The Long Way
It has been a long and tough journey throughout this semester. I find IDP a very challenging yet interesting subject. It has really thought me many things and most of them are definitely important for my future career. Everything I have learnt thus far has been really rewarding as I apply it to my daily life. Learning about creating my own website has inspired me to create one that I would use in the future- indefinitely helping me in my career in the future.
Being able to participate in Ms. Jenny’s class has been ever so rewarding, the interaction between lecturer and students is plentiful. Having said that, I personally have been participating in many ‘funny’ moments with the class in Ms. Jenny’s class and it is something I would definitely remember.
With this experience, my knowledge in document designing and website designing has increased significantly. I loved the creation of the website, although it took a lot of my precious sleeping time but it had thought me the fun of success. When the website works just as you thought it would be, that is the reward itself. Thus, I can say that my experience in IDP a very interesting and challenging one that has build character and improved my skills in many ways.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Online Pets-Neopets
* image of Neopets.com*(picture sourced from http://neopets.com/ )
Neopets Intro
Online gaming has always been popular amongst men. Even women are picking up the trend of playing online games and even window based games. One such game is Neopets, it is a game where users can take care of virtual pets, and some beasts are fictional and merely created at the pleasure of the users. Users can feed, groom, play and even go on adventures with the virtual pets. Not only do children of all ages play this game, even some adults find time to tend to their virtual pets and it has become an addiction in some cases. According to Brunais, A, Neopets has some 3 million users and gets about 35 million page views in a month. The staggering number of views clearly shows the influence of this game.
Why Neopets?
Neopets is a addictive game that keeps users coming back for more because of its many interactive games and taking care of a virtual pet isn’t really that easy on Neopets. Your pet can get sick, injured and might even be upset at you. To purchase food for your pet, you usually have to play games and earn Neo-points to buy food or enhancements for your pet. These fun mini-games are very addictive and it is proven that players are hooked on the mini-games for hours on end. According to Sophia Appelbaum and Peter Appelbaum (2002), just by playing games to feed her pet, she got addicted to the games and warns that it takes up a lot of time daily. This game is also available in 11 languages, a staggering amount for such a simple online based game. Hitting more than a billion total page views on foreign languages since implementing the many different languages on the website.
Drawbacks
* image of a gaming addict*(picture sourced from http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbieohi/2300207712/)
It is not all fun and games when playing Neopets, children tend to get too addicted to the game. Children who are addicted to games tend to get lowers grade as compared to children who are not addicted to online games. Joe Ahn and George Randall (2007) said that children that were 4 times as many F students classified as addicted as there where non-addicted to online games. Online games are very addictive and one can get too indulged into the game play- neglected your studies. Not only does online gaming cause bad grades, they even get into fights more frequently. According to Joe Ahn and George Randall (2007) almost 50% of students that get into fights are actually addicted to online games.Personal Thoughts
I have personally experienced addiction and I was once a proud owner of 20 virtual pets on Neopets. Managing on several accounts and keeping every single one of them happy was no easy task. Neglecting my studies and even household chores, I chose to play all day and I will not stop until my eyes get too tired. The never ending mini-games and with 20 pets to feed; I had no choice but to play all day long. My inability to stop playing did not make my family worry but my teachers in school were also concerned about my health as well. With me coming to school with big eye bags and always tired; my teachers were worried that I was going to fail in my studies.
Useful Sites
Unhealthy Gaming Habits and Addiction:
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~jenchan/OnlineGamingAddiction.html
Video Game Addiction: Do we need a Video Gamers Anonymous?:
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1719
The Neopets Addiction:
http://webserve.govst.edu/pa/Advertising/ABCs/neopets.htm
MTV Acquires "Virtual Pet" Youth Online Community NeoPets:
http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2005/06/17/mtv-acquires-virtual-pet-youth-online-community-neopets
References
Brunais, A, Jeff Snetiker Joins Whyville.net Page Two of Two, Whyville.net, viewed on 14 June 2008, http://www.whyville.net/press/Jeff-Snetiker-Joins-Whyville.pdf
Appelbaum, P & Appelbaum,S 2002, Theorizing the “Neo” in Neopets, Arcadia University, viewed on 14 June 2008, http://gargoyle.arcadia.edu/appelbaum/neo.pdf
Global Expansion, Wayback Machine, viewed on 14 June 2008, http://web.archive.org/web/20070702084854/http://info.neopets.com/presskit/press05.html
Ahn,J & Randall,G 2007, Problems with addiction, Computer Game Addiction, viewed 14 June 2008, http://andrewd.ces.clemson.edu/courses/cpsc414/spring07/chp/team3.pdf
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbieohi/2300207712/
Using Blogs for the Wrong Reasons
* image of blog that contains vulgar language and defaming comments*(picture sourced from http://zeemi.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_archive.html)
Defaming on Blogs
Blogs are typically known as online diaries and people can write whatever they want on their blogs as it is their rights. However, some people misuse this right and things can turn for the worse when this happens. Although blogs are not liable for their comments, it does not mean that everything you say in your blog and get away with it. According to Walter Olson(2007) you can be sued for defamation for your comments on your blog. However, the blog site provider is not liable for whatever comments being made on its user’s blogs. We have to carefully choose our words and expressions on blogs because written text does not show emotions- it might lead to misenterpretation. I have experienced this very often as I like to twist my words and using words as emotions. However, the effect might not as good as I thought it would be. Thus, it is very important to choose your words and try not to offend anyone that might be concerned about what you write.
Article on liable cases http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/06-1826-01A.pdf
Ethics On Blogging
Often there are many rules on how to blog with ethics. Even in college blogs there are rules being implemented for students to keep the college blogs free of problems. In Walsh College (2008), there are a few rules to follow when blogging on the college blog such as; staying on topic, no abusing, no defaming, no harassing, no spamming and no copyrighted material is allowed on the blog. Failure to follow the rules will ultimately result in banning. According to Andy ETAL (2005), taking into people’s feelings into account is also part of blogging ethics. We cannot publish posts that will hurt people’s feelings and by doing so will help us maintain proper blogging ethics. Actually people on average try to avoid sensitive topics that concern other people. Defaming is actually not a trait that everyone wants to have and people actually want to talk about themselves more than other people.
Frauds on Blogsites
* image of an article concerning the easily acquired .edu blogsite*
(picture sourced from http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2008/04/linkadage-selling-edu-blog-space.htm)
There is a reason as to why people are always being warned not to trust everything that is being posted or written online. There are people out there just to trick you into trusting them and sometimes you don’t only lose money- you might get into trouble for it. There is one such case that even ‘.edu’ websites can be used on blogs. Ian Lurie (2008) said that LinkAdage Auctions and Pickering Institute have teamed up to offer blog space on an .edu domain for rent. Yes, you don’t even have to be a school to acquire such a license. It is pretty simple actually, you just have to pay a rent and you get ‘.edu’ on your blog without the need of even as much as going to school. Fearsome as the world has become as to how money can influence anything- almost everything. So dont take for granted that every '.edu' website u visit is actually a valid source of information!The website can be found at http://blogs.pi.edu/
Personal Thoughts
Sometimes I think one might make the mistake of presuming that what he writes is clearly expressing his feelings. Which is not entirely true because written texts lack emotions and sometimes the wrong message might be put across which may cause misunderstanding. According to Jeremy Wright (2006) even he got into disputes in blogs because of misinterpretation of the texts. I myself have experienced something of sort and things can turn for the worse when different cultures clash. Choosing my words with the outmost care is important to keep me and the readers of my blogs happy.
Reference
Olsen, W 2007, Blogs not liable for their commenters, Overlawyered, viewed on 12 June 2008, http://overlawyered.com/2007/02/blogs-not-liable-for-their-commenters/
Walsh College Blog Rules, Walsh College, viewed on 12 June 2008, http://www.walshcollege.edu/walshblogs/WalshBlogs.aspx
Koh,A & Lim,A & Detenber,B & Cenite,M 2005, Introduction, Ethics in Blogging, viewed on 12 June 2008, http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/workingpapers/Blog%20Ethics.pdf
Lurie,I 2008, LinkAdage Selling .EDU Blog Space: It’s Evil, Conversation Marketing, viewed on 12 June 2008, http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2008/04/linkadage-selling-edu-blog-space.htm
Wright,J 2006, Text Is An Awful Medium, Blog Marketing, viewed on 12 June 2008
The New Political Tool
* image of a political blog*(picture sourced from http://www.campaignsandelections.com/home/)
Political Blogs Intro
Political blogs are namely blogs that talks about politics and such- the name ‘Political Blog’ is self-explanatory. These are blogs that are blogs that are being vigorously read through by both the public and the involved political parties. According to Joseph Graf (2006) political blogs exposes lapse in mainstream media coverage on political issues. The mainstream media sometimes chooses not to publish certain news stories because of the influence of government bodies. According to Dana,M Walker(2008) one political blog, the Daily Kos was drawing about 11 million visitors per month. The sheer number itself can leave anyone in awe of the power a political blog actually has. To be able to draw that many visitors in a month is just beyond proper reasoning, imagine having 11 million readers reading your political views, that will do real good to your political campaign. However, it is almost impossible to get into trouble if you play by the rules if you post a sensitive issue online.
The use of Political Blogs
* image of Raja Petra Kamarudin's blog*
(pictures sourced from http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/)
Although you are liable for what you say; it is almost impossible to get into trouble if you play by the rules if you post a sensitive issue online. According to Cari Lynn Hennessy and Paul S.Martin (2006) bloggers have actually forced mainstream media into covering stories that had been initially ignored. Quite obviously political blogs have been playing a role in covering the ‘uncovered’. Bloggers can actually cover sensitive issues and get away with it.Take Raja Petra Kamarudin’s blog for example, a famous Malaysian blogger, is actually being hosted in Singapore to prevent the influence of the Malaysian government over the posts on his blog. His blog is full of very direct questions that question the government’s ability and addressing issues that are not being spoken openly. Making him a real big hit in Malaysia and gaining many supporters along the way.
Why are political blogs a powerful tool?
Even in Malaysia political blogs are being frequently visited because of the transparency of these blogs and issues that are not being covered by the mainstream media can be found in these blogs. According to Michael Cornfield (2005) political blogs are being hailed as the new force in national politics. The potential influence of blogs are substantial and cannot be underestimated. Using these blogs political parties can actually keep in touch with their supporters. With websites being interactive instead of plainly just conveying the message like how a newspaper would. According to Jeremy Wright(2006) newspapers are meant to tell people of what is going on in the world and their community. Thus, rendering them non-interactive and somewhat boring because it is a one sided process. The powers of blogs are far more superior that of a regular newspaper as it has the power of interactivity. With the ability to keep readers feel more ‘in-touch’ with any issue being published it is easier to have loyal readers and keeping people interested for a longer period of time.
Personal Thoughts
Being one who is always interested in the current and of course transparent coverage on political issues, I frequently visit political blogs to update myself. I reckon that these blogs would grow and in the future they will grow like mushrooms after rain. It is very important for these blogs to stay in the World Wide Web as they are my sole source of the 'uncovered' political news that are very important to me and to any fellow Malaysian. In the future, I might even set up a website myself to improve my knowledge and build character.
Useful Sites
Campaign & Elections:
http://www.campaignsandelections.com/home/
Daily Kos:
Malaysia Today:
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/
Screenshots, Jeff Ooi:
http://www.jeffooi.blogspot.com/
Lim Kit Siang for Malaysia:
References
Graf, J 2006, Introduction, The Audience For Political Blogs, viewed on 11 June 2008, http://ipdi.org/uploadedfiles/Blog%20Readership%20-%20October%202006.pdf
Walker, Dana 2008, The emergence of the blog as a new information reality, Blog Commenting: A New Political Information Space, viewed on 11 June 2008, http://www-personal.umich.edu/~walkerdm/papers/ASIST_walker_blogcommenting.pdf
Hennessy, C & Martin, P, Blog and Mainstream Media, Blogs, The Mainstream Media and The War In Iraq, viewed 11 June 2008 http://www.journalism.wisc.edu/blog-club/Site/Hennessy.pdf
Cornfield, M 2004, I. Political Bloggers And The Power Of Buzz, Buzz, Blogs and Beyond, viewed on 11 June 2008, http://www.pewinternet.org/ppt/BUZZ_BLOGS__BEYOND_Final05-16-05.pdf
Wright, J 2006, The Newspaper, Blog Marketing, pp 112-115
Blog Advertising
* a picture of a blogsite*
(picture sourced from http://jackissback.blogspot.com/)
Blog Advertising Intro
Blog advertising is by far one of the newest and most popular type of advertising being used in the World Wide Web at present. According to Dave Taylor (2006), most people still think of blogs as online diaries or journals, only a small handful of them think of it as a real contender for advertising needs. Living in modern society and in an information technology driven world, not knowing how to use the internet would be almost impossible. Internet being very accessible and almost part of life nowadays, one must have even the slightest knowledge in using the internet for their own purposes.
Money the Currency of Life
* image of money*(picture sourced from http://craigan.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/)
Making use of the internet to make money has been picking up in the recent years. Money makes the world go round- really. Law (2004) said, “... work cannot be made without money.” Showing that money indefinitely makes up our life, which is dominated by our ability to bring home the bread and butter. Many opportunists have been hitting the jackpot in recent years and turned into millionaires through innovative ideas.
* image of money in thoughts*
(picture sourced from http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/279137/2/istockphoto_279137_money_mind.jpg)
* image of man with lots of money*
(picture sourced from http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/silence/archives/money.jpg)
Blogging is one of those methods where one can spend virtually nothing to advertise and at the end of the day, earn money. Solely through advertising on blogs, one can actually earn a stable income and in some cases turn into a rich man with virtually no cost.
Does pictures and graphics in blogs help?
Pictures and graphics in blogs actually attract attention and keeps your reading hanging around for probably a bit longer. "Pictures or graphics attract attention to the material or direct attention within the material - hopefully using graphics in this way will heighten the likelihood that a user will remember the material" (Using Graphics and Pictures, Furman University 2008). Many gadgets and pictures that fills the blog, it is easier for advertisers to make use of this and get the readers to notice their advertisements. The addition of moving graphics and pop ups also increases the interactivity of the advertisement. With that, advertisers can get the attention of blog readers easily.
Advertising Community
* image of Nuffnang Malaysia's website*(picture sourced from http://www.nuffnang.com.my/)
Nuffnang is Asia’s first advertising community and is by far the most famous one currently being used in Malaysia. According to Jamie Ee (2007), Nuffnang attracted 300 blogs in just three days after its official launch. It is quite obvious that advertising on blogs are one of the easiest ways to earn a quick buck. Being a user of Nuffnang myself on my personal blog, the extra pocket money wouldn’t hurt. By joining Nuffnang, I even get free advertising for my blog. For me, getting extra hits boosts my self esteem and gives me an extra drive to post something new. “With the increasing popularity of blogs and the online communities they create, bloggers are becoming more inventive and sophisticated in sharing their ideas with the world.” Stamoulis,N (2008). With blogging being quickly picked up by the online community, I see no reason as to why I would give up such an opportunity to make some cash and at the same time enjoy doing it.
Personal Thoughts
I guess websites like Nuffnang are making blogging a more commercialised medium. However, earning a honest buck from blogging isn't going to do any harm either. Using Nuffnang has also helped me communicate with other bloggers and increasing the traffic of my website. I do think that blog advertising is the future of advertising online as blog users are increasing at this very momeny and soon enough even my parents might start to blog.
Useful Sites
Graphics and Pictures:
Functional Role of Graphics:
Malaysia SEO Blog:
PR Web:
Lessig Blog:
MIT Labroratory:
CTMF:
References
Wright, J 2006, The Newspaper, Blog Marketing, pp 112-115
Law & Turgot 2004, Laws Monetary Theory, Law & Turgot: The Importance Of Money, viewed on 10 June 2008, http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/hasrg/frnit/pdfs_gimon/murphy.pdf
Furman University 2008, Using Graphics and Pictures, viewed on 10 June 2008, http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/graphics_and_pictures.htm.com
Ee,J 2007,SINGAPORE: Buck$ for Blog$, Asia Media , viewed on 10 June 2008, http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-southeastasia.asp?parentid=74355
Stamoulis, N 2008, Blog Marketing Blog, BlogMarketingJournal.com, Announces Site Re-Design with Additional Business Blog Resources, PR Web, viewed on 10 June 2008, http://www.prweb.com/releases/blog/marketing/prweb584682.htm
Friday, May 2, 2008
Designing for online vs. print
Differences
According to Kress and van Leeuwen(1998), a print is more focused on text(multimodality), with more academic based texts and structures. Prints usually play around with words as people tend to read prints more thoroughly as compared to a webpage. Redshaw(2003) also noted that a print controls the way the information is presented to the readers. With chronological orders, framing , logical cues and many more to control the way the information is presented. An online media however, is more focused on their titles. According to Dr Jakob Neilsen, people tend to skim through a web page as compared to a print. Thus, text, colours, and titles are all very important elements into capturing the readers attention. Online media has to be concise, scannable and objective(Morkes & Nielsen 1997). Therefore, overly-structured grammar is not encouraged as online readers tend to scan through the text rather than actually reading it (Nielsen 1997). Readers can choose what they want to read as the text is not being controlled by and the information presentated is hardly arranged chronologically.
* a frontpage of an Print Media*
Print media has a more sequential and chronogical text. Much more text and the placement of the text's very much differs from Online Media.
* screenshot from a Online Media*
The Online Media almost has no chronology in their placement of news and texts. Readers are able to choose what they want to read and the news is presented more concisely.
Conclusion
Both online and print media's have their own target audience and their own way of conveying their message. The online media being concise and straight to the point. Leaving lots of room for the reader to choose what they want to read. Whereas the print media leaves little space for choice and are more controlled. Thus, both online and print media has their advantages and disadvantages, it is more of a users choice.
Reference List
1.) Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, ‘Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout’, in Approaches to media discourse, eds Bell, A & Garrett, P, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 186-219.
2.) Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, 'Reading Images', Chapter 6: Themeaning of composition’, pp. 179-208
3.) Morkes, J & Nielsen, J 1997, Concise, Scannable and Objective: How To Write For The Web, Useit.com, viewed at 2 May 2008 at http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html
4.) Nielsen, J 1999, Differences Between Print Design and Web Design, Jacob Nielsen's Alert Box, viewed on 2 May 2008 at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html
5.) Redshaw, K 2003, Web Writing vs Print Writing, Kerryr.net, viewed on 2 May 2008 at http://www.kerryr.net/webwriting/guide_web-vs-print.htm
According to Kress and van Leeuwen(1998), a print is more focused on text(multimodality), with more academic based texts and structures. Prints usually play around with words as people tend to read prints more thoroughly as compared to a webpage. Redshaw(2003) also noted that a print controls the way the information is presented to the readers. With chronological orders, framing , logical cues and many more to control the way the information is presented. An online media however, is more focused on their titles. According to Dr Jakob Neilsen, people tend to skim through a web page as compared to a print. Thus, text, colours, and titles are all very important elements into capturing the readers attention. Online media has to be concise, scannable and objective(Morkes & Nielsen 1997). Therefore, overly-structured grammar is not encouraged as online readers tend to scan through the text rather than actually reading it (Nielsen 1997). Readers can choose what they want to read as the text is not being controlled by and the information presentated is hardly arranged chronologically.
* a frontpage of an Print Media*
Print media has a more sequential and chronogical text. Much more text and the placement of the text's very much differs from Online Media.
* screenshot from a Online Media*The Online Media almost has no chronology in their placement of news and texts. Readers are able to choose what they want to read and the news is presented more concisely.
Conclusion
Both online and print media's have their own target audience and their own way of conveying their message. The online media being concise and straight to the point. Leaving lots of room for the reader to choose what they want to read. Whereas the print media leaves little space for choice and are more controlled. Thus, both online and print media has their advantages and disadvantages, it is more of a users choice.
Reference List
1.) Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, ‘Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout’, in Approaches to media discourse, eds Bell, A & Garrett, P, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 186-219.
2.) Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, 'Reading Images', Chapter 6: Themeaning of composition’, pp. 179-208
3.) Morkes, J & Nielsen, J 1997, Concise, Scannable and Objective: How To Write For The Web, Useit.com, viewed at 2 May 2008 at http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html
4.) Nielsen, J 1999, Differences Between Print Design and Web Design, Jacob Nielsen's Alert Box, viewed on 2 May 2008 at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html
5.) Redshaw, K 2003, Web Writing vs Print Writing, Kerryr.net, viewed on 2 May 2008 at http://www.kerryr.net/webwriting/guide_web-vs-print.htm
New forms of media publishing
What is the hotest thing on the internet?
YouTube is a very well known website for video hosting and most of all, entertainment. It is actually a good source of entertainment for most people who are bored and have nothing more to do than scratching their backs. Currently YouTube is a very powerful tool for the media, things that shouldn’t be posted on national television can always be ‘secretly’ posted on Youtube. The music industry is suffering , thanks to Youtube. People just leisurely watch music videos on YouTube instead of tuning into MTV anymore. It is pretty simple why people like to use Youtube and watch everything they can on Youtube, its free.
Issues
However, people tend to do things a little overboard and this time Youtube is sued. James Montgomery said "It's the first-ever copyright lawsuit filed against YouTube, and, if successful, it could open the floodgates for similar suits against the site". The problem with YouTube is actually one of it's advantages, its free. Videos that would usually need to be paid for is actually free on YouTube. If everyone uses YouTube instead of watching television, that would mean doomsday for television producers. For this case in particular, Tur, a journalist, is actually sueing YouTube for the broadcasting of the videos without securing clearances from his company. Legally, in order for the footage to be broadcasted, news agencies had to obtain rights from his L.A. News service. Long story cut short, it is the money that caused the problem. YouTube, being free for it's users are causing a lot of trouble for other medias and when money comes into the picture, it spells trouble.
* a screenshot from MTV, on the YouTube lawsuit*
Reference List
1. Montgomery, J 2006, YouTube Slapped With First Copyright Lawsuit For Video Posted Without Permission, Music Television, viewed 2 May 2008 at http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1536695/20060719/index.jhtml?headlines=true.
YouTube is a very well known website for video hosting and most of all, entertainment. It is actually a good source of entertainment for most people who are bored and have nothing more to do than scratching their backs. Currently YouTube is a very powerful tool for the media, things that shouldn’t be posted on national television can always be ‘secretly’ posted on Youtube. The music industry is suffering , thanks to Youtube. People just leisurely watch music videos on YouTube instead of tuning into MTV anymore. It is pretty simple why people like to use Youtube and watch everything they can on Youtube, its free.
Issues
However, people tend to do things a little overboard and this time Youtube is sued. James Montgomery said "It's the first-ever copyright lawsuit filed against YouTube, and, if successful, it could open the floodgates for similar suits against the site". The problem with YouTube is actually one of it's advantages, its free. Videos that would usually need to be paid for is actually free on YouTube. If everyone uses YouTube instead of watching television, that would mean doomsday for television producers. For this case in particular, Tur, a journalist, is actually sueing YouTube for the broadcasting of the videos without securing clearances from his company. Legally, in order for the footage to be broadcasted, news agencies had to obtain rights from his L.A. News service. Long story cut short, it is the money that caused the problem. YouTube, being free for it's users are causing a lot of trouble for other medias and when money comes into the picture, it spells trouble.
* a screenshot from MTV, on the YouTube lawsuit*Reference List
1. Montgomery, J 2006, YouTube Slapped With First Copyright Lawsuit For Video Posted Without Permission, Music Television, viewed 2 May 2008 at http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1536695/20060719/index.jhtml?headlines=true.
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