New Media: Internet Self & Beyond

Internet and the Law (Week 9)

If you have a website with a .com domain name then you are subject to US jurisdiction (Kumar 2012).  This means the US can take down your website or even extradite you to the USA if the content is perceived as violating their law – even if it is legal in your country.  I think this is an interesting situation; while it seems fair if the content was directly threatening to the US (such as a security risk or major pirating operation), in different circumstances it is unfair if the content is genuine and harmless and the US has inappropriately taken it down.  Reilly Mchugh explores this jurisdiction further in their blog.

Another legal issue involving the internet is piracy. 

(Advanced Television 2011)

It is estimated that a third of the Australian population “is active in some form of movie piracy” (AFACT 2011, 3) and this has cost the Australian economy over $1.3 billion in 2010 alone (AFACT 2011; Bulbeck 2011) – if this is the effect on our small industry, imagine the impact movie piracy has on the American Film Industry!  This is a huge problem that is damaging the worldwide entertainment industry and greatly impacting jobs.  As a film student I am well aware of the consequences movie piracy has, and numerous advertising campaigns have attempted to educate the wider audience on this such as the MPAA’s ‘Get the Real Picture’ campaign (MPAA and The City of New York Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting 2008).

 (MPAA 2011)

Darryl Woodford (Woodford 2012) states that policy exists at different levels on the internet, however piracy highlights the difficulty of enforcing these regulations.

It’s really not that hard to borrow or buy a DVD legally.

References:

Advanced Television. 2011. “New program fights online movie piracy?” Image. Accessed May 6, 2012. http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2011/01/31/new-program-fights-online-movie-piracy/

AFACT (Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft). 2011. Economic consequences of movie piracy: Australia.  Accessed May 6, 2012. http://www.afact.org.au/assets/research/IPSOS_Economic_Consequences_of_Movie_Piracy_-_Australia.pdf

Bulbeck, Pip. 2011. “AFACT: Australia Lost Over $1.3 Billion to Film Piracy in 2010.” The Hollywood Reporter, February 17.  Accessed May 6, 2012. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afact-australia-lost-13-billion-101085 

Kumar, Vikram. 2012. “Have a .com web address? Know the legal risks.” The National Business Review, March 19.  Accessed May 5, 2012. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/have-com-web-address-know-legal-risks-ck-113355

MPAA (Motion Picture Association America). 2011. “Governments Around The World Take A Stand For Creators, Consumers”. Image. Accessed May 6, 2012. http://www.mpaa.org/contentprotection/public-service-announcements

MPAA (Motion Picture Association America), and The City of New York Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. 2008. Get the Real Picture Ad Campaign Targets NYC Subways. Accessed May 6, 2012. http://www.iccwbo.org/uploadedFiles/BASCAP/Pages/Get%20the%20Real%20Picture.pdf

Woodford, Darryl. “KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self and Beyond: Week 9 Lecture Prezi Notes.” Accessed May 6, 2012. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_81726_1%26url%3D

Blurring the Lines (Week 8)

The boundaries between our private and public lives are becoming blurred with new social media technologies.  As Thompson (2011, 49) comments ‘the emergence of new media … has altered the very nature of the public, the private and the relations between them.’  Facebook is an example of users making their private lives public for all to see.  While I think it is a great way for people to communicate with each other and share their common interests and experiences, it is also making ‘cyber stalking’ very easy, as Nick Maguire explores in his blog.  Thompson (2011, 63) also comments that individuals mistakenly believe that they have control over their content once published online and this Online Safety Commercial (OCDRCM 2008) aims to educate people about this. 

Advancements in robotic technology are increasingly being used as a way to understand human social behaviour and in turn, improve our social experiences, as Cynthia Breazeal (2011) explains in her TED talk.  She explores the possibility of robots that can interact with us and become our companions in the future, an idea I am excited and cautious about – how human-like should we make them?

Another new technology that caught my eye this week was ‘Project Glass’ from Google.  These are augmented reality glasses that display information, similar to what you would get on your smart phone, right in front of your eyes (Google 2012).  I think it would be interesting to test these out – to see if they assist or hinder your experience.

References:

Cynthia Breazeal. 2011. “The rise of personal robots.” TED Conferences Talk, posted February. Accessed April 27, 2012. http://www.ted.com/talks/cynthia_breazeal_the_rise_of_personal_robots.html

Google. 2012. “Project Glass: One day…” YouTube video, posted April 4. Accessed April 29, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4

OCDRCM (The Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management). 2008. “Bulletin Board - Online Safety Commercial.” YouTube video, posted December 3. Accessed April 29, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nOUu1fldBbI

Thompson, John B. 2011. “Shifting boundaries of public and private life.” Theory Culture Society 28 (4): 49-70.

Blogs I have commented on this week:

Azerinna

Nick Maguire

Making Money on the Internet (Week 7)

Everyone here is a user of new media, but are we all aware of the opportunities it offers?

A growing number of people are turning to new media for their employment possibilities.  This ranges from professional careers to freelance work, all of which done over the internet (Gill 2007, 26).  Not only does this provide people who cannot leave the house during traditional work hours (such as stay at home mums or people with serious illness) a way to earn a living, but is also a way for the average person to gain some extra money on the side.  I believe this is a great new development in our working society as it helps to equalise opportunities – the new media employer can focus on your work rather than your interpersonal dynamics.  This blog further explores the benefits and disadvantages of this type of work. 

Websites such as Amazon Mechanical Turk (2012) and InnoCentive (2012) provide freelance work to users in exchange for specified payments, some of which are ‘micro-payments’ of as little as one cent!  Personally, I don’t see the point in spending your time on these tasks just to earn a cent, but as Jonathan Zittrain (2009) points out, this task is popular amongst university students in America.  After all, this is still a way to make money!

Everywhere you look, people are inventing new ways to make money, with new media platforms such as the internet leading the way. 

References:

Amazon.com. “Amazon Mechanical Turk.” Accessed April 13, 2012. https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

Gill, Rosalind. 2007. Technobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New Media work in Amsterdam a decade after the web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures. Accessed April 12, 2012. http://www.networkcultures.org/_uploads/17.pdf

InnoCentive, Inc. “InnoCentive.” Accessed April 21, 2012. http://www.innocentive.com/

Zittrain, Jonathan. 2009. “Minds for Sale.” YouTube video, posted November 29. Accessed April 12, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw3h-rae3uo&feature=youtu.be

Self Diagnosing using the Internet (Week 5)

People are increasingly using the Internet for health information and self diagnosis - what happened to going to your doctor?  

“The Internet can be seen to speak to the user as an individualized, DIY subject, providing targeted health information” (Lewis 2006, 522).  In many cases, people use the Internet or a ‘symptom checker’ as a first resort to help ease their fears of what might be wrong.  However Wyatt, Harris and Wathen (2008) propose that these results more often than not lead to confusing and stressful times.  This is partly due to the amount of unofficial health websites on the Internet providing searchers with incorrect information, as well as unclear distinctions between what is medical and what is advertising advice (Lewis 2006).

But health information on the Internet isn’t all bad. If you use a professional and properly sourced website such as Mayo Clinic (2012), then you can be confident that the medical information is high quality and reliable.

While I think that health information on the Internet is a good way for people to research their illnesses and prescription drugs, it is only good if the correct and reliable sources are being used in addition to consulting with your doctor.  More information is better than less, and can improve your knowledge.  Beth Sainsbury discusses this in her blog. 

**For more information about Health and New Media, check out Morgan James’ weekly blog.**

References:

Lewis, Tania. 2006. “Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria?” Media Culture Society 28 (4): 521-539. Accessed March 30, 2012. doi: 10.1177/0163443706065027.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. “Mayo Clinic.” Accessed March 31, 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/

Wyatt, Sally, Roma Harris and Nadine Wathen. 2008. “The Go-Betweens: Health, Technology and Info(r)mediation.” In Mediating Health Information: The Go-Betweens in a Changing Socio-Technical Landscape, edited by Nadine Wathen, Sally Wyatt and Roma Harris, 1-12. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Image accessed via Google Images.

Social Media – Ethics, Politics & Beliefs (Week 4)

Social media isn’t just being used as a way to communicate and share photos/experiences with friends anymore.  It is now a way for politics, religion and ethical standards to be expressed.

What do you think is ethical to publish on the internet?

Hamelink (2006) discusses this and whether there should be different regulations for the internet than for traditional media.  Something Hamelink (2006, 118) asks that stood out for me was “can one gossip, lie, or deceive in the virtual world?”.  Yes this is possible but that doesn’t make it right and the same goes for traditional face to face interactions and situations.  I agree with Hamelink that extra rules for social media are not necessary as our standard level of ethics should apply.

Social media shapes politics, as seen in Obama’s 2008 election campaign where he engaged with supporters through social networking, which gave him a huge advantage against his opposition (Carr 2008).  Social media can also be used to organise protests and change political leaders (Shirky 2011, 28).  In my opinion, it is great to have an online area where people from all over the world can express their views and make a difference (just look at the recent support for KONY 2012 - thanks to social media (Invisible Children 2012)).

Religious groups are also using social media to create online communities for people to share and express their beliefs (Miller 2011).  Reilly McHugh discusses this in their blog.

These are examples of how social media influence us in ethical, political and religious ways.

References

Carr, David. 2008. “How Obama Tapped Into Social Networks’ Power.” The New York Times, November 9, 2008. Accessed March 24, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10carr.html

Hamelink, Cees J. 2006. “Chapter 7 : The Ethics of the Internet : Can We Cope With Lies and Deceit on The Net?” In Ideologies of the Internet, edited by Katharine Sarikakis and Daya K. Thussu, 115-130. New Jersey: Hampton Press Inc.

Invisible Children. “KONY 2012.” Accessed March 24, 2012. http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

Miller, Daniel. 2011. Tales from Facebook. Cambridge: Polity.

Shirky, Clay. 2011. “The Political Power of Social Media.” Foreign Affairs 90 (1): 28-41. Accessed March 24, 2012. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=3fbbaf52-d89b-4f35-babc-e77c19146bfe%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=105&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=56624549

Image accessed via Google Images.

New Media As A Means Of Expressing Identity (Week 3)

Self expression is enhanced by the use of new media and technology – e.g. iPods and YouTube.

Your iPod playlist says more about you than you might think. Levy (2006) explores the idea that your iPod is not merely a music device, but a gateway into your personality. Your song choices portrays who you are; your interests, identity and, to an extent, your beliefs.

“Simply handing over your iPod to a friend … or the total stranger sitting next to you on the plane opens you up like a book” (Levy 2006, 26). I agree – you might not want to hand your iPod over to a complete stranger (I definitely wouldn’t), but sharing with your friends is not only a way of getting closer to one another, but also a way of broadening your tastes and is an opportunity for growth.

Levy mentions how easy it is to judge others on their musical preferences, something that both Jacob Myers and Katie Gemzik write about in their blogs. In my opinion it is only human to make comparisons between ourselves and others - and iPods’ portability facilitates this.

YouTube, with videos such as “Star Wars Uncut: Director’s Cut” (2009) and “Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir” (2010), make it easy for individuals to express themselves on the world stage, which is like handing your iPod over to millions.

References:

Levy, S. 2006. The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture and Coolness. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, pp. 21-41.

Pugh, Casey. 2009. “Star Wars Uncut: Director’s Cut.” YouTube video, posted January 18, 2012. Accessed March 16, 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ezeYJUz-84

Whitacre, Eric. 2010. “Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir - ‘Lux Aurumque’.” YouTube video, posted March 21, 2010. Accessed March 17, 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs