The Future Is Ours

Based on: Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff, "The Web Is Dead. Long Liver the Internet." & Dr. Ian Reilly's Lecture Winter 2011, Week 12 

Today it is not uncommon for us to spend literally a day online. We start our day by checking our email, followed by a quick tweet and then we scan our Facebook live feeds to find out what everyone else is up to. We use our GPS, Blackberry Messenger and research information online through out our day. When we come home we hop online and browse sports scores and news quickly before we spend some quality time with our families in front of the television.

The web is prevalent on our daily schedules. We don't have to spend a day in front of our computer screen to see the amount we have come to rely on new technologies. With smart phones and tablets our lives are slowly merging with the web. We use applications to make browsing  for information easier... be it take out or our banking. With an ap for pretty much everything, the door is open to capitalism. Enabling companies to create technologies we download, pay for and incorporate onto the list of applications making life that much easier.

Does this mean that all the regular uses for the web are pretty much dead?

The advancing technologies and the growing importance of the web in our daily lives is creating interesting movements and attitudes in regards to our mentality on some software.  The concept of open-source software is to let people copy, change and redistribute software as long as they do the same with the new software they create.  The concept is not about profit but about a level playing field for participants and a concept is similar to that of wikis, user generated content and crowd sourcing.  The future is ours to re-write, pass along and improve and technology is on our side!

Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff, "The Web Is Dead. Long Liver the Internet." & Dr. Ian Reilly's Lecture Winter 2011, Week 12 

The Pirate Mentality

Based on: Matt Mason, “The Tao of Pirates” (The Pirate’s Dilemma, Ch. 2 and Outro)

The concept of Pirates for the People presented in The Pirate's Dilemma relates to ‘pirates’ invading our media. Industries consider a pirate anyone who has burned a song without paying, photocopied a page from a book, downloaded a torrent or downloaded anything without paying.

Pirate mentality and pirate culture have helped shape our fashion, our music and our attitude by bringing audiences what they want, going against the norm and bringing an entire underground world and underground artists to the people.

An early example of the pirate mentality is the legend DJ Fezzy. DJ Fezzy was a talk radio host who did not have a licence. DJ Fezzy took advantage of radio and broadcasted music live for the first time in 1906 (Page 40).  Though radio was never intended for entertainment nor was it accepted as an entertainment medium at first;  Fezzy started a trend and was followed onto airwaves by radio nerds across the U.S. Pirates exist where demand is. Pirate mentality is everywhere. The case of DJ Fezzy is only one example of the pirate mentality.  We see the pirate mentality in people who take advantage Web 2.0 using it to become whatever they please be it a porn star or a journalist.

The concept of thinking like a pirate can take you places abiding by every rule, regulation and stipulation can't. As long as there is an audience for your concept, you have the power. That’s what makes the force of this new pirate culture challenging to go against.

Do big corporations and companies go against the pirates or join attempting to gain and compete? This is the pirate's dilemma. On one side of the argument you see the pirate culture as depleting profits for these big companies and damaging huge industries such as the film and music industry. On the other side pirates broadcast and pay attention to things often times ‘mainstream’ neglects such as unique music genres, art and fashion.
The pirate mentality is spreading with the advancement of the web offering users things like thepiratebay.org or surfthechannel.com; sites where users can access software, videos and entertainment for free with little to no inturuption. The spread of pirated material could potentially become so powerful that laws simply aren’t big enough to stop the rise of the pirates.

A side note... Web 2.0 inherits the pirate mentality in its way of breaking the mold and going against the norm, giving users the control rather the companies.

Web 2.0 becomes Search 2.0: The Ups and Downs

Based on article: Zimmer, Michael. "The Externalities of Search 2.0: The Emerging Privacy Threats when the Drive for the Perfect Search Engine meets Web 2.0" First Monday [Onling], Volume 13 Number 3 (2 March 2008)

Abundance of personal information is growing thanks to the nature of the online world. Internet users have the ability to track and gain personal information thanks to the social sites making up the world of Web 2.0.  Web and site developers have began creating sites that will only allow you membership given you provide them with your information.  We are all guilty of being more lax with providing our information then we should be; that’s the changing nature of the online world. Occasionally I find myself attracted to the ads on the side panel of my Facebook; I feel almost crazy falling for them knowing that they are strategically placed there to pull me in.

With the flow of personal information on our Web 2.0 applications we must begin to recognize the connection of our release of personal information and where it ends up. Search 2.0 is the concept of combining the personal information that your Web 2.0 accounts have stored and the power of search engines.

As we all know, our social network sites track our online lives and now with the power or search engines these sites cache pages and make them available on search engines. Search 2.0 enables the use of collected personal information for purposes beyond your will. Remember to always ensure you keep strong privacy settings on your Web 2.0 platforms and one little box unchecked leaves you unsure of when your online world will come to affect ‘real life.’

Zimmer, Michael. "The Externalities of Search 2.0: The Emerging Privacy Threats when the Drive for the Perfect Search Engine meets Web 2.0" First Monday [Onling], Volume 13 Number 3 (2 March 2008)

"Eternal" Frienship

Based on a reading by: Albrechtslund, Anders. "Online Social Networking as Participatory Surveillance" First Monday [Online], Volume 13 Number 3 (2 March 2008)

In this digital era one must take into account that everything said online remains available indefinitely.  The things people choose to blog about, post, tweet or communicate online could easily come back to haunt them. Danah Boyd believes social networking is a mediated public and can be categorized by four properties:  persistency, search ability-, replicability and invisible audiences (Albrechtslund, Anders. 2008).

Persistency: Online social networking is persistent in the fact that what is said online is documented. The content you publish online is and will be available indefinitely and one must take this into account.  Having information stored ads to the paranoia of our online past haunting us in our futures.

Search ability:  With the online world growing and the amount of information available online, search ability is something that allows people to find information on us with a few simple key words. A searcher has access to any information you have not protected properly.

Replicability:  The fact that so many people are so apt to publishing personal information, photos and things regarding their private lives makes information replicable. Communication on the online world comes with the chance of things being remade, taken out of context, or changed.

Invisible Audience: When people communicate online they generally have a specific group that they communicate to. Although communication is usually intended for a specific audience or group it is potentially available to anyone who has access to a computer with internet.

Boyd claims that, “together these four properties make friendships ‘eternal’- or at least existing beyond the control of the involved persons (Albrechtslund, Anders. 2008).” We must be aware of what we say while communicating online because these four factors could potentially make our online life surface in our real lives and haunt us at any point in time.

Albrechtslund, Anders. "Online Social Networking as Participatory Surveillance" First Monday [Online], Volume 13 Number 3 (2 March 2008)

Participation to Expoitation

Based on Dr. Ian Reilly’s Lecture Winter 2011, Week 9

For years television has filled out the gaps of free time in our day. Now with the World Wide Web we have entertainment, information, social interaction and work all at our finger tips. Our free time is becoming more dominantly spent in front of our computers. Having an online world so easily accessible we have come together and created a virtual world that has now become a tool we use to keep us up to date and down to earth.

Social interaction, technological appeal and the users experience while online creates a world of value inviting capitalism to piggy back along the ride making money off of user-generated content. By posting a picture or blog online and making it accessible to the world you open the doors for your content to flow smoothly through platforms potentially creating value for both the users and producers.

Social networking sites offer users the ability to create their own online communities. Each social networking site offers users different functions giving the us the option to enter online communities that best suit their lifestyle and our interests. The differences between Facebook and Twitter are obvious and for that reason appeal to different users. There are now so many social networks offering users fast passed social updates or an in-depth looks at other members recent activity. The amount of online interaction one can have in their free time is what keeps these online networks alive, they make communicating and accessing information easy. User generated content and communal projects online have become a better way for us to “pass time” as we feel we are contributing to something rather then spending ours on facebook "lurking" our "friends."

Check out the video below of Clay Shirky for more on how cognitive surplus will change the world.

The Invasion of Web

Based on: Scholz, Trebor. "Market Ideology and the Myths of Web 2.0" First Monday [Online], Volume 13 Number 3 (2 March 2008)

With our private information rolling off our finger tips and into the hands of businesses and marketers everywhere, industries are ready to gather your information and sell, sell, sell. Today, marketers have the ability to learn about us through the information we put online. With the web becoming a norm in day to day life, people, particularly youth have dropped their guards and become more and more willing to share their private information. Our openness has given marketers and agencies the ability to take control.

Even with a pirate mentality Web 2.0 may lose the battle against capitalism. Huge corporations have hopped on the band wagon and began collecting our data and invading these channels by filling them with media and ads. With the rapid expansion of the web, soon un-marketed space will be unheard of...even from those sites that promised to stay ad free such as thepiratebay.org. Aside from the fact that the web will eventually turn to a massive advertisement as television did, another example of companies hoping on the band wagon and utilizing the web is the new concept of user generate content or crowd sourcing. Crowd sourcing enables companies to outsource work and have a large group of people collaborate on finishing it for generally no compensation. This concept is no longer only online.

Examples of this concept can be seen thought our every day life. Throwing your cup out at a fast food restaurant, self check outs and information kiosks are all examples of technologies and methods saving companies time and money by not having staff complete certain jobs. This leads up to the idea and question; is it possible that we have become so consumed in technology that the technology is using us?

We will come back to this another day. In the mean time check out this though provoking video:

Scholz, Trebor. "Market Ideology and the Myths of Web 2.0" First Monday [Online], Volume 13 Number 3 (2 March 2008)

Use the Internet, Don't Let it Use You

The internet has enabled the world to come together and communicate on a global level instantly. The advanced capabilities of the internet have created a society better informed on global issues and a population that can share information globally at the click of a button. Gordon Brown discusses the idea of harnessing the Web and using it for the greater good of society. After watching the video below we begin to acknowledge further uses for internet that could potentially better the world.

We are well aware of the common uses of the Internet, for example social networking, *, business and research. As a population that makes thousands of clicks daily on the World Wide Web we must begin to analyze other purposes the web can be used for. Gordon Brown highlights the ways in which the internet has been used to spread important messages that need to be addressed globally. An example is the photograph of Tiananmen Square, a man standing before three tanks became a picture known to the whole world showcasing resistance. Using the internet to raise awareness of problems going on around the world invokes action.

As a technologically savvy generation, we must look at far past the advantages of using the internet as a business tool and actually begin to think how we can use it as a tool to educate the public on what is going on around the world. We must use our communication skills, our intellect and our ability to broadcast messages throughout various platforms on the Internet. We must use our knowledge of the internet for the greater good of society.

New Technology, New Media: More Opportunity

Starting as a text based tool and evolving into the World Wide Web with a mass user base leveraging the social platform it has become, the Internet is one technological innovation that has grown into a necessity.

The Internet was developed to safeguard military knowledge; nobody could have predicted the technological development that the Internet would go through. From a tool funded by the US Department of Defence to a technology used worldwide, the creation of the web and the amount it has advanced is dumbfounding. Since the Internet is a relatively new technology, which has not even been fully explored it is amazing to think of the further advancements it will undergo. Rather than focusing on the media itself, I would like to focus on the issues new technologies raise or don’t raise.

The Internet has changed our culture, our relationships, and our communities affecting the way we interact and socialize. With such a drastic effects on our lives, this technology poses threats but must be looked at optimistically.

With our privacy becoming less and less important, and a culture that fiends for social interaction the changes that this new technology has implemented is becoming more and more apparent. It is said that these changes lead to anxiety. On a side note, I believe any form of change leads to anxiety be it technological advancements, change in government or even something as simple as moving. In researching change management it becomes obvious that people don’t adapt well to change. To say the least, I strongly feel if anything our society is adapting quite well, its proved by the millions of social networks being accessed everyday and a population now willing to tell the entire world just about anything.

I feel that social interaction on the Internet is not such a bad thing; though huge corporations are uneasy at the fact the today’s youth could be considered pirates adding and taking from the web jeopardizing revenue. Social interaction is simply a new gateway for companies to better target their audience. As said before with a culture whose less concerned with sharing private information this is a huge opportunity for companies take advantage of the technology and target specific markets on specific platforms.

Though new technologies come with new issues and new boundaries, I strongly feel people must embrace the change. By embracing change we are able to see the huge advantages that these technologies have to corporations, individuals and intellectuals.

The Remix

Old school meets new school with the remix. Remixing is about taking something that already exists and adding your personal touch to make it your own. The remix started in the music industry and evolved into a movement throughout our culture today.  

This video is a perfect example of how taking something old and something new and meshing them together can create something that seems to just fit. Our youth can take past trends and mash them with new trends creating the hottest fads, products and sub-cultures.

In a fast passed world that is rapidly changing, the remix is more than mashing two songs together; it is a way for companies to reinvent products, images, songs, ideas and brands. Rather than a company taking risks on investing in new products and new brands companies can reinvent, repackage and remind audiences of a product by making simple changes. By taking original ideas and repositioning and reinventing them, companies are able to sell old products as new products and make a quick buck.

Today we are surrounded by remixed culture, from the styles we wear to the music we listen to. Our culture is taking old ideas and rejuvenating them so they fit in society again. This concept is very exciting, the remix gives us the opportunity to take what we have seen in the past and do what we want with it. We are able to reinterpret ideas and find a place where they fit in our world today. The Internet enables us to write messages for the world to see. Today we are able to remix anything and find a specific audience to target. The future of technology and the current era of Web 2.0 enable our youth culture to pick and choose what we see, hear and speak about.

The Relationship Between Media and Culture

We are social beings and in a world of advancing technology we must have a solid understanding of the effects these technologies have on us and be observant in how these technologies influence us as persons and intellectuals so we do not become consumed by these technologies.


Four theories of media culture to be considered:
• No effect: media and culture are not related
• Mirrored effect: media reflects our culture
• Determinist effect: media determine and shape our culture
• Mutual influence effect: our media and our culture shape each other


These four theories give us a direction in forming our own opinions on advancing technologies. When considering these four ideas we gain a better understanding of the topic and can form our own opinions based on what theories we feel are better representation of the effects these technologies have on us.


Bayms uses four frames of thinking to make sense of how we look at new media and concepts to help us analyse and take a perspective on the topic. The four frames of thinking are as follows:
• Technological determinism: new technology changes us and their active forces that humans do not have the power to resist
• Social construction of technology: people are the source of change in society and in technology
• Social shaping of technology: influence comes from both directions (technology, people and institutions all drive change)
• Domestication of technology: technology is taken for granted and no longer influences change

I believe that our media and our culture shape each other. Based on our current economics I believe that in order for media to shape our culture it must reflect our culture and in turn both have equal effect on each other. Media has to appeal to its audience in order to get into the audiences head to sell and promote images and products. The social shaping of technologies is prevalent in today’s society.

The Tales of Technology

Each invention of a new technology increases the speed in which information is communicated and the number of people a message reaches; it makes communication easier and leads to an increase in the knowledge and information spread among a greater number of people. Eventually the new technology surpasses and replaces the old one as it becomes more efficient.

Throughout the history of media new technologies have cultural implications directly impacting our social history. In examining media history, theory and new technology emerge historical patterns. A new technology does the same thing as the technology it follows in an enhanced way. This pattern seen throughout history is often accompanied by myths and sceptics by individuals set in their ways. Vincent Mosco says, “...history is filled with myth making about technology.” When new technologies come around, so do myths about the new technology.

When a new technology invades the homes of people world wide, the technology is analysed under the public eye and talked about from every angel being it positive of negative. Comsumers discuss the user interfaces, capabilities, and functionality of new technolgies as well as the threats new technologies may pose on society. Stories and experiences travel via word of mouth as well as from news sources. This creates myths and preconceived notions of a technology.

As users we must interpret the messages we receive and make decisions based on experience not “myths” and “tales” we hear. New media isn’t ruining us nor saving us so we must keep an open mind to new technologies and be optimistic about the future and where technology is heading. Technology is reinventing the way we work; opening the door for new opportunity and efficient work methods.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a term that describes the new ways in which we use the Internet. The concept of Web 2.0 focuses on how the web is bringing people together creatively and the recent blur between producer and consumer. The Internet has come a long way and as it advances becomes more and more of a social tool.

Blogs, e-mail and social networks have become a norm in today’s society. Internet users who do not participate in these online communities are viewed as old fashioned, not technologically savvy and out of date on the popular uses of the Internet.

Today’s youth take advantage of the accessibility of the Internet and the ease of finding information and adding information to social forums. User generate content has made paved the way for society to access information on pretty much anything the mind can think of as well as adding content at the click of a button. Internet users now have the ability to add information, voice opinions and learn from online resources. People are joining together and making use of every capability the Internet has to offer in innovative ways.  

The concept of Web 2.0 is relatively new. As Internet users, given the capabilities of the Internet, we are given a voice. The online world has blurred the lines between the messenger and the receiver. Anyone who owns a computer can post, poke, like, tag and write anything they feel the world should hear; now we can all be journalists.