Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Affordance: Brevity
One affordance of video is the ability to succinctly summarize instructions or a task in a short amount of time. For instance, one can access a tutorial video on how to build a bookshelf out of pallets and most likely complete the project within a short timeframe. Conversely, attempting to complete the same project while reading step-by-step through an instruction manual would be much more tedious and time-consuming. -
The concept of remix ethics would be beneficial to the public sphere/shared argument space/collaboration/etc. for a few reasons. First, it would further deepen the realm of collaborative possibility across many different subjects by shifting the collaborators’ focus from “are we using this correctly?” to “how can we better use this information?” and thus eliminating the frequent distraction caused by fear of plagiarism and piracy accusations. A good example of this is where the chapter mentions the privatization of scientific publishing; how much more advanced would we possibly be in, say, finding a treatment for autism if we weren’t crippled by the lack of remix ethics surrounding scientific knowledge? Additionally, remix ethics would allow for expanded learning opportunities across the board as presenters found new and innovative ways to present material to their audiences. My husband is a teacher, and one of his chief complaints is that while everyone learns differently, they are forced to teach in a manner that may only be effective for certain types of learners. Remix ethics would allow for information to be presented in many different forms, leading to greater understanding by a larger portion of the populace, and hence a smarter society as a whole.
-
Some of the points outlined in Chapter 5 were very relatable, such as:
“Those who can act as autonomous agents to cultivate their personal networks and their ‘personal brands’.” I’m currently studying to become a yoga instructor, so I follow a lot of fellow yogis on Instagram for inspiration as well as instruction. The yogis who have taken this creed very seriously are the ones with the most followers, and thus their names are recognizable to a worldwide audience. In turn, they often receive lucrative endorsement deals with companies that peddle workout gear and yoga accessories, further improving their networked environment presence. They also fall under the second point – “Those with bigger and more diverse networks” – because their self-marketing also leads to cross-marketing with athletes of diverse genres, making their networks more diverse.
“Those who can function effectively in different contexts and ‘collapsed contexts’.” As a side business, I sell Jamberry nail wraps to make extra money for fun activities like weekends away or shopping splurges. I’ve limited this business to strictly virtual parties via Facebook or Meet.fm because it’s more convenient for my schedule. The guests in my party groups come from many different social and economic backgrounds, so it’s essential to both quickly and thoroughly gain an understanding of the group tenor in order to ensure (1) that everyone will have a positive experience and feel included, which will lead to future parties and sales and (2) that my hostesses are happy and satisfied with their party sales and earned rewards, which will also lead to future parties and sales. Because it’s a strictly virtual environment, being able to function effectively and quickly in groups with varied participant backgrounds is essential to the success of my business. This also relates to the fourth point – “Those who have high levels of trust and social capital” – because I’m providing a resource for the party participants in the form of a consumable product, and the party participants reciprocate by supporting my business endeavors when they buy the product.
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_X98A5XJ24
I chose a video of children being introduced for the first time to the popular 80s toy Teddy Ruxpin. I found it stylistically pleasing for several reasons. First, it successfully took a nearly forgotten subject and made it relevant again by providing a fresh perspective through the eyes of a younger generation. Personally, I absolutely love Teddy Ruxpin for nostalgic reasons, but some of the younger generation felt that it was outdated and not interesting. That theme is repeated over and over in many facets of life, and it’s essential to recognize that there are valid points to both the old and new schools of thought. Second, the way in which the video was presented was very catchy – who doesn’t love cute children and their uncensored reactions? Third, the creators skilfully interjected information with the use of occasional pop-up factoids at the bottom of the screen. The factoids were easy to read and didn’t interfere with the main focus of the video. -
The Chinese censorship of Google search results was not terribly surprising to me as I read through Chapter 4 in B2B. Famously oppressive governments throughout the ages have consistently done their best to both block unwanted information from being disseminated while also promoting the information that they wish to use to influence popular opinion. It doesn’t make it right, of course, but it is an unfortunate reality that was present even before the age of internet.
The thing that I did find surprising? I was completely unable to access the Chinese version of Google by typing in the URL! On page 153, the author encourages the reader to compare the differences between Google U.S. vs. Google China by performing searches using http://www.google.com and http://www.google.cn. I thought this would be an interesting activity to tie in with the reading, so I opened two different tabs on my browser and typed in the URLs. The Google U.S. page came up right away; the Google China page took at least 3 minutes to respond, and when it did, it only gave me an error message saying the page was unavailable. I tried it on my laptop, my iPad, and my iPhone and got the same error each time. Interestingly, when I went back to the Google U.S. tab and typed in “Google China,” the third result on the page was the actual Google China homepage, which I was then able to access by clicking on the Google U.S. page’s result.
-
NetSmart Ch. 3 – Participation Power
The concept of “many people will cooperate if the medium makes it easy enough” really stuck out to me in our readings this week, especially where the author speaks of the ability of communication media to make it “easy or affordable for people to do things together that used to be difficult or costly” (Rheingold, 112). Currently, I’m an independent consultant for Jamberry, which sells decorative nail wraps and other hand and nail care items. The company is the new kid on the block of the direct sales industry, but the company has gotten in on the concept of online participation as the foothold of its business plan. With most direct sales companies such as ThirtyOne, Scentsy, Pampered Chef, etc., consultants must find a host who is willing to open up his or her home for an evening and lug a bunch of sales materials to said home in the hopes that party participants show up and buy the product. Shipping is often expensive unless a participant elects to have the products shipped as a bulk order to the hostess at the end of the ordering period; this causes delays in receiving the product, as everyone must wait until the ordering period closes, and then has to make arrangements with the hostess to pick up their products. In contrast, Jamberry supplies its consultants with a website from which customers can order directly, and the product ships immediately to the customer’s address without the need to wait for the party to close. Rather than toting all of my samples, catalogs, etc. to someone’s house, I hold online “parties” on Facebook that consist of informational posts and games for prizes that people can access at their leisure rather than requiring them to show up at a certain time and place. The ease of access and user-friendliness of the Facebook party has helped to expand my business in ways that I couldn’t have achieved through home parties alone, especially given my busy schedule.
I also found that Jenkins’ definition of participatory culture was reflected over and over again in my online business format (Rheingold, 113). For example:
1. relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement – “attending” an online party requires virtually no effort on the part of the guest. He or she is free to check the notifications and contribute (or not) to the party at his or her leisure.
2. strong support for creating and sharing creations with others – I always post a picture of my current “Jamicure” at the beginning of the party and encourage others to do the same when they receive their product. It is a fun way to promote participants by the hostess’s virtual party guests, and the enthusiasm is infectious once people see all of the cute and creative combinations that participants come up with.
3. some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices – online Jamberry parties allow me to share pictures, illustrations, and documents regarding use and maintenance of the product with a group of users whose experience with the product is always varied. Some have never heard of it, some have heard and are curious, some have tried them and are participating in the party to learn more and earn more.
4. members who believe that their contributions matter – I make an extra effort to make virtual participants feel welcome and engaged throughout the duration of the online party through positive and encouraging feedback on their party contributions. If someone posts a picture of their new Jamicure, I make sure to comment as soon as possible on what I like about the combination. As others share their experiences and questions, it encourages others to contribute as well.
5. members who feel some degree of social connection with one another – many online party participants often have mutual friends but don’t necessarily know each other personally. Between the shared connection to the hostess and the sociable atmosphere of the online party, members form deeper social connections with one another through their virtual participation. -
Healthy Recipe Websites Genre Conventions
Websites:
http://www.skinnytaste.com
http://www.kalynskitchen.com
http://www.cookinglight.com
http://www.theskinnyfork.comSite Purpose: The texts’ purposes in the sites are to provide information and instructions on how to prepare healthy, low-calorie recipes.
Background: All four of the sites have solid white backgrounds with text and illustrations in striking colors such as orange, red, and green, which are reminiscent of the brightly colored vegetables and fruits in many of the site photos.
Navigation: Top-to-bottom and right-to-left navigation bars are present on all four sites, as are headers with the other pages of the site listed at the top of the homepage. They also have a search box at the top right corner, as well as a box to sign up for email updates and daily recipes.
Word Use: The titles in the headers are very simple and similar (i.e. About Me, Recipe Box, etc.). The articles are titled simply but are quite descriptive for their short length. The articles give a preview but require the reader to click on a link to continue reading the full blog entry.
Author: With the exception of Cooking Light, the authors of the sites are professional food bloggers who began their websites as places to post their personal cooking experiences and experiments and saw their blogs grow in popularity through sponsorship, social media, and self-promotion.
Image Use: The images displayed on the sites connect straightforwardly to the information presented in the articles. The images typically show the ingredients, the recipe in its different stages of preparation, and the finished product in the pan/pot/skillet as well as arranged on a serving dish for the purposes of serving suggestions as well as aesthetics.
The sites were quite easy to assess, as they had several elements that were incredibly similar. From the technical jargon of cooking to the buzzwords contained in the articles to the color schemes and page layouts, the similarities among the four sites were undeniable. The audiences for these sites are people who are either interested in finding new recipes to help maintain a healthy lifestyle or hoping to find inspiration to change some of their eating habits to more healthy alternatives without sacrificing taste. The sites provide a virtual recipe box that is easily researched, with the added bonus that the recipes have already been tried and proven to be successful.
-
Though we have come a long way in terms of technology and copyright regulation and dissemination, I feel that copyright issues related to digital media have become more complex since Chapter 6 of our textbook was written. New technology is developed every single day, many versions faster and smarter than even the day before. It is difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with all of the different technology developments that can contribute to file sharing copyright issues. On top of that, the legal and regulatory systems surrounding this particular issue are comparatively handicapped by archaic laws and rules that haven’t been updated to apply to modern standards. For example, the $750 per song fee that was created by the NET Act was based on the abilities of piraters to copy using technology available in 1976 – a far cry from the advanced technologies today (B2B, 198). Yet, the standard is still applied to modern technology that allows for much wider and faster distribution of copyrighted material, to the detriment of consumers as well as the industry itself. Technology development has far outpaced the legal and regulatory systems, making the issue much more complex than even just a few years ago in 2008.
The idea of completely copyright free digital media sharing is difficult to imagine as a true reality due to the ever-morphing technology used to circumvent the file sharing rules and regulations. However, it seems pertinent to point out that the artists benefit from a wider diffusion of their material through file sharing because it allows the music to be shared with a larger audience. This can help to increase revenue through merchandise and concert ticket sales if a consumer ends up becoming a fan of the artist.
-
I apologize, everyone, for my lateness in posting a response. We are in trial prep at my law firm and I haven’t left the office before 11 pm for the last 2 weeks. I’m actually typing this response on my iPhone while hiding in a bathroom stall for some peace and quiet!
“Crap detection” is largely based on not only how credible a source appears, but also in finding out if the air of credibility is truly substantiated or merely just that – putting on airs. One would assume that if Rheingold wrote this book, he must have a considerable base of knowledge and experience from which to draw his conclusions. However, it’s not only the amount of education and experience an author possesses, but also the quality of his education and experience that help to determine whether he is trustworthy. Thus, we can apply Rheingold’s “triangulation” technique to determine three sources of credibility. The first source of credibility appears on the Copyright page – the book is published by MIT Press. This is a well-known and long-established publishing company, and they are also associated with one of the most highly regarded institutes of higher learning in the world. The author himself has taught this particular subject at other highly regarded institutions such as UC Berkeley and Stanford University, so this lends credence to his credibility as well. The author has also been awarded many accolades from prominent outlets, such as the Time Magazine Top 10 Best Websites list in 1996 and the MacArthur Foundation’s 2008 Digital Media and Learning Competition winner. All in all, Rheingold seems to be a pretty trustworthy source of knowledge on the subject.
As a non-traditional college student who can clearly remember a time before the internet was the standard for finding information, I tend to place a lot of emphasis on the established credibility of a book over the internet when conducting research. There is a lot of crap on the internet, and this is so because it’s a much easier medium for publishing information than getting approval and backing from a publishing company for a book. With a book, the information is scrutinized by many sets of eyes before the final form is presented for public viewing. It’s quite the opposite with the internet, where literally anyone can make a page and publish almost anything they want to say without regard for validity. That’s not to say that all books should be taken at face value for the information contained within, but it’s much more likely that you will need to use your “crap detection” methods on an internet research project.
-
@jsears3 you make a great point regarding teachers’ use of copyrighted material. My husband has taught for years and has complained several times about the rules regarding reproduction of materials for classroom use. So another positive of remix ethics could be an offset of costs incurred by educational institutions since they wouldn’t have to come up with nearly as much funding to purchase copies of those materials!
-
@mike_sopranik, your question regarding internet usage and the damage it may cause to social interaction with children was very interesting and relevant. In some ways, the internet is such a helpful tool for learning to interact with people from a broad range of backgrounds – it has literally opened up the world in a way that wasn’t possible before. However, the unchecked use of internet and social media without mindfulness could potentially be very damaging to future generations. For example, my husband and I attended a birthday party this past weekend for a friend’s daughter who is in middle school. There was a bunch of good food, some games, and an awesome DJ playing perfect dance music. All the kids did was play on their phones though! We had to laugh at one point because the DJ played a song that got everyone on the dance floor, but they were literally dancing with their phones in their hands. It’s sad because they will be missing out on so many good memories to be made.
-
@pboyle623 it is really a shame that such simple concepts seem to elude humanity at a faster and faster pace as the years pass. Human emotion can be messy and complicated at times, especially when people of diverse backgrounds bring their experiences into a situation where all are required to work toward a common goal. Thus, it seems so much easier to hide behind a keyboard and screen than to actually deal with face-to-face interaction that is required in those situations. However, I completely agree with you that the four tenets outlined in this chapter of B2B should be central to learning to work together. Great points!
-
@jsears3 your comments regarding your online “power” through participation reminded me of an article I read last year about a man who liked everything that showed up on his Facebook newsfeed. Have you read it? He basically decided on a whim to “like” every single post that came up on his Facebook newsfeed for 48 hours to see what the outcome would be. Here’s a link to the article if you’d like to take a look at it:
http://www.wired.com/2014/08/i-liked-everything-i-saw-on-facebook-for-two-days-heres-what-it-did-to-me/Anyway, the author says “There is a very specific form of Facebook messaging, designed to get you to interact. And if you take the bait, you’ll be shown it ad nauseum.” When you said, “I am also allowing the company to see the amount of shares the piece has received which influences what type of texts the company will post in the future” I think you totally hit the nail on the head. There are so many different avenues to encourage online participation that we truly don’t always realize the power we possess simply through our likes and dislikes.
-
@mike_sopranik I really appreciate that you took the time to look up the code and caselaw surrounding this issue. As a legal assistant for nearly a decade, I can definitely appreciate the inclusion in your discussion post. It really serves to illustrate just how convoluted the law can be, especially when attempting to apply an archaic standard to modern issues. Many of the governing laws that are relied on today were put into effect when the majority of modern technology was not even invented yet. Therein lies the heart of the copyright/digital media saga – the technology has far outpaced the rules.
-
Ashley, you make a really good point regarding Rheingold’s insistence on making an informed decision that is all your own with regards to internet information. There is a lot of propaganda floating around out there that is so cleverly written that many people assume it’s valid. The fact that the author has a substantial background in the subject yet he merely requests that we make an informed decision based on our own opinion and research is very telling with regard to his credibility. He’s not trying to shove his opinion down your throat, but simply giving a guideline on safe and informed internet research.
-
@mike_sopranik I think your analysis of Koan 3 is spot on! Personally, I am guilty of not going past the first few pages when browsing through search engine results. The reason is two-pronged: (1) I’m generally completing a task for which I need an answer ASAP and don’t have time to read through lots of pages and (2) we are so conditioned to have everything at our fingertips in an instant that most of the time I literally don’t have the patience to go through all of the results. If I’m going to really delve into a search, it has to be a topic in which I have a deep interest and plenty of free time. The implementation of the auction system that you discussed is kind of a scary proposition to consider, as we already limit ourselves to accepting the first bit of information presented. Imagine how much less well-informed the world will be if the product of search engines is based on who has enough money to control the content!
