tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54167722024-03-13T20:09:29.748+08:00Ponderance(May 2003 - March 2007.) Tama's thoughts on the blogosphere, podcasting, popular culture, digital media and citizen journalism posted from a laptop computer somewhere in Perth's isolated, miniature, urban jungle ...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.comBlogger862125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-26215184167592167432007-03-11T10:40:00.000+09:002007-03-11T10:44:27.609+09:00Ponderance: May 22, 2003 - March 11, 2007.<p>I began this blog on something of a whim on <a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2003/05/and-so-it-begins.html">May 22, 2003</a>, and I'm making the final post to Ponderance today, March 11, 2007. With over 850 posts over 3 years and nine months, I really doubt I had any idea how significant blogging would be to me personally and professionally at the beginning, but I certainly see it as one of my core activities today. I've always found the Blogger platform to be really easy to use and a great tool, but there are simply too many things I want to be able to manage myself, too many plugins and tweaks I want to make, so I'm migrating over to a new, <a href="http://www.tamaleaver.net/">wordpress-powered blog at my own domain (tamaleaver.net)</a>. Of course, I'll be leaving Ponderance here as an archive!<br /></p><p>For those who read Ponderance via RSS feeds, if you're getting the ATOM feed and want to get the feed from my new blog, you'll need to <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Ponderance">manually subscribe here</a>. For those using the Feedburner feed, I'm going to re-direct that to my new blog in the next few hours so the transition should (I hope) be seamless! The only major difference in your feed experience will be that I've changed the del.icio.us links so they won't appear as-posted, but will be collected at the end of each day (at 8am Perth time, or midnight GMT).<br /></p><p>I've written a lot over the last four years, but I thought I'd take the opportunity in this last post to finish off by pointing to a number of posts ordered by the themes which have most interested me across the duration of my blogging so far. I'm sure I'll be writing more on most of these issues in my new blog, but without any further ado, I give you my entirely subjective, <strong>Best Of Ponderance</strong> ...</p><u>Citizen Media & Participatory Culture</u><br /><ul><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2004/12/tsunami.html">Tsunami</a> Wednesday, December 29, 2004<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/07/mediascape-london-bombings.html">The Mediascape & The London Bombings</a> Friday, July 08, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen.html">Katrina: The Aftermath, The Politics & Citizen Media I</a> Saturday, September 03, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_04.html">Katrina: The Aftermath, The Politics & Citizen Media (Part 2)</a> Sunday, September 04, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_05.html">Katrina: The Aftermath, The Politics & Citizen Media (Part 3)</a> Monday, September 05, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/kayne-west-voicing-anguish.html">Kayne West: Voicing the Anguish</a> Tuesday, September 06, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_08.html">Katrina: The Aftermath, The Politics & Citizen Media (Part 4)</a> Thursday, September 08, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/kayne-west-political-mashup-george.html">Kayne West Political Mashup: "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" by The Legendary K.O.</a> Friday, September 09, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_10.html">Katrina: The Aftermath, The Politics & Citizen Media (Part 5)</a> Saturday, September 10, 2005</li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/george-bush-dont-like-black-people.html">George Bush Don't Like Black People: The Music Video</a> Sunday, September 18, 2005</li></ul><p><u>The Tyranny of Digital Distance</u></p><ul><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/08/tyranny-of-digital-distance.html">The Tyranny of Digital Distance</a> Monday, August 08, 2005</li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/09/battlestar-galactica-webisodes-tyranny.html">The Battlestar Galactica Webisodes & The Tyranny of Digital Distance</a> Monday, September 11, 2006<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2007/02/alex-malik-on-tv-downloading-in.html">Alex Malik on TV downloading in Australia</a> Thursday, February 22, 2007</li></ul><u>Citizen Justice</u><br /><ul><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/08/citizen-justice-or-opening-pandoras.html">Citizen Justice or Opening Pandora's Box?</a> Sunday, August 28, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/ponderance-quoted-in-la-times.html">Ponderance Quoted in the LA Times!</a> Tuesday, September 06, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/10/eye-generation.html">The Eye Generation</a> Saturday, October 29, 2005<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/04/citizen-justice-revisited-smarter-mobs.html">Citizen Justice Revisited ... Smarter Mobs?</a> Monday, April 10, 2006</li></ul><u>YouTubery</u><br /><ul><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/04/happy-slapper-slapped.html">Happy Slapper Slapped!</a> Thursday, April 20, 2006<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/05/youtube-thoughts-gems-and-very-rare.html">YouTube: Thoughts, Gems and a very rare Star Wars deleted scene!</a> Wednesday, May 10, 2006<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/09/lonelygirl15-jumps-shark-but-jessica.html">Lonelygirl15 Jumps The Shark ... but Jessica Rose has a promising future career!</a> Wednesday, September 13, 2006<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/09/lonelygirl15-story-so-far_14.html">Lonelygirl15 - The story so far ...</a> Thursday, September 14, 2006<br /></li><li><a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2007/02/from-youtube-to-silver-screen.html">From YouTube to the Silver Screen</a> Monday, February 19, 2007</li></ul>I hope you'll come over and visit the my <a href="http://www.tamaleaver.net/" target="_blank">new blog at tamaleaver dot net</a>. <br /><p>For Ponderance, that's it! All done.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-84747841940662785682007-02-28T21:14:00.000+09:002007-02-28T21:16:09.342+09:00Advertising from the Future - Children of MenI'm giving a couple of lectures this semester in the <a href="http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/engl/engl2216">Ecotexts: Nature/Writing/Technology</a> course which has some great books and films on it. I'm getting to give lectures on <span style="font-style:italic;">Blade Runner</span> and the anime <span style="font-style:italic;">Metropolis</span>, but I've also been exploring links between these and other films on the course, including <span style="font-style:italic;">Code 46</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Children of Men</span>. Of the three non-animated films, one of the most interesting textures they use is advertising; the bleak landscapes and cityscapes of the near-future are awash with commercials and warnings! In my online explorations, I've found a wonderful clip produced as a portfolio piece by the <a href="http://www.foreignoffice.com/">Foreign Office</a>, the design company which worked on many of the media textures in Children of Men: <br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0VnIrXmdYhY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0VnIrXmdYhY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br />The future imagined through these advertisements and warnings is one easily extrapolated from today, yet cleverly different enough to suggest a future setting!<br /><br />[<a href="http://www.foreignoffice.com/projekts/movies/movie_com.htm">View/Download High-Quality H264 Version</a>] [<a href="http://waxy.org/links/">Via WaxyLinks</a>]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-37292224204257169092007-02-24T21:50:00.000+09:002007-02-24T21:53:07.341+09:00Human Lobotomy: Great Net Neutrality Mini-DocumentaryIf you're interested in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality">Net Neutrality</a>, then check out this evocative mini-documentary on why regulating the internet in the ways being debate in the US are a bad idea of democracy, a bad idea for the US, and a really bad idea for the rest of us!<br /><p><a href="http://foureyedmonsters.com/neutrality/" target="_blank"><img src="http://foureyedmonsters.com/video_podcast/images/neutrality.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.savetheinternet.com/">Save the Internet</a> | <a href="http://rockthevote.com/">Rock the Vote</a> </p><br />If you're not interested in Net Neutrality, perhaps after watching this you should be!<br /><br />[<a href="http://www.lessig.org/blog/archives/003714.shtml">Via Lawrence Lessig</a>]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-52342868426977509522007-02-22T00:44:00.000+09:002007-02-22T00:46:23.430+09:00Alex Malik on TV downloading in Australia<i>The Age</i> has a <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/home-theatre/tv-program-delays-turning-viewers-into-pirates/2007/02/20/1171733750719.html" target="_blank">revealing article</a> on work done by Alex Malik which concludes that the delay between the US/UK and Australia release dates for television are one of the primary reasons what people turn to bittorrent:<br /><blockquote>Huge delays in airing overseas TV shows locally are turning Australians into pirates, says a study conducted by technology lawyer and researcher Alex Malik. It took an average of 17 months for programs to be shown in Australia after first airing overseas, a gap that has only increased over the past two years, the study found. The findings were based on a "representative sample of 119 current or recent free-to-air TV series or specials", said Malik, who is in the final stages of a PhD in law at the University of Technology Sydney. [...]<br /><br />Malik admitted there had been some signs of progress recently - programs such as The O.C. air within days of being shown in the US - but he insisted the overall delays had become longer. "Over the past two years, average Australian broadcast delays for free-to-air television viewers have more than doubled from 7.6 to 16.7 months," the study reads. Malik also studied comments by TV viewers on various internet forums, and concluded: "These delays are one of the major factors driving Australians to use BitTorrent and other internet-based peer-to-peer programs to download programs illegally from overseas, prior to their local broadcast."</blockquote><br />Malik's findings are perfectly in line with the idea of the tyranny of digital distance which I've written about before (see "<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/08/tyranny-of-digital-distance.html" target="_blank">The Tyranny of Digital Distance</a>" and "<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/09/battlestar-galactica-webisodes-tyranny.html" target="_blank">The <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> Webisodes & The Tyranny of Digital Distance</a>"). Malik's study is further evidence that as long as media distributors continue to enforce ridiculous national/geographic-based release dates in an era of global information (and promotion, and fan actvitity), then bittorrent will continue to be a major source of TV for Australians. However, if we could legally download episodes at the same times as our US and UK neighbours, then media companies may very well discover that they could make more money, not less, by giving Australian consumers the choices we want!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-72791674579126006992007-02-20T23:11:00.000+09:002007-02-20T23:14:00.745+09:00Scouta is Outa ... and Abouta!Under the banner "Scouting is better than searching", the new people-powered recommendation engine, <a href="http://scouta.com/" target="_blank">Scouta</a>, has made its way online. From Scouta's '<a href="http://a.scouta.com/information/about/" target="_blank">About</a>' page:<blockquote> Scouta is the new way to get relevant online content. It’s the bold new way for you to get <b>personal recommendations to suit your interests and tastes</b>. These online recommendations come from Scouta learning what you like, and from you--and people like you--sharing the best of what you find online. Scouta will offer you new online audio and video you can pick from and rate, listening and learning as you go. It's free. Join now! Instead of searching for information, inspiration, laughs, and contacts, Scouta will do the work for you--<b>delivering stuff you might never have found searching for hours on your own</b>. The more you add or rate, the smarter Scouta gets. And with every new release, and every new member,<b> it just gets smarter</b>.</blockquote> <br /><br />I've been in the beta-tester group for Scouta for a couple of months, but I must confess I've been one of the laziest beta-testers in history! While I must admit, I wondered what a new recommendation system could offer, I've only entered a dozen media links thus far, and I've already had something recommended to me that I'm really quite surpised managed to slip under my radar. The recommendation was the "<a href="http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-6307683077762423268&q=battlestar+galactica" target="_blank">Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Gag Reel</a>" and it's such a funny collection that I have to share it with you:<br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-6307683077762423268&hl=en-AU" flashvars=""> </embed><br /><br />If my recommendations are this good after a dozen entries on my part, I'm going to have to keep using for a while to see what else the Scouting Community sends my way! And congratulations, <a href="http://blog.scouta.com/" target="_blank">Richard</a>, on the big launch!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-68681854579913779492007-02-19T16:32:00.000+09:002007-02-19T16:38:20.582+09:00From YouTube to the Silver ScreenThe big news for YouTube watchers is that YouTube's first megastar - New Zealander <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Rose">Jessica Rose</a> aka <a href="http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=lonelygirl15">Lonelygirl15</a> -- is making the transition from the tube to the silver screen.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4415/183/1600/lg15.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4415/183/320/lg15.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />As <i>The Age</i> <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/lonelygirl-to-act-in-lohan-film/2007/02/19/1171733664054.html">notes</a>:<br /><blockquote>Web video star Jessica Rose - better recognised by her YouTube alias Lonelygirl15 - will play a role in an upcoming film starring Lindsay Lohan. The film -<i> I Know Who Killed Me</i> - has reportedly been in production since late last year, and filming is scheduled to wrap up this month. A number of photos of Rose and Lohan on the set of the film have cropped up on celebrity gossip websites. It is a reassuring sign for budding filmmakers and actors seeking to use video-sharing sites such as YouTube as a launch pad for Hollywood success.</blockquote><br />While not a huge shock, Lee's move to the cinema will no doubt further fuel the millions of YouTubers hoping that their webcam home movies can be the beginning of a Hollywood career!<br /><br />For background, see <a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/09/lonelygirl15-story-so-far_14.html">Lonelygirl15: The Story So Far...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-87763961840917367602007-02-19T09:29:00.000+09:002007-02-19T09:33:19.776+09:00"Not New Media, Now Media!" Seminar: Fremantle, 27 Feb, 7pmNext week, <a href="http://www.fti.asn.au/index.php">FTI</a> are running an exciting public seminar entitled "Not New Media, Now Media!":<br /><blockquote>Last year we presented 'What's all this talk of Cross Platform and New Media' which featured an impressive panel of speakers from diverse backgrounds trying to make sense of the shifting technological and cultural media landscape. Join us again as we look at the situation 12 months later and access the current situation. What will happen to the media landscape in 2007 and what will be the implications for filmmakers?<br /><br />Taking a look at the most important cultural and technological developments will be Bronwyn Clune founder of Citizen Journalism site Perth Norg, Richard Giles CEO of the soon to be launched Video Bookmarking site SCOUTA, Kate Rothschild who has a background in interactive entertainment including work at Nickelodean in the USA and Producer Matt Morgan from IN8VISIONMEDIA. It's sure to be an exciting and interesting discussion. We will also be using a live internet connection on the big cinema screen to demonstrate some of the panelists key points.<br /><br />The best thing is it is 100% free! 7pm - 9pm Tuesday 27th February FTI 92 Adelaide Street, Fremantle.</blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.fti.asn.au/event.php?EventID=702">More here</a> (as well as an <span style="font-style:italic;">RSVP email/phone number</span>). [<a href="http://graemewatson.blogspot.com/2007/02/not-new-media-now-media.html">Via</a>]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-61185039229417303062007-02-09T13:57:00.000+09:002007-02-09T14:15:03.620+09:00Spook Country or ... Spook Country?I know the old saying warns against judging a book by its cover, but what happens when you have to judge which cover to have for a book? I've always been fascinated by the fact that UK and US publishers frequently have covers for their published books which are quite different. William Gibson has been <a href="http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2007_02_01_archive.asp#6739430998428588554">blogging</a> about the covers for his upcoming <span style="font-style:italic;">Spook Country</span>, and they are fairly different ...<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/Rcv_kv5ZMNI/AAAAAAAAAAs/bFibTWYTYc8/s1600-h/Spook_UK.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/Rcv_kv5ZMNI/AAAAAAAAAAs/bFibTWYTYc8/s320/Spook_UK.jpg"></a><br />[UK]<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/Rcv_fP5ZMMI/AAAAAAAAAAk/bBPNPBLyypQ/s1600-h/Spook_US_.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/Rcv_fP5ZMMI/AAAAAAAAAAk/bBPNPBLyypQ/s320/Spook_US_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029394321197576386" /></a><br />[US]<br /><br />Thankfully, I'm pretty sure I prefer the UK version and this is what usually turns up on Australian shelves. When Gibson's previous book, <span style="font-style:italic;">Pattern Recognition</span> came out, I was in the US and was delighted to get a hardback copy at a decent price in its first week of release. Months later, back in Australia, I found the UK cover version (which had a stylised CD case image) which seemed far more in keeping with the book ...<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RcwAIv5ZMPI/AAAAAAAAAA8/rWnF1-ym0Pk/s1600-h/Pattern_UK.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RcwAIv5ZMPI/AAAAAAAAAA8/rWnF1-ym0Pk/s320/Pattern_UK.jpg"></a><br />[UK]<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RcwADf5ZMOI/AAAAAAAAAA0/x6gLaPR5Fbw/s1600-h/Pattern_US.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RcwADf5ZMOI/AAAAAAAAAA0/x6gLaPR5Fbw/s320/Pattern_US.jpg"></a> <br />[US]<br /><br />For some reason, despite the same text in both, I've always coveted a UK cover-design copy. I know that's a tad fickle, but it seems to have considerable impact on often a book makes the journey from my shelf to the bedside table.<br /><br />It this just something that happens to me or do others hunt for their cover-art of choice despite already owning the book?<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/books" rel="tag">books</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/williamgibson" rel="tag">williamgibson</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/covers" rel="tag">covers</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/patternrecognition" rel="tag">patternrecognition</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/spookcountry" rel="tag">spookcountry</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-43503768985030888282007-01-24T11:42:00.000+09:002007-01-24T11:44:10.718+09:00The 79th Academy Awards: the Nominees and the Pirates<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RbbHtu8_WQI/AAAAAAAAAAY/C8HgrQrjU9M/s1600-h/oscars.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RbbHtu8_WQI/AAAAAAAAAAY/C8HgrQrjU9M/s320/oscars.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5023422022890248450" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31338">nominations for this season's Academy Awards</a> are out. No major shocks; it's a little odd that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/ri/RTO_HP/TOP_BUCKET/47090//title/tt0443489/"><i>Dreamgirls</i></a> got 8 nominations, but isn't up for Best Picture. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/"><i>Children of Men</i></a> picked up two nominations -- Achievement in cinematography and Achievement in film editing -- possibly on the back of the <a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2007/01/why-children-of-men-should-be.html">grassroots campaign to get <i>Children of Men</i> noticed by Oscars voters</a>. <i>Pan's Labyrinth</i> did well with six nominations: Achievement in art direction, Achievement in cinematography, Achievement in makeup, Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score), Original screenplay and Best foreign language film of the year. It deserves to win more a lot of those, but I imagine it'll probably only pick up Best foreign language film. I truly hope that <i>Happy Feet </i>wins over <i>Cars</i> and <i>Monster House</i> in the Best animated feature category - I was really quite surprised that <i>Cars</i> won the Golden Globe over <i>Happy Feet</i>!<br /><br />However, the most interesting Oscars story is that Andy "Waxy" Baio has revived his tradition of looking at how widely Oscar-nominated films are being pirated. He's produced a detailed analysis (provocatively titled "<a href="http://www.waxy.org/archive/2007/01/23/pirating.shtml">Pirating the 2007 Oscars</a>"), which included <a href="http://www.waxy.org/archive/2007/01/23/pirating.shtml">these findings</a>:<blockquote> * Academy members received screeners for 30 out of 34. (Everything except Click, Monster House, Poseidon, and Black Dahlia.)<br /> * 31 out of 34 films were released online in some form, including camcorder footage. (Everything except Letters from Iwo Jima, Notes on a Scandal, and Venus.)<br /> * 24 screeners were leaked online. (In several cases, they were leaked months before Academy screeners were mailed.)<br /> * The average length of time between a film's USA release and its first appearance online is 12 days.<br /> * 9 screeners appeared online before they were mailed to Academy members.<br /> * On average, a screener appears online 24 days before it's received by Academy members. (Excluding these early leaks, the average time is 13 days.)</blockquote>Andy also touches on one of the more the controversial issue of the film distributors: is it better to limit/encrypt/tightly control Oscar screeners (the free copies of films sent to Oscar voters to garner their support) or is it better to distribute the film widely - and thus more potentially accessible to pirates - with a view broadening the ease of watching and thus appeal to voters (as Andy notes, it seemed to work for <i>Crash</i>).<br /><br />All in all, this analysis is a solid picture of how the torrent and pirate scene is operating as well as insight into the futility of many RIAA/MPAA efforts.<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/oscars" rel="tag">oscars</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/academyawards" rel="tag">academyawards</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/2007" rel="tag">2007</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/79th" rel="tag">79th</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/piracy" rel="tag">piracy</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/bittorrent" rel="tag">bittorrent</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/childrenofmen" rel="tag">childrenofmen</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1168831637610013562007-01-15T12:27:00.000+09:002007-01-15T15:36:24.206+09:00The (Data) Pirates of Sealand!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RasgzO8_WPI/AAAAAAAAAAM/f1r0XvKorH4/s1600-h/sealand.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtqrjrgyFuc/RasgzO8_WPI/AAAAAAAAAAM/f1r0XvKorH4/s320/sealand.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5020142274193873138" /></a><br />In a move straight out of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Sterling">Bruce</a> <a href="http://blog.wired.com/sterling/">Sterling</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_in_the_Net">novel</a>, the Swedish bittorrent tracker group <a href="http://thepiratebay.org/">The Pirate Bay</a> have announced they're attempting to raise enough money to <a href="http://buysealand.com/">buy an "island" data haven</a>! From <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/12/pirate_bay_trying_to.html">Boing Boing</a>:<br /><blockquote>The Pirate Bay is raising money to buy the tiny, bankrupt "island" of Sealand. Sealand is the abandoned <strike>drilling platform</strike> gun battery near the UK that was occupied, declared sovereign, and turned into a offshore data-center for sensitive information. Sealand's owners have put the "country" on the block, and the Pirate Bay, Sweden's gutsy, notorious BitTorrent tracker, is soliciting donations to buy it. They're even promising citizenship to donors. If they don't get enough to buy Sealand, they're promising to buy another island somewhere!</blockquote><br />Data made flesh ... almost!<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/piratebay" rel="tag">piratebay</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/sealand" rel="tag">sealand</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/bittorrent" rel="tag">bittorrent</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/ethics" rel="tag">ethics</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/legal" rel="tag">legal</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/data" rel="tag">data</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1168403024279831712007-01-10T13:22:00.000+09:002007-02-28T21:21:06.479+09:00Why "Children of Men" Should Be Nominated For Best Picture!<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-lfs1UIKALQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-lfs1UIKALQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />As <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/"><i>Children of Men</i></a> was, in my opinion, one of the best films of 2006, I was pleased to see it rising to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2007-01-09/film/6">#3 on the US box office charts this week</a>, despite apathetic distribution and advertising. Over at <a href="http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2267066">Something Awful</a>, user blairerickson was so impressed by the film and so disappointed that the studio wasn't pitching <i>Children of Men</i> at Oscar nominators that they started their own <i>Why Children of Men Should Be Nominated For Best Picture</i> campaign which centres around a neatly cut (if rather spoilerish) trailer featured <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lfs1UIKALQ">above and on YouTube</a>. As the <a href="http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2267066">SA forum notes</a>:<br /><blockquote>Well with at least another week to go before Oscar nomination ballots are mailed in, I think it would be helpful to do as much as possible to at spread the Best Picture buzz for "Children of Men" across the internet. Though the film is being snubbed by its studio, perhaps a last minute grassroots hype campaign could change the tide. That's exactly how Crash won last year. And believe it or not, big industry players in Hollywood do read internet websites, even this one. After I wrote the Uwe Boll article I got fun email from some pretty big name producers and screenwriters within the first few hours of it going online.<br /><br />So what can you do? For starters users can all <a href="http://digg.com/movies/Why_Children_of_Men_is_the_Best_Picture_of_the_Year">DIGG "Children of Men" related stories</a> and threads. If you're posting on other message boards, make a thread telling people to go see the movie. Oh and feel free to spread the YouTube video around, and perhaps that will remind a few academy voters somewhere about the movie or encourage more of them to check it out to see what the buzz is about.</blockquote><br />I think this is an excellent grassroots campaign, using the power of participatory culture to push for a film nomitated by the fans if not pushed by the studios! The campaign is already picking up <a href="http://www.moviemarketingmadness.com/blog/2007/01/09/consumers-create-children-of-men-oscar-campaign/">some</a> <a href="http://www.filmrot.com/articles/news/007617.php">respectable</a> <a href="http://reporter.blogs.com/risky/2007/01/fans_start_gras.html">buzz</a> which is great to see. If you've not seen <i>Children of Men</i>, I recommend you do ... and spread the word by sharing the YouTube video and blogging your thoughts far and wide!<br /><br />(Incidentally, since I never posted an end-of-year wrap-up, my three favourite films for 2006 were <i>The Prestige</i>, <i>Chidlren of Men</i> and <i>Casino Royale</i>.)<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/childrenofmen" rel="tag">childrenofmen</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/bestpicture" rel="tag">bestpicture</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/academyawards" rel="tag">academyawards</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/oscars" rel="tag">oscars</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/youtube" rel="tag">youtube</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/participatoryculture" rel="tag">participatoryculture</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/grassroots" rel="tag">grassroots</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1168392892865578312007-01-10T10:32:00.000+09:002007-01-10T14:54:37.880+09:00iPhone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4415/183/1600/146027/iPhone.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4415/183/320/223630/iPhone.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />At MacWorld yesterday, Steve Jobs <a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2007/01/09/macworld-2007-keynote-liveblog/">announced</a> Apple's much-hyped <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/">iPhone</a>. With a Mac OS X brain, a wide-screen iPod, web apps specifically by Google and Yahoo and features aplenty, this really is both the iPhone and the <a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/10/wipods-almost-here.html">WiPod</a>! Engadget have all the details of the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/the-apple-iphone/">launch in pictures</a> along with a glowing report; more balanced items from the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/technology/09cnd-iphone.html?ex=1325998800&en=e0786980ce1c8744&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss"><i>New York Times</i></a> and <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6246063.stm"><i>BBC News</i></a> are both positive as well. (Of course, Australia as part of the Asia region isn't slated to see these devices until 2008 - and without a mobile carrier in place here an eBay purchase still won't be a working Australian phone ). I have to say I was most impressed by the touch-screen keyboard and controls. The controls which change depending on your application are an obvious idea, but one which Apple has followed through with in their usual stylish way!<br /><br />I suspect this (and Apple's iTV) will re-centralise the "convergence" discussions which suggest in the future every application and function will run through one multi-tasking device. Even though Henry Jenkins' book <i>Convergence Culture</i> isn't so much a technical one-box for everything argument, I think his choice (or his publisher's choice) to put a docked video iPod on <a href="http://www.nyupress.org/images/0814742815.gif">the cover</a> seems even more apt that before!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update:</span> Engadget <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/the-iphone-is-not-a-smartphone/">points out </a>that the iPhone still has a few annoying limitations, including:<br /><blockquote>* No 3G. We know you know, but still, it hurts man.<br />* No over the air iTunes Store downloads or WiFi syncing to your host machine.<br />* No expandable memory.<br />* No removable battery.<br />* No Exchange or Office support.</blockquote><br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/apple" rel="tag">apple</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/iphone" rel="tag">iphone</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/convergence" rel="tag">convergence</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/ipod" rel="tag">ipod</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/widescreen" rel="tag">widescreen</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/wipod" rel="tag">wipod</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1168321991684129912007-01-09T14:53:00.000+09:002007-01-09T14:55:02.690+09:00Lawrence Lessig: "Free, the difference between code and culture"After spending more than three weeks with no internet connectivity at all I'm back at work so that, during the day at least, I'm back online for 2007. <br /><br />To start the year off, I'd like to recommend that anyone who cares about culture and creativity watches Lawrence Lessig's talk "<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7661663613180520595&q=23c3">Free, the difference between code and culture</a>" which was delivered at 23C3. Until last month, Lessig has been at the helm of the Creative Commons organisation and has been the white knight of sensible copyright laws (which foster creativity rather than disabling it). His talk at 23C3 shows that this advocacy is as strong as ever. One comment transcribed by <a href="http://log.does-not-exist.org/archives/2006/12/29/2089_23c3_lessig.html">Thomas Roessler </a>gives you some idea of what Lessig argues:<br /><blockquote>Barlow, from the floor: Civil disobedience will be important to break the current copyright system. Teenage geeks win the technical side of the war, and recording industry will lose battle for their hearts and minds.<br /><br />Lessig: Don't doubt technical community's ability to crack DRM, but doubt their ability to deal with the politics that are created. Don't lose the opportunity to convince people why we are right. MGM vs. Grokster got thought about as "should people be allowed to steal," and was lost. If there's a perception that community doesn't take on the political side of the argument, but just wants free stuff, then it'll continue to lose.</blockquote>We can already crack most DRM. Lessig wants the law on the side of the people, not just the giant media corporations.<br /><br />[<a href="http://joi.ito.com/archives/2006/12/31/larrys_awesome_23c3_talk.html">Via Joi Ito</a>]<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/lessig" rel="tag">lessig</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/23c3" rel="tag">23c3</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/creativity" rel="tag">creativity</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/copyright" rel="tag">copyright</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/creativecommons" rel="tag">creativecommons</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/participatoryculture" rel="tag">participatoryculture</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1166799499966592442006-12-22T23:51:00.000+09:002006-12-30T12:49:41.426+09:00A Big Announcement<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tamaleaver/328588857/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/328588857_e9a6249dd3_m.jpg" width="240" height="179" alt="Fiancé(e)s!!" /></a><br /><br />As some of you would have known, on Wednesday I waved goodbye to my twenties and celebrated my 30th birthday. It was a wonderful day for many reasons, but far and away the most amazing and exciting was that I proposed to Emily and she agreed to marry me! That's right, we're engaged!! (A few little piccies are <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tamaleaver/sets/72157594430662237/">here</a>.)<br /><br />Also, I must apologise for a lack of blogging in the last week and the following one. Emily and I are moving houses, but our internet connection will take more than a week to arrive at the new house. <br /><br />So, since you won't hear from me berforehand, can I also wish everyone out there a wonderful festive season (be it Christmas or any other holiday you enjoy)!<br /><br /><strong>Mini-Update (30 Dec 06):</strong> Em and I are without a land-line or an internet connection until some time in the first week of 2007, so if you need anything please call my mobile number. Apologies to anyone waiting on replies to emails ... we will get back to you once we can access the web from home!<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/wedding" rel="tag">wedding</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/engaged" rel="tag">engaged</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/tama" rel="tag">tama</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/emily" rel="tag">emily</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1166102732697856442006-12-14T22:25:00.000+09:002006-12-15T15:16:53.363+09:00More Than Half of Australian Internet Users Download TV via TorrentsLara Sinclair <a href="http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20922899%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html" target="_blank">reports</a> in today's <i>Australian IT</i> that a University of Sydney study has found 53% of Australian internet users regularly download TV shows online:<br /><blockquote>The research, conducted by University of Sydney honours student Adam Zuchetti, shows one in four people download TV programs twice a week or more, with downloads now the main form of TV viewing for 21 per cent of respondents. Almost 800 TV fans responded to the survey, which was conducted on local TV websites earlier this year. [...]<br /><br />All of the free-to-air networks are experimenting with making clips from programs available over the internet, with Ten's podcasts of its comedy Thank God You're Here just one example. The network has also screened shows such as The OC and Jericho within 24 hours of their US debut in order to reduce the temptation for fans to go online. [...] <br /><br />Lost was the most downloaded show, the study revealed, followed by Veronica Mars, House, Prison Break and Dr Who.<br /><br />Paid downloads are among the options local TV operators are exploring to make more shows available on demand: Yahoo7 has flagged its intention to make fresh episodes of TV shows available over the internet for a price. Ten has meanwhile made clips from Australian Idol available to watch with pre and post-roll video ads.<br /><br />According to Zuchetti's study, a slight majority (53 per cent) of respondents say they are prepared to pay for content, but one in three will not. "The most popular option would be to offer the choice of the two: paid, or free downloads with advertising," he says.</blockquote><br />On the back of studies like this one, it should be apparent that treating Australia as a market that operates in a vacuum simply won't work. Consumers take the easiest path to the shows they want to see. Websites, and advertising online, hype the upcoming shows in the US, but these currents (especially the fan-driven ones) are often just as powerful in Australia. The Australian media marketplace is already dominated by US products, so it's no surprise that four of the five most downloaded shows were from the US. Personally, I still think sales of legally downloadable TV shows (using the iTunes store or something similar) is the best way to maximise on the buzz of new US (and UK) shows. The media giants in Australia just need to work out how they're going to get their slice of the pie in different ways, or, thanks to the ease of bittorrent and similar services, they won't get any at all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update:</span> As the <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/more-than-half-of-australia-downloads-tv-shows-over-bittorrent/">comments on this post point out</a>, the survey sample was on the small side and self-selected by TV fans. The actual percentage of the Australian population downloading TV shows is estmiated by many to be more around the 5 - 10% mark.<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/australia" rel="tag">australia</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/bittorrent" rel="tag">bittorrent</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/downloads" rel="tag">downloads</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/tv" rel="tag">tv</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/us" rel="tag">us</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/" rel="tag"></a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1165826706776352512006-12-11T17:40:00.000+09:002006-12-11T17:45:07.430+09:00My Little Sister Got Married!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tamaleaver/318186496/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/140/318186496_f6df768fcd.jpg" width="344" height="500" alt="Vows" /></a><br /><br />On Saturday, I was absolutely delighted to see my little sister, Simone, marry the love of her life, Paul. It was an emotional cermony and a fabulous reception! I wish the two of them all the happiness in the world!<br /><br />(For those interested, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/tamaleaver/sets/72157594412922602/">a few pictures have their way onto Flickr</a>.)<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/simone" rel="tag">simone</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/paul" rel="tag">paul</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/marriage" rel="tag">marriage</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1164637924157360882006-11-27T22:32:00.000+08:002006-11-30T15:55:12.203+08:00ccSalon: Creative Commons AustraliaThis Wednesday is the first ever <a href="http://creativecommons.org.au/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Australia</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org.au/ccsalon" target="_blank">ccSalon</a>. The details:<br /><blockquote><a href="http://creativecommons.org.au">creative commons australia</a> (CCau) invites you to its first <a href="http://creativecommons.org.au/ccsalon">ccSalon</a>, a showcase of the creative commons in australia.<br /><br />the ccSalon is a public exhibition/performance/expo of how artists are using creative commons licences and material worldwide. the ccau event features creative commons licensed material by a range of australian artists, including a live audio/visual mash up including music by <a href="http://collapsicon.net/">collapsicon</a> and hybrid arts music ensemble <a href="//www.collusion.com.au/%E2%80%9D">collusion</a> with music and visuals by andrew garton of <a href="http://www.toysatellite.org/">toysatellite</a>.<br /><br />garton will be drawing on cc content by other australia creators including animation duo <a href="http://www.blackbrow.com">blackbrow</a>, photographer <a href="http://www.frollop.com/">frollop</a>, the <a href="http://ccnonline.org.au">community convergent newsroom</a>, <a href="http://www.anewleaf.com.au">a new leaf media</a> and footage from <a href="http://www.engagemedia.org">engage media</a> and a swag of australian <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/ccsalon">flickr photographers</a>.<br /><br />The ccSalon will also and include a share your wares, a hands on space for people to experience the diversity of CC licensed content. If you’re interested in including anything in that hands-on event, please get in contact with us.<br /><br />The CCau ccSalon will be held from<b> 6pm on 29 November 2006 at the Block, QUT Creative Industries Precinct, corner of Musk Ave and Kelvin Grove Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane. Free entry, all welcome.</b><br /><br />ccSalon is a public event. For further information, please contact <a href="mailto:elliott@creativecommons.org.au">Elliott Bledsoe</a> or <a href="mailto:j2.coates@qut.edu.au">Jessica Coates</a> or you can phone us on (07) 3138 9597.<br /><br />You can also access the full program for the Salon by clicking on <a href="http://creativecommons.org.au/files/ccSalon%20program.pdf" target="_blank">the attachment</a>.</blockquote><br />Unfortunately, despite being Australian, as I live 4500kms away, I won't be making it to the ccSalon (but you will be able to see one of my <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/tamaleaver/91407005/" target="_blank">CC-licensed Flickr images on display</a>). If you're in Brisbane or can get there, head to the party and wave the Creative Commons banner down under! <br /><br />During the day of the ccSalon, Creative Commons Australia is also holding an <a href="http://creativecommons.org.au/ccforum" target="_blank">industry forum</a> looking at CC with/in Government; Open Access, Education + Libraries; and Creativity, Media + the Arts. Finally, don't forget that the main Creative Commons organisation is in the midst of their <a href="http://creativecommons.org/support/" target="_blank">annual fundraising effort</a> (please give if you can!).<br /><br />Update (30/11): To my great pleasure I have discovered that <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/wiccked/">Melanie Cook's</a> photos from the ccSalon include one where you can see someone looking at one of my photos:<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiccked/309746830/" title="ccSalon"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/112/309746830_0eb0d9171a_m.jpg"></a><br />[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wiccked/309746830/">Click to enlarge</a>.]</center><br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/creativecommons" rel="tag">creativecommons</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/australia" rel="tag">australia</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/ccSalon" rel="tag">ccSalon</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1164453879603376802006-11-25T19:24:00.000+08:002006-11-28T16:02:09.476+08:00Special Issue of Reconstruction on 'Theories/Practice of Blogging' is Out!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4415/183/1600/819815/blogcover1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4415/183/320/926039/blogcover1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The special themed issue of <i>Reconstruction</i> which focuses on blogging is out! Here's the announcement:<br /><br /><blockquote><i>Reconstruction</i> is proud to announce the publication of its Vol. 6, No. 4 (2006) themed issue, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/contents.shtml" target="_blank">Theories/Practices of Blogging</a>," which can be found at <a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/contents.shtml" target="_blank">http://reconstruction.eserver.org</a>.<br /><br />Featured in the issue:<br />* Michael Benton (aka Thivai Abhor), "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/benton.shtml" target="_blank">Thoughts on Blogging by a Poorly Masked Academic</a>"<br />* Craig Saper, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/saper.shtml" target="_blank">Blogademia</a>"<br />* danah boyd, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/boyd.shtml">A Blogger's Blog: Exploring the Definition of a Medium</a>"<br />* Tama Leaver, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/leaver.shtml" target="_blank">The Blogging of Everyday Life</a>"<br />* Erica Johnson, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/johnson.shtml" target="_blank">Democracy Defended: Polibloggers and the Political Press in America</a>"<br />* Carmel L. Vaisman, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/vaisman.shtml" target="_blank">Design and Play: Weblog Genres of Adolescent Girls in Israel</a>"<br />* David Sasaki, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/sasaki.shtml" target="_blank">Identity and Credibility in the Global Blogosphere</a>"<br />* Anna Notaro, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/notaro.shtml" target="_blank">The Lo(n)g Revolution: The Blogosphere as an Alternative Public Sphere?</a>"<br />* Emerald Tina, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/herman.shtml" target="_blank">My Life in the Panopticon: Blogging From Iran</a>"<br />* Various Authors, "<a href="http://postcards.typepad.com/white_telephone/2006/10/festschrift_for.html" target="_blank">Webfestschrift for Wealth Bondage/The Happy Tutor</a>"<br />* Lilia Efimova, "<a href="http://blog.mathemagenic.com/stories/2005/03/16/twoPapersMeInBetween.html" target="_blank">Two papers, me in between</a>"<br />* Lauren Elkin, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/elkin.shtml" target="_blank">Blogging and (Expatriate) Identity</a>"<br />* Various Bloggers, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/whyiblog1.shtml" target="_blank">Why I Blog, Part I</a>", "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/whyiblog2.shtml" target="_blank">Why I Blog, Part II</a>"</blockquote><br />I'm pleased to see this issue appear for all sorts of reasons, but here are there good ones:<br /><br />1. Even though I've given a number of conference papers, talks and run units using and exploring blogging, my first full article on blogs, "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/leaver.shtml" target="_blank">The Blogging of Everyday Life</a>" appears in this issue. Take a look and let me know what you think!<br /><br />2. The place of blogging inside academia has a been a hot topic for years, so Michael Benton's "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/benton.shtml" target="_blank">Thoughts on Blogging by a Poorly Masked Academic</a>" and Craig Saper's "<a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/saper.shtml" target="_blank">Blogademia</a>" are both welcome explorations of both individual and larger motivations for blogs in the academy!<br /><br />3. And, in keeping with the style of a blog, this issue has a section called the Blogroll which, like many sidebars across the blogosphere, contains snippits pointing to dozens of interesting posts where various bloggers from all sorts of backgrounds answer the question "Why I Blog?". I've mentioned <a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2006/10/why-i-blog.html" target="_blank">my contribution</a> to that list in the past, but there are so many interesting thoughts on blogging that I strong encourage you to <a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/whyiblog1.shtml" target="_blank">have a</a> <a href="http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/whyiblog2.shtml" target="_blank">look</a>!<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogs" rel="tag">blogs</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogging" rel="tag">blogging</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogosphere" rel="tag">blogosphere</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/reconstruction" rel="tag">reconstruction</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/academia" rel="tag">academia</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/everydaylife" rel="tag">everydaylife</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1163660703666196402006-11-16T15:05:00.000+08:002006-11-16T15:05:04.726+08:00Christy Dena Talks Cross-Media (and Games, and Blogs...) in PerthChristy Dena, one of the leading figures in <a href="http://www.cross-mediaentertainment.com/">Cross-Media Enterntainment</a> in Australia, is coming to Perth. Thanks to <a href="http://www.aftrs.edu.au/">AFTRS</a>, Christy's running <a href="http://www.cross-mediaentertainment.com/index.php/2006/11/15/args-rpgs-interactive-drama-cross-media-serious-games-film-doco-literature-blogs-and-marketing/">a series of events</a> relating to cross-media, blogs, ARGs and the like. Some details:<blockquote><u>Serious Games [at WestOne]</u><br />This is no laughing matter! Serious Games are created by the arts, education, academic, government, advertising, entertainment, military and public sectors. They all have a message besides just being fun: motivate to buy, sign-up, vote or protest; for skills acquisition, education and health. And they're popular too. America's Army, an online game created by the U.S. Army in 2002, has had over 17 million downloads and has over 6 million players. This seminar will provide an overview of the variety of serious game forms available and design considerations. It will be an a useful over view into current trends in serious games, and will be of interest to game makers, and those involved with simulators, military, education , the public sector and government people.<br /><br />Date: Thursday, November 30, 2006, 6.30pm-9pm<br />Venue: WestOne Theatrette<br />WestOne- Leederville<br />164- 194 Oxford St, Leederville<br />Cost: $35<br />RSVP: Tom Lubin on 0410 416 799 or tom.lubin@aftrs.edu.au <br /><br /><u>Everything you every wanted to know about blogging in 60 minutes (but were too scared to ask) </u><br />Blogs about communicating with friends, reaching potential customers, having your say, engaging with associates, developing communities of practice, branding, standing on a soap box, making money. Its all of that. A blog is a website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic, and are part of a wider network of social media.<br /><br />Following the session will be refreshments.<br /><br />Date: Friday December 1, 2006, 6:30pm-8pm<br />Venue: Australian Writers' Guild<br />196 Oxford St Leederville<br />Parking: TAFE Oxford St entrance. <br />Cost: FREE<br />RSVP: Tom Lubin on 0410 416 799 or tom.lubin@aftrs.edu.au <br /><br /><u>Alternate Reality Games [at the Innovation Centre] </u><br />What are the creators of The Blair Witch Project doing now? What do Microsoft, Dreamworks and Audi have in common? There'll all working on 'alternate reality games' or ARGs. This genre of entertainment is not only solving the riddle of how to have story and gameplay, but also how to get entertainment and marketing working together. Millions of players worldwide are spending hours, weeks and months with these elaborately written, directed and programmed stories that traverse websites, emails, faxes and phone calls. They have been called the 'Citizen Kane of online entertainment' (Internet Life). They are innovating audience interaction, the use of real-world devices, immersion and advertising in ways that you can utilise now. This half day seminar will show you just what they are, what advertising agencies think of them, how many are playing them and what you can take from them for your own properties.<br /><br />Date: Saturday December 2, 2006, 9.30am-1pm<br />Venue: Innovation Centre WA, Enterprise Unit 3, 11 Brodie Hall Drive, Bentley [free parking]<br />Cost: $40 (lunch is included if you attend both Saturday sessions)<br />RSVP: Tom Lubin on 0410 416 799 or tom.lubin@aftrs.edu.au <br /><br /><u>Designing Cross-Media Entertainment [at the Innovation Centre]</u><br />This half day seminar will provide a primer for film, TV & emerging media practitioners and producers wishing to develop a cross-platform property. It is ideally suited for writers and producers who will be in the position of creating and managing the projects. The session will provide a tirade of information about innovative & commercially successful cross-platform properties in Australia and Internationally. What worked and what didn't will be explained, along with an insight into the design issues for creating such properties. Guidance on how to select platforms and formats according to target audiences will also explored. And for those that just have to know: examples of how marketing and entertainment have worked together to produce innovate and monetized content without selling out either of their respective values will be provided!<br /><br />Date: Saturday December 2, 2006, 2pm-5:30pm<br />Venue: Innovation Centre WA, Enterprise Unit 3, 11 Brodie Hall Drive, Bentley [free parking] <br />Cost: $40 (lunch is included if you attend both Saturday sessions)<br />RSVP: Tom Lubin on 0410 416 799 or tom.lubin@aftrs.edu.au <br /><br />OR: Attend all Christy Dena Events for $100 Save $15</blockquote>For full details see <a href="http://www.cross-mediaentertainment.com/DropBox/Nov/DENA_Perth.pdf">Christy's AFTRS promotional PDF</a>.<br /><br />For those who are lucky enough to be attending the <a href="http://www.cgie2006.murdoch.edu.au/index.html">CyberGames 2006: International Conference on Games Research and Development</a> on 4-6 December you can also hear Christy's paper "A Case-Study of miniARGs: Design Issues for Creating Alternate Reality Games for Professional Training and Education" and end the conference with one last workshop on "<a href="http://www.cgie2006.murdoch.edu.au/workshop.html#W2">Alternate Reality Games and Cross-Media Entertainment: Low-tech, high-impact immersive experiences</a>".<br /><br />I must confess, I'm unlikely to be at CyberGames (mainly due to cost and other commitments; I'd certainly <i>like</i> to be there) but I'll be sure to catch a few of Christy's earlier AFTRS events (and I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of crowd attends the free blogging talk).<br /><br />Hope to see a few Perth faces there! <br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/christydena" rel="tag">christydena</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/crossmediaentertainment" rel="tag">crossmediaentertainment</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/args" rel="tag">args</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogs" rel="tag">blogs</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/australia" rel="tag">australia</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1162990575148101482006-11-08T20:56:00.000+08:002006-11-08T21:01:41.126+08:00The Future of Digital Literacy and Media EducationIn the past month, two important reports have been released in the US which detail the current state of digital media literacy in both the K-12 environment and tertiary education. These reports are extremely valuable in thinking about curriculum design and about wider social, cultural and political concerns relating to digital media and technology. A quick overview ...<br /><br /><u>Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century</u><br /><br />Recently, the <a href="http://www.digitallearning.macfound.org/site/c.enJLKQNlFiG/b.2029199/k.BFC9/Home.htm">Digital Media and Learning</a> section of the US <a href="http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.860781/k.D616/Overview.htm">MacArthur Foundation</a> made the following announcement:<br /><blockquote>The MacArthur Foundation launched its five-year, $50 million digital media and learning initiative in 2006 to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. Answers are critical to developing educational and other social institutions that can meet the needs of this and future generations. The initiative is both marshaling what is already known about the field and seeding innovation for continued growth.</blockquote><br />An an integral part of this push toward fostering and enhancing young people's understanding and participation in digital technology and related spheres, the MacArthur Foundation colloborated with <a href="http://www.henryjenkins.org/">Henry Jenkins</a> who wrote their white-paper <a href="http://www.digitallearning.macfound.org/site/c.enJLKQNlFiG/b.2108773/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id={CD911571-0240-4714-A93B-1D0C07C7B6C1}¬oc=1"><i>Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century</i></a> [<a href="http://www.digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF">PDF version</a>].<br /><br />Rather than giving the technologies centre-stage, Jenkins argues that it is extremely important to educate young people and facilitate their full potential in engaging with what he terms participatory cultures (an idea familiar to readers of this blog or to those familiar with Jenkins' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Textual-Poachers-Studies-Culture-Communication/dp/0415905729/sr=8-1/qid=1162989706/"><i>Textual Poachers</i></a> or more recent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Convergence-Culture-Where-Media-Collide/dp/0814742815/sr=1-1/qid=1162989756/ref=sr_1_1/102-1290151-2317743?ie=UTF8&s=books"><i>Convergence Culture</i></a>). A snippet from the report:<br /><blockquote>That is why we focus in this paper on the concept of participatory cultures rather than on interactive technologies. Interactivity is a property of the technology, while participation is a property of culture. Participatory culture is emerging as the culture absorbs and responds to the explosion of new media technologies that make it possible for average consumers to archive, annotate, appropriate, and recirculate media content in powerful new ways. A focus on expanding access to new technologies carries us only so far if we do not also foster the skills and cultural knowledge necessary to deploy those tools toward our own ends.<br /><br />We are using participation as a term that cuts across educational practices, creative processes, community life, and democratic citizenship. Our goals should be to encourage youth to develop the skills, knowledge, ethical frameworks, and self-confidence needed to be full participants in contemporary culture. Many young people are already part of this process through:<br /><br />Affiliations -- memberships, formal and informal, in online communities centered around various forms of media, such as Friendster, Facebook, message boards, metagaming, game clans, or MySpace).<br /><br />Expressions -- producing new creative forms, such as digital sampling, skinning and modding, fan videomaking, fan fiction writing, zines, mash-ups).<br /><br />Collaborative Problem-solving -- working together in teams, formal and informal, to complete tasks and develop new knowledge (such as through Wikipedia, alternative reality gaming, spoiling).<br /><br />Circulations -- Shaping the flow of media (such as podcasting, blogging)<br /><br />The MacArthur Foundation has launched an ambitious effort to document these activities and the roles they play in young people's lives. We do not want to preempt or duplicate that effort here. For the moment, it is sufficient to argue that each of these activities contains opportunities for learning, creative expression, civic engagement, political empowerment, and economic advancement.<br /><br />Through these various forms of participatory culture, young people are acquiring skills that will serve them well in the future. Participatory culture is reworking the rules by which school, cultural expression, civic life, and work operate. A growing body of work has focused on the value of participatory culture and its long-term impact on children's understanding of themselves and the world around them.</blockquote><br />The full report contains a great deal more context, detail and has the potential to act as a coherent and robust blueprint for incorporating digital media literacies into K-12 environments and the has clear implications for the tertiary sector as well. Jenkins also recently blogged "<a href="http://www.henryjenkins.org/2006/11/eight_traits_of_the_new_media.html">Eight Traits of the New Media Landscape</a>" which was originally written for the white-paper but cut for length reasons. If you find the report of interest, I'd recommend checking out that post as well since it provides important context (and a useful shorthand for explaining the state of digital media literacy in the US and elsewhere).<br /><br /><u>The Horizon Report</u><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nmc.org/horizon/"><i>The Horizon Report</i></a> is produced by the <a href="http://www.nmc.org/">NMC (New Media Consortium)</a> and <a href="http://educause.edu/">EduCause</a>, two of the peak US technology and education organisations focused on higher education. The report examines the current state of technology use in the US tertiary system and signposts a number of technologies to watch and their estimated rate of implementation on a broad scale. The <a href="http://www.nmc.org/horizon/">full report</a> is released under a Creative Commons license [<a href="http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2006_Horizon_Report.pdf">PDF version</a>] and comes complete with a <a href="http://www.nmc.org/">project wiki</a>. I'd heartily recommend diving into the full report, but to give you a taste of what's inside, here's a sample from the executive summary:<br /><blockquote><b>Social Computing.</b> The application of computer technology to facilitate interaction and collaboration, a practice known as social computing, is happening all around us. Replacing face-to-face meetings with virtual collaboration tools, working on a daily basis with colleagues a thousand miles away, or attending a conference held entirely online is no longer unusual. An interesting aspect of social computing is the development of shared taxonomies - folksonomies - that emerge organically from like-minded groups.<br /><br /><b>Personal Broadcasting.</b> With roots in text-based media (personal websites and blogs), personal broadcasting of audio and video material is a natural outgrowth of a popular trend made possible by increasingly more capable portable tools. From podcasting to video blogging (vlogging), personal broadcasting is already impacting campuses and museum audiences significantly.<br /><br /><b>The Phones in Their Pockets.</b> A little further out on the horizon, but rapidly approaching, the delivery of educational content and services to cell phones is just around the corner. Among the keys that will unlock the true potential of this technology are improved network speeds, Flash Lite, and video: as new features that take advantage of the capabilities of these appear in phones, barriers to delivery of educational content will vanish.<br /><br /><b>Educational Gaming.</b> A recent surge in interest in educational gaming has led to increased research into gaming and engagement theory, the effect of using games in practice, and the structure of cooperation in gameplay. The serious implications of gaming are still unfolding, but we are not far away from seeing what games can really teach us.<br /><br /><b>Augmented Reality and Enhanced Visualization.</b> Currently in use in disciplines such as medicine, engineering, and archaeology, these technologies for bringing large data sets to life have the potential to literally change the way we see the world by creating three-dimensional representations of abstract data.<br /><br /><b>Context-Aware Environments and Devices.</b> Advancements in context-aware computing are giving rise to devices and rooms that respond to voice, motion, or other subtle signals. In the ultimate application of these technologies, the computing part simply disappears, leaving an environment transparently responsive to its human occupants.</blockquote><br />Together, I think these two reports go a long way in illuminating the issues, challenges and vast potential related to technology, media and education in the coming years. Both of these reports are focused on the US, but the issues raised are equally relevant to the Australian context. Perhaps the uptake of certain technologies is further away, but in my opinion the issues raised should be addressed now across all levels of education, both K-12 and tertiary, to ensure that digital literacy is at the core of the Australian student experience.<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/macarthurfoundation" rel="tag">macarthurfoundation</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/henryjenkins" rel="tag">henryjenkins</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/participatoryculture" rel="tag">participatoryculture</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/education" rel="tag">education</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/horizonreport" rel="tag">horizonreport</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/nmc" rel="tag">nmc</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/educause" rel="tag">educause</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/digitalliteracy" rel="tag">digitalliteracy</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1162742225760464342006-11-05T23:57:00.000+08:002006-11-06T00:02:40.483+08:00Tim Berners-Lee on the Importance of BloggingIn two recent articles, one in <a href="http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1938477,00.html" target="_blank"><i>The Guardian</i></a> and one from <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6108578.stm?ls" target="_blank">the BBC</a>, it appeared that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee" target="_blank">Tim Berners-Lee</a>, the scientist who invented the internet as we know it today, had decided blogs were part of the problem, not the solution. From <i>The Guardian</i>, for example:<br /><blockquote>Sir Tim believes devotees of blogging sites take too much information on trust: "The blogging world works by people reading blogs and linking to them. You're taking suggestions of what you read from people you trust. That, if you like, is a very simple system, but in fact the technology must help us express much more complicated feelings about who we'll trust with what." The next generation of the internet needs to be able to reassure users that they can establish the original source of the information they digest.</blockquote><br />However, as Berners-Lee has not pointed out, these comments were taken out of context and that he's actually a blogger himself and a fan of blogging. From Berners-Lee's own blog in a post simply called "<a href="http://dig.csail.mit.edu/breadcrumbs/node/170" target="_blank">Blogging is great</a>":<br /><blockquote>People have, since it started, complained about the fact that there is junk on the web. And as a universal medium, of course, it is important that the web itself doesn't try to decide what is publishable. The way quality works on the web is through links.<br /><br />It works because reputable writers make links to things they consider reputable sources. So readers, when they find something distasteful or unreliable, don't just hit the back button once, they hit it twice. They remember not to follow links again through the page which took them there. One's chosen starting page, and a nurtured set of bookmarks, are the entrance points, then, to a selected subweb of information which one is generally inclined to trust and find valuable.<br /><br />A great example of course is the blogging world. Blogs provide a gently evolving network of pointers of interest. [...] In a recent interview with the Guardian, alas, my attempt to explain this was turned upside down into a "blogging is one of the biggest perils" message. Sigh. I think they took their lead from an unfortunate BBC article, which for some reason stressed concerns about the web rather than excitement, failure modes rather than opportunities.</blockquote><br />It seems quite telling and very affirming for the blogosphere that even when reputable news sources like the BBC had a different tack to that intended by an interviewee, the blogosphere can provide a space for those important corrections! Equally, it's fantastic to see the inventor of the web using blogs to express his voice most clearly.<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/timbernerslee" rel="tag">timbernerslee</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/www" rel="tag">www</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/internet" rel="tag">internet</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/theweb" rel="tag">theweb</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogging" rel="tag">blogging</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blog" rel="tag">blog</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogosphere" rel="tag">blogosphere</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1162528355311293852006-11-03T12:29:00.000+08:002006-11-03T15:36:07.096+08:00Pie-chart humour!I never thought I'd write a post about pie-chart humour, but <a href="http://themot.org/gallery/d/58721-1/pacmanchart.png">this</a> is hilarious...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4415/183/1600/pacmancharthumor.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4415/183/400/pacmancharthumor.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />[<a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/11/02/hilarious_piechartvi.html">Via Boing Boing</a>]<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/piechart" rel="tag">piechart</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/pacman" rel="tag">pacman</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/humour" rel="tag">humour</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1162462292718750312006-11-02T18:10:00.000+08:002006-11-03T09:47:23.753+08:00New RCCS ReviewsIn November's offerings from the <a href="http://rccs.usfca.edu/default.asp">Resource Centre for Cybercultural Studies</a> I've got a <a href="http://rccs.usfca.edu/bookinfo.asp?ReviewID=434&BookID=304">book review of Viviane Serfaty's <i>The Mirror and the Veil: An Overview of American Online Diaries and Blogs</i></a>. This month also feature reviews by my friends <a href="http://humanities.curtin.edu.au/staff.cfm?id=NCLMFGb">Michele Willson</a> from <a href="http://www.curtin.edu.au/">Curtin</a>, looking at <i>Computer Mediated Communication: Social Interaction and the Internet</i>; and <a href="http://www.cross-mediaentertainment.com/">Christy "Cross-Media Entertainment" Dena</a> examining <a href="http://rccs.usfca.edu/bookinfo.asp?ReviewID=425&BookID=342"><i>Understanding Me: Lectures and Interviews</i></a>, an edited collection of McLuhan's unpublished work.<br /><br />In fact, there are <a href="http://rccs.usfca.edu/booklist.asp">even more reviews than that posted this month</a>, so why not take a minute and check out our thoughts on your potential reading!<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/bookreviews" rel="tag">bookreviews</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1162457869751685332006-11-02T16:57:00.000+08:002006-11-03T14:45:12.496+08:00UWA's MyResearchSpace & Best Blog CompetitionOne of the more interesting projects I've been involved with this year has been the development of a blogging server and file storage and fora platform for <a href="http://www.uwa.edu.au/">UWA's</a> graduate research students. The platform, playfully dubbed <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/">MyResearchSpace</a>, is live and includes fora, blog and gallery tools, as well as 500Mb storage space for every research student (no more excuses for not backing up those chapters!). To promote MyResearchSpace, we've just announced a little competition as well:<br /><br /><blockquote>Announcement of a prize for the most interesting blog on <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/">MyResearchSpace</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4415/183/1600/most_interesting_blog.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4415/183/400/most_interesting_blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />The <a href="http://postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/">Graduate Research School</a> is pleased to announce that a prize will be awarded for the most interesting blog appearing on <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/">myResearchSpace</a>. The blog that records the most reads and comments between now and the next Graduate Research Induction (March 2007) will receive a new model compact digital camera.<br /><br /><a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/">myResearchSpace</a> is an online community set up by the Graduate Research School for UWA research candidates. It provides storage space (500MB) for your research files, a blog for a personal or research journal, forums for interest groups, news and more. If you are a research student at UWA, visit <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au">http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au</a> and join today.</blockquote><br />I'm afraid the competition is only open to <a href="http://www.uwa.edu.au/">UWA </a>graduate research students using MyResearchSpace as their blogging tool, but if that's you, get blogging!<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> A few people have emailed me and pointed out that it looked to them as if I'd currently win the Most Interesting Blog competition. Let me reiterate: the Most Interesting Blog Competition is <i>only open of current gradaute research students at UWA in the period November 2006 - March 2007</i>. That means that my MyRS blog -- <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/blogs/tamablog/default.aspx" target="_blank">Tama Leaver's GRS Blog</a> -- is not part of the competition. Nor are the following MyRS blogs which are run by GRS academics: <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/blogs/robynowensblog/default.aspx" target="_blank">Robyn Owen's Blog</a>; <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/blogs/theezoneblog/default.aspx" target="_blank">The Ezone</a> (also maintained by Robyn); <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/blogs/michaelazariadisblog/default.aspx" target="_blank">Discourse on thesis supervision</a> (by Michael Azariadis); <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/blogs/kryshaqblog/default.aspx" target="_blank">Krys.Haq's Blog</a> (by Krystina Haq); or the generic <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/blogs/myresearchspace_blog/default.aspx" target="_blank">MyResearchSpace Blog</a>. Nor, I should add, have we finalised which model of digital camera will be the prize. If you've got a suggestion, Robyn would love to hear from you <a href="http://myresearchspace.grs.uwa.edu.au/blogs/robynowensblog/archive/2006/11/02/203.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/myresearchspace" rel="tag">myresearchspace</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/uwa" rel="tag">uwa</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/universityofwesternaustralia" rel="tag">universityofwesternaustralia</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/grs" rel="tag">grs</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/graduateresearchschool" rel="tag">graduateresearchschool</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/competition" rel="tag">competition</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/mostinterestingblog" rel="tag">mostinterestingblog</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blog" rel="tag">blog</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5416772.post-1161963544628221922006-10-27T23:39:00.000+08:002006-10-28T09:40:43.713+08:00Why I Blog<a href="http://dialogic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Michael Benton</a> has been organising a special issue of <a href="http://dialogic.blogspot.com/2006/10/why-we-blog.html" target="_blank"><i>Reconstruction</i></a> on <a href="http://dialogic.blogspot.com/2006/10/why-we-blog.html" target="_blank">“Theories/Practices of Blogging”</a> and has asked far and wide for bloggers to write or contribute a post on why they blog. This is mine ...<br /><br /><u>Beginning and Motivations</u><br /><br /><img src="http://members.westnet.com.au/tamaleaver/tama_236_172.jpg" align="left" width="118" height="86" border="0">As someone whose doctoral thesis examined many aspects of digital media, you might imagine that my motivation for beginning a blog was obvious: in 2003 even though there were, by most estimates, less than two million blogs they had already become an important part of the digital media landscape. However, my motivations were less academic and more personal, and I remember three things which led me to Blogger.com in May 2003: firstly, I'd recently been travelling and was a little frustrated with mass emails as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family; secondly, I'd just returned from an academic conference and heard a few people talk about their websites and I wanted my own; and thirdly, and this was the main motivator, a friend of mine had been <a href="http://angriest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogging for a while</a> and it looked really cool! Initially, I had no idea what <a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ponderance</a> would turn in to; I just wanted a place to write and rant. Since then, blogging has become an integral part of my academic life and has had social impact, too (although, I must admit, I do try and stay away from blogging too much about really personal stuff). <br /><br />As I write this in October 2006, I've been blogging here for over three years (with more than 850 posts); I maintain <a href="http://tama.edublogs.org/" target="_blank">another blog which looks specifically at digital tools and pedagogy</a>; and I see blogging as a key part of who I am. I'm sure I could write a great deal about why I blog, and some of it might even be interesting. However, as brevity is often seen as a key blogging trait, I'm going to mention three aspects of blogging have been important for me: blogs as part of my teaching; the unexpected connections that I've made; and the use of my blog as a personal archive.<br /><br /><u>Blogging in/as Teaching</u><br /><br />In 2004 I was fortunate enough to run my first full undergraduate course, entitled Self.Net: Communicating Identity in the Digital Age. Given the topic it seemed sensible to have a practical component which actually entailed some sort of personal experience of online identity so I chose to create tutorial blogs and have students post some of their thoughts and responses to topics, as well as their webliographies (critical annotated bibliographies of online material). For the most part the experiment was a huge success., with students getting more of a chance to interact outside of tutorials and, quite importantly, to constructively and critically engage with each other's work and writing. Pedagogically, this meant students were getting more feedback from each other, not just their tutor or lecturer, and more feedback is always useful!<br /><br />There were some compromises when the logistics of assessment and pragmatics of a semester-length span restricted some of the more organic parts of the blog experience, but as a first taste (for many) at the stage, most students indicated that they found blogging a useful and rewarding part of the course. Their positive comments were reinforced by an anonymous exit-survey in which 90% of students said they thought blogging was an "important and useful part of the course".<br /><br />In 2005 I was also lucky to be asked to run an honours-level course in Communication Studies. The course I came up with, <a href="http://i-generation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">iGeneration: Digital Communication & Partcipatory Culture</a>, was looking critically at the cutting edge of digital media and with a smaller class I again ran the course via a blog, but this time with <i>everything</i> blogged: the syllabus, the weekly readings, students assignments and their many reflections all appeared in the blog. The course was fairly small, and the intimacy of interactions in the face to face seminar quickly mapped onto long conversations and comments in the course blogs. Also, iGeneration was the first tertiary course to ask students to create podcasts as their major research project, and the outcomes were very impressive with everything from <a href="http://i-generation.blogspot.com/2005/10/rich-and-rural-podcast.html" target="_blank">a 'podplay' in the style of a 1930s RKO radio play</a>, through to <a href="http://i-generation.blogspot.com/2005/10/simpsons-igeneration-podcast.html" target="_blank">an alternative audio commentary for a particular episode of <i>The Simpsons</i></a>. As the iGeneration course blog remains online today, the materials and assignments have a lifespan as public resources and media, contributing back to the participatory cultural spheres which we examined. Also, with the use of a Creative Commons license, the students and I were pleased to be able to put the entire course syllabus online via the blog, and explicitly indicate that any other students or academics who wish to use any or all of the course materials are more than welcome (and legally able) to do so. In teaching and learning terms, when used well I think blogs are an amazingly useful teaching platform (when mixed with face to face contact still, whenever possible), with the social lessons of participatory culture meaningfully informing scholarly ideas and practices about digital culture and online communication.<br /><br /><u>Unexpected Connections</u><br /><br />In August 2005 I wrote a post called "<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/08/citizen-justice-or-opening-pandoras.html" target="_blank">Citizen Justice or Opening Pandora's Box?</a>" which responded to a Boing Boing <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/25/alleged_subway_wanke.html" target="_blank">story</a> about a young woman capturing an image of a flasher abusing her on the New York subway. While I was impressed by the victim's quick-thinking, I was concerned that after she posted the cameraphone image of the man flashing her onto Flickr, both other blogs and print newspapers ran with the story as if the man had already been charged and found guilty despite almost no involvement by police of the courts at that point. A few people left comments on my post and a few linked to it and I thought I'd had my say. Then, a couple of days latter, I got an email from a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist <a href="http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/bullpen/robert_lee_hotz/backgrounder/" target="_blank">Robert Lee Hotz</a> working for the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>. Hotz asked to interview me about my thoughts on the incident, which I happily agreed to, and in early September Hotz's piece "Camera Phones Give Flashers Unexpected Exposure" appeared in the print and online versions of the <i>LA Times</i>, complete with a <a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/ponderance-quoted-in-la-times.html" target="_blank">quotation from me</a> about the ethical issues this incident raised.<br /><br />At that point I was still a postgraduate student and working and writing in Perth, Western Australia, which is a long way from LA or New York. On the basis of opinions and ideas expressed in my blog, my thoughts ended up in the <i>LA Times</i> a week after I'd expressed them in my blog. For me this was very real evidence that blogging made important connections and that blogging opened doors and made networks in entirely unexpected and unforeseen ways. Similarly, it meant that even though Perth (where I live) is the most isolated capital city in the world, when I'm blogging those geographic boundaries are easily overcome.<br /><br /><u>Blogging as Archiving</u><br /><br />There is so much which takes place and is documented in various ways online, that keeping track is often a challenge. When you just want annotated links, then <a href="http://del.icio.us/" target="_blank">del.icio.us</a> is your answer, but often I need more structure and context than the three lines of annotation which del.icio.us allows.<br /><br />As an example, in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina there were hundreds of posts that I wanted to comment on and more that I wanted to archive. Instead of just building a bibliography, I doubled archiving with making my own opinions know and wrote a series of posts under the title "Katrina: The Aftermath, The Politics & Citizen Media" [<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen.html" target="_top">I</a>] [<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_04.html" target="_top">II</a>] [<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_05.html" target="_top">III</a>] [<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_08.html" target="_top">IV]</a> [<a href="http://ponderance.blogspot.com/2005/09/katrina-aftermath-politics-citizen_10.html" target="_top">V</a>]. Apart from allowing me to voice my concerns, these links have proven an extremely valuable archive as I have referred to Katrina and her impact on citizen media in both my academic writing and my teaching. Every time, I find myself back at those posts to get my references and to remind myself exactly how I reacted at the time. <br /><br /><u>Open Conclusions ...</u><br /><br />These are but a few examples of why I blog. If anyone has any questions or comments, they are most welcome. The more I think about why I blog, the more complicated the answer becomes, so this post may very well end up being edited a few times and growing in the near future ...<br /><br /><span class="technoratitag">[Tags: <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogging" rel="tag">blogging</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/blogosphere" rel="tag">blogosphere</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/motivation" rel="tag">motivation</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/whyiblog" rel="tag">whyiblog</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/reconstruction" rel="tag">reconstruction</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/pedagogy" rel="tag">pedagogy</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/networks" rel="tag">networks</a> | <a href="http://del.icio.us/tag/archives" rel="tag">archives</a>]</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110545100249331274noreply@blogger.com2