Beyond Surface Relations

2014 ◽  
pp. 241-264
Author(s):  
Shalin Hai-Jew
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
Link Diagrams ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Or Organization ◽  
Available Information ◽  
2D And 3D

On the surface spaces of the WWW and Internet, organizations and individuals have long created a public face to emphasize their respective brands, showcase their credibility, and interact with others in often very public ways. These surface spaces include Websites, social media platforms, virtual worlds, interactive game spaces, content sharing sites, social networking sites, microblogging sites, wikis, blogs (Web logs), collaborative work sites, and email systems. Beneath the glittering surfaces are electronic understructures, which enable the mapping of networks (based on physical location or organization or URL), the tracking of inter-personal relationships between various accounts, the geolocation of various electronic data to the analog physical world, the de-anonymizing of aliases (to disallow pseudonymity), and the tracking of people to their contact information (digital and physical). Maltego Radium is a penetration testing tool that enables such crawls of publicly available information or Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to identify and describe electronic network structures for a range of applications. Further, this information is represented in a number of interactive node-link diagrams in both 2D and 3D for further insights. There is also an export capability for full reportage of the extracted information. This chapter introduces the tool and identifies some practical ways this has been used to “package” fresh understandings for enhanced awareness and decision-making in a higher education context.

scholarly journals The Commodification of Body Positivity: Constructing a Neoliberal Fat Citizenship

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhiannon Sian Downey
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Social Resistance ◽  
Resistance Movements ◽  
Body Positive ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Content

From inspirational messages to celebrated pictures of cellulite and belly rolls, body positive content has become increasingly popular on social media platforms, particularly on image-based networking sites. With the rapid growth of communication technology, it is not surprising that social networking sites, such as Instagram, have become one of the most dominant and influential mediates to cultivating awareness, foster community, and advocate for social change. Instagram’s transition to an advertising platform, however, has introduced a consumerist structure to user activity for corporations to better direct advertisements at target audiences. A once social movement advocating for the rejection of thin beauty ideals in favour of a more inclusive and positive conception of body image has felt the impact of commoditization on its message and advocates. Through Foucauldian Discourse Analysis, this research study seeks to analyze the impact of Instagram’s transition to a commercialization platform on the self-representation of body positive advocates to better understand the influence of neoliberal and capitalist structures on social resistance movements and strategies.

scholarly journals Understanding immersion in 2D platform-based online collaborative learning environments

2020 ◽  
pp. 57-67
Author(s):  
Gibran Garcia ◽  
Insung Jung
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Emotional Engagement ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Online Collaborative Learning ◽  
Video Gamers

Previous studies have revealed that when video gamers, or users of three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds, display intense concentration coupled with an emotional engagement in their undertaking, they are affected by multisensory stimuli. This can lead to developing a feeling of detachment from the physical world, which, in turn, can lead to high levels of participation and engagement. Notwithstanding these results, it remains unclear as to whether students can experience the same kind of immersion in two-dimensional (2D) platform-based online collaborative learning spaces as has been achieved in video games and 3D worlds and, if they actually can, which features would lead to similar levels of increased engagement. This study is one of the first attempts to investigate the immersion experiences of students engaged in two 2D online collaborative learning platforms, one text-based and the other video-based. Data from eight students revealed that key features of immersion observed in video games and 3D worlds also appeared during the online collaborative activities but that the way such immersion was perceived by the students was greatly affected by the characteristics of the individual platform. When emotional engagement was considered, empathy was found to play an important role in the participants’ immersion experiences. Implications for practice or policy: Text-based platforms could be effective in motivating students to focus more on the postings, while video-based platforms may be more effective in generating empathy with others through observation of body language. When selecting a communication platform for online collaboration, sensory stimuli of the platform should be carefully examined. Empathy could be developed prior to an online collaborative activity so that students reflect on their thoughts and consider others’ feelings for a more immersive learning experience.

scholarly journals DE LA PRESENCIALIDAD A LA INTERACCION VIRTUAL 3D (FROM PRESENTIALITY TO THE 3D VIRTUAL INTERACTION)

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-53
Author(s):  
Eduardo Campazzo ◽  
Alejandra Guzmán ◽  
Marcelo Martínez ◽  
Andrea Aguero
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
National University ◽  
Nuevas Tecnologías ◽  
Technology And Communication ◽  
La Rioja ◽  
The Impact

La necesidad de actualización y adecuación permanente de nuestras prácticas educativas en el ámbito de la Universidad Nacional de La Rioja, la transferencia de conocimientos adquiridos y la evolución tecnológica dinámica a la que nos enfrentamos en las nuevas metodologías de enseñanza-aprendizaje, son aspectos fundamentales que aseguran el impacto de las acciones formativas futuras.- A través del uso adecuado de las nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación es posible  generar  entornos educativos más creativos e innovadores que permitan que los alumnos continúen desarrollando un aprendizaje autónomo a través de la educación a distancia, en entornos de inmersión que apliquen tecnologías multiusuario de los mundos virtuales, pudiendo reproducir y ampliar los límites físicos del aula. Palabras clave: Trabajo Colaborativo, Mundos Inmersivos 3D, Interactividad, Moodle, Sloodle, Second Life, Virtualidad,  Enseñanza-Aprendizaje. AbstractThe need for constant updating and adaptation of our educational practices in the area of the National University of La Rioja, knowledge transfer and technological change dynamics that we face in the new methodologies of teaching and learning are key aspects ensure the impact of training initiatives for the future .- Through the appropriate use of new Information Technology and Communication is possible to create educational environments more creative and innovative to enable students to further develop independent learning through distance education In immersive environments to implement technologies, multi-user virtual worlds can replicate and expand the physical boundaries of the classroom.Keywords: Collaborative Work, immersive worlds 3D, Interactivity, Moodle, Sloodle, Second Life, Virtuality, Teaching and Learning.

scholarly journals Towards the Automatic Generation of Virtual Presenter Agents

10.28945/3018 ◽  
2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Nijholt
Keyword(s):  
Automatic Generation ◽  
Audience Participation ◽  
Conversational Agents ◽  
Museum Guide ◽  
Present Information ◽  
Sales Agent ◽  
Available Information ◽  
2D And 3D ◽  
Embodied Agent

There are many ways to present information to visitors and users of 2D and 3D interface environments. In these virtual environments we can provide visitors with simulations of real environments, including simulations of presenters in such environments (a lecturer, a sales agent, a receptionist, a museum guide) and including audience participation in these environments. Our research aims at generating presentations from available multimedia information. In particular, we would like to see the generation of presentations by embodied conversational agents that employ verbal and nonverbal capabilities. In the past we have seen the introduction of embodied agents and robots that take the role of a museum guide, a news presenter, a teacher, a receptionist, or someone who is trying to sell insurance, houses or tickets. In all these cases the embodied agent needs to explain and to describe. The automatic generation of presentations and presentation agents from information sources is still too ambitious a task. Therefore we look at research from the perspective of the design of tools that can support presenters or can help to provide natural access to presentations and lectures. Can we use a given collection of sheets and maybe other accessible media sources to design, create and generate an embodied presenter? Among others we discuss manual annotation of available information and the way in which presenter agents can use it. Clearly, the development of tools for these purposes is a first step towards automating the generation of presentations and presentation agents.

scholarly journals The Use of Social Media in Public Relations at Non-Governmental Organisations in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6(J)) ◽  
pp. 150-161
Author(s):  
G. Nchabeleng ◽  
CJ. Botha ◽  
CA Bisschoff
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Public Relations Practitioners ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Way

Social media can be a useful tool in public relations in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but do NGOs make use of social media in their quest for service delivery in South Africa? Social networking sites, blogging, email, instant messaging, and online journals are some of the technological changes that changed the way interaction between people and how they gather information. Although social media is mainly used for interactive dialogue and social interaction, the private sector soon realised that the web-based technologies (especially Facebook and Twitter) could also be a competitive business tool. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) soon followed suit however at a slower pace than the general communication growth rate of social media in South Africa. This article examines if social networking sites have any impact on public relations practices of NGOs in South Africa – an environment where both customers and employees still struggle to take full advantage of social media. The critical literature findings increase the understanding of the current and future challenges of social media use in public relations at NGOs in South Africa. The study explores the main differences between traditional and social media, how social media is redefining public relations role, and shed some light on defining public relations practices, identify the uses, limitations and benefits of social media by public relations practitioners in NGOs. Recommendations for future communication research are given. Based on the literature, a qualitative research design collected data using semi-structured, individual interviews. The results revealed that social media platforms such as Facebook do have an effect, and even changed the way in which NGOs communicate. The study also revealed that social media certainly has an impact on public relations relationships. This means that it has become crucial that public relations practitioners at NOGs embrace and take advantage of social media, and that they should also invest in proper electronic platforms to reap the benefits of improved communication internally and externally.

Hyperreality of #BlackLivesMatter Movement on Social Media

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-303
Author(s):  
Ghozian Aulia Pradhana ◽  
◽  
Syaifa Tania ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
African American ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Movement ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Social ◽  
True Meaning ◽  
Social Media Platforms

This study aims to reveal how hyperreality is reflected in using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on social media. The death of an African-American, George Floyd, that involved white police, has sparked outrage and demonstrations in many U.S. states. Issues pertaining to racism sparked in relation to the event, and many people protested demanding justice. The demand for justice then went into a wave of massive global protests both in offline and online realities—the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag was widely used on social media when protests were held. The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag even became a trending topic on several social media platforms, as if everyone was concerned about the issue and aiming for the same purpose. However, we might find several posts that neither reflected nor were related to the case. Some social media users put the hashtag even though their content substance was not related. This phenomenon then led to a condition of hyperreality in questioning reality from a simulation of reality. The method used in this study is content analysis which measures the sentiment of comments on Twitter and Instagram. The study found that social networking sites mobilised online movements even though they were not directly related to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. On the other hand, hashtag activism reduced the true meaning of the social movement. Therefore, the hyperreality in #BlackLivesMatter could not be seen any longer as a form of massive protests demanding justice and ending violence, but merely to gain more digital presence on social media. Keywords: Black lives matter, movement, social media, hyperreality, hashtag activism.

Multidimensional Mappings of Political Accounts for Malicious Political Socialbot Identification

2019 ◽  
pp. 263-348
Author(s):  
Shalin Hai-Jew
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information Warfare ◽  
Russian Government ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Strategic Messaging ◽  
Geographical Locations ◽  
The U.S

Malicious political socialbots used to sway public opinion regarding the U.S. government and its functions have been identified as part of a larger information warfare effort by the Russian government. This work asks what is knowable from a web-based sleuthing approach regarding the following four factors: 1) the ability to identify malicious political socialbot accounts based on their ego neighborhoods at 1, 1.5, and 2 degrees; 2) the ability to identify malicious political socialbot accounts based on the claimed and linked geographical locations of their accounts, their ego neighborhoods, and their #hashtag networks; 3) the ability to identify malicious political socialbot accounts based on their strategic messaging (content, sentiment, and language structures) on respective social media platforms; and 4) the ability to identify and describe “maliciousness” in malicious political socialbot accounts based on observable behaviors on that account on three social media platform types: (a) microblogging, (b) social networking, and (c) crowd-sourced encyclopedia content sharing.

Avatars

2013 ◽  
pp. 255-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Fox ◽  
Sun Joo Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Online Games ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Tourism Research ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Health Marketing ◽  
Identity Expression

Avatars are defined as virtual representations that are controlled by a human user. Commonly, we observe avatars in video and online games, social networking sites, and virtual worlds. This chapter explores the use of avatars in the expression, exploration, and evolution of users’ identities, both online and offline. Theoretical explanations for the creation, manipulation, use, and effects of avatars are offered, including identification, transformed social interaction, and the Proteus effect. The adoption of avatars for identity expression, exploration, and change is discussed, including Turkle’s notion of fragmented selves and Nakamura’s concept of identity tourism. Research that has investigated the effects of avatars on self-perceptions and identity in various domains (such as health, marketing, finance, and environmental behaviors) is addressed. Implications and future directions for research in this area are discussed.

Establishing Social Order in 3D Virtual Worlds with Virtual Institutions

2011 ◽  
pp. 140-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Bogdanovych ◽  
Simeon Simoff
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Physical World ◽  
3D Interaction ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Virtual Institutions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Rule Changes ◽  
Controlled Environments

An important security aspect of Virtual Worlds (in particular Virtual Worlds oriented towards commercial activities) is controlling participants’ adherence to the social norms (rules of behavior) and making them follow the acceptable interaction patterns. Rules of behavior in the physical world are usually enforced through a post factum punishment, while in computer-controlled environments like Virtual Worlds we can simply block the actions that are inconsistent with the rules and eliminate rule violations as such. In order to facilitate enforcing the rules in such automatic manner and allow for frequent rule changes, the rules have to be expressed in a formal way, so that the software can detect both the rules and the actions that can potentially violate them. In this chapter the authors introduce the concept of Virtual Institutions that are Virtual Worlds with normative regulation of interactions. For development of such systems the authors employ the Virtual Institutions Methodology that separates the development of Normative Virtual Worlds into two independent phases: formal specification of the institutional rules and design of the 3D interaction environment. The methodology is supplied with a set of graphical tools that support the development process on every level, from specification to deployment. The resulting system is capable of enforcing the social norms on the Virtual Worlds’ participants and ensuring the validity of their interactions.

Worlds in the Making

2011 ◽  
pp. 288-301
Author(s):  
Bob King
Keyword(s):  
Full Advantage ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Ontological Status ◽  
Full Extent ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
Reproductive Processes ◽  
Console Game

This chapter introduces and discusses a thesis related to perceived changes in the ontological status of constructivism, and the opportunities and challenges the changes pose for educators. Recommendations are made about how cultural-elders in particular can address the challenges successfully, in order to take full advantage of the opportunities –one of which is the opportunity to use immersive 3D virtual worlds in our collaborative work with students (who have already internalized the new/changed conditions) to facilitate the teaching and learning of LARGE internal matters including but not limited to dispositions and attitudes. The chapter explores and mines the uses and significance of the immersive 3D console-game Katamari in a variety of ways and for a variety of purposes, and a focused analysis and comparison of reproductive processes within constructivism and software is also undertaken to understand the full extent of their ultimately comingled, and hence exponentially reproductive, ontology.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document