Benkler:

 

What exactely does Benkler mean by the content, logical and physical layer?

I think that the physical layer is all about the monitor, the software, the computer itself, and so on. I think it’s the technology you need to use the Internet. The content layer would be of course the stuff you reed, see, etc. on a website. But what is the logical layer? I don’t know for sure, but I think that has to do with lawsuits, copyrights, licenses, and so on. Thus, it is the combination of what people do with the Internet and what they’re legally allowed to do with the Internet.

 

Lessi:

 

Lessi talks in his article on many interesting cases, such as MP3.com, Napster, Lyric Servers, Culture Databases and much more. What first came up in my mind is the question why MP3.com stopped existing. I know Maarten Brinkerink will researching that and I’m very curious what the outcome will be.

            Lessi says also that in the future ‘real’ books will presumably be taken over by HTML books. I wonder, could he be right? Well, what is the advantage of a real book over a online book: you can hold it in your hands, reading it while you’re lying in bed, sit in the backyard, sit in the train, and so on. You can read on places where you don’t have a computer. The advantage of HTML books is that you can easily look something up. That’s most practical when you want to know something on a topic, you can CTRL F the word you’re looking for, and there it is. So, for researching use the HTML is better, but for reading a novel, the ‘real’ book is much better.

 

Harries:

 

What I found really funny to read is that Harries says: “In the not-too-distant future, the downloading of DVD movies will be the norm and one will then be able to view films in a more technologically stable and controlled environment such as, ironically, the television set.” This text is two years old, but already Harries seem to be right. I know a lot of people who linked their television with their computer and watch downloaded films on their television.

            But ok, the question of this week. What is my opinion on what Harries says?

Harries talks in his article of three forms of using the Internet; first ‘viewing’, second ‘using’ and third ‘viewsing’. With ‘viewing’ he means watching a movie or television show on the Internet, so this a very passive form of using the Internet. ‘Using’ is more interactive, because it’s all about the pushing of buttons, the typing of answers and so on. A good example are games. ‘Viewsing’ is the combination of viewing and using. The easiest way to make this clear is by an example. Harries uses the example of the television/Internet show The Bus. In this show there were 11 people in a bus with camera’s. You could follow them all day long on the Internet. You saw what they did, before it came on television. You could also vote on the Internet for someone to leave. So, this program was all about television in combination with the Internet. It wasn’t a show that you only watched on TV or only on the Internet.

            I thought by myself; in terms of ‘viewers’, ‘users’ and ‘viewsers’, what am I? What do I do on the Internet? I msn, check my email, watch Friends, and most of all, I download a lot of music. So, I’m a viewer, but also a user. That combination makes me a viewser. But no, not according to Harries. He says a viewser is someone who combines television with the Internet. I don’t find that logical. First of all because one who is a viewer as well as a user should be named a viewser (like me). Second of all, in the article he talks about how we use the Internet in combination with different media on the Internet (downloaded films, etc.), so it’s weird that he suddenly brings television along. He could also have looked at shows that are only at the Internet, I’m sure there are shows like that.

 

Negus:

 

Negus says in his article that in the entertainment business it’s not only the economics that influence the culture; the culture also influences the economics. He states that a lot of people always look at the economic influence and ignore the cultural influence on the economics. He gives two examples: the UK and the USA. According to Negus, in the UK there are employers of music labels who grew up with rock, so that’s why they mostly promote rock and Britpop and so on, in stead of soul, blues and R&B. In the United States, the society is split up in different segments, based on class and ethnicity. The music business is split up in the same segments; the genres are very clear cut and there are not so many crossovers. According to Negus, when there is a crossover, that’s a statement, an act of creating solidarities.

I was wondering, what kind of influence did Idols have on these musical cultures? In Idols everybody gets a chance and the music directors or whatever you call them have not as much influence on what the public should like than with ‘normal’ musical entertainers. So, because of Idols the musical market changed: it’s more and more based on what the public wants and not based on what the producers make them want. A good example is Kurt Nielsen, the Idols winner from Norway. Kurt isn’t that pretty, but he can sing! I bet, that if it wasn’t for Idols he never would got a contract, because he doesn’t fit in the picture the producers have on what a pop star should look like. But he got further and further in the Idols game and even became the World Idol!!! So, this time, the audience decided themselves who they wanted to see and hear sing.

 

 

Because my assignments seem to be missing, here they are on my weblog.

Feedback week 1 Jenkins: to Gario

Hi Quinsy,

it's hard to find critical comments on your opinion on Jenkins, because I agree with you.

As you say, we were already 'liberated' in the days of Stuart Hall. But what I miss in your statement is that we're not as liberated as we think. Yes, you talk about the interaction between the consument and the media product, but I think you musn't forget that there are a lot of people who think they're a very active audience, but that the media producents still have an enormous influence on us: how we think, what we like, etc.

You say:
"Only recently has the spectators involvement, (inter)action, with the media products they consume become interesting for researchers."

I don't think this is true. You say it yourself: Stuart Hall came with the active audience-theory. So, in his days, he was already researching the spectators involvement with the media products. You'd better say: Only recently has the interaction between the spectator and the media product become interesting for researchers. I know, it sounds like one little change in a sentence, but I think it's an important difference.

Well, I think you made a well build statement. My only advice is to be more specific. Because I believe you knew that the media has more impact than we know and that the research in spectator involvement began earlier, but write that down. What is logical for you can be an eye-opener for someone else.

Byebye,

Anouk

Assignment week 2 mobiles phones

 

I decided to start my own company, in which I sell mobile phones over the Internet. When you think about mobile phones, you think about calling, smsing (I don't know if this is a word), maybe making pictures and listening to music, whether through a radio or downloaded music. When I personally think about the Internet, I think about downloading music. So I think I'm going to link these two; I'm going to advertise for my mobile phone (with which one can download music) on music sites and maybe, if it's not too expensive on KaZaA.

My initial investments:

-         The mobile phones.

-         My own website on which I will emphasize on the music downloading function of the mobile.

-         The advertising costs on sites such as KaZaA, Napster, mp3download. Sites that give download advices (where you can find “if you like this….you also like this”).

I think my competitors are the other mobile phone companies, such as T-Mobile, Vodaphone, Hi, and so on. But also the stores where the mobiles are sold, such as T for Telecom, The Phone House, etc. I think Hi will be my biggest competitor, because they also emphasize music in their advertising.

 

Feedback week 2 mobiles: to Metting

 

Wow, what can I say? This is an elaborate businessplan. Very good! You really made clear which steps you would take to begin a mobile phone company. The quotation you use makes it even more well built (goed onderbouwd:)). There is only one this I think you forgot. Not only do you have competition with other Internetbusinesses and other mobile phone stores, but also the regular telephone networks, such as KPN or Tele2.

 

Assignment week 3 cokemusic versus ‘24’

 

www.cokemusic.com vs. www.fox.com/24

 

Attributes and affordances of the Internet:

What exactly are affordances? It’s the middle between technological determinism and social constructivism. In the technological determinism, the artefact implies its use. In the social constructivism, the user can choose on which way he uses the artefact. The affordances, like I said, are in the middle. These are the relations between the artefact and the user. It’s the way you use an artefact.

            You can use the Coca Cola site to create your own music and your own space (you can by furniture for your room), you can play games, you can chat with people, you even can contest in the Idols-competition, you can listen to music and you can see what’s on TV. So, this website combines different sorts of media, such as music, television, and of course the Internet.

            On www.fox.com/24 you can give your opinion on the sitcom, you can watch the newest episodes first and there is a forum. Thus, you can do quite less things on this website than on www.cokemusic.com.

 

The use of space:

The space in cokemusic.com is used to create a place where a user can do a lot of things, as I described above. On www.fox.com/24, the space is mainly used to give your opinion on ‘24’.

           

 

The choice for these types of entertainment formats (e.g. game vs. video clips):

Coca Cola wants to let people know that their brand stands for fun, enjoying life. That’s the reason that you can play games, create your own v-ego, chat with other members, listen to music and look at what’s on TV this evening. The site of ‘24’ concentrates on the sitcom; new episodes, an episode guide, the forum, profiles of the characters, and so on.

 

The mode of participation (i.e. 'sense of community'):

A community can be place-based, such as neighbourhoods, but also interest-based, for example when different people collect stuff or like the same things. Sites on the Internet are mostly interest-based. A virtual community can have a sense of community (SOC). Attributes in creating a SOC are:

- feelings of membership, belonging

- feelings of having influence on and being influenced by the community

- integration and fulfilment of needs (support)

- shared emotional connection (shared history)

A high SOC serves as a business tool for companies. For example, when one person experiences a high SOC at the Coca Cola website (www.cokemusic.com) and he or she walks later in the supermarket and want to buy some coke, he or she will immediately think of Coca Cola. 

At the Coca Cola website I personally get strong feelings of membership. I can chat with other members, can play games with them, etc. If I want to, I can join the Idols-couch. In that way, I’m being influenced by the community. But also when I chat to others and so on, that also influences me. When I create my own v-ego (virtual ego), I have influence on the community. My needs on this website are mostly to understand how it worksJ. Maybe I’m not so clever with these things, but for me, it’s not very clear how the whole community works. I don’t think there is talk of a shared emotional connection.

            There is a strong feeling of membership at the ‘24’-website. At the forum everybody can say whatever he got on his mind about ‘24’. Because people respond to that, there is a feeling of membership. The members have also an enormous influence. The can write what they think about the storylines. Maybe do the producers of ‘24’ really look at those opinions and use that in the storyline. The members of the community obviously share an emotional connection. They all like ‘24’. Also, because you find out a lot of information on the sitcom, you feel like a ‘24’-specialist, which amplifies your sense of fandom.

 

The relationship between the website and the overall aim of the company regarding what they want to promote:

It’s striking that nowhere on www.cokemusic.com you can find what the brand stands for, namely coke. I think Coca Cola does this because everybody already knows what Coca Cola is, they don’t have to explain that anymore. The website is to provide a fun place for people, so that they will first think of Coca Cola when the want to buy coke. Coca Cola wants to promote that the brand stands for fun. That’s why you can play games on the website, and chat, and listen to music, and so on.

            www.fox.nl/24 wants to promote the sitcom ‘24’. The way they do that is I believe effective. Mostly because people can give their opinion on the storyline. In that way, they will keep on watching ‘24’, because they want to know if the storyline really changes the way the want.

 

Conclusion:

www.cokemusic.com and www.fox.com/24 are very different. Coca Cola wants to promote the fun feeling, whereas Fox wants to promote the sitcom ‘24’. That’s why cokemusic.com combines so much media, to create the feeling that you don’t get a better time anywhere else than on that website. Because you get to know everything about ‘24’, you get the feeling that you are a specialist on the sitcom, which amplifies your fandom.

 

Feedback week 3 space: to Spainhouwer

 

I myself wasn’t able to get my assignment in less than 250 words, so I’m impressed that you couldJ. But I miss it that you don’t name the things we had to investigate, such as sense of community and space.

 

“In contrast, the 24 site seems to target a relatively passive (TV-watching audience) by providing informational content used to supplement the TV show.”

I don’t agree with this statement. I think the visitors of www.fox.com/24 are more active than the people on www.cokemusic.com, because they can really have influence on the product; they can give their opinion on the storyline of ‘24’ and the producers of the show can decide to use these opinions. On cokemusic.com you can do a lot of stuff, but can you really change something, do you have influence? No.

I know, we had to make questions of four texts and I only have them on the first two texts. I apologize, but this week I didn’t had time enough to make questions of the last two texts.

 

Küng and Schankleman:

 

Well, what can I say about it? I liked this text, firstly because it wasn’t difficult to readJ, but secondly because they said things I agree with. For example, at page 11 they say: “assumptions do not stand alone, but form an interrelated belief system, of paradigm. This is central to Schein’s conception of culture: it is because cultures contain belief systems, rather than an assortment of stand-alone assumptions and beliefs, that they are so powerful.”[1]  

            There is one thing I’m questioning; Küng and Schankleman say that only in recent years the term ‘corporate culture’ has become part of the standard vocabulary of management. Do they say with that that there wasn’t a corporate culture before that? Because I don’t think that’s true. I think that already when the first companies came up, they tried to create a culture. I find it odd that only in recent years this is used.

 

De Mooij:

 

In his article, De Mooij makes the distinction between masculine countries and feminine countries. He says that the United States are masculine, which means that the dominant values are achievement and success. In a feminine society, such as The Netherlands, the dominant values are caring for others and quality of life. What I find striking is that The Netherlands and the United States doesn’t seem to differ very much these days. Are we in The Netherlands really to different from the people in the United States? We have the same products, the business life is organised in the same way, we have the same sorts of entertainment (Idols) and because of the Internet, the distinction between us only becomes less; we can see more of each other and more and more share the same opinions (although I think it’s mostly the Dutch people who see more of the Americans, because we can read English, so we go the American websites. They don’t I think, simply because they don’t speak Dutch). Is the Dutch society becoming more masculine because of the Internet maybe? Yeah, I think it is. This is why (most already stated above): Dutch people understand English, so will visit (besides the Dutch sites) American sites. They see more and more of American products. The Dutch leap into that by providing more of those products (by products I also mean entertainment). As Küng and Schankleman stated, cultural products contain espoused values and underlying assumptions. So with the American products we also get their values and becomes our way of thinking more masculine.

Ok, I've changed the way I'm going to look at the SATC-site. It's more interesting to look at the content of the site than the way they create a sense of community. Sex and the City is in fact one big advertisement for shoes, clothes, places to be (clubs and so on), etc. I'm going to look how the official SATC-site deals with that big advertisement. Does the site concentrate on advertising lifestyles? A good main question and subquestions follow.

Hmm, it's harder to find a topic than it seems. I find a lot of subjects (websites such as www.cokemusic.com, www.cu2.nl, www.mtv.com) very interesting, but don't know what I can research concerning these sites. But there is on subject I had in mind already in the first week of the course: the Tv-show Sex and the City. Of course because I really like this show:), but also because it's incredible popular among women from all over the world. My question would be:
How does the official Sex and the City (SATC) webiste create a sense of community (SOC) and how do the fans respond to the site? Are they active or are unofficial websites on the show more popular?
The link of the official site is www.hbo.com/city.

Hutchby:

Hutchby makes in his article the division between the actor-network theory and the social constructivism. What does he mean by these two? And what does he find of these two concepts?

I find it hard to understand what the actor-network precisely is. Hutchby says: “actor-network theorists ‘avoid making the commonsense assumption that people, entrepreneurs or machines are naturally-occurring categories’(Bijker and Law 1992: 13).”[1]  We have to dissolve the very categories of ‘technology’ and ‘society’ to understand the social dynamics of technologies. I believe that in the actor-network theory, you can find the technological determinism; the view that forms of technology actively cause new forms of social relations to come about.

About the social constructivism says Hutchby: “That is, whether the account is posed in terms of socio-technical interaction or socio-technical networks, the basic idea is that there are no inherent or necessary features of technological artefacts which lead to determinate social consequences. Rather, the precise nature of the social dynamics of technologies is treated as an issue that is open for empirical sociological investigation.”[2] So, the social constructivism says that the discourses surrounding technologies are the only phenomena with any possible sociological (and social) relevance.

            Hutchby says that we should use another concept than the actor-network theory and the social constructivism to understand the relationship between the sociological and technical. “By utilizing the concept of affordances, we can avoid the arbitrariness of the radical constructivist position, […] and also evade the equally unilateral epistemology associated with technological determinism. The affordances of and artefact are not things which impose themselves upon humans’ actions with, around or via that artefact. But they do set limits on what it is possible to do with, around or via the artefact.”[3]

            Well, if I’m honest, I still don’t really understand the actor-network theory. I don’t know if it’s right that it can linked with technical determinism. I think I agree with Hutchby and his affordances, because an artefact is limited in what you can do with it.

 

Dodge:

I find an interesting article. Dodge several times things that opened my eyes. For example, he says on page 61 that cyberspace promotes ‘uniformity more than diversity, homogeneity more than heterogeneity’.[4]

But what I want to talk about is the representation of women on the Internet in relation to men. You would say that women are freer on the Internet than in real life, because men can’t see them, and can’t chat up a girl based on her looks. However, Dodge says “Women in cyberspace still attract the unwanted attention of men, are still sexually harassed and receive abusive messages, and are still expected to adopt the same gender roles as in ‘geographic’ space. […] In Foucaultian terms, online women (in general) still remain ‘docile bodies’ – bodies which are regulated by, and subjected to, men. As such, many analysts have pointed to the fact that gendered identities, rather than undergoing a process of re-negotiation in cyberspace, are becoming more clearly demarcated through heightened sexism and the creation of women-only spaces. These issues have led a number of researchers to claim that far from being a disembodied space, cyberspace is an embodied space, codified by spillover from the material world.”[5]

I don’t agree with this statement. Of course, there is still a chance that men come on to you or sent you abusive emails. I personally regularly get annoying emails from men with ‘indecent proposals’. I get these because I have a site (www.cu2.nl/anoukpurple) with my own profile, the things I like, and the things I don’t like, when it’s my birthday, and so on. So, I can’t complain that I get these emails, because I let people on the Internet know who I am. However, when a woman wants to be free of harassing men, they simply don’t let them know that they’re woman. That’s a choice you can make. So, in that case, women remain not still ‘docile bodies’.

I'm Anouk and unfortunately I'm not the computernerd I thought I was. I don't get this weblog at all. So, this is a test. I hope it turns out to be very simple to create this:).