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Annotated Bibliography:
Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I & Kelly, K 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction, 2nd, Routledge, Abingdon, UK.
This book is an effective attempt to introduce students to the theory, culture and history surrounding new media. In the text, the authors explore the possible definitions and theory behind new media, in order to asses the ways in which media and technology have evolved and how the field may continue to evolve in the future. This book is particularly concerned with Web 2.0, which is characterised by participatory culture, accessibility and user generated content. One of the key findings produced, is the understanding that Web 2.0 was born out of societal pressures for increased communication and commercialisation. Accordingly, the source argues that Web 2.0 should be analysed as a product of commerce and culture in order to understand its development. Furthermore, these tensions between communication and commercialisation were expressed in the form of Social Networking Sites (SNS), which continue to gain momentum as commercially viable platforms that support co-creation and technologically mediated self-expression. In order to correctly understand new media and the theories surrounding Web 2.0, the book places an emphasis on the understanding of the concept of the Internet before Web 2.0. The source proposes that the Internet is a collection of networks that link computers together and enable to transmission of information. Moreover, the source suggests that the Internet was a system designed for the circulation of information, subverting the previous information monopoly held by mass media corporations in the circulation of newspapers.
The text is highly accessible because it is written for students with the objective of introducing readers to the concepts surrounding new media, including the technologies that mediate the production of new media. The book is peer reviewed and is also a second edition, which ensures reliability, whilst providing a relatively up-to-date analysis of new media concepts and the technology involved in its production. However, the book was published in 2009, a year before Instagram was launched, and therefore contains extensive information and analysis of the technologies and cultures surrounding the Internet in 2009, including SNS platforms such as Facebook and Flickr. Consequently, there is no discussion of SNS platforms that were launched post publication, including Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp. For this reason, the authors explain that the text and it’s theories may be carried over into future research and understanding of new technologies and platforms. Therefore, the text must to be used in conjunction with more recent material to ensure up-to-date and balanced research, especially in relation to the course prompt and Instagram.
This source provides a large scope of information relative to the foundations of the course prompt and will be useful as it provides accessible explanations and discussions of concepts, many of which are relevant to the course prompt. Chapters one (New Media and New Technologies) and three (Networks, Users and Economics) will provide the most useful information in relation to the course prompt, especially around the characteristics of new media and user generated content, respectively. Despite its lack of discussion regarding Instagram, due to the publication date, this text as a whole will provide a comprehensive foundation for further research into the affordances of Instagram and their affect on the authoring, publishing and distribution of content on its network.
Niederer, S 2018, Networked Images: Visual Methodologies for the Digital Age, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, pp.1-20.
This text introduces the notion of the ‘networked image’ by exploring how and why images can become networked across different platforms. The distribution of images across networks creates networked images that are part of a larger network of images, users, platforms and content. This text outlines the processes that occur when users share, like and comment on content and when other platforms and search engines filter, promote and recommend that content to other users. According to the text, images should be studied in relation to each other in order to understand how meaning is generated and translated across networks and platforms. The text argues that content and images are handled in different ways on different platforms, and that it is through this handling that site specific technicalities become illustrated. These site specific characteristics are introduced as ‘visual vernaculars’ and are described as the distinct visual patterns and practices of different networked platforms. In order to demonstrate visual vernaculars, the author conducts and presents primary research into the differences in the communication of climate change across six different social networking sites. This research concludes that each platform demonstrates different visual vernaculars when communicating the topic of climate change The text also provides conceptual studies of Wikipedia and wiki-related methods of creating and sharing user-generated content.
This source provides very recent and useful information regarding current social networking platforms, including information about Instagram and its experience based visual language. The text has a very specific scope surrounding the study of images en mass and in relation to one another, which could present a possible limitation. This limitation can be balanced by using the text in conjunction with other sources which have a wider scope. Furthermore, the text presents primary research on the presence of visual vernaculars on platforms. By analysing climate change related content with the highest engagement, the text demonstrates the different dominant visual vernaculars present across social networking sites in the communication of climate change. Those platforms were; Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr and Google Images. Despite this research providing a valid demonstration of the presence of platform specific visual languages, there is space for further research into a one or more topics across different platforms. This would more clearly demonstrate the presence and prolificity of visual vernaculars across networks.
This text provides logical and well reasoned research and concepts relevant to the course prompt. By suggesting that images can, and should, be studied in relation to each other this source presents the finding that; the unique handling of content on different social networking platforms creates unique characteristics, or visual vernaculars. This concept will provide an integral way of illustrating how the affordances and constraints of Instagram determine the way content is handled. Furthermore, the source implies that it is this handling of content which creates visual vernaculars and results in dominant ways of authoring, publishing and distributing content, which become unique to each network. The findings presented contribute to to the field of new media by providing a systematic approach to the analysis of a networked images, which was previously thought to be limited because of how vast, dynamic and esoteric user generated content can become.
Norman, D 1998, The Design of Everyday Things, Basic Book, New York, pp. Vii-xv; 1-13; 81-87; 177-186.
This source discusses how the designs of everyday objects can be optimised to make them more understandable and usable. According to the source, this optimisation can be achieved by understanding the affordances and constraints of these everyday objects. The aim of the book is to understand the way in which individuals interpret and understand an object that they are encountering for the first time. According to Norman this is determined by three theories; affordances, constraints and conceptual models. Affordances are defined as the perceived or real properties of an object that suggest or dictate how that object may be used. On the other hand, constraints are the limitations presented by objects that lower the number of alternative uses of an object. The text repeatedly highlights that it is the balance of affordances and constraints, in the design of a device, which allows users to properly identify correct use of the device. There are four main areas of constraints, all of which affect an individual’s interaction with everyday objects. According to the text, constraints can be physical, semantic, cultural and logical.
In order to demonstrate these concepts the author provides clear examples from his life to illustrate the extent to which poor design impacts the lives of individuals and in what ways. Norman provides many effective definitions and examples however, there is little distinction of the differences between real and perceived affordances, resulting in an unclear definition of the latter. One concept that the text explains in depth is conceptual models. Conceptual models are the way in which individuals build an understanding of what an object can do based on the information provided by the object and social norms. Conceptual models allow individuals to simulate the operation of a device because each part is visible and the implications are clear, this internal dialogue is described as ‘mapping’. The source argues that this makes many computers designed for error. By making feedback and results invisible it makes operations dangerous, meaning that one wrong key can destroy work. In other words one is unable to make conceptual models about the possible outcome of pressing a certain key until it has happened. The book suggests that this is what makes computer commands hard to explore, learn and remember. Whilst the book touches on the affordances and constraints of computer technology it is not explored in depth and thus a possible limitation of the book. The book was written in 1998, since then computer technology has developed rapidly leaving a gap in the application of the source. The book was re-published in 2002, and whilst it does not go into detail about new technologies it does suggest that the same principles apply. This re-published edition is now 17 years old and information about the affordances and constraints of new technology will again have to be translated to apply to the newest technologies, including smartphones and the corresponding applications, such as Instagram.
Despite the limitations of this book, these chapters will still be integral in understanding and exploring the course prompt because the affordances and constraints of everyday objects can be translated across to technology and discussed in relation to social media and in particular, Instagram. The concepts discussed in these chapters suggest that the affordances of an object can only be discussed in relation to its constraints, implying that analysing the course prompt will require the study of both the affordances and constraints of Instagram.