Week 11: Real & Virtual

This documentary explores the rise of anonymous & the spread of hacktivist movements. Take a look and let us know what you think (FYI: it contains some strong language, so maybe don't turn it on if you've got kids in the room).

Is a DDos attack a legitimate form of resistance?

What about malevolent software? Is that ok? 

The first politically motivated computer worm was the WANK worm. It caused massive problems for NASA. It was a protest against nuclear power modules in rockets.You can read about the impacts from NASA's perspective in the first chapter of this book if you're interested. 

Does the legitimacy of a method of protest, like the worm or a DDOS attack, depend on what you're protesting and what you are disrupting?

Are the forms of protest outlined in the reading, lecture & doco effective? 

Does this even work?

 Why/Why not? 

How can/have the interwebs support(ed) & inform(ed) protest on the ground?
 

What about this?

Leave a comment, let us know what you think.

Week 10: Nature Networks

This documentary, from the 1980s, explores the overlap of a number of different networks and narratives, via a case study of the cane toad. Take a look at the chapter from Nexus (Buchanan, 2002) before you watch it. Then, while you watch, think about the different aspects of Buchanan's (2002) network theory (keystones, weak & strong ties, aristocratic networks, etc.) and how they relate to the overlapping social and ecological networks outlined in the film.

How can network theory help us understand the impacts of the cane-toad on the Australian eco-system? Or the impacts of extinction/invasive species in general?

What narratives of place and identity do you see at play in the film?

What power relations can you see between different actors in this case study?

What do you think of the analogy Buchanan (2002) draws between social and ecological networks?

Also, I know a lot of people are doing various ecological networks (or people/stuff/food networks with ecological impacts) so feel free to share interesting info, links, or case study related questions in the comments.

- Rhian

References
Buchanan, M. (2002). Nexus: Small worlds and the ground breaking science of networks. New York: W. W. Norton & Company

Week 10: Tutorial Video 4

This video provides instructions on creating a Pecha Kucha (PK) style powerpoint presentation. 

Pecha Kucha is a style of powerpoint presentation that began in Japan and has since spread across the world. PK presentations contain 20 slides, each visible for 20 seconds each, and a recorded narration. 

  Tutorial Video 4: Consolidating Pecha Kucha

There are detailed instructions on recording your narration and adding timed switches to your presentation on LearnJCU under assessment.

For more information on the PK style visit the Pecha Kucha Website.

Week 9: People Networks

I've been amazed by the content on these blogs over the past six weeks. You've created some amazing narratives. And, hopefully you've had some interesting adventures along the way. Remember to put the skills you've learned (i.e. academic blogging) on your resumes :-)

The portfolio feedback will probably centre around technical stuff  - referencing, grammar, structuring evidence & arguments, etc. Things that will hopefully help when it comes to editing for your case studies.

Speaking of case studies  ...

You will be assigned & sent details of your group for the final assignment this week. The groups need to be based on your case study theme (people, food, nature, stuff).  

You also need to email me a dot point plan of your essay by midnight on Friday 27th sept. For a further 5% of your case study grade.  

Also, ...

Do the Ma Mung (2005) reading and answer the tute quiz questions (located in the week 9 folder on learnJCU).

There are 3 short answer questions that you need to complete. You have two weeks to get it done (it closes at midnight on Oct. 5th and has been opened a week early to accommodate the shift around in the lecture order). 

Quiz Hint: Make sure you look at definitions and types of diaspora when you do the reading.

Finally, ...
  

Watch the lecture and share your thoughts on people networks,  and diasporas (their similarities and differences); use the questions in the tute guide as, well .. a guide .. and let us know what you think. 

p.s. Next week is lecture recess,

so remember to take at least little bit of guilt -free time out from studying.

The Grand Exchange: Supplying the Nation since 2007!

As you travel through the world of Runescape, one of the first major cities that you’d come across as a player is Varrock, a small city north of Lumbridge. A short journey west of Varrock take you to the Grand Exchange.

The Grand Exchange, or G.E. as some players like to say, is a constant mess of people and colourful text, the place where anyone wanting to make some quick money can go and try their luck. The items for sale aren’t limited to just weapons and armour; recipes, ingredients and resource are a hot commodity as well.

In Winning and Losing, Peter Dickens (2007) describes the world’s economy as being shaped by transnational corporations, as they hold the ability to be able to shift the economy as they see fit (p. 437). In the Grand Exchange, the players themselves are primarily in control of the market, as it is they who both buy the items that are on sale, as well as being the source for them. As Dr. Kuttainen explains in her lecture on ‘Stuff’ from week 8, there is a ‘natural law of economics’ that affects trade price and sales, and the Grand Exchange is no exception. As such, the market does tend to favour those with a higher skill level, but even players with low level skills could benefit from the market. Low level items are always in demand, especially among the higher levelled players who don’t want to spend time farming, so one could always level up their skills by farming low level items and selling them for profit.

The Exchange is a vital part of the player network, not just as a trading hub, but as a place for a player themselves. It’s well known by the playing community that you are bound to make more money selling peer-to-peer than it is to merely sell your items to the NPCs, and the Grand Exchange gives the player an easy way to not only get rid of what they don’t need but also earn them money in the process.

References

Dickens, P. (2007)  Winning and losing: An introduction. In Global shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world economy (pp. 237-453). London, England: Sage.

Kuttainen, V. (2013)  BA1002: Our space:  Networks, narratives, and the making of place, week 8 lecture notes [PowerPoint Slide]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_1259745_1%26course_id%3D_50513_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue

Image Reference

RuneScape Wiki (n.d.) Grand Exchange players [Image]. Retrieved from http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/File:Grand_Exchange_players.png

Try, Buy, Sell.

The virtual network of SIMS lets you try, buy, give and sell all kinds of stuff. SIMS users can purchase furniture, plants and animals as well as acquire land and houses, if they so wish. In fact the SIMS user can even buy a new look, from clothes, to make up or a new tattoo, haircuts and styles, to cosmetically obtaining a new eye colour. In saying this, you can sell them all as well. Obtainable stuff in a SIMS virtual world is momentary stuff stimulation. However SIMS does not take into consideration the networks behind stuff or behind obtaining stuff. SIMS as I said in my previous blog is an ideal world, where money is no object and everyone equal.

SIMS doesn’t cater for ‘winners and losers’ (Dicken, p437). All the money made by each SIM is pooled into a communal account where the user can choose how and where to spend the money. Therefore SIMS doesn’t allow for ‘winning and losing (Dicken p437) nor does it take into consideration ‘the world economy’ (Dicken, p437). Additionally SIMS doesn’t take into consideration dominant groups (Dicken, p443) and controllers as ultimately the user is the only controller of their virtual world.  Thus it has a very narrow view of what the economy is and how the economy works. It allows the consumer to buy as they please.

Although this may seem ideal to some users, it completely ignores the networks behind all the stuff that is so essential to SIMS. Last week’s lecture (week 8) highlighted how stuff became stuff, looking at the movement of societies wants and needs. The change from minimalist stock to mass production. Women in the work force. Ultimately highlighting the importance each network has in the final production of stuff, of which is placed on our shelves, and in the windows for the consumer to purchase at their leisure. Each item of stuff has a line of networks behind it. The example used in lecture 7, Rum and network to sugar cane, and therefore its history of slaves, explores the infinite components of networks that are often overlooked.

Regardless, the virtual world of SIMS allows the users to collect, buy and sell stuff, the stuff isn’t real. SIMS is simply an element of contemporary stuff that mindlessly consumes the users time of existing in the real world.

Reference List:

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and losing: An introduction, in Global Shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world economy (p 440). London, England: Sage.

Kuttainen, V, (Lecturer). (2013 September 16). Stuff . Podcast retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au.

 Image retrieved from: http://www.vg247.com/2011/01/20/sims-3d-shots-feature-sims-in-3d/

Language and Place

(Wikimedia Commons, 2011)

Language plays a pivotal role in the creation of place as mentioned by Tuan (2011). Without the ability of speech: exploring, documenting, mapping, naming, construction, and interacting with a certain place would be impossible. This is because documenting and mapping are a type of text, while naming and construction (usually) are a discussion, both of which require language to come into existence. As a result, it is clear that language holds substantial power over the making and maintenance of place. It also has the power to destroy it as well through ordering its destruction or through negative speech (Tuan, 2011).

Naming in particular holds power over the creation of place; however this power is not always equally distributed. The power to name is in correlation to a person's authority on the matter. For example, the people who live in the area in question should realistically have a greater authority to name it compared to an 'outsider' or 'tourist'.

Within the language of place, metaphors and symbols are highly influential and abundant. Symbols are words or images that hold a certain meaning to invoke a deeper connection to the thing that the symbol is representing (Van Luyn, 2013). For example, a flag is a symbol of a country or a nation. This symbol is respected by most people whether they are from that place or not (Van Luyn, 2013).

The power of language in the making of place is not only restricted to the physical world. Online social networking sites are virtual places that also require language to be constructed. In addition, if the interactions between members are pleasant and enjoyable for the majority, then the site is improved upon. Likewise, any negative feedback could force the site to shut down. In the end, language holds power over both physical and virtual forms of place.

Reference List

• Tuan, Y. (2011). Language and the making of place: A narrative-descriptive approach. Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Retrieved from: https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-1219810-dt-content-rid-920570_1/courses/13-BA1002-TSV-EXT-SP2/Subject%20Materials/Week%205%20Required%20Readings%20Tuan%2C%20Y-F%20%281991%29%20%20Language%20and%20the%20Making%20of%20Place%27/Tuan%20%281991%29.pdf
• Van Luyn, A. (Lecturer). (2013). Stories and place (Vodcast). Retreived from:https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_312_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_50513_1%26url%3D

Image Reference 

• Wikimedia Commons. (2011). Two people talking logo (Image). Retrieved from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Two-people-talking-logo.jpg