In several of my previous blogs I have expressed my views on how the internet and other new media technologies seem to be changing the way in which politicians and society communicate. Another related issue that I believe is relevant in the current political landscape is how new media technologies are enabling ordinary people to participate more actively in the democratic process. Being twenty years old, I have not had the chance to vote in many elections, and have found that my interest in politics has only stemmed from my new democratic participation. However, my study of virtual cultures has led me to discover that people like me can participate in much broader forms of political and democratic participation than simply voting in elections. The amount of political activist sites and blogs online seems to be ever increasing, and many people seem to be utilising the interactive and collaborative capabilities of Web 2.0 to make sure that they are heard, as “for the first time, punters and politicians can talk, blog, and vlog directly with each other” (Coutts, 2007).
According to Flew (2005), “the internet and other new media technologies have been strongly connected with new forms of political activism” (p. 182), and I have found that activists are using sites such as Crikey.com to voice their opinions, and capabilities such as video sharing sites and mash-ups to hold politicians accountable for their actions. As a result, I believe that politicians have to take notice and embrace this new shift in democratic participation, as up until now democracy has been spectatorial (Jenkins, 2007), however "we now have ... the opportunity for it to be a fully participatory practice that is a lifestyle that we live with everyday" (Jenkins, 2007).
An example of how ordinary citizens from around the world are “harnessing the power of the internet for global campaigns” (VOAvideo, 2008) is the website Avaaz.org. Avaaz.org facilitates “people-powered politics” (Avaaz.org, 2008), as members are polled online, asked what issues they would like to address and what action should be taken (VOAvideo, 2008). This excerpt is taken from the Avaaz website:
In just hours we can send hundreds of thousands of messages to political leaders telling them to save a crucial summit on climate change, hold hundreds of rallies across the world calling for action to prevent a genocide, or donate hundreds of thousands of euros, dollars and yen to support nonviolent protest in Burma.
(Avaaz.org, 2008)
This short YouTube video by Voice of America explains the kind of political actions that Avaaz.org is taking, how and why:
Online, there seems to be so many diverse political ‘places’ that people of all political perspectives can find a virtual community to actively participate in. Blogs are another example of ordinary citizens having a voice on political issues. People who have “left of centre perspective” (Larvatus Prodeo, 2008) can participate in the blog Larvatus Prodeo, and for those with a more conservative perspective there is Callaxy. For people concerned about the environment there is Greensblog, the official blog of the Australian Green’s Senators, with its purpose being to “engage as many people as possible in constructive discussions about Greens issues, policies and politics” (Greensblog, 2008). All of the blogs that I have encountered are open to comments and feedback, which allows a range of diverse perspectives to be expressed, which “in turn allows political debate to move beyond left-right political point-scoring to a more complex, nuanced, interactive process” (Saunders, Wilson & Bruns, 2007).
Wikipedia describes political blogs as “a common type of blog that comments on politics” (Wikipedia, 2008). In a way then I suppose my blog could be considered a political blog, as I comment on the ways in which new media technologies are changing democracy and politics. Although I believe it to be likely that other KCB201 Virtual Cultures students will view this blog, I think it is quite unlikely that anyone ouside out of that virtual community will encounter this blog and read my perspectives. This leads to an issue that I have mentioned in a previous blog that people within specific online cultures may get stuck in ‘echo chambers’ (Leadbeater, 2007), only reading blogs that reinforce their perceptions and ideas. This does seem to be an issue that has arisen in many online spaces, however as Saunders, Wilson and Bruns (2007) explain “overall, the participatory and interconnected network of the blogosphere … provides an invaluable space for hosting inclusive policy discussions”.
Online and offline, I believe that politics is an issue that will always be central to discussion in many cultures and communities around the world. “Technology and the internet have allowed citizens to connect and mobilize like never before” (Avaaz.org, 2008), and consequently people can participate more actively in the political process. Being twenty years old I am excited at the prospect of voting in many elections in the future. However, there are many people who do not live in democratic countries and therefore will never get the opportunity to vote at all. Avaaz.org has members in every country of the world (VOAvideo, 2008), and I believe that this shows that the internet allows many people to participate in democracy and politics, and have their say on political issues worldwide.
References
Avaaz.org. (2008). Avaaz.org – the World in Action. Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://www.avaaz.org/en/about.php.
Coutts, S. (2007). Politics and the internet. [Radio transcript]. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2007/1924783.html.
GreensBlog. (2008). GreensBlog – The Official Blog of the Australian Greens Senators. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://greensblog.org/.
Jenkins, H. (2007). Henry Jenkins@Beyond Broadcast 2007. [Interview with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast]. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http://thoughtcast.org/casts/beyond-broadcast-2007.
Leadbeater, C. (2007). Social software for social change. Retrieved April 6, 2006, from http://www.charlesleadbeater.net/cms/xstandard/social_software.pdf.
Saunders, B., Wilson, J. & Bruns, A. (2007). Club Bloggery pt 1: Consulting bloggers as citizens. ABC News: Opinion. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/05/2051859.htm.
VOAvideo. (2008). Global Activism on the Web. Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPnpGDTfoeg.
Wikipedia. (2008). Political blog. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_blog.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Lucy's comment in response to Kate's blog "Politics and New Media"
Kate, I find this blog to be very well written and interesting, especially as I have a particular interest in how new media technologies are changing politics, political campaigning and democracy. As you say, the general public have been utilizing new media technologies such as the internet to express their political opinions for some time now, however many politicians seem to have avoided these technologies up until the last couple of years. I believe that politicians are now realizing that there is a “credibility attached to amateur media” (Jenkins, 2007) and to get their messages across they must embrace this shift in power from the mass media channels to more amateur new media technologies. Now, when searching for political information on the internet, it seems as though “the same techniques are being used by people who are powerful and the people who are powerless” (Jenkins, 2007), with an example of this being blogs. There are many political blogs such as Larvatus Prodeo and Callaxy which are user-led and cater to people with specific political perspectives; however, there are also political blogs that are run by political parties, such as Greensblog.
GreensBlog is written by ‘SenaBloggers’ or Greens Senators, and allows people “to come and discuss Greens issues, policies and politics with the Senators and their staff” (GreensBlog, 2008) via their comments in response to blogs. I believe that this shows The Greens have recognised the value of the blogging format and have embraced this new platform for disseminating political messages. Other political parties in my opinion are not using the internet to its full potential, being met by social online barriers created by virtual cultures that are skeptical of politicians. While it may appear that politicians and political parties are utilising new media technologies in order to encourage participatory democracy, I believe the main reason for all political rhetoric is to win votes. Therefore, virtual communities have reason to be skeptical of politicians’ attempts to include the general public in online political discussions. With that being said, the internet does allow many people - those who are in power and those who are not - to interact and voice their opinions. I believe this encourages society in general to become more involved in politics which in turn is changing our democracy to being more participatory than it has ever been in the past.
GreensBlog. (2008). GreensBlog – The Official Blog of the Australian Greens Senators. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://greensblog.org/.
Jenkins, H. (2007). Henry Jenkins@Beyond Broadcast 2007. [Interview with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast]. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http://thoughtcast.org/casts/beyond-broadcast-2007.
To view Kate’s original post, click here
GreensBlog is written by ‘SenaBloggers’ or Greens Senators, and allows people “to come and discuss Greens issues, policies and politics with the Senators and their staff” (GreensBlog, 2008) via their comments in response to blogs. I believe that this shows The Greens have recognised the value of the blogging format and have embraced this new platform for disseminating political messages. Other political parties in my opinion are not using the internet to its full potential, being met by social online barriers created by virtual cultures that are skeptical of politicians. While it may appear that politicians and political parties are utilising new media technologies in order to encourage participatory democracy, I believe the main reason for all political rhetoric is to win votes. Therefore, virtual communities have reason to be skeptical of politicians’ attempts to include the general public in online political discussions. With that being said, the internet does allow many people - those who are in power and those who are not - to interact and voice their opinions. I believe this encourages society in general to become more involved in politics which in turn is changing our democracy to being more participatory than it has ever been in the past.
GreensBlog. (2008). GreensBlog – The Official Blog of the Australian Greens Senators. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://greensblog.org/.
Jenkins, H. (2007). Henry Jenkins@Beyond Broadcast 2007. [Interview with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast]. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http://thoughtcast.org/casts/beyond-broadcast-2007.
To view Kate’s original post, click here
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
'Real' World? Produsage, the Internet and Gaming.
Through my recent studies of new media technologies and virtual cultures, I have noticed that gaming is an area that has changed dramatically due to Web 2.0’s capabilities. In the past, gamers had to link up their computers or game consoles in order to play ‘double player’. Even then gamers could only explore the landscape and use the tools that the game publisher had created, follow a set story and move from level to level as they achieved tasks. The capabilities of Web 2.0 seem to have changed all of this, and consequently the gaming environment has evolved dramatically. If someone had told me ten years ago when I was playing Super Mario Brothers on the Nintendo 64 that in the future I could play a game on the internet with massive amounts of players from all over the world and that I could create my own content, I would not have believed them.
These days, I believe that this is normal. The geographical boundaries of the past seem to have been eliminated as the internet provides a platform where massive amounts of players can connect from anywhere around the world, provided they have the technology. Players are no longer passive users of technology; instead they are simultaneously producers and users of content. These people of ‘Generation C’ (Bruns, 2007) have been described by Axel Bruns (2007) as produsers, as they are not only content users, they are content creators. Game play has shifted from having “strict narrative structures which are played out by gamers, to providing a rich narrative and social environment in which multiple gamers cooperate in creating their own narrative paths” (Bruns, 2007). The technology is now user-led and gamers no longer have to rely on game publishers to develop content, the publishers simply have to create a skeleton and the produsers will create the flesh and blood. It seems that game developers are becoming increasingly reliant on the content created by produsers, with 90% of The Sims being user generated (Herz in Bruns, 2007). This creates many opportunities for new and interesting content, as who knows where the minds of ‘Generation C’ will wander.
In my study of virtual cultures I have come across many critics who believe that online game play is anti-social, however I (along with many of my peers) believe that massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) are a social technology, as people interact on a social basis just as they do offline. Many MMORPGs such as Everquest and World of Warcraft rely on gamers teaming up, creating friendships and bonds in order to conquer certain tasks to move forward with the game. In some games such as Second Life, gamers can start relationships, get married, pay off a mortgage and even have children. People can use these games just like social networking sites, finding like-minded people and starting friendships, and cultures emerge in these online worlds just as they do in ‘real life’. In my study of these games I have found that groups that mobilise and collaborate in online worlds have more power and influence in the game.
Why does all of this interest me, a non-gamer who has no interest in joining an online world or starting a ‘second life?’ Well, it is because I believe that MMORPGs are changing more than just people’s social lives. The fact that more than 30 million people world wide are involved in MMORPGs (Alter, 2007) is hard to ignore, as there is power in groups, and it seems that the power of people in online communities is growing, affecting many different aspects of our lives such as the economy and politics. MMORPGs help to support the economy, as people spend real money in online worlds in order to buy themselves virtual luxuries such as holidays (Alter, 2007), clothing or more advanced weapons. For example, Second Life’s ‘Marketplace’ takes millions of US dollars every month in online transactions (Second Life, 2008). As for politics, Henry Jenkins (2007) has predicted that in the near future Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will have a debate in Second Life, which is not such a far fetched idea, as many political figures are increasingly utilising Web 2.0’s social capabilities such as YouTube to connect with voters. Politicians could use online worlds to announce new policies and gauge public opinion. Maybe one day we will vote for the next Australian Prime Minister using online polls in Second Life.
Although I believe that MMORPGs are predominantly played for fun and their social aspects, my study has led me to notice that these games are affecting many parts of people’s lives, both gamers and non-gamers. It seems that this is where produsage is taking us; the online is increasingly affecting the offline. Almost anyone can create and collaborate online, and the overall effect that this will have on society really is up to the imagination of produsers around the world.
References
Alter, A. (2007). Is This Man Cheating On His Wife? Wall Street Journal Online. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://biz.yahoo.com/wallstreet/070810/sb118670164592393622_id.html?.v=6.
Bruns, A. (2007). Produsage: Towards a broader framework for user-led content creation. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from http://snurb.info/files/Produsage%20(Creativity%20and%20Cognition%202007).pdf.
Jenkins, H. (2007). Henry Jenkins@Beyond Broadcast 2007. [Interview with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast]. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http://thoughtcast.org/casts/beyond-broadcast-2007.
Second Life. (2008). Second Life: Your World. Your Imagination. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://secondlife.com/.
These days, I believe that this is normal. The geographical boundaries of the past seem to have been eliminated as the internet provides a platform where massive amounts of players can connect from anywhere around the world, provided they have the technology. Players are no longer passive users of technology; instead they are simultaneously producers and users of content. These people of ‘Generation C’ (Bruns, 2007) have been described by Axel Bruns (2007) as produsers, as they are not only content users, they are content creators. Game play has shifted from having “strict narrative structures which are played out by gamers, to providing a rich narrative and social environment in which multiple gamers cooperate in creating their own narrative paths” (Bruns, 2007). The technology is now user-led and gamers no longer have to rely on game publishers to develop content, the publishers simply have to create a skeleton and the produsers will create the flesh and blood. It seems that game developers are becoming increasingly reliant on the content created by produsers, with 90% of The Sims being user generated (Herz in Bruns, 2007). This creates many opportunities for new and interesting content, as who knows where the minds of ‘Generation C’ will wander.
In my study of virtual cultures I have come across many critics who believe that online game play is anti-social, however I (along with many of my peers) believe that massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) are a social technology, as people interact on a social basis just as they do offline. Many MMORPGs such as Everquest and World of Warcraft rely on gamers teaming up, creating friendships and bonds in order to conquer certain tasks to move forward with the game. In some games such as Second Life, gamers can start relationships, get married, pay off a mortgage and even have children. People can use these games just like social networking sites, finding like-minded people and starting friendships, and cultures emerge in these online worlds just as they do in ‘real life’. In my study of these games I have found that groups that mobilise and collaborate in online worlds have more power and influence in the game.
Why does all of this interest me, a non-gamer who has no interest in joining an online world or starting a ‘second life?’ Well, it is because I believe that MMORPGs are changing more than just people’s social lives. The fact that more than 30 million people world wide are involved in MMORPGs (Alter, 2007) is hard to ignore, as there is power in groups, and it seems that the power of people in online communities is growing, affecting many different aspects of our lives such as the economy and politics. MMORPGs help to support the economy, as people spend real money in online worlds in order to buy themselves virtual luxuries such as holidays (Alter, 2007), clothing or more advanced weapons. For example, Second Life’s ‘Marketplace’ takes millions of US dollars every month in online transactions (Second Life, 2008). As for politics, Henry Jenkins (2007) has predicted that in the near future Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will have a debate in Second Life, which is not such a far fetched idea, as many political figures are increasingly utilising Web 2.0’s social capabilities such as YouTube to connect with voters. Politicians could use online worlds to announce new policies and gauge public opinion. Maybe one day we will vote for the next Australian Prime Minister using online polls in Second Life.
Although I believe that MMORPGs are predominantly played for fun and their social aspects, my study has led me to notice that these games are affecting many parts of people’s lives, both gamers and non-gamers. It seems that this is where produsage is taking us; the online is increasingly affecting the offline. Almost anyone can create and collaborate online, and the overall effect that this will have on society really is up to the imagination of produsers around the world.
References
Alter, A. (2007). Is This Man Cheating On His Wife? Wall Street Journal Online. Retrieved April 22, 2008, from http://biz.yahoo.com/wallstreet/070810/sb118670164592393622_id.html?.v=6.
Bruns, A. (2007). Produsage: Towards a broader framework for user-led content creation. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from http://snurb.info/files/Produsage%20(Creativity%20and%20Cognition%202007).pdf.
Jenkins, H. (2007). Henry Jenkins@Beyond Broadcast 2007. [Interview with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast]. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http://thoughtcast.org/casts/beyond-broadcast-2007.
Second Life. (2008). Second Life: Your World. Your Imagination. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://secondlife.com/.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Online Cultures and Politics
In Terry Flew’s book New Media he addresses how new media technologies are allowing the emergence of virtual cultures. As I have observed, there are many different types of virtual communities that have evolved from people with specific interests and goals mobilizing and collaborating. Online cultures based around social networks, MMORPGs and wikis are possible due to technological developments accompanied by a change in the ways in which people use technology (Flew, 2005, p. 61). A consequence of people using technologies for social interaction is that they have altered the technologies to being ‘cultural technologies’, which are not merely “material forms that impact upon culture, but rather as themselves cultural forms” (Flew, 2005, p. 21).
Many people, including myself and my peers, engage in virtual cultures for an array of reasons such as social interaction and game play, however one reason that I believe is becoming particularly important in democracies is political involvement and activism. People’s engagement in politics online is changing the face of democracy, giving ordinary citizens “political leverage” (Flew, 2005, p. 62). Citizens can use online communities to organize, campaign and debate (Leadbeater, 2008) and by like-minded people mobilizing around a cause they can gain power (Leadbeater, 2008) and influence public opinion, as “in groups people can accomplish what they cannot do alone” (Noveck, 2005). Recently I have noticed that politicians have also caught onto the power of new media technologies for campaigning and reaching audiences that they were previously unable to reach. Many high profile politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair have utilized YouTube and other social networking technologies to talk, blog and vlog (Coutts, 2007) with audiences around the world, and what was an "'information revolution' is becoming a social revolution” (Noveck, 2005).
However, there have been concerns about peoples’ increasing involvement with social technologies and how this may be fragmenting society, as people within specific online communities may get stuck in an ‘echo chamber’, choosing to network and debate only with people who share their views (Leadbeater, 2008). Out of their niche online groups then, people may “project their value system onto others and fail to comprehend how someone else may possibly think differently” (boyd, 2005, p. 199). Therefore, it is important for diverse online groups to connect and affect one another (boyd, 2005, p. 208) and for a range of political views to be expressed.
Due to technological innovations, politics is no longer spectatorial, it is a participatory practice (Jenkins, 2007), and I believe that both citizens and politicians are using the internet and other new media technologies to their advantage. With the political landscape shifting with technological changes, it will be interesting to see where the future for democracy is heading. As long as groups online do not get stuck in echo-chambers and become fragmented from society, I am sure that the future is a bright one.
References
boyd, d. (2005). Sociable technology and democracy. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from http://www.danah.org/papers/ExtremeDemocracy.pdf
Coutts, S. (2007, May 20). Politics and the internet. [Radio transcript]. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2007/1924783.htm.
Flew, T. (2005). New media: An introduction. 2nd ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, H. (2007). Henry Jenkins@Beyond Broadcast 2007. [Interview with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast]. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http://thoughtcast.org/casts/beyond-broadcast-2007.
Leadbeater, C. (2007). Social software for social change. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.charlesleadbeater.net/cms/xstandard/social_software.pdf.
Noveck, B. (2005). A democracy of groups. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue10_11/noveck/.
Many people, including myself and my peers, engage in virtual cultures for an array of reasons such as social interaction and game play, however one reason that I believe is becoming particularly important in democracies is political involvement and activism. People’s engagement in politics online is changing the face of democracy, giving ordinary citizens “political leverage” (Flew, 2005, p. 62). Citizens can use online communities to organize, campaign and debate (Leadbeater, 2008) and by like-minded people mobilizing around a cause they can gain power (Leadbeater, 2008) and influence public opinion, as “in groups people can accomplish what they cannot do alone” (Noveck, 2005). Recently I have noticed that politicians have also caught onto the power of new media technologies for campaigning and reaching audiences that they were previously unable to reach. Many high profile politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair have utilized YouTube and other social networking technologies to talk, blog and vlog (Coutts, 2007) with audiences around the world, and what was an "'information revolution' is becoming a social revolution” (Noveck, 2005).
However, there have been concerns about peoples’ increasing involvement with social technologies and how this may be fragmenting society, as people within specific online communities may get stuck in an ‘echo chamber’, choosing to network and debate only with people who share their views (Leadbeater, 2008). Out of their niche online groups then, people may “project their value system onto others and fail to comprehend how someone else may possibly think differently” (boyd, 2005, p. 199). Therefore, it is important for diverse online groups to connect and affect one another (boyd, 2005, p. 208) and for a range of political views to be expressed.
Due to technological innovations, politics is no longer spectatorial, it is a participatory practice (Jenkins, 2007), and I believe that both citizens and politicians are using the internet and other new media technologies to their advantage. With the political landscape shifting with technological changes, it will be interesting to see where the future for democracy is heading. As long as groups online do not get stuck in echo-chambers and become fragmented from society, I am sure that the future is a bright one.
References
boyd, d. (2005). Sociable technology and democracy. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from http://www.danah.org/papers/ExtremeDemocracy.pdf
Coutts, S. (2007, May 20). Politics and the internet. [Radio transcript]. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2007/1924783.htm.
Flew, T. (2005). New media: An introduction. 2nd ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Jenkins, H. (2007). Henry Jenkins@Beyond Broadcast 2007. [Interview with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast]. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http://thoughtcast.org/casts/beyond-broadcast-2007.
Leadbeater, C. (2007). Social software for social change. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.charlesleadbeater.net/cms/xstandard/social_software.pdf.
Noveck, B. (2005). A democracy of groups. Retrieved April 7, 2008, from www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue10_11/noveck/.
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