Jessica Harbison

Whats mine is yours.

Jessica Harbison — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:39:45 +0000

In the recent uproar of the alleged attempt from the Anonymous Group to shutdown Facebook on November 5^th 2011 in response to their privacy policy. It has sparked me to consider these “hacktivists” might have a valuable security message to be voiced higher than just precariously on the walls of Facebook.

When typing “Hacking into Facebook …” into our fellow Google search it became alarming to know my sentence was finished with passwords, messages and personal information. Posed with the question “could it be this easy?” I discovered programs free to download claiming ways to access your Facebook “friends” information. It leads me to believe anyone with brains a grudge or malicious intent could transform into a hacker.

At first there was the temptation to see if these programs could unveil the secrets of the social network, however this was soon followed by ultimate panic as I switched over tabs to try and delete any promiscuous, secret, and damaging information which may be lingering between the walls and the private. To be found looking for the delete button on my account Facebook reveals you had to submit an online request asking for the permanent deletion of your details and account.

With potential loop holes in Facebook’s privacy settings expressed by the Anonymous Group through their online video. It is daunting to know electronic pickpocketing can be exercised by the mother Facebook itself and corresponding Internet savvy citizens. As the Anonymous group have previously been responsible for cyber-attacks on the Pentagon, News Corp, and others.

The shutdown of Facebook is ultimately protesting for the privacy of users, as the Anonymous group debates “Facebook has been selling information to government agencies and giving clandestine access to information security firms so that they can spy on people from all around the world.” (Message from Anonymous: Operation Facebook, Nov 5 2011, YouTube 2011)

Putting into prospective if Facebook were a country it would be the fourth largest (Social Media Marketing Revolution 2009) and for me the Anonymous Groups video release is enough to give pause. As the old saying goes everything that happens in Facebook stays in Facebook as changing your privacy settings to something a little more secluded is all but a delusion.

Your workplace is changing.

Jessica Harbison — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:42:27 +0000

When I decided I wanted to complete a bachelor of Mass Communications degree I think I was oblivious to the fact that my chosen career pathway would be somewhat different to those of traditional careers. Recently signing up to B&T magazine I find myself frequently browsing the job offers and I am finding the job descriptions become more and more niche orientated, from communications specialist to project manager to digital project manager. Faith Lee supports this finding as she explores the fact new media work is more specialised and changeable as much of it is project-based. This shift is discussed by Leong (2011) as a result of the “information age” where new media has changed the traditional workplace and the models of work.

In an online presentation from Zittrain (2009) he shows companies engaging in the “new” workplace. LiveOps is a virtual call centre which uses outsourcing of “at-home agents” for inbound and outbound calls. This company was used as an additional emergency service to assist the Red Cross when Hurricane Katrina Hit the US in 1995 (Zittrain 2009). The organisation of LiveOps opposes the traditional call centre model as it provides greater flexibility, quality, scalability and control than traditional call centre technology providers. This example intrigued me to think about the prospective workplace changes I may encounter as new media will continue to change business dynamics.

Lee, Faith. 2011. “The Network Society” Faithchantal’s blog, Accessed April 18, 2011. http://faithchantal.wordpress.com/.

Leong, S.”KCB:206 New Media: Internet, Self and beyond” Accessed April 18, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/.

Rune, T. 2006. “Finially Friday.” Image. Accessed April 18, 2011. http://www.flickr.com/photos/minebilde/91851529/lightbox/.

Zittrain. J. 2009. “Minds for Sale.” Berkman Center for Internet and society, posted November 18, 2009. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/events/2009/11/berkwest.

Online health information: risky business or consumer wonderland?

Jessica Harbison — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:46:40 +0000

New media has opened the information doors for healthcare. A new concept of using search engines to Organize, track, monitor and secure medical information online has been introduced. Google has recently added a feature called Google Health to their internet based service. It enables consumers to store health information online, with features such as setting personal goals, tracking progress and personalizing your health needs with applications and devices.

This idea of a “self managing citizen” discussed by Lewis (2006, 523) explores how new media has significantly shifted the healthcare industry providing many opportunities but also challenges. The internet offer’s targeted health information which is able to target consumers as an individualized DIY subject (Lewis 2006, 522). However with consumers having access to vast amounts of online health information can lead to mixed messages regarding health advice and wrong diagnosis. As Lewis (2006, 523) discusses the possibility of an epidemic of misinformation.

The question is who is responsible when something goes wrong? It is clear there has been a shift from public responsibility to now the individual (Leong 2011). As we incorporate medicine 2.0 (Leong 2011) into our digital worlds it is important to consider what Faith Lee states consumers are now the gatekeepers of their own personal health information.

Lee, Faith. 2011. “DIY health. Are we becoming our own doctors?” Faithchantal’s Blog. Accessed April 4, 2011. http://faithchantal.wordpress.com

Leong, Susan. 2011. “KCB: 206 New media: week 6 lecture notes.” Accessed April 4, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/

Lewis, Tania. 2006. “Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria?” Media, Culture and Society 28 (4): 521-539.

Shemissedhowhewouldkissher. 2011. “Just Breathe.” Image. Accessed April 10, 2011. http://shemissedhowhewouldkissher.tumblr.com/post/4033352031

The realities of new media: Multiple identities.

Jessica Harbison — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 04:20:41 +0000

Life is not about finding yourself it’s about creating yourself (Leong, 2011). Disregarding the hype of new media, the concept of defining and branding your identity to others has long been a traditional process. Such as choosing a career pathway and who you associate with all contribute to your identity.

New media has however opened up vast social spaces (Deuze 2011, 139) to further expand and create identities within multiple channels. As Faith Lee (2011, 4) describes we now have the tools such as Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, Twitter to broadcast ourselves globally. Today it is common for most of us to create multiple identities across a variety of online networks (Bush 2008, 1). For example I expose and brand myself differently on Facebook compared to how I do on Linked in.

Today it is evident we can alter information about the self online. As Deuze (2011, 1) explains we are living in a reality of being cut, pasted, edited, remixed and forwarded. However connecting and branding our identities online does not conclude we are living IN a media life. This idea argued by Deuze is an extremist point of view as new media only forms an extension of the self; Media is not a part of the lived experience.

Bush, Michael. 2008. “Online identity disorder? Try OpenID.” Advertising Age 79 (11): 18. Accessed April 2, 2011 http://www.proquest.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/

Courides Alex. 2011. “Creating Yourself.” Image. Accessed April 2, 2011. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexcourides/5419869853/in/photostream/

Deuze, Mark. 2011. “Media Life.” Media, Culture & Society 33 (1): 137-148. Accessed March 31, 2011. doi: 10.1177/0163443710386518

Lee, Faith. 2011. “Branding yourself” Faithchantal’s Blog, April 3. Accessed April 3, 2011. http://faithchantal.wordpress.com/

Leong, Susan. “KCB206 New media: internet, self and beyond: Week 5 lecture notes.” Accessed March 31, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/

Word is the weapon

Jessica Harbison — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:34:02 +0000

If there is one communication tool politics should be concerned about it would be the revolution of social media. Its power to become viral is underestimated and can generate enormous political effects. It allows citizens to become a part of a collective group equipped with data, intelligence and knowledge which can emphasise political action (Leong 2011).

Chinese governments have realised the potential of social media as they observed political leaders such as Ben Ali & Hosni Mubarak lose power recently. With social media allowing people too privately and publicly debate their views, it generates a sense of shared awareness (Shirky 2011, 25). The Jasmine Revolution is an example which explains the impact shared awareness can have on politics; evidently why China has implemented restrictions to prevent a mass political movement.

China’s ruling communist party has been urging tighter controls on the “virtual society” aiming to guide public opinion in a “healthy direction” (Foster 2011). Restrictions have been seen on news websites, blog sites and twitter. The word “jasmine” was blocked from Sina Weibo, a microblogging site in China. However as Walsh states political activism and social media are double-edged swords, governments are using social media tools to locate possible outbreaks. Although tech-savvy users have employed special software to circumvent web controls such as code words to spread information regarding politics online (Foster 2011).

Foster, Peter. “China facing new calls for Jasmine Revolution.” Accessed March 26, 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/chine/8342414/China-facing-new-calls-for-jasmine-revolution.html

Leong, Susan. “KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self and Beyond: Week 4 lecture notes.” Accessed March 26, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/

Shirky, Clay. 2011, “The Political Power of Social Media,” Foreign Affairs, 90 (1): 28-41. Accessed March 25 2011 . http://proquest.umi.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/

Walsh, A. C. “Tweet Freedom.” The New Neighbours Blog, March 27. Accessed March 26. http://thenewneighbours.wordpress.com/author/intheneighbourhood/

Musical playlists, It’s not what you like… It’s who you are.

Jessica Harbison — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:15:03 +0000

Since the beginning of Macintosh’s Apple creation of everything I, an unwritten social rule if you show me yours I’ll show you mine has become apparent. People who own an iPod will understand the concept of sharing ones play-lists with a friend or a colleague and at times this may seem a daunting task. As Ryan Patrick explains an iPod play-list is a strong reflection of one’s personality.

What appears a simple two way exchange of musical tastes has become a means to a rich personal narrative (Levy 2006, 41). When asked the question in my lecture recently if I would feel comfortable revealing the music on my iPod to anyone? I wanted to open up my iTunes and delete any songs I considered “uncool” as when you look at someone’s music you naturally form a judgment. It comes down to perceptions of image and how media opens the self up to others as Levy (2006, 23) explains play list is character. This is why I believe we are afraid of flashing our play lists, as it not only reveals our musical tastes but also subconsciously defines our personality.

Levy, Steven. 2006. Identity in Levy, Steven, The perfect thing: how the ipod shuffles commerce, culture and coolness, 21-41. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, pp.

Patrick, Ryan. 2011. “Shake to shuffle.” pDRyan’s Blog, Accessed March 18, 2011. http://pdryan-pdryan.blogspot.com/2011/03/shake-to-shuffle.html

Yourdon, Ed. 2008. “Sharing music, Roman style.” Image. Accessed March 18 , 2011. http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3088582622/in/photostream/

New media a digital democracy?

Jessica Harbison — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:13:56 +0000

We are the social experiment… How does this make you feel?

Follow on at:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html

Lets get enagaged to new media.

Jessica Harbison — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:36:46 +0000

“Technology changes faster than culture.”

The somewhat controversial statement by Bell, G. (2008) illustrates the rapid growth of new ‘new’ media and the vast affects it is having on our culture.

New media is what’s unstoppably breaking down the geographical
boundaries for you and I. It is eliminating many social restrictions
however also encouraging us to expose our ‘inner selves’ online.

On my iPhone I am able to run numerous applications, access blogs, social networking sites, podcasts and video sharing websites. I can maintain my online presence, interact globally and retrieve information through just one platform.

My own media habits seem repetitive and addictive, I feel the need to be permanently connected to this web of communication. Waking up to my iPhone advising me of new Facebook notifications just so I feel updated and ‘connected’ is an indication my world is being defined by the opportunities new media allows.

In saying this, it is clear the consumer has a choice as to how much they wish to engage in new media practices. As Bell, G. (2008) makes the assumption every consumer is struggling inside a network of devices having to deal with contacts, communities and profiles online. This is a generalised statement as it is not a concern for every consumer such as the technical savvy or traditional media users.

Bell, G. (2008). “Digital Economy Forum: Presentation by Dr Genevieve Bell (Intel).” YouTube video, posted September 10. Accessed March 11, 2011.