The New Media Senior Seminar has helped me to realize how significant and amazing new media really is. It consumes my life so much, that I take it for granted. In fact, it is my life.
I wake up in the morning with the sound of a song of my choice. It is an alarm that makes sure that I am up, while frustrating me to the point that I absolutely hate the song that I chose the night before. This very alarm comes from my cell phone. Wow! Not only, can I talk on my Motorola Krazer, but I can use it as an alarm clock that uses the sounds of my choice.
And, if that is not good enough, I can use my phone as a digital photo album. It actually has a camera built in it. I can take and view pictures any time I want to. Not only that, but I can send the pictures that I take to whomever I please via text messaging. Being digital and all, the photographs in the phone also have the capability to be sent to my computer. From my computer, I can view the pictures however I want to, e-mail them to whomever I want to, and even edit them the way I want to.
And yet, there is more. On my phone, I have a calendar, an organizer, a calculator, voice commands, and even a world clock. My phone has e-mail and voice mail. It has various wallpapers and screensavers. The video camera it has isn’t too bad either and the MP3 player is definitely a plus. By the way, the MP3 player has touch-sensitive buttons. Speaking of touch-sensitive buttons, I find it interesting how Nicholas Negroponte says that, “Personal computers almost never have your finger meet the display, which is quite startling when you consider that the human finger is a pointing device you don’t have to pick up, and we have ten of them” (Negroponte 131-132). He also says, “yet it hasn’t caught on” (Negroponte 132). Later on the same page he says that, “The real reason for not using fingers is that we haven’t yet found a good technology for sensing the near field of a finger when your finger is close to but not touching the display” (Negroponte 132). I personally feel that while that might be a more advanced way of computing, it just might not be that appealing to the user. Technology is rapidly growing but the last thing we should worry about is whether or not our personal computers have touch-sensitive screens, even though it may be useful for a source such as a cell phone.
With the exception of watching full-length television shows or movies, my digital source of communication known as the cell phone, is capable of many digital things to do or see. By the way, it will not be long before we can start watching full-length television shows or even movies on our cell phones.
It amazes me how far we as a society have come, when all of these capabilities can be emerged in a device that is no bigger than our hands, an extension of ourselves. With all this being said, is there a cost or negative consequence to the continuing advancements of our new media?
With all that amazes me about our new advancements of technology and media, I can not help but be slightly skeptical or even frightened of the possibilities and consequences thy may hold. Can these continuing advancements actually do more harm to us than good?
Ray Kurzweil’s, The Age of Spiritual Machines, explores the ongoing possibilities of new technology that will eventually change the way we live by drastic measures. Kurzweil evidentially feels strongly about the way our technology is heading. He begins with prophecies of different decades ranging from 2009 to 2099. Kurzweil even says that in 2029, “A $1,000 unit of computation has the computing capacity of approximately 1,000 human brains” (Kurzweil 220). What a scary thought that is. As if the world was not intimidating enough, I have to worry about a computer’s processing speed being 1,000 times faster than my own brain. Don’t get me wrong, the thought of a computer that fast is cool but with the capabilities of doing well with the technology, there are ways of doing bad. Who is to say that humans will even be able to tell the difference between a computer and another human? About 2029, Kurzweil says that, “Machines claim to be conscious and to have as wide an array of emotional and spiritual experiences as their human progenitors, and these claims are largely accepted” (Kurzweil 224). Now, I don’t know about anybody else, but I do not necessarily like the thought of an international enemy having access to this sort of fast computation, let alone an enemy within my own country. Just the thought of foreign enemies using this new media to their advantage freaks me out. Yes, technology has already spread and there are foreign enemies that share some of the same technological knowledge that we have, but imagine our enemies with computation up to the speed of 1,000 human brains. What will we do then? And if that is the case, how will one president be able to fix everything like everybody wants him or her to do? He or she just has one brain. Will we even need a president? If so, will our president have implants in his brain to make him smarter? Other countries would then catch up to the new advancements and what would we do then? And that is just 22 years away. That is still in my lifetime.
I know I am riding the fence on these questions but I cannot tell the future, nor do I want to. My point is that with everything good, there can be bad, and we as a society may be smarter than for our own good.
Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.
Kurzweil, Ray. The Age of Spiritual Machines. New York: Penguin, 1999.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
News Media and Criminal Justice
For more information, you can read my full research paper on the
fargasoncase.blogspot.com
In my research for my senior project, I have found that the media has a lot more impact and influence on people’s opinions, and in this instance, the criminal justice system. There are several instances in which the media portrayed events of the case differently than what Charles Fargason, the father of the murdered child, Taylor, and the ex-husband of Teresa, had said.
Among many media outlets that zeroed in on the Teresa Fargason case for news and entertainment purposes are 13WMAZ, Inside Edition, Court TV, and USA. I conducted a telephone interview with Charles Fargason, Teresa’s ex-husband and in my interview with him; he was profoundly upset with a news anchor from WMAZ, Mary Terese. He told me that she had double-crossed him because “she did not do her documentary like she said she was going to do” (Fargason). It was evident that he was upset as we continued “She wanted to talk to me about Taylor, except she had this lawyer that was on TV every night from the family” (Fargason). He said that “She was doing this little thing for about a week on TV and she’d say a little bit about the story” (Fargason). Interestingly enough, “What I said, she didn’t put on air” (Fargason). He then stated that, “She put on TV what she wanted to put on TV” (Fargason). Surprisingly, “That stuff about her sister that I told you about, she didn’t say none of that on TV” (Fargason).
The important details that she did not address to the public were the details of Teresa’s younger sister, Bobby Anne, saying that she thought Teresa was involved with Taylor’s murder. Teresa had two sisters. When the investigators finally approached Bobby Anne, her husband said that Bobby Anne had been waiting for them to question her. She told them that she believed Teresa was involved because Teresa asked her to wash Taylor’s sheets and pillowcase before the cops arrived that night. Bobby Anne did not do it, so the other sister did. This was a crucial piece of evidence that Charles wanted to share, but Mary Terese did not air that information: “The moment that stuff aired, she wouldn’t answer that phone no more” (Fargason) [and] “She knew she had double-crossed me” (Fargason).
As far as the sister’s statements go, when the trial was happening, the Georgia State Patrol and The Alabama State Patrol were searching for the sisters and their husbands so that they could appear in court. Meanwhile, Teresa was convicted of the crime. Charles said that one of the sister’s husbands called his work to ask for the pay that he had missed while he had been at court and his boss told him that he knew he did not go to court because law enforcement was searching for him and called looking for him. The boss asked where he had been. The husband said he was where the lawyers told him to go. Fargason says that they were hid out, and that was never brought up in court or by the media. The only thing that was brought up about this is that when the judge told Teresa’s lawyer, Frank Childs, that he better not find out that Childs “had anything to do with hiding them kids out” (Fargason ).
Inside Edition called Mr. Fargason and wanted an interview. He said, “No, what you want is to interview about Teresa being in prison” (Fargason). Inside Edition told Mr. Fargason that that was right. Mr. Fargason hung up on her. She called right back and said that she can just call all the TV stations in Macon and get filed footage of him. Mr. Fargason then called Liz Jarvis at WMAZ. Mr. Fargason said that she was good to him. He told her what was going on and asked for his number so she could call him right back. Five minutes later, she called Mr. Fargason back and told him that he had nothing to worry about. The news stations were not going to give out any information.
I have to admit that at first, when I was researching the evidence of the case, I believed that I could prove Teresa’s innocence and prove that it was the media that influenced the public on her guilt. What I realized later in my research was that the media did indeed have an influence but it was not what I expected. They had an influence on me believing that Teresa was innocent in the way that I saw they portrayed the case. I recently read an interesting quote by Sara Sun Beale that can relate to this topic and it says, “The news media are not mirrors, simply reflecting events in society. Rather, media content is shaped by economic and marketing considerations that frequently override traditional journalistic criteria for newsworthiness” (Beale).
It has been nearly 17 years after the murder and the media was still influencing opinions and they were mine. I am glad this happened though, because it just proves my point that the media does have a strong influence on our opinions and decisions, and to finish with a quote from a guy that knows about media, Marshall McLuhan says that “All media work us over completely” (McLuhan). He then says that “They are so persuasive in their personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical, and social consequences that they leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, unaltered” (McLuhan).
Beale, Sara Sun, "The News Media’s Influence on Criminal Justice Policy: How Market-Driven News Promotes Punitiveness" . William & Mary Law Review, Vol. 48, pp. 397-418, 2006 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=964647
Fargason, Charles. Telephone interview. 12 Mar. 2007.
McLuhan, Marshall, Quentin Fiore, and Jerome Agel. The Medium is the Massage. New York: Random House, 1967.
fargasoncase.blogspot.com
In my research for my senior project, I have found that the media has a lot more impact and influence on people’s opinions, and in this instance, the criminal justice system. There are several instances in which the media portrayed events of the case differently than what Charles Fargason, the father of the murdered child, Taylor, and the ex-husband of Teresa, had said.
Among many media outlets that zeroed in on the Teresa Fargason case for news and entertainment purposes are 13WMAZ, Inside Edition, Court TV, and USA. I conducted a telephone interview with Charles Fargason, Teresa’s ex-husband and in my interview with him; he was profoundly upset with a news anchor from WMAZ, Mary Terese. He told me that she had double-crossed him because “she did not do her documentary like she said she was going to do” (Fargason). It was evident that he was upset as we continued “She wanted to talk to me about Taylor, except she had this lawyer that was on TV every night from the family” (Fargason). He said that “She was doing this little thing for about a week on TV and she’d say a little bit about the story” (Fargason). Interestingly enough, “What I said, she didn’t put on air” (Fargason). He then stated that, “She put on TV what she wanted to put on TV” (Fargason). Surprisingly, “That stuff about her sister that I told you about, she didn’t say none of that on TV” (Fargason).
The important details that she did not address to the public were the details of Teresa’s younger sister, Bobby Anne, saying that she thought Teresa was involved with Taylor’s murder. Teresa had two sisters. When the investigators finally approached Bobby Anne, her husband said that Bobby Anne had been waiting for them to question her. She told them that she believed Teresa was involved because Teresa asked her to wash Taylor’s sheets and pillowcase before the cops arrived that night. Bobby Anne did not do it, so the other sister did. This was a crucial piece of evidence that Charles wanted to share, but Mary Terese did not air that information: “The moment that stuff aired, she wouldn’t answer that phone no more” (Fargason) [and] “She knew she had double-crossed me” (Fargason).
As far as the sister’s statements go, when the trial was happening, the Georgia State Patrol and The Alabama State Patrol were searching for the sisters and their husbands so that they could appear in court. Meanwhile, Teresa was convicted of the crime. Charles said that one of the sister’s husbands called his work to ask for the pay that he had missed while he had been at court and his boss told him that he knew he did not go to court because law enforcement was searching for him and called looking for him. The boss asked where he had been. The husband said he was where the lawyers told him to go. Fargason says that they were hid out, and that was never brought up in court or by the media. The only thing that was brought up about this is that when the judge told Teresa’s lawyer, Frank Childs, that he better not find out that Childs “had anything to do with hiding them kids out” (Fargason ).
Inside Edition called Mr. Fargason and wanted an interview. He said, “No, what you want is to interview about Teresa being in prison” (Fargason). Inside Edition told Mr. Fargason that that was right. Mr. Fargason hung up on her. She called right back and said that she can just call all the TV stations in Macon and get filed footage of him. Mr. Fargason then called Liz Jarvis at WMAZ. Mr. Fargason said that she was good to him. He told her what was going on and asked for his number so she could call him right back. Five minutes later, she called Mr. Fargason back and told him that he had nothing to worry about. The news stations were not going to give out any information.
I have to admit that at first, when I was researching the evidence of the case, I believed that I could prove Teresa’s innocence and prove that it was the media that influenced the public on her guilt. What I realized later in my research was that the media did indeed have an influence but it was not what I expected. They had an influence on me believing that Teresa was innocent in the way that I saw they portrayed the case. I recently read an interesting quote by Sara Sun Beale that can relate to this topic and it says, “The news media are not mirrors, simply reflecting events in society. Rather, media content is shaped by economic and marketing considerations that frequently override traditional journalistic criteria for newsworthiness” (Beale).
It has been nearly 17 years after the murder and the media was still influencing opinions and they were mine. I am glad this happened though, because it just proves my point that the media does have a strong influence on our opinions and decisions, and to finish with a quote from a guy that knows about media, Marshall McLuhan says that “All media work us over completely” (McLuhan). He then says that “They are so persuasive in their personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical, and social consequences that they leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, unaltered” (McLuhan).
Beale, Sara Sun, "The News Media’s Influence on Criminal Justice Policy: How Market-Driven News Promotes Punitiveness" . William & Mary Law Review, Vol. 48, pp. 397-418, 2006 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=964647
Fargason, Charles. Telephone interview. 12 Mar. 2007.
McLuhan, Marshall, Quentin Fiore, and Jerome Agel. The Medium is the Massage. New York: Random House, 1967.
News Media and Criminal Justice Blog/Research
For more information on this case, you can read my full research paper at FargasonCase.Blogspot.com
In my research for my senior project, I have found that the media has a lot more impact and influence on people’s opinions, and in this instance, the criminal justice system. There are several instances in which the media portrayed events of the case differently than what Charles Fargason, the father of the murdered child, Taylor, and the ex-husband of Teresa, had said.
Among many media outlets that zeroed in on the Teresa Fargason case for news and entertainment purposes are 13WMAZ, Inside Edition, Court TV, and USA. I conducted a telephone interview with Charles Fargason, Teresa’s ex-husband and in my interview with him; he was profoundly upset with a news anchor from WMAZ, Mary Terese. He told me that she had double-crossed him because “she did not do her documentary like she said she was going to do” (Fargason). It was evident that he was upset as we continued “She wanted to talk to me about Taylor, except she had this lawyer that was on TV every night from the family” (Fargason). He said that “She was doing this little thing for about a week on TV and she’d say a little bit about the story” (Fargason). Interestingly enough, “What I said, she didn’t put on air” (Fargason). He then stated that, “She put on TV what she wanted to put on TV” (Fargason). Surprisingly, “That stuff about her sister that I told you about, she didn’t say none of that on TV” (Fargason).
The important details that she did not address to the public were the details of Teresa’s younger sister, Bobby Anne, saying that she thought Teresa was involved with Taylor’s murder. Teresa had two sisters. When the investigators finally approached Bobby Anne, her husband said that Bobby Anne had been waiting for them to question her. She told them that she believed Teresa was involved because Teresa asked her to wash Taylor’s sheets and pillowcase before the cops arrived that night. Bobby Anne did not do it, so the other sister did. This was a crucial piece of evidence that Charles wanted to share, but Mary Terese did not air that information: “The moment that stuff aired, she wouldn’t answer that phone no more” (Fargason) [and] “She knew she had double-crossed me” (Fargason).
As far as the sister’s statements go, when the trial was happening, the Georgia State Patrol and The Alabama State Patrol were searching for the sisters and their husbands so that they could appear in court. Meanwhile, Teresa was convicted of the crime. Charles said that one of the sister’s husbands called his work to ask for the pay that he had missed while he had been at court and his boss told him that he knew he did not go to court because law enforcement was searching for him and called looking for him. The boss asked where he had been. The husband said he was where the lawyers told him to go. Fargason says that they were hid out, and that was never brought up in court or by the media. The only thing that was brought up about this is that when the judge told Teresa’s lawyer, Frank Childs, that he better not find out that Childs “had anything to do with hiding them kids out” (Fargason ).
Inside Edition called Mr. Fargason and wanted an interview. He said, “No, what you want is to interview about Teresa being in prison” (Fargason). Inside Edition told Mr. Fargason that that was right. Mr. Fargason hung up on her. She called right back and said that she can just call all the TV stations in Macon and get filed footage of him. Mr. Fargason then called Liz Jarvis at WMAZ. Mr. Fargason said that she was good to him. He told her what was going on and asked for his number so she could call him right back. Five minutes later, she called Mr. Fargason back and told him that he had nothing to worry about. The news stations were not going to give out any information.
I have to admit that at first, when I was researching the evidence of the case, I believed that I could prove Teresa’s innocence and prove that it was the media that influenced the public on her guilt. What I realized later in my research was that the media did indeed have an influence but it was not what I expected. They had an influence on me believing that Teresa was innocent in the way that I saw they portrayed the case. I recently read an interesting quote by Sara Sun Beale that can relate to this topic and it says, “The news media are not mirrors, simply reflecting events in society. Rather, media content is shaped by economic and marketing considerations that frequently override traditional journalistic criteria for newsworthiness” (Beale).
It has been nearly 17 years after the murder and the media was still influencing opinions and they were mine. I am glad this happened though, because it just proves my point that the media does have a strong influence on our opinions and decisions, and to finish with a quote from a guy that knows about media, Marshall McLuhan says that “All media work us over completely” (McLuhan). He then says that “They are so persuasive in their personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical, and social consequences that they leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, unaltered” (McLuhan).
Beale, Sara Sun, "The News Media’s Influence on Criminal Justice Policy: How Market-Driven News Promotes Punitiveness" . William & Mary Law Review, Vol. 48, pp. 397-418, 2006 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=964647
Fargason, Charles. Telephone interview. 12 Mar. 2007.
McLuhan, Marshall, Quentin Fiore, and Jerome Agel. The Medium is the Massage. New York: Random House, 1967.
In my research for my senior project, I have found that the media has a lot more impact and influence on people’s opinions, and in this instance, the criminal justice system. There are several instances in which the media portrayed events of the case differently than what Charles Fargason, the father of the murdered child, Taylor, and the ex-husband of Teresa, had said.
Among many media outlets that zeroed in on the Teresa Fargason case for news and entertainment purposes are 13WMAZ, Inside Edition, Court TV, and USA. I conducted a telephone interview with Charles Fargason, Teresa’s ex-husband and in my interview with him; he was profoundly upset with a news anchor from WMAZ, Mary Terese. He told me that she had double-crossed him because “she did not do her documentary like she said she was going to do” (Fargason). It was evident that he was upset as we continued “She wanted to talk to me about Taylor, except she had this lawyer that was on TV every night from the family” (Fargason). He said that “She was doing this little thing for about a week on TV and she’d say a little bit about the story” (Fargason). Interestingly enough, “What I said, she didn’t put on air” (Fargason). He then stated that, “She put on TV what she wanted to put on TV” (Fargason). Surprisingly, “That stuff about her sister that I told you about, she didn’t say none of that on TV” (Fargason).
The important details that she did not address to the public were the details of Teresa’s younger sister, Bobby Anne, saying that she thought Teresa was involved with Taylor’s murder. Teresa had two sisters. When the investigators finally approached Bobby Anne, her husband said that Bobby Anne had been waiting for them to question her. She told them that she believed Teresa was involved because Teresa asked her to wash Taylor’s sheets and pillowcase before the cops arrived that night. Bobby Anne did not do it, so the other sister did. This was a crucial piece of evidence that Charles wanted to share, but Mary Terese did not air that information: “The moment that stuff aired, she wouldn’t answer that phone no more” (Fargason) [and] “She knew she had double-crossed me” (Fargason).
As far as the sister’s statements go, when the trial was happening, the Georgia State Patrol and The Alabama State Patrol were searching for the sisters and their husbands so that they could appear in court. Meanwhile, Teresa was convicted of the crime. Charles said that one of the sister’s husbands called his work to ask for the pay that he had missed while he had been at court and his boss told him that he knew he did not go to court because law enforcement was searching for him and called looking for him. The boss asked where he had been. The husband said he was where the lawyers told him to go. Fargason says that they were hid out, and that was never brought up in court or by the media. The only thing that was brought up about this is that when the judge told Teresa’s lawyer, Frank Childs, that he better not find out that Childs “had anything to do with hiding them kids out” (Fargason ).
Inside Edition called Mr. Fargason and wanted an interview. He said, “No, what you want is to interview about Teresa being in prison” (Fargason). Inside Edition told Mr. Fargason that that was right. Mr. Fargason hung up on her. She called right back and said that she can just call all the TV stations in Macon and get filed footage of him. Mr. Fargason then called Liz Jarvis at WMAZ. Mr. Fargason said that she was good to him. He told her what was going on and asked for his number so she could call him right back. Five minutes later, she called Mr. Fargason back and told him that he had nothing to worry about. The news stations were not going to give out any information.
I have to admit that at first, when I was researching the evidence of the case, I believed that I could prove Teresa’s innocence and prove that it was the media that influenced the public on her guilt. What I realized later in my research was that the media did indeed have an influence but it was not what I expected. They had an influence on me believing that Teresa was innocent in the way that I saw they portrayed the case. I recently read an interesting quote by Sara Sun Beale that can relate to this topic and it says, “The news media are not mirrors, simply reflecting events in society. Rather, media content is shaped by economic and marketing considerations that frequently override traditional journalistic criteria for newsworthiness” (Beale).
It has been nearly 17 years after the murder and the media was still influencing opinions and they were mine. I am glad this happened though, because it just proves my point that the media does have a strong influence on our opinions and decisions, and to finish with a quote from a guy that knows about media, Marshall McLuhan says that “All media work us over completely” (McLuhan). He then says that “They are so persuasive in their personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical, and social consequences that they leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, unaltered” (McLuhan).
Beale, Sara Sun, "The News Media’s Influence on Criminal Justice Policy: How Market-Driven News Promotes Punitiveness" . William & Mary Law Review, Vol. 48, pp. 397-418, 2006 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=964647
Fargason, Charles. Telephone interview. 12 Mar. 2007.
McLuhan, Marshall, Quentin Fiore, and Jerome Agel. The Medium is the Massage. New York: Random House, 1967.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Murray and Digital Storytelling
My computer is a medium just as a novel is a medium. The only difference is that my computer is a digital medium that has the potential to speak to a reader in many more ways than that of a novel. “For my experience in humanities computing has convinced me that some kinds of knowledge can be better represented in digital formats than they have been in print”. (Murray 6) However, there are advantages of narratives in print as well. For instance, most avid novel readers love the fact that they can read a story and imagine what they want to imagine without the author necessarily telling them what to imagine. Yes, the author in a way always attempts to paint pictures for the readers through words, but with a book of print, the reader can imagine what the whale looks like or what Huckleberry Finn looks like without somebody telling him or her EXACTLY what to visualize. But like what Janet H. Murray was saying in her successful medium of print, “Hamlet on the Holodeck”, is that “some kinds of knowledge can be better represented in digital formats”. (6)
Although Digital storytelling will never replace printed storytelling, it will continuously develop into a much desired way of creating and viewing stories. For many people in this era of new media and technological advancement, it has become a way of life with most young people not even realizing the drastic change. “All of them are drawn to the medium because they want to write stories that cannot be told in other ways”. (9) Just imagine watching a digital story. It is a whole different experience than reading most other novels that are in print. It can encompass music, pictures, voice-over, filmed footage, and yes, even text. This is not necessarily saying that it is any better than the older novels; rather it is showing that there is a whole new level of experiencing narratives. As Murray would say,”The computer looks more each day like the movie camera of the 1890s: truly revolutionary invention humankind is just on the verge of putting to use as a spellbinding storyteller”. (2) Eventually nobody will even be discussing this new medium because the older will pass on and the younger will get older. This new media will eventually be old and only by studying history, will someone be able to realize the advancements we are blessed with.
Murray, Janet. Hamlet on the Holodeck. 4th. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2001.
Although Digital storytelling will never replace printed storytelling, it will continuously develop into a much desired way of creating and viewing stories. For many people in this era of new media and technological advancement, it has become a way of life with most young people not even realizing the drastic change. “All of them are drawn to the medium because they want to write stories that cannot be told in other ways”. (9) Just imagine watching a digital story. It is a whole different experience than reading most other novels that are in print. It can encompass music, pictures, voice-over, filmed footage, and yes, even text. This is not necessarily saying that it is any better than the older novels; rather it is showing that there is a whole new level of experiencing narratives. As Murray would say,”The computer looks more each day like the movie camera of the 1890s: truly revolutionary invention humankind is just on the verge of putting to use as a spellbinding storyteller”. (2) Eventually nobody will even be discussing this new medium because the older will pass on and the younger will get older. This new media will eventually be old and only by studying history, will someone be able to realize the advancements we are blessed with.
Murray, Janet. Hamlet on the Holodeck. 4th. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2001.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Research 2: Chapter four of "O'Gormans E-Crit"
“What does this have to do with intelligence” (O’Gorman 72)? This question which is asked by O’Gorman in chapter four of E-Crit, refers to the retro game, Police Trainer. This is a game in which “the player takes aim at the targets using a frighteningly realistic handgun attached to the machine by a cable” (72). “The galleries are organized into such categories as ‘Speed’, ‘Marksmanship’, and ‘Intelligence’" (72). People typically get the impression that video games, television, and pretty much anything that has to do with entertainment media, does not expand our cognitive skills. O’Gorman looks into the concept of cognition developed by digital media and also by the typical scholarly ways of gaining knowledge or intelligence.
O’Gorman raises the question; “what if television, playing video games, and surfing the Web are actually good for you” (72)? There is this stereotypical idea that video games, television, and even computers just make people dumber and that this media are just wastes of time, time in which people could be using this moment to read a book or a journal in print. Learning is not meant to be fun is it? There is this misconception that its not and that to be intelligent, one must learn in the traditional ways that our ancestors did, not to mention that our writings must be done in print and not via the computer. To further explore this issue, O’Gorman uses several of Ulric Neisser’s thoughts, including Neisser’s opinions of the ‘Flynn effect’. The ‘Flynn effect’ is “a title given to identify the steady increase in IQ scores since the first tests were administered” (O’Gorman 72). Neisser cleverly makes the point that the “rate of gain on standard broad-spectrum IQ tests amounts to three IQ points per decade, and it is even higher on certain specialized measures” (73). This is an important fact to know because there is now visual evidence that there are other ways of learning than by just the traditional scholarly work required in most institutions.
O’Gorman is not ruling out the fact that traditional educational practices are important, but rather he is trying to demonstrate that there is more to learning than just one single way. I feel that O’Gorman wants educators to realize that visual media doesn’t replace other means of teaching. It just enhances and expands on what is already being absorbed in ones mind. Why accept just one way of learning when there are other modes in which to learn, and if there are multiple educational tools and ‘games’ that build cognitive skills, then why not use them? Yes, our ancestors may sometimes have a better sense of theoretical concepts from the past, but digital media and visual tests can build better skills of ‘praxis’. I can use some most of the skills that were obtained from digital media for more practical purposes. Why not be practical in various ways? Theoretical concepts are essential in the learning process, but what good are they if practical concepts are not utilized? They are both essential and compliment each other in utilizing scholarly skills.
This research reminds me of a time when I was much younger, when a friend of the family had a son that was in a very serious car accident. The person was an adult and his brain was seriously affected by the accident. His doctor told him to play video games, not to just help his hand-eye coordination but to also aid in stimulating his brain. I loaned him my Nintendo games by the request of his mother and she did say that they helped slightly in dexterity and reflexes. It has been years since then, so I am not aware of how he is doing now or if he has recovered anymore since then. My point with this is that, if old-fashioned video games such as the Nintendo games can aid in the recoveries and stimulations of damaged brains, there has to be some truth to them being more than just senseless wastes of time and they can be used further by exercising the brain.
Speaking of sense, I find it interesting how O’Gorman views sense and nonsense. “Susan Stewart characterizes nonsense as a strikingly intertextual mode of discourse, one which cannot occur without transgression, without contraband, without a little help of the bricoleur’s hand” (O’Gorman 81-2). From this part of the chapter, I feel as if O’Gorman is making the point, as well as Susan Stewart, that nonsense does not have to necessarily have a negative context to it. I think they are merely saying that without sense there can be no nonsense and vice versa. A traditional educator may feel like hypertext is nonsense in the scholarly atmosphere and may feel as though it may have no place in the educational system. This is an example of somebody using ‘nonsense’ as a negative term rather than using it as another positive mode of cognition. When somebody says to me, “that’s nonsense”. I do not think that what I said is wrong, rather I think that what I said is not what he or she wants me to say or what he or she wants to hear.
Some traditional educators may think that writing electronically is nonsense, but they are not open to new ideas of building cognitive skills, therefore believing the electronic word is nonsense. I believe that our brains sometimes cannot fathom how much these new innovations of learning actually make sense and that is why we call it nonsense. I may be reaching here, but can something make so much sense, that it becomes nonsense? I feel that it can.
O'Gorman, Marcel. E-Crit Digital Media Critical Theory and The Humanities. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2006.
O’Gorman raises the question; “what if television, playing video games, and surfing the Web are actually good for you” (72)? There is this stereotypical idea that video games, television, and even computers just make people dumber and that this media are just wastes of time, time in which people could be using this moment to read a book or a journal in print. Learning is not meant to be fun is it? There is this misconception that its not and that to be intelligent, one must learn in the traditional ways that our ancestors did, not to mention that our writings must be done in print and not via the computer. To further explore this issue, O’Gorman uses several of Ulric Neisser’s thoughts, including Neisser’s opinions of the ‘Flynn effect’. The ‘Flynn effect’ is “a title given to identify the steady increase in IQ scores since the first tests were administered” (O’Gorman 72). Neisser cleverly makes the point that the “rate of gain on standard broad-spectrum IQ tests amounts to three IQ points per decade, and it is even higher on certain specialized measures” (73). This is an important fact to know because there is now visual evidence that there are other ways of learning than by just the traditional scholarly work required in most institutions.
O’Gorman is not ruling out the fact that traditional educational practices are important, but rather he is trying to demonstrate that there is more to learning than just one single way. I feel that O’Gorman wants educators to realize that visual media doesn’t replace other means of teaching. It just enhances and expands on what is already being absorbed in ones mind. Why accept just one way of learning when there are other modes in which to learn, and if there are multiple educational tools and ‘games’ that build cognitive skills, then why not use them? Yes, our ancestors may sometimes have a better sense of theoretical concepts from the past, but digital media and visual tests can build better skills of ‘praxis’. I can use some most of the skills that were obtained from digital media for more practical purposes. Why not be practical in various ways? Theoretical concepts are essential in the learning process, but what good are they if practical concepts are not utilized? They are both essential and compliment each other in utilizing scholarly skills.
This research reminds me of a time when I was much younger, when a friend of the family had a son that was in a very serious car accident. The person was an adult and his brain was seriously affected by the accident. His doctor told him to play video games, not to just help his hand-eye coordination but to also aid in stimulating his brain. I loaned him my Nintendo games by the request of his mother and she did say that they helped slightly in dexterity and reflexes. It has been years since then, so I am not aware of how he is doing now or if he has recovered anymore since then. My point with this is that, if old-fashioned video games such as the Nintendo games can aid in the recoveries and stimulations of damaged brains, there has to be some truth to them being more than just senseless wastes of time and they can be used further by exercising the brain.
Speaking of sense, I find it interesting how O’Gorman views sense and nonsense. “Susan Stewart characterizes nonsense as a strikingly intertextual mode of discourse, one which cannot occur without transgression, without contraband, without a little help of the bricoleur’s hand” (O’Gorman 81-2). From this part of the chapter, I feel as if O’Gorman is making the point, as well as Susan Stewart, that nonsense does not have to necessarily have a negative context to it. I think they are merely saying that without sense there can be no nonsense and vice versa. A traditional educator may feel like hypertext is nonsense in the scholarly atmosphere and may feel as though it may have no place in the educational system. This is an example of somebody using ‘nonsense’ as a negative term rather than using it as another positive mode of cognition. When somebody says to me, “that’s nonsense”. I do not think that what I said is wrong, rather I think that what I said is not what he or she wants me to say or what he or she wants to hear.
Some traditional educators may think that writing electronically is nonsense, but they are not open to new ideas of building cognitive skills, therefore believing the electronic word is nonsense. I believe that our brains sometimes cannot fathom how much these new innovations of learning actually make sense and that is why we call it nonsense. I may be reaching here, but can something make so much sense, that it becomes nonsense? I feel that it can.
O'Gorman, Marcel. E-Crit Digital Media Critical Theory and The Humanities. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2006.
Research 2: Chapter four of O'Gormans E-Crit
“What does this have to do with intelligence” (O’Gorman 72)? This question which is asked by O’Gorman in chapter four of E-Crit, refers to the retro game, Police Trainer. This is a game in which “the player takes aim at the targets using a frighteningly realistic handgun attached to the machine by a cable” (72). “The galleries are organized into such categories as ‘Speed’, ‘Marksmanship’, and ‘Intelligence’” (72). People typically get the impression that video games, television, and pretty much anything that has to do with entertainment media, does not expand our cognitive skills. O’Gorman looks into the concept of cognition developed by digital media and also by the typical scholarly ways of gaining knowledge or intelligence.
O’Gorman raises the question; “what if television, playing video games, and surfing the Web are actually good for you” (72)? There is this stereotypical idea that video games, television, and even computers just make people dumber and that this media are just wastes of time, time in which people could be using this moment to read a book or a journal in print. Learning is not meant to be fun is it? There is this misconception that its not and that to be intelligent, one must learn in the traditional ways that our ancestors did, not to mention that our writings must be done in print and not via the computer. To further explore this issue, O’Gorman uses several of Ulric Neisser’s thoughts, including Neisser’s opinions of the ‘Flynn effect’. The ‘Flynn effect’ is “a title given to identify the steady increase in IQ scores since the first tests were administered” (O’Gorman 72). Neisser cleverly makes the point that the “rate of gain on standard broad-spectrum IQ tests amounts to three IQ points per decade, and it is even higher on certain specialized measures” (73). This is an important fact to know because there is now visual evidence that there are other ways of learning than by just the traditional scholarly work required in most institutions.
O’Gorman is not ruling out the fact that traditional educational practices are important, but rather he is trying to demonstrate that there is more to learning than just one single way. I feel that O’Gorman wants educators to realize that visual media doesn’t replace other means of teaching. It just enhances and expands on what is already being absorbed in ones mind. Why accept just one way of learning when there are other modes in which to learn, and if there are multiple educational tools and ‘games’ that build cognitive skills, then why not use them? Yes, our ancestors may sometimes have a better sense of theoretical concepts from the past, but digital media and visual tests can build better skills of ‘praxis’. I can use some most of the skills that were obtained from digital media for more practical purposes. Why not be practical in various ways? Theoretical concepts are essential in the learning process, but what good are they if practical concepts are not utilized? They are both essential and compliment each other in utilizing scholarly skills.
This research reminds me of a time when I was much younger, when a friend of the family had a son that was in a very serious car accident. The person was an adult and his brain was seriously affected by the accident. His doctor told him to play video games, not to just help his hand-eye coordination but to also aid in stimulating his brain. I loaned him my Nintendo games by the request of his mother and she did say that they helped slightly in dexterity and reflexes. It has been years since then, so I am not aware of how he is doing now or if he has recovered anymore since then. My point with this is that, if old-fashioned video games such as the Nintendo games can aid in the recoveries and stimulations of damaged brains, there has to be some truth to them being more than just senseless wastes of time that could be used further by exercising the brain.Speaking of sense, I find it interesting how O’Gorman views sense and nonsense. “Susan Stewart characterizes nonsense as a strikingly intertextual mode of discourse, one which cannot occur without transgression, without contraband, without a little help of the bricoleur’s hand” (O’Gorman 81-2). From this part of the chapter, I feel as if O’Gorman is making the point, as well as Susan Stewart, that nonsense does not have to necessarily have a negative context to it. I think they are merely saying that without sense there can be no nonsense and vice versa. A traditional educator may feel like hypertext is nonsense in the scholarly atmosphere and may feel as though it may have no place in the educational system. This is an example of somebody using ‘nonsense’ as a negative term rather than using it as another positive mode of cognition. When somebody says, “that’s nonsense”. I do not think that what I said is wrong, rather I think that what I said is not what he or she wants me to say or what he or she wants to hear. Some traditional educators may think that writing electronically is nonsense, buy they are not open to new ideas of building cognitive skills, therefore believing the electronic word is nonsense. I believe that our brains sometimes cannot fathom how much these new innovations of learning actually make sense and that is why we call it nonsense. I may be reaching here, but can something make so much sense, that it becomes nonsense? I feel that it can.
O'Gorman, Marcel. E-Crit Digital Media Critical Theory and The Humanities. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2006.
O’Gorman raises the question; “what if television, playing video games, and surfing the Web are actually good for you” (72)? There is this stereotypical idea that video games, television, and even computers just make people dumber and that this media are just wastes of time, time in which people could be using this moment to read a book or a journal in print. Learning is not meant to be fun is it? There is this misconception that its not and that to be intelligent, one must learn in the traditional ways that our ancestors did, not to mention that our writings must be done in print and not via the computer. To further explore this issue, O’Gorman uses several of Ulric Neisser’s thoughts, including Neisser’s opinions of the ‘Flynn effect’. The ‘Flynn effect’ is “a title given to identify the steady increase in IQ scores since the first tests were administered” (O’Gorman 72). Neisser cleverly makes the point that the “rate of gain on standard broad-spectrum IQ tests amounts to three IQ points per decade, and it is even higher on certain specialized measures” (73). This is an important fact to know because there is now visual evidence that there are other ways of learning than by just the traditional scholarly work required in most institutions.
O’Gorman is not ruling out the fact that traditional educational practices are important, but rather he is trying to demonstrate that there is more to learning than just one single way. I feel that O’Gorman wants educators to realize that visual media doesn’t replace other means of teaching. It just enhances and expands on what is already being absorbed in ones mind. Why accept just one way of learning when there are other modes in which to learn, and if there are multiple educational tools and ‘games’ that build cognitive skills, then why not use them? Yes, our ancestors may sometimes have a better sense of theoretical concepts from the past, but digital media and visual tests can build better skills of ‘praxis’. I can use some most of the skills that were obtained from digital media for more practical purposes. Why not be practical in various ways? Theoretical concepts are essential in the learning process, but what good are they if practical concepts are not utilized? They are both essential and compliment each other in utilizing scholarly skills.
This research reminds me of a time when I was much younger, when a friend of the family had a son that was in a very serious car accident. The person was an adult and his brain was seriously affected by the accident. His doctor told him to play video games, not to just help his hand-eye coordination but to also aid in stimulating his brain. I loaned him my Nintendo games by the request of his mother and she did say that they helped slightly in dexterity and reflexes. It has been years since then, so I am not aware of how he is doing now or if he has recovered anymore since then. My point with this is that, if old-fashioned video games such as the Nintendo games can aid in the recoveries and stimulations of damaged brains, there has to be some truth to them being more than just senseless wastes of time that could be used further by exercising the brain.Speaking of sense, I find it interesting how O’Gorman views sense and nonsense. “Susan Stewart characterizes nonsense as a strikingly intertextual mode of discourse, one which cannot occur without transgression, without contraband, without a little help of the bricoleur’s hand” (O’Gorman 81-2). From this part of the chapter, I feel as if O’Gorman is making the point, as well as Susan Stewart, that nonsense does not have to necessarily have a negative context to it. I think they are merely saying that without sense there can be no nonsense and vice versa. A traditional educator may feel like hypertext is nonsense in the scholarly atmosphere and may feel as though it may have no place in the educational system. This is an example of somebody using ‘nonsense’ as a negative term rather than using it as another positive mode of cognition. When somebody says, “that’s nonsense”. I do not think that what I said is wrong, rather I think that what I said is not what he or she wants me to say or what he or she wants to hear. Some traditional educators may think that writing electronically is nonsense, buy they are not open to new ideas of building cognitive skills, therefore believing the electronic word is nonsense. I believe that our brains sometimes cannot fathom how much these new innovations of learning actually make sense and that is why we call it nonsense. I may be reaching here, but can something make so much sense, that it becomes nonsense? I feel that it can.
O'Gorman, Marcel. E-Crit Digital Media Critical Theory and The Humanities. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2006.
Research 2: Chapter four of O'Gormans E-Crit
“What does this have to do with intelligence” (O’Gorman 72)? This question which is asked by O’Gorman in chapter four of E-Crit, refers to the retro game, Police Trainer. This is a game in which “the player takes aim at the targets using a frighteningly realistic handgun attached to the machine by a cable” (72). “The galleries are organized into such categories as ‘Speed’, ‘Marksmanship’, and ‘Intelligence’” (72). People typically get the impression that video games, television, and pretty much anything that has to do with entertainment media, does not expand our cognitive skills. O’Gorman looks into the concept of cognition developed by digital media and also by the typical scholarly ways of gaining knowledge or intelligence.
O’Gorman raises the question; “what if television, playing video games, and surfing the Web are actually good for you” (72)? There is this stereotypical idea that video games, television, and even computers just make people dumber and that this media are just wastes of time, time in which people could be using this moment to read a book or a journal in print. Learning is not meant to be fun is it? There is this misconception that its not and that to be intelligent, one must learn in the traditional ways that our ancestors did, not to mention that our writings must be done in print and not via the computer. To further explore this issue, O’Gorman uses several of Ulric Neisser’s thoughts, including Neisser’s opinions of the ‘Flynn effect’. The ‘Flynn effect’ is “a title given to identify the steady increase in IQ scores since the first tests were administered” (O’Gorman 72). Neisser cleverly makes the point that the “rate of gain on standard broad-spectrum IQ tests amounts to three IQ points per decade, and it is even higher on certain specialized measures” (73). This is an important fact to know because there is now visual evidence that there are other ways of learning than by just the traditional scholarly work required in most institutions.
O’Gorman is not ruling out the fact that traditional educational practices are important, but rather he is trying to demonstrate that there is more to learning than just one single way. I feel that O’Gorman wants educators to realize that visual media doesn’t replace other means of teaching. It just enhances and expands on what is already being absorbed in ones mind. Why accept just one way of learning when there are other modes in which to learn, and if there are multiple educational tools and ‘games’ that build cognitive skills, then why not use them? Yes, our ancestors may sometimes have a better sense of theoretical concepts from the past, but digital media and visual tests can build better skills of ‘praxis’. I can use some most of the skills that were obtained from digital media for more practical purposes. Why not be practical in various ways? Theoretical concepts are essential in the learning process, but what good are they if practical concepts are not utilized? They are both essential and compliment each other in utilizing scholarly skills.
This research reminds me of a time when I was much younger, when a friend of the family had a son that was in a very serious car accident. The person was an adult and his brain was seriously affected by the accident. His doctor told him to play video games, not to just help his hand-eye coordination but to also aid in stimulating his brain. I loaned him my Nintendo games by the request of his mother and she did say that they helped slightly in dexterity and reflexes. It has been years since then, so I am not aware of how he is doing now or if he has recovered anymore since then. My point with this is that, if old-fashioned video games such as the Nintendo games can aid in the recoveries and stimulations of damaged brains, there has to be some truth to them being more than just senseless wastes of time that could be used further by exercising the brain.Speaking of sense, I find it interesting how O’Gorman views sense and nonsense. “Susan Stewart characterizes nonsense as a strikingly intertextual mode of discourse, one which cannot occur without transgression, without contraband, without a little help of the bricoleur’s hand” (O’Gorman 81-2). From this part of the chapter, I feel as if O’Gorman is making the point, as well as Susan Stewart, that nonsense does not have to necessarily have a negative context to it. I think they are merely saying that without sense there can be no nonsense and vice versa. A traditional educator may feel like hypertext is nonsense in the scholarly atmosphere and may feel as though it may have no place in the educational system. This is an example of somebody using ‘nonsense’ as a negative term rather than using it as another positive mode of cognition. When somebody says, “that’s nonsense”. I do not think that what I said is wrong, rather I think that what I said is not what he or she wants me to say or what he or she wants to hear. Some traditional educators may think that writing electronically is nonsense, buy they are not open to new ideas of building cognitive skills, therefore believing the electronic word is nonsense. I believe that our brains sometimes cannot fathom how much these new innovations of learning actually make sense and that is why we call it nonsense. I may be reaching here, but can something make so much sense, that it becomes nonsense? I feel that it can.
O'Gorman, Marcel. E-Crit Digital Media Critical Theory and The Humanities. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2006.
O’Gorman raises the question; “what if television, playing video games, and surfing the Web are actually good for you” (72)? There is this stereotypical idea that video games, television, and even computers just make people dumber and that this media are just wastes of time, time in which people could be using this moment to read a book or a journal in print. Learning is not meant to be fun is it? There is this misconception that its not and that to be intelligent, one must learn in the traditional ways that our ancestors did, not to mention that our writings must be done in print and not via the computer. To further explore this issue, O’Gorman uses several of Ulric Neisser’s thoughts, including Neisser’s opinions of the ‘Flynn effect’. The ‘Flynn effect’ is “a title given to identify the steady increase in IQ scores since the first tests were administered” (O’Gorman 72). Neisser cleverly makes the point that the “rate of gain on standard broad-spectrum IQ tests amounts to three IQ points per decade, and it is even higher on certain specialized measures” (73). This is an important fact to know because there is now visual evidence that there are other ways of learning than by just the traditional scholarly work required in most institutions.
O’Gorman is not ruling out the fact that traditional educational practices are important, but rather he is trying to demonstrate that there is more to learning than just one single way. I feel that O’Gorman wants educators to realize that visual media doesn’t replace other means of teaching. It just enhances and expands on what is already being absorbed in ones mind. Why accept just one way of learning when there are other modes in which to learn, and if there are multiple educational tools and ‘games’ that build cognitive skills, then why not use them? Yes, our ancestors may sometimes have a better sense of theoretical concepts from the past, but digital media and visual tests can build better skills of ‘praxis’. I can use some most of the skills that were obtained from digital media for more practical purposes. Why not be practical in various ways? Theoretical concepts are essential in the learning process, but what good are they if practical concepts are not utilized? They are both essential and compliment each other in utilizing scholarly skills.
This research reminds me of a time when I was much younger, when a friend of the family had a son that was in a very serious car accident. The person was an adult and his brain was seriously affected by the accident. His doctor told him to play video games, not to just help his hand-eye coordination but to also aid in stimulating his brain. I loaned him my Nintendo games by the request of his mother and she did say that they helped slightly in dexterity and reflexes. It has been years since then, so I am not aware of how he is doing now or if he has recovered anymore since then. My point with this is that, if old-fashioned video games such as the Nintendo games can aid in the recoveries and stimulations of damaged brains, there has to be some truth to them being more than just senseless wastes of time that could be used further by exercising the brain.Speaking of sense, I find it interesting how O’Gorman views sense and nonsense. “Susan Stewart characterizes nonsense as a strikingly intertextual mode of discourse, one which cannot occur without transgression, without contraband, without a little help of the bricoleur’s hand” (O’Gorman 81-2). From this part of the chapter, I feel as if O’Gorman is making the point, as well as Susan Stewart, that nonsense does not have to necessarily have a negative context to it. I think they are merely saying that without sense there can be no nonsense and vice versa. A traditional educator may feel like hypertext is nonsense in the scholarly atmosphere and may feel as though it may have no place in the educational system. This is an example of somebody using ‘nonsense’ as a negative term rather than using it as another positive mode of cognition. When somebody says, “that’s nonsense”. I do not think that what I said is wrong, rather I think that what I said is not what he or she wants me to say or what he or she wants to hear. Some traditional educators may think that writing electronically is nonsense, buy they are not open to new ideas of building cognitive skills, therefore believing the electronic word is nonsense. I believe that our brains sometimes cannot fathom how much these new innovations of learning actually make sense and that is why we call it nonsense. I may be reaching here, but can something make so much sense, that it becomes nonsense? I feel that it can.
O'Gorman, Marcel. E-Crit Digital Media Critical Theory and The Humanities. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2006.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Cyborgs Impact on Society
It wasn't until this class, that I realized how significant Cyborgology is to our society. I always imagined cyborgs as being these unnatural type creatures on movies and television. A huge fad in the Xbox gamer’s world is Halo. The main character and hero in this game is a cyborg. The main character in the game is a cyborg. Until recently I have not given much thought to anything other than those things as being cyborgs. I thought of cyborgs as things in my imagination created by entertainment sources. While having tunnel-vision, I did not realize all of the cybernetic occurrences that are taking place around me . I did not correlate them with the prosthetics, implants, and other technological advances that our culture benefits from.
We are developing more advanced ways of creating artificial body parts or implants in the real life. A cyborg is “the melding of the organic and the machinic, or the engineering of a union between separate organic systems” (Gray, Mentor, and Figueraa-Sarriera 2). I find it interesting how people, including myself, will buy futuristic games that have these cyborgs and feel as if it is an escape from real life. Yes, we may not be taking over the world, I hope not, but we do share some of the same technological advances that the games do. Just surviving in real life is a game in itself. Like we mentioned in class, there are games that we sometimes have to play, such as college, if we want to graduate or win. Life is like a game that we have to play if we want to survive, and if that means us taking advantage of our technological progress to repair our bodies, then playing the game becomes a little easier and I am always for making life a little easier than it has to be. We have developed into these cyborgs over time so, what will we evolve to next?
Gray, Chris Hables, Seven Mentor, and Heidi J. Figueroa-Sarriera. "Constructing the Know ledge of Cybernetic Organisms." Cyborgology
We are developing more advanced ways of creating artificial body parts or implants in the real life. A cyborg is “the melding of the organic and the machinic, or the engineering of a union between separate organic systems” (Gray, Mentor, and Figueraa-Sarriera 2). I find it interesting how people, including myself, will buy futuristic games that have these cyborgs and feel as if it is an escape from real life. Yes, we may not be taking over the world, I hope not, but we do share some of the same technological advances that the games do. Just surviving in real life is a game in itself. Like we mentioned in class, there are games that we sometimes have to play, such as college, if we want to graduate or win. Life is like a game that we have to play if we want to survive, and if that means us taking advantage of our technological progress to repair our bodies, then playing the game becomes a little easier and I am always for making life a little easier than it has to be. We have developed into these cyborgs over time so, what will we evolve to next?
Gray, Chris Hables, Seven Mentor, and Heidi J. Figueroa-Sarriera. "Constructing the Know ledge of Cybernetic Organisms." Cyborgology
Friday, February 2, 2007
Media and its Influence on the Criminal Justice System
The Fargason case was much publicized throughout the state of Georgia, and the media had an immense impact on this local murder case. At this time, Charles Fargason, Teresa’s ex-husband, believed without a doubt, that Teresa would never kill their child. Shortly after believing this, Charles called for an immediate press conference. He used this media to voice his support of his wife, a suspected murderer. Surprisingly, Charles changed his mind about Teresa’s innocence and expressed to the public that he believed Teresa was responsible for Taylor’s death. Ultimately, the press conference in itself can shape people's opinions of the case. The public watches a sad father publicly admit that he believes his ex-wife killed their child. Viewers have the tendency to sympathize with one person and convict the other. The press conference sets the tone for the whole case. The media was at his convenience to relay his message to the public, therefore influencing opinions. This information and further information pertaining to the case can be found in the Macon Telegraph archives.
The media played a big role in reporting new evidence that was found in the case. While this is an important role that the news reporters have, it is also an influential tactic in how the media portrays the evidence. For example, reporters can use different words and tones in a report that can steer the viewer to a definite viewpoint. It can also be argued that the entertainment industry likes drama and controversy. If this industry can present new factual evidence in which the tone depicts drama, it will, and the viewers are sometimes sucked into the hype. If the story is not dramatic or interesting, people are not going to watch. This is why the media thrives on controversy. I am writing this paper because I was intrigued by the case, because it is a controversial one.
Almost everywhere you looked, there were news reports on press conferences and new evidence. The local people of central Georgia could even get tickets to observe the trial as an audience. This just emphasizes the point that this murder case turned into a show. Like a movie, the audience went ahead and made up their minds about the case, based on what was seen through the media. The public already made their minds up and may have perceived Teresa Fargason as the antagonist and Charles Fargason as the protagonist as if the case is that of a movie or a novel.
Ed Papazian has found that “the average household in the United States has a television turned on for almost eight hours a day” (McNeely 3). Ed Papazian has also found that a substantial amount of television being viewed by our country: “the average individual watch[es] it for approximately four hours a day” (McNeely 3). With that many hours of viewing, the media has become deeply influential in our culture. “Television penetrates almost 99 percent of the population” (McNeely 3). This can shape the opinions in our society. “ Research has suggested that a majority of people in the United States receive much of their impressions and knowledge of the criminal justice system through the media, especially through entertainment television viewing” (McNeely 3). For instance, big news channels such as CNN and Fox have reputations of shaping people’s opinions from one extreme to another. This can be compared to a news program reporting on a specific case, in which the reporters subtly force their opinions on the viewers. Most people do not have a good understanding of the criminal justice system for the reason that they do not have first-hand experience. Most citizens have never been convicted of a crime. Also, many citizens only have direct contact with the criminal justice system through jury duty. It can be argued that people suppose that they have a good understanding of the criminal justice system due to the media’s approach to presenting the news. “Most members of the population actually have few opportunities for direct interaction with the criminal justice system” (McNeely 2). The only interaction is through the media therefore, resulting in the media having much influence over the way people believe about any given issues.
The media does take part in an important role in today’s culture. It is heavily relied on because it is a great source for information. A lot of the information that we as a society retain, is from all the media outlets. The point is not to express that the media is not crucial for the society, but rather to demonstrate how the media can sometimes twist around specific aspects of cases or even politics for its own personal gain, without the consideration of the influential behaviors it holds. Is television coverage and constant updates about cases and worldly news important? Yes, it sure is, however, people are sometimes influenced unnecessarily in ways that they should not be.
Works Cited
McNeely, Connie. “Perceptions of The Criminal Justice System: Television Imagery and Public Knowledge in the United States.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture 1070-8286(1995) 1-20. 28 Jan 2007 <http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol3is1/perceptions.html.>
Post, Audrey. “Slain girl’s dad believes child’s mom was involved.” The Macon Telegraph 28 September 1991, 1A.
The media played a big role in reporting new evidence that was found in the case. While this is an important role that the news reporters have, it is also an influential tactic in how the media portrays the evidence. For example, reporters can use different words and tones in a report that can steer the viewer to a definite viewpoint. It can also be argued that the entertainment industry likes drama and controversy. If this industry can present new factual evidence in which the tone depicts drama, it will, and the viewers are sometimes sucked into the hype. If the story is not dramatic or interesting, people are not going to watch. This is why the media thrives on controversy. I am writing this paper because I was intrigued by the case, because it is a controversial one.
Almost everywhere you looked, there were news reports on press conferences and new evidence. The local people of central Georgia could even get tickets to observe the trial as an audience. This just emphasizes the point that this murder case turned into a show. Like a movie, the audience went ahead and made up their minds about the case, based on what was seen through the media. The public already made their minds up and may have perceived Teresa Fargason as the antagonist and Charles Fargason as the protagonist as if the case is that of a movie or a novel.
Ed Papazian has found that “the average household in the United States has a television turned on for almost eight hours a day” (McNeely 3). Ed Papazian has also found that a substantial amount of television being viewed by our country: “the average individual watch[es] it for approximately four hours a day” (McNeely 3). With that many hours of viewing, the media has become deeply influential in our culture. “Television penetrates almost 99 percent of the population” (McNeely 3). This can shape the opinions in our society. “ Research has suggested that a majority of people in the United States receive much of their impressions and knowledge of the criminal justice system through the media, especially through entertainment television viewing” (McNeely 3). For instance, big news channels such as CNN and Fox have reputations of shaping people’s opinions from one extreme to another. This can be compared to a news program reporting on a specific case, in which the reporters subtly force their opinions on the viewers. Most people do not have a good understanding of the criminal justice system for the reason that they do not have first-hand experience. Most citizens have never been convicted of a crime. Also, many citizens only have direct contact with the criminal justice system through jury duty. It can be argued that people suppose that they have a good understanding of the criminal justice system due to the media’s approach to presenting the news. “Most members of the population actually have few opportunities for direct interaction with the criminal justice system” (McNeely 2). The only interaction is through the media therefore, resulting in the media having much influence over the way people believe about any given issues.
The media does take part in an important role in today’s culture. It is heavily relied on because it is a great source for information. A lot of the information that we as a society retain, is from all the media outlets. The point is not to express that the media is not crucial for the society, but rather to demonstrate how the media can sometimes twist around specific aspects of cases or even politics for its own personal gain, without the consideration of the influential behaviors it holds. Is television coverage and constant updates about cases and worldly news important? Yes, it sure is, however, people are sometimes influenced unnecessarily in ways that they should not be.
Works Cited
McNeely, Connie. “Perceptions of The Criminal Justice System: Television Imagery and Public Knowledge in the United States.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture 1070-8286(1995) 1-20. 28 Jan 2007 <http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol3is1/perceptions.html.>
Post, Audrey. “Slain girl’s dad believes child’s mom was involved.” The Macon Telegraph 28 September 1991, 1A.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Nicholas Negroponte and VR
“VR can make the artificial as realistic as, and even more realistic than, the real” (Negroponte 116). “VR started as far back as 1968, when none other than Ivan Sutherland built the first head-mounted display system” (Negroponte 118). The military would use this interactivity to give the soldiers hands-on experience in times of attack. When Negroponte says that virtual reality can be more realistic than the real, he is making the point that with so many simulations being utilized, more scenarios can be looked at and prepared for. “In the simulator, a pilot can be subjected to all sorts of rare situations that, in the real world, could be impossible, could require more than a near miss, or could rip apart an actual plane” (Negroponte 117). With this technological advancement, virtual reality can be used as a more cost effective way of training than actually training in an expensive piece of aircraft, or any other type of machinery. For instance, a pilot can get more hours practicing at a cheaper cost for the government. Not only that, but it is a safety precaution. Instead of an amateur pilot controlling a real aircraft for the first time, he or she can control a simulator safely in all types of scenarios.
Not only can virtual reality be a beneficial source for training purposes, it can also be used for gaming. Gaming has become so advanced; virtual games are eagerly anticipated to the point of being expected. While VR may be too expensive at the moment, video game systems such as the Nintendo Wii and the XBOX360 have made much progress in the technological advancements of virtual gaming. These systems may not be the exact thing as virtual reality, but the graphics are advancing with almost every new system that arrives. VR may soon be apart of households all around the world. “Sega and Nintendo will also be extinct if they do not wake up to the fact that PCs are eating their lunch” (Negroponte 115). Nintendo did wake up with the Wii. It is a video game system that has motion sensitive controls. The Wii remotes can be used as extensions of the player’s hands and arms by duplicating the movements of a baseball bat, sword, or even golf club. Personal computers used to be too expensive for the average person to buy, but now computers have a place in millions of homes all over the world. This can be the same for virtual reality one day. Game systems have already made huge leaps towards virtual reality.
Virtual reality in many homes may be just around the corner for virtually every consumer. There are many advantages to this interactivity. It can be used for safety precautions, economic benefits, and gaming. This innovation created years ago is still advancing and will eventually become many of our everyday lives.
Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.
Not only can virtual reality be a beneficial source for training purposes, it can also be used for gaming. Gaming has become so advanced; virtual games are eagerly anticipated to the point of being expected. While VR may be too expensive at the moment, video game systems such as the Nintendo Wii and the XBOX360 have made much progress in the technological advancements of virtual gaming. These systems may not be the exact thing as virtual reality, but the graphics are advancing with almost every new system that arrives. VR may soon be apart of households all around the world. “Sega and Nintendo will also be extinct if they do not wake up to the fact that PCs are eating their lunch” (Negroponte 115). Nintendo did wake up with the Wii. It is a video game system that has motion sensitive controls. The Wii remotes can be used as extensions of the player’s hands and arms by duplicating the movements of a baseball bat, sword, or even golf club. Personal computers used to be too expensive for the average person to buy, but now computers have a place in millions of homes all over the world. This can be the same for virtual reality one day. Game systems have already made huge leaps towards virtual reality.
Virtual reality in many homes may be just around the corner for virtually every consumer. There are many advantages to this interactivity. It can be used for safety precautions, economic benefits, and gaming. This innovation created years ago is still advancing and will eventually become many of our everyday lives.
Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Writing on McLuhan's The Medium is the Message
McLuhan states that “the medium shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action.” “The content or uses of such media are as diverse as they are ineffectual in shaping the form of human association.” “Indeed, it is only too typical that the content of any medium blinds us to the character of the medium.”(McLuhan) So, the medium carries the message, which stores the content and without the medium there can be no content and therefore, eliminating the message?
I liked the example he gave of the electric light and baseball at night. McLuhan said that it can be argued that the night baseball could be the content and then he went on in saying that without the electric light, there would be no night baseball. This reiterates the point of without the medium, there can be no content. Although I can see this point, it is possible to play baseball at night without light. Someone may get hurt, but it can be done. But, does this point make the case for the other point? If there is no light (the medium) there can be no night baseball (the content), but if there is no light and there is night baseball, does this mean that the baseball in itself becomes the medium? Later on in the writing, McLuhan states that it is not till the electric light is used to spell out some brand name that it is noticed as a medium. Then it is not the light but the content, which is also another medium. (McLuhan)
So, the medium is the message. Our cell phones, computers, and even possibly the iPod’s are new media’s form of mediums. Without these, the messages or content that we receive are reduced. And just because we are in a culture of new media rather than old media, the concepts haven’t changed according to McLuhan. Without books, there can be no book content. The medium is the message.
I liked the example he gave of the electric light and baseball at night. McLuhan said that it can be argued that the night baseball could be the content and then he went on in saying that without the electric light, there would be no night baseball. This reiterates the point of without the medium, there can be no content. Although I can see this point, it is possible to play baseball at night without light. Someone may get hurt, but it can be done. But, does this point make the case for the other point? If there is no light (the medium) there can be no night baseball (the content), but if there is no light and there is night baseball, does this mean that the baseball in itself becomes the medium? Later on in the writing, McLuhan states that it is not till the electric light is used to spell out some brand name that it is noticed as a medium. Then it is not the light but the content, which is also another medium. (McLuhan)
So, the medium is the message. Our cell phones, computers, and even possibly the iPod’s are new media’s form of mediums. Without these, the messages or content that we receive are reduced. And just because we are in a culture of new media rather than old media, the concepts haven’t changed according to McLuhan. Without books, there can be no book content. The medium is the message.
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