-How many online identities do you have? What are they like?
-In what ways are they different to your "in person" identities?
-What are some benefits of expressing one's identity online?
-What are some risks?

I have about 5 online identities. They are Lingnan Account, MSN, Hotmail, Facebook, Xanga. MSN is for chatting, while Lingnan Account and hotmail is for recieve and send information. For Facebook and Xanga, i think they are some kinds of blog. Usually I may hide my birthday year, Identity card no., cell photo no. and other personal information. For Xanga and MSN, i use fake names.

By using identity online, I can make friends. For example, Facebook can help others find me and add me as friend. At the same time, friends can get the latest news of mine. They can check up my texts in Xanga, Facebook, and reply their feelings or advice to me. Besides, I can recieve relevant messages from schools, companies, and friends by using Hotmail,Lingnan Portal.

However, identity online has its risk. First, people who hate you leave negative comments on your blogs, causing cyber-bullying. Second, it may affect the employment opportunity. Nowadays, employers check the interviewees' facebook, twitter, myspace, etc., in order to know more about their personal life, and  decide on the employment. Furthermore, hackers can take personal information from identity online, and use for illegal purpose.

As the result, we should not explore ourselves too much in identity online.For example, we should not put personal address, Identity card number, passport number, credit card number, etc., to prevent others stealing the information. We should find trusted identity online, so that we can take benefits from it.

3) Consider “Bus Uncle” or Chris Crocker’s “Leave Whitney Alone” and upload the one you prefer to your blog. Comment on the following:

"Bus Uncle"

1.How many viewers are estimated to have watched the youtube video?

According to Youtube(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSHziqJWYcM), about  2,613,359 views to have watched "Bus Uncle", but I believe at least 4,000,000 viewers have watched this video in differrnt versions/subtitles.

2.   How would you rate the video?

•Is it of high quality in technical terms? Is it interesting aesthetically eg camera angles, use of light, the narrative, and so on?

•Does it raise interesting socio-cultural issues? 

Well, for technical term, i won't rate this video high. The video-taker only used his mobile/ camera to take the scene secretly. There is no use of lights, no narrative, no special effect. The only thing that we can find in the video is two men's conversation about talking on phone on the bus, plus the viewrs' laughing noise.Only later on, we can find the subtitle one on youtube.

However, i definetly rate high in term of social and cultural aspect. This video really raises many Hong Kong people, or other countries' people interest. The young man ask the old man talked on phone in a quiet voice so that he didn't disturb others on the bus. Then the old man scold the young man loudly with using poor manner, saying that he was under stress. From this video, we know two things. The old man did wrong, but did not accept the yong man's advice, and even scold him back. The old man was against the bus rules by disturbing others and saying obscene language.Second, Hong Kong people face the problem of under stress. They face pressure during working days, but they don't know how to release/ reduce the stress. This becomes a "bomb" when they are under uncomfortable situation.

"Bus Uncle" can let other countries' people understand Hong Kong culture. Hong Kong people talk on phone everywhere, even on the bus. This is different from Japanese culture. People can learn the Hong Kong language, like how to response ithe bad language (though it's bad to use this kind of language!!!!)

3.   Do you think it deserved the attention that it received from the internet community?

It definitely gets the attention from thye internet community. First of all, when we look at the number of views under the video, we can find that millions of people have watched this videos. There are also thousands of people leave the comments after watching it. Then newspapers post the news as well, more and more people know this issue. Later on, the newspapers or magazines wanted to have interviews with these two men. Then even TV programs or advertisements also re-acted  similar secenes again. People also use techniolgy and remix what Bus Uncle said into a song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v48tRk-Yy8&feature=related). Or some print tees to gain profits from this issue.(http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060716002855/evchk/images/thumb/e/e1/06la4p6.jpg/303px-06la4p6.jpg)

4) Do video- sharing sites such as Youtube enhance or worsen creative culture?Comment.

 

Everything has both good and bad sides, just depends on how we view the videos.

Video- sharing sites can share some interesting and exciting news to others. For example, "Bus Uncle" is first posted Youtube, then it immediately raise public concern on the issue. People can also use video- sharing sites to express their opinions on current matters. "Leave Britney Alone!" is an example that a fan of Britney Spears reacted to what paparazzis did to Britney. 

Video- sharring sites can also allow users make some creative videos. From "Creativity meets circulation: Internet videos, amateurs and the process of evolution", Roman Marek mentions" The technology of digital video editing allows even a beginner to use only certain parts of the orginal video- clip. As a result, we can see dozens of recycling/Mash-Up/ Re-edit or remix videos." (1)From this, it shows video- sharring sites gives an opportunity to users to put their finished creative videos to others, letting others leave comments on their work.

Besides, video-sharring sites can bring us some people famous by their creavtity. Chris Crocker is the ggod example. At first, no one knowed a boy called Chris Crocker. With the wide spread on watching and commenting of his video,"Leave Britney Alone!", Chris Crocker become one of the internet celebrities. Eveytime when he uploads his video,the video has at least 100 thosand views. He can gain so many responses as he use personal emotional expression to response current issues. As a result, people start making some funny things or use personal advance to create videos and become internet celebrities.

On the other side, video-sharring sites cause the problem of copyright. Users post videos that haven't asked for allowance from the copyright owners. Many music videos on the sites are not approved by the owners and are posted on sites. This really wosrens creative culture as creative companys cannot gain profits for further development.

In my opinion, video-sharring sites are still good for creative culture. People can bring their ideas into reality with making simple digital videos and share to others. Then other people can remix/recycle.... the videos, making same videos into differnt versions, which become more and more creative.

1) What are some photographic effects that can be achieved using digital or analog (darkroom, film, lights etc) technology?
By using some functions, we can change the colors of the photos. With a click on "Black & White" function, the photo can turn into Black and white. It can help change/remove imperfection to suit user's taste.





When we look at this photo, we can see that woman's face has been shapen and the photo is lighten. So by using digital technology, we can male the photo as good-looking as you can.

For analog technology, tit can change the light effect of the orginal setting.





In this photo, we can see that the photogragher has used darkroom in this photo. The four corners are dark, and the bottom part is darken. The whole photo only focuses on the red ballon in the sky.



 The analogy technolgy can also make the photo looks yellower, or darker. From this photo, the overall it looks yellow because of different films the phototaker has used.






2) What are some photographic techniques that can only be done using digital technology?
 If we want to replace the background of the pictures, we definitely need to use digital technology.

  



 From this poster, we can see that the background of yellow and orange is added by using the digital technology. We cannot change the color like this in the real world.

Only digital technology can mix different landscapes together into one photo, and managing the size as what the photo-maker wishes to.

 The analogy technolgy cannnot change imperfection like what photoshop does. Photoshop can remove ances from the girl's face, but the analog one can't.








3) What is the difference between analog photography and digital photography?
From Wikipedia, Analog photography means " photography using a progressively changing recording medium, which may be based either on a chemical process (e.g., photographic film or plate) or electronic means (e.g., using a vidicon or CCD sensor)."(1)While Digtial photography means"photography that uses an array of light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film. The captured image is then stored as a digital file ready for digital processing (colour correction, sizing, cropping, etc.), viewing or printing."(2)Analog photography depend more on the physical means, like film or plate, but the digital photography depends more on digital functions. For axample, Digital camera can turn the photos into black and white by a click, but the analog phographs may need to change to a particular film, or arrange the lighting, darkness, so that it can take a black and white photo.
Reference:
(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_photography
(2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_photography