Debate Questions

1. Based on this debate and previous readings What Definition of democracy do you feel is most fitting for us to use in-conjunction our growing reliance and integration of digital networked technologies?
    
Media today is available to every body with access to the internet, a camera, a cell phone et cetera. Media has become more amateur and by day the excess of information, untrustworthy information grows. Therefore I choose to use Keens definition of democratized media. He describes how the internet is becoming an addictive source preyed on by people who do not know any better. Keen believes that democratized media is a threat to the cultural institutions around the world and I agree with him.

2. How does your answer to #1 fit into the unchecked nature of Web 2.0 technologies, and what are some tangible examples of this? Do you feel this is an important issue that needs to be addressed further?
The unchecked nature of Web 2.0 technologies is a growing issue. Keen describes how the ability for people to take part in posting and participating is leading to the lack of expertise and values. With web 2.0 everybody is on the same level, the level of the amatuer which is where media, infromation and anything else is democratized. I believe that if web 2.0 continues in this unchecked nature there will be a serious lack of credible sources. Web 2.0 is eliminating the truth by opening the floor to the amatuer.

3. Define and describe the phenomenon of the Media echo-chamber as described in the Internet Debates. What are some examples of this silo effect, and do you believe it is an issue that needs to be addressed? Why or Why not?

Media echo-chamber was a main part of the discussion held in the media 2.0 debate. What the gentlemen meant by this term refers to situations where information or ideas through media are solidified through the internet online, available to the world. Keen believes tha tthis issue does need to be addressed as it is a scarey thought that a concept or idea can grow into something that it is not, or something corrupted by moving through cyber space. Wales however, wikipedia man, believes that there is no issue with the internet and how information is so easily passed on. What needs to be done is the creation of a cyber wall that separates truth of the expert from the opinon of the amatuer.


4. What are some ways that expertise and authority could be (or is being) enforced on the internet? Who would be behind these forces? Why do you believe are they are needed or not needed?

Enforcing the interent is a difficult matter. With existing enforcing agents such as privacy settings on facebook along with the ability to report foul content as well as deleting belittling images is some of the only enforcemnt we see. I n regards to sights like wikipedisa or citizendium it is known that people can post whatever they would like, or believe to be true as information to be seen by anyone. However some of this information is run through a checking program or looked over by standby 'experts' who have the authority to change the information back. Crediblility is all that matters. An uncredible source in the real world would never gain much popularity, but sites like wikipedia flourish. I think its vital for expertise to start playing a role in the information we have such easy access to.


6. Give a through example of an adaptation or improvement made by a of a social, political, or cultural group, government, business or individual to keep up with changing nature of the internet.
Facebook has impacted the globe. It defines who we are today as a hyper-people or collective group. facebook keeps everyone connected and now is making millions of dollars thorugh advertising. While facebook has been running into some privacy issues through the advertisers, it still remains at large. facebook has connected the real world to a cyber world where people can come together through similarities to chat, bcome friends and debate. Facebook now also links to alot of other web sites and has the potential to send users information they might want to see.


7. Is democracy threatened by the unchecked nature of the internet?

Deomocracy is threatened by the unchecked nature of the internet. Like Keen has been preaching too much, potentially false information is seducing a globe of inexperienced non experts. In a new world of cut and paste what information is safe to use? With everyone putting in their two cents it is becoming more and more frustrating to get truth. Talent is on the verge of becoming extinct in a world where a lot of people are coming out with their own amateurish media. What ever happened to those awesome music videos, they are still around but now you hve to search through thousands of different interpretations and replicated amateur performances.