Alina

Cyborg....

2008-05-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, i can't believe this is the final week, final blog....i got used to the idea of reading posts and see what other people thought of what we learnt in class. I always find it interesting to hear/read other people's views....But anyway, my point is-I enjoyd this paper!It has been a real pleasure:)

Here's my opinion about the Cyborg: scaryyyy!Although I can really see the benefits of it, it really makes me think of security and privacy in general. I mean, it is almost like cloning cells- doctors discovered this and they could use it to help people who suffer from diabetes. It would be a miracle for them to be able to live a normal life again and not have to use insuline etc. That would be just great. But then, they didn't actually allow this discovery to go through, because they were simply afraid of people's malicious intents and how much dammage they could/might do with the discovery. So, might be the same with the cyborg. Maybe people will think "No way, this time we're not going along with technology!We don't want to change our human being!"---At least, i hope this will be the case 'cause i really don't like the idea!No way!

Think about the example we had in class with the pizza lady!Man, i'd get so frustrated if i'd want to JUST order a pizza and an amazingly annoying lady would just start asking me all of these questions, implying that i should have a different kind of pizza from the one i initially ordered etc...what the?i just want a pizza!not a reminder of what i spent my money on and that my cholesterol is high and and and......please!

And also, no, i wouldn't want to go into a starbuks and have my money deducted from my credit card?what if they deduct more than they should?:)......and i'd much rather go and order what i want at that point!otherwise, where's all the fun of going to a coffee place? Good that they know what you usually order/ prefer but what if you want something completely different the next time?Just 'cause you want a change etc...

And i'm not actually sure that i want to know all that info:where my milk comes from etc......Although, by knowing that we could get that info., they might actually try harder and use good ingredients.....but seriously, we're making our life too complicated! i really just want to have a coffe and leave peacefully without all that hassle....

Also, I agree with Erika, Kevin Warrik is pretty intense about his stuff. Why on earth would I want to communicate through thoughts and no symblos. Just stare a person like an idiot....again, where the fun in communicating>???Maybe I like to shout lol....how about singers?we go to a mute concert and feel the music thorugh thoughts?this is absurd! (at least to me, right now!)

In conclusion, if this technology would really come through and i couldn't opt out, i don't know what i'd do!i'd move to a remote island with my family/ eat rice and communicate trough signs lol....the way i think it's human:) (that is, if there will be any remote place left on earth/and had enough money to get there :)....jees, this course makes me think about crazy things hehe...just joking

i agree with Boa, i just don't want to become a robot!or be ruled by a robot :) Have you seen the movie I ROBOT- with Will Smith?that movie explains exactly what i mean, and where i don't want to end up!

Well, this is my general opinion on cyborg/chipping etc....obviously, i tend to be against it unless there would be some restrictions that would help us keep our identiy safe/be safe. And have no one interfere in MY personal life and what i do with my money/health etc!

Convergence

2008-05-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

What attracted my attention the most in this lecture, was our talk about the RFID. I just can't believe that people would go such lengths as to implanting one into babies' bodies. I can certainly see the positive side of it (that if you have an accident, the doctors can read your entire medical "situation" just by scanning YOU)....just listen to how that sounds...."let me scan you" :) it's actually funny as well...but seriously, how about our privacy? i mean, come on- I can't even believe what Erika said- that we can ourselves make one and change the inscription on any RFID we want?. It would be that simple to play around with peoples lives?Come on???!!!!what is this, toy world?......things like these just shock and scare me! So, I can't emphasize enough how finding out about all these things makes me be so much more careful and skeptical about giving out personal details and this sort of stuff....It is just amazing how much internet is helping us simplify our lives but at the same time, how scary it can make this world we live in. It deifinitely seems like internet is becoming as important as electricity. In fact, it probably already is as important as electricity. I remember when I came back from holiday this summer just before starting uni, and i had moved into a new flat where there was no internet. I kinda felt like i was in the dark, i felt like something was missing and everytime i wanted to do something, it would require the use of the internet. I would remember I did not have and i'd be like "damn, can't wait to get internet"- can't do anything without it!:) .....and that was during the holidays when it wasn't really a necessity, it was more for not getting bored- but i still needed it for entertainmnet....so i guess-we do need internet to be ubiquitos....

I tired to think, but I really can't come up with an killer up for the laptop or the phone - i'm obviously not that inventive when it comes to technology. Although, definitely wouldn;t be surprised if something new would be out there soon-ish:)

Digital Divides

2008-05-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

So, once again back to it :)

Well, what can I say - i have technolgy embeded in me. My phone is my extended self, it's practically part of me. I have it with me all the time, I check it constantly and use it very often (mainly for texting). It hapened a few times that I went away to Christchurch for the week-end and I did get my phone, but I forgot my charger....so i'd run out of bettery, and obviously I wasn't able to use my cell. I just felt like I was lost without it...and it was only Christchurch where I knew my way around, but imagine if i were in Dubai or something?Then i'd freak out without my cell!! So, after my bad stats, I think I use my mobile for an hour each day (but as i said, i have it constantly with me, even when i go to bed-I use it as an alarm as well).

My laptop-because I'm at uni and i use it a lot for assignemnts as well -the time i spend on it would be 3 hours a day?!...i think. Just like some other "blogging" colleagues, i tend to start it first thing in the morning when I wake up- before even washing my face lol (bad,bad,bad!:). For some reason, i'm always excited to see if I GOT MAIL :)--and who it might be from...

The TV - i also turn it on first thing in the morning when I go to the kitchen to have my breakfast. An average, i think I watch TV an hour a day. So not that much but, i do sometimes have it on while I do some other stuff as well. AND, aand- i watch it for about 4 hours on friday ('cause my favorite shows are o
n) as well as 3 hours sunday nights...so that leaves me to an average of 12 hours a week. which is not that much i guess comparing with other people..

My Ipod - i mainly use it as many times as I go to the gym. In total it might sum up to 4 hours a week. Sometinmes i listen to it when I walk to uni, but not always. Not anymore...i'm gettin' old (i guess i like to just clear my head sometimes -without the music!)

Hmm, what else?these are the main mediums i use all the time....if i keep going, my blog will become too long and boring!:P

Anyway, in my opinion education (OLPC) is probably as important as food. Depending on the country where you come from, I guess one or the other will be more important. In third world countries, food will be the most important thing i guess, 'cause when you're starving and sick, the last thing on your mind would be to use a laptop. The primary necessity would be food. ....but for us here i guess they both ar just as important because food is just something we can afford (at least basics anyway:), and we take technolgy/education for granted- we have it available everywhere in NZ almost.....and so we also take it for granted. So I never really thought of it this way.....i guess in more developed countries laptops could be just as important as food as they are necessities/"requirements for basic living?!........and this links me to the reading for "digital divides".

Some particular aspects caught my attention, one of which has to do with the necessity of laptops. I was agreeing on the fact that technology has become a "requirement/necessity" for basic living because we as consumers "are learning how to use these different media technologies to bring the flow of media more fully under our control and to interact with other users"....so in other words we want to keep at pace with the rest of teh sociey, we don't want to be left behind. So if technology is what we're supposed to be using in order to survive (our job, new challenges), then this is what we need to learn and adapt to -just like the we need to eat in order to survive.

Another point that caught my attention, is the fact that i'm realising that in the near future everything will come at a price. Not that it doesn't already, but it will become a serious issue. All information on the internet will come at a price. Imagine wanting to do a search and having to pay for every article??....i'd drop out of uni:P kidding ('cause i assume i wont be still at uni when this happens lol)...

Also, hopefully more and more people become aware and start carrying about media control, hence the power in our society....that way, if the majority of population is not happy, probably some action will be taken ! .....but that leads me to think, what kind of action? How revolted would we have to be so that changes will take place? Hopefully we don't have to have another World War or something catastrophic and awful like that to make a change....

There is also another aspect in the reading that I always wanted to talk about - “intertextual commodity” – it’s all I’m starting to hear lately. “Originality” is not seeked/appreciated anymore so no one cares to produce something genuine. All media are a BIG PASTICHE- that is, you take a scene from that movie, a piece from that song and a bit from the other video game and you produce THE SIMPSONS. Voila! -A funny series of ‘adult’ cartoons. Undeniably they’re funny and they have some deeper meaning than just the apparent mockery but they are still just a mish-mash and combination of other media texts. This sort of programs only dumb-down the audience, and the problem is –we like it! But why is there so much pastiche and intertextuality?....i guess everyone knows the answer: Because we live in a capitalist world. All the focus is on the economic implications of the media – it is cheaper to produce/inspire from media content that’s already been “produced” right? Why put so much time and effort into it when you can have it the easy way? It’s like, why cook at home for two hours when you can have take- away in 15 minutes? The problem is, we’re simplifying our world and we want everything to be as easy and quick as possible…..but are we in fact doing more damage to ourselves?

Surveillance

2008-05-14T02:23:00.001-07:00

After doing the reading for surveillance I realised I’m inclined not to think of it as a safety thing, rather as an intrusion into peoples’ personal lives….

I find this topic interesting and I tend to relate to the commercial part, as I’ve been doing a bit of marketing as well. That’s where I’ve become aware of the “commercial surveillance”. I had absolutely no clue that the gift cards or reward cards are actually used to keep track of consumer preferences in order for the marketers to know exactly how to personalize their products for the right market. And to have access to those cards and what “rewards” they come with, we in fact give all our personal details which we never know how they can and might be used. We are attracted to the incentives and we don’t think about anything else. A good example is the FlyBuys card. How many of you actually new that the real purpose of having a card like that is not to gain points in order to get a perfume for free let’s say, but for marketers to survey what purchases you regularly do, how much money you usually spend etc.

But again, I must emphasize that there’s no way I would’ve known about this if I hadn’t been told about it in the marketing course I attended. So how can you blame the everyday citizen that’s past that stage in life where they go to school and find out about these kinds of things, or that just simply don’t come about a conversation related to this matters? There are simply people that don’t know anything about how wrong it is to just give your personal details away so easily. For instance my dad definitely had no clue about it and he couldn’t care less, until I told him….about some consequences too. Then he admitted it made sense…..

I’m just realising all the things I’m becoming aware of trough communication papers and uni in general, and I’m glad to learn it all but I’m afraid I’m becoming way overprotective and overcautious of things. Is that good or bad? Or just human….?
Now every time someone asks me if I want to join the “Lancome beauty club” I take a minute (actually 2 seconds) and say “no, thanks!” J lool…Once I went to Lone Star for dinner as it was a friend’s birthday, and I realised they got it all for free. And my birthday was coming up so I wanted a dinner for free, but after I found out I had to fill in a form with my birth date and all, I just gave up on the ides. After all, what could they have done with that info? Pb. nothing, but I was just being paranoid as usual:)

I’m also realising that I was aware of “corporate surveillance” as well. This is after one of my French lecturers told us a little story about how firms and companies that employ people “graduates” had formed a habit of surveying their personal accounts such as “facebook” which I have as well. So, after hearing that one “graduate” did not get a job simply because of the fact that he had pictures of him and burning couches on his facebook account, I got a bit MORE paranoid! I was just thinking to myself, “what do I have that is compromising for my career/future job?” Although I knew I only had 2 pictures of myself and a list of friends. But had it been the case where I did have something “bad” and of course, I’d erase it after hearing that story- what if that data would have been stored anyway and could have been accessed at the request of that employee? What if?

Hmmm...internet is very useful INDEED--but computer and modern surveilllance can get you into trouble so quick! That's why we should be careful!!but when is
"careful" too careful? For me, i think there is a fine line between careful and paranoid lol

Code: Copyright

2008-05-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

Right, so finally getting back to blogging, it was about time! i know!
But what can I do??
It's really frustrating though when you have heaps of assignments due in the same weeks at the end of the semester. And it's really hard to keep up with posting especially when you miss a few lectures, because you had to finish "that" assignment....so now i just had to do the readings and talk to some friends in order to get a grasp of what we've been doing, so i can do my best at "bogging" :)
I realised a lot of people are in the same situation! I’m not finding excuses, I’m just saying....it's hard when assignment pile up because they are all due at similar dates, don’t you think?

Anyways, I should start discussing the theme related to this blog, "copyright".
I must say, the first thing that pops up to mind when I hear the word "copyright" is music. This is mainly due to the fact that it's an aspect that was approached in another communication paper as well and since then i always assume "its copyright, it has to do with music". Of course, i'm well aware of the fact that copyright does not only resume to music:) and has to do with many other aspects.

To answer the question in the lecture "Is copyright still a valid tool in the information age?"...well, I don’t actually know how to answer it:) But, I’m inclined to say, "Not really". I say "not really" because I am not entirely sure on my answer. On one hand, there is so much evidence to suggest that copyright in the information age is not a valid tool anymore, because it just doesn't seem to work. It looks as if we are living in a jungle: everyone downloads anything and everything they want from the internet for free with no problems at any time: music, movies, programs, name it!....i know i do, and i know you do too! :) As i've read on some other blogs, everyone does it. Just as Byron, i too prefer downloading the songs I specifically like. I mean, what's the point in buying a whole album when I know for a fact that i never like all the songs on it?! In fact, i'm lying, i don't download songs-i get them from my friend after he gets them from another friend who downloaded them :)....haha, i don't even do that :). But anyway, my point is that i never pay for thing that I can get for free. My Ipod has exactly my favourite songs on, and they're certainly not paid for. After all, I am a student, i'd much rather spend my money on other things like "food"...:)
Obviously, from this perspective, copyright isn't a valid tool anymore.

Yet, I have an example where a friend of mine was caught with downloading music (he's a DJ), and that was only after using that program for 3years. That's ages! Anyway, he was only warned that if he'd do it again he can get a fine or something. So I guess this is an example where copyright is valid. Maybe there are more, I just haven't heard of. But for sure, the "good" examples" outnumber the "bad" ones. That is, the examples that prove that copyright is not valid in information age outnumber the ones (or better said the one) that points to the fact that copyright is still valid.....so that only leads me to say "copyright is "not really" a valid tool in information age.....

And now let’s focus a bit on the reading.
Again, if I’ve learned something from communication studies- it would be the fact that- where there is a brilliant idea that a certain someone comes up with and applies it, that idea gets exploited to the max by the “power” in society: the government, the military etc. in order to create more power (politics) and commercial interests. It is as simple as that, no hidden agenda. As much as it is simple, it also sad to see this happening. Where are we heading to?

The main idea I got out of the reading is that the government is omnipresent and controls/exploits everything with apparent “good purposes” that are in fact malicious (mainly commercial and political) intents.
The “idea” explored here is the “regulating code” -it has to do with the complicated architecture of the internet which the government can try to regulate in order to make behaviour “more regulable” (in a sense I think they mean to make it more manipulative and profitable if I can say so).
All the ideas of having an ID (giving our personal details) when accessing the internet or having all our data retained and encrypted so that only the government can decrypt is a bit freaky….and these are only two examples of what’s going on in this world.
I am aware of them now but wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t done the reading/ this course….which proves what I’ve read in another reading, not all citizens are aware of these facts. They just take things for granted. But there should always be a question of power…..”Who shall write that software that increasingly structures our daily lives?”….

But I just keep thinking that just questioning the "power" won't get us anywhere but where we already are. Maybe more people should try and come up with some solution?And I refer to the ones that have the means to do so, intelligent people like Bill Gates :) that can challenge the power?I don' really know...........

The Media Universe digitized

2008-04-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, this web-site is quite weird, yet so different...but yeah, i stick to weird! Have a look for yourself!

i just typed in fashion ('cause that's my passion as you probably already know-i'm always on about it, it's my primary example for anything really lol), ...and all this random stuff comes up like: pictures of bikini models from Budapest Show...well, mostly pictures with tiny descriptions of what they are when/where they'd been taken:) e.g http://cache.daylife.com/universe/universe.php?&q=fashion hmmm, amazing/weird stuff the internet...

Comcast, Twitter and the Chicken

2008-04-23T05:02:00.000-07:00

So i see there actually is a connection between twitter, comcast and the chicken:)
Hehe, the chicken part is quite funny:P

I'm starting to like this blogging thing more and more every day now. I kind of skipped the "being skeptical about posting comments part", and i am starting to really enjoy reading stories like this one, because they're funny and teach you something.

Hopefully if I come accross a problem like the "comcast one" or any other sort of problem for that matter, i will find it fixed in a hurry:) just by posting my anger on my blog. I think i'll join Twitter:) Do you think it'd work for us too? If let's say, Broadband didn't work and we'd complain about their service on twitter?

Own your identity

2008-04-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

See?i told you I want to catch up! 'cause all my assignments are pretty much scadualed for next week, so i can't afford to leave this at the last minute!:)

As i told you in my previous post, I think it's quite hard to keep up with the overwhelming information you get from blogs and other sites (it is interesting but sometimes really time consuming and pointless?). And this article reinforces my opinion i think- "Whereas before lifestreams I was having a hard time following my friends, after lifestreams I find out that most of what they do isn’t that interesting after all." I think once you get into it, you just want to explore it more but sometimes you find you just get deviated from what you were looking for and spend hours and hours searching or glancing at stuff that isn't necessarily useful or entertaining or anything....but time consuming.

The thing is, it seems that we've created all these options in order to help ourselves filter information, and choose what's consistent with what we believe in. But, to get to the information we want, we still have to spend some time looking for it through other unuseful "articles". For example, I have to have look through the "cybersocieties" blogs untill i decide which one i find interesting and i want to add a comment on....you know what i mean?i guess everyone does the same thing. I tried choosing a random one, read it and then add a comment on , but if don't necessarily find it interesting, i move on to the next one and so on, until i fing one i like.

And no offence but you can't find them all interesting. So usually i have to skim read them and pick what's interesting for me. And that takes some time...I'm pretty sure some of you think my blog is really boring and hopefully some think it's ok. So if you think it's ok, you'll take time to read it properly, if not, you'll just move on to the next one. So skiping and reading and etc takes time, when you have so much information to choose from..

6 months and 600 posts

2008-04-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Heya,

I decided i'd start with the post that I was supposed to do ages ago, just because I need to catch up and be up to date when we start uni...so hopefully, you don't get confused but I guess the title helps you see what i'm on about:)

How's your holiday so far?

6 months and 600 posts later? that's just crazy!Seriously, before taking this paper I had no idea that blogging is so "in fashion" and is used not only by some random people but by journalists as well! I feel like I'm just getting out of my cage:) and i'm glad I am, 'cause when i get a real job, i'll know what blogging is all about:)

It's funny how this blogger, Erik (just like Erika lol), asserts that he doesn't like long posts -'cause I don't like them either!:)Yet again, i sometimes try to make my post longer so that it makes up for one that i hadn't done:)...hehe, but i guess the "rule" applies here as well "strong essences come into small containers" or "it's quality that matters not quantity". So i suppose i should concentrate my writing into small, interesting (hopefuly) blogs, not long boring ones.

One thing I'm curious about, is that of whether celebrities do have their own blogs or their blogs are just made up by their agencies to gain more fans or what?Do they actually have time to use them? i just find it hard to believe.....

I've been looking through the comments that Erik got for his post, pretty interesting i must say. (You should have a look). Here's a quote i really liked "The dream of the man is order, but the way of nature is chaos" by Henry Adams.. i thought i'd share it with you :)

Anyway, one thing is for sure - I enjoy reading blogs, i think it's fun, but i guess i'm one of those people that still likes to turn to the 6 o'clock news for analysed information rather than reading "breaking story" news on a blog. I'd also find it quite difficult to keep up with all the post and comments every day, it would take me ages to be honest.

So, i'd read the blog for something different from time to time but not on a daily basis. I'm more inclined to traditional media when it comes to getting informed...what do you guys think?

augmented reality

2008-04-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Well, see? This is what I actually meant with “I’m bad with internet”, in fact I’m just bad with technology because…i missed yesterday’s lecture and today I had absolutely no clue what we were talking about. I was thinking “augmented reality?”…hmmm….but after a few examples I realised what it was about, even though I still can’t make the whole connection in my head as of why people actually use it, or how the hell a lady made one million US dollars by selling property that is not actually existent!!!!! Help me here! Can someone just explain this a bit more, I just don’t get it! And if YOU get it, just don’t laugh at me ‘cause I don’t 

Anyway, our colleague’s idea sounds pretty interesting, using the Bluetooth thingy to see other people’s profiles and descriptions and being able to meet “randoms” but actually get to know stuff about them before hand. But, as much as it sounds interesting, I for one would just use it for the fun of it. Even though I don’t drink, I think it would be so damn funny to see drunken students use the Bluetooth “system” to meet one another. 

What I do find fun is also using our cell phones to receive information and then having to go find clues be it wherever: in town, at uni, in a park, the beach whatever… I’d actually like to play a game like that and I’m really looking forward to Erika’s “Nokia” game. Hopefully we get to do it.

In class we were asked for a new idea of how the augmented reality can be used, and I didn’t really come up with anything  shame! But here’s one: it would be cool to go to a clothing store and have this device tell you what’s suitable for your body type and point you in the right direction where you could find the types of clothes you need. Maybe it could take a picture of you and just show you directly how the clothes fit you so you don’t actually have to try them on to see how they’d look on you. This would be a good idea for people who don’t know how to dress or don’t have the time or the patience. Just an idea for the ones that think they have better things to do with their time…is this a good idea? or this is not augmented reality?...

I'll get back to you a bit later, got to go to class, again!!

Erika, please don't mark mine yet!:) i have more to say....

Open door on academics

2008-04-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

While i think this article is pretty interesting, i tend to have this feeling of rejection towards whats happening nowadays...everything's becoming too chaotic, messed up and nothing is at its place anymore. Some of the changes occuring are good, but sometimes a human lifecycle should be just that, a lifecycle! not a backwards lifecycle:) (don't know if this makes sense)

I think that our society is becoming more and more relaxed and laid back from every point of view and I don't think this is the best thing. So, I think professors should still be somehow formal (not authoritative) and not like us. While I think it's a good thing to be able to be more open with a teacher, there should still be some bounderies there, some limits...And professors should be differentiated somehow from us students. After all, THEY are the ones teaching us, so there should be some sense of differentiation between students and teachers, right? In the end, why would you even pay attention to them if you didn't think they actually know more than us?

Practically, if they start sharing all this personal information about their life and what they did on vacation etc where does that leave them? Should I be interested in what they did on the week-end or what their next lecture is about? I mean, sure, if i think about it, i might be just a little bit interested on what they're doing in their free time, but I am actually not sure if I should be interested. I don't know, it's getting confusing..

But, all in all I don't think it is such a good idea for teachers to start sharing everything with their students...I mean, if they do have an online and on-screen thing, it's ok...but they should pb consider to what extent they would take it with their informal /personal information....they might just unwillingly make students form a certain perception of them...

Web 2.0

2008-03-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hi and welcome back from the Easter break! How was it?:)

To start with…..
I must say that from today on I’ve completely and utterly changed my opinion and attitude towards Wikipedia. Ok, I have been told in my first year of uni that it is not a reliable source and that I shouldn’t be using it as a reference in any of my essays or academic work. I wasn’t entirely sure why it wasn’t considered reliable though. So I still used it in my own time anyway, to get a starting idea on a subject I completely did not know about. Someone did say last year that anyone can edit on Wiki and all that, but for some reason (“stupidity” I guess), I kind of ignored the comment and did not think it is that bad. But now I truly realise it is really, I mean really not that reliable and I could make a slight effort to find much more reliable sources. It is better for my own knowledge and the essays I writeJ I general.

Web 2.0….
Indeed, nowadays all information is becoming more “collective” and everyone can have a say in everything (mostly on and thanks to the internet). It is good that the voices of others can be heard. In that I mean it’s good to be able to have your own say in this world and not only to be “dictated” and to follow mainstream ideas/information. This way maybe you can change something even if it’s something small at one point, or you can “make it big” without having to be approved by “others”. For example (and this is and old ex already but I think it’s a good one), to form your own band and become noticed or famous, you’d have to go through a whole process with a big music company like Aol etc and they would have to accept your music stile. They would basically tell you if THEY think your kind of music is good, in other terms if it would SELL….and why would you have to do this, when practically you just want to show your stile, play your music and that’s that?!
So, my example is YOUTBE and the band that just posted their video clip (which they had made in the back of their yard on a treadmill) and soon after became famous and even won awards. I’m sure everyone knows about it. But my point is that I think in a way it’s good to have your own say and the “prosumer” culture is a good/beneficial thing.

Furthermore, as we discussed in class today, I think that knowledge in the information age is something vital. You can’t really advance or expect to get the best job or the best anything for that matter unless you are pluralistic, flexible and know a bit of everything. But, I also think you need to know “a lot” about one field/thing in particular. Otherwise, you can just have this muddled up information in your head and it would help you with nothing. At least, that’s my opinion. I think nowadays you are expected to know a bit of everything but you are also expected to ace at one particular thing. Do you agree?
For instance, right now, after just 2 years of uni, I could say I know a bit of many things…speak five languages, did tourism, marketing , media studies and communications but I can’t really say I know them all that well. I’m at that level where I know I need just a little bit more to be able to actually say “yes, I’m good in all of these things and I ace in communications or… French”. Will you hire me?:) Do you know what I mean? I might’ve just blurred up things here……

Anyway, what I mean is that you are expected to know a bit of everything, but you’re in fact expected to know a bit “more” about many things. And I think that when you can truly say you know that extra bit of everything, your knowledge there is much more valued and you do have "the power":)… But that’s just my opinion…Knowledge is the key to success in today’s information age…

Thanks for reading

Please comment and let me know your opinion...:)
I’ll be commenting on YOUR blogs later on today, off to class now ..

2008-03-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

this is last weeks' blog, I accidentally posted it where I shouldnt've.Supid!! Sorryyy

Hi again,

Unlike Sophie(if you read her blog on how she got hacked a few times before), I've never been hacked . She's got so many stories, I haven't really ever dealt with this kind of situations! Just a thought :)

Obviously, I dont' use the internet that much! I'm jokin', I do use it, and I do even have a Bebo and a Hi5 account. However, I have never had a blog before. Although I've just seen you can actually have a blog on Bebo as well. But the thing is, I just keep these accounts to help me keep in touch with firends here and overseas, I really spend much time on them.
But, it's amazing how many old friends I found, to whom I hadn't talked to in ages and it's all thanks to Hi5 :) I think Hi5 is more of an "European friend finder" and Bebo is more NZ specific. I've made this comment just to share some of my thoughts on how I think these to websites are really good (for me anyway) to keep in touch with my real friends but in a "cybersociety" environment...But as I said, I only use them to keep in touch (send messages and see pictures), otherwise I don't really spend much time personalizing my profile or anything like that...

Sooo, anyways, right now I'm trying to make up for my lost time- I missed the first two weeks of lectures and when I got back I had no clue what we were doing, but soon realised it's nothing too scary or too hard. I actually shouldn't say this, as it took me a while to link everyone to my blog and I did have to bother Erika a few times with questions. Soory! But at least I admit I am bad with internet!

About yesterday's lecture and "hacktivism"…. I must say, I really enjoyed the reading, also being the first one I've done so far:)Not to worry, I'll do the others as well and get back to you on that...There are things you think you already know, yet when you read about them, you find out so much more. This reading also really made want to go watch the movies “The Net” or “WarGames” etc, which is probably what I am going to do this week-end. If only I were half as good as a hacker….:)

In class, I really liked the expression “Mess with the best, die like the rest”. I was so excited about it that I told it to one of my friends and he replied “Oh, yeah, it’s really old, the hackers used to use it”…Man, I was so gutted, ‘cause I thought I learnt something cool….oh well…I’m not that original I guess:P

Now about the reading and the lecture on “hacktivism”…. I really think in a way that hackers have good intentions and if anything, they are helping our society see the truth. As citizens, we should care about who is in control and who has the power to take the big decisions for us. Capitalism and power are big issues. So, in a sense, hackers, unlike other “passive” citizens, who don’t know what’s going on in this world, do question “who’s in control of what” and with “what intentions”. They do think of the influence that the big powers have on us as a society….Think about it, even behind the whole “free internet information” there is CAPITALISM. What next? And as we were talking in class, who cares if the hackers are 16 or 30 years old, black or white? Good for them/and for us! They have sufficient intelligence and courage to challenge the power of the state where there is so much secrecy and hidden agendas/interests. Evidently the state does everything to protect its power, so indeed, it uses and used the media as a tool to create this image of the hacker as being a criminal. This is likely why hackers are being and have been portrayed as the bad guys “black hats” as they’re called, so that citizens see them as such and mistrust their possibly good intentions. So, I think that this is how citizens are being misled by the government, through the media. It uses the media to “gain the trust of people”, to in fact inculturate ideologies that hackers are only there to steal and to affect us as citizens, where in fact they are probably helping us more than anything, exposing us to the real truth. As it said in the reading, they “expose unjust laws implemented upon citizens with no consent”. So in other words, they expose us to what we’re not aware of, what the government doesn’t show us, so that maybe we do something about it…

So, that’s kind of my opinion on this issue/reading. I don’t really know if I was explicit enough and you actually understood what I wanted to say, or if it makes sense. But you’ll let me know, won’t you?:)

Feel free to comment, even on my English (as it is not my first language, maybe I made mistakes) I’ll get back to you with the other readings.
Hopefully this blog makes up for 2, since I missed one:)

Virtual communities

2008-03-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hello!:)

Again, I don't really know how to start my blog, I always have this problem:)
But I know that once I get into it, it comes quite naturally...at least i think so:P

I must say, I am a bit paranoid with internet and stuff after our discussion in the lecture today. I might just delete my Facebook account and my inbox e-mail just so that I am sure no one has anything to use against me lol…I am just kidding, but it did make me more aware of security and things like that…

About virtual communities and “real life” communities

What I think is that if we have a virtual identity, we can “virtually” act different and be anything we like that we cannot be in real life, but that’s not necessarily a good, lasting thing.

In my opinion, the net social interaction is a way of escaping reality and I might be wrong but I don’t think that virtual communities or virtual identities will supplant real-life communities. I usually take myself as an example and for me, the net interaction is never the same thing as real life interaction. Even if you communicate online with a close friend and you see one another on camera, it is simply not the same thing as if you would have face to face interaction, mimic and gestures. For instance, if I wanted to share my grief or happiness it is not as if I can hug that friend online. I could use emoticons, but it just wouldn’t make me feel the same. I would have to feel the real person there. I mean, yes, I guess I could hug my computer but it just won’t do it for me :P. And I am referring solely to the internet and online experience as a virtual community, not TV nor cell phones and such…

I mean, as it says in the reading, virtual communities do give the opportunity to the dispossessed to “remove some of the walls” but to what extent can one rely on that advantage? Online, one can pretend to be a different person to what they are in real life to some extent, but eventually one will have to come out with the real “self”, in the real world and experience real reality? Does anyone agree with me? So what then? “you’ve been living in a lie” ….pretty much

And yes, it is true that one can use a virtual community because” worldly connection can be made with unknown others”, but to what extent does one prefer that anonymity to a real face to face, supposedly let’s say- “trustworthy” discussion/connection? How much meaning and importance will a person give to a virtual discussion as opposed to a real-life one? For instance, as we were discussing in class today, when I communicate with friends and others on Facebook or Bebo, I just have superficial discussions or make jokes and such, but I never really discuss serious issues or anything like that. If I do need to discuss with a close friend that is not in the same geographical area as me, I might as well call them anyway. That’s not face to face communication either, but my point is, I still don’t use the internet (the virtual world) as an alternative for that matter. I know some might not agree with me, and please correct me if I’m wrong but it just feels like you’re in a different world in a way, when you’re online…and you know you’ll get back to reality sooner or later, So why put so much time and effort into it? And if there are a few significant others that think like me, then I don’t think that virtual communities will supplant “real life” communities as a citizens’ primary social network…So I kind of ended up answering a bit o the essay question I think and discussing my opinion on virtual identities/real life identities and communities….I do hope it make sense what I said.

So, I think virtual communities are more like a temporarily “necessity” to escape from the everyday life in the real world .Virtual reality does give us the opportunity to be in two places at the same time let’s say, but only “virtually”. For example, you can virtually visit any place in the world online and there you are, you’ve seen it all! But, would you not rather just choose one or a few destinations (depending on your budget) and literally be there and see its uniqueness and culture? I would most certainly prefer that….

Also, a virtual community does give you a sense of public sphere, where everyone is equal and free to debate etc...whereas in real life, everyone is judged by class, ethnicity, religion etc and so they might not get the equal deserved rights, but then, what challenges you to want to become better, and to want to prove something in life?

In other words, I choose reality….
This is my blog for this week, hope you enjoy reading it.
Have a great Easter, and I’ll see you when we get back 

.

Hi everyone!

2008-03-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, my name is Alina and I am originally from Romania but now I live and study in New Zealand. I am in my third year, looking to complete a BA with a major in Coms and a Diploma of languages in French. I am posting my first blog so late because I have only come back this thursday, so I missed the first lectures. I know, shame on me!Sorry!:( I'll try to catch up as fast as possible:)

As some of you, I am also new to "Blogger" and I am trying to get used to it. But I am pretty excited about it and I find it quite interesting. It is fun checking out other people's comments and thoughts about this paper and life in general. I am really looking forward to doing this paper and meeting everyone in class. Hopefully I get around figuring out this whole new thing.

See you guys later!