KeLLy Tey's Publishing & Media Issues

Blog, Blog, Blog.

2007-06-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

A blog is a chronological array of thoughts, opinions, and ideas published on a web page.

The internet has currently registered over 55million bloggers world wide, according to The Star In-Tech. Blogging has become a hit in Asia, a trend setter. Even in Malaysia, blogging has come to age and people are shot to fame by their own blog. One prominent example is blogger, Kenny Sia who rose to fame in the local blogging scene, known for his witty and articulate humour posts.

Generally, the purpose of blogging varies by individual and organisations.
It can be very personal, yet it can also be publicly accessed.

Individuals blog as a pastime, a hobby, a passion, a way to communicate with others, and for innumerable other reasons.
Organisations set up blogs as a way to interact with the public. These blogs enables a two-way communication often regarding the organisation's products and services, and it can serve good impressions to consumers.

Somehow, blogging may be perceived as a waste of time. But it cannot be denied that blogging may sharpen writing skills, language, and grammar; it favours more as a good use of time.

A blog can be about anything, up to the blogger's own preference.
It can be narrowed down into different forms such as:

a journal(diary entry) blog, videoblog (vlog), linklogs, photoblog.

subject category: fashion blog, movie blog, automobile blogs, political blogs, travel blogs, and so on.

and corporate blogs for business purposes.

Many blogs are complexly combined. It is difficult to identify originality and uniqueness from one another.
However, i believe that each blogger will have their own personality and characteristics that can be attributed in their writing styles.

There are many blogging communities in the world. This communities are formed when people with the same interest, same purposes, or same subjects come together as one.
One such blogging community is the NuffNang. First of its kind in Asia and the only one in Malaysia - NuffNang is a blog-advertising community. Bloggers join blogging communities for a sense of belonging; they find themselves generating and widening thoughts and ideas when they belong in the same group.

Jakob Nielsen's states that a concise, scannable, and objective writing styles are best for the web. He also identified differences between print and web designs such as:

print designs can be more detailed and full as it has more space as compared to web.
print designs are on double page spreads, therefore it is 2 -dimensional; web design are flat.
web designs allow free navigation through hyperlinks; palpably, print design does not.
web design's respond time, resolution, and size are dependent on server connection, whereas print are already available.

The most recent blog publishing trends are the mixing of sophisticated softwares that creates, designs and edits photos, skins and layout, or videos that thoroughly enhances the features of blogs.
I must admit, i am oblivious yet inquisitive to the remarkable pace of technology dynamism.

Reference List:

Morks, J, Nielsen, J 2007, How to Write for the Web, viewed 7th June 2007, http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html

The Star Online 2007, NUJ backs bloggers alliance, viewed 7th June 2007 http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2007/5/5/technology/20070505131217&sec=technology

The purpose of kelly-tey.blogspot.com

2007-06-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

With the proliferation of technology, the internet has seen many attention and debate worthy issues of media and publication.
The purpose of kelly-tey.blogspot.com is to break down this issues with an analytical point of view. It will revolve around media and publication issues such as ethics and equality, laws and legislations, writing and designing, and so on.

The blog will cater to people whose interest lies within media and publication issues, skeptic and curious minds, and also those who are simply looking for a good read.

Hopefully, the blog will be able bring in more voices of agreement on the many media and publication issues that needs a push to the right direction.

News Article Biasness

2007-06-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Stephen Brook raised an issue in The Guardian's Organgrinder Column with his question "Why are people turning away from newspaper?"
It was then replied matter-of-factly, "because many think they're biased."

Harris Interactive conducted polls for the issue which resulted with many readers' feedback expressing distaste towards newspapers that take sides in political and economical matters. However, in most British newspapers' point of view, a newspaper becomes bland and soulless if it does not have a bias direction.

The real question should be, how does someone judge a news article to be biased?

Fact is, writers cannot write a news piece without their own traits; and they cannot write accordingly to what the readers want. Certainly readers do not expect to see what they want exactly written out the way they think it should.

A news article's meaning is subjective to the way a reader can understand. Shriver (1997) states that reading is shaped by a reader's own unique knowledge, attitudes, values, and context. The same applies for writers when they are writing a news article.

Literature on reading suggests that it is important to consider individual differences and the shared ways that people can experience documents (Shriver, 1997, p. 365).

Therefore, a silent compromise should be reached between writers and readers. Writers have to be alert towards biasness as news articles are supposed to be neutral. Whereas readers should read for the information; a newspaper article does not require readers to pick a stand.

Reference List:

Brook, S. 2007, WAN: Readers? Who cares what they think..., viewed 6th June 2007, http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2007/06/wan_readers_who_cares_what_the.html#more

Schriver, A. K. 1997, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Publishing, New York.

No more good books, No more say.

2007-06-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, The Sun Newspaper reported that the Malaysian Internal Security Ministry has banned more than 30 books from the shelves as they are believed to have contained sensitive religious issues.

The 37 international release titles were ordered to be prohibited as it is found that there were twisted facts about the Islam religion and teachings, and it was alleged that the titles contained elements that shamed the prophets and is faith discouraging. However, there ought to be quality content in some of those titles that need not be banned. The news article has definitely raised thoughts on issues regarding freedom of expression.

The Australian ABC Media Report's Antony Funnel spoke to News Limited's Lucinda Duckett during the recent Right To Know campaign in Australia. She states that the freedom of expression has become very expensive, in contrary with the fundamental right's legislation that it is 'free'. 'Free expression' no longer stands for free exchanges of all information.

It is not a fact that books with sensitive issues or titles, carries negative meanings that can be powerful enough to mold reader's thinking. Books are food for thoughts, they are merely light readings to fulfill the extra hours that people have.

Even when discourses in written materials appear to be strongly institutional in character, it is not necessarily attached to groups or institutions, or influential to function within a culture (Schirato and Yell, 1996, p. 118).

Hence, it is unfair to pin the penalty on publication involving sensitive issues such as race, religion, gender. Even when a publication has controversial title or issues, it cannot be completely ruled that its content are misleading or useless.

A sentence from John Milton's quote reads 'He who destroys a good book, kills reason it self'.

Reference List:

Funnell, A 2007, Australia's Right To Know, viewed 5th June 2007,
http://abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/1937618.htm

Schirato, T, Yell, S 1996, Communication and Culture Literacy: an introduction, Allen & Unwin, New South Wales.

The Sun Newspapers,Govt bans books on Islam containing twisted facts, viewed 5th June 2007, http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=18145

Image Mistake in Websites

2007-06-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Images should always be fixed or fitted to be on par with a website's design and text.

Many have failed to rectify the issue on picture problems in their websites. Jakob Nielsen has identified this as one of the most iterative mistakes made by users in Web Designing.
He stresses on the issue that images with intricate details should not be scaled down simply just to make the text and website appear neat.

It is apparent that design of websites creates first impressions, but images should not be neglected. Walsh (2006) states that images are important to illustrate texts as it is the most salient object in a website.

An image serves a few purposes:

It gives a general idea on what the text would be
it places further ideas on the text's content.
it is easier to be understood for those lack of reading skills (Schriver, 1997)
it can tell its own story or make its own meaning

If an image were to be scaled down to a minimal point, it may lose its purpose as viewers are not able to identify the meaning that it carries. Images can kindle a reader's interest and curiosity and are often memorable even long after its seen (Nickerson in Schriver, 1997, p. 407).

Napoleon Bonaparte quotes that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Mona Lisa is worth more than that.

But if its microscopic, it says nothing.

(picture source - http://www.huntfor.com/absoluteig/images/monalisa.htm)

Reference List:

Nielsen, J 2003, Top 10 Web Design Mistakes of 2003, viewed 3rd June 2007, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20031222.html

Schriver, A. K. 1997, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Publishing, New York.

Walsh, M 2006, The ‘textual shift’: examining the reading process with print, visual, and multimodal texts, The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 24-37.

e-Poison Pen Publications

2007-05-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Amidst the era of computer technology taking over primitive writing methods, chain letters in print form have also upgraded into 'e-chain letters'.

Initially, these informal publications are used to spread harmless information by multiplying its senders through pen and paper writings, but it has long been taken over by what is known as poison-pen chain letters.

The current issue is the 'E-poison chain letters' phenomenon later described by The Star In-tech journalist Chris Chong as a 'spawning spurred by the internet'.

These e-chain letters can come as spams to your e-mails, web community, and even in publicly accessible websites.

The host can simply intimidate receiver, extort money, and attach viruses along with the e-chain letter, and they are often difficult to be tracked down. In other words, the internet has became a power tool for consequences-free pranks.

What is equally alarming is that these e-chain letters not only instills fear and guilt through the use of harsh languages, it also provide false promises and miracles on a religious angle. Marney Keenan of Detroit News stated in her recent chain letter article that it was wrong to involve religion in such unhealthy web publications.

E-chain letters are not illegal yet, but it should be.
Perhaps it is time that authorities take actions against this and develop systems that can hopefully put an end to this internet degrading form of publication.

Reference List:

Chong, C 2007, Internet spawns 'e-layang', viewed 31st May 2007,
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2007/3/6/technology/20070306123248&sec=technology

Keenan, M 2007,Chain letters' incentives tend to be very overrated, viewed 31st May 2007,
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070519/OPINION03/705190408/1279

Internet Media Filtering: Good or Bad?

2007-05-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

The internet is a great media source to good information.
However, it is often a concern that children would make wrong use of the source. As parents cannot supervise their children's behaviour 24/7, filter systems and regulations have placed them at ease (or so they thought).

Cory Doctorow draws the attention on the issue that filtering the internet can be pointless, ridiculous, and dangerous.

In his See No Evil article, he identified reasons why parents, schools, and government wants to filter the internet. Certain material that are widespread in the internet contains vile contents that are unacceptable, even for adults.

However, he stresses that most (if not all) of the filtering systems - are faulty. It blocks countless quality and legitimate web contents while letting in offensive and useless materials slip through.

According to an Australian research article by the CNN, it is found that net controls - specifically for porn, are useless. It has become apparent that minors have access to improper materials whether accidentally or purposely, despite the internet filtering systems being made mandatory.

Even with filter regulations and systems, children can still navigate their ways to negative web contents, but good materials may never reach them.

Filter systems could only appear as a surface solution. It would not have to be if proper cooperative measures are taken between parents and guardians with schools and government.

Reference List:

CNN.com 2003, Net Porn Control Useless: Study, viewed 30th May 2007,
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/03/03/australia.netporn/index.html

Doctorow, C 2007, See no evil? viewed 30th May 2007, http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/cory_doctorow/2007/06/see_no_evil.html

Personal Reflection

2007-05-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

Creating a weblog is exhausting and fulfilling at the same time.
A blog creating process requires heaps of thinking and deciphering lots of mind blogging template codes.

It was overwhelming at first but satisfactory in the end, for now i have sharpened my writing, editing, and researching skills. Throughout the blog creating process, i have also learned (and am still learning) to maneuver html codes, enhancing blog template layout and design, and making a blog - a real blog.

I developed many point of views out of applying theories such as the relations between text and images, multimodality for the masses, and semiotic discourses. It has open doors to never before seen ideas, and it has led to many out-of-the-box thinking.

I am a blogger who embraces a certain spirit or belief when writing posts in a blog. I am aware of the responsibility on ethical writing (especially in terms of politics, race, religion, and culture) and i practice it. However, I believe that when freedom of expression are wrongly placed with a limitation, it should be challenged.
When it comes to a blog design, simplicity is best. A blog should always appear to be clean, clear, neat, and most importantly, visible.