Workshop 2:World Wide Web AudiencesAnn Healey

Workshop Learning Outcomes By the end of today’s workshop you will be able to:

•discuss the main arguments between techno optimists and techno pessimists

•discuss the concepts of 'the author' and 'the audience’

•analyse how relevant those concepts are in contemporary digital society

Today’s Structure•Short recap of this weeks lecture-key points relevant to

today’s workshop

•Preparing for Debate – Groupwork (40 minutes)

•The Debate-Techno-Optimists v Techno Pessimists & Concluding Ideas (60 minutes)

•15 minute break

Final Hour•Prepare & Present an Information Technology ‘Live News

Story’ for discussion.(this is assignment prep)•Go Over the Homework for next week

How does Information Technology relate to Information Systems

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYHardwareSoftwareDatabasesNetworksOther related Components

INFORMATION

SYSTEMS

INVENTORYSYSTEM

MARKETINGSYSTEM

PAYOUTSYSTEM

CUSTOMER SERVICESYSTEM

Difference between The Internet & The World Wide WebThe Internet is ANY network of interconnected

computersSimply put, A NETWORK OF NETWORKS! (your cell

phone is also on a network that is considered part of the internet and many other electronic devices)

ALL of these separate networks added together = THE INTERNET

Difference between The Internet & The World Wide WebThe World Wide Web is just one component of the InternetWorld Wide Web- a system we use to access the internet.

It is NOT THE ONLY system out there but it’s the most popular and widely used. It uses a protocol (a way of transferring data/a way of communicating) called HTTP

Example of how the Internet is different to the World Wide Web-when I send an email, I use the INTERNET but NOT the World Wide Web

To put it simply, the World Wide Web is Ms POPULAR.

(but she’s not the only one at school)

Difference between The Internet & The World Wide Web

The InternetAny network of connected computers

Protocol (how we connect & transmit data) IP, FTP, IRC, HTTP, SMTP

Files do not necessarily open immediately

The World Wide WebOne component of the Internet. A system we use to access the internet

Protocol HTTP

Files displayed immediately on website and allows interaction (hyperlinks)

Web 1, 2, 3, 4 viewed as technologies

ACTIVITIES INFORMATION FLOWSUSER INACTION

(humans as passive receiver-weJust read & look!)

USER INTERACTION(we can contribute to & manipulate content)META OR MACHINE ACTION(human interaction + machine interaction so for example integration of Facebook with LinkedIn)

1990-2000

2000-2010

2000-2020

Web 1, 2, 3, viewed as activities & information flows

Web 4.0 – THE FUTURE!4.0: Self-Actualized-Action — hyper-personalized, yet interactive, wholly encompassing environments

GOOGLE GLASS!

The Structural ActantThe Structural Actant-Exercises it’s POWER by STRUCTURING INTERACTIONS within the Network

What does this mean? Let’s look at the example of the cookie to explain it more clearly.

Short History of the COOKIEThe cookie was invented as a way to REMEMBER

information about us (the web visitor) to help with ecommerce. So, for example, before cookies, if we visited a website such as Amazon and put items in our basket and then left that website, those items would be gone when we returned to the website.

Cookies were invented so that the website remembered our items

However, Capitalism (OUR STRUCTURED ACTANT) has now turned the ‘innocent’ cookie into a THIRD PARTY TRACKING DEVICE.

How does this STRUCTURED ACTANT work? The Cookie is now being used as a third party tracking

cookieWhat does this mean

The First Party is the User- That’s YOU (or ME)Second Party is the website You are visitingThird Party is any external services running on that

website (eg ADVERTIZING!)

When you visit a website, both the website and the third party will give you a user number

Now you go to another website and the the same third party is running on that website, the third party is now starting to build a profile your behaviour. This is called a BEHAVIOURAL TRACKING COOKIE. The advertizers can now target specific adverts to you because they know where you’ve been and what you have been looking at!

COOKIE AS STRUCTURAL ACTANT

COOKIE AS STRUCTURAL ACTANTCookie is a manifestation of CAPITALISM’s STRUCTURAL Actancy

It exerts POWER over the NETWORK as it facilitates user surveillance

CAPITALISM (via the COOKIE) has STRUCTURED the relationship and interaction between various ACTANTS in the NETWORK (or ASSEMBLAGE)

The Techno Optimists vs The Techno Pessimists

Technology will ruin us!

Technology is the best thing that ever came into my life!

Web 2.0 and up gives the audience more power

Web 2.0 and up does not give the audience more power

Short Recap of the Homework Text

The Rosen article – Supporting The Techno Optimists

The Keen article – Supporting The Techno Pessimists

Vs

Key TermsActive Audience(or the people formerly known as the audience)Power ShiftNew MediaBig MediaUser Generated ContentMonopolistic PlatformsDecentralizedDemocratizing

Take ten minutes to re-read the text and note key points from both sides of the argument. Look for any key terms.

Techno Optimists vs Techno Pessimists

THE DEBATE!

Debate: Techno Optimism vs Pessimism

• divide into 2 groups

• group TO will be the Techno Optimists • group TP will be the Techno Pessimists

Support Your Statements!Whatever statements you are making, you need to SUPPORT them. A good

support will STRENGTHEN your argument.

TECHNO OPTIMISTS: You will draw from the Rosen Reading (and any other sources that you

feel are relevant. Look on the internet for some facts and figures)

TECHNO PESSIMISTS: You will draw from the Keen Reading (and any other sources that you

feel are relevant. Look on the internet for some facts and figures) (IRONY!)

KNOW YOUR ENEMY! In constructing a good argument, it may be useful to think what the

opposing ‘team’ may come up with and have points ready to refute what they claim. Always be able to ‘back-up’ what you say with relevant facts and figures from reliable sources.

USE KEY TERMS: This will show that you know your material!

Debate StructureOpening statement (approximately 5 minutes each team) •Name & who you are speaking for •Define key term-(techno optimism/techno pessimism) •Three statements supportive of your position-For each statement give

supporting facts/statistics and or quotes. This will give each statement WEIGHT

(After each group have completed their opening statements you will have 5 minutes to discuss counter arguments to the opposing teams ‘three statements’ so take notes when the opposition speaks)

First Rebuttal (approximately 4 minutes each team) •counter arguments to the opposing teams ‘three statements’ •add two new statements supportive of your position building upon

your first statements. For each statement give supporting facts/statistics and or quotes.

This will give each statement WEIGHT Second Rebuttal (approximately 3 minutes each team) •counter arguments to the points made by the opposing team in first

rebuttal • summary of all the arguments made during the debate

The ‘Arguments’ Keen vs RosenMass Media (traditional) vs New Media

which means

Passive Downloader vs Active Uploader

(participation and recreation)

and we get a shift in power but not a balance of power

The World Wide Web Cannot Be Seen In IsolationLet’s look at it using Actor

Network Theory again!

Actants (human & non human)

A Network or Assemblageheld together by tension between

that act on each other.(or we can say ‘have agency’)

In this theory •Everything is equally important •But NOT equally powerful

Actor Network TheorySeemingly contradictory optimistic/pessimistic outcomes can be resolved via Actor Network Theory: they can be seen to depend on the particular description of a given assemblage, being characterized by the particular behaviours (or scripts) of the multiplicity of actants within the network.

‘Live News’ Information Story Presentation•Prepare & Present an Information Technology ‘Live News Story’ for discussion.

Explain the story briefly describing• The ACTANTS in play• How the ACTANTS are acting

•Presentation time 60 seconds, followed by group discussion

Looking Ahead: Week 3

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Ushttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOEWe Thinkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiP79vYsfboand The Break Uphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDXfB0Rd4Q

You’ll be discussing the topics in the videos in depth with each other in the workshop next week.