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I think the affordance that audio/visual media have over text is the cultural synonymy of the message. A picture is worth a thousand words as the old saying goes because words can become superficial; images are definite and provide something everyone from anywhere in the world can understand, a type of universal language if you will. Audio/visuals are tangible sources of information whereas words can be subjective.
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I think “remix ethics” are good for the public sphere because I believe most everything we create as humans has to be inspired by something. Taking away that option for inspiration depletes humans the opportunity to improve upon and make things better.
It may be a somewhat weird reference, but I think of Andy Warhol in this situation. Andy Warhol did not invent the Campbell’s Soup can, but he used it as a focal point for an art installation and in turn, completely changed his career AND Campbell’s Soup. He took a something from our “shared space” and then made it into something completely unique and interesting, forever transcending the way the world views pop art. Without “remix ethics’ this wouldn’t have been possible, among other great improvisations to better the quality of our lives.
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One of the first thoughts that came to my mind when reading the assignment was that we would be creating a sort of “Cliff’s Notes” for a chapter. I know we’re not supposed to condone the use of Cliff’s Notes, being that we’re in a higher-education institution, BUT, I like how they can make cumbersome ideas and complex stories easy to grasp and comprehend. This is why I chose my below video. I’m not sure how I feel about doing an animated video, but I do like the idea of visuals to accompany the story telling. I also think keeping the information broad is helpful for someone to retain the important information quickly.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by
marvarlas.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by
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The online behavior in Chapter 5 of NET that I think I really felt most in line with was “those who like technology and use it enthusiastically and nimbly.” I think technology can be a beautiful vehicle when you use it to your advantage, which has kept me hungry for more knowledge about new technology since I first learned to create my own HTML website back in 2003!
This eagerness also allows me to better incorporate the six other types of online behaviors into my networked individualism. For example, if I read every blog post out there and took it at face value, I’d have a lot of conflicting information. I must be able to use the technology to further investigate either claim and make a rational decision based on that. As the book stated, this fervor for information must be balanced with a healthy “skepticism” and media realism of the information out there. When combined, this is very helpful for the individual wanting to expand their network via technology.
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What really captivated me this week in the readings was in Blown to Bits, the “Search Control and Mind Control” section (pages 151-156). I just recently in my professional life learned about Baidu, a Chinese search engine talked about in this chapter, which opened my eyes to internet censorship. Before learning of this, it had never occurred to me that a country might censor the information available to its citizens via the internet.
It did not surprise me that Google bent to Chinese laws and practiced censorship. What did surprise me, however, was the U.S. Government’s reaction to the company doing so. Sure, it is not ideal to censor a country and its people and intentionally hide information from them, which Google did help do, but as the book stated, the company was doing what any other company would do while doing business abroad; follow the laws of the land. I do not think had Google not done business within the country, the oppression in China would have changed, so I do not fault them as a company.
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What struck me as interesting in this weeks B2B reading, Chapter 8, was whether or not we want the digital explosion? We greatly take for granted that the internet works (most of the time, anyhow!) and our information is somewhat safe. But is it? Think back to the recent celebrity phone hack scandal. It was alluded (although, I’m not sure confirmed) that the possibility was due to cloud technology. We live in a world where even our medical records are kept via internet server and to know that it has the possibility to be hacked into is scary. As the book states, “we are in a position to decide on an overarching view of information” (pg 294). We must decide if we want more government intervention to stop future hacks from potentially happening, but diminish the way in which we use and know the internet now.
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Celebrity Lifestyle Sites Genre Conventions
Websites:
http://goop.com/
http://www.preserve.us
http://www.oliviapalermo.com/
http://thetig.com/Site purpose: The texts’ purposes in the sites are to provide insight and advice on luxury lifestyles as well as a way to access them by also being able to shop featured items.
Background: the sites have a solid background, usually black or white with striking main images in close proximity to the navigation bars which give a nice contrast to the stark backgrounds.
Navigation: horizontal navigation bars are found across all four sites with links to different sub-pages on the sites. You can also scroll down the pages to find links to featured articles/blogs.
Use of words: titles are simple and bold giving visual emphasis on the brand name. Article links on the home page provide a partial view of the blog usually followed by an ellipses to indicate further text.
Author: the author of the sites are people who have a celebrity about them, whether it be an actor, socialite, or someone in general who is an authority on the type of lifestyle being displayed.
Use of images: the use of images are correlated directly with the article; whether it be about a vacation spot, designer spotlight, or about the author and “convey an example”.
I was able to derive this list based on everything that I found to be similar about the sites (which was actually quite a lot!). The sites’ audiences are people who are interested in celebrity, travel, and style. The sites are meant to provide a comprehensive place where you can not only find resources for a particular lifestyle, but also have the ability to purchase featured products through the website. By having a common purpose, they generally tend to have similar written and design rhetoric.
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In my opinion, the copyright issues have become less cumbersome since this book was published. Gone are the days of Napster file sharing, and onto music streaming apps like Spotify. Although file sharing has become easier and easier to use legally, the issue still remains of millions of people sharing content where they may not even know the origins of the media, especially in the golden age of social media. I think what has particularly become easier is the awareness of such copyright infringements. At the onset of file sharing, many people honestly did not realize that they were breaking laws and the laws seem to mold to particular situations and were vague in when they were applicable. People are much more aware of the implications now of illegal file sharing. Today’s technology also offers easier access to get licenses to people wanting to use media found on the web.
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I would certainly trust Rheingold as an expert in being “net smart” by applying his techniques to his book, Net Smart. One of the first things I really liked about the second chapter was the sheer knowledge Rheingold had of web sites specifically used to debunk wrong information on the net. Someone who is an authority in their field would know these not-so-common research tools and be able to use real examples of how they work, or perhaps do not work, just as the author did.
My engagement with texts is very similar to my approach to internet searching. I’m a skeptic by nature, so I find it validating to find flaws in the presentation of a website, or faux pas that may make me lose credibility in the information being provided. A biased opinion always seems to be smoking, and as the old idiom says, where there is smoke there is fire. In my experience, so far, I have not found that to be the case here. The information is presented in a clear, unbiased way, and backed up by reputable sources.
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Koan 6: Nothing goes away.
Unlike the other koans, I felt that this particular one did not instill a sense of ‘great doubt’ in me. Growing up in an age where I’ve seen pre-computer record keeping and post, there seems to be a clear distinction almost in where my life began, per the internet.
I once watched a documentary called “Track Me if You Can” where a man tries to eradicate himself from all technology which could be used to track someone. Simple things we take for granted such as using debit and credit cards, looking up where there are surveillance cameras, even the way you walk can be traced to you via satellite, are all used to trace our every move. I do not doubt that nothing goes away and I can’t help but feel a sense of big brother. Now, I lead a pretty productive and monotonous life, so there is nothing I feel I need to hide, but it always makes me wonder how much of me is really out there and could it ever be used negatively?
One of my favorite parts of this chapter in B2Bwas “Technology is neither Good nor Bad” because it captures the epitome of what the internet and technology is; a double-edged sword. Information we put out there can help us and/or, be the demise of us; but it will not go away.
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I think remix ethics could also be somewhat of a double-edged sword, especially for the music industry. I think back to Vanilla Ice’s rip off of David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” and in that instance, I feel that although Vanilla Ice was clearly inspired by Bowie’s song, I’m not sure that I would be okay with that if I were David Bowie. You pour your blood sweat and tears into something for someone to come along and make it “better” which can be subjective, especially in terms of artistic rendering. Great example!
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It’s funny how you mention you’ve been “conditioned” to behave this way on the internet. I hadn’t thought of it before, but I have become very reliant on search engines. Google is always my first choice, but when I am on a particular website looking for information, I always use the “search” tool, rather than taking the time to browse through the different times. For example, every semester when I need to buy my books, WVU’s homepage has a plethora of categories, sub-categories, and then some! Rather than trying to find the “Library” tab, I will search in the search tool and find it that way. We really have become conditioned when it comes to web browsing!
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Tarin, I think you make an interesting and somewhat popular view point that today’s government appears very “big brother-esque”. I liked in the same chapter, they include a quote on how changing your paradigm may help you to better understand this. “Regulation of radio was therefor as vital to its development as traffic control was to the development of the automobile” said Justice Frankfurter(pg 277, B2Bs). There are many things our government has controlled for so long (like having to have car insurance) that we forget, and when a new regulation comes along, we cannot accept it. When in reality, it will become our norm, and we will not know life without said regulations.
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Kayla, I can’t help but wonder, have the digital media copyright laws become less stringent, or more transparent? When this book was published, the RIAA was in the business of “making examples” out of abusers. Since then, I can’t help but see both companies and individuals are becoming more aware of copyright issues and making it easier for individuals to use, legally.
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Kayla, that was also my favorite example in Chapter 2. It actually reminded me quite a lot of the articles I see shared frequently on Facebook. There are so many stories that are from websites that have a hidden agenda and use the social media site as a platform to promote their “propaganda” if you will. One of the other, more glaring giveaways to a sites credibility is spelling and grammar errors. It baffles me when I see even the most simple of mistakes by “professionals”. Great post!
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I really enjoyed your perspective in this post, specifically in terms of how you view computers a a tool rather than a source of intelligence. The computer provides intelligence, but there are driving factors behind it, and ultimately, those driving factors are us, humans. The computers are only as perfect as the humans creating them.
