Task 5- Building Community: Metaworlds and Visual Chat
The task asks us to experience metaworlds and visual chat online. The main objectives of this task is to: 1) Paticipate in a virtual reality environment for at least a week; 2) Critique the graphic representation of individuals and community spaces; 3) Make fieldnotes responding to key questions and recording your impressions; 4) Apply what you know about online relationships and community building.
CMC is being impacted by the increasing use of multimodel technologies and the best representation of this is in Virtual Reality Environments, also known as, VREs. VREs combine the fantasy dimensions of traditional text-based genres of MUDs with the widely popular activity of text-based chat. These are known as metaworlds and visual chats. The first metaworld was Habitat and it was created in 1985. The idea behind this task is that we experience and discover what it is like to join and participate in one of the graphical communities. Our textbook says that they are fun and we would enjoy them if we have never done anything like that before. The participation in these metaworlds are interesting and entertaining.
As for the task, first, we need to sign up on a metaworld such as Active Worlds, worlds.com or vZones which our textbook recommends. vZones allows you to become a digital person. The first thing you need to do after you sign up is change the appearance of your avatar; they give all the new comers a basic body style. You can create your own avatar designing its' body type, size, clothing, hair, accessories and more. You meet people, chat and interact with people from all over the world, walk around, play games. You can control your gestures and body movements. Anything you type in the computer you can enter it into your world and it will show above your avatar's head in a speech bubble. There are different zones you can interact in and thats how you can begin to socialize with other people. When you join you start out with 50 tokens and you use the tokens to buy clothes, accessories, gifts for others, things for your apartment and everything else. You have to get more tokens as you go on. The text recommends that you meet people to show you around the virtual world. There is a monthly fee but getting used to these virtual reality chat spaces is easy and fun to use. They show what it is like to be in an online community. The text asks a good question, "How do you think the graphical (or visual) environment of vZones impacts on how people feel and behave towards each other?"
Task 6- Constructing Identity: Personal Homepages and Webcams
This task asks us to discover personal homepages and webcams. The main objectives of this task are: 1) Conduct an analysis of personal homepages for online identity construction; 2) Consider how the marginalized can develop identity and community online; 3) Make fieldnotes responding to key questions and recording your analyses; 4) Apply what you've learned from Central Issues: Unit 2.
Charles Cheung talks about the opportunity that personal homepages give for the reflexive presentation and narrativization of the Self. Others say that homepages are like bedrooms with posters and pictures overflowing them or like a mantelpiece filled with postcards and knick-knacks. Homepages mix private and public boundaries in an interesting way which is different from the past in communication technologies. Webpages are both mas communication and interpersonal communication. People that create homepages are interacting with their audience even if it isn't immediate. Homepages give a chance to show the hidden aspects in our lives and give people the opportunity to validate themselves.
As for the task, we need to look at different homepages, personal and professional and also view
homepages of marginalized people online. Another thing the task asks us to view is webcams. A good way to observe homepages and decipher them is by using Daniel Chandler's "Bricoleur's Web Kit" which provides a number of criteria for analyzing homepages. Some of the things you need to look at in the homepages are the types of activity which consist of inclusion, allusion, omission, adaptation, and arrangement. Another thing to look at is the types of content which consist of personal stats, interests, ideas, values, friends and personal icons. The last thing to look at is the types of structure which consist of written text, graphics, video clips, an access counter, guestbook, 'cool links' section, and email or chat button. When then have to look at the differences between professional and personal homepages. Observe balance between their public and private lives. When you look at personal homepages, you can type in any random first name go through the search. There will be hundreds of people with the same name but they will all have different homepages containing completely different things. You can also observe teh marginalized people online. Look how they are using personal homepages to communicate, assert, and construct their social identity. You can search different groups and cultures to see how they are interacting online. There was a special case study done on gay people in cyberspace. The internet has been a potential opportunity for gay people. The internet offers a safe environment for a gay individual. They can be open without feeling marginalized or discriminated. This shows them that they are not the only one. The text also asks us to take a look at webcams. They have been a growing part of CMC. Webcams have become more popular with young women. You can search Webcam World and find top-100 webcam sites.
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