Questions for “Can Blogs Revolutionize Progressive Politics?”

1. 

Why do the Democratic leaders embrace blogging as a potential political

communication considering the traditional media landscape in politics?

-Blogging is becoming more popular among democratic leaders. They are using blogging as a way to communicate political agendas and stances to the public. Blogs are able to reach a younger audience also which gives the leader an edge. Air time is increasingly hard to come by and very expensive.

2. 

Blogging encourages a participatory culture. In what way does the

participatory culture in blogging expand digital media convergence?

-Blogging expands digital media convergence because it can be accessed anywhere in the world on multiple digital mediums. Blogging always anyone to participate by responding and sharing with their friends. 

3. 

In the article, the author says: “The ability of the Internet to erase

geographical distances can become a structural weakness in elections

where district lines and eligibility are key.” How can blogging counter this

weakness in the process of turning the netroots to grassroots?

-The internet allows people to access information from anywhere. This can be positive and negative for a Republican or Democratic candidate. This aids them in campaigning from a distance in states they can't travel too. However, if a candidate messes up then multiple people states away are able to hear about it. Blogging has its ups and downs for those brave enough to open their opinions and campaigns to the world. Net roots are turned into grassroots because people now have the ability to share and access these blogs wherever and whenever they want.

4. 

The author spends the second half of the article discussing the lack of

diversity in current blogosphere dominated by elite bloggers. Please use

the concept of digital convergence to explain how blogs can become the

real bearer of freedom, democracy, egalitarianism, and participation in

the new media communication?

-Blogging is accessible to everyone who has access to the internet. The ability too blog is diverse as it gets; one can post anything, respond to anything and share it with whoever they want. Blogging is the perfect example of digital convergence because it can be accessed by anyone and everyone can share their opinions. 

Questions from The Song Of The Alphabet In Cyberspace 

 1. What are the differences between the pre-literate acoustic world and the alphabetical visual world? How does the media of television become a part of the acoustic world?

The difference between pre-literate acoustic world and the alphabetical visual world is pre-literate acoustic world is a world of no boundaries in which information emerges not from fixed positions but anywhere and everywhere. It is just about our thoughts and opinions.  However, the alphabetical visual world is when the consonant was invented as a meaningless abstraction, vision detached itself from the other senses and visual space began to form. When the consonant was created, it started to take away from the world and gave us a narrow mindset through technology. Everything has a meaning and there is no space to elaborate and give our own thought. The acoustic world is about immersion and this comes after the alphabet. Television which is also musical and mythic, lacks perspective from distance of objects. All humans that watch TV immediately become removed from the world around us and are fully immersed in the messages from the screen.

2. Why does the alphabet have the segregating tendencies? How exactly does the printing press reverse the segregating tendencies?

The alphabet has segregating tendencies because only certain people could read it, transcribe it and understand it. The printing press helps to reverse the segregating tendencies because it made the alphabet more available to people all over so it allowed them the opportunity to understand and learn it.

 3. How does the alphabetic communication in online communication make cyberspace acoustic? How is the online acoustic world different from the television, radio, or print acoustic world?

The alphabetic communication in online communication makes cyberspace acoustic because it is all absorbing and interactive. It requires our undivided attention. We cannot be driving or multitasking in order to absorb with our eyes. We absorb the information as it covers all areas of communication. The online acoustic world is different from the television, radio, and print acoustic world because they are considered closed acoustic spaces. 

 4. Not only do we invent media and media technologies but also we select their uses in different contexts. What are the two selection criteria? According to the selection criteria, please discuss what will happen to our online communication in 20 years.

The two selection criteria are the fact that we want media to extend our communications beyond the biological boundaries of naked seeing and hearing. The second selection criteria is we want the media to recapture elements of that biological communication which early artificial extensions may have lost. In other words, we want our hearth of natural communication even as we exceed it in our extensions. Even though the telephone has taken over the telegraph, the media convergence still makes us miss our original technology. According to the selection criteria, our online communication will continue to expand along new levels in 20 years. The alphabet is even more abstract than our current speech. Online communication will cross new boundaries we have yet to identify. 

Hello Dr. Xia,

Here are my question answers to Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide

1.     Why does convergence happen in the communication and media fields? What are the two conditions that lead to convergence?

-Convergence represents a cultural shift, as consumers are encouraged to seek out new information and make connections among dispersed media content. Both forms of media, “old media” and “new media” that is spread by producers must work together to allow the consumer to decide which one will eventually become the more popular form of media through the interactive flow of content. New technology is allowing mass media to be readily available. The first condition that leads to convergence is when the consumer and producer flow the media content to different media platforms. The second condition that leads to convergence is the power of new technology which allows consumers and producers to access media easier. As well, convergence is a huge industry of business. The ability to deliver media content across multiple channels is a fantastic way to connect with consumers all over the globe.  

2.     What are the three different kinds of digital convergence discussed in the article?

-The three different kinds of digital convergence discussed in the article are the cooperation between multiple media industries having the ability to spread media content all over to consumers, the flow of content across multiple media platforms because of new technology, and the thirst of media consumers who will go anywhere in search of information and entertainment through media and the different media platforms available.

3.     What cultural and social impacts does digital convergence have in addition to technological changes?

-The cultural and social impacts of digital convergence allow everyone to get their work out to the public through the Internet unlike before when it was much more difficult. Advertisement and social interaction has completely evolved into an easier way of communication to spread media. It is now easier to communicate with people around the globe in multiple ways. Mass media is readily available to everyone because it is everywhere. User created content has a major effect on media and the producers. We are now a culture that has the major goal of spreading around information of all different varieties rapidly and easily due to digital convergence.

4.     Do the new media displace old media in the history of media development? Why or why not?

-Old media continues to adapt to the always-evolving media. New media does not displace old media, it just allows it to adapt to society. We may not be able to go out and rent movies at Blockbusters anymore but we can still view old movies online. There are multiple media platforms to view different mass media via "old" and "new" media.

5.     The convergence happens from both the top-down corporate level and bottom-up grassroots level. How do both levels change the traditional concept of media consumption?

-Media convergence has helped even out both levels so the top-down corporate level and bottom-up grassroots level both have an equal opportunity to share their work with the world.  The widespread opportunity to share work is no longer controlled but swollen so everyone has the opportunity. Top-down corporations are able to buy other companies and merge which changes the traditional concept of media consumption. An example is Disney buying LucasArts and now has control of the Star Wars franchise. Another example is Comcast buying NBC Universal from GE.

6.     What does digital convergence in media indicate for communication and journalism professionals in the future?

-Digital convergence is making it tough for communication and journalism professions to find work. Newspapers are becoming obsolete and most news is posted online.  Digital journalism is controlling most methods of spreading news. Both sides are merging rather than being opposites. All the forms of hardware, technology and media that are being converged is apart of the ever evolving “old” and “new” media.