Digital technology allows for quick and simple interaction between the government body and public body. The sending and receiving of messages, photos, and videos is something that is now so easy, it allows for immediate feedback. It isn’t rare to see government campaigns using social media for advertising, event updates and promotion. Shirky says “communication tools come along and they change how people can contact each other, how they can share information, how they can find each other”. I agree with this statement in the way that technology; especially social media has changed the way we interact. Its greatest weapon is that it enables one message to be sent to anyone around the world.

There is however, a slight negative ramification from the use of social media in today’s society. Nowadays there is very little face to face communication, unless you work or associate with certain people on a daily basis. No one talks anymore; everyone just looks at social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram in order to find out what their network of friends are doing. Just like keeping up with the top news headlines; most people just go on Twitter and read the latest feeds for top stories. No one wants to read long reports in order to learn anymore. This is why the global movement to become digital and utilise social media as a beneficial tool has allowed for everyone to basically be more efficient at life. A generalized term yes, but if you think about it, it’s true. Social media has enabled a ‘short cut’ in a sense.

But is this a bad thing? Take the case of Jill Meagher as an example; a woman who was raped and murdered in the streets of Melbourne. Jill Meagher’s murder case created a nationwide upset that resulted in state and national action to enhance CCTV security in all communities. Security videos did however play an important role in the initial pleas for help to find Jill in the days following her disappearance. Once an arrest was made detectives trolled through hours of footage from cameras across Melbourne; piecing together her final hours and the movements of Adrian Bailey (murderer). This case proved how beneficial surveillance cameras are at assisting these types of situations. Even just store CCTV camera can make the difference between solving a case or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owwPKNhnFrQ

Although some might think that surveillance can lead to individual empowerment, where some of the ‘wrong’ people can control or orchestrate a negative action on society. There is the ability to balance surveillance and privacy so that everyone wins. Mass public surveillance should be accessible to security services in order to protect the public from harm. CCTV can be most beneficial when used in conjunction with other crime reduction measures and when tailored to the local setting (Armitage. R, 2002). We should not let it overpower our lives; however we should master the use of surveillance and use it to our benefits both locally and globally. Although many people see surveillance as an invasion of privacy, we need to understand that privacy and surveillance are juxtaposing, as one can exit in the realm of the other. We need national surveillance to protect our development as a society both locally and globally. There should be embrace of surveillance rather than outrage as it is a worldwide phenomenon that at times yes, may feel invasive, but in the long run, it may prove to be the defining savior for societal mishap.

Retracing Jill Meagher’s Final Hours

In my video above I started it with some footage I took filming the street from the balcony of my house. Although it doesn’t seem interesting at all, in fact it is quite boring to watch; it was intended to show how even though I was filming the same spot for a couple of minutes, no one had noticed. The fact that no one stopped and got out of their car to say ‘hey, what are you doing?’ gave me a clear indicator that they had no idea I was filming them and watching what they were doing in their cars as they drove past. Now if we wanted to get technical, you could say that I was invading people’s privacy by watching what they were doing whilst driving, and the fact that I was filming and recording them gives testament to the whole issue of surveillance. I have now got this footage as digital storage in my own personal database.

I then used a number of different photos that showed the process of how surveillance works. Starting from a satellite camera and finishing with a camera on a building. This, depicting how no matter where you are in the world, technology and its advancement allows us to locate absolutely anything, anywhere around the world. I then went on to show personal pictures of my Instagram page and Google map location that shows how easy it is to look someone up on any sort of social media forum and stalk them.

I then introduced the Jill Meagher murder that took place in Melbourne. I used this case as an example as I found it had the most relevant coloration with surveillance and its pros and cons. I thought it also gave great insight to how powerful CCTV cameras are for society when trying to solve criminal or suspicious public activity. The two news report videos that I extracted from the channel 7 news YouTube page illustrate my views, opinions and supporting research. I used these two videos as the main features in my video as I think they give perfect conveyance of how cameras and social media assist with criminal action and civil rights.

Throughout the video I use a mixture of my own personal material and some online material. Although it would have been great to be able to provide all of the footage for this video myself, I simply found it impossible. Yes, it is easier than having to ask for permission or ensure I have followed all technical steps in order to use content off the internet, however I think I am not experienced enough to provide such high quality footage and pictures.

I decided to talk as the narrative throughout the video as I just don’t feel comfortable with filming myself. I have never made a video like this before, let alone any video. So I found this quite confronting. Even just being the voice over in the video was nerve-racking.

With reference to researching surveillance I drew upon and quoted from Baruh, L and Soysal, L 2010; Lyon, D 1994; and Armitage. R 2002. Although there was a lot of information provided from these different sources. I found that there were a lot of the similar opinions and points made. My personal argument was predominantly strengthened by Baruh, L and Soysal, L 2010 essential reading.

As this was the first video I have made, I felt it took a lot of time to learn the ropes. Learning how to use new software and the technical skills required in order to edit a video adequately enough was something I struggled with. I did however learn a lot from researching. I spent a lot of time on YouTube more than anything. I am a visual learner, so I liked this. I found that I had a lot of different arguments that I could bring forward for this task; however, that would require a much longer video. I am not completely sure how I feel about the video I have presented, mostly because I have never made one before. I did however enjoy this task as I learned a whole lot of new skills that I am excited to exude in the future!

References:

• Armitage. R 2002, ‘To CCTV or not to CCTV? A review of current research into the effectiveness of CCTV systems in reducing crime’, Nacro – Crime and Social Policy Section.
• Baruh, L and Soysal, L 2010, ‘Public intimacy and the new face (book) of surveillance: the role of social media in shaping contemporary dataveillance’, in Dumova, T and Fiordo, R (eds.), Handbook of Research on Social Interaction Technologies and Collaboration Software: Concepts and Trends, Information Science Reference, Hershey, pp. 392–403
• Lyon, D 1994, ‘The Electronic Eye: The Rise of Surveillance Society – Computers and Social Control in Context (book), Polity Press, Blackwell Publishers.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owwPKNhnFrQ
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbIdH8WNmKk&feature=player_detailpage#t=0

Effects of our environment

According to the Media Ecology Association, media ecology is defined as “the study of media environments, the idea that technology and techniques, modes of information and codes of communication play a leading role in human affairs.” Milberry says, “in media ecology, a medium is a technology within which human nature grows, giving forms to its politics, ideologies and social interactions.” My interpretation of media ecology is simply the interplay between technology, media, the environment and humans.
As each factor of our being continues to develop; environmentally, technologically, economically and humanitarian, we are progressively dependent on one factor in order to assist or enhance another factor. On a global scale, we are defined by our environment. Just as technology develops and transforms, so too does its environment and human beings.

Media ecology is reshaping the ways in which we live our lives; it spans much further than just the basic development in technology, but it is ingrained in our existence as human beings. It is constantly growing and developing when society grows and develops both locally and globally. As human beings, we adapt or change when our environment changes. We are conformists by nature; it is natural to want to stay up to speed with the advancement of education and technology. So too is it natural for us to get bored with the ‘same thing’, our environment must change and develop in order to sustain us and in order for society as a whole to be intellectual and economical.

With media being the environment, its never-ending enhancement and capability to create new avenues for education is astonishing. Our brains are like a sponge, anything that is modern, interesting or vital for survival; we soak it all up. It’s scary to think that just over a decade ago wireless was invented. Just imagine what the future will bring!

Vectors vs. Borders

Personal information, it should be private shouldn’t it? Most would hope so; however, this is not the case. Many people are oblivious to how serious and easy it is to commit information theft ‘hacking’. Online information, such as personal information like bank account details, home addresses, email accounts, phone tapping, identity theft, personal videos and photos, the list is endless; almost everyone stores some sort of private information about themselves in the digital world. More controversial is the fact that although everyone wants privacy, they also want freedom of information. The question is which one would most people prioritise?

McKenzie Wark’s says in ‘A Hacker Manifesto’ “information wants to be free but is everyone in chains.” I agree that not all information should be out in the open for everyone to see, however, I think that some information shouldn’t be hidden, and people should have it at their disposal if need be. In saying this, if I had to choose between having freedom of information or privacy, I would rather privacy.

I do believe, however, that it is the individual who makes themselves a target for hackers. Take the numerous celebrities who have had their private information leaked, for example. They are completely aware that they are influential in society and every move they make is being watched closely by someone. Knowing they are in an industry that is overwhelmed by the media and paparazzi, one would think, especially those with an iPhone or iCloud that nothing is private. They should ensure they are very vigilant when it comes to using digital devices for private activities, as everything is accessible once it enters the digital world or the ‘cloud’.

Although I think, individuals should take responsibility and be aware of their actions when using digital media, I do think that hacking is a crime, to an extent. Breaching people’s private information without their consent should be illegal and those who commit it for reasons unjustified should be held accountable. In the case of universal, national, and local terror, political and economic concerns, I think that ‘professional’ hackers that are employed by the government are justified to carry out their information searching if it is of benefit to a cause or protection of the public.

An optimist is someone who thinks that positive events have occurred because of them. They believe that with this outlook, more positive things will happen in the future both personally and globally. Pessimists, on the other hand, think in the opposite way to optimists. They believe negative events have occurred because of them. They believe that with a pessimistic outlook, things such as making a mistake will cause for more to come in the future. Optimists see success as a sign of working hard, pessimists see success as a sign of luck.

Either way, both optimists and pessimists create valid arguments for different circumstances, just the same in this case for the effects of global networks. It is without doubt we live and breathe for the global network. Global networks are the base of our existence. All communication networking spans the entire earth. Through technological enhancement, communication is simpler, more affordable and can reach the masses.

Kazys Varnelis’s optimistic view of global networks is, “cultural changes transformed the world we live in,” “Ours is a global network economy, the product not only of networking technology but also of the inexpensive transport of people and cargo and the aggressive relaxation of trade barriers.” Geert Lovink’s pessimistic view of global networks is that it is “electronic loneliness.” Lovink’s views are surrounded by negativity towards human dependence on technology in order to interact and communicate with one another.

I would consider myself to be an optimist. I think that global networks define who we are as human beings. We are fascinated by the development of not only technology, but the economy, culture and even relationships. We have everything at our disposal; we live in a world where information is endless, learning has almost no barriers, and we are able to connect with anyone from around the world. I think there is merit in both Varnelis’s and Lovink’s views on global networks. However, I think only a small portion of the world choose to isolate themselves in the digital world completely. Yes, almost everyone is obsessed with technology and social media, but there is still a balance between interaction in the flesh and interaction in the digital world. Global networks simply allow for more efficient communication among more people around the world.

How right is copyright?

Why should I pay if I can get it for free?

Copyright is the right to control the copying and some other forms of exploitation of copyright material. The rights of the copyright owners derive from the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) (“Copyright Act”). It is the exclusive right to make copies, license, and otherwise exploit a literary, musical, or artistic work, whether printed, audio, video, etc…Works that are granted such right by law on or after January 1, 1978, are automatically protected for the lifetime of the author or creator and for a period of 50 years after his or her death (dictionary.com).

The copyright law allows for the protection of new ideas and innovations. Most small-business owners use creativity and innovation to gain a competitive edge over other or larger competitors. With government support and legal protection of a ‘copyright’, those who produce new creative works such as literature, art, music and technological software, can have peace of mind that their ideas will not be forged.

The biggest barriers we face today with regard to copyright law is societies eagerness to source information and use it in order to educate themselves and educate others. In our days, the internet is one of the most frequently and commonly used tools that allows us to access information. You can find absolutely anything on the internet, even ways of ‘dodging the system’.

Take ITunes for example. The majority of people around the world would use ITunes as their main means for downloading music. A large percentage however, would openly admit to downloading music via illegal websites. Illegal yes, yet the bulk of offenders get away with it. How? because the internet provides us with many ways to do so. This begs the question, are copyright laws even effective? There is a social norm for people to conform, word of mouth being the biggest and most influential impact on people’s behavior. Everyone thinks, “why should I have to pay for that, when I can get it for free”. It is simply the way societies have developed over the years, always seeking freedom of information.

There are pros and cons to the global copyright law. The pros evident are that the copyright laws are secure and doing their job, although the cons presented are that many people have found ways of dodging the laws and are getting away with it without punishment due to the advancement and intelligence of technology. In order to curb this unsettled and inconsistent relationship of some copyright laws that are breached and go unheard of, there must but a worldwide treaty that prosecutes equally those who commit copyright fraud. This must be done in order for there to be a fair middle-ground on an international scale so that no matter where offenders are in the world, they will face the same consequences regardless!

Glocality

Glocality, a combination of the two words “globalization” and “localization”; in simplest terms it is basically the co-existing state of both local and global spaces and their influences on people. Place plays a huge role in determining my social and cultural identity. I am simply defined by the people I associate myself with, the ways in which I interact socially both in person and through my online identity.

Glocailty has ultimately changed the way people see the world. Everything is much more accessible, change is no longer a hard task, but an easy task. The opportunities are endless. Since the revolution of digital media, many doors have opened for innovation, planning and development. Through media technologies like the internet for example, we are able to connect the two, the local with the global. Media and the endless technologies that come with it allow us to communicate as an extension of ourselves.

I have always been an active person, growing up on the Mornington Peninsula. From beach kid to farm kid, there was never a dull moment. Although we are from the coast, my dad has always worked in the city. I remember when I was little, mum used to take myself, my brothers and sister to the city as a ‘fun’ day trip. Yes, I guess the adventure was exciting, but I simply hated the city. This, until we eventually moved to the city for school. It took me a while to adapt to the change. At first I thought it was the worst decision my parents ever made. But then after about a year I realized how influenced I was from my surroundings. My new friends started joking about how I used to speak really slang ‘local talk’. It wasn’t until I reflected that I noticed how different the two spaces were, from local beach girl to city girl. The tables had turned. My eyes had opened. I saw the world in a whole new light. I went from being an “I’m never going to move to the city” girl, to a complete advocate of the city. I was never aware of what was really out there in the world until I listened and took a leap of faith. The possibilities of new adventures and exploring the world became the forefront of my existence.

I am now an elite athlete. Through rowing I have made connections and relationships with fellow Australians both locally and interstate but also with international athletes. Although I am based in Australia, it is as if I have a number of homes. One with my family here in Melbourne, when I go on numerous camps for weeks and one in Varese, Italy; where the European based Australian Institute of Sport is located. Each year we train in Italy for a month prior to competition. It is here where I have developed relationships with the locals. It is glocality that has combined the different lives I lead, from an employee, to uni student to elite athlete. Without the concept of glocality I would find it very hard to make changes and adapt.

Interconnecting — an International Sensation

Our Global Village..

New years’ resolution, almost everybody has one. Why, because new beginnings are what allow us to develop and grow; not only as an individual, but as a community and a nation. It is human nature to want to learn and be the best version of ourselves, whether it is intellectually, physically, or socially. This is where the ‘global village’ comes into play. By using electronic media, we are able to share our lives by using technology and the internet. Today, the term ‘global village’ is used to describe the internet or the World Wide Web (WWW). It is a platform that allows anyone around the world to interact through written texts, videos or images. Without the use on electronic media and social networking sites, it would be very difficult to communicate the development of new technology, convey messages and keep up to date with the latest gadgets.

On an international scale, economies are developing at rapid paces. The development of infrastructure, technology, motor vehicles, education… the list goes on, is simply incredible. We live in a day and age where everyone wants a piece of the ‘new trend’. It is the enthusiasm from society that has pushed the development of technology into overdrive, a result of the beginning of electronic media.

Marshall McLuhan draws on the significance of having electronic media and how it is revolutionizing and defining the ways in which we conduct our lives today and will in the future. McLuhan draws on the substantial differences between the simple book and media. Through reading McLuhan suggests that it is a private individual experience where one person absorbs each word, sentence and page in the book. Media on the other hand is suggested as a tool that can be shared publicly and have collective interaction. People are able to multitask when using media as opposed to reading a book.

The global village, an idea that people are connected by easy travel, mass media, and electronic communications and have become a single community, is overwhelmingly evident in the year 2014 where contemporary characteristics of our global village allow us to connect anywhere with anyone solely due to our passion for change and our continual development of technology.