Topic Eight: The Beauty of Technology

It's typical for a new technology to be adapted within a culture and used to support existing patterns of behavior. With your own relevant examples, answer these questions:


Critical Reflection One
1) What kind of culture influences through technology you can see from today's world?

One example of the technology that influences the culture today is the handphone. As we realized or not, handphones have been used, improved and applied within these years. The are purposes of improving and upgrading the technology of handphones. This is because there are a high volume of demand for handphones usage. That have proven that handphones have influenced the culture today. For example, few decades back handphones are only being used by adults and working people. This is because handphones are expensive and not affordable by everyone those years. But now, handphones are practical to be owned as young as pre-schoolers. For instance, parents provide a handphone to their children for the purpose of safety as the world outside now is not that safe. Besides that, handphones are a symbol of communication with people from all over the world that result to better relationship and coporate relations too. Thus, handphones eventually enhance productivoty and effectiveness. Not to mention the 3G techonolgy now is compatible almost majority of the countries over the world to access to the internet, make video calls and also show the map to your home!

Critical Reflection Two
2) Is there a possibility to reshape the (new) culture today via new techonology, How?

The new techonology that I always dream of is to do all my shopping online! Let's imagine how things are if shopping malls are shrinked into the internet and it is easy as just clicking clicking and clicking. First of all, I think online shopping can create a safer society environment because there are too many roberries around now. Thus, no one needs to hold a bunch of RM50 notes to shopping malls that could increase the possibility of getting robed. Secondly, online shopping only requires the cost of purchasing the item and shipping fee. The rest is not needed. For example, we do not have to worry the traffic jams everytime we want to go shopping with our family or friends. We also do not have to worry about petrol consumption everytime we are going out. Thirdly, as for teenagers online shopping is very convinient because there are no worries about getting nagged by their parents. Lastly, when you purchase online they will post your items to your doorstep anywhere in the world.

Personal Reflection on Media Culture Class
Its the second llast lecture of this subject! I'm revealed though but next up is to worry about the final exams. There are a lot to read up. I hope I can manage to memorize everything before the finals. However, it is finally official that I have completed all tasks and assignments given for this subject. Towards the end of the semester, there are so many things that need to be completed and the worst part is I totally forgotten about this final blog assignment. I just remembered about it the last half an hour. I should have done it earlier and do the best for this topic because it is easy! Such a waste that I could not be able to make further research. I really hope it is enough!

Topic Seven: Meda Imperialism

Task 7:

The Documentary entitled " The Power of Nightmares (Part 3- Shadow in the Cave)" by Adam Curtis was shown in class on Monday. How do you relate the information given to you in the documentary to the theory of Media Imperialism that we talked about in lecture?

Sources:

1. YouTube - The Power of Nightmares (Part3)
   
2. Wikipedia - The Power of Nightmares

IMPORTANT: Do not take other people's words as your own.Please state your source when quoting someone or article.

DEADLINE: 12 midnight, Sunday, 19th April 2009

Each student must post at least 2 critical reflection on topic given (4%), 1 personal reflection on the media culture class (1%), over a period of 5 days to 7 days.

Critical Reflection One

The Power of Nightmares, subtitled The Rise of the Politics of Fear, is a BBC documentary film series, written and produced by Adam Curtis. Its three one-hour parts consist mostly of a montage of archive footage with Curtis's narration. The series was first broadcast in the United Kingdom in late 2004 and has subsequently been broadcast in multiple countries and shown in several film festivals, including the 2205 Cannes Film Festival.

The films compare the rise of the Neo-Conservative movement in the United States and the radical Islamist movement, making comparisons on their origins and claiming similarities between the two. More controversially, it argues that the threat of radical Islamism as a massive, sinister organized force of destruction, specifically in the form of al-Qaeda, is a myth perpetrated by politicians in many countries - and particularly American Neo-Conservatives - in an attempt to unite and inspire their people following the failure of earlier, more utopian ideologies.

The Power of Nightmares has been praised by film critics in both Britain and the United States. Its message and content have also been the subject of various critiques and criticisms from conservatives and progressives.

Extract from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This documentary by Adam Curtis shows how western governments benefited from attacks by Islamic fundamentalists using this threat to grab power. It focuses on the rise of al-Qaeda and the act of jihad by bin Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri by carrying out an independent operatives. Bin Laden was also the head of a massive terrorist oragnisation "al-Qaeda. Then, George W. Bush created an organisation to justify another campaign against a new evil enemy by launcing 'War on Terrorism'. Curtis, the producer also makes a specific attempt to allay fears of a dirty bomb attack, and concludes by reassuring viewers that politicians will eventually have to concede that some threats are exxagerated and others altogether devoid of reality.

Critical Reflection Two

Media Imperialism is defined as the idea that the powerful and wealthy countries can exercise economic, cultural and social control over others through control of media industries. It is also a theory stating that smaller countries are losing their identity due to the force-feeding of media from larger nations. Also, it is also called medie imperialism when large amounts of media output are produced by just a few or even one company.

Extracts from Week 10 notes - Media Imperialism

The Power of Nighmares portrays a sense of media imperialism and is one of the most powerful forces shaping world affairs today. The US' most fundamental role in the worls is oragnizing the global economy and key regions to benefit US business, a strategy that hasfurther improverished dozens of nations and which holds larg regions of the world hostage to commercial interests.

Personal Reflection on Media Culture Class

This Monday, I came to class looking like a zombie due to lack of sleep trying to prepare for design fundamental review on Tuesday. To add with, I watched a bedtime story titled Power of Nightmares and had no idea what is it about. The lecturer discussed about media imperialism to relate to the video. Thus, completing this blog assignment made me realize that I should have paid attention in class because it took me days to complete this.

Topic Six: McLuhan's "Tetrad of Media"

Task 6:

Using McLuhan's "Tetrad of Media" (see diagram below), choose a medium or media application or tool (e.g. newspaper, books, radio, tv, film, internet, computer games, handphone, instant messaging, blogging, online advertising, youtube, facebook etc.) and explain its media effects? Please refer to Week 9's lecture notes plus your own research to discuss this topic.


IMPORTANT: Do not take other people's words as your own. Please state your source when quoting someone or article.

DEADLINE: 12 midnight, Sunday, 12th April 2009

Each student must post at least 2 critical reflection on topic given (4%), 1 personal reflection on the media culture class (1%), over a period of 5 days to 7 days.

An introduction to McLuhan:
Marshall McLuhan is perhaps one of the best known media theorists and critics of this era. He summarized his ideas about media in a concise tetrad of media effects. The tetrad is a means of examining the effects on a society of any technology or medium and explaining the social processes underlying the adoption of a technology or medium by diving its effects into four categories.
Enhances: What does the medium enhance?
Obsolesces: What does the medium make obsolete?
Retrieves: What does the medium retrieve that have been obsolesced earlier?
Reverses: What does the media flip into when pushed to extreme?

Extract from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

First Critical Reflection

Film is one of the source of media which has its own effects. Based on McLuhan's "Tetrad of Media" film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form and the motion picture industry. Film is produced by recording images from the world with cameras or it can be produced by creating images using animation techniques or special effects. The increasing of film production make the obsolesces of book reading become more obvious because it is more efficient to watch movie instead of reading books as films has a very powerful entertainment effect. It is even faster to know the ending of the story bu watching films instead of reading the whole book with a huge number of chapters in it. Also, the production of film could decrease the production of papers which could be dangerous environmentally and globally. It can also create job opportunities for the talented actors and entertain the viewers. If films are push to a certain extend it could give a very huge impact to the technology as it applies the 3D effects to the spectators that could give an effect as in they are in the movies. Films also can be improved by introducing digital cinema or e-cinema which means films can be viewed and distributed via hard drives, optical disks or satellite using a digital projector instead of a conventional film projector.

Second Critical Reflection

Online advertising is one of the media medium that has its effects into our lives. Online advertising is a form of of promotion that uses the Internet and World Wide Web for the purpose of delivering marketing messages to attract customers. As we all know, the medium of advertisements are focused on the newspaper, fliers, billboards, television and radio. Thus, the usage of online advertising will cause us not to depend on these traditional advertisement mediums. However, online advertising has its strong reason why the traditional advertisement mediums mentioned should not be depended on. One major benefit of online advertising is the immediate publishing of information and content that is not limited by geography or time. This is the most appropriate time to use the phrase 'anything in just a click'. To that end, the emerging area of interactive advertising presents fresh challenges for advertisers and improvement of marketing strategies.

Personal Reflection on Media Culture Class

This week, the lecture was basically about who is Marshall McLuhan's and his media theories. We were also being reminded on the second assignment which is due on 20th April 2009. That is only one week away. The lecturer also stressed out that the article that we are to write must apply the theories that were taught is class.

Topic Five: Obscenity, Pornography, Indecency

Task 5:

Obscenity, pornography and indecency: What are the differences between these terms?

IMPORTANT: Do not take other people's words as your own. Please state your source when quoting someone or article.

DEADLINE: 12 midnight, Sunday, 5th April 2009

Each student must post at least 2 critical reflection on topic given (4%), 1 personal reflection on the media culture class (1%), over a period of 5 days to 7 days.

Critical Reflection on the Given Topic

obscenity vs. pornography vs. indecency

According to WIKIPEDIA;

[obscenity] is a term that is most often used in a legal context to describe expressions such as words, images and actions that offend the prevalent sexual morality of the time.

[pornography] is the explicit depiction of sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer.

[indecency] is nonconformity to sociocultural standards of conduct and speech.

Based on my research on these three terms, obscenity is always has been illegal to post online because it is concerned with the harmful effect of the article on its reader or audience. This is because anything that is completely lack of scientific, political, educational or social value is said to be obscene. As for pornography, it is a sexually explicit pictures, writing or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal. Whereas indecency need not be said as pornography because indecency can most easily be described as what makes a PG-rated movie PG instead of G.

However, these the standards of obscenity, pornography and indecency is controlled and protected by the government and the special agent for each country.

Lastly, i can conclude that indecency leads to obscenity and leads to pornography.

Critical Reflection on Media Culture Class

After I came back from the holidays, I was expecting the same circulation of attending the class routine. Fortunately, the class was canceled for this week but the blog assignment give for this week will help me understand more about next week's class which will be something on Media and Governance.