roxy-lola

[roxy-lola]

Final assignment: 'Media Madness in the Music industry' by Roxy-Lola McGourty, z3484171 Tutor: Adam Hulbert Track used: Avenue by Agnes Obel available via Garageband 2. ‘But what's happening today –

Here I speak about a topic that is really interesting to me - the way in which new media is effecting the music industry. Have a listen!

[roxy-lola]

Blog Post #7

After reading the first sentence of Kevin Purdy’s “How to Filter and Manage Your Online Social Life” I realised that I have a serious obsession with my online social life, because I said “oh my god, yes” (out loud) when I read, “You love your friends and enjoy your acquaintances, but their Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/MySpace activity is killing your productivity”. Then I realised it’s not even my friends. It’s celebrities. I don’t care to go on Facebook to see what my friends are up to, but I do care to religiously check my twitter feed to see the updates from my favourite celebs. However, I do like to keep up my ‘social profile’ on these different sites. I guess the word for this would be “ubiquity” meaning to be “present, appearing or found everywhere”. The constant need to update my profile and check other peoples’ updates has almost made my phone and I inseparable. Technology has made it’s way into each of our lives so that we are extremely reliant on being in tune with digital data. This idea takes me back to studying Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner for the HSC which warned of the danger of technological advancements. These technological advancements are shaping our world today, and the terrifying thing is, is that we welcome them hungrily, as each of us has become so obsessed with being present online and keeping up to date. Purdy’s article helps us to realise that there are in fact ways to ‘swtich off’ specific aspects of our online lives, except, I want to know if anyone after reading that, actually followed any of those steps. Or if they did, how long did it last? Through writing this blog post I’ve come to the realisation that not only do we live WITH data but in fact, we ARE the data.

[roxy-lola]

Blog Post #6

It took me a very long time to get my head around what a Visulisation was. I kept being told that it’s “making something invisible visible”. That in itself took me a good 5 minutes to comprehend. So I went onto the website Information Is Beautiful, and looked at all the visualisations. Nup, still nothing. Then I clicked on one, and it dawned on me. A visualisation was literally making something invisible, visible. I scrolled through all the different possible visualisations, enlightened by each one. Visualisations allow us to consider numbers and words in a different way. Instead of listing a whole number of facts on a topic, a visualisation allows you to consider it through a visually aesthetically pleasing form. For example, the visualisation below I discovered called, ‘Chicks Rule’ is actually explaining how female’s are much more prominent online than males. Something so simple in it’s imagery can hold so much information and statistics. Representing data through imagery is not only sometimes easier to comprehend but also allows you to see the data in a new emotional or cultural light., depending on the visualisation. Morphing facts into a visual is extremely useful in getting a message through to an audience, as it is more interesting to look out and presents a challenge to decipher it. Visualising data is used by many people, especially publications, as it allows the user to present information in a new and effective way.

[roxy-lola]

Blog Post #5

After reading ‘Facebook algorithm – why our assumptions are wrong, and our concerns are right” by Tarleton Gillespie, I discovered I was completely oblivious to “the realities of Facebook and it’s algorithm". Once I had begun reading this piece, I was completely opposed to the idea that Facebook would manipulate my mood or emotions without consent." I didn’t see how a social networking site, in which I don’t even spend THAT much time on, could control that. This apparently put me in the “naïve” category. Then I realised, that in fact, I hadn’t ever considered the way I which stuff is ordered on my News Feed, or if specific advertisements that pop up were catered to me. I just, kind of, accepted it all. Seemingly, this makes me an “ignorant” media user, which, unfortunately I sort of agree with now, as I am kicking myself for not being more curious! Gillespie allows us to realise that a serious concern when considering Facebook’s algorithm is how much and what information that is kept secret from appearing on our News Feeds. As Gillespie explains, social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr are frequently the main platforms for the discussion of wordly events. However, Facebook has the ability to bring specific news stories to focus and withhold information on others, so that the audience is not exposed to everything. This poses a risk in terms of brainwashing, as specific stories may be painted in a specific light, or some may not be exposed at all. Gillespie explains, “These issues represent a deeper discomfort about an information environment where the content is ours but the selection is theirs,” further emphasising how concerning this issue is. Although I admit that in the beginning of this article I was unimpressed, after reading it I will be seriously sceptical of what appears on my Facebook news feed. So thank you, Gillespie.

[roxy-lola]

Blog Post #4

Archives. Suddenly after reading the material for this weeks tutorial the word has taken on a new meaning. Archives are similar to a best friend. They know EVERYTHING. And can either leak that information or destroy it (literally). Philosopher and author Jacques Derrida is the person behind this idea and is the person who has me sitting here considering all the stuff I've ever posted on the Internet. Luckily I've been pretty careful with what I have ever uploaded or posted to the Internet, However a part of me cringes when I remember the images of me at age 13 that are lurking somewhere near the realm of MySpace.

  As Matthew Ogle says in the reading, “We’ve all been so distracted by The Now that we’ve hardly noticed the beautiful comet tails of personal history trailing in our wake.” This consideration of archives sheds light on the obsession we have with being in ‘The Now’ and never looking back when it comes to digital media. “The current philosophy underlying most of the real-time web is that if it’s not recent, it’s not important.” I know that I resonate with this statement because just yesterday when I was checking out someone’s Facebook page, I only scrolled down a few posts before realizing I just didn’t care about what they had done 6 months ago. This is the attitude that Ogle wants to see change.

  At the beginning of this blog post I was completely opposed to the idea of archives, however after reading Ogle’s piece I realized that we have indeed “created rich but neglected personal archives whose potential we’re only beginning to explore”. Archives should not be seen as an embarrassing reminder of the past but as an important source of history that is being preserved with every upload and post we make.

[roxy-lola]

Blog Post #3

As stated in the reading for this week, "the Actor-Network Theory is an approach to social theory and research, which treats objects as part of social networks." This constructivist approach created by scholars Michael Callon and Bruno Latour, essentially considers the relationship between 'actors' and 'networks'. To break it down, there is an object and a concept and ANT explores the relational ties within this network. An example is magazines (object) and social media (concept). We then consider the ‘actants’, which make up the relational ties within the network, both human and non-human. In this instance, human actants would be editors, journalists, models etc; and the non-human actants would be computers, printers, photocopiers etc. All these actants, both material and semiotic, create meaning within the network.

  David Banks’s example of the Actor Network Theory allows us to see the theory in action. He uses the same language to describe both the non-human and human existences. Thus the human and non-human actants are on the exact same page. When looking at the theory in this light, it is clear why ANT has received it’s fair share of criticism. It considers non-human appliances such as a broadband connection to be equal to human resources within the network. Similarly, Sandra Harding has pointed out that the ANT ignores key social factors such as class, gender and race. Additionally, David Bloor and Sal Restivo contemplate why this theory is called a “social theory” when it does not consider important social factors.

  Through this research into the Actor Network Theory I can conclude that this theory would be helpful in considering the make up of a network. However as the actants are all considered equal, the theory becomes questionable, as these relational ties should all be ranked at different levels of importance. For example, how useful is a printer if there is not a human to create the content to print. I believe that the Actor Network Theory is a useful tool in considering networks, specifically publishing 10 years ago and in this new digital age as we will be able to consider key differences and delve further into the processes of publishing.

[roxy-lola]

Blog Post #2

For this week's blog post I further researched the idea of self-publishing and also considered how print media is surviving. In today's digital age, it is as easy as uploading a file and pressing a button to publish work. For example, YouTube is a great platform to publish works from music to film. YouTube even provides “Scheduling Publishing” which allows people to upload a video which will remain private until a scheduled publish time at which point it will go public. You might ask, “Why bother self-publishing my work if I won’t get any money from it?” Good question. The point of publishing unique works on these social media platforms is a great marketing strategy. Through the “Share” option, the publisher is able to promote their work to a network and more people will inevitably share it. Of course, this isn’t working for everyone but it is a great way to start getting your stuff out there.

You certainly don't have to go through the traditional publishing process nowadays thanks to the vast range of social media platforms. However for those who want their works “traditionally” published, the option is still available for those who love a good physical book/magazine/newspaper etc. For example, authors who want their books to be published will still go through the lengthy process to get their works traditionally and as some might say ‘properly’ published to ensure a profit. Publishers such as the MIT Press also provide digital publishing so that your work is seen on a variety of different mediums.

The idea that print media is dying is one I considered last week and furthered that research through the readings this week. This particular article caught my attention: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2012/07/new-york-times-supported-by-readers-not-advertisers.html

The article above details how the New York Times is now relying on readers and not advertisers where circulation revenue is concerned. As advertisers are rapidly and understandably losing interest in print advertising, the New York Times has decided to increase prices on print subscriptions and online subscriptions too. They offer a variety of subscription with each option offering a different level of access. Below I have the image of the possible subscription options. I have included this in today’s blog because I believe the way the New York Times company have turned around a tough situation in today’s new media age is remarkable. 

[roxy-lola]

Introductory Blog Post #1 - ARTS 2090

Welcome to my blog! Throughout this blog I will be posting weekly opinion pieces on all areas of 'publics and publishing'. Being my first blog post, I decided to start with the basics. Publishing is defined online as “the occupation or activity of preparing and issuing books, journals, and other material for sale.” The publishing page found on Wikipedia explains that the word publishing is traditionally associated with print, such as magazines, books and newspapers. The 21st century has seen the rise of new technological media, and I am extremely interested in how publishing has been forced to change with this influx of digital technology. I believe that the publishing model has had to become more flexible to accommodate all the areas where publishing is necessary in today's digital age (stay tuned for more on this topic).

This idea brings forward the issue (one which interests me very much) – the transformation from print to digital media. Print has been an incredibly important way of communication and has been used for hundreds of years in different ways from woodblock printing to digital press. However, today we are watching print slowly fade away with the introduction of digital media. I am aware of how severe the decreasing interest in print is becoming, as both my parents are journalists. My dad works for a newspaper company and my mum owns her own publishing company and publishes magazines in Australia. I constantly hear them talk about online material, sales etc. Being brought up in this environment has made me realise that today I must be one of few who would much prefer to read print in the physical sense (newspapers, magazines, books) rather than read a newspaper online, or a book on a Kindle or a magazine on an Apple iPad. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE social media, however maybe living with two print journalists ensures that I still love the physical newspaper or book. I look forward to the rest of this course to see if my attitude toward digital print media changes through my exploration of publics and publishing. 

By Roxy-Lola McGourty (z3484171)