NuRiN YaZaM

A few weeks ago in Emerging Media class, a photoblog website Flickr was introduced to me. Eventhough I’ m very familliar with photoblogging through my own photoblog, Fotopages, Flickr is an interesting website since it enables users to post pictures directly from the handphone.

Digi LifeLogger

Digi is one of the telco providers in Malaysia. Their latest invention is the LifeLogger, a type of photoblog similar to Flickr but developed by a telco provider. Therefore, this type of product extension does uplift the ability of the network as well as increasing the brand equity. Owners of digital camera embedded cellular phones can now share their experience and information in a multimedia format when they subscribe to Digi. Digi enables them to directly upload pictures from the mobile phone.

They are actually creating a network community of a mobile phone users who could share their interest of taking photos with friends and family from all over the world. The company believes that more and more mobile phone users will opt for phones with mobile camera because of the modern lifestyle pressure from the environment. Users can uploads pictures to the web even when their on holidays and out of reach of the computers and internet. They don’t even need a separate digital camera.

The second version of the LifeLogger.com offers a unlimited data storage and more than 5,000 Digi customers have register to the service. LifeLogger is at the moment receiving approximately 30,000 photos in MMS format. Users could also join the forum in LifeBlogger to communicate and discuss among them.

My Thoughts
The convergence of the use of mobile phones with camera and photoblog website has in away assist us to be in touch with friends and love ones although we are half way around the globe from them. Apart from personal use, this type of technology can also be applied professionally where those for example in construction sites can take a picture of projects and send them straight to the company’s website to be viewed by others.

Nevertheless, this privilege should not be misuse for example in taking nude photos in beaches and also photos that may tarnish a person’s credibility or reputation and publish it in a public space such as the internet. All pictures taken should be with permission and not violate anyone’s privacy.

Some links to mobile phone privacy readings:

Going wireless: behavior and practice of new mobile phone users by L Palen, M Salzman, E Youngs

Privacy - Camera Phones - M/Cyclopedia of New Media

Sneaky Cameras by Chris Mc Leod

Privacy fears on phone cameras by Larissa Dubecki