One Important Thought

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"Ahram Online" : My Favorite lacks important information

Ahram Online is my favorite website when it comes to providing needed information simply and professionally. It provides clear, simple and accurate information on the elections through providing the latest news updates, politial parties, electoral alliences, blocs and an extensive guide on all that there is to know about the elections, posted in the article: "The Concise Idiot’s Guide to the Egyptian Elections" which I find to be very beneficial for getting all the information in a very basic way. The organization of the article, being properly subtitled, makes it easy for the reader to access the needed information without having to keep reading every word in the article. The website also provides feature stories that are related to the elections, yet tackling different angles that are not necessarily covered elsewhere.

The website employs visual material, yet there are no audio or video utilized, which I believe could've added to the website, especially if interviews with key candidates/parties were posted so that people would get more familiar with them rather than just reading about them.

Their usage of photos though is very well done. They added pictures for every article, and logos for each party, a picture for every candidate; yet it is always expected of a newspaper to do so.

Social media usage in Ahram Online is brilliant. Having added all available social network sites is a very wise step to take, since they are allowing all readers, using any social platform to be able to share whatever he likes on whichever platform he desires, which I believe is way better that being dictated to share only using e-mail or just a couple of platforms. Also adding the comment box for people to comment is a good thing to do, since a lot of people like interaction when it comes to the knowledge management process.

The website is professional, as expected of AlAhram, it uses professional language and a good layout with a good usage of pictures. It also has clear titles and subtitles which makes it very easy to navigate.

What makes me disapponted at the website makers though, is that they didn't add individual information about each person's voting details (using his ID number) like other websites did.

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What is happening to Egypt? Just my thoughts!

Following up with what's going in my country became the most depressing thing to do. Having to follow up for class purposes gets me to feel hopeless about the "New Egypt". It is getting worse and worse by time.

Egypt is falling down, I believe that currently the army is the only source of power that we have and we just can't destroy it; we just need to follow a strategic plan in getting it back to its regular task: protecting the country. This cannot happen overnight. The SCAF can't just hand in power to anyone; elections must take place first, so it's just a matter of time and until this happens people need to be patient and get the work going.

The only solution people see now is protesting for the army to step down; WHAT'S NEXT? another unqualified person would take over and then people would protest for him to step down and the loop will just keep going on and on. The whole nation will never ever agree on one person, or on one decision, so let's just be patient and get this country to function properly.

The economy is just deteriorating and it will never regain its power while these protests are taking place. Friday protests, being peaceful, were quite acceptable, but blocking the square on a regular working day is just so unacceptable and adds to the deterioration of the economy.

Police has been torturing people for decades, how are you expecting it to stop by simply changing who is ruling the country. They need to be trained properly and this will take time. Instead of complaining, go and do something useful; go to organizations that would offer to get them "psychological rehabilitation" maybe. Make an action plan and work for it; propose solutions instead of complaining. 

I believe that what happened in Tahrir is unacceptable, According to the videos that I saw, people were throwing rocks at the police and they don't look to me like they are real protestors, a lot of them looked like thugs and I believe that this is what started the clashes. "Every action has a reaction" and it goes on. I don't believe police would initiate the clashes, I believe that they were trying to evacuate the square in order to get the work routine going during working days, but the protestors' rejection forced them to use force, which I don't believe started violently until protestors took aggressive actions towards police.

I am not into politics by an means, but I believe that the majority's mentality wouldn't get the country anywhere. The majority, being uneducated, makes it impossible to be able to judge nor take wise actions. I am educated, yet I still am unqualified to judge because I am not into the field and all my views are not based on anything but my perception and some information that I receive, then how will I expect them to place their voices for the country.

I am depressed!

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Radical Religion

I do not believe that new and social media stand in the way of harmony and coexistence between people of various religious beliefs; yet, it is a matter of utilizing the tools properly.

If people are moderate and are not propagating violence, harm or hatred towards other religious beliefs, they will not let some misleading speeches of someone of any religion affect their co-existence with others.

We cannot blame social media for the chauvinism of some humans. Religion is a peaceful way of life, which came to promote sincerity, serenity, peace and love. It is a way of accepting others and living with perfect morals and ethics. When some people act in a way that ruins this image, people of other religions should understand that this is that person’s misperception and wrong belief is what do that.

What makes me believe that is that if I see any person of another religion promoting extreme ideas, I would never subscribe that this is what his religion really tells him. I don’t believe that any religion promotes for any harm to anyone.

I agree that extremists have used new & social media to indoctrinate other unfortunate people with no access to the new technology, but that is not the medium’s problem.

I subscribe to the idea of 'let's block those conduits that spread hatred' because I believe that democracy by no means mean that people can propagate for violence and hatred. Freedom is a space in which one can do whatever he desires as long as it does not harm others.

I believe people can share their ideas of different religious beliefs; yet when they promote for harm it should be blocked immediately.

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Online "Houses-of-God"

Media Convergence definitely contributes to every aspect of our lives. Even if we do not utilize its facilities, it still offers all that is to be offered. Recently, religious figures have started to get involved with new media; thus getting involved with the new world of the youth and interacting with them virtually. Not only is it about interaction, but also by posting all that there is to be offered, from videos and audios of lectures, giving online advices, posting news about that certain house of worship. They offer everything on their websites; however, that does not mean that the online world is terminating the real life version of it.

It is true that most people are becoming more dependent on new and social media in every aspect of their lives, including worshiping God, yet, that does not by any chance mean that online “Houses-of God” will replace the traditional worship houses. Although many people may argue that new media will invade our lives completely, but I believe that humans will never live completely in a virtual bubble. People cannot live their lives sitting in front of screens doing everything there; there are still things that must only be done in person. Moreover, if there is something to be said about the replacement, then at least I can assure that prayers can never be performed in an online “house”.

Although those online religious services compliment worshiping God, since one will be able to benefit from them; People who are religious enough to want to be up to date with what is being posted on religious websites or posts by religious figures will definitely have the motive to go and perform the actual rituals where they are supposed to be performed and online will never be the place for that.

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Intellectual Property and Copyright

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Pofessor Kim Fox; Mass Communications Department discussing The Power of Blogging and it's relationship with Journalism

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The Power of Blogging and Journalism

To blog or not to blog is no longer the question, it is not a question of what should you add to your blog. When it comes to online journalism and especially with weblogs, implementation of laws and regulations is missing along with the absence of an appropriate gatekeeper.

Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School defines weblog as a hierarchy of text, images, media objects and data, arranged chronologically, that can be viewed in an HTML browser. Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary &  hesaurus gave it a more thorough definition: a diary (a regular record of your thoughts, opinions and experiences) that you put on the Internet for others to read and which often contains links (words or pictures that connect to other places on the Internet.) Generally speaking a weblog post has three basic attributes: title, link and description; all are optional. The most popular free blogging platforms include wordpress, tumblr and blogger.

Michael Conniff from the online journalism review (OJR) sees a weblog (blog) as a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. Conniff sees it is a means of sharing information and also interacting: It's more about conversation than content. Whether blogs should be considered a professional journalistic news source; he believes that  journalism is not limited by the tool, medium or person engaged with the process; and that blogs are whatever we make of them. Consequently it will be equally tiresome and useless to argue if they would be seen as journalism or not.

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Elgomhoreya.tv

       In our Media Convergence Capstone class, we have been assigned to criticize the website: elgomhoreya.tv. As a group, we found that the idea and motif are good as the website offers different categories that interest their target audience; being young Egyptian both males and female, ranging from the age of 15 to 26 years, who receive moderate to high education and who are familiar with the Anglo-Arab slang; And people who like to stay up to date with issues concerning youth. The website is convenient to the active Internet users who are familiar with the mechanisms of new media.

       Elgomhoreya.tv is converging TV, social media websites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube). There is also the chance of adding your own content to the website and sharing your opinions and information with other who visit the website. The functions of the website, although seeming to be various, they are constrained into one format (video).

We recommend that it should add written content in order to balance between people who like to read and people who like to watch shows. We also think it could add the breaking news section in order to offer up to date news.  It is good to have rules, yet the unprofessional way is not appealing since it is not giving the serious impression of them enforcing rules.

The idea of the website is not that innovative, since it is a natural step of convergence and we think that it will eventually fade unless they keep developing the website and implementing new ideas.

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Diffusion of Innovation... I am a Laggard and I like it :)

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Diffusion of Innovation

Diffusion of Innovation’s theory is basically how a new invention spreads though a certain medium to reach almost everyone, everywhere. In definition, the theory “seeks to explain how innovations are taken up in a population.” (Les Robinson, 2009)

The major idea of the theory is how only 2.5 % of a population are considered to be innovators, or in other words, people who have a vision and believe that technology advancement plays an essential role in their life’s development. The inventors are said to be very idealistic and open to new ideas and are the first ones adopting an innovation and promoting for the new inventions. Afterward, the early adopters, who make 13.5% of a population, get convinced and purchase the product and start to promote for it through their usage.

The early majority, which make 34% of a population, are the ones who leap in after the invention has proven to be useful. With half of the population having adopted he invention, the late majority, which makes 34% of a population, hops in, mainly for the sake of peer-pressure and having to be part of the group. The remaining 16% are laggards who are resistant to innovations. They either adopt it after a very long time or don’t adapt it at all. They are skeptic and don’t see how important is the impact of technology on their lives.

The process by which the Diffusion of Innovation is communicated is explained in the flow chart (FIG2)  below:

FIGURE 2: Extracted from: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/238/493

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Ithiel de Sola Pool

Ithiel De Sola Pool was born in 1917 in New York. He earned his PhD from University of Chicago in 1952. He directed a research program on the effects of communication technology on global politics in MIT Center for International Studies. He was one of the political advisers during Cold War. He contributed with 24 books and hundreds of articles.

Pool recognized the importance of change in technology and communications in a time where things were constant. In his article Technologies of Freedom (1983) he showed how he had vision on how technology can transform the way in which we live. This point was specifically made clear when he pioneered at the notion of convergence. He made it so clear that through convergence one can gain freedom and break all man-made restrictions. He has foreseen that in the future (our current time), the technology advancements will allow one’s use to control technology other than having limitations of technological advancement control one’s use.

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Marshall McLuhan

McLuhan was born in Edmonton, Canada in 1911. He achieved two Bachelor degrees, two masters and a doctoral from Cambridge University. He became a college professor in several universities. Later, he became chairman of Ford Foundation Seminar on Culture and Communication for two years since 1953 and Co-Editor of Explorations magazine from 1954 till 1959. He was also Director of Project in Understanding New Media for National Association of Educational Broadcasters and U.S. Office of Education for a year from 1959. In 1963 he was appointed by the President of the University of Toronto to create a new Centre for Culture and Technology to study the psychic and social consequences of technologies and media. He then became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1964 and Companion of the Order of Canada in 1970. He received nine Honorary Degrees from different universities and received ten awards that are available in listing on his website. Over and above, he is the author of twelve books and hundreds of articles.  He passed away in 1980.

This year, 2011, marks the “Commemorate 100 years of McLuhan;” a very prominent name that unfortunately did not make it to many of our memories. He was a brilliant media analyzer who just knew how the world would be now without even getting a chance to see it. McLuhan’s focus was on “understanding the effects of technology as it related to popular culture, and how this in turn affected human beings and their relations with one another in communities.”

McLuhan in a unique scholar who should never be forgotten, for his very different vision of technology back in 1960’s, where technology was still very primitive, mainly the radio and beginnings of Television existence.

He started all of his theories by one observation: (people no longer go to church as much as they watch Television); and here is where the starting point of interest in the technology field started. He came up with the idea of technology being the extension of man, in 1964, in his article: Understanding Media: The Extension of Man.  In which he argued that technology is becoming the extension of man. For example, the car is the extension of the human body, Facebook is an extension of one’s existence in a virtual society and mobile phones are extensions of our memory, our phonebooks, and our eyes. Who could’ve imagined all of this before it even existed? He is someone very remarkable; not only for that, but he also created the term “global village” back in 1962, before the internet was being thought of existing; however, now it is a fact of our lifestyle. We are always globally connected via mobiles, laptops, play-stations and all different gadgets.

I can’t believe we never came across his name before. I believe he is a genius that needs to be studied in details.

  Bibliography

  The Estate of Corinne & Marshall McLuhan. (2011). Who was Marshall Mcluhan? Retrieved September 20, 2011, from Marshall McLuhan: http://marshallmcluhan.com/biography/

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Marshall McLuhan Interview

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The "One-Hand" Strike Made It Through!

Today marked the first achievements of the strike held at The American University in Cairo. President, Lisa Anderson has responded to some of the strikers’ demands and others are to be reaching a consensus soon.

Although two strikes were planned to take place today, one calling for the departure of Dr. Anderson while the other one calling that she stays, the “Pro-President” strike didn’t take place. Some students who are taking part in the “One-Hand” strike commented saying that those who were calling for the “Pro-President” strike have no serious issue to stand up for. One of the strikers said,: “They are a minority who are afraid to explicitly stand up for their belief. There is nothing that they are holding on to and they are not willing to put any time or effort into this. It’s just a Facebook group; no more, no less.”

The strikers by assembly hour started marching all around campus calling for people to gather in front of the Humanities and Social Science (Huss) building in order to await Dr. Anderson to come out and talk to students. The crowd grew less than how it started on 9/11, but it was still quite a number. As security members and workers gathered in front of the Huss with the students, one of the Student Union members started giving a speech as they await Dr. Anderson. He explained the new “committees” strategy; through which strikers are to join committees that would facilitate the progress of the strike. For example, one of the committees stated is Public Relations, through which the committee would publicize for the strike to alumni and parents and maintain the communication with the security, workers and administration.

It was only after four o’clock when Student Union representatives came up to the crowd to inform them that they have reached some solutions with the president and have asked her not to send emails to the students as they are resenting her emails. The representative explained that many of the demands are to be met, including the involvement of at least 7 students within the administration’s decision making processes except when it comes to private faculty issues; and allowing them to have a detailed insight on the AUC budget. Moreover, Mohamed El Zoq is to be under investigations.  Meanwhile the fees issue is to be discussed the following day, Monday, September 19th; however it was clear that all the long-term demands were met and only the short term ones are still under studying.

Strikers couldn’t believe that the effort they have put into this strike is starting to blossom. They all started clapping with each of the announcements and were very happy to have reached this stage.

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The 9/11 AUC Strike

The American University in Cairo witnessed a massive strike that took place September 11th from 1 pm and is expected to continue till demands are met.

A huge number of students, workers and security members have had sit-ins in front of the Administration building, demanding several things, of which the two main ones are:

1.      Canceling the 9% increase of tuition fees for returning students; [Especially that there are no service improvements that would justify the increase].

2.     Raising the workers’ wages to a minimum of 1,200 pounds; [putting into consideration that a full time student at AUC pays an average of 60,000 pounds per semester]

It was unbelievable that the administration didn’t approach the crowd, not even through an email as they usually do; although I consider this the strongest strike since I entered AUC in 2007.  The people striking were really standing for a cause that they believe in, from their deepest feelings they all marched together all around the campus, collecting other people and asking them to actually care about their parents’ money and the workers’ basic human rights.

By 4pm the gathering started to go smaller and smaller. I believe that workers and security members were the ones who kept staying there along with a little number of students, unlike during assembly, when a massive number of students were also there.

I am starting to lose hope that our demands will be met, but at least I believe that if more students joined and we kept the strike going for the next week, we may actually get something.

The question will then be, what about the classes that we are missing? Not all of them can be made up; but as my best friend says, “you can’t have everything at the same time. It’s a matter of choice!”