New Media Law, Policy and Governance

"Being technological is regarded as the essence of humanity, and artificial attempts to regulate the over flowering of this being will either fail or end is debasement and corruption." 

(Tranter 2010)  

This is a fairly common feeling in regards to technology and new media's regulation by law and governing bodies. It is often felt that regulatory organisations and government's laws are unnatural and forced upon new media and do not consider of the core of humanity by which these new technologies align themselves with (Tranter 2010). Websites such as Bodog.com and TVshack.net have been subjected to these types of regulation having their websites seized by the US Government under US law even though the websites are located in Canada and England respectively and their on-line activities are not illegal within their operating countries (Kumar 2012).  This raises the question of whether the internet really is such a free market space or whether its contradicting and encompassing jurisdiction will lead to unwanted and unnecessary regulation. 

However Tranter (2010) does mention that the existence of a legal system was beneficial as some freedoms are sacrificed in order to preserve others. One of these freedoms could be that of protection and safety as it has become a concern within new media technologies. The emergence of virtual reality, whereby users depicts themselves via a avatar in an online space, has brought with it the questions of whether these virtual reality can afect real life realities. In the case of LambdaMOO and the Mr. Bungle scenario whereby one users forcebly made other avatars perform inapproapriate sexual acts on both him and themselves in a public space raises the question as to whether regulation is needed to prevent this (Dibbell 1998). Dibbell (1998) discusses that although the acts themselves are simply coding on a website that users who underwent such violation where effected within real life reality, one woman saying that she felt post-traumatic after the experience and could not cease her tears. 

The question to ask is what is the perfect balance so that regulation doesn't hinder new media technologies but technology isn't used to harm and cause dissonance amongst its users? 

For further discussion on this topic please read Amy Pearson's blog. 


References
Dibbell, Julian. 1998. "A Rape in Cyberspace." My Tiny Life. Accesses May 4, 2012. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_4076720_1&displayName=Week+9&course_id=_81726_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.juliandibbell.com%2Farticles%2Fa-rape-in-cyberspace%2F


Kumar, Vikram. 2012. "Have a .com web address? Know the legal risks." The National Business Review, March 19. Accessed May 4, 2012. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_4076720_1&displayName=Week+9&course_id=_81726_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbr.co.nz%2Farticle%2Fhave-com-web-address-know-legal-risks-ck-113355


Tranter, Keiran. 2010. "Stories of Human Anatomy, Law and Technology." Bulletin of Science Technology Society. 30(18): 18-21. Accessed May 4, 2012. http://bst.sagepub.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/content/30/1/18.full.pdf+html

New Media Transgressions

New media's ability to transcend and transgress our understanding of how we relate to each other has brought with it cause for celebration and questioning of our private lives. Thompson (2011) discusses the shift from our private communications to 'mediated communication' whereby new media's ability to track and store our personal data allows it to be viewed in a public sphere. It is the development of modern society and technology that has brought with it theses transgressions to liminal space which blurs the traditional boundaries of private and public lives (Leong 2012).

This blurring of boundaries between public and private lives can be used to target individuals and disrupt their personal lives from a public access point, such was the case for Ruth Jeffreys who was a victim of a social media stalker and harassment as can be seen in the video below.

The new media transgressions blurring the lives between social and domestic are something to be celebrated due to the innovation bringing much joy to those invested in the new technologies. Breazeal (2011) comments on her studies into artificial intelligence that by using robotics she is able to make her mother feel much more in touch with the private lives of her grandchildren even when she is miles away. These breakthroughs with social robotics are to transgressing the boundaries of private and public lives within a safe and controlled environment. It is clear that some boundaries need reinforcement by regulation to offset the negative effects of these liminal spaces and protect and nurture the areas that provide positive outcomes. 

References
Breazeal, C. 2011. "The Rise of Social Robotics." YouTube Video, posted February 2011. Accessed April 27, 2012. http://www.ted.com/talks/cynthia_breazeal_the_rise_of_personal_robots.html

Leong, Susan. 2012. "KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self and Beyond: Week 8 lecture notes." Accessed April 27, 2012. http://www.blackboard.qut.edu.au

Thompson, J. 2011."Shifting Boundaries of Public and Private Life." Theory Culture Society 28(4): 49-70. Accessed April 27, 2012. https://cmd.library.qut.edu.au/KCB206/KCB206_AR_338916.pdf

True Stories. 2012."My Social Network Stalker." YouTube Video, posted February 24. Accessed April 27, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXEcM_KtW9M

Working In/With New Media

Working from home, when you feel like it, getting paid, on tasks you choose? Sounds like the dream job! Well working for new media websites such as mechanical turks.com and worth1000.com is very much like this. These new media technologies are extremely flexible and global reaching and have started to replace traditional work structures. It allows businesses to access a global workforce at the touch of a finger and get results just as fast. What’s the catch?

Gill (2007) mentions the informality of the workforce has become a concern due to compulsive sociality whereby employees are constantly under pressure and can never leave work behind. The lack of record of your work history on sites such as these pushes employees to rely on networking opportunities even within social settings (Zittrain, 2009). Castells (1999) discusses this changing structure as a move towards a 'network society' whereby work is more project based and contract specific and thus job opportunities are faster and shorter resulting in this unstable employment. 

Are the opportunities presented by these new media technologies worth the risk of losing a stable and structured workforce for one that ultimately could change daily? 

For more information on the changing structures see Micaela Amabile

References

Zittrain, J. 2009. “Minds for Sale.” YouTube video, posted November 16. Accessed April 12, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw3h-rae3uo&feature=youtu.be

Gill, R. 2007. Techonobohemians or the new Cybertariat? New Media work in Amsterdam a decade after the web. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures. Accessed April 12, 2012. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/

Castells, M. 1999. “An Introduction to the Information Age”. In The Media Reader: Continuity & Transformation, edited by Hugh Mackay & Tim O'Sullivan, 398-410. London: Sage. Accessed April 11, 2012. https://qutvirtual2.qut.edu.au/portal/pls/portal/olt_material_search_p?p_unit_code=KCB206

Beliefs, Politics & Ethics

Social Media and Internet activism is just another phenomenon that the internet has helped to create but is it the best platform for it? Shirky (2011) suggests that with the growth in the communications sector due to the inception of the internet and social media that there are more opportunities  for citizens around the world to engage in public speech and collective activism. Hamelink (2006) however brings to light the ethical issues that surround social media activism due to the human characteristic to deceptively communicate messages in order to benefit the writer and not necessarily the cause.

The recent KONY 2012 activist movement via the internet is an excellent example of whether ethics and internet activism go hand in hand. The issuing organisation of the video received incredible amounts of support but was then later suspected of falsely raising money for commercial gain and detracting from real on-the-ground organisations. By simply participating in the Facebook and YouTube campaign people believed to be generally making a difference but the as Hamelink (2006) suggests it is deceptive to think social, economic and political problems can so easily be resolved through such simple means as virtually joining a cause.

I believe the ideas behind these social media campaigns initially have very ethical boundaries but with the fast moving pace and misinformation surrounding the internet the message can often get lost and manipulated.

For further discussion on this topic visit Micaela Amabile’s blog on these issues.

References:

Hamelink, C (2006). “The Ethics of the Internet: Can we cope with Lies and Deceit on the Net?”  New Jersey: Hampton Press.

Invisible Children. (2012). Kony 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012, from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Shirky, C (2011) “The Political Power of Social Media: Technology, the Public Sphere, and Political Change”. Foreign Affairs.

Indentity

New media can not only enhance the self-expression of your identity but can be manipulated by it too!

Through accessibility, importance and ease of new media products today, such as iPods and YouTube and other cross platform devices, using them for self-expression has become much more prevalent. Levy (2006) suggests that by simply viewing ones iPod music selection that you are able to identify them as belonging to a certain category of people and even distinguish what type of person they are. This does however raise the question and concern that people may also choose to identify themselves as a particular type of person and therefore somewhat strategically select their music and what they share to portray this perceived identity. At the same time however by exposing ones musical taste whether tailored or honest Levy (2006) suggests that with the fast moving and easily accessible new media that one can enhance their own identity due to the ease of sharing and therefore the discovery of new or unknown or unexposed media. 

Rebecca Black’s Youtube sensation Friday for instance began as her identifying herself as a singer and ended in her becoming a current celebrity. 

For further discussion on this topic visit Micaela Amabile's Blog 

References:

Levy, S. 2006. The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture and Coolness. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, pp. 21-41.

Black, Rebecca. 2011. “Rebecca Black – Friday.” YouTube video, posted September 16, 2011. Accessed March 15, 2012. http://youtu.be/kfVsfOSbJY0