Blogs: Blogger up for non-fiction award

This is another article from the BBC Technology website about blogs - however this one is slightly different. Instead of providing an overview on them this one is an actual news story about a blog by an annoymous young women in war-torn Iraq. Her blog has been "longlisted for BBC Four's Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction".

"Baghdad Burning" is in competition for the £30,000 prize with 19 other hopefulls. The winner will be announced on the 14th June.

Related Links

BBC Technology Website
Baghdad Burning Blog

Blogs: What the BBC Have To Say

Here are two articles from the BBC News Website.

BBC - Technology - This first is a series of responses by Dan Gillmor, author of We the Media, to e-mails from readers.

BBC - The Magazine - The second is 'The Magazine's' review of blogs , written by Alan Connor.

BAFTA's New Approach to Gaming

“Video Games Are As Important As Film and Television” – BAFTA

On the 8th March the British Academy of Film and Televisio (BAFTA) officially recognised the growing importance of video games.

In 2005 the UK spent a record breaking £1.35 million on games, making it the fastest growing entertainment medium. The PC was responsible for around 29% of the £1.35 million with continuing rises in unit sales. It’s partly because of this popularity that the BAFTA’s officially announced video games as their “third arm”.

With the announcement the BAFTA Games Committee was formed. The committee is made up of representatives from the largest publishers, developers and trade associations. This includes ELSPA, TIGA, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, EA, Ubisoft and many more. (A full list can be found at the end.) This organisation would appear to perfect then to judge games, set the benchmarks and encourage new and creative experiences.

Phil Jackson, head of the BAFTA Games committee, commented “BAFTA’s move to give video games equal status with film and television reflects games’ contribution to artistic innovation and new forms of story-telling.”

BAFTA’s chairman, Duncan Kenworthy, says “The British Academy Video Games Awards”, taking place at the end of the London Games Festival, “are a key part of our strategy to define, articulate and reward excellence in the sector, to the benefit of those who create games and those who play them”.


Full list of BAFTA Games committee members:

John Broomhall – Broomhall Projects Ltd
Ian Baverstock – Kuju / TIGA
Michael Cassius
John Chasey – Infospace
Rob Cooper – Ubisoft
Grant Dean – Timiani Ltd
Fred Hasson – TIGA
Mike Hayes – Sega
Paul Jackson – EA
Miles Jacobson – SI Games
Julian Jones – Ideaworks 3d
Sean Kelly – SCEE
David Lau Key - Renderware
Ian Livingstone – Eidos
Ray Maguire – SCEE
Sanjay Mistry – EA
Peter Molyneux OBE – Lionhead
Michael Rawlinson – ELSPA
Adam Roberts – Vivendi Universal Games
Jez San OBE
Luke Valentine – Eidos
Roger Walkden – Activision
Tim Wapshott – The Times

Dell Buy Alienware

Alienware, founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalex & Alex Aguila, has become Dell's major in-road into the computer gaming market.

Alienware's established brandname and expertise in the field mean that Dell won't have to continue spending millions on advertising campaigns trying to keep up with their latest 'purchase'.

Dell have not disclosed the finacial terms of the deal but it is more than likely to be worth the cost as Alienware is expected to have a turnover of £128m this year alone.

Article Related Links

www.alienware.com
www.dell.com

Push and Pull Media

Push media is media that is 'pushed' upon you. You have no control over its content. Examples include terrestrial TV and games. Both offer little choice in what you can do.

Pull media is media is media that you have a degree of control over. An example of this is the Internet. You can pick what information you want to get and find it yourself.

Today people value choice and want to be able to do things when they want to. That is why most NMT's lean towards being 'pull media technoliges'. An example of this is that in 2007 you will only be able to watch digital TV. This is because the analouge signal is going to be switched off.

Positive or Negative Technological Determinist?

A 'technological determinist' is someone who recgonises technology as a major part of our daily lives. A 'positive technological determinist' then is someone who sees this as something good whilst a 'negative technological determinist' is the opposite.

Positives

• Convenience - Information is easier to access and easier to use.
  
• Communication - Cheaper, easier and quicker to communicate with people worldwide. 'Global Villiage'.
  
• Education - A wider source of information is available on NMTs about a wider range of subjects.
• Advancements - Techonology is new one day and old another. This means that it is constantly advancing to suit our needs and is always improving. It creates challenges and encourages development and free thinking.
  
• Democratisation - Everyone with access has the freedom to post what they want meaning 'everyone has a voice'.

Negatives

• Crime - No technology is 100% secure.
  
• Privacy - More information about you isavailable to others.
• Isolationism - With NMTs like the internet there is no need to go anywhere. Theoretically everything can be done from home.
  
• Democratisation - As everyone has a voice and everyone can post the standard of writing may be lower. Unlike print based media, blogs (for example) aren't governed by any strict rules about what you can post. Thus information posted may be false or based on rumours.

Although there are numerous negative points to NMT it is my belief that in the long run, and overall, technology can only benefit us. There is too much information on the bad aspects of media technologies, and not enough focus on the positives. A prime example of which is gaming.

Extra Credit: George Atkins - [His Blog Coming Soon...]