sk8er boi

QotW10: Introducing anilad Decosta.

No bonus there for guessing why i chose anilad as my avatar name. I can't really think of any interesting name at the moment so i decided to just flip my name backwards. Besides , it's my alter ego, so why not just switch it around. And i've always been fascinated with latin names, thus Decosta as a surname. Cheesy huh..
Anyway, i wanted to look like a rock chick (like whatever..), and this is the closest rock chick looking avatar i found. anilad is pretty much like dalina. Except that she's much more cool and much more taller.

I teleported my way all over SL. So here i am at Magnatune. A really cool place where i enjoyed myself a lot. There are many genres of music i can listen to here. And i can click on the info box to find out more about the music and artist. COOLNESS!!
Oh ya..notice that i'm wearing a Magnatune shirt which i got for free!!!



So here i am listening to a bit of rock..I love the seat.








And here i am playing the piano(yeah rite..)








I'm about to enter the New Age genre..








There's a dance floor..it's the chicken dance! Ya..there's a bag which you can click on and there's tons of dance moves in it.







How about some metal..








And surprise surprise..there's book mooch here too!!



I'm really glad i found this place. It's the perfect place to relax and listen to any music you prefer. Apart from getting cross-eyed and dizzy, i enjoyed exploring SL. Yet another new way to socialize.

QotW9: STOMPing...

Citizen Journalism

Today’s news can be brought about by ordinary individuals like you and me. As defined by Wikipedia (2007), citizen journalism is the act of citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information (participatory journalism). Traditionally, news are brought by professional journalists or reporters but with change in technology, comes the introduction of citizen journalism or rather the rise of it. This way, not only are the news more saturated but voices that were once 'unheard' are now projected. Journalists work around a certain parameter. With contributions from ordinary folks like us, stories which journalists are unable to provide become available.

There are many ways citizen have found to make their stories heard.
1) Blogging - a venue where not only bloggers create sensational news but readers can post in fruitful comments.

2) Forum groups, mailing lists

3)Sousveillance - another form of citizen journalism where people in turn become watchdogs and record on the happenings around them, even those of higher authority. (photos and videos)

So what has changed?
The way news are reported have revolutionized, more medium to reach the masses, news are varied and audience have also transformed from being passive to being active.


STOMP!

The rise of the citizen journalist will help us listen. The ability of anyone to make the news will give new voice to people who’ve felt voiceless—and whose words we need to hear. They are showing all of us—citizen, journalist, newsmaker—new ways of talking, of learning (Gillmor, 2004). This is what the Straits Times has invested in. Coming out with a website - Straits Times Online Moblie Print (STOMP), it aims to engage Singaporeans in providing their own news or opinions. With the definition of 'citizen journalism' in mind, STOMP clearly falls under that category.

The website features columns such as 'Singapore Seen', 'Talkback', 'English as it is Broken' which gives the citizen an opportunity to send in and share their stories. Although not entirely headed by the citizen ourselves as what an ideal citizen journalism should be, the editors are there to act as gatekeepers. Still, STOMP is still considered as citizen journalism. As long as people with journalistic instincts are able to publish their work and contribute news.

Cherian George's view are in contrast. He does not consider STOMP to be citizen journalism as it merely responds to the issues asked by the editors. He also believes that the basis of citizen journalism is to do its own agenda-setting and putting the public on top, not on tap (George, 2006). True.

But in my opinion, any form of response or report from the public is still citizen journalism. Unlike the professionals, we need something or someone to trigger us to ponder. Thus, when the editors post out a question or mission, it generates thought from the public. We need to hear from normal people too. Views from the professionals may differ from the public. This results in news being brought out from various perspectives. It's the very basic idea that citizen are allowed to engage in journalism, be it responding to a question or putting out comments, that makes STOMP a form of citizen journalism.

STOMP basically covers all areas of interest. Entertainment, food, fashion and shopping. Maybe politic is not that greatly covered because of its sensitive nature but it could be included so as to make this website more thought provoking. In addition, to make the public more active, editors could give out reward to those who contribute. Like what George has mentioned in his blog, to put the public on top, STOMP can feature the top contributors or give a special mention to those who come out with original stories.

References

George, C. (2006). Singapore:New Media, Politics & the Law. Is STOMP citizen journalism?. Retrieved March 31, 2007 from http://singaporemedia.blogspot.com/2006/07/is-stomp-citizen-journalism.html

Gillmor, D. (2004). We the Media. Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People. Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://download.nowis.com/index.cfm?phile=WeTheMedia.html&tipe=text/html

Wikipedia. (2007). Citizen Journalism. Retrieved March 30, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism#Criticisms

QotW8: Politics..

New Media

With the advent of blogs, moblogs, podcasts and vodcasts, news are now efficiently reaching the audience. As a form of new media, blogs can be a channel for political news or agendas. As such, the Singapore government has decided to take on a 'light touch' approach to regulating the Internet. However, such medium too can bring about controversies. When it comes to politics, people have to be careful of what they say or write.

By definition, democracy is 'rule by the people'. Democracy allows the poeple to voice out their opinion. Control is limited and freedom of speech is widely practiced.

The blog that i came across discusses heavily on topics regarding the Singapore government.

Blog Title: a little fish finding her way in the world
Blog URL: http://charissaishere.blogspot.com
Blogger's Occupation: citizen blogger
Blog's DOB: 24/10/2006
Technorati Rank: 156, 018

A citizen blogger, Charissa takes on a less formal tone when blogging about politics. She even put up a disclaimer, letting readers know that her posts are just her own views and does not intend to insult anyone.

One entry that was written discusses the extent to which freedom of speech will reach here in Singapore. She reviewed the forum that went on at NUS titled "Freedon of Speech - How far can we go?" Interestingly enough, she finds that freedom of speech may exist here in Singapore but is not greatly encouraged.

However, I feel that what really matters is not the real examples, but how Singaporeans feel and perceive the environment to be like. Even if they are opening up, the society (through laws, defamation law suits, the existence of ISD, fearful friends and family etc) seem to continue playing a part in stifling freedom of speech. For example, family who "advice" their child/brother/sister to not "talk too much" about politics online (Charissa, 2007).

In another paragraph, she stated that freedom of speech is much more limited among the politicians than the citizens. The reason being that it is the politicians themselves that are bearing the brunt of the regulations.

Politicians are suppose to represent the people's opinions and try to initiate social, economic and political changes (hopefully for the betterment of Singapore). If they find it difficult to maneuver around the restrictions, then how are they suppose to articulate their views and champion causes beneficial to Singaporeans? (Charissa, 2007).

Charissa does not feel the need to side anyone or any parties. Her entries are merely opinions and discussions. Like what she said in her profile, she would rather Singaporeans rid themselves of the thought that they are not able to make a difference. I feel that even though citizens are more daring in putting up thought about politics, there is still a void that needs to be filled. People are not doing much to make a change.

I believe that blogs make way for greater democracy. The ability for individuals and smaller groups with fewer resources to present their points of view to a large number of people is much more viable (Thornton, 2002). Opinions are heard and views are put across. But i still feel that there is some kind of control that restrict citizens from making a change.

PM Lee also revealed the government’s distrust for the free-wheeling world of cyberspace. He told Singaporeans that “if you read something on the Straits Times or CNA (Channel NewsAsia) you must know it is real“, unlike what is on TalkingCock. He warned Singaporeans to be “sceptical” and not believe everything they read, as “there will be half truths and untruths which will circulate, and you won’t know which is which” (The online citizen, 2006). With such comments, there is a tinge of animosity towards blogs that put up political views, especially those that are contradicting. Well, that is my opinion at least. And i feel that that is a form of control put subtly.

In order for democracy to furhter emphasized, i think that the governmetn should at least take into considerations views that are put up and not dismiss them entirely.


References

Charissa - A little fish finding her way in the world. (2006). Retrieved March 23 2007, from http://charissaishere.blogspot.com

The Online Citizen. (2006). Review-The Politics of Singapore's new Media in 2006. Retrieved March 23 2007, from http://theonlinecitizen.com/2006/12/31/review-the-politics-of-singapores-new-media-in-2006/

Thornton, A. (2002, October). Does Internet Create Democracy. Retrieved March 23, 2007 from http://www.zip.com.au/~athornto/thesis_2002_alinta_thornton.doc

Qotw6: I'm not telling..

The term 'Omnipticon'- many are watching the many (Rosen,J., 2004) can easily instill a sense of fear and heightened awareness among us. Knowing that strangers are scrutinizing our lives and monitoring our behavior, privacy is being put at stake. However, the need to be accepted in a society, to be recognized and to be able to stand out in a crowd, people are willing to risk privacy and expose themselves. The dilemma then is how do people maintain at least a certain amount of privacy but at the same time letting people know more about themselves. It seems that privacy is at the losing end. According to a survey conducted by MSNBC.com, 60% of Americans feel that their privacy is slipping away and that it bothers them. (Sullivan,B., 2006). Unfortunately the statistic remains only as a statistic. Only a small percentage of people alter their behavior to protect their privacy.

Being involved in a few online communities myself, i seldom face any difficulties in maintaining privacy mostly because the anonymous setting allows me to reserve the right to self revelation. On the other hand, i find myself wanting to reveal a little bit more so as to get accepted. As what Rosen (2004) has mentioned in his article 'The Naked Crowd', trustworthiness and intimacy are achieved through revealing details of one's personal lives. With the advent of blogs and personal websites, one can easily know about another person daily lives and activities. Getting more personal online, people believe that they are being heard and recognized. There is an innate desire to be known to everyone. The line between privacy and self exposure is a blur now.

People need to understand that there are certain information that are appropriate to reveal to friends which are not appropriate to reveal to the world. For example I would prefer to let people know details of myself that are relevant to which community I am in. I feel it is unnecessary to disclose personal information such as my daily activities, marital status or income. In an article written by Gary Marx (2004), we need both liberty and order, a little bit of privacy and anonymity. He also mentioned that being anonymity can hide dastardly details and visibility can prove accountability. But, too much visibility can hinder freedom of expression, creativity and risk-taking. I strongly agree in his point of view, which i think is especially applicable in a Singapore context. Unlike the Americans, Singaporeans are a more reticent group of people. While Americans are anxious in creating an identity and joining the Naked Crowd, we value privacy a little bit more. There is no doubt however that we are also moving in the graphomania stage where there is a longing to express ourselves in writing before unknown readers (Rosen, J. 2004). But again, we have to consider the risks that might be involved if we disclose too much. Privacy needs to be taken into account no matter how much we want to be included in society. Trading privacy for the 'illusion' of being accepted may not be worth it in the long run.

Reference

Marx, G,T. (2004). Surveillance and society. Encyclopedia of Social Theory. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from http://web.mit.edu/gtmarx/www/surandsoc.html

Rosen, J. (2004). The Naked Crowd. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CA5FF.htm

Sullivan, B. (2006). Privacy Lost: Does Anybody Care?. Retrieved March 8, 2007, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15221095/print/1/displaymode/1098/

QotW5:Who am I..

Establishing an identity and a reputation is equally important in face to face interaction or in an online setting. However, unertainty is a factor in the virtual realm and so there is a need to place emphasis on identity in order to facilitate interaction. It is also due to uncertainty that people are able to create false identity.

We present ourselves differently in the real world and in the virtual world. The real world provides a more stabilized identity with the presence of physical matter (Donath, S.J., 1996). The virtual world on the other hand can only offer so much. Lack of physical cues require someone who is conversing online to provide more information. In situations where physical contact is absence, it is easier to pose as somebody else. Like how people can make prank calls, online chatrooms can also be a place for people to manipulate others.

Human being is multifaceted. We posses multiple personas. It is not to say that we are not being our 'true' selves, but instead we are able to adapt ourselves to different situations. Suler (2002), explained that cyberspace offers a niche for each of these specific facets of selfhood. Online chatrooms serve as a venue for us to communicate with poeple of similar interest. Sometimes we enter several chatrooms that cater to out specific interests. According to Suler, we can express and develop specific interests and life experiences while setting aside others. This means that if we are in a group devoted to music, we may not need to talk about it in another group that discusses political issues. There are times when we present our true self, while there are times when we take on a different persona. Why?

I believe that the anonymous setting allows us to eliminate certain information that we might not want others to know. I prefer to use my real name in e-mails as it is easier for my contacts to identify me. To me, the purpose of e-mails are to send and recieve messages. In chatrooms however, i go by a nickname taken from a character from a book. This is because, unlike e-mails where most of my contacts know me face to face, chatrooms are full of strangers. In such context, privacy is one of the factors, one hides his true identity. Although we may be the same person, but the manner in which we converse or interact may differ. Without revealing our true identity, we may actually express ourselves more freely. Bargh (2002), discovered that anonymity creates an atmosphere where an individual is free of constraints and expectations from those who know them in real life. People who are socially inept benefit from this anonymous situation. They are unable to gain a sense of belonging in real life but may in fact feel safe online.

Other than creating an online identity that is different from our real life identity, we can also establish a certain reputation in the virtual world. Words make up fro the lack of physical cues. How people precieve us depends on the tone and style of writing. Again, anonymity play an important role. We can choose not to disclose certain information or we can fabricate stories to create an impression. Besides the tone and style we convey online, the username you choose, the persona or avatar you assume in an online community are also important aspects of how people manage their identity in cyberspace (Suler, 2002).

As easy as it is to create or make up an online identity, the more easy it is for someone else to assume our identity. People can wish to change user name whenever they enter a chatroom. As a result, there are users with bad intentions who take on someone else's nicknames. Reputation can be tarnished and it may be hard to identify which one is the real user. Anonymity can also prove to be negative. An example would be online communities, where users want to be unknown because they are making negative remarks or flaming somebody else. However someone has been involved in the chatrooms or communities long enough for others to recognize him through his tone and style, it may be harder for other users to steal his identity.

In conclusion, the two characteristics of online communites namely, uncertainty and anonymity, can be beneficial or harmful. It is an advantage as we are able to express ourselves without any restriction and explore the various facets of our personality. Unfortunately identity theft can ruin one's reputation and loses one's significance in a particular community.

Reference

Bargh, J. (2002). Can You See the Real Me? Activation and Expression of the “True Self” on the Internet. Journal of Social Issues, 58(1). Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.sim.edu.sg/ehost/pdf?vid=11&hid=117&sid=27ba6674-d80f-4444-8c70-248153f6f55a%40sessionmgr9

Donath, S.J. (1996). Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

Suler, J.R. (2002). Identity Management in Cyberspace. Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 4, 455-460. Retrieved February 22, 2007, from http://www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/identitymanage.html

QotW4: Internet=Cookies? Yumm...

Share That Cookie
Remember when you were young and you had to bring your lunchbox full of cookies and sandwiches to school? When it was time for a break, you spent your time sharing your cookies with friends.

Bays and Mowbray (1999) used cookies as a metaphor to describe the internet. The idea that cookies are usually shared among children applies to the internet, where various information are being shared everywhere. Cookies can also refer to web cookies which are pieces of data chosen by the web server and then sent to the browser.

Labeled as a Gift Economy, the internet has given users the oppportunity to give and receive content all for free. This generous act allows users with similar interest to share anything without expecting anything in return. However, the rule of reciprocity makes sharing a full cycle. You give and you will tend to recieve. That is the essence of Gift Economy. It is interesting to know that people are willing to give advice or information to complete strangers knowing that they will not gain any monetary profit. There are some things for free after all.

As Kollack (1999) has put it, the motivation of gift-giving is not necessarily altruistic but on the other hand for self-interest. Although not expected, a return of a favor is usually the case in virtual networks. Since a group of people share the same interest, it is only appropriate for them to exchange ideas, information, knowledge and offer help among one another. These information or services are like pool of resources for the individual members to use to their benefit. Just like sharing your cookies with your friends, you don't expect any return of favor immediately but you know that one day it will be your friend's turn to share.

In a community where everyone is similar in one way or another, there is a need to stand out and make yourself heard. Reputation is also a motivating factor in the act of sharing. According to Kollack, the impression created will be based on the contributions made and in turn increase identification in the community. Wouldn't it be flattering if your friends praise you for your delicious cookies and generosity? Keeping up with the reputation motivates a person to constantly contribute to the community and thus benefit those around him. Indeed, the cookie, a term closely related to the Internet, makes a good metaphor to explain the Internet itself as a Gift Economy.

Gift.Is.Free.Take it!

Being an amateur blogger, I tried exploring the different sites related to blogging. I came across sites that allows bloggers to personalize their blogs by choosing the desired template or skin. In my opinion, skinning communities can be considered as a gift economy. In technical terms, skins are custom graphical appearances that can be applied to certain software and websites (Wikipedia, 2007). Sites like Skinz.org and www.blogskins.com , are where community of bloggers design their own blog skins and share it among other users. Best of all, they are free! In addition, members are able to help, give some tips and suggestions through the forums. Under the user's account, other members can also comment on the skin design.

Blogging is taking place in a large scale today such that several communities are set up as venues for fellow bloggers to display their artistic talent, gain constructive comments and learn from each other. Another positive outcome of such communities is that bloggers can also forge relationships with one another. As much as it is for self-interest, i believe that altruism is also a key component in a gift economy where friends help those in need. As more people contribute to the blogging community, a synergy is created. An article by Timothy Wilken posted in The Future Positive (2007), explained that synergic help is when "other individuals understand that by helping you, they will in turn be helped, they will automatically help you.... This is the power of the win-win relationship." 1+1>2 is the equation for synergy where the sum of individual contributions will be exceed the actual sum of contributions. To put it simply, when one person contributes to the blogging community, another person will also shares his input and together, they will not only benefit the rest of the community but also unintentionally take blogging a step further in the virtual world. Each contribution and ideas is significant to the community.

Wilken added that synergic relationships are marked by low conflict with high effectiveness and enormous productivity. He also states that interdependence is the human condition which in my opinion is another component in the gift economy. In the blogging community, members depend each other for help and it is what that moves the economy. Again, we see how members work together to keep the community going. Similar interest, generates passion and dedication as they coorporate to promote blogging or rather activities related to blogging (skin design etc.). As each contributions can possibly increase the size of the group like what Kollack has mentioned, the community will stand to gain more recognition.

In conclusion, Bays and Mowbray cookie metaphor explains clearly the gift economy in terms of giving and receiving without any payment or return of favor expected. Like the skinning community, members have gained extensively by contributing their ideas and works. The cycle goes on as other members continue to receive and in turn contribute their share.

Reference

Bays,H.,Mowbray,M. (1999). Cookies, Gift-Giving and the Internet. First Monday, 4(11). Retrieved February 8, 2007, from http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue4_11/bays/index.html

Future Positive: Gift Economy. (2007). Retrieved February 9, 2007, from http://futurepositive.synearth.net/stories/storyReader$223

Kollack,P. (1999). The Economies of Online Coorporation: Gifts and Public Goods in Cyberspace. Retrieved February 8, 2007, from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.htm

Wikipedia: Skin(Computing). (2007). Retrieved February 9, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_(computing)