So today I have started my next Unit for BA Internet Communications... The 13 weeks already lined up... but the unit outline looks exciting and full of interesting things to learn... I will be a lot more active on Twitter, and other social networking sites for this unit so you can follow me at http://twitter.com/kat18f
So what will I be posting here?
Every week we are required to reflect on our weeks learning so I will be using this blog as a place to "store" my weekly learning reflections.
I will also post the best replies to blackboard tasks and conversations, and also essays as they are submitted.
I hope you all will find the next 13 weeks worth of blogs interesting and don't forget to visit my business' home page www.oxyblumedia.com. We are about to launch a new look website so I will also post when that is up and ready to check out...
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
NET102 Assignment 4: Essay 2
The Internet offers a space where people may resist oppression on a daily basis; it overturns traditional structures of power and control. Looking at the Internet and how it affects our everyday life in the areas of health, gaming and politics, one can see how people resort to the Internet to escape the traditional structures of power and control. According to Marlow’s hierarchy of needs, it is human nature to know, to understand, and explore; to find self-fulfillment and realize one's potential, to connect to something beyond the ego or to help others find self-fulfillment and realize their potential. (Huitt 2007) The following essay attempts to evaluate the above statements, using the knowledge learnt from areas of module 1 and module 2 of NET102.
Looking at Marlow’s hierarchy of needs, there are 5 general types of needs, Physiological, Security and Safety, Love and Belongingness, Self-Esteem, and Self-Actualisation. Marlow’s theory is outlined in Figure 1.1
Figure 1.1: Marlow’s Hierarchy of Needs
With Marlow’s theory in mind, to meet our security and safety needs some people resort to the Internet to escape oppression. They find freedom in the Internet. Some may take safety under an avatar where they can live a “different” life through online gaming, and also their need to belong is met. In their offline world, they may not get the acceptance they crave from their community, and find in the world they have created online, for example Second Life, they have control over their safety and belongingness.
In the world of politics, candidates take refugee in the new media of the Internet to seek approval, meeting their self-esteem needs. They seek the desire for a positive self-image and to receive attention, recognition and appreciation from others. (Samson, Daft 2009) With the use of the Internet, politicians can promote their intended policies and reforms, and also build a positive public image. Many now use the Internet as an integral tool in election campaigns. Not only politicians, but movement parties, for example GetUp!, use the Internet to spin propaganda, start petitions and get recognition.
The last type of need that will be addressed is Self-Actualisation. One becomes wiser (develops wisdom) and automatically knows what to do in a wide variety of situations. (Huitt 2007) In the area of Health in the traditional offline world, we would solely depend on the opinions and advice of professionals. But with the introduction of Medicine 2.0 (Figure 1.2), Web 2.0 users can research and connect with others via the Internet to discuss their health with professionals or other sufferers so they can get the full scope of their health concerns.
Figure 1.2: Medicine 2.0 Map (with some current exemplary applications and services)
As shown in Figure 1.2 people can now access a whole new arena of information and knowledge base. Not only can people learn about certain health issues, they can also connect with other “patients” and discuss experiences and learn more about themselves, in terms of their health. Not only is Medicine 2.0 helpful for patients, professionals can now easily access information from medical research and make a more definitive path of treatment for their patients.
How has the Internet overturn the traditional structures of power and control? Firstly, looking at the theme of online gaming, an important social element of online gaming is the creation of online communities. (Jones, Johnson, Clarke, Gonzales and Lengauer 2003). In the offline world a persons status, for example, maybe that of a loner, not many friends and not considered “popular” in their school community. But in their online gaming world, they might be considered “popular”. Just like it is mentioned in the lecture from Mike Kent (2010) “No body knows you’re a dog”. Under the security of an avatar, one can be who ever they desire to be. One can escape the oppressions from the schoolyard with their online community, overturning power and control in their world.
In the past, the media was controlled much easier and so government had a greater say in what did and didn’t make the news. But now with the introduction of the Internet, the government has little control about what people can post online, or research. Wikileaks is a website that provides an innovative, secure and anonymous way for sources to leak information to journalists. (Wikileaks, 2010) How it works is that people can submit anonymous “leaks”, and the origin of the information is protected. Wikileaks is fearless in (their) efforts to get the unvarnished truth out to the public. (Wikileaks, 2010)
A recent incident between Wikileaks and the Department of Defence back in October 2010 shows how Wikileaks has changed the traditional power and control of Government information. This unauthorized leak of military documents about the war in Afghanistan has been under investigation by the Australian Defense Force to determine the potential impact on Australian interests and personnel, including the protection and operations of forces deployed in Afghanistan. (Department of Defence, 2010) From this event the Defence force is now undertaking an extensive investigation of Wikileaks website articles relating to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Furthermore on the Australian Government and the Internet is its proposed censorship. The Government has stated that the proposed censorship laws are there to make the Internet safer for children. But so far this legislation has failed to convince the Australian public that this is not an act to silence our freedom of speech. On 16 March 2009, the Australian Communications and Media Authority added WikiLeaks to their proposed blacklist of sites that will be blocked for all Australians if the mandatory Internet filtering censorship scheme is implemented as planned. (Moses, 2009) Are these Blacklists really going to protect us? Or is the Government just trying to cover up tracks so that the public will never really know what the truth is? It’s a battle for power and control. The Government knows they have no control or power over what is available on the Internet, nor can they stop people publishing damaging articles, pictures and videos. But they are going to try to censor Australia from them. There are already some forms of censorship on Australian Internet. A resource for this can be found at http://www.efa.org.au/censorship/.
"Whatever its starting point and expressed intention, the end of the censor's road is repression of dangerous' ideas - not only about sex but about morals, politics, art and life. Opposition to censorship must inevitably involve us in defending things and people whom we may dislike and disapprove of (sometimes passionately). Voltaire's well known saying that 'I detest what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it' may seem trite to us but is as apposite as it ever was." - Antony Grey, 1995
In the area of health, the Internet has brought about many changes in the way people treat, diagnosis and research health issues. Medicine 2.0 applications, services and tools are Web-based services for health care consumers, caregivers, patients, health professionals, and biomedical researchers, that use Web 2.0 technologies and/or semantic web and virtual-reality tools, to enable and facilitate specifically social networking, participation, apomediation, collaboration, and openness within and between these user groups. (Eysenbach, 2008) These online services allow patients to share their experiences of a health issue with other patients diagnosed with a similar condition. The web has always allowed us to research facts, but with the introduction of Web 2.0 and social networking, people can now talk directly with professionals and other patients about their issues and what course of treatment they have tried and their experiences. The health professional is an expert in identifying disease, while the patient is an expert in experiencing it. (Eysenbach, 2008) The Internet has given power and control back to patients who now have the choice to learn more about health related issues outside a doctor’s consultation room.
A great example of where patients have the power to conduct their own treatments via the Internet is OnTrack (https://www.ontrack.org.au). There are many reasons why people can’t access health services ranging from distance to cost. The Internet has been able to bring these services to these people who would otherwise not be able to receive help. OnTrack services are available online, meaning that more people will be able to get help for their mental and physical health concerns, and best of all it’s free. (OnTrack, 2010) They offer fact sheets, online programs, quizzes and professional advice for mental health concerns from depression to alcoholism. This service is relatively new and was launched in 2009.
Online gaming can bring people together who would otherwise never meet, sharing similar interests, even if it is behind the security of an avatar. Internet and politics clash in the area of power and control. The Internet is a tool used to express people’s freedom of speech, and the Government wants to censor it and control what the Australian public can see. What their true prerogative with Internet censorship in Australia is yet to be seen. The Internet has had positive effects in the area of health. Patients no longer require to solely rely on professional advice when it comes to health concerns. Even for professionals, they now have easier access to recent research and new treatments and medication that are available, and can pass on this information to their patients. The Internet has given power and control back to patients where they can now make more informed decisions in their course of treatment.
The Internet gives peoples the choice to escape their lives oppressions, by offering a space where they are in control of their own world, online. No matter how their lives are evolving offline, people have the chance to reinvent themselves, creating an environment where they feel safe and secure, have a sense of belonging, can create a positive self image, and also further their knowledge in any area they wish, giving people the power and control of their own destiny.
REFERENCES
Huitt, W. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved 18th November 2010 from, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/regsys/maslow.html
Heiserman, David L. (2008). ‘Figure 1-2. Maslow's hierarchy of needs,’ Fundamentals of Nursing, 2nd Edition. United States Army. Retrieved 18th November 2010 from, http://www.free-ed.net/sweethaven/MedTech/NurseFund/default.asp?iNum=2&fraNum=010102
Samson, Danny and Daft, Richard L. (2009). ‘Chapter 16: Motivation.’ Management Third Edition, p 592-593
Gunther Eysenbach. (2008, August 25). ‘Figure 1. Medicine 2.0 Map (with some current exemplary applications and services)’ Medicine 2.0: Social Networking, Collaboration, Participation, Apomediation, and Openness. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 10(3). Retrieved 18th November 2010 from http://www.jmir.org/2008/3/e22/
Jones, Steve., Johnson, Camille., Clarke, Lisa., Gonzales, Margaret. and Lengauer, Guenther. (May 2003) "College Students, Gaming and the Internet" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Marriott Hotel, San Diego, CA. p 5. Retrieved 18th November 2010 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p112027_index.html
Kent, Mike. (2010) Community and Identity, Week 8 Lecture for NET102, Curtin University, Western Australia, p 3
Wikileaks (2010) About Wikileaks. Retrieved 18th November 2010 from, http://wikileaks.org/media/about.html
Department of Defence (26th October, 2010) Outcomes of WikiLeaks investigation. Retreived 18th November 2010 from, http://www.defence.gov.au/media/departmentaltpl.cfm?CurrentId=10997
Moses, Asher (17th March, 2009) ‘Banned hyperlinks could cost you $11,000 a day’, The Age. Retrieved 18th November 2010 from, http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/technology/banned-hyperlinks-could-cost-you-11000-a-day/2009/03/17/1237054787635.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1&page=-1/
Grey, Antony (1995) EPA - Censorship and Free Speech. Retrieved on 18th November 2010 from, http://www.efa.org.au/censorship/
Gunther Eysenbach. (2008, August 25). Medicine 2.0: Social Networking, Collaboration, Participation, Apomediation, and Openness. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 10(3). Retrieved 18th November 2010 from http://www.jmir.org/2008/3/e22/
OnTrack (2010). About OnTrack. Retrieved on 18th November 2010 from, https://www.ontrack.org.au/web/ontrack/about
NET102 ASSIGNMENT 3 - REFLECTION
After completing the last 4 weeks of study, it’s important to note how all subjects intertwine together. Economy, Power, Community, Identity, Society, Technology, Time and Space have all got their place in the world wide web, and one can not exist without the other.
Let’s take a look at Economy and Power to begin with. In this weeks study, Mike Kent explored how economy is changing from the analogue to the digital. The Internet has made reproduction and distribution, and access to good and services, easier. Now no matter where I am, I can buy and sell things to anyone. There are no barriers to (enter) or exit and there is equal access to production technology for everyone. (Kent 2010). The Internet also blurs the lines of copyright. Who the originator is and who has the ownership of an idea, product or service?
The Internet changes the meaning of power and control. Do we have control and ownership of what we put up on the Internet? I own and run a website called www.inparenting.com.au and here there are online discussion boards, the ability for users to comment on articles, and the ability to share articles on other networks such as facebook. The challenge I faced was the ability to control who and what is put up on this website. Comments need to be approved by the administrator before they are published. I have encrypted our sign up module so spam bots can’t randomly sign up users to the website, which stops the flooding of non-existent users.
Identity and Community go hand in hand. “In many ways the internet connects people that would not be able to be connected to in conventional ways.” (Comyns, 2010). I join communities because other users within that community have similar interests as me and it gives me a sense of belonging. It’s human nature to want to be connected and be apart of a community. The Internet brings a new dimension to those who would otherwise be bound by space. It doesn’t matter where I am in the world, I can be apart of a community, and weather or not I show my true identity or weather I hide behind an avatar is my prerogative. Communities exist for the same purpose, both in my online or offline space, to give that sense of belonging.
“Social forces and the Internet mutually affect each other” (Kent 2010). In the week of Society and Technology I learnt that technology can affect how society operates. The introduction of new technologies affects daily tasks, by making it easier and quicker for me. In my online discussion on the blackboard, I focused on the developments in the banking and finance industry. I discussed the many changes from the first ATM to the online banking available today. As people responded to my post I agree with Karen Cooper’s (2010) comment “technology is redundant without society to make it useful and society also influences how technology can be used.” It is all about supply and demand, and the Internet is no different to any other form of business. If there is a need and demand for a faster anytime experience for banking, they will develop new technologies to meet these requirements. It’s the same in any industry.
We are living in the “Nowism” trend. “NOWISM represents a case of consumers jumping on something the moment they actually can. So, the need is never new, the new ways to fulfil it are… While the appeal and influence of ‘now’ has been building for years, societal attitudes, sky-high consumer expectations and new technologies are currently converging in such a powerful way that brands truly have no choice but to go ‘real-time’: in their business intelligence processes, in their customer conversations, in their innovation labs, in their distribution, sales, marketing and branding departments…” (Trendwatching 2010). This article I found on Nowism really sums up the topic of Society and Technology. Without us as consumers wanting to be the “first” at finding something “new”, new technologies would not be developed. It’s an interesting article and I highly recommend taking the time to read it.
The lecture by Matthew Allen on Time and Space completed the serious of module 2 by bringing all of the above elements together. Without these two elements the other topics would not exist. Though I do tend to use the Internet as a place to “escape” time and space, but it is essentially just another form of the two. Time still passes; it does not stand still while you enter cyberspace, which you are physically not a part of.
As mentioned above “Nowism” is about consumers wanting it “now”, and so the Internet is now a tool used by many businesses where their goods and services are available at anytime, anywhere, overcoming the physical barrier of time and space in the offline world.
Grant Beatton’s (2010) example of the “Remote Presence Robot” where surgeons can operate from a remote location has intrigued me to research more on other new technologies that are being developed to make everyday life easier and changing life for the better.
Please read further on my understandings of these topics on the blackboard (thread address’ below in the appendices.)
Identity and Community
Society and Technology
Time and Space
Let’s take a look at Economy and Power to begin with. In this weeks study, Mike Kent explored how economy is changing from the analogue to the digital. The Internet has made reproduction and distribution, and access to good and services, easier. Now no matter where I am, I can buy and sell things to anyone. There are no barriers to (enter) or exit and there is equal access to production technology for everyone. (Kent 2010). The Internet also blurs the lines of copyright. Who the originator is and who has the ownership of an idea, product or service?
The Internet changes the meaning of power and control. Do we have control and ownership of what we put up on the Internet? I own and run a website called www.inparenting.com.au and here there are online discussion boards, the ability for users to comment on articles, and the ability to share articles on other networks such as facebook. The challenge I faced was the ability to control who and what is put up on this website. Comments need to be approved by the administrator before they are published. I have encrypted our sign up module so spam bots can’t randomly sign up users to the website, which stops the flooding of non-existent users.
Identity and Community go hand in hand. “In many ways the internet connects people that would not be able to be connected to in conventional ways.” (Comyns, 2010). I join communities because other users within that community have similar interests as me and it gives me a sense of belonging. It’s human nature to want to be connected and be apart of a community. The Internet brings a new dimension to those who would otherwise be bound by space. It doesn’t matter where I am in the world, I can be apart of a community, and weather or not I show my true identity or weather I hide behind an avatar is my prerogative. Communities exist for the same purpose, both in my online or offline space, to give that sense of belonging.
“Social forces and the Internet mutually affect each other” (Kent 2010). In the week of Society and Technology I learnt that technology can affect how society operates. The introduction of new technologies affects daily tasks, by making it easier and quicker for me. In my online discussion on the blackboard, I focused on the developments in the banking and finance industry. I discussed the many changes from the first ATM to the online banking available today. As people responded to my post I agree with Karen Cooper’s (2010) comment “technology is redundant without society to make it useful and society also influences how technology can be used.” It is all about supply and demand, and the Internet is no different to any other form of business. If there is a need and demand for a faster anytime experience for banking, they will develop new technologies to meet these requirements. It’s the same in any industry.
We are living in the “Nowism” trend. “NOWISM represents a case of consumers jumping on something the moment they actually can. So, the need is never new, the new ways to fulfil it are… While the appeal and influence of ‘now’ has been building for years, societal attitudes, sky-high consumer expectations and new technologies are currently converging in such a powerful way that brands truly have no choice but to go ‘real-time’: in their business intelligence processes, in their customer conversations, in their innovation labs, in their distribution, sales, marketing and branding departments…” (Trendwatching 2010). This article I found on Nowism really sums up the topic of Society and Technology. Without us as consumers wanting to be the “first” at finding something “new”, new technologies would not be developed. It’s an interesting article and I highly recommend taking the time to read it.
The lecture by Matthew Allen on Time and Space completed the serious of module 2 by bringing all of the above elements together. Without these two elements the other topics would not exist. Though I do tend to use the Internet as a place to “escape” time and space, but it is essentially just another form of the two. Time still passes; it does not stand still while you enter cyberspace, which you are physically not a part of.
As mentioned above “Nowism” is about consumers wanting it “now”, and so the Internet is now a tool used by many businesses where their goods and services are available at anytime, anywhere, overcoming the physical barrier of time and space in the offline world.
Grant Beatton’s (2010) example of the “Remote Presence Robot” where surgeons can operate from a remote location has intrigued me to research more on other new technologies that are being developed to make everyday life easier and changing life for the better.
Please read further on my understandings of these topics on the blackboard (thread address’ below in the appendices.)
Appendices
Economy and Power- NET102 INTERNET AND EVERYDAY LIFE (OUA SP3) (302044-VICE-CHANCELLO-475503275) > COMMUNICATIONS > GROUP PAGES > TIM HOLLAND’S DISCUSSION GROUP > GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD > TOPIC 2.1: POWER AND ECONOMY > ECONOMY & POWER > KATRINA COMYNS > 10/17/10 2:06 PM
Identity and Community
- NET102 INTERNET AND EVERYDAY LIFE (OUA SP3) (302044-VICE-CHANCELLO-475503275) > COMMUNICATIONS > GROUP PAGES > TIM HOLLAND’S DISCUSSION GROUP > GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD > TOPIC 2.2: COMMUNITY AND IDENTITY > COMMUNITY AND IDENTITY > KATRINA COMYNS > 10/25/10 7:30 PM
Society and Technology
- NET102 INTERNET AND EVERYDAY LIFE (OUA SP3) (302044-VICE-CHANCELLO-475503275) > COMMUNICATIONS > GROUP PAGES > TIM HOLLAND’S DISCUSSION GROUP > GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD > TOPIC 2.3: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIETY AND TECHNOLOGY > Are technologies neutral? > KATRINA COMYNS > 10/29/10 7:25 PM
Time and Space
- NET102 INTERNET AND EVERYDAY LIFE (OUA SP3) (302044-VICE-CHANCELLO-475503275) > COMMUNICATIONS > GROUP PAGES > TIM HOLLAND’S DISCUSSION GROUP > GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD > TOPIC 2.4: THE SHAPING OF TIME AND SPACE > TIME > KATRINA COMYNS > 11/6/10 6:22 PM
- NET102 INTERNET AND EVERYDAY LIFE (OUA SP3) (302044-VICE-CHANCELLO-475503275) > COMMUNICATIONS > GROUP PAGES > TIM HOLLAND’S DISCUSSION GROUP > GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD > TOPIC 2.4: THE SHAPING OF TIME AND SPACE > SPACE > KATRINA COMYNS > 11/6/10 6:51 PM
Kent, M (2010). The Internet and Everyday Life: Power and Economy. Retrieved 10th October 2010 from http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=3152
Comyns, K (2010). Community and Identity. 17th October 2010. http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_40432_1%26url%3d
Kent, M (2010). Society and Technology (Facebook and Google). Retrieved 26th October 2010 from http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=3152Cooper, K (2010). Are Technologies Neutral? 1st November 2010 http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_40432_1%26url%3d
Trend Watching (2010). “Nowism” Why currency is the new currency. Retrieved 7th November 2010 from http://trendwatching.com/trends/nowism/Beatton, G (2010). Space 2nd November 2010 http://lms.curtin.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_40432_1%26url%3d
NET102 Are technologies neutral?
I believe that technology does change society. All you need to do is compare the present with the past. Lets take banking for instance.
Back in the day a customer would have to make the special trip into the bank to deposit money, withdraw money, draw cheques, transfer money and even apply for credit cards or loans. The introduction of ATMs in the 70s revolutionised the banking industry. This made it possible to do banking at anytime of the day. But you still needed to leave to house and physically go to the machine to make your transactions.
As the internet began to sprout in the late 80s, so did internet “online” banking. “Banks would actually mail us a floppy disk with software that we could install onto our PC… using a dial-up modem, we could talk to the bank’s systems. We could check balances and make transfers but we usually paid for the privilege.” (Canstar Cannex 2010)
In the 90s, banks set up websites instead of sending out software for their customers to access their bank accounts. This let customers access their bank accounts any time of the day from the comfort of their home or office. Whats the next step in banking? Well with the new “smartphones” and its “apps”, banks are developing new tools, security and gimmicks to offer their customers to improve on their banking experience, making online banking available 24/7, anywhere in the world. Banking is now on demand.
Gone are the days of long queues in banks dealing with disgruntled customer service assistants… but with all this technology is this just making the banks pockets bigger as now they need less man power to run their banks? Will banking be converted to online permanently and the days of physical banks be that of the past? Lets see where technology will take us and will change society as we know it today.
References
http://www.atm24.com/newssection/industry%20news/timeline%20-%20the%20atm%20history.aspx
http://www.canstar.com.au/history/
Back in the day a customer would have to make the special trip into the bank to deposit money, withdraw money, draw cheques, transfer money and even apply for credit cards or loans. The introduction of ATMs in the 70s revolutionised the banking industry. This made it possible to do banking at anytime of the day. But you still needed to leave to house and physically go to the machine to make your transactions.
As the internet began to sprout in the late 80s, so did internet “online” banking. “Banks would actually mail us a floppy disk with software that we could install onto our PC… using a dial-up modem, we could talk to the bank’s systems. We could check balances and make transfers but we usually paid for the privilege.” (Canstar Cannex 2010)
In the 90s, banks set up websites instead of sending out software for their customers to access their bank accounts. This let customers access their bank accounts any time of the day from the comfort of their home or office. Whats the next step in banking? Well with the new “smartphones” and its “apps”, banks are developing new tools, security and gimmicks to offer their customers to improve on their banking experience, making online banking available 24/7, anywhere in the world. Banking is now on demand.
Gone are the days of long queues in banks dealing with disgruntled customer service assistants… but with all this technology is this just making the banks pockets bigger as now they need less man power to run their banks? Will banking be converted to online permanently and the days of physical banks be that of the past? Lets see where technology will take us and will change society as we know it today.
References
http://www.atm24.com/newssection/industry%20news/timeline%20-%20the%20atm%20history.aspx
http://www.canstar.com.au/history/
NET102 Assignment 2: Music, The Internet and Everyday Life
INTRODUCTION
The music industry is changing. Since the launch of the Internet in the 1990s, the way people share, listen and obtain music has changed. The music industry have tried to fight the internet revolution of Peer to Peer sharing (P2P), torrents, online radio streaming and MP3s. Though in recent times there are artists embracing this new media and finding new ways to create revenue, to promote themselves and distribute their music. Is this the end of the music record industry? I explore these issues of how the Internet has changed the music industry.I would like to begin with a song by MC Lars called “Download This Song”. Click here to watch the video[1] and/or click here to read the lyrics.[2]
MC Lars’ song sums up the change of the music industry and challenges the Record Labels to catch up with the times. In an article that MC Lars has written, “New Media Economics in Indie Rap – Welcome to the Future”[3], he states that “…there has been an ideological shift made very apparent by the new generation of artists and consumers; music isn’t really a physical product anymore, it’s a service that artists provide that they are then paid for (if the service they provide has cultural and/or emotional value).” (MC Lars 2010). It’s not just about record sales, it’s about promotion, merchandise sales, gigs (live performances) and touring. The business of music has changed and the way to make money out of making music isn’t about the billions of dollars they can make, but to make a comfortable living doing something that they love doing.Dave Kusek has written a book called “The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution.”[4] Many Independent artist follow his principles and have stated that his book is a must read for any artist in the music industry, as many of his predictions about the future of the music industry have come true. Much of my research on the future of the music industry has been drawn from his online blog “Future of Musicbook”.[5]
In a recent interview with Kusek (Interview with Dave Kusek from The Musicians Guide in the UK, Marcus Taylor, 13 Sep, 2010) he states, “mobile applications are likely to become extremely important for musicians, as direct-to-fan marketing becomes a more and more popular approach and smart phone ownership increases.” Direct-to-fan marketing would help artist to promote and communicate directly to their fan base, making them feel like they are apart of an elite club. With the use of official website, social networking, eNewletters and smart phone applications, musicians can reduce their costs in promotion as the web is a cost effective and easier type of media to use and they can target a more narrow target market.
Pink Floyd’s ex-manager, Peter Jenner, has commented on how in the UK they have created an act that focuses on piracy and P2P file sharing. He quotes “… people [that are] not paying for music is not a problem. But P2P is just one of many ways in which you can access music for free. People have memory sticks, blank CDs, email, instant messaging, so I think it was a very facile look at the issue which was driven by the copyright industry.”[6] There is no possible way for the P2P file sharing to be stopped; the music industry should be focusing on ways that they can capitalise on this new technology. Jenner further discusses how the traditional record company has been built around selling “bits of stuff” to people in a retail environment. They view the Internet in the wrong way and should be using it as a service, not a retail environment. They should put their focus into what services they can provide with the Internet. (Jenner, 2010).
“Many people are listening to online radio and watching online video.”[7] In the book “Futurehit.DNA”, Jay Frank discusses a to generate revenue with the use of online radio. Many services, such as Pandora and Last.fm, utilise the zero play feature, where all songs start from zero seconds, and the skip button. “This allows the user, if he is uninterested in a song, to skip ahead to the next one selected on his radio station. It operates in a very similar fashion to the functionality on the iPod.”[8]. The skip button gives users the ability to vote with their skip buttons on their online radio services. Sites monitor song play and most will only register a track as played if it reaches 60 seconds. “The best way that an artist can avoid the over-utilization of the skip button (aside from making good music in the first place) is to ensure the listener for at least sixty seconds.”[9] If a song is skipped regularly and doesn’t receive much play, the online service has will stop promoting the song. (Frank 2009) The artist needs to focus on catching the audience in those first few seconds to ensure they get airtime and then they receive performance royalties.
Social networking sites are another tool the music industry use for promoting to, and also entertaining, their fans. Myspace is being used as a viral marketing tool where unsigned and signed artists can promote their music, upcoming gigs, and also broadcasting from their homes. When Sandi Thom broadcasted from her South London basement, she created a social phenomenon in which thousands of people believed they were the first to discover a new “real” artist. In fact, EMI had sent out emails in advance linking to the webcast, alerting the potential market. (Garfield 2006). Many artists utilised viral marketing, such as Lily Allen and The Artic Monkeys, to promote new songs, live gigs, simulcasts, blogs etc to keep their fan base in the loop.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the future of the music industry will continue to change from what we have known it to be. The Record Labels role in the industry will change from simply recording and selling albums to promotion of an artist and utilising new Internet technologies. Instead of fighting the P2P file sharing and trying to stop consumers from obtaining tracks for free, the music industry will need to find new inventive ways to make revenue from their music. Direct-to-fan and viral marketing are two useful tools in promoting new artist, songs and gigs to fans. As the world moves towards online radio streaming, performance royalties, and creation of attention grabbing songs to receive these royalties, is the new form of revenue for the music industry. “Music was a product, now it is a service”[10]. I look forward into seeing what the future holds for music, Internet and everyday life.BIBLIOGRAPHY
iobuffa. ” YouTube – MC Lars – Download This Song .” YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. . N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBkuiChImb8>.“lyrics Download This Song lyrics MC Lars .” Welcome | Moron.nl | Lyrics | All lyrics | New Lyrics | Community |. N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.moron.nl/lyrics.php?id=86710&artist=MC%20Lars>.
Lars, MC. “New Media Economics in Indie Rap – Welcome to the Future | Future Of Music.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., 18 Mar, 2020. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/2010/03/welcome-to-the-future-new-media-economics-in-indie-rap/>.
Kusek, Dave, and Gerd Leonhard. The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution. Boston: Berklee Press, 2005. Print.
Kusek, David. “Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com>.
Taylor, Marcus. “Interview with Dave Kusek from The Musicians Guide in the UK | Future Of Music.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., 13 Sept. 2010. Accessed. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/2010/09/interview-with-dave-kusek-from-the-musicians-guide-in-the-uk/>.
Vizard, Sarah. “INTERVIEW: Pink Floyd’s ex-manager on the future of music :: StrategyEye – Industry Intelligence.” StrategyEye. N.p., 6 Aug. 2010. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010.
Frank, Jay. “Chapter 1: Online Radio and Skip rates.” Futurehit.DNA : How The Digital Revolution Is Changing Top 10 Songs. Nashville: Futurehit, Inc., 2009. 48-51. Print.
Garfield, Simon . ” How to make 80 million friends and influence people | Media | The Observer .” Latest news, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk . N.p., 18 June 2006. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/jun/18/digitalmedia.observerreview>.
[1] iobuffa. ” YouTube – MC Lars – Download This Song .” YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. . N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBkuiChImb8>. [2] “lyrics Download This Song lyrics MC Lars .” Welcome | Moron.nl | Lyrics | All lyrics | New Lyrics | Community |. N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.moron.nl/lyrics.php?id=86710&artist=MC%20Lars>.
[3] Taylor, Marcus. “Interview with Dave Kusek from The Musicians Guide in the UK | Future Of Music.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., 13 Sept. 2010. Accessed. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/2010/09/interview-with-dave-kusek-from-the-musicians-guide-in-the-uk/>.
[4] Kusek, Dave, and Gerd Leonhard. The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution. Boston: Berklee Press, 2005. Print.
[5] Kusek, David. “Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com>.
[6] Vizard, Sarah. “INTERVIEW: Pink Floyd’s ex-manager on the future of music :: StrategyEye – Industry Intelligence.” StrategyEye. N.p., 6 Aug. 2010. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010.
[7] Frank, Jay. “Chapter 1: Online Radio and Skip rates.” Futurehit.DNA : How The Digital Revolution Is Changing Top 10 Songs. Nashville: Futurehit, Inc., 2009. 48-51. Print.
[8] Frank, Jay. “Chapter 1: Online Radio and Skip rates.” Futurehit.DNA : How The Digital Revolution Is Changing Top 10 Songs. Nashville: Futurehit, Inc., 2009. 48-51. Print.
[9] Frank, Jay. “Chapter 1: Online Radio and Skip rates.” Futurehit.DNA : How The Digital Revolution Is Changing Top 10 Songs. Nashville: Futurehit, Inc., 2009. 48-51. Print.
[10] Taylor, Marcus. “Interview with Dave Kusek from The Musicians Guide in the UK | Future Of Music.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., 13 Sept. 2010. Accessed. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/2010/09/interview-with-dave-kusek-from-the-musicians-guide-in-the-uk/>.
NET102 Internet Access
Power operates in many ways on the Internet, let’s take one example, that of Internet access, to discuss power (no more than half a page).
We are invited to discuss the possible limits to Internet access this week with these 3 questions to focus on:
1.Are there limits to when, what (sites), how much, and where you access the Internet?
The internet in Australia currently is restricted by speed. And if you live in regional Australia, like myself, access to ADSL internet can prove to be difficult. The property I current reside in can not get ADSL at all. And I am in the Newcastle area in NSW. I constantly hear about people in the Hunter Valley area having all sorts of trouble getting ADSL internet access… Telstra running out of ports for the area your in… This county is monopolised by one telecommunications structure (where all other telco companies use infrastructure supplied by Telstra). The country waits on the Julia Gillard Government to pull through with their NBN and hope that this will shed some more speed to regional Australia… and also bring the price down too…
But also recently there has been the discussion of censoring the internet in Australia. I have heard from many people how this is going to set Australia back in the Western World of business.
The proposed “Clean Feed” that the Federal Government of Australia has been “pushing forward with a plan to force Internet Service Providers [ISPs] to censor the Internet for all Australians.” (http://nocleanfeed.com/) The category list that they are planning to censor include the following (and much more):
1) euthanasia,
2) controversial movies such as ‘Ken Park’ and ‘Baise-moi’,
3) games that are designed for people over 16 years of age.
4) child sexual abuse material…
For more info on the facts on the EFA Filtering plan can be found at http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html
Is this policy just a way for the Government to control it’s people? Or will it protect your children from the big bad world? I don’t think that this filtering will fix the problems, but create new ones where they will be limiting Australian Business growth. When I rely on the internet to run my business, I really don’t want something to be introduced that can affect my ability to run my business and make money.
2.How can you transgress those limits and what are the possible consequences?
With the “Clean Feed” I can see how people would want some kind of censorship on Child Pornography, Bomb making and even terrorist websites. But who will be monitoring these sites? Who is the one that classifieds websites that are to be censored? What if a legitimate website is banned? How do companies overcome these issues?
A way to over come these issues would be, if this EFA filtering plan comes into effect, to make sure your websites do not contain any of the censored classifications and to monitor their websites constantly. But that would only work for websites maintained within Australian shores. Many overseas companies would not abide with Australian censorship laws, then this could interfere with business’ everyday practises.
3.Is it possible to lose your access and what are the ways this might happen?
Of course it’s possible to lose internet access. All it takes is one natural disaster, a while storm, or the fact you didn’t pay your bill, you lose your access.
If you only have a desktop computer, you are limited to where you can get access. If you lose you access in your home, it’s not easy to pack up your computer and move to a place where you can get internet access again.
Consider the access of people in other places and positions after you have thought about your own access. Does access vary?
In Australia, access varies greatly. I have lived in Sydney and Newcastle and the difference in the internet service is huge. In Sydney you can get any type of internet plan you wish… from naked ADSL, to wireless to super turbo ADSL 2+. Where I currently live, I can’t get ADSL and have to make do with wireless internet which drops out and slows down during peak usage hours.
Then compare Australia to other countries. A friend of mine lives in Germany and they pay very little for their internet access and it is faster than the speeds she had experienced in Sydney. But then she was working in the USA and the internet speeds there were phenomenal. With one click and your file is downloaded. Oh to have that internet access here… I will keep dreaming.
We are invited to discuss the possible limits to Internet access this week with these 3 questions to focus on:
1.Are there limits to when, what (sites), how much, and where you access the Internet?
The internet in Australia currently is restricted by speed. And if you live in regional Australia, like myself, access to ADSL internet can prove to be difficult. The property I current reside in can not get ADSL at all. And I am in the Newcastle area in NSW. I constantly hear about people in the Hunter Valley area having all sorts of trouble getting ADSL internet access… Telstra running out of ports for the area your in… This county is monopolised by one telecommunications structure (where all other telco companies use infrastructure supplied by Telstra). The country waits on the Julia Gillard Government to pull through with their NBN and hope that this will shed some more speed to regional Australia… and also bring the price down too…
But also recently there has been the discussion of censoring the internet in Australia. I have heard from many people how this is going to set Australia back in the Western World of business.
The proposed “Clean Feed” that the Federal Government of Australia has been “pushing forward with a plan to force Internet Service Providers [ISPs] to censor the Internet for all Australians.” (http://nocleanfeed.com/) The category list that they are planning to censor include the following (and much more):
1) euthanasia,
2) controversial movies such as ‘Ken Park’ and ‘Baise-moi’,
3) games that are designed for people over 16 years of age.
4) child sexual abuse material…
For more info on the facts on the EFA Filtering plan can be found at http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html
Is this policy just a way for the Government to control it’s people? Or will it protect your children from the big bad world? I don’t think that this filtering will fix the problems, but create new ones where they will be limiting Australian Business growth. When I rely on the internet to run my business, I really don’t want something to be introduced that can affect my ability to run my business and make money.
2.How can you transgress those limits and what are the possible consequences?
With the “Clean Feed” I can see how people would want some kind of censorship on Child Pornography, Bomb making and even terrorist websites. But who will be monitoring these sites? Who is the one that classifieds websites that are to be censored? What if a legitimate website is banned? How do companies overcome these issues?
A way to over come these issues would be, if this EFA filtering plan comes into effect, to make sure your websites do not contain any of the censored classifications and to monitor their websites constantly. But that would only work for websites maintained within Australian shores. Many overseas companies would not abide with Australian censorship laws, then this could interfere with business’ everyday practises.
3.Is it possible to lose your access and what are the ways this might happen?
Of course it’s possible to lose internet access. All it takes is one natural disaster, a while storm, or the fact you didn’t pay your bill, you lose your access.
If you only have a desktop computer, you are limited to where you can get access. If you lose you access in your home, it’s not easy to pack up your computer and move to a place where you can get internet access again.
Consider the access of people in other places and positions after you have thought about your own access. Does access vary?
In Australia, access varies greatly. I have lived in Sydney and Newcastle and the difference in the internet service is huge. In Sydney you can get any type of internet plan you wish… from naked ADSL, to wireless to super turbo ADSL 2+. Where I currently live, I can’t get ADSL and have to make do with wireless internet which drops out and slows down during peak usage hours.
Then compare Australia to other countries. A friend of mine lives in Germany and they pay very little for their internet access and it is faster than the speeds she had experienced in Sydney. But then she was working in the USA and the internet speeds there were phenomenal. With one click and your file is downloaded. Oh to have that internet access here… I will keep dreaming.
NET102Power and Economy
How do economic relationships conflict with or support existing power structures through the Internet?
In my Essay 1 I discussed how the internet has changed the music industry. iTunes Music Store is a classic example of how they have gained economic globalisation of the music industry. When Apple introduced their online store front on April 28 2003, at the time there was over 200,000 where available to purchase. Since then it has grown astoundingly and on February 24 2010, the store served it’s 10 billionth song download (Wikipedia, 2010).
Apple iTunes has obviously changed the way people browse and buy music, hitting the retail music chain stores hard. I remember back in the 90s, buying music albums and singles were a luxury. The average price of a CD was over $30 and for singles, $5 or more, just for the one song. Compared to the prices of today, $2.16 per track or $16.99 for an album. (prices as at 16/10/2010 on iTunes Store) Thats a vast difference, and if you compare this to the inflation rates over the past decade you would also note that back in the 90s that $30 was a lot of money… especially for a high schooler such as myself at that time.
But not just for the consumer has the the music industry changed, but the business of the the music industry. David Kusek, author of the book “The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution”, he predicted the new age of digitisation and how it would affect the business of music. Long gone are the days of the music label, new independent labels are the way of the future, giving artist more creative control over their final tracks. Unlike in the days of the Beatles and U2 where you needed a record label to get into the billboard charts.
Kusek is the Vice President of Berklee College of Music responsible for managing the online music school, Berkleemusic.com. This school is dedicated in training upcoming artist to be marketers of their own music career.
On Kusek online blog, he discuss’ many ways in which new media is affected the music industry. On his recent blog he talks about the new media, iPad. New technology, called reactable systems, fuses DJ culture, touch screen topography and electro-pop showmanship, coming to an iPad near you (Kusek, 2010)
I could go on forever on how the internet has changed the economy and the power of the music industry. The power is now not in the music record labels hands, but back to the music artist them self. Though no longer a place to make billions, but the internet has created new ways for music artist to make money. Watch this space, there is a bright future for the music industry, but not in the way we have known it to be.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes_Store
Kusek, David. “Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com>.
http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/2010/10/react-to-the-music-around-you/
In my Essay 1 I discussed how the internet has changed the music industry. iTunes Music Store is a classic example of how they have gained economic globalisation of the music industry. When Apple introduced their online store front on April 28 2003, at the time there was over 200,000 where available to purchase. Since then it has grown astoundingly and on February 24 2010, the store served it’s 10 billionth song download (Wikipedia, 2010).
Apple iTunes has obviously changed the way people browse and buy music, hitting the retail music chain stores hard. I remember back in the 90s, buying music albums and singles were a luxury. The average price of a CD was over $30 and for singles, $5 or more, just for the one song. Compared to the prices of today, $2.16 per track or $16.99 for an album. (prices as at 16/10/2010 on iTunes Store) Thats a vast difference, and if you compare this to the inflation rates over the past decade you would also note that back in the 90s that $30 was a lot of money… especially for a high schooler such as myself at that time.
But not just for the consumer has the the music industry changed, but the business of the the music industry. David Kusek, author of the book “The Future of Music: Manifesto for the Digital Music Revolution”, he predicted the new age of digitisation and how it would affect the business of music. Long gone are the days of the music label, new independent labels are the way of the future, giving artist more creative control over their final tracks. Unlike in the days of the Beatles and U2 where you needed a record label to get into the billboard charts.
Kusek is the Vice President of Berklee College of Music responsible for managing the online music school, Berkleemusic.com. This school is dedicated in training upcoming artist to be marketers of their own music career.
On Kusek online blog, he discuss’ many ways in which new media is affected the music industry. On his recent blog he talks about the new media, iPad. New technology, called reactable systems, fuses DJ culture, touch screen topography and electro-pop showmanship, coming to an iPad near you (Kusek, 2010)
I could go on forever on how the internet has changed the economy and the power of the music industry. The power is now not in the music record labels hands, but back to the music artist them self. Though no longer a place to make billions, but the internet has created new ways for music artist to make money. Watch this space, there is a bright future for the music industry, but not in the way we have known it to be.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes_Store
Kusek, David. “Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads.” Future of Music – music industry, music business, digital music and free music downloads. N.p., n.d. Accessed. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.futureofmusicbook.com>.
http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/2010/10/react-to-the-music-around-you/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)