In response to: Phoebe's Blog - Online Communities

What is the difference between an online and offline community? How is each term defined? An online community is one that is non-physical and involves conversation one-on-one or between one or more people in an online forum. An offline community may be a social group you belong to. This article gave me some insight into what an online network has (or doesn't have) in comparison with the real 'offline' world. The first example stated that there are no physical cues online, like when IM'ing you cannot read signs (body language, facial expressions etc) so you know if the reader is interested in you or not. In addition, there is an 'asynchronous' interaction occuring in the virtual world, so for example, an email you send that doesn't receive an instant reply may result in misunderstanding. This would not happen in a real world interaction, because the person is right there. Nancy White tells us that conversations can be anonymous online, which can lead to the breakdown of 'norms of typical behaviour' so the user may end up displaying an 'attitude' that is atypical of their normal self.

From this perspective, the offline world is not necessarily a 'better' or more 'wholistic' means for communication. I disagree with Phoebe when she says 'who i am in the online world may be completely different from who i am in the offline world...neither is a true and complete representation of myself.' Well, i can see how you act in the 'physical world' may be in some ways concurrent with how you have acted on a blog site or on MSN, but why should the physical world not be a true representation of yourself? If this is the case, the world has gone completely mad.

In response to: Courtney's Blog

I found this article very concise, and the question Courtney posed at the end of the article was a pertinent one: "whether or not social networking consumers will lose their habit once they age." As Jade points out, even though online networks can become addictive, they still offer a great means of dialogue between people in long distance relationships. I think another question people may ask is 'whether the dialogue itself leads to communication problems for future generations down the track?' As we know, the language used in chat-rooms and IM's of all kinds, as well as in Myspace and Facebook, are simplified, abbreviated and 'accessorised' with various icons that are convenient to the author and reader alike. I believe that this may translate into some potentially dangerous trends including how we come across in our place of work, by sending emails to colleagues with language structure that is not appropriate, leading some people to get the wrong message. It may cause people to become 'lazy' with their writing as well, by not checking mistakes or the way their writing sounds to a discerning reader, which may also lead to misunderstanding and the wrong interpretation.

Leading back to whether social networks are causing people to avoid physical contact with another person, i think this is quite a scary thought, and there are obviously many people that live their lives this way. But i also believe that if people develop enough social interaction in a virtual space, their natural social instincts will lead them to want to meet that person. Even better than this, by meeting people on Facebook, you may find yourself 'bumping into' some of your contacts around the place, particularly if you live in a small community. However, other cities with a much higher concentration of people like in parts of Asia, would find this way of social connection much more effective. As i consider it now, i am inclined to believe that social networking on virtual spaces is a greater idea than previously thought.

iTouch iWonder..

Well this is very annoying, because i have just recently purchased a $480 audio device that is now crackling when turned up to about 90% volume. It is a few weeks old! I agree with a friend of mine when i say that i do not endorse Apple technology..buyers beware i say! How is this relevant to virtual cultures? forget about how quick your broadband is, make sure the computer that runs it is working properly!

In response to: Daniel Koppenol

Article title: How has the Internet transformed media and the Communications industries?

I really liked this article, and i was particularly drawn to a quote Daniel used from Pierre Levy that "people harness their individual expertise toward shared goals....no one knows everything, everyone knows something, all knowledge resides in humanity." (cited in Daniel Koppenol, cited in Jenkins 2004, 35). I agree with this point because in information sharing communities such as Wikipedia, nearly anyone can change an article's content, aside from certain topics that are locked out of discussion.

My attention was peaked in the lecture today when our guest speaker mentioned that even though "knowledgeable sources" 'raised the debates' on particular topics in online forums, it was the views held by the general public that received the most feedback from the network community (Lecture 10, Citizen Journalism). Daniel, i think it is partly true that because of the 'decentralised nature' of the Internet, the enforcement of legislation that relates to acts of defamation is proving a difficult task, with acts of vilification and copyright infringement of personal and corporate property being a reality on the Internet. As an unknown user, i agree that it would be very hard to track a person's identity and charge them accordingly. If however, you were a member of a respected online forum, in which you have provided information about yourself, it may be easier for the moderator or corporate entity themselves to find out who you are. The speaker also explained the the website youdecide2007.com, a forum in which you can sign up and express your opinions on political matters. Say hypothetically, a member of the public gave out private information that a "wealthy media mogul" was providing extra funding to the labor government's campaign for a "slice of the political pie" without the consent of this person, the offender could be prosecuted for defamation under copyright law. An example of online journalistic defamation can be found in this article over here. Daniel concludes with the point that 'broadcast mediums within the communication industry are going to be constantly reformed and restructured.' (Daniel Koppenol's Blog) I also believe that one aspect of the reforming and restructuring process would be how online forums are going to 'root out' offenders, while establishing contact with 'online policing' services that deal with these matters, so the community's output potential can eventually be realised more fully.

Cultural Diversity on the Internet and in Schools

One thing i have realised about the Internet is that it is non-discriminatory to people's view's, their color or what they believe in. In an article from JS Online, Erin Richards explains the situation in the American state of Wisconsin: "If the students are African-American, they've been raised in all-black neighborhoods. If they're white, they've grown up in all white neighborhoods. They get there, (university) and we expect them to all learn together" ('Cultural diversity courses take root in schools, Feb. 18, 2008). The same may also be said for Australian white kids learning with kids from Indigenous communities. To foster 'cultural diversity in the online envrionment,' we have look at few points:

- Avoid racial identification except when it is essential to communication
- Avoid language that has questionable racial or ethnic connotations
- Be aware of rules regarding the distance between speakers during conversation.
- Be aware that objects, characters and symbols may reflect different beliefs or values for different groups.

This information can be viewed here

I think in online environments (forums, discussion groups) it is alot easier to support those who have been racially villified by a contributor. This is a great advantage as it allows people to be supportive of one another. Being supportive while collaborating or sharing information is a key part of networks.