ACADEMIA NERVOSA

I gave my second presentation (see here for the first one) to the postgraduate students of the E-Business: Strategy and Policy (EBSP) course at Birkbeck, University of London.

My supervisor who is the course convenor asked me to update some of my points from existing essays on digital narratives, online identity, community and how these might be affected within MMORPGs and metaverses.

I thought that the South Park episode of WoW would be an interesting story, as well as the meme with the lovely black background and one liners – the dreaded demotivational posters. What I tried to convey here is that you start from a game, you move on to mainstream media (remember how in remediation theory new media has feedback loops to old media) and then the whole thing explodes in online culture and a line is born: “How do you kill that which has no life“. The students were at least laughing (barring those that looked completely and utterly incredulous but that always happens when you talk geeky stuff).

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Thanks to my twitter chums who sent me suggestions.
Thanks to the Slideshare team who featured the presentation in their front page.

I have the pleasure of being invited by my Supervisor to present two sessions at the E-Business: Strategy and Policy (EBSP) course at Birkbeck, University of London this semester.

I gave the first presentation today on some themes around Convergence, Connections & Social Media.

First of all my thanks go to the people online who gave me useful pointers and comments on the presentation. Not to mention that I narrated the process of uploading on Slideshare, tweeting about it, discussing it online to the students and that made a very interesting story for them (I hope).

The presentation went really well. By that I mean that nobody fell asleep (which is always good) and there were questions about some things including the theoretical background and research models. I love the fact that they showed an interest in Goffman’s dramaturgy and we spent some time discussing examples of that principle.

My most uncomfortable moment was trying to explain Baudrillard’s notion of second hand truth in about 2 minutes which is naturally completely impossible. I muddled through and somehow I managed to make sense as my Supervisor was nodding (I’ll take that as a good sign).

It was also the first time that I was introduced as a PhD student which is a bit weird. I actually saw in some pairs of eyes the look I think I was giving PhD students when I was a postgrad. That “Oh my God you are deranged” type of look. However they found my area of work on virtual worlds and online identities interesting. I think it’s more the fact that I usually say “I am interested in blah blah blah (insert boring theoretical concepts here) which basically means that I play World of Warcraft and that’s research”. People at uni seem to love that. God I am a geek.

I was chastised for not video recording the session but hey, give me a break. Enough with the humiliation methinks.

The next session in two weeks time is on virtual worlds and gaming  - I’ll be changing a previous presentation and doing something a lot more theory focused.

If you have any ideas drop me a line anytime.

Election night crowd, Wellington, 1931 Uploaded by National Library NZ on The Commons on 3 Mar 09, 10.38PM GMT.

The French cyberspace theorist Pierre Lévy uses the term ‘collective intelligence’ to describe the large-scale information gathering and processing activities that have emerged in web communities. On the internet, he argues, people harness their individual expertise towards shared goals and objectives: ‘No one knows everything, everyone knows something, all knowledge resides in humanity’ (1997).

Pierre Lévy as quoted in Jenkins Henry (2004), The cultural logic of media convergence, INTERNATIONAL journal of CULTURAL studies, Volume 7(1): 33–43
See Levy, Pierre (1997) Collective Intelligence. Cambridge: Perseus.

Binoculars portrait (dscn4659_mod_vign_sm) Uploaded by gerlos on 19 Dec 08, 3.09PM GMT.

It’s a bloody nightmare.

And it happens to me ALL THE TIME.

I’ll be working away on a presentation or essay or (horror) my dissertation. 3 months down the line (or even 3 weeks) I have no idea where the latest version is. Laptop? Desktop? One of the 3000 USB sticks I carry around? External hard drive?

The only sure way to know so far has been if I have submitted it to University. Since we submit by e-mail I can always be sure that whatever’s on gmail is the final version. Which is obviously only fine when we are talking about a completed piece of work.

Case in point. I know I have re-worked my Pina Bausch essay however the only version I can find is from 3 years ago – the one I submitted then. DAMN!

That’s why I am IN LOVE with dropbox and I am eternally indebted to my systems angel. It works just like a virtual hard drive. Just download it and it creates a folder under My Documents (or wherever you want). No need to copy, paste, sync, keep track. Download it in every computer you are using and the folder will always be the same, syncing on its own. Want to access remotely? No problemo! You have access to your files from the web as well.

Now, if only it could track down my updated Pina Bausch essay…

Pina Bausch
Uploaded by terafoto on 3 Oct 07, 8.05AM GMT.

OK so years ago (about 3 and a half) I actually revealed to my now PhD supervisor that I like dance so we agreed on an essay at that time on Pina Bausch and artistic innovation. She was alive at the time, now she sadly passed away.

I have been promising to update that essay for quite some time now (perhaps it’s a mistake to say I’ve missed some deadlines on this but I did) in a vague hope that I will actually manage to do it.

Well he is not forgetting. He sent me an e-mail yesterday about some things I need to do including the following line.

I also would like to see the revised version of Pina Baush (who is dead now, waiting for your essay!) by the end of January.

I was laughing for quite some time.

_GW26468
Uploaded by Birkbeck, University of London on 23 Sep 09, 12.06PM GMT.

I can’t help thinking that I am somewhat institutionalised. Having done both my BA and my MSc in Birkbeck I have returned after a year off to do a PhD. Same place. I just love Birkbeck.

I am only taking one course this semester, Research Methods II, all about quantitative and qualitative methods in more depth than the pre-requisite of Research Methods I. Which I took like 3 years ago hence I remember absolute zero of that course. Which means extra studying. Oh well, I guess I deserve it for taking a year off.

Or at least I thought I had taken a year off and then during the break my supervisor (he is the course convenor) mentioned to a fellow student that I had been there forever, even being around uni during my supposed break. Which is true. I used to go visit him and discuss possible topics and he graciously invited me to do a presentation in his e-business class last year. Which only goes to show.

Anyway I have high hopes for Research Methods II if only because it’s the most fundamental thing. I always feel a bit unsure about research design. In retrospect I did an OK job at it with my MSc research but I ‘d appreciate a bit more confidence on the whole thing.

This week I’ll be re-visiting some books (Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research by Cassell and Symon & Complete Business Statistics by Aczel and Sounderpandian) and going through the required reading list.

If only it was that simple naturally.

I also have to start going to the PhD seminars which so far sound like an AA or support-group meeting. Anyhow, more on that later on in the week, after I’ve been to the first session.

Wish me no luck please but lots of caffeine instead

Term time at Birkbeck
Uploaded by sofiagk on 19 Oct 09, 7.06PM GMT.

I am overjoyed to announce that Birkbeck has decided that (pending official seal from the Registry) I am fit to do a PhD.

The School of Business, Economics and Informatics is pleased to offer you a place on our doctoral programme from January 2010, subject to final confirmation by Registry.

I promise I’ll soon upload more details on what I’ll be studying this year and my research concentration. Oh and something else. Those mysterious PhD students’ seminars.

Birkbeck, University of London
Uploaded by tim_mcmlv on 6 Apr 06, 8.58PM GMT.

It is done.

Tuesday evening I went by Birkbeck, got the reference from my supervisor and then submitted the application.

Incidentally I hadn’t been to the registry side of Birkbeck for quite some time. After the refurbishment it well and trully ROCKS.

And now, the waiting time begins.

A presentation I gave at an e-business class (spring semester) based on my MSc Dissertation.

I had completely forgotten I had it but finally managed to upload it on Slideshare.

I’m meeting my supervisor Monday – here is a presentation I prepared with a few notes from my reading on the work of William Dutton, Charles Leadbeater, Don Tapscott, Clay Shirky, Lawrence Lessig and Yochai Benkler.