It's always amazed me how similar some course topics can be in different classes. Even in my Freshman year, when I was taking Anthropology, Geology, Art History, Environmental Studies, and American History, there would be some topics we would talk about in nearly every class, sometimes at the same time. Today in Evolution of Writing, we talked a little bit about technology and whether it makes people more or less "humane" and personable. Then, in my World Literature course, we talked about how Mythologies were an oral tradition and how our perception of them is now changed because they are static and written.
Also, I watched the Apple tutorials on podcasts and Garage Band, and it looks very fun! I can't wait to do my podcast.
Smart Mobs has been getting better for me. Perhaps Rheingold can chop off the first three chapters? I've got one chapter to go for this week before my Reading Response, but I've already got some pretty cool topics. I'm also enjoying the "discussions" on the Course Blog. It's nice to be able to take things at your own pace and really be able to think out your responses as well as to be able to fully understand other's opinions.
Until next time, faithful readers!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Smart Mobs Reflection, Chapters 1-3
Warning: This is going to be long!
As soon as I logged onto Blogger in order to fill out this post, I saw on the side of the browser "Mobile Devices: Learn how to start mobile blogging!" Before, journals were something you'd hide under the covers at night to write in with complete secrecy. Now, our every thought is constantly made public, and exceptionally more accessible through the power of "Mobile Blogging." "The Age of Instant Access" is what the front of Howard Rheingold's Smart Mobs proclaims. Apparantly, Instant Access refers not only to such items as the internet, but also to each others thoughts and lives.
People, even those who seek out change as Rheingold, seem frightened by the inevitable effect that technology will have on the world as well as their own personal lives. "The sight of this behavior . . . triggered a sensation I had experienced a few times before--the instant recognition that a technology is going to change my life in ways I can scarcely imagine" (xi). "Like every previous leap in technological power, the new convergence of wireless computation and social communication will enable people to improve life and liberty in some ways and to degrade it in others" (xviii). Even "lizzi" on the Course Blog brings up the question: "what happens when a technology fails us?" These statements make me question why people are so hesitant to embrace these new developments. Undoubtedly, the social scene will change dramatically, especially in teens and 20-year olds; however, these new advancements also allow for the opportunity of a broader access to information. I don't just mean about who so-and-so is dating, but most people will agree that the internet is an invaluable source of obtaining knowledge. Should this kind of "education system" be made more accessible to the masses, the opportunites for cultural advancement improve greatly. For example, just the other day www.ebaumsworld.com informed me that "101 Dalmatians, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Mulan are the only Disney cartoons where both parents are present and don't die throughout the movie." Although this may sound like useless trivia, and granted it probably is (actually, the page name for this and more is 'Useless Facts'), it got me wondering about the cultures where the other movies were taken from and why this parent theme was so common. While this may not advance the world, it did get me thinking about cultures outside the U.S. Curiosity goes a long way.
As for the people who would use this kind of unbelievable power simply for social reasons, well, I came across this fellow who states: "If I don't receive a text when I wake up or I receive only a few messages during the day, I feel as though nobody loves me enough to remember me during the day" (21). I actually wrote in my notes "Hahaha, loser". It's quite depressing that there is all of this capability that is being wasted. Hopefully, classes will be implemented that will teach people how they can use their devices to their ultimate potential. Although some people believe cell phones and computers to be anti-social as it can cause some to ignore those physically around them, they are allowed to connect with people from all over the world. Maybe you're just not as interesting as the stripper from Wisconsin. Point is, the internet and cell phone allows a kind of communication that is now essential to our hectic lifestyles. Whether good or bad, it's here to stay. Written in 2002, Rheingold claims that texting is not big in the US (22). I don't recall how popular texting was back then, but I know that now it is a huge deal.
So far in Smart Mobs, Rheingold has passively observed the effect that some of these new technologies have on the social networks around us. He then moves on to examine the development of some of these technologies throughout the past several years. I hope he sets aside a chapter or so to consider the future of these devices and how people will interact with each other and their "mobiles".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a personal side note, I just wanted to quickly discuss my opinions on the actual writing of this book. A good place to start would be when I began reading Chapter 2 and came across the heading "The Alchemy of Coopetition" (29). I stared at the word coopetition for a few moments before heading to dictionary.com, because, well, I thought it was a word that I had just never seen before. It wasn't. I looked at it again, wondering if it was some grievous misprint, and then continued on under the impression that this Rheingold was a massive idiot. I later concluded that "coopetition" is the sick lovechild of "competition" and "cooperation", however he never uses this word again during the section. Apparantly he thought he was being clever, but to me that word sums up his writing so far: a twisted half-breed. The majority of the text reads like a bland history textbook/computer manual, with names of people, companies, and technological terms being thrown about from every angle. It became apparant to me early on that this book wasn't intended for those who didn't really know much about the makings of a computer or the internet. Then, every once in a while, Rheingold feels the need to entertain us simple people: "Marc is good at italicizing the spoken word" (31). Yes, well, that's nice, but is there a point to that? And now, an entire paragraph devoted to us:
Ok, that's a lovely picture there, but what does it have to do with the "Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project"? I probably wouldn't mind these interjections as much if they didn't seem overwhelmingly random and out of place. Another issue I've been having is how he calls everyone a "geek." I don't know what he considers himself, but he's not any better. Anyway, just my opinion!
As soon as I logged onto Blogger in order to fill out this post, I saw on the side of the browser "Mobile Devices: Learn how to start mobile blogging!" Before, journals were something you'd hide under the covers at night to write in with complete secrecy. Now, our every thought is constantly made public, and exceptionally more accessible through the power of "Mobile Blogging." "The Age of Instant Access" is what the front of Howard Rheingold's Smart Mobs proclaims. Apparantly, Instant Access refers not only to such items as the internet, but also to each others thoughts and lives.
People, even those who seek out change as Rheingold, seem frightened by the inevitable effect that technology will have on the world as well as their own personal lives. "The sight of this behavior . . . triggered a sensation I had experienced a few times before--the instant recognition that a technology is going to change my life in ways I can scarcely imagine" (xi). "Like every previous leap in technological power, the new convergence of wireless computation and social communication will enable people to improve life and liberty in some ways and to degrade it in others" (xviii). Even "lizzi" on the Course Blog brings up the question: "what happens when a technology fails us?" These statements make me question why people are so hesitant to embrace these new developments. Undoubtedly, the social scene will change dramatically, especially in teens and 20-year olds; however, these new advancements also allow for the opportunity of a broader access to information. I don't just mean about who so-and-so is dating, but most people will agree that the internet is an invaluable source of obtaining knowledge. Should this kind of "education system" be made more accessible to the masses, the opportunites for cultural advancement improve greatly. For example, just the other day www.ebaumsworld.com informed me that "101 Dalmatians, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Mulan are the only Disney cartoons where both parents are present and don't die throughout the movie." Although this may sound like useless trivia, and granted it probably is (actually, the page name for this and more is 'Useless Facts'), it got me wondering about the cultures where the other movies were taken from and why this parent theme was so common. While this may not advance the world, it did get me thinking about cultures outside the U.S. Curiosity goes a long way.
As for the people who would use this kind of unbelievable power simply for social reasons, well, I came across this fellow who states: "If I don't receive a text when I wake up or I receive only a few messages during the day, I feel as though nobody loves me enough to remember me during the day" (21). I actually wrote in my notes "Hahaha, loser". It's quite depressing that there is all of this capability that is being wasted. Hopefully, classes will be implemented that will teach people how they can use their devices to their ultimate potential. Although some people believe cell phones and computers to be anti-social as it can cause some to ignore those physically around them, they are allowed to connect with people from all over the world. Maybe you're just not as interesting as the stripper from Wisconsin. Point is, the internet and cell phone allows a kind of communication that is now essential to our hectic lifestyles. Whether good or bad, it's here to stay. Written in 2002, Rheingold claims that texting is not big in the US (22). I don't recall how popular texting was back then, but I know that now it is a huge deal.
So far in Smart Mobs, Rheingold has passively observed the effect that some of these new technologies have on the social networks around us. He then moves on to examine the development of some of these technologies throughout the past several years. I hope he sets aside a chapter or so to consider the future of these devices and how people will interact with each other and their "mobiles".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a personal side note, I just wanted to quickly discuss my opinions on the actual writing of this book. A good place to start would be when I began reading Chapter 2 and came across the heading "The Alchemy of Coopetition" (29). I stared at the word coopetition for a few moments before heading to dictionary.com, because, well, I thought it was a word that I had just never seen before. It wasn't. I looked at it again, wondering if it was some grievous misprint, and then continued on under the impression that this Rheingold was a massive idiot. I later concluded that "coopetition" is the sick lovechild of "competition" and "cooperation", however he never uses this word again during the section. Apparantly he thought he was being clever, but to me that word sums up his writing so far: a twisted half-breed. The majority of the text reads like a bland history textbook/computer manual, with names of people, companies, and technological terms being thrown about from every angle. It became apparant to me early on that this book wasn't intended for those who didn't really know much about the makings of a computer or the internet. Then, every once in a while, Rheingold feels the need to entertain us simple people: "Marc is good at italicizing the spoken word" (31). Yes, well, that's nice, but is there a point to that? And now, an entire paragraph devoted to us:
It was a sunny day, so Anderson and I sat on a terrace outside the Space Sciences Laboratory. The California hills had turned summer tawny. We could smell the eucalyptus forest on the hills below us. Behind Anderson, I could see a panoramic view of San Francisco Bay. If I worked in this building, I would take as many meetings as possible on the terrace. Anderson, tall, dark-haired, with the lank and sinew of a long-distance runner, takes his time thinking about a response and then tends to speak in perfectly formed paragraphs. (66-67)
Ok, that's a lovely picture there, but what does it have to do with the "Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project"? I probably wouldn't mind these interjections as much if they didn't seem overwhelmingly random and out of place. Another issue I've been having is how he calls everyone a "geek." I don't know what he considers himself, but he's not any better. Anyway, just my opinion!
Monday, January 22, 2007
First Post
Hello! I'm an English and Professional Writing dual major in my 3rd year here at Cortland. I have aspirations of attending Rosemont College for grad school and continuing on into a job in book editing. I come from the small town of Candor, NY which is between Ithaca and Binghamton.
That's about it for right now :-).
That's about it for right now :-).
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