Blogging is no doubt a communication tool which needs to be intentionally design to communicate its idea to its audiences.A successful design attracts attention, adding value to the message (Thomas, Saxby, Jones, Carruthers, Abal & Dennison 2006).
In this blog, I have considered the principles of design to better allow my readers to understand. I’ve incorporated social semiotics theory to deliver maximum impact of my message to my readers. According to Walsh (2006) we need to understand a social purpose of a particular text and its cultural context, and this understanding will be link to our own purpose using in using the particular text (Walsh 2006).
Throughout this course of my assignment I’ve learn that ethics in blogging is just as important as other type of medium because it involve stakeholders. Ethical behavior strives to respect the claims of every stakeholder (Plaisance 2008).
This has been a great journey exploring blogging and these skills will greatly enable me to be more effective in the marketplace.
Reference list
Plaisance, P.(2008) Media Ethics: Key Principles for Responsible Practice, California: SAGE
Thomas, J. , Saxby, T. , Jones, A. , Carrythers, T. Abal, A. & Dennison, W. (2006) Communicating science effectively: a practical handbook for integrating visual elements, Oxford: Alden
Walsh, M. (2006) The Textual Shift: Examining reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts, [e-book]
One of the most caring things that we can do is to share. While many consider sharing is caring, the creative industry thinks that sharing is a form of copyright infringement. What is known as sharing is piracy in the virtual world. One of the few pioneers of virtual sharing was Napster.
Napster introduced the peer-to-peer sharing which allowed users to share music for free to others. On an edition of Media Report, IT journalist Patrick Gray explained the history and issues of file sharing. Napster popularity was partly due to it being something which people have not seen before. The huge part of its success is that it allows sharing which is “free” which also is why its users were a mostly student. One major issue which Napster has to face was “Copyright infringement” which is also the reason it closed down its services (Gray 2008).
(Napster attracted 1.6 million simultaneous users during the height of its popularity in February 2000)
Copyright law grants creators of the original work of art the exclusive rights to make and distribute copies of their work (Weissman& Jermance, 2003). This law however makes file sharing illegal thus Napster, a harbor for illegal activities.
Some may argue that peer-to-peer sharing is a form of infringement and some may think that it is totally fine because it belongs to their friend. An interesting comment was made during the Napster controversy saying “It is totally ridiculous for charging us if our friend shared music with us. It’s like making us pay for trying our friend’s pants”.
In a perspective of a student, I do agree that file sharing causes harm to the music industry but file sharing is also a social connection where student does need to pay a lot. Examining student behavior, they would prefer to share file because it’s relatively cheaper and its part of their social life to discuss about the latest music (Noam 2008).
I however believe, this issue is a dilemma we have to face where we can’t simply make a decision. Proper regulation should be in place in order to protect the music industry while still providing a benefit for music lovers in this cyber age.
Judging from the rise of many peer-to-peer sites such as bitTorrent and Kazaa, I think these pirates are share to stay until a proper system is there to stop them from terrorizing the music industry.
Reference List Media Report (2008) The rise and rise of file sharing, [online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2376707.htm [Accessed 15 June 2010]
Weissman, D.& Jermance, F. (2003) Navigating the music industry: current issues & business models, Milwaukee: Hal Leonard
Noam, E. (2008) Peer-to-peer video: the economics, policy, and culture of today's new mass medium, New York: Springer
Food is probably one of most talked about subject in a conversation; at least for an Asian culture. It is our favorite subject to talk about whether it is about a recipe sharing, venue of a nice eating place or a famous dish. Our knowledge of food has increased over the years due to what we know as cook shows and food reviews.
There is a relationship between food and media which we see today that gave way to so many medium (Newspaper, television, blogs) which the topic is food. In an edition of Media Report, Presenter Anthony Funnell bought this topic up “Food and the media” to explore the relationship between food and the media. In his show he interviewed 3 people in the food industry questioning them on how has media play a role in the food industry. In their comment they states that media allows people to know more about food and has made food shows into an entertainment where people enjoy. The media has also made chefs more than chefs but celebrities. How is it so? The answer is the media impact.
Media are available to keep you informed, make sure you’re entertained, and most importantly, sell you products (Biagi 2007). If I relate this to the food industry; media would inform people about food, entertain people with food programs and most importantly sell food.
The media has affect almost every expect of our lives for example in the way we eat, talk, work, study and relax. In a study made by Shirley Biagi, adults spend more than half of their waking lives with the media (Biagi 2007). It’s no wonder we’re so impacted by it.
Food lovers such as I would probably spend a quarter of my waking lives looking for the best food in town. Media educates (Logan 2008) which in relation is food. People who watch food program would probably be a food scholar knowing food analogy better than any chefs.
As for the food industry, they would probably thank the media for giving them a shot to glory. I personally can’t live without the media. It is what they call as information hunger.
Reference List
Biagi, S. (2007) Media/Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media, Belmont: Thompson
Logan, S. (2008) Asian communication handbook 2008, Singapore: AMIC
Media Report (2008) Food and the media, (Internet)
The internet, one of man’s greatest invention and also the most uncontrollable medium of information. The internet gave way to so many possibility of how to information would be presented. We no longer need to walk to the nearest bookstore to obtain newspaper but all we need is a click on the mouse and ‘voila!’ our daily news on out computer screen.
Talks of how print materials are getting unpopular have been going on since information has been presented online. There are a lot of rumors going on that print is already losing a lot of money and will die pretty soon. These speculations however are being challenge by an article written by Michael Josefowicz (2009) “The Fallacy of the 'Print Is Dead' Meme” as he explained that how these prophesy of print materials are dying aren’t entirely true. He argued that the "End of Print" is a meme that has gained ascendancy in an environment of disruptive change in the communication ecology. It's similar to the dot-com boom meme that bricks-and-mortar stores were doomed and would soon disappear. (Josefowicz 2009)
Jeff Gomez (2008) “Print is Dead: books in our digital age” states that print is not yet dead but however sick as newspaper, books, dictionary and etc readership has decline over the years and more people are beginning to turn away from traditional method of reading to reading online. (Gomez 2008)
Source: Google Images
I however agree on Josefowicz argument that the print is dead rumor is totally absurd but I have no doubt that it has been impacted by internet. Printed material however has a value which an electronic device, however elaborate it may be, cannot match (Thompson 2005). Books have a certain physical feel which readers love about. Well if isn’t used for reading at least it’s on the shelf making your study room look great.
To me, I admit I’m transferring to the digital world for information but I won’t say books will depart from me. Novels are still enjoyed best on print that digital. You won’t see Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Ring and etc on any digital form anytime soon as long as readers habit of reading doesn’t change.
Print is not dead but they are definitely suffering losses which make print sick. Books will continue to stay, at least on our shelf but never disappeared just like how ancient Roman books are right now.
Reference list
Gomez, J. (2008) Print is dead: books in our digital age, New York: Macmilan
Josefowicz, M. (2009) The Fallacy of Print is Dead Meme [internet] Available at: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/04/the-fallacy-of-the-print-is-dead-meme117.html [Accessed 12 June 2010]
Thompson, J. (2005) Books in the digital age, Cambridge :Polity Press
The emergence of Twitter has sparks new heights in internet blogging as bloggers no longer need to write long wordy article type of blog to tell the whole world what’s going on in their life but short sweet simple tweet which sums up what they need to say. Given its simple sign up and 140 words limit, its no wonder why caught many peoples including celebrities themselves hooking into the microblogging phenomenon.
Twitters ease of accessibility is also its downfall as it does not require much information during the sign up which led to many fake accounts which mainly are imposters of celebrities or prominent figures. In an incident where an imposter created an account stating that he was the Dalai Lama caused many to believe that he was the real deal which even mainstream media has been deceived. There were many other cases of celebrities being targets of imposters. According to Shawn Owens in his article “How Celebrity imposters Hurt Twitter’s Credibility”, he stated that given the relative ease to sign up on most platforms and the lack of verification needed, brands and individuals are having to swat down daily attempts to sabotage their reputations (Owens 2009).
(Fake Dalai Lama Twitter page)
In one of my readings by Ken Knapton, the danger of social networking sites is the fact that there is a high degree of trust inherent in connections (Knapton 2009) which explains why people would believe when some imposters comes up to say that he is somebody famous.
I however believe that we as users should not only blame the system for being weak or faulty for cases such as these but we should be equipped knowing that the internet isn’t a safe playground. I would adapt to Vivtoria Roddel suggestion, people must depend on ourselves against cyber crime prevention and protection as each of us does with everyday situation to prevent crime (Roddel 2008). Yes, there should be more security measures taken by Twitter but as individuals, self protection is needed.
While there is some truth that Twitter credibility is tarnished by acts of imposters but its no argument that its popularity continues to sky rocket. This is just a reminder that, we as internet users has to be on guard on anything we see on the net.
A good PowerPoint design is essential in every presentation. Be it to inform or to persuade, our slides are the key to our goal. The question lies here, “How do I create a good and effective design for my PowerPoint slides?” Design features increase the usefulness of the document Reep(2006).
To answer this question, I am going to use my own assignment one presentation slides as an example to be criticized in term of design by applying principles of design. The aim here is to identify the absent of design principles so that improvement can be made. This critic will be based of Diana Reep explanation of Document Design
Balance Page balance refers to having comparable visual "weight" on both sides of a page or on opposing pages in a longer document Reep(2006)
(Figure 1)
By looking at figure one we can see that the proportion of the text is not balance therefore feels heavy on one size. The circle that is pointed out shows that the bottom and side is much heavier where the text fails to balance the slide design.
Alignment Alignment creates unity among the elements. Every image is connect via an invisible line Reynolds(2008)
(Figure 2)
The text alignment in figure 2 has moved which disrupts the unity of the slides. This however gives a sense of disorganized.
Consistency
Creating consistency is very important as it helps readers relate better to the similar information. Do not mistake consistent format for boring format. Consistency helps readers by emphasizing similar types of information and their similar importance Reep (2006).
(Figure 3)
The use of same fonts and headings and background will allow consistency which in the example of figure three there are certain elements of consistency but font size different.
Reference: Reynolds, G. (2008). Presentation Zen.Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery. Berkely, CA: New Riders.
Reep, D. C.( 2006), ‘Chapter 6: Document design’ in Technical writing: Principles, strategies and readings, 6th ed., New York: Pearson
The World Wide Web has certainly caused a huge shift in our human norm.. For example, there are people who no longer wants to buy newspaper, turn on the television for their news, and listen to radio because the can do all these without spending money with just a click. With the Internet, what was known as old media has been discarded for what is now known as the new media.
Created by Jack Dorsey, Twitter, has become an internet phenomenon and is rapidly growing in the social network platform. Limited to 140 character per post it combines blogging and instant messaging giving the user writing what is known as “micro blogging” Yeatts, C. (2010). It’s simple way of updating status or posting short messages quickly gave it instant popularity among users who appreciated quick message.
How does it work?
Users simply create an account with their name, username and password. Adding information about themselves helps allow other users to find common ground to follow them. If a user found someone of the same interest, they could receive the updates of the other user just by clicking follow to be a follower. Users could easily update their post by using their phone which are linked to twitter.
How did it change the way we communicate? Twitter quickly gain its success due to uprising trend of micro blogging which somehow overtaken conventional blogging. Its simple 140 words created a culture of condense information which benefits the now busy audience to quickly obtain updates from who are they following. It allows it followers to excess at ease whether it is PC or mobile devices which boosted its userbility. Due to this simple way of updating organization uses twitter to promote their products of update information of their company. According to McIntyre.D As Twitter grows, it will increasingly become a place where companies build brands, do research, send information to customers, conduct e-commerce and create communities for their users. Some industries, like local retail, could be transformed by Twitter.
Twitter Issue: Security threats One issue concerning to twitter was security threats where users account were hacked. This however addresses the issue of whether is it safe to store personal and business data in the net and if password is enough to keep hackers away. An example of a hacked incident would the twitter account of President Barack Obama where a Frenchman hacked twitter by simply guessing their password.
To define what is a blogging community we have to first define what is a community. According to Atkinson.P(1997) a community is a group which share a common interest who reveals themselves by sharing the same language, manners, customs and law, which is their tradition. To link it with blogging would be a group of bloggers sharing the same interest which they participate with each others blogs by comments and sharing of ideas
How to create a blogging community? According to Elise Bauer in BlogHer Conference, there are 4 methods on how to build blog traffic or community.
a) Link By linking other to others blogs of the same interest, it would help you to gain more readership as other will began to notice you when you linked.
b) Comment By leaving thoughtful and insightful comments on others blogs shows that you are interest in their post which will result in them writing back to you as well. Comments also built a platform of sharing each others thoughts which bloggers will appreciate.
c) Plan and Join online events Plan and join online events allow bloggers to work together thus creating a community with a common goal.
d) Contributing to the community A blogging community is all about generosity. When you volunteer your time and expertise to help other bloggers in your community, you raise up everyone, including yourself. (Bauer, E. 2006)
Is my Blog Burning?
This is a food lover blogging community where Food Bloggers are invited to blog about recipe on the current theme. Why this is regard a community is because it allows blogger to connect with each other by sharing new recipe and tips about cooking. Relating this blog with Nancy White’s (2006) blog based community, this food bloggers community falls under the Boundaries Community
Reason being that its structure requires members to register and join the community. It has tools such as forums, discussion boards and instant message.
This community allows bloggers to be connected to other bloggers which are members within the boundary which is the community. This blogging community has an owner or regulator which impose rules in the community. The benefits of this community is that it allows denser and faster possible internal connections (White, N. 2006)
There are many varieties of blogs. They are classified according to the topics they cover and the focus of their post for their targeted audience. As mention on my previous post blogs are journals which address issues or comment by bloggers to their audience which are the blog readers.
Here are a list of type of blogs according to WordPress.com
• Personal: This is the most common blog which includes topic such as personal life, opinion, photos, family, health and politics
• Business: Professionals ranging from realtors to lawyers and stock brokers shares their ideas or business tips.
• Schools: Educational blog is a great way for teachers and students to collaborate on classroom projects.
• Non-profits: A Foundations, charities, and human rights group uses blog to raise awareness and money for their causes.
• Politics: Members of parliament, political parties, government agencies, and activists uses blog to connect with their constituencies.
• Military: Military blog report what they see happening in various parts of the world and to stay in touch with their families.
• Private: Some people make their blogs private to share photos and information within families, companies, or schools.
• Sports: There are teams, athletes, and fans using blogs to express and share their passion for various sports.
• How-to, tips and reviews: There are lots of blogs that share tips and reviews about cooking, games, music, books, movies, and so on. (Source: http://en.wordpress.com/types-of-blogs/)
Margaret Simons Classification Author and media anaylist Margaret Simons however classified blogs into 9 categories which is Pamphleteering, Digests, Advocacy, Popular Mechanics, Exhibition, Gate Watcher, Diary, Advertisements and lastly News. Explanation of these blogs can be view in http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2372882.htm#transcript Comparison? The comparison between WordPress and Margaret Simons classification of blogs is that one classified blogs in a much more general way where else the other which is Margaret Simons classification is focus on the aim of the blogs. An example of a comparison of blogs is Wordpress.com’s political blogs and Margaret Simons Pamphleeteering blog. My thoughts. Classification of blog is link to the topic which is discussed most often. Very often we see blogs covering various topics which makes them difficult to identify which classification they belong to. In my opinion classification is determined by the consistency of their topic throughout their blogging period. A thought about the comparision made earlier, I think Wordpress classification is user friendlier compared to Margaret Simons classification because of its diversity of classification it covers. In my opinion classification system should cover a very vast topic because of the combinations of style of bloggers.
Blogs, first known as Web log is a is a public journal which kept personal thoughts, ideas and images of the blog writer which is known as the Blogger. Types of blog include personal which is the broadest category of blog, business , schools, politics, non –profit and How-to Tips and review blogs.
What is the current size of the blogosphere?
As reported the size of the blogosphere is 133 million users indexed since 2002 by Technorati in 2008 and since then no known record showed to explain what is the size of today’s blogosphere.
As discussed by Lee Hopkins, there could be drop in the blogosphere which amounts to 70 million blogs or less right now which he said could be a result of the uprising of twitter.
What is the trend of blogs in Malaysia?
The trend of blogs in Malaysia is personal and lifestyle followed by technology, business and politics. This trend could be seen in Sabahan.com 50 most influential blogs in Malaysia which stated 28% of the Malaysian Top 50 Bloggers write about personal stuff 16% write about politics 16% write about technology.
What is the benefit of Blogging in Malaysia?
The benefit of blogging in Malaysia would be in term of politics. Why would I say that? Because of the effect it has on Malaysian opinion in politics. A good example which can be seen is in the 2008 general election in Malaysia where there was a huge shift in Power. A reason why the huge shift if cause by changing public opinion. Eyes of public were much more opened due to increase of opinion posted in blogs. An example of blog would Malaysian Today whos writer is Raja Petra caused much influence in public opinion during the general election.
My purpose for this blog is to address issues regarding the field of publication and design. This blog would be targeted to students of the same field and teaching staff where it aims to help explain the issues surrounding the field. What i wish to achieve at the end of all the discussion is strong understanding and sollution making through contructive comments and discussion. Discussion and comment should only be related to subject matters. Comment can be made via comment column.
Hi I'm Adrian, I'm currently a first year student of UniSA under the Bachelor of Communication and Media Managment. This blog is an assignment in one my studies. Any inquiries you can drop me a email at adriancheong89@gmail.com