week 9: counter-network;online activism, whistleblowers, and the dark side of the net

Everything has two sides, internet gives audience power to control the information, at the same time it challenges the society. The question of what is the line between ethical and unethical been concerned in recent years because the line becomes blurry, hacking issue is a case in point. We argue that whether online hacking is an illegal issue, or it is expression of free speech. On one side, hacking is not challenge the legal system. Follow the hacker ethics which are information freedom, sharing, no secrets and humour, there is nothing could be judged. As Ted mentioned the substance of hacking is kind of crime activity,

“My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they lock like. My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for”.

On the other side, hacking may construct threaten to administration. Wilileaks is a perfect case to show the relation between hackers and authority.  Personally, hacking is good for democracy, while challenge the propaganda.

I am quite interested in the readings of this week. E-democracy discussed by Crabtree, he portrays hacking reflect the political classes are hunkered down under a big tent marked disengagement. Hacking is an e-democracy activity, it is does not help democracy within entire political system, which means hacking only does matter to online civilians who interested in politics . As Crabtree said that,

‘if you are not interested on politics, electronic politics will not help”.

According to his argument, it is not necessary to punish hackers because they are target to small group of civilians.

Khatchadcurian sates the Wikileaks released a 2008 Pentagon report shows Wikileaks is a threat. Wikileaks criticise conduction of US military within war as investigate journalists, also he states that Wilileaks as a journalistic outlet protected by the First Amendment, the potential legal menace over above privacy. Indeed, US take this issue seriously because it construct threaten to its administration. Personally, democracy is relative to propaganda. Specifically, the content of democracy is already formed by authority; civilians could expand democracy within a very limited space

week 8 citizen journalism and new media audience

Compare with new media and traditional media, more power been controlled by audience within new media environment. News report increasingly tends to populism and amateurization, in the other words news report becoming unprofessionalism at the present period. We talk about citizen journalism and new media audience this week; I think new media completely change the way how audience reflect media organisations. For instance, audience exchange ideas through new media platform rather than accept perspectives through traditional media platform. The position of traditional media been changed since new media became popularity, changed from control position to a gate watching role. As Ted mentioned that the function of professional journalism is filter and distributes information within the public sphere. Audience become citizen journalism and self-report, as Ted mentioned that consumers becomes prosumers and the world where participating is its won reward.

Example provided within the first reading, the question of how Twitter will change the way we live has been analysed by Steven. He indicates that a single tweet from an event might be worthless; in the other words information becomes valuable when it is abundant and packaging.

“Yes, it was built entirely out of 140-character message, but the sum total of those tweets added up to something truly substantive, like a suspension bridge made of pebbles”

I agree with it. Network plays a vital role in people’s lives. Mass media especially new media industry becomes self-report and populism. The other reading which done by Axel portray journalism as a gatekeeper, but the productions of journalistic was controlled through the practice which the publication were considered sacrosanct whin domestic and international. He indicate that

“Compared to journalistic gatekeeping, gatewatching requires away different set of skills: it relies less on first-hand investigative research and the ability to compose succinct news stories, and more on information search and retrieval skills especially in online environment”

The role transform form controller to gatekeeping on mass media is obviously shown in modern society. Personally, I think new media become popularity does not mean professional journalism lost its value.  In the other words, in spite of citizen journalism become popularity within a past decade, professional journalism can not be replaced by them.

week 7 Into the cloud: the long tail and the attention economy

The topic of this week is the long tail and the attention economy into the cloud. As Ted mentioned that information wants to be free at the same time it is expensive as well. Information is profitable which means information transition in a sense is economic transaction. For instance, online users prefer do some reading through cloud rather than print books. Mass amateurization on the internet leads to decreasingly production in press industry. We argue that whether increasingly mass amateurs could directly impact the press industry. Personally, I think online amateurs indeed influence the production of press industry; on the other hand print books still have its value. In spite of I am enjoying online reading because it is very convenient, but I purchase books because of storability. Obviously, web blog publishing and any other forms of self-publishing attract lots of online users; it is however beneath the press industry.  

I am very interested in the readings of this week. Within Weblogs and the mass amateurization of publishing, author portrays weblogs as efficient tool for distributing the written word rather than a new system of financial reward. Though a mount of self publishing been uploading online, majority of them are amateur. In the other words the competition between online publish and press publish is the struggle between amateur writer and professional writer. For instance, seems like pop culture and classic culture, pop culture can not replace classic culture. Shirky states that weblogs make a radical break for press industry. The other idea inspires me a lot which is mentioned by Anderson. He states that

“This is not just a virtue of online booksellers; it is an example of entirely new economic model for the media and entertainment industries.”

Indeed, online reading becomes popular in recent years, does it mean print industry lost its value? At least, I do not think so. Eight generative values are mentioned in reading Better than Free, which are immediacy, personalization, interpretation, authenticity, accessibility, embodiment, patronage and findability. I agree with it. Instead of online reading, I am more enjoying print books reading because they can be stored.

week6 transglobal entertainment and media convergene

We talked about transglobal entertainment and media convergence this week. Convergence has been defined by Ted as a process, interaction of content and flows of contents I am also interested in Ted’s the other idea which is convergent technologies are more than sum of their parts. Indeed, convergence media is difficult to define because it is very complex and diversity. Henry Jenkins defines convergence media is people responding messages in a new way and also it is kind of collective intelligence Speaking of the example which has been provided in the lecture, compare with different convergence media between previous and modern society in press industry Zero cost and low risk rather than high cost and high risk emerges within today’s industry. From that point, new media is a platform where offers a stage to audience to share and exchange free information. Personally, I think convergence media is a synthesis which service users to exchange information and communication. Convergence culture indicates users form their own culture through communication.

I am very interested in the reading of this week. Convergence culture has been defined by Mark as the new media ecology does give users increasingly control over flow of media-using. The other point mentioned by Mark is journalism is better described as a “gate watcher” and monitor rather than manage and filter information in modern society. I agree with it. Indeed, today’s journalism considers more entertainment rather judgement, more monitor rather than filter. As Henry Jenkins states that

 “Convergence is taking place within the same appliances”

Personally, I think convergence media raises the efficiency on transfer messages between individuals; it does not exactly changes the content of conversation.  Convergence media more service users rather shape audience.  The power of convergence media is not media itself, it is sort of ideology which formed by audience themselves.