Brilliant Parody: The War of Internet Addiction

Last month’s Wired ran the article “The Lost Boy” by Christopher S. Stewart, about a boy who was identified as Internet addicted by his parents and sent to the recovery camp and died there after only 14 hours.

It is so terrifying that these so called therapeutic centers use electroshock along with other torture to relieve the “addiction”; yet it is indeed happening widely after those professors, doctors and government officials claim that Internet addiction is a clinical disorder threatening young people’s mental and physical health. The article listed the government’s initiatives to control the teen’s use of Internet, especially their obsession with online game World of Warcraft, and the tragic consequence.

This is totally one side of the Internet addiction opinion, and that’s why I highly recommend this fan made machinima “ War of Internet Addiction”. It is definitely a brilliant parody of this whole Internet addiction phenomenon in China and moreover, the conflict of Internet business, and of course, the restricted Internet use in China.

This machinima is based on the news that Blizzard announced changing partnership with The 9th City (previous licensed company for WOW China business) to the Netease in 2009, which brought inconvenience to game players due to their irresponsible transactions. However, after Netease gained the partnership, the GAPP (General Admission of Press and Publication) considers this game is inappropriate and requires Netease to close the server in November, 2009. Back and forth with these American, Chinese corporations, and different government divisions, every party involved in this deal contends for their best benefits and no one cares the players. This video is the outcry of those game players, and essentially the exclamation from millions of ordinary Internet users.

According to the scenario, the parody set up these involved parties with funny nicknames, these game companies, the officials, the Internet addiction therapeutic centers. The protagonist named “Kan Ni Mei” symbolizes a candid, bold game player who wants to fight against all these black forces. In his personal journey against these rulers, the movie refers to tons of sarcastic terms relating to news events in 2009. For instance, Qin Gang, spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his famous quote regarding the information control software Green Dam Youth Escort, “do you have a child” is in the line. If you follow these news and the derivative phrases and usages, you will definitely appreciate the humor of this video; therefore, it is a little difficult for foreigners to completely enjoy the story without enough references.

The message of the video is bitter even the video is so hilarious: why Chinese game players can not enjoy the game? Parents and teachers treat WOW players as shame, and international game players contempt Chinese players as gold mine farmers.

However, the message behind the video is inspiring, young people did not keep their mouth shut under the authority. Users as individuals think independently against brain-wash information, work collectively, collaboratively to make the video, and share the thoughts via viral videos.

Finally, here is the video clip. If you can understand Chinese, please go find the original one. This is subtitled, so the resolution is a low. And this is the highlighted part toward the end:

Must Try Apps for Nokia E71X

When I got my Nokia E71x, I know it's a smart phone but I really did not pay too much attention to how smart it is. Comparing to my old prepaid phone, I am very happy with the Wireless Internet, MP3 player and camera function, despite it actually has some inconvenience accessory wise.

Yet, since Google announced its Nexus One Phone, which really raised buzz around smart phone market again. I think I need to explore my phone before it is outdated soon. It turned out that I am really outdated that I did not actually use phone appropriately in the last four months (mostly because I did not choose the unlimited data plan). Some users have recommend and shared several very help apps, and the following four apps are the most basic ones I installed.

1. Google Package: This is the one I've been using for a long time. Visit m.google.com from you cell phone , and you can download the package including map, mail, search, youtube, and Picasa. Yet, the the package does not have a E71x version gmail application, so it still takes time to check the html version.
   
2. Nokia Email : That is why I tried this email app. From the Nokia Email website, I set up my account, and received a link to download the app to my phone. It reminds me the new email even faster than Gmail in the web browser and the whole interface is really clean and easy. It also allows you to choose when to sync the account, so it will not bother you on weekends. Also, It is free during the trail (but I dont know how long the trail is and how much for the registered version).
3. Opera Mini: A well-known web browser for mobile phone, it is much faster than AT&T pre-installed browser and more friendly, though I still can not read the full page sometimes. I download it from the official website.
4. Gravity: This is a Twitter client and it is the first mobile application that I paid for. I think Twitter on mobile is just a perfect combination and this application is so smooth and clean, I like it even more than my web version. It is free for 10 day trail and 10 dollars for registration.
   

After getting these basic applications, I am getting seriously interested in my phone's capability, which inevitably leads to dealing with the DRM thing again. I don't want to unlock my phone, but I want to read my mom's message in Chinese. I tried Crystal Psiloc Chinese Character, and it really worked very well but the registration fee for $40 is too expensive.

So, that is how it works. I will try to explain how to install Chinese character but I think it will work similar way for other languages and other purposes. In general, it is how DRM is applied to cell phone and people want to get around it.

First of all, these applications need to be signed to only one phone, so I need the authority to sign the application to my phone. The first step is to generate the certificate for the phone by your phone's IMEI number (*#06#). I dont know how to do that but some websites and individuals can help you for free or for donation, searching the latest results.

After getting the certificate, I need the tool to sign all the applications. I tried this DOSPY Sign Tool, very easy. Open the exe file and then you can import the certificate and the key by right clicking. When it is imported, you can freely sign application by right click-sign (the application should be in a separate directory of the sign tool). Then, all you need is the font application and the font. I have the Font router, signed the software and download the Chinese font I like (*.ttf format). When Font Router is installed on my phone, I found a FONT folder on the E drive, just copy the font to the folder and restart the phone, ready for my mom's message.

Other singed applications I tried including MagicKey to map the key for my phone to input Chinese, and the Sensible Sudoku. My contract with AT&T still has a long way to go, so I am glad I realized how to use the phone not too late. I definitely wont say Nokia E71x (especially with the "X" factor) is a super smart phone, but it is worth the price (technically free with 2yr contract online purchase from AT&T) with these add-on applications.

Wikipedia Annual Donation Campaign

By the end of the year, Wikipedia will kick-off its fundrasing campaign though banner notice on each page to encourage users' donation (you can always choose to hide the notice) . As someone who always plans to edit more entries but fails to do so, writing a check is the best way to technically accomplish the plan (though a very small amount). Later one day, I read a tweet saying why Wikipedia does not keep advertising on each page. In that way, users can choose to view the ad or not, and Wiki dont need to do this donation campaign again and again every time.

It sounds O.K. at first glance because we've already get used to advertising-supported free content, and this turn on/off ad option keeps some voluntary meaning. However, in my mind, I just automatically rejected this idea and did not know why. This week, as I finished the book Predictable Irrational (Dan Ariely, 2008, HaperCollins), I found the answer to my spontaneous reaction.

In this enlightening book, the author conducts all kinds of focus group experiments to study behavioral economics. One chapter is about the cost of social norms and market norms. Sometimes, we put a lot efforts to do something but dont expect the cash pay back, for instance, cooking Thanks Giving dish for the family, the example in the book. This is the social norm. On the other hand, we expect that when we sit in the office for 8 hours (even just browsing Facebook page), we are adding money to our account. This is the market norm.

Researchers did an experiment in a day care center: initially, there was no fine for being late to pick up the children. The parents and the teachers understand the situation based on social norms that people do get late occasionally and they should not do that again to bother teachers. Then, the day care center imposed a fine of being late. Since a pay relationship is involved, the social encounter is being replaced by market norms that parents can choose to be late or not. And the late cases did not decrease as expected. Then, when the center dropped the fine , getting back to the social contract, parents still pick their kids late, even slightly more often. The author concludes from this experiment that social relationship will not be reestablished easily once it is trumped by the market norm.

And, this explains why Wikipedia cant not use advertising, even voluntarily, for funding. Advertising is totally a commercial concept following the market rule; let alone it will break Wikipedia’s neutral point of view, it will also ruin the collective efforts of Wikipedia as a social media foundation. Adding advertising essentially leads to market-value norms, even not for profits; once this market norm being introduced, the social norm, the volunteer spirit of Wikipeida will hardly be impaired.

As I finally figure out this puzzle, another question came to my mind. As social media becomes so overwhelming, how do we justify the “social meaning” when it is advertising supported? Is it another situation where social norms collide with market norm?