Week2 Topic 3, Blogs

My views on blogs are similar to the ones that I wrote on the previous post about forums. I think that because you are not directing your blog at anyone in particular, it is hard to see it as an online conversation. You are speaking to a large group, and you only get to see their opinions on your blog when you are discussing issues on the thread. This therefore, differs to the conversations that you would have in meat space, because you are directing and someone or a collective of people. I feel like I do express myself in the same way, because they are the same opinions that I would have in a usual seminar. However, I still find myself being a bit wary, because the ‘style’ of blogging is something that I am not familiar with and it is something I am beginning to pick up. The comments from my group are similar to issues that would be raised in seminars, but because you can not see the person directly, it could be easy to not completely understand what they are explaining. When you are writing your own post, you have the authority, you are writing your own opinion and choosing your own examples, which is different to usual seminars because you discuss things like this as a collective. This authority allows you to have more freedom within this module; you can get your point across and discuss it with peers fairly. This freedom allows me as ‘user’ to feel more inclined to write my own opinions.

Topic 2 week 2, Forums

The web forum used to communicate with other members of the group is to replace the usual face-to-face conversation that we would have in seminars. I think even though the same basic points that the individual want to get across will be the same, it seems as though the writer may be a bit more aware of what they are typing. The language therefore is a bit more formal, and the response rate isn’t as fast or as in-depth as it may be in meat space time. People posting messages on the forums are probably more aware of their message being read not only by other group members but also their tutor, compared to a throw away comment in meat space time. As the forum is more about helping each other on topics, and informing people about your blog, at this moment there is less interaction. People may find face-to-face seminars easier to ‘read’ each other opinions and their thoughts, because of body language and expressions which are missed online. This shows Livingston’s question about whether you have to learn new communication skills in order to keep up with new media and in this case I think you do. I’m not speaking for everybody else, but for me I do feel very aware of what I am writing when I post something on the forum, I want to make sure that I have spelt everything correctly etc, I have also noticed if somebody makes a mistake with their post then they apologise. This differs from meat space time; because people generally speak their thoughts and opinions, and if a word is pronounced wrongly, the person will generally laugh it off. In the forum I think there is equal authority, if every person wishes to post something, then the authority is equal, the tutor obviously has some authority over you, because you will look at them for feedback on your work, but the ‘student: tutor’ ratio has changed within this online seminars, because they are not controlling the discussions. The weekly activities do seem to be quite demanding at the moment, but that may be because I am not only learning the course content but I am also picking up how to use blogs and forums (something that I am not experienced in). I do not have the knowledge to be seen as an ‘advance’ user, and I am picking up the literacy needed to use these forums!

Immersive interactivity

The immersive interactivity pushes the boundaries of technology, and how the audience can use media. By believing that society is not content with just viewing games and basic chat rooms, new media has now allowed the viewer to create themselves in a virtual world. This is in order to make the entertainment that the audience receive greater, through 3 games when the player pretends to be a character on screen, for example Lara Croft in Tomb raider. The audience have the ability to control the character as if she was themselves, and move them around the screen. Whilst this is far more stimulating in a game, and this 3D style makes gaming much more fun, it could be criticised because of the encouragement it gives to making the audience ‘live their life through a computer’. Various chartrooms allow the audience to style themselves as a character then meet other characters through the game. Whilst this is pushing the boundaries of communication, it is pushes communication away from IRL.

What is new?

New Media is criticised by Kevin Robins. In products such as the iphone the convergence of already existing products are brought into one ‘new’ product. In this particular example, Mp3 player, camera, video camera, maps, internet etc are brought together in one product. All of these capabilities did exist before the iphone was released. However, the promotion of the iphone being shown as a highly technological and fashionable piece was because of its ability to handle all of these pieces of technology together. This follows Listers idea (p38) that something appears to be new but already exists. Therefore, the iphone isn’t transforming any specific piece of technology and still fits into the pre-existing capitalist society. This isn’t saying that technology altogether hasn’t changed society, because emails, chartrooms etc has changed communication in society compared to pre-internet days, but some pieces of technology which are involved with ‘new media’ are merely for commercial gain and marketed at people who want to seem fashionable.

Relying on the computer

The internet has created a new online language. People are becoming reliant on the internet and its capabilities. I know when I write essays on the computer the automatic spell-check and online thesaurus allows me to find new words and easily correct mistakes. This technology makes working on computers much more easily than on paper. Not only is it quicker, but the document can be saved and can be accessed anywhere, this make it easier for sending information and you also have the security of having a back up. However, there is a writing style which has been adapted to the computer; it is very easy to mirror the ‘text’ style language on a word document, similar to what you would use in a chat room. This means that when you do have to write on paper, e.g. on a job application or exam, you are out of practice and have to attempt spellings, which you would usually assume would be corrected for you

Upgrade culture

Page 2 Lister-Society is told never to be content with the technology they receive. Instead the market pushes the competitiveness, with the ideology that ‘the newer model of technology you have, the richer, more powerful and smarter you are’. The upgrade culture is encouraging society to never feel content with the products they have and whilst this seems ideal for commercial gain, people in society are merely pawns in the businesses game plan to make money by encouraging people to keep up with the rat race of what is stylish. Whilst the Frankfurt school would argue that mass audiences are manipulated by this competition, it could be argued that without this constant modernisation would society and economy be in the position it is in now? Or would the lack of communication and limited technology be holding us back? It would never be easy to answer this question because no matter what technology society has at the time, society adapts to it. So is the upgrade culture really necessary, or just encouraged for financial gain? In pre internet days, businesses used fax machines, letters and the telephone, but businesses today could not imagine living without the internet. This will also probably be the same in the future, when people look back and can’t imagine how we survived with just the internet.

Week 2 Lecture- Interactivity

As the interactivity increases in the media, the idea of how the audience react to non-linear websites is created. In my opinion, reading a magazine online, and discussing the article in a forum is no different than doing it in meat space. The ‘produser’ is still reading a similar article, with the same message and then having an opinion on it. The idea of non-linear order, and choosing what part of an article to read, is no different to skimming over pages in magazine to which you have no interest on. The ‘produser’ should have the ability to choose what they read, instead of having to read the same as other people, just because they are part of the ‘mass media’. I believe that whether information is in a linear or non linear set out, if the audience are interested in the subject than they will read it.

The Frankfurt School believe that interactivity is making the mass audience easily manipulated because of the identical message that is sent to the receiver through different media forms. This ‘one way, one to many’ communication style, is sending a message to the receiver, but this does not necessarily mean that the audience are accepting the messages. The audience can take on active roles and ‘blur the boundaries of production and consumption’, by replying on discussion boards and commenting on newspaper articles etc. The media affects debate is apparent in this argument just because the audiences are supposed to take a message in a certain way from interactive media, doesn’t mean that they will.

The internet and its reputation

For me personally I think the internet is an amazing invention and something I could not imagine being without! It is so easy to keep in contact with your friends and family, and find answers to difficult questions. However, there is a negative side to the internet, one that can be seen as quite dangerous if it is used wrongly.

As the internet, hold so much information, it is inevitable that some of this information could be dangerous. The ‘dark side’ of the internet, is full of pro-anorexia websites, fraudsters, terrorism, paedophiles etc, and all things that could potentially harm people. It has been argued that this side of the internet, is harming society, and allowing too much information being given to people and fuelling these negative issues.

It’s hard to find an opposite argument to these issues, because some of the disgusting things that the internet provides to dangerous people couldn’t be counter balanced. But when the internet is used properly, and for the right reasons, the contact and the knowledge you gain from it, is a positive thing!

Goebbel's Speech

I think that Goebbels was right in naming the radio the 8th greatest power. In the twentieth century the ability to reach all the German people via one source, would have been new and exciting. I think that this eagerness is portrayed in his speech; you could argue that this is the reason for the assumption that the audience will receive the messages in the intended way. Goebbels links the radio and political ideology, by stating that the government could use this medium to reach their audience, but not allowing it to become focused on this, but more about strengthening German morale.

Today, as radio is part of everyday’s life, Goebbels ideas may seem slightly exaggerated as the governments have little to do with some of the main stream stations such as Radio One. However, his ideas of morale and a news source are very much true. The audience are given entertainment from this medium and the familiarity of the shows brings mutual enjoyment for society.

Online Communication

The internet is a fast and easy way to communicate. Not only does the audience have the ability to speak with friends on networking sites, but they have the ability to have questions answered on specific topic forums. The internet is providing a closer link between people, not only for entertainment purposes but for educational ones too. Many of the online communication forms allow information to be disseminated to the masses, whether its publicity for shops via email, or advice from doctors on Bulletin Boards.

For me, email, chat rooms and ‘lurking’ on bulletin boards, allows me to communicate with my friends, and find information quickly and easily. The characteristics of these communication forms, all deliver the same thing; allowing the audience to continually be in contact with people, and this is my main reason for using these networking sites.

My very first post!

Hiya!

Welcome to my very first post on my blog!

Hope everybody is well :)

Claire xx