Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Alan Titchmarsh: is there no end to the constant photographs?



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9831753/Alan-Titchmarsh-is-there-no-end-to-the-constant-photographs.html

This article discussed about photographs, author gave us a question : “is there no end to the constant photographs? ” for me, I like to use my iphone to take pictures in everyday ,everywhere, just used it to record our life, but is there have any meaning or just save the abounding photos  in our computers or deleted… maybe for some people ,take photos has already make them feel boring or uncomfortable?! I just guess this answer…In the future, is there have any change in this area?

Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Disability in society: let's make today #letstalkdisability day


http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/29/disability-letstalkdisability-day




It's also a question confused me when I see disabled people what I should do and what I shouldn't do,  and what kind of question that I can ask them or I can't. It's difficult, isn't it?  That is because sometimes  I think I should regard them as same as everybody else in the world so that will make them feel better, but in another hand, I am also worried about that they might feel I didn't give enough concern and help for them.
In my opinions, I think the disabled people now live better than before, but better doesn't mean it is enough, there is still lots of things worth to discuss and improve.  Furthermore, I am very pleasant to see the people in UK how to fight for themselves and I hope their experience can help those who live in other places.

The new wave of Civil War in Syria



Hello everyone!
New wave of Syria's conflict:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21246738



It is difficult to believe that in the 21st century of high achievements, people have to survive thus. It, once again, proves recurrence of history and essence of society functioning.



My report about official recognition of the status of civil war in Syria (17/06/2012):
http://expert.ru/2012/07/17/news-12_00/


Background/Syria profile:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14703995

The Role of Social Media in the Syrian Civil War
http://www.mediameasurement.com/the-role-of-social-media-in-the-syrian-civil-war/


What following steps will be taken by the government of Syria for revolt suppression? What next should sustain Syrian people?


Anna Tkacheva
23 y.o., russian,
Pre-Masters course ‘Media, Journalism and Film Studies’/2013
University of Sussex

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/29/twitter-vine-porn-search-explicit-content-ban

The paradox of freedom is the guaranty of freedom comes from the restriction of freedom.

What do you think?

Old question: Do the traditional media will be dislodged by new media?

I still listen to the radio almost every day... Why? Because this is how old I am! haha...Actually I just think it's an interesting and convenient way to be informed something new. When I was in China, everyday I got up,  the first thing I did was to turn on my radio.I know people have more modern ways to get information or to entertain. No matter how technology has developed, the important thing which may have influences on people's preference is "effectiveness". What do you really want to get by using different ways? I want to save time and hear something interesting when I make coffee in the morning, so I choose this easy way.About the question I asked in the title, I have no idea...I hope the answer could be...NO...

The Internet Risks


From the Guardian, there are two news named Met police investigating computer hacking arrest 52-year-old man and Twitter apologises over porn on new Vine app
These are the website below:





The contents of these two news are totally different, but both of them made me think about the security of the Internet.

As we know, there are so many different types of crime can be done throughout the Internet. Because of this situation, some people believe that the Internet should be controlled by government or other institutions.

However, there are also some problems. 

How to limit the power of these institutions which control the Internet?

Do they will use this power to monitor our information such as the website we looking at, the comments we writing under some news and the private communication among our friends?

Here is a dilemma. We can not ignore the risks of the Internet. At the same time, we are afraid about the totally controlling to the Internet.

What is the future of this problem? How do you think about that?

Culture clash as threat of 100% cut in arts funding divides Newcastle

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2013/jan/29/culture-cut-arts-funding-newcastle

Newcasstle local goverment would cut all of funding of arts as they are  in the commercial crisis and they are facing financial problem in the next few years. However, this consideration is fighted against by the atrs orgs and a lot of citizens since the people think this threaten proposal would lead to culture losing and Newcasstle may lose its charm in cultural aspects.

 Is this a severe case to Newcasstle? What would happen if this proposal throughs by the local goverment?
 Tyne bridge view of Newcasstle

How SEO undermined content marketing yet created a demand for it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/jan/23/seo-relationship-content-marketing

There is nothing new for us to know that the marketers have spread their battle field to the social network. But it is still a thought-provoking problem when a search engine become biased and untrustworthy.

Do you think that the network search engine have a duty to keep a balanced view of the search result, apart from political and commercial factor?

Monday, 28 January 2013

The law case of the Yao Jiaxin

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/student-executed-for-peasant-murder-that-outraged-china-2294943.html

If you want to learn the details of this case, please click the link  at the top.

It is interesting that some comments claims the current China as a country likes Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia but some others said the judgement to him can not be more fair and if it could ignore the human right of himself, he should be leted off of the hook.

The case causes two extreme points between different people in the west. If a similar case happened in the developed countries like UK or USA, would it be another result?

Trying to hard to include us in an imagined community?

The rise of over-familiar websites

Does this make you feel included? Or that the website/computer/site hoster/content manager or whoever and whatever cares about you?

Does this make you feel like you're part of a caring community?

What kind of community?

Or is just the same kind of interpersonal speak that newspapers and magazines use?

Saturday, 26 January 2013

Have you made a snowman today?


"Build a snow man by order of the GOVERNMENT. Environment Agency urges homeowners to pile up ice and prevent flooding by delaying thaw


  • Weather forecasters are predicted a sudden thaw when temperatures swing from -13C to 13C at the weekend.
  • Concerns homes and businesses could be flooded due to melting snow resulting in large areas of standing water"




Haha, the news was so fun and I can't help to share with you!
Through the news, now we can find another function and meaning  of snowman...
Who said snowman was only born for fun?
It can prevent flooding, save people, save city, save the country!
(Eh, it seems like that the snowman has become superman?)
Anyway,  have you made a snowman?


Have a nice weekend everybody!

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Prince Harry's some opinion of media

This is a video from BBC news below.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21123065



I am very interested in Prince Harry's attitude toward newspaper which reported his news after today's class. So I did some research when I came back home, and I found something interesting.

I found this video from BBC news named ' I let myself down, I let my family down'. The interesting about this video is his attitude about media. He said something like his father don't read newspapers, he wondered how many people in the UK read newspapers, he thinks people buy a newspaper but don't read it.

He also talked about every mobile phone had the camera, people can take photos and judging him on Facebook and Twitter.

I really think something about media Prince Harry mentioned in this video is interesting, such as the new press from the internet.

So, how about your guys' opinion?






Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Prince Harry lives in a hyper-reality


Get this, the second in the line to the British throne claims that being a gunner on a military helicopter in Afghanistan is like playing a video game:

From the Guardian:
"The young prince's comparing his job as co-pilot gunner to a game on a video console in his interview with the Press Association, reported widely on Monday, appeared to have most needled Mujahid (Taliban spokesman), who poured scorn on Harry's 20-week deployment in Helmand.
He accused Harry, who has now completed two tours in one ofAfghanistan's roughest provinces, of cowardice and staying away from the fight.
"I think he has a mental problem, that's why he is saying it is a game," he said. "These kind of people live like diplomats in Afghanistan, they can't risk themselves by standing against the mujahideen."
The spokesman, thought to be several different people who use the same name to speak to the media, had clearly been pondering Harry's widely reported comments before the Guardian contacted him at an undisclosed location on Tuesday.
The prince, who was in charge of firing the Apache's Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, rockets and 30mm gun, called his job a "joy" in interviews released on Monday.
"It's a joy for me because I'm one of those people who loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think I'm probably quite useful," he said."

Thursday, 17 January 2013

What do you trust?

What do you trust in your daily life? It seems everything could be a fake or trap to you such as a piece of news, a bottle of water and even a smile. The expension of our feelings are much more far and deep than before but there is no evolution of the nature of our life and the way of thinking. People still can not easily distinguish between the fake and the truth in spite of we have pretty much more ways to detect the things.

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Media shaping our high streets. Media changing our shopping habits

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jan/14/hmv-prepares-call-administrators

Evidence that the medium is the message. Famous stores are closing down as a consequence of competition from online retailers. Competition that they are losing. Slowly the high street is losing some of its ubiquitous brands like hmv and Jessops. We have changed our shopping habits, this has been caused by new media platforms and the possibilities they allow. Thus new media is having a direct impact on the physical appearance and what exists around our cities. A modern day archaeologist might look at western road or Churchill square in 10 years time and and say " in 2014 there were no media retail shops. From this we can deduce that people no longer performed the activity of walking to a physical location, engaging with a staff member, browsing and handling the physical products, nor making transactions with cash money." This is very different from the per Internet age when each town had many record stores, video outlets and so on. I remember those days, and I am one of the many many who now shop through amazon or iTunes from the comfort of my own home........

Saturday, 12 January 2013

Public sphere invaded by government stooges.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20982985



Vietnamese government admits it has a team of bloggers whose job is to shape public opinion. Sinister, not entirely surprising....and does this happen elsewhere?

Thursday, 10 January 2013

Thailand by ipad

Here's a little clip made on my ipad (shown as shot!)


These are the kids I met on Koh Muk in Thailand. We shared about 3 words in common, but cinema, video and photography are  international languages. Even though these kids had barely left their island (where there are no roads or cars, and many live hand to mouth as fishermen), they knew the language of film and the power of image. Look at their body language and mimicry of actors, singers, actions from films they had seen.

The seamless process of filming, editing and displaying what we did together was a delight and allowed me to engage with locals in a rich and mutually wonderful way. What's more it proved how globalised we are in our tendency to turn life into moments of performance in the presence of a camera.

Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Media predictions for 2013

Last year I bought my first tablet and it has already changed the way I use photography, video, and the way I work. I"m trying to eliminate the need for pen and paper, as I get into such a mess losing things. But...I'm wondering whether using electronic media will just replicate the same problems. I already mislaid my first lesson on this course due to bad file management. Nothing is new....just the interface. What do you all think?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/audio/2013/jan/04/media-talk-podcast-2013-predictions

(you don't need to listen to the whole podcast: focus on minutes 20-25)

Reflect on:


•How are you similar/different to the presenters in your media consumption?
•Do you think these trends are a positive thing? Why/why not? Are they inevitable?
•What predictions do you have regarding media developments?