"Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for ME."

QotW10: A second life, live it to the maximum.

2007-04-07T03:22:00.000-07:00

This is my character in Second Life. The tuxedo was edited to be low cut, so the grey areas actually should not be there. Hence, the entire freaky Hong Kong gangster image was ruined.

That's me flying at Freebie Warehouse.

This is him close up. (In case you cannot notice, those are blue star shades. :) )

Kopi peng jik puay!!!

Faith, Baoling and me

This is the area I'm going to talk about, The Combat Arena. (an empty one at that)

This the firing range in the arena. Firing boards can be brought forward and refreshed. By the way, I used a Benelli shotgun.

This is my character in all its glory. Armed to the teeth with a katana, Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, a double light saber, a machete and no less, a cigarette.

My character's name is Terence Juutilainen. Those that know me in real-life should know that I am in no way like my character. I do not have such an insane hairstyle, nice tan and well-built body. In addition, I do not wear accessories, such as the necklace and earring. Though the blue star shades do look amusing or funky, no one in his right mind would wear that and walk around the streets. Lastly, I do not carry weapons around, mainly because it is illegal.

It is precisely because I am unable to do what my character can in the game that made me design him in such a way. To be honest, I would love to wear such a "liberating" tuxedo and carry a Japanese katana around. But thankfully for society, that would be illegal and frowned uopn.

The place I have chosen is a place called Combat Arena. It is a place where characters are free to fight it out with any other characters. It is basically a free-for-all in that area, allowing characters to fight with any other character in the arena. In addition, there is a two-lane firing range in the middle of the arena. In there, characters are free to let loose with any firearm they have. With two simple clicks, the firing board in back to mint condition and ready for characters to litter them with bullets again.

This is the beauty of Second Life. Like most other online role-player games, Second Life allows users to customize their characters such that it can help users realize their fantasies. Though Second Life is definitely more than about satisfying gamers' fantasies, with its depth, it can easily satisfy the fantasies of any vivid imagination.

QotW9: A "Foothold" In News?

2007-03-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Free speech is defined to be the right to express any opinion in public without censorship or restraint. Not only is it highly desired by the masses in most societies, it is also an important element in the growth of the United States of America. (Gillmor, 2004) It limits power consolidation by gifting everyone in society a powerful right, the right to voice out whatever they want. Through such a right, and with proper altruistic motivations, free speech might be another facet in which justice can be prevailed. One good example would be muckrakers. Muckrakers are people who perform the public service function of journalism by exposing a variety of outrages. (Gillmor, 2004) But over the years, people have realised the importance in the functioning role of people like the muckrakers. This realization has led to the rise of citizen journalism.

Citizen journalism, also known as "participatory journalism," is the act of citizens "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information". (Citizen journalism, 2007) With respect to present technology, citizen journalism can take place online in the form of blogs, forums, chat rooms and wikis.

Basically, as long as one is able to reach out to the masses online, it can be considered a medium of citizen journalism. However, not all disseminations of information can be considered as citizen journalism. The intent of such participation must be to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires. (Citizen journalism, 2007) Hence, an ideal form of citizen journalism must not only be able to reach out to the masses, but must also be reported in a way that serves to inform others without any changes in the message intended.

In the Singapore context, there is an avenue of citizen journalism that is easily accessible. It is an online website set up by a local newspaper, The Straits Times. Going by the name of STOMP, short for Straits Times Online Mobile Print, it is a website which will "deliver content which is interactive and which will help develop new communities of Singaporeans bonded together by shared interests". (STOMP, 2007) Through the website, Internet users are able to post pictures or contribute to forums about anything perculiar they have seen, or anything that interests them. By offering a freedom of posting whatever any user deems perculiar or interesting, STOMP does indeed encourage citizen journalism.

Is STOMP a medium of citizen journalism? Yes, it is. It offers any user the opportunity of communicating to the masses about anything deemed interesting. But is STOMP an ideal form of citizen journalism? A resounding "No".

Citizen journalism should be carried out by those who are educated enough to take part in the wired conversation, who have the technical skills, and who are affluent enough to have the time and equipment. (Gillmor, 2004) Citizen journalists should have the ability to make news which will give new voice to people who’ve felt voiceless—and whose words we need to hear. They should be showing all of us—citizen, journalist, newsmaker—new ways of talking, of learning. (Gillmor, 2004)

With respect to STOMP, the information posted on that website just does not seem formal or informative enough to be considered news. Rather than formal news, which are more organised and formal, the information on STOMP is informal and might be posted by individuals who might not even be able to think critically. Though it can be argued that such a format attracts readers who regard formal news as boring and gives everyone a voice, anyone possessing critical faculty will not treat information on STOMP with much seriousness. Personally, I do find the information on the website interesting. But I tend to be sceptical when posts by individuals deals with issues that are controversial. The individual who posted such information could indeed be an authoritative figure in that particular field, or could be an 8 year-old child making a rant out of boredom.

For STOMP to give readers a sense of credibility, a couple of policies could be enacted. For example, altruistic individuals who wish to post on the website should register for an account. Though such a feature might seem redundant, this additional effort required in order to post information would deter those who are just posting for fun. This would ensure that those who sign up at least have a certain amount of altruistic motivation to contribute information. In addition, STOMP could create another section on their website which caters to formal news. For example, important local news could be posted in that section by writers in a formal format. This will serve to improve STOMP's image of an information website. Furthermore, another section could be included which caters to formal discussion about any topic. Done in a blog format, it will promote critical thinking through feedback, in the form of comments.

Hence, STOMP is indeed an avenue for citizen journalism, albeit not an ideal one. For it to gain credibility and recognition, it needs to introduce some formal content into its website, which might encourage critical thinking. Though it is an informal citizen journalistic website now, STOMP can indeed be regarded as a reliable source of information should it introduce formal content.

References:

“Citizen Journalism” (March 29, 2006) From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism

Gillmor, D. “We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People” (July, 2004). Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://download.nowis.com/index.cfm?phile=WeTheMedia.html&tip

STOMP (2006) From Singapore Press Holdings
Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://www.stomp.com.sg/

QotW7: "Hi, I Twitter, do you?"

2007-03-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

"A virtual community or online community is a group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet." (Virtual Community, 2007)

Given the boom in technology that was brought about when we entered the Electronic Age, the online community is just one of the many changes in our way of living. With the help of computers, along with their software, Online communities have sprung up one after another in rapid succession in recent years. (Fernback & Thompson, 1995) Howard Rheingold wrote in his book, The Virtual Community, that:

“people in virtual communities use words on screens to exchange pleasantries and argue, engage in intellectual discourse, conduct commerce, exchange knowledge, share emotional support, make plans, brainstorm, gossip, feud, fall in love, find friends and lose them, play games, flirt, create a little high art and a lot of idle talk,” which is basically “just about everything people do in real life.” (Rheingold, 2000)

In other words, Internet users are finding a second life online, where their online identity could be very different from their real-life one.

Online communities have become a supplemental form of communication between people who know each other in real life. (Virtual Community, 2007) One good example of such an online community would be Twitter.

Twitter is a social networking service that allows members to inform each other about what they are doing and what they think. It allows users to send messages via phone or instant messaging. (Twitter, 2007) After being a Twitter member for three days, the above quote from Wikipedia is true. This online social networking site does allow users to send text messages via mobile phone or instant messengers. In addition, the social network of a user would consist mainy of other users which he knows in real-life.

Virtual communities form when people carry on public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships. Furthermore, a person is motivated to contribute valuable information to the group in the expectation that one will receive useful help and information in return. Indeed, there is evidence that active participants in online communities get more responses faster to questions than unknown participants. (Virtual Community, 2007) In Twitter, the activity and responsiveness of any user is very evident. This is due to Twitter's messaging system working somewhat like a bulletin board, whereby everybody on the friends list would receive any message posted by the user, regardless of who the message was meant for.

According to some feedback from users on Wikipedia:

"Fans say they are a good way to keep in touch with busy friends. But some users are starting to feel "too" connected, as they grapple with check-in messages at odd hours, higher cellphone bills and the need to tell acquaintances to stop announcing what they're having for dinner." (Twitter, 2007)

The feedback very true, given that a user will view messages posted by friends on the list even if those messages were meant for someone else. Though messages would often state who it is directed at, imagine receiving spam along with your email. Though spam are just random junk emails sent to masses, these emails will no doubt cause inconvenience when trying to view your own emails from acquaintances. However irritating and inconvenient its messaging system may be, it is very hard to deny that Twitter is indeed an online community.

References:

Fernback, J. & Thompson, B. (1995). "Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure?" Retrieved March 13, 2007 from http://www.rheingold.com/texts/techpolitix/VCcivil.html

Rheingold, H. (2000). The Virtual Community. Retrieved March 12, 2007 from http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/3.html

Twitter. (2007, March 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:08, March 16, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twitter&amp;oldid=115504050

Virtual community. (2007, March 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:56, March 16, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virtual_community&oldid=115277136

QotW6: Constant Scrutiny

2007-03-10T00:10:00.000-08:00

"Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to control the flow of information about themselves" (Privacy,2007)

In the current Electronic Age, technology knows no bounds. Just as anyone is able to attain tons of information online, so can anyone else. With enough expertise in technology, information online is a free-for-all for everyone. Though this situation indeed seems to picture a splendid future, its costs to individuals can be incredible as well.

For instance, increasing numbers of individuals are attaining self-revelation online. Self-revelation is when people try to prove their trustworthiness by revealing details of their personal lives to prove that they have nothing to hide before a crowd whose gaze is turned increasingly on all the individuals that compose it. (Rosen,2004)

In an online context, self-revelation is easy to attain, given the easy access to setting up a blog or social network account. Through such personal sites, which generally are associated with a large online public, not only is self-revelation easy to attain, but online privacy problems as well. Imagine, someone revealing details of his personal life on a public blog or social network. That is tantamount to contributing his personal details to the public information on the Internet, where a simple google search by anyone, from a five year old child to a serial hacker, would mean a possible theft of identity.

"If "information is power", then it follows that personal information in whatever form, or of whatever nature, confers power to the owner of that information" (Privacy,2007)

With respect to the quote above, I do not fancy the idea of giving away the power over my information online. Though I do not have a blog, I do have a social network account on Friendster. However, unlike most individuals who state personal details on their profile, Mine just says my age, sex, marital status and "A man of few words" under the section of "About Me".

Rosen defines the personal brand as 'a perception or emotion, maintained by somebody other than you, that describes the total experience of having a relationship with you.' (Rosen,2004) Personally, I feel that the personal brand is better left establishing in the real-life context. Online, anything you share would be made into countless copies, given the automatic backing up of data in computers. In addition, information you provide on the Internet could be monitored at any point in time. That is the exact reason why I do not leave much personal details on my Friendster account. In the same context, that is also why I do not have a blog, or leave much details of myself on this blog.

Privacy experts say an important point to keep in mind, especially since most of these sites are free right now, is that privacy policies can change. (Zephoria, 2003) For example:

"Free services sometimes evolve into very marketing-driven services," says Stephen Keating, executive director of the Privacy Foundation in Denver. (Zephoria, 2003)

Hence, though the path which the Electronic Age provides promises plenty of benefits to everyone, we have to be careful of the possible traps or loopholes along the way, for it is our privacy and identity that is at stake ultimately.

References:

Privacy (7th March, 2007). In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 10th March, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Privacy&oldid=113354124

Rosen, J. (July 19, 2004). The Naked Crowd: America's culture of self-revelation spells the end of privacy and the promotion of a smothering conformity. Retrieved on March 8, 2007 from http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CA5FF.htm

Zephoria. (October 30, 2003) Having Lots of Online Friends Could Mean Privacy Trouble." Retrievd on March 8 from http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2003/10/30/privacy__friendster.html

QotW5: Is it really me writing this?

2007-02-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

"The bottom line for online threats like phishing, spyware, and hackers is identity theft. ID theft occurs when someone uses your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other personal information without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. That’s why it’s important to protect your personal information."
(ID Theft, 2005)

Identity theft is a growing problem online. For example, it is one of the fastest growing types of frauds in the United Kingdom, with 8% of UK PC users falling victim to online fraud and 15% knowing someone who has been targeted by an internet criminal. (Security Report: Online Identity Theft, 2006) This represents a serious problem for internet users, unless they are made aware of how they can protect themselves from the cause and possible consequences.

Identity theft can happen in many possible avenues online. Be it in forums, blogs, emails or even online games, perpetuators can somehow find a way to steal, or mimic, your identity. One good example of identity theft would be in forums.

With reference to QotW4, where I talked about a forum which I participate in, Ultimatecarpage.com, identity theft can be easily accomplished there. In addition, any user's reputation can be easily tarnished as well. To an online user, building reputation and establishing one's online identity provides a great deal of motivation. (Donath, 1996) Hence, identity theft and it's subsequent damage to one's reputation can not only create tons of problems for any user, but can dishearten further participation by the user as well.

As the same with other online mediums, in forums, reputation is enhanced by posting intelligent and interesting comments, while in some others it is enhanced by posting rude flames or snide and cutting observations. (Donath, 1996) Though the mannerisms are different, they share the same bottom line: reputation is enhanced by contributing remarks of the type admired by the group.

In the case of Ulitmatecarpage.com, I establish my identity and reputation on the forum by posting comments about cars. Some users pay more attention to the design and appearance of cars, while most others are more interested in the specs and mechanisms. I belong to the first group, appreciating cars more for their appearance. Hence, when it comes to discussing the external designs of cars, I tend to have a better reputation.

To put it differently, my words carry more weight when it comes to discussion about the appearance of cars. However, that is not to say that my comments about the specs of cars can be ignored. Through many discussions on the forum, I have learnt much about the specs of cars as well, and am able to contribute to any discussion about cars. Therefore, together, both kinds of users will be able to give a multi-faceted discussion about any car, be it its appearance or specs.

Though I do have my own style of writing, I lack any unique signatures in my posts to clearly indentify myself from others. Signatures are used to anchor the virtual persona to the real world person. (Donath, 1996) For instance, in forums, signatures can be comments placed under a user's chosen nickname, or the the bottom of all their posts. Though my identity has not been stolen yet, it is suffice to say that any other user can assume my identity rather easily.

All the identity thief needs to do is to create a new account under a very similar nickname, copy my style of writing, and there it is: a second me. Given that I do not employ the usage of any unique signatures to make myself look one-of-a-kind, it takes rather little effort to steal my identity in the forum. Hence, in the case of forums, signatures that set any user apart from others is indeed important. Though it will require more effort on our part, it will require much more effort on the part of the identity thief.

References:

Donath, J. (1996). Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community. Retrieved February 20, 2007, from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

ID Theft. (2005, September). Retrieved February 22, 2007, from OnGuard Online Web site: http://www.onguardonline.gov/idtheft.html

Security Report: Online Identity Theft. (2006, February). BT Group, Retrieved February 22, 2007, from http://www.btplc.com/onlineidtheft/onlineidtheft.pdf

QotW4: The "Give and Take" economy; You give, I take.

2007-02-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

A gift economy is an economic system in which the prevalent mode of exchange is for goods and services to be given without explicit agreement upon a quid pro quo (a favor for a favor). Typically, this occurs in a cultural context where there is an expectation either of reciprocation—in the form of goods or services of comparable value, or of political support, general loyalty, honor to the giver, etc.—or of the gift being passed on in some other manner. This can be considered a form of reciprocal altruism. In other cases, gifting is done without implicit expectation of reciprocation. (Gift Economy, 2007)

In addition, Rheingold (1993) has described interaction in one online community, being the WELL, as consisting of a gift economy, in which help and information is offered without the expectation of any direct, immediate quid-pro-quo. Even in more anonymous settings, such as Usenet discussion groups, there is a surprising amount of free help and information given out, often to complete strangers whom one may never meet again. (Kollock, 1999)

A gift economy depends upon the creation of debt. What is at stake is not the things themselves, or the possibility of material profit, but the personal relationships that are formed and perpetuated by the ongoing indebtedness. (Gift economy, 2006) Things in the gift economy are the effective controllers of social bonds. In addition, people assume the form of objects in a commodity economy while they assume the form of persons in a gift economy.

According to Arne Naess, a Norwegian philosopher of deep ecology, suggests that we are at last moving towards a larger sense of self, a self which includes the planet. Joanna Macy, another deep ecologist, puts it:

"The obvious choice is to extend our notions of self interest. For example it would not occur to me to plead with you, 'Oh, don't saw off your leg. That would be an act of violence.' It wouldn't occur to me because your leg is part of your body. Well so are the trees in the Amazon rain basin. They are our external lungs. And we are beginning to realize that the world is our body." (Pinchot, 2000)

If Joanna Macy and Arne Naess are right that a larger sense of self is spreading rapidly, then the growing health of our larger self will constitute a success more important than the triumph of our little self over our neighbors. (Pinchot, 2000)

One type of gift economy would be forums. An example of a forum would be Ultimatecarpage.com. As can be seen under the site title, "Powered by knowledge, driven by passion". From this saying, the site author's intentions are clear. He wants to create a website about cars that is powered by everyone's knowledge of cars, and driven by the passion for cars of every user. By just registering for free, any user will be able to browse through the enormous archive of cars that were ever invented. In addition, besides being able to gain some insight into the specs of cars, there is a discussion board whereby users can talk about anything under the sun, from cars to their own personal life. Self taken pictures of cars can be posted as well. It is through these features that altruism is able to thrive. The users do not post material for profits, but rather with the intention of adding to a body of knowledge.

In addition to the example above, I would like a point out a common misconception of gift economies.This misconception would be that Peer-to-Peer networks are gift economies as well. However, it is to the contention of Michel Bauwens, an Internet pioneer, that this is somewhat misleading. According to him:

"The key reason is that peer to peer is not a form of equality matching; it is not based on reciprocity. P2P follows the adage: each contributes according to his capacities and willingness, and each takes according to his needs. There is no obligatory reciprocity involved. In the pure forms of peer production, producers are not paid. Thus, if there is 'gifting' it is entirely non-reciprocal gifting, the use of peer-produced use-value does not create a contrary obligation" (Bauwens, 2005)

Hence, though the function of P2P networks may resemble that of a gift economy, it does not consist of the altruistic mindset that defines a gift economy.

References:

Gift Economy. (2007). In: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved February 7, 2007, from, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gift_economy&oldid=105681971

Kollock, P. (1999). The economies of online cooperation: Gifts and public goods in cyberspace. Retrieved February 7, 2007, from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.htm

Pinchot, G. (2000, June, 29). The Gift Economy. Business On A Small Planet, 41, Retrieved Febuary 07, 2007, from http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC41/PinchotG.htm

Ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved February 10, 2007, Web site: http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame.php

Gift Economy. (2006). In P2P Foundation [Web]. Retrieved Febuary 7, 2007, from http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Gift_Economy

Bauwens, M. (2005, December, 1). The Political Economy of Peer Production. CTheory.net, Retrieved Febuary 07, 2007, from http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=499

QotW3: Copyright, a catalyst to true creativity

2007-02-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of original works of authorship. Original works would include literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. (Copyright Office Basics, 2006) This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. (Copyright Issues in Digital Media, 2004)

Copyright, thus, is a way which allows artistes, authors or composers to be identified with their productions. Be it songs, books or movies, copyright prevents such productions to be duplicated wantonly. Besides the main function of ownership, in my opinion, copyright also functions as a form of quality control. The very fact that others will not be able to duplicate copyrighted work, without the owner's consent, will serve to promote innovation. (Martin, n.d.) Hence, it is through its restricting nature that copyright is able to serve as a form of quality control.

In addition, I regard copyright as a catalyst to the various creative industries. For without copyright, an author will not be able to be identified with his work. To creative professionals, their work is their life. They take pride in their work. Their work is their livelihood as well. In my opinion, without copyright, creativity will be stifled, contrary to some claims. Hence, copyright is indeed a catalyst to profits, which in turn drive the creativity of the best composers, singers and authors.

However, the advent of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology has seriously undermined the authority of copyright.

Users of P2P programs, such as Limewire, Kazaa and bittorrent, are able to share files with one another online. As a result, copyright is brushed aside as users simply send songs, movies and even digitalized books to one another. On programs like Limewire, which connect on the Gnutella server, a song which is five megabytes large can be transferred in five minutes on a broadband connection. On the other hand, on Bittorrent programs, an entire music album, which, for example, could be 80 megabytes in size, can be transferred in under an hour. With these kinds of download speeds, it is no surprise that large amounts of internet proficient users now rely on such networks to get songs and movies, instead of buying them. Needless to say, the profits of the copyright owners have consequently been heavily compromised.

Unfortunately for copyright owners, the P2P technology is here to stay. Hence, the future of P2P file-sharing is entwined, for better or worse, with copyright law. (Von Lohmann, 2006) To protect the interests of the copyright owners, not only have many P2P users been fined, but makers of file-sharing programs and companies that provide products that rely on or add value to public P2P networks have been targeted by new copyright laws. (Von Lohmann, 2006)

An example would be the MGM v. Grokster ruling in June 2005, which announced a new form of secondary liability:

"[O]ne who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties."
(Von Lohmann, 2006)

The, in a way, liberating file-sharing technologies and the copyright movements have created two stands in a fiercely contested issue. On one hand, there is a strongly held opinion of some that it is in the interest of the public to make information free. This opinion has also been the driving force for a subtle movement that pushes for information and material to be more accessible.

Organizations like the Adelphi Charter, Creative Commons, Open Source Software and Open Journal have been created, seeking to redress an imbalance in the system and hopefully to improve creativity and innovation. (Martin, n.d.) In the minds of those who share a common mindset, by removing copyright, everyone will have a chance to utilize whatever information they can get their hands on. For example, disc-jockeys will be able to remix any song they want. Students will be able to quote directly from any source to as to justify an argument. All information will be freely accessible, unrestricted by copyright.

On the other hand, there are others who are promoting copyright and against file-sharing. People who take this stand are mainly those who own copyrights, such as record labels. Personally, I follow this stand supporting copyright. As mentioned earlier, I regard copyright as a catalyst to profits for the content creators. These profit-driven creators are then given the incentive to produce quality products, which will subsequently serve as great entertainment for the public.

I believe that by supporting copyright, we will be accommodating both the interests of content creators and the public good. For without the incentive of profits, the creativity and drive of content creators will be lacking, resulting in less quality goods for the public. Hence, in my opinion, though it may seem that copyright is against the public good, it is quite the contrary. Copyright might actually indirectly be in the interest of the public good.

For copyright to be effective, I believe that better technical and social structures are required. For example, the U.S. Copyright Office increased basic registration fees to $45 per application with effect on July 1st, 2006. (Copyright Office Basics, 2006) Though $45 might still seem insignificant as compared to owning a particular work or creation, an increase in fees is in not exactly a sign of encouragement for those supporting copyright. In addition, recent technical improvisations, such as music compact discs which are unable to be duplicated, have been good progress. But the amount of cd-ripped mp3s are still abundant, showing that music is still able to be ripped for the public good.

As for the social structures, I believe that stricter laws should be enforced to punish those who infringe on copyright. In addition, I believe that the general public has to be informed about respecting the ownership of created content. Though contenders for the public good argue that free accessible information helps build creativity, I think the contrary. Copyright helps build creativity instead. In my opinion, true creativity is reflected when creating something from scratch, and not simply building on existing foundation.

References:

Copyright Issues in Digital Media. (2004, August). Retrieved February 1, 2007, from Congressional Budget Office Web site: http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=5738&sequence=0

Copyright Office Basics. (2006, July). Retrieved February 1, 2007, from U.S. Copyright Office Web site: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wnp

Hirtle, Peter B. (2003). Digital Preservation and Copyright. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center Web site: http://fairuse.stanford.edu/commentary_and_analysis/2003_11_hirtle.html

Martin, Rebecca. Remix culture: a rights nightmare. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from ABC Online Web site: http://www.abc.net.au/catapult/indepth/s1645533.htm

Ovalle, C. (2005). “What is copyright?”. University of Texas at Austin, Course INF 312. Information in Cyberspace. Retrieved on January 30, 2007, from
http://sentra.ischool.utexas.edu/~i312co/3.php

Von Lohmann, Fred (2006, January). EFF: What Peer-to-Peer Developers Need to Know about Copyright Law. Retrieved February 1, 2007, from Electronic Frontier Foundation Web site: http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/p2p_copyright_wp.php

COM125 Week2: Instant Messaging

2007-01-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

In recent years, any regular Internet user should know the following programs: IRC, ICQ, AOL and MSN. To those who are unfamiliar with these terms, they are the names of several popular instant messaging programs.

Instant messaging, or IM, is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. (Wikipedia, 2007) Due to its efficiency and accessibility, in addition to its free usage, IM has rapidly become a vastly popular program for Internet users. Though modern Graphic User Interface (GUI) based IM clients only came about around 1996 and 1997, being ICQ and AOL respectively, the first few IM clients were invented in the 1970s. (Wikipedia, 2007)

One of the initial IM clients would be UNIX. UNIX was originally a research tool for programmers and an operating system for use by scientists and students. (Rheingold. 1993) Subsequently, it then expanded onto the local network, and eventually across the Internet.

The Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, is another predecessor of modern GUI-based IM clients. Like other IM clients, The IRC is a form of real-time Internet chat, or synchronous conferencing. (Wikipedia, 2007) It is also designed for group communication in discussion forums, known as channels, one-to-one communication and data transfers via private messages.

However, modern GUI-based IM clients look very much different from their predecessors, such as UNIX and IRC. As can be inferred from its name, the Graphic User Interface, or GUI, allows the user to use an interface to interact with a computer. In addition to text, GUIs also employ graphical images and widgets to represent the information and actions available to the user. (Wikipedia, 2007)

The foremost GUI-based IM client would be ICQ, which was developed by Mirabilis but bought over by AOL in 1998. In addition to the initial GUI functions, ICQ now includes sending text messages with offline support, multi-user chats, free daily-limited SMS sending, resumable file transfers, greeting cards and multiplayer games. Other features included a searchable user directory and POP3 email support. (Wikipedia, 2007)

A more recent and popular GUI-based IM client would be the Windows Live Messenger, often referred to by its users as MSN. It was initially called MSN Messenger and was developed by Microsoft in 1999, aiming towards users at home. Similar to its competitors, MSN also allows messages to be enlivened with graphical emoticons, also known as smileys, Flash animations called winks, animated display pictures, styled text, and many more with third-party add-ons. (Wikipedia, 2007). However, in 2006, to incorporate with Microsoft's online service and software, MSN Messenger was renamed to Windows Live Messenger. An interesting point to note is that in Latin America and Spain, MSN is known as "el messenger", or "the messenger" in English, as other IM clients are not popular where they are.

How I use the Internet today is largely influenced by the development of Instant Messaging clients. In fact, along with my music player, my IM client, Windows Live Messenger, is perpetually on whenever I'm at home.

Given how customizable IM clients are in recent times, what display picture you chose, what font and the colour of it that you use and even the amount and type of emoticons you utilize can reveal much about you. For example, from the display pictures I normally use, others can easily tell I'm a car enthusiast.

Another aspect about IM clients is the way it can show your online availability status. Though the main purpose of utilizing IM is to have an efficient and accessible way to communicate with others, there are times when you do not wish to be disturbed by just anyone. For example, when you are watching a video, MSN or ICQ automatically sets your online status to busy. This way, others will know that you are in the middle of something and will only message you if the matter is important.

The most important function of MSN to me is the instant messaging aspect. By using IM clients like MSN and ICQ, others will be able to talk to you whenever they like and vice versa. This way, my coursemates and I will be able to discuss projects and assignments very conveniently. Should I need any clarification on any subject, my friends are just a couple of clicks away.

Another important function of MSN to me would be file-transferring. It is through this function of my IM client that I'm able to share and receive pictures, songs and assignments from others. Thankfully for this function, my friends and I need not upload our files on servers then send others the links for them to download; all we need to do is just transfer the files directly to who we want through MSN.

Hence, by offering its users a hassle-free way of transferring files among one another, IM has no doubt affecting the way many people are using the Internet, including me.

References:

Graphical user interface. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUI

Instant messaging. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_messaging

Internet Relay chat. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat

MSN Messenger. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Msn_messenger

Rheingold, H. (1993). Visionaries and Convergences: The Accidental History of the Net. The Virtual Community. New York: Perseus Books. Retrieved from http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/3.html

Unix. In Wikipedia [Web]. Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix

Me, all about ME

2007-01-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

Hi, I'm Wei Yang.

Welcome to my blog, which will be mainly about my COM125 course, so don't expect too much on my personal life :) Let me introduce myself properly first.

I'm 23 this year and currently still an undergraduate. I have quite a wide range of interests. These would include listening to music (my itunes is on whenever i'm at home), sleeping (my bed is my best friend.....besides whisky...), cars (aston martins are my fave) and a new found interest of martial arts, which I have picked up a few months ago (and just got hit in the mouth 3 days ago...)

I used to love running alot, but sad to say I stopped running last year and as of now, I'm no fitter than any average guy squatting at some kopitiam.

I don't really like to read, but have recently tried to pick up a habit of reading to improve my knowledge and grades. Recent books would include The Mckinsey Way, which is a very insightful book by the world's top strategy consulting firm.

Hopefully through this blog, I'll be able to gain an insight to how critical my thinking actually is and of course, get an A for COM125.

Well, that's about it. I'll be back with some COM125 stuff for my next post I guess. (unless I get whacked in training again, then I might lament about that online.....). Till then, take care.