Are we too far to turn back?

Bolter, speaks of remediation in terms of technology and uses this to make examples. This is something which is not seen as much with theorists such as Jenkins or Manovich. So taking what Bolter is saying about technological mediation, I want to look at how this would transfer into the way our society and culture looks at remediation and how we accept that along side technological advances.

Bolter says remediation is "the representation of one medium in another" (Bolter, 2000: 45). So this is taking one media form, the example he uses is paintings and photography, and representing them in another, digital picture galleries.

When reading through Bolters work, I couldn't help but draw parallels between this and the Convergence Culture which Henry Jenkins writes about (Jenkins, 2008). Although Jenkins talk about the formation of multiple mediums into one.

"By convergence, I mean the flow of content across multiple media platforms" (Jenkins, 2008, p2)

Inline with Bolter's writing, these "multiple media platforms" would show representation of their Old Media forms in this New Media platform. How we can stand beside the Mona Lisa painting and either take a photo of it or download a photo of it will just never be the same. 

I came across a video shared on Facebook which outlines how mobile phones have taken over the human existence. Its portrayals different events where humans are on their phones or video recording a gig, when they would enjoy it much more if they didn't use their phone



Its shows the convergence and remediation of going to a concert (Old Media) and capturing it on video (New Media) even though you may never watch it again.

Remediation is really in the advancement of technology, but this advancement can often be for the worst. We can get so engaged in finding ways to interact with the media easier that we start to lose the sense of our own human beings. Soon they will be lost in cyberspace, forever

Bibliography
Jenkins, H., 2008. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide Revised., NYU Press.
Bolter, J.D. (2000) Remediation: Understanding New Media (Cambridge, Mass.; London: MIT Press)
CharstarleneTV, (2013) I forgot my phone [Online Video] 22 August. Available from; <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINa46HeWg8> [Accessed: 6 November 2013].

Techno Culture and Human Bodies

It has been suggested by Debra Shaw that humans have a correlation to machines, rather than two different entities. Using the of the body's circulatory system as an example Shaw compares it to working with medical tools to create our 'natural' understand of the human body. Shaw tells us about William Harvey building upon Galen's findings how the heart served its purpose. Shaw continues to say "produced by technology in the simple sense that Harvey had necessarily to use tools to examine the workings of the heart."(Shaw, 2008, p.82) This suggestion allows us to make correlations between machines and the human bodies being repaired and reassembled using tools. 

There is a fixation among individuals to create ideological embodiments of there perfect self using technologies which have only advanced because of our understand of the human body. The example used within Shaw's Technoculture is that of Bruce Springsteen and the modern geek. Bruce Springsteen used in the consumer society to relate towards those of the working class by doing so creating a body that was enhanced with technologies within a gym.

"He thus signifies the passage from the body of the industrial worker, marked by social class, to the body of the late capitalist consumer" (Shaw, 2008, p.85). 

 

Emphasizing Shaw's notion of Bruce Springsteen, the modern geek, as the machine driven body can be constructed to fit the ideological stance within their cyberspace. With the emergence of Web 2.0, the computer literate can create new identities, to enhance properties of themselves otherwise unknown outside of cyberspace. This allows a "construction of a wide variety of private worlds and, through them, for self-exploration". (Turkle, 1984, p.21). With the technology allowing us to use pseudonyms, and be annoymous within cyberspace, the reality creates convergence between collective intelligence and its participatory culture. Do we live as a machine or in a machine?

Bibliography

Shaw, D. (2008). Technoculture: The Key Concepts. Oxford: Oxford Berg Press.

Turkle, S. (1984) The Second Life: Computers & The Human Spirit 

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture, where old and new media collide. New York: New York University Press. 

Modernism and Post Modernism

Creeber defines old and new media, through two time periods, Modernism and Post Modernism. Post-modernism can partly be understood as "the inevitable by-product of a consumer society, where consumption and leisure now determine our experiences rather than work and production" (Creeber, 2009, p.15). The increase 'Participatory culture'  creating virtual communities allows participation from individuals and corporations "to become ‘producers’ as well as ‘receivers’ of the media" (Creeber, 2009, p.19).
Creebers ideas of participatory culture coincide with Henry Jenkins' three key terms of "convergence, collective intelligence and participation" (Jenkins, 2006, p.47).

The participatory culture are able to then take a image from another, using digital devices such as cameras and computers to create a image or other mediums with there own take of an image. Using virtual communities such as Facebook and Tumblr along with video and image platforms such as YouTube and 4chan to create these texts. Although, this did not just happen with the invention of digital media or just within New Media. Marcel Duchamp, an artist who took images like the Mona Lisa, adding a moustache to the piece of art and anchored with some text. This under Lev Manovich's classification of New media would be a variability and also wouldn't not be because nothing was digitized but would suggest that the idea of New Media began with the age of mass production. 

Like Manovich, who wants a new theory of authorship to help us to understand media, Creeber believes that there should be a "new theoretical framework which allows us to understand and appreciate both the positive and negative features of our current media age" (Creeber, 2009, p.21). With there being no set theoretical framework and no authorship to understand the concept of new media, there will be a growth in technology, to try and understand, more collective knowledge to try to comprehend what is and isn't new media and more shifts in cultural dynamics of media.


Bibliography

Creeber, G. (2009). DIGITAL THEORY: Theorizing New Media & Cubitt, D. (2009)  

Manovich, L. (2001). The Language of New Media. MIT Press.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide. revised version. NYU Press.
 

Media, Technology and Convergence

"Old Media are not being displaced. Rather, their functions and status are shifted by introduction of new technology's" (Jenkins, 2008 p.16)

Jenkins explains during the course of his book that there is a dynamic shift between older mediums and technologies such as "the word-processing program converged with the typewriter" (Jenkins, 2008, p.5). Most technologies derive from older versions of the next version. Updates,  Recreations and Reinterpretations of the same thing making it feel new. Convergence being a form of forced teamwork, technology takes on a working progress of multiple abilities. Streaming platforms now a convergent of Television and Internet spaces shows the development of modern re imaginations by global brands such as BBC with the Iplayer.

Internet available Televisions known as 'Smart Televisions' have access to streaming broadcasters such as BBC, 4oD and Netflix. Although it seems like a great idea, one flaw always stands above the rest. The end user. Unable to understand or wont let themselves understand because they don't want to see it as a re-imagined form of Television. The Convergence of these technologies forces those end users to take a side they prefer

With all the technologies forming into one device creates an inevitable question, what can we put in it next? Jenkins talks about being at the New Orleans Media Experience, which was to discuss the future of media with its technologies. Jenkins suggests that those participants of the conference had taken a different approach towards the event, instead of visiting the conference to view ways of changing the media industry, they come to look for the "just right - the right investments, predictions, and business models" (Jenkins, 2008 p.7). Being happy with just getting by, business being more money making rather than life changing. If these companies insist on giving their consumers products that have all singing all dancing technologies and no one understands it, How does this help our future developments? Are they just reinventing the wheel for no reason?


Bibliography:

Jenkins, H., 2008. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide Revised., NYU Press.

Second Gen Convergence

We are no longer living in a world that denies any involvement of convergence, yet we also don't fully intend to use convergence to its full potential. As the human race, we work and develop in new generations (groups of people with new intentions on the world) and in doing so, we look at convergence as an essential part of your lives the same way we need air to breath.

A generation of convergence starts to grow from an "individual consumer and through their social interactions with others" (Jenkins, 2008, p3). This is were we identify the acknowledgement of generation convergence such as, the ideals of a blog. We find a new generation in the forms of blog literacy, in formations that use images to tell and story and add anchorage to involve a community on such blog databases.

"Some functions will take root; others will fail" (Jenkins, 2008, p4). We see how the collective process pulls away and grows towards new media and its many platforms. We can see this in how a tablet can now be used as a mobile phone with instant messaging software. This new identified platform could be seen as a creation of what we understand as convergence. This uses the intelligence of a consumer to make a new market in which they combine with the collective. These ideals are not only found imbedded into the minds of one individual but in the new generation that has no priory engagement with Old and even New Media but are indebted to the ever growing state of the convergence found in mass volume, such as; "TV converged with the nickelodeon, the word-processing program converged with the typewriter" (Jenkins, 2008, p5) and so on.

As we find here convergence will not simply disappear. With every new generation convergence will get stronger and will proceed to overcome all new forms of media with a united front. In doing so we  are in convergence culture.

Bibliography:
Jenkins, H., 2008. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide revised., NYU press.

Convergence Culture is here... Ready or not.

"By convergence, I mean the flow of content across multiple media platforms..." (Jenkins, P.2)

Just over a decade into the 21st Century the way in which we now consume our media has come along within leaps and bounds. We are at the forefront of a digital age that has rapidly developed the way in which we live our day to day lives. None more so than how it has helped us consume media. We can all now go online, watch a film, listen to radio, listen to our music, read books and communicate with others while we do these. 

"Ready or not, we are already living within a convergence culture." (Jenkins, P.16)

We truly do live within a convergence culture whether we like it or not. We may not like it but we come into contact with it on a daily basis. As we watch television we are now reminded to follow the programmes we enjoy on Facebook or Twitter so as we are kept up to date. Some television channels inform us to watch episodes again by going online on websites such as 4oD and iPlayer. As we enjoy socializing on Facebook pages we have liked of our favourite music artists link us to their lastest music video upload onto YouTube or to tell us we can download their album online from such sources as the all mighty iTunes store. 

We seem to be connected to all forms of media even if at that moment in time we only want the function of one. This does not seem as if it will stop at anytime soon as the new generation of technology is trying to become more multi-functional than the previous. An example is the Xbox One. It is by no mean the first Xbox, it is 12 years late for that title. It is called this as it is the all in 'one' home entertainment system and there is likely more to follow.

Bibliography

Jenkins, H (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (New York University Press)

Convergence culture

Convergence culture is about the old and the new technologies that come with it, but it also draws upon old media that shows how they interact with each other.

"By convergence, I mean the flow of content across multiple media platforms,"(Jenkins, 2008, p.3)

Today's social media is moving faster than ever before providing quicker access instantly to consumers, whereas old media devices such as radio and television kept the consumers waiting. Consumers have the need to search for information that appeals to their interests, for example a new console game or box set, which will provide the latest updates online.

"Instead, convergence represents a cultural shift as consumers are encouraged to seek out new information" (Jenkins, 2008, p.4)

Convergence culture changes the ways in which consumers consume media. The theory Jenkins talks about is the black box fallacy of all the devices that are used to entertain or inform consumers, for example mobile phones now have cameras, mp3 players, games and access to the internet, instead of associating phones with just calls. Jenkins goes on about the numerous boxes that are placed in our homes that are used for various subject of information or entertainment.

"Once central device that did everything for you (a la the universal remote)" (Jenkins, 2008, p.21)

However, the old media on their own are still used because the purpose of their function works best to their own strength's, in conjunction with new media were as the multiple options found in one device, gives quicker access to the same outcome. Consumers are limited to how much they know themselves, even though there is range of information provided on demand, as old media, for example, television broadcast and the news can often spark interests of convergence culture, therefore working with new media to strive for their own information research. These shifts in culture can allow the consumer to view or read the topics live as it happens.

"Yet, history teaches us that old media never die" (Jenkins, 2008, p.19)

With the change in media, consumers engaged with their new media device. Producers changed their interaction to the audience at home, for example the million pound drop allows viewers to interact with the show by playing along with the game.

"convergence involves both a change in the way media is produced and a change in the way media is consumed." (Jenkins, 2008, p.23)

Bibliography

Jenkins, H, 2008. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide Revised, NYU Press.

Convergence, Media Ownership and Consumer Participation

Convergence is an increasingly common term in debates about New Media. However,  convergence does not imply a replacement of old media by new media, contrary to what many people believe. Rather,  it is a collaboration and a combination of platforms, new forms of content and the active role of the consumer.

“Convergence involves both a change in the way media is produced and a change in the way media is consumed” (Jenkins, 2008, p16).  It is a process that is driven by both corporate companies and consumers. On the one hand, media companies are learning to control the flow of content in order to reach the largest audience and to increase their profit.  On the other hand, consumers are also exercising  increasing control over content and interaction with other consumers.  However, the main question to be asked is whether the phenomenon of convergence is beneficial for society or not.

Therefore, the consequences of media ownership are of particular concern, especially since only a limited number of big media companies seem to dominate the whole media and entertainment industry. An example of such a company is Warner Bros., which has shifted attention away from a singular focus on films to a focus on the entertainment industry in general, producing popular music, computer games, web sites, toys and books (Jenkins, 2008, p16). As a result, this can contribute to a decline in the variety of offers. Then again, big media corporations can also positively contribute to more competence of the producers and the quality of products.

Moreover, the term convergence also implies a cultural shift, as consumers are playing an increasingly active role in the creation of content. To describe this shift, Henry Jenkins uses the term participatory culture (Jenkins, 2008, p3).  However, Jenkins also acknowledges that in this participatory culture, not all individuals are equal in their ability to participate. He states that “corporations (…) still exert greater power than any individual consumer or even the aggregate of consumers. And some consumers have greater abilities to participate in this emerging culture than others.” (Jenkins, 2008, p3). The main problem remains both an unequal access to new technologies, as well as the lack of skills, which results in exclusion of certain groups of people in this so-called participatory culture.



Bibliography
Jenkins, H., 2008. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide Revised., NYU Press.

Critical reflection on the introductory chapter of Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins

Reading through the Introduction of Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins, it is noticeable that Jenkins does not think of convergence as being a principally technologically driven mechanism. Moreover, he states that a cultural shift is occurring whereby the media producers are losing their power at the expense of the media users. It is of course self-evident that consumers play a significant role in the process of convergence, as they decide how media content and media technology will be used, but can we truly state that an active “participatory culture” is more important than the technology and the media producers carrying out the convergence in the first instance? It might be better to put it in a way that these three components are all equally important in the phenomenon of convergence: on the one hand, media producers integrate the voice of the public, use this to develop new ideas and set out the lines of the media offer. On the other, however, media consumers contribute by evaluating the content or product and deciding for themselves what to do with it.

The fact that the media audience is not the exclusive crucial part in this convergence development became clear by reading through Jenkins’ review on the New Orleans Media Experience. People knew little about the coming changes and the event seemed to be set up for the media industry only to inform the public about what was ahead of them.

In this context it is worth noticing that although it might seem as an exclusively positive phenomenon that the broad media offer allows a wide variety of possibilities both for the producers and the consumers, it also should  be taken into account that the process of convergence causes some new sort of difficulties. For instance, producers now experience a new kind of stress caused by their new multifunctional responsibilities.


Bibliography

Jenkings, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide, revised version. NYU Press.

Convergence Culture

Convergence is basically where old and new media come together to become one with multiple mediums put into one. It is where different kinds of media are put into the same device or place. Such as the way Jenkins talks about with his phone. Mobile phones aren't just for calling, as they were built for but have now become a place where you can find multiple media forms in one place such as internet, games, mp3 etc. This has been revolutionary as "they don't make single-function phones anymore. No one wants them." (Jenkins, 2006, p.7) It has become apparent that people are no longer interested in something thats serves its purpose but that it fulfils many needs and has lots of added extras.

We don't even have time to think about the amount of mediums that are being produced as they are being produced that quickly so really we don't have a chance to think about the impact that it has had. Although we actually don't realise it but technology controls are lives. We are that passive that we don't realise that media is no longer for information but that we have a relationship with it. Think of the last time you left the house without your phone? Think about the last time you looked at your phone, checking emails or Facebook. Bet it wasn't that long ago.

Jenkins talks about that we should not think of media as the different technologies but think about emerging the different media cultures and theories together. So that different forms of media are no longer singular but have become multiple by having a relationship with another form of media.

Convergence isn't only the way in which different kinds of media are made one but in the way that we are selves use media. For instance we don't ever just watch television. While watching television we will be on Facebook on our phone and maybe even doing coursework on your laptop.

Bibliography

Jenkins H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide. New York: NYU Press.

Convergence Culture

Convergence is the coming together of various things to meet at a point. "In the world of media convergence, every important story gets told, every band gets sold, and every consumer gets courted across multiple media platforms." (Jenkins, 2008, pg.3) This is demonstrated through some of the major franchises in media at the moment that simultaneously span films, television series, games and websites. This diversity of media platforms allows the audience to become more involved with the stories and allows them to see more content than if the franchise was restricted to one media platform. However, this can be overwhelming to some and there may be people intimidated by the mass of content available for a specific franchise.

For technology, this is Jenkin's "Black Box Fallacy" (Jenkins, 2008, pg.13) where one device replaces many and takes on the functions of many devices. An example of this is todays mobile phones that can do everything from accessing the internet to taking photos and video clips all on one device. This is quite prominent today with current technology, however as Jenkins mentions, there are many separate devices doing different tasks. Just as phones have cameras and MP3 players in them, these items still exist on their own, possibly because they perform their functions better separately than together. These items haven't replaced each other, instead they exist together.

With the convergence of media and technology, comes the convergence of intelligence "None of us can know everything; each of us knows something; and we can put the pieces together if we pool our resources and combine our skills." (Jenkins, 2008, pg.4)
This is collective intelligence and it is something that can be seen in groups of fans online as they try to work out what's going on in their favourite TV show before it happens. If applied to serious matters, this could be an impressive force. It could however, cause a spread of misinformation which could cause more harm than good.
Convergence Culture is ultimately all around us, it's happening now. We control which aspects stay, which ones go, and how we use its products in the future and what we use them for.
"Convergence describes the process by which we will sort through those options." (Jenkins, 2008, pg.24)

Bibliography
Jenkins, H. (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, 2nd revised edition, NYU Press