Hayley's Hollers

End of Blog and Course - What I Got Out Of The Course

2006-05-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, the semester is finally finished and so has this blog.

I have got a far deal more out of this course than i expected. Coming into the course i was not a big technology or computer fan. Now i'm not saying this has change all that much. But the course has definitely opened my eyes up. I have read some interesting material i would never in a million years have touched otherwise, and i have developed on what i already knew about some software programs i use everyday. I think for me my favourite part of the blog was working with my photos and photoshop. It was great to get some colour and life into my blog, and i really enjoyed working with photoshop to manipulate my images. Some ahd some interesting results. Its just great to be able to widen your horizons and ahve a look at all the amazing technology around that we do not embrace or give credit too. It was also good to start a blog and see how it works. Now i know i think i will have to start my own personal one in the future, for friends and family to access.

Thanks to Bena nd the teaching team for an interesting semester.

Hayley

Week 11 - Using Microsoft Excel

2006-05-15T04:19:00.000-07:00

I use ecxel quite a bit. Mainly just to make up calendars and timetables and trivial things. I rarely use ir for calculations. So i had for gotten how to do it! So excercise 2 was a good refresher exercise for me. Excercise one was very basic and simple. Excercise 3 with the graphs i found easy as i have used the tables and graphs sections before. Its good to go over this though because it helps to pick up any small thing tat i could ahve forgotten.

The advanced exercise 1: macros was more of a challenge. I have never had to use macros before or learnt about it. So it showed me something totally new and challenging. Being able to use something like macros would definitley save valuable time in the workplace and at home if you are a big user of excel.

This is a very useful software program. It is good beacause it allows you to document stats and mathematical processes in a very neat and convenient way. I find excel pretty easy to use. Well the parts of it i know and use. However i can see there is a lot to it that i have to learn, that would really help me out in the long term.

Notes And Ideas From Week 11 Readings

2006-05-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

Up Close and Personal; Counselling on the Net

*Counsellors are having reservations about counsilling becoming available on the net. What about Doctor/Patient Relationships?
*Ppl can establish relationships through chat rooms - so why not receive their conselling via it.
*F2F Counselling - non-verbal cues observed, trust, you can't do this over the net.
*Some ppl find it easier to forge relationships via the net.
*Younger ppl in particular have embraced the idea of Net Counselling as they have more to do with the net and technology.
*Realtime Counselling - Direct over the net eg. on MSN
*Delayed/Offset Conselling - Not direct eg. by email.
*If your not a good typer, net counselling can be long and tedious - inaffective.
*Ppl feel secure not ahving to talk f2f, especially in sexual abuse cases. Not having to see each other means the client/counsillor relationship can form a lot faster and progress can be quicker.
*Over the net counselling means both parties has a copy of waht has been said.
*Stress and relationship/marriage conselling not suitable for the internet.
*As of yet no proof of efficiency of net counselling

The Digital Sublime - Myth, Power and Cyberspace

Chapter 2 - Myth and Cyberspace

*Common view, "that computer communication is bringing about and info revolution that liks ppl and places around the world in instantaneous comm and makes the production of info and entertainment a central political and economic force.
*Mosco believes, like in the case of electricity, the computer will not reach its greatest social impact until it leaves mythology and enters banality. When it withdraws into the woodwork.

Notes And Ideas From Week 10 Readings

2006-05-15T03:33:00.000-07:00

Net_Work: The Politics Of Work In An Information Age

Hacking Democracy: The Work Of The Global Citizen

*"Secrecy and surveillance, command and control, manipulation and instrumentalism are deeply inscribed in the hardware, software and integrated systems of comtemporary information technology."
*The concept of "citizens of the media" can be traced back to Walter Benjamin.
*Readers must covert text into something useful for themselves
*"While some hackers enagage in criminal activity, the margins are vague and changing and the concept of hacking always extended to cover a certain attitude to working in the media flow. Computer and internet hackers come in all ages, are both male and female and have different intentions. Some are malicious and some are just interested to see of they can do it."

Week 10 - Chatting on the Internet

2006-05-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

MSN

I use MSN all the time at home. It is a convenient way to chat with people all around the world. I chat with friends in Canada, America, Germany and Israel plus heaps more. It was a convenient way of chatting to my best friend when she was overseas. It let me know when she was on-line so we could start chatting straight away. It is linked with my hotmail account which makes it even better! I can be checking emails and know who of my contacts is on-line as a person appears next to their emails. It is so easy to use! I can put my own pictures up for my friends and family to see and can add comments for people to read. You can be quite creative if you want. Msn is nothing too technical and that is why i like it and use it so much, its simple.

ACTIVE WORLDS

I have never used anything like this before. I actually didn't know something like this even existed! I'm not interested in chat rooms and talking to people i don't know. I only use msn to talk to friends and family. So this was an experience of a totally different kind.

QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 2 PROGRAMS

MSN MESSENGER

*MSN allows me to chat only with people i have added to my contact list and people who i have let add me to theirs.
*It has video conversation.
*It is 2D, the graphics are simple, but user friendly.
*You can send files and photos and let your friends see what music your listening to.

ACTIVE WORLDS

*Active Worlds, is a Virtual Reality experience. the program lets you visit and chat 3D worlds built by other users. You can also create your own virtual reality game or world - Which is apparently simple! Other people can then visit these worlds and chat in them.
*"The Active Worlds Universe is a community of hundreds of thousands of users that chat and build 3D virtual reality environments in millions of square kilometers of virtual territory." (http://www.activeworlds.com/)
*Active Worlds allows you to shop online in our own 3D virtual reality mall and chat with store clerks! Wow this is really wacky :)
*You can explore over 1000 unique virtual worlds
*You can make new friends and chat with people from all over the globe - Msn allows you to chat with people from all over the globe, but isn't so much about making new contacts, as conversing with one's you know already and approve of.
*You can play interactive 2D and 3D games
*You canChoose from a vast range of avatar identities and chat with other avatars.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE KINDS OF SOCIALISING THAT HAPPENS IN THESE SPACES?

MSN socialising is totally different. You socialise with friends and family. People you have added to your contacts and want to catch up with. I think it is far less threatening! You know and have met these people, they are generally people who surround you in your everday environment. And you can talk to them about everyday things. You don't have to be vary of giving out details or giving too much info away as you know them. You generally talk with them to discuss what is going on in your lives, you can be truthful and feel safe to share info with them. MSN is great because you can socialise by instant talk or you can send them photos, files or play games. The socialising that goes on here is of a safe and frindly kind. It is an environment you know you can share things in and be protected.

Many people who use Active World may know other users quite well, from having conversations with them in the past. However, generally they do not know them in real life. They have met on-line and their whole world they share together is an on-line one. Talking to people you don't know on-line feaks me out, hence why i don't do it. I just find it too unsafe. I'm sure their are heaps of nice people using the chat rooms, but there are heaps of bad ones as well, who prey on people and are mean or sexually explicit for kicks. I find this scary and for me this out weighs the good aspects of meeting people in chat room. Plus i would much rather chat to people i know and see than strangers. I wouldn't socialise with these people away from the net, so i wouldn't bother to talk to starngers on the net. The socialising is different becasue people are strangers. This may allow them to be more daring or sexual with their socialising, because no-one knows them. Totally different to MSN. A lot of the people using Active World may be extremely computer literate. As you can build your own worlds etc. The average person would not have the interest or expertise to do this.

It was interesting to look at different types of chatting on the internet. I discovered types of chatting i never even knew existed! But i think i will stick with the old tried and tested MSN!

Assessment 1 - Essay

2006-05-09T01:03:00.000-07:00

ESSAY ON MORAL PANICS SURROUNDING THE INTERNET AS WELL AS THOSE WITHIN THE INTERNET.

The internet was originally used as a form of communication between academics and scientists as a way of sharing their work and ideas. However in the last twenty years the numbers of people using the internet, their type of use and the types of information being accessed and shared have changed dramatically. What was once a basic structure used for learning has now become a mixed up web of information, music, opinions and some learning of a very different kind. So we are told, the internet used to be a place for education and good clean fun of the academic type. Now the internet is portrayed as a place of corruption, illegal activity and smut. Like the internet, the term moral panic is also relatively new. It was first used “by Jock Young (1971) with reference to the reaction to drug takers in Nottinghill, it is generally associated with his colleague, Stanley Cohen (1972).” (Jones, E, Jones M, 1999, p.142) It is now common place to associate this word with issues surrounding the internet.

They come out of nowhere, rise rapidly to an outraged crescendo, then die out just as quickly. Moral panics are a phenomenon of modern Western cultures and reflect changes sweeping through those societies, people's mixed experience with new technologies and the collapse of confidence in established institutions. We can define a moral panic as a mini-controversy that temporarily outrages sections of the general public and exaggerates fears over the potential misuse of some technology or practice. (Grayson, 2004, ¶ 1)

Whilst the term moral panic is relatively new, the concept has been around for quite some time. As seen by the panic surrounding Aborigines in Australia, during colonisation and the witch hunts in America in the late 1600’s. “Moral panics of recent memory include the Joseph McCarthy anti-communist witch hunts of the 1950s and the satanic ritual abuse allegations of the 1980s.”(Wilkins, 1997, ¶ 2) The witch hunts inn the 1950’s proves to us that moral panics may reoccur in a society as it develops. As society develops, so does technology, and these developments can create huge moral panics of their own.

The internet as a technology has created moral panic throughout society, as it has emerged and developed. However that is not where things stop. Information contained within the internet has managed to create panics throughout all different facets of society and within many different people. The internet itself creates panic as it is something new and unknown to people. It is full of information, is cheap to access and these days is available just about anywhere in the world. Everywhere you go you can find an internet café or log your laptop into a wireless connection. This ease of accessibility scares many people as many of them are ill educated about the internet and to them the amount of information contained within the internet is very intimidating. Of course the biased and misinformed views of the media, relating to the internet do not help its cause among the non-internet generation. Media is persuasive and most people tend to believe everything they see and read, as they think if they can’t trust the media, then who can they trust?

Another moral panic closely related to the internet as a technology, is the behaviour of internet users. There are people creating a panic surrounding the idea that internet users are being indecently exposed, and that internet participation will change your behaviour pattern. It will make you want to kill yourself, or others, or perhaps you will develop some kind of psychosis because of the information you have gained. “Constant usage of the Internet has also created a moral panic within society.” (Encyclopaedia of New Media, 2004, ¶ 5) Many people absorb themselves with the internet, creating whole new lives for themselves online. This is creating panic, because it is though these ‘junkies’ are losing their physical identities. They are isolating themselves and losing “their sense of reality, interaction, and their personal identity.”(Encyclopaedia of New Media, 2004, ¶ 6)

There are moral panics related to the internet as a technology and then moral panics related to the information contained on the internet and its use. One such panic relating to internet information and use is the formation of what has been deemed ‘moral panic communities’. These are groups of people with similar beliefs or goals who meet on the internet, and share ideas and information. Unfortunately the ideas and information they share is cause for concern. The internet is accessible and an easy way to communicate, for many people. It is also a very easy way for negative groups to meet and coerce their ideas. These are the kinds of groups that would be placed under the term, ‘moral panic communities’. The internet is a convenient place to meet regardless of location, “for those negative groups who want to secretly plan and plot desired tasks. This can include communities who create bombs, start riots or protests”.(Encyclopaedia of New Media, 2004, ¶ 6) It is easy to see how real these groups are, when we hear of the internet and websites being helped to plot the Bali bombings, or the September 11 attack. People can sit in their own homes and plot, scheme and participate in radical groups, and as long as they continue to go about their everyday lives, no-one in any the wiser. Thus the beauty or destructive capacity of the internet. It is attacks like these that prove the existence of negative groups and their mixing over the internet, definitely does exist and it proves to us that panic is justified.

Technological based moral panics also occur. These panics are things like, the invention and spreading of computer viruses, computer hacking and Spam. These three technologies all have the power to invade a person’s privacy, and that is why concern is spreading. Sensitive information is contained, shared and accessed throughout the internet. This information may be personal, or from government or intelligence organisations. No-one wants this information shared with anyone but the named user. Computer hacking sees anyone with the expertise being able to dig into any information they want via the internet. Once the have this information they can keep it for personal use or sell it. Either way it has got into hands it was not meant for. Viruses are destructive and often vindictive. Their spreading can cause a person to lose all their personal information, research or everything they have worked for. Spam is sent via email and the majority of it is advertising. It is frustrating for the email user and an invasion of privacy, as most of the spam you receive is from people and companies who have acquired your details illegally. Laws have now been passed in regards to spam, so panic behind it has probably eased slightly, however panic surrounding viruses and hacking is still prevalent, as seen by the high amount of software being produced and sold to guard your computer against illegal and destructive activities.

Perhaps the most prevalent and longest-running moral panic of recent times is the issue of Internet pornography and how accessible it has become to children. Most children know how to use the internet in this day and age, and have access to it at home or school. Panic has occurred because of how easy it is for children to innocently stumble over pornographic websites. An internet search alone for a particular subject can drag these sites up, and pop ups are a regular occurrence on computers, many of which contain links to pornographic material. Most children will access these sites unbeknownst to them; even the most innocent searching can retrieve some offensive material. Even “The Australian Government has responded to community concern about the possible harm to children posed by the internet by establishing legislation (January,2000) which requires the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to ensure access to prohibited material is denied.”(Blashki, Quigley, 2003, p. 310) As well as government and communities taking a stance on pornography and it availability to children, software makers are also taking a stance. They are producing software that people can buy or download, like Net Nanny that monitors net activity and blocks undesirable websites. Another easy way for parents to protect their children is to have their computer located in a family area, where there is constant traffic. This is an easy way of monitoring a child’s internet use.

“Periods of extreme concern over sexual threats to children have occurred several times in the 20th-century.”(Bauserman, 2003, ¶ 2) Pornography on the internet and its accessibility to children is the current concern. This is definitely an issue; however the media has definitely used this concern to their advantage and blown it out of proportion. “In 1995, pornography accounted for less than 1% of internet traffic.” (Littlewood, 2003, p. 10) That is a small part of the internet and it has received so much public attention. The sensationalising of an issue by media in this instance has had a huge effect on many different aspects of society. Software companies and certain websites, as well as the media themselves have all profited from the moral panic. Governments have created new laws to protect children from internet pornography. This instance shows how the exaggeration of an issue to create panic can have such a large affect, even on such a small minority.

The internet seems to have become almost a breeding ground for moral panics. There are now panics surrounding both the internet and information contained within the internet. The panics can be both related to technology and issues within society. Most of the panics have only come to the forefront in recent years. Whilst panics about bomb makers meeting on the internet and children being able to access pornography are definitely justified, the panic behind these has definitely been enlarged by the media. The have targeted minority groups and this has created not only a type of mass hysteria, but also a tidy profit. Like anything, as technology and the internet continue to advance, more moral panics will be created to coincide with this growth.

REFERENCES

JOURNALS

Bauserman, Robert., (2003). Child Pornography Online: Myth, Fact, and Social Control . Journal of Sex Research 219 Volume 40; Issue 2; ISSN: 00224499. Retrieved May 1, 2006 from Factiva database.

Blashki , K, Quigley,M., (2003) Beyond the Boundaries of the Secret Garden: Children and the Internet. Information Technology in Childhood Education Manual (2003), 309-316. Retrieved May 1 from Factiva database.

Littlewood, Anne., (2003). Cyberporn and moral panic: an evaluation of press reactions to pornography on the internet. Library and Information Research 27(86):pp. 8-18. Retrieved April 29, 2006, from E-prints in Library and Information Science database

Wilkins, J., (1997). Protecting our children from Internet smut: moral duty or moral panic?. The Humanist 4 Vol. 57, No. 5, ISSN: 0018-7399. Retrieved May 1, 2006, from the Factiva database.

BOOKS

Jones, E., Jones M. (1999). Mass Media. London: Macmillan

WEBSITES

Encyclopaedia of New Media. New Media Panics. (2004). Retrieved April 29, 2006 fromhttp://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Moral_Panics_and_the_Internet

Grayson, Russ. On Line Opinion. Society's moral panic attacks - all grist for the media mill. (2004). Retrieved April 29, 2006 from http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2455

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Moral Panics. (1996). Retrieved April 29, 2006 from http://www.antipope.org/charlie/rant/censorship.html

Moral Panics on the Net. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2006 from http://www.antipope.org/charlie/journo/cyberpanic.html

Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia. Moral Panic. (2006). Retrieved April29, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_panic

Week 9 - Using Microsoft Powerpoint

2006-05-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

I use microsoft power point with uni all the time when i have an in-class presentations. I think that i'm ok with the use of it. Definitely not an expert but have some idea how things work.

Exercise 1 was very basic, it was just the usual thing i would use in powerpoint.

Exercise 2 was really useful. I have never bothered to tailor a presentation, so wasn't really competent with the custom animation menu. I found it interesting to see what I could actually do. In the future where it warrants it, I will try and use these new skills I have acquired. It's little thing like these that make presentations far more proffessional and make me seem far more competent.

I find the microsoft programs great to use as well, because they have a good help menu. You can usually find something on it that will help you out in some way.

Notes And Ideas From Week 9 Readings

2006-05-01T19:21:00.001-07:00

"How To Recongnise The Future When It Lands On You" - Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution.

*This article is on Howard Rheingolds predictions for the future of technology.

*Technology is advancing. Companies just have to realise and join in. Eg. Wireless Net.

*PC and internet breakthroughs will come from amateurs, from the fringes.

*Capability of mobiles ever increasing. Costs of mobiles decreasing, due to things like computer chips getting cheaper as they grow more powerful.

*"The 'People Power II' smart mobs in Manila who overthrew the presidency of President Estrada in 2001 organised demostrations b forwarding text messages via cell phones". - This is unreal! It is amazing how much power the mobile phone and its users have gathered. It is so quick and convenient. (From page xvii of the article)

*"Don't mistake my estimated of the power of the coming technology with unalloyed enthusiasm for its effects. I am not calling for an uncritical embrace of the new regime, but for an informed consideration of what we're getting ourselves into. We have an opportunity now to consider the social implications of this new technological regime as it first emerges, before every aspect of life is recorded". (From page xviii of the article) - This statement says it all. I thought this was brilliant. Rheingold tells us that we should perhaps throw some caution to the wind instead of just accepting all new technology. In the end if we don't, then we have no one to blame but ourselves if things go pear shaped.

Week 8 - Using Microsoft Word

2006-05-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

I found the whole thing quite easy, especially the first 3 exercises. I also found it very interesting. I had never used the track changes button before, so that was a first. It was easy to use though, once i had read the instructions in the tute exercise. I would never have known how to use it or have bothered to before this. I had never used the mail merge toolbar, so this was another learning curve for me. It was interesting though and i can see how it would make letter writing a lot easier.

It was great to be introduced to some small things in word that will make life much easier, and that i would never ahve learnt to use otherwise!

Notes And Ideas From Week 8 Readings

2006-05-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

The Pearly Gates Of Cyberspace

*Cyber-Utopia - Primary appeal of cyberspace.
*Net beckons us all with a vision of friendship and the hope of inclusion in a wider social whole.
*People can judge you in real life. Where you live, Beverly Hills or the Bronx. They can't do this on line.
*Everyone becomes an equal member of society in cyber space, even a squatter!
* Bad Point of cyberspace - It is not equally open to all! How can you have a cber utopia when the internet is not available to all?
*Women are not being given a fair go on many sites. Some are being harrassed.
* Americans believe they are taming cyberspace. Really they are just trying to erase other cultures.
*Cyberspace - Less like heaven, more like Hell?

Notes And Ideas From Week 7 Readings

2006-05-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

Trigger Happy
The Inner Life Of Videogames

*"There seems to be a fear that videogames are somehow nudging out other art forms, and that we're encouraging a generation of screen-glazed androids with no socail skills, poetical sensitivity or entrepreneurial skills".
*Late 80's early 90's Nintendo and Sega came to the forefont. Leader of video games invention and popularity.
*1989 - Nintendo launch Gameboy.
*1995 - Launch of Sony Playstation - blew every other game console away.
*1997 - Nintendo Launch, Nintendo '64. No competition to playstation, it didn't have the software.
*Video games now aimed at the disposable income of adults. Av Age 21
*Sony started to put dance music on their video games. Aimed for the dance culture crowd, proved very popular.
*1996 - Enter Lara Croft. Revolutionary. Changed everyting. Record Sales.
*Videogames have the potential to become an artform.

Week 7 - Photo Shop Part 2

2006-05-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

FRIENDS

This picture represents friends, because these are some of my friends with me at my birthday. I loved the effect i have created using photoshop. We were out at a club and this sort of technique has a real night clubby vibe to it. It looks like some sort of lighting.

HIGH TECH

A COCKTAIL Yum! High Tech because it takes longer than the average drink to make. I t requires more than one type of alcohol, ice, different fruits and possible multiple garnishes. It must be muddled, stirred or shaken, and takes a lot of knowledge and effort to make. It's an art form!

NEWS

This was news to me, even if too no-one else. a friends sister got married and she was one of the bridesmaids, so she sent me a photo from the wedding.

SUMMER

My friend Karine in Hawaii. you can't get a more summer location than that. As you can see by the blue sky, palm trees and frangipani flower in her hair.

GAMES

Let the cocktail making competition begin!!!!!

UNCONVENTIONAL

Being pulled behind a boat, connected to a parachute!!! Whats conventional or normal about that :)

CELEBRITY

Ben Lee at one of his concerts, promoting his new album AWAKE IS THE NEW SLEEP. "Cos that's the way he likes it"

Notes And Ideas From Week 6 Readings

2006-05-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Show and Tell - Debra Beattie

*Debra Beattie received some funding to make a doco on her Dad, a QLD policeman.
*Beattie was successful in an application for a new initiative from the OZ film Commission. On Line Documentary.
"My journey to know my Dad had been a life long obsession for me, but not one i cared to make public. I decided however if this was the only way to get the story told, then i'd do it". Debra Beattie

The Art Of Real Time - Daniel Palmer

*Real Time started with the emergence of instantaneous communication. Eg. telegraph, tv
*Real Time Screens = those capable of instant changes in output and interaction.
*Real Time typically associated with computers, now tv entering.

Week 6 - Mobile Phone Cameras, and Adobe Photoshop

2006-05-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

FRIENDS

I think this represents friends because these are some of my friends that i work with. It is a tuesday night and we all had the night off so we went out ten pin bowling and drinking in the city! Things friends are alwas great at joining in on!

HIGH TECH

You can't get more high tech than a car. All those bits and pieces that go together to make it move and work. The mind boggles!!!

NEWS

Ben Lee plays at the Banglow R & I Hall, NSW

SUMMER

A beautiful summers day on the beach in Noosa. Summer is sun, friends, beach and good times.

UNCONVENTIONAL

You can't get more unconventional than a bar made totally from ice. The floor, chairs, tables and glasses! At least you will know your drink is bound to be cold!

UNIVERSITY LIFE

This is one of my friends from uni and i watching The Cat Empire. Sarah is an exchange student from the US. Uni life is about making good friends to share things with.

Notes And Ideas From Week 5 Readings

2006-05-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

Labyrinths
Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

"Tlon is surely a labyrinth, but it is a labyrinth devised by men, a labyrinth destined to be deciphered by men".

*This is a story on how a society decided to invent a country. It is a very strange story. Borges became interested because he found an insert on the country in an encyclopedia. He could find no info or sign of existence of this country anywhere else. By chance of fate he receives a copy of the first encyclopedia of Tlon. He goes on to work out this country is invented. The inventors however decided a country was not enough and turned it into a planet. They wrote a methodical encclopedia of the imaginary planet. They began to infiltrate the world with artefacts from Tlon.
*The ideas and development of the planet seem to come from scientific and mathematical practices.

Notes and Ideas From Week 4 Readings

2006-04-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

BURNING CHROME

This is a story about computer hackers - Bobby was a cowboy who worked with ICE - Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics. "The matrix is an abstract representation of the relationship between data systems."-Automatic Jack - Works on and organises hardware and programs.
*Burning Chrome = The Chrome in the title is the name of another character. She is the leader in computers, hacking etc, everything involved. She is rich, very powerful and influential. To burn her was to take her down, infiltrate her systems and take her money, too be smarter than her. They had to burn through Chromes programs without her catching them.
*Bobby believes he needs a muse (a female one) to achieve his greatness, hence Rikki.
*They put Chrome upon a pedestal. In a castle. She owned 'The House of Blue Lights', which is a brothel.
*Rikki wants to be famous and become part of the sim stim generation. She needs Ikons which are fake eyes, they are very costly.
*"It took 6 weks to set the burn up". Bobby and Jack burn Chrome. They break through all her computer programs, steal her money and wreck Chrome. They filter a lot of the money into offshore accounts and lot's to charities. It turns out Rikki was working at the house of blue lights to get the money for her eyes.

Notes and Ideas From Week 3 Readings

2006-04-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

*Term 'New Media' a blanket term. Very general and vague term. = FUTURE for new technology forms, economic, educational. Breaks up history - old and new.
*'The Media' usually refers to communication media and the organisations and institutions in which ppl work, and the cultural and material products of those institutions. Eg. papers, books , films
*Term that offers to recognise some big changes.
*New Media refers to a wide range of changes in media production, distribution and use.

Week 4 - Scavenger Hunt

2006-04-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

1. What is the weight of the world's biggest pumpkin?

World's record for the largest fruit is a mammoth 1061 pound pumpkin.

waynesword.palomar.edu/plmay99.htm VIA http://www.dogpile.com/

2.What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Grant Hackett?

Miami Swimming ClubPO BOX 2461BURLEIGH QLD 4220

http://granthackettonline.free.fr/?page_id=107 VIA http://www.altavista.com/

3. What is the lenght of a giraffe's tongue?

A giraffe can extend its tongue for as much as 45 cm (18 in)

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561060/Giraffe.html VIA http://encarta.msn.com/

4. How would you define the word "ontology"? In your own words, what does it really mean?

The metaphysical study of the nature of being and existence. It is studying life

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ontology VIA http://www.metacrawler.com/

5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film?

Cronenberg's first effort was a 1966 short film called "Transfer," about a psychiatrist being stalked by a patient.

http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/11/30/cronenberg/ VIA http://www.metacrawler.com/

6. When was the original "Hacker's Manifesto" written?

The Hacker's Manifesto was written by The Mentor. The Mentor wrote it shortly after his arrest. It appeared in Phrack, Volume One, Issue 7, Phile 3, on January 8, 1986

http://www.yak.net/fqa/120.html VIA http://www.altavista.com/

7. Why do all the phone numbers in Hollywood films start with "555"?

*In 1994, the North American Numbering Plan Administration began accepting applications for nationwide 555 numbers (outside the fictitious 555-01XX range). This would mean that a consumer from any area code could dial a seven-digit number such as 555-TACO, and the owners of that number could connect the call to the taco vendor nearest to the consumer. However, according to a 2003 New York Times article, the desired functionality requires the cooperation of local phone authorities, and most phone vendors have been reluctant to cooperate, perhaps wary of undermining the lucrative business of selling toll-free telephone numbers.
*555 isn't a real phone number, so movie makers are ensuring that they do not give out a genuine phone number in a movie. Imagine the potential for litigation if they did give out a genuine number!

http://www.answerbag.com/c_view.php/62#q_16094 VIA http://www.metacrawler.com/

8. What is the cheapest form of travel from Crete to Rhodes?

By Foot!!!! I would assume :) Then hitch-hiking

9. What song was top of the Australian Pop Charts this week in 1965?

Week ending the 27th March it was I'll Never Find Another You, The Seekers

http://www.onmc.iinet.net.au/top/1965.htm VIA http://www.metacrawler.com/

10. What Brisbane band was (still is?) Stephen Stockwell a member of?

He played the keyboard and wrote songs for Brisbane Punk band The Black Assassins.

http://www.gu.edu.au/text/school/art/staff/stockwell.htm VIA http://www.altavista.com/

Week 4 - Search Engines

2006-04-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

What is a search engine?

Search Engine: A search engine is a searchable online database of internet resources. It has several components: search engine software, spider software, an index (database), and a relevancy algorithm (rules for ranking). The search engine software consists of a server or a collection of servers dedicated to indexing Internet Web pages, storing the results and returning lists of pages to match user queries. The spidering software constantly crawls the Web collecting Web page data for the index. The index is a database for storing the data. The relevancy algorithm determines how to rank queries. Examples of major search engines are Google, AOL, MSN and Lycos, etc.. Examples of major directories are Yahoo!, LookSmart and ODP. (http://www.virtechseo.com/seoglossary.htm)

How do search engines rank the stuff they find on the internet?

Pages listed are ones which contain text matching the search term. These are sorted in some kind of relevance order, usually based on the number of times the search terms appear, and whether they're in a title or header.

Who, or what, makes one page (that night get into your search results) more useful than another one, so that it is put at the top of your search results?

To get a top spot on the search engine your site must be "optimised" for the search engine.
Optimization used to mean adding "keyword metatags" to your site header. This practice is virtually ignored by most search engines. You now need to use sentences to describe what the page is about. A picture is worth 1000 words, but of the search engine cannot see your picture, then it is not worth a thing.Optimising your website using search engine optimization means that you must make your website easily navigable by humans, so that humans can find what they are looking for quickly. The search engine algorithms, or programs, are built to promote sites that do this, and they do this using search engine rules. http://www.computerengineering.ca/getting_started_with_web_hosting/

What are some of your favourite search engines? Why do you like one more than others?

I mainly use google. As it seems does everyone else! It is what i first leant to use when i first started using the internet in highschool, so i have kind of just stuck with it. Occasionally i might use yahoo or the search though ninemsn as this is the page that is brought up when i open my internet at home.

Can you find some current news stories about search engines?

*Google buys search tech from UNSW
"Google has acquired search engine technology from the University of New South Wales that the institution described last year as potentially revolutionary.
Google also hired the Ph.D. student who developed the technology. "Google has purchased the assets of Orion and Ori Allon is now an employee. We're thrilled to have him here," a Google spokesman wrote via e-mail." http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;840228089;fp;4;fpid;4

*Search Engines and the Impact on Affiliate Cookies
A study has been published that show sthe imoact of paid and natural search clicks on affiliate cookies.

Week 3 - Library Search: Academic Article Summaries

2006-04-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

First Essay Topic: Moral Panics

Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance
Norris R Johnson. Social Forces. Chapel Hill: Jun 1997.Vol.75, Iss. 4; pg. 1514, 2 pgs

*Moral panics are defined essentially as episodes of collective action in which concern by the press, the public, and public officials to some perceived threat is disproportional to the crucial ideas.
*Explains moral panic phenomena. Differentiates moral panics from related forms of collective action.
*Examines related areas of sociological concern -- social problems, collective behavior, and social movements.
*Researches examples of moral panics Eg. : The Renaissance Witch Craze, the Israeli Drug Panic of May 1982, and the American Drug Panic of the 1980s.

School shootings, the media, and public fear: Ingredients for a moral panic
Crime. Law and Social Change 32: 147-168 1999.
c Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
Ronald Burns1 & Charles Crawford2
1. Texas Christian University; 2. Western Michigan University

*Recent school shootings have caused panic among students, parents and communities. Ppl want to make schools safer and are presenting ways they think this can happen.
*However recent impirical research suggests that schools are safe and that school violence is lower than several years ago.
*Resarch focuses on the construction of school shootings as a moral panic, and the roles played by the media, the public and politicians in using isolated incidents to support their interests.

Blaming Children: Youth Crime, Moral Panics and the Politics of Hate
Aaron Doyle. Canadian Journal of Criminology. Ottawa: Apr 1998.Vol.40, Iss. 2; pg. 217, 5pgs

*Highlights the role of the media in fostering pressure to get tougher with Canada's young offenders.
*Blaming Children argues that, in large part because of inflammatory media coverage, Canadian society is "on the verge of an acute moral panic" focusing on the Young Offenders Act despite the fact there has been minimal increase in serious crime by youth.
*The moral panics are part of a co-ordinated and calculated campaign.
*Discusses factors for sensational and ideological media coverage.

I am not sure this research has actually helped me to formulate a topic!!! Its showed me so many options however, given me a larger choice. In this blog i have reserached a story on just the broad issue of moral panics as well as 2 stories to do with moral panics and youth. I think this is the avenue i will take, the amount of different moral panics surrounding youth, what they are and the effect they cause.

Week 3 - Mailing Lists

2006-03-28T18:54:00.000-08:00

MAILING LISTS

Need To Know http://www.ntk.net/

A high-tech sarcastic for the UK, written by members of the UK internet cognoscenti. This site is a springboard for everything to technological. The group members organise catch ups via the site with guest speakers in attendance. The latest group meeting in London has a guest speaker called Tom Armitege who is speaking on the topic, “Is Controller Design Killing Creativity in Videogames?"

Digital Web Magazine http://www.digital-web.com/

“The web professional's online magazine of choice.” (http://www.digital-web.com/)

This is an online magazine that has articles and on everything to do with the internet. Whether it be new technological advances, new programs or reviews.

Week 3 - Email

2006-03-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

SPAM EMAIL

There is not a day goes by that I do not open my email only to be harassed by spam email. It usually takes up most of the emails I have received that day. I get asked to become a mystery shopper or to win this or that. When really I just don’t want to know about it. I have tried un-subscribing to these lists (Most of which I didn’t even subscribe to in the first place) but they still send me junk emails. I mark them as junk emails but they still manage to somehow get through. It really shits me! It is a waste of my time and patience having to continually having to delete the damn things.

SPAM LAWS IN OZ

Spam Act Review
In September 2005, the Minister directed the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts to initiate a review of the Spam Act, as required by legislation. Comments were sought from the public on their views of the operation of the Act. The consultation period closed 1 February 2006.

Internet Industry Spam Code of Practice
The Australian Communications and Media Authority registered a Code of Practice for internet service providers and email service providers on countering spam. The code was developed by the Internet Industry Association (IIA) in conjunction with the Internet Associations from Western Australia and South Australia. The code applies to all internet service providers in Australia, as well as global email service providers providing services in Australia. The code obligations come into force on 16 July 2006.

The new code sets out how internet service providers and email service providers will address the sources of spam within their own networks, including actual spammers, misconfigured customer email servers and the virus-infected computers used to spread spam (known as ‘zombies’). It also requires internet service providers and email service providers to give end-users information about how to deal with spam, and informed choice about their filtering options. (http://www.acma.gov.au/ACMAINTER.2097430:STANDARD:pc=PC_2008)

INTERNATIONAL SPAM LAWS

Law and Regulation
Ø Some AsiaPac countries have, or are introducing antispam laws - Australia, New Zealand, Korea etc
Ø Australia has successfully prosecuted a notorious spammer, Wayne Mansfield, under their antispam law
International cooperation - governments and regulators
Ø Seoul Melbourne Pact on Antispam – signed by several Asia Pacific regulators. Focuses on information sharing, technical, educational and policy solutions to the spam problem
Ø London Action Plan – Brings together regulators from the USA, Canada, EU, AsiaPac, as well as international organizations such as the ITU and OECD, civil society antispam organizations, and industry (ISPs and vendors of antispam technology). (www.apnic.net/meetings/20/docs/other/ tut-pres-ramasubramanian-spam-international-cooperation.ppt)

Notes and Ideas From Week 2 Readings

2006-03-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

*Authoritarian Model = Where Govt assert control & authority over mass media.
-This can be because some govts in poor and divided society feel if they can't control media their fragile or unable to assert authority. See media as a threat or a tool.
*Developmental Model = In developing nations Eg. Latin America "...leaders see mass media as a strong social force that should help these nations develop faster or in a more planned, efficient way" (Straubhaar, Joseph, LaRose, Robert, Communications Media in the Information Society, Wadsworth Publishing, p. 27)
*Free Press/Libertarian Model = Believes press should be free, uncensored and uncontrolled if it is to provide accurate info. To make citizens well informed there needs to be freedom of speach and expression.
*Social responsibility Model = Not controlled by govts or advertisers. This model is all about meeting public service responsibilities. Run by the people for the people.
*Gate Keepers decide what info people should get.
* Mass media set agenda for ppl who watch, read, listen to them as well as for public and govt discussion.

Notes And Ideas From Week 1 Readings

2006-03-26T01:26:00.000-08:00

*Younger generation aren't finding tv news of much interest. Their turning more towards Internet, Glass House, Panel etc type programs for news. Format needs to be upgraded to keep youth.
*Amateur video sited becoming a big interest and big business. They mean you can put your videos on the net.
*William Gibson - Sci-Fi Writer. Writes books involving ideas on technolog. A lot of computer realted things he envisioned in his books have become reality. EG. How computers would connect to each other instead of a profusion of keyboards and screens. Networks have since become the norm.
*Many ppl blogging under fake names as it gives them the option to express ideas/converse with other like minded ppl minus the repercussions.
*Spam on the net has increased. New viruses created to attack system so the compromise the security of a computer for personal gain.Once security is compromised hackers can get in and send spam everyone on the network.

Week 2 - Alphaville Info

2006-03-26T01:25:00.000-08:00

As the French New Wave was reaching its maturity and filmgoing had evolved as a favorite pastime of intellectuals and urban sophisticates, along came Jean-Luc Godard to shake up every convention and send highfalutin critics scrambling to their typewriters. 1965's Alphaville is a perfect example of Godard's willingness to disrupt expectation, combine genres, and comment on movies while making sociopolitical statements that inspired doctoral theses and left a majority of viewers mystified. Part science fiction and part hard-boiled detective yarn, Alphaville presents a futuristic scenario using the most modern and impersonal architecture that Godard could find in mid-'60s Paris. A haggard private eye (Eddie Constantine) is sent to an ultramodern city run by a master computer, where his mission is to locate and rescue a scientist who is trapped there. As the story unfolds on Godard's strictly low-budget terms, the movie tackles a variety of topics such as the dehumanizing effect of technology, willful suppression of personality, saturation of commercial products, and, of course, the constant recollection of previous films through Godard's carefully chosen images. For most people Alphaville, like many of the director's films, will prove utterly baffling. For those inclined to dig deeper into Godard's artistic intentions, the words of critic Andrew Sarris (quoted from an essay that accompanies the Criterion Collection DVD) will ring true: "To understand and appreciate Alphaville is to understand Godard, and vice versa." --Jeff Shannon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6303994083/104-3199563-4188768?v=glance&n=404272

Week 2 - Critical Review Of Alphaville

2006-03-26T00:57:00.000-08:00

This movie is indeed utterly baffling. I am finding it hard to follow in many was - I'm not sure if its because of the subtitles and the french maybe! But i am also finding it quite intruiging. The often sharp and dramatic music creates a great atmosphere throughout the movie. It keeps ou in suspense, always waiting for something to happen. I know the main charactere who is a private eye is looking for a scientist but i'm not sure why? Or what the scientist has to do with anything. The woman in the film - the detectives guide is stunningly beautiful and seductive. What are her motives, what is she in the movie for? Hopefully some of my questions begin to be answered and I can start to work things out.

As for the posting activity on the forum, the thing that i think attracts people initially to a post is obviously the title. If it is something of interest to you then of course you will look and comment.

Week 2 - Introduction

2006-03-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Hey My name is Hayley!

I am a 20y.o. from Esperanc in WA. I moved to Brissy in June last year to start uni here at Griffith. I live in East Brisbane and come down from there for uni here, as this is the only place one of my majors is offered. I work at a club in the city when i am not at uni so that keeps me very busy!
My interests include sports and outdoor activities, i also love photography and watching the occasional movie. I am really intrested in travelling as well, and take up and opportunity i can to travel where ever i can. I have been to Thailand twice and New Zealand once. I was in Thailand for a month in April last year and attended ANZAC Day there for the second time. I am also going back this year in mid semester break for ANZAC Day and to realx for a while. I've travelled around lots of Australia, and managed to be in 4 different states last month :) I go down to Byron every opportunity i get because i love to see live music and The Great Northern always has great gigs on. Noosa is also a favourite spot to go and lie on the beach!

Now...To the course...
I wasnt sure what to expect and was a bit shocked at first at how everything involvesx computers!!! But am glad that it does, as hopefully this will help me with my often limited computer skills :) The communication studied will definitely help me in everyday life and in the future. I will definitley be a bit more up with computer technology and that is definitely not a bad things in this time where everything is done with computers. Ive never blogged before but it sounds quite fun and is something different so i'll give it a go!!!