So, i can't believe this is the final week, final blog....i got used to the idea of reading posts and see what other people thought of what we learnt in class. I always find it interesting to hear/read other people's views....But anyway, my point is-I enjoyd this paper!It has been a real pleasure:)
Here's my opinion about the Cyborg: scaryyyy!Although I can really see the benefits of it, it really makes me think of security and privacy in general. I mean, it is almost like cloning cells- doctors discovered this and they could use it to help people who suffer from diabetes. It would be a miracle for them to be able to live a normal life again and not have to use insuline etc. That would be just great. But then, they didn't actually allow this discovery to go through, because they were simply afraid of people's malicious intents and how much dammage they could/might do with the discovery. So, might be the same with the cyborg. Maybe people will think "No way, this time we're not going along with technology!We don't want to change our human being!"---At least, i hope this will be the case 'cause i really don't like the idea!No way!
Think about the example we had in class with the pizza lady!Man, i'd get so frustrated if i'd want to JUST order a pizza and an amazingly annoying lady would just start asking me all of these questions, implying that i should have a different kind of pizza from the one i initially ordered etc...what the?i just want a pizza!not a reminder of what i spent my money on and that my cholesterol is high and and and......please!
And also, no, i wouldn't want to go into a starbuks and have my money deducted from my credit card?what if they deduct more than they should?:)......and i'd much rather go and order what i want at that point!otherwise, where's all the fun of going to a coffee place? Good that they know what you usually order/ prefer but what if you want something completely different the next time?Just 'cause you want a change etc...
And i'm not actually sure that i want to know all that info:where my milk comes from etc......Although, by knowing that we could get that info., they might actually try harder and use good ingredients.....but seriously, we're making our life too complicated! i really just want to have a coffe and leave peacefully without all that hassle....
Also, I agree with Erika, Kevin Warrik is pretty intense about his stuff. Why on earth would I want to communicate through thoughts and no symblos. Just stare a person like an idiot....again, where the fun in communicating>???Maybe I like to shout lol....how about singers?we go to a mute concert and feel the music thorugh thoughts?this is absurd! (at least to me, right now!)
In conclusion, if this technology would really come through and i couldn't opt out, i don't know what i'd do!i'd move to a remote island with my family/ eat rice and communicate trough signs lol....the way i think it's human:) (that is, if there will be any remote place left on earth/and had enough money to get there :)....jees, this course makes me think about crazy things hehe...just joking
i agree with Boa, i just don't want to become a robot!or be ruled by a robot :) Have you seen the movie I ROBOT- with Will Smith?that movie explains exactly what i mean, and where i don't want to end up!
Well, this is my general opinion on cyborg/chipping etc....obviously, i tend to be against it unless there would be some restrictions that would help us keep our identiy safe/be safe. And have no one interfere in MY personal life and what i do with my money/health etc!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Convergence
What attracted my attention the most in this lecture, was our talk about the RFID. I just can't believe that people would go such lengths as to implanting one into babies' bodies. I can certainly see the positive side of it (that if you have an accident, the doctors can read your entire medical "situation" just by scanning YOU)....just listen to how that sounds...."let me scan you" :) it's actually funny as well...but seriously, how about our privacy? i mean, come on- I can't even believe what Erika said- that we can ourselves make one and change the inscription on any RFID we want?. It would be that simple to play around with peoples lives?Come on???!!!!what is this, toy world?......things like these just shock and scare me! So, I can't emphasize enough how finding out about all these things makes me be so much more careful and skeptical about giving out personal details and this sort of stuff....It is just amazing how much internet is helping us simplify our lives but at the same time, how scary it can make this world we live in. It deifinitely seems like internet is becoming as important as electricity. In fact, it probably already is as important as electricity. I remember when I came back from holiday this summer just before starting uni, and i had moved into a new flat where there was no internet. I kinda felt like i was in the dark, i felt like something was missing and everytime i wanted to do something, it would require the use of the internet. I would remember I did not have and i'd be like "damn, can't wait to get internet"- can't do anything without it!:) .....and that was during the holidays when it wasn't really a necessity, it was more for not getting bored- but i still needed it for entertainmnet....so i guess-we do need internet to be ubiquitos....
I tired to think, but I really can't come up with an killer up for the laptop or the phone - i'm obviously not that inventive when it comes to technology. Although, definitely wouldn;t be surprised if something new would be out there soon-ish:)
I tired to think, but I really can't come up with an killer up for the laptop or the phone - i'm obviously not that inventive when it comes to technology. Although, definitely wouldn;t be surprised if something new would be out there soon-ish:)
Digital Divides
So, once again back to it :)
Well, what can I say - i have technolgy embeded in me. My phone is my extended self, it's practically part of me. I have it with me all the time, I check it constantly and use it very often (mainly for texting). It hapened a few times that I went away to Christchurch for the week-end and I did get my phone, but I forgot my charger....so i'd run out of bettery, and obviously I wasn't able to use my cell. I just felt like I was lost without it...and it was only Christchurch where I knew my way around, but imagine if i were in Dubai or something?Then i'd freak out without my cell!! So, after my bad stats, I think I use my mobile for an hour each day (but as i said, i have it constantly with me, even when i go to bed-I use it as an alarm as well).
My laptop-because I'm at uni and i use it a lot for assignemnts as well -the time i spend on it would be 3 hours a day?!...i think. Just like some other "blogging" colleagues, i tend to start it first thing in the morning when I wake up- before even washing my face lol (bad,bad,bad!:). For some reason, i'm always excited to see if I GOT MAIL :)--and who it might be from...
The TV - i also turn it on first thing in the morning when I go to the kitchen to have my breakfast. An average, i think I watch TV an hour a day. So not that much but, i do sometimes have it on while I do some other stuff as well. AND, aand- i watch it for about 4 hours on friday ('cause my favorite shows are o
n) as well as 3 hours sunday nights...so that leaves me to an average of 12 hours a week. which is not that much i guess comparing with other people..
My Ipod - i mainly use it as many times as I go to the gym. In total it might sum up to 4 hours a week. Sometinmes i listen to it when I walk to uni, but not always. Not anymore...i'm gettin' old (i guess i like to just clear my head sometimes -without the music!)
Hmm, what else?these are the main mediums i use all the time....if i keep going, my blog will become too long and boring!:P
Anyway, in my opinion education (OLPC) is probably as important as food. Depending on the country where you come from, I guess one or the other will be more important. In third world countries, food will be the most important thing i guess, 'cause when you're starving and sick, the last thing on your mind would be to use a laptop. The primary necessity would be food. ....but for us here i guess they both ar just as important because food is just something we can afford (at least basics anyway:), and we take technolgy/education for granted- we have it available everywhere in NZ almost.....and so we also take it for granted. So I never really thought of it this way.....i guess in more developed countries laptops could be just as important as food as they are necessities/"requirements for basic living?!........and this links me to the reading for "digital divides".
Some particular aspects caught my attention, one of which has to do with the necessity of laptops. I was agreeing on the fact that technology has become a "requirement/necessity" for basic living because we as consumers "are learning how to use these different media technologies to bring the flow of media more fully under our control and to interact with other users"....so in other words we want to keep at pace with the rest of teh sociey, we don't want to be left behind. So if technology is what we're supposed to be using in order to survive (our job, new challenges), then this is what we need to learn and adapt to -just like the we need to eat in order to survive.
Another point that caught my attention, is the fact that i'm realising that in the near future everything will come at a price. Not that it doesn't already, but it will become a serious issue. All information on the internet will come at a price. Imagine wanting to do a search and having to pay for every article??....i'd drop out of uni:P kidding ('cause i assume i wont be still at uni when this happens lol)...
Also, hopefully more and more people become aware and start carrying about media control, hence the power in our society....that way, if the majority of population is not happy, probably some action will be taken ! .....but that leads me to think, what kind of action? How revolted would we have to be so that changes will take place? Hopefully we don't have to have another World War or something catastrophic and awful like that to make a change....
There is also another aspect in the reading that I always wanted to talk about - “intertextual commodity” – it’s all I’m starting to hear lately. “Originality” is not seeked/appreciated anymore so no one cares to produce something genuine. All media are a BIG PASTICHE- that is, you take a scene from that movie, a piece from that song and a bit from the other video game and you produce THE SIMPSONS. Voila! -A funny series of ‘adult’ cartoons. Undeniably they’re funny and they have some deeper meaning than just the apparent mockery but they are still just a mish-mash and combination of other media texts. This sort of programs only dumb-down the audience, and the problem is –we like it! But why is there so much pastiche and intertextuality?....i guess everyone knows the answer: Because we live in a capitalist world. All the focus is on the economic implications of the media – it is cheaper to produce/inspire from media content that’s already been “produced” right? Why put so much time and effort into it when you can have it the easy way? It’s like, why cook at home for two hours when you can have take- away in 15 minutes? The problem is, we’re simplifying our world and we want everything to be as easy and quick as possible…..but are we in fact doing more damage to ourselves?
Well, what can I say - i have technolgy embeded in me. My phone is my extended self, it's practically part of me. I have it with me all the time, I check it constantly and use it very often (mainly for texting). It hapened a few times that I went away to Christchurch for the week-end and I did get my phone, but I forgot my charger....so i'd run out of bettery, and obviously I wasn't able to use my cell. I just felt like I was lost without it...and it was only Christchurch where I knew my way around, but imagine if i were in Dubai or something?Then i'd freak out without my cell!! So, after my bad stats, I think I use my mobile for an hour each day (but as i said, i have it constantly with me, even when i go to bed-I use it as an alarm as well).
My laptop-because I'm at uni and i use it a lot for assignemnts as well -the time i spend on it would be 3 hours a day?!...i think. Just like some other "blogging" colleagues, i tend to start it first thing in the morning when I wake up- before even washing my face lol (bad,bad,bad!:). For some reason, i'm always excited to see if I GOT MAIL :)--and who it might be from...
The TV - i also turn it on first thing in the morning when I go to the kitchen to have my breakfast. An average, i think I watch TV an hour a day. So not that much but, i do sometimes have it on while I do some other stuff as well. AND, aand- i watch it for about 4 hours on friday ('cause my favorite shows are o
n) as well as 3 hours sunday nights...so that leaves me to an average of 12 hours a week. which is not that much i guess comparing with other people..
My Ipod - i mainly use it as many times as I go to the gym. In total it might sum up to 4 hours a week. Sometinmes i listen to it when I walk to uni, but not always. Not anymore...i'm gettin' old (i guess i like to just clear my head sometimes -without the music!)
Hmm, what else?these are the main mediums i use all the time....if i keep going, my blog will become too long and boring!:P
Anyway, in my opinion education (OLPC) is probably as important as food. Depending on the country where you come from, I guess one or the other will be more important. In third world countries, food will be the most important thing i guess, 'cause when you're starving and sick, the last thing on your mind would be to use a laptop. The primary necessity would be food. ....but for us here i guess they both ar just as important because food is just something we can afford (at least basics anyway:), and we take technolgy/education for granted- we have it available everywhere in NZ almost.....and so we also take it for granted. So I never really thought of it this way.....i guess in more developed countries laptops could be just as important as food as they are necessities/"requirements for basic living?!........and this links me to the reading for "digital divides".
Some particular aspects caught my attention, one of which has to do with the necessity of laptops. I was agreeing on the fact that technology has become a "requirement/necessity" for basic living because we as consumers "are learning how to use these different media technologies to bring the flow of media more fully under our control and to interact with other users"....so in other words we want to keep at pace with the rest of teh sociey, we don't want to be left behind. So if technology is what we're supposed to be using in order to survive (our job, new challenges), then this is what we need to learn and adapt to -just like the we need to eat in order to survive.
Another point that caught my attention, is the fact that i'm realising that in the near future everything will come at a price. Not that it doesn't already, but it will become a serious issue. All information on the internet will come at a price. Imagine wanting to do a search and having to pay for every article??....i'd drop out of uni:P kidding ('cause i assume i wont be still at uni when this happens lol)...
Also, hopefully more and more people become aware and start carrying about media control, hence the power in our society....that way, if the majority of population is not happy, probably some action will be taken ! .....but that leads me to think, what kind of action? How revolted would we have to be so that changes will take place? Hopefully we don't have to have another World War or something catastrophic and awful like that to make a change....
There is also another aspect in the reading that I always wanted to talk about - “intertextual commodity” – it’s all I’m starting to hear lately. “Originality” is not seeked/appreciated anymore so no one cares to produce something genuine. All media are a BIG PASTICHE- that is, you take a scene from that movie, a piece from that song and a bit from the other video game and you produce THE SIMPSONS. Voila! -A funny series of ‘adult’ cartoons. Undeniably they’re funny and they have some deeper meaning than just the apparent mockery but they are still just a mish-mash and combination of other media texts. This sort of programs only dumb-down the audience, and the problem is –we like it! But why is there so much pastiche and intertextuality?....i guess everyone knows the answer: Because we live in a capitalist world. All the focus is on the economic implications of the media – it is cheaper to produce/inspire from media content that’s already been “produced” right? Why put so much time and effort into it when you can have it the easy way? It’s like, why cook at home for two hours when you can have take- away in 15 minutes? The problem is, we’re simplifying our world and we want everything to be as easy and quick as possible…..but are we in fact doing more damage to ourselves?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Surveillance
After doing the reading for surveillance I realised I’m inclined not to think of it as a safety thing, rather as an intrusion into peoples’ personal lives….
I find this topic interesting and I tend to relate to the commercial part, as I’ve been doing a bit of marketing as well. That’s where I’ve become aware of the “commercial surveillance”. I had absolutely no clue that the gift cards or reward cards are actually used to keep track of consumer preferences in order for the marketers to know exactly how to personalize their products for the right market. And to have access to those cards and what “rewards” they come with, we in fact give all our personal details which we never know how they can and might be used. We are attracted to the incentives and we don’t think about anything else. A good example is the FlyBuys card. How many of you actually new that the real purpose of having a card like that is not to gain points in order to get a perfume for free let’s say, but for marketers to survey what purchases you regularly do, how much money you usually spend etc.
But again, I must emphasize that there’s no way I would’ve known about this if I hadn’t been told about it in the marketing course I attended. So how can you blame the everyday citizen that’s past that stage in life where they go to school and find out about these kinds of things, or that just simply don’t come about a conversation related to this matters? There are simply people that don’t know anything about how wrong it is to just give your personal details away so easily. For instance my dad definitely had no clue about it and he couldn’t care less, until I told him….about some consequences too. Then he admitted it made sense…..
I’m just realising all the things I’m becoming aware of trough communication papers and uni in general, and I’m glad to learn it all but I’m afraid I’m becoming way overprotective and overcautious of things. Is that good or bad? Or just human….?
Now every time someone asks me if I want to join the “Lancome beauty club” I take a minute (actually 2 seconds) and say “no, thanks!” J lool…Once I went to Lone Star for dinner as it was a friend’s birthday, and I realised they got it all for free. And my birthday was coming up so I wanted a dinner for free, but after I found out I had to fill in a form with my birth date and all, I just gave up on the ides. After all, what could they have done with that info? Pb. nothing, but I was just being paranoid as usual:)
I’m also realising that I was aware of “corporate surveillance” as well. This is after one of my French lecturers told us a little story about how firms and companies that employ people “graduates” had formed a habit of surveying their personal accounts such as “facebook” which I have as well. So, after hearing that one “graduate” did not get a job simply because of the fact that he had pictures of him and burning couches on his facebook account, I got a bit MORE paranoid! I was just thinking to myself, “what do I have that is compromising for my career/future job?” Although I knew I only had 2 pictures of myself and a list of friends. But had it been the case where I did have something “bad” and of course, I’d erase it after hearing that story- what if that data would have been stored anyway and could have been accessed at the request of that employee? What if?
Hmmm...internet is very useful INDEED--but computer and modern surveilllance can get you into trouble so quick! That's why we should be careful!!but when is
"careful" too careful? For me, i think there is a fine line between careful and paranoid lol
I find this topic interesting and I tend to relate to the commercial part, as I’ve been doing a bit of marketing as well. That’s where I’ve become aware of the “commercial surveillance”. I had absolutely no clue that the gift cards or reward cards are actually used to keep track of consumer preferences in order for the marketers to know exactly how to personalize their products for the right market. And to have access to those cards and what “rewards” they come with, we in fact give all our personal details which we never know how they can and might be used. We are attracted to the incentives and we don’t think about anything else. A good example is the FlyBuys card. How many of you actually new that the real purpose of having a card like that is not to gain points in order to get a perfume for free let’s say, but for marketers to survey what purchases you regularly do, how much money you usually spend etc.
But again, I must emphasize that there’s no way I would’ve known about this if I hadn’t been told about it in the marketing course I attended. So how can you blame the everyday citizen that’s past that stage in life where they go to school and find out about these kinds of things, or that just simply don’t come about a conversation related to this matters? There are simply people that don’t know anything about how wrong it is to just give your personal details away so easily. For instance my dad definitely had no clue about it and he couldn’t care less, until I told him….about some consequences too. Then he admitted it made sense…..
I’m just realising all the things I’m becoming aware of trough communication papers and uni in general, and I’m glad to learn it all but I’m afraid I’m becoming way overprotective and overcautious of things. Is that good or bad? Or just human….?
Now every time someone asks me if I want to join the “Lancome beauty club” I take a minute (actually 2 seconds) and say “no, thanks!” J lool…Once I went to Lone Star for dinner as it was a friend’s birthday, and I realised they got it all for free. And my birthday was coming up so I wanted a dinner for free, but after I found out I had to fill in a form with my birth date and all, I just gave up on the ides. After all, what could they have done with that info? Pb. nothing, but I was just being paranoid as usual:)
I’m also realising that I was aware of “corporate surveillance” as well. This is after one of my French lecturers told us a little story about how firms and companies that employ people “graduates” had formed a habit of surveying their personal accounts such as “facebook” which I have as well. So, after hearing that one “graduate” did not get a job simply because of the fact that he had pictures of him and burning couches on his facebook account, I got a bit MORE paranoid! I was just thinking to myself, “what do I have that is compromising for my career/future job?” Although I knew I only had 2 pictures of myself and a list of friends. But had it been the case where I did have something “bad” and of course, I’d erase it after hearing that story- what if that data would have been stored anyway and could have been accessed at the request of that employee? What if?
Hmmm...internet is very useful INDEED--but computer and modern surveilllance can get you into trouble so quick! That's why we should be careful!!but when is
"careful" too careful? For me, i think there is a fine line between careful and paranoid lol
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Code: Copyright
Right, so finally getting back to blogging, it was about time! i know!
But what can I do??
It's really frustrating though when you have heaps of assignments due in the same weeks at the end of the semester. And it's really hard to keep up with posting especially when you miss a few lectures, because you had to finish "that" assignment....so now i just had to do the readings and talk to some friends in order to get a grasp of what we've been doing, so i can do my best at "bogging" :)
I realised a lot of people are in the same situation! I’m not finding excuses, I’m just saying....it's hard when assignment pile up because they are all due at similar dates, don’t you think?
Anyways, I should start discussing the theme related to this blog, "copyright".
I must say, the first thing that pops up to mind when I hear the word "copyright" is music. This is mainly due to the fact that it's an aspect that was approached in another communication paper as well and since then i always assume "its copyright, it has to do with music". Of course, i'm well aware of the fact that copyright does not only resume to music:) and has to do with many other aspects.
To answer the question in the lecture "Is copyright still a valid tool in the information age?"...well, I don’t actually know how to answer it:) But, I’m inclined to say, "Not really". I say "not really" because I am not entirely sure on my answer. On one hand, there is so much evidence to suggest that copyright in the information age is not a valid tool anymore, because it just doesn't seem to work. It looks as if we are living in a jungle: everyone downloads anything and everything they want from the internet for free with no problems at any time: music, movies, programs, name it!....i know i do, and i know you do too! :) As i've read on some other blogs, everyone does it. Just as Byron, i too prefer downloading the songs I specifically like. I mean, what's the point in buying a whole album when I know for a fact that i never like all the songs on it?! In fact, i'm lying, i don't download songs-i get them from my friend after he gets them from another friend who downloaded them :)....haha, i don't even do that :). But anyway, my point is that i never pay for thing that I can get for free. My Ipod has exactly my favourite songs on, and they're certainly not paid for. After all, I am a student, i'd much rather spend my money on other things like "food"...:)
Obviously, from this perspective, copyright isn't a valid tool anymore.
Yet, I have an example where a friend of mine was caught with downloading music (he's a DJ), and that was only after using that program for 3years. That's ages! Anyway, he was only warned that if he'd do it again he can get a fine or something. So I guess this is an example where copyright is valid. Maybe there are more, I just haven't heard of. But for sure, the "good" examples" outnumber the "bad" ones. That is, the examples that prove that copyright is not valid in information age outnumber the ones (or better said the one) that points to the fact that copyright is still valid.....so that only leads me to say "copyright is "not really" a valid tool in information age.....
And now let’s focus a bit on the reading.
Again, if I’ve learned something from communication studies- it would be the fact that- where there is a brilliant idea that a certain someone comes up with and applies it, that idea gets exploited to the max by the “power” in society: the government, the military etc. in order to create more power (politics) and commercial interests. It is as simple as that, no hidden agenda. As much as it is simple, it also sad to see this happening. Where are we heading to?
The main idea I got out of the reading is that the government is omnipresent and controls/exploits everything with apparent “good purposes” that are in fact malicious (mainly commercial and political) intents.
The “idea” explored here is the “regulating code” -it has to do with the complicated architecture of the internet which the government can try to regulate in order to make behaviour “more regulable” (in a sense I think they mean to make it more manipulative and profitable if I can say so).
All the ideas of having an ID (giving our personal details) when accessing the internet or having all our data retained and encrypted so that only the government can decrypt is a bit freaky….and these are only two examples of what’s going on in this world.
I am aware of them now but wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t done the reading/ this course….which proves what I’ve read in another reading, not all citizens are aware of these facts. They just take things for granted. But there should always be a question of power…..”Who shall write that software that increasingly structures our daily lives?”….
But I just keep thinking that just questioning the "power" won't get us anywhere but where we already are. Maybe more people should try and come up with some solution?And I refer to the ones that have the means to do so, intelligent people like Bill Gates :) that can challenge the power?I don' really know...........
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Media Universe digitized
Wow, this web-site is quite weird, yet so different...but yeah, i stick to weird! Have a look for yourself!
i just typed in fashion ('cause that's my passion as you probably already know-i'm always on about it, it's my primary example for anything really lol), ...and all this random stuff comes up like: pictures of bikini models from Budapest Show...well, mostly pictures with tiny descriptions of what they are when/where they'd been taken:) e.g http://cache.daylife.com/universe/universe.php?&q=fashion hmmm, amazing/weird stuff the internet...
i just typed in fashion ('cause that's my passion as you probably already know-i'm always on about it, it's my primary example for anything really lol), ...and all this random stuff comes up like: pictures of bikini models from Budapest Show...well, mostly pictures with tiny descriptions of what they are when/where they'd been taken:) e.g http://cache.daylife.com/universe/universe.php?&q=fashion hmmm, amazing/weird stuff the internet...
Comcast, Twitter and the Chicken
So i see there actually is a connection between twitter, comcast and the chicken:)
Hehe, the chicken part is quite funny:P
I'm starting to like this blogging thing more and more every day now. I kind of skipped the "being skeptical about posting comments part", and i am starting to really enjoy reading stories like this one, because they're funny and teach you something.
Hopefully if I come accross a problem like the "comcast one" or any other sort of problem for that matter, i will find it fixed in a hurry:) just by posting my anger on my blog. I think i'll join Twitter:) Do you think it'd work for us too? If let's say, Broadband didn't work and we'd complain about their service on twitter?
Hehe, the chicken part is quite funny:P
I'm starting to like this blogging thing more and more every day now. I kind of skipped the "being skeptical about posting comments part", and i am starting to really enjoy reading stories like this one, because they're funny and teach you something.
Hopefully if I come accross a problem like the "comcast one" or any other sort of problem for that matter, i will find it fixed in a hurry:) just by posting my anger on my blog. I think i'll join Twitter:) Do you think it'd work for us too? If let's say, Broadband didn't work and we'd complain about their service on twitter?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
