Not all hackers are bad! (Week 9)

I have always thought of hackers as the bad guys. Whenever there is a report of hacking in the news, it always involves something malicious. Whether it is a virus or an invasion of privacy (e.g. phone hacking scandal); the recipients are generally considered to be the victims. My view of hacking has been shaped by the media, and the reports in the news.

One of the readings this week (Stockwell, 2008) discusses hacking in the traditional sense. I did not realise that traditionally hacking was generally never malicious. It was simply a way for people to understand the computer programs and systems better. Hacking viewed in this way allows the user to check the security of computer networks. The ability to pass through unnoticed will require a complete overhaul of the network security. I can imagine that it must be very satisfying for traditional hackers to know that they have gotten in; it can be viewed as a kind of game, where they have won.

If this was all that hacking was, the media would not have been able to put a black mark to their name, but, unfortunately there are also malicious hackers out there. These malicious hackers are the ones that get their names in the news and have turned hacking into a criminal act.

Stockwell, S. 2008, We’re all hackers now: Doing global democracy, viewed 21^st September 2011, <http://ajax.acue.adelaide.edu.au/~allan/createworld/Stockwell_2008_Hacking.pdf>.

A Mouse and Her Girl-The Final Product (Week 9)

Finally! The end product. My short video is complete, and it runs for just under two minutes. The narrative has changed again. I have shortened it, and have not included the original Plot Point 2 and Act 3, if I had chosen to leave these parts in, it would have ended up being too long! This just means a shift of some the action to make up Plot Point 2 and Act 3.

I have to thank my dear little sister for making a wonderful Melody. She has also messed around with stop motion before, and was able to help me with that. She showed me how to use Adobe After Effects to turn the photos into separate movie sequences, since I have never used that program before. She also let me use iMovie on her MacBook rather than my Windows Movie Maker, since it is easier (no need to convert videos and music to a different format). She also showed me how to use Audacity. Obviously I have never tried making videos before, whereas she has! I am going to have to buy her the biggest Cherry Ripe to thank her!

Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of my video, but if I had the chance to redo it, there are some parts that I would change. Unfortunately I did not allow myself enough time to make changes. If there is something that I have learnt from this experience it is to allow more time and to plan properly, so that I know exactly what I want to achieve.

Who represents...? (Week 9)

I have not actually changed my electorate since moving to Brisbane at the beginning of the year. Therefore I have included in this post my local, state and federal representatives for my hometown of Dalby.

Local Representative: Cr. Ray Brown, Mayor of Western Downs Regional Council.

State Representative: Ray Hopper MP, electorate of Condamine.

Federal Representative: Bruce Scott MP, electorate of Maranoa.

In the last month I have emailed my federal member, Bruce Scott, in regards to an issue that was coming up for discussion in Parliament. I received a generic, but prompt reply thanking me for my input.

I decided to also find out the representatives for where I live in Brisbane.

Local Representative: Cr. Peter Matic, Toowong Ward.

State Representative: Andrew Fraser MP, electorate of Mount Coot-tha.

Federal Representative: Jane Prentice MP, electorate of Ryan.

<http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/about-council/councillors-wards/index.htm>

<http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/current/list>

<http://apps.aec.gov.au/eSearch/LocalitySearchResults.aspx?filter=Ryan&filterby=Electorate&divid=177>

Essay topic... (Week 9)

‘Does the extensive use of computer/video games have an adverse impact on the health of young people? What are the most recent papers? Clarify what both sides of the argument claim and only then offer your reasoned opinion based on facts.’

This will be a very interesting topic to research. This issue is widely debated and there are many newspaper articles written about it. I am sure that I will find a wealth of information on this topic.

Some points that I will consider, include:

• Belief that computer/video games can improve fine motor skills
• Effect of violent video games on a person’s mental health (e.g. Norway, Columbine)
• Rising obesity levels in young people
• Effect on relationships and communication

I will look at the effect extensive use of computer/video games on the physical and mental health of young people. I will research papers discussing both sides of the argument, keeping in mind the points raised above. I will take into consideration any other points in the argument that I discover through my research, before I come to a conclusion regarding this topic.

Yay for Creative Commons! (Week 8)

Creative Commons is a great idea. Though I feel that there is a place for both full copyright, as well as Creative Commons in society today. It depends on what the producer wants to achieve through their work. For some musicians, artists, authors or filmmakers, their main source of income is through the production and distribution of music, artwork, books or films. Therefore for these people full copyright is preferable.

For producers who would like their work to be readily available for anyone to use, then Creative Commons would be the way to go. A work that is covered by a Creative Commons license allows other people to freely use that piece of work, as long as they comply with the rules of the CC license that covers it. This allows for a ‘some rights reserved’ approach, rather than ‘all rights reserved’ (Creative Commons: About).

Creative Commons can be useful for students as well. It can be difficult for students to gain approval to use full copyrighted materials. For this reason students can find it useful to have access to material that is covered by a CC license. Students need to ensure that they understand which CC license covers the material that they are using, so that they know exactly how they can use the original material.

Creative Commons: About, viewed 14^th September 2011, < https://creativecommons.org/about>.

A Mouse and Her Girl-Part 3 (Week 8)

I have decided to use only stop motion for my video. Fortunately my sister is studying animation and is able to show me how to create stop motion using Adobe After Effects. My narrative has changed slightly since my last post and I have included the new outline here:

Act 1

• Meet Daisy and Melody.
• Introduction to their world.
• Enter Evil Overlord.

Plot Point 1

• Evil Overlord plans to send Daisy and Melody to the Mud Pits to work (it is the most evil and deadly place to be sent to).
• Daisy and Melody plan to escape.

Act 2

• Daisy and Melody escape.
• Evil Overlord realises that they are gone and makes chase.
• During the chase Daisy and Melody are separated.

Plot Point 2

• Daisy and Melody have been separated and must find each other.

Act 3

• After a desperate search, Daisy and Melody are reunited and they are free from Evil Overlord.

I will be using photos and title cards that I have created myself, so I will own them completely. The only parts of this production that I will not own, is the music. I plan to follow that 10% rule for the music, so I should not have any problems with copyright.

I plan to photograph this early next week, allowing me time to edit it together.

Let's go open source! (Week 8)

For many years now I have been using open source software without actually realising it. My dad is a fan of open source and he uses several different types of open source software. He will quite often tell me that I need to download something, because it is better than something else, or he decides to download stuff for me. This would explain why I probably have several types of software on my laptop that are open source, without me realising that they are.

These include Mozilla Firefox, Audacity and Quick Media Converter. I use Mozilla all the time, and find it easy to use. It is always strange going back to use Internet Explorer, which I had to do in my last workplace. Having used Mozilla for some time, I notice the difference and personally prefer it over Internet Explorer. For my video I used Audacity to edit the music clips that I used. I have had it on my laptop for a while, but have never used it. I found that it worked well and it was fairly easy to use. Quick Media Converter uses open source code from other software. Once again I have had it for a while but did not use it until recently. It is quick and easy to use, and does a good job converting video and music files.

What is a Produser? (Week 7)

This week the topic of the produser was introduced in the readings (Bruns, Towards Produsage) and lecture. Unlike the traditional producer, the produser is a user-producer, which introduces the ‘user-led production of content’ (Bruns).

A produser could be anyone. For example, we will all be produsers when we complete our videos. Other examples of produsage include: the collaborative development of open source software, Wikipedia, use-led multi-user online games (e.g. The Sims) and collaborative online publishing, particularly news and information sites (e.g. Slashdot and OhmyNews) (Bruns). Admittedly I have found it a bit difficult to get my head around this topic. The term produser is very similar to producer, which does not help. The fact that they are both producers of sorts can also cause confusion.

Producers are involved in the ‘traditional form of content production’ whereas produsers are user-led. The user is the producer and this can sometimes take the form of a collaborative project involving many produsers (Bruns). A prime example of produsage in action is Youtube. Many of the videos on Youtube have been made by produsers. These people are not professional filmmakers; they are users of Youtube who want to share their work with everyone else, this then makes them produsers rather than producers.

Bruns, A. Towards Produsage: Futures for User-Led Content Production, viewed 8^th September 2011, < http://produsage.org/files/12132812018_towards_produsage_0.pdf>.

A Mouse and Her Girl-Part 2 (Week 7)

I plan to use a combination of continuous shooting and stop motion for my video, it will be also be a ‘silent’ film and I will use title cards to explain the situation. I have included an outline of how I will be using the three act structure in the narrative of my video. I am still planning the storyline, so this will probably change.

Three Act Structure:

Act 1-The Setup

• Who the film is about:

          -Daisy (a mouse) and Melody (a human)
          -Lead character: Daisy and Melody

• What kind of person are they?         

          -Daisy is a mouse.
          -Melody is a human.      
          -They are friends.
          -They live in a world ruled by an evil overlord.

Plot Point 1

• Daisy and Melody must escape the evil overlord.

Act 2-Confrontation

• Daisy and Melody escape.
• But the evil overlord chases after them and they are separated.

Plot Point 2

• Daisy and Melody have escaped but they have been separated and must find each other.

Act 3-Resolution

• Daisy and Melody eventually find each other again, and can start a new life free from the evil overlord, whom they have managed to escape from.

Is Wikipedia useful? (Week7)

I have found Wikipedia to be useful. When I want to find information quickly, and it is not for an assignment, I am happy to go to a Wikipedia page. When I simply want general information on a topic that I am interested in, Wikipedia is able to supply this for me. I think the key with Wikipedia is to remember that the information can be edited by anyone, and can therefore contain misinformation (Russell, 2007).

Wikipedia can be useful as a starting point for an assignment. When I have no idea where to start, I have found that Wikipedia can offer some key ideas, making it a little bit easier to research the main points elsewhere. Wikipedia articles also offer references and citations that will often lead to other reliable sources. It is important to remember to verify the information found in a Wikipedia article to ensure that the information given is correct (Russell, 2007).

There are some educational institutions considering banning students from using Wikipedia (Bogatin, 2007). While I can understand the reasoning behind this proposal, I feel that Wikipedia does have its uses. Wikipedia can be useful as a starting point for assignments, and can provide reliable sources for students to explore. Students should not rely on Wikipedia as a source, and should always verify the information that they have found by doing further research.

Russell, A. 2007, Wikipedia: Useful Information or Unreliable Source?, viewed 8^th September 2011, <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/180706/wikipedia_useful_information_or_unreliable.hhtm?cat=15>.

Bogatin, D. 2007, Wikipedia: Should students trust it?, viewed 8^th September 2011, <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/micro-markets/wikipedia-should-students-trust-it/911>.

The Blair Witch Project and ARGs (Week 6)

One of the readings this week (Mascioni, 2010) mentioned Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), and I thought I would look at The Blair Witch Project as an ARG. It was mentioned in the lecture that when The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999, it was the most profitable film in Hollywood history. The film can thank low-cost advertising on the internet for this success. The use of internet advertising also suggested that the events of the film were real, a fact that the filmmakers took full advantage of.

Strictly speaking The Blair Witch Project did not start as an ARG, but it basically evolved into one. And it displays many of the elements of an ARG (Cook, 2009). When the film began to receive more attention, the filmmakers had to accommodate for this interest by giving out information on the internet. Some of this information included the mythology behind the film, photos, drawings and anything else that they had created (Candler). It was for these reasons that the internet advertising turned The Blair Witch Project into an ARG.

The Blair Witch Project was so successful as an ARG that many people are unsure as to whether it was real or not, and some refuse to believe that it is a work of fiction (Shamrock, 2009). While ARGs can be fun—after all they are still just a game—there are people who are unable to see the difference between fact and fiction.

Candler, S. Connecting With Audiences: Lessons Learned from The Blair Witch Project, viewed 2^nd September 2011, <http://www.microfilmmaker.com/tipstrick/Issue57/ConAud_1.html>.

Cook, D. 2009, The Blair Witch Project—10 Years Later, viewed 2^nd September 2011, <http://workbookproject.com/culturehacker/2009/07/30/the-blair-witch-project-10-years-later/>.

Mascioni, M. 2010, Transforming Filmmaking Through Crowdsourcing, viewed 1^st September 2011, <http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=709&doc_id=190970>.

Shamrock, 2009, The Blair Witch Project: Wait, is it real?, viewed 2^nd September 2011, <http://real.zachwhalen.net/content/blair-witch-project-wait-it-real>.

A Mouse and Her Girl-Part 1 (Week 6)

As part of the tutorial tasks for the next few weeks we are required to produce a short audio-visual piece. Some productions tools that I can use include iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, some Adobe products, Audacity for editing music clips, or Picasa to create a slideshow or movie.

Other video editing software includes the Sony products: Vegas Pro or Vegas Movie Studio, but since I do not have easy access to these products, I will not be using them.

I plan to use all original photos and/or video, so I will not have any problems with copyright for these elements. I will not own the music that I use, but as long as I stick to the 10% rule for students, I should not have any problems. I will also credit the songs that I use.

I am not planning on using any logos, etc in my video, so as far as I can tell I should not have in issues with defamation.

Production tools such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker allow the user to create videos using their own footage. I will be using one of these to create my video.

In one sentence my basic concept is: ‘The adventures of a mouse and her girl’.

I plan to use the three act structure in the formation of the narrative. Fingers crossed that it will work!

Can Hollywood survive the internet? (Week 6)

History has shown that Hollywood has had to adapt to many different technological developments over the years. Despite the initial opposition that many of these new technologies faced, Hollywood came to embrace them. The years have seen the introduction of sound and colour, TV, recorders, 3D, VHS and DVD and also CGI, although Hollywood viewed many of these as risky, these technologies have become the standard for many films.

Hollywood has come to accept many of the advances in technology, but they fail to fully utilise the internet. It is believed that the internet could be the death of Hollywood, due to the pirated movies that many people are able to download (Hollywood and the internet, 2008). It is possible that Hollywood fears the internet, because of the risk of piracy, after all, every single time a pirated movie is downloaded they lose money.

Hollywood should look at ways to distribute movies on the internet, while still making a profit. The problem is that many people would rather download a pirated version for free, than pay for an official copy. Hollywood needs to embrace the internet, and view it as their friend, rather than their enemy.

Hollywood and the internet, 2008, viewed 1^st September 2011, < http://www.economist.com/node/10723360>.