-TO JEAN BURGESS- -BLOGGING REFLECTION-

Ok..well I think I will make this my final post.

I've maintained my blog for 11 weeks and not just the minimum of 6. However, if you're not going to read all of my posts I recommend reading my posts from the first 6 weeks or so (starting back in the March archives). I put more effort into those. Haha, I have become a little lazy towards the end. Look at all of my pretty pictures though.

REFLECTION ON BLOGGING:
When I first heard about blogging in Virtual Cultures I didn’t really understand what a blog was and I didn’t think many blogs existed. But I soon discovered what blogging was all about and that blogs were everywhere on the Internet. People maintain blogs for all sorts of reasons. The ones I stumbled across ranged from personal online journals to academic commentary to online art galleries. Many blogs that I visited were far more impressive than mine. I think to have a successful blog you really need to dedicate a lot of time to it. However, how can a ‘successful blog’ really be defined? I think that if it serves your purpose then it is a successful blog. I think my blog was successful because it really helped me revise and understand the unit content. Having undertaken this blogging process will help me in the exam.

I think blogs are an impressive communication medium primarily because anyone who has access to the Internet can have one. They are also versatile; each individual can adapt and design their blog to serve their own desired purpose. Blogs are a unique communication medium in that they allow everyday people to have a public voice. Blogs allow people to present their opinions and ideas to a public forum where they can be shared and debated. Admittedly, a lot of information within blogs is unedited, bias or just plain wrong, however, readers can use their discretion and decide themselves what they want to believe. Aside from this, I just think it is significant that everyday people now have an outlet for expression and a forum for discussion through blogging.

My own blog is rather contrived in that I didn’t really have a choice in what I could discuss aside from the direction in which I wanted to take the unit content. My blog is very different to a traditional journal in that I didn’t share overly personal thoughts and events. I don’t think I would ever keep a blog as a personal journal. Aside from the fact that I’m not a ‘journal person’ I wouldn’t feel very comfortable making it public, however, keeping a blog that wasn’t publicly available could be an option that I guess many other people choose to take. I won’t continue to maintain this blog but I was thinking of starting a blog that all of my family could use. We are spread out across Australia, England and America. I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog where we could each post pictures and updates about what has been going on in our lives.

My blog is firmly based in academic work and reflections upon the content of Virtual Cultures. The ability to do this online is what makes blogs unique. If I had reflected upon the same content but written it down in a paper based log I think the outcome would have been different. I would have tired of it quickly and not have enjoyed it anywhere near as much. I think blogs are more successful than traditional journals because they are visually appealing, allow for easy editing and incorporation of images, and most importantly other people can view and comment.

Overall, my blogging experience has been positive. I enjoyed being able to incorporate pictures and create links to all of my other fellow bloggers in Virtual Cultures. Highlights: I actually had quite a few people comment on my posts, yay!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

This image represents Marcus Foth's concept that connectivity does not ensure community.

Week 11 Lecture and Reading Reflection

This week’s lecture was given by Marcus Foth and focused upon social capital, networks and communities of place. My basic understanding of the concepts presented is that the ‘traditional’ form of social capital was on the decline but with the rise of the Internet and computer mediated communications social capital is being facilitated in a more unconventional form. I don’t know if this is right this is just how I interpreted it. Marcus described it as 'Hobbiton' as old and 'urban tribes' as new…'community as a collective' is old and 'community as a network' is new.

This week’s reading was written by Marcus Foth as well; Connectivity Does Not Ensure Community. I must admit that I didn’t really take it in…perhaps it was a little dry or I just wasn’t in the frame of mind to absorb information. Basically it was along the same lines as the lecture.

I apologise to Marcus if for some reason you stumbles across this (just as Andy Carvin - the author of week 10's reading - stumbled across my post from last week that was about him). To both of you...it's not that I don't appreciate or have enthusiasm for your work, rather it is that I don't have enthusiasm for blogging. As this semester progresses I am losing interest in my blog so my posts are becoming very brief. I haven't done too bad though. I only had to maintain it for 6 consecutive weeks and I'm now up to 11.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

This is an oil and collage painting by Gette (GEORGETTE L. OSSERMAN) titled Digital Divide. Hmmm, interesting.

Week 10 Reading Reflection

Week ten’s reading, Beyond Access: Understanding the digital divide by Andy Carvin, basically discussed (as its name suggests!) the digital divide. It detailed how the digital divide is largely due to differences in education and income. It raised the interesting idea that the digital divide isn’t just about access but about literacy/language/technology skills, creation of content and community technological infrastructures. I think this is something important that requires attention. It means that even if someone has access to a computer and the Internet they may still be disadvantaged in the fact that they can’t read, are unable to differentiate credible information from the rubbish or no culturally relevant content is available to them. For example, the Internet is 87% English and certain language scripts are not supported in Web text. So even if someone had access to the Internet how ‘accessible’ is it really?

Week 10 Lecture Reflection

Week ten’s lecture was given by Tanya Notley and was about the digital divide and more specifically the Youth Internet Radio Network (YIRN) project. I learnt about the digital divide and how it concerns the ability of people access to technology. Economic, social and cultural gaps result in people not having equal access to technology, especially information communication technologies (ICTs) like the Internet. The digital divide is a topical area that receives much attention within academia. YIRN is an online network which aims to develop creativity and innovation within young people, especially those living within remote and regional areas. YIRN aims to develop cultural and economic opportunities as well as political objectives. From what I gathered from Tanya, YIRN provides skills and opportunities for young people in order to bridge the digital divide by encouraging the development of technological skills within those people who may not necessarily have had the opportunity to do so. They have a really interesting website Sticky which contains some of the clips produced by young people as shown during the lecture. The thing I found most interesting about YIRN is that it involves young indigenous people and teaches them technological skills. This is something that I am personally interested in. I think it is really important for indigenous people to have access to technology and especially the means of media production. Through indigenous people producing their own media they are ultimately preserving their culture. I could write about this for hours but I won’t do that at this point in time :-)

Lawrence Lessig

Lawrence Lessig was on JJJ's HACK the other day (Thursday of Friday I think it was). He was interesting to listen to. Apparently his book IS available in stores but also for FREE on the Internet...so there you go.

A BLATANT PLUG

This is a play that I'm doing publicity for. I doubt anyone will even see this because people rarely visit my blog but if you do mark it down in your diary and make sure you are there! It will be a very sexy, provocative and vivid performance. Plus if you come on opening night you can come and join us all afterwards for drinkies.

Blogs blog everywhere!

Just as a side note...I can't believe how many blogs there are and what they are used for! When I was first introduced to them I thought pft...hardly anyone would have a blog but now that I'm aware I stumble across them everywhere. Many esteemed professionals and academics use them as their site...instead of seeing URLs such as so&so.com or so&so.org I see so&soblog. Well there you go! You learn something new everyday.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

A 'walled garden' - the analogy used to describe the approach now being taken towards digital information and regulating copyright...a creative work is removed from the public domain and creative commons and kept behind a 'wall'. This picture reminds me of The Secret Garden. I loved that book when I was little. I wonder why people put gardens behind walls? I guess it is kind of mystical.

Week 9 Class and Reading Reflection

This week’s reading, Park Like: the commons and communications policy by Elinor Rennie and Sherman Young, discussed the issues surrounding commons and copyright in relation to the Internet. Something that struck me from this reading is how long something can be copyrighted in the US. It is something like 70 years after the ‘inventors’ death! It’s crazy…it means that ‘idea’ will not be allowed back into the public domain within ones lifetime. This is obviously going to cause problems in terms of information and idea flows. The reading also referred to Lawrence Lessig a lot and his idea/book titled Free Culture. I thought the point about him being a hypocrite by selling his book and not providing it for free on the Internet was an interesting one. I’m not really comfortable enough with this topic to decide whether that is a valid comment or not.

We discussed creative commons within this week’s seminar. I think the creative commons is fantabulous; it nurtures and stimulates the creation and sharing of ideas and cultural content that the everyday person can access and enjoy. Go CC!

Week 9 Lecture Reflection

Week nine’s lecture was about ‘walled gardens’ and ‘creative commons’. Basically what I learnt from the lecture is that the whole issue surrounding copyright, digital information, creative commons and IP controls is just god damn confusing! I thought I had a grasp on the content in this subject but this week’s lecture left me wondering. In an attempt to decipher what it all meant…it covered the currently topical issue of regulating copyright within an increasingly digital information world. In terms of copyright we are moving from an industrial to an informational era which creates conflict. This discussion is very heated within the music industry in terms of music distribution networks. I don’t think there is anything wrong with them…as Christina Spurgeon (the lecturer) pointed out, the record labels are ever increasing their sales and profits while people are sharing music, so it is win win really isn’t it? Christina showed us some pretty cool clips/websites during the lecture so check them out: Napster Animations (so cute and funny) and Creative Commons (very interesting).