NET 11 Topic 2.1 - Into the Blogosphere

A very interesting reading this week was Rebecca Blood's 'weblogs: a history and perspective' published on her blog 'rebecca's pocket' in 2000.  It delves into the way blogs were first developed and the explosive way that society took up the art of blogging.  In the beginning, the 'filter' style was the most common, whereby bloggers would scour the net looking for interesting or relevant links, provide a link to them on their site and some sort of commentary.  These people searched the net to find interesting (perhaps to a particular group or around a certain activity) material so you didn't have to, effectively 'filtering' the net for the rest of us.  That was beginning to change in an around the late 90's, when more and more people were creating their own blogs of all kinds.  The 'online journal' style emerged, where one's personal thoughts and musings were recorded not in a locked diary kept under your bed, but published on the web for the world to see.  It was still a relatively small community, this 'blogosphere' because you had to have the knowledge and skills to operate relatively advanced tools and know basic HTML.

The explosion in the number of blogs came in 1999 with the creation of the first free build-your-own-weblog tools (e.g. pitas, Blogger), which saw thousands upon thousands more blogs started.  No longer did you need to know much about the web.  The personal online diary style of blogging exploded, with each blogger positioning him/herself within a location or community of their own choosing by the list of others' blogs on their blogroll.

Sky Croeser posed the question on the Discussion Board: What are the key differences between 'citizen journalists' who blog and 'investigative/professional journalists' who publish in mainstream media? Is it whether or not they get paid? Or is it a matter of training and experience? (or both, or something else entirely?)

Here James Farmer argues against the merits of 'citizen', or 'participatory' journalism.  He makes an interesting point that like other professions that the public are exposed to constantly and are most familiar with (another example is teachers), are the ones everyone has an opinion on or feel that they could do without too much trouble.  Farmer asks, "when was the last time you encountered a "citizen doctor", valued a report by a "citizen researcher", took off in a plane flown by a "citizen pilot" or saw justice meted out by "citizen policeman"?" He instead would prefer the usage of the term 'citizen media', effectively referring to all the comments, pics, videos etc about a particular topic or event that may be happening (for example, the Olympics) yet remains respectful of the 'profession of journalism'.

I tend to agree with all of the above.  Let everyone note an event has occurred, have an opinion and make a comment about whatever they like, but don't call it journalism.  I do think that 'hyperlocal' news gathering or a localised 'citizen media' has a lot of potentially useful applications, particularly in the dissemination of news quickly. A professional journalist  cannot always be there on the ground as quickly as a passerby.  If that passerby can gather some information, maybe even take a photo and share it (for instance through Twitter), then they have drawn attention to the event, shared perhaps critical information, and provided a basis for further investigation by more specialised professionals.

So in answer to Sky's question, I believe all of those things seperate professional 'Journalists' from citizens media. The fact that they are trained, paid, and provide a more in-depth analysis and theoretically unbiased, correctly referenced and balanced reporting of issues or events.

NET11 Introduction to Module 2 - What is Web 2.0? Activities

The activities this week were:

1. to open up the news.com.au website, note the headlines, then return to the Blackboard and see the way the headlines were being displayed.  A 'feed' of headlines was being broadcast from the news.com.au website and through a piece of software, displayed on a totally different site.

2. Create a Delicious account.  My Delicious username is 'erinsecomb'.  Through the week and since I have been tagging sites I have found useful to the topic with NET11_test.  The complete list of pages tagged NET11_test can be found here.  As at 6th Jan there had been 382 individual tags.

Net 12: Assignment 1. As posted on Discussion Board

The internet is intricately intertwined into my everyday life, even at this still relatively early stage of it's development. 

A typical day in the my life: wake up, my iMac plays me streaming internet radio.  I check the news online, check the weather, browse Facebook & Seabreeze (a forum).  Then I start my studies online through Blackboard & spend a couple of hours doing this.  I go to work, where I work using a web-based program that allows me to manage contacts, clients and to-do lists.  I am constantly searching for information on the internet that complements my work; company information, locations, job descriptions, ideas for ad-writing.  Later in the day I'll check Facebook and my email. I'll google for something to have for dinner or to see what is on TV that night.  During the day I might have been updating my Facebook & Twitter from my iPhone.  I'll also be checking the weather to see whether it's gong to be a nice afternoon after work to go kite-surfing. Very specific weather conditions are necessary, including wind speed and direction, and I keep an eye on all of these and the surf-cams as well. In the evenings I might upload my latest photos to Facebook, chat to friends, pay bills or check out something I want to buy online,  do some more university study, update my Blog, watch a downloaded episode of TV that  I have missed during the week.

Wow! Even I didn't realise how MUCH I use the internet. It will be interesting to learn about others' usage as well.

STAGE 2

There is much common ground in the way my fellow students use the internet it seems, and how it features in their 'everyday lives'. Some seem to think their usage of the internet may be considered by some as excessive or obsessive (Paul Nichols, 2009). Sue Taylor (2009) states that (the internet is) 'completely interwoven into my everyday life'. There is however the overriding theme that perception of the internet is changing from the 'geek’s playground' (Nielsen 2003) to an integral and essential part of a typical person's everyday life. Many see the internet as a complement to their offline lives, such as Luke Franklin, who states 'I do not see the Internet as a substitute for the various activities in my life. Instead it is supplementing them.' (Luke Franklin, 2009)

Some observations after reading the collected posts on this forum are:

1. Many people commented that they had heard of the internet in the 90's, and some had already begun using MUDs (Multi-User Domains) and newsgroups.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Social networking sites seem universally popular. Many students mention Facebook and IM (Instant Messenger) as their primary means of online communication.
   
   
3. University study and research, including the use of www.Wikipedia.org (Penny Wood, 2009 & Susan Maxwell, 2009) is a common stated usage across most students (unsurprisingly).
   
   
4. Keeping up to date with news, entertainment options and gossip about celebrities is very popular.
   
   
5. Alleviating boredom (Sally Dunstan, 2009) is a common reason quoted for spending time on the internet. Tools such as internet banking, bill paying and researching purchases are common reasons mentioned for saving time.
   
   
6. Online maps are used by many.
   
   
7. 'Being connected' is a common theme. Cameron Gerdes states 'staying in connect with friends and family' is a primary use of the internet in his life. Communication via applications such as Skype (Murray Watts, 2009) and instant messaging is a convenience many, such as utilise. It facilitates cheap communication where in the past it may have been cripplingly slow, very expensive, or near impossible such as to remote parts of Africa.
   

8. For those who use the internet in their working lives, collaborating with colleagues, 'professional development' (Paul Nichols, 2009) and the ability to share documents remotely is of great importance and goes a long way to improving productivity.
   

There are some differences and less common or unique ways that some students use the internet. These include:

1. Online gaming. Some users are heavily into various forms, including Second Life, and World of Warcraft (WOW) (Joshua Atlee, 2009), whilst others don't mention it.
   
   
2. Dating. Glen Mardon, 2009 (for example) mentions that he uses the internet for this purpose.
   
   
3. Some students mention forays into server-side software programming and maintaining their own websites.
   

So I conclude that whilst there are differences there are far more commonalities in the way that the internet has become a part of our everyday lives.

NET12 Topic 1.1 Dating, Intimacy and Sexuality

This week we have been asked to consider the following question:
How far would a partner/spouse have to go online before it is considered cheating? Up to what point is flirting online acceptable? How 'real' is cybersex?

'Cheating' is difficult to define in an online capacity. I believe cheating in real life can be defined not just by the performance of a physical act, but by the intention to do so; which both of the 'parties' involved may have been aware of far before any actual physical act actually occurs. This may have been implied by body language or verbally communicated.  So talking intimately with someone who is not your partner, discussing sex, or otherwise sharing experiences that would make your partner uncomfortable should he be aware of them, could be considered forms of cheating. 

There is a line in the sand that is drawn in a different place for different people when it comes to how much flirting is acceptable, in either an online or offline capacity.  Here we will deal with defining cheating in an online environment. Generally flirting online in a chat room is anonymous.  People may use a fake photo of themselves to preserve this anonymity.  It could be said that there is no intention to actually act on what is said or suggested. It is perhaps merely a way of filling in time and getting some kind of harmless thrill.  I personally would still not be happy if I found my boyfriend or partner flirting online!

Cybersex is another thing entirely in my opinion.  If someone is graphically discussing or having virtual sex with someone who is not their partner I would consider it 'cheating'.  There is a level of intimacy there that an absent partner might feel very unhappy about.

Exchanging sexually-suggestive or nude photos with someone who is not your partner would also be considered cheating by most. 

So how 'real' is cybersex?  Real-life sex doesn't have to follow a set pattern or even contain a set sequence of events or elements to be considered sex.  There doesn't have to be conception.  There are many different sexual preferences and behaviours.  Humans have sex 'not only to experience sexual pleasure (recreational), but also as a means of emotional intimacy (relational), thus deepening their bonding, making their relationship more stable and more capable of sustaining children in the future (deferred reproductive)' Wikipedia (2009). 

I believe that in engaging in an intimate encounter with someone who is not the partner, even in the absence of physical contact, can damage the intimate connection or bond that exists with a partner.  So I can conclude that cybersex is 'real' enough.

Pop Quiz! on the Discussion Board

Hide Parent Post

Author: Hilary Wheaton
Date: Monday, December 7, 2009 5:52:49 PM WST
Subject: Time for the monday tutor to ask a pop question!!! :P

Hi all,
I just want to ask a pop question!

Would you ever use an online dating service to find a bf/gf/partner or even friends?
Is it acceptable to you or do you think it is something that is stigmatized?
Do you know anyone who has used these services?

You can make this all hypothetical if you feel uncomfortable - but lets try to be open about it all!!

I will start off: while I havent used an online dating site as of yet, I am definitely open to the idea - sometimes it is hard to meet people of the opposite sex!
Also, I have met bfs online, through communities or indeed, having met someone offline - conducted a lengthy courtship online before asking out! :P
Furthermore, I do play on Second Life and have a Second Life bf whose company I do enjoy online but I do not speak to in any other forms other than simply in a virtual world setting :)

Hillary Wheaton posed the following questions for personal response in the discussion board...


Would you ever use an online dating service to find a bf/gf/partner or even friends?
I've been registered on the odd dating site in my time... I am fully open to the idea but I live in a smaller town and it's not widely used.  I have met people through others' Facebook pages although I suppose that is social networking and not dating! If I moved to a new town or city i'd definitely use it to find both friends/dates (if I was single at that point!).

Is it acceptable to you or do you think it is something that is stigmatized?
I think there is a residual stigma attached to internet dating.  In the past you tended to hear the horror stories and those of people who met online and married shortly after (sometimes moving to another country) which were slightly freakish.  Attitudes seem to be changing.

Do you know anyone who has used these services?
A good friend met a number of guys through RSVP, one of whom she dated for a while but it didn't work out.  She eventually dumped him for a guy met through more traditional means, i.e at the pub!

NET11 Module 2 Introduction - What is Web 2.0?

I had never before thought about defining the concept of Web 2.0, while I suppose I was aware of it generally.  I didn't realise that there was such a term.  This week's learning defined the term, and while it can be described as a buzzword the actual intended meaning (on Wikipedia here) is the shift to an approach to the web that 'emphasies communication, collaboration and information sharing'.  User-centred design (whereby designers focus on the end-user's needs, wants and limitations, and the way they will likely be using the technology; and every facet of the design process centres around user testing and acceptance) is a key concept.

What IS Web 2.0?

Web 1.0 was characterised by the use of content designed for low-bandwidth users & static pages with infrequent updates; with the widespread acceptance of the concept of the web as a platform it has ceased to merely be seen as a catalogue of information.

Web 2.0 is typified by the web-based services that allow users to easily generate and publish content.  New tools such as blogs, social networking sites, and wikis.  Web 2.0 sites: typically offer a rich user experience, in some cases with as much functionality as a desktop application; are characterised by user participation, the seperation of form and content, and metadata (data about data) such as what is generated by user participation on tagging sites such as Del.ici.ous.  Cloud computing is the concept of seeing the web itself as a platform.  Tag Clouds are a common way of visually viewing metadata.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is basically a way for sites to publish the basics of their updates which is then pulled into one feed either by your own RSS reader on your desktop or using a web based reader.  It is a good way for people who are interested in multiple sites to know when there is an update they want to read.  Not just for news, anything that is updated regularly (such as blogs) can be monitored in this way.

Andrew McAfee argues that great benefit to business will be found by integrating the principles of Web 2.0 into companies, a process he terms Enterprise 2.0, and concurrently he describes SLATES, and acronym that describes the six key elements of Web 2.0 for enterprises.

• Search
• Links
• Authoring
• Tags
• Extensions
• Signals
  

NET11 Topic 1.2 ...And the World Wide Web?

This week we are to learn of the the history and technologies behind the World Wide Web and the origins of hypertext, and how this affects our understanding of information.

'Hypertext' is basically the system of linking one article or page to another whereby when you click on the highlighted or underlined word, you jump from one page to another.  CERN researcher Time Berners-Lee originally proposed the notion of a large interconnected database of information where you could navigate around by hyperlinks.

A graphical web browser was soon developed and the 'public face of the internet' or the 'World Wide Web', was born.

The addresses on the web are known as URL's (Uniform Resource Locators).  It is far easier to remember a textual web address than an IP address! When you type an address into your browser to go to a URL, it makes a request to a Domain Name Server (DNS) that translates it into an IP address (e.g http://143.2.442.56).

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a language that describes how a page should look when viewed on a browser.  You can see the HTML behind the page you are viewing often by going to 'View Source' in the menu bar.

PART TWO - Hypertext, (Why the Fuss?)

The idea of hypertext had been around for awhile before but with the conception of the World Wide Web the idea really began came to fruition.  Links that allowed the user to 'surf' the web, linking similar ideas together or leading to other things of interest, was a new way of discovering information and very natural to the human mind.