I read an article about virtual worlds and social networking sites that appeared in the Daily Mail newspaper on Saturday 5th January, called “VIRTUAL NIGHTMARE”. It was from the point of view from the older generation, and how this might affect the internet and how we use it. The article was also stressing the moral values and humanity that was lacking from the virtual realities. Some main concerns about the development of the websites is that more and more illegal activities are popping up all over the virtual worlds; gambling child pornography, some avatars are dressing up as children and offering virtual sex. The problem controlling this is there is not enough restrictions and not enough people to stop this happening; sometimes one person governing 150 million ‘avatars’, an avatar being your appearance in the game, which you choose, customise, and create. Another problem in Second life specifically, is the age boundaries. The rules are that you are not allowed to enter the adult grid if you are under 18, and vice versa for the Teen grid, but there is no feasible way checking everyone’s age reliably.
The way that Second life and social networking sites have changed the way we meet and discuss. More and more young people are getting involved in these sites, meaning that less people are on the streets, and the older people, maybe being left behind, because they might not have as easy access as the internet, or because they actively choose not to participate. Some businesses are having board meetings in Second Life, because the advantages are numerous; people can text chat privately without anyone ‘hearing’, the 3-D giving people more capability, and the increasing ease to connect to the internet.
One of these board meetings was interrupted by a ‘terrorist’, who shot everyone dead, and the teenager who stole virtual furniture from ‘Habbo Hotel’, another virtual world. These panics reflect in the real world in that people are taking themselves off the streets and putting themselves on virtual worlds, where illegal activity comes with it.
Monday 7 January 2008
Friday 4 January 2008
Guardian Article Dec 2007 Questions
1. Who is Chris De Wolfe and what does he say is the future for social networking? What impact will portable hardware have on this area of technology?
A: Chris De Wolfe is a CEO and a co-founder of the social networking website MySpace. He says that more than ever, people are logging on to these social networking sites and contacting each other, also affecting other industries, such as music and advertising. He also says that the future of the social networking web is more personalised and the realtionships formed or developed through this technology will grow closer and closer.
2. Who is Chad Hurley and what does he say is his company's goal? Is he a positive or negative technological determinist?
A: Chad Hurley is the CEO and co-founder of the popular video-sharing website YouTube. He outlines the growth of the media, saying his company's goal is to include everyone to simple accessible technology, and to make it almost second nature to us (referring to his comparison with making a phone call). He is a posotive technological determinist becuase he describes this technology as almost in awe of it, and doesn't mention anything negaitve about this technology.
3. What does Maurice Levy say is the challenge for advertisers and what is 'liquid media' compared to 'linear media'?
A: He compares the digital and analogue media, and says that the boom of popularity belittles the latter, and the possibilites of the digital advertising is much greater than the traditional advertising. Linear media is the old way of advertising, with no interactivity in it. Liquid media, which Maurice describes as "seamless", can interact, change settings, jump and skip parts of playlists, and many other options. It is the new digital media.
4. What parallels does Norvig draw between Edison inventing electricity and the development of online technology in terms of searching for information? (tricky question - read this section carefully)
A: He explains that Edison inventing electricity, was almost the flood gates, opening to whole new range of ideas and possibilites. Furthermore, he also describes how that the current technology will enable us to advance out technology and biuld faster, better machines with what Edison invented.
5. What are the issues for the developing world? How is this evidence of a 'digital divide'? (socio-economic divide due to access to technology)
A: The economic divide between 1st world and 3rd world, countries means that the poorer nations will not have the technology that the U.S or the U.K has, meaning a divide has occured between them. For exmaple, the first internet connection in Africa was in 1991, while more econmically developed countries, had this connection before this.
This was also evident in the podcast; the teacher explains that African countries will not have the technological access that our society has got. Lastly, the last paragraph on the developing world also says that internet development in Africa will be limited until 2012, so no bridge of the "digital divide" will appear.
A: Chris De Wolfe is a CEO and a co-founder of the social networking website MySpace. He says that more than ever, people are logging on to these social networking sites and contacting each other, also affecting other industries, such as music and advertising. He also says that the future of the social networking web is more personalised and the realtionships formed or developed through this technology will grow closer and closer.
2. Who is Chad Hurley and what does he say is his company's goal? Is he a positive or negative technological determinist?
A: Chad Hurley is the CEO and co-founder of the popular video-sharing website YouTube. He outlines the growth of the media, saying his company's goal is to include everyone to simple accessible technology, and to make it almost second nature to us (referring to his comparison with making a phone call). He is a posotive technological determinist becuase he describes this technology as almost in awe of it, and doesn't mention anything negaitve about this technology.
3. What does Maurice Levy say is the challenge for advertisers and what is 'liquid media' compared to 'linear media'?
A: He compares the digital and analogue media, and says that the boom of popularity belittles the latter, and the possibilites of the digital advertising is much greater than the traditional advertising. Linear media is the old way of advertising, with no interactivity in it. Liquid media, which Maurice describes as "seamless", can interact, change settings, jump and skip parts of playlists, and many other options. It is the new digital media.
4. What parallels does Norvig draw between Edison inventing electricity and the development of online technology in terms of searching for information? (tricky question - read this section carefully)
A: He explains that Edison inventing electricity, was almost the flood gates, opening to whole new range of ideas and possibilites. Furthermore, he also describes how that the current technology will enable us to advance out technology and biuld faster, better machines with what Edison invented.
5. What are the issues for the developing world? How is this evidence of a 'digital divide'? (socio-economic divide due to access to technology)
A: The economic divide between 1st world and 3rd world, countries means that the poorer nations will not have the technology that the U.S or the U.K has, meaning a divide has occured between them. For exmaple, the first internet connection in Africa was in 1991, while more econmically developed countries, had this connection before this.
This was also evident in the podcast; the teacher explains that African countries will not have the technological access that our society has got. Lastly, the last paragraph on the developing world also says that internet development in Africa will be limited until 2012, so no bridge of the "digital divide" will appear.
Podcast- Jan 2008
The teacher on the podcast spoke about various media terminology, described what they meant, and how the products and new media technologies influenced the audiences lives. Here are some of the things I learnt from the podcast:
digitality- new way of encoding info.(1 or 0, on or off)
interactivity- new ability to work with technology
convergions- how some companies merge and work together to make new technology. New gadgets are getting smaller because of increased ability to make more powerful electrical devices.
The teacher also discusses issues related to audience, control and regulation, and ownership.
Here are some questions related to these topics:
audience- Do new technologies change the audience?
Have audience demanded these changes?
Who doesn't have access?
control- Who/What is controlling?
Impact from government?
Should be/Is/Possible to be controlled?
ownership- Market share/Funding?
Competition?
Organisation?
digitality- new way of encoding info.(1 or 0, on or off)
interactivity- new ability to work with technology
convergions- how some companies merge and work together to make new technology. New gadgets are getting smaller because of increased ability to make more powerful electrical devices.
The teacher also discusses issues related to audience, control and regulation, and ownership.
Here are some questions related to these topics:
audience- Do new technologies change the audience?
Have audience demanded these changes?
Who doesn't have access?
control- Who/What is controlling?
Impact from government?
Should be/Is/Possible to be controlled?
ownership- Market share/Funding?
Competition?
Organisation?
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