Heres a short article that I found that touches on socio-political activism on the internet. It also mentions the usage of the internet in the past election. (fyi--it was written prior to the election)
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/socio-political-activism-on-the-internet-612553.html
(Dr. Bob I still can't seem to figure out how to post these as hot links. When I post them into microsoft word it works but on here it doesnt, sorry everyone!)
Alot of what it says further reinforces what we've been saying about the Spier story.
"Opinions, blogs and buzz are all examples of new forms of media and information dissemination which have been spawned by the internet, and which empower groups with the means to reach new members and influence election outcomes."
The article also goes on to talk about Facebook and Twitter. "Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter now host a diversity of forums that are dedicated to the posting and sharing of ideas and opinions about the coming election and each candidate. On Facebook you can find photos, discussion boards and career biographies of both Obama and McCain." I remeber prior to the election seeing logos for each candiate come up on the side of my facebook which encouraged me to visit their sites, I think it was an excellent marketing tool considering how many of us spend such large amounts of time on facebook these days. I also just recently got a Twitter, and because it is constantly streaming updates it was a great way for the candidates to share what they were doing and where they were during their campaigns. Both Obama and McCain used Facebook and Twitter to generate support, solicit funds, and publicize their opinions and policies. Definately take a look at the article its short and interesting!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
"Cyberactivism"
I agree with what someone had said in an earlier posts when they compared the Alexis and Craig study with the article on Zeke Spierr. I thought it would be too completely different topics: love and politics, not two things I thought I would be comparing. In retrospect, I realized that relationships online all take on many of the same characteristics. In regards to the Spier article, he used the Internet to figure out when and where the protests would be taking place and used it as a medium to band his peers together. A bond was formed through similar interests, just like the online love stories like Alexis and Craig. The internet allowed Spier to meet with a group whose protest goals matched his own. He would advertise the organizational meetings on the independent media web sites and on all of the email lists. Later when he discusses his trip to Philadelphia, "if it weren't for the internet, I don't know how I would have found anybody." (107)
But similarly to online relationships such as Craig and Alexis's these groups had to meet in person at some point. "While the Internet acted as the networking tool to bring these activists together from across the country, the face-to-face meetings and the formations of affinity groups were the essential step in forming the community that would act as one on the street." (109) I do agree with some parts of the quote there are other parts I disagree with. Many argue that these communities could not have formed exclusively on the Internet, and that it is impossible for people to form communities if they cannot have face-to-face interaction. While I agree it is extremely important for these groups to meet in person, I disagree that it is impossible for these communities to form. Before they meet a goal and purpose is put in place, it just takes face-to-face interaction to carry out the plans. The cause and people's strong beliefs is what banded them together in the first place. An example of this is the Black Bloc that is described as being "so loosely organized that the participants do not even know each other. They simply share a radical anti-capitalist view..."(105) This group feels so strongly about their cause, just because they've never met in person doesn't not mean they cannot be successful. I believe the group would become more unified if when they did meet for protests they exchanged more dialogue and would cause their group to become stronger. But just to conclude my point, while it does take face-to-face interaction to accomplish a protest I believe it is because the sense of community formed online beforehand that is what makes them successful.
But similarly to online relationships such as Craig and Alexis's these groups had to meet in person at some point. "While the Internet acted as the networking tool to bring these activists together from across the country, the face-to-face meetings and the formations of affinity groups were the essential step in forming the community that would act as one on the street." (109) I do agree with some parts of the quote there are other parts I disagree with. Many argue that these communities could not have formed exclusively on the Internet, and that it is impossible for people to form communities if they cannot have face-to-face interaction. While I agree it is extremely important for these groups to meet in person, I disagree that it is impossible for these communities to form. Before they meet a goal and purpose is put in place, it just takes face-to-face interaction to carry out the plans. The cause and people's strong beliefs is what banded them together in the first place. An example of this is the Black Bloc that is described as being "so loosely organized that the participants do not even know each other. They simply share a radical anti-capitalist view..."(105) This group feels so strongly about their cause, just because they've never met in person doesn't not mean they cannot be successful. I believe the group would become more unified if when they did meet for protests they exchanged more dialogue and would cause their group to become stronger. But just to conclude my point, while it does take face-to-face interaction to accomplish a protest I believe it is because the sense of community formed online beforehand that is what makes them successful.
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Radicalization of Zeke Spier
I'm with Jill when I say I am also slightly uncomfortable talking about politics. I'm gulity of not staying informed as much as I should and I definately need to be more aware of what is going on in the world than I am, I admit it is something I need to work on.
On another note, I found the article very interesting. The author was trying to convey that the new form of social capital is the internet as opposed to the old fashioned way of interacting face-to-face. In Zeke's story it says "the internet's information, communication, and networking power enabled Spier to discover his passion for social justice and to find willingness to sacrifice his freedom to express it. " I think this really embodies what the article was trying to get across in that Zeke not only used the Internet for finding information, he utilized it to spread the word about his cause
. "...The internet enabled him to conduct unmediated, two-way, one-to-one, and many-to-many communications with others of like mind." (99)The internet allowed Zeke to find others that felt similarly to him s--allowing them to then band together and act on those feelings in protests. It facilitated them and their cause despite possible geographic confines.
On another note, I found the article very interesting. The author was trying to convey that the new form of social capital is the internet as opposed to the old fashioned way of interacting face-to-face. In Zeke's story it says "the internet's information, communication, and networking power enabled Spier to discover his passion for social justice and to find willingness to sacrifice his freedom to express it. " I think this really embodies what the article was trying to get across in that Zeke not only used the Internet for finding information, he utilized it to spread the word about his cause
. "...The internet enabled him to conduct unmediated, two-way, one-to-one, and many-to-many communications with others of like mind." (99)The internet allowed Zeke to find others that felt similarly to him s--allowing them to then band together and act on those feelings in protests. It facilitated them and their cause despite possible geographic confines.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Similarities between cyberlove 101 and the case study
When reading the cyberlove 101 story I noticed many similarities between it and the case study. First, being that both Tina and Alexis were lonely and looking for someone to talk to when they initiated their online relationships. Tina was recently divorced and felt uncomfortable talking to her family about her situation which led her to look for an outlet for her thoughts--the internet. "It was a tremendous relief to have an arena where I could finally talk without any hesitation and be listened to."
I thought it was interesting that at first El Maestro seemed to be too persistant, causing Tina to ignore his messages, until she felt she couldn't ignore them anymore. I think if I were in that situation I probably would have brushed the annoying creeper off, but clearly she was impressed with his determination to talk to her. I'm sure she loved the attention he was giving her as well. Which is another similarity between Tina and Alexis, they craved the attention El Maestro and Craig was giving them. In both sitautions the couples talked frequently about goals, dreams, ambitions, their lives and basically whatever they wanted to, for hours everyday.
One major difference is that Tina decided to reveal her love for El Maestro over the internet before even meeting this man. Soon after she traveled to the US to meet the man of her dreams and he turned out to be exactly who she thought he was. Another difference is that Tina was honest with her friends and family about how she met El Maestro. I have noticed a trend between Alexis's story and others, that many people are too ashamed to admit to their closest friends and family that they met their partner on the internet, which can be attributed to the harsh stigma attached to online relationships.
And of course both stories have a happy ending...and who doesn't love happy endings?
I thought it was interesting that at first El Maestro seemed to be too persistant, causing Tina to ignore his messages, until she felt she couldn't ignore them anymore. I think if I were in that situation I probably would have brushed the annoying creeper off, but clearly she was impressed with his determination to talk to her. I'm sure she loved the attention he was giving her as well. Which is another similarity between Tina and Alexis, they craved the attention El Maestro and Craig was giving them. In both sitautions the couples talked frequently about goals, dreams, ambitions, their lives and basically whatever they wanted to, for hours everyday.
One major difference is that Tina decided to reveal her love for El Maestro over the internet before even meeting this man. Soon after she traveled to the US to meet the man of her dreams and he turned out to be exactly who she thought he was. Another difference is that Tina was honest with her friends and family about how she met El Maestro. I have noticed a trend between Alexis's story and others, that many people are too ashamed to admit to their closest friends and family that they met their partner on the internet, which can be attributed to the harsh stigma attached to online relationships.
And of course both stories have a happy ending...and who doesn't love happy endings?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
text mediated relationships
As I read all the posts on text messaging posted by Kristen, Melissa and others I thought it was very interesting. Text messaging is similar to talking on the internet in a lot of respects except you don't have to be sitting in front of your computer to be texting someone else.
In Suler's reading he talks about text mediated relationships on the internet. "Essentially, you can preserve large chunks of the relationship with your online companion, maybe even the entire relationship if you only communicated via typed-text. At your leisure you can review what you and your partner said, cherish important momemnts in the relationship, and reexamine misunderstandings and conflicts." Doing that kind of thing is basically impossible to do with in person relationships where you have to rely strictly on memory. As said in previous readings done for this class it is reiterated that conversations on the internet last forever. I think that this is a bad thing because it causes people to go back and re-read their conversations either on their phone or computer and because it is not delievered in person, you can only assume the tone of voice of the sender. This can lead to misinterpretations for both parties, making in person relationships seem like the way to go.
In Suler's reading he talks about text mediated relationships on the internet. "Essentially, you can preserve large chunks of the relationship with your online companion, maybe even the entire relationship if you only communicated via typed-text. At your leisure you can review what you and your partner said, cherish important momemnts in the relationship, and reexamine misunderstandings and conflicts." Doing that kind of thing is basically impossible to do with in person relationships where you have to rely strictly on memory. As said in previous readings done for this class it is reiterated that conversations on the internet last forever. I think that this is a bad thing because it causes people to go back and re-read their conversations either on their phone or computer and because it is not delievered in person, you can only assume the tone of voice of the sender. This can lead to misinterpretations for both parties, making in person relationships seem like the way to go.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Picking up from yesterday...
I also wanted to finish my thoughts just on the overall interview with Alexis, around where I left off yesterday where they had just talked on the phone...
Continuing on in the interview to when Alexis decided she would meet up with Craig in the city. I've gotta hand it to the girl that took major guts to do that. I don't know if I would've had the courage to meet him by myself. It shows how strong her feelings for Craig really were. Clearly, if it were just a school girl crush she wouldn't have acted in the same manner. I also give her props for being smart and not letting her heart overcome her brain when choosing the location for the meeting. Choosing somewhere crowded and public was a good safety precaution.
On to my favorite part in the story, where they decided to each hold a rose so that they could find each other in the bustling train station. It sounded like a scene out of a movie, and as I like to consider myself a romantic, I could really appreciate the thought behind it.
Although, I was surprised that upon their first meeting they kissed, but thinking about it more it doesn't really seem that abnormal. They probably knew each other much better than most do when experiencing their first kiss. "I got such butterflies in my stomach and then it totally dropped because I was so nervous..and after...I was positively weak." In Alexis's description of her first kiss with Craig it is more than apparent that she has very intense feelings for this guy. She also goes on to tell she was only so nervous because she felt so strongly about him.
I think it's great that these two were able to find love over the internet and gives hope for those of us who haven't experienced love in their real lives yet. Trust me I have been to the frat houses at Lehigh, the bars, the off campus parties, countless classes, the gym and I havent had any luck in finding my dream guy so maybe I should start looking other places...perhaps the Internet?
Continuing on in the interview to when Alexis decided she would meet up with Craig in the city. I've gotta hand it to the girl that took major guts to do that. I don't know if I would've had the courage to meet him by myself. It shows how strong her feelings for Craig really were. Clearly, if it were just a school girl crush she wouldn't have acted in the same manner. I also give her props for being smart and not letting her heart overcome her brain when choosing the location for the meeting. Choosing somewhere crowded and public was a good safety precaution.
On to my favorite part in the story, where they decided to each hold a rose so that they could find each other in the bustling train station. It sounded like a scene out of a movie, and as I like to consider myself a romantic, I could really appreciate the thought behind it.
Although, I was surprised that upon their first meeting they kissed, but thinking about it more it doesn't really seem that abnormal. They probably knew each other much better than most do when experiencing their first kiss. "I got such butterflies in my stomach and then it totally dropped because I was so nervous..and after...I was positively weak." In Alexis's description of her first kiss with Craig it is more than apparent that she has very intense feelings for this guy. She also goes on to tell she was only so nervous because she felt so strongly about him.
I think it's great that these two were able to find love over the internet and gives hope for those of us who haven't experienced love in their real lives yet. Trust me I have been to the frat houses at Lehigh, the bars, the off campus parties, countless classes, the gym and I havent had any luck in finding my dream guy so maybe I should start looking other places...perhaps the Internet?
more thoughts about Alexis and Craig
This is an example of a relationship in which the people, feeling strongly attracted to each other online, exchange pictures, phone calls and finally meet. This is one end of a spectrum, the other end of which would be people who fall in love online but maintain their love relationship entirely online, only relating through text. What might be the differences in "love" for this hypothetical couple as opposed to the case study example?
I think the reason so many of us enjoyed this story is because it had a happy ending. Would this same ending have occured if Alexis and Craig never actually met? I doubt it. While the internet no doubt fostered this growing relationship in its early phases, to feel like a real relationship you need to be able to interact with the other person. It would be sad to only experience love over cyberspace and never actually be able to be with the person. In the situation where a couple maintains their relationship entirely online, I feel at some point the lack of physical interaction would put a serious strain on the relationship. Suler states "humans need physical contact with each other. Infants sink into depression and die without it...Adults being deprived of tactile contact for long periods will tell you just how depriving it feels." I agree with Suler I think that many people take for granted the impact a handshake, hug or kiss can have on our day. Adults can't live a normal, healthy life without physical interaction with another person which is why I feel the relationship taking place strictly on the Internet would not be nearly as prosperous as Alexis and Craigs.
I think the reason so many of us enjoyed this story is because it had a happy ending. Would this same ending have occured if Alexis and Craig never actually met? I doubt it. While the internet no doubt fostered this growing relationship in its early phases, to feel like a real relationship you need to be able to interact with the other person. It would be sad to only experience love over cyberspace and never actually be able to be with the person. In the situation where a couple maintains their relationship entirely online, I feel at some point the lack of physical interaction would put a serious strain on the relationship. Suler states "humans need physical contact with each other. Infants sink into depression and die without it...Adults being deprived of tactile contact for long periods will tell you just how depriving it feels." I agree with Suler I think that many people take for granted the impact a handshake, hug or kiss can have on our day. Adults can't live a normal, healthy life without physical interaction with another person which is why I feel the relationship taking place strictly on the Internet would not be nearly as prosperous as Alexis and Craigs.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The development of romantic relationships online.
I found the interview with Alexis very interesting. I can really relate to her story because one of my best friends from high school and I got to know each other over the Internet. I met him through a family friend--so our first interaction was in person, and I would see him in school everyday, but the conversations that would take place on the Internet would last for hours and cover a wide range of topics. I really got to know this person just from talking with him so much on AIM. I think that we are still so close now because we were able to build a solid relationship back in high school. It was because of the interaction over the Internet that neither of us were scared to share our thoughts, feelings and opinions on so many different things. I believe its because of the relationship that formed with him that I am such a believer in the romances that develop online, even though I'm sure many of you will come to disagree with me.
One of the things I loved most about Alexis's interview was how passionate she was in portraying her experience. Her story was really compelling and drew me in. In the beginning she discusses her the chat room as a positive experience... "it was a medium to be blatantly honest and open with people without the fear of rejection because you have anonymity. I was always polite, but had absolutely no fear about being honest, which felt good." I feel that her description is exactly what facilitates the online relationship between her and Craig. Once she senses that Craig is genuine she feels she can be open and honest with him, which is when their relationship begins to blosom. They both have mutual trust for one another which is nutured by the online environment. Alexis also described feeling "somewhat isolated and lonely the months I found myself chatting online with people." This is another characteristic that may have contributed with her falling for Craig. She was feeling left out, like no one at Lehigh was relating to her, which caused her to be drawn to Craig who was giving her the attention and understanding she needed at that point in time.
When Alexis and Craig finally talk on the phone Alexis explains her feelings, "....i realized then that I had a major crush on him. I think partly because it made him 'real.' It was something that made him a complete person. " This verbal interaction took their relationship to the next level making it more personal and causing their connection to intensify. Because they had built such a solid foundation over the internet, I think that it made sometimes akward first experiences like talking on the phone or meeting for the first time, a little bit easier. They both already knew so much about each other so they just needed to take the time to appreciate each others company via phone or face-to-face interaction. I also believe that is was the solid foundation that made it so comfortable for them to kiss each other upon meeting for the first time. I think it just felt natural to them.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading their story and it re-enforced my positive feelings on relationships formed in cyperspace. I have more to say regarding the interview, so I'll be posting more later.
I look forward to reading everyone elses opinions!
One of the things I loved most about Alexis's interview was how passionate she was in portraying her experience. Her story was really compelling and drew me in. In the beginning she discusses her the chat room as a positive experience... "it was a medium to be blatantly honest and open with people without the fear of rejection because you have anonymity. I was always polite, but had absolutely no fear about being honest, which felt good." I feel that her description is exactly what facilitates the online relationship between her and Craig. Once she senses that Craig is genuine she feels she can be open and honest with him, which is when their relationship begins to blosom. They both have mutual trust for one another which is nutured by the online environment. Alexis also described feeling "somewhat isolated and lonely the months I found myself chatting online with people." This is another characteristic that may have contributed with her falling for Craig. She was feeling left out, like no one at Lehigh was relating to her, which caused her to be drawn to Craig who was giving her the attention and understanding she needed at that point in time.
When Alexis and Craig finally talk on the phone Alexis explains her feelings, "....i realized then that I had a major crush on him. I think partly because it made him 'real.' It was something that made him a complete person. " This verbal interaction took their relationship to the next level making it more personal and causing their connection to intensify. Because they had built such a solid foundation over the internet, I think that it made sometimes akward first experiences like talking on the phone or meeting for the first time, a little bit easier. They both already knew so much about each other so they just needed to take the time to appreciate each others company via phone or face-to-face interaction. I also believe that is was the solid foundation that made it so comfortable for them to kiss each other upon meeting for the first time. I think it just felt natural to them.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading their story and it re-enforced my positive feelings on relationships formed in cyperspace. I have more to say regarding the interview, so I'll be posting more later.
I look forward to reading everyone elses opinions!
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