Wednesday, October 13, 2010
"I feel the meaning of life is to be happy, grateful and humble; to grow, succeed and fail. Care about one another, help yourself and others if you can along the way. Focus on the positives, say "fuck off" to the negatives and no matter how bad life can be, enjoy your life." - Danielle, World of Jenks
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Culture Wars: Openness vs. Enclosure
The Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA), effective since 1998, is a copyright law that criminalizes technologies that "circumvent measures that control the access to copyrighted works". Copyright penalties are also more severe under the DCMA. The DCMA is a form of enclosure that Benkler talks about. Laws like the DCMA are meant to enclose and control the distribution of material via the Internet. Under such laws, it is difficult to share content without being under the possibility of breaking the law.
Acts like the DCMA do contribute to the suppression of creativity and innovation. What it prevents are tools that help to circulate material easily and increase accessibility of these materials between users. Of course, the materials being shared are often under copyright.
Yet the main concern for us is, what if we were to use the materials to create new things? Accessing copyrighted material via unlawful ways may be an act against the law yet if our creativity is suppressed then that violates our freedom of rights. It is an interesting conflict between protecting what is created and promoting innovation. If we draw on other sources for inspiration or if we look at precedents in order to develop new ideas, then laws like the DCMA act as walls that come between the old and the new. The new cannot exist without the old and vice versa.
Acts like the DCMA do contribute to the suppression of creativity and innovation. What it prevents are tools that help to circulate material easily and increase accessibility of these materials between users. Of course, the materials being shared are often under copyright.
Yet the main concern for us is, what if we were to use the materials to create new things? Accessing copyrighted material via unlawful ways may be an act against the law yet if our creativity is suppressed then that violates our freedom of rights. It is an interesting conflict between protecting what is created and promoting innovation. If we draw on other sources for inspiration or if we look at precedents in order to develop new ideas, then laws like the DCMA act as walls that come between the old and the new. The new cannot exist without the old and vice versa.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Power and Limits of Social Networks
The advent of social networking has created a whole new dimension of connectivity between individuals. Tools like Facebook, Myspace, and Friendster have become immensely popular; social networks have made various effects on social relations. Benkler mentions two main effects: the "thickening of preexisting relations" and "the emergence of greater scope for limited-purpose, loose relationships" (357). The Internet has created a dynamic system for communicating that is incomparable to the other forms of communication media.
Communication media such as the TV, radio, and print differ from the Internet by a simple and obvious aspect. The conversation is only one way; the people receiving the message are always only on the receiving end. There is no exchange between the audience and the broadcaster. The message is communicated to a massive audience yet there is little possibility for reponse.
The telephone provides opportunities for exchange yet it is still limited. Telephone conversations are often confined to two individuals or sometimes three if the conference call feature is used. In addition, time is an important factor when using the telephone. The parties communicating need to be available at the same time in order to talk.
The social tools that exist in the Internet do not have many of the problems that other communication media have. The Internet is a place where discourse is ubiquitous; hence, it is impossible for something to be communicated and not receive any response from the public. Commenting tools, email, instant messaging etc. offer easy and quick ways to create dialogue. The issue of time is also not a problem for the Internet. People can converse instantly via chat or they can do it on their own time via email. Things said on the Internet are not completely ephemeral. They linger for a period of time; some stay longer than others.
It is this flexibility of the Internet sets it apart. It offers instantaneous activity and some longevity of content.
Communication media such as the TV, radio, and print differ from the Internet by a simple and obvious aspect. The conversation is only one way; the people receiving the message are always only on the receiving end. There is no exchange between the audience and the broadcaster. The message is communicated to a massive audience yet there is little possibility for reponse.
The telephone provides opportunities for exchange yet it is still limited. Telephone conversations are often confined to two individuals or sometimes three if the conference call feature is used. In addition, time is an important factor when using the telephone. The parties communicating need to be available at the same time in order to talk.
The social tools that exist in the Internet do not have many of the problems that other communication media have. The Internet is a place where discourse is ubiquitous; hence, it is impossible for something to be communicated and not receive any response from the public. Commenting tools, email, instant messaging etc. offer easy and quick ways to create dialogue. The issue of time is also not a problem for the Internet. People can converse instantly via chat or they can do it on their own time via email. Things said on the Internet are not completely ephemeral. They linger for a period of time; some stay longer than others.
It is this flexibility of the Internet sets it apart. It offers instantaneous activity and some longevity of content.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Culture, Freedom and the Web
Benker describes the internet as playing an integral role in cultural production. The internet continues to grow at a rapid rate and its growth stimulates "a more participatory and transparent cultural production
system" (274). Benker's definition of culture is a general one that I believe is quiet accurate. We exist in culture and it inevitably dictates our behaviour. The important thing to note is that the relationship is very mutual; we are influenced by culture, and we simultaneously influence it. "Culture is created through communication among human beings", and the internet is a canvas where changes in culture can take place (284).
Another thing that the internet provides for its users is cultural transparency. It offers users numerous meanings for a single thing. The Barbie example that Benker uses does well in not only showing how this cultural transparency is apparent but also how it does not, in fact, function as a tool to control. By being offered with numerous meanings for Barbie when she is looked up on the internet, users learn that she "can have multiple meanings and that choosing meanings is a matter of political concern for some set of people who coinhabit this culture" (287).
The power of the networked environment continually increases as more and more users learn to utilize it for discourse and exchange. The art community is a good example. With an increase in tools to share work, there is an increase in work to be shared; Flickr and Deviantart are just a few. Sharing work stimulates discussion and debate about various epistemology and methodologies. The complicated nature of art is accurately mirrored by the complex network that exists around it on the internet. The ability to spread work via the internet forms a culture that advocates this practice.
system" (274). Benker's definition of culture is a general one that I believe is quiet accurate. We exist in culture and it inevitably dictates our behaviour. The important thing to note is that the relationship is very mutual; we are influenced by culture, and we simultaneously influence it. "Culture is created through communication among human beings", and the internet is a canvas where changes in culture can take place (284).
Another thing that the internet provides for its users is cultural transparency. It offers users numerous meanings for a single thing. The Barbie example that Benker uses does well in not only showing how this cultural transparency is apparent but also how it does not, in fact, function as a tool to control. By being offered with numerous meanings for Barbie when she is looked up on the internet, users learn that she "can have multiple meanings and that choosing meanings is a matter of political concern for some set of people who coinhabit this culture" (287).
The power of the networked environment continually increases as more and more users learn to utilize it for discourse and exchange. The art community is a good example. With an increase in tools to share work, there is an increase in work to be shared; Flickr and Deviantart are just a few. Sharing work stimulates discussion and debate about various epistemology and methodologies. The complicated nature of art is accurately mirrored by the complex network that exists around it on the internet. The ability to spread work via the internet forms a culture that advocates this practice.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Networked Public Sphere
In chapter 7, Benker suggests that the Internet has made great changes to the public sphere. Therefore, an audience is no just an audience; they have the capacity to communicate and make their own voices public.
A basic tool of networked communication that Benker mentions is the blog. It not only allows users to communicate between one another, but it also functions as a growing cultural practice. When blogs first emerged on the Web, they were merely public "journals" that people used to document everyday happenings. As its popularity began to grow, its social, cultural, and political impacts increased. The current state of blogs is one that has a multitude of purposes.
A reason for its success is mainly due to its simplicity. Blogs are easy to set up and use. They can also be edited from any computer so long as it has access to the Internet. One aspect that separates blogs from regular webpages is that they "enable individuals to write to their Web pages in journalism time—that is, hourly, daily, weekly—whereas Web page culture that preceded it tended to be slower moving" (217).
In addition, the fact that readers of a blog have the ability to comment on the blogger's post creates a dynamic exchange of information between writer and audience. Despite the fact that the blogger has the power to filter what is being posted, it is important to note that not all do so. As a result, the advent of blogging technology has helped to form a complex network of information flow and to change the traditional structure in which news is communicated.
A basic tool of networked communication that Benker mentions is the blog. It not only allows users to communicate between one another, but it also functions as a growing cultural practice. When blogs first emerged on the Web, they were merely public "journals" that people used to document everyday happenings. As its popularity began to grow, its social, cultural, and political impacts increased. The current state of blogs is one that has a multitude of purposes.
A reason for its success is mainly due to its simplicity. Blogs are easy to set up and use. They can also be edited from any computer so long as it has access to the Internet. One aspect that separates blogs from regular webpages is that they "enable individuals to write to their Web pages in journalism time—that is, hourly, daily, weekly—whereas Web page culture that preceded it tended to be slower moving" (217).
In addition, the fact that readers of a blog have the ability to comment on the blogger's post creates a dynamic exchange of information between writer and audience. Despite the fact that the blogger has the power to filter what is being posted, it is important to note that not all do so. As a result, the advent of blogging technology has helped to form a complex network of information flow and to change the traditional structure in which news is communicated.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Culture, Politics & the Network Environment
Benkler introduces to us "the networked information economy", where decentralized individual activity is playing a big role in the industrial information economy. What this means is that there is an increasing amount of individuals or groups who cooperate and coordinate action through new and developing technologies in order to create change to various already established systems. As Benkler mentions, there is an ongoing power struggle between the individual and the institution.
A prime example of this struggle exists in the technological gadgets we use. For instance, the Apple iPhone's dynamic operating system allows flexibility and continuous application development. Even with its vast library of applications to download and develop, Apple still limits users on what they can do with their phone. As a response, developers created software that could hack, or "jailbreak" the iPhone. Once an iPhone is jailbroken, the user has access to another application called Cydia which is much like Apple's App Store.
Cydia is different from the App Store because all its applications are open source. In addition, Cydia includes applications that bring iPhone customizability to a whole new level. With Cydia applications, users can essentially do anything they want with their phone; they can completely change the appearance and add extra widgets to the phone.
Apple has tried time and time again to prevent jailbreaking software from hacking the phone by constantly upgrading operating systems etc. What this seems to do is have the opposite effect; developers are not discouraged. Infact, they are more eager than ever to try and crack the code. As a result, there is this tug-o-war happening between the two sides.
For this week's practicum I jailbroke my iPod touch. The touch works in the same way as the iPhone except that it cannot make phone calls. Being a person with very little software background, I find jailbreaking my iPod a somewhat pointless task. Besides, downloading themes and extra little application, I don't use the jailbroken mode to its fullest capacity. It's an interesting thought, however. When one receives so much power to do whatever they want to something, they don't know where or how to start.
Here are the images of my jailbroken iPod Touch:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42666484@N06/4057974804/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42666484@N06/4057236561/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42666484@N06/4057236035/
A prime example of this struggle exists in the technological gadgets we use. For instance, the Apple iPhone's dynamic operating system allows flexibility and continuous application development. Even with its vast library of applications to download and develop, Apple still limits users on what they can do with their phone. As a response, developers created software that could hack, or "jailbreak" the iPhone. Once an iPhone is jailbroken, the user has access to another application called Cydia which is much like Apple's App Store.
Cydia is different from the App Store because all its applications are open source. In addition, Cydia includes applications that bring iPhone customizability to a whole new level. With Cydia applications, users can essentially do anything they want with their phone; they can completely change the appearance and add extra widgets to the phone.
Apple has tried time and time again to prevent jailbreaking software from hacking the phone by constantly upgrading operating systems etc. What this seems to do is have the opposite effect; developers are not discouraged. Infact, they are more eager than ever to try and crack the code. As a result, there is this tug-o-war happening between the two sides.
For this week's practicum I jailbroke my iPod touch. The touch works in the same way as the iPhone except that it cannot make phone calls. Being a person with very little software background, I find jailbreaking my iPod a somewhat pointless task. Besides, downloading themes and extra little application, I don't use the jailbroken mode to its fullest capacity. It's an interesting thought, however. When one receives so much power to do whatever they want to something, they don't know where or how to start.
Here are the images of my jailbroken iPod Touch:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42666484@N06/4057974804/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42666484@N06/4057236561/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42666484@N06/4057236035/
Friday, October 23, 2009
Peer Co-Creation
Shirky's theory of promise, tool, and bargain in functioning groups is one that is very evident in many social networks that we participate in today. The promise is what interests potential users to become actual users, and the tools are what can be used to meet the promise. Being "the most complex aspect of a […] group", the bargain is the expectations that members of the group have for one another" (270). An important point that Shirky mentions is that "a successful bargain […] must be a good fit for both the promise and the tools used" (261).
For many online platforms, this promise, tool, and bargain system seems obvious. Wikipedia is a prime example where the systems works smoothly and allows harmony between users. For platforms such as Twitter, the waters are somewhat murky. On the main page of the website, Twitter promises that users can "share and discover what's happening right now, anywhere in the world". That seems simple enough but at the same time, aren't there other platforms that promise the same thing? So what separates Twitter from the others?
The answer may be in the tool. Twitter only allows users to make 140-character status updates; this means that everything is short, sweet, and quick. Users are able to update quickly and scan through content quickly. Without the character limit, Twitter would resemble a blogging tool where users can write as much as they want. With this system, they are limited, so they have to get right to the point. Another good thing about Twitter is that if you are interested in a particular topic and you want to know what others are saying about it, you can search it. The search will scan through all the recent tweets and pull out the ones with the keywords you typed in. The platform also incorporates a new type of tagging where you can mention other tweeple in your tweets and they will be notified. In short, Twitter is a very simple way to connect with other people and be heard.
Even with such a simple promise and tool, the bargain between users seems a bit unclear. Afterall, what really is the purpose of tweeting about every move you make? Does anyone really care that you are getting a coffee or shopping for a new dress? One thing that did make Twitter so popular is because celebrities use it. So what factors does that add to the picture? I think when people use Twitter, it is partially because they wish to gain attention. Maybe users have the expectation that if they read other people's tweets that their tweets will be read as well.
For many online platforms, this promise, tool, and bargain system seems obvious. Wikipedia is a prime example where the systems works smoothly and allows harmony between users. For platforms such as Twitter, the waters are somewhat murky. On the main page of the website, Twitter promises that users can "share and discover what's happening right now, anywhere in the world". That seems simple enough but at the same time, aren't there other platforms that promise the same thing? So what separates Twitter from the others?
The answer may be in the tool. Twitter only allows users to make 140-character status updates; this means that everything is short, sweet, and quick. Users are able to update quickly and scan through content quickly. Without the character limit, Twitter would resemble a blogging tool where users can write as much as they want. With this system, they are limited, so they have to get right to the point. Another good thing about Twitter is that if you are interested in a particular topic and you want to know what others are saying about it, you can search it. The search will scan through all the recent tweets and pull out the ones with the keywords you typed in. The platform also incorporates a new type of tagging where you can mention other tweeple in your tweets and they will be notified. In short, Twitter is a very simple way to connect with other people and be heard.
Even with such a simple promise and tool, the bargain between users seems a bit unclear. Afterall, what really is the purpose of tweeting about every move you make? Does anyone really care that you are getting a coffee or shopping for a new dress? One thing that did make Twitter so popular is because celebrities use it. So what factors does that add to the picture? I think when people use Twitter, it is partially because they wish to gain attention. Maybe users have the expectation that if they read other people's tweets that their tweets will be read as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
