Marc Prensky's "Emerging online life of the digital native" and Dave Weinberger's "A New World" both present different views of contemporary internet users. In light of your own experiences with new technologies do you think they are accurate portrayals? Discuss why or why not with specific examples.
Prenksy and Weinberger present fundamentally different approaches to the contemporary internet user. When examining these two views it is important to consider the motivations that provide the underlying basis of the arguments. Even though their arguments may be different, both authors make a living from commentating on the Internet. Part of this involves maintaining a media personality, presenting a point of view that popularises them or that marks their opinions as significant. Prensky’s work is designed to inspire a form of ‘moral panic’ (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008), particularly in parents and teachers. Weinberger aims to explore the deeper meaning of the Web, and hence intends to appeal to academics, students of philosophy and those who happily live their lives immersed in the Web. This essay will examine both points of view and make an assessment of their validity regarding the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). This paper forms the conclusion that despite there being a level of accuracy to Prensky’s statements, his arguments are designed to be controversial for the sake of popularity rather than being theoretically informed. On the other hand, Weinberger’s arguments are derived from an academic and philosophical point of view that considers other schools of thought, as opposed to making sweeping statements based on little other than the author’s opinion. Therefore, Weinberger’s theories represent a more accurate portrait of the contemporary internet user.
The digital native concept was first put forward by Marc Prensky in his 2001 seminal article, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”. In this article, he presents the idea of the digital native, a generation born roughly between 1980 and 1994 and onwards, which some refer to as the ‘Net Generation’ (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008). According to Prensky, these generations being the first generations to grow up immersed in digital technologies and the Internet, have been inexorably altered by the experience and as a result ‘digital natives’ think and process information fundamentally differently, are more proficient at multitasking and are highly dependent on communication technologies for social interaction and for accessing information (Prensky 2001a). Prensky goes even further to state that as a result of this digital childhood, it is very likely that their brains have altered (Prensky 2001, p.1). On the other hand, those whom are born prior to 1980 (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008) are referred to as ‘digital immigrants’ - a generation that has had to adapt to the rapidly changing world of information technology. In short, Prensky assumes immigrants, particularly educators, are mostly unable to adjust to new technology, and consequently lack the technological fluency and skills to keep up with, let alone engage, this new generation of digital wiz kids (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008).
In the "Emerging online life of the digital native" he continues his distinction between the young, tech-savvy ‘native’ possessing ‘sophisticated knowledge and skills’ and the floundering ‘immigrant’. He frames the ‘digital native’ as forging its own path by finding new and creative ways to incorporate digital technologies in their lives, particularly in regards to the online world. He further states that for these young people the ‘online’ world has become ‘an entire strategy for how to live, survive and thrive in the 21st century’ (Prensky 2004) and parents and teachers ignore this new generation at their own peril. Implicit in Prensky’s writing is the high degree of computer literacy he claims digital natives possess.
This high degree of computer literacy forms the basis of one of the major criticisms of the ‘digital native’ theory. If one reviews the research regarding these assumptions, it soon becomes evident that there are widely varying experiences of technology according to children’s school and home backgrounds, and ‘technology skills and experience are far from universal among young people’ (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008). Some academics go further to state that digital natives lack even basic competencies in computer use, or in the use of other networked technologies and there is actually evidence of a growing divide among the digital natives, in which the ‘technologically skilled lead the unskilled masses’ (Herold 2009, p.3). A survey of 4374 students across 13 academic institutions in the United States (Kvavik, Caruso & Morgan 2004) found that despite high levels of use in certain technologies such as word processing, email and surfing the web, ‘only a minority of the students (around 21%) were engaged in creating their own content and multimedia for the Web’ (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008, p.4). The general focus of these findings is further reinforced by two recent studies of Australian university students (Kennedy, Krause, Judd, Churchward & Gray 2006; Oliver & Goerke 2007) highlighting similar patterns in access to ICTs (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008, p.4). ‘These studies also found that emerging technologies were not commonly used, with only 21% of respondents maintaining a blog, 24% using social-networking technologies (Kennedy et al, 2006), and 21.5% downloading podcasts’ (Oliver & Goerke, 2007) (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008, p.4). Whilst in the rapidly changing world of technology these statistics are likely outdated, these findings call into question the very existence of the ‘digital natives’ that Prensky purports are claiming digital technology as their birthright (Prensky 2004, Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008, Herold 2009). Interestingly the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is women over 55 (Read Write Web 2009).
As mentioned in the introduction much of Prensky’s work is designed to elicit ‘moral panic’ in those outside the youth subculture. ‘Moral panic’ is elicited when a particular group ‘is portrayed by the news media as embodying a threat to societal values and norms’ (Bennett, Maton, Kervin 2008, p.8). A comparable example is the treatment of the Muslim population by the media in the ‘West’ after the September 11 bombings. This threat is amplified by the use of ‘sensationalist’ language designed to amplify the apparent risk. When one examines Prensky’s article it becomes obvious that the whole piece is structured to accentuate a sense of ‘us’ and ‘them’, and to elicit feelings of anxiety in those outside the ‘digital native’ subculture. He mentions how digital natives are doing things ‘under the radar” of most Digital Immigrant adults’ (Prensky 2004, p.2) and that some of their behaviours will be impossible for ‘digital immigrants’ to adopt, given their pre-digital accents (Prensky 2004, p.14).
Marc Prensky also makes sweeping statements with no basis other than personal opinion. At one point, he states that the different ways ‘natives’ and ‘immigrants’ use technology often causes dissonance between the two groups, and if you didn’t know this you obviously haven’t ‘been with a lot of people from the other age group (Prensky 2004, p.2). Prensky seems to frame himself as an intermediary between the two starkly different groups outlined in this article.
David Weinberger presents a more holistic and philosophical view of the contemporary internet user, that isn’t concerned with seeking popularity through paranoia. Rather than Prensky’s view that the digital native is shaping the path of the future, particularly with regards to the World Wide Web, Weinberger suggests that it is the other way round. It is the Internet, or more precisely the World Wide Web, that is shaping us by challenging many of the bedrock concepts that provide our human experience; concepts such as space, time, perfection, social interaction, knowledge, matter and morality (Weinberger 2002). Because of this we are still feeling our way in terms of how to interact and socialize on the Web. He states ‘the lines are not just blurry but seem to have been re-drawn according to a new set of rules that don't yet make sense to us’ (Weinberger 2002). Throughout "A New World", which is the introductory chapter of Weinberger’s book Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A unified theory of the Web, he ponders on what kind of people Web inhabitants are becoming as a result of participating online (Conhaim 2002). Are human beings becoming more social or less social?
Weinberger’s work has a strong basis in Sherry Turkle’s earlier expositions into computers and what she terms the ‘second self’ (1984). One of the many concepts Turkle outlines, in her prescient books on the affects computers are having on human nature, is the concept of the ‘subjective computer’. ‘This is the machine as it enters into social life and psychological development, the computer as it affects the way that we think, especially the way we think about ourselves’ (Turkle 1984, p.19). Weinberger extends her concepts to encompass the Web and how it is impacting on our social life and psychological development when he states: ‘The very basics of what it means to have a self-identity through time—an "inner" consistency, a core character from which all else springs—are in question on the Web, we are entering a new world’ (Weinberger 2002); a world that due to its virtuality transcends the nature of the physical reality, allowing us to do whatever we want, to be whoever we want.
According to Weinberger, this process of reinvention is a big reason why we are so confused about how to traverse traditional issues such as how you present yourself, what is the correct context to say something, privacy. He underscores this with the story of Michael Campbell, a boy who ended up in jail after making threatening insinuations over the Web to repeat the Columbine shootings to a student that attended the school. According to Weinberger, whilst this is an unusual case ‘it is not at all unusual on the Web for someone to "try on" a personality and to switch personalities from chat room to chat room’ (Weinberger 2002). This is one of the revolutionary factors of the Web, a virtual world that is increasingly putting pressure on the real world with a growing number of people facing real world consequences for virtual world actions. This cross over has also impacted on legal issues such as privacy and ownership of content.
Facebook the largest growing social networking site on the web is one such service that has attracted a lot of publicity regarding privacy. This often involved employers or employment agencies checking staff or potential staff’s Facebook pages and occasionally even sexual predators chasing potential victims via their pages. This has prompted Facebook to release a set of updated privacy controls to try and balance the tightrope between privacy in a world that is open for all to see (Read Write Web 2009). If ones logs onto Google Earth and clicks help, there is a subheading ‘Legal and Privacy Issues’ which states: ‘Google Earth contains only information that is readily available from both commercial and public sources. For example, this same information is available to anyone who flies over or drives by a piece of property’ (Google Earth). On the 12th December 2009, a UK trainee handed in her resignation after she had sent an inappropriate email at work which went viral (worldwide) in under 24 hours. She was quoted as saying, ‘It's a complete shock that one email could spread like this and who would think it would get so out of hand’ (Nine MSN Dec. 2009).
There is ample evidence, as Weinberger states, we are confused about the virtual world of the Web. Whilst young people are generally embracing technology faster than their parents, it is not unusual for the younger generations to embrace new concepts faster than the previous generations (look at Elvis Presley or Rap music). Unlike Prensky, who assumes mastery of new technologies by the ‘net generation’, Weinberger presents a more accurate portrayal of the contemporary internet user as an individual, along with 300-400 million other users, trying to work it out.
Reference:
Turkle, Sherry. The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1984.
Weinberger, David. Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web. "Chapter One - A New World", Perseus Publishing, 2002. http://common.books24x7.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/book/id_24898/book.asp
(accessed December 09, 2009).
Heckman, Lucy. “Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder”. Library Journal 15/02/2007, Vol. 132 Issue 3, p128-130 LIBRARY JOURNAL FEBRUARY 15, 2007 p128. Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre (EBSCOhost).
http://content.ebscohost.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/ContentServer.asp?T=P& P=AN& K=24078803& EbscoContent=dGJyMNLe80Sep644wtvhOLCmrlGeprBSsay4SrOWxWXS& ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGprk%2Bzp69JuePfgeyx%2BEu3q64A& D=anh
(accessed December 11, 2009).
Bennett, Sue; Maton, Karl and Kervin, Lisa 2007. “The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence”. British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol 39 No 5 2008 775–786, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK
Conhaim, W. (2002). The Cyber-World We've Created. Information Today, 19(9), 58. Retrieved from Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre database.
http://libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=anh&AN=7479868&site=ehost-live&scope=site
(accessed December 11, 2009)
Prensky, Marc 2001. “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”, On the Horizon. NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001.
Prensky, Marc 2004. “The Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native: What they do differently because of technology, and how they do it.” www.marcprensky.com/.../Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf.
(accessed December 09, 2009).
Herold, David 2007. “Digital Natives – Discourses of exclusion in an inclusive society”. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS), HK.
http://miha2.ef.uni-lj.si/cost298/gbc2009-proceedings/papers/P004.pdf
(accessed December 10, 2009).
Read Write Web
Google Earth
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Tutorial Six - Essay Research
Essay question: Are the views put forward by Prensky and Weinberg accurate portrayals of contemporary internet users?
1. ‘DIGITAL NA(T)IVES – DISCOURSES OF EXCLUSION IN AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY’ 2009, Dr. David K. Herold, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS), HK, pp. 1 – 7.
http://miha2.ef.uni-lj.si/cost298/gbc2009-proceedings/papers/P004.pdf
This article examines the phenomenon of the ‘digital native’ and the calls to adapt the education system in order to cater to these new sophisticated users of technology. Dr Herold states that whilst ‘digital native’ are using more technology, the level of computer literacy is questionable and not supported by research. This contributes to my argument by providing a critical response to the claims purported by Prensky.
2. “The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence”, Sue Bennett, Karl Maton and Lisa Kervin 2008, British Journal of Educational Technology ,Vol39, No.5, 2008 775–786.
http://api.ning.com/files/AkclmKAQ9nT0vPJuCYL9261SknCvwP1UJ-RaVQ7kZumzWZVPq5iNlfGrqf0Jpc3wUnK8A07FuVmRXQ1WRqnre5q2z53PRnT0/Thedigitalnativesdebatecriticalreview.pdf
This article supports the criticisms of Prensky outlined in the above article. It states that that rather than being empirically and theoretically informed, the debate regarding digital native can be likened to an academic form of a ‘moral panic’. Again this article forms a stronger basis for my criticisms of Prensky.
3. “First year students’ experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives?”, Gregor E. Kennedy, Terry S. Judd, Anna Churchward, Kathleen Gray, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 2008, 24(1), 108-122.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.85.9526&rep=rep1&type=pdf
This article examines Prensky’s claims further. It examines how when one moves beyond entrenched technologies and tools (e.g. computers, mobile phones, email) the patterns of access and use of a range of other technologies show considerable variation. The findings are discussed in light of Prensky’s (2001a) notions of the ‘Digital Natives’ and the implications for using technology to support teaching and learning in higher education.
4. “The Cyber-World We've Created”. Conhaim, W. (2002). Information Today, 19(9), 58. Retrieved from Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre database.
http://web.ebscohost.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=7&hid=104&sid=fafc2961-4874-49c1-967a-cb99665f9d7b%40sessionmgr11
This article reviews the book 'Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web,' by David Weinberger. Whilst it is largely non-critical of Weinberger’s approach it does a good job of outlining the argument put forward by Weinberger that the web is a world we have made for each other and that unlike Prensky’s view of the digital native confidently shaping the use of information technology, we are essentially still feeling our way in this new ‘digital frontier’.5. Read Write Web - Top Internet Trends of 2000-2009
http://www.readwriteweb.com
I used this site to compare some of the claims made in the various articles used above, against actual trends reported by respected organisations such as Morgan Stanley, Rapleaf and Read Write Web themselves. By using this site I was able to generate a more well rounded view of the claims both authors put forward in their articles.
1. ‘DIGITAL NA(T)IVES – DISCOURSES OF EXCLUSION IN AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY’ 2009, Dr. David K. Herold, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS), HK, pp. 1 – 7.
http://miha2.ef.uni-lj.si/cost298/gbc2009-proceedings/papers/P004.pdf
This article examines the phenomenon of the ‘digital native’ and the calls to adapt the education system in order to cater to these new sophisticated users of technology. Dr Herold states that whilst ‘digital native’ are using more technology, the level of computer literacy is questionable and not supported by research. This contributes to my argument by providing a critical response to the claims purported by Prensky.
2. “The ‘digital natives’ debate: A critical review of the evidence”, Sue Bennett, Karl Maton and Lisa Kervin 2008, British Journal of Educational Technology ,Vol39, No.5, 2008 775–786.
http://api.ning.com/files/AkclmKAQ9nT0vPJuCYL9261SknCvwP1UJ-RaVQ7kZumzWZVPq5iNlfGrqf0Jpc3wUnK8A07FuVmRXQ1WRqnre5q2z53PRnT0/Thedigitalnativesdebatecriticalreview.pdf
This article supports the criticisms of Prensky outlined in the above article. It states that that rather than being empirically and theoretically informed, the debate regarding digital native can be likened to an academic form of a ‘moral panic’. Again this article forms a stronger basis for my criticisms of Prensky.
3. “First year students’ experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives?”, Gregor E. Kennedy, Terry S. Judd, Anna Churchward, Kathleen Gray, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 2008, 24(1), 108-122.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.85.9526&rep=rep1&type=pdf
This article examines Prensky’s claims further. It examines how when one moves beyond entrenched technologies and tools (e.g. computers, mobile phones, email) the patterns of access and use of a range of other technologies show considerable variation. The findings are discussed in light of Prensky’s (2001a) notions of the ‘Digital Natives’ and the implications for using technology to support teaching and learning in higher education.
4. “The Cyber-World We've Created”. Conhaim, W. (2002). Information Today, 19(9), 58. Retrieved from Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre database.
http://web.ebscohost.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=7&hid=104&sid=fafc2961-4874-49c1-967a-cb99665f9d7b%40sessionmgr11
This article reviews the book 'Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web,' by David Weinberger. Whilst it is largely non-critical of Weinberger’s approach it does a good job of outlining the argument put forward by Weinberger that the web is a world we have made for each other and that unlike Prensky’s view of the digital native confidently shaping the use of information technology, we are essentially still feeling our way in this new ‘digital frontier’.5. Read Write Web - Top Internet Trends of 2000-2009
http://www.readwriteweb.com
I used this site to compare some of the claims made in the various articles used above, against actual trends reported by respected organisations such as Morgan Stanley, Rapleaf and Read Write Web themselves. By using this site I was able to generate a more well rounded view of the claims both authors put forward in their articles.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Tutorial 10 - exploring our media ecology
Tetrad
By looking at and creating tetrads of our everyday technology, we increase our awareness of our surroundings and environment. By studying how and with what tools we use to navigate our day-to-day lives, we can come to a clearer understanding of how we shape technology and vice versa.
Old
Medium: Television
Enhances: Radio – Audio only – no non-verbal communication. Allows for the addition of visual news reporting – not just verbal reporting. Television is an extension of the human voice with the addition of non-verbal communication (body language). Cinema – addition of live (non-scripted) presentation of television content. More of an eye on ‘real life’ than pre-recorded narratives.
Reverses: Simulcasting of events on television back to radio. CNN 24hr coverage of 911 – overload. War TV – the broadcasting of video footage of war onto TV outlines an overly voyeuristic, perverse element of society. TV coverage of war highlights the desensitising of human to the suffering of others.
Retrieves: tribal ecological environments: echo, trauma, paranoia, and also brings back primacy of the spatial, musical, and acoustic. The re-tribalization (and homogenization) of culture: discussing "Seinfeld" around the water cooler at work. The common media-told stories of modern culture: Sitcom plots, the news, Superbowl, the Challenger explosion.
Obsolesces: Obsolesces wires, cables and physical bodies. The beginnings of a truly global communications environment. Makes the jump from an instantaneous "wired" network (telegraph, telephone) to an instantaneous, ubiquitous media environment: "Around the world on short wave."
New
Medium: Email
Enhances: Speed of communication. The ability to act.
Enhances the speed of communication - Email is virtually instantaneous.
Enhances world connectivity – one’s contact details are more visible and searchable than ever, it is easier to find the contact details of others.
Enhances the cost factor – email is virtually free to send communication long distances
Enhances the dissemination of ideas – email forwarding, mail lists
Enhances the ability to imprint individual personality on communications – ability to add animations, music, fonts etc. to enhance the individuality of communication.
Has enhance global feeling by the use of ‘chain mail’ (if you agree forward this onto ten people you know) type emails.
Enhances the ability to quickly respond or to initiate action in a given situation.
Reverses: Viruses, Spam, Privacy
The speed of email allows the unprecedented, rapid spread virus of virus infection eg. Love Bug (The worm began in the Philippines on 5 May 2000 and spread across the world in one day, moving inexorably on to Hong Kong and then to Europe and the US causing an estimated $5.5 billion in damage. By 13 May 2000, 50 million infections had been reported.)
Spam –unsolicited bulk email advertising. Spam averages 78% of all e-mail sent.
Privacy – Email address harvesting, use of social engineering to manipulate people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. Such as revealing credit card information.
Retrieves: Presentation of writing, Etiquette
Use of calligraphy and drawing in the past has been adapted electronically. Asynchronous nature of communication allows the ability to compose response rather than respond in real time. This has ensured etiquette of communication, despite the ‘slimmed down’ nature of email correspondence.
Obsolesces: The old postal system
Whilst hasn’t happened totally. In the future, the physical postal system will become obsolete due to the efficiency of email as well as environmental concerns regarding the need for paper.
By looking at and creating tetrads of our everyday technology, we increase our awareness of our surroundings and environment. By studying how and with what tools we use to navigate our day-to-day lives, we can come to a clearer understanding of how we shape technology and vice versa.
Old
Medium: Television
Enhances: Radio – Audio only – no non-verbal communication. Allows for the addition of visual news reporting – not just verbal reporting. Television is an extension of the human voice with the addition of non-verbal communication (body language). Cinema – addition of live (non-scripted) presentation of television content. More of an eye on ‘real life’ than pre-recorded narratives.
Reverses: Simulcasting of events on television back to radio. CNN 24hr coverage of 911 – overload. War TV – the broadcasting of video footage of war onto TV outlines an overly voyeuristic, perverse element of society. TV coverage of war highlights the desensitising of human to the suffering of others.
Retrieves: tribal ecological environments: echo, trauma, paranoia, and also brings back primacy of the spatial, musical, and acoustic. The re-tribalization (and homogenization) of culture: discussing "Seinfeld" around the water cooler at work. The common media-told stories of modern culture: Sitcom plots, the news, Superbowl, the Challenger explosion.
Obsolesces: Obsolesces wires, cables and physical bodies. The beginnings of a truly global communications environment. Makes the jump from an instantaneous "wired" network (telegraph, telephone) to an instantaneous, ubiquitous media environment: "Around the world on short wave."
New
Medium: Email
Enhances: Speed of communication. The ability to act.
Enhances the speed of communication - Email is virtually instantaneous.
Enhances world connectivity – one’s contact details are more visible and searchable than ever, it is easier to find the contact details of others.
Enhances the cost factor – email is virtually free to send communication long distances
Enhances the dissemination of ideas – email forwarding, mail lists
Enhances the ability to imprint individual personality on communications – ability to add animations, music, fonts etc. to enhance the individuality of communication.
Has enhance global feeling by the use of ‘chain mail’ (if you agree forward this onto ten people you know) type emails.
Enhances the ability to quickly respond or to initiate action in a given situation.
Reverses: Viruses, Spam, Privacy
The speed of email allows the unprecedented, rapid spread virus of virus infection eg. Love Bug (The worm began in the Philippines on 5 May 2000 and spread across the world in one day, moving inexorably on to Hong Kong and then to Europe and the US causing an estimated $5.5 billion in damage. By 13 May 2000, 50 million infections had been reported.)
Spam –unsolicited bulk email advertising. Spam averages 78% of all e-mail sent.
Privacy – Email address harvesting, use of social engineering to manipulate people into performing actions or divulging confidential information. Such as revealing credit card information.
Retrieves: Presentation of writing, Etiquette
Use of calligraphy and drawing in the past has been adapted electronically. Asynchronous nature of communication allows the ability to compose response rather than respond in real time. This has ensured etiquette of communication, despite the ‘slimmed down’ nature of email correspondence.
Obsolesces: The old postal system
Whilst hasn’t happened totally. In the future, the physical postal system will become obsolete due to the efficiency of email as well as environmental concerns regarding the need for paper.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Tutorial 7 - Politics and the Internet
Complete today's tasks:What opportunities can you find for political participation via the internet:How many of the following can you achieve while sticking to your political beliefs?
Sign an e-petition.
http://www.unicef.org.uk/campaigns/stop_aids/petition.asp
Over 33 million people are living with HIV but only one in three has access to the treatment they need to stay alive. This is often because the cost of treatment is unaffordable for poor people and the governments of developing countries. This is why I’m joining the push for the patent pool.
Patent pools can lower the cost of life-saving HIV medicines whilst ensuring that companies are rewarded for developing new drugs. I am pushing for a patent pool in which pharmaceutical companies allow generic versions of their drugs to be produced in return for a fair royalty. This will help people around the world access the medicines they need to stay alive.
Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.
Rocco Bloggo. Sydney Morning Herald (http://blogs.smh.com.au/newsblog/archives/rocco_bloggo/022002.html)
(My Comment)
I heard the new Liberal party leader, Tony Abbott, on the radio yesterday. Despite the constant um's are ah's in his speech, I did (somehow) decode his message. Basically he stated that 'America doesn't have an ETS so why should we'. This pretty much sums up the US-centric Liberal policy of the last ten years. Time we got a new big brother or maybe we could even make a significant decision on our own.
What is Barak Obama up to today?
President Obama plans to speak to Americans via a prime-time address December 1 about new plans for the war in Afghanistan.
http://blogs.america.gov/obama/
Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are.
Local: Aidan McLindon State: Evan Moorhead Federal: Brett Raguse MP
Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.
Brett Raguse MP - Australian Labor Party Representative for Forde (26 Nov 2009)
Mr RAGUSE (Forde) (11.47 am)—I acknowledge the comments of the member for Deakin and his firm understanding of some of the issues that face our health system in this country. I rise today to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (New Zealand Overseas Trained Doctors) Bill 2009. This is a bill that will make 112 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, 26 November 2009 CHAMBER working in Australia easier for medical practitioners from New Zealand and improve administrative processes surrounding overseas sourced medical practitioners in general.
Let your local member know what you think about their last speech.
http://www.openaustralia.org/debate/?id=2009-11-26.33.2&c=206#c206
(My Comment)
Good Stuff!
Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.
I found the lecture interesting in that it opened my eyes to the effect the Internet can have on politics, both here and overseas. Like a lot of things in this course I was ‘kinda’ aware of the effect of the Internet, but this underlined it to me. One point it highlighted is the need for opinion polls, which are used by politicians as justifications for their actions (like the Liberals crossing the floor in the ETS vote, because of emails they had received from people) to be run by official bodies, not as Steve pointed by a non-regulated system of lobbying by a motivated few. This has the potential to impact perceived public opinion by politicians, which can then impact the processes of government.
It also highlighted the immense power that the Internet has in the political process, of which the Obama is cool campaign on YouTube is proof. The girl in that Obama video is a model who I saw hosting another YouTube video about the top 10 sexy female computer game characters about three days ago. These days not only can you not believe everything you read, but also everything you see.
+ adam asks: What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")???
Clean Feed involves the Australian Federal Government plan to force Internet Service Providers [ISPs] to censor the Internet for all Australians. This plan will waste tens of millions of taxpayer dollars and slow down Internet access. I think it is wrong. The responsibility to censor the Internet should lay with parents not the government. Because paedophilia is illegal, sites that show such content are usually found and shut down quickly. Because of this child pornography has been forced underground using technologies such as peer to peer networking. Therefore Clean Feed won’t make any difference to combating Internet child pornography.
What place does censorship have in a democracy?
I don’t believe it has any place in a democracy. Fundamental features of democracy are participation, contestation and civil liberties. Participation is our right to participate in governance. Contestation is the electoral process. Civil Liberties are our human rights etc. I mention these because all these factors rely on government transparency to function effectively. Introduce censorship into any of these areas and the democratic process breaks down. There are places where censorship is appropriate, for example the rating of movies, television etc. But this is to protect children. When the government takes it upon itself to decide what we can view as adults, it is setting off a slippery precedent. Today it is pornography the government believes we need to be protected from. What about tomorrow? Perhaps the government will decide we need to be protected from information that isn’t in their best interest to reveal. When we allow the government to censor what we can see, the potential for misuse in too high (and attractive) by a government that is doing its best to retain power.
Sign an e-petition.
http://www.unicef.org.uk/campaigns/stop_aids/petition.asp
Over 33 million people are living with HIV but only one in three has access to the treatment they need to stay alive. This is often because the cost of treatment is unaffordable for poor people and the governments of developing countries. This is why I’m joining the push for the patent pool.
Patent pools can lower the cost of life-saving HIV medicines whilst ensuring that companies are rewarded for developing new drugs. I am pushing for a patent pool in which pharmaceutical companies allow generic versions of their drugs to be produced in return for a fair royalty. This will help people around the world access the medicines they need to stay alive.
Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.
Rocco Bloggo. Sydney Morning Herald (http://blogs.smh.com.au/newsblog/archives/rocco_bloggo/022002.html)
(My Comment)
I heard the new Liberal party leader, Tony Abbott, on the radio yesterday. Despite the constant um's are ah's in his speech, I did (somehow) decode his message. Basically he stated that 'America doesn't have an ETS so why should we'. This pretty much sums up the US-centric Liberal policy of the last ten years. Time we got a new big brother or maybe we could even make a significant decision on our own.
What is Barak Obama up to today?
President Obama plans to speak to Americans via a prime-time address December 1 about new plans for the war in Afghanistan.
http://blogs.america.gov/obama/
Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are.
Local: Aidan McLindon State: Evan Moorhead Federal: Brett Raguse MP
Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.
Brett Raguse MP - Australian Labor Party Representative for Forde (26 Nov 2009)
Mr RAGUSE (Forde) (11.47 am)—I acknowledge the comments of the member for Deakin and his firm understanding of some of the issues that face our health system in this country. I rise today to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (New Zealand Overseas Trained Doctors) Bill 2009. This is a bill that will make 112 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, 26 November 2009 CHAMBER working in Australia easier for medical practitioners from New Zealand and improve administrative processes surrounding overseas sourced medical practitioners in general.
Let your local member know what you think about their last speech.
http://www.openaustralia.org/debate/?id=2009-11-26.33.2&c=206#c206
(My Comment)
Good Stuff!
Read the lecture and the readings, pursue a couple of the topics that you find most interesting and then post your blog with your well-considered thoughts about the theory and practice of politics.
I found the lecture interesting in that it opened my eyes to the effect the Internet can have on politics, both here and overseas. Like a lot of things in this course I was ‘kinda’ aware of the effect of the Internet, but this underlined it to me. One point it highlighted is the need for opinion polls, which are used by politicians as justifications for their actions (like the Liberals crossing the floor in the ETS vote, because of emails they had received from people) to be run by official bodies, not as Steve pointed by a non-regulated system of lobbying by a motivated few. This has the potential to impact perceived public opinion by politicians, which can then impact the processes of government.
It also highlighted the immense power that the Internet has in the political process, of which the Obama is cool campaign on YouTube is proof. The girl in that Obama video is a model who I saw hosting another YouTube video about the top 10 sexy female computer game characters about three days ago. These days not only can you not believe everything you read, but also everything you see.
+ adam asks: What do you think of the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")???
Clean Feed involves the Australian Federal Government plan to force Internet Service Providers [ISPs] to censor the Internet for all Australians. This plan will waste tens of millions of taxpayer dollars and slow down Internet access. I think it is wrong. The responsibility to censor the Internet should lay with parents not the government. Because paedophilia is illegal, sites that show such content are usually found and shut down quickly. Because of this child pornography has been forced underground using technologies such as peer to peer networking. Therefore Clean Feed won’t make any difference to combating Internet child pornography.
What place does censorship have in a democracy?
I don’t believe it has any place in a democracy. Fundamental features of democracy are participation, contestation and civil liberties. Participation is our right to participate in governance. Contestation is the electoral process. Civil Liberties are our human rights etc. I mention these because all these factors rely on government transparency to function effectively. Introduce censorship into any of these areas and the democratic process breaks down. There are places where censorship is appropriate, for example the rating of movies, television etc. But this is to protect children. When the government takes it upon itself to decide what we can view as adults, it is setting off a slippery precedent. Today it is pornography the government believes we need to be protected from. What about tomorrow? Perhaps the government will decide we need to be protected from information that isn’t in their best interest to reveal. When we allow the government to censor what we can see, the potential for misuse in too high (and attractive) by a government that is doing its best to retain power.
Lecture 6 - Study of Video Games
Today’s lecture was about video games. Marshall McLuhan stated that games are collective social reactions which can be view as popular art. The study of video games ranges from arcade games to MMOGs (Mass Multi Online Games). Videogames, like a lot of technology, can thank the military for its initial development. Some, like Steven Poole's "Trigger Happy" (2002), claim the world’s first videogame was created in 1958, at a U.S. government nuclear research facility, the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Wikepedia states that the earliest example is from 1947—a "Cathode ray tube Amusement Device" was filed for a patent on January 25, 1947 by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann, and issued on December 14, 1948 as U.S. Patent 2455992. This consisted of an analog device that allowed a user to control a vector-drawn dot on the screen to simulate a missile being fired at targets, which were drawings fixed to the screen. Despite these variances in opinion, video games clearly began in a military context.
In the late 90’s video games began to grow in popularity. In 1996, I first began to play the game Duke Nukem and was introduced to the concept of ‘networked games’ which became something of an obsession for a time. The violent content of these games prompted academics and psychologists to begin to question the nature of these games and their effects. ‘Plato allows something to be a game as long as it is not “harmful” and has no “utility.” There is an increasingly vocal charge from some sections of society that videogames are in fact morally harmful. But do they have positive effects—do they have “utility?” Squabbles between psychologists as to whether videogames enhance spatio-visual and motor skills are largely unresolved’ (Poole 2002).
Two concepts involved in the academic study of video games are Narratology and Ludology. Narratology studies the narratives of video games and what these tell\reveal to us. Ludology is the general study of games such as the play aspects, the game aspects and what attracts us to video games. These are actually existing theories that can be applied to the study of video games as a new cultural form.
There is also study in the area of ‘Virtual Philosophy’, some of which relates back to Plato’s cave concept. In which people living in a cave begin to ascribe forms to the shadows on the cave walls; they see these shadows as reality. This leads to the question of what is real and what is virtual.
Personally as someone who used to play a lot of games, mainly network games, I believe that they have value in our society. I think a child playing Playstation or whatever is at least using their bodies and minds as opposed to the mainly passive act of watching TV.
In the late 90’s video games began to grow in popularity. In 1996, I first began to play the game Duke Nukem and was introduced to the concept of ‘networked games’ which became something of an obsession for a time. The violent content of these games prompted academics and psychologists to begin to question the nature of these games and their effects. ‘Plato allows something to be a game as long as it is not “harmful” and has no “utility.” There is an increasingly vocal charge from some sections of society that videogames are in fact morally harmful. But do they have positive effects—do they have “utility?” Squabbles between psychologists as to whether videogames enhance spatio-visual and motor skills are largely unresolved’ (Poole 2002).
Two concepts involved in the academic study of video games are Narratology and Ludology. Narratology studies the narratives of video games and what these tell\reveal to us. Ludology is the general study of games such as the play aspects, the game aspects and what attracts us to video games. These are actually existing theories that can be applied to the study of video games as a new cultural form.
There is also study in the area of ‘Virtual Philosophy’, some of which relates back to Plato’s cave concept. In which people living in a cave begin to ascribe forms to the shadows on the cave walls; they see these shadows as reality. This leads to the question of what is real and what is virtual.
Personally as someone who used to play a lot of games, mainly network games, I believe that they have value in our society. I think a child playing Playstation or whatever is at least using their bodies and minds as opposed to the mainly passive act of watching TV.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Lecture 10 - New Media Ecology? / Summary of the Course Themes
Lecture 10 – The Invisible Environmment
I found today’s lecture great. In the last two weeks my appreciation and understanding of the Internet culture has expanded. As Adam pointed out, the invisible world is something we rarely think about unless our attention is drawn to it. And this is how it was for me regarding the Internet. I had never really considered a lot of what we looked at in this course. I now feel more interested in the impact technology is having on our world and our culture. I like the idea that we need to study the media environment to make sure it is OK and healthy for us as a human species.
The Invisible World (Environment)
When you notice the invisible it is an anti environment event. The present is always invisible because it is environmental, because it saturates the whole field of attention. For example, the goldfish’s environment is imperceptible to it, because he is immersed in it. The water is the fishes medium (environment). Changes in the medium can have significant impacts on the environment.
LOL Internet Video: Theme was to create a video that encompasses the Internet. Winner of the Blog party
Online dating. Spoof on the potential for self misinterpretation on social media.
Media Ecology
Technology used socially becomes a medium. How do the media and our life fit together? This study can be defined as media ecology. Ecology biotics living stuff – abiotic non living (symbolic, abstract environment) Invisible factors shape aspects of our life. Our environment is invisible. Media ecology – looks at media. Is it healthy?
Marshall McLuhan – media are all the human means of expression and conveying meaning. Media is an extensions of man’s sensorium – e.g. camera is an extension of the eye. Further the circuit board is an extension of our nervous system. The PC an extension of our brain.
In media studies there are hot and cold medium. For example television is considered a cold medium because of the passive nature of watching TV. On the other hand the Internet is a hot medium – active.
Medium is the message
The content of the media is shaped by the media. New medium takes the old medium as its content e.g. Radio > TV
Society is ruled by technology we’d be helpless if technology was taken away.
Technology is bigger than the some of its parts
Medium is the technology within which a culture grows. That is to say it gives form to a culture’s politics, social organization and habitual ways of thinking.
If our language changes our way of thinking changes.
PC is very visually operated. What would a computer look like if operated by sound?
Laws of the media – Tetrad
By looking at and creating tetrads of our everyday technology, we increase our awareness of our surroundings and environment. By studying how and with what tools we use to navigate our day-to-day lives, we can come to a clearer understanding of how we shape technology and vice versa.
New medium – enhances prev. medium you tube
What does it retrieve from older medium
What does it make obsolete
What does it reverse or flip when pushed to the extreme
Again this exposed me to a different perception of technology. A very enjoyable and illuminating course.
I found today’s lecture great. In the last two weeks my appreciation and understanding of the Internet culture has expanded. As Adam pointed out, the invisible world is something we rarely think about unless our attention is drawn to it. And this is how it was for me regarding the Internet. I had never really considered a lot of what we looked at in this course. I now feel more interested in the impact technology is having on our world and our culture. I like the idea that we need to study the media environment to make sure it is OK and healthy for us as a human species.
The Invisible World (Environment)
When you notice the invisible it is an anti environment event. The present is always invisible because it is environmental, because it saturates the whole field of attention. For example, the goldfish’s environment is imperceptible to it, because he is immersed in it. The water is the fishes medium (environment). Changes in the medium can have significant impacts on the environment.
LOL Internet Video: Theme was to create a video that encompasses the Internet. Winner of the Blog party
Online dating. Spoof on the potential for self misinterpretation on social media.
Media Ecology
Technology used socially becomes a medium. How do the media and our life fit together? This study can be defined as media ecology. Ecology biotics living stuff – abiotic non living (symbolic, abstract environment) Invisible factors shape aspects of our life. Our environment is invisible. Media ecology – looks at media. Is it healthy?
Marshall McLuhan – media are all the human means of expression and conveying meaning. Media is an extensions of man’s sensorium – e.g. camera is an extension of the eye. Further the circuit board is an extension of our nervous system. The PC an extension of our brain.
In media studies there are hot and cold medium. For example television is considered a cold medium because of the passive nature of watching TV. On the other hand the Internet is a hot medium – active.
Medium is the message
The content of the media is shaped by the media. New medium takes the old medium as its content e.g. Radio > TV
Society is ruled by technology we’d be helpless if technology was taken away.
Technology is bigger than the some of its parts
Medium is the technology within which a culture grows. That is to say it gives form to a culture’s politics, social organization and habitual ways of thinking.
If our language changes our way of thinking changes.
PC is very visually operated. What would a computer look like if operated by sound?
Laws of the media – Tetrad
By looking at and creating tetrads of our everyday technology, we increase our awareness of our surroundings and environment. By studying how and with what tools we use to navigate our day-to-day lives, we can come to a clearer understanding of how we shape technology and vice versa.
New medium – enhances prev. medium you tube
What does it retrieve from older medium
What does it make obsolete
What does it reverse or flip when pushed to the extreme
Again this exposed me to a different perception of technology. A very enjoyable and illuminating course.
Lecture 9 - Networked Creativity (by Jason Nelson)
Lecture 9 – Jason Nelson Internet Use. Creative uses of technology
What are some of the more creative uses of the net?
Jason first showed us a very cool real time disaster map that reports all the disasters that have been reported in the world in real time. You can even get details of the events. This site connects to emergency management services all over the world. It is run on Google maps. He then showed us a bunch of interesting sites such as www.speedtest.net. On this site you can check the speed of your internet connection. We connected to a site in Perm Russia and downloaded a bit of data. Ist ping then downloaded a bit of data in 0.62ms. ISP can tell you exactly which physical address data comes from. All off this really brings home just how the Internet is a living breathing instant network. I realized that seems obvious and a bit stupid but when you see in a graphical format, and in real time, data going from a computer in the room to a computer in Russia and back again, it becomes a lot clearer that this is live network of untold computers all communicating with each other NOW. Very cool.
We also learnt about some techno security, surveillance stuff. For example all colour prints have code in them to prevent counterfeit money. Keylogger records the keystroke you make on the computer. Employers can and do use these to monitor your work performance and use of their property against company policy. They are not obligated to tell as it is their property. Archiving of email by unis and companies.
Jason then showed some of the ways creative people are making money from the web as well as just having fun. Such as:
Generators – a whole bunch of tools that people use to automatically create something. Douchebag name generator.
What makes people successful on the internet are people that are continuously create content, like Homestar runner, a successful home run weekly cartoon – The business makes a lot of money selling related products – shirts, posters, etc.
Portable apps – open source repository of software, much of which can be store software on a memory stick. Eventually some people see PCs will just be interfaces to the internet. A bit like the terminal – server setup of the old days, but the Internet will be the server. We only investigate the net in little (1min – 2min) chunks. We find stuff and pass along. The internet is one of the last places that people do things for free. In that sense the open source community is a unique phenomenon in the world.
.
Searching is a big thing as the power of Google can attest.
Freewaregenius.com – site that reviews freeware.
Technorati – search engine / directory for blogs. Can see how many people follow the blog (its popularity). In the 90’s yahoo use to keep info in directories. These days one can use different ways to search, such as on Google by clicking more. Google Wave – the next generation of emails + real time doc sharing + chat window. Can work on docs at the same time from different locations. Perhaps the next wave of communication software?
We then looked at some of Jason‘s art. This was an interesting experience for me after having reviewed his site the previous day. I must confess to not really being a arty type of person so I didn’t really appreciate his work much. Hearing him as well as other more arty type people in the room comment on it really opened my eyes. Learning some of Jason’s motivations behind what he had done made it more understandable. I also learnt a new appreciation for digital art and its unique qualities, such as making artwork with the browser as the canvas. How it is art that is unlike anything before it, even though, much like the convergence of technology, it is creating a new form from the old by converge the art of music, painting, animation etc. I found this opened my eye’s and gave a new appreciation for digital art. Not that I think I’ll start hanging around galleries, but I will approach with a more open mind.
What are some of the more creative uses of the net?
Jason first showed us a very cool real time disaster map that reports all the disasters that have been reported in the world in real time. You can even get details of the events. This site connects to emergency management services all over the world. It is run on Google maps. He then showed us a bunch of interesting sites such as www.speedtest.net. On this site you can check the speed of your internet connection. We connected to a site in Perm Russia and downloaded a bit of data. Ist ping then downloaded a bit of data in 0.62ms. ISP can tell you exactly which physical address data comes from. All off this really brings home just how the Internet is a living breathing instant network. I realized that seems obvious and a bit stupid but when you see in a graphical format, and in real time, data going from a computer in the room to a computer in Russia and back again, it becomes a lot clearer that this is live network of untold computers all communicating with each other NOW. Very cool.
We also learnt about some techno security, surveillance stuff. For example all colour prints have code in them to prevent counterfeit money. Keylogger records the keystroke you make on the computer. Employers can and do use these to monitor your work performance and use of their property against company policy. They are not obligated to tell as it is their property. Archiving of email by unis and companies.
Jason then showed some of the ways creative people are making money from the web as well as just having fun. Such as:
Generators – a whole bunch of tools that people use to automatically create something. Douchebag name generator.
What makes people successful on the internet are people that are continuously create content, like Homestar runner, a successful home run weekly cartoon – The business makes a lot of money selling related products – shirts, posters, etc.
Portable apps – open source repository of software, much of which can be store software on a memory stick. Eventually some people see PCs will just be interfaces to the internet. A bit like the terminal – server setup of the old days, but the Internet will be the server. We only investigate the net in little (1min – 2min) chunks. We find stuff and pass along. The internet is one of the last places that people do things for free. In that sense the open source community is a unique phenomenon in the world.
.
Searching is a big thing as the power of Google can attest.
Freewaregenius.com – site that reviews freeware.
Technorati – search engine / directory for blogs. Can see how many people follow the blog (its popularity). In the 90’s yahoo use to keep info in directories. These days one can use different ways to search, such as on Google by clicking more. Google Wave – the next generation of emails + real time doc sharing + chat window. Can work on docs at the same time from different locations. Perhaps the next wave of communication software?
We then looked at some of Jason‘s art. This was an interesting experience for me after having reviewed his site the previous day. I must confess to not really being a arty type of person so I didn’t really appreciate his work much. Hearing him as well as other more arty type people in the room comment on it really opened my eyes. Learning some of Jason’s motivations behind what he had done made it more understandable. I also learnt a new appreciation for digital art and its unique qualities, such as making artwork with the browser as the canvas. How it is art that is unlike anything before it, even though, much like the convergence of technology, it is creating a new form from the old by converge the art of music, painting, animation etc. I found this opened my eye’s and gave a new appreciation for digital art. Not that I think I’ll start hanging around galleries, but I will approach with a more open mind.
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