet privacy concerns and beliefs about government surveillance – An empirical investigation. Science Direct, 2007.<br /><br />Hong, Traci. McLaughlin, Margaret. Pryor, Larry Internet Privacy: Practices of Media Outlets.Conference Papers -- International Communication Association; 2003 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, p1-24, 24p, 2 charts, 5 graphs<br /><br />Krup, Nathalie. Movius, Lauren. US and EU Internet Privacy Protection Regimes: Regulatory Spillover in the Travel Industry--Top Student Paper, Communication Law and Policy Division. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association; 2006 Annual Meeting, p1-28, 27p. Conference paper<br /><br />Phillips, David. Zero Knowledge: Articulating Internet Privacy. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association; 2006 Annual Meeting, p1-24, 24p. Conference Paper<br /><br />Zwarun, Lara. Yao, Mike Intrusion, Threats, Rights, and Strategies: Using Multidimensional Scaling to Identify People's Perception of Internet Privacy.<br />Conference Papers -- International Communication Association; 2007 Annual Meeting, p1-21, 21p.Conference Paper<br /><br />Woo, Jisuk "Internet Privacy and the “Right Not To Be Identified”.<br />Conference Papers -- International Communication Association; 2005 Annual Meeting, New York, NY, p1-40, 41p.Conference Paper<br /><br />Waldo, James. Lin, Herbert Millett, Lynette I..<br />Engaging Privacy and Information Technology in a Digital Age. National Academies Press, 2007.<br /><br />Google Privacy: http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacypolicy.html<br /><br />Facebook Privacy: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php?ref=pf<br /><br />PBS Online News Hour: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/cyberspace/jan-june06/google_1-20.html<br /><br />http://www.staysafeonline.org/pdf/safety_study_2005.pdf<br /><br />BBC<br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2071496.stm<br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4645596.stm<br /><br />Guardian Angel Technologies: http://www.guardianangeltech.com/<br /><br />Intelius: https://www.intelius.com/privacy.php<br />Business Week:<br />http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2010/gb20100113_124533.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5<br /><br />Semantic Anti-Virus: http://www.symantec.com/norton/security_response/index.jsp<br /><br />Family Watch Dog<br />Familywatchdog.usJessica Vanacorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12500763299958767662noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-79125082385612896302010-02-27T15:46:00.003-05:002010-02-27T15:50:42.378-05:00Whats the point and how much will it cost?Hi class,<br /><br />Yet one more thought. Something was occurring to me a little while ago. The new new media is for the most part all about the internet, which was originally conceived of to make the dissemination of information easier. Yes, the internet has become a haven for advertising and money-making, there can be no disputing that fact. The question I have is how much technology companies are going to use the consumer’s reliance upon the internet and new new media to make more and more money.<br /><br />I feel as though on the whole people have become so reliant on their connection to the web that they are willing to pay any price to stay connected. It seems as though everyone these days has an iphone, a blackberry, a pda, or some other way to wirelessly connected. I constantly see high school students and younger children with internet technology way beyond anything I own, could afford, or more specifically, would want. I can understand certain people needing these technologies in accordance with their job, but for the most part it seems to me as though technology companies are feeding the internet addiction latched onto the general populaces back as a method of making money. Personal internet technology has come to a point in which the purpose is more focused on as a status symbol and addiction rather than a tool used for the dissemination of meaningful information.Angela DePoalohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08837372342698151419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-67836989527366790432010-02-27T15:04:00.000-05:002010-02-27T15:05:34.597-05:00Creation - Technology On Screen<p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Margaret Maria Roidi<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Dr. Lance A. Strate<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">COMM_6090_81<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 6"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">27 February 2010<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Creation: Technology on Screen<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Technological innovations are an integral part of every evolving society. The drive to enrich one’s life through the creation and implementation of new media continues to grow as the public seeks ease, comfort, and control over its environment. The endless possibilities provided on a daily basis generate further demand for change to occur as various tools are aimed to satisfy, and even increase, individuals’ needs to manage and select the material to which they are exposed. The unconventional on-demand lifestyles, promoted through the use of new media, demonstrate people’s aspiration to function as gatekeepers; the quest to find one’s creator is now replaced by each person’s need to become that ultimate being. Technology offers this opportunity along with the burden of all its consequences. The duality of new media has inspired filmmakers to depict on screen the interaction between people and technology as they attempt to undertake the role of the creator. The genre of science fiction demonstrates the use of such tools and the inevitable costs with which they are associated. James Whale’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Frankenstein</i> (1931), Stanley Kubrick’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">2001: A Space Odyssey</i> (1968), Ridley Scott’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i> (1982), and Steven Spielberg’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Artificial Intelligence: A. I.</i> (2001), present the ethical challenges that arise when people’s obsession with the reflection of their own image turns into a window, revealing a world they have yet to foresee. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Science fiction films are inspired by people’s endless desire to explore future possibilities. New technological innovations provide filmmakers with the proper means to enrich the depth and impact of their craft, enhancing viewers’ cinematic experience. The mystical worlds presented on screen expose a fascinating characteristic of human nature that of taming and controlling one’s environment. Undeniably, cinema provides an escape from reality while it highlights people’s deepest aspirations. Marshal McLuhan notes, “The movie is not only a supreme expression of mechanism, but paradoxically it offers as product the most magical of consumer commodities, namely dreams,” (390). This medium, therefore, depicts the complexity of human instincts as they are demonstrated by people’s use of technology. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">An egotistical sense of superiority is promoted by the introduction of new media in each given society. James Whale’s film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Frankenstein</i> (1931) focuses on the tremendous power bestowed upon a scientist. Dr. Frankenstein, played by Colin Clive, embodies the absolute example of narcissism, which is encouraged by the forceful and careless implementation of technology. A man’s desire to create his own image, thus attaining immortality, is the ultimate incentive towards exceeding the boundaries of morality; the tools available make it possible for this doctor to fulfill an unattainable dream. Technology offers the dangerous illusion of control over nature, blinding in a way the doctor’s judgment. The new tools of his profession will be employed to conduct an unorthodox experiment, one that is meant to give him the false sense of control he seeks. The filmmaker focuses on the irony of the dual nature of any new medium: use versus misuse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Based on Mary Shelly’s book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Frankenstein</i> challenges the viewers’ understanding of progress. Any innovation which is accepted and incorporated into people’s conventional lifestyle changes the core of every society with unpredictable consequences. Dr. Frankenstein’s work defines who he is with technology serving as his nemesis. His castle is isolated and inaccessible; the establishing shot frames the troubling actions taking place within this facility as the scenery and overall misé-en-scene suggest the disturbed mental state of the protagonist. The massiveness of every room demonstrates the characters’ powerlessness and the temporality of their existence. The immense size of his laboratory functions as a mirror, externalizing his inability to understand the risks of creating his own reflection. Low-angle-shots and low-key lighting are used throughout this film to promote a sense of uncertainty and fear as distorted lines and expressionistic features dominate the screen. Each frame is filled with shadows, leaving the characters unprotected against the threat of the unknown. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The symbolic use of fire in the film presents man’s historic transformation. The monster seems to be frightened by it, suggesting that every technology has the potential to harm its user. The paradox of this situation is that the monster fears and avoids the tool – fire – yet the doctor does not recognize the same danger in his own creation. Sue Barnes’ essay, “Cyberspace: Creating Paradoxes for the Ecology of Self,” addresses the inevitable questions about a-life research; the rush of creation overpowers one’s decision making process, leaving him vulnerable to a myriad of repercussions. The fascination of employing new means diminishes people’s ability to estimate and prevent any potential risks (237). The monster suffers by his creator’s misuse of power; Dr. Frankenstein wished to find god, but in the process he chose to take his place instead. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The following sequences present the doctor’s absolute disregard for his creation. Dr. Frankenstein flees his laboratory where chaos and disorder prevail as a direct result of his irresponsibility, and finds shelter in the warmth of the life he had previously abandoned. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The filmmaker, however, confronts the audience with the consequences from which the doctor attempts to escape, exposing them to the fact that once change is introduced balance cannot be restored. In the meantime, the monster continues to wander until he is invited to play with a little girl, Maria. Whale uses a long shot to create a false sense of security; the child cannot recognize the danger she in as she throws flowers in the lake carelessly with her new friend. Frankenstein’s monster appears as fascinated by the flowers floating at the top as Maria. Nevertheless, the doctor’s inability to fulfill his role as the creator and “father” of this new life is reflected by the monster’s inability to comprehend that throwing the little girl in the water will lead to her drowning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The uproar does not take too long to generate a mob of angry villages running to protect their territory. Frankenstein himself is viewed as the victim while his creation is prosecuted for showing as much sympathy to others as it was shown to him. The doctor made the mistake to overlook the significance of his actions and assume that if he were to pretend that nothing ever happened, life would simply go back to normal. “Any invention or technology is an extension or self-amputation of our physical bodies, and such extension also demands new ratios or new equilibriums among the other organs and extensions of the body,” (McLuhan 67). The director shows the battle between the old and new technology; the monster kidnaps his creator and demands revenge for the suffering he was forced to experience. Inevitably, Frankenstein is consumed by his own reflection since he was unable to understand the extent of his actions. The symbolic burning of the monster is meant to warn the viewers about the reckless use of modern media as he presents the creature dying by the tool he feared the most. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The director concludes the film with the characters’ world appearing intact. However, the seed of knowledge has already infiltrated their society, waiting for the proper moment to transform their conventional rhythms. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Frankenstein</i> shows the dramatic events following the implementation of new tools as a way of satisfying one’s narcissism. The idea of change is a common theme in science fiction films as it captures the essence of human nature and its endless yearning to prevail over all creations. Naturally, the enigma of progress inspired Stanley Kubrick’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">2001: A Space Odyssey</i> (1968), which undertakes the task of presenting a chain of evolutionary events through a pioneering and critical perspective. The director’s unique vision of the journey people have embarked upon is initiated by the depiction of tools as divisive instruments of destruction from the “dawn of man” to the infinite universe and beyond. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The director’s sophisticated and carefully thought-out use of the cinematic means of the late 60’s enables him to take cinema into an unexamined path. The film opens with the soundtrack setting a mysterious tone while the black screen encourages the viewers to clear their minds and be transported into the unfamiliar past. The uncertainty of the opening sequence, therefore, is accomplished by an unconventional establishing shot which frames the emptiness and chaos. As this film was released a year before the actual landing on the moon, the spectators did not have a previous reference in mind; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">2001</i> constitutes the very first attempt to present outer space and challenge people’s position within the infinity of the universe (Mast and Kawin 542). The symmetrical presentation of the planets after the film’s opening indicates that there must be a master plan directing the evolutionary cycle of life. A question that is difficult to answer when one is blinded by the power bestowed by his creations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The vast and crude environment of the primitive past is overwhelming. The level of coexistence among the early creatures is defined by the mutual need to survive; however, territoriality and procession of one’s space initiates the quest for a tool that will enhance their natural self. It is then that the humming sound of progress invades and transforms permanently their world. The slab is a neutral element, a carrier of information and knowledge; it is entirely up to the user to interpret and decide how to implement this new power. Bolter and Gromala argue, “Each installation calls its participants into an active relationship, asking them to perform rather than merely to view,” (15). The secrets held within this tall, smooth, and unidentifiable object are meant to be unleashed and incorporated into the lives of those exposed to its sight. Kubrick’s cynicism about any technology is clear in this shot. The appearance of the slab comes in contrast with the crudity of the environment in which it is located. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Tools are always impossible to tame as they carry their creators’ flaws. The ape’s thought process, sparked by the bones in front of him, is identifiable. He attempts to apply another meaning to an object by questioning its use. A long shot frames this scene of discovery with the ape at the centre of the screen. The bones could be interpreted as the stability and foundation of familiarity; nevertheless, they could be employed as a form of destruction and empowerment. The stages of this realization are immediate and gratifying, encouraging change to occur. The presentation of the ape’s movements in slow motion compliments the significance of this moment; a medium shot follows the hand holding the bone as an extension of itself. The ironic presentation of evolution lies in the fact that creation goes hand-in-hand with destruction. This montage sequence foreshadows the events that are to follow. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Kubrick’s cinematic approach demands his audience’s attention. The oblong white bone of the Stone Age has turned into an orbiting station in space in which the journey to find the meaning of life continues. The depiction of the transition from the past to the present is accomplished successfully by this match-on-action cut, demonstrating the impact of a simple tool on the technological advancement of the future. Richard Barsam discusses further the meaning of this rapid transition: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 1in" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">An “ape-man” rejoices in his newfound weaponry, a bone, by tossing it into the air, at which point it becomes technology of a far more sophisticated kind. This astonishing leap of sight, space, and time introduces several of the movie’s principal themes: the relativity of time, the interaction of inventiveness and aggressiveness, and the human race’s desire to conquer the unknown, (318). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Viewers are forced to become active participants in the story by creating connections between the time periods, considering the reasons that might have led to this evolutionary cycle and questioning their abilities to survive in a world ruled by their own creations. The serenity of this futuristic scene presents the harmonic coexistence between technology and man. The characters are driven by their desire to find answers; on the way to discover the ultimate creator they give life to other forms of existence, taking the human race a step closer to that being by making them small gods. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The intrusive nature of technology seems to follow the characters even in space. Two of the men taking part in this mission, Frank and Dave, represent each spectator as their experiences are meant to shed light into the bizarre world of machinery. When Frank does not supervise the tools of the scientific station, the technology comes to him. A message from his family, celebrating his birthday, interrupts him in the form of a video call; the sense of time is lost. The creation overpowers its master with ease, depriving him of privacy and control. The machines may be far more improved in the future, but people still cannot rid themselves of the same old destructive instincts that characterize them. The most obvious example of this complex relationship between master and creation is HAL, a highly intelligent computer. Today, this medium’s behavior is dated by the perception of the past, which viewed computers as an electronic brain rather than a tool of representation. He is the highlight of human invention. HAL’s standing in the mission is valued significantly more than that of the human beings he is accompanied by. Even though his capabilities exceed those of any person, he carries the mistakes and weaknesses of his creators (Bolter and Gromala 89). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">HAL is inquisitive and skeptical. He is programmed to distrust his associates and has no mercy or sense of sympathy. HAL’s intrusive tone is meant to manipulate Dave into confessing his thoughts about the mission, exceeding the boundaries of humanity. Lies and mind games are qualities which transferred into the technology by people. The computer plans to divide and conquer the two men by ordering them and challenging their knowledge; a computer can never be wrong, only a human error would be the answer to the mistakes halting the mission. When HAL is questioned, he does not hesitate to blame calmly the discrepancy for which he is accused on humans’ poor skills. Kubrick presents this incident in order to ridicule people’s inability to admit their own mistakes; the computer simply acts the way he is programmed. This demonstration of arrogance and superiority by HAL awakens Dave and leads him to investigate the source of the problem. In an attempt to escape from HAL’s watchful eye the two men try to conspire against him and plan accordingly. However, their underestimation of the machine’s intelligence is proven to be a deadly mistake as HAL’s instinct to sustain himself leads him to kill first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The charming qualities that made HAL special are overshadowed by lies, manipulation and, a murder. The twofold use of any tool is easy to question, but Kubrick seems to believe that people will always be defeated by their own limitations to acknowledge their mistakes. HAL, much like humans, feels entitled to act this way since he considers himself superior to his master. However, he soon realizes his own immortality when Dave proceeds with the plan to terminate him. During this sequence, the machine exhibits a puzzling quality. HAL behaves as a child and tries to appeal to Dave’s emotions; HAL begs for him to stop, he sounds regretful, and begins to retrieve to an earlier stage of his life as a computer by singing a children’s song. The table is reversed. The creator is taking responsibility for his creation’s actions and begins to employ technology in a positive way, taking control of his life and that of the human race. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: black"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece ends with the symbolic “Starchild.” A transparent mass of light becomes the home for Dave while he has regressed to a fetus-like stage. “The electric light is pure information,” states Marshall McLuhan in his examination of this medium without a message (19). Consequently, the future of the human race lies in the incorporation of knowledge and technology within an ultimate being. Serving as a medium within another, light carries the depth of human experience and transports it across the universe. The director presents the “Starchild” next to Earth as if he is a reflection of the actions in which people engaged, giving life to a new form of absolute balance and harmony. This film’s unconventional structure derives from the complexity of human life; any tool provides a new experience which morphs its creator and takes evolution into a different direction. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The genre of science fiction provides a plethora of interpretations regarding the future of humanity. In 1982, Ridley Scott released the film adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</i>. Scott’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i> presents a quite different atmosphere from that of the classic science fiction films of the past, sparking a new cycle of on-screen pessimism. Its plot and visual elements classify it generally as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">neo-noir</i>, pointing to the existential movies of the 40’s and 50’s, while its futuristic setting and storyline foreshadow a glooming outlook for humanity. The director’s use of cinematic elements transfers the audience to a world in which people have satisfied their egotistical need to replicate themselves by creating androids – a result of conquering new media and advancing into the NEXUS phase. These humanlike machines are used as slave labor to serve their creators, whose initial fascination with this scientific accomplishment has faded. Therefore, much like HAL, replicants developed a unique sense of self turning against their creators and confronting them for their mistakes. </span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">People’s misuse of androids prevents them from seeing the transformation of their environment into a new interactive entity. Even in this highly evolved society, mankind is preoccupied with its quest to recreate life, keeping the endless desire to dominate and overpower others alive. “Scott’s Director’s Cut raises philosophical questions about the worth of humanity and humans’ control of the world which they have created,” (Galagher 1). The filmmaker’s depiction of people’s journey through time and space is challenged by the social uproar the NEXUS phase brought upon them. The psychological consequences of facing the rage of one’s own creation are unsettling as he is confronted by the reflection of his actions’ true intentions. The realization of mankind’s selfishness to give life to its own image for the pure joy of admiring new media’s advantages is too difficult to bear. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i>, technology provided the tools to manage everyday tasks with ease, but the intoxicating power that came along fooled the citizens of this planet once again. The only solution to eliminate further casualties lies in the characters’ persistency to “retire” their replicants, demonstrating mankind’s need to restore order in the only way proven successful by destroying their reflection. <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000148/"><span style="COLOR: windowtext; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Harrison Ford</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">’s character, Rick Deckard, is a well modernized version of the classic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">noir</i> hero. Rick is a middle-aged detective searching for life without the continuous pursue of replicants as it has ostracized him in the darkest corner of the Earth. He is a loner, whose existential choices determine his fate and course of action; it is Rick’s job to detect and “retire” the replicates from the world that created them. The director’s purposely made decision to conceal Rick’s connection with the creatures he seeks to destroy is meant to challenge the audience directly. Turning the spectators into active participants in the mysterious pursuit of truth and justice is an unconventional way of holding them accountable for the events depicted on screen. In a sense, Ridley Scott’s approach is aimed to warn the public of the dangers that ignorance, indifference, and arrogance disguise as signs of progress. Lev Manovich’s interpretation of the implications presented in the film brings up an interesting view about new media’s direction:</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: auto auto auto 1in; mso-add-space: auto" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i>, Macintosh’s GUI [Graphical User Interface] articulated a vision of the future, although a very different one. In this vision, the lines between the human and its technological creations (computers, androids) are clearly drawn, and decay is not tolerated. In a computer, once a file is created, it never disappears except when explicitly deleted by the user. And even then deleted items can usually be recovered. Thus, if in “meatspace” we have to work to remember, in cyberspace we have to work to forget, (63). </span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i> centers on the gray area in between order and chaos. Rick’s inability to escape from his past is illustrated by his interaction with Rachel, an android who is not aware of the fact that she is a replicant. The memories implanted into her brain appear and feel real; one is to wonder what reality is and whether Rick could be an android as well. <u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This perplexing presentation of spaces and characters is another indication that appearances can be deceitful, just like technology. The futuristic background is enhanced through the extensive use of low-key lighting and expressionistic set design, conveying the story’s cynicism. The sets’ obscure treatment turns them into canvases of visual information. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The paradox of creation challenges the audience’s expectations by revealing the unexpected richness found within each environment. The multiple layers of humanity cannot be defined or preprogrammed, but perhaps the replicants share much more in common with their creators than the characters dare to admit. The suffocating air is made worse by the rain and smoke, which linger in the atmosphere; the crowded scenes are followed by deserted ghost-like areas. It is evident that technology acted as a tool of regression, depriving humanity of its opportunity to evolve and achieve greatness. Scott promotes this imbalance to resemble the chaotic world of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Frankenstein</i> rather than the “harmonic dysfunction” of Kubrick’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">2001</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">J. F. Sebastian, played by </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0761836/"><span style="COLOR: windowtext; TEXT-DECORATION: none; text-underline: none"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">William Sanderson</span></span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">, portrays an ingenious man whose creations serve as a window into a world he will never come to enjoy. Suffering from a terminal genetic disease he is forced to live in fear; as a result of this condition, he is given a refreshing perspective on life that none of the other characters are capable to comprehend. The filmmaker presents J. F. Sebastian’s apartment in a remote and abandoned building that does not reflect the magnitude of his creativity. Nevertheless, its interior opens the door to another universe. It could be argued that J. F. Sebastian lives in a parallel virtual world using his dolls and toys as his avatars, comforting himself while waiting patiently for the inevitable. This illusion of control brings joy into a life that occupies multiple spheres of existence. Roy Batty, the leader of the androids seeking revenge, is a part of Sebastian as well. The interaction between the two characters makes it clear that both men share the same sense of reasoning, but also the weakness of the limited time they have on the planet (Bolter and Gromala 130-131). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The battle between Rick and Roy composes the climactic sequence of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i>. The anticipated confrontation of creator against creation – human versus technology – presents the ultimate dilemma as the audience wonders what difference each result would make. Rick’s weakness lies in the fact that he has embraced narcosis while Roy’s pessimistic view of the future cannot be altered. Technology has the potential to create dreams, but also to externalize humanity’s worst nightmares; Roy condemns people for being doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past as they choose to let the memories of their failures fade in time. All the moments of destruction and suffering will be lost until the next cycle of violence begins. Confronted once again by their own flaws, people will attempt to destroy the mirror rather than use it as a window into their soul. Information is power, but it is how it is employed that makes all the difference. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ridley Scott’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i> paved a new path for future science fiction films to follow, addressing the concept of technological innovation with the use of a dark and cynical representation of the distant future; thus illustrating technology’s chaotic consequences. The most elaborate and original concept, however, came from Stanley Kubrick’s and Steven Spielberg’s collaboration in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Artificial Intelligence: A.I.</i> (2001). <span style="COLOR: black">T</span>he initial idea for the story was eventually morphed into a relatable plot of loss and gain. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A. I.</i> centers on the dramatic journey of a machine attempting to become a real human being so as to gain <span style="COLOR: black">the affection of the couple who programmed him to love them unconditionally. The film’s use of technological elements to portray the creation of</span> a harmonic coexistence between man and machine <span style="COLOR: black">satisfies a certain desire for a tangible, yet dreamlike, future.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="COLOR: black">Based loosely on the story of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pinocchio</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A.I.</i> centers on a world in which people’s on-demand lifestyles redefined the meaning of life. Embracing technology as the only tangible instrument worth believing in, they modified the moral and social standards of the past. </span>The skepticism surrounding artificial intelligence is now eased by the convenience of having highly advanced, yet loyal, robots attend to mankind’s every need. Nevertheless, Cybertronics continues to target people’s demand for emotional support creating robot lines that provide just that. The newest breakthrough is the introduction of humanoid children programmed to simply love; it is expected that this product with have a tremendous appeal to parents who have suffered the loss of a child. David is a machine which will continue to love unconditionally with the same depth and devotion until one’s final moments. <span style="COLOR: black">Science cannot predict the complexity of human nature or narrow the vastness of its emotions, thus presenting a significant limitation that cannot be resolved through any lifeless medium. The ultimate question raised in the end of the meeting may bring people to tears. Is there an individual capable of returning this kind of love? David will function as the window, showing people what they have scarified in order to accept progress. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The imminent isolation and loneliness David will be forced to experience is portrayed on the screen. A collection of shots is used to foreshadow his character’s dramatic journey through a world where the overproduction of on-demand services has narrowed people’s judgment and deprived them of their humanity. It appears that his presence and love will only be accepted when and if requested. For example, in the sequence where David is first brought to the house, he approaches and observes his new environment as he finds himself looking at a framed family picture. His reflection lies masterfully on an empty spot away from the rest of the characters, demonstrating that he is created solely to substitute people’s need for a child. Even though David appears to be real, he can never fully become human. The audience is aware of this, but David will never understand why. The conflict of this situation is impossible to be conceived by a technology that is given specific limitations. David – unlike Frankenstein, HAL, and androids – is incapable of feeling any other emotion than love. He is a machine, whose only task is to love his “parents,” when his mission is not accomplished he has no means of protecting himself against the pain of failure and rejection.</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In the final sequence of the film David tries desperately to find the “Blue Fairy” and become a real boy to gain his mother’s love. The viewer is faced with a familiar desire of being united and accepted by his creator. When David’s wish is granted and Monica returns, he comes to experience one last special day with his mother. David carries the knowledge of the past and future; his mother’s perception of time and space is insignificant, therefore for this one day, the child gets to be the adult. It is the degree of awareness that determines and measures age, not the manmade sense of time. The visual indicators of the child’s emotions are reflected in the room in which he is waiting patiently for his mother to be returned to him. David is surrounded by cold and metallically shaded lighting, while when the time has come to be with his mother, the environment changes quickly with reddish hues leading him to her. In the final medium shot, where David and Monica share the bed for the first and only time, it is clear that they have finally become one; both of their faces are bathed with a naturally earthly color as the camera moves away. </span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The purity of the ending sequence depicts Steven Spielberg’s optimistic interpretation of what the future holds for humanity. David is the only transparent link connecting the past with the future; the act of sharing his knowledge ensures the continuity of mankind’s accomplishments across the universe. The compassion and love he was programmed to feel never faded and his memories will never be tainted by anger or regret. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Artificial Intelligence: A. I. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>presents a window into a world in which man and technology have found a harmonic balance. Nevertheless, sacrifices are always expected in order to accomplish such a transition. Frankenstein’s inability to face the cost of his actions resulted in chaos as the creation mirrored its creator’s flaws, much like HAL in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">2001</i> and the androids in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blade Runner</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">A.I.</i> people were stripped of their emotional independence, but David’s memories will help restore a world long forgotten by evolution. Technology is a pure carrier of information; it is up to each individual’s use that defines whether its consequences will benefit or harm life.</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Works Cited</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Barnes, Sue. "Cyberspace: Creating Paradoxed for the Ecology of Self." <i>Communication and Cyberspace</i>. Ed. Lance Strate, Ron L. Jacobson, and Stephanie Gibson. 2ndnd ed. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, Inc., 2003. 229-53. Print. </span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Barsam, Richard. <i>Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film</i>. 2ndnd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2004. N. pag. Print. </span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Bolter, Jay D., and Diane Gromala. <i>Windows and Mirrors: INteraction Design, Degital Art, And the Myth of Transparency</i>. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. Print. </span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: auto auto auto 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Galagher, Nola. <u>Bleak visions: Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. Director's Cut. (NSW Film As Text)(Critical Essay).</u> <i>Australian Screen Education</i> 29 (Winter 2002): 169(6). <i>Expanded Academic ASAP</i>. Thomson Gale. Bergen Community College. 1 May. 2007. </span><a href="http://0-find.galegroup.com./"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">http://0-find.galegroup.com.</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Manovich, Lev. <i>The Language of New Media</i>. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. Print.</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Mast, Gerald, and Bruce F. Kawin. <i>A Short History of the Movies</i>. <span style="mso-ansi-language: EL" lang="EL">Nineth ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. , 2006. Print</span>.</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">McLuhan, Marshall. <i>Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man</i>. Critical ed. Corte Madera, CA: Gingko Press, 1964. Print.</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; TEXT-INDENT: -0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></p>Margaret M Roidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02287369543375965255noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-18227972675439100392010-02-27T13:39:00.002-05:002010-02-27T13:46:45.581-05:00When New Media Meets CopyrightMenchun Kuo<br />Professor Lance Strate<br />Understanding New Media<br />27 February 2010<br /><br /><br /> When New Media Meets Copyright<br /><br /><br /> New media is a new word for our society. Few years ago, people only know what media is, but now, new media is a tendency. New media changes our life a lot. It is convenient when we can contact our friends or clients by Internet. For example, you can use on-line chatting software to talk to friends or send email to connect with clients. In addition, people can use some websites to present their feelings, thoughts, and life, such as Facebookcy, Myspace or Twitter. <br /><br /> Cyberspace is the main access for people to communicate everyday. People can post anything on the internet; they have their own blogs or pages. They can share anything they want to share. Someone shares his lovely music or pictures on his blog, someone post the articles that he likes on his website. People can do many things on the internet. However, when something is overdevelopment, it won’t be a good thing anymore. People should figure out what the right things are when they did. Also, people have the right to protect their own ideas and productions. That is copyright. <br /><br /> Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code, 2006) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. (U.S. Copyright Office, 2010) Now, how do people take a balance between new media and copyright is a big issue. It is a conflicting situation. People always want to get information and resources easily, but they do not want to be illegal. That is why there are so many lawsuits about new media and copyright.<br /><br />Lawsuit cases<br /><br />1. Google Book Search<br /><br /> As we know, Google is a famous website for search. From 2004, Google started their “Google Book Search” Project. This searching is a latest technology at the time. This searching is also known as Google Print. Google scans and converts the entire text book into its digital database. When relevant keywords typed into the system, it will automatically display the relevant results. When users click into the link and open up an interface, it allows users to view the book and including some advertisement s, publisher’s website and booksellers. Because this tremendous convenience may generate lots of arguments from publishers, Google limited the pages for users to view, prohibited users to print and protected the copy right. Also, Google has the right to allow users access to their system. (Earlham College — Richmond, Indiana, 2005)<br /><br /> This book searching is the first scan all the texts into the Google digital system then link to the original website and allows users to browse part of the documents. However, this is a fair use and very legitimate in the business point of views. Viewers can only view the index but not the entire book. If viewers like it, they have to purchase it or rent it from the library in order to view the entire book. When this software established, many of the internet users’ benefit but the publishers and authors dissatisfied about this software and lead to a lawsuit. (Earlham College — Richmond, Indiana, 2005)<br /><br /> In October 28 2008, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers represented all of the authors and publishers to had a resolutions with Google. This including hundreds of thousands of books that allow the rights for Google to use but Google has to pay one hundred and twenty five millions to establish the Book Right Registry and to pay off the lawsuit. Forty five millions is for the publishers and authors who suffer for the copy rights. Also Google has to spend thirty four millions paying off this lawsuit. (Google, 2010)<br /><br />2. YouTube V.S. Viacom <br /><br /> YouTube is the most successful and powerful online video supplier in the world. As an influence supplier, YouTube has to handle thousands of video for offering its members to upload, share, and display videos. (YouTube, 2010) And Viacom is a global entertainment content company that has very diverse audiences around the world. Viacom deliver a wide range digital media through television and motion pictures including MTV Networks, BET Networks, Paramount Pictures and Paramount Home Entertainment. (Viacom, 2010)<br /><br /> By early 2007, Viacom had noticed that lots of fans of SpongeBob had been uploading clips and episodes to YouTube. As the fans of SpongeBob were a numerous and evasive bunch, Viacom thought it might be prudent to also engage in negotiations to license SpongeBob to YouTube. Such a license would bring revenue to Viacom, while obviating the unpleasant task of tracking down and prosecuting its base of loyal customers. However, the negotiations broke down, and on March 13, Viacom filed a $1B lawsuit against YouTube for copyright infringement. (Copyright Website, 2010)<br /><br /> Viacom's complaint alleges six counts of copyright infringement, consisting of three types of direct infringement, and three types of indirect infringement.Viacom claims that YouTube itself publicly performs the SpongeBob videos on the YouTube site and other websites. (Copyright Website, 2010)<br /><br /> According to the internet news information, YouTube believes this behavior is not illegal, and YouTube pointed out the reasons that Viacom mentioned are over the law requirements. (YouTube, 2010)<br /><br /> However, the court in Field v Google had no problem finding that users clicking on the ‘Cached’ link did not constitute direct copyright infringement because there was no volitional act on the part of Google at that point in the process. This is the same situation; users clicking on hyperlinks cause the SpongeBob videos to be streamed to their browsers. Consequently, there can be no direct infringement of public performance. (Copyright Website, 2010)<br /><br />The debate<br /><br />1.Who is the winner?<br /><br /> From those two cases, we can find out there is no correct winner. No one can announce he is right with the law. There is no happy ending, too. Let’s take a view from Google case. Google not only establish the Book Right Registry to protect the authors and publishers but more significantly is Google innovatively creating a new business model. Nowadays, Google already had close to seven hundred thousand books into their system. In this system, it includes four to five hundred out of print publications. According to the resolution, internet users can read those books which are expired of their copy rights publication. For those books that have the copyright, viewers can only read 20% of the book. The best of all is, those out of print publications can allows any viewers to view. (Google, 2010)<br /><br /> Also, the resolutions framed many agreements. Google can only get 37% of the revenue and 63% revenue will be shared to the publishers and authors. In addition, universities, libraries and other public institutions are allows to purchase these digital books from Google. (Google, 2010)<br /><br /> Although Google just only allow internet users to view part of the books but this makes Google very profitable because it has the advertisements revenue. That is why Google wants to develop Google Book Search project. <br /><br /> However, if Google win it, which means the market will be more competitive and allows competitors such as Yahoo, MSN to emerge. This will drive down the profit margin and become less profitable. From the publishers and authors point of views, they want to keep and protect their rights. They hope they can keep the value of the produces. If everyone can pay less money and download on the Internet, which means it is more possible to share to others people for free.<br /><br /> Even the law, there is a correct way to determine which is right and wrong. The most important thing for people is their benefit. People always support the things which benefit themselves. For Google, the company wants to make money, even it tries to find a way to balance, and it is still useless. Because the authors and the publishers can not feel fair in the same way, and they do not trust this way can benefit them better than the original way. <br /><br />2.Should we stop people download by the Internet?<br /><br /> Nowadays technology is very popular and very easy for people to violate the copyright, and the worse is, it is very hard to track down who violate the law because these websites may located in other country and it is not a cost effective way to track down who violates the copyright law. <br /><br /> For Google case, because of the easiness of searching information from the internet, books selling are sky rocket. Once the court gives the right for Google to legitimate the search, it will be a disaster for publishers and authors. However, if it is free of charge for Google to put books into the system, those publishers can save the cost and allow many users to know of their products. In the Google point, one hundred thousand books already grant authorization and other hundred thousand is in very long history and is not protected by copyrights thus, it belongs to the public domain. The other five hundred is already out of print publications and lack of business value. Because of Google, these books can regenerate of their life and sell worldwide. (Google, 2010)<br /><br /> So how about change our thinking, Google provides another way to keep our culture. It might is a perfect way, but Google understand new media is a tendency and wants to make good use of it. In the future, it will be a digital world. People read e-books, e-magazines, e-comics, and e-novels. Even we have online courses and use e-text books. We can not stop the quick change of new media. The one thing we have to focus on is how to use those resources legal.<br /><br />3. Does it happen again?<br /><br /> People all want to stop everything illegal or negative effects for them. However, who can promise it would not happen again? Or people will be afraid of this issue. YouTube is a famous website, it offers the user to upload videos, but the most different characteristic of YouTube is when it gets the video information, the information will be saved into database. YouTube provides a share platform that can allow everyone upload videos and share with others.And other websites like Yahoo and MySpace can share the videos in their own space. <br /><br /> However, YouTube has the lawsuit about copyright, but other the similar websites, like MySpace, TorrentSpy, DailyMotion, and Break.com, they all smaller than YouTube, but they do not have lawsuit. Therefore, does it really can stop people share files online? <br /> There are so many websites on the world. Maybe we can stop the biggest and powerful websites to spread videos or music, but how can we stop all cyberspaces? In other sides, People can not download any mp3 or videos on YouTube. If they want to see the video, they have to go to YouTube to see it. Why don’t we just make a good use of YouTube? <br /><br /> There is an excellent example happened few months ago. The CW TV released a model-centric drama --- The Beautiful Life. But this drama was been canceled since this past Wednesday’s episode was seen by just 1 million viewers. However, some of people still want to see this drama, so the producer of this drama --- Ashton Kutcher decided to release the drama on YouTube. If this drama is popular on YouTube, it might be survival or play on television again. Ashton Kutcher expressed, does this drama can survival or not all depends on audiences. People can vote online and show how they like this show. Also, this drama plays on YouTube can keep its high quality to watch. It is a new try and it makes people excited to see what it will be. (Cwtv.com, 2010) <br /><br /> This example shows how people change their way when copyright meets new media. New media is a tool that depends on what you use. If we can not stop people share files online, why don’t we jump the tradition model and find a new way to protect our copyright.<br /><br />4.What is the real value of copyright?<br /> <br /> When someone discovers or creates something, and he registers the copyright, then he owns the right. However, what is the real value of copyright? It can protect people who want to steal your ideas or sell those ideas that you might spend all life to create. <br /><br /> But if you do not share your ideas, it is still no use for you and people. Now we can use any kinds of new media as your tool to help yourself. When you share your ideas to more and more people, you will become famous. And most of people will know what your idea is. If they find someone steal your idea, they will help you to accuse him. Also, if your idea is creative or can help people, you should spread it out. An idea can influence other ideas, and then it will make more new ideas. <br /><br /> If we just want to keep our ideas, and do not want to share it. It does not have any meaning. Or if we just want to earn money for keeping ideas, it is selfish and does not have any help. New Media let people have more changes to touch other different sides, it also help our world to be closer and happiness. We can use new media well and create a new world for ourselves.<br /><br />5.Is law the best way to protect copyright?<br /><br /> When someone does something illegal, the first thing we think is law. Law can punish him and prevent people do something bad. However, law always is the last step when we face problems. If a child steal 1 dollars form his mom, his mom might punish him by many ways, but not go to police office. Why? That is human nature. People always give other second changes when they did something wrong. Otherwise, you bring a child to police office then tell the police the child steal one dollar, the police will do not know how to do. <br /><br /> Now go back to talk law and copyright. New media grows so fast, and the law can not really follow. Moreover, the law is dead, and people are live. We should not rely on law to solve everything. New media is changing, and people can be changing, too. Even we can suit a website for copyright, but there are still a lot of websites in the world. We can not control all cyberspaces. Also, people can find some way to avoid the law. <br /><br /> Because of that, it would be better to corporate the main websites, such as YouTube or Google to create a win-win situation. They pay the money for use the copyright, and tag the authors when they use. People all know what resources from and do not copy it, because if someone copies it, it would be found out easily than before.<br /><br />Conclusion<br /><br /> Today everything become very easy and convenience, You can use your cell phone to record everything you see and share to everyone, which affect everyone around you.<br /><br /> Regarding to the violation of copyright law, United State in 1998 already established the law-DMCA. Under this law, once the Internet Services Providers get the call from the author about the violation, the ISP needs to immediately isolate all the sensitive information and not allow anyone to get it. Then, ISP will not be reliable for the violation of copyright law. (U.S. Copyright Office, 2010)<br /><br /> If information can be created and benefit people, we should properly distribute. YouTube parade of their platform “your channel”, in this everyone can share their videos with others. And Google provides a simple and easy way for people to search websites. However, this is the most important problem that every author cares. How can we take balance between new media and copyright? Also, it is the most important dispute that new media has to deal with. <br /><br /> New media is a big change and challenge for people. There are many special functions when we use new media, we can chat with different people easily than before by Chatroulette.com. We can have own place to show anything what we like on MySpace. We can follow the person who we like in Twitter, it might be a super star, famous people or your friends. We can find our old friends, keep in touch and follow friends’ life on Facebook. <br /><br /> In the future, there will have more and more special new media be produced, we should realize that we can not just live in traditional way. In the past, people published books, newspapers, magazines, and novels can protect the copyright. However, we have to adjust our mind. If new media can provide a space to share our ideas and we can get benefit from it. <br /><br /> Moreover, people all know this ideas belongs you, it is enough. For example, everyone all knows Thomas Edison was famous for inventing the light bulb. This is a truth and it won’t change. <br /><br /> With the progress of new media, our thoughts should follow the progress. We should pay more attentions about the importance of copyright. We should understand how to respect copyright and make good use of it. When we share music or articles online, we should tag the sources or who the author is. <br /><br /> The only way that we can keep balance between new media and copyright is respect to each other. Copyright not only exist on books, it also could be used on new media. And new media not only spread information fast, it also could preserve our culture easily. People can make a win-win situation, when they have a common consensus. It is a goal that we can reach, but it takes time. Nothing is impossible to the man who will try. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />References<br /><br />Copyright Website. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010, from <br /> < http://www.benedict.com/Digital/Internet/YouTube/YouTube.aspx ><br /><br />Cwtv.com. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010, from <http://www.cwtv.com/><br /><br />Earlham College — Richmond, Indiana. (2005). Retrieved February 27, 2010 from<br /> <http://www.earlham.edu/><br /><br />Google. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010 from <http://www.google.com/><br /><br />GPO Access Home Page. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010 from<br /> <http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html><br /><br />U. S. Code. (2006). Retrieved February 27, 2010 from <br /> <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/multidb.cgi><br /><br />U.S. Copyright Office. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010 from <br /> < http://www.copyright.gov/><br /><br />Viacom. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010 from<br /> < http://www.viacom.com/Pages/default.aspx > <br /><br />YouTube. (2010). Retrieved February 27, 2010 from < http://www.youtube.com>Miss Applehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13683935929622075278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-22352263093874696072010-02-27T12:08:00.000-05:002010-02-27T12:09:17.981-05:00Lisa Stolarz Final PaperLisa Stolarz<br />Dr. Lance Strate <br />Communication in New Media <br />February 27th, 2010<br /><br /><br /><br />CYBERSPACE COMMUNICATION: THE NEW FRONTIER<br /><br /> <br /><br />Lisa Stolarz<br />Dr. Lance Strate <br />Communication in New Media <br />February 27th 2010<br /><br />CYBERSPACE COMMUNICATION: THE NEW FRONTIER<br />“Why Gen –Y Jonny Can’t read Nonverbal Cues” was the title of the article I recently read in the Wall Street Journal by Mark Bauerlein that inspired this reflection paper. Many studies throughout the years have shown that approximately 80% of all communication is non-verbal with facial expressions and body language. I can clearly see the lack of socialization among the youth in this country as presented in this article. The article also addresses the time spent on social networking amongst middle and high school students. The statistics as shown in this article are astounding. According to the Nielsen mobile survey, teenagers spend an average of nine hours per week on social networking not including email, blogging, IM, tweets, and other digital electronics. Bauerlein goes on to state that all of our communication tools today involve the exchange of the written word alone. The cell phone is really the only transmission the youth of today experiences with voices, and verbal tones of communication. He stresses that what is absent in the text dependent world is that the users can only insert smiley faces into emails, but we cannot see each other‘s posture, hand gestures or body language. He speaks about anthropologist Edward T. Hall and how he reviews human expression as “the silent language.” The author feels that his writing on nonverbal communication deserves continued attention. He goes on to say that Hall explained to U.S. diplomats that they could enter a foreign country knowing their native tongue, but they will still have miscommunication amongst each other due to not using the proper manners and gestures, along with the words of that country’s native language. These are known as cultural miscues. For example, I heard a story once where an American executive went to a Muslim country to do business. During his business meeting, the American crossed his leg and the sole of his shoe was facing his Muslim counterpart. He did not close the deal because in Muslim countries, the sole of the shoe is considered to be very dirty. Therefore, the Muslim businessman was extremely insulted and offended by the American’s behavior. Another story was related to me about another American who was trying to do business in India. At the business dinner, the American went to reach for something at the table with his left hand. The dinner ended abruptly as the American unknowingly had committed a faux pas. You see, in the Indian culture, they consider the left hand to be reserved only for bathroom hygiene. Thus, the American’s cultural miscue lost him a big sale. Hall believes that this “silent language” is not learned in schooling but is acquired. Mark Bauerlien states in the closing of his article “the next time people are faced with a twenty-something who doesn’t look them in the eye, who slouches and sighs for no apparent reason, who seems distracted and unaware of the rising frustration of the other people in the room, and who turns aside to answer a text message with glee and facility, they shouldn’t think, “what a rude kid.” Instead, they should show a little compassion and perhaps, seize on a teachable moment.” “Ah,” they might think instead, “another texter who doesn’t realize what he is doing right now, with every glance and movement –and that we’re reading him all too well.” (Mark Bauerlien)<br /><br />Cyberspace is becoming a new frontier for relationships; people can make friends, join social networking sites, clubs, and even a child can have a relationship with a stuffed animal through imaginary play by signing into cyberspace and bonding with their animal and connecting with other followers. What happened to the way your sacred beloved animal made you feel when you embraced it? <br /><br />The sensors which differ between “face to face” relationships to cyberspace relationships begin with hearing which does not occur while the written word is being used. There is no emotional aspect to the thoughts unless you add a symbol to your text such as a smiley face icon. Now all computers have a built in process for doing so. Critics state there are no emotions connected to your words via texts or email. You can ultimately respond when you want too, and anywhere you want. The user also even has the advantage of saving part of the communication or the entire communication within the relationship if the user wishes to do so. This was very evident in the recent Tiger Wood’s scandal, where the media was able to show the public all of the text messages saved by his alleged mistresses. With face to face communication, your words and your gestures do have meaning, and it is very much so in the physical world. People have different styles of communication as well. For example, I am more of a verbal communicator and prefer “face to face” communication; I am often referred to as a people person. Seeing is another sensor, although new media is allowing the computers to be more transparent with applications like Skype. Skype uses VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to send voice over an internet connection instead of standard phone lines. Skype has all the same features as a standard phone. However, it offers many extras like an online phone number and video calls. Skype’s software interface also has many nice features like instant messaging, text messaging and call forwarding. Calls between Skype users are free and only require users to install the Skype software to establish a connection. Experts believe that this will untimely affect cyberspace relationships, because you will be able to visually see the other person, and you will not have established prejudged notions about the other person with whom you are connecting. In other words, through the written word or text messaging, one is able to be freer with the words and communicate more openly, and by visual images you sometimes establish a prejudice about individuals and do not take time to learn their inner soul. <br /><br />I am more in tune to my changing surroundings and their connection to cyberspace now that I have been introduced to the studies of Neil Postman, Walter Ong, and Marshall Mchuhan. I am also old enough to feel the change and be part of it. I just recently was on an outing with a group of women whom were in their , 60’s and 70’s , I can’t tell you what a pleasure it was to sit around the lunch table with 12 women whom were not texting, IM’ing, and were truly engaged in conversation with each other. This was, however, until my friend, who is a twenty-something herself, texted me from three banquet tables away to tell me she was full. That just killed the moment for me. I notice that my younger colleagues cannot remove themselves from their hand held devices like the blackberry or their phones during work hours. It is amazing to watch the quest for cell service in the building where I work. It becomes part of their daily ritual. These people will practically stand on their heads to gain a bar on their phones. At any chance they are given to move around the hospital with their devices they do, just to get a glimpse of their Facebook or to post their status. I now have to put a ban on all electronics from the lunch table while I am eating with coworkers during the day. I just don’t want to look at the back of a blackberry and have no face to face communication – just call me old fashioned.<br /><br />Social networking has its advantages, however, especially during the recent earthquake in Haiti; people were drawn to their computers, posting pictures of missing loved ones and reaching out into this cyberspace culture for support and help. This social networking worked as almost an instant comfort for families whom were affected. It also gave the instant gratification of hope. In addition, I will never forget one of the images shown on the news covering the stories of the ravished earthquake country. It zoomed in on one of the tent towns which were set up. There was a group of men sitting around a make shift generator that had a long piece of wood where a row of cell phones were being charged by a Delco car type battery in hopes to stay connected. Social networking is often equated to people sitting around an open campfire taking and telling stories. This vision of these survivors really hit home to me that in the worst of times people are drawn to this new media resource as a life line. Cell phones also are playing a large part of the fund raising relief. One is able to donate by texting a certain message via cell phones, and I believe that this was the first of its kind in any fund raising efforts. <br /><br />As I stated in my blog “New New Media” Can you remember a time when you could go to the mall or see a show without getting interrupted? Furthermore, can you remember a time when you could not be found for even five minutes, and that was okay with everyone around you? Those days seem to have long passed us by. It appears that we, as a society, have become obsessed with the current technology age, or are we just “amusing ourselves to death?” (Neil postman) I believe it is a little of both. It now seems that you cannot go anywhere without someone texting around you or posting on their status. It can be a salesperson in between the counter and cash register, a student trying to hide behind a book, the person in line to receive communion in church, or most of all, the audience in a live theater performance, which ends up looking like a room full of lightning bugs in a open field. It seems like the teaching of Marshall Mchuhan’s theory of media being an extension of man was not so far removed from where we are today in the era of texting and social networking sites. <br /><br />In social networking the three “E’s” (event, experience, and environment) apply, but are different in face to face communication. The event in cyberspace is what takes place, when you are posting on your status, or blogging. It also could be the search for new online friends or groups with the same interests, relatives, past friends, or friends that are being connected to you through others. There is now a website called www.meetup.com. On this website you enter your zip code and all of your hobbies and interests. They, in turn, send you a listing of all groups such as book clubs, hiking clubs, etc. that are meeting in your area.<br /><br />When I first signed up for Facebook, I was a little unsettled at the fact that the instant I was in the cyberspace world, I had immediate friends’ requests. I agree with Paul Levinson’s theory on online friends and offline friends. Paul Levinson, in his book, “New New Media” refers to friends on your social networking sites as “online friends.” The principle behind “online friends” is that they have little in common with real-life friends or friend’s offline, in the real world. According to Levinson, to be friends with someone offline, to be even a casual acquaintance, means you know many things about them, including what they look and sound like. Offline impersonations are, of course, possible, but they happen much less frequently than online. Levinson states the following, “Indeed by far the best of way of authenticating an online friend’s identify is to know that person offline- we might say that online friends are bona fide to the degree that they are offline friends.” (Paul Levinson pg.103). <br /><br />The second “E” – experience is what you take away from the sites. I believe that these sites are formulating into a “global village”, that Marshall Mchuhan warned us about. Citizens share a culture in common with that of an oral culture, but now has reversed back to the printed word form of communication through electronic speed. I myself am what you call a realist. I prefer face to face communication and believe it is the oldest form of communication. I do not find all these meaningless posts and status updated on the social networking sites enjoyable. I do not need to know the up to date minute to minute going on in the lives of my online friends. I must admit, however, I am drawn each day to these sites as part as my daily ritual. Face to face communication requires interpersonal skills and real time social interaction and non verbal gestures which are missing in cyberspace. <br /><br />Computers introduced us to computer mediated communication; this form of communication is able to unite people in groups, another process that can be traced back to oral culture. Therefore, Walter Ong refers to this as the concept of secondary orality. “According to Lance Strate, secondary orality, such as micro-blogging, can have a leveling effect on people. Computer mediated communication that is made possible through the technologies of chat room, instant messaging and micro-blogging are more of an informal nature that communication in a primary oral culture. People are usually addressed by their first names or nicknames. We can argue that this leveling effect goes even further in that it gives everyone the idea that their opinion matters. Because you blog, you exist.” (Stephen Barmentioo, Matters of Media, October 2008).<br /><br />The final “E” - environment, is in the present, and with social networking, you leave the physical world behind you. The environment is what you yourself create when you go on to these websites, or use technology, whether it be booking a Caribbean vacation, and you are engrossed in the vision of white sand beaches, or blogging on your interest. The virtual environment is brought to you by your media. You can be connected anytime and anywhere. This is different from years ago when you just had your computer screen to stare into. Now cyberspace is mobile. Just like in the Women’s Snowboarding Olympic event, I recently viewed; an athlete in Vancouver was getting ready to embark on <br />the race of her life, when she reached into her pocket and changed the tunes on her I-pod. The iPod became the setting for her virtual environment. She was ultimately creating her setting while using “new new media.”<br /><br />“In cyberspace communication, such as e-mail and chat, people travel across time and space with the physical body. But in contrast to ubiquitous, media, and teleconferencing spaces, computer networking systems do not include personal visual information.” Hiem (1993), in “The Metaphysis of Virtual Reality,” states that “being a body constitutes the principle behind our separateness from one another and behind our personal presence. Visual information about the physical body in cyberspace communication has positive and negative implications. On the one hand, eliminating the body makes us more equal because we no longer have access to the visual information of sex, age, and race. But on the other hand, the quality of human relationships narrows, because unlike face to face communication, we do not have a full range of visual and verbal sensory information.” (Strate, Jacobson, Gibson pg.249)<br /><br />All of this new cyberspace technology has created a culture of impatience within our society. How many of us when we start up our computers, for example, sigh exasperated at the two minutes it takes for the computer to boot up, saying to ourselves “How long is this going to take? “ We tap our fingers on the desk and breathe heavily in frustration. “We live in the culture where the <br /><br />young people –outfitted with I-phones and laptops are devoting hours every evening from the age 10 onward to messaging of one kind and another are ever less likely to develop the “silent fluency” that comes from face to face interaction. It is a skill that we must learn, in actual social setting, from people (often older) who are adept in the idiom, as the text-centered messaging increases, such occasions diminish. The digital natives improve their adroitness at the keyboard, but when it comes to their capacity to “read” the behavior of others, they are all thumb”. (Bauerlein)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> References<br /><br />Levinson, Paul. New New Media. Penguin Academics, 2009. Print.<br /><br />Strate, Lance, Ron L. Jacobson, and Stephanie B. Gibson. Communication and Cyberspace. second ed. N.p.: Hampton Press, 2003. Print. <br /><br />Postman, Neal. Amusing Ourselfs to Death. N.p.: n.p., 1985. Print.<br /><br />"The Importance of Face to Face." Communication at work. Ed. Chuck Martin. N.p., 6 Mar. 2007. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.<br /><br /> Bauerlein, Mark. "Why Gen -YJonny Can't Read." Wall Street Journal 28 Aug. . Print.lisastolarzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607937985854634635noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-40496336905823781002010-02-27T12:05:00.001-05:002010-02-27T12:05:37.688-05:00Virtual StormI see the difference with the “New New Media” and how it affected the way we received information on the latest snow storm. I am amazed at the fact how all of the news media outlets now offer links to websites, Twitter and Facebook accounts to follow the latest and greatest storm tracking. People, for example, can even download “Channel 7 News” as an “Ap” on their Blackberrys, iphones, etc. I come from a generation where we waited for the next news broadcast, which was on hourly updates. The AM/FM radio also played a large part to inform us of impending weather storms; it was the first thing you grabbed to make sure it was handy, with batteries, if by chance the lights went out. The new media has now given us visuals, like Skype. I witnessed on television during this last snow storm where the newscaster actually had it set up in her vehicle and the views had real time visuals of the roads and conditions. Webcams allowed motorists to view major highways before heading out in the bad weather. We have become an information driven society, and the more speed the better. Although, all of these means of imparting the information on a major weather event can help us be better prepared, I do believe it takes a little of mystery away from nature’s fury. In addition, with so much information coming at us from so many different sources at once, it can cause confusion. One media source will offer one forecast about the weather and then another media outlet will offer an entire different forecast. It tends to perplex people. I also believe the time of being snowed in is over. Before this “New New Media,” you and your loved ones were bonded together at home and, played board games, or watched movies. The time where we enjoyed each other’s company and actually had face to face communication is over. Today with new media we are taken to a place called cyberspace while stuck in our homes. We are shopping online at our favorite stores, in online classrooms or in chat rooms, blogging, or surfing the net. I guess we create our own virtual environment, and those days are lost in time or until we lose our power, and we are faced with scrambling for any type of juice to power our new media and try to remember how to verbally communicate with each other.lisastolarzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607937985854634635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-39454479046722064282010-02-27T11:19:00.003-05:002010-02-27T11:30:11.323-05:00Final Paper - Online EducationAngela DePoalo<br />Understanding New Media – Final Paper<br />2/27/10<br />Prof. Strate<br /><br /><br /> If education teaches us anything, it is the fact the nothing remains constant, even the method of education itself. The age old tradition of schooling has changed. No longer is learning confined to the classroom. The ability to gain knowledge has moved outside the walls of the university. Distance education is quickly becoming a vital part of higher learning, but is by no means a new concept. In the 1950’s and 1960’s many universities offered correspondence classes in which students could submit assignments by mail with colleges to complete their coursework. In the late 1950’s through early 1980’s New York University utilized the technology of television in education by offering “Sunrise Semester”, the first telecourse offered for college credit to those who paid registration fees. With the advances in computer technology, distance learning would transform again. For as long as personal computers and the internet have been accessible to the average person, the question of whether cyberspace can be used as an educational tool has been asked, and universities have answered. Online classes began to be offered in the late 1980’s and in 1993, the first online accredited university, Jones International University, was launched. Today, most universities in America offer online classes as well as degrees earned exclusively online. The ability to learn outside of the classroom creates a myriad of economic and geographical possibilities that make it easier for more people to enroll in college courses and earn higher learning degrees. <br /><br /> However, as distance learning becomes a greater force in the world of education, another question must be addressed. Is distance learning truly as valuable as a traditional face-to-face education? The argument continues to rage in academic circles as to whether an online education offers the same benefits as an in-person learning environment. The question of whether a distance learning degree should weigh equally as a traditional degree has been raised as well considering that an online education provides a much different approach to both teaching and learning. The presence of a teacher and students in a physical classroom has been the standard of learning for centuries and though distance learning offers flexibility to the student, does this flexibility in learning result in a loss of quality? The student who learns in a virtual classroom exchanges the complications of in-class education for the problems of online learning. Distance education drastically affects the social aspect of learning as well as the relationship between learning and technology, creating both positive and negative aspects for the student. . <br /><br /> There is no escaping the fact that the cost of college education is rising dramatically. According to The College Board, in 2009-2010 the average cost of a private four year education was $26,273 per semester and $7,020 per semester at a public college. These prices are solely for the education, and do not include travel expenses, the cost of boarding, and meal plans. The high cost of education can no doubt be a deterrent to many individuals seeking a college to attend. The economic issue of in-class education is one that distance learning can offer an alternative to. Though all education can be expensive, distance learning can greatly reduce the cost to the student. Much of the tuition a student pays at traditional university includes building fees, technology fees, and other expenses generated by the need for upkeep of campus facilities and payment of on-campus staff. As Todd Oppenheimer illustrates in, The Flickering Mind, universities see an opportunity for profit by using cyberspace to attract more paying students while being able to circumvent the need for and subsequent cost of a campus workforce and upkeep, thus reducing the price of schooling. Additionally, the student no longer needs to leave their place of residence in order to go to class. In the New York Times article High Cost of Driving Ignites Online Classes Boom, Dr. Robbie K. Melton states, “We had to train more faculty and provide more online courses because students just couldn’t afford to drive to our campuses”. Via the internet, students can reach all of the information, assignments, and course documents they need in addition to being able to interact with their professor, and fellow students. The need to spend money on transportation is then eliminated. No longer does the issue of having to spend money on gas, tolls, or meals from away from home present a problem. Travel becomes an obsolete factor when entering into the world of education in cyberspace, a fact which also alleviates the issue of geographical parameters for students. <br /><br /> The problem of geographical proximity is exacerbated for students who reside in less urbanized areas. Not every individual who wants to attend college lives within a close proximity to one. Those who live in large cities can hardly travel for more than a few minutes without passing some institution of higher education, but what of those who live outside of large cities? The majority of the country lives in major cities but there are still many people in less densely populated areas wishing to attend college. Those who live in more rural portions of the country may have difficulty in finding a school that is readily accessible. In areas that have more land area than population the ability to travel to a traditional classroom environment on a daily basis may be impossible for spatial, temporal, or economic reasons. Additionally, the number of accredited universities in a rural environment many be far fewer than in a more densely populated area. A physical university is an expensive proposition to build from the start. Few institutions would jump at the chance to build a college in a location where the population is so sparse that they would not be able to fill enrollment, thereby being unable to pay for the facilities, teachers, and other costs. Distance education can remedy this situation via its very technology. Due to the fact that students meet in a virtual classroom, their physical location becomes irrelevant. Whether a student is writing from an internet café in the heart of Manhattan, or snowed in at their home in Montana, they are all equidistant from their online learning environment. Ultimately, there are no excuses for missing a class. <br /><br /> It is not only geography that can make attending an in-class lecture difficult, but the problem of time as well. People have always multi-tasked in their lives, but as our culture moves at a quicker and quicker pace, the structured time needed for in-person education can be more difficult to find. As the country has been slow to recover from its financial crisis, people are working at jobs that offer only part-time hours or jobs at non-standard hours of the day to support themselves and their families. With these altered schedules, distance learning offers the solution. Online education is flexible to the user’s needs. In a regular in-class environment the student completes assignments and interacts with their fellow students. Distance learning requires the same tasks, but they may be done at different times which are more convenient to the student. A mother of two with a day job may never be able to attend traditional classes, but would be able to log onto the internet and post conversation topics to a discussion board after her work day is over. Such a person is still devoting time to their education, but they choose the time in which to do it. Due to this flexibility, students may possibly even perform better in their studies. Different individuals focus better at different times of the day. Some people are more cognitively alert and open to learning in the early part of the day while others function better at night. The rigidity of in-class schedules can not compensate for these differences among people and how they work best. Distance learning offers the opportunity for each student to contribute when they are in their best frame of mind to interact and learn in the virtual classroom. <br /><br /> In addition to time flexibility, the on-line classroom offers the student an alternative process to learning. The traditional classroom has always been a teacher centered environment in which the professor directly relates information to their students via lecture or computer presentation, and the student records the information. Once education is transferred into the virtual realm, students begin to learn in a new two-step process. As Paul Levinson states in his article Online Education Unbound, “rather then attempting to inject or spoon-feed information into passive student minds, the ideal online teacher is one who attempts to elicit active student learning” (222). Rather giving information directly to the student, who may or may not be listening, online instructors are more likely to pose discussion topics that will promote a dialogue to open among their students. From this point, the student becomes more responsible for finding their own information and drawing conclusions, participating actively rather than simply taking dictation from an instructor. Once the individual has completed the first half of the process, the information gathering and studying, they must then communicate their finding and conclusions to the rest of their classmates via an on-line application. In this way the process of learning becomes a peer-to-peer education process. As each individual posts their thoughts and views in a discussion forum, and fellow students reply to their posts, students begin to learn from each other. <br /><br /> The fact that students begin to learn from each other does not by any means remove the teacher from the education equation. In any learning environment, the teacher remains the individual with the expertise in the subject being taught. This new method of learning simply changes the role of the teacher in the dynamic of their class. The cyber-classroom makes it virtually impossible for any professor to lecture so the teacher of an online class develops into less of an instructor, and more into a guide. As Gene I. Maeroff suggests in A Classroom of One, “An online course, properly crafted, builds in many opportunities for students to advance their learning through responses and discussions” (42). Through the assignment of discussion topics, assignments, and responses to student dialogue, the teacher of a course can direct their students to new conclusions and thoughts that delve into the subject of a class. Additionally, the fact that there is more opportunity for student interjection in the virtual classroom may also be beneficial to the teacher as well. As more and more students may have one point of view on a topic, and can openly voice them, a teacher may actually gain some new insight from their students on a particular topic. Additionally, a student writing on a discussion board from their home is more apt to bring a radically new perspective to a subject by the simple fact that they don’t have to voice a different opinion in person. Intimidation and self-consciousness are considerably reduced when expressing opinions and interacting within the virtual classroom. The less structured environment of the online classroom opens up new learning possibilities because individuals can voice their opinions so openly and easily. <br /><br /> One of the greatest benefits of an online education is its ability to prepare the individual for the later working environment. Not only is the individual responsible for the gathering of information, but the team approach to problem solving when the individuals gather into a group mirrors the experience of working in a professional electronic group environment. In the professional world it is imperative for the individual to be able to work and communicate with co-workers while also being able to perform individually. The distance education experience offers just such training. The teacher of a distance course takes a less dominant place in the class and students are called upon to think and information gather by themselves, much in the same way they might have to take individual initiative without being given specific information or instruction at their job. At the same, time students must present and discuss their findings to their fellow classmates in a logical and cohesive manner in their virtual classroom, a group environment. Lastly, due to the fact that distance education requires computer skills, students gain a better knowledge and control over the technology that dominates the modern workplace. Most students have some computer skills by the time they enter college, but using the technology quickly, efficiently, collaboratively, and as an information resource is a more refined skill and one that will be crucial in their prospective workplace.<br /> <br /> Online education seems to offer almost unlimited possibilities to students and will surely become an even larger ingredient in the future of education. The accommodating alternatives that it offers to traditional in-class education can not be disregarded. However, though distance education provides many positive advantages for students it certainly can not be called a perfected form of education as yet. Distance learning creates new possibilities in interaction, flexibility in class schedules, a greater student voice in the “classroom”, and technical preparation for the workplace, but also presents formidable challenges. Due to the fact that distance education requires a vastly different approach to teaching, it creates its own social, technological, and economic problems that must be examined before instruction is held exclusively in the virtual classroom.<br /> <br /> There can be no doubt that socialization is one of the main components of a college education. College does not only give students academic skill, but also offers the opportunity to interact in an adult environment with teachers and individuals of like mind and ambition. The classroom is one of the most important places that this process unfolds. The traditional classroom has always been a place for instruction, but more significantly, a forum where people learn to interact, discuss, and draw conclusions as a group. When students participate in a dynamic classroom they are learning an important skill that will serve them in future endeavors. Interpersonal communication is a much different experience than communication through the buffer of cyberspace. The virtual classroom, in keeping with many theories of the internet, provides a sense of comfort and security to the user. The medium is under their control and they are seated safely alone behind their monitors writing their opinions for their class to see. As Clifford Stoll states in High-Tech Heretic, “The best way to create a community of loners is for each of us to escape into the welcoming arms of the internet” (144). This is a much different experience than having to physically and calmly face a classroom of live students, and present a well-organized, cogent spoken argument. Public speaking and interpersonal communication are vital skills to have, yet at the same time, not a skill that could be practiced through a distance education class.<br /><br /> The lack of interpersonal communication in the online classroom also presents challenges to the student assessment process. No longer physically in the classroom with their students, online instructors have increased difficulty in charting their pupil’s academic progression. Having met a student in person and seen their work habits, an experienced teacher will always be aware when a student is falling behind or even worse, plagiarizing and cheating. When dealing with the virtual classroom, a teacher never gets the opportunity to meet with a student in person and may never have a true understanding of the student’s actual academic proficiency level. With a class that meets completely online, it is possible for a student to leave coursework incomplete, and merely had another individual complete it for them. Unfortunately, an instructor would never be the wiser. In the same way, the instructor encounters an additional problem as far as plagiarism. The internet contains a wealth of information that could be attained and plagiarized by anyone with an internet connection. Though computer programs such as “Turnitin” have been developed to stop the spread of internet plagiarism, instructors are still on losing side of a battle against the sheer size of the internet. Being that neither teacher nor student ever has an interpersonal relationship, it is also impossible for an instructor to ever truly confront a problematic student and rectify the problem. <br /><br /> Distance learning presents other communication and interaction challenges as well. In the traditional classroom environment, there is virtually no time delay between teacher and student interaction. Questions can be asked and points clarified between student and teacher instantaneously. In a virtual classroom it can be harder for a student to interact with their teacher. It is not uncommon for an e-mail, blog posting, or other form of communication to go unanswered by an instructor until it is too late or almost too late to be of help to the student. Certainly the professor who is teaching multiple on-line courses may very possibly miss a question from a single student. Discussion board threads and e-mails can multiply so quickly and become so unmanageable that a single question or comment is easily overlooked. The need for the technology creates an extra step and consequently a time delay between teacher and student that can become frustrating to both. Furthermore as Maeroff points out, teachers will have to retrain to transition to this e-learning environment (90). As online education expands, teachers who may not choose to teach them will be assigned online classes. The teacher being pressed into online classes may either resent the fact of having to do so or may simply be too unfamiliar with the technology to make it a truly effective learning tool. Online learning depends greatly on the teacher’s comfort level with the medium, as well as their ingenuity in employing it. The question then must be asked, are the primary functions of education being sublimated to the technology?<br /><br /> In many ways, technology does become the central focus in the distance learner’s educational experience. With no physical classroom to enter, the computer becomes their only link to education. Technology, although reliable, is not without its problems. We have all experienced personal computer malfunctions, cable outages, or system wide issues that impact technological infrastructures. These periods of malfunction will present serious obstacles to the online student. Since the student is no longer physically interacting with a teacher or classmates, they must ensure that the equipment that keeps them connected is maintained in a state that will allow optimum performance. With the rapid advancements in technology, computer hardware and software becomes obsolete at a startling rate. A computer bought for a college freshman today will be outdated and inadequate by the time they receive a four-year degree. Additionally, the user must worry about system upgrades, software upgrades, as well as application and programming compatibility in order to be able to run all of the programs required to participate in online classes. These hardware and software upgrades can be an extremely expensive proposition for the user. Not every student may have the financial resources to maintain their equipment adequately. At the very minimum, the user must have at least a basic understanding of how computer hardware and software work and interact. At times, even the most savvy of students can run into a problem with the technology that they do not know how to fix, or worse, a complete technological failure. Because computers are mechanical, they are subject to breakdowns that even the most talented technician could be unable to fix. Technology is fallible in a way that the human is not. This is one of the primary benefits of an in-class education. The spoken word will never crash and be wiped from the page, will never lose its internet signal strength, and will never need a battery life or power source to be able to read it. As the computer and the internet are the primary tool of distance education, the technological aspect of instruction will always create a gap, however small, in the immediacy of the learning process as well as depend on its mechanical operation. <br /><br /> It is not only immediacy that is compromised by distance education, but the possibility of learning in a hands-on environment as well. Due to the fact that distance education is done solely through the computer, there are many physical skills that the student will be unable to learn and certain subjects that can never be taught successfully online. Many studies in the medical field, the scientific field, and even the technical aspects of communications could never be taught via distance education. The possibility of learning the practical technique to becoming a surgeon, engineer, or camera operator is obliterated by the lack of physical instruction and actual facilities to apply the student’s knowledge. The debate has always raged as to whether an online degree is equivalent to that of a traditional college degree. In this instance, the online degree is severely lacking. As Paul Levinson suggests in his article Online Education Unbound¸ to a large degree, online education can only offer a theoretical understanding of a subject, while falling short in offering opportunities at practical applications of the new knowledge being absorbed. Practical demonstration of the skill learned is impossible in an online forum. In advocating online learning, universities wanted to remove the need for physical structures thereby cutting operational costs. In the process however, they removed the facilities which enables students to learn practical skills were removed. The student may be paying less for their distance education, but they are also being offered less opportunity to learn in a physical hands-on environment.<br /><br /> Although online degrees may perhaps be more effective for the student, there is not always a commensurate saving for the university itself. As Stoll suggests, the materials and specialized technical staff needed to create, operate, and maintain an online education program can be a major cost to a university (23). The institution, seeing online education as a for-profit enterprise, may attain some government funding for the project. Additionally, it would have to rely heavily on outside funding and tuition to raise the remaining resources, an issue that presents a two-fold consequence to the student. Universities will have to increase tuition for both online and traditional students to pay for this infrastructure. Not only would this be unfair to the students who are paying for a traditional in-classroom education to fund online courses, but might even dissuade any anticipated distance students from enrolling. The creation of a distance education program can also be hazardous to universities when looking to outside corporations for funding. Maeroff points out that in an attempt to fund on-line education programs, many universities have chosen to locate companies who would underwrite the cost in return for a voice in the curriculum (122). This in turn puts the onus of complying with the company’s requests squarely on the university’s shoulders. If such classes are not to the satisfaction of the specific company, the business could pull their financing to the university creating further financial difficulties and possible tuition increases. <br /><br /> Of all of the potential problems of online educations cost to universities, the concept of corporate funding is possibly the most unsettling. The ramifications of corporate financing to universities or the creation of un-accredited and un-affiliated for-profit educational institutions by corporations threaten the very mandate of higher education. As more and more universities seek outside corporate funding to help support distance learning programs, one can only wonder what affect the new sponsorship will have upon the education being provided to students. College has always been a forum for the flow of information and free thought. With corporate sponsors involved in the financing of education, the intellectual haven that is the university may be under threat. Whether a business is giving funds to an advertising agency, a charity, or an educational institution, that corporation wants to make sure that they, as well as their causes and policies, will be presented in the best possible light. The cause for concern is whether corporate funding to schools will begin to dictate what is being taught to students. The oil refinery corporation offering funds to an educational institution may not be in favor of their funds being used to teach liberal “green” politics to students, and could always threaten to pull their funding if continued. Depending on the situation, the university might be unable to sustain the financial loss and be forced to change what it is being taught in classes. <br /><br /> The use of distance education has both positive and negatives attributes. No single conclusion can truly determine whether it is more or less effective than a traditional in-class environment, especially since every student has different needs, every teacher has a different level of comfort with the technology and both may prefer a different approach to learning. The individual must decide what the best choice is for them. Flexibility must be made for students who have problems of geography, time, or economics, but this does not mean that the traditional in-classroom education should become obsolete. Whatever the case may be, as a whole, the academic world must not forget that what is being debated over is education of people. As Todd Oppenheimer states, “In the end, the legions of education critics who incessantly pester the schools to make dramatic changes would do well to remember one central fact: At its core, education is a people process” (395). Each method of education offers something to the student while posing its own problems. Possibly, it will always remain a combination of both traditional and distance education that will be most successful creating the best learning environment to students. Perhaps this hybrid will be the most effective learning environment -- one in which students and educators can use the benefits of technology as a tool, while maintaining the human connection so vital to the education process. <br /><br /><br /><br />Works Cited:<br /><br />Dillon, Sam. “High Cost of Driving Ignites Online Classes Boom.” New York Time on the Web 11 July 2008. 25 Feb. 2010 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/education/">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/education/</a> 11colleges.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=online%20college&st=nyt&scp=19<br /><br />Levinson, Paul. "Online Education Unbound". Communication and Cyberspace. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2003.<br /><br />Maeroff, Gene I.. A Classroom of One. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.<br /><br />Oppenheimer, Todd. The Flickering Mind. New York: Random House, 2003.<br />Stoll, Clifford. High-Tech Heretic. New York: Anchor Books, 2000.Angela DePoalohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08837372342698151419noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-50665420057747528912010-02-27T08:39:00.001-05:002010-02-27T08:40:32.792-05:00Digital World PaperBolter and Gramola tell us that we are in a digital revolution. Our very perceptions of the world are influenced by the digital activities in which we are engaged. The digital world is not a passive one; we are actively part of our electronic surroundings:<br /> Even when we are performing the mundane tasks of<br /> information processing, we always bring part of ourselves<br /> to the digital applications with which we interact. Digital<br /> applications are never fully transparent; they always reflect<br /> the user.(Bolter, 62)<br /><br />From our choices of music to the software we utilize, our transactions in this electronic world reveal something about ourselves. Many activities that we regularly do have something to do with the digital world. When we want to get in touch with someone, we can send them mail via the virtual world. We can write letters by typing on the computer and with a click of the ‘send’ button on the screen your message is sent instantly to the receiver. It is completely different from writing your message on paper, sealing it in an envelope, and possibly waiting a few days to get a response. In the past, letter-writing was considered almost an art form, with time set aside for carefully composing our thoughts and sending them out. The letter writer was conscious of the fact that grammar, spelling, and correct punctuation were important. Nowadays, people just scribble out whatever they want in emails, emails filled with abbreviated words/phrases such as “lol” or “btw.” We would appear to have replaced the long task of letter writing with the quick, short bursts of emails, a process very much like what Neil Postman described in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, where television and its constant barrage of short messages erodes our concentration. (This is also picked up in Walter Ong’s Orality and Literacy. And this “snippet”mentality is addressed in the article “<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google">Is Google Making Us Stupid</a>?”) Did this happen overnight? Have computers and by extension, the Internet, become such an important part of our society that even political races are now fought in the digital world, where Obama is called the “<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/15/obama.internet.president/index.html">wired president</a>.” (Griggs)<br />The Internet was first developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to communicate electronically with its allied countries to prevent an attack from the Soviet Union and other communist nations. It was comprised our linked computers among the Department of Defense, major industrial corporations, research institutions at universities, and selected overseas sites. Bolter and Gromala state that at the beginning: “The Internet once belonged exclusively to the Structuralist, a community composed mostly of graduate students and professors in computer science, who seldom ventured outside their cubicles” (p.3) but today, it can be found worldwide and has multiple purposes: it can speed along medical diagnoses, reports on upcoming weather, broadcasts live entertainment as well as breaking news, allows you to make purchases on line, and leads you to millions of online books, many available for free. The designers were right about one thing: the World Wide Web would be similar to a magazine page with a good amount of information. Now, the computer has been able to combine several media into one. We can watch clips of TV show on YouTube, listen to radio shows and music videos via iTunes; the possibilities appear to be endless. Again, our wired president can get on YouTube: “…Obama on YouTube suits today’s world, in which people want to be in touch with their president, or at least hear and see him, at times of their rather than the president’s choosing….In the fast-changing 21st century, the biggest reassurance about information is knowing it’s there.”(Levinson, 66)<br /> Computers have gone through many stages throughout history from the abacus to multi-piece equipment today. The abacus, invented about 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, was used by merchants to keep a record of trading transactions. It is still in use today and consists of sliding beads. It revolutionized business by allowing merchants to correctly tabulate not only prices, but it also allowed them to accurately count their merchandise. Thousands of years would pass, however, before the next great step into computation would be made.<br />In 1642, Blaise Pascal invented what he called a numerical wheel calculator to help his father with his tax collecting duties. The device, which would be called a Pascaline , was designed mechanically so every time each digit moved ten notches, the digit to its immediate left moved one notch. The device had a capacitance of eight digits. While useful, the Pascaline did have its limitations – it could only add.<br />In 1694, a German mathematician and philosopher, Gottfried Whilhem von Leibniz improved the Pascaline by creating a machine that could also multiply. While an improvement, these calculators were not widely used. “It wasn’t until 1820, however, that mechanical calculators gained widespread use.”(JT)<br /> A Frenchman by the name of Charles Xavier Thomas de Colmar invented what he called the arithometer which could perform the four basic mathematical functions: addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. His device was used until World War I. <br /> The real start of computers as we know them today started with Charles Babbage. In 1822, Babbage theorized that the “Difference Engine,” powered by steam, could perform many calculations using a stored program. Babbage worked on the design of the Difference Engine for ten years and then decided to go to the next level: he proposed the creation of an “Analytical Engine,” again powered by steam and using stored programs. Perforated cards would contain the operating instructions and a “store” of 1000 numbers up to 50 digits long would also be housed in this engine. The engine would also print out its results. This engine was never constructed because it involved over 50,000 parts, but the essential features of his intended invention are very similar to what a modern computer does. His great supporter and collaborator in this project was Augusta Ada King. So influential was her help and creativity that the Department of Defense named a programming language – ADA- after her. And what is very interesting is the <a href="http://cs-www.cs.yale.edu/homes/tap/past-women-cs.html">significant role women</a> eventually had in the development of modern-day computers and programming.<br />An American inventor named <a href="http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blhollerith.htm">Herman Hollerith</a> found a way to store data on cards, which was very useful in taking data for the U.S. Census. Officials at the Census Bureau were concerned about the time it would take them to count the results from the decennial census; the 1880 census had taken seven years to count, and the officials were afraid that the 1890 census would take much longer because the population had grown so much. Hollerith devised a method where single punch in a card represented one number, and any combination of two punches represented one letter; as many as 80 variables could then be stored on a card. (What we call a “punch card.”) With this new mechanical calculating device, the results for the 1890 census were completed in six weeks, compared to seven years from the 1880 Census. Not only did the punch cards reduce computational errors, but they also acted as storage devices for future reference. Punch cards were the most commonly used way of computing data in the manufacturing and business industries; in fact, they were still being used in the 1970s.<br />The era of modern computing began during World War II. There was a race between the Nazis and the Allies to come up with the first electronic computer. While the Germans used computers to build airplanes, the British invented Colossus, a code-breaking computer that could decode secret German messages. Thus, the Allies had a huge advantage since they could track every move of their enemies, whether it was on the ground, in the air, or beneath the sea. However, the contribution to the computer industry was limited because the Colossus was only programmed to decipher secret codes. “American efforts produced a broader achievement, Howard H. Aiken (1900-1973), a Harvard engineer working with IBM, succeeded in producing an all-electronic calculator.” (JT) The Mark I used electromagnetic signals, to move the mechanical parts to perform addition and other complex functions. The calculations took about 3 to 5 seconds for computing result, and were inflexible. It was only used to graph ballistic charts for the U.S. Navy. <br />The ENIAC was developed in the 1940s and was jointly produced by the U.S. Government and the University of Pennsylvania. They were only using the computer as a machine to compute problems in science and engineering. A scientist named <a href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/turing/">AlanTuring</a> knew that computers could do more than transform and translate messages; they should be capable of producing their own results. “For Turing and others, who followed him, the computer should not just be a channel for human messages; it should be a thinking machine, capable of producing its own messages.”(B&G) He wanted computers to socialize with each other instead of acting independently. Turning came up with the Artificial Intelligence (AI) movement saying that computers, physical objects, could exhibit qualities of the human mind. Even though this turned out to be not true, the idea remains very strong. “All the scientific and engineering uses of the computer, the business information systems, the databases and text archives, and more recently the spreadsheets and word processors in personal computers, are expressions of the computer as symbol manipulator” (B&G).<br />The ENIAC was the first general-use computer and could make calculations one thousand times faster than the Colossus or Mark I. The machine consumed about 160 kilowatts of electricity. The EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) was the first computer to have a stored memory as well as data. The central processing unit (CPU) allowed all computer functions to be controlled from a single source. The CPU socialized with the computer to perform what functions needed to be executed at any given moment. “First Generation computers were characterized by the fact that operating instructions were made-to-order for the specific task for which the computer was to be used.” (JT).<br />However, the transistor came into play during 1948 which helped computers become smaller, faster, more energy-reliable and efficient machines. Second generation computers also had stored program and programming language. The stored program allowed computers to become more flexible by having a setoff instructions inside the memory so one function could perform one task, and another task could be done immediately. Programming languages came into use during this time, which had words, sentences, and formulas so a computer became much easier to program.<br />The third generation or Modern Computers was from 1964 to 1971. An important development during this era was the integrated circuit. The IC had the electronic components on a small disc. Later on, more components were put on a chip, meaning the computer could store and perform more functions. An operating system allowed the machines to run on many different programs while a central program coordinated the memory. <br />All these advancements, however, had not really impacted on the everyday lives of people. While computers had been necessary to get men on the moon, the benefits of computers on a more personal level had yet to be realized. That would come about in later years.<br />A big development during the Fourth Generation from 1971 to today were the number of components on one chip; this increased exponentially. “The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, took the integrated circuit one step further by locating all the components of a computer…on a minuscule chip.” (JT) What this meant was that computers were becoming more accessible. A timeline for this generation of computers reads:<br />1970s – The microcomputer for enthusiasts<br />1975 – Computers in the office<br />1980 – The IBM PC<br />1984 – The Macintosh<br />The period of the “HOME” computer<br />And since then…<br /> The INTERNET<br /> For the Millions (Lee, 6)<br /><br />Starting with this generation, the computer starts to become a vital part of the office and later the home. It is during this time period that the first email systems start; that the term “personal computing” is used. The first computerized systems were, by our standards, rather primitive. There were no graphics, the results were all text-based. But, of course, that would change:<br /> Just as those glued to their television sets for<br /> six or seven hours a night reasonably prefer sets<br /> with PIP(picture in picture), which lets one see<br /> the action of more than one channel at once….,<br /> so, too, do workers chained to computer monitors…<br /> naturally prefer to have a large screen with 16 million <br /> possible shades and hues of color, with a number of<br /> programs opened at once. (Phelan, 52)<br /><br />Now that computers have become an essential part of our existence (who would give up what we have?), a lot of questions crossing many societal functions need to be addressed. With computers in charge of everything thing from traffic lights to bullet trains, how is society being transformed? What questions do we need to address in this digital age? <br /> Like the printing press of the 15th century became an “agent of change” for Western Europe, how has the computer and, by extension, the Internet, become a transformer of everyday life? The printing press wrested away from the hands of the few (nobility and the Church) communication and information and widely disseminated them to others not under the control of the elite. So, too, computers have changed the very society in which we live, allowing information to travel freely and instantly to all who have a computer and Internet access. The rise of the “<a href="http://www.hypergene.net/wemedia/download/we_media.pdf">citizen-journalist</a>” is seen again and again, from the plaza of Tiananmen Square to the horrible pictures out of Haiti. Government accountability and public scrutiny have opened up channels of dialog previously unheard of. Look how many members of Congress have Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, or YouTube channels. (Visit the sites of our two New Jersey Senators and see how “wired” in they are: Robert Menendez can be reached at <a href="http://menendez.senate.gov/">http://menendez.senate.gov/</a> or Frank Lautenberg at <a href="http://lautenberg.senate.gov/">http://lautenberg.senate.gov/</a>).<br /> Obviously, this digital world is not going away, but as so often happens with new technology, we develop new tools before we understand the full repercussions of them. While the ease and instant access of the Internet are beneficial, the quickness with which lies and deceit can be generated also has to be accounted for. <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/publications/financial/fcs_report2006/financial_crime_2006.htm#Identity">Identity theft</a> and<a href="http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/cyberhome.htm"> cybercrime</a> flourish to such an extent that the FBI has special task forces devoted to these two types of crime. And instances of both these crimes keep on growing. How often are we told not to open emails from addresses we do not know? Or aren’t we always being warned about giving out any personal information over the Internet? Craigslist was even used for a bank robbery! (Levinson, 175-76)<br /> It would seem as if for every good thing that computers/the Internet can give us, there is a dark side as well. But maybe that is just human nature.<br /> No one doubts that business has been transformed by the Internet: instant shipping and billing, the ability to track purchases, the immediate electronic transfer of funds, less reliance on paper and its attendant costs are among some the benefits enjoyed nowadays. It is also true that trying to get a problem corrected in the digital business world is very frustrating. Amazon is known for its vast inventory and shipping abilities, but have you ever tried to reach customer service? For one, Amazon does not even list a customer service number, just a generic “contact us” link, and even when you finally get the number, no one ever answers at the other side. Many customers are frustrated by this level of service, not just with Amazon but with many large companies. That is why the web site “<a href="http://gethuman.com/">gethuman</a>” has proven so popular; this site allows you to speak with a real agent in seconds, rather than being bounced around like an electronic ping-pong. In building a Web presence, many companies have lost sight of the importance of the human touch; it does not have to be that way in the digital realm.<br /> Another pitfall as far as businesses go is their checking on job applicants by accessing their Facebook or MySpace accounts. Interviewees have no idea of how any negative pictures, comments, or postings on what they think are “private” sites actually are being accessed by people who are definitely not their “friends.” While this is certainly not an invasion of privacy, businesses are certainly exploiting the Internet for their own good. I guess a businessperson could just say they were looking out for their own company’s well-being. Hopefully, people will be more restrained in what they post on web sites. There would appear to be a disconnect between business and people. Business uses the Internet as a way of streamlining their operations, while people use it to connect with others. And if businesses are making it harder, not easier, to communicate with customers, where is this going to lead us?<br /> Computers have indeed impacted all aspects of society, including education. My Dad tells me that when he was in school, his computer was a slide rule; nowadays, every classroom in every school building in my town is connected to the Internet. The library in my town has waiting lines for people to use its computers for all kinds of purposes. “Online learning” is now an accepted part of the academic experience; FDU requires that its undergraduates take four online courses. And the University of Phoenix now enrolls more students in its online courses than any other university in this country. (Berger) Levinson, in his article “Online Education Unbound” written in 2003 states “…one may wonder why online education has not taken the academic world by storm.”(222) In 2010, I think the storm has already arrived. According to an article in the Bergen Record:<br /> Americans have flocked to online courses in<br /> the past decade. More than 4.6 million post-<br /> secondary students, or 1 in 4, took at least one<br /> class via the Internet. That’s up 17 percent in just<br /> a year…. (Whitley)<br /> More and more students are opting for this form of education, especially adults who cannot leave work at odd hours to attend physical classes. Since much online learning is asynchronous (meaning it is not a real-time conversation between students and instructor, but rather an interaction which takes place when the student gets around to it. The instructor’s notes, assignments, and comments await the students in cyberspace and can be accessed at any time without the intervention of the instructor), students can plan more easily as to when to access their classes. Such classes require no travel time, and in the event of bad weather such as we had not so long ago, classes in cyberspace are not canceled because of bad weather unlike their physical counterparts. More and more universities are advertising entire master’s or doctoral programs which are totally online (with a few weeks’ of actually being on campus to satisfy accrediting agencies’ rules). This is proving to be a great advance for many people who previously were shut out of higher education. In certain instances, you can now get a degree from a major university, not even in your state, by “attending” classes online. At Rutgers, “Online enrollments in 2010 project to be 80 percent higher than in 2009….”It took us ten years to get to 500 students…And three semesters to get to 5,000.’”(Whitley) In England, the Open University is really paving the way with its various programs and innovative offerings. Even a U.S. citizen can take classes there. Imagine attending a British or European university without actually having to be there! So widespread is this becoming that YouTube has a separate channel called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/education?b=400">YouTube.edu</a> which features thousands of university lectures and courses on a wide variety of topics. Of course, watching these videos does not give you course credit (after all, higher education is still a business and relies on tuition), but it does open up new worlds for you to explore freely. This democratization of higher education will have great impact on the workforce in the near future. Online higher education is still not just available to anyone, you still have to meet entrance qualifications. But is does allow you, once you are accepted, to take courses from the convenience of your home. Not everyone lives within an easy commute of a college campus; we in the Northeast tend to forget that.<br /> Another thing we forget is how lucky we are to have access to the digital world. There are computers and Internet connections wherever we go: home, school, or library. There are wireless points of access in so many places now; in fact, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/22/wired-cities-2009-tech-wire-cx_ew_0122wiredcities.html">entire cities are going wireless</a>. We can connect to the Internet via a wide variety of products, from a desktop computer to our cell phone. Nowadays we take this for granted, especially those of us in college where connecting to computers and the Internet is a given. But not everyone has such ease of access to such high-powered connections; not everyone has broadband access; not everyone even has a computer. That is where the term “digital divide” comes in, the phrase used to separate the haves from the have nots. It exists not only in other countries, but it is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/technology/internet/23net.html">here in the United States</a> as well. It is good to remember that not everyone even in the most powerful country on Earth has electronic tools. We assume that poor countries like Mexico and others in <a href="http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2002/04/05/000094946_02032305092932/Rendered/PDF/multi0page.pdf">Latin America</a>(Estache) do not have access to computers or the Internet. In Mexico, for instance, the government launched a program called e-Mexico which had as its goal the ability for its citizens to use the Internet through “telecenters,” or cybercafés equipped with all the modern technologies.(Executive Summary) But have we really thought that this lack is also prevalent in our country? That digital divides exist is not under question here:<br /> Throughout history, there have been divides between<br /> those who adopt and fail to adopt new technology. It<br /> took centuries for literacy to become the received<br /> position in most societies and it is still not universal.<br /> there are still those who have either no or severely<br /> restricted access to education, to literacy, to books,…<br /> and so on. (Dance, 176)<br />It certain cases the lack of access is geographic (<a href="http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/83876/">Vermont</a>), economic (<a href="http://www.internetforeveryone.org/americaoffline/urban">inner cities</a>), religious (those communities which reject modern technology like the <a href="http://www.amish.net/faq.asp">Amish</a>), or political (<a href="http://www.feedcry.com/archive/aid/579578?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fulltext%2FBloomberg+%28Bloomberg%29">repressive</a> <a href="http://www.feedcry.com/archive/aid/579578?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fulltext%2FBloomberg+%28Bloomberg%29">regimes</a>). However, in all cases, these people are disenfranchised, they cannot participate in the global dialog occurring around them. Efforts to bring computer access to all peoples have been a slow process; out of the world’s seven billion people, less than 2 billion have access to the Internet. (<a href="http://www.feedcry.com/archive/aid/579578?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fulltext%2FBloomberg+%28Bloomberg%29">Internet World Statistics 2010</a>) Most people are concerned with more urgent matters, such as securing clean water and food, or finding a safe place to live. Again, we take this digital world so much or granted that we do not realize that most of the world is disconnected. It is changing, that is true, but it will be years before the entire world can be said to be connected.<br /> Repressive states control the flow of information whether that information is in print or electronic form. For example, in Saudi Arabia:<br /> Journalism is strictly controlled, and journalists must<br /> exercise self-censorship in order to avoid government<br /> scrutiny and dismissal….the media environment within<br /> Saudi Arabia is likely the most tightly-controlled in the<br /> region. The kingdom’s four TV networks…and its radio stations<br /> are operated by the state-owned Broadcasting Service of the<br /> Kingdom of Saudi Arabia….Private television and radio<br /> stations are prohibited on Saudi soil.<br /> -(Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia, 1.)<br />In such an oppressive environment, access to the Internet is severely limited. In this 2009 report, the 25 ISPs allowed in the country are connected to the national network which is controlled and filtered by a government entity.(p.2)<br /> A recent article in the Wall Street Journal examines state-controlled Internet access:<br /> It’s fashionable to hold up the Internet as a road<br /> to democracy and liberty in countries like Iran,<br /> but it can also be a very effective tool for<br /> quashing freedom (Morozov)<br /> <a href="http://opennet.net/">OpenNet Initiative</a> has documented dozens of countries in which complete and open Internet access is denied. Surely, the people living within these countries fall on the wrong side of the digital divide. Many are educated individuals aware of the benefits of the Internet but are denied its use because of governmental filtering. Even in the United States, filtering of the Internet is allowed, especially when dealing with child pornography. (Internet Filtering in the United States and Canada, 1-9)<br /> Those who live in the lower socioeconomic brackets cannot afford the broadband access to the Internet or even afford the price of a computer. Hence the schools and the public libraries play a major role in allowing people access to computers and the Internet. But, as always, there is more demand than resources, there are long lines, and no building is open 24/7. And with increasing pressure on local budgets as tax receipts go down and state aid is cut, the local public library cannot offer the hours of service or the staff expertise to assist people. For example, the State of New Jersey is <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_residents_can_no_longer_req.html">NOT providing paper copies</a> of income tax forms this year to libraries or post offices; people will have to download these forms. But what if you don’t have access to a computer or the Internet? And even if you do, do you even know how to use the keyboard, let alone navigate the web sites? And to add insult to injury, libraries which are always strapped for money, can no longer afford to print these documents for free. The library patron must now pay for this service, and what if you need to print out the lengthy booklets that go with the forms? Again, these people are on the wrong side of the digital divide.<br /> We need to remember that just because we take something for granted doesn’t mean everyone has it. There are probably people in my own town who fit the above profile. They are being denied an equal opportunity to avail themselves of a powerful communications/information product.<br /> Another area of concern is the amount and quality of information available via computers and the Internet. A recent report – <a href="http://hmi.ucsd.edu/pdf/HMI_2009_ConsumerReport_Dec9_2009.pdf">How Much Information</a> – details the overwhelming amount of information out there. Most information is not in paper or print form, that medium now comprises the smallest share of the information world. (p.18) Our problem is how are we to establish what sources of information are valid? No one controls what is placed on the Internet; there is no editor to make sure that what we read is actually correct. The Internet is like the Wild West, and there is no marshal in town. Those who “have not” cannot even access the bad data, let alone the good. One has to be very careful in determining the validity of the information posted online. Levinson devotes an entire chapter to Wikipedia which is an online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. In it he discusses the pitfalls of information which is open to manipulation by any and all comers by recounting the Pericles vs. Pickles versions in this source. (p 85) There is an excellent <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html">series of articles</a> (Giles), initiated by a review in Nature on the validity of this tool; these articles compare the accuracy of entries in Wikipedia to the same entries in the Britannica, the error rate, and the response from the editors of the Britannica. It makes for interesting reading to say the least. In fact, so suspect is the information in Wikipedia that it has been <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/01/26/wiki">banned as a citable source</a> by the history department at Middlebury College. (The comments at the end of this piece contain very revealing perspectives from both sides.)<br /> Users of online materials need to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the<br />sites they use. Unfortunately, this can be a hit-or-miss affair if one does not have the necessary skills to determine if the online information is correct or not. When you Google “whitehouse,” which should you choose: this <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/">site</a>, which is listed as the “White House”; or this <a href="http://whitehouse.georgewbush.org/index.asp">site</a>, which is listed at the high end of the hit list – “Welcome to the White House”? Once is real, the other is a spoof. But would the person who did not possess the skills set to tell them apart pick the correct one?<br /> Another area of concern is the rapidity with which information can either disappear or change in the digital world. An article one read in Wikipedia may not be the same article you go back to a couple of weeks later. In paper format, the information is stable, unchanging, and if the correct type of paper is used, can be read for 500 years. In their landmark study, The Myth of the Paperless Office, Sellen and Harper demonstrate that paper:<br /> …affords rich variegated marks that are persistent and static, also<br /> has a variety of different implications for perception and action in work<br /> situations….it also means that marks on paper are difficult to modify,<br /> transform, or incorporate into other documents….any changes made<br /> to a text leave a kind of audit trail of actions that contains information<br /> about the history of changes on a document, and who made which marks.<br /> (Sellen 201)<br /> However, there is no such guarantee in the digital world. Such a great problem is this shifting or changing of electronic information that the U.S. government is now in the process of <a href="http://www.adobe.com/showcase/casestudies/gpo/casestudy.pdf">digitally certifying</a> that its documents are the true and final copies, not to be changed.<br /> If changing or inaccurate information in the digital world is a societal problem, what about the complete disappearance of web resources? It is hard enough dealing with information that morphs into something different over time, but how about information that has been cited but is now gone? It is estimated that two percent of web sites disappear every week. (McCown) Another recent study stated that web references are disappearing at an alarming rate: 40% of web references from 10-year-old publications are missing, while 5-year-old publications average about 26% of their web references missing. (Bhat) Also, hackers can corrupt the documents or alter them in subtle ways. Another problem with the electronic world is the rapid turnover and obsolescence of the hardware needed to interface with it. More than once I have come across the term “digital dark age.” (Bollacker)<br /> The digital world, born of computers, is here to stay. What we do with this newfound medium will radically change the way we view information and ourselves. Some have said that as we become more and more involved with the digital world, we are divorcing ourselves from the “real world,” that we are becoming isolated. Yet, this report - <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/18--Social-Isolation-and-New-Technology.aspx">Social Isolation and New</a> <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/18--Social-Isolation-and-New-Technology.aspx">Technology</a> – says otherwise. As with any technology, there are good points and bad points; let’s hope we see more the former.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> BIBLIOGRAPHY<br /><br />Berger, Noah. "For-profit Colleges Change Higher Education's Landscape." Chronicle of Higher<br /> Education 7 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2010<br />Bhat, Mohammad H. "Missing Web References - A Case Study of Five Scholarly Journals." Liber Quarterly 19.2 (2009): 131-39. Web.18 Feb. 2010<br />Bollacker, Kurt D. "Avoiding a Digital Dark Age." American Scientist 98.2 (2010): 106-10. Web. 24 Feb. 2010.<br /><br />Bolter, Jay D., and Diane Gromala. Windows and Mirrors. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003.<br /> Print.<br />Carr, Nicolas. "Is Google Making us Stupid?" Atlantic July 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.<br />Computers: History and Development." JT: Jones Telecommunications and Multimedia<br /> Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2010.<br />Dance, Frank. "The Digital Divide." Communication and Cyberspace. Ed. Lance Strate. 2nd ed.<br /> Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2003. Print<br />Estache, Antonio. "Telecommunications Reform, Access Regulation, and Internet Adoption in<br /> Latin America." World Bank, Mar. 2002. Web. 18 Feb. 2010.<br />Executive Summary of the e-Mexico National Plan. N.p., 2001. Web. 16 Feb. 2010<br />Giles, Jim. "Internet Encyclopedias Go head to Head." Nature 14 Dec. 2005. Web. 18 Feb. 20<br />Griggs, Brandon. "Obama Poised to become the First "Wired" President." CNN.com. N.p., 15<br /> Jan. 2009. Web. 12 Feb. 2010.<br />Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia." OpenNet Initiative. N.p., 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2010.<br />"Internet Filtering in the United States and Canada." OpenNet Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb.<br /> 2010<br />Internet World Statistics 2010. N.p., 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2010.<br />Lee, J A. "Social Impact of the Computer." Virginia Tech, 17 Nov. 2000. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.<br />Levinson, Paul. "Online Education Unbound." Communication and Cyberspace. Ed. Lance<br /> Strate. 2nd ed. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2003. Print<br />Levinson, Paul. New New Media. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2009. Print.<br />McCown, Frank, Catherine Marshall, and Michael Nelson. "Why Web Sites are lost (and How<br /> They're Sometimes Found)." Communications of the ACM 52.11 (2009): 141-45. ACM<br /> Digital Library. Web. 19 Feb. 2009<br />Morozov, Evgeny. "The Digital Dictatorship." Wall Street Journal 20 Feb. 2010. Web. 23 Feb. <br /> 2010<br />Phelan, John M. "CyberWalden: The Online Psychology of Politics and Culture."<br /> Communication and Cyberspace. Ed. Lance Strate. 2nd ed. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press,<br /> 2003. Print<br />Sellen, Abigail, and Richard Harper. The Myth of the Paperless Office. Cambridge, MA: MIT<br /> Press, 2002. Print<br />Stelter, Brian. "F C C Takes a Close Look at the Unwired." The New York Times 23 Feb. . Web.<br /> 23 Feb. 2010.<br />Whitley, Brian. "Rutgers University Taps Booming Online Education." The Bergen Record 21 Feb. 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2010Freddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01886467030412992997noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-64805002644339805412010-02-27T06:16:00.008-05:002010-02-27T07:04:13.197-05:00Socializing Through New Media<div><div><div><div> </div><div>Understanding New Media<br />COMM 6090<br />Dr. Lance Strate</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br />Introduction<br />Computers have been transformed from mere office machines to communication devices. Computers have defined new modes of communication in every society. Western society enjoys computer mode of communication in a steady way allowing for its rapid expansion. Accessibility and feasibility of this medium has been increased because of cheaper prices of hardware and software making this medium even more interactive. Hosts on internet are increasing on a daily basis and it has been reported that daily there is 8 to 10% increase in internet hosts in United States and every month, 150,000 new users join the already existing 200,000 internet users. This rapid growth asserts the assumptions that computer medicated communication is new mass media (Walther, Slovacek, and Tidwell, 2001).<br />Technological development is one of the most powerful phenomena that heavily influence the direction of an economy and behavior of public. As the communication gadgets gets affordable and sophisticated while internet are virtually accessible from any parts of the world, the development of virtual media also grow faster than conventional ones such as print media and even radio. Moreover, the development of online media enables the peer-to-peer communications that television and radio hardly fulfill it. The phenomena would not only affect societies from economic perspective, but also from social, legal, and other related perspectives. It is interesting to see that around us, there are many gadgets that entertain us and also help us to perform several activities much easier. As computer increasingly becomes a reliable medium of communication coupled with the advancement in telecommunication technologies, this paper will examine its development and how it affect the way society communicate in this new media environment.<br /><br />Figure 1 show that contents in the cyber era have incredible number of audiences that other media can hardly keep up with. Google for example is considered to be new entrants in late 1990s but turns out to be the most visited website in the U.S, surpassing MSN and Yahoo! as search engine portals at that time. </div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442884786426946706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 276px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Mi_cNUIAw0IFjRaV3uNoonvfUxILGcGZjDZ99MPM6Jq_4YQFbbxuoLkk31JyJO-rBx39wzFOpZjRWMQNPWxs5cyJKGkEeT-2GQW-Jpkexp63_jHxVQNtQ-dTY1clsyUUhcRtt-lKJN7O/s320/nielsen-top-10-websites-us-2008.jpg" border="0" /><br />Figure 1 - Top 10 websites in the U.S.<br />Source: ChrisMonty, 2009<br /><br />In the 21st century, the development of online media has presented new trends as social networking becomes one media that grew faster. This trend underlines the basic need of human being to have social life. Starting with messenger applications like MIRC, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN among others; the need grows to have audiences that share something in common in a group. In this situation, social media like Friendsters, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter grew rapidly.<br />The above developments are examples of new media creating new ways of communications in the 21st century. As every time, users or audiences might develop other contents that could be the next booms in cyber space, it is no doubt that internet together with the advancement in mobile gadgets will create many opportunities for new media and the way people in the world communicate.<br />Factors Contributed to New Media Development<br />1. Telecommunication Network<br />In the early 1990s, a book by James Martin with the title “Telecommunication and Computer” describes the early ideas of convergences technologies where computer works hand- in- hand with telecommunication network to enable the exchange of information. As the network already connects one location to another that is separated by ocean and using submarine cables, this exchange of information gets easier and faster.<br />Currently, there are two types of connection: wireline and wireless. Wireline refers to the media that use cables; meanwhile, wireless refers to telecommunication media that use propagated electromagnetic wave.<br />Wireline technologies have two main forms, in which each has different advantages and disadvantages in terms of lifespan, bandwidth, installation, and reliability. The types of wireline or cable include Fiber Optics, Shielded Twisted Pair (STP), Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), Coaxial etc. Wireless technologies also develop into several types such as microwave radio, satellite, and infrared, laser, etc.<br />2. Customer Premise Equipment: Mobility<br />The development in the telecommunication network was also followed by the advancement in the customer premise equipments. In 1980s, the majority of customer equipment that enables them to communicate is dominated by desktop phone. A decade later, the use of mobile phones start growing as people show tendency to mobile when doing businesses.<br />Historically, mobile phones development commences in 1983 when Motorola DynaTAC 8000X becomes the first handheld available commercially in the US market. Due to the attractiveness of cellular-based network like portability, roaming capability etc, the mobile phones industry immediately expand its services all over the world.<br />However, since many countries develop their new system and standard, we witness many kind of cellular phones standard such as TACS, C-Netz, AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) that grew in the US, NMT (Nordic Mobile Phones), and GSM (Global Mobile Phone System), which grew in the Europe and become major standard in the world.<br />In addition to portability, mobile phones also have many benefits; they include data communication support, multi service/carriers support, and roaming capability, to name a few. The development of cellular phones is obvious when dealing with the visualization issue. Figure 2 shows the development of mobile phones that obviously differ in terms of visualization and appearance of the devices.<br /></p><div><br /></div><p>Figure 2 - Steps of Visualization in Cellular Phones<br />Source: gsmarena.com<br /><br />3. Internet<br />In addition to telecommunication network and gadgets, another important innovation in the new media is internet. This is considered as critical to the development of new media as nowadays the exchange of information is carried out electronically. Unlike postcard or surface mails that take some days to reach the receivers, electronic mail can reach the intended receiver in just few seconds. Thanks to Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the famous World Wide Web, this becomes the basis of e-commerce. Historically, in 1989, Tim develops the internet-based hypermedia to help business to foster the information sharing between individuals, customers, partners and colleagues (W3, 2004).<br />Moreover, the development of internet technology also enables manufacturers and service providers to provide better services to their customers since Internet is widely accessible from almost anywhere in the world. Due to the unquestioned benefits that internet and electronic commerce (e-commerce) possess, we find that many and many corporations launch official websites to boost their sales.<br />Towards Social Networking<br />There are many inventions that characterize the development of digital era that emerge several decades ago, representing the combination two binary digits “0” and “1”. The coming of digital technology makes the development of gadgets much entertaining since information can be transformed into various forms (sound, picture, and video).<br />In addition, the convergence has present capability of internet to convey all type of information to be shared. Coupled with the increasing number of mobile phones and applications embedded have increased the number of users that access the internet by using their mobile phones. Figure 3 shows the top 10 website that accessed via mobile phones in the US (data in October 2008). </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442886107121303890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 188px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCXhbSB4kFSbGKG9P0qOxIgwd0cykg34xIP9CbP0b_O-jMEnaKbJuvWfq_I55Jh4a7RiNA_v9qysjXN84XsMe632Ia763m19bNBRJyuKz_-CRGUIFxOuSDxa1XMK4IDfRADJM0rtSHdzV/s320/nielsen-top-10-websites-accessed-mobile-phones-us-october-2008.jpg" border="0" /> Figure 3 - Top 10 most visited websites via mobile phones in the U.S<br />Source: ChrisMonty, 2009<br /><br /><p>However, this figure does not have similar condition in other part of the world, since each region or country has specific characteristics. For example, in the UK, the most visited website turns out to be UK Yahoo! followed by Google.co.uk and facebook.<br />1. Activities in Social Networking<br />The development of computer has enabled the information sharing between peers. Social networking websites provide mode personalized features that increased the possibility to share information within a group or among friends. The first popular social networking in early 21st century is friendsters.com. Friendsters enable user to search friend by school name, interests, location etc.<br />Several years later, other social networking websites like Facebook exist with better features than Friendsters. The features of Facebook enable users to posted video, comment on peers’ page, create quiz, etc. These features represent that user-generated content also play important role in determining the preference of users in using the social networking.<br />Figure 4 shows the activities that users do in the social networking websites in which it underlines that posting photos become the most activities that users do. The second most done activity is responding to posts of others. This condition represents that in the cyber space, people need to be recognized, have the need to share something with others, and communicate with others through comment on their status or photos.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442887042849695826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 233px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzSIKPhScVeuh6Y0UtInkagBFCmsPlZsEV298NgS8OleKPatHThC1tmpw9UwDJ0oJMu-t3mqFijBbWyifLxfeRP_FOastOOiwzaMl_YjoER9O5HG3kOuyrlroQU1VtMeWeTVXhc6ErJMX/s320/social-network-activities.gif" border="0" /><br />Figure 4 - Activities in Social Networking (2009)<br />Source: Corwin, 2010<br /><br />2. Social Networking web sites<br />As described previously, there are many social networking websites that grew fast in the 21st century. A survey studied the social networking membership based on the use of electronic mails (e-mails) reveals the following: </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442889406177533154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmojUpWZDzmGI18MqBju0jGFQa87eZV2Ns-4ne_dRGQPc9Ky2Eo3lf0ASw98hDlrnvavsaFt6an-cbkd5AXMNr_-hI0-60NqGql0KHU_eRMnpJkAm2aa6Ej91DevgkK9trh5ZmWAtz5jKW/s320/tumblr_kwdgi027av1qzxbf6o1_500.jpg" border="0" /> <p></p>Figure 5 - Users’ email and social networking membership<br />Source: Michael, 2009<br /><br />The figure shows that when subscribing to social networking websites, a typical AOL and Gmail users connect to Facebook. Meanwhile, hotmail and Yahoo! users mostly become users of MySpace and Facebook equally. The other social networking website is Twitter, which is popular in the U.S. but not so popular in other part of the world since Facebook is still a dominant site (Michael, 2009).<br />Moreover, the following figure below shows the popularity that MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn have when compared to those email users on Facebook’s. For example, the number of Gmail users on Twitter is only 40% of the number of Gmail users on Facebook (Michael, 2009). </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442890807304269218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 163px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Z7laeZji0oNDg2nSrKSED578s-2OUmyXzfVofld6UnQFyJSHvRrqpYO9qrqDJ1rZiMNs6TWkDRNgW1VdLze6kuuDjQdkaCn2XArykI4_xJSuFCcUNdoDEA8ROGNx7UZcd4WTUIRe5R2Q/s320/myspace-twitter-and-linkedin-vs-facebook.jpg" border="0" /><br />Figure 6 - Percentage of emails use in social-networking websites<br />Source: Michael, 2009<br /><br />Blogs<br />Blog is one example of how technology helps a person to share ideas in the Internet for free. It is exactly similar to writing a column in a magazine or newspaper where people can also share ideas on particular subjects. By definition, blog refers to a “Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual” (“Blog”). This web page can be updated several times as it reflects the personality and interests of the author. Blogs can be personal or organizational.<br />In addition, the existence of blog in e-commerce is very important since it becomes a new way of communicating at personal level by attracting audiences to comment and share their experiences. Blogs can deliver valuable and credible information to other customers and therefore will be an attraction for them to visit a company’s web site to give their opinions (Richmond, 2005).<br />As mentioned above, a Blog is somewhat similar to a public diary and sometimes it is more effective than online advertising or marketing. For instances, Tom Wark, owner of Wark Communications, a company that do business on wine industry, has a blog that display his comments concerning various issues on wine-related industry (Richmond, 2005). He believe that blog provide his company a great benefit since the number of traffic into his company’s web site becomes two fold.<br />However, the use of a blog will not directly lead to more money since people or readers do not pay for seeing or writing a blog, but it can become a tool for luring consumers to buy products or services the site has. Therefore, the company has the opportunity to create a massive customers database just from blogging.<br />Example of a powerful social network<br />In today’s internet era, the global internet network becomes the key driver behind the development of social network websites. They include the popular Friendsters, My Space, and the continually growing Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg discovered Facebook in 2004, using an initial investment of US $ 500,000 and in 2005 the company reported a net loss of $3.63 million. Facebook was originally a software-networking website dedicated and restricted only for Harvard College students. The website receives enormous attention from college students and only one month from its launch, half of the Harvard college students were registered on the service. The website then expanded to Stanford, Columbia, Yale and various other Universities in the United States (“Facebook”, 2010).<br />The company then launched a high school version of its service, requiring invitations before people could join the network, but the idea lasted only for 15 days before Zuckerberg changed the policy into allowing anyone to join. In the end of 2005, many institutions composing of 25,000 high schools and 2,000 colleges throughout the United States, Canada and United Kingdom had networks registered on Facebook. In the later part of 2006, Facebook became open to the public. After the website has been opened to the public, its number grew even further to include offices and companies around the world.<br />There are several different perspectives regarding the causes of Facebook’s strategic methods. Most of them however, agreed that Facebook’s success was based on the simplest and most effective marketing tool, which is word-of-mouth. Taking advantage of the social nature of human beings, it is appropriate for Facebook to focus its business marketing strategy simply by getting people to talk to other people about their products and services. Others however, believed that Facebook’s success is built from its unique offering of services and from a series of fortunate or supportive events. However, there are several conditions surrounding Facebook’s business environment that supported its success:<br />1. Powerful platform<br />Facebook’s platform has three important components, which are: identity platform, community platform and application platform. The identity platform underlines the fact that Facebook have rich metadata and they have massive intelligence on users. Users can even see detailed metadata regarding friends connected to them. Other forums and blogs do not provide such detailed amount of user’s data. The community platform on the other hand, represents the fact that Facebook’s ability to map relationships and affinities and segmenting communities from interests. As an application platform, Facebook uses API platform to gather intelligence from application deployment<br />2. Various applications media embedded and event management<br />Those are some of the most interesting features Facebook has offered to its consumers. These attributes generate significant progress for the company. For instant, in less than one month, the application sections exploded from hundreds to thousands. The application is created by a PHP developer. Within the system, audio, video and live streaming video are available. The richness of media embedded is one of the value creators of Facebook’s services. The affinity groups within Facebook can also organize and promote events from Facebook (“Facebook”, 2010).<br />3. Influential Conditions<br />Besides their unique attributes and service offerings, there are several conditions that contributed to Facebook’s phenomenal rate of growth, which are: invites through emails, increasing interests on group discussions, increasing trend in creating affinity groups and its limited search crawling<br />Analysts have strong predictions that Facebook’s limited market, which is in the college students market, is one of the important contributors of Facebook’s success. Thus, with its change of strategy opening the website to the public, some believed that Facebook will experience some level of sales reduction. On the other hand, Facebook’s competitors believed that the market niche of college online social group will not vanish, and will in fact, has as profitable potential as ever. These competitors include College OTR.com, CollegeTonight.com and CollegeWikis.com, which all plan to remain loyal to the college market niche. These competitors are expected to pose as potential threats for Facebook.<br />In reality, Facebook did not lose its market niche, but it is searching for new and more promising ones in other types of communities. It is recorded that instead of experiencing a decline in revenues as predicted by other companies, Facebook has experience an increase in other segments of the online social network market. These other segments include the professional segments of employees and managers and the public in general. Some believed that Facebook would not experience any reduction of customers, but simply jumping to new market base. Competitors might have been advantageous by Facebook leaving the college market, but Facebook is actually more advantageous from the joining of the business and professional segment.<br />Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) & Face -to- Face Communication<br />Communication has always been an integral part of human relationship either for work or for personal purposes. As the objective of communication is diverse, the way we communicate also varied. In addition, technology has been the strongest factor that allows such practices.<br />Computer mediated communications has rather different methods of communication and interaction compare to the traditional face-to-face communication. The differences between these two communication styles lie on several respects. For instance, analysts indicated that compare to the traditional face-to-face communication, computer mediated communications has a rather weaker presentation of ‘self’. For instance, in a traditional face-to-face communication, people are communicating by means of audio and visual connections with each other. Within a chat-room for instance, people are communicating through text messages and text messages alone. Compare to the traditional face-to-face communication, this generates larger possibilities of misunderstanding between the communicating parties. Moreover, the audio and visual connections are strengthening by an actual presence which generate the feeling of closeness and intimacy; and facilitate stronger understanding through human emotions and interpretations. The inability to see facial expressions, voices, and gestures makes it hard to guess and interpret the responses received from other participants.<br />Moreover, the rate by which messages exchange in cyber world is always associated with thinking process that delays response time and this count for another main difference between face-to-face communications and computer mediated communications. Speaking is much faster as a response as compared to typing (Spears, 1994).<br />However, computer mediated communications is sometimes preferable because it generate less tension and less pressure of meeting face-to-face with new people. As compared to face-to-face communication, computer mediated communications always require selected features of an identity of a communicator. Any mode of computer mediated communications that is being used by a communicator, lets him or her have some time to develop a response to a message thereby it eliminates any forms of anxiety because of the anonymity of mode of communication being used. Therefore, participants feel free to express their opinions and to talk and debate about their rights, as they are aware that they are not being exposed (Tidwell and Walther, 2006). In addition, participants and communicators in different forms of computer mediated communications can exhibit different traits and characteristics defined by different situations. Thereby communications can become less personal depending upon the situations in which communicators reside, and may serve to decrease any intimacy between communicators. Moreover, higher level of task orientation is achieved in CMC based communication as compared to face-to-face communication.<br />Conclusion<br />Media and society are inseparable. This is due to the fact that currently media has been an integral part of our lives. Consider the flow of information that we obtain through various kind of media from printing media like newspapers to popular internet. The development of online media has promoted the new trends of communication where people are likely to communicate through social networking. This situation highlights that the basic need of human being to have social life. Therefore, social networks like Friendsters, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter grew rapidly.<br />This paper has identified three aspects that contributed to this phenomenon; telecommunication network, mobile equipments, and internet. Telecommunication network is essential in the development of information technology (IT). Meanwhile, customer equipments also important as it allow users to connect to the Internet. Currently, the customers’ equipment goes mobile as people need mobility to do business and communicate with others. Beside telecommunication network and gadgets, another important innovation in the new media is internet as it allows the exchange of information in a broader perspective.<br />In addition, Computer mediated communication (CMC) is the latest form of communication between social groups and users. Many factors in computer mediated communication have been revisited that make it different from face-to-face communications. These differences may or may not be playing their roles in rendering these communications as personal or less personal.<br /><br /><br />Works cited<br />ChrisMonty. “Most Popular Website and Mobile Sites in ‘08: Google, Yahoo Mail” 2009 <http://www.blippitt.com/most-popular-website-and-mobile-sites-in-08-google-yahoo-mail><br />Corwin, Peg. “What Do Site Users Do in Social Networking Websites?” 2010 <http://howtostartasocialnetwork.com/2009/10/10/what-do-site-users-do-in-social-networking-websites/><br />"Facebook." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/facebook><br />Michael. “Social Insight into AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo Email Users – Part 3: Social Network memberships.” Rapleaf. 2009 <br /> <http://blog.rapleaf.com/social-insight-into-aol-gmail-hotmail-and-yahoo-email-users-%e2%80%93-part-3-social-network-memberships/><br />Richmond, Riva. “Blogs Keep Internet Customers Coming Back.” Wall Street Journal. 2005<br /><http://online.wsj.com/article/sb110963746474866537.html><br />Spears, Russell. "Panacea or Panopticon? The Hidden Power in Computer-Mediated Communication." Communication Research 21.4 (1994): 427-459.<br />Tidwell, Collins, Lisa., and Walther, B. Joseph. “Computer-Mediated Communication Effects on Disclosure, Impressions, and Interpersonal Evaluations: Getting to Know One Another a Bit at a Time.” Human Communication Research 28.3 (2006): 317 – 348.<br />W3. “Tim Berners-Lee.” 2004. <http://www.w3.org/people/berners-lee/><br />Walther, B. Joseph., Slovacek, L. Celeste., and Tidwell, C. Lisa. “Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? Photographic Images in Long-Term and Short-Term Computer-Mediated Communication.” Communication Research 28.1 (2001): 105-134.<br /></div></div>Maihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02061531723972450865noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-2179863505557504492010-02-26T23:46:00.001-05:002010-02-26T23:48:39.768-05:00The Effects of MySpace on the Music Industry<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMike%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMike%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMike%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 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mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Mike Stanzione</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Professor Lance Strate</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Understanding New Media</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">27 February 2010</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center">The Effects of MySpace on the Music Industry</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The internet has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years toward the direction of user-created content.<span style=""> </span>Web pages are more than just static content – users are able to create and edit content themselves as well as interact and form communities on these sites.<span style=""> </span>Today pretty much anybody with an internet connection can create a blog or an account on a social networking site and immediately begin creating content and interacting with other users.<span style=""> </span>The recent rise of the internet has also affected a number of other forms of media.<span style=""> </span>One industry that has suffered a great deal has been the recorded music industry.<span style=""> </span>With sales dropping, stores closing, and executives being forced to re-evaluate their priorities and change their business models, the music industry has seen a great deal of turmoil in recent years due in large part to internet activity.<span style=""> </span>It is also due to this new type of web content that the music industry has changed as well.<span style=""> </span>User-created content centered around music has been a driving force in the success of many sites, with one being an especially notable example.<span style=""> </span>MySpace, a site created for social networking purposes, found popularity through the music elements featured on the site.<span style=""> </span>Musicians were able to use the site as an outlet for their music and way to reach out to new and existing fans.<span style=""> </span>Fans in turn could interact with and around their favorite performers and also find new music.<span style=""> </span>Many artists have been able to find success with the help of MySpace, and the site’s efforts have also changed the way many labels do business.<span style=""> </span>Even though the site has undergone changes of its own in recent years, its effects on the music industry still remain.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The music industry has undergone a number of changes over recent years.<span style=""> </span>File sharing and digital downloads have altered the musical landscape.<span style=""> </span>CD sales have been declining annually from 10 to 20 percent over the last few years (Stone), which has made it difficult for record stores to survive.<span style=""> </span>For example, Tower Records was forced to file for bankruptcy in August of 2006 due to losses of over $210 million (Knowles 9).<span style=""> </span>Despite the growth of digital music sales over recent years (Dhar and Chang 9), most internet users consider music to be free (Knowles 9).<span style=""> </span>The introduction of new technologies has also created a “democratization” of sorts of the music industry.<span style=""> </span>Musicians are now able to produce their own music, which has led to an explosion of content (Knowles 7).<span style=""> </span>The increase of available content as well as the ability for this music to be distributed freely through the internet has created a demand for music that the industry that made it difficult for physical stores to survive.<span style=""> </span>The demand for out-of-print, niche, and obscure music increased at the expense of more mainstream artists, which caused file-sharing as well as online distributors to thrive at the expense of stores like Tower (Knowles 8).<span style=""> </span>This change in demand has been called “The Long Tail” by Chris Anderson, which refers to a pattern of distribution where mainstream hit sales constitute the “head” of the pattern, with “decreasing demand flowing through to a long ‘tail’ made up of lesser selling titles” (Knowles 8).<span style=""> </span>Digital distribution has considerably helped to increase the length of this “tail,” with “long tail titles” making up nearly 40% of music sales in 2006 (Knowles 8).<span style=""> </span>As a result, the demand for mainstream acts has decreased with this increase in demand for niche and lesser-known artists (Knowles 8-9).<span style=""> </span>These developments have caused users to seek their music through new outlets.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>New media technologies such as social networking and blogging have allowed users and artists to connect to each other in new ways.<span style=""> </span>Social networking has been able to allow artists to connect to their fans in a number of ways (Beer 224), and blogging can both distribute and review music as well (Knowles 7).<span style=""> </span>The movement towards user-generated content on the internet has been dubbed Web 2.0, which “looks to harness ‘collective intelligence’ through the development of a ‘participatory culture’” that allows “users to become ‘co-developers’ by generating as well as browsing content” (Beer 226).<span style=""> </span>The various Web 2.0 websites have attracted millions of users (Beer 228) and have dramatically influenced the music industry.<span style=""> </span>One of the best examples of this trend is the social networking site known as MySpace.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>MySpace was created by Brad Greenspan, Tom Anderson, Chris DeWolf, and Josh Berman, who were all members of e-Universe.<span style=""> </span>The site launched in August of 2003 and was “built upon the social dynamics of America Online, CompuServe, message boards, forums and computer conferencing” and has grown to include over 300 million accounts as of 2009 (Levinson 110-111).<span style=""> </span>MySpace was not the first social networking site – Friendster had already emerged before it and become popular on the internet as a dating site.<span style=""> </span>Because of this nature, it did not allow “non-personal profiles,” which prevented musicians from using the site.<span style=""> </span>Tom Anderson took note of this, and created a strategy for MySpace that would include those not allowed on Friendster (Shklovski and Boyd 1).<span style=""> </span>Anderson allowed musicians to use the site to connect with fans as well as promote themselves.<span style=""> </span>In additional to bands and the casual user, the site was also populated by band managers, club promoters, and independent musicians who “leveraged the site to promote local bands and provide VIP access to a handful of premier clubs” (Shklovski and Boyd 1).<span style=""> </span>In response to the number of artists who were joining the site as well as the closing of MP3.com, which allowed artists to post their music online, MySpace launched music profiles in 2004.<span style=""> </span>These profiles were different than the traditional MySpace profile in a number of ways.<span style=""> </span>Although they followed the same structure of most social network profiles by including description, a list of friends, and a comment section, these profiles were listed separately from regular users, allowed bands to list their shows, and perhaps most importantly, gave artists a way to distribute their music (Shklovski and Boyd 1).<span style=""> </span>The site built in a player that allowed musicians to upload songs to their profiles, which users could then stream directly from the page.<span style=""> </span>A few months later MySpace allowed non-music users to stream these songs from their own profiles (Shklovski and Boyd 1).<span style=""> </span>Artists are able to customize the content of their profiles however they like, and are able to post a variety of things on these profiles such as upcoming shows, blogs, videos, podcasts, and other forms of content in addition to their music (Beer 230).<span style=""> </span>In September 2004, R.E.M. unveiled their upcoming album on the site, allowing fans to listen to the album online weeks before its release date.<span style=""> </span>This changed the reputation of MySpace to “something other than a dating site” (Shklovski and Boyd 2).<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>As the site grew in popularity, the site continued to focus on music.<span style=""> </span>In March of 2005 MySpace allowed bands to create simpler addresses for their profiles, making it easier for the bands to advertise their pages.<span style=""> </span>MySpace also created a record label, started a MySpace tour, and put out a compilation CD in November of 2005 (Shklovski and Boyd 2).<span style=""> </span>The social networking aspect of the site combined with its musical features allowed the site generate “more community-related music activity than any other music-related site” according to a 2006 report from Jupiter Research (Shklovski and Boyd 1).<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>MySpace has proven to be effective for artists in a number of ways.<span style=""> </span>The site allows artists to promote themselves in a number of ways, such as by posting messages on the site and reaching out the new people (Shklovski and Boyd 2-3).<span style=""> </span>The community aspect of the site has proven to be a valuable tool to musicians as well.<span style=""> </span>Artists can find potential fans by promoting themselves on the page of a similar artist, asking people to listen to their music as well (Beer 234).<span style=""> </span>Bands are able to connect with each other as well, allowing them to foster existing relationships as well as build new ones in an effort to help each other out along the way.<span style=""> </span>Bands have been able to use the site to set up shows with each other as well as help smaller bands play in new environments that they might not have had the chance to without these resources (Shklovski and Boyd 2).<span style=""> </span>However, as important as the community aspect between bands may be, this relationship is not as crucial as the one between the one between musicians and their fans.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>MySpace, like other social networking sites, operates by collecting “friends” on the site.<span style=""> </span>MySpace does not distinguish between different types of “friendships” on the site, so fans are able to add bands as “friends” and vice-versa (Shklovski and Boyd 3).<span style=""> </span>The fans and artist can then interact between each other.<span style=""> </span>Fans can post comments on the artist’s blog or profile, and the artist can join in the discussion as well.<span style=""> </span>Comments can spark ongoing discussions between fans as well.<span style=""> </span>In a sense these profiles not only serve as “a portal through which the fan base can communicate with the popstar, or a space where the popstar (or the music industry) can communicate information <i style="">to</i> the fans” but also an outlet that creates networks of friends around the performers (Beer 231, emphasis in original).<span style=""> </span>The artist does not need to be present for the community to survive – it operations regardless of whether or not the artist is in attendance during the various discussions and comments in order for the interaction and connections to continue (Beer 231).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>MySpace has allowed bands and fans to create a sort of mutually beneficial relationship on the site.<span style=""> </span>Bands can “collect” fans, allowing them to promote to a larger audience, while fans are able to “friend” a band to display their fandom, receive updates from the band, and show their support through comments (Shklovski and Boyd 3).<span style=""> </span>Fans use music as a form of self-expression, and often select songs to display on their profile based on how they identify themselves.<span style=""> </span>This feature has been considered to be an effective way to spread new music to friends and was an important reason why Jupiter Research considered MySpace to be the most influential music site (Shklovski and Boyd 3).<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>MySpace essentially created a new way for fans to obtain information about their favorite artists.<span style=""> </span>The social networking sphere allows musicians to “become part of the communicative flows of the social networking site” by “checking and updating their profiles, making friends, posting music, and so on” (Beer 232).<span style=""> </span>This allows fans to connect directly to the artist and not through a magazine, radio, or TV show (Beer 232).<span style=""> </span>Regardless of whether or not the musician himself is the one checking the page, there is still the perception of communicating directly with the performer, which “fits with the broader rhetoric of democratization and participation that has ushered in Web 2.0” (Beer 232).<span style=""> </span>However unlikely it may be that Mick Jagger himself logged on to the Rolling Stones MySpace, it still creates a “perception of accessibility” (Beer 232) that has gone on to challenge the way music culture is organized (Beer 234). </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>A number of recording artists have been able to help their careers with the help of MySpace.<span style=""> </span>Lily Allen, a singer from London, created a profile where she posted demos of her music.<span style=""> </span>She began to attract a number of fans as well as mainstream press attention.<span style=""> </span>She would go on to have a top single in the United Kingdom and an album that has sold over three million copies (Levinson 117).<span style=""> </span>MySpace was definitely instrumental in her success.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The success of Lily Allen through MySpace was also instrumental in the career of another singer from London.<span style=""> </span>Kate Nash started her music career by recorded some songs at home that she posted on MySpace.<span style=""> </span>She would then reach out to Lily Allen through the site, asking her to listen to her music.<span style=""> </span>Allen liked what she heard and recommended Nash on her own page, asking her fans to check her out.<span style=""> </span>Thousands of people would go on to listen to Nash’s music after this recommendation, which caused her fan base and concert attendance to increase dramatically.<span style=""> </span>After releasing a single on an independent label, she would soon be offered a contract by a major record label.<span style=""> </span>Her first album, “Made of Bricks,” reach the top of the United Kingdom music charts (Pareles).<span style=""> </span>Her songs were played over 20 million times on MySpace alone (Levinson 116).<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Another example is that of Sean Kingston, who found the MySpace account of record producer J. R. Rottem.<span style=""> </span>Kingston repeatedly contacted Rottem in 2007, claiming to have sent him messages “eight time a day for, like, four weeks” (Levinson 117).<span style=""> </span>Eventually Kingston’s persistence paid off, as Rottem eventually took notice.<span style=""> </span>He would soon have number one songs in the United States, Canada, and Australia (Levinson 117).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>In 2007 a teenager was able to ride use MySpace and other websites to get the number one single in America during the summer.<span style=""> </span>DeAndre Ramone Way, who is known as Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, started off by uploading his self-created songs to the website SoundClick.com.<span style=""> </span>He was able to sell his songs for 99 cents each, reaching over 35,000 downloads daily on the site (Arseniuk).<span style=""> </span>Despite making nearly $20,000 a day on that site, he realized that MySpace attracted larger audiences and started posting his music there.<span style=""> </span>After finding a manager and putting his contact information on his profile, he received numerous calls for live performances.<span style=""> </span>His independently released debut album was extremely successful, despite receiving no major label backing.<span style=""> </span>As his online reputation began to grow, he eventually got the attention of Michael Collipark, who would sign Soulja Boy to Interscope Records in 2007.<span style=""> </span>He re-recorded and released his album on the label, shot music videos, and soon had the number one single in the United States for seven weeks in the summer of 2007 (Arseniuk).<span style=""> </span>He even created a video on YouTube that teaches people how to do the dance in his music video, which got over 40 million videos (Arseniuk).<span style=""> </span>In addition to the money earned from record sales and downloads, Soulja Boy is now also able to generate revenue through ringtone sales, his own record label, and even his own clothing line (Arseniuk).<span style=""> </span>Despite the success he was already enjoying on SoundClick.com, his migration to MySpace was an extremely significant move in the career of this performer.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>One final example of somebody who has used MySpace to launch a musical career is that of Tila Tequila.<span style=""> </span>Tila Tequila caught the attention of record labels for having the most friends on the website, but actually rejected a number of offers she received (Aspan).<span style=""> </span>Despite the fact that the music on her website has been said to “veer between incompetent and unlistenable” (Weiner) and many contribute the success of her page to the fact that it is full of provocative pictures, she has spent considerable time at the top of the MySpace charts ahead of plenty of established artists (Weiner).<span style=""> </span>People were quick to point out the flaws in the system – that the charts were based on total page views and nothing more – but the buzz created around Tequila was enough to attract industry attention.<span style=""> </span>She now has a clothing line, a number of magazine covers, and an endorsement contract with a cell-phone company (Weiner), in addition to a television show.<span style=""> </span>Despite her insistence to go around record labels, many people noted that her strategy would not cause significant damage to the industry.<span style=""> </span>With no prior recording history and little attention on music-specific communities, some researchers doubt the ability of Tila Tequila to be overwhelmingly successful as a recording artist (Aspan).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Despite the success these artists were able to reach through their presence on MySpace, as well as the boost the site has given to bands such as Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and Panic! At the Disco (Weiner), some critics feel that the site is not as successful in finding talent as some people would like to believe.<span style=""> </span>Critic David Hajdu cites Bruce Springsteen as an example, who had to play in small bars before he could make records, as opposed to these artists who get record deals with little more than a MySpace following (Weiner).<span style=""> </span>Regardless of the criticism, the site has still brought a number of artists into the mainstream and also been important to the careers of others.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>In 2005 MySpace decided to take its musical aspect a step farther and created its own record label.<span style=""> </span>The company joined up with Interscope Records to create MySpace Records, a label created to “support niche artists as well as break-through acts expected to become mainstream” (BusinessWire).<span style=""> </span>Although it was created as a partnership with Interscope, MySpace Records was designed to “operate as an independent label, structured with its own marketing, publicity and A&R business units, all designed to capitalize on the existing MySpace infrastructure” (BusinessWire).<span style=""> </span>The label aimed to develop its independent acts as well as assist Interscope with larger acts.<span style=""> </span>The first band signed to the label was Hollywood Undead, who used MySpace to build a following at a rapid pace and quickly move to the top of the site’s charts (BusinessWire).<span style=""> </span>The label would also go on to add established artists such as Pennywise, as well as artists such as Kate Voegele and Mickey Avalon, who would eventually be promoted to the main Interscope label (Kincald).<span style=""> </span>However, the MySpace Records label itself did not have any major commercial successes (Rodriguez) and rumors have circulated that the label may be disbanding (Kincald).<span style=""> </span>Although those rumors have yet to come to fruition, in January the label did let go of a number of staff and its General Manager Jay Scavo returned to his old label Hollywood Records.<span style=""> </span>Despite the reshuffling that went on, the label announced that its artists would remain signed and the partnership with Interscope would continue (Kincald).<span style=""> </span>Regardless of what eventually happens to the label, it still has proven to be important for a number of artists.<span style=""> </span>In addition to a few acts that would eventually find their way onto the main Interscope Records roster, Hollywood Undead would also go on to become very successful.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately for MySpace Records, however, this success would be with another label.<span style=""> </span>Not long after signing the band, the label had a dispute with them over the content of their album.<span style=""> </span>The band refused to compromise, which would cause the label to let them go.<span style=""> </span>The band was then moved to A&M/Octone, another label in the Interscope family.<span style=""> </span>The band would then go on to sell over 600,000 copies of its debut album (Rodriguez).<span style=""> </span>Even though they reached success with a different label, Hollywood Undead was still able to use MySpace Records as a springboard to their music career.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>In addition to fostering relationships between fans and musicians, sites like MySpace and other Web 2.0 websites have proven to be effective resources for advertisers and researchers.<span style=""> </span>These sites can provide a great deal of data than can be useful for marketing purposes (Beer 237).<span style=""> </span>The millions of people that use sites like MySpace also create large potential audiences for advertising (Stone).<span style=""> </span>Advertisers have been able channel information gathered from social networking sites and can advertise accordingly (Gallagher).<span style=""> </span>Studies have also shown that pages on the site belonging to major recording artists generally receive the most visits, which reflects “established offline hierarchies” (Jean-Samuel and Thomas 189).<span style=""> </span>This is another piece of information that could be useful to advertisers.<span style=""> </span>MySpace has also proven to be important to advertisers because of its demographics.<span style=""> </span>Studies have shown that “internet users over 13 years of age who access music through social networking sites spent $70 per capita on CDs, paid downloads and music subscriptions, more than double the $25 per capita spent by those not using social networks” (Gallagher).<span style=""> </span>The ability to target ads to a potentially receptive audience is no doubt appealing to a possible advertiser.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>In 2006 MySpace made its first attempt to sell music directly through its site.<span style=""> </span>In September 2006 the site announced that it would sell music as part of a partnership with Snocap, which was a company created by Napster creator Shawn Fanning (Levine).<span style=""> </span>The company created the music store as a way to compete with iTunes, with the hopes that fans who were listening to music on a band’s page could then buy the music right there without having to go to another website.<span style=""> </span>The music store was designed to work with the four major record labels, but was also designed to allow independent labels and unsigned bands into the system as well (Levine).<span style=""> </span>The Snocap database featured an audio fingerprinting technology that would prevent illegal selling of the files and also allowed labels to set their own prices, which iTunes did not allow at the time (Levine).<span style=""> </span>This was another important development for MySpace as a music site, as it not allowed opened up a new source of revenue for the site (Levine), but it also created yet another avenue for the site to go down in the music industry.<span style=""> </span>The fact that labels were willing to join in this MySpace/Snocap partnership shows how legitimate MySpace had become at this point.<span style=""> </span>MySpace had become more than just a website for bands to make a page on – it had now become a digital music retailer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>In addition to the effects it has had on the online music world, MySpace has also had its effects on the more traditional aspects of the music industry as well.<span style=""> </span>The introduction of its own record label has put artists in stores that may not have found their way onto shelves otherwise.<span style=""> </span>Many of the aforementioned artists were also able to launch or assist their careers with the help of the website.<span style=""> </span>The previously mentioned “long tail” of the music industry made up a large percentage of record sales in 2006 (Knowles 8), with many of these artists also considered to be the most recommended on the site (Jean-Samuel and Thomas 189).<span style=""> </span>Even though the site reflects popular music trends in the sense that 10% of artists receive 90% of the page views on the site (Jean-Samuel and Thomas 189), studies have also revealed that these popular artists are not by any means the most influential or recommended (Jean-Samuel and Thomas 189).<span style=""> </span>Even if these artists may be drowned out in older media forms, they can still have a presence on MySpace and reflects a growing democratization of the industry (Beer 223).<span style=""> </span>Now musicians can even chart without a record contract, as the band Koopa did in the United Kingdom (Beer 223).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Studies have also been done to see just how effective the effects of Web 2.0 content can be in terms of album sales.<span style=""> </span>Past research has shown that word of mouth and peer reviews have been effective in influencing the opinions on movies, and that “better” movies seemed to attract a greater number of postings in return (Dhar and Chang 3-4).<span style=""> </span>In an attempt to apply these findings to music sales, a study was done that measured a sampling of blog posting and MySpace friends over a period of time of a number of albums’ life spans (Dhar and Chang 7).<span style=""> </span>The study was unable to obtain Nielsen SoundScan data to track album sales, but instead used sales rankings on Amazon.com (Dhar and Chang 9).<span style=""> </span>The study done by Vasant Dhar and Elaine Chang suggested that “higher blog post volumes and higher percentage changes in MySpace friends correspond to increased weekly sales in the future” (15).<span style=""> </span>Although the study found out that an increase in blog posts corresponds to a greater increase in sales than an increase in MySpace friends (Dhar and Chang 16), a relationship does seem to exist.<span style=""> </span>There is also the theory that an increase in blog chatter and MySpace friends could very likely be due to the quality of the artist of the album itself (Dhar and Chang 18), there is still a relationship between Web 2.0 content and album sales.<span style=""> </span>In addition, there are a number of older, more established artists who had very few MySpace friends, which could also mean that their older fans likely do not use MySpace (Dhar and Chang 20).<span style=""> </span>Although the study itself even admits that further study is needed and that it is dangerous to assume causality from its findings (21), the authors posit that this sort of information could be used by record labels in an attempt to predict sales (21).<span style=""> </span>The authors also suggest that genres of music that are not covered in mainstream media sources might also benefit more from online activity than more popular styles (21-22).<span style=""> </span>Even if the number of MySpace friends may not prove to be an accurate measure of the future success of an album, it has already been shown that artists with large numbers of fans on the site have been able to catch the attention of people in the music industry.<span style=""> </span>It also bears repeating that a 2006 study revealed that people found music more often on MySpace than on any other site (Shklovski and Boyd 1), which likely had at least some sort of effect on the record sales of some artists.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>MySpace has proven to be so effective in linking together fans and artists that record labels have recently attempted to implement their own social networking capabilities.<span style=""> </span>In January of 2009, Warner Music announced that it would be implementing a social networking platform onto its websites (Gladkova).<span style=""> </span>The label introduced these tools to allow fans to interact with their favorite artists on their own websites rather than have them go to another site (Gladkova).<span style=""> </span>Market research has revealed that many fans do go directly to an artist’s website, so the label decided to implement this technology in an attempt to keep viewers on the site for longer periods of time and possibly increase sales (Gladkova).<span style=""> </span>Although the label does not intend to compete with MySpace (Gladkova), the introduction of social networking to its websites shows that record labels have taken notice of the effectiveness of MySpace and are trying to get a piece of social networking revenues for themselves (Gladkova).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Although MySpace had become an extremely popular social networking and music site, it began to lose a great deal of users over recent years.<span style=""> </span>MySpace has been surpassed by Facebook as the top social networking site, and has lost millions of users in the process.<span style=""> </span>Although MySpace had 64 million users in August 2009, that number is 12 million users fewer than just one year prior (Perez).<span style=""> </span>Around that same time, Facebook got its 300 millionth user (Perez).<span style=""> </span>Recently MySpace announced that it was “giving up on trying to be a major social network” (Perez) and instead changed their direction to a more music-oriented one.<span style=""> </span>Although the site has been built around music for quite some time, the new strategy aims to create “a site for socializing around music instead of a site for just socializing” (Perez).<span style=""> </span>It was with this strategy in mind that the site launched MySpace Music.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>On September 25, 2008, MySpace launched MySpace Music, a music service launched in collaboration with the four major record labels (Sandoval).<span style=""> </span>The partnership was created with Warner Music Group, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and EMI, and is designed to make money through a combination of advertising and digital music sales (Stone).<span style=""> </span>Although the company had attempted digital sales before, the updated strategy also implemented the ability to instantaneously stream any song from the millions available in the site’s database for free (Stone).<span style=""> </span>Users were also given the ability to create their own playlists of songs, which could then be posted on their profiles and shared with friends.<span style=""> </span>Fans who wanted to download the song itself onto their own computers could do so through the digital music store on Amazon.com (Stone), which is implemented directly onto the MySpace page (Sandoval).<span style=""> </span>Ringtones are also provided through the site, which can be purchased through Jamster (Sandoval), which is also owned by News Corporation, the parent company of MySpace (Stone).<span style=""> </span>The labels themselves all hold a stake in this project as well, owning about 40% of this venture (Stone).<span style=""> </span>Although MySpace would not comment on the terms of the deals made with the record labels, it has been speculated that the “penny-a-play fee” that other streaming music sites must pay has been waived for MySpace (Stone).<span style=""> </span>The site also announced plans to eventually add exclusive music and video content as well as create deal to encourage more downloading (Stone).<span style=""> </span>Concert ticket and merchandise sales are two more revenue streams that the site plans to implement in the future as well (McCarthy).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>MySpace Music started off very well for the site, citing high traffic and usage.<span style=""> </span>By the end of its fifth month over 5 million bands had music on the service and more than 100 million playlists were created (McCarthy).<span style=""> </span>The site also claims that it hit its billionth stream after only a few days (McCarthy).<span style=""> </span>Although MySpace Music seems to have had its share of early successes, it is still too early to tell just how successful it will be in the long run.<span style=""> </span>It remains to be seen whether or not Facebook will introduce a competing music service, which would prove to be a significant challenger to MySpace Music (Gallagher).<span style=""> </span>As mentioned earlier, MySpace has already lost millions of users to Facebook over recent years, but shifting the focus of the site could ultimately help MySpace remain profitable (Perez).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>It is still early to speculate on the fate of MySpace Music and whether or not it will work out for MySpace itself in the long run.<span style=""> </span>However, this shift in strategy reflects the important role that music played throughout the history of MySpace and will also play a large role in its future.<span style=""> </span>Whether or not MySpace Music succeeds remains to be seen, but what the site has meant for the music industry is definitely notable.<span style=""> </span>A number of artists have been able to use the site in a number of ways to connect to their fans as well as find new ones.<span style=""> </span>Fans in turn can also use MySpace to connect directly with their favorite artists, creating an aura of approachability that was once missing from music.<span style=""> </span>Although overall record sales have declined over the years, “long tail” artists have seen an increase in their sales thanks to MySpace and other similar sites.<span style=""> </span>Many musicians have also used the site to break into the industry, as with musicians like Kate Nash and Soulja Boy using the site to get noticed.<span style=""> </span>Even a singer with no musical background like Tila Tequila could get the attention of record labels with the help of MySpace.<span style=""> </span>Record labels have adopted social networking capabilities recently as well, an indication of how successful MySpace has been in combining music and social networking.<span style=""> </span>Despite losing its rank as the top social networking site, MySpace has proven to be an extremely valuable resource to both musicians and fans and has had a profound effect on the music industry.</p> <span style="line-height: 200%;font-family:";font-size:12pt;" >
<br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%;" align="center">Works Cited</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Arseniuk, Melissa. "Teen Rap Sensation Outlines Success to CES Crowd." <i>Las Vegas Sun</i>. 07 </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Jan. 2009. Las Vegas Sun, Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: com="" news="" 2009="" jan="" 07=""></http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">crowd/>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Aspan, Maria. "The Toast of MySpace Tries the Music Business." <i>NYTimes.com</i>. 26 Feb. 2007. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><i style="">The New York Times</i>, Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: com="" 2007="" 02="" 26="" technology="" fta="y">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Beer, David. "Making Friends With Jarvis Cocker: Music Culture in the Context of Web 2.0." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><i>Cultural Sociology</i> 2.2 (2008): 223-241. Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: com="" cgi="" content="" abstract="" 2="" 222="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Dhar, Vasant, and Elaine Chang. "Does Chatter Matter? The Impact of User-Generated Content </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">on Music Sales." <i>CeDER Working Papers</i>. Feb. 2008. New York University, Web. 27 </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Feb 2010. <http: edu="" handle="" 2451="" 23783="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Gallagher, Sean. "Doubts Loom Over MySpace Music Strategy." <i>Internetnews.com</i>. 02 Oct. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">2008. Web. 27 Feb 2010. <http: com=""></http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">news/article.php/3775361>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Gladkova, Svetlana. "Music Industry Getting Serious About Social Networking." <i>Profy</i>. 10 Jan. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">2009. Profy, Web. 26 Feb 2010. <http: com="" 2009="" 01="" 10=""></http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">serious-about-social-networking/>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Jean-Samuel, Beuscart, and Couronne Thomas. "The Distribution of Online Reputation: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Audience and Influence of Musicians on MySpace." 2009. Association for the </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: org="" ocs="" php="" icwsm="" 09="" paper="" viewfile="" 200="" 532="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Kincald, Jason. "MySpace Reshuffles its Music Label." <i>TechCrunch</i>. 14 Jan. 2010. TechCrunch, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Web. 27 Feb 2010. <http: com="" 2010="" 01="" 14="" records="">.
<br />Knowles, Julian. "A Survey of Web 2.0 Music Trends and Some Implications for Tertiary Music </http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Communities." <i>QUT ePrints</i>. 24 Sept. 2007. Queensland University of Technology, Web. 27 Feb 2010. <http: au="" imersd="" draper="" music2="" pdf="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Levine, Robert. "MySpace Music Store is New Challenge for Big Labels." <i>NYTimes.com</i><span style="">.</span> 04 </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Sep. 2006. <i style="">The New York Times, </i>Web. 27 Feb 2010.<span style=""> </span><http: com="" 2006="" 09="" 04="" technology="" html="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Levinson, Paul. <i>New New Media</i>. Allyn & Bacon, 2009. Print.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">McCarthy, Caroline. "Catching Up With MySpace." <i>CNET News</i>. 11 Mar. 2009. CNET, Web. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">27 Feb 2010. <http: com="" html="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">"MySpace and Interscope Records to Launch 'MySpace Records'." <i>BusinessWire</i>. 07 Nov. 2005. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">BusinessWire, Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: com="" news="" home="" 20051107005353="" en=""></http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Records-Launch-MySpace-Records-Community>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Pareles, Jon. "Not Too Famous to Mind Her Mum." <i>NYTimes.com</i>. 06 Jan. 2008. <i style="">The New York <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><i style="">Times</i>, Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: com="" 2008="" 01="" 06="" arts="" music="" html="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Perez, Sarah. "Can Music Save MySpace?" <i>Read Write Web</i>. 22 Oct. 2009. Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: com="" archives="" php="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Rodriguez, Dan. "Could Hollywood Undead Have Saved MySpace Records?." <i>Metal Insider</i>. 18 </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Jan. 2010. Metal Insider, Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: net="" shakeups="" records="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Sandoval, Greg. "MySpace Music Makes its Debut." <i>CNET News</i>. 24 Sep. 2008. CNET, Web. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">27 Feb 2010. <http: com="" html="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Shklovski, Irina, and Danah Boyd. "Music as Cultural Glue: Supporting Bands and Fans on </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">MySpace." 2006. Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: org="" papers="" pdf="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Stone, Brad. "A Jukebox on MySpace That Takes Aim at Apple." <i>NYTimes.com</i>. 16 Sep. 2008. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><i style="">The New York Times</i>, Web. 27 Feb 2010. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><http: com="" 2008="" 09="" 16="" technology="" html="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Weiner, Jonah. "Tila Tequila, the First Star of MySpace." <i>Slate Magazine</i>. 11 Apr. 2006. Slate, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Web. 27 Feb 2010. <http: com="" id="" 2139691="">.</http:></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> Mike Stanzionehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10039574433775977171noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7246177474821158277.post-1428740221330158652010-02-26T21:12:00.000-05:002010-02-26T21:14:19.715-05:00Second Life – Where?<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Hello class:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Second Life is an interesting feature of cyberspace. We have addressed the implication of virtual reality in the past, so let’s try to see other patterns. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Levinson states that Second Life was welcomed into the invisible, yet magnificent, environment of cyberspace in 2003. I have to admit that this is the first time I am reading about it – apart from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Law & Order SVU</i>’s episodes during which I simply thought they were made up... This book is really a guide to so many relatively recent online features!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In Europe, at least in Greece and in a few other countries with which I am familiar, such websites do not appear to take off as fast and when they do become popular they do not last for very long. The overwhelming nature of the internet creates a “web” of sites capable to distract people’s attention. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The endless possibilities made available through the virtual world are enough to allow people to indulge in this environment, but why such an explosion of information and sites that provides alternative – virtual – lifestyles originates from the US? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">What are the cultural differences between the average consumer in the US from that in Europe? Is there a specific age group that these sites are targeted towards?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The more I read Levinson’s chapter, the more complicated I though Second life sounded. It does have some very appealing sides, but why don’t we hear about an equivalent demand from Europe for a social network of this nature?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Any thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Margaret M. Roidi<o:p></o:p></span></p>Margaret M Roidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02287369543375965255noreply@blogger.com2