Can Blog Revolutionize Progressive Politics?

1.     Why do the Democratic leaders embrace blogging as a potential political communication considering the traditional media landscape in politics?

Democratic leaders embrace blogging because of “netroots”, “an online grassroots constituency that can be targeted through Internet technologies.” Blogs are most popular because they serve as organizing hubs for information on one specific topic. Blogging gives the everyday citizen to participate in politics.

2.     Blogging encourages a participatory culture. In what way does the participatory culture in blogging expand digital media convergence?

The participatory culture expands digital media convergence because of its ability to allow anyone and everyone share there ideals and opinions with the online world. Once it is on the web, its there forever; letting it be accessed to millions. Blogs can be accessed through various types of technologies as well, including mobile devices, tablets, and computers. 

3.     In the article, the author says: “The ability of the Internet to erase geographical distances can become a structural weakness in elections where district lines and eligibility are key.” How can blogging counter this weakness in the process of turning the netroots to grassroots?

Blogging can counter this weakness by having blogs appealing to the desired group of people. This Internet tool is an easy and accessible way to get out information to demographics of people other types of media would not hit. Blogging also has the ability of breaking down abstract ideas into simpler fundamentals for all to follow.

4.     The author spends the second half of the article discussing the lack of diversity in current blogosphere dominated by elite bloggers. Please use the concept of digital convergence to explain how blogs can become the real bearer of freedom, democracy, egalitarianism, and participation in the new media communication?

Blogs carry the principality of freedom because it gives anyone power to access a computer and post their opinion on matters for the world to see. It is the perfect place to expand on ideals and interact with others. Freedom of speech prevails within blogging because it gives the everyday man the power to speak freely without fear of being persecuted. 

Answers to the Virtual Revolution Documentary

1.     The web is celebrated as the revolutionary technology that is great leveling of humanity creating equal opportunity, equal access, and equal potential. However, there are only a quarter of people on the earth who can use it. How do you explain the controversial argument here?

The most important issue regarding unequal access in 3^rd countries such as Africa because poorer, less powerful nations do not have the financial capabilities that other global super powers have in the advancement of technology. 

2.     How is Wikipedia the best example to implement the leveling ideas of the Web rooted in the cultural revolution of 1960s, namely the Libertarianism in the counter culture? How does it explain some of the digital convergences?

Libertarianism, and ideal created by the counterculture in 1960’s blends left and right wing ideas that emphasize the individual free will. Wikipedia is a prime example of libertarianism on the web because it gives everyday people a voice to anonymously author and edit information. It undercuts authority and hierarchy by giving the average individual power.

3.     How does the Web make it possible for different kinds of digital convergence?

The web makes different aspects of digital convergence possible because it gives ordinary members of society to express their opinions, values, and belief through blogging, social media tools, and forums. The web’s malleability is helpful to convergence because the components listed above can be accessed from a stationary computer to a mobile device.

4.     How can the Internet become a challenge for traditional authority? Use the political landscape changes in some counties to illustrate your answer.

The Internet is a challenge to traditional authority. For example, Oly Okollah of Kenya began a documentary type of blog for everyone to participate in. This forum was created based on violent events following an election of the government. Average people were given the opportunity to post a play-by-play of the violence going on. This powerful blog then pushed and pressured the Kenyan government to put a stop to what was happening.

5.     Do you believe that getting information free can set us free eventually? Why or Why not? Do you see any concerns of the complete freedom or self-expression without limit on the Internet? Why or why not?

I do believe there are both positive and negatives in gaining information. For good, there is a certain freedom each individual should have in order to access what kind of information benefits and pertains to their own life. However, if information became completely free, society as a whole would collapse. People would question rules and authority established due to the freedom of total and complete access.

6.     In traditional media communication, it has the “vertical” authority. In the Web communication, it becomes “horizontal?” How do you explain the change? How does this create the possibility for digital media convergence?

Web communication has a more “horizontal” authority because everyone is credited as equal online. No one is higher than another and every individual is on-par with one another. This gives the possibility of digital media convergence because everyone and anyone can post believing each has their own equal opportunity on the web.

7.     Why is that the Web is free critical for the success of the Web itself? How does that clash with the corporate business ideology? How does that pose challenges for copyright issues at the same time? What will happen if the Web is not free?

The web being free is critical for its success and survival. This is true because, it is what drew users to it in the first. The web will continue to be a major player in our world if it stays free to the public. Online every individual is considered equal; the online world is blind to status, wealth, sex, and gender. This idea clashes with the corporate business world because people of higher standing do not matter compared to a stay-at-home mom whose popularity online is rising because of her blog. The corporate world faces immense competition thanks to freedom the web has given to the rest of society. Copyright laws are challenged by the average individual, who has the ability “pirate” information for free without any disregard. For example, you will frequently see in the description bar in YouTube, that the average user “does not have rights to following” because they are borrowing material from someone else. If this example isn’t followed, the creators of the material have the power to shut down who has pirated their information.

Historical Development of the Internet and the World Wide Web

1.     Why is broadband service the key for the success of online communication? What are the social effects of broadband service? How does the broadband service make digital convergence possible?

Broadband is the key to online communication because it has the capacity to connect a large amount of “bandwidth” to be transmitted thus, more information can be sent to users in a shorter period of time. The social effects of broadband service are that most generated users are not able to receive audio and visual graphics in real time. Compared to television and radio, it is not the same quality graphics being delivered on a broadband network. This type of service makes digital convergence possible because it allows people to access the World Wide Web, allowing for undeniably fast possibilities of streaming and downloading.

2.     Why does the use of World Wide Web open the door of the Internet communication to a much wider audience? In what way does the Web with graphical web browsers move the online communication to “acoustic world” discussed in the pervious class?

The World Wide Web has opened the world to the Internet because it can be considered a “global electronic publishing medium”. Two trends have been study from this recent shift. To make the Internet accessible to more people, there has been a decrease in the cost of software and hardware that make up a computer. They have now become more affordable allowing people in lower socioeconomic status to obtain and be a part of the viral global world. Also the rising cost of telecommunication services has also affected the Internet spreading to a wider audience. The web and it’s graphic have shifted to the “acoustic world” due to it being interactive at the user’s control.

3.     How might telecommunication change if the government supported the development of broadband Internet for everyone?

It would completely alter production, creation, use, and distribution. It also can be considered a user’s Internet because it would give the ability for literally anyone to access and use broadband Internet.

4.     News organizations were changed by the telegraph, and a whole new business of news, that of the wire services, was created because of the telegraph. Discuss other industries that could benefit from rapid dissemination of information and how and why they would benefit from it.

Another industry that would benefit rapid dissemination would be commercial or fortune-500 companies. These groups could make more money, profit, and reach more people across the world. Being able to know a demographics wants and needs as it changes would be beneficial in assisting their companies marketing and advertising campaigns.

5.     Choose one of the common methods of online communication and think of how it could be improved in terms of facilitating communication between people, ensuring quality communication, and enabling the greatest number of users to distribute information.

One common method of online communication that could improve would be Twitter. Booming larger and larger everyday this social media site truly gives the power to its users in a 140 characters or less. Twitter users can speak their own mind, promote event and current events, and even communicate with one another. Within a few years, Twitter will be the most dominate force of all of the social media sites combined. 

The Song of the Alphabet in Cyberspace

1.     What are the differences between the pre-literate acoustic world and the alphabetical visual world? How does the media of television become a part of the acoustic world?

In a pre-literate world, there are no boundaries of acoustic space. There is no certain way for information to be sent or received. It is a culture completely immersed in fable and myth. The alphabetical visual world differs due to the form it comes in. The visual world heavily relies on the form of television. It is visual, “musical, mythic, and immersive”. However this alphabetic-post world lacks perspective; it creates a wide gap between the subject and its viewers.

2.    Why does the alphabet have the segregating tendencies? How exactly does the printing press reverse the segregating tendencies?

The alphabet has segregating tendencies due to the worlds select ability to understand. The alphabet was widely accessible but only the privileged that knew how to read could comprehend a message. “Texts which were usually readable by no more than one set of eyes at any one time. The printing press reversed these tendencies by making the alphabet available for all to view. As print increased, more people had the opportunity to read, comprehend, and spread awareness to the alphabet. The printing press gave way to the future of full libraries, bookstores, and newsstands.

3.    How does the alphabetic communication in online communication make cyberspace acoustic? How is the online acoustic world different from the television, radio, or print acoustic world?

Online, alphabetic communication is one of the few types of media available on the Internet. However, all online media share the alphabet’s characteristics and qualities. This is comprised of “the volition it facilitates to its writers. The Internet’s users have immense power on what they can put on the web, like an author writing the pages of a blank book. The online acoustic world is much different from other media such as television, radio, and print because of an increased control the user has. For example, radio online like Pandora can be accessed at all times during the day at the user’s pleasure.

4.  Not only do we invent media and media technologies but also we select their uses in different contexts. What are the two selection criteria? According to the selection criteria, please discuss what will happen to our online communication in 20 years.

The two selection criteria are: “we want media to extend our communications beyond biological boundaries of naked seeing and hearing” and “we want media to recapture elements of that biological communication which early artificial extensions may have lost”. According to these selection criteria, in 20 years our online communication will have grown large enough that we will never settle. Technology will continue to grow and change. However, this technology will not be able to change with the times fast enough and will become irrelevant.