Monday, June 15, 2009

Reflections

By looking back, I must say that I have learnt the establishment of the Internet and how the Internet inspires human being "intoxicate" in it. I use the word "intoxicate" because throughout the researches, I find out the underlying influences are far away profound than I formally expected. With the usage of the technological term, I have seen some people have successfully utilized it and some has failed to apply it by misusing it. However, thanks to this task, I have been given the opportunity in experiencing to become a blogger.

This is also a chance to apply the theories which I learnt previously into the subject matters. Blog is not just about the words; however, with the integration of pictures, it is more looked like a real document design. Having no experience in writing serious weblog, by discussing the relevant issues with unlimited resources, it has prompted me to become more capable in my future study.

Vote for yourself or vote for the technology?

It is not the first time that people utilize new media to spread their power and reach political influences. Unconventionally, when coming off with an election or any political campaign, it is ubiquitous to see politicians apply different strategies such as blogging, video advertisement, discussion on forum, propaganda by smses and so forth. It is not exaggerating to say that without the existence of electronic media, the messages could not be spreading out so timely or the atmosphere could not be under a great tension.

Tough time for journalists

Globalization and media segmentation present citizens with alternative outlets for political information. The evolution of new media unfolding in the way information and exposure are shared. In this sense, it might be seen as a loss for minority to conventionally contribute in traditional media like newspapers, television, radio broadcasting and so forth. Traditional media is deemed as more costly and lack of advocacy, thus, it is unlikely to target on majority groups.

In cyberspace, regardless of frontiers, everyone has the right to spread news without interference and receive and impact information. Hence, it has benefit politicians to bring in to play their fallacy to influence the voters as the new media allow a wider audience to hear their message!

Inevitably, the status of traditional media has gradually replaced by the new media. In Australia, a big media company such as Fairfax has hysterically cut its workforce by 550, including nearly 170 journalists (Colless, 2008). It was a threat to quality journalism and the conventional mainstream media.

By reviewing the political field in Malaysia, the activeness in cyberspace is rather seen as a blogging competition. With the belief "the more I write, the greater posts I win', the ruling party and the opposition has put in their extreme efforts for greater penetration of their message. In this point I find out that they are too much advocacy and it is not understandable to see people misuse technology by overselling their stories.

However, we can see it is workable in the America society. When Barack Obama first released his video by promoting his economic stimulus plan. It has won more than 820,000v viewers and his followers (The Daily Telegraph, 2009).









Barack Obama has effectively advocated his ideology with the release of his video on Youtube.

(www.youtube.com)



As a reader by seeing all those anecdotes, or as a common user in cyberspace, I think that it is not about the things that we supposedly used to deserve or embrace. I would rather perceive it as "a subtle potshot" rather than sightworthy viewing materials. As Schriver (1997) stated, the content which is not yet developed and questionable value should be placed "on hold" until they are truly ready for human comsumption. Yet, I say partially, of course the old and new media must find a way to grow together if they are to survive. People should examine the underlying value before it come into a topic.

References:

Colless, M.2008, 'A tough line earns journo's respect', 9th Sept, viewed 14th June 2009,
<http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au>

The Daily Telegraph, 2009, 'Barack Obama needs Youtube ', 25th Jan, viewed 14th June 2009.
<http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph>

Schriver, K.A.1997, The interplay for words and pictures, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub, New York.

From touch display to Web Convenience

It might be just about creativity, perhaps, a chance to make yourself to become celebrities. However, since mobile function not just as a communications tools, but also as a powerful, potable information-collecting device, it has changed the intention of people for holding mobile. Simultaneously, when the Internet has tied up with the PC, it could come up with every possibility that we ever meet.

Now broadband has become a must- have in online communities. The Internet has allowed the distribution of video, regularly uploading short videos --- "Vlog". According to Wikipedia, it is a blog where the major medium is video (Wikipedia, 2009). It is famous with the high way where people to find fame with a hit of video blog. There is accordingly one 24 years old basically discuss global affairs within 3 minutes in Rocketboom, besides suddenly becoming a celebrity, she has won 250,000 viewers tuning in daily (Times Online, 2006).

However, the marriage of mobile and the Internet has created the blurring line between professional and amateur. People are arguing the content and the quality of videos, which is unprofessionally and informally composed by the so-called "producer". As video-making on mobile or webcam become too easy, sometimes those "masterpieces" are reasonably funny and ridiculous. Most surprisingly, the more faking the video it is, the higher rates that the uploader gains. The ubiquity of Youtube has made "vlogging" even more easier than ever.




The picture is a print screen from the video of Lonely Girl in Youtube. The girl is fake in all the way she speak, showing that the decline of video-making nowadays.

(www.youtube.com)


Dead on film?

The digital reformation unfolding in the way viewing material is produced and shared. Most importantly is the content, are they impressive or just an empty shell? Now it links to the context of information value and ethical issue. According to Kress (2006), it is necessary to clearly inform the audience about the knowledge and the information that a document designer determines to tell. For me it is just about a business model online which having no value.

Regarding ethical issue, though for journalistic use, it is good to see people happen to shoot the real scene with their mobile such as 911 incident. Surprisingly, in political field, it is saddening to see the execution of Saddam Hussein lively. We can see this kind of transformation has been misused by online predators. It is also including a lot of many misusages such as pornography.





The video gave a big shock to people around the globe. Imaging that you can see people being lively executed!

(www.youtube.com)


Apparently, it emerges to serve people's emotional demands. However, an ideal document or video, must tie up to the audience's experiences, expectations, emotions and attitudes towards a topic (Putnis, 1996). Thinking of it, if people don't like it, will they watch it?


References:

Wikipedia, 2009, 'Video blogging', viewed 13th June 2007,
<
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki>

Times Online, 2006, 'Rise of the web video star', 23th Apr, viewed 13th June 2007, <http://technology.timesonline.co.uk>

Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. 2006. Reading Images, Chapter 6: The meaning of Composition.

Putnis, P& Petelin, R. 1996. Professional Communication: Principles and Applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.

You surf you watch

The happen of Webisodes is a new transformation in major film industry. Using the same technology, it essentially allows anyone and everyone to offer up material and ideas, write and edit each other's scripts without frontier. Imagining, how fun it is if people with aggregated interests rather than professionalism working up together, making up an approximately 4 to 15 length long film.

Webisodes have taken a different form now. It is not just about content, however, a creative form of social networking and business opportunities: extended interaction and consumer participation (Graham, 2008). With reasonable cost, it aims of producing good short film to earn a biggest benefit.

In this sense, it may seem as a threat of mainstream film industry, which follows the most conventional way in promoting their business. With the release of
Webisode through the Internet, a maximum 15 minutes short film, for instance the well-known Sanctuary has won 2,366,000 total viewers (Wikipedia, 2009). It may come down to budget account quality of that content. Nevertheless, Webisode has been seen as a long run of money by maintaining the audience's interest.

However, Webisodes has changed the traditional way of TV film. It has become the major development for the local television industry and likely to attract even more young heart and adults. Compare with the traditional film-maker, according to the article, it need not to mainly deal with the financial affairs and sponsorship.


Cost that we should pay: Kids are vulnerable?

There's dominance for
Webisode.With the marriage of mobile and broadband, it has linked to various mobile phone carriers. With the transformation of film industry, there are a lot of times now when the television remains unwatched. Another question arise when kids go online and "webisoding" too often.

From what I have seen are the benefits and harms. Without parental guidance, the exposure of
a Webisode and even television will be too much of the kids. I examine another new form of cartoon among kids and teenagers, the Happily Tree friends.


Although it is graphical and correctly portrayed, I was amazed by the content which end up with violence and awesome death. As Schriver stated, for a document designer, it is crucial to solve complex communication problems by applying knowledge of both visual and verbal rhetoric (
Schriver, 1997). Although it is not a awful trend, however, having no limitation will merely harm the minority as well.





Though it has been designed as cutie and endearing images, the bloodshed and dismemberment are vividly seen in the short-film.

(www.youtube.com)


References:

Graham, J.2008, 'Webisodes return, now as advertising', Usa Today, 23th October, viewed 13th June 2009.
<http://www.usatoday.com>

Wikipedia, 2009, 'Syndication', viewed 13th June 2009.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki>

Schriver, K.A.1997, The interplay for words and pictures, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub, New York.



Sunday, June 14, 2009

Blog: Freedom or Privilege?

The Internet's awesome growth has given the freedom to use the connection without limitations. The success is derived from the interactive atmosphere, most importantly, the Internet can world widely spread to every communities and the whole world. Hence, to enroll in the space of freedom has been known as a pervasive act, a place where people can always voice out their discontentment. In vogue, the application has turned into a privilege; it allows every user to convey the truth and to make emotionally demands.

People use the privilege to communicate with their own and the outside world. Blog has become a power that people make democratic demands and desiring of political transformation. In some developing countries such as Iraq, Cuba and Egypt, the access of The Internet is among the restriction so that the country will not end up in rebellion.
However, blogging is not only about a definition of democracy, nor the case of making the country more open. In fact, it is a term of people asking for greater living and just.

There is a mistake in Western societies, where the journalists have wrongly interpreted that in China, with the commoncensorship
system, people are hoping for an open democratic system. In fact, the web has taken effect of managing the society towards greater social demands.

Why Censorship?

Censorship is the suppression
of speech of communicative material which is considered inappropriate, harmful or critical to the government or community (Wikipedia, 2009).The web has undoubtedly honored its claim to be the democracy of the air (Jenkina, 2005). The blogger often claim that they are merely keeping the bad guys honestly. It is controversial that with the filtering process, the information flows will only fake in its way of reporting.

Censorship of information is ineffective due to the underlying distributed technology of the Internet. Censorship is not a long-term solution pertaining to issues like religion sensitivities, hate speech, pornography, excessive violence and so forth. However, the most crucial key is that the content of the writing must always come in relation of reality and self (Putnis,1996). It is essential for people to judge by themselves
what is right or wrong is important.

Despite overwhelming censoring, still, people's freedom will actually speak out in the end. It is a contradiction to sustain democracy if the authority implements censorship. If freedom is about to voice out, it is a good opportunity for the Internet to provide that kind of exposure for us to learn from different opinions and point of views.

References:

Jenkina,S. 2005, 'Under my keyboard the dest shakes. The Bloggers are on the march', Times Online, 11th Mar, viewed 12th June 2009
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk>

Wikipedia, 2009, 'Censorship', viewed 13th June 2009
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki>

Putnis, P& Petelin, R. 1996. Professional Communication: Principles and Applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.