Water Spinach

Welcome back pain

[waterspinachdith]

XIE XIE! WO AI NI BERTHA <3

With a population of over 1.3 billion people, China is a vast country. This number is so huge that China once tightened the police for one family with one child to make it simpler to control its population. However, the police have been violated numerous times by the public; the crucial thing is that the administration is unaware. This social credit system is an idea that has been around since the advent of surveillance and security technology. The design of a large-scale surveillance technology system that contains a large amount of data on each citizen, on the other hand, is unique. In comparison, the United States has a population of around 400 million people. 

The social credit system in China is a programme that comprises several databases around the country and allows the government to monitor and analyse the trustworthiness of individual residents, businesses, and government entities. Each will be assigned a credit score, with prizes for those with good scores and penalties for those with low scores. The majority of these data sources will be derived from traditional sources, such as financial data, crime, royal records, and registration records. Data from other sources, such as online credit systems, are also used.

Other data, such as video surveillance and data deemed necessary, such as data on their work. Last year, they also touted the sophistication of their surveillance technologies. For example, in Beijing, a facial recognition system will be installed in public transportation. Bags larger than A4 size will be searched, making it easier for police officers to identify offenders attempting to flee on public transportation.

If you've ever watched the Netflix dystopian sci-fi series Black Mirror, one of the episodes that became a term was the Nosedive episode. We can see how the community in the story values one another in this episode. A high social score allows you to purchase luxury mansions and obtain bank loans, yet a low score will land you in jail. 

The concept of the alleged social credit system is similar to that of the previously described Black Mirror series. According to media sources, persons with a high social credit score will find it simpler to obtain loans and other benefits such as health insurance, deposit exemptions, and the ability to rent public housing. Another example for persons with a low credit score: they are not permitted to purchase public transportation tickets, including airline tickets that are higher than economy class. When we refer to 'them,' we also include lay authorities. This means that if a layperson is having difficulties at work, his or her use of bills at golf clubs and nightclubs may be restricted. Likewise, while purchasing or customizing a home.

I don't like this system (:

This will be the last post from me to you Bertha, thank you.

wo ai ni men (Bertha and Lee ZiI Jia)

[waterspinachdith]

RUN the games in HIGH HEELS yuh!!

In the past, it was referred to as a computer game such as Dota, Counter-Strike, or Warcraft, and some people thought it was a waste of time and pointless. With the Covid-19 pandemic situation, who would have believed that a computer game like this might genuinely solve the issue of exile during PKP and retain human interactions, particularly with family and friends? Some people may believe that game players like this like to be alone and immersed in their own world. However, on social media platforms, participants do not only compete to see who is the best. If the Covid-19 outbreak spreads further, most countries throughout the world impose lockdown measures in the intention of decreasing transmission within the population.With so many individuals now confined to their homes, many are turning to technology to maintain existing relationships, such as Zoom talks, movie viewing groups, and video games. The developers have pushed gaming formats to the next level, focusing on designing gameplays that allow for social interactions, such as real-time text chat, audio and video chats, co-op jobs, or guild mechanisms, to make the gaming experience more dynamic, linked, engaging, and immersive for players. These features allow individuals to connect with other gamers all around the world while enjoying their favourite game. There are numerous best-selling video or online game titles on the market, particularly ones with social interactions themes. Among those that responded were the online games Among Us, Sims, and Animal Crossing.

Growing Black Girl Gamers from a safe space into a progressive space

It started with a Facebook group. In 2015, content creator Jay-Ann Lopez had been running her own channels on both YouT…

Even more than any other community, the video gaming community is inextricably linked to the poisonous and abusive culture of some groups of gamers. So, for gamers like Ann Lopez, a London native, the best way to deal with it is to start a unique group called Black Girl Gamers on Facebook in 2015. This community was created to allow all players, regardless of religious background or ethnicity, to interact with young people in an environment free of racial and sexism.

In my opinion, mobile social games should provide players with a social experience. Instead of simply connecting with social networks like Facebook, social interactions in games should connect players. This can be accomplished through a variety of techniques, such as communication, social feeds, multiplayer games, and so on. Users can socialise and chat with one another as part of their game experience. In terms of specific themes, I should highlight that including social features significantly improves retention and discovery. Players return to the game to check on their friends' progress and to inform their real-life friends.

[waterspinachdith]

IM YOUR BIGGEST FAN!!

Fandom can provide a safe haven for us to express ourselves, have fun, and participate in activism. However, fandom is not always amusing. It can also be harmful at times. One of the toxic fandom cultures that we may have heard about recently is the "duty" to stream songs or music videos by idols in order to meet particular screening targets. Of course, this is done to both respect and encourage idols' work and hard work.

This behaviour, however, can become toxic if one fan or group of fans forces other fans to stream as well. Fans who do not stream militantly have been abused and dubbed "disloyal" to their idols on countless instances. Bullying is nothing new in the fandom. According to the BBC, in 2018, Canadian writer Wanna Thompson was bullied by Barbz, as fans of rap superstar Nicky Minaj were known. Wanna, who is also a fan of Nicki Minaj, questioned Nicky's work at the moment. He believes that the performer should write more mature songs.

Nicki Minaj and her fans attack Canadian writer online after tweet | Globalnews.ca

The 26-year-old writer has received multiple death threats from people on social media and some have even gotten a hold of her personal phon

Wanna began receiving threats and insults from the Barbz shortly after tweeting. They even found a photo of Wanna's four-year-old son and made fun of him. Gayle S. Stever writes in his article "Parasocial and Social Interaction with Celebrities: Classification of Media Fans," which was published in the journal Psychology Theories Methods and Applications, that a person can love or like his idol based on feelings such as "celebrity idols are similar to him," "he wants to be like a celebrity," "romantic attachment," and "considering idols to be holy heroes."

It's no secret that all fandoms can be awful, and I've certainly known this, but for those who prefer to use fiction to inspire and distract themselves from reality for a while, groups within a certain fandom might feel like a safe place to create relationships and not feel alone. For the longest time, I was only interested in one fandom, which I adored. There were some negative portions, but not nearly as horrible as some other fandoms I wanted to join. I'm getting into the practise of ignoring fandoms that I find offensive or obnoxious, but it makes me feel more alone in my enjoyment of a series; also, depending on the fandom, it can cause me to see a character or series as just one big cringey meme.

From my personal record, When I was in highschool, I was part of the Beliebers (Justin Bieber's) fandom. I remember creating a twitter account just to make friends with other beliebers. I used to post edits and tagged Justin's official account on every post I made. I believe I made quite a few friends on the acc even though none of us actually know each other personally. The fact that we're all gathered under the same interest. I used to get mad at people who make stupid jokes about him. I made a mistake and allowed it to impair my enjoyment of the series, something I'm trying not to repeat. It bothers me to see something that I find uplifting and reassuring portrayed as filthy and cringeworthy. Apart from meeting friends online, I remember that I used to skip school lunches just to save my pocket money for Justin Bieber's merch. The fact that this might be seen as cringe or childish to others, I was really enjoying those moments as a fangirl.

[waterspinachdith]

Crowdsourcing (mm basic)

What is Crowdsourcing?

The word "crowdsourcing" was coined by a writer called Jeff Howe in a June 2006 story published in Wired Magazine. He proposed the following definition of crowdsourcing: 

"Crowdsourcing is the act of a company or organisation adopting a function previously performed by staff and outsourcing it in the form of an open call to an undefined (and generally huge) network of people." (Howe, 2006)

Crowdsourcing, in essence, is an open invitation for anybody to contribute in completing a task in cyberspace (Brabham, 2008; Howe 2008). The term "anyone" does not always refer to everyone. The criterion for the crowd or those asked to participate, according to Enrique Estellés-Arolas and Fernando González-Ladrón-de-Guevara (2012), must be explicit. They must be able to access the internet and possess information, knowledge, and abilities relevant to the job assigned.

Crowdsourcing is always related with the internet since internet facilities are utilised to collect data from the public in order to cover any location and at any time. According to the findings of Enrique Estellés' (2012) research, persons that participate in crowdsourcing form an association with a variety of traits, heterogeneity, and expertise that is dictated by the needs of the crowdsourcing activity being carried out (Estellés & González, 2012). Although anyone can engage in crowdsourcing, the crowdsourcing implementer expects participants to be knowledgeable about the crowdsourcing theme and to offer data that is reliable and not fabricated.

The crowdsourcing system has been widely used for a variety of objectives. Begin by mapping needs (crowdmapping), then move on to innovation processes, creative and entertainment activities, journalism, crowdfunding, democratic processes, and social movements. Some tangible examples of social movements employing crowdsourcing tactics include:

HarassMap | Stop sexual harassment

We believe that if more people start taking action when sexual harassment happens in their presence, we can end this epidemic together. Join

Harassmap, founded in 2010 by Rebecca Chiao, is an interactive map that collects accounts of abuse suffered by women or other victims. This initiative aims to combat sexual violence in Egypt. 

Kuhonga is a Nairobi-based website that maps corruption. The website allows Kenyans to report corruption situations in real time using mobile applications, email, social media, or the website itself. This website addresses corruption in government, law enforcement, immigration and customs, educational institutions, and companies.

Howe, J. 2006. The Rise of Crowdsourcing. Wired Magazine (Vol. 14, pp.1-4)

Howe, J. 2008. Crowdsourcing: why the power of the crowd is driving the future of business.New York: Crown Business

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PUBLIC HEALTH *cough coro cough*

Since the end of 2019, the world has been shaken by the Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) attack. The Malaysian government has adopted numerous phases of the Movement Manage Order (MCO) 2020 beginning on March 18, 2020, in an effort to control the prevention of COVID-19. In the face of the COVID pandemic-19, which is spreading rapidly, and the implementation of the PKP-PKPB-PKPP, which was executed for the first time in Malaysia, the public is always searching for sources to get the most up-to-date information on the status and news of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as the most recent Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). People used to rely on traditional sources such as radio and television to acquire information, but technological advancements now put everything at their fingertips through the usage of the internet and communications technology (ICT). The usage of technology such as the Internet, as well as media such as social media, is considered as extremely beneficial in giving up-to-date information. During the isolation or lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of persons accessing virtual (online) content rose over the world. Among the virtual content accessed is the ability to delight yourself and obtain up-to-date information on COVID-19.

In the past year, there have been 128 million more mobile phone users, according to the "Digital 2020 Global Statshot Report" by We Are Social, Hootsuite, and Kepios. This growth in mobile phone users is likely to contribute to an increase in social media use globally. The spreading of fake news and rumours is one of the major issues confronting the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the WHO has voiced their concern about the virus pandemic as well as the issue of false information and the dissemination of persistent falsehoods. False information can prevent the responsible party from responding, prevent the public from receiving accurate information, and delay the adoption of measures to combat the outbreak.

Timeline: How the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded in Malaysia since January 2020

After more than 18 months since Malaysia saw its first coronavirus case, the caseload has stayed high in many areas while lockdowns have bee

The Movement Control Order (MCO) enforced in our country since mid-March last year to curb the spread of COVID-19 has also increased the use of the internet and communication on social media. Various campaigns and reminders are given by relevant agencies such as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) about the ethics of using social media, but such campaigns are considered unimportant and ignored by some netizens. Everyone is racing to share information and give opinions without considering the validity of the information. The public is advised to first check the validity of any information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and the Movement Control Order (MCO) before sharing it on social media to avoid the spread of false news and inaccurate information. People can be upset by fake news. The community is under strain as a result of the scenario as reported in fake news. The existence of prior news has increased the burden of those responsible for determining the veracity of the news and presenting it to the community.

[waterspinachdith]

SoCiAL ACtiV!Sm

#BlackLivesMatter. 

The establishment of a movement opposing the occurrence of racist acts. Although racism was thought to have ended with the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. This is known as the Black Lives Matter movement. This campaign condemns the violence committed by a white police officer named Zimmerman against Treyvon Martin, which sparked outrage among black people. This campaign was named after a hashtag created by Alicia Garza, a black woman who expressed her worries about the case. "Black folks, I love you. I love us, our lives matter," Patrisse Cullors reposted Garza's post. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was used at the end of the upload by the final name.  

The same thing happened in 2014. In the United States, police shot and killed Michael Brown, a young black man. This case also prompted the Black Lives Matter organisation to stage a protest called "Freedom Rides," which highlighted the circumstances surrounding Brown's killing. This marked the beginning of community opposition to racism in the United States. Black Lives Matter is there for people who require a symbol to appropriately represent their pain, thus recreating the lost connection between their pain and the belief that it will go away. Black Lives Matter is the result of a group of people experiencing pain and organising a protest.

Occupy Wall Street has emerged as a new social movement. The Occupy Wall Street movement is a new social movement phenomena with the main concern being economic injustice. As a New Social Movement, Occupy Wall Street rejects the organisational framework of a hierarchical movement by not establishing a leader as a symbol, implying that they are anti-bureaucracy, which can be more complicated and does not accommodate everyone's input. The concerns formed in the movement are more grounded by listening to the input of the action participants one by one, even if this takes a long period. This movement is democratic, inviting everyone to think together because of the communal difficulties we confront on a daily basis (social-economic-political), which have the ability to unite everyone in one force.

Fan activism, according to Melissa M. Brough of University of Southern California, is a fan-driven movement to solve civic or political issues through interaction and strategic diffusion of popular cultural content. There are other examples of K-pop fandom being used as a resource or launch for civil and political action. In South Korea, for example, a group of female K-Pop fans actively participated in mobilising the movement to promote the suspension of President Park Gyeun He, who was involved in several constitutional and criminal crimes, including bribery and abuse of power.

Twitter, for instance, is becoming a popular forum for digital fandom, such as how ARMY, BTS admirers take action and contribute to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. ARMY activism varied from retweeting people's BLM tweets, educating each other about racial injustices in the world and their individual countries, holding rallies, and launching the #MatchAMillion global fundraising drive through One in An ARMY (a collective of volunteers around the world focused on global donation campaigns). ARMY was able to raise more than $1 million in donations in just one day because of this global fundraising effort.

[waterspinachdith]

Politics and Social Media yuh!

(LeeZiiJia<3 is just for decoration, but Malaysia Boleh!!!)

~The intensity of this millennial generation in using internet-based information technology has become a trend as well as a routine that sometimes takes up most of their productive time. Social media as one of the features in internet-based information technology, practically, is ultimately very effective as a medium for disseminating information, developing knowledge, exchanging information, business development as well as public service advertisements and political campaigns. The high intensity of the millennial generation towards the use of social media is immediately glimpsed by political actors as a new forum that is easy, cheap and effective to serve as a platform as well as a tool or means of political communication in order to disseminate political programs to campaigns aimed at achieve their political goals. This is in line with the opinion of Meadow (1985) which states that political communication refers to any form of exchange of messages or symbols that have a significant impact that has been predetermined or has had an impact on the political system. In political and democratic events such as elections, social media is also present on the two dichotomous sides, namely appearing in a positive sense such as building awareness and political participation of millennial groups and not infrequently appearing in a negative meaning such as being used for the purpose of inciting netizens with racial issues. as well as the delivery of false news (hoax).

I am someone who isn't really involved with politics but I can see them making their way through social media. Since Malaysia's first social media election was announced, a new phase has begun in the country's political arena. In the past, people only received news from traditional media, but now everyone has the choice to search for and get the latest information instead of social media. However, behind the freedom of speech, the public is also exposed to manipulated information and exploitation of news sources to attract lots. Malaysian politicians has used digital media to facilitate various goals that can provide easy benefits to leaders, political parties, or government empires. politics, or government empires (Fuchs 2014).

I do not deny the power of social media in political warfare. One of the political experts I know is Syed Saddiq (the hot one I guess). He alone has almost 2 million followers on Instagram. This proves that many of his followers trust him in politics or maybe because he's hot!??! He went viral before as one of the youngest politicians and he took that opportunity to expand his identity through social media such as Instagram and Tiktok. He was once a meme which also contributed to his publicity. The young generations or the group of people that will take over the "votes" seems to enjoy this type of approach. This shows that the take of politics in social media is something that is relevant. Take back to the time where it is kinda forbidden to make a meme/joke out of politicians or else…

To conclude this week's blog, I would say that I like how free we are to express our voices towards the politicians easily without needing it to reach the traditional media like TV or Radio. We just need the power of "Viral" and word circulates around and so on. As more politicians break through social media, more young voices could be heard. This statement will not ignore the fact that their involvement is also propaganda. That's all hehe

[waterspinachdith]

BLOGGING? 

BLOG

Blog, or an abbreviated version of “weblog” is a term used to describe websites with an ongoing history of information. A blog is a platform where an author or a group of writers share their views and opinions on a particular subject. Blogs can also be built as online journals, where this informational website displays information in reverse chronological order, i.e. the most recent posts appear first and at the top.

The content of a blog can be anything a person wants, such as a journal, a collection of links, an informational scrapbook, or even a discussion board. There are so many things that can be done with the media blog. The appearance of the blog always changes from time to time. Today, blogs have a wide variety of items and widgets. Most blogs still include some of their standard features and structures.

IS BLOGGING STILL RELEVANT IN THE AGE OF TIKTOKS AND INSTAGRAM?

As someone who enjoys reading blogs, I believe that blogging is still relevant in an age where social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have higher engagement rates than blogs. I'm always curious about trivial things, and blogging (most of the time) gives me explanations that actually fulfill my curiosity.

True, social media platforms such as Tiktoks and Instagram have a large audience base while also being very informative, with advanced updates such as combining images, videos, text, and gifs in a single post. The community's literacy rate is declining. Reading interest wanes, and the ability to interpret sentences deteriorates. People prefer to read short news articles rather than long blog posts if they can understand the article from the title alone. While blogging has always been something that many people thought would only exist in text form, it is also evolving over time.

Tumblr is a great blogging platform for sharing images, text, videos, and even gifs. Tumblr submits responses to investigative cases (i.e., academic journals) by providing space for various types of meetings and being considered at least during the initial investigation stage. Tumblr's options for uploading text, video, photos, and audio assist different types of learners (visual, auditory, etc.) in moving more smoothly and actively through the inquiry process.

Aside from that, Google's search engine easily locates information based on good blog writing. After all, when compared to social media, SEO heavily relies on blog posts to appear in search rankings. It is uncommon for articles written on Facebook or other social media to rank first in the Google search engine. The majority of them will be from blog posts. As a result, I must restate that blogging is still relevant.