Exploring digital remediation in support of personal reflection

Admin on 16/01/2021

Exploring digital remediation in support of personal reflection

Increasingly our digital traces are providing new opportunities for self-reflection. In particular, social media (SM) data can be used to support self-reflection, but to what extent is this affected by the form in which SM data is presented? Here, we present three studies where we work with individuals to transform or remediate their SM data into a physical book, a photographic triptych and a film. We describe the editorial decisions that take place as part of the remediation process and show how the transformations allow users to reflect on their digital identity in new ways. We discuss our findings in terms of the application of Goffman’s (1959) self-presentation theories to the SM context, showing that a fluid rather than bounded interpretation of our social media spaces may be appropriate. We argue that remediation can contribute to the understanding of digital self and consider the design implications for new SM systems designed to support self-reflection.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581917301404

Remediation

Admin on 16/01/2021

Remediation

“Remediation” is a media theory which focuses on the incorporation or representation of one medium in another medium. According to the book Remediation: Understanding New Media by J. David Bolter and Richard A. Grusin, remediation is a defining characteristic of new digital media because digital media is constantly remediating its predecessors. This theory states that the media’s existence is related to other media forms; it is fundamentally comparative and assumes that media does not possess autonomous formal or technical specificity, but that it exists only in relation to other media forms and practices. Remediation may or may not present a connection to the original source. The theory also argues that new media does not present a historical break or rupture with the past, but rather it defines their newness through the refashioning of the present media forms.

http://webservices.itcs.umich.edu/mediawiki/DigitalRhetoricCollaborative/index.php/Remediation

Defining, Conceptualising and Measuring the Digital Economy

Admin on 12/01/2021

Defining, Conceptualising and Measuring the Digital Economy

The digital economy is growing fast, especially in developing countries. Yet the meaning and metrics
of the digital economy are both limited and divergent. The aim of this paper is to review what is
currently known in order to develop a definition of the digital economy, and an estimate of its size.
The paper argues there are three scopes of relevance. The core of the digital economy is the ‘digital
sector’: the IT/ICT sector producing foundational digital goods and services. The true ‘digital
economy’ – defined as “that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital
technologies with a business model based on digital goods or services” – consists of the digital sector
plus emerging digital and platform services. The widest scope – use of ICTs in all economic fields – is
here referred to as the ‘digitalised economy’. Following a review of measurement challenges, the
paper estimates the digital economy as defined here to make up around 5% of global GDP and 3% of
global employment. Behind this lies significant unevenness: the global North has had the lion’s
share of the digital economy to date, but growth rates are fastest in the global South. Yet potential
growth could be much higher: further research to understand more about the barriers to and
impacts of the digital economy in developing countries is therefore a priority.

https://diodeweb.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/diwkppr68-diode.pdf

5 Charity Digital Trends in 2021

Admin on 10/01/2021

Empower ‘s five charity digital trends, inspired me to think about where I see the focus going for charities increasing and improving their digital skills and services in 2021.

More considered product suite

Charities will give greater consideration to which products and digital services they adopt.

There will always be the tension between going where the people are, which means using products like Zoom and Whatsapp where user security and privacy might not be top priority, and ensuring that the people a charity interact with online are safe and well-protected. As digital knowledge around security and privacy grows, charities will give greater consideration to choosing which way to resolve that tension. Sometimes that will mean adopting products that are new to those people the charity supports and accepting the short term pain of encouraging adoption in return for the long term gain of helping people understand the importance of cyber security.

More communities

Building communities will win out over growing supporters

Small online communities popped up in lots of places in 2020. From neighbourhood Whatsapp groups, to support groups on Facebook, and Zoom yoga classes, everyone was joining and building online communities. As charities reconsider that it means to engage and interact with people online we’ll see a shift away from mass communication on big social media platforms towards small well-focused, and in many cases private, online communities.

Back to the basics of digital

User-first thinking means recognising that sometimes digital isn’t the right solution

Digital thinking is user focused. And if the best thing for the user is to receive a hand written letter on a piece of actual paper, then that is the solution digital thinking should provide. Charities will increasingly adopt a digital mindset over digital technologies to focus on solving the problems people face.

Exploring connected services

More charities will focus on partnership working to tackle more complex problems

In our increasingly interconnected society we’re becoming more and more aware of how complex the problems people face are, and that one organisation working alone cannot solve them. Charities will turn to partnership working as the first thought in tackling problems. We’ll see more joint bids for funding to provide more cohesive and effective services, and people will get better help as charities turn outwards to work more with other organisations.

Looking after each other

More people in the charity sector will take more time to look after themselves and each other

If we haven’t yet realised how important well-being is for the health of our minds and bodies, our families, society and our organisations, then 2021 will encourage more charities to figure out how to enable it’s people to work from anywhere, work flexible times around other commitments, and achieve good things in healthy ways. The idea of people as replaceable resources, as cogs in the machine that just need to do what they’re told to do, is dead. Charities that encourage, or even expect, their people to be creative individuals using all their capabilities will be more successful in 2021, which in case anyone is in any doubt, is going to be a year full of challenges that need kind, intelligent, adaptable people to make a difference.