Reading: Lister p. 28 continued summary

This is the second part of my summary of Lister Et Al. I apologise if any of this section is hard to follow - I only discovered at the end that there is a page missing from the extract (I'm not sure why) so some of this may be in slightly the wrong place. There are a couple of posts where I have specified I'd enjoy comments. I'm hoping to get some discussion going in those areas.

Happy reading!

Continued reading of Lister Et Al.

Reaching huge amounts of the population, it is easy to understand how hard it is to ignore new media. This allows consumers more personalised choices in their interactivity - splitting the population into groups of consumerism.

Reading: Lister p. 30 summary

You no longer have to be an expert in order to manipulate production technology. This has changed the way in which produces have to work. This lead me to think about how television programs have changed. For example, Tarrant on Tv was a program that showed funny/rude clips (mainly adverts) from all over the world. With the Internet now allowing users to provide this sort of entertainment for themselves, it is understandable that the program is not longer aired. However, off the back of this program and the use of the Internet we now have 'Rudetube' - a play on words taken from the Internet site 'Youtube' (where, unsurprisingly, most of the shows content can be found). The program counts down the most entertaining and funny clips found on the Internet, whilst also advertising Youtube to any who may not have viewed it. This is a classic example of how new media has evolved thanks to the backbone of old media.

Reading: Lister p. 31 summary

Centralised media came about because there was a need for it; mainly the concept of war and a united nation (see Goebbels).
Centralisation in media allows for control (to a certain extent) of mass audiences. However, this can be both a good thing and a bad thing.

Reading: Lister p. 31 continued summary

New media is based off old media, but certainly couldn't exist or proceed to exist without the backbone of old media.

Reading: Lister p. 32 summary

A short introduction. Virtuality is the simulation of reality made possible through digital media.

Reading: Lister p. 33 summary

New media has a 'do it yourself' quality to it. Obviously, this appeals greatly to any entrepreneur. I still remember when Windows 98 was first released I saw many self employed workers with vans using Windows clip art in order to advertise. The site Deviant art has also allowed for mass amateur publication of a different kind. Huge communities of artist with very different styles and interests can now share their work, comment on others and even print work on canvas via the Internet. However, I have personally found I hold my own artwork much less dearly now I have been exposed to the true un-professional artists on the Internet. Once the world is unites, your own talents and identities are brought into perspective and you start to view yourself on a ratio of "how good is my work in relation to the rest of the world?" rather than "am I top of the class in art/music/drama" etc.

Reading: Lister p. 33 continued summary

Although the gap between the professionally produced and the amateur has been narrowed with the introduction of new media, there is still a line that separates the two fields - namely, cost. In regards to amateur media revolutionising culture, I believe music to be one of those fields. Internet sites such as Youtube and Facebook have given new opportunities to the population to have their say on the music they want to hear. I can imagine Lily Allen would not have 'made it big' without the support of her online fan base, as her voice is not stereotypically manufacturable quality.

Reading: Lister p. 34 summary

Is there a difference between virtual reality and virtual thinking (virtual reality being the computer orientated experience of simulated reality and the other a practise of outer body experiences, thoughts and feelings. Is one needed for the other?

This extract got me thinking. Could it be theorised that as some people may have 'addictive personalities', it may also be said that one may have an 'immersive personality'? What I mean by this is that one with an immersive personality may have a tendency to daydream. It could also be theorised that no having an immersive personality may lead to difficulty in conversation over the telephone. As most of us will know, some people find it awkward talking on the telephone. This, it could be argued, may be down to the person not being able to place themselves in a zone between the two in conversation (namely, the space in virtual reality). I'd be very interested to hear comments on this section.

Reading: Lister p. 34 continued summary

There is only theory of technological advancements until a use is found financially worthy. Until this point, post new media is but speculatory.

Reading: Lister p. 35 summary

It is theorised that virtual reality need not be computer-based only, nor does it have to simulate a virtual world one can explore. Virtual reality can mean a place where your mind is 'at' (so to speak). An imaginary environment where one and the other are connected. Could it then be theorised that daydreaming is the practice of virtual reality? I'd be very interested to hear comments on this topic.

Reading: Lister p. 37 summary

In conclusion, the points are coming round to the original introduction. New media is not one thing, but is made up of many different entities.

Reading: Lister p. 38 summary

Coming back to the original point - at what stage does media become new media and when is it merely a hybrid of old media?

Reading: Lister p. 39 summary

New media must be historically evaluated in order to reveal its 'newness'.

Lister then sums up the original point that media is ambiguous. This point is stronger now as in the previous pages, new media has shown to be described in many ways. We now now we cannot define new media simply as the 'newer' form of media.

Reading: Lister p. 41 summary

Interactivity is defined as the ability to influence a system. The levels of interactivity have grown rapidly since the introduction of new media and continue to push technology to its limits.

Reading: Lister p. 42 summary

In order to communicate on a face to face level, the computer emulate human conversation. However, as it stands, there is only so far a computer can take this before it needs direct instructions. In regards to interactivity, although artificial intelligence may seem to have mutual interruptibility, it is merely another human controlled medium.

Reading: Lister p. 43 summary

Whilst interactivity can be theorised over and over, it has overall changed little. The context changes the meaning, but the act of interactivity stays the same.

Reading: Lister p. 44 summary

Interactivity was a theory idealised in the 1970's as a form of 'freedom'. However, overall it is yet another form of control - just as Goebbels shows radio is a controlling aspect of war.

Week One, Task One, Email and Email Lists

a) What are the characteristics (in terms of the kinds of communication they allow) of the following?:
b) How do you use them if you do; what for; what’s your experience of using them?

Firstly, I'd like to note I will be taking a slightly different approach to answering these questions, as I believe the research done on these particular tasks has 'fished out' the possibilities of finding any extra information! Instead of describing the media in question , I will be focusing on how these forms of communication work and what their significance is personally and communally.

Email and Email Lists

Email is an asynchronous form of communication which can be both personal and professional. It's integration into society has to be one of the smoothest I've seen in my lifetime. I remember watching children's shows and noticing their encouragement to use the new media - immediately referring to letter/postcard writing as 'snail mail'. Email became quick and easy to pick up. I have referred to this in my comments on 'Lister et al', where I spoke of empowerment in new technology. With spam filters and security becoming much better, email seems to be the new way to communicate for most of society. It has already been discussed the question of whether or not email can truly override the importance of letter writing. I personally believe that while we live in a society where friendships and romance are important, the letter will always be around. Receiving a letter allows a more personal touch. I regularly receive emails yet I regard receiving a letter as for more of an occasion. However saying this, I believe email to be the way forward professionally, with many job applications being online and even university lecturers sending reminders through email.
In conclusion, the most popular form of communication will most probably be the one that is fastest, safest and easiest to use. This (currently) is email.

Week One, Task Two - part a/b

a) How is Goebbels’ view of radio linked to a political ideology? Why does he identify certain kind of communications potential in the medium?

Without wanting to copy anyone else's work this is a tricky point to sum up. I agree with Emma's comments on the piece and find it hard pushed to sum it up in a personal manner. Radio was obviously a turning point for the society. It was a method of reaching across the country and had the capabilities of feeding the community the 'correct' propaganda. Obviously - when war is involved, this is to rally the population together.

I believe it's important to pay attention to Goebbels definite dislike for radio as an entertainment media. This ties in well with the required reading, where it is theorised that media is constantly evolving. Evolution of media doesn't have to be the invention of a new kind - it may also mean the re-introduction of an old media into a more 'current' trend.

I personally feel radio has seen its day. I am an avid music lover, yet I shy away from radio stations as I find most play the same music (usually on loop) and I enjoy more diverse genres. However, I have heard people my age strongly disagree. For anyone reading this post, I would be interested in hearing your comments on whether you think radio is a media built to last? Will/can it reform for the current culture? Post back when you can :)

Reading: Lister p. 9 summary

Well, finally got round to writing some of my notes up! I've chosen to start with my summary of the required reading, as this seems to be the area least covered so far. Hopefully, I'll have the rest of the tasks completed for Tuesday.

I've written my notes in accordance to the paragraphs from the book. Hopefully, I've done an OK job of splitting them up. Anyways, here's the first paragraph;

New media is a sweeping term to describe modern and evolving media. It is a term that has been adopted by many for different reasons.

Reading: Lister p. 10 summary

It is presumed that 'new media' is just the next step forward from old media. The question surrounding this idea is 'should new media be addressed as a separate entity?' It has been developed in a new world, for a new generation of people. It encompasses new technologies and ideas into the fray - yet it is simply a newer version of an old descriptive word.

Reading: Lister p. 10 continued summary

New media has to be different from old media, as it has formed in a different age. New media has not stood still either - it is constantly evolving and re-shaping. This makes it 'new' for whatever context - therefore 'new media' is not something to be taken for granted.

Reading: Lister p. 11 summary

The connotations behind the 'new media' give a subconscious sense of progress. It is argued that the Western ideals encompass the idea that evolution is good and technological evolution in media will advance our society. It may also be said that we have adopted this way of thinking from American culture - one which strives to improve with every step.

Reading: Lister p. 11 continued summary

For some people, the term 'new media' is too broad. This is why the term 'Digital media' has formed. However - this is still a general term and means different things to different people. 'New media' is abstract.

Reading: Lister p. 12 summary

Not a lot to say. New media is described in its current status, bearing in mind the term 'new media' itself is subjective and ambiguous.

Reading: Lister p. 13 summary

It is difficult to put a finger on what is the 'here and now' of new media - especially in regards ti technological advancements. This is because some common terms of technological media are at this point merely concepts of advancement - interpreted in many radical ways. For example, virtual reality has been theorised as the future of video gaming (this leading it out of the console age it currently resides). Virtual reality has also been discussed in regards to its contributions to medical advancement. Blindness may be medically treatable (hypothetically) by neural manipulation using virtual reality technology. It is obvious to see that some technological advancements are more realistic than others. However, they are merely speculations and not part of the current digital age.

Reading: Lister p. 14 summary

Not a lot to comment. Page 14 describes the difference between digital and analogue as an introduction to the topic.

Reading: Lister p. 15 summary

Digital media of the printing type is a technological advancement as it saves time, effort and money. The omission of the physical importance that analogue was bound to allows for complex manipulation of text and publishing.

Reading: Lister p. 15 continued summary

It can be theorised that digital media is nothing more than a continuing evolution of old media - this is a counter argument from the introduction.

Reading: Lister p. 16 summary

Not a lot to comment here. A brief history of the evolution of digital media and its meaning is described here. Binary code has allowed rapid advancements in a number of areas that has shaped (and been shaped by) history.

Reading: Lister p. 17 summary

In the same way that book publishing has developed, digital media allows for photographic content to be stored solely in computer memory. This in turn allows the manipulation of the content to be free and fast, in comparison to the laborious chemistry manipulation of the physical realm. Editing that may have taken weeks now takes but a few minutes. You no longer need an expert either - in fact, the younger generation understand alot of technology's capabilities better than our generation. We are growing into an age where most jobs are effortless. It is debateable whether or not this is a good thing, however.

Reading: Lister p. 17 continued summary

With the limits of physical science showing signs of digital improvement slowing, we may be reaching the end of digital evolvement. This may imply that 'new media' may be reaching a pinnacle - making way for a 'post new media'. We are yet to see what this will involve - though it is bound to be based on ground-breaking scientific, or technical research.

Reading: Lister p. 18-19 summary

The evoltuion into the digital letter has set about a new age of communication - allowing one to be in contact with anyone from all over the world in seconds. However, this evolution is not without problems of its own. email has brought about a harsher (sometimes even dangerous) communicative environment, which could be theorised as a digression of modern society and culture. This point made me wonder if within the next few years, western communicative culture might undergo negative changes. Polite conversation may become more scarce - giving way to short 'hello' 'how are you' 'G2G' conversations associated with online chat. I have experienced first hand the occasional 'LOL' be spoken in face to face contact by accident. This has begun to take one a new meaning - one that suggests 'I find this funny, but not enough to laugh vocally'. This is ironic, since the literal meaning for 'LOL' is 'Laugh Out Loud'.
I am unsure myself whether I take a preservist opinion on our current conversational language. To some extent, I love the language we speak and it would be a shape to become lazy with our use of it. However, language has shaped itself since the beginning on what was easiest and preferable. This, for better or worse, theorises a dramatic change within our society with new generations growing through the 'digital age'.

Reading: Lister p. 20 summary

Interactivity is a fundamental part of new media. It expands the way that society use media. There are now more options to allow media to be available in the home to the masses. e.g. DVD's is a number of languages, the ability to pause live tv etc. These small attributes contribute to an easier lifestyle involving new media.

Reading: Lister p. 20 continued summary

Interactivity is a service being 'offered' in bite size chunks in order for its new media to be manageable. Society can be put off or confused by new technology. Spoon feeding these services allows a restricted illusion of free roaming activity.

Reading: Lister p. 21 summary

Interactivity is the obvious step to describe how we use new media. We not longer simply watch or play media. It now responds to our actions as we respond equally with its. However, this is still an illusion of control. There is always a base behind the media's functioning that allows it to make such seemingly 'free' choices.

Reading: Lister p. 21 continued summary

Hypertextual navigation allows more personalised and relevant interaction. E.g. The Internet can be described as a giant multicultural library. Not only is it far faster to access and provides any required data in seconds; this data can be first hand, third hand, theorised, photographic etc. The range of choice allows a happier experience.

Reading: Lister p. 21 continued summary

Immersion is different to hypertextual navigation as it is less about seeking to extract something as seeking to experience something. If you wanted to know how the sands of Egypt felt you would look for an interactive experience, rather than consulting an encyclopedia. However, if you wanted to know how far the sands stretched for you may indeed look in an encyclopedia.

Reading: Lister p. 22 summary

Registrational interactivity is an evolutional step which allows information to be constantly reworked and updated. It can be argued that this makes it more relevant and trustworthy than one persons single opinion written in a book, which would have to be taken as gospel. It allows for constant anonymous improvement. However, because this is anonymous it has to be understood that the opinions and information put forward might not always be correct (e.g. wikipedia).

Reading: Lister p. 22 continued summary

All digital interactive communication media is a simulation of real communication. The less personal and synchronous the media is, the further distanced it is from reality.

Reading: Lister p. 22 continued summary

Face to face communication allows for an easily readable social situation. One may use facial expressions, body language and vocal tone in order to present what they may want to say. They may also choose to re-word their sentence/start again if they think it is not understood. They may also choose to alter the way they communicate from one person to the next, if they understand the individuals personality and differences. When this concept is taken away it is then up to the consumer alone to choose how they interpret the text. The less personal the text and the more freedom given to the masses in order to access it, the more chance of confrontation occurring. This is multiplied ten-fold when users can comment and discuss their interpretations anonymously.

Reading: Lister p. 23 summary

With the introduction of the world wide web, the entire world can be connected with one another. Although this is an amazing concept, it makes standardisation incredibly difficult. Dictionaries that have taken hundreds upon hundreds of years to compile into a reputable source are being torn apart by 'Internet speak', essays written at school are now under scrutiny for their 'text speak' content... Even during normal conversation some may use 'BRB' as a quick way of telling someone they'll 'be right back' or use 'LOL' as a lazy way of saying they find something funny. Our language is being re-written in the urban internet context.

Reading: Lister p. 23 continued summary

Again, the more freedom given, the harder to structure or control the media becomes. The user can have a far more selfish experience.

Reading: Lister p. 23 continued summary

The literary meaning of hypertext directly relates to the subject or meaning of the piece in discussion. However, in the computer development industry the term has come to mean a link to anything on the hyper media (which itself is connected directly to the piece in question).

Reading: Lister p. 24 summary

Hypertextuality allows much more freedom and speed of navigation of media. This again leads to a more personal 'interactive' experience.

Reading: Lister p. 25 summary

Bush's theory is becoming more relevant in an age where the world wide web can associatively link the user to their desired text. The words one uses in their search field can descriptively relate to the theme of the information they are trying to discover.

Reading: Lister p. 26 summary

Nelson's theory envisioned a media wherein 'information overload' would be structured, managed and freely accessible the the public from any perspective. The Internet realised this vision by creating the 'information highway'. No matter how one wishes to find their information, it is made possible with some simple descriptive searching. For example, if one wished to find an image of a duck, if they typed 'duck', 'bird', 'fowl' etc and searched images, the chances are they would find an image fitting their description. If one wished to learn how the feathers looked, felt or smelt they may search for 'duck feathers' 'coloured feathers' 'fluffy feathers' etc. This would produce a more specific search result - something far more laborious when searching library systems.

Reading: Lister p. 26 continued summary

The collective opinions and discussions involved in a hypertext is not a single windowed view but a collage of individuals experiences - collectively producing a simulation of public appeal and theory.

Reading: Lister p. 27 summary

Multiliniarity allow the users opinion to be more greatly influenced. In the past, one may have discussed their opinions by referencing to theorists in a way that structures their own opinion. However, with the multiliniarity of hypertext we now have freedom to choose what order we view texts and how much we choose to take from them. Although this may lead to a more balanced opinion, we also need to take into consideration its misleading qualities. The texts misinterpretation can influence ones opinion in a negative manner - rendering a reputable source less solid and therefore dismissed. For example, if there is one true text written extensively and clearly by a theorist, yet hundreds of forums posted by the general public on the same topic, there is a good chance one may be mislead by its content.

Reading: Lister p. 27 continued summary

Hypertext is just another way of forming media in a contemporary and experimental manner. This has been seen many times before and is not new to followers of media culture.

Reading: Lister p. 28 summary

Hypertext offers something literary theory cannot - an embodiment of relations and opinions on a subject matter to give a general overall view. This, in many ways, renders literary theory as obsolete - something literary writers are trying to battle.

Reading: Lister p. 28 continued summary

This contemporary navigational system has become more widely used - even within literary meaning. It can be theorised that an authors point may be lost because the structure of their writing has been disassembled in order to suit the reader.

Reading: Lister p. 29 summary

As a contrasting theory, hypertext may be seen as harder to come to a conclusion. With its clashing opinions and different structural and relational arguments, one has to theorise its content before coming to a conclusion of its overall meaning. The structural entity of the book allows for far clearer and more concise meaning (assuming that the literature is read in the right order of course).

Reading: Lister p. 29 continued summary

The freedom of hypertextuality unfortunately has an instability to its structure of information. An informative and reputable text may be lost to a wave of ignorance because of freedom to post anonymous 'spur of the moment' comments. Literature on the other hand, stays stable. The authors theories may be taken out of context or disapproved, but never re-written (unless of course it is by the author himself).

Reading: Lister p. 29-30 summary

The difference between the relevance of literary theory and hypertext is that of data and knowledge. Hypertext will always be a collection of data. Without knowledge this has no meaning. The positive side the data retrieval is that the reputable data will be (in most cases) the most frequently accessed.

That's all for now. Just wanted to make sure I'd got something written down before the end of tonight!

First Blog

Thought I'd just neutralise this in to a 'sensible' post!

Quick update - I havn't looked over the readings yet - will probably do so Thursday.

In regards to getting the required reading book off Dave, I'm guessing £2.50 each would probably be best?

Hope you guys are doing well!

Joanne

Here's a list of emails;

Becky - becky.sanders@hotmail.co.uk

Emma - e.parrish1@gmail.com

Joanne - mooglemooglemoogle@googlemail.com

Tori - tori306@hotmail.com

Sue - sgrau@lincoln.ac.uk