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Task Three: Essay-in-lieu-of-examination

Question 2: ‘But what’s happening today - the mass ability to communicate with each other, without having to go through a traditional intermediary - is truly transformative.”

How is the diminution of traditional, and often hierarchical, ‘authoritative’ intermediaries changing the role of publishing in social life?

It is strongly evident today that the news industry has come a long way from traditional formats of publishing. Radical and dramatic shifts are emerging from technological developments which have changed the significance and practice of publishing information. The role of publishing is the process of making information available across the public (Wikipedia 2014), exploring and organising ideas from the world and to allow individuals to engage with this information as social beings. Historically, publishing referred to the distribution of printing physical formats such as books and newspapers (Wikipedia 2014) and were recognised as the major hierarchical, ‘authoritative’ intermediaries to deliver news. Individuals were passive receivers of content as media industries continued a one-way channel of publishing to the public. To a degree, this limited them to completely participate or engage with the information to share within their social life. Now, individuals are capable to communicate with each other, share and obtain information from another, without having to go through a traditional intermediary specifically due to the rise of the Web 2.0 and social media (Rusbridger 2010). The digital revolution has changed the practices in which media industries operate and the hierarchy and authority of power to create, visible through the example of online publishing. New platforms such as Twitter have changed communication for participants to become more active and global, but it can also be argued that there is also a deficient standard of participation in our social lives and a growing number of struggling journalists experiencing a decline in their field of work.

The Traditional Forms of Publishing to Now

In order to understand the diminution of traditional intermediaries, we need to explore the context in which it arose within our social lives. As the invention of printing had created a wider scope for publishing ideas about the world, scholars and media industries were captivated by how they could now organise society. The change of production and printing books had changed the notion of science, the way they displayed knowledge, politics or philosophy - ‘print revolutionised the world’ (Brannon 2002, p. 353). A successful and profitable example can be the Bible for instance, relatively known as an international bestseller. Available across the world in an extensive range of languages and editions to clearly be read and befit the reader. The traditional forms of publishing were recognised as authoritative positions in society; when searching for the reliability and accuracy of information, they were the hierarchical source where content was controlled and distributed.

In the past, in a time span of a year in the Gutenberg Revolution it would have been a month or two before a single book would be produced (Rusbridger 2010). And would be few centuries later that publication of print would be capable of replication. The development of printing has been historically significant and authoritative as it has provided the ability to read then write, to educate and therefore allowed us to socially communicate with others who distant (Old and Sold 1930). It allowed individuals to persevere with knowledge and scholars to organise archives of progressive events and connect society on various new levels. As Alan Rusbridger (2010) states, ‘an idea of communication that involved one person to many’.

However now, the way of publishing has evolved. It can be seen that the practice on relying upon traditional forms such as printed newspaper, radio or television to inform the public is declining, although their role of publishing in forms of speaking to many is evolving. Over two decades, journalism companies have responded to using Web 2.0 and the social media and utilising electronic publishing to allow more social interactions with their content. The method of these industries distributing and publishing content has changed, transforming the printing press and adapting to these digital forces. As Rusbridger’s (2010) statement is true, “It was only a matter of time before it would seem overwhelming obvious -and economically irresistible - for people to converge, consolidate and integrate” towards the power of digital media.

Web 2.0 and Media Convergence

Exploring the past influences and their main focus of configuring and disseminating ideas, it can be historically understood for sharing research and literature broadly across various fields. This can be emphasised through Glaysher (2010) addressing Rusbriger’s (2010) quote, as he differentiates that the traditional forms of publishing was “transmission”, whilst the social network of Web 2.0 had enabled “communication”. The very emergence of online platforms and Web 2.0 have change the nature of publishing and engagement with content. Technological developments have not just allowed single communication, but also sharing amongst community or the wider world. Jenkins (2004) explains this convergence to have “expanded a range of various channels, enabled individuals to independently consume, archive, annotate, appropriate and recirculate media content in powerful new ways” (Jenkins 2004, p. 33). The impact is evident as it has provided the ability for people to socially communicate and inform each other online through different technological platforms instead of physical formats such as books or newspapers. There is instant participation through the digital emergence of online publishing platforms and certainly more prominence in wider availability of information of our daily lives. Despite 3400 newspapers websites accessible online mid 2001, news industries recognised that the traditional forms of publishing would weaken and the decrease the profit within their industry, however throughout today they still continue to uphold their traditional use of the newspaper purpose and design (Bokesoy 2008).

Changing Role of Publishing in Social Life

So after exploring the forms and historical context of the declining traditional intermediaries, to what extent is this changing the role of publishing in our social lives through online publishing?

It has allowed accessing information more instantaneous. In today’s society, individuals experience the need to be informed socially and productively. One must be up-to-date with news content, and be interactive and capable to socially exchange ideas and share to the common public. Now this can be done without utilising a traditional intermediary. Publishing has changed its nature by forming new structures in an endlessly accessible field of the digital world. By individuals owning a mobiles phone, tablet, laptop they are all are capable of providing blogs, watching videos from the internet, camera and social networking applications which are all interactive rather than just presenting or ‘transmitting’ information. Major online applications such as Twitter or Facebook provide opportunities for people to share, respond or publish anything instantly by a quick search or using hashtags, and what is timely possible than the process of a printed book or newspaper. These online facilities have become more socially accepted and interpersonal to socially maximise involvement from the public. Twitter has been an effective example of locating real-time and diverse amounts of information, narrowing the concrete specifications of the data you want to share to 140 characters. Through this image, it illustrates the modern day format of a news company adopting to the shifting digital practice. Not only is the information easily organised through the hashtag #MelbourneCup, but this demonstrates how publishing has transformed into a effortless medium that is free of charge and a formidable aggregation tool (Rusbridger 2010) to shaping audience searches as convenient and relevantly accessible. Therefore its transformation has allowed ambient affiliation between a common topic to be shared and discussed lively. New terms such as followers, reblog, retweet are formatted in the digital age and publishing has adopted that within their online publications. Thus, by highlighting the role of publishing changing to produce content in real-time, almost everything is now public and widely shareable to be connected and informed within society.

Online publishing is more global and less regulated. Influenced by the immediacy of content, online publishing has been transformative in media as it has provided opportunities to be interactive and flexible one a wide scope. In an open space and often unregulated, benefits of entering a public than private space is extending this potential to allow more voices to be heard (Light & Rogers 1999) from across the world. In the growing of the digital revolution, individuals find it important to extend their relationships to help, inform, share with others and develop a sense of individuality (Wikipedia 2014). There are hardly any limitations for individuals to express their creativity and distribute content across the web and online publishing forums accommodate this. Youtube, Twitter and Facebook are massive international platforms that are effective in sharing ideas and content to million of users online. It has allowed individuals the ability to locate information that they may not be able to find in their local bookstore, news-agency or country enabling a more frequent flow of gathering information which differs from collecting traditional formats of publishing. If an individual or journalist were to publish a tweet, post, image based on their beliefs or feelings, it would mostly be on a global scale. Therefore, different from traditional publishing the interactiveness of the Web has changed the relationship between user and publisher (Light & Rogers 1999) and boundaries between personal and public. For example, Youtube is a huge online publishing platform where users are capable to distribute their own video blog or “vlogs”, comment, share, subscribe and maximise reaching their audiences. As there are both amateur and professional makers with various topics, it can be sure that publishing has transformed virtually without obtaining a newspaper, which can limit recorded footage of a particular event. There is a new sense of authority and control within contemporary publishing as it can now be created by anyone. This then allows individuals who wish to get involved to respond to issues from around the world an ability to be socially connected to their interests and informed instantly. However on a global scale, it has also enabled room for detriment of information. Despite attempting to search for particular topics, it can be difficult to search for validity and reliability of content due to mass communication and consumption. News industries are threatened by this, and therefore face consistent competition from the internet to maximise their readers experience. As once authoritative publications were available locally at a news agency or bookshop and capable of influencing audiences through physical browsing, individuals living in the digital evolution can browse for free and filter searches to specific choices on an international scope.

It has allowed more individual creativity and sharing. Since the emergence of the internet, its “Open Access” nature of searching through archives of information (Glaysher 2010) has been allowed infinite information and participation. Almost everyone can be labelled for publishing as they are active on the Internet. New publishing websites have now become efficient tools for individuals to produce content of their own such as Tumblr or Twitter and assisted in making their ideas flourish. It has lessened the problem of lack of space when writing, created opportunities to share on a wider audience market and especially allowed more creative formats such as videos, links, additional photos and comments that may not have been capable on a physical layout setting. Most accessible and recognisable publishing platforms are the digitisation of books as e-books, or Kindle and mobile devices such as the iPad or mobile phone which have been developed to be portable and available relationship between user and technology. Therefore the quality and content of publishing has changed. New intermediaries have evolved where newspaper industries are now competing against the general public, as in modern society nearly anyone can publish and imitate ideas and publish online. The quality of content also has become a challenge as individuals search through an inconstant and real-time circulation of information. Self-publishing online has been a new advantage to individuals, as it transforms the authoritative power of publishing systems. It has shifted the amount of power and control which was never seen in the days of print journalism (Miller 2013). Therefore throughout this digital trend, this may have become a positive impact for people who have become bloggers or vloggers who now use these digital tools and social media to spread, communicate ideas and express themselves and individuality to each other. However it must be considered that despite the overwhelming quantity of online publishing available, lack of authoritative and integrity of publishing in traditional intermediaries can be evident of inaccuracy.

In conclusion, media organisations have evolved to the contemporary methods of the digital evolution and actively transformed from ‘transmission’ to ‘communication’. Media industries have embraced this changed and integrated the ability to maximise responses and interactiveness of the audiences virtually and physically. While printing publications had believed that it was revolutionary, it historically is. But by the altering position today there is more room to change due to Web 2.0. The level of participation, collaboration and expression will not cease to slow down and will only heighten and emerge further to connect individuals socially, and shape their relationships and experiences with others. As Rusbridger mentions Stowe Boyd commenting on social networking, “I think that the rise of the social web,…is not really about the the end of what came before, but instead is the starting point for what comes next: richer and more complex societies” (Glaysher 2010) summarises the consistent and transformative role and boundaries of publishing in which it has empowered individuals and understanding the world.

List of References

Images (CC)

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#arts2090 #taskthree #itsover #50%

Week 12: (Module 4) Distribution, Aggregation and the Social - Culture and Data: Data Friction and Infrastructural Globalism

The readings this week continues to explore the distribution and aggregation of data within society. In Edwards’ Introduction (2010) and Springett’s online post (2014), these are two similar but different examples that examine the publishing of data.

When reading Edwards’ research (2010) and study into the analysis of global warming, he states the difference between using models and data. We recognise models and data to have always been a form of presenting or publishing facts, research or simulations that textual data cannot do on its own. However, he goes on about the evolvement of these publishing systems. As these forms of global data has been used to publish observations, Edwards emphasises that these systems will continue to evolve. We use these previous and consistent models on the future of climate change, but they “are not pure theories” (p. xiv) and therefore, these models cannot be fully reliable or certain. As he talks about the forming of global data, the method of research in history is contributive to this process, it can be understood that as we use history and history begins to change, this affects the publishing of data or models. We can use them as previous reference, but he wants the public to keep in mind that these models may not ever be certain as information or these models consistently change. When we choose a certain aspect of history for example, the Cold War, different researchers or scientists can choose an aspect of the past that can have different results to the publication. Therefore throughout his work, Edwards’ attempt to provide an analytical perspective is evident to allow the audience to keep an open mind towards climate change and the use of the models and data. Convergence of technology is ultimately changing conceptual and operations to studying weather.

As we go into Springett’s online media article, he also explores the use of technological convergence in publishing and distributing information as a whole. There have been different platforms that can unpack all this information within the web, or as he describes it ‘cyberspace’. As he uses the term he created, ‘The Stacks’ (2014) we can use this to discuss where the limit lies when it comes to spatial and territorial of information being distributed. As he states, we live in a future-present where corporations are people for example; “Google - ‘organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful’. Big companies are now presenting positions to be “digitally-dualistic geopolitical entities” (2014) which emphasise how certainty of information can now not be recognised as static as they are shifting to something larger. Are we focusing on the individual to access these information or now a whole new scale of being geographically open and recognised? Exploring these two readings, we can examine how publishing systems with data and presenting information is now changing platforms in the physical world.

Bibliography

Edwards, P N, (2010), ‘Introduction’ in A Vast Machine: Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press: xii-xvii

Springett, J, (2014), Colonising the Clouds - Infrastructure Territory and the Geopolitics of The Stacks’, medium.com, accessed 20 October 2014, <https://medium.com/@thejaymo/colonising-the-clouds-4405d2d590b5>

Springet, J, (2014), #TTW14 abstract, wordpress.com, accessed 20 October 2014, <https://reallifelieselsewhere.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/ttw14-abstract/>

Week 11: Distribution, Aggregation and the Social

Incorporated within the readings, it explores the emergence of technology into the workplace, issues trying to distinct the private and public sphere of one’s life and the analysis of looking at the changes of distributing information for the audience. It can be emphasised how dominant and reliant technology is implemented into our lifestyles; professional or intimate. These new platforms appear to be unlimited throughout our time and space that there is now a dependency or reliance to use it to “appropriate, recirculate media content in powerful new ways”(p104). We can focus on the power and control these systems have brought towards the public, different methods of distributions of publishing as a whole, and how it has impacted individuals socially. These new systems have allowed many capabilities to be productive, engaging or expressive. For example, through Snapchat we are consistently sharing our lives, as the term ‘remixing’ and new forms of expression from just videos or pictures - it has affected the social aspect of being connected, the amount of time one can view an image and even those who can view it. It can be emerged privately and publicly into our lives.

However, as Gregg (2011, p. 104) has used Jenkins to reinforce the effects of new technologies and their techniques within the services of society, Dodson (2009) also brings Salvo as he believes we’ve reached the point where ‘the dominant technology that separates the leaders from the followers’ no longer exist. As he refers to this artificial intelligence as the keepers of the digital sphere with hardly any reliance upon the humans to ensure its success. People are now basically consumers in society, deriving content to what holds their attention or reaction although it may not be the best or reliable source - individuals may not differentiate this information because they want to gain this data to know everything and anything to become connected to each other. As Boyd (Guillaud, 2010) also conveys, "Just because we're moving into a state where anyone has ability to get information into the stream does not mean that attention will be divided equally.” Distribution of information in content and quality may not be produced the same, or understood equally as well.

There has been this expectation that with these easily accessibly technologies, time is always available and we are capable to working these technologies because they are designed and kept to our ways or manipulation androgen collecting of data. But as Tanya (Gregg 2011, p. 109) and Pam (Gregg 2011, p. 112) stress upon, there is more work and stress into these ensuring engagement with work and each other. Through accessing these different sources and platforms and by our own control, there is the question to how the internet can be easily structured and eased into our lives without such reliance or dependancy into our relationships. Can we further distinct back without this lack of quality in information and content, or how information can be distributed today?

Bibliography

Dodson, W 2009, Dawn of the Systems Age, Science Blogs, accessed 13 October 2014 <http://scienceblogs.com/seed/2009/12/28/dawn-of-the-systems-age/#more>

Gregg, M 2011, ‘Know your product: Online Branding and the Evacuation of Friendship’ Work’s Intimacy, Cambridge: Polity: pp. 102-118

Guillaud, H 2010, What is implied by living in a world of flow?, Truthout, accessed 13 October 2014, <http://truth-out.org/archive/component/k2/item/87704:what-is-implied-by-living-in-a-world-of-flow>

Week 10 Visualisation Project

Andrew McNicol’s Class - Tuesday 10:30am-12pm

Students:

Janelle Joy Jebulan

Joanna Teo

Cassandra Leong

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10WAz0Ho7rpIJJxjWbC-DrkkFfaUfGineU9f9NrgH7nY/edit?usp=sharing

Changing the visualisation

Through the process of going through ideas of looking at the age gap of celebrities, the use of dating applications, the 'optimum attractiveness level' from men to women - we've decided to change our project in a different more clearer direction.

Looking in the data of sleep.

Week 10: Trying to analyse the ‘optimum attractive level for ladies’ from a male perspective. Information and graphs derived from an article on OKCupid.

Week 9: The Visual, the Body and the Social Body

Throughout visualisation, we have learned to explore more than the visual basics of an image. The data, the graph, visual perspectives of information/content that are represented and expressed to the public in various forms. In forms of publication, we can look at the restructuring and manipulation of visualisation in order to gain more of a reaction from the audience but also in terms of scientific research that attempt to be visual into the public - This can be discusses briefly through Vjing’s real time expression and fusion of elements that seize the audience’s attention. Through analysing two forms of visualisation interaction we can explore the social body and responses of these display content.

When interpreting and collecting information derived from a website, source, publication, it is obvious what new capabilities technology has brought. Not only is information easily accessible anywhere, but enables you to create your own content with your own research, data, own creative and social technique. When looking at the Anon (2009) Information is Beautiful, automatically we see graphs and an organisation of data. The page describes two oppositions, skeptics of global warming and the actual scientific research. It contains valid information that is represented visually to the audience and has various data patterns that enable a visual translation of the research of climate change. Anon had mentioned this process of not gaining his sources from leading experts in the field, but instead use of the available sources online and this in turn does cause an reaction. He aims to present data that is accessible online as well collecting how they try to learn this information. This site, then attempts to assemble truth and realistic images in forms of statistics, in comparison to Anon (2008) image of an endangered polar bear.The forms of visuals are combined, and mixed representations that have no explicit, emotional visual but rather the conclusion of facts in effect of climate change compared to a direct single image of bear that captures a single event, specific aspect in climate change in the Artic sea with more of a evocative response, but willing to still not do much about it. We can searching through climate change and polar bear pictures, they are very dramatic and emotive images that can really try to affect the social bodies. These two forms of climate change research visualise communicative ways to how we could represent or evoke significant pieces of information that can allow individuals to organise and interpret themselves.

References

Anon, (2008) 'Struggling polar bears put on endangered list', Metro, May 15, accessed 22 September <http://www.metro.co.uk/news/147937-struggling-polar-bears-put-on-endangered-list

Anon, (2009) 'The Global Warming Skeptics versus the Scientific Consensus', Information is Beautiful, media release, accessed 22 September 2014 <http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/climate-change-deniers-vs-the-consensus/>

Week 7: Archive Fever, Provenance, Structuring Data | Forms of Expression/Forms of Content - Visualisation

Throughout this week’s reading, it really brings out to question what are the ethics when conducting research with the example case study of the Facebook experiment. Looking at the research, it may have been essential to study the emotions of Facebook users, as regularly those 310, 000 (Gillespie 2014) people could be an example of the true over 1 billion people who have an account and check it everyday. A study on the effects of our online social life towards our emotions upon them is a start to learning how dependable or effective these online social platforms can be. Our modern society is constantly adapting to new technology, we are learning fast with the constant, even minor application updates. However, the issue of measuring and obtaining the content must be explored towards researching practices.

When conducting research on a subject, there is usually a notification, a communicative relationship to inform the subject what will be done when they will part-taking a series of events for the experiment. The subject will usually feel sure about what they are under-taking.

The fact here with the Facebook experiment is that these ‘human subjects’ (Gillespie 2014) and the act of changing their newsfeed, had obtained the information and as Gillespie puts the issue as ‘manipulated’ the newsfeed of these users.

However continuing to read the information, Facebook does have access to our data as part of the site’s Terms of Service and the Data Policy (Gillespie 2014) so “it is within their rights to make whatever adjustments they want” (Gillespie 2014). This can be true, as constantly they have done this before and all the time - looking at how we use our Facebook’s, what features keep glitching or to make it more aesthetically pleasing and easy function to work with. The Facebook company has been studying and observing us mostly all this time to understand how they can make their website more interactive. So by researching, what may be the big issue here? Subject awareness, content control?, consent? These I cannot really finalise, but what I can explore and put out as a focus is as we are constantly an evolving society and Facebook as well is a shifting online service - who really is in control of creating and changing your Facebook? In our online culture today, it can be well-about time that we can observe how we are affected and dependent towards these platforms.

Bibliography

Gillespie, T 2014, ‘Facebook’s algorithm - why our assumptions are wrong, and our concerns are right’, Culture Digitally, accessed 8 September <http://culturedigitally.org/2014/07/facebooks-algorithm-why-our-assumptions-are-wrong-and-our-concerns-are-right>

Week 5: Archive Fever, Provenance, Structuring Data

Archives are implemented more than ever in our society today. In the reading, Parikka mentions how we tend to think of archives ‘obsolete’ and as ‘abandoned places’ (Parikka 2013, p. 1), however in the 21st Century today there are various ways to store, publish and access different types of information and on many platforms. However Derrida suggests, with new media archives they have also destroyed other archives. In this case, archives can be presented as a tool for storing past information that we need, we can rely on to return back to. But with new media platforms such as social networking, cloud storage, the use of the Internet has really impacted the original physical forms of archives such as books, journals, libraries. There can be blur from what is publicly archived and what is stored away.

There have been archives have been instituted in online websites of information such as OMEKA (Roy Rosenzweig CHNM 2014)- ‘displaying collections’, building ‘interpretative exhibits’, ‘teachings sites’ and collecting the stories and memories from users’. New platforms that enable people to witness the inside of informations and produce their own ‘outside’ information. And from this, it can convey how culture is changing - the new habit to share rather than simply store.

As Ogle calls attention to The Now (Ogle 2010), the use of real-time channels and using the internet can create a weightier expectation - for example using different storages of information. We tend to be focused on what is published online - a birthday event, photos, twitter posts of thoughts or real-time events. This has created habit of drawing our attention of witnessing that information then and now. but “neglects all sorts of other facets of human existence, communication, happiness” (Ogle 2010). There has been an increased dependency on it providing new ways to capturing a “permanent record” (Ogle 2010) of an event and also for display. As how “if it’s not recent’, it’s not important” is one of the many behaviours we have adopted through this new form of archival interaction, which can emphasise how we can ‘destroy’ the expectancy of past events, records and consistently emerge to just now.

In todays society we have so much on the present, in relation to archiving. But there are some inside forms of archiving that doesn’t need to be in forms digitally, but also through real actions, repetitive methods done consistently influenced by the past. For example, the Apartheid Archive Project is quite significant focusing on the traumatic experiences of South Africans past in order, and attempting “better manage its present and future” (Apartheid Archive Project 2010). As learning and researching events we can’t just focus on the present, what is on the outside, but also the past what is hidden, what is not ‘real-time’. As Ogle mentions, there are some features we need to change (Ogle 2010).

Bibliography:

Apartheid Archive Project 2010, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, accessed 25 August, <http://www.apartheidarchive.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=4>

Ogle, M 2010, ‘Archival Fever: A love letter to the post real-time web’, mattogle.com, accessed 25 August, <http://mattogle.com/archivefever/>

Parikka, J 2013, ‘Archival Media Theory: An Introduction to Wolfgang Ernst’s Media Achaeology’ in Ernst, Wolfgang Digital Memory and the Archive Minneapolis, pp. 1-22

Roy Rosenzweig Centre for History and New Media 2014, George Mason University, accessed 24 August, <http://omeka.org/>

Week 4: Assembling Publishing-Publics/Archive Fever

Picture 1:

The topic this week based on Assembling Publishing, was quite a challenging topic to discuss. There was a lot of analysis from several different researchers who suggested what an actor network can be composed of and the idea of how the offline can be impacted by the online. (Banks 2011). Through the image of a linear graph on Social Network (Wikipedia 2011), it can represent a relationship of social participants. Influenced by the provided quote in Ryder’s (n.d.) page, using Bardini he mentions, “both actors and actants share the scene in the reconstruction of the network of interactions leading to the stabilisation of the system” - So it can suggest the place of the offline and online, and how convenient or stable the placement of networking appears to be. But with media and new technologies have been developing and in this culture today, the question is are our minds ever interpreted offline? Since we are capable of accessing a network almost immediately. There is the question of what is natural and the cultural and social in Actor-Network Theory in Plain English (2009) as networks have deemed reliable because of their online feature, but also unstable due to the open question if we are ever offline. Present here is instability with our own interpretations, thoughts or influences.

Picture 2:

This image (Diagram example of Privately Owned companies, 2012) is an example of the concept of “human” and “non-human” existence in a continuous cycle. With the non-human element as the privatised company and human as the public, it can present a network where they are dependent on each other as are capable to provide a larger function. The way it works in assembling is: the company would use computers, technological tools that will help publish their journals and reports. Without these tools, journalists would not be able publish to the public, project their ideas and this can recognise a position of trying to equally put both sides as one. Through this, there has been investigation need mentioned by Banks (2011) to assess the relationship of the functioning between human and nonhuman relationships.

Picture 3:

In the image I made, I tried to similarly combine the ideas Ryder (n.ad) mentioned of some researchers regarding “actors” and “actants” from Bardini, “human” and “non-human” Risan. From what I understand from the Actor-Network Theory, it assembles and links all factors that can produce an idea, context, situation or network. And what is seen visibly in front of us, cannot be be described without the comments that it was made of. Wikipedia, (2014) suggests they are linked and can create an idea of inseparability when they take shape within each other. The analogy that was mentioned was Pandora’s Box: when we open a box, we conjoin it with the chaos and hope that is was kept inside. However when we close the box, what we see is just the box. Without the box however, we wouldn’t be able to relate it to the situation it created. This can relate to suggestion we need to understand the context and description before we analyse or take action - take note that certain things can work together.

Bibliography

Actor-Network Theory 2014, Wikipedia, accessed 18th August 2014 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actor-network_theory>

Banks, D 2011, ‘A Brief Summary of Actor Network Theory’, The Society Pages, accessed 17 August 2014,

<http://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2011/12/02/a-brief-summary-of-actor-network-theory/>

Diagram example of Privately Owned companies, 2012, digital image, Flickr, accessed 18th August 2014 <https://www.flickr.com/photos/79912274@N07/7162853951/

Ryder, Martin (n.d.) ‘What is Actor-Network Theory?’ accessed 18 August 2014

<http://carbon.ucdenver.edu/~mryder/itc/ant_dff.html>

Wikipedia 2011, Graph on Social Network, digital image, accessed 17 August 2014

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Tangeny/social_network>

Youtube 2009, Actor-Network Theory in Plain English, 2009, online video, accessed 17 August 2014 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2YYxS6D-mI>

Week 3: History of Tools and Techniques - Techniques and Machines

This week’s group readings really grasps the idea of how publishing has emerged and adapted into a networked media base. It summarises how today’s society and forms of publishing allow the use of digital tools to expand the industries of journalism or publishing newspaper content. New organisations are able to engage with the readers (Busfield 2010) by understanding what they want or what sparks their interests, however with this new update, the readings also speak of “Paywalls” as a new process for news readers and tool for news organisations.

Paywalls, are now used as an engagement tool and strategy in order to gain more subscribers for their industry. Throughout the news articles of Doctor (2013), Busfield (2010) and Coscarelli (2012), they discuss the potential of digital subscribers and discuss for and against paywalls.

As a new process for digital subscribers, news companies are trying to run their business by gaining profit through paywalls. They have a wide range world of potential readers, and the world-wide-web can be their new strategy to gain more readers. News companies have created developing feature products strategies to differentiate from non-subscribers.

With digital subscribers, there has been emerging identities given by the use of paywalls. We can understand there can be possible system of digital paying subscribers liking the idea of being “premium” or VIP, in getting extra privileges as Doctor (2013) mentions. With the expectations of subscriptions involving revenue and loyalty systems, Coscarelli (2012) also mentions the value that is placed by digital subscriptions, (hence the title of his article, “supported by readers”). He mentions the success of individuals willing to pay was greater than what they expected. This can emphasise the value of the reader, how news companies have become dependent on advertising and gaining profit but also now recognising that people enjoy or would not want to lose what is daily implanted in their lifestyle. Doctor mentions, “it shows people care”, people value their access and need to newspapers.

We can also recognise the ethical issues involved with paywall. Known to be a profit driven and paying revenue, is there really a “consumer appetite” (Doctor 2013) for paid digital features and content? Through access to websites and new display of information - there are new changes in authority or access to notions of ideas and creativity through features such as paywall, which can limit but also allow exclusive content and news coverage.

Bibliography

Busfield, S 2010, ‘Guardian editor hits back at paywalls’, The Guardian, 26 January, accessed 11 August 2014, <http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jan/25/guardian-editor-paywalls>

Coscarelli, J 2012, ‘ The New York Times is Now Supported by Readers, Not Advertisers’, New York Magazine, 26 July, access 11 August 2014, < http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2012/07/new-york-times-supported-by-readers-not-advertisers.html>

Doctor, K 2013, ‘The newsonomics of The New York Times’ Paywall 2.0’, media release, accessed 11 August 2014 <http://www.niemanlab.org/2013/11/the-newsonomics-of-the-new-york-times-paywalls-2-0/>

Wikipedia 2014, accessed 11 August 2014 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paywall>

Week 2 Speech: Issue of Authorship

Quality, Credibility and Reliability/Verifiability of information

What’s happening?

In today's society, we question the credibility and sources of information that is produced, whether they are validated or not. In the past, we have valued credibility from experts and professionals who publish their research with patents or grants for further research.

But within this growing and evolving digital environment, people can publish not just information, but their thoughts and opinions, quotes that are from scholarly articles. Brannon mentioned last week’s reading describes this revolution becoming increasingly unstable. The ways of distribution is rapidly changing and technology assists in evolving publishing in this social networked society with a constant news feed of information distributed on different platforms. The world of publishing appears unlimited. When there is a published content on online media, available are common options to become an anonymous source and what is now popular today but viewed unethical is ghostwriting; people who writes books, stories or different form of texts that are credited to another person.

How do we know?

For publishing content, Wikipedia is one of the most popular and common site to find articles of information. The website allows free-access to everyone, reading through Wikipedia on itself, it criticises the open nature of the site. Concerns for vandalism and the accuracy of information, the open for editing principle makes us question if Wikipedia can be fully authoritative or reliable.

What are the implications for society?

- Some of the impacts it has are complaints by those who research and not being credited for the effort.

Publication misconduct in modern society now entails fraud, plagiarism, duplicate publication as a few that were mention.

Some information that can be published, may be biased and accuracy or quality of writing can be quoted from Wikipedia “factual inaccuracies or misrepresentations”.

Because of this open nature of publishing not just on Wikipedia, finding sources that authoritative or reliable - we question the consistency of anything published - since these days open structure of publishing like Wikipedia “makes no guarantee of validity”.

What’s going to happen?

For media workers and industries?

As Brannon mentioned in last week’s reading, we need to be able to differentiate between an overload of information and what is actually useful.

For you?

Information overload - in last week’s reading, it mentioned society to warn users to be able to differentiate between the overload of information and what is actually useful.

http://e3ngage.com/seo/google-authorship-recent-change/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2564492/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276043/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2544445/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia#Criticism

History of Tools and Techniques

When looking back and reviewing the history of tools of publishing and printing, as Eisenstein (1979, p. 80) says, we must be careful not to ignore the early differences in the established printing methods and the technology used in our recent times, so we can account for the changes that have or will continue to emerge.

This weeks reading, accounts for the development of publishing process over time. Technology has incredibly taken part in revolutionising our modern society these past few decades, that we have come to terms accepting, we are consumers in a 'digital age’ (Brannon 2007, p. 353). But as we look closer into these new processes and technology, we tend to question what happens to the old conventions that have been used in publishing?

As I have found in Eisenstein’s work (1979), we cannot disregard these tools in the past because they have progressed to the era we are today - the past where “intense cross-referencing between one book and another” (Eisenstein 1979, p. 72) began - was a major thrive to how print culture was no longer mass singular copies commented, but dispersed and growing, unstable pieces of work. Eisenstein (1979, p. 75) emphasises the idea from Koestler, the history of printing prospered from single prints into a combined intellectual activity, where people are open to collaboratively or even silently publication of their work towards the public. And this can be similarly recognised in today.

Brannon (2007, p. 362) raises many observations of the current generation we are today. One issue that rose especially important was the issue of credibility. As she had mentioned Eisenstein’s argument of factual information becoming more solid in the printing revolution (Brannon 2007, p. 353), this can draw us to question where is the limit to displaying or treating information? In today’s day and age, I too, tend to be sceptical of digitally displaced information that can be discussed in the digital world as the texts, by the fact anyone can publish information these days. The question of validity of the author of text, or the need to review the reliability of printed texts digitally, these are consistent challenges in the publishing world as they unstable, yet rapidly, flowing distribution of electronic publication. With this constant information overload that can seem never endless in a pit of publications, we can embrace this evolutionary shift however continue to keep an open mind, as content converging in the world is still evermore changing.

Bibliography:

E. Eisenstein, ‘Defining the initial shift: some features of print culture’, in the Printing Press as an Agent of Change Vol. 1, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979, pp. 43-163

B.A. Brannon, ‘The Laser Printer as an Agent of Change’ in Baron, Sabrina et al., (eds) Agent of Change: Print Culture Studies after Elizabeth L. Eisenstein, University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 2007, pp. 353-364

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