Final Project Link

For the purposes of fulfilling our final project requirements, I chose to research the subject of MMORPG addiction.  Attention was paid to its status with the American Psychological Association  and publicized incidents that brought the issue to the limelight.  Primarily, I analyzed the reasons behind this addiction, separated into internal and external factors, and the issue of responsibility is discussed, but is not a central focus of the paper.

I had originally intended to use Second Life as an additional example to the “typical MMO”, but eventually found it would essentially become a separate paper entirely, as Second Life’s format is rather unique.  Luckily, Second Life is being used in classes and discussed in papers more and more, so hopefully anyone interested in that can find a useful text.

Please use the link below to access my paper.  A Works Cited is included in the document.

dlfinalproject

Assigned Readings for August 5

A World of Witnesses

I found this article very interesting, as I never considered the possibility of using cellphones for such a varied number of topics. I knew certain aspects, since community / amateur journalism is a big move on a lot of news websites right now, but I was unaware of their uses in political elections, terrorist activity and health workers. All of this was informative and helpful to me, in the sense that it gave me a greater understanding of our technology and its uses.

I also found a comment on the article extremely interesting; a reader brought up the possibility of a ‘little sister’ rather than a ‘big brother’, and I think that its a fairly unique concept (and a good pun). It is enticing, the idea that greater surveillance technology could be used by ordinary citizens to combat civil rights violations and illegal activity, rather than such technology being used to subjugate and control those citizens. At the same time, the sensors in mobile phones are more powerful and wide-ranged than I expected, and I’m not sure I am comfortable with all of that.

Questions:
1. Consider the use of cellphones in the recent film “The Dark Knight”, as well as the wiretapping scandals with telecommunication companies and the federal government. Given the double-edged nature of powerful technology that is always with us and always on, does the knowledge that cellphones are capable of much more than simple calls cause you any concern?
2. Do you expect this kind of citizen participation will have impact on security forces, law enforcement or surveillance / alarms?
3. Do you expect this kind of citizen participation will have an impact on crime?

The Daily Me

I thought this article brought up a good point, even though I was already aware of how much control we now have over what we receive from the media. I have always considered this a positive thing, that I can now have access to a wide variety of different views on things like politics, philosophy and sociology, that I can be exposed to perspectives from across the globe, and even that I could spend all day watching sports or funny animal videos if I am so inclined. Essentially, we have more power than ever before, even the power to remove the source of income from television stations (advertisements).

This article presents the possibility of a negative though, and I was blind to never consider this inevitability. Rather than exposing themselves to different perspectives and new ideas, people are fully capable of removing all dissenting opinion and all uncomfortable information from their life. This makes them happier, I would imagine, but the end result is a culture full of myopic egotists living in their own tiny worlds. It may make people happier on an individual level, but it keeps things exactly that; individual. I question whether such a decision could ever be a step forward for humanity or human society.

Questions:
1. Do you think it is possible that advances in technology could actually distance us from other people, and create the opposite of a ‘global community’?
2. Do you use technology to gain access to views you’ve never known, to focus on information you already agree with, or a bit of both?

Web of Activism

I already knew about viral marketing, but this article brought my attention to the kind of sneaky advertising that imitates grassroots movements. I knew such things existed, obviously, but I did not realize it was so lucrative for professional companies to imitate amateur efforts. The irony there is spectacular.

I was sad that no attention was given to more overt and yet more interesting viral marketing schemes. Two from 42 Entertainment are the first to come to mind:  ILoveBees.com a website that was launched to promote Halo 2, and their Dark Knight alternate reality game to promote the release of The Dark Knight. They were essentially puzzles and riddles that required extensive user participation before revealing exactly what was being advertised. Both managed to keep visitors extremely interested in what was essentially a convoluted and overcomplicated marketing scheme, and there is little more that advertisers (or advertisees) could ask.

Questions:
1. Do you think that viral marketing is dishonest? Is there a way to regulate it, if so?

Why Democrats Rule the Web

I knew about Obama’s clear lead in terms of his utilization of new technology and reaching the youth through online content, as well as McCain’s difficulty with it. I also wonder how well the current campaign truly reflects an overall trend, as I know that McCain as an individual has stated he is not very tech-savvy. It is important to realize that he fully admits that he knows very little about computers and online interaction, which means his campaign is not going to be focused very hard in that direction. I’m not surprised that plans to change this were underway, nor that those plans failed. His wife, for example, uses a blackberry constantly, but he knows very little about what they can do. I feel that the article did not really answer the question of WHY they rule the web, but rather HOW. It explained what they have done to gain such a big lead, but not why it happened.
Questions:
1. Do you think there is a greater democratic presence online than there is a republican presence, or is this largely about the current election?
2. What steps should the Republican party take to close this gap?

Assigned Readings for July 31

Play the Game: Grand Theft Desire

I found this article fairly misleading on a few points, or perhaps that is just a side-effect of disagreeing with its overall message, but regardless I was not swayed by a few of Stephen Duncombe’s arguments.   I do agree that the game, like most video games, is a form of escapism for the player where they are not limited  by the same rules in game as they are in real life, and the draw of a seedy underworld filled with prostitution, extortion, theft and murder is just as appealing in a game as they are in a movie.  People like drama and suspense, and people like being able to bend or break rules, even if only in a fantasy setting.

I would like to clarify however, that the game only prioritizes breaking the law with motive; the kind of mass-slaughter that this article talks about is never really a required part of the game, although it may be even MORE distressing to protestors if they found out people were voluntarily killing old ladies with a sniper rifle, rather than doing it for points, power-ups and winning a mission.  But the article itself points out that players were the ones who determined they could use a hooker for a health powerup (at a monetary cost) and then kill her to get their money back.  The player is not directed to do this by the game, but it is the natural result of the player optimizing his or her use of game mechanics.

I think the author used a very poor method of explaining his position of the “other” in this game, as he established why the concept of the ‘other’ was relevant to gaming, using GTA:SA as an example of identifying with a racial minority, then goes on to say that GTA:SA is not an example of this, making his example massively misleading.   Beyond that, his argument about “the other” is not really fleshed out with any kind of solid evidence, and sounds more like wishful thinking on the part of someone who just read his first book on philosophy.  Both as a method of identifying with the other, and a method of confronting the other, I do not think the GTA series is relevant.

His arguments towards progressives were also questionable, as I do not think that any of the GTA games represent rebellion in a way that progressives, or really any rational-minded individual could support.  Certainly, there is an opposition to rules and authority present, but progressives probably care more about violating unjust laws, rather than generally accepted rules like “Don’t kill a person, damn, what is wrong with you?” or “Do not drive on sidewalks full of people.”  The GTA series is entirely a ludologistical approach rather than narrative, as the vast majority of players will tell you that the storyline in these games is inconsequential and largely a distraction from the REAL game of exploration and mass mayhem.   But his idea that this desire for an open-ended ’sandbox’ style free experience can be harnessed by protests somehow is again, poorly supported and poorly substantiated.  In general, this appeared more that the author wanted to talk about two subjects and decided to try to relate the two without really considering whether his statements were truly accurate.

Questions:
1.  Do you think that players attempt to identify with the race, gender and class of their in-game persona when playing video games?  Do you think this is more prevalent in games with character customization?
2.  Do you see a connection between political activism and violating the laws in a video game?

Is This Man Cheating on His Wife?

Since this article, by Alexandra Alter, directly relates to my final project, I was already well aware of the problem of people abandoning their real-life obligations, responsibilities and loved-ones in order to spend more time in a fantasy game setting.  Those can range from just overwhelming desire to accumulate wealth or items to obligations to social groups like in-game guilds with weekly schedules for big battles, to examples like this of in-game friendship, in-game dating and eventually in-game marriage.

It is definitely possible for people to prioritize the game and its inhabitants more than the real world.  This seems especially common for people who strongly desire an escape from the circumstances of their real life, whether due to disabilities, unhappiness at home or various social factors.  The article points out some very good reasons for this, such as the fact that people don’t age and can look however you want them to look.  Ric Hoogestraat sums it up nicely when he says “Here, you’re in total control.”  He may be uncomfortable with the life he has lead, his accomplishments so far, and his appearance; in the game, he can be a massively successful rich man with six-pack abs and a drop-dead gorgeous wife.  Why would he want to go back to real life?

The answer to the article’s question, at least from the information given, is: No, he is not cheating on her, he is neglecting her.  There are people who do cheat on their spouses online though.  His response and actions in real-life when his avatar has sex (”You try to talk to someone or bring them a drink, and they’ll be having sex with a cartoon.”) could change this answer.

Questions:
1.  Do you see any potential positives in this kind of alternate identity / desire fulfillment?
2.  Would you find this situation more acceptable or less acceptable if this man were not married in real-life?

Virtual Hunting

This video, about a man setting up a website in which you can shoot a deer for real, by logging onto his site, paying, and using the mouse to aim and shoot.  The most interesting thing to me, is that this was inspired by a website in which you can just look at live animals through a camera.  This man saw that, said “I bet I could combine this idea with GUNS” and the rest is history.

I do wonder what would happen if a person walked in view of the gun, and was shot.  Fault of the website, or fault of the shooter?  Shared responsibility?

Questions:
1. Do you think this is a natural extension of the desire to allow disabled or otherwise incapable individuals of enjoying hobbies otherwise unavailable to them?
2. Can you imagine any serious ramifications for such a website?

Therapeutic War Game Helps Iraq Vets

I think that the idea of video games as useful therapy is an interesting one, and I fully support any and all attempts to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder, as it definitely has a debilitating impact on the lives of servicemen and servicewomen.   The idea that reliving stressful experiences can help one cope with them seems a little strange, but since members of the armed forces have so much difficulty overcoming PTSD I see no reason to oppose alternative therapies for it.  Whether its due to an unwillingness to use more standard forms of therapy, or just an inability for traditional therapy to deal with PTSD or perhaps to accommodate the typical soldier’s mentality, I don’t know, but I’d be happy to see that this works.

A good example of new technology being used in a creative way.  By being able to relive the experience and describe it at the same time in a safe location with knowledgable professionals, the soldier is able to cope with the severity of his or her experience without causing harm to themselves or others, and without holding such stress internally.

Questions:
1. Do you see potential to help others who have suffered psychologically?  What about those with less specific mental disorders, not caused by trauma?
2.  Could similar technology, used differently, benefit the rehabilitation of prisoners and criminals?

Final Project Progress for July 29

I am not encountering any major difficulties with my project so far.  I have not begun the actual writing process, as I tend to do that all at once after completing my research and deciding on the flow of my paper.  I have more than enough material so far, since I had the advantage of knowing quite a few specific news stories to look into, and there is enough academic material on the subject to give me ample expert voice and to place a foundation.

My only difficulty thus far is in cutting down the information I have.  I am finding, as I expected, that the inclusion of Second Life makes the entire project more complicated due to how drastically different it is from other games, and how it is entirely based on creation, identity and socialization.  For example, I am debating whether or not to include factors such as monetary income when considering addiction to Second Life – there are some people, even some I know personally, that have made enough money to live on through selling items they create on Second Life.  If I do include this, am I then obligated to also mention the people who violate EULA’s by selling items in games such as World of Warcraft?  Different issue, but still relevant to online addiction.  So my only difficulty is in ensuring that my paper stays focused.

Assigned Readings for July 29

On the Record, All the Time

I found this article by Scott Carlson to be extremely interesting and informative, although I will admit that my initial response to the first few paragraphs was abject horror.  The first issue that sprung to my mind, as soon as I even read the title, was that of privacy and personal rights.  I was very pleased that the issue of privacy was discussed later on, as I think it is irresponsible to only point to the positive benefits of lifelogging.  I can see a lot of potential benefits to recording your own thoughts, ideas and actions; human memory is terribly flawed, after all.  Still, I cannot help but feel a sense of foreboding and paranoia over the ways such technology could be used against us.

This is only tangentially related, but I found it funny that the possibilities of this technology are being marketed towards Google, as there was enormous backlash when people thought Microsoft was recording all of their data and actions online. Then people turned around and praised google for various programs and offerings that do the exact same thing.  Anyone concerned about the powers of big companies and their use of private information should probably be just as wary of Google, but that never seems to be the case.

Speaking to the positives, I think that there are a lot of uses for recording your own life.  The article mentions the benefits for medical use, and that is a spectacular example – not only so that doctors and hospitals could have an extremely detailed medical history, but also for instances of malpractice or accidents.  Doctors may be uncomfortable with that idea, but I don’t think anyone could logically argue that, for example, surgeons should be able to cover up or lie about mistakes that harmed their patient.  I think for writers and people in other creative fields, it is good for the organization of ideas or recording of especially inspired phrases / humor / etc. that would fit in well for a published work.  For example, I make a lot of jokes that people seem to enjoy in my daily life, but I never remember any of them since they are spur of the moment, so as a writer I am not especially funny.  Of course, the necessary technology for such things already exists, and many writers already record their ideas either by writing or Digital Voice Recorder.

Sadly, I think that the article points out a major flaw in what I would otherwise consider one of the greatest potential benefits of lifelogging – the opportunity for more people to engage in self-analysis and introspection.  The writer mentions how Mr. Ellis records an argument between himself and his wife, and as he puts it, “”I never went back to listen to it, but there exists that recording of me being an asshole,” he says. “I don’t particularly like the idea of that existing.”"  I think the opportunity to see ourselves as we truly behave, not as we believe we are (or how others say they see us), is something that everyone would benefit from experiencing.  Maybe it is difficult to deal with, but if people behave selfishly, arrogantly and cruelly, I think they should see that and be aware of it.  Only through such self-analysis can people change their habits.  Everyone has had experienced the problem of two different accounts of the same argument or fight, and this would allow people to see how they truly treat their spouse, child, friends and so forth.  Unfortunately, people do not want to see that.

I am a little bit more perturbed by the idea of actual ‘lifelogging’, in the sense of recording everyday life on a constant basis.  I can understand why people would want this, and how they could benefit from it, but I would want no part in it myself, despite my highly faulty memory.  As the article mentions, this puts one perpetually ‘on stage’, feeling exposed and obligated to act appropriately, rather than naturally.  In a sense, I think the use of ‘lifelogging’ would lead to people behaving entirely differently, actually changing the life they lead in (and through) the process of recording it.

I’ll also be the first to admit that I am terrified of the idea of constant surveillance.  The article brings up that some hope this will bring about a Utopian society, but I am not convinced.  I realize how melodramatic and overdone it is to draw allusions to 1984, and obviously that would require a very totalitarian approach to government and a much stricter society, but much of Big Brothers power comes from the ability to observe and hear everything going on in the lives of their citizens.  If people were constantly wearing surveillance equipment, I would limit my conversations to be as rigid and emotionless as possible in public, and would ultimately become a much more private person.  The idea of a world with no criminals is attractive, but that would require that all laws be just – and I think we are far from that being reality.

Questions:
1.  What benefits do you see in the idea of lifelogging?  Are you interested in engaging in this activity yourself?  Why or why not?
2.  Where do you stand on the issues of privacy and public recording?  Should people expect a certain amount of privacy outside their own homes, or should they be aware that they can be watched and recorded at any time?
3.  Do you agree with the idea that honest citizens with nothing to hide have nothing to fear from constant surveillance?  Are you comfortable with the idea of people recording the things you say and do?

Facebook’s Beacon just the top of the privacy iceberg

I knew that there was controversy over the facebook ads / beacon launch, but I did not know the full extent of the details.  Still, as the article points out, this is actually business as usual on the internet.  There’s a log of what you search for and when, your site visits are monitored and noted, your information is sold to advertisers, this is the norm and not the exception.  That’s not to say that it doesn’t bother me, but what is really newsworthy is what we can do to combat it or stop it altogether.  I find it funny that the article takes a ‘think of the poor, clueless children!’ approach to this subject on the third page, since younger users are typically very digitally literate, and older users sometimes have problems comprehending technological advancements, especially computers and the internet.  Adults are just as unaware of this tracking as children are, and while young users may be more likely to share private information without concern, there are more than enough adults who fall into the same category.
Questions:
1.  Do you think companies should be able to share your private information?  Do you agree that it is acceptable if the company is upfront about it?
2.  Should legal agreements such as EULA’s undergo a change to make them more understandable for the average user?  Would you advocate passing legislation to limit or remove the ability of companies to record and distribute your personal data?

The Tethered Self

I found this article very accurate and well-written, as it explains how technology now connects us directly to our loved ones, colleagues, acquaintances and even purely online communities.  It brings up the point that we are now essentially always ‘on-call’, we can be contacted virtually anytime due to the amazing market penetration of cellphones and the ever growing messaging and chat clients.

I’ve thought about this fairly often myself, as I genuinely dislike talking on the phone, and find it creepy that people now expect me to be available anytime.  I now knowingly and intentionally leave my cellphone behind on occasion and have been staying off of Facebook and AIM for longer periods of time, so people do not continue assuming that I am always available and always interested in chatting.  I’ve also noticed that general politesse and decency in everyday life have been somewhat interrupted, as people think nothing of answering their phone mid-conversation without so much as an “excuse me.”  Personally, I think that is absurdly rude and childish, but poor manners can hardly be blamed on technology alone.

This article also inspires a question that we’ve touched on before; the idea of greater communication tools actually hampering communication.  Text messages are often brief, poorly written and without any sense of punctuation or spelling, and people well-acclimated to online communication admit having some difficulties in face-to-face conversation.  It has gotten to the point where people text friends in the same room, or IM their roommate instead of speaking, and I know for a fact that younger students have submitted work to teachers using internet lingo, i.e. “4get all u knew about bffs and qt boys”
Questions:
1.  Do you enjoy being able to reach people so easily?  Are you ever annoyed at being perpetually available?
2.  Do you feel that interpersonal communication has been bettered or worsened by the rise of messaging technology?

YOU ARE CYBORG (This is an awesome name for an article)

Maybe it’s a little nerdy to admit, but the idea of cyborgs is boss and I won’t hear any arguments otherwise.  Using technology to transform our puny weak human bodies into massively powerful man-machine hybrids is just too cool a concept to ignore.  It is absolutely the medical breakthroughs that are important here, rather than any grand schemes to build an army of superhuman warriors, but even the medical uses are badass.  Sure, you were born with a useless arm or a bum ticker, and once you would have had to chalk this up to either bad luck or divine will, but now you can tell Lady Luck and your deity of choice to EAT IT, and then build even better hearts and limbs!  Nothing is more badass than flipping fate the bird.

In all seriousness, the article was an interesting read, but was more full of information than it was full of philosophy or sociology, so I wasn’t inspired to much independent thought.  I do wonder whether the idea of cyborgs is actually slightly outdated though.
Questions:
1.  Do you think human society will progress to the point of cyborg populations in the near future?  Or do you think that many of the advancements we expected to see from robotics will come from stem cell research, genetics research and so forth?  Do you have a preference between the two?

Assigned Readings for July 24

The Economy of Ideas

I thought that this article started off strong, and I agreed with the points that current law cannot just be extended to cover the digital transfer of information and ideas, as I’ve long thought that was a major flaw in how companies and politicians are approaching the subject.  I also agreed with the statement that file-sharing was and is not considered ‘wrong’ in the eyes of the public, so the laws regarding it are rarely enforced and largely ignored.  As the article progressed, however, I thought it strayed from focus a bit and I found myself losing the larger point that Barlow was trying to make.
Questions:
1.  If the majority of competent computer users feel free to share music, software and other files, and social networking sites are allowing amateur or unsigned artists to gain popularity and recognition, do you expect to see the rise of self-made artists?  Do you think the recording industry will continue to lose power, or do you expect a drastic change in legislation and/or enforcement?

The Ecstacy of Influence: Plagiarism

I found it very interesting to see the idea of plagiarism approached from the perspective that it is extremely pervasive and common, even in popular media.  David Pogue did a good job of arguing a relatively difficult position, that all of us enjoy works that are largely or entirely copied from another.  Disney movies did exceedingly well in theaters when they were based on classic fairy tales.  Entire musical traditions, such as blues, are based on communal contributions to the same stories, and the supergroup Led Zeppelin recorded more than a few blues songs that they certainly didn’t originate.  Now, hip-hop and many forms of electronic music use samples and altered recordings to turn old music into new music.
Questions:
1.  What determines whether plagiarism is acceptable or not?  Is it more or less acceptable in the ‘arts’ than in a corporate/business setting?

The Generational Divide in Copyright Morality

The issues of copyright and digital file-sharing are usually hard to argue, and this article does a very good job of explaining why.  There are so many gray areas involved due to the limitations of physical formats and the existing ambiguity of sharing music, movies and so forth even before file-sharing became commonplace online.  I think copy protection is actually an extremely flawed approach to the problem of file-sharing, and would personally advocate that record and movie companies look into digital distribution in the same vein as the Valve Corporations “Steam” program.
Questions:
1. If copy protection on software is so fragile, and even heavily protected hardware such as iPhones are cracked in days, what alternatives do companies have?  Musicians such as a Radiohead and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails have freely offered music with a donation link attached to the download page.  Are there opportunities for further distribution along those lines?

Assigned Readings for July 22

Weblogs: A History and Perspective

I expected to learn a lot from this article, though it is 8 years old, because I know very little about how blogs rose to prominence.  Since the title implies the history would be a focus of the article, I anticipated that I would soon be well-informed on the subject, but I think that there was a strong focus on the perspective segment.

I personally do not share Rebecca Blood’s optimism that blogs will allow audiences to become active participants.   Despite the fact that I am currently using a blog to fulfill my assignment requirements, I find the vast majority of blogs to be outright unreadable and an utter waste of time for anyone who does not personally know the writer.  I think there needs to be a massive shift in how people approach the media, the messages that are broadcast to them, and the role of corporations and products in their life.  I don’t oppose the idea of offering more options to the public, but the topic of experts being lost in the shuffle has come up in class before, and I think some subjects (like technology news) have been watered down by the voices of uninformed independents.  This is the natural result of having all voices heard though – some will inevitably be lost in the shuffle.

I also question whether the frequency of one’s blogging relates in any way to the quality of one’s writing or the cohesiveness of one’s ideas.  Practice does eventually lead to perfection but practice implies more than simply doing a task – it requires one to be focused on improvement, and I think that requires more active participation than most blogs involve.  I am the first to admit though, that my prejudice against blogs becomes primarily one of format – I find the default organization (by date) useless except for livejournal-esque blogs (which are independently useless to me anyway), and the display form is universally ugly and obtrusive, at least in my opinion.

Questions:

1.  Do you think that creating a blog allows the user to organize his or her thoughts better?  Would you advise that fledgling writers keep a blog?
2.  Do you think that the rise of blogs contributes or interferes with the production of hegemony within a culture?
3.  Does the advent of blogging and other active participation decrease the power of companies over consumers?  Or do we simply create free, easily-collected market research for them to use?

Download This: YouTube Phenom Has a Big Secret

I found this article extremely interesting, as I have never heard of this young lady before but I am well aware of the phenomenon of companies imitating the pseudo-grassroots do-it-yourself trend on the internet.  On a personal level, I feel torn when I see this issue being discussed, because I find it difficult to argue logically against acting in your own best interest.  This girl used the popularity of little independent musicians on youtube to skyrocket into stardom, which is hardly something I can fault her for doing.

On the other hand, if I were interested in this girl or her music (Sorry, covers of ‘Umbrella’ don’t do it for me.  Nor does the original version of ‘Umbrella’ for that matter.) I would be very insulted to find out that she had knowingly and willingly mislead me and other fans for her own benefit.  Simply omitting the fact so that people wouldn’t be angry with her is permissible, if an ethical gray area, but there was definitely a calculated approach to all of this, from her statements on websites and her own youtubes to the way she acted on the radio and talk shows, she mislead her public.  Since I never listened to a word she said, I’m not very bothered, but I would be disturbed to find out that the independent, supposedly-connectionless young lady I was supporting was actually backed by a powerful record label, and would probably be insulted as a result.

Ultimately, I do not disagree with the idea of using new media to publicize who you are or what you do/wish you did, and I think it is defensible for artists on underpowered independent record labels to prioritize cheaper methods like youtube videos, since their labels cannot do much to gain exposure for them.  But I think it is imperative that artists be honest and upfront about their position and role with any recording company, and I think they deserve the theoretical backlash against their lies.

Questions:
1.  How do you feel about signed musicians misleading audiences?  Can it be defended as a method of artistic expression?  Should we expect honesty from our artists, or should we receive and interpret their art independent of their personality?
2.  Do you think that a signed artist should use covers as a way to generate interest in their music?  Does Digby owe something to Rihanna?  Should they only cover songs by artists from their own record label?

Great Photo on Flickr? Getty Images Might Pay You for It

This article deals with the agreement between Getty Images and Yahoo!, which will allow Getty to contact Flickr users whose work they are interested in using.  I think it is great that talented photographers will get the same recognition for their talents as field photographers.  I also think this is a spectacular example of how both users and companies can benefit from new technology and active participation.

Questions:
1.  Do you think that flickr users should be paid the same as professional photographers under contract?  Do you think this will have a noticeable impact on the field of professional photography?

Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us

This was an extremely well-made, easy to understand video showing the advantages of digital text, and the various methods of online communication.  I don’t have questions about it, but I think it is a useful link worth passing on, especially if you know someone who is not very up to date on using the internet.

Do it yourself

I was already familiar with the phrase DiY or Do it Yourself before this article, although I was not aware of its origins with arts and crafts enthusiasts, although it makes sense.  I was mostly aware of the connection to ‘underground’ music movements, particularly the strong DiY sentiment among Punks, although that is heavily influenced by the History of Rock and Roll class I took.  I was also very aware of its role among PC games, which are often heavily modified for free by independent and even solitary developers.

Questions:
1. Do you think that people are adopting a DiY opinion towards “Web 2.0″ features?  Or do you think that the prior article about the history of weblogs proves that people are not willing to participate until someone else takes care of the hard stuff (i.e. learning a programming language to create a website rather than just shoving your alphabet soup into a text box)?

Lulu.com

I had heard of lulu.com before, since journalism majors work primarily with writing at Ramapo College due to the lack of Radio Broadcast/Television Broadcast courses.  I find the idea of self-publishing very attractive, as I know that publishers can be difficult to deal with, but I am wary of sharing any of my work with the internet.  Sadly, I have heard from ‘industry insiders’ that established publishers look down very hard on self-publishing, and it seems hard to use self-publishing as more than a stepping stone, so I question how useful the service is, as I imagine most of the interest comes from within the community.

Questions:
1.  Do you have more respect or less respect for a writer who self-publishes?
2.  Would you consider using a self-publishing site such as lulu.com if you were a writer?  Why or why not?

Reply All Debate: Keen vs. Weinberger

I think both arguments in this debate were well represented and argued, although I think the base topic is fairly obvious and did not require much arguing: The internet reflects the rest of human society in that it is mostly full of pointless filler and distractions rather than worthwhile, productive discourse.  This does not mean that all communication should be ended, but it would be nice if people actively tried to behave intelligently and aid themselves and each other so as to better all of society.  They probably won’t though, and that is too bad.  Hardly worth fifty paragraphs of arguing.

I also think the idea that we were better off beforehand is massively flawed, as the benefits of this greater form of communication and collection of information far outweighs the mass of useless sites, pornography, malicious links and so forth.  I also liked that Keen and Weinberger mentioned that there are groups of knowledgable intellectuals on the internet, who are brought together as they never could be before the internet.

Questions:
1.  Do you think that “Web 2.0″ has exposed hidden experts to the world, or has it hidden experts behind the teeming masses of amateurs?

Assigned Readings for July 17

Metaforas: Elements of the Computer

As always, explanations of how technological marvels manage to function leave me somewhat dissatisfied. I was familiar with some, though not all of the material in this section, but I still feel that my understanding of computers is incomplete. The concept of a system of on/off switches controlling every computer function will always baffle me. Though it is less relevant to our class, one thing I found interesting was the section on analog and digital recording, as I never spent much time really analyzing the words or considering the differences between the two forms. The section regarding algorithms also piqued my interest, and it may inspire me to add a link to information on the computer game Spore currently in development, which is using procedural generation to create massive amounts of content out of teeny tiny data files.

Metaforas: Dialog

These articles deal with the way in which human beings interact, deal with problems and cope with difficulties. There is a partial focus on the importance of cultivating creativity and the ability to utilize knowledge rather than simply regurgitate it. Since this has long been my complaint about schools (before college anyway, and sometimes within it) I was relieved to see that there was criticism of modern educational systems.

I found the section on Love very humorous, if not very insightful; most of the entertainment comes from the quote “It is remarkable that after the so-called “dot-bomb,” … pornography was the most (and nearly the only) profitable endeavor on the Internet.” Partially because it speaks to the class and dignity of the human race, and also because that was not remarkable or surprising to anyone paying attention. Utilizing sex to make profits is always a good strategy, and there is clearly a huge demand considering just how much of the internet is devoted to pornography.

Questions
1. The internet allows nearly instantaneous communication across vast distances across the globe. At the same time, the internet is beginning to replace face-to-face dialog. Is the internet bringing the world closer together, or alienating its users from human contact?

2. Dating sites are becoming extremely popular among adults. Is this a pathetic sign of pervasive lacking social skills, or a brilliant solution to the difficulty of locating a place to socialize in the adult world (i.e. post-college/post-trade school/post-high school)?

3. Do you feel the current educational system in America is mostly focused on homogenization and the transfer of social codes and culture? Or is it designed to produce creative problem-solving and intelligence?

Nerds 2.0.1. Internet Timeline

This timeline had a wealth of information in it, and I only knew the gist of it before reading through. I knew that military development was the reason for the internet’s creation, but I was unaware how far the internet’s history traced back, nor how much historical significance it had. I was especially surprised at how much has even changed within our own lifetimes.

Wikiality Video Clip and Website

As always, Colbert is a riot and has once again manipulated his fans on the internet into generating content purely at his whim, which always has interesting results. The video does a good job of mocking the common sentiment that wikipedia is the default source of all truth, although the reverse sentiment (”wikipedia is always untrustworthy”) is just as irritating. Even beyond that, it speaks to the actual course of human history, in which many events are covered up, changed or removed as a result of the goals of those in power. The idea of popular vote deciding what is and is not considered true history is not all that radical, although stating it blatantly always makes it seem ridiculous.

Questions:

1. Does Wikipedia make it easier or more difficult to manipulate the public view of any given subject? Is it more useful as a repository of knowledge or a method of misleading or misinforming the user?

2. How does Steven Colbert’s method of engaging his audience differ from other hosts? Does he make good use of technology and take advantage of new forms of communication?

Assigned Readings for July 15, 2008

Metaforas; Circuit

This article was fairly interesting in its analysis of the growth of human networking, although I did find the beginning fairly confusing and aimless in just defining circuits without forming the central focus. It feels strange to take a step back and realize that all of these advents in communications technology are extremely recent in human history – we are among the first generations who truly live in an interconnected world, not purely by commerce or politics but now in all forms of interaction. As the article points out, we once had a relatively minuscule number of photographers creating ‘professional’ content with the entire rest of human civilization; with the rise of the internet and the creation of easy to use plug-and-play cameras with accompanying easy to use hosting sites, even a fledgling child photographer can share what he or she sees with the rest of the world.

I also found it interesting that the article established that economic development does not always mirror technological development – even with the creation of all of this spectacular technology, many do not have access to clean water, education, shelter or aid.

Questions:

1. Do you feel that technological development should have been placed on a back burner until greater global socioeconomic concerns are addressed?

2. Do you feel that the advances in communications technology could aid underdeveloped and struggling countries find the aid they desperately need?

Metaforas; World Brain

This article details the growing development of a collective repository of knowledge, compiled from the endless and ever changing supply and demand of information on the internet. Special attention is given to the subject of collections, which is especially interesting given that, as the article states, human beings are strange in their desire to collect things for social reasons.

Questions:
1. Is the idea of a growing collective consciousness innately good? Are there potential downsides to this open and free exchange of information?

2. If human beings truly are attaching the same meaning to online collections and entities that they do to those in the physical world, what changes would you expect to see in, say, online human interaction and in intellectual property laws? Will online relationships ever become as important as ‘real’ relationships? Are they already?

Here I Am Taking My Own Picture

This New York Times article by Alex Williams discusses the rise in popularity of self-taken photographs, especially on social networking sites. With cameras cheaper than ever before, new hardware and software that remove the need of the dark room, and the overwhelming success of cellphones it is amazingly easy to take photos of everything you see. Rather than using existing photographs, users are instead generating their own content specifically for personal use in forming an online identity.

Questions:

1. Do you agree that this self-taken picture phenomenon is a positive expression of self-esteem or ego? Do you find it more likely that teens are taking photographs of themselves because ‘each person takes better pictures of themselves than anyone else can because they know their own bodies, they know their own minds’ or do you think the refusal to use an already taken photo is an expression of self-doubt and a desire to mediate exactly what flaws are present and what features are seen?

2. Is this the result in a change in ideology and perspective among teens? Or merely the natural consequence of the rising availability of cameras, which are now cheaper than ever, extremely easy to process due to computer software, and packaged with cellphones?

3. The article touches on, but does not stress, the difference between using photography as art and using photography as purely a means of communication. Do you think that the ‘professional’ techniques and attention to mood and tone mean that the youth today are more in touch with artistic expression? Do users take photographs as a cry for attention, a form of self-expression, neither or both?

Readings: Social Networking Sites

Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace

In response to this article by Danah Boyd, I found myself agreeing with many of her statements regarding class and the inability to solidly define it in modern American society. There are many disputes and concerns over issues of race and gender that I think are better explained as complications of social stratification (and the necessary struggles contained therein).

At the same time I remain unconvinced that the demographics of facebook and myspace represent different social classes with any amount of rigidity, and the implication that social class is tied to high school cliques strikes me as misleading at best. Even if ‘freaks’ ‘geeks’ and other ’subaltern’ teens are more drawn to myspace (which I can believe for the sake of argument), my experiences with these subaltern groups does not lead me to assign them a universal class, nor to assign them a different class than the hegemonic teens.

On a personal level, I once agreed with the sentiment that myspace was absolutely awful to navigate and that the vast majority of profiles were hideous, but recent changes to facebook have destroyed its supposed aesthetic value. In that sense I found the comparison slightly outdated.

Questions:
1. In your experience, is myspace primarily for younger individuals or those who have not gone on to institutions of higher learning? Is Facebook still primarily for college students and the social ‘elite’ or has its change in policy resulted in a change of demographic?

2. Do you find a solid divide between myspace users and facebook users, or is there substantial crossover?

3. If this class divide does exist, is it largely a result of how the two sites began? For example, is Facebook’s origin as a site for college students the reason for its continued appeal to specific demographics?

Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?

This article, also by Danah Boyd, deals with the complications of putting private information available for public viewing, as well as the complications of dealing with this new technology and the lack of security in online dealings.

1. Had you considered the potential consequences of using social networking sites before reading this article?

2. If you have a social networking profile yourself, do you keep certain data private from certain users? Are you concerned that they could still locate that data?

3. Do you believe younger users should be restricted in their use of social networking sites? How young, and what restrictions? Should warnings be given to users uploading pictures and video?

Friend Game

This article, by Laura Collins, documents the events that led to the tragic suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meiers. Megan was manipulated into believing that a young boy liked her, by the parents of another teen operating a fake profile on the social networking site Myspace. The fabricated romance was then brought to an end through cruel communication between another teen posing as the boy and Megan, and her emotional distress over this breakup resulted in her suicide.

1. Should emotional abuse through the internet carry real-life ramifications for the abuser, seeing as the abused are clearly affected even though the interaction is less personal?

2. Should social networking sites take care to force users to prove their identities before creating an account? What are the potential positives and negatives of such a policy?