Topic 1- Wk 2 Pt 2

c) p.11 Are new media a source of ‘progress’ in the sense that they enhance things we do in spheres of social activity – business, education, shopping, democracy etc? Could we say that such a proposition involves an ‘ideology of progress’?
From reading the ideological connatations of the use of 'new' media, as Lister mentions it implies that 'new' is better, its cutting edge compared to the old. These beliefs are those of a modernist view. If I think about new media, there is definately a presumption that new media will increase the ability to do things better. The idea that in business new media will create increased productivity and that it can create educational opportunity , in terms of the development of software and communcation devices. People are now able to study at home, thanks to the internet. So I would say that new media is a source of progress, it is because of new media that we have many of things around that we take for granted today.

d) Is there a clean break between analogue and digital media (cf. Bolter and Grusin’s concept of ‘remediation’)? Can you identify any commonalities? For example, is email based on the language of ‘letters’ and ‘the postal service’ because we have tried to fashion its communication functions in terms we are already familiar with?
I agree with Listers view, that there is not a clear break between analogue and digital media rather "they can be seen as a continuation and extension of a principle or technique already in place" so this means that digital media incorporates analogue, it underlines the same principle however it is the next step, the better version perhaps. I think that email differs to letters in terms of the language, I would never write an essay to someone using 'text language' however this is more common in an email. Email still has the same formalities as a letter, it is just an easier and faster concept of writing a letter. However, there are both used for the same concept to deliver a message/communicate with another person.

g) What do you understand by ‘non-linear, non-sequential reading and writing?’ Does it capture the experience of the Web?
I understand a non linear, or as Lister calls a "multi-linear experience", this is the ability to choose from a number of links instead of following a straight pattern marked out for you. (hypertext). There is no order to which the text is to be read. It allows the user to choose what it is they are looking for and the ability to skip through text and links that are not useful. I think that this is the whole experience of the web, that users have the ability to pick and choose what it is there are after.

Topic 1- Week 2

a) With Windows Vista replacing XP and Office 2007 replacing Office 2003, (and so on), what is ‘upgrade culture’ all about? Is some new media change just consumerism thought up by big business?

I think that in todays world we live in a consumer society, we all believe that we need the latest, up to date software. I think that while some of the new features on vista as oppose to XP and on office 2007 compared to office 2003 are useful, it really is just the same. To be honest I'm not really that in the know how about computers I have Windows Vista and I like it more than XP but I think that is just because its a more attractive layout and has new features. I think that business's feel the need to constantly re-invent their software in a bid to make more money but also because society also demands the newest of the new and is constantly evolving with technology. As I say, think that it comes back to the consumerism society that we live in, we constantly recycle the old, people don't expect things to last anymore and are having to replace something thats only a few months old with something new.

e) Digitality and code. Imagine you couldn’t compose your assignments on computer. How would a hand-written editing and composition process be different?

I think that I take for granted being able to compose my assignments on the computer. For one handwritten essays are time consuming, they are easier to lose, I can't press a button to check my spelling, the use of being able to insert header and footer, paragrahing and double spacing. You aren't able to save what progress you have made and go back to it. Using a computer to compose essays helps in ways that you never think about. Typing is a much quicker form of writing text.

Will post other answers to this weeks topic later.

Discussion on Interactive Websites

"Traditional information theory would describe interactive media as those media that establish two-way communication"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_media]

When I think about what I consider an interactive website, I think of games websites such as www.fetchfido.com, and newspaper websites such as www.thesun.co.uk, and also forums for example http://www.musicbanter.com/

Newspaper websites allow users to interact with the website by givin users the chance to comment on particular stories and to take part competitions, play games etc. Newspapers use this to make the readers feel as though their view is important. It allows peeople to voice their own opinions as well as reading others.

Games websites allow users to play games whilst also interacting with other game users and even to play against one another. Users can post helpful hints with games.

Forums allow users to post comments about a topic and other users can respond to the comment. This is interactive media as it allows people to interact with other people as well as interacting with features on the websites.

I think that hypertext definately shapes the experience of using the web. If websites have a lot of hypertext and visual images etc then I would say that I would pay more attention to that website. However the content is very important as well, its all very good having all these pretty colours and pictures but if I can't find what I am looking for then the website is wasting my time.

Week One Task 2- Radio

a) From reading Goebbels Speech on Radio in 1933, it is clear that he saw the revolution of radio as an important part of political history. "Radio will be for the twentieth century what the press was for the Nineteenth century"(Goebbels) Goebbels view of radio can be linked to political ideology because one of the key concepts in politics is the political parties being able to deliver a message to the masses. Goebbels later goes on to say"It would not have been possible for us to take power or to use it in the ways we have without the radio and the airplane". This shows the influence that radio had. It was a way of entering peoples homes and getting their message across to the widest possible audience. The Nazi party realised this and used it to their advantage, they broadcast powerful speeches on the radio that people who wouldn't normally be able to hear, could and this worked to their advantage as the support for the Nazi Party grew.

b)I think that if people were to read Goebbels views today that they would disagree about the influence radio can have. In 1933, television was not really around or accessible to many people so the radio was a key part in people receiving news hearing political speeches and broadcasts so of course it's influence was rather great. However, nowadays people have televisions and use the radio more for listening to music and chat shows. Politics no longer plays the major part in society that it once did.

c) The Internet has caused a controversial debate. While some critics believe that the Internet, some also believe it is a good thing. If we look for example at paedophilia, and child pornography the Internet can be seen in a negative light due to thousands of sites under those subjects are easily accessible to anyone. However the Internet has also provided hundred of thousands of people with a whole host of knowledge right at their fingertips. I can't imagine my life without the Internet now, whenever I have a question or need to find out something I use a search engine.

Week One Task One: Pt 2

IRLS Chat Rooms and messanger services enable users to communicate directly to other people 'live', for example msn messanger. I don't use messanger much only to talk to friends who aren't at uni (back home) and to discuss work sometimes. I find that msn is impersonal and sometimes things can be taken the wrong way!

Usenet and Bulletin Board Systems-I was unfamiliar with this term so looked it up and found that it was A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and login to the system using a terminal program. It can offer downloading, chatrooms etc.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_systems)

If anyone has anything more about Bulletin Board Systems or MUDS that would help me further understand can you comment thanks.

Week One- Task One

The Internet is made up of a range of applications:
-MUDS + MOOS- merging with online gaming
-Websites- WWW
-IRLS chatrooms, messanger services,
-Usenet + Bulletin board systems
-Email

Publicly accessible website pages known as the world wide web are a made up of a collection of information, images, videos etc. Websites allow people to find what they are looking for whether its something business or purely for interest. It allows people to communicate with other people with similar interests. Usually through email, or mailing lists. I use a number of websites, to purchase dvds, games, books etc, to sell things on ebay for example. For interest such as band websites and informational purposes as well.

Email allows people to communicate with one another in different locations. It enables people to upload pictures/files and transfer them to another computer. I mainly use email to send work to myself, to keep in contact with my family. Sometimes this is easier thatn making a phonecall as its there waiting for them and they can read it when they want to. I think that the most coomon use of email would be outlook, hotmail etc.

I had not heard of MUDS and MOO'S before so looked them up on wikipedia
''In computer gaming, a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon), pronounced /mʌd/, is a multi-user real-time virtual world described entirely in text. It combines elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, interactive fiction, and online chat''(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD)
So I understand a MUD or MOO'S to be gaming online, a virtual game with allows users to play with one another as wel as communicating with one another.

Other part of task in post 2.

New Media PT 2

After reading half of pages 1-44 of Listers et al, New Media: A critical introduction and trying to further my knowledge of what 'New Media' actually means. I have found some of the key concepts of the reading to be that New Media is significant because it marks a break in history, between the 'old' and the 'new' media. I also understand from the reading that New Media shows no signs of becoming redundant as it is constantly re-inventing itself.

From reading page 9 I learnt that the Media refers to the communications media, in which we associated the press, cinema, broadcasting etc. I also found that some key words in new media are Modernity, Post Modernity and Globilastion. Because I couldn't remember what two of these words meant, I looked up globlisation and this basically means that people of the world are unified into a single society, through the combination of economic, technological and politicals forces. I also looked at what Post Modernity meant it is used to describe the economic or cultural state of society which exists after modernity.

I also found that 'Digital Media' was particularly useful in this chapter. New Media doesn't just refer to one thing it is many different outputs. It means the registration,storage and distribution in form of a digital binary code.
Digital Media, is 'media that uses computer'. Analogue media played a huge part in the early 20th century however digitality is now taking over.

Will add more points from the second half later. Perhaps in future we could split the reading up and post our individual points on each part?

New Media: A Critical Introduction. PT.1

I have begun familiarising myself with blogging and posting comments on others pages, I've been reading through the study guide and also the new media notes. Remembering notes I took down in the lecture, it is important to use RINCY, and to seperate paragraphs with 5 x's. What I understand from the lecture on new media is that new media takes a digital form. Digital media such as camera's means that when pictures are captured they can be easily stored, broken and changed where as analogue is simply transferred and printed. Digital media enables us to take one output connect it to another and then share with others.
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Things such as the internet, mp3, digital tv, computer games etc are the definition of New Media I believe. Communication plays an important role in new media, the way we communicate with one another has been greatly improved via technology. Society has changed through the ability to store information and send it to other locations. Communities have formed on the internet who have never met in person, leading to cultural diversity.

So I understand that new media, is what is all around us now, the internet, digital tv and cameras etc. New Media is having a big effect on society as it is constantly changing.

Will post rest later...

My First Post!

Hey everyone, this is my first in what will be A LONG line of blogs. Good times .

This blogging malarky confuses me!

Ta ra,

Hannah