You've heard it said that this or that technology is "only" a tool... (by stacey wadle)

Most, if not all the latest models of cell phones come standard with a camera. The phone with a camera can make the cell phone a tool that can change culture and society. “…ordinary people inevitably make their own decisions about whether they want to use the technology, and, more importantly, how they want to use it based on their own needs and values” (Thurlow, p. 26). It is the user of a tool, not the people who designed it, who should be considered when reflecting on the idea that technology is only a tool. The choice to make a positive difference or to be a nuisance is in the hands of the user of the tool.
Has the camera phone taken on an invisible technology status because we no longer find it remarkable? The technology of a camera phone has fallen to a status somewhere between the hysteria of how it will be used for evil, for example up skirting, and the hype that we can all be eyewitnesses to history and real time journalist, like the guard who taped the Saddam Hussein execution. Another popular use is the cell phone camera as a tool to combat crime.
In September 2008 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Real Time Crime Center. This will allow 911 callers to send in video or photos of crimes that could help to solve crimes. The success of the program would depend on the “public’s willingness to provide information” according to a New York Times article, “Camera Phones Are Enlisted to Fight Crime” by Christine Hauser. Previously calling 911 allowed the person to remain anonymous. With the new program, callers to 911 who indicate that they had photos or video footage would be required to leave their name so they could be contacted later with instructions on sending the photos.
“The eyes and ears of society will expand in scope and with that we may likely see random acts of theft, violence and other crimes decrease.” Will this create a “Criminal Divide” so that potential criminals stay away from areas where techno savvy people live? As the article title says “Defeating Crime with Digital Camera Cell Phones” Brian Lee at streetdirectory.com believes “technology’s unintended consequence may be a more virtuous society and decreased crime, which is a good thing”. The deterrent factor should increase if the possibility of being “caught in the act” by a mere passerby is the potential for anyone with a cell phone.
In order for our crime fighting capabilities to be maximized we will need to visit Digital Photography School web site and read Darren Rowse article on “12 Tips for Improving Camera Phone Photos”. The tips are built off the advice given by Johnson (2005). Johnson’s five tips were get plenty of light, get close to the subject so you do not have to use the digital zoom, also hold steady, don’t compress the image, and use your computer to fix problems versus editing in the cell phone. To build upon those suggestions Rowse says to take many pictures and do not throw away what look like mistakes. When you have time to edit on your computer, Rowse suggests, you may find that the image is usable. Near the end of the tips, number eleven is “Observe Camera Phone Etiquette” addressing the issue of asking permission to take someone’s picture and restrict the use of camera phones in theaters and concerts.
Jeffries (2010) would add to the list of places to restrict camera use is museums, especially the Victoria and Albert Museum. Instead of enjoying the views people have become ”snappers on autopilot, slaves to our machines,” using the pictures to enhance our Facebook pages and proving that we were some place interesting. An interesting place like London’s Royal Festival Hall or the Taj Mahal recorded on a cell phone camera and the image sent around the world.
Sometimes pictures are sent only to our home computer. That however may have the unexpected result of solving a crime. If you view the AP video clip you will see another way that crime is prevented. A robbery suspect took a picture of himself with stolen phone. The phone was set up to send the photos automatically to home computer of the owner of the phone. When the women received the photo she alerted police. The suspect turned himself into authorities. He had apparently read the instructions on how to obtain a quality photo. The picture is very clear due to the use of proper lighting.
The technology of a cell phone with a camera has many great advantages. It can record a historic event, the execution of a world leader or a child singing in a 4th grade show. It can capture a crime being committed like a robbery or an assault. It can assist in the committing of a crime by photographing what is under a skirt. The always present camera can capture standing in front of Niagara Falls which is what my cell phone camera did last year and send that picture to friends in Houston and Singapore with the same push of a button. The tool is what the user chooses to do with it. By itself it is only a tool waiting to be used for the good of the community or not.



 
References
Associated Press (no date). Video of robbery suspect. Retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://www.comcast.net/video/cops-robber-took-own-photo-with-stolen-camera/1350187506/
Hauser, C. (September 10, 2008) Camera phones are enlisted to fight crime. The New York Times retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/nyregion/10video.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print
Jeffries, S. (January 8, 2010). The rise of the camera-phone. The Guardian. Retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/08/stuart-jeffries-camera-phones/print.
Johnson, D. (June 14, 2005) Digital focus: Better photos from your camera phone. PC WORLD retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://www.pcworld.com/article/120980/digital_focus_better_photos_from_your_camera_phone.html
Lee, B. (No date) Defeating crime with digital camera cell phones. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/print_article.php?articleId=134008
Rowse, D. (no date). 12 Tips for Improving Camera Phone Photos Digital Photography School website. Retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-use-a-camera-phone .
Thurlow, C, Lengel, L &Tomic, A. (2008). Computer mediated communication: Social interaction and the internet. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.