2009-07-20
conclusion (for July 21, 2009)
So, you guys!
My blog is polished now - the course is almost over, the semester as well.
It was a great experience to do all this "politics in the new media"-stuff" and we all learned a lot. :)
I would always choose to take this course again. Well done!
Hope, you'll all have nice holidays!
See you next semester then.
I'd be happy if you'd consult my blog furthermore...!
----------------------------------------------------------
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
OUR BRILLIANT COURSE-INSTRUCTOR
SVETLANA MAKEYEVA !
for competence, good advice,
sympathy and a dear person
at any time.
---------------------------------------------------------
I'm looking forward.
Love,
Kirsty
My blog is polished now - the course is almost over, the semester as well.
It was a great experience to do all this "politics in the new media"-stuff" and we all learned a lot. :)
I would always choose to take this course again. Well done!
Hope, you'll all have nice holidays!
See you next semester then.
I'd be happy if you'd consult my blog furthermore...!
----------------------------------------------------------
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
OUR BRILLIANT COURSE-INSTRUCTOR
SVETLANA MAKEYEVA !
for competence, good advice,
sympathy and a dear person
at any time.
---------------------------------------------------------
I'm looking forward.
Love,
Kirsty
Moment of Zen #14 (for July 21, 2009)
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Moment of Zen #2 (for April 28, 2009)
Just no interest?
About disenchantment with politics
If you ask any person on the street here in Germany or Europe „What do you think about politics?“ nearly everybody – that’s the sad thing – will give you an answer like “Politics? Oh, I don’t care.” or “I have no idea.” That is so depressing. Everyone should have – even if it’s just a small glimpse – an opinion, should have a vague idea of what is going on actually That is a general knowledge: People tend to solely be interested in politics if there is no other possibility – like an upcoming war explicitly affecting them personally – and for no other reason.
That is the way life goes. And to get people interested in a topic you will usually have to find some part that is related to them. No reference? No interest.
But if you ask these people about Obama – suddenly everybody has an opinion…
* very old stuff !
About disenchantment with politics
If you ask any person on the street here in Germany or Europe „What do you think about politics?“ nearly everybody – that’s the sad thing – will give you an answer like “Politics? Oh, I don’t care.” or “I have no idea.” That is so depressing. Everyone should have – even if it’s just a small glimpse – an opinion, should have a vague idea of what is going on actually That is a general knowledge: People tend to solely be interested in politics if there is no other possibility – like an upcoming war explicitly affecting them personally – and for no other reason.
That is the way life goes. And to get people interested in a topic you will usually have to find some part that is related to them. No reference? No interest.
But if you ask these people about Obama – suddenly everybody has an opinion…
* very old stuff !
Moment of Zen #1 (for April 21, 2009)
First think, then vote!
(American) People used to not think about politics before Obama in such a huge magnitude. Luckily they started when the hype about Obama began.
They should have done much earlier. If they did, they probably wouldn’t have voted for Bush Junior after the regency of his father, would they? They could have anticipated the quality of his son’s politics (unless a behavior like Iraq, Katrina, … could not have been foreseen).
But unfortunately a huge number of people did not learn as much as they should have and confirmed him in his office after four years.
Obama is a good orator. But if he can really do and make things happen – that is what future will show. But we are already on a good track…!
*very old stuff !
(American) People used to not think about politics before Obama in such a huge magnitude. Luckily they started when the hype about Obama began.
They should have done much earlier. If they did, they probably wouldn’t have voted for Bush Junior after the regency of his father, would they? They could have anticipated the quality of his son’s politics (unless a behavior like Iraq, Katrina, … could not have been foreseen).
But unfortunately a huge number of people did not learn as much as they should have and confirmed him in his office after four years.
Obama is a good orator. But if he can really do and make things happen – that is what future will show. But we are already on a good track…!
*very old stuff !
2009-07-19
Moment of Zen #12.2 (for July 7, 2009)
The Revolution will not be televised?
The revolution will not be televised. As Joe Trippi already told us.
Where is the media if whole peoples are killed? No newsworthiness? The revolution will not be televised.
But what about humanity? Ten people killed in Iraq. Who cares? And who cares without media coverage? The revolution will not be televised.
What about forgotten wars? Who cares about all those things like human rights, relief services, donations, etc. etc. without the media? Hardly conceivable. The revolution will not be televised.
People around the world are not able to make their experiences concerning happenings around the world by themselves. So we do finally need the media to bring them to us. Don’t let us down!
The revolution will not be televised? That's true. Iran doesn't want that.
They calmed down the citizens, journalists and politicians. They could disclose Ahmadinedschads election fraud. And the government cannot accept that.
But they didn't count on the public. And the world's public.
They will not let themselves be shut up. So – with our global correspondents, cameramen, technicians chained – blogging is the only way out here.
Luckily one has to admit. Luckily we got communities like twitter or facebook (even though you still have the same problems with them like no professionalism, no transparency of information, no checked sources – such as the example of “Neda”). Otherwise we would just get know: “We do not know anything. We are repressed.”
This is electoral freedom. This is freedom of speech. This is freedom of press.
“Where is my voice?!”
See further links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS3QOtbW4m0 /
http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/political.mann
The revolution will not be televised. As Joe Trippi already told us.
Where is the media if whole peoples are killed? No newsworthiness? The revolution will not be televised.
But what about humanity? Ten people killed in Iraq. Who cares? And who cares without media coverage? The revolution will not be televised.
What about forgotten wars? Who cares about all those things like human rights, relief services, donations, etc. etc. without the media? Hardly conceivable. The revolution will not be televised.
People around the world are not able to make their experiences concerning happenings around the world by themselves. So we do finally need the media to bring them to us. Don’t let us down!
The revolution will not be televised? That's true. Iran doesn't want that.
They calmed down the citizens, journalists and politicians. They could disclose Ahmadinedschads election fraud. And the government cannot accept that.
But they didn't count on the public. And the world's public.
They will not let themselves be shut up. So – with our global correspondents, cameramen, technicians chained – blogging is the only way out here.
Luckily one has to admit. Luckily we got communities like twitter or facebook (even though you still have the same problems with them like no professionalism, no transparency of information, no checked sources – such as the example of “Neda”). Otherwise we would just get know: “We do not know anything. We are repressed.”
This is electoral freedom. This is freedom of speech. This is freedom of press.
“Where is my voice?!”
See further links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS3QOtbW4m0 /
http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/political.mann
2009-07-13
Moment of Zen #13 (for July 14, 2009)
Don’t slumber your life away!
Thursday, 2:02 p.m.
A wonderful sunny warm Pentecost-weekend lies ahead of us.
I’m sitting in the train diagonally through the Ruhr Area.
Outside hedges and trees, streets and cars, buildings and skyscrapers fly by.
And what do the people do?!
Regarding this unbelievable plurality of our beloved homeland and wallow in euphoria?
Oh no.
They sleep!
Everyone’s sleeping!
Earnestly.
I mean honestly. What the-
Is it due to the occurring weekend? to the time of day? to the season? or to this grey weather?
Look around you! The so called “carbon-pot” as it is called by natives, however is damn beautiful!
I use to take this roadway every day as well – and I still just can’t get enough of it!
See link:
http://www.ruhrgebiet.de /
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Mzqd-9J8E
*for everyone who ain't lovin any other region <3
Thursday, 2:02 p.m.
A wonderful sunny warm Pentecost-weekend lies ahead of us.
I’m sitting in the train diagonally through the Ruhr Area.
Outside hedges and trees, streets and cars, buildings and skyscrapers fly by.
And what do the people do?!
Regarding this unbelievable plurality of our beloved homeland and wallow in euphoria?
Oh no.
They sleep!
Everyone’s sleeping!
Earnestly.
I mean honestly. What the-
Is it due to the occurring weekend? to the time of day? to the season? or to this grey weather?
Look around you! The so called “carbon-pot” as it is called by natives, however is damn beautiful!
I use to take this roadway every day as well – and I still just can’t get enough of it!
See link:
http://www.ruhrgebiet.de /
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Mzqd-9J8E
*for everyone who ain't lovin any other region <3
Moment of Zen #12 (for July 7, 2009)
Twitter – the rising king
Boom of Blogs
Watch out for twitter: A new star is arising on the internet-market-firmament.
In May 2009 it reached a mass of 37,3mio Users!
(it already took out AOL with 33mio. Members!) His great aunt facebook got more than 200mio. users actually and the German equivalent had around a mio. users by 2006.
And even Google and Microsoft established an own search engine for twitterers.
twitter – which has to be described with ‘to chirp’ – is a social network where you can share everything you want (e.g. what you’re doing just at the moment – text, pictures, music, videos, … ) with everyone you want to let know. From your computer, your notebook or just easily from en-route. One Tweet offers a maximum volume of 140 signs.
It became popular in the widespread public during the 2008 elections. Former Senator Obama used this platform to reach young or mobile citizens as well. Knocking on the door, 11 a.m. in the morning won’t work if everyone is at work.
And even the German politicians try it out for their campaigns nowadays as well – but just with minor success. Twitter got around 50.000 German users by 2009. And the rate is increasing significantly. The news attracting the world’s attention – first published on Twitter. No professional medium is that quick. Information, pictures, videos etc. are uploaded immediately. Brilliant communication!
But is it trustable?
No funded research. No double-checking. No professionalism.
Good fast interesting interactive new media? Or doom of the serious traditional media? The Hudson hero, massacre of Winnenden, case of Neda, Michael Jackson’s death, … was all being twittered at first.
Everything unchecked, just published. Attracts the people’s attention. Shows skewed opinions, draws a broken-mirror-picture of the whole thing.
But not only private persons or news-companies use this platform to express themselves, people with special interest do so as well: companies try to communicate with their clients to do Public Relation and celebs use their social life to get even more famous. The problem is that you cannot check personal profiles. So some free-riders use the celeb’s publicity to get more famous as well or to just have made a good joke.
So - let twitter rule our information-agenda?
References:
http://www.n-tv.de/technik/Twitter-weiter-im-Hoehenflug-article395230.html
http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
http://studivz.irgendwo.org/
http://www.tecchannel.de/news/themen/business/410121/ueber_33_millionen_aol_mitglieder
Boom of Blogs
Watch out for twitter: A new star is arising on the internet-market-firmament.
In May 2009 it reached a mass of 37,3mio Users!
(it already took out AOL with 33mio. Members!) His great aunt facebook got more than 200mio. users actually and the German equivalent had around a mio. users by 2006.
And even Google and Microsoft established an own search engine for twitterers.
twitter – which has to be described with ‘to chirp’ – is a social network where you can share everything you want (e.g. what you’re doing just at the moment – text, pictures, music, videos, … ) with everyone you want to let know. From your computer, your notebook or just easily from en-route. One Tweet offers a maximum volume of 140 signs.
It became popular in the widespread public during the 2008 elections. Former Senator Obama used this platform to reach young or mobile citizens as well. Knocking on the door, 11 a.m. in the morning won’t work if everyone is at work.
And even the German politicians try it out for their campaigns nowadays as well – but just with minor success. Twitter got around 50.000 German users by 2009. And the rate is increasing significantly. The news attracting the world’s attention – first published on Twitter. No professional medium is that quick. Information, pictures, videos etc. are uploaded immediately. Brilliant communication!
But is it trustable?
No funded research. No double-checking. No professionalism.
Good fast interesting interactive new media? Or doom of the serious traditional media? The Hudson hero, massacre of Winnenden, case of Neda, Michael Jackson’s death, … was all being twittered at first.
Everything unchecked, just published. Attracts the people’s attention. Shows skewed opinions, draws a broken-mirror-picture of the whole thing.
But not only private persons or news-companies use this platform to express themselves, people with special interest do so as well: companies try to communicate with their clients to do Public Relation and celebs use their social life to get even more famous. The problem is that you cannot check personal profiles. So some free-riders use the celeb’s publicity to get more famous as well or to just have made a good joke.
So - let twitter rule our information-agenda?
References:
http://www.n-tv.de/technik/Twitter-weiter-im-Hoehenflug-article395230.html
http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
http://studivz.irgendwo.org/
http://www.tecchannel.de/news/themen/business/410121/ueber_33_millionen_aol_mitglieder
Moment of Zen #11.2 (for June 30, 2009)
How did your Tech Usage change?
Doing the quiz
When I started this course at University I had an email-access. One.
According to this quiz I was a “Media Mover”
-> information and creativity.
Healthy.
Now I am addicted.
4 email-addresses, StudiVZ, facebook, Myspace and several other communities, ICQ, MSN, TS2, a Blog, Twitter, YouTube, eBay, Amazon, … did I forget something?
It’s horrible.
And it’s time-killing.
Learning? Indication error.
Is there an emergencyexit? – hopefully it is (special thanks to Sveta):
http://blog.futurelab.net/2008/05/are_you_suffering_from_faceboo.html
(By the way, I received this link via facebook)
According to this quiz I am a Digital Collaborator now.
-> information technology shared with others (“communitist”).
Unhealthy.
And of course I speak the language perfectly. Not to mention all those smiley-combinations.
Thx. Np.
Brb. Kay.
Re. Wb.
Lol. Rofl.
Jumbled mess of letters?
Thanks. No problem.
Be right back. Okay.
Returned. Welcome back.
Laughing Out Loud. Rolling Over Floor Laughing.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take the quiz:
http://www.pewinternet.org/Participate/What-Kind-of-Tech-User-Are-You.aspx
and free yourself:
http://blog.futurelab.net/2008/05/are_you_suffering_from_faceboo.html
Doing the quiz
When I started this course at University I had an email-access. One.
According to this quiz I was a “Media Mover”
-> information and creativity.
Healthy.
Now I am addicted.
4 email-addresses, StudiVZ, facebook, Myspace and several other communities, ICQ, MSN, TS2, a Blog, Twitter, YouTube, eBay, Amazon, … did I forget something?
It’s horrible.
And it’s time-killing.
Learning? Indication error.
Is there an emergencyexit? – hopefully it is (special thanks to Sveta):
http://blog.futurelab.net/2008/05/are_you_suffering_from_faceboo.html
(By the way, I received this link via facebook)
According to this quiz I am a Digital Collaborator now.
-> information technology shared with others (“communitist”).
Unhealthy.
And of course I speak the language perfectly. Not to mention all those smiley-combinations.
Thx. Np.
Brb. Kay.
Re. Wb.
Lol. Rofl.
Jumbled mess of letters?
Thanks. No problem.
Be right back. Okay.
Returned. Welcome back.
Laughing Out Loud. Rolling Over Floor Laughing.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take the quiz:
http://www.pewinternet.org/Participate/What-Kind-of-Tech-User-Are-You.aspx
and free yourself:
http://blog.futurelab.net/2008/05/are_you_suffering_from_faceboo.html
Moment of Zen #11 (for June 30, 2009)
Is race supervalued?
I thought about
writing something
about the Bradley
Effect in relation to Obama in the 2008 elections.
The Bradley Effect is what turns out
not-white-candidates in a political election to
actually pass office, even though they already won the pre-elections.
Voters proclaim officially to vote for the black candidate to pretend they are no racists. But when the chips are down, they do make their “X” for the white candidate.
Those elections are in fact – sadly to say but true – always a decision for or against a black person. That is the same with gender. Or ethnicity / religion / disability / age / illness / sexuality (see Article 3, German constitution). Sure, not to be named the same but in the people’s views tragically quite similar.
The “Bradley Effect” is named by former LA-Mayor Tom Bradley, a black man who lost the 1982 governor’s race despite contrary prognoses. Or called the “Wilder Effect” after VA-Governor Doug Wilder, who had a good perspective but hardly won with bravery.
But I came to the conclusion that I do not want to do so.
Because it is not right to mention it at all.
People are not different because of being man or woman, young or old, black or white, Christian or Muslim, inside or outside of a wheelchair, gay or hetero. This is what is already marked in our constitution. But why isn’t that remarked in our heads as well?
Sure, there is maybe some cultural and educational difference, but this does not turn these minorities out to be “abnormal” or “kind of strange(rs)”.
Of course if there is such an opinion occurring in the people’s minds, this must be talked over. To erase those limited views.
Juggling with clichés does not help you here.
But it is the fact that those opinions shouldn’t even exist which is the solution.
Me, personally – I do not have this view in my daily life. It is owing to my upbringing that I do not look at people thinking “well, are they black, or maybe just a bit colored or Muslim or homosexual” because I assume talking to a person out of sorts. I do not have that view on life. On our fellows. Thanks, family / teachers / friends!
So, why do a lot of people do so?
Is it education? Environment?
Must be something really going wrong here!
References:
http://www.bundestag.de/parlament/funktion/gesetze/Grundgesetz/gg_01.html
I thought about
writing something
about the Bradley
Effect in relation to Obama in the 2008 elections.
The Bradley Effect is what turns out
not-white-candidates in a political election to
actually pass office, even though they already won the pre-elections.
Voters proclaim officially to vote for the black candidate to pretend they are no racists. But when the chips are down, they do make their “X” for the white candidate.
Those elections are in fact – sadly to say but true – always a decision for or against a black person. That is the same with gender. Or ethnicity / religion / disability / age / illness / sexuality (see Article 3, German constitution). Sure, not to be named the same but in the people’s views tragically quite similar.
The “Bradley Effect” is named by former LA-Mayor Tom Bradley, a black man who lost the 1982 governor’s race despite contrary prognoses. Or called the “Wilder Effect” after VA-Governor Doug Wilder, who had a good perspective but hardly won with bravery.
But I came to the conclusion that I do not want to do so.
Because it is not right to mention it at all.
People are not different because of being man or woman, young or old, black or white, Christian or Muslim, inside or outside of a wheelchair, gay or hetero. This is what is already marked in our constitution. But why isn’t that remarked in our heads as well?
Sure, there is maybe some cultural and educational difference, but this does not turn these minorities out to be “abnormal” or “kind of strange(rs)”.
Of course if there is such an opinion occurring in the people’s minds, this must be talked over. To erase those limited views.
Juggling with clichés does not help you here.
But it is the fact that those opinions shouldn’t even exist which is the solution.
Me, personally – I do not have this view in my daily life. It is owing to my upbringing that I do not look at people thinking “well, are they black, or maybe just a bit colored or Muslim or homosexual” because I assume talking to a person out of sorts. I do not have that view on life. On our fellows. Thanks, family / teachers / friends!
So, why do a lot of people do so?
Is it education? Environment?
Must be something really going wrong here!
References:
http://www.bundestag.de/parlament/funktion/gesetze/Grundgesetz/gg_01.html
Moment of Zen #10.2 (for June 23, 2009)
Steinmeimania
Frank-Walter Steinmeier – in short “f-w” for his campaign – is the former member of the German social-democratic party and their candidate for chancellor. He tries the US-fad to gain the European Elections and Bundestag elections by a kind of German-Obamania. “Steinmeimania”.
He tries to suit voters via StudiVZ/MeinVZ (the German national facebook), facebook, twitter, an interactive internet portal and whatever medium: pointing out how awesome he is, how brilliant his politics is, and how participatory his party is. And of course – how bad all the other parties are. Their slogan: “Financial sharks would vote for FDP. Minimum wages would vote for CDU. Hot air would vote for DIE LINKE.”
He uses his forenames like Hillary did, uses new media (in a dimension that tend to even be spam) and merchandise like Obama did, tries to mobilize the citizens, talks big like every successful politician should do…
No bad idea. But in fact it was the conservatives who gained the elections all over Europe. Even though they partly tend to not even occur in those social networks. No messages-all-the-time, no spam, no donation-/participating-appeal, no chivvy.
And it can be anticipated that the middle-/middle-left parties tend to lose the national elections most likely as well.
So why doesn’t that strategy work here as well?
Is it because of not being in America – Land of opportunity, country of voting-euphoria?
Because of the Germans / Europeans in general not being that euphemistic, mobile, interested in politics, or hardly national-orientated?
Or because of not being interested in Europe as a community?
Or because of not being Obama, man of all international hope?
Or because of trying to be kind of a new Obama instead of being himself?
Or is it because of inner-party-problems and a missing structure?
Or is it because his “middle-left-in-the-past-labor-party” struggles in this financial crisis even though it was their political enemies who helped carrying the crisis forward?
Or was it because of not being able to stand their ground in the past grand coalition?
Or is it because of Steinmeiers personality, who turned out to just not have the balls as like Merkel showed up when criticism occurred?
Or is it because voters simply do not like smear campaigns?
I guess all these factors prized the SPD out of the market by themselves.
All this new-media-campaign does not work if you chose the wrong agency.
But whatever it was: New media solely won’t help the SPD out of here.
Just remember where you come from.
Remember your roots and everything will be fine.
Change your campaign. Not your media.
Otherwise you will fail.
References:
http://www.wahlkampf09.de/2009/4/finanzhaie-wrden-fdp-whlen
Frank-Walter Steinmeier – in short “f-w” for his campaign – is the former member of the German social-democratic party and their candidate for chancellor. He tries the US-fad to gain the European Elections and Bundestag elections by a kind of German-Obamania. “Steinmeimania”.
He tries to suit voters via StudiVZ/MeinVZ (the German national facebook), facebook, twitter, an interactive internet portal and whatever medium: pointing out how awesome he is, how brilliant his politics is, and how participatory his party is. And of course – how bad all the other parties are. Their slogan: “Financial sharks would vote for FDP. Minimum wages would vote for CDU. Hot air would vote for DIE LINKE.”
He uses his forenames like Hillary did, uses new media (in a dimension that tend to even be spam) and merchandise like Obama did, tries to mobilize the citizens, talks big like every successful politician should do…
No bad idea. But in fact it was the conservatives who gained the elections all over Europe. Even though they partly tend to not even occur in those social networks. No messages-all-the-time, no spam, no donation-/participating-appeal, no chivvy.
And it can be anticipated that the middle-/middle-left parties tend to lose the national elections most likely as well.
So why doesn’t that strategy work here as well?
Is it because of not being in America – Land of opportunity, country of voting-euphoria?
Because of the Germans / Europeans in general not being that euphemistic, mobile, interested in politics, or hardly national-orientated?
Or because of not being interested in Europe as a community?
Or because of not being Obama, man of all international hope?
Or because of trying to be kind of a new Obama instead of being himself?
Or is it because of inner-party-problems and a missing structure?
Or is it because his “middle-left-in-the-past-labor-party” struggles in this financial crisis even though it was their political enemies who helped carrying the crisis forward?
Or was it because of not being able to stand their ground in the past grand coalition?
Or is it because of Steinmeiers personality, who turned out to just not have the balls as like Merkel showed up when criticism occurred?
Or is it because voters simply do not like smear campaigns?
I guess all these factors prized the SPD out of the market by themselves.
All this new-media-campaign does not work if you chose the wrong agency.
But whatever it was: New media solely won’t help the SPD out of here.
Just remember where you come from.
Remember your roots and everything will be fine.
Change your campaign. Not your media.
Otherwise you will fail.
References:
http://www.wahlkampf09.de/2009/4/finanzhaie-wrden-fdp-whlen
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