What is most interesting in the digital age? I think the fact that immense amounts of information is available within seconds to everyone who has internet access is the most interesting fact. A few questions it raises for me are:
1. What type of people post information? Is it people with knowledge or those that just want to join a conversation they may know nothing about?
2. Who ensures that posted information is correct? Wikipedia is largely un-monitored. Searching medical questions can lead to inaccurate information.
3. Who decides which links pop up first during searches? Is it consumer-driven based upon which links are activated? Or is it driven upon who can pay Google the most to have their sites display first?
4. How does one keep their medical records private from the rest of the world? Is it even possible?
5. How does one keep himself/herself private from the rest of the world? It takes two seconds to type your name into Google and discover that all your past residences and current residence is posted online, along with your telephone number. Is it possible to maintain anonymity in a world obsessed with sharing knowledge?
6. Has society lost the human touch? You can pay bills, buy merchandise, return merchandise, make doctor’s appointments and even view test results online. You don’t even necessarily have to go to the grocery store if you don’t want to. Simply sign up for an online service, enter your grocery list, and within a few days, groceries will be dropped off at your front door.
7. Where will the digital age lead us in the next 5, 10, or 20 years?
8. Can virus companies keep up with the bugs and malware that are released everyday?
9. How has online education changed the nature of traditional education? Is the change for the better?
For me, the most interesting online environments are those that are fluid. YouTube, MySpace, and iReports are sites that host videos and commentary from average everyday people. There is no censorship allowing for true freedom of speech. People can post their views and have them heard on every topic.
YouTube videos give us a glimpse into the shenanigans of our neighbors, our workmates, even other cultures. Amateur videos give us insight into world events and sometimes first hand coverage that even news stations are unable to get. For decades people had to rely on the mainstream news media; now we can report the news as soon as it happens AND learn about it from several viewpoints.
MySpace now allows us to stay connected to people across the world. It’s not uncommon to have friends or relatives living in other countries. With MySpace, these people can stay in touch via postings, pictures, even video.
The real question is, how do we examine and study these sites? How important are they in shaping the digital society?
2 comments:
Ali you ask a lot of great questions. In my last course, we spent a lot of time discussing Wikipedia and its content. Although in many areas it has been found to be as reliable as the Encyclopedia Britannica, they admit that vandalism can happen on the site. I think that it is common for users to check Wikipedia for initial information, and follow up with proven sources. I think that Wikipedia would also be difficult to cite from due to its changing content.
I have many questions about online privacy issues and you bring up many good examples. As researchers, it is difficult to know where the privacy line rests. I am interested to hear what others in the class think about the availability of information and its use.
I think you're right about the most interesting sites being "fluid". And these are the most difficult sites to study...yet I think they're also some of the most important. They are, as you insinuate, a mirror of our own culture, and if we're to understand ourselves, then we need to understand the sites we're drawn to.
I'm going to guess, then, that our research methods need to mirror the sites too, by being a bit "fluid"--yet we'll still need to make sure that we're rigorous, systematic, etc. Quite a challenge, no? By first understanding the research process, then the tools we might apply, THEN we can compose ways to look more carefully at these fluid environments.
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