I grew up in Malaysia almost my whole life, and for those who don’t know, Malaysia is boasts pirated goods – from bags, to DVDs, cds, clothes, etc. My friends and I lived in a society where pirated goods = cheap = better for the future of our bank accounts. I never even thought of pirated goods being a crime. Heck, why would it be a criminal offense if everyone treated it so normally and mundane?

Australia isn’t like Malaysia in that case, but it is still far more relaxed about piracy laws in comparison to America. I’m not saying that I’d completely stop downloading music if the law was stricter – but it would certainly motivate me to do so.

The bigger question in mind is whether or not I’m willing to put in the money for the product. Am I willing to spend the money I earn from two hours of work for a single CD?

The answer: I still hesitate to do so, but at least I’m getting there. It’s not going to be an overnight miracle. But the important point is that I’m trying to change my ways. Ooh, cliché alert. ANYWAY. Yes. These artists put in more time and effort than just $33. It’s only selfish if I’m not willing to pay.

2. Geocities no longer exist (and for a good reason).
When I was in high school, we were given an assignment to create a webpage and I was pretty damn sure I used Geocities. Yeah, yeah, cringe your heart out I get it. But it was the first go-to-DIY-website back then. Sure it sometimes it was too sparkly and sometimes it was too bright for the eyes but when you’re a 15 year old girl, they can be quite awesome.

So you can imagine to my dismay, when I found out Geocities no longer existed. Didn’t anyone document them? I mean, academics write so much about everything (academia practically practises and proves the long tail theory); you would think there’d be a few Geocities websites preserved. But alas, no – it now just remains as a memory.

Can you imagine if one day people get terribly annoyed at minimalism design and boycott against it until tacky/trashy design makes a comeback? Oh wait. Hello, anti-design.

3. Blogging consistently was not easy.
There’s a section of one particular reading that I completely love (geek geek geek).

From Geert Lovink’s “Blogging, the Nihilist Impulse“

Keeping a diary provokes reflection about the activity itself. Virginia Woof’s fundamental motive is to “hold on to it all, to cheat the clock and death of all the things that she had lived.” What intrigues me here are the “time folds” that we so often find in blogs as well. Many of Virginia Woolf’s entries are provoked by her neglect of regular diary writing. “The journals are frequently interrupted by physical illness, madness, the press of work or social life. And sheer disinclination.” Sound familiar?

Hell yes. All too much.

I have a busy life, and I’m sure everyone does too. To keep a blog/diary and write in it every day was incredibly difficult. By blogging, it records my days even if I am “cheat[ing] the clock and death of all the things that [I] had lived.” But hello – I have a life too that doesn’t just stop for an hour or two, just so that I can sit down and write my yesterday out.

It’s a never ending, continuous cycle.

But this exercise has definitely taught me one thing: despite the fact I babble non-stop about how I can’t stand bloggers for all their whinging – I salute those who are dedicated, thoughtful and consistent. I’m not talking about teenagers typin lik dis talkin bout skool and boyz. I’m talking about those who actually truly understand the blogging world and contribute to it with their thoughts. And to those who blog for a living, dear god I give my hat off to you. I cannot imagine doing this everyday for a living. Talk about creativity juices on pressure!

…but on that note,

4. I now know how it feels like to be in a community of bloggers.
Occasionally I check up on the Net Communications blog to have a look at the other blogs on the blog roll. But having set up a blog roll of my own at the beginning of class (comprising a blog list of close friends who study this subject); I can now say I know how it feels to be in a community of bloggers. I now know what it’s like to leave/receive comments from someone who is in the same position as you (aka a blogger) and actually cares about your thoughts, in an online medium.

5. There really are people out there who deeply care about the existence of Comic Sans.
You should’ve seen my face when a friend said 2/3 of our Web Design readings were on Fonts.

Seriously? There are articles/readings on Fonts?
(Another point exemplifying the long tail theory!)

Despite the fact that those readings gave me a bit of a shock, they were very interesting. So I’m a bit of a reading nerd, I’ll take that. I found that a lot of the readings in this subject took me out of my comfort zone (Software Studies, IT talk, BLOGGING EEP!), but that in itself was a learning process. I’m really happy I embraced it – instead of turning away when I saw words such as “produsage” and “prosumer”.

6. There is such a thing as Creative Commons.
If there is one thought that will still be hovering in my mind post-Net Comm., it’s the idea that Creative Commons is reliant on an honesty system.

What Creative Commons, as a company, proposes is ideal and very ambitious. I’m all up for copyright licenses, provided they are respected.

Changing the mindset of most of the world is not going to be done in a day – especially if you’re relying on an honesty system. As if.

I don’t suppose I’d take it up seriously in the future, but I’m still keen to learn more about CC and the way it theoretically/realistically functions, and if it can be improved.

7. Generation Y really needs to get a hold of themselves and take ownership of their contribution on the internet.
Everyone thinks I’m a grandma when I nag them about “the severity of the putting yourself out there on the internet”. Okay, so I can’t generalize. Probably not everyone. But definitely a hell lot of people.

So the general consensus is that the majority of Generation Y is attached to the internet, like peanut butter and jelly. The internet to them is like second nature, nothing terribly new, mundane, ordinary, public, whatever. A lot of young users don’t think twice when they decide to “share” their videos/thoughts/photographs on the internet. I mean, take these kids for example.

I really like watching this video, and I don’t necessarily mean it in a mocking way. Yeah, it’s funny, but hey, they’ve got dancing skills. But not everyone’s going to think the same way I do. These kids in Thailand certainly didn’t think about the consequences of posting a video of themselves online, dancing to Wondergirls’ “Nobody”. And this is nowhere as bad as some of the examples we studied in class (i.e. Star Wars kid), in relation to cyber bullying or damaged reputations.

The younger generation need to have it drilled in their heads that the internet isn’t an ordinary innate thing. It’s like your relationship with a dog; it can bite back if you approach/prod it the wrong way. It isn’t a bad thing (the dog/internet), you just need to embrace it carefully, with respect.

That way, everybody wins.

Plus, Michael would appreciate this.

Hallelujah to technology and our participatory culture. Without them, I’d never laugh this much over other people’s cats.

Fresh off their official website…

“This year’s international program features five programs from the 2009 Interfilm Berlin Short Film Festival; highlights from the German competition, Focus On: The Netherlands, Confrontations: Films Against Violence and Intolerance, and two special sessions to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – Berlin: The Wall and Beyond and Inside the Wall: Operation Stasi – A State in Panic.

This year’s international guests are Matthias Groll from interfilm Berlin and Berlin Golden Bear winning Dutch filmmaker Hanro Smitsman.”

And there’s a screening tonight – “Berlin: The Wall and Beyond”, which is a selection of films from ‘Close Up – Eastern Front / Western Front’ program at the interfilm Berlin 2009 Short Film Festival. It’ll be at The Palace George Cinemas, 133-135 Fitzroy St & it starts from  7.30-9pm. So if you have no plans for the night, hop on down to St Kilda for 1.5hrs of Berlinesque fun.

..and since this whole post is already a little self indulgent – my list of five short films to look out for:

Some Figures on the Population of Berlin (1994)

Contact (2004)

The Other Side (2007)

Black Rider (1992/1993)

Exchange (1982)

By Mikolai Napieralski
True story: When I was a little kid I thought riding my BMX wearing nothing but a pair of y-fronts and cape was THE SHIT. I’m not sure what I was thinking, or if my bike riding alter-ego had a superhero name/powers, but I was pretty awesome. Those other kids with their taunts and cruel jokes? They were just jealous. Hahahaha *cries*

The costumes will be considerably more professional (less creepy) when DC Comics attempt to set a new world record for the most superheroes in one space. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of their first comic book they’re organising a superhero inspired flash mob at Fed Square. A weird and wonderful mix of their best known franchises (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman), the also-rans (Flash, Green Lantern) and the fail (Aquaman).

While you don’t have to dress in DC attire to take part, showing up as a Marvel character might fracture the very fabric of space and time, destroy countless storylines and, dunno, something else. But hey, whatevs, a record is a record. Simply show up at Fed Square this Saturday, 29th of May, from 9am to register and be a part of latex history.

Finding a lifestyle/culture blog like mine was pretty damn hard. But turns out finding a lifestyle/culture blog WITH COMMENTS, was even harder.

I can’t say I was completely surprised though.

Quoting Henry Jenkins in his post yesterday, “A participatory culture is a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations, and some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices. A participatory culture is also one in which members believe their contributions matter, and feel some degree of social connection with one another.”

Granted, you are bound to find comments piling up on blogs focused on news, political opinions, religion, and so on. The list is almost predictable. And that’s because those are the kind of things people are sensitive about. Those are the kind of topics that a lot of people would generally want to contribute their two-cents worth.

But what about lifestyle and culture blogs? I reckon, if you’re lucky, you’ll generate some polite comments from an audience who share the same thoughts as you.

Though I highly doubt that you’re going to find any comments that are remotely provocative on a lifestyle/culture blog unless the post itself is somewhat provocative.

Compare the comments generated for this post

and this.

9 comments to none.
They are both featured blog posts from Blogs on the Vine – which is pretty similar to what my blog is like. On that note, both posts are filed under “lifestyle”. Yet there’s a difference in comments.

Why?

The blog post with 9 comments more sensitive/provocative as it touched on bald women and the reaction they receive from ignorant passers-by. The comments weren’t provocative themselves but they certainly were enthusiastic in contributing to the topic discussed. For example, Exhibit A:

The second blog post was basically an opinion piece. I personally found the 2^nd blog post is as interesting as the first. Or maybe that’s due to the fact that I heart Vampire Weekend and loathe Twilight. But that is not the point.

Possible reasons as to why this has happened:
- Maybe people want to save face.
- Maybe people don’t want to start an argument with the author unnecessarily.
- Maybe the comments are being moderated.
- Maybe people just…don’t care. (ooh, ouch)

Which brings me to Geert Lovink and his brilliant quote, from the Nihilist Impulse.

“Most bloggers would admit that it is not hteir aim to foster public debate. If you disagree with a fellow blogger, it is even unwise to write a comment. Instead, it is much safer to post the remark on your own blog. “I blogged you”. The chance that someone will respond to it is almost zero. Herein is the limit of blogging”.

How is society generally contributing to the public sphere/participatory culture if people selectively choose not to contribute? Or if bloggers moderate their comments in favour of their opinion?

It’s all quite complicated, if you ask me. Opening up your website/blog to the world with no moderation would definitely be inviting/creating a democratic public sphere, yet not everyone who writes full-on lengthy comments are aware/internet-savvy/educated (enough) about the consequences of leaving an identifiable footprint on the internet. The problem here? It can lead to ethical issues, specially in regards to cyberbullying and damaged (online) reputations.

Yet if you, as a blogger/writer online, decide to moderate comments only to suit your preference – then it’s a biased relationship between writer and reader.

With my blog, I’ve decided to allow and publish all comments, provided none of them are inflammatory or discriminatory. I choose to reply those (who have commented on my blog) back on their respective blogs, as I believe it guarantees that they’ll read my comment. This is because I’m aware that not everyone who comments on my blog requests that they be emailed / notified if someone replies to their comment.

It’s my way of a balanced comment system – don’t you agree?

If not, you are very welcomed to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you.

Lost and Found
Part publication, part hotel room, part cultural therapist, part gallery and
part guide.

The gist:
Developed as a real world extension of Tourism Victoria’s Lost & Found publication, the Lost & Found Hotel Room gives you the opportunity to stay there – for free.

Located at the top corner of the Little Collins Hotel (smack in the city!), the room showcases some of Melbourne’s best talent/products, such as North Melbourne’s Pierre & Charlotte furniture and flower arrangements by Cecilia Fox.

Lost and Found is taking reservations from June 1 till August 31. And to stay there, all you need to do is apply online. Too easy. So what are you waiting for?

This is what I call talent.

So that’s where I scored inspiration for today’s post. Nothing extravagant – just a list of songs with the words “I love you” in them – undisturbed, unseparated. But hey, everyone loves a good list once in a while yeah?

New York, I Love You
LCD Soundsystem

Hello, I Love You
The Doors

I Love You
The Pipettes

Baby I Love You
The Ramones

I Just Called to Say I Love You
Stevie Wonder

I Love You
Esser

I’m Fine
9.30am onwards
Orygen Youth Health, 35 Poplar Road, Parkville
More details here

Great Heights 1: Imbroglio City (Unit 1)6pm – 10pm
The Rooftop, Level 3, Melbourne Central, 211 LaTrobe st Melbourne, Melbourne
Entry via Little Lonsdale Street.
More details here.

Mercy Street
11am – 5.30pm
Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, 200 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
More details here.

The World is a Text with Several Meanings
6pm – 8.30pm
Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, 200 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
More details here.