Exciting new findings are rolling in as we conclude three years of SSHRC-funded research on “Digital Dissent”: What motivates people to blog, post movies, engage in online political activities? To what extent does frustration with corporate-owned media motivate those who engage in such practices as the MoveOn.org Bushin30Seconds contest, writing political blogs, blogging about TheContinue reading “highlight on current research: Rethinking Media, Democracy, and Citizenship”
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new! free access to AL Jazeera Englsh online
We have just received word from Andrea Schmidt, a member of our research team, who is now posted in Wash DC working for Al Jazeera with Avi Lewis and others to cover the election. “A quick PSA from my DC outpost inside Fortress North America: Over the past months, many of you have asked me,Continue reading “new! free access to AL Jazeera Englsh online”
Watching Big Brother
Citizens have been using lo-fi digital technology to call into question police accounts and to government practices: Sous-veillance” will see video sharing sites such as YouTube used by citizens to shine a spotlight on things such as deadly hygiene lapses in hospital wards and uncollected rubbish, according to the European Information Society Group (Eurim). RecentlyContinue reading “Watching Big Brother”
Project make McCain Exciting
About a month ago Colbert offered up a challenge to viewers to make McCain exciting by photoshoping green-screened footage of a mind-numbingly dull speech that was uploaded to colbert nation. He has been showing them on The Report ever since and there has been a ton of these videos created, here are some of theContinue reading “Project make McCain Exciting”
Wake-up Canada: Here Comes Copyright Legislation!
Facebook users delayed the bill before and on Thursday morning it is time for protests to grow even louder. Minister of Industry Jim Prentice and the Minister of Canadian Heritage Josée Verner want to lock up all data and destroy the very soul of the internet – sharing and collaboration. They obviously need to read Free! WhyContinue reading “Wake-up Canada: Here Comes Copyright Legislation!”
Same Shit, Different Life
The latest Bitch magazine has a fem slanted second life article, that examines, among other things the burgeoning SL sex trade: “Same Shit, Different Life—Second Life may be an online utopia, but its social politics look awfully familiar. ” Unfortunately the text is not available online but its worth a quick read in the storeContinue reading “Same Shit, Different Life”
CTV launches MyNews and wireless auction hits $1.8 billion
Another example of an old media player trying to act like a new media company can be found at CTV’s MyNews. It’s an attempt at citizen journalism and based on the calibre of journalism coming out of CTV I’m sure that citizens will fair much better. On their site they say: Have you seen newsContinue reading “CTV launches MyNews and wireless auction hits $1.8 billion”
Charges against Steven Kurtz finally dropped….
Turns out he is an artist and NOT a bioterrorist: A judge threw out charges Monday against a college art professor accused of improperly obtaining biological materials for an exhibit protesting U.S. government food policies.U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara ruled that the 2004 mail and wire fraud indictment against Steven Kurtz, a University at BuffaloContinue reading “Charges against Steven Kurtz finally dropped….”
When is Internet Traffic delay OK?
the NYtimes: “The Federal Communications Commission is considering new rules and enforcement decisions that would force the cable and telephone companies to more clearly disclose to consumers the circumstances in which they might delay some traffic.”
File “sharing” or File “stealing”: the semantic debate continues
The LA Times: “The first salvo was fired by the original Napster, which defined itself as a file-sharing network. That won the semantic high ground by defining unauthorized downloading as “sharing,” not “copying” or “duplicating.” The implication was that users of these networks were merely being generous with something they possessed, not usurping the rightsContinue reading “File “sharing” or File “stealing”: the semantic debate continues”