Catfish

            The movie “Catfish” is an intriguing documentary of online friendships, fraud and manipulation of technology. It was one of my favorite documentaries that I’ve ever seen, as it captures the reality of information sharing on the Internet and how easy it is to put yourself out there, even if it’s not your real self. It is reflective of Web 2.0 because users can create and interact with each other on a new level. It shows just how democratized the Internet is because people can do whatever they want and be who they want to be. I could relate to it because I use Facebook and I learned some of the dangers that people often neglect when immersing themselves in the online communities out there.

            Photographer Nev Schulman’s life was no longer the same after he received a painting from an eight year-old named Abby Pierce. He found her work to be incredible for someone her age, and he continued to receive packages for her. After a while he developed a friendship with this young girl, her mother Angela, and her stepsister Megan. He became Facebook friends with them and communicated with them regularly. Before long, he developed feelings for Megan, and the two had sort of an online relationship. He hadn’t met any of them in person, but they talked on the phone and on Facebook frequently. Nev and Megan looked forward to the day that they would meet in person.

            One thing that seemed a little weird about the friendships was that he could never get Abby on the phone, and he could never get on the phone with them all at once. They also were seldom available whenever Nev got the chance to connect with them face-to-face. Finally, Nev started to discover he had been living a lie for several months when Megan, who claimed to be a talented singer, sent him a cover of a song that he found already existed online. He started to question the relationships he’d formed online, and set out with his brother Ariel and his friends all the way up to Ishpeming, Michigan to figure it all out. After uncovering several clues, he found out that Megan had no idea who Nev was and lived far away from her family, and her Facebook profile, along with several other profiles, were created by Angela. She took pictures of someone else off of the Internet and created an entire network of people. Angela looked completely different in real life and lived with her husband Vince, Abby, and Vince’s two handicapped sons. Finally, Abby seldom painted and the paintings were works of Angela, whose initial motive was probably to get her paintings recognized. It became clear that Angela, a middle aged woman, had probably fallen in love with Nev.

            Nev was disappointed that his relationship with a girl he thought he genuinely liked was with a middle aged woman and he had been fooled. It is a scary thought to think that many of the people out there on social networks aren’t who they say they are. I learned that when I accept someone on Facebook, I should know who they are first because I am exposing them to my information, and especially if I am planning on talking to them. This movie will make me think twice before starting an online relationship or even friendship. One can hardly say that Nev was irresponsible, however, because Angela went to a lot of trouble to create such an elaborate lie. She had created over a dozen Facebook profiles to make Megan’s look more legitimate, and went so far as to upload so many pictures, post to the walls, and keep two phone lines for herself and Megan. She even created different personalities for each person. She admitted at the end of the film that through Megan, she was trying to live a life that she was never able to live. I found it rather pathetic, but very clever.

            In conclusion, being safe on the Internet not just about being careful about how much information you disclose. It is about using discretion when communicating with a stranger and thinking twice before engaging in any meaningful conversation or giving any trust to them. This could also pertain to blogs and any site that is democratized in this new Web 2.0 Internet, because much of what we see online is posted by someone we don’t know, and there’s no way to find out if they are credible. They might not be who they say they are; in fact, the person they say they are might not even exist. Or, they might exist but have no idea someone is using their pictures in a fake profile. The pictures of “Megan” were of a young model and photographer named Aimee Gonzales, who Angela had no relation to. I just hope my pictures aren’t being used for someone’s fraudulent scheme all the way in Ishpeming. 

Exit Through the Gift Shop

            Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop” really depicts a rising type of media. Graffiti displays aren’t just pictures, but a form of expression, and as Marshall McLuhan say, an “extension of man.” Through the illustrations created by many different artists that Theirry Guetta captured, I really noticed how unique each expression of art is and the creators have really displayed some incredible art. Also, though a lot of the work is anonymous and most graffiti artists receive no retributions, it is extremely popular and appreciated in our society, which I believe reflects culture’s new desire for homemade, amateur-generated content that we can relate to.

            Theirry Guetta seemingly had an addiction to something rather unconventional- filming. He captured every moment from his family life to sights in public in order to not miss a heartbeat after his mother unexpectedly passed away. At a point in his filming, he became particularly interested in filming street art, commonly known as graffiti, and followed many creators as they illegally posted their art on buildings, streets and other public places. Much of the activity takes place at night, since it is illegal. I believe this gives graffiti a unique personality of rebellion or speaking out against authority.

As Thierry traveled, he noticed Banksy’s work, which was largely recognized. Since he was anonymous it was very difficult to track him down. However, Thierry had developed a passion and didn’t give up. Eventually, he ran into Banksy on accident and trusted him, and the two traveled, Banksy with his stencils and spray paint and Thierry with his camera. Everyone knew who Banksy was, and he was just as popular as any conventional artist making a fortune for his work. The difference is Banksy wasn’t in it for the money, he just wanted to express himself. This, along with its unique, rebellious personality, is what I feel distinguishes graffiti.

Eventually, Banksy had a largely successful art show and Thierry followed in his footsteps, making a fortune from his art. Thierry’s art was created from existing art, and he put his own spin on different paintings and designs. The public loved his work. He became famous in no time, simply because of the power of the media and the interest of the public in this new and exciting type of art. This goes to show that you don’t have to be a professional in today’s culture to create something people love. All you need is a passion for something and the right media or tools to spread it to other people, and you have a chance at achieving fame.

Does the fact that the work is illegal change the meaning of the work? Absolutely. As aforementioned, it gives it a personality of rebellion, anonymous expression and revolt against authority. Graffiti artists want to put their own opinions, ideas and art on display for the public, and it is largely appreciated by many. In a sense, it is its own genre of media. Does the fact that the work is illegal weaken or empower it? I believe it empowers it. It is unique, and gives amateurs an even greater opportunity to have their work recognized. These artists, although many are anonymous, put thought into their work and it is customized and original, just like conventional art. I believe it is reflective of today’s culture of democratized media, even though this particular form is illegal.

Read more about Banksy. 

Visit his website. 

Illustrator Vector art

Illustrator Art

logos

 These are the images I'll be recreating in Adobe Illustrator.

Democratized Media

1. 1. How does Keen define Democratized media, and what are his main issues with this trend? use examples from the web in the form of links.

Andrew Keen defines democratized media as the change that has occurred with Web 2.0 in that anyone can publish information to the Internet. This has been made possible through blogs and sites such as Wikipedia and Youtube as well as many other sites. Now, anyone with Internet access can post information, even amateurs, this is Keen's main issue with democratized media as not everything has to be true to be published. He feels professionals are necessary in the Internet, especially since people rely so heavily on it. On the Colbert Report, he discusses these issues and the fact that we are relying on amateurs who are not credible enough to be put in charge of the Internet. 

2. Compare and Contrast Keens take on Social Media with Douglas Rushkoff's. Which one speaks to you and your own experiences and why

Keen and Rushkoff both see the dangers in the rapid increase in reliance on the Internet. Keen feels amateurs are given too much power and influence, and Rushkoff believes people are way too "wired," and feel the need to be connected at all times. Keen, however, sees the change of Web 2.0 as all bad. Rushkoff recognizes the benefits to having all these tools at our fingertips at all times. For me, Rushkoff speaks more of my experiences because although I realize I am relying heavily on the Internet, it has served as an incredible tool for me that facilitates researching, studying, keeping in touch, shopping, banking, and simply looking things up that I want to know. It should be used in moderation and not replace everything, and people must distinguish between credible and non-credible sources. But the positives outweigh the negatives and as long as it is used properly, I believe democratized media is very powerful and useful.

Responses.

I wrote in response to Kiersten Anderson, Billy Hild, and Henry Zhang.

Folksonomy and the Folks

The Internet is largely controlled by amateurs; it is at any user’s disposal and anyone can add to it. In fact, much of the information and entertainment we consumed was put out there by amateurs. It is easy for people to post information for others to see, so media consumers should know who posted it and trust it at their own risk. Entertainment in the media, however, is created by everyone who contributes to it. The technology that is available allows for anyone to use video, social networking, and all aspects of the entertainment that makes up our culture. One doesn’t need to be a professional to do it, which is a characteristic of today’s society.

            Youtube.com is an extremely popular video sharing website that anyone can create an account and upload a video to. Many videos gain popularity quickly and are viewed by millions of people. Many of the most viewed videos are uploads by everyday people and this is a huge source of entertainment. Through Youtube, we rely on amateurs to produce much of our entertainment and shift away from professionals doing this job. Anyone can edit or access it. Whether someone wants to see clips of the Super bowl from ten years ago or find a video on a research topic to use for a class, it is as easy as typing key words in the search box and the video appears. The downside to this type of availability is the consumer must really learn to filter what he or she watches and be able to look at it critically. Since anyone can add a video, users must watch and buy into the videos at their own discretion.

            The same is true for blogs, which are very powerful tools in that they can be used for discussion of any type of topic. They are helpful resources for gaining or expressing an opinion and connecting with others in a group setting from a class blog to a public blog created for fans of a television program. Like anything else that is on the Internet, the user must learn to look critically at what is on the blog. The source may not always be credible, which is why it is not recommended to trust information put out by amateurs for say a research paper. Often, while searching for information such as symptoms of an illness, it is easy to come across a blog or other site that anyone can edit. It is important, then, to recognize this risk when looking for truly legitimate facts. Fortunately, not anyone can edit a website for a school or government agency. There are standards for what is considered scholarly, and users must be aware of them.

            Although there is the risk of unprofessional information being added to the Internet, the collectiveness of sites such as blogs and video sharing has created a participatory democracy that anyone can contribute to. The amount of content on the Internet has grown beyond comprehension. I believe this fact, that Internet users are unified and given the freedom to share their thoughts and knowledge among each other, outweighs the fact that not all the information out there is trustworthy and legitimate. It has allowed for folksonomies, where the Internet community is made up of anyone who has something valuable to contribute to their society and engages all of its users in this participatory democracy. The amateurs that are creating content on the Internet are creating the entertainment that is the basis for today’s society.

Our culture craves things like hand-held cameras and reality television, and many needs for entertainment are, in part, met by someone’s Youtube video uploads. This is by no means undermining the higher quality and credibility of professional work. It is, however, allowing for more people to express themselves through their work and have more people see it. Comedy Central has a show called Tosh.0, in which host Daniel Tosh finds the most popular Youtube videos and other popular things in the media and talks about them. This shows that professional institutions recognize and accept the growth of amateur-made entertainment and its influence on society and are willing to use its penetration into the media as a platform.  The show The Office has a hand-held camera view, contrary to the traditional camera angle, which gives a feel that many viewers are familiar with. Amateurs like average Americans have a profound impact on what is in the media because they create their own forms of entertainment, and professionals take their ideas and run with them in order to relate to this audience. The participatory democracy will continue to grow with the availability and accessibility of technology because amateurs will continue to create.

Perhaps these people that are shaping the media aren’t all professionals or college educated, but they do have a crucial skill. To be able to use the technology at their disposal is imperative. In this digital age, being able to look something up online or create something on the computer is one of the most basic skills. Being technologically savvy is vital, especially because the world around us requires it more than ever. There will always be a need for professionals in so many fields such as medical, research, education and engineering. There are many things that simply cannot be done without adequate education. But the creation of the media is something that amateurs can and have accomplished. People are beginning to prefer the work of these amateurs, and professionals can either choose to comply with this change or risk losing popularity.

            

Web 2.0 and Transparency Questions

1. I believe much of the media today is generated by amateurs. Social media and other technology that is readily available for anyone is becoming the basis for many aspects of society, and through making some of their ads look amateur or "homegrown," television is trying to relate to its main audiences. It seems user-generated content will improve as users become more fluent in the programs and applications available, and because more and more people are growing up with this technology, more of the population will be more technology-educated and will continue to improve what's available. Production values are dropping now to meet the demand and relate to the people watching.

2. The social media sites I use the most are Youtube and Facebook. My Facebook account is what I log into the most as it is a place for me to be in contact with almost all of my peers at any hour of the day. I believe Facebook is here to stay; even in the years to come it will still be a norm for people and businesses to have Facebook pages. It has emerged into society as one of the most prevalent form of communication. Also, I believe Facebook is more successful than Myspace because it was created around the desire of people to connect and share photos and events and simply publicize their lives among their friends. People put their lives for others to see on Facebook, which is what the world of social media is leading to.

3. Transparency is important in the social world because people want to create their reality. On the Internet, there is no filter; anything can be posted. On someone's Facebook profile, for example, they can post whatever they feel will best portray the reality they choose. Transparency refers to being open and honest online, which seems like a bigger concept than being transparent offline because in the online community, people have to filter what they see and decide whether it is true or not. It is easy to fool people online, where there are also so many more people who will see what is posted, versus in real life. It is important to be honest online and at the same time to be critical of what you see.

McLuhan Photoshop Project: Digital Audio

People who craved music in the 1950s might have turned on the radio or put a record on the record player, but their options were limited. Even in the 1990s, technology had increased greatly and allowed people to own more music and play it in more varied forms, but in just a decade, the world of audio took a giant leap forward: digital audio. When people want their music, they can get it now. With just a click, people can listen to any song, any artist...everything is available and usually for free. Tons of websites and programs have millions of songs available for free download, and we can take our music anywhere through portable mp3 devices that are capable of holding thousands of songs. Digital audio has revolutionized the music world.

Popular Media!

iTunes
iTunes is a program by Apple used for updating your iPod, but is also being used to advertise and sell music over the internet. You don't have to own an iPod to use it. Its online library has almost every song out there at your disposal.

It says right on the main webpage that Youtube is "the largest worldwide video-sharing community." Anyone can create an account and upload their own videos or watch any of the millions of videos posted.  

Twitter is a site which allows you to post updates and let your followers know what you're doing. Users can follow their friends, celebrities, and anyone they choose to follow.