Week 9 Task 1

How might Wegners notions of practice communities relate to Prensky's on Education?

Wegner’s Communities of practice involves individuals developing their knowledge by working together, these individuals learn from each others experiences. This is similar to Prensky's views on education, the reason being is that it links to the idea that teachers should “pay attention” and “value” (Prensky, 2006) what their students already know. This is because they are “digital natives,” who are "fluent" in the language of technology, not only should a teachers teach but listen to their students and learn from them. Another instance of similarity involves Wegner’s notion of “Joint Enterprise,” in which the Communities of Practice are negotiated by it's members, this allows for each individuals input. This Links to Prensky and his belief that teachers should listen to the “input from students about how they would teach” (Prensky, 2006) because like Cofp it is the idea of working together, this process according to Prensky means that education will appeal more to the “digital immigrant” through the equal involvement by both teacher and student.

Week 9 Task 2

What differences to all this might the 'digital divide' make ? a) To socioeconomically related access issues within society? b)To globals access issues across countries and regions?

Of course Presnkyk's concept is assuming that everyone is connected to the internet whether they be the “digital immigrant” or “digital native.” But what about those individuals who are not even on the internet, they form part of what is know as the “digital divide.” In terms of the socioeconomically, it is for reasons of age, race and ethnicity, geography, income, educational factors. Firstly for age there are those individuals that of the elderly who may not have an idea about the Internet and probably have no intention of using the Internet. Although we live within a society that is not a third world country, there are obvious economic divides between individuals. For example, in the poorer areas of England technology such as the Internet isn’t necessarily readily available to all. So those children that have grown up within these deprived areas without the Internet in their home, can’t surely be classified as a “digital native” (Prensky, 2004) if they haven’t the means to be. As regards educational factors, a child's education within certain areas of the country maybe better than another child's elsewhere, this may mean that they may feel unfairly treated. As Norris notes there is a social divide between the “information rich and the information poor.” ( Norris, :4) Meaning that the level of digital development are different for each student and so these individuals may not be as “fluent” in the digital language as Prensky may have us believe.

Week 9 task 2

Although technological development is on the increase, the actual global digital divide is “huge” (Dutton, 2004). Individuals within poorer countries don't even have a computer let alone the Internet, the way that they learn is through traditional classroom educational techniques which doesn't involve the input of digital technology. Shockingly only 10% “of the worlds population was on the Internet in 2002” (Dutton, 2004) this means then that these children are further behind than the unknowing “digital immigrant,” simply because they have no access to even a computer.

Week 9 task 3

Should education Stretch a person do you think? (What do you mean by stretch?)

The Collins dictionary describes stretch as to extend oneself to the limit. I feel that is important to stretch oneself to ensure that one makes progresses in life. If scientist didn’t stretch themselves to the limits then the likes of Darwin wouldn’t be a name that we all are all aware of. Education should push people to their full potential otherwise everyone would remain stagnant. Looking at “digital immigrants,” it is important that these individuals push themselves to learn about technology if they don’t then they are going to be remain behind hand. Children with the regards education need to “stretch” their knowledge on the likes of English, Maths, Science and technology because these are all a part of everyday life and knowledge that is essential. When we began blogging we had a basic knowledge on the Internet, but the series of blogs has stretched us further to our limits in order to extend our knowledge in regions of New Media, exploring conception we wouldn’t otherwise be aware of.

Saying this however, there is only so far that individuals can be pushed, I hate pushy parents who continually push their children to strive to such an extent that children have no social life at all.

Week 9 Task 5

5)What is 'semantic web'?

Tim Berners Lee discovred the semantic web, it is a certain way of representing data on the World Wide Web. Information that is scattered on the WWW the semantic web brings it together, this is done in a way that makes it easy for machines to find and process information on a global scale. The semantic web creates a language that a machine understands and which enables it to process the documents effectively. The semantic web is also much more efficient than the web 2.0. semantic web "using explicit machine-understandable semantic, enabling the automatic combination ad user web services" (Euzenat and Perez, 2005: 1)

Euzenat and Perez (2005) The semantic web research and application, Second European Semantic Web, Springer.

Week 9 Task 6

How does it differ from web 3.0?

The web 3.0 is different to semantic web because it is this is the part that remembers your step when you for example buy a book, it records what your preferences were around cost, quality etc so that the next time that you came to buy something from the internet it would take into account those previous actions and follow your previous preferences and find what fitted these preferences. In this manner web 3.0 is highly intelligent because it “understands web pages the way humans do,” (Harros, 2008: 48) Whereas the semantic web simply carries out the process of un scattering of the information .

Harros, D. (2008) Web 2.0 Evolution into the Intelligent web 3.0, Lulu.com

It is important to note that to distinguish between both web 3.0 and semantic web is difficult because they have been considered by most to be the same thing.

Week 9 Task 4

Is there a potential problem being stored up for people is 'education' is tailored to fit their cultural and personal preferences?

Tailoring education to fit into an individual’s cultural and personal preferences can have quite detrimental effects. I do believe that with teaching methods there should be some “input from students” (Prensky) but the main influence upon style of teaching should be teacher driven. There are a lot of disruptive children within school so receiving their input on what forms of education would greaten their attention can only be a good thing. Also there are those children that struggle with certain subjects and so "tailoring instruction to meet individual needs of children experiencing trouble learning to read" (Baker et al , 2000:50-51)obviously is important, they should be given their preferences for styles that they feel they learn from best. But if children were able to choose subjects that they preferred then they could remove foreign languages, restricting their knowledge of other cultures language, attitudes and behaviors. At the end of the day educational styles are never going to be well received by all individuals because we are all different, this is why education can’t be too flexible as to take on everyone’s personal preferences just wouldn’t be possible.


Individuals immigrating to England may find that they want to keep their cultural beliefs as they move abroad. If I was to move to Spain I would want to keep my cultural identity but at the same time I would need to embrace other cultures too. It would be out of place to live in Spain, and not even attempt to learn their language. Cultural preference then means that individuals are potentially restricting themselves, learning only what suits them.

Cultural inertia involves those who are reluctant to adopt a different culture even though the external environment is changing. Cultural inertia in terms of work force, could involve individuals who have been working for a company for 20 years and are are used to their fixed ways. They are unhappy with the changes and as a result they do not want to comply with the changes that the company is making. So if there’s new technology that they need to gain knowledge of these individuals find it difficult to adapt to these changes, because they are not their personal preference.

Blog D and E

) a Neo- luddite is an individuals who isn’t accepting of technological changes.

John is a student at the university of Lincoln who is on his way to post a letter to his mother, he doesn’t like to use phone he prefers mail. Afterwards he goes to the library and asks the librarian the code for the type of books he’s looking for, he doesn’t like to search on the online library. He starts to write up his final assignment by hand, it takes a good few hours and his hands are aching but he doesn’t like computers or word processors. John hasn’t spoken to his friends since last year he prefers to spend his money on novels than on pay phones.

e) A Technophile is an individual that has love and respect for technology.

Sarah rings her mother in the afternoon to tell her of the days evernt, using her mobile. Afterwards she texts a friend seein g if they wan’t to go for a coffee. She checks her emails using her phone. Sarah is expecting to meet her friend at 2 but before that she wants to download some music before the catch up with her friend. She pops online using her mobile and orders the dress online she wants before it sells out, she is a converged technology user.

Week 9 Blog A

The oldest Digital Native that I know Properly is my roommate, the reason being that most of the people I know have general knowledge of the internet she has more experience. My roommate sends emails via her phone, she also checks My Space using the Internet via her phone, downloads music from itunes, knows most things about the technology inside of a computer. She has her own bloggin forum that she produced simply for fun. She also uses social networking sites online in particular Facebook in order to interact with her friends and family. I’d say she is very “fluent” (Prensky, 2006) with the language of technology. She is an expert when it comes to the looking out for the latest digital technology. The fact that she used to work for PC World means that she must have a fairly good knowledge about technology in particular the digital.

Week 9 Blog B+C

b) and c) The youngest digital immigrant I know is probably myself I’m rubbish when it comes to technology as everything seems to break down on me such as my laptop. I love music but hate downloading music because it seems to take ages, I'm not the person that a teacher should "learn about technology" ( Stewart, 2008)from even though I was born into the digital era. Although I love social networking sites such as face book, I hate online banking hence why I don’t do it I don’t trust it because I know that it will be my account that gets hacked into. I used to think I knew all about computer games until I met my sisters nephews who are younger than nine and can complete a xbox game within a day.

Week 8 Task 1 Digital Immigration

Find Out about "Digital Immigration". What is it? Who cares about it? What sort of general attitudes have been based upon it?

To firstly establish what “digital immigration” is it is important to highlight what a digital native is. “Digital native” as Prensky puts it is essentially someone who is born into the technological era. These are individuals who have a good knowledge of Technology and basically speak the language of computers. It appears then that new information on technology comes easy to them.

Now we come to “digital immigration,” the inventor of the term is Marc Prensky, and is a term used for those individuals who were not brought up in the digital world, and because of this find the technological world hard to learn. The computer world is alien to these individuals, and these “Digital immigrants” are said retain their “accent” ( Prensky, 2006) that they had before technological development, and so in this manner they are stuck in the past. It appears this perspective of technology as a foreign world then comes from the concept immigration. Where like individuals that immigrate into a new world, digital immigrants immigrate into the new world of digital technology which like immigrants seems at first a world extremely alien to them

Week 8 task 2 Websites

Website 1 http://blogscholar.com/content/views/72/33

Website 2 http://www.slideshare.net/GeorgeH/digitalimmigrant

Website 3 http://www.bizmonthly.com/11-2006/17.shtml

Website 4 http://www.scribd.com/doc/29022861/Prensky-Digita-Natives-Digital-Immigrants-Part1#document-metadata

Week 8 Task 4 Aricle Names

Academic Article Named in the Harvard Manner

ARTICLE 1 Christopher Heun (2006) "Teaching Literacy to the Myspace Generation: when it come to sharpening student skils, districts take different approaches." in: Teachnology and Learning: 2704, 19, Cmmp Media LLC.

ARTICLE 2 Willaim Stewart (2008) "Take a lesson from 'digital natives': our pupils" In : Times Educational Supplement. 4808: TSL Educational Limited.

ARTICLE 3 Ronald A. Yaros (2008) "Digital Natives: Following their lead on a path to new Journalism" In : Nieman Reports

ARTICLE 4 Marc Prensky (2006)"Listen to the Natives" In : Educational Leadership. 4. 8-13

week 8 task 5 Abstract

ARTICLE 1
The purpose of the article From Chris Heun is to higlight that “kids” are coping well with the Digital world. This article firstly highlights that “teaching” these kids about technology seems almost “silly.” It focuses it’s attention to David Debarr idea that “kids don’t know it all,” when it comes to technology there are limits. Instead of using technology for texting, kids should learn “software applications.” Chris Lenhan from the Science leader ship academy suggests that children should learn how to incorporate technology into their learning of English history and science. The hopes for the future for Lenham are to provide all 100 students with of his local school with a laptop. The article looks at Debarr’s finding of a district that has worked with “Learning.com to implement those standards of web-based tutorials.” The article hopes that technology will be “interwoven” throughout the curriculum for example using of technology with literature.

week 8 task 5 Abstract

ARTICLE 2
The intetion of William Stewarts article is to put forward that teachers could leran a thing or two about technology from “the generation sitting in front of them in class.” The article addressed Jim Knight concept that challenges whether teachers should remain in charge of digital education because they are “digital natives,” who need to learn form children who are using all forms of media eg converged. Cary Bazalgette actually disputes Knight and brings into play that children don’t know everything. The debate of the article also suggests that future teachers face problems, with their whole life documented on the Internet students could “bully” them. Concerns even reach young children which the UK Council on Child Internet Safety hope to resolve issues by improving regulation and education around internet use eg online bullying, control violent games etc.

week 8 task 5 Abstract

ARTICLE 3
Ronals A.Yaros aricle looks at john Palfreys book, “Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives’ and applies his concept of “grazing digital natives.” This concept addresses those students as “digital natives” miss most of the news reading only the Headling or maybe a paragraph. The article blames this on technology, which is used for “education, information, education and social networking.” The underlying feeling is that news needs to change to fit in. Example consists of blogging as the likes of Myspae are so popular. Journalists also need to find content that will appeal to these individuals. The problems that the article sees are “the overload of facts and updates. The article sees personalization as the key to gaining interest.

week 8 task 5 Abstract

ARTICLE 4
This article is from Mark Prensky who coined of the term “digital native,” for those individuals kid’s and students who are adapt to converged media. They are native speakers whereas “digital immigrants” will keep their pre technology “accents.” The article describes how schools can catch up with relevant education for students. Teachers it suggests should imply new technological equipment into their classrooms, which students have suggested. Other example of learning is through an online game for learning “algebra.” Teachers need to change and value their student’s knowledge; the solution is to work with students.

week 8 task 6 "Disagreements with articles"

ARTICLE 1
The article doesn’t directly use Prenskys concept of “digital native” it simply relates to it. Surely by adding Prenskys explanation into the article would make readers immediately aware of it’s points. It begins by suggesting that “kids” cope well with new technology and so the idea of “teaching” them seems “almost silly.” In some respect I disagree because they obviously need to learn about the academic side of technology, which teachers can successfully provide. The likes of “downloading music’s,” “publishing of their blogs” or using converged media forms such as the IPhone isn’t going to help them with research say at college or university, skills that I regard as important. These articles however do address the negative side of such technology but not to great lengths. The article highlights how individuals want to take technology to the next level and make it “a part of life,” one suggesting they want to” provide a laptop to each of the schools one hundred students.” But the article doesn’t take into account the detrimental effects of having technology in children’s lives, it could greaten the society of couch potatoes kids, encourage them to stay in and isolate themselves from others, "few people are active in their neighborhood than in the 1960's" (Kenal and Singh. 2004: 8).

week 8 task 6 "Disagreements with articles"

ARTICLE 2
This article focuses mainly on the negative side of the era of “digital native.” The likes of Facebook it sees as a platform for bullies not just now but as a weapon of the future. The fact they believe there should be greater measures of protection seems a nice idea, but because the internet is so open I can't see how they are going to be able to bring in measure that will effectively prevent some form of bullying, as it's hard enough in real life. Also it fails to take into account that websites such as facebook and Myspace have aloud individuals to keep in touch with their friends, to make new friends, an in particular with MySpace help new music artists such as Lilly Allen, become notice and make it big in the music Industry.

week 8 task 6 "Disagreements with articles"

ARTICLE 3

Again like article two, the article in this case focuses on the negative side of converged media. It implies that because of growing in technology, individuals use the media “for entertainment, information, education and social networking” through converged media forms such as the iphone. The simplistic nature of todays news means thats for those student readers who are used to lots of technological gadgets find news rather boring, and this encourages “grazing digital native.” It forgets to highlight that technology has aloud individuals to read about problems within different countries, news that isn’t deemed spectacular enough to be on the television.

week 8 task 6 "Disagreements with articles"

ARTICLE 4

This article assumes that “digital immigrants” those that haven’t been born into the digital era will never be able to catch up with the “digital natives”in some case this may be true. However, not everyone born into this era is good with technology, I myself could be classed as digitally illiterate, whereas my father is a computer programmer and he know much more about technology than a supposed “Digital native” knows.

week 8 Task 3 Website 1

WEBSITE 1

The first website on the right hand side of the page offers onsite training, keynote speaking, consulting, and e-learning. This website it committed to educating individuals that it calls “digital immigrants.” Website calls itself a ning website which is a place for creating socials experiences. It even offers a hypertext to the website that explains what it is so even the most illiterate computer users are able to to gain knowledge on certain terminologies.Unlike Techno determinism suggesting that technological development is to “become an unstoppable force driving change by itself,”(Aungri, 2005: 200). Technology isn’t as good as this concept would have us believe, it has been suggested from this website students are hyper connected through mobile phones, internet out of “2,400 working adults” 16% using 9 or more products / objects/ techno gadgets to stay connected” and that “technology is not going away,” almost as if it’s out of peoples control. The site encourages individuals to be positive about discovering the world of the Internet. There are also hyperlinks to “training, inclusion training,” where individuals can gain vital help. Part of the website is to click on new media learning synapse and if the individuals give their information they will send appropriate information to help individuals.

week 8 Task 3 Website 2

WEBSITE 2

The second website is like a library itself the page has Marks Prensky’s book on “digital immigration” which is made easily accessible. The fact that it has an academic book within it means that the page is academically sounds. However this website is simply a book and draws away from new media as being “avante-guarde” (Lister et al, 2003). This website is simply a “refashion of older media”(Lister et al, 2003) and shows how remediation is at work

The website also allows you to upload and publish your own sources of information to be “self mediated” (Lister1, 2003: 77) ok this is obviously a good thing, consumers are no longer “passive” (Branston and Stafford, 2006) of media texts. The Internet has encouraged individuals to have “active engagement” with media texts, this website allows anyone to publish their work (Habermas in, Lister, 2003: 177).This brings into question the quality of information? Does this website allow anyone to publish any old rubbish. There seems to be no guidelines because anyone can upload documents so it does make the website a less reliable source.

Week 8 Task 3 Website 3

WEBSITE 3

This website seems to be quite restrictive because it doesn’t allow individuals to search beyond the website through hypertexts. It offers detailed information on “digital immigration” and outlines a lot of Prensky’s concept. It appears more of a commentary on Prenskys work rather than critiquing it. At the same time it doesn’t have any other theories or individuals opinions on “digital immigration” so the website is very limited. The website has headlines such as Home, Current issues, Subscribe, Calendar, contact us. The contacting element allows individual to be “active” users of the website in order to express their opinion. This particular website doesn’t have the date in which is was published and so makes me questions the reliability of it as a resource because you are not able to see whether its up to date. This website isn’t particularly accepting of Prensky’s concept of “digital immigration,” not once is this concept disputed.

week 8 Task 3 Website 4

WEBSITE 4
This website wasn’t overly academic but I did like the ideas behind it. Offering some information about Digital Immigration. The website is a blog slide show and it’s quite innovative and fun. I feel this is what the the online/website is all about, allowing individuals to comment on “digital natives” using a slideshow is very interesting and reiterates new media as “avante-guarde, ” But it isn’t a reliable source with no references to academic sources, there wasn’t a date went they were published and there were no theories to back the writers comments. It was also very disorganised making it hard to understand.

Africa and the use of games in education

E learning within Africa as the website claims has been put in place in order to provide special training that is “affordable and accessible.” The website illustrates how a game can be used by individuals to allow them to take the role of a district medical officer, epidemiologist etc. This pariticualr type of video game “offer a learning platform that enables teaching to be associated with true-to-life situations” giving people the opportunity to gather vital knowledge on yellow fever which may otherwise have been disregarded. Whilst video games here are obviously a good it is important to consider that there are differences between gaining knowledge through the internet and gaining information form experience and practical work which is essential part in medical learning.

Africa and online learning

In some cases and especially in the instance of Zambia with the outbreak of cholera it seems that e learning is essential solution for educating children, because even though they were prevented from going to school they could still learn things. If these children weren’t to have access to e-learning then it is inevitable that their exam results would be greatly effected. As the website highlights it is necessary that government be “prepared” for disasters such as flood and disease. forms such as tv and radio’s as the websites points out are important to educate individuals on potential health risks, it is the governments duty to educate individuals and prevent further outbreak in the future through accessible forms. The online world is accessible to children through “café’s” and at “home” so children who are off school because of outbreaks of cholera in the area will not have to “miss their lessons.” online educating in such extreme cases is and essential part of life not only making learning more flexible like that offered from Deakin university but educating children who otherwise wouldn’t be. Cholera is widespread in Zambia the online world can only enable individuals to “learn about Cholera” too.

Africa and online learning

In some cases and especially in the instance of Zambia with the outbreak of cholera it seems that e learning is essential solution for educating children who were prevented from going to school. If these children weren’t to have access to e-learning then it is inevitable that their exam results would be greatly effected. As the website highlights it is necessary that government to be “prepared” for disasters such as flood and disease. forms such as tv and radio’s as the websites points out are important to educate individuals on potential health risks, it is the governments duty to educate individuals and prevent further outbreak in the future through accessible forms. The online world is accessible to children through “café’s” and at “home” so children who are off school because of outbreaks of cholera in the area will not have to “miss their lessons.” online educating in such extreme cases is and essential part of life not only making learning more flexible like that offered from Deakin university but educating children who otherwise wouldn’t be. Cholera is widespread in Zambia the online world can only enable individuals to “learn about Cholera”

Deakin university and Virtaul education

Deakin University in providing online education allows for individuals to be educated from long distances and at any time. The issue with distance maybe that certain individuals can’t afford to travel of simply don’t have the means. Having the ability to learn when it is most suitable is a lot better for the likes of mature students “full time workers and stay at home mums”(Cumo, 2007:157) Travelling great distances is extremely time consuming and tiring this makes learning and working near enough impossible. The university provides students with tutorials and tele-tutorial groups in order to help with guidance on the course. It makes sense that this will allow for students to have a good knowledge of other individuals on the same course as themselves and to gather guidance from them. Not forgetting that online “students participate more in discussions and learn from one another.” (Peterson, 2005: 47) Tutors give individuals the ability to have deeper discussion about the unit itself online, this virtual one to one helps to prevents confusion. What is good is that the university allows for students to come in during the weekend if it is needed in order to clarify any issues with the course. Virtual education is overall positive, but I wouldn’t say its to such a degree that Peterson implies, “online learning technologies are better than face-to-face.” (Peterson, 2005: 47)

Deakin university and Virtaul education

These are all obvious positive points to different style of learning and education that Deakin University provides . However there are also negative implications when looking at virtual education. The online world prevents students from having that face to face interaction with the lecturers themselves, if someone doesn’t understand the unit then an explanation through this virtual system can be less audible than it would be if the students were face to face with the lecturers. Long distance education encourages laziness, students can easily carry out work when it suits them best. This means that the quality of work maybe reduced, as Stephenson puts is virtual education “it’s not the be-all and the end-all.” (Stephenson, 2001: 215). With real life lectures and seminars there is the greater pressure to meet deadlines and go to lectures and seminars. The ability to monitor who is turning up for the lectures and seminars is easier to to establish than seeing whose online and gathering important information materials. Some people and especially young students in their first year often have other distractions like TV, so they need that push that is often taken from lecturers. Not only this but university is about experiencing the world to learn to become independent such as cooking and taking care of your own money, which if your working from home there isn’t that experience.
There has often been debate as to how new New media essentially is. This virtual education isn’t as radical as may have been originally anticipated again like Remediation virtual education isn’t simply “avante-guarde” (Lister, 2003: 40) or radical but an imitation of previous systems. The radio and television were educational systems before the Internet and virtual education has built upon these previous systems and now the Internet simply allows individuals to “write back” (Lister, 2003: 21) and ask any queries

The article for week 7

http://www1.worldbank.org/disted/Technology/broadcast/tv-02.html
This article highlights’ the use of long distance learning in China through television, radio and even print.
As the article notes china was the first country to use TV and radio for higher education purposes. Before the introduction of education through radio and television those, who entered higher education was less than 2%. What is most important about these broadcast forms is that they enabled education to be available on a mass scale in a relatively “short” period, this is obviously impossible with the traditional one to one style of education that universities alone provided before hand. It’s fair to say that without these broadcast forms education would be much more limited.
China higher education institution ration went from 0.7 per cent in 1975 to 4 per cent in 1987 here it is evident that television and radio education has had a positive effect in appealing to a greater number of individuals. Education through television does not loose it’s value because of the “direct transcription of conventional University classroom teach.” At the same time “technology may widen the wealth gap” (Cumo, 2007: 157) because during the 70’s and 80’s not everyone had a television so not everyone could be educated.

The article

What I feel is important is that this particular article does take into account the potential limitations of education through these broadcast forms. Obviously with practical projects it is impossible to carry these out anywhere but with the walls of the university. These programs “cannot allow answers to students questions directly” unlike in face to face situation found in seminars and lectures. Therefore confusion for students is much harder to resolve and is why tutoring is “necessary.” This is resolved by the use of the internet, Deakim University highlights that with virtual education students have the ability to become interactive with lectures and potentially “write back” (Lister, 2003: 21) to them and even have any queries answered quickly. What we cant forget is that these broadcast forms have allowed individuals to be educated at a higher level who otherwise may not have had the opportunity. As a result these broadcasts were an essential part of Chinese education.

Website Analysis

The website that I have chosen to analyse is MTV’s www.mtv.co.uk, this website is a part of a bigger corporation. MTV was established as a TV channel within America, and now reaches as far as Europe.

The MTV website offers consumers a variety of links to choose from such as online catch up with popular reality TV shows from The Hills to My Super Sweet 16, News in the celebrity world, live performances from artists, videos and games etc.

The hypertext for the MTV website enables you to download the Latest The Hills by providing a hyperlink to ITunes online store. At the same time the website makes available hyperlinks to news such as Rhianna “see shocking Rhianna photo,” consumers have the option to pick and choose what interests them. MTV therefore does not take on a linear structure such as that found with books, and so in these terms the Internet is not restrictive. As Ray Mc Aleese puts it hypertext users “should be able to explore information freely in multiple parallel paths, instead of being confined to a fixed path or structure” (Ray Mc Aleese, 1999: 80) The hypertext on the MTV website allows individuals to follow the comments made by other consumers as well as follow their personal profile. This ability of consumer to pick and choose what interest them is much more natural, this demonstrates how Hypertexts offer “a better model of consciousness than linear storage systems” (Lister, 2003: 35).

MTV website goes against the linear structure because individuals can look at information that they find interesting and completely disregard other elements within the site through hypertexts. Individuals as a result do not have to take into account all of the information available to them and this can potentially have negative effects. Hypertexts through their “multilinear” pathways could “threaten to overturn the organisation and management of knowledge,”(Lister, 2003:27) leading to confusion.

Culture

MTV encourages Registrational intereactivity between individuals on the message boards, for example the forum “the drama of the hills” enables people to comment on their favourite TV programs that MTV provides. The audience are essentially given the ability to “write back to the text, “ (Lister, 2003: 21) which isn’t possible with the likes of book. The Internet therefore has allowed for individuals to be active consumers, instead of passive ones who are easily “injected” with media messages as the effects theory suggest in relation to television (Bradford and Stafford, 2006: 271) although the levels of such passivity are questionable.

Online communities have been considered to have the ability to “reconstitute the public sphere of political and cultural debate.”(Lister, 2003) But this doesn’t necessarily mean that these are real communities, because surely to constitute a true community there needs to be an element of trust. In considering the MTV forum “Chris Brown and Rhianna,” the individuals that comment on them use names such as “CB4Ms” and “lil brooks.” These individuals are therefore hiding their true identity as a result Lister in some respects is incorrect in suggesting that with online “a sense of community can be found” (Lister, 2003: 178). The false name and images on this MTV forum makes it impossible to identify whom these individuals truly are. In general terms McMillan and Challis identify a sense of community by “Feelings of belonging to, and identifying with, the community;” (Mc millan and Challis, in Blanchard 2004) so if these individuals are hiding their true selves how can you essentially identify with them? MTV’s forum doesn’t provide individuals with a community because “online communities do not have (emotional) qualities” instead they’re based on “special interests,” (Wilbru in Heckman 1995: 67) which for MTV website consumers means music and RTV. Who’s to say they’re not forming a character whose race, sex and general personality is completely different to their true identity and is instead one that is constructed through stereotypes. MTV highlights that there isn’t that sense of “trust” (Jack and Sear, 2003: 600) that there is in face-to-face interactions.

New media in terms of Techno-determinsm is suggested to be a “technological development to become an unstoppable force driving change by itself,”(Aungri, 2005: 200) this change is essentially outside of societies grasps and bringing about great improvements to the world. However, MTV’s website seems nothing more than imitation. The content of MTV website is similar to that of the channel itself, mainly because it offers the same reality TV shows and the ability to listen to the same music that the program itself does. Surely this is Remediation in which new media “refashion older media” (Lister, 2003: 40) the website does give consumers greater choice and the ability to watch programs when they choose but this doesn’t mean the website and new media is “cutting edge,” and “avante garde” (lister , 2003: ). Instead the concept of New media is merely ideological and nothing more than hype. As Sonia Livingston points out “The skills and conventions required to engage with the Internet may or may not be new.”

With the interactivity between users on the MTV website through the likes of forums, it is easy to assume that the MTV website has a fair amount of openness through it’s apparent shifting in “the boundary of who gets to speak” and “contribute.” (Meikle, 17) But at the end of the day the producers of MTV decide the layout of the website, what information is essentially posted on the site and basically what stories and programs etc are given prominence in advertisement. At the top of the page there are sub headings Shows, Music, News, Galleries, Videos etc and at the bottom of the page is Contact us in which you can put your opinions forwards to the website producers. But these comments can be easily ignored. Individuals don’t seem to have played a role in producing the MTV website. As Bruns puts it produsage involves “collaborative and continuous building extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement” (Bruns: 3) In terms of Bruns concept of produsers who “lead in the development of news content and ideas” (Bruns:3) MTV consumers don’t have this sort of role.

I personally enjoy the MTV website as it enables me to be interactive with others who enjoy the same types of music and interests as myself. At the same times I can watch my favourite programme the Hills when I want to and catch up on anything I may have missed. There is a wide range of music to choose from the website allows you to keep up to date with the most popular bands at a click of the button. Also the MTV web page is visually enticing very modern and up to date so it generally appeals to someone of my age.

Week 6: 4

The forum is a joint enterprise; we are all working to the same goal, producing our own opinions forward about new media and at the same time gathering information from others. The forum allows us to publish what we have written and when we wrote it on the blog. The experts are obviously Dave and Sue they are the one with great knowledge and understanding of new media, we look to them for guidance and advice. They comment on the forum if we need their help and need something explaining. We as students are obviously newcomers what we are learning is completely new in comparison to what we’ve come across before. Ok so were used to using maybe music forums etc but the media forum is for a different purpose, educational. Therefore the use of the forum takes place of traditional seminars.

Week 6: 3

Organization units involve following the rules sets by the unit, learning is gathered by the “unit they report to,” and so are rather strict. Whereas for communities of practice individuals join in discussions about what they have “done” or learned “together” allowing for flexibility.

For Organizational units individuals are limited to discuss the “project” that they are working on, in this sense the level of communication is more formal than for communities of practice.With organizational units there are limits to what is considered relevant to talk about, these units are therefore structured. In contrast, communities of practice are everywhere they can be a particular film group trying to create a new genre, essentially they are “self organizing systems” and for this reason they are not bound by structures but instead develop their “own understanding.”

Meikle Part A

With online news there doesn’t appear to be those restriction that large and well known institutions such as the BBC and The times news papers decide to print. News is obviously about gathering information but with online News we are given a “wider search” as Meikle implies, a bigger access to world affairs. Meikle is fair in suggesting that consumers have become “researchers” themselves, who sift through information posted on the Internet. With online news producers there doesn’t seem to be that pressure to involve exciting, shocking or dramatic which seems prominent with the like of broadcast and prints news of today, Therefore there doesn’t appear to be a great bias taken on from individuals who publish news within for example blogs they choose themselves what to write.

Meile Part c

Indymedia provides a basis for “new musical sounds experiences” (George McKay, 14) Individuals and even bands have the ability to put their music across to music fans without the help of big music industry names. MySpace is great evidence of this independence now available to the artists within the music industry. The online world in particular that of Myspace is inevitably an alternative culture to what went before them. Bands etc can now put their music to audiences on a huge scale and gather interest from them. This interest is gathered from the ability of fans to interact with these artists. No longer do these artists take reliance upon others, especially that of labels. This is evident from the likes of the Artic Monkeys who born from the world of MySpace. This “DIY” nature of online artist is extremely positive, no longer is there pressure from labels to change their identity when already there is such a fan base gathered.

It appears that the online world isn’t the only place of progress for new music artists. There are many individuals with their own recording studio starting their business from scratch. The Internet networks such as MySpace and Facebook however help put these artists in full view of consumers. These consumers can not only listen to the artist music but also have an interact active relationship with them and so form a sort of community. So although this independence does exist offline it isn’t as opportunistic as that of the online world.

Meikle part D

Open news doesn’t have the restriction of general news that often involves melodreamtic news. General day to day news of that considered ordinary has become less popular with well known news institutions BBC, SKY news etc, because of the increasing pressure to keep audiences enticed. Open news is quality because it “offer radical alternatives to mainstream debate” (Meikle) through it’s employment of realistic and day-to-day goings on. Individuals are given the ability to comment on what is troubling them, “everyone” apparently is a “journalist”(Meikle). They can comment on family troubles or nightmare next-door neighbours, the likes of Indymedia enables people “share.” What I will say is I think the comment about everyone is a journalist should be taken lightly yes like journalist everyone can comment. However the field of Journalism is extremely complicated and highly academic, not held by every open news commentator

However open news can often not involve quality, people can talk about essentially anything. For example the price of bake beans. Despite feeling that individuals have the right to express themselves, there are just certain things that people are not interested in and so people aren’t encouraged to participate in discussions because they appear boring. “Spam” etc are often found on these open sites, this can only draw away from open news as quality. Therefore I feel that Indymedia’s change from overly “open publishing” is a positive things because now any old rubbish can’t be contributed. But does anyone really have the right to constitute what is news?

BRuns part B

The typical sense of the word producers involves one particular institution providing knowledge and information for the benefit of others.

However in the post industrial and informational / economic model sense production takes place in “collaborative, participatory environment” in which both consumers and producer take part in production of information and knowledge. It seems then that the produsage is the continual passing between producers and users produsers to improve their knowledge and information. These producers use what is produced but are also actively involved them selves’ as a Produser, they essentially result in Produsage of new ideas. I suppose DIY blogs are similar in that information is not only provided by the people that produce the site but also the people that consume these blogs also can comment and give advice.

Also this is similar to the introduction of the XBOX 360 in which consumers are given the basic outline of a game from producers. Then the consumers become produsers who actually discover cheats etc for these games and share them online within interactive forums.

Bruns part C

Bruns part C

week 4 task 1 b

The Internet through blogs, email forums etc gives us the ability to interact with different people around the world, these online groups provides us with a “public sphere.” New media appears is unlike traditional broadcast forms such as the television that encourage “Passive audiences” as we are lead to believe by Michael (Michael Rosman in Lister 193) Television through programs such soaps appear to encourage “unhealthy” (Habermas) practices in society, through their stereotypical representations that they portray. The Internet seems to be refreshing because it offers opportunities to “scrutinize” these stereotypes with others online, hence people are given “expression and empowerment.” Therefore the Internet is a great “public sphere” to debate to with people across a great spectrum. The Internet in the United States make possible to “challenge the existing order of identity politics in the” (Janott, 2004: 261).


It is fair to say that the Internet allows for greater interaction and opinion between people online, in this sense the online world is a “public sphere” available to all. However, online engagement with others online is not at that personal level that you find in face to face interactions. You life is very much "public" but your really identity isn't properly revealed so online can't really be a "public sphere."

week 4 task 1 a

New media such as the Internet provides us with online communities such as forums, blobs etc. Therefore the Internet gives consumer the ability to dispute the power of society validating that “we all have something to contribute.”( Rokin, 2005: 165) We are able to criticise policies enforced by Gordon Brown as forums gives us access to “political and cultural debate.” (Lister et al 174) This is a good thing for consumer like Durkheim suggest we are not simply consumers to the degree that broadcast media seems to entail but actively involved an so “the internets virtual communities are empowering”(Rokin, 2005: 165).

Although these sites may in fact encourage debate about political policies, the empowerment of the government could be highly ideologically driven within society to such a degree that the Internet could not be as powerful as Durkheim suggests. But instead a medium that helps reinforce stereotypes.

week4 task 1 c

The Internet world provides us with new ways of communicating and receviing free information’s from people online, as Koolock puts it online is a “gift economy.” We can see that in this sense the Internet is a useful device. However as active consumers of the Internet we have to be careful with the types of information we receive. For example, if we were to search online for health advise we have to be careful what sites are trustworthy, that of the government obviously would be useful and one to trust. But general online sites and especially the likes of wikipedia make it easy to acquire information that maybe false. The suggestion that the internet is a “gift economy,” is true but these gifts may in fact be unpleasant. Cookies, viruses, unwanted spam such as that from advertisers for lipo suction and so on are all types of “dangerous materials” that lack use. Viruses especially “have caused so much damage that in the last few years many Internet users have become extremely cautious” (White: 47). Because there are fewer restrictions online, the freedom to essentially search and do what you want will mean you will always encounter the unsafe and unreliable. Despite the fact that freedom allows for greater involvement in academic discussions around the world as Durkheim would have us believe. There are in fact negative implications to such freedom, who and what do we trust?

week 4 task 2 a

In terms of community and what my opinion of a community is, ebay doesn’t appear to acquire this status or even the attitudes that I feel define the term community, with the term community there appears to be an “overuse” of this meaning as suggested by (Blanchard). The internet communities allow for those who maybe outcast from general society to express themselves and in this sense community has an “emotionally positive effect” (Blanchard). My opinion is with a virtual community there still needs to be some form of relationship with the people you interact with online similar to that offline. Additionally, the belief that you have influence as well as receive it, is important because otherwise you would feel worthless(McMillan and Chavis’s (1986). I think within a community it is important to be able to relate them to provide a basis of conversation. To some degree in a community you have to trust what the people say online otherwise it isn’t a community but instead just a group of people.

Topic 2 Week 4 b

Blanchard defines Virtual settlement as a “virtual place in which people interact,” which is identified by its postings structure and content. Real life settlements and communities are not set in stone they can be altered, this is the same for Virtual settlements, you don’t have to stay within that settlement. Within the online world their isn't a need to give your real identity, it’s easier to leave a settlement whether it is a virtual community or a virtual group than it is in real life. Real life settlements there appears to be a more intense emotional bond with people of a community than the virtual ones previously discussed. Within a virtual settlement posting are similar to real settlement conversations of peoples opinions, but for virtual settlements whether virtual groups or virtual communities interactions are different to real life this is mainly because immediate response isn’t necessary.

The term virtual settlement is good because it gives the impression of interaction between people as in real life. However I find the concept complicated to grasp because the word settlement gives the impression that something is permanent, this isn’t true for online communities that you can easily leave because there are no restriction online.

Topic 3 week 4 d

Unlike Kallok and Smith suggests that lurkers are not useful because they do not “contribute” to online discussions and some writers even suggesting they are "harassing" (Inkine, 353: 1998). It is my opinion that these beliefs are over the top and the idea of booting them out of an online community seems unfair. As within school there are those that are more expressive in debates and who have a greater confidence to put their message across. Although it has been suggested that there is greater confidence online, the confidence of these lurkers may not have reached the point that will enable them to comment. If people online want their message to be herd, then banning online lurkers wouldn’t this just reduce the producers and writers audience?

week 3 task 1 c

Without using a web cam on msn , chat rooms and facebook etc it is  easy for interactive consumers of new media to change their identity online. Our race and gender can be completely different to our real selves, we are able portray different selves online “techno-determinism”(Reading from Lister). The Internets multiple personas allows people “to go outside of the socially constructed boundaries that guide the ‘real world’ relationships" (Rudestam, 2002: 141)and so the internet provides greater freedom. However, at this stage it is important to suggest that not everyone uses these internet chat rooms etc for the same reason, mainly because not everybody wants to change their identity online. There are in fact people online who are happy with their personality and physical appearance.

Those who portray themselves by means of a different race and gender etc go on pre existing assumptions about people in society. These assumptions are created by ideology and stereotypes already imbedded into our society. With stereotypes “We are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them” they govern our “perception.” (Lipman in Corner and Hawthorn, 1993: 137) Therefore those who decide to change their identity online follow the stereotypes and constructions of society rather than the truth and reality. As a result people are not free online from signs. The Internet simply allows for a more worldwide representation of stereotypes, the world in the online domain to some degree magnifies the problem of stereotyping.

week 3 task 1 a

Licklider’s concept of “Open Culture” is one way of looking at the net. He suggests that the Internet has no rules as to “how data flows and where.” For instance someone on the Internet could portray their personality in a completely different manner to who they are in real life. The Internet thus allows people to create a façade and multiple identities, more worryingly pedophiles often pretend to be younger children online, in order to lure unsuspecting and innocent children. Therefore the Internet sadly “will provide one more means to the child abusers and exploiters”(Amaldo, 2001: 3). New media as we know is a virtual reality thus any reality in real life we cannot be sure of within the Internet world.

Although it appears there are no rules to “how” data flows and “where,” this concept made by Licklider isn’t necessarily true. Despite choosing to join networking sites such as Facebook, MSN and MySpace, these networks do have some level of impact on how we Interact. This is dependent up on how chat rooms such Facebook are structured and the regulations that they enforce.

week 3 task 2 section a

Ethics
If we were to take a look at the world without the Internet in general it is seen as ethically wrong to hide your identity. It is important to take into consideration what sort of lie is a terrible lie. Firstly to tell someone that a person is dieing when there not, everyone can understand that this is ethically wrong. However if a woman had been sexually abused by her husband, it is her right to lie and even keep secret in an event of an abortion.

Therefore to purposely mislead people online for example within chat rooms could be ethically wrong. Mainly because if a person is going online for a relationship trust is an important issue, if people cant be truthful in the first instance then this seems somewhat ridiculous.

At the same time the withholding of bank details and addresses that could reveal someone’s identity and personal information is ethically normal because of the worrying increase in identidy theft. 

Again, it is ethically acceptable to keep children’s personal details private, keeping their name and address in order to keep paedophiles at bay is understandable and rational. This is mainly because with chat rooms "you can never tell who anyone is" (Sanderson, 2004: 291)Children  are young and vulnerable and so are easily manipulated and thus are at risk of sex offenders. Schomburget suggests “children needing attention and affections may respond to an offender in positive ways” (Schomburget, 2008: 398). In the analysis of a Harry Potter forum http://www.harrypotterforum.com/ forum, quintessentially directed at children the commentators on the forum kept their identities secret. For example the commentators use name such as “angelix” and nothing about their age or real names are released. Even photos were virtual images and not their own.

week 3 task 2 section B

work will not paste will shortly be resolved

Week 3 Task 2 section d

Revealing your feelings online tends to be easier on the internet. Within the online domain you are in a virtual world, there is not that one to one connection that seems much more deeper in a face to face interaction. On the Internet people are much more confident, it is a virtual world not the real  therefore  it is “easy to reveal intimate secrets online” (Rudestan, 2002: 141). However, this confidence could be potentially detrimental for online relationships because some people can be more revealing that others.

Week 3 Task 3

As regards the The Guardian newspaper forum online “As British Jews come under attack the liberal left must not remain silent.” Reader’s response to this particular forum is extremely serious, the language use is formal and very academic especially seeing as Bolandifin even uses references. This particular commentator uses his words carefully and represents himself as in opposition to racism towards the Jewish community. As well as the "anti-Semite" behaviour evident during the Gaza crisis. The commentator Bolandifin does not give any other information about himself; instead he keeps every last private detail under raps. The commentators name would suggest that they are male but without visual proof this conception is debateable. However, despite Bolandifin’s personal identity remaining secret his comments remain reasonable. Other commentators involve gondwanaland’s who disputes Bolandifns claims. Here the guardian appears to be extremely interactive whereby readers give a high degree of contribution to the debate placed forward by The Guardian. What I do find most strange is that both readers keep their identidy completely private, giving the impression that they are debating greatly and so do not want to be revealed.

New Media week 2 Topic2

The Seminar forum enables us to find out what new posts students have put on their blogs. The forum has enabled us to become interactive users of the media, in this case for academic purposes. To some degree the online forum is an online conversation, for example if I make a comment on the forum they are usually responded to by other students and Dave our Tutor. In this sense like neo liberalism suggests, new media allows for greater “engagement” with media texts.” Blogs allow readers to really think about a persons point of view and critically access it, giving a greater sense of “independent relation to sources of knowledge” unlike a book as neo liberism suggests. I suppose as regards my expression within the forum it is a lot more carefully filtered, especially because of the interactive rules of engagement. In this sense “user choice” is restricted to what you choose to write. I believe that I interact differently on the forum than what I would in a face-to-face interaction. My comment on the forum and other peoples does not need immediate response. The replies to forums and blogs can take minute’s, hours and even days. Therefore with online interactivity there is much more freedom with reply. Whereas in a face to face interaction with a student within seminars replies are more or less immediate and they don’t tend to have restrictive barriers. Dave is in charge because he sets the rules of engagement for both forum and blogs. He chooses the type of language that is appropriative within our academic circle and so the sense of the internet allowing for “greater consumer choice” is undermined. At the same time the students are in charge of their own opinions, when the students reply to the blogs and forums online they are generally open ended within reason. Speech is much more free flow within general seminars, whereas writing down what your opinions are within blogs and forums are much more time consuming. I feel overall that i am media literate but in terms of the Internet I’m quite illiterate in comparison with other students.

New Media week 2 Topic 3

For the BBC Internet blog of 2008, the language used was much more relaxed involving texting language, slang and even emotive images. This language is different to the academic language used within my own blogs. In the case of the blogs found on the BBC Internet site about the BBC Iplayer, there were hypertexts that allowed you to go to the blogs of other bloggers online and gather information about their opinions on the Internet. Hypertexts therefore encourage a greater sense of interactivity within the Internet. Mainly because they allowed you to communicate with others as well as using their opinion and information at your disposal. Unlike a book hypertexts are not linear and so you are not restricted to one particular opinion and so they offer “a better model of consciousness than linear storage systems” (lister, 2003: 25). Hypertexts enable you to find blogs of people from across the world offering diverse opinions information, which is quite simply not the case for a book. Hypertexts enable you to gather further information on something particularly confusing by a click of a button. At the same time hypertexts allow you to have a grater freedom within the Internet of any particular subject than the thematic restrictions that hyperlinks carry.

New Media week 2 Topic 1 QD

From what I can gather from Bolter and Grusin "Remediation" they suggest that old media provides a basis or starting part for new media to draw upon. It appears that “communication, representation and expression,” is what new media posses from old media. For example television an apparent old media, is a major part of everyone’s life in some way, whether it be to watch a series continually or just for casual day to day viewing. It appears that television as a form of old media was extremely restrictive as regards what people could watch when they wanted. However, the immergence of the video and dvd recorder has changed this. The nature of programs haven't appeared to change on the Internet websites such as BBC iplayer, ITV, channel 40d etc. These online TV players have been used more pacifically in pinpointing adverts for their viewers on the internet. Mainly because for online viewers adverts are restricted for no more than three whereas the "old" TV adverts are various. Bolter and Grusin also seem to pinpoint progress as something inevitable and a “structural condition” of all media. They also suggest that both old and new media seem to be in competition with one another to improve itself, this seems to be characterstic of televisions Virgin Media. Remediation involves the involvement of old media within the new media, no longer is television restricted to the television but on the interent and even mobiles. In this sense remediation involves the "refashion" of "older media entirely while still making the presence of older media apparent." (Breuch, 2004: 8)

Week 2 Topic 1 QA

Windsows vista appears to be the new upgrade from windows XP. However these upgrades often seem to do more harm than good, with systems unable to cope with the technology. Windows need to keep their market going and so by appearing to offer something new, the upgrade to windows Vista does just this. Corporations such as windows represent their technology as “new” (Lister,2003: 9) and in doing so gives the impression that the technology is necessary. Thus as Lister suggests through the idea of “new”, consumers are given a false sense that the product is “cutting edge.” Instead corporations such as Windows simply create the ideology consumer’s need the update when this isn’t always the case. In big businesses the ideology of the new is a strategy used by these companies to keep their market flourishing. At the same time the idea of the “New” is to ensure that consumers continually buy into their products. As a result companies such as Window’s make a lot of money, “software applications make millions” (Manovich, 2002, 14). Suggesting the concept of the new is one that is ideologically driven in order to keep capitalist society in growth.

Week 2 Topic QB

The Internet provides us with the sense of interactivity in which we are able to make a choice, which is unlike “old media” such as television, newspapers etc. The positive aspects of “New Media” is felt to such a degree that there is and underlying feeling to “strengthen and defend New Media” (Regnery, 2007: 252). The internet gives a greater impression that you are able to put your own thoughts and feelings across on a world wide scale, as a result the Internet is “the greatest source of returning power to the people” (Regnery, 2007: 155). Internet thus gives the appearance of an online democracy. However, it appeasers that the concept of New Media is nothing other than a cover up, the true role of the Internet is something much more cynical. Although your views are put forward from news websites and blogs, the government still have the ability to put their own ideologies and power across. For example China 2005 saw the beginning of an idea of “inta-Chinese network” despite being “incredibly fast” it would be a “government-owned company, and easily filtered,” (Goldsmith and Wu, 2006: 102) consequently the Internet would no longer be democratic but governed by the elite.

Week 2 Topic QB continued

Additionally, there are serious and even worrying implications to being online, the revealing of your personal identity to businesses on the internet for financial gain. Cookies are implemented on every site you go onto. They are allowed to see what you search for and therefore what sort of advertisement you require. Every minute of your life on the Internet is looked at; advertisers in a sense manipulate you into buying a particular product through pinpointing of their advertisements. Therefore the sense of choice from the Internet is not entirely true for Internet users.

Week 2 Topic 1 QC

In the past couple of years there has been a diverse change from traditional sources of shopping where one would physically go to shops and buy products. The emergence of online shopping has changed people’s social activities; no longer is there a need to step out of the house. Online shopping involves big chains such as Tesco, Adsa, etc which provide not only food but home furnishing too. Clothing stores, bathroom sites, bedding sites to mother care and many more are all easily accessible online. Especially interesting is the appearance of Amazon and Ebay, businesses that have been purely developed by the online world. These online sites have meant the world of shopping has never been so easily accessible at a touch of a button, these examples give the appearance of “progress.”

The internet is good for educational purposes giving university students’ easy access to the world of books and journals on the internet. Through the use of hypertext students can read from one text to another and make meaning of things by clicking on hypertexts for further explanation. The Internet as Lister suggests is a “place for forward thinking people to be,” (Lister et al, 11). At the same time negative effects also are inevitable with working online. For example wikipedia is not academically accepted because anyone can easily comment.

Week 2 Topic 1 QC

However, when looking at interactivity within websites on the Internet, democracy seems to be a bad thing. Freedom has enabled for child pornography and terrorist sites have become more common ground. Especially pinpointed are terrorists site that have been suggested to manipulate innocent Muslims into committing crimes more worryingly how to make bombs. As (Godwin, 2003:65) suggests there appeared to be a link “between ‘dangerous information on the net and the Oklahoma City bombing.” (although democratic its not progess)

Geobells Radio and Internet

With the rise of television and the internet the importance of radio has decreased. Mainly because it is no longer the only affordable informative and political device. Radio as Geobbells suggests was a political device. The Internet now has taken over radio’s political position “almost half of all Americans now get news over the internet” (Freeman and Thissu, 2003: 176). The Radio although easily accessible is not as world wide as the internet. The internet even involved in “encouraging the spread of small businesses ‘Net savvy’ special interest communities,” who are able to put across their own views. Inevitably these online communities are at the cost of “public commonwealth,” and so no longer is there ulitimate power of the elite.

Geobells p2

Goebbel believes that the radio appeals to the masses as is the hope for today’s latest medium the internet. The Internet is easily accessible to the masses, through the Library, Cafe shops within the home and at work etc. This availability means that the working classes can gather a greater understanding about the political views held by certain political parties. Therefore with the emergence of the internet members of society are able to communicate and even criticize the Goverment. It's is my opinion that because of the internet the Goverment are less influential than they were previously.
It’s apparent that to Geobbels the radio is a process that would enable the government to enforce their political views on the subordinate members of society who through the discourse of the Goverment as an operation of power, members of society are inevitably "constrained" (Storey, 2006: 101_. The Internet is a political device that is relatively inexpensive and with the power that money just can’t buy. The Ideology created involves the governments need for this control which Geobbels doesn't question. There is no questioning of the power of the government the ideology is that the radio is for the people a necessity. Discourse here involves the government's empowerment over members of society who act according to "social scripts."(Storey, 2006: 101)

Blog Spots and Chatrooms implications in Suicide?

The issue with chat rooms is that there are concerns about effects that blogs spots and chat rooms can have on those that are suicidal. The main problem with these sites is that they have in certain instances encouraged and supported people steps into suicide by “instructions on suicide methods”. These concerns are particularly interesting to me because of the effects that the Internet has on people through this form of virtual communication. They represent suicide as somewhat positive and the right action to take part. They tend to represent “suicide as solution for difficulties rather than itself being a problem.”(Hawton, 2005:300) This evidence surely shows the sheer power of the internet as a medium, but often with effects that are greatly negative.

Email and Chatrooms communication

New relationships can begin on online chat rooms that are pacifically designed for dating. “email, chatrooms” etc are used for “initiation and development of close personal relationships,” (Stafford, 2005) Sometimes these online relationships can turn into long loving relationships. These sites are helpful in that people find it much more easier and comfortable with one to one interaction over the Internet than that first interaction with a physical person which can often be daunting. But people who use these new media forms often “manipulate to presents positive picture of the self” (Stafford, 2005) and so the communication isn’t trustworthy or reality.

Myspace and msn are pushed as Facebook arrives

My Space and MSN were the forms of new media that most interested me. But with the emergence of Facebook, and its popularity with university students and going to Univeristy myself, Facebook became much more popular with me. Email is used however for more academic reasons, but at the same time I use hotmail if say my landlord needed to get in touch about important issues concerning rent. Not for anything particularly exciting though.

facebook and me

I find that Facebook is useful as it enables me to catch up with old friends and more importantly keep in touch with close friends and family, as established by the uses and griatification theory “Social integration needs” “strengthens contact with family, friends, and the world.” (Byrant and Heath, 2000) Allowing me to leave comments or having one to one conversations with friends if it’s really important.

This is my first post

Hello,

This is most definately a new experience for me, but after time i'm sure the process of blogging will become much easier.

I'm assuming that everybody is having difficulties in some way in getting used to blogging. As for many facebook and MSN have been the only forms of communication that have previosuly interested us.

Have fun blogging, oh and completely out of context but i advise everyone watch Twilight it's rather G with action, vampire and romance im sure it's one that all will love :)