I didn’t find this article very interesting. We sort of touched upon the topic of Second Life already, but I learned that you could actually profit from the game? It’s a possible incentive but the “residents” seem to invest more than just a way to make money.

Question:

Do you see the appeal to playing the game as a way to make a few extra bucks?

“Machinima”

Machinima is the use of real-time 3-D graphics rendering engines to generate computer animations. This technique can be seen in most video games today. It’s an interesting concept that it is recorded in real time and real people can act and control the camera.

Question:

What do you think of the machinima?

“Virtual Iraq”

I think this is a great idea. This nonconventional therapy tactic is proven to be very helpful, especially with the soldiers suffering from PTSD. These soldiers are then able to talk openly about their problems which can lead to recovery

Question:

Should Virtual Iraq continue?

“Metaforas”

This article was long, dry, and boring. Like usual with the Metaforas readings, I can barely focus and process what I’m reading. I’m not entirely sure what the main idea was. A quote that stuck out in the article and captured my attention was, “Our creative endeavors fall into different categories based on how they exist in space and time. If you look at it while standing still, it’s a painting. If you move around it, it’s a sculpture. If you pass it around, it’s a snapshot. If you live in it, it’s architecture.”

Question:

What did you think of the article?

Goldilocks is now signed on

Goldilocks became a fan of “I hate too hot/too cold porridge”

Goldilocks is I love just right temperature porridge!

Goldilocks is sleepy

Goldilocks became a fan of “I hate too hard/too soft beds”

Goldilocks found a perfect bed in the house

Goldilocks is now offline

Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear are now online

Papa Bear has a bad feeling

Mama Bear is hungry for porridge

Baby Bear became a fan of “I Hate Stupid Girls Who Think It’s OK To Sleep in My Bed”

This article was interesting because it talked about the idea of writing stories on a cell phone. The woman featured in the article found it easier to write this way and she just wrote the same way she texts. There was a website that allowed people to upload their stories and let others post feedback. The only downfalls, which are quite major, are: the subject matter is predictable, sparse dialogue and description, and lacks diversity.

Question:

Do you think this will catch on in America?

“Cross-Platform Storytelling”

This article talked about the idea of interactive television. I find this to be an interesting idea because many people aren’t satisfied with the 30-60 minutes they spend watching their favorite shows. I think it would be a lucrative idea to mesh audience with digital interaction with the characters.

Question:

How would you like to interact with your favorite character?

“We Tell Stories”

I think this is a fresh, new take on producing new forms of readings. It was interesting to see that this technology wasn’t readily available even two years ago.

“Metaforas”

I wasn’t sure what this article was saying. From what I read, the author stated that we understand our lives as stories. Narrative is the foundation for the creation of culture.

It was interesting to read that Utah has Politicopia which is a wiki that citizens can update and influence the legislature. Internet occupancy has now become a way to connect to citizens when it comes to politics. Obama has more friends on FB and followers on Twitter than McCain. This probably had an influence on why Obama got elected. “Technology has undoubtedly transformed the campaigns.”

Question:

If McCain had more of a presence online, would his chances of being elected would have been increased?

“Obama Uses Text Messages”

In this “interview” (?) the founder of Tech President said that at an Obama convention, people could text a number as a way to be inundated with texts about Obama, but you would have to send a confirmation text message before they send you the messages.

Question:

Would you have wanted to recieve text messages about your candidate of choice?

“How Much is YouTube Worth To Obama and McCain?”

This article contained a bunch of numbers and talked about how having this free media as a way to spread the campaign was more beneficial to Obama. But the article agreed that TV is still the preferred choice. YouTube seems to glamorize the candidates where as TV makes a better attempt at telling the people how it really is.

Question:

Can any candidate afford to ignore YouTube in the future?

“The Daily Me”

I didn’t really understand this article but it suggested having an idea that we could choose what kind of news we wanted to hear, read, or see. It also talked about the growing power of consumers to filter what they see. (1. Expose to unplanned material. 2. Range of common experiences.) Filtering is inevitable.

Question:

Would you want to customize your own news or do you like having the diversity that broadcast news offers?

1. So far, I have not started working on my final project, especially this week due to a family member being in the hospital.

2. This week I plan to come up with 5-10 interview questions that I will ask a few friends. I will also look up and read articles on my topic and begin narrowing in on a thesis.

3. I guess my only real concern is time management and how to deal with this and all the work I have with other classes.

4. Only surprise is how fast this month is going. :/

Digital images have been manipulated and enhanced for many years. Photographers have used techniques such as burning (overexposing) and dodging (underexposing) portions of an image to artificially emphasize parts of an image. What we see today is affected by what we’ve seem, heard, or read about in the past. We think something should look a certain way, so we “see” is that way. We must learn to make sense of what we see. Our perception of reality is also affected by the images we are exposed to.

I didn’t really understand the article about space so it was hard to pay attention. Scientists and most people understand concepts and structures more quickly and thoroughly when they can be visualized. Space images may be “improved” to more closely render the information. The main purpose is to make images easier to understand. Color is used to make images readable (ex. MRI’s and CAT scans).

The main goal of the Sims is surburbian conquest in its rawest form. There are two types of players. There are the highly driven players who are obsessed with making their Sims wealthy and owning businesses and clubs. There are also the players who’s sole purpose of playing is to create and build intimacies and relationships.

Questions:

1. I only applied to two schools, Ramapo and Rutgers, both of which I was able to visit. I can confidently say that the published materials from either school had no bearing at all whether I applied or attended. Diversity was not a concern for me when looking at colleges.

2. I don’t agree that it is “talking down” to minorities but I do agree that it is wrong to doctor images for the sake of diversity. I do believe there is an ethical difference between posing a picture versus digitally manipulating a photo. I think it is more ethically incorrect to physically have a group of people, who wouldn’t normally sit together, pose together and appear as if they had all intentionally sat together, while obliviously exposing the schools overabundance of diversity. I do not agree that the schools should digitally manipulate these photos, but when physically dealing with the people and having them pose in unnatural situations, I find that to be entirely more offensive. While both situations are wrong, I think the digital manipulation of the photo is more morally reprehensible because it is extremely unfair that the photo would show these group of people sitting together when they never did, without the people’s awareness. I think it is worse that they did not receive any approval or acceptance from the photographed people, making the digital manipulation more morally reprehensible.

3. I don’t find it acceptable for institutions to “construct” images of diversity but it will happen anyway. I do think it is a problem and schools should not use this as a resort to sell their schools diversity. It is truly a lie to prospective students and could hurt the school in the long run. Once people know about what the school did, people will talk about it and future students would be less inclined to apply. But, there are some students who won’t be offended by what the school did and will have no problem applying to the school. Nonetheless, the schools who have joined in on this practice are obviously scattering for some sort of answer to students and parents who question their diversity. Personally, I think they just took the easy way out.

4. Is there another way that schools could show their diversity?

“I Was There. Just Ask Photoshop.”

Nowadays, people are able to remove or add people to photographs and alter the evidence photographs once provided. Pictures used to provide this documentary truth, but now with programs like Photoshop and Adobe, people are able to manipulate photos in all sorts of ways. I agree with they psychologist at the end of the article. That is important to accept both the ugly and pretty images and to change the photos is inviting self-deception. It is not how you really look, so why would you want to be someone your not. I understand how it can be useful when it came to the example of the woman who had herself and her deceased father photoshopped together because she did not have a photo of them together. I just don’t see how having someone drastically retouch photos is a good idea.

Question:

Would you like to have your Facebook profile picture digitally enhanced in Photoshop?

This article discusses the widespread, violent saga video game, Grand Theft Auto, or as my 5 year old cousin likes to call “Shoot The Cops.” The author doesn’t deny the severity of the game. He talks about how the main character CJ and how the people who play this game seem to have some sort of character identification (the desire to identify with what we are not). They try and live vicariously through the main player and indulge in desires the society deems immoral and illegal. There is sort of desublimation, a return to our basest desires which are then given release by roleplaying in a virtual domain, similar to what Aristotle identified as the cathartic function of tragic drama. He defines “the other” as foreign and incomprehensible, an object to be treated with charity or contempt but always at a distance.

Narralotolgist: the story of the game is the most important aspect; game fosters identification with the protagonist.

Ludologist: what the character does and how the character does it is more important than the story.

Question:

Do you agree with the author that the violent game shouldn’t be banned, but that we should learn from it and even try to enjoy it?

“Ridiculous Life Lessons From New Girl Games”

I found this satirical blog entry to be both humorous and true. I’m actually astonished that these games exist. It was interesting how the author compared the outcomes of these games to the outcomes of young boys who play Grand Theft Auto. I liked how they had the section that described what the child learned from playing the game. The games are so simple and therefore so noneducational. There was the one game that showed girl’s playing more activities, but because it’s not make-up or dresses, it’s highly unlikely young girls will be drawn to it.

Question:

Do you think these games have the effect on young girls that the blog states they will?

“Is This Man Cheating On His Wife?”

I’ve never really understood what Second Life was until I went to the website and watched the 30 second clip that invited users to join the network as a place to build relationships, work, build business, go on vacations, etc. As an ex-avid Sims player I found the game to be a little enticing, but from past experiences, I knew if I were ever to be involved in this kind of game again it would be goodbye to school work and sleep. These kinds of game really do begin to replace real life relationships with virtual ones. In the case of this couple, I don’t think his is cheating on his wife, but he’s cheating them both out of what could be a great marriage. He spends an amazing amount of time on this game. He puts so much effort into existing on the game and it doesn’t include his wife. I feel bad for his wife because she is, in a sense, left widowed. With all the effort he puts into this game, I wonder how successful he could be if what he did in his virtual life, he did in reality. He would be able to own dance clubs, coffee shops and be able to make a lot of money. But, like thousands of other users, he subjected to sitting behind a computer screen living out the life he so desperately wants.

Question:

Have you ever played Second Life? If not, would you want to?

“Cyborg Ancestry”

Cyborg- cybernetic organism. It was described as the augmentation of human beings with artificial devices. I wasn’t too sure what this article was saying. It talked about how someone received  insulin drips and a pacemaker as examples of advances in cybernetics.

Question:

What do you think the next advances in cybernetics will be?

“Better Vision, With A Telescope Inside the Eye”

I think this advancement would be very beneficial for older people and those with the disease. Although the percentage who can get the procedure (20 out of 100) isn’t very much, those who get the surgery adapt very well. This is a perfect example of how advancements in technology have a positive impact on our society. The ability to have this telescope inserted into the eye itself, the people’s ability to read faces will greatly improve. Overall, the procedure will greatly improve one’s quality of life.

Question:

Do you think in the future, we’ll be able to make the blind see?

“Filmmaker Plans to Shoot with Tiny Camera in Eye”

I think it would be really interesting to watch an entire movie that is shot from a camera from someone’s eye. He would consider himself a “human surveillance machine”. He also discussed the weirdness factor of having this camera in his eye. He mentioned how people might feel paranoid because they wouldn’t know if he’s filming or not.

Question:

Would you hang out with a friend who had a hidden camera on themselves? If yes, would you like to know when you were being filmed/would you act differently in front of the camera?

“Twitter Telepathy”

This article discusses the advancements in technology in which a tweet can be sent through telepathy. The person wears some sort of neurotransmitter (?) which then spells out words and posts the messages on Twitter. Brain-computer interfaces are used worldwide.

Question:

Would you be interested in using a brain-computer interface?

“In Korea, A Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession”

This article talks about the internet problem in South Korea. The country’s youth is dangerously absorbed with the internet and these young people are spending a ridiculous amount of time online. They exhibit symptoms of withdrawal if they are denied log in, like a drug addict or alcoholic has withdrawals. These kids, start missing school and missing out on critical social situations. The government quickly recognized this problem and instituted programs in hospitals and even a “boot camp”, where the children were constantly watched and were put through different physical challenges. I found this to be a different, yet seemingly effective take on how to handle internet addiction.

Question:

Do you think America will ever have boot camps for internet addiction?

Lifeblogging- the idea that you constantly record your life either/or images and audio. Audio seems to have more legal problems. Example of how it would be beneficial: Health (used as a way to help strengthen Alzheimer’s patients memory. Example of how it would be detrimental: There are some things you don’t want to remember (a bad fight with a spouse or having to take your child to the hospital). The notion of lifeblogging is interesting but just doesn’t seem feasible. We are already overflowing with information, I feel that this information is considered somewhat useless. I understand the sentimental value of capturing your child’s first word, but there comes a point where you cherish the memories you did have the chance to capture. You shouldn’t have to rely on a recording machine that you would have to filter out all the unimportant audio which would take a lot of time.

Question:

How long do you think you’d be able to lifeblog continuously?

Do you see more pros or cons when it comes to lifeblogging?

“Google Docs”

Allows multiple people to edit a document from any location that has internet.

“Good Copy, Bad Copy”

DJ (Girl Talk) thanked all the artists he used on his album which remixed a plethora of songs. He said he’s simply trying to make music. He goes onto say how we are bombarded by media and it leads us, almost forces us to make the media into an art form (painter example). Sampling- taking part of a song and turning into something different; leads to copyright infringement. The product can be seen as different because its highly manipulated which changes the context. “If you sample, you license.” The DJ Danger Mouse combined the Beatles album with Jay-Z’s Black album. No profit was made, but the product was distributed all over the internet.

Piracy is the unauthorized taking or theft of an intellectual property without compensation. A facilitator is like a search engine; coordinates mass download and exchange of pirated content between downloaders; the major businesses lose over $6 million a year because of piracy. Pirate Bay- Sweden based business that provided downloadable movies. When they were taken down by the police the creators were very upset. They felt that the piracy laws of America do not stretch worldwide.

Creative Commons- allows artists to choose how freely their work can be used. In Nigeria over 1200 movies were produced because there are NO copyright laws there. Copyright=the incentive to create on your own. The major businesses, especially music industry, needs to rethink how to sell their records; it’s hard to compete with free.

This was a documentary discussing the current state of copyright, piracy, and free culture.

Question:

Do you feel that copyright laws are enough incentives to create on your own?

How do you think the music industry can reintroduce the selling of records?

“Jennifer Ringley”

She created Jennicam that recorded her life. People were able to view her daily activities. She even exhibited sexual activities. It was an example of how surveillance because exciting. I think the article said she kept up the website for seven years, but also added a component where people could pay to continue to view her life through a webcam.

“Facebook Beacon”

Beacon- track the activities of Facebook users on more than forty-four participating websites and report those activities back to the user’s Facebook friends, unless specifically told not to do so. The purposes are to deliver targeted messages and keep up with the tracking but following users even if logged off.

“Facebook Quizzes Quiz”

They can see almost everything you share on Facebook even its set to private. When friends take a quiz, the quiz has access to your information. There really is no protection. Privacy rights mean nothing. People need to demand that Facebook upgrades its privacy controls.

“Facebook Privacy/ Security Guide”

This article goes through each privacy setting that Facebook offers and suggests what you should set it as.

“Facebook Fail”

Suggestions: 1. Segment your friends into lists. 2. Adjust how people you don’t know view your profile. 3. Delegate your “real” friends, your online buddies, coworkers, and families into different groups.

Questions:

What are your feelings about the Facebook Beacon program?

Do you feel that Facebook settings are important?

“A Load of Twitter”

Twitter has 6 million users. Obama has 265,970 followers and Jesus Christ has 33 accounts. Twittering stems from a lack of identity; constant update of who you are, proving that you’re alive, tweets are a series of symbols.

“Twittering Tips for Beginners”

1. You can be inundated with tweets in numerous ways= different applications.

2. Followers can respond publicly or privately.

3. People can be snobs; you can be criticized for not following enough others on Twitter.

“When Stars Twitter, A Ghost May Be Lurking”

I feel this is an understood concept. That when stars update their Twitter, it usually isn’t them. It is usually someone else twittering for them. It becomes and important marketing tool.

Questions

Do you use Twitter? Why or why not?

Are you phased by updates by famous actors or actresses?

“I Know What You Did Last Math Class”

ParentConnect and other softwares like it allow parents to read updated reports about their children. They can see class attendance, missed assignments, and grades. The downsides are stress for the child as well as increased family tension.

“GPS Technology”

An option parents have that are installed into their teens phones and can track their child’s whereabouts as well as how fast they are driving. Many parents obviously see all the positives this idea offers but teens are left angry and less trusting of their parents.

Question

When and if you have children, what kind of programs do you think we will have? Will there be more advanced softwares of such programs like ParentConnect?

How would you react if you found out your parents had installed a GPS tracking system in your phone.