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.