tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162330207530103649.post4183140511389988755..comments2023-07-22T08:53:37.900-06:00Comments on New Media Narratives: Writing and Publishing in a Developing Field: Connected Citizens, First Text for Assignment 2Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162330207530103649.post-86394754750408726802012-03-18T19:41:20.587-06:002012-03-18T19:41:20.587-06:00Hello Kim,
Really nice post. I appreciate the qu...Hello Kim, <br /><br />Really nice post. I appreciate the quote: " “there are downsides to this interdependence as well. Network connections can be used to hoard power rather than distribute it. Living in dense and information-rich webs presents real dangers of narrowing rather than broadening our worldviews because we’re forced to filter in order to manage the overwhelming amounts of information."<br /><br /> Here, I can see echoes of my own research into smart mobs and the hacker collectivist, Anonymous. Often, especially in the Internet news world, I feel like there isn't much of a focus put on the negative impacts of the Internet. However, if you look at a lot of large Internet structures that have a lot of power (Reddit immediately comes to mind), there often seems to be very narrow viewpoints put out that aren't receptive to any opposing opinions. Thanks for reminding me that not all connectivity is good connectivity!Jarett MacLeodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03718677669971456336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162330207530103649.post-43925592673959138882012-03-18T13:09:15.595-06:002012-03-18T13:09:15.595-06:00Linda - That's an interesting description of a...Linda - That's an interesting description of a foxhole as well. When I heard the presenter talking about China I didn't make a connection with foxholes in this article. But it is certainly another possible view of what a future might look like. <br /><br />The Concerned Citizens report described a foxhole as a place where citizens retreat and disconnect as they fear too much information is known about them, or available about them and they try to get off the grid. It is a result of people mistrusting and fearing the connectivity that we are witnessing now through the Internet. If Big Brother has these tools, then I will avoid them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1162330207530103649.post-38096318874321283082012-03-18T10:46:59.985-06:002012-03-18T10:46:59.985-06:00Kim, I like the point you've raised about &quo...Kim, I like the point you've raised about "smart sourcing" vs. "crowd sourcing" in the context of civic engagement. If a network can be parallel to a political structure, you might look at a democracy as smart sourcing and an anarchy as crowd sourcing. In a democracy, elected leaders (should) have a sense of obligation to protect the rights of minorities. In an anarchy, the mob wins - at the expense of minority rights. For the good of society, the loudest or most prevalent voice shouldn't always win, even if it's in the majority. <br /><br />I'm curious to take a look at the "Digging Foxholes" resource you've referenced. It seems like so far, it's often the citizenry who are a step ahead of governments in their use of network technologies. Sites like http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/, which inspired many to join the Occupy movement, seem to have taken most of those in power by surprise, just as some oppressive governments in the Middle East didn't expect their citizens to be able to organize as effectively as they have over the past year. However, it seems that in China protesters have been using "foxholes" to communicate. Since the government is quite media savvy, they censor the use of such words as "democracy" and "protest", leading protesters to develop an elaborate code system. http://chinadigitaltimes.net/space/Introduction_to_the_Grass-Mud_Horse_LexiconAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com