Cyber-bullying

On May 15, 2008, a federal grand jury indicted Lori Drew for three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress, and one count of criminal conspiracy. The victim of Drew’s actions, Megan Taylor Meier, was a teenager from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri who committed suicide by hanging at the age of 13 years. Her suicide was attributed to cyber-bullying through the social networking website MySpace. According to MySpace Terms & Conditions, cyber-bullying is prohibited because it is considered a tortuous activity. The Myspace suicide case is significant because it was the first time that a federal statute designed to combat computer crimes was used to prosecute abuses of a user agreement on a social networking site.

Youtube is another social networking site where users continuously disregard the user agreement and commit acts of cyber-bulling. According to Youtube’s Terms & Conditions, its users are prohibited from posting content that shows someone being physically hurt, attacked, or humiliated. However, anyone may view violations of these terms by watching the following video : “ATL Hoodrat aka SOULJA GIRL goes crazy on the Marta!” In this video the two violations you will see are Monica Pearson Ziyad aka ‘SOULJA GIRL’ threatening an elderly woman on a train and Ziyad herself being violently attacked by a male passenger. The video doesn’t mentions that Ziyad suffers from Bipolar disorder, which contributed to her irrational behavior. The title defames Ziyad’s character as she’s reduced to the status of an ATL Hoodrat. This video was viewed 1,953,765 times on Youtube and has generated lots of negative user reactions such as “all niggers should be shot on sight” by airwickairwick. DeafeningSlience2, who posted Ziyad’s video on Youtube is like Lori Drew in the Myspace suicide case in terms of user violations and cyber-bullying.
RJL Film 150

brother freaks out

This viral video was extracted from a series of videos where a kid’s younger brother continually antagonizes his ill-tempered older brother with the goal of recording his inevitable “freak-outs” on camera. In this video, the younger brother decides to sign onto his brother’s online fighting game as a different user and proceeds to secretly “betray” him without him knowing. This viral video is very unique because it reveals both sides of the older brother’s identity. This is a boy who obviously values his online reputation, and feels threatened by the fact that if he does not live up to his online potential he will be hated among the members of his team. By his little brother cleverly sabotaging his game while filming it, he exposes the true real-space social identity of his brother to people that otherwise would have been shielded by the anonymity of the internet. The older brother is someone who obviously values his online social identity, perhaps because he has put time and effort into developing a high rank or status. While playing his online war games he may be perceived as superior or high-class, his younger brother has now revealed his real-space identity which contradicts his brave and fearless façade. As Palfrey explains, “young people tend to express their social and personal identities online,” and if this kid’s real-space identity reflects anything of his online identity, he must be one ruthless COD player.

Sony Releases Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

This video comments on the culture based need to acquire every frivolous new technological gizmo out there regardless of whether or not it is useful. Sony’s “Stupid Piece of Shit” impedes users’ ability to connect to the Internet through their “WebTV” because of its complex nature. This new media technology that is supposed to free people will end up destroying them as they are unprepared for technological advancements that keep coming out. “Make everyone in the modern home want to tear their eyes out.” Despite this though, this video comments on the insatiable need to attain them. Not having the most advanced gizmos directly reflects on how well people fit into our changing society. “Sony is expecting it to become the next fucking gizmo you absolutely have to fucking own if you don’t want to feel like a toothless hillbilly living in some hillbilly shack somewhere.” Due to individuals’ inability to comprehend how to use the new technology, networking is not possible via the Internet but face-to-face as the video mentions inviting friends over to figure out how to use the “piece of shit.” The way the video is presented as well reiterates this unreliability of new media technology. Although this video is ironically presented online in a new media format, it tries to emulate the well-known convention of television news programs which becomes the most reliable source of information. Media, the term Levy has place on mass media, is the only thing in the video that presents facts in an intelligible manner as opposed to Sony’s “Piece of Shit” interactive help menu. Levy argues that collective intelligence requires a sufficient technical infrastructure but this video challenges this ideal by proposing the notion that perhaps people are not ready for the new technology required.

-Edlyn Kim

The Change in the Comedic Industry

The Latino Comedy Project’s spoof on the movie 300 was a huge hit viral video on YouTube; since, they have made many other spoof viral videos such as their series based off of the PC vs. Mac commercials. For a group of comedians they are on the cutting edge in their field for realizing that they could get an audience by using viral videos, making fun of, and appreciating their own culture. The LCP now has a huge following not only with the Latin community but now with a worldwide audience. In fact according to their website, they have had over seven million views worldwide. The viral videos they have made have put this comedic group on the map.

Aside for them being a comedic group who puts videos together that everyone has to admit are funny in some way, there are other reasons as to why they were able to take off. They understood the timeless time of networks, to be more precise, the internet networks. Meaning that no matter where you are in the world a person would be able to access the group’s skits online and share them with friends. The viral video that helped them take off, has survived on the internet and can still easily be found; just one of the features of the networks, survivability. Also, they were able to do this video without as far as anyone knows, be deemed for doing a spoof on a movie that had at the time just been released into theatres, demonstrating the standing a hacker may have in using another person’s or company’s ideas that they may by law own copyrights to.

It seems in order to receive attention and gain an audience; you have to be willing to create a viral video.

- Michelle Erwin

Assignment #1

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/chronicles-of-narnia-lazy-sunday/2921/

The viral video that I chose for this assignment happens to be just one in a slew of 'digital shorts' that NBC's Saturday Night Live has incorporated into their weekly show. This one in particular is perhaps one of the more well known: "Lazy Sunday" featuring Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg. I saw "Lazy Sunday" for the first time by actually tuning into the show, but it was also e-mailed to me, along with other digital shorts that I had missed by not watching the show, such as "Dick In A Box" which rose to popularity on the internet not just for its humor but the sheer fact Justin Timberlake participated in something so outrageous . It is unclear what motives SNL had when they began incorporating a new type of media into their show, but it does serve as a great example of collective intelligence because of the media convergence of TV with the internet. The internet allows my friends and I to easily share these shorts simply by copying a link. SNL has generally contained pre-rehearsed skits performed in front of a live audience. It is possible that the network was following a trend in the late 1990's described in Caldwell's Second Shift Media Aesthetics where networks would drum up hype, ratings and a type of cult following by integrating web content into a television show. While one need not watch a digital short online in order to better understand SNL as a whole, the digital shorts have most definitely increased SNL's popularity in recent years by keeping us wondering what next weeks digital short will contain. Caldwell's perspective is true in this case, "I hope to suggest how viewing new media through the lens of old media (and TV in particular) can provide a range of insights into the increasingly complex strategies used in the deployment of digital media forms" (Caldwell 132).

-Marisa Boles

Paper Towels

Paper towel is a video that I saw at a friend’s house, which is how I see the majority of viral videos. We were originally on YouTube listening to music but began discussing videos we had or had not seen. The faked infomercial is a parody of the immensely popular Sham Wow product sold to us by Vince. Vince’s method of speaking is what made him popular and a target of being made fun of. His speech was dry and sarcastic and he gained popularity on our late night TV watching. Here we see Levy’s concept of collective intelligence, the public has been exposed to the Sham Wow infomercial regardless of having watched it on television by sharing it on the internet. When watching the video of Paper Towels, we know that they are referring to the Sham Wow product as well as Vince. Steve’s voice is exaggeratedly dry to further the humor and makes ridiculous claims about what paper towels can do or actually do, such as becoming completely soaked.

What has lead to the wide distribution of this video is the humorous, sarcastic parody. The Sham Wow infomercial has had plenty of parodies and editing done on it, but this is the one that I have been told about the most. The video was meant to be humorous and before I watched the content of the video, I knew I was going to have a laugh because of the environment I was in when it was being shared with me. Not only is the video making fun of the Sham Wow, but also how products are sold to us. It is not so much about the products, but the pitch and how they are sold.

Anabelle Hernandez

Assignment 1 - Korean Boy Band on a Gag Show

I first saw this video a while ago but it was brought back to my attention when I was trying to introduce a cute side of a performance group to some of my friends. Their name is Dong Bang Shin Ki, a Korean pop boy band. Luckily we found a version that had english subtitles done by some dedicated fans.

This video displays some of the points brought up in class and in Levy's article about collective intelligence. This is a show that is not broadcasted in the states and the only way for oversea fans to gain access to it is through youtube. This boy band performs in Korean, Japanese, English and sometimes Mandarin, developing an international fan base. This goes back to the idea of the "global village" that McLuhan describes. Despite the different languages and culture, we're all sharing this space and the experience. Often when videos are posted in "raw" (without subtitles) subbing groups would pick it up and translate the show for others. In some ways it challenges Levy's ideas because what's going on in this space is working together to access entertainment, it does not really work towards solving any world problems. At the end of the video the hosts challenges the viewers to go online and to increase the popularity of a web search which shows that it is possible for people to work together, but this is not for a the progress of the world but for a hair cut. - Dannie Phan  

Assignment 1

iPhone Owner Gets Revenge with Handgun and Fire | Viral/Other | SPIKE.com

I never thought I would see the day when someone would have the heart to destroy an Apple iPhone, nevertheless shoot it then burn it. The viral video, “iPhone Owner Gets Revenge with Handgun and Fire”, is an outstanding dramatization of a suppressed iPhone user that felt he had to commit a 187 on the number 1 selling phone in the world. The song, My Body is A Cage by Arcade Fire, is the main element that brings out the emotion in this video, which creates the mood of the clip. The interpretation that I got from the clip, was a distressed iPhone user that was upset over Apple’s overly controlled application setup.

This clip is an ideal example towards John Palfrey’s theory regarding Identity. The shooter stated, “From now on I am a PC, where I have my freedom”. That is when he switched his Identity from being a new-era simple Apple user, to a cheaper, customizable, “free” PC user. Anybody that owns any type of computer or smart phone can relate to this topic. We’ve all seen the conflicting commercials from both companies. Apple sells the dream of a no-virus sleek, convenient world, and PC bounces back with the pocket friendly, all-in-one bang for your buck type of deal. So what does this all mean? If you buy a PC you’re a cheap freedom fighter. Or if you buy a Mac you’re automatically more sophisticated. In today’s world, it’s hard to create your own identity when companies keep try to make it for you. At the end of the day they’re not selling computers, their selling identities. The irrationality of someone shooting their phone from frustration is the comic relief we get from our own personal reality of our cell phones.

Avetik Zorabian

Assignment #1

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Through the use of viral videos the public is allowed to share their thoughts, launch themselves, and answer questions through a very creative way. Marshall McLuhan’s “Global Village,” is very much a part of these viral videos. We are all interconnected through the use of the internet and viral videos are just one way that we communicate with one and other. Viral videos allow for people to share and find people with the same interests. On most viral video sharing websites there are comment boxes in which viewers can discuss the video that they have just watched. This allows for them to respond and get to know the people that have the same interests as they do.

This video was sent to me by my dad. It discusses the economic crisis that has arisen. The creator of the video made the video for his thesis work in the Media Design Program at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He wanted to create an easy and efficient way of explaining the credit crisis to those that are unfamiliar with what is going on or that do not understand it. This video is able to reach people all over the internet. People share the video in order to help each other understand the circumstances of the crisis which perpetuates the ideas of collective intelligence. The creator Jonathan Jarvis has helped people across the nation to obtain a better understanding. Viral videos are used for multiple reasons and in this case Jonathan’s video is being used to inform the public for the betterment of society. –Kyrsten Lew

Viral Video Assignment... Explicit Language...

Gunnar Fritz Stannson became an internet legend amongst the younger generation due to a series of short films on YouTube titled Unforgivable. The original was so popular that he wound up making three more videos, all with equal success. Stannson was just a college student who made short films with his friends and this one just blew up and spread like wild fire. It shows how people just enjoy the entertainment aspect of these viral videos. Originally Stannson started off with the Hacker Mentality because he thought it was entertaining and just put it out to gain credit and acknowledgement for his video. It appeals to people due to the quotability, grassroots filming, and humor equivalent to a stand up comedy routine. Levy's idea of the Collective Intelligence is clashed with as the repetition of racial stereotypes of African Americans are used in almost a blatant/stereotypical fashion in this video is something people are trying to get away from for years. Hot Topic actually sells shirts with some of the more popular quotes from his videos, which boosts his popularity and helped his film career as well as put cash in his pocket. I remember reading somewhere that Stannson found it hard to get away/out from the character even when not filming which shows the struggle when identity, a concept usually popular with avatars, or his digital identity. I received this video from a few of my black friends back at home (Bay Area) when I first came to UCSB in '06.

-Diamond Alexander Drew

Assignment #1

The video I decided to select for this assignment is the extended version of a new Nike commercial featuring some up and coming young superstars from the NBA. The video seems to correspond with the elements of identity presented in John Palfrey’s and Urs Gasser’s “Identities” in Born Digital. A quick summary on the video: This video includes some of the NBA’s younger athletes, Rashard Lewis, Mo Williams and Kevin Durant, showcasing their rapping skills. The video is directed exactly like a music video with each player performing one humorous rap verse. The concept of this video parallels the ideology presented in “Identities” in that the digital era provides “…more experimentation, reinvention of identities, and there are different modes of expression, such as Youtube and blogging” (Born Digital 21). Without a doubt, these athletes dropped their serious demeanor that people see all throughout the course of the NBA season and completely transformed themselves into completely new characters. Even throughout the humorous video we see each players rapping name pop up prior to their verse. Cleary, Nike selected these players because they represent the youth and the newer generation, the ones who heavily use the Internet. The viewer can easily look at any one of those young athletes and make the firm assertion that these players definitely use social networks such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. “The possibility of greater exploration in identity formation offers terrific possibilities in terms of personal development” (Born Digital 21). The idea presented in that quotation is clearly evident throughout the commercial as we see these men explore something beyond their norm in an exceptionally creative way. Athletes prior to the digital era were limited to a narrow path with restricted room to explore other personas. Unfortunately, they didn’t have these present day gateways athletes nowadays have, such as Youtube. The Internet has made it so simple for virtually anyone, like these particular athletes, that has access to a computer to create multiple identities.

-Ara Nazarian

The video I decided to select for this assignment is the extended version of a new Nike commercial featuring some up and coming young superstars from the NBA. The video seems to correspond with the elements of identity presented in John Palfrey’s and Urs Gasser’s “Identities” in Born Digital. A quick summary on the video: This video includes some of the NBA’s younger athletes, Rashard Lewis, Mo Williams and Kevin Durant, showcasing their rapping skills. The video is directed exactly like a music video with each player performing one humorous rap verse. The concept of this video parallels the ideology presented in “Identities” in that the digital era provides “…more experimentation, reinvention of identities, and there are different modes of expression, such as Youtube and blogging” (Born Digital 21). Without a doubt, these athletes dropped their serious demeanor that people see all throughout the course of the NBA season and completely transformed themselves into completely new characters. Even throughout the humorous video we see each players rapping name pop up prior to their verse. Cleary, Nike selected these players because they represent the youth and the newer generation, the ones who heavily use the Internet. The viewer can easily look at any one of those young athletes and make the firm assertion that these players definitely use social networks such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. “The possibility of greater exploration in identity formation offers terrific possibilities in terms of personal development” (Born Digital 21). The idea presented in that quotation is clearly evident throughout the commercial as we see these men explore something beyond their norm in an exceptionally creative way. Athletes prior to the digital era were limited to a narrow path with restricted room to explore other personas. Unfortunately, they didn’t have these present day gateways athletes nowadays have, such as Youtube. The Internet has made it so simple for virtually anyone, like these particular athletes, that has access to a computer to create multiple identities.
-Ara Nazarian

Viral_Video_Counter_Strike

The viral video “counter strike in real” captured the attention of millions of viewers around the world because of its simply put, humorous approach of bringing a digital reality into our world. Besides its comical qualities, this video also relates to our “born digital” reading and discussion in class. Most everyone who plays counterstrike portrays their own identity in virtual space not only by their selection of character, but through their avatar and personal graffiti to spray. A digitally networked medium allows participants in the game to create clan’s or groups and play strictly as a team, which can be considered a network society. Castell defines a network society as being one who’s social structure is made of networks powered by microelectronics-based and communication technologies. It relates to the Medias relationship to identity through characterizing players as either terrorists or counter-terrorists. Counter strike is also a great example of a Flexible, timeless network where you can go around road blocks and maintain a goal and it would not matter if your teammate is in a different time-zone. A simple internet connection can put you into your virtual “gaming” reality where you decide who you are and communicate from your computer information about yourself that can make you someone you would want to be in real life. This video itself is also humorous portrayal of the confusion of reality, such of that in the movie “Extenze2” we watched in class. If everything is simply a conception and nothing is material, it would be very difficult to differentiate between what is real and what is virtual. The reason I feel this viral video received millions of views is because of its humorous simplicity and how people of all ages who play counter-strike can recognize the sound effects and automated comments from the game and relate to it. It also provides a moment of escapism from reality, just to laugh at the video and its minor details, then pass it onto a friend. I used to play counter-strike and a friend of mine emailed me this video, knowing I would most probably find it funny.

-William Mnatsakanyan

The viral video “counter strike in real” captured the attention of millions of viewers around the world because of its simply put, humorous approach of bringing a digital reality into our world. Besides its comical qualities, this video also relates to our “born digital” reading and discussion in class. Most everyone who plays counterstrike portrays their own identity in virtual space not only by their selection of character, but through their avatar and personal graffiti to spray. A digitally networked medium allows participants in the game to create clan’s or groups and play strictly as a team, which can be considered a network society. Castell defines a network society as being one who’s social structure is made of networks powered by microelectronics-based and communication technologies. It relates to the Medias relationship to identity through characterizing players as either terrorists or counter-terrorists. Counter strike is also a great example of a Flexible, timeless network where you can go around road blocks and maintain a goal and it would not matter if your teammate is in a different time-zone. A simple internet connection can put you into your virtual “gaming” reality where you decide who you are and communicate from your computer information about yourself that can make you someone you would want to be in real life. This video itself is also humorous portrayal of the confusion of reality, such of that in the movie “Extenze2” we watched in class. If everything is simply a conception and nothing is material, it would be very difficult to differentiate between what is real and what is virtual. The reason I feel this viral video received millions of views is because of its humorous simplicity and how people of all ages who play counter-strike can recognize the sound effects and automated comments from the game and relate to it. It also provides a moment of escapism from reality, just to laugh at the video and its minor details, then pass it onto a friend. I used to play counter-strike and a friend of mine emailed me this video, knowing I would most probably find it funny.

Network Theory, Collective Intelligence, Identity and Fergie

I found this video on a pop culture blog called “hipster runoff”. Like many other blogs this one aims at posting interesting current events and share-worthy information for a certain cluster of readers. It is a network in which a person can connect with many other people instantly. An interactive blog is very democratic by its nature. Although there is one main author, people have the freedom to choose what they are exposed to, respond how and when they want, and equally communicate their views on a “global village”-like scale. We continually pull information from the collective to educate ourselves. This video has created a network of viewers, whom then probably share the space and commonly flow within other bigger networks.

In its essence, this video is nothing more than random silliness. Yet, I continually find myself indulging in these types of unscripted, untalented, unpolished pieces of entertainment. This viral video is typical. These are two regular (very teenage) girls who decided to film themselves dancing in their 37^th week. Now, with the utility of a low cost web-cam and a youtube account what’s stopping them from viral fame? Its appeal lies in its simple visual quality, which nears taboo. I pose the question to myself, “I wonder what very young, very pregnant girls dancing to Fergie would look like?” This video is exactly what it looks like. It is “out of the ordinary” therefore we want to see it. These girls look very young for how big they are. What does this say about societal standards of sex? Should there be a reason to regard this act as gross? I believe the remedial power of this video is in its shock value as opposed to humor, comfort, or information. In relation to Born Digital, I think this is an instance of “sharing too much”. These mothers are publicly exposing themselves, awaiting judgment, and unconsciously branding themselves with Fergie. Or is the publicity beneficial? Perhaps seeing themselves dance on screen was a therapeutic, introspective way of dwelling with changes.

-Steve Huerta

Identity on the Internet

I found this video online in Noob.us and I was interested in what this adolescent child wanted to say in his video. It was one of the first videos that came about and was rated on a higher scale than most, and it gave me an understanding about internet identity for the youth today. The video was titled “Perverted little kid discovers Vanessa Hudgens nude pics,” I am not sure if the kid himself titled it, but it seems like a distasteful title for oneself. I may never know, but what I am concern about is the identity part of this video. The problem with these blogs is viewers are not even sure if these people are like this in person. Since they use a second medium to portray themselves, we can’t help wonder if they utilize the camera as a way to convey their fake identities (hiding behind a camera or the internet).

Identity plays a pivot role in the internet. Because people can become anyone they desire, with the click of a button, one can control their identity with limitless possibilities. In the reading Born Digital, Palfrey and Gasser discusses how social identity in the Internet age is dramatically changed, for example in this video the boy is talking about naked pictures of Vanessa Hudgens, that might as well be his personal identity, however when others view this video; they are going to perceive him differently. The title is probably stated by someone else’s perception of his identity just by watching his video. The reading also suggests that “Digital Natives is different from identity formation among predigital generations in the sense that there is more experimentation and reinvention of identities, and there are different modes of expression”, in the video example that I chose, the boy can be reinventing his identity through the usage of the blog (Palfrey, Gasser 21). This tackle on identity can be a growth in personal development at the same time youth are realizing their role in life and using advanced technology, or a trouble in identifying oneself with the digital age.