Participatory Cultures

The internet is a world on it's own. We create and converse among our selfs and others who are all connected to the same outlets we are. I'm personally connected to some of these participatory cultures that are available on the web. Social networking is a big aspect. Just about everyone is connected to Facebook, and I'm no exception. Another site that I'm apart of is lookbook.nu. Which is a mixture between a social networking and a knowledgeable community. My own personal Blog is another which I use the odd time, that falls under the category of knowledgeable community.
For me Facebook is a way to connect to people and to add my input on topics that other people have posted on the site. It has changed the way I communicate with people and I feel that it is an easier way to communicate. The fact that it is also allows you to use various media's to convey your message makes it for a much more interesting way to talk to people, especially when it comes to sharing information, your no longer limited to text.
Lookbook.nu is a participatory site where people have to be invited to join. It's more inclusive then some of the other sites. This is a site where those who are invited to join, post pictures of their outfits, then people can comment and give their input on the image. The other users can also “hype” the image of the persons personal style, this is like a voting system saying “hey, I like your out fit and i'm going to add it to the collection of other styles I like on this site.”. This system also ranks the user on popularity. I personally don't care about the popularity level and aspect of the site, but I do like to post and look at the images of the peoples outfits, while providing comments.
As for my blog, It's mostly a place where I participate for my self. I like to post items that interest me and share my knowledge on specific topics, or to whoever my come across my blog. It's nothing special but it's just a place you know kinda like a scrapbook of my mind.
Those are the participatory cultures that I'm apart of. It's like when Klosterman talks about the sim's “Nothing was something.....Nothing is everything” (Klosterman 15). In all of the participatory cultures, I'm creating something from nothing and that explodes into being everything. It's everything because, it feels as if it's everything to me me, like its the way that I'm just use to living. The fact that the cultures take on the internet “ we must give all due praise for its efficiency.” (Postman 14). The internet is efficient, and thats why it makes it so easy for me to use this medium in order to get my message across and participate.
This whole participatory culture hasn't always been this way. When I was a kid, you had to go out and physically go somewhere to join a a club or or joining a team of sorts. This is no longer whats happening. I now do all of this from the comfort of my laptop. Laziness and convenience has become the way of our world.



Websites
www.facebook.com
www.lookbook.nu
www.tiialicia.blogspot.com

Work Cited

Postman, Neil. "The Humanism of Media Ecology." Media Ecology Association. 17 June 2000. Fordham University, Web. 5 Oct 2009. .

Klosterman, Chuck. Sex, Drugs, and Cocopuffs. New York, N.Y., USA: Scriner, 2004. Print.