welcome net 11's!!

Hi all, just a welcome post for the sp4 net11's!

This blog is a space for you all to discuss things of a conceptual nature - avoid posting task items in here (the DB can get filled with that stuff;) use this space to post news issues, interesting related articles or journal papers and so on and discuss them.. you'll notice there are a couple of fun related posts in here so the aim is to enjoy this space as much as you can!!

I pretty much leave this to you guys so enjoy, read, contribute and discuss!

cheers
Cynth :)

oh added: you may meet some former residents in here who are very welcome to interact and exchange thoughts and experiences - even though the unit info was slightly different, you should have some interests in common :) so a welcome back to any 202's/502's still around !

Thanks and all the best

The structure of my essay

Here's the basic structure of my planned essay (2500 words) on self-disclosure and micro-blogging.

Does micro-blogging encourage increased self-disclosure?

Introduction (150)

What it's going to cover, finishing with a claim that micro-blogging tends to increase self-disclosure, although this must be seen in context of people generally feeling more comfortable about the details they publish online

Body

The micro-blogging phenomenon. (500)
What is micro-blogging? How does it relate to blogging generally and to social networking? How is micro-blogging being used (not comprehensive, indicative)?

A look at privacy (1500)
Some definitions of privacy with a focus on self-disclosure. Look at the ways privacy is achieved by controlling self-disclosure. Look at the concept of access control, how privacy is achieved through the control of access of others to our inner-most self.

How is privacy related to surveillance? A look at the Panopticon and Spaces of Discipline (Foucualt), and Societies of Control (Deleuze) and how one informs the other. Link self-disclosure and Societies of Control through the utility that people achieve through increased self-disclosure. Example: giving out post-code in exchange for tailored weather forecasts.

Conclusion (150)

That's my thoughts so far, what do you think? How's your final essay coming along?

I need some help

I need some help narrowing down the thesis question/statement for the major assignment. There's so much that interests me that I could research and write about. It's like being asked to choose a song and not being able to because there's so many. I'm also mindful of time constraints. I read some Derrida yesterday (that's bloody hard going) and it made me realise that I don't have the luxury of the time needed to open up a whole range of inquiry. I'm thinking that I'll do something on either micro-blogging (which is really just a subset of social networking) or web2.0, but these are very broad topics on their own. Perhaps I could somehow link micro-blogging with some of the research I'm doing in some of the other units and come up with something about the way this topic interacts with broader issues of privacy/surveillance which would be my entree into Foucault and Deleuze. It could then look something like "How does micro-blogging change the nature of self-disclosure and privacy?" which narrows the subject down to micro-blogging but then again the word nature is a bit too vague. So perhaps it could be more "Does micro-blogging encourage increased self-disclosure?" with my response being (tentatively)'yes' but that it doesn't matter because privacy is a function of the ability for a person to control the information published about oneself - one person's privacy is another's public persona. That could lead into the commercialisation of our privacy, in that the more open and vulnerable we are, the more people tend to be fascinated by our lives - witness Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Ben Cousins who make public farce a core part of their self-promotion strategy (some more deliberately than others).

How do you think this would go? OK by me to either comment here or send an email.

Privacy and surveillance in computer supported cooperative work

PRIVACY AND SURVEILLANCE IN COMPUTER SUPPORTED COOPERATIVE WORK:

"Whenever individuals are being informally watched or listened to, they are somewhat inhibited by what they imagine others' reactions to be. This is how informal social control works in groups. We tend to try not to upset the people around us, especially if they have the means to retaliate in some way. Gossip and other private communications are an ordinary part of both group and organizational office politics. In informal conversation it's one person's word against another's as to what was said and by whom. A private comment can be publicly denied. However, once a conversation gets recorded (for example in a paper memo or in an e-mail message) it assumes a more formal existence. As people begin to suspect they'll be held accountable for their spontaneous utterances, their freedom to express themselves is inhibited. While this may be an improvement in the case of malicious gossip, it also destroys the backstage area where so much of group work is actually done."

This may give us a clue as to why so many organisations are keen for people to blog. Once a blog post is published, it is almost impossible to delete any trace of it from the net, and when people know their comments are "permanent" and they believe they are being read and watched, they tend to normalise their behaviour. Blogs, while being a powerful tool for democracy may also become a Deleuzian "society of control."

If...

If a tree falls in a forest with no one there to hear it, did it make a sound? If a blogger writes a blog post with no one there to read it, was it really a post?

Just wondering if there's anyone out there. Anyone? Hello?

Online Journalism Review Readers' Blog Archive

Online Journalism Review Readers' Blog Archive: "By Robert Niles: The Guardian reports that the New York Times-owned International Herald Tribune has cut a deal with South Korean grassroots journalism site OhMyNews to feature OhMyNews headlines on the IHT website and, possibly in the future, articles in the paper."

It looks as though the corporatisation of citizen journalism is closer than we think. It's an exciting way for would be journalists to get themselves published though.

Are you getting Myspace burnout?

Anecdotal evidence is beginning to point to people suffering social networking burnout, with many scaling back their online activities significantly and others dropping out of the web 2.0 scene completely. A report this week on ABC7chicago.com suggests that a number of people are simply tiring of the busy-ness of MySpace and the incessant spam and purposeless friend requests. The article goes on to suggest that, whilst social networking sites are still very popular, people looking to land a new job would do well to consider removing their profiles all together. And for some, that's all the excuse that's needed to jump off the web 2.0 merry-go-round. An article on the San Francisco Chronicle website suggests that, as people move through the various stages of their lives, the need for social networking sites can diminish and the consequent effort to maintain an online presence can be simply too much. Whilst far from suggesting that social networking sites are on the decline - most are growing at exponential rates - the article points to the fickle nature of crowds and the way people use technology to contribute to, and support, their life journey.

Are you suffering from social networking burnout? How many sites do you belong to? What site could you not live without?

More on blogging

A link in the curriculum in webct is to Blogging thoughts:
personal publication as
an online research tool. It's a useful and interesting read about where how blogging developed and how it's being used. Of particular interest is the way that it's being used by researchers as a research journal and a storage space for links. For this purpose I find blogging very useful, blogging anything I find online so that it can be found later.

What's also interesting in this reading is the quote from one of the founders of blogger, Evan Williams, who suggests that blogging is all about frequency, brevity and peronality.

To me, the blog concept is about three things: Frequency, Brevity, and Personality. (..) This clarification has evolved over time, but I realised early on that what was significant about blogs was the format — not the content.1 - Evan Williams

The encouragement here is not to attempt to get blogging right but rather make a start and massage things into shape as you go.

Freedom of speech and anonymity on the Internet

Was just browsing around online, following links from one site to another and I came across this article:

http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/bp54.pdf

(^ please copy paste if you like...I forgot how to embed the link -.-;;)

I guess with the Internet, a lot of people take for granted that they can say whatever they want, especially under assumed names or pseudonyms. (I'm probably one of them, but nothing harsh as far as I know XD)

This paper looks into freedom of speech laws and how it relates to material posted on the Internet, with references to the First Amendment and all that (super brief summary, I'm sorry).

So anyway. Should we be allowed to post provocative material under pseudonyms on the Internet and practice so-called freedom of speech? Or should there be some sort of regulation that forces us to identify ourselves with our real names or other forms of formal identification?

I was just reminded of an article I included in my issues report. In South Korea, the popular online portals Daum and Naver are requesting users to sign in with their social security numbers (identification numbers) before they leave comments so they can track the users and their comments.

I don't know about you guys but to my experience and from what I've always read, there have always been many netizens in Korea who like to leave super harsh comments online...so maybe that's why Daum and Naver are enforcing this rule. But what about normal every day websites?

How altruism, innovation, and commerce is bridging the digital divide

It's almost a given that, unless altruism and capitalism line up, people will go hungry and miss out on even the most basic of human needs. And that's why the One Laptop per Child project started by Nicholas Negroponte may be struggling. However, as reported on CNN Money, there may be an even better alternative to bridging the digital divide. Through some clever use of software and an $11 device, even the most basic computers are being set up to as servers to support the needs of up to 7 different users. It's an ingenious development, but here's the financial rub. The OLPC organisation is a not-for profit, which has, to this point battled against some stiff opposition. On the other hand the makers of these new devices, NComputing, is a for-profit company - and they've just won a contract to get computing into the hands of 100, 000 kids in Macedonia. The company that's won the installation contract is a Chinese company who is also expected to do well out of the deal.

It just goes to show that, altruism, innovation, and commerce can at times be very productive bed fellows.

Google Shared Stuff

Google Shared Stuff

If you're anything like me and find "stuff" on the net that is really interesting, you'll forget where it was after an evening of clicking and reading, reading and clicking. It can be so frustrating and so inefficient. So here's something that can help. It's another method of social book marking and gives you an easy to use way of storing and reading all those amazing web pages you thought would be perfect as a reference for your next assignment.

Enjoy.

Piracy

Well I guess I've always bought the albums of bands I like - but that is because I respect their art and think that should be supported financially (as I am in my profession). But when it comes to a film, I don't hestitate to buy a pirated copy overseas, and while I haven't downloaded anything off the internet in the way of TV and film, now I don't see why not. I think I like the fact that the Internet is bringing big business (by that I guess I mean advertising companies) to their knees and not have the control of the value of a show to the degree it has now. Programs are so awash with someone selling something, that I think it automatically detracts from any real type of cultural experience. Programs have turned into commercial dribble - because that is exactly what is funding them. Maybe the Internet will change this direction of programming for something a little more educating/engaging???

But here is an article that looks at the good of not regulating piracy to firmly, or it might have a negative affect on the industry (both music and film) and would limit innovation. Found it quite interesting, on how they express that intellectual property cannot be regulated and controlled like material property. Check it out if you're interested.

Online Games: Money generator or Mental drugs for kids

Hi everyone, I am doing a research on online game in another unit as well. Check here for something other people discussed about. Comment what you think about online games, it will be fun.

To Vincent Lee: this is post for you as well, you can start another post to ask other questions. I am sorry for taking the first post about games.

Torrent Freak

It is not hard for you guys to google for BitTorrent. However, I found this site is collecting all bittorrent related news and articles. If anyone interested, please check TorrentFreak site for latest news and archives about BitTorrent.

Technical Support in Medieval Times

For some fun....

Technical Support in Medieval Times How to use a book.

The Future of Citizen Journalism

AlterNet: MediaCulture: The Future of Citizen Journalism

Interesting article about the ways new media businesses are being created using a pro-am model where citizen journalists combine with professional journalists to produce news that appears on OhmyNews.com. On would imagine that this would be a cheaper way to produce news, be possibly more reliable/raw/real, and provide a democratising effect on society.

Citizen journalism

Hey everyone,
Know its up on the site pretty late, but if anyone gets a chance to look at this before my presentation tomorrow, then check it out. Just raises some questions about citizen journalism which my topic is on...and whether its friend or foe????

Listening Post: Rory O'Connor Reports from the OhmyNews Con

Twitter - addictive, trivial and growing fast

Introduction

What is Twitter?

It's a world-wide phenomenon that lets people post short messages of a maximum of 140 characters in response to a simple question - "what are you doing?". Users can send these messages via IM, mobile phone, from the Twitter web site, or via a number of applications that feed and publish tweets.

demo

How is Twitter being used?

• Staying in touch with family and friends. A hybrid between email, IM, and text. Provides a rich context for offline interaction and a sixth sense for what's happening in peoples lives.

• Reporters use it to break news, to announce headlines that may be reported in more detail on the Internet, radio, TV and print.

• Bloggers and businesses use it to promote themselves and create a dialogue with their followers. See Barack Obama and author and tech guru Robert Scoble. Drives traffic to their sites.
  

Why does Twitter exist?

Reasons for Twitter's popularity.

• Attention crash, brevity rules - people want the attention of others - the quicker the better

So having attention is very, very desirable, in some ways infinitely so, since the larger the audience, the better. And, yet, attention is also difficult to achieve owing to its intrinsic scarcity. That combination makes it the potential driving force of a very intense economy.

• Growth of mobile technologies requiring shorter messages - shorter but more often

• Rise in social networking - we filter what we want and don't want
  

• Fascination with the trivial - Perez Hilton

• The speed of life is increasing exponentially with the growth in population. This includes the felt need to stay in touch.
• Stimulation addiction with a twist. Twittering is like the cocaine of blogging or e-mail but refined into crack.

  Substance abuse is something visible. Psychological addictions are caused by wanting to hang onto or enhance positive feelings and stimuli, like winning in gambling, playing computer games or projecting whatever personality you like in chat rooms.

Not everyone's a fan

Some criticisms may be the result of a lack of understanding of the way Twitter works:

dezzychick - hopefully finding something to do tonight. (Good luck! Hopefully one of your friends will Twit “hopefully finding something to do tonight” and then the two of you can see each other Twits and put 1 and 1 together to realize that goodness, the two of you might be able to hang out!)

and

Twitter is a bad, bad thing — not just because of what it does, but because of what it says about all of us and our need to be connected. Twitter's whole existence is based on the premise that we aren't yet in touch with one another quite enough.

And that may be because critics haven't immersed themselves in the technology:

So why has Twitter been so misunderstood? Because it's experiential. Scrolling through random Twitter messages can't explain the appeal. You have to do it — and, more important, do it with friends. (Monitoring the lives of total strangers is fun but doesn't have the same addictive effect.)

So what?

• Very low penetration in Australia compared to US - opportunity for students to become an expert in blogging and micro-blogging before the wave hits.

• Once the hype dies down it may simply become useful.
• New features such as grouping (friends, family, colleagues) may make Twitter more usable
  
• How will Twitter respond to competitors such as Pownce, Dodgeball, and Tumblr
• Another part of the confusing web 2.0 jungle - making sense of it all
  

Twittering Vs. Blogging: What Constitutes Journalism? - Deep Jive Interests

Kate recently raised the issue around citizen jounalism. Many would argue that Twitter is banal and trivial? But is it? Or is it perhaps more journalism than journalism itself?

Read more here...Deep Jive Interests » Twittering Vs. Blogging: What Constitutes Journalism? and Road to Mesh: For Journalists, Where Does “Amateur” End and “Professional” Begin?

Twitter a bad, bad thing - USA Today

Not everyone is a fan of hyper-blogging, hyper-connectivity that is micro-blogging. Just why we need to tell the world about our every move is unclear and very much in question. And whilst USATODAY.com suggests that Twitter is a "bad, bad thing", they fail to address the issue of whether it's the technology that's a bad thing or what people do with it. Could it just be possible that, after an initial period of fascination and over-use by an overly exuberant Internet population people will begin to make use of the technology in a much more thoughtful manner?

For me, time will tell. What do you think?

Twitter and Jaiku

I don't get Twitter or Jaiku. Do you?

Seminar questions the why of Web 2.0 and social networking

A seminar conducted in the Bankwest Lecture Theatre at Curtin University today has highlighted the ways in which people are adopting Web 2.0 technology and social networking, but has questioned the sociological reasons behind this phenomena. The speakers, Dr Michelle Wilson and Dr Helen Merrick, both clearly aware of Web 2.0 trends, set out to take the audience on a whirlwind tour of the latest Web 2.0 and social networking websites and explain some of the factors at play in the appearance on the Internet.

Dr Wilson began the seminar with an explanation that Web 2.0, whilst arguably a marketing and media buzzword, was a "revolution by the people for the people". Pointing out how the term described the manner in which the "new web" was now much more dynamic and interactive, Wilson suggested that user-created content allowed people to add value to a web site through their involvement. In particular, she described Web 2.0 as being much more direct; and the new web has become a place where people use Web 2.0 technologies as a means of personal branding. Dr Wilson addressed issues raised by critics that the new web had created concerns about child pornography, terrorism, and addiction but pointed out that these were issues that existed with the advent of the telephone and that were largely created through the fear of losing control by those in power.

Dr Wilson's presentation ended with a look at Second Life and Dr Merrick then continued the review of social networking sites, inluding PopURLs, Digg, delicious, and reddit. Dr Merrick pointed out that social networking sites were "technologies of personalisation" or "ego casting" and highlighted the critique of this phenomena that posits a narrowing or homogenisation of viewpoint and a lack of challenging opinion that is usually found in real life. She also observed that social networking sites were driven by a desire for people to connect and this, in turn, was driving the phenomena of social networking and a resurgence of authenticity(especially via photos and videos) in online interactions. Concluding the presentation, Dr Merrick explained that most researchers and commentators had a positive view of Web 2.0 technologies and social networking, and very few had examined the relationship between individuals and the design of software and technologically mediated environments.

The seminar finished with a question and answer session with some audience members being critical of the failure of these technologies to connect with, and solve, real world problems.

Library 2.0: Librarians taking it to the web

Beverly Hanly is reporting on the extent to which Librarians all over the world are embracing Web 2.0, learning about it and integrating it into common library practice. Librarians are recognising the advantages that the interactive web holds and making an effort to become savvy. This way they can bring library services into the future and be able to educate their customers

Public perception of Librarians is still predominately linked to the image of the printed word, bookish spinsters trawling the stacks. This image is clearly at odds with the reality of bloging librarians, library help avatars and teen libraries established in Second Life.
Furthermore a huge advantage to librarians is the free, web-based nature of Web 2.0. “2.0 technology makes it possible to offer a lot without licensing and maintenance,” says Michael Casey of Library Crunch.

The wealth of evidence available in this article is what makes it so convincing. Hanly has researched examples from Melbourne to South Carolina. One librarian, Christine MacKensie has created a 23 step blog for her staff to use as a learning tool. Her employees in Yarra Plenty adopted the process and soon after I was invited by a friend in Tasmania to view her 23 step blog via my facebook page. Web 2.0 has put out the notion that new technologies are the prevue of the well funded and this is hard evidence of that.

Library 2.0 is an issue of perception, the notion that new and exciting things can only be associated with hip young people. When in fact web 2.0 has a very egaliatarian aspect in that it can be useful to anyone who is willing to explore it.

Hanly, B. (2007) Public Library Geeks Take Web 2.0 to the Stacks. Wired. Retrieved August 14, 2007 from http://www.wired.com/print/culture/education/news/2007/03/learning2_0

Week 4 Lecture: Piracy Is Good?

Hi all, heres the video for week 4 - interesting but long - but interesting :)


Direct link is HERE should there be an embed issue

Citizen journalism

Mass media seems to be shaking in its boots at the thought of this new form of media become known as "citizen journalism". This type of media includes, regular people blogging, catching events on their camera phones, and simply sharing information on websites. But as Rick Edmonds (2005) argues in his article As Blogs and Citizen Journalism Grow, where is the news? the Internet will never take over big media business. As the title suggests, Edmonds, while he thinks there is some validity to online journalism, it still has a long way to come. This idea of citizens paving the way for fair and up to date information is still a pipe dream, because there are no standards in place. People could say the same of regular journalism, but at least there are standards of facts to be upheld, editors to check work and then on top of that, readers/listeners to make sure the articles are correctly representing the truth. As Edmonds argues, blogs and citizen journalism provide content that is factual, verified and in context only some of the time. They have no ethical, or precedent to uphold.

And while citizen journalism has its problems, it also provides an important service. When an issue is happening, the response is instant, not a day/week/month later, but generally within that day. Edmond uses the example of Wikipedia which broke the story of Terry Schiavo (woman on life support - remember?) which was too late for the papers to run that day. He argues it opens up the world of interactive media for anyone with an interest in current affairs and strives towards the true democracy so many crave. But Edmond also argues that this type of journalism is inconsistent on day-to-day issues which people like to be updated.

But as a journalist, I must also agree that maybe more the term, rather than the idea makes me nervous. While I agree with many of Edmond's points on citizen journalism potential, until it actually IS journalism, I don't think it should be called that. Kelly McBride's (2006) view, is that the problem is not citizen journalism, but its name. There is nothing wrong with blogs and people posting their opinions but don't call it what it is not. There are many bloggers out there who post items about current afairs etc. but don't pretend to be journalists, or even want to be labeled as one, they're simply putting their views out there.

Like Edmond, I agree the idea of collaborating journalism and citizen input could be the way to go in increasing the level of democracy and participation within our communities. But at this stage, lets not classify "citizen journalism" as something it at this point just isn't - a news medium. Blogs have become a forum for people to talk about a topic and not be talked at, and if given time I'm sure it will have potential. But for now, its really just a bunch of anonymous people conversing on topics which are generally raised by mainstream media....hmmm..maybe a little cynical....I know!

Edmonds, R. (November 14, 2005). As Blogs and Citizen Journalism Grow, Where's the News? Retrieved August 17, 2007, from http://www.poynter.org/content/content_print.asp?id+91391&custom=

McBride, K. (Feburary 24, 2006). The Problem with Citizen Journalism. Retrieved August 17, 2007, from http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=67&aid=97418

Imagine This

Hey Peter, and everyone else, you think this ties in with your piece: Social networking: next big thing in politics. So not only does it work for them....but sorely against them! I heard this on triple j a few weeks ago and just had to hear it again. A bit left of centre of net studies, but a great watch all the same.

The impact of Web 2.0 and Emerging Social networking models

Straight from the World Economic Forum in Davos comes this high-powered panel discussion on the impacts to individuals, businesses, and communities as a result of Web 2.0 and social networking. Described by Catrina Fake of Flickr as "participatory media", the panelists opine that Internet-based social networking is the next big thing on the web. Companies, such as Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook, have each contributed to revolutionising the manner in which people can connect. However, Fake suggests that this phenomena is merely a return to the way the Internet was initially conceived - a place where people shared information and where a "culture of genorosity" prevailed.

Whilst the panel all enthused about the future, particularly for health care and education, significant concerns were expressed that they believed, if not addressed, could see a lessening of the beneficial affects of the impact of Web 2.0. In particular, suggested Commission Redding from the EU, was the issue of privacy, which is potentially compromised in a web 2.0 environment - particularly at the hands of politicians and autocratic leaders. Redding urged politicians to keep their "hands off the Internet" and act as "enablers" of Internet networks. Along with other members of the panel, who included Bill Gates from Microsoft, co-founder of YouTube, Chad Hurley, and CEO of Nike, Mark Parker, Redding stressed the importance of solving the ongoing issue of digital rights.

The TV broadcast runs for approximately 60 minutes but is well worth watching. Covering issues as diverse as policy, regulation and governance of the Internet, business models, trends, and sociology, the broadcast is informative for students seeking a broader perspective on the phenomena of social networking. For anyone seeking a strategic understanding of the direction of the Internet, as seen from the perspective of some of the industries thought leaders, this is compulsory viewing - and decidedly cheaper than traveling to Switzerland for the conference.

Anonymity in Cyberspace

In life, we generally link identity to accountability. Bob the Blacksmith may come recommended by people who have used him before and know who he is by name. But this type of identifying has become near impossible on the Internet, with people using pseudonyms to stay anonymous for others in Cyberspace. eBay is all run via pseudos and people who are purchasing have absolutely no idea who the seller is. But as Schneier (2006) points out, this type of accountability has become the new way on the Internet in his article Anonymity Won't Kill the Internet. Schneier argues that name accountability means nothing on the Internet, but rather how the seller (on eBay for example) is rated by other users/purchasers. He claims that by knowing some one's name doesn't change how much they can be trusted, as like a pseudonym, its just a name.

Schneier's argument comes off the back of Kelly's (2006) claim that every system he's seen where anonymity becomes common, the system fails. But like mentioned earlier Schneier says "The problem isn't anonymity; it's accountability." He uses eBay of an example of how this marketplace has keep confidence in their consumers, after problems of anonymity were solved by not outing real names, but by having a record of past interactions and whether or not the person kept to their word. It wouldn't make a difference if their name was Mark or Martha, as long as the transaction was above-board, that's all buyers need to know.

Schneier also dismisses pseudo-anonymity, saying that to put trust in a third party to keep your personal information is a big leap in any environment. His distrust of authority suggests that if someone were to have a list of pseudonyms, they would eventually be misused and again the issue of privacy is violated. And while I appreciate Schneier's views on how anonymity can work, and in many ways love having my real identity unknown, it leaves the door open for too many people to escape the law and say things that in "real life" they could be sued or jailed for. For example a case in Szep's (2007) article US Internet defamation suit tests online anonymity, the reality of people being able to keep their real identity private, led to the destruction of another persons career. The woman who was targeted has now taken the anonymous users to court, to see if she can have them outed and have them reprimanded for their slanderous behaviour.

So while there is clearly a case for both sides, I am a bit like Shneier and have a disdain mistrust of authority and would be very cautious of giving them my information in a forum I am not very skillful in. But then while I know I can be trusted not you use my hidden identity to slander someone else, I cannot place the same trust upon someone else. But I also could not as Kelly suggests, hand my real identity to a third party and hope they respect my anonymity, because I believe eventually there will be a high enough price to persuade them to cough up their "secret" information. I have a great interest for this subject, because it interests me that we are so keen to hide our real identity. We now live in a world which is so overly saturated with material possessions, that our only key to excitement is to pretend we are someone else, more exotic and untouchable than we could have ever imagined. I think this type of masking is dangerous, because it allows us to step outside our normal parameters of conversation and say things which in a face-to-face encounter, we would never dream of!

Schneier, B. (2006, December, 1). Anonymity Won't Kill the Internet. Wired. Retrieved August 15, 2007, from http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2006/01/70000

Szep, J. (2007, June 16). U.S. Internet defamation suit tests online anonymity. Reuters. Retrieved 17 August, 2007 from http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USN1529267420070616

Social networking: next big thing in politics

Social networking sites, such as MySpace and YouTube, are having a dramatic impact on the way political campaigns are being conducted, according to an article on InfoWorld (Gross, 2006). Reporting on a conference that examined the impact of social networking sites on political campaigns, the article clearly suggests that such sites were no longer an optional extra for politicians, but should be seen as a core part of their campaign strategy. However, whilst all at the conference agreed the impacts would be significant, they had a "hard time predicting" just what applications and sites would be the best way for politicians to connect with voters.

Clearly, this is an important issue for any politician, or person interested in the political landscape. Since John Kerry began his assault on the Democratic presidential candidacy leading up to the 2004 US elections, the world of politics has taken a close interest in the effectiveness of online media as a way to achieve electoral success. Kerry's team were instrumental in gaining massive online support for his cause using a variety of web-based tools including blogs and social networking sites, particularly meetup.com (Cone, 2003). Whilst it was notable that Kerry failed to transform his online following to ballot box success, the world of politics now had its radar firmly fixed on the fast moving Internet space of social networking.

This newfound interest in social networking sites has seen both the Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton camps feature blogs and videos on their own websites as well as social networking sites such as YouTube, MySpace and Facebook. In Australia, both John Howard and Kevin Rudd have similar, although in some ways, less sophisticated online offerings. In all instances, there is a vast array of media, styles, and destinations that political candidates have employed in an attempt to convince voters of their credentials and suitability as a candidate. It is worth noting though, that as the article on InfoWorld suggests, there appears to be no single "killer app" being utilised by politicians. That the technology is being utilised is not in question, but what each of them will be asking is "what provides the best return on investment?"

Why is this article and issue important for students of the Internet? The answer lies in the lack of consensus reached in the conference mentioned in the article. Politicians, business executives, and activist organisations all face the problem of how to have their message found, and their voice heard, amid the clutter and din that is the Internet. This is often referred to as the "attention economy" (Goldhaber, 1997) where what is of value to an organisation is not so much the production of something physical, but the ability to achieve the attention of a group or community. Students who master this skill, and who can help leaders capture, and retain, the attention of an Internet audience, will have a long and rewarding career.



Cone, E. (2003). The Marketing of a President. Retrieved August 16. 2007, from http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,1397,1386982,00.asp

Goldhaber, M. H. (1997). The Attention Economy and the Net. Retrieved August 16. 2007, from http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue2_4/goldhaber/#dep0

Gross, G. (2006). Social networking sites: The next big thing in politics. Retrieved August 16. 2007, from http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/09/15/HNsocialnetworkpolitics_1.html

Internet security

An article in the Australian has focussed attention on the dangers to international internet based commerce posed by hackers and cyber-criminals. Cyber-flaws invite hacker chaos (Australian IT, 2007b) outlines statements made by specialists in Internet security at the annual Black Hat conference held this year in Las Vegas. Quoting Richard Clarke, an author and previous advisor to both George Bush and Bill Clinton, the article suggests that “the global economy could be shut down by hackers”. Pointing to the lack of government funding, and the economic imperative for companies to produce software quickly and cheaply, the article implies that not enough is being done to counter the threat of malicious hackers.

Resonating with the concerns held by many about personal safety, terrorism, and corruption, the article raises legitimate issues about the future of an economy based on Internet architecture. The fears raised are echoed in further news stories, which highlight significant vulnerabilities in corporate and government networks. On such story points to the way emails, sent over Wi-Fi network, can easily be intercepted and read (Australian IT, 2007c). Another shows how hackers in Norway stole the private data on 60 000 people, including the details of the person who was responsible for keeping the data secure (Australian IT, 2007d). Finally, a further article indicates how a malicious software (malware) package called Mpack has hijacked around 160 000 sites across the globe, installing key-logging software that is used to discover usernames and passwords (BBC News, 2007). For people and society to imagine there is no problem with security on the Internet, or to take the matter lightly, is both dangerous and naive.

Clearly, the article is sensationalist in its approach. From its headline predicting online chaos to the suggestion that it’s only time before we see the “perfect storm”, the reader is left in no doubt that communities, businesses, and government organisations should place the matter of online security high on the agenda for the future. However, the article suggests little about the solutions to the problem, and fails to address what the steps have been taken to stamp out cyber-crime. Although announcements that Microsoft have recently released security upgrades supposedly to stop hackers from breaking into web surfers’ computers (Australian IT, 2007e) is hardly exciting, it is nonetheless important that people be given the opportunity of assessing the risks of Internet usage based on an assessment of all of the facts – not just sensationalist claims.

Internet security is both exciting and fascinating in that it connects with much of the rhetoric surrounding global security and terrorism. It is widely known that terrorists use the Internet as one of their most potent and powerful tools for recruitment, planning, and communication (Katz & Devon, 2007) and it is therefore not difficult to imagine that enemies of democracy could use this technology as a means of direct attack on democratic institutions and infrastructure (Australian IT, 2007a). Therefore, whether the threat comes from terrorists, cyber-criminals, or online vandals, Internet security is an important issue for all who consider the Internet to be a part of their future.

Australian IT (2007a). Behind the mask. Retrieved August 7. 2007, from http://www.theage.com.au/news/security/behind-the-mask/2007/08/06/1186252627400.html?page=4

Australian IT (2007b). Cyber-flaws invite hacker chaos. Retrieved August 7. 2007 from http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22199484-24170,00.html

Australian IT (2007c). Festival of the dark arts. Retrieved August 7. 2007, from http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22200134-5013044,00.html

Australian IT (2007d). Hackers in huge ID heist. Retrieved August 14,. 2007, from http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22234753-5013044,00.html

Australian IT (2007e). Microsoft issues 6 critical patches. Retrieved August 15. 2007, from http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22248373-15306,00.html

BBC News (2007). Hackers target 'legitimate' sites. Retrieved August 13. 2007, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6221306.stm

Katz, R., & Devon, J. (2007). Web Of Terror. Forbes, 3(8), 184. Retrieved May 3, 2007, from Proquest database.

Did You Know 2.0

may be of interest - be aware however of where this clip is "coming from" .... keep a critical mind, an open mind and enjoy the information as well

Web 2.0 dry u-tube version - historical though

Web2.0 - a dryer version but gives an historical overview of web2.0
make sure you check out the ** wikipedia list of alternate views critiquing the term and heralding of "web 2.0"...

(disclaimer- **wikipedia is NOT an academically recognised source and if you use it in assignment submission you may have to accept some heavy consequences but its a great starting point for further research and often includes academic quality links in its text)

the original one I had is missing now - but here is another one - still dry


ah! found the old one :)


and check out Tim O'Reilly's (term founder of "web 2.0") definition - even he doesn't know what it is ;)

Web2.0 u-tube The Machine Is Us/ing Us

web2.0 - nicely visual but while they discuss the idea of form and content - reflect upon the actual form and the way the content was created... interesting once you meditate on that for a while ;)