This Q&A takes an in depth look at the ins and outs and pros and cons of the MySpace world, and also looks into the heart of the matter: is MySpace even what this is really about?
The Q&A is the result of an interview via e-mail of Henry Jenkins (co-director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT) and Danah Boyd (PhD student at the School of Information, University of California-Berkeley) conducted by Sarah Wright of the MIT News Office
Link via Weblogg-ed News: The Read/Write web in the Classroom
I spent a fair bit of time on MySpace this weekend, clicking around in the friends of some of the authors we’ve connected with to see if they had any we hadn’t yet connected with, and I noticed a few things.
You can make your profile private, so that in order for someone to view it, they must be an approved friend first. All that will be viewable is your picture, if you have one, your name, gender, age and location, and your MySpace URL.
MySpace also posts Safety tips for teens, which can be found here: Safety Tips, and a set of tips for parents, found here: Tips for Parents. The links are found in the footer at the bottom of MySpace pages.
A Q&A with Jennifer Feigelman
What are graphic novels? Why are they graphic? Are they appropriate for children? What is manga? Why do you read it backwards?
Have you asked yourself these questions? Have no fear, graphic novels, manga and anime can be an appropriate and rewarding selection for your child or teen. This guide seeks to answer some of the frequently asked questions about this emerging literary format.
Q: What is a graphic novel?
A: Simply put, a graphic novel is a book length comic that does not lend itself to being read in a single sitting. Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize winning Maus is an example of a graphic novel. Many of the superhero titles (like Batman, Superman, and Spiderman) are also graphic novels, but specifically they are known as trade paperbacks. A trade paperback (which may be seen as the abbreviation TPB) is a collection of comic book issues into a book length format.
Q: Are graphic novels, well, graphic (like explicit)?
A: When we refer to a graphic novel, we are referring to the combination of picture (the graphic) and text (the novel). All graphic novels are not filled with explicit content. Like fiction, there is a wide spectrum of titles available, from all ages graphic novels to titles better suited to a mature audience.
Q: What is manga?
A: Manga is a Japanese comic or cartoon. Literally translated it means “whimsical pictures.” It has come to refer to many of the small digest-sized (7 1/2″ X 5″) Japanese graphic novels. Some characteristic trademarks of manga are (but not limited to): characters with large eyes, black and white illustrations, and exaggerated emotions displayed pictorially.
Q: Why is manga read backwards?
A: Manga is read right-to-left, which is consistent with traditional Japanese writing.
Q: Is there a rating system for graphic novels and manga?
A: Yes and no. Many publishers offer age ranges on their titles (like All Ages, Teen, Mature). But each publisher has their own rating system - there is not a standard that oversees all books. Most of the publisher ratings are accurate. Additional information to finding age appropriateness may be found on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, both of which offer reviews from professional journals and may offer details to any potentially objectionable content. Also, you can always ask Jennifer (who reviews graphic novels professionally for School Library Journal, KLIATT, and Kirkus Reviews) or Jeremy (who is a lifelong comics aficionado) for help in determining what graphic novel or manga would be right for you and your family.
Q: How do I know what graphic novels and manga are appropriate for my family?
A: We have three separate graphic novel collections for adults, teens and children. Our children’s collection was started to meet the needs of our younger patrons who may not be ready for graphic novels and manga in the teen area. These are found on the balcony, and here you will find family favorites such as Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield. Our teen collection offers a wide array of graphic novels and manga that appeal to teen interests, such as fantasy and science fiction. In our teen section, you’ll find popular titles like Spider-Man and Fruits Basket. The themes found may be a little darker than in the children’s collection. Our adult collection offers graphic novels and manga that are best suited and should appeal to older readers. The themes and storylines are more sophisticated and deeper in complexity and adult subjects and situations may be depicted. In this section you’d find such titles as Pulitzer Prize winning Maus and Will Eisner’s Fagin the Jew.
You will have to talk to your children about what is and is not appropriate for them to read. The library makes a wide array of materials available - it is up to you to help your children select titles that are in accordance with your family’s values. That said, Jennifer and Jeremy will always offer suggestions and assistance of titles that fit whatever level of appropriateness you are looking for.
Q: Why are there graphic novels and manga at the library?
A: Graphic novels and manga are at the library because our teen patrons want them! They are the highest circulating items in our teen collection, and are attracting new patrons to the library daily, and encouraging them to read independently and foster a lifelong love of reading and libraries. Graphic novels, comics, and manga have earned a bad reputation as being “low brow,” but research has proved the opposite. In an article by Rocco Versaci in the 2001 article “How Comic Books Can Change the Way Our Students See Literature: One Teacher’s Perspective” in the journal English Journal, he states:
[A]side from engagement, comic books also help to develop much needed analytical and critical thinking skills. A common goal, regardless of the level we teach, is to help students read beyond the page in order to ask and answer deeper questions that the given work suggests about art, life, and the intersection of the two. Comic books facilitate this . . .” (64).
If you are interested in more articles and or information about graphic novels and learning, see Jennifer and she’ll provide you with additional information.
Q: What is anime?
A: Anime is cartoons that have originated in Japan. There are anime movies (like Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away) and anime series (like Fullmetal Alchemist).
Q: Does anime have a ratings system?
A: Anime movies, like Spirited Away have been rated by the MPAA, and will have a traditional movie rating, such as PG, or PG-13. Anime series, on the other hand, do not have a standardized system. Also adding to the difficulty, some manga series may be teen friendly, but the anime adaptation may depict adult content that the manga did not. If you need additional information, you may sometimes find it on Amazon.com. Our bi-weekly anime club (recommended for ages 13 and up) is run by Jeremy, who is extremely knowledgeable about anime and can offer assistance in selecting a series that is right for you.
I like to look at both sides of issues, and look for the good in things. So when I ran across this post by Will Richardson (author of Weblogg-ed) this morning I felt uplifted, even though the content is somewhat less than perky. For some people the web is another home, or a way to communicate, and maybe their only way to communicate, and this is proof of that.
A lot of people suffer a loss, and find themselves at a loss, and shut down. If the web can offer them a place not to do that, to reach out instead, that’s a powerful thing.
OnGuardOnline.gov: practical tips from the Federal Government and the Technology Industry to help keep you safe on-line. Learn about topics like Spyware, P2P File-sharing, Identity theft, Phishing and more. Play games like “ID Theft Face-off” or “Phishing Scams: Avoid the Bait” to interactively test your knowledge and learn new tricks. You can also file a complaint with various organizations through the site.
Also in Spanish.
The Blog Safety website has started their own blog. It’s a chance to leave them feedback, grab a few other useful safety links, and to keep up to date on Blog Safety and blogging in the news. Most of the posts seem to be about news stories that concern blogs or bloggers. While on the one hand it seems like some of the content could spawn a major fear of blogging, it is always good to be informed and stay on all sides of an issue. So if you have blogging kids in the house, you may want to stop by now and then and see what’s been in the mainstream lately.
Some of my RSS feeds are very varied and pull in things from all over the web. That’s why I like them. A few days ago, this article showed up in one feed. It’s called “101 Tips for Improving Children’s Behavior” and is located on the site ParentingIdeas.org. (Not to be confused with Parenting.org, which is run by Boys and Girls Town.)
ParentingIdeas.org covers many categories from crafts to education to how-to. They also have an RSS feed.
Today I ran into Parent Hacks, which touts itself as “a collaborative weblog of practical parenting wisdom.” Both sites look pretty interesting, and certainly seem to have a bounty of information.
I came across this post today in one of my many RSS feeds, and I thought it was rather interesting. It’s certainly the most info I’ve found on them in one spot. I knew they had recently been purchased, but didn’t do much follow-up on it as I don’t actively use the site anymore.
In just a two years MySpace.com has trounced its main competitor, Friendster, to become one of the largest websites on the internet. Now owned by News Corp. but still run by CEO DeWolfe, co-founder and president Anderson, and many former employees from Xdrive, Inc. and ReponseBase, LLC, the site boasts over 40 million members. What makes MySpace so intriguing to its users is that it provides them with all these services for free as well as a profile that they can fully customize and use to display personal information about themselves that friends can comment on and that also links to their friend?s profiles. The site even provides these millions of users with free hosting space for images to use in their profiles. All of these features come at zero charge, a business plan that had failed for DeWolfe in the past at Xdrive. Yet MySpace thrives. The site is extremely popular among today’s youth and commands a near cult-like following.
Read the rest of The MySpace Report, author: Trent Lapinski, found on Trend Sweet Trend
Instant Messaging is fast becoming the most opted for form of communication, overtaking e-mail. IM is after all, as it says, instant. Expecially on broadband connections. Even if you’re at work, if it can keep a phone line open, and you have a quick question for a coworker across the building, what faster way to get it than IM?
I’ve been using IM for about 10 years. I started in college, with AIM and ICQ, which is now also owned by AOL. Now I use Trillian Pro to connect to the AOL, MSN and Yahoo networks. It’s how I’ve made a lot of my friends, it was how I used to get technical help before I knew as much about computers, and it was how I used to talk to my kids when I was a teen librarian. Very helpful if they seem to have forgotten they were coming to a program, or if they’re looking for something to read.
IM has its caveats of course, but it also has a lot of built in security. The main issue is does the user know that, and will they make use of it.
AIM is probably the most widely used IM network. Any one who has America On-line has it, and anyone who wants to download the messenger for free can get it. Most people get it because they’re friends are on it—easier to get what they have than get them to switch.
In terms of protection, you can set up you AIM account so that you aren’t searchable, so that you are but only limited details are available, you can allow people to see only that you have an account or your status, you can block all users not on your list, or block only specific users you come to find you don’t want to talk to. For younger users I’d probably suggest the harsher approach, just to cut down the guess-work on are you talking to a real person, and to cut down the harassment. AIM also allows you to warn people–once a user’s warning level has reached 100% they’re booted off-line for a set amount of time. When they come back, it steadily crawls back down to zero. Whether it will impede anyone, I don’t know, but at least the feature is there.
In terms of clients, AOL has a great look, but tends to cause the most issues. I stopped using it entirely a few releases ago when I put it on my laptop and it installed a large amount of spyware. Some versions since then I’ve installed at libraries I worked in, removing all the extra options, but since a shared machine is not private, there can be issues regarding that approach regardless. The newest version of AIM is back to coming with extras–some friendly and some not. If you do an advanced install you may be able to get rid of them…or you may not.
Yahoo is actually a pretty neat client. I always liked it because I could talk in rainbow. The Yahoo network also allows you to send off-line messages, so even if someone isn’t on-line, you can write to them, and they’ll get the message the next time they log on. That can be a really handy feature, if you know someone who checks IM more than e-mail.
If you have a Yahoo ID, you can also get free e-mail, but it doesn’t automatically come with the messenger account. Meaning, you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. You can also set up a photo album with Yahoo Photos, and you can set up an on-line profile if you wish, for other Yahoo users to peruse. The last time I did that I wound up with 200 not-so-stellar people and 1 who became one of my best friends. Such is the risk of putting your information on-line, and including a picture. Again, you don’t have to fill out any of the profile if you don’t want to. And you can choose what stats are hidden (your e-mail address, for instance).
At this point in time, Yahoo and MSN networks are working towards being able to communicate with one another. So if you’re a hotmail or MSN user, you’ll be able to talk to your friends who have Yahoo without either of you switching.
MSN is the third of the best-known IM networks. As I said above, if you have a hotmail account or Microsoft Passport, you can use it with messenger. If you have MSN internet you have messenger built in. You can also use hotmail accounts or Microsoft Passports with Windows Messenger, which is very similar, but not the same program.
MSN bears more similarities to yahoo than AIM. I never liked the client much so I don’t know as much about it personally. It can check your homtail account and will tell you if you have new mail (as will Yahoo and AOL if you ask them too, and as will trillian if you set up email accounts within your preferences). Like AIM, it allows you the option to be “invisible.” That is, signed it, but seemingly off-line to your contacts. This can be handy if you want to talk to someone, but don’t want interruptions from other buddies at the time.
Like Yahoo, it features integrated search, each using their own engines of course. And of course there’s plenty to personalice, with backgrounds, emoticons, theme packs and more.
You can fill out a profile on-line for this service as well, but again, you don’t have to. It can be helpful, if you’re using the service to meet people, since they’ll probably want more than a name if they’re looking for new friends, but again, for younger users I’d advise against having too much personal information on-line. While I’ve found most people to be completely trustworthy, there are always the exceptions and bad apples, and they’re never fun to deal with. At the very least, if you include a lot of details, leave your location out of it.
Trillian is a multi-protocol IM client. Those of us who have accounts on multiple networks don’t always like to have all three messengers running—it can get a little ridiculous. So people came along to take care of the situation.
Trillian can connect to AIM, MSN, Yahoo, IRC (Internet Relay Chat), Jabber/Gtalk, and ICQ. The open-source Gaim does much the same thing, but with a different look and feel. And there are others out there as well. Trillian was one of the first, and the first I came across, and though I’ve tried the others, I’m very accustomed to Trillian to the point that I don’t like much else. However, I’ve heard good things about TerraIM, which will connect you to AOL or ICQ, and I do like the web-based Meebo, which encrypts logins, and connects you to AOL, MSN, Yahoo and ICQ without the need for any hard-drive based application. It seems to run smoother (and look better) than the Java-based web versions the individual networks supply.
Each network has it’s pros and cons, most being pretty in-line. And while talking over the internet can be intercepted if someone around is devious enough to be doing it, there are digital certificates you can buy to secure your identity with AIM, or Trillian users can turn on secure IM, and if both clients have it on, a certain level of encryption will apply. But over all if you use common sense, and look into it before jumping into it, the pitfalls to me seem no worse than making a phone call. And for those of use who might write better than we speak, IM is the sure winner. And while it may seem a waste of time, or be an easy way to get distracted, it also has plenty of legitimate uses and can be helpful to those of us who work better when we multi-task.
I ran into a couple of articles today that were absolutely perfect for this blog, and in relation to my first post. The first, Protecting Your Kids from Cyber-Predators, from BusinessWeek Online, contains information about MySpace, and actually allays a few of the fears I had about it as a site. But it also reiterates what I said.
The other, “Keeping Kids Safe On-line,” went a step further and outlined various websites that could help you, and your child/teen, navigate the web more safely. (Article here)
Teen Angels is one of the sites listed. Comprised of a group of actual teenagers who have been trained by law enforcement and leading safety experts, this group goes around to schools running special programs on safe surfing.
They’ve also begun a group of Tweenangels, for those 11 to 13.
If you visit their site you can read all about them see their media coverage, and even have your child join, if there’s a chapter near you.
While the page contains an “About us” section, there aren’t really any personal bios, but there are plenty of stories and articles of first-hand experiences. And while some of us have to learn the hard way, many of us can learn by reading experiences of others, which help to bring reality a little closer to home.
Katie’s Place is a site named for Katie Tarbox, who was a victim of an on-line predator when she was 13, but was lucky enough to have a strong support group to help her get through it. The site is a place for all victims and friends/family of any victim–a bit like on-line Group Therapy, I suppose. Katie’s Place is a companion site to Wired Safety, which has a special section for parents, another for kids, tweens and teens, and handfulls of other useful links and information.
Under “Blog and Diary Sites” the first thing to come to mention is yet again, MySpace. This could well be a one-stop shop, and should definitely be a stop for anyone with children on the net–there’s plenty here to help you keep up and stay up to date.
Help Delete Online Predators contains information about its campaign, on how to talk to your kids, True Stories, quizzes on safety and on-line “lingo,” a list of further resources, and links to CyberTipline, where you
can report a predator.
There are also plenty of resources listed here for your disposal, including links to training opportunities. A sub-site, Don’t Believe the Type is geared more towards teens, and staying safe while enjoying the activities and communication modes that are popular today: chat, IM, P2P, and so on.
While trying to take it all in at once would surely cauase a headache, these are certainly sites to bookmark and watch. When it comes to the web, a little know-how can actually go a long way in places, but knowing that the information is always changing is also a large part of the game.
Goshen Public Library & Historical Society | 203 Main St Goshen, NY 10924 | Phone: 845.294.6606 | Fax: 845.294.7158 | RCLS Member
I've spent a fair amount of time on-line, mainly beginning with 1997, when I was halfway through college. Most of my time spent on-line was personal in nature--making friends, talking to friends, blogging. So I don't claim to be an expert, though some might consider me so. I only hope to give you my experiences and the opinions I developed through them, and the best advice I can offer given what I've dealt with and know.