Throughout this experience of blogging for this subject, there are many thing that I personally feel that I have learnt and improved. Firstly, I feel that I have really tested my own grip of my English vocabulary as well as improve in spelling. Another element that I think that I have improved is on search engine operations. This blogging assignment requires one to use one's full skill in searching for information on the internet. Besides that, there are a few thing that I have learn as a blogger. Things such as a blogger must know what to write on his/her blog in order to avoid defamation as well as copyright infringements. Next, a blogger must also be sensitive towards other cultures, races as well as religion. A blog can be shut down if the blogger wrote something that has crossed the line just by reports from the readers therefore, the content of the blog must be issue-sensitive.
Thank you very much for reading and walking with me on this blogging journey.
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Interesting reading: The banned books list
The article by Ivan Yeo is basically discussing about the huge amount of books that are banned in Malaysia. It is said that all kinds of books that are noted to be "obscene" based on the title itself are bound to be ban if not already in Malaysia. Even certain comics such as Conan have been banned in the past. Ivan then continue to say that the government is doing the Malaysian readers a favor by banning the books. He says that it is indirectly telling us that those books are the recommended readings. As this is the 21st century, there are many other means of reading besides the traditional books- mainly being online reading.
In my opinion, it is a problem publishing or importing books in Malaysia as there are many rules and regulations that must be obeyed. I as a Malaysian personally feel that there are ridiculous amounts of rules that are applied just for the title itself. Some of which that are stated in the article such as the title cannot contain the word sexy or in Malay "seksi". Failure to comprehend with the rules could result in a fine of not more than twenty thousand ringgit or even imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years. Even possessing a prohibited book will can be fined for not more than five thousand rinngit. These are the rules that are obtain from the Malaysian Printing presses and Publication Act 1984. I strongly believe that the Malaysian publication law should be less strict today as there are so many other unstoppable means of reading today especially on the internet. It is becoming rather pointless to imply these rules.
In conclusion, i believe that certain books should be continued to be banned such as those with pornography or those with obscene picture because after all, Malaysia is an Islamic country. For those who are non-Muslims and are open minded, thankfully there are other means of reading besides the ones on the bookshelf. The present day has gifted us with the invention of the internet that has e-book and e-readers as stated by Ivan himself in the article.
References
Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (c.8) Malaysia: Percetakan Nasional Malaysia
In my opinion, it is a problem publishing or importing books in Malaysia as there are many rules and regulations that must be obeyed. I as a Malaysian personally feel that there are ridiculous amounts of rules that are applied just for the title itself. Some of which that are stated in the article such as the title cannot contain the word sexy or in Malay "seksi". Failure to comprehend with the rules could result in a fine of not more than twenty thousand ringgit or even imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years. Even possessing a prohibited book will can be fined for not more than five thousand rinngit. These are the rules that are obtain from the Malaysian Printing presses and Publication Act 1984. I strongly believe that the Malaysian publication law should be less strict today as there are so many other unstoppable means of reading today especially on the internet. It is becoming rather pointless to imply these rules.
In conclusion, i believe that certain books should be continued to be banned such as those with pornography or those with obscene picture because after all, Malaysia is an Islamic country. For those who are non-Muslims and are open minded, thankfully there are other means of reading besides the ones on the bookshelf. The present day has gifted us with the invention of the internet that has e-book and e-readers as stated by Ivan himself in the article.
References
Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (c.8) Malaysia: Percetakan Nasional Malaysia
Why Google Shouldn't Have Censored The Anti-Islamic Video
Eva Galperin's article mainly concerns the freedom of speech on the internet as well as on videos particularly in YouTube. What Google did was that they blocked access to a video showing clips from a video titled "The Innocence of the Muslims" which was a religiously sensitive video which started violent protest in Libya and Egypt. Normally Google or YouTube will not censor its content until it breaches the policy or Term of Service but in this case there was another party involved, The White House. The White House gave Google a phone call asking them to ensure that the video is not blocked but instead censored in the two countries. This gave Google a very uncomfortable time which at first did not block the video but after unfortunate and violent events they were left with no choice but to remove the video.
The issue that is going to be discussed in this post is the public sphere of democracy on the internet.Generally what the internet does is that it allows anyone to post anything to share what they have got to say or think as it is an open medium for opinion rather than a place where is filled with rules and without freedom of speech. The "magic" of the Internet is that it is a technology that puts cultural acts, symbolizations in all forms, in the hands of all participants; it radically decentralizes the positions of speech, publishing, filmmaking, radio and television broadcasting, in short the apparatuses of cultural production (Poster M, 1995). What i personally believe is that on the internet, everyone should be entitled to see whatever is on it. I believe that if I am able to read or watch a video of something, someone else in another country also should despite what the content is.
In conclusion, the world is not perfect as there will always be corruption no matter where we are.That is why the internet thus directs our attention to such classic democratic issues as freedom of speech, access, and the dynamic of inclusion/exclusion (Dahlgren P, 2005).
References
Poster, M. (1995). CyberDemocracy: Internet and the Public Sphere. In: Poster, M and Byrne, D I am an advertisement for a version of myself. California: Mark Poste
Dahlgren, P. (2005). The Internet, Public Spheres, and Political Communication: Dispersion and Deliberation. Political Communication. 1 (22), 147-162.
The issue that is going to be discussed in this post is the public sphere of democracy on the internet.Generally what the internet does is that it allows anyone to post anything to share what they have got to say or think as it is an open medium for opinion rather than a place where is filled with rules and without freedom of speech. The "magic" of the Internet is that it is a technology that puts cultural acts, symbolizations in all forms, in the hands of all participants; it radically decentralizes the positions of speech, publishing, filmmaking, radio and television broadcasting, in short the apparatuses of cultural production (Poster M, 1995). What i personally believe is that on the internet, everyone should be entitled to see whatever is on it. I believe that if I am able to read or watch a video of something, someone else in another country also should despite what the content is.
In conclusion, the world is not perfect as there will always be corruption no matter where we are.That is why the internet thus directs our attention to such classic democratic issues as freedom of speech, access, and the dynamic of inclusion/exclusion (Dahlgren P, 2005).
References
Poster, M. (1995). CyberDemocracy: Internet and the Public Sphere. In: Poster, M and Byrne, D I am an advertisement for a version of myself. California: Mark Poste
Dahlgren, P. (2005). The Internet, Public Spheres, and Political Communication: Dispersion and Deliberation. Political Communication. 1 (22), 147-162.
In Japan, A Wave of Media Distrust Post-Tsunami
The article basically talks about the bad media in Japan or what they would call "masu-gomi" which means rubbishy mass media. The issue regarding this masu-gomi is based on the earthquake and tsunami that struck a part of Japan in 2011. At the time of the disaster, the Japanese government has been found guilty of not releasing the complete truth about the decontamination work at the effected power plant which was moving at a very slow speed despite the urgency. The citizens of Japan then later blame the media for being a PR machine instead of a medium that feeds the people with truth of what is going on. Later on in the article it is said that people of that wants to know of the truth have to rely on the internet to feed them with it rather than depending on the media which is corrupt and controlled by the government.
Naughton, J. (2006). Blogging and the emerging media ecosystem.Available: http://reuteursinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/discussion/blogging.html. Last accessed 12th June 2013.
The issue that is going to be mainly focused on is, can the internet fulfill its role as the new media?. Firstly, it is said that broadcast TV is a push medium which means that the broadcasters are the ones deciding what is going to be shown to the public whereas the web or the internet is a pull medium which means that nothing comes to the user unless it is clicked on or in other words the user is in control (Naughton, 2006). The differences between both of this is that people who depend on the web can find out whatever they want as long as it exist on the internet but the ones who depend on the media will only see or hear what they are shown or told because of the control factor coming out of the broadcaster and the government. Besides that, there are four factors on proving that the internet is capable of breaking down political control which are it has a non-hierarchical nature, it has an interactive nature, it has a global nature and lastly it is near impossible to control the medium (Gan et al. 2004).
References
Naughton, J. (2006). Blogging and the emerging media ecosystem.Available: http://reuteursinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/about/discussion/blogging.html. Last accessed 12th June 2013.
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