Reflections...

This has been one of the most challenging terms I've ever experienced. So many deadlines and not enough time in the day. I can't say that I've enjoyed this new technologies module or being the most enthusiastic participant, however I have been informed of and introduced to many new concepts.

My views on blogging have definitely changed. Despite my ineptitude in regards to maintaining and posting on this blog regularly I am seriously considering starting one in the new year.

I've discovered how profitable it can be if you've got a unique or notable blog. Advertisers want to be linked to any product that is being talked about or creating a buzz online. Just take a look at http://www.technorati.com/ and the types of blogs making headlines and most importantly being shared. Blogging is great for making connections and developing a following, and in my opinion less impersonal than Facebook.

I've been exposed to ideas that have intrigued, inspired and confused me. In particular the way in which online communities like Facebook have made relationships that were once distinguishable into one unstructured web. Colleagues, clients, acquaintances, family and friends can all be connected and above all managed in one digital space. Its redefined the term 'friendship', something that takes time to develop. I still find it quite worrying that increasingly fewer of us are willing to invest time and attention on relationships and are happy to forfeit meaningful engagement for a collection of acquaintances.

If there had been less time constraints I would have spent some time doing background reading in order to broaden my understanding of new media theory.My experiences on this course have made me appreciate the significance of positive communication when working as part of a team, something I will improve on in future.

What a day

I have been ejected from my group, not a nice feeling.
Despite apologies for my absence and 'non-participation' and offering to contribute to the project what I was going too originally, it will not suffice.
I understand where they are coming from but I don't think we have been exemplary communicators from the beginning.
Anyway I can't do this module again next term so I'm pressing on and will produce a wiki on my own.

It was not my intention to use this blog to share details of my personal life but in light of events that have occurred recently I will make an exception. My ability to participate fully in this project and complete other coursework for this degree is being adversely affected so I'll make comment.

I have had no internet connection for nearly 3 months now due to the bureaucracy that is associated with switching supplier, a process that should be straightforward and hassle free.
As a result I have been unable to maintain an acceptable level of communication with the members of my group and my commitment to this project will be called into question.

I now fully appreciate the value of the Internet in my life and will certainly not take it for granted in future

On a more basic level I don't have enough money for a bus pass so I won't be going anywhere for a couple of days and hence the reason why I was unable to attend yesterday's session.

And finally...last Friday night after a long afternoon and evening at work launching the iPhone I return home to find my kitchen has been flooded! The flat upstairs is actually vacant so how it happened is anybody's guess. But I have heard a few overzealous workmen stomping up and down, drilling etc. so they are probably the culprits...I'll be investigating, believe me.
Right now I'm attempting to create some semblance of normality and get back on track with my work but it's going to be hard.

Do we meet people online?

The question was raised again today. It's a poignant question and one that is inevitably open to varying interpretations.

My view is that we form the most important relationships and conduct the most valid meetings away from the confines of our computers, outside in the real world. I think that despite the influence of social networking sites on our generation (that is my peers and I) the majority of us still conduct our communication through more conventional means.

Facebook, MySpace and IM are all meeting places just like a lecture theatre, nightclub or trade fair. However in online meeting places we can't exercise complete control over what is said, viewed and shared.

There are no assurances that the people we meet online, but have never had a physical meeting with will be completely transparent and honest about who they are. We are bound to encounter uncertainties in physical relationships regardless of whether they are new ones or those we have maintained for a long period of time.

Therefore I think it is fair to say that we can meet people online whether they are friends, family or people we are talking to for the first time.

I read a really intriguing article on the Guardian website that comments on the need for the fame generation to learn the value of privacy. It speaks of a new exhibitionism, a desire to constantly broadcast who we are. It's a trait that is characteristically unique to a demographic under the age of 30. There is no distinction between our public and private self, they have become interdependent. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2208777,00.html

The groups presented their wikis on the overhead projector. I felt quite nervous as we didn't really have anything to show, however we have legitimate ideas the only thing we need to do now is execute them.

Bella raised a valid point, and a question I think was on everyones mind,when she enquired what the required length of our wiki should be. We are accustomed to working within the parameters of a word count, so its strange when we don't have one as a guideline.

As a group we have finalised the structure and content for our wiki. We are going to use a series of case studies to illustrate our findings on virtual communities.

Focusing on MySpace and Queeruption, a new voice in cyberspace, both are online communities but with very different aims and participants. And finally we'll discuss the use of the gift economy within these communities.

Web design dissected

I believe good websites should work effectively for the people they are designed to serve.

Presentation is of the utmost importance, image is everything particularly if you're a brand or business.

The primary criteria for any good website is the effective use of colour, font, format and graphics. Essentially this can be defined as 'the look'.

We are visual beings therefore it makes sense to create websites that appeal to and stimulate this part of our nature.

However I should note that if a website merely looks good but is lacking in content I will simply close the window and conduct a new search.

Pop ups and banner ads are an annoyance, however there are some that can complement a page. Images are only necessary if they add value to the content on the site

Secondary to the aforementioned, but of equal importance is site navigation, how easy is it to find what I'm looking for. No-one likes being lost in the real world and the same is true when in cyberspace.

A good website should make it easy for the user to get to internal and external links. A sitemap or search box is a great tool for ensuring this is the case and a link back to the homepage is essential. Navigation should ultimately be logical and clear.

The content of the site or in literal terms, what is on the page and does it contributes to its usability. Is it relevant?Does it communicate to its audience effectively? Does it speak their language? Is it informative and kept up to date?

Download times are another factor. How long does it takes for an image or video clip to download or to navigate to another page. Something I can't stand to see with media on websites is the message 'buffering'...how frustrating!

I was shocked to discover just how many high profile organisations and global brands have mediocre websites.

Direct.gov.uk is an example of this. The site employs the use of garish colours and is sparse on images, it seems as though no consideration has been made for design. It is not difficult to navigate as content is clearly categorised however there is literally too much going on, on the page. Hailed as the website of the UK government, a place where individuals can get info on and links to any public service, the logo is not even instantly visible anchored in the topleft hand corner of the page. The design creates a negative impression of the organisation and its ideals. If this were a business site I'm certain it would be considered a liability.

Style.com however is pleasing to the eye, has a user friendly interface, effortless navigation, bold menus, the right type of font for its content, thumbnail browsers and toolbars situated on the left of the screen. A minimalistic colour palette of blue and white is used throughout. The name alone makes a bold statement so the format doesn't have to.The pages tend to be a little cluttered and after using this site for nearly 3 years I think it's in need of a mini revamp to make it look fresher and bring it up to date.

'Shared information unites people' - Richard Frickman

The practice of giving in online communities is not uncommon and is the fundamental basis upon which some communities have been established.
An individuals standing in a community is ultimately determined by what they bring to it.
The circulation and exchange of gifts within the community ultimately leads to the strengthening of relationships and an increase in the connections formed.
This is what is commonly referred to as the gift economy.

There are many online communities in which a modern notion of the gift economy is practised.

Gumtree is one of my faves. It's free to post ads on the site.There are gumtrees in major cities worldwide, so you can find goods and services in your area. It features ads from property for sale to people offering carpools. I managed to find a brand new shelf from Ikea on the freebie part of the site. All I had to do was pick it up from the advertiser's home address.

Many webpages now feature a link that enables the reader to add it to a selection of social bookmarking websites. You can find what's new and interesting on the net and it's an ideal place to get another perspective on a research topic without trawling the internet for ages.

Reddit, del.icio.us, and digg it are sites that hosts your internet favourites and those belonging to others, and lets you access them from a computer with internet anywhere. One of the benefits is that you don't have to be tied to your home network in order to view your bookmarks.
You can then store and share your favourites with people you know or members of the community. It is easy to find what you're looking for or categorise your bookmarks as you can make tags, one word descriptors or keywords.

The creative commons is a unique non profit organisation founded in 2001 that offers free copyright licenses. They are designed for musicians, film makers, photographers even blog writers and other creative disciplines that don't want to get their work ripped off. The artist retains copyright but licenses their work as free for certain uses. This means their work can be seen or heard and shared by people online. For example a song could be copied, distributed or sampled as the long as the artist received credit.

Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved." http://creativecommons.org/

After perusing the online broadsheets as I do on a daily basis I found two articles which explored themes relevant to new media technologies.

The first is from the Guardian's technology section and provides an insight into how media law is in direct conflict with the ideals of the freedoms, particularly freedom of speech, that can be exercised in cyberspace. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/22/news.blogging

Fans of football club Sheffield Wednesday expressed their dissatisfaction about the clubs boardroom members in what they thought were anonymous internet postings on owlstalk.co.uk The owner of the website was served with a court order that forced him to reveal the identity of fans who had made serious allegations about the club owners.

Libel cases are no longer unique to traditional media forms such as print but are finding their way into new media platforms. This case highlights the fact that there is no anonymity in cyberspace. Yes, we can create new identities for ourselves online however we are consistently monitored and no-one is autonomous or safe from the legal might of corporations seeking to silence or suppress the individual.

The second article is from the Times business section and explores the benefits of social networking sites, wikis and blogs maintained by employees and discusses why employers should realise the opportunities that can come from encouraging rather than discouraging their use. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/corporate_law/article2616593.ece

For some employers communication via these forums is seen as a means of strengthening ties with clients and colleagues. For others and understandably so it is potentially hazardous for the reputation of the organisation. Insider secrets being exposed to an otherwise unaware public could lead to legal repercussions

A few months ago my employer sent out an area e-mail warning us that posting information about the company on social networking sites however innocent it could be deemed, was in fact a breach of contract and anyone found doing so would face a disciplinary and possible dismissal. This is from a company who was fined £250,000 by the FSA for mis-selling insurance products to customers through its telesales department and was most recently the subject of a Watchdog report, again coming under fire for misinforming customers about an insurance product for the IPhone. You can see why they're anxious.

We discussed and viewed the phenomenon that is Second Life. This provoked heated discussion concerning the debates around online deception and who should be afforded access to these services.It was said by someone in the class that people who are mentally unstable or vulnerable could potentially misuse the site. Don't people on IM, Facebook or MySpace create alternate identities for themselves or lie about their attributes and achievements? I think Second Life is still serves a relatively niche community and does not promote itself in the same manner as the aforementioned online communities do, therefore it is understandable to see why comments like this were made.

The groups presented their ideas to Nigel. We went last just to be on the safe side.

Neng enlightened us about a site called Queeruption.org, a virtual community used for global activism. There is no central governing body or leadership. Communication is conducted solely online to organise annual worldwide campaigns and rallies.

We will use examples of global and local communities in cyberspace and make a comparison between the perceived aims of each and the character of members of the community.

His reaction certainly provided us with a degree of reassurance that we didn't receive last week. I certainly feel more confident about going forward with the project now.

Today I became reacquainted with html. I've been here before. I used Dreamweaver and Flash to create my own webspace in college and used html to add text to it. However it didn't seem so complicated back then.

First task of the day.

A brief tutorial on the basic html commands and how to insert an image into a body of text.

We have a projector in our teaching room now. So no more squinting for me, thank goodness.
Nigel said people are impressed when they see how easy it is to create text for a webpage using html. Hmm...I'm not so sure about that.

Last week my comments on blogging were probably not justified and I soon realised that there are plenty of blogs out there that I enjoy myself.

My favourites are www.gofugyourself.typepad.com, which I didn't even realise was a blog, and www.lunchinabox.net

Gofugyourself takes an irreverent look at the fashion faux pas of celebrities. With the tagline 'Fugly is the new pretty', it is unforgiving and hilarious. No celebrity escapes the wrath of the fugly girls, every inch of their look is dissected. Fugly stands for fantastically ugly. It features a section titled 'Frequent offenders' where celebs renowned for their style misdemeanours have their catalogue of errors analysed. The site was created by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan in 2004 who have now quit their jobs in the TV industry because of the overwhelming success of the site and the ad revenue it generates.

Lunchinabox is a blog written by Biggie a work at home mum and former expat, fluent in Japanese who lives in San Francisco.

The title of her blog refers to the Japanese cuisine of home packed meals called bento boxes which consist of rice. meat or fish and vegetables, presented in not so ordinary tupperware.

She is 'obsessed with cooking and building a faster, better packed lunch' and on her blog shares with readers the colourful and elaborate lunches she creates for her 3 year old.

The pictures look so delectable and good enough to eat, probably not the best thing to look at when you're hungry or if you're a foodie like me.

As a group we had a brief meeting last week Thursday to agree on a topic for our web resource. We have chosen to focus on virtual communities.

We are considering creating and maintaining an experimental or 'fake' MySpace page.

We are in agreement that is essential to define what is meant by the term 'community' before we proceed. Below are the definitions of community and virtual community. I will explore these in detail at a later stage.

A community is a social group of organisms sharing an environment, normally with shared interests. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community#Location

A virtual community, e-community or online community is a group of people that primarily interact via communication media such as letters, telephone, email or Usenet rather than face to face. If the mechanism is a computer network, it is called an online community. Virtual and online communities have also become a supplemental form of communication between people who know each other primarily in real life. Many means are used in social software separately or in combination, including text-based chatrooms and forums that use voice, video text or avatars.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_communities

At the end of the lesson we came together as a group to discuss any ideas we had ruminated on during the past week.

Questions that emerged where how do artists create a fanbase or a buzz on MySpace?
Why are some artists more successful than others? How much of it is exploited by PR's and record companies?

We also seek to discover why individuals join other online communities, in particular Facebook, is it for narcissistic reasons or confirmation?

One thing I've observed is that we're thinking too much like cultural studies students which isn't necessarily a bad thing, however I think it may hinder our progress.

We are continuously trying to draw links between the topic of our project and new media theory, rather than concentrating on whether it will appeal to our peers for whom it is meant to inform.

We consulted Nigel, just to confirm we are on the right track. The response we received didn't exactly assuage any reservations we had about the idea for our project.

Nevertheless we are going to revise our idea and come up with some sort of structure for the content on our wiki by next week.