OSP: Clay Shirky - End of audience
Media Magazine reading
1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?
Bill Thompson says the internet has made it much easier to communicate and connect with people around the world. It gives people access to information, education, gaming and entertainment. He also says it can be used for campaigning, political action and fighting for human rights. The internet also allows people to be creative and create new things such as social media, Spotify and other online services.
2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?
Some of the dangers include bullying, abuse, scams, fraud and malicious software. Thompson also mentions extremist groups using the internet to influence people and illegal activities taking place online. Another concern is privacy, as companies and governments can potentially collect and control large amounts of information about people.
3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?
‘Open technology’ means technology that allows people to freely access, use, change and share information and software without too many restrictions. Thompson believes this is important because it allows different voices to be heard and encourages creativity and free expression. I agree with the idea because the internet should allow people to communicate and access information freely, but I think there still needs to be some rules to protect people from harmful or illegal content.
4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?
One of the main challenges is deciding how open the internet should be while still protecting people’s privacy and safety. Thompson questions how we can prevent the internet from being used for surveillance, control and oppression. He also asks how news organisations can continue to make money online while providing effective news. Overall, he believes the choices people make now will shape what the internet becomes in the future.
5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?
I think there should be a balance between control and openness. The internet should remain open so people can express their opinions, access information and communicate with others. However, there should be more control over things like scams, bullying, illegal content and harmful activity. Too much control could limit freedom of expression, but having no regulation could make the internet unsafe, so I think some rules are necessary.
3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?
Trent Lott made controversial comments about Strom Thurmond's views on segregation. The story was picked up by bloggers online, who continued talking about it until it gained more attention. Eventually, the mainstream media reported on it too. This shows how the internet can influence what becomes news.
4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?
Mass amateurisation is when ordinary people can do things that were previously mainly done by professionals. For example, people can now take photographs, make videos, write blogs and report news without being professional journalists.
5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?
Social media means that the same story can be shared by lots of different people very quickly. This can make something seem true because you keep seeing it everywhere. This is especially important with fake news because false information can be shared by thousands of people and reach a huge audience before anyone has checked if it is actually true.
6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?
Shirky suggests that when new technology is introduced, it can cause a lot of change and disruption before society gets used to it. I think we are experiencing both. The internet has changed how we communicate and consume media, but it has also caused problems such as fake news, misinformation and arguments about how the internet should be controlled.
7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?
It means that people don't need to work for a newspaper or media company to publish something anymore. Anyone with a phone and internet connection can post news, opinions, pictures or videos. This is important because it gives ordinary people more control over what they publish and allows more different opinions to be heard.
8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?
Shirky suggests that the printing press caused a lot of intellectual and political chaos for around 100 years before society adjusted to it. I think there are similarities with the internet today because we have seen more misinformation, conspiracy theories, political arguments and extreme opinions spreading online. Social media has made it much easier for these ideas to reach large numbers of people.
9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?
Photography is a good example because it used to be something that was mainly done by professionals with expensive equipment and specialist knowledge. Now almost everyone has a camera on their phone, so anyone can take, edit and upload photographs. This means photography is no longer just controlled by professionals.
10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed?
MM55 - page 13.
Answer the following questions:
1) Looking over the article as a whole, what are some of the positive developments due to the internet highlighted by Bill Thompson?
Bill Thompson says the internet has made it much easier to communicate and connect with people around the world. It gives people access to information, education, gaming and entertainment. He also says it can be used for campaigning, political action and fighting for human rights. The internet also allows people to be creative and create new things such as social media, Spotify and other online services.
2) What are the negatives or dangers linked to the development of the internet?
Some of the dangers include bullying, abuse, scams, fraud and malicious software. Thompson also mentions extremist groups using the internet to influence people and illegal activities taking place online. Another concern is privacy, as companies and governments can potentially collect and control large amounts of information about people.
3) What does ‘open technology’ refer to? Do you agree with the idea of ‘open technology’?
‘Open technology’ means technology that allows people to freely access, use, change and share information and software without too many restrictions. Thompson believes this is important because it allows different voices to be heard and encourages creativity and free expression. I agree with the idea because the internet should allow people to communicate and access information freely, but I think there still needs to be some rules to protect people from harmful or illegal content.
4) Bill Thompson outlines some of the challenges and questions for the future of the internet. What are they?
One of the main challenges is deciding how open the internet should be while still protecting people’s privacy and safety. Thompson questions how we can prevent the internet from being used for surveillance, control and oppression. He also asks how news organisations can continue to make money online while providing effective news. Overall, he believes the choices people make now will shape what the internet becomes in the future.
5) Where do you stand on the use and regulation of the internet? Should there be more control or more openness? Why?
I think there should be a balance between control and openness. The internet should remain open so people can express their opinions, access information and communicate with others. However, there should be more control over things like scams, bullying, illegal content and harmful activity. Too much control could limit freedom of expression, but having no regulation could make the internet unsafe, so I think some rules are necessary.
Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody
Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:
1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?
Clay Shirky’s book Here Comes Everybody charts the way social media and connectivity is changing the world. Read Chapter 3 of his book, ‘Everyone is a media outlet’, and answer the following questions:
1) How does Shirky define a ‘profession’ and why does it apply to the traditional newspaper industry?
A profession is something where people have specific skills and knowledge that they have been trained to use. This applies to newspapers because journalists had the skills and resources needed to collect information, write stories and publish them. Before the internet, ordinary people couldn't easily do this themselves.
2) What is the question facing the newspaper industry now the internet has created a “new ecosystem”?
The question is whether newspapers are still needed when anyone can publish information online. The internet has made publishing much easier and cheaper, meaning newspapers no longer have the same control over what information is published.
The question is whether newspapers are still needed when anyone can publish information online. The internet has made publishing much easier and cheaper, meaning newspapers no longer have the same control over what information is published.
3) Why did Trent Lott’s speech in 2002 become news?
Trent Lott made controversial comments about Strom Thurmond's views on segregation. The story was picked up by bloggers online, who continued talking about it until it gained more attention. Eventually, the mainstream media reported on it too. This shows how the internet can influence what becomes news.
4) What is ‘mass amateurisation’?
Mass amateurisation is when ordinary people can do things that were previously mainly done by professionals. For example, people can now take photographs, make videos, write blogs and report news without being professional journalists.
5) Shirky suggests that: “The same idea, published in dozens or hundreds of places, can have an amplifying effect that outweighs the verdict from the smaller number of professional outlets.” How can this be linked to the current media landscape and particularly ‘fake news’?
Social media means that the same story can be shared by lots of different people very quickly. This can make something seem true because you keep seeing it everywhere. This is especially important with fake news because false information can be shared by thousands of people and reach a huge audience before anyone has checked if it is actually true.
6) What does Shirky suggest about the social effects of technological change? Does this mean we are currently in the midst of the internet “revolution” or “chaos” Shirky mentions?
Shirky suggests that when new technology is introduced, it can cause a lot of change and disruption before society gets used to it. I think we are experiencing both. The internet has changed how we communicate and consume media, but it has also caused problems such as fake news, misinformation and arguments about how the internet should be controlled.
7) Shirky says that “anyone can be a publisher… [and] anyone can be a journalist”. What does this mean and why is it important?
It means that people don't need to work for a newspaper or media company to publish something anymore. Anyone with a phone and internet connection can post news, opinions, pictures or videos. This is important because it gives ordinary people more control over what they publish and allows more different opinions to be heard.
8) What does Shirky suggest regarding the hundred years following the printing press revolution? Is there any evidence of this “intellectual and political chaos” in recent global events following the internet revolution?
Shirky suggests that the printing press caused a lot of intellectual and political chaos for around 100 years before society adjusted to it. I think there are similarities with the internet today because we have seen more misinformation, conspiracy theories, political arguments and extreme opinions spreading online. Social media has made it much easier for these ideas to reach large numbers of people.
9) Why is photography a good example of ‘mass amateurisation’?
Photography is a good example because it used to be something that was mainly done by professionals with expensive equipment and specialist knowledge. Now almost everyone has a camera on their phone, so anyone can take, edit and upload photographs. This means photography is no longer just controlled by professionals.
10) What do you think of Shirky’s ideas on the ‘End of audience’? Is this era of ‘mass amateurisation’ a positive thing? Or are we in a period of “intellectual and political chaos” where things are more broken than fixed?
I think the ‘End of audience’ is mostly a positive thing because people are no longer just sitting and consuming media. They can interact with it, create their own content and share their opinions. However, there are negatives because fake news and misinformation can spread much easier. I think mass amateurisation is positive overall because it gives people more freedom, but people also need to be able to recognise when information isn't reliable.
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