I have recently started to play and even pay for an online disney game called "Disney Fairies". I can make friend with other fairies there and in fact the game encourages us to, we can earn a badge for making more friends.
There is a instant message function in the game. Some days ago, when I was playing the game, a fairy there greeted me and started to chat with me. I have made friends there before that but I haven't really have a dialogue with them. However, I always wonder how old the person I am talk to is. But then, I have found that many of the words I have typed become "..." in the speech bubble. And the fairy I was talking to started to ask me, "Why aren't you in cool?" I couldn't figure out what she maens. Then she told me, "They don't allow you to say the real thing. So don't try it. We use other words here." I have found that, "school", "homework" and even numbers (like "two")are prohibited words there. To make it short, I can just say I was really glad to know the girl and I would very much love to talk to her in skype or any other platform which we don't have to use secret codes.
The day after that, another girl came to me. Very quickly, we used secret codes to share our account name on facebook. We had a great time chatting in facebook then. However, the next day I woke up, I got an email from Disney Fairies which told me I am a bad guy who has violated their online rules and manner. My account would be suspended for 72 hours as a "reminder". Further violation of the house rule may lead to account suspension and termination. And here are the rules which included in the "term of use" which everyone of us tends to tick and skip reading it:
We are concerned about your safety online, so exchanging personal information through Disney's community of web sites is not permitted. This includes information like your name, age, e-mail address, school name, phone number, or city of residence. In addition, any discussion of Web addresses or social networking Web sites where personal information is or can be posted or exchanged are not allowed...to learn more about online safety and manners. Understand that this 72-hour hold serves as a reminder to promote a safer, more pleasant online experience for all Guests.
Please note that the email started with quoting the dialogue between my friend and I which violates the rule. They have "specialist" in checking our conversation...
I totally understand some underage girl could be exposed to some really bad guys there. However, not only girls play the game, lady and man too. I think this experience worths our attention esp. on how Disney define what is suitable for kids to talk about in the game (like "homework") and how Disney imagine what its customers are.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
[IHT]U.S. entertainment increases worldwide appeal, even if U.S. image doesn't
I've found an article on iht which is very much relevant to our course.
The link below will lead you to the original article.
The link below will lead you to the original article.
NEW YORK: Shortly after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, a delegation of high-level media executives, including the heads of all the major studios, met several times with White House officials, including at least once with President George W. Bush's former top strategist, Karl Rove, to discuss ways that the entertainment industry could play a part in improving the image of the United States overseas.
One of the central ideas was using "soft power" by spreading U.S. television and movies to foreign audiences, especially in the Muslim world, to help sway public opinion.
There were few tangible results from the meetings - lesser ways of supporting the war on terrorism like public service announcements and packages of free DVDs sent to U.S. soldiers.
But since then, the media companies have gotten what they wanted, even if the White House has not. In the past eight years, American pop culture, already popular, has boomed around the globe, though opinions of the United States itself have soured.
The television program "CSI" is more popular in France than in the United States. Hollywood movies routinely sell far more tickets overseas than at home. A Russian remake of the TV show "Married With Children" has been so popular that Sony, the producer of the show, has hired back the original writers to produce new scripts for Russia.
Even in the Muslim world, American pop culture has spread.
But so far, cultural popularity has not translated into new friends. The latest data from the Pew Global Attitudes Project, released in June, showed that the image of the United States remained negative in the 24 countries in which Pew conducted surveys (although in 10 of those the favorability rating of the United States had edged up slightly).
Joseph Nye Jr., the Harvard professor who coined the phrase "soft power" in 1989 to refer to the ways beyond military muscle that the United States influenced the world, said that "what's interesting about the last eight years is that polls show a decline in American attractiveness."
He added: "But then you ask the follow-up questions and you see that American culture remains attractive, that American values remain attractive. Which is the opposite of what the president has said - that they hate us for who we are and what we believe in."
Jeffrey Schlesinger, the head of international television at Warner Bros., had a simpler explanation for the popularity of U.S. entertainment: "Batman is Batman, regardless of if Bush is in the White House or not," he said.
And Batman will still be Batman with Barack Obama in the White House. The issue of the image of the United States abroad was a campaign platform for the president-elect, who said in a foreign policy speech in April, "We all know that these are not the best of times for America's reputation in the world."
With the curtain closing on the Bush presidency, pollsters are left to wonder about the long-term effects. Steven Kull, the director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, said that before the election, his data suggested a slight improvement after a long decline. "It's turned a corner, but it's not anywhere near positive territory," he said.
Kull said he had been surprised to find that in pre-election polling, fewer than half of those polled in 22 foreign countries - 46 percent - said relations between the United States and the world would improve under a President Obama.
"It's not just about not being Bush, and that there will be a clean slate," Kull said. "There were all these underlying issues that were amplified during the Bush era, and they are not simply going to go back in the trunk."
Bryce Zabel, a television producer who was chairman of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the time and a participant in the 2001 meetings with the White House, argued then that the United States needed to regard itself like a consumer brand.
"Products like Coca-Cola are far more effectively branded around the globe than the United States itself," he wrote in a memo that was circulated around Hollywood. "The American entertainment and communications industry has the technological and creative expertise to improve relations between our country and the rest of the world."
Hilary Rosen, the former chairwoman of the Recording Industry Association of America, who was present at the post-9/11 meetings, said that Rove and other White House officials were looking for the kind of support Hollywood gave the United States during World War II.
"They wanted the music industry, the movie industry, the TV industry to produce propaganda," she said. "Rove was putting a lot of pressure on us."
For Hollywood, a much more important development was happening globally, as rising standards of living around the world resulted in more money spent on entertainment. Big, comfortable multiplexes being erected in countries like Russia and Mexico were helping draw moviegoers.
In 2003, the domestic box office brought in $9.2 billion for U.S. studios, and foreign countries generated $10.9 billion, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. In 2007, domestic revenue was $9.6 billion, while international rose to more than $17 billion.
The growth overseas has surprised even some U.S. media executives. "It was something that, two or three years ago, was thought to have gone into a slower growth position," Jeffrey Bewkes, chief executive of Time Warner, said to a gathering of investors in June about the international appeal of U.S. television. "And then it came roaring back over the last couple of years."
The foreign interest in U.S. entertainment has been particularly pronounced in television. In many countries, particularly in Europe, U.S. television shows, once relegated to late night, are being shown in prime time.
According to the European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the executive branch of the European Union, the number of hours of U.S. programming on major European networks in 2000 was about 214,000. In 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available, that figure had grown by nearly 50,000 hours, to more than 266,000 hours.
"Let's say, at the beginning of the decade, more or less all over Europe you saw on the big channels almost no U.S. series on prime time," says Gerhard Zeiler, chief executive of RTL Group, the largest European television broadcaster. "Now, all over Europe you have a lot of American series in prime time."
"Increasingly a lot of that money is coming from television," said Barry Meyer, chairman and chief executive of Warner Brothers. "The demand for American-produced television shows is stronger than it has ever been."
U.S. culture is blossoming even in the Middle East, where polls consistently show starkly negative views of the United States. Viacom started MTV Arabia last fall and introduced Nickelodeon Arabia in July on satellite services - endeavors that entail lessons in cultural sensitivity.
Much of American programming is beamed to Middle Eastern audiences from two satellite channels, MBC2 and MBC4, owned by the Saudi-financed Middle East Broadcasting Center. In prime time recently on MBC4 was "8 Simple Rules," the ABC sitcom that starred the late John Ritter, and the gossip shows "The Insider" and "Inside Edition." Oprah Winfrey's show is also popular.
Amahl Bishara, an assistant professor of anthropology at Tufts University who recently spent two years in the West Bank studying the media there, said she had noticed that MBC2, which carries U.S. movies, was particularly popular.
"There's an acute understanding of the difference between the U.S. government and the American people," she said. "And they look at U.S. entertainment as just that, entertainment."
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Pheonix TV
I remember that when I was small, I always watched the Phoenix TV. (Because it was available in my old home) I felt it was quite boring at that time, since it was full o f news and information. However, recently I feel quite interested in one of its show called 魯豫有約， it is a talk show. The host will interview many kinds of people including pop stars and professional people. It will give much background information instead of only presenting it in an entertaining way. After I visited the station, I realize that their target audiences are who have high education.
My vision has been widened on that day. It makes me know that producing news report is a complicated process. They have to search and buy some information of the news from other media company. Also, the lady who talks to us helps us know more about the situation in China. For myself, I think that the method of collecting news and the operation of the station is a phenomenon of globalization since the news is transferred with high flexibility but the content of it still mainly focus on Asia. Actually, it seems to be popular in China but not in Hong Kong.
Anyway, it was an interesting experience to look in the studio and was funny to take photo
My vision has been widened on that day. It makes me know that producing news report is a complicated process. They have to search and buy some information of the news from other media company. Also, the lady who talks to us helps us know more about the situation in China. For myself, I think that the method of collecting news and the operation of the station is a phenomenon of globalization since the news is transferred with high flexibility but the content of it still mainly focus on Asia. Actually, it seems to be popular in China but not in Hong Kong.
Anyway, it was an interesting experience to look in the studio and was funny to take photo
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Phoenix TV
I am so happy having the chance to visit the Phoenix TV. As a mainland student, I feel more familiar with the Phoenix TV. It has a large impact on many people, since in the mainland, the news and discussions are limited to some extent.
The time for questioning is not so long as I expected,since they are too busy. Although their life are so busy,they are very enthusiasim and friendly, showing us all the Phoenix things.
The Phoenix is designed for Chinese people in mainland and all over the world.So sometimes it is consered by the government. How about the Hong Kong local media?I am still wondering whether news and media corporations in Hong Kong is totally not afraid of the government? And as lots of Hong Kong people do not watch TV,how do local Hong Kong station make profits? Also, I want to know whether people from abroad will keep watching CNN, maybe I should ask Mark .I found the limits that a station have concerning of the audiences may also one feature for itself.
Comparing different media corporations, we may find a globalization phenomenon. Is it really meaningful for all media to be more and more globalized , rather than localized?
Many questions need to be thinking.
The last thing but also important is :Thank you, Lisa ,for preparing this visit and the members of the Phoenix TV who are so friendly and helpful.
The time for questioning is not so long as I expected,since they are too busy. Although their life are so busy,they are very enthusiasim and friendly, showing us all the Phoenix things.
The Phoenix is designed for Chinese people in mainland and all over the world.So sometimes it is consered by the government. How about the Hong Kong local media?I am still wondering whether news and media corporations in Hong Kong is totally not afraid of the government? And as lots of Hong Kong people do not watch TV,how do local Hong Kong station make profits? Also, I want to know whether people from abroad will keep watching CNN, maybe I should ask Mark .I found the limits that a station have concerning of the audiences may also one feature for itself.
Comparing different media corporations, we may find a globalization phenomenon. Is it really meaningful for all media to be more and more globalized , rather than localized?
Many questions need to be thinking.
The last thing but also important is :Thank you, Lisa ,for preparing this visit and the members of the Phoenix TV who are so friendly and helpful.
On visiting Phoenix TV
Watching fashion programme in Phoenix Chinese TV, not my usual choice, during writing this article. It is impossible to imagine that all these programmes are produced in those tiny studios. When the PR manager said that they earn about 1.2billion last year, that AMAZED me. I had that perceptions that Phoenix has a huge base of audience, but turn out they have like 2 hundred million in China. Later I realize they do not need a huge base of audiences. They just need the right audiences, the audiences who is willing to spent, appear to be intellectuals, so business will place advertisement in the channel.
Apple Daily and Phoenix TV
There is not enough time to ask them questions. It is really funny that the InfoNews Channel I am watching is in traditional Chinese subtitles, instead of the simplified one. When the anchor is summing up the editorials of the day in the morning news programme, the Apple Daily's (pro-democracy paper, paper sell really well just like the NYTimes, but the context is like the Mirror ) editorial is always missing. But when during the visit to our last stop -- the library, I saw a stack of Apple Daily's newspaper stand there. Oh, I thought they ignored the paper entirely, but turn out not to be true. I wanted to ask a silly question , why are the papers here but they are never used in the channel. That give me some insight of where they are setting the station in Hong Kong, at least they can read democratic paper which are forbidden in China.
Political Correctness
Comparing to CCTV news, Phoenix is more appealing to me. CCTV news is so unbelievably formal (the clothes, the PTH, etc), always politically correct. Phoenix is more vivid and seem a little open-minded. Yet, that is just a packing. They would not address Ma Ying Jiu as President of Taiwan, but the Leader of Taiwan. They introduce a lot about Taiwan to Chinese audience in "pro-unification with China" perspectives. What the editor said in the meeting room does disappoint me. They will delete a commentary made by guest because of the "government officials" dislike it. Why would I be surprise? They are communist after all, to conform is communist 101. Freedom of speech is practicing in Hong Kong, but not in China after all.
Patriotic?
Anyway, comparing to TVB or ATV news (the only two free TV channels in Hong Kong, TVB get 90% of the HK audiences.), Phoenix has a more wide and global perspectives. That is the greatness of Phoenix. TVB or ATV seldom cover news in Middle East or Africa (Unless the Prime Minister place a visit there). Phoenix has reporters all over the world, including Tehran. A patriot can be very cosmopolitan person!
This trip is definitely an eye-opener. And I think.... they need a new PR manager.. (the current one is great, but Phoenix deserves better.. don't you think?)
Apple Daily and Phoenix TV
There is not enough time to ask them questions. It is really funny that the InfoNews Channel I am watching is in traditional Chinese subtitles, instead of the simplified one. When the anchor is summing up the editorials of the day in the morning news programme, the Apple Daily's (pro-democracy paper, paper sell really well just like the NYTimes, but the context is like the Mirror ) editorial is always missing. But when during the visit to our last stop -- the library, I saw a stack of Apple Daily's newspaper stand there. Oh, I thought they ignored the paper entirely, but turn out not to be true. I wanted to ask a silly question , why are the papers here but they are never used in the channel. That give me some insight of where they are setting the station in Hong Kong, at least they can read democratic paper which are forbidden in China.
Political Correctness
Comparing to CCTV news, Phoenix is more appealing to me. CCTV news is so unbelievably formal (the clothes, the PTH, etc), always politically correct. Phoenix is more vivid and seem a little open-minded. Yet, that is just a packing. They would not address Ma Ying Jiu as President of Taiwan, but the Leader of Taiwan. They introduce a lot about Taiwan to Chinese audience in "pro-unification with China" perspectives. What the editor said in the meeting room does disappoint me. They will delete a commentary made by guest because of the "government officials" dislike it. Why would I be surprise? They are communist after all, to conform is communist 101. Freedom of speech is practicing in Hong Kong, but not in China after all.
Patriotic?
Anyway, comparing to TVB or ATV news (the only two free TV channels in Hong Kong, TVB get 90% of the HK audiences.), Phoenix has a more wide and global perspectives. That is the greatness of Phoenix. TVB or ATV seldom cover news in Middle East or Africa (Unless the Prime Minister place a visit there). Phoenix has reporters all over the world, including Tehran. A patriot can be very cosmopolitan person!
This trip is definitely an eye-opener. And I think.... they need a new PR manager.. (the current one is great, but Phoenix deserves better.. don't you think?)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Observations in Zhaokang Light Rail station
Last Friday, Jenny and I had observation about how people use mobile phones in Zhaokang Light Rail station. As Jenny mentioned, a women and asecondary female student used their phones to make appointments. They both talked about their future plans that people would not waste any time while waiting the trains.
There was an interesting phenomenon, while I walked towards two ladies talking in the phones, they both walked away. However, I just pretended to watch the line map. I didn’t know that it was whether a kind of privatizing the public space. Their voices were soft and walked around in the station. They expected others not listening to them. Moreover, a teenage girl phoned to a boy asking where was him. She asked him to be faster that she and her friends had already reached the destination. In the conversation, she had passed the phone to different people to talk with the boy. After a few minutes, the boy appeared opposite the station where the girls stood but they still talked in the phone. When girls watched the boy crossing the road, they asked him to walk faster in the phone. It seemed that the phone connect them from different space to the same space.
Apart from using the phone to communicate, one young girls used her phone to play games and her friend was looking at her and discussed with her. Besides, some adults also played the games in the phone while waiting the train. And people were very keen on sending messages that they typed very fast and put their phones in the pockets. Then they soon took the phones and sent the other messages again.
From the above observation, I think that mobile phone is closely related to time that everyone uses their phone to increase the speed of events and save their time.
There was an interesting phenomenon, while I walked towards two ladies talking in the phones, they both walked away. However, I just pretended to watch the line map. I didn’t know that it was whether a kind of privatizing the public space. Their voices were soft and walked around in the station. They expected others not listening to them. Moreover, a teenage girl phoned to a boy asking where was him. She asked him to be faster that she and her friends had already reached the destination. In the conversation, she had passed the phone to different people to talk with the boy. After a few minutes, the boy appeared opposite the station where the girls stood but they still talked in the phone. When girls watched the boy crossing the road, they asked him to walk faster in the phone. It seemed that the phone connect them from different space to the same space.
Apart from using the phone to communicate, one young girls used her phone to play games and her friend was looking at her and discussed with her. Besides, some adults also played the games in the phone while waiting the train. And people were very keen on sending messages that they typed very fast and put their phones in the pockets. Then they soon took the phones and sent the other messages again.
From the above observation, I think that mobile phone is closely related to time that everyone uses their phone to increase the speed of events and save their time.
Cell phone that keep us busy
Sorry that I missed the action research on Friday. I was suffering from diarrhea that day. But I did my research over the past week.
Connection amongst strangers
I was on the minibus from Jordon to Gold Coast. A guy sat in front of me and he kept talking on the mobile phone with her girlfriend. When the mini bus got around Siu Lam, he did not know where he was. So he kept asking where was her girlfriend and told her what he saw(I saw many trees, just over the bridge, i saw the BBQ sign...) And a very friendly middle age women offered help and told him you were in Siu Lam and the next stop would be Gold Coast. The mini bus driver overheard too and asked "where is your girlfriend? How is she look like? Is she going to get on this bus? This bus is not going to Yuen Long!(The destination of the bus was intended to go to Yuen Long)" When the bus got to Gold Coast and her girlfriend got on the bus and the driver told them, I could take you both to the mini bus stop that you could get bus to Yuen Long. The most amazing thing is that the guy did not ask for help, but everyone helped because we can hear clearly what he was talking about. The connection between Hongkongers started and ended in that journey.
The 3G window shopping
I was waiting for my friend in Time square, a huge plasma TV was over my head. I witnessed how the woman use her 3G moblie phone. She was so concetrated on the screen and wear the hand-free earphone, talking loudly over the phone, as if there was nobody but herself. "Wow.. really? That is so pretty! Yes, let's buy this one." Yes, she was doing a real virtual window shopping with her friend. I am amazed. She did not move arround, she just stood there and talk and talk and talk over 15 minutes. I was forced to overheard her whole conversation! As a 3G user myself, I do admit that sometime I talk to people via 3G. But it could not last long, the reception is not that good. Appoxiamtely for 3 -5 minutes just to find out where the person is (people do lie about where they are, very often...). It is impossible to move arround when you are talking and looking via the phone.
Confession...
I am not a peeking tom. But I did take picture of someone who I find funny. A little boy was playing with the pole in the train. He dance by using the pole. I could not resist to use my phone to take picture of him, and he did not know that.
Mobile phone today cannot just be a mobile phone that could only receive and dial a call. It has to be packed with functionssss. Games, Walkman, GPRS system, camera, Internet connection, messaging, visual calling and many more in the future. When Camera married mobile phone, make every little thing become important. You could take picture whatever you want and the memory of that moment being enlarge. That moment might not be that important if you did not film it. But with the picture, you enlarge every little details of that experience. Mobile phone become our necessity, not only because the connection with people, but the additional functions that it contained. You can kill time by surfing the web using your cell, it can give you direction with the GPRS system, you have to check the email every five minutes to see if the client has confirmed the meeting or not.......
The connection between you and the phone is much more important than the connection between you and people arround you.
Connection amongst strangers
I was on the minibus from Jordon to Gold Coast. A guy sat in front of me and he kept talking on the mobile phone with her girlfriend. When the mini bus got around Siu Lam, he did not know where he was. So he kept asking where was her girlfriend and told her what he saw(I saw many trees, just over the bridge, i saw the BBQ sign...) And a very friendly middle age women offered help and told him you were in Siu Lam and the next stop would be Gold Coast. The mini bus driver overheard too and asked "where is your girlfriend? How is she look like? Is she going to get on this bus? This bus is not going to Yuen Long!(The destination of the bus was intended to go to Yuen Long)" When the bus got to Gold Coast and her girlfriend got on the bus and the driver told them, I could take you both to the mini bus stop that you could get bus to Yuen Long. The most amazing thing is that the guy did not ask for help, but everyone helped because we can hear clearly what he was talking about. The connection between Hongkongers started and ended in that journey.
The 3G window shopping
I was waiting for my friend in Time square, a huge plasma TV was over my head. I witnessed how the woman use her 3G moblie phone. She was so concetrated on the screen and wear the hand-free earphone, talking loudly over the phone, as if there was nobody but herself. "Wow.. really? That is so pretty! Yes, let's buy this one." Yes, she was doing a real virtual window shopping with her friend. I am amazed. She did not move arround, she just stood there and talk and talk and talk over 15 minutes. I was forced to overheard her whole conversation! As a 3G user myself, I do admit that sometime I talk to people via 3G. But it could not last long, the reception is not that good. Appoxiamtely for 3 -5 minutes just to find out where the person is (people do lie about where they are, very often...). It is impossible to move arround when you are talking and looking via the phone.
Confession...
I am not a peeking tom. But I did take picture of someone who I find funny. A little boy was playing with the pole in the train. He dance by using the pole. I could not resist to use my phone to take picture of him, and he did not know that.
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| 寄件者 Silly stuff |
Mobile phone today cannot just be a mobile phone that could only receive and dial a call. It has to be packed with functionssss. Games, Walkman, GPRS system, camera, Internet connection, messaging, visual calling and many more in the future. When Camera married mobile phone, make every little thing become important. You could take picture whatever you want and the memory of that moment being enlarge. That moment might not be that important if you did not film it. But with the picture, you enlarge every little details of that experience. Mobile phone become our necessity, not only because the connection with people, but the additional functions that it contained. You can kill time by surfing the web using your cell, it can give you direction with the GPRS system, you have to check the email every five minutes to see if the client has confirmed the meeting or not.......
The connection between you and the phone is much more important than the connection between you and people arround you.
Disconnected
So I walked around the library, and the canteen observing people and the way they were using their phones.
I kept noticing their body language, whether they were texting or talking on the phone they immediately disengaged from whatever they were doing, unless they were just walking which they continued to do so. People did stop sometimes, mid walk to pull out their phones and glare at the number.
I also noticed some of my friends and the way they behave when someone calls. The most common was to just glance at the number and say hello, one of my friends cursed when she saw who was calling and threw her phone back in purse. Another told me that she screens every call that comes in because she has a stalker that keeps calling her. Most other people would answer their calls, become steely eyed and fidget with whatever they were holding. They actually seemed to leave this world mentally and were somewhere else for a while, sometimes just walking in a circle, smiling or frowning their attention far far away.
The exception to this was in the library where around the computers at least calls were urgent and shushed. The girl sitting next to me would keep glancing around to see if anyone saw her, and cut her call quickly. Someone else had her phone in her hand and was walking around the shelves poking her head around every now and then to see whos calling.
There were a few people playing with their psps/nintendos at the canteen, and on the mtr over the weekend. They disengaged completely from the world around them. My roomate who plays with his nintendo sometimes doesnt even know if I'm talkign to him, he is so focussed. One of the saddest sights I saw was at a mcdonalds once where this really fat man was sitting across his girlfriend playing on his psp while his girlfriend fed him french fries. He was totally engrossed in the game, and neither of them were talking. I thought that was the saddest sight I had seen, like a commercial for obesity and lack of reality rolled into one. I thought, "if this is the future, what hope do we have?" I really do think portable games are a waste of time, but then I think video games are too. At what point do we realise that we're too disconnected from reality? Portable video games arent a substitute for real life, our lives shouldnt be that bad that we need such an escape from it.
This class has also made me reflect on the use of mp3s, ipods and portable music. I love my music on the go, walking around central or mongkok listening to music is one of my favorite things to do because i am engaged in the world yet i feel like i am apart from it. Whatever sights I see, seem like the music video to whatever song im listening to, it's so much more pleasant. Most people who I saw listening to their music, were quite attentive to the world, visually at least.
This has all left me curious, what kind of future are we going to see? I'm imaging something like the matrix...
I kept noticing their body language, whether they were texting or talking on the phone they immediately disengaged from whatever they were doing, unless they were just walking which they continued to do so. People did stop sometimes, mid walk to pull out their phones and glare at the number.
I also noticed some of my friends and the way they behave when someone calls. The most common was to just glance at the number and say hello, one of my friends cursed when she saw who was calling and threw her phone back in purse. Another told me that she screens every call that comes in because she has a stalker that keeps calling her. Most other people would answer their calls, become steely eyed and fidget with whatever they were holding. They actually seemed to leave this world mentally and were somewhere else for a while, sometimes just walking in a circle, smiling or frowning their attention far far away.
The exception to this was in the library where around the computers at least calls were urgent and shushed. The girl sitting next to me would keep glancing around to see if anyone saw her, and cut her call quickly. Someone else had her phone in her hand and was walking around the shelves poking her head around every now and then to see whos calling.
There were a few people playing with their psps/nintendos at the canteen, and on the mtr over the weekend. They disengaged completely from the world around them. My roomate who plays with his nintendo sometimes doesnt even know if I'm talkign to him, he is so focussed. One of the saddest sights I saw was at a mcdonalds once where this really fat man was sitting across his girlfriend playing on his psp while his girlfriend fed him french fries. He was totally engrossed in the game, and neither of them were talking. I thought that was the saddest sight I had seen, like a commercial for obesity and lack of reality rolled into one. I thought, "if this is the future, what hope do we have?" I really do think portable games are a waste of time, but then I think video games are too. At what point do we realise that we're too disconnected from reality? Portable video games arent a substitute for real life, our lives shouldnt be that bad that we need such an escape from it.
This class has also made me reflect on the use of mp3s, ipods and portable music. I love my music on the go, walking around central or mongkok listening to music is one of my favorite things to do because i am engaged in the world yet i feel like i am apart from it. Whatever sights I see, seem like the music video to whatever song im listening to, it's so much more pleasant. Most people who I saw listening to their music, were quite attentive to the world, visually at least.
This has all left me curious, what kind of future are we going to see? I'm imaging something like the matrix...
Friday, November 14, 2008
Some notes on mobile phones oberservation
Chering, Yvonne and I went on K51 to Tuen Mun Town Centre to see how people use their phones on bus and at the bus stop. It was excited that we pretended to be not knowing each other and sat separately. We tried to be an ordinary passenger instead of a researcher. In front of me was a young couple. The girl kept on sending SMS to her friend. Although she was texting, she leaned against her boyfriend shoulder and rolled his arm. It seemed that she was trying to keep a close distance with her boyfriend even though she was communciating with another time and space. A minute after, the boy's mobile phone rang and he picked up the phone. The girl could not lean his shoulder and roll his arm anymore because the boy was trying to sit straight in order to answer the call. The girl then put her hand on top of the boy's hand which was not holding the phone, to show her intimate care. In this sense, the girl has tried all means to tackle the farness brought by mobile phones and made her boyfriend felt connected in the intimate relationship.
Another interesting obersavtion I made was in the Tuen Mun Town Centre bus stop. The major attribute of mobile phones was reversed. The word "mobile" means you are able to move freely. However, I saw a user could not move freely when he was using mobile phone. It is because he was smoking next to the garbage can. Since the penality of littering is $1500 HKD, people are afraid to be charged.The user had to stop near to the garbage can and had a quick smoking before going on the bus. The social regulations blocked the mobility of mobile phone. The user could not go anywhere he wanted but stoped a particular place before he finished his cigarette.
Another interesting obersavtion I made was in the Tuen Mun Town Centre bus stop. The major attribute of mobile phones was reversed. The word "mobile" means you are able to move freely. However, I saw a user could not move freely when he was using mobile phone. It is because he was smoking next to the garbage can. Since the penality of littering is $1500 HKD, people are afraid to be charged.The user had to stop near to the garbage can and had a quick smoking before going on the bus. The social regulations blocked the mobility of mobile phone. The user could not go anywhere he wanted but stoped a particular place before he finished his cigarette.
Observations over the weekend
Thanks very much Yvonne and Jenny for their very prompt sharing! You can even post your photos in this space!
Maybe a further reflection would be whether some people would use the phone differently than others, at certain times of the day, eg. working people would definitely tend to use the phone for work purpose during working hours. So what conclusions can you draw from those people you saw at that certain time in the day at these places?
Also the way young people use the phones, are they only using mobile phones and not other mobile technology like interactive games?
Some personal reflection: do you think this exericise made you see more of the scenes you have been so used to by now? This is also a way to help us reflect how WE have been going through time and space, blurring public and private and coping with the differing identities at the same time.
You can certainly extend this observation over the weekend, and continue to notice how people might use it differently, in other spaces like restaurants, or even domestic spaces like the home!
lisa
Maybe a further reflection would be whether some people would use the phone differently than others, at certain times of the day, eg. working people would definitely tend to use the phone for work purpose during working hours. So what conclusions can you draw from those people you saw at that certain time in the day at these places?
Also the way young people use the phones, are they only using mobile phones and not other mobile technology like interactive games?
Some personal reflection: do you think this exericise made you see more of the scenes you have been so used to by now? This is also a way to help us reflect how WE have been going through time and space, blurring public and private and coping with the differing identities at the same time.
You can certainly extend this observation over the weekend, and continue to notice how people might use it differently, in other spaces like restaurants, or even domestic spaces like the home!
lisa
My reflections of mobile phone research
My team aimed at finding how people using cell phone at the bus and the bus stops. We chose to take No.51 to start our research. As there are two floors in the bus ,we first sat separately on the first floor. I found three people using their mobile phone,two of which were sitting together. They are friends.After they talked with each other ,they began using their own mobile phones.
The rest was a girl who was keeping her phone for a long time. There were also people who checked their cell phones perhaps for either the time or the messages. On the second floor,there was an old man using cell phone.
At the bus stops,using mobile phone is a common phenomenon. I think it is a thing that did not needed to be done,but calling to people just let us feel convenience and relax.
At Tuen Mun,I also called my friend to ask whether she would like to come. That is convenient and easy to do.
My team aimed at finding how people using cell phone at the bus and the bus stops. We chose to take No.51 to start our research. As there are two floors in the bus ,we first sat separately on the first floor. I found three people using their mobile phone,two of which were sitting together. They are friends.After they talked with each other ,they began using their own mobile phones.
The rest was a girl who was keeping her phone for a long time. There were also people who checked their cell phones perhaps for either the time or the messages. On the second floor,there was an old man using cell phone.
At the bus stops,using mobile phone is a common phenomenon. I think it is a thing that did not needed to be done,but calling to people just let us feel convenience and relax.
At Tuen Mun,I also called my friend to ask whether she would like to come. That is convenient and easy to do.
observation in Zhao Kang Light Rail
Jennifer and I were in Zhaokang Light Rail station, observing people with cellphones for about half an hour. At first we were trying to find out the proportion that people with cellphones and ipods out of total people waiting the train, but later we found it just unrealistic to figure out the number because people seemed flowing all the time. but we indeed wrote down anyone using cellphone or ipod we had seen.
people in the station using cellphone mostly talk to someone and speak very fast. We sat beside a woman who were talking a little bit loud to her phone so that we can eavesdrop. she just were unaware of my existence even when i sometimes stared at her.yes, maybe we were in different time and space even though our actual distance was less than 20cm. Jennifer told me that she was making some appointment with the one over the phone. after several eavesdroping Jennifer said they were similar to the woman, all making future plans even in the so called 'waste time' in stead of asking 'useless information' like 'what are you doing'.
because it was the time when students went back home from school, we saw many groups of four or five teens who got together using only one cellphone. what interests me is that the mobile phone considered to construct a space that separates from the public is once again becoming a tool to construct a space for a certain community. teens are not so independent as adults and they have a much higher desire for recognition of identity in a community, also, at the same time resisting the public which is certainly controled by adults.
taken the concept of mental time and space into consideration, i just found it quite interesting to see a indian-like man stop talking to the phone and begin to run right after he saw the bus he needed to take. It is just like there has to be some emergency in the reality that can only draw back this person from where his mind locates.
we also saw some people with their ipod earphone even on a phone call, two elementary school students with their cellphones hanging in front of their chest, three men read traditional media-books and magazines- for killing time and etc. i'd better stop here maybe Jennifer can say a bit more!
Mobile communications, mobile identities: action research
Hi all,
Hope you have all had very interesting experience on the action research!we can compare detailed notes in next week's class, but for here we can put down main observations, especially how that helps us reflect on the impact/ implications of mobile communication technologies on our every life, with specific reference to:
i) connectivity
ii) interpersonal relationship
iii) the blurring of time and space; public and private
iv) identit(ies) and community building
v) tactics (to resist control, delay/ distruct communication)
you can also reflect on your own usage of mobile technologies!
Lisa
Hope you have all had very interesting experience on the action research!we can compare detailed notes in next week's class, but for here we can put down main observations, especially how that helps us reflect on the impact/ implications of mobile communication technologies on our every life, with specific reference to:
i) connectivity
ii) interpersonal relationship
iii) the blurring of time and space; public and private
iv) identit(ies) and community building
v) tactics (to resist control, delay/ distruct communication)
you can also reflect on your own usage of mobile technologies!
Lisa
Saturday, November 8, 2008
How the image of "Gentle" Korean man is constructed?
After two lessons on Korean and Japanese drama, I couldn't help thinking how the positive, gentle, sensitive male figure is being constructed in TV drama.
I always know that in reality Japanese or Korean male is very bossy and really look down at women. But the Korean TV drama is constructing an very opposite of male figure. And most amazingly, many women fell in love with the "illusion". I call that an illusion is because of that figure is so different from the reality male image. How could those women have consent with it? The women here is women all over the world. If the Korean man in reality is so bossy, how could they thinking and constructing a gentle and have a sense to care women figure? What is the connection between the illusion and reality?
Referring to the reading distributed last week, some Japanese women are trying to marry a "Gentle" korean man because of those dramas. I could not believe that Japanese women could be that naive. What does this tell us? Why those "illusion" is becoming a real Korean male figure? What is the "magic" behind it?
I always know that in reality Japanese or Korean male is very bossy and really look down at women. But the Korean TV drama is constructing an very opposite of male figure. And most amazingly, many women fell in love with the "illusion". I call that an illusion is because of that figure is so different from the reality male image. How could those women have consent with it? The women here is women all over the world. If the Korean man in reality is so bossy, how could they thinking and constructing a gentle and have a sense to care women figure? What is the connection between the illusion and reality?
Referring to the reading distributed last week, some Japanese women are trying to marry a "Gentle" korean man because of those dramas. I could not believe that Japanese women could be that naive. What does this tell us? Why those "illusion" is becoming a real Korean male figure? What is the "magic" behind it?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Marilyn Mansion
Chung King Mansion!!
First and foremost, this is late. I wrote half of it a week ago.
But back to that Saturday;
I was nervous as I walked in, but intrigued with what Dan had to say. Having visited the States before, I’m familiar with the bureaucracy involved with trying to get a visa, and the hassle and degradation one has to put up with. Hong Kong itself changed its visa laws two years ago, back then I didn’t need a visa and now I do, the process itself being complicated. I wish countries were more friendly when it comes to immigration, often these are people are capable of being very productive members of society and wouldn’t resort to anything criminal were they allowed an equal chance and a shot at life.
When I saw the two Sri Lankan ladies I recognized one of them as being distinctively Sri Lankan, I thought “uh oh”, and for a second there I debated being honest about my origin, but decided to tell the truth in the end. I often tell people that I am from the States, to avoid the ton of questions that South Asians have in store as well as the other dramas that follow from the “Aunties” when they realize I don’t speak the language. The ladies were on the edges of their seats after that, and I felt like it would be rude to choose not to be in their group. What I did not expect was the exchange that took place thereafter.
We started out introducing ourselves, the students had already prepared questions which they were to ask us, basic things, about what we do for fun, etc: We were with the two Sri Lankan ladies, an Afghanistani, and another lady with a head scarf that didn’t talk, just stared. The teacher seemed to expect silence from the last lady and everyone seemed to ignore her, halfway through her phone rang, she left to answer it and never came back. But back to the group, the Afghanistani was very enthusiastic and often his enthusiasm surpassed his English skills, I understood little of what he said, I did gather that he liked to shoot, ran a grocery where he sold guns and for festivals would slaughter sheep. He also likes to watch gymnastic routines. He didn’t seem too interested in asking me questions, and soon went to the other side of the room to talk to a Japanese student from West Highland(?). The Sri Lankan ladies seized this chance to ask me the characteristic questions one expects from South Asians, this is; where do you live? What school did you go to? What do your parents do? What ethnicity are you? I answered all their questions, trying to remain a little aloof; Sri Lankans are very class segregated but they seemed to put all that aside in their excitement at having found another Sri Lankan. Knowing that these were refugees and probably Tamil, I played up on being an outsider to the war. The Sinhalese would normally not be too fond of meeting a tamil refugee as they would just caption them as being a “terrorist”, wheras a Tamil refugee wouldn’t be too fond of meeting a Sri Lankan, that is the people that victimized her, and have resulted in her having to leave her homeland. By birth right I am Sinhalese, that is the major ethnic group in Sri Lanka but I’m mixed with a tonne of others, so I told her that my mother is a malay(from Malaysia- though this is not entirely true), and I told her that I was mainly burgher(dutch/Portuguese ancestry – which is true). The fact that I couldn’t speak Sinhalese must have affirmed that with them, the burghers are another minority, and a neutral entity in this war.
After the formalities were done with, the stories unfolded and the lady told us her story, that she labeled, “her problem”. She comes from a town by the beach centered in the Northern part of the country. While this areas is accessible, often it is frequented by the tamil tigers( the terrorist group), once, she told us they came over and told her and her family that they need to leave within 24 hours or they would be shot. She seems to have left her house and come back many times, just to leave again. Most of the land that she has, acres at that have been occupied by the tamil tigers. According to her the tigers claim that she is collaborating with the Sinhalese, as she herself is a Sinhalese, while the sri lankan army, based on her darker appearance presume here to be a Tamil and perhaps a Tiger. She has a lot of trouble in Colombo, she would often get stopped at a check point and on realization that she is from the north, and is darker in appearance they check her once even putting her in Jail and demanding a bribe for her release. The Sri Lankan police are very corrupt by the way and I cannot even imagine what it must be like for a Tamil person, they need to realize that not every Tamil is a terrorist or pro Tamil Tiger. Anyway her husband has been in jail for a while and at present is in hiding, living with his mother. I didn’t ask her why, I think she said that they framed him. She also told me that she used to be in Hong Kong, and had previously stayed here ten years. Growing up in Sri Lanka you learn not to be very trusting, and while I initially felt compassion for her, I really don’t know what to believe. While I am not sure I believe her story a 100%, she is clearly a victim in this war, and doesn’t have a very rosy future. She does keep occupied, and has “a sharp eye” as she says, only needing to observe once to pick up skills. As proof she pulled out her knitting and showed it to me, I think she learnt how to knit at one of the classes Christian action has for offer. They were both very pleased with the organization, it gives them something to do, something to smile about.
The other Sri Lankan was hard to understand, she is here to work and is currently employed, making 5000HK$ a month. She mumbled something about the LTTE but she lives in a suburb of the capital; Colombo, and is clearly Sinhalese, she is an “economic migrant perhaps?” She was also very enthusiastic and kept blurting out random observations and questions, not all of which I understood. But as she left I heard her telling the other Sri Lankan, in Sinhalese that I was a, “nice boy”.
I left Christian Action wanting to come back again, to volunteer with them. The teacher was friendly, the students nice, they all had stories and tales. The Tamil looking Sri Lankan had her story etched on her face, and her black eyes were filled with emotion. She had a gaze that was defiant, that screamed that she’s not a victim, that she won’t be oppressed, that she’d find a way to survive. At one point her eyes swelled up with tears, she said that regardless she loved Sri Lanka, and that given the opportunity she’d go back to it. I felt my eyes start to well up too. Meeting other Sri Lankans, specially ones so different from myself always starts some introspective, questioning process where I compare my life, my identity to them. I have spent my life wanting to leave Sri Lanka, and given the opportunity, she would want to go back? I distance myself from my own kind, but on Saturday, despite all our differences, there was a sense of kinship. I did however feel a tad bit ashamed, I live such a different life, I have no local identity.
Chung King mansion was interesting otherwise, people just zoomed in and out minding their own business, shopping, talking. The South Asians tended to gather together, while the Africans also mixed with themselves. It wasn’t a very friendly place, but neither was it unwelcoming. Having brown skin, I didn’t stand out by myself, perhaps an odd glance or two, but no jaw dropping stares. The building was dirty, and derelict, while the occasional white, budget tourist wandered to and fro. I can see how this place seemed welcoming to the South Asian/African tourist, Chung King mansion is their Diaspora hot spot, I almost felt as if I was in another country, I’m sure everyone else felt the same way.
I couldn’t talk to anyone, no one really seemed that approachable, talking to them felt as if I would cross that buyer/seller boundary, a boundary I shouldn’t cross there. Friendliness didn’t seem to exist outside of Christian Action. I couldn’t help but contrast this place to Hong Kongs other tourist- foreign areas; Lan Kwai Fong, Soho, TST, etc: where foreigners mingle, are friendly and would invite conversation. Chung King mansions patrons were less “internationalized/globalised”, and the site itself serves as a meeting place, a haven for its minorities. Having been there at night, the place is certainly different, I get stared at more with eyes that seem to inquire the agenda of my visit. This was one of the rarer times that I have been around the Chung King mansion area and not got offered drugs.
The world needs a shift in its mentality. We are all closed, within our cultures and our ways of life. Immigrants aren’t going to pose a threat. Hong Kong is restricted in it’s mentality, the world is restricted in it’s mentality, these people need a chance at life and they’re just stagnating here, it’s a sad situation. I was disgusted by Mustafas(?) comments on how no one would give him change for his money. I have no idea why the Hong Kong government won’t sign what it needs to in order to facilitate this process, and I don’t know why it holds such negative perceptions of the African minority. We need change!
First and foremost, this is late. I wrote half of it a week ago.
But back to that Saturday;
I was nervous as I walked in, but intrigued with what Dan had to say. Having visited the States before, I’m familiar with the bureaucracy involved with trying to get a visa, and the hassle and degradation one has to put up with. Hong Kong itself changed its visa laws two years ago, back then I didn’t need a visa and now I do, the process itself being complicated. I wish countries were more friendly when it comes to immigration, often these are people are capable of being very productive members of society and wouldn’t resort to anything criminal were they allowed an equal chance and a shot at life.
When I saw the two Sri Lankan ladies I recognized one of them as being distinctively Sri Lankan, I thought “uh oh”, and for a second there I debated being honest about my origin, but decided to tell the truth in the end. I often tell people that I am from the States, to avoid the ton of questions that South Asians have in store as well as the other dramas that follow from the “Aunties” when they realize I don’t speak the language. The ladies were on the edges of their seats after that, and I felt like it would be rude to choose not to be in their group. What I did not expect was the exchange that took place thereafter.
We started out introducing ourselves, the students had already prepared questions which they were to ask us, basic things, about what we do for fun, etc: We were with the two Sri Lankan ladies, an Afghanistani, and another lady with a head scarf that didn’t talk, just stared. The teacher seemed to expect silence from the last lady and everyone seemed to ignore her, halfway through her phone rang, she left to answer it and never came back. But back to the group, the Afghanistani was very enthusiastic and often his enthusiasm surpassed his English skills, I understood little of what he said, I did gather that he liked to shoot, ran a grocery where he sold guns and for festivals would slaughter sheep. He also likes to watch gymnastic routines. He didn’t seem too interested in asking me questions, and soon went to the other side of the room to talk to a Japanese student from West Highland(?). The Sri Lankan ladies seized this chance to ask me the characteristic questions one expects from South Asians, this is; where do you live? What school did you go to? What do your parents do? What ethnicity are you? I answered all their questions, trying to remain a little aloof; Sri Lankans are very class segregated but they seemed to put all that aside in their excitement at having found another Sri Lankan. Knowing that these were refugees and probably Tamil, I played up on being an outsider to the war. The Sinhalese would normally not be too fond of meeting a tamil refugee as they would just caption them as being a “terrorist”, wheras a Tamil refugee wouldn’t be too fond of meeting a Sri Lankan, that is the people that victimized her, and have resulted in her having to leave her homeland. By birth right I am Sinhalese, that is the major ethnic group in Sri Lanka but I’m mixed with a tonne of others, so I told her that my mother is a malay(from Malaysia- though this is not entirely true), and I told her that I was mainly burgher(dutch/Portuguese ancestry – which is true). The fact that I couldn’t speak Sinhalese must have affirmed that with them, the burghers are another minority, and a neutral entity in this war.
After the formalities were done with, the stories unfolded and the lady told us her story, that she labeled, “her problem”. She comes from a town by the beach centered in the Northern part of the country. While this areas is accessible, often it is frequented by the tamil tigers( the terrorist group), once, she told us they came over and told her and her family that they need to leave within 24 hours or they would be shot. She seems to have left her house and come back many times, just to leave again. Most of the land that she has, acres at that have been occupied by the tamil tigers. According to her the tigers claim that she is collaborating with the Sinhalese, as she herself is a Sinhalese, while the sri lankan army, based on her darker appearance presume here to be a Tamil and perhaps a Tiger. She has a lot of trouble in Colombo, she would often get stopped at a check point and on realization that she is from the north, and is darker in appearance they check her once even putting her in Jail and demanding a bribe for her release. The Sri Lankan police are very corrupt by the way and I cannot even imagine what it must be like for a Tamil person, they need to realize that not every Tamil is a terrorist or pro Tamil Tiger. Anyway her husband has been in jail for a while and at present is in hiding, living with his mother. I didn’t ask her why, I think she said that they framed him. She also told me that she used to be in Hong Kong, and had previously stayed here ten years. Growing up in Sri Lanka you learn not to be very trusting, and while I initially felt compassion for her, I really don’t know what to believe. While I am not sure I believe her story a 100%, she is clearly a victim in this war, and doesn’t have a very rosy future. She does keep occupied, and has “a sharp eye” as she says, only needing to observe once to pick up skills. As proof she pulled out her knitting and showed it to me, I think she learnt how to knit at one of the classes Christian action has for offer. They were both very pleased with the organization, it gives them something to do, something to smile about.
The other Sri Lankan was hard to understand, she is here to work and is currently employed, making 5000HK$ a month. She mumbled something about the LTTE but she lives in a suburb of the capital; Colombo, and is clearly Sinhalese, she is an “economic migrant perhaps?” She was also very enthusiastic and kept blurting out random observations and questions, not all of which I understood. But as she left I heard her telling the other Sri Lankan, in Sinhalese that I was a, “nice boy”.
I left Christian Action wanting to come back again, to volunteer with them. The teacher was friendly, the students nice, they all had stories and tales. The Tamil looking Sri Lankan had her story etched on her face, and her black eyes were filled with emotion. She had a gaze that was defiant, that screamed that she’s not a victim, that she won’t be oppressed, that she’d find a way to survive. At one point her eyes swelled up with tears, she said that regardless she loved Sri Lanka, and that given the opportunity she’d go back to it. I felt my eyes start to well up too. Meeting other Sri Lankans, specially ones so different from myself always starts some introspective, questioning process where I compare my life, my identity to them. I have spent my life wanting to leave Sri Lanka, and given the opportunity, she would want to go back? I distance myself from my own kind, but on Saturday, despite all our differences, there was a sense of kinship. I did however feel a tad bit ashamed, I live such a different life, I have no local identity.
Chung King mansion was interesting otherwise, people just zoomed in and out minding their own business, shopping, talking. The South Asians tended to gather together, while the Africans also mixed with themselves. It wasn’t a very friendly place, but neither was it unwelcoming. Having brown skin, I didn’t stand out by myself, perhaps an odd glance or two, but no jaw dropping stares. The building was dirty, and derelict, while the occasional white, budget tourist wandered to and fro. I can see how this place seemed welcoming to the South Asian/African tourist, Chung King mansion is their Diaspora hot spot, I almost felt as if I was in another country, I’m sure everyone else felt the same way.
I couldn’t talk to anyone, no one really seemed that approachable, talking to them felt as if I would cross that buyer/seller boundary, a boundary I shouldn’t cross there. Friendliness didn’t seem to exist outside of Christian Action. I couldn’t help but contrast this place to Hong Kongs other tourist- foreign areas; Lan Kwai Fong, Soho, TST, etc: where foreigners mingle, are friendly and would invite conversation. Chung King mansions patrons were less “internationalized/globalised”, and the site itself serves as a meeting place, a haven for its minorities. Having been there at night, the place is certainly different, I get stared at more with eyes that seem to inquire the agenda of my visit. This was one of the rarer times that I have been around the Chung King mansion area and not got offered drugs.
The world needs a shift in its mentality. We are all closed, within our cultures and our ways of life. Immigrants aren’t going to pose a threat. Hong Kong is restricted in it’s mentality, the world is restricted in it’s mentality, these people need a chance at life and they’re just stagnating here, it’s a sad situation. I was disgusted by Mustafas(?) comments on how no one would give him change for his money. I have no idea why the Hong Kong government won’t sign what it needs to in order to facilitate this process, and I don’t know why it holds such negative perceptions of the African minority. We need change!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Creative Commons and business
Never before had I heard of Creative Commons(CC) licenses until attending the lecture yesterday in HKU. It is a new system of reservation of copy right, neither all rights reserved, nor no rights reserved, but some rights reserved. For more explaination accurately please click the link:http://creativecommons.org/. I am quite confused by the relation of copyrights and cultural freedom at first glance. What Prof. Lessig addressed seemed to be that strictly forbidding the remix of the original work with copyrights cannot help flourish the creative works. If the remix is not legally permitted, the generation grown up with appreciating piracy works are actually criminals under the existing copyright license. So there comes the simple solution: the change of the law-- I mean introducing the CC license under the requirement of the local law in different parts of the world. But I just thought of a simple case happening a few years ago, that is, a netizen remixed the blockbuster movie in China called The Promise( Wu Ji) with ironically humor and it was really influential among netizens. Just imagine what will happen if The Promise is under the protection of CC license and I cannot see any needs for the director to distributed his original work in a more creative way. But some can argue that with the CC license we can share his work in a better intention without some annoying legally problems and actually the problems lie in the law is not intended for every case to be distinguished. So the best choice for the director or authoritative ones is all rights reserverd. Another problem for the CC system is where the money goes( I am not sure whether I get the idea of the speaker correctly). If a remix certainly has some commercial values, of course legally permitted under CC license, how to divide the money? Is there another system of business developed suitable for the CC license?
I think if the CC license is put into practice in reality two problems have to be settled, one is to be admitted by local law and the other is the division of the money.
I think if the CC license is put into practice in reality two problems have to be settled, one is to be admitted by local law and the other is the division of the money.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
http://www.hkaff.asia/home.html
here above is the official web site for the HKAFF, and here below is the screening schedule.
it will end at this weekend and i am thinking about to see one or two films, so if anyone wants to go together i certainly warmly welcome! Just contact me !
ps. why we students have to pay such a high ticket fee to see so-called artistic films...
there seems to be no activities for university students are organized by the organizers of film festivals to watch films with low cost. (in beijing students can sit in the cinema even for a whole day during the film festivals...)
well....i just complain a little and still hope to enjoy the films in Hong Kong...
10/10 (Fri) | 7:40pm | 渺渺 Miao Miao | ifc |
7:50pm | 氣候Climates | bc | |
9:45pm | 小城歲月 / 繭 Small Town / Cocoon | bc | |
9:50pm | 我不賣身 我賣子宮 True Women for Sale | ifc | |
11/10 (Sat) | 2:00pm | 亞洲短打2: 第一實驗室 Asian Shorts 2: First Film Lab | bc |
2:30pm | 三丁目之黃昏1 Always - Sunset on Third Street 1 | ifc | |
3:50pm | 我無曳 They Said, I’m a Monkey | bc | |
5:00pm | 甜言蜜雨 Sweet Rain | ifc | |
5:30pm | 那一年的照相館 The Photograph | bc | |
7:10pm | 黑幫有個荷李活 The Magic Hour | ifc | |
7:30pm | 青空の行者 The Sky Crawlers | bc | |
7:40pm | 我的超人男友 The Man Who Was Superman | amc | |
9:40pm | 熱血高校 Crows - Episode O | amc | |
9:50pm | 我的寶萊塢偶象 The Voyeurs | bc | |
9:45pm | 三隻猴子 Three Monkeys | ifc | |
12/10 (Sun) | 1:30pm | 夏至 The Summer Solstice | ifc |
3:30pm | 尋找幸福的日子 Happiness | ifc | |
3:50pm | 亞洲短打1: 彭浩翔的第一次 | bc | |
5:05pm | 等愛 Waiting for Love | bc | |
5:15pm | 三愛太難 Signs of Love | amc | |
5:50pm | 情非得意之生存之道 What on Earth Have I Done Wrong? | ifc | |
6:25pm | 吉野理髮之家 Yoshino’s Barber Shop | bc | |
7:35pm | 死亡預告 Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit | amc | |
7:45pm | 遙遠 Distant | ifc | |
8:10pm | 我的超人男友 The Man Who Was Superman | bc | |
9:50pm | 愛到發燒 Some Like It Hot | ifc | |
9:50pm | 車票 Ticket | amc | |
9:55pm | 20歲的微熱 A Touch of Fever | bc | |
13/10 (Mon) | 7:20pm | 黑幫有個荷李活 The Magic Hour | bc |
7:30pm | 尋找幸福的日子 Happiness | ifc | |
9:50pm | 山梨縣的暑假 This Window Is Yours | bc | |
9:40pm | 機動部隊 - 警例 Tactical Unit - The Code | ifc | |
9:40pm | 甜言蜜雨 Sweet Rain | amc | |
14/10 (Tue) | 7:50pm | 愛到發燒 Some Like It Hot | bc |
9:40pm | 死亡預告 Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit | ifc | |
9:40pm | 五月碧雲天 Clouds of May | amc | |
9:50pm | 青瓜 Cucumber | bc | |
15/10 (Wed) | 7:40pm | 停車 Parking | bc |
7:50pm | 李米的猜想 The Equation of Love and Death | ifc | |
9:30pm | 三丁目之黃昏2 Always - Sunset on Third Street 2 | amc | |
9:40pm | 我們這一家影院…服務周到 Service | ifc | |
9:45pm | 我不賣身 我賣子宮 True Women for Sale | bc | |
16/10 (Thu) | 7:45pm | 14才 Fourteen | bc |
7:45pm | 車票 Ticket | ifc | |
9:40pm | 同班同學 After School | amc | |
9:50pm | 公園和愛情旅館 ASYL: Park and Love Hotel | bc | |
9:50pm | 四女性 Four Women | ifc | |
17/10 (Fri) | 7:40pm | 遙遠 Distant | bc |
7:45pm | 好貓 Good Cats | ifc | |
7:50pm | Pk.com.cn | amc | |
9:40pm | 吉野理髮之家 Yoshino’s Barber Shop | amc | |
9:50pm | 我們這一家影院…服務周到 Service | bc | |
9:50pm | 14才 Fourteen | ifc | |
18/10 (Sat) | 2:10pm | 冷酷仙境 / 明信片 | bc |
3:50pm | 夏旱 Dry Summer | bc | |
4:35pm | 三丁目之黃昏1 Always - Sunset on Third Street 1 | amc | |
5:30pm | 三隻猴子 Three Monkeys | bc | |
7:00pm | 三丁目之黃昏2 Always - Sunset on Third Street 2 | amc | |
7:35pm | 好貓 Good Cats | bc | |
7:45pm | 東京部落 Tokyo! | ifc | |
9:40pm | 李米的猜想 The Equation of Love & Death | amc | |
9:50pm | 海角七號 Cape No. 7 | bc | |
9:50pm | 那一年的照相館 The Photograph | ifc | |
19/10 (Sun) | 2:00pm | 亞洲短打4:2008 JVC東京錄像作品節精選 | bc |
3:40pm | 夏旱 Dry Summer | bc | |
4:05pm | 小城歲月 / 繭 Small Town / Cocoon | ifc | |
5:30pm | 青空の行者 The Sky Crawlers | bc | |
6:05pm | 冷酷仙境 / 明信片 | ifc | |
7:45pm | 機動部隊 - 警例 Tactical Unit - The Code | bc | |
7:50pm | 氣候 Climates | ifc | |
9:40pm | 同班同學 After School | amc | |
9:45pm | 四女性 Four Women | bc | |
9:45pm | 鴕鳥走了 The Song of Sparrows | ifc | |
20/10 (Mon) | 7:40pm | 亞洲短打3: 少年十五二十時 | ifc |
8:00pm | 無眠一夜 Unfinished Stories | amc | |
8:10pm | 等愛 Waiting for Love | bc | |
9:30pm | 黑幫有個荷李活 The Magic Hour | amc | |
9:50pm | 20歲的微熱 A Touch of Fever | bc | |
9:50pm | 夏至 Summer Solstice | ifc | |
21/10 (Tue) | 7:35pm | 我的寶萊塢偶象 The Voyeurs | ifc |
8:15pm | 的哥 Taxi | bc | |
9:40pm | 情非得意之生存之道 | bc | |
9:40pm | 公園和愛情旅館 ASYL: Park and Love Hotel | amc | |
9:50pm | 悲夢 Dream | ifc | |
22/10 (Wed) | 7:30pm | 無眠一夜 Unfinished Stories | bc |
7:50pm | Pk.com.cn | amc | |
9:00pm | 廢城 Ghost town | bc | |
9:40pm | 12蓮花 12 Lotus | amc | |
9:40pm | 三愛太難 Signs of Love | ifc | |
23/10 (Thu) | 7:35pm | 881 | bc |
8:00pm | 我無曳 They Say, I’m a Monkey | ifc | |
9:40pm | 悲夢 Dream | amc | |
9:45pm | 熱血高校 Crows - Episode O | ifc | |
9:50pm | 戲中戲中戲 Written | bc | |
24/10 (Fri) | 7:45pm | 少女咪咪的煩惱 Mime-Mime | ifc |
8:05pm | 渺渺 Miao Miao | bc | |
9:40pm | 海角七號 Cape No. 7 | amc | |
9:45pm | 出賣 Sell Out! | ifc | |
9:45pm | 東京部落 Tokyo! | bc | |
25/10 (Sat) | 1:45pm | 停車 Parking | ifc |
2:00pm | 少女咪咪的煩惱 Mime-Mime | bc | |
4:05pm | 戲中戲中戲 Written | ifc | |
4:10pm | 出賣 Sell Out! | bc | |
6:00pm | 881 | ifc | |
6:10pm | 青瓜 Cucumber | bc | |
8:15pm | 活著就是明天 10+4 | bc | |
9:40pm | 五月碧雲天 Clouds of May | amc | |
9:50pm | 魔法阿爸 My Magic | bc | |
26/10 (Sun) | 12:15pm | 達達 Dada’s Dance | bc |
2:00pm | 親密 Claustrophobia | bc | |
2:00pm | 魔法阿爸 My Magic | amc | |
3:55pm | 活著就是明天 10+4 | bc | |
4:40pm | 三隻猴子 Three Monkeys | ifc | |
5:30pm | 12蓮花 12 Lotus | bc | |
6:45pm | 達達 Dada’s Dance | ifc | |
7:50pm | 鴕鳥走了 The Song of Sparrows | bc | |
8:30pm | 親密 Claustrophobia | ifc | |
9:45pm | 山梨縣的暑假 This Window Is Yours | bc |
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