Enter World: exploring mediated cultures

Friday, July 10, 2009

A back-and-forth legal case surrounding social networking access between Power.com and Faebook covered in Mashable (Power.com Sues Facebook: Data Ownership War Breaks Out) introduced me to Power.com as a new option for accessing social networks.

It’s curious that the Power.com logo still has a Facebook petal (or fan blade?) even though it is notably missing from the login options.

Could be a sign that they are hopeful to regain access, useful to their case, or just an oversight.

All that aside, it seems like Power.com is yet another improvement in applications to network the networks. From one page you can read messages, updates, profiles, and look at albums plus access all of your contacts from across social networks.

They’ve also added chat and a radio. I’m a huge fan of online radio. When I’m working is about the only time I sit and listen for an extended time and being exposed to Pandora‘s selection has introduced me to some great musicians over the years. I also love being able to listen to KXLL in Juneau for all their great shows. It’s an alluring concept to integrate an international radio show with a social network hub. It could lead to longer time spent logged into the network hub on top of providing background music while catching up on social news.

The main limitation I see in Power.com right now is the concentration on specific big name sites. You can only integrate Twitter, LinkedIn, Orkut, MySpace, Hi5, Flogão and VoteMe. Of these options I have two accounts and regularly use one, so there isn’t much incentive to consolidate at this point. While it’s understandable that integrating each network requires coding (that can apparently cause lawsuits), my ideal social aggregator would function more like NetNewsWire does for information feeds.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I’ve briefly touched on how cell phones can be used by news services to reach communities that don’t have access to computers and the Internet, but lately I’m becoming more and more convinced that we are migrating away from computers in general. And I haven’t even played with an iPhone yet—actually, I would suggest that the iPhone is in an entirely different category because of its computer-style interface and connection to the Internet. What I’ve been looking into is text message access.

Social Networks

Online social networks are offering ways to connect with contacts outside of their websites. Google’s Gmail and Yahoo! Messenger both have features allowing chat messages to be sent to cell phones. There are also a number of free Facebook applications allowing users within Facebook to send messages out to cell phones. There is also an application aptly named Chat To Text that offers a paid service connecting a range of social networks with cell phone text messaging.

The technology isn’t new, there have been free web services sending text messages to cell phones for years. What is different is the ability to connect a larger group that may not have otherwise shared personal contact information such as a phone number, allowing social networking connections to move beyond the computer.

Information Access

Another area that is expanding through text messaging is access to information. Google is a prime example here. By sending a text to 466453 (Google) you can ask for information found in their features including directions, definitions, and even conversions offered in the calculator. I’ve been taken to the wrong location by my GPS (I just love when it tells me to turn into someone’s driveway as if it’s a street) and turned to text message directions to get back on the road, headed in the right direction.

Photo Sharing

Along with text messaging and calling, cell phones have all sorts of bells and whistles. Photos are one, with many phones now able to take decent digital photos. Unfortunately some phones don’t offer easy access to the stored files. Services like Pikchur.com come in here, offering a personalized email address to send photos to through MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) as opposed to SMS (Short Message Service). Not only does this enable moving the photos off of the phone, but these sites also form networks of people sharing content and provide the option to simultaneously post to multiple networks.

Overall, we’re moving away from the need for a computer and Internet access to connect to networks that were originally formed online. Other countries may be far ahead of the States in cell phone features, but we’re getting there.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Britannica is allowing users to edit and post entries to its online encyclopedia to combat wikipedia, but with a twist of the old-school integrated: user content must be reviewed by Britannica before it will be placed beside entries and posts can only be submitted by approved authors who register their real names and addresses.

Wikipedia is a controversial concept with complaints ranging from false information to cultural decline. But despite the criticism it is still in the top 10 sites used globally.

Perhaps it is also controversy that fuels the site—not controversy over whether the information is accurate or if anonymous authors are credible, but the inclusion of controversial information. James Loewen‘s book Lies My Teacher Told Me points to the whitewashing of (high-school) history as one of the key ingredients to making it boring. Pretending that everything was one-sided and heroes were only ever perfect ignores the drama of life. One of the brilliant sides to wikipedia is the ability to allow different cultures, viewpoints, and opinions to be expressed in the writing of history. As Danah Boyd mentioned in her speech at the 2008 Handheld Learning conference, teachers could choose to use wikipedia as a learning tool by accessing the history of entries and teaching students to evaluate the credibility of authors.

Britannica’s emulation of the wikipedia format is a big step, even with the restrictions. In fact, the restrictions directly address the major complaints heard about the wikipedia format, and by creating an alternative that emphasizes the expert while allowing for restricted user interaction Britannica may be bringing the idea of interactive technology to a new set of users.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

I can fly through keyboard hot keys by rote ... until I opt to change software or update the programs I work with daily. Today I decided to switch to Firefox from Camino because of Zotero, a citation/resource/note managing application that looks astounding. If it lives up to half of what it appears to be I am going to be so happy I won’t mind reprogramming the hot keys in my brain. So far the biggest difference between Camino and Firefox is that home is no longer apple+H but instead option+home—but the home key on my laptop is fn+left arrow ... so a simple two-key stroke has turned into a two-handed, extended fingers project.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

As a communications design professional, I first discovered open access in the form of software. But in practice, I have been involved with open-access information and publishing since I was in high school cutting and pasting together zines. We went so far as to “merge” with a group from another high school that also had a zine so that we could increase our reach when we handed out the free rags.

Later I applied this concept as a hobby in Juneau, but increased the open aspect by soliciting all of the content from the community. By then technology had advanced enough that I wasn’t cutting, pasting and photocopying the zines ... but I still tried to keep a little of that rough aesthetic as homage to one of the first forms of self-made media.

As mainstream media embraces the DIY media tools spawned after zines, but instead uses the content to target (or create) advertising, I can’t help but wonder if this will unintentionally expand the groups that create media and push open-access creation of new tools.

Media participation supported by others, such as using open-access software for blogs or even building an ad with pieces provided by a corporation, could be a way of entry leading to further exploration with media creation. Zines began with letters to magazine editors. Once science fiction magazines began printing these letters with contact information for the writers, communities began to spring up between these fans. In a similar manner, participation through the foundations of existing media outlets can allow for networking and growth. However, it is in the later stages of participation that individuals are able to combine the developed domain-relevant skills with creativity-relevant skills to begin producing their own media products. How many will go the way of open access?

The way I see it there are many many aspects of open access. It’s not just about Wikipedia or sharing publicly funded research—it’s about both public and expert information. Some fear that replacing expert knowledge with mass-conceived data in places like Wikipedia will be the end of culture. Others see the same tool as democratic and offering a way to expand knowledge.

Offering scientific, medical, and technology research in an open-access format allows the public to see what the experts are doing. It also encourages involvement with these fields in a way that has not been open to the public previously. Being exposed to research, or at least having it available to anyone interested, encourages understanding of important issues at the local and global level. In turn, access to tools where non-expert information can be shared furthers these discussions.

Open-access media is the final step in the circle. It provides a way to communicate the information through distribution, discussion, and integration with other information.

In celebration of the first Open Access Day I’ve compiled a list of open-access psychology and media sources. Read them, interact with them, make your own:

• Directory of Open Access Journals: Psychology
  
  • Brains, Minds & Media
  • Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace
• Directory of Open Access Journals: Media & Communications
  
  • FibreCulture
  • Invisible Culture
  • Journal of Science Communication
  • Journal of Virtual Worlds Research
• Open Yale Courses: Introduction to Psychology

Friday, September 19, 2008

We hear about issues of cellphone overuse: poor driving, lack of etiquette, interruption of co-present interactions, cellphone addiction. But what about the low level of service that is available in the United States? Before SMS was even available through my carrier I was using websites to send text messages to friends in Europe. They received the messages without a charge. Yet even now that SMS is popular in the States, we pay for incoming texts. With AT&T I even pay for the minutes used to listen to my own voicemail.

This fee-based receipt of messages creates another level of etiquette. Is it more polite to call someone, subjecting those around you to your conversation, or to send a text that will automatically force the receiver into paying for it?

Alternative media outlets and public information networks in developing nations use SMS to send out news to people who don’t have computer or email access but have a high level of mobile phone ownership. There are many areas in the States where local media could use such a service. However, with carriers charging for incoming texts the potential for this method of communication becomes limited. 

Monday, June 16, 2008

Back in May I ran across a link to a site that allowed users to test whether their ISPs were throttling connections to specific sites. It was a German sitethat I never was able to connect to—first the servers were full, now it’s gone.

Friday Google announced that it is working on software to allow users to find out just this information.

There have been some observers pointing out that Google would benefit from this by retaining a stronghold on searches, because in a world where people fear they are being watched a competitor could create a masked search engine. I have little doubt everything done in the Internet is already being logged and watched in some way. My concern lies more in the area of ISPs accepting payment for restricting access to specific sites.

Google has been coming out with some spectacular programs lately. I was on the fence when the company went public, but so far I do appreciate the new bells and whistles being offered. When they do release this tool, I’ll be jumping to test it.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

The concept of a truly democratic internet culture is being eroded by access. Although large corporations have been building sites and trying to take over the internet terrain for years, at least users still have the choice of what to visit—or we did.

Our limited options for accessing the internet are beginning to take even that decision away. I’m staying at a place right now that uses Comcast, and it’s like constantly hitting my head against the wall. I work from home, so I need to be able to upload and download large files. But the more you use, the slower your service gets. I’ve also noticed a significant difference in accessing lowes.com and homedepot.com—Home Depot’s site works and Lowe’s doesn’t. This makes me feisty and annoyed, so I drive to Lowe’s and buy things there since I can’t compare prices online and the stores are in opposite directions. I don’t like the idea that Comcast might be partnering with Home Depot to slow down my access to competitors. So Lowe’s wins. Another company site I’ve noticed is extremely slow is Netflix. Could it be because Comcast has Fancast—a competitor to Netflix?

What really are our options for internet access? It seems like any smaller company providing access is just renting the lines from Comcast or Verizon, so the services will still have the same limitations. Here’s what I can come up with ...

Comcast. High speed, unless you use it. Don’t be fooled by the connections they offer, since they admit to “managing” your access.

3G wireless internet access anywhere you roam. ATT (also available through other providers). Limited to a single computer, but accessible from anywhere with satellite, radio, or cell phone signals. Drawback: ATT sells wire tapping of phone lines, so prepare to sign up for exhibitionism along with service.

Verizon FiOS. This is my choice for now. I’m sure there are problems with Verizon just like any other company, but at least they won’t tell me what I can and can’t access. Plus the FiOS option, as opposed to DSL, finally brings their service up to a competitive speed with cable service providers.

Are there other options I’m missing?

Friday, May 23, 2008

A friend of mine lives near Windsor, CO, and she told me today that the only way she knew where the tornadoes were was through text messages sent from CSU to her husband. The radio wasn’t covering it, and she was driving so she didn’t have access to other media. The text alerts were able to guide her in making the right choices about where to go and when.

I heard about Twitter being a good resource during California wild fires, so I looked for weather alerts using Twitter. There are 19 pages listing sources for many major cities. In addition there is a hurricane watch. Combining some of these alerts with the quick connection to friends, Twitter provides is an invaluable resource in times of disconnection or disaster.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Reading The Cult of the Amateur has made me mad. I guess that’s one thing to be said in favor of the author: his writing can incite emotion. There are so many flaws in his logic that I am going to break down this post with subtitles to keep myself from rambling on and on and writing my own 205-page diatribe.

The overwhelming feeling I get from this book is fear. Fear of too much information to sift through. Fear that the professional is losing control. Fear that the masses are uneducated and unable or unwilling to embrace quality media.

Information Overload
All of these fears have arisen with other societal changes and are not new to the web. Technology and change seem to have this effect. The press and mass production of books incited similar grandiloquences about information overload: How will the people (and the experts, as a separate entity of course) ever wade through the innumerable tomes?

Information overload is not a new concept. And perhaps not surprisingly, it seems to affect those who were raised in the old system of information more than those born into the newer, differently structured, information network. It has been shown that kids have the ability to mutli-task better than adults. While adults may feel they are multi-tasking, they are actually less adept at each of their tasks as they attempt to juggle them. Kids’ brains are able to nimbly handle all those things they’re doing: chat on IM, search the web, listen to music, text on the phone, and type up a homework assignment—without the struggle their elders face.

Blaming New Technology for Failures
One of Keen’s main criticisms falls on Wikipedia. However, this is a case where his flawed factual backup is such a stretch that I can only use his own words against him: “The 232-year-old Britannica went through a series of painful layoffs in 2001 and 2002, cutting its 300-person staff in the United States almost by half; with the advent of Wikipedia, no doubt more layoffs are to come.” Wikipedia started in 2004. The old system was failing before the new arose. Although other arguments he poses against Wikipedia hold some value, this leaping accusation deteriorates the value of all other statements near it.

Assumptions About Mainstream Media
Keen also supports the mainstream media and states that it has “reinforced American values and made our culture the envy of the world” for 200 years.

Sure, the AP wire started in the 1840s, and in 1800 the Sedition Act forbidding criticism of the government by the media expired. However, it wasn’t until 1920 that our modern interpretation of journalism arose. Four journalism schools were formed in 1920 (Columbia, Northwestern, Missouri, and Indiana) because of the lack of faith the general population had in a media system run for profit, before this professionalization of journalism the media was based on sensationalism and yellow journalism. Prior to this, it was not even acceptable for a journalist to take notes. This change in journalism did separate the United States media from other countries, but it certainly wasn’t 200 years ago. It also was not the glorious and value-ridden idealistic media that Keen seems to imply.

Media has always been questioned in the United States. Training journalists and following ethical codes was an attempt to create unbiased media in the face of a profit-driven industry, but the credibility of media continued to be questioned. By 1996 the media was “seen as part of a strongly disliked governing elite” according to a U.S. News and World Report survey. Where is the motivation to save an institution that has been taken over by corporations despite the efforts to professionalize it, one that is seen not as the reinforcer of values but instead as one big advertisement?

Cultural Collapse
If generations of information jugglers are able to find all of the information they want, then why would they depend on a talking head to tell them what to think? This is where the next fear arises. If no one listens to the professional, is there still such a thing?

Keen’s argument supports being told by someone else what to think, or at least what to think about. His assumption is that mainstream media provide this service. Keen fears that without mainstream media as the middle man, we will not be able to recognize, or find in the marsh of information, true genius.

This concept reminds me of a presentation at the New Communications Forum by Tim Westergren’s, of Pandora.com, and Milton Olin, Jr., Altschul & Olin, LLP, on the fall of the hierarchy in the music industry. Musicians no longer need to know who is the head of a major record label and bow to the lackeys below to struggle to the top. When that was the case, 1% of musicians actually made it to a label. Even fewer made it to the public. They may have been signed but if their music sales weren’t projected to cover the expenses of recording and marketing, they were shelved and no one was able to hear them. Even the ones who made it big handed over most of their profits to that label to cover expenses.

You tell me, which is better:

Old men in suits deciding what good music is and allowing the masses to hear a small percentage of what is out there, while hoarding the profits even at the expense of the musician?
Or
Everyone being able to find music they like no matter what other people think of it, at the expense of taking the time and energy to find it?

There may still be a need for people to find quality information and entertainment, but rather than controlling it they will be sharing it.