Bengals' Chad Ochocinco and Twitter

To lighten up the mood, I wanted to talk about Chad Ochocinco and how he changed the NFL's policies about Twitter. I am a huge football and Chad Ochocinco fan and one of the reasons why I signed up for Twitter was to follow him and other athletes. The NFL change its rules about social media partly because of Ochocinco and other players' extravagant planned touchdown celebrations. I find it interesting that one player using Twitter has actually forced the NFL to change its policies. Now players cannot "tweet" for a time period before and after the game.

You can check out Ochocinco's Twitter page at http://twitter.com/OGOchoCinco

No Fun League: The NFL Reveals Its Social Media Policy

Twitter has even changed the face of trash talk in the NFL:

Darrelle Revis to Chad Ochocinco: Let's settle the Twitter battle on the field

Haiti and the rest

My final paper, an analysis of the situation in Haiti from the perspective of global media, has turned up some rather amazing facts. Since I am focusing this paper on the world wide web perspective (rather than the humanitarian plight or even the response at the international level, though I certainly make mention of both), I have spent days culling through articles, twitter feeds, youtube videos, etc. What is clear is that there is an unprecedented level of viewer-level access to the disaster and its fallout. The numbers for the Red Cross cell-phone text donations alone are staggering. All of this would never have been possible before our current internet age.

China vs.

Here are some resources I found on the war of wwws.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/23/world/asia/23diplo.html

Here you have the Chinese voice that the NYT cites in the article:
http://opinion.globaltimes.cn/

PIPE DREAM

I'm currently one of the copy editors for the unofficial school newspaper Pipe Dream and I was looking over the articles for next week's issue. There were a few Op/Ed articles about the problems with virtual communication, most notably Facebook, which was what we have been discussing over this past week.

In one of the articles, Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, said that he was taking away users' privacy settings in order to create a site that was more like Twitter. Many Facebookers are now upset that any content we post on other people's walls will be available to be read by everyone else on their News Feed. Originally, Facebook was created for those who are affliated with an .edu network, or in other words, college students. But it soon expanded so now almost anyone can keep in touch with friends, family and relatives.

This is what Zuckerberg had to say in response to the concerns Facebook users had:
"Making connections - finding people you know, learning about people, searching for what people are saying about topics that interest you - is at the core of our product. This can only happen when people make their info available and choose to share more openly."

The articles really interested me and I thought I would share some of its content with you guys since it's pretty much what we've all been discussing for the past few days. If you want to read more, you can definitely check them out in the next issue of Pipe Dream.

Free Speech in Cyberspace

Of course there is a limit to free speech in cyberspace. The limit should be exactly the same it is in our regular life; that is, it should not violate other people’s rights. Rules in cyberspace should be no different from those in the real world; however, people often take advantage and are irresponsible with their speech. This is where cyber censorship is needed.

Cyber censorship should be a state matter, simply because of differences in political environments, culture, and society among countries. However, the international community should also play a guiding role in preventing violations of basic human rights. Many consider cyber censorship in China and Iran irrational and unbelievable; however, maybe it is our responsibility to show those countries that cyber censorship and basic human rights are not contradictory.

Freedom of Free Speech?

The first amendment gives us all freedom of free speech, among other things. This entitles us to speak and communicate our thoughts and ideas without censorship or fear of being harmed. However, the term "freedom" can be quite ambiguous or even vague, because this freedom also comes with certain limitations, such as not yelling out "fire!" in a crowded public place. If this is the case, can we really say that we have this kind of freedom? Can we say that we are "more free" than people in other countries, such as China?

On another note about censorship in cyberspace, here is an article from The New York Times entitled "Ad Urged for Groups Fighting Internet Censors," published yesterday on January 20. Regimes like China and Iran prohibit their people from having access to important Web sites like Google and Facebook. They are also subject to having their Web activities monitored by the government. As a result, U.S. senators are urging Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to support organizations that help people circumvent Internet restrictions.

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.
--John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859

Free Speech in Cyberspace?

This is a very difficult question to answer. When looking at the articles referencing censorship in China and Iran, it seems that free speech is indeed oppressed. Many blogs and forums themselves have certain rules and regulations of what is and isn't appropriate. However, people can create sites on the internet where they are free to say and do what they want (sometimes of questionable taste and character), but even this only goes so far. When government intervention becomes involved and starts to destroy or limit what individuals are allowed to say and search in cyberspace, it becomes hard to see if there is really "free speech". Here's a real life example where cyberspace was used to oppress an act of freedom in actuality.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6665145.stm

Who knew that moving a statue would result in your country being shutdown through a massive onslaught of cyber warfare?

It seems reasonable to suggest that Cyber-Censorship shouldn't be something that is implemented. It is completely doable to prevent access to items government related that need protection, but people shouldn't be prevented from trying to learn and search for matters related to history or because the content isn't mainstream from what the government tolerates. If this were the case, we might all be jail because many many people have used websites like Wikipedia and Google.

What do you think?

-Ian

Virtual communication

Facebook, tweeter, my space, Email, instant messengers, and many other virtual communication tools have revolutionized the way we work and live. Virtual communication is the trend of technology. These modern technological phenomena have become central to our daily lives. In our society today, we can communicate with a friend or co-worker in another country or continent instantaneously. Not only does this promote efficiency, but also accuracy. It can influence the quality of the work we do and can determine our ability to function as a highly productive, efficiently performing workforce.

Virtual communication changes the way we think. Communication has become more than just two people. It is easy to arrange group discussions or create a virtual classroom like this. Virtual communication brings convenience into our lives, but also creates problems. We become more vulnerable because of identity theft. Not only might we lose our property, we can also become the scapegoat for a crime we did not commit. Fraud can happen anywhere in cyberspace, and we need to take extra precautions to protect ourselves.

Virtual Reality

It's hard to believe if someone doesn't have a Facebook account or screenname or even an email address. Nowadays, the new form of communication is through the computer screen. Why is that so? Virtual communication is convenient, efficient, and comfortable, not to mention easy! All we have to do is sign onto Aim or log into our Facebook/MySpace/Twitter account and just like that, we are instantly connected to hundreds or thousands of people. While that may seem like a phenomenon in itself, it can also be detrimental. Whatever is posted online is now available for pretty much anyone to access and view. Just like there's a certain extent to what we are allowed to say in person, there are certain limitations for what one is able to say via the Internet. I do also wonder if the mobility and modernity of the Internet is contributing to problems such as lowering one's ability to write/spell properly, piracy issues, and access to other people's personal information.

The Internet has made virtual communication possible and the digital revolution has undeniably changed society. Its immense impact is evident and unrefutable. What does the future in virtual communication have in store for us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu0ztxdsFis&feature=related
^ A nice video entitled "The Future of Communication" that discusses the Internet world and its impact on communication. Check it out!

Yours,
Karoline

Virtual Communication

In 2006, Time Magazine recognized "you," the Internet user as the person of the year because of the way "you" helped to shape how society uses technology today.

It's interesting to see how drastic the change in our dependence on technology has been over time. Walkmans and CD players were once popular technology gadgets, but now it seems like every kid wants an ipod to listen to their music. E-mails and telephone calls were once the standard way of keeping in touch with someone. Now, it's through social network sites, especially Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. Perhaps it's a lot easier to communicate virtually because it's an open-platform where not only can we reconnect with old friends, but we can also develop and maintain new relationships. Through these virtual sites, we can communicate with just about anyone anywhere anytime. However, this would be at the expense of our privacy, since any comments we make or any activities we do can be seen by everyone else on Facebook's "News Feed." In a sense, this makes us more vulnerable on cyberspace because all our actions are "stalked" by others.

Facebook is currently the third most viewed Web site in this country, making it more inevitable that the old traditional ways of keeping in touch with someone, such as emails and letters, will soon die out. This can be seen as both a positive and negative thing, but only society can dictate how virtual our world will be in the future.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/100515/Virtual-Interactive-Communication-A-Bicultural-Survey-Through-the-Lens-of-Web-20
^This Web site defines the term "Web 2.0" as an evolution of prior Internet activities or a significant change in Web usage. It also goes more into depth about Facebook, considered to be the "posterchild" of Web 2.0

Is there a limit to Free Speech in Cyberspace?

This is a conditional question. Just like in the physical world the 1st amendment is conditional. People can say whatever they want, to an extent. For example, one would not be able to shout "fire!" in a movie theatre or "bomb!" on a plane. The same concept is applied in cyberspace. However, network administrators have more power online than they do in the physical world. In the physical world, if a person is saying things another person does not like, the other person can do absolutely nothing to stop them. Online however, their words can be deleted, as if they were never said. Free speech is only limited by the people who regulate speech. This is true for all mediums. So some areas of cyberspace promote free speech, and some oppress the idea of free speech.

Security Status and Countermeasures of the U.S. Military in Cyberspace

My research paper will be focusing on the level of importance and effort on behalf of the U.S. Military to investigate, prevent, and pursue security threats in cyberspace. Cyberspace is loaded with sensitive information, our credit card numbers, social security numbers, addresses, emails, you name it, its probably there. However, to what extent does the U.S. go? Are there any examples or circumstances where the military has intervened? Well, hopefully, this research will be able to tell you!

My research paper

Hello everyone, my research paper is about media censorship in China and how Google's decision to pull out of China. China's government have blockaded several websites such as facebook and youtube. Does this act invade our basic human right? I thought it would be interesting to look into this problem from both China's perspective and my own. Hope everyone's doing okay with the final paper!

-Kevin

Queen Rania of Jordan

Hello Everyone,

My final research paper is about Queen Rania of Jordan and how she uses social networking sites such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to challenge negative stereotypes the West and Middle East have of each other, engage in cross cultural dialogue, and promote her own cause of creating a global education for everyone. It is really interesting that a royal is making herself more accessbile to everyday people through these networks.

You can check her out on Twitter @QueenRania. Recently she has been tweeting about Haiti and the supplies Jordan has sent.

Good luck on your papers!

Hi guys,

My paper is on social network sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, and how criminals are using them to carry out illegal conduct/crimes. I'm discussing the security, parental and other issues at hand in an era where SNSs have become a worldwide phenomenon. Good luck to everyone on their final papers!

Yours,
Karoline Lee

Topic

Hello all,

Inspired by the Noam Chomsky Video we watched early in the class, I am writing my paper on the failure of the news media to question made up reasons for military action against underdeveloped countries. I have included examples of Libya and Panama as well as the most recent example of Iraq.

Effects of Media

Hello everyone,

For my final research paper, I am looking into the negative effects the media, specifically the TV and the Internet, has on electronic aggression (all types of violence perpetrated through technology). If anyone is doing anything similar, I have a couple insightful resources from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that goes more in-depth on this issue.

Good luck with your papers!

Social Network Hacks

Hi,

I guess this might be considered a repost, but my final paper is on the hacks carried out on social networking sites and their implications. Is anyone doing something like this? The blog has pretty much been dead since the 14th....

"The Web is Flat"

I found this interesting article at the Huffington Post by Joe Antonio Vargas about how the Internet makes the world a smaller place in response to the earthquake in Haiti. We truly are a global village. Facebook and Twitter are bringing more awareness to disaster that has happened and hopefully this will result in more donations from the private sector.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jose-antonio-vargas/the-web-is-flat----the-wo_b_422394.html

Here's another interesting article that suggest the crisis in Haiti can help begin to mend relations between the US and Cuba.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/14/clemons.haiti.cuba.us/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Rights

I found an interesting take on what rights are. I hope you guys find it interesting as well.

It seems that in American culture, nobody remembers what happened 5 minutes ago, let alone 10 years ago. If one would look back at history, they would find out what rights really are. It is clear as day.

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/street/pl38/rights.htm

Digital Rights Management

America is a pretty interesting place. It is not uncommon for us, as the educated public, to feel certain feelings of dissent for how our nation is run. From the marginalized conspiracy theorist who makes anti-government statements in wild opposition to the 'accepted norms', to the ultra-conservative who thinks our country spends too much time worrying about minorities or homosexuals, and not enough time espousing good Christian values, and at almost every strata in between, we Americans spend a whole lot of time questioning the judgement of our leaders. And there are provisions within the government itself that ensure that we have the right, inalienable and protected, to voice our dissent. That's a pretty amazing thing, if one steps back and contemplates it.

And even moreso than television or radio, it is the user-generated nature of the internet that makes it an especially important aspect of freedom of speech. I mean, basic cable is not a basic human right. That isn't really up for debate. But the internet represents so much more than entertainment, that it cannot be classified alongside television or radio. The blogosphere gives a voice to everyone who can touch it, and is very difficult to patrol or censor in any meaningful way (just look at the trouble between Google and China). It is with this basic freedom of speech in mind that I say yes, everyone deserves internet access, as clearly as they need access to other basic human rights.

Media Events: A-Rod vs. Earthquake in Haiti

Eric W. Rothenbuhler's article "From Media Event to Ritual to Communicative Form" offers an interesting definition of the media event phenomena. He defines a media event as "...an interruption of the normal routine for a live broadcast from a remote location of a pre-planned event organized independently of the media, the tone of the broadcast is more serious, ceremonial, or even reverential than normal, it attracts unusual and attentive audiences, and often has serious political and social consequences". I believe a trivial media event was Alex Rodriguez's press conference on February 18, 2009 about his steroid use that the public already knew about! Not only A-Rod was there to admit what the public already knew about, his fellow teammates such as Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett, Joe Giardi also attended to offer their support to A-Rod turning it into a bigger media circus than it already was. Weeks before the scheduled press conference there was so much hype. I personally do not understand what the big deal was. The positive test result for steroids was leaked and confirmed. I didn't need to see A-Rod lie to the nation and claim that he didn't know what "medicine" he was injecting in his body that was from the Dominican Republic. Of course the highest paid player in baseball would be that careless with his body. The public got exactly what Rothenbuhler states what the outcome of a media event is - patterned statements. It annoys me there was so much speculation before the press conference and never-ending coverage of the entire circus while the earthquake that recently happened in Haiti is just a blip on people's radars. The earthquake occurred at 5 pm Tuesday, but did Fox interrupt American Idol to provide coverage? No. It is because Haiti is a poor Caribbean country that Americans cannot relate to. I believe if the earthquake occurred in a developed country, news coverage would interrupt regular television programming.

"Haiti Chef Says Thousands May be Dead" - NY Times

LIVE: Haiti Earthquake - BBC News

Fox's 'American Idol' Still Rolling - LA Times (30 million viewers this Tuesday)

Alex Rodriguez press conference live blog - USA Today

On another note, I wrote my response paper about whether or not Internet access should be a fundamental human right and how countries like China limit internet access to their citizens. I just found this interesting article about how Google is threatening to pull out of China because the government censors websites. Do you feel that Internet access should be a fundamental human right?

What's the Chinese Word for Bing? Google Threatens to Leave China

How Much Money is Google Really Giving Up In China. Depends Who You Ask.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Alternative News

As an alternative to Fox News and other cable news networks, there are many independent news websites that can provide a very different perspective. I recommend www.indymedia.org, where you can find stories from all over the world, from the perspective of people there, that probably will not get any coverage on Fox or CNN.

Regualted News

For those of you who would like to see what the news really is:

http://www.outfoxed.org/

Human trafficking

On the trip from Binghamton back to New York City, the College Express bus was showing the 2008 movie "Taken." It involves two teenage girls Kim and Amanda who are staying by themselves in a hotel in Paris. They share a cab with a stranger named Peter, who finds out from the girls that they are alone. Little did the girls know that Peter is part of an Albanese gang of human traffickers, who manage to kidnap the girls. I thought it related a lot to the global news narratives.

It's an action-packed movie that will definitely keep you in suspense. If you choose not to watch it, here is a link to a detailed synopsis.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/synopsis

Movie

I just saw "Man On Fire" with Denzel Washington and had no idea it took place in Ciudad Juarez. (I know it's an old movie, but I'm pretty late on things.)

For those who haven't seen the movie, it is based on kidnappings. On a side note, it seemed that EVERYONE in Mexico was corrupt, protected by a ring of brothers called "el hermanidad" which literally translates to the brotherhood.

Its a pretty good movie, and I recommend it.

City of Lost Girls

I found the documentary on the City of Lost Girls to be especially interesting. I found it intriguing enough to do some further research on it. Here are some sites I came across (most of the information overlap/repeat):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/nov/02/mexico

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2dpnNohz4o
^video about journalist Diana Washington Valdez talking about her investigation of the murders in Ciudad Juarez; it's a 6 minute video

The City of Dead Girls

It really is such a shame to see almost 400 young girls being raped, tortured, and killed the way they did, with no "justicia" to follow. I personally believe that their claim of having solved many of the cases is false. When the female reporter interviewed the head police investigator, you could easily tell he was lying: his eyes were moving from side to side, he stuttered quite often, he was getting uncomfortable and even made a "slick" attempt to try to end the interview. According to human rights organizations, Ciudad Juarez is known for its out-of-control drug trade and police involvement, which could explain the corruption and lack of careful investigation by the police officers. Why is it that a majority of the victims are Maquiladora workers coming from poor families? They seem to be easier targets: working 48-60 hours a week, they come home a lot later than others (hardly anyone is on the streets at that time) and being extremely worn out from a long day's work, it's harder for them to fight back with little energy. They say that no crime is perfect, so I would think that after almost 400 crimes being conducted by the same person (or group), as was concluded in the documentary, there would be some physical evidence to track down the serial killers. It sounds quite impossible to do 400 killings and not leave one strand of evidence behind, wouldn't you think?

The first step is to fix the source of the problem: government corruption. It's not justice if you're placing the wrong person/people in jail. Unfortunately, this type of problem isn't just present in Ciudad Juarez, but also in other regions of the world. Could this type of problem be the result of poverty and a country's economy?

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/04/09/juarez/

Just Some Research I have Been Doing

I'm doing my final paper on the security flaws of popular social networking sites. I just would like to share some of the information I have come across with you guys, you might find it interesting.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_security_lapse_private_photos.php

http://www.securitywatch.co.uk/2009/12/14/security-problems-with-social-networking-persist/

http://theharmonyguy.com/2009/10/09/the-month-of-facebook-bugs-report/

Be careful when you use facebook!

More Posts On The Murders On Juarez

http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/juarez.html

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/ciudad_juarez/index.html

Mass Communication

Here is youtube's take on mass communication:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7bVp3xfCkg

Some of the points in Hardt overlap in this video.

Downloaded Consent

As has been observed by Brian (and Noam Chomsky), the incomprehensibly vast body of information now floating around the internet potentially becomes entangled in the phenomenon of 'Manufacturing Consent'. Think about the algorithms that parse content based on browsing habits: look for clips on Youtube, and, over time, Youtube will begin to actively suggest clips you might enjoy, based on your history. The same occurs when you shop on any number of online shopping sites, such as Amazon. This kind of directed content filtration occurs on news sites, such as Google news, as well. What if we, as consumers, elect to let our algorithms do the searching for us (something that is becoming more and more the default option). It is now easier than ever to direct us from one idea to another; channeling the way we navigate information and controlling the substance upon which we form our opinions. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but it wouldn't be unreasonably difficult for a particularly non-neutral media search company to subtly taint the results of its users.

The opposite of this phenomenon, where the anonymity of electronic information fostered dissent and promoted free thought, arguably happens all the time. Bloggers and podcasters have an unprecedented level of public exposure (there was a time when, if you wanted to hear crazy ranting, you would have to actually seek out the ranter). Further, the role that Facebook played in acting as an uncontrollable agency of communication during the Iranian elections not long ago only serve to underline the potential power this new form of mass communication possess, just waiting to be harnessed.

"Manufacturing Consent"

In this* interview, Noam Chomsky is asked this question: Due to the Internet, mass media is increasingly becoming more distributed through blogs, independent news, etc. How does the Internet media impact propaganda model described in “Manufacturing Consent”? Chomsky explains that the model is more concerned with the institutional structure of the media- in short, major corporations sell audiences to other businesses. Although this is not the case with the internet, Chomsky raises the possibility of a future problem. As access to the Internet is controlled through subscriptions, there is a debate over keeping the internet neutral. Will the companies that control access to the Internet use their control to differentiate access to yield preferred browsing? Although a number of corporations argue they are motivated by profit and that it is simply a matter of fair pricing, Chomsky illustrates in “Manufacturing Consent” how harmful a profit driven attitude can be when held by the media (content delivery managers). As Brian Shannon mentioned earlier, many Americans have a lack of awareness about global events. Recently, the internet has helped to bridge the information gap for some while providing more of a gap for others. I am interested to see whether the gap will widen or shrink within the context of the net neutrality debate.

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnLWSC5p1XE#t=27m38s

Dear GlobalMediaBloggers,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful contributions.

The paradox on why the world is more and more globally connected, but fails to be informed about global issues, is the key issue of next week. A further point raised by @ Kristin and @ Karoline is in focus–the information gap. While all citizens are global, some are more and some are less "global(ly endowed with technology)" than others.

Thank you @ Brian for raising the connection between globalization and Americanization. What will be the "Leitkultur" in the 21st century? @ Ian, have you read Huntington on this issue? @ Ben, do you think that there will ever be a "catching up"? @ John, also look at the different narratives of HIV/AIDS in Western countries vs. Africa. Issues such as the access to clean water supplies are furthermore under-represented.

@ Kevin, the course will be exploring the new framework of communication in cyberspace!

For the next week, I will choose key narratives that are globally transmitted vs. those who remain under-represented (anti-narratives)–human rights, climate, conflict, migration, sports–to be explored.
I am open to your suggestions, but we will definitely explore the (anti)narratives of the
- Tsunami
- Green democratic protest movement in Iran
- genocide in Darfur (Sudan)
- "feminicidios" in the Mexican-American border region, in particular in Ciudad Juaréz, Mexico

Sincerely yours,
Annemarie Fischer

Media Literacy

The Noam Chomsky video started with a quote from John Milton that I thought was extremely relevant to media and globalization today: "They who have put out the peoples' eyes reproach them for their blindness." How can we expect third world countries to hop on the globalization bandwagon when they don't have the same access to media that we do? And what is the quality of the "world news" that is reported in America?

Third world countries are operating at a disadvantage because they do not have the same quality of access to global communication as other developed countries do. Thussu's article "Approaches Theorizing International Communication" cites a study done by Daniel Lerner, a professor at MIT, in the 1950s. He studied how media affected the citizens of Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iran, which were "traditional" states. He came to the conclusion that exposure to mass media helped to modernize these countries and allowed "....individuals to experience events in far-off places, forcing them to reassess their traditional way of life. Exposure to media, Lerner, argued, made traditional societies less bound by traditions and made them aspire to a new a modern way of life" (Thussu 56). Media literary is essential to survive globalizaiton. How can we expect third world countries to cotend on a global level if they lack media literacy? How do we go about increasing media literacy worldwide?

Something that deeply troubles me is the lack of awareness Americans have about global events. I know that not every American is ignorant, but with our resources and access to media, I feel that people should know more about what is happening in the world than they do. Ask the typical American college student what they know about current world events. I guarantee you that the majority of them are fairly ignorant. A greater stress has to be placed on world events in American culture. If you watch the "world news" on an American news program, it really is "American news" or how some event out there is affecting America. Many people have told me if you want "world news" watch it on BBC because it more balanced than American world news. It is sad when some people only know about AIDS in Africa because of the Gap. We cannot expect these developing countries to make a global presence when our media is not connected to them. In order for globalization to be a more peaceful process, we need to increase awareness and media literacy in developed and developing countries.

Here's an interesting article: "A Reflection on Media in the Third World" by John Mitchell. American media is extremely powerful and influential, but there needs to be more of a cultural stress placed on world news. I feel that American suffer a deficit in media literacy along withe developing countries.

Tips For "On Writing" Paper

I found this link online. Some of the stuff can apply to our paper on our own writing development. Hope you all find this useful.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Tips-on-How-To-Write-About-Yourself&id=11518

Late Greetings

Hello all,

My name is Andrew. I am an English student at BU, but soon hoping to switch over to CompLit. I work full time in a downtown Manhattan architecture firm as a computer technician and trainer (odd job for a literature major, I know, but the amount of skillset cross-over is actually surprisingly high). I'm an avid gamer, writer, and foodie. I am also a passionate student of Shotokan karate, and will be testing for my second-degree brown belt before the end of this year. Between all this and my new marraige (three months on the 17th), life can be a little hectic, so my posts are likely to come at odd hours, but I sincerely look forward to joining in on your already engaging discussions.

Globalization

For years, proponents of globalization have argued that increased economic and cultural integration is beneficial for all members of society. Others argue that globalization has benefited the few at the expense of the masses. Noam Chomsky offers insight into this matter as he answers “What is Globalization?” Chomsky details a system rural farmers move to urban areas in search of steady work. MNCs (Multi-National Corporations) certainly benefit from an expanded labor pool, although wages go down while the economy booms. If farmers don’t move to the urban slums and choose to continue farming, they are forced to compete with imported products, often with less than favorable results. He cites the rational peasant, who understands that goods must be produced for export and maximum profit. In many cases they turn to coca or poppy farming and grow plants destined for the drug market. The saying goes “Desperate times call for desperate measures” and nowhere is this clearer than in the Global South. It is a known fact that impoverished individuals will often resort to crime or any other means necessary to make a living. It is worth considering that there are many capable, motivated, intelligent individuals who also find themselves impoverished. As many individuals find themselves marginalized in this period of intense globalization, how will they respond and provide for themselves? With small laptop computers being produced for less than $200 and wi-fi hotspots popping up left and right, even in the Global South – it is time to be worried about a new type of crime. As eCommerce in the United States alone increased 17% from 2007 to 2008* (to a total of $204 billion!!) there exists a staggering market for targets of cyber crime. Especially when taken into consideration the low level of violence involved in internet fraud in contrast to the extremely high levels of violence in the drug trade, it is certainly an appealing field to make a quick buck. It would definitely be interesting to study emerging trends in this area of study.

* http://www.shop.org/c/journal_articles/view_article_content?groupId=1&articleId=702&version=1.0

Globalization

I have never really sat down and thought about what globalization means on a personal level. After watching the PBS documentary, Commanding Heights: The New Rules of the Game, I thought like most people that globalization is essentially Americanization. Why else did my friend eat McDonald's in every major Italian city when she was abroad? It is impossible for the world economy to grow and prosper without being unified and unfortunately the process of globalization began without this thought in mind. Jeffrey Sachs stated that only one-sixth of the world achieved "modern economic growth" while the remaining five-sixths of the world was still "developing." It is impossible to achieve a stable world economy when the majority of the world cannot compete with Western countries. How can we expected countries that do not even have basic property laws (meaning that the people cannot obtain loans, mortgages, or credit) in their legal systems to function in the Western world of representation (e.g. the Internet)? In order for globalization to succeed, we need to get everyone on the same playing field or there will be turmoil. This also influences how communication is dealt with on a global level. If the gap between "developed" countries and "third world" countries is so vast, how does that affect communication between the two? Can communication even be equal? In order for globalization to be successful, we all have to dive into it full force or put up the barriers once again.

How can there be a fair global economy when even in American, 42% of the wealth is controlled by 1% of the population?

What is Globalization?

After listening to that excerpt from Noam Chomsky I found my thoughts drifting back to the arguments and points of nearly every liberal sociologist which is essentially that the north or "developed" world has created a system that works for them and in many ways works against the "developing" nations of the south or third world. As Chomsky discusses, globalization is indeed a partnership between the two sides as one cannot exist without the other. If the developed world was not able to force their imports on the third world sending them towards urban slums and towards "rational peasantry" then this system would not work. Because globalization is here to stay and is perhaps impossible to reverse I began thinking about how we could possibly work this partnership into something that benefits all at least in someway. I have in mind two works that I believe are relevant to this topic. One is by Ken Silverstein entitled "Millions for Viagra, Pennies for the Poor". Here Silverstein makes the case against global drug corporations who spend more money on "lifestyle" drugs (ex: Viagra) for developed nations than for medication for simple diseases such as TB and Malaria that cause rampant death in the third world. Keeping in mind the point of this article we clearly see the unevenness of Chomsky's proposed global partnership. As he even says in the lyric he recites at the beginning of the excerpt "our system brings rewards to all who matter". Silverstein's article clearly brings light to an example of what Chomsky refers to in his "song". The other work I think is relevant is called "Stolen Harvest" by Vindana Shiva which tackles the possible solution to this inequality I mentioned earlier. In "Stolen Harvest" Shiva makes the case against corporate or western interference in the global food supply and says that the whole world must break the divisions of north/south, peasant/consumer etc and join together to create a "food democracy" that benefits all and helps the environment. Though it is an idealistic idea it remains to be seen whether the "developed world" can actually join with the "developing world" to bridge the equality divide of globalization or if that is simply an impossibility. Thank you!

Hi, my name is Brian C. and I am a senior political science major. I am a late addition to this course but am looking forward to working with everyone. I am a very big sports fan and I enjoy reading and playing video games in my free time. I am very interested in the impact of technology on our daily lives and am excited to see where this course takes us.

A Model of Communication in Cyberspace

What is the communication model in cyberspace?

Given the fact that the producer and user merge into the "produser" (Axel Bruns), what happens to the traditional distinction between the communication entities (one sending vs. one receiving)?
http://snurb.info/index.php?q=node/286

Do you also see a power shift in this merging process?

Is this merging process caused by technology, or do users themselves create the needs for technology?

Here is also a useful framework for a "model" per se, as well as an overview of the evolution of communication models:
http://www.shkaminski.com/Classes/Handouts/Communication%20Models.htm

Arguments Against Globalization

Though the true definition of the term "globalization" is often disputed about, it is generally defined as the increased interdependence of national economies and cultures due to the movement of services, goods, technological innovations, information and capital. Globalization has generated much debate because of its varying concerns. Not only does it increase inequality and promote environmental degradation, but more importantly, it is believed to widen the gap between the rich and the poor. This can certainly lead to more tensions within and between countries. Given today's society, there is no need for more conflicts to arise, when we are already and still fighting a major war in Iraq. Of course, we could also argue that technological advances have helped in the speeding up of the globalization process. With new improvements in technology, most notably the Internet, globalization is gradually worsening the quality of life for people in various locations around the world. While the rich are gaining more assets, the poor are sinking deeper and deeper into financial troubles.

One everyday example of globalization at work is something we normally take for granted, but is turning out to have drastic effects: fast food restaurants. Places like McDonald's and Burger King are staples to the economy of America, but they are expanding their horizons to locations in other countries around the world. As a result, obesity is on the rise, not just here in America, but in other places as well. Yet we continue to overlook that problem because of the revenue that McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and other fast food joints tend to bring in. Thus, even though globalization may force companies to take different approaches and see things in different light, it generally brings about cultural changes on a global scale.

"Globalization, as defined by rich people like us, is a very nice thing ... you are talking about the Internet, you are talking about cell phones, you are talking about computers. This doesn't affect two-thirds of the world."
-Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President

Terrorizing The Terrorists

Among the many ambiguous terms in the english language, the term 'terrorist' strikes me as being the most pertinent. The term is never clearly defined anywhere. The term is flooded in the media and gobbled up by ignorant Americans who live in fear. But how is this fear taken advantage of? Any person knows that people in fear are most likely to make irrational misinformed decisions. In the case of the American people, September 11th 2001 has scared the American people to believing anything they are told. People of America have also willingly accepted the complete abomination of the United States Constitution called the Patriot act. Not only does the U.S. government benefit from the Patriot act, it effectively extends it's power over it's citizens to an infinite capacity, benefiting from the fear of the american people. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that what happened on 9/11 is not what the government tells us. It is scientifically impossible that a steel reinforced building was brought down by jet fuel. But this is besides the point. My core point is 'What is 9/11?' 9/11 was a event that stimulated the American people to act on impulse and believe the first explanation they were told. Do your research, something is wrong. But when you take a step back and think, 'who benefits when countries are at war?' BANKS! Banks benefit when countries are at war. So wouldn't it be in the best interest of banks to sustain a warlike state of being? Does anyone remember Vietnam? We all are witnesses of history repeating itself, and are willingly allowing it to happen.

The Transmission Model of Communication

First of all, criticizing Shannon and Weaver's model is nonsense. They were engineers and not social scientists. The model was for phone cable theory only and nothing else. Distortion was the only concern for these engineers. To anticipate sender’s emotion from receiver’s prospective was a big no-no, because that could produce manipulation. Therefore, a straightforward linear model made perfect sense in this situation. However, if people use this transmission Model as the general communication model, then they should also understand that there is no ultimate mathematical equation can solve all types of questions. Thus, I feel it is ridicules to criticize Shannon and Weaver's model not only because it was not originally created for these situations (reading, writing, etc.) but also naïve to think one model could fit everything.

The Transmission Model of Communication

The act of communication, whether in the form of visual, oral, or written, is an essential to everyday life among human beings. In the article, Chandler discusses and argues the flaws of the model created by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver. Even though their particular model did contribute to computer science and assisted communication engineers, he proposes that the model cannot be applied to human communication. I agree with the arguments he presented; humans are very much the opposite of computers. We do not simply send and receive information. We interpret them as well and it is these interpretations that enable us to communicate in response. Anything and everything said or written is never one-dimensional. As a result, the Shannon and Weaver model of communication cannot hold true for all the complicated aspects there is in human communication. Chandler also discusses medium, content, meaning, and information, among other aspects. One of the most important points he made in the article was one in which he argues against the point that communication is linear. Part of being human is our ability to respond to others. It seems as if the model assumes we are like machines. Now, one can understand why even the simplest idea can be misunderstood and misinterpreted.

Yours,
Karoline Lee

Transmission Model of Communication; Shannon and Weaver

Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver's model of communication basically explains the relationship between information loss and communication between two or more beings. It helped in the gradual redundancy of language and the making of information to be measurable. However, we can see quite a few flaws with this model. If the message goes from the information source to the receiver or destination, as the model explains it, how can we be so sure as to what the sender's intended meaning really is, especially since there can be external factors which may alter the actual message. Also, the model's original intention was to minimize the number of errors or maximize the efficiency of transmitting signals. But we must acknowledge the fact that people's different experiences, perspectives and feelings affect how accurately and efficiently we communicate with one another. It, thus, leaves lots of messages open to different interpretations. So, even though this model was designed to find the best way to send a message from one point to another, it must first remove as much uncertainty from the message as possible.

Shannon And Weaver's Transmission Model Of Communication

Shannon and Weaver's Transmission Model of Communication was intended to assist in developing a mathematical theory of communication. While this model has contributed to computer science and communication engineering, some commentators believe that the model can be applied to human communication. This idea is ridiculous. The model itself is clearly designed to describe a communication process of machines (technology) not people. The diagram given is too linear to attempt to describe human communication. When computers communicate over the internet using packets, there is a set protocol that computers must adhere to, the same does not exist for human communication. Computers have the OSI model, humans have no such standard for communication. How people can try to apply this model to human communication is beyond me. In human communication there are too many variables, an infinite amount when you think about it, to deal with. Computers can abstract the unwanted information as 'noise', but how can humans do this? What determines if a certain type of information is relevant or considered noise? There exists no standard to describe such information. I think the people who think that the model of communication made by Shannon and Weaver are trying to apply a technological flow chart to human behavior when there lies no significant correlation between the two.

Intro Blog!

Hello,

This Is John McCarten obviously sorry this is a little late I got confused. Anyway I am a senior at Binghamton University with a major in Sociology and a minor in Spanish. I hope to graduate in the Spring. I live in Brooklyn, New York and look forward to working with you all! Thank you!

Intro-Blog

My first blog of the new year. Never saw this day but it seems great to write online instead of a piece of paper. The course syllabus seems to be intact and straightforward. Looking at what this course has to offer and embrace upon the media network, maybe it time we learn more on how the media is portray and use around the world. With this said, this is the first of many blogs to come during the winter session. Peace.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Miguel Rivera and I am currently a sophmore. The reason why I am taking this course is because I am in intrigued on how the media in the nation affects our society. I myself use a facebook on a daily bases and also use a few instant messengers. I know my younger siblings are addicted to using myspace, facebook and twitter. I want to see how these social networking sites are driving the younger generation into a new lifestyle on relying these sites. My favorite sport is basketball and I am a knicks fan. I am also a fan of playing video games in my spare time.

Inttroduction

Hi Everyone!


My name is Teddy Gyamfi and i am a undergraduate student in harpur college of arts and sciences. My intended major is biology with a minor in africana studies. I am nineteen and currently lived in New York City. My favorite teams are the New York Yankees, New York Jets and Cleveland Cavaliers. I currently have a facebook account and as really interesting in this course on how the media and Internet have shape how we look at today's world.

Hello everyone

Hi, my name is Kevin Chou and I am a sophmore in Binghamton and currently an Industrial Systems Engineering major, but I'm thinking about transferring to become an Economy major. I use facebook and msn on a daily bases so these are probably the best ways to contact me. I think this course should be interesting because in today's world we can see how powerful the cyber-world or, the Global media network has become.sites such as myspace, facebook, and twitter have such significant impact in our lives, it is also the primary way that people connect to each other now-a-days. I looking forward to have a great experience with this course.

Media, the Global Network

Hey everyone,
My name is John Michalski and I'm a history major at Binghamton and I'm hoping to graduate in the spring. I am excited to take this class for a number of reasons, first I find it absolutely absurd how much social networking and the internet in general has become a part of my life and the lives of everyone else I know. Honestly, I'm a little appalled that my Mom has a facebook and I feel like this class will help me understand how this transformation has happened. Secondly, as kind of a history geek I have noticed lately that these social networking sites have contributed to major movements that have happened recently. To find out that twitter was a major force in the political turmoil that happened in Iran makes me think how powerful can the internet and these new sites can be. I feel like the new "global network" has influence much farther then finding out who is dating who on facebook and I feel like this class help revel how powerful social networking websites and the media on the internet actually are.
-John

Introduction

Hello Everyone,

My name is yi ju tsay. I am a senior with Biology major. I was transferred from Stony Brook in my junior year. Hopefully I will be graduating in the spring. I rarely use Facebook and Twitter but that does not mean social networking is not part of my life. I use instant messenger to keep in contact with my friends, message boards to see other people opinions and youtube to watch funny clips. I was originally taking this course to ease my spring schedule, but now this course seems very interesting and I am looking forward to it.

Hello Fellow Bloggers

Hello everyone!

Hope everyone had a great holiday and New Year's day, hopefully the weather hasn't given anyone too much trouble! My name is Ian Hunt, I am a senior French and German major and looking forward to this course to see more about how the whole world is connected through these blogging and networking sites that seem to be everywhere. I am an avid user of message boards, emails and the like because of my occupation as a U.S. Army soldier and ROTC cadet, and information technology and networking has allowed me to communicate with people wherever they go and stay up to date on everything with everyone. Can't wait to get something out of this course and see how the blog develops with everyone's contributions.

Introduction

Hello Everyone,

My name is Brian and I'm a senior. I will be graduating in the spring with a degree in Psychology. I frequently use Facebook and Twitter to share information with my friends and family. I like social networking sites because I am an avid sports fan and there is abundant information posted by athletes themselves which is not available through traditional media outlets. I took a media class in high school and found it extremely interesting. I am excited to learn how social networking websites are influencing the way we receive information and any possible downfalls to having information so readily available to us.

Brian Shannon

About Myself

Hello!

My name is Kristin Lee and I'm currently a sophomore, hoping to be a PPL (philosophy, politics and law) major, with a minor in either history or Spanish. I share the same interests as almost any other teenager - listening to music, watching TV/movies, chilling with friends, and sleeping, among other things. As much as I enjoy playing sports like basketball, baseball, football, handball, volleyball and tennis, I also like watching them. My favorite teams are the NY Yankees, NY Giants and Detroit Pistons/Denver Nuggets.
I am looking forward to seeing how common Web sites we use every day, like YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, play a role in our lives and views.