MAC309 Assessment questions 2013 1 x 2500 word essay Pick one of the following essay questions 1 Students are

e 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 Web; and/or society. Independent essay questions should be approved by the module leader 2 weeks before submission (ie end of Week 10). 2 Convergence alters the relationship between existing technologies, industries, markets, genres and audiences (Jenkins, 2004: 34). With reference to at least one example, assess the significance of media consolidation/synergy in relation to either television, film, music or Internet content. 3 Over the past decade Google has grown from a small scale enterprise to one the most powerful players in the global media market. Critically assess the impact of Googles growth upon traditional media interests and internet users. You should illustrate your answer with reference to existing and future Google products. 4 Social problems can be met first with social solutions aided by powerful technical tools rather than by resorting to law (Zittrain, 2008: 168). How might Zittrains comments be applied to the debates surrounding network neutrality? It would be worth considering the impact of current developments regarding Internet regulation and surveillance and how they impact on the unrestricted movement of data, eg Digital Economy Act (UK), Golden Shield (China), ACTA (US), HADOPI (France), IPRED (Sweden), etc 5 The real consequences of the Web 2.0 revolution is less culture, less reliable news, and a chaos of useless information. One chilling reality in this brave new digital epoch is the blurring, obfuscation, and even disappearance of truth (Keen, 2008: 16). Critically assess the impact of participatory social tools on the production of knowledge. 6 Consider these 2 positions regarding the use of social media during revolutions: 1) By emphasising the liberating role of the tools and downplaying the role of human agency, such accounts make Americans feel proud of their own contribution to events in the Middle East (Morozov, 2011) 2) Twitter is being co-constructed by bloggers and activists alongside journalists. This confirms the notion that Twitter supports distributed

conversation among participants and that journalism, in this era of social media, has become a conversation (Lotan et al, 2011) Critically assess the roles played by key actors/agents in these revolutions (eg, the press, the public, social media organisations and their users). 7 The opportunities the Internet presents for sharing content quickly and easily has meant that ideas can explode across the globe rapidly like a virus. Critically assess the implications of this virality by considering the potential benefits and harms associated with this behaviour (eg reputations, propaganda, advertising, privacy, etc). 8 - You have one identity. [] The days of you having a different image for your co-workers and for the other people you know are probably coming to an end pretty quickly. [] Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook (in Kiss, 2010). Critically assess the implications of an anonymous internet versus one in which all users are known and identifiable. 9 - I know people think [sexting] is dangerous, but to me, its no big deal because I get them a lot. (Anonymous teenager in Lenhart, 2009). Critically assess the extent to which practices involving the public display of private sex acts get complicated by the social norms that define them as deviant. In attempting this task it would be worth thinking about the nature of reputation in networked contexts. 10 - For Bauman, internet relationships have no significant or meaningful content. They consist only of a constant circulation of messages and being permanently connected, rather than deep communication (Bauman, 2003:34). With reference to at least one example, 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 context of familial relationships, commercial relationships, as well as romantic relationships. 11 Many of our online relationships are defined by the dynamics of trust (in others, in information, etc). To what extent is cybertrust a risk predicated on uncertainty and how do online participants minimise their exposure to such risks? 12 - "Companies are realizing that gamification -- using the same mechanics that hook gamers -- is an effective way to generate business. (Mangalindan, 2010). Critically assess the aims and achievements of gamification. 13 Gamification is bullshit Gamification is reassuring Gamification is easy (Ian Bogost, 2011). Given the success of Bogosts own game, Cow Clicker, critically assess the argument that gamification is pointless

14 Without the brand, Apple would be dead The power of their branding is all that keeps them alive. Its got nothing to do with products (Gob cited in Kahney, 2004: 250). Critically assess the extent to which the cult of Mac is the result of successful branding alone. 15 Apple now has a dominant position in several key businesses Its iTunes Store gives it control of the tollgate through which billions of paid-for music tracks and albums, videos and apps cascade down to millions of customers worldwide ... Every Apple mobile device sold can only be activated by hooking up to the gate. This gives Apple unparalleled power (Naughton, 2011). Critically assess the implications for the content industry of an Apple dominated world. 16 Critically assess the claim that the cultural industries cant compete with free. You should make reference to at least two specific examples to illustrate your argument. 16 "It's now clear that practically everything Web technology touches starts down the path to gratis Storage now joins bandwidth and processing power in the race to the bottom. Basic economics tells us that in a competitive market, price falls to the marginal cost [E]very day the marginal cost of digital information comes closer to nothing." (Anderson, 2008). Critically evaluate the arguments for and against free as a business model for the Web with reference to the freemium example. 17 Several recent studies (Demos, 2009; PRS, 2009; GAO, 2010; etc) have called into question the impact of piracy upon the content industries. Critically appraise the arguments surrounding piracy by focussing on one specific form of media content. 18 Despite the enormous diversity of views and identities on the internet, online participants generally seek out information and interaction that reinforces their private positions, avoiding meaningful engagement with difference (Dahlberg, 2007: 829). To what extent does the Internet offer a platform for meaningful democratic participation? 19 Critically assess the extent to which Wikipedia has avoided the Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin, 1968)