From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
==Annotated Bibliography==
Green, E. & Adam, A. (2001) Virtual Gender: Technology, Consumption and Identity, London: Routledge ISBN 0415233151
- This book examines the role that gender holds in virtual life and also the possibility to switch identities online in the new digital technologies era as there has been little information regarding women’s activities. Virtual roles are analyzed in terms of identity, pleasure and consumption, leisure and self. Theoretical perspectives as well as empirical studies of the feminist theory, sociology of technology and gender studies were brought together to identify ICTs’ impact on the present social life. This book also identifies multiple subjects regarding women on gender-switching in virtual environments on the Internet, computer games, cyber stalking and the stereotype of women being submissive victims of technology. Green and Adam offers an insightful account of the various dimensions in which ICTs are said to be ‘gendered’ and provides an interest in the ethics and citizenship of a virtual environment.
Gayagoy, G. (2005, August) "Online-dating Do's and Don'ts," Shape, Vol. 24, Iss. 12, p. 37, Retrieved August 5, 2005 from Proquest
- This article features an interview with Suzanne Schlosberg who is the author of The Curse of the Singles Table and a veteran of 50 personal internet dates. She is believed to be a credible source in giving advice as she herself has met her husband online on Match.com. Here, she gives an insight on the dos and don’ts on Internet dating as well as advice on the personality of a potential date that an e-mail represents. Some of the dos and don’ts of online dating that Schlosberg describes in the article are:
- Do not just wait for the right person to be discovered and do not be shy.
- Meet after about 5 exchanges of informative e-mail to avoid becoming emotionally invested.
- Do not talk on the phone before meeting, but go straight from e-mail to coffee or drinks.
- Be reasonable in terms of meeting new individuals and keep track of the individuals met online.
Robins, K.,& Webster, F. (1999). Times of Technoculture, London: Routledge. ISBN 0415161150
- With the rapid growth of technological innovations, controversial issues regarding the futures of the Internet, intimate relationship in the virtual space and cyber sex were identified in the virtual phenomenon of Internet relationships and dating. Culture and identity are questioned as opposed to the conservative social practices in the new information and communication technologies era. As stated by Robins and Webster, the computer is now a substitute for physical presence within the virtual relationship sphere, creating an online community in an intangible space. The virtual space helps the process of online dating as the intangible space provides a refuge for people who are shy or unconfident with their physical attributes and background.
Author Unknown. (2005, June) "Business: Pornographic; Internet governance," The Economist, June 11, 2005, Vol. 275, Iss. 8430, p. 67, Retrieved August 5, 2005 from Proquest
- This article studies the internet policies of the domain name which plays a huge role in identifying web content. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a privately owned group that administers the domain name system approved .xxx as a web suffix on the first of June and has caused quite in stir among the public. The idea is believed to be able of creating a virtual red-light district and is advantageous towards users in identifying the web content as it is the desire of every porn firm, user and censor in cyberspace to be able to tag web content to find it easily or to block it. Meanwhile, the move has already caused the outbursts of many social conservatives who believed that the .xxx as a web suffix enables porn users to gain more access to pornography over the Internet which they believed is going out of hand at the moment.
Ven-hwei Lo & Ran Wei. (2002). "Third-person Effect, Gender, Pornography on
the Internet," Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Vol. 46, Iss 1, p. 13-33. Retrieved from Proquest
- This source is a study on the role of gender in the third-person effect in Internet pornography as pornography on the Internet differs from traditional forms of pornographic materials such as magazines and videos in terms of the sexually explicit materials posted on the Internet. Due to the availability and quantity of Internet pornography, versatile characteristics of its distribution and active consumers, give the idea that the condemning of cyber porn causes greater social harm. The study was targeted at the young and well-educated as they are believed to belong to the “net generation�? because the Internet plays a huge role in their lives. The results indicated that most respondents believe Internet pornography has a greater negative influence on others as opposed to themselves. Greater negative consequences of Internet pornography on other males as compared to other females who was much more ready in supporting restrictions on Internet pornography was perceived by female respondents. Finally, the magnitude of perceptual bias appears an unreliable predictor of support for media restriction, which probably explains the mixed results in previous studies. This study done on the third person effect in Internet pornography works on the grounds of the gender differential approach and is significant as it helps in laying out a brief idea on the responses to pornography on Internet based on gender.
Bell, D.& Kennedy, B.M. (2000). The CyberCultures Reader, London: Routledge. ISBN 0415183782
- This Reader contains valuable information regarding new technologies which are reshaping cultural forms and practices in the contemporary world. Bell and Kennedy introduces the cyber space and other components related to it such as virtuality, community and identity. It is significant to understand the birth of cyber space and cyber cultures to further analyze online dating as it is a platform where online relationships occur. Also, Bell and Kennedy propose that the younger generation especially children tend to have the mentality that chatting with virtual strangers online is a normal occurrence as compared to the older generation who could hardly accept the technological paradigm shift. The shift has boosted the inner confidence of the younger generations and it differentiates themselves from others with their diverse personal identities, shifting the perception of reality to virtuality.
Durbin, J. (2003, October). “Internet Sex Unzipped,�? Maclean's, October 6, 2003 Vol. 116, Iss 40, p. 18. Retrieved August 7, 2005 from Proquest
- Durbin addresses the online dating service as a profitable business initiative from the perception of internet dating going mainstream. This article identifies professional online dating services such as Lavalife.com and Match.com as well as their history, services offered and statistics of the growth of the online dating industry which are constructive to the project by getting an insight into this lucrative business and identifying the revenue of the dating services. Durbin states that the most attractive feature of online dating is the anonymity that online dating provides because the interaction is based on a profile and photograph where people are trying to market themselves to others. As the title of this article suggests, it also reveals that women are now behaving more like men in relationships and the rise of the Internet has caused soulless relationships and sex as compared to traditional dating patterns. It is believed that Internet dating is a stepping stone which will somehow lead to casual sex.
Goldberg, S. (2003, February). “Oh, What A Tangled Web,�? Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Vol. 57, Iss. 2, p. 108-110. Retrieved August 7, 2005 from Proquest
- This website offers advice to individuals who are contemplating of indulging in online dating as well as unraveling the etiquettes internet dating. Goldberg believed that singles who are above 35 years of age will find online dating to be one of the simplest ways to meet other single individuals. His advices on getting started with online dating are:
- Pay up to the credible online service providers which offer matchmaking services.
- Manage one’s expectations and be aware that profiles on the online databases might not be as it claimed to be.
- Be real as Web dating services are a great way to extract incompatible people.
- Be reasonable and not overdo online dating. Do not get tangled with a few individuals at a time.
- Give oneself enough time for relationship management and not hurry into things.
- Post profiles on the websites that allow users to post a profile and search free for singles in their area.
- Post a photo as it is believed to attract more responses.
- Understand the lingo used over the internet.
- Take extra precaution, especially women.
John, W.T. (2002). “Young, Single and Dating at Hyperspeed,�? The New York Times, April 21, 2002, Retrieved August 7, 2005 from Spring Street Networks
- This article provides an insight on the effect online personals have on the social lives of many people in their early to mid-20s, who are the first generation of people to go through adolescence in a world of email and instant messaging. It has been argued by the author that a majority of older people have found difficulty in posting their photographs and personal descriptions on online dating service databases as opposed to younger people as they are entangled in the Web and believed that online dating is a recreational activity. Also, a brief evolution of the dating pattern from previous years was compared to current ones which are at a faster pace with the aid of the Internet. A virtual dating fact sheet compiled with a list of the major players involved in the online dating industry and statistics regarding their popularity among users were examined. This information provided in this article is important as it provides an insight on the evolution of the online dating industry, the online dating industry as a successful business initiative and their primary audiences.
Lane, F. (2000) Obscene Profits: The Entrepreneurs of Pornography in the Cyber Age, New York: Routledge.
- Lane provides a brief history of pornography and technology in order to further examine pornography’s progress that developed from the cottage industry to a new economic sector, which is now a multi-billion dollar industry with the rise of the new technologies. An interesting fact that Lane pointed out here is the misconception about the massive growth of pornography due to the rise of the new technologies. In fact, pornography has started since the 1950s, which has since then been transformed into a form of entrepreneurship. The pornography industry from previous years has slowly emerged and evolves due to the technological change and innovation; Internet being the fastest and more economical medium for the industry. The author states that the pornography industry is an increasingly attractive and profitable entrepreneurial opportunity due to the role of new technologies which is an effortless means of disseminating mass content as well as consumers’ appetites for pornography. This book provides significant information to the research topic as it is important to grasp the historical direction of pornography besides the economical and technological changes that it functions in.
Angelyn Gan 23:08, 10 Aug 2005 (EST)
