The Final Week: A Reflection

As the semester comes to an end, I realize that this course has changed how I view the concepts and effort behind online collaboration. In viewing my own blog posts, I also realize that my understanding of these theoretical frameworks has improved greatly.

I can also see a marked improvement on the understanding of course concepts within my classmates. Though I have been working with the same group all semester, we were all still able to aid each other in furthering our educations throughout this course. I particularly liked keeping up with the blogs of my team members. Here are a few blog posts that can help you understand the frameworks and social changes due to social media we have covered in class:

Karen Lizarraga: On Online Collaboration

Noelle Woolway: On Open Source Software

Ana Salido: On Publics and Counterpublics

My posts, such as my own post of Open Source software, are not necessarily the same view of these ideas that I have now. Our discussions, activities, and quizzes have altered the way that I think about "open source" and the concepts of ownership and authorship. I was particularly changed when I realized the societal reception of authorship and ownership has changed just before my own lifetime. In being exposed to readings such as Vaidhyanathan's critique of changes in normalcy based on ideas of ownership and membership in Open Source Culture- Culture as Open Source, I now realize that these concepts of freedom and open access are deeply ingrained in what humans view as ideal versus the protective ownership that is actually put in place on works.

In addition, I have been exposed to ideas of social media and communities that are present even in the lives of those with eating disorders. In my blog post, The Pro-Anorexia Conundrum, I attempt to examine what really constitutes a community. Does a community have to be inherently positive? Or can negative spaces, such as those suicide watch subreddits, be communities based on their shared experiences, feelings, or connections in online spaces? Though these questions are still up for debate, I believe that these ideas are important to grasp for any understanding of this course, almost exclusively surrounding the ideas of membership, community, and online connection.

I also was able to see, through Lily's class discussion, how the ideas of community are not concrete. I believe that communities, just as publics, are self defined. Should someone not consider themselves a part of a certain group or community, one cannot expect them to function within that group the same as another that is more fully invested and committed to their membership to a community.

My favorite lesson, however, was the discussion of Spreadable Media. I had not considered how memes and other social objects truly became popular until this reading and the following class discussions. I had not even considered how the ideas of objects being spreadable would be translated into every day life, but I was able to connect the spreadability of objects to politics within the United States. With the above linked blog post, I can see that between then and now, I have an even better understanding of this material and how ideas and memorable objects are spread throughout a society. Being able to apply a theory such as this will aid me in my continued education as well as my examinations of future social movements. How are groups using these ideas of spreadable media to their advantage? How can I use spreadable media to further a cause that I am passionate about?

This course has also warped my ability to collaborate with others. In each of the readings, activities, and group projects, I have grown as a team member and a leader. I had never considered myself a team player until taking this course, as the first week we examined what makes a good member of a team or group, and how different types of groups are formed and continue to work well together. I know now that I have the capability of being a valuable team member, and I also greatly appreciate some of the amazing teammates that I have had the honor to work with throughout this semester.

Thank you in particular to Karen, Ana, Myles, and Noelle for making the group projects of this course so stress-free and even enjoyable to be a part of, and to Prof. Daly for making this course such a fantastic learning experience and for facilitating a sense of community within her classroom.

PassTheBaton: Ideas, Tasks, and Reflections

Today, our group centered around the hashtag #HydroFlaskGivesBack, a social object of our own creation. This object is calling on owners of a Hydro Flask water bottle to look at the bottom of their container and enter the five digit code into the Hydro Flask website, where the company gives five percent of every purchase back to charities, of which there are twelve to choose from. Ideally, this is something easy that owners of a Hydro Flask can do without taking too much of their own time from other charitable activities. In addition, encouraging the purchase of these water bottles as gifts during the holiday season will expand the range of our cause, and enable Hydro Flask to give back more once the season is over. Our tasks for the next few days are as follows:

1. Use the hashtag #HydroFlaskGivesBack on social media to raise awareness
2. If you own a Hydro Flask, register it on the website and choose one of the 12 charities to donate to.
3. Give a gift that keeps on giving and share a Hydro Flask with family and friends and encourage them to #GiveBack
4. Post a picture with your Hydro Flask and caption it #HydroFlaskGivesBack and write why you donated to that charity. also include the website https://www.hydroflask.com/donate so it can be easily reached.
5. Encourage a conversation outside of social media to help raise awareness for the cause and the charity you are passionate about.

In addition, you can check out our online Wiki space, hosted on cooperation.org, here.

As a group, I feel that all of us were generally aware of how to use social media in order to gain attention. Our tasks were not difficult, nor should they be in order to facilitate true technical coordination for an easy social call to action like this. These activities that we are encouraging consumers to do are not difficult, which aided in the cause we are supporting feeling actionable and engaging to many, not just ourselves.

In addition, one drawback was and will continue to be the size of our group. There is not much that three or four people can do with our interface, and there is not much to be said about three people using a hashtag. With how this project was laid out, the use of our hashtag is going to be limited to those in the other group, as we cannot complete our own tasks. What was truly needed is for all of our group to use these hashtags on social media as well, in order to have more of a noticeable presence as a whole. Along with this, having ten or more of us post on social media would allow our posts to reach a broader audience full of both weak and strong social ties facilitated through online social networking sites. I believe that in the case of a cause such as this, awareness to a public that owns these water bottles would come with numbers. Twenty kids on social media sites using the same hashtag is more noticeable and relevant to others than three or four.

It was also difficult to know that I was powerless to do anything in order to help our tasks come to fruition. Leaving my project in the hands of another was difficult, especially knowing they would be less invested and engaged in the cause. I was nervous about leaving these tasks up to a group that didn't know our intentions or share in our earlier conversations. If I am passionate about something, I am usually not afraid to say something about it on social media like was intended with this campaign. However, there are a number of members, and as a fellow member of this group it is important to not only follow the rules of the assignment but also to leave some of the campaign up to the public we are trying to reach. We do not own this task. We don't own the hashtag. These are common social goods, now, and we were tasked to treat our objectives like those of a real social movement would be treated by their creators: in a hands off fashion.

In having to work toward another cause, I was less than impressed with the efforts they thought we should put in. Online activism should be easy to accomplish, regardless of how many people are in a group. The difficult tasks that the Hope Phones group had us engage in were less than engaging, and were not at all public. The only public task we did as a group was to create a single post on social media. Emails, infographics, and text chains are hard to get around to a large group of people.

 However, suggesting a phone drive on campus was an interesting take on this exercise. Though the idea would have originated online, the bulk of the effort would have been attracting campus students in a face-to-face world. Then again, so much online promotion would have to be done before this drive could ever take place. Who carries around an old phone with them anyway, if they already have a perfectly good phone to use?

I think this activity was interesting as well as informative. It opened my eyes to how truly difficult it can be to get others to listen and understand why a social movement can be squashed within days of its inception. Activism online is a relatively new platform with both advantages and disadvantages, and will only bring a vision into fruition if the tasks required are agreeable and simple to accomplish,

#NetNeutrality and the Open Internet

     Net Neutrality is a serious issue that is discussed in Congress periodically, and has the ability to affect a large number of Americans. Organizations that fight for diverse voices in the media could be silenced, protest and social movements that have an internet presence could be ignored by an interested public. But why is this important? How could voices be silenced and movements crushed underfoot by the internet?

     Imagine, for a second, that both you and your neighbor order the same object off of Amazon. You both pay for the same time period for shipping. Both of you are eagerly awaiting your orders.

     

     You notice that your neighbor has received their package one morning, and the UPS guy is standing at your front gate. Just standing there. You see that your package is in his hands, and that he is thinking about something. What could it be? You saunter up to him and ask if you can have your package, but he seems taken aback.

     "No. I'm going to keep it for a little while longer."

     But he's right there. He's at your gate, almost on your property. Why isn't he giving you your package? You ask again for your order, and explain that you can sign for it right there, but he just whisks it away and walks back to his delivery truck. You go back inside your nice home, livid.

     That whole day you notice that same UPS guy in the same delivery truck driving down your block every couple of minutes. This guy it just adding insult to injury. A few days later, you notice that your package is at your doorstep, waiting for you when you return home from work. Why didn't that delivery man just give you your package two days ago like he did with your neighbor?!

     This is a simple way to explain net neutrality. ISPs, or Internet service providers, can't prioritize any one bandwidth request because of its content or method of delivery. Don't you wish that you could have gotten your package when your neighbor did? Yeah, I would too.

     If you are interested in learning more about Net Neutrality. its effects on social movements, and the importance of the Internet's regulation as a utility and not a luxury, you can watch an informative 8 minute video that my classmates and I have created in order to inform the public of these social issues. You can watch the video HERE, and feel free to share it around to friends or family that may be affected by Net Neutrality laws as well.

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Image: http://loveurns.com/media/wysiwyg/delivery_guy.jpg

Golda Velez and Cooperation.org

     Cooperation.org, created by Golda Velez and inspired by her colleagues, is a tool for online collaboration and social object creation as a response to the recent presidential election. Golda and her colleagues thought it was an appropriate time to create a site in which people can connect in an effort to mobilize those looking for their voices to be heard, political or otherwise. This site is meant to bring people together to take action for the causes they are passionate about, or otherwise bring people together for communal action.

     One framework Golda used in her discussion today was the idea of feedback and accountability. The basis of this framework is that people do more meaningful work when they do it for others' approval. For example, I am more accountable when I have a specific goal set out to me by my supervisor at work , because I know that I am expected to finish any one task by the end of the day. Individuals are, in general, more productive if they are held accountable by a person counting on them specifically. In this case, many forums on the site are holding members to small tasks in order to further their attempted social change.

     I am excited to use this space for the "hack-a-thon" class periods, as this website seems like a great tool for online collaboration and other social connections made around passionate individuals. I particularly liked the idea of the "Teaspoon Space", where members are encouraged to do a small, concrete act toward a cause they are passionate about every day. Global Citizen outlines a more complete overview of this idea here, in the article entitled Changing the World one Teaspoon at a Time. This site is particularly encouraging for those that feel they can't truly make a difference without a social backing, whether it be trough friendships or other popular social objects.

     This is not a site to make public social objects. This is a site for social and technical coordination, for mobilized individuals to get feedback and ideas for their emerging social movements. Cooperation.org is not optimized for social media like connections, yet is still going to be a valuable source to further examine how others in an area are able to work toward social changes, no matter how small.

The Importance of Collaboration: Public Protests

In light of the recent Presidential Election, the nation has erupted into a mass of hate crimes, protests, and citizens in varying realms of disarray. I'm choosing, this week, to explore a little bit the effects of publics and counterpublics on the reception of this outcome and how online collaboration has been playing into the general atmosphere of social media and these public spaces as of late.

"Such a public also has a sense of totality, bounded by the event or by the shared physical space,"

Warner, Publics and Counterpublics.In the case of the election, many, including myself, were bound

by the event of the reveal of the popular and electoral votes. Many were shocked as well as elated by

the results. This public event may have changed how many viewed the history and future of their

country. That night, the DOW dropped by more than 700 points. However, upon the end of this

election the "public" as defined by this event was gone. The public then had to be redefined. According

to Warner, the public at any given time is self organized and thus onlyexists as long as long as this

public is directly addressed or enveloped in their shared experience. Strangers were connected through

technology and their common interest and emotion over the results. Through this event, this public
was engaging with one another, posting on social media, sharing their emotions with their loved ones
as well as strangers, and creating a common discourse that connected them throughout the duration
of this chaotic and surprising elective outcome.

I thought of the protests happening because of the election all across the country as a kind of public as

well. These individuals were feeding into their own, shared, common discourse. These groups are

collaborating through what Warner defined as spin-offs of "conversation, answering, talking back,

deliberating." These groups are connected online and in person, as they are using online protest tools

such as CrowdVoice and WeTheProtesters to connect with others that were as empassioned by the

election as they were. However, these protesters could also be considered a counterpublic. Not
necessarily that they do not understand the election process, but that these protesters are active and
wanting to change the outcome for their own well being and the well being of their friends and families.
These individuals are using online and personal means to attempt to change the course of the election
up to this point. I, personally, find this amazing. I see that they are passionate and able to attempt
to change public opinion of the current President-Elect, and thus are engaging in their own discourse
and conversation to work against what they see is a White Supremacist mobilization by Trump and his
followers.

What it was Really Like to Vote in my FIRST Presidential Election: The Social Media Extravaganza

     Honestly, this election was a social media nightmare. As people live their lives increasngly on online platforms, people are becoming more comfortable revealing their political affiliations to others through social media. This election has brought us some social issues and other sides of people that I hadn't cared to explore before. I now know which of my Facebook friends are racist, xenophobic, feminists, and anti-feminists. I know which friends are critical of the words people say and which are not. Needless to say, I am glad this election will shortly be over, but none the less hope that it goes my way.

     Social media has also played a role in otrs views of complex social issues that have been present since before women were even able to vote in elections. Less than 100 years ago, women could not vote. That is, white women coud not vote. The 19th Amendment did not extend the right to vote to women of color, unsurprisingly enough. Yes, it is amazing that just 96 years after the passage of the 19th Amendment we are able to vote for a white woman to be President. However, social media has become aware of this fact- that Hillary is white. The famous suffragettes were only lobbying for the right to vote for white women. I'm hoping to use these social media posts that I have seen on my own social media feeds that follow to further draw attention to the disparitites that existed long after women like me gained the legal right to vote, and how votes are still being effected by the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of a now mobilized white America.

Kayla, Facebook. California. Black.

"I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the Negro and not the woman." - Susan B. Anthony

Happy Election Day

@RedBeKnowing, Twitter. Louisiana. Black.

Any stickers left on the grave of Fanny Lou Hamer who addressed the 1964 DNC & was erased for her role in securing the vote for Blacks?

Nick F., Twitter. Arizona. White.

This is how it must feel to be facing a natural disaster: knowing you can't stop it and trying to keep up your spirits but you can't.

@K_A_DD, Twitter. White.

Trump will be on trial for child rape in December

Pence advocates for electro shock therapy on gays 

This is who you voted for 

@Amanditalks, Twitter. Black.

The elected officials of North Carolina SAID OUT LOUD THAT they were INTENTIONALLY suppressing the black vote, and look what happened. 

Happy Election Day, everybody.

#HilaryforPrision: Why Trump Supporters are Being "Censored"

It's really no question that Trump and his supporters are seen as racist and xenophobic, but also have egos similar to those of their chosen Presidential candidate. It may be the case, in the recent accusations for Twitter censoring Trump supporters' tweets, that Trump supporters are simply thinking they are more important than they actually are. Many are accusing Twitter of having blocks up on the traditional hashtag #HillaryforPrison, because they are trying to take attention away from Trump associated hashtags. Twitter, however, has had a longstanding reputation of shutting down potentially harmful political trends on its website. This threat to their perceived "free" racist, anti-feminist, and often xenophobic speech is what some may deem a favor. "Pro-Trump accusers came to the conclusion that Twitter was sabotaging the hashtag from trending when the F.B.I. surprisingly confirmed further investigations into Clinton’s controversial emails and did not see it have any effect in the Twittersphere," (Ojo-Medubi).

Others argue that Twitter is being partially governed by algorithms, and these hashtags are not trending because, simply, no one is really interested in what Trump supporters have to say anymore. Twitter has since denied to comment on this potential censorship, but instead has directed news sources to "a section of its FAQ that stresses: “Trends are determined by an algorithm and, by default, are tailored for you based on who you follow and your location,” (Lowe). In this case, the algorithm that is actually determining what individuals are seeing as trending may outline that Trump his supporters, and his opinions, are not as popular as these egoistic individuals may believe.

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Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CwGm5lLWIAAIRJJ.jpg:small

Lowe Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-is-supernumberhillaryforprision-trending-on-twitter/ar-AAjEKbf

Ojo-Medubi Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/3663352/why-did-typo-hillaryforprision-trend-on-twitter/