Internet and ME, MYSELF AND I!

There are so many concepts that struck me about the our discussion in class about the "web", the "Internet but what really got me.. umm should I say worried? is the effect of the evolving web to our generations, to MY generation. Some people they call this generation THE Me, Me, Me, I, I, I Generation. Number one proof of the self-absorption you can see them through the different social networking sites. People update their status all about themselves, what i ate for lunch, where am I hanging out now, what I'm feeling now.. blah, blah, blah! Looking at the bigger picture here.. I've realized (with the help of some people that  I converse with regarding these things and more)   that people they are so full of themselves that they fail to see the real reason why and what the Internet is for. It is for people to communicate easier but not to use it as a tool each other's reputations, It is for people to access information to the help the society evolve and explore more possibilities but not to lose capability to think creatively and limit ourselves.  Instead of using the net as a tool to extend ourselves to other people, to help them, to change and to evolve with technology we are getting stuck in the I concept not with what I can do for other people. I guess what I'm trying to say is we should rethink how are we utilizing what we have now such as the Internet and how we want to affect the bigger things out there aside from ourselves.

-Jalyssa May Caccam

CHRISTMAS in the New Media Generation

Merry Christmas everyone!
:)

If I Controlled The Internet

The Internet's Sewage System

Online forums and communities contain the most vile, disgusting and ridiculous content thinkable. The following link will lead you to Something Awful's Weekend Web. Something Awful is a fantastic gag site and their Weekend Web section is devoted to showing the worst of online forums and communities. If you lose hope in humanity after clicking this link, I am deeply sorry. Warning: the following content may not be work friendly. I also advise that you check the articles written by Hassan "Acetone" Mikal. They're way funnier.

-Wack

We All Want To Be Young

We All Want to Be Young from box1824 on Vimeo.

Here's the video I want to share to the class. We are so badass! :)

The movie "We All Want to Be Young" is the outcome of several studies developed by BOX1824 in the past 5 years. BOX1824 is a Brazilian research company specialized in behavioral sciences and consumer trends.
This movie has an open license by Creative Commons.
Written and directed by Lena Maciel, Lucas Liedke and Rony Rodrigues.
Thanks:
Zeppelin Films

The Internet is Very Very Stupid

Cotton candy.

Cotton Candy. A piece of enticing sugar momentarily satisfying your tongue but never really giving you the nutritional values you need.

This is what has been running through my head as I read Text Without Context by Michiko Kakutani in his New York Times article. (I was listening to Katy Perry too) I constantly nod in agreement to almost every point he makes. I grin as I read situations where I myself usually get into. Indeed reading his article made me think. He makes so much sense, I thought. But somehow I don’t feel the same kind of gloom he has for Web 2.0, I feel some kind of bother-it ignited a rebellious spark inside me.

Mediocrity is the enemy. According to the article, the ideas and information we get nowadays from the Internet are said to be second-rate, mediocre or lackluster-no formal and depth research about a particular subject matter. It can be written by anyone; any first-hand information we find online. It can be so convincing that we deem it to be true. This happens to us all the time. The article says we have jeopardized online information. We have “pasted-together” inferior quality content that we, Internet users, feast upon today thinking that these are what matters-- the essential information.

It reiterated the "instant" (snap snap!) mentality of the 21st century. Sacrificing the content of the carefully and intellectually written works for the speedy up-do-date substandard offers the Internet gives us.

Everything moves at a blistering phase nowadays. Not so long ago, we wait for the television to give us the news; today, at the very instant, we get the information we want thanks to social-networking sites like Twitter. I myself do not watch that much television anymore. I get all I know from the Internet. There was this one time when I turned on the TV and all that I saw was what the internet told me days earlier. I already know these things I thought.

The article also mentions that in the world of WRU, ROTFLMAO, LOLJK andWTFs, there is less and less civil discourse going on. There are no intellectual discussions about the things that really matter. What we have now is a culture of chat rooms, anonymous chatting sites and online groups discussing common and sometimes conflicting interests from people of different ages around the world. We have discussion threads that enable different opinions and various sides to be heard. We not only have third opinion but fourth, fifth, six and so on. Now let me ask, where’s the "less civil discourse" in that? It got me thinking, what do we call these discourse we have online nowadays, a barbaric one?

Freedom and Power. If by sitting on that chair hitting those letters on the laptop creating input for the Internet doesn’t make you powerful, then think again. I think these advantages are what an Internet newbie underestimate. An undying quote that we hear over and over (and over) says that with "great power comes with great responsibility." I think this should be applied to the Internet.

If not for the users (you and me) of the Internet and World Wide Web, these tools would be nothing. We are the power behind the Internet. It should not be the other way around. If we let over sensationalism, gutter press, and cotton candy mechanism run over the Internet, then we are in deep trouble.

I think the Intellectual Elite would fear the Internet for one very essential factor: the Internet is an equalizer. It is an equal playing ground for anyone with access to it.

Everyone has a chance to participate.

Everyone has a chance to share.

Everyone in the world.

We must make use of this advantage. To inspire people. To let people get into working.

This is one great challenge for the established people above the constructed hierarchy of the social world. It is theirs to ponder, How will we get into this pseudo-world that kids dwell most of their time upon these days? I think they are asking the wrong question right there. I think the appropriate query should be: How can these brilliant people bring back the true essence of the Internet? The Internet—--significant ideas shared among people that matter, you and me. Sharing ideas and information among peers. Making these ideas interact with other ideas and form offspring, which is another ideas.

The youth must be alerted! The youth of today has so much potential in bringing the Internet and the World Wide Web into good use. What we need is Internet education— that can lead the proper use of it. The image below shows you the State of the Internet. Take note how the youth takes over the Internet!

What the article lack is the answer to the posed problems in the Internet and Web 2.0. It presented a dark and pessimistic perspective of the Internet (and of its users, in effect). I see the answer to this sad reality is in theyouth and the users of Internet themselves. But I think the youth has more potential since they compose the majority of the Internet nation.

As a teenager myself, I see a lack of awareness of the possibilities I can do. I would confine myself to the comforts of the social networking terrain of the Internet. A usual line-up would compose of unlimited checking of Facebook updates, sending and responding to funny quotations and tweets in twitter and browsing through endless Tumblr posts. I’m quite sure I’m not the only one in the world having the same Internet habit. In behalf of these people, I say what we need is a real-time smack in the head—that light bulb moment when we say, “Wow! That hit me”. I think the youth have some real reality check WebPages to check out. And it is never to late.

“…what the Web 2.0 revolution is really delivering is superficial observations of the world around us rather than deep analysis, shrill opinion rather than considered judgment.” –Andrew Keen,“The Cult of the Amateur”

Yes. They may be superficial but they are still observations. By superficial I think Mr. Keen refers to it as shallow and cursory observations. I say, “at least these people voice out what they think”. The generation we have now is one that speaks out—even the shy and meek and the unsocial. I take pride to be part of this generation. The Internet is indeed the Great Leveler.

We should not discriminate the opinions of people neither do we have the right to do so. The Internet is not just limited to the intellectual elite but it is also for the many who are just getting started and those who lack general awareness. Tim Burners Lee gave the World Wide Web for free. He didn’t come up with a manual saying it was only for the learned and the affluent. It was for everyone who has an Internet connection—which by today is increasing everyday.

What Web 2.0 needs is a reality check on the information they get and send off. We must not condemn this new age Web 2.0 but rather improve it. Let's remind ourselves that we do not need to burn the house to roast the pig. The answer to this "Internet content quality" decline is that we should get smarter. We should outwit these kinds of content.

We are smarter than we think we are.

We have to be reminded that they are in a wide social circle and what we put up online contributes to this mass social circle. We must be constantly reminded that the Internet is not Neverland. We are not free from responsibility in the online world. Produsers have to be instilled the responsibility. Once this happens, then we are on the right track my friend.

We have to be instilled the feeling that we are indeed significant in this large arena of the web. Some people might think, “Hey I’m anonymous, I can do whatever I want and get away with it”. These kinds of people must be reminded of their responsibility. And what if they don’t listen? Well we’ll just have to wait for it until they do. With enough motivation and persuasion, it can happen. We can start off by ourselves. Spread the word around.

Responsibility. Spread awareness about the consequences of irresponsibility in the use of Internet. The youth has so much potential in them. We just have to instill in them this potential. They need to get inspired. Deep analysis and considered judgment must have its prerequisites too you know. Where else but from superficial observations and shrill opinion. Let the "cult of the amateur" mature and you’ll be enthralled by the wonder it brings.

This Internet we have. It’s not all cotton candy after all.

The World Wide Web isn’t a utopian world. We must accept that fact.

But I guess that’s just the way the world let’s us battle away the evils of complacency.

FOR THE FULL TEXT WITH PHOTOS,

You can access my webpage at: http://marjisthinking.freewebpages.org/sample7%201.html

So What

*Anyareh?
Definition: One of the more popular expressions used by young Filipinos to express shock and disbelief with a certain situation or a specific thing/idea; shorter version of "Anong nangyari?"; usually expressed with sarcasm

"Pinas, anyareh!?" 
Funny how things turned out for our country over the past decade. And by funny I mean it in a "it's-not-actually-funny-but-what-the-hell-are-we-doing-about-it" tone. Being branded as a nation with a bright future ahead of us back in the 90s was definitely something very promising for us - and not to mention one of the many things we can just brag to anyone in any part of the globe. But... what happened? Why did we just let that chance at development slip away?

I have so much hope for our country - no doubt about that. And seeing it miss the opportunity it was given to improve and prosper at a time when we were a cut above the rest just makes me feel pity for the present generation of Filipinos. We could've done so much if it weren't for the selfish ways of some and the "blah-mentality" of the many. We could've developed and improved every aspect of our lives - from economy to technological advancements to even health and education. We could've produced more Filipinos worthy of recognition here and overseas. We could've simply done more and we could've been a better country... Something more than what we already are today.
There are, obviously, a number of countries ahead of us. Case in point, Japan. Which, surprisingly, was way behind our standards years back. But, it doesn't mean we'd stop where we are.
There is absolutely no point in complaining and dwelling over missed chances - like how that buzzer-beater shot just didn't get in the basket. Because at the end of the day, what matters is now and what tomorrow holds for each and everyone of us.
With all optimistic vibes I can produce, I dare say to everyone that, screw seemingly underdeveloped technologies and internet connections. Screw whatever other countries may say and regard the Philippines as a Third World country. So what. Every successful nation started with such crude ways of living... It's never really too late. The past decade may have been a waste, so let's not add another to our list. I am very hopeful, indeed. That belief that we know way better and that we all our ready to embrace change and radical development (especially virtually) is enough to believe tomorrow will be brighter.

And 10 to 20 years from now, when I say "Pinas, anyareh!?" ... I'd have that smile on my face like Manny Pacquiao won his 50th title.


-Jara Lucero

Philippines and the Web

The state of the Internet and its suppressed growth in the country is no unique story.

After learning that the Philippines had one of the greatest potentials of Internet growth in the continent, even ahead of Japan, it's not a surprise that it never optimized its growth. The snail-slow growth in recent times is just a repercussion of a complacent political culture that we have.

Tracing the roots, internet is a product of science and technology. If the country doesn't have a strong base for the sciences, we cannot really develop a scientific culture, much less develop scientific and technological thinking, and much less connecting at least half of the population in the web. Although there are many science-oriented high schools that produces quite a big number of scientists in the country, our technological status as a nation remains stagnant as there are no further opportunities to explore after the tertiary level.

More than the scientific sense, is our views on education. It plays a domino effect. If our government does not prioritize education, we cannot develop much science and technology, and without science and technology, perhaps the internet won't bloom, too.

I'm not saying that the 'virtual revolution' is inexistent in the Philippines. It's just taking a very slow pace. After all, we can see our younger (I'm talking of 5-year olds) cousins having facebook accounts, and our parents (to our dismay) also having facebook accounts. The digital divide is going from black to gray. But facebook literacy is not internet literacy.

I am afraid that we are slowly developing a superficial internet culture. That our views of the net is just facebook, twitter, and the likes. Many do not think of the internet as a platform for the media and communication.

But after all, how many Filipinos are connected to the web? 20%? 30%? That's a small amount.

It's time for a radical virtual revolution!

The Filipino Resilience?

If you were asked to describe a Filipino, there's an 80% chance you'd say hospitable or resilient. For many people, those two adjectives best describe a Filipino. It is in our culture to be polite and accommodating as well as being strong and hopeful. We are the only country in Asia that ousted two presidents in two people power revolutions. Where else can you see a former president with so many controversies and allegations of corruption elected a seat in the congress? Ondoy and Pepeng destroyed a lot of properties and washed away many lives but Filipinos still remained hopeful and strong. They say that the way we put ourselves together after the greatest perils is the one trait that best describes a Filipino.

Are we truly a resilient nation or are we just a bunch of uncomplaining people? We just accept and tolerate everything that is happening around us. We let our leaders control and impose their ways on us. We always let the "smarter people" overpower the oppressed. A classic example of this is our government officials whom we judge as stupid , arrogant jerks for passing the 2011 budget. But what we don't see is that they are smart enough to make us believe that there are no cuts in the budget of SUCs by stating technical terms no one would dare question. These government officials are very smart that their corrupt and evil ways are not exposed.

I think we have been resilient for so long that we are not developing as a country. The Philippines is left behind by its neighboring countries like Korea, Japan and China. Technology-wise we are obsolete compared to Japan's advanced technology. It is just sad to think that we were once ahead of them. We can easily blame our leaders for this but we should also look at ourselves. What have we contributed to make a change? We can complain all we want, rally to the streets and demand for change but as the old saying goes, "be the change you want to see in the world." Being strong in face of adversity is an admirable characteristic but not all the time. In times like these, being resilient is not enough. It's time to be infuriated!

Online Media Literacy Program NOW!

PDI reporter fears for life over Tim Yap tweet

 - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

      This is the very reason why Philippines should have an online media literacy program. Too much democracy and power on the use of the web means less time to think critically- trying to grasp the freshest news even without confirmation, just to create a buzz online.