Random thoughts
Right, well a few weeks have passed since I wrote anything, but here we go... I tried to think of amazingly intelligent things that I could say about this weeks lecture... but that didn't really work out. So here is a collection of random things I picked up through the News and Internet over the last week.
1. BEBO: ahh my favourite, a delicate topic in the media, especially now with the recent stabbing of the 17yr old Grammer Boy Augustine Borrell. Not only did he have a Bebo Page but his killer did too. As reported on One News, days after the killing numerous threats and messages were left on the suspects page - this eventually of course led to his surrender at the Downtown Police Station. Interesting stuff? In addition to this numerous people have switched their Bebo 'skin' (background) to a generic Memorial Skin for August or 'Gus'. My brother being an ex-Grammer boy as well, has replaced his 'All Blacks' skin with the R.I.P August Bebo skin... Leading me to my eventual point/question. Not only does Bebo assist with catching criminals but it can be a site for personal tributes to loved ones. For my brother, using the Bebo skin is his personal tribute to his old schoolmate and a symbol of his unity with a 'brotherhood' in grief. Personally I was amazed at this outward display of grief from an otherwise 'rough, tough Boys college'. Is this then adding to the online identity argument, where people show their 'true' emotions online rather than out in the open. Whilst my brother and his mates have yet to shed a tear or show grief. The online pedges are from the heart and deeply emotive. A side to some of those boys I'd never ever seen. Is it death or the ability to let go using your other 'online self'?
2. On a lighter note; IPod and its hold over the world! Heres some figures I collected from an ABC News item:
a. Since its release in October 2001, Ipod has sold over 110million MP3 players Worldwide.
b. The Ipod takes up 80% of the market for MP3 players
c. When a survey was taken on a class of 60 Grade 6 children in the US, 87% believed that the Ipod was the name for any MP3 player ever made?!
3. In my Sociology 211 class the other day, our lecturer brought a list of the Top 100 Internet searches found over the last week from University Computers, not only did these include searches for Beer, Girls, Pro-wrestlers and Lunar Eclipses but an alarming high number of searches for a site most commonly known as YouPorn!? And after a few quick questions around the males in my class, yes such a thing does exist! I wonder, if Google runs YouTube do they have rights over this site as well??
4. Moving along the same lines, I remember watching yet another story on 'Internet Safety for Children' - an interesting point was brought up about Site URLs. The focus was on Fairytales and how kids typing in any fairytale name i.e. Cinderella.com would find something a little less desirable. So I tried a few sites myself...
http://www.sleepingbeauty.com/ - a Publications Company that had a few links and things but a far call from the fairytale
http://www.cinderella.com/ - a Porn site
http://www.snowwhite.com/ - a Pro-America site with links to a page on Snow White, a page on Harry Potter, a page on a Jewellers and a page on a Financing Company
http://www.beautyandthebeast.com/ - the only page that did have any relation to the Disney classic
So theres my collection of random sites and things I've picked up over the week.
Have a good week everyone!
Over & Out, Lena
1. BEBO: ahh my favourite, a delicate topic in the media, especially now with the recent stabbing of the 17yr old Grammer Boy Augustine Borrell. Not only did he have a Bebo Page but his killer did too. As reported on One News, days after the killing numerous threats and messages were left on the suspects page - this eventually of course led to his surrender at the Downtown Police Station. Interesting stuff? In addition to this numerous people have switched their Bebo 'skin' (background) to a generic Memorial Skin for August or 'Gus'. My brother being an ex-Grammer boy as well, has replaced his 'All Blacks' skin with the R.I.P August Bebo skin... Leading me to my eventual point/question. Not only does Bebo assist with catching criminals but it can be a site for personal tributes to loved ones. For my brother, using the Bebo skin is his personal tribute to his old schoolmate and a symbol of his unity with a 'brotherhood' in grief. Personally I was amazed at this outward display of grief from an otherwise 'rough, tough Boys college'. Is this then adding to the online identity argument, where people show their 'true' emotions online rather than out in the open. Whilst my brother and his mates have yet to shed a tear or show grief. The online pedges are from the heart and deeply emotive. A side to some of those boys I'd never ever seen. Is it death or the ability to let go using your other 'online self'?
2. On a lighter note; IPod and its hold over the world! Heres some figures I collected from an ABC News item:
a. Since its release in October 2001, Ipod has sold over 110million MP3 players Worldwide.
b. The Ipod takes up 80% of the market for MP3 players
c. When a survey was taken on a class of 60 Grade 6 children in the US, 87% believed that the Ipod was the name for any MP3 player ever made?!
3. In my Sociology 211 class the other day, our lecturer brought a list of the Top 100 Internet searches found over the last week from University Computers, not only did these include searches for Beer, Girls, Pro-wrestlers and Lunar Eclipses but an alarming high number of searches for a site most commonly known as YouPorn!? And after a few quick questions around the males in my class, yes such a thing does exist! I wonder, if Google runs YouTube do they have rights over this site as well??
4. Moving along the same lines, I remember watching yet another story on 'Internet Safety for Children' - an interesting point was brought up about Site URLs. The focus was on Fairytales and how kids typing in any fairytale name i.e. Cinderella.com would find something a little less desirable. So I tried a few sites myself...
http://www.sleepingbeauty.com/ - a Publications Company that had a few links and things but a far call from the fairytale
http://www.cinderella.com/ - a Porn site
http://www.snowwhite.com/ - a Pro-America site with links to a page on Snow White, a page on Harry Potter, a page on a Jewellers and a page on a Financing Company
http://www.beautyandthebeast.com/ - the only page that did have any relation to the Disney classic
So theres my collection of random sites and things I've picked up over the week.
Have a good week everyone!
Over & Out, Lena
posted by Lena W at 9:27 PM
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