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.