Friday 11 October 2013
Friday 20 September 2013
Le Cinquieme Element
Le Cinquieme Element
Choose a cyberpunk story or movie. Compare the economic and social world it conjures with the real world today. How close is this imagined world to our world and are we moving towards the imagined world or away from it?
Cyberpunk is the term derived from the combination of words; cybernetics and punk. This “subgenre of science fiction focuses on the effects on society and individuals of advanced computer technology, artificial intelligence, and bionic implants in an increasingly global culture” (Oxford, 2012). Cyberpunk depicts the “blurring distinctions between humans and machines in bleak dystopias with lawless subcultures.” (Chandler, D & Munday, R 2012). This distinction is conveyed in Luc Besson’s, The Fifth Element (1997), with his vision of the world in year 2214. This film explores the notion of cyberpunk, whilst simultaneously portraying themes; Good vs. Evil in the depiction of the economic world, and the notion that communication technology has surpassed physical interactions within the social world.
The portrayal of the economic world in the 23rd century appears to be over-populated and somewhat in a state of anarchy. New York City has been built upwards high enough for the ground not to be visible, leaving the old New York City of today under a layer of dense smog. This could be due to the increased population and fewer amount of deaths, technological advances have allowed scientists to re-generate body parts and sometimes entire bodies from a limb as small as the hand, as long as there are live cells still remaining. Whilst preserving life is a positive outcome achieved in the future world, it is suggested that an imbalance of technological resources and research can result in poverty and loss of other life; the life of the earth and nature. Besson not only explores the notion of the regeneration of life, but also the idea of engineering life, and the consequences it may cause. This is demonstrated through the dialogue employed by scientist Macilburgh in the film, “This cell is like a huge library. It has infinite genetic knowledge stored inside. Almost like it was...engineered… His knowledge is probably limitless.. The idea that an engineered being has limitless knowledge. What does this mean for the future?” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995). In the initial scene of meeting Korben Dallas, we are presented with an automatic heroin. As Dallas attempts to leave his cubicle sized apartment he is confronted by street mugger with a “Z140 Alleviated Titanium Neuro charged assault model” weapon. (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995). An unperturbed Dallas humorously tells the mugger how to correctly load the weapon, and swift-fully seizes the weapon from the mugger. On cue, a storage compartment comes to Dallas’s side where there are more than 20 weapons stored. This comically suggests mugging is a common part of the future, too common that when faced with a gun it is no longer frightening. The indifference Besson conveys through Dallas’s response suggests it is no more uncommon than a hover craft car chase, or for today’s world, a pet owner walking their dog. The economic world conveyed reveals the high-speed lives that people most function at in order to keep up with the technological world surrounding them. This is supported through the constant noises used in the background sound of the music. It is highlighted when Dallas is abruptly awoken by several noises his apartment was making, including a cigarette dispensing machine that offers automated encouragement to quit smoking “to quit is our goal” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995), when ironically, the cigarettes of the future have an inverted tobacco to filter ratio. (Hobberman, J. 1997). The economy depicts a sense of ‘not enough time’, the world is operating at full-speed and shows no likeliness of slowing down.
Besson’s portrayal of the social world includes heavily advanced technologies, so advanced that human interactions have gone beyond physical contact and has been replaced with technological mediums of communications. The world conjured demonstrates a substantial reliance on technological devices, which has further isolated humans. Protagonist Korben Dallas, faces a continuous struggle with intimacy issues throughout the duration of the film. It is shown that Dallas has only one or two people with whom he holds a relationship with, and is depicted as a telephone relationship. Having very few relationships one would make the assumption they would be resilient, however, it is discovered that this is not the case, Dallas speaks with his mother on the phone who appears to be angry at him, “Don’t tell me you machine [answering machine] is broken those things last thousands of years” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995), this dialogue is employed in the text almost as if to explain the severity of the issue that disconnectedness poses on society. Aside from his telephone communications, he has a short number of superficial relationships where he demonstrates better communication and openness with, the scene where the floating Thai restaurant is anchored to Dallas’s apartment window validates the intimacy and connection Dallas desires, that he will willingly confess his personal problems to a random chef, “The last two messages I got? The first one was from my wife telling me she was leaving! And the second was from my lawyer telling me he was leaving too... with my wife”. Accompanying this notion is the ironic portrayal of priest, Father Cornelius, sitting at a bar confessing his issues to a robotic bartender, this juxtaposition depicts the disconnected relationship among human beings, as it would be assumed a priest would confess his problems unto his God, not an impassive robot. “I feel so guilty… I know she was made to be strong but she’s also so fragile… So human. You know what I mean?” The robot bartender responds shaking his head and offering the priest another drink.
The relationship demonstrated between Dallas and his cat places emphasis on the idea that intimacy is an integral part of human life and with the excessive overuse of electronic gadgets it has gradually diminished over time; resulting in a human/cat relationship to be the most treasured in his life. Besson further demonstrates the notion that communication technologies have exceeded physical interaction into solitary, digital forms through the sequence of dialogue between Dallas and his car; “Welcome on board Mr. Dallas”, “How you doing this morning? Sleep OK? I didn’t.” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995). These scenes form the basis which adds gravity to the fascination Dallas experiences with Leeloo, The Fifth Element. The intimacy he craves overlaps with Leeloo’s isolated life. She is depicted as the world’s most perfect, Supreme Being, her knowledge is limitless yet it is only knowledge, she has been unable to experience anything for herself. This addition to her character reflects humanity in the 23rd century. It suggests that the immeasurable knowledge and technology the world now holds has prevented individual growth and the development of social communication skills. The juxtaposition of Diva Plavalaguna singing opera and Leeloo’s first fight scene is a significant turning point in the film. It reveals a scene filled with raw emotion, this is the first time the audience views Dallas in a vulnerable state; his macho, heroin façade disappears and his true despair can be seen beyond his persona. Simultaneously revealed is the vulnerability of Leeloo, it conveys that even the Supreme Being faces struggles as do all humans. The personification of character Ruby Rhods is an original imaginative addition to the film and suggests the re-invention of radio communications. (Jordan Press & publishing Co, 2006) Ruby Rhod’s show popularity denotes the yearning humans feel for basic communication means and the intimate nature of the host’s voice. (Sawchuk, A, 2013). Ruby Rhod symbolizes an escape from everyday life, that there is life beyond the small cubicles of the future that people call home. Cultural communication in the 23rd century can no longer provide people with the physical requirement outlined as ‘Need of Love, Affection and Belongingness’ (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Besson exaggerates the disconnected relationship among humans in the future with the ironic scene where Priest Cornelius is threatened by Zorg. Zorg starts to choke and begins pressing buttons on his desk making the room come alive with technological gadgets, Priest Cornelius responds “Where’s the robot to pat you on the back?” It is suggested that limitless technology can not save the disconnectedness of humanity, contradicting an important aspect of technology purposes. The economic and social world conjured in Luc Besson’s film displays similar aspects to today’s current time, however the technological advances in terms of science and engineering represented in the film are in the very distant future from our world today. Communication technologies depicted are familiar to the world today, with very few differences, however, it has been exaggerated to have surpassed physical communication interactions and suggests a possible issue with the direction the world is headed in. The Fifth Element suggests that with over use, our world could be leading to a more connected technological environment, however, with contradicting results in the disconnection of social interaction among humans. The economic state appears to be almost equivalent to current times, it is apparent there is disruption and law breakers with authority figures trying to control society. Society is headed in the direction of the imagined world, though it remains to be in the very distant future.
References
Chandler, D., & Munday, R. (2011). A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/view/10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001/acref-9780199568758-e-0619?rskey=Om9Tvs&result=1
Prucher, J. (2006). The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction. Oxford University Press, Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/view/10.1093/acref/9780195305678.001.0001/acref-9780195305678-e-100?rskey=Om9Tvs&result=2
Besson, L., & Kamen, R. (1995). The Fifth Element, The (1997) movie script. Retrieved from http://sfy.ru/?script=fifth_element
Hoberman, J. (1997). The Fifth Element. The Village Voice. Vol. 42, Issue. 20 Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/docview/232196007
Sawchuk, A., (2013). The Fifth Element. Where’s the robot to pat you on the back? Bright Wall / Dark Room Magazine. Retrieved From http://brightwalldarkroom.com/post/41447174640/the-fifth-element-1997
Carder, T., (1997). The Fifth Element. Entertainment Media Analysis Report. Retrieved from http://www.capalert.com/capreports/fifthelem.htm
Choose a cyberpunk story or movie. Compare the economic and social world it conjures with the real world today. How close is this imagined world to our world and are we moving towards the imagined world or away from it?
Cyberpunk is the term derived from the combination of words; cybernetics and punk. This “subgenre of science fiction focuses on the effects on society and individuals of advanced computer technology, artificial intelligence, and bionic implants in an increasingly global culture” (Oxford, 2012). Cyberpunk depicts the “blurring distinctions between humans and machines in bleak dystopias with lawless subcultures.” (Chandler, D & Munday, R 2012). This distinction is conveyed in Luc Besson’s, The Fifth Element (1997), with his vision of the world in year 2214. This film explores the notion of cyberpunk, whilst simultaneously portraying themes; Good vs. Evil in the depiction of the economic world, and the notion that communication technology has surpassed physical interactions within the social world.
The portrayal of the economic world in the 23rd century appears to be over-populated and somewhat in a state of anarchy. New York City has been built upwards high enough for the ground not to be visible, leaving the old New York City of today under a layer of dense smog. This could be due to the increased population and fewer amount of deaths, technological advances have allowed scientists to re-generate body parts and sometimes entire bodies from a limb as small as the hand, as long as there are live cells still remaining. Whilst preserving life is a positive outcome achieved in the future world, it is suggested that an imbalance of technological resources and research can result in poverty and loss of other life; the life of the earth and nature. Besson not only explores the notion of the regeneration of life, but also the idea of engineering life, and the consequences it may cause. This is demonstrated through the dialogue employed by scientist Macilburgh in the film, “This cell is like a huge library. It has infinite genetic knowledge stored inside. Almost like it was...engineered… His knowledge is probably limitless.. The idea that an engineered being has limitless knowledge. What does this mean for the future?” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995). In the initial scene of meeting Korben Dallas, we are presented with an automatic heroin. As Dallas attempts to leave his cubicle sized apartment he is confronted by street mugger with a “Z140 Alleviated Titanium Neuro charged assault model” weapon. (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995). An unperturbed Dallas humorously tells the mugger how to correctly load the weapon, and swift-fully seizes the weapon from the mugger. On cue, a storage compartment comes to Dallas’s side where there are more than 20 weapons stored. This comically suggests mugging is a common part of the future, too common that when faced with a gun it is no longer frightening. The indifference Besson conveys through Dallas’s response suggests it is no more uncommon than a hover craft car chase, or for today’s world, a pet owner walking their dog. The economic world conveyed reveals the high-speed lives that people most function at in order to keep up with the technological world surrounding them. This is supported through the constant noises used in the background sound of the music. It is highlighted when Dallas is abruptly awoken by several noises his apartment was making, including a cigarette dispensing machine that offers automated encouragement to quit smoking “to quit is our goal” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995), when ironically, the cigarettes of the future have an inverted tobacco to filter ratio. (Hobberman, J. 1997). The economy depicts a sense of ‘not enough time’, the world is operating at full-speed and shows no likeliness of slowing down.
Besson’s portrayal of the social world includes heavily advanced technologies, so advanced that human interactions have gone beyond physical contact and has been replaced with technological mediums of communications. The world conjured demonstrates a substantial reliance on technological devices, which has further isolated humans. Protagonist Korben Dallas, faces a continuous struggle with intimacy issues throughout the duration of the film. It is shown that Dallas has only one or two people with whom he holds a relationship with, and is depicted as a telephone relationship. Having very few relationships one would make the assumption they would be resilient, however, it is discovered that this is not the case, Dallas speaks with his mother on the phone who appears to be angry at him, “Don’t tell me you machine [answering machine] is broken those things last thousands of years” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995), this dialogue is employed in the text almost as if to explain the severity of the issue that disconnectedness poses on society. Aside from his telephone communications, he has a short number of superficial relationships where he demonstrates better communication and openness with, the scene where the floating Thai restaurant is anchored to Dallas’s apartment window validates the intimacy and connection Dallas desires, that he will willingly confess his personal problems to a random chef, “The last two messages I got? The first one was from my wife telling me she was leaving! And the second was from my lawyer telling me he was leaving too... with my wife”. Accompanying this notion is the ironic portrayal of priest, Father Cornelius, sitting at a bar confessing his issues to a robotic bartender, this juxtaposition depicts the disconnected relationship among human beings, as it would be assumed a priest would confess his problems unto his God, not an impassive robot. “I feel so guilty… I know she was made to be strong but she’s also so fragile… So human. You know what I mean?” The robot bartender responds shaking his head and offering the priest another drink.
The relationship demonstrated between Dallas and his cat places emphasis on the idea that intimacy is an integral part of human life and with the excessive overuse of electronic gadgets it has gradually diminished over time; resulting in a human/cat relationship to be the most treasured in his life. Besson further demonstrates the notion that communication technologies have exceeded physical interaction into solitary, digital forms through the sequence of dialogue between Dallas and his car; “Welcome on board Mr. Dallas”, “How you doing this morning? Sleep OK? I didn’t.” (Besson, L & Kamen, R 1995). These scenes form the basis which adds gravity to the fascination Dallas experiences with Leeloo, The Fifth Element. The intimacy he craves overlaps with Leeloo’s isolated life. She is depicted as the world’s most perfect, Supreme Being, her knowledge is limitless yet it is only knowledge, she has been unable to experience anything for herself. This addition to her character reflects humanity in the 23rd century. It suggests that the immeasurable knowledge and technology the world now holds has prevented individual growth and the development of social communication skills. The juxtaposition of Diva Plavalaguna singing opera and Leeloo’s first fight scene is a significant turning point in the film. It reveals a scene filled with raw emotion, this is the first time the audience views Dallas in a vulnerable state; his macho, heroin façade disappears and his true despair can be seen beyond his persona. Simultaneously revealed is the vulnerability of Leeloo, it conveys that even the Supreme Being faces struggles as do all humans. The personification of character Ruby Rhods is an original imaginative addition to the film and suggests the re-invention of radio communications. (Jordan Press & publishing Co, 2006) Ruby Rhod’s show popularity denotes the yearning humans feel for basic communication means and the intimate nature of the host’s voice. (Sawchuk, A, 2013). Ruby Rhod symbolizes an escape from everyday life, that there is life beyond the small cubicles of the future that people call home. Cultural communication in the 23rd century can no longer provide people with the physical requirement outlined as ‘Need of Love, Affection and Belongingness’ (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Besson exaggerates the disconnected relationship among humans in the future with the ironic scene where Priest Cornelius is threatened by Zorg. Zorg starts to choke and begins pressing buttons on his desk making the room come alive with technological gadgets, Priest Cornelius responds “Where’s the robot to pat you on the back?” It is suggested that limitless technology can not save the disconnectedness of humanity, contradicting an important aspect of technology purposes. The economic and social world conjured in Luc Besson’s film displays similar aspects to today’s current time, however the technological advances in terms of science and engineering represented in the film are in the very distant future from our world today. Communication technologies depicted are familiar to the world today, with very few differences, however, it has been exaggerated to have surpassed physical communication interactions and suggests a possible issue with the direction the world is headed in. The Fifth Element suggests that with over use, our world could be leading to a more connected technological environment, however, with contradicting results in the disconnection of social interaction among humans. The economic state appears to be almost equivalent to current times, it is apparent there is disruption and law breakers with authority figures trying to control society. Society is headed in the direction of the imagined world, though it remains to be in the very distant future.
References
Chandler, D., & Munday, R. (2011). A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/view/10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001/acref-9780199568758-e-0619?rskey=Om9Tvs&result=1
Prucher, J. (2006). The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction. Oxford University Press, Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/view/10.1093/acref/9780195305678.001.0001/acref-9780195305678-e-100?rskey=Om9Tvs&result=2
Besson, L., & Kamen, R. (1995). The Fifth Element, The (1997) movie script. Retrieved from http://sfy.ru/?script=fifth_element
Hoberman, J. (1997). The Fifth Element. The Village Voice. Vol. 42, Issue. 20 Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/docview/232196007
Sawchuk, A., (2013). The Fifth Element. Where’s the robot to pat you on the back? Bright Wall / Dark Room Magazine. Retrieved From http://brightwalldarkroom.com/post/41447174640/the-fifth-element-1997
Carder, T., (1997). The Fifth Element. Entertainment Media Analysis Report. Retrieved from http://www.capalert.com/capreports/fifthelem.htm
Essay Development
Post your essay plan as your work in progress.
What is your topic?
Choose a cyberpunk story or movie. Compare the economic and social world it conjures with the real world today. How close is this imagined world to our world and are we moving towards the imagined world or away from it?
Selected movie = The Fifth Element (1997)
What is your position? Our world today and the imagined world are very far apart. Some aspects of the world conjured ie; regenerating human life from remaining limbs would be an incredible scientific achievement, whether we will be that far along by 2214 it is hard to say. However some aspects I feel we may have already over taken, or perhaps it is because of the 'old' 1997 special effects that make it seem more outdated. Movie technology has improved unimaginable amounts over the past decade. I only wish I would be here in 2214 so I could see if we have hover cars and food appearing from tiny button looking pieces. I think Luc Besson has done an incredible job with this film, his imagination is out of this world - literally.
Analyse the elements of the topic. Sketch your response to each of the elements.
I divided the elements into two sections; the economic world and the social world. The economic world consisting of Good vs. Evil - Love, and the social world consisting of themes, the idea that communication technology has surpassed physical interactions within the social world.
What conclusion does that bring you to?
I conclude that we are definitely heading in this super technological advanced world that Luc Besson has conveyed. Wether it will be to the same extent is unknown, he has incorporated a lot of humour and irony into the technology aspects. Perhaps we will be more sustainable and better off economically than portrayed.
Choose a cyberpunk story or movie. Compare the economic and social world it conjures with the real world today. How close is this imagined world to our world and are we moving towards the imagined world or away from it?
Selected movie = The Fifth Element (1997)
What is your position? Our world today and the imagined world are very far apart. Some aspects of the world conjured ie; regenerating human life from remaining limbs would be an incredible scientific achievement, whether we will be that far along by 2214 it is hard to say. However some aspects I feel we may have already over taken, or perhaps it is because of the 'old' 1997 special effects that make it seem more outdated. Movie technology has improved unimaginable amounts over the past decade. I only wish I would be here in 2214 so I could see if we have hover cars and food appearing from tiny button looking pieces. I think Luc Besson has done an incredible job with this film, his imagination is out of this world - literally.
Analyse the elements of the topic. Sketch your response to each of the elements.
I divided the elements into two sections; the economic world and the social world. The economic world consisting of Good vs. Evil - Love, and the social world consisting of themes, the idea that communication technology has surpassed physical interactions within the social world.
What conclusion does that bring you to?
I conclude that we are definitely heading in this super technological advanced world that Luc Besson has conveyed. Wether it will be to the same extent is unknown, he has incorporated a lot of humour and irony into the technology aspects. Perhaps we will be more sustainable and better off economically than portrayed.
Sunday 8 September 2013
Assessment 2: Essay Topic
Decisions Decisions,
Originally I was going to pick this essay topic;
Does the extensive use of social media have a positive or negative impact on the health of young people. What are the most recent academic papers on this topic? Clarify what all sides of the argument claim and only then offer your reasoned opinion based on facts.
I feel there would be a lot of resources available for this topic, it sounds very interesting and appropriate for current times...
But now I think I am going to do this essay topic;
Choose a cyberpunk story or movie. Compare the economic and social world it conjures with the real world today. How close is this imagined world to our world and are we moving towards the imagined world or away from it?
I like studying movies so I feel this topic is very fitting for my essay.
And for the movie I will choose between either; The Fifth Element (1997), The Matrix (1999), Artificial Intelligence (2001) or i,Robot (2004).
There's too many choices!
Originally I was going to pick this essay topic;
Does the extensive use of social media have a positive or negative impact on the health of young people. What are the most recent academic papers on this topic? Clarify what all sides of the argument claim and only then offer your reasoned opinion based on facts.
I feel there would be a lot of resources available for this topic, it sounds very interesting and appropriate for current times...
But now I think I am going to do this essay topic;
Choose a cyberpunk story or movie. Compare the economic and social world it conjures with the real world today. How close is this imagined world to our world and are we moving towards the imagined world or away from it?
I like studying movies so I feel this topic is very fitting for my essay.
And for the movie I will choose between either; The Fifth Element (1997), The Matrix (1999), Artificial Intelligence (2001) or i,Robot (2004).
There's too many choices!
Thursday 29 August 2013
Done and Dusted
This post will conclude my first assessment for NCT. It was a fantastic assignment, one that i did not hate doing which is great! I wish i had more assessments like this in my other classes, much more interactive and interesting than the old and boring lit reviews or reports blah blah blah. Please note that my referencing is provided in the comment sections of my posts.
Thankyou, over and out.
Thankyou, over and out.
Politics and the Internet
According to Vote Compass my political position is The L/NP. Which was my expected outcome. It's a very interesting and useful tool.
E-Petition I signed a local e-petition!
TWEED SHIRE COUNCIL: Say No to Paid Parking On The Tweed Coast
This e-petition is to stop the Tweed Heads council from introducing paid parking at all boat ramps and parks along the river.
This local issue I feel very strongly about. One of my favourite pass times is to go down to the river for the day, have a BBQ or picnic and have a fun day with friends and family. We set the gazebo up, have music, play cricket. I love watersports, between me and my friends we have a boat, jetski and paddle boards. Going down to the Tweed River is where i spend most my time in summer, so if the council were to introduce paid parking in the area, this would affect me greatly. I am strongly against this and was happy to spread the word through my facebook account and to get more supporters to sign the petition.
Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.
This task i chose not to do. The reason i chose against doing this was because I am not very involved with the News. I should be, and would like to be more involved and aware of the news and current affairs. However, i hardly follow it. On the odd occasion i will flick through my dads Sunday paper (only because i am looking for the 'Escape' travel section) and that is the extent of my news following. I work at night times in a pharmacy so don't even watch the evening news. As I am "news-illiterate" as i am calling myself, I believe i do not have any worthiness to post to a professional blogger of a major news site. I do not have enough knowledge to have an input at this point in time.
What is Barak Obama up to today?
Can you send him a message about the importance of freedom on the internet?
Today President Obama is attending a Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest at 12:45pm.
According to the Presidents Schedule - August 29. 2013. Which can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule.
I wish not to send the President of America a message about the importance of freedom on the internet. He is a busy man and i don't think a 21 year old Australian University student stressing their opinion regarding importance of freedom of the internet will be a concern to him. It will only waste mine and his time and i have greater political issues i would rather focus on and put my time and energy into.
What are/were the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")?
The Government planned on implementing a internet censorship through provision of a mandatory 'clean feed' internet service for all homes, schools and public computers. The implementation of 'clean feed' will allow ISPs to filter out websites (between 1,000 to 10,000 websites) that were deemed prohibited by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The aim of this 'Clean Feed' was to ensure children are 'protected from harmful and inappropriate online material'. This censorship has had considerable disapproval as it is 'unnecessary. illegitimate and irrational governmental interference into the public sphere' and with no specific outlined criteria of the 'blocking' the government suggested no only will it filter and block child pornography, but it may also block 'unwanted content'. (Travaglione, 2009, p.2)
What place does censorship have in a democracy?
Censorship being the act of suppressing or removing explicit or unacceptable material from public view/ society, has been implemented for our protection, especially children. But can government censorship go to far? Along with our freedom of speech that we are given, there also comes responsibilities and ethical manners of our actions that are expected of us. I believe in democracy, Yes, censorship is essential, but i think sometimes the government can go on a 'power-trip' and take it too far, ie; the Clean Feed example discussed in the above paragraph.
When will the NBN get to your place? What are the benefits?
Planning has started for the NBN roll out in Tweed!
According to MP Justine Elliot, NBN rollout in the Tweed is expected to be finished by 2015. Giving the Tweed area wholesale download speeds of up to 25 megabytes per second and upload speeds of 5 megabytes per second (25/5)
The top 10 benefits of the NBN, according to David Braue of the APC Mag are;
1. Telehealth
"Nurses and doctors will use the NBN to conduct natural video consults with remote patients, monitor life-sustaining medical equipment in patients’ homes, and run live therapy and exercise sessions with rural patients who will no longer have to travel hundreds of kilometres to capital-city specialists." (Braue, 2011) Much better than via the telephone.
2. Remote learning "Many schools have fibre connections, but sharing them amongst 1,000 or more users means slow internet. The NBN will speed overall school performance and let students participate in faraway classes using interactive whiteboarding and videoconferencing from their homes. In rural areas – where small schools can't offer many essential classes, virtual classes will link students across large geographical distances and make otherwise unviable classes possible." (Braue, 2011).
3. Videoconferencing
"Skype offers video over the internet for free. But quality and bandwidth varies online, and those depending on Skype are often disappointed. On the NBN, increased bandwidth and guaranteed quality will ensure a better-quality result all around – whether you’re running Skype or using videoconferencing as part of other services. This opens up tremendous possibilities: communicate with loved ones; learn a new language; conduct corporate board meetings without the cost or travelling."(Braue, 2011).
4. Gaming
"Online gamers know about bad by bad ping times. It may seem like a frivolous application for the NBN, but around 1 million Australian households are signed up to the PlayStation Network alone. With gaming a multi billion-dollar market, improved ping times, speed and reliability will give your gaming a new lease of life. Ditto in-game voice and video chats, which the NBN will handle without flinching." (Braue, 2011).
5. Smart Homes
"Smart meters – expensive boxes that will track your energy usage in real time – will be permanent links to the outside world. Logging into your home’s security system to watch your dog while away, review video of the guy who just made off with your jewellery, or turn off the lights and iron you left on in the rush out the door." (Braue, 2011).
6. Working from Home
"Adequate broadband helps them take their work home with them and participate in team meetings via videoconferencing. The NBN will let you be at work even when you can’t be at work." (Braue, 2011).
7. Media & Entertainment
"IPTV will bring services like Foxtel and FetchTV to all Australians. On-demand movie services will let you stream HD movies to your TV in real time. Better upload speeds to push content to your smartphone. Hosted music services will stream and play music. Play multiplayer online games hosted on remote servers. Share videos without having to waiting for upload. Bandwidth will no longer be an obstacle." (Braue, 2011).
8. Faster two-way internet
"The NBN will make internet more reliable and faster. This not only improves your internet experience significantly, but lets you bring more services into your home at the same time. Equally important are increased upload speeds: there’s no point having fast download speeds if the people at the other end can’t send you data quickly. The NBN will raise the bar and improve the online experience for everyone." (Braue, 2011).
9. Interactive shopping
"Imagine standing in front of your computer, with a Microsoft Kinect-like camera on you and reading your movements to control an on-screen avatar. Adjust your avatar with your own real measurements, then take it to your favourite online store and try on different combinations of clothes. Online merchants may have a long way to go still, but – as Second Life showed so well – creating virtual worlds, and shopping in them, is more than possible when you have heaps and heaps of bandwidth."(Braue, 2011).
10. Reach Out & Touch Someone
The NBN’s low latency lets you interact with people as if you were with them. Researchers are adding new dimensions to these experiences by building ‘haptic’ systems that transmit touch and movement over the NBN. Squeeze a haptic controller, for example, and your physiotherapist on the other end of the session will feel your grip from far away." (Braue, 2011).
Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are. Send one a message.
My local representative is Malcolm Fraser. NSW State premier is Barry O'Farrell. Federal representative Tony Abbott.
I wish not to send one of these members a message, again for the same reasons as i did not wish to send President Obama a message. I do not have enough knowledge about the topic to message them about something. If i followed the politics and felt strongly about something i would be more than happy to message one of these representatives, but at this point in time there is no issue that i have enough knowledge on that i wish to send them a message about.
Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament. My current local member is MP Justine Elliot, her last speech in parliament was Monday, 24 June 2013. Justine Elliot Speech
Let your local member know what you think about their last speech.
Interestingly her speech was on Cyberbullying and Cybersafety. How relevant to this course! In short this is about the dangers children face online in regards to bullying, she has thrown in a couple of statistics about internet usage among young people. She also acknowledges how this digital revolution has changed our modern way of living. She talks about the Labour party and funding programs they are doing to make the internet a safer place for children, (Stay Smart Online website and provided for the Australian Communications and Media Authority's Cybersmart program, Cybersafety Help Button and the Easy Guide to Socialising Online). She also discusses the roll out of the NBN. Again, i wish to not contact my local member of parliament. I am against this as an individual and wish not to do so. I am not a fan of time wasting, and all i would let her know is yeah it was interesting as it is relevant to one of my current courses, however, i have heard more than enough about cyberbullying and cybersafety in the last few years and quite honestly am sick of hearing about it. Especially on TV shows like ACA, i can not stand them. So my comment on the speech is not worthy enough to send to her in a message.
E-Petition I signed a local e-petition!
TWEED SHIRE COUNCIL: Say No to Paid Parking On The Tweed Coast
This e-petition is to stop the Tweed Heads council from introducing paid parking at all boat ramps and parks along the river.
This local issue I feel very strongly about. One of my favourite pass times is to go down to the river for the day, have a BBQ or picnic and have a fun day with friends and family. We set the gazebo up, have music, play cricket. I love watersports, between me and my friends we have a boat, jetski and paddle boards. Going down to the Tweed River is where i spend most my time in summer, so if the council were to introduce paid parking in the area, this would affect me greatly. I am strongly against this and was happy to spread the word through my facebook account and to get more supporters to sign the petition.
Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.
This task i chose not to do. The reason i chose against doing this was because I am not very involved with the News. I should be, and would like to be more involved and aware of the news and current affairs. However, i hardly follow it. On the odd occasion i will flick through my dads Sunday paper (only because i am looking for the 'Escape' travel section) and that is the extent of my news following. I work at night times in a pharmacy so don't even watch the evening news. As I am "news-illiterate" as i am calling myself, I believe i do not have any worthiness to post to a professional blogger of a major news site. I do not have enough knowledge to have an input at this point in time.
What is Barak Obama up to today?
Can you send him a message about the importance of freedom on the internet?
Today President Obama is attending a Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest at 12:45pm.
According to the Presidents Schedule - August 29. 2013. Which can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule.
I wish not to send the President of America a message about the importance of freedom on the internet. He is a busy man and i don't think a 21 year old Australian University student stressing their opinion regarding importance of freedom of the internet will be a concern to him. It will only waste mine and his time and i have greater political issues i would rather focus on and put my time and energy into.
What are/were the Australian Government's plans to censor the internet (the so-called "Clean Feed")?
The Government planned on implementing a internet censorship through provision of a mandatory 'clean feed' internet service for all homes, schools and public computers. The implementation of 'clean feed' will allow ISPs to filter out websites (between 1,000 to 10,000 websites) that were deemed prohibited by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The aim of this 'Clean Feed' was to ensure children are 'protected from harmful and inappropriate online material'. This censorship has had considerable disapproval as it is 'unnecessary. illegitimate and irrational governmental interference into the public sphere' and with no specific outlined criteria of the 'blocking' the government suggested no only will it filter and block child pornography, but it may also block 'unwanted content'. (Travaglione, 2009, p.2)
What place does censorship have in a democracy?
Censorship being the act of suppressing or removing explicit or unacceptable material from public view/ society, has been implemented for our protection, especially children. But can government censorship go to far? Along with our freedom of speech that we are given, there also comes responsibilities and ethical manners of our actions that are expected of us. I believe in democracy, Yes, censorship is essential, but i think sometimes the government can go on a 'power-trip' and take it too far, ie; the Clean Feed example discussed in the above paragraph.
When will the NBN get to your place? What are the benefits?
Planning has started for the NBN roll out in Tweed!
According to MP Justine Elliot, NBN rollout in the Tweed is expected to be finished by 2015. Giving the Tweed area wholesale download speeds of up to 25 megabytes per second and upload speeds of 5 megabytes per second (25/5)
The top 10 benefits of the NBN, according to David Braue of the APC Mag are;
1. Telehealth
"Nurses and doctors will use the NBN to conduct natural video consults with remote patients, monitor life-sustaining medical equipment in patients’ homes, and run live therapy and exercise sessions with rural patients who will no longer have to travel hundreds of kilometres to capital-city specialists." (Braue, 2011) Much better than via the telephone.
2. Remote learning "Many schools have fibre connections, but sharing them amongst 1,000 or more users means slow internet. The NBN will speed overall school performance and let students participate in faraway classes using interactive whiteboarding and videoconferencing from their homes. In rural areas – where small schools can't offer many essential classes, virtual classes will link students across large geographical distances and make otherwise unviable classes possible." (Braue, 2011).
3. Videoconferencing
"Skype offers video over the internet for free. But quality and bandwidth varies online, and those depending on Skype are often disappointed. On the NBN, increased bandwidth and guaranteed quality will ensure a better-quality result all around – whether you’re running Skype or using videoconferencing as part of other services. This opens up tremendous possibilities: communicate with loved ones; learn a new language; conduct corporate board meetings without the cost or travelling."(Braue, 2011).
4. Gaming
"Online gamers know about bad by bad ping times. It may seem like a frivolous application for the NBN, but around 1 million Australian households are signed up to the PlayStation Network alone. With gaming a multi billion-dollar market, improved ping times, speed and reliability will give your gaming a new lease of life. Ditto in-game voice and video chats, which the NBN will handle without flinching." (Braue, 2011).
5. Smart Homes
"Smart meters – expensive boxes that will track your energy usage in real time – will be permanent links to the outside world. Logging into your home’s security system to watch your dog while away, review video of the guy who just made off with your jewellery, or turn off the lights and iron you left on in the rush out the door." (Braue, 2011).
6. Working from Home
"Adequate broadband helps them take their work home with them and participate in team meetings via videoconferencing. The NBN will let you be at work even when you can’t be at work." (Braue, 2011).
7. Media & Entertainment
"IPTV will bring services like Foxtel and FetchTV to all Australians. On-demand movie services will let you stream HD movies to your TV in real time. Better upload speeds to push content to your smartphone. Hosted music services will stream and play music. Play multiplayer online games hosted on remote servers. Share videos without having to waiting for upload. Bandwidth will no longer be an obstacle." (Braue, 2011).
8. Faster two-way internet
"The NBN will make internet more reliable and faster. This not only improves your internet experience significantly, but lets you bring more services into your home at the same time. Equally important are increased upload speeds: there’s no point having fast download speeds if the people at the other end can’t send you data quickly. The NBN will raise the bar and improve the online experience for everyone." (Braue, 2011).
9. Interactive shopping
"Imagine standing in front of your computer, with a Microsoft Kinect-like camera on you and reading your movements to control an on-screen avatar. Adjust your avatar with your own real measurements, then take it to your favourite online store and try on different combinations of clothes. Online merchants may have a long way to go still, but – as Second Life showed so well – creating virtual worlds, and shopping in them, is more than possible when you have heaps and heaps of bandwidth."(Braue, 2011).
10. Reach Out & Touch Someone
The NBN’s low latency lets you interact with people as if you were with them. Researchers are adding new dimensions to these experiences by building ‘haptic’ systems that transmit touch and movement over the NBN. Squeeze a haptic controller, for example, and your physiotherapist on the other end of the session will feel your grip from far away." (Braue, 2011).
Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are. Send one a message.
My local representative is Malcolm Fraser. NSW State premier is Barry O'Farrell. Federal representative Tony Abbott.
I wish not to send one of these members a message, again for the same reasons as i did not wish to send President Obama a message. I do not have enough knowledge about the topic to message them about something. If i followed the politics and felt strongly about something i would be more than happy to message one of these representatives, but at this point in time there is no issue that i have enough knowledge on that i wish to send them a message about.
Look up the Queensland or Australian Hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament. My current local member is MP Justine Elliot, her last speech in parliament was Monday, 24 June 2013. Justine Elliot Speech
Let your local member know what you think about their last speech.
Interestingly her speech was on Cyberbullying and Cybersafety. How relevant to this course! In short this is about the dangers children face online in regards to bullying, she has thrown in a couple of statistics about internet usage among young people. She also acknowledges how this digital revolution has changed our modern way of living. She talks about the Labour party and funding programs they are doing to make the internet a safer place for children, (Stay Smart Online website and provided for the Australian Communications and Media Authority's Cybersmart program, Cybersafety Help Button and the Easy Guide to Socialising Online). She also discusses the roll out of the NBN. Again, i wish to not contact my local member of parliament. I am against this as an individual and wish not to do so. I am not a fan of time wasting, and all i would let her know is yeah it was interesting as it is relevant to one of my current courses, however, i have heard more than enough about cyberbullying and cybersafety in the last few years and quite honestly am sick of hearing about it. Especially on TV shows like ACA, i can not stand them. So my comment on the speech is not worthy enough to send to her in a message.
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