Thinking about Media Change - New vs Old Media

There are constant changes within the media and now that the term "new media" has emerged, it has opened many doors. Old media has been taken over by digital technology. With the introduction of this type of technology, it has created an interactive power.

Convergence is one of the four tools for thinking about media change.

" Convergence is the interlinking of computer and IT, communications networks and media content that occurred with the development of popularisation of the Internet..

                                              Flew, T, (2008) New Media: An Introduction

Technological convergence is one of the four types of convergence. So from what I understand, this is the term used for when technologies merge into new technologies in order to create new media. Nowadays, we are surrounded by a number of convergent media, with the Internet being a prime example.



In this day and age, the Internet is used for entertainment purposes. We are now able to watch TV online now that we have sites such as: 40D, ITV Player and iPlayer. We are also able to listen to the radio online. We can read books online, play games and even make video calls!


Other examples of technological convergence include mobile phones, the Apple iPod and the XBOX game console.



The IPhone is a gadget with many useful features. Not only can you make and receive calls but this phone also acts as a music player, a camera and allow Internet access. This is a very good example of technological convergence.

Another example  of technological convergence are the video game consoles XBOX 360 and Wii.

Not only is the XBOX 360 a game console, it has a feature called XBOX Live, where Internet access allows gamers to compete online against others from around the world. You can also play music and connect to social networking sites. As for the Wii, this also acts as a web browser along with being a social networking tool. On this console you are also able to listen to the radio, play music ans store photos.

I guess the technological convergence is an advantage for consumers as they are being provided with products that have numerous devices in one, which results in them saving money. But is it just another excuse to get us to buy new things?





Yes, a networked society has its pros and cons!

In this day and age a networked society has given us a number of opportunities. Through this connection we are able to share information and also express ourselves through a number of different ways. We are even able to access the network through our smartphones, which is convenient for many of us due to it being a popular device.


With the growth in the number of social networking sites available, it has widened the community in cyberspace. I remember the days of joining Hi5, bebo and Myspace and then Facebook and Twitter came on the scene. I guarantee that the person beside you is a member of one of the social networking sites mentioned. As nowadays it is quite rare for someone not to be a member. Sites like these allow us to remain in contact and reconnect with others. We are able to express ourselves, share opinions and even meet others in cyberspace who are similar to ourselves which can eventually result in new friendships being formed. Although this networked society does have its benefits, there are the disadvantages that come along with it.


One advantage of a networked society is the fact that we are globally connected. No matter where in the world, we are able to communicate wherever and whenever we want. Another advantage is the accessibility of it. It allows us to find out all different types of information at the click of a finger...or should i say at the tap of a keyboard!


Moving away from these benefits, the networked society has opened a path for identity theft and online predators. When joining a social networking site, we must share information about ourselves by providing our personal details. We can choose how much information we want to share on our profiles or they can remain private. Either way, some of us are still at risk of identity theft. The increase in scams has made this another con within the networked society. I own a Facebook profile and I am very weary of a few of the links posted on my wall. For example, I will receive a link of a video from a friend but before being able to watch the video I am required to install software..this only leads me to think that it is a virus!


So a networked society has its pros and cons but so does everything else. You just remember to be aware of how much information you share amongst others.

Web + Log = Blog!

It's amazing how the words Web + Log = Blog, an online diary where you can publish your thoughts for others to see, and they can even comment on your blog posts too. It's an internationally accessible page on the Internet where you can even include embedded media as well as being able to edit your layouts to how you want it to be.


This week we looked at a number of different blogs. Here are a few of them:


> Dooce.com
> Ian Bogost
> Boing Boing


Dooce.com

The author of this blog is a woman called Heather B. Armstrong. She talks about life as a woman, pop culture, music, photography, exercise and her family. She blogs once a month to talk about her everyday life. I believe this blog is targeted at a female audience, reason being, they are able to relate to the topics being discussed. Heather B. Armstrong has pictures relating to her blog posts as well as pictures of her family. She has links to friends as she is also a member of the social networking site; Twitter, which is why there is a sidebar showing her recent tweets. In order to comment on her blog posts, you must be a member of the site itself.

Ian Bogost

This blog is by a man called Ian Bogost who blogs all about video games. I believe this blog is targeted at a male audience, hence the number of male topics being discussed. Unlike the blog Dooce.com, this blog uses a more formal language. It is more academic and I'm guessing this is because Ian Bogost is a University Professor. The layout of this blog is very organised and is set into four sections: Books, Games, Writing and Blog. It also as a Teaching and Speaking section as well as a Photography page. Ian Bogost's blog also contains links to amazon where others are able to purchase the books that he talks about.

Boing Boing

Boing Boing is a blog about technology, culture and news. It has multiple authors who talk about different topics, therefore the writing style differs between each blog post. Whilst Dooce.com is a more personal blog and Ian Bogost blog is a video games blog, this one is an advertising blog. This is because it includes embedded media from YouTube. Seeing as this blog focuses on technology, it includes advertisements and links to products such as mobile phones and laptops.

What is Digital Culture?!?!?

So I've never heard of digital culture before but I decided to choose this module to learn something new. I wasn't 100% sure what the term actually meant, but then again I think it's quite obvious! Digital = Cybernated, Culture = Society..soooo....Digital + Culture = Cybernated Society!


I found this video on YouTube that really helped me to understand the meaning of digital culture. Here it is:

Chris Pirillo refers to digital culture as "pervasive technology" which i totally agree with. Technology is everywhere nowadays and we can't seem to get away from it. There are smartphones and social networking sites, which I both use EVERYDAY of my life and to be quite honest, I don't know what I would do without them. I've become so addicted to using this technology that I actually can not remember life before all of this came around because like I said before; technology is EVERYWHERE!

Does that make me a digital native?....I think so!

"A digital native is a person, mainly a young person, who was born during or after the general introduction of digital technology, and through interacting with digital technology from an early age, has a greater understanding of its concepts. A digital native may also be identified as a person who understands the value of digital technology and uses this to seek out opportunities for implementing it." Wikipedia