Week 1 Topic 1 - Websites

World Wide Web, is the name given to the hypertext part of the internet. It allows users to easily navigate through the internet by using various URL's (Universal Resource Locator's), an example being 'www.blogger.com'. The user can be on one website or URL and then click on a link and take them to another website. Thus making the interent more diverse.

Week 1 Topic 1 - MUDS + MOO's

A MOO or in other terms Multi Object Orientation, an environment which allows more than one person to talk at one time, often also allowing display of emotions and object manipulation in a given environment.

A MUD or in other terms Multi-User Dimension (Dungeon) combines elements of roleplaying in a virtual world. An example of this may be the 'World of Warcraft' game, whereby users can create a avatar and interact with a virtual world, giving commands which resememble natural language.

Topic 1 Week 1 - Chatrooms and Messenger Services

In real life (IRL) chatrooms and messenger services have gradually become a popular choice of communicating. Its sychronous and can allow many people at a time to communicate or one on one communication. You talk to people from across the world, disregarding the possible differences in timezones. This brings up the ideology of Benedict Anderson, who spoke of 'imagined communities' (1991: 1), different from an actual community because it is not (and cannot be) based on face-to-face interaction between its members. Instead, members hold in their minds a mental image. Members of the community probably will never know one another face to face, however they can have similar interests. 'MSN'; which is an example of a messenger service, has allowed me to talk to a friend in Australia, i have many interests with them but might never know whats real, an 'imagined community'.

Anderson, B (1991) Imagined Communities; published by Versa

Topic 1 Week 1 - Usenet and Bulletin Boards

The first bulletin board system (BBS) was created in 1978, which was named 'Computerised Bulletin Board System' and a reference to the typical cork bulletin boards that you place in homes and businesses. A BBS still runs on the same idea, allowing an online community to run on a host computer. The users involved can log in, post messages on public discussion boards, send and receive email, chat with other users, and upload and download files. BBSs are text-based and often related to the specific hobbies or interests.

Usenet differs from a BBS because its worldwide, instead of centralised, accessed through the Internet or through many online services. Usenet contains more than 14,000 forums, called newsgroups, that cover almost every imaginable interest group. Created years before the Web, it is still used daily by millions of people around the world.

Topic 1 Week 1 - Email

Email allows people to communicate electronically on the computer. Its inexpensive, convienient and also saves time. If, for example you need to contact someone whos not in your proximity and you need to arrange a meeting with someone just to talk, then you may be paying money for travel, and allow time to do so.

Theres been many times within university that i've needed to get in contact with a tutor and so i've used email, by simply contacting them, again saving alot of time and getting the information i needed in the comfort of my own home.

Another benefit of email is that it allows asynchrony. Email isnt in real time and so can be left for days or even weeks without being dealt with. Sometimes with phonecalls you may need to contact someone but cant because their phone is off or unavailable, but with email, you can send whoever you need and know that the email can be accessed at another time.

Interactivity

New media is interactive. In contrast to old media where the order of everything is fixed, the user can now interact with the media object. In the process of interaction, the user can choose which elements to display or which paths to follow. Suggesting that new media is more interactive.

However after i read a book by Lev Manovich, titled 'The Language of New Media', i realised that its not only new media thats interactive, 'old' media was/is interactive too. For instance if someone was to look at a piece of abstract art. They would have to interact with the piece, trying fill the gaps and work out what the art is conveying. The type of interactivity that's pyschological.

Measuring 'Newness'

To say that something is new, is to ultimately propose that its evolved from something. So if we were to talk about digital tv, we can suggest that its a form of new media because previous to this was analogue tv. However is it a new form of medium? Is it Its merely changing how the form of tv is delivered to the audience?

This would be the case of what Mackay and O'Sullivan decribe as an 'old' medium 'in new times' (1999:4-5). What does everyone think?





Mackay, H, O'Sullivan, T (1999) The Media Reader - Continuity and Transformation, SAGE