Music sharing online

Music is one of the fastest growing industry's, however the once ever popular CD is gone. People no longer rush out to buy the latest single or album of Justin Timberlake, instead it's all about downloading it on to their itunes. People are able to downloading music and sending it to their phones as their latest phone tone or putting it on their own CD's to give to friends. It as had a huge impact on the way music is funded and financed. This means that companies such as Virgin, Woolworths due to the lose of sales severely struggled to keep up, and as a result went busted. Big music stores such as HMV no longer sell singles and the Music charts are mainly based on downloads.

In relation to networking sites, in my experience many bands through the likes of BEBO set up the own web pages in order to encourage fans and also post their latest news and most importantly their upcoming performance dates. There can also put music players on their pages which they can download their music on to for people looking at the page to listen to. Its also a free source which means its a great way to endorse themselves and perhaps 'make it' by breaking through into the music industry.

Online sharing of Popular music has already changed society and will continue to. New generations are channelled into consuming music via the internet, it has become the norm.

My Thoughts on Social Networking Sites!! What do you think??

My experience of Social Networking is quite limited! However I am one of them Students that seem to live day by day by status updates, wall comments, constant notifications of tagged photos due to my drunken antics from the night before, and the belief that a social crisis can occur just by the sayings of the world of FACEBOOK!!

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking websites. It provides a range of age groups, but in my experience mostly 18 to 30 year olds, to interact with each other by leaving comments on each others 'walls'. The account comes with a private email box and a choice of added applications. You can add personal photos and videos and even infomation about yourself. Most importantly you can arrange you settings o that only your friends and the people you have chosen can view your profile, you can even choose what elements of your profile they see.
I personal like the website as it has so many ways for you to interact with your friends, it brings up any changes that your friends have made on their profiles so you know if they have been up to anything and you wana get in touch to comment or a general conversation.
There is a private 'MSN' like chat box as well, where you can see who is online and you can have a private instant conversation with them.


I also have one other social networking site I am part of and that is BEBO! I was actually a member of this before facebook, simply because a majority of my friends from my home (Northern Ireland) don't go to university and this is the website they use. So it was only once i joined Uni i realised the phenommen of Facebook and the need to be part of it to connect with other Uni friends.
Bebo is pretty simple, it has a private email and then also your basic profile page. On the profile you can write a about yourself or really what ever you wish. There's the choice of putting your favourite movies, music and info about what makes you happy!

Below this you can add pictures, videos, slideshows, and then there is the wall of comments again. It very user friendly and much more colourful than facebook as you can choose your own 'skin' which means the colour of the background of your page.

To what extent are ‘dangerous materials’ prominent on the Internet? What do their existence mean in terms of the ‘freedoms’ the Net allows?

I've always argued that the internet is one of the best things to develop within the realms of new technology, stating the endless learning possibilities and availability of the big open world it invites to explore!
HOWEVER there is a dark side to the internet in which unfortunately alot of people have chosen get into. You often see adverts for internet providers on TV such as BT and Virgin Media, and one of the biggest advantages they now push, is security and parental control over what their children can view on the internet. I think this is hugely important because the amount of freedom on the internet makes it so easy to view pornography or the likes of rude or crude videos (such as what you might find on youtube). As lister states 'the internet is often seen by the consumers as a potentially open channel for frightening materials to enter the home' pg181.

Other dangers of the internet is ability for Hackers to view personal files, information, emails. If computer smart enough people can work their way into your computer system and send viruses through your system which result in a lot of money spent either fixing ur computer or having to buy a completely new one!

What do you think of the notion that online community can be empowering/disempowering? week 4

I think the notion is very empowering for some people. The fact that people can control their identity online, the notion of control and also giving the ability for people to manipulate and perhaps pretend to be someone else
However I think one of the most empowering elements in online communities is the ability to be involved in a forum/chatroom of a group of people and having them share the same thoughts, feelings and strong opinions. Therefore the notion of empowerment comes from creating a online community of people that believe and favor the same opinions of that personal user. Its almost like a force that has been created behind a particular thought or belief. Thusfore empowerment comes from people with 'the same common relationships, shared values and shared spaces' pg174.

In terms of disempowering, it could be considered that because anyone can use these online communities it provides people with the opportunity to take your thoughts, opinions and worse because some people (even if encouraged not to) provide personal details on them. Therefore it works both ways, to some it is a very empowering source however to others it is the opportunity to be disempowered.

A few More questions and thoughts on Our Friend Blanchard!! Week 4

Is the ‘virtual settlement’ a useful concept? Why?

Yes! I think it is a useful concept! I find it helpful in understanding and describing what basically is a group of people getting together discussing subjects of choice but with the slight difference of it being online! "Jones defines virtual settlements as the virtual place in which people interact'" (blanchard) therefore a pretty basic meaning has been attached to the term, however i think that the term 'virtual settlement' gives a better and deeper meaning. It draws in the users and their many differing ideas and opinions and allows them to express them in a particular place.

What do you think about the issue of whether or not all CMC (computer-mediated-communication) groups deserve the status of communities? What characteristics would you stress as important?

I think CMC groups do deserve the status of the communities, as who 's to define in this day and age what a community really is. Wikipedia defines community as
"a group of interacting organisms sharing an environment."
Therefore this is exactly what people are doing even if it is online! Another relevant point it makes is that "In human communities,intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness." This is both true and an essential aspect of CMC's.

This question also brings in McMillan and Chavis argument of SOC (sense of community) i think that in both real-life communities and the virtual there is a need and a want of membership and sense of belonging. There is certainly feelings of influence present in both real- life and within these CMC groups, perhaps more so online. The whole point in communities is that they integate and support and work together, often similar actions of support can be found on CMC groups. And finally a community is a community because their is a sense of shared emotional connection between the inhabits within it, this is definitely present in many forums i have read, where i have read how people read, write and comment on each others hobbies, beliefs or even trouble they might have had.

‘Lurkers’ – who needs them? Should they be booted out or should we embrace people’s differences (some people are readers more than producer/writers?). Can’t there be different roles for the members of a community?

This is a tough question as i think the term given to them, LURKERS, already has a negative tone to it!! Unfortunately these people may actually be just 'different' or interested or even intrigued but simply shy. Especially in today's world, people are edgy and suspicious of others, in particular the internet has caused quite a stir in relation to the unknown factor and the worry of identity!
And due to this my my initial response is, well Yes they shouldn't be in MOO's if their not going to participate. Depending on the chosen subject, if its something simple and not particularly controversial, for example a conversation on how best to put on eye makeup, then fine!! But if its a contestable debate showing strong personal views and even some personal information then i don't think people should be allowed to watch and read all and take it all in.

Am not sure about the idea of different roles, everyone is equal when it comes to online discussion, no one in particular can or should take charge. However it is pretty much up to yourself how interactive and how much of a participant you want to be within these.

Blogs as Virtual Communities: Identifying a Sense of Community by Anita Blanchard Week 4

VITAL POINTS I THINK HELP TO BRING FURTHER MEANING TO VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES & OF COURSE MY THOUGHTS!! http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogosphere/blogs_as_virtual.html

Virtual community is a term used to refer to vastly different computer-mediated communication (CMC) groups, such as EBay or a soap opera newsgroup.

The importance of virtual communities for social reasons!
The idea that virtual communties open up and expand a persons village ( or surroundings) to the whole world! I think perhaps this argument provides a bases for the advantages of using these websites. As people can expand their learning and have the chance to reach out, in which may not be possible in the real world, due to issues such as finances.

Virtual communities can increase involvement within people’s face-to-face communities by increasing democratic participation and other community activism. Suggesting that these virtual communities of people provide a source of power, or force in active day to day activitives.

The idea that the use of the world 'community' has a emotionally postitive effect on people which encourages people to get involved. I think that perhaps people who are bored, lonely, looking for someone different to chat to, or simply interested in a particular topic of discussion would enjoy getting involved in these 'communities' as perhaps it gives people a sense of worth (as far expressing their opion an being agreed with) and the sense of being 'part of something' !

Jones argues that we can understand virtual communities by understanding the artifacts of its virtual settlement: its postings, structure and content.

Sense of Community!

Feelings of membership: Feelings of belonging to, and identifying with, the community;
Feelings of influence: Feelings of having influence on, and being influenced by, the community;
Integration and fulfillment of needs: Feelings of being supported by others in the community while also supporting them; and
Shared emotional connection: Feelings of relationships, shared history, and a “spirit” of community. McMillan and Chavis (1986)


The question of whether blogs (like mine) can be described as a Virtual community!
The fact that my blog contains as an author (ME), contains regular post dates, and is based around the particular topic of New Media, means that it can be classed as a virtual community, as it attract interactive attention from a minimal number of participants.