The Internet
The Internet
The internet: a
brief history
The internet has been the most significant social, cultural and technological development of the last 30 years.
The internet has been the most significant social, cultural and technological development of the last 30 years.
·
In 1998, just 9% of UK households had
internet access.
·
In 2018, it had risen to 90%.
·
Daily internet use in the UK has
doubled since 2006.
·
Smartphones are now the most popular
device to access the internet. The iPhone was launched in 2007.
Source: ONS (Office
for National Statistics)
The 'Information Revolution'
550 years ago, the invention of the
printing press by Johannes Gutenberg meant that the number of books in
existence rose from a few thousand to 20 million in just 25 years. This led to
the Reformation, the Renaissance and the scientific revolution in which
centuries-old modes of thinking were radically questioned.
The internet has been likened to the
Gutenberg revolution – which means we’re living through this ‘Information
revolution’ right now:
·
“The most important medium of the
twentieth century” (Briggs and Burke 2005)
·
“An application that will usher in
The Information Age” (Castells 1996)
Clay Shirky: End of
audience
https://youtu.be/xP1F0opghMY
Clay Shirky suggests the 20th century media model “with professional producers and amateur consumers” has been replaced by a more chaotic landscape that allows consumers to be producers and distributors.
From the rise of collaborative projects to publicity campaigns run by volunteers, he believes that “organizations now have to understand, and respect, the motivations of the billion new participants in the contemporary media ecosystem.”
Clay Shirky suggests the 20th century media model “with professional producers and amateur consumers” has been replaced by a more chaotic landscape that allows consumers to be producers and distributors.
From the rise of collaborative projects to publicity campaigns run by volunteers, he believes that “organizations now have to understand, and respect, the motivations of the billion new participants in the contemporary media ecosystem.”
One of big changes with digital
platforms is that “Every consumer is also a producer, and everyone can talk
back.” Yet what may be more significant is the simple math of how many
people can reach each other through the connections in a network. The
result is always more connections.
Shirky adds that media had been a
hierarchical industry—in that one filtered first, and then published. “All of
that now breaks down,” he says. “People are producing who are not employees or
media professions. So we now publish first, and then filter. We
find the good stuff after the fact. This is dramatically different.”
Clay Shirky: End of audience blog tasks
Media Magazine reading
Media Magazine 55 has an overview of technology journalist Bill Thompson’s conference presentation on ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ It’s an excellent summary of the internet’s brief history and its impact on society. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 13 to read the article ‘What has the internet ever done for me?’ Answer the following questions:
1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?
It is open to innovation like email, the web, Spotify and Snapchat.
We don't have to think about how the internet works to use it.
It's vital for freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly to hundreds of millions.
Good source for information and education, campaigning and political action.
2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?
It makes it near impossible to stop spam and abuse.
2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?
It makes it near impossible to stop spam and abuse.
It can be used for surveillance, control and oppression if people can intrude on what you send.
Extremists and radicals can use it to influence people to join their cause. Fraud and scams, ripoffs and malicious software are available everywhere.
3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?
3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?
Weblogs kept the story alive and when Lott released an apology, mainstream outlets started covering the story that wouldn't have done otherwise.
4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?
Non-professionals are able to create and distribute content that would have otherwise been done by professionals.
5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?
Many online publishers can share and write about a story from an entirely different angle or publish news that is misleading in nature. Because it can be picked up immediately by thousands online, newspapers struggle to write about these stories factually as people have already read information on this topic online. Their publications are no longer the place to get immediate news.
6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?
7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?
The internet has allowed anyone to publish information and declare themselves a journalist. The journalist privilege of not revealing sources was tied to traditional forms of media before the internet and to scare amount of people who were traditional professionals. But now the meaning of a journalist needs to be changed as some bloggers used to work for traditional outlets and still have sources. It's important to recognise who can have the rights of journalistic privilege, while still not alienating those who have an audience online.
8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?
The world was in a period of intellectual and political chaos and broke more things than it fixed. Right now 'fake news' had dominated the internet and the misinformation of readers has led to a change of opinions on news stories that would have been different if it were covered by newspapers.
9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?
Digital cameras and phones have changed the industry with anyone being able to produce content and publish it anywhere, threatening professionals.
10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed?
3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?
Encouraging a diverse online culture that allows all voices to be heard if we believe in an open society, equal opportunity and free expression, which has to be built on technologies that are themselves open. I think that imposing rules on what can be posted online, if it isn't already illegal by law shouldn't happen. Access to all information should be allowed if it isn't already prohibited by the law e.g. access to personal e-mail shouldn't be allowed for anyone to hack because it isn't meant for public consumption and it doesn't count as their property.
4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?
How can the network deliver privacy?
4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?
How can the network deliver privacy?
How can news media operate online and still make money?
5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?
I think there shouldn't be regulation that enforces what information is allowed online. It should be fully open as it was intended to be, access to information is free from regulation and restrictions. But things that are already considered illegal, shouldn't be allowed on the internet e.g. personal documents.
Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody
Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet
1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?
Exists to solve a hard problem, one that requires some sort of specialisation. The traditional way newspapers operated were that journalists would research a news topic and editors would go through it and decide where it would go in the order of the paper. Now anyone can be a 'professional', they can research something online and post it - or they can just post information that misguides readers. The saturation of the online news landscape has led to less scrutiny as there is so much to look out for.
2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?
What happens when the costs of reproduction and distribution go away? What happens when there's nothing unique about publishing any-more, because users can do it for themselves?"
5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?
I think there shouldn't be regulation that enforces what information is allowed online. It should be fully open as it was intended to be, access to information is free from regulation and restrictions. But things that are already considered illegal, shouldn't be allowed on the internet e.g. personal documents.
Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody
Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet
1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?
Exists to solve a hard problem, one that requires some sort of specialisation. The traditional way newspapers operated were that journalists would research a news topic and editors would go through it and decide where it would go in the order of the paper. Now anyone can be a 'professional', they can research something online and post it - or they can just post information that misguides readers. The saturation of the online news landscape has led to less scrutiny as there is so much to look out for.
2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?
What happens when the costs of reproduction and distribution go away? What happens when there's nothing unique about publishing any-more, because users can do it for themselves?"
3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?
Weblogs kept the story alive and when Lott released an apology, mainstream outlets started covering the story that wouldn't have done otherwise.
4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?
Non-professionals are able to create and distribute content that would have otherwise been done by professionals.
5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?
Many online publishers can share and write about a story from an entirely different angle or publish news that is misleading in nature. Because it can be picked up immediately by thousands online, newspapers struggle to write about these stories factually as people have already read information on this topic online. Their publications are no longer the place to get immediate news.
6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?
Social effects lag behind technological changes, there is long period of chaos then they reach the new change. It means we are in a chaos.
7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?
The internet has allowed anyone to publish information and declare themselves a journalist. The journalist privilege of not revealing sources was tied to traditional forms of media before the internet and to scare amount of people who were traditional professionals. But now the meaning of a journalist needs to be changed as some bloggers used to work for traditional outlets and still have sources. It's important to recognise who can have the rights of journalistic privilege, while still not alienating those who have an audience online.
8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?
The world was in a period of intellectual and political chaos and broke more things than it fixed. Right now 'fake news' had dominated the internet and the misinformation of readers has led to a change of opinions on news stories that would have been different if it were covered by newspapers.
9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?
Digital cameras and phones have changed the industry with anyone being able to produce content and publish it anywhere, threatening professionals.
10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed?
I think it has to be more of a positive thing. The online age has led to a revolution of industries that has allowed us to access information and have given us more freedoms to publish and create things online. There is some chaos and advantages being taken, but it will take time to adjust to this new climate of information.
Optional extension: read Chapter 1 ‘It takes a village to find a phone’ andChapter 4 ‘Publish, then filter’ to further understand Shirky’s ideas concerning the ‘End of audience’.
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