Amsterdam Calling, Final Blog entry!
Everything is completed and handed in for marking. The only thing left now is a presentation i wish to present with regards to my study into Internet Censorship in China, which I will record and post on-line. I ask those interested to please click on the link 'May you come to the attention of those in authority' to view my weblog on the issue.
I would like to thank Stuart, Simon and everyone on the course for the last few months and look forward to the design show in a few days.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Friday, March 09, 2007
Design for change
A Fable for all Dental Technicians
Wikipedia - Virtual community
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_community
Wikipedia - Podcasts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasts
‘Online Dental Technology Community’
Introduction
‘I have the intention to develop and establish an on-line Dental technology Community. The idea is to allow like-minded individuals within the Dental Technology Field (Professionals, Academics & Students) to share resources & knowledge. As the community grows it will allow Students to find relevant information for their assignments and help keep Professionals at the fore front of their field.’
Background – Key Changes
The field of Dental Technology is rapidly changing and evolving. The number of universities in
Development
My girlfriend, along with several friends are all Dental Technicians. I know from their experiences that there is a lack of Information & communication available on the World Wide Web and amongst their peers.
Furthermore, I became aware that on Wednesday (21/02/2007) Jeffery Lewis, Senior Lecturer & Head of Dental Technology at
After having a meeting with Jeff, It is now my intention to work with several members of the
Research – Web 2.0
After searching through a large array of websites, Wikia communities proved to be the most appropriate source to draw inspiration from. Some of the features I found to be particularly useful & would appeal to it’s users include -
• Free Community support
• Freely licensed content
• File upload features allows to upload graphics or sound files
• Easy to edit, promoting user interaction.
• Customizable site style and navigation, promoting individuality.
• Databases download available so your data can never be locked into the site, ensuring the information remains free to the user.
• Completely open site. No annoying hidden pages or login required. Meaning the site is user friendly & encourages browsing of resources.
WHY would people want to use this particular technology?
Users & Contributors to online communities are motivated by –
• The information they can obtain.
• Increased reputation and a sense of having an effect, as well as a sense of community.
WHAT would they want to do with the technology?
An online community would allow those within the field to –
• Discuss & exchange information with ease.
• Listen to Pod-casts.
• Stream Videos.
• Acquire contacts. Bring students, academics & professionals closer together.
Initial Contacts
• Jeff Lewis
Head of Centre for Dental Technology, UWIC,
• Chris Maryan
Head of centre at
• Mark Gilbert
Lecturer at MMU and Chair of BIDST.
Associations Contacted
• Pete Gough, Webmaster
Orthodontic Technicians Association
• Sue Adams, Secretary
Dental Technologists Association
• Claire Poole
Dental Laboratories Association
• Mark Gilbert
British Institute of Dental and Surgical Technologists
P.E.S.T. Analysis
l Political Analysis
Large-scale political decisions and actions have a direct impact on small-scale/individual consumer behavior. As a recent example, terrorist activity and overseas conflict have had an obvious impact on worldwide tourism.
A recent change in the law now means that Dental Technicians have to be qualified and registered with the British Dental Association. Therefore more institutions will have to teach Dental Technology to Degree standard again.
Furthermore, there need within the field for better communication.
l Economic Analysis
The rise and fall of any economy is cyclical, and will always affect different sections of public life in different ways.
Despite the drive for big profits in technology, there is a counter movement that is making software and hardware more accessible to the user ‘Virtual communities.’ Various online media (i.e. Wikis, Blogs, Chat rooms, Internet forums, Electronic mailing lists) are becoming ever greater knowledge-sharing resources. Many of these communities are highly cooperative and establish their own unique culture. They also involve significant time from contributors with no monetary gain.
l Social Analysis
Websites such as Wikia, Blogger, Myspace do not deliver services in a vacuum. They are social phenomena which provide important focus for different communities, individuals, institutions, organizations, businesses and so on. Large-scale social trends such as the Open Source Initiative provide a significant opportunity for audience participation & sharing of information. Awareness of these developments, and the ability to tailor services to address them, is an important factor in the sustainability of my product.
l Technological Analysis
New media, and particularly the Internet, have had a dramatic impact on consumer behavior and expectation. Users and visitors expect to be able to interact with an organization remotely, and often look to libraries, archives and universities to extend their real-world credibility and service provision into the digital domain.
The other major impact of new media in this context is the way in which information is increasingly being delivered in bite-sized pieces. As the pace of technological change increases and the channels of content grow exponentially, consumers are less willing to engage with in-depth or academic research into a single subject. All of these factors will have an influence both on the delivery of my final product and on the ways in which it is marketed.
Future Development
I fully intend to design & develop this project all the way to a finished product. However, as the project deadline is Friday 09/03/2007, I will have to return to this project at a later date. Below is a list of the next steps I need to take in developing the online community -
• Develop questionnaires to be sent out to all those concerned to help obtain an understanding of what features (such as Pod-casts, Videos, Question/ Answer sections etc) users would find most useful.
• Decide which software or website would be the best place to host the community.
• Further promote the community & find other initial contributors and administrators.
• Create a
A Fable for all Dental Technicians
References & Useful Websites
Wikipedia - Virtual community
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_community
Wikipedia - Podcasts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasts
Wikia Communities http://www.wikia.com/
Orthodontic Technicians Association http://www.orthota.co.uk
Dental Technologists Association http://www.dta-uk.org/
Dental Laboratories Association http://www.dla.org.uk/
British
You tube http://youtube.com
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Developing a Literature Review
Research Topic: Free Speech (Internet Censorship )
Abstract
For the purposes of this paper I am going to focus on the issue of free speech, to gain further knowledge for my Dissertation Topic (Internet censorship).
Censorship is the moral or legislative process by which society “agrees” to limit what an individual can do, say, think, or see. All societies have forms of censorship, effective only with sufficient threat and severity of punishment for violating the censorship rule. Historically, the various forms of censorship have predominantly focused on social norms. Clearly, political and religious organizations limit what individuals can do. For example, organized societies censor premeditated murder. Censoring this type of behaviour has universal appeal and arguably increases social welfare because individuals can dedicate more resources to productive activity rather than protecting themselves from every individual with which they interact. This represents a reduction in transaction costs. Furthermore, censorship is often aimed at behaviour that creates negative externalities, which are costs borne by third parties. For example, smoking is an activity that can impose costs on non–smokers, and limits placed on smoking attempt to reduce these costs.
One recent target for censorship by governments across the globe has been the Internet. Censorship of the Internet has focused on a wide range of topics, including pornography, hate speech, and bomb–making instructions. The justification for censorship of such content is that this would lead to a greater social good, even if individuals are limited in what they can consume on the Internet. To date, the Internet censorship movements have taken two predominant forms: limiting what can be viewed or what can be posted on the Internet. It is becoming more practical to limit what can be viewed on the Internet through filtering technology. Today there are numerous Internet filtering programs available, several of which are commercially successful.
Users throughout the world are being blocked from viewing content by Internet Service Providers and being subjected to ever more governmental approvals. For example, China is attempting to restrict political expression, in the name of security and social stability. It requires users of the Internet and electronic mail (e-mail) to register, so that it may monitor their activities. Nevertheless, supporters of Internet censorship continue to press for national legislation limiting what can be posted and viewed on the Internet.
Objectives of the Literature Review
This literature review will be conducted prior to the onset of my study of Internet Censorship and will be used as basic information for formulating the objectives of my dissertation.
Through reading several books and journals, I have been able to acquire a good understanding of the questions and issues people have on the subject. For this paper I intend to categorise the various literature I have read into three sections; For & Against censorship and another section for neutral articles. I will then conclude this paper stating which texts are most convincing and make the greatest contribution to my understanding of the topic.
Those who oppose Censorship
Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World
by Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu
This book is essentially a number of case studies of the Internet's challenge to governmental rule in the 1990s, and the ensuing battles with governments around the world. We learn of Google's struggles with the French government and Yahoo's capitulation to the Chinese regime; of how the European Union sets privacy standards on the Net for the entire world; and of eBay's struggles with fraud.
The authors argue national governments will continue to maintain their sovereignty in the age of the Internet, largely because of economics: e-businesses-even giants such as Yahoo, Google and eBay-need governmental support in order to function. When Yahoo, an American company, was tried in French court for facilitating the auctioning of Nazi paraphernalia in violation of French law, the company was eventually forced to comply with local laws or risk losing the ability to operate in France. As eBay grew into an Internet powerhouse, its 'feedback' system could not keep up with cunning con artists, so it hired hundreds of fraud prevention specialists (known as 'eBay cops').
The destiny of the Internet over the next decades, argue Goldsmith and Wu, will reflect the interests of powerful nations and the conflicts within and between them. Most controversially, they argue that existing international law has the power to control the Internet.
Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age
by Mike Godwin
The author of this book is a former American journalist and now counsel to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization devoted to guarding individual rights in cyberspace. Mike Godwin is an activist who was deeply involved in turning back the threat of regulation and, at least for the time being, securing rights of free expression online.
For several years in the mid-1990s, the constitutional future of the Internet hung in the balance as the American courts debated it‘s future: Would it be treated as a medium of expression meriting the full protection of the First Amendment, or would it be subject to content-restrictive regulation, like broadcasting under the Federal Communications Commission?
This book largely presents Godwin's deep involvement in what he calls the "cyber porn panic" the push to control Internet. One key philosophy that Godwin makes a convincing case for is that policing the Net should be a matter of individual ethics rather than of legislation or prosecutions. Godwin also discusses another interesting concept; of changing peoples mindsets rather than enforcing censorship and regulation.
Those who are in favour of Censorship
There's No Such Thing as Free Speech: And It's a Good Thing Too by Stanley Fish.
Of all the books I read, this was the most controversial. In his book, Stanley Fish suggests that the idea that we have “free speech” is a mirage. To make his point, he redefines free speech not as the right to say what we want to say free from governmental punishment, to a perception of “free speech” meaning speech not tied to any belief system. In addition he describes the concept of free speech as something often used for political or other personal ends.
He argues that the purpose of speech is to persuade, because if we speak, it is to put our views forth. He then extends this idea to “we are for this, which means we are against that…” (p. 367). Because people often disagree, he agrees with what Justice Holmes said some years ago that “every idea is an incitement to somebody.” Holmes was arguing that just the desire to maintain peace was insufficient reason to curb an individual’s right to free speech, because someone somewhere would be offended by virtually anything that could be said by another person.
However, Fish also notes that there are occasional curbs on free speech. He does not use the classic example that it not all right to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theatre just to assert one’s right to free speech, because in that instance, the likelihood of panicking others, possibly leading to injuries, is great, and the shouting of “Fire!” when no fire exists has no real personal value.
He notes the difficulties in trying to separate speech from non-verbal action, and in fact we know that things like demonstrations are protected by our right to free speech even if no words are used. He makes the point that there are always limitations on free speech, and that often those limitations are imposed on us by society. He opens his essay with an example of this from English history: John Milton, a writer and poet and someone not wanting his words curbed, spoke out for toleration and free speech. However, he didn’t want Catholics given free speech. Their views were unacceptable and bad for society. The insidious truth hidden in Milton’s view, Fish states, is that there can be no pre-determined list of what is all right or not all right to say: first the person says something, and then it is judged to be so outrageous that it is not protected by free speech. Since Fish views all speech as an attempt to assert a point, then he sees censorship as living hand-in-hand with free speech, and of course any form of censorship curbs free speech.
It could be argued that Fish has unnecessarily complicated the concept of free speech, presumably to persuade people that free speech does not exist. However, the fact that he can challenge the contents of the American Constitution, essentially calling it a lie, seems to demonstrate that we do have free speech, at least on some level. He argues that since religious colleges can censor to some extent what is said on their campus, all colleges should be able to, since all colleges hold beliefs. While this is true, it completely ignores the concept of separation of church and state. In fact, Fish seems to be doing what he accuses others of doing. He is manipulating free speech by redefining it. He has literally had to go to great lengths to attempt to do this: one sentence on p. 373 has 45 words in it. Fish has tried hard, but by demonstrating his right to challenge the American Constitution, he has demonstrated that free speech exists.
Neutral Literature
Beyond Our Control? Confronting the Limits of Our Legal System in the Age of Cyberspace by Stuart Biegel.
Beyond our control examines the state of American law, international law, social norms and technological controls as they relate to the definition of crime in the information age. The book largely offers a descriptive discussion of the many issues that emerge when we begin to apply the law in cyberspace.
The book is divided into three parts. The first section goes on to elaborate the types of problematic behaviours that can be found in cyberspace. These include dangerous conduct, fraudulent conduct, unlawful anarchic conduct, and finally, inappropriate conduct. Each category then details examples ranging from the dangerous conduct of cyber terrorism to the inappropriateness of hate-related websites. Biegel covers the many contemporary controversies surrounding cyberspace - child pornography, harassment, cyber stalking, copyright violations, cyber terrorism, any many more.
Section Two considers how we might go about regulating problematic behaviour in cyberspace. More specifically, examine the laws that have been passed to regulate Internet-related issues and the different regulatory approaches that are being used. Firstly the author relates to the possibility, and problems, of employing a traditional regulation model involving criminal statutes. For an example of a previous problem, the author turns to the issue of distributing child pornography online. Developed in the late 1990s to regulate the distribution of child pornography via the Internet, statutes were met with substantial debate because of their perceived attempts to regulate activities that many in cyberspace considered protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The author argues that any attempt to regulate the Internet using traditional law must consider issues similar to those that doomed the child-pornography legislation, and such statutes will therefore require extensive consideration and planning during the drafting phase.
The second recommendation concerns the use of international models of cooperation. Returning to an earlier discussion concerning the problem of regulating an area that is not bound by physical boundaries, the author argues that a possible solution could lie in drafting legislation that is enforceable around the globe. Of course, while this seems like a valid solution, even Biegel is quick to point out that there are several problems that could develop from an attempt to regulate cyberspace using international standards and regulations. For example, any attempt to regulate pornography will certainly be faced with the question of what is pornographic, as definitions of pornography must consider which country's definition of pornography is to be accepted. The drafting of this legislation will require an extensive examination of custom and international law. While not impossible, the author concedes that the use of this approach will likely require consideration of the perspectives of officials of countries other than the United States.
The final recommendation deviates from a discussion of the law and instead focuses on the use of code-based regulation. Here, regulation of cyberspace would be enacted by modifying the protocols through which users connect to cyberspace. It has long been accepted that the Internet was not designed with security in mind, and there have been arguments in the past concerning a change to the Internet's technological-security structure. The work of Internet law scholar Lawrence Lessig is referenced in this section, as Lessig has argued in the past that code-based regulation is perhaps the easiest method of regulating criminal activity on the Internet. Biegel, however, recognises that there are problems with solely relying on code-based regulation. First and foremost is the fact that users have historically been successful at circumventing such protections. The question remains as to whether the costly use of code-based regulation would provide an adequate response to the problem, or merely a temporary solution as users modify their approaches to Internet-based crime.
The final section of the book takes the types of regulation that are possible and an example of each type of problematic conduct detailed in the first part of the book and attempts to examine how the law can be used to better regulate cyberspace. He then describes how concepts already present in American law, regulations available at the International level, and changes in the computer code that construct the Internet can be used to regulate this problem. As the argument moves from problematic behaviour where relative consensus exists, such as terrorism, to behaviour where less consensus on the level of crime actually exists, Biegel attempts to note that defining a "crime" is very much a political process.
As a conclusion, Biegel lists a series of "regulatory principles" that emerge from the book. He argues that, "this book takes the position that regulation is a neutral term, and that in a vacuum it should be viewed as neither a curse nor a panacea" (p.356).
Conclusion
While conducting this paper I only used completed articles in book form, no partial articles off the internet that could be bias or have false information. Also, a large proportion of literature read was American and further research will be needed for me to gain a clearer understanding of the global issues of this topic.
The two books I found most useful while conducting this paper were There's No Such Thing as Free Speech: And It's a Good Thing Too by Stanley Fish and Beyond Our Control? Confronting the Limits of Our Legal System in the Age of Cyberspace by Stuart Biegel. Both these books required me to read them in their entirety to gain a true appreciation of the themes and issues they presented.
Through conducting this paper, I have learned much invaluable information. I now have a good understanding of the general groups of people in favour of and opposed too internet censorship. I am now aware that those with kids, who are married, who are older, who use the internet for religious content, who work in the public sector, and who think pornography or privacy are the predominant issue concerning the Internet tend to favour Internet censorship.
On the other hand, those who are male, live in urban environs, use the Internet for political content, have more Internet experience, are more comfortable on the Internet, work in information industries, and who feel government regulation or censorship is the most important issue concerning the Internet tend to be against Internet censorship.
I also now have a fairly good basic understanding of the issues for and against censorship of material. Having learned that the major problem governments face is the lack of physical boundaries, making it difficult to determine where violations of the law should be prosecuted. Furthermore, I have become aware that many people are strongly opinionated on this issue, yet few base their understanding on fact or sound thinking. For example, many people feel that Internet content regulation should become International. However, given the diversity of cultures that exists throughout the globe, it would be impractical for a set of International laws to exist that every individual country should adhere too. Never mind the costs and difficulties governments would face having to enforce such laws. An alternative idea is Internet content regulation based on the cultures of each country, although this would more than likely lead to a totalitarian internet, comprising of numerous highly monitored policed states.
Reference
Biegel S. 2001, Beyond Our Control? Confronting the Limits of Our Legal System in the Age of Cyberspace, The MIT Press.
Fish S. 1994, There's No Such Thing as Free Speech: And It's a Good Thing Too, Oxford University Press.
Godwin M. 2003, Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age,
The MIT Press; Rev Update edition.
Goldsmith J. & Wu T. 2006, Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World. Oxford University Press, USA.
Bibliography
Bollinger L.C. 2003, Vigilant: Free Speech in the Modern Era,
University Of Chicago Press; New Ed edition,
Coatgate C. 1996, The Internet and the Issue of Censorship,
Cardiff Institute of Higher education, Colchester Avenue.
Isenberg D. 2002,Guide to Internet Law, Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Levinson N. 2006, Free Speech Stories, University of California Press.
Peng Hwa Ang, 1997, How Countries Are Regulating Internet Content,
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Research Topic: Free Speech (Internet Censorship )
Abstract
For the purposes of this paper I am going to focus on the issue of free speech, to gain further knowledge for my Dissertation Topic (Internet censorship).
Censorship is the moral or legislative process by which society “agrees” to limit what an individual can do, say, think, or see. All societies have forms of censorship, effective only with sufficient threat and severity of punishment for violating the censorship rule. Historically, the various forms of censorship have predominantly focused on social norms. Clearly, political and religious organizations limit what individuals can do. For example, organized societies censor premeditated murder. Censoring this type of behaviour has universal appeal and arguably increases social welfare because individuals can dedicate more resources to productive activity rather than protecting themselves from every individual with which they interact. This represents a reduction in transaction costs. Furthermore, censorship is often aimed at behaviour that creates negative externalities, which are costs borne by third parties. For example, smoking is an activity that can impose costs on non–smokers, and limits placed on smoking attempt to reduce these costs.
One recent target for censorship by governments across the globe has been the Internet. Censorship of the Internet has focused on a wide range of topics, including pornography, hate speech, and bomb–making instructions. The justification for censorship of such content is that this would lead to a greater social good, even if individuals are limited in what they can consume on the Internet. To date, the Internet censorship movements have taken two predominant forms: limiting what can be viewed or what can be posted on the Internet. It is becoming more practical to limit what can be viewed on the Internet through filtering technology. Today there are numerous Internet filtering programs available, several of which are commercially successful.
Users throughout the world are being blocked from viewing content by Internet Service Providers and being subjected to ever more governmental approvals. For example, China is attempting to restrict political expression, in the name of security and social stability. It requires users of the Internet and electronic mail (e-mail) to register, so that it may monitor their activities. Nevertheless, supporters of Internet censorship continue to press for national legislation limiting what can be posted and viewed on the Internet.
Objectives of the Literature Review
This literature review will be conducted prior to the onset of my study of Internet Censorship and will be used as basic information for formulating the objectives of my dissertation.
Through reading several books and journals, I have been able to acquire a good understanding of the questions and issues people have on the subject. For this paper I intend to categorise the various literature I have read into three sections; For & Against censorship and another section for neutral articles. I will then conclude this paper stating which texts are most convincing and make the greatest contribution to my understanding of the topic.
Those who oppose Censorship
Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World
by Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu
This book is essentially a number of case studies of the Internet's challenge to governmental rule in the 1990s, and the ensuing battles with governments around the world. We learn of Google's struggles with the French government and Yahoo's capitulation to the Chinese regime; of how the European Union sets privacy standards on the Net for the entire world; and of eBay's struggles with fraud.
The authors argue national governments will continue to maintain their sovereignty in the age of the Internet, largely because of economics: e-businesses-even giants such as Yahoo, Google and eBay-need governmental support in order to function. When Yahoo, an American company, was tried in French court for facilitating the auctioning of Nazi paraphernalia in violation of French law, the company was eventually forced to comply with local laws or risk losing the ability to operate in France. As eBay grew into an Internet powerhouse, its 'feedback' system could not keep up with cunning con artists, so it hired hundreds of fraud prevention specialists (known as 'eBay cops').
The destiny of the Internet over the next decades, argue Goldsmith and Wu, will reflect the interests of powerful nations and the conflicts within and between them. Most controversially, they argue that existing international law has the power to control the Internet.
Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age
by Mike Godwin
The author of this book is a former American journalist and now counsel to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization devoted to guarding individual rights in cyberspace. Mike Godwin is an activist who was deeply involved in turning back the threat of regulation and, at least for the time being, securing rights of free expression online.
For several years in the mid-1990s, the constitutional future of the Internet hung in the balance as the American courts debated it‘s future: Would it be treated as a medium of expression meriting the full protection of the First Amendment, or would it be subject to content-restrictive regulation, like broadcasting under the Federal Communications Commission?
This book largely presents Godwin's deep involvement in what he calls the "cyber porn panic" the push to control Internet. One key philosophy that Godwin makes a convincing case for is that policing the Net should be a matter of individual ethics rather than of legislation or prosecutions. Godwin also discusses another interesting concept; of changing peoples mindsets rather than enforcing censorship and regulation.
Those who are in favour of Censorship
There's No Such Thing as Free Speech: And It's a Good Thing Too by Stanley Fish.
Of all the books I read, this was the most controversial. In his book, Stanley Fish suggests that the idea that we have “free speech” is a mirage. To make his point, he redefines free speech not as the right to say what we want to say free from governmental punishment, to a perception of “free speech” meaning speech not tied to any belief system. In addition he describes the concept of free speech as something often used for political or other personal ends.
He argues that the purpose of speech is to persuade, because if we speak, it is to put our views forth. He then extends this idea to “we are for this, which means we are against that…” (p. 367). Because people often disagree, he agrees with what Justice Holmes said some years ago that “every idea is an incitement to somebody.” Holmes was arguing that just the desire to maintain peace was insufficient reason to curb an individual’s right to free speech, because someone somewhere would be offended by virtually anything that could be said by another person.
However, Fish also notes that there are occasional curbs on free speech. He does not use the classic example that it not all right to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theatre just to assert one’s right to free speech, because in that instance, the likelihood of panicking others, possibly leading to injuries, is great, and the shouting of “Fire!” when no fire exists has no real personal value.
He notes the difficulties in trying to separate speech from non-verbal action, and in fact we know that things like demonstrations are protected by our right to free speech even if no words are used. He makes the point that there are always limitations on free speech, and that often those limitations are imposed on us by society. He opens his essay with an example of this from English history: John Milton, a writer and poet and someone not wanting his words curbed, spoke out for toleration and free speech. However, he didn’t want Catholics given free speech. Their views were unacceptable and bad for society. The insidious truth hidden in Milton’s view, Fish states, is that there can be no pre-determined list of what is all right or not all right to say: first the person says something, and then it is judged to be so outrageous that it is not protected by free speech. Since Fish views all speech as an attempt to assert a point, then he sees censorship as living hand-in-hand with free speech, and of course any form of censorship curbs free speech.
It could be argued that Fish has unnecessarily complicated the concept of free speech, presumably to persuade people that free speech does not exist. However, the fact that he can challenge the contents of the American Constitution, essentially calling it a lie, seems to demonstrate that we do have free speech, at least on some level. He argues that since religious colleges can censor to some extent what is said on their campus, all colleges should be able to, since all colleges hold beliefs. While this is true, it completely ignores the concept of separation of church and state. In fact, Fish seems to be doing what he accuses others of doing. He is manipulating free speech by redefining it. He has literally had to go to great lengths to attempt to do this: one sentence on p. 373 has 45 words in it. Fish has tried hard, but by demonstrating his right to challenge the American Constitution, he has demonstrated that free speech exists.
Neutral Literature
Beyond Our Control? Confronting the Limits of Our Legal System in the Age of Cyberspace by Stuart Biegel.
Beyond our control examines the state of American law, international law, social norms and technological controls as they relate to the definition of crime in the information age. The book largely offers a descriptive discussion of the many issues that emerge when we begin to apply the law in cyberspace.
The book is divided into three parts. The first section goes on to elaborate the types of problematic behaviours that can be found in cyberspace. These include dangerous conduct, fraudulent conduct, unlawful anarchic conduct, and finally, inappropriate conduct. Each category then details examples ranging from the dangerous conduct of cyber terrorism to the inappropriateness of hate-related websites. Biegel covers the many contemporary controversies surrounding cyberspace - child pornography, harassment, cyber stalking, copyright violations, cyber terrorism, any many more.
Section Two considers how we might go about regulating problematic behaviour in cyberspace. More specifically, examine the laws that have been passed to regulate Internet-related issues and the different regulatory approaches that are being used. Firstly the author relates to the possibility, and problems, of employing a traditional regulation model involving criminal statutes. For an example of a previous problem, the author turns to the issue of distributing child pornography online. Developed in the late 1990s to regulate the distribution of child pornography via the Internet, statutes were met with substantial debate because of their perceived attempts to regulate activities that many in cyberspace considered protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The author argues that any attempt to regulate the Internet using traditional law must consider issues similar to those that doomed the child-pornography legislation, and such statutes will therefore require extensive consideration and planning during the drafting phase.
The second recommendation concerns the use of international models of cooperation. Returning to an earlier discussion concerning the problem of regulating an area that is not bound by physical boundaries, the author argues that a possible solution could lie in drafting legislation that is enforceable around the globe. Of course, while this seems like a valid solution, even Biegel is quick to point out that there are several problems that could develop from an attempt to regulate cyberspace using international standards and regulations. For example, any attempt to regulate pornography will certainly be faced with the question of what is pornographic, as definitions of pornography must consider which country's definition of pornography is to be accepted. The drafting of this legislation will require an extensive examination of custom and international law. While not impossible, the author concedes that the use of this approach will likely require consideration of the perspectives of officials of countries other than the United States.
The final recommendation deviates from a discussion of the law and instead focuses on the use of code-based regulation. Here, regulation of cyberspace would be enacted by modifying the protocols through which users connect to cyberspace. It has long been accepted that the Internet was not designed with security in mind, and there have been arguments in the past concerning a change to the Internet's technological-security structure. The work of Internet law scholar Lawrence Lessig is referenced in this section, as Lessig has argued in the past that code-based regulation is perhaps the easiest method of regulating criminal activity on the Internet. Biegel, however, recognises that there are problems with solely relying on code-based regulation. First and foremost is the fact that users have historically been successful at circumventing such protections. The question remains as to whether the costly use of code-based regulation would provide an adequate response to the problem, or merely a temporary solution as users modify their approaches to Internet-based crime.
The final section of the book takes the types of regulation that are possible and an example of each type of problematic conduct detailed in the first part of the book and attempts to examine how the law can be used to better regulate cyberspace. He then describes how concepts already present in American law, regulations available at the International level, and changes in the computer code that construct the Internet can be used to regulate this problem. As the argument moves from problematic behaviour where relative consensus exists, such as terrorism, to behaviour where less consensus on the level of crime actually exists, Biegel attempts to note that defining a "crime" is very much a political process.
As a conclusion, Biegel lists a series of "regulatory principles" that emerge from the book. He argues that, "this book takes the position that regulation is a neutral term, and that in a vacuum it should be viewed as neither a curse nor a panacea" (p.356).
Conclusion
While conducting this paper I only used completed articles in book form, no partial articles off the internet that could be bias or have false information. Also, a large proportion of literature read was American and further research will be needed for me to gain a clearer understanding of the global issues of this topic.
The two books I found most useful while conducting this paper were There's No Such Thing as Free Speech: And It's a Good Thing Too by Stanley Fish and Beyond Our Control? Confronting the Limits of Our Legal System in the Age of Cyberspace by Stuart Biegel. Both these books required me to read them in their entirety to gain a true appreciation of the themes and issues they presented.
Through conducting this paper, I have learned much invaluable information. I now have a good understanding of the general groups of people in favour of and opposed too internet censorship. I am now aware that those with kids, who are married, who are older, who use the internet for religious content, who work in the public sector, and who think pornography or privacy are the predominant issue concerning the Internet tend to favour Internet censorship.
On the other hand, those who are male, live in urban environs, use the Internet for political content, have more Internet experience, are more comfortable on the Internet, work in information industries, and who feel government regulation or censorship is the most important issue concerning the Internet tend to be against Internet censorship.
I also now have a fairly good basic understanding of the issues for and against censorship of material. Having learned that the major problem governments face is the lack of physical boundaries, making it difficult to determine where violations of the law should be prosecuted. Furthermore, I have become aware that many people are strongly opinionated on this issue, yet few base their understanding on fact or sound thinking. For example, many people feel that Internet content regulation should become International. However, given the diversity of cultures that exists throughout the globe, it would be impractical for a set of International laws to exist that every individual country should adhere too. Never mind the costs and difficulties governments would face having to enforce such laws. An alternative idea is Internet content regulation based on the cultures of each country, although this would more than likely lead to a totalitarian internet, comprising of numerous highly monitored policed states.
Reference
Biegel S. 2001, Beyond Our Control? Confronting the Limits of Our Legal System in the Age of Cyberspace, The MIT Press.
Fish S. 1994, There's No Such Thing as Free Speech: And It's a Good Thing Too, Oxford University Press.
Godwin M. 2003, Cyber Rights: Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age,
The MIT Press; Rev Update edition.
Goldsmith J. & Wu T. 2006, Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World. Oxford University Press, USA.
Bibliography
Bollinger L.C. 2003, Vigilant: Free Speech in the Modern Era,
University Of Chicago Press; New Ed edition,
Coatgate C. 1996, The Internet and the Issue of Censorship,
Cardiff Institute of Higher education, Colchester Avenue.
Isenberg D. 2002,Guide to Internet Law, Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Levinson N. 2006, Free Speech Stories, University of California Press.
Peng Hwa Ang, 1997, How Countries Are Regulating Internet Content,
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
This is a old brief that was initialy handed in as a written assignment. Since then I have changed the topic for my dissertation, but anyone interested in Smart Clothing might find this useful -
Reading a Research Paper
Smart or Intelligent Clothing are articles of clothing, footwear or accessories that feature micro-electronic sensors which gather, communicate and output usage and performance data. Electronic sensing and computing technology is integrated into clothing with minimal to no visual indicators of the technology.
“Electronics and fashion experts agree that Smart Clothing represents the future of the two areas” (Baurley, 2003). But at present, limited fashion and high prices mean Smart clothes are a small niche market.
What is the motivation for the work (commercial, exploratory, educational)?
The research paper I decided to analyses is called “Optimizing Multidisciplinary Contributions for the Smart Clothing Development Process.” This paper focuses on how to achieve a greater integration of electronic technology and fashion design, so more fully integrated designs can be realised. The paper goes about this by conducting Background Research; which comprises of a literature review, lessons learned from previous projects & a series of interviews with key professionals.
In the Literature review, it is explained that there is a need to improve profitability in order to cover the development costs. This means in order “to gain social acceptance, a new design strategy is required (Edwards, 2003). Therefore in the field of Smart Clothing, the ability to shift perception and break from the past is critical for a radical innovation.
Designers must break the ‘pre-existing pattern,’ or what is also known as the Creative boundary. De Bono (2000) explains that “All information is perceived, recognised, analyzed and organised due to the ‘routine perception track’ which was set up by previous experiences. The brain can only see what it is prepared to see.” In this manner, all information, no matter how new or old, is explained by the known theory and fashioned to support that theory. In order to breakthrough the existing boundary, a new perspective is required.
This point is emphasised in the summary of lessons from previous projects, where a researched worked with two supervisors from both fields (electronics & fashion). The final result was a far from integrated design, with the problem lying in finding symmetry between fashion expression and a functional approach. In this instance it was difficult for one person to balance the inputs from two areas, it must be even harder for multidisciplinary teams.
Concluding the background research is a series of interviews with ten interviewees, who were chosen based on their experience & expertise. Here it was noted that problems occurred with communication and a language barrier exists between the two fields. Furthermore, proximity between both fields is important. Having all required disciplines in one place allows a quick response to any problems that might arise.
The background research concluded that a fully integrated application was required to improve commercial potential. The extended study revealed that the current barrier was caused by established approaches and procedures.
What is the proposed solution (hypothesis, idea, design)?
Having identified several key issues in the Smart Clothing Development Process, the paper then goes on to formulate a practical method to address three issues: 1) How to achieve the optimum balanced contributions from all the participants; 2) How to integrate the differences of fashion design and electronics technology; and 3) overcome the creative boundary and create an integrated result.
This solution is formulated and expanded through the use of two case studies that were shown to break through the creative boundary, optimize multidisciplinary contributions and integrate the difference of high-tech and fashion sectors. Performance Sportswear & Smart Car (originally a collaboration between SMH & Mercedes Benz AG) were the two companies chosen.
Furthermore, interviews between two sportswear design educators, one sportswear design researcher & one member of the Swatch Product Management Department also took place. Finally, to establish even more clarity, a focus group which comprised of five product designers and another with five fashion designers also took place.
To analyse the information collected from the case studies & focus groups and to obligingly offer some answers to the three issues previously stated, the researcher used grounded theory methods. This involved deconstructing the information into categories in order to extrapolate the key issues, which are then reconstructed to provide new meaning and information. The information is thusly dissected by two methods ‘open coding’ and ‘axial coding,‘ before being reconstructed with all it’s potentially useful information being realised.
What evaluation of the proposed solution is presented?
The proposed solution is a series of strategies that should be adopted to optimize multidisciplinary contributions and help achieve more integrated products. These strategies are as follows:
1. Develop a clear goal & describe how multiple perspectives are evenly incorporated
2. Identify user requirements and clarify how multidisciplinary expertise can satisfy these needs.
3. Develop a context of the new product accordingly and ensure that every participant understands.
4. Define expected contributions of all the participants and establish the basis for a collaborative project.
5. Create a new framework based on the product context to encourage developers to think through and express their ideas in an integrated manner. In this way, fashion elements and technologies cannot be separated.
6. The new framework can be adopted by working closely with others. However, it is important that all disciplines challenge their established procedure and explore the new direction identified.
Did this evaluation convince you of the merit of the proposed solution?
The paper set forth to formulate a practical method to address three issues. A very strategic approach was adopted when collecting the vast array of data and analysing it. The proposed solutions have been carefully developed & I believe offer feasible solutions for the issues raised.
What are the paper’s contributions?
This paper has helped to identify several key strategies, providing a new framework for developers to work with. Firstly It identified several key issues in Smart Clothing Development processes and through a process of research & analysis, went on to introduced several feasible solutions.
What are the future directions for this research?
The next step in the evolution of Smart Clothes is partnership with clothing manufacturers & electronics companies so that items are designed from step one to incorporate and interact with technology. Investigation into what would make smart clothing more commercially viable & how to development the market sector would be a insightful direction for further research.
Versatility is crucial for a mass rollout of smart clothing. The cost of the technology has to come down to the point where it can be incorporated into a person's entire wardrobe, not just one item. Furthermore, fashion is also another consideration as people like to keep up with the latest trends.
The technology has to be easy to access and well integrated into the garment. Furthermore, I assume there must also be consideration about what information will be provide to inform the consumer about exactly he or she is buying.
One further query I have about the future of Smart Clothing is that in terms of data collection and analysis, is there not a possibility that it could become seen as an invasion of privacy?
References
Interactive and Experimental Design in Smart Textile products and Applications; proceedings of International Textile Design and Engineering Conference: Fibrous Assemblies at the Design and Engineering Interface, by Baurley, S. L. [Heriot-Watt University, UK. September 2004].
Wearable Computing Struggles for Social Acceptance; Technology: The Ultimate Fashion Item, by Edward C. [IEE Review. October 2003].
Serious Creativity: Using the Power of Lateral Thinking to Create New ideas, by De Bono, E. [London, Harper Collins Business, 2000].
Bibliography
Busayawan Airdate [Brunel University, UK].
Ray Holland [Brunel University, UK].
David Harrison [Brunel University, UK].
Other Journals read:
Smart Fibres, Fabrics and clothing, by Tao Xiaoping [Cambridge, England. Woodhead Publishing, 2001].
Fashion & Textiles: An Overview, by Gale, Colin, Kaur, Jasbir [Oxford, England. New York Berg Publishers, 2004].
Reading a Research Paper
Smart or Intelligent Clothing are articles of clothing, footwear or accessories that feature micro-electronic sensors which gather, communicate and output usage and performance data. Electronic sensing and computing technology is integrated into clothing with minimal to no visual indicators of the technology.
“Electronics and fashion experts agree that Smart Clothing represents the future of the two areas” (Baurley, 2003). But at present, limited fashion and high prices mean Smart clothes are a small niche market.
What is the motivation for the work (commercial, exploratory, educational)?
The research paper I decided to analyses is called “Optimizing Multidisciplinary Contributions for the Smart Clothing Development Process.” This paper focuses on how to achieve a greater integration of electronic technology and fashion design, so more fully integrated designs can be realised. The paper goes about this by conducting Background Research; which comprises of a literature review, lessons learned from previous projects & a series of interviews with key professionals.
In the Literature review, it is explained that there is a need to improve profitability in order to cover the development costs. This means in order “to gain social acceptance, a new design strategy is required (Edwards, 2003). Therefore in the field of Smart Clothing, the ability to shift perception and break from the past is critical for a radical innovation.
Designers must break the ‘pre-existing pattern,’ or what is also known as the Creative boundary. De Bono (2000) explains that “All information is perceived, recognised, analyzed and organised due to the ‘routine perception track’ which was set up by previous experiences. The brain can only see what it is prepared to see.” In this manner, all information, no matter how new or old, is explained by the known theory and fashioned to support that theory. In order to breakthrough the existing boundary, a new perspective is required.
This point is emphasised in the summary of lessons from previous projects, where a researched worked with two supervisors from both fields (electronics & fashion). The final result was a far from integrated design, with the problem lying in finding symmetry between fashion expression and a functional approach. In this instance it was difficult for one person to balance the inputs from two areas, it must be even harder for multidisciplinary teams.
Concluding the background research is a series of interviews with ten interviewees, who were chosen based on their experience & expertise. Here it was noted that problems occurred with communication and a language barrier exists between the two fields. Furthermore, proximity between both fields is important. Having all required disciplines in one place allows a quick response to any problems that might arise.
The background research concluded that a fully integrated application was required to improve commercial potential. The extended study revealed that the current barrier was caused by established approaches and procedures.
What is the proposed solution (hypothesis, idea, design)?
Having identified several key issues in the Smart Clothing Development Process, the paper then goes on to formulate a practical method to address three issues: 1) How to achieve the optimum balanced contributions from all the participants; 2) How to integrate the differences of fashion design and electronics technology; and 3) overcome the creative boundary and create an integrated result.
This solution is formulated and expanded through the use of two case studies that were shown to break through the creative boundary, optimize multidisciplinary contributions and integrate the difference of high-tech and fashion sectors. Performance Sportswear & Smart Car (originally a collaboration between SMH & Mercedes Benz AG) were the two companies chosen.
Furthermore, interviews between two sportswear design educators, one sportswear design researcher & one member of the Swatch Product Management Department also took place. Finally, to establish even more clarity, a focus group which comprised of five product designers and another with five fashion designers also took place.
To analyse the information collected from the case studies & focus groups and to obligingly offer some answers to the three issues previously stated, the researcher used grounded theory methods. This involved deconstructing the information into categories in order to extrapolate the key issues, which are then reconstructed to provide new meaning and information. The information is thusly dissected by two methods ‘open coding’ and ‘axial coding,‘ before being reconstructed with all it’s potentially useful information being realised.
What evaluation of the proposed solution is presented?
The proposed solution is a series of strategies that should be adopted to optimize multidisciplinary contributions and help achieve more integrated products. These strategies are as follows:
1. Develop a clear goal & describe how multiple perspectives are evenly incorporated
2. Identify user requirements and clarify how multidisciplinary expertise can satisfy these needs.
3. Develop a context of the new product accordingly and ensure that every participant understands.
4. Define expected contributions of all the participants and establish the basis for a collaborative project.
5. Create a new framework based on the product context to encourage developers to think through and express their ideas in an integrated manner. In this way, fashion elements and technologies cannot be separated.
6. The new framework can be adopted by working closely with others. However, it is important that all disciplines challenge their established procedure and explore the new direction identified.
Did this evaluation convince you of the merit of the proposed solution?
The paper set forth to formulate a practical method to address three issues. A very strategic approach was adopted when collecting the vast array of data and analysing it. The proposed solutions have been carefully developed & I believe offer feasible solutions for the issues raised.
What are the paper’s contributions?
This paper has helped to identify several key strategies, providing a new framework for developers to work with. Firstly It identified several key issues in Smart Clothing Development processes and through a process of research & analysis, went on to introduced several feasible solutions.
What are the future directions for this research?
The next step in the evolution of Smart Clothes is partnership with clothing manufacturers & electronics companies so that items are designed from step one to incorporate and interact with technology. Investigation into what would make smart clothing more commercially viable & how to development the market sector would be a insightful direction for further research.
Versatility is crucial for a mass rollout of smart clothing. The cost of the technology has to come down to the point where it can be incorporated into a person's entire wardrobe, not just one item. Furthermore, fashion is also another consideration as people like to keep up with the latest trends.
The technology has to be easy to access and well integrated into the garment. Furthermore, I assume there must also be consideration about what information will be provide to inform the consumer about exactly he or she is buying.
One further query I have about the future of Smart Clothing is that in terms of data collection and analysis, is there not a possibility that it could become seen as an invasion of privacy?
References
Interactive and Experimental Design in Smart Textile products and Applications; proceedings of International Textile Design and Engineering Conference: Fibrous Assemblies at the Design and Engineering Interface, by Baurley, S. L. [Heriot-Watt University, UK. September 2004].
Wearable Computing Struggles for Social Acceptance; Technology: The Ultimate Fashion Item, by Edward C. [IEE Review. October 2003].
Serious Creativity: Using the Power of Lateral Thinking to Create New ideas, by De Bono, E. [London, Harper Collins Business, 2000].
Bibliography
Busayawan Airdate [Brunel University, UK].
Ray Holland [Brunel University, UK].
David Harrison [Brunel University, UK].
Other Journals read:
Smart Fibres, Fabrics and clothing, by Tao Xiaoping [Cambridge, England. Woodhead Publishing, 2001].
Fashion & Textiles: An Overview, by Gale, Colin, Kaur, Jasbir [Oxford, England. New York Berg Publishers, 2004].
Monday, January 29, 2007
Production Processes: Brief Two
For this brief I was required to visit a real life creative industry company and produce a written web report explaining the company’s production processes. I along with Ian Diez at the end of last year chose to visit a Media Production Company called Boomerang, based at 218 Penarth Road, Cardiff. We met with the Managing director Huw Davies, as well as several other members of the Boomerang Creative team & Production team, to help gain an understanding of the various stages in the company’s design process.
Definition and Planning
It was stated that the first step in a projects life cycle is vital, as the project manager must clearly understand what the client needs and requirements are. By documenting the ideas and concepts of the client’s requirements, the project manger can then create a contract that shows a realistic timescales and budgets for both the client and the production team.
Before creating a contract, the Project Manager must consider the following points-
* Be clear about the clients brief and be aware of what the client’s needs & requirements are. It is important to discuss and clarify unclear information with client.
* Make decisions based on the facts and make an assessment of the risks.
* To be able to understand concerns of members of the team.
* Discuss cost proposal treatment and refer back to client's budget.
* Define resources needed.
* Explain limitations of proposal and make no false promises. It is also important to get a signed agreement to content at each stage of the project.
Information Architecture
Once the project has commenced the company must acquire the relevant information needed for creating the project. Information is generally gathered from the client and if further information is needed the company will allow time for the development team to research and gather the information need for the project.
Design
Boomerang being a Production Company produces television programs for various clients. The company predominately uses story boards to show their clients the design layout, as this is a quick and above all cheap means of conveying ideas before production. Again, a signed agreement is made when agreeing on the design and ideas for the project. When it comes to design they aim to achieve the clients brief, but will say no when something is unachievable.
Construction
This is the production stage of the project where all tasks and the role of the production team has been assigned to each team member. Tasks tend to be set out on a timeline, calendar or white board where team members have a certain amount of time to complete that task before moving on to the next. When a task is completed, a team member signs that task so the project manager is aware what has been completed and what has not. Furthermore, if team members have problems they can also use the timeline, calendar or white board to report any problems to the rest of the team and the project manager.
Marketing
It was stated that a good client relationship is invaluable for acquiring contracts. By creating good contacts, finishing projects on time and by achieving the data for the projects in an orderly manner, all of these factors can influence a client to return for more contracts in the future.
Tracking, Evaluation and Maintenance
Once the project is complete by the production team, the project manager must present the finished project to the client. A final signed agreement is made, as well as discussing with the client if they need the company to maintain the project. Once the client is pleased with the project, it is then common practice for the project to be archived and all documentation from the project is filed away. Archiving properly at the end of each project can have many benefits for the company. The main benefit is that if the client was to return and wanted more work done, then the relevant information is stored and easy to obtain. Boomerang being a Production Company keep Master Tapes of productions, but all other tapes are wiped & re-used.
Analysing the various stages in Boomerang’s Production Processes using England and Finney’s Project Life Cycle guidelines
Scoping the project
‘What is it all about and what is going to be needed?’
Boomerang distinguishes an idea for a potential show and then prepares a pitch to a potential client. This is a potentially risky strategy, as it is not guaranteed the client will accept the pitch.
Proposal
Boomerang propose an idea to a potential client before they develop or plan the project, as it is not guaranteed the client will accept the pitch.
If a pitch is successful, the next stage is to draw up plans such as production schedules and costs, before then preparing a contract.
Contract
Contracts are drawn up after a client has accepted the idea; Boomerang has little control over the terms of the contract as the client can easily decide not to use their idea.
Personnel
Boomerang’s personnel include many people they privately employ. The company also employs freelance workers when needed to deal with specialist tasks and when there is a over-flow of work.
Assets
They use different technology for filming and editing and a number of different programs including a software package called Movie Magic which helps design production plans.
Testing
Testing can only be done once a television episode has been made using a test audience which means it is hard to keep the client updated throughout production.
Final Sign off
Once the project is signed off the company archives the production tapes, before moving onto their next project. The only reason for them to keep in touch with the client is if the client wants to pursue further work with the company.
For this brief I was required to visit a real life creative industry company and produce a written web report explaining the company’s production processes. I along with Ian Diez at the end of last year chose to visit a Media Production Company called Boomerang, based at 218 Penarth Road, Cardiff. We met with the Managing director Huw Davies, as well as several other members of the Boomerang Creative team & Production team, to help gain an understanding of the various stages in the company’s design process.
Definition and Planning
It was stated that the first step in a projects life cycle is vital, as the project manager must clearly understand what the client needs and requirements are. By documenting the ideas and concepts of the client’s requirements, the project manger can then create a contract that shows a realistic timescales and budgets for both the client and the production team.
Before creating a contract, the Project Manager must consider the following points-
* Be clear about the clients brief and be aware of what the client’s needs & requirements are. It is important to discuss and clarify unclear information with client.
* Make decisions based on the facts and make an assessment of the risks.
* To be able to understand concerns of members of the team.
* Discuss cost proposal treatment and refer back to client's budget.
* Define resources needed.
* Explain limitations of proposal and make no false promises. It is also important to get a signed agreement to content at each stage of the project.
Information Architecture
Once the project has commenced the company must acquire the relevant information needed for creating the project. Information is generally gathered from the client and if further information is needed the company will allow time for the development team to research and gather the information need for the project.
Design
Boomerang being a Production Company produces television programs for various clients. The company predominately uses story boards to show their clients the design layout, as this is a quick and above all cheap means of conveying ideas before production. Again, a signed agreement is made when agreeing on the design and ideas for the project. When it comes to design they aim to achieve the clients brief, but will say no when something is unachievable.
Construction
This is the production stage of the project where all tasks and the role of the production team has been assigned to each team member. Tasks tend to be set out on a timeline, calendar or white board where team members have a certain amount of time to complete that task before moving on to the next. When a task is completed, a team member signs that task so the project manager is aware what has been completed and what has not. Furthermore, if team members have problems they can also use the timeline, calendar or white board to report any problems to the rest of the team and the project manager.
Marketing
It was stated that a good client relationship is invaluable for acquiring contracts. By creating good contacts, finishing projects on time and by achieving the data for the projects in an orderly manner, all of these factors can influence a client to return for more contracts in the future.
Tracking, Evaluation and Maintenance
Once the project is complete by the production team, the project manager must present the finished project to the client. A final signed agreement is made, as well as discussing with the client if they need the company to maintain the project. Once the client is pleased with the project, it is then common practice for the project to be archived and all documentation from the project is filed away. Archiving properly at the end of each project can have many benefits for the company. The main benefit is that if the client was to return and wanted more work done, then the relevant information is stored and easy to obtain. Boomerang being a Production Company keep Master Tapes of productions, but all other tapes are wiped & re-used.
Analysing the various stages in Boomerang’s Production Processes using England and Finney’s Project Life Cycle guidelines
Scoping the project
‘What is it all about and what is going to be needed?’
Boomerang distinguishes an idea for a potential show and then prepares a pitch to a potential client. This is a potentially risky strategy, as it is not guaranteed the client will accept the pitch.
Proposal
Boomerang propose an idea to a potential client before they develop or plan the project, as it is not guaranteed the client will accept the pitch.
If a pitch is successful, the next stage is to draw up plans such as production schedules and costs, before then preparing a contract.
Contract
Contracts are drawn up after a client has accepted the idea; Boomerang has little control over the terms of the contract as the client can easily decide not to use their idea.
Personnel
Boomerang’s personnel include many people they privately employ. The company also employs freelance workers when needed to deal with specialist tasks and when there is a over-flow of work.
Assets
They use different technology for filming and editing and a number of different programs including a software package called Movie Magic which helps design production plans.
Testing
Testing can only be done once a television episode has been made using a test audience which means it is hard to keep the client updated throughout production.
Final Sign off
Once the project is signed off the company archives the production tapes, before moving onto their next project. The only reason for them to keep in touch with the client is if the client wants to pursue further work with the company.
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