title: Help or hindrance? New Zealand audience perspectives on subtitled media

authors: Kirk, Victoria

abstract: This research presents a picture of audiences’ patterns of engagement with internationally subtitled media in Hamilton, New Zealand. Utilising an audience reception framework to investigate audiences’ interactions with, and evaluations of subtitled media, this research unites the disciplines of Audio Visual Translation and Screen and Media Studies in a specific locale, with an emphasis on the reception of audio visual translated media. Findings in this research also provide a discussion of the wider contexts of audience reception in New Zealand, by investigating local subtitled media in relation to media accessibility processes found in the distinctive cultural landscape of New Zealand. Ultimately, this research finds the situation in New Zealand regarding audiences and the reception of both local English and Māori language media, as well as international subtitled media, exhibits complex polarisations in both the local translation industry production and audience attitudes towards bilingual media. In contrast to this, is the proliferation of international media with subtitles, which is appreciated by Hamilton residents since it provides diverse, accessible, and enjoyable content through a variety of media platforms.

text: Help or hindrance? New Zealand audience perspectives on subtitled media This research presents a picture of audiences’ patterns of engagement with internationally subtitled media in Hamilton, New Zealand. Utilising an audience reception framework to investigate audiences’ interactions with, and evaluations of subtitled media, this research unites the disciplines of Audio Visual Translation and Screen and Media Studies in a specific locale, with an emphasis on the reception of audio visual translated media. Findings in this research also provide a discussion of the wider contexts of audience reception in New Zealand, by investigating local subtitled media in relation to media accessibility processes found in the distinctive cultural landscape of New Zealand. Ultimately, this research finds the situation in New Zealand regarding audiences and the reception of both local English and Māori language media, as well as international subtitled media, exhibits complex polarisations in both the local translation industry production and audience attitudes towards bilingual media. In contrast to this, is the proliferation of international media with subtitles, which is appreciated by Hamilton residents since it provides diverse, accessible, and enjoyable content through a variety of media platforms.

year: 2019

title: Integrating Maori perspectives into community resilience frameworks for the built environment

authors: Boston, Megan

abstract: Many governments and organisations have attempted to construct frameworks for improving community resilience, particularly as related to the built environment. Many frameworks, globally and locally, take a large overview of society and miss the potential to incorporate cultural, social, and engineering practices followed by indigenous people. However, there is much to learn from the traditional practices of Maori that could directly improve community resilience after a disaster. To date, little research has worked on integrating Maori cultural views into resilience frameworks. Using survey and interview data investigating Maori cultural views on resilience and aspects of the built environment, five Maori values were identified to strengthen resilience. These values are matauranga (knowledge), kotahitanga (unity), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whakawhanaungatanga (relationships), and manakitanga (extending love). Further, communities can increase community cohesion and unity through adapting building and community layouts learned from observing traditional Maori practices, such as a central marae.

text: Integrating Maori perspectives into community resilience frameworks for the built environment Many governments and organisations have attempted to construct frameworks for improving community resilience, particularly as related to the built environment. Many frameworks, globally and locally, take a large overview of society and miss the potential to incorporate cultural, social, and engineering practices followed by indigenous people. However, there is much to learn from the traditional practices of Maori that could directly improve community resilience after a disaster. To date, little research has worked on integrating Maori cultural views into resilience frameworks. Using survey and interview data investigating Maori cultural views on resilience and aspects of the built environment, five Maori values were identified to strengthen resilience. These values are matauranga (knowledge), kotahitanga (unity), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), whakawhanaungatanga (relationships), and manakitanga (extending love). Further, communities can increase community cohesion and unity through adapting building and community layouts learned from observing traditional Maori practices, such as a central marae.

year: 2022

title: Block-Based Distributed File Systems

authors: McGregor, Anthony James

subjects: Distributed file systems

abstract: Distributed file systems have become popular because they allow information to be shared be between computers in a natural way. A distributed file system often forms a central building block in a distributed system.

Currently most distributed file systems are built using a communications interface that transfers messages about files between machines. This thesis proposes a different, lower level, communications interface. This `block-based' interface exchanges information about the blocks that make up the file but not about the files themselves. No other distributed file system is built this way.

By demonstrating that a distributed file system can be implemented in a block-based manner, this thesis opens the way for many advances in distributed file systems. These include a reduction of the processing required at the server, uniformity in managing file blocks and fine-grained placement and replication of data. The simple communications model also lends itself to efficient implementation both at the server and in the communications protocols that support the interface. These advantages come at the cost of a more complex client implementation and the need for a lower level consistency mechanism. 
A block-based distributed file system (BB-NFS) has been implemented. BB-NFS provides the Unix file system interface and demonstrates the feasibility and implementability of the block-based approach. Experience with the implementation lead to the development of a lock cache mechanism which gives a large improvement in the performance of the prototype. Although it has not been directly measured it is plausible that the prototype will perform better than the file based approach.

The block-based approach has much to offer future distributed file system developers. This thesis introduces the approach and its advantages, demonstrates its feasibility and shows that it can be implemented in a way that performs well.

text: Block-Based Distributed File Systems Distributed file systems have become popular because they allow information to be shared be between computers in a natural way. A distributed file system often forms a central building block in a distributed system.

Currently most distributed file systems are built using a communications interface that transfers messages about files between machines. This thesis proposes a different, lower level, communications interface. This `block-based' interface exchanges information about the blocks that make up the file but not about the files themselves. No other distributed file system is built this way.

By demonstrating that a distributed file system can be implemented in a block-based manner, this thesis opens the way for many advances in distributed file systems. These include a reduction of the processing required at the server, uniformity in managing file blocks and fine-grained placement and replication of data. The simple communications model also lends itself to efficient implementation both at the server and in the communications protocols that support the interface. These advantages come at the cost of a more complex client implementation and the need for a lower level consistency mechanism. 
A block-based distributed file system (BB-NFS) has been implemented. BB-NFS provides the Unix file system interface and demonstrates the feasibility and implementability of the block-based approach. Experience with the implementation lead to the development of a lock cache mechanism which gives a large improvement in the performance of the prototype. Although it has not been directly measured it is plausible that the prototype will perform better than the file based approach.

The block-based approach has much to offer future distributed file system developers. This thesis introduces the approach and its advantages, demonstrates its feasibility and shows that it can be implemented in a way that performs well.

year: 1997