Week #16 Question #3

Pick one other concept in the book that you feel needs further discussion? (You can choose from ANY chapter in the book).

As communication is a very powerful tool which has been used throughout human history to alter the course of events, I thought that a section or chapter dedicated to the ethical use of speech would have been interesting. Within this section, a portion dedicated toward cultural perception of speech and its uses would also have been helpful. As the world becomes more and more globalized as each day passes it becomes vitally necessary that we learn to communicate beyond cultural bounds. In order to do this an ethical or open mided (non-ethnocentric) use of communication must be employed in order to ensure the maximum effect of information relay. A section on the implications of the use of new media forms without regulations and restrictions would have also been very interesting and would have been a good addition to the book.

Week #16 Question #2

What concept's in this class have you found most interesting? What was it about that concept's that you found interesting?

I would have to say that I found the most interesting concepts covered within the class to be tose that dealt with communication within the new realm of the Internet. The ability for people to have absolute access to information, create virtual worlds, and assume and anonymous and face-less identity are all issues which we as a society are becoming more aware of day by day. I found this concept interesting because I have experience with people who have completely dedicated their lives to living within an online world. Their motivations, and the factors that allow such access, have always been things that have fascinated me. There is nothing wrong with playing games; I am myself an avid gamer. When the game, however, takes the core identity of an individual and becomes their living motiviation...that is where problems arise and addiction sets in. A couple years ago I jokingly came up with a slogan for friends of mine who were addicted to online gaming. Now, more than ever, that slogan rings true: "LIVE IRL" (in real life)

Week #16 Question #1

(Regarding Chapter 13) Which of the research methods listed in Table 13.3 seem the most interesting? Assume you want to study some aspect of deception. Frame a research question. Which method would you choose to answer the question. Why?

As a Cultural Anthropology major the most interesting research method to me is that of ethnography. By observing behavior within its environment one is able to gain a deeper understanding of the motives of that observed individual. By following the ethnographic process one is hopefully able to avoid ethnocentric analysis as cultural emersion may help change perspective. By taking ethnography one step further, through participant observation, one is truly able to gain some direct knowledge of what it is to be a person of the observed culture. If I were asking the research question "How does Japanese culture commend and condone deception within its modern society? ethnography would be my method of choice. By living with and observing integrated members of Japanese society, along with how they and members of their social networks interact, one could then use that data to answer.

Week #13 Question #3

· Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

I found the section on Increased Surveillance as a characteristic of new media to be very interesting. Technology does allow us to perform more tasks and essentially make life easier. Technology is, hence the name, very technical and hard to understand. This is demonstrated whitin the section when they speak of internet monitoring devices such as cookies. The average internet user would be very unlikely to know what a cookie actually was, thus allowing those in control of technology to continue their monitoring tactics. For any company whose interest is to make money, it is obviously within their best interest to monitor customers and potential customers to ensure the efficiency of the whole working system. This is also true for governments. Keeping and eye on the people and being a step ahead is a governmental must. The ethics behind these practices, however, are what is to question. While the methods may be proven, do the ends justify the means?

Week #13 Question #2

· Do you agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, i.e. that the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through that channel? Evaluate his idea that television is a cool medium.

I do believe that the medium in which a message is presented is very important to the audience it is intended for. Each medium, however, has its pros and cons in use. Print media allows an infinite amount of time and space to present ideas and views to an audience. The problem here is that if the print media is too lengthy, or written in a way that cannot be understood by the masses, the audience is more likely to ignore or reject such media. Television media has the advantage of presenting a visual image to its audience which allows its message to be collected and analyzed by the audience within a mere seconds glance. The downfall to television media, however, is that time is strickly regulated and all the facts or the whole story can often times not be told. Forcing whole statements and events into a set time frame often leaves the audience ill informed. McLuhan's idea about television being a "cool medium" is one which definately applied to the Kennedy v. Nixon debate. Today, however, there would be those who would argue that cool collectiveness and hot headedness are both welcomed in media as they portray "real life". Just look at the last 10 years of "reality TV" with various casts at each others throats for whatever reason. 50 years ago it would be hard to imagine an American audience accepting a bunch of people on an island who want to kill each other for a million dollars...instead they got Gilligan. The coolness and hotness of the medium has changed along with that of the American culture. Around the world these attitudes toward the television medium and its relative hotness or collness depend on the cultures using the medium.

Week #13 Question #1

· Have you made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace? If so, how are they different from f2f relationships? If you have not formed cyber relationships, why not?

Yes, I have made friendships that exist solely in cyberspace. I have also made face to face friendships which have then moved into cyberspace due to a separation of great distance. When it comes to cyberspace friendships that revolve around a massive multiplayer game (such as World of WarCraft [WoW] for example) your interactions are much more limited than in a face to face relationship. Now, this is not to say that you and your friends you met on WoW are doomed to only interact on WoW...you're just more likely to interact within the realm of a game. Cyberspace relationships that revolve around blogging and personal pages (MySpace, FaceBook) are still lacking when compared to face to face relationships but, I believe, have more room for adaptation and growth than in a cyberspace gaming relationship. The lack of face to face communication, participating in varrying physical and mental activities, and physical proximity are the main factors which separate face to face relationships from cyber relationships.

Week #12 Question #2

· Review the etiquette rules suggested in the text. Respond to each one. Have you ever been bothered by cell phone, answering machines, or beepers? What do you feel about call waiting? Is it rude to put people on hold to take another call?

I agree with the cell phone etiquette rules listed in the text. I have experienced many times people who do not care to follow these rules (at the movies, in the library, even in the middle of class) and have found that often the conversations that ensue are absolutely trivial. People should use their phones only during emergencies when stuck in a public situation. When it comes to answering machines I agree to a point. If you have a non-private line that you use for business purposes then yes, you should use discretion when making your message. If you do not then it is at your discretion. When leaving messages I do agree that a short message that gets to the point is best when ever possible. In my work experience conference calls are always tricky. Having 15+ people on one call can lead to confusion. It is very important to announce yourself before speaking. Fax etiquette is also important since no one wants to receive unsolicited faxes. Also, whenever possible, info should be sent via e-mail to save paper (money) resources. The time one picks for communication is also very important since calling at the wrong or inappropriate time can start the conversation off on the wrong note. Screen name and ring tone discretion are only valid when used in the public. If you are going to announce your screen name at your business or for business purposes then having a Politically Correct screen name would be wise. Ring tones again are at one's own discretion but I believe that while at work phones should be on vibrate or silent. I have been bothered by cell phones, beepers, and answering machines in the past and have found that I dislike communicating through those mediums. I believe call waiting should only be used when receiving and emergency phone call as it is very rude to leave someone hanging on the line (especially when air minutes are translated into cold hard cash).