"Introduction and theoretical foundations to new media" - essay

Digital culture

In this essay I would like to give a short review of digital culture. What and who creates it and what kind of influences can 'the creation' have to the society?

People use Internet every day. It is quite hard to imagine life without computer, far from Internet. While interacting in the web sharing thoughts, playing games, blogging, learning, listening music and doing more than that people are creating and also taking part of something incredible, which can be called digital culture. Behind every click there is a story - why this particular person is looking for this particular thing, why people interact in web not in real world..

What is digital culture?

It is hard to define it one-for-one, but it can be said that culture is the mix of people learned behavior patterns, attitudes and artifacts. It involves traditions, habits and customs, peoples feelings and interactions. It is like the total sum of the ways of life of people in the Internet[1]. It is like mass collaboration where people together create something big.

I am going to talk about some opportunities in digital culture: using and creating social softwares and networks, blogs, computer games, Second Life and search engines.

Social softwares and networks

Social software is a web-based software systems, where people can upload their pictures, share their information and interact with other people. Now very popular sites Orkut, Flickr, MySpace, Facebook or Rate in Estonia have quite a big influence to the society. Beside the fact that these environments helps to manage friends and show pictures to them, there is also back side. For example in the Estonian news there were recently under consideration a story about the young 14 year old boy, who committed suicide. Young boy's ant has gathered information and is quite sure that there is something to do with Internet pervert, who is manipulating with young boys by asking them to take pictures and show themselves naked in the camera. Afterwards he/she starts to blackmail youngsters until their life is ruined or there is no life any more.. (M. Kärmas, 2008).

Blogs

Blogs or time webs are interactive environments, where a word has the strongest power. The word ‘blog’ which has lately become very popular in Estonian media, was implemented in 1999 September. This word is derived from a phrase ‘logosphere’, which means ‘world of the words’ in creek [2]. For what and to whom are blogs? Blogs are used by people who find it interesting, who wish to share thoughts with others, to advocate some product, service or view of life, to promote business and many other reasons.
But blogging has also its fare share of social affects. Some months ago one girl’s experiences of blogging were discussed through journalism. She opened herself to people not realizing what effect this had to the blog readers. This case took to actual money payments, but bad things gone worse, the money did not fulfill its initial purpose by the opinion of blog readers. It led to the disappointment and accusations of deception. This example shows how readers intrude bloggers personal life, but with their own permission. When writing a blog one should always consider the consequences (D. Lomp, 2008).

Computer Games

Starting from earliest days of networked computers, games have always been part of the culture. A game is a structured activity which is usually undertaken for enjoyment and is often used as an educational tool [3]. The reason why people often play them is that they have some sort of mental stimulation and people can test themselves through the games components (goals, rules, challenges and interactivity), which are also the components of life.
There are many types of computer games: puzzle games, racing games, strategy games, card games, casino games, shooting games and so on.
Games can have very positive influence to the people. Gaming gives lessons which can also be used later on in life: problem solving, thinking skills and skills to know how to loose or win (Gamesworks, 2007).
But games can also have some negative impact - addiction. Addiction is a situation when a person feels obsession or compulsion to do something specific and reduces the interest of outside of the activity. In this case playing video games. There was a panel on game addiction in January 2003 where game addiction problems where discussed quite detailed.

Second life

Second life is a 3-D virtual world, which is created by its residents. Slogan: "Your World. Your imagination. " tells already quite enough. It means that in Second Life there are no limits, one can have there a house, can have business or even marry with some guy, can have anything which exists also in real world, but can own it virtually, at least at first.
Steven Morris is writing in his article about a British couple who are divorcing because man-side had 'second life' in Second Life. Woman told that although it was in virtual world, it impacts to the real world as well (Steven Morris, 2008). This article shows very well that virtual feelings and virtual thoughts can influence real life and change it forever.

Search engines

Web search engines are designed to find information from World Wide Web. Information may be of every description: web pages, images, information, videos, or any other type of files. As search engines have already born, people are used to use them every day and cant imagine their life without them. At least I do. James Thomas wrote an article about his experience not using Google search and any Google service at all. Although it seems impossible to me, it seems he has managed to do so - one just have to get used to the other services ( Yahoo, Msn, Ask).

To sum up it can be said that digital culture is in its own way the same as real culture - same problems, same opportunities, same patterns of actions. One thing that is different is that in digital world it is easier to create content.
There is one great video about Machines are Us/ing Us by Michael Wesch. This video shows how easy it is to create digital content and how everything is connected. The author also points out one important idea about acting in Internet: "We should rethink a few things ... copyright, authorship, identity, ethics, aesthetics, rhetorics, privacy, governance, commerce, love, family ourselves.. " [4].

So one should always consider before the 'click' in the Internet, what are the consequences and does the action influence the digital world.

Who are behind digital culture?

Don Tapscot and Anthony D. Williams has spoke out in "Wikinomics" quite well:
"Blogger and media consultant Jeff Jarvis points out that even a simple act of consumption in this new world is now an act of creation. Small acts like tagging bookmarks, sharing photos on flickr or searching on Google creates collective benefits as much as private and yield a richer Web experience and "the wisdom of crowds" which can help people to discover content and improve search results. He asks: "Who owns that collected wisdom of crowd?" Obviously, the crowd does."

References:

Dagmar Lamp, 2008 -
„Blogi andis mulle pulmakleidi, aga viis ära peigmehe” [http://blog.tr.ee/post/481624]

Tapscott, Don & Williams, D. Anthony, 2008 -
Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything

Gamesworks, 2007 -
http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Games-Improve-Thinking-Skills-Problem-Solving-and-Fun_W0QQugidZ10000000000827899

Steven Morris, 2008 -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/13/second-life-divorce

James Thomas, May 2007 -
http://www.centernetworks.com/my-life-without-google

Mihkel Kärmas, 2008 -
http://www.ekspress.ee/2008/11/20/eesti-uudised/5446-missi-ajujaht-netiperverdile

[1] - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture
[2] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogosphere#cite_note-0
[3] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game
[4] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Chapter 13 - Against intellectual property

In 1998 Brian Martin published a book "Information Liberation". Man from Australia is trying to analyze corruptions of power in information society by being a provocative to put people to discuss it, not just going with the flow[1].
In the third chapter 'against intellectual property' he is describing the situation in marketplace of ideas and is explaining why there should not be the opportunity to own the ideas. In his perspective we should have a chance to use ideas like we use language every day.
Alternatives:

• everyone should have the chance to use ideas exactly when they want and how they want ( language, scientific knowledge)
• Plagiarism - copyrights provide very little protection.
  
• Royalties - should be done some changes in economic system. Those, who are dependent on royalties should get a salary. This would reduce income for many successful creative persons, but more money would be available for other creators. And also in many cases the money will go to the corporations and creators get only few percent..
  
• Stimulating creativity - he acclaims that rewards will not reduce the quality of innovaters work, because of their natural interest to certain topics.

Strategies for change

Change thinking - I like the idea about changing the way of thinking. This would not be helpful only in this matter, but this would also help in any other field. Reorganizing way of thinking will definitely help to have a different approach while talking about intellectual property.
Expose the costs - I agree with this idea as well. Everything costs money, especially such a big system and its operations.
Openly refuse to cooperate with intellectual property - power of masses - if there are too many people who are refusing to be law-abiding, there would be too many people to punish and intellectual property system could be challenged.
Promote non-owned information - I am in favor of using and promoting freeware or any other information where restrictions are eliminated.
Develop principles to deal with credit for intellectual work - I think that crediting is almost the same as copyright problem - still somebody wants to get the rights/fame ... dont know the good word for it:)

"A majority would probably be better off financially without intellectual property, since they wouldn't have to pay as much for other people's work."

I agree with this statement, but also think that while trying to change something in 'owning intellectual property issue' it should be done in a little at a time - then there is time to get used to with new laws?.

Chapter 12 - Social engineering

Social engineering is skill to manipulate with the people to get the confidential information or to get people do things the way one like it.

Lately there has been quite many stories in Estonian newspapers and in the news about one woman called Liis Haavel who is manipulating people to get money or any other asset from them.

She has studied law and know all the necessary terms to talk very convincingly. Her main victims are old men who are living alone in the house or apartment and who doesn't have wife.

Here is one candidate version how she is doing that.
She is meeting her victims in random places (near the victims home) and starting to have conversation. She is asking all kind of things about their lives, what they are doing and so on.
She is very kind and warm and very soon men start to think that this woman is the love of their life. She is young and beautiful and everything one could ever dream of.
When one victim sold the summerhouse he bought her a car and gave her rest of the money, and also most of the salary went to the Liis's hands. As Liis was very smart she convinced the old man to get the mortgage to the apartment and get some loan to 'earn' money. He did. Later on he also sold the house to pay the loan and again rest of the amount went to Liis.

Like this she is playing and manipulating with older people and this is not the only case. There is more of them..

Chapter 4 - Blocking software - Net Nanny

First I was surprised how easy it was to configure. Few clicks and everything is under control. Is it?
I am sure this software can be used for some other purpose (blocking some sites at work ..), but I am looking the case where parents want to forbid their children access to certain information in the web.
First I was blocking following possibilities: pornography, gambling, intimate apparel, adult/mature, drugs/alcohol, hate/violence, illegal activities, proxy.
I was trying to search with the following words: vodka, Pina Colada, flirt, sex, adults, shooting, lingerie and etc.. Nothing suspicious appeared.

* When I was looking for words gun in different versions I was able to read 'How to choose a handgun', How to use gun sights for target shooting and etc. I was surprised. I blocked 'violence'..

* When I was looking for word 'pleasure' - then there were some pictures which was quite surprised, that i could see, for example 1, and I was able to see some small pictures of woman in lingeries, when I clicked on them the blocking window appeared. After some time I didn't see these pictures anymore, although I didn't change anything in the settings. Weird.

* I was looking 'drunk', 'how to get drunk fast' and etc.. Seems that everything is working there..

* I was looking 'erotic and all the Web content was blocked, but I was able to see pictures. .. Its because I didn't block the images. But its weird. Parent has to block the images and videos, because otherwise child can see the inappropriate content. But if child is looking for flowers, dogs, cats, he/she is not able to see pictures at all. Some development needed there..

If child is trying to look something forbidden from Internet and overrides the request, parent gets the notice via email or can just look it themselves without any notices. And also there is possibility to make reports of web page uses.
I think this is worth to buy as it really limits the access to the certain pages.

Chapter 10 : How minority groups can make use of Internet?

When I started to write the blog, I didn't know exactly how to start. As there can be all sort of minority groups, I didn't know which one of them to take as an example.

Finally... I decided to choose disabled and handicapped people.
According to the Statistics Estonia research in 2007 there are approximately 2000 children age of 0-24 who are disabled. 1200 of them are under 16 years old. This number is quite huge and its quite hard to be aware of them if there isn't that much information and if one don't look this kind of information specially by themselves.

How could they make use of Internet?

* Create/join forums, where they could meet people with similar thoughts, origin, problems, disabilities or ..
* Blend in normally to any other community, club ..etc
* Chat in communities, use communication tools via MSN, Skype, e-mail
* Read interesting materials and get and impression what is going on outside (if they are not capable to go out and experience everything on their own - they at least have the opportunity to read/listen what others feel/know/do).
* Start blogging and sharing their thoughts -> make people more aware about their situation.
* Educate themselves/learn to have better jobs/better jobs in the future.
* Look for the information what life can offer when something like this have happened (Para Olympics , training clubs,...)
* Read other people advice with whom have happened the same accidents/ who have same disability - support group.
* Be more aware about their situation by themselves.
* Enjoy life.
...

But as in general there are some basic things all minority groups can do to make use of Internet, and some of them I already mentioned.

Digital Divide and Internet Availability in Estonia

Digital divide is the economical difference of individuals, households, companies and geographical areas while using information- and communication technology opportunities and Internet. It is the gap between the people who have effective access to communication technologies and Internet and those who don't.
In February 2008 GfK Custom Research Baltic made a research in Estonia which reveals that people with lower income don't have access to some e-services although 69% of Estonians have computers at home and they use Internet.
Actually it sounds quite logical. People who have lower income may not be able to buy computers or can't afford regular access to the internet. And due to this some e-services are not 'there' for them 24/7. Of course its not necessary to have these services available all the time and there is always opportunity to go to library or any other public internet service, but even these places may be hard to tap in, specially in the countrysides. While using public internet services the risk that someone can have access to your personal data is much bigger (if one forgets to log himself/herself off from email or bank account..) and going to library one need to make some extra efforts.
For example those students who don't have Internet at home, can't do their homework when ever they want, they have to make plans to go to the library or to friends place and their time is often limited. Students who have internet have vantages in studies.
Although percentages show that we have digital divide in Estonia, it is not so big and I personally can't feel it. I think its because I am not one of them who dont have access to communication technologies. Most people with whom I communicate have Internet access at home and have access to basic communication technologies. We use mobiles, skype, msn and Internet every day.
In Estonia there shouldn't be a problem finding WiFi areas - cafes, restaurants, gas stations and bigger malls. Not only in big cities, but in smaller as well. There is a page called wifi.ee which says that at the moment there is 1174 Wifi broadcast area per 45 000 km2 and there are lists of every county wifi areas separately.
I think while talking about wifi, Estonia is a really good example to any other country!

Frauds - lottery scam

People are different. They have different characters and different views of life.
These behaviors and differences are carried over the Internet. There are people who are just having fun (playing games, reading gossip pages etc), people who are looking information or working and there are people who try to make profit in illegal way.
For example they are "earning" money through some fraud schemes: credit card fraud, "lotteries", debt elimination, identity thefts and etc..

There are many possibilities how one can cheat via email, for example lottery scam letters. These are sent thousands every day, hoping that somebody will believe it and do what ever letter is telling to do.

Actually I was thinking that there cant be so silly people who would just one day receive the letter announcing the win of 10000$ or some other amount and believe they have actually won it, even if they never purchased any lottery tickets ?
Although some letters may claim that winner were selected through visiting some webpage, but still.
I know one person who got this kind of lottery letter many years ago, where "they" announced her about the winning. I don't remember exact amount, but she was asked to send approximately 3000 eek for taxes and bank fees. And she did!
First she didn't tell about it to anybody, but when she realized she will never get this money back, it just came out..

Scam:
1. Lottery scam letters are posted - Something like: Congratulation!
This message is from the World leading Email Lottery Organisation. Results have been released for 2008 and your email address is among ten selected lucky winners of one million each. etc.. - letters are usually really official form, then they are more believable.
2. People receive these letters
3. Some people fall for it, some delete/ignore it.
4. Fallen people send their personal data or money or ...
5. They find out that it was a scam
6. Maybe! they turn somebody for help.
back to point 1.

My first thoughts would be what kind of pages I visited, where they got my email, if amounts are big, then this kind of information is never discussed via email?
If I win something why I have to pay for it, can't they just subtract the tax amount from the sum I won and etc..


And about this scam page.. I think that it is good from one side - people can see and read what kind of scams there have been and they would never fall for it? In the other hand some frauds who are beginners can have "great" thoughts from there.