a digital citizen

Student and social adventurer

[adigitalcitizen]

Blog #7: Visual communities and social imaging

This is who I am… welcome to my world

As I have discover so far, information technology has dramatically altered the way in which society functions, particularly the way in which individuals associate with one another. Sociality today is looked upon as networks in which unique content (flows) are exchanged between nodes (people) in a variety of ways (ties) (Siapera 2012, p. 197). Through mobile connectivity, Internet broadband and social networking, people are now able to customise their online networks and access preferred publics to connect to others and meet their social needs (Rainie & Wellman, 2012, p. 11). In exploring these digital spaces, one emerging highlight is the increasing importance of the visual to the ways in which individuals choose to connect with others digitally within this social landscape. 

The use of the visual, whether it is through photographs or video, is not a new concept. Photography has maintained a central role in society and culture for more then a century. However, overtime the methods and motives behind capturing a visual image have evolved alongside society’s cultural, technological and economic changes (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 280). This has seen photography move away from the professionally documentation of historical events and the social elite, to a personal photography obtained through mass production and affordable of the camera, first with film and then with digital capacity. Personal photography allowed the individual begin to develop and keep a personal record of their own narrative, which was often kept in photo albums (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281).

(freepik 2015)

The introduction of the web, and accessibility of content-sharing platforms such as Flicker, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram has allowed the individual to share their once personal visual narratives within visible publics (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281). As a consequence, the methods and motivations behind the sharing of visual images has once again changed. The visual is now a means self representation, a way of connecting through a visual tie, from one node to another, and saying this I who I am. It has also become a method of creating familiarity by giving others insight into the visual producer’s world as they invite others to be a spectator to moments within their everyday life. The downside of this networked visuality within publics is that it makes the producer vulnerable through exposure, particularity if that visual content is sensitive or detrimental in nature.  

Catering for the users desire for ephemerality - the concept of things lasting only briefly, the time-limited instant messaging service Snapchat has experienced an unparalleled rise in popularity since it conception (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 358, Ephemerality 2015). It is estimated that at the beginning of 2015, there were over 100 million Snapchat users (Macmillan & Rusli 2014). Users send snaps (photos or video messages made through the Snapchat smart phone app, which can be customized with text, drawing and filters) to a controlled list of recipients. The user decides how long (between 1 to 10 seconds) a snap will be viewable on the receiver’s device before it disappears off the device (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 359). This is what sets Snapchat apart from other popular content-sharing platforms used in image sharing, who create an historical archive traditionally associated with publics.

(Busniessofapps 2014)

As the application has evolved, Snapchat have expanded to provided its users with a number of other features that foster self-representational communication, insight into everyday experiences, as well as a sense of belonging. The stories feature allows the users the option to compile snaps into a narrative that can be viewed by selected recipients in chronological order, with each snap available for 24 hours after its posting (Etherington 2013). Users also have the option to follow official stories of public figures and celebrities (Newton 2015). The recent addition of “Our stories” (also know as live stories) provides a montage of contributed on location snaps at a specific event (Franzen 2014). 

  (Snapchat 2013)

Snapchat is a clear example of how visual communities are taking the digital citizen into new ways of being with others….

References

Ephemerality 2015, Merriam Webster, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemerality>.

Etherington, D 2013, Snapchat Gets Its Own Timeline With Snapchat Stories, 24-Hour Photo & Video Tales, TechCrunch, viewed 29 January 2016,<http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/03/snapchat-gets-its-own-timeline-with-snapchat-stories-24-hour-photo-video-tales/?ncid=tcdaily>.

Franzen, C 2014, Snapchat lets you watch and create group videos of live events with ‘Our Story, The Verge, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/29/6084221/snapchat-our-story-collective-snaps-from-live-events>.

Macmillan, D & Rusli, E. M 2014, ‘Snapchat is said to have more than 100 million monthly active users’, Wall Street Journal Blogs, 28 August, viewed 29 January 2015, <http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/08/26/snapchat-said-to-have-more-than-100-million-monthly-active-users/>.

Newton, C 2015, Snapchat rolls out ‘official stories’ to verify celebrity accounts, The Verge, viewed  29 January, <http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/13/9731440/snapchat-verified-accounts>.

Piwek, L & Joinson, A 2016, “What do they snapchat about?” Patterns of use in time-limited instant messaging service, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 54, pp. 358-367.

Siapera, E 2012, ’Socialities and Social Media’, in Introduction to New Media, pp. 191-208.

Rainie, H, & Wellman, B 2012, Networked : The New Social Operating System, Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, viewed 25 January 2016.

Vivienne, S & Burgess, J 2013, ‘The Remediation of the Personal Photograph’, Journal of Material Culture, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 279-98.

Images

freepak 2015, ‘The evolution of the camera’ [image], in Graphics, freepik, viewed 29 January 2016, <http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/the-evolution-of-the-camera_797907.htm>.

Snapchat 2013, Introducing Snapchat Stories (Feat. Guards), 1 October, viewed 29 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPzZevSbgGk>.

Businessofapps 2014, ‘Snapchat usage statistics and revenue’ [image], in Appstats, businessinapps, viewed 29 January 2016, ‘<http://www.businessofapps.com/snapchat-usage-statistics-and-revenue/..

[prprincess-blog]

Do you think Snapchat will be around for a long time? When it first came out I think I was among the group of people who had no idea how to use it! Your blog has made me want to go back and re-explore the app!

[adigitalcitizen]

Who can tell prprincess, things are progressing at such a fast rate! However, I do think Snapchat has opened up a new way of doing things within visual publics..

[sarahcurlblog-blog]

Ive never used snapchat before but i know a lot of people who do, so its great to see some more information about it, especially as its become so popular! Though i have heard that someone has created a program that can save the snaps you are sent so they may not be as private as originally thought :/

[adigitalcitizen]

Yes, I have heard of the too. App entry there are a number of ways to bypass the 'security procedures' snapchat have. My son showed me one of YouTube.... So it seems nothing can't be hacked online.

[adigitalcitizen]

Came across this today...

[sammmiemc50]

Blog #8 (Week 10): Gaming and understanding digital communities

During the unit “Digital Communities” the topics have explored different social media platforms and how digital communities can provide both connectedness and autonomy, with the creation of new digital personal and group identities. Further the use of social media in for political purposes has increased political participation, as well as affording activism at a grass roots level. 

This week’s readings explored the aspects of social gaming that apply to digital communities that reflect the benefits and harm reflecting the same interpersonal issues that arise in the ‘real world. In the online gaming environment people interact, compete, socialise, conflicts arise, and experiences are gained and shared. Technical issues can be explored, teams formed, and the resulting loyalty that comes from this bonding can be highly lucrative to the companies developing the games (LinkedIn 2015).  

Some issues that have arisen within the virtual communities, such as the example of the online game EVE, based in Iceland, have led to regulation of certain egregious examples of conduct that may be allowed within the boundaries of the game, but are not acceptable outside of those boundaries: punitive action was taken against the offender.

The aspects of the topic that most interested me are how sophisticated the communities have become in that game rules that are set by developers are at times negotiated and changed by the gamers themselves, creating cultural norms that are unique within the game space (de Zwart & Humphreys 2014).

Massively multiplayer online games or MMOG “refers to video games that allow a large number of players to participate simultaneously over an internet connection. These games usually take place in a shared world that the gamer can access after purchasing or installing the game software" (techopedia 2015). In such games as EVE, a space-themed MMOG, not only do players have a channel of communication with developers through which they can offer improvements or different directions in the game’s development, which benefits both the developer and the game’s players (which could be considered free labour). 

According to de Zwart and Humphries (2014), serious and potentially harmful behaviour has arisen from the game between players that make exploration of how the rules and the cultural norms that exist within the game (in the case of EVE aggression, cheating, even murder) become complex when they affect people outside of the game, namely in reality.  

An example is cited where this negotiation of acceptable behaviour the different roles gamers shift through from the real world, their role as perhaps a student, a son, a gym fanatic, to an online gamer (alluding to Goffman’s Frame Analysis). Usually this transition is not problematic, but when one powerful member playing EVE, made an online presentation that unscrupulously exposed the name of a vulnerable player, that may have encouraged self-harm, it was considered by the regulators that action should be taken, and the player involved was banned from the community. Being particularly focused on how digital communities are relevant in the area of terrorism, an article published on 28 January 2106, in Britain’s Daily Mail. was very troubling. 

 A gamer had modified the popular game Arma 4 to recreate ISIS executions, uploading the videos of the modified game to YouTube, and describing the atrocities as ‘hilarious’. The footage appeared to be from a first-person perspective with a sniper killing hostages and an Islamic State flag flashing continuously on the screen. This is an example of how the online behaviour of an individual within the boundaries of a game, can be considered a possible threat to real-world society. The question that I ask is although the gamer claims the videos as just parodies, is this acceptable behaviour and should it be under the jurisdiction of either domestic or international law?

References

de Zwart, M and Humphreys, S 2014, The Lawless Frontier of Deep Space, Code as Law in EVE Online, Cultural Studies Review, Vol.20(1), March 2014 pp.77-99

Techopedia 2015, Massively multiplayer online games, accessed online 1 February 2016, https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27054/massively-multiplayer-online-game-mmog

Images

LinkedIn 2015, The different types of digital communities, accessed online 1 February 2016,  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/different-types-digital-communities-earth-liew-wei-da-andrew?forceNoSplash=true

University of Connecticut, accessed online 1 February 2016,  http://offcampus.uconn.edu/know-the-law/

[adigitalcitizen]

You have brought up valid point regarding accepted cultural norms and values within a game differing for those within real world societies. Unlike those of real world society, that have been forged over time, virtual communities, although growing at a rapid, are very much in their infancy and with out moral structure. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

[adigitalcitizen]

Blog #7: Visual communities and social imaging

This is who I am… welcome to my world

As I have discover so far, information technology has dramatically altered the way in which society functions, particularly the way in which individuals associate with one another. Sociality today is looked upon as networks in which unique content (flows) are exchanged between nodes (people) in a variety of ways (ties) (Siapera 2012, p. 197). Through mobile connectivity, Internet broadband and social networking, people are now able to customise their online networks and access preferred publics to connect to others and meet their social needs (Rainie & Wellman, 2012, p. 11). In exploring these digital spaces, one emerging highlight is the increasing importance of the visual to the ways in which individuals choose to connect with others digitally within this social landscape. 

The use of the visual, whether it is through photographs or video, is not a new concept. Photography has maintained a central role in society and culture for more then a century. However, overtime the methods and motives behind capturing a visual image have evolved alongside society’s cultural, technological and economic changes (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 280). This has seen photography move away from the professionally documentation of historical events and the social elite, to a personal photography obtained through mass production and affordable of the camera, first with film and then with digital capacity. Personal photography allowed the individual begin to develop and keep a personal record of their own narrative, which was often kept in photo albums (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281).

(freepik 2015)

The introduction of the web, and accessibility of content-sharing platforms such as Flicker, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram has allowed the individual to share their once personal visual narratives within visible publics (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281). As a consequence, the methods and motivations behind the sharing of visual images has once again changed. The visual is now a means self representation, a way of connecting through a visual tie, from one node to another, and saying this I who I am. It has also become a method of creating familiarity by giving others insight into the visual producer’s world as they invite others to be a spectator to moments within their everyday life. The downside of this networked visuality within publics is that it makes the producer vulnerable through exposure, particularity if that visual content is sensitive or detrimental in nature.  

Catering for the users desire for ephemerality - the concept of things lasting only briefly, the time-limited instant messaging service Snapchat has experienced an unparalleled rise in popularity since it conception (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 358, Ephemerality 2015). It is estimated that at the beginning of 2015, there were over 100 million Snapchat users (Macmillan & Rusli 2014). Users send snaps (photos or video messages made through the Snapchat smart phone app, which can be customized with text, drawing and filters) to a controlled list of recipients. The user decides how long (between 1 to 10 seconds) a snap will be viewable on the receiver’s device before it disappears off the device (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 359). This is what sets Snapchat apart from other popular content-sharing platforms used in image sharing, who create an historical archive traditionally associated with publics.

(Busniessofapps 2014)

As the application has evolved, Snapchat have expanded to provided its users with a number of other features that foster self-representational communication, insight into everyday experiences, as well as a sense of belonging. The stories feature allows the users the option to compile snaps into a narrative that can be viewed by selected recipients in chronological order, with each snap available for 24 hours after its posting (Etherington 2013). Users also have the option to follow official stories of public figures and celebrities (Newton 2015). The recent addition of “Our stories” (also know as live stories) provides a montage of contributed on location snaps at a specific event (Franzen 2014). 

  (Snapchat 2013)

Snapchat is a clear example of how visual communities are taking the digital citizen into new ways of being with others….

References

Ephemerality 2015, Merriam Webster, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemerality>.

Etherington, D 2013, Snapchat Gets Its Own Timeline With Snapchat Stories, 24-Hour Photo & Video Tales, TechCrunch, viewed 29 January 2016,<http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/03/snapchat-gets-its-own-timeline-with-snapchat-stories-24-hour-photo-video-tales/?ncid=tcdaily>.

Franzen, C 2014, Snapchat lets you watch and create group videos of live events with ‘Our Story, The Verge, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/29/6084221/snapchat-our-story-collective-snaps-from-live-events>.

Macmillan, D & Rusli, E. M 2014, ‘Snapchat is said to have more than 100 million monthly active users’, Wall Street Journal Blogs, 28 August, viewed 29 January 2015, <http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/08/26/snapchat-said-to-have-more-than-100-million-monthly-active-users/>.

Newton, C 2015, Snapchat rolls out ‘official stories’ to verify celebrity accounts, The Verge, viewed  29 January, <http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/13/9731440/snapchat-verified-accounts>.

Piwek, L & Joinson, A 2016, “What do they snapchat about?” Patterns of use in time-limited instant messaging service, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 54, pp. 358-367.

Siapera, E 2012, ’Socialities and Social Media’, in Introduction to New Media, pp. 191-208.

Rainie, H, & Wellman, B 2012, Networked : The New Social Operating System, Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, viewed 25 January 2016.

Vivienne, S & Burgess, J 2013, ‘The Remediation of the Personal Photograph’, Journal of Material Culture, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 279-98.

Images

freepak 2015, ‘The evolution of the camera’ [image], in Graphics, freepik, viewed 29 January 2016, <http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/the-evolution-of-the-camera_797907.htm>.

Snapchat 2013, Introducing Snapchat Stories (Feat. Guards), 1 October, viewed 29 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPzZevSbgGk>.

Businessofapps 2014, ‘Snapchat usage statistics and revenue’ [image], in Appstats, businessinapps, viewed 29 January 2016, ‘<http://www.businessofapps.com/snapchat-usage-statistics-and-revenue/..

[prprincess-blog]

Do you think Snapchat will be around for a long time? When it first came out I think I was among the group of people who had no idea how to use it! Your blog has made me want to go back and re-explore the app!

[adigitalcitizen]

Who can tell prprincess, things are progressing at such a fast rate! However, I do think Snapchat has opened up a new way of doing things within visual publics..

[prprincess-blog]

Bru7alBe7h

Learning materials week 10.

This far into the game [see what I did there?], I’m not going to lie to you; that’s my Playstation online ID.

I could sit here and argue that ‘gaming culture, where women are consistently degraded and pitted against one another for legitimacy or men’s attention, is no different to how women are treated in society as a whole’ (Nott 2014), but then I’d be lying to myself.

I’m a female, but I’m not a feminist. Call me crazy, but I believe there are some things females should not do, that men can or should. I don’t believe women should be on the frontline in real-life wars, nor do I think a woman not shaving her underarms is going to prove a point. It’s simply called hygiene.

No, no and no.

But enough of that; let’s get back to the world of social online gaming. Whilst I don’t think the gaming world is reinforcing the social injustices of real-life women, I also don’t think that those who speak otherwise should be attacked for doing so. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion and everyone should feel safe participating in online assaults.

As a girl who plays online with my boyfriend, I can see where the notion of sexism in gaming comes from.

“Did you really just do that?”

“How are you so good at this?”

“Are you really a girl?”

…are some of the lines I hear quite regularly. Whereas when my boyfriend plays, it’s:

“Awesome work bro”

“That was the sickest”

“Man I’ll follow you, you know what you’re doing”

But hey, being a blonde I’m quite used to being mistaken as non-intelligent and lacking skills. FUN FACT: This is done quite regularly by other women, more so than men. That’s why I don’t believe in feminism; a lot of the time, it’s just females hating on other females.

You’re always going to get various breakdowns within the gaming environment; those looking for friends through mutual interests, others looking for a little more and you will even find trolls. However, online gaming environments create living social contexts that revolve around particular games and provide opportunities for learning, creativity, identity formation, socialisation, relaxation and stress relief (Swist et al. 2015, p. 5).

SIDE NOTE: There are SO many hilarious songs on YouTube subjected around online games, check out:

And I never get sick of the Evolve trailer:

REFERENCES

Nott, J 2014, “Video gaming on the feminist frontlines”, Green Left Weekly, vol. 1031, p. 8.

Swist, T, Collin, P, McCormack, J & Third, A 2015, Social media and the wellbeing of children and young people: A literature review, Prepared for the Commissioner for Children and Young People, Perth, Western Australia.

[adigitalcitizen]

Great read prprincess.

I wanted to ask you, when you play online, do you play as a female character? In not, why not?

Your blog reminded of a PAX panel that I attended in 2014 regarding playing as a female character - does it matter?

Here is a recording of that panel:

(Strider 2014)

Its interesting how gender appears to be a factor in many aspects of gaming.

Cheers :)

Reference

Strider 2014, PAX AUS 2014 Playing as a female character panel - Does it Matter?, 2 November, viewed 2 Feburary 2016, <https://youtu.be/TZ1DVjHMvQY>.

[adigitalcitizen]

League of Legends Oceanic Regional Final - Grand Final at PAX 2014.

If you would like to see what a tournament is like, check out the LoL Oceanic Regional Final - Grand Final at PAX 2014.

(League of Legends - Oceania 2014)

[adigitalcitizen]

Blog #8: Social gaming. Playing the crowd.

I’ve never been a gamer, but my offspring are!

Even in my youth, when all we had was Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo, gaming was never my thing. All my friends would congregate at someone’s house and take turns playing it for hours at a time, conquering level after level, until eventually they reached the Mushroom Kingdom and saved Princess Toadstool!

Although it was fun at the beginning, I never quite understood the long-term appeal, so I chose not to participate over time.

(Algongonazo 2015)

Fast forward to adulthood, and I found myself once again surrounded by gamers - however this time the gamers are my own children!

You see, my offspring have never known life without the internet, and they are the first generation to be raised in a social media embedded world. As much as I have tried to establish boundaries around my children’s social media use, limited use and controlled content, I have found it is getting harder to diminish its role their lives. This is largely due to the way in which online gaming communities have become central to the way in which my children interact and socialize with their peers.

A whole new world...

It was Minecraft that first introduced my children (and myself) to the world of online gaming. Originally created by Swedish programmer Markus "Notch" Persson, minecraft is a sandbox game - a game that takes place in an open world, where players are not restricted by a story line and are free from explore and create (Dusmann 2013, ch. 1: Lets talk about minecraft).

Within a 3D procedurally generated world, players can build structures out of blocks (one-meter cubes made from a variety of materials), explore, gather resources, manufacture and battle (Dusmann 2013, ch. 1: Lets talk about minecraft). Minecraft can be played in different modes, either individually or through player-hosted servers that enable multiple players to interact and communicate on a single world, which forms a sense of community (Hutchinson 2012). These worlds became the virtual playground for my children and their friends.

(TeamMojang 2011)

As my children matured they progressed to League of Legends (LoL), a free-to-play, team-orientated fantasy combat, real-time strategy game (Riot Games Inc. 2016). With over 67 million monthly active players, LoL is currently one of most popular multiple games in the world (Riot Games Inc. 2015, Tassi 2014).

My children don’t just play the game through their numerous teams, but they, along with thousands of others, will watch Twitch streams of their favorite LoL players playing. They also join the millions of gamers every year to watch the LoL World Championships. When you think about those numbers, the LoL network is mind blowing!

Check out the opening ceremony of LoL Season 4 World Championship 2014 in Seoul, South Korea below... INTENSE!

(EpicSkillshot - LoL VOD Library 2014)

A new appreciation through exposure

It wasn’t until I starting going to PAX with my children, that I started to understand the extent of the gaming community.

PAX, or Penny Arcade Expo, is a gaming festival that is held annually in a number of locations around the world to celebrate gamer culture. The expo offers talks by industry insider, independent and major game developer and publisher exhibitions, live tournaments - both tabletop and online, concerts and free play areas (PAX Australia 2016).

Through attending the talks and panels, being a spectator of various global online tournaments, as well as witnessing all the other aspects of the gaming culture on offer at PAX over the last few years, my eyes have been opened to the depth and berth of this digital community. All of which developed around the act of coming together on line and playing games.

Much to my children’s dismay, I am yet to be turned into an gamer, however I now get the attraction!

References

Dusmann, C 2013, The Minecraft Guide for Parents, Peachpit Press, Proquest.

Hutchinson, L 2012, Blocks with friends: How to run your own Minecraft server, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/09/blocks-with-friends-how-to-run-your-own-minecraft-server/>.

PAX Australia 2016, What is PAX?, PAX Australia, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://www.paxaustralia.com.au/what-is-pax>.

Riot Games Inc. 2016, What is LoL?, League of Legends, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://gameinfo.oce.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/get-started/what-is-lol/>.

Riot Games Inc. 2015, Our games, Riot Games, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://www.riotgames.com/our-games>.

Tassi, P 2014, Riot's 'League of Legends' Reveals Astonishing 27 Million Daily Players, 67 Million Monthly, Forbes, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/01/27/riots-league-of-legends-reveals-astonishing-27-million-daily-players-67-million-monthly/#400a1ee63511>.

Images

Algongonazo 2015, SUPER MARIO BROS (NES), 2 May, viewed 29 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqq_RNZRkII>.

EpicSkillshot - LoL VOD Library 2014, Full Opening Ceremony of League of Legends Season 4 World Championship 2014 in Seoul, South Korea!, 19 October, viewed 29 January, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y3t52hWIas>.

TeamMojang 2011, Official Minecraft Trailer, 6 December, viewed 29 January <https://youtu.be/MmB9b5njVbA>.

[adigitalcitizen]

13 Celebs You Need to Follow On Snapchat

Biggest Twitter Feuds 2015 ►► https://youtu.be/UAduZsP3tAo More Celebrity News ►► http://bit.ly/SubClevverNews And a very important question “I mustache you”...

 (Clevver News 2015)

[aleksnajd-blog]

Week 9: Visual communities and social imaging.

In visual communities and social imaging, there are different ways which we can view visual aspects of people own identifications whether it being on Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr. People use it to engage with others through a way that they can share images to those they choose to connect with (Urban Dictionary, 2016).

In my own experiences, I enjoy tagging photos on social platforms whether it being my trips to Europe or when I am with friends, I like to look back to it as a memory so I don’t forget the good times. It is important to be careful what you post online, because once its uploaded, it’s out there on the web, and there is nothing you can do. Some people aren’t always up to date with social media, and this is smart because they prefer to keep things hidden from people. I have friends on Facebook that have a restriction to what people can post on their walls in case it being inappropriate.

Snapchat is an app on smart phones where you can send images to friends, giving you the ability to write a short message as well as a photo of your surroundings. I myself used it as another means of communications with my friends where you would send random photos or just send a short message to each other. Snapchat is really interesting, although you have to be careful when using it, because photos can be screenshotted and saved on your phone. People that send nude photos can have photos saved through the screenshot function on your phones and it can give the receiver the ability to share this with other people. So be mindful what kind of photos you are sending, it can easily backfire (Elyse betters, 2015).

The first self-portrait to ever been  taken was by Robert Cornelius in 1839 where he took the images by removing the lens cap and then running it into frame where he sat for a minute before covering up the lens again. On the back of the image he wrote, “The first light picture ever taken, 1893” (Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia, 2016).

References:

Urban Dictionary, 2016, social-imaging, Retrieved 5 January, 2016, from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=social-imaging

Elyse betters, 26th December 2015, what’s the point of Snapchat and how does it work? Retrieved 5 January, 2016, from http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/131313-what-s-the-point-of-snapchat-and-how-does-it-work

Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia, 2016, Selfie, Retrieved 5 January, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selfie

Robert Cornelius, http://petapixel.com/assets/uploads/2013/12/robertcornelius.jpg

Snapchat, http://musically.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Snapchat_logo-2.png

Sexting, http://31.media.tumblr.com/00fc39b8f394059e747e3e2bd5f2693a/tumblr_inline_niryggP8QI1t4xvfm.jpg

[cameronmda20009-blog]

Hi aleksnajd, great blog.

The first selfie is an interesting component, and it seems to have a great deal more importance than the current fad of posting selfies everywhere. While not a fan of selfies, on reflection I also take many pictures when overseas and post them, usually via FB, noting where I am and what the experience is, and I go back through them every now and then and wish i was traveling again!

Cheers

[magicnumber23-blog]

Thanks for the read @aleksnajd! I also use Snapchat.  I find it more convenient and private then spamming my Facebook or Twitter accounts with snaps of my family and random every day experiences. Agree 100%, you do need to be mindful of what you capture and share otherwise it will turn into a ‘revenge porn’ or ‘sexting’ scenario - lucky for me I’m too old for that shit!

[melgallimore-blog]

Thanks for the blog. 

This was an interesting read. I don’t tag photos or use Snapchat so it’s always good to get perspectives of those who use it and how security is considered. 

The first selfie was also interesting. Unlike today, where we have multiple chances of taking and re-taking photos, it’s likely Cornelius only had one. 

[adigitalcitizen]

i also found the information about the first selfie fascinating too!

I have had to become very selective of whom I tag in my pics online - particularity my teenage children! But it did make me start thinking about consent and privacy, in not only sharing an image of another but also exposing an aspect of their social encounters or self online. It’s something I personally am not keen on myself, as I like to filter what I present of my offline (private) life within the publics. So, for example, the way I have deal with this is to have my setting on FB set to notify me of when I am tagged in anything so I can then approve or decline content based on my own discretion.

[magicnumber23-blog]

Blog #7 – Visual Communities and Social Imaging

Offline and online world of social media

Gone are the days when we use to take a photo or video to capture that moment in time, that special memory of a holiday, family occasion or birthday. Memories that were captured offline, developed and displayed around the home or kept in bulky photo albums.  Now, we’re living in an online world where there’s no such thing as offline anymore, less photos around the house and photo albums with a few selected photos.  Innovation and technology hasn’t changed the the idea of capturing a moment, it has changed however, how and when we document – 24/7 (Bishop 2016; Jason Farman 2014).  Innovation of the smartphone and the Internet has enabled us to capture an image or video with a portable pocket sized device, and then instantly upload it to social media for the world to see.  I like it how Sociologist Nathan Jurgenson puts it ‘seeing your life in the present already being documented’.  Jurgenson believes uploading images to social media shouldn’t be compared to traditional photography in its art form, but rather a way of communicating the experience itself (Jurgenson 2014; Jason Farman 2014).  I agree, social media provides a much bigger audience than visitors to your home.

Snapchat: Network Visuality & Visible Publics

(Snapchat n.d)

To be honest I’m not a fan of taking a ‘selfie’ and I’m rarely involved in one, looking in the mirror every morning scares me enough already!  I don’t use Snapchat for taking ‘dick pics’, ‘selfies’ or any illegal activity, I use it to communicate my experiences with an audience that cares and enjoys sharing it with me.  I’m talking about family and friends and 99% of the time it’s 10sec snaps of my 1 year old son growing, learning and general everyday life.  I don’t feel I’m trading the experience in hope of documenting the moment as Turkle puts it, I’m able to do both (TED-Ed 2013).

(Jason Farman 2014)

Snapchat is an example of ‘network visuality’, expression and experiences through images and videos.  ‘Network visuality’ has become a social norm, evident in the existence and popularity of other social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook, Flickr and Youtube (Bishop 2016).  In an interview (check it out above), Jurgenson talks about theories as to why it’s normal to have an audience for your content (Jason Farman 2014).  However, there is a difference between a wanted audience and unwanted audience and yes I’m talking about ‘dick pics’ again.  Whether it’s Snapchat, SMS or any other social media platform, no one, not even Snapchat can “guarantee” the vulnerabilities from hacks or leaks (Bogle 2015; Bishop 2016).  However, if your name is Dane Swan or Travis Cloke, your vulnerability is your stupidity (Ryan 2016).

(Womens Day 2016)

Posting, sharing and snapping your visual generated content is a way of communicating the experience itself to others.  But, be warned about the vulnerabilities and implications of an unwanted audience, don’t take ‘dick pics’!

References

Bishop, R 2016, ‘Week 9’, Digital citizenship 2: Activism and protest, Learning materials on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, viewed 22 January 2016.

Bogle, A 2015, ‘Snapchat tells users it’s not storing their private snaps after privacy update’, Mashable, 2 November, viewed 22 January 2016, < http://mashable.com/2015/11/01/snapchat-privacy-policy-update/#cOH0jp1Eigqh>.

Jason Farman 2014, Photography, Self Documentation, & Social Media: An Interview with Nathan Jurgenson, 16 June, viewed 22 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnPtZ5lKDHo>.

Jurgenson, N 2014, ‘The Frame Makes the Photograph’, Snapchat, 7 January, viewed 22 January 2014, < http://blog.snapchat.com/post/72561406329/the-frame-makes-the-photograph>.

Ryan, P 2016, ‘Magpies Swan, Cloke in ‘nude photo’ furore’, afl.com.au, 18 January, viewed 22 January 2016, < http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-01-18/swan-cloke-in-nude-photo-scandal>.

TED-Ed 2013, Connected, but alone?- Sherry Turkle, 19 April, viewed 22 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0g8TsnA6c>.

Images

Snapchat n.d., [logo], viewed 24 September 2015, <http://au.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2014611/rs_600x600-140711114502-600-tech-snapchat-logo.ls.7114_copy.jpg>.

Womens Day 2016, ‘THE NUDE AFL PHOTOS EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT…’, [image], kiis1011.com.au, viewed 23 January 2016, <http://www.kiis1011.com.au/entertainment/the-feed/the-nude-afl-photos-everyone-is-talking-about>.

[melgallimore-blog]

This was a really good read. I especially enjoyed your point on there not being as many photos around the house. It actually made me think of something I had never realized - when I was younger we had a whole shelf for photos in frames. If you knocked one over they went down like dominoes. I can’t even remember when that shelf was packed up, but it’s not there anymore. It’s clear to see digital photography is reason for this. 

[adigitalcitizen]

I too can relate to decline of photographs around my house. The decline can also be seen through the documenting of my five children’s lives - they are those that were born before our purchase of a digital camera (there were lots of processed and framed pictures of them when they were young), the ones that were born when we had a digital camera but before we used social media (had some pictures processes and framed, but not that many), and the poor child that was born after social media took hold of our house (well, she only really has her professional school pictures as hard copies, and the rest are either online or in the cloud. But it must be noted that she has far more images, videos and selfies then the rest of the family combined!) 

[adigitalcitizen]

Blog #7: Visual communities and social imaging

This is who I am... welcome to my world

As I have discover so far, information technology has dramatically altered the way in which society functions, particularly the way in which individuals associate with one another.

Sociality today is looked upon as networks in which unique content (flows) are exchanged between nodes (people) in a variety of ways (ties) (Siapera 2012, p. 197). Through mobile connectivity, Internet broadband and social networking, people are now able to customise their online networks and access preferred publics to connect to others and meet their social needs (Rainie & Wellman, 2012, p. 11). In exploring these digital spaces, one emerging highlight is the increasing importance of the visual to the ways in which individuals choose to connect with others digitally within this social landscape. 

The use of the visual, whether through photograph or video, is not a new concept. Photography has maintained a central role in society and culture for more then a century. However, overtime the methods and motives behind capturing a visual image have evolved alongside society’s cultural, technological and economic changes (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 280).

This has seen photography move away from the professionally documentation of historical events and the social elite, to a personal photography obtained through mass production and affordable of the camera, first with film and then with digital capacity. Personal photography afforded the individual to develop and keep a personal record of their own narrative, which was often kept in photo albums (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281).

(freepik 2015)

The introduction of the web, and accessibility of content-sharing platforms such as Flicker, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram has allowed the individual to share their once personal visual narratives within visible publics (Vivienne & Burgess 2013, p. 281). As a consequence, the methods and motivations behind the sharing of visual images has once again changed.

The visual is now a means self representation, a way of connecting through a visual tie, from one node to another, communicating to others ‘this I who I am’. It has also become a method of creating familiarity by giving others insight into the producer’s world, as they invite others to be a spectator to moments within their everyday life. The downside of this networked visuality within publics is that it makes the producer vulnerable through exposure, particularity if that visual content is sensitive or detrimental in nature.  

Catering for users’ desire for ephemerality - the concept of things lasting only briefly, the time-limited instant messaging service Snapchat has experienced an unparalleled rise in popularity since it conception (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 358, Ephemerality 2015). It is estimated that at the beginning of 2015, there were over 100 million Snapchat users (Macmillan & Rusli 2014). Users send snaps (photos or video messages made through the Snapchat smart phone app, which can be customized with text, drawing and filters) to a controlled list of recipients. The user decides how long (between 1 to 10 seconds) a snap will be viewable on the receiver’s device before it disappears off the device (Piwek & Joinson 2015, p. 359). This is what sets Snapchat apart from the other popular content-sharing platforms used in image sharing, as they create an historical archive traditionally associated with publics.

(Busniessofapps 2014)

As the application has evolved, Snapchat have expanded to provided its users with a number of other features that foster self-representational communication, insight into everyday experiences, as well as a sense of belonging. The ‘stories’ feature allows the users the option to compile snaps into a narrative that can be viewed by selected recipients in chronological order, with each snap available for 24 hours after its posting (Etherington 2013). Users also have the option to follow ‘official stories’ of public figures and celebrities (Newton 2015). The recent addition of ‘Our stories’ (also know as live stories) provides a montage of contributed on location snaps at a specific event (Franzen 2014). 

  (Snapchat 2013)

Snapchat is a clear example of how visual communities are taking the digital citizen into new ways of being with others....

References

Ephemerality 2015, Merriam Webster, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemerality>.

Etherington, D 2013, Snapchat Gets Its Own Timeline With Snapchat Stories, 24-Hour Photo & Video Tales, TechCrunch, viewed 29 January 2016,<http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/03/snapchat-gets-its-own-timeline-with-snapchat-stories-24-hour-photo-video-tales/?ncid=tcdaily>.

Franzen, C 2014, Snapchat lets you watch and create group videos of live events with 'Our Story, The Verge, viewed 29 January  2016, <http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/29/6084221/snapchat-our-story-collective-snaps-from-live-events>.

Macmillan, D & Rusli, E. M 2014, ‘Snapchat is said to have more than 100 million monthly active users’, Wall Street Journal Blogs, 28 August, viewed 29 January 2015, <http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/08/26/snapchat-said-to-have-more-than-100-million-monthly-active-users/>.

Newton, C 2015, Snapchat rolls out 'official stories' to verify celebrity accounts, The Verge, viewed  29 January, <http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/13/9731440/snapchat-verified-accounts>.

Piwek, L & Joinson, A 2016, “What do they snapchat about?” Patterns of use in time-limited instant messaging service, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 54, pp. 358-367.

Siapera, E 2012, ’Socialities and Social Media’, in Introduction to New Media, pp. 191-208.

Rainie, H, & Wellman, B 2012, Networked : The New Social Operating System, Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, viewed 25 January 2016.

Vivienne, S & Burgess, J 2013, ‘The Remediation of the Personal Photograph’, Journal of Material Culture, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 279-98.

Images

freepak 2015, ‘The evolution of the camera’ [image], in Graphics, freepik, viewed 29 January 2016, <http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/the-evolution-of-the-camera_797907.htm>.

Snapchat 2013, Introducing Snapchat Stories (Feat. Guards), 1 October, viewed 29 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPzZevSbgGk>.

Businessofapps 2014, ‘Snapchat usage statistics and revenue’ [image], in Appstats, businessinapps, viewed 29 January 2016, ‘<http://www.businessofapps.com/snapchat-usage-statistics-and-revenue/..

[sammmiemc50]

Blog # 6 (Week 8) Digital Communities Collective Wisdom, Wealth and Aid - ‘Two heads are better than one’

The old adage “two hands are better than one” is as relevant today as it was in the 16th century when a writer, John Heywood, coined the phrase (The Phrase Finder 2015). 

The phenomenon of ‘Crowdsourcing’ works along the same lines as the phrase: a collective wisdom, financial funding,  or the efforts of a group of people as opposed to one person, can achieve far more, and often for free, than an individual mind, or wallet (Shepherd 2012).  User-generated contributions can be an innovative way to engage in an almost infinite resource of skills, intelligence, experience, and money.  

This week’s content focussed on the innovative use of technology-based tools, including social media, to enable delivery of information, calls for action, and various responses to crises (Blackboard, Week 8, 2015).

HELP - natural disaster and the ‘natural’ urge to help

During the 2011 Queensland floods and to a lesser extent, the 2009 “Black Saturday” bushfires in Victoria, emergency services and police harnessed the power of social media, and crowdsourcing, to gain real-time information from people at the scene, as well as inform the public.  According to Crikey (2011), given natural disasters generate a considerable amount of information, using both media reports and citizen accounts can enable a more effective emergency response.  Human instinct, as a rule, is to help (people and others): emergencies provide a catalyst for this response and Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms can provide tools to enable by, for example, using a simple hashtag # such as #qldfloods (Crikey 2011).

Collective Wisdom: are the masses ‘wising up’

Crowdsourcing is used to build information databases, such as Wikipedia, Linux, Yahoo!, and Answers. The massive connectivity of the Internet means that accessing cheap, vast sources of information can bring ‘diverse heuristic ideas’ to solve problems and build user-generated knowledge bases.  The appeal of contributing to a collective, democratic database resonates clearly with millions, given the success of crowdsourcing information systems (Rang Bar & Maheswaren 2014).

The ‘compelling benefits of crowdsourcing’, however, are not without challenges:

Novelty: The novelty of altruism is arguably being worn out: people now seek reward for contribution

Identity: The identity of participants cannot be verified - contributors previously rejected for content can reappear

Privacy issues of the content: who owns the ideas, the contributor or the collective?

Integrity of content: it is impossible for one individual to qualify the integrity of the content of the entire collective contribution, and it negates the concept to have an external arbiter

The Darker side of Crowdsourcing

More sinister uses of crowdsourcing are emerging.  The use of crowdsourcing to incite terrorist activities through social media experts involved with terror groups is being increasingly identified. Islamic State (IS) provided information and guidance for activities related to terrorism through the convergence of terrorism and cyber-threat. An example is the recent detainment of a Kosavar cyber-hacker who obtained personal contact details of 1300+ government officials from the US, UK and Australia, and passed to those details to IS.  The list was disseminated to ‘the crowd’ globally, with the presumed intention of committing terrorist acts against those people, including ‘lone wolf attacks’ (RT 2015).

References

Bruns, A, Burgess, J, Crawford, K & Shaw, F 2012, ‘#qldfloods and @QPSMedia: Crisis Communication on Twitter in the 2011 South East Queensland Floods’, Arc Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, pp 7-10, viewed 17 September 2015, <http://www.cci.edu.au/floodsreport.pdf>

Crikey 2011, How Twitter is mapping the flood crisis, accessed online 17 January 2016, http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/01/12/how-twitter-is-mapping-the-flood-crisis-and-whether-you-can-trust-it/?wpmp_switcher=mobile

RT, 2015, ISIS is ‘crowdsourcing terrorism’, https://www.rt.com/usa/318984-isis-crowdsourcing-kosovo-list/

Rung Bar, A and Maheswaran 2014, ‘Confidentiality and Integrity in Crowdsourcing Systems’, SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-0217-3_1

Shepherd, H 2012, ‘Crowdsourcing’, Contexts, American Sociological Association, SAGE

Swinburne online, Week 8, Crowdsourcing, https://ilearn.swin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-5190913-dt-content-rid-26655218_2/courses/2015-SO3-MDA20009-210404/UnitLearningMaterials/week-08.html

[adigitalcitizen]

Enjoyed the layout of your blog and how you walked me through the topic of crowdsourcing :)

It was great to see the challenges of crowdsourcing laid out so clearly. It made me think about how trustworthy are these information databases? And does every contributor have the collectives best interests at heart?

a digital citizen :)

[stacienewbiggin-blog]

Crowdsourcing in times of crisis

In times of crisis the flow of communication is arguably more important than ever. Social media platforms provide a globalised way where, real time, on the ground, information is constantly updated into the flow of communication. This feed can be added to and viewed by anyone on the Internet and has now been labelled as a form of crowdsourcing, which is defined as ‘the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers’ (Merriam Webster Online 2014).

(Koekemoer, 2013)

Traditional media now looking to the general public

Traditional media outlets are now turning to social media to gauge the public’s response to a crisis. Emergency and government services are also using crowdsourcing as a way to receive updates and then provide appropriate information to assist. An example of this was the use of Twitter during the 2011 South East Queensland floods crisis. In particular, the Queensland police and emergency services found that worldwide users shared and retweeted flood related material and that users closer to the disaster shared first hand updates of their own experiences via the hashtag #qldfloods. Within the flow of communication found with this hashtag, emergency services and media updates were amongst the most visible (Posetti & Lo, 2012) making it a worthwhile and targeted way to reach the appropriate people.

Crowdsourcing, the negative side

This the heightened reliance on crowdsourcing in times of crisis while providing an incredible funnel of information, can also lead to misinformation and rumours. After the Boston bombings in April 2013, video evidence become ‘an incredibly valuable tool, but that investigators often run into trouble because they’ve “asked the public to decide what’s relevant.“’ (Glynn 2013). This flow of public created information led to a subreddit named r/findbostonbombers, which faced extreme controversy after the online community named Sunil Tripathi as a suspect in the bombings (Shontell 2013). Although, not in any way related to the crimes his family’s ‘Find Sunil’ Facebook page was flooded with comments and accusations. This crowd-sourced campaign was also fuelled by media outlets who later apologised to the family of Sunil.

(Oremus 2013)

References

Bruns, A, Burgess, J, Crawford, K & Shaw, F 2012, #qldfloods and @QPSMedia: Crisis Communication on Twitter in the 2011 South East Queensland Floods, Arc Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, pp 7-10, viewed 17 January 2016, <http://www.cci.edu.au/floodsreport.pdf>.

‘crowdsourcing entry’ 2014, Merriam Webster, viewed 17 January 2016 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdsourcing>.

Glynn, C 2013, ‘Boston Marathon Bombing “Crowdsourcing:” How citizens are using the Internet to help solve crimes’, CBS News, 18 April, viewed 17 January 2016, <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boston-marathon-bombing-crowdsourcing-how-citizens-are-using-the-internet-to-help-solve-crimes/>.

Koekemoer, A 2013, ‘Social Media Ahead’ [image], 6 top tips for handling a social media crisis, Memeburn, viewed 17 January 2016, <http://memeburn.com/2013/01/6-top-tips-for-handling-a-social-media-crisis/>.

Oremus, W 2013, 'Reddit’s findbostonbombers page is no more.’ [image], Reddit Stands Down, Slate, viewed 17 January 2016, <http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/04/19/crowdsourced_boston_bombing_investigation_reddit_stands_down.html>.

Shontell, A 2013, 'What It’s Like When Reddit Wrongly Accuses Your Loved One Of Murder’, Business Insider Australia, 27 July, viewed 17 January 2016, <http://www.businessinsider.com.au/reddit-falsely-accuses-sunil-tripathi-of-boston-bombing-2013-7?r=US&IR=T>.

[2xglenos-blog]

Thanks for a interesting read Stacie, As i mentioned in my Blog i believe using social media as crowdsourcing to help solve problems in society is the best use of social media to date, given the advancements of technology imagine whats next 

Glen

[narellemda20009-blog]

The QPS use of social media during the Queensland floods was a great example of crowdsourcing, and this highlighted the emerging role of social media in emergencies. Australia’s emergency broadcaster, the ABC also uses crowdsourcing because it is recognised that social media can gather and disseminate emergency information very quickly. The challenge is to continually refine their methods and strategies and be as transparent as possible - gathering/disseminating information and at the same time raise awareness  among its users of the pros and cons of the information obtained i.e.  being clear what has and has not been verified, providing accurate time stamps on information (information released 5 minutes ago can very quickly go out of date).  Crowdsourcing is definitely a tool that can be utilised more and more in the future and it also gives people a chance to participate (and feel good about it) even though they are not part of the emergency itself. 

A great read - looking forward to more!

[adigitalcitizen]

Enjoyed reading your blog, I like how you gave an example of the negative side of crowdsourcing. I’ve never actively taken part in crowdsourcing, but as a social media observer, I have often witnessed how misinformation shared (and reshared.. almost like Chinese whispers) on line during a crisis  has mislead/misinformed the crowd. 

a digital citizen

[adigitalcitizen]

This statistics report provides 2015 data from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline, Polaris's BeFree Textline, and communications referencing overseas cases.

Came across this today - crowdsourcing and mapping is being used to address human trafficking. Such a powerful tool!

[adigitalcitizen]

Jeff Howe - Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing" has, virtually overnight, generated huge buzz, enthusiasm, and fear. It's the application of the open-source idea to any field outside of soft...

Jeff Howe talking about crowdsourcing’s evloution.

(BrightSightGroup, 2008)

[adigitalcitizen]

Blog #6: Crowdsourcing: Drawing on the resources of the people in times of crisis

Within any given emergency situation, whether it be a natural disaster or social crisis, information is vital to directing attention, response and recovery in its aftermath.

(ww2 family tuning radio n.d.)

In the past, the traditional communication channels relied upon for information within a crisis, tended to be delayed in transmission, and were often the first things to break down in such events. However, though the emergence of new technology, people now are able to make the most of the tools they have on hand, like smart phones, to not only seek out but to also share information with others in real time. Social media now plays a critical role in times of crisis as an information propagator through a phenomenon known as crowdsourcing.

Crowdsourcing can be defined as:

“the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or supplier” (crowdsourcing entry 2014).

(Goodwork Lab 2015)

First appearing in an article written by Jeff Howe (2006) for Wired Magazine, the term crowdsourcing was coined to describe an emerging new trend within commerce. Howe observed that contemporary companies, who once outsourced work to cheaper labour forces, were now turning to and take advantage of online networks, in order to problem solve, undertake research and development, and create content (Howe, 2006, p. 1). By creating an open call to anyone online, companies have been able to draw on non-traditional and unexpected resources, such as novices rather then professionals with particular expertise, for fresh ideas, experiences and information. This is turn has afforded opportunities for broader collaborative processes, and new ways of functioning for many organizations in regards to information collection and communication, beyond that of corporate interests alone (Howe, 2006, p. 3).

Today, crowdsourcing plays a critical role in times of crisis through the use of social media platforms. This affordance of social media could be seen during such catastrophic events as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, or the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, in which people shared their personal experiences through photos, videos and text on social media sties such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (Gao, Barbier & Goolsby 2011, p. 10).  Here is one such example of footage shared via social media, as the tsunami hit Kesennuma, a Japanese port:

(kikurin1966 さんのチャンネル 2011)

Crowdsourcing applications have been developed in order to influence crowdsourcing for disaster relief. These applications generate a capability for collecting information from disaster sites and visualizing data for relief decision-making (Gao, Barbier & Goolsby 2011, p. 10). A well know pioneer in crowdsourcing applications is Ushahidi, an open source crisis map platform developed to chart reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election violence in 2008 (Ushahidi, 2015). Using Web 2.0 technology, Ushahidi integrates data from numerous social media sources to provide up-to-date information (Gao, Barbier & Goolsby 2011, p. 11). For example, within hours of the Japanese Earthquake, the Japanese OpenStreetMap community were able to establish an Ushahidi platform for Japan. Since then, 3,000 individual contributions have been mapped on this platform (Meier 2011).

Crowdsourcing in combination with crisis maps are a powerful tool in times of emergency. 

Although, there still remains challenges, such are data verification, we are continuing to learn how to harness the information, or flows within online networks, and used it to help in times of crisis. 

References

'crowdsourcing entry' 2014, Merriam Webster, viewed 17 January 2016, <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdsourcing>.

Gao, H, Barbier, G & Goolsby, R 2011, ‘Harnessing the crowdsourcing power of social media for disaster relief’, IEEE Intelligent Systems, vol. 26, no. 3, pp.10-14.

Howe, J 2006, ‘The Rise of  Crowdsourcing’, Wired, 14 June, viewed 20 January 2016, <http://www.wired.com/2006/06/crowds/>.

Meier, P 2011, ‘Crisis mapping Japan’s earthquake and how to help’, 16 March, viewed 20 January 2015, <https://www.ushahidi.com/blog/2011/03/16/crisis-mapping-japans-earthquake-and-how-you-can-help>.

Ushahidi 2015, About Ushahidi, Ushahidi, viewed 19 January 2016, <https://www.ushahidi.com/about>.

Images

Goodwork Lab 2015, ‘people working on a puzzle’, [image], viewed 20 January 2016, <http://www.goodworklab.org/2015/04/about-goodwork-lab.html>.

kikurin1966 さんのチャンネル 2011, Dramatic Video: Tsunami Hits Japanese Port Town (Kesennuma,Miyagi,Japan), 26 March, viewed 20 January 2015, <https://youtu.be/hK1zBRA9T3k>.

ww2 family tuning radio, n.d., [image], viewed 20 January 2016, <http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/schools/primaryhistory/images/world_war2/daily_life/ww2_family_tuing_radio.jpg>.

[adigitalcitizen]

Cyberbully

How far will you go to protect your life, Casey is facing every teenagers worst nightmare, as an anonymous hacker plans to leak her private photos to the pub...

Great film looking at the intricate complexities of social interaction and cyber-bullying facing youth online, and how far things can be taken.