I can appreciate how Sherry Turkle's text discusses how MUDs may help some individuals work out their identity issues. Peter was able to portray his ideal self in virtual reality, a task which may have boosted his confidence and self esteem. Since he participated in virtual life, he was forced to deal with the ideas of identity. This act of self examination is not something that people tend to do as routine or habit. Some avoid these issues or are forced into therapy with some shrink in order to resolve forces associated with identity. I actually respect the concept of self examination presented in a game like format. In a way, it tricks the individual into addressing potentially deep-seated problems.
I have a very difficult time with the concepts presented in A Rape in Cyberspace. I can't even begin to imagine the act of physical rape compared to a rape in virtual reality. I agree that there are many instances when the aspects of virtual life and real life are equally rewarding, and therefore each can have aspects of pain and fear, but a picture of fire does not have the impact of the actual element. A dragon killed in virtual reality means nothing beyond entertainment. A gamer typing in sentiments such as " character A now raping character B" borders on the edge of ridiculous. A light breeze could even send it over.
I have serious doubts about survivors of virtual rape. I would love to see them in a group support session for survivors of physical rape. I'd even encourage them to tell their story to the group. Go on. It's alright to cry. Tell us a story of the rapist gamer, but don't expect sympathy. Expect anger and resentment because you have just wasted valuable time. There are other women here who have suffered such brutalization that they have nearly died. Their stories have impact. Your story has none. Your story has told us that you have such low self-esteem that you create drama and rape scenes so that you can say that you "survived" some horrible event.
I especially like Turkle's analogy of the ink blot test. This has been used in traditional therapy for years. In virtual reality, the ink moves and shifts around. You could even say that one projects a different personality at each log in. There is also the added advantage of not knowing what the correct answers are. It's therapy for the digital age, only it requires complete submersion. When participating in an ink blot test, the subject may say what he/she thinks the therapist wants to hear. They may even know the basics in the sense that ink blots never look like blood, corpses, or their mother. The ones that know how to play this game know that these are dangerous answers. This image of virtual reality is fascinating. Since the ink is never in the same pattern, this may even cause an evolution in unlikely traits such as emotions and personality. Concepts that were previously thought of as "hardwired" will have the ability to drift apart and even float back together in new ways.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Welcome to the Cult
In Leander Kahney's book, The Cult Of Ipod, the author discusses how culture has developed around the device. People have accepted it and integrated the Ipod into their lives. When it was first introduced, the Ipod was actually made from spare parts, a practice that is unusual for the Apple Corporation. The battery and motherboard were supplied from Toshiba and Texas instruments. The popularity of this device is due to the combination of seamless hardware and software.
The most interesting ideas in the book support Negroponte's statement that "bits are bits". Apple decided that instead of fighting the file sharing phenomenon, they would compete with it by offering legal and affordable mp3s via software called Itunes. While other corporations thought file-sharing was simply a fad, Steve Jobs knew that it was here to stay.
I'm not suprised that Apple took most of its hints from hackers, as far as the capabilities of the Ipod. Long before it was introduced on a PC platform, a hacker successfully wired his Ipod to cooperate with Windows. Once he figured this out, he wrote a program so that his friends could do the same thing. A 14 year old Canadian boy hacked IPod to display news headlines, while others managed to display logos, add calendars, and "to do" lists. Most of the new versions of the Ipod have a lot of these capabilities, a trend that had most people ditching their PDAs. As much as its inventor wants it to function, society's unquenchable thirst for entertainment, want it to work better.
The Ipod lets users carry entire music collections in their pockets. It has changed the way that music is listened to. In the age of vinyl, the aesthetic of an album was in the cover art and the lyrics. This aesthetic is gone but probably not missed. It was replaced by portability. The days in which an album was played from start to finish are also out the door. The dawn of the playlist has pushed our habits in a different direction. Users can now mix their favorite songs in their own order, a fact that makes anyone a d.j.
The author also discusses new forms of discrimination. Another category has now been added to race, wealth, background, and education level. He calls this new category "playlistism". Since everyone's personal music taste is in their back pocket, it's easy to discriminate against another individual based on their taste in music, or more specifically, their playlists. This has even lead to some people "posing" their music tastes or pruning playlists for prying eyes.
While the Ipod accessory business is booming, some have found other ways to complement their Ipod. There are several pieces of art that pay homage to it as well as titanium cases designed for the crush of subway transportation. Kahney points out that people are in love with the Ipod, and this love inspires imagination. Most people carry theirs everywhere they go, while some people have even been known to name theirs. Why shouldn't they name it? Plug an FM transmitter into it and it becomes cranky like a toddler. It can comfort like a close friend,or inspire like a mentor. I agree with Kahney that this small device has the potential to define culture even further.
The most interesting ideas in the book support Negroponte's statement that "bits are bits". Apple decided that instead of fighting the file sharing phenomenon, they would compete with it by offering legal and affordable mp3s via software called Itunes. While other corporations thought file-sharing was simply a fad, Steve Jobs knew that it was here to stay.
I'm not suprised that Apple took most of its hints from hackers, as far as the capabilities of the Ipod. Long before it was introduced on a PC platform, a hacker successfully wired his Ipod to cooperate with Windows. Once he figured this out, he wrote a program so that his friends could do the same thing. A 14 year old Canadian boy hacked IPod to display news headlines, while others managed to display logos, add calendars, and "to do" lists. Most of the new versions of the Ipod have a lot of these capabilities, a trend that had most people ditching their PDAs. As much as its inventor wants it to function, society's unquenchable thirst for entertainment, want it to work better.
The Ipod lets users carry entire music collections in their pockets. It has changed the way that music is listened to. In the age of vinyl, the aesthetic of an album was in the cover art and the lyrics. This aesthetic is gone but probably not missed. It was replaced by portability. The days in which an album was played from start to finish are also out the door. The dawn of the playlist has pushed our habits in a different direction. Users can now mix their favorite songs in their own order, a fact that makes anyone a d.j.
The author also discusses new forms of discrimination. Another category has now been added to race, wealth, background, and education level. He calls this new category "playlistism". Since everyone's personal music taste is in their back pocket, it's easy to discriminate against another individual based on their taste in music, or more specifically, their playlists. This has even lead to some people "posing" their music tastes or pruning playlists for prying eyes.
While the Ipod accessory business is booming, some have found other ways to complement their Ipod. There are several pieces of art that pay homage to it as well as titanium cases designed for the crush of subway transportation. Kahney points out that people are in love with the Ipod, and this love inspires imagination. Most people carry theirs everywhere they go, while some people have even been known to name theirs. Why shouldn't they name it? Plug an FM transmitter into it and it becomes cranky like a toddler. It can comfort like a close friend,or inspire like a mentor. I agree with Kahney that this small device has the potential to define culture even further.
| Kahney, Leander. The Cult of Ipod . 1st. San Fransisco: | |
| No Starch Press, 2005. | |
Being Digital
In Nicholas Negroponte's Being Digital, he discusses how bits used to be confined to one form of media or another. The FCC could tell a television bit from a radio bit. This helped with their regulations and so forth. Today however, a bit is a bit. Negroponte states that bits do not have to belong to a specific medium. I was especially interested in this chapter because I think that since Negroponte wrote this book in 1995, this has become our reality.
I think this fact has changed some of the hardware that we use as well. I have to agree with the author when he questions the lack of televisions that can be upgraded in the same way that a computer can. We are probably not far from that, at least I hope not. Televisions in general are becoming more fluid as we have seen with all of the HDTV supporting models in stores now. I understand the author when he says that our thirst for entertainment is never satisfied.
Since I am such a fan of Bit-torrents , I'm glad that bits are not confined to only one medium. I, along with a few friends, probably watch TV more on my computer than on an old fashioned television . I can download what I need and watch them at my own pace. The old fashioned notion of a program coming on at a specific time is never an issue. I also know people who watch films and television on their hand held device. One of my favorite gadgets is called Rover TV . Their slogan tells consumers that they are "changing the way we watch TV."
Even those that watch television from an actual TV set, now have Tivo, which has completely changed our approach to television. Tivo essentially provides freedom from scheduled programming. It also gives the user the option to record a favorite movie. I think that this reflects our society's willingness to explore other options instead of remaining dependent on old fashioned programming. Technology is adapting to us and many are enjoying the freedom of information. Bits have not only made this possible, but easy. The music and film industry are now seeing this, and they don't like it. The days when someone had to physically walk into a store and purchase a movie or music recording are gone. Most personal computers are powerful enough to obtain this information, share it, and even record it.
I think this fact has changed some of the hardware that we use as well. I have to agree with the author when he questions the lack of televisions that can be upgraded in the same way that a computer can. We are probably not far from that, at least I hope not. Televisions in general are becoming more fluid as we have seen with all of the HDTV supporting models in stores now. I understand the author when he says that our thirst for entertainment is never satisfied.
Since I am such a fan of Bit-torrents , I'm glad that bits are not confined to only one medium. I, along with a few friends, probably watch TV more on my computer than on an old fashioned television . I can download what I need and watch them at my own pace. The old fashioned notion of a program coming on at a specific time is never an issue. I also know people who watch films and television on their hand held device. One of my favorite gadgets is called Rover TV . Their slogan tells consumers that they are "changing the way we watch TV."
Even those that watch television from an actual TV set, now have Tivo, which has completely changed our approach to television. Tivo essentially provides freedom from scheduled programming. It also gives the user the option to record a favorite movie. I think that this reflects our society's willingness to explore other options instead of remaining dependent on old fashioned programming. Technology is adapting to us and many are enjoying the freedom of information. Bits have not only made this possible, but easy. The music and film industry are now seeing this, and they don't like it. The days when someone had to physically walk into a store and purchase a movie or music recording are gone. Most personal computers are powerful enough to obtain this information, share it, and even record it.
Essence of Technology
In the excerpt from Understanding Media, Mcluhan describes the shifts in technology. It is growing into the image of man as we explore ideas such as artificial intelligence and machines and gadgets that are designed for the human hand to hold or the mind to relate to. We are trying to guide technology to be more like us. If the content of the medium can be considered extensions of the self, then the essence of technology can also be considered extensions of mankind.
One of the most interesting ideas that I took from the Mcluhan piece was his perception of the light bulb. This is a medium, that the author states, "has no content". (p2) The light bulb however brings about the message of scale and opportunity within certain human interactions. It is true that this really points to the fact that the media is the message because the message in this example is so very clear. The activity doesn't matter. The scale is what is important, in the sense that much more is possible in the light.
Since the light bulb, there are more opportunities for human interactions after the sun sets. We are no longer dependent on daylight. An example of this in the corporate world would be that businesses have the opportunity to keep running, as well as keep employees working, after dark. This gave way to concepts such as "the graveyard shift" a term that we would have never heard without electricity and light. The light bulb forces people to recognize how much activity would be lost without it.
It is also interesting to examine the scale of activity. One example of this, which Mcluhan touched on, is surgery. Surgeons can see so much more of the inner workings of the human body than ever before. Light attached to a camera provides a technique for diagnosing problems with much less risk of complication than the method of cutting and opening up major organs. Many surgeons prefer endoscopy when possible. It is much less traumatic than major surgery.
I have never reflected on Shakespeare's line from Romeo and Juliet, but it very well could be referring to a television set. The author is right. That light from the window does speak, but it doesn't say anything. Television has evolved to flat screens and high resolution displays. When a newer T.V. is placed next to an old model my first reaction is confusion. I momentarily want to ask, "what is that strange looking box thing?" They are adapting and being more like us. The flat screens are easier to live with. We even center them on walls like high-end artwork. They entertain and distract without taking up too much of our space. We become surly when our technology invades our space.
I think Marshall Mcluhan would agree with Chuck Palahniuk. In his novel Lullaby, he says: "The sound shivers through the walls, through the table, through the window frame, and into my finger. These distraction-oholics. These focus-ophobics. Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn't watching. He's singing and dancing. He's pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you're awake. He's making sure you're always distracted. He's making sure you're fully absorbed. He's making sure your imagination withers. Until it's as useful as your appendix. He's making sure your attention is always filled. And this being fed, it's worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what's in your mind. With everyone's imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world." I also think this can be said about any technology. When the medium is the message, this seems to be a sure way to have man fully involved in finding new technology to work with. I say this because it is never enough. As a society we are never satisfied.
The medium will always taunt man. It constantly tests our boundaries. It demands that we look, wake-up, and pay attention. It constantly poses the question: If this is a medium, then what else can we use to get our message across? Anything could be used. You could arrange Furbies by color to create an homage to Matisse if you wanted to. That is of course a lavish example, but I think that with all of the possibilities that technology offers, the old standards of the various humanities will be challenged. This is a great concept. Art and culture need to grow with us and become a part of us. It would be no use to man to have all of our art stuffed away in some museum. How will we use it as extensions of ourselves when it is locked away like a toy you can't play with?
One of the most interesting ideas that I took from the Mcluhan piece was his perception of the light bulb. This is a medium, that the author states, "has no content". (p2) The light bulb however brings about the message of scale and opportunity within certain human interactions. It is true that this really points to the fact that the media is the message because the message in this example is so very clear. The activity doesn't matter. The scale is what is important, in the sense that much more is possible in the light.
Since the light bulb, there are more opportunities for human interactions after the sun sets. We are no longer dependent on daylight. An example of this in the corporate world would be that businesses have the opportunity to keep running, as well as keep employees working, after dark. This gave way to concepts such as "the graveyard shift" a term that we would have never heard without electricity and light. The light bulb forces people to recognize how much activity would be lost without it.
It is also interesting to examine the scale of activity. One example of this, which Mcluhan touched on, is surgery. Surgeons can see so much more of the inner workings of the human body than ever before. Light attached to a camera provides a technique for diagnosing problems with much less risk of complication than the method of cutting and opening up major organs. Many surgeons prefer endoscopy when possible. It is much less traumatic than major surgery.
I have never reflected on Shakespeare's line from Romeo and Juliet, but it very well could be referring to a television set. The author is right. That light from the window does speak, but it doesn't say anything. Television has evolved to flat screens and high resolution displays. When a newer T.V. is placed next to an old model my first reaction is confusion. I momentarily want to ask, "what is that strange looking box thing?" They are adapting and being more like us. The flat screens are easier to live with. We even center them on walls like high-end artwork. They entertain and distract without taking up too much of our space. We become surly when our technology invades our space.
I think Marshall Mcluhan would agree with Chuck Palahniuk. In his novel Lullaby, he says: "The sound shivers through the walls, through the table, through the window frame, and into my finger. These distraction-oholics. These focus-ophobics. Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn't watching. He's singing and dancing. He's pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you're awake. He's making sure you're always distracted. He's making sure you're fully absorbed. He's making sure your imagination withers. Until it's as useful as your appendix. He's making sure your attention is always filled. And this being fed, it's worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what's in your mind. With everyone's imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world." I also think this can be said about any technology. When the medium is the message, this seems to be a sure way to have man fully involved in finding new technology to work with. I say this because it is never enough. As a society we are never satisfied.
The medium will always taunt man. It constantly tests our boundaries. It demands that we look, wake-up, and pay attention. It constantly poses the question: If this is a medium, then what else can we use to get our message across? Anything could be used. You could arrange Furbies by color to create an homage to Matisse if you wanted to. That is of course a lavish example, but I think that with all of the possibilities that technology offers, the old standards of the various humanities will be challenged. This is a great concept. Art and culture need to grow with us and become a part of us. It would be no use to man to have all of our art stuffed away in some museum. How will we use it as extensions of ourselves when it is locked away like a toy you can't play with?
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