Favorite Concept

3). Pick a favorite reading and/or concept and discuss it.  Please tell the class why this was your favorite.


Last post! Bummer! :(


For my last post I'm going to write about my favorite concept. My favorite concept has for sure been self disclosure and identity on social networking sites. I really enjoyed the article, "Be Who You Want To Be" by Katie Ellis. I think this was my favorite concept because self disclosure and identity online are things almost all of us have to deal with (at least those with active social networking accounts). Since discussing this concept for our class I've definitely been more careful about what I post on my Facebook. I've also played with my privacy settings quite a bit. There are some things I'd like everyone to know, and other things that I'm more likely to keep to myself and a few friends.

I feel like I have several online identities. I have a LiveJournal account that I've had since middle school and I only ever go on there to read my sister's journal and post really goofy posts. I think anyone that would read my LiveJournal would definitely think I was on the brink of insanity. I'm pretty sure my MySpace account doesn't even exist anymore but when it did I had it super personalized. I had a cute background and a John Mayer music player. My Facebook is as personalized as Facebook can get but there are certain things I don't share with everyone. Like I've said before, some of my family wouldn't really approve of me living with my boyfriend so I have more restricted settings for them. I also have some privacy settings against my parents because I don't want them to see certain pictures.

What I've learned...

2). What have you learned throughout this class?  What was your favorite thing about this class?  What was your least favorite thing about the class?  How can this class be improved?
This has definitely been one of those classes where I've come away with quite a bit of information. I mean, some classes you go to, pay attention, memorize information and usually forget it within minutes of finishing the final. This class however, was formated in a way that the information we learned was interesting and useful. My favorite thing about the class was how organized it was and how if there were ever any thing that needed to be clarified it was posted quickly and clearly. I never had any questions because of this format. I also liked how the weekly assignments were generally the same, 2 readings/responses from the text (or D2L) and 1 reading/response about basically anything we wanted (so long as it was new media related).

I think my least favorite thing about the class was how we needed to post 12 hours apart....but that's just because I procrastinate way too much. :) Other than that though, there wasn't really anything I disliked about this class.

Thanks for a great semester!!

Interesting Concepts.

1). What concept/s in this class have you found most interesting?  What was it about that concept/s that you found fascinating or interesting?
I definitely think that the most interesting concepts I've pulled from this class have had to do with the development and beginings of new media. I loved to read about things like the Dynabook because back then it was such an innovative new idea and now similar concepts are just part of every day life. I think I find these kinds of concepts most interesting because I grew up in that kind of inbetween generation. We had most of the new technology growing up but we're still seeing even newer technology and advances everyday. The kids of today have no idea what its like to not have a cell phone while I think most of us didn't get cell phones until middle or high school.

I also found the growth of social networks really interesting. I didn't get a MySpace until late middle/early high school and a Facebook during the middle of high school. Now I see a huge under 13 crowd on Facebook and (pressumably) MySpace. I know people make profiles for their new babies and you can't get much younger than that!

New Media, young audiences, and discourses of attention: from Seasame Street to 'snack culture'

This article was a really interesting read for a lot of reasons. For one thing, we've (at least me and the people I hang out with, haha) have always heard that too much television watching as children will lead to short attention spans. Well, this article says there is no evidence in that, "...evidence has not been found to support the claim that watching television harms children's ability to pay attention". I did a debate a few semesters back and had the hardest time finding actual evidence that supported that statement (that there wasn't any evidence, haha).

It was also interesting to read how children's television was aimed at their short attention spans, with frequent and sudden changes in whatever was being broadcasted. I absolutely HATE that about kid's TV. There's always such sudden changes that sometimes it's hard to follow! Haha. One interesting thing I related that to is that I nanny a 1 year old who isn't allowed to watch TV aside from the occasional educational DVD. The other day I popped a DVD in and was suprised when the first thing that came onto the screen was a message saying something about babies' short attention spans and the video being more efficient if only watched in 5 to 10 minute segments.

The World Wide Web

It was really interesting to read this article because it had a lot of information in it that I didn't know before. I found it to be a pretty easy and interesting read because of the way it was written. To begin with, the first thing I learned came from the first sentence, "The World Wide Web (W3) was developed to be a pool of human knowledge, which would allow collaborators in remote sites to share their ideas and all aspects of a common project" (792). I definitely did not know about the beginnings of the internet and I guess sometimes wondered why it started. I can always remember having the internet and very vaguely remember my dad showing me his computer in his office and saying, "This is America Online...blah blah blah" when I was for sure under 5 years old. I also faintly remember something about the Klu Klux Klan being in Santa Cruz (???) and living in Scotts Valley that apparently really worried me (under 10) and my cousin said we could search for information online. The internet has always been really used at my house. 

 It's funny how the article says, "If you haven't yet experienced the Web, the best way to find out about it is to try it". For some reason that just gave me a smile on my face. Haha.

While I don't remember when I started using it on my own I feel like for the most part I always had a computer and the internet in the room I shared with my older sister...one thing I remember really clearly is looking up the Spice Girls and because I had no idea how to search anything, she was in charge. Haha. 

I loved 'the future' of the internet because while the terms describing it sometimes went over my head, I definitely know we've gone above and beyond the futuristic predictions. 

Demystifying the Weigh-In: Body Politics and Identity Formation of Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia Girls.

While I for sure know that I want to do my final project on the online phenomenon of pro-ana and pro-mia communities, I'm not sure how I want to tie it into new media. The article I read this week helped me kind of lead me in the right direction. The article I read, "Demystifying the Weigh-In: Body Politics and Identity Formation of Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia Girls", describes how, "with new mediums, like the World Wide Web, to channel ideas, create platforms for change and make larger social connections, these cult-like movements are taking form". I think this is where I will center my research on. Furthermore, ther article discusses how, "Analyses of such websites have brought forth new views and lifestyle choices regarding body image, body politics, gender identity, volition, and the development of a feminist consciousness".

I really enjoyed this article because it helped me find a segway into New Media for the final project.

A Comparison of Pro-Anorexia and Treatment Websites

I chose the topic of anorexia and bulimia support websites...but not in the conventional way. When most people think of an eating disorder support group they think of groups of people who support and encourage during recovery...but the websites and communities I'm going to look at don't focus on recovery, they focus on maintaining the anorexia or bulimia 'lifestyle' with tips, encouragement, etc. They're called ProAna and ProMia communities and I'm not sure how I came across them years ago but since I found them I've been pretty haunted by what I've seen and read.

The article I read, "A Comparison of Pro-Anorxia and Treatment Websites" was a pretty good overall explanation of the problem. Young girls and boys are looking to the internet to find information about eating disorders and instead of finding help, they're finding the complete oppostite, information to continue being anorexic or bulimic. What's interesting about these websites and communities is that a lot of times the terms of use specify that if you are truly not clinically anorexic or bulimic than to please not use to websites to 'become' anorexic.

This is a really interesting topic and I really look forward to learning more.

A Virtual Death And A Real Life Dilema

I thought this article was really interesting for a number of reasons. I love reading blogs and usually read them as if I were reading a book...starting at the begining and reading all the way through to the most current entry.
I came across a blog a year or so that really capivated me. It was a mother's journey through a difficult pregnancy. I read and read and read and looked forward to when her baby would be born. I was super compelled by her story and felt heartbroken when her daughter was born premature. He daughter survived the odds and was generally healthy...until one day completely unexpected she died of an unrelated illness to prematurity. I was immediately heart broken and felt for the family. The woman continued to blog and even now, after a year of her first daughters death I read her blog as she writes about her new baby girl. If I found out it was all fake and she still had two alive and healthy daughters (or none at all), I would definitely be angry!

After reading the article about "Kaycee" and her blogged death which turned out to be fake I was immediately angry. I mean...without even really knowing these people you really get attached to their stories. It was interesting to read about online hoaxes because for all we know, almost anything online could be a lie.We learned about online representations on social networks so why not make up a different life via the blog world? 

All in all I thought it was a really good article especially because I read so many blogs....like I said...for all I know the blogs I read could be entirely made up... 

Nomatic Power and Cultural Resistance-Critical Art Ensemble

I read this article about fifty times and still have a tough time understanding it. Nevermind that I had a one year old screaming in my earts the first few times...even after I found some silence I was still confused at times. Hahaha

One of the quotes I found interesting was:
" The connection between history and necessity is cynically humorous when one looks back over the trail of political and cultural debris of revolution and near revolution ruins" (783).

I had never really though of that so it was interesting to learn and the CAE's examples (French, Russian and Cuban revolutions) made the point clear.

The article also discussed "The Persian War" in which Herodoctus describes the Scythians, "a feared people...who maintaineda horticultural nomadic society" (784). It also described how their homeland on the Northern Black Sea was "inhospitible both climatically and geographically, but resisted colonization less for these natural reasons than because there was no economic or military means by which to colonize or subjugate it" (784). I didn't know about the Scythians so that was another thing I learned.

The third thing I learned was about 'bunkers', "privitized public spaces which serve various particularized functions such as political continuity (government offices or national monuments), or areas for consumption frenzy (malls)" (788).

New Media Robots

Me and my boyfriend on Halloween. I'm the one with the bow. :)

The End of Books- Robert Coover

Okay, seriously, the end of books would be my definite worse nightmare ever!!!

I think my favorite quote is definitely the introduction, "...in the world of video transmissions, cellular phones, fax machines, computer networks, and in particular out in the humming digitalized precints of avant garde computer hackers, cyber punks and hyper space freaks, you will often hear it said that the print medium is doomed and outdated  technology, a mere curiosity of bygone days destined soon to be consigned forever to those dusty unattended museums we call libraries" (706).

Hahaha, 'avant garde computer hackers'? 'Cyber punks'? 'Hyper space freaks'? Was I the only one that cracked up at this? I seriously laughed so hard...But anyways, it's pretty funny how the 'futuristic' image of the cyber world is so different than it actually is.

"...the print medium is domed and outdated technology, a mere curiosity of bygone days destined soon to be consigned forever to those dusty unattended museums we call libraries". This is seriously my worst nightmare!!

I love reading and would hate for print to be eliminated! I wonder what Coover would have to say of the world now...with texts, emails, etc.

This reminds me of how my boyfriend has been asking me over and over if I want a kindle or a subscription to a website where I can download audio books. As cool as that sounds, I love having the actual book in my hands and being able to feel the pages and display the book on our shelves.

Anyways, so sorry for such a space cadet-y post! I'm off for some pumpkin carving!!!

Have an awesome Halloween weekend!!!

Just Like Me Only Better

I found the article, Just Like Me Only Better, pretty interesting in that while I had heard vaguely of Second Life, I wasn't completely sure what it was. The first thing that came to mind for me was an episode of The Office where Dwight has a Second Life account and if I remember correctly flies around a lot. So, based on what I remembered from The Office, I thought Second Life was a game where you could make an avatar and fly around.

I was immediately pulled into the article because I'd always wondered where the term 'avatar' came from, and here, in the very first sentences, I was being told, "The term avatar comes from Sanskrit and originally referred to the form that the gods assumed when the visited thew world". The entire introduction was new information to me and I was curious to find out more.

Reading this article cracked me up at points because Second Life (in my opinion) seemed to have one of the cheesiest mottos I've heard of, "your world, your imagination". Based just on the motto I was quick to figure out Second Life and problems with this kind of 'game' became easy to come up with. I mean, solely based on the fact that you can basically create an entire second life for yourself I can count numerous problems. From an interpersonal level (beyond the cyber world) this just can't be good.

For example, I have a friend who is very into online chat rooms and has basically created an entire life on these. Recently he's been going through some relationship problems (with his online girlfriend) and when I asked him if he had some friends he could talk to he replied, "My online friends...". When I asked if he has friends he could lean on besides his cyber friends he could only come up with two or three. Clearly something like this in problematic.

Mythinformation

After a long week of midterms I could not focus myself to follow my reading! I had to re-read the reading several times over to pick out the main points of the article. However, I did find three things that were new pieces of information to me.

Winner talks about using the metaphor 'revolution' to describe and celebrate the coming of computerization. Winner disagrees that this is a reasonable metaphor, "Unfortunately this is not the case". He goes on to discuss how books, articles, and media specials aimed at a popular audience are usually content to depict the dazzling magnitude of technical innovations and social effects (589). He questions this metaphor further by making several thought provoking statements such as "One might suppose, for example, that a revolution of this type would involve a significant shift in the locus of power, after all, that is exactly what one expects in revolutions of a political kind" (589).

Another interesting point he discusses is his concern for the political meaning of revolution, "My concern for the political meaning of revolution in this setting may seem somewhat misleading, even perverse" (590). He talks about other technical revolutions such as the industrial revolution to bring up his point.

I found his discussion on information and ideology interesting as I am currently studying ideologies in another online class I'm taking.Winner discusses how "mythinformation is noteworthy as an expressive contemporary ideology" (595)

MySpace shared user data with advertisers: WSJ

I found this article really interesting and while I no longer use Myspace (and haven't been active on it for quite a few years), it was still of interest for me. According to The Wall Street Journal, MySpace has been giving advertising companies data that could identify members of the social networking service.
Apparently MySpace users have unique user ID numbers that are associated with users' names, pictures, gender, etc. From what I understand, MySpace has shared these IDs with a third party which has resulted in that third party having access to users' private information. One MySpace spokesman said that the information shared was 'nonpersonally identifiable information' and that MySpace's terms of services prohibit third party developers from sharing any user data, including these ID numbers.
The controversy in this whole thing is that apparently this third party has violated those terms.
I thought this was interesting because whenever I sign onto Facebook(my social network of choice) or even browse any random internet site, it seems as though the internet has been reading my mind with advertisments seemingly geared right at me. I personally find it kind of creepy but I guess I do post information on my Facebook that would make the advertisments geared at me. For example, after my sister got engaged, I posted the news in a status and since then I've been getting ads for engagement rings, wedding planning services, photographers, etc.

At the very end of the article I learned something new about MySpace. Apparently they are relaunching their services by targeting a younger audience and 'putting a premium on "self expression'"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101023/ts_alt_afp/usitinternetmediamyspace

Lame!!!

I just noticed that TWO of my blog posts that I had 'scheduled' to be posted never posted!!! I guess this just serves as a reminder to double check!!

:(

Disclosing the Ethnographic Self

The article is broken down into mainly 2 key points. These points are 'disclosing in face-to-face conversation' and 'virtual exposure and disclosure'. Both points are pretty self explanatory. Self disclosure in face-to-face conversation basically depends entirely on the person. For example, the first time I met my new neighbor she told me she was recently divorced, she might move back to Switzerland, she had a lesbian affair and was going on a lesbian retreat in Yosemite all in about 3 sentences. Entirely opposite of that, I know some people you almost have to beat over the head to get any information out of them. There are also occasions and situations where it is/isn't appropriate to disclose personal information. You wouldn't tell a new employer about your hang over the night before just like you wouldn't sit in silence if a close friend asked you how you were doing. It's all just a matter of balancing.
Virtual exposure and disclosure is similar, just via a virtual medium. A social networking site like Facebook calls for a lot of self disclosure with status prompts like "What's on your mind?" and information blocks prompting users to "Write something about yourself". While people often put information up without a second thought, disclosing information could send you in the wrong direction. Thankfully Facebook has an option to group friends together and allow specific friends to read or not read your postings, see or not see your pictures. For me this is pretty much a lifesaver. I have quite a bit of family on my Facebook so I make sure only certain things are available for them to see. I also have an option to allow or not allow them to read my status updates since I often write about Erik and I living together. Being a good, Catholic, church go-er doesn't really mix well with 'living in sin' so there are a good chunk of things I block them from. Haha.

Personal Dynamic Media

I really enjoyed this article because it was interesting to see the beginnings of something that we all use in one way or another every day. I didn't know about the Dynabook so I liked reading about it. I thought it was kind of funny how they had all of this speculation in their writing saying things like "Imagine if..." and "What if..." and "Wouldn't it be ______ if..." The Dynabook  would be the size of a notebook and could be used by everyone, it could have the power to virtually handle all of it's owner's information related needs. Kay and Goldberg write, "Imagine having your own self contained knowledge manipulator in a portable package the size and shap of an ordinary notebook" (394). Imagine not having that! Haha, most of us carry something similar to that with us everyday, with cell phones becoming more and more useful we all have our own Dynabooks right in our pocket or handbag. I didn't know the idea for something like this existed so long ago. The picture of the mock up of a future Dynabook had be laughing because it just looks like a big Blackberry or a clunky iPad. There was a lot of discussion of children using the Dynabook and it being effected their attention span levels, "Their attention spans are measured in hours rather than minutes!" (394). I thought this was ironic because now we're trying to get kids to spend less time on computers and focus their attention on other things. I can't really remember a time before having a computer. I remember my family always having one and playing on it pretty young. Here's a picture of me and my sister. This picture was taken before my brother was born so I was max 2 and a half. My sister was around 4 and looks even more deranged than I do so I covered up her crazy little face. Haha. This big clunker (a Macintosh, if I remember from what my dad's told my boyfriend...) was from 1991 or earlier. Haha

I enjoyed reading about early paint and word processing programs because I loved to use paint programs to scribble on the screen and word processors to type nonsense. Anyways, it's pretty interesting to see how ideas from so long ago (the Dynabook) are super similar to technology we use today.

Explaining Why Young Adults Use Myspace and Facebook Through Uses and Gratifications Method

I thought this article was interesting because it not only discussed why young adults use Facebook and MySpace, but it broke it down into why young adults used the internet. As the article discussed, our generation depends heavily on the internet for information and entertainment.

The article talked about how it's used "...to experience selective, efficient, and immediate connection with other for their (mediated) interpersonal communication satisfaction ans as an on going way to seek the approval and support of other people". I learned that social networking sites (SNS) such as these ones attracted millions of users allowing them to 'play an active role in the socialization process and in constructing their own identity'. What was interesting was that these users are seen as a new generation of individuals whose identities are almost entirely defined by their connection and the content they put online. SNS are popular because they're user friendly in turn making it easy to communicate with friends, family and others. I also learned that for the most part profiles and accounts are created not to meet new people but to keep in contact with old friends, those are are already part of thie existing social networks.

It was interesting to learn about MySpace and Facebook's beginnings. While MySpace began in 2003 and spread by word of mouth, Facebook started in 2004 and was only accessible to Harvard students, then college students, then high school and then finally opened access to everyone after 2005. I can't remember exactly what year I got my MySpace in but I do remember hearing about it through a close friend who begged me to get it. I remember the way she described it to me made me feel slightly weary: You just look at people's profiles, ask them to be your friend in a message and if they like you they send you a request to be your friend. I remember those EXACT words and probably won't ever forget them. Hahaha. I also remember MySpace being a place where my friends and I would add cute boys for innocent flirting before we realized our actual friends had accounts as well.

The two forms of gratification discussed were also new to me: process (creating content on one's profile) and content (acquiring information). It was funny to me to see that the majority of people surveyed said they used SNS to acquire information about new people they meet. I totally relate to this because if I meet someone I'm interested in as a friend (or before I met my boyfriend, as an 'interest' haha) I totally look them up to learn a little more about them. Funny thing is, it's kind of how my boyfriend and I got together. When I met him, I was dating a total sleaze bag and wasn't really interested. But a few months later I half heartidly sent Erik (my boyfriend) a message when he popped up in my 'People You May Know' and mentioned we had met. Message after message, phone conversation after phone conversation he asked me out and now we're living happily ever after. So yay! Facebook love story....Hahaha...pretty gross...

The last thing I learned was that the term "scene" emerged from MySpace. While I know what the 'typical' scene kid looks like, side bangs straightened and plastered to their face, unisex eyeliner, 'angle' photos, I was completely unaware that the trend emerged from MySpace. It's interesting to see how an entire subculture came from this form of mass media. Then again there are so many other subcultures that also seemed to have emerged, online gamers, 'furries', 1337 (leet) speak...fifty year old creeper man clubs...haha. Interestingly...these all  have a semi negative connotation to them...hmmm, food for thought I guess.

Have an awesome weekend!

“From Computer Power and Human Reason” by Joseph Weizenbaum

I thought the article, “From Computer Power and Human Reason” by Joseph Weizenbaum was really interesting. For one thing, I was immediately intrigued by ELIZA and the idea that you could have a 2 way conversation with a computer. Reading Sharkbyte's blog, I had to laugh that she brought up AIMBot (or whatever it was called) because I do remember doing the same things she talked about. How funny it was to be 12, having a sleepover with friends and talking to a robot on a Friday night. While Sharkbyte remembers saying 'bad' words to it (wouldn't AIMBot sign out if you did?? Haha), I remember taking silly to a whole other level and asking him to be our boyfriend, if he loved us or if he would marry one of us. Anyways, what I think is funny is that you're basically talking in circles since whether it be AIMBot or ELIZA or any other is just using what you said previously to fill in the blanks. I think, Weizenbaum touches a little on this when he talks about one's understanding of the computer, “If his reliance on such machines is to be based on something other than unmitigated despair or blind faith, he much explain to himself what these machines do and even how they do what they do. This requires him to build some conception of their internal 'realities'. Yet most men don;t understand computer to even the slightest degree” (372).

While he argues quite a few points the two I found most interesting where the difference between man and machine as thinkers and that science has become the sole form of understanding.

He argues that, “...however intelligent machines may be made to be, there are some acts of though that ought to be attempted only by humans” (373). It interesting how he questions where computers would be in a social order because I didn't even think of categorizing them together with people.

Another point he argues is that, “...science has become the sole legitimate form of understanding in the common wisdom. When I say that science has been gradually converted into a solo-acting poison, I mean that the attribution of certainty to scientific knowledge by the common wisdom, an attribution now made so nearly universal that it has become a common sense dogma, has virtually delegitimatized all other ways of understand” (375). He discusses how people hunger only for what is represented to them to be scientifically validated knowledge.

Facebook To Change How You Process Friend Requests

I thought this was such a fun article! This totally relates to my life right now, at this very moment, this second! The article talks about how Facebook is planning to change the way you handle friend requests. As you know when we recieve a friend request we have two options: confirm or ignore. I always struggled when I didn't want to do either. For example, the other day SharkByte sent me a friend request for a facebook profile she made. Without question I would of confirmed it....but it was a profile for her dog. Hahaha. To me pets with more technology in their lives than a large majority of people kind of make me cringe. Haha. Because I've known her for 90% of my life and she's my older sister's best friend I don't have the heart to deny her puppy's request...but because I'm so against the idea of it I don't want to accept! So what do I do in this conundrum? I guess use the new option. The new option is "Not Now" and sends the request to a hidden requests file for later. From there you can either confirm or deny but in the meanwhile it stays hidden. Sounds like my kind of change!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20100917/tc_mashable/facebook_to_change_how_you_process_friend_requests

“The Technology and The Society” -Raymond William

Williams begins by describing how common belief is that a new world, new society, new phase in history, etc, is  ‘brought on’ by a new technology. He discusses how we are so used to hearing something along those lines that we often fail to realize a new technologies meaning. He analyses television as a particular cultural technology under 3 main ideas. His three ‘headings’ are: (a) versions of cause and effect in technology and society, (b) the social history of television as a technology, and (c) the social history of the uses of television technology.
    In his heading, “versions of cause and effect in technology and society” he discusses  how each view “can be seen to depend on the isolation of technology” (293). He argues that, ‘The technology would be seen, that is to say, as being looked for and developed with certain purposes and practices already in mind. At the same time the interpretation would differ from symptomic technology in that these purposes and practices would be seen as direct: as known social needs, purposes and practices to which the technology is not marginal but central.
    In, “the social history of television as a technology” he discusses the history of television and it’s development. He talks about how, “In no way is this a history of communications systems creating a new society or new social conditions” (295). A long “history of capital accumulation and working technical improvements created new needs but also new possibilities  and the communications systems, down to television, were their intrinsic outcome” (295).
    In, “the social history of the uses of television technology “ he discusses the technological development that has led to a wider series of communication.

“Requiem for the Media” -Jean Baudrillard

Baudrillard argues that there is an inherent structure to media technology; that media serves a social function. He discusses how the situation will no get better by making everyone a producer. “Reversibility has nothing to do with reciprocity”. He believes that the problem lies in our model of communication (transmitter-message-receiver). There are several things that I learned in this reading but there were about 3 main things.
    The first thing that I learned was that “The media are not co-efficient, but effectors of ideology. Not only is their destiny far from revolutionary; the media are not even, somewhere else or potentially, neutral or non-ideological…” (281). This was interesting because you would think that media would go hand in hand with ideology rather than being something that effects it.
    The next thing that I learned was that “The mass media are anti-mediatory and intransitive”…in this they fabricate non-communication. This helped me understand communication passed the typical transmission-message-receiver idea.
    The third thing I learned was that “…the media are able to transmit without distorting the meaning intended” (282) in the sphere of politics.  I thought that was interesting because I think that the media does a fairly good job of distorting the true meanings of politics and changing meanings of what politicians often say.

Young Cyclists Use Mobile Tech to Break Away

http://www.wired.com/playbook/2010/09/cyclists-mobile-tech/

This article caught my eye immediately. The article is about the Verizon cycling team and the 'gaggle' of tech and social media that they will be using this season to train; among the tech media there's

"Motorola Droids, portable MiFi hot spots, netbooks and Twitter handles". They'll be using these devices to follow GPS routes, track heart rates, speed, distance, etc so that they can improve their ways.  I think it's interesting when something simple is turned into something very complex. For example, cycling is turned from a very simple sport where basically no form of technology is needed into something that depends on it. I'm definitely not saying that cycling is simple in that it is easy. My boyfriend (a very avid road cyclist) rides easily over 100 miles a week between training on his road bike and doing errands on his commuter. I understand the degree of difficulty that goes into it. What I'm commenting on is the idea of cycling. It's simple and efficient, there's no need to bring technology (at the level the article talks about) into it. My boyfriend has two palm sized computers that he attaches to his handle bars to track distance and time. I have to roll my eyes at the juxtaposition of the whole thing...he rides his bike for a long time, comes into the house, plugs the devices in and sits at the computer for an even longer time digesting and pouring over the information his little tracker things collected.

Annnnd, speaking of cycling.....my boyfriend is currently practicing for this 100 mile ride:

Do it also! It's fun and for a good cause...I won't be doing it but I'll be cheering everyone on! Haha. So do it, donate, support, go, do something! I think there's also an easy 12 mile 'fun ride' that goes from the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to the Capitola Village (mine and Shark Byte's stomping grounds!). Ummm...okay...great! Hahaha. Thanks guys!

http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=90263d0a2e4e48d9147f785d8&id=7028e6ef9c

Be Who You Want To Be: The Philosophy of Facebook and the Construction of Identity

Who are you? Such a simple question and yet so complex. Simply, I'm Emi Nell, I'm 21 and I live in Capitola. But really, past that...who am I? Of course, I'm still Emi, still 21 and still live in Capitola. But I have passions and fears and hopes most people don't even know about. Do I write those things on my Facebook? Maybe...but mostly not. I show my Facebook friends and fellow bloggers and Twitter followers, my social identity; my personal identity is 90% of the time kept off of the internet.

I thought this article was interesting because it discussed social and personal identities and how they influence each other. Although the article says we're mostly entirely ourselves on Facebook because of it's questions and prompts (age, relationship status, school/insitution, hometown, etc, etc), I believe that our Facebook selves and somewhat socially constucted. What we put on Facebook is what we want people to know about us. We want to seem friendly, interesting; we want people to friend us. Everything we write about ourselves is so that we're precieved a certain way, "I'm a vegetarian" could read something like, "I like animals", "I'm healthy" or even "I want to look like I like animals and live a healthy lifestyle". Attending numerous 'events' could show that we're either popular, in the know, or once again, just like we want to seem like those things.

I think it's really easy for us to construct a social identity; we want people to perceive us a certain way so we mention things about ourselves that make us seem that way. What's interesting is when someone lacks the ability to create a social indentity seperate from their personal identity. For example, while we write to let our friends know about our whereabouts or activites, we (generally) don't update on our hygiene or bathroom habits. My boyfriend has a childhood friend who has Asperger's syndrome, a form of very high functioning autism. What our friend lacks are social skills. His Facebook is filled with things many of us would rather shield our eyes from. He has one album only viewable by 5 or so friends but by it's title 'The Bathroom' we can all imagine what kind of pictures it contains. His about me is so simply and straightfoward, "I am a 21 year old high school graduate attending *** **** ***** and trying to relax and for the most part happy go lucky and down to do anything. Well, except for S&M domination shit and intentionally slaughtering animals of any kind. No I'm not vegetarian, but I don't like to think about where the meat I eat came from". He could literally care less about what anyone thinks about him and has no desire to create a social indentity seperate from his personal identity...and for that reason I appreciate him as a friend who is always there to put me into check. Haha :)

Constinuents of a Theory of The Media

Like I've said before, I dread reading long texts and thought this was going to be another one that dragged out...but instead I was actually suprised by how interesting I found it! It was interesting how Enzensberger theorized how every form of technology was coming together to becom one universal system. I mean, look at something like Skype. You can instant message, communicate via voice computer to computer, communicate via voice computer to telephone, or use a webcam. You can contact almost everyone through one universal system!

The section that stood out most to be was 'The Supersession of Written Culture". Like Enzensberger says, almost everybody speaks better than he writes. He then goes on to say, "Spelling mistakes, which are completely immaterial in terms of communication, are punished by the social disqualification of the write" (273). I completely agree with that. I can't stand reading something where the write has awful grammar and can't spell. In my opinion it totally reflects poorly on the writer. I understand if someone has a learning disability but even then there are so many resources to go to, to get work edited.

Another quote I found thought provoking was "Microphone and camera abolish the class character of the mode of production...", hahaha, I wonder what he'd have to say about online classes! Where we don't have to manually write anything, face to face communication with our professor and classmates are minimal and our 'classroom' could be a coffee shop, our bed, the library, a bus, where ever we have internet connection! Like he wrote, "Electronic are noticeably taking over writing; teleprinters, reading machines, high speed transmissions, automatic photographic and electronic composition, automatic writing devices, typesetters, electrostatic process, ampex libraries, cassette encyclopedias, photocopiers and magnetic copiers, speed printers..." (273). There are so many more technological advances that we could add to that list. Texting, word processors, instant messaging, emails, etc etc! When talking to my boyfriend about this article he gave me one I didn't even come near to thinking about...a GPS; no need to read directions, write them down or even look them up. Type in the address and a GPS sends you where you need to go!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

HUGE: Facebook Testing New “Subscribe To” User Feature

http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-subscribe-to-2010-09

Ok, I'm not going to lie...sure I'm one of the thousands of people who absentmindedly scrolls through my Facebook newsfeed clicking profiles of people I haven't spoken to in years and snooping their lives but this new feature is creeperrrr if you ask me. Apparently Facebook's currently testing out a new feature where you can subscribe to individuals and I guess receive notifications the second they post or update their profile. Um, hi...welcome, stalkers! I mean, are some people that interested in someone else's life that they have to have notifications alerting them!? CREEPER! Someone in the comments of the article wrote that they don't miss anything if they just scroll down through the "live feed", so what's the point of getting a notification every time they update? 

I get it. Sometimes we get the urge to snoop on an ex (haha) or check an old friend's profile but peoples lives CANNOT be that uninteresting that they have to 'subscribe' to friends to get mobile notifications giving updates!! My question now is, do we get a notification that we're being stalked subscribed to?

The Medium Is The Message

This was such a hard read for me to follow. I read the first page over and over again trying to understand. Although it was hard for me to follow with all of the varying examples, I think I now understand what he means by “the medium is the message”.

The basic idea that I pulled from the article (and after reading everyone’s responses!) was that the message varies based on what medium is used. Once I understood this I was able to follow his essay a lot more clearly and understand he examples when jumping from light bulbs to Shakespeare to airplanes and burglars. Blogger Goldie really helped me understand what he meant with her example about celebrities selling perfume. I mean, if an acne stricken teen is selling acne medication the message we’re going to pull is that the acne medicine clearly doesn’t work. But if a blemish free model is selling it, we’re going to be influenced into thinking it does work because of his or her flawless skin. After reading other interpretations of ‘the medium is the message’ I was definitely able to understand what he meant, especially with the example about the light bulb. It gave me something to think about and once the message of the article was described through other mediums, I got a clearer picture.

Man-Computer Symbiosis

To be honest, I was a little nervous to read the article. As soon as I picked up the book I knew I'd be in for some heavy reading. :)

  Like a few of my fellow bloggers, I too thought it began a little dry but as soon as I got into it I found it to be a good read. To start I found it pretty fascinating that Joseph Care Robnett Licklider had a background in engineering and behavioral science. I mean, who better to lead the program than someone who understood both the interworkings of a computer and of a human being. Reading the article was interesting in that there were all of these predictions for the future that are now things of the past! I found his quote, "In a few years, men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face" especially true to that. I can't imagine his what his reaction would be to all of the different technological outlets humans have to communicate with via the computer, especially since his article with Robert W. Taylor hinted at the possibility of cyber romance and that's something that is so prominent now!

 

Another quote that got me thinking was "The hope is that, in not too many years, human brains and computing machines will be coupled together very tightly, and that the resulting partnership will think as no human brain has ever though and process data in a way not approached by the information-handling machines we know today". To me, that thought is a little terrifying. As human beings we can only predict what would happen if we began to reply too much on technology and it never seems that it's a good thing!

Introduction Post

Hi Everyone!
I guess I'll just go ahead and introduce myself as 'VeggieDelite'. I chose the name because, well...I'm a vegetarian and I couldn't think of anything else! :)
Anyways, I'm 21 years old and I'm on my last year of undergrad studies!! So excited to be finishing up with this adventure in life! I commute to San Jose from my little beach town bungalow in Capitola with fellow Comm 131 blogger "sjsharkbyte"! Hi SharkByte!! I've lived in Santa Cruz just about my whole life; born in Peru but raised in Scotts Valley (also with SharkByte!) and now live in Capitola with my boyfriend. I love riding my bike, shopping!, walking down to the beach and getting my tan on, doing yoga on occasion and just started running again. I'm not too interesting but I'm super fun because I get easily excited! Like right now, I have NO IDEA what I'm doing but I'm so excited to be doing something on the internet that isn't Facebook. Haha. I'm not too tech savvy so I hope this gets me into the 21st century. 


Anyways, my boyfriend (lets call him 'TofuGuru' :) ) just walked through the door with dinner in hand so I'm off!


Have a great rest of the weekend and I totally look forward to reading everyone's intro post!


Peace and love!
VeggieDelite