Communicating New Media

E-education?

2007-12-02T19:09:00.000+01:00

Do you think the internet, or other new, digital media lead to more quality education?
Please take into consideration this video.

Digitalization all around

2007-12-02T18:28:00.000+01:00

When I was (re)thinking about the all present digitalization, I remembered another new media or technology: the digital book reader.

It has got (almost) all the big ones have: it can store up to 200 books in its memory, it is wireless, it "dissapears" in your hands, it lets you make notes on documents and even send messages, you can be linked directly to (among other) the Wikipedia ...
I am talking about Amazon's Kindle. Owners of a Kindle do not have to pay to use this wireless network, Amazon pays the access costs and only charges for any content downloaded to the reader. For instance: the subscription to the New York Times costs 13,99 $ per month, and newspapers that owners are subscribed to are automatically updated.
This and other e-readers can raise many pros and cons, and questions to discuss. What will happen with "classical" media (i.e. newspapers)? With going to the library and borrowing the book we were waiting for to be returned? Is more convenient to switch one button or to leaf through a book? What about the copyright?
The changes are present and they are happening. And we still have the alternative: to choose between the "old" and the "new" (digital) media.

Introduction

2007-11-29T18:59:00.000+01:00

Surely, in the past decade we perceive a vast spread of ICT. They are present in everyday life, we »collide« with them on every step we make ... Can you imagine living without them? Not me. And I am no technology enthusiast. However, they have become so common, natural and "unseen" that we rarely think about them, about their position in our lives … How do they "find" their way in our lives? Please note, that I do my best to avoid technical and/or social determinism.
I have created this blog for the purpose of the New Media and Society seminar and with the intention of answering these (i.e. above mentioned) general and additional, more specific questions. But its use can not be predicted.
Considering my personal interest and previous studies I am attracted by – in general – every aspect of social potential of new media. I will try to focus my interest on Internet and/or mobile telephone. My aim is to gather and explore the material and information and then extend it into knowledge. At the moment my field(s) of interest is (are) related to social networks, construction of identity, new form(s) of communication etc.
I believe I will be able to explore and deepen my field of interest through (hopefully) frequent posts on this blog and reading of seminar materials.