User talk:JamesFDTD99

Wiki Exercise 1 - Online Visibility
Quite often we mindlessly make vast amounts of our private data available, be it intimate details about our own lives, hundreds upon hundreds of treasured photos – or even a live update of your whereabouts. But we rarely consider the ramifications of this, specifically, who can access this data? - and more worryingly, what can be done with it? In fact, Mark Zuckerberg famously remarked all the way back in 2004, “People just submitted [DATA] … I don't know why … They "trust me" … Dumb f*cks” (Leaked IMs from Business Insider) – it is easy to forget that behind all these trustworthy corporations there can lie a malicious component, thousands of employees with access to your supposedly private communications. Personally, I’ve been on the internet for roughly ten years now, and I can only imagine the lengthy data-trail that my younger self has left behind – be it long-abandoned neopets, or a vacant bebo account, everyone leaves an online presence.

There is certainly a distinction between apparent and more covert visibility – that which is instantly attributable to yourself (social media profiles, photographs), and what is perhaps a bit harder to link to an individual (accounts under pseudonyms/usernames, blog posts). However, often people inadvertently overlap these two states of visibility, cross-posting things between their public and private platform – which can compromise your security. Ensuring that the distinction between these two ‘personas’ remains is what allows individuals to maintain an element of control over the data they create online, otherwise everything is openly available to be associated with yourself. This can be risky in a modern setting, as often people will turn to a person’s social presence online as a marker of who they are – in fact, potential employers will often rely upon candidate’s online profiles to make assumptions about who they are hiring, so maintaining a positive image is essential. When posting, consider how it would come across to an absolute stranger, and what it reveals about yourself that you might rather keep private – failure to do so can result in lasting misrepresentation.

Also of note, is that each social media platform will have differing privacy agreements – it is unorthodox for any company of merit to simply sell raw data to the public, however your private conversations and browsing habits are almost always subject to analysis for advertising companies. One of the unsettling truths about the mass-availability of social media is that a profit must be made somewhere – and if you aren’t paying for it, you are the product. By having an appreciation for the fact that your online identity can be commoditised, you can begin to have a better grasp on what you post, and the fact that it might not just be your inner circle that are privy to it.

In closing, it is important to be clued in on how your data, be it your innocent social posts, or perhaps rather more private ones, can be used and interpreted by the internet at large. Social media can be a liberating means to keep in touch with your friends, or to make new ones – but beware that even with the right security settings, you are still visible to a greater extent than you know.

WORDCOUNT – 533 (2683 characters w/out spaces)


 * 1) JamesFDTD99 (discuss • contribs) 07:45, 5 March 2018 (UTC)

Wiki Exercise 2 - Annotated Bibliography
Source:- D.Bawden, L.Robinson, (2008) The dark side of information: overload, anxiety and other paradoxes and pathologies, Journal of Information Science, 35 (2) 2009, pp. 180–191

Bawden and Robinson aim to address the psychological problems arising from Information Overload, both the vastly expanding quantity of data, and the changing behaviours regarding how we consume it. Whilst they don’t conduct their own surveys for quantitive data, they consult a survey by Reuters and draw several insights from varying texts and theorists, even dating back to the Royal Society’s initial ideas on Information Overload in 1948. The paper covers both the issues mentioned and is mostly concerned with written text as opposed to on-screen media, but also goes on to suggest ‘cures and solutions’ for burning out. These solutions revolve mainly around a conscious mediation of how much time an individual spends interacting with media, specifically focussing on information management in the workplace for some points. This paper holds a certain degree of relevancy to my topic of transmediality, as the wider expansion/merging of media across new, distinct mediums only lends to the greater amount of content that we have available to ourselves, and I believe it is an interesting point to raise. In regard to limitations, I believe that a lack of unique empirical data does negatively impact the paper – as a few of their points are simply referencing a sources concept and failing to expand much upon it. They concede in their conclusion that no true satisfying solution can be found, as the nature of media, and human behaviour is always changing – specifically a greater understanding of ‘human information behaviour’ is what Bawden and Robinson call for. Whilst it might not be central to my own research, papers such as this will help support and form new ideas, and in doing so result in a broader exploration of my chosen question.

WC - 285

COMMENTS
1. Being in the same discussion group, I find this topic of information overload quite useful to our take on transmediality. Although it does not directly relate, the idea that we almost have all these platforms to constantly get information from can be quite tiring. For me checking my various platforms every morning is almost a task in order to get all the information that I missed while I slept. Yet, I feel like I must to stay update with all the information that is chucked our way everyday, or I will miss out. I find it interesting that even in 1948 people seemed to still feel burnt out by the amount of data being thrown at them, at least then it seemed mainly only in the workplace whereas now it is everywhere!! Even though Bawden and Robinson suggested being more conscious to how much time we spend on social media, it seems so difficult to actually switch off. Especially with the degree we both have, we constantly need this new information in order to stay on top of what we have got to do. Like you said, human behaviour is not truly grasped in this article as it is something that is constantly changing. For me your highlighted points bring up the question of whether we will ever feel satisfied with the amount of information we have as a society, or whether it will increase to a tipping point. I would be interested to know whether you think that the information that is thrown at us everyday is beneficial or a determinant to the human behaviour. Will it eventually get too much? Overall this is very well written and an insightful view on Bawdens and Robinsons article on information overload. KaYuI (discuss • contribs) 15:50, 16 March 2018 (UTC)

Hey, thanks for your response Kate - you've raised a good few points, so I'll address them here! Firstly, the question of 'will it get too much?' is a vital one - certainly data creation is only increasing as time passes, but also the extent to which we are presented with it seems to ascend proportionally (and that's where the problem lies). I would definitely argue that there are few sensible downsides that would make this massive surge in data production a bad thing - in reality it is a positive phenomenon, expanding the sum of human knowledge. However, when society expects individuals to subject themselves to this surge of information - it is undoubtedly too much for one mind to handle. Wherever smart technology is integrated, or a screen is in sight - we are subject to this constant stream, and often willingly expose ourselves to it, hence why it has become a far more pronounced issue than say in the 20th century (although it was remarked upon then). So in brief, the global sum of data can expand to no limit - but if we fail to establish healthy habits towards how much information we subject our minds to, humanity will find itself jaded and fried, undoubtedly. That aside, I do also agree how fascinating it is that scholars in the 20th century identified the trend of Information Overload - prophesying the reality that future advancements would pave the way for. Even in the 40's, leaps and bounds were underway in both communications and various academic faculties - resulting in a sudden relative wealth of knowledge - so I suppose the more skeptical amongst the population were able to foresee the dangerous consequences of such advances. In regards to your comments about our degree choice and how it reinforces Information Overload, I'm in total agreement - I feel that students are dutybound to constantly keep an eye on so many outlets. Be it our emails, online discussions or new release articles - I could spend all day researching and still not 'know enough'. Whilst we might love our discipline, you've got to fragment up your revision/reading time - otherwise you're bound to be fried in a matter of weeks. Thanks for your input, a very thoughtful response I'd say - I'd be eager to hear if you had any ideas on how to combat information overload? Or perhaps what universities/institutions could do to improve the student researching experience? Regardless, Cheers! JamesFDTD99 (discuss • contribs) 16:19, 22 March 2018 (UTC)

Hey James, I find your points on having healthy habits when it comes to consuming information very agreeable. We definitely need to control our consumption habits before we ware ourselves out. I forget how much we are actually online, and its only when I take a break from it all I actually see it. It is almost like being online everyday makes us want to spend more time online. Either way, by the end of a semester I definitely know I need a break. For myself, I combat most of issues dealing with information overload by completely shutting out all the information by "switching off" as such. This basically reboots my system, and helps me to tackle the necessities with a healthy and happy mind. In regards to how universities could tackle this, I feel as though team work and building exercises would help us focus on are real life friendships and communication skills. Providing this would be beneficial to mental health and how we organise our data online. What are your thoughts? KaYuI (discuss • contribs) 20:06, 22 March 2018 (UTC)

I've never trusted Mark Zuckerberg there's just something really...gross about him? Also, this post made me miss my neopets. I hope they aren't starving somewhere in the vast universe of the internet. I remember how edgy and reckless I was on Bebo. I don't know how I was so edgy for having a Jedward fanpage but I tried my best. I often think that I shouldn't worry about the things I post online because I choose what I write and I am okay with choosing to let that out there, but at the same time I think about how embarrassed I get when my old online posts or accounts get discovered and brought up again so yeah, that will probably be me in 10 years with the posts I post today. I regret to think about that. Will my past self just /always/ be an embarrassment to my current self? The answer is most definitely "yes".

What was your past Bebo page dedicated to, James? I'm interested to see if its as cringey as mine.

Digitalmediafiend (discuss • contribs) 18:07, 26 March 2018 (UTC)

I still maintain my theory that he's at least 60% reptile, but we can never truly know for sure - it's all in the eyes. I can't even recall the email associated with my old neopets account, but I recall putting them all up for adoption before signing off - so I can only hope they're in a better place than I left them. I certainly relate to the cringeworthiness of remembering your old web behaviour, the internet acts like a time capsule for angsty years that I would rather fade out of existence - it's a cruel world indeed. Whilst it might not have been as niche as Jedward, it was mostly about metal and anime - so whilst my younger self might have been more vocal about it, I take comfort in knowing that my interests have remained somewhat the same (even if I'm not as open about them)! It's all about the lowkey, but I do mourn bebo - they were the best of times, they were the worst of times. Took a good trip down memory lane reading your comment, thanks for putting a smile on my ol' face JamesFDTD99 (discuss • contribs) 17:19, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

I think being a reptile is even too cool for a big nerd like Mark. He would /love/ to be a reptile. I'm glad to say that I no longer like the things I used to post about on Bebo (Sorry Jedward). But I agree with you that it sure is nice to be able to look back at your old social media in order to see how you have grown and developed as a person. Why are you not as open about the things you enjoy? You should be proud of them! What animes do you enjoy?

I hope your day is going well!

Digitalmediafiend (discuss • contribs) 15:24, 30 March 2018 (UTC)

This is a fascinating research article! Even with the limitations you discussed, I believe this is a great and growing field of research. Since our generation has grown up with technology and the online world has expanded rapidly during this time, I feel like we don't even consider the amount of time we spend on time and the potential impact of this on our psyche. So much of our daily life revolves around being online, even if we don't think about it this way- how many times a day do we check Instagram or Twitter, even if just for five minutes while on the bus? I really hope this research field will continue to expand, as I think it has interesting opportunities for the fields of psychology and media, as well as important implications for us as technology becomes even more integrated into every moment of our lives. Mom00107 (discuss • contribs) 15:19, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

I certainly think you raise a number of valid, important points here - specifically about the routine integration of social media into our lives, which has seemingly gone unnoticed by the vast majority of us. You've got to wonder if the ability to seemingly 'never be bored' and always have entertainment and knowledge at your fingertips has adversely affected our psyches? I for one absolutely hate being bored, unless I'm occupied with something, I cannot simply sit and think - which I certainly think is an unhealthy behaviour, as it removes room for imagination and reflection. If we are always to be distracted then how can we ever process our thoughts or feelings? That's clearly a question for behavioural psychologists, like you said - but it really does make me curious, great point! I'd certainly urge the next generation to be simply be conscious of their browsing dependence, and to allocate time in each day to allow yourself to 'be bored' - because only in that absence of stimulation can you think clearly, a tool I believe to be sadly lost on myself and many others. It's a mad world JamesFDTD99 (discuss • contribs) 17:32, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Hi James, though my essay topic isn't on transmediality it sounds very informative and useful for understanding information overload. As a society I feel we need to accept information overload is here to stay and instead of trying to get rid of it we should be able to educate ourselves on how to navigate through sources of information. Something I found particularly interesting was your source stating how much time we spend interacting with media. This is definitely important in terms of individuals measuring engagement with media. As we use media as a filler when waiting on the bus/ instead of doing work/ in the waiting room, often it is a distraction for being on our own. Something indeed we don't measure especially because that time frame isn't memorable. Therefore it would be useful to measure especially for myself to see how much time I waste. Also I enjoyed that this source offered a solution as many of my own readings have been biased against a topic but have provided no solution to it. (#Rachelmm0037 (discuss • contribs) 13:47, 4 April 2018 (UTC))

Hey James!! Ive always thought the psyche and modern technology will have side effects. Constant incoming information never lets the brain rest. For my "always on culture" i mentioned this topic but haven`t gone into as much detail as u have in your annotated bibliography. Information overload is a debatable topic as many people argue that they are ok with the incoming information and they don`t seem to have any struggles or problems. I would understand that if the user has control and knows how to effectively use technology. But that would only be a small extent of the incoming information as advertisement and other media forms like radio and Television all emit information. Burnouts are not fun i`ve seen it happen and he described it as his body and mide just giving up and not wanting to continue. Would you argue that the new generation might see this differently as they are raised with a high level of information coming in anyways? I don`t believe that there really is a cure to media burn outs. Perhaps the only way you could prevent this is by trying to blur out any media. If you think of it, nowadays it is hard to achieve this. Its hard to have a total black out of no media. Its the main source of entertainment and communication for many. I think i could have used that paper for my project as well. I specified mine more onto the economic effect which can be derived from stress and burnouts. I did enjoy the annotated bibliography shame i didn`t see it earlier could have helped me too. Chrisalwayson (discuss • contribs) 14:21, 4 April 2018 (UTC)

Hi James, I think this is a very engaging and interesting article you have chosen to write about. I certainly agree with you that information overload is becoming a more and more prominent issue with todays society and culture being so ingrained in the media and vice versa, it is hard to break from one another. However, from the critique you have given it sounds like the article is a little bit too general when talking about the psychological problems that arise from social media overload. You mentioned that the article mainly focusses on written text rather than on- screen media. I believe, that one cannot accurately measure the true issue with information overload without also considering onscreen media. At least from my experiences the majority of the issues that come from social media 'burn out' arise form the amount of advertisements that are inescapable and smartphones. I do believe that society needs to become more aware of the amount of media consumption individuals are truly engaging in. However, I do believe it is easier said than done. I look forward to seeing what your own research and essay holds. Good luck! Jademanning (discuss • contribs) 18:56, 17 April 2018 (UTC)

Wiki Exercise #4 - 'Team Taran-trio', a Retrospective
For the past two months, I have worked in tandem with two coursemates and good friends, Kate and Jack, to form ‘Team Taran-trio’ – a research group learning and utilising the platform of Wikibooks, to share and discuss our writings on Transmediality. After choosing this topic, we refined a specific question pertaining to fan culture in relation to the work of theorist Henry Jenkins – as we shared an interest in this field and agreed upon a unique take. Initially there were problems with the learning curve of the platform, which led us to communicate mostly through social media and meetings to begin with – however as we grew familiar and comfortable with Wikibooks, the extent to which we utilised the discussions page increased. Personally, I attempted to use the platform without first consulting the course’s instructions – which resulted in a great deal of confusion, but after sitting down and researching the formatting and different pages it became far clearer. Towards the end of the process, I’ve found myself navigating and posting proficiently – so I would recommend the usage of Wikibooks in future collaborative projects. If I were to define Wikibooks through my own experiences, I would label it as a platform for the hosting and free exchange of academic texts – in which users can openly discuss and edit content, transforming individual researchers into a collective. Whilst the DM&C collaborative essay project brought together students in the Stirling area, the wider global networking implications are clear to see – easily connecting researchers from nations around the world to work in synchronization, not just sharing, but an integrated means to curate and edit content is highly useful. On a minor note, I was able to correct typos when proofreading the work of my team members, and they were able to return the favour – whilst this is fairly miniscule, the wider ability for fellow researchers to review and tweak published content can only lend to an improved final ‘book’. Whilst discussion between contributors was prompted due to course requirements (for the most part), a sense of community still formed within the space – and I have no doubt that naturally occurring discussion would occur within other academic projects. Wikibooks also embodies the notion of Digital Commons, facilitating an expansive wealth of content and resource to be created, utilised and shared amongst the masses – which is vital for sustaining growth and co-operation between users. By studying and referencing the work of fellow researchers, the total sum of knowledge only stands to increase. Regarding whether Wikibooks displays online emancipation, I would strongly suggest that this is the case – content is freely amendable by both the original poster and other users, and restrictions upon what content can be posted aren’t an issue, hence why I would classify the platform as a prime example of a free speech medium. In closing, despite some initial hiccups in communication and understanding, this was an informative and engaging task to undertake – and has deepened my understanding of wiki platforms and their possible utilities. In retrospect, I would certainly have expanded upon my notes posted to the question discussion page, as I currently feel it does not reflect the more extensive, analytical work undertaken for my case study. However, I was very content with my engagement on wikibooks as a whole, the concept of peer review and feedback drove me to improve my writing and establish both correspondence and discourse with my fellow students – preparing me for the essay itself. Whilst my piece may not reshape a field of discussion, or set alight a debate on transmediality as a whole – I can be proud in knowing that I have branched out beyond my comfort zone of study and improved as a result. JamesFDTD99 (discuss • contribs) 17:03, 12 April 2018 (UTC)

(3202 characters w/out spaces

I agree with you James, I likewise found Wikibooks a little bit intimidating at first to operate and needed help from peers to teach me how to work it as well my independent studying. However, once one gets the hang of it, it does prove to be an incredibly useful tool. There is definitely a sense of community formed when using such a platform, the peer review aspect, allows for an environment of constructive criticism which has really aided me in my own independent research. I feel like by engaging in this platform it has really helped my understanding of Wikimedia as a whole and its usefulness. As it definitely aids in online visibility and can be used to engage in academic discussions that could possibility push your own abilities. This is why I especially enjoyed the interactive functions, to provide tips, critiques and contributions to other individuals undergoing their own research and learn from one another. You mentioned that you working with your close friends in your collaborative essay. Did you find this to improve on your group work for better communication as you were more comfortable with one another, or did you find that this actually represented you with difficulties such as staying on task? For me personally, I did not know the individuals in my group before I started working with them.m I personally found it was a great experience to try and work with people and meet each others respective demands. I look forward to your response.

Jademanning (discuss • contribs) 22:03, 17 April 2018 (UTC)

INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK: DISCUSSION, ENGAGEMENT, CONTRIBS

 * Engagement on discussion pages of this standard attain the following grade descriptor for contribs. Whereas not all of the elements here will be directly relevant to your particular response to the brief, this will give you a clearer idea of how the grade you have been given relates to the standards and quality expected of work at this level (it ought to be mentioned that this element of work is at the lowermost end of this grade bracket):
 * Satisfactory. Among other things, satisfactory contributions may try to relate an idea from the module to an original example, but might not be very convincing. They may waste space on synopsis or description, rather than making a point. They may have spelling or grammatical errors and typos. They might not demonstrate more than a single quick pass at the assignment, informed only by lecture and/or cursory reading. They may suggest reading but not thinking (or indeed the reverse) and will have little justification for ideas offered on Discussion Pages. The wiki markup formatting will need some work.

Students should be engaging at least once a day, for the duration of the project. The following points illustrate how this engagement is evaluated.


 * This was clearly not the case here –you only logged a handful of contribs (12 in total, which is not many) over 5 separate days period. However, when you did engage, these seemed to be genuine contributions in terms of moving the project forward, and you communicated really well with other groups’ members who commented on the Discussion Page.

Evidence from contribs to both editing and discussion of content (i.e. volume and breadth of editorial activity as evidenced through ‘contribs’). These are primarily considered for quality rather than quantity, but as a broad guideline: o	Each item on a contribs list that are 3000+ characters are deemed “considerable” o	Each item on a contribs list that are 2000+ characters are deemed “significant” o	Each item on a contribs list that are 1000+ characters are deemed “substantial” o	Items on a contribs list that are <1000 characters are important, and are considered in the round when evaluating contribs as a whole because of their aggregate value


 * Most contribs registered as being under 1000 characters, apart from three that could be classed as “substantial”. Some very useful content in here – but I think you could have done much, much more to register discussion and decision-making process here.

•	Engagement with and learning from the community on Discussion Pages o	Evidence of peer-assisted learning and collaboration o	Evidence of reading, sharing, and application of research to the essay o	Evidence of peer-review of others’ work


 * There’s some engagement with other users, although much more could have been done in this regard to give a full record of the group’s decision-making.

•	Reflexive, creative and well-managed use of Discussion Pages o	Clear delegation of tasks o	Clearly labelled sections and subsections o	Contributions are all signed


 * There is some evidence of this.

•	Civility. Your conduct is a key component of any collaboration, especially in the context of an online knowledge-building community. Please respect others, as well as observe the rules for civility on wiki projects. All contribs are moderated.


 * You conducted yourself extremely well. More engagement on other groups’ Discussion Pages would have aided this element considetrably.

GregXenon01 (discuss • contribs) 12:53, 23 April 2018 (UTC)

Instructor Feedback on Wiki Exercise Portfolio
Posts and comments on other people’s work, of this standard, roughly corresponds to the following grade descriptor. Depending on where your actual mark is in relation to the making criteria as outlined in the relevant documentation, it should give you an idea of strengths and weaknesses within the achieved grade band overall.

Excellent. Among other things, these entries will probably demonstrate a complex, critical understanding of the themes of the module. They will communicate very effectively, making excellent and creative use of the possibilities of the form (including links, as well as perhaps copyright-free videos and images, linked to from Wiki Commons), and may be written with some skill and flair. They will address the assignment tasks in a thoughtful way. They will make insightful connections between original examples and relevant concepts. They will be informed by serious reading and reflection, are likely to demonstrate originality of thought, and will probably be rewarding and informative for the reader. The wiki markup formatting will be impeccable.


 * Whilst this work is at the lower end of this grade band, and there’s clearly room for improvement, I think that you engage with the wiki exercises in a highly reflective, articulate manner. There are some exchanges with other users that suggest you have listened to what other people are saying and are contributing meaningfully to discussion. This is arguably the civic element of wiki that you are thinking about. Very, very good work generally.


 * The one area that lets you down perhaps is that you really ought to have made more use of the wiki functionality and markup. This would have gone a long way to improving fluidity and functionality of posts. I suspect that, if you become more familiar and proficient with the platform, that this would have made a considerable difference.


 * Re: responses to other people’s posts – these are especially good. I like that you have framed some of your responses as questions to solicit discussion (this is, arguably, what discussion pages are all about!) and also that you have engaged in discussion in an open and critical way.

General:
 * Reading and research: some evidence of critical engagement with set materials; evidence of independent reading of appropriate academic and peer-reviewed material in places.


 * Argument and analysis: posts show well-articulated and well-supported argument; evidence of critical thinking (through taking a position in relation to key ideas from the module, and supporting this position); evidence of relational thinking (through making connections between key ideas from the module and wider literature, and supporting these connections); evidence of independent critical ability


 * Presentation: see above comment on wiki markup and organisational skills.

GregXenon01 (discuss • contribs) 11:07, 9 May 2018 (UTC)