Friday, August 28, 2009
thoughts
To be honest, before doing this unit i thought my knowledge of the internet was pretty good. This unit along with ned11 is my first opportunity to study on an online environment and after the hurdles of learning where everything is, I found the reading material and exercises to be a real eye opener. Overall regardless of my final mark, I have benefited from this.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Concepts Reflection
After reading the results for my concepts project i am happy with the outcome. Actually i didn't expect a distinction so that was awesome. Thanks Cynthia for the great feedback, I was surprised at how thorough the critique was and am greatful for that. Now all i need to do is to post more on the discussion board by tomorow afternoon as this is where i struggle most.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
NET11 Conceptual Research & Reflection Project
Concept 12. communication and information are related
“The internet age means that anyone can create a perfect digital copy of any intellectual property available on the web. And millions of people frequently do”(Crossfield,2008)
As stated in this concept, Electronic communication involves the separation of data in the communication from its source/origin and destination. Communication in its many forms including, images, sounds and video can be saved for later use, multiplied or reproduced many times, edited or ‘re-mixed’ with other pieces of communicative data to the extent that a totally new and unrelated meaning is presented to the online audience. According to Jonathan Crossfield, the internet has, “created the greatest information database and distribution system society has ever known.”(Crossfield,2008)
This has its benefits and problems.
Pros
The freedom of the internet allows its users to express their opinions to a particular article or topic by using it as a reference to their work, usually without referencing anything. ‘Copy and Paste’ Is so much easier than typing something out word for word. The same applies with images and videos. Information can be stored and passed on to anyone with internet access.
“Putting intellectual property on the web makes it accessible to anyone with a laptop and a phone line.” (Crossfield, 2008)
Cons
The intellectual property of an individual or organization can be distributed and re-produced easily without the owners even being aware of it. This can result in free but uncontrollable publicity.
Crossfield also states, “The internet has become a social, rather than individual, activity and these online relationships are fuelled by the sharing of content and ideas.” (Crossfield,2008)
We exchange information to each other on a daily basis, through email, YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook. Many share digital photos with friends, relatives and even complete strangers in a way that is increasingly being seen as acceptable. Musicians utilizing MySpace, upload their music and have no idea how many people are downloading their songs, even if the musicians chose the option of not letting others download their music, It can still be recorded easily in an audio program for free. So is online copyrighting even relevant these days?
In early 2006, The Australian federal government had announced its plan to crack down on search engines including Google, for copyright violations. Judy Skatssoon reports, “This could potentially limit the scope of the search engine results”. Her article states that Google describes this as, "condemning the Australian public to the pre-Internet era." (Skatssoon,2006).
The greatest hurdle for search engines including Google would be monitoring all of its users. In Skatssoon’s article, Google representative Andrew McLaughlin argues that changes would be unrealistic, "If such advanced permission was required, the Internet would promptly grind to a halt."(Skatssoon, 2006)
While the internet can spread ideas or creations around the globe instantly, this comes at a cost. Potentially an artist or writer can risk having their work stolen and re-claimed by others just as a business could suffer losing potential profits if their valuable information was not properly guarded. This is a risk that many should be aware of before deciding to advertise online.
“If you try to turn the internet into a one-way portal like television or newspapers, it loses all purpose and power. To get the most out of the internet you must give to receive, harnessing consumers’ motivation to share and distribute freely.” (Crossfield, 2008)
The sharing and re-mixing of ideas is what gives the internet its appeal. Usually what we are looking for is only a few clicks away. After all, information shared by others over time benefits and enriches the overall content of the internet. This is true to a certain extent. However, not everything presented online is factual or original. Photos can be copied, even edited. These edited photos could then be used on a slide show on YouTube and mixed with music that was downloaded for free. Captions also produce a totally new meaning to what was originally intended for each Item.
The power of the internet as a communicational tool is used by millions worldwide who have an opinion to share. We interact with the global community in a way that was not possible a few decades ago. The continual re-mixing of information accelerates the evolution of new ideas and makes the internet a valuable resource for us all.
……………………………………………………………
Sources
1.
Crossfield, J. (2008)
Is the internet killing copyright?
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://nett.com.au/technology/web/is-the-internet-killing-copyright/11292.html
While researching Concept 12, I came across a great article describing the relationship between the sharing of information online and copyright laws. The author Jonathan Crossfield explains that,
“Every day, intellectual property theft occurs on the web in large and small ways.” (Crossfield,2008) Throughout his three page article he questions weather consumers are pirates and speaks about the battle of copyright. Crossfield quotes Larry Bloch saying, “The internet completely contradcts this concept of copyright,” which supported the ideas of my reflection. Another question that supported and influenced my discussion was a quote of Mark Pesce, “We cannot change the behaviour of the audience. Instead, we must all adapt to things as they are.” (Crossfield,2008) Crossfield goes on to discuss the flow of information from ‘Consumer to distributer’ and ‘Business models of the future’. For those not up to date with the lingo of terms like ‘ISP’ or I ‘Tunes’ he has included a Jargon translator.
2.
Skatssoon, J. (2006)
Google warns Aust copyright laws could cripple Internet
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1782921.htm
Another article based on copyright in Australia, had some good points that supported my discussion. Judy Skatssoon the author, records the events of early 2006, when the Australian federal government, “announced its proposed changes to copyright law.” I found this to be an interesting report, containing relevant ideas to my interpretation of communication and information. In particular when I came across Google’s warning to the Australian government that, " the Internet would promptly grind to a halt" if these laws applied. I kept this thought in the back of my mind as I wrote my reflection, realising that I live in Australia and that these laws would affect me.
“Critics say Australian copyright laws do not take into account how information is gathered and presented on the Internet.” (Skatsoon, 2006)
The above quote made me think about how easily and unknowingly we breach existing copyright laws on a daily basis.
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Concept 13. Communication is not complete upon receipt
Electronic forms of communication differ from face to face conversation in many ways. One example is the difference in the time it takes to receive feedback.
It isn’t rare for the receiver of an email to skim over its contents before becoming distracted elsewhere. It is for this reason that the sender of an email should label the message in a way that prompts feedback if it is required.
Likewise, a website should serve as a communicational tool if feedback is required. This would also benefit viewers with an option to leave a message or express their ideas completing the communication loop. It can be very frustrating for a reader of an article to have no where to post feedback especially if they disagree with what the content has to say.
Email recipient(s) may not prioritise the messages importance as highly as the sender. Therefore it may take days, weeks or longer for a return reply. This may be because e-mail is so instantaneous in comparison to ‘snail mail’, that we tend to over compensate with procrastination.
Often we are hoping for a response within a couple of days at most and when it takes longer we may consider resending the original or an edited message. This can result in wasting time and additional problems, particularly in the workplace. To avoid resending messages it is often a good idea to notify the recipient with a phone call.
Kaitlin Sherwood explains that electronic communication is usually less formal than paper based communication due to its speed.
“Electronic communication, because of its speed and broadcasting ability, is fundamentally different from paper-based communication. Because the turnaround time can be so fast, email is more conversational than traditional paper-based media.”(Sherwood,2007)
In this way e-mail is similar to speech. The main difference is we do not know when the message will be received or acted upon. We also can’t see or hear the receiver’s initial reaction as we would face to face or over the phone.
Other e-communication
Other forms of electronic communication include mobile devices, online chat, instant message groups and social websites to name just a few. These all have a
shorter waiting period and are generally regarded as less formal than email.
Social websites though, can be described as a combination of Message Boards and email.
“Anyone over 35 should recognize Facebook’s message interface for what it is: Message Boards. Remember those? Message Boards were the Web’s killer application in 1993. “(Haughton,2009)
As time progresses, there is no doubt that communicational tools will evolve and branch out to cater to the different needs of individuals. Faster chat rooms and instant messaging most likely may have evolved from Message boards.
Facebook’s popularity may also be attributed to its ability to combine the sharing of personal information in a private and public way depending on which is preferred. Bill Haughton in his article titled, ‘Facebook vs. Email’ explores the reasons for Facebook’s increasing popularity.
“Facebook has added an important component. Boards were typically open to the public, but Social Networks have added an invitation-only aspect, which makes the conversations seem personal. Facebook messages are not just conversations, but they are personal conversations.” (Haughton,2009)
There is one problem with communicating through Facebook, message boards and e-mail. The information sender is less likely to know if their intended audience has read the message.
Another popular way of communicating on Facebook is the ‘whats on your mind?’ tool. It lets others know your latest thoughts and is often a conversation starter enhancing the websites appeal as a ‘social hangout.’ This form of communication is indirect and therefore made public to friends, family and strangers. However in the case of the person expressing their thoughts, communication is often not complete until someone else replies to their status.
……………………………………………………………
Sources
1.
Sherwood, K (2007)
A Beginner's Guide to Effective Email
Retrieved August 6, 2009 from,
http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.php
This particular article by Kaitlin Duck Sherwood, was first created in December 1994 and has been updated and modified over the years with its last update in 2007. It is a useful article explaining the basics of email communication as opposed to explaining how to use email service providers.
“This is not a document on the mechanics of sending email - which buttons to push or how to attach a photograph.”(Sherwood,2007)
The author it seems, has a great history of using emails as she states that she has been using emails for over twenty years. In her own words she presents guidelines on how to be, “more efficient, clear, and effective”(Sherwood,2007) in the ways which we use email as a communicative tool.
Overall, I found Sherwood’s article to be relevant in terms of how she explained some basic differences between e-mail and paper based communication.
2.
Bill Haughton (2008)
Facebook vs Email
Retrieved August 6, 2009 from,
http://www.broodingsavage.com/business-analysis/facebook-vs-email.html
Bill Haughton reflects on what email providers can learn from Facebook’s user experience. In doing this he makes reference to his own personal experiences with the site. He starts off by mentioning the good and bad points of Facebook’s usability,
“It’s constantly sending spam to my inbox about new contests that friends are joining, or applications they’ve downloaded. But once on the site, I find their messaging system refreshing” (Haughton,2008)
An interesting point made by the author was how the interface of Facebook was basically the same as the layout of message boards that were popular in the nineties. Haughton’s statements provided food for thought when he said, “Boards were typically open to the public, but Social Networks have added an invitation-only aspect’.
His article concludes by discussing how current business and marketing models don’t quite fit in the social arena of Facebook and similar sites.
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Concept 19. Public and Private
A certain problem with Facebook, MySpace and similar social networking websites is that it is often difficult to decipher the private information, from public.
If a private conversation is only directed to one or a few individuals, then anybody else reading that information becomes in a sense, a member of the public. This would apply even within a group of what is referred to as ‘friends.’ This group of people can be comprised of actual friends, acquaintances, family members and also complete strangers. When Strangers appear as friends, it might be said that information of yours becomes even more public.
The general design and functions of Facebook are developed around creating a social environment that enables others to view information about our own lives. Yet because of this, some conversations, photos or posted videos, which are intended or preferred to be kept private may appear to others publicly. To avoid this, one must know the proper ins and outs of the website to avoid any embarrassment or leaking of private information.
This classic Facebook problem is highlighted in, 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know by Nick O'Neill,
“You let loose for a few hours one night (or day) and photos (or videos) of the moment are suddenly posted for all to view, not just your close friends who shared the moment with you. The result can be devastating. Some have been fired from work after incriminating photos/videos were posted for the boss to see. For others, randomly tagged photos/videos have ended relationships”(O’Neill,2009)
Despite the risks, there are ways to avoid embarrassment such as utilizing the friend groups’ option. This enables a user to categorize their friends so that they can contact certain friends instead of all.
Facebook’s option of ‘tagging’ others in photos may be another breach of someone’s privacy. O’Neil in his article, states that this can easily be managed by adjusting the settings of your account.
Another problem is the spam-like content of other friends’ private conversations. At first this might be viewed similarly to eavesdropping, however, even though we are being kept up to date, it can become time wasting reading everyone’s comments about themselves.
While researching this concept, I stumbled across an interesting point. The following quote was taken off Erick Schonfeld’s article titled, ‘Facebook Wants To Know If You’d Mind Sharing All Of Your Information’. He writes,
“Facebook really wants to make as much information as possible on Facebook public. It recently changed the privacy controls on the site to make it easier to share with everyone. It wants to know how much users are willing to share and, depending on the answer, it may keep pushing in this direction.”(Schonfeld,2009)
It is crucial that as users of the internet, we are aware that any information we submit online is made public. A simple name search on Google could exhibit private information to anyone regarding comments posted on other websites and forums.
Similarly, an email could be viewed by anyone other than the recipient at any date if it isn’t deleted. Even though the intention of an email may be private, it is an illusion.
It is for this simple reason that we should not underestimate the informational storage capabilities of the internet. We would all benefit by realizing that the internet is only private in relation to our intentions and that anything we post online is public.
……………………………………………………………
Sources
1.
Schonfeld, E. (2009)
Facebook Wants To Know If You’d Mind Sharing All Of Your Information
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/24/facebook-wants-to-know-if-youd-mind-sharing-all-of-your-information/
Erick Schonfeld presents interesting information regarding Facebook’s desire to make as much of its information available publicly. He discusses a recent survey presented by the site asking its users how open they are to sharing their information. The three options asked users how they described themselves and were, (a).Very open, (b). In between and (c).private. Schonfeld remarks, “The correct answer is B. Facebook wants it to be A, though.”(Schofeld,2009)
The article also compares Facebook to Twitter and discusses Twitter’s reaction to Facebook‘s tactics. Schonfeld has also included various screenshots and statistical information about the two social websites. This article was used as a reference in my discussion to support my ideas of the dangers of information being made public online.
2.
O'Neill, N. (2009)
10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/
Nick O’Neill has gone to a great amount of effort to explain in detail, the ten privacy settings every Facebook user should know. Throughout the article, he has included various screenshots of examples to aid in the readers understanding of his descriptions. In regards to my analysis on this concept, there were many related points of interest that supported my claims. In saying that, the article also influenced me to discuss the topics of tagging others in photos. Additionally this article became useful as a resource for my statements about the sharing of private and public information on Facebook, the main example discussed in my reflection.
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Concept 7. Netiquette
The most popular websites all have one thing in common. That is they allow us to give feedback about their content. Not only can we post feedback via sound, image and video, we can also type a comment and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to add to our opinion. This is very empowering to everyday people and as a result we are seeing less attention being given to the more traditional newsgroups which only present us with a single biased opinion.
“As with everything, netiquette evolves as cyberspace grows.”(Kean,2009)
Generation Y and the use of Emoticons:
In her article on Netiquette, Angela Kean states “It’s called netiquette and Generation Y live and breathe it.” (Kean, 2009) Generation Y are driving netiquette practices with the lack of restriction placed on them to communicate professionally to each other. An increasing number of children have mobile phones these days and are computer savvy.
“By the age of four, 45% of children have used a mouse to point and click, 27% have used a computer on their own at home”(Ledger,2009)
Online, the concepts of time and place become less significant. This might mean increased interaction between people of different ages, lifestyles, and beliefs. Children, adolescents and adults can post comments on a website without revealing their true age in various ways as more options become available.
In the real world, children and adolescents are restricted by their ages. They are not old enough to vote, and are usually under the discipline of their parents or school teachers. However online they have much more freedom and are able to get away with certain behaviour without being punished. Through the use of Netiquette we can teach the youth and each other what is acceptable behaviour online.
Tools defining netiquette:
Netiquette plays a significant role in teaching us how to behave online consciously and mostly, subconsciously. Some examples of communication tools are email, text messaging, emoticons, comment boxes and thumbs up or down applications. Emoticons allow a wider range of possible expressions to aid in effective communication by representing various facial expressions. These are widely used on chat, mobile phones, and email and are not yet considered appropriate in a professional environment. However this may change as time progresses.
Thumbs up or down:
Popular websites such as YouTube give us a thumb up or down option which allows us to share our opinions anonymously without exposing our ideas to outside criticism. This often even eliminates the need for netiquette at all.
Collectively, the opinions of many, determine if a comment should be seen by others. For instance, if it receives enough thumbs down votes, the comment will be invisible to later visitors to the site. This ‘online democracy’ determines the standards of what is considered proper netiquette and empowers our opinions as individuals.
The Blame Game:
People who publish unpopular comments are either misunderstood due to poor communicational skills or they are just plain rude. A rude person generally is unaware of basic netiquette principals such as politeness. Politics, race, religion and other controversial topics are generally littered with hateful derogatory and inflammatory comments that can ignite arguments that drag on and waste time.
The lack of understanding or empathy can also result in a breach of netiquette rules. Often our ideas are too diverse to please everyone yet netiquette is vital for progress.
Restriction & Understanding:
Restriction is an important part of Netiquette because without it, we could break even more netiquette rules such as those presented at: NetworkEtiquette.net. These rules include avoiding pop-ups, being discreet and being conservative. Restriction applies even more when we are angry as our temper is hard to control.
Facing a computer screen as opposed to another person, makes it easier for someone to express anger without first considering the consequences. This leads to a cycle of immature behaviour in the form of name-calling that can only be broken with restraint no matter how tempting it may be to have the final word.
Angela Kean supports this idea by saying, “it is not uncommon for people to misplace their social manners when they cannot be seen (2009).” She also suggests the following tip, originally sourced from NetworkEtiquette.net.
“Never reply to personal insults. It is never wise to reply to emails or messages when you are angry (Kean.2009).”
When dealing with such a large audience, it becomes essential for us all to refrain from unsocial conduct for the benefit of ourselves and other internet users. We must remember to set an example for children and adolescents and each other by improving our own Netiquette skills.
……………………………………………………………
Sources
1.
Kean, A. (2009)
Netiquette
Retrieved July 31, 2009 from,
http://www.superliving.com.au/StoryView.asp?StoryID=1003352§ionsource=Direction – Transitions
Angela Kean has presented an interesting article on Netiquettes origins and evolution. Kean draws regular references to the website NetworkEtiquette.net including a section with the top ten netiquette rules. I found these tips to be very helpful and practical. Rule 3, which is Proof Read also demonstrates a few examples of emoticons. I drew reference to rule 6, because I felt that it was an important part of Netiquette and that when we are angry that is the time we are most likely to break other important Netiquette rules. The last paragraph of the article was the basis of my own discussion, even though I didn’t include it. It reads,
“As author of the book Netiquette, Virginia Shea would say: “remember the human”. Choose your words carefully and remember the person you are communicating with has feelings too.” (Kean, 2009)
2.
Ledger, K. (2006)
The rise of the cyber-children
Retrieved August 2, 2009 from,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/5223192.stm
This article explains that there are young children using computers. It discusses weather or not it is acceptable for children at very young ages is appropriate and states, “Computer literacy is increasingly seen as an essential skill for children.”(Ledger,2006). I chose this website as a reference to validate my claim that An increasing number of children are computer literate and that Generation Y are contributing significantly to the development of netiquette.
Interestingly the article goes on to say children as young as 18 months are being taken to computer class to improve their co-ordination skills at a computer. They even have exams which in my opinion is over the top, however I believe the site also has some good statistics that prove my point.
.....................................................................
References
Crossfield, J. (2008)
Is the internet killing copyright?
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://nett.com.au/technology/web/is-the-internet-killing-copyright/11292.html
Kean, A. (2009)
Netiquette.
Retrieved July 31, 2009 from,
http://www.superliving.com.au/StoryView.asp?StoryID=1003352§ionsource=Direction – Transitions
Ledger, K. (2006)
The rise of the cyber-children.
Retrieved August 2, 2009 from,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/5223192.stm
O'Neill, N. (2009)
10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know.
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/
Schonfeld, E. (2009)
Facebook Wants To Know If You’d Mind Sharing All Of Your Information.
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/24/facebook-wants-to-know-if-youd-mind-sharing-all-of-your-information/
Sherwood, K. (2007)
A Beginner's Guide to Effective Email.
Retrieved August 6, 2009 from,
http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.php
Skatssoon, J. (2006)
Google warns Aust copyright laws could cripple Internet.
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1782921.htm
“The internet age means that anyone can create a perfect digital copy of any intellectual property available on the web. And millions of people frequently do”(Crossfield,2008)
As stated in this concept, Electronic communication involves the separation of data in the communication from its source/origin and destination. Communication in its many forms including, images, sounds and video can be saved for later use, multiplied or reproduced many times, edited or ‘re-mixed’ with other pieces of communicative data to the extent that a totally new and unrelated meaning is presented to the online audience. According to Jonathan Crossfield, the internet has, “created the greatest information database and distribution system society has ever known.”(Crossfield,2008)
This has its benefits and problems.
Pros
The freedom of the internet allows its users to express their opinions to a particular article or topic by using it as a reference to their work, usually without referencing anything. ‘Copy and Paste’ Is so much easier than typing something out word for word. The same applies with images and videos. Information can be stored and passed on to anyone with internet access.
“Putting intellectual property on the web makes it accessible to anyone with a laptop and a phone line.” (Crossfield, 2008)
Cons
The intellectual property of an individual or organization can be distributed and re-produced easily without the owners even being aware of it. This can result in free but uncontrollable publicity.
Crossfield also states, “The internet has become a social, rather than individual, activity and these online relationships are fuelled by the sharing of content and ideas.” (Crossfield,2008)
We exchange information to each other on a daily basis, through email, YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook. Many share digital photos with friends, relatives and even complete strangers in a way that is increasingly being seen as acceptable. Musicians utilizing MySpace, upload their music and have no idea how many people are downloading their songs, even if the musicians chose the option of not letting others download their music, It can still be recorded easily in an audio program for free. So is online copyrighting even relevant these days?
In early 2006, The Australian federal government had announced its plan to crack down on search engines including Google, for copyright violations. Judy Skatssoon reports, “This could potentially limit the scope of the search engine results”. Her article states that Google describes this as, "condemning the Australian public to the pre-Internet era." (Skatssoon,2006).
The greatest hurdle for search engines including Google would be monitoring all of its users. In Skatssoon’s article, Google representative Andrew McLaughlin argues that changes would be unrealistic, "If such advanced permission was required, the Internet would promptly grind to a halt."(Skatssoon, 2006)
While the internet can spread ideas or creations around the globe instantly, this comes at a cost. Potentially an artist or writer can risk having their work stolen and re-claimed by others just as a business could suffer losing potential profits if their valuable information was not properly guarded. This is a risk that many should be aware of before deciding to advertise online.
“If you try to turn the internet into a one-way portal like television or newspapers, it loses all purpose and power. To get the most out of the internet you must give to receive, harnessing consumers’ motivation to share and distribute freely.” (Crossfield, 2008)
The sharing and re-mixing of ideas is what gives the internet its appeal. Usually what we are looking for is only a few clicks away. After all, information shared by others over time benefits and enriches the overall content of the internet. This is true to a certain extent. However, not everything presented online is factual or original. Photos can be copied, even edited. These edited photos could then be used on a slide show on YouTube and mixed with music that was downloaded for free. Captions also produce a totally new meaning to what was originally intended for each Item.
The power of the internet as a communicational tool is used by millions worldwide who have an opinion to share. We interact with the global community in a way that was not possible a few decades ago. The continual re-mixing of information accelerates the evolution of new ideas and makes the internet a valuable resource for us all.
……………………………………………………………
Sources
1.
Crossfield, J. (2008)
Is the internet killing copyright?
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://nett.com.au/technology/web/is-the-internet-killing-copyright/11292.html
While researching Concept 12, I came across a great article describing the relationship between the sharing of information online and copyright laws. The author Jonathan Crossfield explains that,
“Every day, intellectual property theft occurs on the web in large and small ways.” (Crossfield,2008) Throughout his three page article he questions weather consumers are pirates and speaks about the battle of copyright. Crossfield quotes Larry Bloch saying, “The internet completely contradcts this concept of copyright,” which supported the ideas of my reflection. Another question that supported and influenced my discussion was a quote of Mark Pesce, “We cannot change the behaviour of the audience. Instead, we must all adapt to things as they are.” (Crossfield,2008) Crossfield goes on to discuss the flow of information from ‘Consumer to distributer’ and ‘Business models of the future’. For those not up to date with the lingo of terms like ‘ISP’ or I ‘Tunes’ he has included a Jargon translator.
2.
Skatssoon, J. (2006)
Google warns Aust copyright laws could cripple Internet
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1782921.htm
Another article based on copyright in Australia, had some good points that supported my discussion. Judy Skatssoon the author, records the events of early 2006, when the Australian federal government, “announced its proposed changes to copyright law.” I found this to be an interesting report, containing relevant ideas to my interpretation of communication and information. In particular when I came across Google’s warning to the Australian government that, " the Internet would promptly grind to a halt" if these laws applied. I kept this thought in the back of my mind as I wrote my reflection, realising that I live in Australia and that these laws would affect me.
“Critics say Australian copyright laws do not take into account how information is gathered and presented on the Internet.” (Skatsoon, 2006)
The above quote made me think about how easily and unknowingly we breach existing copyright laws on a daily basis.
............................................
Concept 13. Communication is not complete upon receipt
Electronic forms of communication differ from face to face conversation in many ways. One example is the difference in the time it takes to receive feedback.
It isn’t rare for the receiver of an email to skim over its contents before becoming distracted elsewhere. It is for this reason that the sender of an email should label the message in a way that prompts feedback if it is required.
Likewise, a website should serve as a communicational tool if feedback is required. This would also benefit viewers with an option to leave a message or express their ideas completing the communication loop. It can be very frustrating for a reader of an article to have no where to post feedback especially if they disagree with what the content has to say.
Email recipient(s) may not prioritise the messages importance as highly as the sender. Therefore it may take days, weeks or longer for a return reply. This may be because e-mail is so instantaneous in comparison to ‘snail mail’, that we tend to over compensate with procrastination.
Often we are hoping for a response within a couple of days at most and when it takes longer we may consider resending the original or an edited message. This can result in wasting time and additional problems, particularly in the workplace. To avoid resending messages it is often a good idea to notify the recipient with a phone call.
Kaitlin Sherwood explains that electronic communication is usually less formal than paper based communication due to its speed.
“Electronic communication, because of its speed and broadcasting ability, is fundamentally different from paper-based communication. Because the turnaround time can be so fast, email is more conversational than traditional paper-based media.”(Sherwood,2007)
In this way e-mail is similar to speech. The main difference is we do not know when the message will be received or acted upon. We also can’t see or hear the receiver’s initial reaction as we would face to face or over the phone.
Other e-communication
Other forms of electronic communication include mobile devices, online chat, instant message groups and social websites to name just a few. These all have a
shorter waiting period and are generally regarded as less formal than email.
Social websites though, can be described as a combination of Message Boards and email.
“Anyone over 35 should recognize Facebook’s message interface for what it is: Message Boards. Remember those? Message Boards were the Web’s killer application in 1993. “(Haughton,2009)
As time progresses, there is no doubt that communicational tools will evolve and branch out to cater to the different needs of individuals. Faster chat rooms and instant messaging most likely may have evolved from Message boards.
Facebook’s popularity may also be attributed to its ability to combine the sharing of personal information in a private and public way depending on which is preferred. Bill Haughton in his article titled, ‘Facebook vs. Email’ explores the reasons for Facebook’s increasing popularity.
“Facebook has added an important component. Boards were typically open to the public, but Social Networks have added an invitation-only aspect, which makes the conversations seem personal. Facebook messages are not just conversations, but they are personal conversations.” (Haughton,2009)
There is one problem with communicating through Facebook, message boards and e-mail. The information sender is less likely to know if their intended audience has read the message.
Another popular way of communicating on Facebook is the ‘whats on your mind?’ tool. It lets others know your latest thoughts and is often a conversation starter enhancing the websites appeal as a ‘social hangout.’ This form of communication is indirect and therefore made public to friends, family and strangers. However in the case of the person expressing their thoughts, communication is often not complete until someone else replies to their status.
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Sources
1.
Sherwood, K (2007)
A Beginner's Guide to Effective Email
Retrieved August 6, 2009 from,
http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.php
This particular article by Kaitlin Duck Sherwood, was first created in December 1994 and has been updated and modified over the years with its last update in 2007. It is a useful article explaining the basics of email communication as opposed to explaining how to use email service providers.
“This is not a document on the mechanics of sending email - which buttons to push or how to attach a photograph.”(Sherwood,2007)
The author it seems, has a great history of using emails as she states that she has been using emails for over twenty years. In her own words she presents guidelines on how to be, “more efficient, clear, and effective”(Sherwood,2007) in the ways which we use email as a communicative tool.
Overall, I found Sherwood’s article to be relevant in terms of how she explained some basic differences between e-mail and paper based communication.
2.
Bill Haughton (2008)
Facebook vs Email
Retrieved August 6, 2009 from,
http://www.broodingsavage.com/business-analysis/facebook-vs-email.html
Bill Haughton reflects on what email providers can learn from Facebook’s user experience. In doing this he makes reference to his own personal experiences with the site. He starts off by mentioning the good and bad points of Facebook’s usability,
“It’s constantly sending spam to my inbox about new contests that friends are joining, or applications they’ve downloaded. But once on the site, I find their messaging system refreshing” (Haughton,2008)
An interesting point made by the author was how the interface of Facebook was basically the same as the layout of message boards that were popular in the nineties. Haughton’s statements provided food for thought when he said, “Boards were typically open to the public, but Social Networks have added an invitation-only aspect’.
His article concludes by discussing how current business and marketing models don’t quite fit in the social arena of Facebook and similar sites.
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Concept 19. Public and Private
A certain problem with Facebook, MySpace and similar social networking websites is that it is often difficult to decipher the private information, from public.
If a private conversation is only directed to one or a few individuals, then anybody else reading that information becomes in a sense, a member of the public. This would apply even within a group of what is referred to as ‘friends.’ This group of people can be comprised of actual friends, acquaintances, family members and also complete strangers. When Strangers appear as friends, it might be said that information of yours becomes even more public.
The general design and functions of Facebook are developed around creating a social environment that enables others to view information about our own lives. Yet because of this, some conversations, photos or posted videos, which are intended or preferred to be kept private may appear to others publicly. To avoid this, one must know the proper ins and outs of the website to avoid any embarrassment or leaking of private information.
This classic Facebook problem is highlighted in, 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know by Nick O'Neill,
“You let loose for a few hours one night (or day) and photos (or videos) of the moment are suddenly posted for all to view, not just your close friends who shared the moment with you. The result can be devastating. Some have been fired from work after incriminating photos/videos were posted for the boss to see. For others, randomly tagged photos/videos have ended relationships”(O’Neill,2009)
Despite the risks, there are ways to avoid embarrassment such as utilizing the friend groups’ option. This enables a user to categorize their friends so that they can contact certain friends instead of all.
Facebook’s option of ‘tagging’ others in photos may be another breach of someone’s privacy. O’Neil in his article, states that this can easily be managed by adjusting the settings of your account.
Another problem is the spam-like content of other friends’ private conversations. At first this might be viewed similarly to eavesdropping, however, even though we are being kept up to date, it can become time wasting reading everyone’s comments about themselves.
While researching this concept, I stumbled across an interesting point. The following quote was taken off Erick Schonfeld’s article titled, ‘Facebook Wants To Know If You’d Mind Sharing All Of Your Information’. He writes,
“Facebook really wants to make as much information as possible on Facebook public. It recently changed the privacy controls on the site to make it easier to share with everyone. It wants to know how much users are willing to share and, depending on the answer, it may keep pushing in this direction.”(Schonfeld,2009)
It is crucial that as users of the internet, we are aware that any information we submit online is made public. A simple name search on Google could exhibit private information to anyone regarding comments posted on other websites and forums.
Similarly, an email could be viewed by anyone other than the recipient at any date if it isn’t deleted. Even though the intention of an email may be private, it is an illusion.
It is for this simple reason that we should not underestimate the informational storage capabilities of the internet. We would all benefit by realizing that the internet is only private in relation to our intentions and that anything we post online is public.
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Sources
1.
Schonfeld, E. (2009)
Facebook Wants To Know If You’d Mind Sharing All Of Your Information
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/24/facebook-wants-to-know-if-youd-mind-sharing-all-of-your-information/
Erick Schonfeld presents interesting information regarding Facebook’s desire to make as much of its information available publicly. He discusses a recent survey presented by the site asking its users how open they are to sharing their information. The three options asked users how they described themselves and were, (a).Very open, (b). In between and (c).private. Schonfeld remarks, “The correct answer is B. Facebook wants it to be A, though.”(Schofeld,2009)
The article also compares Facebook to Twitter and discusses Twitter’s reaction to Facebook‘s tactics. Schonfeld has also included various screenshots and statistical information about the two social websites. This article was used as a reference in my discussion to support my ideas of the dangers of information being made public online.
2.
O'Neill, N. (2009)
10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/
Nick O’Neill has gone to a great amount of effort to explain in detail, the ten privacy settings every Facebook user should know. Throughout the article, he has included various screenshots of examples to aid in the readers understanding of his descriptions. In regards to my analysis on this concept, there were many related points of interest that supported my claims. In saying that, the article also influenced me to discuss the topics of tagging others in photos. Additionally this article became useful as a resource for my statements about the sharing of private and public information on Facebook, the main example discussed in my reflection.
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Concept 7. Netiquette
The most popular websites all have one thing in common. That is they allow us to give feedback about their content. Not only can we post feedback via sound, image and video, we can also type a comment and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to add to our opinion. This is very empowering to everyday people and as a result we are seeing less attention being given to the more traditional newsgroups which only present us with a single biased opinion.
“As with everything, netiquette evolves as cyberspace grows.”(Kean,2009)
Generation Y and the use of Emoticons:
In her article on Netiquette, Angela Kean states “It’s called netiquette and Generation Y live and breathe it.” (Kean, 2009) Generation Y are driving netiquette practices with the lack of restriction placed on them to communicate professionally to each other. An increasing number of children have mobile phones these days and are computer savvy.
“By the age of four, 45% of children have used a mouse to point and click, 27% have used a computer on their own at home”(Ledger,2009)
Online, the concepts of time and place become less significant. This might mean increased interaction between people of different ages, lifestyles, and beliefs. Children, adolescents and adults can post comments on a website without revealing their true age in various ways as more options become available.
In the real world, children and adolescents are restricted by their ages. They are not old enough to vote, and are usually under the discipline of their parents or school teachers. However online they have much more freedom and are able to get away with certain behaviour without being punished. Through the use of Netiquette we can teach the youth and each other what is acceptable behaviour online.
Tools defining netiquette:
Netiquette plays a significant role in teaching us how to behave online consciously and mostly, subconsciously. Some examples of communication tools are email, text messaging, emoticons, comment boxes and thumbs up or down applications. Emoticons allow a wider range of possible expressions to aid in effective communication by representing various facial expressions. These are widely used on chat, mobile phones, and email and are not yet considered appropriate in a professional environment. However this may change as time progresses.
Thumbs up or down:
Popular websites such as YouTube give us a thumb up or down option which allows us to share our opinions anonymously without exposing our ideas to outside criticism. This often even eliminates the need for netiquette at all.
Collectively, the opinions of many, determine if a comment should be seen by others. For instance, if it receives enough thumbs down votes, the comment will be invisible to later visitors to the site. This ‘online democracy’ determines the standards of what is considered proper netiquette and empowers our opinions as individuals.
The Blame Game:
People who publish unpopular comments are either misunderstood due to poor communicational skills or they are just plain rude. A rude person generally is unaware of basic netiquette principals such as politeness. Politics, race, religion and other controversial topics are generally littered with hateful derogatory and inflammatory comments that can ignite arguments that drag on and waste time.
The lack of understanding or empathy can also result in a breach of netiquette rules. Often our ideas are too diverse to please everyone yet netiquette is vital for progress.
Restriction & Understanding:
Restriction is an important part of Netiquette because without it, we could break even more netiquette rules such as those presented at: NetworkEtiquette.net. These rules include avoiding pop-ups, being discreet and being conservative. Restriction applies even more when we are angry as our temper is hard to control.
Facing a computer screen as opposed to another person, makes it easier for someone to express anger without first considering the consequences. This leads to a cycle of immature behaviour in the form of name-calling that can only be broken with restraint no matter how tempting it may be to have the final word.
Angela Kean supports this idea by saying, “it is not uncommon for people to misplace their social manners when they cannot be seen (2009).” She also suggests the following tip, originally sourced from NetworkEtiquette.net.
“Never reply to personal insults. It is never wise to reply to emails or messages when you are angry (Kean.2009).”
When dealing with such a large audience, it becomes essential for us all to refrain from unsocial conduct for the benefit of ourselves and other internet users. We must remember to set an example for children and adolescents and each other by improving our own Netiquette skills.
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Sources
1.
Kean, A. (2009)
Netiquette
Retrieved July 31, 2009 from,
http://www.superliving.com.au/StoryView.asp?StoryID=1003352§ionsource=Direction – Transitions
Angela Kean has presented an interesting article on Netiquettes origins and evolution. Kean draws regular references to the website NetworkEtiquette.net including a section with the top ten netiquette rules. I found these tips to be very helpful and practical. Rule 3, which is Proof Read also demonstrates a few examples of emoticons. I drew reference to rule 6, because I felt that it was an important part of Netiquette and that when we are angry that is the time we are most likely to break other important Netiquette rules. The last paragraph of the article was the basis of my own discussion, even though I didn’t include it. It reads,
“As author of the book Netiquette, Virginia Shea would say: “remember the human”. Choose your words carefully and remember the person you are communicating with has feelings too.” (Kean, 2009)
2.
Ledger, K. (2006)
The rise of the cyber-children
Retrieved August 2, 2009 from,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/5223192.stm
This article explains that there are young children using computers. It discusses weather or not it is acceptable for children at very young ages is appropriate and states, “Computer literacy is increasingly seen as an essential skill for children.”(Ledger,2006). I chose this website as a reference to validate my claim that An increasing number of children are computer literate and that Generation Y are contributing significantly to the development of netiquette.
Interestingly the article goes on to say children as young as 18 months are being taken to computer class to improve their co-ordination skills at a computer. They even have exams which in my opinion is over the top, however I believe the site also has some good statistics that prove my point.
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References
Crossfield, J. (2008)
Is the internet killing copyright?
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://nett.com.au/technology/web/is-the-internet-killing-copyright/11292.html
Kean, A. (2009)
Netiquette.
Retrieved July 31, 2009 from,
http://www.superliving.com.au/StoryView.asp?StoryID=1003352§ionsource=Direction – Transitions
Ledger, K. (2006)
The rise of the cyber-children.
Retrieved August 2, 2009 from,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/5223192.stm
O'Neill, N. (2009)
10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know.
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/
Schonfeld, E. (2009)
Facebook Wants To Know If You’d Mind Sharing All Of Your Information.
Retrieved August 7, 2009 from,
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/24/facebook-wants-to-know-if-youd-mind-sharing-all-of-your-information/
Sherwood, K. (2007)
A Beginner's Guide to Effective Email.
Retrieved August 6, 2009 from,
http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.php
Skatssoon, J. (2006)
Google warns Aust copyright laws could cripple Internet.
Retrieved August 4, 2009 from,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1782921.htm
Monday, July 27, 2009
my 5 most important tips for writing online
1. Do not write any hurtful, abusive content relating to an individual person, race, or religion. this is simply because it is not moral and it will find a way of getting back to you.
2. Do not post false information (self explanitory)
3. Make sure to reference any material that was not of your creation
4. Give genuine reasons for any arguments to back them up. Preferably not ' because I said so.'
5. Be Constructive not destructive, Express your point of view and ideas keeping in mind the audience and masses of people that read what you write may not agree with you. (so dont be surprised if you get conflicting feedback)
2. Do not post false information (self explanitory)
3. Make sure to reference any material that was not of your creation
4. Give genuine reasons for any arguments to back them up. Preferably not ' because I said so.'
5. Be Constructive not destructive, Express your point of view and ideas keeping in mind the audience and masses of people that read what you write may not agree with you. (so dont be surprised if you get conflicting feedback)
Blogging Vs HTML
I am proud of my newfound knowledge in html and css, and my new knowledge of Blogging. My last post was the first time that i had actually posted an image in a blog and the simplicity of it was great. To do the same thing in a website would require various linking tags to different thumbnail folders etc... which is time consuming. I enjoy the freedom of html though as i believe there are more options for flexible design, but in saying this, I have a feeling that blogging can offer the same benefits with much less work. I am sure the technology and options available to bloggers will keep advancing in the future enabling more options ( i am still a beginner blogger). It is nice though to be able to create a complex website in notepad.
module 3 html excercise
Here is my screenshot of the website I made last night using xhtml and css. The subject is 'permaculture for Renter's' and is aimed at people living in rented appartments / units/townhouses for growing fresh food in pots in a limited area.
Luckily for me I already had this made. It is actually my draft for my NED11 webdesign course that I am also studdying. The downside though is that this assignment is due the same day as my concepts project (a little over a weeks time!!!!) So I need to start the concepts project ASAP! Someone help!
Module 3 reading
I have just read module three and am absorbing all of the information that was presented. Ok here are my thoughts... I have found that taking notes as I read to be of great help when it comes to doing the modules required for this unit of study. I have been trying desperatly and unsuccessfuly to begin my concepts project, however I thought I should read all of this information as i am falling behind schedule. The reason for this is because my attention has been divided between looking for a job, getting money from centrelink for full time study. (one of the reasons i actually enrolled in two online university courses, NET11 and NED11) My part-time Horticulture and Landscaping TAFE course also requires around 6 hours a week. My only problem is managing my time.
Anyway, back to Module 3....
Yes, well I learnt a fair bit today about linear and non-linear documents along with the use of hyperlinks enabling the 'user' or 'viewer' more freedom. It was interesting to view it under a critical magnifying glass. I am guessing that I will have to analyze my chosen concepts in the same way.
Anyway, back to Module 3....
Yes, well I learnt a fair bit today about linear and non-linear documents along with the use of hyperlinks enabling the 'user' or 'viewer' more freedom. It was interesting to view it under a critical magnifying glass. I am guessing that I will have to analyze my chosen concepts in the same way.
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