Reflecting On Convergence

Throughout this vigorous session I have published several blog posts focusing on the topics and issues that concern convergent media practices in my subject BCM112. As per the assessments’ requirements, I have chosen what I feel to be my three strongest blog posts, which are listed below.

Transmedia Storytelling – A Collective Effort.

The first post I have chosen is one I pieced together in week 6. This post explains the practices of Transmedia storytelling, primarily focusing on on blockbuster franchises. It also explores how this practice allows audiences to experiences worlds that are not just a single story, but also multiple stories that collaborate into one big pervasive one. This post draws upon information from both the lecture and supplied readings in the tutorial guide, for the relevant week.

The conclusion lands at the notion that transmedia storytelling is forever changing the way we as viewers engage with entertainment, and in the era of collective intelligence, it (transmedia storytelling) is the ideal visual platform to build on this practice.

Collective Intelligence: Fuelling the Flames of Online Discrimination?

This week’s topic was of heightened interest to me, as online discrimination is a contemporary issue in our society, and is showing no signs of slowing down. This post exclusively looked at the detrimental effects online abuse can have on individuals and social groups.

My research led me to discover that hate speech is not a form of free speech, and while everyone is entitled to an opinion, trollers and flamers generally pay no attention to the matter being discussed in online areas such as forums and Twitter.  Furthermore, online campaigns such as #mencallmethings are doing all they can to raise awareness and combat the issue.

Citizen Journalism: Giving Power To The People.

This week’s topic was also of interest to me, as the rise of citizen journalism through technological advances is something I am quite fascinated by. Prior to my research I remained quite static on my opinion that there were few negatives surrounding this style of journalism. However, I was unaware of the true span of citizen journalism and how something as simple as ‘retweeting’ a post can be considered practice.  I found that while Civic Media may increase user participation, it challenges the journalistic code that the profession swears by, causing problems for journalists everywhere.

Collective Intelligence: Fuelling the Flames of Online Discrimination?

The Internet has helped a new kind of global public sphere to manifest in the ever-changing digital age. The Internet is a powerful tool, as it combines user participation with its unmatched networking capabilities However, online participatory culture can also have detrimental effects on individuals and social groups.

It is not an uncommon to hear of individuals being targeted and discriminated against in the online community due to their gender, sexual-orientation, race and of course, appearance. These practices are most common on online social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Given that the very backbone of social networking involves sharing personal information, voicing our free speech and personal opinion, it is no wonder that cyber-bulling has become a common practice in the cyber realm; given that there are no visible or immediate consequences for the keyboard warriors living amongst us.

The Internet is a place for collective intelligence to blossom and grow, however Youtube videos such as the ‘Search Racist. Jews.’ was created to elucidate the sheer crudeness of ideas that can be formed through this collaborative effort that we have all come to love and cherish.

Anonymity is a major factor in the amount of misogyny that women experience online. Dreher (2012) shed light on a campaign named #mencallmethings aimed at highlighting the number of people on twitter posting abusive misogynous emails and posts sent to female bloggers online.

While the dark side of online participatory culture may harbour many negatives, campaigns such as #mencallmethings are taking steps in the right direction by raising awareness of the issue in the fight against identity-based discrimination online. However, I firmly believe that for as long as anonymity exists on the Internet, online discrimination will always remain a problem due to the participatory nature of the beast.

References:

Dreher, T 2012, ‘#mencallmethings: Identity and Difference Online’, lecture, BCM112, Convergent Media Practices, University of Wollongong, delivered 07 May.

StopRacismUCT 2010, Search Racist. Jews., accessed 08/05/2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBjQX3sfSRo

Edited 11/05/2012

Citizen Journalism: Giving Power To The People.

Prior to the digital age, mainstream media and news outlets were almost exclusively regarded as the only form of acceptable and informative sources of information. The media was streamlined, both through print and television, and a very sanitized method of reporting was used, however there has been an apparent shift in the balance of news dissemination within traditional news media outlets.

Today, in the midst of the digital age, we are seeing more and more news reports (especially world news), being reported on with the aid of citizen journalism. I have previously blogged about the powers of citizen journalism, and its ability to give the voiceless. Raw, unedited footage has the power to allow viewers to engage with the content more, and to focus less on the bias little spin whichever news corporation is trying to spurt out with the story. This type of media is referred to as Civic Media, as it increases public participation enabling the exchange of meaningful information, and increases the agency of a citizen (Mitew, 2012).

This new style of journalism in the digital age is challenging the practices of old, and I think it is a very positive step towards a more transparent relay of contemporary information within society. Gatekeeping is the practice I refer to, and it has been defined as basically the manipulation of information in order to make it appropriate for the news media realm (Lewis et. al. 2010, pp. 164-165). I also feel that there is a correlation between gatekeeping and sanitized reporting, as they both share similar principles.

When thinking about citizen journalism, while it has become increasingly more prevalent with online media outlets and television, the world of print media remains just as rigid as it previously was. Overall, citizen journalism, aided with technology has created a gateway for those who were once considered to be the audience, to wield the powers of the media, relaying news to fellow citizens, at their own volition.

References

Lewis, C 2010, ‘Thinking about citizen journalism: the philosophical and practical challenges of user generated content for community newspapers’, Journalism Practice, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 163-179, accessed 01/05/2012.

Mitew, T 2012, Citizen Journalism, BCM112, Convergent Media Practices, University of Wollongong, delivered 02 May 2012.

Edited 10/05/2012

The Pros of Torrenting

At this point in time, in the digital age, it is generally an accepted practice that most of the musical content we consume is mostly downloaded on torrent websites such as The Pirate Bay and Demonoid.  These new practices has created a new community in the digital world, allowing for users to trade, share and download content from multiple genres, that are sometimes not available from mainstream media outlets.

Advances in technology, combined with music’s arrival on the digital stage has ultimately spurred on the collaborative effort to create file-sharing network on the Internet making music available to all. While this practice is considered illegal throughout the world, I do not believe it is entirely immoral or unethical. Before the digital age, musical content was mostly available through mainstream outlets, such as the radio, television, or buying the content legally. This meant that there was a limited amount of content available for people to access and engage with.

This new culture, fuelled by user empowerment and produsage, is highlighting the importance of convergence and the benefits it possesses. Torrent websites along with Youtube and music sites such as Spotify allow for people to share, communicate and engage with musical content in a way that was not previously possible.

Out of Character: ‘Geek-ism’ Is Here To Stay

World of Warcraft

There was once a time when fantasy freaks and gaming geeks would in many ways have to conceal their love for the games they played and the lore they praised. However in recent times, it seems there has been a dynamic shift of acceptance within society for these once labelled nerds who were lamented as creatures with no social skills or attributes for acceptability in society.

Like many others I’m sure, I myself once had to conceal the fact that I was an avid computer gamer, spending my weekends as a teenager competing in various video games in tournaments online and at LANs around the country. Even today I still wonder as to how people will react if they were to discover this fact about me.

In recent years, Electronic Sports (eSports) along with many other facets of the digital world, have become much more acceptable within society, and they are now challenging the notion that gaming geeks and lovers of fantasy themed content are no longer outcasts of popular culture. In the world today, engaging with video games, gaming consoles and fantasy art has generally become an accepted practice, and there has been a convergence of the ideologies behind these practices.

The popular massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft is estimated to have over 12 million registered users in Europe and North America alone, making it one of the most popular games of all time. The game (like many RPGs) offers users a level of escapability, as it creates a digital realm where one can explore, complete quests, socialise with others and trade gold in exchange for goods and service. This type of interaction can allow users to disengage with their own world as they are being subjected to another, which can be beneficial, depending on the individual. Having played the game myself for many years, I know first-hand how addictive WoW can become, and how rewards and achievements made within the game are based on how much time is spent playing.

Transmedia Storytelling – A collective Effort

According to Henry Jenkins, transmedia storytelling is the process where key parts of fiction are separated in a certain way across multiple platforms for the purpose of creating a unified and organised entertainment experience for viewers. This compiled method of storytelling enhances a viewer’s experience as it can challenge them in many different ways, often leaving audiences captivated and curious about these complex narratives that completely differ from more classical, predictable narratives.

An example of transmedia storytelling in practice would be a comic books later being turned into films. Jenkins (2007) highlights how the graphic novel Batman published by DC acted as the base for the success of the films, which were owned and released by Warner Brothers. The comic book acted as the base for which the film generated so much of its success from, as the transmedia storytelling allowed the comic book to in a sense come to life, in a way that appealed to viewers on multiple platforms. Mitew (2012) reminds us that this form of storytelling frees the stories from the channels they are connected to, meaning there are more entry points, ultimately allowing for more points of engagement for the audience.

Transmedia narratives allow for audiences to experience a world that is larger than a single story. Mitew (2012) displays data explaining how transmedia involves telling multiple stories over multiple mediums, which together combine to tell one bigger story. Transmedia storytelling is the ideal visual platform for the era of collective intelligence (Jenkins 2007), and it is forever changing the way we engage with entertainment.

References:

Jenkins, H 2007, Transmedia Storytelling 101, accessed 03/03/2012, http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html

Mitew, T 2012, Transmedia narratives, BCM112, Convergent Media Practices, University of Wollongong, delivered 02 April 2012.

Edited 10/05/2012

Citizen Journalism: Empowering Individuals

Mobile technology has given individuals so much power, some of which simply do not know how to wield it. Convergence within the communicative world through mobile technology is changing the way we interact with those around us completely, both professionally and personally.

Gordon in his article ‘The Mobile Phone and the Public Sphere’ draws to our attention how our mobile phones may one day become an important tool, used to report events from a first person perspective.  However, I feel that this occurrence has taken place since this article was written. A recent example would be the recent uprising of the people of Egypt, trying to overturn the regime of President Hosni Mubarkak.

When the riots commenced, the government shut down the Internet in Egypt, so people could not communicate and rally together further on the web. In this scenario, mobile technology was incredibly important as it was the only method journalists, and citizens could broadcast messages and stories to the outside world. Mobile technology allowed for citizen journalism to occur, empowering these individuals, essentially giving a voice, to the voiceless.

Reference List:

Gordon, J 2007, The Mobile Phone and the Public Sphere: Mobile Phone Usage in Three Critical Situations, accessed 23/3/2012, Sage Database.

Internet Browsers: A Part of You, & Me.

The ideologies surrounding Technological convergence has shaped the way we interact and share information with the world. The Internet has become a medium in itself, that has integrated all forms and methods of communication into one device, which has backed us into a corner, in the sense that it is now truly difficult to gauge whether we are online, or offline.

Shirky (2008) reminds us that that the Internet is nearing into its 20th year, and that anything with a life cycle that changes as rapidly as the Internet’s has, is bound to become somewhat an-equated. However, Shirky also draws attention to the fact that the Internet has done so much for us, and rather than fading into oblivion, the Internet browser is becoming the background and essence of user interfaces and even the background of whole operating systems such as Google Chrome.

Which leads me to ask the question, are we ever really offline? The introduction of smart phones and tablet devices have made it impossible to not be connected. Ultimately it seems like the Internet browser has become an integrated part of human life, leaving us forever connected and unable to escape the clutches of its grasp.

Daniel Barrett

Reference List:

Shirky 2011, The Communicators: HIgh Tech & Social Unrest, accessed 21/03/2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx4Yuu2hfP0

Post-Modernity: The Apple Way.

The iPhone 5?

 

Ever since that memorable day on January the 9th, 2007, the world has not quite been the same. The technological monsoon, comprising of Steve Jobs, Apple and its illustrious iPhone, forced their way into a market, which had enormous potential for growth (Zittrain 2008). This forced other companies such as Nokia and HTC to really pick up their game if they wished to compete at the same level as Apple.

It seems with every year that another iPhone is released on to the market, it keeps getting better, and better; and generally speaking, consumers have come to expect this of smart phone technology. These phenomenal advances are something we are now used too in the western world, meaning Apple’s constant bombardment of upgrades and modifications to its iPhone has left us normalised to this occurrence, leading us one step closer to the depths of post-modernity.

 

Reference list:

Zittrain, J L 2008, The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It, accessed 20/03/2012, http://yupnet.org/zittrain/archives/6

The Digital Age – The End Of Copyright?

In recent times, it has become increasingly easier for public Internet users to access and acquire copyrighted media content such as movies, music, and games without purchasing them legally. File-sharing networks have challenged current copyright laws with the aid of public scrutiny, leading to the question as to what is fair in the digital age we currently live in (Collins 2008). Originally, the law of copyright (within the US constitution), was designed to protect culturally important created works, from being consumed by monopolies and the corporate world (Collins 2008). However, now in the digital age, the law of copyright seems to have spun wildly out of control. It appears that this law has morphed into a scaremongering like tool, that companies and individuals can employ whenever they feel their intellectual property is being used, without consent and/or compensation.

Professor Eric Faden produced this Disney “mash-up” video to elucidate how truly ridiculous the copyright epidemic has become. He does this by playfully using one of the biggest Production companies of our time Disney, to explain to us how copyright actually works.

Fair use is meant to be a wing of the copyright law used to prevent tyrannic monopolies. However, some scholars suggest that fair use has now become less of a defence, and more a right that that subordinates copyrights (Collins 2008).

References:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/05/19/fairy-use-tale-amazi.html, accessed 13/3/12, http://www.youtube.com/

Madden, G 2008, ‘Recovering Fair Use’, M/C Journal, Vol 11, No. 6, accessed 9/3/12, http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/105