Enter World: exploring mediated cultures

Friday, June 13, 2008

The Power of Zines

Zines save lives...that’s what Justin Hocking tells us. Justin is the executive director of Portland Oregon’s Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC), which provides training, events, and libraries for independently published creations. I’ve taken a tour of the library and work spaces, and just thinking about the letterpresses they have available in there gets me excited about taking back the media and making zines. 

So what is this about saving lives? In addition to IPRC’s ten years of enabling publishing, they are now working on a Media Action Program (MAP) teaching teens to critically de-construct media messages. Following is an interview with Justin about the program, the power of zines, and independent publishing’s influence on culture:

1) Let’s start with a little bit about you first: What drew you to independent publishing?

I always wanted to be a writer.  Some friends introduced me to zines in college and I was hooked.  I collaborated on a bunch of zines and eventually made my own skateboard zine called Landpirate.  After studying creative writing in graduate school, I moved to New York City and worked as an editor for a publishing company.  I really liked editing, but a big part of my job was reading hundreds of submissions and writing rejection letters.  I got tired of that and New York in general, so I jumped at the chance to come back out west to Portland.  I love working at the IPRC, where instead of rejecting people’s work, I can show them how to publish it themselves!

2) MAP addresses the deconstruction of media messages by teens. What about zines makes them the chosen style of independent publishing for this outreach program?

I think zines and writing in general require a pretty high level of introspection, thought and creativity.  And starting back with Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” self-publications have been successful vectors for critical thinking and even dissent.  On a more practical level, zines are fairly simple and can be produced right in a classroom, sometimes in less than two hours, and then students have something tangible to take home and share.

3) You have said “Our ultimate goal is to help young people move from being passive consumers of media to active creators of artwork, writing, zines, and ultimately, the culture they live in.” What role do zines and zine makers play in the expanding presence of participatory media in our society? And what differences or similarities do you see between creation of and participation in media versus consumption?

Zinesters have always been at the forefront of participatory culture.  An aesthetic that I believe is central to most zines is the idea that when the media isn’t serving you or the world, it’s time to become the media. And I think that for a lot of young people, the media is actually doing them a disservice, in the way that it glamorizes violence, unattainable standards of beauty and conspicuous consumption.  Something we talk about during MAP sessions is the way the constant bombardment of media messages can actually affect your thinking and your behavior.  In their zines, students are pretty open about the fact that mainstream media affects their sense of self esteem, the way they define beauty, and the way they define what is means to be a “real” man or woman.  So we try to empower them to challenge negative media messages in their zines.  By creating a zine, they become the media and actually help re-create culture.  You can see it happening just in the culture of the classroom--when people have something creative to work on, there’s a kind of fun, collaborative spirit that lights up the room.  That spirit is present every day at the IPRC, and over ten years I really believe we’ve had a positive affect on the overall culture in Portland.

It’s interesting to see how many zinesters are now using internet technology and blogging as a way to cross-pollinate their creative projects. It’s exciting to see truly visionary people like this coming up with forums that encourage actual participation.  On the other hand, so much contemporary media--tv shows, movies, certain web content--allows people to sort of “check out.” People have difficult lives and they need to check out sometimes, of course, but the danger is that we become a nation of passive consumers.  I personally find the contemporary DIY craft movement really encouraging--so many people are in to creating things (including handmade and incredibly artful zines), rather than just shopping.  It gives people a sense of meaning and purpose, and whether or not they’re conscious of it, they’re influencing the larger culture.  That’s what the IPRC’s all about.

4) When will the workshops begin and what schools will be participating?

MAP began officially in September of 2007.  We held quite a few workshops this past school year, in places like Franklin High School, the Caldera Arts program, Clackamas Community College and Janus Shelter for Youth.

5) Where can readers find more information about this program or contact you?

They can read more on our website, www.iprc.org, or give us a ring at 503.827.0249 and ask for Justin or AnnMarie.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Tweets from space

“The first dig on Mars is complete. Here are images of the dig http://tinyurl.com/5hdanw and scoop with dirt in it http://tinyurl.com/62hbyv”
posted about 7 hours ago to Twitter by MarsPhoenix

I grew up in South Florida watching space shuttles take off outside of my schools instead of on the television. We were 150 miles away from Cape Canaveral, but the launches were still easily visible. My first “when I grow up I want to be...” that I can remember was an astronaut.

Back then I wrote to NASA, letters that is, and they sent me photos of planets and moons and the earth from space. Now fans of all ages can find information on shuttles, the solar system, astronauts and so much more at the NASA site, which is a huge leap forward in user interaction from mailed promotional packages. The addition of Twitter updates allows even more options for fans to read about the expedition and ask questions through mobile text, the web, and desktop applications. I’m still convinced that’s the thing Twitter does best: allow the users to choose how they send and receive content. 

The New York Times covered the MarsPhoenix Twitter account and its fandom Saturday. At the time journalist Kenneth Chang noted 9,636 followers ... today that number is already up to 15,430 (and I haven’t added it yet). NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory also has 1,190 fans on Facebook, but that pales in comparison to the everyday interaction with the rapidly growing audience at Twitter. 

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Congratulations to BlogHer

I met Erin Ketecki Vest at the SNCR forum in April when she presented about mommy bloggers and politics. I was surprised to learn about the controversy surrounding, or being thrown at, women who are mothers and also blog. Apparently the act of sharing draws criticism from certain elements.

This week I ran across Erin’s interview with Senator Obama. A huge congratulations is in order. The women at BlogHer were persistent and worked for this interview with Obama, and they made it. It’s fantastic to see bloggers being taken seriously by a presidential candidate. 

Monday, May 26, 2008

Developing Relationships With Media Characters

I’ve been exploring the emotional interactions we feel with media, specifically stories and characters. Feeling connected to the players in a story, from identifying with a novel’s characters to laughing with local DJs, taps many of the same mental processes as forming a physical relationship.

These relationships have been compared to cultivating an imaginary friend as a child—not because the media players are necessarily imaginary (though many are, and attributing fictional roles to the actors who play them is a topic for later discussion), but because the relationships are one way. This frames our connections with media characters not as pathologies, but instead as ways of learning about social issues and interactions. Rather than disconnecting with reality, these bonds with people we most likely will never meet allow us to experience new situations with emotional connections that encourage empathy and a desire to understand the situations and characters involved.

Known as parasocial relationships, the connections mainly are explored in communications research. I’m happy to see the new article in Perspectives on Psychological Science this month bringing the topic into modern psychological theory.

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Further Reading:
Giles, David C. (2002). Parasocial interaction: A review of the literature and a model for future research. Media Psychology, 4(3), 279-304. Retrieved May 17, 2008, from informaworld.
Mar, Raymond & Oatley, Keith A. (May 2008). The function of fiction is the abstraction and simulation of social experience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 173-192.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Text Message Saviors

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.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Google Alerts and Networking

Diane Cipa, of The Closing Company in Pennsylvania, keeps up a blog about title insurance issues called Title Insurance Talk. I know this because about a month ago I was looking for recommendations on local title insurance companies so I posted to a Pittsburgh community blog. Diane got my question through Google Alerts, created an account on the community blog, and responded to me. She also included a link to her blog.

It may be a bit rash to jump to the conclusion that you want to work with someone because of a blog, but I fully support business transparency and her blog was definitely a good sign in my eyes. We had a good conversation via email about Braddock, and since then I have sent at least two more jobs her way plus recommended her to the mayor for anyone else new to town.

The Closing Company’s service was top notch, but it was really the personal connection with Diane during that first day that made all of the difference.

Using Google Alerts to watch for business leads is smart, especially when followed up properly. Unlike the situation with Comcast following Tweets, this interaction with a stranger left me very pleased.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Personal Space on Twitter

Today a friend of mine had a problem with Comcast and posted about it on Twitter. They responded, and her internet is working again.

I had heard that the company is monitoring tweets with its name in it when I was at the New Comm Forum, so I replied to her about it. I added in a little criticism of Comcast too, as much as my 140 characters would allow. Even though following Twitter is a smart move for a company to put out the small fires before they become something more, it isn’t a substitute for improving their overall support.

Some background: I have never been a direct subscriber to Comcast, but I was forced into servitude while renting in Portland, OR. We rented two different places from the same property manager and had vastly different experiences with Comcast service in each. It was enough of a difference to make me question if the address on the bill shaped the quality of service available to customers.

Before heading back to Juneau for a month in December, we were staying at apartments on NE Prescott & NE 20th. During that time we shared an internet connection through a quadraplex and not once did we have a problem with Comcast. When we returned in January we moved into a house on NE Rosa Parks Way. We did not have consistent internet service for longer than a week during the three months we were there. In fact, when we arrived both the cable tv and internet were down even though the owner had been paying Comcast when the house was empty. It was a non-stop battle with the worst customer service I’ve experienced the entire time we were there, and enough to make us swear off Comcast at the expense of potentially slower internet service in the future.

So when wscottw3 and comcastcares responded to my response to my friend, rather than feeling all warm and fuzzy from the attention I got a case of the creeps. It turns out I’m not alone, there are other tweets about this type of invasion of personal space by Comcast on Twitter.

Can a tweet really go that far? Twitter isn’t private—it’s very public. Watching tweets is not so much eavesdropping on conversations, it’s more like perusing blogs. We all know our Twitter messages are all over the web for anyone to see, unless we chose to lock it down.

There is a definite need to explore the concept of personal space online. Is it different when a representative of a corporation contacts you than when a person finds you because of similar interests?

Perhaps our spaces on the internet can be understood in a similar way to how anthropologist Edward T. Hall looks at interpersonal spaces. It becomes more acceptable to be (physically and digitally?) close to someone the more you like that individual.

My friend can certainly respond to my tweet, others that I know or who have similar experiences can as well. And Comcast helped her, as a customer, fix a problem so their interaction was not invasive. But when it extends beyond the social realm, and turns into brand management, that does feel like an invasion of personal space despite the public nature of the conversation.

Sites to use to search Twitter posts:

• TerraMinds
• TweetScan
• Google Beta Twitter Search

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Tangible Gifts Through Blogs

Back in January Jan Cartier had a birthday drawing offering to paint a dessert of the winner’s choice. I came across her painting a day blog in one of my art feeds and was drawn especially to her chaos paintings from New Orleans. What luck that the day I first came across her site she was offering this prize, because I tossed my name in the hat and won!

In an effort to pay it forward, the April issue of MetaPaint’s newsletter offered tickets to Juneau Jazz & Classics in a similar raffle.

Right around my birthday she posted the finished painting of my wedding cake for Naughty Friday. I’m excited to get the original in the mail and see the detail.

She also placed one of her Chaos paintings, Water Lily Chaos, up on eBay for Zoo-To-Do. The entire purchase price goes to restore the New Orleans zoo Audubon’s bird house.

Her site is an excellent example of connecting people, causes, and art through blogging.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Information overload & cultural collapse: old fears

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 prefers to be 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.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Bloggers’ moods can tell their own tales

Move over mood rings, MoodViews is using data instead of heat to reveal moods.

As I write this the collective mood is calm, mischievous, envious, creative, and cheerful.

MoodGrapher turns the data visual by charting moods, and when combined with other features MoodView also predicts moods, looks for peaks and compares the moods to news, offers a search by date and keyword to find linked moods, and predicts mood prevalence. Although it currently only evaluates LiveJournal users, and those who post moods, it provides the opportunity to have an overview of collective moods in relation to any number of things. Seasonal moods, length of time the moods last, mood fluctuation by holidays and events.

This last category has already been charted for some global events in 2005 and 2006. Worried moods increased during Hurricane Katrina and persisted at a higher level after the natural disaster. Around New Year’s Eve people are more nostalgic, excited, drunk, lonely, and groggy but less frustrated.

I ran a MoodSpotter of my own: Let’s see how people felt when talking about media over the past few months.

February, 2008

Spiked red lines indicate “tired” and the flat yellow is for “bitchy.” Others that showed up on the pie graph were bored, amused, and sleepy.

March, 2008

March was much more active. I left the color key in the screenshot since there were so many, but for easier reading the categories making up the bars are (L to R) accomplished, amused, awake, bitchy, blah, bored, busy, calm, contemplative, lazy, thoughtful, and tired.

April, 2008

Back to simplicity, green is awake, yellow happy, and the flat red line bitchy.

What does this tell us? Nothing really at this level, but it’s fun.