Essay

Marc Prensky's "Emerging online life of the digital native" and David Weinberger's "A New World" both present different views of contemporary internet users. In light of your own experiences with new technologies do you think they are accurate portrayals? Discuss why or why not with specific examples.

The internet is used by many people for a lot of different things. What people do on the internet has changed and evolved over time, but the people who use the internet today, known as contemporary internet users, are being viewed in interesting and specific ways. This essay will outline the views Marc Prensky and David Weinberger have of contemporary internet users. It will highlight their differences and explain how they both give accurate portrayals, in some areas, and flawed observations, in other areas. Prensky’s view of the digital native compared to the digital immigrant discusses the difference between the generation who have grown up with technology and the generation that have had to adapt to it. He outlines how the younger generation do things differently using the technology they have at their fingertips. Weinberger’s view of contemporary internet users is depicted in his portrayal of several different types of persons or personalities using the web today. In connection with Prensky’s description of a digital immigrant, Weinberger approaches the web from this stance of adapting to the technology. These topics will be discussed further and explored through other commentaries and sources. Specific examples will be given to discuss the views of Prensky and Weinberger.

Marc Prensky delves into what young people are using the internet for and how they do this by expanding on topics like communicating; buying and selling; gaming; and learning. He terms this younger generation ‘digital natives’ and describes how they do things differently to ‘digital immigrants’. There is deeper discussion on these two terms in Prensky’s article ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants’. Digital natives are primarily generation Y and younger and they have also been termed ‘Net Genners’ (Leung, 2004). This group incorporates people who have been immersed in technology their whole lives. They haven’t had to change to adapt to technology, but it is like second nature to them. However, digital immigrants have made a shift. They were accustomed to doing things a certain way without the use of technology. In the advent of new technology this group of people have made adjustments. In making these adjustments they still carry their traditional ways of thinking with them, which makes them different from digital natives (Prensky, 2001). Prensky’s discussion in ‘Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native’ (Prensky, 2004), suggests that digital natives are approaching life differently because of the internet.

In David Weinberger’s ‘A New World’, there is discussion about the internet as a place that is emerging and nobody knows where it is heading. Weinberger points out the hopes and fears that arose because of the web and asks why this occurred. He questions the web’s ability to meet all these expectations. He discusses contemporary internet users from the perspective of someone adapting to technology. This is evident when Weinberger talks about rewriting ourselves on the web (Weinberger, 2002). Even in the title ‘A New World’, it is clear that the focus is on the older generations because the internet and technology is not new for younger generations; it is all they have ever known. Weinberger mentions the struggles of building businesses in this new space called the web. He outlines the unfamiliarity of a place with ‘no soil’ and ‘no near and far’ (Weinberger, 2002). This unfamiliarity of the web has caused people to discover themselves saying and doing things they wouldn’t have done before (Poster, 2001). On the internet people can recreate themselves and be someone different to who they are in real life. This ability has caused problems and is displayed in a story in ‘A New World’. Michael Ian Campbell decided to practice his acting, so he says, by trying on a new role in an instant messaging conversation online. This new role involved talk about the shootings that occurred in a school in America. The conversation was taken seriously and police were involved in straightening out the situation (Weinberger, 2002). Serious problems can occur from people playing around with serious issues on the internet and studies have shown people are more likely to say or be involved inappropriate things online than if they were face to face (Langford, 1996).

The accurate portrayals given by Prensky include his description of how young people are engaging in technology for communication, gaming and learning purposes. There are a number of ways this is happening and communication online is the most evident of them all. Teenagers are engaged in online communication through programs like MSN messenger and websites like Facebook and MySpace. This has shaped the way they do life and the popularity of these online communication and social tools is proven. The reason why teenagers love these social networking sites and programs is discussed in an article titled ‘Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life’. The article addresses the fact that most teens have ventured on the social network sites and in time have gone off them. The importance of these sites in relation to their social life is their involvement and participation with their friends (Boyd, 2008). There is the ability for young people today to create much bigger social spheres because of access to these sites.

Flawed observations by Prensky include a generalization he made about generation Y finding romantic relationships on the internet. He said it was likely that young people today will be finding ‘some or all of their dates online’ (Prensky, 2004). This is far from the case. Although some young people are engaged in online dating, it is still a ‘no-go zone’ for most young people today. Studies have shown involvement in this activity is on the decline from previous years – Youth Marketing Statistics.

Weinberger’s portrayal of contemporary internet users was accurate. In his description of eBay users and shopping online, digital immigrants were said to be engaged in this activity. More and more internet users who are from the digital immigrant group are becoming involved in shopping online through sites like eBay and Amazon (Selvin, 2000 p. 157). Further discussion on inappropriate behavior becoming more prevalent through email and internet use is seen to be happening. People are more confident sitting behind a computer screen. Statistics and studies have shown this. In 1999, 40 people were fired from Xerox for email abuse. In the same year, New York Times fired 23 people for “inappropriate and offensive” emails (Weinberger, 2002).

New technologies have reshaped the way people do life. Contemporary internet users have been opened up to many new possibilities through these technologies. Positive and negative repercussions have both come from the advent of these technologies. Prensky and Weinberger’s views of how these technologies are used by contemporary internet users were interrelated, but different. They both came from different perspectives. Prensky focused on young people and Weinberger on digital immigrants adapting to the technology. The interrelation came through each perspective discussing activities, which occur online. For example, shopping, learning and communicating. From these two perspectives, one can see that contemporary internet users, young or old, are engaged in many online activities and are experiencing the world through technology.


References

Boyd, R. (2008). Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dmal.9780262524834.119?cookieSet=1

Louis Leung. CyberPsychology & Behavior. June 2004, 7(3): 333-348. doi:10.1089/1094931041291303.

Journal article by Duncan Langford; Ethics & Behavior, Vol. 6, 1996 - http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=KhyfBGTr3cQ2FnnPqr1LG3hwSdmTXtWyLm1ygw2hxtqHwrftJ6Pr!-1941634607!-2081211395?docId=94802212

Poster, M. (2001). What’s The Matter With The Internet?. University of Minnesota Press.

Prensky, M. (2001). http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf

Prensky, M. (2004). (http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf - accessed 16/10/09)

Selvin, J. (2000). Internet & Society. Blackwell Publishers.

Weinberger, D. (2002). http://www.smallpieces.com/content/chapter1.html

Internet Resource accessed 16/10/09 - http://www.youth-marketing-statistics.com/2009/01/remember-online-dating.html

Course Summary

New Communications Technologies has been one of my favorite courses this semester. Dealing with issues such as the internet, computers, media and media on the internet, screen and film and many other topics, I have found the course informative. The early lectures on the history of the computer and the internet was quite interesting because these things are so much embedded in our culture today. Adam's discussion on web 2.0 and Free Culture was interesting. Learning the purpose of creative commons and how it works has enabled me to be more aware to publish my own creations in these spaces. Josh Nichol’s lectures on the screen and consumption and production taught me about how our world is changing with technology. Media and entertainment can be accessed on the fly because of creations like the iPhone and iPod touch. The fact that people use to watch trees blowing in the wind on film just because it was on film and this made it exciting, tells me how far we have come. There is still no looking back, technology is continuing to evolve and breaking new frontiers.

Later on in the course, politics on the internet was introduced. Terms like eDemocracy and cyberpunk were introduced. Understanding that hackers are not actually bad or always considered criminals was good to know. I had always associated hackers with doing something wrong. I learnt that these people doing the wrong thing with computers and the internet are mainly known as crackers; although, hackers can be harmful - this would be when they break away from their 'Hacker Ethic'. We learnt about a specific code that hackers adhere to and agree to not use the information they discover in harmful or destructive ways. This 'Hacker Ethic' or code began in the 1960's. Learning all of these interesting facts and ideas added to my enjoyment of the course. I liked the idea of having to start up my own blog and being able to show my friends what I've been doing in this course.

Jason Nelson conducted an eventful lecture and showed us all that he doesn't struggle from shyness. I liked his style. His discussion on the .com crash and rethinking of ways to use the internet was of importance to other content we had learned. It interrelated with some of the topics Adam covered in discussing web 2.0 - the introduction of the more socially oriented internet world. I have to say, the whole idea of Active worlds and Second life got to me. They seem so pointless and Jason Nelson brought this up in his lecture. He said exactly that - that they really have no purpose or point and are designed to really do nothing.

Overall the course has been good and I look forward to some more informative lectures and readings to come.

Essay Topic and Resources

I have chosen essay question one: Marc Prensky's "Emerging online life of the digital native" and David Weinberger's "A New World" (this is chapter 1 from a book called "Small Pieces Loosely Joined" which is in the library as a physical book, it's available as an ebook in the GU catalogue, and it's also on the internet for free if you use your google powers!) both present different views of contemporary internet users. In light of your own experiences with new technologies do you think they are accurate portrayals? Discuss why or why not with specific examples.

I chose this question because I want to explore the different uses the internet has for different people. Some use the internet for educational purposes, whilst some use it for criminal activity.

Resource 1: http://www.smallpieces.com/content/chapter1.html

In this resource there is talk about the web putting a jolt through our culture. There is suspicion that perhaps the web is a new world we are inhabiting and it has much more to reveal. It discusses the uncertainty of the web and the unpredictability it holds. It describes the web as having nothing natural in it and having few rules of behavior and lines of authority.

Resource 2: http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf


“Students are not just using technology differently today, but are approaching their life and their daily activities differently because of the technology.”
– NetDay survey 2004, Conclusions.

This is a quote that explains in a concise statement what this article is about. The impact of technology on students is changing not just their lives, but the way they do life.

Resource 3: http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Agemw3yIfCIC&oi=fnd&pg=PR12&dq=Contemporary+Internet+Users&ots=IkYJbDSVs0&sig=63Il9KY0TcaB5Mp2_NrexVNrhIM#v=onepage&q=Contemporary%20Internet%20Users&f=false

This resource highlights the Internet in a general sense. It deals with how the internet is concerned with everyday life. This resource will be useful in the discussion of the contemporary internet user and how it relates to their life. It highlights how the internet has changed from primarily being used by elites to being used by common people for common purposes.

Resource 4: http://ssc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/19/4/395

This article explores new variables from social-cognitive theory that looks into internet usage. Internet addiction is highlighted and discussed. It raises concerns of internet behavior and will be useful in discussing different behavioral trends.

Resource 5: http://www.cheeps.com/karlmaton/pdf/bjet.pdf

Marc Prensky’s discussion on digital natives led me to another source of information on this type ‘digital natives’. According to this article they are also termed ‘Net generation’. The article highlights that this generation of internet users have been immersed in technology all of their lives.

Jason Nelson's Lecture - Week 9

Jason spoke about the .com crash. There was a lot of money pumped into the internet and then these investors realised they were not making any money. After 2000 these people began to rethink things. Jason highlighted some companies that had done well and made it through and this included Amazon.com. Discussion began about when yahoo was big before Google came along. This led to more talk about - there is always going to be the next best thing. First there was MySpace and then everyone jumped to Facebook and then twitter. Apparently, Google is bringing the next thing out and it is going to be called Google-wave?? I wonder if everyone will jump on board. Google seems to have their hand in everything that happens on the internet. We learnt that Bill Gates/Microsoft is trying to buy yahoo... Though, at the moment Google is still the flavor of the month.

Jason mentioned Cyber Utopia - I gathered this to mean things are constantly changing in the cyber world. This is evident in what was discussed earlier. In a business sense this is bad. Companies don't want to build cyber entities or buildings, as such, then keep knocking them down and starting again. It must be frustrating for these business minded people trying to make a dollar. Some have succeeded and some have failed. Some have done both... Jason described the net as an experimental space. There are brands rising and falling continually. Personally, being a consumer of the goings on in cyberspace, I can't say that I will only commit to one thing/site/company/brand. If something better comes out and all my friends are using that, well I will use it too.

Jason showed us the Wayback Machine found at archive.org - This machine stores information of websites that may not be in use anymore. He took us to the old Griffith site from 1996. Let us just say things have changed for the better.
Now on to some Internet usage stats: Most people only visit up to 6 websites on the internet. These are the sites that people are accustomed to using. This led into discussion about more specific focus of tailoring to people’s needs on the internet. For example, the vampire.net or whatever it was. It was tailored to people into vampires or the elf.com or net that was specifically for people with an elf fetish. These types of sites are showing their success because they can last. The sites that are attempting to get the attention of the masses soon crumble because they cannot sustain the momentum. People generally get bored and move on the something else. Jason said the web works most effectively when individuals consistently updating information run sites. This is rather than big corporations running the show.

Political Participation via The Internet

1. Sign an e-petition:

Tobacco Display Legislation – This e-petition was concerned with removing the proposals relating to the ban on the display of tobacco in shops.

2. Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site:

I responded to Sydney Morning Heralds entertain blog. The topic was concerning Kyle Sandilands being stood down for a month without pay. I said that I think he should be off the air altogether because he is a rude and ignorant human being.

3. What is Barak Obama up to today?

The best way I could think of finding out this information was to check Obama’s twitter. He tweeted that he is in New York meeting with world leaders at the United Nations. He posted a video and said watch this speech…

4. Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are:

Local: Ms Kerry Rea MP
State: The Hon Arch Bevis MP
Federal: I don't know. I couldn't seem to find a clear answer.

5. I found the latest Hansard and Kerry Rea's name didn't seem to appear. I don't know if she didn't get a mention or I ws looking in the wrong place. So I couldn't let her know what I thought because I couldn't find her last speech.

Political Possibilities

Due to strikes, there was no lecture this week. The content made available on elearning dealt with recent political formations emerging because of new technologies. In order to properly understand these political formations, CyberPolitics and eDemocracy had to be defined. CyberPolitics was defined as politics of the internet mostly found on the internet. It deals with how the internet is structured and functions and who decides these things (Internet Society and ICANN). Edemocracy is more concerned with how the internet participates in what is going on in real world politics. It incorporates how the government uses the internet. There was further discussion about defining, more generally, democracy.


In the discussion about mass media I gathered a number of main concepts. The fact that mass media has cut off democratic participation in a number of ways and the advent of new technologies has counteracted this choking of democracy. The new technologies are allowing more people to be involved in mass media and present their opinions and view others’ opinions too. Not only this, but these opinions and voices are appreciated and recognized by poeple. They aren’t just dismissed and ignored. More people are being able to find things out for themselves and not just be told everything from the one source (Newspapers, TV and Media). I see new communications technologies having a positive effect by bringing change in this way. The hold mass media has had in choking democracy is being loosened. Citizens realizing they have a voice and remembering they live in a democracy is important.


Democracy in relation to hackers was then discussed. Hackers don't see anything wrong with breaking into computer systems. They don't see computer systems as corporate property. They are often associated with a computer criminal, but in reality play a minor part in this scene. Hackers are different from crackers. Crackers are involved in criminal activity. They use the information they find, such as credit card details, to rip people off. Hackers are more interested in exploring and understanding hidden information within the canlas of computer systems. 'The Hacker Ethic' is said to have been around since 1960 and hackers adhere to this code. The code is concerned with not harming infromation found by hackers. Hackers are said to create democratic potentialities by finding new ways to information and providing access to these spaces.

My 20th Birthday - 3 minute video

This clip takes you through the happenings of my 20th birthday party at North Beach in Wollongong. The music in the background was created in Photostory by choosing numerous genres/styles, sounds and speed.

Free Culture, Free Society

In discussing free culture and free society three keywords were identified: community; collaboration; and choice. These concepts were presented in relation to computers and the internet. To understand how they relate with computers and the internet a brief history into computer programming and source codes was needed. In the early days of computer programming, the creators would share programs freely. It was a smaller community of people than it is today and these communities were normally based at universities. By collaborating on programs, different writers could contribute and make programs better. To do this, access to the source code of the program was required (the source code is like a recipe for a computer program). Access to the source code was readily available because program writers didn't withhold this information. This collaboration and community of software sharing was later called FLOSS - Free/Libre, Open Source Software. This pleasant community of code writers was interrupted by the monster known as 'Proprietary Software'. Some examples of proprietary software or companies that own the software are: Microsoft, Macromedia and Apple.

The interruption by more business minded people changed the culture of program writers. People began to realise they could make money by restricting access to the source code and making people pay for the program. Altering the source code became restricted because program writers didn't want people tampering with their creations. Richard M Stallman opposed this business minded and money making culture and started up the Free Software Foundation in 1981. This later became known as Open Source software. Stallman's goal was to create a completely free operating system to facilitate Opensource software that people could collaborate on and improve. The idea of collaboration amongst computer programmers could then be restored. Stallman's operating system is known as GNU. One main concept behind Stallman's creation was the idea of 'choice'. We shouldn't have to be dictated to by Microsoft and Apple. Having another option like GNU now enables us to break out of the Microsoft/Apple mould. It gives the sense of community, collaboration and choice back.

Consumption & Production

This week we discussed consumption and production of media. Traditionally consumers of professional media content didn’t produce, but only consumed. This has changed in the advent of new technology. This new technology has enabled the everyday person to create and publicize media content. The technology includes personal media players like iPods, mobile phones and Smartphones (iPhones). These gadgets have inbuilt camera/video camera’s so the user can create, view and publish content on the fly. The medium by which media content is viewed includes ‘big’ screens and ‘small’ screens. The ‘big’ screens of life are cinema TV and PC. The ‘small’ screens of life are personal media players and mobile phones. Through these small screen technologies the consumption of media is becoming increasingly personal. Previously, most media was viewed at a local cinema or hall where a projector was set up and everyone had to share. These media viewing spots were public and only consisted of big screen mediums. This is no longer the case because of the increase in personal media technology.

The ability to upload a video clip on You Tube has opened up the production of media content to almost anyone. Once a clip is on You Tube, potentially, millions of people can view it. Being able to get content out to this many people has caused many to become involved in producing small-scale media projects. In the lecture, we discussed fan-films and trailer mash-ups, which are created by amateurs and sourced through internet sites like You Tube. Here is an example of a trailer mash-up:

Napolean Dynamite / James Bond

One Day - 1 minute clip

3D Worlds are Annoying!

I see these 3D worlds as being pointless. Using MSN to talk to your friends is fair enough, but what's the point or added value of talking to them as well as seeing them move a fictional character around in a make believe world. I can't seem to understand how this adds anything to the social experience. Of course, in real life you can walk around and talk, but that's because it is real life. I see these virtual worlds as going too far in trying to make people feel as if they are communicating face to face. Having a decent conversation face to face cannot be replicated. The differences between MSN and ActiveWorlds, in my opinion, are that MSN gives you the ability to communicate without trying to overemphasise your social experience. ActiveWorlds is attempting to give you a social experience with your friends, by making you feel a part of a virtual world. MSN is simple and ActiveWorlds is annoyingly complex and pointless.

Maybe it is just me who thinks this. I can understand that there are people out there who would spend time in these virtual worlds. They might see it as entertaining because they can explore a make believe world with their friends and escape from reality, but I think it takes away from decent conversation. I would keep getting distracted by the characters and other things in the virtual world. For me personally, the 3D worlds don't make much difference to social interactions. The creators of virtual worlds may want to think that their creations are going to lead to something more like virtual communities that can have some sort of significant influence. I, personally, cannot see this happening. If it did, how sad and depressing for those who are involved in it. Why try and live a life in a virtual world when you already have the ability to live a life in the real world.

Week 5 Lecture Summary - Internet Studies & Web 2.0

This week's lecture discussed 'New Media' and 'Internet Studies'. New Media incorporates virtual community and individual identity and Internet Studies incorporates web 2.0 and social media. A virtual community is described by Rheingold (1993), as public discussions that occur long enough to form relationships. The conversations involve human emotion and feeling. Individual identity on the internet is seen as people experimenting by reconstructing their identities and re-creating self (Turkle, 1995). On the internet people don't have to be themselves, they can be whoever they want to be. This can cause danger for young kids on the internet who are targets for pedophiles. The internet can be a dangerous place, but we can't let that take away the good things it has to offer.

The early stages of the internet provided a place where people in different geographical locations could share their similar interests. There has been more of a shift, in the introduction of web 2.0, to making the individual the common thread. Web 2.0 emphasises the user experience. With the introduction of tagging and user based content, the internet has become more about the individual. It is now about community and collaboration. This is evident in the popularity of sites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. These social communities give internet users opportunities to collaborate with their friends via photos, discussions, IM and various posting functions.

The majority of people using Facebook, for example, would already know those they are communicating with online. On the other hand, people using Twitter tend to follow people they don't know like celebrities or politicians. Although, you can still follow people you know it may not seem as exciting or interesting.

Search Engines...

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

They follow a set of rules, known as an algorithm. One of the the main rules in a ranking algorithm involves the location and frequency of keywords on a web page - http://searchenginewatch.com/2167961

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

The frequency that the keywords in your search appear on that particualr page. This follows the the location and frequecy rule mentioned above.

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

I like using Google mainly becuase it is simple. The main page doesn't bombard you with other content and advertisments like msn search does. Answers.com is another favourite of mine. It is entertaining to ask random questions to see if it knows the answer. It is particularly useful when you need to find an answer quickly. A good feature of this site is being able to post your question so others on the web can see answer it. There are some questions even answers.com cannot answer...

The Scavenger Hunt

1. What did Alan Turing wear while riding his bicycle around Bletchley Park?
Gas Mask - yahoo.com

2. On what date did two computers first communicate with each other? Where were they?
In 1969 the "US Government, DoD (Department of Defense to be specific) developed ARPANET. They use this technology to allow various computers within different sections of the military and government that work on different systems to share information with one another. This is the first network. By the end of 1969, four host computers were connected together into the initial ARPANET. These computers were located at 4 colleges: UCLA, Stanford, University of California, and University of Utah. Within 2 years, there were 23 nodes of this network including MIT, NASA, and Harvard. The beginning of the Internet was seen by 1971. By 1972, ARPA is renamed DARPA". - http://www.web-friend.com/help/general/pc_history.html

3. What is Bill Gates’ birthday and what age was he when he sold his first software?
28th october 1955 - answers.com. He was 15 when he sold his frist software. - msn search.

4. Where was the World Wide Web invented?
at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), in Switzerland. - Altavista.com

5. How does the power of the computer you are working on now compare with the power of a personal computer from 30 years ago? 30000 times more powerful.

6. What is the weight of the largest parsnip ever grown? 8 pounds.

7. When did Queensland become a state and why is the Tweed River in New South Wales?

8. What was the weather like in south-east Queensland on 17 November 1954?
Cylone, Raining and flooding.

9. Why is Lord Byron still remembered in Venice?
Lord Byron is remembered for having affairs.

10. What band did Sirhan Chapman play in and what is his real name?
Sirhan Chapman played in the Black Assassanins and his real name is Stephen Stockwell - The lecturer. Answer found using altavista.com

Using New Communications Technologies

I often communicate with people through new communication technologies. Prior to Facebook, I used Myspace and prior to that I would often chat to my friends on Msn. Even before that I can remember using things like ICQ. Out of all of these communication technologies I only use Facebook now. The others have seemed to phase out of my life. I distinctly remember the shift from Myspace to Facebook. The other transitions were more gradual. I changed from Myspace to Facebook mainly because all of my friends had Facebook so it was the place to hangout in Cyberspace.

I have had a Facebook account now for just over a year and my neglected Myspace account would be about three years old. I cannot actually remember how or why I jumped onto Mysapce to begin with. It was possibly influence from friends. I wonder if I had never entered into the Myspace revolution,would I have started using Facebook? Possibly not. So Myspace was useful for something in my current cyber socialising life. I communicate with most of my friends on Facebook regualrly and have broardened my social networks by becoming friends with friends of friends and so on. Sites like Facebook allow you to network with people on a much wider scale than traditionally or physically. It is more accessible, which is no wonder it is so popular today.

I am not constantly thinking about privacy issues when using Facebook, but the thought does linger in the back of my mind. I am sensible in my use of the social networking site and have deleted or blocked people who I was suspicious of. There is a risk in using the site and I am aware of that. Though, there is a risk asscociated with most things in life. Driving on the road could be seen as being more risky than chatting to friends on Facebook. I, personally, only talk to my friends whom I already knew prior to facebook. I don't pursue cyber relatioships with random people. The only instance of this would be if they were a friend of a friend. Even still I probably wouldn't talk to them a whole lot.

Cine-Speak

The lecture notes posted on the course website for week 3 involved learning the language of the cinema. It discussed different types of shot sizes. For example long shots:

Close Ups:

Extreme Close Ups:

Other topics included 'Shots as Words'. The who? what? where? when? why? and how? These shots display the answer to these questions. Explaining the answer to the who, for example, may involve a shot of the character in a uniform that identifies them as a policemen. The shot could place the charcater within a family setting and identify him/her as a father. The notes went on to highlight the use of appropiate head and talking room in a shot.

Two rules were identified. These include the Rule of Thirds and the 180 degree Rule. I found an interesting video on You Tube discussing the 180 degree rule:

The Computer. The Internet. The History Behind Them.

I enjoyed the information discussed in week two's lecture about the history of the computer and the internet. I found the content interesting because it enlightened me to what happened in the developing stages of things that I am so familiar with.

Stephen spoke about when IBM approached Bill Gates to get the software packages they needed to enter into the PC market. It was interesting to learn that when IBM approached Bill Gates he didn't have both the software packages required. I came away with the feeling that Gates could have missed out on his success in computing so easily. It was only because of one decision to buy Kudos (an Operating System developed by Tim Patterson) for $50,000 that gave Gates the opportunity to offer IBM what they needed. As a result IBM produced PC DOS 1.0. What a good move on Bill Gates part!

Continuing on to learn about the origin of the internet sparked more interest for me. Understanding that the internet is different from the World Wide Web was a new thing for me. I was one who would have referred to them interchangably. In fact, I discovered the web is just one part of the internet. There are many other uses for it although it is apparently not as tasty as ice cream? The clip on 'Warriors of The .Net' was very cool. I enjoyed it immensely. I liked it how they presented it by telling an epic story.

This week's topic grabbed my attention, probably because I could relate it to my use of computers and the internet. I have found it difficult to focus my attention in lectures in other courses this semester, but I found myself quite involved in this week's New Communication and Technologies lecture. I look forward to learning more in the lectures to come.