3D Chatroom Environments 28/11/2008

Today's tutorial task involved creating an avatar and logging into a chatroom. 

Most of us had chosen to log into 'activeworlds' and have a go creating an avatar and venturing around the virtual world. 

I think in my earlier posts I have already established how I feel about these online virtual worlds - this was no different. The poor graphics, the fact that you have to pay to be a character other than a 'tourist' and the annoying fact that 10 people are trying to have one discussion - was all too much for me to handle. 

However, our class did have a laugh and it was a good social experiment - it was also interesting to see many multi-national companies advertising on the site. 

We were also asked to answer the following questions:

1. Besides the obvious differences, what are the qualitative differences between the regular IM program and a 3D environment?

gI guess that the qualitative differences between a regular IM program and a 3D environment is 'one-to-one conversation'. In a 3D world it is very difficult to have a 'quality' or substantial conversation with one person. IM programs allow you to have private one on one conversations whereas in a virtual world such as 'activeworlds' it is very difficult to do this. Instant messaging allows for greater control, better conversation and is therefore paramount to 3D chatrooms. 

2. What is different about the kinds of socialising that happens in these spaces? Does the 3D aspect make much difference, in other words, are there things possible in one space that are not possible in the the other? Could you think of where this sort of application might lead us?  

I think that in a 3D world you can be creative because you have a character or an avatar, which can take on any form you wish. This enables the participant to create something visual and put a 'face to a name' - IM does not allow this. Programs such as 'activeworlds' and 'secondlife' also allow participants to buy and sell property, create businesses and also participate in activities that are 'sexual in nature'. IM on the other hand is pure conversational. 

Instant messaging of this kind is being hailed as the future of online chatrooms and I think that they may be beneficial for advertisers and the gaming industry as they could use them as a method of selling their product.

Overall another interesting class and equally interesting tutorial. 

28/11/2008 The Hack Half Hour "MyFace"

Hi Bloggers!

Today we continue our discussion on online communities and MySpace. We watched a video called "MyFace" courtesy of Triple J's The Hack Half Hour. The program is like an open panel discussion, where people from many fields, backgrounds and online users come together to give social commentary on a particular subject. 

This episodes topic was social networking and more importantly MySpace. The Panelists were bloggers, Myspace users, employers and industry people. Many questions of privacy and 'reasonableness' were asked. The host questioned whether it was a wide move to post drunken photos or personal information? What kind of an image does ones profile portray of their true identity? And how much information are you giving away when you sign on? Hackers are omnipresent - only a tiny bit of information about yourself can be sufficient for them to hack into your online accounts. One of the panelists also commented on the fact that even after you have deleted an online account or left a network, the 'hosts' still hang onto your deleted information - a scary thought hey?

The video was fascinating and different individuals views on he subject was excellent!

Until Next Time, 

And a few more Internet Q's 27/11/2008

....And a few more q's just to finish up the day

How do search engines rank the stuff they find on the internet, who or what, makes one page (that you might get in your search results) more useful than another one, so that it is put at the top of your search results?

Search Engines rank 'hits' according to their relevance to your original search - the most relevant hits are ranked higher (as are ones provided by advertised sites) and the ones that lack in relevance are ranked lower. 

what are some of your favourite search engines? why do you like one more than others?

I am a big fan of google - they have a huge database of information and it is user friendly and easy to navigate around. Google also has Google Scholar and Google Books which are excellent sources of academic information. 

The Task 27/11/08 A Search Engine Other than Google

We were given the task of finding out the answers to the below questions using a search engine other than Google - at first a tricky task. My Answers have all been found courtesy of Altavista

1. Who was the creator of the infamous "lovebug" computer virus?

Onel de Guzman 

2. What is the world record for the largest watermelon?

A Whopping 97kg 

3. How did the Ebola virus get its name?

Through the river which flows through the Dem. Rep. of Congo

4. What country had the largest recorded earthquake?

Chile in 1960, it measured 9.5 on the richter scale 

5. In computer memory/storage terms, how many kilobytes in a terabyte?

1,000,000,000 

6. Who is the creator of email?

Ray Tomlinson 

7. What is the "storm worm", and how many computers are infected by it?

A type of 'Trojan Horse' virus which is said to have effected between 10-50 million computers

8. If you wanted to contact the prime minister of Australia directly, what would be the most efficient way?

Apart from arranging a meeting, the most effective way would be by fax

9. Which Brisbane-based punk band is Stephen Stockwell (Head of the School of Arts) a member of?

The Black Assassins 

10. What does the term "Web 2.0" mean in your own words? What are some examples?

Unfortuneately I cannot think of any examples - but in my words, Web 2.0 basically means that now the web is no longer a 'flat platform' but a place in which many people could create and communicate and design - something that Web 1.0 did not allow.

Summary of Lecture 27/11/08

Hello!

Blogging is becoming interesting and the virtual world seems even more profound than I had imagined!

Today we learnt about Cyberculture and I think that it is appalling - there, I said it, I dislike it.

But before I rant and rave about today's lecture, let me just define what I actually dislike.
We watched a video on this virtual world called 'Second Life'. A virtual world which involves people, real currency, advertising and everything else that you can possibly imagine. It is like the real world - but on your computer.

The world allows its characters/members (called avatars) to create identities, clothes, property and everything is communicated in real money terms called 'Linden Dollars'. The world can be seen as a virtual chatroom where you can meet people, chat, and even take part in sexual activities. The company that developed the program are now ridiculously rich - but have they created a positive environment or an addiction?

We had quite a debate in class about the legitimacy of the sites and these chatrooms - you had to be there to experience it. Once again a fascinating lecture - I have learnt alot and my eyes are definitely open to whats out there.

Until Next Time,

Wikipedia Study No.2 'Saffron Spice'

"The world's most expensive spice"

Saffron is regarded as the world's most expensive spice and a quick Wiki search led to a page which had a very 'scientific' run down on what saffron truly is. Just for educational purposes the saffron thread is the stamen of the saffron flower and it can be used in various types of cooking.

The article, in my opinion gave very Little information on the uses of saffron in a culinary way. There was plenty of accurate information on its biological composition, the way it which it is harvested etc etc. However, I would have liked to see the article go more in dept into the uses and the history of the spice in relation to different cultures and cuisines.

For example the article only suggested Spain as one of the growing regions of saffron, however it is also grown in Iran, India and other parts of the Indo-Persian regions. The spice can be used in tea, savoury foods but more importantly in sweets - something which the article did not even touch upon.

I feel that considering the nature of the spice - the article should have some of the above information in it as I can only assume that foodies would want to know what it is all about.

I am in the process of setting up a wiki account and publishing a page on the uses and cultural history of the spice.

Wikipedia Study No.1 'Amnesty International'

Were were asked this week to research a topic on Wikipedia about a topic that we know alot about. My first topic is 'amnesty international'.

I am very interested in human rights and human rights law around the world. I joined Amnesty in High School and ever since I have been an active and passionate member.

After a search on Wikipedia, I cam across an article which had all the correct information about the origins, history and motivations of the group. The article had been changed several times by many authors and the current information is up-to-date and very well researched.

It is really good to see that Wikipedia is not being used for people to publish incorrect or impartial information - I mean there will always be some bias on the authors behalf - but bias to me 'is an impassioned belief'.

A great publication by the authors and an excellent resource, for those that may want some quick, easy to read information on the subject.

Summary of Lecture 26/11/08

Hi All,

Am slowly getting use to this blog thing and have even managed a way of including my favourite artist Salvador Dali as an application - fabulous!

Today's lecture focused on the 'networks' and the origin of the internet and the world wide web (which, unknown to me are completely different things). We were told that the first network, or 'computer' was invented in the 1800's by Charles Babbidge and backed or I guess 'funded' by Lady Byron - who was seen as the 'spark' that set this whole crazy virtual world into motion!

The whole concept of the world wide web, the internet and the virtual world is so indepth and intricate and I find it a little confusing. We got a bit 'techy' during class and learnt about firwalls, packages and networks - amazing fascinating stuff.

Today's task involves everybody's favourite resource - Wikipedia! We were asked to research two topics that we know alot about and make sure that the Wikipedia authors had gotten it right.

My chosen topics were Amnesty International and the Saffron Spice - check out my two blogs below for further info!

Until Next Time.

The Guest Lecturer 25/11/2008

Blog No.2

This morning we were fortunate enough to have a guest lecturer enlighten us on the topic of MySpace and the impact that this social networking tool has today's culture and society.

The Lecturer (for the purposes of privacy, lets call him Mr.X) is a re known researcher in the field of Gothic culture and is one of the preeminent 'scholars of his era'. Mr. X filled us in on the how identities are not just defined (say in Goth culture) buy 'black' a piercing or the clothes that they wear. Mr. X had mentioned that we are the combination of many different identities and cultures and that no one practice can 'truly' define us. Mr. X also suggests that MySpace could be 'Our Space' - a virtual world that connects, joins, reates and re-defines individuals.

Mr. X also elaborated on cultures, sub-cultures and the way that MySpace has redefined a generation of youngsters - their page, interests,music tastes and information are all aspects which encompasses them as as 'virtual person'.

The Lecture was fascinating, interesting and enlightening - I would have never thought that your identity could be defined be your 'Space'.

A great lecture!
Until Next Time.

Intro Blog 24/11/2008

Blog No.1

First Blog ever.

We have been given the task to create and maintain a webblog for the period of our summer school course, 'New Communication and Technologies'. This mornings lecture focused on the impact of technology in the 21st century and the impact that these new technologies have on our lives.

After a brief survey of the people in our class, we learnt that mobile phones, online communities and the virtual world are playing a huge role in people's lives and are redefining the way we communicate with one another.

Today is the first time that I have been introduced to the idea of blogging - I never knew that websites which I had thought were 'websites' were actually blogs. People create this virtual worlds for all sorts of of reasons. Some are personal reflections, others are political, others pure news.

I am fasinated by the idea that people would 'blog'. To me the concept is time consuming and as an avid fan of facebook and email - a blog to me, seems too personal, too risky and devoid of any privacy - but I ask myself, is Facebook or Online banking or dating any different.

Technology is present in every aspect of my life - I use my mobile phone, email and Facebook profile daily. It is an easy way to keep up with friends, check out what people are doing and update others on my happenings. However as much as I respect and appreciate technology and the way in which it has made our lives accesible, faster and more fluent, we must not forget to master the 'art of conversation'.

Until Tomorrow