wad a damn day!!

I AM SO DISGUSTED BY WAD YOUNGSTERS DO TODAY and wonder wad went wrong in the family upbringing of them!! i dun blame schs coz i feel tt its the parents fault or rather the youngsters fault for not being brought up well.. where is their manners?! they are simply too free!!

alright my story goes like this:

i was walkin past the void deck n saw a bunch of youngsters, abt 7 of them, 2 in sch uniform (white top and blue bottom), which i suspect are students frm FIRST TOA PAYOH sec sch as its in toa payoh area. as i walk pass them, i heard somethin droppin beside mi n i later realised it was actually a raw egg which the ill-mannered youngsters used to hit at me.. i was lucky as i walked fast enough.. i stared at them.. i was alone, without any hp.. they pretend to do their own things, later looked at me and laugh!! if u've got the guts, own up for the things u do!! COWARDS!!

i went home n called the police and went down again but they were gone!! i was definitely annoyed by it!! i swear i would confront them the next time i see them.. as i noe they live ard this area, hang ard dis area in a big gang, creates lots of noise, they are sure to invite more trouble witht he AA(attract attention) nature..

too bad.. my bf thinks im makin a big fuss over it.. but im sure im not gona let them off if tt egg reali hit mi.. anyway they better pray to god tt i dun meet them.. if not, i will mkae sure they have a suffering future.. anyway, they will..

the lesson i've learnt here is to always have my hp with mi so tt in case of any emergency, i could call for help..

oso, how i wish i could form a gang, but a good gang tt only help ppl, stand up for rights n justice n not a gang of bo liaoz ppl, bullying ppl, wastin their life, wastin resources.. in the past, ah beng n ah lian were meant to be helpful etc like wad my mother have told me.. but im so disappointed tt these days, the youngsters so are action in their so-called ah beng, which is actually an insult to the ah bengs in the past..

maybe i will be fine when i wake up... anyway, hell to those who offended me!! especially the youngsters which i met today!! there shall be KARMA!! well im kind enough, lets make them suffer 10 times worse will do.. =)

bf at reservist

hmm.. my bf went for reservist 1 week le.. 2 more weeks to go.. like so busy n not much time for each other.. well.. this is life.. hmm..

girl girl & boy boy

wow.. its been a long time since i make a return.. haha.. anyway, nothin much to say.. jus wana upload a few photos to record my memories..
Haha.. i manage to find this keychain as featured in tv, ch8 9pm show "switched", at amk hub, young generation.. $10.95.. so happy.. haha

well.. nothin new.. this is taken quite long ago.. but jus upload now.. its our ring.. hehe..

n this is my cute bf.. haha.. kei ai ma.. we went for NDP'07 rehearsal.. thanks to his bro..

Fun presentations.. =)

For last wk n this wk, i have been so busy with sch work n reali cant breathe.. no time to sleep too.. had marketing ppt, com242 ppt, ntr109 r.p., com300 ppt, com300 r.p., com125 ppt......... However, now:

After all the planting and sowing, we've gotten our fruits of achievement!!

The Cutey Princessy Cherries!!

Haha.. ok people, pls dun be disgusted by us.. This is our hardwork n effort k.. we sacrifice for our presentation ok.. okay, our topic was on media cultivation and so, from some of the research we have found, one way media has cultivated us into is the "act cute phenomenon" for gals!! So, our enthu head n vice-head (Sabrina & Andrea)--> the two most act cute from the pic, one with the hand up while the other with the leg<-- suggested that we dress up and make up to make ourselves look cute.. indeed, we had fun (esp stickin on the fake lashes, haha.. had a hard time.. our kind n 'skillfull' Andrea helped us with it.. like a mama-san.. haha.. Dionne, Joanne n I felt like we cldnt open our eyes..) initially, I was "ee-year-ing" thru'out the make up session and they all ask mi to shut up.. haha.. forgive me, i jus cldnt stand the sight of the long fake lash coz i dun have much lashes.. haha.. but eventually, i thot it looks nice n reali had an enlarging effects.. all we did was worth it.. so enjoyable.. tink our lecturer, Mr Kevin Lim likes it quite alot.. he even requested for our photos to be posted in our academic blog..

The Ultimate 'Gamers'!!

(hey Andrea, mind ur gun k.. dun "zou huo" n shoot me hor.. i sue u ah..)

alright, dun tink we're crazy k thou we're close to it.. haha.. the above outfits were wad we thot of for our another presentation on online gaming.. to make the lesson more interesting, our same heads, Andrea & Sabrina, proposed that we wear clothes that resembles any game character.. so can u guess who r we?? haha.. ok, the first one in blue is Liyana, she rep a character from Final Fantasy dunno wad wizzard people i tink.. =p then followed by Sabrina, i tink u all shld noe who she is by her M hat.. she's pirated Mario.. haha.. then here comes the "big" boobs Andrea.. she is the tomb raider dunno wad.. i helped her in creating that "swell" infront of her 'chest'.. haha.. ok then is me!! guess who?! im street fighter Ryu!! haha.. n the next one, quite obvious oso, is Sailor Moon, acted by Jasmine.. the last is Rosalyn, a CS character.. finally, the most normal lookin guy in our pic is our lecturer.. Mr Kevin Lim.. tink he's fantasized by our ppt.. haha.. we got full grade for our ppt!! hooray!! haha.. thanks alot man.. =b

Finally, quickly "siam", i gonna 'chut' power.. "argh-duh-gan, orh-yew-gan" muahahahaha..
'kan zhao, jie zhao ba'..... cool huh.. so man.. *bluek* anyway, i feel i look quite shuai in black belt so im gona go for gradin till i get my black belt for TKD thou it may not be ez..

*special thanks to Alan Ho, my TKD ex-president for lending me his black belt.. haha..*
*also, special thanks to my bf for providing a listening ear.. hehe*

Have fun everyone.. exams coming!! arghhhhhh.. -poof-

Bonus Mission #2: Why is Second Life not a game?

Second Life is an Internet-based virtual world which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007. Second Life was founded by former RealNetworks CTO Philip Rosedale through Linden Lab. Its users have been increasing from 1 million registered accounts as of 18 October, 2006, to now 5 million registered accounts, 26 March, 2007. In general, Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items and services from one another (“Second Life”, 2007). These avatars (Residents) interact with each other, start up businesses, stage their own concerts, sell real estate and design fashion lines (“CNN”, 2006).

While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, it does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. The below features of Second Life, proves why it is not just a game:

1) Communication and transport

Within Second Life, there are two main methods of text-based communication: local chat, and global "instant messaging" (known as IM). Chatting is used for public localized conversations between two or more avatars, and can be "heard" within 25 m. Avatars can also 'shout' ('audible' within 100 m) and 'whisper' ('audible' within 10 m). IM is used for private conversations, either between two avatars, or between the members of a group (“Second Life”, 2007).

This feature of being able to chat within different distances is unlike of other available games. Also, for most games, its nature is to compete with each other and complete the game. It is very seldom that people will chat in games. Thus, this interactive nature of Second Life makes it more than a game.

2) Economy and real estate

Second Life has its own economy and a currency referred to as Linden Dollars (L$) at around L$ 270 to one US dollar. Residents create new goods and services, and buy and sell them in the Second Life virtual world. Residents derive net incomes from this economy, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand US$ per month. Premium members can own land (“Second Life”, 2007).

Statistics have shown that the currency in Second Life is actually very high as compared to the real-world. From data found in Second Life website on 7 April, 2007, The US$ spent last 24 hours was $1,803,863. This is definitely a huge amount of money and it rare to happen in other games. The economical skills and trade in Second Life makes it more than mere entertainment.

3) Creation and copyright

Residents of Second Life create most of the content of the world. The creator can mark an item as "no copy," which means that no copies of it can be made by others, "no mod," which means that others may not modify the item's characteristics, and "no trans," which means that the current owner may not give it to another. Also, not only live music performances take place in Second Life, Residents are setting up business and even an embassy (“Second Life”, 2007).

In many other games, there is little mention regarding users copyright etc. However, in Second Life, Residents are in-charge of their own items and can create their own properties. This is very much alike as real life. The creation and copyright system proves again Second Life to be not just a game.

4) Education in Second Life

Second Life has recently emerged as one of the cutting-edge virtual classrooms for major colleges and universities. Second Life fosters a welcoming atmosphere for administrators to host lectures and projects online, selling more than 100 islands for educational purposes (“Second Life”, 2007).

A growing number of educators are getting caught up in the wave. More than 60 schools and educational organizations have set up shop in the virtual world and are exploring ways it can be used to promote learning. The three-dimensional virtual world makes it possible for students taking a distance course to develop a real sense of community and it is a good way to introduce international perspectives, said Rebecca Nesson, who leads a class jointly offered by Harvard Law School and Harvard Extension School in the world of "Second Life" (“CNN”, 2006).

There is obvious growing popularity of Second Life amongst lecturers. The real-time interaction encourages students to engage in discussion, hence making them more interested in the things they do, ultimately enhancing learning. Using Second Life as an educational tool breaks the norm of game being mere entertainment. Current MMORPGs’(e.g. World of Warcraft) game strategies are to role-play and kill monsters etc. The usual games lack the factor of education. Therefore, with this educational feature of Second Life, it is beyond entertainment.

In conclusion, Second Life is more than a game for entertainment as compared to the other games. However, due to its many features in Second Life, it brings about ethical issues (e.g. pornography) and concerns about game addiction. Therefore, one must think critically and practice moderation so that the pros of Second Life do not turn into cons.

References:

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 6 April). Second Life. Retrieved 7 April, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life

Grace Wong (2006, 14 November). Educators explore ‘Second Life’ online. New York: CNN, Technology. Retrieved 7 April, 2007 from http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/index.html

QotW10: => Elynzz Bailey <=

(1) Ain't I cool?? Handsome me!! haha..

Simply love my hair style, love my build, love my everything in Second life!!

(2) I am on top of the World!! It feels so good to be standing so high to view the world!!

Ain't I strong to withstand the strong winds??

(3) Wonder what is that building for?! Went there and its empty!!

Took so long to explore but still, could'nt find the mission in there.. -Arghhhh-

(4) I wonder what's happening over the other side of the island..

"Boundary-less" sea/land= sense of freedom or create a lonely feel?? Dilemma..

__________________________________________________________

Second Life Name: Elynzz Bailey

Elynzz Bailey is a male with a special looking hair-style. He has got white long hair, with the sides shaved. His fringe, beard and purple eyes make him extremely charming! He is not only muscular but tall too. A very good build indeed! He has a white coat on which goes along with a pair of whie gloves, making him look cool and professional at the same time.

His name is as such because it sounds a little like my own name, Ee Lin, and my idol is named Z-Chen, so Elynzz was ceated. The last name was chosen because my friends and I love to drink barley and Bailey is the closest to it. So if you see characters with the last name as Bailey in COM125 SL group, it is most probably my close friends (as we agreed on using the same last name to have a feel of being a family) =>

Many of my friends created characters in Second Life looking just like themselves in real life. However, I feel that I should create something different from myself. To me, that is the purpose of playing Second Life. Hence, I am a MALE in Second Life. My avatar is not just any ordinary plain looking guy, but a very charming and cool man. In real life, if I were to be dressed and styled that way, people will think I am crazy as Singapore's society (still conservative) have yet to be open-minded enough to accept this kind of bold character. Also, it takes alot of effort, determination and hardwork to achieve a muscular body in real life. I supposed just like females like to be slim, males prefer muscular bodies too. Hence, I modified my avatar to be a muscular, handsome-looking man. I like the avatar that I have created as it fulfils what I could not accomplish and achieve in my real life (e.g.: flying. In many of my dreams, I was always able to fly just like how I CAN NOW FLY in Second Life.) My avatar's appearance, hair style, attire, build etc is also what I feel personally as PERFECT! (or at least close to it). Thus, I can say I really enjoy playing Second Life but I hope I don't get addicted. =D

Next, the place I have chosen to take my snapshot is at a castle. My friend, Andrea (Andreosity Bailey), chosed the same place. We wanted to take the photo together but though we were at the same place (as appeared on the computer that we were using), we could'nt find each other at the site. Hence, we took photos individually. I took several screenshots as I want to let people have a look of my front and back view (my long, nice, style white hair). =b

Reasons why I chosed to take snapshots at the King's chair are because I could not complete all the task in Orientation island as I could'nt find them nor could I teleport out of the island. So I chose my most favourite place in the Orientation Island (i.e, The Castle). Anyway, I like the site as it has very good view and is windy (that is how I feel. hehe). Sitting on The chair really made me feel like a King, just too bad that I did'nt have a crown. =p I took snapshots looking at different directions so that people know what are some of the other areas in Second Life. From that place, I can see places in the castle (including the library), urbanised area where tall and modern buildings can be seen and, the calm sea and spacious land.

Personally, I like to view beautiful sceneries, especially when everything feels so "boundary-less". I seem to always contradict myself. Sometimes, I have a great sense of freedom (being able to enjoy the breeze and fresh air) when I am situated at a big place (just like I am standing on top of the world in one of the snapshots), but at the same time, I will think again and I will actually feel lonely as well. But never mind, I know that in Second Life, there are always people around, comforting me that I am never alone.

Laslty, to my friends who reads my blog and come across this, you could visit secondlife.com and sign up then d/l or install the program to experience it yourself. It is really fun and interesting as you slowly explore the place (though you may find it boring when you first start).

QotW9: Citizen Journalism--> STOMP

“Personal journalism is not a new invention. Anyone with a computer or cell phone can post in online forums” (Gillmor, 2004).

Citizen journalism is the act of citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information. Citizen journalism should not be confused with civic journalism, which is practiced by professional journalists. Citizen journalism is a specific form of citizen media as well as user generated content (“Citizen Journalism”, 2007).

Citizen journalism is also known as "participatory journalism". The intent of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires (“Citizen Journalism”, 2007). Citizen journalism that was "by the people" began to flourish, enabled in part by emerging internet and networking technologies, such as weblogs, chat rooms, message boards, wikis and mobile computing (“Citizen Journalism”, 2007). The idea behind citizen journalism is that people without professional journalism training can use the tools of modern technology and the global distribution of the Internet to create, augment or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others (“Citizen Journalism”, 2007).

According to Gillmor (2004), journalism has become only more slightly transparent in recent years but the public is demanding more transparency in their own field, and is doing some reporting on their own when media, like newspaper, fails to respond in satisfying ways.

In Singapore, citizens now have a channel for them to be a “journalist/reporter”. The channel is called STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print). It integrates content and activities in the three platforms of print, online and mobile. These three platforms will enable STOMP to interact and engage with Singaporeans in exciting new ways (“STOMP”, 2006).

STOMP will deliver content which is interactive and which will help develop new communities of Singaporeans bonded together by shared interests. Access to the website is completely free and as for SMS and MMS, only normal telecom charges apply to users (“STOMP”, 2006).

The Straits Times Editor Han Fook Kwang explained, “In the new media environment, newspapers have to be more than just passive providers of news. They have to engage their readers in areas which appeal to them. We have to provide readers with new avenues to express themselves, to enable them to interact with us, and among themselves. STOMP will enable us to do this. We want STOMP to become a forum of lively discussions - whether the topics are weighty national issues or where to get the best bak chor mee.” Through this interaction, The Straits Times aims to strengthen its relationship with readers and reach out to non-readers (“STOMP”, 2006).

Therefore, with the above stated features of STOMP, I personally feel that STOMP is an ideal form of citizen journalism for Singapore. However, as the saying goes, “nothing is perfect”, hence certain features of STOMP may be changed or added so as to improve it.

(1) Organization
I feel that the website seemed a little messy with too many things shown at once. My first impression was that "how do I know what news have been published?" Being a reader, I suggest the news should be archived and grouped into their related categories for easier viewing. Groupings may include political, entertainment, educational, gossips etc. Also, a list of news that have been published may be included so that people who wish to share their news will know if it has been reported. (Till now, I still have yet really figure out how to view all the news in there =p)

(2) Remarks

Since I am now a blogger, I feel that a comment section does help to flourish ideas and keep the web interactive. Hence, if a comment section is added beside the news uploaded may be a good idea for people to share their views (just like what the newspaper have now, known as the reader’s response etc).

In conclusion, STOMP promotes citizen journalism. I quote Gillmor (2004), “we’ve seen how modern communications give anyone who cares for the tools to learn more –far more- about people and organizations that in the past tried to ration news. What’s more, once someone finds out something, she can spread the word globally. But newsmakers need to embrace this new reality, not fight it.” Thus, the creation of STOMP by The Straits Time is a great idea and a good option for Singaporeans to report what they see and feel, despite that few sections should be improved for a better “STOMP”.

Reference:

Gillmor, D. (2004, July). We the Media: Chapter 1, 3 & 9. Retrieved March 30, 2007 from http://download.nowis.com/index.cfm?phile=WeTheMedia.html&tipe=text/html

STOMP. (2006). About us. Retrieved March 30, 2007 from http://www.stomp.com.sg/about/about.html

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 28 March). Citizen Journalism. Retrieved 30 March, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism

its been a long time since im like this.....

24.03.07 is a bad day.. supposed to be a nice day.. wads wrong?! almost everything doesnt go right!! wads the matter?! i hate it..... it doesnt turn out the the way i meant.. =.....( dun ask mi wad happen.. im DOWN DOWn DOwn Down down.....

QotW8: Blogs = greater democracy in Sg??

Basic background about a blog on politics:
1) Blog’s Title: Singapore Politics, (URL): http://singaporegovt.blogspot.com/
2) Blogger’s name: Thrasymachus
3) Blogger’s occupation: Citizen blogger
4) Blog’s Date of Birth: June 27, 2005
5) Technorati Rank: 139, 300 (58 links from 31 blogs)

There are a number of posts that are attention grabbing in this blog which includes the NKF incident, building of casinos etc. However, I have chosen to read the blog post on Short stories of three emperors. The title caught my attention as it sounds interesting. The tone of the blog is friendly as well as critical. This can be seen in its content and the comments from its readers. Some of the content includes:

1) “Well, everyone is well acquainted with this blog writing on Singapore Politics (as suggested by the title of this blog…duh…)” (Thraymachus, 2007).

2) “Politically, Loong’s era was as strong, if not, stronger than the times of Emperor K & G” (Thraymachus, 2007).

3) “Emperor K was the longest reigning emperor in the country’s history” (Thraymachus, 2007).

4) “Emperor G was a tough but very hard-working ruler. G continued an era of continued peace and prosperity as he cracked down on corruption, waste, and reformed financial administration” (Thraymachus, 2007).

5) “Since his birth, Emperor K set his sights for Loong to ascend to the throne. Emperor G was merely the “seat-warmer” for 14 years, for Loong to attain maturity and prevent any accusations of going against traditions given his young age” (Thraymachus, 2007).

6) “Lovely story. Hope someone can do it into a movie. Sure can sell well particularly if some historic re-enactions of local incidents are shown.You are great as always T! –Scratcher” (Thraymachus, 2007).

From the above blog, we can see that people are voicing out their views and sharing with the public. Singapore is a democratic country and its citizens place great importance in the issue of democracy in modern political life. Therefore, do blogs allow for greater democracy in Singapore? Personally, I feel that it does.

Many groups on the Internet are actively promoting democracy. As quoted by Thornton, “virtual communities could help citizens revitalize democracy” (2002). In addition, “claims being made for the Internet as a global force for democracy have been ambitious, though with time they have become more realistic” (Thornton, 2002).

Why do I say that blogs allow for greater democracy in Singapore? As cited in Thornton (2002) article, the reasons are as follow:

(A) “The concept of democracy demands that all parties that might be affected must be included; that they can interact in a free, equal and easy manner; that there be no restrictions on topics; and that the outcomes can be revised” (Thornton, 2002).

--> As the concept of democracy has been defined, blogs definitely allows individuals to interact within online communities freely and at ease. The blogger and the public can exchange views and make themselves heard. Hence, democracy exists in blogs.


(B) “A democratic public sphere means that there must be opportunities for subordinate groups to convince dominant groups that their concerns are legitimate and worthy of debate. Democracy is dependent on citizens’ ability to act on the results of their debated and the information they gather” (Thornton, 2002).

--> Other than the public, government politicians can also view these political blogs. As long as blog entries and comments are added, opportunities are created for the blogger’s thoughts to be seen by people. This is also a way for citizens’ view to be communicated to the leaders, thus proving democracy existence in blogs as its definition is stated above.

(C) “Internet’s potential for democracy: (1) the anarchic nature of the Internet, (2) interactive features which allow direct feedback to individual articles and opinions, (3) the possibility for web sites to create content primarily through the contributions of its readers, and (4) longevity of materials” (Thornton, 2002).

--> Lastly, blogs are online dairies; hence its access is through the Internet. And as seen above, the characteristics of the Internet supports democracy in online communities like blogs. In blogs, people interact with each other via comments and its blog posts. Bloggers share their content while readers provide feedbacks. Also, such responses will be organized in reverse chronological order and will be always on the web site for as long as the site exists. Therefore, with the features of blogs matched with the potential benefits of the Internet, blogs does allow greater democracy in Singapore.

In conclusion, blogging is a channel for people (be it the majority or minority) to voice out and be heard. It is done without much restriction. Therefore, blogs create greater democracy in Singapore.

References:

Thornton, A. (2002, October). Does Internet Create Democracy. Retrieved March 23, 2007 from http://www.zip.com.au/%7Eathornto/thesis_2002_alinta_thornton.doc

Thrasymachus (2007, January). Short stories of three emperors. Singapore Politics. Retrieved March 23 from http://singaporegovt.blogspot.com/2007/01/short-story-of-three-emperors-well.html

QotW7: Online communities-- twitter.com??

“Community refers to a set of social relationships that operate within specified boundaries, a sense of common character, identity or interests and encompasses both material and symbolic dimensions” (“Virtual Communities”, 1995). Communication and community often revolve around the issues of bringing people closer together. It organize social relations.

“A virtual community or online community is a group of people that may or may not primarily or initially communicate or interact via the Internet. Online communities have also become a supplemental form of communication between people who know each other in real life” (“Virtual Community”, 2007).

“Twitter is a social networking service that allows members to inform each other about what they are doing and what they think. It allows users to send messages via phone or instant messaging. Two SMS gateway numbers are available - one for USA and one UK number for international use. Users can receive updates from other selected users via web, IM, or SMS” (“Twitter”, 2007).

Therefore, after stating the definition of online communities and discussing what does twitter.com does, I do consider Twitter as an online community. Reasons are:

1) “The social realm of community encompasses social interaction, solidarity, and both individual and institutional relations” (“Virtual Communities”, 1995).

--> The functions of twitter.com do fits in the social realm of community. In Twitter, there is ongoing social interaction. Individuals can choose to set their account to private, which only allow friends who they invites to talk to them or they could be in the public timeline where anyone can be chatting together. In addition, the signing up for twitter may make users feel a sense of belongingness to the group, hence fulfilling the institutional relations as stated above.

2) “Communities contain social interaction, a shared value system and a shared symbol system. Community within cyberspace appears to emphasize a shared belief in the principles of free speech, individualism, equality, and open access the same symbolic interest” (“Virtual Communities”, 1995).

--> Twitter is similar to IRC-Internet Relay Chat. People in twitter can communicate with each other by typing words and it will appear on the screen and instantaneously seen by other recipients. This way of communication allows free speech of people in the community. Also, as one of the option, people can set their profile to private, hence this enables “friends-only” environment. And this is understood that friends usually have shared values and beliefs.

3) “Community can indeed exist in cyberspace where people gather on a central common ground to share the prosaic and the profound, the small facts and large events that become landmarks in a community’s life” (“Virtual Communities”, 1995).

--> Twitter, as discussed, let people communicate via the Internet. Things that people talk about online vary. The topics range from academic to personal life etc. From such sharing of information, the characteristics of a community are clear.

4) “The ability to network, gain knowledge, or find communion within cyberspace is, according to Rheingold (1994), the social glue that binds formerly isolated individuals into a community” (“Virtual Communities”, 1995).

--> The internet has made the world a smaller place. Individuals from different parts of the world can now “meet” and communicate together. By sharing information (which reminds me of online gift economies), people are able to gain knowledge and learn more things even when they have yet got any experience on any particular thing. Twitter is also an online community which enables networking and sharing, thus binding people.

In conclusion, from the above four main points, it is obvious that Twitter is an online community as all the features of online communities fits well when describing twitter.com.

References:
Fernback, J, & Thompson, B (1995). Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure?. Retrieved 15 March, 2007, from http://www.rheingold.com/texts/techpolitix/VCcivil.html

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 14 March). Twitter. Retrieved 17 March, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twitter&oldid=115023086
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 15 March). Virtual Community. Retrieved 17 March, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virtual_community&oldid=115123017

my day today..

=( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =( =(

>= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >= >=

..........depends on how u wana c it..........

QotW6: Privacy, Surveillance, Sousveillance (Blogs)

Firstly, “privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to control the flow of information about themselves” (“Privacy”, 2007). Personally, I feel that the people with the least amount of privacy are the celebrities. And this is of course caused by reporters whose job is to invade their privacy.

Secondly, “surveillance is the monitoring of behavior” (“Surveillance”, 2007). The most common used equipment for monitoring behavior is the closed-circuit television (CCTV). It is found in high security places and even in neighborhoods nowadays.

Lastly, “sousveillance is the recording of an activity from the perspective of a participant in the activity (i.e. personal experience capture)” (“Sousveillance”, 2007).

Being a blogger, I post my life stories online for academic purpose and for my friends and the public to know more about me. My friend once told me it is alright to blog personal things and reveal everything about myself because the general public do not know who I exactly am thus I have no reason to be embarrass as I would not even meet them. However, I do refrain from revealing too much as I believe there must be a minimum level of privacy that I should have. Hence there are certain personal things which I do not blog about but write it down in my personal diary. This is the ONE way I negotiate my privacy in the blogosphere. This is because I know that it is difficult and impossible to control others to not read things that I do not want them to and I cannot blame people for reading my blog as I am the one who post it up.

As said, “In the age of the Internet, we are experiencing ‘omnipticon’ in which the many are watching the many, even though no one knows precisely who is watching or being watched at any given time” (“The Naked Crowd”, 2004). Though the Internet allows anonymity, privacy is still at risk. This is because, “in a world where status is constantly shifting, we feel increasing pressure to expose details of our personal lives to strangers in order to win their trust. We are increasingly forced to interact with strangers whom we will never meet face-to-face” (“The Naked Crowd”, 2004). Privacy is important to everyone. It makes me feel safer and gives me a sense of individuality. For others, they may refuse to expose themselves due to the fact that “revealing one or two personal details to strangers is inevitably a trivializing experience that leads us to be judged out of context” (“The Naked Crowd”, 2004).

I am sure nobody likes their privacy to be invaded, be it in the online communities or real world. Hence, we must be able to protect ourselves and determine which information to be revealed. If we were to reveal everything to others, we will just be a transparent being. To that extent, when people have discovered everything about us, they may think that we are boring instead of praising us for being so honest.

References:
Rosen, J. (2004). The Naked Crowd. Retrieved March 9, 2007, from http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CA5FF.htm

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 9 March). Privacy. Retrieved 10 March, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 7 February). Sousveillance. Retrieved 10 March, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousveillance

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 9 March). Surveillance. Retrieved 10 March, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance

“Bonus Mission #1: Safety measure or invading privacy??”

Photo 1

Photo 2


Photo 3

The above 3 photographs were taken at the lift of a HDB flat. Photo 1 shows that the lift area is fixed with CCTV and the area is watched 24 hours everyday. "Surveillance in many modern cities and buildings often uses closed-circuit television cameras. Although surveillance can be a useful tool for law enforcement and security companies, many people have concerns about the loss of privacy" ("Surveillance", 2007). As the bonus task, we are supposed to take pictures of interesting things that people do but relate it to the topic, that is, privacy. I thought of taking pictures of people really doing funny things but my camera was not always ready to catch these good stuffs, so I decided to take pictures of stationary things yet related to the topic.

Regarding the 3 pictures, I had mixed feelings. I know that the purpose of setting the area under surveillance is for the safety of the residents. Just like Photo 2, it allows others to see what is happening in the lift. This is especially beneficial for the elderly. For example, if they were to fall in the lift, someone will see it through the TV outside the lift and hopefully provide help. In addition, this prevents thieves and robbers to carry out their evil plans as their identity will be exposed and revealed as they are being "featured" on TV.

On one hand, I am for the idea of CCTV due to its benefits. On the other hand, I feel that other than pros, there are cons too. Firstly, I have a few doubts and thoughts about the CCTV:

1) I wonder do they taped down what happens everyday and keep records so that if things like crimes happen, the police can reference and attain some clues?

2) Even if so, meaning that if everything is recorded, would it not cost a lot of money for the electricity, film etc?

3) Also, even with the CCTV, will anyone help out in times of need (e.g. robbery)?

4) Lastly, the main issue I find disturbing is the invasion of privacy. Though having CCTV in neighbourhoods does improve security and safety, I feel that the privacy of the residents are invaded too! As seen in Photo 3, even the staircase areas are under surveillance! If I am a resident living there, I will feel very resticted and feels uncomfortable when I am constantly under watch. Living in such an environment will definitely make me feel more tensed. Personally, I am someone who do a last check on myself before leaving the house. However, there are others who would "tidy" themselves on their way down the stairs or lifts. (I mean adjusting their clothes or maybe digging their nose.) Hence, with the CCTV, whatever that people do, they are watched! (= invading privacy)

As cited, "The growing pressure to expose ourselves in front of strangers has obvious and important consequences for a democracy’s ability to strike a balance between liberty and security" ("The Naked Crowd", 2004). In this case, we are exposed to our neighbours. There is only a fine line bewteen security and privacy. Hence, is CCTV at the lifts and stairs area a safety measure or is it an invasion of privacy? Well, I guess this will be up to individuals to decide.


Reference:

Rosen, J. (2004). The Naked Crowd. Retrieved March 9, 2007, from http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CA5FF.htm

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, 9 March). Surveillance. Retrieved 10 March, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance

Yeah, 1 MONTH!! =>

Though I missed the actual date, on the 2nd, our 1st month anniversary arrived!! haha.. happy.. Though we din go out for movie etc, we still spent the day together.. He took part in TKD pattern team so we went to watch the competition.. As blogged in the previous post, his group won the GOLD award!! We were all very super duper happy!! haha.. I teared too.. I feel so proud of them.. they defeated NTU!! quite surprised oso.. haha.. Anyway, they did it!! WELL DONE & KEEP IT UP!! I oso took many photos of my qin ai de boyfriend.. he is so my darling!! haha.. =p

CONGRATS to team Ee Jang!!

Once again, CONGRATS to all the 4 champions of IVP'07 TKD Ee-Jang team!! Zhi Jie, Joanne, Sin Wee & Yang Theng, im So proud of u all!! WELL DONE!! WOW, U ALL DEFEATED NTU AND WON THE GOLD AWARD!! U ALL DESERVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND HUGZ!! Thanks for bringing SIM TKD so much "rong yao".. haha.. all ur efforts, sweat, blood, etc were not wasted!! I noe u all train alot n practice long hours.. so, really, U ALL R THE BEST!! haha.. keep it up!! more golds to come ya..

Special mention of coach(es) and members: (from my pt of view, sorry if i miss out anyone)

Coaches, thanks for all the advice, help etc..

1) Jason (Ze Xiang)--> sorry about disbanding of chil jang, but im sure ur glad too.. haha =p
2) Alan (Guo Liang)
3) Joseph

Members, excellent job!!

1) Jack
2) Joanne
3) Sin Wee
4) Yang Theng

BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF U, WITHOUT EACH OF U WONDERFUL PEOPLE, THIS WOULD NT COME TRUE!!

IVP' 07 GOLD AWARDS!! YEAH!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!

lastly, let me THANK all the supporters too!! (Ee Lin , Alfian, and Joanne's two frens..
Though im not in the team, i part of SIM TKD ok.. haha.. so forgive me for sounding so excited!! heez..

Yesterday and today.....

Yesterday, my sis' bf went back to Melbourne to study.. We sent him off and my sis cried.. My bf went with mi to the air port too.. However, upon seeing my sis cryin in tt state, I felt down too.. After i got home, I begin to miss my bf very much.. I called him and met him near our neighbourhood.. I hugged him when I saw him.. People used to say laughter is the best cure, but I guess hugs are also one of the best ones.. It comforts me alot and makes me feel so safe.. I guess I really need him very much.. more than I expected.. I used to tink tt he needs me more than I do.. but now I tink its the other way round..

Anyway, today my bf did something tt surprised me.. I was very touched.. but 1st, I have to admit im someone who is easily contented.. haha.. Usually, I will walk to the bus stop further from my house to go to school.. however, i was running late today and decided to take another bus nearer to my and his house (we stay quite close to each other).. I told my bf i was walkin to tt bus stop when I called him.. I was tinkin to myself dunno will he come down and meet me or not.. hopin but not expectin, i sat at the bus stop quite sometime while waiting for the bus.. suddenly, a familiar face appeared in front of me!! i was so happy and quite surprised.. haha.. he brightened up my day.. i thanked him for giving me tt little surprised (so heart warming for me) and he said, as long as it is within his capability, he will try to make me happy.. I was touched again.. words cant expressed my feelings..

After being with him, I now realised and know y ppl wld wana cohabit.. coz i simply miss him no matter when n he is always on my mind.. just keep thinkin bout him.. he fills every part of my life.. long for his hug tt is always so comforting.....

Thank you my qin ai de boyfriend..Please be always by my side..

QotW5: Online Identity --> Blogs

“An online identity is a social identity that network users establish in online communities. Although some people prefer to use their real names online, most Internet users prefer to identify themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information” (“Online Identity”, 2007).



After being enrolled into COM 125 course, I now belong to an online community. I am in the blogosphere. Blogs have allowed me to write down my thoughts, be it for academic purpose or personal interest. Blogging not only helps my friends understand me better, it also enabled the public to view me. Through my blog, I interact with people (even strangers) by replying to the comments they added in my postings. In a way, this chosen identity establishes reputation. From my research, “Reputation is the general opinion (more technically, a social evaluation) of the public toward a person, a group of people, or an organization. It is an important factor in many fields, such as business, online communities or social status” (“Reputation”, 2007)

As stated in the first paragraph, though some people may use their real identity, there are still others who prefer to appear as anonymous. However, “Knowing the identity of those with whom you communicate is essential for understanding and evaluating an interaction” (“Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community”, 1996). Hence, identity is important in the virtual world. Identity theft can threaten a person’s credibility and reputation. Personally, I dislike people who use fake identity. This causes online communities to be lack of trust.

"Identity theft/fraud is used to describe cases when means of identification has been exploited for an unlawful purpose. It is believed the thief does deprive the owner of his identity by replacing his reputation with the thief's. This term focus on the act of acquiring the legally attributed personal identifiers and other personal information necessary to perpetrate the personation” (“Online Identity Theft”, 2007). Since I am still a “beginner” in the blogosphere, I only have little and insignificant personal experience of identity theft.

I have friends who are bloggers too. I do view their blogs and leave comments using my “personalized” username. There was once when I was reading my friend’s blog’s comments section and saw a similar username as I do. I was surprised by the rude and insulting content of the comment. I was furious and at the same time quite lost as I could not imagine how many such comments had this “thief” commented (using my username) on others blogs too. This thief definitely tarnished my reputation and caused much misunderstanding between my friend and I, that we nearly ended our friendship because of it. Also, I felt lost as I am afraid that this thief had used my username to purchase things online. I am aware that people do sell things via their blogs as it is free and is convenient. These simple transactions may sometimes be too easy till it is hazardous. However, I was lucky enough for my identity to be only stolen for criticizing others. If not, I could not imagine how much I have to pay when the bills come. (Till now, I am still unsure whether one could assume my identity and shop online while I have to pay for what I have not purchased via blogs.) I guess this is one major disadvantage when I am so unfamiliar with how the net works.

Donath, J.S. (1996, November 12). Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community. Retrieved February 23, 2007 from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, February 15). Online Identity. Retrieved February 23, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, February 22). Online Identity Theft. Retrieved February 23, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity_theft

Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, February 10). Reputation. Retrieved February 23, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reputation

QotW4: Online Gift Economies

A gift economy is known as sharing economy or also gift culture. So then what exactly is a gift economy? A gift economy is an economic system in which the prevalent mode of exchange is for goods and services to be given without explicit agreement upon a quid pro quo (the Latin term for the concept of “a favor for a favor”). Typically, this occurs in a cultural context where there is an expectation either of reciprocation—in the form of goods or services of comparable value, or of political support, general loyalty, honor to the giver, etc.—or of the gift being passed on in some other manner. This can be considered a form of reciprocal altruism. In other cases, gifting is done without implicit expectation of reciprocation (”Gift Economy”, 2007).

In the real world, I am in the gift economy of blood donation. Blood donations give no significant explicit reciprocation. People donate blood on their own will, expecting nothing in return. In the visual world, I consider Taekwondo Yahoo! Groups and NTR 108 (nutrition course offered in SIM/UB) discussion board gift economies.

Internet is filled with junk and jerks. Online interaction is relatively anonymous, there is no central authority and is difficult to impose monetary or physical sanctions on someone. However, the Internet facilitates collaboration. People can meet, plan, and discuss issues without regard to physical location or time. It is easy and very cheap to distribute information across the Internet (“The economies of online cooperation,” 1999). Information is a public good in the strict economic sense, and is also put into its own production process (“Political economy of commons,” 2003). On the Net, the same piece of information could exist both as a commodity and a gift (“The high-tech gift economy,” 2005).

Property is a cluster of background rules that determine what resources each of us has when we come into relationships with others (“Political economy of commons,” 2003). Gift is defined as the obligatory transfer of inalienable objects or services between related and mutually obligated transactors. In gift-giving, people pass on free advice where the recipient is often unknown and the giver may never encounter the recipient again (“The economies of online cooperation,” 1999). Within the scientific community, the gift economy has long been the primary method of socializing labor (“The high-tech gift economy,” 2005).

Motivations for contributing include anticipated reciprocity, one’s reputation, sense of efficacy, need, and the attachment one have to the group. Successful online community carries the features of ongoing interaction, identity persistence, knowledge of previous interactions, visible contributions and recognition, and well-defined and defended group boundaries (“The economies of online cooperation,” 1999).

"-->COURSES > NTR109SP1:NUTRITION IN PRACTICE:200701009338 > DISCUSSION BOARD "

Last semester, I was enrolled in NTR 108 (nutrition) course. It was an online course where a discussion board was set up in the forum. It was a channel for students to ask and answer questions posted. We, as students, share information that we found, without expecting anything in return, meaning we pass on free advice. Whenever we encounter problems in certain topics, we can post a question in the discussion board and those who have the knowledge could answer us by sending back a reply. Lecturers also visit the discussion board to supervise us and make sure the information we were sharing was correct. This is to me a gift economy because we actually communicate with the UB students who we did not meet before through the discussion board. We help each other by providing relevant information and clearing each other’s doubts. This sharing of information between people we know and “strangers”, does make learning more fun and comprehensive. Also, students work would be recognized and this motivates us to contribute and share what we can offer. This semester, I am also enrolled in NTR 109/110 course. There is still discussion board in the home page and so I consider myself to be still in this gift economy.

In conclusion, digital networks offer us the opportunity to enhance our productivity and growth while simultaneously improving our democracy and increasing individual freedom (“Political economy of commons,” 2003). Personally, I feel that online gift economy is beneficial as we are helping each other without any expectation of reciprocation. This can cultivate good social values and also mould us into un-selfish individuals.

References:

Barbrook, R. (2005). The Hi-Tech Gift Economy. First Monday. Retrieved February 5, 2007 from http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue3_12/barbrook/

Bentler, Y. (2003). The Political Economy of Commons. The European Journal for the Informatics Professional, Vol. IV, No. 3. Retrieved 5 February from http://www.upgrade-cepis.org

Kollock, P. (1999). 'The Economies of Online Cooperation: Gifts and Public Goods in Cyberspace". Retrieved February 5, 2007, from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.html


Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2007, February 4). Gift economies. Retrieved February 8, 2007, from http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_economy

QotW3: Sharing Vs Stealing

“The purpose of copyright is to encourage the creation and mass dissemination of a wide variety of works” (“Sharing and Stealing,” 2003, pg 1). I guess it is human nature that we like to communicate with each other and share things. Through sharing, we are actually promoting learning and gaining knowledge. “The public benefits because the authors and inventors continue creating original works that these creators may not have otherwise developed and because these creations are freely usable by the public once the limited time has passed” (“Why copyright,” 2005). Copyright gives credit to the authors and also forces them to be more creative.

To me, I feel that copyright is most important in the music industry. Hence, I will focus mainly on it. Through P2P (peer-to-peer) networks, people are able to share files, and this makes copyright a serious problem. I have learnt from my previous semester that scarcity is one of the weapons of influence. When something is new, it is scarce and few people will have access to it. Hence people would want it more. Let us take downloading of new songs from the net for example. In my social circle, many of my friends actually share files through the net. They download new songs from certain websites and transfer to each other via MSN messenger. Many people know this act is illegal but it is still going on. The main reason is because they could get it for free!

Due to this, research have shown that “between 2000 and 2003, the number of CD’s shipped in the U.S. fell by 20% to 750million units (RIAA, 2004); claiming that file sharing is the culprit” (“Effect of file sharing on record sales,” June 2005). This caused the music industry to suffer great loss. Creators are most upset by this because their effort had very much gone to waste. They work hard in producing good music (where much resource is invested into it); however, what they get in return is nothing. Piracy is certainly a very significant problem in today’s music industry. I read the articles and had to agree with this statement: “Collecting information on the internet is “learning”. Posting information on the net is “sharing.” Try exactly the same thing with recorded music and it’s “stealing.” The law treats the two acts differently because facts are in the public domain, while music is someone’s property” (“Sharing and Stealing,” 2003, pg 23).

To counter “stealing” through the net, there are solutions which can be adopted to curb or improve the current situation. Firstly, as many scholars have suggested, the net should have systems that “permit P2P file sharing, charge money to the people who enjoy it and use funds to compensate creators and copyright owners” (“Sharing and Stealing,” 2003, pg 31). Many others like Netanel, Professor Raymond Ku and Professor Glynn Lunny proposed that a levy imposed on devices and blank storage media is the best available solution. Professor Terry Fisher on the other hand has a slightly different solution. He would encourage copyright owners of music recordings and films to register their works with the Copyright Office, where they will be responsible for administering tax. Professor Daniel and Larry suggest modifying existing collective licensing to extend to P2P file trading. Lastly, the Electronic Frontier Foundation proposed that the best solution would be for the music industry simply to agree to offer music fans a license to engage in file sharing for a monthly fee. (“Sharing and Stealing,” 2003, pg 31-33).

Personally, I feel that the suggestion by the Electronic Frontier Foundation is the best. I dislike buying certain albums as they only contain few songs that I like. I prefer to choose the songs that I like and “buy” (meaning downloading) it through the net. In this way, I can create my own song album and enjoy listening to it without the fear of being caught for “stealing”. Being a technology idiot, I don’t know if there is already a system that allows people to “buy” their own music online but even if it has, the cost will be quite high I guess. Lastly, other than these technical structures, I feel that education is equally as important to let the public know the issue of copyright and effects of piracy.

References:

Litman, J. (2003, November 23). "Sharing and Stealing". University of Michigan. Social Science Research Network. Retrieved on January 18, 2007, from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=472141

Ovalle, C. (2005). “Why copyright?”. University of Texas at Austin, Course INF 312. Information in Cyberspace. Retrieved on January 18, 2007, from http://sentra.ischool.utexas.edu/~i312co/2.php

Felix, O.G., Strumpf, K. (2005, June). “Effects of file sharing on record sales”. Retrieved on Jan 18, 2007, from
http://www.unc.edu/~cigar/papers/FileSharing_June2005_final.pdf

02.02.07, Friday, a day to remember.....

02.02.07, Friday, a special day to me and another person.. And that other person is, guess who?? my boyfriend.. hehe.. Ya, after 4 yrs of being single, I am now with someone, 我的他。。 I chose this colour for the font is also because of him.. He likes blue, so since dis is about him, I used blue (thou i dun really like it..) =p Actually I enjoyed being single.. It was fun to me.. Do all sorts of things that I like.. However, that doesnt mean that I dislike the situation Im in now.. Because I noe that there is now this someone in my life who will be able to share my happiness and tears, care for me, provide a shoulder to lean on, give me a hug when I need one, comfort my fears, make me laugh, give me support, be a good listener, tolerate all my nonsense..... I hope to stand by each other, have trust in each other, have lots of patience, be understanding, shower lots of tender loving care..... I wish "us" all the best and look forward to our "couple-hood".. 一起建立美好的r/s and 用很多爱来灌溉，让它茁壮成长。。从此刻起，我的生命将会不一样，它将会是多姿多彩的！！

。。感触良多。。

I am an emotional person.. I get affected quite easily.. I classify myself as a pessimist.. I still remember during my JC days, a school mate of mine, whom I do not know, passed away during a soccer match as he fell and hit the back of his head. I felt down and terrible for the whole day by the sad news.. And just today, I heard from the news that a Taiwan actress, Xu Wei Lun, had passed away after a serious accident.. Haiz.. I was quite upset about this too.. Moody.. 人好脆弱哦。。Serious.. Passed away just like that.. I wonder what if its me..... Will I be scare?? Will I 后悔 for the things which I have yet accomplish?? Will I have regrets?? I do have close encounter with an accident before and I think if I were knocked down on that day, I would not even know and realise Im dead at that moment.. I actually had plans for my funeral.. Sounds crazy I know but..... Anyway my plan is to present all my photos that I have taken, on ppt slides and show it to my guests.. I took quite many funny pics and I wonder if I were to show it during my funeral, will my guests be laughing or crying?? Im sure they dunno wad to do too.. haha.. Also, I want to play certain songs that I like.. It may not seem like a formal funeral.. but this would be the way I like it to be.. I like a phrase from a song（征服）, "如果你经过我的坟墓，你可以双手合十为我祝福”。。。。。

庄易琳 -10-

。。我的感想。。

I went to watch the movie "Happy Birthday" yesterday (26.01.07, fri).. It was a love story actually.. It shows differing views of a couple in a relationship.. The actress, though having feelings for the actor, wanted to be the actor's friend instead of lover because she feels that friends are forever but lovers do not last.. On the other hand, the actor, just like any human being, do not understand her thinking.. He just wanted to be wth her.. Because of this, they agreed to be very very good friends but not lovers.. So they each have their own life but they do keep in contact with each other, behaving just like a couple.. Due to the actor's charm, he has got alot of girlfriends.. However, the only person that he loves is the actress..

There was once the actress wanted to look for the actor and she went to his house.. However, upon reaching, the security guard told her that the actor has just went up to the apartment with a lady.. Hearing this, the actress was very sad and left the place.. The following scene showed that the lady was actually the actor's sister.. This make me reflect quite a little.. I used to always think what I hear and see are always RIGHT.. However, I came to realise not long ago that our eyes and ears do not always tell the truth.. At this point of time, my friend said to me, "see.. you girls sometimes just think too much....." But I feel.. under such situation, my first instinct is really to believe what I hear and get very affected by it.. I am not that calm to sit down and analyse..

People say love is complicated while others say its the people that makes it complicated.. Well.. I don't know about this.. As long as I believe in fate.. haha.. I like one of the song played in the movie and the lyrics goes like this..... “有多少爱可以重来？ 有多少人值得（愿意）等待。。”

I am someone who loves all these meaningful lyrics and phrases.. For example, "People tend to overlook things that are too close to them.." In other words, take the close ones for granted..... I do record meaningful phrases down whenever I see them as they make me feel.. I have lots of it which makes me quite philosophical sometimes.. hehe.. (a.k.a think too much.. well, can't help it =p) Also, I believe that NOT knowing everything is a bonus at times too because the more you know, may mean more worries etc..

Other than that, just to share (don't know how true it is,) I remembered seeing from an email or whatsoever that lavender is a very good cure for emotional wounds.. My friend once jokingly told me that if I were to end a relationship, I should give that person a stalk of lavender, hinting the end of a relationship.. Well, I have yet done anything like this but seems like a good idea.. haha..

就此停type,

庄易琳 (10)

哈哈！！

COM125 Week2: World Wide Web

The World Wide Web started in the 90s by Tim Berners-Lee (top) and Robert Cailliau (bottom) who were working at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. (“Wikipedia: History of the Internet”, 20 August 2006).

As defined by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, the World Wide Wed (WWW) is, “a system of interlinked, hypertext documents that runs over the Internet. Web pages are often arranged in collections of related material called Web sites.” Statistics have shown that there were more than 11.5 billion web pages in the publicly indexable Web as of January 2005. "WWW" is commonly found at the beginning of Web addresses. The "www" prefix is simply one choice for a Web site's subdomain name.

Ajax ("Asynchronous JavaScript And XML") is a JavaScript-based technology which plays an important role in the development of the World Wide Web. (“Wikipedia: History of the World Wide Web”). Ajax allows a web page to be updated, using, “new information obtained over the network in response to user actions, allowing the page to be much more responsive, interactive and interesting,” as Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia explains.

Social Implications
With the development of World Wide Web, people across the world are drawn closer. Social networking advanced tremendously. Web sites like “friendster.com” and “wholivesnearyou.com” are definitely popular. This reminds me of Marshall Mc Luhan’s concept of Global Village. The world is being made smaller through the usage of internet. Just as Wikipedia states, “emotional experiences, political ideas, cultural customs, musical idioms, business advice, artwork, photographs, literature, can all be shared and disseminated digitally with less individual investment than ever before in human history.” It has brought about much convenience and sharing indeed.

In today’s society, I believe 9 out of 10 students have a Friendster account. I became a member of Friendster since October 2003 and currently, I have one hundred and thirteen friends on my list. The number of friends that I have in the account may seem a lot but in fact, I have rejected many others who I do not know. I have seen people who have five hundred over friends. This makes me realize how wide our social circle can be. Previously without this web site, I have actually lost contact with many of my old friends. However, most of them are now in my friends list. In Friendster, we can post our photos and view others as well. We can add testimonials for each other; send each other messages, etc. We are able to know the location of the people in Friendster too. Unlike the past, where I use the computer only for typing and playing games, with the development of World Wide Web, I am able to use the internet to browse many other web sites, be it looking for information or widening my social circle.

Another web site which I often use is wholivesnearyou.com. This is a site similar to that of Friendster but it is only accessible to the local. Just like Friendster, I have been a member since 2003. I chat with many people within and beyond my neighborhood. I have made many new net friends. People may think that this kind of advancement in the World Wide Web where people can know so many “strangers” through a web site is unsafe. However, I feel that it is the individuals who make the decisions whether to endanger themselves or not. Personally, I do not meet net friends, I only chat with them online. Hence, I do not see any harm in knowing more “strangers” online.

With the aid of World Wide Web, people open up many web sites. Lastly, another web site that has influence me quite a bit in the usage of Internet (where I only used to check emails) is eBay (auctions). I started online shopping quite recently and had bought many things like clothes, earrings and other accessories. I used to get bored using the computer but after I browse through the sites from eBay, I enjoyed shopping online as I do not have to be in the crowd. Moreover, the prices set online are much cheaper; I do not even have to bargain.

In conclusion, with the development of World Wide Web, the way I use the Internet and how I view it have changed. Advancement allows creativity and variety in the web. This makes going online a more joyous activity to a technology idiot, like me. =)