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This video became one of the top videos of CNBC.com in February. 

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Produced the video during my CNBC internship experience.

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Week 14

The analysis of the Anonymous movement continues to generate media interest. Patrick Underwood and Howard T. Welser in their article “The Internet is Here: Emergent Coordination and Innovation of Protest Forms in Digital Culture” explore the efficacy of online protest through social interaction and memes. Like Anonymous, another important group originated online, the “Pitchfork,” Italian protesters who often attack police action, corrupt politicians, the banks, and media censorship. Their effective strategies and flaws derive from aspects that the authors deem to be necessary for effective protests: 

First, humor is not only a propaganda tool, but also an appropriate response to injustice. 

(Batman: “Shut up. You are always in front of your computer signed into Facebook with your pajamas on.” Robin: “I am with the Pitchfork...”).

(”Mediaset [Italian network] will stop its censorship... It is April Fools’ Day”).

Secondly, anger and violence can damage the efforts of peaceful protesters, igniting hostile responses from the authorities. Pitchfork’s protests took a violent turn while protesting against Italian banks occupying Turin train station. That certainly led police forces to intervene, arresting several members. The playful response of Anonymous makes the group more effective than Pitchfork. 

Source: (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pitchfork-italy-slave-jewish-bankers-rothschild-529996). 

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Week 13

The perception of the group Anonymous as a social phenomenon does not imply cohesiveness and uniform thought among its members. Adrian Crenshaw in the article “Crude, inconsistent threat: understanding Anonymous” outlines the group’s actions and purpose. In particular, I appreciated his division of subgroups which self-identify as part of Anonymous. 

Firstly, moralfags who express moral disagreement on controversial issues, challenging child pornography and obscene content. This is a typical statement  and meme from moralfags:  “wtf is with you guys? why the hell are you raiding tory and wise beard??????? you truly are fail. anonymous needs to get back to it's roots and stop the cancer that is hurting it's good name. we are for justice not hate..you guys have no clue what anonymous is.” 

Some moralfags oppose religious institutions as entities brainwashing and controlling individuals. 

Secondly, newfags who are referred to new members of an online community. They are usually inexperienced and mocked by more experienced Anons. 

Thirdly, oldfags who have been in an online community for a long time, constantly reminding other users of their experience. 

Lastly, hatefags who are those claiming to be oldfags and despising newfags. They perceive Anonymous as “the Internet Hate Machine.” 

“Ok, newfags, here's the news facts:

1. Anonymous is not some "awesome group of awesome people doing awesome acts of kindness and awesomely hacking things."

2. Anonymous does not care about other people.

3. Anonymous is not some avenging army.

4. Anonymous is not YOUR personal army.

6. True, Anon have long since forsaken any scrap of humanity.

7. If you want to be a lovey dovey faggot, Paul Fetch's group is that way. ----->

9. If you want a cause, join greenpeace. Don't fucking call yourself Anon.

10. If you are part of the chanology cause (member of enturbulation or any of their other forums, or "*chans") again, DONT FUCKING CALL YOUSELF ANON!, WE WERE ANONYMOUS FIRST. YOU GUYS AREN'T ALLOWED IN THE TREEHOUSE.

I hope some of you faggots out there will get the message, though some will have to wait until your testicles descend, or until you little cumdumpsters get your first period”

-The twat skipped number 5! 

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Week 12

The role of digital media in the world’s political discourse certainly has been questioned by Cory Doctorow in his article “The internet is the best place for dissent to start.” His major argument builds on  Zuckerman’s theory on internet revolution. Zuckerman theorized the inability of social media to protect users who are driving a political and social campaign online while providing profile information necessary to government agencies to proceed in their investigations. However, he theorized several reasons justifying the power of digital use that makes it “the best place to start.” During the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, videos and images showing the deaths of protesters and passersby became viral, increasingly animating people’s defiance against the government. A particular video, featuring the death of a woman who was fatally injured during Tehran’s protests on June 20th became the symbol of the ongoing revolution against the authorities’ oppression of freedom. As Zuckerman emphasized in his last argument, the producer who firstly posted the video did not anticipate the impact on other protestors. The original intent as the tragic event occurs is not to encourage social change rather to make content accessible to everyone. The video is accompanied by a message from a doctor who witnessed the incident. He did not mention government’s oppression nor ideals of freedom and peace. He concluded saying “Please let the world know.” 

You can watch the video here (NOTICE: it contains very violent images) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbdEf0QRsLM

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Week 11

The theoretical infrastructure provided by Sean Rintel in his “Crisis Memes: The Importance of Templatability to Internet Culture and Freedom of Expression,” outlines the purpose and functions of memes. In particular, the author included Danah Boyd’s analysis of four infrastructural features which explain the existence of memes. Firstly, replicability, which refers to users’ ability to reproduce a digital object:

This screenshot below taken from a Pinterest board features a collection of memes representing the same photo, but different textual expressions. It demonstrates that digital products can be infinitely reproduced to manipulate the original message.

https://www.pinterest.com/kswildcat/one-does-not-simply/

Secondly, searchability through which digital products can be easily found via search engines:

Thirdly, persistence which describes the duplication and transferability of digital objects on personal archives such as portable flash drives. Physical objects cannot be transferred nor duplicated the same way:

Lastly, the concept of invisible audiences which refers to the authors directing their creations to particular audiences. However, the memes are exposed indiscriminately to a vast population via the Internet:

This meme comments on Mitt Romney’s plan to eliminate governmental funding for PBS. President Obama’s campaigners used Sesame Street and Mitt Romney’s statements as propaganda tools. The meme cannot be understood by audiences who are not familiar with Mitt Romney’s speech. It certainly targets politically informed citizens, especially parents with children. However, the online news cycle allows the meme to circulate affecting users through its catchy content and structure.

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Week 10

Many people might find it difficult to perceive multiple functions resembling realistic challenges as entertaining. Are games too much like work? Nick Yee in the article “The Labor of Fun How Video Games Blur the Boundaries of Work and Play” discusses the indefinite boundaries between work and games. As the author analyzes the multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), I found similar characteristics in the popular video game “SimCity.” In the earlier versions, players read very long menus to make sure they preserved their accumulated wealth. Generally, players recreate their own metropolis, learning important business strategies, applicable to real settings. Leadership skills are required to establish utilities and infrastructure to draw tourists in your city while defeating competition.The gathering of resources is always expensive and time consuming, and thus requiring users’ patience and reasoning. Users need to also maintain those facilities, checking on people’s civil behaviors. Yee defines functions, including social prestige and competition, as “game mechanics.” Career choices certainly reflected real decision-making. Yee’s perception of video games as work platforms can be grasped in SimCity. Players are running an entire city for fun. 

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Week 9

This week’s analysis of spectatorship and pornography reminded me of a particular case which has drawn major media attention. The brutal murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947, also known as the Black Dahlia, became synonym of horror and beauty. According to the article “Pornographies of Violence? Internet Spectatorship on Body Horror” by Sue Tait, the viewers’ curiosity might corrupt that informational purpose of indirectly witnessing such atrocities. By looking at a dismembered body such as the Black Dahlia certainly arises questions on its moral intentions. The photos leak a sense of objectification and erotism. The author emphasizes how displays of damaged bodies satiate our voyeurism, instead of providing useful information about the case. Therefore, bearing witness turn into “sadism and appropriation of suffering (p. 104)” The striking comparison between two different photographs which feature the victim, before and after the assault, certainly proves the author’s definition of narcissistic spectatorship. The photographers emphasize the loss of her beauty due to serious damages to her mouth and head. In the article, Tait analyzes media portrayal of Nazi concentration camps and their prisoners, deeming to be a “re-desecration” of the victims.  The real question is whether viewers’ observing mode automatically corrupts and trivializes the person’s identity by scrutinizing the way she was killed regardless of their prior intent.

https://krazykillers.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/mctheblackdahlia-elizabethwas22yearsoldand_5b976e_3331709.jpg

http://unsolvedmysteries.us/black-dahlia-murder/