Produsage

Produsage at first glance looks as if to be miss spelt and looks as if it should be producer. Which is exactly part of defining the term. To better describe the term I have used a diagram.

Produsage is when original content of any form of media for example music or a snippet of a movie is used and built upon and re distributed as a new product. Even though some form of original content is used as a basis. New forms of media such as YouTube, blogging, wikipedia and even second life are clear examples of produsers. Over time i have noticed the use of produsers and from my experience it either works really well or not at all an example that best comes to mind is when i first heard Madonna singing american pie which was was originally sung by Don Mclean. Madonna had still used the same lyrics and tune but it had been remixed and was more uptempo. At first I was quite annoyed of this rendition of the song as it had runied the original however i still found myself singing along to the ever so catchy tune. Which then i found m self loving and accepted this new form of the orginal.

With you tube being one of the ebiggest sources being used by people as produsers it isclear to see how som things become so popular in the world of cyber space. A clip which I find fantastic on youtube is evolution of dance, one man has used all original content and in the end has produced new content this was so popular it had over 144 million hits on youtube whcih can be viwed by clicking on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg.

It is absolutly astonishing to see the lack of original producers of new content that have not built upon somone else work. Bruns (2008) is author of the book Produsage:Towards a Broader Framework for User-Led Content Creation' in Creativity and Cognition. Bruns, (2008) states that “There is an absence of producers, distributors, or consumers, and the presence of a seemingly endless string of users acting incrementally as content producers by gradually extending and improving the information present in the information commons, the value chain begins and ends. What he is saying here is that we no longer are seeing producers,distributors or sonsumers yet we are just seeing users that are acting as content producers re creating and re distributing the a new form of original content. I would have to agree with this comment as we are seeing less and less original producers and distributors and sometimes we are not aware that this new content was built upon by somoene elses original content.

Through the use of these new media forms we are only going to see more of produsers and rarely producers of content. Although they will still be either be even more popular than what the original content was or disreguraded by consumers and users.

Cyber Sex

The world of cybersex is an evergrowing medium which is highly accessible and available to anyone who can use a computer and access the internet. Cyber sex is sex via the internet and comes in all forms from pornography, online chatting with and without webcam and almost anything that can be done offline can be performed online. One cybersex expert quotes a figure as high as $83 billion was spent on Internet sex in 2002, which is more than the sales of computers and software (Carnes, 2002).The world of online sex has been described as a growing problem and has been compared to being a drug as it has an addictive effect.

An article written by Ryan Singel (2004) "Internet Porn: Worse than Crack?' the writer describes the use of internet pornography being worse than the use of drugs. In a sense id have to agree with this comment as it is so easily accessible and so addictive. According to clinicians and researchers internet pornography can lead to addiction, pedophilia and ones self esteem. Based on these findings its clear to see the interntet as a perfect delivery system Singel, (2004) says this is an accessible delivery system as the recivers are able to be anonymous, aroused and have role models for these behaviors. Marry Anne Layden a director of the sexual trauma and psychopathology program at the University of Pennsylvania describes online pornography as being worse than cocaine as pornographic images stay in the brain forever and the substance of cocaine does not.

When first studying this topic its almost jokeable to think that a person could become addicted to online sex but considering that sexuality is the most frequently searched subject and the most profitable part of the Internet this is concerning. Zogby & Focus,( 2000) researched that neally 20% of all interntet users have accessed an adult internet site at one time or another. There are many reasons why so many people would access online sex as oppose to real life sex and one of the major reasons is anonymity no one has to know who you really are so their are no boundaries or social constructs preventing what you can and cant do. Secondly a person who may be unattractive or have a low self esteem would utilize on an online sexual life to avoid affecting they way they feel about themselves. An example of utilizing online sex can be seen in the virtual world of Second Life.

Sex shops and places where people can make thier avatars have virtual sex are a new feature available in this virtual world, while the real people behind the avatars are sitting on computers letting thier fingers do

the work for them. One major issue that has arose from the use of cyber sex is the question is virtual sex classed as cheating? To answer this question we have to look at the extent to what people are going to and the motives behind them. Although the actual sex is virtual and not in physical reality the people that are behind this are fulfilling real sexual fantasies and desires so who is to say whether this is cheating or not?

When researching this topic i was quite amazed by some of the figures of internet sex use i was unaware of just how popular this enterprize really was. As sex sells it seems this world of cyber sex will be ever growing and become a part of many peoples lives.With the rapid development of technology to aid in the cyberworld i cannot see it ever going out of fashion there is always going to be developments in this area.

living a second life?

If you have never heard of this term before you are bound to be either intrigued, scared and maybe even a little confused. These were my first reactions to the world of second life. Second life is a virtual online world where you create an avatar or replication of yourself where there is no limit to who and what you can be.At first glance I thought it was just another game like Sims or some other virtual but non- real online world. However on close inspection I saw it was so much more, the other people in this world have real people controlling their every move. People in this virtual world had made real jobs, lives and relationships with others and were living and working in this second world as their primary source of living. This form of social interaction is a growing culture and is heading in an upward trend.

Steven Meadows (2008) is the author of the book “I Avatar the Culture and Consequence of Having a Second Life. In the book Meadows states, “The suspension of disbelief has become a grounding belief”. In my opinion I agree with this statement the people who have avatars in second life become attached and feel real emotions and connections not only to their own avatar but also to others creating a sense of belief that this world is real to them. How do we measure what is and isn’t real when there are emotions and feelings involved and a sense of belonging. Is it really so bad to interact in another world and life if your not happy with the one you have been living. If a person is not satisfied in their real first life then it only makes sense to be able to create a world and life where you can be and do whatever you want. In a sense if you can work, live, communicate and build relationships in second life and can profit from the work you do, how is it any different from real life. When is the line drawn between reality and virtual reality in Second Life? And who should be the judge of this?

Based on the amount of members in second life it seems this virtual second world is becoming more and more popular and people are seeking more than just a place to meet new people they are living in this virtual world. However the question has to be asked does second life build a false sense of reality to the people who put their entire selves into this world? And more so how will one ever strive and achieve in their first lives if their never actually living in it.

(E) EXTREMISTS

What is extremism and what comes to mind when we think of extremism?

Extremism is defined as the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards. When thinking of the word extremist the first thing that comes to mind are images of people rallying, violence and destruction. Extremists are usually driven by prejudices such as political views, racial purity and Anti- Semitism.

Extremist individuals and groups are always looking for members to recruit that share their views and beliefs. The Internet has played a major role in aiding recruiting members as more extremist groups are making websites and utilizing them to spread their message and draw in others. As these websites are easily accessible they are being recognized at an international level and through links from other sites. It is not hard to merely stumble across one of the groups and be drawn in.

The Australia first party is a group that is utilizing the Internet to spread their ideologies and beliefs. Their main policies consist of “abolishing multiculturalism -
end the divisive, government funded and institutionalized policy of multiculturalism,” "strengthen the family - promote policies that strengthen and protect the traditional family" these phrases are quite disheartening. To see the word Australia within their website gives people the idea that all Australians share this idea which is defiantly not the case. The Australia first party could be seen as an extremist group but they execute their ideologies in a subtle way that does not come across as fanatical. It is only when you scroll throughout the sight you are aware of the white supremacy and racial unity that is expressed.

Aryan Nations is a Neo-Nazi, racial purity and Christian identity organization when clicking into this sight you are bombarded with words such as “Jew Haters”, “nuke the Israelis” and words and quotes straight from the mouth of Adolf Hitler. This sight truly expresses for me of what extremist is and how much it can vary from one group to another. The Aryan Nations offers ways to behave when being questioned by police and also never to be left unarmed to protect your family. Also suggesting that Jews and people from middle- east countries are all bad people that deserve to die a painful and grotesque death. In comparison to the Australian First Party, The Aryan Nations have been less vigilant in masking their views and also their links that teach destruction and death.

A similar extremist group to the Aryan Nation is the Hammerskin Nation! The Hammer skin nation describe themselves as a" leaderless group of men and women who have adopted the White Power Skinhead Lifestyle". Their main message is "we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children". Seeing these words is enough to make me not want to read on however with a scan throughout their site its scary to think people like this exist. The Hammerskin Nations main appeal is to a younger audience and they hold online forums and chat rooms and also concerts and events in allegiance with their views and beliefs.

With technologies advances and the impact the internet has on a global scale its easy to see how these extremists are able to recruit more followers and utilise the internet in a way that has no boundaries and is ever growing. In conclusion these extremist groups and organisations have used the internet to their advantage to spread their messages and beliefs about white supremacy and racial purity. These groups are out to destruct and and destroy through brain washing and influencing the younger generation. Instead of making peace they are causing war between different races. It is through their slain and racist viewpoints thats saddening, the fact that people are still living their lives like this and the idealism towards peace for all mankind is getting further and further away.