Topic 12 – Share, Remix, Reuse…legally ?

Lecture - ECL / CC / FOSS….omgwtfbbq

Due to the way in which the internet has been constructed, no single body can control the entire network. Each country or network has provisions which users are required to adhere to. The internet experiences exponential growth with the availability of new technology reaching more and more people around the globe. As a result, the internet has become a key concern for governments and corporations who are vying for control of the masses. The key issue presented is the decrease of privacy and electronic civil liberties as governments and corporations tighten their grip on the users.

Ideally the internet should be a neutral net, which put simply means equality should be maintained through out the network. However, ISPs and corporations oppose a neutral net instead prioritizing their own data agenda. One of the most blatant examples of data shaping is carried out by Rogers (Canadian equivalent of Telstra) who after 20mins will decrease your internet bandwidth if you are deemed to be using a VOIP service such as Skype. Alternatively ISPs or networks may just completely disable certain types of data traffic in an attempt to control user actions, with peer-to-peer networks are usual targets. Other forms of civil liberty infractions may also include content filtering which disables access to certain internet content. This is especially evident in China where many American websites are blocked from being access anywhere in the country. Countries such as America and Britain are known to actively spy on internet users by tracking their online activity and flagging specific behavior for analysis. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an organization which aims to maintain fundamental digital rights of users including free speech, intellectual property, international laws and privacy concerns.

Creative Commons is an alternative method of licensing content which allows users certain freedoms not gained through the use of traditional copyright. Most notably, Creative Commons (CC) allows users to remix or recreate work for nonprofit purposes and be legally used online. This organization was created in order to fulfill the need for a new type of copyright which better adapted to the online environment.

Reading

Why Software Should Not Have Owners

The article “Why Software Should Not Have Owners” by Richard Stallman argues that proprietary software is a negative influence in society which creates more problems than solutions. A key distinction made in the article is line of thinking perpetuated by software owners to guide the mass market. Stallman mentions specifically that intuitions about traditional theft do not apply in the digital environment due to the lack of a physical good. Another critical aspect is the exaggeration used by owners in gauging their losses by counting the numbers of copies not even considering the actual intent of purchase. Stallman argues that software should be open in order for people to cooperate openly and freely.

FLOSS

Free/Libré/Open Source Software (FLOSS), free software is software that anyone can use, copy, improve, examine or distribute, either at no cost or for a price as described by the author. FLOSS blurs the line between users and creator and affords all users with the ability to use software in methods they intend. ‘Free’ in this context refers to freedoms which can be undertaken with modification or co-creation of the software. The software can be free in a conventional sense however some creators may charge a small amount for their works. Customization plays a huge role in the distribution of paid ‘free’ software as organizations may customize the software for different consumers.

Cory Doctorow: Creative Commons

Topic 11 - yarrrrrrh..Pirates

Lecture - Stealing the Internets

Copyright is a form of protection provided by laws to the authors of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. The law enables copyright owners to control use of their material in a number of ways, such as making copies, issuing copies to the public, performing in public, broadcasting and use on-line. Over the past several years, copyright owners of music, movies and other digital media have seen an exponential increase of piracy with the introduction of affordable broadband technology. As a result, many copyright holders, particularly the record and movie studios, have begun introducing DRM (Digital Rights Management) to their products in an attempt to curb the growing rate of piracy. Current DRM standards have had a negative impact on consumers purchasing legal music and movies online as it imposes severe limitations on the downloaded media. Thus the organizations implementing DRM are negatively impacting the consumers who wish to purchase their products legally. One can argue that piracy has been boosted thanks to the implementation of DRM.

Peer-to-peer file sharing software is one of the largest contributors to online piracy, effectively providing users with the ability to download a myriad of copyrighted content. Most downloaded content usually includes latest released movies, new music and software. The moral question of ‘is downloading this content wrong’ is completely subjective with each person offering different perspectives. In my opinion, piracy is an inevitable part of life which will never be completely extinguished by corporations or governments. This point is reinforced by the inability of corporations to adequately adapt to current market conditions creating non-serviced consumers. Parallels can be drawn between online piracy and traditional black markets which both develop as a result of unmet demands.

The internet comprises of private networks which span the globe, therefore there is no single governing body. This allows pirates to hide in relative safely in countries with lax privacy laws such as Sweden. Mininova.org is a prime example of a website hosted in Sweden which provides its users with the ability to browse and download hundreds of thousands of copyrighted works.

Reading: When Pigs Fly

Adaptability is a key word for any business in any market. The business needs to be able to adapt to changing market conditions and forecast future conditions in order to survive. Simply put, locate consumer demand and satisfy it, when the demand changes, change your product or service to fulfill the new demand. The music industry, and in particular the labels, have outright failed to adapt to consumer demands. Technology not only allows users to quickly and easily access digital copies of music but it also enables us to get it for free. As mentioned in the article, we live in the iPod generation; consumers have become accustomed to downloading entire albums illegally online. Record Labels expect the same consumers to pay $30+ dollars for what they can receive for free. They have lost control of their distribution by not providing consumers with correct means of obtaining their products. Thus consumers have found alternative methods, largely in non-legal form, of obtaining their desired product. As mentioned previously, it’s the black market balance, what can’t be obtained through regular markets will be obtained through black markets. The music labels still follow the out-dated and traditional sales strategies; they are failing to understand the impact of technology on their market which will eventually lead to their demise.

Topic 10 - What is Human?

Lecture – Blade Runner: More Human than Human

The 1982 film Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep’. Set in 2019 Los Angeles, the narrative places the characters in a world ruined by economic and environmental exploitation. Unlike many other films in the science-fiction genre, Blade Runner explicitly focuses on the question of ‘what does it mean to be human’. The film explores this question by presenting artificial life in the form of the ‘replicants’ which aim to determine what aspects of humanity define humans. The parallels between man and machine are presented which the film essentially asking what makes humans different from machines. As described in the film, replicants were designed to be ‘more human than human’ in order to create the perfect being. This is conveyed in almost a biblical sense where the Tyrell Corporation has created a being which they believe is superior to humans. Additionally, the notion of emotions in machines is explored through the evolution of the replicant’s artificial intelligence. The development of human emotion in the replicants proposes that the divide between humans and machines in the future may decrease as the machines become more human than human.

Reading - An exploration of what it is to be human

The novel ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep’ by Philip K. Dick explores the notion of what makes humans human. As the basis for the film Blade Runner, the novel follows the same analysis of the qualities which make humans human. A key aspect of humanity mentioned in the analysis is empathy which asserts that an artificial life form would be required to develop a conscience. The measurement or analysis of emotions in this context provides the foundation for determining real from the simulated. As a point of comparison, the author proposes that if machines possessed emotions, what distinction could be drawn between them and humans. Would machines evolve from machine to our current definition of ‘human’?

Topic 9 - Cyberpunk

Lecture – Cyber Punk

Although difficult to accurately define, Cyberpunk can be seen as a futuristic perspective of society in which technology has evolved well beyond the scope of current standards. Encapsulated in the futuristic world, nanotechnology, biotechnology and artificial intelligence are often explored to establish an impression of immense technological influence in every day life. A recurring theme in Cyberpunk is the segregation of society based on wealth and influence, often characterized by small, ruling elite of multinational corporations and a large, brutal mass of regular people. This creates a foundation for Cyberpunk as authors seek to establish a form of rebellion against the large conglomerates and governments which control the world. The ‘punk’ aspect is characterised by this rebellion against authority or controllers in society. Cyberpunk focuses on ‘inner-space’ which refers to the here and now but exaggerated to follow what we perceive to be its natural development in the future. Cyberpunk aims to differentiate itself from the sci-fi genre by creating a dystopia rather than the traditional utopia often portrayed in science fiction.

Reading – The Allegory of the Cave & Burning Chrome

Allegory of the cave
The basic premise of Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is the human perception of truth through conditioning can be altered. This also incorporates the notion that what maybe perceived truth isn’t actual reality. In this example people are kept in a cave from childhood and shown shadows of real objects projected onto a wall. Through conditioning their perception of reality is formed around the visual input of the cave shadows. Plato suggests that all humans are prisoners of our perceived reality and that our tangible world is our cave. The things we perceive to be real are the equivalent of the shadows on the wall.

Burning Chrome
The 1986 novel ‘Burning Chrome’ by William Gibson is one of the great works in the Cyberpunk genre. As a Cyberpunk novel the story unfolds in a futuristic world where biotechnology allows humans to plug directly into networks through artificial interfaces. This premise could be interpreted as a parallel to that depicted in the 1995 movie ‘Ghost in the Shell’ where both police and hackers entered a similar virtual network. As hackers illegally access networks in society today, Burning Chrome portrays this same concept but in a far more technologically advanced culture which aims to intensify the issue. The story depicts a fictional world controlled exclusively by computers, in this scenario hackers become a massive threat to everyday life. One can make the argument that our society is reaching or has already reached a point where we rely so heavily on computers that hackers pose a major threat.

Topic 8 - Game on

Lecture – Is gaming a waste of time?

The electronic gaming industry has seen exponential growth over the past several years as more and more games aim at a broader audience. A primary example being the Nintendo Wii gaming console which through the use of motion controls allows players guide their on screen counter-parts without the need for complex button sequences. In this example we wee how manufacturers are innovating in order to drive the industry into a more mainstream environment. In recent years gaming has evolved into a social experience where players from around the world gather to speak a universal language. Interactivity in gaming has become a major issue with developers creating immersive worlds full of detail and design. Creating not only a game, but a virtual environment has become a key consideration for game developers wanting to maximise their player base. As an example, ‘The Sims’ is the best selling PC game of all time with players not only controlling their in game experience but creating their environment and social interaction. Through the use of naratology, much like a writer, a game developer creates a story that is aimed at creating certain perceptions and reactions amongst players. Alternatively, people like Jesper Juul proposes that games differ from movies and the traditional media landscape and thus takes a ludo-logical perspective on gaming. The one of the main arguments raised by Juul is that the relationship between the player and game world is completely different to reader/viewer of a story.

Reading – Trigger Happy

The article ‘Trigger Happy’ by Steven Poole investigates the evolution and effects of video gaming and entertainment in society. A critical issue mentioned in the article is the differentiation between a simulated environment and our actual environment. As described in the article, game designers create virtual environments which aim to be a representation of our reality. However, these environments offer only a slice of reality in that they are modified by game designers to enhance entertainment value. The example given in the article is lasers often seen in space combat games often miss targets when in reality a laser would hit targets instantaneously. Video games create false ‘in game’ reality in order to create more entertainment. Designers do this to remove us from reality and immerse players in a space where what maybe impossible becomes possible. Furthermore, what may be considered reality in game cannot be directly equated to games as provided in the article a F1 driver may not perform well in game due to differences in physics and physical interaction (feed back). In most circumstances, the game designer has an objective to accomplish; the inconsistencies and idealisms in modern games are an extension of this process.

Tutorial Tasks – Internet Field Trip

Instant messaging has seen many innovations over recent years with several major players vying for critical mass. In particular what was once MSN messenger has now become Windows Live Messenger with a whole new range of features, most notably integration with “Live Spaces”, Microsoft’s blogging and social network system. In order to stay competitive and attract larger audiences IM designers have had to maintain a steady flow of new and innovative features. Innovation in the form of 3d environments has become a new stage in the development of IM software. Parallels can be drawn between this development and the evolution of MUDs to current generation RPG games. There is natural evolution of from the basic principles of software which is driven by user demand. As seen in Second Life, there is a demand for 3D virtual environments in which people socialise. The 3D environment creates a space where people can more accurately communicate their persona's over the web. Utilising the Second Life example, people create avatars; this representation of themselves projects an aspect of their personality to other users. A 3D environment creates new avenues for communication and interaction that aren’t possible in traditional IM programs. For example, a 3D environment removes you from reality which can create an immersive experience similar to what is seen in video games. As already demonstrated by Second Life, the scope for online social environments is definitely a area of huge growth potential. In the future the integration of artificial intelligence into social networks will become a major factor as already developed by www.mycybertwin.com. Eventually the internet itself could be portrayed as massive social environments where users literally walk between websites as depicted in many futuristic movies.

Topic 7 - War..What is it good for?

Lecture – eXistenZ

The movie eXistenZ by director David Cronenberg touches on several key issues relating to the implementation of technology and differentiation of reality from virtual reality. In general, Cronenberg explores the idea of technologys impact on society and the way in which it shapes and manipulates our reality. In context the movie depicts an extreme view of this idea where humans are no longer able to differentiate between the virtual and real world. Parallels can be drawn between eXistenZ and the Matrix, in that both movies explore the idea of a virtual reality being perceived as actual reality or more accurately a merging (in perception) of both into a single existence. The over riding concept in both films asks the question “what if the lines between reality and virtual reality are blurred?”.

Readings – The Military-Entertainment Complex

One of the primary aspects seen in the article is the way in which technology and social change is reflected through methods of communications. An interesting point in the article is that entertainment has been used for generations in order to manipulate the social view of war which can be seen in the desensitization of the public through news and other communication mediums. As mentioned in the article, board games are a representation of a battle field, the simulation of war is predominant feature of a our society. Even in the digital realms, the most popular forms of entertainment are all based on some aspect of war whether it be video games like Call of Duty or action movies like Saving Private Ryan. Manipulation of information will always be a key issue in obtaining the truth, this specifically relates to the reporting of news in times of war. By editing and changing the flow of information, people can create completely new perspectives for better or worse. In many cases information is manipulated to achieve specific objectives.

Topic 6 - Old school

Lecture – History of computing

In the broadest terms, a computer is a device used for mathematical calculations. One can make the argument that the abacus was the first albeit crude ‘computer’. In the 19^th century Charles Babbage created the ‘Difference Engine’ which allowed engineers to calculate and print mathematical tables. Even though this ‘computer’ was mechanical rather than electrical it is considered to set out the logical structure for modern computers.

The most serious work on electronic computing was performed by Alan Turing during the development of the BOMBE, a computer used to decrypt Nazi ciphers during World War II. IBM began producing commercially available computers in the 1950s which were utilized primarily by government, military and corporate organizations.

A common misconception is the history of the computer is the creator of the mouse and graphical user interface (GUI). Apple was the first to implement the technology however it was initially created by Xerox.

Other critical points

• Xerox created the graphical user interface and mouse
• The first PC wasn’t released until 1975
• Bill Gates wrote the ‘Basic’ computer language for the Altair computer
• Basic allowed functions like word processing, accounting and games
• Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created Apple Computers

Reading – New Media

The discussion of what is considered ‘new’ media has become convoluted and even more complex with the introduction of the internet. The evolution of media requires that we constantly reevaluate the current technological climate with emerging technologies in order to understand its implications in society. The question for new media is why it is required and what does it provide that previous iterations did not. The most predominant example of ‘new’ media is the internet which in itself has created new media streams when we consider the implications of the World Wide Web. In this instance we see an accelerated linear evolution through the internet to innovate old media technologies or standards. With world wide integration, the internet has created digitalized society where all information is data that travels around the world in seconds. The convergence brought with the internet has allowed telecommunications, computing and new media to merge into a single stream of ‘communication’.

Tute – Wikipert

Lancer Evolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancer_Evolution

The article appears to be accurate with the majority of data cited from reputable and reliable sources. The page contains enough general and specific information about the lancer evolution range in order to gain a full understanding of the vehicle. The article was specific enough to list exact power and performance figures as specified by the manufacture from different countries as well as country specific models. Overall the article was correctly formatted and indexed to allow quick and easy browsing. Being that the article is based on facts there was no argument made by any side. In order to improve the article I would use pictures of each model as produced by the manufacturer rather than private vehicles. This creates a more accurate representation of the vehicle from the reader’s perspective.

Top Gear (TV Series)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_gear

The article appears to be accurate with the majority of data cited from reputable and reliable sources. The source of most of the information is directly taken from the series itself. The page contains a well documented history and current overview of the series and the presenters as well as an accurate representation of information taken from the show (eg. lap times & cool wall). The article provides readers with a very accurate overview of the show as well as detailed information about particular moments of interest. The article follows wikipedia guidelines and has several other wiki services associated such as wikiquote and wikicommons. The article is relatively fair with no major point of concern; however some information is represented as a view of the author for example most significant cars listed. In order to improve the article I would provide more episode details and provide links to episode overviews.

Topic 5 - You can't handle the truth

Lecture – Wiki-wam-wam-wozzel

As a resource, Wikipedia has become one of the leading online databases with over 2.3 millions articles online as of this post. Utilising the principle of ‘wisdom of the masses’, Wikipedia allows any user to add/remove/edit or modify an article. The premise of the Wiki project is to create an atmosphere that is open to ideas or debate and have it be accessible from all over the world. However, being user driven lends itself to a number of issues, most notably the accuracy and the lack accountability of its users. In perspective, this not only applies to Wikipedia but a variety of online sources. The main issue being discussed here is that users were taking information found on Wikipedia and presenting it as the truth, or their ‘perceived’ truth. This reflects on the larger argument of ‘what can we define as the truth’ and ‘what is deemed to be an authoritative source’. So in actual fact this argument doesn’t focus on Wikipedia but more so on how we define truth and what we perceive to be true may not always be. The credibility of information will always be a concern whether it is derived from an online or offline source. The nature of knowledge is that interpretation of information will be a perceived truth in that point of time. To put it simply…there is no spoon.

Reading - Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

The short story written originally in Spanish by author Jorge Luis Borges (1940) is an expression of how perceived truth is easily manipulated and made material. One of the central themes explored is the natural progression of information to be interpreted as fact.
As in the story, people are susceptible to false information which manifests itself into its own existence. Creating dimensions where information can influence human perception provides an atmosphere which breads false truths. Borges conveys the issue of reflection, replication and reproduction which create a perfect and imperfect world. In this light, we can draw parallels between Borges work and Wikipedia in that infusing information into perceived truth is enabled through human conditions.

Tute – More Walter Benjamin

How do the ideas from Walter Benjamin's "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" apply to contemporary digital media?

With the advent of digital media Benjamin’s theories on the reproduction of art holds many of the same truths. Global digitisation allows a greater number of people to replicate art which parallels Benajamin’s perspective on mechanical reproduction. So the idea of technology enabling or reducing ‘barriers’ to replication is maintained. Another key aspect is the interpretation of ‘art’ where digital media allows us to experience a contrast to old art forms which may be referred to as more traditional.

There was a time when "Art" was made by artists who were skilled professionals. Now that anyone with a computer can create things digitally (music, images, videos, etc), what does that mean for "art"?

Technology in the past, as shown in Benjamin’s article, has often been portrayed in a negative light due to its inherent transformation of all things traditional. This application can be seen in many aspects of life where technology changes social, political and economical facets. The critical point here is that detractors of technology will always argue that the remodelling of a traditional art form is not a benefit. With the emergence of technology in art, the definition of ‘art’ has had to adapt. What is considered art is merely an individual’s interpretation.

Is a photoshopped image "authentic"?

In context, from traditional (Benjamin-esque) perspective, any image which has been modified won’t be seen as authentic. Even by definition, authentic would refer to a form that is real or genuine. Thus, modifying or editing said image would nullify that meaning. However, in a newer, more technology focused context, a modified image would no longer be compared to its original form but rather assessed as a new entity. In that situation the new image would be ‘authentic’.

Do digital "things" have an "aura" (in Benjamin's terms)?

If digital work was taken in the same traditional context as art then by Benjamin’s discussion it possess an aura. But, as described by Benajmin, the process of reproduction would still hold the same properties and remove the aura.

Topic 4 - Old Communication

Lecture – Old Communication Technology

In its simplest form, communication can be defined as a process in which information is passed between two points of contact. The term ‘communication’ lends itself to a wide range processes which sustain flow of information. As a field of study, old communication processes have provided the basis for future direction and progression. Thus, in order to gain an understanding of future communication direction, one must understand the origins of communication.

As a classification, old communication encompasses the most basic methods of communication and its evolution into society’s current processes and standards. The development of communication from primitive stages of rock art to the development of the alphabet offer perspective into the evolution of the most basic communication principles. Another major communication factor discussed was the involvement of semiotics in the development and evolution of communication. Semiotics largely involves the study of signs and symbols which even today is studied to aid in the development of interface design.

Discussion also included more familiar forms of communication such as print, telegraph, phonograph, telephone, television and cinema.

Reading – Walter Benjamin

The 1936 article “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” written by Walter Benjamin discusses the reproduction and manipulation of art in a time before technology allowed perfect reproduction. As described in his article, the replication of art has always been a reality however in a time before mechanical reproduction quantities of replicas were minimal. This still allowed a certain degree of uniqueness or individualism between art works which in turn allowed them to be more easily identified.

A critical area of analyses posed by the author was that mechanical reproduction changed social and political perspective on art and its experience. In the article Benjamin uses the term ‘aura’ to describe the presence or experienced offered by a piece of art and the lack of ‘aura’ experienced on reproduced works. In a sense Benjamin is trying to convey the lack of feeling or ‘soul’ reflected in the copied work. While Benjamin maintains that reproduction allows a greater number of people to experience art, the ‘tradition’ or ‘fabric’ of the original is never truly captured in any reproduction.

Tutorial – Information Hunt

1.Who was the creator of the infamous "lovebug" computer virus?
Created by Michael Buens – Link

2. Who invented the paper clip?
Samuel B. Fay, United States in 1867 - link

3. How did the Ebola virus get its name?
The virus gets its name from a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it was first recognized.- link

4. What country had the largest recorded earthquake?
Chile - 9.5 on the Riktorscale.- link

5. In computer memory/storage terms, how many kilobytes in a terabyte?
1,073,741,824 - link

6. Who is the creator of email?
Ray Tomlinson - link

7. What is the storm worm, and how many computers are infected by it?
The Storm botnet or Storm worm botnet is a remotely-controlled network of "zombie" computers that has been linked by the Storm Worm, a Trojan horse spread through e-mail spam. Infected Upward of 1.5 million PCs - link

8. If you wanted to contact the prime minister of australia directly,
what is the most efficient way?
Mail –
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
- link

9. Which Brisbane-based punk band is Stephen Stockwell (Head of the School
of Arts) a member of?
Black Assassins - link

10. What does the term "Web 2.0" mean in your own words?
Web 2.0 refers to the second generation of online communication technology largely developed after the 2001 online market crash. Web 2.0 allows a more free flowing form of information exchange and services. - link

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Search engines such as Google rank pages by how frequently external sites link to you. By using bots to analyze the information on the site Google determines the relevance to your search. The rankings therefore are based on true popularity for that data.

The greater number of links to a page for a particular set of information will give a page higher ranking. Therefore the search engine is trying to determine which site contains the data most relevant to your search.

Google is the only search engine I use; it has the quickest load times, the fastest searching, the most accurate searching and is highly customisable for searching.

Topic 3 - Alphaville

Lecture – Alphaville
The 1965 film Alphaville is an interesting cinematic experience that provides insight into the mindset of director Jean-Luc Godard. While some people may draw parallels between Alphaville and Orwell’s 1984, I feel as though they present two slightly different perspectives. Alphaville illustrates a utopian dream gone awry contrary the Orwellian nightmare of a more progressive evolution of the political and technological systems. In relation, the over arching theme in Alphaville is the use of mind control with the intentions of creating a utopian society.

Being accustomed to films with big budgets and special effects made Alphaville difficult to watch. The sense of immersion was never really established as the narrative would have liked. In order to enjoy Alphaville you have to look beyond the lack of special effects, terrible action sequences and look at it in context for the time it was made. The ideas in the movie were radical for a time when computers were barely in their infancy. Alphaville, and the themes Godard explores, paints a vivid picture of impact of technology on society and the shift in human ideals.

Readings – La Nouvelle Vague
French ‘New Wave’ was a cinematic movement of the late 1950’s early 1960’s perpetuated by the rejection of classic cinematic forms in favor of new and individual influences. Many of the works in the ‘New Wave’ movement focused on political or social issues at the time and themes were often driven by personal artistic expression. As one of the major figures in the New Wave movement, Jean-Luc Godard made several movies during the era including À bout de soufflé (Breathless), Vivre sa vie (It’s My Life) and Alphaville.

One of the key aspects of understanding French New Wave cinema is to look at the social and economic conditions of post World War II France. Movies of the era were shot on shoestring budgets, thus film makers were forced to improvise and cut corners to minimize costs. These gave New Wave movies some of their most distinguishing features:

• Jump cuts: a non-naturalistic edit, usually a section of a continuous shot that is removed unexpectedly, illogically
• Shooting on location
• Natural lighting
• Improvised dialogue and plotting
• Direct sound recording
• Long takes
  

Tutorial – Using NCT
As a person who has had internet access since 1996, I’ve tried a wide variety of online communication systems. As internet technology plays large role in both my personal life and working career I am motivated to constantly seek out new technologies. My first major online communication method was ICQ (instant messenger) in 1997, which I utilised to talk to friends and family. Currently, through the internet I communicate with people through services such as Skype, Live Messenger (MSN), TeamSpeak, Online games, Message Boards, eMail and Social Networks.

As a result of my extensive online gaming, I have come into contact with a number of people who I have never met in person but speak to on a regular basis. The internet has broken the barriers of communication and allows greater numbers of people interact across the world. Being a social person, not having met someone face to face still doesn’t hold the same value as friend I speak to in-person. The internet acts like a buffer between people; this poses both positive and negative aspects. Behind the internet people are free to modify their personas; this characteristic allows people to be both truthful and deceitful. The same argument could be made for in-person conversations; however the internet removes a level of transparency and creates more opportunities for false information.

Privacy and security are always issues when utilising the internet. Unfortunately as part of my professional career I need to maintain knowledge on current internet technologies, this requires that I spend more time and use more services online than the average user. This means I guard my personal information very closely and never publish it on the public internet. If I sign up to a new online service I read the Terms and Conditions as well as the Privacy Policy for the company. If a service has a lax privacy policy whereby they reserve ownership of the information I put on their service I am less likely to put specific information about myself. For example, FaceBook have an extremely lax privacy policy which they utilise to allow the sale of your information to third parties.

Do you have face book ?

Topic 2 - Email / Blogging

Lecture – Email is dead?
Email is definitely not dead, it maybe a little sick at times but its life is not in danger of ending any time soon. In its current iteration, email is a critical component in both the private and corporate worlds. When you consider a medium sized company like PRD Reality with 250 staff in their Brisbane offices consumes on average 150-200gig worth of email per month, it gives a clear indication of its importance in the corporate environment. The private sector isn’t much different, the amount of email maybe much less but its importance as a communication alternative is definitely just as great.

However, email is not without its issues. Email’s biggest advantages are also its disadvantages; free and easy. As a result the barriers to entry are very low which allows people to send great amounts of unsolicited email otherwise known as spam to millions of accounts every day. Statistics now show that over 80% of all email in the United States is unsolicited SPAM email. Advances in spam filtering have only curbed the rate of SPAM by negligible amounts as spammers find ways to circumvent the systems as fast as they are put in place.

The simplest solution would be for internet service providers to charge its customers for email. This is by no stretch of the imagination is a perfect solution but spammers who send millions of emails a day would find their profit margins becoming thinner.

Readings – The Handbook Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents
In the Simpsons episode titled “The Fraudcast News”, Mr. Burns purchases all of Springfeild’s media outlets in an attempt to control the news. However, Lisa’s newly released newspaper is not for sale and becomes the last media outlet not in Burns control. The episode is a satire on the ownership of multiple media outlets by large corporations such as Fox.

If that episode has been made in the last 12 months, Lisa would be blogging. Blogging has become the prefered communications medium for voices around the world where unbiased news is a high commodity. A critical point in the reading was the fact that many countries such as China and Bahrain have their media controlled by the government. Blogging enables individuals to workout side these restrictions and allows them to stay somewhat protected in the blogosphere. Being easily accessible with many free blogging services, blogs have become today’s equivalent of printing your own newspaper.

Tutorial – Blogging @ Blogger.com
Not being an avid writer, I have never had or considered authoring a blog, as a result Blogger is the first blogging website I’ve utilised. Being newly acquired by Google I was able to use my existing Google account and information to log in. This simplified the registration process and allowed me start configuring my blog. An issue which did cross my mind was the number of Google services I utilise and the push by blogger.com to entice you to use more of the services offered by Google.

Not having used other blogging sites I can’t draw any direct comparisons, however I can analyse the more basic site functions. The main problems I encountered revolved around the menu system which for me didn’t allow quick alterations. The settings menu system needs to be more streamlined opposed to the double layered tabs. A layout similar to hotmail/Gmail would be much more user friendly. A function which is completely missing is the ability to browse for blogs on Blogger. Other less critical functions which are also missing include word count and spell-check.

Topic 1 - Second Life

As described by the official website by Lindon labs, “Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe” (2008).

One of the issues raised during tutorial discussion was the idea that the virtual world of Second Life was a more suitable platform for people unaccustomed to traditional online environments or gaming . A convergence of the online medium with traditional communication methods is becoming more apparent with greater numbers turning to the internet. Facebook announced that the average age of its 15 million+ person user base was 30, further reinforcing the notion that the online medium is reaching a wider audience.

Second Life is one of the first virtual worlds to give its users Intellectual Property (IP) rights over their in-world creations. Unlike other virtual worlds, Linden Labs open supports the conversion of real world currency into virtual money. The critical point here is that it is that by doing this Linden Lab is trying to create a balanced virtual economy similar to real life. Other Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) environments, World of Warcraft (WoW) being a prime example, actively prevent and ban users who try to sell their in-game goods for real world currency. As a result of strict IP rights, WoW and similar MMOs now face the threat of uncontrollable black markets which aim to satisfy users. The open economy and IP management provided by Linden Labs now prevents the need for black markets and thus creates more revenue for the company.

• Financial Figures (November 2007)

As reported by the secondlifeinsider.com,

Yesterday in Second Life we:

• Spent US$1,372,000 at an exchange rate of L$268.7 to US$1
• Exchanged US$274,000 at an average of US$11,400.0 per hour.
• Market buys were US$197,000
• Market sales were US$75,000
• Limit-limit buys were US$1,400
• The busiest time was at 11am when about US$16,000 was exchanged.
• The quietest time was 3am when about US$6,000 was exchanged.

New Com Tech - Welcome

In an age where technological change is measured in minutes, we are forced to constantly reevaluate the way in which we utilise new technology. As defined by (Dwyer, 2002), in its simplest form communication is any behavior verbal or non-verbal that is perceived by another individual. This definition broadens the scope of communication methodologies which technology and other environmental forces may coincide. In previous iterations, trends in technology have commonly followed the path of communication methodologies (Ess & Sudweeks, 2001). Put simply, technological trends in society arise from changes made to our fundamental communication methods. The preeminent example of which is the internet (originally ARPANET), developed by the U.S. military as a communication tool to allow for data transmission between several nodes.

As described by Riva & Davide (2000) a trend in the convergence of various media types into a single computerized standard. As a result several major communications technologies have filtered into the mainstream over the past several years, examples being Short-Message Service (SMS), eMail, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Social Networks. Independent to the aforementioned technologies, virtual reality is rapidly emerging as a new communication medium. Initially this medium would have been restricted to large scale online games such as World of Warcraft or Lineage which both service a subscriber base of 5 million+ users. These online gaming environments act as incubators for virtual communities effectively providing a new communication stream for its users. Social interaction outside of an online gaming environment has become the next logical step with largest example being ‘Second Life’ by Lindon Labs.

References:

Dwyer, J. (2002). Communictation in Business.

Ess, C., & Sudweeks, F. (2001). Culture, Technology, Communication: Toward an Intercultural Global Village.

Riva, G., & Davide, F. (2000). Communications through virtual technologies. Identity, Community and Technology in the Communication Age.