Hello for the last time...
My final blog is extremely close to deadline as I'm sure you can see. The library just got evactuated because the fire alarm went off so it has been pushed back that tad bit more lol. But anyway, this is my last blog and i may as well do a good one.
Well firstly as you well know we started this term off with the history of communication. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed learning about this. I find that it is interesting to consider how far technology will be advanced in coming years if it has already advanced to this level. I remember as a kid I was absolutely amazed that I had a discman and could actually leave my house and listen to music, it was almost too much for me. Nowadays I wouldnt be surprised if the new Ipod had an inbuilt oven. But if there has been this much of an advancement over the course of around ten years imagine what it will be like in another century. Preferably not like something that has come straight out of a Cyberpunk novel.
Of course i know it is part of curriculum to learn the media theories but i have to admit I found it a little bit wearing and sometimes boring. But as for the level of clarity and your presentation of the topic, it was very good. It made it that marginal bit easier for the test this morning haha. I found the movies pretty interesting, particularly La Jetee which surprises me as I dont usually like older movies. The plot was so original and i thought it was interesting to see how a movie can carry such an effective plot without having good imagery of an effective pace.
As for the tutorial tasks I think they ranged between interesting, not so interesting and sometimes tedious. However for the most part i enjoyed them, and I do not think i could put into words how much better these tutorials were than my other subjects (which bordered on insufferable).
All in all i thoroughly enjoyed this class in comparison to my others, and thank you a lot for your work this semester.
Cheers, might see you in a class in the future...
Cam.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Cams Ninth Uni Post
Hey, I'm back again. I have been behind so i decided to do my word task and excel task back to back, then do all the typing. I regret this. Fingers are quite sore. Deadline is looming closer and closer, and the Excel task I did took me back to my Maths and Graphics days. Frankly i despise both of those subjects, so that will give you a rough idea of how much I enjoyed these tasks lol. Excuse my Msn Language, but i figure if I'm going to use it in any subject this is by far the most fitting.
Now, the task. Well I'm not going to lie to you, i didn't find it difficult but staring at an excel screen was something i thought I had avoided forever. Certain teachers have left me with certain bad memories lol. I found the first bit fine, but the formulas annoyed me a little, as for some reason i always make one typo and have to redo pretty much every step. It becomes pretty wearing. As I have used to program before, i found little to no difficulty finishing the rest, but my typo's annoyed me pretty horrifically.
It was probably a good thing i went through and did this excercise as it sparked my memory (albeit bad ones). Im going to have to use this program in the future, one again probably begging and clawing my way into a job, and when i get to that stage I guess it will be useful. But until then? Nah. lol.
Thanks, have a good one.
Cam.
Now, the task. Well I'm not going to lie to you, i didn't find it difficult but staring at an excel screen was something i thought I had avoided forever. Certain teachers have left me with certain bad memories lol. I found the first bit fine, but the formulas annoyed me a little, as for some reason i always make one typo and have to redo pretty much every step. It becomes pretty wearing. As I have used to program before, i found little to no difficulty finishing the rest, but my typo's annoyed me pretty horrifically.
It was probably a good thing i went through and did this excercise as it sparked my memory (albeit bad ones). Im going to have to use this program in the future, one again probably begging and clawing my way into a job, and when i get to that stage I guess it will be useful. But until then? Nah. lol.
Thanks, have a good one.
Cam.
Cams Eighth Uni Post
Hows it going...
I'm still ploughing along, painfully close to deadline, and admittedly the microsoft word task I just completed was a little bit wearing an time consuming, but I can understand the importance of it, and im sure that it didn't hurt to get back to basics as I'm going to be using this program (or at least something like it) for the est of my life.
In regards to the actual task, I had no real difficulties but was quite surprised at the mail merging task as I had absolutely no idea such a thing existed. I guess it is pretty useful though, and will probabl use it in the future. By the way cheers for the clear instructions, otherwise i definitely would have struggled my way through that one.
Looking at Microsoft word itself, i suppose it would be pretty hard to imagine uni life without it. While it may not be particularly high tech and advancing in the field of technology, it is just a necessity for anyone who comes here. As for me, I have absolutely no doubt i'll be using the program in a few years time, begging and clawing my way to get a decent job haha.
Cheers again,
Cam.
I'm still ploughing along, painfully close to deadline, and admittedly the microsoft word task I just completed was a little bit wearing an time consuming, but I can understand the importance of it, and im sure that it didn't hurt to get back to basics as I'm going to be using this program (or at least something like it) for the est of my life.
In regards to the actual task, I had no real difficulties but was quite surprised at the mail merging task as I had absolutely no idea such a thing existed. I guess it is pretty useful though, and will probabl use it in the future. By the way cheers for the clear instructions, otherwise i definitely would have struggled my way through that one.
Looking at Microsoft word itself, i suppose it would be pretty hard to imagine uni life without it. While it may not be particularly high tech and advancing in the field of technology, it is just a necessity for anyone who comes here. As for me, I have absolutely no doubt i'll be using the program in a few years time, begging and clawing my way to get a decent job haha.
Cheers again,
Cam.
Cam's Seventh Uni Post
Hello again and welcome to another horrendously overdue blog. Apologies once again, i kept putting it off and putting it off until i was literally staring deadline in the face. This blog will be focusing on the differences between regular instant messaging and 3d instant messaging.
Upon observing the active worlds website the first obvious difference to me is that the 3d form takes on a gameplay aspect which I would assume take away from the chatting aspect anyway. I have been using Msn Messenger for roughly 6 or 7 years and i use it for the sole purpose of speaking to one another, which leads me to believe on first impression that 3d chat may be too elaborate.
It is interesting to note, that while the gameplay aspect may take away from the simplicity of basic chat, the visual aspect gives way to a whole new realm of communication. Whilst msn offers gameplay and interacting in the form of file transfer, and the rather primitive checkers 3d chat allows you to digitally interact with one another, simulating that of real life.
I was vaguely aware of the ability to immerse yourself in an interactive world, but this has opened my eyes in terms of technological advancement. Personally, if someone was to chat regularly on one of these sites they may experience a mild form of addiction which would take away from their ability to communicate with others in real life. Overall though, this is most certainly an interesting form of technology, and I'm interested to see where it will lead in the future...
Cheers for the task, I found it pretty interesting... have a good one...
Cam.
Upon observing the active worlds website the first obvious difference to me is that the 3d form takes on a gameplay aspect which I would assume take away from the chatting aspect anyway. I have been using Msn Messenger for roughly 6 or 7 years and i use it for the sole purpose of speaking to one another, which leads me to believe on first impression that 3d chat may be too elaborate.
It is interesting to note, that while the gameplay aspect may take away from the simplicity of basic chat, the visual aspect gives way to a whole new realm of communication. Whilst msn offers gameplay and interacting in the form of file transfer, and the rather primitive checkers 3d chat allows you to digitally interact with one another, simulating that of real life.
I was vaguely aware of the ability to immerse yourself in an interactive world, but this has opened my eyes in terms of technological advancement. Personally, if someone was to chat regularly on one of these sites they may experience a mild form of addiction which would take away from their ability to communicate with others in real life. Overall though, this is most certainly an interesting form of technology, and I'm interested to see where it will lead in the future...
Cheers for the task, I found it pretty interesting... have a good one...
Cam.
"Celebrity"
I'm going to stick with music again, this time with another of my favourite bands, Kings of Leon. They are a rock band, yet reasonably artistic, so i thought i would used a crystallising effect on this photo.
"Games"
As a kid i loved Mario Kart, and after a few drinks i still love it. It remains to be my favourite game so i chose this picture, and used the smudge stick effect to give the illusion of speed.
"Popular"
When reading the term popular I instantly assume music, and my favourite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Here i have a photo of frontman Anthony Kiedis onstage, which i have polarised to reflect the intesity and creativity of their live show.
"Australian"
My entire life i have bodyboarded, and i genuinely think the best thin about Australia is the amount and versatility of the surf here. So i have chosen a shot of bodyboarder Mason Rose, and accentuated the light to enhance the photo and to give the impression it is sunny.
"Communication"
Although it may be cliche, but when i think of commmunication i instantly think of my phone. I chose this phone is particular as it is enhaced and is capable of various forms of communication. I used the sharpen effect (admittedly too much) to create a sharper, more important looking image.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
"Friends"
This is a photo of my mate Chris and I, before we went to one of our school discos. Not entirely sure why we are dressed like this, but later in the night we won best dressed so i guess it was worth it. I used a grainy effect to make the picture seem older which i feel adds to the effect of our costumes and the "friend" theme.
Cams Sixth Uni Blog
Welcome to part two of my photoshop blog. This one will pretty much be the same except with different topics, and photoshop edited photos.
Cheers, enjoy.
Cam.
Cheers, enjoy.
Cam.
Monday, May 28, 2007
"University Life"
I think its pretty self-explanatory isn't it? I know we come here to get an education, a degree, a life, but drinking is what were famous for isn't it? And where do we drink? Yeah.
"Unconventional"
Once again, because of my limited photos, this may be a stretch but im sure I can make it apply somehow. Whilst most kids were probably at the beach when this was taken, we decided to go about 50 clicks into the bush and jump off cliffs into rockpools. Unconventional? Probably not that much. But while most people do a pin-drop, or dive in i decided to grab my bodyboard and try a reverse air. Unconventional? I'd wanna hope so because the landing wasn't pretty.
"Summer"
Once again scrolling through my photos i found this. I think it pretty much fills everything summery. Sun? Yeah. Seedy, seedy barbeque and gas bottle? Yeah. Outdoors on camping chairs? Yeah. The only thing its missing is an esky, but i'm sure its there somewhere.
"News"
I couldnt really resist posting this. But it is news. The Maroons came from behind to beat the Blues 25-18 on the 23rd of May. Pretty Newsworthy wouldn't you agree?
"High Tech"
Scrolling through my photos, i came to realise i had nothing whatsoever that related to the topic of "high tech". Rather than steal a photo off the net, i thought I would improvise and post this. Ignoring the empty bottles and screen, you can see a LCD tv. In my mind, this is surely a piece of high technology equipment, and could surely relate to Steve's speeches on television during our lectures. Pretty weak connection to the topic, but at least i didn't steal a photo right?
"Friends"
I think this photo is pretty indicative of the topic of "friends". This is me and my mate Ricky at our formal. I have absolutely no idea who took this photo, but i think it remains to be a pretty simple and effective representation of this topic. The same photo about 8 hours later at the afterparty would be a lot more interesting.
Cams Fifth (belated) Uni Blog
Hello,
Firstly apologies for the lateness of this blog. I let procrastination get the better of me, and have gradually built up a backlog of blogs to be completed.
This blog will be the first of two that focuses on photo blogging and the use of photoshop. The following post will be photos of mine, taken on either a Nokia 3 megapizel camera photo, and a Kodak digital camera. I find it interesting to note that when comparing the two different photos, i cannot tell the difference between camera photo and real camera. Considering the phone is certainly not top of the line, it is pretty indicative of evolution of technology dont you think?
Enjoy the photos,
Cam.
Firstly apologies for the lateness of this blog. I let procrastination get the better of me, and have gradually built up a backlog of blogs to be completed.
This blog will be the first of two that focuses on photo blogging and the use of photoshop. The following post will be photos of mine, taken on either a Nokia 3 megapizel camera photo, and a Kodak digital camera. I find it interesting to note that when comparing the two different photos, i cannot tell the difference between camera photo and real camera. Considering the phone is certainly not top of the line, it is pretty indicative of evolution of technology dont you think?
Enjoy the photos,
Cam.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Myspace Essay
In modern times technology has revolutionized the way we as a society communicate with each other. Since the induction of the telephone, communicating with one another has become easier and more convenient, yet in doing so has lost the intimacy of face to face conversation. In more recent years, the internet has become a primary form of communication through the likes of chat rooms, messenger programs and emails. However since 2003, a new form of internet communication has risen, to the point where it now has well over one hundred million users, and attracts a further two hundred and thirty thousand per day. Myspace is simply a social networking website, in which each user has his own personlised profile and the ability to contact and freely communicate with other users. However it is its sheer enormity and power that has allowed it to become an immeasurably valuable and cost-effective facet of communication within our global society. The following essay will explore the uses of Myspace and also examine the benefits and concerns of this networking giant that is rapidly changing the way modern society communicates.
Myspace, by its very nature is beneficial to the community. Regardless of how depersonalized such communication may be, it still bridges the gap both between local communities and our international globalized society. Furthermore, Myspace supersedes the effectiveness of other communication forms in that it also provides a means of meeting new people thus enhancing its effectiveness in propelling globalization (Smith, Skelley: 2004). The significance of Myspace in furthering this movement has been significantly overlooked and overshadowed by concerns of predatory activity (Business Wire: 2007). Another strong benefit of Myspace is it ability to mirror the services of other forms of communication, for no cost. Although there is a time delay between when a message (in Myspace terms a “comment”) is sent to another user, it is free of charge, and allows for more creativity, length and content. Aside from the obvious communication benefits, Myspace is also a powerful outlet for individuality and creativity. Younger users in particular use Myspace to express themselves and to search for people whose interests are aligned with their own (Granter: 2006). In particular, the “about me” section of a user’s profile has become somewhat of creative piece of writing, with entries ranging from stories, to lyrics, to philosophy. Yet another strong benefit of Myspace is its musical community. It has proven to be immeasurably successful in promoting lesser known bands through almost limitless word of mouth. One particularly strong example is that of the Australian band “The Sick Puppies”, who went from humble beginnings as a garage rock band, to rock stardom through the use of the Myspace, and Youtube. (www.sickpuppies.net) Taking all of the preceding information into account, Myspace clearly benefits the community in many ways, and on a larger scale contributes to the development of a more global community.
The primary concern critics have towards Myspace is that the impersonal nature of the site draws away from an individual’s communication abilities. Much like a text message, the only means of conveying your message over Myspace is through text, or in some cases images, which limit the receiver’s interpretation of your message (December J, 1996). As it is a proven fact that vast amount of communication is in fact body language, and vocal expression, Myspace is very limited in the quality of communication it allows. This in turn, over prolonged use leeches on the user’s ability to communicate, and in severe cases would leave them somewhat socially inept. This ties into another issue associated with Myspace and online communication in general: internet addiction. The most recent Australian census shows that 67% of Australian households own or lease their own computer, and 80% of citizens ages 16-34 have internet access. This clearly shows the accessibility of computers and internet in the modern Australian society (University Southern Queensland). This combined with alarming overweight and obesity statistics (ASSO 2006) can find a correlation in internet addiction. Myspace can be addictive to the extent that it provides a constant form of entertainment, not unlike a virtual schoolyard, office or other form of gathering. This draws away from the exercise any citizen should be getting, and as aforementioned draws from their communication skills, thus rendering it a powerful form of internet addiction that must be addressed (Young K.S, 1996). Another issue relating to Myspace, is that of predatory activity on the internet. Much like chat rooms, or messenger programs, there is no way to determine whether someone actually is who they say they are, and subsequently internet predators are able to manipulate adolescents undeterred. Alarmingly, Myspace involves not only speaking, but photo albums of each user, all of which are available to anyone online who is your Myspace “friend”. Although this behavior is sickening, and cannot be tolerated, the nature of the program allows predators to operate without worry, and therefore is an issue that cannot currently be addressed (Magrid L, 2006).
Taking into consideration all of the preceding information, it is evident that Myspace delivers both positives and negatives to both our immediate community, and our global community. It has provided the world with a new and powerful form of communication, bridges gaps between people and countries, furthering the development of new communication and technologies, whilst promoting individualism, creativity and talent. However such issues as internet addiction and predatory activity sour this innovative invention, and stand as obstacles for its future development. Both positive and negatives issues aside, Myspace simply remains to be a powerful communicating device, and will most certainly play a crucial role in future communication.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Armstrong B, Dingsdag D, Fogarty G, 2003, “Internet and Computer Usage: Comparisons” Southern Cross University.
Business Wire, 2007, “Myspace and Mark Burnett Unite” Business Wire, 25.4.07
Smith D, Skelley C.A, 2004, “Globalisation: Transformation” Technology Futures inc.
December J, 1996, “Units of Analysis for Internet Communication”, Journal of Communication
Granter B, 2006, “Individualism and Social Capitol In an Online Social Networking Community: “Myspace” is an Organising site for Social Construction”, 13.4.06
http://www.asso.org.au/home/obesityinfo/stats
http://www.sickpuppies.net
Magrid L, 2006, “Myspace: Your Kids Danger?” CBS News, 6.2.06.
Young K.S, 1996, “Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a Clinical Disorder”, Cyber Psychology and Behaviour, 15.8.96
Myspace, by its very nature is beneficial to the community. Regardless of how depersonalized such communication may be, it still bridges the gap both between local communities and our international globalized society. Furthermore, Myspace supersedes the effectiveness of other communication forms in that it also provides a means of meeting new people thus enhancing its effectiveness in propelling globalization (Smith, Skelley: 2004). The significance of Myspace in furthering this movement has been significantly overlooked and overshadowed by concerns of predatory activity (Business Wire: 2007). Another strong benefit of Myspace is it ability to mirror the services of other forms of communication, for no cost. Although there is a time delay between when a message (in Myspace terms a “comment”) is sent to another user, it is free of charge, and allows for more creativity, length and content. Aside from the obvious communication benefits, Myspace is also a powerful outlet for individuality and creativity. Younger users in particular use Myspace to express themselves and to search for people whose interests are aligned with their own (Granter: 2006). In particular, the “about me” section of a user’s profile has become somewhat of creative piece of writing, with entries ranging from stories, to lyrics, to philosophy. Yet another strong benefit of Myspace is its musical community. It has proven to be immeasurably successful in promoting lesser known bands through almost limitless word of mouth. One particularly strong example is that of the Australian band “The Sick Puppies”, who went from humble beginnings as a garage rock band, to rock stardom through the use of the Myspace, and Youtube. (www.sickpuppies.net) Taking all of the preceding information into account, Myspace clearly benefits the community in many ways, and on a larger scale contributes to the development of a more global community.
The primary concern critics have towards Myspace is that the impersonal nature of the site draws away from an individual’s communication abilities. Much like a text message, the only means of conveying your message over Myspace is through text, or in some cases images, which limit the receiver’s interpretation of your message (December J, 1996). As it is a proven fact that vast amount of communication is in fact body language, and vocal expression, Myspace is very limited in the quality of communication it allows. This in turn, over prolonged use leeches on the user’s ability to communicate, and in severe cases would leave them somewhat socially inept. This ties into another issue associated with Myspace and online communication in general: internet addiction. The most recent Australian census shows that 67% of Australian households own or lease their own computer, and 80% of citizens ages 16-34 have internet access. This clearly shows the accessibility of computers and internet in the modern Australian society (University Southern Queensland). This combined with alarming overweight and obesity statistics (ASSO 2006) can find a correlation in internet addiction. Myspace can be addictive to the extent that it provides a constant form of entertainment, not unlike a virtual schoolyard, office or other form of gathering. This draws away from the exercise any citizen should be getting, and as aforementioned draws from their communication skills, thus rendering it a powerful form of internet addiction that must be addressed (Young K.S, 1996). Another issue relating to Myspace, is that of predatory activity on the internet. Much like chat rooms, or messenger programs, there is no way to determine whether someone actually is who they say they are, and subsequently internet predators are able to manipulate adolescents undeterred. Alarmingly, Myspace involves not only speaking, but photo albums of each user, all of which are available to anyone online who is your Myspace “friend”. Although this behavior is sickening, and cannot be tolerated, the nature of the program allows predators to operate without worry, and therefore is an issue that cannot currently be addressed (Magrid L, 2006).
Taking into consideration all of the preceding information, it is evident that Myspace delivers both positives and negatives to both our immediate community, and our global community. It has provided the world with a new and powerful form of communication, bridges gaps between people and countries, furthering the development of new communication and technologies, whilst promoting individualism, creativity and talent. However such issues as internet addiction and predatory activity sour this innovative invention, and stand as obstacles for its future development. Both positive and negatives issues aside, Myspace simply remains to be a powerful communicating device, and will most certainly play a crucial role in future communication.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Armstrong B, Dingsdag D, Fogarty G, 2003, “Internet and Computer Usage: Comparisons” Southern Cross University.
Business Wire, 2007, “Myspace and Mark Burnett Unite” Business Wire, 25.4.07
Smith D, Skelley C.A, 2004, “Globalisation: Transformation” Technology Futures inc.
December J, 1996, “Units of Analysis for Internet Communication”, Journal of Communication
Granter B, 2006, “Individualism and Social Capitol In an Online Social Networking Community: “Myspace” is an Organising site for Social Construction”, 13.4.06
http://www.asso.org.au/home/obesityinfo/stats
http://www.sickpuppies.net
Magrid L, 2006, “Myspace: Your Kids Danger?” CBS News, 6.2.06.
Young K.S, 1996, “Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a Clinical Disorder”, Cyber Psychology and Behaviour, 15.8.96
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