Word count limit: 2000 Due date: 23rd April 2010

Referred/Deferred Work MAC129

You have 2 options depending on whether or not you submitted a piece

of work for the initial assessment. If you did submit work, see option A
or option B (you can select either). If you did not submit any work and
were expected to, see option B.

OPTION A: You should attempt to answer the same question you have
already attempted but you should take in to consideration the
criticisms and comments made upon your original work and amend your
argument accordingly

OPTION B: You should attempt one of the questions listed below

Choose one of the following essay titles.

1 - "...people are still burbling about 'cyberculture' - a term whose useful

potential has been killed off by the staggering number of tedious things that
have been written about it" (David Gauntlett, 2004). Discuss with relation to the
range of subjects and materials that the term evokes.

2 - Choose TWO key developments in the evolution of the Internet and/or the
Personal Computer over the last fifteen years and examine their influence on the
study of Cyberculture.

3 – The history of digital games has been characterised by ‘consistent pattern of

male technocratic privilege’ (Williams, cited in Aphra Kerr, 2006: 19). To what
extent can it be argued that female gamers are excluded from this masculine
realm?

4 – “Representation is never innocent. It has real effects and repercussions”

(Diana George & Diana Shoos, 1999: 118). “Representation is an essential part of
the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of
a culture” (Stuart Hall, 1997: 15). Drawing on your understandings of these
quotations, how have representations in video games been discussed in the
mainstream media? You should refer to specific game titles and their public
reception to illustrate your argument.

5 - Assess the impact the Internet has had on news reporting and news
presentation over the past ten years. Consider to what extent these changes
signal the demise of the printed newspaper.

6 – In mainstream discourse the term ‘hacker’ is often associated with

criminality. How has the meaning of the term changed over the past few
decades and in what ways does the development of ‘hacktivism’ problematise
the commonly-held assumption of illegal activity?

7 – The Internet has brought with it a new set of surveillance tools, making it
easier to connect with one another and observe people’s behaviour. To what
Word count limit: 2000 Due date: 23rd April 2010

Referred/Deferred Work MAC129

extent do you agree that social media tools (eg Facebook, YouTube, Flickr,
Twitter, Delicious, etc) are eroding our sense of privacy?

8 - “The shift to a personalized, wireless world will afford truly personal

communities that supply support, sociability, information and a sense of
belonging to individuals”(Barry Wellman, 2000:15). To what extent do you
agree/disagree with this statement?

9 - To what extent can cinema be seen as "a form of cyberspace... a place where
we encounter and experience cyberculture" (David Bell 2001: 62)?

10 - The Internet has allowed new businesses using the ‘Long Tail’ model to
thrive. Drawing on suitable examples, outline the benefits and problems of this
new business model.

11- “Apart from notions of physicality, virtual communities operate in the same
manner as real-life communities”. To what extent do you agree/disagree with
this statement? Illustrate your answer with relevant examples.

12- 'Identity plays a key role in virtual communities. In communication, which is

the primary activity, knowing the identity of those with whom you communicate
is essential for understanding and evaluating an interaction. Yet in the
disembodied world of the virtual community, identity is also ambiguous.'
(Donath,1998: 29). With this in mind, how are identities formed in cyberspace?
You should provide both empirical and academic evidence in support of your
argument.

13 - To what extent can cinema be seen as "a form of cyberspace... a place

where we encounter and experience cyberculture" (Bell 2001: 62).

14 - Focussing on two examples of computer-based hacking, outline the

trajectory of the term ‘hacker’ over the past few decades?

15 - There will always be a need for journalists, if not newspapers. How might
declining newspaper sales and the transition to digital media mark the end of
journalism?