The Electronic Mode Code - Can You Crack It?

This is the question on GCHQ's state-of-the-art transmitters as the intelligence agency use social networking sites to recruit a new generation of super sleuths.

According to The Daily Telegraph (1/12/11), GCHQ has introduced an internet-based code-breaking game "tracking down" people with the skills for successful hacking in an attempt to combat the high levels of cyber crime present in the current computer age.

This unconventional method differs greatly from their previous attempt, in which they would invite particularly bright students, notably students from Oxford and Cambridge, for a "cup of tea and a chat".

McChesney (1998) defines Political Economy (PE) as "the nature of the relationship of media and communications systems to the broader structure of society" - shaping the way we see the world.

From a PE viewpoint, GCHQ is exercising a certain degree of power over society. Arguably, they are using this exercise to categorize people into levels of intelligence and ultimately, how spy-worthy they are.

This kind of power signifies the decline in the necessity of education by seeking people who are "self taught" in the art of computer hacking. It is made clear that this new media is "socially shaping" the way we view the world as it is made more accessible to the public. 

This is something we would associate with a Capitalist Economic System.

I have skills.

All information and quotes sourced from The Daily Telegraph (1/12/11). 
For more information, visit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/.

Additional Sources:

- Lister, M 

 "New Media: An Introduction" (2009)

HCJ Seminar Paper (29/11/11)

David Hume. (1711-1776)

“I feel I should be a loser in point of pleasure; and this is the origin of my philosophy.” (page 601)

The basis to Hume’s philosophy is derived from fellow philosopher Sextus Empiricus who believed that our understanding of the world is based on “sense data”. All ideas are equal and therefore thinking is “worthless”.

This is otherwise known as Empiricism. Empiricism is associated with other great figures such as Hobbes and Locke, who are firm believers in gaining knowledge from perception. 

Treatise of Human Nature. (1734-1737)

Divided into three books under the title “Enquiry into Human Understanding”, Hume attempts to describe the distinction between ‘impressions’ and ‘ideas’. 

He claims that impressions come first and are said to be derived from experience. The section “Of Abstract Ideas” was an agreement with Berkley’s doctrine that “all general ideas are nothing… annexed to a certain term, which gives them a more extensive significance.” It was Hume’s belief that abstract ideas are in themselves individual, however in time, they may become overgeneralized through representation.

“By ideas I mean the faint images of these in thinking and reasoning… every simple idea has a simple impression, which resembles it; and every simple impression a correspondent idea.”(Page 601)

The “Self”.

Hume believed in mankind as a collection of different perceptions that are in perpetual flux and movement. That there can be no ‘impression’ of the self and therefore no ‘idea’ of it. His theory of the “self” banished the concrete from Psychology with his description of a bundle of perceptions that cannot enter into any part of our knowledge. 

He explains “… when I enter most intimately into what I call myself, I always stumble on some particular perception… of heat or cold, light or shade, love or hatred, pain or pleasure. I can never catch myself at any time without a perception, and never can observe anything but the perception.” (page 602)

Joseph Addison (1672-1719), one of the first Journalists during the Restoration (the time of Hobbes, Locke and Johnson), had a very objective writing style, what with his characters often being “pleasure seeking”.

From Hume’s perspective, Addison's account of fact and fiction based on social events would be considered a perception, whereby his characters are stimulated by pleasure and pain. In his narrative “The Adventures of a Shilling” (1710) for example, Addison writes “…the busy men of the age, who only valued themselves for being in motion, and passing through a series of trifling and insignificant actions.”

Rejection of Descartes.

Hume's opposition of Cartesian philosophy was based on the idea that cause and effect is necessary. Hume, on the other hand, believed that we can only know cause and effect from experience, not from “reasoning” and “reflection.” For example, the statement “what begins must have a cause” is not certain as its connection is not logical.

“… necessity is something that exists in the mind, not in objects.”  (page 605)

His "Seven Categories of Thought" deals with the difference between certain knowledge (experience) and probable knowledge (causal relations). For example, geometry is not as certain as algebra and arithmetic as “all our ideas are copied from our impressions.” Therefore, there can be no such thing as an impression of a causal relation. 

Hume’s Doctrine.

From an objective viewpoint, Hume says that A and B are conjoined (A and B causes the impression of A to cause the idea of B). Subjectively, however, Causation is definable in terms of sequence, due to what Hume calls the “habit of association” (if I see an apple and expect to experience a certain kind of taste).

Causation.

Hume defined Causation as taking "us beyond the impressions of our senses, and informs us of unperceived existences.” (page 608) 

This definition is derivative from the Causal Law in Physics, whereby we cannot possibly perceive cause and effect from the observed course of nature. Therefore, Descartes' theory can only be explained through habit and association. In Hume's view, "there is nothing in cause except invariable succession" (page 609) of which there is no rational justification.  

The character development of Mr. Neville from French film “The Draughtsman’s Contract“ (1982) can be described as “strictly materialistic.” As an artist, he attempts to “never distort or dissemble” any of his paintings of a wealthy landowner’s estate. The deceptive human statue however is symbolic, as his role is to cause minor changes within these paintings, as if to represent “the way the world sees it.” 

Here, the film enters into Hume’s theory of Scepticism, whereby “the supposition that the future resembles the past, is not founded on arguments of any kind, but is derived entirely from habit.” (page 609)

Knowledge.

It was Hume’s firm belief that science equals truth, similar to the theory of Francis Bacon around 150 years before (1561-1626). Belief is never rational since we can know nothing and what we do know is derived from experience. 

Conclusion.

Described as a "symbolic quarrel" between Hume and Rousseau (1712-1778) towards the end of the Renaissance, it was argued that there can be no belief based on reason and therefore, pure empiricism couldn't possibly be a sufficient basis of scientific knowledge. 

This lead to Hume's rejection of Bacon's inductive method.

“Induction is an independent logical principle, incapable of being inferred either from experience or from other logical principles, and that without this principle science is impossible.” (page 612)

Sources:

·         Russell, Bertrand

“The History of Western Philosophy” (1996)

"The Da Vinci Code"

Leonardo Da Vinci. The controversial artist of the Renaissance. Obsessed with the state, religion and most importantly - he loved a good puzzle.

"Everyone loves a Conspiracy." - The Da Vinci Code (2003)

In today's issue of The Daily Mail, Da Vinci still manages to captivate audiences with the controversy surrounding one of his stolen paintings named "The Madonna Of The Yarwinder".

The painting was said to be "tracked down" by private detectives after being stolen from an exhibition at Drumlanrig Castle in 2003, with the affair being branded a "conspiracy".

I have always been intrigued by his work due to the fact that I am an avid art lover and a typical overthinker. Of which I find his works to often emote the question; "Who knew a painting could say so much?"

To me, his paintings signify an era of strict religious values, emotional ambiguity and his significant rebellion towards the state and it's beliefs.

"What really matters is what you believe." - The Da Vinci Code (2003)

Idealist Spinoza held the belief that the church was secondary to the state (therefore, religion was decided by the state). His criticisms of The Bible and Political Theory made freedom of opinion important, in which he believed in "absolute logical necessity". He was a Sceptic in the sense that "nothing is true, but everything is possible."

"Life is filled with secrets. You can't learn them all at once." - The Da Vinci Code (2003) 

A glance at religion through the eyes of Da Vinci is further explored in Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" (2003). 

For me, "The Da Vinci Code" was a very interesting summer read whereby his artwork is surrounded by various myths and narratives. There is a themed sense of urgency and I often found myself drifting in and out of the frequent historical teaching (courtesy of Langdon and Teabing), of which I found the myth surrounding his most famed painting "The Mona Lisa" the most intriguing.

"Langdon explains that the 'Mona Lisa' is an anagram of the Egyptian gods of fertility: Amon (male) and Isis (female) and is androgynous." - (http://painting.about.com/od/famouspainters/a/DaVinciCode.htm)

Even from beyond the grave, Da Vinci's interpretation of art still manages to captivate the demographic. And no matter how long we stand, stare and admire, we will never be able to view these pieces quite like we would through the eyes of the artist. 

Information and quotes sourced from The Daily Mail (24/11/11). 

For more information, visit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

A Look At "Britain's Most Influential Newspaper"

Established by The Political Bodies Association in 2010 as “Britain’s most influential newspaper” (Daily Mail), the Daily Mail is currently the second biggest selling daily newspaper after The Sun.

It was first published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe as a newspaper for women (Wikipedia). Its exclusive “Femail” magazine, that contains features especially tailored for a female audience, means its current readership is more than 50% female, 38% of which are over 65 years old (NMA).

It is considered a suburban, conservative newspaper that, according to the Newspaper Marketing Agency (NMA), is most popular with adults in the ABC1C2 category (Upper Middle Class, Middle Class, Lower Middle Class and Skilled Working Class).

The "Stephen Lawrence Case” is said to be historic of the Daily Mail, as on 14^th February 1997 they identified and published the five men who had been arrested in connection with the stabbing. The headline read, “Murderers: The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us.” 

Lawrence was a black, British teenager who was stabbed to death at a bus stop in South London on the evening of 22^nd April 1993, with the investigation being branded “one of the most important moments in the modern history of Criminal Justice in Britain.” (Macpherson, 1999).

The Macpherson Report (1999) made legal history in Britain. As a judge in the Stephen Lawrence case, Macpherson headed an inquiry examining Metropolitan Police. He concluded that they were “institutionally racist” and “incompetent.” In response, he demanded a reform of The Judicial System to address the issue of Institutional Racism. He also abolished the “Double Jeopardy” rule (Wikipedia) which aims to: “… enable the appeal court to allow a new prosecution after acquittal where fresh evidence is presented.” (The Macpherson Report, 1999). 

Two men suspected of Lawrence’s murder are currently being tried for the crime once more after “new scientific evidence” was revealed. This story featured on the front page of 15/11/11 issue, with the headline “After 18 long years, Doreen Lawrence faces son’s alleged killers in court.”

The Daily Mail has played a big part in this case with its continuous campaign for justice. The press are “the eyes and ears of the public” and by identifying the people arrested on suspicion of Lawrence’s murder as “murderers”, they could have been at risk of being in Contempt of Court (Contempt Of Court Act, 1981). The publication had the media power to prejudice a fair trial and therefore interfere with the course of justice. 

In the most recent trial (the trial of Gary Dobson and David Norris) the judge ruled that the jury ignore all media speculation surrounding the case for fear of it affecting the outcome, branding it all “irrelevant.” (Sky News).

Lights. Lights. Lights.

Today was a historic moment, as for the first time I watched the Christmas lights in Winchester illuminate the town square. 

December will soon be upon us and it's hard to believe that another year has passed. This will also be the first anniversary of my blog. I have been blogging for almost a year and what a great year it has been.

After a tough couple of months I am happy to say that Winchester finally feels like home. It's a beautiful place full of beautiful people and honestly I couldn't be happier. 

I spent the evening in the town with my housemates, preparing to see the perfectly placed lights sparkle in the navy sky. It was a bit of an anticlimax but a sea of cheers from the ever-growing crowd soon made this insignificant.

I officially love Winchester.

Narrative And Genre.

According to Long and Wall (2009) the term Narrative refers to "the organisation of textual elements into a pattern in terms of space, time and perspective... 'events' which are ordered through time (temporal succession) and which we conceive as the cause of other events (causation)."

When applied to the medium of film, Narrative plays a crucial role in the development of the fabula (story) and syuzhet (plot). Like much anticipated superhero sidekick "Avengers Assemble", which is a prime example of a classic realist text.

To "avenge" means to "take revenge in retaliation for harm done" (Collins Pocket English Dictionary, 2000). Therefore, the title of the film already allows the audience to construct a fabula in their mind. In relation to this, Bordwell (1985) comments: "The fabula, however imaginary, is not a whimsical or arbitrary construct. The viewer builds the fabula on the basis of... relations of causality, time and space."

Narrative.

Within media, the term Narrative translates as "a set of events" whereby it is the intention of the filmmaker to build suspense. So in "Avengers Assemble", like in any other action film, there will be elements of "false scares" that are designed to live up to audience expectation.

Time.

The typical Narrative will have a beginning a middle and an end, but as filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard states: "Yes, but not in that order." Here, Godard is referencing the "disruption of the 'natural' order of time..." Time is a common feature to many films, particularly when it comes to the old trick of flashbacks and "bullet-time" (think "The Matrix"). These factors contribute to audience satisfaction and enjoyment.

Space.

A sense of space is needed in order to construct the fabula. Realism in film and other media help to produce a coherent sense of reality within the mindsof an audience.

• Quotes sourced from "Media Studies Texts Production And Context" by P. Long and T.Wall

Genre.

Genre can be linked back to 300BC, the time of Greek philosopher Aristotle, who distinguished dramatic modes such as comedy and tragedy which were ultimately "... concentrated in the beginning on producing defining characteristics for particular genres based on historical usage." This is otherwise known as the "structuralist" approach.

The dictionary definition, however, defines Genre as a "style of literary, musical or artistic work." (Collins Pocket English Dictionary, 2000)

Genre is related to audience expectations for example. With themes such as Science Fiction being "devoted" to a particular genre. Theorist Neale (1983) comments: "As far as genre is concerned, expectations exist both to be satisfied, and also, to be redefined."

• Quotes sourced from "Analysing Fictional Television Genres" by K. Akass and J.McCabe

The Art Of Copyright.

In Journalistic terms, Copyright refers to the "branch of the law that enables Journalism to exist as a business."

It was the 1911 Copyright Act that made the breach of Copyright a crime. Everybody has the right to their own "intellectual property" that prevents their work from being stolen or exploited by the public. They can however, either choose to keep ownership or "buy out" the commercial rights (but retain moral rights as sanctioned under the 1988 Copyright Act). 

It is crucial as a Journalist to remember that there is no Copyright in ideas.

This can be made clearer in "The Da Vinci Code Case" where two people sued author Dan Brown claiming they had already published the premise to his novel "The Da Vinci Code" some years earlier. Their case was lost however as there was no substantial proof that Brown had "lifted" anything from the previous book.

Accordingly, it is safe to re-do old stories as long as the source has been accredited and some of it is your own work.

You are also allowed to use Copyright in the context of:

• Comment.
• Criticism.
• Review.

There can be no Copyright in information. Only liable if the information has been turned into news by a Journalist.

This is where the old Journalistic trick of fair dealing or "lifting" comes into play. You can "lift" quotes from articles as long as you credit the source and 

it is a matter of public interest. "Passing off" is out of the question as you could be in breach of Copyright law and could be sued for compensation if it can be proved that you have stolen the work. To be protected from Copyright, the piece of work must be original.

Creative Commons allows people to pre-licence work for anyone to use but this is often limited. It can also apply 70 years after the death of an author or, in terms of music, 50 years from the year in which the work was created.