Micaela Amabile

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[micaelaamabile]

New Media Law, Policy and Governance

(Online Tax Pros 2012)

The governance of the online world is a hot topic worldwide. Tranter (2010, 18-19) discusses the importance of technology for human beings by placing it “at the core of what it means to be human”, and says that attempts to regulate it “will either fail or end up in debasement and corruption”.

But I’m not so sure I agree. I can see that the freedom offered in the online world has meant that debasement and corruption is already occurring and something needs to change.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) is an increasingly popular gaming genre in which players interact in a virtual world (Lawrence 2011). Just as crimes occur in the real world, they do in the virtual world; however, as noted by Lawrence (2011) in MMORPG Law, “the rules that govern the world which we inhabit do not always translate readily to cyberspace”. This begs the question: what is the boundary between what is ‘real’ and what is ‘virtual’?

Julian Dibble’s A Rape in Cyber Space (1998), describes a ‘cyber rape’ perpetrated by an avatar, Mr. Bungle, who uses a voodoo doll to elicit violently sexual actions on two other characters in LambdaMOO, an online community. While some dismiss that actions in the virtual world can have real life effects, Dibble (1998) begs to differ and states “that what happens inside a MUD-made world is neither exactly real not exactly make-believe, but nonetheless profoundly, compellingly, and emotionally true.”

Many believe that the need for law of technology, to discipline and control online crime is clear (Tranter 2010, 19). The internet has been an attractive medium because of the freedom it allows its users. But many people can take advantage of this freedom at the expense of others, as is evident in the case of Mr. Bungle. Fukuyama (in Tranter 2010, 19) calls for the governance of technology to “’save’ humanity from biotechnology” as he believes technology threatens humans’ reasoning and vulnerability.

For another view on the topic, check out Georgie's or Dominique’s blogpost.

REFERENCE LIST:

Belletam, Dominique. 2012. “Week 9: New Media – Law, Policy and Governance.” Creation of a New Perspective, May 5. Accessed May 7, 2012.

Cameron, Georgie. 2012. "New Media Law, Policy and Governance." New Media: The Ins and Outs of Change, May 3. Accessed May 5, 2012.

Dibbell, Julian. 1998. “A Rape in Cyberspace.” In My Tiny Life. Accessed May 5, 2012.

Online Tax Professionals. 2012. “Electronic Tax Filing News Update: Cyber Criminals.” Online Tax Pros, March 22. Accessed May 7, 2012

Tranter, Keiran. 2010. "Stories of Human Anatomy, Law and Technology." Bulletin of Science Technology Society. 30(18): 18-21. Accessed May 5, 2012.

[micaelaamabile]

New Media Transgressions

(Ng Xin Yi 2010)

New media has dramatically changed the way people disseminate, collect and use personal information and has, ultimately, altered the nature of public and private spheres (Thompson 2011, 49). The blurred boundaries between public and private have changed the way we think about privacy and whether it even exists.

Due to the development of information and communication technologies, information that we once regarded as private can suddenly erupt into the public realm exemplifying what Thompson (2011, 56) calls mediated publicness. This is where the “visibility of individuals is freed of any spatial or temporal boundaries” (Thompson 2011, 56). While you may believe you have control over what you’ve shared online, you may have less than you actually think (Thompson 2011, 62). This is evident in Georgie Cameron’s (2012) blogpost when she discusses Ruth Jeffery’s story from My Social Network Stalker (True Stories 2012).

Type your name into Google. What do you find? Did you find any personal information that you didn’t realise was there or want others to see online?

Alarmingly, the transgression of new media allows for strangers to intrude covertly into others’ lives (Thompson 2011, 62). Google’s Street View (2012) has created privacy concerns for many over its capturing of images that could be embarrassing or even dangerous to individuals, and its collection of content from wireless networks (Shields and Womack 2012). According to the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S., Google gathered e-mail and text messages, passwords, Internet-usage history and “other highly sensitive personal information” (Shields and Womack 2012).

(Snyder 2012)

This transgression of new media has the potential to damage lives and reputations because, as Thompson (2011, 63) states, “once words and actions become public in this space, they are public forever.” Katie Ostrowski (2012) discusses how the blurred boundaries of public and private and what you disclose about your private life online can impede upon work opportunities.

It is important as we move in a direction where everything occurring anywhere is Google-able, to be aware of what and how much information about ourselves is out there and how it could affect us.

REFERENCE LIST

Cameron, Georgie. 2012. “New Media Transgressions.” New Media: The Ins and Outs of Change, April 27. Accessed April 29, 2012.

  Google. "Google Maps: Street View." Last modified March, 2012. Accessed April 30, 2012.

  Ng Xin Yi. 2010. “Online Privacy, Is It Dead?” IPD Blogger, June 9. Accessed April 30, 2012.

Shields, Todd and Womack, Brian. 2012. “Google Street View Investigation by U.S. Declared Closed.” Bloomberg Businessweek, April 27. Accessed April 29, 2012.

Snyder, S. James. 2007. “Google Maps: Invasion of Privacy?” TIME Business, June 12. Accessed April 30, 2012.

Thompson, John B. 2011. “Shifting Boundaries of Public and Private Life.” Theory Culture Society 28(4): 49-70. Accessed April 29, 2012.

True Stories. 2012."My Social Network Stalker." YouTube Video, posted February 24. Accessed April 27, 2012.

Ostrowski, Katie. 2012. “Privacy: A Thing of the Past.” New Media: Internet, Self and Beyond, April 29. Accessed April 30, 2012.

[micaelaamabile]

Working In/With New Media

(Ultimation 2011)

Welcome to the informational age! A self-expanding network of new media, characterised by networked, digital information and communications technologies, that pervades and transforms all domains of social, cultural, political and economic life. Castells (1999, 399) describes this current landscape as ‘The Network Society’.

The Network Society introduces a new form of time and space: ‘timeless time’ and the ‘space of flows’ (Castells 1999, 405-406). The new media characteristics of transcending time and place lead to the eradication of traditional categories of time and space (clock-time and proximity) by the transmission of information. As a result, we now live and work in a ‘global economy’ where “activities have the potential of working as a unit in real time, but on a planetary scale” (Castells 1999, 400).

(CSL Cartoon Stock 2011)

These changes have brought about a shift in the way people work. ‘Flexi-workers’ are now commonplace as modes of work are changing from stable, permanent jobs to informal, short-term, subcontracted and free-lance (Castells 1999, 401).

As things are happening instantaneously and linearity is broken, careers are becoming multi-sited and multi-temporal (Leong 2012) and consequently blurring lines between work and relaxation. This has fostered a sense of ‘compulsory sociality’ (Gill 2007, 26) where you can never really turn off as your talents are constantly on display in the new media landscape.

The current work landscape is now fast-moving, unpredictable and often unstable due to the informality of new media. While traditional work landscapes are not in extinction, it is important to see the value of working in and with new media and how it has changed and is changing the work landscape.

In her blogpost, Sierra Roan discusses how this more informal landscape can be used as an alternative method to seek employment and outlines how her own experience in our ‘global economy’.

  REFERENCE LIST:

Castells, M. 1999. “An Introduction to the Information Age”. In The Media Reader: Continuity & Transformation, edited by Hugh Mackay & Tim O'Sullivan, 398-410. London: Sage. Accessed April 11, 2012.

CSL Cartoon Stock. 2011. "Outsourcing." Accessed April 23, 2012.

Gill, R. 2007. Techonobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New Media work in Amsterdam a decade after the web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures. Accessed April 12, 2012.

Leong, S. 2012. “KCB206 New Media: Week 7 Lecture Notes.” Accessed April 20, 2012.

Roan, S. 2012. “The Virtual Office, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Loveing the Web.” New Media Worlds Blog, April 22. Accessed April 23, 2012.

Ultimation. 2011. "Clipsal Home Networking." Accessed April 23, 2012.

[micaelaamabile]

New Media, Health & Well-Being

Source: Woog 2012

In the 2010 U.S. baseball season, San Diego Padres pitcher Tim Stauffer diagnosed himself with appendicitis after consulting a medical app on his iPhone (Kensing 2010). He informed his trainer and soon after, his appendix was successfully removed. A couple of weeks ago I came into contact with a customer at my work who had recently recovered from Shingles. I immediately felt itchy and later consulted Google because I thought I’d contracted it too.

It seems as though the new media has turned into the perfect medium for DIY diagnosis and self-managing our health and well-being (Lewis 2006, pg. 522). Many believe this democratization of expert knowledge allows for users to be empowered. As Muller (in Lewis 2006, pg. 526) states, “[f]or consumers, the internet provides information, empowering them to make more informed and sophisticated choices.” After reading Trisha Torrey’s (2011) story of her doctor’s misdiagnosis, I can see how the use of websites such as WebMD.com or YourDiagnosis.com can be useful as a complementary source of information.

But when people use this information as a supplementary source to that of a doctor’s, it has the potential to become dangerous and begin an epidemic of misinformation (Lewis 2006, pg. 527). With the “avalanche” (Harris et. al. 2008, pg. 1) of ‘unofficial’ health websites, there is a growing concern for the quality and validity of information (Leong 2012). “Cyberchondria” has set in and there is a real need for regulation and policing of information easily available to protect users from becoming victims of mis- or dis-information that could potentially create “unhealthy behvaiours” (Lewis 2006, pg. 523 & 527).

Source: Stephanie 2011.

For another view on the topic, visit Madeleine Richards' blogpost.

REFERENCE LIST:

Harris, R., Wathen, N. and Wyatt, S. (2008). The Go-Betweens: Health, Technology and Info(r)mediation. In Mediating Health Information: The Go-Betweens in a Changing Socio-Technical Landscape. Sally Wyatt, Nadine Wathen and Roma Harris (eds), pp. 1-12. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Kensing, K. (2010). Tim Stauffer is apt to tout WebMD app. ESPN Page 2.

Leong. (2012). KCB206: New Media, Health and Well-Being. [Lecture Notes]

Lewis, T. (2006). Seeking Health Information on the Internet: Lifestyle Choice or Bad Attack of Cyberchondria? Media, Culture & Society,28(4): 521-539.

Stephanie. (2011). Dr. Dizzle, PhD. in Googling. [blogspot]

Torrey, T. (2011). A Story of Misdiagnosis: How a Wrong Diagnosis Became a Source of Motivation. About.com.

Woog, M. (2012). Doctor Google is Making Me Sick! The Hoopla.

[micaelaamabile]

New Media, Beliefs, Politics and Ethics

Source: Peters, J.S. (2010)

The issue of ethics is one that is prevalent in everything that we do. Whether it be ethics surrounding eating meat or downloading music or telling your mum you’ve finished your homework when you really haven’t. Many people struggle with ethics as it is, but when you mix it with politics and use a platform such as the internet that allows you to remain anonymous or create a false identity, lies and deceit become easy and attractive. As it becomes harder to differentiate between truth and lies, reality and make-believe, Hamelink (2006, p.116) believes “It is deceptive to suggest that fundamental social, political and economic problems can be resolved through technological innovation.” The fact that government taskforces exist, such as SCAMwatch, proves that more than often, a “pseudo-reality is created” (Hamelink, 2006, p.117) and people do need to weary of some content. With more and more evidence of fraudulent practices appearing online, concerned citizens, governments and institutions are calling for stricter guardianship over the internet (Hamelink, 2006, p.117).

But if Wikileaks is anything to go by, maybe the withholding of information by governments is a bigger cause for concern? As Shirky (2011) argues, “… increased freedoms [of communications] can help loosely coordinated publics demand change.” The use of social media as an activist tool is an interesting and innovated way of essentially getting your message out to millions of people. The link between media and democracy and “Internet Justice” is not something new, but the recent KONY 2012 campaign is a perfect example of a “call to action by new media” (Leong, 2012). This sparked international conversation over Ugandan politics and saw the success of communications in helping people take power.

Knowledge is critical to change. But as civil society has the ability to grow stronger and create and disseminate literature through “internet freedom” (Shirky, 2011) it doesn’t hurt to be a little sceptical of and further research some of the information we are presented with.

For another look into the use of social media in allowing for this 'participatory' landscape and how it affect politics, head to Kara-Glenn’s blog.

REFERENCE LIST:

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. (2012). SCAMwatch. Retrieved from the ACCC website.

Hamelink, C. (2006). The Ethics of the Internet: Can we cope with Lies and Deceit on the Net? In K. Sarikakis & D. Thussu Ideologies of the Internet (pp. 115-130). New Jersey: Hampton Press.

Invisible Children. (2012). KONY 2012.

Leong, S. (2012). KCB206: New Media, Beliefs, Politics and Ethics. [Lecture Notes].

Peters, J.S. (2010). Is Social Media Changing the Political Climate As We Know It?

Shirky, C. (2011). The Political Power of Social Media: Technology, the Public Sphere, and Political Change. Foreign Affairs, 90(1).

Weber, L. (2009). Internet Justice: 6 Crimes Solved by Facebook. Retrieved from Asylum for all Mankind.

Wikileaks. (2012). Wikileaks.

[micaelaamabile]

THE NEW MEDIA AMUSEMENT ARCADE: Music, Games & Films

(Source: Knightopia, 2011)

We are all being transformed into gadget geeks now. Our smartphones, what we watch on TV or online and especially, according to Steven Levy (2006), the songs on our iPods define us. This suggests that one’s personality can be understood through, and is shaped by, the music one listens to. It’s a funny thing, but when you think about it, it makes a little bit of sense. Music has always been used to express emotions and act as a release so it’s no wonder Levy (2006, p.23) describes “Playlist as character”.

But is our psychoanalysis of others’ song selections a true depiction of who they really are?

Web 2.0 has also paved a way for establishing connections to between identity, reputation and social capital through user generated content. This compels audiences to no longer simply consume the media in front of them, but to take part, produce and share it with global audiences. Spectators are now given the chance to make suggestions or create their own content and gain a sense of ownership for the creation. Platforms such as Kickstarter (in Leong, 2012) allow for projects to potentially come to fruition through “crowd funding”. An example of this can be seen in the project The Last Cause (2011).

As Shirky (in Leong, 2012) states “We don’t just enjoy now, we participate.” Platforms such as Kickstarter, Fango and Last FM have immersed us in an age of community participation. So join in!

  For another view on the topic, visit Georgie Cameron's blogspot.

  REFERENCES

Kickstarter. (2011, April 11). The Last Cause – Kickstarter [Video File].

Knightopia. (2011). Are we on the verge of Participatory Church?

Leong, S. (2012). KCB206: New Media Amusement Arcade [Lecture Notes].

Levy, S. (2006). The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture and Coolness, New York: Simon & Schuster, pp. 21-41. Retrieved from Queensland University of Technology Course Materials Database.

[micaelaamabile]

PERFORMING/BRANDING ME: Maintaining Visibility on the Social Stage

(Source: Davila 2011)

In today’s society, a lot of people have grown more accustom to thinking of the online world as a social space (Donath and boyd 2004, p.71). Social networking sites have allowed public displays of connection online resulting in potential issues and complications.

In “Public Displays of Connection,” Donath and boyd (2004, p.76) argue, “Displaying connections is a way of signalling a willingness to risk one’s reputation.”  They explain that the public displays on social networking sites are a signal that allows others in your network to judge your reliability and trustworthiness as potential employers, family members, close friends and strangers have the ability to perceive your online presence and reputation in various ways.

In both readings, the performative acts within the context of ‘strong and weak ties’ is prevalent. Strong ties involve high levels of emotional engagement while weak ties feature more distance friends and acquaintances (Pearson 2009). The glass bedroom metaphor used by Pearson (2009) describes private, intimate conversations that take place online (inside the bedroom), but are visible to those distant friends or strangers on the outside should they take notice. Pearson goes onto suggest weak and strong ties provide a possible explanation for manufactured and mediated identities.

In social networking sites, we act in the company and in accordance to our friends and connections; thus, reducing privacy and increasing accountability. Therefore, as noted by Donath and boyd (2004, p.77) it is important to be aware of the information we, or our acquaintances, make available online and the ways this can be then be used. A perfect example of this can be seen in the Facebook in Reality sketch by Idiots of Ants (please see the link below). The disruption between private and public performance and manufactured and mediated identities has potentially negative ramifications between different social ties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-sTKtWXuA

REFERENCES

Davila, D. (2011). “How to Get Started with Social Media Advertising.” Accessed 12 March.

Donath, J. and Boyd, D. (2004). Public displays of connection. BT Technology Journal , volume 22 (4): 71-82. Retrieved 8 March 2012.

Idiots of Ants. 2009. “Facebook in Reality”. YouTube video, posted November 2. Accessed 12 March.

Pearson, E. (2009). All the World Wide Web's a stage: the Performance of Identity in Online Social Networks. First Monday, volume 14, Number 3. Retrieved 8 March 2012.