Network Culture Blog- Week 10: Group Videos

In are tenth week of network cultures we had to show are group videos that we produce. The group I was in involved me and three other individuals; we came to an agreement of what our group video would be about. We decided to create a video outlining of how the media is transcending ever so vastly. To the point that anyone exposing a story can easily manipulate the public’s opinion by the headline and image it’s shown with. So we executed this idea by showing a variety of headlines ripped from different newspaper articles accompanied with randomly chosen images.

In my group it was me and three other individuals we shared are video and received feedback constructive and positive criticism from the rest of the class. So we applied criticism to our current video and improved it with the help of our feedback and now the message of our video is even clearer and better.

“ Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” (Stepanek, 2005).

I learnt doing group work with these particular individuals, is that it’s all about commutation and a mutual respect between each other. Also when working in a group you must always have everyone’s best interests at heart in order to produce a strong final outcome and I’m proud to say I feel me and my group did well.

Bibliography:

Stepanek, M., Unknown, Mattie Stepanek Quotes. Available at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mattiestep319300.html (Accessed on 2nd December 2011) 

Network Culture Blog- Week 9: How have video games influenced children?

In today’s technological consumers children between the ages of five to ten, have been exposed to the world of video games. This is not a bad thing for it improves hand and eye coordination skills. Sadly some of the children exposed to these games are also exposed to the violence of them. For them being under some irrespirable parents buy age impropriate games for these children.

"For the same reason we don't allow kids to buy pornography, cigarettes or alcohol, we shouldn't allow them to go to stores and buy video games that teach them to do the very things we put people in jail for." (Meyers, 2005).

This is true for some parents feel if their children are not expose to the physical that the fictional wouldn’t influence them. They don’t understand that through that then eventually they will want the real thing in a short duration of time.

I feel video games are not a threat, but the exposing young and easily influenced minds can have dyer consequences like them re-acting what they see i.e. The game world of war craft, watching that may influence a child to want to get a gun or make them think the only way to solve their problems is violence as it is shown in game through every stage of it. Which is why we can’t control what video game that come out, but us as the public ca decide which games to exposed the children to.

Bibliography:

Myers, M., 2005, Quote of the day: Violent video games like porn. Available at: http://news.cnet.com/Quote-of-the-day-Violent-video-games-like-porn/2110-1043_3-5697991.html (Accessed on 18th November 2011) 

Network Culture Blog- Week 8: How is blogging affective?

In today’s technologically advanced society we have combined the Internet with many ways to express ourselves and one of those is Internet blogging. Its been used to express opinions, issues and tell banal and important news and facts.

“The evidence that things are changing fast can be seen in the dramatic increase in the influence of blogging.” (Rickitt, Unknown).

It’s clear that blogging is not only a creative and emotional outlet but also an informative and affective, despite if it is negative or positive.  It still informs the readers of information for example if your blog that provides news and the details before and more than television.

“The influence of blogging is overall a very positive force in the media.”

(Garrett, Unknown).

Despite some may not agree with some points, views or issues dealt with, but blogs are affective for they give a raw and honest opinions and views. This isn’t something you can get in the televised media, for example on the news for the despite the reporters own feelings and views they are dictated their lines to read everyday. Blogs have greatly been affective amplifying people freedom of speech and expression.

Bibliography:

Rickitt, A., Unknown, Adam Rickitt Quotes. Available at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/blogging.html (Accessed on 11th November 2011)

Garrett, G., Unknown, Garrett M.Graff. Available at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/garrettmg177771.html (Accessed on 11th November 2011)

Network Culture Blog- Week 7: Where do we draw the line, when providing our information on Facebook?

When becoming a creating a Facebook it always requires their users to provide their email address and create a password. Then when customizing their account they can add a profile picture. When making your profile more personal some people chose to add their birthday, their current school and what country they live in etc. 

Some people argue that some Facebook users are inappropriate with their posts i.e. pictures, wall messages, status updates. Where their pictures could show them getting drunk, wall messages showing them to have sexual nature or a banal status of them complaining they are hungry when solution is obvious. 

“If we don’t act now to safeguard our privacy, we could all become victims of identity theft.” (Nelson, Unknown).

On Facebook we share images, statuses etc, promoting yourself to be interpreted a certain way by certain people for example someone looking at your profile might think your on one had a party animal, or someone else might look at you as a reckless person with an unstable life style. Facebook you never know if you could be hacked and the information you put out can possibly set you up for identity theft, its just a matter of carefully choosing what you put out there.

Bibliography:

Nelson, B., Unknown, Ben Nelson Quotes. Available at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bill_nelson.html (Accessed on 4th November 2011) 

Network Culture Blog- Week 6: Why are video games so addictive?

For many years video games have allow people to play them to pass the time. Where it allows you to pretend to be a variety of characters i.e. fictional character, criminal, solider etc. Where sometimes people take it to the extremes and not learning to take it in moderation by constantly playing these video games to point they lose sight of more important things like eating, bathing etc.

For its can be a lack of social skills to be around other people so them playing these games, it allows them to be the person they want to be in reality. It’s almost like a dream that they are completely in control of, and they decide when they want to wake up. Sometimes it can just be a hobby, to pass time or for social reasons, yet sometimes the balance changes and this can still spiral into self-destruction, for cowering way from facing real life and its obstacles by playing their video games it becomes there their life.

“You know you’re a serious World of Warcraft player when the game starts interfering with your life. You know you’re an addict when your life starts interfering with the game.”
(Anonymous, 2010).

In some cases video games can consume people’s lives, for if they don’t take it in moderation. It’s clear to see that the same as drugs and other addictions they all have the same consequences.

Bibliography:

Anonymous, Anon, 2010, 4 Famous Quotes About Video Game. Available at: http://unplugged.hcibooks.com/2010/10/08/4-famous-quotes-about-video-game-addiction/ (Accessed on 28th October 2011)

Network Culture Blog- Week 5: The Manipulation of Image?

In today’s society we see images accompanied by text, but the way these are manipulated i.e. the text that goes with the image or the image itself it altered to fit a particular message or audience.   

“How can we believe anything we see anymore? With today's technology, we can literally do anything we want with images.” (Lodriguss, 2010).

Today’s technology has advanced so much that simply today with the click of a button or the typing of a word can dictate our opinion, of how we perceive an image. For example if a magazine i.e. Elle, Vogue etc have a marketing fixation of that these perfect looking women on all covers. When manipulating these images with such software’s like Photoshop accompanied and a piece of text, this makes the consumer interpret that model how the magazine wants them to be.  

In some cases this power is abused and shows people in a negative or false perception of how they truly are, i.e. making someone out to be a murder when it’s actually not true. Really in today society people manipulate image for the simplest of things i.e. airbrushing their blemishes for a profile picture on the Internet. So really can we believe what we see anymore?

Bibliography:

Lodriguss, J., 2010, How different management functions work together. Available at: http://www.astropix.com/HTML/J_DIGIT/ETHICS.HTM (Accessed on 21st November 2011)

Network Culture Blog- Week 4: My life Bits

In class we were given the task of having to debate, using the readings given last week to revise to discuss today in the debate. The class was split into two groups arguing for and against, with some members of the class as jury to conclude who had the best argument.

The apposing group argued for rising points like that some people struggle to remember such things like important information and memories from their busy and heck schedules. 

The team I was on argued against raising points, that if we become so reliant on such things we will eventually lack the ability to remember anything for ourselves. Also that it is an invasion of privacy exposing our deepest and sometimes darkest thoughts on to this personal database, which has the possibility to be hacked.  

“ If privacy is your overriding concern, MyLifeBits may not be for you.” (Cherry, S., 2005).

Overall we discuss two sides of the argument, we also said a final statement for the jury to deliberate; then to decide which team had put up the best reasons as why to vote for or against (MyLifeBits).           

Bibliography:

Cherry, S., (2005), A Life Digitalized in IEE Spectrum. Available at: http://research.microsoft.com/enus/um/people/gbell/ieee%20spectrum%20a%20life%20digitized%200511%20ca.pdf (Accessed on 14th October 2011)