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Chris Johnson

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

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    (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.
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    [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]
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    [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]
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    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
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    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
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
tim findlay

As Egypt goes offline US gets internet 'kill switch' bill ready Read more: http://www.... - 1 views

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    This article was posted on theage.com.au by Ben Grubb and Asher Moses. With the recent events unfolding in Egypt the Egyptian government attempted to crack down on street protestors by shutting down all Internet and mobile phone services. This is an event that has been unprecedented in the history of the web and has sparked concern for western countries such as the US (Grub & Moses, 2011). The US is trying to pass a bill that could be used to shut down the Internet, this legislation or "Kill Switch" as it has been labeled would grant US president Obama the power to stop all Internet connections if there was a cause for concern (Kravets, 2011). The proposed legislation, introduced into the US Senate by independent senator Joe Lieberman, who is chairman of the US Homeland Security committee, seeks to grant the President emergency powers over the Internet in times of national emergency (Grub & Moses, 2011). This has been met by concern of dozens of groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, Electronic Frontier Foundation and Center for Democracy & Technology, who are concerned that the measure, if it became law, might be used to censor the Internet (Kravets, 2011). Others do not see this necessarily as a concern and are currently working on different ways of connecting people without relying on a central access point. 'Mesh' Networks for example are currently underdevelopment for mobile phones in which there is not central device, instead each node is equipped with radio communications which acts a relay point to other nodes, placing the pressure off obtaining a connection from a main server (Gedda ,2010). This article was an interesting insight into the repossessions that the events in Egypt has placed on the rest of the world, with a great concern for the Internet being used as a tool for power and large scale online collaboration.
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    References: 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/. 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 Kravets, D. (2011). Internet "Kill Switch" Legislation Back In Play. Retrieved April, 17, 2011. From http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/01/kill-switch-legislation/
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/.
tim findlay

Power of Twitter, Facebook in Egypt crucial, says U.N. rep - 5 views

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    This article presented on msnbc.com highlights the importance that social network platforms provide as an effective collaboration/organisational tool. With the recent events in Egypt and Libya that have been labelled the "Twitter Revolution" this article highlights the fact that these social networking sites are now being recognised and praised by influential figures such as UN ambassador Rice Townhall. Townhall states "Governments are increasingly cognizant of their power," (Townhall, 2011) and praises Twitter and their employees with knowing that their platform is having such an influential effect throughout the world, "The power of this technology, the power of social networking to channel and champion public sentiment, has been more evident in the past few weeks than ever before" (Townhall, 2011) "I hope you have the satisfaction of knowing that it's having real time real impact in parts of the world as far flung as Zimbabwe, where I just learned you have 66,000 users, to of course the Middle East and so many other parts of the world." (Townhall, 2011). Critics of social networks use for activism see these types of protests as inevitable and have been occurring long before the use of the Internet as a form of communication (Popkin, 2011). While protests continued well after the Internet was shut off in Egypt the impact and power of social media can no longer be dismissed, especially when it is acknowledged by the UN (Popkin, 2011). What is interesting about this article is the video that is attached, a questions and answer conference that is being hosted by Twitter to a live audience. Live questions are being posted to the Twitter site from all over the world addressed to Rice. She proceeds to answer these questions sharing information and addressing peoples concerns from all over the globe. This in itself shows the power of such social networking sites, this platform allows peoples opinions to be express and acknowledged for such influential figures to take
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    take notice of. Popkin, H. (2011). Power of Twitter, Facebook in Egypt crucial, says U.N. rep. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/11/6033340-power-of-twitter-facebook-in-egypt-crucial-says-un-rep. Townhall, R. (2011). UN Ambassador, Rice Townhall. Live in San Francisco. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/11/6033340-power-of-twitter-facebook-in-egypt-crucial-says-un-rep.
Tessa Gutierrez

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

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    [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]
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    [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
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    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

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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
Helen Pidoulas

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

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    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).
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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
Chris Johnson

Social Constructivism - Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology - 1 views

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    This wiki is about Social Constructivism. The idea that learners are influenced by their environment is the bases of this theory.  The empathy on the importance of culture and understanding what occurs in society and constructing knowledge based on it understanding.(Derry, 1999; McMahon, 1997) There is three elements to the assumption of social constructivism.  Reality: Social constructivists believe that reality is constructed through human activity Knowledge: To social constructivists,. Individuals create meaning through their interactions with each other and with the environment they live in. Learning: Social constructivists view learning as a social process.. Meaningful learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities Topics covered include 1 Social Constructivism Vignette2 What is Social Constructivism?3 Assumptions of Social Constructivism4 Intersubjectivity of Social Meanings5 Social Context for Learning6 General Perspectives of Social Constructivism on Learning7 Social Constructivism and Instructional Models8 Sorting Out Variations on the Terms "Constructionism" and Constructivism" Derry, S. J. (1999). A Fish called peer learning: Searching for common themes. In A. M. O'Donnell & A. King (Eds.),  Kim, B. (2001). Social Constructivism.. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved 15th April 2011, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
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
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
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.
Taraeta Nicholls

Dissolution and the Industry of Culture: The History of the Flash mob - Garland (2010) - 0 views

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    This is an unpublished paper that has been linked to Maxter[1] an online community with links to the Media, Art & Text PhD program known as MATX. The MATX program is linked to the Virgina Commonwealth University (VCU) [2]. It would not be generally considered a reliable resource as a key article in an academic piece it is a well written piece including clear historical information into FlashMobs. Garland (2010) is able to use a recent event of students rioting to distinguish rioting organised via technology contrasted against the original FlashMob at Macy's in 2003. Garland (2010) has a focus on the original Macy's event as organised by Wasnik throughout the article. The question of why people are participating in FlashMob events is also considered. This paper also considers how cooperation and participation by individuals is implied when they participate in a FlashMob. The participation of a FlashMob allows individuals to remain anonymous through the free exchange of information, even the creator of the original FlashMob, Wasnik was able to remain anonymous. It was after FlashMob phenonomen became commericalized Wasnik felt comfortable revealing his identity and role in the original Macy's FlashMob. Throughout the article Garland (2010) draws connections between FlashMob and SmartMob, supporting and citing Rhinegold, agreeing that FlashMobs were part of SmartMobs. There is also an interesting connection drawn between FlashMobs and Flux Art [3]. Despite the article being unpublished key areas of FlashMob are clearly explored. Garland (2010) takes a wide approach to FlashMob and widely explores various aspects. There is a strong reliance on the experience of Wasnik in proving the differences between FlashMob, SmartMob and rioting organised through social media which is the main weakness of this article, which otherwise addressed the topic soundly. Footnotes [1] http://matxer.org [2] http://www.vcu.edu/ [3] http://www.fluxus.org/12345678910.html
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
Hans Dusink

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

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    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).
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    [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]
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    [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
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    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/
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    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

Image, Bonding, and Collective Identity Across Multiple Platforms: Avaaz on Facebook, M... - 5 views

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    Since 2007, Anastasia Kavada is a post-doctoral researcher, with her current role as developing research on: social technologies (such as blogs, social networking sites, picture and video sharing sites) in the establishment of international campaigns and political coalitions, in practices of citizenship and democracy, as well as in the formation of political identities and feelings of belonging to political groups (The University of Westminster, n.d.). In her article, Collective action and the social web: Comparing the architecture of Avaaz.org and Openesf.net, Kavada discusses the differences between the two platforms for "... the European Social Forum [ESF] and [the] global movement website Avaaz" (Kavada, 2009b, p. 130). The following main topics are discussed: * Web 2.0 And Transnational Collective Action * Political Organizations And Web Interactivity * Openesf: Openness And Distributed Construction * Avaaz: Outward Orientation And Central * Coordination Of Individual Contributions She concludes that whilst both platforms are inherently different for use in their particular organisations, Avaaz has gone one step further to reaching people using social networking sites such as Facebook (REF). In 2010, Kavada wrote an article titled Image, Bonding, and Collective Identity Across Multiple Platforms: Avaaz on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube (Kavada, 2010). In this paper, Kavada explores the prospective spaces for global activism by "... examining the case of Avaaz.org, a 'global web movement' created in 2007 aiming to bring people-powered politics to global decision-making" (Kavada, 2010, p. 1). * Growth of digital activism * Web Platforms, Bonding and Group Identity: Two Complementary Views * Methods and research * Platforms as a Surface of Bonding and Group Identity * Platforms As a Site of Engagement, Bonding and Group Identity In brief, this article discusses whether or not, Avaaz can hold onto
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    its identity whilst spread across multiple platforms. Kavada has established that organisations such as Avaaz can indeed remain in control of its identity even though they lack in "... interpersonal interaction among supporters" (Kavada, 2010, p. 19). The Avaaz organisational strategy has met with success as more than thirty-seven million actions have been completed by its members (Avaaz.org, 2011). Bibliography: Avaaz.org. (2011). Avaaz - The World in Action - About. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en/about.php Kavada, A. (2007). The 'Horizontals' and the "Verticals": Competing Communicative Logics in the 2004 European Social Forum. Paper presented at the General Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research, 6-8 September, Pisa, Italy. Kavada, A. (2009a). Decentralization and Communication: Email Lists and the Organizing Process of the European Social Forum. pp. 188-204 in A. Karatzogianni (Ed.) Cyber Conflict and Global Politics. London: Routledge. Kavada, A. (2009b). Collective action and the social web: Comparing the architecture of Avaaz.org and Openesf.net. In Communicative Approaches To Politics And Ethics In Europe. Tartu University Press. Retrieved from http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/suso/reco_book5.pdf#page=130 Kavada, A. (2010). Image, Bonding, and Collective Identity Across Multiple Platforms: Avaaz on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. All Academic Inc. Retrieved from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p404477_index.html The University of Westminster. (n.d.). Anastasia Kavada - CAMRI Post-Doctoral Researcher. Retrieved from http://www.westminster.ac.uk/schools/media/camri/research-staff/kavada,-anastas
Michael Nycyk

Undergraduate perceptions of the usefulness of Web 2.0 in higher education: Survey Deve... - 2 views

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    Kumar's work has a reasonable amount to offer in terms of a resource; his research gives more clues to the perceived effectiveness of Google Docs users have towards it as a collaborative tool. He has chosen to use the effective research method focus groups with semi-structured questions. Perhaps the useful part of investigating Google Docs as a collaborative tool is how he selected students at the university site who were in many disciplines. Thus he was able to elicit some good insights into why Google Docs is so praised as a collaborative educational tool. One finding was that students preferred Google Docs as a time saving tool where no formal meetings took place. Although the students were on campus, it was surprising that they felt they would rather use Google Docs then all meet to work on a project. The other finding was that the acceptance of this Web 2.0 collaborative technology was greater amongst students that had previous experience with Google Docs or other similar software. Another major advantage found by Kumar (2009) was that overall using such collaborative tools increased interest in the subject matter of their particular discipline. The concept that new technologies add value to existing practice was also interesting. Although Kumar was not clear on this concept, what students indicated this was the case, such a statement suggests that using Google Docs is linked to increased interest in a subject and in turn a desire to succeed. The weakness of this resource is Kumar is not clear of this link; however, as an article to show that Google Docs is of value equating collaboration tools with increased productivity shows how potentially valuable using them can be.
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    References Kumar, S. (2009). Undergraduate perceptions of the usefulness of Web 2.0 in higher education: Survey development. In D. Remenyi (Ed.) Proceedings of 8th European Conference on E-learning, Italy, 308-314. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from http://web2integration.pbworks.com/f/Undergraduate+Perceptions+of+the+Usefulness+of+Web+2.0+in+Higher+Education.pdf
Michael Nycyk

A Case Study: Google Collaboration Applications as Online Course Teaching Tools - 2 views

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    This article takes a case study approach using qualitative and quantitative survey questions to measure the difference between pre and post uses of Google Docs. The research problem was based on the observation that Web 2.0 collaborative technologies were initially causing hesitation. However, upon consistent use in the context of an online course, students changed their minds about the usefulness of Google Docs. Both researchers intended to measure undergraduate levels of self-efficacy and undergraduates perceptions of using these collaborative technologies. The study had 18 respondents to the survey. Although the researchers acknowledged Google Docs limitations in the robustness of the software, they argued that this would make no difference to the perceptions of the undergraduates using it. The results of the study are somewhat unremarkable and predicable, yet support the idea that Google Docs is very useful for collaborative student work. There were major differences pre and post use of Google Docs that were significant. A majority of students felt their level of self-efficacy, that is confidence to use the software, was much higher after undertaking the course. The second hypothesis also showed the majority had positive perceptions of using Google Docs both in the course but significantly in future studies and workplaces. Although the researchers reported mostly positive results about the use of Google Docs, one issue clouded the results. Not being able to access the documents when offline is perceived as a major impediment in the collaborative process. Overall this study may seem somewhat bland and predictable; however, it supports much positive and negative criticism of Google Docs in the ability to foster and impede the learning of the students using it.
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    Reference Edwards, J.T., & Baker, C. (2010). A case study: Google collaboration applications as online course teaching tools. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(4), Retrieved April 3, 2011, from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol6no4/edwards_1210.htm
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    I have used Google Docs on many occasions for education purpose both as a teacher and a student. As a teacher I had found that Google Docs provided a tool that created group work with ease. Student where able to contribute to ideas and develop learning outcome far more than the unit outline proved for. The article here proves that through the efforts of many working on the same document improves as more contribute ideas and ads greater value to the document. Your comment about the uselessness of Google without online access does provide problems when it comes to the digital divide. We in the western world still have areas that suffer from digital divisions as well as those in less fortunate countries. However tools like Google docs can contribute to the cost of entry to CMC as there are no licensing fees required and programs such as the one laptop per child that aids in the narrowing of the digital divide(OLPC, n.d). As a student I have done one project with Google docs and currently using Google docs in another project. The reason for the choice to use Google Docs was mainly the reason cited in this article. Although the article was limited in what Google docs can actually do and takes on the assumption that we know what it can do. It is more about how it can be used in education. I recently used Google docs to collaborate with my family in arranging my mother's funeral. The outcome was very smooth as each member collaborated amicably on the document that may have been a family feud if handled face to face. References OLPC. (n.d). OLPC's mission is to empower the world's poorest children through education. Retrieved 15th April 2011, from http://one.laptop.org/about/mission Edwards, J.T., & Baker, C. (2010). A case study: Google collaboration applications as online course teaching tools. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(4), Retrieved April 3, 2011, from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol6no4/edwards_1210.htm
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    Your comment about the uselessness of Google without online access does provide problems when it comes to the digital divide. We in the western world still have areas that suffer from digital divisions as well as those in less fortunate countries. However tools like Google docs can contribute to the cost of entry to CMC as there are no licensing fees required and programs such as the one laptop per child that aids in the narrowing of the digital divide(OLPC, n.d). - that is 100 % right and that causes some disadvantages yet being free if connectivity can be gotten in any form then it has the potential to educate in any society that has networking. More work needs to be done to get to those areas, but I also argue that income might also be a factor and age. Nevertheless, GD if networking is there can provide the benefits of sharing and working on projects, it is just a case of making sure those that need it can get access to it in some form.
Michael Nycyk

What type of collaboration helps? Psychological ownership, perceived learning and outco... - 1 views

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    This study by Blau and Caspi is valuable for seeing how using Google Docs in a sharing and collaborating environment has on perceived student learning. The credibility of this study is enhanced by a wide survey of 118 students at an Open University in Israel. Ownership meant the degree to which the student using Google Docs felt responsible to work on and update project documents. This quantitative study also sought to measure the perceived learning and quality of project outcomes students felt were a result of using Google Docs. The implications from the study suggested the importance of owning the document, but also to make sure others knew of changes to the document. A document creator felt they lost ownership of the document when editing was done on it. They became the reader of the document. Such a change in hierarchy shows the importance of communicating changes done on Google Docs to every team member. A second implication was that the value of the document seemed to increase when more revisions was done. This suggested that more work on the document resulted in a more credible and trustworthy document as the project document was improved towards its final presentation. In fact most survey respondents seemed to not think the document got worse as more things were added to it. Overall, there was a correlation between document quality and revision, with Google Docs being perceived as quite effective in producing trustworthy documents which add to the learning process. The researchers' main advice from the study is that revising documents and suggesting improvements is far more effective than editing another's documents. Whilst this is not always possible it does suggest the importance of communication in the collaboration process. Google Docs is not a passive collaboration media; therefore, care in making sure all team members communicate changes is vital to a much better collaboration process.
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    References Blau, I., & Caspi, A. (2009). What type of collaboration helps? Psychological ownership, perceived learning and outcome quality of collaboration using Google Docs. Proceedings of the Chais conference on instructional technologies research 2009: Learning in the technological era. Y. Eshet-Alkalai, A. Caspi, S. Eden, N. Geri, Y. Yair (Eds.), Raanana: The Open University of Israel. Retrieved April 2, 2011, from http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:bBVQbNfm4-MJ:scholar.google.com/+google+docs&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5
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