Cyberpolitics: The Practicallitys in Relation to Time Travel.
The following question was taken from the lecture notes Re: RELATIVITY & TWINS IN SPACE THEORY:
"Suppose you were one of a set of twins and you got into a super-fast rocket and went off into space, and came back ten earth years later. If you traveled at close to the speed of light, what would have been ten earth years for earth would only have been about five earth years for you. So when you get back you will have aged less. You would be five years younger than your twin. This is relativity at its best (and simplest). It is only relative to your twin that you will live longer, by your own frame of reference you still will not live any longer. "
I have a twin sister so this theory interested me a great deal. It very much simplfied idea of relativity and is an easy way to explain it. But you must consider the variables of diet etc to factor in any anti-ageing properties if you want to really be pedantic. Also if I was the 'earth twin' (which i would definitely volenteer to be as the idea of space travel does not appeal to me in the slightest) I would most certainly be condsidering botox or some sort of anti-ageing regime just to fool everyone. Also, i would rather spend 10 years ageing on earth, enjoying my life as apposed to spending a lonely age-free decade in the solitudes of space...
I also understand this repsonse has absolutley no accademic merrit whatsoever...
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
WEEK 9 Tutorial Task
Difference between MSN and Active Worlds:
Are there things that are possible in one space that are not possible in the other? Could you think of where this sort of application might lead us?
Msn allows you to chat to friends anywhere in the world using personlised text, a display photo and also enables to to send and share files and pictures etc. Both programs are similiar in there function that you can converse with others quite effectively in a chat room type setting. One obvious difference between the two is that Active Worlds allows you to explore a 3D environment and in essense physically socialise with other people and their avatars. Whereas MSN conversations are limited to coloured text or the use of emoticons. Both are great ways of communicating with friends however I much prefer using MSN. I can understand the appeal of Active Worlds to younger kids or preteens because of the 'game-like' factor, but for the more mature chatter, MSN does the job just fine.
As i mentioned in my online essay, programs like Active Worlds are alreay being used ot help people with socialising disorders such as Aspergers Syndrome. Chatrooms like this are teaching socialising skills that can be used in real life situations.
Are there things that are possible in one space that are not possible in the other? Could you think of where this sort of application might lead us?
Msn allows you to chat to friends anywhere in the world using personlised text, a display photo and also enables to to send and share files and pictures etc. Both programs are similiar in there function that you can converse with others quite effectively in a chat room type setting. One obvious difference between the two is that Active Worlds allows you to explore a 3D environment and in essense physically socialise with other people and their avatars. Whereas MSN conversations are limited to coloured text or the use of emoticons. Both are great ways of communicating with friends however I much prefer using MSN. I can understand the appeal of Active Worlds to younger kids or preteens because of the 'game-like' factor, but for the more mature chatter, MSN does the job just fine.
As i mentioned in my online essay, programs like Active Worlds are alreay being used ot help people with socialising disorders such as Aspergers Syndrome. Chatrooms like this are teaching socialising skills that can be used in real life situations.
WEEK 9
Cyberpunk developed as a reaction against the over-blown and predominantly safe stories of 'space opera'.
Recurring themes of this genre were typically:
- the future is revolutionized by the networked computer
- 'cyberspace' is the matrix of electronic data in those networks
- global corporations eclipse government as the source of power
- power depends on information rather than money or arms
- the 'sprawl' is the jerry-built mega-city that covers most of the world and where those not employed by corporations struggle to survive
- sim-stim (simulated stimulation) is a new entertainment format that plays directly into the body so you experience the world though the stars? senses and emotions
- the merging of organic and mechanical elements in the human body
- the malleability of human identity
The movie the matrix was used as an example, and follows many of these recurring themes.
I have already written about the matrix and my views in relation to technology already so refer to previous blogs for my thoughts on that.
This movie also works with the idea of cities as machines:
- the city is a machine for living ... it creates human lifejust as humans create it
- the city is a natural thing, created by natural beings (humans)just as bee-hives and ant nests are created by natural beings
- the city is a living being ... a cyborg which combines humantissue with synthetic infrastructure.
Recurring themes of this genre were typically:
- the future is revolutionized by the networked computer
- 'cyberspace' is the matrix of electronic data in those networks
- global corporations eclipse government as the source of power
- power depends on information rather than money or arms
- the 'sprawl' is the jerry-built mega-city that covers most of the world and where those not employed by corporations struggle to survive
- sim-stim (simulated stimulation) is a new entertainment format that plays directly into the body so you experience the world though the stars? senses and emotions
- the merging of organic and mechanical elements in the human body
- the malleability of human identity
The movie the matrix was used as an example, and follows many of these recurring themes.
I have already written about the matrix and my views in relation to technology already so refer to previous blogs for my thoughts on that.
This movie also works with the idea of cities as machines:
- the city is a machine for living ... it creates human lifejust as humans create it
- the city is a natural thing, created by natural beings (humans)just as bee-hives and ant nests are created by natural beings
- the city is a living being ... a cyborg which combines humantissue with synthetic infrastructure.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Online Essay
By Kate Hickson s2172798 New Communications Technologies Online EssayAssessment 1
Online Video Games: Blurring the lines between virtual and reality.
In this age of technology, the thin line between what is real and what is artificial is slowly becoming even more distorted. With computer graphics and physics looking more realistic than ever, it is clear that game creators are attempting to make gaming experiences as close to life as possible. In recent years, since the boom of the internet, there has been a great increase in gamers participating in online games that consume their time and in most instances their money as well. Most, if not all, online role-playing games require players to pay a monthly fee to take part in a virtual world typically with a science fiction or fantasy theme. They create a character and spend hours going on adventures in a computerized landscape, gathering items and gaining experience points the longer they play.
The reality and substantiality of online gaming is highly debatable as the interactions between online players are indeed real but the environments and scenarios they play in are not. Phycologists argue that although online games do not present an accurate representation of reality itself, they have been found to allow users to expand their emotional range by exploring the many different roles including gender identities, differed physical abilities, age and class. In essence, many real-life skills or emotions can be learnt and experienced from this past time that is often seen as highly un-sociable.
This is exceptionally true with a game developed to help those living with Aspergers Syndrome which is essentially an inability to socialise. The online game especially created for sufferers helps them gain real-life socialising skills. "Brigadoon", as it is called, is a real-world experiment in social skills made virtual. It comprises of a private commune limited to a select assortment of caregivers and individuals with Aspergers Syndrome, who are free to live a virtual life with a high degree of social interaction.
The inhabitants of Brigadoon are able to create their own digital characters of themselves, called "avatars," build virtual houses and search for friends. And, most importantly, they are free to generate a "second life" with a level of group interaction that, for reasons of their condition, has been hard to acquire in their actual lives.
According to Tom Luftus, author of ‘Virtual world teaches real-world skills,’ there is so much value in developing and enriching personal relationships and becoming a part of the social order. While video games can be educational and enjoyable, their reputation as an introverted activity can present an obstacle to progress for people with autistic disorders by restricting their exposure to social situations.
Luftus also notes that researchers are concerned that playing video games could simply become one of the many repetitive activities that an affected child engages in. However, he believes if used accurately, this video game technology could be useful and constructive to an autistic child’s development. Children with autism have a natural inclination to video games and television, with Brigadoon’s aim being to exploit that inclination therapeutically.
While some online games are praised by phycologists and doctors alike, there are others that exploit children and gamers in a completely different way. Increasingly popular online role-playing games have created a shadow economy in which the lines between the real world and the virtual world are getting blurred. More than 20 million people play these games worldwide, according to Edward Castronova, an economics professor at Indiana University. He believes gamers spend and consume more than $200 million a year on virtual merchandise. Gamers, on the other hand, fully justify this, as anyone would spending money on their favourite pastime. However, as the goods are virtual and are not tangible objects, it begs the question what are you really paying for? Are you are paying for pixels on a screen or for hours of fun with your purchased item? Well technically that is for the gamer to decide and validate in their own mind. Buying online goods for your avatar is so popular however, that an exchange-rate calculator for the virtual world has also been established to convert real-world currency into virtual dollars.
According to Mike Musgrove, author of Online Gaming Merges Problems into Reality - Virtual Games Create a Real World Market, as such items acquire appeal and value, real-world dilemmas are manifesting into the virtual world. In a bizarre incident in China this year, Kristin Kalning, author of ‘Forget reality TV in Korea, online gaming is it’ tells of a man who was stabbed to death for selling a virtual sword that belonged to someone else. She also write of a student in Japan, arrested for producing a software hack that murdered and robbed other characters in Lineage II, a game with nearly 4 million subscribers worldwide. On a lighter note however, a surprising 33% of online gamers have also admitted to participating in an online wedding between their avatars.
Musgrove also suggests that when virtual worlds pose threats to people in the real world, the craze of online gaming may have overstepped the barrier. While these isolated incidents are a rarity, games are only getting increasingly more popular and with new people subscribing each day, it is likely more incidents could occur in the future. In an equally peculiar trend, online military themed video games have been attributed to preparing troops for real-life battle. As Jose Vargas, write for the Washington Post suggests, many soldiers in the 276th Engineer Battalion claimed playing PlayStations and XBoxes in their army barracks desensitised them during battle as it felt like it was “just a big video game.” Such games as Halo 2 and Full Spectrum Warrior prepared soldiers for battle by enabling them to play in realistic scenarios and essentially become desensitised to battle. Charles Swales, a 28- year-old American combat engineer in Iraq, claimed that fighting insurgents was comparable to Halo and similar first person shooter games. He also said “it didn’t faze me” when referring to performing an air strike which he adds “didn’t seem real” and was “just like playing Halo”.
Whether online games are desensitising our minds or expanding them with skills and sociability, the never ending debate between gamers and cynics alike will not end because it is simply a matter of opinion. There is no harm in using such games for entertainment purposes, but when they begin to completely consume your life, it is only obvious that consequences are bound to arise. It comes back to that saying, if nothing else, that everything is good for you in moderation.
Web References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17175353/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7012645/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/16/AR2005091602083_2.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021302437.html
Academic References:
Musgrove, Mike 2005, ‘Online gaming merges problems into reality -
Virtual Games Create A Real World Market,’ Washington Post, September 17, 2005; Page A01.
Vargas, Jose Antonio 2006 ‘Virtual Reality Prepares Soldiers for Real War,’ Washington Post, February 14, 2006; Page A01.
Luftus, Tom, 2005 ‘Virtual world teaches real-world skills’ - Game helps people with Asperger's practice socializing, MSNBC, February 25th.
Kalning, Kristin 2007 ‘Forget reality TV. In Korea, online gaming is it,’ Games editor MSNBC, February 21st.
Online Video Games: Blurring the lines between virtual and reality.
In this age of technology, the thin line between what is real and what is artificial is slowly becoming even more distorted. With computer graphics and physics looking more realistic than ever, it is clear that game creators are attempting to make gaming experiences as close to life as possible. In recent years, since the boom of the internet, there has been a great increase in gamers participating in online games that consume their time and in most instances their money as well. Most, if not all, online role-playing games require players to pay a monthly fee to take part in a virtual world typically with a science fiction or fantasy theme. They create a character and spend hours going on adventures in a computerized landscape, gathering items and gaining experience points the longer they play.
The reality and substantiality of online gaming is highly debatable as the interactions between online players are indeed real but the environments and scenarios they play in are not. Phycologists argue that although online games do not present an accurate representation of reality itself, they have been found to allow users to expand their emotional range by exploring the many different roles including gender identities, differed physical abilities, age and class. In essence, many real-life skills or emotions can be learnt and experienced from this past time that is often seen as highly un-sociable.
This is exceptionally true with a game developed to help those living with Aspergers Syndrome which is essentially an inability to socialise. The online game especially created for sufferers helps them gain real-life socialising skills. "Brigadoon", as it is called, is a real-world experiment in social skills made virtual. It comprises of a private commune limited to a select assortment of caregivers and individuals with Aspergers Syndrome, who are free to live a virtual life with a high degree of social interaction.
The inhabitants of Brigadoon are able to create their own digital characters of themselves, called "avatars," build virtual houses and search for friends. And, most importantly, they are free to generate a "second life" with a level of group interaction that, for reasons of their condition, has been hard to acquire in their actual lives.
According to Tom Luftus, author of ‘Virtual world teaches real-world skills,’ there is so much value in developing and enriching personal relationships and becoming a part of the social order. While video games can be educational and enjoyable, their reputation as an introverted activity can present an obstacle to progress for people with autistic disorders by restricting their exposure to social situations.
Luftus also notes that researchers are concerned that playing video games could simply become one of the many repetitive activities that an affected child engages in. However, he believes if used accurately, this video game technology could be useful and constructive to an autistic child’s development. Children with autism have a natural inclination to video games and television, with Brigadoon’s aim being to exploit that inclination therapeutically.
While some online games are praised by phycologists and doctors alike, there are others that exploit children and gamers in a completely different way. Increasingly popular online role-playing games have created a shadow economy in which the lines between the real world and the virtual world are getting blurred. More than 20 million people play these games worldwide, according to Edward Castronova, an economics professor at Indiana University. He believes gamers spend and consume more than $200 million a year on virtual merchandise. Gamers, on the other hand, fully justify this, as anyone would spending money on their favourite pastime. However, as the goods are virtual and are not tangible objects, it begs the question what are you really paying for? Are you are paying for pixels on a screen or for hours of fun with your purchased item? Well technically that is for the gamer to decide and validate in their own mind. Buying online goods for your avatar is so popular however, that an exchange-rate calculator for the virtual world has also been established to convert real-world currency into virtual dollars.
According to Mike Musgrove, author of Online Gaming Merges Problems into Reality - Virtual Games Create a Real World Market, as such items acquire appeal and value, real-world dilemmas are manifesting into the virtual world. In a bizarre incident in China this year, Kristin Kalning, author of ‘Forget reality TV in Korea, online gaming is it’ tells of a man who was stabbed to death for selling a virtual sword that belonged to someone else. She also write of a student in Japan, arrested for producing a software hack that murdered and robbed other characters in Lineage II, a game with nearly 4 million subscribers worldwide. On a lighter note however, a surprising 33% of online gamers have also admitted to participating in an online wedding between their avatars.
Musgrove also suggests that when virtual worlds pose threats to people in the real world, the craze of online gaming may have overstepped the barrier. While these isolated incidents are a rarity, games are only getting increasingly more popular and with new people subscribing each day, it is likely more incidents could occur in the future. In an equally peculiar trend, online military themed video games have been attributed to preparing troops for real-life battle. As Jose Vargas, write for the Washington Post suggests, many soldiers in the 276th Engineer Battalion claimed playing PlayStations and XBoxes in their army barracks desensitised them during battle as it felt like it was “just a big video game.” Such games as Halo 2 and Full Spectrum Warrior prepared soldiers for battle by enabling them to play in realistic scenarios and essentially become desensitised to battle. Charles Swales, a 28- year-old American combat engineer in Iraq, claimed that fighting insurgents was comparable to Halo and similar first person shooter games. He also said “it didn’t faze me” when referring to performing an air strike which he adds “didn’t seem real” and was “just like playing Halo”.
Whether online games are desensitising our minds or expanding them with skills and sociability, the never ending debate between gamers and cynics alike will not end because it is simply a matter of opinion. There is no harm in using such games for entertainment purposes, but when they begin to completely consume your life, it is only obvious that consequences are bound to arise. It comes back to that saying, if nothing else, that everything is good for you in moderation.
Web References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17175353/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7012645/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/16/AR2005091602083_2.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021302437.html
Academic References:
Musgrove, Mike 2005, ‘Online gaming merges problems into reality -
Virtual Games Create A Real World Market,’ Washington Post, September 17, 2005; Page A01.
Vargas, Jose Antonio 2006 ‘Virtual Reality Prepares Soldiers for Real War,’ Washington Post, February 14, 2006; Page A01.
Luftus, Tom, 2005 ‘Virtual world teaches real-world skills’ - Game helps people with Asperger's practice socializing, MSNBC, February 25th.
Kalning, Kristin 2007 ‘Forget reality TV. In Korea, online gaming is it,’ Games editor MSNBC, February 21st.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
WEEK 8 Tutorial Task
The original picture was a normal colour shot typical of a tabloid magazine. I altered it using filters to make her face and features appear more comic-book like as I think her features are well-defined and strong like that of female comic book heroines.
WEEK 7
Video Game Studies
As a relatively new form of entertainment, video games have become more and more popular as the technology has become more advanced and realistic. There is a fine line between what is real and what is virtual in a time where you can play real people over lan connections or via the internet and verse humans rather than play against articficial intelligences in created and realistic, virtual worlds.
The Xbox 360 delivers this gaming aspect with the Xbox live feature whereby you can play or verse apponents in other parts of the country, without lag or interference like previous internet based games. This raises the question and the debate bewteen the real and the virual aspects of gaming in this manner as some could argue they are playing against real apponents and that video games are as real and as competitive as more conventional games, or sport.
With the realism that can be achieved with graphics, motion, and physics in computer games, it is no wonder gamers can become so emmersed in the storylines and gameplay much as others get involved in a book or a movie.
Video games offer the same seduction as traditional games in that they provide real entertainment and fun, with or without a real apponent. However they differ from traditional board games in the way that they are much more involved and require a certain skill and coordination.
All in all, games in all aspects were created to entertain, relieve boredom and even provide a fun activity in group settings, so whether the games are virtual or physical, they still deliver what gamers alike strive for; gameplay that is entertaining!
As a relatively new form of entertainment, video games have become more and more popular as the technology has become more advanced and realistic. There is a fine line between what is real and what is virtual in a time where you can play real people over lan connections or via the internet and verse humans rather than play against articficial intelligences in created and realistic, virtual worlds.
The Xbox 360 delivers this gaming aspect with the Xbox live feature whereby you can play or verse apponents in other parts of the country, without lag or interference like previous internet based games. This raises the question and the debate bewteen the real and the virual aspects of gaming in this manner as some could argue they are playing against real apponents and that video games are as real and as competitive as more conventional games, or sport.
With the realism that can be achieved with graphics, motion, and physics in computer games, it is no wonder gamers can become so emmersed in the storylines and gameplay much as others get involved in a book or a movie.
Video games offer the same seduction as traditional games in that they provide real entertainment and fun, with or without a real apponent. However they differ from traditional board games in the way that they are much more involved and require a certain skill and coordination.
All in all, games in all aspects were created to entertain, relieve boredom and even provide a fun activity in group settings, so whether the games are virtual or physical, they still deliver what gamers alike strive for; gameplay that is entertaining!
Monday, April 9, 2007
WEEK 5 Tutorial Task
Answer these questions without using Google, and then write your answers in an entry in your blog. Make sure to reference the source where you found your answer.
Q1. What is the weight of the world's biggest pumpkin?
‘The largest pumpkin ever grown is 1,502 pounds by Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island. It was weighed in on October 7, 2006 at the Rhode Island Weigh-off.’
Reference:
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/giants/record.htmk.com/giants/record.htm.k.com/giants/record.htm.
I used Yahoo search engine.
Q2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Grant Hackett?
I searched for his website but found he did not have one, but instead found a blog that is written by him however does not appear to be updated regularily: granthackett.bigblog.com.au
I used Autralian search engine:
http://www.ansearch.com.au/
Q3. What is the length of a giraffe's tongue?
The length of the giraffe's tongue is 46cm.
(http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-giraffe.html#Photos, 2007, Zoological Society of San Diego)
I used ask Jeeves.
Q4. How would you define the word 'ontology'? In your own words, what does it really mean ?
I know of the site wikipedia which gives defintitions of words etc and came up with this: 'In philosophy, ontology is the study of being or existence'
Q5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film?
His first feature film was 'Shivers' in 1975, I used the search data base Alta vista to find this answer.
Q6. When was the original 'Hacker's Manifesto' written?
I had trouble findingt his answer because apparently there are a few versions, however I found that one version was written on January 8th 1986, but did not specify if it was the original.
I used http://www.anzwers.com.au/?gclid=CMWb_puTt4sCFRo6EAode3fzyg to find this.
Q1. What is the weight of the world's biggest pumpkin?
‘The largest pumpkin ever grown is 1,502 pounds by Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island. It was weighed in on October 7, 2006 at the Rhode Island Weigh-off.’
Reference:
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/giants/record.htmk.com/giants/record.htm.k.com/giants/record.htm.
I used Yahoo search engine.
Q2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Grant Hackett?
I searched for his website but found he did not have one, but instead found a blog that is written by him however does not appear to be updated regularily: granthackett.bigblog.com.au
I used Autralian search engine:
http://www.ansearch.com.au/
Q3. What is the length of a giraffe's tongue?
The length of the giraffe's tongue is 46cm.
(http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-giraffe.html#Photos, 2007, Zoological Society of San Diego)
I used ask Jeeves.
Q4. How would you define the word 'ontology'? In your own words, what does it really mean ?
I know of the site wikipedia which gives defintitions of words etc and came up with this: 'In philosophy, ontology is the study of being or existence'
Q5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film?
His first feature film was 'Shivers' in 1975, I used the search data base Alta vista to find this answer.
Q6. When was the original 'Hacker's Manifesto' written?
I had trouble findingt his answer because apparently there are a few versions, however I found that one version was written on January 8th 1986, but did not specify if it was the original.
I used http://www.anzwers.com.au/?gclid=CMWb_puTt4sCFRo6EAode3fzyg to find this.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
WEEK 4
Reality vs. Technology:
I considered the following paragraphs from the lecture notes and decided to answer the questions that were posed and give my opinion on the morphing of reality and technology.
"The machines in Matrix create atotally illusory reality for people, constructing their identities to suit the purposes of the machine.Has it already happened? To whatextent are our identities constructed by our consumption of corporatemedia product? Where do our identities come from?"
In response to the questions I believe that we constuct machines ie; computers, cars etc, to be moulded to the way with live so that they can in essense become an extention of ourselves. People who use computers every day are said to describe the action of using a computer as almost natural. I know people who are on computers for 8 hours a day for work and claim they are so comfortable navigating this particular machine that it does feel as though it is an extention of themselves such like an arm of a leg that they can easily control.
We have also modeled computers off a human brain. Computers are merely superhuman operating systems that have similar elements that human brains have, only electrical not chemical.
"Consider the destructionof the automobile and our willingness to co-operate with it."
Likewise, some people are so comfortable with driving a car that is in fact a second nature. When you have been drving for years it becomes part of your subconscience and you rarely have to concentrate hard to operate a vehicle. This machine too does become part of you in that it is an expansion of your body, still operated by your brain, to transport humans further and faster than their bodies are able to.
"Has film and TV production techniques changed the way we see the world?"
I believe that peoples perception of reality is greatly affected by movies and television. Peoples perception of emotions like love are serverly warped from movies that portray an idealistic love that you expect to experience in your life. I also believe that the divorce rates are higher since cinema has taken off in the last decades because people are fed an very unrealistic view of love and therefore have high expectations that are never met.
I considered the following paragraphs from the lecture notes and decided to answer the questions that were posed and give my opinion on the morphing of reality and technology.
"The machines in Matrix create atotally illusory reality for people, constructing their identities to suit the purposes of the machine.Has it already happened? To whatextent are our identities constructed by our consumption of corporatemedia product? Where do our identities come from?"
In response to the questions I believe that we constuct machines ie; computers, cars etc, to be moulded to the way with live so that they can in essense become an extention of ourselves. People who use computers every day are said to describe the action of using a computer as almost natural. I know people who are on computers for 8 hours a day for work and claim they are so comfortable navigating this particular machine that it does feel as though it is an extention of themselves such like an arm of a leg that they can easily control.
We have also modeled computers off a human brain. Computers are merely superhuman operating systems that have similar elements that human brains have, only electrical not chemical.
"Consider the destructionof the automobile and our willingness to co-operate with it."
Likewise, some people are so comfortable with driving a car that is in fact a second nature. When you have been drving for years it becomes part of your subconscience and you rarely have to concentrate hard to operate a vehicle. This machine too does become part of you in that it is an expansion of your body, still operated by your brain, to transport humans further and faster than their bodies are able to.
"Has film and TV production techniques changed the way we see the world?"
I believe that peoples perception of reality is greatly affected by movies and television. Peoples perception of emotions like love are serverly warped from movies that portray an idealistic love that you expect to experience in your life. I also believe that the divorce rates are higher since cinema has taken off in the last decades because people are fed an very unrealistic view of love and therefore have high expectations that are never met.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
WEEK 3
After learning about the history of computers in the lecture last week, i realised i already new a fair bit about its origins as i studied multimedia certificate course all through highschool. So i decided to do something interesting for this weeks blog so i researched microsoft conspiricy theories and see if any are credible, which i hardly doubt they would be. I found a website that makes up new theories each week for entertainment purposes but would not be surpirsed if microsoft utilized these ideas as part of their PR campaign as some are quite good.
However there are a few extremely obscure ideas such as the idea that miscrosoft computers were invented to spy on its users....
Some people on this website believe that Microsoft, the software company that dominates our computers today, is spying on everyone who has microsoft software on their computers. They claim that Microsoft has hidden files that records all the websites you view, even if you did delete them and all emails you've ever sent. I choose to believe that computers and microsoft were invented for better reasons than to simply spy on its users as people are just not that interesting enough. it would be terribly boring seeing every website that every microsoft user has acsessed and i couldnt see anyone being employed to do this..... i think there are too many paranoid people out there!
However there are a few extremely obscure ideas such as the idea that miscrosoft computers were invented to spy on its users....
Some people on this website believe that Microsoft, the software company that dominates our computers today, is spying on everyone who has microsoft software on their computers. They claim that Microsoft has hidden files that records all the websites you view, even if you did delete them and all emails you've ever sent. I choose to believe that computers and microsoft were invented for better reasons than to simply spy on its users as people are just not that interesting enough. it would be terribly boring seeing every website that every microsoft user has acsessed and i couldnt see anyone being employed to do this..... i think there are too many paranoid people out there!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
WEEK 2
My notes from the lecture week 2
The origin and introduction of French new wave cinema and its elements: Notes
The 20th century saw the introduction of film, newspapers, television and radio thus delevoped careers to expand these new industries, ie: Communication, cultural and media stuides which needed journalists, PR workers, advertising, marketers and disigners. Computer related industries demanded need for cyber studies, internet studies, cyber culture and web studies. All new technologies and the need for them can be dated back to France where Ferdinand de Saussure established semiotics: the study of signs.
Semiotics contained 2 components: the signifier ie; the library sign
and the signified; the library itself with all the books
Denotation is the actual meaning of the sign ie: sign reads dangerous curves ahead the denotation would be 'drive carefully'.
There were many new and differnt reasons for communications studies in the 1920's in the US due to the new effect of mass media after times of war which began to have a more minimal effect in the 30's. The 80's saw a return of mass effect which could be due to the increased fear of nuclear war and the hype such theories create lead to mass media frenzies and society beoming more heavily reliant in knowing what is going on in their world.
French New Wave cinema wanted to make films about these more important issues like the looming threat of nuclear war rather then hollywood cowboy movies. They did this by using different techniques such as:
- Shooting on location
- Using natural lighting
- Improvised dialogue and plotting
- Direct sound recording
- Long takes
All of these tehcniques and reasons for using such techniques are talked about in more depth on this website: http://www.greencine.com/static/primers/fnwave1.jsp
French new wave was encouraged by the cheap, cameras and audio equipment and the need for a more cultural take on hollywood cinema They used simple methods to tell complex, challenging stories like La Jetee which became the basis for Twelve Monkeys and Alphaville which might be claimed as the first work of cyberpunk.
I recently watched the movie 12 monkeys to see a modern take on French New Wave cinema and researched the technology elements of the film ie: time travel and why it was relevent in relatin to new technologies and came across an interesting analysis of this element here is the link: http://www.mjyoung.net/time/monkeys.html
The theory behind the time travel element and why it is relevant today, is that in the time these movies were made, the thought of the internet and other such tehnologies seemed just as far fetched as the theory of time travel. In an age where anything is possible, technologically speaking, the idea of time travel in the not to distant future is very plausable.
I found the movie interesting and at times a little confusing but as far as modern cinema goes, there were definitely elements that reflected the simple methods used to tell complex stories of french new wave cinema ie; time travel. I have not read the text however so could not tell whether they stayed true to the story without adding that 'hollywood' element.
The origin and introduction of French new wave cinema and its elements: Notes
The 20th century saw the introduction of film, newspapers, television and radio thus delevoped careers to expand these new industries, ie: Communication, cultural and media stuides which needed journalists, PR workers, advertising, marketers and disigners. Computer related industries demanded need for cyber studies, internet studies, cyber culture and web studies. All new technologies and the need for them can be dated back to France where Ferdinand de Saussure established semiotics: the study of signs.
Semiotics contained 2 components: the signifier ie; the library sign
and the signified; the library itself with all the books
Denotation is the actual meaning of the sign ie: sign reads dangerous curves ahead the denotation would be 'drive carefully'.
There were many new and differnt reasons for communications studies in the 1920's in the US due to the new effect of mass media after times of war which began to have a more minimal effect in the 30's. The 80's saw a return of mass effect which could be due to the increased fear of nuclear war and the hype such theories create lead to mass media frenzies and society beoming more heavily reliant in knowing what is going on in their world.
French New Wave cinema wanted to make films about these more important issues like the looming threat of nuclear war rather then hollywood cowboy movies. They did this by using different techniques such as:
- Shooting on location
- Using natural lighting
- Improvised dialogue and plotting
- Direct sound recording
- Long takes
All of these tehcniques and reasons for using such techniques are talked about in more depth on this website: http://www.greencine.com/static/primers/fnwave1.jsp
French new wave was encouraged by the cheap, cameras and audio equipment and the need for a more cultural take on hollywood cinema They used simple methods to tell complex, challenging stories like La Jetee which became the basis for Twelve Monkeys and Alphaville which might be claimed as the first work of cyberpunk.
I recently watched the movie 12 monkeys to see a modern take on French New Wave cinema and researched the technology elements of the film ie: time travel and why it was relevent in relatin to new technologies and came across an interesting analysis of this element here is the link: http://www.mjyoung.net/time/monkeys.html
The theory behind the time travel element and why it is relevant today, is that in the time these movies were made, the thought of the internet and other such tehnologies seemed just as far fetched as the theory of time travel. In an age where anything is possible, technologically speaking, the idea of time travel in the not to distant future is very plausable.
I found the movie interesting and at times a little confusing but as far as modern cinema goes, there were definitely elements that reflected the simple methods used to tell complex stories of french new wave cinema ie; time travel. I have not read the text however so could not tell whether they stayed true to the story without adding that 'hollywood' element.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)