MAC309 Assessment questions 2013-4 Due: Thursday 15th May 2014 (Suns a!

e and "i#rary$ 1 % 2500 &ord essay 'i!( one o) the )o**o&in+ essay questions 1 Students are encouraged to identify an area of study related to the module content that isnt addressed by a specific assessment question. The only caveat is that the topic must feature an analysis of two of the following three areas: new media the !eb and"or society. #ndependent essay questions should be approved by the module leader 2 weeks before submission $ie end of !ee% 1&'. ( )onvergence alters the relationship between e*isting technologies+ industries+ mar%ets+ genres and audiences $,en%ins+ (&&-: .-'. !ith reference to at least one e*ample+ assess the significance of media consolidation"synergy in relation to either television+ film+ music or #nternet content. . /ver the past decade 0oogle has grown from a small scale enterprise to one the most powerful players in the global media mar%et. )ritically assess the impact of 0oogles growth upon traditional media interests and internet users. 1ou should illustrate your answer with reference to e*isting and future 0oogle products. - Social problems can be met first with social solutions 2 aided by powerful technical tools 2 rather than by resorting to law $3ittrain+ (&&4: 154'. 6ow might 3ittrains comments be applied to the debates surrounding networ% neutrality7 #t would be worth considering the impact of current developments regarding #nternet regulation and surveillance and how they impact on the unrestricted movement of data+ eg 8igital 9conomy :ct $;<'+ 0olden Shield $)hina'+ :)T: $;S'+ 6:8/=# $>rance'+ #=?98 $Sweden'+ etc @ The real consequences of the !eb (.& revolution is less culture+ less reliable news+ and a chaos of useless information. /ne chilling reality in this brave new digital epoch is the blurring+ obfuscation+ and even disappearance of truth $<een+ (&&4: 15'. )ritically assess the impact of participatory social tools on the production of %nowledge. 5 )onsider these ( positions regarding the use of social media during revolutions: 1' Ay emphasising the liberating role of the tools and downplaying the role of human agency+ such accounts ma%e :mericans feel proud of their own contribution to events in the Biddle 9ast $BoroCov+ (&11' (' Twitter is being coDconstructed by bloggers and activists alongside Eournalists. This confirms the notion that Twitter supports distributed

conversation among participants and that Eournalism+ in this era of social media+ has become a conversation $Fotan et al+ (&11' )ritically assess the roles played by %ey actors"agents in these revolutions $eg+ the press+ the public+ social media organisations and their users'. G The opportunities the #nternet presents for sharing content quic%ly and easily has meant that ideas can e*plode across the globe rapidly li%e a virus. )ritically assess the implications of this virality by considering the potential benefits and harms associated with this behaviour $eg reputations+ propaganda+ advertising+ privacy+ etc'. 4 D You have one identity. [] The days of you having a different image for your co-workers and for the other peop e you know are probab y coming to an end pretty !uick y. [] "aving two identities for yourse f is an e#amp e of a ack of integrity.$ Bar% 3uc%erberg+ >aceboo% $in <iss+ (&1&'. )ritically assess the implications of an anonymous internet versus one in which all users are %nown and identifiable. H D I# %now people thin% Jse*tingK is dangerous+ but to me+ its no big deal because # get them a lot.L $:nonymous teenager in Fenhart+ (&&H'. )ritically assess the e*tent to which practices involving the public display of private se* acts get complicated by the social norms that define them as deviant. #n attempting this tas% it would be worth thin%ing about the nature of reputation in networ%ed conte*ts. 1& D >or Aauman+ internet relationships have no significant or meaningfu content.$ They consist on y of a constant circu ation of messages and being permanent y connected% rather than deep communication$ $Aauman+ (&&.:.-&. !ith reference to at least one e*ample+ critically assess the impact of the internet on the formation and"or maintenance of relationships. Students are encouraged to consider how this might apply in the conte*t of familial relationships+ commercial relationships+ as well as romantic relationships. 11 Bany of our online relationships are defined by the dynamics of trust $in others+ in information+ etc'. To what e*tent is cybertrust a ris% predicated on uncertainty and how do online participants minimise their e*posure to such ris%s7 1( D M)ompanies are realiCing that gamification DD using the same mechanics that hoo% gamers DD is an effective way to generate business.L $Bangalindan+ (&1&'. )ritically assess the aims and achievements of gamification. 1. I0amification is bullshit N 0amification is reassuring N 0amification is easyL $#an Aogost+ (&11'. 0iven the success of Aogosts own game+ 'ow ' icker+ critically assess the argument that gamification is pointless 1- (ithout the brand% )pp e wou d be dead The power of their branding is a that keeps them a ive. *t+s got nothing to do with products+ $0obO cited in

<ahney+ (&&-: (@&'. )ritically assess the e*tent to which the cult of Bac is the result of successful branding alone. 1@ I:pple now has a dominant position in several %ey businesses N #ts iTunes Store gives it control of the tollgate through which billions of paidDfor music trac%s and albums+ videos and apps cascade down to millions of customers worldwide ... 9very :pple mobile device sold can only be activated by hoo%ing up to the gate. This gives :pple unparalleled powerL $Paughton+ (&11'. )ritically assess the implications for the content industry of an :pple dominated world. 15 )ritically assess the claim that the cultural industries cant compete with free. 1ou should ma%e reference to at least two specific e*amples to illustrate your argument. 1G M#tQs now clear that practically everything !eb technology touches starts down the path to gratis N Storage now Eoins bandwidth N and processing power N in the race to the bottom. Aasic economics tells us that in a competitive mar%et+ price falls to the marginal cost N J9Kvery day the marginal cost of digital information comes closer to nothing.M $:nderson+ (&&4'. )ritically evaluate the arguments for and against free as a business model for the !eb with reference to the freemium e*ample. 14 Several recent studies $8emos+ (&&H =?S+ (&&H 0:/+ (&1& etc' have called into question the impact of piracy upon the content industries. )ritically appraise the arguments surrounding piracy by focussing on one specific form of media content. 1H 8espite the enormous diversity of views and identities on the internet+ online participants generally see% out information and interaction that reinforces their private positions+ avoiding meaningful engagement with difference $8ahlberg+ (&&G: 4(H'. To what e*tent does the #nternet offer a platform for meaningful democratic participation7 (& )ritically assess the e*tent to which !i%ipedia has avoided the Tragedy of the )ommons $6ardin+ 1H54'