Today in class we are doing specific exam preparation going thru some practice multiple choice questions. Exam is on wednesday so this will be my last post for my new com tech blog :( I have enjoyed this class more than i expected and it has broadened my horizons in the IT sector. So farewell, wish evryone the best of luck with future travels,
Peaceout, Ez :)
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Weeks 9-12
These weeks i have used my time wisely by working on my essay draft, final product and also starting exam preparation. So no blog tasks for these weeks!
Week 8: Parts 1 & 2
This week there were various tasks for tutorial.
Part 1 consisted of both Excel and Word. Now i'd have to say that this was one of the easiest tasks for this subject, as i completed certificate III in Business Services/Office Administration at TAFE in my last year at highschool. And my 1st year out of school i worked as an assistant front office manager for a small internet company, which allowed me to put to practice all the office stuff i'd learnt from my course. So the tasks set for this week i had already mastered years ago, and used on a daily, sometimes weekly basis. I can see how these tasks would seem daunting to first-timers but once you have completed them a few times they become alot easier and are very valuable in an office environment.
Part 2 is where we have to look at the qualitative differences between regular IM programs (eg:MSN) and 3D environment. The obvious differences would be that one is 3D like real world and MSN is simply chatting about personal subjects to your friends or family or people you know thru a message window. When i think of 3D chat rooms i think of a game one of my ex-boyfriends used to play called counter strike where u not only play the game but there is constant interaction with other players and their characters thru microphones or typing but it looks real. There are positive and negatives to both, it depends what you're into but i suppose MSN would be more widely used for general communication. 3D environments would be more useful for the hard core computer people.
Part 1 consisted of both Excel and Word. Now i'd have to say that this was one of the easiest tasks for this subject, as i completed certificate III in Business Services/Office Administration at TAFE in my last year at highschool. And my 1st year out of school i worked as an assistant front office manager for a small internet company, which allowed me to put to practice all the office stuff i'd learnt from my course. So the tasks set for this week i had already mastered years ago, and used on a daily, sometimes weekly basis. I can see how these tasks would seem daunting to first-timers but once you have completed them a few times they become alot easier and are very valuable in an office environment.
Part 2 is where we have to look at the qualitative differences between regular IM programs (eg:MSN) and 3D environment. The obvious differences would be that one is 3D like real world and MSN is simply chatting about personal subjects to your friends or family or people you know thru a message window. When i think of 3D chat rooms i think of a game one of my ex-boyfriends used to play called counter strike where u not only play the game but there is constant interaction with other players and their characters thru microphones or typing but it looks real. There are positive and negatives to both, it depends what you're into but i suppose MSN would be more widely used for general communication. 3D environments would be more useful for the hard core computer people.
New Comms Essay
Cyber bullying is a relatively new and pervasive form of bullying that is rapidly effecting today’s youth. This essay will demonstrate the main effects cyber bullying has on adolescents. In doing so this essay will firstly define and outline cyber bullying; secondly, clearly state the main effects associated this form of bullying; and finally, detail the two main social networks used in cyber bullying: MySpace and mobile phones. It will be concluded that cyber bullying effects not only the physical but also emotional aspects of a person, with sometimes extreme outcomes. The social networks used by today’s youth are very firmly embedded as a part of day-to-day life, therefore, it is considered punishment, to the victim, to ban usage of such networks in order to prevent bullying.
Cyber bullying is said to be one of the most prominent issues facing today’s youth. This new form of bullying is a 24 hour occurrence that often goes undetected by parents. “Cyber bullying describes bullying using mobile phones and the internet” (Smith et al., 2008: 376) to humiliate, threaten and tease other persons. While fundamentally the concept is the same as traditional bullying, there are some different characteristics (Smith et al., 2008: 376) that highlight this form of bullying as something new and of high importance. Cyber bullying is a result of this new communication era that has emerged with the invention of the internet and mobile phones. Both means of communication have existed for quite some time, however, it is this “always-on generation” (McKenna, 2007: 26) that has catapulted cyber bullying into society. Today’s bullies in cyber space still use gossip as their main form of ammunition against their victims, be it in the form of text message or internet chat rooms. Even though such bullies maintain traditional weapons of bullying, the characteristics that differentiate play-ground bullies from cyber bullies are the methods used on their victims. These include, but not limited to, e-mail, blogs (or Web logs), mobile phones, instant messaging” (Sparling, 2005: 18) and also social networks such as MySpace. The general appeal of cyber bullying as opposed to the traditional methods of cyber bullying, is the anonymity and lack of face-to-face contact with the victims. This allows the bullies to gain confidence and therefore, heightens levels of nastiness. The level of concern raised for this form of bullying is because “cyber-bullying transcends school boundaries into the so-called virtual world” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007) and doesn’t allow for any period of rest or peace for the victim.
The effects of cyber bullying vary from victim to victim and include not only the emotional but physical as well. Although research into this modern form of bullying is still in its early stages, it has been proven that “symptoms include poor socialisation, obesity, depression, addiction, sleep deprivation and a drop in academic performance” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007), as well as significant self-esteem issues. These are some of the key points that may alert parents to something more serious affecting their child, before it’s too late. Research shows that cyber bullying is most dominant in “11 to 16-year-olds” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007) and is the leader in school abuse statistics. One teenager stated “they've taken my freedom and my happiness away, and now all I ever want to do is really be alone” (
The methods applied in this new-age of bullying are central to the internet and social networks. The key contenders are MySpace and mobile phones, which most teenagers have access to on a 24 hour basis. These social-networks are an integral part to an adolescent’s day-to-day life, being considered a ‘life-line’, and easily accessible, so it is conceivable that these would be the main target regions for bullies. MySpace is regarded as being “a social networking site meant to share music, foster new friendships and a sense of community”, (Hewitt, 2006: 113) thus the appeal to today’s youth. However, this particular social network is also noted as a “preferred venue for cyber-bullies” (Hewitt, 2006: 113) due to its massive popularity amongst adolescents. Mobile phones are largely considered a key aspect in this communication era where cyber bullying has emerged. The technology available on many mobile phones today is inclusive of camera’s that capture both still and video imagery, as well as messaging capabilities that allow these images to be forwarded to a large audience. It is evident that cyber bullying ranges “from abusive text messages and emails, to degrading digital photographs, mobile phone videos and teasing or humiliation within the virtual walls of an internet chat room” (Tomazin & Smith, 2007), which highlights the large area this new form of bullying covers, on such an extreme scale.
The form of bullying present in the twenty-first century is similar to the traditional form of bullying, but uses modern technology as its weapon. The ‘always-on’ culture of today’s youth makes teenagers highly susceptible to cyber bullying, through such social networks as mobile phones and MySpace. It seems bullying has moved from the school playground to cyber space, in this all pervasive form of cyber bullying. The ramifications evident on victims, include the physical and emotional, even tending to the extent of suicide. It is the internet and its capabilities to reach such a wide audience that make cyber bullying so easily accessible and so humiliating. Whether it be MySpace or mobile phones, it is clear that cyber bullying is on the rapid increase and effecting many adolescents in a significant way.
Word Count: 970
Hewitt, B., (2006) MySpace Nation: The Controversy, People.
McKenna, P., (2007) The cyber-bullies are always with you.., New Scientist, London, Jul 21-Jul 27, 2007, Vol. 195, Iss. 2613.
Smith, P.K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S., Tippett, N., (2008) Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49 (4).
Sparling, P., (2005) Mean Machines, Current Health 1,
Tomazin, F., Smith, B., (2007) The bully you can't see, The Age Newspaper, March
10th.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Week 7 - A time for rest..
YAY! this week there is no task set for us. Hope everyone catches up on any weeks lost or makes a start on their essay research! I'll be taking this opportunity to begin my essay before all my other assessments for other subjects get on top of me...
Good Luck, Ez :)
Good Luck, Ez :)
Wikipedia!
This weeks tute exercise was involving Wikipedia, as discussed in the lecture. We were asked to pick 2 topics that we knew alot about. So firstly i have chosen Pomeranians, and secondly the rapper 50 cent. Two totally unrelated topics, i know!So lets start with the article on Pomeranians.
I recently received a puppy for my birthday, a little Pomeranian, who i called Coco-Chanel. And, yes, she is the cutest puppy you will EVER see!! Anyway, so in acquiring such a pup i had to read up and know exactly what i was getting. My best friend, who gave me Coco, has 2 Pomeranians so i did know a bit about them already but its always interesting to read more. I've read everything from the history of Poms to how to toilet train them! So by now i'd say i know a fair bit..
I found the article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeranian_(dog)
It is a very informative, detailed and accurate piece. It talks about all the normal details of a dog that you need to know, as well as health problems, history and an interesting part about famous people in history who owned Poms and celebrities who own them today. Quite interesting to note that Paris Hilton has 2 Poms! The article goes into detail on Pomeranian appearance and standards which is good for the beginner who wants or needs to know about this type of dog. It also has external links for further reading which is quite helpful. It is hard for this article to be biased as it is written as an informative piece, not an argument trying to influence you to pick a side.
Finally, one thing i would add to this article would be "traits", which i noticed has a heading on the page but is empty. In fairness, all dogs do have their own personality but there are certain traits that these Poms do posses that would be helpful to people who are considering getting a Pomeranian or for those who have just got one.
Now for the second part, American rapper 50 cent.
50 cent is an artist who people may think is a little out-of-left-field for my tastes, but theres always more than meets the eye and what people don't know about me is that i like all types of music. I have seen 50 cent's movie "Get rich or die tryin" and i must say i was quite impressed! It is a good insight into his life and the battle he's had. It actually provokes feeling and emotion, not your typical singer-turned-actor movie, that's for sure.
You can find the article here on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_cent
It is quite long and detailed, discussing the history of the artist, his rise to fame, controversies and disagreements with other rappers, his business ventures, a lawsuit, and the list goes on. It may seem like alot to read but i think you definitely need to read all aspects of this article in order to understand who 50 cent is and what he's about. It definitely covers all areas of importance in regard to 50 cent and his life, which is important for understanding this topic. It even goes as far to offer many links to related articles and subjects mentioned in the article. There are quite alot of references in this article which makes it fairly accurate, as it has not just come from one persons point of view. Which also coincides with the article being mostly unbiased, i'd say. There are alot of opportunities for bias in this piece, especially as it discusses controversies concerning certain other rappers, which leaves it open for people to take sides. But all in all it is pretty fair. I don't think i would want to add anything to this piece because if i was reading it for the first time i would know a fair bit about him!
I hope you have all learnt something today and perhaps gained a bit more insight into my life.
Til nxt time, Ez :)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction.
Walter Benjamin. An ideas man. A thinker. A person way beyond his time. Well i think so anyway.. The piece he wrote in 1936 (title mentioned above), set about some serious thought processes in my mind over the last week. It has made me look at the world we live in, things surrounding us, day to day life, very differently, albeit in a different light. We don't realise how much we take for granted and how much passes us by without us taking a second look and appreciating it all. It has also opened my eyes to much of what is real and what is, for a better word, edited.
Some questions posed for us to think about and answer...
First of all, it is important to establish that when Benjamin refers to 'art' he does not simply mean paintings or drawings. His reference is to everything artistic from painting to acting to singing. He encompasses all the different art forms. Benjamin states "when the age of mechanical reproduction separated art from its basis in cult, the semblance of its autonomy disappeared forever", which basically sets the theme for the rest of his piece.
The ideas suggested by Benjamin are that of authenticity and originality disappearing because of the technology we have invented in the modern age and this digital era that allows anything to be edited, changed, reproduced etc. without a second thought. Through the lack of authenticity the "total function of art is reversed", that is the process changes, both mentally and physically. It is no longer "based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice - politics". So for the first time in our history, art is no longer dependent on ritual, this due souly to mechanical reproduction. Therefore, art is now more widely available to the masses in exhibition form. In this instance Benjamin shows the ease of a portrait being exhibited, compared to "the statue of a divinity that has its fixed place in the interior of a temple". This now leads me to the idea of an 'aura' in works of art. So while we may not be able to see the 'original' statue of a divine god, modern technology allows these to be easily mass produced and sent anywhere in the world. I would have to say that literally being there, standing in front of a statue of a divinitythat is thousands and thousands of years old brought all the way from Greece, in the British Museum last year, is priceless compared to looking back on those memories in pictures. Same goes for beautiful sunrises i've witnessed on tropical islands in the pacific where the moon is still setting as the sun is rising, and viewing this all through scattered coconut palms over the ocean. Words could not explain how amazing it was, yet looking back at the picture just isn't the same. So when Benjamin talks about the 'aura', he is referring to the essence of the object that it accumulates over time from beginning to end in "testimony to the history it has experienced". The "authority of an object" is also jeopardised through mechanical reproduction which in turn eliminates the "aura of the work of art". In a sense, the reproduced object is removed from tradition through this technique and all essence or 'aura' is lost. The same can be said for live performances. Viewing live concerts or acting enables the audience to become deeply involved and to experience the performance and the ambience. Whereas watching a movie, someone acting on a screen "permits the audience to take the position of a critic, without experiencing any personal contact with the actor", says Benjamin.
As for photoshopped images being classed as authentic. I think it really depends on the object and the reason. Generally i'd say no in a sense, that photoshopped images wouldn't be authentic if you edit, crop and change an original image then they lose all value. But that then poses the question that if an image is changed enough, is that classed as authentic to the new artist? But also what is classed as enough? And if an artist creates an image from scratch on photoshop then who's to say it's not authentic? Photoshop can create some great altered images, like black and white etc. It definitely is up to the individual but it's also a bit of a grey area as far as rules and laws of authenticity go! Benjamin states "mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art". I guess this is due to all the technology we have at our fingertips we are now able to create or change any form of art so it no longer surprises people anymore. We are in a world moving forward and art will never be the same again!
Some questions posed for us to think about and answer...
- How do the ideas from Walter Benjamin's "The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction" apply to contemporary digital media?
- There was a time when "Art" was made by artists who were skilled professionals. Now that anyone with a computer can create things digitally (music, images, videos, etc), what does it mean for art?
- Is a Photoshopped image authentic?
- Do digital things have an 'aura' (in Walter Benjamin's terms)?
First of all, it is important to establish that when Benjamin refers to 'art' he does not simply mean paintings or drawings. His reference is to everything artistic from painting to acting to singing. He encompasses all the different art forms. Benjamin states "when the age of mechanical reproduction separated art from its basis in cult, the semblance of its autonomy disappeared forever", which basically sets the theme for the rest of his piece.
The ideas suggested by Benjamin are that of authenticity and originality disappearing because of the technology we have invented in the modern age and this digital era that allows anything to be edited, changed, reproduced etc. without a second thought. Through the lack of authenticity the "total function of art is reversed", that is the process changes, both mentally and physically. It is no longer "based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice - politics". So for the first time in our history, art is no longer dependent on ritual, this due souly to mechanical reproduction. Therefore, art is now more widely available to the masses in exhibition form. In this instance Benjamin shows the ease of a portrait being exhibited, compared to "the statue of a divinity that has its fixed place in the interior of a temple". This now leads me to the idea of an 'aura' in works of art. So while we may not be able to see the 'original' statue of a divine god, modern technology allows these to be easily mass produced and sent anywhere in the world. I would have to say that literally being there, standing in front of a statue of a divinitythat is thousands and thousands of years old brought all the way from Greece, in the British Museum last year, is priceless compared to looking back on those memories in pictures. Same goes for beautiful sunrises i've witnessed on tropical islands in the pacific where the moon is still setting as the sun is rising, and viewing this all through scattered coconut palms over the ocean. Words could not explain how amazing it was, yet looking back at the picture just isn't the same. So when Benjamin talks about the 'aura', he is referring to the essence of the object that it accumulates over time from beginning to end in "testimony to the history it has experienced". The "authority of an object" is also jeopardised through mechanical reproduction which in turn eliminates the "aura of the work of art". In a sense, the reproduced object is removed from tradition through this technique and all essence or 'aura' is lost. The same can be said for live performances. Viewing live concerts or acting enables the audience to become deeply involved and to experience the performance and the ambience. Whereas watching a movie, someone acting on a screen "permits the audience to take the position of a critic, without experiencing any personal contact with the actor", says Benjamin.
As for photoshopped images being classed as authentic. I think it really depends on the object and the reason. Generally i'd say no in a sense, that photoshopped images wouldn't be authentic if you edit, crop and change an original image then they lose all value. But that then poses the question that if an image is changed enough, is that classed as authentic to the new artist? But also what is classed as enough? And if an artist creates an image from scratch on photoshop then who's to say it's not authentic? Photoshop can create some great altered images, like black and white etc. It definitely is up to the individual but it's also a bit of a grey area as far as rules and laws of authenticity go! Benjamin states "mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art". I guess this is due to all the technology we have at our fingertips we are now able to create or change any form of art so it no longer surprises people anymore. We are in a world moving forward and art will never be the same again!
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