New Media Portfolio

Samples of the Writings of Max P. Quayle

Professional Writing
PW 5500
Maria Siano
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Introduction:

The pen is still mightier than the sword, in fact it can still lay low even modern instruments of
destruction—but the internet may be mightier still. By its definition it incorporates all of the
strength of the pen and couples it with the widespread effects of modern weapons, affecting
sometimes a billion or more people at a time.

Across the face of the following pages, a theme around new media and Internet ethics is clearly
stamped. It is between these lines that questions lurk: Where are our intentions leading? Who is
answerable for damages? Are young people equipped to inherit our designs? These, and other
intimate inquiries are posed in the tones, shades and feelings of the topics, quotes and
experiences you are about to consider.

There is a sturdy urgency in the whisperings of the voice of the future which reminds us that
discretion is still the better part of valor. The warning is that we should not only employ
discretion virtually, but effectively in our own real lives as well. There is a luring, beckoning
urgrncy coupled to full inbox, a blackberry vibe and the awareness that “peoplish” shades are
posting everything from the fantastic to the utterly dull on the endless walls of the Facebook
maze.

In order to cope with all of the constructs within which we strive to live fully, a fresh blast of
chilly October air is called for, a glimpse of the majestic if furtive blue heron skimming the glass
of the silent pond’s surface at first light and the glimpse of a newborn’s infinite eyes will all
serve the harried soul.

The intention of the following is to present the less traveled road, propose the line of hope, and
instill confidence in a future not so different from the one offered to us, when we were still new.

Max Quayle
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Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………. 1

The Essay
Times and Tides: New Media Convergence …..…………………………………………. 3

On-line Article
Families Under Fire: Media Impacts on Youth-Parents …………………………………. 5

Blog
4D AND THRIVING ....................................................................................................…... 7
Ordinary Misery
Biking with Laura
Bass Delivery
Trophy Bass
Passing Shades

The Personal Column

Handled With Care: A Facebook Encounter ………………………………………........... 10

Policies & Formal Position Paper

New Media Regulation: Politics and Policy ……………………………………………... 15

The Editorial
Texters: The Lingual Assassins ………………………………………………………….. 18

Reflective Letter …………………………………………………………………….. 20

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Times and Tides: New Media Convergence

As I walked out onto the southernmost sandbar on the tip of Plum Island—which is at the

far edge of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge, and may as well be the far end of the world—I was

mesmerized by patterns in the surf. The peninsula stands at the point of convergence of the

Parker River and the Atlantic Ocean and plays host, twice daily, to a remarkable shift in the

nature of the waters. As the low ebb passes and the moon swells the Atlantic tide, the hungry

ocean seeks the low-lying sand bar. Concurrently, with gravity and pressure insisting that the

river maintain its course, fresh water spills onto the same bar from the others side. In a

complicated dance, a beautiful cross-hatched series of interlacing waves zip and unzip to and

from each other while the sand lies silent. The effect is a nearly geometric, salty-fresh plaid of

white crested peaks and ‘touch of green’ troughs that order the inevitable blend of differing yet

complimentary sources.

Closing down summer thoughts and turning that space to considerations of new media

and media convergence has formed a hybrid definition in my mind. As endless news sources

continue to pool and flow into the vast sea of information, media convergence—which phrase

truly blends the news flow from all sources and in all media formats—and the resulting new

media, can be likened to the effect of the tides blending with freshwaters.

I visualize many news sources of varying stability and strength pouring like streamlets

into the flow of fresh information. As this volume increases, it passes through well worn beds of

editorial influence and is filtered and redirected, but inevitably (lightning fast in some cases) is

offered to the vast retrievable information sea. At this junction, the waves of opinion and belief

crash and steadily push to consider this flow and to find a place for it on the complete human

consciousness. The result is a constant immersion in information of which some rises up to

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capture large notice and the rest simply makes its way to the public outlets. Any interference or

attempt to stem this flow would be futile, yet individual sources routinely flood and dry up as

events demand. We stand on the brink and watch.

The marvelous advantage of these media is their ability to channel small and simple

things along with earth-shattering reports to the human mind for consumption and consideration.

There will always be an appetite for the convergent media, and the system of sources that built it

will continue to replenish it as time rolls forward. In many ways, it is the natural evolution of the

protection of free speech inherent to the United States constitution that drives this phenomenon.

Standing on the peninsular point, the beauty of the flows can be so alluring that one may

lose their balance. Seeking stable, solid ground while amid such churning forces requires

stepping back and assessing the motions from a safer, more distant vantage. Similarly, too much

source material can overwhelm one’s ability to completely forge opinion and leave thoughts

incomplete and confused. A drawback to the constant stream of finer and finer bits of

newsgathering is the limitations all experience when there is too much varying information and

not enough time to categorize and process it all.

Enter the infinite potential of the future. As we carefully position ourselves to observe the

tumult of media convergence, the influence of technology will soon insist that we filter (and thus

categorize and profile) our preferences. The press of data carries enough to fill all vessels and we

will be forced to select the sources we find valuable based upon our morals, ethics, interest, and

preferences. This rising tide will force some to higher ground while others will dive right into the

swirling tide. The resulting interplay between humans and inert information will become more

and more influential in the way we shape the world in which we live, thus dealing a significantly

influential role to the sheer volume and diversity of data and source.
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Concord News | September 15, 2010

Families Under Fire: Media Impacts on Youth-Parents

CONCORD—There are few moments in Emily and Laura's life that are disconnected from their
social world. Being twins in their 15th year, they stand at the very center of their universe, and it
takes a lot of software to support their busy lifestyle.

Emily packs her slightly dated cell phone

calendar with events and notes, turning it into a
virtual diary, while Laura presses the keys on
her phone so fast that a humming seems to
emanate from the metallic candy green device
as she carries on three different conversations at
once. Neither of them would part easily with
this token of instantaneous connectivity and
storage.

But, when asked if they had to let the phones go,

what would they do? Both sisters grin and began
naming survival schemes rapid fire:

“Meebo, Facebook, Skype,” they alternate, and Laura adds, “even Google, email, MySpace, and
AIM are better than nothing. As long as it has instant messaging we’re cool.”

“Oh, yeah…LimeWire and YouTube,” interjects Emily. “We’ve gotta have our music.”

These popular social/sharing media head the list—they know these powerful networking tools
contain apps and options enough to keep an eye on just about any part of their relentless world of
friends, siblings and their all-encompassing curiosity: Boys.

Though they freely admit to sneaking their phones after curfew, and speak with obvious envy
about all the other kids whose parents apparently do not require sleeping, chores or the dated
concept of earning privileges, these girls are seriously in tune with what matters most—to them.

With all of their connections to the supposed real world, their stepmother, Deb, is amazed at their
apparently shielded conclusions about how the world works. She has spent hours explaining that
other kids do have boundaries, homework doesn’t do itself, and what they must do to retain
privileges.

According to the Wall Street Journal, children are spending a mere 24 minutes a day doing
cleaning, laundry and other housework. This represents a 12% decline since 1997, and a 25%
drop from 1981.

“I can’t wait to see how you treat your kids..." she says. “And we will definitely be stopping by
for dinner—on you!”
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In quiet moments between the four younger children’s demands, she mentally calculates the
growing girls’ share of the family budget. When she shares this figure the twins roll their eyes,
and slowly resume their phone privilege producing tasks of carrying laundry and helping with
siblings.

"The Internet has certainly changed how chores are done around here." she confides. “Sure it
would be easier to do their chores myself…no griping, no complaining… but I’m hoping it will
teach them something about the way real life works. They can’t text and IM 24/7, besides; I
believe this will help them become better people."

"I spend a little too much time on it, too", she says, turning and lowering her voice after they
have gone.

Deb is one of a growing number of parents who use the Internet to spruce up dinner, plan
housekeeping, entertain
kids and—of course—
monitor grades, and
social networking
activities of the young,
empowered teens of an
undefined generation of
entitlists. Internet usage
in America has doubled
in the past five years,
according to a Gallup poll
what was 26% in 2002
has become 48% in 2009.
Deb is clearly not alone.

As her stepdaughters submit to the family deadline of 10:00 pm for all media, they share a word
of goodnight, literally, before the twins hurry to their rooms to 'crash'. She thoughtfully holds
her 4-month-old son in her lap and wonders what the constant battle between the world's
pressure to abandon the future for ‘the now’, and her own hopes that there will be enough good
left in it to sustain him, will produce. Somewhere behind her, a buzzer goes off…the scent of
warm bread fills the room.
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http://4dandthriving.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html

4D AND THRIVING

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Ordinary Misery

Carter Hill Orchard beckons locals with two outstanding offerings: A gorgeous bird blind which
dominates the hill top orchard, and draws many birdwatchers (‘hawkwatchers’, specifically), and
plump, red apples. The second may behoove any orchard, but after a day there, I was skeptical of
even the apples.

Beware the "walking trails," though. A fine kiosk displays the network of purportedly “well
groomed” walkways, but it is not so...My family took the trails only to find downed trees, locked
gates and a mile-and-a-half loop—which included a bit of trespassing—back to the entrance.
Sure, we could have back-tracked after the first half mile looked dubious, but somehow it
seemed the poorer choice. Upon trudging up the driveway we licked our wounds with free apples
and over-done peanut butter cookies that left a poor taste…We may not return.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Biking with Laura

Okay, the bike chain has become rusty and I sometimes drive...This blazing summer has nearly
squeezed the ride right out of me. Last quest was two weeks back, a return to Sewall's Falls (see
earlier post), this time with my teenaged daughter. Laura is 15 and has complained of the same
lethargy that I am enduring.

We hit the road at 8:30 and got up a good wind; 6-7 miles of street riding only made me hungry.
Slicing into the riverside dim brought the scent of hot summer/low river deep into my sinuses.
We did the nominal trail shots, but must mention the killer whoops about 1/3 mile in—Laura was
very poised and handled the roots well, I barely avoided a throw.

The bomb was yet another trail-blaze on the way home, and ended up climbing and circling the
same rugged hill—Laura was not amused! We beat back the undergrowth and followed a narrow
streambed back to North State and civilization. It was a good ride.
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Bass Delivery

Though the bike is cankered, the fishing gear is absolutely in order. I took half a day late August
and put the canoe into the "stump field" at Hopkinton Dam. The wind heaved the prow over
constantly, but I pushed with a will and made a wave line over to the western pools.

A few casts netted naught, but a sense of silent scales filled my mind. I caste near a stump and -
Bang! - the line downed hard. A little slow reflex saw me set the hook a second late, but sure.
Bringing in the prince of the pond at 17 inches and a pound and a half, he kicked without feet
and spat lipless curses- but he was mine. More to come...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Trophy Bass

The slow wandering canal that connects the stump field of the Hopkinton Dam to the dam itself
is nearly free of current. Only the slightest ripples march away from the spillway confluence into
the lower lands—the whole area is low and really does not appeal to my angler’s sense.

I paddle under the wind, down a long watery way and emerge at the lower pool. I do not expect
much, but a small, earthy, bush-covered island catches my eye. With the open pool, the wind
navigates for me, but I lob a line just short of the outcropping. A snag...frustrated, I paddle over
to free the snarl. Lifting the line I feel a jerk. A mangled clump of pondweed greets my net first
—then I see him: 3.5 pounds and close to 22 inches, the king is on.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Passing Shades

How does nature do it? As I walked home tonight, I notice the hundred year-old oak in my
backyard has begun to turn. It is a lovely old tree with long sweeping branches and a thick
covering of full leaves. As I pause, admiring the pretty shade of light orange and while musing
upon its uniqueness, my eye is drawn to two pots of identically shaded Hardy Mums sitting in
clay pots on my neighbor’s doorstep.

Could it be that these two remotely related species—one that is spiraling inevitably towards sleep
and the other in prime form of wakefulness, yet both on a sliding scale of color change—might
have paused to compliment one another as old oak goes a-browning and the bright little mum
strives to shame the sunset hue? I realize that this is life. In old age, we often reflect shades of
youthful splendor, if only in one passing day. While in youth, we seek to reflect those few elders
in whom we have seen a spark of greatness.
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Max P. Quayle

Handled With Care: A Facebook Encounter

The anonymity of the web has certainly thickened our collective skins. If we stumble into a chat
room filled with road-rage glory, foaming racial hatred or sexual permissiveness we can just
leave right? Strangely, sometimes we stay--if only to see a little more of the shock before we go.
In person, an offensive or bellicose conversation is often affected by the appearance or
withdrawal of a new person, but with the subtle voyeurism available on the web, we, and our
children, can take part in some very raw experiences without even interrupting the flow of
words. Adults can handle this—Children can not.

The same is true on the endless scroll of the Facebook “wall”: Impressionable youth view
opinions that are thrown against this emerging soundboard with abandon; only to stick for a few
minutes before sliding into "past comments" oblivion. The most delicate subjects (pun intended)
can be severely maligned, twisted and bruised. Young people have carved a very intimate
playground, but it is not theirs alone, Facebook is public access and too often, the viewer filters
are not fully used.

Recently I was "creeping" —a term which denotes

looking, but not posting or giving away my presence—on
my teenagers' social media accounts and is pre-requisite
to their having the accounts at all—when I came across
what I thought to be a downright vulgar post. After a
quick profile check, I discovered a male, 20 year-old
college student who was contributing to my 13 year-old
niece’s wall. In perfect parental form I shot a personal
comment off (without the benefit of review) to him
inquiring as to his meaning and intention. The result of
my protective impulse netted me an hour and a half long exchange with the young man, portions
of which will be quoted below, that truly inspired, surprised and humanized my social Media
opinion, forever:

10:28pmMax
Carl, take a minute and read the Message I just sent you, ok?

(My tone was meant to be friendly, but I was pretty angry, and that would have come through in any other
medium.)

10:31pmCarl
i'm sorry if my swearing offends you i just dont believe in censorship...
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10:33pmMax
Okay, just be careful about letting in minors into your world, there is a power of influence which speaks to a higher
purpose than censorship—it is free will.
10:34pmCarl
i dont think that swearing make kids bad... they all do it even if you dont see it happening
10:46pmMax
The F-word is powerless. Context and intent are powerful
10:49pcarl
idealism only leads to heart break my friend... one day you'll see how cruel this world... is... an maybe this can give
you some perspective... in an idealistic world 14 year old boys moms dont die like mine did.... so maybe you can see
why i thinks ok for someone that age to say [expletive]... cuz sometimes its necessary

(I began to sympathize, a little, with Carl. But was still quite wary of a predator playing out a “poor me”
role. I decided to press him more closely:)

10:54pcarl
look i'm fine i deal with my probs its cool. i'm just saying this conversation didnt need to happen cuz she's seen and
heard the word before and will again..
10:54pcarl
and prolly already says it on occasion
10:56pmMax
. Thank you for the reality check. I know swearing is rite of passage- I just couldn't interpret your post group thing.
10:57pcarl
your really preachy today...

(Here I relented, and we discussed creationism, nihilism and the state of the world. Carl revealed a
profound distrust in human nature, and I began to see that he truly stumbled across my niece’s “wall”, and
did not seek her out. They had a mutual friend. I chose to wrap up with a compliment/invitation to chat at
a further time:)

11:59pmMax
My time with you was well spent - and I am thrilled that neither of us have changed-much...nor did we descend to
insults or arrogance...Your last comment is worth another hour of my time, may I email you?
enots.xam@hotmail.com - me
12:03acarl
ok then... yeah you can give me your thoughts... i wont be able to respond tonight i have class in the morning i need
to wind down so i will get back to you... i'm also feeling that i'm losing my concise thoughts at the moment my
email is [address ommitted] it has been a pleasure discussing with you and a welcomed change for most college
students really dont want to discuss anything that has substance its always superficial convos... sometimes i fear i
maturity is beyond my age

So you may see that this guy was no predator, feeding on the innocence of young teens, but
more a misplaced wanderer who was clearly opinionated and willing to defend his idle stream of
thoughts. I believe a real need is out there to clarify the apparent intentions of posts and “chat”
streams. The solution? Clearly, parents must be wired in to the social “networkings” of their
children. But, closer to the heart, I have spent some really good conversation/lecture time with
my daughters to educate them on impressions and misunderstanding and the value of ignoring
foul thoughts and filthy language. We have agreed that anything posted to their wall is as if it
were spoken in our home. They have agreed to deter friends from cursing and we have reduced
their friend lists to persons whom we actually know.
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Committee: Board of Trustees

Topic: Internet Governance
Country: United States of America
Delegate: Max P. Quayle, New England College

New Media Regulation: Politics and Policy

It has become clear that governance must be installed in cyberspace. Imagine waking up and
wiggling the mouse to find emblazoned across the screen: “Internet Law Enforcement
Agreement.” The information and detail is available, and acceptance of the contract is mandatory
in order to proceed onto the Net. An interim governance board has been established to oversee
New Media regulation, and it is backed by law. A constitution is presented for ratification, and
by so signing, an agreement entered into to use the Internet interface as a user in a representative
country, with an acceptance that the actions undertaken may be used to identify and stop Internet
crimes.

It is a lot to take in, and could never pass in one swift congressional vote, but many scholars
agree— the Internet needs a government. With constitutions that remind all users of their
inherent fidelity to their country of citizenship, a refreshed responsibility would sweep across the
world, and a new awareness could take hold. Citizens online would see a flag next to their
statements or posts, and e-mails and would constitute consent to being identified. Free speech
has never meant anonymity

In a landmark paper, M.E. Kabay has laid the groundwork for constitutional controls by
identifying the inherent lawlessness of anonymity. He posits the term “deindividuation”, and
defines it as the nullifying effect of the Net on personality. When a person’s nature is thus
clouded by the lack of a majority of interaction taking place in the ‘real’ world, he slips into a
state of lessened inhibitions and greater impulsivity. It is in this, and similar diagnoses of the
human condition that the need to regulate the media of the World Wide Web is justified. Though
written in 1998, his findings seem timeless, and as appropriate as ever. An intervening
framework, he insists, must be introduced to the very young (Kabay 2).

What he suggests and what is actually in place in the schools and libraries across this country
constitute a significant chasm which must be bridged. The process should be introduced to the
very young, and by doing so, will ensure understanding and acceptance throughout the formative
years. This is the same way cultures have ever introduced new thinking.

In the news, articles written over the past two years, when taken in at once, suggest a bleak state
of affairs when it comes to new media regulation. They are all reactive, as if the regulations are
being outpaced by the innovations. A few headings have read: “Security breach reporting rules
are introduced”, “Standards and protocols, which when released are nearly obsolete before the
ink dries” and “Copyright reform heats up”. These first lines were found in 2008 issues of the
Toronto Star, and clearly show that the merchandisers, code writers, and engineers are willing to
enter into a two-step dance with existing regulation, neatly sidestepping redundant legislation
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with clever technology and techniques. The never-ending action/reaction approach to effective
media regulation has been the norm since the Internet bubble first arose. What then is the form of
media regulation to take in order to effectively administer a level field to all users which does not
offend the advocates of an embattled free speech?

According to Manuel Puppis, an Internet scholar and Swiss citizen, such governance might take
an institutional form. He implies that regulatory structures influence the media in an
“institutional” relationship. As he suspects, the look of Internet governance might take a very
familiar bureaucratic form at its outset, but it is to be believed that over short time, people would
see the need for it (Puppis, 10). And, like so many dependable institutions we rely upon in our
day, would reluctantly, passionately and certainly begin to reflect the true desire of its creators.
The bottom line is the world would likely disagree in the form to administer, but unanimously
approve of the need to do so. A dialogue between media sources and regulatory bodies would be
the first line to set these ideas into motion.

With the United States in the lead, and this at the individual state—not Federal—level, voices
clear and distinct would rise through congressional channels. Once each state had placed their
proposals on the table, a great debate would ensue: Free speech advocates, Conservatives, Civil
Libertarians and all manner of voices would at first yell, then emphatically state and finally begin
to discuss and reason with one another on crafting of the final proposal.

Though such governance may be easy to envision as bureaucratic and flawed, it is hoped that
some of the finest minds would sign on to write the constitution, and during drafting—as
occurred during the original American constitutional convention—the rest of the country would
debate, discuss and deploy all manner of strong, ruddy freedoms of speech to challenge, overturn
and influence all points on the table.

An appointed panel would be installed to forge the support and enforcement components while
the President would campaign the world to bring all international voices into a great and final
concordance. The current alternative is a sprawling unregulated entanglement of forces both
good and ill vying for attention in a no-mans land of unexplored ethical terrain. The Internet and
new media are not yet legal entities, but the venue where they do business—Cyberspace—is a
place, and as such, should be a place of order.

Kabay, M. E. “Anonymity and Pseudonymity in Cyberspace: Deindividuation, Incivility and

Lawlessness Versus Freedom and Privacy” Germany, Munich. 8 March 1998.
scholar.google.com. 23 Oct 2010.

Puppis, Manuel. "Media Governance: A New Concept for the Analysis of Media Policy and
Regulation." Communication, Culture & Critique 3.2 (2010): 134-149. Communication & Mass
Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Oct. 2010.

Eight technology law issues to watch in '08." Toronto Star (Canada) n.d.: Newspaper Source.
EBSCO. Web. 6 Oct. 2010.
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Texters: The Lingual ssassins

An Editorial

The shuffling steps, the downcast eyes, the half-lidded glances at the dinner table--what does it

all mean? From a distance, many of today’s teens can easily be mistaken for OCD-ridden

castaways from the set of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Upon closer inspection, the

observer may catch a glowing reflection in the eyes, and the rapidly wiggling thumbs of an

adolescent completely—if momentarily—absorbed in the act of text messaging.

For good or ill, the days of following a taut-stretched phone cord around two corners and under

the bathroom door to locate a huddled young person chatting away with friends are over.

Without speaking word one, entire dialogues are being transmitted invisibly and silently right

over our heads. With up to ten or more active text streams flowing at any given moment, teen-

agers have moved multitasking forward by an order of magnitude. Distraction is imminent.

In general, the adult world has settled down over the texting craze; many states have established

laws to punish distracted drivers, and most cell phone companies have weaseled an “unlimited

texting” clause into the average subscriber's ever-inflating phone bill. Quick series' of pressed

buttons have simplified family scheduling and the busy signal is truly going the way of the vinyl

record—but where are the minds of the kids?—certainly not fixed with rigid attention on that

tough trig problem, and definitely not on household chores or helping out with dinner.

Adults who have been raised with certain decorum don’t even know if it is polite to interrupt a

person texting, while the average teen ‘texter’ thinks nothing of fetching a vibrating device from
 15

a half jean pocket right in mid-sentence. And how is it, with every cell phone on earth tied

together by electronic precision to the exact time that these future adults still have not a clue

what time it is? A price will be paid.

Whether in attention span deficits or by an inability to select one's own clothing for the following

day without a dozen opinions, the nation's 'text wrapped' youth are evolving. No need to write

down homework assignments, they know which kid to text. Heck, why even trouble with making

flash cards for Spanish class, a series of self-sent texts will provide ample review—and

other incoming texts can be addressed without so much the turn of a head. Mom and Dad can be

avoided discretely and completely between meals by an irregular stream of reminders and, in

some households, trips up and down stairs are all but eliminated by delegation and demand

through he medium.

The Spoken word has timbre, dimension and melody. Even a timely phone call can convey tact,

etiquette and consideration. But the supplanting of texting for so much of daily verbal exchanges

will bear a bitter fruit: Important items requiring face-to-face will be postponed or downgraded

to a text. Myriad true intentions will be misunderstood. And, the steady simplification of depth

and dynamics in speech must inevitably lead to further decay in the once rich pleasure of

meaningful conversation.

Why speak at all? The pathway we’re on may result in a ‘mute nation’; texting the bus driver to

stop, texting answers to teachers, and the ultimate indecency: the texting of marital vows. A

humorous exaggeration? Maybe, but it is the opinion of this newspaper that texting has already

assassinated half of all previously pertinent verbal conversations and shows no signs of slowing

down its voracious appetite.

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To stem this unquenchable force, only the power inherent to the Family unit can prevail. Fathers,

Step Fathers—role models—show courtesy while driving, and discretion when using phones

around young people. Mothers, Stepmothers—influential adults—craft and introduce reasonable

controls to which your children can agree. And most importantly send the message to young

people that their self-expressed opinions are valuable and their voices are truly the voice of the

future. As a wise person once said: “Shut up and listen.” They will speak if there is reason to

believe they will be heard.