Plenty of people will tell you that you don't really care, or shouldn't care, or need not bother caring, because the protected space of our personal lives disappeared in the olden days of the 1990s. These people do not have your interests at heart. They depend on the hope that you'll forget about privacy the same way you forget about that camera in the elevator. Oracle's Larry Ellison ( "the privacy you're concerned about is largely an illusion") is the guy who wants to supply software for a national ID system. Facebook's Marc Zuckerberg (there's no more "social norm" of privacy) owns a multibillion dollar business based on extracting your intimate details. (Here's an illuminating graphic that shows how Facebook does it.) Google's Eric Schmidt, whose company depends on promiscuous data collection, endorsed the FBI equation of secrecy with wrongdoing: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."
Everyone has something to hide. Privacy is relational. It depends on the audience. You don't want your employer to know you're job hunting. You don't spill all about your love life to your mom or friends. You don't tell trade secrets to your rivals. We don't expose ourselves indiscriminately, and we care enough about exposure to lie as a matter of course. Among upstanding citizens, researchers have consistently found that lying is "an everyday social interaction" (twice a day among college students, once a day in the Real World). Remember the disasters that befell Jim Carrey in that movie plot that left him magically unable to fib for even one day? Comprehensive transparency is a nightmare.
Self-protection is a powerful instinct -- we try to safeguard our families, reputations and careers -- but instinct alone won't protect you in cyberspace. Digital security is full of trade-offs, a shifting balance of risk and cost and convenience. Your choices will depend on the stakes and threat as you see them.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
This Semester.....
This disclaimer has nothing to do with the following post but I just wanted to post Dec. 1 because my birthday is in twenty-five days. Let the parade commence….you may continue.
My reasons for wanting to go down this EMAC path became ever clearer over Thanksgiving break. I went with my mom to get her hair done on black Friday. The woman was talking about her and hair. She went on to ask me what I do and once people hear that you’re in school they go on to ask the usual questions. What are you majoring in? Really? What do you want to do with your degree once you’re done?
I told the lady about my interest in EMAC and how my ten year goal is to start a magazine geared towards minority youth. I told her that I chose EMAC because it studies all sorts of new media and the impact they have on society. The lady then went on to tell me that she has brought several books to improve the quality of her businesses Facebook statues. I was like really… She told me that basically what I studying is what she is trying to learn now.
That got me thinking about businesses that have been around before the internet came into play and how they’re readjusting to this new and constantly expanding digital age. They could go back to school but most don’t have time for that so they buy books such as Facebooking for dummies, books about putting out quality statues, books about how to reach the consumer and bring them online.
This goes on to say that there will always be a job opening/position for those studying new media because most older companies don’t have time to go back to school but instead hire someone to do it and bring their company into the digital community.
Knowing that others outside of the program find what I study and research interesting just as I do is sort of like an energy boost. I came into this program open and willing to learn about new and evolving social media/ networks/digital communities. With this new understand it has even caused me to focus in on what I really want to do with my life. From the readings to the blogs to the tweets to the constant research has opened me up to so many new possibilities.
Questions:
1. How has the program impacted your life and/or way of thinking?
2. How does the knowledge that you will acquire at the end of this program effect your current or future employment endeavors?
3. What do you want for Christmas?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Fast Forwarding Through Commercials
I can’t remember the last time I watched something on live TV.
Do people with DVRs even watch the commercials? I have a friend who doesn’t like to fast forward through the commercials because for him it “messes with the flow” of the program. I’m in the “fast forwarder” group. So does this group even see the commercials?
There are studies that confirm commercials that are fast-forwarded are seen and have good recall. The theory on this is you have to pay even closer attention to the commercials so you stop the fast forward in time to not miss any of your show. I couldn’t agree more—I’ve even found myself repeating lines from commercials while fast forwarding through them!
With the widespread usage of DVRs and expected continued growth are TV commercials obsolete? My answer would be no. While the media mix for advertisers is changing to include more social media and two way conversations, TV commercials remain one of the most effective ways to advertise for many business categories.
Hmmm…When will we see commercials designed to be viewed on a DVR or specifically geared to DVRs with a message? A great example would be a commercial with graphics that works without sound.
The best ads created today look great and still communicate a message in fast forward and without sound. Gone are the days of minimal text and cool music catching people’s attentions. If you can’t tell what the brand is in triple time, then the commercial is failing.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Entry Under Construction
I'm having a bit of difficulty wrapping my mind around this weeks topic. Also my mind has been going so much this week that its difficult to stop and get a decent idea in. So I'm hoping that if I allow my mind some down time today that it will allow me to blog about convergence.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
May I Have a Piece of Your Attention Please?
Disclaimer: This blog was brought to you as I watched Spongebob, listened to music, washed clothes, surfed the internet, texted and drank some juice. Enjoy!
Every morning I wake up I reach for two things—my phone and the remote control. I check text messages, missed calls and emails on my phone. While the local or national news is going on in the background. It has gotten to the point where I don’t like silence there has to be some kind of noise or something taking place in the background. Whenever I go to sleep the T.V. is on but on low.
When I was watching “May I Have Your Attention Please” I realized that she was talking about me. In the beginning Linda Stone asked a series of questions and I could answer yes to every single one of them. Stone went on to talk about continuous partial attention(CPA) and how it is different from simple multitasking. With CPA your full attention is never fully given to one subject or task that you’re doing causing a artificial sense of constant crises. The brain is always thinking that there is something to be done and never powers down. Even when you’re sleeping your brain is in full effect thinking about what needs to be done tomorrow and the days following. Stone goes on to describe how CPA can leave one feeling unfulfilled, over stimulated and over whelmed.
Now with simple multitasking its more productivity centered. Stone describes how one or both activities are automatic/routine. For example talking on the phone and washing dishes it is communication centered vs productivity centered. Both activities require cognition.
Then Katherine Hayes goes a little further and talks about hyper attention and deep attention. Hyper attention is more adaptive than deep attention and the example she gives is an air traffic controller. The traffic controller needs to be able to switch between screens and change tasks quickly.
What things or tasks require deep attention though? Reading a book? Writing a paper? Studying for a test? What? What activities in your life require a person just to stop and focus on that one event?
Hayes goes on to explain how these things are creating even shorter attention spans in generation m. So many children are being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD that it’s a quick solution and diagnoses. I believe that it’s a easy way out for parents and doctors so they can just give children medicine to calm down but that’s another topic for another day. Hayes goes on mention that the trend in hyper attention will accelerate as the years pass and society calls for us to do even more task at once.
What I got out of this weeks reading and video is that even though various levels of multitasking may be necessary its still being over done. I made a comment to someone that I feel over stimulated and how I want to disappear from this place if only for a day to collect my thoughts. I also said how I have so many things going on at once that I feel spread then. I would rather do one project well at a time than do million projects at the same time and they turn out mediocre.
Hyper attention or deep attention which is better? Simple multitasking or continuous partial attention which one is the lesser of two evils?
When I write anything I break it down into small paragraphs so that one the reader will understand and two to hold their attention. Also, over the years my attention span as grown shorter and shorter. I love reading but I just can't find the time to stop and read a book. If I stopped how would things get done? I'm laughing to myself as I type this too.
I think that I have rambled on long enough and I believe my ADD truly came into effect. So if I haven’t held your attention long enough I hope you enjoy this little video.
Every morning I wake up I reach for two things—my phone and the remote control. I check text messages, missed calls and emails on my phone. While the local or national news is going on in the background. It has gotten to the point where I don’t like silence there has to be some kind of noise or something taking place in the background. Whenever I go to sleep the T.V. is on but on low.
When I was watching “May I Have Your Attention Please” I realized that she was talking about me. In the beginning Linda Stone asked a series of questions and I could answer yes to every single one of them. Stone went on to talk about continuous partial attention(CPA) and how it is different from simple multitasking. With CPA your full attention is never fully given to one subject or task that you’re doing causing a artificial sense of constant crises. The brain is always thinking that there is something to be done and never powers down. Even when you’re sleeping your brain is in full effect thinking about what needs to be done tomorrow and the days following. Stone goes on to describe how CPA can leave one feeling unfulfilled, over stimulated and over whelmed.
Now with simple multitasking its more productivity centered. Stone describes how one or both activities are automatic/routine. For example talking on the phone and washing dishes it is communication centered vs productivity centered. Both activities require cognition.
Then Katherine Hayes goes a little further and talks about hyper attention and deep attention. Hyper attention is more adaptive than deep attention and the example she gives is an air traffic controller. The traffic controller needs to be able to switch between screens and change tasks quickly.
What things or tasks require deep attention though? Reading a book? Writing a paper? Studying for a test? What? What activities in your life require a person just to stop and focus on that one event?
Hayes goes on to explain how these things are creating even shorter attention spans in generation m. So many children are being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD that it’s a quick solution and diagnoses. I believe that it’s a easy way out for parents and doctors so they can just give children medicine to calm down but that’s another topic for another day. Hayes goes on mention that the trend in hyper attention will accelerate as the years pass and society calls for us to do even more task at once.
What I got out of this weeks reading and video is that even though various levels of multitasking may be necessary its still being over done. I made a comment to someone that I feel over stimulated and how I want to disappear from this place if only for a day to collect my thoughts. I also said how I have so many things going on at once that I feel spread then. I would rather do one project well at a time than do million projects at the same time and they turn out mediocre.
Hyper attention or deep attention which is better? Simple multitasking or continuous partial attention which one is the lesser of two evils?
When I write anything I break it down into small paragraphs so that one the reader will understand and two to hold their attention. Also, over the years my attention span as grown shorter and shorter. I love reading but I just can't find the time to stop and read a book. If I stopped how would things get done? I'm laughing to myself as I type this too.
I think that I have rambled on long enough and I believe my ADD truly came into effect. So if I haven’t held your attention long enough I hope you enjoy this little video.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
My________
Guess who is back and better than ever? One of the original social networking sites Myspace. According to Mashable.com they rolled out at a whole new look that started today and will continue until November.
I find this to be interesting because in the back of my mind I’m constantly questioning what the heck happened to Myspace. It use to be on then Facebook blew up and it fell off. When they came out with “Social Network” about Facebook I also wondered if they were going to make a movie about Myspace. It could be titled “The Life and Death and Rebirth of a Social Network.”
Myspace will no longer contain the million templates that one could choose from. The user now has a choice of just seven templates. Do you remember when you put so many graphics on your page that it would cause it to load slowly? It was like there was some kind of race to see who could have the most random graphics, songs, displays and everything else on their one page. Their format is more of a block style so that its easier to follow what is going on in certain topics and trends.
One thing that I really like about the revamping is now they are exclusively focused on a certain group. If you’re between the ages of 13-35 then you can be on there. I say that is a good age group especially since Myspace will be much more focused on entertainment and artist rather than just being all the way random.
See, Myspace saw that they had a problem and was being out done by other social networks. They didn’t completely die off but they fixed it or accommodated to the new social media atmosphere. Most of these changes are just the tip of the iceberg and they will be continuing their changes.
Does this mean that I will go join Myspace again? Most likely not I feel over connected now and wish not to create any other accounts. I’m glad that they could accommodate and stay in the game with todays ever changing media.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
I Steal and You Can Too
Hello, my name is Danelle and I illegally download and watch movies and music online. It’s really not a hard task. Come on in and let me tell you about it.
When it comes to technical, coding and hacking I guarantee you that I’m very basic at it. I was first introduced to this thing called downloading music off the internet for free a long time ago. This had to be one of the greatest inventions. No longer did I have to obtain my music legally, I could download a little program and let the sharing begin. Now don’t look at me like that, I know what you’re thinking but its okay as long as you don’t get caught right. Right?
With the way the internet is developing why not get everything for free offline? I do see the issues of downloading music offline and how it can effect that persons records sales but if we figured out a way for it to work for us, why can’t they.
Now not all of my music downloading is illegal, lately I have been using a lot of torrents. As I was reading through some of the blogs and Twitter comments I found it hilarious that some people were worried, dare I even say scared, to even use torrents. Torrents are not bad for you; they make finding and sharing music and everything else quite easier.
Okay, I have to confess I’m not really illegally downloading all this music. It’s more like file sharing and that’s better right? Right?
I don’t have an issue with the way I acquire my music. I can’t tell you the last time I bought a CD. If music artist are not doing as well in this ever growing and changing digital age then they should find a way to make it work for them.
Discussion Question:
What was your recent illegal or legal download?
And just in case…
When it comes to technical, coding and hacking I guarantee you that I’m very basic at it. I was first introduced to this thing called downloading music off the internet for free a long time ago. This had to be one of the greatest inventions. No longer did I have to obtain my music legally, I could download a little program and let the sharing begin. Now don’t look at me like that, I know what you’re thinking but its okay as long as you don’t get caught right. Right?
With the way the internet is developing why not get everything for free offline? I do see the issues of downloading music offline and how it can effect that persons records sales but if we figured out a way for it to work for us, why can’t they.
Now not all of my music downloading is illegal, lately I have been using a lot of torrents. As I was reading through some of the blogs and Twitter comments I found it hilarious that some people were worried, dare I even say scared, to even use torrents. Torrents are not bad for you; they make finding and sharing music and everything else quite easier.
Okay, I have to confess I’m not really illegally downloading all this music. It’s more like file sharing and that’s better right? Right?
I don’t have an issue with the way I acquire my music. I can’t tell you the last time I bought a CD. If music artist are not doing as well in this ever growing and changing digital age then they should find a way to make it work for them.
Discussion Question:
What was your recent illegal or legal download?
And just in case…
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Digital Citizenship
The importance of teaching digital citizenship.
Digital Citizenship: a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology. Too often we are seeing students as well as adults misusing and abusing technology but not sure what to do. The issue is more than what the users do not know but what is considered appropriate technology usage.
According to Wikipedia a digital citizen commonly refers to a person that participates in society using a certain amount of information technology (IT). To qualify for the unofficial title of digital citizen a person must have the skill and knowledge to interact with private and government organizations through means of "digital" tools such as computers or mobile phones, along with access to these devices.
People characterizing themselves as digital citizens often use IT extensively, creating blogs, use social networking and other means of modern communication.[1] Digital citizenship begins the first time any child, teen, and/or adult signs up for an email address, posts pictures online, uses e-commerce to buy merchandise online, and/or participates in any electronic function that is B2C or B2B. Parents and teachers need to start teaching children and teens at an early age about the responsibilities of being online as a digital citizen.
I’m sure most of you have heard or seen some type of news report on cyber bullying and after the recent death of a Rutgers University freshman, cyber bullying is back in the spot light brighter than ever. Bullying of course is nothing new but the internet has changed the speed of these cruel behaviors. Pictures can be taken and uploaded in less than five seconds, live streams can take place and this can go on without the person being bullied knowing.
Along with teaching children how to use the computer and internet, teachers and parents should go a bit farther and teach them digital citizenship. Just because the internet allows you free speech doesn’t mean that it should be exercised in every way. In no way am I saying that the internet should be censored but just as people “are suppose to” conduct themselves in a certain way in public they should also conduct themselves in a certain way behind the computer screen.
It is so easy to act up online and do whatever one pleases because it’s anonymous and the internet allows you to create any and every type of identity. One of my goals is to learn as much as I can about social media and networking so that I can teach and show younger generations a more positive way to participate in it. Students are being watched unknowingly and having their information broadcasted to the entire e-world and there aren’t any real consequences to doing this.
Social media has a lot of pros but to me I think the cons outweigh those pros. People are creating false accounts with cruel intentions just for the heck of it. They don’t care who they hurt and why. So this is my plea to you, teach digital citizenship, tell these kids that it’s not okay to be an online bully. It’s more than about being safe online its teaching people how to use a computer to be a fully functioning, competent and good member of the online society.
What does this have to do with emerging and new media? Cyber bullying is happening and taking place through FB, Twitter, Myspace, message boards, recorded on the cell phone, with the click of an iPad. As I said before these newhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif_hyuncompressed and quickly evolving technologies are allowing it to happen at too fast of a pace to stop it.
Start with yourself and practice digital citizenship. Who knows you could save someones life and what happened at Rutgers University will never have to happen again. The following is a link to Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship.
Discussion question:
- Do you feel that you are a responsible digital citizen and if not how can you approve your appearance in todays social network?
Digital Citizenship: a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology. Too often we are seeing students as well as adults misusing and abusing technology but not sure what to do. The issue is more than what the users do not know but what is considered appropriate technology usage.
According to Wikipedia a digital citizen commonly refers to a person that participates in society using a certain amount of information technology (IT). To qualify for the unofficial title of digital citizen a person must have the skill and knowledge to interact with private and government organizations through means of "digital" tools such as computers or mobile phones, along with access to these devices.
People characterizing themselves as digital citizens often use IT extensively, creating blogs, use social networking and other means of modern communication.[1] Digital citizenship begins the first time any child, teen, and/or adult signs up for an email address, posts pictures online, uses e-commerce to buy merchandise online, and/or participates in any electronic function that is B2C or B2B. Parents and teachers need to start teaching children and teens at an early age about the responsibilities of being online as a digital citizen.
I’m sure most of you have heard or seen some type of news report on cyber bullying and after the recent death of a Rutgers University freshman, cyber bullying is back in the spot light brighter than ever. Bullying of course is nothing new but the internet has changed the speed of these cruel behaviors. Pictures can be taken and uploaded in less than five seconds, live streams can take place and this can go on without the person being bullied knowing.
Along with teaching children how to use the computer and internet, teachers and parents should go a bit farther and teach them digital citizenship. Just because the internet allows you free speech doesn’t mean that it should be exercised in every way. In no way am I saying that the internet should be censored but just as people “are suppose to” conduct themselves in a certain way in public they should also conduct themselves in a certain way behind the computer screen.
It is so easy to act up online and do whatever one pleases because it’s anonymous and the internet allows you to create any and every type of identity. One of my goals is to learn as much as I can about social media and networking so that I can teach and show younger generations a more positive way to participate in it. Students are being watched unknowingly and having their information broadcasted to the entire e-world and there aren’t any real consequences to doing this.
Social media has a lot of pros but to me I think the cons outweigh those pros. People are creating false accounts with cruel intentions just for the heck of it. They don’t care who they hurt and why. So this is my plea to you, teach digital citizenship, tell these kids that it’s not okay to be an online bully. It’s more than about being safe online its teaching people how to use a computer to be a fully functioning, competent and good member of the online society.
What does this have to do with emerging and new media? Cyber bullying is happening and taking place through FB, Twitter, Myspace, message boards, recorded on the cell phone, with the click of an iPad. As I said before these newhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif_hyuncompressed and quickly evolving technologies are allowing it to happen at too fast of a pace to stop it.
Start with yourself and practice digital citizenship. Who knows you could save someones life and what happened at Rutgers University will never have to happen again. The following is a link to Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship.
Discussion question:
- Do you feel that you are a responsible digital citizen and if not how can you approve your appearance in todays social network?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Time Not Spent Online...
How often should you tweet? Every few minutes? Every few days? Or maybe you tweet so infrequent that you forget that you have a Twitter account.
Being an EMAC major I feel that I should spend 22 ½ hours of the day online. Sadly, my number is far from that and this week I had a startling realization. I don’t spend enough time online or even tweeting. When I realized this I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not. I don’t even like saying it out loud. It’s a bad thing because I should be staying right on top of what is going on in the social media world. But it can be good because I’m not always in front of my screen or on my phone (even if it looks like it). And when I do get online, I check the usual email, message board, social/news websites just so I can try and keep up.
But as far as Twitter goes when I first signed up I kept forgetting that I had a Twitter account. And when I did remember I would check in and at least try to tweet some random fact. Now I actually check Twitter daily; be it from my phone or computer. I’m mainly looking to see what do certain news organizations or social sites have to say about different topics.
My main questions are: Is there a certain amount of time one should spend on the internet? I’m not looking for a specific number but more in the ballpark of (you fill in the blank). And how frequent should one tweet?
Maybe I should be the guy in this video....
Being an EMAC major I feel that I should spend 22 ½ hours of the day online. Sadly, my number is far from that and this week I had a startling realization. I don’t spend enough time online or even tweeting. When I realized this I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not. I don’t even like saying it out loud. It’s a bad thing because I should be staying right on top of what is going on in the social media world. But it can be good because I’m not always in front of my screen or on my phone (even if it looks like it). And when I do get online, I check the usual email, message board, social/news websites just so I can try and keep up.
But as far as Twitter goes when I first signed up I kept forgetting that I had a Twitter account. And when I did remember I would check in and at least try to tweet some random fact. Now I actually check Twitter daily; be it from my phone or computer. I’m mainly looking to see what do certain news organizations or social sites have to say about different topics.
My main questions are: Is there a certain amount of time one should spend on the internet? I’m not looking for a specific number but more in the ballpark of (you fill in the blank). And how frequent should one tweet?
Maybe I should be the guy in this video....
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
To Be or Not To Be....
Twitter is not a social network according to Twit VP Kevin Thau. “Its for news, content and information,” Thau said.
Twitter without a doubt is the best way to share and discover what is happening right now.
Wikipedia defines a social network as a social structure made up of individuals or organizations that are connected by one or more things such as friendships, family members, etc.
Twitter has individuals and they are connected by tweets and more. I believe Thau went a little far by saying that Twitter isn’t a social network. Yes one can receive information and news from there depending on who they follow but so much more goes on beyond that.
Twepoles can post video and pictures and even update their followers of their location. I use Twitter for pure entertainment. I really don’t seek to get any kind of serious news from Twitter because I don’t find it credible but that’s a whole other blog.
Why and how do you think Thau came to this conclusion? Does he not want to be lumped in the social networking category? Social networking isn’t all bad. Millions of people have reconnected, gotten positions and can stay up to date with whomever they chose.
Like cyber punk I think the term social network has been given a new meaning. When social networking first started up it was good but not great. And now that it has evolved into a beast it’s almost like the second coming. There are many advantages to being apart of this revolution of social networking.
I found an article describing five reasons why Twitter is an essential social media tool.
Twitter is about the conversation.
You can use Twitter to promote your social bookmarking submissions.
Twitter can boost your blog.
Twitter is networking gold.
The power of the re-tweet equals viral gold.
This article was written in 2008 so imagine how the top five list has expanded.
Closing thought, perhaps Thau didn't mean it as just a social networking site but something that has evolved past it.
Twitter without a doubt is the best way to share and discover what is happening right now.
Wikipedia defines a social network as a social structure made up of individuals or organizations that are connected by one or more things such as friendships, family members, etc.
Twitter has individuals and they are connected by tweets and more. I believe Thau went a little far by saying that Twitter isn’t a social network. Yes one can receive information and news from there depending on who they follow but so much more goes on beyond that.
Twepoles can post video and pictures and even update their followers of their location. I use Twitter for pure entertainment. I really don’t seek to get any kind of serious news from Twitter because I don’t find it credible but that’s a whole other blog.
Why and how do you think Thau came to this conclusion? Does he not want to be lumped in the social networking category? Social networking isn’t all bad. Millions of people have reconnected, gotten positions and can stay up to date with whomever they chose.
Like cyber punk I think the term social network has been given a new meaning. When social networking first started up it was good but not great. And now that it has evolved into a beast it’s almost like the second coming. There are many advantages to being apart of this revolution of social networking.
I found an article describing five reasons why Twitter is an essential social media tool.
Twitter is about the conversation.
You can use Twitter to promote your social bookmarking submissions.
Twitter can boost your blog.
Twitter is networking gold.
The power of the re-tweet equals viral gold.
This article was written in 2008 so imagine how the top five list has expanded.
Closing thought, perhaps Thau didn't mean it as just a social networking site but something that has evolved past it.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
How Have Computers Changed the Way We do Things and Who We Are?
I was really drawn to Bill Nichols “The Work of Culture in the Age if Cyberetic Systems”.
I have always had something of a love-hate relationship with the computer. I have learned about computers and how they worked, and though I consider all these things creative, I would like to have a better sense of what it is I am encountering, how it has changed the way I do things, and who I am. It also has always been my passion to help this younger generation. They have so many temptations and negative information thrown their way that sometimes its hard not to go down that wrong path in real life and online.
Nichols notes how human identity has changed compared to animals, machines and how we have become “cyborgs”; human and machine.
Cybernetic systems make such issues as reality and experience difficult to define. It creates this “awesome feeling of power and control”. Obviously computer technology is influencing these young lives from the moment of when they first enter this world and in ways that they are both conscious and unconscious of. Nichols also notes the influences of cultural and societal choices which can influence new technologies. There is always talk of digital reproduction and intelligent machines. Students in grade school can now read their text books from an iPad. Will the classroom teacher be replaced by a talking box eliminating the need for a few good teachers? But then again digital communication does stimulate face-to-face encounters and ask for immediacy.
Walter Benjamin and Bill Nichols cannot answer these questions fully, but they do much to both problematize and illuminate the process of art and the human encounter with technology. Benjamin argues that art, in terms of both perception and practice, has undergone fundamental changes in Western culture. He makes a distinction between art as ritual and art as exhibition; Nichols builds upon these concepts by adding his notions of art within contemporary “cybernetic” culture. Nichols’ core question becomes: how have social realities been reformed and adjusted by means of electronic communication and computer technology?
The question that now remains is will we as humans become dominated by our own creations as we become more and more like them?"
Discussion question:
1. What are the effects of simulation? Good? Bad?
I have always had something of a love-hate relationship with the computer. I have learned about computers and how they worked, and though I consider all these things creative, I would like to have a better sense of what it is I am encountering, how it has changed the way I do things, and who I am. It also has always been my passion to help this younger generation. They have so many temptations and negative information thrown their way that sometimes its hard not to go down that wrong path in real life and online.
Nichols notes how human identity has changed compared to animals, machines and how we have become “cyborgs”; human and machine.
Cybernetic systems make such issues as reality and experience difficult to define. It creates this “awesome feeling of power and control”. Obviously computer technology is influencing these young lives from the moment of when they first enter this world and in ways that they are both conscious and unconscious of. Nichols also notes the influences of cultural and societal choices which can influence new technologies. There is always talk of digital reproduction and intelligent machines. Students in grade school can now read their text books from an iPad. Will the classroom teacher be replaced by a talking box eliminating the need for a few good teachers? But then again digital communication does stimulate face-to-face encounters and ask for immediacy.
Walter Benjamin and Bill Nichols cannot answer these questions fully, but they do much to both problematize and illuminate the process of art and the human encounter with technology. Benjamin argues that art, in terms of both perception and practice, has undergone fundamental changes in Western culture. He makes a distinction between art as ritual and art as exhibition; Nichols builds upon these concepts by adding his notions of art within contemporary “cybernetic” culture. Nichols’ core question becomes: how have social realities been reformed and adjusted by means of electronic communication and computer technology?
The question that now remains is will we as humans become dominated by our own creations as we become more and more like them?"
Discussion question:
1. What are the effects of simulation? Good? Bad?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
whats your second life?
Technology is the new handshake, smile and hug. A firm handshake or pat on the back means less now that you can just appreciate a person with a few strokes of the keyboard.
I went to a networking event this past weekend and the subject of social media came up. They mentioned the usual Facebook, Myspace and Twitter but then one was mentioned that I had never heard of. Second Life. What is Second Life? It’s a virtual world where people can basically create another life and communicate via voice and text chat. Is that not doing a bit too much? Did this place just combine Skype, Sims and Facebook?
Random fact: did you know that UTD purchased $50,000 worth of virtual property on Second Life? So if you play this game make sure to go build on UTD’s island.
With the younger generations coming up in this tech heavy environment, will they not only know how not to spell out words or write a complete sentence but will they also lose their face to face connections?
In Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the MASSAGE” he quotes J. Robert Oppenheimer saying, “There are children playing in the street who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they haves modes of sensory perception that I lost long ago.”
Todays world wants you to go online to handle your business. They try and create the same friendly, greet you at the desk or door and offer great customer service online. But its not the same. You have people that no longer step outside of the house to go to the store or even get a fresh breath of air because they can all do all of this with one click. Why should one go out into the world and make friends when you can just pick them up online or even rent them. There is a website that offers you such a service Rent a Friend to Meet New People, I was tempted to sign up just to see what it would be like.
To go back to last weeks blog if we would not allow the computer to think so much for us maybe it would be easier to have a clear thought of our own. Instead of building worlds online, if you can, step outside the house and build a decent friendship. Go talk to the teller at Bank of America and let them see your beautiful face.
To leave you with a quote from “the medium is the MASSAGE”, “In the name of “progress,” our official culture is striving to force the new media to do the work of the old.”
Tech update:
-This phone can scan barcodes. It may not be new to everybody but its new to me. And I use it everywhere. I find it interesting that I shine a negative light on new technologies but yet I find more positive ways to use it. Its all apart of my master plan.
I went to a networking event this past weekend and the subject of social media came up. They mentioned the usual Facebook, Myspace and Twitter but then one was mentioned that I had never heard of. Second Life. What is Second Life? It’s a virtual world where people can basically create another life and communicate via voice and text chat. Is that not doing a bit too much? Did this place just combine Skype, Sims and Facebook?
Random fact: did you know that UTD purchased $50,000 worth of virtual property on Second Life? So if you play this game make sure to go build on UTD’s island.
With the younger generations coming up in this tech heavy environment, will they not only know how not to spell out words or write a complete sentence but will they also lose their face to face connections?
In Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the MASSAGE” he quotes J. Robert Oppenheimer saying, “There are children playing in the street who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they haves modes of sensory perception that I lost long ago.”
Todays world wants you to go online to handle your business. They try and create the same friendly, greet you at the desk or door and offer great customer service online. But its not the same. You have people that no longer step outside of the house to go to the store or even get a fresh breath of air because they can all do all of this with one click. Why should one go out into the world and make friends when you can just pick them up online or even rent them. There is a website that offers you such a service Rent a Friend to Meet New People, I was tempted to sign up just to see what it would be like.
To go back to last weeks blog if we would not allow the computer to think so much for us maybe it would be easier to have a clear thought of our own. Instead of building worlds online, if you can, step outside the house and build a decent friendship. Go talk to the teller at Bank of America and let them see your beautiful face.
To leave you with a quote from “the medium is the MASSAGE”, “In the name of “progress,” our official culture is striving to force the new media to do the work of the old.”
Tech update:
-This phone can scan barcodes. It may not be new to everybody but its new to me. And I use it everywhere. I find it interesting that I shine a negative light on new technologies but yet I find more positive ways to use it. Its all apart of my master plan.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Memory Gone Bad!!
As I get ready for this weeks class my mind constantly goes back to last weeks class. I did the reading, I took notes and I thought I had a grasp of what was being talked about – until the class discussion started. I was very lost. I told a fellow classmate that my ADD had kicked in because there were many conversations going on at once. It’s not that I couldn’t follow it but to me there were a bunch of useless words and examples being thrown around. I’m a journalist/writer first and for me that means cutting out the unnecessary and getting straight to the news, the important things that matter. And just as in a newspaper, articles that don’t contain a photograph most likely won’t get published. Just get to the main point and paint a picture while doing it so that we visual learners can understand and remember. And this is just in general, no one person or group in particular.
Speaking of memory, I asked my friend if he knew my phone number and he replied no that he has his phone to do that for him. I thought about the contacts in my phone and how I can count on one hand how many numbers I have memorized. At that moment I started to feel bad because I felt that I was relying on technology way too much. In my last blog I let it be known that I had joined the smartphone community and purchased a Droid. It does everything! I even made a comment about not needing my laptop anymore. In this weeks reading, Flusser: On Memory, he goes through the various stages of memory and how remembering has changed over time. It started out with oral and people passing it on from one person to the next. Next were stones and other hard objects because of their ability to preserve. Now electronic memory that will over exaggerates the original memory. And of course these came with errors. I feel that when we had to tell each other and write it down or even draw it out that our brains and memory were at its strongest. The memory may have not been perfect but the brain was forced to remember something that was being heard or seen. The heavy reliance on technology in todays society could be weakening the memory part of our brain. Fluesser says that humans will just be used to process the information. I think back to the days before all this technology when I didn’t have a problem remembering anybodies phone number and now I find it difficult to recall my mothers number.
I have a GPS, Dell laptop, Ipod, Camera and Droid. To me, a new “techie”, I feel that this is a bit too much. I feel bad for not reading, just for pleasure, like I use to. In this new social media climate I don’t think that we need to invent or come up with anymore new gadgets and toys to help us remember or store our lives. How about we put some of these things down and take a breath of “technology free” air. I know this is a class and major to study all types of new media and the more I learn the more I see it as being negative than positive.
So to sum it up; 1) In class, in general, get to the facts in a much simpler and quicker way. 2) Try not to rely so heavy on electronics to remember for you, make your brain work beyond which button to push on your phone or laptop. 3) Go memorize someones number. (can I LOL in my blog??)
And I say this all from my Droid but not really though because I haven’t learned how to do that yet.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Release the Cyber Punk in You
After reading “The Cyber-punk: The Individual as Reality Pilot”, published in 1988, it dawned on me that this article was a look into the future and what was to come. In addition to fortune telling the author gives a negative name a new meaning.
In the 80’s they were not as technology advanced as we are today. The author starts out with the Greeks and uses Prometheus as an example. He stole fire from the gods and gave it to a people who knew nothing about fire. He next uses Quetzalcoatl, god of civilization, who gives the people a calendar along with other arts. These people can be described as cyber punks.
When someone hears the word cyber punk a negative connotation would usually be associated with it. But the author, Timothy Leary, gives the word new meaning. Someone who has original ideas, goes outside of the box, creates new media. These people are usually odd-balls, trouble makers, loners and even insurgents. And this goes to say that the cyber punk is always on the cutting edge. People often get into the role of just following and never leading; just going with the same old flow and never breaking out into something new. But these cyber punks found a way to break out of the everyday norm.
Do you think that Leary knew how Steve Jobs, Andy Warhol and Mark Twain’s cyber-punkness would turn out? Do you think he knew that they would go into and be remembered in the 21st century like they are now? If people could look into the future, how many of them do you think would have jumped on the Apple train when it was just starting up?
At the end of the article I was inspired to get in touch with my inner cyber punk and set her free. I not only want to be a free thinker but the next Steves Jobs. I want to have people waiting in line for my product three days before it drops.
Social Media Update:
Slowly but surely I’m getting use to Twitter and all of this new media speak. I don’t consider myself ignorant or unknowing to all of the new media out there; I just choose not to take part in it. Many of the advantages of these new medias are being used for evil. I also think that we are over connected. I don’t want to know that badly or be updated that frequently.
But as I said earlier, I am adapting to these things. One great advantage to Twitter is that I can be selective in what I read, see and tweet. I will admit though that it is tempting to tweet the most random things that go on through out my day and then the urge passes. I chose this major because I wanted and needed to be more informed for my future.
This is definitely a learning process and so far I’m enjoying it. Until next time…
In the 80’s they were not as technology advanced as we are today. The author starts out with the Greeks and uses Prometheus as an example. He stole fire from the gods and gave it to a people who knew nothing about fire. He next uses Quetzalcoatl, god of civilization, who gives the people a calendar along with other arts. These people can be described as cyber punks.
When someone hears the word cyber punk a negative connotation would usually be associated with it. But the author, Timothy Leary, gives the word new meaning. Someone who has original ideas, goes outside of the box, creates new media. These people are usually odd-balls, trouble makers, loners and even insurgents. And this goes to say that the cyber punk is always on the cutting edge. People often get into the role of just following and never leading; just going with the same old flow and never breaking out into something new. But these cyber punks found a way to break out of the everyday norm.
Do you think that Leary knew how Steve Jobs, Andy Warhol and Mark Twain’s cyber-punkness would turn out? Do you think he knew that they would go into and be remembered in the 21st century like they are now? If people could look into the future, how many of them do you think would have jumped on the Apple train when it was just starting up?
At the end of the article I was inspired to get in touch with my inner cyber punk and set her free. I not only want to be a free thinker but the next Steves Jobs. I want to have people waiting in line for my product three days before it drops.
Social Media Update:
Slowly but surely I’m getting use to Twitter and all of this new media speak. I don’t consider myself ignorant or unknowing to all of the new media out there; I just choose not to take part in it. Many of the advantages of these new medias are being used for evil. I also think that we are over connected. I don’t want to know that badly or be updated that frequently.
But as I said earlier, I am adapting to these things. One great advantage to Twitter is that I can be selective in what I read, see and tweet. I will admit though that it is tempting to tweet the most random things that go on through out my day and then the urge passes. I chose this major because I wanted and needed to be more informed for my future.
This is definitely a learning process and so far I’m enjoying it. Until next time…
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