On his search for media truths, Dave stumbles upon ubiquitous connectivity, pervasive proximity and a dozen other things that a media studies prof will throw at you as you're scribbling away
In writing a story about online communities, I sought out the help of a media studies expert. I phoned up Mark Federman, former chief strategist of the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology, armed with two or three questions with somewhat academic angles to show that I have a grounding in McLuhan and Innis. What resulted was a half-hour lecture including words that I had never heard before and words that he made up - it was both incredible and daunting.
This theory of the internet as a medium made sense to me.
There are two major effects: ubiquitous connectivity and pervasive proximity.
Ubiquitous connectivity means that no matter where you are physically located, you are always connected. Despite even most social and economic
divides, one is in a telecommunications network.
An example of this is that when something happens on Bloor St., someone immediately uploads the picture, connecting those who are not there to those who are there, thus making the event simultaneously here and there.
Pervasive proximity means that we are always next to one another. It's what McLuhan called the Global Village. When politicians like Hilary Clinton talk about the Global Village, they paint a happy picture - as though we're all holding hands across nations. McLuhan didn't mean this at all. He envisioned a Global Village that had that potential, but he also theorized that it would create dissent, controversy, and just about everything else that is caused when different people are put next to one another.
McLuhan saw that when you put people in pervasive proximity, there is the greatest potential for human conflict.
So why do we choose to participate in this global network?
Federman theorizes that we all have a natural inclination to share our human experiences.
We feel compelled to tell others about our experiences, how we reacted to movies or books, share our lives. We collectively believe that we will benefit ourselves and others by sharing knowledge.
Specifically for books, another reason for our sharing is our preoccupation with status and celebrity. Some people read the internet just like other mediums like TV and radio, where the actual correspondents like Anderson Cooper or Howard Stern who become pop culture icons. They believe that they too can obtain that status with a clever turn of phrase or insightful point of view...or lacking that, sheer number of reviews so that people on Amazon.com cannot help but read your opinion.
Although Federman's point of view makes sense, I am still left wondering why I am writing and what my place is within the Global Village.

Reporters Without Borders issued this statement about journalist Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani, who is on trial for documenting human rights abuses executed by Yemen's armed forces. Now his own life is on the line:

Reporters Without Borders today urged the authorities to stop the prosecution of Abdulkarim Al-Khaiwani, a freelance journalist and former editor of the now closed weekly Al-Shoura, on a charge of "publishing information liable to undermine army morale" under article 126 of the criminal code, for which the maximum penalty is death.
"Khaiwani is critical of the government headed by President Ali Abdallah Saleh but that does not make him a rebel," the press freedom organisation said. "We remind the authorities that journalists are, by definition, neutral observers and as such they should not be prosecuted for what they report."
Khaiwani has worked for several publications since his weekly was closed in 2005. He was arrested in June after the publication of photos he had taken showing abuses committed by the army in its attempts to combat a Shiite rebellion in the north. During initial interrogation, he was accused of "terrorist activity" because of his alleged links with the rebels. He was released provisionally after a month on health grounds.
The charges against him were examined by a state security court on 21 October and again on 31 October, when his lawyers challenged the legality of the prosecution and the competence of the state security court to hear the case. The presiding judge ordered an adjournment to allow the court to consider the defence's request. The next hearing is set for 11 November.
Khaiwani told Reporters Without Borders he was the victim of a "political machination" and said the judge who had been in charge of his case had been replaced by judge Mohsen Alwan, who was "known for his hostility towards journalists and for his links to the political and military authorities."
Yemen was ranked 143rd out of 169 countries in the world press freedom index issued last month by Reporters Without Borders.

Squatters find dangerous home at Lakeshore

Campus security at Lakeshore has found homeless people sleeping in vacant buildings filled with mould and bird waste.

“There have been problems with people getting into the unoccupied buildings since the start,” said Spencer Wood, manager of maintenance and operations.

He said during the early 1990s when the school bought the buildings from the psychiatric hospital, there have been displaced people staying in them.

“It quickly became evident that there were people living in the three unoccupied buildings,” Wood said. “So we started boarding up the windows.”

The homeless have been found in the G, I and K buildings on the east side of the Campus.

The J building was also being used by the homeless before it was renovated and turned into classrooms and offices.

“We’ve never caught one (of the squatters),” said Bonnie Higgins, public safety supervisor for Lakeshore. “We’ve seen them coming out or around the buildings where the boards have been taken off.”

Despite their occupancy, Higgins said there haven’t been any complaints from students.

“We’re working alongside facilities . . . to keep an eye on the building (and) making sure all the boards are constantly on,” Higgins said.

Wood said the buildings are dangerous and uninhabitable due to toxic chemecials inside.

“Those buildings are not healthy,” Wood said. “We cannot go in there without suits on because there’s mould and pigeons have been in there.”

Facilities management worker Ed Humphries said he still sees the homeless, but less in the past year because security has been more vigilant in removing them.

“We clean up after them . . . Security chases them off,” he said. “If they can’t get in, they sleep in the space under the pathways between buildings.”

“We’ve never had problems with them. They just see us and they move along,” Humphries said.

Local homeless person Kevin said many homeless people end up living in squalidly conditions.

Kevin said “the people who are addicts are usually a problem,” because it’s difficult for homeless people like him to find safe places to sleep.

Humphries said the area where Lakeshore is located could be related to the homelessness problem.

“This neighbourhood is a mixture of good and bad. You’ve got the nice homes down by the lake but there are also low-income families. It’s rough for some people.”

Snowshoeing in the Arboretum

Even as the thermometer plunged below -10 on Saturday, adventure seekers and nature lovers made the most of a chilly weekend when the Humber Arboretum hosted guided snowshoeing.

"It's a neat way to bring people out, enjoy nature, and it does bring in more of an exercise aspect it it too," said Jimmy Vincent, 26, who led over a dozen participants on a hike though the wilderness behind Humber College.

Vincent has been an interpreter since Jan. 2006. He has taught outdoor education for many years and finds it very rewarding to allow children to connect with nature since spending summers as a camp counsellor when he was younger.

"We give an introduction to get them used to how snowshoes are used and why they were such an important discovery," he said, explaining that they were first used by First Nations Peoples and have evolved over their over 3000 year history.

"One thing that is unique is that our snowshoes, you cannot get anymore," said Humber Arboretum Nature Centre co-ordinator Barb Fox. The snowshoes that participants were provided are called "Beaver Tail" snowshoes because of their tear-drop shape. They are constructed with a traditional wooden frame with cat gut webbing and leather shoe straps.

Fox said that even this mild winter has good enough weather for snowshoeing.

"Last year we didn't have nearly this much snow," said Vincent.

Some participants wanted an even more extreme experience, though.

"It's fun but it would be a lot more fun if there was more snow," said Baily Rubinoff, 11.

In addition to families, there were also couples out for the fresh air and exercise.

"It's a new experience for us," said Conrad Aristodemo. "It's our first time and we like exercising so we thought this would be a good opportunity for us to try it."

Vicky Griffith is a third-year early childhood eduction student that has volunteered for the snowshoeing event as part of her coursework.

"We do tours like this, not necessarily with the snowshoes," she said, "but I really love the program. If you like the outdoors, you'll love it.

How does she like snowshoes?

"I love them. It's my first time. The shoe fits!"

Snowshoeing trips in the Arboreum will be held on Feb. 17 and March 3. Participants must book ahead by contacting the Arboretum's Nature Centre.

Humber's Centre for Urban Ecology to compete for Toronto Green Award

Humber's soon to be completed Centre for Urban Ecology will be competing for one of this year's Toronto Green Awards.

"The original design was a student project done by architecture technology students," said project co-ordinator Carol Ray.

The centre's final plan, by professional architects, could win the Green Award in the "Green Design" category.

The centre is intended to be an example of how buildings can leave less of a footprint on the environment, Ray said. They will provide a place for students and other people to learn about green architecture.

It will feature facilities for wind and solar energy, natural sewage, water and air filtration, and a "green" roof - basically a roof covered with living plants.

"Green roofs are something you'll be hearing a lot about in the years to come," said Toronto Green Awards co-ordinator Nancy Ruscica.

Green roofs, she said, are a good way to reclaim green space in the city, while also reducing heating and cooling costs, and improving air quality.

Nominations are open until Feb. 16 and the winners will be announced May 1. A complete list of categories and application information is available at Toronto.ca.

The awards are open to any environmental efforts big or small.

"Young people are doing great things," said Ruscica, who encourages students to enter. "There has been great interest from people in their 20s and 30s."

Grassroots, an environmentally conscious store, won a Green Award two years ago.

Owner Rob Grand said that the publicity that the award generates helps spotlight environmental initiatives.

"It was also nice," he said, "to get recognition for something you're worked really hard on."