Digital Communities

[marloalexa-digicomm-blog]

Social media has allowed society increased access to public communication, so much so, that new norms, responsibilities and issues have arisen in response to the growing number of individuals communicating digitally. Though with increased communication and expression of ideas and opinions...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

It is interesting that you explore whether it is the fault of social media. I believe that whilst social media has facilitated more bullying, it is the users who are truly responsible for their actions.

[swindigicomms]

Year 6 kids will be given a digital licence under a new program for online safety

Fantastic idea in the news today!

GRADE six students will learn how to deal with internet trolls, post safe photos and recognise spam emails in a groundbreaking new education program designed to keep kids safe online.

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

This is such a great idea. Because it is difficult to see what kids are actually doing online and who could be contacting them, the best way to ensure they stay safe is to educate. 

[swindigicomms]

Absolutely fascinating is the only way I can begin to describe the online gaming world. A world that I am a part of, but only on the fringes. Of all the topics we have studied in the last few months, this is the one I find the most mind-bending, interesting and disturbing. Disturbing because...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

 The whole gamergate situation really put me off ever wanting to participate in online gaming. However although there is  lot of sexism in gaming, friends of mine that play it say that they have an admiration of women who decide to join in.

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

Week 10: Social gaming: playing the crowd

I was never really interested in gaming as a child to an adult. The ability to escape to different worlds never really appealed to me like it does to some people. However recent events involving women and gaming sites has definitely put me off gaming.

http://www.esrb.org/about/video-game-industry-statistics.jsp

It is interesting to see that some people get so involved with their games that they are willing to spend thousands of dollars creating their virtual world and profile.

As people get so involved with gaming it becomes their whole life. This can create people who are so invested with their games, they get incredibly frustrated or angry if something goes wrong in these games. Gaming has a strong influence on emotions - think frustration at losing, bullying a weaker player and the anonymity that allows for callous remarks without repercussion. There is often a lot of trolling that goes on especially towards women. It appears that many women who game get trolled and harrassed, with some even receiving death threats. Game designer Brianna Wu said on Twitter that she and her husband had called the police and left their home to stay elsewhere after receiving a spate of vile Tweets that included death threats and the couple's home address. 

Gamergate is a controversy regarding sexism in video game culture. A number of commentators have argued that the Gamergate hashtag had the potential to raise important issues in gaming journalism, but that the wave of misogynistic harassment and abuse associated with the hashtag had poisoned the well, making it impossible to separate honest criticism from sexist trolling. The hashtag has also been associated with criticism of feminism and so-called "Social Justice Warriors." According to Sarah Kaplan of The Washington Post, "sexism in gaming is a long-documented, much-debated but seemingly intractable problem," and became the crux of the Gamergate controversy.

Video games used to be very inclusive and played by everyone. it is unusual that we have come so far since not letting the women have the vote, yet there is still large amounts of sexism in gaming.

Sources

http://www.esrb.org/about/video-game-industry-statistics.jsp

McWhertor , M. 2014. Game developer Brianna Wu flees home after death threats, Mass. police investigating -http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/11/6963279/brianna-wu-death-threats-police-harassment

[generatextrapolatexplore]

After engaging with material regarding China and their social media use, I truly must be living under a rock or am simply oblivious to my surroundings to not have been informed about The Great Firewall.

I have learnt that not only are the digital citizens of China not permitted to access...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

I always new about censorship in China but did not realise that it included the blocking of Facebook and other social media sites which to me seem harmless and not a threat to the government.

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

Week 9: Visual communities and social imaging

As a model I have had to use Instagram and Facebook to post pictures of myself. My agency stressed to me that this is a very important part of the job as it helps to promote yourself to clients and supporters. It allows you to portray messages and ideas (e.g. As I am a plus size model I use my Instagram to promote body love and diversity in the fashion industry - http://instagram.com/remiclare/). 

Photos used to be shared to friends and families, not millions of people around the world. With digital, mobile camera technologies and social media platforms, photography becomes ubiquitous giving rise to new forms of personal photography.

I often share images on Instargram from other people's accounts if they have great pictures of models or funny images. I always make sure I tag or reference the account I reposted the photos from. However there have been instances where companies have taken photos off Instagram and used them to sell products. For example below. Clothing store Mango took an image from Tuana's account and put it on a t-shirt without asking or paying him.

http://instagram.com/p/VT_MOHk7Or/

Selfies - The age of narcissism

The selfie is usually defined as an arms-length mobile phone camera self-portrait shared via social media and is a prominent part of the rise of ubiquitous photography and social imaging. It has inspired songs as well as special equipment to help take better selfies. Personally I believe that the obsession with the perfect selfie has made people more narcissistic. It is a kind of self expression but does not really express one's true self, just the self they want to portray to whoever is viewing the selfie.

Many people get so caught up in sharing photos of themself online that they gage their self worth through how many "likes" they receive on their photo. The formation of identity and understanding of self is now affected, to a greater degree,through the popularity or feedback on certain aspects of the user’s life that they are willing to share.

Snapchat 

Snapchat is like an instant messaging service that sends photos rather than words (although you can write and draw on your pictures). It is a way of communicating visually rather than verbally.

The selfie makes sense as the fundamental unit of communication on Snapchat because it marks the transition between digital media as self-expression and digital media as communication (Speigel in Herrmen, 2014).

Because of the fleeting nature of snapchat photos, it is popular with people that are self conscious of themselves or people that want to send a message that cannot be stored or shared with others.

Of course there is always screenshotting....

Sources

Herrman, J. (2014) ‘Meet the Man Who Got Inside Snapchat’s Head’ BuzzFeed.

Ganda, M (2014) 'Social Media and Self: Influences on the Formation of Identity and Understanding of Self through Social Networking Sites' Portland State University

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

[jackiefahey]

Internet Troll 281x300 (Bit Social Media 2013)

#Is Provocation healthy for the community?

“Provocation should be understood in context and examined in terms of the way it can not only problematise, but also productively intensify, vitalise and sustain publics within social media sites”…

[swindigicomms]

Hi Jackie, no, provocation is not good for the community, or at least it’s not good for me! No matter how many times I question people on why ‘she deserved it’, or why ‘they should go back to where they came from’, I am forever let down by the emotional intelligence of the general public. Yes I am a ‘troll’, but if I am not, who will be? That said, I don’t think I have ever changed anyone’s view on how they feel about ‘illegal’ boat people, just as they have never been able to change mine. I have to remind myself everyday to ignore the misspelled, error ridden bile that people spew online and get out and enjoy the beautiful world around me. Once I do, I feel so much better about humans in general, but wow it’s tough to ignore sometimes! 

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

I don't think that provocation is healthy. Provocation can make people say or do things they wouldn't normally do. Pushing people to act a different way through provocation isn't helpful for anyone

[swindigicomms]

verb

crowdsourcing

obtain (information or input into a particular task or project) by enlisting the services of a number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet.

Croudsourcing in times of crisis can be seen as either a positive tool for the general public, or a negative,...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

I didn't realise crowdsourcing could help to catch criminals. I like the NSW Police Force on Facebook and they always have pictures of people in there as well as times and dates of crimes but it didn't occur to me that this was a type of crowd sourcing. I thought this was only for natural disasters.

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

Week 8: Crowdsourcing in times of crisis

A crisis is defined as a time of intense difficulty or danger. The reaction to a crisis has certainly changed since the start of the digital community. With the ability to reach a large volume of people, social media has become an important part of crisis management. Our media and communication technologies are vital in delivering precise, timely information, and for organising action. They are also important in the process of recovery.

Crowdsourcing

The broadest definition of crowdsourcing is "the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers" (Merriam Webster Online 2014)

Affected Haiti - Summary

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. More than 230,000 people died, and some of Haiti’s most populous areas suffered mass destruction. 

The traditional disaster-response system employed by relief actors in Haiti concentrated on enabling information-sharing among teams of responders from the international community. This system lacked the ability to aggregate and prioritize data that came from outside sources, making it difficult to benefit from valuable information coming from the Haitian community.

Reports about trapped persons, medical emergencies, and specific needs, such as food, water, and shelter, were received and plotted on maps that were updated in real time by an international group of volunteers.

These reports, and associated geographic information, were available to anyone with an Internet connection. Responders on the ground soon began to use them in determining how, when, and where to direct resources.

http://www.usip.org/publications/crowdsourcing-crisis-information-in-disaster-affected-haiti

Although this was extremely successful in the case of Haiti, it’s unclear how useful the practice is for journalists, especially with data collected in dangerous humanitarian crises, like the one in Syria.

[embblog-blog]

activism*

*the doctrine or practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations, protests, etc. (Dictionary.com 2014).

or slacktivism*?

*the act of participating in obviously pointless activities as an expedient alternative...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

Looking back on Kony2012 I think its is absolutely laughable the way people thought simply raising awareness would help bring a war criminal to justice. 

[swindigicomms]

It is impossible to go even one week without hearing of yet another digital activism social media campaign. Think of the huge ‘Kony 2012’, (Invisible Children 2012) the Israel loves Iran campaign, (The Peace Factory 2012) and the hugely popular ‘ice bucket challenge’ (MND Australia 2012).

All...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

I have also put my name on Change.org rather than sharing a post. Though I still wonder how effective signing a petition is...

[jacquiii33-blog]

This week we looked into trolling and bullying through social media. You would know, if you are exposed to social media, that bullying through social media is common. This substantiates from comments on videos and photos of a person’s physical attributes to comments on a thread of someone’s...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

I completely agree. Bullying has existed for a long time but the increased accessibility to other people through social media has definitely brought it to light. The heightened media focus on online bullying will hopefully lead to more awareness of the issue which in turn could lead to be specific legislation or even preventative measures in schools to prevent online bullying.

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

Week 7 - Trolling and Social Media Conflict

The internet has been a blessing but has also been a curse. With the vast majority of people able to contact each other through the internet, it is a perfect facilitator for bullying and trolls.

Internet Trolling

Internet 'trolling' is the anti-social act of causing interpersonal conflict and shock-value controversy online. Named for the wicked troll creatures of children's tales, trolling is purposely sowing hatred, bigotry, racism, misogyny, or just simple bickering between others (Gil 2014). Trolls themselves are emotionally-immature users who thrive in any environment where they are allowed to make public comments, like blog sites, news sites, discussion forums, and game chat. Trolls thrive in any environment where they are allowed to make public comments (Gil 2014).

"At the lighter end of the troll spectrum, trolls can be personal friends who like to goad and joke with their buddies online. In this case, 'trolling' will mean 'stop hassling me, or I won't invite you to my birthday party'. At the harsher end of the troll spectrum, trolls are cruel and malicious users who want to set an online community on fire with hate and discord." - Paul Gil 2014

On February 22nd TV personality Charlotte Dawson committed suicide after a long and public battle with depression that was escalated by internet trolls. Back in 2012 she was hospitalised for attempting to commit suicide after she was targeted by a stream of abusive death threats on Twitter, including taunts to 'stick your head in a toaster' and 'kill yourself’. Dawson noted 'it just triggered that feeling of helplessness when the trolls got to me' and continued to explain that 'if people are wanting you to kill yourself and you are somebody who has previously tried to end your life it's very, very easy to feel like that's exactly what you want to do' (News Corp Australia Network 2012). Charlotte is just one of a number of cases that involved people committing suicide after being abused online. There have been thirteen child suicides in the last three years in Australia that have been identified as being caused by cyberbullying and this number is only increasing (Stolz & Chilcott 2013).

In order to stop cyberbullying and trolling, more education is needed to teach children the effects that it can have and what they can do if they believe they are getting bullied or trolled.

Social Media Conflict

Social media conflict occurs because of the nature of the social media sites that are used. It is much easier to argue or troll someone when you are sitting in front of a screen rather than being face to face. People can engage in conflict on social media without knowing or even meeting the other users. The ability for users to remain anonymous or at least distance is a significant reason as to why social media conflict occurs. Another reason why social media conflict occurs is that these social media sites allow millions of people worldwide to voice their opinions, many of which are opposing, and allowing others to challenge those opinions. Without these sites, many of these arguments would not occur because these opinions would not be displayed for others to see.

For a full detailed presentation on Internet Trolling and Social Media Conflict click the link below

https://prezi.com/0ntkf4yf9jfw/the-daily-troll/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

It is interesting to note that,currently under Australian law, trolls can be prosecuted.

The Criminal Code Part 10.6 regulates internet services and some of the areas that the Part encompasses are child abuse material, child pornography, as well as using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause an offence to the reasonable person as stated in Part 10.6, Division 474.17(1).

There are laws at state level that also be used to prohibit offensive online behaviour, such as Queensland’sCriminal Code, as well as the Crimes Act in both New South Wales and Victoria.

Sources

Gil, P 2014, ‘What is an internet troll? How should I deal with trolls?, About tech, June, viewed 27 December 2014, < http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/weirdwebculture/f/what-is-an-internet-troll.htm>

News Corp Australia Network, 2012, ‘Charlotte Dawson: how the cyber trolls beat me’, Herald Sun, 3 September, viewed 30 December 2014, < http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/charlotte-dawson-how-the-cyber-trolls-beat-me/story-e6frf7jo-1226463635667?nk=8c99980be473a5ea3e94764d832392e6>. 

Stolz, G & Chilcott, T 2013, ’13 child suicides in three years prompt call for action as bullying victims take their own lives’, The Courier Mail, 24 May, viewed 30 December 2014, < http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/child-suicides-in-three-years-prompt-call-for-action-as-bullying-victims-take-their-own-lives/story-e6freoof-1226649545952?nk=110486612d3f9f7b4eaa9ecd1188b461>. 

The Find Law Team, 2013, 'Internet Trolls Can Be Prosecuted Under Australian Law', viewed 29 December, 2014, http://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/4259/internet-trolls-can-be-prosecuted-under-australian.aspx

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

Week 6: Digital citizenship 2: Activism and protest

Internet activism (also known as online activism, digital campaigning, digital activism, online organizing, electronic advocacy, cyberactivism, e-campaigning, and e-activism) is the use of electronic communication technologies such as social media, especially Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, e-mail, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster communication by citizen movements and the delivery of local information to a large audience.

There are many benefits to digital acitivism. The digital age has allowed people from all over the world to come together to support or protest a cause. it allows the fast spread of information. However there are several disadvantages too. Some say it gives disproportionate representation to those with greater access or technological ability.Groups that may be disadvantaged by the move to activist activity online are those that have limited access to technologies, or lack the technological literacy to engage meaningfully online; these include ethnic and racial minorities, those of lower socioeconomic status, those with lower levels of education, and the elderly.

Slaktivism

Slacktivism can be defined as the act of showing support for a cause but only truly being beneficial to the egos of people participating in this so-called activism (Wikipedia, 2014). It usually involves "feel good measures" to support an issue or social cause, that have little physical or practical effect, other than to make the person doing it feel satisfied that they have contributed. 

A great example of slacktivism is Kony 2012. 

(http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/apr/20/kony-2012-facts-numbers)

Today this campaign has been forgotten highlighting the "trendiness" that certain campaigns are and the slackitvism of modern social media users.

Cultural Jamming

Culture jamming is an intriguing form of political communication that has emerged in response to the commercial isolation of public life. Practitioners of culture jamming argue that culture, politics, and social values have been bent by saturated commercial environments, from corporate logos on sports facilities, to television content designed solely to deliver targeted audiences to producers and sponsors (Centre for Communication & Civic Engagement).

It was originally based on the idea that advertising can be turned against itself to point up the flaws, inequalities and unethical elements of consumer culture and capitalism.

(http://www.spartacusx.com/culture-jamming/)

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_activism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slacktivism

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

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

[jacquiii33-blog]

This is my first blog for the semester, apart from the images I have been sharing. I am going to briefly look at a few different points covered within Digital Communities and how I have gained a greater understanding of the power of social media and how it used as a great tool within society...

[remiaudettedigitalcommunities]

I also found weeks 1 and 2 affected me and how I view social media. By having to review my social media use I realised that I hate social media but am forced to use it because of work and friends.