Module 2 – Weblog Entry #1 – Bruce Spencer

The Overseeing Gaze

Videos

Technologies such as the internet have reopened the debate about intellectual property, copyright protection and cultural ownership. Weblogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube are just a few of the tools available to people wishing to correspond, chat or post media on topics of interest to them. A huge increase in the commodification of culture and increased marketing has only inflamed the debate.

The first video shows what can happen to a culture when the Internet is used to promote or market tourism in a global context. The second video is an overview of just how quickly technology has changed Internet marketing over the past 10 years or so.

Adivasi, Tourism & Internet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GREXK92sWEw (video)

Technology Impact on Internet marketing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlysgiV-u8M (video)

The next video is an example of how the Internet is used to promote non-violent yet illegal activity. A vigilante demonstrates how to place copper wire on railway tracks to short circuit railway traffic lights. The idea is to train sympathizers of the cause how to disrupt railway traffic.

Friends and Allies http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8044688699643137747&ei=ylLaSrLaF4fYqAPhuJ35Cw&q=Canada+%2B+Indigenous+people+and+the+internet&hl=en# (video)

Here are a few more examples of how the Internet is being used by indigenous people to get their message out… whatever the message may be.

NnishTV.com on employment in Thunder Bay http://www.vimeo.com/1526523 (video)

Native American Children Raising Funds to Purchase a Native Youth Ranch http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&q=Canada%20%2B%20Indigenous%20people%20and%20the%20internet&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&q=Canada+%2B+Indigenous+people+and+the+internet&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&start=10 (video)