Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fancy, Mysterious & of course Fantastic

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Merger from Keiichi Matsuda on Vimeo.

This video thoroughly confused me, but it spoke to me as well. Social media is becoming so powerful, so absolutely incredible and essential, that this Fox wonders how far away this reality really is. The reality of machines and artificial intelligence taking over the world. 

We Fox’s aren't so bad at it... I don’t think. We seem to do okay. We create big and small, good and bad, long term and short term solutions for problems and needs other Fox's might have. Arguably the best are the happy mistakes and accidents that end up changing lives for the better. Ie. the Ice bucket challenge. The 2014 challenge that went viral. It started out humble with no sense of where it would eventually lead. In America a relatively unknown sporting person decided to dump freezing water on their head in to stimulate part of the condition known as ALS in order to raise funds to find a cure. It went viral quickly and eventually had people all over the world dumping buckets full of icy water on their heads. It raised millions of dollars and eventually, through donations, a cure was indeed found. The Ice Bucket Challenge is now a staple and default for marketing companies trying to sell products or services trough social media. However, this Fox wonders if one day artificial intelligence will one day be able to run campaigns like this without a moments notice. AI could be incredible. Intentionally creating new campaigns like the ice bucket challenge that humans would and could only stumble on by mistake.  

Until then, social media has a massive part to play in shaping our communities. Without it, positive contributions to our society, like the ALS ice bucket challenge would not exist. Meaning there would be no cure for ALS which means thousands more would be suffering. Social media is a brilliant medium in which, this Fox has no doubt, that other projects/campagians have and will be invented in the years to come that will assist with helping our communities and brining awareness to those in need. However, this is all until AI takes over. So lets just enjoy the happy mistakes until then :)

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trooooooooollling

This Fox has foxed his share of piglets.... If that makes sense? No? Oh... Okay, I’ll start again....

This Fox has trolled his fair share of victims. (Better? Okay, good). I suppose it’s mostly been my friends. I mean whats the harm in a little joke every now and then, right? As long as it’s responsible doesn't go too far. It’s funny, lighthearted and puts a smile on your face. However, I've also been around not so nice trolls. The kind that creates genuine harm that justifies there misdeed with the sentence “It was a joke.” I’m all four jokes [get it ;)] but theres a difference between harmless fun and making fun of the harmless. 

Let’s take the Tayla Harris incident for example. Tayla Harris, an AFLW superstar for Carlton FC had a photo of her kicking the footy during a game. The photo was spectacular. Showing athleticism at its finest. However, because Tayla is female and because you can see a lot of Taylor’s legs the photo (through social media) was plastered with revolting negative comments. Comments regarding females as sl**s, encouraging Tayla to go back to the kitchen and others suggesting woman stop playing sport all together.... It pains me to write these words and it pains me even more to think that it doesn't pain some men to write them in the first place. Truly sad. The incident corrupted the media over the next week and luckily Tayla stayed strong and hit back. She sent the right message by standing up for herself and against trolls. Not only did it seem by the end that a large part of the AFL community was behind her, but there seemed to ebb. general consensus in society that we would no longer stand for attitudes like this. The picture made it all over the world and the incident sets a precedent in Australia that those comments and attitudes are no longer welcome in this country. It makes me proud to see a positive impact come out of this incident. 

There’s a difference between trolling and TROLLING. One’s fun gestured and positive and often between friends. The other is destructive, degrading and ultimately unacceptable. As long as trolling isn't discriminatory I'm all for it. However, there’s a line, clear as day. 

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I’m pretty :)

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In times of need there’s the internet

This Fox has been thinking.... In wake of the Auckland terror attacks or even in the more recent Sri Lankan terror attacks, how did the people recover? Obviously mentally it will take decades and sometimes never for the victims. However, what about financially? How do these people people recover from this tragedy in a financial means? 

I’ve always thought crowdsourcing sites like GoFundMe were just for fundraising for people to invent their cool inventions or good business ideas. I suppose some Go Fund Me pages are worth it. Like Waze. Even though its a for profit company, it does so much good. Even if it just takes a small stress away from peoples days, it really does make a difference to the lives of millions across the world. Funny how such a small thing can make such a big difference.  However, I realised a lot of Go Fund Me pages are actually used to help those in serious need. In the case of The Auckland terror attacks, a Go Fund Me page was set up in the name of Will Conolly aka Eggboy, to help the victims of the attacks. tens of thousands of dollars was raised for the victims to help get their lives back on track. It’s such a beautiful idea and is something so pure. This Fox always thought giving to charity’s like The Red Cross was a always a little bit dodgy. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still a great cause who do great things for people around the world, but I've always thought how much of the money I was donating was actually going to the people I intended on helping. Donating to Go Fund Me pages seems to be so much more direct and almost pure. It feels better as I know a large majority of the money (as no doubt Go Fund Me takes a small percentage) goes directly to the people attending to be helped. This makes me a very happy Fox. 

Whether it’s taking small stressors away from peoples days or in the case of the Auckland attacks literally helping someone continue with their lives, I'm glad Crowdsourcing recourses have become so popular. They do a lot of good and are more often than not by the people, for the people. 

I wonder who initially funded Go Fund Me? I guess I'll never know :)  

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General presentation

Activism & protest frogs

My thoughts and feelings on activism & protest

From the history to modern day activism...

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Political engagement

This Fox has dabbled in politics before. Whether it was as a young cub at school or since growing up in wider world, I've always enjoyed the challenges. Obviously there are things I would change, in almost every sector of the country, as I'm sure everyone would. However, sometimes and only sometimes, when I'm feeling particularly nihilistic, this Fox wants to tear everything down and start again. Will it happen? No. Could it happen? No. Should it happen? Honestly, probably. Politics in almost every sector is filled with bearucratical fox shit, corruption, self-entitlement and ego’s that fill buildings. Being a politician has become a job. Not a position in which one can change society. It’s become a performance. Politicians will do anything to get re-elected. Fair enough, otherwise they'd be out of a job. But it means nothing changes. EVER. We’re very lucky in this part of the burrow. And I am very lucky to be part of a privileged part of that burrow. So maybe it’s because policy doesn’t necessarily effect me like it would other fox’s. Or maybe it’s because I'm just simply oblivious. But I’ve noticed incredibly minor changes to our society for all of days of being part of it. Part of me thinks revolution will do the trick...

Wouldn’t it be great!? Imagine, Government has fallen, people are free to do as they please. Riots in the street, and fear in the air. Relax. I’m joking. I don’t mean that type of revolution. I don’t mean anarchy. I mean real REVOLUTION. It’s as if big business, large cooperations and the government have done such a good job job at indoctrinating us, that we forgot who’s got all the power. We do. No ifs and or fox butts about it. If we as society said jump, big business/governments would say how high. The sky is the limit when the people have the power. At the moment we say jump, and big business/governments tell us to shut up, sit down and try to sell us some fox crap new product called “jump”. Fox god know’s I'm sick of it. It’s actually embarrassing. We've become so brainwashed and civil with our lives we can’t even comprehend how things could improve. Social media, has catered to this to a degree. There are large social movements over the internet. Mass rally’s and protests have been organised through it. Tens of thousands every Australia Day/Invasion day rock up in city centres protesting the inequalities and injustices that Indigenous people of Australia have gone through over multiple generations. Social media was a massive part of getting the word out that protest existed. Is it changing anything though? Doesn't seem like it. And it’s depressing. Oh so depressing *Sigh*. Social revolution is needed. Before humans completely destroy the planet and before depression becomes the norm. Sorry, I'm clearly getting into one of those nihilistic moods again. I imagine lots of fox’s feel similarly. But I mean, if we feel similarly, why are’t we doing anything about it? Laziness? Oppression? Both? Probably. 

But when the call comes!!!... and it won’t, but IF it does. I’ll be there, ready to turn to the air into fear.  

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Protest & Activism

Boy oh boy. Does this Fox love its social media. Hours upon hours, days upon days, years upon years. Am I addicted? Probably. Am I doing anything to change it, a little bit. Will I ever give it up completely. Absolutely not. However, It’s not just the social aspect that makes it so god damn addicting. It’s  the wider social impact it can and does have on wider society. While this Fox is all comfy in my burrow of Australia, and social media does play a part in the political landscape, its the impact it has around the world in the not so privileged burrows which makes it increasingly difficult to give up. 

While the extent/peak of social media protest and activism in Australia is more or less Eggboy or the students strike for climate change awareness we’ve seen in 2019. Which are great and important! It’s the damage digital protest and activism plays in the not so fortunate countries. Take the Arab Spring for example. in late 2010, early 2011, the people in the Middle East where fed up. In the past, there wasn’t a fortune the people could do about it. Sure they could protest, sure they could speak their minds (to an extent). However, the global impact was always shallow. However, with the boom of social media in the past decade or so, it made the rest of world aware what was happening through the Arab region. For the first time in history, the entire world was focused on a handful of corrupt governments. For the first time the people had the power and interest if the whole world at the touch of their fingertips. In the end, the people won. They effectively managed to overthrow multiple governments in the span of a few months using their phones. Through the means of subactivism and culture jamming, millions of people were able to enter freedom for the first time in their lives. All thanks to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr etc...  

While this Fox’s predominant use of these social media platforms is surrounded around social means; connecting with friends, party events, meme exploring etc.. It also makes this Fox’s tummy nice and warm knowing these same platforms have helped people escape poverty, homelessness and abuse. Theres is still plenty that can be done, not everyone is free, but I am excited to see what social media comes up with next to help people around the world. 

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Is Tumblr a blog or a social network site?

It’s an interesting question to say the least. Tumblr is brand new to this Fox. Quite an interesting piece to examine and explore. It’s oh so familiar, yet distinctly different and mysterious. This Fox has known about Tumblr for many a year. Reading about it, hearing about it and even talking about it with ftiends about whether or not to give it a go. I’m glad I finally did, as surprisingly I quite enjoy it. 

It’s obvious to this Fox, that Tumblr has a rather unique community. Different to that of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. It’s classy. Albeit perhaps I am yet to find its dust bunnies. It has all the frameworks of any other Social media network....

User profiles

Followers/friends 

Posts to to the public/followers 

Engagement through clicks, likes & comments 

So why the question? Why is it debatable?

This Fox simply can’t manage to figure it out... Perhaps its humble beginnings have shaped its present. Perhaps starting as an almost pure blogging website have stopped, dead in its tracks, Tumblr from the public seeing it anything more than a blogging website. But oh how they're wrong... dead wrong. 

While, maybe not having as large a fanbase or economically as successful as the other social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  etc..) Tumblr has transformed itself into arguably the most dynamic social networking site.

Tumblr provides a vantage point, just like Facebook, to see/explore and engage with what’s happening in the world. It provides sociality just like any other social network. Creating relationships, societies and micro-communities within each category, blog and post. It has a pubic sphere that pushes agendas, pushes political engagement and change. At the end of the day It’s a forum that allows its members to contribute content for others to interact with. If that’s not a social media network than  this Fox doesn't know what is.

Is Tumblr a blog or a social network site? This is no question... It’s an insult. An insult  to the 50 million active users it has around the world. An insult to its creators and an insult to its newest member. Me. Fantastic Mr. Fox. 

Yes, Tumblr is a social networking site. No doubt in this Fox’s mind.