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[mrmichaelbaxter]

Games are meant to be Social

I do have to admit... I think it has been at least 9-10 years since I have played a video game. And from memory, It was Nintendo Wii when it was just released, and the latest 'breaking news' was from users smashing their tv's with the remote... True story

Although I do have some very fond memories as a kid, the family sitting around the table playing Mouse Trap, Connect 4, Guess Who and one of my all-time favorites... Kerplunk. It was an exciting time for a child to beat their parent at something, or you would try and cheat but get caught in the process (mabe that was just me)

But times moved on, technology started to creep into our lives and so most family homes adopted the 'Family computer'. It was exciting to Dial-up to the internet, and the possibilities were endless. And this was no different for people that loved to play games. A normal phone line could connect you to a WLAN, and you could be playing a game with someone halfway around the world.

I remember boys at school racing to the computer lab (Yes that's what it was called) at lunch time just so they could compete against each other. Maby it was just a 'boys' thing, or maby winning at a game empowered them, or for the guy that got picked on in the playground finally he had a chance to get his revenge. Whatever the reason, these online virtual games really did/do create a virtual community for its players to release their inner geek.

I do have to admit, as I was reading through the weeks content and the articles I did find it a bit of a snooze fest. I almost feel asleep when Thornhill (2014) explained how 'EVE' the game that's set 21,000 years in the future and people woke up to it being destroyed.

I won't repeat what I was thinking blah blah blah, but hey I get it... it brings people together. I think Tseng, F, Huang, H & Teng, C (2015, p. 603) explains it perfectly, how the 'Social presence' theory brings individuals together in a way they can communicate with each other due to the advancement of multimedia technology. Its the feeling of being there, without actually being there. You might remember back to our first week, Its almost the same as to what Sherry Turkle TED-Ed (2013) explains about being 'Connected, but alone'. In the case of a game, they're almost alone but connected to other users

"Long-term interaction lays the foundation for a feeling of community" (University of Jyvaeskylae 2007).

And while you try to recall and ponder over that epic Ted Talk by Sherry Turkle, I'm off to feed my Tamagotchi that connects and interact with other devices. oh, wait that social gaming right?

TED-Ed 2013, Connected, but alone?- Sherry Turkle, 19 April, viewed 10 November 2017, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0g8TsnA6c>.

Thornhill, T, 2014, 'The online videogame battle that cost $300,000: Gamers see hundreds of costly spaceships destroyed after user forgot to pay bill to defend their base', The Daily Mail, 29 January, viewed 3 Febuary 2018, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2547908/EVE-online-sees-biggest-battle.html>.

Tseng, F, Huang, H, Teng, C 2015, 'How Do Online Game Communities Retain Gamers? Social Presence and Social Capital Perspectives', Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 20, no. 6, pp. 601-614.

University of Jyvaeskylae 2007, How Does Online Gaming Affect Social Interactions?, Science Daily, viewed 4 February 2018, <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070915110957.htm>.

Image

Getty Images 2006, 'Photo of Tamagochi, Playing tamagotchi together' [image], in Getty Images top 10 christmas toys photostream, Getty Images, viewed 4 February 2018, <https://www.gettyimages.com.au/event/dream-toys-2006-top-10-christmas-toys-75213563#/children-playing-with-the-tamagotchi-toy-at-the-dream-toys-2006-top-picture-id74664725>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

I am Visible Online and Fired Because of Facebook

Pilkington (2013)

ok, so since the visual community topic was my group assignment and I have done my final paper on selfies, I really wanted to do something different for this post.

As the Learning material touches briefly on tagging, and how visible through social images we are becoming. I'm sure there has been a time when you have prayed that you're never tagged in a photo, and certainly hopes that your boss never sees it.

So where is the line at being too visible? Should it matter what we post on our own facebook account? (within reason of course) Should we as an employee really have to think twice about what photos we post, or making a comment? And why do employers even need to look through their employees facebook?

Ok, so I'm sure someone out there has known a friend of a friend of a friend that has been fired from their job for something they posted on facebook or social media. And in most cases they probably were doing something dumb... but is it an excuse for not knowing how to manage your staff? or the companies fault for not executing a correct recruitment drive to find more matched staff? or is it simply a lame excuse to try and fire an employee?

I could post a gazillion funny stories from the internet as to why people got fired... and yeah I had a good chuckle, but is some of it really worth termination. Do we sell our social media freedom when we accept a job?

By no means am I condemning racial slurs, threats or sexual vulgarity. BUT should an employee be sacked for going out on a Sunday night, and then calling in sick on a Monday and being found out because a friend has tagged you in a photo during your hungover state? #hasnthappenedtome but I'm sure we have all done something similar.

If your not familiar with the 2011 Linfox fox employee termination, Wilson (2012, p. 15) explains that an employee was terminated due to serious misconduct of posting derogatory racial slurs about his direct manager while having a public Facebook page. The employee was awarded his job back as he claimed his Facebook page was private and this was a time when no companies really had social media policy.

The judge warned and made clear about employees 'letting off steam' through Facebook may be breaching their contract. As the judge explained his decision that “Facebook is not used as a means by which account holders carry on monologues with themselves; it is a device by which users share with others, information about who they are, what they like, what they do, and where they go, in varying degrees of detail, Facebook posts are, in fact, in the public domain” (Wilson 2012, p. 15).

As I highlighted earlier, I am not condoning what he said... I wanted to highlight what the judge said, and how the use of Facebook has changed. But obviously, someone had seen that employees post and mentioned it to the company. Should we also be worried about other employees ratting us out.

And as I trawl through the interwebs its just constant articles Reynolds (2015) explains that employers need clear policies in place in order for employees to know what behaviour is expected, as an employer is liable for the comments their staff make privately and publicly and the need to protect themselves.

Have you actually read a social media policy? Over the years I have read two, its one of those policies you just skim through and never know the real ins and out of. Mind you I am aware of right and wrong... but who's to say I won't ever vert after a bad day and accidentally forget about the public setting.

If you want to read a social media policy here is Targets i found online #idontworkforthem

https://www.target.com.au/medias/marketing/corporate/aboutus/Careers/Social+Media+Policy.pdf

If you cant be bothered reading... It pretty much says don't use social media lol

Is facebook heading in the direction of a 'social LinkedIn' because we're too worried to post something that may be perceived as controversial.

And the next case I found is a perfect example. If you remember back to the activism week, a form of Slactivism was adding a frame to your facebook photo in support of a cause. Tripple J Hack (2017) explains how Madeline was dismissed from an employer for adding a Facebook filter to her profile photo saying 'It's OK to vote No' with a later claim from her employer advising the homophobic views were detrimental to the business.

Has this gone too far? What're your thoughts?

Reynolds, B 2015, Can I Fire an Employee for Comments Made on Social Media?, Legal Vision, viewed3 Febuary 2018, <https://legalvision.com.au/can-i-fire-an-employee-for-comments-made-on-social-media/>.

Tripple J Hack 2017, T'It's not okay to vote No': Boss fires worker over same-sex marriage views, Australian Broadcasting Centre, viewed 3 Febuary 2018, <http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/boss-fires-worker-over-same-sex-marriage-views/8961658>.

Wilson, J 2012, 'A mutual problem?: The perils of facebook for employers and employees alike', Official Publication of the Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory, issue. 226, pp. 14-15.

IMAGE

Pilkington, E 2013, 'twitter screen shot, Justine Sacco racist tweet' [image], Justine Sacco, PR executive fired over racist tweet, 'ashamed', The Guardian, viewed 3 Febuary 2018, <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/22/pr-exec-fired-racist-tweet-aids-africa-apology>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

Crowdsourcing really is just like ‘Wisdom of the Crowd’

Ok so I have been struggling with this post for quite a while now, and I think it's because I can't wrap my head around it.

Every time I think of crowdsourcing I think of that new tv show- 'Wisdom of the Crowd'. In case you haven't seen the show... It's about a father whose daughter was murdered. After a murderer was convicted, he had a feeling it was the wrong person. So in his attempt to try and find the real murderer, he developed 'Sofi' as a crowd sourcing platform in hope to use information from users to find the real killer

#youtotallyneedtowatchit

Anyway... in a very broad way we can think of it like the tv show does, they're requesting knowledge from a complete stranger to assist with the bigger picture. Another way to think of it is, 'Using a collecting body of knowledge, instead of singular to help in a time of crisis'.

So that made my brain tick a little more... and after going through the learning material once again and seeing the picture of Japan's earthquake map really tugged on my emotional stings.

It made me think back to when I was 16yo and living in Japan as an exchange student. Now, this was a time well before the smartphone, we were only just entering the colour screen phase then. Despite knowing that Japan is prone to earthquakes, it is really hard to grasp what they're like if you haven't felt one. I remember laying in my bed on the second floor when I experienced my first earthquake. I remember my eyes went a little blurry like (it felt like I was in a dream), and the room was moving... not violently shaking like they do in movies. It was almost that feeling of dizziness that lasted 20 seconds, and then everyone moves on like nothing happened. I remember scrambling through my English/Japanese dictionary for the word 'Earthquake'... and to this day I have never forgotten it 'Jishin', meaning earth-shake.

School children hide under desk (2016)

Within the 12 months I was there, I lost count of shakes and tremors you feel. It wasn't until I was at school one day and a loud siren went off, and everyone scrambled under their desks #imissedthatmemo while our 5th story classroom felt like it wobbled in the wind. That night I had a random worried call from my parent, making sure I was ok. I hit my head on my desk, but that wasn't enough to send me home.

Later that night all over the news was the story of the '2000 Tottori earthquake', a village in Southwest Japan miles from where I was in Tokyo. It was 6.7 on Richter scale, but the aftershock was felt all over. According to Semmane, F, Cotton, F & Campillo, M (2003, p. n/a), the significance with Tottori was it was the first earthquake to be recorded by KIK-net network (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention) It involved sensors located both at the surface and at the depth of 100 m.

After some further research into earthquake crown sourcing, I came across this article where scientists Minson et al. (2015, e1500036.) scrutinise the effective use of mobile apps that are used to monitor earthquake tremors, which then the information is used for crowdsourcing.

Smillie (2016) explains the benefits of the phone application 'MyShakewhere' it has the potential to increase public safety, quickly and cheaply. Further explaining the 2015 Nepal earthquake that killed 10,000 people. In a place where there's no seismic stations, but around 6 million smartphones this technology has the real potential to make a difference.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&hl=en

While I understand why scientists are sceptical...  but until you are in a situation and that knowledge from a group of people with a common goal may save your life It only has the potential to do good.

That horrendous tragedy in Tottori 18 years ago, no seismograph (measures after an earthquake occurs) could have pre-empted that, but a smartphone may just give enough time to prepare yourself!

Issei Kato 2016, 'School children hide under desk' [image], Crowdsourcing Earthquake Detection With An App Could Save Lives In Developing Countries, Newsweek, viewed 2 January 2018, <http://www.newsweek.com/2016/03/04/myshake-android-app-earthquake-detection-earthquake-warning-system-426052.html>.

Minson, S, Brooks, B, Glennie, C, Murray, J, Langbein, J, Owen, S, Heaton, T, Iannucci, R & Hauser, D 2015, 'Crowdsourced earthquake early warning', Science Advances, vol. 1, no. 3, e1500036.

Semmane, F, Cotton, F & Campillo, M 2005, 'The 2000 Tottori earthquake: A shallow earthquake with no surface rupture and slip properties controlled by depth', Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 110, no. B3, pp. n/a-n/a.

Smillie, E 2016, Crowdsourcing Earthquake Detection With An App Could Save Lives In Developing Countries, Newsweek, viewed 2 January 2018, <http://www.newsweek.com/2016/03/04/myshake-android-app-earthquake-detection-earthquake-warning-system-426052.html>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

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Perfect blue sky ☀️

[mrmichaelbaxter]

No ‘Likes’... Just Donations

I am well aware of the term and meaning of Activism, but when I heard the word 'Slactivism' this week I honestly had no idea what it was. As a child my grandmother always referred to trousers as 'slacks' and that was the first thing that popped into my mind... how very wrong from the true meaning I was.

The internet can be criticised for making life too easy for us, and as a result of that, we as humans become lazier as technology advances. Is it really being lazy though, or is it effectively using the resources we have? Or could this just be a change in generations and how they do things?

What does it mean?

Let's look at the meaning first. The Oxford dictionary describes this as "The practice of supporting a political or social cause by means such as social media or online petitions" (Oxford University Press 2018).

Have you ever seen on Facebook, a charity page being shared and they have asked you to like their page? Or sign an online petition to make change happen? Maby you received an event notification, but couldn't attend so you simply liked the post. YUP, you're a slactivist. Myself, I frequently receive emails from change.org and if I believe in the cause I will follow the instructions to sign a petition.

This weeks reading, Youmans & York (2012, p. 317) explained the reasons that social media may contribute to a collective action

People not directly impacted, enables them to act out publicly

Information online can imply a likelihood of success

Increasing publicity to a global effect

Whilst also highlighting the mismatch and disconnect between social media platforms, and the needs of activist's that rely on social media as a public information infrastructure.

Over the years, Facebook has changed its terms of use so many times. What would happen if they implemented a monetised strategy which would then impede on this information being so freely available? That's something to think about.

Is it effective though?

Normally when you support a cause, that cause is asking for donations so that they can carry on their work and make a positive change. Studies by Lewis, Gray & Meierhenrich (2014, p. 2) have shown that when people 'like' a cause on Facebook, there is very little to no exchange in donations. It highlights a case study for http://savedarfur.org/home/  With over one million members liking the cause on Facebook, who collectively only donated $100,000.

Khazan (2013) also highlights a campaign from UNICEF Sweden where they released a campaign explaining they like 'Likes', but they need donations in order to save children's lives.

(Please refer to photo above)

On a more personal note, and I am sure not all of you will agree......

I am honestly exhausted with the word 'Donation' It seems to be everywhere I go... at the supermarket, department stores, and clothing chains. They're all trying to collect some sort of donation for a charity, and it makes me think is it just a tax deduction for them? or are they trying to appeal Ethical in their marketing efforts?

Personally, I don't donate to their charities, a few years ago when I learned what an NFP business was I was a little disheartened after doing some research and what it actually meant. I was very nieve in thinking it was volunteers out pounding the pavement collecting donations for World Vision and other organisations. Now I'm not saying all charities operate in a corrupt nontransparent way, but I do believe further disclosure of where donations are spent needs to be made more aware to the public... that's another debate for another day.

Are you a slactavist? Whats your view? Are charities asking too much of us at a time that's diluting their message?

Khazan, O 2013, UNICEF Tells Slacktivists: Give Money, Not Facebook Likes, The Atlantic, viewed 27 January 2018, <https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/04/unicef-tells-slacktivists-give-money-not-facebook-likes/275429/>.

Lewis, K, Gray, K & Meierhenrich, J 2014, 'The Structure of Online Activism', Sociological Science, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-9.

Oxford University Press 2018, Definition of slacktivism, Oxford Dictionary/Oxford University Press, viewed 28 January 2018, <https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/slacktivism>.

Youmans, W, & York, J 2012, 'Social Media and the Activist Toolkit: User Agreements, Corporate Interests, and the Information Infrastructure of Modern Social Movements', Journal Of Communication, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 315-329.

IMAGES

UFICEF Sweden 2013, 'UNISEF Poster, asking for donations, not likes' [image], on The Atlandic website, The Atlandic, viewed 28 January 2018, <https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/04/unicef-tells-slacktivists-give-money-not-facebook-likes/275429/>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

How to catch a catfish

[mrmichaelbaxter]

Is a catfish just another type of troll?

Now I know this week's post is supposed to be about trolling....

BUT whenever I think of troll's all I can think of is the ugly dolls from the 90's, and being in primary school where everyone had them on the end of their pencils and pretending their hair was a mustache. Oh, that was just me?!?

Hawks, A 2017, 'Troll Dolls' [image], Catfish is now casting internet trolls and their targets, Starcasm, viewed 25 January 2017, <http://starcasm.net/archives/370496>.

So I'm going to throw a different angle on this subject, let's look at catfishing on the internet.

 When you think about it, they're basically the same thing. Someone that is trolling the internet and seeking to intentionally treat someone in an unfair way, discredit their beliefs, and intentionally victimise them.

And that is exactly the same thing as when someone tries to catfish another person through the internet. Chisholm (2014, p. 77) describes this behaviour as a type of cyberbullying. Patchin (2013) explains that when a piece of technology is also used in a way that causes repetitive harm, or the creation of an online profile with the intent of tricking and deceptive romantic feelings it is also cyberbullying.

When Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook and had this wonderful idea that we would all connect and be friends and live in this truthful harmonious world. I'm not sure he was aware that he was also creating a vehicle that makes it even easier for people to become someone they're not.

To break down what is catfishing a little further, Obiakor and Algozzine (2013, p. 4) explain that it is typically when a person uses a form of technology to misrepresent their physical features in the form of someone else. This is to fake their physique or physical attributes in order to make themselves appear more attractive with the goal to attract others, chat with someone online, win them over or to date someone online.

There are numerous reasons why people catfish,

Revenge

Loneliness

Monetary Gain

Unhappy with appearance

Pray on the vulnerable

Child Grooming

Attention seeking

and the list goes on...

Last year, according to Scam Watch (2018) Australians reported a total of 161 572 scams of which equated to $89 370 278 loss to the economy.

While this behaviour can become addictive to some people, (3- same reference) warns that it can destroy one's self-esteem and the self-ideal of people and the relationships that are supposed to build. As every catfish has a victim, it can lead to emotional trauma, sadness, suicide, depression and trust issues.

Chisholm, J.F., PhD. 2014, 'Review of the Status of Cyberbullying and Cyberbullying Prevention', Journal of Information Systems Education, vol. 58, no. 1, pp. 77-87.

Hawks, A 2017, 'Troll Dolls' [image], Catfish is now casting internet trolls and their targets, Starcasm, viewed 25 January 2017, <http://starcasm.net/archives/370496>.

Obiakor, F, Algozzine, B 2013, 'The New Normal : Catfishing in Urban Teaching Preparation Program', Multicultural Learning and Teaching, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1-6.

Patchin, J 2013, Catfishing as a Form of Cyberbullying, Cyberbullying Research Centre, viewed 25 January 2018, <https://cyberbullying.org/catfishing-as-a-form-of-cyberbullying>.

Scam Watch 2018, Scam Statistics, ACCC/Scam Watch, viewed 25 January 2018, <https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/about-scamwatch/scam-statistics?scamid=all&date=2017>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

[mrmichaelbaxter]

retweet: Tony Abbott puts foot in mouth... again!

Tony Abbott... gee what can I say? (Nothing good at least)

Is he a washed up prune that has no place in modern Australia and its time to be juiced?

Ok so that may be a little harsh... and politics is not my most favourite topic. In all honesty, it really isn't my thing at all. It may be because I'm more of a 'Just get the job done' person and believe it or not I cant ever remember studying Australian Politics through High School either.

There is one politician though that does stand out in my mind, and it's not for the right reasons. You may think by reading the title that I really despise Tony Abbott. If I am going to be honest, I just don't believe there is a place in modern Australia for a politician like him. We fight, we protest, we stand together to make this country move forward. To be progressive I believe he is not apart of our #makeaustraliagreat campaign.

Lucky for the Millenials of Australia, they are tech-savvy and proficient in social media... and well Tony simply is not.

It appears he has the old school thinking of 'Any publicity is good publicity', and any good Pr manager would be cringing their teeth at him. I am quite surprised though, as he has a background in journalism. #confusedemoji

"Prime Minister Tony Abbott was a regular writer for some of Australia's biggest papers in the 1980s and the early '90s. Crikey journalist Matthew Knott has been poring through the archives in order to paint a picture of Tony Abbott's early career in journalism" (O'neil 2014).

So did Tony's downfall have something to do with his opinionated views on a social platform he didn't really understand?

Joining the twitter spere in 2009, It appears he joined the platform to increase his public awareness but really just typed anything that came to his head. Kind of like verbal diarrhea!

With the platform being so new to Australians then, he really had no idea that his loose lips would come back to bite him years later. When he was sworn in as Priminister in 2013, it didn't take long for his controversial Twitter posts to resurface and come under public scrutiny.

One of his most popular tweets was back in 2011 with the resignation of Speaker Harry Jenkins, It now haunts him since the whole Bronwyn Bishop resignation.

https://twitter.com/TonyAbbottMHR/status/139503884270960640

Not only that, Whyte (2014) explains he was accused of adding 37 communication and social media specialists costing the tax payer $4.3 million a year in return for strategic communication advise. (Personally, I would ask for a refund lol) 

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/tony-abbott-spends-43m-on-spin-doctors-20140705-zsxlh.html

"Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti and I think that in the media, you make a big mistake to pay too much attention to social media" (Snowden 2015). Despite Tony saying this, some say that this may have also been his downfall, not paying attention to social media. It does seem very fitting that x2 years after that quote, this graffiti artwork was sprayed onto a building in response to the same sex marriage debate. 

https://www.facebook.com/scottmarshart/posts/1470488533048064

Or you might even also remember the backlash Tony Abbott received 3 years ago, Sheridan (2015) writes about when he gave HRH Prince Phillip a nighthood. He also describes it as wrong and tactically disastrous.

Was Tony asking for public backlash to increase his popularity by releasing his provocative book 'Battlelines' in the dawn of a digital age. Once its printed in a book, those words can never be errased."Government should be careful about getting to closely involved in the details of peoples lives" (Kissel 2010, p. 18). Isnt it their job to understand what is going on in the lives of Australians?

Whats your thoughts? Did his lack of knowledge towards social media have a part in destroying him? Or was it the heavily detailed book he wrote before he was PM come back to haunt him in digital form?

**Disclaimer- This is my own personal view, in no way is this to be construed as defamation, accurate or to make you think he is more of a douche 

Kissel, M 2014, 'ABBOTT AGONISTES: Year One for Australia's Prime Minister', World Affairs, vol. 177, no. 4, pp. 17-24.

Sheridan, G 2015, Giving Prince Philip a knighthood is both dumb and dumber, The Australian, viewed 23 January 2018, <https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/greg-sheridan/giving-prince-philip-a-knighthood-is-both-dumb-and-dumber/news-story/96552d066f78c983a4eff9f51dccbba4

Snowden, C 2015, No, Tony Abbott, you can’t dismiss social media as ‘electronic graffiti’ , The Conversation, viewed 23 January 2018, <http://theconversation.com/no-tony-abbott-you-cant-dismiss-social-media-as-electronic-graffiti-36819>.

Whyte, S 2014, Tony Abbott spends $4.3m on spin doctors, The Sydney Morning Herald, viewed 23 January 2018, <http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/tony-abbott-spends-43m-on-spin-doctors-20140705-zsxlh.html>. 

O'neil, M 2014, Tony Abbott the journalist, Abc Radio National, viewed 23 January 2018, <http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/tony-abbott-the-journalist/5207850>. 

SBS 2015, 'Tony Abbott's tweet, Screen shot of tweets' [image], on SBS's website, Website, viewed 23 January 2018, <https://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2015/08/04/pm-under-fire-more-past-tweets-surface>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

Is blogging just another B word for Business?

I remember when I had my first business 8 years ago (that's a story for another day), there was no Facebook pages, No Instagram or any real digital channels like there is today to promote your business. There was this thing called a 'blog', and a free platform called Blogger that I would post photos of items, and tell the world about my not so exciting life on the Gold Coast but in reality I had business that was failing.

It was exciting to share a small part of me with the world wide web, in hope that someone from the USA may stumble accross my blog and decide to buy something from my online shop. (It never happened though)

Blogging changed.... for the better

Gone are the days of simply blogging in a diary format about your day to day life. What you have eaten, where you went over the weekend and sharing your family photos of the zoo that you took on your old, point and shoot kodak camera. The death of the old rambling on diary-style blogging, and personally I'm quite happy that it's extinct like the dinosaurs.

Today blogging is big business! Have you ever landed on a blog or webpage and it is plastered with ads? A blog post encouraging you to purchase a product? Yup, they're monetising their little slice of the web and its big business in today's digital age. You see, some people who were writing these original diary style posts recognised the infinate possibilities of this platform... A simple business model that every business uses. Create a solution to a problem, charge an amount and cash in. It sounds more simple than what it is, but their words were the solution to their customer needs.

Nick Named the 'Godfather of blogging' here in Australia, Darren Rowse first hit publish on his blog in 2002. Despite running x2 successful blogs, Rowse, Garrett (2012, p. 4) admits that: "those who succeed are the few".

According to Forbes website Adams (2017), the 1# top earning website goes to Huffington Post earning a whopping $14,000,000 per month. Launching back in 2005, it's original content began with expressing very liberal views towards life and politics.

Ok so we may not all make that kind of cash by starting a blog, but there is a general theme here. The blogs that are heavily monetised in 2018, all started in the original format style and have taken years to build up.

You may not be able to retire early, but it can help supplement some income. Just think 'Mummy blogger' ... the enormous trend that started as a a way to make a side income while trying to raise a family.

Blogging is just a hobby, says the ATO

For a while it wasn't un common for many bloggers to keep quiet how they made money, or even refer to it as a hobby instead of a blog/business. Khoo (2012) reveals that early bloggers had to fight with the ATO to be entitled to an ABN as they monetised their blog. The ATO didnt recognise 'Blogging' as a business and believed they were freelance writers, putting them in the same classification as journalists.

Next time you land on a blog, and there's ads and digital product for sale, appreciate how hard they have come from a hobby passion to business owner. Without the income, it would simply be a hobby not a business.

REFERENCES

Rowse, D & Garrett, C 2012, ProBlogger : Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, 3rd edn, Hoboken : Wiley, Ebook Collection (EBSCOhost).

Khoo, V 2012, Turning a blog into a business, The Sydney Morning Herald, viewed 20 January 2017, <http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/managing/enterprise/turning-a-blog-into-a-business-20121017-27sk8.html>.

Adams, R 2017, 10 Wildly-Successful Blogs That Earn Outlandish Incomes, Forbes, viewed 20 January 2017, <https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertadams/2017/03/02/top-income-earning-blogs/#5ab08d832377>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

How I make money and why I won't apologise for making a job out of blogging - The Interiors Addict

This post has been brewing for some time now. Today’s the day I’ve decided to get it off my chest. Being a full-time blogger is brilliant. I count myself as…

There is no shame in making money from a blog!

[digital-communities-blr-blog]

Digital Communities

Do you ever wish you could just take a break from the internet? Give it a flick for a few months. Go off the radar. Disconnect. I find the thought tempting, but then I think I’d feel so ‘out of touch’ without it. Not so much out of touch with people, like friends or family, but out of touch with the whole world. Basically all my news, entertainment, to an extent, my education is fed to me through social media, most of the content being conveniently personalised by algorithms.

While it’s indisputable that the internet connects us, there also seems to be a general consensus that it distracts us from 'real’ social connections. Sherry Turkle (TED-Ed 2013) elaborates on this by noting that social media grant us “the illusion of companionship without the demands of intimacy”, meaning we lose something valuable in relying on new technologies to create connections with people. Turkle (TED-Ed 2013) warns that mobile technologies are creating networks that are addictive in nature and somewhat artificial; instead of truly connecting us, they tend to isolate us.

In the era of Web 2.0 we create new kinds of relationships with each other, and through this, new definitions of community. Lee & Wellman (2012, p. 8) outline how we’ve moved away from longstanding social operating systems that were based around groups or units (for example family, work, neighbourhood, social groups), and have moved into a society of 'networked individuals,’ where the person is the focus.

Source: The Verge, 2017

I often scrutinise my own social media use and wonder if I ceased to use the internet for a bit, would it impact my notions of society and community? Would using the internet less enhance my connections with other people or would my relationships crumble? How much would I gain, and how much would I miss out on? These are the questions that keep me up at night. Thankfully, The Verge journalist, Paul Miller, wrote an article about going internet-free for a whole year, so I can get some perspective, and sleep.

Image: Paul Miller, 2017

Miller writes how he initially enjoyed being pulled away from the echo chambers that internet culture created. He found himself being productive and creative as he let his ideas branch out freely. Soon though, he struggled to keep in touch with friends who were overseas or interstate. Work became increasingly difficult, he began to feel as though he was burdening his co-workers by being off-line (Miller would drop off a thumbdrive of his work to the office each day as opposed to collaborating over the internet) (Kelly 2013). He started to feel “out of sync with the flow of life.” I imagine I would feel the same. Miller recognises that even while spending time away from the internet, it still had an impact on him because he’d already created an inextricable link to it. In embracing these technologies and creating digital communities in the first place, we’ve already redefined what human connection is.

Reference list:

Kelly, H 2013, Disconnected: My year without the Internet, CNN, viewed 9 December 2017, <http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/10/tech/web/paul-miller-internet-year/index.html>.

Lee, R & Wellman, B 2012, ’ The New Social Operating System of Networked Individualism’ in Networked : The New Social Operating System, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

'Paul Miller’ [image], in I’m still here: back online after a year without the internet, The Verge, viewed 9 December 2017, <https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/1/4279674/im-still-here-back-online-after-a-year-without-the-internet>.

TED-Ed 2013, Connected, but alone? Sherry Turkle, 19 April, viewed 3 August 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0g8TsnA6c>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

@digital-communities-blr WOW what a great read, i was hooked!!!! I wrote in my first post what it was like before the internet. Just like yourself, I love the thought of going internet free but really don't think I could! I think relations ships can be sustained with call or text, but I think major FOMO would kick in if a friend said ‘Did you see that on facebook’. I think that may be the isolating part, when you don't feel apart of the conversation or not knowing what’s going on. I’m scared to think what Web 3.0 will bring (it’s practically upon us)

[mrmichaelbaxter]

Affordances, that’s a big fancy word but what does it mean?

The term Affordances? And how does it relate to you in your life I hear you asking...

Do you own a smartphone with applications? Do you use those applications on a frequent basis? Or found a new use for one of those apps? You may have already experienced affordance without even knowing it.

https://youtu.be/NK1Zb_5VxuM

The value of a well-designed object is when it has such a rich set of affordances, that the people who use it can do things with it that the designer never imagines.

(Don Norman, as cited in Affordances Interaction-Design.org 2011)

I Haven't experienced this...

Are you sure? Have you ever used an app on your phone, and while using it you have found a new use? Let me give you a simple example. The camera on your phone, it was developed to take photos. But how many women have used the camera function as a mirror to check their makeup? This is an affordance, the designers didn't design an electronic mirror, users simply found a new way to use the camera function.

I wanted to check my own smartphone, to see if there were any other applications that had the same connection. As I scrolled through all of my applications trying to make another connection, there it was... a trusty app that I have used for the last 8 years both personally and in business. Which app I hear you asking? It was Instagram.

One of the first photo sharing apps that have taken so many twists and turns over the years. In 2012

Lagorio (2012) interviewed the founders who explained that their goal was to not just be a photo-sharing app but to be a way you share your life when you're on the go. But over the years platform users had discovered other uses, and a way they could monetise from the app. Celebrity endorsement advertising isn't a new marketing trend, but an unknown person being paid to post a photo of a product on their social media it made headlines. As users posted pictures of products in a hope to monetise from the platform, it reached a grey area in Australian advertising standard. It was never known if a post was sponsored by a brand, or if the user just really liked the product as there were no rules in place for this. Now known as Sponsored Post's and Influencer Marketing, the ACCC (2017) introduced guidelines when advertising on social media. There are a lot more examples of Affordances, but now you know what it means I bet you will looking for them all the time now like I am.

ACCC 2017, Advertising and Promoting Your Business/Social Media, Australian Competition & Consumer Commision, viewed 9 December 2017, <https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-promoting-your-business/social-media>.

Lagorio, C 2012, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Founders of Instagram, Inc., viewed 6 December 2017, <https://www.inc.com/30under30/2011/profile-kevin-systrom-mike-krieger-founders-instagram.html>.

[studentthoughtsonsocial-blog]

Social Media Revolution

Social Media Revolution (Original) This video was produced in 2009 based on the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman. There have been two newer versions since t...

BP 1 The social media revolution…. Is it a fad, or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

An introduction to Digital Communities and the progression of social media platforms*, the social media revolution YouTube video highlights significant and progressive shifts in society and community. To put this revolution into perspective, it took 13 years for TV to reach 50 million users, 4 years for the internet to reach 50 million users and less than 9 months for Facebook to add 100 million users. And further to that statistic, if Facebook were a county it would be the 4th largest in the world behind China, India and United States. So where does these leave us, the consumers of social media creating social networks in a digital age? And is technology redefining human connection?

It has been noted that as individual we are using social media and communication devices to choose, construct negotiate, interpret and display who we are to be perceived. Does this enable us as users to project our ‘ideal self’ to others?

Sherry Turkle both highlights her excitement of technology however believes that it is letting us as consumers to be taken to places we don’t want to go. Believing our devices are so psychologically powerful they both change what we do and also who we are, undertaking quirks we may have considered in the past abnormal are now becoming familiar and normalised. A prime example of this concept is to consider the amount of time we spend ‘online’ or available/connected to a network. Those who are of the pre-internet and mobile phone generation would remember a time where we would make plans with someone, arrive at the predetermined time, and while spending time with that person would be completely invested in their company.. And, if it were perhaps a special occasion we may use a film based or early edition digital camera to capture precious memories for ourselves. Whereas now the most of us are, for the most part, always connected to the network peripherally connected to others, which has been enable by technology and other various platforms.

Therefore with an increase in virtual communities coupled with changes in society from more traditional face-to-face based relationships to communities and networks that are based on shared social practices and interests, as we engage with one another in digital communities it is certain that our behaviours are influenced. For those of us who have weak social network connections, we are essentially strangers to one another who have an ability to create a perception of our ideal self and seek affirmation from others through that created perception. Or on the other hand those who chose to remain anonymous have the ability to behave in a manner and experiment with their online behaviour(s) while keeping their identity private. Behaving anonymously does raise concerns about the perceived trust of those you may be engaging with or, other anonymous persons potentially causing harm through unsocial behaviours and their lack of integrity through not being identifiable. Unlike other media platforms, social media is not yet regulated however I believe this is an evolving area that needs further exploration. As users have the ability to publish their own content and content on others, where and how do we create boundaries that protect each other from either potential defamatory situations or matters of privacy exposure? While some may be comfortable with sharing every detail of their life, exaggerated or not or pure honesty as a therapeutic practice, there are other who don’t share the same preferences.

This is still a developing and unfamiliar area which will need further exploration as media platforms and technology capabilities continue to progress. I will leave you with a few articles below which I found thought-provoking regarding the moral compass of technology and associated platforms, addictive behaviours caused by social media and the regulation of social media. I look forward to you sharing your views:

*The term platforms defined in an online context as an ‘online services of content intermediaries’.

https://medium.com/doteveryone/the-tech-industry-needs-a-moral-compass-3ce1665a287f 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/11/facebook-google-public-health-democracy

https://theconversation.com/regulate-social-media-platforms-before-its-too-late-86984

References

Buzzz Social Media 2011, The Social Media Revolution 2014, 23 October, viewed 3 August 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs>.

TED-Ed 2013, Connected, but alone?- Sherry Turkle, 19 April, viewed 3 August 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0g8TsnA6c>.

Wilken, R & McCosker, A 2014, ‘Social Selves’, in Cunningham & Turnbull (eds), The Media & Communications in Australia, Allen and Unwin pp. 291-295.

Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2014, The Politics of Platforms, 21 January, viewed 3 August 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hxcofU_o7Y>.

University of Arkansas 2009, Connected Lives: The New Social Network Operating System, 13 April, viewed 3 August 2016, <http://clintonschoolspeakers.com/lecture/view/connected-lives-new-social-network-operating-syste/>.

van der Negal 2013, 'Faceless Bodies: Negotiating Technological and Cultural Codes on reddit gonewild’, Scan Journal of Media Arts Culture, vol. 10, no. 2, Macquarie University.

Boyd, d 2010, ‘Social Network Sites as Networked Publics’, in Papacharissi, Z, A Networked Self: Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Network Sites, Routledge, Hoboken, pp. 39-58.  

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

[mrmichaelbaxter]

WOW what a great read, I was glued to all of it!!! Unfortunately I don't think a fad would have lasted this long, although I do think some social media aps and behaviour could be considered a ‘fad’. Are people just looking for the next big thing, and trying to capitalise from these platforms? The rise of social media influencers, are they just a fad in the current mix until something new comes along. Your comment ‘therapeutic practice’ I couldn't agree with more! I believe Social Media is here to stay, but certain elements may be a fad. PS thanks for the article links, ‘Regulate social media’ was my favourite, and with the amount of fake news in the world, I’m all for them regulating it and exposing the black box algorithm :)

[mrmichaelbaxter]

Are we connected to life, or life as we know it through a screen

Have you ever connected so much with a video that you watch it over, and over and over?

That's exactly what I did this week when I started a new university subject, 'Digital Communities'. The weeks reading material include a video, a Ted talk by Sherry Turkle 'Connected but alone?'.

You may be wondering why this video had such an impact on me? or even what resonated with me on the inside. It was these 12 words that Sherry said that hit me like a bulldozer.  "They don't only change what we do, they change who we are" (TED-Ed 2013).

You see, I was an 80's baby so I grew up in the 90's and It wasn't really until the late 90's that Australia started to adopt more technology. Geez, I didn't get my first mobile phone until 1999, but you would never call or text anyone because it was too expensive.  Over the years, technology was included more and more into our daily life.

I Still Remember

Dial-up internet

Making Plans and keeping them

A turn Dial phone that plugged into the wall

Meeting your partner at drunk at a bar

Life without Facebook

having no idea what a selfie really was

But that all changed when technology crept up on us, and we were introduced to a device called a 'smartphone'. Oh wow was this phone smart, It had all the bells and whistles. It was shiny, colourfull, allowed text messages to have more characters and this shiny device had something called 'Apps' that would change our life... and gee did they!

We could access endless amounts of internet content, more songs than we could listen to, ability to see where friends checked in on facebook and share everything about yourself with the world.

Fast forward to today, Sensis (2017) 8 in 10 Australians now use social media with Facebook being the most popular social networking site.

With so many friends and family using these social networking sites, it makes me wonder further...

If I was to stop using social networking sites, would I feel more connected to friends and family in the real world? or would I simply be alone and not connected. Despite remembering life without a smartphone, could I even give it up in today's modern technological world?

I'm looking forward to delving deeper into this 'Digital Community' topic this semester.

Would you feel more connected to real life without a smartphone?

Sensis 2017, Sensis Social Media Report, Sensis Pty Ltd, viewed 7 September 2017, <https://www.sensis.com.au/about/our-reports/sensis-social-media-report>.

TED-Ed 2013, Connected, but alone?- Sherry Turkle, 19 April, viewed 10 November 2017, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0g8TsnA6c>.

[mrmichaelbaxter]

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So proud of my stop animation I just had to share! (at Yarraville, Victoria, Australia)

[mrmichaelbaxter]

Is it a Xmas elf 🧝‍♂️ or grinch?!? (at Yarraville, Victoria, Australia)