Networks and the Economic

Week Four's reading (21 - 25 August 2011):

Bradwell, P., and Reeves, R. (2008) Economies. In Networked Citizens (pp. 25-31). London: Demos. [ URL: http://www.demos.co.uk/files/Network%20citizens%20-%20web.pdf ]



Online shopping is getting popular in 2000s. It stimulates the growth of economy too.

Krishna Pandey, (2011). Need A Key For The Smart Shopper? Start Online! [online] findshop4u blog. [ URL: http://findshop4u.blogspot.com/2011/06/need-key-for-smart-shopper-start-online.html ]
[Image retrieved on 23th August 2011]

"Two of the key changes to the economy and labour market, which alongside the technologies, have put social networks at the heart of organizational thinking. They have done so because they are changes that put collaboration and interdependence at the heart of business practice", quoted from the above article. 

Using networks to do businesses is required to have knowledge and skills because all the services available online need certain knowledge and skills to operate, such as knowledge on using search engine and uploading an information. For example, there are several to search information by using search engines which included boolean, ask question. Networks could be a useful tool for economic if the employees are been taught with all the needed skills. 

Moreover, networks change the ways we do businesses, interactions between organizations and individuals, and also the communications between employees and the employers. For example, we are not only use Facebook to communicate, expand our social network but we could use it to do promotion, advertising, and even transaction can be deal via Facebook. There are many organizations use Facebook to contact their customers and consumers. Networks and the technologies allow commerces to take place through online and they stimulate the improvement the economy and society of one country. According to the reading article, it said that businesses started to adapt the way social networks function and are using social networks as tools which have advantage of the connections. Thus, we believe social networks could help to increase business sales, launch promotion, and implement other marketing purposes.

In addition, "Technology is only part of the answer to why it is that networks have remained in such sharp focus, and have occupied thinking around work and businesses." Networks are widely use by all of us in nowadays. I should say networks are getting wider and popular since 2000s. It is because the improvement of technologies. We have to use the technologies to "show" we are updated and not to be left behind from the networks. Many technologies are available through out the networks such as Facebook and instant messaging. For example, we have discussed this before: Facebook created on 2004 but the active users increased rapidly on few years later. Since the growth of Facebook's active users are great, it means many people are on Facebook therefore, there are possible to get another new business market through Facebook and organizations started to use Facebook to target certain group of people. 

Next, the article also discusses networks are the alternative platforms to do businesses instead of spending a significant amount and this made the networks exist for economic or transaction purposes. The author believed that networks could improve the economy status in terms of productivity. It is because networks are fulled with various information, knowledge, and it also enable to store organizations' details or transactions records. Thus, an organization need not to spend extra cost for information and certain services. Furthermore, those sub products, services, or technologies that provided by certain organizations could ease the employees to do work with more resources. For example, Google itself have Gmail, Blogger, and even operating system for mobile phone. All these services allow employees to do multitasking by using Google only.



There are many sites such as Google, Facebook, allow us to do multitasking to save cost and time. One of the popular online shopping site is ebay.com.

mengmei, (2011). The Virtual Revolution. [online] a girl's business blog [ URL: http://www.agirlsbusiness.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/the-virtual-revolution/ ] 
[Image retrieved on 23th August 2011] 

On the other hand, networks affect the economic but also one's lifestyle. The decisions for an individual to make a purchase could be showed within the networks and might be influenced while making the particular decision. It refers to networks provide sociability, we communicate and interact with different people from worldwide and we might get cultural influenced. Then, our buying habits and living standards could change and these changes would reshape the business opportunity in the whole world.The article did provide a good example for it: "Our decisions to buy different brands of coffee can resonate and affect living standards in coffee-growing areas across the world."


In conclusion, networks could affect everyone across the world and also our economy. The article provided a survey result which is conducted by the Creative Group of marketing and advertising executives in the US and found out 57 per cent believe it is permissible for employees to browse non-workrelated websites during business hours. This proves employees would use networks to do other tasks such as online shopping, social networking at workplace and we believe networks are not only for work but also commerce, social, education, entertainment, and many  more. It is crucial for organizations use networks to expand their businesses since networks are widely use by different ranges of people across the world. Last, the growth of online shopping in recent is a good example to see how commerce can take place within networks. The invisible cyberspace networks provide lots of business opportunities and help to boost the economic standards.

Let's listen to professional discussions on the impact of Internet.
TheSpbForum, (2011). Google's Eric Schmidt discusses the internet's impact on social and economic development 4/5. [online] youtube [ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1PjkHGfNPg ]
[Video retrieved on 23th August 2011]

Information Ecology

Week two's reading:
Stalder, F. (2005) 'Information Ecology'. In Open Cultures and the Nature of Networks pp. 62-66  
[ URL: http://felix.openflows.com/pdf/Notebook_eng.pdf ]

"Information Ecology" discusses the environment of the intangible flows of information through digital media. We get information from cyberspace because nodes and flows do their jobs. Nodes carry information and flows within the cyberspace environment and we receive the information from "nodes". It also tells, we use information to communicate with other people across time and distances, and we check and re-evaluate those obtained information then, produce more information. That is the way networks grow. 

Basically, the author divided information ecology into 4 dimensions: interdependency, change, time-boudness, and differentiation.

1. Interdependency

It refers to the networks flow the information by connected nodes and all these nodes are mutually dependent to each other. According the the article, there are two elements work for the networks' environment: flows and nodes. "Flows without elements of structure would be noise and nodes without flows would be dead", quoted. Since the environment is related the process of delivering information (information flow), each nodes attach with the flows and information pass through the nodes then "flow" to the other nodes. Nodes must work with flows, nodes would do nothing if there are no flows. Therefore, two or more nodes are linked together just to let the information flow. 

2. Change

What does the "change" mean? It is about the changes in information flows. The environment of networks is information flows and the environment is full with nodes and flows. Then, "The interdependence of the nodes can travel through the whole environment and, according to the way it is reshaped in each node; it grows or decreases in relevance and speed". Information could flow in any ways within networks therefore, cyberspace or networks optimize the information sharing process and not only one-to-one sharing only but various parties.

3. Time-boudness

According to the reading "Information flows very quickly, at the speed of light through computer networks, and the new interrelations are born as fast as old connections die time is a supreme factor". Yes, time-boundness refers to the speed of information flows is very fast just like the speed of light. We do not really can see or test how fast the information flows within the networks by our own eye sights. Moreover, we experience the speedy information flows when we use the Internet. For example, instant messaging, we chat with friend who is staying at United States but we are at Malaysia. The conversation (information) can be sent to the friend immediately and we can receive direct respond from him even our geographical distance is far. However, the speed of information flows would be different due to the relationship between nodes and flows are changed. The information could take a longer time to reach the other nodes if the flows are slower such as Internet connection has technical problem.

4. Differentiation

"Information is difference and the nodes survive as long as they can make a difference, which is for as long as they can produce information that is valid for others. In information ecology the basis for cooperation and survival is differentiation and not similarity", quoted. Many nodes carry different information to be flowed within the cyberspace environment then, certain nodes with same information would be eliminate and only keep one node only because one node can "produce" information. Let's say node A carries the information of "how to bake a cheese cake" and node B carries the same information then, either node A or node B would be eliminate or would not be existed within the networks. Furthermore, if node A is survived, node A can flow the information to different nodes and "produsers" could change the information to "how to bake a marble cheese cake" and node carries different information again. Thus, nodes carry different information and they flows at the same time.

In conclusion, the environment of cyberspace is full of many nodes, which carry different information then, these information flows to other nodes for information transferring or sharing. Nodes are not stand alone; they need flows to pass the information to other nodes. We can imagine the environment like snail mailing system. We want to send one letter (information) from Subang Jaya to Port Dickson, we have to post the letter to the district post office (node 1) then, the letter needs to be passed to Selangor state post office (node 2) for sorting. After that, it will be delivered to the destination's state post office, Seremban (node 3) and at the end it arrives at Port Dickson, the district post office (node 4). The process of delivery is flow and all the post offices are nodes. That is how information flows within the networks. 

Cyberspace?

This week, I have to do another review based on this reading:

Barlow, J.P. (1996) A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace
[URL: https://projects.eff.org/~barlow/Declaration-Final.html]

 
This reading discusses the dissatisfactions towards the governance of cyberspace which is implying law by the government (this happened in 1996). The author claimed that, cyberspace should be a free world and no one who are not from the networks could easily interfere the governance itself. Is it good to have government or law to look after the cyberspace? This could be a debatable topic. But, let's understand what do cyberspace do.
 
First, I would like to explain "cyberspace" briefly based on my understanding. Cyberspace is a new electronic network that manipulates by computer and communication occurs via Internet connection. The term "Cyberspace" has been brought up in 1990s and now we are widely do various communications throughout cyberspace.




Computer Basics 101 - What is cyberspace? This video tells the meaning of "Cyberspace"
Butterscotch, (2010). Computer Basics 101 - What is cyberspace?. [online] Youtube.com [ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHwJOScrIc ]
[Video retrieved on 19th August 2011]

According to the above article, "We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth" quoted. One of the characteristics of cyberspace is freedom. Yes, everyone can do communication within cyberspace and believe or not, you and I are involving in cyberspace right now. Since Internet is no border and it connects everyone in worldwide, physical, psychological, physiological, geographical, and cultural factors would not affect any one of us enter cyberspace. It is because we do not care the background of those people in cyberspace but the transactions and relationships.

So, what does the "transaction" mean for cyberspace? It is not all about the monetary transaction; it is the process of exchanging information. We could do various expressions and interactions within cyberspace and we use it for social network, information search or gathering, online shopping, e-learning, and many more. All these are the events that are exchanging different kinds of information or details to each others. For example, advertiser pushes their product or service knowledge to you and you are obtaining information from the advertiser through the network. Then, what about the "relationships"? Relationship within cyberspace refers to the connection between two or more parties. For example, A and B are connected for interests sharing and also social networking. Therefore, the relationship between A and B is social relationship. Another way to describe the "relationship" is the reason two or more parties do transactions via cyberspace. For example, a laptop company's website is the information provider and you are the information receiver. Nevertheless, a blog website is the blogging service provider and you are the "produser" as you contribute information while you are using the service. There are different relationships take place within cyberspace due to the facilities and functions of cyberspace are no border and limitless. 


Back to the point, law governance is not needed for cyberspace in 1996 but now?
The author expressed his unhappiness about the legal concept that implied on cyberspace by the United States government. It is because, he believes that  the people within the networks would practice good ethics and cyberspace do not involve matters that need a lawsuit to protect.
 
"We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have one". Cyberspace is an independent world and it has no central authority which mean there are no specific power to control the whole cyberspace in worldwide. But, based on the article it said United States have created a law - Telecommunications Reform Act. The legislation act will absolutely observe and guard the activities within cyberspace. Then, the author claimed "We believe that from ethics, enlightened self-interest, and the commonweal, our governance will emerge". It seems like law is "threatening" people to avoid them to do certain things and the code of ethics within the networks are better than law in term of humanity. It is because "Legal concepts of property, expression, identity, movement, and context do not apply to us (cyberspace). They are all based on matter, and there is no matter here." This statement refers to cyberspace do not need legislation because, "Things that human mind create can be reproduced and distributed infinitely at no cost within cyberspace" and it said cyberspace is a free world and the "things" share within cyberspace are not matters, these "things" are created by human mind which allow to be distributed with "free of charge". These are the arguments made by the author to support his "objection" towards legislation governance but, I have a different point of view. 
 
There are few cyber laws in Malaysia such as Communications & Multimedia Act 1998, Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission Act 1998, and Computer Crimes Act 1997. These acts are created to protect the materials that available via networks and also the people. Thus, why do we need all these legislations? Basically, they are meant to guarantee the safety and security of the cyberspace and users. But, why do we still need them if all the users of cyberspace practice good ethics while they communicate within the network (like the author said)? In my opinion, there are no certain ways to 100% ensure all cyberspace’ users are "self-discipline" and that is why many cases of online scam, phishing, privacy violation, are happened in nowadays. Legislations are to protect people who are innocent when online criminal occurs. Nowadays, the cyberspace is widely use by everyone and the tradition or culture of information sharing within cyberspace might changed due to the improvement of technologies. Moreover, the materials that we created and share via cyberspace need to be protected under legislation because those materials are our digital properties and digital properties have been defined. 

 In conclusion, there are positive and negative sides of cyberspace. The positive is cyberspace eases us to do efficient communication, interactions, and cyberspace is a useful tool to do various tasks. It is true, it changes the way we do our tasks. For example, we use online advertising instead of radio advertising to reach youngsters. Then, the negative is other people do not know the culture, ethics of cyberspace might think cyberspace is dangerous to certain group of people especially children. It is because pornography, violence and other inappropriate materials are available throughout cyberspace. Besides, cyberspace did involve virtual identities. This could bring us danger as virtual identities are lies and that could be any con cases. Those people who are with utopia perception would prefer there are no legislations to govern the cyberspace since they see the cyberspace as an ideal and ethical world. Well, the article did discuss cyberspace is an independent world with ethics and governance is formed by themselves. I have to admit, cyberspace is a new network that grows by itself but it do need both, code of ethics and legislations to achieve higher quality of security within cyberspace. So, which do you prefer? Practice code of ethics within the networks or legislation acts?

The Growth of Networks

This week task is writing a review on the reading - Why Networks Matter by Manuel Castells. 

Power does not reside in institutions, not even the state or large corporations. It is located in the networks that structure society
Castells, M. (2004) 'Afterword: why networks matter'. In Network Logic: Who governs in an interconnected world? (pp. 219-224)
< http://www.kirkarts.com/wiki/images/5/51/Castells_Why_Networks_Matter.pdf >




 
Various platforms and services that available for social networking.
Eng-Tips.Nethawk, (2011). Social Network Checklist for Big Technology: branding vs lead generation redux. [online] Nethawk.net [ URL:  
http://eng-tips.nethawk.net/blog/social-network-checklist-for-big-technology-branding-vs-lead-generation-redux ]

[Image retrieved on 11th August 2011]

First, I would like to talk more on phenomena of networks and communication technologies in nowadays. From the image above, we could see there are more than 50 platforms, technologies, and services for networking. I do not even know 80% of them. This is to show how big the network is in our society and the rapid growth of networks in recent.

Facebook is one of the most-trafficked sites in the world and it have over 750 million of active users in 2011.

Danny Yoon, (2011). Social Network Marketing Online Revolution Explosion. [online] betternetworker.com. [URL: http://www.betternetworker.com/articles/view/marketing/social-networking/social-network-marketing-online-revolution-explosion ]

[Image retrieved on 11th August 2011]

One of the famous social networking sites Facebook founded in 2004 with nearly 1 million active users and the active users have been increased to 250 million on July 2009 but now Facebook have over 750 million active users. Facebook increased 500 million active users within 2 years. We could clearly see that, there is a sudden growth of active users between year 2009 and 2011.  According to Manuel Castells, network structured globalization and networks are unlimited. We take Facebook as example, over 750 milllion active users are from worldwide and yes, networks link people together without limitation.  Facebook’s active users may increase in the coming year.

So, what factors push the growth?  In my opinion, facilities of the network could be one of the factors. Facebook with live feed updates, applications, games, and pages increase the efficiency of communication. Thus, more users choose Facebook and Facebook became one of the most trafficked sites in the world. Moreover, peer influences do affect the growth. More friends are switched to Facebook and those who are not using Facebook and who have not use Facebook will start to use it because they want to stay connected with their friends. In addition, the growth and improvements of electronic gadgets, Internet connection, and speed make the networks to become greater. Ways to access to the networks are increasing day by day and we have various electronic gadgets which allow us to do social networking. For example, we are now could use smart phones to log in Facebook, compare to the phones in 2006 which only could make calls, texting, multimedia messaging.  Therefore, we could connect to the networks at anytime and anywhere.

Then, what do networks do? Basically, networks serve as a social utility. People use networks to communicate with friends, family, and coworkers. Certain organizations use networks to expand their business and marketing purposes. Furthermore, politicians could practice communication with public via networks. Networks are good platforms for organizations and individuals publicize or promote information such as events, promotions, cultures, and many more. Furthermore, networks use sophisticated technologies which ease us to communicate people from worldwide. Another interesting function is networks could involve media. We could share music, video, pictures and even live broadcast could take place within the networks. More broadcast organizations use social networks to communicate with their audiences because they could receive direct responses by using live feed or chat within the networks.  All these functions do influence our society in terms of culture, history, economy and many more. It is because networks create more interaction between various parties. For example, DELL use Facebook page to share product knowledge and latest promotion which could attract people from different countries pay more attention to DELL. This could stimulate more desires to buy DELL’s products among the people.

What would happen if the networks are not grown up in 2011? Maybe we are still using the old style of platforms and technologies which forbid us to share more media, no live updates, and bring us boring experiences.  We will lack of some good sources to obtain information and short of the interactive ways to connect with each other. The networks will survive for certain purposes but I believe the efficiency of communication within the networks is not that ideal. Therefore, I think the networks will not be so popular like todays.

In conclusion, Manuel Castells “predicted” networks will grow due to new technologies especially the media and in fact it is true. The high demands to improve quality of lifestyle and communication make the networks grow faster. Now we need to use networks to communication in daily life and also at workplace. 

A Warm Greeting

Hello. First, I would like to write a brief introduction about myself. I'm Xin Yee a.k.a. Cindy, the author of this blog. I'm currently studying Communication and Media Studies.

Next, the reason I created this blog is for academic purpose. I have to post my review based on a particular reading on each week.

Have questions? Always can send me an email to xyee_lee@yahoo.com

Thank you