Digital Communities

Linking us together

[cameronmda20009-blog]

Week 10: Social gaming: playing the crowd

I play online games, mostly ddo (Dungeons & Dragons Online) although my connection speed makes it a painful experience on occasion.

I have also introduced the kids to a collaborative online came called Arcane Legends to try and get them used to the concept of working together instead of alone, so far so good, although they still prefer Minecraft (which is fine, it is a good platform for demonstrating expression through construction). They also think it is funny to say that their dad kicks ass on Lego Play Station games that I play with them.

One of the things that they are developing through their guided journey in a MMORPG with my assistance, is when to spot trolling and time wasters, and who to respond to and who to ignore. If anyone contacts the littlest one (who is 7) she gives me the ipad to read the comment and I decide if it needs blocking etc, and I explain what and why I have decided to either allow communication or block it. I hope that this is helping them to develop their own sense of how to navigate an online environment.

Humphries and de Zwart cite an argument of Pargman and Jakobsson (2014 p. 5) where gamers move between frames while communicating, from an individual player, to an embodied person (that has physical needs) to being ‘in character’ as a role playing toon or avatar. This is the case, however, the individuals doing so are not born knowing how to socialise through these scenarios, they are socialised into an online gaming paradigm, through learning and experience, different and separate from face to face physical reality.

This is an argument that I have made pretty much the entire unit duration (sorry if I am boring my public!), that socialisation, dealing with trolls and bullies online, crowdsourcing information and participation in providing data are learned social activities that require guidance and experience to navigate, not government regulation or protection. 

A reinforcing point that seems to be lacking in discourse surrounding other online behaviour is the identification of the fact that individuals bring their own ethnocentric ideals and behaviour to the games and online interaction as well as “their cultural background, their education levels, their gender, their age and their own individual moral compass.” (de Zwart & Humphries 2014, p. 17).

Here is an interesting twist on RPG that has, I believe, just been released.

Online games provide a brilliant resource for other online fields to study established communities that have already experienced the problems that mainstream networked communities are only just starting to experience. Funnily though, up until recently gamers were ignored or thought of as aberrant due to their commitment to the gaming worlds.

References de Zwart, M & Humphreys, S 2014,’ The Lawless Frontier of Deep Space: Code as Law in EVE Online’, Cultural Studies Review, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 77-99.

Suzor, N & Woodford, D 2013, ‘Evaluating consent and legitimacy amongst shifting community norms: An EVE Online case study’, Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 1-14.

[shivaniielizabeth-blog]

Hi Cameron - again great post! My parter is a huuuuuuge online gamer, he loves playing MMORPG and MOBA games. I just read your post to him, and he told me that he has stopped playing them so much because he really hates the negative aspects of the online gaming community and in particular, the anonymity of the internet and the way that it allows people to act the way they wouldn’t normally - he says they are called ‘greifers.’ [side note, as I typed, he asked me to reference him so: (Quinn, 2016)]

I really like that you are bringing up your children in a way that shows your children both the positive and negative sides of the internet, especially in online communities. This is something I had to discover myself, and the hard way. I also agree with you, nothing beats experience as a learning tool, but guidance is always going to benefit, especially in the case of children.

Really great perspectives, and I can definitely relate. 

[cameronmda20009-blog]

Haha, thanks for the comments, two thumbs up to your partner for demanding to be referenced! Yeah the “greifers” (Quinn 2016 cited in shivaniielizabeth 2016) are everywhere (there you go now I quoted your partner lol), when their rubbish gets too much I exercise my inalienable right to turn that computer off and go and do something else. Generally though, to me the comments from others online are not a lot different to computer generated content, they simply do not matter :) The power of trolls, griefers and bullies to influence and disturb is granted by the affected user, if you deny effect then they become the ultimate embodiment of impotence, flailing angrily away at their keyboard to no acknowledgement.

Cheers

[kzunblogs-blog]

Great post Cameron. I've been a little ignorant about the benefits of gaming and I enjoyed how you explained how gaming could be beneficial to children and how you linked it back to key learning outcomes. I think the way kids are learning and retaining information so we need to move with this. If gaming provides a fun yet educational and informative option for our kids then I can see it being used more and more as an educational tool.

[shivaniielizabeth-blog]

The World of Online Gaming

I come from a bit of a gaming world – I wouldn’t call myself a gamer, but my brother is a gamer, and my partner is a gamer, as well as most of his friends. Now, because of this world that the people I love are so heavily involved in, it is practically impossible for me to not be able to pick up terminology or story lines and even get a little bit involved in these online worlds.

Over 50 million people play an MMORPG (Second Skin, 2008), and I can see why. World of Warcraft has over 10 million players worldwide (Atlay, 2015), all part of this virtual reality world. I remember once my partner was playing World of Warcraft, and he asked me to play a bit so that I could understand what he was talking about when he explained what was going on in his games. All I did was run around and kill things with lasers coming out of my eyes… and I only played for about 40 minutes before I said that it wasn’t for me. That being said, I did get really into it! I yelled when someone ran in front of me to kill the tree-monster (sorry if you play WOW, I don’t remember the exact character name) I was trying to kill. It was a lot of fun, but I don’t think I really was able to get into the virtual world side of the game with less than an hour of play time.

The documentary Second Skin (2008) focuses on the relationships that gamers have with their virtual worlds and their fellow gamers. So many people have used these games as a form of socialising. People play these games for more than 10 hours a day… couple that with approximately 8 hours a day for work, attempting to factor in 4 hours for sleep, that leaves 1 hour left in a day for EVERYTHING else, including eating, bathing, cleaning, exercising, socialising (Second Skin, 2008). Half of MMORPG players say that they are addicted to this virtual worlds and 1 in 5 say that they are residents of a virtual world (Second Skin, 2008). It can be an online dating tool, with 1 in 3 gamers date someone from a virtual world (Second Skin, 2008).

There is a dark side though, especially for females. Many can experience cyber bullying. John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight, dedicated a segment to the online harassment (2015). He focused on the “veritable cornucopia of horrifying messages” that women can receive online, including rape threats and death threats. It also focuses on how the law in America hasn’t progressed to be able to help these women the way the really should be able to.

I personally think that the gaming world gets a bad rap for being an ‘unhealthy’ virtual world. To me, I don’t really see the difference between my partner wanting to log into his game as soon as he gets home and me checking my Facebook newsfeed. Virtual worlds can be addictive, and for all the reasons we have discussed – they provide you with the ability to escape, and communicate and even to become the person you WISH you could be. There probably is something inherently wrong with all of this, but I also don’t believe in digital duality (Herrman, 2014) and the real and virtual are going to become synonymous, and I really do think that this is something that we need to embrace, rather than reject.

References:

Atlay, O 2015, ‘Most Popular MMORPGs in the World’, MMOs.com, viewed 17 January 2016, < http://mmos.com/editorials/most-popular-mmorpgs-world>

Herrman, J 2014, ‘Meet the Man Who Got Inside Snapchat’s Head’, BuzzFeed, 28 January, viewed 16 January 2016, <http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/meet-the-unlikely-academic-behind-snapchats-new-pitch#3dlvjg2>

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver 2015 [television program], HBO, 21 June.

Second Skin 2008 [Presto], Brauer & Escoriaza, USA.

[cameronmda20009-blog]

Hi shivaniielizabeth,

Great piece on gaming online.

The social aspect of it is certainly a big draw card, when younger my friends and I played dungeons and dragons (I know, how nerdy lol) while having a bbq and drinking (well, most of us were only drinking). This was the face to face version of online gaming, so true to form with the advent of online gaming we shifted online to play.

While only rarely these days, it is still the equivalent of going to a mates bbq to organise everyone to play online and have a drink at the same time, and the time set aside for the event is no different, it takes the majority of your attention for the day and the interaction is as real to the players as though they were in the same room.

Cheers,

Cameron.

[kzunblogs-blog]

Thanks for this really insightful piece. I actually found social gaming as one of the more difficult pieces to write about as I have no exposure or experience with it and neither do friends or family. I was really shocked to hear about that the bullying (especially the violent threats against women) that takes place in gaming. Hopefully the positive social aspect and behaviours can overtake this and people can enjoy gaming to their full potential.

[kzunblogs-blog]

Let's get ready to rumble..social gaming

Social Gaming or gaming refers to games that are specifically made (and can be profited from) social sites like Facebook or apps that can be downloaded onto laptops, PCs, smartphones and tablets according to Swinburne Online (2015)

Personally, I don’t not have any personal experience with gaming whilst I do have a number of apps on my phone, they are more service orientated apps or social media platforms where I can elect to not have to have access to social gaming. However, social gaming is continuing to grow and is creating opportunities for creators to earn serious dollars from users who continue to purchase and partake in their games.

A bit of fun?

Whilst gaming is perceived as fun for participants, there does pose a significant risk of addiction given the ease and accessibility of gaming in the internet age.

A recent CNN study supports this stating ‘’This is why we're seeing Internet Gaming Disorder becoming a bigger problem because now, not only has almost everyone got a computer, and almost everyone has a video game system in their home ... but now you've got a cell phone and you've got games on it and you can access games pretty much everywhere."

The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5, a manual that classifies mental disorders, lists Internet Gaming Disorder as "a condition warranting more clinical research and experience before it might be considered for inclusion in the main book as a formal disorder." (CNN, 2016)

What can be done?

With mental conditions such as Internet Gaming Disorder gaining prominence and an increased number of individuals suffering addiction problems similar to gambling, what responsibilities do game and app creators have to ensure that gamers can be supported in their pursuits and access support if they show sign of addiction? Stuff NZ (2015) reports that Game development companies boast budgets rivalling those of the big movie studios, producing games with very high production values and sophisticated back stories. This level of investment reflects the money that gamers are prepared to pay for good products however at this point in time, game development companies have done very little to ensure that gamers are safe from addiction and whilst they have a number of mechanisms in place to ensure monetary transactions are safe, age of gamers are verified, it does not extend much further than that.  In a world where social gaming is increasing its presence and reach, do gaming developers need to be regulated?

References

CNN 2016, Internet Gaming Addiction Spirals, viewed 5 February 2016 http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/06/health/video-games-addiction-gentile-feat/

Stuff NZ 2015, 'Internet gaming disorder is a growing problem' viewed 5 February 2015 <http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/69505239/Internet-gaming-disorder-is-a-growing-problem>

Swinburne Online 2015, Week 10 Learning Materials, viewed 5 February 2016                        

 < https://ilearn.swin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-5190915-dt-content-rid-26655220_2/courses/2015-SO3-MDA20009-210404/UnitLearningMaterials/week-10.html>

Images

Game Image 2014, Game on girl, viewed 5 February 2016 http://www.gameongirl.com/podcast-posts/tag/social-gaming

Gaming Opportunity 2015, Visual Mobile, viewed 5 February 2016 <https://visual.ly/mobile-social-gaming-opportunity-top-down>

[newblogger42-blog]

Visual Communities

How you see myself

With the many different platforms of social media, we can now share so much of ourselves and our lives online with others.  Particularly with those that live some distance away.  But how much do people actually want to know?  I might think it’s important, but others not so much.  And then what do we do when we are confronted with a selfie of our best friend? Again!  We ask why do they feel the need to constantly upload photos of themselves?  Who knows!  Some may call it narcissism (Swinburne 2016).

Lange (2009) discusses the human need for attention and social media platforms certainly provide an avenue to fulfill this need.  Quite ironically, Dr Sylvia Gearing (2013) explains in her Youtube video that taking selfies and posting on social media doesn’t give the viewer a real sense of who you are and doesn’t replace genuine face-to-face communication.

So how do we move on from here?  What is an acceptable form of sharing information about ourselves, whether via text or photos, that will be free from criticism or judgement?  We all have the right to express ourselves the way we want and whilst we may not agree with the act and find it very aggravating to be constantly bombarded with the same face day in, day out, perhaps we need to think about what is motivating them to engage in this behaviour.

Having said that, celebrities, such as Justin Bieber (Huffington Post 2013), use selfies to enhance their public images and use sexuality to achieve this.  There are thousands of photos on the internet of celebrities that are barely clothed or posing as if they are blowing a kiss to fans.  Whilst it may gain negative publicity, it is still publicity and keeps the celebrity (and even Jo Blog) in the forefront of viewers minds.

With the many platforms available; Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, even Tumblr, no longer will we be free of the avid selfie taker.  However we do have the choice as to whether we choose to engage with it.  And as communicators we can learn what is important to people from these behaviours, but Dr Gearing is right; digital should never replace meaningful face-to-face conversations when the opportunity permits.

References

Gearing, S 2013, ‘Generation Me - The Downside of Taking Selfies’ [video], Youtube, viewed 18 January 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=was0EQ0R8Ek>

Huffington Post 2013, ‘Justin Bieber’ [image], Huffington Post, viewed 18 January 2016, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com>

Lange, P 2009, ‘Videos of Affinity on Youtube’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Week 9 Learning Materials on Blackboard, 18 January, viewed 18 January 2016.

Swinburne Online 2016, ‘Week 9 Visual Communities’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Swinburne University of Technology, Learning Materials on Blackboard, 18 January, viewed 18 January 2016.

[luanabickel-deactivated20160307]

Hello,

Great read here.

Definitely agree when you say how celebrities use the selfies and visual platforms to promote themselves. On this week’s presentation we have also discussed about self-made celebrities. All via visual platforms. How do you see this kind of celebrity and their use of selfies for personal marketing?

Cheers

Luana

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[kzunblogs-blog]

I define they agree that celebrities use selfies to contribute to their brand and personal marketing. I find it really funny that celebrities try to post "natural" and "casual" images when the truth is they have been styled and strategically placed to bring attention to an event, product or something else important that will ultimately raise their profile.

[stacienewbiggin-blog]

Visual communities and social imaging

Since the rise of Instagram in 2010, Social Media platforms have seen a major increase in users using visual media such a photographs and videos to connect with each other digitally. With over 300 million monthly users and an increase in average post engagement by 416 percent over two years, Instagram is considered the most important social platform by teenagers in the United States (LePage 2015). However, not to overshadowed, platforms such as Snapchat, Flickr, Tumblr and Pinterest also provide users way to connect visually interact, and with the mobile cameras creating images and videos is easier than ever.

(Richmond 2012)

The rise of the selfie

The Oxford Dictionaries (2016) defines a selfie as ‘A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media’. A selfie, is not the first form of personal photography, however, what is important is the ‘ways in which the web has changed how and what it means to share photographs’ (Vivienne et al. 2013, p. 281). No longer are photographs placed in albums, they are instead uploaded to a much larger platform via Web 2.0 technologies. The appeal of the selfie is that it allows the user to share a controlled moment in time and present a part of themselves they want others to see. These images are often met with criticism, although, not for their potential risks like ‘sexting’ and inappropriate content, but rather for their associated with narcissism and vanity (Magazine 2013).

However, selfies are again evolving with many separate websites and galleries celebrating them as a form of art. For example, the New York Museum of Feelings have published a Living Gallery. This gallery encourages users to upload a selfie which then changes color based on your ‘biometric input, social media trends and other real-time data in your region’ (REFERENCE). You can check out the live gallery here: https://www.themuseumoffeelings.com/living-gallery/photo.

(Brooks 2015)

A picture speaks 1000 words

Overall, the ease of access to a camera and the Internet on Smartphones allows individuals to snap a picture or video of a moment in time and share it instantly. The ability to do this means that people can now share a highlight from their day, their lunch or selfie without resorting to words or a keyboard.

References

Brooks, K 2015, ‘MUSEUM OF FEELINGS / HPMG’ [image], in The Museum Of Feelings Is A 'Mood Ring’ For Your City’s Emotions, The Huffington Post, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/museum-of-feelings_us_565c674ce4b072e9d1c26249?section=australia>.

LePage, E 2015, 'A Long List of Instagram Statistics and Facts (That Prove Its Importance)’, HubSpot, 17 September, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics-for-business/>.

Magazine 2013, ‘Self-portraits and social media: The rise of the ‘selfie’’, BBC News, 7 June, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22511650>.

Make a mood lens, The Museum of Feelings, viewed 30 January 2016, <https://www.themuseumoffeelings.com/create-mood/>.

Richmond, S 2012, 'Facebook brought Instagram earlier this year’ [image], in Instagram: we won’t sell your photos, The Telegraph, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/9754817/Instagram-we-wont-sell-your-photos.html>.

Selfie 2016, Oxford Dictionaries, viewed 30 January 2016, <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/selfie>.

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

[kzunblogs-blog]

I find the selfie culture really interesting! I'm torn to say whether it is a sign of the times or whether it is just pure narcissism? I feel like it is most likely a combination of both and like you said the ease and accessibility of smart phone cameras contribute to this!

[kzunblogs-blog]

Shake it like a polaroid picture

Snapchat, Instagram and sharing images via Facebook are activities that are common for many of us as our digital world evolves. These visual communities offer a new form of visual communication where users can be inspired, interact, learn as well as directly communicate through the commenting function.

Visual communities like Instagram and Snapchat allow users to post images that represent themselves or the image that the user would like to portray to various publics.  Mizuko Ito describes publics as they can be reactors, (re)makers and (re)distributors, engaging in shared culture and knowledge through discourse and social exchange as well as through acts of media reception (2008, pp. 2-3). With visual communities being used to be more connected with publics, users are curating their images to ensure that their publics walks away with an image or brand that is reflective of how they want to be perceived.

If we look at popular fashion and lifestyle bloggers such as Gary Pepper Girl or Health and Wellness blogger Kayla Istines visual connectivity through Instagram, Snap Chat and also their own blogging platforms, we would be met with a highly stylised set of imagery that is a pure representation of their brand and lifestyle. Take this image of Gary Pepper Girl on her way to the airport.

We are presented with a highly stylised image, definitely not candid but aligns with her brand which is to present artistic, stylish and luxury shots that depict a fashionable world traveller.  Bloggers such as Gary Pepper Girl highlight the importance networked visuality has within our digital communities as she relies on her followers liking, sharing and commenting on her pictures as an integral way to ensure formation and maintenance of her publics (Swinburne Online, 2015). Bloggers using Instagram or other visual imagery sites are creating spaces where their followers can be influenced can learn and build relationships with people who have similar interests.

Whilst my images are definitely not as stylised as a blogger or digital influencer, I too use visual imagery to connect with others and build relationships. I share images that I know my followers would be interested in seeing, whether that is pictures of my family or holiday snaps and I work to include them by tagging them in photos or opening the communication lines further by tagging them in posts or other imagery that I may find interesting.

By tagging images, I am instantly providing information about that image whether it be a certain event, person or place and that instantly makes the image searchable.  Whilst I enjoy tagging friends in pictures or places, it is noted that I don’t always ask for permission in doing this which can create bigger problems. Hand notes that many people experience ‘degrees of anxiety, concern and fascination with the visual landscapes encountered through Facebook’ (Hand, 2012, p. 175).  By tagging a friend in a photo, I could potentially be causing harm to my visual communities if they are not happy to have that image connected with their public.

Have you ever tagged a friend or acquaintance and have it backfire?

References

Hand, M 2012, Ubiquitous Photography, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Mizuko, I 2008 ‘Introduction’, in K, Vamelis, ed. Networked Publics, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 1-14.

Images

‘Michael Jackson Meme’, 2015, IMG Flip, viewed 1 February 2016 https://imgflip.com/i/ekasx

[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

[kzunblogs-blog]

Great post. I think the positives benefits of crowdsourcing are commonly discussed and it was interesting to see another take on crowdsourcing. I think the IS crowdsourcing initiatives are one of the more purer evils we will see on the web. I hope more positive crowdsourcing initiatives and groups can trump this and continue to make positive social changes

[narellemda20009-blog]

Crowdsourcing

In times of crisis or emergencies, social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook provide an innovative means of improving the flow of real time information, enabling appropriate action to be taken. As well as mainstream news media, people affected by events can share information, experiences, photos and videos that can be crucial to public knowledge, response and recovery efforts. This is the basis of crowdsourcing – obtaining information, services and ideas from a large group of people, including the online community.

The best known example of crowdsourcing is Wikipedia, the extensive, up-to-date online encyclopaedia. Tools are available that make crowdsourced information and images available to the public on maps, so-called social mapping. Ushahidi is probably the most well known of these tools, developed originally to monitor civil conflict during the Kenyan elections of 2007. Using SMS, social media platforms and the web, an event could be depicted on a map as it unfolded over time. One issue that needs to be addressed in any  crowdsourced content is the authenticity and accuracy of the information.

In his blog on iRevolution, Patrick Meier  (2015) describes how he used UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles or drones) and Pix4D drone mapping software to produce a detailed map of the village of Panga, Nepal which was devastated by the “Ghorka” earthquake on 25 April 2015.

3D images of Panga created using Pix4D software

Bringing technology, humanitarian and local community partners together, they were able to produce a 3D map from thousands of images captured by the drones. This indicated the damaged areas, buildings that had been destroyed and those that were structurally unsafe. The maps were printed on huge banners, and then crowdsourced: locals added their knowledge by identifying such things as the location of debris, temporary shelters and drinking water. This added a rich, contextual social layer to the map, which added to further discussions, strategies and priorities for the recovery and rebuilding the Panga.

Compare the quality of the maps: satellite imagery and digital images from the drones -

This story really resonated with me because I own and fly a quadcopter, similar to those used in Nepal by Meier. They are amazing gadgets and their applications are endless – I use mine to find the wild pigs hiding and destroying the sugar cane on the farm where I live (do you know how to tell the difference between wild bush pigs and wild pigs that live in sugar cane? Bush pigs have razor-sharp teeth; pigs living in sugar cane have rotten, sugar-decayed teeth). Flying drones are great fun and a great way to spend one’s free time.

Meier, P 2015, ‘Introducing WeRobotics’, viewed 23 December 2015, < http://irevolution.net>.

Meier, P 2015, ‘Aerial Robotics in the Land of Buddha’, viewed 23 December 2015, <http://irevolution.net/2015/09/28/aerial-robotics-in-the-land-of-buddha/>.

Pix4D 2015, ‘Mapping Nepal: Drones and the future of disaster response’, viewed 23 December 2015, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOXmju2bCpQ>.

DJI 2015, ‘DJI Stories – Crisis mapping in Nepal’, viewed 23 December 2015, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXkcvzxBsrY>.

[2xglenos-blog]

Thank you narellemda20009 for such a great and insightful blog on crowdsourcing.It was really interesting and I learned a lot.

I really enjoyed the clip on Nepal, this earthquake highly resinates with me as my wife and I were suppose to be trekking there when the tragedy happened, Lucky but unlucky my wife could not get insurance due to her heart problem. 

I believe crowd mapping is one of the best innovations that can help the whole of society.

I also loved your experience using drones in the sugar cane.

Top effort 

Regards

Glen 

[luanabickel-deactivated20160307]

Great example of crowdsourcing Narelle. We are all aware that Social Media platforms has given the public a voice and a freedom of speech, where everyone can give their opinion regarding any particular issue and to broadcast news.

I agree with Glen that crowd mapping is a great innovation. Best way to go about social changes through technology.

cheers,

Luana

[kzunblogs-blog]

Thanks for this post! Before I started research on this topic I had no idea what a broad reach and also what amazing assistance could be provided by crowdsourcing. The crowd mapping technique is a fantastic addition and one I also covered in my blog. I think when utilised the right way, crowdsourcing will continue to have a positive impact on social media and society.

[kzunblogs-blog]

In a time of crisis...crowdsourcing

Communication in a time of crisis whether that be a national disaster or more sinister like a terrorist attack, we rely on a variety of communication systems and medium to contact loved ones, understand what is happening or to be aware of any further threats. Unfortunately when major crisis take place, our communication systems can also fail making it harder to communicate key information to the public, loved ones or other persons of interest. 

In the digital age, we are now turning to social medium platforms to access information and in a time of crisis ‘crowdsourcing’ is an increasingly popular and effective way of obtaining information and disseminating across a large group or audience.   Merriam Webster Online (2014) defines crowdsourcing as a way to obtain crucial services, ideas or information by getting this information from large groups of people with a focus on the online community.

When the Nepal earthquake struck in 2015, a number of organisations as well as individuals used crowdsourcing as way to fundraise for relief efforts but also to track down missing peoples using the power of social media.   Along with Facebook’s safety feature that allows users to notify followers that they are safe, the Nepal Earthquake has seen a number of crowdsourcing efforts take place such as the use of the Kathmandu living lab map which maps the disaster affected areas thanks to the efforts of online users disseminating key information about each area in Nepal.  Volunteer Coordination has also been used online via Google Docs and social media in order to recruit volunteers but to ensure they are adequately spread across key areas (New York Time, 2015)

  Through the use of crowdsourcing, the online community was effectively able to assist and help those affected in Nepal and provide valuable information to rescue teams when traditional communication systems such as telephone was not possible.

Whilst crowdsourcing has been used for more shallow pursuits such as kickstarter campaigns to get Hollywood movies off the ground, one cannot deny the power that crowdsourcing in a time of genuine crisis can hold.  We saw only recently that a Tasmanian widow receive hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise his children after his wife was killed in a car accident. Through the online community coming together and sharing this man’s story they were able to contribute to the wellbeing of his family through crowdsourcing  (ABC, 2016).

What are some examples of effective crowdsourcing in a crisis that you have seen?

References

 ‘Baby born after fatal crash’ 2016, ABC, viewed 1 February 2016 <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-23/baby-born-after-fatal-crash-now-stable/7109314>

‘crowdsourcing entry’ 2014, Merriam Webster, viewed 17 September 2015,<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdsourcing>.

‘Nepalis using crowdsourcing to aid in quake relief’, 2015, New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/02/world/asia/3-ways-nepalis-are-using-crowdsourcing-to-aid-in-quake-relief.html?_r=0>

Images

‘Crowdsourcing Disaster Relief’ 2014, Dialogue Consulting, viewed 1 February 2016 http://www.dialogueconsulting.com.au/2014/03/crowdsourcing-disaster-relief/

‘Nepalis using crowdsourcing to aid in quake relief’, 2015, New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/02/world/asia/3-ways-nepalis-are-using-crowdsourcing-to-aid-in-quake-relief.html?_r=0>

[2xglenos-blog]

Blog Cico (5) Week 7 :Digital citizenship: Trolling and social media conflict.

To date we have learned being a digital citizen within our digital communities can hold great power to help benefit society through freedom of speech, to protest and persuade.

Unfortunately a minority of digital citizens use this forum in an unsocial way to manipulate, agitate, bully and attack innocent uses to gain a reaction or purposely harm. This is also know a trolling, Bishop (p. xiii) simply defines trolling as “the posting of provocative or offensive messages on the internet for humorous effect”

(Take a brief moment to skip through this brilliant Insight report on all things trolling )

Hardly a day goes by with out news of trolling or trolls that have affected an individual or a family forever. Trolling has become a 21st century issue that only seems to be getting bigger every year. So why do trolls feel they need to put down, manipulate and purposely harm innocent bystanders? According to researcher Golbeck (2014) trolls all have similar narcissistic, psychopathic, and sadists personality traits that will lie, exaggerate and offend to get a response. This research also concluded that trolls get enjoyment making other people feel bad, distresses and treat the Internet as playground to destruct the peace.

 It would be easy to blame trolling on the introduction of the Internet and the advances of collaborating technology.  Bishops (2014) research reveals that the youth of today believe this is an easy excuse to give an understanding of their unsocial behaviour and a platform to unleash their dark personality on society with anonymity.

 Munson (2014) has estimated at present Facebook have up to 67 million fake accounts with majority being trolls. In our own backyard Australian government seem to be reactive and not proactive on the laws to control and prosecute trolls and the use of fake accounts. It takes an attempted suicide by the late celebrity Charlotte Dawson who was directly affected by tolls with many death threats from social media for the government to stand up and listen (Obrien et al 2013). With lawyer Greg Walsh stating our laws are still inadequate to protect our society. (Trolling Laws inadequate layers say, 2013)

 Good can come amongst the dark side of our digital communities to help bring justice and light of unsocial, racist’s behaviour. With the development of mobile phones and Social media innocent bystanders can capture the minority of society’s scum of bullying, taunting, attacking individuals on the grounds of their race and beliefs.

This is a great topic with many different opinions, What are your thoughts,  has social media worked out better or worse for society?

Glen

References:

Bishop, J 2013, Examining the Concepts, Issues, and Implications of Internet Trolling, Information Science Reference, America

Bishop, J 2014, Digital Teens and the ‘Antisocial Network’: Prevalence of Troublesome Online Youth Groups and Internet Trolling in Great Britain, IGI Global publishing, America  

Golbreck, J 2014, Internet Trolls are Narcissists, psychopaths, and Sadists, Phychology today, viewed 6 January 2016.  

< https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-online-secrets/201409/internet-trolls-are-narcissists-psychopaths-and-sadists>

 Munson, L 2014, Facebook. At least 67million fake accounts, naked security, viewed 7 January 2016.

< https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2014/02/10/facebook-at-least-67-million-accounts-are-fake/>

Obrien, N & Ralston, N 2014, Charlotte Dawson found dead, The Sydney morning herald, viewed 7 January 2016.

< http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/charlotte-dawson-found-dead-20140222-338j6.html>

You tube Clips:

Insight SBS 2012, Trolls,16 October, Viewed 6 January 2016.<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoniS-S6KCc&feature=youtu.be&list=PLs348akkootx0S5I-k0UZ2Isp288dGCVX>

Insight SBS 2012, Stephen on the effects of trolling, 11th October, Viewed 6 January 2016.                                                       <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKH6snBFRI&index=3&list=PLs348akkootx0S5I-k0UZ2Isp288dGCVX>

[narellemda20009-blog]

The Insight program on trolls was very enlightening - to hear from the trolls themselves certainly gave some insight into how they think, why they behave the way they do but still leaves me wondering what sort of people they really are especially when you  see the devastating effects they can have on their victims. For young people, I think education is the way to go, but for adults, I don’t know how you “rehabilitate” them.

[kzunblogs-blog]

Thanks for this post Glen. Ultimately I think social media has benefited us for good but I also think a major issue is that it has progressed so quickly that we do not have enough governance or law around the use of social media. Due to this we see the damaging effect that trolls and cyber bullies can have on society. There is no easy answer on how to fix this but I think a commitment to education is key.

[stephsaidso-blog]

Digital Citizenship 3: Trolling and social media conflict

Week 7 - Blog 5

Issues of governance and regulation of social media use

In the current digital age with social media platforms, websites and apps online abuse known as cyberbullying, trolling, hating or stalking is becoming more so prevalent. With social media is here to stay and increasingly being used by children and young people, the government and the public are attempting to create policies around the concepts of ‘digital citizenship’ in order to promote balanced, civil, ethical and profitable forms of Internet and social media use (McCosker & Johns 2014). Digital citizenship has been described as ‘the ability to participate in society online’ (Mossberger, Tolbert & McNeal 2008). However, Berg and Breheny (2014) state that bulling is a serious social problem, “not a technological one”.

Young people and technology

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in April 2009, 79% young Australians aged between 5–14 years reported accessing the Internet in the previous 12 months. That is approximately 2.2 million young Australians! By April 2012, the online participation on children increased to 89.4%. As demonstrated in the table below, the study also shed light on the particular Internet activity they were engaged in.

Another recent study found that along with texting, social media is he most frequently used places for cyberbullying victimization (Whittaker & Kowalski 2015). The same research also found that online aggressive comments aimed at random people were evaluated least negatively whereas those directed toward peers were perceived most negatively (Whittaker & Kowalski 2015).

Richards, Caldwell & Go (2015) state that the risks of social media can be reduced with website design as well as developing strategies to help those most at risk manage the risk. Furthermore, social media risks for children can be diminished though adding in safety features (Richards, Caldwell & Go 2015).

How do you think online bullying can be reduced?

References:

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4901.0 – Children’s participation in cultural and leisure activities, Australia, Apr 2012. 2012.

Berg C & Breheny S 2014, The cyberbullying moral panic, Institute of Public Affairs Review: A Quarterly Review of Politics and Public Affairs, May, Volume 66, Issue 1, pp.25 - 27

McCosker A & Johns A 2014, Contested publics: racist rants, bystander action and social media acts of citizenship, 1 May, Media International Australia, No. 151, pp.66-72

Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. & McNeal, R. 2008, Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society, and Participation, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Richards D, Caldwell P H Y & Go H 2015, Impact of social media on the health of children and young people,  Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, pp. 1152–1157

Whittaker E & Kowalski R M 2015, Cyberbullying Via Social Media, Journal of School Violence, Volume 14, Issue 1, pp. 11-29

[narellemda20009-blog]

Very informative and interesting Australian statistics. I think education is the key. Starting at home, parents and older brothers and sisters should instil into younger children some of the “do’s and don’ts” about online activity. There are also some good resources online - @adigitalcitizen referred to an eSmart digital licence developed by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, which an excellent start for parents and teachers.

Thanks for the good read!

[kzunblogs-blog]

Great post with excellent food for though. I really think there needs to be a combination of tougher penalties whether that be from the law or whether that comes from a school/university or workplace where a troll may be conducting cyber bullying as well as effective education. Education is key for our younger generation but I think it is important that they see real life case studies where they can understand the extent of damage that trolling can cause!

[kzunblogs-blog]

Trolling..what's it all about?

With social media being used to connect us with our friends, family, colleagues and virtual strangers, the way we interact with one another is often under the microscope. The technology that connects us can also disconnect or alienate us from social interaction due to bullying or ‘trolling’ online.

Trolls are internet ‘troublemakers’ who not only focus on insulting a person, but trying to start a fight and hopefully bring more people into the argument rather than just the person they originally targeted (The Guardian, 2012)

The impact of trolling and social media in society today is increasingly profiled with particular focus on the impact on teenagers. However, its impact can be measured more broadly across society, given the large percentage of people that are connected via social media (Boyd, 2014).

Whilst various groups of our population are seemingly targeted by internet trolls, a concern and focus area is the impact that trolling can have on the younger generation, specifically teenagers. Teenagers are one of the more active generations on social media and Boyd (2014) argues that often teenagers do not realise how their presence on social media platforms can make them an easy target where their actions can create conflict and attract trolls. Often these trolls are known to them through social circles and through their schools. 

In April 2015, teenager Jessica Cleland took her own life due to incessant trolling and cyberbullying.  Her parents are calling for Australian laws to be reviewed and changed since the coroner ruled that her trolling and cyberbullying contributed to her death.  The coroner also stated “I am satisfied that Facebook and text messaging were problematic for Jessica because easy access to the internet on her phone meant that she was exposed to potentially upsetting communications 24 hours a day ... online chat and SMS create an environment where it is easier for individuals to say hateful and hurtful things without facing the immediate consequences.” (Herald Sun, 2016)

The question that authorities are now faced with is what can actually be done to put a stop to trolling and cyberbullying?  Currently, internet trolls can face prosecution in Australia for their behaviour, but to date there have been few and far instances of trolls being reprimanded for their behaviour due to a range of reasons such as anonymity, lack of precedents and lack of resources for law enforcement to investigate behaviours (Findlaw Australia, 2015)

The issues above are not simple ones to be resolved. Individuals and groups who have been affected by trolling are now banding together to fight back and bring light to bad behaviour by publicly shaming trolls or drawing attention to their antisocial internet behaviour. Most recently a social media campaign #EndViolenceAgainstWomen was launched with the intention to name trolls when they had trolled or cyberbullied using violent language or threats against women.  The campaign received wide coverage and was seen as an peaceful yet effective response to trolls (ABC, 2015)

Will a collective approach such as the #EndViolenceAgainstWomen campaign be enough to stand up to trolls and reduce cyberbullying, or will increased protection need to be offered from a legal viewpoint? What do you think?

References

‘#EndViolenceAgainstWomen: Secret Facebook group names men it says troll women online’, 2015, ABC, viewed 1 February 2016 <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-04/secret-facebook-group-to-name-men-who-troll-women/6997652>

Boyd, D 2014, 'Bullying: Is the Media Amplifying Meanness and Cruelty?', in It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, Yale University Press, New Haven, USA, pp 128-52.

‘What is an internet troll?’ 2012, The Guardian, viewed 1 February 2015 <http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jun/12/what-is-an-internet-troll>

‘Call for Cyber bullying crackdown’, 2016, Herald Sun, viewed 1 February 2016 <http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/grieving-parents-of-jessica-cleland-call-for-cyber-bullying-crackdown-after-their-daughter-was-bullied-to-death/news-story/40eb05d332b3c78834bd32e68dde1203>

Findlaw Australia 2015, 'Internet trolls can be prosecuted under Australian law,' viewed 7 December 2015, <http://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/4259/internet-trolls-can-be-prosecuted-under-Australian-law>.

Images

‘Internet Trolls’ 2014, The Wrap, viewed 1 February 2016 <http://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/INTERNET-TROLLS-618.jpg>

[stephsaidso-blog]

#ACTIVISM

“If you “like” something, does that mean you care about it?” (Carr 2012).

58% of Americans believe that an effective form of advocacy is through clicking the “Like” button, or retweeting a hashtag tweeting or posting support for a campaign online (Albright 2015).

#Hashtag

The use of the hashtag for assembling online discussions started back in 2007 (Doctor 2013), however since then hashtags have developed to be more than a tool for just simply grouping knowledge or conversing on a certain event. Today, the hashtag converts to a symbol that lets the public to gather behind it and a symbol of empowerment (Albright 2015).

Hashtag Activism 

Hashtag Activism is the supporting of a cause through the use of a hashtag online (Albright 2015). When searching for examples of hashtag activism I found so many hashtags that started controversial conversations so I decided to make a list.

5 MOST INFLUENCIAL #HASHTAGS

  5) #BlackLivesMatter

The #BlackLivesMatter began as a hashtag after the deadly shooting of Michael Brown in Missouri, in 2014. This hashtag has also inspired other, similar hashtags, including #MuslimLivesMatter and #SyrianLivesMatter (Luibrand 2015).

4) #ALSIceBucketChallenge

The ALS Ice bucket challenge hashtag helped raise over $115 million dollars for ALS research through encouraging online users (including celebrities, politicians and famous athletes) to participate by dumping buckets of icy water on themselves (Wolff-Mann 2015).

3) #WhyILeft and #WhyIStayed.

Beverly Gooden, a survivor of a violent marriage, encouraged her followers to use the hashtags #whyistayed or #whyileft to bravely share their own experiences with abuse, in order to speak out against domestic violence (Bahadur 2014).

  2) #HeForShe

Emma Watson, actress, model and UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador, delivered a powerful speech at the United Nations about gender equality starting the hashtag #heforshe. Her speech had over 11 million views (Leighannkayau.wordpress 2014).

  1) #BringBackOurGirls

After the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by Islamic militants the hastag #bringbackourgirls began tending. Millions of online users shared the tag including celebrates and government leaders (Eby 2014). 

Activist or Slacktivist?

Being a slacktivist is easier now than ever with social medias presence in our everyday lives (Essig 2014).

But what is Slacktivism?

Slacktivism is the expression for showing support for a cause though “liking” something on Facebook or sharing a hashtag, without engaging in further support such as donating time or money (Essig 2014).

According to TV host Jimmy Fallon and singer Justin Timberlake the hashtag in indeed over used (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 2013). watch this clip:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA

What do you think?

Is the #hashtag being over used?

Is #hashtagactivism working?

References:

Albright D 2015, Hashtag Activism: #powerful or #pointless? 11 Feburary, viewed 3 December, http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hashtag-activism-powerful-pointless/>

Bahadur N 2014, #WhyIStayed Stories Reveal Why Domestic Violence Survivors Can’t ‘Just Leave’, Huffington Post, viewed 5 December 2015 < http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2014/09/09/whyistayed-twitter-domestic-violence_n_5790320.html?ir=Australia>

Carr D 2012, Hashtag Activism, and Its Limits, The Media Equation, 25 March, viewed 4 December 2015, < http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/business/media/hashtag-activism-and-its-limits.html>

Chief Elk L 2014, Before You Join The Next #Hashtag Trend, Ask These Questions, 9 October, viewed 5 December 2015, <http://www.refinery29.com/when-feminist-activism-goes-corporate>

Doctor V 2013, Hashtag history: when and what started it, 30 May, viewed 2 December 2015 <https://www.hashtags.org/featured/hashtag-history-when-and-what-started-it/>

Eby M 2014, #BringBackOurGirls: Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, other stars rally for kidnapped Nigerian girls - A host of celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Amy Poehler, and Alicia Keys, joined the movement to raise awareness for the missing children, 8 May, viewed 6 December 2015, < http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/bringbackourgirls-campaign-attracts-hollywood-star-power-article-1.1785054>

Essig K 2014, Activism Or Slacktivism? How Social Media Hurts And Helps Student Activism, 2 January, viewed 3 December 2015, < http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/activism-or-slacktivism-how-social-media-hurts-and-helps-student-activism>

Leighannkayau.wordpress 2014, The language of the 21st Century, #hastgags, United Nations, viewed 5 December 2015<https://leighannkayau.wordpress.com/tag/united-nations/>

Luibrand S 2015, How a death in Ferguson sparked a movement in America, CBS News, 7 August, viewed 6 December 2015 < http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-the-black-lives-matter-movement-changed-america-one-year-later/>

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 2013, “#Hashtag” with Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), 24 September, viewed 4 December 2015 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA>

Wolff-Mann E 2015, Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? Here’s What Happened to the Money, 21 August, viewed 3 December 2015, < http://time.com/money/4000583/ice-bucket-challenge-money-donations/>

[narellemda20009-blog]

Action is what is needed. If the hashtag converts to action (not just clicking and liking) then the hashtag isn’t being overused and hashtag activism is working. Unfortunately, many of these campaigns don’t end up fulfilling the goals they start out with.

[kzunblogs-blog]

I agree with Narelle. If action follows the hashtag then I think we are onto a good thing. Whilst some of the campaigns don't really end up achieving anything, the ones that are more regulated, resources and have a strong and powerful message seem to survive and that is a good thing. It gives me an accessible way to be a good socially responsible person.

[2xglenos-blog]

Blog Cuatro (4) Week6: Digital Citizenship 2: Activism and protest.

Will the next generation feel that active protesting is simply, blogging, liking, posting, tweeting and snap chatting your support?

Standing as one and being passionate is our write to freedom of speech, even if that is through a computer ?  As an active digital citizen It would be inaccurate for me to suggest how signing up to protest online and standing up for what one believes is a careless form of protest. As I’m guilty as charged, its true I’m a convicted “slacktivism” or as Barber Ellen call it clicktivism  “joining internet petitions to achieve socio-political aims” (Ellen 2015)

 As an avid believer in sustainable living by mitigating our reliance on natural recourses and animal welfare, I actively sign up to local activist groups i.e climatechange.org and palmoilinvestigations.org through social media petitions to stop deforestation to save the orangutans, and protesting to the government to be an active member to mitigate climate change.

With out the social media who knows if you or  I would have joined such organisation to protested. The array of information on the Internet has given the digital citizen a voice and allowed them to form their own opinions.

 Spanish designers have taken being a “slacktivism” to a new whole new level. Know as the Freedom of speech kit citizen,  Solon (2013) reports that an active digital citizen that cant make it to the physical protest can still march and have their say by sending messages through Wi-Fi to an electronic banner displayed amongst the protesters.

It’s hard to ague against that advertising has successfully rewired society to consume more, with some successful marketing actually brainwashing people to believe their item can fix all your desired needs. This form of consumerism has been around pre television and has been only heightened with the creation of the Internet. Culture Jamming is a form re-advertising political protest against organisations untactful values or wrong doings in society. Culture jamming takes in the form of refigures logos, brand names, quotes and saying to portray the views of the protester ( Culture Jamming and Meme-based Communication 2015) *refer to picture below

 One popular organisation known for culture jamming is adbusters.com. This organisation protests the big issues and helps exploit corrupt, unethical and unsocial organisations and individuals. Founder of ad buster Kalle Lasn believes that this is dark age for humanity and the ”killing capitalism” is happening. (Schwartz 2011).

References:

Barbara Ellen 2015, Protest online for sure, but real action still counts, The Guardian, viewed 12 December 2015

<http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/30/change-dot-org-clicktivism-online-petitions>

Culture Jamming and Meme-based Communication 2015, Centre for communication & civic engagement, viewed 12 December 2015.

https://depts.washington.edu/ccce/polcommcampaigns/CultureJamming.htm

Solon, O 2013, Digital placard lets digital citizens participate in protests from afar,Wired.com, viewed 12 December 2015

<http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-05/17/freedom-of-expression-kit>

 Schwartz, M 2011, Pre-Occupied,: The origins and future of Occupy Wall Street, The New Yorker, viewed 12 December 2012.<http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/11/28/pre-occupied>

 You Tube:

Stafford B 2011, Ad Busters-Culture Jamming ( Sparked the Movement), 1st November, Viewed 13 December 2015

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR76Iqh1a1A>

Pictures: 

 Chepp, V 2007, Mc Donalds Culture Jam and the Sociology of Health, culture jam of McDonalds, The Sociological Cinema, viewed 13 December 2015

< http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/videos/mcdonalds-culture-jam-and-the-sociology-of-health>

[cameronmda20009-blog]

Hi 2xglenos, great blog.

I loved the vid on Ad Busters, it made me visit their site to see if they are hiring! The point on Spanish ‘slacktivism’ is well made also, if people remain in their homes and simply represent a point of view through the easiest method possible, the change sought simply will not happen. Without a level of dedication from those who oppose an existing process, why would those who benefit from the status quo enact change?

Cheers, Cameron

[narellemda20009-blog]

To your question, “Will the next generation feel that active protesting is simply, blogging, liking, posting, tweeting and snap chatting your support?” I think the answer is probably a big “yes”. I think it is so hard to take that big step and become involved in a physically and emotionally involved way. It takes time, effort and dedication which not all of us are willing to do.

Loved you Ad Busters video - they’re into social marketing as opposed to product marketing of the big names. Very enlightening and a bit of a wake-up call too.

[kzunblogs-blog]

Great post. Like you, I do struggle to see how my participation in online activism events is not contributing to the bigger picture or is consider "slactivism". I think back to some of the online activism examples like assistance for Nepal earthquake victims or those who have been affected by terrorism and I think it has only done good. Online activism is available and easy for so many to reach, as long as we find our passion and interest area is that such a bad thing?

[kzunblogs-blog]

Viva la social media revolution

I’ve discussed previously about how social media is used to form relationships and stay connected but today I would like to explore how social media platforms are being used to drive activism and revolutions as a collective.

Social media is one of the most powerful communication and connectivity tools available, and increasingly we are able to use it as a form of activism and a catalyst for change for important issues (Huffington Post, 2014). 

Take a look at your Facebook or twitter feed, I imagine they may look similar to mine, in between meme’s or pictures of someone’s new baby there are quite often a post that will be asking to be shared or liked in order to raise awareness about a cause or issue close to someone’s heart. The post could also be an event that you have been asked to attend to show your support. More and more we are seeing social media being used by activist’s more than ever before given that minimal effort is required, it is timely and anonymity can be attached.

Gerbaudo (2012) argues that this display can be seen as the modern equivalent of a newspaper, mail or poster which gives shape as the ways in which people come together, act together or take collective action.

Recently, Netflix documentary ‘Making a murderer’ was released and generated extraordinary attention due to its compelling true story of Steven Avery, a convicted murderer. In case you have been living under a rock, Steven was convicted of rape and sentenced to 32 years jail in 1984. After serving 18 years of that sentence he was exonerated and released in 2002 due to DNA profiling only to find himself back on trial only two years later for murder. Viewers were left confused, divided and at a minimum angered at the US justice system regardless of the verdict (Netflix, 2015).  Since its screening in 2015, online activists have created a formal white house and change.org petition calling for Steven Avery’s pardon, #Freestevenavery has been trending every day since the documentary’s December 18 release and the prosecution team has been trolled and slammed for their actions (AdWeek, 2016).  Viewers of this documentary have connected with the case and with the antihero Avery and have used social media to use their voices to raise awareness of the case.

    Has this unprecedented social media activism actually resulted in anything?  Since the documents release, the White House has officially responded to the online petition and whilst Avery had exhausted his legal aid to appeal the case, the publicity generated from the social media buzz has seen him engage a new pro bono lawyer who is committed to seeing Avery be granted either a pardon or a new trial (Time, 2016). Whilst time will tell what will happen to Steven Avery and his case, the power of social media activism has demonstrated what can be achieved in such a short period of time.

 References

‘Social media trolls making a murderer prosecutor’, 2016, AdWeek, viewed 28 January 2016 <http://www.adweek.com/prnewser/netflix-making-a-murderer-makes-social-media-trolls-for-averys-prosecutor/120559>

Gerbaudo, P 2012, Tweets and the Streets : Social Media and Contemporary Activism, Pluto, London

‘The case for social media activists’ 2014, Huffington Post, viewed 28 January 2016 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sabina-khanibarra/the-case-for-social-media_b_6149974.html

‘Making a murderer’, 2016,  viewed 28 January 2016 <https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80000770

 ‘Steven Avery may appeal’ 2016, viewed 28 Janaury 2016, <http://time.com/4178293/making-murderer-steven-avery-appeal/ >

Images

‘Social media trolls making a murderer prosecutor’, 2016, AdWeek, viewed 28 January 2016 <http://www.adweek.com/prnewser/netflix-making-a-murderer-makes-social-media-trolls-for-averys-prosecutor/120559>

‘Social Media Infographics’ 2016, NPTech for Good, viewed 28 January 2016 <http://www.nptechforgood.com/2014/01/12/19-must-see-social-media-and-fundraising-infographics-for-nonprofits/> 

‘Social Media Activism’, 2016, YouTube, viewed 28 January 2016 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI65Q0Hr0t8>

[chryssieswinburne-blog]

References

Credit Sense 2011, ‘Status update: Does social media use compromise the security of your home?’ [image], Infographic: 80% of robbers check Twitter, Facebook, Google Street View, ZD Net, viewed 1 December 2015, <http://www.zdnet.com/article/infographic-80-of-robbers-check-twitter-facebook-google-street-view/>

[kzunblogs-blog]

Fantastic post. The prominence of social media within Q&A and then the subsequent banning of liberal MPs by Tony Abbott caused more harm than good and put forward a perception that the Liberal government were stuck in the past and did not have the guts to manage the response on twitter and other forums following Q&A episodes.

[newblogger42-blog]

Politics and Civil Cultures: The Politics of Social Media

Today, political candidates are not just trying to persuade the public in a hegemonic way to agree to a specific agenda, but they are now recognising the need to engage with their audiences in a more meaningful, targeted way and social media is fast becoming the tool of choice (Swinburne Online, 2015 Week 5).

This digital citizenship works both ways.  Jericho (2013) discusses social media as the Fifth Estate, allowing journalists and the public to participate in political commentary.  Twitter, Facebook, even YouTube provide a way of connecting with a wider audience that affords two-way communication between the poster and the commenters.

Following the lead of American politicians, Australian politicians have increased their social media usage to gain favour with the public and build their personal brands.  However, even though the number of likes, views and followers might be many, thinking that this translates into votes is misleading (Swinburne Online, 2015 Week 5).

In Jodi Dean’s video, ‘Plenary No.3′ (Swinburne Online, 2015 Week 5), she provides a critical analysis of how social media may not necessarily produce a positive outcome in political participation.  Social media platforms seem to provide a decline in symbolic efficiencies and identities as reflexivity in social media arenas change.

From a citizen’s point of view, being able to initiate, participate and collaborate in political conversation online affords freedom of speech.  Posting a status that captures political unrest for example, allows the every day person to become a citizen journalist.  However, this too is not without consequences, particularly in countries such as Egypt (Howard & Parks 2012).  Monitoring of social media sites in the global political concept, provides a way for dictatorship governments to control those that seem to push against hegemony.  Imagine being well pleased that you posted the first photo of a government leader taking a stroll through the local park, only to be picked up a day later and imprisoned, or worse, executed for exploiting privacy…

So whilst social media has afforded an avenue for political parties to gain favour and build personal brand images, a level of self-editing and restraint is still required and should not replace the more traditional methods of connection such as face-to-face which facilitates the human connection much better than a digital connection.  Taking into consideration also that negativity spreads quicker than positivity with the speed in which online environments afford, social media is not always the best vehicle for communicating and careful planning of campaigns and responses is required.

References

Dean, J 2015, ‘Week 5: Digital Citizenship 1: Politics & Civil Cultures - Plenary No.3 [Video]’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning Materials on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, 27 November, viewed 27 November 2015.

Howard, Pn and Parks, Mr 2012, ‘Social Media and Political Change: Capacity, Constraint and Consequence’, Journal of Communication, Vol62(2), p359-362, Web of Science, EBSCOhost Communication & Mass Media Complete.

Jericho, G 2013, The Rise of the Fifth Estate Social Media and Blogging in Australian Politics, Carlton North: Scribe Publications Pty Ltd, EBL Ebook Library, p14.

Swinburne 2015, ‘Week 5: Digital Citizenship 1: Politics & Civil Cultures’, MDA20009 Digital Communities, Learning Materials on Blackboard, Swinburne University of Technology, 27 November, viewed 27 November 2015.

[chryssieswinburne-blog]

Wow, what an in-depth and great exploration of the topic! So intriguing! i also agree that social media can be a powerful tool but also cause potential disasters for politicians. I think it’s necessary to join the conversation (at least then they can control their online profile a little more), but as you said, they have to be prepared to be analysed by a public that is increasingly more confident in connecting and discussing politics. 

[kzunblogs-blog]

I agree. There are way too many politicians who lack the understanding or skills to have a successful social media presence. I think however whilst traditional communication channels should still be utilised, it seems that social media is the new approach and it is either join the club or be left behind and our politicians are trying to navigate that reality.