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Chris Johnson

Computer-mediated Communication in Education: A review of recent research - Educational... - 1 views

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    Computer-mediated Communication in Education: A review of recent research. This research paper available online addresses the recent research into Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) in education (Keller, 2007). The author looks at each research methods and compares it to a counter research method like Quantitative verses Qualitative and Empirical verses Non-empirical research. This gives you a clear picture in many areas that are lacking in research and would help anyone who is looking to further research this area. It is important to note at this study of articles during the period 2000 to 2004 indicates some recent changes of interest but also shows interests that have remained steady in the research community(Keller, 2007). Also, it should be remembered that these results are based on 117 selected articles in Computers & Education, Educational Media International, Journal of Educational Computing Research and Journal of Educational Media between 2000 and 2004 out of many journals on educational technology. The article concludes a number of outcomes. That more work is needed that builds theories concluding that the research field has relied heavily on empirical studies (Keller, 2007). More research is needed in new and emerging communication media stating that current research is very much focused on text-based communication, not using graphics, audio and video(Keller, 2007). Research is needed on synchronous media because that most of the research has been on asynchronous studies. And finally Keller concludes that research is needed on the combination of different media in blended education. Keller, S. H. C. (2007). Computer-mediated Communication in Education: A review of recent research - Educational Media International. Educational Media International, 44(1), 61-77.
Jocelyn Peucker

Avaaz - The World in Action - 3 views

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    "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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.
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    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
Alan Beazley

Voice tweets sidestep Egypt web ban. (February 1, 2011). ABC News online. Retrieved A... - 2 views

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    This ABC online article highlights some important aspects about the use of social-media and the role it played organising, coordinating and documenting Egypt's 2011 uprising. Firstly, the initial ban of web services such as Facebook and Twitter was an indication of the Egyptian government recognising the power, connectedness and participatory nature of social-media . In an attempt to silence the demonstrators and to avoid a repeat of the 2009 Iran revolution, Egyptian authorities took it one step further and not only blocked certain web site but completely shut down access to the entire world-wide-web (Stone, 2009). This act alone illustrates the fragility of the Internet, despite its decentralised design. Literally, with the flick of a switch, Internet Service Providers acting on government instructions blocked web access within the country. It can be argued the political protesting in Egypt would occur with our without a social-media influence; however, it is still important to examine the length Egyptian demonstrators went to in order to circumvent the Internet block and continue to take leverage from popular social media services. An example is the use of 'voice-to-tweet' - a cooperative development by Google, Twitter and an online voice provider called SayNow. This innovation allowed Egyptians to call a telephone number and leave a message which would automatically be converted to text, published on Twitter and tagged with #Egypt. This example highlights Twitter and new media being used for collaboration and participation; specifically between citizen activists and journalists around the world. Much like the Internet, news media was also blocked within Egypt and reporters faced the same communication challenges as everybody else, this workaround however was an effective way for Egyptians to stay connected and ensure their stories were continuing to be voiced to the eagerly listening global audience. Stone, B. (June 15, 2009). Social Net
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    This article dated 1 February 2011 announced a new service whereby voicemail sent to several mobile numbers could be converted into text messages and subsequently posted to twitter with a special hashtag appended. The hashtag #egypt served to organise the received tweets into a searchable topic. The service was developed by Google in consultation with Twitter and a third application, a social online voice platform called SayNow. It aimed to bypass the Egyptian government's shut down of the Internet and to facilitate the free speech of Egyptian protesters and the dissemination of information. In an article written for the Guardian on 3rd February 2011, Patrick Kingsley mentions the Egyptian government shutting down both Internet and mobile access. Egyptian protesters, however, refused to give in and "improvised by using dial-up connections"(Kingsley 2011) that continued to enable this new "speak to tweet" technology" (Kingsley 2011). There appears to be a dialectic at play whereby protesters make use of new technologies to communicate and collaborate and the government responds by blocking access to the technology being thus used. Protesters then find alternative ways to access the technologies that facilitate their communication and collaboration. The Egyptian government's actions to stifle what it considers dissent, led Shervin Pishevar, founder of the Open Mesh project, to begin work on developing small, easy to conceal, mobile routers that can create "mesh networks between people with computers or other wifi-connected devices and others with these pocket-sized routers, so the information can hop along until it can find someone near enough an uplink to the outside world to get the information through" (Meadows 2011). Open Mesh routers are still in development, but promise to create an alternative avenue for protester communications, one that will be more difficult for governments to shut down.
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    REFS: ABC News (2011). Voice tweets sidestep Egypt web ban. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/01/3126626.htm 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 Meadows, C. (2011). Open Mesh Project seeks to use mesh networking to promote freedom. Retrieved from: http://www.teleread.com/net-related-tooks-from-search-engines-to-blogware/open-mesh-project-seeks-to-use-mesh-networking-to-promote-freedom/
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    Don't call it a Twitter revolution just yet is the message from Kravets in his article on recent protests in Egypt. "It's about years of repression and dictatorship. Revolutions existed before Twitter and Facebook," said Issandr el-Amrani, a Cairo writer and activist, said in a telephone interview from Tunisia. These important statements bring closer a situation in the Egypt and what role played Twitter during recent protests raging through Egypt. It is known fact that the technology has always been linked to political activities. People always find new ways how to communicate as long as it is fast and reliable for the information to get out to public either locally or worldwide. It is no surprise the Twitter provided communication link to people in Egypt and between Egypt and the rest of the world while Egyptian government shut down the Internet and its attached SMS and VOIP phone coverage services during the protests. As stated by Cairo writer and activist, 'revolutions existed before the Twitter' which is correct and revolutions will exist after the Twitter's life is over and will be replaced with something new that may offer its communication services when needed.
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    The events that unfolded during the uprising in Egypt are a good example of how flexible and mobile social networks can be in relation to effective communication between members of society. Through the Egyptian government shutting off all Internet connections collaborative efforts were made by both Twitter and Google to still allow information to be distributed throughout the country. As stated above, the speak-to-tweet services were available in which voicemail messages were left and then converted into text messages, which were then posted via twitter (ABC News, 2011). This is a great example of how devices can be implemented and used to adjust to the situation at hand. In one of my previous posts I talked about the United States becoming concerned around social media's effectiveness in relation to social protest, in which they have made plans to impose legislation to create a 'kill switch' to re-create what the Egyptian government previous did, cut all lines of Internet communication in times of political disturbance (Grubb & Moses, 2011). The elements that unfolded in Egypt after the lines of Internet communication were cut is a good example of how other devices can be implemented for information to be distributed amongst society. It is not as simple as cutting off an Internet connection and assume that collaborative communication will cease. Just as the US government has seen the warning signs of the power of social networks, society has also seen the weakness in relying on a national Internet service. 'Mesh' Networks as I previously stated in another post are currently underdevelopment for mobile phones in which there is no central device, instead each node is equipped with radio communications which acts as a relay point to other nodes, placing the pressure off obtaining a connection from a main server (Gedda ,2010).
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    References: ABC News (2011). Voice tweets sidestep Egypt web ban. Retrieved April 17, 2011 from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/01/3126626.htm Grubb, B; Moses, A. (2011). As Egypt goes offline US gets Internet 'kill switch' bill ready. Retrieved April 17, 2011. From http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/as-egypt-goes-offline-us-gets-internet-kill-switch-bill-ready-20110131-1aah3.html Gedda, R. (2010). Mobile Phone Coverage Expanded Via 'Mesh' Networks. Retrieved April, 17, 2011. from http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/352948/mobile_phone_coverage_expanded_via_mesh_networks/.
anonymous

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live - 1 views

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    Johnson, S. (2009, June 5). How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live. Time. When 40 educators attended the conference in the Manhattan they decided to use the Twitter for posting live commentary during the event. The commentary was projected on a large display screen displaying running incoming feed of tweets. Everyone had a chance to tweet using their laptops or BlackBerrys. The rule for the tweets was to include the word #hackedu in 140 characters. The twitter's function was embraced at the conference by the conference participants. The tweets unfolded in a real time communication reflecting the participants' thoughts, arguments, jokes and other feelings from being at the conference. However, after a while the tweeting expanded into the 'Twittersphere' delivering tweets from the strangers. The communication engaged all different groups of people sharing views about the topic at the conference. The tweeting continued several weeks after the conclusion of the conference. This case demonstrates a real experience of Twitter being was used for a particular event in means of interactive communication between the conference participants and how it expanded into the 'Twittersphere'. The Twitter simply provided a very useful venue for a collaborative communication engaging different groups of people and documenting their tweets as valid communication that was very useful during the conference and the recorded tweets can be used in a future. From organisational point of view, it was a wise plan to have the Twitter at the conference that it gave the conference another interactive dimension of communication and provided access to useful information from people and about the people. The equipment for the tweets is now widely available for the individuals and venues set up, and it is a matter of organising it once a benefit of the twitting is seriously considered.
Chris Johnson

Application of Computer Communications in Education. - 1 views

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    Application of Computer Communications in Education. This article is about how computers communications should be used in eduction. It is interesting because of it was published in the IEEE Magazine in 1999.  This was before web 2.0 technology and gives some insight into what was seen to be useful back then.  The paper covers what has been important developments in CMC and starts out but discussing Java applets as an important tool in CMC.  This allows for computer software to be ran inside the browser. The paper also discusses the use of Database management environment. Similar to what we see with Blackboard and Moodle. It covers the management of CMC. Finaly the article enters into the area of online video. This is interesting to the point that in 1999 the bandwidths for video where limited and video where consumed in small windows. Very different to what we have today  with tools such as Youtube. Finally the issued are raised by about staff engagement and support. These are issue we are still addressing today in using Computer Mediated Communications  in education although we are some highly advanced tools.   Collis, B. (1999). Applications of Computer  Communications in Education: An Overview. IEEE Communication Magazine, 37, 82-86
Hans Dusink

SWARM: Flash mobs, mobile clubbing and the city - Culture and Organization - 5 views

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    This article is based on the premise that cities are responsible for destroying social bonds and "rendering man isolated from, fearful of, hostile to, and manipulative of his fellow man" (Fischer as cited in Kaulingfreks & Warren, 2010). It is this view that drives planners to create artificial structures in an attempt to have citizens involve themselves in community affairs. The authors use the example of Rotterdam where a there is a program of community forming (http://www.opzoomermee.nl) to show this idea that something needs to be done to create a sense of community. (2010, p. 213). The authors then look at how the unmanaged process of flash mobs may offer an alternative to the formal organisation structures of organisation in the city environment. They draw on the work of Jean Luc Nancy and suggest that flash mobs challenge the "traditional understanding of community through technology enabled organising" (Kaulingfreks & Warren, 2010, p. 220). In fact through the use of the Internet, email and texting people are able to act together without giving up any of their individuality. In a magazine interview Bill Wasik, the instigator of flash mob said: The flash mob affords an opportunity for doing something and yet completely sidesteps the whole process of discussing how it is going to happen. It's just; 'Here's this opportunity, and if you agree with it, you can come in on it, and its going to be very quick' (Heaney, n.d) A flash mob becomes an ephemeral community; it is formed for a specific purpose and then disbands once that purpose has been fulfilled. It is a network structure rather than a traditional hierarchy and is based on a common interest.
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    References: Heaney, F. (n.d). The Short Life of Flash Mobs. Stay Free! Retrieved from http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/24/flash-mobs-history.html Kaulingfreks, R., & Warren, S. (2010). SWARM: Flash Mobs, mobile clubbing and the city. Culture and Organization, 16(3), 211 - 227. doi:10.1080/14759551.2010.503498
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    Professor Ruud Kaulingfreks, University of Leicester, School of Management (Kaulingfreks, n.d.) and Professor Samantha Warren, University of Essex - Essex Business School (Warren, n.d.) have written this paper titled, SWARM: Flash mobs, mobile clubbing and the city (Kaulingfreks and Warren, 2010). Both professors have written a number of articles on topics involving organisation and culture. As written above by Hans Dusink, "They draw on the work of Jean Luc Nancy and suggest that flash mobs challenge the "traditional understanding of community through technology enabled organising" (Kaulingfreks & Warren, 2010, p. 220). In fact through the use of the Internet, email and texting people are able to act together without giving up any of their individuality" (Dusink, 2011). By understanding this, it can also be related to the petitioners that act through the Avaaz organisation. To sign up to the Avaaz community, only a name, an email, a country and postcode is required information. The name could be any name or even a nickname. Individual's identities are hidden from each other. Even though you can see the count of actions taken, it is impossible to know who did exactly what action. Concurrently, a hard-copy signed petition is not that much different. Which individual can verify every signature on a page and who is going to read through and check every written address one-by-one to ensure actual authenticity? Both Avaaz and flash mobs use digital interaction to let their members know what is happening and the location; however, Avaaz continues to exist after action is taken, moving onto new causes and plights whereas the basis of flash mobs is to 'flash' congregate then dissipate after their action. References: Avaaz.org. (2011).The World in Action. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en Dusink, H. (2011). SWARM: Flash mobs, mobile clubbing and the city - Culture and Organizati
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    This article was interesting as it also considered the impact of music in FlashMobs. Salmond (2010) in their article, "The Power of Momentary Communities" discusses how rave parties have similarities to FlashMob events through the creation of an instant community. Just as Salmond (2010) uses the rave party example Kaulingfreks & Warren (2010) have explored mobile clubbing, with individuals dancing to their music of choice. It should be noted that the lack of amplification, due to those listing to their individual songs may do so in a "silent disco" manner would allow such a gathering. Salmond (2010) raises the legality of events, at night time, with 100 or more people listening to amplified music. Mobile clubbing is supported by Salmond (2010) as more FlashMob as there is an artistic component which is key according to Wasnik. The comment of Jocelyn Peuker (2011) who introduces the Avaaz.org (2011) community highlights that there is a crossover between the SmartMob and the FlashMob. Avaaz facilitates with anonymity but could be considered a more SmartMob type of activity as those signing a petition are doing so in an asynchronous manner. With those signing the petition in with a desire for an outcome to be achieved, moving further away from the art aspect. Salmond (2010) argues that it is structure and organisation would allow one to consider Avaaz to be more SmartMob than FlashMob. As in many aspects of technology the exact line and distinction is hard to be drawn but notwithstanding this Avaaz is a facility service that would benefit both FlashMob and SmartMob events, whilst maintaining anonymity.
anonymous

Digital Dialogue? Australian Politicians' use of the Social Network Tool Twitter - 2 views

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    Grant, W. J., Moon, B., & Busby Grant, J. (2010). Digital Dialogue? Australian Politicians' use of the Social Network Tool Twitter. Australia Journal of Political Science, 45(4), 579-604. Using the social network tool Twitter by Australian politicians has proven to be a common practice in Australian political arena. The analysis mentioned in the article, suggests that the politicians use the Twitter for political engagement and gaining of more political benefit. For politicians the Twitter is simply a good way of connecting with public. 'Engaging with community online is a great for me, as Premier, to get feedback on the decisions and actions of my government… Twitter in particular is a frank and spontaneous way for people to share views and thoughts - it's not filtered or tempered by second thoughts, it's raw and immediate, and its 24/7.' One of the authors' questions as part of their conducted analysis was 'Does Twitter offer us better ways to collectively shape our world, or is it instead a fragmentary, dangerous and disempowering distraction?' The obtained results were received from 152 Australian politicians and 477 random Australian Twitters. Data analysis suggested that Australian politicians are clearly engaging with Twitter and their broadcast tweeting is of higher number that of Australians in general. Collected data also suggested a pattern of tweeting that Australians in general follow politicians more than politicians follow them. The data analysis conclusion was the tweeting is used by Australian politicians for influencing the communities and for the benefit they may gain through the tweeting. The Twitter provides a tool for listening to the communities by the politicians and is a definitively a good access point to valuable feedbacks. Twitter's rapid connection between politicians and communities is one of the greatest benefits using the Twitter. The Twitter is providing a venue for Australian politicians, citizens and media to connect and sh
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    [Part 1] Digital Dialogue? Australian Politicians' use of the Social Network Tool Twitter This article, published in the Australian Journal of Political Science, reports the results of a study undertaken in 2010 that quantitatively analysed how Twitter is used by Australian politicians. The main aim of the study was to analyse the online engagement between politicians and the Australian public. While Twitter use in Australia is relatively small, Australian politicians, like many of their global counterparts have begun to embrace social media tools that offer them new ways to connect, influence and engage with their constituents. The study found that Twitter users are more likely than users of Facebook to make their profiles and posts public, in fact 79% of the users sampled had public "tweets". Amongst the sample chosen for the study 145 out of the 152 Australian politicians on Twitter had public accounts. A study conducted by Jim Macnamara in 2007, found that Australian politicians are generally "quite resistant to conversational social media", that their websites generally use the broadcast model and that their blogs usually have comments turned off. Even with Twitter, it seems that a large proportion of Tweets from politicians are broadcasting information rather than engaging in political discourse. Twitter, like other social networking tools, bypasses "the heavily mediated connections offered by traditional media" (p. 579) and provides the potential for communication beyond the traditional broadcasting of information, including a forum for minor political parties.
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    [Part 2] The report found that apart from tweets to broadcast information, there is a reasonably high level of 'retweeting' performed by politicians, retweeting is a micro-political act of endorsement. It also suggested that the number of people a politician follows loosely translates as the level to which that politician listens to the public. Politicians replying to tweets from non-politicians, however were found to be quite a low percentage of posts, suggesting that to date Twitter has not particularly facilitated an open political dialogue. References: Grant, W. J., Moon, B., and Busby Grant, J. (2010). Digital Dialogue? Australian Politicians' use of the Social Network Tool Twitter. Australia Journal of Political Science, 45(4), 579-604. DOI: 10.1080/10361146.2010.517176
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    Twitter as used by politicians stands at a crossroads. Held in scorn by many politicians, it is often derided as a trivial communications platform with a distinct lack of professionalism. This is well exampled by Julia Gillard's attack on Twitter fan Joe Hockey for daring to consult his 'tweets' for policy opinion. ""He can't govern the nation by tweet," (Courier Mail 2009). Akin to this is the British House of Commons ban on tweeter for apparently as the Deputy Speaker puts it "letting the outside world know what is going on (in parliament)". (Financial Post 2011) In contrast, is enthusiastic tweeting by politicians such as Federal member Joe Hockey and NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell. O'Farrrell in particular uses Twitter for daily political discourse with his constituents. Often offering further insight into policy matters or recent actions in media. With over 6000 Tweets (NSW MP Tweets 2011) O'Farrell has set a precedent for high-profile Australian politicians using Twitter as an effective medium. With Hockey being accused by Gillard over crossing the line between consulting and collaboration using Twitter, the evolving use of the service remains of great interest to the political world. References Julia Gillard hits Joe Hockey's Twitter usage (2009) Courier Mail. Accessed http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/julia-gillard-hits-joe-hockeys-twitter-usage/story-e6freooo-1225804950598 Twitter banned in British Parliament (2011) Financial Post. Accessed http://business.financialpost.com/2011/01/19/twitter-banned-in-british-parliament/ NSW MP Tweets (2011) Statistics about Barry O'Farrell on Twitter. Accessed http://nsw.mptweets.com.au/barry-ofarrell/
alio S

Mobile communication and new sense of places: a critique of spatialization in... - 1 views

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    [Part 1] Lemos' paper depicts map-making as a socio-political act, an expression of power. Maps themselves are a visual way of presenting geographic information, and have been traditionally controlled by technicians, governments and private companies, but since the advent of interactive online tools, some of the power inherent in map-making has shifted to ordinary people. Interactive tools such as Google Maps, allow the everyday person to experience a new practice of place, as Lemos writes "mapping our moves on the streets allows us to control the space; it is territorialization. […] The use of GPS and other devices for location and location-based services puts the emphasis on control and domination over a territory" (Lemos 2008, p.15). From the perspective of student protesters in London at the end of 2010, the use of an interactive Google map (see and example at: http://www.movements.org/blog/entry/maptivism-in-london), allowed protest organisers to control the flow of digital information between cyberspace and the urban environment. Protesters themselves, those armed with locative media such as smart phones, had access to near real time data superimposed upon street maps relevant to their own position. This allowed protesters to collaborate by providing feedback to organisers or by reacting geographically to reported police location and action.
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    [Part 2] The act of real time digital mapping and urban annotation by protest movements potentially creates a new dynamic where the distribution of power relative to a location is altered. The ways in which citizens perceive the city and interact with its structure is changed when citizens have access to information about proximity and distance, when they are kept informed of lines of escape from controlled spaces. The act of protesting creates a temporary urban space, changing a location's social meaning. With the use of digital mapping tools a mobile social network is created, one that has the potential to communicate more effectively than the police forces arrayed against them. References: Cullum, B. (2010). Maptivism in London. Retrieved from: http://www.movements.org/blog/entry/maptivism-in-london Lemos, A.(2008). Mobile communication and new sense of places: a critique of spatialization in cyberculture.  Retrieved from:  http://www.andrelemos.info/artigos/spatialization.pdf Live Protest Map (2010). Retrieved from: UCL Live Protest Map
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    Lemos' journal examines the notion that recent mobile innovations have facilitated new and socially focussed communication systems. Locative media is the primary focus of the article and Lemos argues that technology and its relationship with mobility, community and place are creating new forms of 'territorization' - a socio-political act that involves control, surveillance and tracking. The distinction is made that locative media creates new uses for non-virtual space and bridges the gap between the physical and the virtual. This is achieved through augmented reality, mobile information consumption, events and geo-mapping; all which reinforce collaboration and participation among real world communities. Examples of locative media and territorization include CitizenMap, a community focussed web service which utilises Google Maps, Twitter and news sources to identify and detail environmental incidents throughout Hong Kong and the South China region. Sukey, an anti-police kettling application is another example of locative media, this service aims to improve communications throughout demonstrations by feeding police tactics and information from an assortment of data sources such as Twitter, Google Maps, Flickr and directly aggregating it to mobile / SMS enabled devices (Sukey, 2011). What Lemos fails to expand on in the journal is the technical and participatory expectations required for the services to be successful. Without regular and active participation these services add little or no value to the community or the cause.
anonymous

Why you should Twitter. Information Age - 0 views

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    Milesi, K., & Civins, N. (2009). Why you should Twitter. Information Age(August/September), 43-45. The article is an excellent guideline for the business and Twitter as communication tool. According to Milesi and Civins (2009), 'Twitter helps humanise your organisation, and encourages involvement with your customers' or 'If you want to start using Twitter, but aren't ready to communicate with users in a personal fashion, then you may not be ready for Twitter yet'. The authors of the article structured the answers about the tweeting in a logical way for anyone to get a picture about the tweeting and especially the organisations. Authors start with an introduction of the tweeting and its history with statistics produced from tweeting by Australian Twitter. The article covers questions like 'why should you use Twitter', 'who should use Twitter', 'How should you use Twitter' and progressing to more complex topics like 'Risk management when using Twitter'. It is a simple yet informational and purpose constructed read about tweeting and 'Why you should Twitter'. It answers questions for the business considering Twitter or expanding their already gained knowledge about the Twitter. The authors of the article deliver strong awareness about the Twitter and its functionality as communication tool. In summary, they say that when the Twitter is used correctly and with a purpose the Twitter users can assist in business growth and/or improvement in communication with customers. This article is strongly recommended to read by all wondering 'Why you should Twitter'.
Taraeta Nicholls

FCJ-030 Flash! Mobs in the Age of Mobile Connectivity - Nicholson (2005) - FibreCulture... - 1 views

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    This article was published in the Fibreculture Journal[1], a peer reviewed Australian Journal. Nicholson (2005) in this article is primarily focused on mobile communications role in FlashMobs. According to Nicholson (2005) the popularity of FlashMobs and its cultural significance was based upon three practices. It was the conjuncture of individuals communicating via mobile phone, sending text via mobiles and the public performance aspects that were significant. The article discusses various historical events associated with FlashMobs and there are links being formed between FlashMobs and the anti-globalization movement. The more organised FlashMob events were highlighted when journalists capturing a FlashMob outnumbered participants. Nicholson (2005) focused on the concept of "one to many" which has similarities and overlaps with the anti-globalisation movement. The examples used by Nicholson (2005) support this theory that FlashMobs and anti-globalisation, especially in their communication styles are similar. Nicholson (2005) cites Tom (2003) who states that FlashMobbing is, "the power of many, in the pursuit of nothing". Politically motivated FlashMob events ultimately have a pursuit of an outcome and thus questions if the examples given are FlashMob events. Nicholson's (2005) examples certainly allow for exploration of the mobile communication but it isn't entirely focused on the FlashMob phenonomen. The variety of examples on the other hand does allow for the argument that a FlashMob is bounded within the spectacle of the event, activism, being experimental with a prank all rolled into one. This article demonstrates that mobile telephone technology has had a direct influence on the FlashMob culture. The article also implies that the culture of FlashMob events is a past activity which has past it's used by date. Nicholson (2005) doesn't explain how or why this is a past activity and leaves this aspect of FlashMob culture unanswered in her article. Footnote
Chris Johnson

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

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    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
Amy B

GetUp! - 1 views

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    Action for Australia GetUp! is a not-for-profit 'independent, grass-roots community advocacy organisation giving everyday Australians opportunities to get involved and hold politicians accountable on important issues' (About GetUp, n.d.). Rather than users starting individual projects and promoting them for donations from supporters, GetUp! hosts movements for causes of specific interest to Australians, including financial support for advertising and other schemes, to gain attention from politicians and the government at large, such as collecting 27,000 signatures petitioning the repeal of undemocratic laws preventing thousands from voting in the 2007 elections. A few dollars each from tens of thousands of supporters has produced high-profile ad campaigns that have helped raise awareness for issues important to the Australian people. GetUp! campaigns rely on social media and word-of-mouth to get the community informed and involved, requesting recommendations for new campaigns from everyday Australians concerned about government policies. According to Belleflamme, Lambert, and Schwienbacher (2011) this community involvement constitutes crowd-sourcing, where ideas and suggestions are sourced from the 'crowd', along with volunteers and appeals for solutions. In the spirit of transparency the movement advocates, GetUp! provides access to its annual reports as well as a 'real-time snapshot' of the donations members are contributing to campaigns, updated half hourly. This snapshot includes unique actions, new members, number of donations, the total collected from donations, average donation, and how many are first-time donors.
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    Financial donations are not required to participate in GetUp! campaigns, but the necessary funds to produce a commercial for exposure on national television is sourced from contributions by supporters: crowd-funding for a community cause. Unlike crowd-funding for individual projects, such as those found on online crowd-funding tools such as Pozible, investors in community campaigns may have no expectation of reward. The GetUp! website clearly indicates its intentions, guiding visitors to campaigns to inform, raise awareness and make contributions toward improving the Australian community through policy and reform. GetUp. (n.d.) GetUp! Retrieved from http://www.getup.org.au. Belleflamme, P., Lambert, T., & Schwienbacher, A. (2011). Tapping the Right Crowd. Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/abstract=157817.
anonymous

Twitter as Medium and Message - 0 views

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    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
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    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
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    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
Alan Beazley

Kravets, D. (January 27, 2011). What's Fueling Mideast Protests? It's More Than Twitter. - 1 views

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    Kravet's Wired online article details the role social-media services such as; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube played in the 2011 Egypt political revolution. The primary focus of his article suggests the uprising was the result of years of oppression and dictatorship, not simply a Twitter or mass media revolution as some have labelled it (Bergstrom, 2009). Kravet does acknowledge the link between technology and modern upheavals by using the example of the fax machine and the role it played informing the world of the Tiananmen Square massacre. At the same time, he still emphasises that social-media and communication systems are used as an effective way of coordinating protests and political gatherings. A quarter of Egyptian citizens have Internet access; therefore, it can be said that social media is a powerful channel activists could utilise - in conjunction with leaflets and spontaneous amalgamation - to effectively facilitate organisation of the masses. Activists also used social media as a way of gauging the scope of their proposed protests by encouraging Facebook users to confirm their attendance. Prior to the Internet being blocked, one particular organiser had 80,000 confirmations for a January 29, 2011 demonstration. After the Egyptian government's initial block of popular, social-networking services (prior to the entire Internet being shutdown in Egypt) protestors took leverage from a variety of technologies such as; web proxies, VPNs and smartphone applications to gain access to Facebook and Twitter. Again this demonstrates the importance these tools play in information sharing and mass collaboration. Bergstrom, G. (2009). Egypt: The First Twitter Revolution? Retrieved, April 4 2011, from http://marketing.about.com/od/crisis_communication/a/egypt-mubarak-power-in-social-media.htm Kravets, D. (January 27, 2011). What's Fueling Mideast Protests? It's More Than Twitter. Retrieved April 5, from http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/
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    [Please note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Thanks so much for adding this link Alan. I was amazed at how social media was used in helping to organize protests against the repression of the Mubarak regime in Egypt recently, yet saddened by the fact that the Egyptian Government erased Egypt from Global connectivity by shutting down the Internet across Egypt (Kravets, 2011b). As Kravets (2011b) heard from one reporter "The Egyptian government's actions tonight essentially wiped their country from the global map." What was most interesting however was how Kravets (2011a) explained that only one quarter of the Egyptian population had access to the Internet. Most of their revolution was organized the old-fashioned way via word-of-mouth, pamphlet distribution and the spontaneous gatherings of people intent on making a stand against Mubarak and his dictatorship (2011a). However despite Kravets reporting that perhaps this revolution would have occurred whether there was social media activity or not, the fact that the Egyptian government blocked access to the Internet, means that the world outside Egypt may not know what is happening until after the event - and therefore it may be too late to send assistance of any form. More importantly for the rise of social media and protests, the blocking of Egyptian Internet by their government highlights the fact that the power inherent in Internet-related social media activities was recognized. [Please navigate to the next comment]
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    [Continued from previous comment] In terms of my chosen topic of Flash Mobs, much of what occurs in public view is usually the result of months of planning, organizing and collaborating via emails and social media networks. If a Flash Mob is organized without Internet usage (both before and after the event), the impact would not be as great and therefore the issue highlighted by that activity would not have the desired global impact. The curious thing about Flash Mobs however is that they are usually organized without a cause and as such are simply a way to create a spectacle in an urban space (Molnar, 2009). Social media definitely assisted the people revolution in Egypt earlier this year, but until more of their population can gain access, organizational tools will be relying on the more traditional methods of leaflet distribution and gathering crowds street-by-street. Thanks again for sharing this article Alan - it definitely broadened my insular world and I look forward to reading about more current events regarding Egypt now that I have this background information. 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/ Kravets, D. (2011b). Internet Down in Egypt, Tens of Thousands Protest in 'Friday of Wrath.' Published by Wired January 27, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/01/egypt-internet-down/ Molnar, V. (2009). Reframing Public Space: Flash Mobs and the Futility of Contemporary Urban Youth Culture. Retrieved April 12, 2
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    I found Kravet's article interesting, particularly as I have been focusing on civil unrest and protests in Europe and the Middle East myself. Kravet acknowledged the link between technology and modern upheavals by using the example of the fax machine and the role it played informing the world of the Tiananmen Square massacre. In the last two hundred years technology has continued to facilitate communication - we have gone from print media to telephone, radio, television, and now of course computer technology, making the dissemination of information easier and more widespread. There is no doubt that social media is an effective tool in mobilizing and engaging citizens, but as Kravet says it is more than Twitter fuelling the Middle East protests. Peter Dahlgren, in Van de Donk et als "Cyberprotest: new media, citizens and social movements" (2004), summarised the role of the internet in the political arena. He said "we should avoid becoming obsessed with just the communication technology itself...we need to include in our analytical horizons the complex ways in which ICT's interplay with the dynamics of social movements, as well as with mainstream political structures and contemporary cultural trends that frame these movements" (Dahlgren, in 2004Van de Donk et al, p.xv) Thanks for sharing this article Alan. I can only imagine the wealth of scholarly articles and research that will be published in the next few years on the use of social media in political protests, its certainly an interesting topic to research. REFERENCES: Kravets, D. (2011). What's Fueling Mideast Protests? It's More Than Twitter. Published by Wired January 27, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011 from http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/social-media-oppression/ Van de Donk, W., Loader, B. Nixon, P. And Rucht, D. (eds). (2004) Cyberprotest: n
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    The article is interesting, but i just wanted to touch on the statements that were raised around communication after the Internet had actually been shut off. I was fascinated to read about how society can mobilize and use the resources that are available in times of need. Using third party proxies, organizers were able figure out ways to bypass the Egyptian Internet filters and to be able to once again access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other Internet sites (Osam, 2011). Despite the Internet blackout, landline communication was never blocked; Egyptians found another way to access the Internet through landlines dial-up Internet services and fax services. Egyptians living outside Egypt were receiving faxes through regular landline phones, by using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technologies they could convert the fax image into text contents, and post the contents, news and updates into Facebook, Twitter and different blogs (Sutter, 2011). This convergence in technology just goes to show that these types of situations cannot be simply shut off by closing down all Internet connections within the country. As an indication on how fast online communication services are popping up into the spotlight, Google in the meantime launched a new service called "speak2tweet", which allowed Egyptians to call a regular landline number in Cairo and speak their tweet to an IVR/Voice recognition system. The speak2tweet system would then convert the caller voice message into a text tweet (Osam, 2011). References Osam, M. (2011). The eRevolution. Retrieved, April 13, 2011. From http://www.famousbloggers.net/the-erevolution.html
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    Sutter, J. (2011). The Faces of Egypt's 'Revolution 2.0'. Retrieved, April 13, 2011. From http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/02/21/egypt.internet.revolution/index.html
Taraeta Nicholls

The Power of Momentary Communities - Salmond, M (2010) - Journal of Media Geography - 0 views

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    This article was published in the Aether[1], Journal of Media Geography in 2010. It should be noted that whilst the article is written in an academic style Aether is not a commonly recognised Journal. The editors are academics at three different recognised universities giving credibility to this boutique publication. This paper argues that all FlashMob events are a form of protest. Salmond (2010) contrasts between illegal dance parties or Raves and 21st Century FlashMob events. One similarity between Flash Mobs and Raves is the creation of an instant community. This community in raves and Flash Mobs is the taking of land that is not being used and using it for public good, similar to the squatters culture. Salmond (2010) cites Coco (2008) stating, "The individuals became tied together under a group interest, creating a connection and bond whilst sharing in a local event." (p.92). The ubiquity of technology is discussed throughout the article reinforcing that technology has assisted in the development and promotion of FlashMob events. Salmond (2010) also looks to introduce variances on the FlashMob such as SmartMob and Protest Cell. The SmartMob is a more structured and organised event with a clearly defined purpose or cause, which can be on a global scale. The protest cell is the using of ring tones to protest against the decided cause. Salmond (2010) attempts to connect the legislation designed to stop illegal raves in the UK and apply it to the illegality of FlashMob events. This correlation is fragile but is not the main focus of the paper. There is a strong reliance by Salmond (2010) on the illegal nature of FlashMob events and less on the artistic performance aspect. Footnotes [1] http://130.166.124.2/~aether/index.html
Helen Pidoulas

Mashflob.com: The Worldwide Flashmob Community! - 0 views

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    A community based website that consolidates the activities of Flash Mobbers around the world into a single portal. The resourceful website provides a central point of contact for people who create flash mobs, for people who are entertained by them and for those planning and for those who want to be a part of this intellectual movement. The website allows people to register and collaborate with other flash mob fans, keeping subscribers informed on event dates, locations, latest videos, flash mob events, a calendar and forum. Flash mobs not only allow people to enjoy the entertainment factor, but the developers of the flash mobs also drive the use of different technologies, such as websites, choreography, video editing, and the use of social media to spread the message. Entertaining and thought-provoking flash mob performances usually end up going viral, but along the way, these viral videos collect important demographic information about those who view the videos. Mashflob.com: The Worldwide Flashmob Community! (2011). Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://www.mashflob.com/
Josh van de Scheur

» Anonymous Uses Collaborative Document Sharing Tool for Social Survival - So... - 2 views

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    This blog post looks at how the internet and online collaboration tools helped to guide political and social protests in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia earlier this year. It focuses on Anonymous' use of TypeWith.me when creating the 'Anonymous Revolution Survival Guide' for the people of Tunisia during this time. TypeWith.me is a "live, dynamic, document collaboration platform," that is "based on open source code"(Clay, K. 2011), and allows users to easily, quickly and anonymously collaborate on text documents. Combined with twitter.com, anonymous were able to collaborate and communicate effectively as a decentralized and global network in support of pro-democracy protesters. The author of this article acknowledges the importance and need for "simple, free, and publicly "anonymous" way(s) to share and collaborate on information" (Clay, K. 2011), especially for societies oppressed by strict regimes. It describes the influences that web tools and social networking services such as TypeWith.me and twitter.com are having on "social and political revolution", claiming it is "indicative of... the way these types of platforms will be used in the future" (Clay, K. 2011). Through this work we can see how online collaboration tools in general have "emerged as a popular communication mechanism in recent years" (Clay, K. 2011), allowing communities and groups to successfully work across different mediums and platforms to achieve social and political change. As Anonymous state, "all significant human activity is the result of human collaboration" (Anon, 2011), suggesting these tools are relevant to every system of social interaction and production - not only to sociopolitical networks and protesting against oppressive regimes. References Anonymous (2011) 'A Message from Anonymous' http://anonops.blogspot.com/2011/01/message-from-anonymous-01292011.html Clay, K. (2011). Anonymous Uses Collaborative Document Sharing Tool for Social Survival. Soc
tim findlay

The eRevolution - 1 views

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    This article is presented on famousboggers.com a blogging site dedicated to academics publishing writing on current events. In this article Mohamed Osam (network and computer engineer) talks about the technological factors leading up to the revolution in Egypt. The "eRevolution" was sparked by a group of young activists on Facebook, they were pushing for reform on freedom and social injustice (Osam, 2011). These Facebook groups attracted more than 85,000 protestors via group posts, and comments, while communicating heavily on twitter and sometimes cell phone SMS services (Osam, 2011). Other Facebook groups were initiated before and during the protests to support the logistics and the massive demonstrations that erupted all over Egypt. The "Rasd News Network (R.N.N)" Facebook group was one of the main contributors to the revolution, sending protest updates, news updates and politician and media reaction (Osam, 2011). With such a public outcry the Egyptian government shut down all Internet communication in Egypt, but by this time things had already escalated beyond the governments repair (Franco, 2011). After a few more days of the increasing number of protestors, high national and international pressures, and a total of 18 days of protesting, Omar Suleiman (the recently appointed Egyptian vice president) resigned his position (Franco, 2011). This article brings up interesting points around the effects of online collaboration and communication. What is the future for these types of online political movements? The factor that seems to be most interesting is the fact that there was social action and results gained by taking the fight online just as offline. The power of online collaboration has obviously proven its point with these recent events in Egypt, so where too next? Could this type of political movement be a stepping-stone for further political activism or just like many other tools be used for both positive and negative behavior? Some see this as
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    being a dangerous example on creating unrest and instability in society. All these questions can only be answered in time, but it does make you think about social media in a completely different light, representing the power and capability of these platforms to gain exposure and organization to a vast audience. References Osam, M. (2011). The eRevolution. Retreived, April 13, 2011. From http://www.famousbloggers.net/the-erevolution.html Franco, J. (2011). Egyptian government orders Internet blackout amid protests. Retreived, April 13, 2011. From http://www.techspot.com/news/42194-egyptian-government-orders-internet-blackout-amid-protests.html
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    Quote: On Jan 25th, 2011, the world for the first time has witnessed a revolution that brilliantly leveraged the power of social networking tools to overthrow a corrupt regime. Facebook, twitter and blogs were all used to mobilize people all over Egypt (Osam, 2011a) . This article can be related to mine in different ways. From further research, the organisation that I have used in this project Avaaz, has also aided to Egypt's cause and is still aiding toward Egypt's plight. In one way, they are seeking one million signatures on a partition called Stand With The People of Egypt, where they hope to "... end three decades of repressive rule" (Avaaz.org, 2011a). This petition includes links to also promote it through the use of Email, Facebook and Twitter to spread the word. Concurrently, Avaaz has also helped Egypt with a petition to stop Mubarak taking "... billions in stolen public money with him" (Avaaz.org, 2011b). Avaaz needed to collect 550,000 signatures, which they were successful in collecting. The author Muhamed Osam wrote the article, The eRevolution (Osam, 2011a), using a variety of sources and incorporates links to them. Osam has written a few other articles, and is very popular in social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others. His biography states that he is "A network engineer and a security specialist with a BSc degree in Computer Engineering, MS in Computer Networks, MBA in International Business and MS in global management" (Osam, n.d.) I agree with Tim Findlay's thoughts as he concludes that, "... it does make you think about social media in a completely different light, representing the power and capability of these platforms to gain exposure and organization to a vast audience" (Findlay, 2011). These organisations and the use of social networking tools do seem to make the world a smaller but better place.
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    References: Avaaz.org. (2011). Stand With The People Of Egypt. Avaaz - The World in Action. Retrieved from https://secure.avaaz.org/en/democracy_for_egypt/?fpla Avaaz.org. (2011). Freeze Mubarak's stolen fortune. Avaaz - The World in Action. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en/mubaraks_fortune/ Findlay, T. (2011). eRevolution on Diigo - oua_net308_2011 group. Retrieved from http://groups.diigo.com/group/oua_net308_2011 Osam, M. (n.d.). Articles by Mohamed Osam. The eRevolution. Retrieved from http://www.famousbloggers.net/author/mohamedosam Osam, M. (2011). The eRevolution. Retrieved from http://www.famousbloggers.net/the-erevolution.html
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    This is a great article that describes the technological and social influences that allowed millions of people to network and collaborate online during the protests in Egypt earlier this year. It shows how many citizens of Egypt successfully used various online services and tools in maintaining communications and mobilizing massive group actions throughout this time. The author explains how this was "the first revolution sparked, managed and orchestrated by social networking, by Facebook, twitter, blogs and YouTube"(Osam, M. 2011); and questions any potential harm that may arise from such seemingly powerful tools of social and political change. This supports the article 'Anonymous Uses Collaborative Document Sharing Tool for Social Survival' that I have posted to Diigo. These works investigate the widespread use of both public and anonymous web services in the coordination of information, communications and group movements during social and political protests in the Middle East. They show how these platforms were used as flexible networking and collaborating tools which effectively reached large numbers of people. While the Anonymous article focuses on the creation and distribution of their 'Revolution Survival Guide' for Tunisians - using tools that allowed "simple, free, and publicly "anonymous" way(s) to share and collaborate on information" (Clay, K. 2011); the Egyptian protests were initially "sparked by a group of young activists on Facebook"(Osam, M. 2011). These different networking and collaboration platforms were successfully used as social and political tools against oppressive regimes. References Clay, K. (2011). Anonymous Uses Collaborative Document Sharing Tool for Social Survival. Social Media and Technology. 25th of February 2011. Available from: http://www.lockergnome.com/social/2011/02/25/anonymous-uses-collaborative-document-sharing-tool-for-social-survival Osam, M. (2011). The eRevolution. Retreived, April 13, 2011. From
alio S

Project: Carousel! » How to organise a successful student protest using onlin... - 1 views

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    Project: Carousel! » How to organise a successful student protest using online tools The author of this article is Pontus Westerberg is a member of the Project Carousel! Team, "a student-led online community working under the auspices of the Centre for Media and Film Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London". This brief article advises student protesters which online tools may be useful for organising protests and keeping protesters informed. The recommended tools include Twitter, blogs, video, plus online mapping tools. The article also recommends creating a central node, such as a website to tie all these disparate elements together, and as an example links to the UCL occupation page (http://www.ucloccupation.com/), which shows an example of this being done. Westerberg gives an overview on the use of Twitter hashtags to organise protest conversations, making them easier to keep track of, citing examples of these such as the #demo2010 that was used to organise conversations around the student protest that took place on the 24th October 2010. The 140 character limitation imposed by Twitter, also makes Blogs an attractive online tool for protest, offering a forum where ideas and issues can be disseminated and discussed in a lengthier format. Westerberg also provides examples showing the effectiveness of images and video in getting a message across, and indicates that there are benefits in utilising humour and encouraging user generated content. Overall the article provides basic information, but links to quite a few interesting examples of sites and tools that are being used by the student protest movement in the United Kingdom. References: Westerberg, P. (2010). How to organise a successful student protest using online tools. Retrieved from: http://www.projectcarousel.org/2010/11/how-to-organise-a-successful-s
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    Thanks for sharing this article Alio. It is very interesting to learn of yet another different culture group where people have taken to using social networking for the purpose of people power and creating protests. This is along the same lines of the organisation I have chosen; however, on a different scale. You stated in your above comment, "The recommended tools include Twitter, blogs, video, plus online mapping tools. The article also recommends creating a central node, such as a website to tie all these disparate elements together" (Alio S, 2011). How true is that? The main site for Avaaz (2011), also acts as a central node with its main branches being Email, Twitter and Facebook. The author of your chosen article, Pontus Westerberg seems to be very interested in "interested in how the web can be used for social good, the 'death' (or not) of journalism and ICT for development" (Westerberg, n.d.), and has written a number of articles pertaining to social media, activism and more. When I began researching for this project, I did attempt to find out how to set up a protest, but I obviously was not searching with the write keywords. I have found this article to be useful for not just understanding a protest, but also aids in how to create one. References: Alio S. (2011). How to organise a successful student protest using online tools. Project: Carousel. Diigo - oua_net308_2011 group. Retrieved from http://groups.diigo.com/group/oua_net308_2011 Avaaz.org. (2011).The World in Action. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en Westerberg, P. (n.d.). Articles by Pontus Westerberg. Project: Carousel. Retrieved from http://www.projectcarousel.org/author/pontus/ Westerberg, P. (2010). How to organise a successful st
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    This article from the Project Carousel website is a step by step guide describing how to organize "a successful protest using online tools" (Westerberg, P. 2010). It was created specifically for student activists however it would be adaptable to many forms of online collaboration since it shows efficient strategies for creating independent networks using free web services and social networking tools. This is similar to a guide describing how to create localized 'cell' based networks from 'Tools to help the Revolutions Part II - Online resistance cell organization', an article that I have posted to Diigo. Both of these guides explain practical methods for creating and working across decentralized networks, focusing on free online resources and web services. They also identify the primary need for a central point of contact (or node) which is connected to multiple communication and content sharing websites (as satellite services). These methods of collaboration describe "local cells that keep in touch through their decentralized networks" (anon, 2011), yet they are also effective ways to organize, manage and create widely accessible and secure channels for global communications. Both articles show techniques that allow a group to form strong and flexible networks with like minded people from across world. Refeences anon. (2011) 'Tools to help the Revolutions Part II - Online resistance cell organization'. Anonymous Hamburg. 23rd of February 2011. Available from: http://hamburger-anon.blogspot.com/2011/02/tools-to-help-revolutions-part-ii.html Westerberg, P. (2010). How to organise a successful student protest using online tools. Available from: http://www.projectcarousel.org/2010/11/how-to-organise-a-successful-student-protest-using-online-tools/
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    Project Carousel is a 'student-led online community based at the Centre for Media and Film Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London' (Project Carousel, n.d.). The article was written Pontus Westerberg in 2010, during the student protests regarding student fees. It was written as a how-to guide to help would-be protesters make the most of social media to add their voices to the campaign in an open, transparent way. Westerberg is less informational and more instructional in his advice to establish a profile using popular social media tools like Twitter, with hashtags, creating a blog and making videos, making a particular point to be humorous at the expense of authority. 'Do something funny', suggesting that positive attention may be garnered through fun and humour. Unlike the Anonymous movement, Project Carousel appears to endorse, if not outright encourage, transparent participation with user-generated content and boldly putting faces and names toward the campaign. The points made in the article may seem obvious, but new inductees to the social media mechanism, eager to participate, would find these easy-to-follow steps a clear guide to joining the protests and being heard. Though not a crowd-funding or crowd-sourcing tool, it does provide a useful guide to generating interest from 'the crowd', be it a personal project or a community-conscious endeavour.. Westerberg, P. (2010). How to organise a successful student protest using online tools. Project: Carousel!. Retrieved from http://www.projectcarousel.org/2010/11/how-to-organise-a-successful-student-protest-using-online-tools/.
sheila mclean

Ackerman, S (February 4, 2011) Prayers, Protest, Police Brutality: Raw Videos From Egyp... - 2 views

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    Spencer Ackerman is an American national security reporter and blogger. This article appeared in Wired magazine's national security blog, Danger Room. In this article, Ackerman describes how in late January, 2011, the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, responded to hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators protesting on the Egyptian streets by shutting off the internet and mobile phone access. The purpose of this was to keep the activists from organising further protests. This move did not work however, and the protesters didn't disperse. They did not have access to Facebook and Twitter, but instead took to the streets and protested in the traditional way. Al Jazeera, and other satellite news networks kept the public worldwide focused on the events. Mubarak then "began a brutal crackdown, with regime loyalists targeting dissidents and foreign journalists alike." (Ackerman, 2011) Despite the crackdown, says Ackerman, "the world still had viral-ready video footage of the truth of Egypt's precarious uprising", some of which can be viewed by clicking on the images in the article. A particular comment by a young female street protestor featured in one of the videos was interesting: "It's not about the internet," she said, "it's about the needs and demands of the Egyptian people". REFERENCE: Ackerman, S (February 4, 2011) Prayers, Protest, Police Brutality: Raw Videos From Egypt's Uprising Wired Retrieved 8th April, 2011 from http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/cairo-protest-videos/?pid=345
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    This article by a senior Danger Room reporter Spencer Ackerman consists of a video interview with a very articulate young person talking about the situation in Egypt. The protest is about replacing the current regime with a democratically elected government. The interviewer asks about the effect of shutting down the Internet on the protests to which the reply was that there was no real effect on the protest, as people were not relying on the Internet. And then further added "It's not about the Internet it's about the needs and demands of the Egyptian people"(Ackerman, 2011). That particular question assumes that Internet communications played a part in mobilising large numbers of protestors, in a similar method to flash mobs in other parts of the world. But Issandr el-Amrani, a Cairo writer and activist told Danger Room that only a quarter of the Egyptian populace is online (Kravets, 2011). Suggesting that the protests grew by leaflets ad word of mouth. The Internet is not only a useful tool in organising large groups of people, it is also important in ensuring that news of a flash mob, or in this case a protest is distributed to as many people as possible. The flow of information is multi-directional. This article highlights that communications technology has important role to play in the mobilisation of large numbers of people and the dissemination of information, but also that not everyone has the same levels of Internet connectivity.
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    References: Ackerman, S. (2011). Prayers, Protest, Police Brutality: Raw Videos From Egypt's Uprising. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/cairo-protest-videos/?pid=345 Kravets, D. (2011). What's Fueling Mideast Protests? It's More Than Twitter. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/social-media-oppression/
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    The spotlight on the Northern Africa has been reignited on 15 April 2011 by release of the letter signed by US, British and French leaders. US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have said in a joint letter that there can be no peace in Libya while Muammar Gaddafi stays in power. They want to put a stop to the terrible horrors at Gaddafi's hands. The joint letter holds out the prospect of reconstruction for Libya with the help of the "UN and its members" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13090646). The 'domino effect' political situation in Northern Africa has been closely watched by the whole world. The Egypt attracted attention not just for its political protests but how the country's Internet and its services were shut down by its government during the protests. This demonstrates a level of power government can have over its people and communication. At the time of revolution the Egypt's dictator Hosni Mubarak messages and intentions were clear to grasp by anyone paying attention to politics: It is me 'Hosni Murabak' who controls the power in this country including the media; shutting down of the Internet and its services will put a stop to a fast communication platform for Egypt's people and connection with rest of the world; Egypt doesn't want any interferences from other countries, this is 'our revolution'; we will sort it out and I will stay in power as long as possible. According to Spencer Ackerman 'Suddenly, a protest movement that used Facebook pages and Twitter hashtags to coordinate and push its message out was back to the old-fashioned methods of street politicking'. However, according to other media coverage the Twitter was found as most powerful tool in network communication during the Egypt's Internet service government shut down. (e.g. Bergstrom, G. (2011). Egypt: The First Twitter
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