Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Week 5 - Response to Content
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| William Shakespeare - http://listverse.com/ |
William Shakespeare's infamous plays captured an audience greater than any other writer (Halio 1988). He delivered plots to the audience that they had fantasized about, could relate to, and/or would never have dared to imagine. In his plays he portrayed romance, love, jealousy, betrayal, tragedy, broken families, disjointed relationships, just to name a few. Because of his success, his scripts were promoted from stage to cinema and are continued to be viewed and studied today as history.
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| JK Rowling - thefastertimes.com |
A writer of the twenty-first century who will go down in history as Shakespeare has done is author of the complete Harry Potter serious, J.K. Rowling. Rowling, like Shakespeare, creates a fantasy world for her audience while attaching natural occurances to characters such as love, jealousy and betrayal to allow fans to relate to her characters. Again, like Shakespeare's plays, it wasn't long before Rowling's novels were taken to the movies.
What makes Shakespeare and Rowling such successful writers and their plots so popular amongst the public is character development and character relationships.
"The core of a story is not so much what happens, but more importantly it is how the characters react to the events and the other characters which they come in conflict with" (The Clapperboard 2008).
Both Shakespeare and Rowling give their characters such depth and distinction that the audience can totally grasp the relationships between characters and, in doing so, forms a relationship themselves with the characters. This relationship between reader and character is what makes readers want Romeo and Juliet to live together happily ever after and for Harry to defeat Voldemort once and for all. Once a writer can create a relationship between reader and character, they have themselves a success.
Reference:
Halio, Jay L 1988, Understanding Shakespeare's Plays in Performance, pg 1, viewed 24 August 2011 http://books.google.com.au/booksid=7ke8AAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Shakespeare's+plays%5D&hl=en&ei=YCtaTtKkHsnmmAWgliyDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&
zved=0CDUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
Clapperboard 2008, 'Exploring the Meaning of Movies', Screenwriting Fundamentals, viewed on 24 August 2011 http://www.theclapperboard.com/view_posting.php?posting_id=129
Week 4 - Tutorial Task
I have been using facebook for three years and until now have never actually read or opened the terms of use. I wonder if this is due to laziness or if society has put trust in the internet and social networking sites that they possibly shouldn't have.
What are the kinds of content they allow?
Facebook allows photos and comments to be uploaded by users but by signing the terms of use means agreeing to 'not posting content or taking any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else's rights or otherwise violates the law' (Facebook 2011).
Facebook users are not allowed to post about or tag anyone that does not have a facebook account.
If these policies are broken, facebook can rightfully delete the offenders account.
What can the service do with your content?
Facebook states: 'You grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook' (2011).
This means that Facebook can freely take and use any information a user uploads ie. photos, ideas, phrases etc. This is particularly concerning for business as before an interview, an employer can view the potential employee's facebook page and can at the least view the applicants profile picture. My sister is a primary school teacher and is very conscious of what she and others upload on facebook about her. A parent of a student in her class does not want to see a photo of her dancing naked on a table skulling a bottle of vodka from the weekend when she is responsible for their child's education.
What guarantees of privacy do they offer?
Facebook states that all account information is on a 'secured server behind a firewall'. This allows only facebook to have access to the information and not other internet users.
However, Facebook does not take responsibilty for what users upload about other users and inform users upon signing up that 'no security measures are perfect or impenetrable' (facebook 2011).
What I read from this is that there are no guarentees of privacy for Facebook users.
Reference
Facebook 2011, 'Statement of Rights and Responsibilities', accessed 23 August 2011 http://www.facebook.com/terms.php
What are the kinds of content they allow?
Facebook allows photos and comments to be uploaded by users but by signing the terms of use means agreeing to 'not posting content or taking any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else's rights or otherwise violates the law' (Facebook 2011).
Facebook users are not allowed to post about or tag anyone that does not have a facebook account.
If these policies are broken, facebook can rightfully delete the offenders account.
What can the service do with your content?
Facebook states: 'You grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook' (2011).
This means that Facebook can freely take and use any information a user uploads ie. photos, ideas, phrases etc. This is particularly concerning for business as before an interview, an employer can view the potential employee's facebook page and can at the least view the applicants profile picture. My sister is a primary school teacher and is very conscious of what she and others upload on facebook about her. A parent of a student in her class does not want to see a photo of her dancing naked on a table skulling a bottle of vodka from the weekend when she is responsible for their child's education.
What guarantees of privacy do they offer?
Facebook states that all account information is on a 'secured server behind a firewall'. This allows only facebook to have access to the information and not other internet users.
However, Facebook does not take responsibilty for what users upload about other users and inform users upon signing up that 'no security measures are perfect or impenetrable' (facebook 2011).
What I read from this is that there are no guarentees of privacy for Facebook users.
Reference
Facebook 2011, 'Statement of Rights and Responsibilities', accessed 23 August 2011 http://www.facebook.com/terms.php
Week 4 - Response to Content
There are many similarities between cyberspace and religion. While there are severe differences, the similarites cannot be ignored.
Cyberspace is a difficult concept to grasp and every professionals definition will be different. The same goes for religion. There is no right or wrong definition. Two Christians will likely have similar, but not exactly the same definitions of what religion is. Furthermore, a Christian and a Muselim will likely have a larger differentiated view on religion. While everyone thinks they know what it means, when it comes to putting it in words, or better yet, in writing, it becomes an almost impossible task.
'Cyberspace is a way that people have tried to understand the internet' (Stockwell 2011) and religion is a way that people continue to try to understand life. What is the point of the internet?...What is the point of life? Are cyberspace and religion the simple answers to these complex questions?
The gaming world in cyberspace is dominant and over the years there has been much controversy as to whether it is dangerous for gamers who get hooked. There have been proven scenerios where gamers can no longer differentiate between their virtual world and their reality and have harmed themselves and others. Depending on the different views of religion, some people surround themselves completely with their chosen religion and make it their reality, while others think of it a theory, an idea, a virtual world which they allow themselves into when a tragedy strikes or good fortunes have arrived.
Both cyberspace and religion are very real in today's society. What causes everyone to have a different explanation for them is that people allow and restrict themselves as to how much they believe and make it their reality.
Reference:
Stephen Stockwell - Lecture Notes 2011 Week 4
Cyberspace is a difficult concept to grasp and every professionals definition will be different. The same goes for religion. There is no right or wrong definition. Two Christians will likely have similar, but not exactly the same definitions of what religion is. Furthermore, a Christian and a Muselim will likely have a larger differentiated view on religion. While everyone thinks they know what it means, when it comes to putting it in words, or better yet, in writing, it becomes an almost impossible task.
'Cyberspace is a way that people have tried to understand the internet' (Stockwell 2011) and religion is a way that people continue to try to understand life. What is the point of the internet?...What is the point of life? Are cyberspace and religion the simple answers to these complex questions?
The gaming world in cyberspace is dominant and over the years there has been much controversy as to whether it is dangerous for gamers who get hooked. There have been proven scenerios where gamers can no longer differentiate between their virtual world and their reality and have harmed themselves and others. Depending on the different views of religion, some people surround themselves completely with their chosen religion and make it their reality, while others think of it a theory, an idea, a virtual world which they allow themselves into when a tragedy strikes or good fortunes have arrived.
Both cyberspace and religion are very real in today's society. What causes everyone to have a different explanation for them is that people allow and restrict themselves as to how much they believe and make it their reality.
Reference:
Stephen Stockwell - Lecture Notes 2011 Week 4
Week 3 - Tutorial Task
Task 1:
Q1. What was Stephen Stockwell's first article in an academic journal? What year? Provide a full citation. What database did you use?
Q1. What was Stephen Stockwell's first article in an academic journal? What year? Provide a full citation. What database did you use?
A1. Stockwell Stephen 1981, 'Kuranda police shooting', Legal Service Bulletin, vol. 6, p. 48, retrieved 9 August 2011, via Heinonline database.
Q2. In which comic did Governor Slugwell appear? Which Issues? Give their full citation for the earliest. Where did you find this information? What database did you use?
A2. Burden, B 1985, "When the Shoes Aren't worth the Shine", Flaming carrot Comics, vol. , no. 7, retrieved on 9 August 2011, via Underground and Independent Comics database.
Q3. What is the latest medical thinking on the dangers of mobile phones?
A3. 'Mobile phones emit signals via radio waves, which comprise radio frequency energy, a form of electromagnetic radiation. ...radiation can cause thermal effects by holding mobile phones close to the body. It can also cause non-thermal effects, which may result in burning and tingling sensations on the skin of the head, fatigue, sleep disturbance, dizziness, lack of concentration, ringing in the ears, reaction time, loss of memory, headache, disturbance in digestive system and heart palpitation, etc.'
Dash, M & Mehta, A 2011, 'Understanding Mobile Phone Radiation and Its Effects'
Dash, M & Mehta, A 2011, 'Understanding Mobile Phone Radiation and Its Effects'
Economic and political weekly, ISSN 0012-9976, accessed 16 August 2011 via Factiva.
Q4. In Bladerunner, what is Leon's reaction when Holden asks him about his mother? Quote the 1982 draft script and provide a full reference.
A4. "Leon looks shocked, surprised. But the needles in the computer barely move. Holden goes for the inside of his coat. But big Leon is faster. His laser burns a hole the size of a nickel through Holden's stomach. Unlike a bullet, a laser causes no impact. It goes through Holden's shoulder and comes out of his back, clean as a whistle. Like a rag doll he falls back into the seat. Big slow Leon is already walking away, but he stops, turns, and with a little smile of satisfaction fires through the back of the seat."
Peoples, D. W., Fancher, H., & Kibbee, R 2007, Blade runner 1982 draft script, Alexander Street Press, Alexandria, VA.
Q5. What does Paul Soukup say Walter Ong saw as the main paradox in 20th century communication?
A5. “that society given so much to the use of diagrams and to the manuevuring of objects in space...should at the same time develop means of communication which specialise not in sight but in sound”
Soukup, P 2004, ‘Communication Research Trends’, Centre for the study of Communication and Culture, vol. 23, no. 2, p. 23, retrieved11 August 2011, via Proquest database
Task 2:
'It was MySpace that proved social networking could be a mass medium' (August, J L 2008).
Myspace allows users to create their own online profile in which they can post comments and pictures and interact with 'friends' that they can search and add to their account.
Users can use IM (instant messenger), view each others comments, comment on each others comments and pictures, and privately message each other. Myspace also became a medium where people would meet for the first time and sustain online relationships.
'The data doesn’t deny that Facebook has come to dominate social networking in the US, and overtook MySpace in 2009. But MySpace’s 57 million US unique users are nothing to sneeze at – it’s still a top web property with users who are highly engaged' (Owyang, J 2010).
So does this make Myspace 'old'? I think the correct answer is yes and no.
Facebook and Myspace have such similar characteristics and share the same purpose. Facebook is the newer model and is constantly being updated, therefore will be the preferred choice for new social media users. But is Twitter causing Facebook to be getting old?
'With over 40,000 tweets per minute, and the new registration rate increase of 1500% , Twitter can be seen giving a close fight to the social media giant -Facebook' (Sidhant 2011).
The Social Network is growing so quickly and new Social Media's are developing every few years.
It appears that the different Social Media's such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter are all so similar meaning that users are enjoying the services they all mutually provide, but swap to the latest model. For eg. from Myspace to Facebook, and from Facebook to Twitter.
Task 2:
'It was MySpace that proved social networking could be a mass medium' (August, J L 2008).
Myspace allows users to create their own online profile in which they can post comments and pictures and interact with 'friends' that they can search and add to their account.
Users can use IM (instant messenger), view each others comments, comment on each others comments and pictures, and privately message each other. Myspace also became a medium where people would meet for the first time and sustain online relationships.
'The data doesn’t deny that Facebook has come to dominate social networking in the US, and overtook MySpace in 2009. But MySpace’s 57 million US unique users are nothing to sneeze at – it’s still a top web property with users who are highly engaged' (Owyang, J 2010).
So does this make Myspace 'old'? I think the correct answer is yes and no.
Facebook and Myspace have such similar characteristics and share the same purpose. Facebook is the newer model and is constantly being updated, therefore will be the preferred choice for new social media users. But is Twitter causing Facebook to be getting old?
'With over 40,000 tweets per minute, and the new registration rate increase of 1500% , Twitter can be seen giving a close fight to the social media giant -Facebook' (Sidhant 2011).
The Social Network is growing so quickly and new Social Media's are developing every few years.
It appears that the different Social Media's such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter are all so similar meaning that users are enjoying the services they all mutually provide, but swap to the latest model. For eg. from Myspace to Facebook, and from Facebook to Twitter.
Task 2 References:
August, J L 2008, 'Myspace, the sequel', Fast Company, issue no. 128, pg 92, accessed on 18 August 2011.
Owyang, J 2010, 'A Collection of Social Network Statistics for 2010', Web Strategy, accessed 18 August 2011.
Sidhant 2011, 'Facebook Vs Twitter - Comparing the Social Networks 2011' Geek Syrup, accessed 18 August 2011
Week 3 - Response to Content
From this weeks reading 'Halpern, Sue (2011) "Mind Control & the Internet", New York Review of Books June 23,' I have chosen to focus on the discussion question 'Is commercialisation destroying the web or is the web improving the way we do business?'
In May 2010 I purchased tickets for the UK's biggest music festival, 'Reading Festival' off an internet advertisement. I paid for three tickets with a total sum of 570 POUNDS...so a considerable amount of Australian dollars. When the festival was only two weeks away and i still hadn't recieved my tickets in the mail as promised, I began researching to find that the company 'Good Times Entertainment' was a scam.
As a result of this experience I have not since purchased anything online or even taken notice of online advertisements. Having now been informed that google advertisements are personalized and target users with products of their interests, I am even further from ever considering to purchase online. It's not giving you the best deals, but instead what you will be most easily persuaded to buy.
In May 2010 I purchased tickets for the UK's biggest music festival, 'Reading Festival' off an internet advertisement. I paid for three tickets with a total sum of 570 POUNDS...so a considerable amount of Australian dollars. When the festival was only two weeks away and i still hadn't recieved my tickets in the mail as promised, I began researching to find that the company 'Good Times Entertainment' was a scam.
As a result of this experience I have not since purchased anything online or even taken notice of online advertisements. Having now been informed that google advertisements are personalized and target users with products of their interests, I am even further from ever considering to purchase online. It's not giving you the best deals, but instead what you will be most easily persuaded to buy.
Week 2 - Tutorial Task
Part 1
b) This music video of Beyonce's 'Video Phone' feat. Lady GaGa is a reminder that new communication technologies, such as the video phone, hold a dominant position in modern society. Not only is new communication technology responsible for creating this music video, but the entire songs meaning is that relationships are dependant on video phones, ie. NCT.
This is made obvious by the following 'Video Phone' lyrics:
I wanna make sure you remember me, so I'ma leave my number on your video phone.
If it's gonna be you and me, when I call, they better see me on your video screen.
You saying that you want me, so press record, I'll let you film me.
I need to know I'll always have you wit' me, so take your picture on my video phone.
this web tracker allows users to view the public details of web browsers who visit their website by simply placing a code on their website. With social sites such as Facebook proving a huge success, this web tracker would be a popular choice for people who wish to discover who is regularly visiting their profile.
Part 2
I have been using a mobile phone since the age of 14 and have upgraded twice. I am now using a blackberry smartphone which i use for texting, calling, internet searches, facebook and blackberry messenger (bbm).
I began using msn messenger in year 6, aged 12, and remember my mothers immediate concerns about privacy. Doing this course, i realize that i've never considered privacy issues with using social media.
I am now connected to facebook and admit to always being online via my phone. I don't like the thought of spending so much time of facebook but it definitely consumes some of my time every day.
I do know all of my 'friends' on facebook and don't hesitate to deny any friend requests by people i don't know. I don't use the site to meet people but to keep up to date with friends and family.
I was not aware that google and facebook collect so much information about their users and are able to personalize search results and advertisements.
In doing some research, I found a 2009 article stating 'Google sought to alleviate the concerns of privacy campaigners on Thursday by unveiling new tools that will allow users to see what information the internet company is keeping on them' (Palmer, Maija 2009, Financial Times)
I have not yet seen any evidence of companies informing users what information is being kept but this could be a compromise for the majority who do not approve of the taking of information.
Week 2 - Response to Content
'In theatre and TV comedy, improvisation has become a style in itself. Theory-jamming has direct connections with brainstorming, the practice that originated in the advertising industry to generate new ideas and solutions by kicking around possibilities' (Stockwell, S 2006).
The above quote from Stephen Stockwell's 'Theory-Jamming: Uses of Eclectic Method in an Ontological Spiral', causes thought for how powerful improvisation is when communicating.
Lecturer of Communication Performance at Griffith University, Ms Kylie Hicks is highly educated in theatre and is an experienced performer. Ms Hicks told students that 'improvisation is about being present in the moment'. Being present in the moment is guarenteed to produce an authentic performance of communication. This can relate to theatrical and artistic improvisation, as well as musical improvisation such as 'jamming' which Stockwell writes about. The improviser will become vulnerable to their audience as their true self will be revealed. No two individuals will give the same performance when asked to improvise on a shared topic. By improvising when present in the moment, a persons life experiences and knowledge are communicated to the audience. This form of authentic communication requires no technology, just ones self.
References:
Stockwell, S. (Dec. 2006) "Theory-Jamming: Uses of Eclectic Method in an Ontological Spiral," M/C Journal, 9(6). Retrieved 18 Aug. 2011 from http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0612/09-stockwell.php.
Ms Kylie Hicks - Lecturer of Communication Performance at Griffith University
The above quote from Stephen Stockwell's 'Theory-Jamming: Uses of Eclectic Method in an Ontological Spiral', causes thought for how powerful improvisation is when communicating.
Lecturer of Communication Performance at Griffith University, Ms Kylie Hicks is highly educated in theatre and is an experienced performer. Ms Hicks told students that 'improvisation is about being present in the moment'. Being present in the moment is guarenteed to produce an authentic performance of communication. This can relate to theatrical and artistic improvisation, as well as musical improvisation such as 'jamming' which Stockwell writes about. The improviser will become vulnerable to their audience as their true self will be revealed. No two individuals will give the same performance when asked to improvise on a shared topic. By improvising when present in the moment, a persons life experiences and knowledge are communicated to the audience. This form of authentic communication requires no technology, just ones self.
References:
Stockwell, S. (Dec. 2006) "Theory-Jamming: Uses of Eclectic Method in an Ontological Spiral," M/C Journal, 9(6). Retrieved 18 Aug. 2011 from http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0612/09-stockwell.php.
Ms Kylie Hicks - Lecturer of Communication Performance at Griffith University
Week 1 - Tutorial Task
As my first post i'd like to briefly introduce myself to the bloggers of the world. I am a bachelor of communications student at griffith university due to my interest and strength in english and drama. After graduating from Trinity Lutheran College on the Gold Coast in 2009, I was unsure as to what career path i wanted to go down. Having worked hard at school and dedicating time to my passion for music and drama, I decided to take a year off studying and jumped on a plane to England as a virgin traveller. Hoping that when i returned late 2010 i would have 'found my life's purpose' and be enthusiastic to continue learning, i found myself in the same rutt of not knowing where i saw myself in five, ten, twenty years time. I am now happily studying communications, still with no real sense of where i want it to take me but enjoying the ride nonetheless I am considering majoring in PR at this stage but doing a mixture of subjects to get a taste for all aspects of communication. I hope to further my travels in the near future so highly considering doing an exchange in possibly Canada or back in England. When im not at uni or work, im generally with my close group of girlfriends, being active or writing a new song. In this semester of uni i really hope to form some sort of plan as to where i hope this course will take me.
Week 1 - Response to Content
A major concern with the growth of technology is privacy. 'Internet hacking is fast becoming a significant threat not only to businesses, but government entities, online communities, and idicidual Internet users as well' (Tang & Bagchi & Jain 2009). With new communication technology dominating social and work life, information that people believe is confidentially being exchanged is becoming dangerously vulnerable to exposure and the privacy is no longer there.
As Australian Press Council chair Julian Disney tells Reporter Tony Jones in a July 2011 Lateline interview, 'We've got hacking, we've got dishonest obtaining of information, we've got other issues that have been raised about ownership and diversity.'
As clever as technology has become in allowing immediate mass communication through devices such as mobile phones, computers - internet, message boards, IM (Instant Messenger), video game consoles, smart phones and social media, technology can, and has been, out-smartened by hackers and private investigators who can get hold of almost any information they desire.
New communication technology 'is interactive: Like the telephone and the telegraph (and unlike radio or television' (Bargh & McKenna 2003), which we consider old communication technology). Old communication technologies also include speaking, writing, and sketching which are the most traditional forms of communication.
'The Internet is the latest in a series of technological advances that have changed the world in fundamental ways' (Bargh & McKenna 2003). Having such a dramatic impact on society, it is wondered what impact will the future new communication technologies have on society when internet is considered an old communication technology.
References:
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