Assessment Item 3 - Long Essay

Question - The idea of the internet as cyberspace has been a part of our contemporary culture for some time, particularly in the popular medium of film. But is the concept of cyberspace still relevant to our contemporary society? Discuss with reference to your own experience of contemporary media.

In today’s day and age, the approaches to communication and person-to-person interaction have been transformed significantly. No longer must an individual remain restricted to a single form of technology that may limit their social and networking capabilities. What we are talking about is something that is famous, and notorious. Its concepts have sparked countless additions and ideas into popular culture. Films and movies have been manifested through its numerous persona's. People interact with it. People talk about it. People are addicted to it. It dominates over us like a God; feuds have been fought over it and its teachings have rallied mass supporters. Without it, some would question the point of ‘social existence’. The idea of internet cyberspace co-existing within contemporary culture is undoubtedly present and growing at a spiralling rate. With this analogy, internet cyberspace incorporates a plethora of creativity and freedom that ultimately governs our social existence. In this essay, I will draw comparisons to my personal experiences of dealing with internet cyberspace interspersed with academic opinions and knowledge. I will furthermore undertake the necessary investigations to unravel the mysteries and addictions from various aspects of contemporary media and analyse its outcomes; creators and consumers.

Before I detail my personal experiences, one must understand the definitions of cyberspace. The origins of the word cyberspace were developed by “cyberpunk writer William Gibson” (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/cybspace.html). He literally introduced the numerous ideas that surrounded cyberspace and the emerging technologies that were soon to engulf contemporary culture. Cyberspace essentially incorporates “personal computers, the Internet, computer graphics and virtual reality” (Whittaker, 2004, p4). The internet “is a strategic research site in which to study fundamental social processes” (Smith, Kollock, 1999, p4). It is literally a ‘utopia’, “an imaginary place considered to be perfect or ideal” (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=utopia) in the sense of the sheer possibilities it possesses. Internet cyberspace’s sole purpose it to connect it’s users by any means necessary. This could potentially be through text messages sent through e-mail or IM (instant messaging) programmes, a video game with “multiplayer” accessibility, or even establishing an online profile for other users to access and comment upon. Some forms of ‘personal media’ (iPhone’s, iPod’s) encourage its buyers to access the internet from these devices to purchase games, ring tones and updates, to “use media technologies to create and share personal expressions through digital networks” (http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/content/short/10/5/683). Cyberspace exists in every possible medium. In contemporary culture it has become a necessity. As a famous quote by Nicholas Negroponte suggests, “This is just the beginning, the beginning of understanding that cyberspace has no limits, no boundaries.” (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nicholasne381691.html)

My experiences with interacting through the worlds of internet cyberspace are a long and varied one. With the Internet essentially accessible to the vast public in 1993, “[users] would benefit from information, support, resources… and connection” (Castells, 2003, p154). With the primitive line of home computers available in the early 90’s, it incorporated a simple OS (operating system) parallel to a basic user interface and most actions performed through DOS (Disk Operating System). I didn’t fully appreciate the world of cyberspace until the late 90’s. This period of time saw the introduction of e-mail and a handful of online gaming to compliment the internet’s networking bliss. It allowed users to experience a sense of variety. This online gaming trend established cults worldwide and continued to grow; in both popularity and the amount of games available. Online Role Playing Games (RPG’s) allows the player to create and customize their own ‘avatar’ (character in-game) and interact in worlds, often fiction/fantasy, which can quickly become an addictive approach to the way users can communicate with other players. IM programmes took a drastic leap forward sometime after the year 2000 with the addition of MSN messenger – an in-built application to Microsoft’s OS that allows users to connect and talk to others. Still existing today, the programme itself is updatable and will frequently introduce new features such as ‘webcam’ support and streaming media to another user. During this time the internet was regarded as a top priority as a means of sourcing information and media content. With ‘Youtube’ available from early 2005, anyone could upload videos onto a web page for the world to view. Youtube’s content ranges from “funny clips from TV, homemade blooper reels, goofy short films, musical performances, bite-sized serial dramas” (Biersdorfer, J. D., Pogue D., 2007, p174) and many others amongst literally thousands of videos. With the emergence of the ‘online profile’ phenomenon such as ‘Myspace’ and ‘Facebook’, the aspects that surrounded cyberspace was slowing beginning to transform into a plethora of user profiles. It engulfed the world of cyberspace and created a trend that almost every person you were to meet had a profile of some kind. People familiar with the ongoing ‘Twitter’ movement consists of small updates detailing “social statements, inquiries and answers, massively shared experiences, device state updates, news broadcasts, and announcements” (Makice, K., 2009, p3). Contemporary cyberspace ultimately consists of miniscule and trivial updates created by its users in today’s day and age. With this said, my preferences lie within the alternatives, which include gaming and streaming media as both a source of entertainment and connecting with others.

Contemporary media and the content that surrounds internet cyberspace have created two distinct groups – creators and consumers. Look at it this way – think of contemporary media as an organism. With cyberspace analogising the role of a ‘God-like’ standing over the internet, the organism that is contemporary media ultimately feeds off consumers and grows by creators. In a nutshell, almost every user of internet cyberspace incorporates a bit of both of these factors. In relevance of this within our contemporary society, users are able to create their own profile; their own addition to the cyberspace. Targeting ‘Twitter’ as a prime example, people consume the techniques and approaches others have created in order to mimic their popularity. Users consume this content, whether it may be in the form of media, text or interaction, and are enticed create something of the same or better. People consume information for their own benefit; to further create and learn from what has been consumed. But what has been created can ultimately consume their lives - a result of online 'addiction'. And so the ‘life and death’ cycle that inhabits cyberspace continues through greater and more popular outlets of contemporary media, “Those who deserted MySpace… [for] Facebook” (http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=neo_cities) for instance, and will continue to grow and maintain itself as a vital aspect within contemporary culture.

A majority of people living around some aspect of technology is inevitable to have any relevance to cyberspace access. It has expanded and infiltrated almost every device conceivable, allowing it’s users to experience the sensation of cyberspace efficiently however they may choose to access it. With this said, internet cyberspace exists and thrives dominantly within our contemporary society. Conclusively, its impacts upon communication, networking and information have redefined contemporary media.


Bibliography


Castells, M., 2003, “The Internet galaxy: reflections on the Internet, business, and society”, Oxford University Press, p154

Makice, K., 2009, “Twitter API: Up and Running”, O’ Reilly Media Inc, p3

Biersdorfer, J. D., Pogue D., 2007, “iPod: The Missing Manual”, p174, O’ Reilly Media Inc., p174

Smith, M.A., Kollock, P., 1999, “Communities in Cyberspace”, Routledge, p4

Whittaker, J., 2004, “The Cyberspace Handbook”, Routledge, p4

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=neo_cities

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nicholasne381691.html

http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/cybspace.html

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=utopia

http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/content/short/10/5/683

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 8

Week 9 saw the ideas of 'CyberUtopia'. It is essentially a 'non-existent' form of the internet, allowing heaps of data to be sent to someone else rather quickly... that doesn't exist. What the dickens? It's like something out of 'The Matrix'. Maybe I just haven't grasped it properly... I'm not entirely sure. Several ideas such as forums and chat rooms were mentioned, with the ideas to freely distribute information across the internet (without paying for it) and promote free online services and such.

What I did have to laugh about was the mention of the dot com 'boom and bust' phase that ran from 1998 - 2001. I just like to reminisce upon the sheer amount of hysteria that engulfed the closing years of 1998 and 1999 with the whole 'Y2K' thing. I suppose I was too young to really care, though it is kind of hilarious once you think about it - the 'Y2K Switchover' that many businesses prepared on their computers with the cost of millions. That was about it really... I can't really remember what else that really caught my eye (no lecture notes on the databases...sneaky!). Now I just need to research a topic for my assignment.

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 7

Week 8 saw the discussion of politics and eDemocracy. At first glance, it seems like an incredibly boring and bland topic. I know for sure that the sheer word 'politics' incites universal hatred. However, the Internet does provide as a unique tool as to promoting particular political agendas. Just makes me wonder... I wonder if Obama has a blog? SUBSCRIBE!

What seemed like most pointless 'blah' to me (excuse my anti-political ignorance), my ears caught the sound of the word 'cyberpunk'. I was keen to follow on. As an avid science fiction fanatic, it was an interesting concept linking 'cybernetics' and politics together... It was like putting a bear and a lion in the same room - unexpected outcomes ensured.

I can sort of see why I suppose. I think it's all coming back to the whole, 'corporate world = evil' thing when you honestly look into it. It tries to detail a strict variety of corporations attempting to capitalize upon it's technologies by employing it in humans... thus we become walking billboards as such. Well... that's just the way I look at it! I would also like to make note about the 'Matrix' being mentioned. A great example, too.

Now, if only they would make a [better] sequel to Revolutions, I will be happy!

Part 8 - Politics? Blehh...

Well, definitely the most monotonous of tasks...but oh well, every cloud has a silver lining I suppose! I spiced it up a bit with the help of a long lost, fake name...

1. http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/CurrentEPetitions.aspx?lIndex=1
Signed an e-petition against the '20% rego increase' for motor vehicles. Signed petition as 'Max Power'. I lol'd.

2. http://blogs.news.com.au/index.php/news/comments/barack_obama_and_the_nomination_what_happens_next_can_he_win/
Responded to a professional news blogger talking about Barack Obama. Name again was 'Max Power', located in 'Awesomeville'. I lol'd again. Comment was a simple, 'I agree!'.

3. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jNS7nblJSoZafIkA4Gwl3A13Od5QD9AQLPIO0
According to this, Barack Obama seems pretty busy with many, many diplomatic issues that need to be solved this week. He might need the help of 'Max Power'.

4. John Campbell (local), Julie Attwood (state), Arch Bevis (federal) and Max Power.

5. Couldn't quite find one for John Campbell. I found one for Max Power, though.

6. ^ See above answer

7. I read the lecture readings and found it quite interesting about how many people 'fight the system' as such and seem to regard democracy to something of...communism, I suppose. It really shows that in a free country, no one is really ever satisfied. Maybe its the fact that so much is available to us, we become greedy and want more, or want it better. I particularly liked the segment on hacking... not only a week ago, the Australian Gov't's website was hacked by the infamous 'Anonymous', often trolling around 4chan.org. [insert Max Power reference here]

ADAM'S BONUS ROUND!

Adam asks a good question: What do I think of the 'Clean-Feed?'
Rant initializing in
3
2
1...

About a year ago, I discovered that the Australian Gov't had plans to censor particular aspects of the Internet. I was outraged; its not like we have it bad enough with the lack of an R rating for videogames (Left 4 Dead 2 is banned from Australia as of last week...WHY??!!!!!).

I decided to let everyone know and sign an online petition that was going around at the time to reject this stupid idea. I did this on Myspace, and to my suprise, so many did NOT believe me. I was met with 'yea, right, not gonna happen' and many cried foul...

I don't belive its even remotely necessary for an Internet 'filter'. You see, it's politicians born like 2 generations ago that have no idea about the internet, let alone have the knowledge of how to operate a mouse and a keyboard. They recognize the internet as a child corrupting, taboo wielding, tool of the devil. I don't think they appreciate the true nature of the internet and reality; that you cannot change it along with the opinions of people. I believe that we have grown smarter through the knowledge obtained through the Internet. If they picture Australia as a child-friendly, circle skipping place, then they are awfully wrong. The internet is there as a tool of accessing anything. With people suppressed of certain content that the internet delivers, I believe that occurrences in crime will skyrocket to get 'their fix'.It has already met with outrage amongst many of the gaming committees and online forums. To be honest, I will be really surprised if they follow through with this. If they do, then its off to New Zealand for me!
...under the alias of Max Power.

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 6

This week was all about free software and proprietary software (Microsfot, Apple). Creative Commons, responsible of creating and allowing 'free copyright' to construct most free software that is evident today. I found this lecture to be pretty relevant to my previous tutorial tasks, consisting of creating videos and slideshows with entirely our own non-copyright material.

It was an interesting connection that free software source code can be linked to as a recipe for creating your favourite food. Much like any recipe, there is much preparing and work to be done for it to be complete and, well... 'taste' great I suppose. Yea, not a good choice of words!

When you really think about it, should we be paying for operating systems? Many people, such as the man who created GNU (whose name has passed me for now) made a good point in a quote I remember, something like 'making operating systems like the old days when they were free'. Maybe people like Bill Gates saw just the right opportunity to capitalize upon the idea of selling his OS to people just when the public knew not much about it. Then again, there is a definite difference between proprietary software and the free kind; mostly experience and budget related. I guess you get what you pay for... I have been a keen Windows user for years now, way back when into the Windows '95 era with the DOS commands. I did install a special Linux onto my Ipod back in 2007 however, solely to play retro games like 'Doom' with no PC access. So I guess I could say I respect both forms of this software. I believe they all play a unique role in particular devices and technologies in some way or another.

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 5

Week 6 had a great lecture with some interesting approaches to some popular movies. What I would like to make note of is the trailer remakes for the popular films, 'The Shining' and 'Mary Poppins'. Jack Nicholson's dark, seedy role was transformed into a satirical alternative that saw the numerous 'hijinks' and PG rated fun in the famous hotel (motel? I can't remember), and Mary Poppins was turned into some evil witch that prayed on innocent children. No real difference there. Zing!

I thought it was interesting when discussing how consumers can also become producers. Then again, I believe that is how at least 90% of entertainment is distributed and thought of. The connection was made in the lecture between 'Star Wars' and the numerous fan-films that have spawned under it's famous name. Somebody produces a film - somebody consumes the film's ideas - those consumers become producers and distribute their own spin on it. Once again, that can be said for a lot of films. Take for example all of these 'dance' movies - how many of them are there? Yea, wayyyy too many. Directors watch a particular dance film and believes they can do an as good, if not better, movie.

Big screen vs small 'screens of life' was also mentioned. It basically detailed the difference between cinema and 'personal media' such as iphones, ipods, etc, and how consuming 'personal media' is quickly growing.

Part 7 - The Fast and the 'Not-so-Insurance-covered'

By golly. This weeks tutorial task had to be the most fun to make. Essentially, our task required us to create a video that continued on from out previous one. I decided to go one step ahead with my 'car' theme.

What we have here is in-game footage from 'Burnout Paradise'. It is a racing game with some of the best, I repeat, the BEST crash physics ever created in a racing game! All footage was captured by me with the help of FRAPS. I themed the video with 'How not to drive a car' to try and ensure some hilarity. It was a great excuse to play this great game and use it for this weeks task.

Also, the footage may look a little choppy. It's because I had to ramp down the screen resolution quite a bit for FRAPS to render a smooth video. I still think it turned out fine though.

Part 6 - The Fast and the Not So Furious

This week's tutorial task asked us to create a video telling some kind of a story. Well, here's mine.

Yea, I know, It's my car. And yes, it's a Nissan Skyline. And yes, I am aware every driver hates me.

Let me clear something up first; I am not a hoon! Partly due to the fact that I chose an auto this time over a manual.

I purchased this beast a bit over 4 months ago, and have been loving it ever since. I have put a lot of time and effort into it and, like any hobby, find it incredibly enjoyable...yet expensive. As it is a Japanese import, much of the parts are fairly hard to find and are very expensive. It was a good upgrade from my 4AGE Corolla Seca sx manual. With the amount of city driving I do, I decided to buy an automatic this time. Its a decent daily driver that really enjoys chewing through the fuel.

Engine: RB25DET (non-turbo though)
4 Speed Automatic (Would like to buy a shift kit sometime later)

Latest Purchases and activity:
- New strut bar
- Blitz POD filter
- Full Kakimoto exhaust system with 3" cannon
- New tyres
- Tein suspension
- Recently had sway bar re-tightened as it was knocked out of place

**Apologies for the picture quality. I had to use my phone's camera as all the camera's in my house have just mysteriously disappeared.

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 4

By far, week five's (26th August) lecture had to be the best. It made up for the absence of any lectures in week 3 and the 'disorientation' of week 4. This lecture focused upon social media and Web 2.0. It went into depth about the networking involved set to an 'ego-centric network system' and the benefits it has upon the user. Essentially, people create online profiles and list interests, hobby's, beliefs, anything. An 'ego-centric' network strays away from the differing individuals and pin points those that share a relative set if common interests to yours.

Web 2.0 related to the rapid growth of the internet and the way a user can access it, socialize with it and interact with it. What dominantly stood out for me in terms of social media were the two concepts of "Attention Economy" and "Economy of Accumulation". These are exactly the theories I feel about sites such as 'Twitter' and all. Call me paranoid, I don't particularly relish upon the idea of a stockpile of information about myself for someone else to know, as well as aiming to create as little attention as possible. Last thing I want is an online stalker!

Trust me, Ive had one of those...

What was really amusing was a video shown during the lecture; a parody of 'Twitter'. Finally, someone understands my frustration! It completely supports my belief that 'Twitter' users possess a heightened ego accompanied with an optimistic outlook of every single person reading their second-by-second updates. This kind of satisfaction can result in a terrible addiction, as mentioned during the lecture. It was also to my surprise about the lack of knowledge about 'mock' websites such as 4chan! Then again, it would be best that no one even heard about it at all...

/b/ - the death of the internet!

What was even more amusing was the amount of more 'mock' content and websites that litter the internet. Websites such as 'arsebook.com' and 'isolatr.com' provide a comedic alternative which, I soon hope, will also provide a cult following for much amusement. The greatest aspect of social media is that it is never inextricably tied to one set of ideas, such as 'social websites to make friends'. It can vary and often ensure hilarious results. And to the people who wake up and find their account stolen or gone? It is highly dependent on the individuals mental condition, environment, real life social status... In short, an ex-'Twitter'er would possibly lose their mind and attend the next rehab class of 'Internet addicts Anonymous'.

"Hi, I'm Bill, and I had 300 followers..."

However, the big question came down to this: Are we consumers? Or are we creators?

In short, yes. We are both. We are human. We are power hungry, attention seeking and often imaginative. I'll target 'Twitter' once again. We consume the sheer satisfaction of a single comment and all the unimaginable joys of being that little bit popular. We consume the techniques others have created to mimic their popularity. We create our own destiny, our own message, to only entice others to do the same. We consume information only to benefit us; to further create and learn from we have consumed.

But often, what we create can ultimately consume ourselves.

A great set of topics to really think and reflect about. I hope to discover more of the Internets 'underground' scene and relish in the fact that, as of this day, I only access 'Facebook' once or twice a week. Life is good.

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 3

With the absence of any lectures in the third week, not much can be said apart from losing money at the Ekka races. Back on topic, the fourth week (19th August) consisted of ways of communicating with people onscreen with aid of the numerous techniques detailed in the lecture. Quite honestly, I was a little lost. It almost felt like I was in a film class. If nothing else, it was indeed informative. I suppose I can relate this to many of the videos I see on 'Youtube' coupled with amateur camera work and terrible editing. It was a great incentive to apply these notes if I plan for any future home-movies.

The lecture detailed aspects of 'screen language' such as head room, body positioning and height. The lecturer discussed the pro's and con's of certain pictures and outlined where one could improve upon that image. To be honest, I had to leave mid-lecture to go to work and cater a wedding. I could write an ENTIRE blog about that, however that wouldn't make much sense to the topic, would it? =P

Lets just say that Greek weddings... are a lot of work...

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 2

In week 2's lecture (5th August), we discussed something very close to my heart - the PC. The lecture detailed the -long- history of the computer, from an over sized calculator to the electronic powerhouse that makes you question the size of your power bill. What followed was a look at the different kinds of PC's one would could obtain. The two distinct rivals, Apple and Microsoft, were mentioned, respectively. It is truly amazing to see how far operating systems have come and the variety of software that is available. Linux was briefly mentioned; a 'free' an independent operating system that currently occupies both my ipod and ps3.

You could say I love operating systems...

What I tend to notice much more often is that 'personal computers'/laptops are almost all branded with the 'Apple' logo. Not that it's a problem or anything. I believe that is something they specialize in and do it well. It may have something to do with the sheer size of most of them; I swear they could fit in a lunch box! Not to mention it's impressive spec's and capabilities...

I've always wanted to buy a laptop with Itunes already installed! **Sarcastic snicker**

Personally, I've always stuck to the traditional Microsoft upbringing. It dons an easy interface parallel to exceptional file managing, creating and storing and features the fantastic and much loved, Microsoft Word.

The internet followed as a line of discussion. It was made distinctly clear that the internet and the 'web' were two totally different things. And to be completely honest, I had no idea. The term 'web' (referring subtly to the internet...interwebz?) is, quote "just one part of the broader internet which includes many other things as well as the Web"...

Ever seen that scene in the movie Scanners? Where that guy's head explodes? Yea. I am pretty confused.

Then again, It is natural lingo for a question to be asked, only to be answered 'just look for it on the 'web' or 'search the internet'. We all interpret whatever answer the same anyway. Aside from this, it was an intriguing look at the many intricacies of computers, software and it's proper definitions.

Nostalgia and New 'Comm - Lecture Overviews Part 1

Week 1 of 'New Communication Technologies' brought with it a definite sense that I had finally found my perfect nichè. Computers? Internet? Multimedia? All the perfect recipe for an interesting and detailed look into how technology has evolved and where it is heading in the future. The first lecture (29th July) explained a basic overview of various 'New Media' applications and technologies. I found it quite interesting throughout the lecture to pinpoint the particular 'media' group (as I call it) one person would belong it. As far as observation goes, I would say at least half the lecture was occupied with the computer illiterate! For such an interesting range of topics, I felt a little out of place regarding most of my surrounding peer's knowledge to the internet. For some, the internet means to simply access the 'Twitter' or 'Facebook' page and begin throwing in updates such as what they found under their shoe.

Oh, here we go again with the ol' 'Twitter' rant...

Sometime during the lecture, Steve Stockwell, our speaker for the day, questioned the amount of people in the room who use a 'Twitter', 'Facebook', 'Myspace' or another other related account. Funny thing was, a vast majority of people in the room who had laptops, when asked the question, failed to put their hands up and listen as they were on 'Facebook' itself!

Ok, now I'm just nitpicking...

Many, many people put their hands up. Scary thing is, I'm sure there are more of them who use it to. I was one of the proud few who kept his hand down as much as possible; my dignity has been well kept. What also struck out to me in the lecture was the topic of 'Convergence' - the ability to combine technology with other forms of media and even businesses. The whole idea does indeed sound effective and I can see much more potential for it in the near future. As we speak, many companies, educational institutes and physical workplaces have 'converged' to these new technologies. I remember an intricate programme my father showed me, released about a year ago, that allows electricians to save themselves much physical labour by simply looking at a laptop. Instead of actually investigating any potential problems in water pumps, this new programme installed on the work laptops reads each pump and will diagnose any problems - with another feature to 'remotely' send the pumps specific commands. Trippy stuff.

Anyhow, the lecture delivered some great points and definitely got me thinking. The real, true and horrifying question was: Whats next after 'Twitter'?
**Grabs shotgun**
I'll be ready for 'em!

Part 5 - The pixelated, the text, and the ugly

As an avid PC user, I have had many online experiences both within the gaming world and through simple boxes of written text. I created an MSN messenger account back in 2004. At the time, It was the ultimate way to socialize; the internet was pure of the 'facebook' and 'twitter' plague that was soon enough going to engulf ego's worldwide. Anyhow, it was a simple, effective and efficient method to deliver any kind of information over the internet to your friends without the use of e-mail. You could send pictures, videos, sounds, anything. You had a brief profile about yourself, apart from that, that was all anyone ever knew about you.

For online games such as my recently played, "Active Worlds", the differences in socializing vary completely. Games such as this allows the player to develop [an often] fully customizable character that closely mirrors the appearance of your real self. Where programmes such as MSN only delivered a small profile, 3D worlds allow you to elaborate upon your persona and give off a unique appearance for other players to see. This can range from clothing to behaviour in-game. How you act in-game can create many outcomes in terms of your social status. Most of the time, you will get away with it. MSN would be more restricted to this idea, as the way you act online would attract the attention of all your friends.

Another key aspect I found within "Active Worlds" was the amount of interactivity. Programmes like MSN is fairly restricted in terms of interraction and focuses solely upon communicating via written text. For 3D worlds, written text is implemented along with a variety of other functions, such as 'emotes'. This allows the player's character to perform physical actions in-game for amusement or to reinforce a reaction. A simple 'wave' in-game is the best way to overcome any awkward introductions, as opposed to the more 'confrontational' method of writing direct messages to them across MSN. Most importantly, 3D worlds are fun.
MSN allows you to play simple flash games such as 'checkers' or 'minesweeper'. A player in a 3D world is playing a game, something that is intentionally designed to be fun.

There are many ways to think where internet socialising can lead us. Programmes such as MSN have recently recognized the growing trend in applications such as "Active Worlds" and frequently provide updates. These range from designing your own background to allowing you to write 'personal messages', twitter style. Overall, IM programmes are good at one thing and do it well; communicating. As for 3D worlds, I can only imagine that the amount of interactivity, and more importantly, gameplay, is further recognized for the player to both have fun and socialise.

Part 4 - 'Scavenger Hunt' answers

All questions were answered with the aid of dogpile.com's search engine. Hilarity ensured.

1. Bicycle helmet while finding his schnitzel (no joke!)
2. September 2nd, 1969 at the UCLA
3. Bill Gates was born on 28th October, 1955, sold most his Microsoft software in 1994 (39 years old)
4. Tim Berners-Lee invents the WWW at MIT in the USA. And Al Gore too, according to dogpile...
5. This one came up with only ads - it's ridiculous! "Buy ATI today, and experience the sensation!" and "Nvidia! Visualize yourself!". Somehow I now have this urge to go and buy a new graphics card...
6. Largest parsnip being 8 pounds, 6 ounces, found out after cycling through many pages dedicated to Star Trek. javascript:void(0)
7. Sometime in 1901, during the referendum after the federation...? And the Tweed River is in New South Wales is becuase it refers to a place in Scotland...and was founded by a Scotsman. Most likely not true.
8. Came up with a list of Australia's famous Air Disasters. I laughed.
9. Byron is still remembered for his love of Duff (...the beer?)
10. Band name was the Black Assassins. Name was Steven Stockwell

Part 3 - New Communication Technology and the Gaming World

Every year, professional gamers known as 'cyber atheletes' gather to one location to challenge other teams in a specific game. In some countries, such as North Korea, being a professional gamer isn't just a hobby - it's a full time commitment. How experienced a player is at a game determines whether or not they take away the prize. This is often a large sum of money or even a brand new PC, usually worth over $5, 000. New communication technologies such as gaming has allowed for a diversity of talent to be introduced to the world and is a growing competitive hobby. With a specific game appealing a vast interest to many people, these competitions can usually draw hundreds upon thousands of people to watch - either at location or on their computers. In this video, the incredibly popular game, 'Counter Strike', is being played with two 'clans' (teams). Competitive gaming is growing more and more popular every year; the games spanning diverse genres and attracting thousands, even millions, of spectators depending on the game. 'Counter Strike' is an intense, reflex focused FPS game in which the slightest false movement results in death. A professional 'Counter Strike' player in the gaming world carries with him/her a greatly respectable identity. It redefines many aspects of new communication technology and the way players interact with not only their friends and ally's, but with the rest of the world.

Part 2 - Technology and Me

Ahh, Technology and me. It's almost like a dog to a bone. A very big one at that. As I outlined in my first blog, computers and I have gone way back. I am proud to say that technology plays an integral role in my life. I couldn't imagine myself today without any access to any kind of technology. I can only guess as to how much more different my life would would really be.

Maybe in some parrellel universe. And where I am the captain of everything and have 100 girl friends.

So, me and communication technologies. As I greatly elaborated (and worshipped) in my first, very relevant post, I currently have had access to the most simplest source of computing to the most powerful, frame-rate crunching rig for about 14 years. I remember typing specific commands into DOS that I would quickly memorize to access my favourite programmes. Whether they be games, basic encyclopedias and even an extremely primitive version of 'MS Paint'. As the years progressed, so did obviously the power, capacity and appeal of computers. Back in the early 90's, a computer was used mostly for work purposes and rarely for leisure. I managed to break that trend quite a few times; I was pretty much the first child in my whole neighbourhood to have a copy of 'Doom' AND 'Wolf 3D', two of the first and best FPS (First Person Shooter) games of all time. It wasn't until the late 90's where I realized the great potential of communication technologies.

Fast Forward to 1997. Currently at school, every child was designated a 'penpal' either from another school or in another class if things got desperate. My penpal and I both had access to a very primitive, and slow, source of something at the time was extraordinary. The Internet. The 'dial-up' noise of numerous squeaks, buzzes and pitches still arouse my senses and delivers a fantastic sensation of nostalgia. I would often laugh at the paranoia of some people, including my parents, as they were brainwashed with propaganda from news headlines that would frequently relate the internet to something of a virus crawling, predator lurking, computer deathtrap. Ultimately, this was my first time I have had access to any form communication technology. As the months and years progressed, soon everybody you knew had upgraded communicating through to e-mail as opposed to to writing letters. It was fantastic in every way. It was simple, efficient and great fun to do. I remember after purchasing another computer in late 1999, I would send off random e-mails to my Dad just for fun.

Another innovative and unique way of communicating with people eventually came in the form of entertainment. In late 1999/early 2000, my love for gaming had taken a giant leap. I would often play 'online' with people from across the globe in a game called 'Counter Strike'. Essentially, the game involves two teams: Terrorists and Counter Terrorists and required the player to choose a side and undertake key objectives. You can be planting bombs, rescuing hostages (depending on which side you choose) or eliminating every single member of the opposite team. It was an absolute blast to play and further made my love for FPS's even stronger.

And now, we move into the darkest era of all....

Yea, call me what you want, I never really got into the whole 'Myspace', 'Bebo', 'Twitter' or any other ridiculous sounding communication technology. I swear the names of these things are getting pretty outrageous. Anyway I won't turn this into a rant or flame war. Quite simply, these sources of person-to-person contact, I believe, are the death of new commuication as we know it. Let me elaborate upon that. Since when did commuicating with friends require an avatar which is usually shot within a dark room with your mum's camera, usually posing? Or require a snazzy background, usually with some popular rapper, singer or sports car? Or even be judged upon how many friends you have, whether you know them or not?

In the year 2007, 'Myspace' was the new black. Everyone you knew, anyone you talked to, had a Myspace account. I must admit, I felt a little out of place for a while. I created one sometime in early 2007 and added a select few of my friends. I made a short profile description about myself and that was about it. Some time later I reviewed movies for enjoyment and posted it on my profile blog. Myspace allowed for much more creativity from it's 'Bebo' counterparts in terms of adding many little gimmicks to your profile page from music, to videos to custom backgrounds. You could also change the colour of your font and write anything you wanted for the world to see. If someone liked what they saw, they would 'add' you to their friends list. I...just...didn't see the appeal of it all. If you wanted to talk to someone, why not use e-mail? Or even call them? Everyone txt's, right? What's wrong with that?

Oh, I know why.

This form of new communication allowed the user to attract the attention they craved so much. I would often come across the profile pages of friends of mine to discover a rebellious side to them I would of never figured. Black backgrounds draped with a depressing layout of melancholy lettering and images; large text usually printed across the header of the page reading 'Screw the corporate world!' or 'Fight the System!', except the wording more...say... colourful. It was a place to deliver controversial ideas and opinions upon the world, society, or anything. Ultimately, Myspace was a place of extremes. Females would hog their pages with sexy shots of themselves, men would detail their page with an immense amount of photos of them flexing their biceps in the mirror, and the rest would post a message or blog every 30mins about pointless, trivial mumbo-jumbo in the hope of someone reading it.

This wasn't communicating. This was egotism at it's very peak.

Personally, privacy isn't an issue. New communications such as Myspace and Facebook, I believe, create an opportunity for people to express who they really are and want to desperately get their opinions across to as many people as possible. Companies such as Facebook and Google who collect information about their users, I still believe, gives them an outlook as to how the 'Myspace' mind thinks. I am some of the many people, I'm sure, who made a profile page 'because a friend told me to'; who visits his page every second week or so to see a photo that was 'tagged' of him. In most cases, privacy can be achieved by setting a 'private' lock on most Myspace and Facebook pages, disallowing anyone attempting to access that page.

Of course with a Myspace or Facebook profile, you are guaranteed to accept the friend requests of many strangers. It's only natural to some to find the profile of somebody else relative or appealing and to add them as a friend. From my experiences, most people add 'randoms' as a means to boost their friends numbers. I don't really do such a thing. Basically, the more friends you have, the more positive message you emit to somebody else as yourself being far more popular. Over the years I have had many 'random' add's from people I have no knowlegde of. I would, say, over 50 people or so? Some people are from the other side of the country, others are from the other side of the world. Some are bands wanting to promote their sound, others are religious groups with pages dedicated to God. I tend to simply accept these requests to be a friend to satisfy any interest they had for me, and then move on. In terms of the difference with these people you don't know and the ones you do - it's very simple. The difference for me is that the people I do know, I keep in contact with and talk to frequently. The people I don't know, I basically respect their interest to add me and maintain my status as a 'friend' of theirs to purpose whatever intentions they have for my addition. If they talk to me, I will talk back, of course. Then again, you never know who is on the other end!

To this day, I use MSN as a source of communication technology. It's a fantastic programme in which you also 'add' a select few of people using e-mail addresses and talk to them. Just like Myspace and all those, you will get 'random adds'. I also continue to play online in a variety of games, such as 'Left 4 Dead', 'Call of Duty 4', 'FarCry' and many, many, many others. I will continue using a variety of new communication technologies for many years to come, and look forward to any new innovations that come it's way.

First blog... Awesome?

Well... this is my first proper blog. I used to create blogs on Myspace and do movie reviews. I reviewed only a few, but they weren't meant to be taken seriously.

Now...where to start...

Yea, I guess I'm like every other 18 year old male. I work, I go out, I play games, I drive a car that cost me an arm and a leg... Japanese cars are expensive. Pity they have such a bad name. My real passion however lies with my love of movies and gaming. I have had quite an extensive history of gaming. It goes WAYY back...

The year was 1995, i was only 4, and I was introduced to my first PC. Well, it wasn't mine; it was my dad's. Underneath it's boxy and ancient exterior lied sheer magic and brilliance. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the videogame, Doom. Graduating from Wolfenstein 3D a few weeks before discovering Doom, it was a massive leap in terms of game play and realism. But to me, it wasn't a videogame. It was like something I had never ever experienced before. It was like the 'cool older brother' you told everyone about. You would invite people over to show it off. It made your parents sick to play it, and you feel proud that you can handle such glorious gore. You would wake up early in the morning just to sneak a few kills in before preschool.

Yea, before preschool.

Anyway this is suppose to be a blog about me, and not a massive homage to Doom. In a nutshell, PC gaming is more than a hobby to me. It's a way of life. I endeavor to share more of my experiences in further blogs.

Bye for now.