Research Plans

Research Questions:
How has the Internet changed the way opportunities for socially marginalized groups connect so that they can support themselves?

Would these groups exist without the Internet?

Is there a way to regulate these websites? What steps have been taken by the FCC and EFF done to regulate such sites?

Purpose: Uncover the existence of these underground cyber communities. Explain how the Internet has affected these communities . Explain how the FCC and EFF has regulated these sites and uncover the loop holes that exist.

First I will find pro anorexic and pro bulimic websites. I will search for them through Myspace, Youtube, Facebook and Xanga. http://www.fading-obsession.com/thinspo/song-list.php
This website offers tips on encouraging starvation. Lists of songs for anorexic girls to listen to in order to encourage their habit. Songs refer to eating disorders and emphasize beauty. This also offers web forums and discussion groups in which people can talk about their eating disorder and exchange tips.

There’s many links to different starvation diets such as :
3 a day fruit diet.
http://www.fading-obsession.com/diets/3-a-day-fruit-diet.php
Ana Creed.
http://www.fading-obsession.com/religion/ana-creed.php
They also define bulimia, anorexia and talk about the dangers but the rest of the website supports the behavior and lifestyle.
Some sites have been shut down , or the links are not working anymore. http://www.proanamia.com/
This website requires a user to login and registering is now disabled.


Next I will read news articles about these websites and what the news has to say in reference to this issue. These news articles can be found through searching via Google. I typed “anorexic websites” and narrowed my search to the most recent news articles. These news articles include videos as well.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1038080_fury_at_websites_fuelling_anorexia

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/health/campaigners-call-action-on-pro-anorexia-websites-$1207012.htm

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91251-1306604,00.html
According to Wikipedia, Yahoo Groups has banned these types of websites .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro-ana

Then I will search for what the laws are in relationship to these websites. The FCC as well as the EFF.

http://w2.eff.org/bloggers/


I will also research Web Videos on the effects of these websites on society.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYlxeuSKo-s

I'm still in the process of researching, organizing and planning.

Topic for Research and Website Creation and Eiola-Johnson 61-85

I am thinking about writing about Pro Anorexic and Pro Bulimic websites. These websites have been banned in several countries in efforts to prevent the promotion of self destructive weight loss habits. Though many websites have been banned, there are countless videos that promote "Thinspiration".

These videos are created by people who are pro anorexic and pro bulimic. The videos can be found on http://www.youtube.com/. They display images of emaciated women and portray them as desirable and beautiful.


There are also support groups and inner communities that can be found on http://www.myspace.com/.

Many of these people do not display their faces in their pictures. http://groups.xanga.com/groups/group.aspx?id=2242654

Who uses the site? Xanga.com http://www.xanga.com/A_Secret_Disaster/643350552/i-see-the-way-you-go-and-say-youre-right-again-say-youre-right-again-heed-my-lecture.html The users are people who want to blog and vent their emotions on a public online diary. Xanga.com has web groups that people join in reference to their specific interest. What do they want from the site?They can leave each other feedback and comment each other's websites. This specific blog was written by a girl who may be a teenager and is promoting her eating disorder and posts up pictures of thin women who she admires.



I think this is an interesting topic. It connects to our class because some web sites on cyberspace should be banned or censored but their not. An additional way to connect it to our class could be discussing freedom of speech. Although these websites are immorally wrong, technically do they have the right to display what they want? JB

I agree with the last comment. Although I really like your topic and I agree with you that these websites should not be allowed on the internet, it is a freedom of speech issue at the same time and it is therefore not against the law for them to be up there. I think you should maybe take a survey to see how other people feel about having these websites on the internet and if people feel that there should be any restrictions to them. LN


I had no idea that something like this existed!! This is a great way for you to educate people such as myself that did not know that was going on. Freedom of speech vs. Morality, If these women are covering their faces in shame they are obviously not proud or "pro" it if they feel the need to hide, Are there men also involved in this "thinspiration"? If you make a site dedicated to the anit-thinspiration movement it will educate people. DC


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Eiola- Johnson
In this sections, Johnson discusses the Structure of a Website. The purpose for structures are to provide helpful ways to navigate trhough websites and provide assistance in interpreting the contents within a website. There are two different types of structure explored within the text. The Macrostructure and the Microstructure (refers to the layout of webpages). This section of the text explores the Macrostructure. A macrostructure of a website refers to the relations between the different web pages of a website.

Eiola- Johnson draws an example with a story about a girl named Leslie. She uses a website of a local bar to view the calander of events in reference to a band that she is interested in. She wants to know if that band is playing at the bar. While exploring on the website she finds links on the website for a group known as “Spam Daggers”. Upon viewing the web pages, she sees a list of dates that go as far back as the year 1994. She doesn’t successes in her search for her information so instead she just views the calander of events in search for what bands are playing.
The author then explores the ESPN website . He implies that the website for ESPN is used by users for a variety of purposes. Each user is different and they have their own reasons for using the website. The website for ESPN has a “hub and poke” structure. This means a user can click on links to move outside from the main webpage. There are other structural devices that are discussed by the author.

Johnson-Eilola 1-20

This reading discusses the three vital topics of websites. These issues refer to Usability, Structure and Navigation.

What exactly is Usability? It refers to who is using the website, for what reasons, how they are using it, and what they’ll do with their information.

What is Structure? On a website it connects the sections in which users can access.

What is Navigation? It is the way in which a user explores and moves around in a website, it is dependent on the structure of the website.

He also discusses the differences between navigating through a website and reading actual texts and printed materials.

Johnson-Eiola claims that if there is too many words on a website, a user may not want to navigate on the web page too long. Also, printed documents and materials are usually read. More than just being read, he claims that websites are used.

McCloud "The Vocabulary of Comics" Summary

Through cartoons and drawings, McCloud attempts to explain why people are so fascinated with cartoons. He implies that people are more likely to relate to a drawing than to an actual photo. He claims that since people are self centered, they can view cartoons are representations of themselves. He claims that the more simple a cartoon or drawing, the more likely a person can identify his or herself with the art.

McCloud stresses that an image is only a representation of the actual object. For example, in the article was a drawing of a stop sign, he claims that what a viewer is seeing is not actually the law. He implies that it as a representation of the law. Another example is the drawing of a hamburger, soda and French fries. Mc Cloud points out that the image is not actually food, simply an artistic representation of food.

I think that this was an interesting article to read. It was informative and the illustrations helped me understand what the writer was trying to convey. He stressed the importance of images in today's society. Images portray an ideas and the concept of images allow for universal relations. People can identify themselves within the cartoons. Images and graphics are used not only in print, not only in meat space, but all over the Internet as well. Images are used on websites and are used to capture the attention of a viewer.

Rheingold "Smart Mobs" Summary

Rheingold's "Smart Mobs" Summary In 2001, Filipinos from Manila (capital of Philippines) gathered together at "Edsa"(Epifanio de los Santos Ave) in order for demonstrate against President Estrada. They wanted him to fall from his reign. In one hour of texting, thousands of people showed up at the site. Millions of people texted each other about protesting and were told to wear black at the site. Within four days, over a million wearing black rallied at "EDSA". (pg 90). This was the first recorded smart mob event. Rheingold elaborates on how Filipinos use text messaging in every day life. Millions of people use cell phones in the Philippines for texting. This is because the price of text messaging is much cheaper than the price of internet service and cell phone minutes. He explains that text messaging has been incorporated into people's daily routines. They use texting for passing chain letters, informational purposes, entertainment etc.

Rheingold explains that protesting has been revolutionized through the use of text messaging.Rheingold explains that a smart mob is a revolutionary way of gathering masses of people with a common cause through the use of technology.

He lists a few other incidents of smart mobs.

· Battle of Seattle in November 30, 1999.

· Britain in September of 2000, people protested against the increase of gas prices. They and did this through cell phones, text messaging, emails and radios found in taxis, etc.

· San Francisco in 1992 "Critical Mass". This was a violent protest that was recorded and posted on the internet.

John Arquila and David Ron use a term know as "Netwar" in order to describe social networking in technology. Net war explains the paradox between good and evil purposes that networking can be used for. They believe that the fastest growing and latest way of reaching masses of people is through networking . The Negative aspect of Netwar involves people using networking for criminal intentions and terrorism. The positive aspect of Netwar involves people using networking in order to access information and gather groups of nonviolent protesting etc.

Longevity and P2P Journalism Experiments have been conducted to document the progress inventions that may revolutionize technology. For example:

· Interpersonal devices in the form of key chains are known as Lovegety key chains. These analyze profiles of people area and signal a user when a compatible profile of an opposite sex is found.

There is also one known as "Gaydar" for members of the same sex. · ImaHIma tells people when their friends are around. This is in Tokyo.

· Upoc is found in Manhattan. Its a a form of networking in which users of the same interest can join groups via internet, cell phone group, email etc.
It updates on latest news and information concerning their location and interests an connects its users together. There are public and private groups. Private groups are joined through invitation only.

Mobile Ad Hoc Social Networks These refer to the reform of people through communication, technology, environment and popularity. Mobile refers to the use of cell phones and text messaging. Ad hoc refers to people joining together informally. Social Network refers to "Nodes and Links". A single person is looked upon as a node. A network is set up through a system of links.

Glister Summary

In Glister's "The Nature of Digital Literacy", he elaborates on the evolution of writing and mass production of ideas from the printing press to the internet. He writes about how people communicate through writing. He expresses that forms of mass production on writing has changed over the past five hundred years. He acknowledges Johannes Gutenberg for his revolutionary invention that served as a mile stone in mass printing. This was known as the "printing press". This allowed for mass printing of information. The Gutenberg Bible played an essential role in the religious aspect of people's lives, back in the 1400's. Glister points out that the transition from papyrus to codex was an effect of the printing press. Glister also claims that printing and digital networking work together and not against each other. Through virtual reality, he claims that we are able to retrace our past. Glister claims that the internet allows people to connect to other places, other people, and events in history and is basically allowing people to connect on various levels. He writes that digital literacy is the capability to comprehend and apply information through various formats such as multimedia, when it is available on a computer.

Glister talks about Richard Dawkins and his concept of "memes". Memes work like viruses and infections that can be spread from person to person. He uses this term in reference to the internet. He claims that the internet holds mass amounts of information which can be used by anyone who has access to it.

Glister claims that digital literacy has a dual concept. Old media can be accessed and used for personal purposes. Yet a person can contribute to the internet and create content as well. Glister claims that the internet is interactive. He also emphasizes that there is not one computer that is in charge of a network. Therefore the internet is not edited or changed by just one computer.

Glister also focuses on a concept of “A Paradigm Shift”. He claims that reading a newspaper is different from reading a newspaper on the internet. For example, reading a text is different from reading a pdf file on the internet. The reader with texts reads from left to right. On the computer, content is read and a scroll on the computer is used, making a reader shift from turning pages to scrolling up and down. A Paradigm Shift means there are changes in the ways people use computers and how it has changed people’s lives. For example, the internet was once only used by the government. Now it is an essential part in the lives of many people. Another example is how calculating was only performed by those who were experts in that area, now with the proper software, anyone can perform calculations.

Glister takes note of the inventor of the Ethernet. It was invented by Bob Metcalfe. The Ethernet is a system of networking. This connected computers to machines for example, in a business office. Glister than explains that at one point, the internet was only used to share ideas. Now the internet is used to revolutionize the way people live, communicate and handle tasks. Glister claims that the internet is constantly changing , constantly updated and growing each year, in terms of content and users.