Dan:
Good points about the other entertainment features that have been added to Xbox Live that help expand the community. I think having this info in here helps you keep the topic on online gaming communities and not just in the games themselves.
Mike:
It seems like your paper is a report and you're letting us know what can happen and how to avoid it. You might want to make it more argumentative and focus more on how virtual crimes are worse and why. keep the entire paper emphasizing this, including where you are listing the different crimes.
Lee:
You need to focus your argument more rather than just pointing out examples. Focus on the use of YouTube as a medium for this as compared to previous mediums of activism like print or protest. What does this say about our society that we have come to take this activism into the digital realm?
Angel:
Good examples about how teaching kids to use computers aids in closing the digital divide, and aiding in education. I think you have a good topic and argument!
Derek:
Phones good, affect digital divide! Talk about the drastically lower cost of an Internet enabled phone as well versus other ways to access the Internet such as computers, this helps close the divide by granting cheaper access. You can also mention the importance or effect of the mobility of phones versus these other options.
Kristin:
Very good point about how the anonymity of the Internet is often behind cyberbullying, many of the cyber bullies would not do the same things in the physical world that they do online. This is a very viable program, nice work!
Brent:
You mentioned how social networking sites are transparent, causing us to show more of our personal info to the world, but just after that you argued that it's causing people to not be themselves, this is a contradiction you might want to address. Yes the technology is changing us, but is it all for the worse? All you mentioned were bad examples, think about your possible opposition.
Cynthia:
In regards to these groups using the Internet to meet with others like them since there is nothing holding them back, do you think that these groups do or might take advantage of this?
Josh:
Sounds like a very good argument, well focused on how the Internet drives modern activism, both positive and negative. If you wanted another example after the earthquake in Haiti a bunch of musicians and bands got together on Musicforrelief.org where they all took a previously unreleased song and combined them to create an album which they put up for sale for 10 dollars, and 100% of proceeds were donated to Haiti.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Presentation Responses 3
Mark M.:
I like how you used the Love Canal incident to show what environmental activism (or lack of it) was like pre-Internet. I think you could look more into specific websites or more phone and other mobile-based apps that allow average people to make a difference. There is an issue where many people think that the problem is too big for them to impact on their own, and you could try to address that.
Sarah:
Asking different people how they present themselves online is a good source of data given your topic. I personally talk online as if I was talking to a friend, so it's much more casual, where in person I might be a little more professional or use different vocabulary if I'm in person. Maybe looking into how other people talk online versus real life could be something worth looking into.
Cassie:
You could possibly look into the comparison between learning on a social networking site versus previous offline teaching methods. You mentioned how a social networking site can bring out kids that don't normally talk in class, this could be a good focus for the paper. If you wanted to elaborate on this big point you could see how being online can remove the anxiety of talking in public or in a classroom and see how it affects different kids.
Dena:
There is a lot of legalese in your argument, and you might need to focus it down a little. Maurice suggested picking a specific law and focusing on that, going more in depth to the implications of it. Or I think Julie brought up a very good idea and focus on how due to these laws you mentioned, social networking sites are leaving you on your own. There is nothing you can really do about online bullying on these sites because the hosts cannot be held accountable, you can then bring in the law information to show why you're left on your own, which is the main argument.
Michelle:
Good job using an argument that is very focused on a specific use of digital interfaces to bridge the gap between physical and digital space. It's like a different form of the digital divide, making computer interaction easier for new users because they can relate it to the physical world.
Brittany:
Your paper sounds a little too much like a report right now. You had a lot of great facts and info on the topic, but you might want to make it more argumentative. Perhaps talk about what the use of mobile marketing says about our society and where we might go. Then you could use the great example of Minority Report, which funny enough I wrote down only about 15 seconds before you talked about it and showed it. You are then open to talk about the positive or negative aspects of direction we are heading.
Mark B.:
Rather than focusing on how Blizzard is changing WoW, you could use the changes as examples for the main argument of social interaction in online games. You can also mention how more serious players sometimes go out of their way to accomplish something tough, like soloing an instance like you said. What does this say about gamers as well? We want to accomplish something that is a challenge, yet the game is being oversimplified. At what point will it become too easy and watered down that Blizzard starts losing a large portion of their serious players?
Chris:
Very interesting topic, I never really thought about the different divides we create for ourselves online in our communities. You could compare how we categorize and form groups with other people of similar interests and backgrounds in real life and how we continue it online.
I like how you used the Love Canal incident to show what environmental activism (or lack of it) was like pre-Internet. I think you could look more into specific websites or more phone and other mobile-based apps that allow average people to make a difference. There is an issue where many people think that the problem is too big for them to impact on their own, and you could try to address that.
Sarah:
Asking different people how they present themselves online is a good source of data given your topic. I personally talk online as if I was talking to a friend, so it's much more casual, where in person I might be a little more professional or use different vocabulary if I'm in person. Maybe looking into how other people talk online versus real life could be something worth looking into.
Cassie:
You could possibly look into the comparison between learning on a social networking site versus previous offline teaching methods. You mentioned how a social networking site can bring out kids that don't normally talk in class, this could be a good focus for the paper. If you wanted to elaborate on this big point you could see how being online can remove the anxiety of talking in public or in a classroom and see how it affects different kids.
Dena:
There is a lot of legalese in your argument, and you might need to focus it down a little. Maurice suggested picking a specific law and focusing on that, going more in depth to the implications of it. Or I think Julie brought up a very good idea and focus on how due to these laws you mentioned, social networking sites are leaving you on your own. There is nothing you can really do about online bullying on these sites because the hosts cannot be held accountable, you can then bring in the law information to show why you're left on your own, which is the main argument.
Michelle:
Good job using an argument that is very focused on a specific use of digital interfaces to bridge the gap between physical and digital space. It's like a different form of the digital divide, making computer interaction easier for new users because they can relate it to the physical world.
Brittany:
Your paper sounds a little too much like a report right now. You had a lot of great facts and info on the topic, but you might want to make it more argumentative. Perhaps talk about what the use of mobile marketing says about our society and where we might go. Then you could use the great example of Minority Report, which funny enough I wrote down only about 15 seconds before you talked about it and showed it. You are then open to talk about the positive or negative aspects of direction we are heading.
Mark B.:
Rather than focusing on how Blizzard is changing WoW, you could use the changes as examples for the main argument of social interaction in online games. You can also mention how more serious players sometimes go out of their way to accomplish something tough, like soloing an instance like you said. What does this say about gamers as well? We want to accomplish something that is a challenge, yet the game is being oversimplified. At what point will it become too easy and watered down that Blizzard starts losing a large portion of their serious players?
Chris:
Very interesting topic, I never really thought about the different divides we create for ourselves online in our communities. You could compare how we categorize and form groups with other people of similar interests and backgrounds in real life and how we continue it online.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Presentation Responses 2
Katie S.:
I agree with your point that public libraries are underrated, it would be good to encourage students to go and use them more, as it's the cheapest way for them to access the Internet because they don't have to buy their own computer. If you have a chart showing computer usage before and after the training and schooling it would help hit home to those you are proposing to that the program is working and that they should continue it. You might also want to look into how computers and games will enhance learning over conventional non-digital teaching methods.
Beau:
I think your main argument should definitely be how playing games prepares us for future technologies, as you have some very good examples to back it up. Like Julie said, the point about technology feeding off the gaming community is a very good thesis option to focus your paper on.
James:
You might want to focus as well on how the attitude towards teaching with and learning from games changes as the gamers of today become the parents of tomorrow's students. Our generation looks at games in a much more positive light because we grew up playing them, as opposed to our parents who don't see the benefit of today's games.
Hans:
You could try focusing more on the interaction between virtual and physical spaces that we meet in rather than the digital divide. You had a lot of information that showed how we commute to social networking sites to talk to our friends more than physical places to talk with them. If you do this then you won't have to worry about the access issue of the digital divide that Julie mentioned was a problem. If you want to continue to focus on the digital divide then you'll have to address the issue like she said.
Spencer:
A very good example that I was going to mention that James also alluded to was talking about the game America's Army. It's the game the U.S. Army made to try to emphasize realism and combat tactics in an effort to educate gamers towards military combat. When it was originally made there were a lot of games which were very unrealistic so the Army wanted to put out a game more true to real life and maybe bring in some new recruits at the same time. They even released it for free download so that they could get a lot of people to play it. You could use this as a great example of how even trying to make a realistic game doesn't prepare someone for the reality of combat, even if it is made by the Army.
I agree with your point that public libraries are underrated, it would be good to encourage students to go and use them more, as it's the cheapest way for them to access the Internet because they don't have to buy their own computer. If you have a chart showing computer usage before and after the training and schooling it would help hit home to those you are proposing to that the program is working and that they should continue it. You might also want to look into how computers and games will enhance learning over conventional non-digital teaching methods.
Beau:
I think your main argument should definitely be how playing games prepares us for future technologies, as you have some very good examples to back it up. Like Julie said, the point about technology feeding off the gaming community is a very good thesis option to focus your paper on.
James:
You might want to focus as well on how the attitude towards teaching with and learning from games changes as the gamers of today become the parents of tomorrow's students. Our generation looks at games in a much more positive light because we grew up playing them, as opposed to our parents who don't see the benefit of today's games.
Hans:
You could try focusing more on the interaction between virtual and physical spaces that we meet in rather than the digital divide. You had a lot of information that showed how we commute to social networking sites to talk to our friends more than physical places to talk with them. If you do this then you won't have to worry about the access issue of the digital divide that Julie mentioned was a problem. If you want to continue to focus on the digital divide then you'll have to address the issue like she said.
Spencer:
A very good example that I was going to mention that James also alluded to was talking about the game America's Army. It's the game the U.S. Army made to try to emphasize realism and combat tactics in an effort to educate gamers towards military combat. When it was originally made there were a lot of games which were very unrealistic so the Army wanted to put out a game more true to real life and maybe bring in some new recruits at the same time. They even released it for free download so that they could get a lot of people to play it. You could use this as a great example of how even trying to make a realistic game doesn't prepare someone for the reality of combat, even if it is made by the Army.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Presentation Responses 1
Lorena:
I liked your fact about the 40,000 internet police in China searching for banned terms and keywords, acting as Internet police, it definately shows how serious the Chinese government is about controlling information. You also mentioned how China blocks all social networking sites, which brings up an internesting topic to look into, whether you want to or not in your paper. How do people develop differently in China without the use of social networking sites compared to us?
Sheila:
I agree with Julie that focusing on Club Penguin and the way kids made a gendered space out of a gender neutral one would be very interesting. Since you are still focusing on gender representation on the internet you can then show how kids move on from Club Penguin to Facebook and other networking sites as they grow up and how they then further identify with their gender.
Maurice:
Using Benedikt as a source is very on topic, as many of the definitions talk about how Cyberspace is equally accessed from anywhere in the world. You might want to focus a little more on how you can monitor your crops in real time and show how that can effect your production as well as focusing on the ability to monitor weather.
Corrinda:
You could possibly talk about games versus books since you mentioned how many teachers think reading is the most important. There is a lot of reading in games, not as much now that there is voice acting in them but I remember growing up on old Final Fantasy games on consoles and having to read enough text to fill a book, and that same text is playing out a story just like a book does. How can games like this coupled with the interactivity of a game enhance the learning rate compared to just reading a book that is static and unchangable?
Kat:
I think it would be good to also focus on the differences between candidates that used the Internet and those that didn't, compare their poll numbers. It might also help to look at how by using websites like Youtube to get his points across, Obama was able to bring a record number of young voters out on election day, and historically, those younger voters are usually completely ignored by candidates because of their low voter turnout.
I liked your fact about the 40,000 internet police in China searching for banned terms and keywords, acting as Internet police, it definately shows how serious the Chinese government is about controlling information. You also mentioned how China blocks all social networking sites, which brings up an internesting topic to look into, whether you want to or not in your paper. How do people develop differently in China without the use of social networking sites compared to us?
Sheila:
I agree with Julie that focusing on Club Penguin and the way kids made a gendered space out of a gender neutral one would be very interesting. Since you are still focusing on gender representation on the internet you can then show how kids move on from Club Penguin to Facebook and other networking sites as they grow up and how they then further identify with their gender.
Maurice:
Using Benedikt as a source is very on topic, as many of the definitions talk about how Cyberspace is equally accessed from anywhere in the world. You might want to focus a little more on how you can monitor your crops in real time and show how that can effect your production as well as focusing on the ability to monitor weather.
Corrinda:
You could possibly talk about games versus books since you mentioned how many teachers think reading is the most important. There is a lot of reading in games, not as much now that there is voice acting in them but I remember growing up on old Final Fantasy games on consoles and having to read enough text to fill a book, and that same text is playing out a story just like a book does. How can games like this coupled with the interactivity of a game enhance the learning rate compared to just reading a book that is static and unchangable?
Kat:
I think it would be good to also focus on the differences between candidates that used the Internet and those that didn't, compare their poll numbers. It might also help to look at how by using websites like Youtube to get his points across, Obama was able to bring a record number of young voters out on election day, and historically, those younger voters are usually completely ignored by candidates because of their low voter turnout.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Internet Activism and the Iranian Elections
I feel like I'm probably not the only one that is going to be doing this topic as it seems to fit the blog question very well. The 2009 Iranian elections in which sitting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won re-election even after all the national polls showed his rival the clear favorite. When the results came in, Ahmadinejad won a landslide 62% of the votes to Mir-Hossein Mousavi's 37%.
After these results, there were protests in the streets, where many citizens used their mobile phones to take photos and video of the police attacking protesters and shooting tear gas into the crowds.
Although there is a public display of democracy with Iran, it is widely seen as a dictatorship due to the amount of control that the government has over it's citizen's lives. The Iranian government controls Internet access and censors the traffic coming in and out of the country. However, the protesting citizens were able to get around this by using Twitter to post information to the web, detailing the violence and government brutality towards it's people. Iranians were able to upload photos and video which were the only sources of information out of the country which were picked up on by the global media.
Large news networks used this Twitter-based reporting and mobile phone video to show the world what was happening and how the Iranian government is oppressing it's people. This is a great example of how the Government can't control everything, and that they weren't able to keep up with new media and technology. With the rapid evolution of mobile technology, everyone now has the ability to be their own news reporter, taking mobile video and photos and uploading them on the spot.
After these results, there were protests in the streets, where many citizens used their mobile phones to take photos and video of the police attacking protesters and shooting tear gas into the crowds.
Although there is a public display of democracy with Iran, it is widely seen as a dictatorship due to the amount of control that the government has over it's citizen's lives. The Iranian government controls Internet access and censors the traffic coming in and out of the country. However, the protesting citizens were able to get around this by using Twitter to post information to the web, detailing the violence and government brutality towards it's people. Iranians were able to upload photos and video which were the only sources of information out of the country which were picked up on by the global media.
Large news networks used this Twitter-based reporting and mobile phone video to show the world what was happening and how the Iranian government is oppressing it's people. This is a great example of how the Government can't control everything, and that they weren't able to keep up with new media and technology. With the rapid evolution of mobile technology, everyone now has the ability to be their own news reporter, taking mobile video and photos and uploading them on the spot.
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