The Times They Are a-Changin’

In this week’s reading, Gill (2007) touched on the age-old notion that “it’s not what you know, but who you know” and how this rings true now more than ever in the field of new media and communications. This was also reflected on by Martin and Lee but sorry guys, times have changed and you’re being left behind.

In the current world of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn knowing someone is only a click or two away. By liking a page, tagging a business or company in a post or tweeting a potential employer you appear on their radar but this places you in the same situation as dozens, hundreds, thousands of “communications professionals” vying for the same position.

This is the intriguing part of the change – it has gone full circle. With everyone connected in one way or another, the onus is back on us, the job-seekers, to stand out from the crowd. It is no longer what you know, or even who you know. What is now the most important element of finding work in new media is how you appear online, promote yourself and present yourself on social media. Set profile to PRIVATE!

REFERENCE LIST

Gill, R. (2007). ‘Informality is the New Black’. In Technobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New Media work in Amsterdam a decade after the web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures: 24-30 & 38-43. Accessed  April 20, 2011 from http://www.networkcultures.org/_uploads/17.pdf

Lee, F. 2011. “The Network Society”,  Faithchantal’s Blog- Everything and Anything. Accessed April 20, 2011.http://faithchantal.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/the-network-society/

Martin, P. 2011. “The Future is Free…lancing, that is!”, Numedia, Web2.0 and You-the Society and the like….Accessed April 20, 2011. http://pevamart.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/the-future-is-free-lancing- that-is/

Time to toughen up, you illness addicts.

In this week’s reading, Lewis (2006, 522-525) explores the development of online health information, advice and even live diagnosis for illness. Kyla Bridge took it a step further and admits, or rather boasts that she looks online for medical advice, takes it to heart but would never make any serious decisions without consulting a doctor in the flesh.

This is the problem with online medical advice! Any slight ailment has a cure. A cough, runny nose, paper-cut and bruise can be researched, diagnosed and medication prescribed. Sure the medicine may fix the problem fast but ultimately you will be worse. The human body is a fighter. It is made to fight sickness and recover from illness and injury. A couple of days in bed while we shake off the swine flu/bird flu/mad cow disease will mean next time the latest “super-virus” comes around your immune system is on its toes in the red corner ready to swing the knock-out blow.

Popping pills at every sniffle makes you a target for disease as the immune system has become the kid at high-school whose mummy still tucks him into bed every night. The doctors’ surgery being slightly out of reach is a health benefit as the inconvenience of getting there; waiting for hours and answering potentially embarrassing questions is enough of a turn-off for most to stay in bed and tough it out. Stay away from the people online pretending to be doctors, drink a glass of water and go outside to the sun and fresh air rather than adhering to their advice. Researching diseases causes illness, rather than stopping them. 

Trust me, I’m a doctor.

Reference List

Lewis, Tania. 2006. “Seeking health information on the internet: Lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria?” Media, culture & society, 28 (4): 521-539. Accessed April 11, 2011. 

Bridge, Kyla. 2011. "Hi Everybody - Hi Dr Nick!" New Media Blog April 11. Accessed April 11, 2011 from: http://kyla-newmediablog.blogspot.com/2011/04/this-weeks-topic-has-so-far-been-my.html

Connecting People

How the mobile telephone has evolved (Bell, 2006). Originally the size of a briefcase and used only for calls, the mobile has rapidly evolved; first to allow texting which was soon followed by small applications and games, internet access and email. The current crop of smart phones can do just about everything – and I love it.

My iPhone is not simply for telecommunications. I pay $79 a month to a little company called Optus to make my life easier. Internet access and $1.19 games make my daily commute bearable, Facebook and Twitter applications allow me to keep up to date with what is going on in my various circles, I am informed when I receive an email and then there’s the built-in utilities: Calculator, Weather, Notes and Maps.

Amongst friends, I have jokingly renamed the iPhone a Soul, and whilst this is a self depreciating backhander aimed at my reliance on the mini-computer that’s housed in my left pocket, I am ashamedly lost without it.  People may criticise Gen-Y’s anti-social use of the portable technology but I’m sorry, times have changed old man. If I hear “stop that texting nonsense, you should pick up the phone and call them” one more time I will scream (or tweet my frustration). The mobile is no longer a phone – it’s a way of life.

Reference List

Bell, G. (2006). The Age of the Thumb: a Cultural Reading of Mobile Technologies from AsiaKnowledge, Technology, & Policy, 19 (2), 41-57.  

I blog and I vote.

New media is changing how the powers that be operate. The development and increase in popularity of blogging, social networks, Wikipedia and Youtube has empowered us, the voters, and has Governments running scared. 

The minimal effort involved in posting, editing and uploading opinions to the internet is being utilised by the masses. Anyone can voice their opinion and if it is interesting or entertaining enough it can be seen by millions within a matter of hours. 

This brings with it an air of excitement as the voting public can respond and retaliate to the decisions of their Government in a manner that can actually have an effect. The physical protest is being superseded by this online model and it has the potential to go anywhere. 

Facebook and Twitter have both been adopted by political members to get in touch with a younger market but do you really think Wayne Swan cares that I had a ham sandwich for lunch? Of course not, it is simply a tool to look "cool" and derive votes from those who are stereotyped as not caring about politics.

The advancement of new media will continue to be used by politicians, their respective parties and the voting public to manipulate each other and I personally find this both exciting and liberating. Vote 1 for freedom of speech finally reaching its potential.

Shake to Shuffle

In this week’s reading, Levy (2006) discusses the notion that one’s iPod playlist is a strong reflection of their personality and a key indicator to their level of “cool.” Being the first to like a band and stumbling upon a rare b-side place you at the top of the heap but whipping your hair along to Willow Smith will have your reputation falling faster than you can say Kings of Leon.

This is where the iPod’s privacy comes in handy. What you’re listening to is a deep dark secret and for fear excruciating, sometimes permanent judgement you choose to keep it that way.

I am prepared to go out on a limb and use myself as an experiment, by listing here the first five songs to appear on my shuffle playlist. Hopefully my faith in my library and the shuffle function pays off as this small sample (5/14540 songs) will now be public, but we all have our guilty pleasures.

Tame Impala – Lucidity

The Strokes – Metabolism

Nirvana – Negative Creep

Letter to Spain – Here Come The Capsize

TISM – Whatareya

That was a nervous few touches of the screen, but ultimately it portrays as accurate a reflection of my library as I could hope for. Thank God (or Jack White) that Ke$ha didn’t appear, or I would have to leave the country and change my name.

References

Levy, Steven. 2006. The perfect thing: How the iPod shuffles commerce, culture and                       coolness. New York: Simon & Schuster.

(un)true display of character.

Status update: Patrick Ryan is…..pretending to be something he’s not. Let’s be brutally honest, we all are. Facebook isn’t about showing who we are; it’s about showing people how we wish to be perceived.

Pearson (2009) suggests that Facebook users are similar to actors in a performance. I believe over-actors is a better term. The ability to un-tag and crop photos allows the Facebook user/director/puppet-master to control how they appear to the wider public physically, but this is merely scratching the surface of the plastic personality problem that appears on the popular social networking website.

Status updates, check-ins, comments and events are entirely user-driven, leaving them in control of what they are doing and with the ability to tweak their life and opinions to enhance their reputation and social status.

I’m not going to lie, I love Facebook and what you can do with it. I carefully select and crop profile pics, post links that garner attention and update my status with the sole intention of gaining likes, but to take one’s online personality as truth is almost certain to be the wrong decision.

Next time you see a status update fishing for questions and help after a rough day, pick up the phone or meet them somewhere for a coffee, because it is our imperfections that make us different to each other.


Reference List

Facebook 2011. Accessed 11 March 2011 at www.facebook.com

Pearson, Erika. 2009. "All the World Wide Web's a stage: the Performance of Identity in Online Social Networks" in First Monday, Volume 14, Number 3. Accessed March 14, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3612480_1&displayName=Week+2+Readings&course_id=_74007_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Ffirstmonday.org%2Fhtbin%2Fcgiwrap%2Fbin%2Fojs%2Findex.php%2Ffm%2Farticle%2Fview%2F2162%2F2127.