Week 2, Cyberculture

This week's class reading was 'Why Cyberculture' written by David Bell. Within the text Bell refers to 'material storytelling' when talking about the relationships between us and technology. I agree with this statement because technology is another form of storytelling. My own interaction with technology reflects this statement, for example the television - programs all contain stories whether it is the news or a movie, or even a series . Even the fridge tells a story - its contents alone hints to the food I eat and what food I don't like to eat. Next is the internet and my Facebook page - it is a log of what I do, it records thoughts, feelings, events I attend and hosts a variety of photos have uploaded. So no matter where you look, the technology you own tells a story about you.


Another main point Bell focuses on is something he calls a 'digital divide'. From my understanding and help from the Oxford dictionary, the digital divide is a division between those in favour of the use of digital technology and those who are not. It can also mean the devision between those who have access to digital technology and those who don't. He then goes on to say 

in order to deal with ‘clusters of connotations’ in our material stories, we often are ‘invisibilizing those people on the “wrong side” of the digital divide’. This statement could be seen as people who have access to these digital technology are on the right side and those who don't are on the wrong side. A digital divide happens in every country among those who are not well off finically. Those who have money can afford to buy luxury items such as a computer with access to the internet,  or phone to keep in contact with others. Sadly this is truth. 

Week four, Electronic Literature

Hayes, N. Katherine (2008) Electronic Literature, University of Notre Dame, Indiana. pp 1-4.


Hayes asks “Will the dissemination mechanisms of the internet and the Web, by opening publication to everyone, result in a flood of worthless drivel?” (2008: 2). 


This statement can be argued for hours between millions of people, however there is plain straight forward yes or no answer. No matter how much good content is on the internet there will always be worthless pointless drivel. However it depends on the consumer to determine what is weighted as important and what is worthless. You can type in any word into Google search, click enter and there are bound to web pages upon web pages about it. 


A major concern for book publishers and authors is the migration of there work published on the internet for free. Why would consumers buy a book, magazine or newspaper why they can access the same information and content on the internet for free. What happens to the royalties paid to the original author if their work can be accessed for free? Putting information on the internet raises many questions about security, censorship and money, however no matter what we put on the net it is up to the consumer to decide what is worthy and what is not. 


Take a look it this post on Naruto Forum discussing the worthiness of their own site. In all honesty who cares? Someone must because people have commented.

Week One, 'Blogging to Learn, Learning to Blog'

When you read the outline of your university subject often or not you don't expect a blog to be apart of your assessment. In recent years blogging has become an element of some university assessment. Why blogging you may ask? Believe it or not, but blogging is an excellent way for a student delve into the ideas of the course content on an interactive level. The text 'Blogging to Learn, Learning to Blog', written by Jean Burgess argues the introduction of blogging into the curriculum allows the students to "experiment and take ownership, rather than merely emulate models handed down by the instructor"(Burgess, J. 2006, pg.107).


To explain, Burgess discusses the university curriculum in terms of needing to catch up to modern technologies and modern forms of literature. With the rapid increase in online literature evident in blogs, forums, etc; university assessment still remains in the past. Plain, boring and bland formative assessment is based on a model form decades ago. It has not deviated from the essay, review, report and so on... black and white print on paper; a tactile object. Burgess talks about how students should be encouraged to be involved and active in knowledge. He also states students should becomes literate in not only formal literacies but also what she calls creative literacies and network literacies (technology).  He argues students who engage with blogging as an assessment component go beyond the required basic blog, interacting with templates, inserting links relating to the concept and determine their style of writing, length and depth.


Blogging has become a very open and customisable to personal taste. Students have become so stuck in the repetitive and restricted formal nature of the essay, that when faced with a medium that is so widespread in customisability, students end up lost in the technology. Those student who are presented with medium and don't understand how to utilise the technology to their advantage often reject the idea of blogging as formative assessment. Burgess discovered those of her students which english was not their first language, excelled due to the interactivity of commenting on other student's blogs and finding a voice other than their essay voice. He also found the students where commenting on each other's blogs and further discussing the content creating their own online classroom by learning from each other. In her findings he states students who use blogs increase their engagement and sense of ownership of the learning process.


Personally as a university student I never expected blogs to be part of my assessment. Before I came to uni I had never read a blog let alone owned and written one. After using the medium once of twice I found my 'blog voice'. I didn't realise how free your writing could be and to what extent you can ramble, however still maintaing coherency, and somehow get a better grade. It seems lectures and tutors prefer to heavily hear the students opinion and own voice within their blog. I agree with out a doubt blogs are a great form of assessment. You can still write formally in a blog, however the purpose is to write your opinion, your point of view, not a regurgitation of what the lecture has told you.

This cartoon reminds me of LOL CATS