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Helen Pidoulas

Flash-Mobs Are The New Public Intellectuals - 0 views

www.southsearepublic.org/...e_The_New_Public_Intellectuals

Flash Mobs Are The New Public Intellectuals

shared by Helen Pidoulas on 19 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Helen Pidoulas on 19 Apr 11
     
    In Riley's (2005) conclusion, he sums up really well the evolution of tools like flash mobs in the collection and dissemination of information in a different ways are opening the door for more and more interaction and are driving the use of different technologies to spread messages to many people in a very short space of time. Through an expressive platform like Flash Mob performances, these groups of people getting together to tell their story in entertaining ways also reach out to the general community and provide a refreshingly different and more intelligently placed story telling method than is currently being utilised by the centralised media units that are used to disseminating data from a single source. These avenues for human expression break down the constraints imposed by plutocracy, industrialism and the expectations and moulding of the masses who are conditioned to believe that they are no better than mere servants of the rich minority who ultimately control everything, because money equals power and therefore privilege and status is more important and above the laws for everyday people. The use of the Flash Mobs is interesting because it takes an impromptu-like performance, engages the public in unplanned entertainment, and spreads a message that is delivered in a very entertaining way. The delivery of these performances is not only live, but is also filmed by spectators and organisers, and placed on websites like Youtube and spread to audiences worldwide. Examples of this include the St Patrick's Day performance at Central Station in Sydney Australia, which went viral worldwide within a day or two of being uploaded to Youtube. The use of online mediums like Youtube also means that statistical or quantitative data can be collected about the viewers or online audience, and used by the intellectuals in the planning of the next Flash Mob event. Riley, C. (2005). Flash-Mobs Are The New Public Intellectuals. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://www
Helen Pidoulas

Anonymous and the global correction - Opinion - Al Jazeera English - 4 views

english.aljazeera.net/...201121321487750509.html

net308_OUA_2011 anonymous collaboration tools resources ouaNet308-2011

shared by Helen Pidoulas on 09 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Josh van de Scheur on 09 Apr 11
     
    The online protest group 'Anonymous' use web based networking and collaboration tools as effective ways to support and achieve their collective goals. This article follows the technological and social conditions that have shaped the groups innovative use of the internet as a tool for political protest. Like the author states, "as the social, political and technological environment has developed, some have already begun to explore new options, seizing new chances for digital activism"(Anonymous, 2011). In many ways it is hard to see how decentralized networks of like-minded protesters can achieve political change. While Anonymous are aware of how "a loose network of people with shared values and varying skill sets (providing) substantial help to a population abroad is seen as quixotic"(Anonymous, 2011), recent campaigns in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya are generally recognized as highly effective and indicative of what is achievable when collaborating on real world projects via web-based networks (see, Keane, B. 2011). Like Wikipedia and other mass-collaboration projects, it is a global network that drives Anonymous' influence. For example, anonymous use tools such as 'Low Orbit Ion Cannon'; or 'LOIC' (see, Arthur, C. 2010), allowing people from around the world to collaborate together. LOIC enables the group to carry out "distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, involving thousands of computer users who request large amounts of data from a website simultaneously, overwhelming it" (Anonymous, 2011). Online systems of mass-collaboration are proving to be productive and influential vehicles for social or political change. To understand their success we need to acknowledge how the "technological infrastructure that allows these movements has been in place for well under a decade - but phenomena such as WikiLeaks and Anonymous have already appeared, expanded, and even become players within the geopolitical environment" (Anonymous, 2011).
  • ...4 more comments...
  • Keith Law on 10 Apr 11
     
    How one man tracked down Anonymous-and paid a heavy price While Anonymous may have seized "new chances for digital activism" it remains subject to investigations and attacks both on the group's concepts and any individuals that can be identified. Its aim to achieve political change through civil disobedience leaves individuals open to prosecution and persecution if identified. This article looks further at attempts to infiltrate Anonymous. It becomes a contest between those seeking to expose the real identities of the Anonymous activists and the activist's responses to these attacks. This article describes one such conflict. It is not clear from the article just what the result was and it is implied that publicity was the aim for an attempt to gain Government Internet Security contracts. The interesting point is that a loose gathering of diversely motivated activists is as vulnerable to cyber attacks as the targets they attack. In a private e-mail Barr is quoted to have said :"They think I have nothing but a hierarchy based on IRC [Internet Relay Chat] aliases!" he wrote. "As 1337 as these guys are supposed to be they don't get it. I have pwned them! :)" (Andersen, 2011) The article claims that from leaked e-mails it attained the full story of how Barr infiltrated Anonymous, used social media to compile his lists, and even resorted to attacks on the codebase of the Low Orbit Ion Cannon-and how others at his own company warned him about the pitfalls of his research. What is 'pwned'? "Pwned" means "to be controlled against your will", or "to be defeated by a superior power". The noun version is pwnage. The "pwn" expression originated in the 1980's from the word "owned". It was used to describe when a hacker would take remote control of a server or another computer. The use of "p" to replace "o" was simply a misspelling at first, but the spelling stuck as a stylistic point. (Gil, 2011) What is 1337? "H
  • Keith Law on 11 Apr 11
     
    What is 1337? "Hacker "Sp33k" for leet, or elite. Originating from 31337 "eleet" the UDP port used by Dead Cow Cult, a hacker group, to access Windows 95 using Back Orifice, a notorious hacking program." (Urban Dictionary, 2011) Works Cited Andersen, N. (2011, March). How one man tracked down Anonymous-and paid a heavy price. Retrieved April 12, 2011, from ars technica: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/how-one-security-firm-tracked-anonymousand-paid-a-heavy-price.ars Gil, P. (2011). What is 'pwned'? Retrieved April 10, 2011, from About.com: http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/p/f/pwned.htm Urban Dictionary. (2011). Retrieved April 10, 2011, from Urban Dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=1337
  • Keith Law on 11 Apr 11
     
    Low Orbit ION Cannon This hacking tool can be downloaded free of charge by anyone from Source Forge. (abatishchev, 2011) This is interesting as it will probably be illegal for anyone to use the tools to "impair the operation" of a computer which includes servers. According to reports on the Source Forge you should note that the program may include Trojans. There is a clear warning: USE ON YOUR OWN RISK. WITH NO ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES. In Great Britain for example anyone who uses Low Orbit ION Cannon would be likely to have committed an offence under Computer Misuse Act 1990. Specifically: "This subsection applies if the person intends by doing the act-(a)to impair the operation of any computer;(b)to prevent or hinder access to any program or data held in any computer;(c)to impair the operation of any such program or the reliability of any such data; or(d)to enable any of the things mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (c) above to be done." "A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable-(a)on summary conviction in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both;(b)on summary conviction in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both;(c)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or to a fine or to both." (Computer Misuse Act 1990, 1990) Works Cited abatishchev. (2011, January 23). Low Orbit Ion Cannon. Retrieved April 11, 2011, from SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/loic/ Computer Misuse Act 1990. (1990). Retrieved April 11, 2011, from legislation.gov.uk: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/18/section/3
  • Amy B on 17 Apr 11
     
    A loosely organised group of hackers is targeting oppressive regimes and says this is just the beginning (Anonymous, 2011). Anonymous presents a mechanism for socio-political change, using the available technological infrastructure that also facilitates such movements as WikiLeaks. This opinion piece, hosted by Al Jazeera, describes an evangelical movement in protest against what they perceive to be oppressive establishments, as governments or institutions. They consider themselves a movement for digital activism, and in this article focus almost exclusively on the plight of the Tunisian people, with mentions of attacks on the Church of Scientology and WikiLeaks, and the Australian government following the introduction of internet censorship laws (Anonymous, 2011). The article reads like a resume of Anonymous' achievements, and the motivations behind their actions, such as the WikiLeaks release of material exposing atrocities perpetrated by the Tunisian government provoking participants in the Anonymous network to attack via distributed denial of service (DDoS) non-essential government websites and replace them with messages of support for the Tunisian people (Anonymous, 2011). Such activities require the concerted efforts of collaborating individuals across a potentially widely dispersed online network. When compared with GetUp!, a community-minded tool for promoting activism for campaigns relevant to Australians, or Avaaz, a global community-minded campaign tool, the Anonymous movement, though also created with the best intentions, still reads in this article as taking matters more directly into their own hands, with limited accountability. The article uses such language as 'information warfare', 'revolution', and 'attacking', and endorses the breaking of laws to achieve what members of the movement believe in; '[t]here is a reason, after all, that those of us who have seen the movement up close have dedicated our lives to what it stands for, and have even vio
  • Helen Pidoulas on 23 Apr 11
     
    One of the problems with digital activism is that the internet is a tool that can be accessed by many people, cross-border and across many different countries. What might be acceptable practice and perfectly legal in a country like Australia, might be liable to prosecution in countries like China where the government censors not only the internet, but people in general. Freedom in countries like Australia is taken for granted. Other countries might not enjoy this freedom, and when people try to access content that is politically sensitive or illegal in their country, questions are raised about who is providing the illegal content, and the person accessing the material can be liable to prosecution. Internet laws are also changing rapidly, and it is very difficult for people to keep up with the constantly changing landscape of laws that are evolving and reshaping. While there is a need for activism, an awareness or a better understanding of the potential for breaking the law needs to be clearly understood when posting politically or socially active sensitive material online. There is a real danger that activities that are legal for people surfing the web in Australia are not legal in other countries, and the implications this can mean for people not only posting material, but those reading and interacting content, especially if they have to by-pass traditional methods of accessing the internet to get through to what they want to read, hear or see. Louis-Jacques, L. (2003). Legal Research on International Law Issues. Retrieved from http://www2.lib.uchicago.edu/~llou/forintlaw.html
  • anonymous on 02 May 11
     
    Digital or online 'Hacktivism' has a perception of existing as a natural extension of more traditional forms of protest. Being that the Internet has moved on from being a relatively static information source and into a dynamic realm where regulation and social policy is conducted by governments, protesting has struggled to find its place. An example of collaboration gone astray can be seen in the story of 22 year old Matthew George. In October 2009, in reaction to the Australian Federal Government's attempts to legislate an Internet filter Matthew volunteered to let his PC take part in a denial of service attack on government websites. In collaborating with other PC's Matthew thought "We hoped to achieve a bit of media attention to why internet censorship was wrong..." (SMH 2011) Charged and bought before court, the hacking was not seen as protest by authorities but more akin to cyber-terrorism. Whilst the 'real world' allows avenues for protest, as in registered street marches...the Internet has no such outlet, with the exception of self-publication on forums and social media. This has led to a situation where online collaborative protest seems to lead frequently to vandalism in the form of denial of service attacks. Meet the hacktivist who tried to take down the government (2011) Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/meet-the-hacktivist-who-tried-to-take-down-the-government-20110314-1btkt.html#ixzz1L9cdAeuE
sheila mclean

McIntyre, J (March 10, 2011) Only some revolutions will be televised - 2 views

blogs.independent.co.uk/...-revolutions-will-be-televised

ouaNet308-2011 collaboration twitter protest yemen egypt libya

shared by sheila mclean on 09 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • sheila mclean on 09 Apr 11
     
    The author of this article, Jody McIntyre, is a journalist and political activist. The article was published in Jody's regular blog for The Independent. This article is not a scholarly article, rather an opinion piece. The source (The Independent) is reliable. McIntyre has also written for The Guardian, the New Statesman, Electronic Intifada and Disability Now. By focusing on recent events south of Yemen, and in particular the 'million person march' in early March 2011, the article highlights how broadcast media is focusing on events in Libya, while ignoring political unrest in other areas. McIntyre relates how Al Jazeera, the Qatari-based news channel, tends to "choose" one uprising at a time to focus on and "leading the gaze of the public" (McIntyre, 2011). McIntyre asks whether "a revolution on the Egyptian model" would have succeeded without the media attention it received. New media sources, and the Internet in particular, have allowed the public "to follow these uprisings in a way that would never have been possible in the past." (McIntyre, 2011) Traditional broadcast media organisations, such as the BBC, "can no longer monopolise our opinions". By viewing Twitter feeds we are "seeing events as they happen, not as they are reported". (McIntyre, 2011) McIntyre highlights an important point - although the public are not "seeing" these events in the traditional sense (via television broadcast), they are "seeing" them unfold through collaborative social media. The public are not just "seeing" events unfold, they are also disseminating the news. McIntyre, J (March 10, 2011) Only some revolutions will be televised The Independent - Independent Blogs. Retrieved April 9, 2011 from http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/03/10/only-some-revolutions-will-be-televised/
  • Jocelyn Peucker on 14 Apr 11
     
    A very interesting comment and article Sheila and I agree that the author "...Jody McIntyre, is a journalist and political activist ... This article is not a scholarly article, rather an opinion piece" (McLean, 2011). Jody McIntyre has written a variety of articles on many different topics within the political activist discourse. However, has anything really changed? In 2005, I had hired out the movie Hotel Rwanda that was a new DVD release, without realising that it was "The true-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda" (Hotel Rwanda, 2004). After watching the horrifying scenes, I then searched the Internet for further information. Whilst questioning myself "How did I miss this war in 1994?" A few years later, I was able to determine that it only briefly touched the traditional news broadcast reporting in a world wide scale. I mean who cared that "An estimated 1 million people were killed within a three month period in 1994" (GlobalSecurity, 2011)? I cared, and very strongly. Today, traditional news media is still missing many details of what is happening around the world. Events that do get reported seem, at times, to be glorified to entertain the consumers. Where traditional media fail to inform the public, the certainly is a broader world of informative available from many different sources and for many different reasons. This is where sites such as Avaaz and many others help spread the news about global issues where people-power now has the action over the traditional way of doing too little, too late, due to being uninformed. No one person controls the content published on the Internet. However, there are groups that control what is televised, when it is televised and where. References: GlobalSecurity. (2011). Rwanda Civil War. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/w
  • anonymous on 16 Apr 11
     
    Jody McIntyre highlights the fact about the important role the Internet and Twitter have been playing in the mass information exchange during recent political protesting in Yemen and countries across Northern Africa. An information share and exchange through individual use of the Twitter and the Internet has been providing access to people's information instead to mass information filtered through major media like BBC, Al Jazeera and other. As Jody McIntyre states, the Twitter feeds are representing the events as they happen, not as they are reported. I fully agree with Jody McIntyre, there seems to be a domino effect surrounding the political movements in the Northern Africa. What started in Tunisia has been carried over to its neighborhood. The main difference is the protests are of different ratio and longevity reflecting a deep cultural and political constitution experienced by each particular country. 'Whilst the media continue to focus exclusively on events in Libya, the huge march in the south of Yemen was ignored', writes Jody McIntyre. It is known, the media works in an organized way, placing their correspondents in areas where information or reports are of 'hot topic'. When analyzing the Twitter media where the Twitter usage is based on its availability amongst people and not on strategic positioning of media outlets, it is obvious the Twitter is being a portable and convenient communication tool accessible by those who can afford it, and its affordance was possible in the Northern Africa where third world description is still in existence.
anonymous

Twitter as Medium and Message - 0 views

portal.acm.org/citation.cfm

ouaNet308-2011 collaboration NET308 Twitter

shared by anonymous on 11 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • anonymous on 11 Apr 11
     
    Savage, N. (2011). Twitter as Medium and Message. Communication of the ACM, 54(3), 18-20. Researchers say the Twitter data may help answer sociological questions that are otherwise difficult to approach. Their research documents the Twitter in means of social media that gives people opportunities for tracking what people are saying about everything. The Twitter opens access to tweets with range of incredible number of topics and subjects that people tweet about. For example a scientist at the Louisiana University used the Twitter for a simple search using a few influenza related keywords. This simple search enabled him to predict future influenza outbreaks. The Twitter's data assisted in another professional field called Air Twitter project at the Washington University in St Louis. The Twitter was engaged for additional provision of information or tweets about events like dust storms, fires, air quality and similar. A similar approach was explored by US Geological Survey (USGS). The Twitter was used for messages in means of a supplement to USGS network of seismographic monitors that alert the federal agencies about occurring earthquakes. Another good example is from psychology field where the Twitter was used for the sentiment analysis of tweets. Researchers used 'Affective Norms for English' tool used in psychology that rates the emotional value of words. The analysed tweets revealed data about particular group happiness levels. The real examples above reveal how data from the Twitter can assist in gaining valuable information either for the medicine, natural disasters or just about happiness levels. The Twitter has been recognised as extremely useful tool for gathering data that would be otherwise difficult to search. Twitter's fast and cost free access to information is very useful for the sociological purpose. Of course, there is always potential for spread of unfiltered information that can invite a possibility of abuse, incorrectness and other negati
  • Michael Nycyk on 15 Apr 11
     
    Paula, an excellent and timely article which shows how Twitter has become a collaborative tool for research and data collection purposes. A leading researcher in this area is academic Dr Steve Wheeler at the University of Plymouth in the UK. He quotes a teacher on Steve's blog who states that he uses Twitter 'is because his community - those he wishes to connect with - are best contacted using it' (Wheeler, 2011a). Indeed Steve argues that connections of both research information and data can be found simply by following academics in your field on Twitter. Although such communications can often be one-way but as your article states, the potential for both medium and message, i.e. this can be interpreted as data and research, as leads to what you want can be invaluable if protocols are followed (Wheeler, 2011b; Savage, 2011). For example, people do collaborate simple nights out with friends on Twitter, so therefore why is collaborating on a large project by using contacts on a professional an ideal? Sometimes it depends on Twitter's image as a social media nattering device (Wheeler, 2011b). I agree that Twitter has had an image problem to overcome. But your article does prove it is being used for research advancement. The dust storm data for example shows what is possible to collect and how getting data transcends time and physical borders. However, it is vital that etiquette be followed, perhaps even making Twitter networks private, and the information is check for credibility. These are the challenges Twitter users face; yet to have this collaboration tool is vital for broadening access to research data and findings. References Savage, N. Twitter as Medium and Message. Communication of the ACM, 54(3), 18-20. Wheeler, S. (2011a). Twitter: It's still about the connections. Learning with 'e's, Retrieved April 14, 2011, from http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2011/04/twitter-its-still-about-connections.html Wheeler, S. (2011b). Twitter: Le triple
  • Kellie Ramm on 30 Apr 11
     
    As BOINC is being used to further research projects through public-resource computing, so too is Twitter, another form of online collaboration, now being used for research. "Researchers are finding they can measure public sentiment, follow political activity, even spot earthquakes and flu outbreaks, just by running the chatter through algorithms that search for particular words and pinpoint message origins" (Savage, 2011). Due to the real time nature of "tweets", researchers can get early warning signs of events like earthquakes by searching twitter for key words like "OMG earthquake" and other related words. Programs can also be written to exclude unrelated words, for instance when looking for flu outbreaks, comments like "Beiber Fever" can be instantly excluded. Although at this stage this form of research can not be 100% accurate it can give a picture of what is happening. Twitter can also give researchers a more subjective point of view. It can look at how the people are affected by an earthquake, instead of just giving statistics on building damage and repair costs. As with anything there can be some problems related to using twitter this way. The first is "sample bias". Information gained in this way relies on the users having a computer, internet access and a twitter account. Although in the western world percentages of this would be high, in poorer nations this usage would drop significantly. However this problem can be addressed. Researchers wanting "to glean insights from tweets can apply corrections to the sample, just as traditional pollsters do" (Savage, 2011). The other problem is that of spam, or users hoping to improve the chance of their tweet gaining high rating by re-tweeting on the same topic. For example in an American election a conservative group sent out "929 tweets in just over two hours" (Savage, 2011) with a link that attacked a representative. This can then affect the data bias. There are so ma
Michael Nycyk

Google Docs are a Free Online Educational Tool - 0 views

www.suite101.com/...nline-educational-tool-a105900

collaboration ouaNet308-2011 308 508 Curtin Net education Google Docs

shared by Michael Nycyk on 15 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Michael Nycyk on 15 Apr 11
     
    This is a comprehensive blog entry introduction to the potential of Google Docs as a collaborative tool for students. These potential uses are also valuable in work places or other group work. The value of this resource is the well-written way Wetzel articulates the advantages of Google Docs for collaborative practice. His argument is that such a system, aside from being free, is valuable to go beyond the e-mail sharing culture to a full real-time collaborative environment. Wetzel then proceeds to give examples of the potential for the application of Google Docs in education contexts and classrooms. To summarise, he argues three main points in using Google Docs for collaboration:  The ability for Google Docs to provide instant feedback to students on their work  To conserve expenses on school projects such as printing costs  Encouraging the working together of students on a projects in a systematic and orderly manner The tone of the article is clearly very much in favour of using Google Docs for collaborative practice in educational settings. However, though this may not be an issue in educational contexts, there are disadvantages using Google Docs that are not reported. Two bloggers highlight those weaknesses which may be of concern when trying to use more features in Google Docs that are not there but are part of the Microsoft Office Suite:  The speed of internet connection is vital; if it is slow the collaborator may not be able to keep up with others' postings (Bukisa, 2011)  Most of the time you cannot work offline with Google Docs, you must be online to create and update documents (Creative Marketing Solutions, n.d.) However, the article does put a compelling list of features that make Google Docs a good system to use for educational collaboration.
  • Michael Nycyk on 15 Apr 11
     
    References Bukisa. (2011). Google Docs review. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from http://www.bukisa.com/articles/480255_google-docs-review Creative Marketing Solutions. (n.d.). How to use Google Docs. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from http://knolt.com/creative-marketing-solutions/2010/10/20/heading-2/ Wetzel, D. R. (2009). Google Docs are a free online educational tool: Web-based productivity software for teacher or student collaboration. Suite101.com. Retrieved April 2, 2011, from http://www.suite101.com/content/google-docs-are-a-free-online-educational-tool-a105900
Chris Johnson

Ockham's Razor - 6/05/01: The Internet and Education - 0 views

www.abc.net.au/...s289416.htm

Education Communications Computer net308

shared by Chris Johnson on 05 Apr 11 - Cached
  • Chris Johnson on 05 Apr 11
     
    (2001) This is a critical view about the internet and education. Peter Macinnis Speaks with Robyn Williams (ABC Science National Radio) about the evolution of Technology and how technology takes 20 plus years to become an accepted technology. Macinnis shows the analogy of the printing press, steam trains, telephone,radio and TV development and then compares the internet.  He claims you need to take the rear view mirror approach to see what the trends are.   One interesting point that Macinnis makes is that the examination process of education is still ran by the old school where the generation today have a whole new literacy in Internet communications. He also criticise how the Internet is organised and there is some work needed to add metadata to the already exciting data on the web.  I find this a good argument as search engines rank results based on several factors other than truth and reliability.     Williams, R. (Writer). (2001). The Internet and Education [Radio ], ABC Science. Australia: ABC Radio National.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 12 Apr 11
     
    [Please note: This comment is in three parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] This is a very interesting article Chris, as it was broadcast in 2001 when the majority of people were getting their own home computers and only 35% of Australian dwellings reportedly had access to the Internet (ABS, 2007). The radio transcript of Williams and Macinnis (2001) is therefore unique in the way it is questioning the use of new "Internet technology" and how, in the light of historical perspectives, new technology usually has a long adaptation rate (Williams & Macinnis, 2001). The "rear-view mirror" approach was also an eye-opener for me, as I had never thought of the adaptation of new technology in that way before. However on reflection, Macinnis' thoughts are very true. In fact his historical look at technology and how the train was originally known as the "iron horse" is reminiscent of the ideas in one of the set articles on technological determinism where each "age" was labeled after the most prominent tool of that era, resulting in the "bronze age," "iron age" and so on. Macinnis' views on the value of the Internet for educational purposes are quite astounding considering we are still going through our very own evolution with Internet delivery of our University subjects. His predictions are almost becoming a reality ten years later. [Continued in comment below]
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 12 Apr 11
     
    [Continuation of comment above] However the Australian Department of Education, at least in NSW, still has a long way to go. Despite a wealth of peer-reviewed documentation on the benefits of social media, teachers will only be allowed to access social media for teaching purposes from the start of Term 2, 2011. I even found a slideshare issued by the NSW Department of Education in 2009 to assist teachers to grasp the concept of "Social Learning 2.0" (NSWDET, 2009). The meta-data method that you mentioned is quite a good idea. I found a slideshare presentation on it that helped explain the area for my understanding (Downes, 2007). In terms of how your topic of educational enhancement by social media relates to my topic of Flash Mobs, if social media is taught uniformly across all Australian schools, then students will benefit from gaining greater insight to accessing information through the portal of their computers. For my chosen topic of Flash Mobs however, there is not much of a correlation with educational enhancement via social media use although a background in and access to social media are both necessary and important contributing factors to the successful implementation and organization of Flash Mobs. Thanks for sharing your article Chris. [Please navigate to next comment for References used]
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 12 Apr 11
     
    REFERENCES ABS. (2007). 8146.0.55.001 - Patterns of Internet access in Australia, 2006, Australian Bureau of Statistics. First Issued November 29, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/8146.0.55.001Main+Features12006?OpenDocument Downes, S. (2007). The Future of Online Learning and Personal learning Environments. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://www.slideshare.net/Downes/the-future-of-online-learning-and-personal-learning-environments NSWDET (2009). Social Learning 2.0 Concepts and Visuals. Uploaded by the NSW Department of Education and Training March 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/etalbert/sociallearning20-concepts-and-visuals-mar09# Williams, R., and Peter Macinnis (2001). The Internet and Education. Ockham's Razor, Radio National. Broadcast Sunday May 6, 2001. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s289416.htm
  • Michael Nycyk on 15 Apr 11
     
    It is good to go back and examine Peter Macinnis's point of view. Reminds me of the exercise of examining Clifford Stoll's (1995) view on what the internet was to become, which of course was mostly wrong. Macinnis seemed to have predicted the unorganised nature of the information on the internet (ABC Radio, 2001) which to an extent does exist now. This is one reason I believe is important to address in terms of internet collaboration especially in education. Collaborating is about organising information into a presentation form for all students collaborating within a system. But that must be with a gatekeeper, namely the teacher or lecturer or tutor who can intervene when needed. Michael Green (ABC Radio, 1999) in an earlier view on that show quoted Fred Bennett who urged computers to teach students without an intermediary, namely a tutor or teacher. Whilst tertiary education is underpinned by self-reliance, I wonder if such views back then apply now. In collaboration, does the lecturer decide to be strictly a hands off non-interventionist given that their students are mature and can think for themselves? Or does the lecturer, given the high demands of departmental, research and publishing commitments, become part of the student group collaboration? In my resources, Google Docs seems to raise more issues about information use which suggest students place a high value on organised information which makes sense to them. I feel that Macinnis should revise today if inaccurate information is the real problem. We had virtual communities were information could be corrected, but with Web 2.0, Wikipedia being the most obvious example, we can correct what is wrong. I do agree with Tessa that social media overall seems to be quite behind in the way it is being diffused across educational sectors. Collaboration tools such as Facebook etc will be used by students anyway so it seems odd that the resistance still exists. This interview is a good resource to reflect on how f
Hans Dusink

Dadaist lunacy or the future of protest? Flash Mobs - an introduction to the world of f... - 1 views

www.sirc.org/...flash_mob.shtml

flashmobs ouaNet308-2011 collaboration protests

shared by Hans Dusink on 05 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Hans Dusink on 05 Apr 11
     
    The Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) is an independent, non-profit organisation that conducts research on social and lifestyle issues. It aims to provide balanced perspectives on social issues and to promote rational debate based on evidence rather than ideology (Social Issues Research Centre, 2011) . In this paper Elanor Taylor, a social researcher, tries to understand the nature of flash mobs and whether they are just for fun or whether they are potentially a new form of protest movement. Sean Savage, credited with naming flash mobs (2006) is quoted as saying that "If anyone tells you they know what the point is, they either don't know what they are talking about, or they're lying" (as cited in Taylor, 2003) . Taylor provides a set of instructions for a London flash which reveal a "combination of military efficiency, complete anonymity, rapid communication and organisation by internet"(Taylor, 2003). The motivation to attend is this left up to the individual. Taylor indicates that there are some, such as the website why-war.com (Why War?, 2003) and cyclist activist group Critical Mass (Carlssson, 2011a) that would like to see flash mobs put to a political purpose rather than be apolitical.
  • Hans Dusink on 06 Apr 11
     
    Chris Carlsson, founder of Critical Mass wrote: Critical Mass is a movement with no leaders or formal organization behind it. No one in charge - which is another way of saying "everyone is in charge!" There are as many ideas about what Critical Mass is as there are participants (2011b) Taylor questions whether this can actually happen: "what use is a political protest with no-figure head?" (2003). In light of recent events in Iran and Egypt I think Taylor has been a little premature in discounting flash mobs as a form of political protest. Carlssson, C.(2011a). Critical Mass. Retrieved from http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/ Carlssson, C. (2011b, January 26). Critical Mass & Radical Politics: A Forum [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/page/2/ Savage, S. (2006, March 29). Flash Mob Flashback . Cheesebikini? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.cheesebikini.com/2006/03/29/flash-mob-flashback/ Social Issues Research Centre.(2011). About SIRC. Retrieved from http://www.sirc.org/about/about.html Taylor, E. (2003). Dadaist lunacy or the future of protest? : An introduction to the world of flash-mobbing. Social Issues Research Centre. Retrieved from http://www.sirc.org/articles/flash_mob.shtml Why War? (2003, August 1). An Introduction to Swarming and the Future of Protesting [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.why-war.com/features/2003/07/swarming.html
  • Keith Law on 07 Apr 11
     
    Are FlashMobs Collaborative Behavior? The question arises as to whether or not FlashMobs are truly collaborative behavior. While there is definitely a conversation taking place and a resultant activity, this resultant activity does not have a specific achievement or productive task to complete. A talk from Howard Reingold (Rheingold, 2005) describes the history of human collaboration and has some ideas about the potential benefits of worldwide social collaborative behavior. This talk also includes a discussion of social dilemmas: the prisoner's dilemma and the tragedy of the commons. These are important factors in understanding why people collaborate or co-operate. Collaboration is the basis for bringing together the knowledge, experience and skills of multiple persons to contribute to the development of a new product, idea or activity. Collaboration is a more effective problem solving solution than individuals performing narrow tasks in support of a defined plan or programme. Essential requirements for effective collaboration include early involvement and the availability of resources to effectively collaborate. This uses a culture that supports teamwork, cooperation and collaboration as well as co-location or virtual co- location and some form of collaboration technology. Flashmobs seem to lack the problem solving aspects of true collaborative behaviour. It is more a themed social gathering than a co-operative task solving exercise. Works Cited Rheingold, H. (2005, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from Ted: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html
alio S

Networked Protests in the UK: How Old and New Tactics are Being Used to Fight Rising Tu... - 2 views

www.movements.org/...-new-tactics-are-being-used-to

net308 protests collaboration ouaNet308-2011 tools online activism resources

shared by alio S on 15 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • concerns about the future of education are being voiced both online and offline, using a mix of traditional protest tactics and digital activism to get their message heard. 
  • students have turned to social media outlets to share concerns and coordinate actions
  • DIY radicalism has its own news channels, on Facebook pages and Twitter accounts and blogs,
  • alio S on 15 Apr 11
     
    [Part 1] This article brings together a number of links to UK student protest sites. Reading this and related articles it becomes clear that the students protesting about the UK government's fee cut policy are willing to use any tools at their disposal. Their primary aim has been to collaborate with, and inform supporters of offline physical protests; predominantly marches and occupations. The article itself is posted on the movements.org website, a non profit organisation whose stated mission is to identify, connect and support grassroots digital activists from around the world. The support offered by movement.org goes beyond the mere publication of articles and offers advice to individuals and groups on how to choose and best use digital tools. It is interesting to see the number of freely available digital tools that student protesters have used to disseminate information: Facebook, Twitter, websites, blogs, Google maps, YoutTube, open calendars and Flickr are all part of the student protesters' arsenal. Fast adoption of new technologies seems to be one of the strengths of the UK students' movement. Recently, for instance, student protesters in London used the new "Sukey" application, a conglomeration of tools like google maps, twitter and SMS, to avoid clashes with police (Kingley 2011). Google Maps too have been a useful tool and have been utilised to show the locations of upcoming protests, the map posted at http://www.feesprotest.com/ gives a good indication of the nationwide spread of student dissatisfaction, while at the same time hyperlinking to fairly detailed information for each locality and directing viewers to facebook protest pages for up to date information and interaction.
  • alio S on 15 Apr 11
     
    [Part 2] References: 30th November Here We Come. (2010). Retrieved from: http://www.feesprotest.com/ Cullum, B. (2010). NETWORKED PROTESTS IN THE UK: hOW OLD AND NEW TACTICS ARE BEING USED TO FIGHT RISING TUITION FEES. Retrieved from: http://www.movements.org/blog/entry/networked-protests-in-the-uk-how-old-and-new-tactics-are-being-used-to/ Kingsley, P. (2011). Inside the anti-kettling HQ. Retrieved from:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/02/inside-anti-kettling-hq?INTCMP=SRCH
Jocelyn Peucker

Avaaz - The World in Action - 3 views

www.avaaz.org/index.php

online activism new media publishing Avaaz tools collaboration organisation smart mobs petitions funding people power politics net308

shared by Jocelyn Peucker on 11 Apr 11 - Cached
  • Jocelyn Peucker on 11 Apr 11
     
    "Avaaz is a global web movement to bring people-powered politics to decision-making everywhere" (Avaaz.org, 2011). Avaaz means voice, in "... several European, Middle Eastern and Asian languages" (Avaaz.org, 2011a). This is not a website where you need to prove your credentials or log in to be a member. However, it is one of the most powerful and influential organisations in the world. The Avaaz community "... empowers millions of people from all walks of life to take action on pressing global, regional and national issues, from corruption and poverty to conflict and climate change" (Avaaz.org, 2011a). Their online platform "... allows thousands of individual efforts, however small, to be rapidly combined into a powerful collective force" (Avaaz.org, 2011a). The Avaaz community supports campaigns in 14 languages, has a core team on 4 continents, includes thousands of volunteers. Overall, the community helps organise the signing of petitions, funding media campaigns and direct actions, contact through emailing, calling and lobbying governments, and organizing "offline" protests and events. They do this to "... ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform the decisions that affect us all" (Avaaz, 2011a). Two very good examples of the strength of the community include: * Stand With Anna Hazare (Avaaz.org, 2011b) shows of a petition where over 624,876 people have signed since the campaign launched on the 7th April, 2011. Before the goal of one million signatures was reached, a victory has been announced. * Blackout-proof the protests (Avaaz.org, 2011c) is a current petition to "...secure satellite modems and phones, tiny video cameras, and portable radio transmitters, plus expert support teams on the ground -- to enable
  • ...3 more comments...
  • Jocelyn Peucker on 11 Apr 11
     
    activists to broadcast live video feeds even during internet and phone blackouts" (Avaaz.org, 2011c). This is a campaign to raise monies through 30,000 donors. Many more of their success stories can be viewed on the highlights page of the Avaaz website, success stories from the Avaaz movement worldwide (Avaaz.org, 2011d). References: Avaaz.org. (2011a).The World in Action Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en/about.php Avaaz.org. (2011b). Stand With Anna Hazare [Petition]. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_anna_hazare/ Avaaz.org. (2011c). Blackout-proof the protests [Fund-raising]. Retrieved from https://secure.avaaz.org/en/blackout_proof_the_protests/?vc Avaaz.org. (2011d). Success stories from the Avaaz movement worldwide. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en/highlights.php
  • Hans Dusink on 14 Apr 11
     
    The opening statement to this web site reads " Avaaz is a global movement to bring people-powered politics to decision-making everywhere" (Avaaz.org, 2011) Immediately the reader is in no doubt that this is an organisation that is able to bring together large numbers of people to influence governments worldwide. Like other commentators I had not been aware of this organisation and spent some time researching. Unlike flash mobs and Anonymous, it appears that Avaaz has a formal structure and employs staff. As their website points out the staff write email alerts to the community and work with experts to develop campaign strategies (Avaaz.org, 2011). But it is the Avaaz community that decide where and how to campaign. This is very reminiscent of the Australian Democrats, where all policies are decided by a poll of members (Australian Democrats, 2011). Flash mobs occur in local communities, but the global nature of Avaaz means that this can be magnified to call attention to new issues on a worldwide or country-by-country basis if needed. The key to Avaaz, flash mobs and Anonymous is the use of Internet communication Technology. As the Avaaz website points out in "previous times each group would need to build up a constituency to reach a scale that could make a difference….Today thanks to new technology and ….. global interdependence this constraint no longer applies" (Avaaz.org, 2011). Australian Democrats.(2011). Structure of the Australian Democrats. Retrieved from http://www.democrats.org.au/about/structure.htm Avaaz.org.(2011). The World in Action. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en/about.php
  • Josh van de Scheur on 16 Apr 11
     
    Avaaz's systems of collaboration allow decentralized networks to form around community and global projects, " ...(taking) action on pressing global, regional and national issues, from corruption and poverty to conflict and climate change" (Avaaz 2011). The Avaaz community, like Anonymous, are examples of how decentralized networks of like-minded individuals are capable of achieving common goals. The influences and successes that these groups are currently having regarding the sharing of global resources and fighting for basic human rights and freedoms of information show how powerful these network structures can be. The strength and flexibility of collective intelligence networks such as Avaaz and Anonymous is found in the diversity of their participants. For example, Avaaz uses methods that "allows thousands of individual efforts, however small, to be rapidly combined into a powerful collective force" (Avaaz 2011). Similarly, Anonymous is "a loose network of people with shared values and varying skill sets" (Anonymous, 2011). Like all collective intelligence networks, every member of these groups is acknowledged as having valuable skills that can benefit the community - so a method of harnessing this is input has been developed. However Avaaz and Anonymous use different techniques regarding how they attempt to achieve their goals. Avaaz use socially and politically transparent methods of traditional protest such as "signing petitions, funding media campaigns and direct actions, emailing, calling and lobbying governments, and organizing "offline" protests and events". In contrast, Anonymous are notorious for their use of "distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks" using software such as 'Low Orbit Ion Cannon'; or 'LOIC' (see, Arthur, C. 2010). These different ways of collaborating online show that while "the social, political and technological environment has developed, some have already begun to explore new options, seizing new chances
  • Amy B on 17 Apr 11
     
    Avaaz addresses global issues to generate global interest in improved conditions - globally. The world in action (Avaaz.org). Available in fourteen different language, it encourages borderless interest in issues relevant locally and internationally, promoting campaigns to 'close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want' (About Avaaz, n.d.). Avaaz is to the world what GetUp! is doing for Australia, including its policy on transparency, evidenced in the availability of financial reports, member statistics, and its member-funded, crowd-sourced model. Rather than a distributed, region-dependent staff and budget, Avaaz has a 'single, global team with a mandate to work on any issue of public concern' (Avaaz.org, n.d.). It is Avaaz members who decide where to direct resources The website projects a sense of global community, as much in being available in so many languages as in movements presented on every page heralding from many different countries representing the plights of many and varied communities. Avaaz is a global example of social awareness instigating social movements, easily promoted through the connectivity of the internet and the tools for social networking, to create a better world. Websites and movements for campaigns such as Avaaz and GetUp! Australia are helping to raise awareness and reclaim power for the people. Avaaz.org.(2011). The World in Action. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org. GetUp. (n.d.) GetUp! Retrieved from http://www.getup.org.au.
  • Kellie Ramm on 30 Apr 11
     
    As yet another online resource for the "lounge chair activist" Avaaz.org seems to cover it all. Whether you're interested in saving the whales, climate change, gay rights or donating to flood victims, there is a cause available for you. Avaaz, started in 2007 with the mission to "organise citizens of all nations to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want" (Avaaz.org, 2011). So far they seem to be achieving this goal. With over 8 million members worldwide, who have so far taken over 38 "actions" this is a website that seems to be doing what it's promised. To ensure that there is no underlying bias, no political voice hiding behind the curtains, Avaaz ensures there is "democratic accountability" by being 100% member-funded. It is mainly staffed by volunteers, who email actions to members in way that registers interest in the project and nothing more. These actions are also normally put forward by Avaaz members themselves, rather than outside parties. Avaaz, like BOINC, relies on word-of-mouth to spread the word. Also using social network sites to keep up the interest between members. Their hope is that once someone joins through a campaign for one specific issue, that they will then continue to support other actions. To prove their success, after "China's violent crackdown on the March '08' protests and riots in Tibet"(Avaaz, 2011) Avaaz was able to build the most successful global position to date. They were able to achieve 1.5 million signatures in just three weeks calling for dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama. Whether you just sign a petition or donate money, having so many available voices ensures that Avaaz will make it count. As stated by Zainab Bangura, the foreign minister of Sierra Leone "Avaaz is an ally, and a rallying place, for disadvantaged people everywhere to help create real change"(Avaaz, 2011). Avaaz.org. (2011). Avaaz.org: The World in Action. R
Helen Pidoulas

On the Social Psychology of Flash Mobbing - 0 views

7125-6666.blogspot.com/...flash-mobbing.html

On the Social Psychology of Flash Mobbing

shared by Helen Pidoulas on 23 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Helen Pidoulas on 23 Apr 11
     
    James Neill provides his personal insights on Flash Mobs, based on an interview with a journalist and research conducted through social media like Twitter. His discoveries point to flash mobbing as an activity that comes across as spontaneous, which is performed in public places, but that behind the scenes, take a lot of co-ordination and planning to prepare for the event. Flash mob peformances can be defined as being spontaneous, simple, peaceful, social and the message is spread virally through the use of technology like Youtube and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. The different types of flash mobs include smart mobs, reality tv set ups, rent a crowds and the like are mentioned in this article, but there is room to debate if these groups are actually flash mobs or not. One of the key elements of flash mobs is the way individualism has been stripped, and the group persona is adopted, even for a short tiime, but each individual member. In this way, they shift away from their individuality to embrace and portray the message being delivered by this organised crowd of entertainers. It is almost the adoption of a mob mentality, without the violence. Messages spread by groups are immediately more attention grabbing that by individuals, and so this could be the reason for the success and longevity of flash mob activities. These groups demand attention, and while they are entertaining and fun to listen to because they break the routine and inject something unique into everyday lives, by speaking with movement and song. Neill, J. (2007). On the Social Psychology of Flash Mobbing. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://7125-6666.blogspot.com/2007/10/flash-mobbing.html
Anthony Robinson

Googling for a diagnosis-use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study - 0 views

www.bmj.com/...1143.full

Google Diagnosis Net308 Online Collaboration

shared by Anthony Robinson on 08 May 11 - No Cached
  • Anthony Robinson on 08 May 11
     
    The internet and the online collaboration that it facilitates is quickly becoming an important clinical tool for doctors. This case study focuses on how doctors use Google to diagnose difficult cases. It was chosen as a resource because it provides another example of how online collaboration is benefiting the medical industry. While there is anecdotal evidence that patients use Google for self diagnosis, I was surprised to find that doctors are using Google as well. In this article, Tang & Ng (2006) examine "How good is Google in helping doctors to reach the correct diagnosis?" . This study shows that the "efficiency of the search and the usefulness of the retrieved information also depends on the searchers' knowledge base" (Tang, 2006). For instance, a doctor would know the correct medical terminology for a patient's symptoms and also have an understanding the medical terms that are returned by Google. For this reason "Google searches by a "human expert" (a doctor) have a better yield" while "patients doing a Google search may find the search less efficient and be less likely to reach the correct diagnosis." This study is a valuable resource because its results are statistically based and follow a well-defined method. This study clearly states the results that 15 out of 26 cases were correctly diagnosed using Google. The real importance of this case study is to demonstrate how online collaboration has allowed useful information on even the rarest medical syndromes to be found and digested within a matter of minutes (Tang & Ng, 2006) and that "web based search engines such as Google are becoming the latest tools in clinical medicine" (Tang & Ng, 2006). References: Tang, H., & Ng, J. (2006). Googling for a diagnosis-use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7579/1143.full
Tessa Gutierrez

Nye, J. (2010). Global Power Shifts - 0 views

www.ted.com/...ye_on_global_power_shifts.html

OUANET308 NYE Global Power Shifts soft power collaboration organizations networks Flash Mobs

shared by Tessa Gutierrez on 06 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 06 Apr 11
     
    [Please note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] The global climate is experiencing both a "power transition," and a "power diffusion." This TED Talk is useful to studies of flash mobs because it shows that individuals and organizations no longer need vast amounts of money to network and collaborate globally with others. Additionally, Nye highlights the fact that traditional patterns of leadership will not work effectively today and that in order for an organization to progress and be proactive, a mix of traditional strength and power infused with "soft power" is required. The rise of the Internet and mobile computer-generated communication has assisted the average person to gain the same potential power that was once the exclusive domain of large corporations and wealthy individuals. "Computing and communication costs have fallen a thousandfold between 1970 and the beginning of this century." This power diffusion is within reach for all of us but people are still not thinking of these tools in very innovative ways. People are still focusing on the rise and fall of great powers, which really only tell us about psychology and not reality. Traditional projections such as the Goldman-Sachs index are linear and one-dimensional. However the progress of the world has never been linear, and has always been comprised of many diverse facets or factors. So these simplified projections are not telling the truth about the way the economy is progressing. The area of narrative is what needs to be adjusted, using what Nye calls "soft power" or the ability to organize networks and elicit co-operation, which are important factors when organizing the delivery of Flash Mobs. [Please navigate to the comment uploaded on April 11, 2011]
  • Keith Law on 07 Apr 11
     
    The Impact of TED on Collaboration and Innovation. http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html A great source of serious and diverse material on a wide range of topics is the website TED - Ideas worth Spreading. The first step in collaboration is to create a wide ranging appreciation of the subject matter. Before people can commit to task they need to have an information source that establishes the underlying ideas. In this talk TED's Chris Anderson says the rise of web video is driving a worldwide phenomenon he calls Crowd Accelerated Innovation -- a self-fueling cycle of learning that could be as significant as the invention of print. One of the points that reverberate with most people is Chris' statement that: "Face-to-face communication has been fine-tuned by millions of years of evolution. That's what's made it into this mysterious, powerful thing it is. Someone speaks, there's resonance in all these receiving brains, the whole group acts together." Chris concludes that thousands of people are figuring out new ways to collaborate with increasing knowledge and he describes what the next stage of TED's evolution has to be. He says that TED Talks can't be a one-way process, one-to-many. The future is many-to-many. They are looking at ways to make it easier for the global TED community, to respond to speakers, to contribute ideas, and maybe even their own TED Talks. It is this spreading of Ideas that underlay the age of Internet collaboration. This is the source of power diffusion that Nye talks about. "I'm an idealist. I really think people can change the world" Ted Curator Chris Anderson http://www.ted.com/speakers/chris_anderson_ted.html Works Cited Anderson, C. (2010, Septemebr). How web video powers global innovation. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 11 Apr 11
     
    [Part 2 of comment from April 6, 2011] Topic of Study: Flash Mobs. As we prepare for the future, the ability to co-operate, collaborate, and organize networks is going to be of prime importance. This does not mean that "hard power" or military strength and keeping a balance is not important, but that the concept of power needs to be incorporated with new and innovative ways of power diffusion. Therefore the ability to use all available tools and coordinate input from globally networked areas will be vital for businesses and organizations to keep abreast of trends and capture market attention. For example, spontaneous acts of people-powered crowd activity such as those of Flash Mobs (that rely on social media use and Internet enabled technology) if used for advertising purposes, will enable subtle and more overt messages to be broadcast in unusual ways and possibly capturing more market attention for the product or service than more traditional methods. REFERENCES Nye, J. (2010). Global Power Shifts. TED Talks. Filmed July 2010. Posted October 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2011 from: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/joseph_nye_on_global_power_shifts.html
Kellie Ramm

How Many Computers Does It Take to Make Contact with E.T.s? - 1 views

online.wsj.com/...ilADHfEf8hoK4BhA_20070628.html

SETI@home BOINC David P. Anderson public resource computing distributed computing

shared by Kellie Ramm on 23 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Kellie Ramm on 26 Apr 11
     
    This resource, an article from the Wall Street Journal, is a more current take on the SETI @home project. It can be more easily understood by the average reader and gives a summary of both the history of the SETI @home project, and information on where it stands today. It also discusses further details of "distributed computing". According to this resource, late in the 1990s University of California, Berkeley scientist David P. Anderson thought that the millions of "often-idle computers"(Gomes, 2006) could be better utilised in distributed computing. The idea behind distributed computing is to take a scientific problem, and then share out the computations required to millions of computers. To test this theory, Dr. Anderson chose the SETI project, and set up SETI@home. Although the search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence was basically an "attention-getting gimic" (Gomes, 2006), it worked better then expected with almost a million users signing up and downloading the required client. Although there are now many other distributed computing projects available, almost akin to choosing which charity to donate to, many users are still loyal to the original SETI @home project. With their accumulated point system, earned by the number of computing hours donated to the project, users are unwilling to move to another project and lose the points they have earned. The current popularity of this project is shown by the 10,000+ members of the SETI @home facebook page (Facebook, 2011), which also demonstrates how many forms of online collaboration often cross paths. This resource describes the SETI @home project in easy to understand language making it a good introduction to the theory of distributed computing (or public-resource sharing) however some of the information seems to contradict that written on the SETI @home about page.
  • Kellie Ramm on 26 Apr 11
  • anonymous on 28 Apr 11
     
    SETI@home has also inspired other collaborative shared computing projects. Most notably the Folding@home project conducted by Stanford University (Sony folding@Home 2008). The aim is to analyze proteins in hope of solving various diseases including Cancer. An interesting aspect of the project is its imbedding as a networked technology in the millions of PlayStations 3's around the world. As a user-setting, PlayStations left idle can shift processing resources to working through the protein work packets sent out by Stanford. Like the SETI Project, various teams compete for most work units analyzed. As an addition, Stanford are in the process of publishing peer reviewed results that stem from the completed work (Stanford 2009). Both this and the SETI Project hold technology as the central core of collaboration, but there is a human social factor playing an important role. Highlighted by the the team-play that gathers around the competition to see who is putting the most resources into completing work units. Sony folding@home (2008). The Folding@home™ Distributed Computing Project at Stanford University. Retrieved from http://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/ Stanford (2009) Recent Research Papers from Folding@home. Retrieved from http://folding.stanford.edu/English/Papers
Hans Dusink

Reframing Public Space Through Digital Mobilization: Flash Mobs and the Futility(?) of ... - 1 views

isites.harvard.edu/...nar_Reframing-Public-Space.pdf

web308 flashmobs ouaNet308-2011 collaboration

shared by Hans Dusink on 11 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Hans Dusink on 12 Apr 11
     
    Virág Molnár is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the New School for Social Research in New York. Her interest is in the impact of mobile communications on urban culture. This article first puts flash mobs into an historical perspective by suggesting that its roots lie with the Italian Futurists of 1910 and further cultivated during the 20th century by avant-garde art groups such as Dadaists . More recently there have been the Youth International Party (Yippies) in the US. (Molnár, 2009) As Molnár points out the things that all these groups have in common with modern flash mobs is that there is no formal membership or hierarchy and they are able to utilise the media effectively. The difference lies in the use of new media such as blog, social networks and mobile phones (2009). Rheingold points out that these tools lower the threshold of participation as it no longer required participants to actually know each other (2003, p. xii). Molnár then identifies and describes 5 types of flash mob based either on their form of sociality or their function. They are: 'atomised' flash mobs, interactive flash mobs, performance flash mobs, political flash mobs and advertising flash mobs (2009). Flash mobs, although organised online are only able to be carried out by people in close proximity to one another or as Molnár describes it "able to make the leap from cyberspace to urban space" (2009). These events are generally recorded and posted to sites like YouTube in order to both popularise the event and to get feedback. "Online reporting has indeed largely been responsible for the rapid global diffusion of flash mobs," and "has been crucial in institutionalizing and legitimizing this new form of sociability"(Molnár, 2009).
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 12 Apr 11
     
    [Please note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Thanks for posting this article Hans. I found it extremely useful for my own understanding of Flash Mobs, which is also my chosen topic. Molnar gives both a comprehensive history from the very first Flash Mob organized in a New York department store by the senior editor of Harper's magazine Bill Wasik in June 2003, right up to the fact that the term "Flash Mob" was listed in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2004 due to the global popularity of this type of temporary event (Molnar, 2009). Detailing the rise of this popular fleeting entertainment, Molnar (2009) compares Flash mobs to other forms of expression that have occurred from the early 20th century, the surrealism of the inter-war period and even the 1960s and contemporary culture jammers, stating that these types of activities existed long before the Internet, mobile communication and social media forms such as Twitter and Facebook. In this respect, Molnar's ideas are similar to those of Kravets (2011) and his thoughts that despite the Internet being blocked by the Egyptian government, the people were still able to come together to organize political protests about the Mubarak regime through word-of-mouth and leaflet delivery. However the success of Flash Mobs would not be as significant without the Internet. The organizational and collaborative efforts required to coordinate large groups of people who generally do not know each other, would be a hard task to achieve without the assistance of Internet-related social media and mobile phones. Additionally, the popularity of Flash Mobs would not be as significant if not for the availability of global sites such as YouTube, which are able to replay videos for as long as their user allows them to be visible and shared. [Continued in next comment]
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 12 Apr 11
     
    [Continued from previous comment] In conclusion, as Molnar so aptly puts it, "the rapid global diffusion of flash mobs...has been crucial" for the rise, popularity and longevity of Flash Mobs as a new use of urban space, entertainment and publicity. If social media and the Internet were to suddenly cease, the occurrence of Flash Mobs would diminish drastically. Thank you so much for sharing this article Hans. It has been extremely useful for the topic of Flash Mobs. REFERENCES Kravets, D. (2011a). What's Fueling Mideast Protests? It's More Than Twitter. Published by Wired January 27, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/social-media-oppression/ Molnar (2009). Reframing Public Space: Flash Mobs and the Futility of Contemporary Urban Youth Culture. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://ebookbrowse.com/f/flash-mobs-pdf-virag
  • Hans Dusink on 12 Apr 11
     
    Continuation of original comment. As a blog post on Turtle Sociology wrote "The globalization of flash mobs underscores two vital notes: the viral-like nature of technology, and the universal desire to break free from social norms… all flash mobs seem to elicit joy in their bold, unprompted natures"(2010). References: Molnár, V. (2009). Reframing Public Space Through Digital Mobilization: Flash Mobs and the Futility(?) of Contemporary Urban Youth Culture. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic497840.files/Molnar_Reframing-Public-Space.pdf Rheingold, H. (2003). Smart Mobs : The next socal revolution. New York: Basic Books. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lX9QKNbO0nkC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=smart+mobs+the+next+social+revolution&ots=wvkWcKOAIx&sig=00EWrYtEyAwqRmnYNth77Sclr8o#v=onepage&q=smart%20mobs&f=false Turtle Sociology. (2010, October 6). The Universal Phenomenon of Flash Mobs [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://turtlesoc.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/the-universal-phenomenon-of-flash-mobs/
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 14 Apr 11
     
    Thanks for continuing your comment Hans. That last quote really sums it up well. I quite like how you have highlighted the fact that flash mobs underscore the 'viral-like nature of technology' in addition to the joy flash mobs elicit as a result of their impromptu nature. All that is needed is a quick search through YouTube for 'flash mobs' to see the views of popular flash mob videos reach the millions, as well as to read how well they have been received globally. Thanks again, Tessa
Jocelyn Peucker

Avaaz on Facebook - 4 views

www.facebook.com/Avaaz

online activism new media publishing Avaaz tools collaboration organisation smart mobs petitions funding people power politics youtube twitter facebook Jenkins net308

shared by Jocelyn Peucker on 11 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Jocelyn Peucker on 11 Apr 11
     
    Anyone can become a member of Avaaz. However, their website offers no portal of communication between members and/or non-members. Fortunately, this issue is solved by its integration of social media networks such as Facebook (Avaaz.org, 2011b), Twitter (Avaaz, 2011) and YouTube (AvaazOrg, 2011). Using Facebook as an example, Avaaz posts information about current campaigns. By doing this, Avaaz is opening further communication about its campaigns; it allows the organisation to continually grow stronger; and it is an opportunity for them to reach more people. On this Facebook group: * Avaaz posts new information, and contributes to conversations * Anybody following the Avaaz group can make comments about the campaign; concurrently they can also promote particular campaigns of interest to their own social networks. Avaaz also makes use of Twitter as another complementary platform for communication. Akin to Avaaz's use of Facebook, Twitter is used to keep their followers informed of updates, new campaigns and more. An example of this can be seen in Tweets made by Avaaz: Hi @SAALTweets, have you seen the @Avaaz petition for Jan #Lokpal? http://bit.ly/eZcDis Follow @Avaaz back so we can send more info (9 Apr) In 1 day over 250,000 have signed to stand with #annahazare against Indian #corruption. Join them at http://j.mp/gfg7KJ - pls RT (8 Apr) Avaazers in India: Stand with #annahazare to tackle #corruption. Sign the @Avaaz petition for the Jan #Lokpal Bill! http://j.mp/fCnD8Z (8 Apr) By doing this, Twitter users are able to receive updates about campaigns and other information; participate in conversations; and, promote the information that interests them to their networks (Jenkins et al., 2009). By doing this, the consumers of the networks are helping
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  • Jocelyn Peucker on 11 Apr 11
     
    the Avaaz organisation become more globally recognised, thus further empowering the abilities of itself and the people. References: Avaaz. (2011). Avaaz.org on Twitter. Retrieved from http://twitter.com/avaaz Avaaz.org. (2011a).The World in Action Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en/about.php Avaaz.org. (2011b). Avaaz on Facebook. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/Avaaz?sk=wall AvaazOrg. (2011). Avaaz.org - The World In Action. YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/AvaazOrg Jenkins, H., Li, X., Krauskopf, A. & Green, J. (2009). If It Doesn't Spread, It's Dead (Part Three): The Gift Economy and Commodity Culture. Retrieved from http://henryjenkins.org/2009/02/if_it_doesnt_spread_its_dead_p_2.html
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 12 Apr 11
     
    [This article is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Thanks for your article Jocelyn. I had actually never heard about AVAAZ until I followed your link to AVAAZ Facebook and read your comment. I also Googled "AVAAZ" and got this link: http://avaaz.org/en/ followed some of the stories, got to know about the organization...and signed up! It is amazing what the power of social media can achieve isn't it? What impressed me the most was that AVAAZ has found just about every global campaign worth petitioning for from cleaner suburban/city air to wikileaks, ending pokies addiction, awareness about corruption in Indian politics, saving the Grand Canyon from Uranium Mining and more. As one member on the AVAAZ Home page said: "There are people all over the world who feel the same way I do, and while individually we may not all have the time and resources to fight every fight that needs our attention, collectively, we have power." -Charlotte Sachs, Canada Avaaz member So the main idea of AVAAZ appears to be collaborating with other like-minded people to help make our Global world a safer, more enduring and happier place by making a stand and publicizing significant issues of Global concern. Your article has highlighted their attempt at Global collaboration via social networking sites but the question for me is, if I had not read your article, navigated to their Facebook site and Googled "AVAAZ" for further information, I would never have known. AVAAZ needs to spread their good works with decent news/radio/other publicity in addition to social networking, so their Global issues attain the attention and are hopefully addressed in a beneficial way. [Please navigate to the next comment]
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 12 Apr 11
     
    [Continued from previous comment] In terms of my chosen topic of Flash Mobs, AVAAZ has stronger ideals and uses social media to highlight their issues of global concern. Flash Mobs tend to have their base within a community and despite sometimes being organized to highlight a social injustice, are mainly used as advertising to publicize an upcoming event or personality. YouTube videos shared through social media networks appear to be the main form of spreading a Flash Mob once the activity or event has occurred. AVAAZ on the other hand, has an ongoing commitment to highlight issues before, after, during and after an event. Thanks again for your insightful article and comment Jocelyn
  • sheila mclean on 13 Apr 11
     
    Prior to reading these comments, I had never heard of AVAAZ. Out of interest, and because I have been researching civil unrest in Europe and the Middle East, I did a Google search on "AVAAZ and Egypt" and was surprised to see 418,000 results. There were multiple links to different groups who were promoting the "Stand with the people of Egypt petition" in conjunction with AVAAZ, groups such as the Care 2 News Network, and Manalife. We seem to constantly hear about the power of Twitter and Facebook, but in turn there are all of these other organisations collaborating, promoting and sharing content on the internet not just using Twitter and Facebook, but their own websites and forums. REFERENCES: Avaaz - Stand with the People of Egypt Care2.com http://www.care2.com/news/member/754940801/2709806 Hylands, J (January 30, 2011) Avaaz - Stand with the people of Egypt. Manalife http://manalife.org/articles/stand-with-the-people-of-egypt/
Tessa Gutierrez

Anderson, C. (2010). How Web Video Powers Global Innovation - 1 views

www.ted.com/..._powers_global_innovation.html

OUANET308 TED Chris Anderson Web Video Global Crowd-accelerated innovation Flash Mobs

shared by Tessa Gutierrez on 08 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 08 Apr 11
     
    [Please Note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Topic: Flash Mobs Anderson conveys the self-fueling model of global innovation he calls "crowd-accelerated innovation," which is assisting individuals to improve in many areas as a result of watching videos online. The phenomenon of "Flash Mobs" has made use of global video facilities on popular sites such as "YouTube" to spread their message. One example of a self-fueling model of global innovation given by Anderson is of a group of extreme dancers who performed at the 2010 academy awards despite not having any formal dance training. Their dance moves were inspired by and copied from watching videos online. These isolated individuals have been able to connect and collaborate to share their new innovations due to the assistance of free online sites such as YouTube. Videos pack a huge amount of data into a few minutes. However our minds are more suited to understanding information from a few minutes of video as opposed to the traditional method of learning based on books and scientific peer-reviewed papers. Anderson believes that online video will one day surpass the ideas printed in books. He believes that there are a multitude of non-verbal subconscious cues that enhance the delivery of information through video publication that cannot be conveyed as adequately through a book or written transcription. These ideas are one of the reasons that TED talks have gained popularity in global education. The power of globally available videos has enhanced the popularity and effectiveness of flash mobs, which assists the organizers to spread their message more effectively. People are more likely to remember an idea or product if it has been delivered in an unusual way such as through a flash mob.
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 11 Apr 11
     
    [Continuation of comment above] These ideas are one of the reasons that TED talks have gained popularity in global education. The power of globally available videos has enhanced the popularity and effectiveness of flash mobs, which assists the organizers to spread their message more effectively. People are more likely to remember an idea or product if it has been delivered in an unusual way such as through a flash mob. REFERENCES Anderson, C. (2010). How Web Video Powers Global Innovation. TED Talks. Filmed July 2010. Posted September 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2011, from: http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html
Hans Dusink

T-Mobile and the Flash mob marketing phenonomen - 3 views

ethicalnag.org/...flash-mob

ouaNet308-2011 flashmobs marketing collaboration commercial

shared by Hans Dusink on 02 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Hans Dusink on 02 Apr 11
     
    The origin of flash mobs is credited to Bill Wasik who emailed friends in June 2003 to gather in the home furnishing department of Macy's in Manhattan. More than a 100 people began discussing whether to purchase a 'love rug' for their fictitious commune and then dispersed as quickly as it had formed (Hewitt, 2003). Flash mobs are defined in the Oxford dictionary as "a public gathering of complete strangers, organized via the Internet or mobile phone, who perform a pointless act and then disperse again" (Oxford University Press, 2011). Advertising agencies now utilise flash mobs to promote commercial products. This article discusses the Saatchi and Saatchi award winning T-Mobile advertisement "Life is for sharing" (posted to Youtube by jonjonbaker, 2009). Rather than focusing on how mobile phones and social media are used to organise a flash mob, the discussion here is about how this same media is used to create "viral traction - the ability to be widely forwarded to millions of viewers almost instantly" (Thomas, 2010). The advertisement itself shows bystanders utilising their mobile devices to share photos with their friends as well as ringing them to talk about the experience. As the title of the advertisement says "life is for sharing". Nick Burcher wrote in his blog Personal thoughts on the evolution of media and advertising that "advertisers are creating events to push user generated content coverage, a physical community made virtual. The event drives the Conversation, rather than the other way round as Wasik intended" (Burcher, 2009). Flash mobbing has become more than Wasik first imagined. On this case it has been utilised to raise brand awareness, but the same techniques can also be used to promote political opinions.
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  • Hans Dusink on 07 Apr 11
     
    Burcher, N. (2009, November 18). Flash mob evolution - even Microsoft stores are trying them now [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.nickburcher.com/2009/11/flash-mob-evolution-even-microsoft.html Hewitt, G.(2003). Flash Mobs - A New Social Phenomenon. Retrieved from http://www.rense.com/general39/flashnmob.htm jonjonbaker. (2009, January 16). T-Mobile Advert "Life For Sharing". Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=flash+mob&aq=0 Oxford University Press. (Ed.) (2011) Oxford Dictionary. Thomas, C. (2010, November 4). T-Mobile and the flash mob marketing phenomenonThe Ethical Nag: Marketing for the Easily Swayed [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://ethicalnag.org/2010/11/04/flash-mob/
  • Alan Beazley on 11 Apr 11
     
    Thanks you for sharing Hans, having reviewed the link and your response there appears to be many similarities between flash mobs and social-media facilitated, political protests. Much like the advertisers and marketers who drive flash mob, brand campaigns through new media, political demonstration organisers can also utilise the same tools to coordinate group activities activities and create spreadability of their cause - or as Thomas labels it 'traction' (Thomas, 2010). Examples in Thomas' article mention the flash mob video footage was uploaded to the popular video sharing site YouTube where it could be watched by potentially millions of web viewers. However, what the article fails to expand on is the stacking and interlinking of other social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter and Facebook. For instance, were other SNS used as a replacement of e-mail to recruit the flash mob participants? After the flash mob act was published on YouTube, what was the strategy to draw further attention to the video clip? Is the flash mob footage just one node in the brand campaigns overall web presence? The traction behind the 2011 Egypt revolution grew at exponential rates based on the stacking of social networking services and effective utilisation of network effects (Gustin, 2011). Demonstrators published events on Facebook, allowing organisers to gauge attendance. Invitations could also be issued and rapidly passed amongst social circles. The combination of footage being uploaded to YouTube and the millions of related conversations being published to Twitter clearly highlights the participatory culture of the web and its global reaching powers (Gustin, 2011). Gustin, S. (February 11, 2011). Social Media Sparked, Accelerated Egypt's Revolutionary Firez: EPICENTER. Retrieved April 7, from http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/02/egypts-revolutionary-fire/ Thomas, C. (2010, November 4). T-Mobile and the flash mob marketing phenomenonThe Ethical
  • Taraeta Nicholls on 18 Apr 11
     
    Hans this is a very interesting article and ties in with the article I found by McGreer (2010) who discussed the business response to FlashMobs. Whilst two different approaches were used the one constant was the use of professional film crew to use the footage for uploading. The question McGreer raises is when it no longer has the artistic element, which Wasnik defines an event as a FlashMob, are commercial applications really FlashPerformances? McGreer, B. (2010). Give Them something to talk about. US Banker. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.
  • Taraeta Nicholls on 18 Apr 11
     
    Hans this is a very interesting article and ties in with the article I found by McGreer (2010) who discussed the business response to FlashMobs. Whilst two different approaches were used the one constant was the use of professional film crew to use the footage for uploading. The question McGreer raises is when it no longer has the artistic element, which Wasnik defines an event as a FlashMob, are commercial applications really FlashPerformances? McGreer, B. (2010). Give Them something to talk about. US Banker. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.
Chris Johnson

The limits of the 'Twitter revolution' | Anne Nelson | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk - 3 views

www.guardian.co.uk/...digital-media-egypt

Activism Twitter.Revolution online activism

shared by Chris Johnson on 11 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Chris Johnson on 11 Apr 11
     
    Nelson, A. (2011). The limits of the 'Twitter revolution. The Gaurdian  Retrieved 11th April 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/feb/24/digital-media-egypt   
  • ...3 more comments...
  • alio S on 15 Apr 11
     
    This article by Anne Nelson argues against the idea that Twitter was strongly influential in the recent uprisings in Egypt. She backs up her statement by pointing out that there "were well under 15,000 Egyptians tweeting, out of a population of more than 80 million" and that some of those may not have even been inside Egypt. Her figures were intimated from figures released by Social Media Intelligence company "Sysomos" (O'Dell 2011), who after analysing 52 million Twitter users, Found that only 14,642 identified their location as Egypt, Yemen or Tunisia (O'Dell 2011). The majority of these, however, were identified as originating in Egypt. O'Dell's article points out that even these numbers are suspect as it is likely that a percentage of Twitter users in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen do not provide location information in order to protect their identities (2011). Nelson also remarks on the ineffectiveness of other online tools, for instance a Crisis-mapping application named Ushahidi. While she admires the utility of Ushahida, Nelson is quick to point out that crisis maps, particularly those covering low grade problems are generally not sufficiently supported by volunteers willing to update them. Evgeny Morozov coined the term slacktivism "to describe feel-good online activism that has zero political or social impact. It gives those who participate in 'slacktivist' campaigns an illusion of having a meaningful impact on the world without demanding anything more than joining a Facebook group" (Morozov 2009). Nelson clearly feels that the majority of online activism falls into this category. REFS: Morozov, E. (2009). The brave new world of slacktivism. Retrieved from: http://neteffect.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/05/19/the_brave_new_world_of_slacktivism O'Dell, J. (2011). How Egyptians Used Twitte
  • sheila mclean on 15 Apr 11
     
    Anne Nelson's article comes to the conclusion that "the new digital technologies are powerful tools in moments of crisis, but they cannot substitute for sustained citizen activism". (Nelson, 2011) Nelson points out how "in Egypt, there has been a lot of emphasis on Twitter, but the data suggests that there were well under 15,000 Egyptians tweeting, out of a population of more than 80 million". Nelson also makes reference to "slactivism" "where it's easier to click a "like" button on Facebook than it is to participate in a crisis-mapping platform." , and brings up a "notion of citizenship that involves more than one-click participation". I think that Nelson is missing the point here. Egypt may have been labelled the "Twitter Revolution" and the "Facebook Revolution" by the media, but this was not because of citizens and a "one-click participation", instead social media was used very successfully to mobilize citizens, who then faced real dangers when they took their protests to the streets. As Howard (2011) points out, there are dangers in both "overemphasizing and ignoring the role of digital media in political change in Egypt and Tunisia". While Nelson may not have ignored the role of digital media in Egypt, I think she has certainly under-emphasized it in this particular article. REFERENCES: Howard, P (February 23, 2011) The Cascading Effects of the Arab Spring Miller McCune Magazine Retrieved April 13, 2011 from http://www.miller-mccune.com/politics/the-cascading-effects-of-the-arab-spring-28575/ Nelson, A. (2011). The limits of the 'Twitter revolution. The Guardian Retrieved April 14 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/feb/24/digital-media-egypt
  • tim findlay on 16 Apr 11
     
    I agree Sheila, many of these articles seem to be missing the point, there seems to be a real criticism towards the effects that social media has had on the protests in Egypt. I keep hearing statements like "Social media is not a substitute for individual action" (Nelson, 2011). Many of these articles seem to be coming to the conclusion that social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are seen as taking the sole responsibility for the events that have been played out in recent months. I have not seen one pro Twitter article that has put the credit directly in the hands of social network platfroms. Many articles in favor of social media state that they do not give absolute credit to Twitter or Facebook in the successfulness of the protests. For example (Morozov, 2009) states that social media does not take credit for all the peoples contribution and determination to be involved in the protests but it still is an extremely useful tool for the collaboration and organization of people on such a large scale, playing an important role in facilitating these protests. Social media is a very successful collaboration tool that is used in conjunction with society to gain results. Social media did play an extremely vital part in the organization and efficiency of these protests that cannot be denied. But it was individual action and determination that aided these people to contribute and gain results. Perhaps it should not be called a "Twitter Revolution", as this is where I think criticism and confusion has come about, the headline does place a biased opinion in favor of Twitter. Regardless of the attitudes towards social medias role in these events, its effectiveness in these matters has shocked the world and demonstrated how powerful it is as a communicative tool.
  • Alan Beazley on 16 Apr 11
     
    Nelson makes a strong argument suggesting the 2011 Egypt uprising was not necessarily fuelled by social media; instead she links it to years of oppression and dictatorship as the main triggers. On the flipside, many of Nelson's statements need to be challenged. Firstly, she states that only 15,000 Egyptians were tweeting - out of a population of 80 million - throughout the protests. What she fails to mention is that less than 20% of Egyptians actually have Internet access (Internet World Stats, 2011). In addition, many of these users also reside outside of Cairo and may not have directly participated in the demonstrations. Lastly, the Internet and SMS services were shutdown in Egypt two days after the initial January 25th demonstration and this act would drastically reduce numbers as the only way to circumvent the block was through dialup or a voice-to-tweet service. An interesting concept raised in this article is 'slackivism', a term coined to describe the attraction of getting caught up in the euphoria of online activism. The benefits however have little or no impact on society because clicking a 'like' button within a Facebook group is far from participatory and adds very little value to the cause. Instead, Nelson argues that web users need to be better educated in the use and the expectations of crisis-mapping platforms to effectively participate. Sukey , an anti-police kettling web application is a recent example of internet enabled, active participation. Its use during a recent political demonstration in London resulted in successful, non-violent outcome (Kingsley, 2011). This was attributed to activists working together and feeding information from Twitter, Google Maps and news feeds into Sukey to counter the act the police kettling. This example highlights that technical aptitude and active participation are required to effectively coordinate a internet enabled, protest. Internet World Stats - Usage and Population Statistics. (2011
  • tim findlay on 17 Apr 11
     
    References: Morozov, E. (2009). Moldova's Twitter Revolution. Retrieved April 13, 2011. From http://neteffect.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/04/07/moldovas_twitter_revolution Nelson, A. (2011). The Limits Of The "Twitter Revolution". Retrieved April, 16 2011. From http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/feb/24/digital-media-egypt
Tessa Gutierrez

Kluitenberg, E. (2006). The Network of Waves: Living and Acting in a Hybrid Space - 0 views

www.socialbits.org/papers

OUANET308 Flash Mobs Kluitenberg SocialBits.Org

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  • Tessa Gutierrez on 11 Apr 11
     
    [Please note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Topic of Study: Flash Mobs Eric Kluitenberg is a researcher studying the significance of new technologies. In this article, he "draws attention to a number of activist strategies to encourage public and private action in a hybrid space." Flash mobs are "semi-spontaneous public gatherings of groups of people...[not usually] known to one another, nondescript, with no determining characteristics [who] briefly perform some collective synchronous action, and then dissolve...back into 'the general public'..." who are alerted to "Directions and information about...[gatherings via]...text messages, or e-mails...with the aim of starting a chain reaction resulting in...an unpredictably large mob at a predetermined time and place" (Kluitenberg, 2006). Kluitenberg (2006, p. 8) believes that Flash Mobs and other earlier examples of mass public gatherings, street parties, and demonstrations, all highlight the fact that "we are living in a space in which the public is reconfigured by a multitude of media and communication networks interwoven into the social and political functions of space to form a 'hybrid space.' [Continued in the comment below]
  • Tessa Gutierrez on 11 Apr 11
     
    [Continued from previous comment above] This unique explanation of why and how Flash Mobs and other spontaneous public gatherings occur is based on the fact that the 'traditional' space found in cities has now been "overlaid by electronic networks...creating a highly unstable system, uneven and constantly changing" (Kluitenberg, 2006, p. 8). Although I feel that Kluitenberg's rationale may be too removed from what is actually occurring in relation to Flash Mobs, I believe he is correct in stating that the increasing use of mobile communication technologies has assisted the rise of "new social morphologies...[such as]...the flash mob" (Kluitenberg, 2006, p. 8) and that this type of phenomenon is perhaps indicative of the transience of modern life and the way community spaces are employed in modern times. The populace is increasingly pressed for time and usually always on the move, so the phenomenon of flash mobs, in one sense, is a unique response to the temporality of modern suburban and city life. REFERENCES Kluitenberg, E. (2006). The Network of Waves: Living and Acting in a Hybrid Space. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from: http://www.socialbits.org/papers
  • Josh van de Scheur on 16 Apr 11
     
    This article describes various scenarios showing individuals and groups using technology to engage with traditional public spaces in socially and politically influential ways. As the author of this work explains, "traditional space is being overlaid by electronic networks such as those for mobile telephones and other wireless media"; and the resulting environments "...can not be properly understood without a very precise analysis of the structure of that space"(Kluitenberg, 2006. p8). By looking at the social and technological factors that allow these events to take place, we can understand how networks and collaboration projects are carried out in these 'hybrid spaces'. This way of analyzing a group's or individual's uses of technology in public spaces supports research from an article that I have posted to Diigo - 'The Internet is Here': Emergent Coordination and Innovation of Protest Forms in Digital Culture'. The author of this work states that 'as modes of social interaction... become increasingly rich it becomes easier for online culture to bleed into what William Gibson dubbed the "meatspace", and for events from the "meatspace" to reverberate back into the computer mediated world' (Underwood, P., Welser, H. 2011). While Underwood's paper investigates Anonymous' internal workings and uses of technology as they battled with the Church of Scientology in 2008, it also shows that Anonymous exists in what Kluitenberg's acknowledges as 'Space Flows', surviving on the "intangible flows of information, communication, services and capital"(Kluitenberg, 2006. p9). This is a benefit of Anonymous' decentralized networks and both articles reflect the fact that "the more decisions that are made at the 'nodes' ...instead of at the 'hubs' ..., the more chance there is of a space in which the sovereign subject is able to shape his or her own autonomy."(Kluitenberg, 2006. p14) Referneces Kluitenberg, E. (2006). The Network of Waves: Livi
Chris Johnson

Promoting Synchronous Interaction in an eLearning Environment -- THE Journal - 0 views

thejournal.com/...an--eLearning-Environment.aspx

Education Communications collaboration ouaNet308-2011 tools resources net308

shared by Chris Johnson on 11 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Chris Johnson on 11 Apr 11
     
    This paper discusses the issues around eLearning and communication Technology. It cover how freeware skype  is an ideal tool for communication in education an suggest methods of how to use Skype for the learning outcomes. 7 Instructor Recommendations for Skype UseSchedule the students' Skype subscription in the class orientation. The sooner studentsare exposed to the technology, the better they'll adjust to the unique learning experience.Organize a pre-class training session for a subset of the entire class. Instructors canschedule a meeting with a group of class "trainers." These trainers then teach theirown group members skills.Divide students into groups of four. A Skype conference call can only take up to fiveparticipants. If needed, reserve a seat for the instructor for tracking/coaching purposes.Provide technology use protocols ahead of time. For instance, if someone accidentallyhangs up, the conference call initiator (usually the group leader) can immediatelyadd him back in to the meeting.Keep group deliberations on the record using additional tools. Skype conferencecalls are not recorded. Options are Skype Chat and Blackboard Chat.Reserve a Blackboard Chat Room for each group as the last resort. One of the drawbacksof using such freeware is that the service makes no guarantee that theprogram will be there when needed. An effective way to cope with this is to reservethe Blackboard Chat Room as a backup device.Encourage necessary accessories. A headset and a wired broadband connection arepreferred accessories for use with Skype and other similar communication tools. Pan, C.-C., & Sullian, M. (2005). Promoting Synchronous Interaction in an eLearning EnvironmentThe Journal  Retrieved 11th April 2011, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2005/09/01/Promoting-Synchronous-Interaction-in-an--eLearning-Environment.aspx?Page=1
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