What is wikipedia?
Well as stated by Bruns (2008) in his lecture series Wikipedia is the, "collaboratively edited online encyclopaedia, in hundreds of languages, [an entity that] anyone can edit... with content creation process organised ad hoc by contributors". I think that the concept of Wikipedia is a marvellous one indeed. It provides the opportunity for online collaboration and the building of a peer reviewed based encyclopaedia. For it is like an independent channel, one that is free from commercial constraints and potential liberal biases.
With no major figurehead to pressure the authors of the entries and objectivity ensured by the process peer review Wikipedia offers a great channel for an independent look at matters which impacts us. Previously I have partaken in a university subject that called for the collaboration and creation of several Wikipedia like entries in an online environment and found the process to be quite enjoyable. The fact that you can add your own personal modifications to existing entries and create new entries yourself, is a process to which I found gave me great satisfaction.
The Wikipedia genre has grown substantially and offers users of the site a multitude of differing languages to select. This adds to unit discussion on the nature of the convergence of cultural boundaries, with the internet and sites such as Wikipedia a platform to transcend such barriers. This provides users with the opportunity to break down geographical constraints and feel free to publish their ideas in a peer orientated environment. Thus also leading on to further unit content such as online communities and social networking.
References
Bruns, A. (2008). KCB201 Week 11 Slidecast: Wikipedia http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/ (accessed May 10, 2008)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Citizen journalism: A shifting paradigm and change in the power structure
Citizen journalism; the very name itself may sound like a contradiction to many, for in the traditional media consumption hierarchy, journalists and citizens (or consumers if you will) have been situated at opposite ends of the distribution cycle. One creates the other receives. There is little room for feedback apart from letters to the editor and call backs. Taking this into account the term itself is a contradiction and importantly a challenge to the existing paradigms and the distribution of power in the traditional media and transmission process.
In the decades preceding the current New Media environment in Australia we have seen the power and prestige of quality journalistic work and the media outlets that distribute them collected by imperialistic news corporations. Similar to the empire building days of old, these major corporations have selected the cream of the crop as far as journalistic talent with media outlets recruiting them under their respective banners.
Media empires forged, moguls created and fortunes made. Names such as the late Kerry Packer with his PBL Corporation and Rupert Murdoch with News Corporation spring to mind as fine examples of media barons, who have dominated the landscape.
These savvy businessmen acquired the majority of leading newspapers in metropolitan cities throughout Australia– resulting in debate over the concentration of media ownership and the diversity of the Australian media environment. The views of the powerbrokers were touted by the talented journalists working under the banners of these organizations. This quite often failed to present objectivity in the presentation of the news. For who can balance and maintain equality in the power that print media has of setting the agenda for national discussion if there is no independent forum in which opposing views can be presented on a large scale.
The crux of the issue is that technology has now evolved to enable citizen journalist to present their views to the general public via the internet. Thus slowly changing the power structure and giving consumers the opportunity to formulate their own opinions based on independent reports as opposed to those presented by the wall of concentrated media ownership. Citizen journalism can be the source for a more diverse media scene.
The need for an independent voice and a challenge of the power base was recognized since the conception of citizen journalism. Which is as Bruns (2008, 69) states the founding moment of citizen journalism was, “the coverage of protests surrounding the November 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Seattle.” From this point onwards citizen journalism has flourished providing the extra voice that perhaps was eager to be heard. It has gained a helping hand from the changing of the nature of the New Media environment. It represents the change in participatory culture and growing concept of networked people, which lead to a, “cultural shift as consumers where encouraged to seek out new information and make connections among dispersed media content” (Jenkins, 2006, 3).
This citizen journalism ties closely with notions of participatory culture and DIY media, with their journalistic output expressed through independent channels on the internet, free from potential bias from major news corporations and conservative media outlets that could be tied to particular political affiliations. So it can be seen that through the growth in the nature of participatory culture and built upon the convergence of the media in this digital age. Citizen journalism has the opportunity to be an independent voice in the media landscape dominated by the few. This notion of independent media has added to the convergence of cultures, with members of this citizen journalism ideal coming from all backgrounds, which proves to be a great merging and blurring of cultural lines and boundaries that have separated and previously defined journalism and the media.
If not more important however is the power shift – from contemporary media moguls and business empires into the hands of the everyday consumer. This is not to say that this is a perfect system, with doubts in some circles raised over the quality of the work of the journalist involved and the level of the coverage which they can achieve. However it helps immensely in the battle to disperse the influence of these media empires, giving a voice to everyday consumers, and battling against a culmination of media power in the hands of a few.
References
Bruns, A. (2008) News Blogs and Citizen Journalism: Perpetual Collaboration in Evaluating the News in Bruns, A, Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, New York: Peter Lang, pp. 69-100
Jenkins, Henry. (2006) Introduction: Worship at the Altar of Convergence in Jenkins, Henry, Convergence culture: When new and old media collide, New York: New York University, pp.1-24
In the decades preceding the current New Media environment in Australia we have seen the power and prestige of quality journalistic work and the media outlets that distribute them collected by imperialistic news corporations. Similar to the empire building days of old, these major corporations have selected the cream of the crop as far as journalistic talent with media outlets recruiting them under their respective banners.
Media empires forged, moguls created and fortunes made. Names such as the late Kerry Packer with his PBL Corporation and Rupert Murdoch with News Corporation spring to mind as fine examples of media barons, who have dominated the landscape.
These savvy businessmen acquired the majority of leading newspapers in metropolitan cities throughout Australia– resulting in debate over the concentration of media ownership and the diversity of the Australian media environment. The views of the powerbrokers were touted by the talented journalists working under the banners of these organizations. This quite often failed to present objectivity in the presentation of the news. For who can balance and maintain equality in the power that print media has of setting the agenda for national discussion if there is no independent forum in which opposing views can be presented on a large scale.
The crux of the issue is that technology has now evolved to enable citizen journalist to present their views to the general public via the internet. Thus slowly changing the power structure and giving consumers the opportunity to formulate their own opinions based on independent reports as opposed to those presented by the wall of concentrated media ownership. Citizen journalism can be the source for a more diverse media scene.
The need for an independent voice and a challenge of the power base was recognized since the conception of citizen journalism. Which is as Bruns (2008, 69) states the founding moment of citizen journalism was, “the coverage of protests surrounding the November 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Seattle.” From this point onwards citizen journalism has flourished providing the extra voice that perhaps was eager to be heard. It has gained a helping hand from the changing of the nature of the New Media environment. It represents the change in participatory culture and growing concept of networked people, which lead to a, “cultural shift as consumers where encouraged to seek out new information and make connections among dispersed media content” (Jenkins, 2006, 3).
This citizen journalism ties closely with notions of participatory culture and DIY media, with their journalistic output expressed through independent channels on the internet, free from potential bias from major news corporations and conservative media outlets that could be tied to particular political affiliations. So it can be seen that through the growth in the nature of participatory culture and built upon the convergence of the media in this digital age. Citizen journalism has the opportunity to be an independent voice in the media landscape dominated by the few. This notion of independent media has added to the convergence of cultures, with members of this citizen journalism ideal coming from all backgrounds, which proves to be a great merging and blurring of cultural lines and boundaries that have separated and previously defined journalism and the media.
If not more important however is the power shift – from contemporary media moguls and business empires into the hands of the everyday consumer. This is not to say that this is a perfect system, with doubts in some circles raised over the quality of the work of the journalist involved and the level of the coverage which they can achieve. However it helps immensely in the battle to disperse the influence of these media empires, giving a voice to everyday consumers, and battling against a culmination of media power in the hands of a few.
References
Bruns, A. (2008) News Blogs and Citizen Journalism: Perpetual Collaboration in Evaluating the News in Bruns, A, Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, New York: Peter Lang, pp. 69-100
Jenkins, Henry. (2006) Introduction: Worship at the Altar of Convergence in Jenkins, Henry, Convergence culture: When new and old media collide, New York: New York University, pp.1-24
Social Networking the Music Indusrty
As discussed in one of my earlier blogs, Pirates of the Cyber-bbean, there is currently a rise in the levels of music piracy occurring in today’s new media environment which has a decisively negative impact upon the industry as a whole.
When a door is shut a window is often opened for you; this is a proverb that is apt for the music industry at the moment. The music industry sees piracy as a large door which has been slammed shut, however social networking when combined with the global distribution device that is the internet has opened a proverbial window. The industry would benefit from focusing on social networking sites and capitalizing on the opportunity it presents for the further evolution of the traditional music scene.
Research recently conducted by Entertainment Media Research states that, “53% of people actively surf social networking sites to find music. With a further 30% of these users continuing to buy or download music from the artists that they had discovered on the social networking sites (Social networks 'lure music fans’: BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6924150.stm,%20accessed%20April%2023, 2008)
Social networking sites are becoming a larger part of the New Media environment, with sites such as Myspace and Facebook becoming increasingly popular. There is indeed great potential for the music industry and independent artists to grab this opportunity with both hands. These social networking sites should collaborate with recording companies, for these social networking sites have the potential to place an immense spotlight there artists, offering an avenue for expression that is free from commercial constraints.
The figures from this report also stated users wished that it was easier to buy music directly from the site. I believe this to be very pertinent; as the music industry has struggled to overcome piracy, and easy access to legal music downloads via social networking sites is an answer to this dilemma. Flew (2005, 61) makes an interesting observation about virtual communities in the evolution of the internet when he states that, “one of the most interesting elements of the development of the Internet as a global communications network has been the rise of virtual communities, or virtual cultures, based around ongoing interactions among those participating in computer-mediated communication”.
Several successful internet companies such as iTunes and Amazon.com are already in operation proving the viability of the industry. These companies take advantage of the ‘Long Tail’ theory of Chris Anderson. The fact that there are no constraints on the amount of music that can be stored online allow for a move away from mainstream hits and provides the opportunity for new and emerging talent as well as older bands. This access would be advantageous to the social networking / music industry collaboration. A fine example of the emergence of the internet as a mainstream distribution for music and a possible insight into the future of the industry is the winner of an award at the recent Grammy’s. Who had not sold a physical copy of her work, relying instead upon online distribution (for further detail visit http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/music-news/internet-distribution.html)
The power of the internet can be used to great advantage by the music industry, becoming an aid rather than a hindrance. This can be seen by the popularity of online music purchasing. The industry must use this potent technological giant to benefit its artists and ensure its financial security both now and for the future.
References
Flew, Terry. (2005). Virtual Cultures in Flew, Terry, New media: an introduction, Melbourne: OUP, pp.61-82.
Social networks 'lure music fans’: BBC, (2007) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6924150.stm%20%20(accessed%20April%2023, 2008)
When a door is shut a window is often opened for you; this is a proverb that is apt for the music industry at the moment. The music industry sees piracy as a large door which has been slammed shut, however social networking when combined with the global distribution device that is the internet has opened a proverbial window. The industry would benefit from focusing on social networking sites and capitalizing on the opportunity it presents for the further evolution of the traditional music scene.
Research recently conducted by Entertainment Media Research states that, “53% of people actively surf social networking sites to find music. With a further 30% of these users continuing to buy or download music from the artists that they had discovered on the social networking sites (Social networks 'lure music fans’: BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6924150.stm,%20accessed%20April%2023, 2008)
Social networking sites are becoming a larger part of the New Media environment, with sites such as Myspace and Facebook becoming increasingly popular. There is indeed great potential for the music industry and independent artists to grab this opportunity with both hands. These social networking sites should collaborate with recording companies, for these social networking sites have the potential to place an immense spotlight there artists, offering an avenue for expression that is free from commercial constraints.
The figures from this report also stated users wished that it was easier to buy music directly from the site. I believe this to be very pertinent; as the music industry has struggled to overcome piracy, and easy access to legal music downloads via social networking sites is an answer to this dilemma. Flew (2005, 61) makes an interesting observation about virtual communities in the evolution of the internet when he states that, “one of the most interesting elements of the development of the Internet as a global communications network has been the rise of virtual communities, or virtual cultures, based around ongoing interactions among those participating in computer-mediated communication”.
Several successful internet companies such as iTunes and Amazon.com are already in operation proving the viability of the industry. These companies take advantage of the ‘Long Tail’ theory of Chris Anderson. The fact that there are no constraints on the amount of music that can be stored online allow for a move away from mainstream hits and provides the opportunity for new and emerging talent as well as older bands. This access would be advantageous to the social networking / music industry collaboration. A fine example of the emergence of the internet as a mainstream distribution for music and a possible insight into the future of the industry is the winner of an award at the recent Grammy’s. Who had not sold a physical copy of her work, relying instead upon online distribution (for further detail visit http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/music-news/internet-distribution.html)
The power of the internet can be used to great advantage by the music industry, becoming an aid rather than a hindrance. This can be seen by the popularity of online music purchasing. The industry must use this potent technological giant to benefit its artists and ensure its financial security both now and for the future.
References
Flew, Terry. (2005). Virtual Cultures in Flew, Terry, New media: an introduction, Melbourne: OUP, pp.61-82.
Social networks 'lure music fans’: BBC, (2007) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6924150.stm%20%20(accessed%20April%2023, 2008)
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Pirates of the Cyber-bbean
Music piracy is on the rise like a high tide
When thinking of piracy the first image that jumps into ones head could easily be that of Johnny Depp cavorting around the Caribbean, commandeering boats, pillaging and plundering as the lead in the popular Hollywood movie series, Pirates of the Caribbean.
Yet in today’s ever evolving New Media environment, piracy is a term that is no longer merely associated with the swashbuckling sea-faring types, rather it has seen its flag tied to the mast of a particular distribution channel for music through the internet. This is the unauthorised and illegal distribution of music known as online music piracy.
The issue of online piracy is one of growing concern as numbers of users who are partaking in these activities is on the rise. This can be attributed to various reasons, however an article in The Australian sums up matters quite well when it stated that, “Internet music piracy is riding at record levels and is set to rise as newly emboldened consumers revolt against high online prices and controversial technology designed to prevent digital bootlegging” (The Australian: Online music piracy hits records, 2007).
This digital bootlegging is a vicious cycle that strips the music industry of profits and royalties that would previously have gone into the coffers of artists and the recording industry as a whole. This impact not merely effects the established artists, but also the people behind the scenes such as sound techs and emerging artists who feel the pinch the most from these lost funds. The problem is compounded as there is a diminished avenue for the promotion that is provided by the recording industry to successful artists. This results in a reduced budget offered which was traditionally measured and handed out in relation to music unit sales.
The matter of music piracy looked to have come to a head in 2006 when one of the market leaders of online music piracy KAZZA, if that term can be used here, was ordered in a court settlement to pay a global settlement of US115 million dollars to the recording industry (for further details visit http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=76132 ).
Yet this seems to have had little impact on the flow of illegal music downloads with further peer to peer download options springing up, finding loopholes in which to operate.
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes and soaring to greater heights, music piracy has been given a boost by online communities and the nature of participatory culture in today’s ever-changing New Media environment. New groups and communities have formed and collaborated with each other to continue to bolster this illegal trend. This is helped by the changing culture of our nation, with children now being born into an age with an access to free music and it can be argued that many do not see it as a crime, rather a right to have free music.
The growing numbers involved in music piracy can be seen in a recent survey undertaken by Entertainment Media Research confirming what many in the music industry have long suspected - online music piracy is on the rise. As stated by The Australian: Online music piracy hits records (2007) , “this can be put down to high online prices for the music, controversial technology and in general the receding fears of prosecution...the survey stated, that 43 per cent of people said they illegally downloaded tracks, up from 36 per cent in 2006.”
To truly understand the scope of this issue which is currently plaguing the music industry, one must look at the evolution the music scene has undergone to reach this point. It isn’t too much of a stretch to say that music was originally focused upon live performances, then with the advancing technology in the recording industry and the realisation of the staggering amounts of money which could be made in the recording and distribution of music through varying mediums. E.g. radio, and more recently television mediums and CD’s and DVD’s. Looking at this evolution, one can see that the convergence of technologies and media has played a significant role in the creation of the issue of online music piracy. This has been created and allowed to flourish by the technological innovation of the internet and the platform for global distribution which it provides to consumers.
The result being that traditional medium of music has been juxtaposed and intertwined in a marriage with a new digital media that is capable of world-wide distribution, the internet. The phenomenon of the distribution of music online is an excellent example of the convergent culture. The focus of discussion when looking at the internet as a distribution platform should not be solely on the negative. There are several successful, legal online distribution channels such as iTunes and Amazon to name two. These legal online distributors to take advantage of optimal online delivery models which do away with the constraints of physical store space and have the ability to provide content that is from outside the conventional mainstream media content channel.
In conclusion music piracy I believe is a decidedly negative force that is impacting upon the music industry; however there are opportunities that exist via online distribution to tackle the problem and lessen its financial blow.
References
Online music piracy hits records: The Australian (2007) http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22164719-7582,00.html (accessed April 24, 2008)
When thinking of piracy the first image that jumps into ones head could easily be that of Johnny Depp cavorting around the Caribbean, commandeering boats, pillaging and plundering as the lead in the popular Hollywood movie series, Pirates of the Caribbean.
Yet in today’s ever evolving New Media environment, piracy is a term that is no longer merely associated with the swashbuckling sea-faring types, rather it has seen its flag tied to the mast of a particular distribution channel for music through the internet. This is the unauthorised and illegal distribution of music known as online music piracy.
The issue of online piracy is one of growing concern as numbers of users who are partaking in these activities is on the rise. This can be attributed to various reasons, however an article in The Australian sums up matters quite well when it stated that, “Internet music piracy is riding at record levels and is set to rise as newly emboldened consumers revolt against high online prices and controversial technology designed to prevent digital bootlegging” (The Australian: Online music piracy hits records, 2007).
This digital bootlegging is a vicious cycle that strips the music industry of profits and royalties that would previously have gone into the coffers of artists and the recording industry as a whole. This impact not merely effects the established artists, but also the people behind the scenes such as sound techs and emerging artists who feel the pinch the most from these lost funds. The problem is compounded as there is a diminished avenue for the promotion that is provided by the recording industry to successful artists. This results in a reduced budget offered which was traditionally measured and handed out in relation to music unit sales.
The matter of music piracy looked to have come to a head in 2006 when one of the market leaders of online music piracy KAZZA, if that term can be used here, was ordered in a court settlement to pay a global settlement of US115 million dollars to the recording industry (for further details visit http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=76132 ).
Yet this seems to have had little impact on the flow of illegal music downloads with further peer to peer download options springing up, finding loopholes in which to operate.
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes and soaring to greater heights, music piracy has been given a boost by online communities and the nature of participatory culture in today’s ever-changing New Media environment. New groups and communities have formed and collaborated with each other to continue to bolster this illegal trend. This is helped by the changing culture of our nation, with children now being born into an age with an access to free music and it can be argued that many do not see it as a crime, rather a right to have free music.
The growing numbers involved in music piracy can be seen in a recent survey undertaken by Entertainment Media Research confirming what many in the music industry have long suspected - online music piracy is on the rise. As stated by The Australian: Online music piracy hits records (2007) , “this can be put down to high online prices for the music, controversial technology and in general the receding fears of prosecution...the survey stated, that 43 per cent of people said they illegally downloaded tracks, up from 36 per cent in 2006.”
To truly understand the scope of this issue which is currently plaguing the music industry, one must look at the evolution the music scene has undergone to reach this point. It isn’t too much of a stretch to say that music was originally focused upon live performances, then with the advancing technology in the recording industry and the realisation of the staggering amounts of money which could be made in the recording and distribution of music through varying mediums. E.g. radio, and more recently television mediums and CD’s and DVD’s. Looking at this evolution, one can see that the convergence of technologies and media has played a significant role in the creation of the issue of online music piracy. This has been created and allowed to flourish by the technological innovation of the internet and the platform for global distribution which it provides to consumers.
The result being that traditional medium of music has been juxtaposed and intertwined in a marriage with a new digital media that is capable of world-wide distribution, the internet. The phenomenon of the distribution of music online is an excellent example of the convergent culture. The focus of discussion when looking at the internet as a distribution platform should not be solely on the negative. There are several successful, legal online distribution channels such as iTunes and Amazon to name two. These legal online distributors to take advantage of optimal online delivery models which do away with the constraints of physical store space and have the ability to provide content that is from outside the conventional mainstream media content channel.
In conclusion music piracy I believe is a decidedly negative force that is impacting upon the music industry; however there are opportunities that exist via online distribution to tackle the problem and lessen its financial blow.
References
Online music piracy hits records: The Australian (2007) http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22164719-7582,00.html (accessed April 24, 2008)
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
How do communites evaluate quality
How in actual fact do online communities evaluate quality?
In one of the unit readings from Bruns I found an interesting take on the manner in which certain communities evaluate quality. He states that, "its means of evaluating content and contributors and extracting from the overall mass of information and participants those most likely to have an interesting, useful, constructive contribution to make " (Bruns, 2008, 77). This is an interesting avenue for the discussion on quality control. He was looking at the implications of the need for quality work in the online genres. The particular article that this citation was pulled from takes predominantly about citizen journalism and blogging. These are two mediums of online distribution that are of vital interest to the study of media communication, as they are both entrenched in the evolving New Media environment.
These online communities have a power to be an independent voice from the mainstream channels of media communication. This can be seen in one of my later blogs, Citizen Journalism. Therefore there is a need for these communities to have a stringent control of the quality of work that is being distributed. For these works have a responsibility to be a viable alternative to mainstream media, with a demand for quality journalistic work. This is both in terms of an un-biased presentation of the matter, and a high level of written or verbal communication. "If a reputation system is honest and well–designed, information filtering using a huge pool of individuals can be more stable, reliable, and insightful than the opinions of a small group of gatekeepers or pundits"(Masum and Yi-Cheng Zhang, 2004).
This is a good quote to end the discussion with as it speaks of gatekeepers who were traditionally the maintainers of quality in the old media environment.
References
Bruns, Axel. (2008). News Blogs and Citizen Journalism: Perpetual Collaboration in Evaluating the News in Bruns. Axel, Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, New York: Peter Lang, pp.69-100 Hassan Masum and Yi-Cheng Zhang, “Manifesto for the Reputation Society,” First Monday 9.7 (July 2004), http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_7/masum/ (accessed 27 Feb. 2007),
In one of the unit readings from Bruns I found an interesting take on the manner in which certain communities evaluate quality. He states that, "its means of evaluating content and contributors and extracting from the overall mass of information and participants those most likely to have an interesting, useful, constructive contribution to make " (Bruns, 2008, 77). This is an interesting avenue for the discussion on quality control. He was looking at the implications of the need for quality work in the online genres. The particular article that this citation was pulled from takes predominantly about citizen journalism and blogging. These are two mediums of online distribution that are of vital interest to the study of media communication, as they are both entrenched in the evolving New Media environment.
These online communities have a power to be an independent voice from the mainstream channels of media communication. This can be seen in one of my later blogs, Citizen Journalism. Therefore there is a need for these communities to have a stringent control of the quality of work that is being distributed. For these works have a responsibility to be a viable alternative to mainstream media, with a demand for quality journalistic work. This is both in terms of an un-biased presentation of the matter, and a high level of written or verbal communication. "If a reputation system is honest and well–designed, information filtering using a huge pool of individuals can be more stable, reliable, and insightful than the opinions of a small group of gatekeepers or pundits"(Masum and Yi-Cheng Zhang, 2004).
This is a good quote to end the discussion with as it speaks of gatekeepers who were traditionally the maintainers of quality in the old media environment.
References
Bruns, Axel. (2008). News Blogs and Citizen Journalism: Perpetual Collaboration in Evaluating the News in Bruns. Axel, Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, New York: Peter Lang, pp.69-100 Hassan Masum and Yi-Cheng Zhang, “Manifesto for the Reputation Society,” First Monday 9.7 (July 2004), http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue9_7/masum/ (accessed 27 Feb. 2007),
Elements of a good blog
As discussed in todays tutorial for KCB201 effective and useful blogs need to excel to the following areas. essentially four simple rules for quality blogging.
-Credibility
-Accuracy
-Resonablness
-Support
In addition to this the subject needs to be an area of interest to the author. According to Donahue (2008) the co-creator of Fanblogs, " Blogs become successful because of specificity and passion in the work".
To end on an inspirational note for blogging from Donahue (2008),
“Have a single focus about a topic you really enjoy, and put a little of yourself into it."
Referencing
Donahue, K. 2008. This is not a blog, http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/notablog/story/good_blog/ (accessed 12 April , 2008)
-Credibility
-Accuracy
-Resonablness
-Support
In addition to this the subject needs to be an area of interest to the author. According to Donahue (2008) the co-creator of Fanblogs, " Blogs become successful because of specificity and passion in the work".
To end on an inspirational note for blogging from Donahue (2008),
“Have a single focus about a topic you really enjoy, and put a little of yourself into it."
Referencing
Donahue, K. 2008. This is not a blog, http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/notablog/story/good_blog/ (accessed 12 April , 2008)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Open Source Vs Commerical
The essence of open source software is that it is free from many of the constraints that binds commercial productions. It is a platform that allows for programmers in varying online communities who use the software, to edit the master codes of the software. This among other benefits, allows for a much faster and more effective manner of updating and improving the product as a whole. In a commercial environment the master codes of operating systems such as Microsoft Vista are protected and it is prohibited under threat of legal action to modify these codes. This updating process is extremely fast in comparison to the closed commercial system and allows for greater development and improvement of the operating system.
Commercial Company
Windows, Office and Internet Explorer are good examples of commercial products that do not prescribe to the open source model. Proprietors regain control over the licensing.
Open Source
Linux, Open Office, and Firefox are fine examples of the open source model. The underlying philosophy of sharing and modification fits well into the unit theory of prod-usage. Whereby the online community has the ability and means to update and better the offered software. Which is in a complete contradiction of the commercial system, one that is closed and shut off to the majority of suggested modifications of the public/consumers.
Commercial Company
Windows, Office and Internet Explorer are good examples of commercial products that do not prescribe to the open source model. Proprietors regain control over the licensing.
Open Source
Linux, Open Office, and Firefox are fine examples of the open source model. The underlying philosophy of sharing and modification fits well into the unit theory of prod-usage. Whereby the online community has the ability and means to update and better the offered software. Which is in a complete contradiction of the commercial system, one that is closed and shut off to the majority of suggested modifications of the public/consumers.
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