Friday, May 9, 2008
Quote of the Day
"God ... invented the giraffe, the elephant, the cat ... He has no real style. He just goes on trying things."
Pablo Picasso
Keep going until you find your mojo.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Saviour of the balance
There is a school of thought gradually teaching students that user generated content is the saviour of balance, equality and objectivity in the pit of modern consumerism and bias. The lesson being taught goes something like this:
As 200 million people log onto their blogs and write their opinion pieces, 200 million voices add themselves to the choir of global understanding.
Each album uploaded to Flickr is like a flourish in the fresco on the ceiling of the Cathedral of Life, painting a picture of the world as it really is.
Every user who logs on to Wikipedia to contribute pours forth a stream of enlightenment, filling the cup of knowledge from which the world loves to drink.
And finally, as we, the consumers of this content, log on to Blogger, Flickr, MySpace, Wikipedia and Current TV and are exposed to this myriad of alternative thoughts, ideas and opinions, a new dawn of understanding breaks and the sun rises on a world that is informed and has a balanced, reasonable and fair consideration of the issues at hand.
Does that sound like the world you woke up in this morning, or should I just roll over and go back to sleep?
I acknowledge that the picture I paint is perhaps somewhat sarcastic and very narrow minded in its position, but there does seem to be an aura of reverence surrounding user generated content and it’s ability to re-educate the world one blog reader at a time. But I have two key problems with our newfound saviour of the balance.
1. The voices being added to ‘the choir of global understanding’ are the voices of those privileged enough to be living in a free society with access to an Internet connection. Developing nations in Africa and throughout Asia cannot provide this avenue of expression to their population to allow their voices to be heard. A simple Google search reveals the furor of discussion surrounding the access and freedom of speech granted to those living in China. And although America may be considered to be the home of free speech, it appears that it is not that simple for those serving in their armed forces . We may be getting masses of opinions, but we are not getting the opinions of the masses.
2. Consumers do not actively seek or retain information or opinions that are contrary to their own. We have a tendency to engage with content that either supports or reinforces the views we hold, or further extends the understanding we have of our opinions. The theory of selective retention holds that
There is a limit to people’s openness to change. Creating behavioural and attitudinal shifts is not as simple as posting an entry on Blogger. If it was, advertisers, marketers, market researchers and public relations professionals would be out of a job.
So while user generated content definitely makes positive steps towards a more enlightened society, and undoubtedly provides a broader range of opinions and ideas than was previously accessible, there remains within me an element of doubt as to the potential for ‘restoring of the balance’ through the current model of user generated content.
As 200 million people log onto their blogs and write their opinion pieces, 200 million voices add themselves to the choir of global understanding.
Each album uploaded to Flickr is like a flourish in the fresco on the ceiling of the Cathedral of Life, painting a picture of the world as it really is.
Every user who logs on to Wikipedia to contribute pours forth a stream of enlightenment, filling the cup of knowledge from which the world loves to drink.
And finally, as we, the consumers of this content, log on to Blogger, Flickr, MySpace, Wikipedia and Current TV and are exposed to this myriad of alternative thoughts, ideas and opinions, a new dawn of understanding breaks and the sun rises on a world that is informed and has a balanced, reasonable and fair consideration of the issues at hand.
Does that sound like the world you woke up in this morning, or should I just roll over and go back to sleep?
I acknowledge that the picture I paint is perhaps somewhat sarcastic and very narrow minded in its position, but there does seem to be an aura of reverence surrounding user generated content and it’s ability to re-educate the world one blog reader at a time. But I have two key problems with our newfound saviour of the balance.
1. The voices being added to ‘the choir of global understanding’ are the voices of those privileged enough to be living in a free society with access to an Internet connection. Developing nations in Africa and throughout Asia cannot provide this avenue of expression to their population to allow their voices to be heard. A simple Google search reveals the furor of discussion surrounding the access and freedom of speech granted to those living in China. And although America may be considered to be the home of free speech, it appears that it is not that simple for those serving in their armed forces . We may be getting masses of opinions, but we are not getting the opinions of the masses.
2. Consumers do not actively seek or retain information or opinions that are contrary to their own. We have a tendency to engage with content that either supports or reinforces the views we hold, or further extends the understanding we have of our opinions. The theory of selective retention holds that
... people remember more accurately messages that are closer to their interests, views and beliefs than those that are in contrast with their values and beliefs. We are selecting what to keep in the memory, narrowing the informational flow once again.
There is a limit to people’s openness to change. Creating behavioural and attitudinal shifts is not as simple as posting an entry on Blogger. If it was, advertisers, marketers, market researchers and public relations professionals would be out of a job.
So while user generated content definitely makes positive steps towards a more enlightened society, and undoubtedly provides a broader range of opinions and ideas than was previously accessible, there remains within me an element of doubt as to the potential for ‘restoring of the balance’ through the current model of user generated content.
How much is too much?
According to Anne Helman, a New Media Lecturer at the University of Amsterdam as of February this year there were over 112 million blogs sitting in the blogosphere, excluding the 72 million blogs that are fast springing from China. Aggregated, this represents close to 200 million opinions on an infinite number of topics.
As at 8 May 2008 there are 2 363 745 articles hosted on Wikipedia. Articles researched, written, edited and maintained by users. By the time you next log on to Wikipedia, my data will be out of date.
In 2007 there were over 124 million people accessing the content posted on You Tube. As of June 2007 You Tube represented 11.4% of Internet user’s online experience. The population of You Tube is larger than that of most countries in the world.
According to Axel Bruns, leading new media theorist, welcome to the world of produsage. Enabled by the so called Web 2.0 revolution and seen by some as the second Internet goldrush in full swing, the world of the produser is a world where consumer and producers are no longer discrete entities and traditional industrial and commercial frameworks for content production and distribution no longer apply.
Blogs, Wikipedia and You Tube only represent a portion of the produsage iceberg. Lying in wait under the murky surface of commercialism is a whole body of user-produced content. But is this iceberg the unseen foe that will result in the sinking of traditional media outlets?
Don’t count out the Titanic just yet, there are a few hot issues which threaten to melt the potency of the produsage iceberg.
1. Quality
The very nature of produsage allows that all individuals, regardless of their position within and access to commercial entities and resources, are equally able and entitled to produce and distribute content. This content could range from written content such as blogs and pieces of citizen journalism to video footage, films, photographs, cartoons, commercials – the list goes on.
However, the removal of the production and distribution mechanism from the traditional commercial context also removes the necessity for two basic elements of commercial content; training and gatekeeping.
This feature acts as a double-edged sword. For many, this is the pure, idealistic attraction of user created content. It is not censored, restricted, manipulated or influenced in any way by the values and agendas of commercial production. And often, it also isn’t spell checked or produced within copyright, defamation or vilification guidelines either. Participants are also not required to have the ‘expert’ factor, any training or experience in their chosen field of production. This leads to questions as to the accuracy and reliability of information and content produced through produsage.
For interest, discussion of this very problem in relation to Wikipedia was raised in an article by Andrew Orlowski for The Register.
2. Quantity
No longer restricted by the capacity of industry, the sheer volume of content available through produsage has increased exponentially, as demonstrated by the figures in the opening paragraphs. However, arguably, content only holds real value when there is an audience to view it. Traditional production has defined and loyal audiences, established through years of consistent delivery and quality of content.
And while there are various mechanisms, sites and software packages such as rating systems, sites such as digg.com and del.icio.us which aim to sift through the vast quantity of information and present that which is pertinent to particular audiences, I personally have doubts as to how effective they are in evaluating and presenting the sheer volume of content now available on the web.
3. Sustainability
In a traditional relationship, content was produced and distributed in exchange for financial compensation. For example, journalists working for a paper were paid wages or a set fee for each story, and in turn, readers paid for access to the stories these journalists produced.
Produsers are generating content outside of this commercial environment, and generally are not paid for their efforts. The time taken to produce this content is, arguably, time that the produser could be paid for within the workforce. For those producers who are generating large quantities of content, there may eventually reach a point that this approach is no longer financially viable. Commercial entities also, are losing profits from their content as consumers select the free, user generated alternatives.
An example of this on going battle between ideals and financial considerations is clearly seen in the open source software sphere.
So is there a threat of the 'causal collapse' of our traditional media outlets? Is the Titanic sinking? For my money, the iceberg needs to be a little sharper to sink this ship. But watch this space.
As at 8 May 2008 there are 2 363 745 articles hosted on Wikipedia. Articles researched, written, edited and maintained by users. By the time you next log on to Wikipedia, my data will be out of date.
In 2007 there were over 124 million people accessing the content posted on You Tube. As of June 2007 You Tube represented 11.4% of Internet user’s online experience. The population of You Tube is larger than that of most countries in the world.
According to Axel Bruns, leading new media theorist, welcome to the world of produsage. Enabled by the so called Web 2.0 revolution and seen by some as the second Internet goldrush in full swing, the world of the produser is a world where consumer and producers are no longer discrete entities and traditional industrial and commercial frameworks for content production and distribution no longer apply.
Blogs, Wikipedia and You Tube only represent a portion of the produsage iceberg. Lying in wait under the murky surface of commercialism is a whole body of user-produced content. But is this iceberg the unseen foe that will result in the sinking of traditional media outlets?
Don’t count out the Titanic just yet, there are a few hot issues which threaten to melt the potency of the produsage iceberg.
1. Quality
The very nature of produsage allows that all individuals, regardless of their position within and access to commercial entities and resources, are equally able and entitled to produce and distribute content. This content could range from written content such as blogs and pieces of citizen journalism to video footage, films, photographs, cartoons, commercials – the list goes on.
However, the removal of the production and distribution mechanism from the traditional commercial context also removes the necessity for two basic elements of commercial content; training and gatekeeping.
This feature acts as a double-edged sword. For many, this is the pure, idealistic attraction of user created content. It is not censored, restricted, manipulated or influenced in any way by the values and agendas of commercial production. And often, it also isn’t spell checked or produced within copyright, defamation or vilification guidelines either. Participants are also not required to have the ‘expert’ factor, any training or experience in their chosen field of production. This leads to questions as to the accuracy and reliability of information and content produced through produsage.
For interest, discussion of this very problem in relation to Wikipedia was raised in an article by Andrew Orlowski for The Register.
2. Quantity
No longer restricted by the capacity of industry, the sheer volume of content available through produsage has increased exponentially, as demonstrated by the figures in the opening paragraphs. However, arguably, content only holds real value when there is an audience to view it. Traditional production has defined and loyal audiences, established through years of consistent delivery and quality of content.
And while there are various mechanisms, sites and software packages such as rating systems, sites such as digg.com and del.icio.us which aim to sift through the vast quantity of information and present that which is pertinent to particular audiences, I personally have doubts as to how effective they are in evaluating and presenting the sheer volume of content now available on the web.
3. Sustainability
In a traditional relationship, content was produced and distributed in exchange for financial compensation. For example, journalists working for a paper were paid wages or a set fee for each story, and in turn, readers paid for access to the stories these journalists produced.
Produsers are generating content outside of this commercial environment, and generally are not paid for their efforts. The time taken to produce this content is, arguably, time that the produser could be paid for within the workforce. For those producers who are generating large quantities of content, there may eventually reach a point that this approach is no longer financially viable. Commercial entities also, are losing profits from their content as consumers select the free, user generated alternatives.
An example of this on going battle between ideals and financial considerations is clearly seen in the open source software sphere.
So is there a threat of the 'causal collapse' of our traditional media outlets? Is the Titanic sinking? For my money, the iceberg needs to be a little sharper to sink this ship. But watch this space.
Friday, May 2, 2008
How green is cyberspace? PART TWO
I was recently reading an article by Al Gore. The opening paragraph of the article for me highlighted a profound point; the one common basis between cyberspace and the real world is time. We both function under the same restrictions of time and time changes both worlds. In the physical world, Gore highlights how the ongoing march of time is presenting the world with disastrous consequences:
But further on in the piece, Gore explores the fascinating relationship between the actions in an online space and positive reactions for our environment.
This insight inspired me to consider how we, as foot soldiers in this environmental war, take steps to harness the weaponry of the Internet.
So here are ten ways you and the Internet can save the planet:
1. Pay your bills online – many bills and statements can be viewed and paid online to reduce the amount of paper used to print and the transport used to deliver
2. Work from home – this reduces greenhouse emissions from your cars, bikes as you commute to work and the number of disposable coffee cups you through in the bin each morning.
3. Video conference – with all the fabulous technology available, the need to travel overseas for business conferences is reducing. Save jet fuel and set up a video link up
4. Turn off the lights - backlighting in computer screens eliminates the need for turning on the lights in the house as you work
5. Get another job - 24 hour access means an opportunity to literally work around the clock. Find an employer in another country and work for them by night. The extra money you are earning can be used to support environmental causes close to your heart
6. Sign up to World of Warcraft - become so absorbed in the virtual world that you don’t shower for three days
7. Download where possible – reduce packaging and transport costs and download software, music, books and movies (legally, of course)
8. Shop online – don’t drive your car to the sops, surf the web instead. When ordering goods take the option of having them delivered all together to minimise impact of separate transport costs
9. Recycle – use eBAy to get rid of all that old stuff that you have lying around the house, and make a bit of money in the process!
10. Network – get involved in online communities that environmentally active and aware. Find new ideas and get involved with community projects.
But always remember – save power, turn off your computer (not just put it on standby) when you are not using it.
If this all looks too hard, you might like to try this approach:
In cyberspace and elsewhere, 24 hours is a day. But in the global environment -- where change is always pressing its foot on the accelerator -- those 1,440 precious minutes can be a lifetime. In the time it takes to complete this first 24 Hours in Cyberspace, 31,507 acres of rain forest will be destroyed, 74 species will vanish, 16 million tons of carbon will be pumped into the air, and people will generate more than 700,000 tons of garbage.
But further on in the piece, Gore explores the fascinating relationship between the actions in an online space and positive reactions for our environment.
This insight inspired me to consider how we, as foot soldiers in this environmental war, take steps to harness the weaponry of the Internet.
So here are ten ways you and the Internet can save the planet:
1. Pay your bills online – many bills and statements can be viewed and paid online to reduce the amount of paper used to print and the transport used to deliver
2. Work from home – this reduces greenhouse emissions from your cars, bikes as you commute to work and the number of disposable coffee cups you through in the bin each morning.
3. Video conference – with all the fabulous technology available, the need to travel overseas for business conferences is reducing. Save jet fuel and set up a video link up
4. Turn off the lights - backlighting in computer screens eliminates the need for turning on the lights in the house as you work
5. Get another job - 24 hour access means an opportunity to literally work around the clock. Find an employer in another country and work for them by night. The extra money you are earning can be used to support environmental causes close to your heart
6. Sign up to World of Warcraft - become so absorbed in the virtual world that you don’t shower for three days
7. Download where possible – reduce packaging and transport costs and download software, music, books and movies (legally, of course)
8. Shop online – don’t drive your car to the sops, surf the web instead. When ordering goods take the option of having them delivered all together to minimise impact of separate transport costs
9. Recycle – use eBAy to get rid of all that old stuff that you have lying around the house, and make a bit of money in the process!
10. Network – get involved in online communities that environmentally active and aware. Find new ideas and get involved with community projects.
But always remember – save power, turn off your computer (not just put it on standby) when you are not using it.
If this all looks too hard, you might like to try this approach:
How green is cyberspace?
There is a war being waged. A war for our time, our money, our compassion, our thought, our sympathy, our participation and our commitment. As per the laws of natural selection, it is the strongest and the fittest that prevail in this battle; those with the strongest financial, social and political resources and those fittest in designing, distributing, promoting and pricing their message. And so it goes that in this ongoing war, there is a tendency for particular corporations and causes to seize and maintain a stranglehold on public attention. Specifically, in the area of ‘causes’ we see fluctuations and trends in the level of prominence and importance given to each in the media, in social dialogue and consequently in the lives of individuals. We have seen feminism, gender equality, political correctness, indigenous rights, poverty and, arguably the cause of the moment, the environment.
The catch cry of going green can be seen everywhere. It seems that everyone from supermarkets, governments, banks, pop stars, schools, clubs and cartoon characters are all taking up the call and going green. The green movement is not a new one (think only of our hippie friends in the 70’s) but to my mind it is truly fascinating to watch how a cause so firmly planted in the physical world has sprouted such an extensive online presence (excuse the puns). I believe this is largely due to the weaponry provided in the online environment that enables the environmentalists to fight their war.
Weapons in the greenies online war:
So as the war continues to rage, it is interesting to see the part these weapons play. Some have been exploited to near their full potential, and others still have much room for creativity in their application. The question in my mind is now how will these tools change the environmental war?
We have already seen instances in the physical world were corporations are exploiting environmental sympathies to financial advantage, for example, encouraging patronage at events that are billed as carbon neutral. So will we begin to see websites that are also carbon neutral in an attempt to increase traffic? Gimmicks to the effect that for every hour logged on the site, the organisation will plant 1 tree to offset the carbon emissions caused by the electricity required to power computers and modems? We watch and wait in anticipation.
The catch cry of going green can be seen everywhere. It seems that everyone from supermarkets, governments, banks, pop stars, schools, clubs and cartoon characters are all taking up the call and going green. The green movement is not a new one (think only of our hippie friends in the 70’s) but to my mind it is truly fascinating to watch how a cause so firmly planted in the physical world has sprouted such an extensive online presence (excuse the puns). I believe this is largely due to the weaponry provided in the online environment that enables the environmentalists to fight their war.
Weapons in the greenies online war:
- Digital data storage – Digital storage of information has a two fold advantage; it reduces the need to retain ‘paper’ copies of documents and information (whereby saving our trees) and also facilitates the efficient, paperless, widespread sharing of this information through such avenues as websites, email, Google documents and online databases and research centres
- Knowledge – The sharing of knowledge, research and ideas between experts and non -experts is building and increasing the understanding of environmental issues, developments and solutions through a process described by Levy as collective intelligence.
- Access – The positioning of information in online environments increases individuals’ ability to access a diverse range of information on a diverse range of topics from a diverse range of sources. There is also increased access to more environmentally sustainable products and services, which were once limited in their distribution due to geographical restrictions. Now, through sites such as World of Good, these products are universally accessible and available.
- Awareness – with the increase of access and the wider sharing of knowledge, comes increased awareness as a broader range of people are exposed to a broader range of issues. The potential for information to be spread rapidly through the use of viral Internet campaigns also has the power to swiftly spread a message and raise awareness of an issue
- Collective action – the ability to coordinate large scale projects and recruit diverse groups of people to achieve a common goal has been simplified in an online environment. The use of online forums to coordinate events (both on and offline) and the advantages of access and awareness in an online environment enable most efficient mobilisation of the troops to fight the war
- Transparency – corporations, governments and individuals are under increasing global scrutiny, as access to information increases, so does our expectation that it is available.
So as the war continues to rage, it is interesting to see the part these weapons play. Some have been exploited to near their full potential, and others still have much room for creativity in their application. The question in my mind is now how will these tools change the environmental war?
We have already seen instances in the physical world were corporations are exploiting environmental sympathies to financial advantage, for example, encouraging patronage at events that are billed as carbon neutral. So will we begin to see websites that are also carbon neutral in an attempt to increase traffic? Gimmicks to the effect that for every hour logged on the site, the organisation will plant 1 tree to offset the carbon emissions caused by the electricity required to power computers and modems? We watch and wait in anticipation.
Is it worth it? UPDATE
For those of you who are indeed struggling with the idea of what to do with your old media, try a couple of these sites:
Simples ways to get rid of your old iPods and mobile phones, regardless of their condition!
Buy My Tronics
Second Rotation
Students take note
Important health warning for all students currently working on assignments. Please read the following"
Sleep Deprivation is NOT a Badge of Honour
Sleep Deprivation is NOT a Badge of Honour
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Love Blogging?
As far as a hobby goes, blogging is quite therapeutic. As far as an assignment goes, blogging is quite refreshing. As far as a job goes, you could do a lot worse.
For those of you who see yourselves as having found your mojo in the blogosphere, you might consider looking around for a few opportunities to be compensated for your time and thoughts.
Here is a possibility I have come across in the last couple of days:
For those of you who see yourselves as having found your mojo in the blogosphere, you might consider looking around for a few opportunities to be compensated for your time and thoughts.
Here is a possibility I have come across in the last couple of days:
Company: Confidential
Location: Anywhere
Posted on: Apr 26, 2008Freelance copywriter for web content
Ghost-write three blog posts each weekday, and post to hosted Wordpress blog.
We need ongoing blog entries to help build content launching our new blog. Granted the "recruitment industry" traditionally may not sound like the most exciting topic to write about, though our voice has never been traditional. That said, we are seeking humor, personality, charm and wit coupled with a Trump-like business sensibility.
Desired topics: Design/Web Development industry, Graphic design industry, Advertising/Marketing industry, other creative industries, Freelance vs. Full-time designers, Advantages/disadvantages to working with Recruiters, etc.
For further details see the Creative Hub Job Board
- Compensation: Each blog entry published $50.00 - $75.00
- Blog entries: 3 per week.
The more you look, the more you find companies and corporates scrambling to pick up the pieces and jump on the new media bandwagon. It seems that businesses big and small see these portals of social networking and participatory culture as somehow intrinsically providing a foolproof link to engaging the youth demographic in today's society.
The company listed above obviously feels the need to expand their 'traditional' markets and employ some 'out of the box' communication thinking. And they are not alone. Global management and consulting technology services company, Accenture, now holds many recruitment events and even job interviews in a designated space in Second Life. In a recent post, James of Ladies Love Cool James highlighted the example of FaithTrip, an Australian Catholic social networking site, trying to raise up a new generation of evangelical Christians. And possibly one of the most scrutinized, and, to be fair, ridiculed, moves into the crazy world of online interactive media stuff was made by the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia during the last election. Their assault on the untamed territories of MySpace, FaceBook and You Tube were, well, noble and well meant, but they highlight the problem faced by many organisations attempting the transition to Web 2.0 - they simply do not understand the technology, nor the people who use it.
As I watched videos of Kevin Rudd, struggling to crack a smile, presenting speeches on the challenges faced by Australia economy (yes, I am a name behind one the 300 people who viewed this video) and John Howard imploring voters to embrace a fear of change and vote for him at the polls, this lack of understanding became abundantly clear. There were flashes of golden understanding of the world of You Tube, such as this classic:
But these were few and far between.
However, this problem also presents a beautiful, shiny, gleaming opportunity. This opportunity was realised to me only yesterday as I was writing a CV and cover letter to a leading engineering firm regarding a communications position. When writing a cover letter, the challenge is set. How are you going to make sure that you present to the company the key reasons why you can do this job better than anyone else? As I was drafting my response I found myself writing
We need to appreciate that the skills that we see as basic survival habits are seen by others as the way forward in this technology driven world. Just as learning to use a typewriter was seen as a career securing move for our grandparents, the ability to blog and engage in a discussion thread may well be our competitive edge in this crazy world.
The company listed above obviously feels the need to expand their 'traditional' markets and employ some 'out of the box' communication thinking. And they are not alone. Global management and consulting technology services company, Accenture, now holds many recruitment events and even job interviews in a designated space in Second Life. In a recent post, James of Ladies Love Cool James highlighted the example of FaithTrip, an Australian Catholic social networking site, trying to raise up a new generation of evangelical Christians. And possibly one of the most scrutinized, and, to be fair, ridiculed, moves into the crazy world of online interactive media stuff was made by the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia during the last election. Their assault on the untamed territories of MySpace, FaceBook and You Tube were, well, noble and well meant, but they highlight the problem faced by many organisations attempting the transition to Web 2.0 - they simply do not understand the technology, nor the people who use it.
As I watched videos of Kevin Rudd, struggling to crack a smile, presenting speeches on the challenges faced by Australia economy (yes, I am a name behind one the 300 people who viewed this video) and John Howard imploring voters to embrace a fear of change and vote for him at the polls, this lack of understanding became abundantly clear. There were flashes of golden understanding of the world of You Tube, such as this classic:
But these were few and far between.
However, this problem also presents a beautiful, shiny, gleaming opportunity. This opportunity was realised to me only yesterday as I was writing a CV and cover letter to a leading engineering firm regarding a communications position. When writing a cover letter, the challenge is set. How are you going to make sure that you present to the company the key reasons why you can do this job better than anyone else? As I was drafting my response I found myself writing
I also believe that my knowledge and experience in areas of new media will provide a valuable fresh approach
We need to appreciate that the skills that we see as basic survival habits are seen by others as the way forward in this technology driven world. Just as learning to use a typewriter was seen as a career securing move for our grandparents, the ability to blog and engage in a discussion thread may well be our competitive edge in this crazy world.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Is it worth it?
Have a look at these:
These are a handful of the photos I have floating around my house, and a snapshot of the CDs and books that I keep handy. I see them everyday. But are these the sort of things I should be keeping for my grandkids because such antiques like photographs and CDs make for a fantastic glimpse into the ‘good old days’?
Now have a read of this.
Point. Shoot. Kiss it Goodbye.
David Weinberger has obviously done a lot of thinking. And I’ve been doing a lot of thinking too – about his thinking. I imagine that his thinking has been done while sitting in a room. Most probably his office. Considering the organisation he is writing for, most likely an office at home. He is probably sitting just to the left of a bookcase filled with reference books, encyclopedias, novels and magazines. On the bottom shelf of that bookcase may be a few photo albums containing fading copies of all those priceless family happy snaps, accompanied by a stack of CD with all the photos he’s taken in the last few years on his digital camera and doesn’t have room for on his hard drive. To his right may be an old cupboard, upon whose shelves may be a box with a few old records and maybe a few stray cassettes, remnants of a distant youth. In contrast, on top of the cupboard could be a rack sporting a sizable collection of CDs, most of which are just new copies of the old records in the cupboard. On his desk may sit yesterday’s paper, under which sits a dusty referdex and a few old train timetables.
David could just as easily be sitting in my study (if you add a couple of half drunk cups of tea, wallpaper samples on a pin board, a couple of fish bowls and my old graphics drafting board that I have stuck googly eyes all over).
This simple picture of the humble study highlights to me the basic conundrum with new media. It is a conundrum that is also touched upon by David in his blog.
Where does old media fit in the new media world?
All the reference books we have on our shelves, CDs we lovingly collect and photos we dutifully file in albums– the information can now quickly and easily be found on the web, we can subscribe to magazines and buy eBooks, we can buy our music through iTunes, store our photos on Flickr, look up whereis.com for our street directions and have the QR timetable streamed to our mobile.
So where does old media fit in the new media world?
What do we do with it? Where do we put it? Do we get rid of it? Do we use it at the expense of its new media counterparts? Do we attempt to convert it? Do we simply replace it? Can everything in our old media world be simply and comprehensively replaced by a computer and an Internet connection?
David uses the case of the Bettmann Archive in the Iron Mountain National Storage Facility. The archive is a collection of 11 million photographs, richly detailing small pieces of the tapestry of our world’s history. In 1995, the archive was sold to Corbis, a digital stock photography firm, who are now undertaking the arduous task of scanning all the negatives to make the photos available in digital form.
Corbis has taken the view that the intrinsic value of these photographs justifies the time and expense of conversion. In this case, there is also the advantage that the resources become more widely accessible and easier to search and access.
But is that always the case? Does the shift to the ‘new media way’ always equate to a better way of doing things?
Most of us seem to be caught in this awkward balance between our old media belongings and our new media habits. And working out whether to convert, replace or ignore is always a tricky question. Back in my study, you could pick up any number of books and find sticky tags with notes marking pages and leaving reminders. In my recipe books these reminders are globs of melted chocolate and light oil stains from melted butter that remind me that, yes, these brownies are delicious. In my textbooks, my little stars and arrows remind me of what is important and what I found interesting. Unlike my referdex, the directions I get from whereis.com forget to tell me when going to my friend’s place down the coast, it may be quicker to take exit 57, but if I take 58, I avoid the roadworks.
To my way of thinking there are some things that are simply lost when dealing in new media.
These are a handful of the photos I have floating around my house, and a snapshot of the CDs and books that I keep handy. I see them everyday. But are these the sort of things I should be keeping for my grandkids because such antiques like photographs and CDs make for a fantastic glimpse into the ‘good old days’?
Now have a read of this.
Point. Shoot. Kiss it Goodbye.
David Weinberger has obviously done a lot of thinking. And I’ve been doing a lot of thinking too – about his thinking. I imagine that his thinking has been done while sitting in a room. Most probably his office. Considering the organisation he is writing for, most likely an office at home. He is probably sitting just to the left of a bookcase filled with reference books, encyclopedias, novels and magazines. On the bottom shelf of that bookcase may be a few photo albums containing fading copies of all those priceless family happy snaps, accompanied by a stack of CD with all the photos he’s taken in the last few years on his digital camera and doesn’t have room for on his hard drive. To his right may be an old cupboard, upon whose shelves may be a box with a few old records and maybe a few stray cassettes, remnants of a distant youth. In contrast, on top of the cupboard could be a rack sporting a sizable collection of CDs, most of which are just new copies of the old records in the cupboard. On his desk may sit yesterday’s paper, under which sits a dusty referdex and a few old train timetables.
David could just as easily be sitting in my study (if you add a couple of half drunk cups of tea, wallpaper samples on a pin board, a couple of fish bowls and my old graphics drafting board that I have stuck googly eyes all over).
This simple picture of the humble study highlights to me the basic conundrum with new media. It is a conundrum that is also touched upon by David in his blog.
Where does old media fit in the new media world?
All the reference books we have on our shelves, CDs we lovingly collect and photos we dutifully file in albums– the information can now quickly and easily be found on the web, we can subscribe to magazines and buy eBooks, we can buy our music through iTunes, store our photos on Flickr, look up whereis.com for our street directions and have the QR timetable streamed to our mobile.
So where does old media fit in the new media world?
What do we do with it? Where do we put it? Do we get rid of it? Do we use it at the expense of its new media counterparts? Do we attempt to convert it? Do we simply replace it? Can everything in our old media world be simply and comprehensively replaced by a computer and an Internet connection?
David uses the case of the Bettmann Archive in the Iron Mountain National Storage Facility. The archive is a collection of 11 million photographs, richly detailing small pieces of the tapestry of our world’s history. In 1995, the archive was sold to Corbis, a digital stock photography firm, who are now undertaking the arduous task of scanning all the negatives to make the photos available in digital form.
Corbis has taken the view that the intrinsic value of these photographs justifies the time and expense of conversion. In this case, there is also the advantage that the resources become more widely accessible and easier to search and access.
But is that always the case? Does the shift to the ‘new media way’ always equate to a better way of doing things?
Most of us seem to be caught in this awkward balance between our old media belongings and our new media habits. And working out whether to convert, replace or ignore is always a tricky question. Back in my study, you could pick up any number of books and find sticky tags with notes marking pages and leaving reminders. In my recipe books these reminders are globs of melted chocolate and light oil stains from melted butter that remind me that, yes, these brownies are delicious. In my textbooks, my little stars and arrows remind me of what is important and what I found interesting. Unlike my referdex, the directions I get from whereis.com forget to tell me when going to my friend’s place down the coast, it may be quicker to take exit 57, but if I take 58, I avoid the roadworks.
To my way of thinking there are some things that are simply lost when dealing in new media.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Is this valuable?
This is the second time I have begun to write this post.
The first time I had a clear series of ideas and points I was going to discuss. The concept of value was my theme; our understanding of value in real world transactions and our augmented perspective of value in online contexts. I had interesting and unusual examples and even a cute little story about sore knees and my brother’s moneybox.
But none of that matters now, for my concept of value has abruptly changed.
As I was toiling away on my post, my computer froze and started making odd little cries and clicking noises.
[NOTE: to anyone else who finds themselves in this situation, your computer has not adopted a Wookiee inspired communication system and is not trying to make friends with you. There is impending doom and you need to turn off your computer and immediately transport it by ambulance to your nearest computer health facility].
I was later to learn that my hard drive had crashed. I had lost every photograph, song, document, design, font, stock photo and dumb little dancing animation that I had collected over the last 10 years. It was all gone.
I now had a clearer understanding of value.
I admitted myself into therapy to deal with the sudden shock and trauma. During deep meditation, it occurred to me how the members of our so-called digital native generation are increasingly shifting our investments into virtual assets. We are investing our money; not into paintings, shares or houses, but the files that we buy from iTunes, the online services we subscribe to and the rights to access social networks, such as World of Warcraft. We are investing our time into Facebook and MySpace pages and establishing our positions within online communities. From an initial glance, it may appear as though these virtual investments are not returning the same financial rewards as comparable investments in traditional markets. However, increasingly, this is not the case.
The relationship between actions, time and money is being explored in creative ways in the virtual world, with two such examples centring on the ‘ripple’ effect.
Ripple.org
This site allows you to use time you spend daily searching the web for the powers of good!
This is how the ripple effect is explained in the site’s FAQs:
"Every time you conduct a search from the ripple homepage or the
ripple toolbar, our search sponsor pays a small amount to ripple.
ripple passes this onto our charities to help them fight poverty."
Effectively, advertisers are donating to charity for the privilege of having you exposed to their ads. Your daily, online actions are translated into a function that provides value to others. It’s a win win situation, really.
The site also provides a ‘click’ mechanism, whereby each time you click to a view sponsor's ad, a designated amount is donated to the specified charity. You can take advantage of this simple mechanism by using the embedded 'click' functions on this blog as well.
Ripplepay
All those contacts that you have formed through your hours on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites are now ready for exploitation!
As discussed by Sepp Hssslberger in his blog,
"You create a profile on the system and indicate who you know and how much you trust them by … giving them credit limits. Then whenever you want to make a payment to another Ripple user using only friendly obligations, the system finds a chain of intermediaries connecting you to the person you want to pay, and records the payment in each intermediary's account all the way down the chain. You end up owing one of your "neighbours" on the system, and the payment recipient ends up being owed by one of her neighbours."
Daily, people are finding new ways of extracting the hidden or unexplored value from online activities and communities. But right now, the potential value contained in this vast online world is, for me, overshadowed by the valuables that I have lost. So, at this time I don a face darkened by great woe and start to go about replacing my virtual valuables. I will trawl the Internet for those intangible objects that I hold so dear: a font called Horse Puke, the ‘helium’ version of Usher’s ‘Yeah!’ and the desktop background of a translucent seahorse eating a scuba diver.
However, in proof that our traditional tangible value system is still alive and well, I will also go out and make that necessary investment - an external hard drive to back up all my treasures of virtual value.
The first time I had a clear series of ideas and points I was going to discuss. The concept of value was my theme; our understanding of value in real world transactions and our augmented perspective of value in online contexts. I had interesting and unusual examples and even a cute little story about sore knees and my brother’s moneybox.
But none of that matters now, for my concept of value has abruptly changed.
As I was toiling away on my post, my computer froze and started making odd little cries and clicking noises.
[NOTE: to anyone else who finds themselves in this situation, your computer has not adopted a Wookiee inspired communication system and is not trying to make friends with you. There is impending doom and you need to turn off your computer and immediately transport it by ambulance to your nearest computer health facility].
I was later to learn that my hard drive had crashed. I had lost every photograph, song, document, design, font, stock photo and dumb little dancing animation that I had collected over the last 10 years. It was all gone.
I now had a clearer understanding of value.
I admitted myself into therapy to deal with the sudden shock and trauma. During deep meditation, it occurred to me how the members of our so-called digital native generation are increasingly shifting our investments into virtual assets. We are investing our money; not into paintings, shares or houses, but the files that we buy from iTunes, the online services we subscribe to and the rights to access social networks, such as World of Warcraft. We are investing our time into Facebook and MySpace pages and establishing our positions within online communities. From an initial glance, it may appear as though these virtual investments are not returning the same financial rewards as comparable investments in traditional markets. However, increasingly, this is not the case.
The relationship between actions, time and money is being explored in creative ways in the virtual world, with two such examples centring on the ‘ripple’ effect.
Ripple.org
This site allows you to use time you spend daily searching the web for the powers of good!
This is how the ripple effect is explained in the site’s FAQs:
"Every time you conduct a search from the ripple homepage or the
ripple toolbar, our search sponsor pays a small amount to ripple.
ripple passes this onto our charities to help them fight poverty."
Effectively, advertisers are donating to charity for the privilege of having you exposed to their ads. Your daily, online actions are translated into a function that provides value to others. It’s a win win situation, really.
The site also provides a ‘click’ mechanism, whereby each time you click to a view sponsor's ad, a designated amount is donated to the specified charity. You can take advantage of this simple mechanism by using the embedded 'click' functions on this blog as well.
Ripplepay
All those contacts that you have formed through your hours on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites are now ready for exploitation!
As discussed by Sepp Hssslberger in his blog,
"You create a profile on the system and indicate who you know and how much you trust them by … giving them credit limits. Then whenever you want to make a payment to another Ripple user using only friendly obligations, the system finds a chain of intermediaries connecting you to the person you want to pay, and records the payment in each intermediary's account all the way down the chain. You end up owing one of your "neighbours" on the system, and the payment recipient ends up being owed by one of her neighbours."
Daily, people are finding new ways of extracting the hidden or unexplored value from online activities and communities. But right now, the potential value contained in this vast online world is, for me, overshadowed by the valuables that I have lost. So, at this time I don a face darkened by great woe and start to go about replacing my virtual valuables. I will trawl the Internet for those intangible objects that I hold so dear: a font called Horse Puke, the ‘helium’ version of Usher’s ‘Yeah!’ and the desktop background of a translucent seahorse eating a scuba diver.
However, in proof that our traditional tangible value system is still alive and well, I will also go out and make that necessary investment - an external hard drive to back up all my treasures of virtual value.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
What is your address?
A simple question, but gone are the days of a simple answer.
An address directs you to a particular space - to meet a friend, colleague or rarely seen aunt, where you can have a cup of coffee and discuss the latest boyfriend or girlfriend, the crashing stock market or the exploits of strange Uncle Stan. But we are now seeing a trend where this address begins with a ‘www’, not 15, 24 or 2/317, and ends with ‘.com’ instead of Rd, St or Cres. We are not being directed to a coffee shop, boardroom or a kitchen with red checked curtains, but to a virtual space where we assume an identity and engage in discussion.
Participation and engagement in online communities is seen as nothing special to us so called ‘digital natives’. When we wake up we check our MySpace and Facebook, and when writing an assignment our first port of call (whether we admit it or not) is generally Wikipedia. Our peers are no longer just those we are studying with, play sport with or live in the same city as. They are those who post on the same blogs and forums as us and those who tag things that interest us on del.icio.us.
It is easy to identify how we, digital natives, are travelling around new media landscapes in our personal lives, but as we mature and begin to engage in our professional communities, how do our personal habits and experiences impact on practices in our professional lives?
In a recent edition of UK graphic design magazine, Computer Arts, there was strong debate on the issue of online collaboration. In the design community, the words ‘design collective’ were generally synonymous with vague, directionless projects mounted by artists who were lacking in motivation and commitment. However, we are now beginning to see a change. Commercially viable collectives are now beginning to form around, and be facilitated by, online communities. Consisting of between 3 to 300 designers from all around the world, these groups collaborate to share skills, techniques, ideas and expertise, produce material of outstanding quality and originality and make their efforts financially rewarding. For example, the recent success of some international collectives:
PSYOP - produced campaigns for Coca-Cola and MTV
Peepshow - artwork displayed in London office of Saatchi & Saatchi
Rinzen - recently exhibited at the Louvre
Progressively, more professionals, even those in careers traditionally unpressured by technological advances, cannot escape the need to engage on new platforms. Recently, Queensland Minister for Youth, Lindy Nelson-Carr, conducted a discussion forum with six Queensland youths as a part of National Youth Week. The forum was conducted not in her office or even around a boardroom table, but on an island purchased by the Queensland Government in virtual world, Second Life. This was not a typical day at work for Lindy Nelson- Carr, but it clearly demonstrates how professionals are either being forced to or are willingly exploring the potential applications for online communities.
So as I begin to explore the realms of my professional life, I rarely stop to ponder how my actions are different to those in my position five, ten or fifteen years before. In my first job, as a teaching assistant, I plan the daily discussion topic for my class, whose responses are presented on our online forum. I email them all their logins and passwords, assess them on their abilities to demonstrate a balanced view point when writing a blog entry and converse with my colleagues to organise video link-ups between our students. In my second job as a research assistant I sit in my office, talking with my boss over Skype about a document we are collaborating on through Google Documents regarding the best ways to format an interactive online survey. I don’t think twice when she asks me my address. It starts with a www and ends with a .com.
An address directs you to a particular space - to meet a friend, colleague or rarely seen aunt, where you can have a cup of coffee and discuss the latest boyfriend or girlfriend, the crashing stock market or the exploits of strange Uncle Stan. But we are now seeing a trend where this address begins with a ‘www’, not 15, 24 or 2/317, and ends with ‘.com’ instead of Rd, St or Cres. We are not being directed to a coffee shop, boardroom or a kitchen with red checked curtains, but to a virtual space where we assume an identity and engage in discussion.
Participation and engagement in online communities is seen as nothing special to us so called ‘digital natives’. When we wake up we check our MySpace and Facebook, and when writing an assignment our first port of call (whether we admit it or not) is generally Wikipedia. Our peers are no longer just those we are studying with, play sport with or live in the same city as. They are those who post on the same blogs and forums as us and those who tag things that interest us on del.icio.us.
It is easy to identify how we, digital natives, are travelling around new media landscapes in our personal lives, but as we mature and begin to engage in our professional communities, how do our personal habits and experiences impact on practices in our professional lives?
In a recent edition of UK graphic design magazine, Computer Arts, there was strong debate on the issue of online collaboration. In the design community, the words ‘design collective’ were generally synonymous with vague, directionless projects mounted by artists who were lacking in motivation and commitment. However, we are now beginning to see a change. Commercially viable collectives are now beginning to form around, and be facilitated by, online communities. Consisting of between 3 to 300 designers from all around the world, these groups collaborate to share skills, techniques, ideas and expertise, produce material of outstanding quality and originality and make their efforts financially rewarding. For example, the recent success of some international collectives:
PSYOP - produced campaigns for Coca-Cola and MTV
Peepshow - artwork displayed in London office of Saatchi & Saatchi
Rinzen - recently exhibited at the Louvre
Progressively, more professionals, even those in careers traditionally unpressured by technological advances, cannot escape the need to engage on new platforms. Recently, Queensland Minister for Youth, Lindy Nelson-Carr, conducted a discussion forum with six Queensland youths as a part of National Youth Week. The forum was conducted not in her office or even around a boardroom table, but on an island purchased by the Queensland Government in virtual world, Second Life. This was not a typical day at work for Lindy Nelson- Carr, but it clearly demonstrates how professionals are either being forced to or are willingly exploring the potential applications for online communities.
So as I begin to explore the realms of my professional life, I rarely stop to ponder how my actions are different to those in my position five, ten or fifteen years before. In my first job, as a teaching assistant, I plan the daily discussion topic for my class, whose responses are presented on our online forum. I email them all their logins and passwords, assess them on their abilities to demonstrate a balanced view point when writing a blog entry and converse with my colleagues to organise video link-ups between our students. In my second job as a research assistant I sit in my office, talking with my boss over Skype about a document we are collaborating on through Google Documents regarding the best ways to format an interactive online survey. I don’t think twice when she asks me my address. It starts with a www and ends with a .com.
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