COMM 410: New Media and Community Life (Fall 2006)

» The Invisible Eye: How Ambiguous is Today's New Media Surveillance? from New Media & Community - g31
David Lyon defines surveillance as “the means whereby knowledge of populations and individuals is obtained in order to minimize risks of many kinds.” In the first article, Lyon outlines how post-9/11 surveillance has intensified among urban spaces, es... [Read More]

» Surveillance in Our Contemporary Society from New Media & Community - g42
The advent of new technologies and their increasing complexity have altered the methods for surveillance available in our society. New media, particularly the internet and cell phone, have played a great role in increasing the means for surveillance th... [Read More]

» Surveillance and Its Effects on Trust and Safety from New Media & Community - t11
This week’s readings give us a look at public surveillance and its role in shaping public space and its implications on privacy boundaries. While we all acknowledge the presence of surveillance, there is an understood limitation of this technology: eve... [Read More]

» Who is watching you? from New Media & Community - r16
This week’s readings focus on the increased presence of surveillance within cities, new media, and national databases. Often, methods of surveillance are subtle and go unnoticed – or it is simply ignored (much like verbose terms and conditions and priv... [Read More]

» Power in Vision from New Media & Community - g44
My favorite article this week by far was the Holson article detailing the new Disney mobile phone and its features. Though the intent of the software available in the parent’s phone is for protective measures, this mix of technology... [Read More]

» Beware: Surveillance Everywhere from New Media & Community - g34
This week’s articles bring to our attention the idea of surveillance, specifically its increasing presence in the public and private spheres. Zetter’s article, “Surveillance Works Both Ways,” discusses some interesting activities that took place during... [Read More]

» A reminder of surveillance and its positive effects from New Media & Community - t12
A certain amount of serveillance is always necessary in the society. For young children who cannot yet take care of themselves, it is crucial. For criminals in prisons, it is also very necessary as well as simple surveillance for the... [Read More]

» Big Brothers are Watching, r17 from New Media & Community - r17
When I was young, and to some extent today, I had this irrational fear that my parents had installed surveillance devices all over the house to spy on me and make sure I was doing what I was supposed to.... [Read More]

» Does privacy exist? from New Media & Community - g45
Today we live in a world where the lines of public and private spaces have been blurred by technology. We are constantly monitoring other people and we are constantly being monitored by others. It is hard to determine what information... [Read More]

» Surveillance and problems from New Media & Community - g2
As per David Lyon’s Article titled ‘Surveillance in the City’, surveillance in cities have become of prime importance and focus on ensuring that the city has maximum visibility in light of growing public safety concerns. It helps in minimizing risks... [Read More]

» We are Watching YOU! from New Media & Community - y30
We are Watching You! The majority of contemporary urban culture is full of invasion of private lives and spaces by increasing numbers of cameras and devices and Lyon identifies that social divides and public spaces cities have always been constructed... [Read More]

» People Watching from New Media & Community - y35
The articles for this week expanded the topic of surveillance beyond the scope of a single Big Brother to a variety of other forms of surveillance that affect every day life. David Lyon in “Surveillance in the City” describes... [Read More]

» The Balance Between Privacy and Surveillance: Where to Draw the Line? from New Media & Community - y42
In David Lyon's article "Surveillance in the City," the author notes that since September 11th, New York City, a place that was once prized for anonymity--indeed, the very symbol of freedom and diversity--is now under increased surveillance. Lyon stat... [Read More]

» Keeping Tabs on Us from New Media & Community - r4
Stephen Graham discusses the role of surveillance in his article “The Cybercities Reader.” Constant video surveillance can both empower people and disenfranchise people. They can help people feel safer within an area, or make people feel like they are... [Read More]