You + Me = Can all be ‘PRODUCERS’ of information!

Pull down those boundaries (or run into them) between producers and you as a consumer, there is no longer a wall between producers and consumers it is now seen as an equal right and anyone can do it… you could be possibly doing it now just like myself!

First lets get straight what produsage really is, basically…. It is everyone that changes or manipulates media to produce a new product e.g. YouTube, Wikipedia etc. We (as in anyone) out there in the world that has access to the internet can be a producer, simply by adding a YouTube clip, writing content on Wikipedia or even adding content to other peoples topics. With Wikipedia you are able to write absolutely anything (with reason) about any topic you basically wish … Exciting I think, But is it all real?
Here is an example of produsage with Pepsi Max:

Any one can contribute to being a producer of produsage!  And quite frankly why would you want to be the consumer when you can be the producer by simply manipulating or changing a Youtube clip.... But by adding content to YouTube and becoming a producer does this make you a celebrity?… I personally reckon NO for most people.. but defiantly for this Britney lover who has attracted so much publicity over the world and has not even been thanked by Britney Spears herself HOW RUDE OF HER… What could she possibly be doing with all her time….

So by posting video clips, writing content and changing the product it makes you a producer instead of that boring term Consumer, who wants to be a consumer these days when you can be a producer instead and have your name written all over the title of your chosen YouTube clip, whether you fell off your bike, got a blood nose or wanted to tell the world to leave Britney alone its all done by everyday people at home with a phone that has a video recorder… I encourage everyone to get out there record or manipulate videos clips or paste content on Wikipedia what ever floats your boat really and turn yourself from a consumer to a producer….. Sounds better I reckon. ( We need to remember when changing someones original content into produsage we need to respect their rights and be cautious about their feelings). 

Now realistically, even though you are running off now manipulating someones else's original content such as George Bushes speech to be a producer of produsage we cannot ignore that we are still consumers in a little way, as we do consumer other peoples media or produsage. And if we didn’t well lets face it, it would be quite frankly boring! If you don't know how to be funny or you forgot how to be funny I have attached a clip below for your reference, it may be helpful in attracting consumers to your new version of a YouTube clip.

Enjoy being Producers of Produsage!

http://produsage.org/

Wikileaks is… the new Sherlock Holmes!

Wikileaks is… the new Sherlock Holmes!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I now introduce Julian Assange as the new Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Sharing his magic dust with Julian

  

Sherlock Holmes a famous fictional detective, who had the ability to take nearly any disguise and use his famous and rare skills to solve the most difficult cases, now he wipes his magic dust onto Julian Assange.

Sherlock Holmes

Julian Assange

Although I see Julian as an almost very paranoid man, I see braveness, honesty and curiosity behind his magic key of opening secrets. A very smart man that has been a successful hacker since the age of 14 knows his well…. stuff! He is prepared to fight his battles against government along side with his key findings, which have been handed over by whistler blowers. NOW personally I understand that the information they are given will potentially bring down government onto their hooves BUT, really putting yourself on the line for information that they consider important is that really worth lets say… YOUR LIFE?

Since I was little my mum always told me to never tell lies, and to never tattletale on anyone, well in this situation we have the government e.g. US telling the lies and Wikileaks tattletaleing on them. Which one would you defend?... I take Wikileaks side; I would rather be the one tattletaleing then lying in the first place.

American Government

Wikileaks brings out the secrets that are hidden away from society, it tells us the truth that others wont, it gives it to us basically right in the face whether its graphic, sad, horrible, wrong it will give it to us however the truth is. Honesty is a winner for me, being honest and upfront about an issue will always be more powerful than secrets hid behind many lies. 

Julian Assange is someone I don’t look down on, his someone I trust and personally believe his doing us as a nation a favor as some governments are to gutless to do it themselves. I will support Wikileaks and Julian Assange, as I believe we deserve to know the truth, we all live on this Earth, we share equal rights so why should we be denied information that could potentially change the world? You can have your own opinion about Wikileaks and be left in the dark by governments not giving you vital information, but mine will remain supporting Julian (the secret teller) and Wikileaks for many times to come!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/wikileaks

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/07/26/just-who-is-julian-assange-the-man-behind-wikileaks/

“The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be”.

"If you want government to intervene domestically, you’re a liberal. If you want government to intervene overseas, you’re a conservative. If you want government to intervene everywhere, you’re a moderate. If you don’t want government to intervene anywhere, you’re an extremist."

 (Joseph Sobran) 

American Nazi Party Flag

What is extremism, and who are extremist groups I here you say? …. I was asking the same questions three weeks ago until I started researching my assignment. Throughout my 19 years of living in this wide world of the web I have never heard or seen the words that form groups such as ‘Hammer Head Skin Nation’, ‘Stormfront’ and ‘National Alliance’, these are extremist groups from across the world, that have been around for many many MANY years.

One can be extreme in many ways!

Extremism is the real enemy of our times, and it is the enemy of all people. Throughout history there have been many extremist philosophies, religions, and styles of governance. White extremist groups are driven by things like; racial purity, anti Semitism, political hegemony, anti liberal and anti government, which are usually violent and un-welcomed.

Southern Cross Hammer Skins Home Page

Extremist groups utilise the Internet to send out messages and to recruit new members into their groups. They use social media platforms such as Facebook, Blogs, Myspace  Youtube and even video games to recruit new members due the fact that there are millions of users logging onto these sites daily, with having links on webpage’s etc groups such as the National Alliance is linked to basically every white extremist group and or organization on the internet today. The Southern Cross Hammerskin heads are the australian arm of the Hammerskins, they follow the 14 words which are "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children." AKA "the 14 words". It is scary to know that we have this group in australia carry out their polices of the 14 words. The skin head started in the 1960's which had heavy British mod and Jamaican rude boy influences, they eventually the  spread across the world.. and yes into our very own country Australia.

 

 They are able to reach out to international audiences, large amounts of people and also the younger generation (generation Y). Yes it’s a great way for these hate groups to recruit more members! As I mentioned before white extremist groups have even made video games to purchase online... you know people are really struggling when a graphic video called "Ethnic cleansing" is made, the title speaks for itself, forward and to the point!

Ethnics Cleansing Video Game to Purchase
 But what about our younger generations innocence?.... Should we really be involving younger teenagers full of hormones and testosterone into a world wide web of violence? Unfortunately I don’t think we can wrap our younger generation in cotton wool to protect them from nasty and hate-full things on the Internet posted by extremists groups, as everything is now accessible on our computer even if there is a block on a site there is always another way around it.

Ku Klux Klan 

People are involved with groups everyday across the globe i.e. associations, organisations, such as sporting events, schools groups, reading clubs etc. These are things that we do in our personal time for self satisfaction, they are usually non associated with intended violence or hate against others, as our sporting groups, school groups etc are usually all multicultural… are extremist groups the same? NO … hate groups such as the Skin Heads and KKK (Ku Klux Klan) pick on homosexuals, Asians, and are anti-black towards anyone that is not of the same European race as them, basically extremist groups such as the skin heads are just pure racist!. 

 Reference: LSM208 Week 6 Lecture slides

http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/neonazism1.html

Wright,M (2008) Technology & terrorism: how the internet facilitates radicalization, The Forensic Examiner, Winter .Ebscohost viewed 26 March 2011