Virtual Stuff

The virtual network of Townsville’s Free Stuff is related to stuff as it is all about stuff.  It is the giving away of free stuff.  Initially, I thought that Townsville’s Free Stuff would not be a part of the global commodity/financial market.  But knowing that commodities are becoming more disposable and more readily available due commodities becoming more financially affordable, then Townsville’s Free Stuff is a part of the global commodity/financial market. As the Economist (2012) explains the various industrial revolutions affect not only how things are made, but where they are made. Factories, in the past, move to low-wage countries to curb labour costs (The Economist, 2012). Costs of commodities were also affected the world’s economy experiencing  enormous  cyclical variation  in  economic  activity during the past 50 years: “the  unparalleled  growth of the long boom lasting from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s being followed by periods of rapid growth interspersed with recession, stagnation and, often, unanticipated  crises” (Dicken, 2007, 437). Over these times, commodities have become more affordable.  Townsville’s Free Stuff allows people to give away stuff to those who may need or want those items, and may or may not being able to afford the items, allowing the giver to make room within their household for the possible upgrade of the commodity.

While the network is not a multinational corporation and caters just for locally focused network, the network of Townsville Free Stuff is a sub-network of a much bigger multinational network corporation of Facebook.  The local network is run by a local private administrator, however Facebook is a publically traded company on NASDAQ (The Economist, 2012 b).  As a result, there is advertising on the outskirts of the page in order gain money to help run the company and pay shareholders their dividends.  This goes against the rules, as members of this page are not to advertise for profit.

One can collect or give away stuff on the network.  Stuff can be virtual or real.  Virtual stuff can be through the creation of other networks or the giving of legal advice.  Stuff can be real and can range from clothing, kitchenware and household items, which linked very much to real life commodities that members can go and collect.

Dickens, P. (2007). Global Shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world’s economy London: Sage Publications

 

The Economist (2012). ManufacturingThe third industrial revolution: The digitisation of manufacturing will transform the way goods are made-and change the politics of jobs too

 

The Economist (2012). That Sinking Feeling; Facebook’s Flotation

 

Facebook exchange of 'stuff'

In this week’s lecture topic Kuttainen (2013) discusses the concept of how networks have impacted trade: as she states that “digital technology has already rocked the media.” The social network of Facebook is global (McNeill, 2012, pp. 103). Facebook is connected to the real life products, goods and exchange. This is evident through the facebook page ‘Mareeba Buy Swap and Sell.’

Within the space and place of the Facebook page ‘buy swap and sell’ you can collect, buy/swap “stuff,” such as furniture, house appliances, car parts and even little things such as kids toys. The buy swap and sell page also intertwines posts regarding garage sales. This creates the allusion that Facebook does influence the community’s trade and exchange corporations (member of facebook). People generally buy or collect “stuff” from the Facebook page and then “turn them into products at home and market them globally from a garage” sale (The economist, 2012); well in this sense take the products to the bigger community outside of the social network of Facebook.

Image 1: Example of garage sale posts on FB

Through the social network of Facebook’s page ‘Mareeba buy swap and sell’ it has developed significant connections between individuals and the community.

References

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place. Lecture 8: Stuff. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

McNeill, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social networking sites and post human auto-biography. In biography, 35(1), 101-118.

The Economist. (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017

 

 

 

Image 1: Example of garage sale posts on FB. Retrieved from http://images.search.conduit.com/ImagePreview/?q=Facebook+garage+sale+posts+&ctid=CT3245481&SearchSource=15&FollowOn=true&PageSource=Results&SSPV=&CUI=UN42257247402125933&UP=&UM=1&start=0&pos=6

 

 

 

Stuff=Money, Money=Power

The software creator InnoGames is responsible for my online network Grepolis. Like many small game developers, what begins as nothing more than a hobby, soon turns into a full time business venture. In the digital age, all that is needed is a pc, internet connection, and a desire to create.  The Economist (2012) explains, "legions of entrepreneurs and tinkerers swap designs online, turn them into products at home and market them globally from a garage" (p .4).   

While Grepolis is free to play, if you want, you can buy "stuff" for real money, known in the game as gold. Gold allows a player to buy added benefits, such as reducing unit construction time, increasing resource production, and allowing a 20% increase in fighting strength. While not vital to gameplay, power within the game is greatly influenced with the inclusion of real money. Just like the real world, players are separated into the haves, and have nots - resulting in an unfair advantage within the network.   

There is no doubt that "[t]echnology is a fundamental enabling force in the globalizing of economic activities" (Dicken, 2007, p. 438). Technology has opened doors to people who would have otherwise lacked the capital required to see their ideas be turned into reality. Kuttainen (2013) points out, "50% of exports in Australia comprise from iron and zink". An interesting question to ponder would be, what if 50% of exports in Australia were online, digital based technologies?  As the world becomes more connected through the digital network known as the internet, so too do the opportunities increase for people to connect on a social and economic basis.

References:

Dicken, P. (2007). Global shift: mapping the changing contours of the world economy (5. ed.). London: Sage.

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 8: Stuff. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

The Economist. (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017


Image credits:

Jones, S. (2013). Orbitz to Power JTG online Presence. Retrieved from http://www.travelweekly.com.au/news/orbitz-to-power-jtg-online-presence

Dissemination: The loss of identity, place and power.

Image 1

Lateral violence is effective in keeping the powerless subjugated.  Successive governments, their policies and the lack of appropriate funding produce communities that are debilitated and unable to function.  Community members direct their circumstantial frustration inward towards others in their community and to those with less power than themselves.  Communities, real and online, implode, dissolve and lose identity.  Looking at power through the lenses of socialisation and economics, it becomes clear that lateral violence is a result of transgenerational trauma in Australia’s Indigenous community.

When considering Parson’s argument (as cited by Wilkinson, 2013) that personalities are made through the socialisation process, the frustration of transgenerational trauma is understood.  Socialisation through the childhood experience develops a profound sense of self and endorses accepted modes of behaviours from within their social or community group.  When adult social behaviours are severely contorted and individuals and communities are traumatised from the successive implementation of institutional policies that place individuals and communities into states of powerlessness, the cumulative effects, generationally speaking, are great.  Dr Chris Sarra (as cited by Jens Korff, 2013) observes that the anti-social behaviour of particular Indigenous people is not a part of their culture; it’s not what being Aboriginal is all about, but it is definitely the culture of dysfunction.

Image 2

 Financial and economic exclusion is evidential in the lack of affordable products and services available to Indigenous communities.  When banking institutions have policies and procedures that are not inclusive and fundamentally increase the cost of living for those already on low incomes, financial independence cannot be achieved.  Life and Debt [Jamaican Documentary] (2013) illustrates such economic policies on a developing nation.  In a domestic, regional view for Indigenous communities, financial illiteracy, ATM fees (charged at 10% of withdrawal amount e.g. $10 for a $100 withdrawal), institutional inexperience of servicing Indigenous communities and not understanding traditional customs and circumstances (lack of identification for the Stolen Generations) alienate and perpetuate marginalisation.  As Dicken (2007) argues, it is at this regional level that impacts of the globalising processes are most felt.  Global financial markets impact regions and communities via bank fees, interest rates and cuts in governmental funding to essential services facilitating higher levels of distress upon the communities that can result in lateral violence.

Image 3

Lateral violence has been witnessed on ATSI Grapevine.  The Deadly Awards acknowledge outstanding achievements within Indigenous communities and this year’s Lifetime Achievement award went to Uncle Archie Roach for his work highlighting the Stolen Generations.  There were many voices on the Grapevine who were appalled that Uncle Archie would accept such an award from an institution (Commonwealth Government) that implemented the policies that perpetuated the cultural interruption.  The level of animosity and anger that was levelled at the contributors of this narrative was extraordinary.  Contributors questioned others’ levels of ‘Aboriginality’; levels of pain incurred through the Stolen Generations; and ‘how much did you do to help the plight of our people?’  To try and quantify such is irrelevant and serves no purpose but only to further disseminate fractured communities, in this case, an online community. The contributors were turning on themselves:  Lateral violence.

Powerlessness is a condition that institutions inflict upon marginalised individuals and communities.  The transgenerational impact of ‘ghosts of policies past’ and its potential to insidiously destroy identity and sense of place is great in both real and online communities.

Reference List

Dicken, P.  (2007).  Global Shift:  Mapping the changing contours of the world economy.  London:  Sage Publications.

Korff, J.  (2013).  Aboriginal communities are breaking down.  Retrieved from http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/aboriginal-communities-are-breaking-down

Wilkinson, R.  (2013).  BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 8: Stuff:  Markets and manufacture. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

 

Image Reference

Image 1

Retrieved from http://www.davidairey.com/banksy-on-advertising/ 

 Image 2

Retrieved from http://www.ufunk.net/en/photoblog/banksy-et-la-politique-excellente-piece-de-street-art/ 

 Image 3

Retrieved from http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/files/2011/08/Yuendumu-alternate-blue-nt-inter-sign.jpg

 

Facebook knows what you like

When I first became a member of Facebook, I was not aware  how much advertising and marketing would be on display to me.   I soon discovered that Facebook has more advertisements than any television channel or magazine.

I asked myself if I had ever purchased anything from an advertisement on Facebook. Considering how much time I spend on Facebook, surely some form of advertising has persuaded or influenced me at one point or another. "Our choices are not entirely our own" (Patel, 2007, p2). I realised that many purchases I have made, both online and in stores, have been influenced by advertising on Facebook. I have joined many Facebook pages which advertise online clothing stores, music pages, cooking pages and even sports pages -  all of these pages are full of ads targeted to that specific 'community'.

With over 1 Billion users, it doesn't take a genius to figure out why Facebook is not only just a social network, but also a marketing network where you can buy, swap and sell 'virtual stuff' and 'real stuff'. Social Media Today, suggest that a company or business may not be taken seriously if it does not have a presence on Facebook. There are many different 'communities' formed on the site, which makes it ideal for companies to market products to their specific audience or targets.

It is suggested that the 3rd industrial revolution is underway (The third industrial revolution, 2012), and that many future jobs will no longer be in factories and warehouses, but rather in offices full of marketers, logistics experts, engineers, and other professionals. I believe marketing on Facebook will play a big role in 3rd industrial revolution, as it is an easy and ideal way to connect with millions of people on a global scale. Facebook is the perfect setting for convincing the masses that consuming is good (Wilkinson, 2013).


Reference List:

Patel, R (2007). Stuffed and Starved: Markets, power and the hidden battle for the world food system. p2. Melbourne, Australia: Swartz Publishing Pty Ltd.

Romeri, M. (2013) Social Media Today. Harness the power of facebook marketing. Retrieved from http://socialmediatoday.com/monica-romeri/1145911/harness-power-facebook-marketing

The Economist (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017

Wilkinson, R (2013) BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place. Lecture 8, retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Image Credit:

http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/will-consumers-trust-facebook-for-ecommerce-35301/

f.anPag.es: where you become virtual 'stuff'

f.anPag.es: selling virtual selves

Facebook is a prime example of the power of virtual networks to buy real and virtual stuff; ‘real’ as in household items and ‘virtual’ as in power and prestige. Kuttainen (2013) covers the way in which virtual networks have impacted on trade and industry stating: “Digital technology has already rocked the media and retailing industries, just as cotton mills crushed hand looms.” The winners in this situation seem to be everyday users who now have access to a range of products and can sell their own items without needing a middle-man. There is however the question of how much power users really have when Facebook limits interactions through their interface.

Dicken (2007, p 436) writes: “technology is a fundamentally enabling force in the globalizing of economic activities.” It has indeed created a marketplace through Facebook where buyers do not have to leave their living rooms and is making obsolete garage sales and second hand stores. The Internet is also helping bypass gatekeepers such as big design firms so that more designers can collaborate on new products (The Economist, 2012, p 2). The same is true for the publishing and music industry.

Heras (2010) has written about another sale taking place on the Internet: the sale of Facebook fans.  She reports that Australian-based company, Viralee, sell Facebook fans to the public through their service F.anpag.es. Heras (2012) quotes founder Dominic Holland: “Facebook pages and fans are truly one of the greatest investments any company or marketer can purchase ...  Fan pages are a way to easily engage a population of consumers never before reachable at such a low budget …[and] drive consumers to other web properties or to perform actions.” So it appears that even our virtual selves are for sale in the Facebook marketplace, which makes me wonder if we’ve lost more than we realise?

Reference List

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and losing: An introduction, in Global Shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world economy (pp. 437-453). London, England: Sage

Heras, K. (2010, January 14). World’s first marketplace for Facebook fan pages launchers. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://thenextweb.com/au/2010/01/14/worlds-marketplace-facebook-fan-pages-launches/

The Economist. (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 8: Stuff. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au


Image Credits

Heras, K. (2010). Fanpages. Retrieved from http://thenextweb.com/au/2010/01/14/worlds-marketplace-facebook-fan-pages-launches/

Food Networks

Patel (2007) emphasises the power of large corporations to control consumers’ food choices. Such corporations are guided by the motivation profit, corporations that sell our food shape and constrain how we eat and how we think about food (Patel, 2007).  For example, supermarkets restrict the variety of apples to a specific few varieties due their look, their taste is mostly unobjectionable, they can stand transport over long distances, their skin will not tear or blemish in the distance between the orchard and the aisle and they take well to the waxing technologies and compounds that make transportation possible and keep the apples pretty on the shelves (Patel, 2007). Many virtual networks are run by large corporations, too.

 

 

The virtual network of Townsville Free Stuff is controlled by a local Townsville administrator, but is subject to the large corporation of Facebook. SNS, such as Facebook, have also exhibited influence in shaping our lives such as how our social boundaries evolve through language (Schoon & Cain, 2011).The Oxford English Dictionary named “unfriend” the word of the year in 2010. Oxford defined “unfriend” as a verb meaning to “remove (someone) from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking site” (Schoon & Cain, 2011, p 70). Slang terms and new phrases from social networks are routinely added to our language (Schoon & Cain, 2011). As for control over our lives, previous blogs have covered rules and regulations and Facebook’s control over our profile through human engagement with software.  Facebook has the share control over user’s profile and privacy settings through its guide questioning within its software.  It also has the potential to influence and shape our lives through advertising of businesses and apps.

 

While Facbook’s purpose is social networking and Townsvilles Free stuff is stuff exchange, there is a role for food and food accessories within this virtual network.  As shown by my last blog, one member collects items from Townsville’s Free stuff to add to the community gardens he builds, which not only builds the gardens but form part of his identity, builds a community and networks within reality. Stuff given away on Townsville’s Free Stuff include items that go with food – for example bbq, platters, containers.

 

 

 

 

 

Muffin stands, a frying pan and a table to eat off, along with a toaster, kettle, refrigerator and a cocktail cup are a few of the latest offerings. Photos of all food accessories are on the site so as to give the audience an idea of the condition the items on offer.  So far, I have not seen any recipes or cookbooks on offer

 

Advertising is banned on the network site, however, the Facebook does provide some advertising down the right hand side of the page.  The advertising changes all the time and varies as to what is advertised.  Advertising includes suggested other similar sites, friends/people I might know, apps I might like, and general advertising that has at times included exercise and weight loss businesses, links to win shopping vouchers at supermarket to name a few.

 

Obesity, regardless of affluence or poverty has become an issue highlighted in both readings this week. Evidence shows that food advertising does indeed affect people's diet (Atkins and Bowler, 2001). Patel (2007) states that the ‘perversity of the way food comes to us is that it’s possible for those who cannot afford to eat now can become obese’ (p 5).  As obesity has become a social issue, advertising to resolve this issue have appeared on social networking site such as Facebook.

 

Alcohol has very little role in the virtual network.  The only reference I have seen to alcohol on Townsville’s Free site is the reference to abide by local by-laws on the selling of alcohol.

 

 

Reference List

 

Atkins, P., Bowler, I. (2001). Food in Society: Economy, Culture, Geography. New York: Oxford Press.

 

Patel, R. (2007). Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System. Melbourne: Black Inc.

 

Schoon, E., Cain, C. (2011).  Facebook Boundaries. Context, 10 2, 70-71.

 

Image credit

Anonymous (2012) Just Published - Facebook $$$. falsePrivacy Journal,38 4, 7-8