www.opinion@factualinformation.com

Last week i was thinking about how wonderful it was that i could post an essay on the internet and for all intensive purposes i was ‘publishing’ a piece of my work. This essay i had written could be viewed by hundreds or millions of people around the world who could comment and criticise and all the things that come with being an author of a published work. The use of the internet seems to highten communication between users while lowering the barriers that distinguish between fact and fiction. Does the set-up and use of the Internet lack attention to educational value?

Sites including Wikipediea hold little credibility as an academic resource- if any. Perhaps this is primarily because anyone can post anything claiming it as fact or knowledge, and in some cases it may be days or weeks until blatently inaccurate information is taken off the site. A friend of mine conducted a test, whereby he posted a random theory of the ‘creation of light’ without any educational merit behind his presentation of supposedly ‘factual’ information. It was two weeks before his theory was removed from the site. I just hope that some young student didn’t receive a fail for the use of inaccurate information found on the internet.

Similarly, Danah Boyd, Internet Community Studies guru, recently posted ‘observations’ of internet activity in her blog. Given that she is a renowned internet analyst, her post was taken as factual or formal research, rather than opinionated observations. She copped a massive backlash of repercussions including calls for confirmation of details, interviews, Boyd said that BBC even “covered it as a formal report”.

These cases emphasise the care one must take when using the Internet as an academic resource, or for any form of knowledge base. The Internet serves as a good medium for studies into social groups, communities, cultural differences etc. However, these areas of study are primarily based on theory. Therefore, when searching for hard facts, even an accredited site can be flimsy in content. The internet already serves many puposes, and has the potential to serve many more. However, in a forum of free speach we cannot always depend on that speech (or written word) being factually accurate. Like all great tools, the internet should be used with care. Perhaps as a reflective source of information that is not the sole contributor for building a personal knowledge base.

Bad English, bad grammar, bad manners…

I am a firm believer in the power of clear communication. I have seen it land jobs, repair relationships, teach others and sway large audiences. Many of us have heard the phrase that knowledge is power, and without going into an extensive exploration of postmodernism and the allusive concept of knowledge, i feel that knowledge of the English language can lead to higher levels of respect and appreciation. 

On 7 September 2007, The Age published an article by David Campbell titled; Bad English, bad grammar, bad manners. Given my love for the intricacies of the English language, this article immediately caught my attention. This article is primarily written about the spelling and grammatical errors of British university students. Perhaps one of the more interesting points in the article is the finger pointing to modern technology as a catalyst for the demise of correct English usage.

The article suggests that with the use of instant messaging services, networking sites, blogs and the idea of instant ’self-publishing’ has created a loss of respect and understanding for appropriate English spelling and grammar. In a high speed environment, it seems as if high speed responses are more important than accuracy, and consequently users are becoming lazy, careless and inconsiderate.

Although this topic deserves much more exploration, i just want to put it out there… Is language evolving with the Internet or deteriorating? Should language be as adaptable as the environment in which it exists? Is it still important to abide by traditional language rules of accurate spelling and grammar? Finally, does bad English really result in bad manners?

If you love something, you have to set it free…

As previously mentioned, blogs are a difficult concept to define. Many people have struggled to find an all-encompassing definition by which all blogging ’styles’ and purposes may be categorised. Perhaps the concept of the blog may be similar to that of love; whereby its meaning is different to each individual.

Blogs today are different to how they were during their initial emergence, and surely they will continue to evolve in the future. This is largely due to the changes that occur as more people start blogging and networks increase in size reaching wider and more diverse audiences around the world.

In my previous classes, we were taught that a blog should contain certain characteristics. For example they should contain links, videos, and images (though i do understand that we were learning to take advantage of the Internet as a multi-narrative medium), and that they should consist of short entries and various other criteria. However, i wonder, if blogs are so difficult to define, largely because they can harbour a sometimes intense and multifaceted reader-author relationship, why should any rules apply that are not for the sake of protecting the rights of an individual?

Meanwhile, we are watching films about how freedom of speech and the media acting as the forth estate have revolutionised political and legal systems throughout history. Such movement is worthy of admiriation, and often considered necessary for democratic societies. Blogging easily facilitates such activity. On the other hand, in the blogging realm there are exceptional examples of courageous people who are willing to share their lives with the world, an exposure many people fear.

Perhaps the ‘romance’ of the blog should not be thwarted by expectations or categorisations in an attempt to capture a restrictive definition. The blog is malleable, it bends and changes form with the people who create and serve its purpose.

What am I trying to do…

In brief, my project will outline the most effective and efficient way to market a product abroad. More specifically, i will be analysing the most effective pathways for marketing a training product for travel professionals in countries including; New Zealand, England, Canada and India. This analysis will include identifying political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that may influence successful marketing in these nations. My project will also outline the importance of understanding these driving and restrictive forces, and will highlight the necessary application of a situational analysis.

One of the greatest problems with marketing abroad is understanding different cultures and consequently, the most appropriate marketing methods for a specific region. I wish to provide advice to the Langley Group regarding how best to promote and market its product; Passport to the World in the countries mentioned above.

Making changes

I had my first meeting with my supervisor yesterday, and it proved to be both interesting and informative. I was having reservations about the feasibility of my strategy. Marketing/Publicising a product in four different countries without direct and informed contacts in those countries would be an incredibly difficult path… as i suspected. So my supervisor, Philippa Brear, and i discussed related yet more realistic approaches to my project.

I think the best approach that arose out of our discussion, would be to construct a ‘universal’ model for a campaign to launch Passport to the World, with an attached situational analyses and communication advice for marketing to the suggested key countries; England, India, New Zealand and Canada.

Therefore, my project should consist of a flexible plan for launching Passport to the World, with a PESTLE analysis of the four countries. PESTLE is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors involved in analysing a market situation. This may also be accompanied by a SWOT analysis, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Hopefully, through this new approach i will be able to add a greater level of depth and sophistication to my project, while also broadening my career prospects. I am eager to study public relations on a global level, and this will be an exciting and feasible first step.

Digital Technologies

 

Digital communication has paved the way for the progress of a vast range of cultural media and varying, more expansive social groups. The development and use of digital technologies has sparked global discussions and debate about the effects of a free-flowing information highway upon social organisation and communication. Both broadcast and digital media have played their part in the organisation and interaction of social groups, although through different channels and methods of engagement. Radio, television and the Internet have all been problematic in the sense of establishing fair and enforceable governance, which is a continuing topic of critical analysis.

 

Various forms of social media are disseminated via Internet. Video streaming, music sharing, news articles, networking sites, academic publications, pod-casts and business promotions all thrive in this digital environment. However, media is dependent upon both social/political/scientific contribution and social interest, which is perfectly suited to the Internet as a mechanism for the distribution of information. Given the nature of the Internet, that is one of connectivity and dissemination, messages are transferred from real world communities to digital communities, which exist in a more expansive global environment. However, such ease of expansive distribution of information causes problems associated with the ability to freely upload information, regardless of its accuracy or validity.

 

Manuel Castells describes Internet publics as ‘producer/users’ and ‘consumer/users’ (Castells, 36). The first refers to those who constructive engage in the digital world whereby their constructivism feeds directly back into the system, and is culturally driven. The latter, refers to those whom consume the Internet as recipients but do not actively engage in the development of the system. Even though Castells differentiates between ‘producer/users’ and ‘consumer/users’, it is also notable that those that do not directly interact and progress the development of the Internet, do have an effect on the evolution of the Internet and its uses. The Internet affects social change according to the way members of society actively engage in and use the technology, and through the ease of expressing and disseminating subjective information.

 

Dreamweaving

Dreamweaver is proving to be a very useful web-design program. It is so easy to do almost anything, and even though there is the option of creating a page using templates, even if you start from scratch the ease of navigation is incredible. I think this is a very well-thought out and creative program, as even the commands are accompanied with easy alternatives that resembles games i played when i was three. For example, when creating links, the typical path would involve digging through files to find and select the desired page for linkage. In Dreamweaver, you can choose to take this path, or simple click on the links button and drag the arrow across to the icon for the desired page, which if saved, should appear in a corresponding box along with all other pages in the same file.

Even my explanation of the simplicity of using Dreamweaver is proving more complicated than the program itself. Having said all of this, i am still working on my content. However, i am not to worried about not having created a fantastically glowing webpage design, because i know that it will only take a matter of a few hours to create desired effects. My problem is my content. I have chosen the topic of friendship, which requires boundaries in order to be creative.

I have started interviewing friends, but i am now thinking these responses would be much more evocative if recorded so i can import the voice recording into my webpage. I think i will have to go back over my content and consider more innovative ways for expressing the information to form multi-linear narratives and truly take advantage of hypertext space.

Hypertext documentaries break through the boundaries of tradition style essays or film documentaries. Rules are few and possibilities are endless. The Internet is a realm for expression of individuality, however subjective that individuality may be. With the click of a mouse a whole new piece of art can be created, however, finding that inner artist is a struggle in itself, especially given the scope of the possibilities.

Changing technologies, changing legislation

With the emergence of the electronic age, governments must adapt to suit the changing needs of the Australian population. With the development of national and global media, laws including defamation and censorship come under scrutiny. While it is fair to suggest that each state requires a representative body to regulate specific state needs, issues involving the majority of the Australian population should be confronted by the Federal government or by collaboration between state governments to create uniform legislation.

For example, if an article is published and distributed on a national scale, the author may have previously breached defamation laws in some of the eight jurisdictions, yet complied with these laws in the other jurisdictions. This creates complications as all authors of nationally published material must have vast knowledge of the different laws existing in the different jurisdictions. Furthermore, one could apply to have the case heard in the jurisdiction that would best suit their complaint.

However, it may not necessarily be ideal to relinquish certain powers to the Commonwealth government alone. Such authorizations may result in an abuse of power or outcomes that are not indicative of the preferences of the majority of Australians. Therefore, perhaps in some cases, state governments should work collaboratively to create uniform legislation that is in the best interest of the state and the nation.

Methodologies for ‘going global’ strategy

 

The effective execution of this communications plan will depend upon a range of research methodologies to ensure accuracy and relevance. Before this campaign begins to take shape, one must conduct research into similar communication campaigns to determine successful and unsuccessful strategies. One cannot design a campaign without a firm understanding of the composition of a campaign, a range of methods for how the tactics would be implemented, and what strategies to avoid. This research would involve analysis of existing data in online environments or through direct reporting from organisations that have implemented campaigns with similar objectives to those of Training People Worldwide.

 

Important preliminary questions for a public relations campaign need to be considered. These questions include:

• What is the problem, issue or opportunity? 
• What type of information is required? 
• How will the results of the research be applied? 
• What specific public (or publics) need to be researched? 
• How will the research data be collected, analysed, reported? 
• How much will it cost?

Formal research methods that may be employed in the development of this strategy include;

• Surveys, for example; mail questionnaires, telephone surveys, personal interviews, omnibus surveys, and Web/e-mail surveys
• Experiments

Informal research methods that may be employed in the development of this strategy include:

• analysis of organisational materials;
• personal contacts;
• news articles and media monitoring;
• regional and national poll results;
• data from other similar or interested trade groups;
• library research;
• online databases;
• analysis of letters and telephone calls to the organisation;
• focus groups and in-depth interviews;
• copy testing of planned materials or events;
• communication audits.

Documenting Friends

I want to create a web-based documentary on the notion of friendship. In considering the topic for my documentary, i decided to do something that was fun and interesting for myself, rather than being strictly academically focused. Friends have always been an integral part of my life, contributing to my happiness, sadness, successes and wealth. I want to express the deep and intricate feelings expressed and felt as a consequence of various forms of friendships.

I will consider using images, voice recordings, poetry and first-hand accounts to express the varying levels and emotions that occur as a product of these close relationships. My webpage will be divided into several pages, each page being a new era in friendship. Page topics will include; newly formed friendships, life-long friendships, grief of separation, happiness of supportive friendships and dealing with betrayal.

I hope to make my page fun, interesting, heart-felt and easy to navigate. I think there is a lot of room for scope in this assignment, and i hope to produce something that is quite personal to me and those who contribute. I will consider using warm and romanticising colours, and a very simplistic layout. This will be a non-linear narrative, yet will create the illusion of experiencing the journey of friendship. This is a philosophical subject but will be relayed in real-terms from people’s and my own real life experiences.