Diamonds are a girls best friend?

I decided to take a different approach for my next blog post. It was inspired after viewing the 2006 film "Blood Diamond". I was eager to  start researching, and gain insight on how the problem has developed to the present day.

As we are all aware the mining of diamonds results in an object of beauty, however the process for attaining the coveted stone has a significant cost:the lives of millions. These diamonds that result in bloodshed are commonly referred to as conflict diamonds or much like the film suggests blood diamonds. The trading of these precious stones has served to fuel years of conflict in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. 

The trading of blood diamonds has been an international concern for decades and in 2002 the international community rose to the challenge of combating the trade of blood diamonds through the creation of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPSC). This scheme emerged as a new governance model as the international public began to realize that a need existed for laws to be developed in order to regulate the trade of conflict diamonds throughout the globe.  The KPSC is a new governance system aimed at eradicating the trade of conflict diamonds in order to ensure that diamonds are no longer used to fund illegal combat. The central benefit of the new governance model is that its participatory, focus allows the individuals closest to the problems, to in

fluence the decision making process.

While this new governance model sounds like a reasonable solution, conflict diamonds still pose to be a big issue around the world. Do you think this problem is taken seriously? Do you think adequate solutions are being implemented in order to combat blood diamonds? More information can be found here: http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/dark-side-of-natural-resources/diamonds-in-conflict/kimberly-process.html 

Behind Bars

I just found out the Lil Wayne has started a blog while in prison. Apparently eights months in prison is far too long for lil wayne to be away from his fans. Lil Wayne launched a brand new website in order to keep in touch with his friends and fans until he is released in November. The blog can be found at weezythanxyou.com. Lil wayne claims "i want all of you to know that i appreciated all the mail I get, and this is my way of saying thank you".

Despite the fact that Lil Wayne is denied internet access while in jail, he continues to hand write letters weekly, which will be transcribed by members of his team. Lil Waynes blog has generated a growing readership, and his first blog entry has resulted in hundreds of reader comments. I think its impressive that Lil Wayne, although behind bars has still managed to stay connecting with the outside world. The blogosphere time after time has proved to be such a unique development in the public sphere. 

Digital Revolution...

Last class each student had the opportunity to give a 5 minute presentation on their final project. To say I was blown away by most is an understatement. Each student offered such a unique approach to this project. 

I was specifically intrigued by the online magazine. I think with the virtual world showing an enormous rise in the public sphere, it's only a matter of time before print is completely obsolete. It's fascinating how an online magazine functions, even so much as turning the page on paper print. Since many of us spend so much time online, why not read a virtual magazine? I think this would offer numerous benefits. As an avid magazine reader, i would love to eliminate having to purchase magazines on a weekly basis. 

Being informed online just seems like such a convenient think. I don't see the down side of virtual magazines? In fact I think they offer a unique twist to magazine reading. Who wouldn't want to sit at their lap top and flip through the virtual pages of the next USWeekly, perhaps with interactive features? 

Can't live with em', can't live without em'...

Ever leave the house and feel like you left a part of you at home? Most of us rely heavily on that tiny device, better known as-the cellphone. Most people claim that they couldn't live without their cellphones because they are what connects them from they world. But is this breakthrough technology keeping us connected? or further disconnecting us. 

Many maintain that without their cellphones they would not be able to communicate with distant family and friends, and people would not be able to contact them easily. The argument at hand is, without cellphones society would be less likely to move far from family and friends. As well, they would likely visit face-to-face when they need to communicate with another. So essentially cellphones are eliminating face-to-face interaction, and allowing people to migrate far from their family and friends due to the -only a phone call away mentality. These days we rely on cellphones to check our e-mails, surf the web, provide gps, and located the nearest Tim hortons-without having to communicate with one human being. So are these tiny little mobile devices linking together society, or rather further disengaging citizens within society. 

World Wide Web

The Internet may not be in its infancy but it’s still relatively new. Restrictions exist but they’re few and far between and nearly everything is still free. Aside from the initial access fees, television stayed relatively free for it’s lifetime because it was Tran missive and the opportunity for interaction simply wasn’t there. The alarming number of people responding to the web 2.0 phenomena, participating freely within this realm of citizen media, corporations are watching hungrily thinking of ways to profit from this robust, untapped market.

The television writers strike was in indicator that big business is well aware of the large market online, and is no doubt planning ways to charge for services that we’ve long taken for granted as free. The question is, if Blogs suddenly cost money to start, does this barrier to entry (that could be very real for some) have a large enough impact on social media to taint the entire market? It may seem like a drop in the bucket, but if this is just the beginning it’ll be difficult to tell where this new co modification of the Internet could lead. 

Broadcast Yourself

Just like anything else, the music industry seems to operate in cycles. Talent was discovered and promoted by a record label and distributed through certain media outlets. But, with recent events in globalization, such as mergers of large media companies and higher levels of media convergence, the game changed. The era of the “boy bands” and “girl bands” seemed to epitomize the 90’s. Massive media outlets would assemble a team of hand picked girls and boys, write their songs, synthesize the music, and spend millions on promotion. Music became a blatant commodity to be bought, sold, and synthesized in a lab. And because the conglomerates controlled the airwaves, it was nearly impossible for emerging talents to get their songs played.

One of the great conquests of the web 2.0 movements was the invention of You Tube. Artists could now be recognized and with a loyal core around the world, everyday people were becoming over night celebrities all on their own. Sure in some cases raw talent wasn’t necessarily a factor, but the sheer power of You Tube (a free participatory service) is astounding. Especially in the case of “Soulja Boy”, a remixed 50-cent beat, a catchy dance, and next thing you know they’re climbing the charts. Maybe there’s hope for the little guy after all. 

Word of Mouth to Word of Mouse?

Many critics of the rapidly expanding horizons of social media would have you believe that the increased interaction of people across emerging forms of media (often facilitated by the internet) blogs, face book, chat rooms, and instant messenger etc.results in a certain disconnect with “reality” (with a definition of reality being limited of course to physical interactions).

 

These criticisms certainly raise questions regarding what defining elements need to be present when defining what a relationship really is. Is a relationship really just restricted to physical interactions? Is a tangible conversation more “real” than one held over the net? Certainly attention needs to be paid to the certain social nuances present in a face-to-face conversation, but has enough attention been paid to the potential for freedom of expression that often accompanies the anonymity present in many forms of Internet communications. People are able to express themselves anonymously on line without fear of ramifications that may otherwise occur in their physical “realities”. Surely this kind of freedom isn’t without a price (especially when it lends itself to cyber bullying or certain predatory actions that may occur over social media) but what new frontier has come without new risks?

 

Fearful technological determinists may be imagining a “Matrix” type future in which human beings live in physical isolation, (never to see the light of day), however, to ignore the emerging trends in social forms of media fails to consider the potential for this landmark evolutionary step for human communication.