technoculture203-09

So much of this course is about the additional power we have voluntarily but often unwittingly handed over to private organizations and government. I’m of course talking about the Facebook tagging, Twitter updates and BlogSpot blogs that have got employees fired, ended relationships, and launched criminal charges against civilians.

I think all of us have become more interested in privacy online, and also the copyright and ‘Terms of use’ we are being subjected to. This got me researching a number of different (mostly indie) movements around the web to throw-off online marketing networks, employers, and government institutions.

The first things I came up with were a number of ‘VPN’ and ‘Proxy’ server solutions such as MegaProxy and Hotspot Shield. These services channel all your requests to destination servers, thru their own server network. The trouble is a number of corporate and government websites have the ability to filter these networks through their IP address, and block access.

An alternative to the Proxy is an Open Source ‘Tor’ Project. Basically what Tor does is route all your Internet traffic thru a number of relays (other people’s computers) and then sends the request to the destination you intended. In other words you might be surfing the web as if you were a user in Turkey, whilst a user in China, may be surfing as if they were a New Zealander. This service has proved pretty invaluable for citizens and journalists in nations like China, where web content is vigorously restricted.

Finally, the Opera browser developers are working on a new hosting service for your own computer called “Opera Unite”. Basically it allows you to host your own Facebook like profile on your own PC. This terribly Voice Over’d video explains it better than I can.

I really like the concept behind 'Unite', but as with all these services the biggest issue seems to be bandwidth and connection reliability. Who wants a Facebook profile that shuts down when you turn off your computer. Especially when corporations like Facebook are willing to foot the bill themselves.

The recent lecture on Privacy in the Digital age got me thinking about the society we live in. We are living in a more commercial and a less privatized society, which is why the concept of surveillance is so interesting. In everyday life we are able to be tracked and surveyed pretty much everywhere we go, for example CCTV visually tracks images of society.

Surveillance can also be assumed through Facebook, whose privacy status is controlled by users. I have seen people who I know used for advertising, this makes me question if I have the right settings on my account. Facebook's public settings are becoming an issue as employers can survey their possible employees’ profile.

Recently TV show Dr Phil produced an interesting example of the total violation of privacy, through the issue of ‘Sexting’. This concept involves the sending of naked or sexual pictures, messaged via mobile phones. Dr Phil counselled a victim of Sexting, who took an image of herself, sent it to a boy that she liked, which he then sent to his friends. This example proves that mobile phones are a main form of technological convergence as they include a camera, and are becoming more than primarily a form of communication. In the 21st century we are living life in the public eye, we are continually surveyed.

While at work I began talking to my boss about Facebook. Recently we had a increase of absentees and my boss began to joke about checking their Facebook pages. This got me thinking about whether or not he should be allowed or had the right to check it out. I questioned him and he said why not, its public and since he has access, he has the ability to look into what they put on their pages. I then began to wonder whether he’s been checking my page out whenever I called in sick, I have to admit I have pulled "sickies" in the past and began wondering whether he’s looked me up in Facebook to see whether or not I was legitimately absent due to medical reasons.

I agree with Boyd and that the cost of social convergence is our privacy, we lose the control over information, for instance the newsfeeds on Facebook, although all the information was public for anyone to see, it wasn’t as exposed and in your face as it is now, it’s all somewhat advertised so whenever you make a change to your page, add a group or leave a comment on someone’s page it’s like “HEY, LOOK I JUST DID!” I guess I have to agree that whatever information we choose to upload online it should be accessible and to anyone, but maybe only those who I choose to.

I know that the internet is a public place and if I choose to upload something then I should be prepared for others to see it. Or if you still don’t have the balls then use a fake name lol. It’s like wearing a hideous knitted jumper I got for Christmas from my grandmother, when I wear it out while shopping I can’t really stop people from staring because I chose to wear it out where everyone can see me, so if you choose to put info up online then be prepared for people to read. One thing is sure, I’m going to be a lot more cautious the next time I call in sick.

The boss might be watching!

After my computer showed me a lovely blue screen in the middle of writing my assignment, I have decided that technology and I do not have a good relationship. As was mentioned in our first lecture, relationships with technology can sometimes be irritating. However most of the time, I believe technology is truly marvellous.

For example, Skype an easy to use online video calling website, which is free, and designed to allow Skype members to keep in touch. Is an easy way to maintain long distance relationships and does not offer the extras that other networking sites require such as creating detailed profiles which in contrast social networking site Facebook does. Facebook allows relationships to be made or continued, and suggests that users create an extensive identity online as a way of expressing their personality, not just a means of keeping in contact.

Another instance of bad technology use for me was miraculously deleting 250 odd photos and please don’t suggest simply checking the recycle bin, it is still a tender subject. So, should I be ashamed of this relationship I have with technology considering I am a 21st century person living in the digital age? I consider how you use the technology you have to be of importance, whilst also allowing for good and bad days.

Perhaps he was referring to one of his speechwriters, photographed and tagged in what you could describe as a fairly compromising position with a Hillary Clinton cut out. This story looks like a classic example of the convergence of this guys’ multiple lives.

I doubt for example (then candidate) Obama knew what this guy was getting up to in his private life. But as we discussed, Facebook and other social-networking mediums have an unique way of creating links, even when its not exactly in our best interests.

So i thought i would kick start my blogging with a topic I am comfortable about, as is generally everyone else- facebook. Blogs such as 'Facebook is a fad' made me think about why it is used by our society, especially by those within the 18-30 age group.

I am in agreeance with many points made by CJAV, yet as a facebook user myself , can see its benefits. When it comes down to it, it depends on whether you are using facebook as a means of self promotion, or simply as another form of communication. Apart from the difficulty in starting up an account, facebook does make communication among friends a lot easier. Events can be planned and sent out to everyone, photographs no longer have to be circulated around friends but simply uploaded to facebook, and it has a great appeal for international communication. It is quick and easy to stay in contact and see what other are up to by simply writing on their wall, and the photos also show what they have been doing, and in turn to show them what you have been up to.

It has been interesting noticing the change from when I first started using it then (2007) to now. As it has largely been adopted over MySpace and Bebo, the use of Facebook has changed. the ability for it to be a tool of self promotion has been made easier through groups, status updates, fan pages, quizzes etc. When i say self promotion, it cannot always be in a negative way- I also mean facebook can be used to let other know what your interests are etc, yet I do think person to person conversation is and always will be the best way for this.

Yes there are the people who use facebook to publicise the private aspects of their life, sexualise themselves or give off a particular image, yet this will always happen in all the SNS's, and once it is determined I am a facebook user, I annoyingly always feel the need to have to distance my self from this group people. On the other hand, while I admire the three friends of mine who refuse to succumb to facebook, it is harder to keep in contact with them, but not as difficult as many facebook addicts would believe!

So in my opinion, facebook can only be determined by how you use it. but a point that must be made again is don't allow facebook to have the rights to your photographs! Change your settings!

Hover your mouse over “Settings” and choose “Privacy Settings,” then “News Feed and Wall.” Then click “Facebook Ads” tab, which will take you to a setting for “Appearance in Facebook Ads” where you can select “No one.”

Going off the discussion in the lecture today about social networking website profile pictures, and what (if any) differences there are between the pictures of males and females, I had a quick browse through my friend list to investigate this further.

In the lecture, ideas were raised as to whether females have more solo pictures of themselves than males, and whether males have more 'random' or 'humorous' pictures, or pictures that aren't necessarily of themselves.

However, I found that nearly all the people in my friend network on Facebook (both males and females) have profile pictures that are of more than one person; usually a photo taken in a social situation with friends, such as at a party or some other setting. Interestingly enough, as was discussed in the lecture, females were more likely to have profile pictures of themselves. There was only a few males who had profile pictures that were of themselves, and (as also brought up in the lecture), they were often doing something, and not just posing for the camera as most of the females were in their solo photos.

But the majority of the people in my network, as mentioned, have profile photos of themselves with at least one other person. So perhaps, the ideas that there is a large difference in this area between males and females that were brought up today are not necessarily true in reality.

Here's a piece from danah boyd, updating some earlier (and interesting) work on class distinctions between MySpace and FB.