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theory — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 03:51:31 GMT

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theory — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 03:51:11 GMT

future

hoviethai — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:11:00 GMT

Required

Network Neutrality
1. Network Neutrality on Wikipedia
2. Free American broadband! @ Salon.com
3. PBS documentary entitled " The Net @ Risk " (video)

Folksonomy
4. WIRED: Order Out of Chaos by Bruce Sterling
5. New York Times: Folksonomy by Daniel H. Pink (2005)

Hey all! A bit last minute but i decided to contribute for Network Neutrality 2. Free American broadband! @ Salon.com . It explains why USA doesn't have internet broadband for all and falls behind other countries. Some communities fought back by trying to build municipal networks but the govt. and larger companies see this as a threat and try to limit such activities. - Daphne

Problem

Many places as diverse as Finland, Canada and Hong Kong all have much faster Internet connections at a lower cost than USA.
These nations all have something the U.S. lacks: a national broadband policy, one that actively encourages competition among providers, leading to lower consumer prices and better service
U.S. has a handful of unelected and unaccountable corporate giants that control vital telecommunications infrastructure.
Not only leads to a digital divide between the U.S. and the rest of the advanced world but to one inside the U.S. itself. (broadband services in America remain unavailable for many living in rural and poorer urban areas, and remain slow and expensive for those who do have access.)

FCC rules have stifled competition and given birth to telecom monopolies

FCC policies that fail to encourage real competition among broadband providers, giving free rein over the market to the cable and DSL giants.
Corporate giants are also vigorously fighting to stop cities and towns from building "Community Internet" systems -- affordable, high-speed broadband services funded in part by community groups and municipalities
Most of the countries surpassing the U.S. in broadband speed and availability have "open access" rules governing both their cable and DSL industries. Open access rules require the owner of a network to allow its competitors access to the network at wholesale prices. Open access benefits consumers by creating competition that leads to lower prices and new innovative services.
In the U.S., the FCC took the bizarre step of exempting cable Internet providers from all open access rules, while applying them in a limited fashion to the incumbent DSL companies.

Community Internet networks have got the suits running scared

Most promising alternative to the cable-DSL duopoly is Community Internet -- universal, affordable high-speed broadband service provided by cities and towns or community groups.
They view broadband as a public service, no different from water, gas or electricity and are building Community Internet and municipal broadband projects to bring high-speed Internet to areas overcharged or underserved by the cable and DSL companies
Some projects are built and operated exclusively by a municipality, while many others operate under public-private partnership agreements. Although a few places receive broadband over power lines, or fiber laid directly to homes, the majority of Community Internet projects utilize "Wi-Fi" technology to create "hot-spot" zones of broadband coverage or, in many cases, build a "mesh network" to blanket an entire city.
BUT, over the past several years, 14 states enacted laws that ban or place limits on municipalities from building Community Internet projects.
Notably, municipal networks are arising because of the failures of the incumbent providers. Without them, the U.S. will continue to fall behind the rest of the world in broadband technology.

Solution

What is needed is a truly competitive market, with many providers engaging in innovation that ultimately benefits all consumers. Government can play a role in making the market more competitive -- both by deploying Community Internet projects and by requiring the cable and telephone companies to provide open access to their networks.

Hi all! This is in response to No. 4. Here is a summary of the main points of Folksonomy WIRED: Order Out of Chaos by Bruce Sterling . It mainly talks about what Folksonomy is, how it works with some given examples its limitations and why we need it. – Daphne

What is Folksonomy?

Folksonomy, a term invented by information architect Thomas Vander Wal. It comes from 2 words - a mob of interested people – folks , and the machines working behind the scenes that tossed in some technological onomy .
Folksonomy is like taxonomy - the traditional way to impose structure on categorization.
- For example, I (Daphne) could be categorized/taxonomized as kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, subclass Eutheria, order Primata, suborder Haplorhini, family Hominidae, genus Homo , species sapiens .
Folksonomy, on the other hand, arises spontaneously as Net users encounter information, think about what it means, and tag it with descriptive words. Then software makes the information accessible via a simple keyword search. The results aren't definitive or scientific, but they can be very useful.
Folksonomy emerges from a combination of two inventions: (1) machines that can automate at least some of what it takes to classify information and (b) social software that makes users willing to do at least some of the work for nothing. You'll notice that 1 and b don't really go together. Folksonomy is like that. A pinch of free work and a peck of mechanical sorting will get you from 1 to b.

Examples of Folksonomy

includes social bookmarking are Web sites del.icio.us , furl.net , and jots.com , etc.
- An example is ~~Flicker:~~ Flickr: It's tiring to name or describe the zillions of private photographs you shoot each year, but that makes it less tiring to people who like to surf photos online.
- In Flickrland, the world is composed of many categories. Nobody invented this scheme.
- It's an ongoing, democratic process – a product of group interaction.

Limitations of Folksonomy:

Folksonomy is nearly useless for searching out specific, accurate information. You type in keywords and it helps you narrow your searches.
It may in future implode under the weight of immense numbers of users, or flame or spam out under the malignant attacks of free riders and rip-off artists.

Why we need Folksonomy:

No human can possibly catalog the dark, expanding ocean of data we have
It enable searches that are vast and powerful
Instead of surfing with search engines, we'll be trawling with engines of meaning.

journalism

velveteden — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:03:03 GMT

Required
• “We the Media” Chapters 1, 3, 9 ( Web / PDF )
Note: The Web version has the whole book on the same page.

Traditional Media
-Expensive

Requirement
1)People must know what they are talking about.
2)Go out and try to discover the truth.

New World Journalism

Publishing is only the middle of the information process
The audience can chose what they wish to discuss or correct.This is because the information provided by blogs, for example, are subjective as everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Chp 1: From Tom Paine to Blogs & Beyond

New era of journalism emerged upon events of September 11 (grassroot journalism)
Predecessor, Thomas Paine inspired many through his powerful writings of rebellion, liberty, and government in late 18th century
Anonymous authors of the Federalist Papers also contributed to the reverberating of history, without which the Constituition would never been approved by the State
20th Century - the Corporatization of Journalism: Consolidation of industries and emergence of capitalism favoring the "big over the small" --> Big Media
- Positive aspect
  - More resources to improve on quality and investigative reporting
- Negative aspect
  - Lured visitors with violence and entertainment
  - Kept other serious issues off the air
  - No depth in news coverage
Changing media technology has been in favor of journalism
- Internet and the sharing of information with one another
- Personal computers with word processor programs --> desktop publishing, personal journalism
- Participation of audience in modern talk radio; the audience makes the news
The Web Era Emergent: " Now we had a medium that was anything we wanted it to be: one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many. Just about anyone could own a digital printing press, and have worldwide distribution
Writings on the web: Journalism as a conversation, requiring technological & cultural aspects to set the scene for a new kind of news
Open source philosophy may produce better journalism at outset (i.e. like in this Wikispace); it is only the beginning of a conversation in which we all enlighten each other - we can correct our mistakes; we can add new facts and context; so if we can raise a barn together, we can do journalism together. We already are .

Nieman Reports http://www.hypergene.net/blog/comments.php?id=327_0_1_0_C
Recipe for Radical Change
too many journalists, especially journalists of my generation, remain in a state of confusion about the challenges of the new media environment and remain dangerously passive about the opportunities presented to traditional journalism by the new communications technology.
The No. 1 lesson of the Internet whether you’re Howard Dean or a media company or a marketer, is that you have to give up control to gain control.
The Shift in Authority of the Blogosphere (image edited, VH)

The hegemony as gatekeeper of the news is threatened not just by new technology and competitors, but by the audience it serves
Citizens everywhere are getting together via the Internet in unprecedented ways to set the agenda for news, to inform each other about hyper-local and global issues, and to create new services in a connected, always-on society
Audience is now an active, important participant in the creation and dissemination of news and information, with or without the help of mainstream news media
With great trepidation and reluctance, mainstream media are beginning to learn how to evolve their business from an authoritarian “ top-down ” approach to integrate and report on user-generated news, as well as establish ways to collaborate in meaningful ways with its audience
What has emerged in this new media ecosystem is a stark contrast between the entrenched forces of big media doing what it knows and the rest of the Internet informing itself — reporting , discussing and vetting the news

Giving Voices to the Overlooked

Most citizens don’t want to be journalists but do want to contribute in small and meaningful ways. Citizens are interested in participating and contributing to subjects that traditional news outlets ignore or do not often cover. Clyde Bentley, an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, notes, “ The main difference between traditional journalism and citizen journalism is that traditional journalists are sent out to cover things they don’t really care about; in other words, the next city council meeting isn’t going to make or break their lives. But a citizen journalist is not out to cover something, but to share it. For them, they want to tell everybody about their passion."
It’s easy to underestimate what it takes to be successful in an online community. It requires more than Web sites and tools. Communities will not survive on the “ Build it and they will come ” ethos. They require constant attention, involved leadership and most important, nurturing. This is similar to the concept of the "gift economy" with both giving and receiving.
Advertising revenues suggest that such ventures could become a small but viable business.
All are seeking to add greater interactivity. More powerful tools and platforms (i.e. Google Maps) will provide engines for citizen media innovation, such as “ public service hacks ” like those found on HousingMaps.com, ChicagoCrime.org, and the Katrina Information Map.

The Future of Citizen Journalism
' Citizen Journalism ':

Lots of citizen reporters scrutinize what other people say
usage of camera phones or video cameras can prevent criminals from getting away, more witnesses and proof
They have a way of getting to the truth, or at least shine light on inconsistencies
Thus, Fact Checking and Open Source Projects are tools used to scrutinize information
What is special is that citizens can put a personal point -of- view into their reporting. Big Media reports news in an objective manner and miss out details like emotions.
In 9/11, many bloggers showed live footage from their perspectives. Normal people became famous and people vented their sadness and frustration on blogs. Agreement helped people to unite together against terrorists.

Chp 9: Trolls, Spin and Boundaries of Trust - contributed by roshnirawla
As mentioned in my presentation, there are several ways to mislead:

1) Cut and Paste Problem (Pg 174)

Cutting removes relevant information;
May lead to distortion of original meaning;
Considered harmful and malicious;
Cause misunderstandings- thus solution is to email the entire article or URL to the original and let the reader be the judge.

2) Fake Images Problem

Leads to manipulation of public;
Naming images are its proof of authenticity;
Use of image altering tools like- Photoshop and Cropping;
Increased use of doctored video;
Use of electronically inserted backdrops leading to trickery. Example mentioned in the chapter, is that about John Kerry’s doctored image with Jane Fonda, together protesting at a rally. Even though it was unclear who created the fake image, the willingness of many people to trust the picture spoke volumes about how easy it was to manipulate public opinion.

: 3) Anonymity and Credibility
~~Possible Solution~~

Used to protect oneself from people around-
Example: Person with AIDS, Unpopular person, Corporate and government; Whistle Blowers;
has hazards and credibility issues- Example: Give trashy reviews, unable to counteract to enemies’ review’s;
Adoption of pseudonym as an alternative;
Implement use of digital signature.
Those people engaging in behaviors that can be life threatening have fear of being revealed and therefore, deserve the protection of anonymity when in need.

~~Fake Images~~ ~~Problem:~~ ~~Example~~ ~~Anonymity and Credibility~~ : ~~Example~~ ~~Pro~~ ~~Con~~ 4) Spinning

- Worst form of spinning: Press Releases (Adam Gaffin, pgs 184-185)
- Online spin can range from harmless/amusing to ethically challenging i.e. Google Bombing (pg 185)
- Online spin is obviously deceptive (pg 186)
- Case study: Kaycee Nicole (Hoax Blogger) (pg 187)
Solutions to Spinmeisters /spin doctors : Open conversations among readers, Investigative reporting (fact checking), One bad turn may be corrected by several good ones (Wordpirates, pg 188)
Basic Practices and Common Sense for a Citizen Journalist: Verify the information, Quote credible people and sources, Develop a hierarchy of trust (i.e. trust one source more than another)
But do not distrust all information, there may be some truth in some reports

5) Troll

Deliberately crafted to provoke others with intention of wasting their time and energy (pg 182)
Time thief; alike stealing from people, making trolling heinous (pg 183)
Isn’t necessarily insulting, snide or impolite because newbies may contradict knowledge
Only the crudest forms of trolling can be identified so easily
can be offensive towards someone in the newsgroup or broad request for followups
trollers are discreet, they choose a certain theme to trick only that certain group of people

This chapter also contains some information on Citizen Journalism:

-Lots of citizen reporters scrutinize what other people say. They have a way of getting to the truth, or at least shine light on inconsistencies.
-Thus Fact Checking and Open Source Projects are tools used to scrutinize information.

future

velveteden — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:33:01 GMT

Required

Problem

Many places as diverse as Finland, Canada and Hong Kong all have much faster Internet connections at a lower cost than USA.
These nations all have something the U.S. lacks: a national broadband policy, one that actively encourages competition among providers, leading to lower consumer prices and better service
U.S. has a handful of unelected and unaccountable corporate giants that control vital telecommunications infrastructure.
Not only leads to a digital divide between the U.S. and the rest of the advanced world but to one inside the U.S. itself. (broadband services in America remain unavailable for many living in rural and poorer urban areas, and remain slow and expensive for those who do have access.)

FCC rules have stifled competition and given birth to telecom monopolies

FCC policies that fail to encourage real competition among broadband providers, giving free rein over the market to the cable and DSL giants.
Corporate giants are also vigorously fighting to stop cities and towns from building "Community Internet" systems -- affordable, high-speed broadband services funded in part by community groups and municipalities
Most of the countries surpassing the U.S. in broadband speed and availability have "open access" rules governing both their cable and DSL industries. Open access rules require the owner of a network to allow its competitors access to the network at wholesale prices. Open access benefits consumers by creating competition that leads to lower prices and new innovative services.
In the U.S., the FCC took the bizarre step of exempting cable Internet providers from all open access rules, while applying them in a limited fashion to the incumbent DSL companies.

Community Internet networks have got the suits running scared

Most promising alternative to the cable-DSL duopoly is Community Internet -- universal, affordable high-speed broadband service provided by cities and towns or community groups.
They view broadband as a public service, no different from water, gas or electricity and are building Community Internet and municipal broadband projects to bring high-speed Internet to areas overcharged or underserved by the cable and DSL companies
Some projects are built and operated exclusively by a municipality, while many others operate under public-private partnership agreements. Although a few places receive broadband over power lines, or fiber laid directly to homes, the majority of Community Internet projects utilize "Wi-Fi" technology to create "hot-spot" zones of broadband coverage or, in many cases, build a "mesh network" to blanket an entire city.
BUT, over the past several years, 14 states enacted laws that ban or place limits on municipalities from building Community Internet projects.
Notably, municipal networks are arising because of the failures of the incumbent providers. Without them, the U.S. will continue to fall behind the rest of the world in broadband technology.

Solution

What is needed is a truly competitive market, with many providers engaging in innovation that ultimately benefits all consumers. Government can play a role in making the market more competitive -- both by deploying Community Internet projects and by requiring the cable and telephone companies to provide open access to their networks.

Hi all! This is in response to No. 4. Here is a summary of the main points of Folksonomy ~~Folksonomy~~ WIRED: Order Out of Chaos by Bruce ~~Sterling.~~ Sterling . It mainly talks about what Folksonomy is, how it works with some given examples its limitations and why we need it. – Daphne

What is Folksonomy?

Folksonomy, a term invented by information architect Thomas Vander Wal. It comes from 2 words - a mob of interested people – folks , and the machines working behind the scenes that tossed in some technological onomy .
Folksonomy is like taxonomy - the traditional way to impose structure on categorization.
- For example, I (Daphne) could be categorized/taxonomized as kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, subclass Eutheria, order Primata, suborder Haplorhini, family Hominidae, genus Homo , species sapiens .
Folksonomy, on the other hand, arises spontaneously as Net users encounter information, think about what it means, and tag it with descriptive words. Then software makes the information accessible via a simple keyword search. The results aren't definitive or scientific, but they can be very useful.
Folksonomy emerges from a combination of two inventions: (1) machines that can automate at least some of what it takes to classify information and (b) social software that makes users willing to do at least some of the work for nothing. You'll notice that 1 and b don't really go together. Folksonomy is like that. A pinch of free work and a peck of mechanical sorting will get you from 1 to b.

Examples of Folksonomy

includes social bookmarking are Web sites del.icio.us , furl.net , and jots.com , etc.
- An example is Flicker: It's tiring to name or describe the zillions of private photographs you shoot each year, but that makes it less tiring to people who like to surf photos online.
- In Flickrland, the world is composed of many categories. Nobody invented this scheme.
- It's an ongoing, democratic process – a product of group interaction.

Limitations of Folksonomy:

Folksonomy is nearly useless for searching out specific, accurate information. You type in keywords and it helps you narrow your searches.
It may in future implode under the weight of immense numbers of users, or flame or spam out under the malignant attacks of free riders and rip-off artists.

Why we need Folksonomy:

No human can possibly catalog the dark, expanding ocean of data we have
It enable searches that are vast and powerful
Instead of surfing with search engines, we'll be trawling with engines of meaning.

journalism

hoviethai — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:36:29 GMT

Required
• “We the Media” Chapters 1, 3, 9 ( Web / PDF )
Note: The Web version has the whole book on the same page.

Traditional Media
-Expensive

Requirement
1)People must know what they are talking about.
2)Go out and try to discover the truth.

New World Journalism

Publishing is only the middle of the information process
The audience can chose what they wish to discuss or correct.This is because the information provided by blogs, for example, are subjective as everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Chp 1: From Tom Paine to Blogs & Beyond

New era of journalism emerged upon events of September 11 (grassroot journalism)
Predecessor, Thomas Paine inspired many through his powerful writings of rebellion, liberty, and government in late 18th century
Anonymous authors of the Federalist Papers also contributed to the reverberating of history, without which the Constituition would never been approved by the State
20th Century - the Corporatization of Journalism: Consolidation of industries and emergence of capitalism favoring the "big over the small" --> Big Media
- Positive aspect
  - More resources to improve on quality and investigative reporting
- Negative aspect
  - Lured visitors with violence and entertainment
  - Kept other serious issues off the air
  - No depth in news coverage
Changing media technology has been in favor of journalism
- Internet and the sharing of information with one another
- Personal computers with word processor programs --> desktop publishing, personal journalism
- Participation of audience in modern talk radio; the audience makes the news
The Web Era Emergent: " Now we had a medium that was anything we wanted it to be: one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many. Just about anyone could own a digital printing press, and have worldwide distribution
Writings on the web: Journalism as a conversation, requiring technological & cultural aspects to set the scene for a new kind of news
Open source philosophy may produce better journalism at outset (i.e. like in this Wikispace); it is only the beginning of a conversation in which we all enlighten each other - we can correct our mistakes; we can add new facts and context; so if we can raise a barn together, we can do journalism together. We already are .

The hegemony as gatekeeper of the news is threatened not just by new technology and competitors, but by the audience it serves
Citizens everywhere are getting together via the Internet in unprecedented ways to set the agenda for news, to inform each other about hyper-local and global issues, and to create new services in a connected, always-on society
Audience is now an active, important participant in the creation and dissemination of news and information, with or without the help of mainstream news media
With great trepidation and reluctance, mainstream media are beginning to learn how to evolve their business from an authoritarian “ top-down ” approach to integrate and report on user-generated news, as well as establish ways to collaborate in meaningful ways with its audience
What has emerged in this new media ecosystem is a stark contrast between the entrenched forces of big media doing what it knows and the rest of the Internet informing itself — reporting , discussing and vetting the news

Giving Voices to the Overlooked

Most citizens don’t want to be journalists but do want to contribute in small and meaningful ways. Citizens are interested in participating and contributing to subjects that traditional news outlets ignore or do not often cover. Clyde Bentley, an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, notes, “ The main difference between traditional journalism and citizen journalism is that traditional journalists are sent out to cover things they don’t really care about; in other words, the next city council meeting isn’t going to make or break their lives. But a citizen journalist is not out to cover something, but to share it. For them, they want to tell everybody about their passion."
It’s easy to underestimate what it takes to be successful in an online community. It requires more than Web sites and tools. Communities will not survive on the “ Build it and they will come ” ethos. They require constant attention, involved leadership and most important, nurturing. This is similar to the concept of the "gift economy" with both giving and receiving.
Advertising revenues suggest that such ventures could become a small but viable business.
All are seeking to add greater interactivity. More powerful tools and platforms (i.e. Google Maps) will provide engines for citizen media innovation, such as “ public service hacks ” like those found on HousingMaps.com, ChicagoCrime.org, and the Katrina Information Map.

The Future of Citizen Journalism
' Citizen Journalism ':

Lots of citizen reporters scrutinize what other people say
usage of camera phones or video cameras can prevent criminals from getting away, more witnesses and proof
They have a way of getting to the truth, or at least shine light on inconsistencies
Thus, Fact Checking and Open Source Projects are tools used to scrutinize information
What is special is that citizens can put a personal point -of- view into their reporting. Big Media reports news in an objective manner and miss out details like emotions.
In 9/11, many bloggers showed live footage from their perspectives. Normal people became famous and people vented their sadness and frustration on blogs. Agreement helped people to unite together against terrorists.

Chp 9: Trolls, Spin and Boundaries of Trust
Cut and Paste Problem :
Possible Solution
Fake Images Problem:
Example
Anonymity and Credibility :
Example
Pro
Con
Spinning

- Worst form of spinning: Press Releases (Adam Gaffin, pgs 184-185)
- Online spin can range from harmless/amusing to ethically challenging i.e. Google Bombing (pg 185)
- Online spin is obviously deceptive (pg 186)
- Case study: Kaycee Nicole (Hoax Blogger) (pg 187)
Solutions to Spinmeisters /spin doctors : Open conversations among readers, Investigative reporting (fact checking), One bad turn may be corrected by several good ones (Wordpirates, pg 188)
Basic Practices and Common Sense for a Citizen Journalist: Verify the information, Quote credible people and sources, Develop a hierarchy of trust (i.e. trust one source more than another)
But do not distrust all information, there may be some truth in some reports

Troll

Deliberately crafted to provoke others with intention of wasting their time and energy (pg 182)
Time thief; alike stealing from people, making trolling heinous (pg 183)
Isn’t necessarily insulting, snide or impolite because newbies may contradict knowledge
Only the crudest forms of trolling can be identified so easily
can be offensive towards someone in the newsgroup or broad request for followups
trollers are discreet, they choose a certain theme to trick only that certain group of people

journalism

hoviethai — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:34:37 GMT

Required
• “We the Media” Chapters 1, 3, 9 ( Web / PDF )
Note: The Web version has the whole book on the same page.

Traditional Media
-Expensive

Requirement
1)People must know what they are talking about.
2)Go out and try to discover the truth.

New World Journalism

Publishing is only the middle of the information process
The audience can chose what they wish to discuss or correct.This is because the information provided by blogs, for example, are subjective as everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Chp 1: From Tom Paine to Blogs & Beyond

New era of journalism emerged upon events of September 11 (grassroot journalism)
Predecessor, Thomas Paine inspired many through his powerful writings of rebellion, liberty, and government in late 18th century
Anonymous authors of the Federalist Papers also contributed to the reverberating of history, without which the Constituition would never been approved by the State
20th Century - the Corporatization of Journalism: Consolidation of industries and emergence of capitalism favoring the "big over the small" --> Big Media
- Positive aspect
  - More resources to improve on quality and investigative reporting
- Negative aspect
  - Lured visitors with violence and entertainment
  - Kept other serious issues off the air
  - No depth in news coverage
Changing media technology has been in favor of journalism
- Internet and the sharing of information with one another
- Personal computers with word processor programs --> desktop publishing, personal journalism
- Participation of audience in modern talk radio; the audience makes the news
The Web Era Emergent: " Now we had a medium that was anything we wanted it to be: one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many. Just about anyone could own a digital printing press, and have worldwide distribution
Writings on the web: Journalism as a conversation, requiring technological & cultural aspects to set the scene for a new kind of news
Open source philosophy may produce better journalism at outset (i.e. like in this Wikispace); it is only the beginning of a conversation in which we all enlighten each other - we can correct our mistakes; we can add new facts and context; so if we can raise a barn together, we can do journalism together. We already are .

The hegemony as gatekeeper of the news is threatened not just by new technology and competitors, but by the audience it serves
Citizens everywhere are getting together via the Internet in unprecedented ways to set the agenda for news, to inform each other about hyper-local and global issues, and to create new services in a connected, always-on society
Audience is now an active, important participant in the creation and dissemination of news and information, with or without the help of mainstream news media
With great trepidation and reluctance, mainstream media are beginning to learn how to evolve their business from an authoritarian “ top-down ” approach to integrate and report on user-generated news, as well as establish ways to collaborate in meaningful ways with its audience
What has emerged in this new media ecosystem is a stark contrast between the entrenched forces of big media doing what it knows and the rest of the Internet informing itself — reporting , discussing and vetting the news

Giving Voices to the Overlooked

Most citizens don’t want to be journalists but do want to contribute in small and meaningful ways. Citizens are interested in participating and contributing to subjects that traditional news outlets ignore or do not often cover. Clyde Bentley, an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, notes, “ The main difference between traditional journalism and citizen journalism is that traditional journalists are sent out to cover things they don’t really care about; in other words, the next city council meeting isn’t going to make or break their lives. But a citizen journalist is not out to cover something, but to share it. For them, they want to tell everybody about their passion."
It’s easy to underestimate what it takes to be successful in an online community. It requires more than Web sites and tools. Communities will not survive on the “ Build it and they will come ” ethos. They require constant attention, involved leadership and most important, nurturing. This is similar to the concept of the "gift economy" with both giving and receiving.
Advertising revenues suggest that such ventures could become a small but viable business.
All are seeking to add greater interactivity. More powerful tools and platforms (i.e. Google Maps) will provide engines for citizen media innovation, such as “ public service hacks ” like those found on HousingMaps.com, ChicagoCrime.org, and the Katrina Information Map.

The Future of Citizen Journalism
' Citizen Journalism ':

Lots of citizen reporters scrutinize what other people say
usage of camera phones or video cameras can prevent criminals from getting away, more witnesses and proof
They have a way of getting to the truth, or at least shine light on inconsistencies
Thus, Fact Checking and Open Source Projects are tools used to scrutinize information
What is special is that citizens can put a personal point -of- view into their reporting. Big Media reports news in an objective manner and miss out details like emotions.
In 9/11, many bloggers showed live footage from their perspectives. Normal people became famous and people vented their sadness and frustration on blogs. Agreement helped people to unite together against terrorists.

Chp 9: Trolls, Spin and Boundaries of Trust
Cut and Paste Problem :
Possible Solution
Fake Images Problem:
Example
Anonymity and Credibility :
Example
Pro
Con
Spinning

- Worst form of spinning: Press Releases (Adam Gaffin, pgs 184-185)
- Online spin can range from harmless/amusing to ethically challenging i.e. Google Bombing (pg 185)
- Online spin is obviously deceptive (pg 186)
- Case study: Kaycee Nicole (Hoax Blogger) (pg 187)
Solutions to Spinmeisters /spin doctors : Open conversations among readers, Investigative reporting (fact checking), One bad turn may be corrected by several good ones (Wordpirates, pg 188)
Basic Practices and Common Sense for a Citizen Journalist: Verify the information, Quote credible people and sources, Develop a hierarchy of trust (i.e. trust one source more than another)
But do not distrust all information, there may be some truth in some reports

Troll

Deliberately crafted to provoke others with intention of wasting their time and energy (pg 182)
Time thief; alike stealing from people, making trolling heinous (pg 183)
Isn’t necessarily insulting, snide or impolite because newbies may contradict knowledge
Only the crudest forms of trolling can be identified so easily
can be offensive towards someone in the newsgroup or broad request for followups
trollers are discreet, they choose a certain theme to trick only that certain group of people

surveillance

hoviethai — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:31:27 GMT

Required Readings
• The Naked Crowd by Jeffrey Rosen (July 2004)
• Privacy under attack, but does anybody care? by Bob Sullivan (Oct 2006)
• Sousveillance : The recording of an activity from the perspective of a participant in the activity
• International Privacy Map by Privacy International

[Kevin: Cyberglogs won't be tested in the exam]
Cyborglogs
A cybernetic organism which has a synergy between human and machine such that operation of the machine does not require conscious thought or effort on the part of the human.

Origins
Derived from a concept of "Human Intelligence" which is the intertwining of human and machine.

Purpose of original cyborg communities
To explore the creation of visual arts in computer mediated reality.

Communities
Cyborg communities started in the 1970s, but became shared spaces in the 1990s with the advent of the World Wide Web.

Difference between weBLOGS and cyborGLOGS

Weblogs normally originate from desktop computers. However,glogs originate while walking around, without conscious thought and effort.
Blogs are always uploaded, but glogs don't have to be webcasted.
Glogs can be used to help the visually impaired or the mobility impaired.

Privacy

Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to control the flow of information about themselves.
It is sometimes related to anonymity although it is often most highly valued by people who are publicly known.
People may also choose to use pseudonyms to protect their privacy
Privacy can also be seen as an aspect of security—one in which trade-offs between the interests of one group and another can become particularly clear.
Privacy is also "to be left alone".

Surveillance

The monitoring of behavior usually from a position of higher authority.
Traditional surveillance:clsoe observation by a person
New surveillance:scrutiny through the use of technical means to extract or create personal or group data,whether from individuals or contexts (Marx,G.,2004)
Two types of surveillance : Counter and inverse surveillance

Counter surveillance

Practice of avoiding surveillance
Making surveillance difficult

Inverse surveillance

Can be referred as sousveillance
Instead of authorities watching over the citizens, it is the citizens that are recording the activities of the authorities (hierarchical sousveillance)
Example: citizens photographing police abuse

Privacy Vs Surveillance (Naked Crowd)

Increasing pressure to expose details of our lives to strangers in order to win their trust. Therefore,we expect the same from them.
Important Terms:

Panopticon - Few watch the many
Synoptican - Many watch the few
Omnipticon - Many watch the many

Fromm's Marketed Self: The easiest way to attract the attention and winning trust of strangers is to establish an emotional connection with them by projecting a consistent,memorable and trustworthy image. An example is the use of profiles in online social networking sites like Friendster and Myspace.
Personal branding: The Self is constructed as a form of marketed authenticity in which self is turned inside out and then sold to the world.

Sousveillance

“Sous” – “watching from below” – derived from a contrasting French word, “sur” - surveillance “watching from above” (Wikipedia, 2006)
Recording of an activity by a participant in the activity. Example: Rodney King incident.He was violently arrested by the LAPD and this was videotaped by George Holliday. It raised an outcry among many,who thought it was racially motivated.
Originated from Steve Mann, a University of Toronto computer engineering professor famous for turning himself into a cyborg.

Why Sousveillance?

To hold authorities to account
To ensure that people are aware of what is going on in the public spaces
To gather evidence for friends involved in confrontations with officials
To give people a sense of control over the constant oversight that take place in the public spaces
To document one’s life from one’s perspective

How Sousveillance Develop

The development of portable digital personal gadgets
Camera phone
Electronic eyeglasses – “eyetap”
The growth of “gift economy”

Sousveillance Today :

Citizen journalism – enable one to contribute one’s voices and views to the world’s knowledge. (OnMyNews, STOMP, singabloodypore.blogspot.com, mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com, "Global Viral" from ABC)
Citizens taking videos of events from their perspective instead of the journalists' is now rampant on youtube and their own blogs
World Sousveillance Day (Occurs on Dec 24th and it involves people taking photos or videos of cameras used by the authorities for the purpose of surveillance - "Record the lens that records you")
CARPE 2004 - Continuous Archival and Retrieval of Personal Experiences (a workshop with leading researchers from around the world to share their findings and insights)

Identity Theft

Crimes in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.
Personal data (Social Security Number, Bank account, credit card, telephone calling card number, etc) are unlike finger print which can be used easily.

Types of Identity Theft:

Shoulder Surfing (Using direct observation techniques, such as looking over someone's shoulder, to get information. It is an effective way to get information in crowded places because it's relatively easy to stand next to someone and watch as they fill out a form, enter a PIN number at an ATM machine, or use a calling card at a public pay phone.)
Dumpster Diving (the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find usable items that have been discarded, e.g cedit card numbers)
Phishing (The act of sending a message to a user, falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The which victims are redirected to a website without their knowledge or consent, which looks the same as a genuine website. Information like login name and password is captured by criminals)
Pharming (Redirect as many users as possible from legitimate commercial websites to malicious ones)
Vishing (the practice of leveraging VoIP technology to trick private personal and financial information from the public for the purpose of financial reward.)
Keystroke Logging (a diagnostic tool used in software development that captures the user's keystrokes)
Screen Scrapers (a computer program extracts data from the display output of another program.)

Identity Theft Prevention:

Don’t give your personal information unless you have reason to trust them
If you have a credit or debit card, check whether you have been receiving the list of transactions for the most recent month or reporting period
If you have to purchase items online, be sure to make purchases at legitimate sites, or go through safer channels such as paypals
Maintain careful records of your banking and financial account

MIND MAP

politics

hoviethai — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:33:57 GMT

Required Readings
• “Does the Internet create Democracy?” (2002) by Alinta Thornton ( Web Site / Microsoft Word download )
• The politics of Singapore’s new media in 2006 (Dec 31, 2006) by Gerald Giam

[Kevin: Careful, some points in "Internet in Singapore" might not be true. Fact-checking required!]

Internet in Singapore

The internet in Singapore is almost devoid of political discussion and dissent only occurs on websites and discussion forums run fro outside the country
The Internet is censored along with the traditional media, but the government was one of the first in the world to realize its importance as a means of dissent by civil society.
The government pushed through two major computer and Internet laws in 1998.
One, the computer Misuse act, gave police wide powers to intercept online messages and said the authorities could decode encrypted messages in the course of investigations and under supervision of a prosecutor.
The other law, on e- commerce, allowed police to seize and search computers without a warrant to do so.
Since the late 1990s, the Internet has been under the control of the Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which monitors website access and content and calls for observance of a charter defining responsible
It requires ISPs (Internet Service Protocol) to block any sites containing material supposedly undermines public security, national defense, racial and religious harmony and public morality.
ISPs have to follow a code of conduct and must have an operating license.
They must also install filters on their systems, which block most pornographic material but also used to bar access to political content, especially at election- time.

Can the Internet truly create Democracy?

E-democracy:

Also known as Cyberdemocracy / Digital Democracy
Comprises the use of electronic communications technologies, like the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy
This political development still in its infancy; subject of much debate
Includes e-voting, but has a wider scope than that

Benefits of E-democracy

Citizen participation in public policy decision-making more expansive and direct »» Broader influence in policy outcomes (more people, could yield smarter policies)
Increase in transparency and accountability
Keeps the government closer to the consent of the governed »» Increases political legitimacy of democracy

Public Sphere

Precondition for a strong liberal democracy
Debate of a democratised media centres on Philosopher Jurgen Habermas' work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Habermas' Notion of the Public Sphere

A part of social life where citizens can exchange views on matters of importance to the common good, so that public opinion can be formed
Comes into being when people gather to discuss issues of political concern
Process of discussion important »» Must take the form of rational-critical debate, avoiding use of emotive language, but focusing on rationality of content alone
Participants should have a common interest in truth (status differentials bracketed, so that participants speak as equals)
Criticism vital to the process »» So that proposals put forward can be tested, and participants can discover meaning together in the process

Issues on Feasibility of Internet Democracy

Surveillance and Control

Most things on the Internet based on trust
Fear of government controls that would diminish the Internet's ability to support democracy

Access and Participation

Full participation (one of the central problems of having the Internet as a force for participatory democracy)
Digital divide - Gap between those with and those without access to the mediums of E-democracy, such as Computers or Internet connection
Gender issues - Male dominance / Rational, objective "manly" styles of speech judged superior than emotive, personal styles more associated with women
HOWEVER, 20th Century women are generally educated to use rationality in debate and to acknowledge it as important
Gender inequalities exist in the world »» Will it impede democracy in the Internet?

Social Issues

"Tragedy of the commons"

A useful public area attracts more and more participants, until the space is degraded and it fails to fulfill its original purpose
E.g. Usenet - many groups ended up with flame wars, trolling, spam, advertising, inanities, off-topic discussions
As a result, alternatives spring up (other forums, web based bulletin boards, etc. - require personal invitations, registration etc.)
»» Contrary to early ethos of open participation
ALSO, "when a forum's best and brightest take their act elsewhere, the original forum's usefulness is greatly diminished." (Iverson, 1999) »» Elite groups are set up (private, closed email lists, has rules and moderating of content)

Political Economy

Commodification

The process in which citizens are treated as consumers, with the public sphere and politicians being sold as commodities
- Consider how citizens are given the false impression of critical debate by the media who use sensationalism to present issues, rather than intelligent and considered discussion
  - Patriot Act in the USA. Your position on this issue became a matter of patriotism, rather than the need to carefully consider how much power a government should be given to infringe on the privacy of ordinary citizens
- Politicians now package themselves as products; look at how they extensively manage their images
  - We can see this in how President George W. Bush packages himself as a "compassionate conservative", and consistently woos the Christian segments of the USA
The Internet could have the potential to become another tool in the commodification of democracy
- It can have the same effects as other media channels through the use of advertising and public relations initiatives
  - Many major news networks, like the Fox Broadcasting Company, have an extensive presence on the Internet
- However, it also provides for the presence of dissenting voices
  - Look at the popularity of independent blogs and newsgroups

Media Concentration

This describes how as media companies merge, the public sphere is increasingly being dominated by a few media companies.
This can restrict media access and hamper debate as there now exists fewer sources from which you can obtain news and information
- As of 2001 about 7 conglomerates controlled a vast majority of the global media
High media concentration causes a shift from useful contribution to the public sphere, to a competition for power (market share, profits, political loyalty, etc)

The Internet as a Profit Center

This occurs as companies begin exploiting the Internet and its users to generate profits, rather than promote discourse
- Consider how Internet Service Providers charge a monthly subscription fee, restricting the number of people who can have access to it
- Companies also can exploit the Internet as an avenue to manage customer relations, as well as conduct market research on consumers
The cooperative nature of the Internet, like the concept of a gift economy, could be a threat to profits. Who needs companies when we can relay on the support of social networks to gain the help or information we need
- However, even this cooperative nature can be exploited, after all the Internet is a vast and complex place
  - Google for example provides you help in finding appropriate websites (search function), but they do so while making money (sponsored links, Google Ads). Even the website rankings can be altered by commercial firms through Googlewashing, not providing users with the best websites. Rather we end up with those who paid the most

From Cheilla:
My group in com 125A did the presentation about politics, and there's one thing that Kevin mentioned about few times in class. So I think it's quite important for us to take note. Here's the brief explanation :)

Many people have wondered why there is no online election available currently. Well, security is absolutely the main reason. It is so vulnerable to make online election since there are plenty talented hackers out there. Meanwhile, e-Commerce , distributing, buying, selling, marketing and servicing of products or services through the Internet ("Electronic Commerce", 2007), keeps going on. So, I found a discussion on www.schneier.com about "Internet Voting vs. Large Value e-Commerce". People were arguing about the reason why big transaction in the e-Commerce could be protected and online election could not. I came up with this table as the summary of the answers.

Financial Transaction

Use credit cards, PayPal, etc. which requires personal information.

You can unwind and redo transactions if anything fails.

while...

e-Voting

Voting = anonymous
>>Harder to protect the system from fraud
>>Harder to detect fraud if it happens
>>Harder to identify the perpetrator & arrest him.

You can't redo elections if anything fails (for example: someone hack the system)
||

I don't know why I can't combine the table together, but the original version can be found in http://com125.wordpress.com/downloads/ >> week10 > com 125A presentation, the 59th slide. So sorry about that.

Both e-commerce and online voting need protection, but as I have mentioned before, if hackers could find a way to crack the system, the election would be (more) in jeopardy (rather than e-commerce).

Hope this topic will be useful for the exam. :)

References

E-democracy. (2007). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . Retrieved March 26, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_democracy

Electronic Commerce. (2007). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . Retrieved April 11, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce

Iverson, T. (1999). Will privatization of the Net spell the end of its gritty common ground?. Metroactive Central. Retrieved May, 2002, from http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/01.14.99/cover/usenet1-9902.html (from Required Reading, Does the Internet create Democracy? by Alinta Thorton. HTML Version / Microsoft Word Version )

Participatory democracy. (2007). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . Retrieved March 26, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_democracy

Schneier, B. (2001). Cripto-Gram newsletter - Internet Voting vs. Large Value e-Commerce. Retrieved March 20, 2007, from Cripto-Gram: February 15, 2001. Web site: http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0102.html#10

~Cheilla (read: Shila! )~

MIND MAP ( Hope you guys can find it helpful, Viet Hai)

Possible Questions

Discuss how the Internet could both help and hamper democracy.
What challenges do we face in using e-voting to increase democratic participation?
Define the 'tragedy of the commons', and discuss its implications for the Internet.
What events or instances in Singapore have you observed to support the notion that the Internet can help improve democracy?

gaming

theory — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 17:57:29 GMT

Required
[Kevin's clue: Watch the Chinese Gold Farmers video ]

Why should we take games seriously?
•1. World of Warcraft: Is It a Game?

This article talks about how World of Warcraft has blurred the lines between the real and virtual world. It is an expensive game but yet many people are playing it (refer to facts below). Why?

Players form communities and enemies among themselves through the game. Japanese venture capitalist Joi Ito invited his professional contact, Ross Mayfield, CEO of an Internet company to his guild. His guild is like a mini-society with its own Web sites, online forums and private lore. They organize raids into the feared Molten Core every 2 weeks to slay the powerful "boss mob" monsters who is Jamie Ray, a night-shift nurse in West Virginia.

Events that happened in real life are mimicked in WoW. When one guild member died in real life, his friends grieved in a virtual funeral inside the game. Ross Mayfield closed a deal with a company he met through WoW. Higher level players tutor newbies and accompany them on quests like seniors on orientation camps with college freshmen.

Warcraft has its own economy, such as the gold and exotic armor and weaponry that players accumulate to trade. In class, we talked about how young adults in China, mainly males, are “exchanging labor in terms of clicks” for gold in WoW and selling them to the U.S. for a handsome profit. These players are known as “gold farmers”. The avenues for selling are PlayerAuctions and ItemBay (Week 12 COM 125B presenatation). Selling was banned on ebay.com because the objects derived belong to Blizzard Entertainment. This is unlike Second Life or IMVU where users create their own objects and can sell them because they are the copyright holders.

Quick Facts of World of Warcraft:
- World of Warcraft (WoW) is owned by Blizzard Entertainment.
- WoW is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), medieval matrix setting with seductive soundtrack.
- To play the game, purchase the software at $50 and a monthly $15 fee thereafter to play online.
- Highest level a player can go to is 60. Now 70, after the release of The Burning Crusade on the 16 Jan, 2007.
- WoW currently has 8.5 million players worldwide as of 10 April 2007(Wikipedia)

Trivial:
- Unfamiliar users usually mix it up as ‘War of Worldcraft’.

Contributed by Andrea Ng

Here is the reason Why should we take games seriously. This is one of the 2 required readings for Gaming. Hope this helps!! - Daphne :)
• 2. Virtually dead in Iraq

Abstract

To streak entertainment with reality, artist Joseph DeLappe has turned "America's Army" into a war protest and a memorial to dead soldiers.
The lines between war games and the ongoing war in Iraq are being blurred.

What he does

He logs on to the game and does nothing. While other online players around him simulate war -- and eventually shoot him -- he types into the program's chat interface the name of each service person killed in Iraq.
As of Sept. 14, he'd entered 1,273 names of the 2,670 Americans killed there; he plans to continue until the war ends. "I'm trying to remind other gamers that real people are dying in Iraq," DeLappe says.
"It's probably the only game out there on the Internet, where if it draws you in and gets you to join the military, you could die," says DeLappe, 43.
This game could be a form of “reality” and catharsis for DeLappe - it is a way to communicate a sense of loss and frustration with the fact that soldiers are dying over there and life just seems to be going on like normal over here.
His timing couldn't be much better. His work slices into the heart of national dissatisfaction with the Iraq war and the lack of a government strategy to disengage. The list of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians continues to grow.
A poll conducted for CNN found that as of last month, 60 percent of Americans oppose the war in Iraq, the highest number since the beginning of the war three and a half years ago.

What others think

Blogs : some of which praise it as "powerful," "quite elegant" and "wickedly clever
Rhizome (the country's leading new-media art organization) : “a thoughtful co-opting of the tools of digital culture”.
Antiwar groups and parents of soldiers who were killed in Iraq: were outraged by the $4 billion a year the military spends to recruit new soldiers and finds DeLappe's performance art as valuable.
Main audience in "America's Army" comprises young gamers, some of them actual soldiers stationed in Iraq, who log on to the game for fun and emotional release from extreme stress : many are not amused when confronted DeLappe's protest. They do not need to be reminded about the reality of war.
The military (makers of the game): Not threatened by this artistic endeavor. In their 22nd update, they plan to recruit more soldiers by showing them what army life is like.
Peace activists : sense that protest art is counterproductive. People in the peace movement gravitate toward art too quickly and use it too much.

What he thinks

Online spaces like "America's Army" are a critical place to interact with the world. Impressionable kids are spending their time playing the game and this causes them to think.
Art is a limited form for trying to change the world, but it's a tool for him to do his patriotic duty.

The Virtual Economy

Definition: an emergent economy existing in a virtual persistent world, usually in the context of an Internet game.
The new economy where one can earn real money in the virtual world.
- Examples of games with virtual economies:
  - Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs)
    - Entropia Universe
    - World of Warcraft
  - Virtual Reality Platforms
    - The Sims Online
    - Second Life
  - Browse-Based Internet Games
    - Neopets
    - Kingdom of Loathing

The Virtual Asset Trade

Virtual asset: representation of currency in some environment or situation.
- Currency can be a medium of exchange or a property that has value.
Virtual assets may have an equivalent value in real world money.
- Example: In Second Life, Linden dollars (L$) are going at the rate of L$260/US$1.
Virtual asset trading can lead to real-world fortunes.
- Example: Ailin Graef became the first real-world millionaire by dealing in virtual assets through her avatar Anshe Chung.

Virtual Trading Sites – eBay

Characters, spells, and game currency are sold on online auction websites like eBay for real money.
- Examples:
  - Second Life currency the Linden Dollar (SLD)
  - Second Life avatar skins
  - Second Life business rights
Virtual game items are now banned on eBay's US and UK sites.
Auctions are banned because they are illegal under the games’ terms of service.
An exception for Second Life; eBay does not consider it a game.
Instead, Second Life is a virtual reality platform.

Issues Concerning The Virtual Economy
1) Virtual Crime
a) Monetary Extortion
- The emergence of gangs and mafia where where powerful players would threaten beginners to give money for their "protection“.
b) Cyber Sex
- In the Sims Online, a 17 year old boy as discovered to have built a cyber brothel where customers would pay sim money
for cybersex. It resulted in Maxis cancelling his account.

c) Murder
- In China, a dispute over a Dragon Sabre in a game led to the murder of a gamer.

d) Virtual Mugging
- Players rob other players' characters and take their items.

2) Gold Farming
- Paying workers in poor countries to gather virtual gold and selling it for real gold.
- - A player ‘farms’ by repeating mundane actions over and over in order to collect in-game items. - - 'Craftable' items (items that can be used to produce other products) are among the most commonly farmed items.

a) The Pros
- Generates jobs for thousands of people. ¨ - Allows non-hazardous labor and pay.

b) The Cons
- Damaging to the economy as a whole. ¨ - Exploiting the workers for low pay so that the managers can maximize profit. Introduces the Industrial Revolution.¨ - Farms violate game rules.

3) Mudflation
- A combination of MUD and Inflation. - Occurs when a game has created its own currency to facilitate trade. - Valuation of the game currency drops, leading to mudflation in the economy.
- Distribution of currency causes an increasing amount of game currency in circulation. - Leads to more game currency being sold and forcing the price down.

- For example: In August/September of 2004, the exchange rate between the Linden and US Dollar was about US$5.80 for 1000
Linden Dollars. - 18 months later, the exchange rate declined to US$3.57 for 1000 Linden Dollars, a 40% decline in value.

From Mr. Kevin's Slides on Gaming - Questions to think about :-
Qn: What are the implications of "artificial" scarcity? (My answer is taken from the required reading: "The Unreal Estate Boom")
People actually prefer to be in worlds where they are required to pay an entrance fee, where digital goods are hard to get to and even harder to copy. The addictive appeal of online role-playing games suggests that people will choose the constraining and challenging world over the one that sets them free.
Scarcity breeds markets, and markets will seep through any boundary that gives them the slightest opening - never mind a line as porous as the one between real and make-believe.
Castronova (the Adam Smith of EverQuest): "The minute you hardwire constraints into a virtual world, an economy emerges. One-trillionth of a second later, that economy starts interacting with ours."

Here's another question (from me) to think about:-
Qn: People generally know about the negative effects of gaming, but what are some of its benefits?
1) Videogame therapy
- Training & rehabilitation aid
- People with attentional difficulties
- Traumatic brain injury
- Physiotherapy for arm injuries
- Occupational therapy
- Train body movements
- Respiratory muscles training
2) Educate players
- Role-playing
- Teach humanities
- Calculation
3) Social activities
4) Enjoyable and relaxing hobby / entertainment
5) Stimulate imgination
6) Sharpen mental faculties
7) Improve hand-eye coordination
8) Mimic social structure
Contributed by Andrea Lim

politics

theory — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:12:29 GMT

Internet in Singapore

The internet in Singapore is almost devoid of political discussion and dissent only occurs on websites and discussion forums run fro outside the country
The Internet is censored along with the traditional media, but the government was one of the first in the world to realize its importance as a means of dissent by civil society.
The government pushed through two major computer and Internet laws in 1998.
One, the computer Misuse act, gave police wide powers to intercept online messages and said the authorities could decode encrypted messages in the course of investigations and under supervision of a prosecutor.
The other law, on e- commerce, allowed police to seize and search computers without a warrant to do so.
Since the late 1990s, the Internet has been under the control of the Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which monitors website access and content and calls for observance of a charter defining responsible
It requires ISPs (Internet Service Protocol) to block any sites containing material supposedly undermines public security, national defense, racial and religious harmony and public morality.
ISPs have to follow a code of conduct and must have an operating license.
They must also install filters on their systems, which block most pornographic material but also used to bar access to political content, especially at election- time.

Can the Internet truly create Democracy?

E-democracy:

Also known as Cyberdemocracy / Digital Democracy
Comprises the use of electronic communications technologies, like the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy
This political development still in its infancy; subject of much debate
Includes e-voting, but has a wider scope than that

Benefits of E-democracy

Citizen participation in public policy decision-making more expansive and direct »» Broader influence in policy outcomes (more people, could yield smarter policies)
Increase in transparency and accountability
Keeps the government closer to the consent of the governed »» Increases political legitimacy of democracy

Public Sphere

Precondition for a strong liberal democracy
Debate of a democratised media centres on Philosopher Jurgen Habermas' work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Habermas' Notion of the Public Sphere

A part of social life where citizens can exchange views on matters of importance to the common good, so that public opinion can be formed
Comes into being when people gather to discuss issues of political concern
Process of discussion important »» Must take the form of rational-critical debate, avoiding use of emotive language, but focusing on rationality of content alone
Participants should have a common interest in truth (status differentials bracketed, so that participants speak as equals)
Criticism vital to the process »» So that proposals put forward can be tested, and participants can discover meaning together in the process

Issues on Feasibility of Internet Democracy

Surveillance and Control

Most things on the Internet based on trust
Fear of government controls that would diminish the Internet's ability to support democracy

Access and Participation

Full participation (one of the central problems of having the Internet as a force for participatory democracy)
Digital divide - Gap between those with and those without access to the mediums of E-democracy, such as Computers or Internet connection
Gender issues - Male dominance / Rational, objective "manly" styles of speech judged superior than emotive, personal styles more associated with women
HOWEVER, 20th Century women are generally educated to use rationality in debate and to acknowledge it as important
Gender inequalities exist in the world »» Will it impede democracy in the Internet?

Social Issues

"Tragedy of the commons"

A useful public area attracts more and more participants, until the space is degraded and it fails to fulfill its original purpose
E.g. Usenet - many groups ended up with flame wars, trolling, spam, advertising, inanities, off-topic discussions
As a result, alternatives spring up (other forums, web based bulletin boards, etc. - require personal invitations, registration etc.)
»» Contrary to early ethos of open participation
ALSO, "when a forum's best and brightest take their act elsewhere, the original forum's usefulness is greatly diminished." (Iverson, 1999) »» Elite groups are set up (private, closed email lists, has rules and moderating of content)

Political Economy

Commodification

The process in which citizens are treated as consumers, with the public sphere and politicians being sold as commodities
- Consider how citizens are given the false impression of critical debate by the media who use sensationalism to present issues, rather than intelligent and considered discussion
  - Patriot Act in the USA. Your position on this issue became a matter of patriotism, rather than the need to carefully consider how much power a government should be given to infringe on the privacy of ordinary citizens
- Politicians now package themselves as products; look at how they extensively manage their images
  - We can see this in how President George W. Bush packages himself as a "compassionate conservative", and consistently woos the Christian segments of the USA
The Internet could have the potential to become another tool in the commodification of democracy
- It can have the same effects as other media channels through the use of advertising and public relations initiatives
  - Many major news networks, like the Fox Broadcasting Company, have an extensive presence on the Internet
- However, it also provides for the presence of dissenting voices
  - Look at the popularity of independent blogs and newsgroups

Media Concentration

This describes how as media companies merge, the public sphere is increasingly being dominated by a few media companies.
This can restrict media access and hamper debate as there now exists fewer sources from which you can obtain news and information
- As of 2001 about 7 conglomerates controlled a vast majority of the global media
High media concentration causes a shift from useful contribution to the public sphere, to a competition for power (market share, profits, political loyalty, etc)

The Internet as a Profit Center

This occurs as companies begin exploiting the Internet and its users to generate profits, rather than promote discourse
- Consider how Internet Service Providers charge a monthly subscription fee, restricting the number of people who can have access to it
- Companies also can exploit the Internet as an avenue to manage customer relations, as well as conduct market research on consumers
The cooperative nature of the Internet, like the concept of a gift economy, could be a threat to profits. Who needs companies when we can relay on the support of social networks to gain the help or information we need
- However, even this cooperative nature can be exploited, after all the Internet is a vast and complex place
  - Google for example provides you help in finding appropriate websites (search function), but they do so while making money (sponsored links, Google Ads). Even the website rankings can be altered by commercial firms through Googlewashing, not providing users with the best websites. Rather we end up with those who paid the most

Financial Transaction

Use credit cards, PayPal, etc. which requires personal information.

You can unwind and redo transactions if anything fails.

while...

e-Voting

Voting = anonymous
>>Harder to protect the system from fraud
>>Harder to detect fraud if it happens
>>Harder to identify the perpetrator & arrest him.

You can't redo elections if anything fails (for example: someone hack the system)
||

I don't know why I can't combine the table together, but the original version can be found in http://com125.wordpress.com/downloads/ >> week10 > com 125A presentation, the 59th slide. So sorry about that.

References

Possible Questions

Discuss how the Internet could both help and hamper democracy.
What challenges do we face in using e-voting to increase democratic participation?
Define the 'tragedy of the commons', and discuss its implications for the Internet.
What events or instances in Singapore have you observed to support the notion that the Internet can help improve democracy?

future : final exam

juliusethan — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:58:58 GMT

i reckon the final exam's going to be on what Kevin's taught so far. it might not be easy, mightn't be too tough. okay but seriously, i think/hope it's all mostly on definition and not too much on examples. my advice is, to look through all his notes and pay special attention to the definitions of all the jargon like 'folksonomy' and what not. cheers!

surveillance

theory — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:55:35 GMT

Weblogs normally originate from desktop computers. However,glogs originate while walking around, without conscious thought and effort.
Blogs are always uploaded, but glogs don't have to be webcasted.
Glogs can be used to help the visually impaired or the mobility impaired.

Privacy

Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to control the flow of information about themselves.
It is sometimes related to anonymity although it is often most highly valued by people who are publicly known.
People may also choose to use pseudonyms to protect their privacy
Privacy can also be seen as an aspect of security—one in which trade-offs between the interests of one group and another can become particularly clear.
Privacy is also "to be left alone".

Surveillance

The monitoring of behavior usually from a position of higher authority.
Traditional surveillance:clsoe observation by a person
New surveillance:scrutiny through the use of technical means to extract or create personal or group data,whether from individuals or contexts (Marx,G.,2004)
Two types of surveillance : Counter and inverse surveillance

Counter surveillance

Practice of avoiding surveillance
Making surveillance difficult

Inverse surveillance

Can be referred as sousveillance
Instead of authorities watching over the citizens, it is the citizens that are recording the activities of the authorities (hierarchical sousveillance)
Example: citizens photographing police abuse

Privacy Vs Surveillance (Naked Crowd)

Increasing pressure to expose details of our lives to strangers in order to win their trust. Therefore,we expect the same from them.
Important Terms:

Panopticon - Few watch the many
Synoptican - Many watch the few
Omnipticon - Many watch the many

Fromm's Marketed Self: The easiest way to attract the attention and winning trust of strangers is to establish an emotional connection with them by projecting a consistent,memorable and trustworthy image. An example is the use of profiles in online social networking sites like Friendster and Myspace.
Personal branding: The Self is constructed as a form of marketed authenticity in which self is turned inside out and then sold to the world.

Sousveillance

“Sous” – “watching from below” – derived from a contrasting French word, “sur” - surveillance “watching from above” (Wikipedia, 2006)
Recording of an activity by a participant in the activity. Example: Rodney King incident.He was violently arrested by the LAPD and this was videotaped by George Holliday. It raised an outcry among many,who thought it was racially motivated.
Originated from Steve Mann, a University of Toronto computer engineering professor famous for turning himself into a cyborg.

Why Sousveillance?

To hold authorities to account
To ensure that people are aware of what is going on in the public spaces
To gather evidence for friends involved in confrontations with officials
To give people a sense of control over the constant oversight that take place in the public spaces
To document one’s life from one’s perspective

How Sousveillance Develop

The development of portable digital personal gadgets
Camera phone
Electronic eyeglasses – “eyetap”
The growth of “gift economy”

Sousveillance Today :

Citizen journalism – enable one to contribute one’s voices and views to the world’s knowledge. (OnMyNews, STOMP, singabloodypore.blogspot.com, mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com, "Global Viral" from ABC)
Citizens taking videos of events from their perspective instead of the journalists' is now rampant on youtube and their own blogs
World Sousveillance Day (Occurs on Dec 24th and it involves people taking photos or videos of cameras used by the authorities for the purpose of surveillance - "Record the lens that records you")
CARPE 2004 - Continuous Archival and Retrieval of Personal Experiences (a workshop with leading researchers from around the world to share their findings and insights)

Identity Theft

Crimes in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.
Personal data (Social Security Number, Bank account, credit card, telephone calling card number, etc) are unlike finger print which can be used easily.

Types of Identity Theft:

Shoulder Surfing (Using direct observation techniques, such as looking over someone's shoulder, to get information. It is an effective way to get information in crowded places because it's relatively easy to stand next to someone and watch as they fill out a form, enter a PIN number at an ATM machine, or use a calling card at a public pay phone.)
Dumpster Diving (the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find usable items that have been discarded, e.g cedit card numbers)
Phishing (The act of sending a message to a user, falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The which victims are redirected to a website without their knowledge or consent, which looks the same as a genuine website. Information like login name and password is captured by criminals)
Pharming (Redirect as many users as possible from legitimate commercial websites to malicious ones)
Vishing (the practice of leveraging VoIP technology to trick private personal and financial information from the public for the purpose of financial reward.)
Keystroke Logging (a diagnostic tool used in software development that captures the user's keystrokes)
Screen Scrapers (a computer program extracts data from the display output of another program.)

Identity Theft Prevention:

Don’t give your personal information unless you have reason to trust them
If you have a credit or debit card, check whether you have been receiving the list of transactions for the most recent month or reporting period
If you have to purchase items online, be sure to make purchases at legitimate sites, or go through safer channels such as paypals
Maintain careful records of your banking and financial account

politics

mariani — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:51:26 GMT

Internet in Singapore

The internet in Singapore is almost devoid of political discussion and dissent only occurs on websites and discussion forums run fro outside the country
The Internet is censored along with the traditional media, but the government was one of the first in the world to realize its importance as a means of dissent by civil society.
The government pushed through two major computer and Internet laws in 1998.
One, the computer Misuse act, gave police wide powers to intercept online messages and said the authorities could decode encrypted messages in the course of investigations and under supervision of a prosecutor.
The other law, on e- commerce, allowed police to seize and search computers without a warrant to do so.
Since the late 1990s, the Internet has been under the control of the Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which monitors website access and content and calls for observance of a charter defining responsible
It requires ISPs (Internet Service Protocol) to block any sites containing material supposedly undermines public security, national defense, racial and religious harmony and public morality.
ISPs have to follow a code of conduct and must have an operating license.
They must also install filters on their systems, which block most pornographic material but also used to bar access to political content, especially at election- time.

Can the Internet truly create Democracy?

E-democracy:

Also known as Cyberdemocracy / Digital Democracy
Comprises the use of electronic communications technologies, like the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy
This political development still in its infancy; subject of much debate
Includes e-voting, but has a wider scope than that

Benefits of E-democracy

Citizen participation in public policy decision-making more expansive and direct »» Broader influence in policy outcomes (more people, could yield smarter policies)
Increase in transparency and accountability
Keeps the government closer to the consent of the governed »» Increases political legitimacy of democracy

Public Sphere

Precondition for a strong liberal democracy
Debate of a democratised media centres on Philosopher Jurgen Habermas' work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Habermas' Notion of the Public Sphere

A part of social life where citizens can exchange views on matters of importance to the common good, so that public opinion can be formed
Comes into being when people gather to discuss issues of political concern
Process of discussion important »» Must take the form of rational-critical debate, avoiding use of emotive language, but focusing on rationality of content alone
Participants should have a common interest in truth (status differentials bracketed, so that participants speak as equals)
Criticism vital to the process »» So that proposals put forward can be tested, and participants can discover meaning together in the process

Issues on Feasibility of Internet Democracy

Surveillance and Control

Most things on the Internet based on trust
Fear of government controls that would diminish the Internet's ability to support democracy

Access and Participation

Full participation (one of the central problems of having the Internet as a force for participatory democracy)
Digital divide - Gap between those with and those without access to the mediums of E-democracy, such as Computers or Internet connection
Gender issues - Male dominance / Rational, objective "manly" styles of speech judged superior than emotive, personal styles more associated with women
HOWEVER, 20th Century women are generally educated to use rationality in debate and to acknowledge it as important
Gender inequalities exist in the world »» Will it impede democracy in the Internet?

Social Issues

"Tragedy of the commons"

A useful public area attracts more and more participants, until the space is degraded and it fails to fulfill its original purpose
E.g. Usenet - many groups ended up with flame wars, trolling, spam, advertising, inanities, off-topic discussions
As a result, alternatives spring up (other forums, web based bulletin boards, etc. - require personal invitations, registration etc.)
»» Contrary to early ethos of open participation
ALSO, "when a forum's best and brightest take their act elsewhere, the original forum's usefulness is greatly diminished." (Iverson, 1999) »» Elite groups are set up (private, closed email lists, has rules and moderating of content)

Political Economy

Commodification

The process in which citizens are treated as consumers, with the public sphere and politicians being sold as commodities
- Consider how citizens are given the false impression of critical debate by the media who use sensationalism to present issues, rather than intelligent and considered discussion
  - Patriot Act in the USA. Your position on this issue became a matter of patriotism, rather than the need to carefully consider how much power a government should be given to infringe on the privacy of ordinary citizens
- Politicians now package themselves as products; look at how they extensively manage their images
  - We can see this in how President George W. Bush packages himself as a "compassionate conservative", and consistently woos the Christian segments of the USA
The Internet could have the potential to become another tool in the commodification of democracy
- It can have the same effects as other media channels through the use of advertising and public relations initiatives
  - Many major news networks, like the Fox Broadcasting Company, have an extensive presence on the Internet
- However, it also provides for the presence of dissenting voices
  - Look at the popularity of independent blogs and newsgroups

Media Concentration

This describes how as media companies merge, the public sphere is increasingly being dominated by a few media companies.
This can restrict media access and hamper debate as there now exists fewer sources from which you can obtain news and information
- As of 2001 about 7 conglomerates controlled a vast majority of the global media
High media concentration causes a shift from useful contribution to the public sphere, to a competition for power (market share, profits, political loyalty, etc)

The Internet as a Profit Center

This occurs as companies begin exploiting the Internet and its users to generate profits, rather than promote discourse
- Consider how Internet Service Providers charge a monthly subscription fee, restricting the number of people who can have access to it
- Companies also can exploit the Internet as an avenue to manage customer relations, as well as conduct market research on consumers
The cooperative nature of the Internet, like the concept of a gift economy, could be a threat to profits. Who needs companies when we can relay on the support of social networks to gain the help or information we need
- However, even this cooperative nature can be exploited, after all the Internet is a vast and complex place
  - Google for example provides you help in finding appropriate websites (search function), but they do so while making money (sponsored links, Google Ads). Even the website rankings can be altered by commercial firms through Googlewashing, not providing users with the best websites. Rather we end up with those who paid the most

Financial Transaction

Use credit cards, PayPal, etc. which requires personal information.

You can unwind and redo transactions if anything fails.

while...

e-Voting

Voting = anonymous
>>Harder to protect the system from fraud
>>Harder to detect fraud if it happens
>>Harder to identify the perpetrator & arrest him.

You can't redo elections if anything fails (for example: someone hack the system)
||

I don't know why I can't combine the table together, but the original version can be found in http://com125.wordpress.com/downloads/ >> week10 > com 125A presentation, the 59th slide. So sorry about that.

References

Possible Questions

Discuss how the Internet could both help and hamper democracy.
What challenges do we face in using e-voting to increase democratic participation?
Define the 'tragedy of the commons', and discuss its implications for the Internet.
What events or instances in Singapore have you observed to support the notion that the Internet can help improve democracy?

politics

mariani — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:50:41 GMT

Internet in Singapore

The internet in Singapore is almost devoid of political discussion and dissent only occurs on websites and discussion forums run fro outside the country
The Internet is censored along with the traditional media, but the government was one of the first in the world to realize its importance as a means of dissent by civil society.
The government pushed through two major computer and Internet laws in 1998.
One, the computer Misuse act, gave police wide powers to intercept online messages and said the authorities could decode encrypted messages in the course of investigations and under supervision of a prosecutor.
The other law, on e- commerce, allowed police to seize and search computers without a warrant to do so.
Since the late 1990s, the Internet has been under the control of the Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which monitors website access and content and calls for observance of a charter defining responsible
It requires ISPs (Internet Service Protocol) to block any sites containing material supposedly undermines public security, national defense, racial and religious harmony and public morality.
ISPs have to follow a code of conduct and must have an operating license.
They must also install filters on their systems, which block most pornographic material but also used to bar access to political content, especially at election- time.

Can the Internet truly create Democracy?

E-democracy:

Also known as Cyberdemocracy / Digital Democracy
Comprises the use of electronic communications technologies, like the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy
This political development still in its infancy; subject of much debate
Includes e-voting, but has a wider scope than that

Benefits of E-democracy

Citizen participation in public policy decision-making more expansive and direct »» Broader influence in policy outcomes (more people, could yield smarter policies)
Increase in transparency and accountability
Keeps the government closer to the consent of the governed »» Increases political legitimacy of democracy

Public Sphere

Precondition for a strong liberal democracy
Debate of a democratised media centres on Philosopher Jurgen Habermas' work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Habermas' Notion of the Public Sphere

A part of social life where citizens can exchange views on matters of importance to the common good, so that public opinion can be formed
Comes into being when people gather to discuss issues of political concern
Process of discussion important »» Must take the form of rational-critical debate, avoiding use of emotive language, but focusing on rationality of content alone
Participants should have a common interest in truth (status differentials bracketed, so that participants speak as equals)
Criticism vital to the process »» So that proposals put forward can be tested, and participants can discover meaning together in the process

Issues on Feasibility of Internet Democracy

Surveillance and Control

Most things on the Internet based on trust
Fear of government controls that would diminish the Internet's ability to support democracy

Access and Participation

Full participation (one of the central problems of having the Internet as a force for participatory democracy)
Digital divide - Gap between those with and those without access to the mediums of E-democracy, such as Computers or Internet connection
Gender issues - Male dominance / Rational, objective "manly" styles of speech judged superior than emotive, personal styles more associated with women
HOWEVER, 20th Century women are generally educated to use rationality in debate and to acknowledge it as important
Gender inequalities exist in the world »» Will it impede democracy in the Internet?

Social Issues

"Tragedy of the commons"

A useful public area attracts more and more participants, until the space is degraded and it fails to fulfill its original purpose
E.g. Usenet - many groups ended up with flame wars, trolling, spam, advertising, inanities, off-topic discussions
As a result, alternatives spring up (other forums, web based bulletin boards, etc. - require personal invitations, registration etc.)
»» Contrary to early ethos of open participation
ALSO, "when a forum's best and brightest take their act elsewhere, the original forum's usefulness is greatly diminished." (Iverson, 1999) »» Elite groups are set up (private, closed email lists, has rules and moderating of content)

Political Economy

Commodification

The process in which citizens are treated as consumers, with the public sphere and politicians being sold as commodities
- Consider how citizens are given the false impression of critical debate by the media who use sensationalism to present issues, rather than intelligent and considered discussion
  - Patriot Act in the USA. Your position on this issue became a matter of patriotism, rather than the need to carefully consider how much power a government should be given to infringe on the privacy of ordinary citizens
- Politicians now package themselves as products; look at how they extensively manage their images
  - We can see this in how President George W. Bush packages himself as a "compassionate conservative", and consistently woos the Christian segments of the USA
The Internet could have the potential to become another tool in the commodification of democracy
- It can have the same effects as other media channels through the use of advertising and public relations initiatives
  - Many major news networks, like the Fox Broadcasting Company, have an extensive presence on the Internet
- However, it also provides for the presence of dissenting voices
  - Look at the popularity of independent blogs and newsgroups

Media Concentration

This describes how as media companies merge, the public sphere is increasingly being dominated by a few media companies.
This can restrict media access and hamper debate as there now exists fewer sources from which you can obtain news and information
- As of 2001 about 7 conglomerates controlled a vast majority of the global media
High media concentration causes a shift from useful contribution to the public sphere, to a competition for power (market share, profits, political loyalty, etc)

The Internet as a Profit Center

This occurs as companies begin exploiting the Internet and its users to generate profits, rather than promote discourse
- Consider how Internet Service Providers charge a monthly subscription fee, restricting the number of people who can have access to it
- Companies also can exploit the Internet as an avenue to manage customer relations, as well as conduct market research on consumers
The cooperative nature of the Internet, like the concept of a gift economy, could be a threat to profits. Who needs companies when we can relay on the support of social networks to gain the help or information we need
- However, even this cooperative nature can be exploited, after all the Internet is a vast and complex place
  - Google for example provides you help in finding appropriate websites (search function), but they do so while making money (sponsored links, Google Ads). Even the website rankings can be altered by commercial firms through Googlewashing, not providing users with the best websites. Rather we end up with those who paid the most

Financial Transaction

Use credit cards, PayPal, etc. which requires personal information.

You can unwind and redo transactions if anything fails.

while...

e-Voting

Voting = anonymous
>>Harder to protect the system from fraud
>>Harder to detect fraud if it happens
>>Harder to identify the perpetrator & arrest him.

You can't redo elections if anything fails (for example: someone hack the system)
||

I don't know why I can't combine the table together, but the original version can be found in http://com125.wordpress.com/downloads/ >> week10 > com 125A presentation, the 59th slide. So sorry about that.

References

Possible Questions

Discuss how the Internet could both help and hamper democracy.
What challenges do we face in using e-voting to increase democratic participation?
Define the 'tragedy of the commons', and discuss its implications for the Internet.
What events or instances in Singapore have you observed to support the notion that the Internet can help improve democracy?

politics

JoseKasijo — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:42:45 GMT

Internet in Singapore The internet in Singapore is almost devoid of political discussion and dissent only occurs on websites and discussion forums run fro outside the country The Internet is censored along with the traditional media, but the government was one of the first in the world to realize its importance as a means of dissent by civil society. The government pushed through two major computer and Internet laws in 1998. One, the computer Misuse act, gave police wide powers to intercept online messages and said the authorities could decode encrypted messages in the course of investigations and under supervision of a prosecutor. The other law, on e- commerce, allowed police to seize and search computers without a warrant to do so. Since the late 1990s, the Internet has been under the control of the Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which monitors website access and content and calls for observance of a charter defining responsible It requires ISPs (Internet Service Protocol) to block any sites containing material supposedly undermines public security, national defense, racial and religious harmony and public morality. ISPs have to follow a code of conduct and must have an operating license. They must also install filters on their systems, which block most pornographic material but also used to bar access to political content, especially at election- time. Can the Internet truly create Democracy?

E-democracy:

Also known as Cyberdemocracy / Digital Democracy
Comprises the use of electronic communications technologies, like the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy
This political development still in its infancy; subject of much debate
Includes e-voting, but has a wider scope than that

Benefits of E-democracy

Citizen participation in public policy decision-making more expansive and direct »» Broader influence in policy outcomes (more people, could yield smarter policies)
Increase in transparency and accountability
Keeps the government closer to the consent of the governed »» Increases political legitimacy of democracy

Public Sphere

Precondition for a strong liberal democracy
Debate of a democratised media centres on Philosopher Jurgen Habermas' work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Habermas' Notion of the Public Sphere

A part of social life where citizens can exchange views on matters of importance to the common good, so that public opinion can be formed
Comes into being when people gather to discuss issues of political concern
Process of discussion important »» Must take the form of rational-critical debate, avoiding use of emotive language, but focusing on rationality of content alone
Participants should have a common interest in truth (status differentials bracketed, so that participants speak as equals)
Criticism vital to the process »» So that proposals put forward can be tested, and participants can discover meaning together in the process

Issues on Feasibility of Internet Democracy

Surveillance and Control

Most things on the Internet based on trust
Fear of government controls that would diminish the Internet's ability to support democracy

Access and Participation

Full participation (one of the central problems of having the Internet as a force for participatory democracy)
Digital divide - Gap between those with and those without access to the mediums of E-democracy, such as Computers or Internet connection
Gender issues - Male dominance / Rational, objective "manly" styles of speech judged superior than emotive, personal styles more associated with women
HOWEVER, 20th Century women are generally educated to use rationality in debate and to acknowledge it as important
Gender inequalities exist in the world »» Will it impede democracy in the Internet?

Social Issues

"Tragedy of the commons"

A useful public area attracts more and more participants, until the space is degraded and it fails to fulfill its original purpose
E.g. Usenet - many groups ended up with flame wars, trolling, spam, advertising, inanities, off-topic discussions
As a result, alternatives spring up (other forums, web based bulletin boards, etc. - require personal invitations, registration etc.)
»» Contrary to early ethos of open participation
ALSO, "when a forum's best and brightest take their act elsewhere, the original forum's usefulness is greatly diminished." (Iverson, 1999) »» Elite groups are set up (private, closed email lists, has rules and moderating of content)

Political Economy

Financial Transaction

Use credit cards, PayPal, etc. which requires personal information.

You can unwind and redo transactions if anything fails.

while...

e-Voting

Voting = anonymous
>>Harder to protect the system from fraud
>>Harder to detect fraud if it happens
>>Harder to identify the perpetrator & arrest him.

You can't redo elections if anything fails (for example: someone hack the system)
||

I don't know why I can't combine the table together, but the original version can be found in http://com125.wordpress.com/downloads/ >> week10 > com 125A presentation, the 59th slide. So sorry about that.

References

Possible Questions

Discuss how the Internet could both help and hamper democracy.
What challenges do we face in using e-voting to increase democratic participation?
Define the 'tragedy of the commons', and discuss its implications for the Internet.
What events or instances in Singapore have you observed to support the notion that the Internet can help improve democracy?

politics

mariani — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:33:36 GMT

Internet in Singapore

The internet in Singapore is almost devoid of political discussion and dissent only occurs on websites and discussion forums run fro outside the country
The Internet is censored along with the traditional media, but the government was one of the first in the world to realize its importance as a means of dissent by civil society.
The government pushed through two major computer and Internet laws in 1998.
One, the computer Misuse act, gave police wide powers to intercept online messages and said the authorities could decode encrypted messages in the course of investigations and under supervision of a prosecutor.
The other law, on e- commerce, allowed police to seize and search computers without a warrant to do so.
Since the late 1990s, the Internet has been under the control of the
Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which monitors website access and content and calls for observance of a charter defining responsible
It requires ISPs (Internet Service Protocol) to block any sites containing material supposedly undermines public security, national defense, racial and religious harmony and public morality.
ISPs have to follow a code of conduct and must have an operating license.
They must also install filters on their systems, which block most pornographic material but also used to bar access to political content, especially at election- time.

Can the Internet truly create Democracy?

E-democracy:

Also known as Cyberdemocracy / Digital Democracy
Comprises the use of electronic communications technologies, like the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy
This political development still in its infancy; subject of much debate
Includes e-voting, but has a wider scope than that

Benefits of E-democracy

Citizen participation in public policy decision-making more expansive and direct »» Broader influence in policy outcomes (more people, could yield smarter policies)
Increase in transparency and accountability
Keeps the government closer to the consent of the governed »» Increases political legitimacy of democracy

Public Sphere

Precondition for a strong liberal democracy
Debate of a democratised media centres on Philosopher Jurgen Habermas' work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

Habermas' Notion of the Public Sphere

A part of social life where citizens can exchange views on matters of importance to the common good, so that public opinion can be formed
Comes into being when people gather to discuss issues of political concern
Process of discussion important »» Must take the form of rational-critical debate, avoiding use of emotive language, but focusing on rationality of content alone
Participants should have a common interest in truth (status differentials bracketed, so that participants speak as equals)
Criticism vital to the process »» So that proposals put forward can be tested, and participants can discover meaning together in the process

Issues on Feasibility of Internet Democracy

Surveillance and Control

Most things on the Internet based on trust
Fear of government controls that would diminish the Internet's ability to support democracy

Access and Participation

Full participation (one of the central problems of having the Internet as a force for participatory democracy)
Digital divide - Gap between those with and those without access to the mediums of E-democracy, such as Computers or Internet connection
Gender issues - Male dominance / Rational, objective "manly" styles of speech judged superior than emotive, personal styles more associated with women
HOWEVER, 20th Century women are generally educated to use rationality in debate and to acknowledge it as important
Gender inequalities exist in the world »» Will it impede democracy in the Internet?

Social Issues

"Tragedy of the commons"

A useful public area attracts more and more participants, until the space is degraded and it fails to fulfill its original purpose
E.g. Usenet - many groups ended up with flame wars, trolling, spam, advertising, inanities, off-topic discussions
As a result, alternatives spring up (other forums, web based bulletin boards, etc. - require personal invitations, registration etc.)
»» Contrary to early ethos of open participation
ALSO, "when a forum's best and brightest take their act elsewhere, the original forum's usefulness is greatly diminished." (Iverson, 1999) »» Elite groups are set up (private, closed email lists, has rules and moderating of content)

Financial Transaction

Use credit cards, PayPal, etc. which requires personal information.

You can unwind and redo transactions if anything fails.

while...

e-Voting

Voting = anonymous
>>Harder to protect the system from fraud
>>Harder to detect fraud if it happens
>>Harder to identify the perpetrator & arrest him.

You can't redo elections if anything fails (for example: someone hack the system)
||

I don't know why I can't combine the table together, but the original version can be found in http://com125.wordpress.com/downloads/ >> week10 > com 125A presentation, the 59th slide. So sorry about that.

References

communities

faithyy — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:11:28 GMT

Required Readings
• “ Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure? Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure? Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure?” by Fernback and Thompson (1995)
• “ Net Surfers don’t ride alone Net Surfers don’t ride alone Net Surfers don’t ride alone” by Wellman and Gulia (1996)

Online Community
What is a community?

A social institution, constructed by man, and comprised of people who identify as a group
Can be based on location or identity
Notion of community has changed with industrialization and cities
- From Gemeinschaft (community) - Individuals are oriented into the large association as much as or more than their own self interest i.e. shared interest
- At this time, community evolves around family.
- To Gesellschaft (society) - The larger association never takes on more importance than individual self interest i.e. own interest.
- While quantity increases, quality decreases, as compared to before industrialization.
Community and public participation has declined
The condition of sharing, having things in common or being alike in some way

Function of a community:

Consequence of shift from industrial to post-industrial societies
Cooke (1990) defined community by industrial society
Progression to the concept of community

Sense of Community:

Membership, belonging (eg: Friendster, forums)
Influence
Integration of fulfilment of needs
Shared emotional connection and support (like forums for people afflicted with cancer are important)

Computer Mediated Communication (CMCs):

E-mail (E.g. Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, etc.)
IM (E.g. MSN messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Googletalk, etc.)
Bulletin boards (E.g. Friendster bulletin, Hostingphpbb.com, etc.)
Real time chat rooms (E.g. MUDs, IRC, etc.)

>> one-to-many

>> many-to-many

Could be interpersonal; having the potential to affect the nature of social life in terms of both interpersonal
relationships and the character of community

What is an Online Community ?

- The formation of public discussions long enough with sufficient human feelings, to form webs of personal relationships
- A group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet
- Interaction in a virtual environment
- Public culture declined as individuals exhibited nostalgic desire for a romanticized notion of community as " like-minded individuals " rather than the detached notion of community as a bounded, local territory
- Guided by norms and policies
- Encompasses the economic , political , social , and cultural dimensions of real-world community
- Community emphasizes a community of interests - usually bounded by the topic under discussion - that can lead to a communal spirit and apparent social bonding
The formation of public discussions long enough with sufficient human feelings, to form webs of personal relationships
A group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet
Interaction in a virtual environment
Public culture declined as individuals exhibited nostalgic desire for a romanticized notion of community as " like-minded individuals " rather than the detached notion of community as a bounded, local territory like-minded individuals
Guided by norms and policies
Encompasses the economic , political , social , and cultural dimensions of real-world community
Community emphasizes a community of interests - usually bounded by the topic under discussion - that can lead to a communal spirit and apparent social bonding== Characteristics of an online community Characteristics of an online community==== ==
- social interactions
- policies
- sociability
- software design

Four Realms of Online Communities
• Social
– Social Interaction
– Solidarity
– Individual & Institutional relations
i.e. Friendster, MySpace, Livejournal

• Political
– Collective formation of goals
– Implementation of policy
– online voting
– online campaigning
– online political activism
i.e. singaporegovt.blogspot.com, MPs using blogs

• Economic
– Production, distribution & consumption of goods and services
– company blogs (promote branding, image)
– online stores
– netizens sell things online (community: a small word-of-mouth-built fanbase)
– price comparisons
i.e. Acid Crue, Caliroots, ebay

• Cultural
– Examines shared values & symbol systems
– gathering of people based on common themes, lifestyles
– religious communities, art communities, music communities
– different cultures, different channels
i.e. IRC, FanFiction.net, Second Life, fictionpress.com

Role of online communities
• internet becoming more relevant and pervasive
• increase in number of communities
• rich enough? why do people use communites?

Information
• communities based on specialised shared interests
• rich and varied source
• more helpful (Wellman & Gulia)

Social
• overcomes geographical and social distances
• hides social cues
• can close personal relationships develop?
• development from interaction- based on interests to personal involvement

Social Capital

Refers to the collective value of all 'social networks' and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other
connections among individuals
norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that come from social networks
three dimensions - bonding (within the group), bridging (intergroup relationships), linking (relationship based on need)
useful as a conceptual tool for examining communities (like bonding, bridging, and linking).

Third Place

Oldenburg's (1991) three essential places are home, workplaces, and 'third places'
This is where people 'chill out' other than home or work/school
'Third Places' just basically refer to places where people go to establish civic life and community. These places may range from physical locations (cafes) to virtual environments (SL and blogs) where we are able to express ourselves, and our personal interests.

What makes the internet different from previous communication media?

Presentism
o related to the problematic question of history and moral judgments
o the internet has no physical presence, and the idea of a community is a human construct
o Strong ties bind us to people who are like us and weak ties provide links to other social networks

Cons of online community

people may become addicted to being online instead of interaction with real people
mistake virtual speech to be replacement of real life interactions
obsession with the virtual community may cause people to neglect their families, work, and social life
too much ambiguity involved, people may or may not reveal their true identities and/or particulars

Question #1
• Are relationships on the net narrow and specialized or are they broadly based?
• What kinds of support can one expect to find in virtual community?

Question #2
• How does the net affect people’s ability to sustain weaker, less intimate relationships and to develop new relationships?

• Why do net participants help those they hardly know?

-->Those that continue to champion gift economy principles do so for intangible returns such as reputation and pride
-->Reciprocity in this ‘circle of gifts’ assumes what is given will come back as others participate (Crawford, 2001).

There are several motivations for FREE CONTENT .
1) Anticipated reciprocity.
ie. P2P music exchanges.
--> reciprocity will occur within the group as a whole in a system of generalized exchange.
generalized exchange: A kind of network-wide accounting system, in which a benefit given to a person is reciprocated not by the recipient but by someone else in the group. (Ekeh 1974).
--> If each person shares freely, the group as a whole is better off, having access to information and advice that no single person might match.
Despite being available for ‘free’, there is some expectation of return, from either the gift-receiver or the Internet community. Thus the first fundamental principle of the gift economy is a return or reciprocity.

Reciprocity is usually delayed and can be either direct (giver receives an intangible reward from a gift-receiver) or indirect (receive rewards or draw resources from the Internet community).

'Loose reciprocation’: reciprocity occurs from a group as a whole rather than the individual who is the gift-receiver.
--> the giver provides a benefit without the expectation of immediate reciprocity.

2) Identity persistence
--> Well defined and defended group boundary (Ostrom 1990; Kollock and Smith 1996).
--> Contributing something to the group today in hopes of taking something back later amounts to making a loan to the group.
--> If the recipients of the loan leave, the system of generalized exchange breaks down.

3) The effect of contributions on one's reputation
ie: citations, reward of recognition.
--> High quality information, impressive technical details in one's answers, a willingness to help others, and elegant writing can all work to increase one's prestige in the community.
--> The inherent nature of online interaction already means that helpful acts are more likely to be seen by the group as a whole.

each of the features encourage reciprocity
- ongoing interaction
- identity persistence
- knowledge of previous interactions
- strong group boundaries

4) A sense of efficacy
--> There is a well-developed research literature that has shown how important a sense of efficacy is (e.g., Bandura, 1995)
--> making contribution to the group can help a person believe she has an impact on the group and support her own self-image
--> It may also be the case that as the size of the group increases, one will be more motivated to contribute.
--> The increasing size provides a larger audience and a potentially greater impact for one's actions.

5) The Need
--> Rheingold (1993) again draws from the WELL in giving examples of members producing software tools for the communities use after the need for such tools had been discussed.
--> An ongoing record of the group's discussion is useful here as important issues and needs can be discussed and displayed.

6) The attachment or commitment one can have to the group.
--> One does what is best for the group by contributing.
--> In general, when a person feels an attachment to the community, their contributions will likely be increased.

7) A simple side-effect of private behavior.
--> Someone may need to write a particular computer program for his/her own use with no thought to anything other than solving her particular problem at hand.
--> Having written the program, the costs of sharing and distributing it with others may be near zero.

The relative or absolute anonymity of the recipient makes it all the more remarkable that individuals volunteer valuable information – one cannot realistically count on the reciprocity of the recipient in the future to balance the gift that has occurred.
While a balanced reciprocity with a particular individual may not be possible, there is a sense in which a balance might occur within a group as a whole.

Question #3
• Is support given on the net reciprocated?
• Do participants develop attachment to virtual communities so that commitment, solidarity and norms of reciprocity develop?

Question #4
• To what extent are strong, intimate relationships possible on the net?

Question #5
• What is high involvement in virtual community doing to other forms of “real-life” community involvement?

Question #6
• To what extent does participation on the net increase the diversity of community ties?
• To what extent do such diverse ties help to integrate heterogeneous groups?

Question #7
• How does the architecture of the net affect the nature of virtual community?
• To what extent are virtual communities solitary groups, or thinly-connected webs?
• Are virtual communities like “real-life” communities?
• To what extent are virtual communities entities in themselves or integrated into people’s overall communities?

What is Reputation?
“Reputation is the general opinion (more
technically, a social evaluation) of the public
toward a person, a group of people, or an
organization. It is an important factor in many
fields, such as business, online communities or
social status” (“Reputation”, 2007)

How do we gain reputation in online communities?

Email/ IRC/IM/Forums
.Words make up for the lack of physical cues.
Depends on the tone and style of writing.
.One unique email address or username gives one unique identity.
.By posting intelligent and interesting comments.

Blogs/ Friendster

· High transfer of information.
The more they talk about something, the more people associate them with that particular topic and hence, reputation formed.

· The more positive and favorable the testimonials/comments a person has, enables him/her to have a higher reputation.

· Carefully select the information he chooses to present about himself to create a far more positive identity than he really possesses.

· To take a look at his number of profile views for the number of users that tag them.

MMORPGs

· Players are given the option of taking part in battles against other players.

· It is through such “raids” that a player earns his/her reputation and moves up in ranking as well as advancing one’s character from levels 1to 60.

eBays

· eBay has included an online feedback system or “peer reputation” where both the seller and buyer can rate each other according to their “helpfulness and honesty” by leaving a positive, negative, or neutral feedback with a short comment after they have completed their trade.

· For each positive feedback, the member will receive 1 score and similarly, the member will obtain a deduction of 1 score for each negative feedback received. However, the neutral feedback will have no impact on the member.

surveillance

tinklebel_ting — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 01:28:10 GMT

Required Readings
• The Naked Crowd by Jeffrey Rosen (July 2004)
• Privacy under attack, but does anybody care? by Bob Sullivan (Oct 2006)
• Sousveillance : The recording of an activity from the perspective of a participant in the activity
• International Privacy Map by Privacy International

Cyborglogs
A cybernetic organism which has a synergy between human and machine such that operation of the machine does not require conscious thought or effort on the part of the human.

Origins
Derived from a concept of "Human Intelligence" which is the intertwining of human and machine.

Purpose of original cyborg communities
To explore the creation of visual arts in computer mediated reality.

Communities
Cyborg communities started in the 1970s, but became shared spaces in the 1990s with the advent of the World Wide Web.

Difference between weBLOGS and cyborGLOGS

Weblogs normally originate from desktop computers. However,glogs originate while walking around, without conscious thought and effort.
Blogs are always uploaded, but glogs don't have to be webcasted.
Glogs can be used to help the visually impaired or the mobility impaired.

Privacy

Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to control the flow of information about themselves.
It is sometimes related to anonymity although it is often most highly valued by people who are publicly known.
People may also choose to use pseudonyms to protect their privacy
Privacy can also be seen as an aspect of security—one in which trade-offs between the interests of one group and another can become particularly clear.
Privacy is also "to be left alone".

Surveillance

The monitoring of behavior usually from a position of higher authority.
Traditional surveillance:clsoe observation by a person
New surveillance:scrutiny through the use of technical means to extract or create personal or group data,whether from individuals or contexts (Marx,G.,2004)
Two types of surveillance : Counter and inverse surveillance

Counter surveillance

Practice of avoiding surveillance
Making surveillance difficult

Inverse surveillance

Can be referred as sousveillance
Instead of authorities watching over the citizens, it is the citizens that are recording the activities of the authorities (hierarchical sousveillance)
Example: citizens photographing police abuse

Privacy Vs Surveillance (Naked Crowd)

Increasing pressure to expose details of our lives to strangers in order to win their trust. Therefore,we expect the same from them.
Important Terms:

Panopticon - Few watch the many
Synoptican - Many watch the few
Omnipticon - Many watch the many

Fromm's Marketed Self: The easiest way to attract the attention and winning trust of strangers is to establish an emotional connection with them by projecting a consistent,memorable and trustworthy image. An example is the use of profiles in online social networking sites like Friendster and Myspace.
Personal branding: The Self is constructed as a form of marketed authenticity in which self is turned inside out and then sold to the world.

Sousveillance

“Sous” – “watching from below” – derived from a contrasting French word, “sur” - surveillance “watching from above” (Wikipedia, 2006)
Recording of an activity by a participant in the activity. Example: Rodney King incident.He was violently arrested by the LAPD and this was videotaped by George Holliday. It raised an outcry among many,who thought it was racially motivated.
Originated from Steve Mann, a University of Toronto computer engineering professor famous for turning himself into a cyborg.

Why Sousveillance?

To hold authorities to account
To ensure that people are aware of what is going on in the public spaces
To gather evidence for friends involved in confrontations with officials
To give people a sense of control over the constant oversight that take place in the public spaces
To document one’s life from one’s perspective

How Sousveillance Develop

The development of portable digital personal gadgets
Camera phone
Electronic eyeglasses – “eyetap”
The growth of “gift economy”

Sousveillance Today :

Citizen journalism – enable one to contribute one’s voices and views to the world’s knowledge. (OnMyNews, STOMP, singabloodypore.blogspot.com, mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com, "Global Viral" from ABC)
Citizens taking videos of events from their perspective instead of the journalists' is now rampant on youtube and their own blogs
World Sousveillance Day (Occurs on Dec 24th and it involves people taking photos or videos of cameras used by the authorities for the purpose of surveillance - "Record the lens that records you")
CARPE 2004 - Continuous Archival and Retrieval of Personal Experiences (a workshop with leading researchers from around the world to share their findings and insights)

Identity Theft

Crimes in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.
Personal data (Social Security Number, Bank account, credit card, telephone calling card number, etc) are unlike finger print which can be used easily.

Types of Identity Theft:

Shoulder Surfing (Using direct observation techniques, such as looking over someone's shoulder, to get information. It is an effective way to get information in crowded places because it's relatively easy to stand next to someone and watch as they fill out a form, enter a PIN number at an ATM machine, or use a calling card at a public pay phone.)
Dumpster Diving (the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find usable items that have been discarded, e.g cedit card numbers)
Phishing (The act of sending a message to a user, falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The which victims are redirected to a website without their knowledge or consent, which looks the same as a genuine website. Information like login name and password is captured by criminals)
Pharming (Redirect as many users as possible from legitimate commercial websites to malicious ones)
Vishing (the practice of leveraging VoIP technology to trick private personal and financial information from the public for the purpose of financial reward.)
Keystroke Logging (a diagnostic tool used in software development that captures the user's keystrokes)
Screen Scrapers (a computer program extracts data from the display output of another program.)

Identity Theft Prevention:

Don’t give your personal information unless you have reason to trust them
If you have a credit or debit card, check whether you have been receiving the list of transactions for the most recent month or reporting period
If you have to purchase items online, be sure to make purchases at legitimate sites, or go through safer channels such as paypals
Maintain careful records of your banking and financial account

communities

RosWee — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 01:01:00 GMT

A social institution, constructed by man, and comprised of people who identify as a group
Can be based on location or identity
Notion of community has changed with industrialization and cities
- From Gemeinschaft (community) - Individuals are oriented into the large association as much as or more than their own self interest i.e. shared interest
- At this time, community evolves around family.
- To Gesellschaft (society) - The larger association never takes on more importance than individual self interest i.e. own interest.
- While quantity increases, quality decreases, as compared to before industrialization.
Community and public participation has declined
The condition of sharing, having things in common or being alike in some way

Function of a community:

Consequence of shift from industrial to post-industrial societies
Cooke (1990) defined community by industrial society
Progression to the concept of community

Sense of Community:

Membership, belonging (eg: Friendster, forums)
Influence
Integration of fulfilment of needs
Shared emotional connection and support (like forums for people afflicted with cancer are important)

Computer Mediated Communication (CMCs):

E-mail (E.g. Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, etc.)
IM (E.g. MSN messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Googletalk, etc.)
Bulletin boards (E.g. Friendster bulletin, Hostingphpbb.com, etc.)
Real time chat rooms (E.g. MUDs, IRC, etc.)

>> one-to-many

>> many-to-many

Could be interpersonal; having the potential to affect the nature of social life in terms of both interpersonal
relationships and the character of community

What is an Online Community ?

- The formation of public discussions long enough with sufficient human feelings, to form webs of personal relationships
- A group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet
- Interaction in a virtual environment
- Public culture declined as individuals exhibited nostalgic desire for a romanticized notion of community as " like-minded individuals " rather than the detached notion of community as a bounded, local territory
- Guided by norms and policies
- Encompasses the economic , political , social , and cultural dimensions of real-world community
- Community emphasizes a community of interests - usually bounded by the topic under discussion - that can lead to a communal spirit and apparent social bonding
The formation of public discussions long enough with sufficient human feelings, to form webs of personal relationships
A group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet
Interaction in a virtual environment
Public culture declined as individuals exhibited nostalgic desire for a romanticized notion of community as " like-minded individuals " rather than the detached notion of community as a bounded, local territory like-minded individuals
Guided by norms and policies
Encompasses the economic , political , social , and cultural dimensions of real-world community
Community emphasizes a community of interests - usually bounded by the topic under discussion - that can lead to a communal spirit and apparent social bonding== Characteristics of an online community Characteristics of an online community==== ==
- social interactions
- policies
- sociability
- software design

Refers to the collective value of all 'social networks' and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other
connections among individuals
norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that come from social networks
three dimensions - bonding (within the group), bridging (intergroup relationships), linking (relationship based on need)
useful as a conceptual tool for examining communities (like bonding, bridging, and linking).

Third Place

Oldenburg's (1991) three essential places are home, workplaces, and 'third places'
This is where people 'chill out' other than home or work/school
'Third Places' just basically refer to places where people go to establish civic life and community. These places may range from physical locations (cafes) to virtual environments (SL and blogs) where we are able to express ourselves, and our personal interests.

people may become addicted to being online instead of interaction with real people
mistake virtual speech to be replacement of real life interactions
obsession with the virtual community may cause people to neglect their families, work, and social life
too much ambiguity involved, people may or may not reveal their true identities and/or particulars