Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks

 Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:

1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?

The positive developments of the internet is that people can now communicate with each other from across the world  and can we could email and exchange files with different  with people at other universities as well as other people across the world. This is a  positive  development as it means that new ideas a nd things will be discussed  quickly and new technology will be developed quickly.

2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?

The negative  linked to the development of the internet is thing  such as the creation  A lot of bullying and abuse takes place there. There’s pornography that you don’t want to see, and illegal images of child abuse that you might come across. Extremists and radicals can use the network to try to influence people A lot of bullying and abuse takes place there. There’s pornography that you don’t want to see, and illegal images of child abuse that you might come across. Extremists and radicals can use the network to try to influence people

3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?

• Does it mean an internet built around the ‘end-to-end’ principle, where any connected computer can exchange data with any other computer, while the network itself is unaware of the ‘meaning’ of the bits exchanged?

• Does it mean computers that will run any program written for them, rather than requiring them to be vetted and approved by gateway companies?

• Does it mean free software that can be used, changed and redistributed by anyone without payment or permission?

4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?

a closed network and a closed society.So here’s the challenge I want to leave you with – what could the internet do for you and your friends, and what could you make it do? We journalists describe the world, but you have the opportunity to shape it; and a connected world that runs on the internet is a great tool if you know how to use it.

We know you care about privacy – and why wouldn’t you, I certainly do. So how can the network deliver that?

We know you care about other people around the world, and want a fairer, more just world – so how can the network help there?

We know you want to understand the world and engage with it, so how do we deliver news media that can operate effectively online and still make money?

5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?

I think that the  I don't know weather the internet should be more opened or controlled  this is because  if  the internet is more regulated it could lead to  people  and users of the internet thinking that their free speech is being restricted which will lead to a bigger problem online.however I can understand why  less regulation of the internet less open can be a bigger problem as it can lead to increase and spread of harmful  content.due to this I don't know what would be better for the internet for it to be reinforced or for it to  be challenged to be more free as  people don't want to give private details such as credit card and face scan when useing  websites  such as pornography 

Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody

Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:

1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?

A profession exists to solve a hard problem, one that re-quires some sort of specialization. This can  apply as  editors and executives are responsible  for deciding what should be on the front page of a newspaper. 

2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?

the question  is whether it can adapt to a new digital environment as  usually tartional physical's media 

3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?

As Trent Lott had received  criticism by   president bush and by politicians for his comment, Lott announced that he would not seek to remain majority leader in the new congress and the press did not cover the story.

4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’? 

Mass amateurisation is when amateurs can create and distribute content as easily as professionals, often enabled by digital tools and platform.

5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?

 Shirky is saying that As the ideas can reach a larger audience and gain recognition this means that even if  "fake news" is  reached by the public and major news  outlets  it wont be able   stop the craze or potential panic of the "fake news"  

6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?

Shirky suggests that technological change has social effects, altering how we communicate, organize, and interact with.

I think that it goes both ways this is because  the internet can be used for revolution and bring in other 3rd perspective on things but it also can cause the internet Chaos Clay Shirky is talking about. 

7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important? This  means that  people with no professional experiences can create and publish content  and anyone can comment on it and  leave their own opinion on it

8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?

 He argues that the printing press disrupted existing power structures and led to new ideas and social movements, but also to conflict There is recent global events following the internet revolution for example the conspiracy theories around the start of Covid 19  saying it was man made or flat earth or the moon landing hoax.

9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?

As digital cameras and smartphones have made it easy for amateurs to post content and not need any professional skills 

10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed? 

The end of audiences refers to the traditional media consumption being replaced by a more active audience. This is positive as you can see more diverse voices in media but it has caused major  issues with  misinformation