Recapping a productive run...

As I look back on this semester, I am proud to say that I have learnt a lot from Issues in Publication and Design, although I will probably never again look at documents or compositions without having the need to scrutinize and criticize every little aspect I see. But that is probably a good thing and I have IPD to thank.

From this subject, I have learnt some of the rules and guidelines when publishing documents and how, as bloggers we are supposed to apply those conventions so that it adheres to the audience, purpose and context. One of the essential aspects in document design is being mindful of social, cultural, and situational factors, as stated by Walsh (2006). At the same time, I learnt that publishers need to be sensitive to their readers (Putnis and Petelin 1996) and constantly engage in ethical publishing so as to not offend any parties.

While it is a relief that all is finally over, I have gained valuable knowledge that will constantly be applied in coming semesters. Now that I have been bitten by the blogging bug, perhaps I shall continue doing it for fun. Again, thanks to IPD.

References:

Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Professional communication: principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.

Walsh, M 2006, 'The textual shift: examining the reading process with print, visual, and multimodal texts', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29. no. 1, pp. 24-37.

New media and new politics: Obama's use of the iPhone...

It seems that the new media has other significant purposes apart from entertainment. Just ask Barack Obama. The US President is probably the first to revolutionize the application of new media as a political tool during his campaign last year, a crucial step that all but handed him the presidency.

The new media I speak of is no other than the iPhone, which Obama used on countless occasions as a strategy to communicate directly with the US citizens, his voters. As reported by Shiels (2008), Obama described the tool as a way for people to be more directly involved in his campaign to change the world. In Malaysia, they (Barisan Nasional party) would prefer to spam your phone with a barrage of SMSes urging you to vote for them. But not Obama. His approach was more subtle yet impactful.

Barack Obama and the iPhone
(Source: Gearlive.com)

The Obama iPhone concept represents a whole new genre within a genre. The iPhone is a genre of new media, which Obama then used with a combination of modes such as videos, photos and talking points to extend his purpose and reach out to the audience. In many ways, this adheres to the idea of "reading in a multimodal environment" described by Walsh (2006 p. 26) with the iPhone being the perfect platform to demonstrate that multimodality.

At the same time, Obama managed to identify the fields, tenors and modes that best suited the cultural or social contexts of his audience (Schirato and Yell 1996), given that most people in America were familiar with the iPhone.

Perhaps the uniqueness of Obama's approach was the personal touch he added when campaigning through the iPhone, treating his voters as friends and allies and also using the 'friends of friends' tactic which expanded his outreach (Sheils 2008). The application also ensured that the privacy of users were always protected, unlike the Malaysian election campaign where you wonder where the contesting parties even got your number from.

In truth, Obama's use of the iPhone may just be seen as a propaganda tactic, particularly by his opponents, but make no mistake, it clearly expresses a statement of intent on using the new media technology for effective politicking (Obama has also used Facebook as means of interacting with the US citizens and encouraging participatory democracy). Therefore, he has definitely epitomized the use of new media as a political tool and perhaps, those who intend to incorporate that idea, like Malaysian politicians, should follow his approach.

References:

Schirato, T & Yell, S 1996, Communication and cultural literacy: an introduction, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards.

Shiels, M 2008, 'Obama uses iPhone to win support', BBC News, 3 October, viewed 16 June 2009.
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7649753.stm

Walsh, M 2006, 'The textual shift: examining the reading process with print, visual, and multimodal texts', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29. no. 1, pp. 24-37.

Copyright issues: Rowling vs. Vander Ark

Copyright violation is an unfortunate situation which is plaguing our world at the moment. Apparently, some people shamelessly choose to feed off the hard work and ideas of others for monetary or other personal gains. But why is copyright such a big deal?

Baran (2006 p. 470) defines copyright as "identifying and granting ownership of a given piece of expression" which aims to protect an individual's financial interest in their work. In this case, I shall draw upon a rather high profile issue of copyright violation involving the author of Harry Potter, JK Rowling and Steven Vander Ark, owner of the Harry Potter Lexicon website.

J.K. Rowling
(Source: CBS News 2008)

the villain: Steven Vander Ark's HP Lexicon
(Snapshot)

The said issue occurred in September last year when Rowling accused Vander Ark of violating her copyright when he chose to publish a Potter encyclopaedia (CBS News 2008). Rowling won the court battle and as a result, both Vander Ark and his publisher, RDR Books were forced to discontinue efforts towards publishing the book.

Dominick (2007) argues that the newest issue in copyright infringement pertains to the internet, as was apparent in the Harry Potter case. It is undoubtedly becoming harder to contain copyright violators online since it is almost impossible to track them all down with thousands of plagiarists roaming freely online. Students are one of them. The Centre for Academic Integrity reported that almost 80% of college students have admitted to plagiarizing at least once (Plagiarism.org 2009). But have they all been caught?

Hence, this creates a certain grey area between 'fair use' and copyright violation. The Centre for Social Media (2009) defines fair use as the conditions under which the use of quotations or information from copyrighted works is allowed without permission or payment. Of course, this is provided that the original source or the owner is credited. Looking back at Rowling vs. Vander Ark, it was essentially the perceived sense of fair use by Vander Ark and his publishers which led to the court case. RDR Books considered it fair use, claiming that the encyclopaedia was a legitimate guide aimed at explaining the very intricate world of Harry Potter (CBS News 2008). So where does one draw the line, seriously?

Baran (2006) for one argues that the internet has presented copyright with a tricky situation and advises a careful reconsideration of laws as tightening copyright ultimately restricts "the flow of art, science, and expression" (Baran 2006, p. 472). Perhaps a certain amount of freedom to experiment and to borrow ideas should exist then, as it could well lead to something new and better altogether. But let it not be at the expense of the original.

References:

Baran, SJ 2006, Introduction to mass communication: media literacy and culture, 4th edn, McGraw Hill, New York.

CBS News 8 September 2008, 'Harry Potter author wins copyright claim', viewed 15 June 2009.
URL: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/08/entertainment/main4426302.shtml

Centre for Social Media 2009, The code of best practices in fair use for media literacy education, viewed 15 June 2009.
URL: http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education/

Dominick, JR 2007, The dynamics of mass communication, 9th edn, McGraw Hill, New York.

Plagiarism.org 2009, Plagiarism in the digital age: voices from the front lines what's happening in college campuses today, viewed 16 June 2009.
URL: http://www.plagiarism.org/

Emoticons: writing like you talk...

Custom emoticons
(Source: Forrestwalter.com)

Putnis and Petelin (1996) once argued that writing and talking were totally different in nature, and suggested that writing was harder than talking since gestures and facial cues were absent. This is not the case anymore. The invention of emoticons has allowed people to include expressions in their writings which convey the mood of the writer. The emoticon concept was introduced by Scott Fahlman in 1982 (ABC 2007) who suggested that everytime his colleagues and him made a joke online, they would include a sideways smiley face at the end. Those smiley faces have obviously evolved since then.

In discussing emoticons, Kristin Byron (ABC 2007) argued that previously the problem of too few cues especially in e-mail communication meant that we often made mistakes in judging emotions while not even realising it. But with emoticons, we are able to comprehend a document's purpose and tone more clearly and effectively.

The incorporation of emoticons into writing can be categorized as a whole new genre or "types of texts" (Schirato and Yell 1996, p. 112). This is because it differs from the conventional styles of written documents, incorporating interpersonal elements as well. The use of emoticons in writing also adheres to the "form follows function" rule (Bear 1997) whereby the form which is the emoticon performs the function of adding an emotional touch to one's writing, altogether enhancing the quality of a document.

But then again, the use of emoticons are also based on the situational contexts mentioned by Walsh (2006 p. 25). Emoticons are not suitable for all types of documents, depending very much on the situation and overall purpose of a written piece. For example, emoticons could perhaps be used in abundance when writing an e-mail to a friend. But when writing formally to a boss or a client, the use of emoticons is highly inappropriate, even if there exists a need to express emotion.

The emoticon is undeniably an effective communication tool which has altered the distinction between written and spoken texts. However, there are obviously things that an emoticon cannot do, expressions it cannot make. At the same time, it is important for writers to identify with the situational needs of emoticons and not become too accustomed to it. Otherwise, they could find themselves in a whole lot of trouble for not being formal enough!

References:

ABC 18 October 2007, 'Emoticons and e-mail etiquette'.
URL: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2064342.htm

Bear, JH 1997, Form follows function, About.com, viewed 15 June 2009.
URL: http://desktoppub.about.com/od/graphicdesign/a/formfunction.htm

Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Professional communication: principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.

Schirato, T & Yell, S 1996, Communication and cultural literacy: an introduction, Allen & Unwin, St Leonards.

Walsh, M 2006, 'The textual shift: examining the reading process with print, visual, and multimodal texts', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29. no. 1, pp. 24-37.

Tempos' Last Supper blunder...

The Christian community in Indonesia can be forgiven for never wanting to buy a copy of Tempos magazine again. Apparently one of its bright ideas backfired and left Christians fuming. The issue in question is the magazine's depiction of former president Suharto and his children in an image mimicking Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper painting. The edition was published in February 2008 as a tribute to Suharto, who had died recently.

The reaction from Tempos was one of shock as they claimed that it was never their intention to make a mockery of the Last Supper or to offend anyone in any way. Tempos' chief editor, Toriq Hadad claimed that they were only inspired by the painting but never in the concept or context of the event mentioned in the Bible (ABC 2008). This apparent misjudgement of the context for which Suharto's composition was created can hence be attributed to the social and cultural factors that influence readers' interpretation of texts, as argued by Walsh (2006).

Below is the said image which appeared in Tempos magazine, followed by the actual Last Supper painting:

mimic of Last Supper

(Source: asiaone.com)

Da Vinci's Last Supper
(Source: morethings.com)

Walsh's argument on the social and cultural context of readers forms a good understanding as to why the majority of Christians were offended by the image while the magazine itself swore innocence. To some of us, the image may have seemed harmless, perhaps even meaningless. But to those familiar with the story of Jesus and Da Vinci's painting, the similarity could not have been more obvious, hence the controversy.

The controversy in this image is also linked to the concept of centre and margin proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen (2006 p. 194). In Da Vinci's painting, the central element is obviously Jesus while his apostles form the margins. In the depiction by Tempos, the centre is Suharto while the margins are his children. Therefore, it seemed almost as if the magazine was trying to liken Suharto with Jesus, and that is when Christians alike probably cried: blasphemy!!.

In my opinion, this was a classic case of differences in a social and cultural context. One should not be so harsh as to blame Tempos for what was clearly a misunderstanding, although I do believe that publishers need to be sensitive to their audiences, and this is echoed by Putnis and Petelin (1996). The magazine's decision to issue an apology for its depiction was probaly the correct step, but hopefully unnecessary for future publications if they take the said factors into consideration.

References:

ABC 6 February 2008, 'Indonesian weekly apologises over Last Supper Suharto cover'.
URL: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/06/2156269.htm

Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, Reading images: the grammar of visual design, 2nd edn, Routledge, New York.

Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Professional communication: principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.

Walsh, M 2006, 'The textual shift: examining the reading process with print, visual, and multimodal texts', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29. no. 1, pp. 24-37.

Web television: Lonelygirl15 stranger than fact?

Out with the old, in with the new they say. The ever growing popularity of the internet has created a paradigm shift from your everyday programs on television to an all new online version, known as web television.

It all started with webisodes, which are generally short form content distributed online through websites such as YouTube (Screen Actors Guild 2009). Many popular television series 'today have webisodes that spin-off from their tv plot such as Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, Chuck, and the Office.

Screenshots from Lonelygirl15

In the context of new media trends, I shall focus on Lonelygirl15, a web series that is unique because it seemingly blurred the line between fact and fiction when first aired in June 2006. Lonelygirl15 was made to look like an actual YouTube user who narrated her troubles in front of a webcam. It gained quite a following as viewers initially thought that all the drama and mystery was for real. It was eventually proven to be a hoax, with the main character actually played by New Zealand-American actress Jessica Rose.

Hence, the pertinent question that arises is: are new media technologies actually blurring the audience's sense of reality? and if so, is that ethical? While Lonelygirl15 was structured as such for entertainment value, it signalled an intent by producers to trick viewers, hinting that they were capable of doing so. Even one of the show's three producers, Grant Steinfeld was initially doubtful of the legitimacy behind the idea (Heffernan and Zeller 2006).

Meadows (2008) also discussed other similar but prior cases to Lonelygirl15 about two YouTube filmmakers known as LisaNova and LittleLoca (what's with the weird names anyway?) who also turned out to be actresses. Truly, a future where fiction is perceived as real or even vice versa is a scary thought to ponder.

Therefore, once the thrill of the new media bandwagon finally settles, apparently all is not quite rosy anymore. Nevertheless, it is vital that we control the pace of new media and not let it control us.


References:

Heffernan, V & Zeller, T 2006, 'The lonelygirl that really wasn't', New York Times, September 13.
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/technology/13lonely.html

Meadows, MS 2008, 'The three white girls from YouTube: the modern day fable', Peachpit, viewed 15 June 2006.
URL: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1170496

Screen Actors Guild 2009, New media glossary, viewed 14 June 2009.
URL: http://www.sag.org/content/new-media-glossary

Classifying blogs and forming its communities..

Blog classification:

In truth, there are ambiguous ways as to how one can classify blogs. Technorati (2008) divides blogs into three very general areas which are personal blogs, corporate blogs, and professional blogs.

Blogs are also identified based on their media types or different genres. These include:

• vlog
  
• linklog
  
• sketchblog
• photoblog
• tumbleblog

(Source: Wikipedia 2009)

However, most of us are less familiar with the above classification, more often identifying with blogs which are based on certain themes. Simons (2008) classifies them into nine separate categories:

• Pamphleteering blogs
• Digest blogs
• Advocacy blogs
• Popular mechanics blogs
• Exhibition blogs
  
• Gatewatcher blogs
• Diary blogs
• Advertisement blogs
• News blogs
  

These themes complement the focus area of the blog whether its politics, travel, fashion, technology, etc. In my opinion however, the classification of blogs are not as clear cut as Simons suggests, perhaps the primary problem being that it constantly overlaps, especially in diary blogs where people talk about almost everything, from their experiences, to movies, to fashion, whatever. It is not a question of good or bad, just that it does not cater to audiences with specific interests. Maybe this could be resolved if bloggers organized their posts into systematic categories of interest.

...and its Communities:

Blogging often leads to the development of online communities with those who share your passion and interests. One effective method is to include the comments or even chatbox function (such as the one here) which enables visitors to comment on your posts and offer their own insights.

According to White (2006), there are three types of blogging communities:

• Single blogger centric community - a community which develops around a single blogger
• Topic centric community - a community of blogs about a particular topic of interest
• Boundaried community - collection of blogs on a single site, much like social networking

To further explain, I will use an example of a single blogger centric community, http://chedet.co.cc by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.



Basically, this blog is political in nature and revolves around Mahathir's thoughts and views, to which his readers and followers constantly comment upon, offering their own perspectives and replying to one another's comments. Authority lies in Mahathir's hands who sets the conversational topic and even controls who can be part of the said community (by allowing and rejecting comments).

References

Simons, M 2008, A taxonomy of blogs, ABC, viewed 12 June 2009.
URL:http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2372882.htm#transcript)

Technorati Inc 2008, State of the blogosphere - day 1: who are the bloggers?, viewed 12 June 2009.
URL: http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/who-are-the-bloggers/

White, N 2006, Blogs and community: launching a new paradigm for online community?, viewed 13 June 2009.
URL: http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2006/edition-11-editorial/blogs-and-community-%E2%80%93-launching-a-new-paradigm-for-online-community

Wikipedia 2009, Blog, viewed 12 June 2009.
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog