Assignment 1- Annotated Bibliography
Name: Khang Nguyen – s3709755
I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services
Blog reflections
Annotated Bibliography
Selected text 1 – Affordances (word count 551)
Norman, D 1999, ‘Affordance, conventions and design (Part 2)’, Nielsen Norman Group, viewed 3 April 2020, <http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordance_conv.html>.
The text’s main purpose is to attempt on “understanding how we managed in a world of tens of thousands of objects, many of which we only encounter only once.” Norman stresses on the importance of the look of the objects (“the appearance of the device could provide the critical clues required for its proper operation”). In the text, the author addresses five different contexts: conceptual model, real affordances, perceived affordances, constraints and conventions. Conceptual model is said to be “the most important part of a successful design”, formulating a fine model and assure that all components are consistent. Real affordances are actionable properties of an object which is said to be existed naturally for users to interact to. Perceived affordances are the interactions that users think could be possible to interact to an object. Constraints of objects come in three forms: physical, logical and cultural. Physical constraints relate closely to real affordances (“restricting the cursor to exist only in screen locations where its position is meaningful”). Logical constraints are “reasoning to determine the alternatives” (“if we ask users to click on five locations and only four are immediately visible, the person knows, logically, that there is one location off the screen”). Cultural constraints refer to “conventions shared by a culture group”, such as knowing when the traffic light turns red, cars stop. A convention would be “a constraint that prohibits some activities and encourages others”. A convention evolves along with culture constraints.
The languages and style of the text is easily referred to a personal blog. This is supported by the fact that it is posted on a website rather than an orthodox scholarly research paper. The language is quite personal. In a way, it is straightforward as the author is trying to explain all five of the concepts that he has set out. Reading this text seems like sitting through a lecture or listening to a podcast and all the concepts, which might seem complicated at hindsight, are easily understood. The languages are not too technical, meaning most people would have no trouble understanding all the concepts. This would suit well with the purpose of the text as Norman tries to make sense of the ways humans manage to live in a world of thousands of objects, hence referring to the public would be essential. It does not mention any components of social media or the web. The only thing that is mentioned to do with technology is an example given using a mouse cursor. This is understandable as this text dated back to 1999, and this could be seen as a framework for the concept of affordances.
Regarding the course’s prompt, as mentioned, the text makes no recognition of any components of social media. Hence, Instagram is not mentioned anywhere in the text. However, considering this as a framework, it is important to apply these concepts on the emergence of Instagram and how users interact with the application. How are different forms of media being authorised on Instagram? How are different forms of media being published on Instagram? How are different forms of media being distributed on Instagram? Above all, all these questions are referred to the concept of affordances. Hence, this text is an extremely important framework in understanding the concept and applying it to how Instagram operates.
Selected text 2 – Networks (word count 509)
Niederer, S 2018, Networked images: visual methodologies for the digital age, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam.
The text focuses on a range of methods that visual media and images are being used for various purposes and via various places. Niederer addresses on the significance of viewing visual culture on a macro scale. Instead of looking at the theorisation of a single image, the author focuses on the network of images, which becomes the case with interactions from users (“online images become ‘networked’ when users like, share, comment or tag them”) and goes across one platform to another. The need for visual studying to group is emphasised repeatedly (“images should not be studied as separate from their network, but rather en groupe”). This is because ongoing research of images (“information and metadata about its location, user engagement and other variables”) could not get the study of a single image out of its context. The influence of images is said to be widespread. Not only have them got great impact on digital culture, they also influence many research practises. These are called visual methodologies. Niederer stresses that content that engage visual aspects are more popular on social media today, which sparks new ways for visual methodologies to be practised. The importance of platforms is also identified, as they are not only the place of distribution for visual content but also the sites of production, hence becoming an entry point for visual research. It is also said that platforms can offer significant response to political events.
Being a sole scholar, this text is used occasionally by the author to address an own hindsight at the research. At some points, the points being made seem biased towards the need of looking macro (“images should not be studied as separate from their network”), this is understandable as that is one of the main points the author wants to stress on. The text is quite a detailed introduction to visual methodologies, offer different entry points and how to conceive the concept. The use of facts and figures is quite regularly to back up the points. Same with the use of graphic which shows that visual methodologies are quite varied. The use of language is clear with some personal touch but address the points being made in a straightforward fashion with evidence to back up claims most of the time. The author also includes many other references to show that the work is actually backed up with other researchers as well.
Regarding the course’s prompt, Instagram is mentioned in various times despite not being a sole case study. The use of Instagram posts is used as an example to address features of online visual content. Instagram is also mentioned as one of the main social networking sites that contribute to the influence of visual media on social network. Apart from that, the work could be seen as a framework for entry points of visual methodologies, hence might not be best suitable in understanding how media is authorised, published and distributed. Still, many of the points made are valuable references, such as the need to look at visual media on a macro level.
Selected text 3 – Social Media (word count 513)
Hinton, S & Hjorth L 2013, Understanding Social Media, Sage Publications, London, UK.
The text’s main purpose is to explore the context of the term “Web 2.0”, seeing its rise “as a way of contextualising the ideological environment in which social media operates.” The scholars stress on the importance of differentiating the terms “web” and “internet” (“people often conflate the terms ‘internet’ and ‘web’… but when we think about these things critically it is important to be precise”) and the essential of understanding the two-way communication between a browser and a web server. The important role of audience is acknowledged to the commercialisation of the web which would eventually lead to “Web 2.0”. The scholars also discuss about “Web 1.0” being a concept that is not existed and acknowledged until the emergence of “Web 2.0”, realising that companies were quick to realise its potential with users’ data and make money from them (“it was only a matter of time before companies started to realise the potential of this medium”). A discussion of “Web 1.0”’s failure would lead to how “Web 2.0” then emerged. The scholars also analyse the difference between “Web 1.0” and “Web 2.0” which is indifference in infrastructure but in mentality (“a platform in which customers play an active role in building one’s business”). What comes next is the regard of significance of “Web 2.0” in creative production as well as it is a philosophy of practising online media. The scholars also discuss on the issues between control and freedom in a networking environment.
The text provides a clear way of grouping information as parts that should relate to one another by order with the use title between groups of paragraph in showing the points being addressed. The information is wide and dense to an extent of non-necessity. The text also provides a conclusion which proves to be an essential summary of all the points being address in a short and clear way. The authors provide a wide range of examples and case studies in order to enhance the level of authenticity to the text, such as close analyse on Google and Facebook under different issues. The language being used is clear to understand, and the forming of paragraphs helps relishing the trouble of readers in finding the needed pieces of information. However, too much facts and information at times make this process struggling. The text given is the first edition and was released in 2013, making it recent enough to be considered trustworthy.
In relating to the course’s prompt, the text does not mention Instagram as a point of discussion or a case study in particular. There are, however, mentions and close examination of other notable social media sites such as Facebook or Google. The talking points in the text, such as the commercial side of social media and the web now, could be seen as essential in understanding the course’s main prompt. Understanding the monetisation in online media age, for instance, could show that the way photos and videos being authored, published and distributed are heavily affected by the core values of “Web 2.0” and hence seek further research on the matter.