Farewell, but not Goodbye!

Dear fellow bloggers,

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my thoughts about all things communication on my blog. Thanks for sticking with me through my blogging struggles and successes, especially in the beginning stages as I was attempting to discover the emerging blogosphere and establish my own blogging style.

It has certainly been interesting for me to discover the social effects of citizen media, and the ways in which the blog serves as an effective outlet for personal thoughts and sentiments that have created me, the blogger as a knowledge producer. Being able to actually contribute to the knowledge base of the internet, even if only read by students of CS 400, is still a huge step forward for citizen media as opposed to simply the consumption of mainstream media. I have also found, that by blogging my thoughts I feel more connected to the process of learning and knowledge. Blogging has connected me not only to my own thoughts, those of my fellow classmates, but to the general production of knowledge with is an important lesson that can be applied in many aspects of life. I am now much more critical of the production of knowledge, who produces and by what means through this blogging exercise.

One of my favourite parts about blogging, both writing and reading, has been the hypertextuality aspect. I love being able to click on links that will instantaneously direct me to a website or video so that I can learn more about it. Or, if I already know about the particular topic or term that is being discussed, I can choose to read past and not click on the hyperlink. This allows me to personalize my reading and understanding of the text, something that is missing from traditional media such as newspapers and magazines. Hyperlinking allows for connective writing, so blogs may link to another blog or article to allow for a greater contextualization.

This blogging exercise of connected writing has helped to not only put forth my own ideas and opinions but has also helped to raise awareness as you link to other blogs but also recognize other knowledge being produced in the blogosphere and internet as a whole. So I'd like to thank you my dear readers for joining me on this journey of discovery!

Finally, I liked to share a short video about "Blog Action Day" 2009. This is an annual day that has been happening for a few years now that attempts to harness the power of citizen journalism and the blog to combat the onset of global climate change. This is an excellent example of the ways in which our society and public sphere can benefit from the blogosphere, and the cooperation that can take place.



Thank you again for reading!
Take Care!

Final Project

For my final project in CS 400, I have decided to create a blogging exposé on photographic truth. The blog specifically examines the overwhelming degree to which mainstream media manipulates photographs, for what reasons as well as the resulting effect that it has on the Habermasian idea of the public sphere.

As discussed in class, Jurgen Habermas theorized that the public sphere, "is an area in social life where people can get together and freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action." (Wikipedia.org) This paints a wonderful picture of a free-flow of information through society, a theoretical space in society in which the press aspires to gain influence. However, recent technologies have allowed for significant levels of photographic manipulation in mainstream media outlets, which greatly hinders the effectiveness of the public sphere.

My blogging exposé gathers and analyzes specific examples of photographs that have been tampered with by mainstream media for their own purposes. The tampering has significant influences on the portrayal of truth to the general public, which I will be commenting on throughout the blog.

So check it out here:
http://blogger-apicturesworthathousandwords.blogspot.com/

I hope by reading the blog, that you will be able to gain a further understanding to the degree to which the mainstream media manipulates the truth by tampering with photographs and that citizens can actively take action against this through critically engaging with citizen media.

Need Coffee? There's an App for That!

I must admit that I'm a Starbucks fan, despite their over-priced products, I just can't resist their mouth-watering creations. I decided to register for their email newsletters a few months ago to stay in the loop about any delicious new beverages they're offering. In a recent newsletter they sent to my inbox, they were promoting a new iPhone app called "My Starbucks". For those of you lovely readers that aren't familiar with the world of apps, "the App Store is a service for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad created by Apple Inc. which allows users to browse and download applications from the iTunes Store that were developed with the iPhone SDK and published through Apple. Depending on the application, they are available either for free, or at a cost. The applications can be downloaded directly to target device, or downloaded onto a computer via iTunes." (wikipedia.com) The App Store opened on July 10 2008, and over the past year and a half it has truly taken the digital world by storm with over 60 000 apps to choose from and over 3 billion downloads to date! On average, there is said to be approximately 300 new apps being released per day. Those are extraordinary numbers for only a year and a half of service, illustrating just how popular these apps are becoming!

My Starbucks describes itself as "the official iPhone application from Starbucks! Want to find a store that’s open, with a drive through? Now you can do that and more with myStarbucks. Explore our whole bean coffees, find nutrition information, and build your own perfect drinks. Want to share? You can send your drink to friends by email, SMS, or directly to their iPhone or iPod®" (iTunes.com) That's right, now from the convenience of your iPhone, you can find the nearest (open) Starbucks to your current location, learn more about the coffee, create your perfect drink and be able to share it with your friends and even your barista who will make it for you! This app really helps to personalize your Starbucks experience (not to mention that the company makes it more convenient for the customer so they won't stray and go get their coffee fix from a competitor). However this app is not available for Canadians yet.

There are thousands of other apps available for download, including everything from checking the weather, to playing games, to recipes to cook dinner, to CNN updates or job postings, as they say.. there really is "an app for that!" According to an article listing the top 35 apps of 2009, a few of the most popular apps include: "Slacker Radio" a free music app, "Tweet Deck" to constantly stay updated on Twitter, "Print and Share" to wirelessly transmit and print documents, "Flight Tracker" to get up-to-the-minute arrival and departure times of flights, "Kindle" an e-book reader, as well as the "Skype" app to make long distance calls using audio and visual over WiFi networks.

The entire app world is definitely revolutionizing the way in which people interact with the world around them. Now people can read a book, use a level, go grocery shopping, read the newspaper, check gas prices, calculate tips and learn new pilates moves all from the convenience of the iPhone and the App Store. But how does this effect traditional means of doing these everyday tasks and other forms of media? Is the iPhone adapting to our world, or is our world adapting to the iPhone and its apps? How have apps changed the name of the game and what is its effect on us? These questions, at least for now, only apply to iPhone/iPod Touch users, but perhaps in time that will change. Apple is either trying to make or world easier/more accessible... or to monopolize it.

Oscar Buzz

Well it's that time of year again, countless celebs in glamorous gowns and tuxes graced the red carpet on Sunday night in eager anticipation of the 82rd annual Academy Awards and all the excitement it brings. Thousands of people flock to the television set on this night every year to first see the red carpet arrivals, then anticipate who will win what award, and of course the typical Oscar upsets. However, this year was slightly different as people flocked to their TV AND COMPUTERS.

This year, broadcasting the Oscars to Canadians, CTV hosted an 'live chat' on their website during the Oscars. CTV.ca boasted that as of 6:30pm on Sunday night, Canadians could chat live "with Canada's pre-eminent celebrity gossip maven, Lainey, direct from carpet and press room; etalk’s resident fashionista Susie Wall; and MuchMusic’s Trevor Boris, comedian, producer, and juror on the MuchOriginal series, Video on Trial." I found this to be an interesting idea, so as my friends and I were watching the awards ceremony, we would periodically check in with the online forum to see what people were talking about. We got many laughs as people would say ridiculous things about dresses, hair styles or adding in their own commentary to the evening's events. We found the whole live Oscar chat to be quite entertaining, but ultimately came to the conclusion that there was no rhyme nor reason for the live chat. There were no brilliant ideas or reflections brought forth in the forum, it was simply a shared space where like-minded Oscar enthusiasts could gather to share their opinions on celebrities, movies, and whether or not people deserved the award they had won. It was an interesting chat to browse during the awards ceremony, but in reality it only mediated and interfered with my own Oscar experience with my friends. Instead of discussing it as a group as the night's events unfolded on the TV, we had added a third party to the mix...our laptops (and with it came hundreds of other online personalities). Perhaps other people felt differently, and appreciated the interaction with practical strangers online, but that was my conclusion of the experience.

However, an online chat was not the only means of online interaction offered during the Academy Awards. CTV also promoted, through online and televised ads, an interactive contest taking place in real time during the awards. The sponsor, Quaker Crispy Minis ran a contest called "Red Carpet Party Picks" consisting of several different polls that asked various questions about the Oscars, allowing participants to answer, and if correct they would gain points to hopefully win the grand prize of a trip to Los Angeles. I didn't have any grand plans of winning the prize to LA, but my friends and I tried out the game as a fun way to test our "Oscar IQ". The polls mostly asked for predictions of who would win each category. The poll would start as the presenter started talking, and the poll would close as the winner was about to be announced. Due to the quick nature of each poll, as a group we would get easily side-tracked by talking or debating the likelihood of each candidate and would not get our vote in on time resulting in not earning a lot of points. But the contest/game was highly entertaining, and was a better way to facilitate a 'party' (as the name "Red Carpet Party Picks" would suggest) or interactions between a group of people than that of the CTV live chat.

These two online Oscar initiatives that CTV promoted this year were quite interesting, particularly seeing the ways that users played with an online sense of community during an event such as the Oscars which is typically viewed in groups in front of the TV. I wonder if other people felt as if the live chat or real-time contest negotiated their experiences at all, or perhaps enhanced it? It will be interesting to see if this type of 'live' community during 'live' events will continue in the future, and to what degree.

For Sale

I had posted a week or so ago about my thoughts and fascination with the Missed Connections page on Craigslist. The way in which people interact with each other on this site, and the hopes that they have in finding complete strangers that they believed shared an intimate moment with them in passing, is simply remarkable. However, that's not the only surprising use of Craigslist being employed recently; and this newest discovery has me completely dumbfounded!

As I was browsing through Elle Magazine last week on the beach in Cuba, I was shocked to find a new type of "enterprise" starting up on Craigslist. What is this business you ask? Prepare yourselves for this one. Panty buying and selling. Used panties that is. Online interactive forums and businesses such as eBay and Craigslist actually provide an opportunity for the public to buy and sell used women's underwear. Sadly, I kid you not. These online participatory media are actually facilitating a type of underground market for used women's underwear.

In the article, the author sites such examples on Craigslist as, "I bought your panties at The Bovine, Saturday 2 a.m., and I want to buy more." and "You sold me your panties. Broken Social Scene. Let's meet up!" According to the article, women's underwear are commonly bought off the street in downtown Toronto as well as off online forums such as Craigslist and eBay.

When looking into the matter, I found several discussion forums on Yahoo Answers on how one would go about selling their used underwear on these types of sites. I also found a whole section of people looking to buy the undergarments on Craigslist, such as this one and several others that are too explicit to list.

Following my initial disgust and awe with this new business endeavor, the sheer multitude of uses for online forums, networking tools and business really began to sink in. For example, Craigslist itself can be used to buy and sell used furniture, cars, find babysitters, rent a house, find a job or... buy used women's under; and it has local sites all over the world! It never ceases to surprise me the things that people can come up with. I wonder: is this just a smart ploy for women to make some extra money? Or is it more exemplary of the reasons for which such forums as Craigslist exist? As the famous saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. With that in mind, will such trends as the used underwear sales continue? Or perhaps elevate to the degree in which new online forums will be required to facilitate the popularity? I really can't say, only time will tell.

So I open this up to all you bloggers out there. Have you heard of this new trend? Do you agree with the use of public online media such as Craigslist and eBay facilitating the sales of used women's underwear? What does this use of technology say about our society? What are your thoughts?

Missed (Mental?) Connections

A couple days ago I was reading an issue of Elle Canada when I came across an interesting article about Craigslist. The article is about the author's personal experiences and sentiments towards the 'Missed Connections" page on Craigslist.

The author explains her admiration and dedication to this page because she says, "it pleases me when someone references a location that I know". In her article she gives an example of a post that someone might write in the "Missed Connections" page on Craiglist, "Saturday night, tall black girl, mauve skirt, buying a hot dog, Bathurst and Queen." She explains that these types of postings entice and excite her because she has a friend with a studio in downtown Toronto close to the intersection of Bathurst and Queen and therefore she feels a connection to the posting on Craigslist. She writes that although she doesn't fit any of the above characteristics, she still feels a connection to the people in the listing, that she feels included. She writes, "Bathurst and Queen, I smile to myself. Yes, indeed, this is my town."

After reading this article on personal ads on Craigslist, I feel slightly concerned for the future of human interactions. More specifically, I question the type of human relations that such internet social media as Craigslist are promoting. This article certainly intrigued me to check out the "Missed Connections" page on Craigslist, through which I have found many alarming and interesting scenarios. There are many different postings, such as people who glanced at each other on the subway, or nearly incoherent desperate pleas to old lovers, people trying to give advice on relationships, to even scandalous encounters in a gym shower.

I have heard about these types of online personal services, but I had never browsed such a sight until today. Firstly I find it fascinating that quite a number of people post their 'encounters' on this site. Reading some of these posts, it's amazing the whim that people will take on trying to find a random person that they exchanged a glance with, or thought was cute when they passed each other while grocery shopping, etc. etc. There are so many bizarre yet everyday situations that people put such hope in and post online 'ads' almost to find a lover/significant other.

I find this type of participatory media to be rather entertaining to read, and rather interesting. I wonder how successful these services actually are? How many people actually find the person they are looking for and how often do those connections work out? Do participatory media such as "Missed Connections" on Craigslist provide useful services to humanity? Is this website simply an contemporary extension of a newspaper's personal section? Or is this an abuse of partipatory media that could be used for greater things?

Being I'm new to this type of media, I may be too critical of the "Missed Connections" section. The site does provide a forum for those searching out "missed connections" in everyday life in the city of Toronto, but it appears as an abuse on good intentions. Perhaps this medium provides a sense of community amongst people, but if so, what does that say about the state of humanity?

Voting in the Sphere - Pt. 2

So almost a week ago I blogged about the upcoming WLUSU elections, and the new endeavors that the elections team was putting forth in an attempt to increase the voting turnout this year. As outlined in the post below, one of the main initiatives was hosting and broadcasting a presidential debate while streaming it live online. The broadcast of the debate was supposed to help the student body get further involved in the election process by informing them of the presidential platforms in hopes of getting a greater voting turnout out at the polls on February 4th.

Well, as of approximately 2:30 am on February 5th the results are in. According to the article in The Cord, voter turnout was approximately 2600 students, which equates to about 20% of Laurier students. This number is down a couple hundred votes from last year's elections, which suggests that the new election initiatives put forth this year, such as using social media to stream to the inaugural presidential debate, were a failure because the overall voter turnout decreased. However, despite the results, I fail to believe that further informing students using social media such as broadcasting open forums and debates on election topics at The Cord's website, could ever be a hindrance or downfall to the democratic process of voting.

Yet taking the low voter turnout at this year's elections into account, I wonder what it takes to increase student's interest in university politics and the student union elections? Is the use of social media beneficial to this process? Does the use of Facebook, Twitter, blogs and live streaming forums need to be altered or let go altogether? I suppose only time will tell.