Learning Journal
Week 4 Learning Summary- Social Media in Our Life

Recently, the fact that social media affect people’s everyday life more deeply has been brought into our focus. With the booming of smart phone, more people delay on the social media to communication with friends, reading the news and even buying goods or foods. In everyday morning, the first thing for most of people is updating the news in social media. Caring about what happened last night, the fresh news in the morning and recording the feelings at this moment.

Siapera given an umbrella term for social media that social media is an integrate technology, social interaction and user-generated content. And he also identify three main characteristics of social media which are allowing users to create, downloading and sharing content, to publish their profile and personal information, and to connect with others. (Siapera,2012). The rapidly development of social media have both advantages and shortcomings, there is no doubt that social media makes people communicate more convenient and can make more friends in this way and also keep a close connected with old friends. However, the weakness is the face-to-face communication will be reducing and excessive delay on the social media will influence the normal daily life.

In this week, I recognized several overviews of the social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn… and understood how to use designated computer software and the basic principles of web page design. And I tried to start to publish my own blog site using the theories that learnt in class. Apply knowledge of the social, political and cultural impacts of digital communication to real world situations. Moreover, I know how to demonstrate integrated creative, technical, and computer skills by developing publications at a professional standard for an online environment.
In conclusion, the social media affect our daily life and through the digital communication class we can apply some useful theories into the social network sites.

* Bibliography * Siapera, E., 2012, Understanding New Media, London: SAGE Publications 


Week 6 Learning Summary- How to Design a Blog

In this week, I have learnt two significant theories, which are narrative and storytelling. The narrative reminds me back to the primary school time, teachers asked me to tell a story then she told me some methods to improve the narrative and make the story funnier to attract more audience. It is totally the same meaning as O’Shaughnessy & Stadler ‘s understand about narrative, which is basically how to communicate the massage by reading story with aim readers are able to understand the message/ content. (O’Shaughnessy & Stadler, 2012, p. 259).

After studied such theories this week, I try to apply the narrative theory in my own blog (http:// dcit.newcastle.edu.au/liaoyu0815/) and the genre of my blog is Travel With You. Thus, I start to write down some interesting stories that happened during my journal and put on several pictures to attract audience to read. Some of my photos is took with foreigners and I upsize the photo in the center point of the page that can give readers attention if they prefer such an article.

In addition, there are five rules of design (Villalobos, 2008) that I need to put into consideration, which are contrast, alignment, proximity, repetition, and subtraction. Moreover, consistency, clarity, typography and navigation are also important (Ta’eed, 2007) to make the reader stay tune in my web site. I apply the first rule in my blog, which is contrast, using the white color as the background and the font color is blue and black. It’s quite matching and the color scheme looks like the color of sea, hence it is approaching to my home page photos.

Finally, this week’s topic made me think more about digital communication theory in the angel. If we want to make the website more interactivity and narrative, we should take our view as a reader. Thinking about the reader’s exceptive and what kind of stories they prefer to read in the Internet. This theory is a most useful knowledge that can help me to fulfill the blog site building and make it better.

Bibliography
O’Shaughnessy Michael, and Jane Stadler, 2012, Media and society: An introduction (5th ed.), Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
Villalobos, R., 2008, Exploring multimedia for designers, Thomson Delmar Learning, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ta’eed, C. (2007). 9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design. Retrieved October 23, 2014, from http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing-tutorials/9-essential-principles-for-good-web-design/

Week 9 Learning Summary- Surveillance and Privacy

Nowadays, the CCTV cameras is everywhere in our daily life and most of countries become a surveillance society. Surveillance Society is defined as by using the information technologies in both internal and external environment to capture or record the data of the society (Athique, 2013, p. 219). The surveillance has both advantages and shortcomings for people and society in fact.

On the one hand, the positive things are to preclude crime and provide protection or security for people from the bad guys and terrorists. Take Singapore for example, no matter where you are, you also can see the CCTV cameras around you, such like the MRT, hospital, hotel and shopping center. Hence, Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world and there are fewer crimes occurred every year.

However, on the other hand the negative things are becoming a threat for individual’s privacy, increasing suspicion and making government lack of trust. By using the surveillance technologies such as CCTV camera, population databases, speeding camera, spyware, member reward cards, GPS and point of sale data (Athique, 2013, p. 211). These technologies can track the activities of everyone. Sometimes, it likes an eye for people and it means whatever people doing the government or other authority can monitor at the same time.

By THE DRIFTER on JANUARY 19, 2010

In addition, the panopticon and synopticon theory is also guide me into a depth thought. Panopticon is few watching the many and synopticon is another way of controlling the masses, which is many watching the few. Siapera (2012) gives the opinion that at the same time it constrains any differ voices by propagating an inevitable lifestyle to be imitated and endorsed. I consider that government use the surveillance technologies to surveillance us, thus people also can use their eyes to monitor the government. It is good for the people and government to build the trust in such a surveillance society.

There is no doubt that government should understand the boundaries and limit cannot be crossed, as it’s the occupation of privacy for others, the truly meaning and original purpose of surveillance will be undermined.

Bibliography
Athique, A., 2013, Digital Media and Society: An Introduction. Cambridge: Polity, Cambridge.
Siapera, E., 2012, Understanding New Media, Sage Publications, London.
Photo from http://www.howtovanish.com/images/surveillance-cameras.jpg

Week 11 Learning Summary- Interactivity and Outcomes

No one can delay that nowadays is a digital society; it defined as near- universal access to and pervasive use of ICT equipment, services, and networks in all ordinary pursuits and venues. (Baer, Hassell & Vollaard, 2002, p. 8). People use Internet everyday when they are travelling, working, studying, interacting with family and friends, and relaxing at home. Take myself for instance; I go abroad to fulfill my degree course and my family not here. Hence, everyday I will communicate with my mother by Wechat and Face Time with my grandmother. And I often connect with my friends by Wechat, Weibo and QQ zone, knowing their current moods and some travel photos, food photos. Through these social media I can obtain their situations conveniently and intuitive, the face-to-face call and free message can help me connect with others in anytime whether provided Internet.

As a digital production, interactivity “refers to the role of user participation in the construal of weblog narratives” (Eisenlauer and Hoffmann, 2010, p. 90). And Siapera indicates the four parameters to maintain interactivity in such a digital environment, which are bandwidth, personalization, wireless portability and global connectivity. The demand of speed, convenience, personal and scope increased, people chase for a better communication environment. Thus, I apply this theory into my own blog design; I add a message board for the reader to publish their comments or suggestions on my blog. And in this way, I can communicate with them, discussing several web site design methods and even the color theme.

I agree with the comment that Internet technology is better for us to connect with others, but we still to balance the use of Internet in our lives. Some creative and unique videos or news will attract people and go viral in the Internet. Such as some gossips of celebrities or funny challenges, it will bring peoples’ attention to focus on. Hence, we need to spread more videos or articles with positive energy and if it go viral will bring more positive energy to the public.

Baer, W. S., Hassell, S., & Vollaard, B. A., 2002, Electricity requirements for a digital society, Rand Corpora0on. 

Eisenlauer, V., and Hoffmann, C.R., 2010, ‘Once upon a blog... Storytelling in 
weblogs’, in Hoffman, C.R. (ed), Narrative revisited: Telling a story in the age of 
new media, John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 79-108. 


Week 12 Learning Summary- The Future of Digital Society

“Today, digital technology can be found in almost every corner of our social environment” (Athique, 2013, pp. 248-249).
Based on the society’s point of view, digital divide or access to Internet has divided into three segments such as Cyber-optimists, Cyber-sceptics and Cyber-pessimists. Personally, I believe in cyber-optimists, where the well development of Internet of benefits us in the long term. In addition, cyber-pessimists believe that the powerful people will have the control of Internet, which people they will about to control the content on the Internet. Furthermore, cyber-sceptics believe that the development of Internet is going to reach the peak, means that will no be big changes to the Internet in the future.

Nowadays, more and more people have the access to Internet. It brings some serious threat to some government, such as China and North Korea. China government doesn’t want their people have the access to some websites, such as Facebook and Google. The reason is really simple, people going to question their government when they start getting negative information. People don’t think about the legitimate about those sources. That maybe the reason for websites blockage happened in Mainland China. However, North Korea is an extreme case, where they only have intranet for their citizens due to politic reason.

Internet should be regulated, as there are too many informants on it. Regulating the Internet keeps viewer in a safer environment. Just like ratings in media, we have different access levels according to age, such as PG, NC16, M18 and R21. Maybe the regulation of Internet should use similar method. However, governments should not control or editing the information on Internet. The purpose of having Internet is to access information globally, and freely.

In addition, I hope that we should a higher Internet speed. We do have Internet globally, but the sometime it took times to download large files. We are having Cloud technology now, where we can upload files into online database. The Cloud give me the ability to access information anyway without having our own memory device. Higher Internet will make our life much more convenient for sure.

Bibliography
Athique, A., 2013, Digital Media and Society: An IntroducBon. Cambridge: Polity, Cambridge. 


Overall Learning Summary

At the end of the digital communication module, I strongly think that I have learnt a lot of both theoretical and practical skills from this course. Before this module, I never try to build a personal webpage and think about the recent and future digital Internet. At the beginning, I have a toughly understanding about the digital communication. Recognizing some definitions and principles of narrative design, color theme, layout and interactivity. Moreover, it also teaches me how to use iMovie to make a video and use Photoshop to edit a picture. These skills will be useful for the future when I related to digital communication. The most consequential improvement for me is I have succeeded to build my own blog by Word Press. I practice some of the theories in the website, from the color theme choosing, the font design and even the storytelling. I apply the essential principle of webpage design to make it well structured and more attractive.

In addition, I also come to understand the worth of copyright laws and we should give credit and respect to the original author. Previously, we always download the free music and videos from the Internet; however, we need to publicity more people about the law of copyright, therefore, the original author may not subject to plagiarism. Furthermore, we need to spread more positive videos, articles rather than some useless things. It is good for the Internet to make these positive contents to viral and the significance is more than themselves original meaning.

Put all into a nutshell, this course enhanced my knowledge in digital communication which basically not only an Internet or social media but also apply theories into the political, cultural, and social impacts of digital communication. In this course I have learnt not only how to build a website but also some digital theories in social which is useful for my future.