The PRINCIPLES of COMMUNICATION :))

CMC - Computer Mediated Communication

2009-03-14T17:46:00.003+08:00

Computer Mediated Communication

Any form of communication using computers and computer networks, includng e-mail, electronic convferences, newsgroups, and Web chats that allow access and interaction between people and databases all over the world....

Too much to absorb? Let's just pick an example and talk about it ya? =)

Second Life

I'm sure you guys have somehow heard of this thingy right? There's really really really SOOO MUCH you can find in it lor!!!

What is "Second Life"
In short, it is a free online virtual world.

What can you do with "Second Life"?
For "Second Life", it enables its users, called Residents, interact with each other through avatars. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another, or travel throughout the world, which residents refer to as the grid.

Furthermore, "Second Life" even has its own currency, known as the Linden dollar (L$).

The Residents can use it to buy, sell, rent or trade land or goods and services with other users.

The Virtual goods include buildings, vehicles, devices of all kinds, animations, clothing, skin, hair, jewelry, flora and fauna, and works of art, etc.

There are various services which include "camping", wage labor, business management, entertainment and custom content creation.
The money can be used to purchase flat toO!

Any other more realistic function in "Second Life"?
YES! It is crazy enough to allow you to Earn REAL CASH by playing it!!
Oh that's one...

Another thing about it is that some schools in the US are actually making use of "Second Life" too!

The Open University, Harvard, Texas State, and Stanford are just a few of the many universities that have set up virtual campuses where students can meet, attend classes, and create content together.

It has such a thing called the Linden Lab that works enthusiastically with education organizations to familiarize them with the benefits of virtual worlds, connect them with educational peers active in Second Life, and showcase their inworld projects and communities.

Pro right? Can you imagine if SIM has such a thing in "Second Life" too?
Don't you think it will be so Coool?? LOL!!

Seriously I don't think I can ever finish explaining all FUNCTIONS to you in "Second Life"...

What I'm trying to say by bringing out this WHOLE "Second Life" thing is that in fact, CMC has already become so common in our lives that people even made our world into a Virtual World!

People who find the real world hard to live in can actually find comfort in the virtual world! I guess it's because you are free to be who you want to be online, NO RESTRICTION! TOTAL FREEDOM! That's what we humans find as one of the most important thing isn't it? Who loves to live a controlled life where you can't do or say anything you want? That's so hell isn't it?

I guesS that's what is called finding the 'personal identity' in CMC.
Don't you think "Second Life" is a Very GOOD example of CMC? No?
Play it yourself and you tell me =)

I guess this marks the end of my posting on this Blog...

Would like to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE, those who have commented for me all these while! Really appreciate the time you spend to actually read through all words and comment for me! It's not easy to read 'boring' stuffs. LOL!!!!

If I score well for this, Credits go to ALL OF YOU OUT THERE!!!! WHOOOOHOOO!!!!

BYE aLL & Take Care!!! =)

Mass Comm - Cultural Imperialism

2009-03-06T13:47:00.000+08:00

Cultural Imperialism

And the winner goes too........... AMERICA! Zzzz.. (them again...)

Hmmm.... Cultural Imperialism, what does that mean?

the practice of promoting, distinguishing, separating, or artificially injecting the culture or language of one culture into another. It is usually the case that the former belongs to a large, economically or militarily powerful nation and the latter belongs to a smaller, less important one. Just like what you see on the picture on your right... A chinese man from Beijing (according to the background, haha!), wearing a Cowboy clothes (US culture), smoking malboro cigarette (US brand). China guy becoming like an ang mohs? Hmmm...

Fine, but why AMERICANs? Why not other countries?

Try travelling almost everywhere in the world! And you realized that even if you are suffering from habitual Big Mac cravings or cringe at the thought of missing the newest episode of MTV’s The Real World, your Ameican tastes can be satisfied practically everywhere!

When it comes to cultural imperialism, no one will forget the example of the "Macdonald"...

Macdonald is the most suitable example to the definition of Cultural Imperialism..

For your information, Macdonald already has over 30,000 restuarants located over more than 100 different countries all over the world of different cultures... AMAZING isn't it?

Won't you wish to be the boss of Macdonald? Freaking rich can! Zzzzz....

That's all about Cultural Imperialism? *Chey*

OF COURSE NOT!! It involves much more than simple consumer goods! It involves the dissemination of American principles, such as freedom and democracy. The process might sound appealing on the surface however many cultures around the world are gradually disappearing due to the overwhelming influence of corporate and cultural America.

Just like in history one of the first known example of the cultural imperialism was the extinction the Etruscan culture and language caused by the influence of the Roman Empire

The Greek culture built gyms, theatres and public baths in places that its adherents conquered, with the effect that the populations became immersed in that culture.

The spread of the Greek language was also another large factor in this immersion.

What?! But how does this Cultural Imperialism happen?!

For our time now, Mass Media holds a VERY big responsibility in this, of course with the use of the human brains as well. In order to effectively advertise their products, cultures, etc. to other countries, the Americans are smart enough to come out with even more successful global strategy.

Another great example is the Coca Cola company:

Instead of advertising American conformity with blond-haired, blue-eyed, stererotypical Americans, they pith diversity.

In one of its commercials, the Coca Cola smartly featured children from many different countries innocently singing lyrics that goes,

"I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, I'd like to buy the world a Coke to keep it company..."

I think they are really smart. Making use of 'consumerism' to achieve world peace huh...

And need not to say, Coca Cola is one of the best 'conquering' products that managed to get its way into many many different countries. *Salute* =)

*Awwwww* Will our country be 'westernized' one day too? =(

Well, all I could say is, it all depend on us! Whether will one day Singapore become just like America, it all depend how each one of us think & behave. It is definitely alright to welcome different kinds of cultures. Learning up enhance our knowledge about different people in our world, but that doesn't mean we should follow exactly how they behave! And slowly become them!

Just like what our parents used to say, "Don't learn the BAD things, learn the GOOD ones instead!".

Yupe that's all Folks, Please leave comments for me. Thank You! =)

The Paduang

2009-02-25T23:06:00.000+08:00

I remembered myself going to Thailand with my family for vacation when I was about 9 years old. And I remember seeing this particular tribe with very unqiue looking....

I did not care much then (because I was young you see), but just when our com 101's topic was on culture this week, I thought it would be interesting to start looking into it now & share it with you guys... =)

Paduang

I believe most of you have come across them or at least seen some pictures of them from some where...

Yupe, they are called 'Paduang', the long neck tribe.
Paduang is actually a sub-group of Karen. They live on the plateau area, slopes down to be steps above the Salween River in Kayah state of Burma near the North of the Thai border.

I always wonder why would the women wana wear those rings on their necks, stretching their neck to such length. So After reading up in some websites, this is what I found out...

In the former time, only daughters who are born on Wednesday, with the full moon, and is the original Paduang women without mixing with any other tribes are required to be the 'long neck' women.

Tthere are actually many accounts of why Paduang practices such custom:

1. Their own mythology explains that in the past, the ghost & soul felt dissatisfied with the tribe so they sent tigers out to attack the tribe people. So in order to save the women, in turn save the tribe from 'extinction', women were made to wear GOLDEN (back then) rings around their necks to protect the tiger from biting through their necks.

2. Some others explained that Paduang women have to do this to make them less attractive so less likely to be captured by the slave traders.

3. The most common explanation is that the Paduang tribe thinks that having an extra long neck is considered a sign of great beauty and wealth hence they will be able to attract better husband.

4. However, the reason that this practice still continues till today is for TOURISM....

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Can you see how time changes the purpose and the reason of a particular practice? Though the culture is passed down the generations, the purpose of it may change.

Even if we 'Normal' humans think that it is really weird with long neck, the Paduang continues their cultural belief of the benefits of long neck. They believe what their ancestors told them are true, as if their minds have been programmed to think that way.

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Need not to say, the Paduang belongs to the collectivist culture... Some points to prove why:

1. In the Paduang tribe, men tend to depend on the women more. Tourists are actually paying the village to go in so that they get to view the 'long neck' women. The women earn most of their income through tourism.

2. The women still depends on the men when it comes to providing daily basic needs such as building homes for the family, purchasing daily food from money earned by the women,etc.

3. The Paduang also has the characteristics of 'Conformity'. Not only that they remain harmony among their own tribes, even if the society takes them as the 'human zoo', they Paduang choose to remain silence.

4. The different families in the Paduang tribe are very caring towards each other. They care for each other as though everyone is a member of their own family.

5. The most significant point, the Paduang beliefs are shared with ingroup rather than to distinguish oneself from the rest, etc.

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I think the Paduang tribe is one of those little tribes left on Earth now that has such unique practices of such weird culture. But it is also them who enriches us with these 'indifferent' human behaviours.

Just in case you really think that their necks really got stretched that Long, I read from a few websites and the fact is that wearing those rings on their necks doesn't make their necks long!! It's actually Optical IllusioN!!! Haha!! =)

So are you keen to try? LOL!! ^^v

Group Communication

2009-02-20T17:25:00.017+08:00

Group

Group....tells us what to think and feel and how to act. We are who we are because of the groups we have been part of. Groups affect us throughout our lives. .. Yupe, just some 'definitions' gotten out from the book...

I have different groups of friends throughout my whole life too. Not that I can remember all, I know there are these few groups that really created great images in my memory. Let me introduce them to you one by one k? =)

Secondary School:

Borned to love sports and getting into school teams made different groups of friends for me.
Above is the first team I'm in during secondary school, there are more members of course, I dont know why aren't they in the picture. *haha!* I didn't have to say much isnt it? Being in the same team, our utmost goal is to win every compeitions! (This is such a freaking ugly photo! I had no choice, cause this is the ONLY pic left! LOL!)

Anyhow, yes, I was short hair at that time.... It was one of the 'influences' by another group back then in school.....

Yes this group of girls were once my very very good friends back in Secondary school (they were the ones that influenced me to chop away my long hair too!) I couldn't explain how close we used to be back then. We were legend in our school, many juniors knew abt us, knew abt our class. We used to do crazy things together. We 'go against' school rules together, we celebrated all happiness together, we shared unpleasant moments too.

However it doesn't really last long, for me. As we proceeded to upper secondary level, I kinda separated myself with them, due to some dissimilarities in the perspective about things. I found myself no longer able to associate with them, likewise for some of the girls as well, and hence we separated from the rest.

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Polytechnic:

Ladies here are my poly volleyball teammates. We made days in school an enjoyable one for each other. We helped each other at many other different areas other than our sport. We are more than teammates. We have this bonding that even on days without training, we would gather in our volleyball room and spent time together. =)

They are a bunch of fun ladies. Laughters are always there when they are around. Though all of us have graduated and have our own life now, I'm glad we still take the effort to meet up once in a while, like let's say to celebrate one another's birthdays. It's not easy especially when many of us are busy with works or studies. I guess it's because we still see each other as our 'own kind'. we find pleasure (the 'reward') in each other's company, hence we continued our contact with each other (commitment to the group.)

Other than them, I had another 'circle of friends' too. This time I tried to make it a small one.... *Ha!*

(Ok, dont look at the hair... Thank you..) Yupe! Just the three of us! These two ladies are my closet friends beside my volleyball teammates in poly. If you realized, the lady on the left, you see her in ALL the pics! Yes! She's my bestie since secondary school. =)

I guess it's still the best to be in small group. The 3 of us did more things together! We meals together, shop together, share every secrets together, solve each other's troubles together, etc. We were able to get into more personal lives of each other. We always have this common topic to talk about. It's really nice to have them throughout my whole 3 years of poly life. ^^v

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Just to be fair, let me clarify that above are not all the friends I have. There are still many many more who had made an impact to my life. But since my topic today is about 'group', I'll just have to stick to it yea? LOL! =)

ya ya, dont worry, I'm not done....
How can I not mention this group of peeps? They are the friends of my life, they are like another family to me... I guess they are the only ones who may have a photo of me when I'm only like 5 or 6 years old? or even younger? Haha... Awww~

"LCOR":

Yes, we are 'LCOR'. That's how we always call ourselves. =)

I should say, we are the bunch that watched each other grow. We had lots of nonsense together. Too much to list all of them down. Really too much! Nonetheless, they are also the bunch that gave me the most support in my life. They supported me out of many difficulties I used to face. They are the ones that can make my day nice & bright. No... they made my life colourful. =)

I guess this group is the only group among the rest that suited more than the 'characteristics of groups'. We made many things possible together. I can say we are kind of dependent on each other some ways or another.. when troubled, we have really good 'advisors' to provide real great guidance. When down, we have 'the world funnist lamers' who can make you laugh your heart out. When lonely, we have real good supporters who will always try to be there when someone needed company. And many more! An 'all rounder' group isnt it? Muhaha!

Things like dressing in similar clothes or colours, etc. are commonly seen among us too! Well, not really on normal days though. It happens especially when there are special activities going on, we show our 'group identity' by doing those stuffs. Not to mention, we are a bunch of 'LOUD' people. lol!

I do agree that somehow I'm being shaped by the groups I've belonged to, and, even after I leave them, they continue to live in me. It's hard for us to live as an individual. We are born into family groups, play and learn in friendship and school groups, and spend much of our adult life in work groups.

We are taught that an individual is the 'basic social unit'. But what about saying 'an individual is just a product of group interaction'? Do you agree or not? =)

When it remains unsaid.

2009-02-16T21:21:00.005+08:00

Separated: Glenn Ong & Jamie Yeo

I'm sure many have heard about this news. It's nothing to gossip about anyway but....
let's just talk abit about it ya? hurrrr....

Honestly, I always feel sad when divorce has to come into place for married couples. Ya la, you may say if they don't go on separate ways, both of them will continue to suffer because there are no more love in between but 'perhaps' only hatred is what you can find in them. But hey, don't you think it is due to the the cause of some external factors? For Glenn & Jamie's case, their marriage broke down simply due to them having grown apart in recent years because of their careers and individual differences (as reported in one of the news articles). If only both of them have enough time for each other, to build up their relationship & everything that need to be keep the love going, will they still end up like now? You tell me.

I'm not really into Glenn Ong, he's not a nice guy to me, so I chose to check out on Jamie Yeo instead (after their separation). I read one of her blogs and I felt this 'emotion' in me. Their separation was announced on air by her own ex-husband, Glenn, on the 13 of Feb. Not quite a nice date to pick for such sad news isn't it? HELLO! You are just 1 day before VALENTINE!!! Ya! LIke What the HEll!!!! zzzz....

She wrote about the topic on 'Valentine's Day' in her most recent post and it 's about how she felt towards this very special day and there was this paragraph which I quite agree with her. Check this out:

"Relationships are a funny thing. You spend a good part of your life sharing it intimately with someone, exposing your vulnerabilities and flaws and accumulating photos and trinkets. You eat, drink and sleep with him, and your insurance policies even name him as a beneficiary. He/she is everything to you. But when it ends, it stops existing almost immediately, cruelly refusing to take into account the memories and times spent together. Photos and home-made videos are packed up into boxes and banished to the back of the wardrobe. Gifts you received from each other lay stored in the safe. And even if you're still friends, that friendship has to be worked on because occasionally, hurt and pain creep into its fabric and tug at it ever so slightly."

It linked back to what we've learnt in class. The "Knapp Model". The ten stages of coming together and going apart. I'm sure you can spot almost all the stages of the Knapp Model in the short paragraph above. Though they were explained in only these few lines, but can you imagine the process of all these stageS? How long it takes? How hurt it can be for the ending stage? It hurts the most when you get to fly high in the sky and suddenly someone just shoot you down. If you never get to fly, you won't know the pain of falling.

Sometimes it bothers me alot. Why do people end up quarreling, giving up on each other & finding divorce or separation as a solution to a 'broken' relationship? Suddenly there's too much 'why' on my mind. But all in all, why do many simply think that it is 'hopeless' to salvage a broke relationship? Must coming together ends with going apart because they are the stage 1 to 10 of that model? Just like that? Can't there be anymore experimenting or intensifying after the bonding stage? What do you think?

Somehow I still wish that Glenn & Jamie can try to sort out their relationship during these period of separation. Not necessary that they are heading towards the terminating stage... Miracles do happen... =)

Till then.

Break Out.

2009-02-14T22:30:00.002+08:00

First of all,
Happy Valentine's Day to all my readers!!!! =DDD

If you guys have been paying attention to the tv advertisement recently, there was this performance held in the Esplanade on the 13-15 Feb, call "Break Out" being advertised.

Well, below is a short clip of the advertisement, do have a look. =)

I got myself a ticket to the performance and it was really FANTASTIC!!! It was much better than what I actually expected! *Thumbs Up!* =DD

"Break Out" is a new concept B-Boy (break-dancing boy) show created by Yegam and Sevensense Inc of Korea, one of the first production companies specializing in Comic Martial Arts Performance in Asia, designed to appeal to people of all ages and international cultures.
"Break Out" is a newly designed nonverbal dynamic comedy performance mixed with extreme break-dancing, based on a story of prisoners breaking out of prison and finding shelter with some nuns and nurses in a convent. Featuring a cast of top quality performers including some of Korea's leading B-Boys, "Break Out" mixes the hottest B-Boy dance moves with stunning gymnastics, martial arts and hilarious visual comedy.

It was really a pleasure watching the show. I loved the way they tried to bring out the comedy part using big actions (as you know, it's a non-verbal show) as well as the choreography of the dance, so COOL! They even have interaction with the audiences on the floor and they are really hilarious man! Everything is so great, I'm sure many would think the same as I am by seeing the numbers of positive comments (click here to see the comments) about this show. Well at least I did not fall asleep or get bored throughout the whole performance. =)

I guess it's kind of too late to ask you guys to watch it so this post is just for me to express my 'emotions' about this show. Haha!

Yupe! ^^v

Where is the Love?

2009-02-05T23:16:00.003+08:00

Where is the Love?

Loves in the HEAD not HEART...

Came across this article talking about Love. Thought it would be interesting to blog about this topic since "VALENTINE's Day" is just around the corner. =)

The heading of this article some how made me curious what it is about.

I think most people, like me, will associate 'love' with our feelings, emotions, and all these linked us to the 'heart' and not of the 'brain'. However, this article has another say about it.

Various Researchers & neuroscientists all across New York & some other countries did researches and experiments and came out with the hypothesis that "source of love is in the head not in heart and this can be understood through brain images, hormones and genetics"

Experiments were done on newly in love people putting them in a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine and shown pictures of their beloved. VTA, brain's circuit of love, lit up.

One of the researches even found out that Love actually works chemically in brain like a drug addiction. It is also because our brain produces a particular chemical that's why certain people are attracted to each other.

Researches are done on those heartbroken and the results actually showed more evidences associated with addiction, or to some researches, craving, similar to the drug cocaine.

Scientists said the primarily part of a larger effort spent on these studies aimed at understanding and how possibly treating social-interaction conditions such as autism. Scientists believe that these researches could eventually lead to pills based on the brain hormones which, with therapy, might help troubled relationships, although there are ethical issues.

Scientists now know better how to keep those love circuits lit and the chemicals flowing. And because romantic love theoretically can be simulated with chemicals, SO to ALL people out there facing some relationship issues with your partner, if you really want, you know, to get the relationship spark back, then engage in the behavior that stimulates the release of these chemicals and allow them to stimulate the emotions! hehehehe.....

Well, I hope all these are enough of what this article and I is trying to bring across. Maybe you can think about it next time when you go dating with your beloved ones or when you see any guy/girl you are interested in, what triggers that feeling in you when you see them? Still solely on the effects of your 'fast-pounding' heart beat? Hee...

This article is very much on Psychology though, but somehow I think communication and psychology have very much of a link between each other. Haha!

Think about it. =)

When Love Matters.

2009-01-30T19:03:00.000+08:00

Since it's just the first post, I guess I'll just keep it short...
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Love Matters

Have you watched it? If not I think you should yea. Just in case you are judging this flim by its cover, let me just drop the synopsis of this show and hopefully it will kind of interest you one way or another yup? ;)

"Love Matters” is a humorous and entertaining look at love, happiness and issues concerning our straight laced society. It is full of trade-mark Jack Neo’s laugh-a-minute jokes and situations yet combined with a sensitive look at how we deal with issues concerning matters of the heart.

How about a glimpse of the movie? :)

I always like Jack Neo's movies because they always tend to portray bits and pieces of our daily lives, projected in a humourous manner, it's really interesting to watch things happening around us or even things we are doing on big screen. Laugh it out man! :D

However, if you realized, comedy movies always have sad moments in it and usually those are the parts that were being used to bring messages across to viewers. Just like what we learnt from our communication class, Neo's movies used Pathos most of the time to achieve his objectives. Same goes for "Love Matters". The matters about Love are afterall not as simple or easy as we thought.

I think this movie is worth a watch, with your friends, family or even with the only one you love. There are definitely things you can learn from this show.

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Well Well, I think I'll just end here ya.
Will be back again for more stuffs okie! :)

(P.S. please comment something, thank you. HAHA!)