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Contributions
1. Sep 30: The First Entry 2. Oct 20: Added to the Study Notes Understanding Comics page (link: http://ccit300-f06.wikispaces.com/understanding+comics+notes) 3. Nov 1: Posted "Wiki Project Proposal Brainstorm" 4. Nov 5: Started a an entirely new Wikispace "Critical issues in media" under CCT300 Wiki. The space is meant to share each other perspective on those media issues that affects the way we live on daily basis. 5. Nov 5: Wrote and Posted an essay on one of the most debatable media issue of our times "Music Piracy" and how it affects me and my opinion on it; I support Music Piracy, Do you? 6. Nov 10: Wrote and Posted my thoughts about the usage, impact and future of Online Pornography; another important media issue today. 7. Nov 13: Posted an essay, "A review of a research paper on Music Piracy" under critical issues in media 8. Nov 27: Posted a research paper on "Tabloids" as a part of the Wiki Assignment 9. Dec 8: Posted my final opinion on wikispaces under the heading "Final Reflection" on this page.

Reflection
1.Sep30: The First Entry

Hi Everyone, It is my first time using Wikispace. At first I thought it is just another social circus website like Orkut and Facebook; but its way more than that. For a 3rd year CCIT student having all of the CCIT pre-requisites using Wikispace should not have to be an overwhelming experience. If that is the case than one should think about it because its just a year left and we will start applying to high tech and media companies where managers demands much more than editing pages on Wikispace. Wikispace is a simple to use platform that enhances community building by forcing creative thought process that results in emergence of new ideas from all corners of the globe. For me Wikispace works as a creativity tool. It helps me to read other people ideas. It allows me to think on those ideas and come up with my own perception about those ideas or even develop my own idealized products. The best service it offers is that it allows other creative minds to give a thought on my ideas. These minds filter these ideas into a more purified form according to their knowledge. Thus making the end idealized product more meaningful, productive and above all useful. It also work as a medium that give voice to your words, thus more and more people can read your ideas and think about it. Wikispace is a great tool for academics. Making wikispace an integral part of CCT300 course will leave a profound affect on the students. Above all Wikispace is a tool that helps us to “Communicate” between people from various “Cultural” groups through the use of “Technology” and that is what CCIT is all about (Communication, Culture and Information Technology).

2. Nov 16 Its been two months since I was first introduced to wikispaces through this course and bleive me it has been a great experience using wiki for this course. It is really a great platform to share your opinions in a logical and structured manner and allow others to view, think and edit ones opinion. Since the start of lecture I have been continously making contributions to cct300 wikispace and not a single day has passed I have not seen a new media issue discussed and taken to new levels by the contributions from my friends in this course. In wiki I relatively look for those topics that are of interest to me. However, through wiki I have widened my interest cycle. With so many new issues discussed, there is always something good to read and thought about. For example I recently made a new link on Critical Media Issues on the main page. The purpose of this link was to discuss media issues that affects our life on daily basis. The next day I checked the menu and links; somebody edit the page and structured it in a professional manner. Immideatily the enxt day new and new topics were being added to the table of contents such as music piracy, information privacy, online pornography etc. All of these issues were discussed in a professional manner backed by some very goud sources and references. Other students also made their comments by searching on the same topics and building up from where the other student had left it. Uptill now I am loving it! Wikispaces has become mysecond most visited page after google. I hope at the end of this semester it will become the 1st most visited page.

3. Final Reflection At last it’s the end of the course. Just came back from the final test. Not an easy test to take but still satisfied with what I did. It was one of those courses that I went in with a different perspective and went out with another one. It should be a must course for all CCITs. Now lets talk about my final reflection on Wiki. This was my first time using Wiki for an academic course and over all my experience is a mix of both good and bad words about this part of cyberspace. On the positive side, Wiki really opened my asylum to think about things beyond my own thinking. By this I mean it really fosters to give a thought about other people perspective on the same subject and than build a constructive dialogue on the same subject. This new media, what we can call a part of Web 2.0 combines both academic and fun part of education. I believe both of them are necessary if one wants to learn and succeed. The best example I could think is of my friend who took this course with me. He was standing there outside the Future shop waiting in line three days before the launch of Playstation 3 and continuously updating us on the Wiki about what is happening on the road. Along with that the class was making their contribution on the new gaming war between Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft and other media giants. It became such a heated debate on the Wiki as everyone was giving there thoughts on the topic yet so knowledgeable as one can see all sides of the picture sitting right there in front of Wiki. On the bad side, some of my classmates made wiki nothing more than a myspace website. Instead of adding some useful topics they were just copying and pasting links from other side to increase their portfolio of contribution. Moreover just adding pictures and you tube link doesn’t make that much of a difference. The real difference comes when one put up their thoughts about various critical media issues we discussed. That’s what Wiki is all about to share thoughts about issues among people who are on the same level of academia or share equal goals. If I had to look for these critical media issues, the Internet is full of websites and articles. But I want to know what my other class mates, what my professors think about my idea or how can I contribute to their ideas. I think there should be made some restrictions or there should be some code of conduct added right at the start of the course. So students should be awareof what exactly Wiki for CCT300 is all about. Moreover there should be a T.A or a Webmaster especially assigned to administer the CCT300 Wikispace on day-to-day basis. Overall, working on Wikispace for this course was a great learning experience. I would really love to have the same kind of wikispace assignment for other courses with some assigned rules and restrictions of its usage.


 * Community Building and Maintenance**

1.Oct 20 Added to the Study Notes Understanding Comics page (link: http://ccit300-f06.wikispaces.com/understanding+comics+notes)

Chapter 2: The Vocabulary of Comics: Iconic Progressions in Comics: Complex _ simple Realistic _ iconic Objective_ Subjective Specific_ Universal

Chapter 3: Blood in the Gutter: Good comics are those in which COMBINATION of these very different forms of expression is thought to be HARMONOUS Single unified language deserves a single unified vocabulary. Without it, comics will continue to LIMP ALONG as the BASTARD CHILD of words and pictures (Pg.47; McCloud)

McLuhan 2 cool medias: Media which command audience involvement through iconic forms; TV and Comics.

If visual iconography is the vocabulary of comics, closure is its grammar; then in a very real sense comics is a closure (Pg.67; McCloud)

Closure can be a powerful force within panels as well as between them, when artists choose to show only a small piece of the picture(Pg.86; McCloud)

Chapter 4: Time Frames: From the earliest days the modern comic has grappled with the problem of showing motion in a static medium (Pg.110; McCloud)

Chapter 5: Living in Line: By far the most widely used most complex and most versatile of comics many synaesthetic icons is the ever present, ever popular word balloon (Pg.134; McCloud).

Chapter 6: Show and Tell: When pictures carry the weight of clarity in a scene they free words to explore a wider area and vice versa (Pg.157; McCloud).

Chapter 7: The Six Steps: This is the path of great storytellers, creators who have something to say through comics and devote all their energies to controlling their medium, refining its ability to convey messages effectively (Pg.180; McCloud).