Summative Blog: Responses to Comments (Module 3)

Good evening!

 

In my previous blog I discussed the website called Wikipedia. I am taking this time to reply to the comments on that blog post. The site has its pros and cons, and the comments bring out great points. I greatly appreciate every comment, and I hope I can clarify anything that needs to be.

 

From the first comment the person argued that his experience with Wikipedia has nothing but positive, however, never using the site for anything academic. He agreed with my point that Wikipedia is easily accessible, and how it is available you anyone by his or her fingertips. He also pointed out the wide range of topics that the website has. This statement connects to my reply to the next comment. The next person reasoned that they thought it was ‘strange’ that I did not address the reading that the Wikipedia article had fewer mistakes than the printed encyclopedia on the same subject. As the first comment brought to light there is many different articles on the site, thousands and thousands for a matter of fact. I, personally, did not take the two comparisons as evidence that Wikipedia could be used as a scholarly source. There are so many articles on the site that I would have to see more comparisons in a wide variety of subjects. It is good to read that the site can be trustworthy with its facts for the most part. But I would still never use it for school. I do not mean to come across like I am demeaning the site. I do think the site is great and extremely helpful. I do appreciate that the second comment states that they are glad that I mentioned the communal aspect on Wikipedia, and that it is becoming more and more part of everyone’s day.

Furthermore, the third response explains they never would have considered Wikipedia a place to bring people together. They stated that the website is more reliable due to the fact the peer editors who constantly scroll through the comments in order to fix any mistake. I do believe the site is more reliable than it has been in the past, I do believe peer editors are trying their best to edit the articles frequently. However, I disagree with this response that through the comments the editors make changes, anyone can make changes to any article on the site. I am sure the comments can be helpful sometimes.

The last comment agrees that the site is reliable, but should not be used for academic essays. She states that Wikipedia has potential to become a valuable source. I already believe it is a valuable source to everyday life. As the article stated that it is the first link to pop up on a search engine result is Wikipedia and is highly ranked for most visited website. It is a very reliable online encyclopedia (for everyday life)!

Thank you for all the comments! All but one was extremely useful in my new understanding of Wikipedia. No, they all were. Ha ha. 

Blog 3: Wikipedia, is it helpful?

Hello once again happy readers!

Today, I will be discussing Wikipedia, and the site’s pros and cons.

Wikipedia first of all is a great site for readers to use as a starting off point for whatever subject they want information on. The site is great to get main themes of an event, a person’s bio, or almost anything you could think of. Wikipedia has thousands of articles that are accessible with a click of the mouse, and usually is the first link to pop up off a search engine. However, the site is not a reliable source where details and facts can be false for anyone can change the articles. Richard Jensen in his article states that the site is one that anyone can edit with some people wanting to present correct unbiased information, with purposely changing the correct information for fun. Also, having anyone edit the articles tend to result in bias point of views.

In John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid’s article they go onto describe the Internet is place where ideas emerge and bringing communities together. People have to be up-to-date with the current events around them. In turn, they will quickly research up any topic of decision and find mounts of information on all topics. As such, when people buy and read the hard cover when the soft cover will be out a year later for people want to up-to-date, and not behind on trending topics. On the Wikipedia site they have a place for comments, the number of comments are filled with people responding to the article that they just read and stating their opinion and their understanding on the article. Jensen points out that the number of edits is decreasing, but the number of comments is still a popular page for the readers. Readers are always wanting, needing to develop a better understanding to topics they find significant. This furthermore, enforces communities, brings people together, or separate people with disagreements. These disagreements have caused wars in the editing and comment section of Wikipedia.

This need for people to comment, try to change, or create something new is compared to fans commenting on books, Youtube videos, movies, etc. The sense of community is extremely important for human beings. There are communities for many interests and beliefs. As Wikipedia as done, it has not been the first to distinguish communities. I mentioned in a previous blog on John Green and his community of fans, fans of his Youtube channel, his books, and the movie that hasn’t even been recorded yet based on one of his books. Films can be created on the basis of someone being part of a community. For example, when film was born filmmakers were trying to capture their favourite stories with epic romances, tragic battles, etc. Either being part of the community from the novel or play people thought it was important to capture the beautiful story they themselves imagined it should or could be.

Wikipedia helps distinguish societies with the articles that positively give readers information, and presents the readers the ability to comment on those articles to agree and disagree. Though, the site has flaws with allowing anyone to edit. The site is still extremely useful and is huge part the Internet world.

Please leave a comment, and I will talk to you later.

References:

Picture 1: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Wikipedia-logo.png

Picture 2: http://www.movielady.com/Wizard%20of%20Oz.htm

Brown, J. S. & P. Duguid. (1996). The Social Life of Documents. First Monday. 1, 1.

Jensen, R. (2012). Military History on the Electronic Frontier: Wikipedia Fights the War of 1812. Journal of Military History. 76, 1. pp 1165-1182.

Summarizing and reflecting on previous blog comments

I greatly appreciate all the comments from everyone. They brought up good points and helped me develop more of an understanding toward the readings on online identity and privacy. Also, raised arguments that I had not thought of previously.

 

I did reply directly to a couple of the comments to thank them, clarify myself from the blog, and/or question the user directly on some concerns. The first one was from brandonmendis who made me aware of a different point of view of ‘having nothing to hide’. Where he does not have and privacy on his online accounts that the person he portrays online is open for anyone to view. I directly replied to his comment for I wanted to share with him that I do not want to hide anything, but in fact I try to be honest in everything I post. However, I try my best (knowing that websites’ security is not guaranteed safety) to take measures so my personal information is not easily accessible to everyone, especially to those that could pose a danger to me.  Brandonmedis also discussed his use in websites as such as Vimeo and Youtube to help develop his skills as a filmmaker. I do share the interest to get into using those sites as he does, however, I will follow through with my honestly with security into those websites.

 

Moreover, I also replied to a post where chenyiming brought up the argument that in my blog I stated my personal views and how I personally use social media, and if I thought most people behave that way. I clarified that I do not think most people behave that way. In fact, I believe most people treat social media as a diary as another blogger brought in their blog. More often than not I see people I know sharing information that I would deem inappropriate outside a private conversation. Unfortunately, social media I see used for things I think is time wasting or useless information. For example, “lms tbh”, which means ‘Like my status, to be honest’ for the person wants people to like their status, and in turn the person will post ‘honest’ opinions of the people who liked their status personally on each of their walls. This frustrates me and I think is a waste of time. This goes back to Trukle’s articles of connection being close but to not too close.

 

Furthermore, Childxylia also brought up a great point that it is difficult to distinguish participation and connection. For overall internet use I agree, yet, for Facebook it is easy to distinguish because that site is for connection with friends.

 

The other comments expressed appreciation for information that I shared. As such as messaging my housemates while they are just downstairs from my room, and not sharing my full last name and hometown on the social networking sites. Dr09xo conveyed that they would be going back to their social networking profiles and changing their information to not share their full last name and hometown.

 

Once again, thank you for the comments. I will be posting another blog in just a few days!

 

See you soon.

Blog 2 on Internet Identity, Privacy, and John Green!

Hello my lovely readers!

I will be discussing sharing and privacy on the internet!

My cyberspace identity is not much different than my identity in reality. My names vary a little between different sites, but my interests or how I interact/present myself is not much different than real life. I try my best to be polite to others while using proper grammar and spelling instead of short forms. On the many different sites there is an overlapping of interest in photography, films, books, visual arts, clothing, make up, etc. I do not see myself as a different person on any of the sites I visit. In short, I disagree with Sherry Turkle in her article, Cyberspace and Identity (1999), discussing unity within separation with different selves presented on different websites.

However, in Turkle’s later article The Fight From Conversation (2012), she explains the world is in a state where people are forever connecting however, alone that we bring people close but not too close. I am very much guilty of this. I spend a lot, too much time in my room on my laptop connecting with people than with people that are in my house. I have also texted or personal messaged roommates that are just downstairs from me. Hypocritically of me I have been frustrated, many times, with someone I am spending time with for them texting or spending too much time on their laptop oppose to talking and connecting with me.

I do try to protect some personal information, for example, I do not post my full last name or my hometown. I acknowledge that the information, pictures, etc. that I put out there is forever on the internet. Anders Albrechtslund clarifies the different ways of surveillance on the internet in his article Online Social Networking as Participatory Surveillance (2008). He states that people use the ability to check up on their friends though they do not see each other in real life on a regular basis. There is still danger out there, and not all sites are or can be secure as they say. However, the use of surveillance can be useful to connect with others and celebrities.

Celebrities are constantly under surveillance, more so than others. For example, John Green, a Youtuber. John has many platforms with Twitter, tumblr, Youtube, etc. His life is on the internet for strangers, fans to view whenever they want. These fans he calls them ‘Nerdfighters’ that have knowledge of what state he’s from, when he travels, where he travels to, that he has a wife and a son, etc. His platform on Youtube has become a paid job for him. In turn, this has greatly helped his career as a writer. His recent book The Fault in our Stars (2012) has been translated into numerous different languages, and now is into production to be made into a film! His sharing of information has helped his career greatly with many more things to come for him with this film! A film that I am very excited for, I loved the book and I hope the movie is just as good.

Please leave a comment!

Thank you!

Sarah

Cyberspace and Identity Sherry Turkle Contemporary Sociology Vol. 28, No. 6 (Nov., 1999), pp. 643-648

Sherry Turkle. The Flight From Conversation. New York Times Sunday Review. April 21, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?pagewanted=all

Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship  danah m. boyd Nicole B. Ellison Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication Volume 13, Issue 1, pages 210–230, October 2007

Lange, P. (2007) “Publicly private and privately public: Social networking on YouTube“. Journal Of Computer-Mediated Communication. 13, 1

Picture: http://www.characterblog.com/2012/01/john-green.php

Ansel Elgort offered lead in ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ opposite Shailene Woodley — EXCLUSIVE

The Fault in our Stars has a male protagonist. A great book, hope the film is the same!

Introduction to my Blog!

Why hello readers! I am Sarah Lillian, Brock University student from Canada. I am in second year of Film Studies. I love film, which is my passion. I hope to pursue it as a career once I graduate. I also have a love of books! Both were slowly introduced into my life. I always loved princess movies growing up, but the films I watched never surpassed romantic-comedies until first year of university when I did not know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I happened to take the general Film Studies first year course, which exposed me to the world of film outside my little box that my parents created growing up as protection. Thinking throughout high school I wanted a career in visual arts, but discovering there was no future in that other than becoming a teacher (that was definitely not for me!) with shocking innovation for my love of film. I knew this was something I had to be involved with. Films, for example, Strangers on a Train (Hitchcock, 1951) and Une Femme Est une Femme (Godard, 1961) were just a couple of films that were shown during this course and instantly inspired me. I was giddy almost every time I left the theatre.

Until high school I was never interested in reading, however, a friend of mine introduced me to a teen romance series (that shall not be named! Twilight [Meyer, 2005] I am ashamed to say) that started this waterfall where I almost could not stop, book after book. One of my favourite novels is The Fault in Our Stars (Green, 2012). The characters are witty, interesting, and have cancer. By the end of the book, I was crying, feeling like I have a better understanding of others situations, and how they handle it. Today, I am working through a series for the second time for the latest book was just released. Since I love the books so much and worried I forgot what has happened so far, I decided to reread the series. Within a couple of days I finished the first book, and now I am onto the second book of the series.

 The topic of discussion will be Literature in Film with many subtopics that I look forward to addressing. For years, literature impacted and very much improved the films released. Filmmakers have been inspired by the words and stories that the author describes which the readers see through their own imagination. The images unlocked by the filmmaker turn the beautiful words to images. Although it is impossible to exactly match the events in a novel, especially with that much detail into a film. This blog will discuss literature; it’s impact, where it has succeeded and where it has not. Also, a little history in film, potentially great films from great books, also rumours of films in production inspired by books.

Please return to my lovely, humble blog where new posts will be coming regularly! Please leave comments for me, and lets get a conversation going!

Blogs related to this subject:

http://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/the-great-gatsby-opens-may-10-in-los-angeles/

http://karinwritesdangerously.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/tone-deaf/

http://smithsfilmandmusicreview.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/good-not-great-and-a-little-bit-powerful/

http://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/literature-is-entertainment-quote-by-t-c-boyle/

http://dejareviewer.com/2013/04/23/10-movies-that-contradict-the-endings-of-the-books-theyre-based-on/

Twitter hashtag relating to this subject:

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23thefaultinourstarsmovie&src=typd

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23booksintofilms&src=typd

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23thegreatgatsby&src=tyah

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23marvelmovies&src=typd

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bookstomovies&src=typd

Websites relating to this subject:

http://www.movlic.com/library/books2movies.asp

http://www.imdb.com/list/55hyZLG1FlI/

http://www.mymcpl.org/books-movies-music/based-book

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/great-gatsby/review/451988

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000807/

Picture: http://www.listal.com/viewimage/166601h

 

Literature in Film

Films is my passion, and books has greatly influenced this medium. Look for future posts with my favourite films from books, potential great films based on books, and rumours of films in production based on books!