For week two, we were told to read a journal written by Jenkins.H, called Eight Traits of the New Media Landscape, before our workshop for network media. As we were going through the eight traits we were also answering a range of questions. The first questioned my grouped answered, made me dwell on how our generation has become more of a participant to our culture. Rather than our culture just sitting down watching television or just read newspaper, we get involved with issues, for example when Cheryl Cole, one of the main judges for The X Factor did not put Gamu Nhengu through to live show. Members of the public created a Facebook page to protest against her decision, a large percentage of the public liked the page so they could comment on her outrageous behaviour. Some went to the extreme to send around death threats on blackberry messenger. This just show how much we get involved with issue we do not agree with and how we show it. Another example of the increase in participatory culture is the rise of online gaming. Instead of the end user just to interact with the game, he/she can play online meet new people and be part of new groups.
The increase in participation in the media has revolutionised the way we see media and interact with it, as it’s not interaction one way, but both ways, making user experience different and better.
Another topic that was brought up during the workshop was “convergence”. My ideas of convergence were just to do with electronic items such as mobile phones, Computers and Televisions. I soon learnt that convergence also have other components such as ownership convergence and regulatory convergence. Doing further research on what I learnt, I found out that convergence is having an impact on the internet, as before the media was separated into broadcast TV, broadcast radio, newspapers, books, video and film, recorded music. But know digital media methods and the World Wide Web also known as the internet has transformed the way we distribute old media. Now with the lasted technology, videos and music can be distrusted through portable devices and mobile phones using the internet. This doesn’t only mean that digital media and media and converging but also that internet is converging with media. This makes me think that we are constantly evolving digitally, and it doesn’t look like it is going to stop anytime soon.
By doing further research into the topic convergence, it has enabled me to think outside the box and learn that convergence it not only to do with technology, but also to do with the production and distribution of media, i.e the media working hand to hand with the internet to help distribute the product.
