Topic 3 Blogging

Blogs seem to be relatively easy to navigate around. The titles of each of your discussions are placed at one side of the web page. Therefore you can pick and choose what you wish to read. However i don't really consider Blogging as an online conversation,unless it's with yourself!! I know people may comment by disagreeing or asking questions on your blog but in my opinion it doesn't really compare within an online conversation such as MSN or facebook provides.
I do express myself in the same way as i would in real life. Although am finding it difficult to know whether to be either completely informal as i would on similar websites or to keep a formal tone in my writing. This shows the difference between if you write how you speak, or not. Also the difference between meat-space in seminars and blogging.

I don't think it compares to face-to-face seminars, as i think its possible to learn more and ask more questions when in a face-to-face situation. The interaction isn't the same, as i think because it takes longer as your restricted in how many people views and opinions you are willing to look at.

I don't think there is authority between different bloggers! Everyone is entitled to there opinion, so you feel ok about expressing it.

I personally don't have the skills to be called an 'advantage user', am still learned and media literacy to be a user. Hopefully though as i get to grips with the course, I'll become better with the whole idea of blogging.

Topic 2 Forums

Web forums are used to communicate with other members in your group, and replaces the usual face-to-face conversations that would take place during group meetings. They are a way of saving time,and helping in addressing specific points of disagreement or confusion. However forums can also be problematic as they do not provide instant messaging, therefore the response rate isn't as fast and you may not get the answer you were looking for therefore it may take longer to achieve your goal than simply having meat space time would do instantly.
The messages/comments made on forums can be seen by anyone else using the forum therefore people are more aware of what they personally write and discuss. However i think the biggest advantage of forums is quite often they are used to discuss similar subjects, therefore if someone in your group doesn't know the answer to a question, other people may be able to provide you with information or help.

Livingstone address the question about learning new communication skills in order to keep up with new media. A very relevant question when using forums. Without seeing and meeting face-to-face with people, opinions, strong views and thoughts on particular subjects are lost in forums unless you can communicate these with good writing skills. With lack of body-language and peoples expressions in which meat-space provides instantly and amongst a group of people is harder to achieve in simply and separate comments made on a forum.

I am personally finding forums and blogging a new experience therefore at times harder to understand quite what is required. There doesn't seem to be an authoritative figure in these forums. As between tutors and students, the comments tend to use informal language and blend in with the others.

Topic one Week 2

A)With Windows Vista replacing XP and Office 2007 replacing Office 2003, (and so on), what is ‘upgrade culture’ all about?

The 'upgrade culture' of society seems to have taken over from what is really important, such as what society needs to survive (resources- food, water, fuel), resulting as a generation gripped by the next best thing.
Many businesses will argue their products are more beneficial and better than their previous version, and it seems to work. People these days won't settle for second best, even if that means paying more for a new mobile phone with all the gadgets, that you have know idea how to use or are not remotely interested in using. The same goes for new versions of Windows and Office, your needs may only consist of Microsoft word and the internet, instead you buy the upgraded version to keep up with your peers because it has lots of other programs and photoshops on it that are seen as essential future equipment. And nine out of ten times people don't even need them.
I think that businesses can see upgrades (often objects or programs similar to what you already own but with an added feature) as way of exploiting consumerism and encouraging profit.



B)According to Lister et al., some commentators stress the ‘newness’ of new media, but others (such as Kevin Robins) can be seen to be saying that nothing fundamental has changed, because new media technology is another product of capitalism, and therefore will fit into and serve a pre-existing capitalist society and culture, rather than transform it in any fundamental sense. Any thoughts? Can we critique this position?


"Robins’ main argument was that such media industries have traditionally figured in imagined national communities, and because this imagined community is so forceful, it closes off new possibilities in our understanding of transnational media." I think that his argument against the newness of technology is quite a pessimistic view of a growing society. However, i think because developed countries have constant growth and new media technology's are developed frequently people may take things for granted and as simply as something else to use or buy.
On the other hand there is strength in Lister et al argument, with the money and technology spent on developing "New Media" whilst in time it will be blend in to a capitalist society it may be also serve to benefit society in such a way people recognize it.


C)Are new media a source of ‘progress’ in the sense that they enhance things we do in spheres of social activity – business, education, shopping, democracy etc? Could we say that such a proposition involves an ‘ideology of progress’?

Yes I definitely think new media is a source of progress. They have served to enhance the everyday activities in society life. People can work faster and more efficiency through the use of this new media, businesses benefit by being able to communicate with their public's, and get their messages across far easier and more effectively than the use of tradition methods. Internet, part of this new media, helps people to further their education quicker and easier but also allows people to get on with their daily lives, such as work but educate themselves at night. I personally believe that the internet plays a huge role in helping me at university, as not only can I communicate with my peers and lecturers almost instantly, the internet provides me with the material and information needed for my course. Of course someone could argue you could gain this information from just using books but sure the internet even saves me time and money by telling me where i find these books and whether they'll be any good to me anyway.
Its definitely an ideology of process for society.