Week 6 - Ah, we'll just Google It

The term ‘Google it’ has become embedded within society on many different levels. Invariably if one has a question (and internet connection) the good people at Google are the first point of call. Hence the term ‘Google it’ – when you don’t know the answer just ask Google.

From a journalism point of view Google has become a huge time (life) saver. It can literally take mere seconds to find a map, link, detail or related article to attach to a news story. I have spent time at a major online news organisation and everyone there uses Google to check and find information. I have heard many journalists say, “What did we do without Google?”!

Google also becomes a promotional tool. As an online journalist I think about the use of key words, particularly in writing headlines, to improve ‘search engine optimisation’. That is, to try and get my story at the top of any Google list.

“Many experienced internet users felt they couldn’t live without search engines” (Howard & Massanari). Google has become a huge part of our online culture; many (including myself) set it as a home page. It is often the first point of call when searching for answers to any question.

Hard to believe that we used to live without Google!

Thanks for reading,
Andrew


References

Howard, P. N. and Massanari, A. (2007). Learning to Search and Searching to Learn: Income, Education, and Experience Online. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(3), article 5. Available online: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070115_1&displayName=Week+6%3A+%22Tell+me+more%2C+tell+me+more%22%3A+Information%2C+Education+%26+Work&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fjcmc.indiana.edu%2Fvol12%2Fissue3%2Fhoward.html (Accessed March 30, 2010).

Leong, S. 2010. KCB201: New Media 1: Information and Knowledge: Week 6 lecture notes. Available online: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?attachment=true&navItem=content&content_id=_3122571_1&displayName=Week+6+Lecture+Notes&course_id=_60765_1&href=/%40%40/FA2AD967DC9461BA9CAFB12E14C01FE3/courses/1/KCB201_10se1/content/_3122571_1/Week6LectureBB.ppt (accessed March 31, 2010).

Week 5 - I'm performing for you (but not you)

Once something appears on the internet it is there FOREVER – You can take it down but someone somewhere is clever enough to find it again.

I loved the subject of the ‘Glass Bedroom’ – “a bridge between partially private and public worlds constructed online through signs and language” (Pearson, 2009). You can keep things private, but your social networking site is made of glass – anyone can see in.

A few years ago Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice found herself in trouble over Facebook photos. Swimming Australia, her employer, deemed the pictures too raunchy and ordered they be removed. This is a classic example of the ‘Glass Bedroom’.

These pictures were probably meant for her chain of friends however Joe Public had access to them, they appeared all over the internet and Rice was in the middle of much debate. The photos were eventually removed from her page.

Rice probably didn’t know it at the time, but the signals she sent with the raunchy pictures risked her reputation (Donath & Boyd, 2004). Luckily for Rice, she was able to come out of the situation positively and maintain her image in the eyes of stakeholders.

There is a lesson here – be very careful what you decide to post on your social networking site. Everyone is watching.

Cheers,
Andrew


References
Donath, J. and Boyd, d. (2004). Public displays of connection. BT Technology Journal, volume 22 (4): 71-82. Available at: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070112_1&displayName=Week+5%3A+%22Vital+Signs+of+Life%22+or+Maintaining+Visibility+on+the+Social+Stage&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.danah.org%2Fpapers%2FPublicDisplays.pdf (accessed March 23, 2010).

Pearson, E. (2009). All the World Wide Web’s a stage: the Performance of Identity in Online Social Networks. First Monday, volume 14, Number 3. Available at: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070112_1&displayName=Week+5%3A+%22Vital+Signs+of+Life%22+or+Maintaining+Visibility+on+the+Social+Stage&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Ffirstmonday.org%2Fhtbin%2Fcgiwrap%2Fbin%2Fojs%2Findex.php%2Ffm%2Farticle%2Fview%2F2162%2F2127http%3A%2F%2F (accessed March 23, 2010).

Saurine, A. 2008. Stephanie Rice Facebook pictures censored. The Daily Telegraph (online). April 2, 2008. Available at: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/rice-facebook-pics-censored/story-0-1111115947818 (accessed March 23, 2010).

Week 4 - If it’s on the internet it’s got to be true

For me as an aspiring journalist, I enjoy using social networks for different reasons. Facebook is the more personal or social space. As Rosen (2007) says, social networking sites tend to foster weak ties such as “rumour-mongering, gossip, finding people and tracking the ever-shifting movements of pop culture and fad”.

Facebook is the place where I find out who’s seeing who, who has a new job or who is drinking where this weekend. Nothing is really “trustworthy” (Rosen 2007), but there is a place for Facebook in social media. Although it was ultimately a sad story, I enjoyed the anecdote of the relationship break-up because that is the very thing everyone sees and hears about through their Facebook accounts.

Twitter on the other hand I use for more professional reasons. I find this social media network a perfect place to track news from around the world. I don’t post on Twitter because I don’t receive much attention from other Twitter users (Huberman, Romero and Wu, 2009). However I do use the network to “keep track” of current news and find Twitter, because it is more commercially orientated, is more trustworthy.

I find social network sites both fun and necessary for my future career, and both Facebook and Twitter will play a role in my own future years.

See you next week,
Andrew


References
Rosen, C. (2007). Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070110_1&displayName=Week+4%3A+%E2%80%98MyFace%E2%80%99+or+%E2%80%9CDo+you+know+what+I+did+5+seconds+ago%3F%E2%80%9D&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenewatlantis.com%2Fpublications%2Fvirtual-friendship-and-the-new-narcissism (accessed March 14, 2010).

Huberman, B., Romero, D.M. & Wu, F. (2009). Social networks that matter: Twitter under the microscope. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070110_1&displayName=Week+4%3A+%E2%80%98MyFace%E2%80%99+or+%E2%80%9CDo+you+know+what+I+did+5+seconds+ago%3F%E2%80%9D&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Ffirstmonday.org%2Fhtbin%2Fcgiwrap%2Fbin%2Fojs%2Findex.php%2Ffm%2Farticle%2Fview%2F2317%2F2063 (accessed March 14, 2010).

Week 3 - The Real World of Online Characters

As children we all spent time pretending to be characters –heroes, stars, parents, animals. Then we grew out of it. Today though, people bring their characters back all the time.

As adults our characters are behind computer screens. “We each have an online identity; a personal character to represent ourselves in the virtual world” (Cooper, 2007). We can be ourselves with the volume turned right up.

As Cooper states, there is never a clear separation of identity between our online and offline selves. Our ‘character’ is a reflection or echo of our ‘real’ lives. The reason our online presence is a character is because we select every aspect. We choose the information to share, the way we’re displayed and how we act – “we select ideal or perfect gestures” (Lola). In real life we get what we’re given and usually can only accept it.

Dean, Keating and Murphy (2009) spoke about people altering behaviour to match their online characters. I don’t believe that entirely, but can certainly understand it. Some people would want to ensure the grey elements between themselves and their online characters are minimal.

But why do so many people choose to create these online characters? As Lola explains, the lure of a worldwide audience draws so many people in for various reasons. It is a chance for our character to become a star – which was the dream when we were children.

Thanks for reading,
Andrew

References
Cooper, R. 2007. Alter Ego: Avatars and their Creators. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070108_1&displayName=Week+3%3A+Branding+Me%3A+Viral+Marketing%2C+Buzz+%26+Word-of-Mouth&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opendemocracy.net%2Farts%2Falterego_4620.jsp (accessed March 9, 2010).

Dean, E., Cook, S,, Keating, M. & Murphy, J. (2009). Does this Avatar Make Me Look Fat?: Obesity and Interviewing in Second Life. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, volume 2, number 2: 3-11. https://journals.tdl.org/jvwr/article/view/621/495 (accessed March 9, 2010).

Lola, C.P.Chen. Individual Online Presentation Management: Self-Presentation on YouTube. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070108_1&displayName=Week+3%3A+Branding+Me%3A+Viral+Marketing%2C+Buzz+%26+Word-of-Mouth&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myacme.org%2FACMEProceedings09%2Fp26.pdf (accessed March 9, 2010).

Week 2 - 'New Media' according to Mr & Mrs Jones

The phrase ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ is as old as the day is long; and still as relevant. It seems every day a “new device enabling our ability to communicate” (Leong, 2010) is released. What’s more if someone chooses to abstain from these concepts, a part of their own identity is missing. It probably isn’t, but it can seem like it is.

I completely agree with Levy (2006) and believe virtually everyone uses some sort of personal media tool (iPod, Facebook, Twitter, blogs) to identify themselves. Today “people can forge and craft their own identity through cyberspace” (Turkle, 1997).

New media has created ways for people to essentially sell themselves, tell the world what they’re about (or at least how they perceive themselves). I recently added a playlist to my iPod full of trashy retro tunes. I used my Facebook page to display some of the work I had written and I used Twitter to tell someone “24 is the BEST SHOW EVER”.

So without these devices how do people know I like trashy music, I enjoy my job and my favourite television show is 24? How do others know more about me, how can they identify with me?

Well they could ask and I would tell them, but this is the age of new media. I could opt to forgo these things and get by fine, but Mr. & Mrs. Jones would have streaked way ahead. And most importantly, I wouldn’t know what they’re doing.

Thanks for reading,
Andrew

References
Levy, S. 2006. Identity. In The perfect thing: how the iPod shuffles commerce, culture and coolness. 21-41. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/cmd/KCB201/KCB201_BK_272671.pdf (accessed March 2, 2010).

Leong, S. 2010. KCB201: New Media 1: Information and Knowledge: Week 1 lecture notes. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_60765_1%26url%3D (accessed February 25, 2010).

Turkle, S. 1997. Introduction: Identity in the Age of Internet. In Life on the screen: identity in the age of the internet. 9-26. London: Phoenix. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/cmd/KCB201/KCB201_BK_272670.pdf (accessed February 25, 2010).

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my weekly New Media blog. Over the next couple of months I will be providing my thoughts and reflections for the week based upon the New Media 1 unit at QUT.

My first entry, available in the next day or so, will be based around New Media and Identity.

I hope to keep this informative and entertaining for the duration of the unit and look forward to keeping you, the reader, updated with everything I'm learning about New Media :)

Cheers,
Andrew