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hauntbug's review against another edition
3.0
Jenkins' deliverance of essential terminology, various concepts he employs to discuss "convergent culture" are theoretically engaging; but how aggressively dated many of the case studies are (no fault of his own) it becomes a slight drag. Overall, the premise of fictional realms expanding across multimedia franchises alongside the audience desire to master scrupulous intertextual references as a collective "participatory culture" are fascinating, alongside the dichotomy he introduces between "popular culture" and "mass media" as a division between 'natural' folk arts against industrialised commodities. Additionally, the chapters drawing on intellectual property and the internet as a force for forging political affiliations via common interests are relevant as ever. I found this tedious to finish, but it left plenty of breadcrumbs to follow with regards to other cultural theorists.
tiffyofthemonts's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting stuff but pro-tip: his blog is a much better resource for people who want a more robust and current understanding of new media and its impact on fan/pop culture.
treeme's review
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Incredible book. Manages to be accessible and explorative at the same time. Obviously a juggernaut in Fandom Studies, but it still holds up fantastically with meaningful insights for today’s mediascapes.
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
Due in part to his book Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (2006), Henry Jenkins is being touted as the Marshall McLuhan of the 21st Century. However, whether or that is a fair comparison is a matter better left to those who better understood The Medium is the Massage.
Media analyst Jenkins uses this book as a platform to examine what, exactly, is really happening to culture at large when new media and technologies appear. Jenkins grounds his analysis in a variety of specific (and likely well-know) cultural phenomenon from recent years. In a chapter entitled "Spoiling Survivor: The Anatomy of a Knowledge Community" Jenkins examines the online activity of predicting who will be on (and ultimately win) the TV reality game show of "Survivor." In addition to explaining what spoiling "Survivor" really means, and how one user ultimately spoiled the spoiling, as well as explaining how online communities in forums and message boards create a knowledge community of sorts around a common interest.
Knowledge communities are a recurring theme for Jenkins and, in fact, many books on Web 2.0 and media in the modern world. The idea being that no one in a community can know everything but everyone knows something and together the community knows a lot. Other subjects include negotiating online marketing and promotion as exhibited through Coca-Cola's relationship with "American Idol." Another big theme in Convergence Culture is how the digital divide (the gap between those who have computers and those who only have access to public computers or no access at all) and the participation gap (the separation between those who create online content and those who do not) impact online culture and society.
Convergence Culture provides detailed analysis of a phenomenon that everyone has witnessed and experienced but few people actually know about in a way they can articulate. Jenkins and his book provide people with the tools to examine and discuss how media and new technologies are impacting and indeed changing our lives in a variety of ways. At times the language gets a little technical, but if you have the time and the interest, this book won't disappoint.
Media analyst Jenkins uses this book as a platform to examine what, exactly, is really happening to culture at large when new media and technologies appear. Jenkins grounds his analysis in a variety of specific (and likely well-know) cultural phenomenon from recent years. In a chapter entitled "Spoiling Survivor: The Anatomy of a Knowledge Community" Jenkins examines the online activity of predicting who will be on (and ultimately win) the TV reality game show of "Survivor." In addition to explaining what spoiling "Survivor" really means, and how one user ultimately spoiled the spoiling, as well as explaining how online communities in forums and message boards create a knowledge community of sorts around a common interest.
Knowledge communities are a recurring theme for Jenkins and, in fact, many books on Web 2.0 and media in the modern world. The idea being that no one in a community can know everything but everyone knows something and together the community knows a lot. Other subjects include negotiating online marketing and promotion as exhibited through Coca-Cola's relationship with "American Idol." Another big theme in Convergence Culture is how the digital divide (the gap between those who have computers and those who only have access to public computers or no access at all) and the participation gap (the separation between those who create online content and those who do not) impact online culture and society.
Convergence Culture provides detailed analysis of a phenomenon that everyone has witnessed and experienced but few people actually know about in a way they can articulate. Jenkins and his book provide people with the tools to examine and discuss how media and new technologies are impacting and indeed changing our lives in a variety of ways. At times the language gets a little technical, but if you have the time and the interest, this book won't disappoint.
crtsjffrsn's review against another edition
4.0
Picked this up as part of my reading of things related to fandom and fan studies. Of the books I've read recently on the subject, I feel like this one was the most well-written and is a great overview from someone who has become known as one of the foremost scholars in this area. It focused more on media consumption and integration than fandom activity, I felt, but it still provided a good overview of how media creators are using new methods to engage with their audiences and how audiences are using that engagement to influence media. Definitely worth a read if this is a topic of interest.
anarglitch's review against another edition
5.0
Everything I want from a media theory book, well structured, illustrative (each chapter comes with a story or two exemplifying what it's talking about, and it takes you on a little journey as you see media convergence in action), eerily predictive (on many things, from our current political climate to netflix, there's even an anecdote about a viral 2004 video wherein trump fires bush that just feels surreal to read now), and it succeeds in both diagnosing the president and pitching a vision for the future. I want an adhocracy so bad.
In hindsight, Jenkins nailed the power of online knowledge communities / affinity spaces, but probably overestimated its tendency to self-correct against misinformation and work together with people sharing opposing viewpoints. Then again, he was extrapolating from an online setting of blogs and message boards, not twitter, not the influencer business model. Things are bad right now, but this book reminded me that the sheer power of online decentralized organization can transform things for the better. The same cyber-dynamics that radicalize alt-right terrorists can be used to coordinate positive - local and global - activism, with just a little bit more education on how to navigate online spaces.
I'm gonna actively seek more material like what he calls "critical utopianism" now. Books that inspire and show what we can do instead of only what's being done to us. I needed that.
In hindsight, Jenkins nailed the power of online knowledge communities / affinity spaces, but probably overestimated its tendency to self-correct against misinformation and work together with people sharing opposing viewpoints. Then again, he was extrapolating from an online setting of blogs and message boards, not twitter, not the influencer business model. Things are bad right now, but this book reminded me that the sheer power of online decentralized organization can transform things for the better. The same cyber-dynamics that radicalize alt-right terrorists can be used to coordinate positive - local and global - activism, with just a little bit more education on how to navigate online spaces.
I'm gonna actively seek more material like what he calls "critical utopianism" now. Books that inspire and show what we can do instead of only what's being done to us. I needed that.
aprille_storychick's review against another edition
4.0
Book #7 for 2008. I enjoyed this. Jenkins provides a few great case studies of the implications of new media on how we tell stories as a society, how we learn, how we are entertained. Some I still need to digest. A great foundation for anyone interested in trans-media storytelling.