In week two of networked media we discussed networks. This is a key aspect for our course’s overall prompt which is:
How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network?
The Internet and the web are interconnected terms but there is still a difference between them. The Internet as Lister et al. (2009, p. 164) states is made up of a “collection of networks that link computers and servers together”. However, the web is the collection of web pages that can be accessed via the internet globally and it is one of the many types of traffic that run on the network infrastructure. The Internet is a network that is much bigger and it is how the spread of or communication of information is made possible, therefore this is important to think about when analysing and understanding how Instagram has effected the distribution of photos and videos in the network.
Another aspect that we learnt in this weeks tutorial was the concept of The long tail is which Lister et al. (2009, p. 197) describes as “[reflecting] the tension between economic determination and media cultures”. The peak is when the product was first introduced and the long tail is then the development over time when the product finds different usages, instead targeting niche markets and developing beyond what it was originally intended for. There are two key factors when it comes to the long tail which are:
- The “lowering of the costs of production as digital media tools have become more widespread and cheaper.”
- The “effect of search technologies and recommendation networks on distribution and marketing.”
These search and recommendation networks are achieved through algorithms. By tracking your search or other google activity sites have access to your habits and activity on social networking sites, such as how much time you spend on a page, in order to optimise the search results. Location also plays a role in influencing what pages are recommended to you as living in Australia you will receive mainly Australian websites or news publishers. Tailoring to a specific user allows marketers to provide advertisements or content that you would be more interested in, in order to become more financially profitable.
Web 2.0 is the notion of shifting to web services. Lister et al. (2009, p. 204) poses that “particular assemblage of software, hardware and sociality have brought about the widespread sense that there’s something qualitatively different about today’s web”. The audience has shifted from a passive user to have the ability to be an active user and produce their own content, through the rise of social media and blogging. Web 2.0 places an emphasis on a participatory culture and it is interesting to note how this user-generated content is now a real competitor to the traditional forms of media.
Reference:
Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I & Kelly, K, 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, Abingdon, UK.