1) “You cannot discuss multi-relationships on a single plane, in a single form. That’s why poets of our time have broken all the planes and sequences, forming a cubist prose…Logical or connected discourse is highly visual and has very little to do with human reasoning….when I sit down to moving on several planes, I deliberately move into multi-level prose. This is an art form” (Hot and Cold 293-4) 53-4
2) Of the five rhetorical categories, only pronunciation is immediately related to sensorial elements. Consequently, McLuhan’s conception and analysis of pronunciation are critically founded on a taxonomy and hierarchization of the senses” (12-3)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
If you have 20 minutes to kill and aren't easily offended...
Watch this:
http://www.allabout-sp.net/?p=season12/1206
I couldn't help but think of class when I saw it.
http://www.allabout-sp.net/?p=season12/1206
I couldn't help but think of class when I saw it.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Hayles Question
If Hayles’ model of textual interpretation becomes the standard, how does this unmask Bolter’s and Grusin’s Remediation as a fiction? If we can’t just say that a text is words and punctuation, but rather the entire range of physical properties and experiences of the text, how might we usefully talk about things like genre and fiction vs. nonfiction?
Hayles proposes that the transformation of a print document to an electronic text is a form of translation (98). Like other forms of translation, Hayles argues that something is gained and lost from a translation. This varies drastically from Bolter’s and Grusin’s idea of remediation which sees each “translation” as Hayles puts it as one step closer to the ideal, erasing the medium and making the unreal real. Bolter and Grusin seem to be arguing a similar point to the point Walter Benjamin made in his essay, “The Task of the Translator” which Hayles discusses beginning on page 112. Benjamin refers to the Tower of Babel and a point when “media would cease to matter, for language would have escaped from historical specificity, cultural perspective, and material instantiation to become the pure and perfect Word, impervious to the operations of reference and signification” (114). Hayles does not see this as an accurate description of how language really works and how it is instantiated and performed in media (114). Instead, she believes that “the resources of print are different than the resources of electronic textuality, and that each medium interacts with and influences the others” (115). In some ways, each medium’s interaction and influence on others sounds like remediation. However, Hayles notes that the materiality of a text will always be up for interpretation and debate so the differences between readers’ beliefs about medium makes remediation a fiction.
As far as genre goes, it must be decided what conventions genre entails. These conventions seem to vary even for print sources. Some genres like rhetorical analyses are characterized by the information contained in them while other genres like letters are characterized by appearance and layout but not so much in content (in general…specific types of letters like application letters, thank you letters, etc. do have content characteristics). Blogs by there vary nature will be categorized as an online genre while other media like books and newspapers have print and online components. As Hayles notes, these “translations” into electronic media result in losses and gains. For example, newspapers in some ways lose their mobility (although greater access to the internet is disproving this loss) and ability to share sections around the table etc. However, online versions are less cumbersome and in some ways easier to read and handle, they also have more features like comment forums which may influence peoples’ experiences with the news, but do not greatly change the actual content of the articles. I think in order to usefully talk about genre, we need to reconceptualize what genre is not just in terms of content but also form.
Hayles proposes that the transformation of a print document to an electronic text is a form of translation (98). Like other forms of translation, Hayles argues that something is gained and lost from a translation. This varies drastically from Bolter’s and Grusin’s idea of remediation which sees each “translation” as Hayles puts it as one step closer to the ideal, erasing the medium and making the unreal real. Bolter and Grusin seem to be arguing a similar point to the point Walter Benjamin made in his essay, “The Task of the Translator” which Hayles discusses beginning on page 112. Benjamin refers to the Tower of Babel and a point when “media would cease to matter, for language would have escaped from historical specificity, cultural perspective, and material instantiation to become the pure and perfect Word, impervious to the operations of reference and signification” (114). Hayles does not see this as an accurate description of how language really works and how it is instantiated and performed in media (114). Instead, she believes that “the resources of print are different than the resources of electronic textuality, and that each medium interacts with and influences the others” (115). In some ways, each medium’s interaction and influence on others sounds like remediation. However, Hayles notes that the materiality of a text will always be up for interpretation and debate so the differences between readers’ beliefs about medium makes remediation a fiction.
As far as genre goes, it must be decided what conventions genre entails. These conventions seem to vary even for print sources. Some genres like rhetorical analyses are characterized by the information contained in them while other genres like letters are characterized by appearance and layout but not so much in content (in general…specific types of letters like application letters, thank you letters, etc. do have content characteristics). Blogs by there vary nature will be categorized as an online genre while other media like books and newspapers have print and online components. As Hayles notes, these “translations” into electronic media result in losses and gains. For example, newspapers in some ways lose their mobility (although greater access to the internet is disproving this loss) and ability to share sections around the table etc. However, online versions are less cumbersome and in some ways easier to read and handle, they also have more features like comment forums which may influence peoples’ experiences with the news, but do not greatly change the actual content of the articles. I think in order to usefully talk about genre, we need to reconceptualize what genre is not just in terms of content but also form.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
My Media Matrix
Going off of the media matrix that I created in class a few weeks ago, I would say that media (if defined as a technology) is an integral part of my life. When creating my matrix, I remember being unsure what exactly what I was supposed to do and what my branches would look like. However, after getting started (and looking around at what everyone else was doing) it was hard to stop making branches. Once I started seeing things like my planner (which is not digital) as a medium, I realized that McLuhan's famous phrase "the medium is the message" could be applied to much more than songs on the radio and commercials on TV. Since then, I have been more conscious of the technologies in my life that make things easier for me as being a type of media. (For example, I now see my car as a medium...)
This way of looking at things has also made me think about how these diverse types of media shape my life. Like Jennie mentioned in her blog post, sometimes I feel like my email account rules my life; I will have to go out of my way to turn off my computer and not check my email for an evening (but only for an evening...my OCD won't let me not check it for longer than that). Now that I have a laptop (that weighs under 15 pounds), the physical act of carrying around the center of everything I do also works to remind me of just how integral technology is in my life.
This way of looking at things has also made me think about how these diverse types of media shape my life. Like Jennie mentioned in her blog post, sometimes I feel like my email account rules my life; I will have to go out of my way to turn off my computer and not check my email for an evening (but only for an evening...my OCD won't let me not check it for longer than that). Now that I have a laptop (that weighs under 15 pounds), the physical act of carrying around the center of everything I do also works to remind me of just how integral technology is in my life.
I am the meduim
My physical relationship with media/my media matrix.
Within my everyday life I physically come in contact with several different types of media and even though many of these media forms are very separate they are all interconnected. In this blog I intend to show how all of my media is connected, hopefully illustrating through the written word what my diagram on the white board presented visually. At the center of everything is always “me,” who I am is a very constant thing and even though I have changed steadily through out the years, just as the media I utilize has, there are something that have remained the same.
My body has always been my primary medium, every since I was a small child, how I presented myself was something I that I put a lot of time and effort into. I have always wanted to have some control over how I was perceived and surprisingly through out the years, I have had the same ideal for myself. With my clothing, piercings, hair color/style, and make-up I try to express how I am feeling about myself and my life at that point. This has been a successful medium for me, and I will continue to use it as a way to express myself.
Building on my appearance, running is also a form of expression for me. In my mind I see the runner as a person who is physically and mentally strong, not to mention graceful. When I run I focus on my strength and how it relates to the rest of my life. Again my body becomes my medium and connects me with another; music. When I am running music is my outlet. It allows me to think and keep pace. In this way I feel as though I am once again connected to the medium, my pace and the beat of the music connect making my MP3 player (which is not an Ipod!) a necessity. My MP3 player connects me to my computer, which in turn connects me to the internet and my education (we all know that we would be lost in graduate school with out our laptops). My education connects me to the world, it is the gateway, the creation of desire.
I guess media is something that accents my life, it doesn't run it. I don't understand people who are consumed with media, because to me that isn't a life. When asked how media has impacted my life, I picture this large computer hitting me like an astroid hitting the earth and this has never really happened. In the end I am the meduim, everything else is just decoration and tools.
Within my everyday life I physically come in contact with several different types of media and even though many of these media forms are very separate they are all interconnected. In this blog I intend to show how all of my media is connected, hopefully illustrating through the written word what my diagram on the white board presented visually. At the center of everything is always “me,” who I am is a very constant thing and even though I have changed steadily through out the years, just as the media I utilize has, there are something that have remained the same.
My body has always been my primary medium, every since I was a small child, how I presented myself was something I that I put a lot of time and effort into. I have always wanted to have some control over how I was perceived and surprisingly through out the years, I have had the same ideal for myself. With my clothing, piercings, hair color/style, and make-up I try to express how I am feeling about myself and my life at that point. This has been a successful medium for me, and I will continue to use it as a way to express myself.
Building on my appearance, running is also a form of expression for me. In my mind I see the runner as a person who is physically and mentally strong, not to mention graceful. When I run I focus on my strength and how it relates to the rest of my life. Again my body becomes my medium and connects me with another; music. When I am running music is my outlet. It allows me to think and keep pace. In this way I feel as though I am once again connected to the medium, my pace and the beat of the music connect making my MP3 player (which is not an Ipod!) a necessity. My MP3 player connects me to my computer, which in turn connects me to the internet and my education (we all know that we would be lost in graduate school with out our laptops). My education connects me to the world, it is the gateway, the creation of desire.
I guess media is something that accents my life, it doesn't run it. I don't understand people who are consumed with media, because to me that isn't a life. When asked how media has impacted my life, I picture this large computer hitting me like an astroid hitting the earth and this has never really happened. In the end I am the meduim, everything else is just decoration and tools.
Confessions of a recovering (but hopeless) media addict
Okay, I’m gonna be honest. I’m close to feeling that my life /is/ my physical relationship to media. There’s almost always something going to listen to or watch (television, music) at my apartment just to make the place feel alive (though an active tabby cat who likes to watch tv might be another factor). I bring my computer with me wherever I go even if I’m sure I won’t be using it for anything because I feel more comfortable when it’s close. A quick trip to the grocery store can cause my heart to leap and my stomach clench if I suddenly remember that I’ve left my cell phone on my kitchen table. More than just something that somehow enhances or makes my life easier or more fun, without media (tv, music, cell phones, comic books, computer, internet) the stress that would place on my mind and body only serves to indicate that, like an addiction, I am physically dependent on media for my emotion and physical well being.
My physical relationship to technology is one of greater dependence and emotional importance than I’d like. The keyboard feels like an extension of my vocal cords and as I chat with friends my keystrokes become my voice, communicating in a way that pencil and paper never accomplished. I’ve had whole IM conversations with people who were in the same apartment as me. Instead of talking with voices we talked with media.
Granted, it has been a while since I was that involved in online textual production and would be much more likely to actually physically speak with a person if they were physical available, but something of that remains. I would be lost without media (more specifically my computer) both emotionally and physically (as I’ve come to rely on Google Maps to tell me where to go whenever I depart of destinations unknown) and imagine that removing any of my primary media from my life would be similar to removing a non-vial organ. I might not die, but I’d sure feel like I was.
My physical relationship to technology is one of greater dependence and emotional importance than I’d like. The keyboard feels like an extension of my vocal cords and as I chat with friends my keystrokes become my voice, communicating in a way that pencil and paper never accomplished. I’ve had whole IM conversations with people who were in the same apartment as me. Instead of talking with voices we talked with media.
Granted, it has been a while since I was that involved in online textual production and would be much more likely to actually physically speak with a person if they were physical available, but something of that remains. I would be lost without media (more specifically my computer) both emotionally and physically (as I’ve come to rely on Google Maps to tell me where to go whenever I depart of destinations unknown) and imagine that removing any of my primary media from my life would be similar to removing a non-vial organ. I might not die, but I’d sure feel like I was.
Media Mass
As I sat here writing out my workout schedule for the week, I was simultaneously trying to figure out what I should blog about considering media matrixes. But then it donned on me, media makes you fat.
Media is requiring less and less physical interactivity and time to produce and communicate effectively. As an artist, I used to have to cut wood, and nail it together to build a frame, cut canvas and stretch it across the wooden planks, securing each corner and then attaching the canvas along the edges of the frame, then I would have to coat at least a couple of times with primer, wait for it to dry, and then apply paint. The picture had to be planned somewhat meticulously in pencil, charcoal, and pastel drafts because one mistake could mean hours of reworking at best, or at worst throwing the whole piece out. Conversely, working with Illustrator or Photoshop takes that same process and minimizes it to a few flicks of the wrist, mistakes can be undone instantaneously; there’s virtually no physical interaction at all. And now, my interaction with media necessitates going to the gym to fill in that extra physical activity that the machine has removed, or risk ending up looking like Jabba the Hutt.
And if media continues to evolve the way it has been, there will be even less physical activity. If a mind/computer interface is developed, then we can just think about moving our mouse and it will go; we could in fact never have to move again. We’ll never have to open a book, press play on the remote control, go to the bathroom, well that one may take some creative technological innovation, but we can do it! In the end we can just sit there as massive gelatin blobs, fulfilling our every desire with technological interface.
Yeah! That’s the life for me!
As I sat here writing out my workout schedule for the week, I was simultaneously trying to figure out what I should blog about considering media matrixes. But then it donned on me, media makes you fat.
Media is requiring less and less physical interactivity and time to produce and communicate effectively. As an artist, I used to have to cut wood, and nail it together to build a frame, cut canvas and stretch it across the wooden planks, securing each corner and then attaching the canvas along the edges of the frame, then I would have to coat at least a couple of times with primer, wait for it to dry, and then apply paint. The picture had to be planned somewhat meticulously in pencil, charcoal, and pastel drafts because one mistake could mean hours of reworking at best, or at worst throwing the whole piece out. Conversely, working with Illustrator or Photoshop takes that same process and minimizes it to a few flicks of the wrist, mistakes can be undone instantaneously; there’s virtually no physical interaction at all. And now, my interaction with media necessitates going to the gym to fill in that extra physical activity that the machine has removed, or risk ending up looking like Jabba the Hutt.
And if media continues to evolve the way it has been, there will be even less physical activity. If a mind/computer interface is developed, then we can just think about moving our mouse and it will go; we could in fact never have to move again. We’ll never have to open a book, press play on the remote control, go to the bathroom, well that one may take some creative technological innovation, but we can do it! In the end we can just sit there as massive gelatin blobs, fulfilling our every desire with technological interface. Yeah! That’s the life for me!
Brandon’s Unhealthy Relationship With Media:
It’s hard to say when exactly it started, but I remember a party that I attended late in high school. Some people were passing around some new “technology” that everyone was talking about. At first I tried to resist but as I starred at the shiny, gleaming LCD readout, I couldn’t resist. I had to hold it and know it. My family and friends judged me harshly. I had trouble maintaining relationships. If I had a dime every time I heard a family member say, “
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Humans are Dead
After our conversations about the Matrix and Cyborg theory, I thought everyone might enjoy this Youtube video entitled "The Humans are Dead" by the Flight of the Concords. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1BdQcJ2ZYY&feature=related
My Physical Relationship to Media
Media is integral to my daily life, but I find myself strategically separating myself from it. Life is so busy that I find myself longing for and plotting for ways that I can have a free day without leaving my apartment or using my car, checking my email or even turning on my computer, and while I always have my cell phone with me, it is usually turned off. While my media is harmless in itself and an essential part of my life, I see it as a connection to the world and an ever present connection to the people in my life. I’m surrounded by people almost every hour of every day. I go to school, and I am in constant contact with my students, officemates, teachers, classmates, random people etc. I go home and have calls and/or emails from students, teachers, classmates, friends, and family members waiting for me. Sometimes the demand of being available 24 hours a day 7 days a week gets to be too much and I decide not to turn on my computer for a day and to keep my cell phone turned off. While it is often liberating to make myself unavailable and being unavailable often helps me focus on work because I know there will be no distractions, I often feel guilty and selfish taking this time and cutting myself off from the world. This process also often makes me feel left out like I’m choosing to undergo a self-imposed exile. These feelings show just how essential my media is to my life even when I choose not to use it.
The most poignant example I can think of, of my reliance on the media was a time when I did not choose to exile myself but found myself exiled anyway. I had just moved to Fargo and knew very few people in town. My Internet hadn’t been hooked up yet, I hadn’t gotten rabbit ears for my TV yet so I didn’t get any reception, and my cell phone quit working. I’ve never felt so isolated in my life because all of my methods for interacting with the outside world were gone. My primary use of my media is to interact with the world. While I don’t frequent chat rooms or sites like Second Life, I use remediated forms of technology like emails or Facebook posts to write to people and phone calls to talk to them when I can’t in person. Essentially, I use my media to interact with people when I cannot or chose not to interact with them in person, and while I often chose to use my media to separate me from the people in my life when I need a break, the situation becomes very different when the media is taken away and not using it is no longer a choice.
The most poignant example I can think of, of my reliance on the media was a time when I did not choose to exile myself but found myself exiled anyway. I had just moved to Fargo and knew very few people in town. My Internet hadn’t been hooked up yet, I hadn’t gotten rabbit ears for my TV yet so I didn’t get any reception, and my cell phone quit working. I’ve never felt so isolated in my life because all of my methods for interacting with the outside world were gone. My primary use of my media is to interact with the world. While I don’t frequent chat rooms or sites like Second Life, I use remediated forms of technology like emails or Facebook posts to write to people and phone calls to talk to them when I can’t in person. Essentially, I use my media to interact with people when I cannot or chose not to interact with them in person, and while I often chose to use my media to separate me from the people in my life when I need a break, the situation becomes very different when the media is taken away and not using it is no longer a choice.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Katie's First Conference
Overall, I found the Social Media Conference last Tuesday to be a nice introduction into the world of academic conferences: not too big, not too scary, and a chance to present with other people.
I had the chance to go to the speaker immediately before our class presentation, who talked about Second Life. I had never heard of Second Life before, but after listening to the talk i felt that I was already familiar with the concept of the program. Once I realized that it sounded a lot like the Sims (which I have never played, but have heard enough about to feel like I know something about it) I was a little unimpressed. Personally, the idea of living in an online world (beyond facebook) does not interest me. I was interested in the pedagogical applications of the program, but was disappointed that that angle didn't get discussed more.
I felt that our class roundtable went well. I was a little surprised in the number of people in the audience (but I didn't really know what to expect). I think that I did a good job explaining my project to the group; it was nice to be able to share what I had been working on with others who would appreciate it for its potential. I was kind of disappointed that there weren't any questions (for anyone), but with five people in a short block of time I guess it can be expected.
I had the chance to go to the speaker immediately before our class presentation, who talked about Second Life. I had never heard of Second Life before, but after listening to the talk i felt that I was already familiar with the concept of the program. Once I realized that it sounded a lot like the Sims (which I have never played, but have heard enough about to feel like I know something about it) I was a little unimpressed. Personally, the idea of living in an online world (beyond facebook) does not interest me. I was interested in the pedagogical applications of the program, but was disappointed that that angle didn't get discussed more.
I felt that our class roundtable went well. I was a little surprised in the number of people in the audience (but I didn't really know what to expect). I think that I did a good job explaining my project to the group; it was nice to be able to share what I had been working on with others who would appreciate it for its potential. I was kind of disappointed that there weren't any questions (for anyone), but with five people in a short block of time I guess it can be expected.
When I grow up I want to be an LCD projector
In regard to my experiences as a presenter at the social media conference, I thought it would be appropriate to comment on the use of media and the audience’s reaction to it. First off, I don’t think I have to point out the irony of a new media presentation at a social media conference where the audio fails to work, but it seems important to mention considering the audience’s reaction. As is usually the case when there is an LCD present in the room all eyes migrate over to stare vacantly at the screen regardless of the presence of an image or not. I noticed that everyone in the room watched the screen while I presented. This is nothing unusual or unexpected—people have always been irresistibly drawn to the pale blue glow of an LCD projector. What did surprise me, however, was the audience’s reaction to the sound not working in my presentation. Where people were content to stare vacantly at the images of Stephen and my abomination, they were transformed into irritated beasts the second that the sound failed to work. Eyes were rolled, watches where checked, and peopled looked genuinely angry at the lack of sound. I thought the shift from docile cattle to hostile mob interesting because there seemed so little cause for the change. It was almost as if people felt that they were getting cheated out of part of the media they were promised—even though they were content to simply “watch” only moments before. I find it hard to believe that they were discontent because they wanted to hang on every word that Stephen and I spoke during the presentation; rather, I think they were evidencing human nature by intensely desiring something that they could not achieve. It wasn’t that they wanted to hear Stephen and my message. Instead, they were upset at being told that (in a roundabout sort of way) that they could not hear our message and it was the point of being told “no” that upset them so much. After all, what is the point of all new technology other than to prove to someone that the unachievable is within our grasp? For that matter, what is the point of new media and cyborg theory apart from shaking one’s fist at God to say, “see, I can create, too!”? In the end, I think the illusion of created perfection was shattered when the sound failed to work properly during my presentation, which left the audience feeling a tad hollow. I often look back with regret and wistfully wish that Stephen had been there: then we could have acted out our parts in a “live” presentation and gotten into a real fistfight at the end. Oh well.
Monday, March 24, 2008
2nd life? Or the lack there of.
I attended the presentation on second life, and most of what I would say about it would generally be very negative. BUT of the sake of thinking outside the box and trying to get away from my own bias I am going to attempt a paragraph or two of positive things. However, I will be voicing my concerns later in this blog.
Second life seems like a great way for many cultures (provided they have computers) to mingle in a common area and learn from each other. I like how using this program would allow several people from all over the world to share ideas or work on a common project. It eliminates the need for people to be in the same room together to have "live" (i use the term loosely) interactions. It would also provide a sort of amenity, and maybe create an environment where ideas could be shared more openly since it would not be a face to face situation.
Educationally, I think virtual field trips would be a great way for students to learn, especially about the Internet and its capabilities. Children should be provided with a safe place in the Internet where they can interact with each other without the age division that usually happens in schools (i.e. freshman are not cool enough to hang out with upper class men). I see possibilities for kids to explore art, music, culture, design, computer graphics, and much more in a safe school environment where the teacher could provide a watchful eye on what they were doing, not from the computer program but from walking around the room and allowing the students to be in control. I think it would be a great place for interaction between schools in different countries, imagine a USA high school Spanish class taking a virtual field trip with a Spanish high school's English class. Certain trips could be strictly Spanish speaking and others strictly English, children would be allowed to learn from their peers in another country rather than an old woman in the front of the classroom yelling at them the correct way to say "elephant."
HOWEVER, I do believe this technology has some downfalls. I see this technology as a way for people to live in a fantasy world, one where they get to look the way they want, live where and how they want, and basically have no reason to ever want to enter the world outside of computers. I don't see this program/game/ whatever it is bringing out the best in people. Instead I see it creating a large group of people afraid of live social interaction with very few social skills, not to mention very out of shape and unhealthy. Lets face it even though you may workout in the virtual world your really tush is still going to be fat. Humans need interaction, biologically we are a social species and this technology does not support that fundamental need. Ignoring this, will only lead to higher depression rates and more people on prescription drugs, and I am pretty sure that the "virtual sex" the guy mentioned isn't going to cut it. Although maybe that's a way to sell this "2nd life"... "Can't get laid in the real world? Try virtual dating!" But seriously, I think the message this program send is not a good one. I guess during the presentation the country song "I'm SO much cooler online" kept running through my head. In the end I find the "world" a way of escaping the real world in an attempt to be something we are not, and that is not a good reason to create a "2nd life."
Second life seems like a great way for many cultures (provided they have computers) to mingle in a common area and learn from each other. I like how using this program would allow several people from all over the world to share ideas or work on a common project. It eliminates the need for people to be in the same room together to have "live" (i use the term loosely) interactions. It would also provide a sort of amenity, and maybe create an environment where ideas could be shared more openly since it would not be a face to face situation.
Educationally, I think virtual field trips would be a great way for students to learn, especially about the Internet and its capabilities. Children should be provided with a safe place in the Internet where they can interact with each other without the age division that usually happens in schools (i.e. freshman are not cool enough to hang out with upper class men). I see possibilities for kids to explore art, music, culture, design, computer graphics, and much more in a safe school environment where the teacher could provide a watchful eye on what they were doing, not from the computer program but from walking around the room and allowing the students to be in control. I think it would be a great place for interaction between schools in different countries, imagine a USA high school Spanish class taking a virtual field trip with a Spanish high school's English class. Certain trips could be strictly Spanish speaking and others strictly English, children would be allowed to learn from their peers in another country rather than an old woman in the front of the classroom yelling at them the correct way to say "elephant."
HOWEVER, I do believe this technology has some downfalls. I see this technology as a way for people to live in a fantasy world, one where they get to look the way they want, live where and how they want, and basically have no reason to ever want to enter the world outside of computers. I don't see this program/game/ whatever it is bringing out the best in people. Instead I see it creating a large group of people afraid of live social interaction with very few social skills, not to mention very out of shape and unhealthy. Lets face it even though you may workout in the virtual world your really tush is still going to be fat. Humans need interaction, biologically we are a social species and this technology does not support that fundamental need. Ignoring this, will only lead to higher depression rates and more people on prescription drugs, and I am pretty sure that the "virtual sex" the guy mentioned isn't going to cut it. Although maybe that's a way to sell this "2nd life"... "Can't get laid in the real world? Try virtual dating!" But seriously, I think the message this program send is not a good one. I guess during the presentation the country song "I'm SO much cooler online" kept running through my head. In the end I find the "world" a way of escaping the real world in an attempt to be something we are not, and that is not a good reason to create a "2nd life."
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Response to the Conference
I attended a presentation right before ours on Second Life. Before I went to the presentation, I knew that Second Life was a virtual world built by the members who essentially created a virtual identity through the program, but I didn’t know much else. Listening to the presentation, I learned that Second Life allows members to attend online conferences, lectures, and plays by means of their avatar, a virtual representation of themselves. They are also able to access media such as the radio and television through streaming. While avatars are at these functions, they are able to communicate with each other through typed language like chat rooms and instant messaging. However, there are applications that allow members to use their voice to speak through their avatar. These applications, like real life spoken communication, require avatars to be close to each other and make voices softer or louder depending on how far apart the avatars are.
Second Life can be used for many purposes like social network, making it like a much more elaborate Facebook or Myspace, as well as for educational purposes. Right now, it can be difficult for educators to use Second Life because there is a Teen Second Life and Adult Second Life and teachers need to get security clearance before they can accompany their students on field trips or other educational experiences in Teen Second Life.
Although, Second Life is a beautiful virtual place, I can not see myself ever taking part in it. While I can see how it could be a useful teaching or social networking tool, I can’t quite get past the fact that it is a virtual place that many people use to substitute for real human interactions. The presenter mentioned that one of Second Life’s assets is that it allows for shared real time experiences like teleporting your avatar to meet friends to watch a movie or attend a party. However, while this is a form of social interaction, I can’t get past the fact that while these interactions can be real and allow humans to interact, each human involved is only able to interact with others through their computer which I feel take away from the shared real time experience the presenter thought was so great.
As far as our presentation, I thought it went well. It was fun to see everyone’s finished products and visit with our audience about the projects. While we all had very different projects and used different methods to create them, it was interesting to see how many of us experienced the same problems such as finding a host for our projects and facing obstacles when the software didn’t want to do what we wanted it to.
Second Life can be used for many purposes like social network, making it like a much more elaborate Facebook or Myspace, as well as for educational purposes. Right now, it can be difficult for educators to use Second Life because there is a Teen Second Life and Adult Second Life and teachers need to get security clearance before they can accompany their students on field trips or other educational experiences in Teen Second Life.
Although, Second Life is a beautiful virtual place, I can not see myself ever taking part in it. While I can see how it could be a useful teaching or social networking tool, I can’t quite get past the fact that it is a virtual place that many people use to substitute for real human interactions. The presenter mentioned that one of Second Life’s assets is that it allows for shared real time experiences like teleporting your avatar to meet friends to watch a movie or attend a party. However, while this is a form of social interaction, I can’t get past the fact that while these interactions can be real and allow humans to interact, each human involved is only able to interact with others through their computer which I feel take away from the shared real time experience the presenter thought was so great.
As far as our presentation, I thought it went well. It was fun to see everyone’s finished products and visit with our audience about the projects. While we all had very different projects and used different methods to create them, it was interesting to see how many of us experienced the same problems such as finding a host for our projects and facing obstacles when the software didn’t want to do what we wanted it to.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Cybernetic Tropies
From the Dwell blog. These critters have infrared sensors and react in biological ways that undermine some of the ideological statements that traditional taxidermy establishes.
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