Week 11: Real & Virtual

This documentary explores the rise of anonymous & the spread of hacktivist movements. Take a look and let us know what you think (FYI: it contains some strong language, so maybe don't turn it on if you've got kids in the room).

Is a DDos attack a legitimate form of resistance?

What about malevolent software? Is that ok? 

The first politically motivated computer worm was the WANK worm. It caused massive problems for NASA. It was a protest against nuclear power modules in rockets.You can read about the impacts from NASA's perspective in the first chapter of this book if you're interested. 

Does the legitimacy of a method of protest, like the worm or a DDOS attack, depend on what you're protesting and what you are disrupting?

Are the forms of protest outlined in the reading, lecture & doco effective? 

Does this even work?

 Why/Why not? 

How can/have the interwebs support(ed) & inform(ed) protest on the ground?
 

What about this?

Leave a comment, let us know what you think.

Week 10: Nature Networks

This documentary, from the 1980s, explores the overlap of a number of different networks and narratives, via a case study of the cane toad. Take a look at the chapter from Nexus (Buchanan, 2002) before you watch it. Then, while you watch, think about the different aspects of Buchanan's (2002) network theory (keystones, weak & strong ties, aristocratic networks, etc.) and how they relate to the overlapping social and ecological networks outlined in the film.

How can network theory help us understand the impacts of the cane-toad on the Australian eco-system? Or the impacts of extinction/invasive species in general?

What narratives of place and identity do you see at play in the film?

What power relations can you see between different actors in this case study?

What do you think of the analogy Buchanan (2002) draws between social and ecological networks?

Also, I know a lot of people are doing various ecological networks (or people/stuff/food networks with ecological impacts) so feel free to share interesting info, links, or case study related questions in the comments.

- Rhian

References
Buchanan, M. (2002). Nexus: Small worlds and the ground breaking science of networks. New York: W. W. Norton & Company

Week 10: Tutorial Video 4

This video provides instructions on creating a Pecha Kucha (PK) style powerpoint presentation. 

Pecha Kucha is a style of powerpoint presentation that began in Japan and has since spread across the world. PK presentations contain 20 slides, each visible for 20 seconds each, and a recorded narration. 

  Tutorial Video 4: Consolidating Pecha Kucha

There are detailed instructions on recording your narration and adding timed switches to your presentation on LearnJCU under assessment.

For more information on the PK style visit the Pecha Kucha Website.

Mum’s the Word – Dear Diary vs I think therefore I blog

A diary in many cases is used as a medium to express ones ' "true self"... unaltered, unmediated and truly private' (McNeill, 2011). The diary is a place, a confidant, a reflection of what has been and what could be. A home to the most raw and naked of thoughts. Of dreams and aspirations, of fears uncertainties and struggles. According to McNeill (2011) this is the view of diaries in the 20th century, portrayed as intensely personal and confessional, meant purely for the diarist to view.

As mentioned by Frow (2013), in the week 6 lecture,  genre enables and restricts meaning. Blogging also enables and restricts meaning, and focusing on reflection, like a diary, has the "ability to capture the small details of life, it privileges the viewpoint of the private citizen as well as the famous" (McNeill, 2011) and gives anyone the option to be heard. This contribution can be made publicly or anonymously. Blogging can, in many ways be considered a modern day diary, and could almost certainly fall under the genre of journal entries. 

The diary writer, like a mum, can be desperate for answers, for someone to listen, and physically expelling such frustrations, for example, often puts things in perspective, especially as a mother. If you are unable to say the words aloud, then writing them down is the next best thing.  In saying this however, the words in a diary are so personal that the writer keeps them for her eyes only. She questions her parenting abilities and would therefore, due to societal judgement, keep them locked within the pages of a tightly wrapped or well hidden diary. Cafemom enables the virtual answering of these questions. Confirmation or challenging of the statements. The writer is able to physically ask questions, write a 'diary entry' and send it into cyberspace to be answered by a face she will probably never see. 

References

A Brief List of Genres: Retrieved from http://multigenre.colostate.edu/genrelist.html

Dictionary.com. (2010). The Hot word.Dear diary . . . What’s the word for the qualities that make your writing unique? Retrieved from http://hotword.dictionary.com/diary/

Kasteler, J. (2010). Finding Answers Online: Social Networks Vs. Search Engines . Retrieved from:

http://searchengineland.com/finding-answers-online-social-networks-vs-search-engines-56343

McNeill, L. (2011). Diary 2.0? A Genre Moves From Page To Screen, Language and New Media: Linguistic, Cultural and Technological Evolutions. Cresskill,New Jersey: Hampton Press Inc.

Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our space: networks, narratives and the making of place, Week 6.Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Image retrieved from:

http://ummahdesignblog.com/2010/01/13/work-from-home-muslim-mums/

Week 9: People Networks

I've been amazed by the content on these blogs over the past six weeks. You've created some amazing narratives. And, hopefully you've had some interesting adventures along the way. Remember to put the skills you've learned (i.e. academic blogging) on your resumes :-)

The portfolio feedback will probably centre around technical stuff  - referencing, grammar, structuring evidence & arguments, etc. Things that will hopefully help when it comes to editing for your case studies.

Speaking of case studies  ...

You will be assigned & sent details of your group for the final assignment this week. The groups need to be based on your case study theme (people, food, nature, stuff).  

You also need to email me a dot point plan of your essay by midnight on Friday 27th sept. For a further 5% of your case study grade.  

Also, ...

Do the Ma Mung (2005) reading and answer the tute quiz questions (located in the week 9 folder on learnJCU).

There are 3 short answer questions that you need to complete. You have two weeks to get it done (it closes at midnight on Oct. 5th and has been opened a week early to accommodate the shift around in the lecture order). 

Quiz Hint: Make sure you look at definitions and types of diaspora when you do the reading.

Finally, ...
  

Watch the lecture and share your thoughts on people networks,  and diasporas (their similarities and differences); use the questions in the tute guide as, well .. a guide .. and let us know what you think. 

p.s. Next week is lecture recess,

so remember to take at least little bit of guilt -free time out from studying.

Blog 6 - Horsen' around - Economy

Pharlap is strictly a non for profit organisation, it has no ties to any multinational corporations or the like. However, even though this group has no links to any financial companies it is interesting to see how finance on a national and global scale effect the group as a whole. 

Occasionally, members are offered the chance to purchase memorabilia as a means to raise group funds. Items offered for sale are usually in the form of a polo shirt, key ring etc that portrays the Pharlap logo. All profits go into a group bank account. These funds are usually used to purchase horses and ponies from markets, with what ever being left over spent on the escalating expenses in travel costs, vet bills and feed expenditures once the horse has been placed within a home. Donations are also greatly excepted and appreciated (these donations are also greatly effected by the economy).Hence, the Pharlap network is linked to real life products through the goods that are purchased and occasionally by what is exchanged between group members, and other rescue organisations.

Dicken (2007) states, '[t]ransnational corporations are the primary movers and shapers of the global economy because of their potential ability to control or coordinate production networks across several countries (Dicken, 2007 p.437). It is in this way that Pharlap is effected by the global economy. When the economy is doing well, the prices of feed and horses at market are relatively affordable and many lives can be saved, however, on the negative side when the economy is doing poorly, feed prices are exceptionally high and as a consequence starved and emaciated horses flood the market, bringing the meat value of a horse down, and therefore allowing the knackeries to purchase a greater quantity of animals. 

This weeks PPT slide by Dr Kuttainen best describes how the economy effects groups such as Pharlap, as previously mentioned above. 

'Natural” Laws of Economics

1.The Law of Demand: The more people want something, the more its price goes up and vice versa. 

2.The Law of Supply: A higher price received for a produced good results in a greater quantity produced.

3. The law of diminishing marginal utility.

     As one obtains more and more of a particular good, eventually the marginal utility (value   per unit) declines'(Kuttainen, 2013 p.5).

While Pharlaps main goal is to rescue and rehabilitate our equine friends, we are unfortunately limited and restricted by many factors. What has been discovered this week is that the economy is the main contributor to our failed attempts.         

References

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and Losing: An introduction. In P. Dicken, 5th Edition Global Shift (p. 437). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Equine, (2013) In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 20, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equus_(genus)

Kuttainen, (2013, September 15). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 8: Stuff.(p.5) Retrieved from: http://learnjcu.edu.au

Image Reference 

Image 1: Dollar bill (2005) Retrieved from: http://worldofequine.webs.com

MONEY AND POWER

 

Experience project is a social networking website created by Armen Berjikly,  focused on connecting people through shared experiences. Originally a support community for multiple sclerosis patients, it has evolved and become a powerful social network allowing everyone to communicate experiences, knowledge,  to connect and share with others interests and things that matter to them. Now with over 31 million users and 24 experience categories, it has become an opportunity and a market place for multinational corporations and advertising as digital technology is changing way we advertise, manufacture and supply products (The Economist, 2012).

Observing the network, I believe the site has shifted from what it was set up to do and that was for individuals to share experiences within a virtual community. However advertising and marketing seems to have taken over the site from EBay to clothing labels. Specifically advertisers have focused some products and markets in relation to the 24 experience categories.

http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/topics/health

An example of this is the category of Health, where pharmaceutical, healthy eating, health care and dating advertising are focusing their attention to the possible consumers. As Kuttainen  (2013) explains with the Natural rules of Economics, at number one is the Rule of Demand, "the more people want something, the more its price goes up and vice versa"(Kuttainen, 2013).

These outside influences of advertising impacts the authenticity of the site and disempowers individuals in this virtual community as the company has shifted its priorities from connecting people to global markets and profit. Despite the positive intentions of the network  it seems the site is just another online shopping network where the power of globalisation and profit has taken precedence over individuals, where there will always will be winners and loser (Dicken, 2007, p. 439)



 

 

References

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and losing: An introduction, in Global Shift: Mapping the changing contours of the

     world economy (p. 437-453). London, England: Sage.

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 8: Stuff.

     [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

The Economist. (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from

     http://www.economist.com/node/21553017

Image Reference

Experience project (2013). Health experiences [Image]. Retrieved from:

    http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/topics/health

Acting Underneath the Economic Radar in Yarn Corner

 

Yarn Corner: We're not a giant yarn store.

It would be lovely to have as much yarn as the picture above; however Yarn Corner is strictly a non-for-profit organization. You'll find no advertisements and no public companies, even though we fit the following criteria of a Laissez - Faire Economic system according to Van Luyn, 2013:

1. The Individual is the basic unit in society (we need many individuals to function!)

2. The individual has a natural right to freedom (we can yarn bomb what we want, but we do have some ground rules)

3. The physical order of nature is a harmonious and self-regulating system

The only way our virtual network is connected to real- life products, goods and exchanges is through the Yarn Bombs we create. Yarn bombs are installed in Melbourne, Australia; however women and men from all over the world mail pieces in for installation. The power of Facebook allows overseas members to sign up for a project with the convenience of mail to send in their pieces. This is a complete turnaround from the current economy, with our method of production described as: the old way of making things involved taking lots of parts and screwing or welding them together. (The economist, 2012) The members of the general public are the winners in this situation; the more varied pieces we receive, the more yarn bombs are installed to inspire them. Without Facebook, such a large amount of pieces wouldn't be available.

Transnational corporations are the primary movers and shapers of the global economy. (Dicken, 2007 p.437) However Yarn Corner has nothing to do with the global economy. We are very small in the greater scheme of things and we do not sell products, nor can you buy them. We work in trading happiness, smiles, yarn shop websites and crochet & knitting patterns!

References

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and Losing: An introduction. In P. Dicken, 5th Edition Global Shift (p. 437). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Patricia Roberts Knitwear (2013)  Yarn2  [Image]. Retrieved from:                  http://www.patriciaroberts.co.uk/yarn2.php

The Economist. (2012, April 21). Manufacturing: The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/21553017/print

Van Luyn, A. (2013, September 15). Lecture 8: Stuff. Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

 

Stuff Gaming

Blog Six: Stuff Gaming

Storme Black

  Image 1: He was so excited about the GTA5 launch, in gaming. Retrieved from http://i.imgur.com/ckegl39.jpg

Reddit is dominated by gamers; there is even a tab to select all the information that has been uploaded in relation to games. Most games that are mentioned are the games that are popular among western societies, (I say this as I have heard of them among social groups). Examples are shown within both Image 1 and 2; Grand Theft Auto and Battlefield 4. These posts have linked multinational cooperation’s to the information found within Reddit. When I first contemplated the relationship between global trade and exchange with Reddit, I thought the only connection would be the occasional article that related to international news about a company interacting in exploitation of the public, like Google’s connection to the intelligence found within governments.

However at a closer glance I realised that the gaming network had everything to do with international cooperation’s and further, it had everything to do with understanding current power networks. After listening to today’s lecture and noting Dr Victoria Kuttainen’s (2013) points about the uneven distribution of the economy among the world, it occurred to me that most of these users uploading the information about gaming came from the small proportion of the world’s population. The evidence of this is simple; not only do the users have enough money to purchase these products, they also have enough time to play them (and those with access to gaming consoles play for hours, something a person on a $1 a day cannot afford) (Kuttainen, 2013). 

Image 2: Everyone is super hyped for GTAV and I'm just here waiting 'till next month, in gaming. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ed/Battlefield_4.jpg

 Reddit has a gold program which allows users to purchase gold; those users are immediately given extra benefits from the site; it states that specials and rewards are given to those clarifying the idea that ‘[n]ow a product can be designed on a computer’ (Economist, 2012, p. 2).  Reddit also allows its users to give gold to other people; people choose after reading or looking at an article whether the submission is good or bad, and as well as be able to give it a thumbs up or down people can give those posts gold based on the personal reaction to it. This exchange further outlines that ‘[n]ew materials are lighter, stronger and more durable than the old ones’, especially considering that they are non physical and once these products enter the virtual world, they can technically never leave it (Economist, 2012, p. 2).

References

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Week 8: Stuff. [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from http//learnjcu.edu.au

Logiurato, B. (2013). Business Insider Australia. IT GETS WORSE: Google, Microsoft, Apple Allowed Government To ‘Watch Your Ideas Form As You Type. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com.au/prism-spying-program-nsa-fbi-mine-data-yahoo-facebook-google-2013-6

Reddit: gold. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.reddit.com/gold/about

Reddit: the front page of the internet. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.reddit.com/

Reddit: gaming. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/

The Economist. (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017

Images

Image 1: Fairy_Tales45. He was so excited about the GTA5 launch, in gaming. Retrieved 17.09.2013 from http://i.imgur.com/ckegl39.jpg

Image 2: ryantheabuli. Everyone is super hyped for GTAV and I'm just here waiting 'till next month, in gaming. Retrieved 17.09.2013 from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ed/Battlefield_4.jpg