Sunday, 30 October 2011

ASSMT 1: 2.5 Notes on games, ARGs and digital commons

The topic of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) was an interesting one this week that I think fits well with my remediation project and essay. Although I have chosen to remediate and write an essay about the sub plot of a television series - the way in which the characters story intertwines with real life scenarios is similar to the way in which ARGs are operate.

Örnebring states: "Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are a form of internet-based mystery game in which participants are immersed in a fictional world and engage in collective problem-solving" (Örnebring 2007 p. 445).

And they work by:

"Events and things mentioned in the episodes of the TV series itself will also provide clues. Bit by bit, these clues form a separate narrative set in the fictional world" (Örnebring 2007 p. 446).

In the TV show Gavin and Stacey - Nessa's back story is never fully told and she remains somewhat of a mystery. A series of clues are dropped by Nessa in her stories that reflect upon past conquests involving famous people from the real world. If viewers choose to investigate these clues they will find that these stories not only reference real life people but also real life scenarios that have been reported in the press. Nessa turns out to be someone that has escaped the limelight while being involved in a great deal of scandal.

Therefore the TV show follows a similar line to ARGs in that:

A mystery is created
Clues are given
Clues can be investigated by audiences
Clues link to real world people and scenarios through press reports

My remediation project sets out to join these clues together through a blog that presents Nessa as if she is a real life person and further the idea that the stories are true. Unlike a game there is no puzzle solving winning at the end, it is merely a site for investigating clues and filling in the back story - a kind of virtual reality blog based on a virtual reality storyline in a TV show.

In this regard my blog could be seen as an example cultural labor described by Fiske and quoted by Örnebring as " ‘filling in the syntagmatic gaps in the original narrative’ (Örnebring 2007 p. 451 quoting Fiske, 1992). In other words the blog pieces together a back story that enriches the characters in TV show. Örnebring believes that this type of culture labor supports marketing for television shows (as does other fan created content) - as it stays within the storyline and concept of the show rather than changing it, and disseminates to a wider audience

This same idea was covered in our second reading about Digital Commons - especially in the sections about mods which are fan produced modifications for games. The point was made here too that modders stick to the boundaries of the originating text source as per the following quote:

"most mods are thematically conservative, undertaken by technically accomplished fans who love a particular game and want more of it – more weapons and monstrous opponents for shooters, different campaigns and battles for war games – in variants that don’t stray far from the spirit of the original" (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007).

Both readings link fan culture, virtual reality and media institutions all of which relate to my remediation project. As the blog is aimed at fans and new watchers of the show Gavin and Stacey - this topic would be good to cover in my essay.

Coleman, S., and N. Dyer-Witheford. 2007. Playing on the digital commons: collectivities, capital and contestation in videogame culture. Media Culture Society 29: Sage publications. http://mcs.sagepub.com/content/29/6/934 (accessed 26/10/11).

Örnebring, H. 2007. Alternate reality gaming and convergence culture. International Journal of Cultural Studies 10: 445 - 462. Sage Publications. http://ics.sagepub.com/content/10/4/445 (accessed 20/10/11).

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Do you mod? Why do modders mod?

Coleman & Dyer-Witheford describe modding as follows

“modders aim to expand games: changing characters’ ‘skins’, adding weapons, creating scenarios, levels or missions, building new games out of old engine” (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007 p. 941)

I am not much of a gamer so modding is not something that I do or have encountered before although I can see its benefits.

For entertainment purposes alone being able to modify a game would make it a lot more enjoyable. When the game gets boring just adding an extension or accessing an extension someone else has created would allow continued and more interesting play.

I can also see this practice as being greatly beneficial the individual in terms of education. By studying and experimenting with the original code, one could learn to create games through a process of self education. Overall, modding could create highly educated games developers who be seen as both a threat and an asset to gaming companies.

Unpack the tenuous and complex tensions between game pirates and games companies.

According to Coleman and Dyer-Witheford Game Pirates can be categorized as follows:

Black Market Centers:

· Businesses that produce high volumes of copied games for sale and profit. They run factories in “Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America” (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007 p.938) that are professional and sophisticated and mimic the business model of legitimate games producers but within a criminal syndicate.

Warez Groups:

· Peer to peer file sharing. Warez groups believe that once they have purchased a game that they own it and have a “right to redistribute it” (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007 p. 938) to other games lovers. They see laws that prevent redistribution as part of a “greedy corporate order” and therefore “gift” games to others within the group without seeking financial reward. The Warez economy works on sharing games and payment comes in the form of “thrill of technological accomplishment” (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007 p. 938) and a good reputation within the group.

Other:

· People making the odd copy of a game, sharing them in small groups, businesses copying the odd game to restock their shelves, and games lovers uploading out of production “retro” games online – keeping them in existence which in some ways can be seen to support the gaming industry through the dissemination of gaming culture (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007 p. 940).

In the eyes of copyright law all three types of piracy are seen as equal in severity and no distinction is made between them despite their vast differences. As Coleman and Dyer-Witheford point out, the games industry was founded on the back of hackers who shared, improved and redistributed games for the fun of it. This was not an illegal activity until big business commodified games, turning their originating producers into criminals (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007 p. 937).

Further tensions arise within the gaming community when the games industry seeks to recoup their financial losses due to piracy by increasing the sales price of their games, effectively punishing their law-abiding customers while black market groups continue to copy. Furthermore the addition of “anti-coping” technology to games software aimed at reducing piracy has, in the past, reduced the quality of the product – resulting in law suits for the gaming industry (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007 p. 940) and again punishing the customer base rather than the black market criminal.

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

2.5 What are commons? In our current consumer/capitalist framework is it possible to even have commons in this context? Is the online environment a digital commons?

Coleman and Dyer-Witheford describe commons as:

“resources that all in a specified community may use, but none can own. They contrast with commodities, exchanged for profit on the basis of privatized possession.” (Coleman and Dyer-Witheford 2007)P934

In this context I believe that we do in some ways have commons in our current consumer/capitalist framework although they are more likely to be referred to as public areas and are not for the exclusive use of a “specified community”. We have parks, national parks, roads, and footpaths, crowned land, a water supply, libraries, and public beaches. Although it could be argued that governments own these resources – the governments are voted in by the general public who fund the upkeep of these resources through the paying of taxes. Therefore these resources could be said to be owned by all or none, depending on how you would like to look at it.

There are laws and regulations that govern our public resources or commons: such as speed limits on roads, fire safety guidelines in national parks, summer time water restrictions and laws that stop you staking out your own private little piece of Bondi Beach but they are put in place to preserve the commons, to ensure fairness, and to keep the general public safe when on common ground. Could we have common land without rules and regulations? I would have to say no. Our capitalist society works by one person taking ownership of a resource and trading for the resources of others. We do not live in a society where we only take what we need to survive; we take what we think we can profit most from. Therefore in this day and age our commons are legislated to prevent profit based on “privatized possession”.

Much like the offline world I believe the online environment is largely privatized but there are small chunks of it that could be thought of as commons. The world wide web is one example – this system of hyperlinks and urls enables us to make use of the internet and it is free – anyone can learn and use the code needed to make a website, but putting the website online is once again privatized through ISP’s charging for domain names. If anything Coleman and Dyer-Withefords article shows is that digital commons are not cut and dry. Companies own the intellectual properly rights to code, characters and the visual style of games. They may embrace the public playing on their turf or they may forbid people from using their code or characters to create new content entirely. In either case the companies still have IP rights over the content, and can choose to litigate at any time they see fit which sends mixed messages, blurring the line between commons and profitable privatization.

What relationships within and between convergent cultures do ARGs represent?

In his article Örnebring explains a theory by Jenkins where ARGs represent the relationship between “top-down processes of convergence…. and bottom-up processes of convergence”(Örnebring 2007) p448.

What this means is that ARGs turn “read only” media texts created by media institutions into texts that can be actively participated in by audiences. Consumers and producers merge and converge in ARGs as do the platforms on which the story is told.

According to Jenkins ARGs operate through a system of “decentralized”, “multi-platformed storytelling”(Örnebring 2007) p448 . Meaning that a little piece of the story is told on one platform (for example a clue is given in the TV show) while the storyline is furthered on another platform (e.g. more clues are given in on a website, or via a phone call) therefore ARGs also represent a blurring in the relationships between media platforms who rather than tell one story in its entirety, tell small pieces of a story that must be pieced together by the audience.

Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Topic 2.5 What is an alternate reality game? Have you played one?

I haven’t played and alternate reality game but Örnebring defines one as an “internet-based

mystery game in which participants are immersed in a fictional world and engage in collective problem-solving” (Örnebring 2007 p.445). The games are created by media companies (usually for marketing purposes) or by fans in order to further explore and interact with their favorite media text.

ARG’s link to particular media texts such as movies, songs, books or TV shows but this link is not always something that is made clear to participants. Örnebring demonstrated this with his example of the ARG created for the movie AI: Artificial Intelligence - called the Beast. This ARG created a buzz surrounding issues covered in the movie yet did not directly reference the movie, its storyline or its characters (Örnebring 2007 p.446). Other ARGs require participants to collect clues from the originating text and use the collective intelligence of the group in order to progress through the game.

Regardless of its form, the purpose if an ARG is to allow the consumer to actively participate in a fictional word that intertwines with reality – participants must suspend belief in order to interact with the game and the media text as if it were a real.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Audience research for Remediation Project

As stated in my earlier blog post on the audience for my remediation project, Nessa's little black book will be aimed at those watching or re-watching the TV series Gavin and Stacey either on repeat TV broadcasts or DVD box sets. Given that Gavin and Stacey is no longer in production the idea behind the remediation is create a link between the stories Nessa tells and the now old pop culture references she uses.

It is a given that fans of Gavin and Stacey will own the box sets and re-watch them from time to time, but I also wanted to find out who the new audience would be.

An article on TV tonight (a blog about Australian TV that also contains viewer statistics) states that the BBC have launched an iPad App called iPlayer which will give subscribers access to a back catalogue of BBC programs including Gavin and Stacey. If it goes well in Australia it will also be launched in the USA (Knox 2011). This means that the TV series will be available to US and Australian iPad owners and subscribers to watch whenever they wish, although niche this does bode well for my remediation project.

Gavin and Stacey is currently showing as re-runs in the UK and Ireland on the BBC owned TV Channel UK G.O.L.D which is available on pay television services such as Sky, Virgin TV and Top up TV (Comedy TV shows and video n GOLD TV 2011)

It is currently showing on Netflix (Shelby 2011) which is available in the USA and Canada and is currently expanding into other countries (Company Overview 2011)

Currently showing on TVNZ and TVNZ Ondemand in New Zealand (Gavin And Stacey 2011)

This is a list compiled of legal ways to watch the show that I have found through a Google search in the English language. My search has found that Gavin and Stacey has, in the past been aired in other countries such as Israel on VOD but I am unable to search the respective web-sites in order to backup this claim due to the language barrier. I feel it is also worthy to note that, although I am not condoning it - some of my audience base will be made up of people who watch pirated copies of the show. I am nothing if not a realist!

Comedy TV shows and video n GOLD TV. 2011. http://uktv.co.uk/gold/homepage/sid/5001 (accessed 20/10/11).

Company Overview. 2011. https://signup.netflix.com/MediaCenter/Overview (accessed 20/10/11).

Gavin And Stacey. 2011. http://tvnz.co.nz/gavin-and-stacey/about-1414345 (accessed 20/10/11).

Knox, D. 2011. BBC iPlayer launches on iPad. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/09/bbc-iplayer-launches-on-ipad.html (accessed 20/10/11).

Shelby. 2011. Netflix Instant Pick of the Week: Summer TV Part 3. http://uktv.co.uk/gold/homepage/sid/5001 (accessed 20/10/11).

Topic 2.4 Notes on play, games and media

In the ilecture Woods stated when speaking about the history of games “TV killed gaming innovation because the companies that produced games … started remaking them with a new image on the box… this hasn’t really changed much” (Woods 2011). While this is true of board games (a quick Google search will find loads of different versions of monopoly including “make your own Opoly” where you can customize the board game to suit your own interests) I am not sure that it applies to video games in the same way.

While the reason for buying the Star Wars version of Monopoly, hopefully is because you are a fan of Star wars – playing the game of monopoly is not something overly representative of the movies themes or storyline. Video games on the other offer a greater flexibility in representing the initial text - be it in graphics, storyline or characters voice and appearance. In fact the media companies that creates the movie also create the game ensuring a harmonious branding across all platforms. For example Sony – a company that makes televisions and electronic equipment is actually a group of companies. One branch of the group is Sony Pictures who make movies and television shows. Another branch of the Sony group make the Sony PlayStation and PlayStation games (Sony Global - Sony Global Headquarters 2011). Therefore when Sony pictures make a blockbuster movie with a lot of graphics and special effects, a game can also be produced at the same time using the same graphic styles and is instantly recognizable to consumers.

Games are popular and in an article about the future of video games Mawer suggests a few reasons why this is the case. His first reason once again, is in the production value – he states that games have “story lines that are gripping, full of suspense, action and adventure which are supported by some stunning visuals, amazing sound effects and a stirring soundtrack to accompany the hero” (Mawer 2011) and his second reason in purely financial “but the movie is over within a few hours while the video game plays for a whopping 50 hours” (Mawer 2011). So the games have all the story line and production value of a movie, but offer better entertainment value by allowing the consumers to extend the time they spend interacting with their favorite media texts.

Professor Thomas De Zengotita’s theories on the effects of media evolution could give further insight into the popularity of games. In an interview about fame and celebrity he speaks about something he calls an act of “fundamental robbery” that has been created by a fame driven media system. The fundamental human need is acknowledgment and he believes that our media society takes this away from the average person stating “the evolution of media of all kinds, in large scale societies (should be seen) as taking the fame or acknowledgement that used to be everybody’s and some how reassigning it to only a few people” (Genier 2011) . With this in mind video games could be seen as way of placating this need to be acknowledged as in the game the player becomes the central focus, their existence within the game is acknowledged and their actions instantly rewarded.

This could explain why adult gamers feel they need to rationalize their game playing to others. Research conducted by Helen Thornham discovered that while many adults play games, many still feel there is a social stigma attached to it and therefore tend to rationalize their game playing as a logical pastime – such as socializing. Those who admitted to playing games regularly and by themselves were often ridiculed, seen as geeky, and their sexual orientation questioned. Thornham put this reaction down to a cultural issue in the structured adult life that mimics “working lives where every hour has meaning or purpose” (Thornham 2009). Gaming offers a form of escape from the everyday that is seen purely as entertainment, it is therefore unproductive (in the work life sense) resulting in gamers defending their actions through rationalizations.

Finally Jenkins offers further insight into the role of gaming in society. He notes the roles that moral panics have played in the multiple stigmas attached to video gaming – such as violent games producing violent people. He counters this argument by advising that gamers have the ability to distinguish the real from the virtual stating that people “tend to dismiss anything they encounter in fantasy or entertainment that is not consistent with what they believe to be true about the real world”(Jenkins 2006). Unlike Thornton who sees games purely as escapist and fun, Jenkins sees games as a meaningful way to spend time. He sees games as a place for learning about society, a way for people to escape and blow off steam, a way to generate new thought and a way of improving social ties and bonds. All meaningful if not conducive to the production of a commercial goods.

Teenage Paparazzo. 2011. SBS FIlm, http://www.sbs.com.au/films/movie/10426/Teenage-Paparazzo (accessed 23/10/11).

Jenkins, H. 2006. The War Between Effects and Meaning: Rethinking the Video Game Violence Debate. In Digital generations, ed D. Buckingham. Massachusetts. http://edocs.library.curtin.edu.au/eres_display.cgi?url=dc60263484.pdf (accessed 19/10/11).

Mawer, K. 2011. Video games - the media of the future. http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/uncategorized/video-games-the-media-of-the-future (accessed 25/10/11).

Sony Global - Sony Global Headquarters. 2011. http://www.sony.net/ (accessed 25/10/11).

Thornham, H. 2009. Claiming a Stake in the Videogame : What Grown-Ups Say to Rationalize and Normalize Gaming. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies: 445-462. http://con.sagepub.com/content/15/2/141 (accessed 19/10/11).

Woods, S. 2011. Play with Me. In MCCA104-Engaging Media. Perth. Curtin University of Technology.

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

What social elements are deployed by gamers? What does this tell us about the ways in which games are integrated into everyday lives?

In society it is perfectly acceptable for children to play games to learn that have no real end goal or agenda (Woods 2011). They mimic the actions of adults, playing house or having tea parties and in doing so play out activities they are not allowed to do in real life – such as drink tea and coffee or pour hot drinks.

As Jenkins notes in his article, online gaming enables adults to play with the restrictions placed upon them in every day life, in turn “encouraging ethical reflection” (Jenkins 2006 p28). He gives the example of Grand theft auto where people can steal cars and wreak havoc on a city if they want to - allowing players to test boundaries and witness the consequences of their actions through a games mediated environment. As an adult it may be socially acceptable to drink hot caffeinated beverages, but it is not socially acceptable to steal a car and rob a shop and this games gives insight to the dangers of a life of crime from perspective of the perpetrator.

Games allow people to play with social elements such as laws, rules, thoughts, opinions, histories and social norms that make-up the society they live in and govern their every day lives.

Woods, S. 2011. Play with Me. In MCCA104-Engaging Media. Perth. Curtin University of Technology.

How do you rationalise your gaming? If you are not a gamer (and if you are), what role does this type of rationalising play in understanding what is gained by online gaming?

Show Parent Post

I don’t play games very often but when I do my game playing gets rationalized as “fitness” or “ socializing”. I like to play wii games because they get you up and moving around. I play wii sports by myself and its really the only game I like as it not only tests your abilities as gamer (mine are pretty poor) but physically challenges you too. I play other wii games when friends come around as they are more fun when there is someone to play against.

In the terms of Thornham this type of rationalization is just another example of adults “ perceived necessity . . . to justify gaming . . . as something other than pleasure, escapist or entertainment”

(Thornham 2009 p.142). By stating that I play games for fitness I am giving the games console secondary function. It is now a piece of fitness equipment, not a media device. I am deliberately ignoring the idea that its fun and entertaining and probably doesn't really get me that fit!

In reality what is gained from this type of game playing is a study break (is that rationalizing again? I can't tell), a time to unwind and clear my head and be absorbed in something else.

2.4 Activity 2: What is the pleasure in online gaming?

It’s the journey, not the destination.

Thornhams states that the pleasure in online gaming is in “promise and deferment” (Thornham 2009 p.151). Her research showed that adults discuss the pleasure of gaming through “moments that equate it with advancement of the game”(Thornham 2009 p.151). In other words the pleasure from gaming comes from advancing through levels of a game which is deferred by rules and tasks you must adhere to in order to achieve it.

First the goal must be identified (this is the promise)
Tasks must be carried out and rules adhered to (this is the deferment)
If this is all done the goal is achieved (promise fulfilled)

Once the goal is met there is no longer as much pleasure in playing the game. The same applies if the goal is unachievable. People loose interest as the pleasure comes from the combination of both “promise and deferment” not from one or the other.

Thornham, H. 2009. Claiming a Stake in the Videogame : WhatGrown-Ups Say to Rationalize and Normalize Gaming. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies: 445-462. http://con.sagepub.com/content/15/2/141 (accessed 19/10/11).

2.4 Activity 1: Are online games escapist, serious, or both? Justify your answer.

Jenkins refers to an Salen and Zimmerman's idea of “the magic circle” when speaking about gaming. An idea he describes as letting “go of one set of constraints on our actions because we have bought into another set of constraints – the rules of society give way to the rules of the game” (Jenkins 2006 p.25). Therefore gaming could be seen as a temporary escape from the rules and monotony of every day life.

However, Jenkins also notes that the two worlds are not exclusive; stating “Two players may be fighting to death on screen and growing closer as friends off screen” (Jenkins 2006 p.25). In this scenario the game offers and escape from the everyday while simultaneously re-enforcing and strengthening bonds in real world.

The point Jenkins makes is that escapism has a very real, meaningful and some could say serious role in society. Playing games can create the opportunity learning, reflection and questioning of real world constraints in an interactive way.

Monday, 17 October 2011

ASSMNT 1 2.3: Audience and Context of Remediation Project

I have been thinking about this weeks readings Pop Cosmopolitanism: Mapping Cultural Flows in an Age of Media Convergence, Fans bloggers and gamers: exploring participatory culture and Indigenous, ethnic and cultural articulations of new media in terms of my remediation project. The TV series Gavin and Stacey was created in the UK for a UK audience so what is it about the show that had drawn me – an Australian, to the show? Who will my remediation project be aimed at? And are my interpretations of the shows themes, when viewed in the Australian context different from the intentions of the original producers?

Why am I drawn to the show?

In the terms of Jenkins – I guess you could say I was originally introduced to the show by a “Grassroots intermediatory” (Jenkins 2006)

– My husband who was born and raised in Wales (which is where part of the show Gavin and Stacey is set) and now lives in Australia. He not only keeps up to date with the goings of friends and family at home, but also likes to keep up to date with music, TV shows and news. Gavin and Stacey was a hit in Wales and box sets promptly posted over to us upon release in the UK.

One of the themes of the show is based on the idiosyncrasies of different cultures – that being of the English and the Welsh or to be more precise of Barry in South Wales and Essex in England. I can in some ways relate to the humor based on these idiosyncrasies as I compare my own experiences of living in Wales, being married to a Welsh man and becoming part of a Welsh family and as such also recognize the character traits and stereotypes presented. This would then make me part of what Srinivasan describes as an “imagined community” (Srinivasan 2006) made up of not only U.K. viewers who inherently understand the humor, but also of other cultural outsiders who have joined families from these two parts of the world, and so too can relate the humor based on cultural difference.

I initially chose to remediate Nessa’s storyline due to time constraints but after this weeks topic I think it could also be because I understand the character. She is an over exaggerated welsh stereotype that I can recognize more easily than other stereotypes presented in the show such as Smithy from Essex. I have learnt about Smithy’s stereotype through others telling me about it but can see elements of Nessa’s persona in people that I have met or worked with in the past and as such feel I am better equipped to retell her story than other characters in the show. Nessa also in some ways appeals to my sense of “Pop Cosmopolitanism” (Jenkins 2006)

- My ties to Wales now see me wanting to keep up with the current affairs of the country, and a lot of Nessa’s stories tie into current day events. Nessas stories are littered with UK pop culture references and to piece them together is something like a treasure hunt.

Who will my remediation project be aimed at?

As an understanding of Nessas stores and humor comes from an understanding of UK popular culture and current media events - my remediation project will be aimed at those who are not up to speed on such things. Using blog to recreate Nessas little black book (a list of all the people Nessa claims to have had a relationship with throughout the show) allows me to link the real life media stories to the stories Nessa tells. In other words when she claims to have slept with John Prescott I can hyperlink his name to real life press articles about John Prescott – linking the story to the pop culture reference.

This media format also works within the current day context of viewing the show. Gavin and Stacey is no longer being produced – so if one was to watch the show today the pop culture references will all be old, and possibly forgotten even by those residing in the UK – they will be old news so to speak. Therefore the little black book will not only inform those who were out of the loop in the first place, but will refresh the memories of those who are watching or re-watching the series again – appealing to my entire “imagined community” (Srinivasan 2006).

Does this change of context change the meaning?

Having never met the writers and producers of the show I cannot say what the original intention of this part of the story line was, but in creating an online hyperlinked little black book I will not be changing it. I will merely be changing the way in which the story is presented. Time itself has changed the context of this storyline, but the recreation of it in an online media form will bring it back closer to its original time, preserving rather than altering the meaning.

Jenkins, H. 2006. Pop Cosmopolitanism: Mapping Cultural Flows in an Age of Media Convergence, Fans bloggers and gamers: exploring participatory culture: New York University Press.

Srinivasan, R. 2006. Indigenous, ethnic and cultural articulations of new media. International Journal of Cultural Studies 9: 497. http://ics.sagepub.com/content/9/4/497 (accessed 15/10/11).

2.3 Activity 4: What is pop cosmopolitan?

In Pop Cosmopolitanism: Mapping Cultural Flows in an Age of Media Convergence Jenkins makes the distinction between “Locals” and “Pop cosmopolitans” that I found helpful in defining the phrase. He states:

“locals care little about diversity per se but want to hold onto their own traditions. The cosmopolitans recognize that they will not get the diversity they crave “unless other people are allowed to carve out special niches for their cultures and keep them” (Jenkins 2006 quoting Hannerz p.162)

I am not sure I agree that a Pop Cosmopolitan craves media from cultures other than their own because its cool to be different. This could be one extreme but Jenkins also notes the role media institutions play in the generation of “cool” content. He gives the example of Japanese media companies breaking into the American market by targeting their animations to children and running a tight marketing system to expose their audience to other forms of consumables such as comics, movies and merchandise (Jenkins 2006) with great success. Therefore the Americans craving for Japanese animation could be said to have been generated by good target marketing . It could also be said that Japanese animation would no longer be seen as cool and underground by American kids – but as cool and popular, maybe even a little bit mainstream.

Jenkins repeats the idea of access again when he speaks about “Grassroots intermediaries” - another term for people who moved and live in a new country. These people keep links to home, including links to their favourite media and as Jenkins states “they play a key role in shaping the reception of those media products” (Jenkins 2006 p.162). In other words your friends or family from other parts of the world introduce you to the media of their country or culture. You like it and seek it out not because its cool to be different but because you enjoyed watching it, and your friends and family enjoy it . It is a sociable experience and finds a common ground between two cultures.

I don’t think Pop Cosmopolitanism happened in vaccume, but is a natural part of life in a multicultural society.

Jenkins, H. 2006. Pop Cosmopolitanism: Mapping Cultural Flows in an Age of Media Convergence, Fans bloggers and gamers: exploring participatory culture: New York University Press.

Sunday, 16 October 2011

2.3 Activity 3: What is an imagined community?

An imagined community is a group of people who are interconnected and bonded by a commonality. They need not have met but in a sense feel tied together through a common circumstance, event or point of view. An imagined community is not bound by geographical location (Srinivasan 2006) but can be influenced by it as a result of globalization:

In the ilecture Dr Jayaprakash described Appadurai’s 5 dimension of globalization as:

Ethnoscapes – the flow of people through immigration, refugees , tourism etc

Technoscapes – rapid movements of technology

Financescape – flow of currency - markets and stock exchange

Mediascapes – flow of images and information via newspapers, TV, websites etc

Ideascapes – the spread of thought such as the western enlightenment world view - ideas of democracy and freedom etc

(Jayaprakash 2011)

Imagined communities’ form based on common influences, experiences or attitudes as a result of the global dispersion of information, ideas, images and cultures across national borders.

Jayaprakash, T. 2011. Media across Cultural Boundaries. Week 7: Engaging Media. http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?-MaxRecords=50&-SkipRecords=0&-Op=bw&ut=2908&CallbackID=928d2167f0cc56656c84409b4f366e45&usr=15055147 (accessed 17/10/11).

Srinivasan, R. 2006. Indigenous, ethnic and cultural articulations of new media. International Journal of Cultural Studies 9: 497. http://ics.sagepub.com/content/9/4/497 (accessed 15/10/11).

2.3 Activity 2: How can digital media offer disempowered communities control over their own images and stories? Provide some examples if you can.

Srinivasan’s article touches on the possibilities new media can bring to disempowered communities when the technology is appropriated to meet their own “cultural, political and social visions” (Srinivasan 2006 p. 497). He demonstrates the role social media can play in preserving “cultural histories” through the sharing of “native languages, songs and rituals” (Srinivasan 2006 p. 507) through social media environment. His example Tribal PEACE is described as a bottoms-up project where members of 19 geographically dispersed Native American Reservations control the content submitted to an online space specifically designed for the purpose of teaching and preserving cultural heritage. The content submitted is chosen by a committee made up of reservation members and access to it controlled through a password protected website (Tribal PEACE an Inter-tribal Educational Initiative).

This example shows how new media can empower communities to keep their cultural identity alive through a controlled purpose built learning environment that operates outside that of educational institutions. It does not however mean that these cultural stories and images are in some way protected from use by others. The cultural stories of the Native Americans can still be told through movies – and altered and changed to suit the largest possible audience in a cross-cultural mingling that Jenkins refers to as “corporate hybridity”(Jenkins 2006 p.167). It does not stop stereotypical representations by other forms of media; it does however provide a space where members of disempowered communities can share cultural information without restriction or influence.

Jenkins, H. 2006. Pop Cosmopolitanism: Mapping Cultural Flows in an Age of Media Convergence, Fans bloggers and gamers: exploring participatory culture: New York University Press.

Srinivasan, R. 2006. Indigenous, ethnic and cultural articulations of new media. International Journal of Cultural Studies 9: 497. http://ics.sagepub.com/content/9/4/497 (accessed 15/10/11).

Tribal PEACE an Inter-tribal Educational Initiative. http://www.tribalpeace.org/ (accessed 17/10/11).

Saturday, 15 October 2011

Images and Referencing the Remediation project

LINK TO NESSA'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK

In an effort to not infringe copyright, I have created some of my own images for Nessa's little black book

I have uploaded them here so I can link to them in the HTML code in Nessa's blog

THE BLOG DESIGN

The blog design and the sticky tape frame for my images was created by Templates Block and is Licenced under creative commons as follows:

"Blogger Template by:

Templates Block - Free Custom Blogger templates for Blogger/blogspot blogs.

http://www.templatesblock.com/

**********************************************************************

License: This free Blogger template is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, which permits both personal and commercial use.

However, to satisfy the 'attribution' clause of the license, you are required to keep the footer links intact which provides due credit to its authors. For more specific details about the license, you may visit the URL below:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" (Evo)

This means that can use and alter the template without worrying about copyright so long as I reference the original creator. The acknowledgment is built into the blog design itself (on the bottom right corner) so this part is all done for me.

THE DRAGON IMAGE on NESSA'S A-Z PAGE

I created the image of the Welsh Dragon myself using Photoshop and my own photograph of the welsh flag. The hearts were created in illustrator and added to Photoshop image. The reason I have chosen the image is because it is the flag of Wales and is tattooed on Nessa's arm.

THE PHOTO OF NESSA on NESSA'S HOME PAGE

The photo of Nessa came from The British Comedy Guide website and its attributed to "Baby Cow Productions". This image will need to be referenced to ensure it doesn't breach copyright law. I am also using a small part of it for the purposes of education so it should be covered under the US terms fair use , the Australian Fair Dealing exceptions and UK Fair Dealing exceptions.

REFERENCING TEXT

I will also need to cite and reference every entry in the blog. Instructions on how to reference episodes of a TV show APA style can be found on the Coats Library website

Baby Cow Productions. gavin_stacey_nessa.jpg. http://www.comedy.co.uk/images/library/people/180x200/g/gavin_stacey_nessa.jpg (accessed 10/10/11).

Evo, V. Personal Blog. http://btemplates.com/2010/blogger-template-personal-blog/ (accessed 10/10/11).