The University of Washington analyzed 3 million treats, gigabytes of YouTube videos, and thousands of blog posts relating to the Arab Spring. Read about it here http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/new-study-quantifies-use-of-social-media-in-arab-spring
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Criticism of Gladwell's Position
Here are some editorials attacking Gladwell's critique of social media's role in revolutions.
http://technosociology.org/?p=305
http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2011/02/04/gladwell-proves-too-much/
http://technosociology.org/?p=305
http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2011/02/04/gladwell-proves-too-much/
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
"The Internet Alone Cannot Save the Middle East"
žWhat is the main point of this article?
žHow are authoritarian regimes adapting to new communication methods?
žWhat mistake does Morozov say some dictators have made?
žWhy is China a ‘textbook example’?
žHow are authoritarian regimes adapting to new communication methods?
žWhat mistake does Morozov say some dictators have made?
žWhy is China a ‘textbook example’?
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Social Networking & Popular Culture
Essay Assignment
Due: June 1st
Length: 800-1200 words
Submit by paper (in class) or by email (.doc or .rtf only, by midnight)
Choose one recent social movement, like Occupy Wall Street, Kony2012, Anonymous, anti-SOPA activists, or another one of your choice. Analyze this movement in terms of social network theories and compare/contrast the movement with Malcolm Gladwell’s (and other critics’) criticism of social media. Form a thesis and defend it as you analyze the movement. In other words, this is an essay, not a report. Do not simply explain what the movement is and how it works.
Essay Assignment
Due: June 1st
Length: 800-1200 words
Submit by paper (in class) or by email (.doc or .rtf only, by midnight)
Choose one recent social movement, like Occupy Wall Street, Kony2012, Anonymous, anti-SOPA activists, or another one of your choice. Analyze this movement in terms of social network theories and compare/contrast the movement with Malcolm Gladwell’s (and other critics’) criticism of social media. Form a thesis and defend it as you analyze the movement. In other words, this is an essay, not a report. Do not simply explain what the movement is and how it works.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Asynchronous Communication & Its Discontents
Definition:
1. not synchronous
2. of, used in, or being digital communication (as between computers) in which there is no timing requirement for transmission and in which the start of each character is individually signaled by the transmitting device
Quotes
“The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”
Western Union internal memo, 1876
“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.”
Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878
"It is my heart-warmed and world-embracing Christmas hope and aspiration that all of us, the high, the low, the rich, the poor, the admired, the despised, the loved, the hated, the civilized, the savage, may eventually be gathered together in a heaven of everlasting rest and peace and bliss, except the inventor of the telephone.“
Mark Twain, 1890 Christmas address
"People were (also) suspicious of telephones. (The 1800's were) a time when few people had firsthand experience of electrical machines, even telegraphs. There were fears that other people could also listen in on the telephone conversations, or that the sounds from telephones could make you deaf or crazy. ... Even telegraph companies encouraged false rumors that the telephone had bad effects because they were afraid of the competition."
1. not synchronous
2. of, used in, or being digital communication (as between computers) in which there is no timing requirement for transmission and in which the start of each character is individually signaled by the transmitting device
Quotes
“The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”
Western Union internal memo, 1876
“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.”
Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878
"It is my heart-warmed and world-embracing Christmas hope and aspiration that all of us, the high, the low, the rich, the poor, the admired, the despised, the loved, the hated, the civilized, the savage, may eventually be gathered together in a heaven of everlasting rest and peace and bliss, except the inventor of the telephone.“
Mark Twain, 1890 Christmas address
"People were (also) suspicious of telephones. (The 1800's were) a time when few people had firsthand experience of electrical machines, even telegraphs. There were fears that other people could also listen in on the telephone conversations, or that the sounds from telephones could make you deaf or crazy. ... Even telegraph companies encouraged false rumors that the telephone had bad effects because they were afraid of the competition."
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.
“We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates
“There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” — T. Craven, FCC Commissioner, in 1961
“The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage.” -– Charlie Chaplin, actor, producer, director, and studio founder, 1916
“The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903
“The world potential market for copying machines is 5000 at most.” — IBM, to the eventual founders of Xerox, saying the photocopier had no market large enough to justify production, 1959.
“The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd. It is little short of treasonous.” — Comment of Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig, at tank demonstration, 1916.
“Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan.” — Mary Somerville, pioneer of radio educational broadcasts, 1948.
“Home Taping Is Killing Music” — A 1980s campaign by the BPI, claiming that people recording music off the radio onto cassette would destroy the music industry.
“When the Paris Exhibition [of 1878] closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it.” – Oxford professor Erasmus Wilson
“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.
"just setting up my twttr“
First Twitter message
March 21, 2006, 9:50PM PST
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