1501ART Final Assignment

For some reason, Blogger won't let me publish my essay as a blog - maybe the word limit is too great.

If anybody would like to read it, please send me you email and I will send u a cop 

Adam, I have emailed it to you 

Many Thanks 

Ava 

Course Evaluation

A Brief Course Evaluation 

So our wonderful course has come to an end! 

I think that the course is a very good one and perfect as a summer intensive course. 

I learnt alot that I did not know before - about the virtual world, blogging, how to make and create a movie and how to communicate with different people on different levels. 

The course was alot of fun, insightful and I have come out of it having gained alot.

A very big thank-you to Adam, you are a wonderful, passionate lecturer!

Summary of Lecture 05/12/2008

Our Last Lecture - A very interesting course comes to an end 

So our last ever lecture and what did we do? We reflected. We discussed how technology and communication methods are defining our lives and more importantly how they are defining our communities.

Each of us are technology users and we all participate in a way that defines who and what we are. Gaming, online chat rooms, IM and many more forms of communications methods have defined and shaped our relationship with the Internet and more importantly with one another. We are more than ever leading our lives on the Internet and this is shaping our culture and our understanding of this communication method. 

Our blogs are prime example of how we as a class are now sharing, communicating and even chatting over the net and by use of our blogs. 

A very interesting course and it has been lots of fun! 

Tute Work 04/12/2008

After today's very interesting lecture and equally interesting tutorial task, we were asked to read and summarize two scholarly articles by Mark Prensky and Dave Weinberger, below is my interpretation of their work.

Mark Prensky "Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native"

Prensky's article is very interesting in the fact that suggests a 'digital native' is someone who is no stranger to digital communication methods. He argues that people have become so comfortable with digital media that their life is parallel to these communication methods. Prensky is absolutely correct. For instance look at the what I am doing right now. I am communicating to my 'audience' through a digital mode of delivery. 

However, Prensky does argue about the 'lookism' of the internet and the fact that this is seldom. He suggests that on the internet, in chatroom situations people can create an 'identity' for themselves that is as close to or nothing like their true selves. This is also questions that integrity or reliability of the source that one is accessing - an interesting argument.

Dave Weinberger "A New World" 

Weinberger argues that we as internet users, are defined by the activities that we participate in. He also suggests that the internet life is adaptable to our lives and the pace that we want it to flow in. Online activities are there for our disposal when and where we want them - unlike real life that is then and now. Our relationship with the internet is quite selfish, in that we can dictate when we want to participate.

Both articles are very interesting and very insightful - an excellent task. 

Summary of Lecture 04/12/2008

Todays lecture focused on the theoretical side of the virtual world. 

Adam asked the question of the theoretical difference between the virtual world and what is deemed as the real world. Communication has existed since the dawn of time and the presence of man/woman. 

Early philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato critically evaluated 'dialogue and discussion' and communication as between two or more people. However today, in our ever evaluating virtual world we are communicating on a level that has never existed before. We are enabling chatrooms which play host to hundreds and hundreds of participants and our very idea of what is real is supplemented by virtual money, virtual characters, virtual chat and what-not. 

Virtual reality is played out even more in movies. How many sci-fi, futuristic films focus on the 'future', where robots are helping to run our lives, we drive in flying cars and we can be teleported to unknown worlds. Will this ever become a reality, more importantly, do we want this to become a reality? 

Another Great Lecture 

Video Storyboard

My first ever movie, hope you enjoy it! It is about my travels around the world over the past year and I have created the video with the help of imovie. 

Summary of Lecture 03/12/2008

Would you be happy knowing that the government has access to your email, Facebook, MySpace and Blog? The new Internet filtering laws supported and backed by parliamentary members may change that face of the virtual world as we know it. 

It is known fact that governments all around the world are able to infiltrate and sensor information that is posted on the net. For an example, type in "Tianamen Square Massacre" into Google Australia and then in Google China - you will be amazed in the difference of information that is on the individual sites - this is a classic form of internet sensing and regulation. What is the number one problem with this type of regulation?, a lac of a freedom of information and a big brother attitude on the governments behalf. 

It has also been asserted that this form of activity will slow down connections and cost consumers more. It is a scary thought that our activities will be regulated by the governments and that our freedom to information diminished. 

I may actually do my essay on this topic - it has deeply compelled me.

Until Next Time. 

Summary of Lecture 02/12/2008

The wide world of filesharing and gaming.

We have all at some point in time enjoyed free music, free video and free file sharing - the latter being the most innocent of the all. Filesharing programs such as Limewire were originally used by academics to quickly and easily share large academic publications. The process is now being employed to cover all types of communication and media. However when does innocent filesharing become an illegal activity? Well, if you have ever downloaded music for free, off the internet then you have participated in an illegal activity similar to theft and trespass -  however, the complexity and vastness of the www is such that it is almost difficult to find the culprits. 

Illegal forms of filesharing are detrimental to artists, their intellectual property and the worth of this 'art form' that we as a society place on it. We continued our discussion on gaming and the elaborate world of online communities and games such as the World of Warcraft - a very popular multiplayer game. 

The topic has really gotten me thinking about a potential essay topic - something along the lines of intellectual property control and regulation in the virtual world - something that is very 'now' and something that will shape our future. 

Until Next Time 

Summary of Lecture 01/12/2008

Today's Lecture was fascinating!

We watched this great video by 'TED Talk' in which the speaker Lawrence Lessig made a wonderful presentation on the fact that we are no longer the receivers of technology and information but 'creators'. Lessig also argued that the law cannot keep up with the rate at which the internet is growing and the rate at which people are creating. This theme tied in beautifully with the lecturers presentation on free software (such as Linux/GNU) and free software communities and creators.

Adam our lecturer asserted that there are an array of amazing free programs that are easily accessible and better than their expensive counterparts. The TED Talk gentlemen said that generation 'Y' are now creating videos, music and this domain is something that legislature cannot control - even if they decide to push it out 'of sight', there will still be individuals that take this 'creating networking culture' underground.

Adam showed us YouTube videos that portrayed how people are recreating original works and making them their own. This activity also raises issues of copyright and this is where 'creative commons' comes into play. This website/host allows individuals to copyright and protect any work that they may be the original creator of. It allows for the creator to select what type of copyrighting they want to employ and then safely publish their work in the public domain.

Once again a great lecture!

25/11/2008 What Communication Technologies I use...

After our wonderful guest lecturer, we discussed in class what communication technologies we use as individuals.

I myself am a fan of Facebook, MSN messenger and ofcourse email and the humble mobile phone. I find these technologies easy to use, effective, fast and user-friendly.

All these communication technologies allow me to stay in touch with my family and friends and are a wonderful networking tool.

I am yet to try a 3D environment chatroom and MySpace (I found facebook user interface alot more friendly) and I think that we will be exploring these networking systems later on in the week.

Until Next Time