Commercialization and the Network

Commercialization and the Network

If the development of internet will without business supporting, it is difficult to imagine how the development will be today. For example, during the year of 2006 - 2008, Apple Corporation is developing rapidly, from head to toe, from Mac book, (Pro), iMac, Mac book Air to Iphone, (3G), the percentage of the usage of Mac OX has jumped to 8%, indeed, the number itself doesn’t look huge, but Mac OX has jumped to 8% from 3%!!! This is a dramatic rise in, there might be something bad with Microsoft Windows. Since the iPhone came out, until the 3 quarter of 2008, Apple has become to be the third biggest mobile phone provider in the world, before that, Apple has never made any mobile phone, it is unbelievable that only one and half years, it became to be a giant of mobile phone provider.

It seems that every single data can be downloaded from the internet, even the one that is copyright protected, I think that this phenomenon should give the credit to web2.0, because of it, the internet users are allowed to upload their own resources onto the web, and let others to have it by somehow. In the world of P2P, there is nothing belongs to the website, every single software, music albums, games, movies, no matter it was supposed to be free or not, they are fully downloadable, how is the speed? It depends on how many users are downloading the same file, and how many ‘seed’ there are. Funny? Indeed, this is the world of P2P, they are not trying to steal internet users’ wallets, but the advertisers, if the reputation of your website is high, the advertisers will find you and desire you can give them permit to let their ads posted on your website, of course, they will pay you for that, and it is huge. How do the advertisers earn benefit? Well, they earn from how many times internet users click on the ads. Thus, basically, if the website is popular, the click ratio is high, the chance of clicking the ads will high. This is the commercial cyberspace.

Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 (Part 2)

Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 (Part 2)

Comparing Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, Web 1.0 used the data as the core of network, but Web 2.0 mainly based on P2P. The different and update between Web 1.0 and 2.0 below the list:

In the web1.0 era, the whole web station was created and managed by the webmasters only, users only had the rights to read, there was no option to let users custom the pages. Nevertheless, with web2.0, they can not only read, but also write, change the contents and layouts in the pages, for instance, in P2P services, internet users upload their software, videos onto the FTP servers, and allow other users to download them, and share to even wider group of people. In Flickr, people edit their photos with online photo editing tools and transfer them onto the web albums, so that other people can see them. In blogging, they share their experiences and mood between friends, even they are staying in two different countries, they can still reach each other, and leave comments or messages. In Facebook, there is tons of interesting stuff, first of all, it is connecting worldwide universities, secondly, it integrates blogging, forum all together, thirdly, there are thousands of API on the site, and they are not for individual, but intergroup.

Reference

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html?page=1 accessed on 23/11/2008

Web 2.0

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a new term, which can make people understand the application of current World Wide Web as a way to change. Web 2.0 increased network effect for users, because of that “online users are no longer limited to find, see or download off the web, but also they can do interact, combine, remix, upload, change and customize for themselves” (Amy Shuen, Amy Anne Shuen, 2008: p1)

Web 2.0 is not only a technical standard, but it contains technical architecture and application software. People are encouraged to sharing their resources of information through Web 2.0 technical. In recently, internet as a platform, such as many important ideas, Web 2.0 has no exactly boundary, but a gravitational core.

The web2.0 is all about users generated online application technology, and sharing information in World Wide Web. Users are commonly using the terms of blogging, P2P, forum to describe web2.0, thus, what exactly is web2.0? What does it do? Why it is so popular?

(To be continued…)

Reference

Amy Shuen, Amy Anne Shuen (2008) Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide, O'Reilly: p1

News and Technology (Part 2)

News and Technology (Part 2)

News can become valuable also depend on the audience, not only related to where they live, but also what they are. Different groups have different lifestyle and differences of them have their interest in different types of information. For example, to the younger audience, they target the news programme will mostly about music and sports stars, but to the order and more affluent audience who will be interested on business news. About the types of news, hard news is basically the major information of the same day on the newspaper, which published on the front of page or the top of the page for a class of news. Such as war, politics, business and crime are often the subject of hard news. This kind of news has a time-sensitive and controversial, which can produce a wide- ranging implications. The local residents also need access to these relevant information immediately, because these subjects of news are all related with people’s daily life in closely. Actually, in recent years, television has been in general and local TV News in particular. However, both of them have become a part of everyday life. (Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt, 2002: p1)

On the other hand, the subject is not the only standard to distinguish between hard and soft news. In most cases, the ways of writing of hard and soft news are also different. Hard news is usually directly into the subject, which make the readers understand the most important information as soon as possible. However, the soft news is often anecdotal or specific cases as a prelude to take the reader’s interest, so it may be necessary to wait for a while, and then to reach the main content. In addition, some news writing combines hard and soft together, they do not have a strong time-sensitive but focus on the major issues.


Reference

Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Michael L. Hilt (2002) Crime and Local Television News: Dramatic, Breaking, and Live from the Scene, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: p1)

News and Technology – What is News?

News and Technology – What is News?

What is News? The answer seems in obviously. News is news, which just referring to the valuable events and the trustworthy information. The definition of News is that reports of the recent events or some unknown information in the past. “New information about a subject of some public interest that is shared with some portion of the public” (Mitchell Stephens, 2006, page4) However, in every day there are many incidents in the world are not reported, because they do not have the property of News. Then as a message, what kind of News is enough to report on the newspaper or broadcast? Actually, there is not an exact answer, which depending on different factors. Because of that News usually contain the current affairs, sports, entertainment and so on, all of these information need to relate to the general and attractive for audience, but sometimes News are danger and not so kind for the people, “perhaps the most valuable news we can receive is warning of a clear and present danger” (Mitchell Stephens, 2006, page24) As a valuable News, it must includes time effect, is this just happen recently or are the information got by people at first time. If so, it has news value. Of course, “recent” meaning will depend on the nature of media. For example, a News magazine published since last week, everything happened in that week can be said that had a time effect. Nevertheless, in a 24-hours news channel, most of the sensitive information may be some “Breaking News”, which maybe taking place at that moment and the reporters must make a live coverage from the scene of the news. “The rapid circulation of news is evidence of more than just the desire of individuals to know and tell; it is evidence of a societal commitment” (Mitchell Stephens, 2006, page15)

Reference

Mitchell Stephens (2006) A History of News, Oxford University Press, page4, 15, 24)

Second Life - Virtual World

Second Life - Virtual World

Through using the technology of computer, internet and satellite, to combine theory with practice. The potential development of human ideology will independent of the real world, but it still associates with the real world. Usually, internet world as a virtual world, because it does not an entity, you cannot see or touch it. However, information on the network is more quickly and more full than the real world. In currently, on the internet which represents the virtual world based on a simulation environment, through using a virtual incarnation of the character as a carrier of life, in which users can exchange the network in the world. Although in Second Life, the world is “virtual”, because it comes from the creative and imagination of computer. However, in fact the world is an objective reality, which will still exist after the residents leaving. This is not only a real and unreal existence of human being, but also it is a blend of real time and real space, which are the most important prominent feature of the virtual world. In second life, this is not only a game, as long as you can think whatever you want and you will have ability to achieve. For example, in the game, in the virtual world, you can buy the lands, build houses and then you can sell them to earn money, and the money you got can be even transferred to the real dollars in the real society. Actually, it has inspired unscrupulous residents of the Second Life to use some scams that have cost users significant sums. (Peter Ludlow, Mark Wallace, 2007, p11) This is called virtual reality world. In second life, there is only one sense of players that is a second time for life.

Reference

Peter Ludlow, Mark Wallace (2007) The Second Life Herald, MIT Press, p11

Second Life

Second Life

Second Life is a large on-line game of network, in which you will have an incarnation and it will be on behalf of you to communicate with others through the computer. The players can through Second Life to create their own world and characters. Second Life is similar as the other normal RPG (Role Play Games), for example, players in the game is to control a character, but its goal and focus are different from RPG. The game does not preset any goals and missions for the players, and the each action of players are completed in freely, which without any restrictions. Many issues people cannot achieve in the real life, in Second Life, they will be free to have some properties and real rights. There is a no rules and laws world, as long as you have ability, and then you can get any you want, such buildings, farms and even islands, which all you cannot imagine beyond the reality. Actually, Second life gives you a vast modernization in 3D world, and you can build it with your own wishes. Although Second Life consisted in a virtual world, some Second Life residents think that “their virtual world is closer to their real self than their actual world self”. (Tom Boellstorff, 2008, p122) However, the facts and fiction still will collide. There was an English woman divorced with her husband because she found her husband had sexual relations with a woman in Second Life. Although after that the man said he did not think he did anything wrong, this is a public on-line game of network and he just used an ideological way to make friend. That is a tragedy for this couple, while as the outsiders maybe people will feel so funny and unbelievable for that. “Ideology is distorted knowledge, producing a state of false consciousness for all those living within its understanding of reality.”(Tony Bennett, Lawrence Grossberg, Meaghan Morris, Raymond Williams, 2005, p176)

Reference

Tom Boellstorff (2008) Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human, Princeton University Press, p122

Tony Bennett, Lawrence Grossberg, Meaghan Morris, Raymond Williams (2005) New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society, Blackwell Publishing, p176

New Media-Convergence

New Media-Convergence

Convergence is one of the ways to thinking about current changes in the media, but “Convergence is a dangerous word” (Roger Silverstone, 1995) Because in Convergence of media, old and new media can collide; grassroots and corporate media can intersect and the power of the media producer and the power of the media consumer can interact in unpredictable ways. (Henry Jenkins, 2006)

There are four basic types of media convergence, technological convergence, institution convergence, professional convergence and cultural convergence. For example, in the technological convergence, put the function of a walkman into a normal telephone and then create a multifunction phone for the buyers.

In the institution convergence, Time Warner is a good example, with major operations on films, television, publishing, internet service and telecommunication. However, it is a large media and entertainment conglomerates. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Warner)

In the professional convergence, use professional data of media, voice, video and wireless services, create them into a single network and make sure the installation working and qualified sale. (http://www.ctpcertified.com/)

The cultural convergence was also affected by the new social formations (such as cyberspace). Along with the virtual communities are changing the nature of social interaction and it started modifying traditional notions of identity, space, location and meaning. (http://courses.swinburne.edu.au/Subjects/ViewSubject.aspx?mi=300&id=220#content) For example, the Disney Channel, in recent years they started dealing with some original movie for the audience as well, not just limited in cartoon for children only.

Therefore, the different types of convergence created a lot of new media products for people. In similarly, all of these media convergences promoted the development of science and technology and also enhance the further awareness and abilities of new media for consumers.

Reference

Roger Silverstone, 1995 (From Breo, lecture handout)

Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, NYU Press, 2006, Page 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Warner 04/11/2008

http://www.ctpcertified.com/ 04/11/2008

http://courses.swinburne.edu.au/Subjects/ViewSubject.aspx?mi=300&id=220#content 04/11/2008

Old Media VS New Media

Old Media VS New Media

What is new media? There are so many different definitions about the term ‘new media’ on the internet. One of them said that the term of ‘new media’ is an electronic communication that used in computer technology, such as websites, streaming audio and video, chat rooms, e-mail, online communities, web advertising, DVD and CD-ROM media, virtual reality environments, integration of digital data with the telephone, such as I-phone, digital cameras and mobile computing such as laptop. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/new_media.html)

However, what is old media? Old media means some static representations of text and graphics, such as books, print newspaper, radio and magazines. (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/new_media.html) Along with the advent of digitization, more and more people believed that the new media had replaced the old media. They are sitting in front of the computer and just read information and news free everyday on the internet, which instead of spending money to buy books and newspapers on the street. They use the digital camera to take the picture and they can see the picture from the camera immediately. They watch the DVD instead of the heavy video tapes. Etc. “Digitization makes media files highly amenable to manipulation by a computer” (Richard Wise, 2000)

Actually, there is no single answer for new media or old media, because even old media were once new, and new media are constantly changing and evolving. (Steve Jones, 2003) So the term ‘New Media’ is related with old media.

Today, especially in such developing countries, along with the improvement of computer technology, a new product will be changed and improved in a short time. Thus it is more difficult to define what new media is. Just as Sue Thomas said that “In recent years the ‘newness’ of new media has attracted an increasing groundswell of rebellion against using the term at all” (Sue Thomas, 2006)

Reference

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/new_media.html 03/11/2008

Richard Wise, Jeanette Steemers, Multimedia: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, 2000. Page 2

Steve Jones, Encyclopedia of New Media: An Essential Reference to Communication and Technology, SAGE, 2003. Page 1

Sue Thomas, 2006 (From Breo lecture handout)

The Extensions of Cyberspace (Part 2)

The Extensions of Cyberspace

“It is possible to attain immortality in cyberspace, because there everything is data only” (Jari Peltola) In Cyberspace, computer programmers use data and matrix code (0101010101…) to create the characters in a familiar spatial image like cities, buildings etc used as metaphors of social structures” (Jari Peltola) For example, the film of “The Matrix”. The roles in the film are living in a virtual digitized cyberspace, and everything in there is programmed by computer technologies. In the scene of evading the bullets, the characters can quickly evade the bullet, which is impossible happen in the real life, but it has done in the Cyberspace. However, it does not mean that they will not die, because they live by their consciousness which being in the real world. If the consciousness lost, they will die or disappear. “In Cyberspace, Bodiless consciousnesses live there” (Jari Peltola)

Sometimes we will be confused by the Cyberspace and the reality, because in the developed world, people created so many media types in Cyberspace. For example, in our normal life people can make the on-line transaction at home. They can buy or sell the products on the internet and then get the profits to use them in the real life. "Cyberspace is made of information, offering great power to those who can manipulate information” (Jari Peltola) The on-line game “Second Life” is a typical example for this issue. Since 2003, “Second Life” was published, which is a 3-D virtual world on-line game. In the Second Life world, you can imagine and create anything you want and you can build your live in real-time. Once you have built something, you can easily begin to sell it to other residents, because you control the Internet Protocol (IP) rights of your Creations. (http://secondlife.com/whatis/create.php) And even the money you earned in Second Life, you can also exchange to the US dollars which can be used in your real life. As a result, Second life became another kind of community of Cyberspace.

It proved that John Perry Barlow stated the Independence of Cyberspace has been denied. However, Dion Hinchcliffe Stated the Death of Cyberspace has come out:

"Before now, you had to consciously go to cyberspace by sitting at a PC and looking at it through a window, in essence going to a place where you primarily observed and gathered knowledge. Not any more. These days the boundaries between reality and cyberspace are becoming increasingly blurred and the activities on the Web are becoming more two ways and integrated with reality... With going into cyberspace no longer being a discrete step (folks are more and more always there now) and with the primary activity often being to interact with other folks transparently and you have a folding of cyberspace so severe that it just disappears into the ether.” - Dion Hinchcliffe

Reference

Jari Peltola Peltola, Jari World of Worlds? Conceptualising Cyberspace available on http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~jarpelt/cyberw.htm (accessed on 01/11/2008)

Matrix, 1999. [Film] Directed by Wachowski A & Wachowski L. USA: Warner Bros Pictures.

http://secondlife.com/whatis/create.php(accessed on 01/11/2008)

Dion Hinchcliffe (From Breo, the lecture handout)