Welcome to Technology Century!

                                     You are ENTERING to technology century!

Marching to the week 4, "Network Citizen" written by Peter Bradwell & Richard Reeves is the reading for this week. In the "Network Citizen", the writers are make three chapters which are technologies, economies, and also ecologies. Today, I gonna discuss about the technologies.

As compared to the last decade or century, our life had significantly shift towards an green technology environment. We started to decrease our usage of paper and making good use of recycling the paper. As the times change, we are tend to use the convenient of the technology and now email and or social network had become our "green" paper. The information had eventually evolved from tangible forms to intangible forms. Knowledge becoming the important issues in this information age. We are starting using the technology to help us in getting a better quality outcome and also helps us to do the things that we can't do. Technology definitely help us to extend our ability. Do you agree?

Still, we are surrounded by the term "Network". Everywhere is the network. From the people around you, the object, the pictures, the status update, it seem to become part of your network. Relationship is the network. Totally puts my hands up to agree. Relationship between you and your family, friends, colleagues or even online friends are a part of your network. 

On the other hand, network also commonly spot in the organizational. In organizational, the network seem to be formal as compare to the personal when it's years before the technology are monopoly the industry. The network between the boss and the subordinates. Manager and staff. The combination of the network are more like bureaucratic way. 

But the pattern of network had changed. With the help of technology, the relationship or network in an organization or big company will slightly tend to goes into a gray boundaries. The subordinates will still completing their job but at the same time, they are also using the technology to maintain their network such as going for social website. This may be the dark side of an network that provided by technology.

Technology had let us build up our network and connection easily. Technology is like catalyst. It making us exposed to visible world faster. When you want to curious and want to find out something, do you eventually go to the library and flip through the books or just go online and search? Which one is more effective and fast? The answer is obvious, isn't?

Social networking are building up the connection in the fast rate. The users are increasing rapidly in every year. Technology had allowed people to use the social networking for variety purpose. Nowadays people are not using Internet as just to access to the information but also seek for entertainment purpose. Same goes to social networking sites, people are not only using for socialize but it also for building up their network.

People will find their friends online even though they know them physically and personally. They will concern about their status update and also their friends. Some social networking had provided some features such as "tagging" people in the pictures. The users can tag the picture by typing their friend's name. This is unintentionally sharing the pictures of themselves. Take an example, when you looks to a very nice video, will you sharing in the Facebook? Some may but for me, Yes. For me, I think that this act is not just for sharing purpose but for defining or branding your image to the outside world. The people can choose how and what the world see them.

 

There may have other purpose in using social networking sites. Many peoples sign up for social network is not for entertainment but most probably is for their own business. Many news ways of business had been created such as blog shop or online shopping nowadays as the technologies had provided the easier way of the connection. People now using social networking sites such as Facebook to open up their business. Or also create a website to introduce and sells their products. The shop is in virtual but the business is real!

Technology had remind me about a new word--produser. This word is the combination of the producer + user. We are now not only consume the Internet as a user but we also produce something in the Internet such as music or video. For example, we can produce a music video and post it YouTube. It's not only sharing but at the same time also see how people react with the network. People may view it and give some opinions. Same as the example at the paragraph above.

At the end of the day, I believed that technology had eventually broaden our network but at the same time it had also increase the time for us to sit down in front of computer or mobile phone to access the Internet. Illegal downloading had eventually bring down the CD industry. There are a lot music download website with free that allowed people to download the music, songs and also drama and movies. People now seem like taking advantage of the technology and also the Internet. 

Thinking time!

Undoubtedly, technology had bringing much more advantage than drawbacks to our life. But do we actually use it for the good purpose? How do you think about the issues? And how do you think the problem that occur in the technologies can be solved or at least minimize?

Really thanks for your time to read this post! I understand that my interpretation may not be details and good enough but I do hope you can give your opinions! Appreciate it! 

All the best & Have a good day!

Shu...! We are the master mind of cyberspace!

Well, no doubt, cyberspace had diffuse into the people's mind nowadays. Cyberspace, a new place for you to live. Cyberspace = my own imaginary world. Well this is quite true because in cyberspace, the virtual space that you can had 100% freedom of speech, you can express whatever beliefs, feeling, emotion or thoughts at here. Just to your own.

I think cyberspace is like our online diary. Don't you think so? Everything you want to say, it all appears in your blogs, tumblrs, Facebook, Myspace, or even Twitter! Everything is online.

                                  Hello, buddy!

What is appear in your mind when you feel like want to share your thoughts or feeling, Facebook status update? Twitter 140 characters to put your one day experience in 140 characters? Well, this all happen...in the cyberspace.

Very agree with Barlow's sentences: "Our identities have no bodies." Our mind had represent our identity.How you perceived a person is look through his/her Facebook profile? Or read through the blog that he/she posted? Well, it's a good things at least because this let people have the motivation or purpose to concern people. Because you wouldn't know that the strangers that walking past you at the morning is your Facebook friend. This is powerful of the cyberspace.

Unfortunately, cyberspace should have the broad view of green and wide field but now it had been build up by the obstacles such as tall building. Who is the tall building here? Government. Well, government had take charge in the cyberspace without authority which was described by Barlow. He didn't agree that government should take charge in cyberspace without the permission of the users in the cyberspace. It's offensive and also disturbing. It's like the alien coming to invade the earth. Without permission. 

Totally agree with Barlow that government should not in charge of setting up the laws and regulations in cyberspace as everyone are treated fairly in here. But from other point of view, it's possible to maintain the peacefully situation in a long term? What happen is that not much know how to use the cyberspace smartly. It's really a good space for people to express their feelings, but what's more is the emotions that they express. It may become another way of expression. It's affected the people in the cyberspace. For example: Virus. Rumors.

Even though cyberspace are the place that people are treated fairly but more than that are how the users consume the cyberspace? What's their behavior in the cyberspace? Is it bringing a negative effect in the cyberspace society? This is the questions that we should take more time to think more deeply. 

Much welcome of your critics and questions. :) Together, we choose to learn with good attitude in cyberspace. :)

Open Culture and The Nature of Network

Maybe the people above in the picture may be dying because of lack of basic need such as food, water, air etc. But things changed.What may result to the people above in nowadays century may because dying but not about the lacking of basic need but lack of network ( Wanna laugh? But it's quite true.)

Still remember how many times you go for Facebook everyday? A few days ago, I have saw an interesting topic which is regarding to the 60 seconds on Internet post by Weng Loong( His blog add is: http://wengloonguow.blogspot.com/ Check this out!) I think he had raise an important issues where it happen in our daily life in an unintentionally way.

In this week, I am gonna to analysis about a journal title: "Open Culture and The Nature of Network" The link: http://felix.openflows.com/pdf/Notebook_eng.pdf

The author for this journal is a guy named Felix Stalder. 

In the 1st sentences

       "New media are not bridges between man and nature: they are nature."
                                                  

                                                                                     Marshall McLuhan, 1969

I was wondering why he will come out with this statement.As I read the following content of the journal. I found the author was giving a very good point when he describing the phenomena of society nowadays. 

He stated that nowadays everything that we use are virtual even though we are in the real life. According to my previous post which is "My Friend Called Internet", it also include the idea that Internet had monopoly our society now. We can get everything from the Internet just a click away.Every information that we want are digitized. We are now living in the information ecology. 

Nowadays, the basic element that we required are not very concern much of the basic need but rather the invisible information on a network. The connection of the information between you and the network. How people communicate with you, to keep update from your friends, to update the news etc. Everything you done now is with the network but rather to the people.

            I guess this is how the way people connecting to each other in a network, what do you think?

In this journal, Stalder had emphasizes the relation between nodes and flow. These two elements are collaborate with each other. It's build because of the existence of the element. 

 

I am very agree the sentences that are stated by McLuhan which are: The ‘meaning
of meaning’ is relationship. (McLuhan; Nevitt, 1972) Everything is so connected to each other even though they seem like a unrelated issues.

What is the nodes and flows? The relation between flows and nodes can be get it from the another research which is also done by Felix Stadler. The link is here! Back to the basic of the network, it's all about information. How the information is formed? It's nodes and it causes the flow of the information. Without one of the element, the information may not be formed.Information are dynamic with the presence of the nodes and the media that channel the flow.It doesn't always in the static state, it's active. 


On the other hand, there are 4 pattern basic dimension in an information ecology. That are Interdependency, Change, Time-boundness, and Differentiation.


(a) Interdependency

Did you saw spider web in the Spider man movie? Well, that's exactly how the nodes are connected to each other. They are an unique nodes but it's connected to each other and forms an shared environment.

                             Pssssssss....the spider web!

The interdependency between the nodes are so important is because the information that they are carry and connected. Even though there are no relation between two different information, but because it relates to both side of flow to each other, the information are formed just because of the the relationship of two unrelated data. 

Nodes and Flow are always exist in our network life. With the interdependency between the company, the industry just can grow rapidly. It can be described in this way in my ways of understanding which are the relationship between the retailer and the supplier. This two roles can't exist without the presence of either one. They both are depend on each other to get the supply and also the customer. 

(b) Change

From the 1st sentences which is "The flow of information does not simply connected two sides; by being connected they change."  It's mean by a+b doesn't mean it will become c, but rather become other alphabet? 

Again, the flow of information not just maintain in one way, but it can becoming another way when it connected to other information. It grew so fast and it can change instantaneously. A characteristic that is so emphasized by the electronic media nowadays. And by merging and outsources the node, the node had once the single character and now had change to the dependency between the node.  

The changes also created a new information ecology such like the nature ecology had change once one the species are extinct. The whole food chain had changed just because of one species and a new nature ecology had formed. This result are same as it goes into the information ecology nowadays. With the dependency of the nodes, the information can eventually send through the whole information environment. But the environment of the information will change depend on the dependency of the nodes and the flows of the information also will be affected. 

In the new born information ecology, change seem to be a common things. Things must be changed. Everything had changed so fast and the demand also grew differently. Take an example in the journalist industry, the accuracy of the news are importance but also the timeliness in the news. So, the newspaper had change the way present the information. Nowadays the newspaper are starting explore the online version for example The Star.

(c) Time-boundness    

As I was mentioned just now, the information won't be in the static state. It changed so much in every minutes. Information do have time span. This is because the information are changed so fast in a short period of time and it had cause the validity of the information. The time span are determined by the relation between the node and flow, and also by the purpose of action. How do you evaluate the information? Is it based on the timeliness of the information? The content? Or the relation of the information from the previous and the current? 

(d) Differentiation 

Information are different when they are highly differentiated nodes group together to respond to newly arising opportunity and dissolve once their mission has been achieved. (This sound like the movie "Mission Impossible"). The nodes are survive as long as the information that they had produced are valid. 

Differentiation is the reduction of complexity. When the two different nodes are combined, large amount of information are reduced as the inner structure of the node, in to specific information. The new information and the new connection had created are based on the interdependency of the network and flow, and also the direction of the flow are directed to.   

Guys, I am sorry cause I think I am not interpreted very well as there are some ambiguity points inside. Your comments are so appreciated in here to let me know what's your opinion towards my interpretation.Thank you guys for taking your time to read this post! 

Have a nice day! :) 

My friend called Internet

As referred to the title above, World Wide Web (WWW) or also known as Internet is the topic that I want to explore more. Well, I think Internet is now the top friends in our friend list. Agree or not, it seem to happen this way. Lost in the trip, use GPS or the maps in the phone. Want to read a book? Just download the e-book. Finding information? Wikipedia is the answer. This is all happen unintentionally, we are used to it and now we are live in the virtual space in the reality world. Is like our body is in the reality life but our mind is all in virtual space.

 

                     Oppsss!! Is it what you do when you do your assignment?

Welcome to Virtual Life!

                               Let me introduce my friend, Internet.

What is your 1st things you do when you off your alarm and open the eyes? Bathing? Eating? Or press the power button on the computer keyboard? 

Well, I have learn some facts about my friend, which are:


1) Internet has no central authority. 

Which this is mean that everyone in the world are able to access to post, share, or even download the digital materials that they want. No one will ask for permission.

2) Difference rules/ way/ ethic. 

In the internet world, all the information are in code form such as Java script, HTML codes. Even though internet had no the central authority, but it had the law and regulation to control the users behaviors.

3) Internet culture.

This is basically how we going to use the global network. Basically everything we want is all online. Just a click and the information will appear in the screen. As the times goes by,smart phones had been created which had become the another platform and also a new culture to access to the internet.

4) Transaction & Relationship. 

Also known as deep network which you can see who are connecting to who. How they connected? How they transact and what their common bond that are connecting to each other. 

5) Virtual Reality.  

I think this is mostly happen in the virtual space which people will use others identity or false information to communicate with the others. 

I guess now you get what I mean =)

 
6) New industries/ Knowledge economy/ New distribution of wealth.

Internet had historically create a new industries such as Google, the search engine. It had become a culture. "What to eat?" "Ask Google." That's it. More than that, the online games industry also had open a new way to attract the gamer to do involve in the virtual game.


As a conclusion, Internet certainly is the new leading culture that are leading the world now as everything is online. The network is like a links that are linking to everyone in the world even though they are all from different country, names, gender, culture. Internet seem like cross over the barrier of distance and people can reaching for the people for just one second. That's cool! :)


Thanks for your reading and also do comment! Your comment is welcome here! Don't worry! It's not plagiarism =p I am Chiu Yein (ps. This is not a virtual identity, this is real!) Have a nice day everyone! 

Why Network Matter?

Remember back then we were just using letter our tools to communicate with each others. We are usually use the letter to send out to the people that are far away from us. The letter that I keep in the box were becoming a part of my memory.

With the invention of telephone and radio, the way we connected with each other had changed. There are the voices that replace the word. People can hear each other voices and the feedback as soon as they want. They are no more waiting for letters or telegraph. 

But things change. Internet was been introduced in the 1970 had historical changed the way how people communicate with each others.

What I learn from the Manuel Castells: " Why Network Matter" is like a brain that connected the two thoughts together. People can't live without network. Network is the central where everyone meets together. But I wonder is it people that forms the network or vice versa? Is it people work within a network or network always arouse in our surrounding? 


Manuel Castells had made a statement which was "But we also know that without specific technologies some social structures could not develop. For example, the industrial society could not have emerged without electricity and the electrical engine." at the second paragraphs lines 3-6 which had illustrated the without the technology, the network are not able to form. 

I very agree with Manuel Castells's opinions that nowadays we are in the society that are which so desired of the information from the web which the technological paradigm is the dominant medium for social organization. Compare to the old ages, we use the network just for communication purpose. But now, we are working more over that purpose. We now are not only communicate but also find more entertainment and news from the network, we are not just want to communication but also for entertainment or education purpose such as this blog which is for the subject Global Network. This had shown that network had no boundaries. We can access to many information in one time in a network just within a short time.

No doubt, network had a great impact in our life. It not only construct our life but also influence on how other industries working on the business. For example in the media field, many media including main stream media had been significantly transformed to a new media in online forms such as online newspaper, online TV program, online radio. It also had changed the way we see the world, we are not just see the world from the newspaper but also from some news social network such as bloggers, twitter, and also Facebook. Network is now in the depth of our life such as orbit in our life. We can't live without network neither network live without us. Without network, we will lost track. Network will also not be formed if there are no us. So the relationship of network and us are related. Neither of the side can lost each other. We are in the network but network also in us.

This is what my some opinion to Manuel Castell's journal. Hope you can give more your ideas about what you think of this journals :) Glad to heard from you :) Have a good day!