Internet of Things

THE FUTURE... and beyond

           The very meaning of media and communications has been altered so drastically in the new century that it is becoming difficult to define each term. 

           We have developed the freedom and ability to produce, to adapt and to innovate technology but will that be enough to maintain our societies and their cultures. 

          The most pointed message that Eastlings (2011) portrays in her Internet of Things reading is that the “computer has escaped the box”. In many ways this is true, our virtual and physical worlds are becoming so closely linked that soon they may be inseparable. Tasks such as shopping, work, socialising and education can now only be undertaken by a virtual persona.

           In many ways I have major problems with the idea that technology is furthering our society in absolutely every aspect. While it has provided a backbone for many medical, scientific and technical breakthroughs, it has not necessarily added to the cultural progression of our lives. Although the irony of writing this on a laptop whilst listening to my iPod as FaceBook lies open on my screen does not go unnoticed.

           Language itself is decreasing to the point that societies today use fewer words then that of Shakespeare’s time (Mirvis, P. H., Sales, A. L. and Hackett, E. J. (2006)). Furthermore basic literacy skills are deteriorating, such as spelling, due to the reliance on computer based writing programs. (Mirvis, P. H., Sales, A. L. and Hackett, E. J. (2006))

           Through my own observations I have also seen a decrease in verbal communication skills, communicating through email is now an acceptable form of official communication. Even within this university, students are encouraged to email professors with their questions rather then come to see them in person. 

 
           Furthermore our physical identities are so closely linked to that of our virtual ones that distinguishing between the two is becoming impossible. While this may have its benefits I feel that the world was meant to be lived in not just virtually experienced.  

           I don’t know about anybody else but I feel that we need to be continuously weary of our reliance on technology. The decrease in language and control of our personal identities is all feeling a little too George Orwell’s 1984 to me. 

References

Keller Easterling (2011) ‘An Internet of Things’, e-flux journal, <http://www.e-flux.com/journal/an-internet-of-things/>

Mirvis, P. H., Sales, A. L. and Hackett, E. J. (2006), The implementation and adoption of new technology in organizations: The impact on work, people, and culture. Hum. Resour. Manage., 30: 113–139. doi: 10.1002/hrm.3930300107

Open Science

              The constant changing world that is the media is greatly influencing other parts of communities. Despite the protests of many scientists, media technologies have indeed effected and influenced science in many ways, shapes and forms. The advancement of technologies has enabled research findings to become widespread and diversity has increased. 

             Furthermore interest with scientific findings has reached the general public’s radar more so then ever imaginable. There is a new movement for scientists to openly publish all of their research findings and the process of their experiments (Willbanks, 2011).   

            Some scientists have already adopted an open science mind set with websites such as PLoS, GlazyZoo and ResearchGate being set up to facilitate discussions (Thomas, 2012). This has enabled the progression of many scientific collaborations that would otherwise be inpossible.

However not all scientists are on board with releasing their findings into the general public domain as they believe that this is not how findings should be presented.

           All variations of change within an established field have their pros and cons. Pisani (2011) discusses how “sharing data will change the way medical science works and speed up the discovery of new cures” (Pisani E, 2011). This idea of sharing is especially vital in the medical fields as one rare case can possibly save a life half way around the world. Similarly doctors and medical professionals can learn from methods that aren't as effective as others. This progression of medical communication will prove to speed up the development of treatments and procedures across the world.

           Pisani (2011) also addresses the downside to open communication between scientists; the validity of researchers can come into question if all mistakes and neutral results are made public. Also the issue of copyright of findings comes into question as more findings can be published and copied. Another issue that has risen is that forums are coming about that are publishing non-peer reviewed articles that are being taken as fact by the general population. 

          This influx of unreliable information can be seen in one of the biggest scientific debate that is currently dominating the media, that of climate change or global warming. The climate change debate is fuelled by information that is not scientifically proven being published and debated online. This movement heightens the intensity of an important situation but for all the wrong reasons. Rather than focusing on the scientifically proven data about the issue people are choosing to listen to what they already believe as fact. This can and has cause great issues for governments and societies to activate change. 

          This widespread knowledge leads to social change, enhanced by media technologies science can and will have a greater influence on innovative movements. However as with all parts of life, open science most understand that with great power comes great responsibility.

References

Lin, Thomas (2012) ‘Cracking Open the Scientific Process’, The New York Times, January 16, 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/science/open-science-challenges-journal-tradition-with-web-collaboration.html?_r=4&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all> 

Pisani, Elizabeth (2011) ‘Medical science will benefit from the research of crowds’, The Guardian, January 11, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/11/medical-research-data-sharing> 

Wilbanks, John (2011) ‘On Science Publishing’, Seed, <http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/on_science_publishing> 

Collaboration

Protests of a Different Kind

            This week the issues revolving around the networks and micro politics within social organisations were raised. The collaboration between communities and new media entities is extending cultural awareness and social movements.

            The fact that communities are greatly impacted and reliant on new media is no longer a disputable claim. Without new media social organizations and movements would not be nearly as effective or influential. A recent example of this is the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City. This movement spread rapidly through the use of social media. The corresponding media exposure that the social media ensured enabled the message to be heard throughout the world and resonated with people from all walks of life. 

           As expressed in the Coalition of the Willing (2010) blog protests have changed with the introduction of new technologies. As the current generation of protesters i.e. Generation Y, have grown up in a technologically saturated world, their techniques of staging a protest and getting their view across has developed. 

            The Coalition of the Willing’s (2010) video shows an example of how a revolutionary protest in the 1960’s differs from the modern day movements. These former protests were arrange and executed at a specific time and place whereas modern protests are able to take place simultaneously across the globe with people from all walks of life participating. (Manning, E, 2009). Manning (2009) suggests that the current form of protesting which aim is “shattering the status quo” (Coalition of the Willing, 2010) is much more effective then content driven political movements. 

           The human megaphone was employed in the Occupy Wall Street marches were by which a cry would be echoed row by row throughout the congregation show a level of collaboration reminiscent of earlier times. This was used to combat the laws prohibiting megaphones, it essentially collaborated human forces to make a powerful entity that at the end of the day gained monumental coverage. 

           Social media networks in many ways can be seen as an extension of a human megaphone though rather than human it is technological. The echoing of a message through posting, reposting and continuing media exposure extends the message that the movement wants to get across.

           In this technological world it would be remiss not to assume that the future of protests will be conducted completely online. This echoing of a message can be also seen in the Kony 2012 campaign which utilised the social network medium to carry its message. Although not successful due to extenuating circumstances the campaign was an excellent example of how the power of social media through people can create noise about a cause. The rise of the new groupthink (Cain, 2012) is a demonstration of how technology has altered the way a congregation of people collaborate to make social change. 

References

              Cain, Susan (2012) ‘The Rise of the New Groupthink’, The New York Times, January 13, <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html>

               Knife Party and Rayner, Tim and Robson, Simon (2010) Coalition of the Willing <http://coalitionofthewilling.org.uk/>

               Manning, Erin (2009) ‘From Biopolitics to the Biogram, or How Leni Riefenstahl Moves through Fascism’ in Relationscapes;