tyleroneillblogs-blog

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Digital Communities Farewell

This subject has been a blast. Never have I ever thought i would have a blog let alone post on it weekly.

I have learnt so much about a range of topics across these 12 weeks, for me personalty it has to be the Chinese social media culture and how it differs from our own that I found so fascinating as I see it everyday in my workplace. 

Now all that is left to do is sit back and watch the marks come in, regardless of what the outcome is, I had a blast studying this subject. 

Lets hope my mark starts with a D or a HD

Would like to thank the tutors and lecturers (you know who you are) 

Regards 

Tyler

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Public Health Revisited

Originally conversations about health were limited to selected government based/ monitored sites for example beyond blue. However the discussion about ones health and mental state has now moved from within a safe 4 wall space. to now the boundless world wide web. The public health space on social media is a very interesting area to explore, filled with very weird customs and creatures its quite the adventure. so lets take a deeper look.

The internet in its current state is almost a giant ad for everything and anything. Health companies especially seek to angle there promotions towards the viral “internet challenges” to gain exposure for their cause. Similarly to most things on the internet, people just do things without knowing the meaning behind it. Take for example the ALS ice bucket challenge. I was in year 9 when that storm swept the internet, myself and the other millions of people, undertook that physically demanding task of raising ice above our heads. But we never truly knew what it was for. Was it for ALS or was it for likes?

Public health now online seems to be more of a competition of who has the worse condition. Spaces such as Facebook and Reddit allow users to present raw feelings and emotions across any form of media they can find. In addition, the comment section doesn't protect against toxicity, so it becomes merely an attention seeking competition between users. See below, this a screen grab of the mental health thread on Reddit. Although each title can be seen as positive, personally this is just a competition of who can care the least about other peoples opinion. This common theme is present across all of  Reddit and especially Facebook.

However not all platforms are like this, Instagram and many government run forums such as Beyond Blue etc offer support to sufferers with a restricted comment section allows for constructive help from other suffers. Beyond Blue separates its community forums from its support forums, this minimises the likelihood of people misusing the site. By granting support to these sufferers it creates a sense of digital citizenship that they belong and matter in these spaces which can be a lot safer some of the more extreme victims. 

Mental health is no joke, although some spaces like Facebook do not aim to outright support these individuals, its clear that the platform is being misused to make a mockery of them. By contrast some other organisations both government based and privately funded provide safe spaces for these individuals and making  their users health a top priority. 

For more information please see the prezi presentation (Below) on mental health presented a few weeks back :) 

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Great Firewall of China Cont.

Ahhhh so here we are again revising probably one of the most bizarre yet fascinating cultures, especially when it comes to technology. From the giants who brought you the humanoid Toyota robot terminator (that is a mouthful)and the egg noodle, you would think in the 21st century they could finally go on Facebook. Well your wrong.

Seeing as I discussed this a few weeks prior, I will not be discussing the same points again only referencing them, so if you feel im missing something, it most likely has been mentioned earlier because I do not miss anything :) xx 

OK BACK TO CHINA,

Despite not having any of the major three social media’s Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp etc China still has 1,240,000,000 out of a possible 1,362,000,000 who are mobile subscribers with 665 million active social media users. So how do they do it? Its quite simple actually; each major social media platform has a Chinese twin providing similar services and getting the clear from the government. Examples:

- Instead of Youtube: Youku - Instead of WhatsApp: WeChat  - Instead of Twitter: Weibo - Instead of Google: Baidu - Instead of Facebook Messenger: QQ

Personally WeChat is the only platform of those listed above that i have ever heard of and for good reason. Racking in a steady 1.08 billion monthly users and 619 million daily users, WeChat is the behemoth of the Chinese social media industry. Thankyou Digital Communities Swinburne for enlightening me with these statistics.

The reason these apps exist in the first place are to fill the void that the major apps we use simply arent allowed to fill. The reason China implemented these laws was to and I quote “Prevent its people from being corrupt by other evil cultures” and “neutralise critical online opinion”. Sites in the past have been shut down simply for violating their constitution and attacking s tate leaders. 

Take for example Winnie the Pooh getting banned from Chinese social media for looking to much like Xi Jiping, the secretary of the communist party of China. Although this is an extreme and rather amusing example, this stuff is real, very real. 

Image sourced: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-china-blog-40627855

Some may argue that these are crazy extremes however I believe partially they are very reasonable when you consider the population size. WeChat being designed for and by the Chinese people, allows for better stability and communication between one another, when you compare to Facebook which is a dominantly English speaking platform. However I disagree with the prevention of intercontinental connection. Many others in addition to myself im sure of it, believe that the whole purpose of social media is to connect with people wherever they may be. Although this accordance may slightly be altered nowadays the intention is there and well China im afraid your putting putting your country in a bubble. A big bubble. #FreeTheFireWall

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Milking the money cows in Farmville

Gaming was once associated with card and board games. You know, moving the pieces in real life. Currently the online gaming industry is reportedly worth $134.9 billion seeing a 10.9% jump from the year prior showing an increasing trend in the amount of new noobs picking up the controller.

I am no stranger to online gaming, being a century long veteran myself i would say i know my way around the online gaming space. That is why i find this topic very close to heart and can speak highly of online games and the many priceless experiences it has gifted me. However we are not going to touch on online games such as Call of Duty and Fortnite as they do a lot of things right and dont annoy me nearly as much as a notification for a silly Facebook game. Outside of dying to horrible players online, nothing creams my corn more than Facebook games. 

It seems Faceboo is trying to be the complete alround internet platform having anything you could ever want at your disposal; news, pages, hashtags, livestreams etc. The only area they seemed to have not delved until recently was gaming. Facebooks unique social games allow users to advance and progress in the game through recommending the game to their friends. These notifications go viral with requests coming in left and right until you inevitably download the game and start.

But how do Facebook make money off this?

Im glad you asked.

Micro-Transactions have exploded in popularity in the past 5 years, with almost every modern game that gets released will be bound to have them as they r so successful. Even fully developed games are opting to start at a staggering $0.00 price tag due to the increase likelihood of gaining a user base. Having a player base so large obviously increases the chance that people will throw a couple of dollars down on an in game green party hat, take Fortnite for example bringing in 2.4 billion dollars entirely funded by micro transactions. 

So whats this got to do with Farmville?

Facebook adopted these same strategies and created a free game that was frequently advertised on the platform with a progression system that required the game to go viral. Through attaining millions of players and offering micro transactions in game Facebook used a highly complex equation that allowed them to make an obscene amount of money quickly. 

More players = Better chance of bringing in $$$

These games have a lifespan of about 45 mins but when one dies another one comes in and takes its place, same as the illicit drug market. To some, these games are nearly as addicting as some of those substances sold on the street. Although the players experienced great joy in receiving a token this was all at the expense of the person getting this notification and being really annoyed.

Opening up Facebook after 2 hours, in Farmville’s prime I personally would come back to AT LEAST 8 notifications and upwards of 15 messenger requests from people i haven't spoken to since primary school. This is not connecting its just annoying, but hey i mean Facebook are still making outrageous amounts of money and we are just the sheep who follow them.

(Hope you enjoyed the excessive farm references) 

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Notre Damnnnnnn Cathedral: How social media can save the day

Among the many affordances that have developed from various social media platforms, crowdsourcing is my most admired theme. Social media is such a powerful tool. The ability to connect with people anywhere anytime is nothing short of amazing. Who would of thought 20 years ago we could speak to someone across the world instantly. Let alone help out a burning cathedral 15,000km away and grieve with a sorrowed nation. 

The sudden and unexpected burning of the Notre dame Cathedral captivated the world, nations grieved with the stunned citizens of France as they watched a piece of history go up in flames. See below.

Among the many affordances that come with social media, crowd sourcing and mob mentality are very common themes. 

So what is crowd sourcing?

“The practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet.”

The most effective way of crowdsourcing in todays day and age is through the exposure of a celebrity or via a tragedy (as seen above).  Take the Notre Dame cathedral, it raised billions and billions of dollars from people all across the world (and rich French families). There are countless examples of people coming together in tragedy, the New Zealand massacre, natural disasters etc, but its not the only way to crowdsource. One of the quickest and most effective ways to crowdsource is through a celebrity with a large following. 

Take for example If Kylie Jenner promoted a GoFundMe to help a cause, i would like to believe a large portion of her 154 million instagram followers would do their part. Even if 1% of her followers do this thats 154,000 people. 

Compare this to my staggering 800 followers. If i posted something in attempt to crowd source i would be lucky to get 1 if not 2 donations. Both being from my parents.........if i clean the dishes. Unlike myself, modern day celebrities have outstanding amount of power to direct and orchestrate the mob of people who adore them. 

So who populated crowd sourcing?

Jeff Howe!!!!! 

Jeff is a contributing editor at Wired Magazine, where he covers the media and entertainment industry, among other subjects. In June of 2006 he published "The Rise of Crowdsourcing" in Wired. He has continued to cover the phenomenon in his blog, crowdsourcing.com, and published a book on the subject for Crown Books in September 2008.

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

TROLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

ahhhhh the internet, the only place where you can talk shit and not get hit. The only place where you can be extremely aggravating intentionally, and cop a slap on the wrist and a “report”. With an emerging era of keyboard warriors and cyber soldiers, the toxicity of platforms and gaming environments are increasing rapidly. Although its not fun when it happens to you, sometimes its fun to be a bystander and watch the drama unfold.

I would like to make clear trolling is perfectly legal its just infuriating when your on the receiving end. It can range from name calling, controversial comments, abusive messages, harmful comments etc. Lets dive deeper shall we. 

So what is trolling??

For all those who havent heard of trolling, according to the urban dictionary, “is the deliberate act, of making random unsolicited and/or controversial comments on various internet forums with the intent to provoke an emotional knee jerk reaction from unsuspecting readers to engage in a fight or argument”. AKA to piss you the F$#!K off. I find that trolls always seem to provoke you at the worst possible time. Whether something happened IRL or online in someway, they will almost aways find a way to get a reaction out of you. The best way to deal with it, is grit your teeth and take it without reacting. Unlike this kid. (skip to 3:50-4:15)

How to protect yourself from Trolls

Between the judgement of all my years of internet experience and A Current affair watching middle aged women named Ginger, a list has been created  outlining some potential strategies to suppress a trolling. 

- Do not respond - Do not show your triggered even though you are - Report / Block  - Toughen up

Read more at “Five ways to protect yourself against cyber hate”

Some of us need to toughen our skin. If your getting trolled in a game such as the video above, just report and leave the game WITHOUT SCREAMING. Doing things that provoke and encourage the bully is like fuel to a car for the troll, or like a thermomix to a middle aged a current affair watching mum. Just dont encourage it. Simples. 

We just cant help but get triggered 

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Modern Activism and Protest in Social Media

So what is activism and protest? 

The definition given from Cambridge University states that its the “the use of direct and noticeable action to achieve a result, usually a political or social one:” In my terms activism and protesting is the act of complaining on an EXTREME level with the intent of triggering a change of some form. 

Its clear that tapping into the internets 3.196 billion social media users, is the most effective way of gaining viral status. Getting the public to spread the message around the world is the modern way of drawing signs and sitting out on the street (which still happens). 

Advantages of social media activism vs real life protests:

1. Less chants 2. Easier to read into the issue  3. Less yelling 4. Message can be sent worldwide  5. Target audience broadens 

However the problem with online activism is that when your offer a place to everyone to express there unfiltered opinion it can get ugly. Abuse and offensive messages get exchanged at conflicting opinions. Enter at your own risk. 

Now how do you go viral? 

The use of the hashtag. 

The hashtag is the symbol used to attach a post, message, video or photo to a relevant topic. These topics can be sorted and searched for, creating a large gallery of posts and opinions that people can read into or be offended by. 

Some of the most viral hashtags include:

#BlackLivesMatter #MeToo #TakeaKnee All of these hashtags had impactful movements and results. Hitting trending pages repeatedly for weeks on end, it gained traction to news and media outlets sending the message worldwide in a matter of days. This causes large organisations to stop, listen and inevitably react to the huge wave of people uniting.

No matter how large social media may be, it is undeniably crucial in orchestrating modern day activism. Enlightening the world to new and current issues/ movements with the use of a simple hashtag can send things worldwide in a matter of days. However, our current lives where technology takes up almost every part of it, followers (Sheep as they call them) are more apparent. A hashtag can gain traction if it is “cool” to do so whether it is right or not. Social media is merely a tool to make activism viral and provoke change. 

Dont be like this guy 

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

China’s baby monitor on its country

SO i was at work the other day serving customers as i do on a near daily basis. Thinking about this blog post in particular and what it would contain. When a lovely asian lady walked up to me asking for assistance in picking out a product. Nothing out of the ordinary for me as a large portion of the customers i serve are of asian decent, and well, i figured it was just another normal transaction. 

She needed to purchase some items for not only herself but also for her friends. Me being the nosey bored retail worker i took a quick glance at her phone screen to pass time. I noticed that she proceeded to message heaps of people on multiple Chinese messaging apps. I began to think and wonder why all the asian customers i have experienced message on these seperate apps appose to the “big 3″. So i looked into it, here are my findings.

As it turns out the “Great Firewall of China” is an actual thing, where majority of mainstream communication services such as Facebook and Whatsapp etc are blocked. This combination of legislative actions and technologies have blocked the outside wide world, and even prevented the sending of videos and photos in some cases. From some perspectives some may argue that it unites the people of China to unite as digital citizens and connect closer with one another on a highly specific platform where they all share the same views and opinions that the government can monitor. However i believe if you cut the first part of the sentence out and make it, “allow people to connect on platforms only the government can monitor” that would be correct. Its like being told at school where to eat your lunch, what to eat and when to eat it, WHILST HAVING SOMEONE BREATHING DOWN YOUR NECK WHILE YOU EAT IT, despite everyone else eating fresh hot food from the canteen. For heavens sake even search engines like google are blocked. 

The Chinese government seemingly has blocked all “objections” content, in order to try and keep the trust and support of its civilians. The people of China have seemingly been put in a cage and havent known any better, so by preventing the viewing of articles (such as this one) discouraging the ways of the Chinese government, their views and opinions may change. Potentially losing trust would ultimately cause the fall of the government, whats a leader without supports that trust? am i right?. 

In addition to this, having only those in china access those particular websites, it limits the potential political influence from other countries on an election. During Trumps election (yes i know its the easiest example), Russia undeniably had a large influence and swing the election in his favour with a with a massive social media presence. (Other conspiracies like hacking are all up in the air but not confirmed). China could not possibly have this kind of outsider input in their elections, as all hell would break loose. 

So now after looking into this, I now understand why i cant just say to the customers I serve “why dont you just message on Facebook”. Its a pretty big eye opener but also relaxing to know we aren't under a microscope like that, or are we? Maybe and most likely not as big as that one, but then again a microscope is a microscope no matter the size.  

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Tumblr Controversy Train : Social Network or Blog?

Sometimes things come and go, however for some reason Tumblr has still not gone and does not seem like it will for a very.....very .....very...... long time. Although Tumblr currently may not be the “Edgy Cool kids Hangout” it once was back in 2013 they still had surpassed 738 million unique visitors worldwide by that point. Yea i know pretty impressive for the time. 

There are few questions in this world that have not yet had definitive answers such as “Did man really walk on the moon?”, “are we truely alone in this universe” and “Is Tumblr a social network or a blog”.

Let’s take a deeper look into the Tumblr wormhole, that has nothing to do with aliens. 

Tumblr is a proven blogging platform with outstanding success throughout its lifetime ESPECIALLY in those prime years. Undeniably its success has influenced modern day blogging sites such as wordpress offering similarly looking platforms and the freedom to make your blog truely well.... yours. Keeping its reliable and frequent users stimulated by offering a space, where they could be true to their online identity making them feel comfortable to express themselves and feel safe to do so. This was made clear through certain privacy changes, allowing users to make blogs private and ultimately protect the intellectual integrity they pinned on their virtual pin-board. The main purpose of a blog is to communicate to an audience your opinions and translate them in an engaging way. Tumblr did this better than most with photos and videos allowed to be shared on the site, with limited restrictions......... allowing full expression of the users true identity..........Use your imagination.

In comparison to competing platforms such as Facebook where services were limited and restricted in comparison to Tumblr.

Facebook did already had plenty of traction over Tumblr though, simply from being created  4 years earlier. However this did not stop David Karp and Marco Arment (creators of Tumblr) from completely ripping off the successful services offered by Facebook. The sentiments and interactions between users was seen as a way to keep users engaged with one another and fundamentally stay on the site. In spite of the initial affordance of the site, the social network changes proved positive for the site, creating small communities making people feel at home. 

It feels like Tumblr is a space predominantly for people to express their thoughts virtually, whether that be to an audience or just privately to themselves. The addition of sentiments and limited interactions with other fellow bloggers i feel was a change made to “keep up with the times”. Tumblr to me, seems like a SCH (sexually confused human). It wants to be a social network and a blog all at the same time, much like a SCH wants to be both a male and female. Some aspects like the follow, like and puts it in the more towards the social network category forgetting it was created as a microblogging site. Like a SCH forgetting it was born with male genitals. You be the judge on what side it falls into. It has got to be one. 

Do not be offended, it was just a metaphor.

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

Welcome

Welcome everyone, into the mindset of me. This is where i post my opinions, facts, GIFS and more. Dont be too mean :)

Thankyou for reading

[tyleroneillblogs-blog]

If you're you, it doesn't matter if you're the most boring person in the world: someone will like you. You're not trying to be anyone else

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/lil_uzi_vert