Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Final project
Craziness...the semester is almost over! So I am preparing for my final project and really trying to polish these videos so they aren't completely ridiculous. I guess I just have to get them out there...the issues are so complicated I always hesitate to say anything because I have to keep explaining what i mean and the exceptions ect and you can't do that in a video.
so anyhow. For my final project I am going to set up an event during Earth Week either on Tuesday or Wednesday probably in the Terra Cafe. Since I want to tie it in with Earth Week, I am going to have some stuff explaining the connection between poverty and environmental issues. Then there will be a trivia board seeing how much people know about poverty and these connections. I will also write up a survey and try and get people's emails so that I can connect them with the videos and a blog I am making called "Poverty, the Environment, and Me."
I want to try and send weekly emails that have a little something in it for people to watch or read just to keep them updated or get them updated with ideas that are going around about our own actions and poverty related issues. Also info about organizations they can join ect.
We'll see how it goes. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Here's is the blog I am making that is under construction (same with the videos unfortunately!)
www.meandpoverty.blogspot.com
so anyhow. For my final project I am going to set up an event during Earth Week either on Tuesday or Wednesday probably in the Terra Cafe. Since I want to tie it in with Earth Week, I am going to have some stuff explaining the connection between poverty and environmental issues. Then there will be a trivia board seeing how much people know about poverty and these connections. I will also write up a survey and try and get people's emails so that I can connect them with the videos and a blog I am making called "Poverty, the Environment, and Me."
I want to try and send weekly emails that have a little something in it for people to watch or read just to keep them updated or get them updated with ideas that are going around about our own actions and poverty related issues. Also info about organizations they can join ect.
We'll see how it goes. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Here's is the blog I am making that is under construction (same with the videos unfortunately!)
www.meandpoverty.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
hmmmm....
Wrote the alumnus: “At the very least, the arts department should issue a public apology to all those who are offended by this affront to both reason and morality. I fully support energetic and vocal criticism of America’s policy in Iraq, civilian casualties in Iraq, and the veracity of our purpose, but not efforts to sympathize with what is essentially terrorism, whether or not it is carried out by the young, hurt and confused. If Mr. Bilal truly ’seeks to imbue his audiences with a sense of empowerment that comes from hope in the enduring potential of humanity’ he would not ask us to look into the heart of a killer, and try to understand what drove him to atrocity. Hope and humanity are not equatable with murder.”
Interesting...I thought i would respond to this writer since he brings up interesting points.
First, I'm sure many individuals were offended by this situation on both sides. The writer believes that the arts department should issue a public apology but, to be honest, I don't think they feel remorse for having invited Wafaa. In fact, I've heard people who thought it was unfair to Wafaa and that he should be the one receiving an apology. The writer reasoning for this apology is "to both reason and morality." I don't follow...and I am not convinced. Reason tells me that in a university it is good to analyze more points of reference and approaches to understanding than just the "conventional" one...and I don't see any real moral issue here. Many games, stories, movies, songs, art pieces, ect.... depict murder and are shown or used in classes. I've heard some concerns that this piece could serve as propaganda for terrorism. But in a university setting and with a dialogue shaped around it, being educated on whatever issue or viewpoint or expression is supposed to help us realize what we are seeing so that we understand at a deeper level than we did before. We shouldn't be afraid to move around thoughts in our mind which really make us reflect. I imagine it would only make someone understand themself and their beliefs more fully.
Now the writer calls this video game terrorism. Well what is terrorism then? Let's ask wiki:
"Generally speaking, the term, as evidenced by the root word terror, refers to acts that are not intended to merely victimize or eliminate those who are killed, injured or taken hostage, but rather to intimidate, destabilize, or otherwise influence the societies to which they belong. In this sense, terrorism can be seen as related to psychological warfare."
So the writer thinks that this video game is made to intimidate our society. Well, originally...
oh oops time for class :-/
Interesting...I thought i would respond to this writer since he brings up interesting points.
First, I'm sure many individuals were offended by this situation on both sides. The writer believes that the arts department should issue a public apology but, to be honest, I don't think they feel remorse for having invited Wafaa. In fact, I've heard people who thought it was unfair to Wafaa and that he should be the one receiving an apology. The writer reasoning for this apology is "to both reason and morality." I don't follow...and I am not convinced. Reason tells me that in a university it is good to analyze more points of reference and approaches to understanding than just the "conventional" one...and I don't see any real moral issue here. Many games, stories, movies, songs, art pieces, ect.... depict murder and are shown or used in classes. I've heard some concerns that this piece could serve as propaganda for terrorism. But in a university setting and with a dialogue shaped around it, being educated on whatever issue or viewpoint or expression is supposed to help us realize what we are seeing so that we understand at a deeper level than we did before. We shouldn't be afraid to move around thoughts in our mind which really make us reflect. I imagine it would only make someone understand themself and their beliefs more fully.
Now the writer calls this video game terrorism. Well what is terrorism then? Let's ask wiki:
"Generally speaking, the term, as evidenced by the root word terror, refers to acts that are not intended to merely victimize or eliminate those who are killed, injured or taken hostage, but rather to intimidate, destabilize, or otherwise influence the societies to which they belong. In this sense, terrorism can be seen as related to psychological warfare."
So the writer thinks that this video game is made to intimidate our society. Well, originally...
oh oops time for class :-/
The Internet and the Aids Community
The internet has developed into an amazing tool for communities and individuals to have access to unlimited information and be connected to many other individuals worldwide. In particular, the community of individuals dealing with HIV/AIDS has also found a place online. Organizations and people have created stories, information, and forums on the internet to be used for both education and building support. However, a very small number of these individuals have access to the information and community support that the internet provides. The importance of these issues and the effectiveness of the internet as a tool to assist HIV/AIDS victims make it reasonable to consider increasing internet availability to these individuals.
Both the Internet and HIV/AIDS have been making significant impacts on human history for over 20 years, but their combined history has just recently begun. From the outset, the HIV/AIDS community has been marginalized and ignored. Even though the first documented human case of AIDS was recorded in 1981, it wasn't until 1985 that AIDS received any serious media attention, with the death of famous television and film actor Rock Hudson. By then, about 12,000 Americans had died or were dying of AIDS, and there were hundreds of thousands more who were already infected with HIV. Nevertheless, it took President Ronald Reagan until the late 1980s, at the end of his time in office, to publicly acknowledge the public health danger of HIV/AIDS. [1]
By this time, it was too late to stave off an epidemic. Indeed, had the government recognized the public health crisis that HIV and AIDS had become, it could have allocated more funds towards research and education geared towards prevention, but because it was seen as a disease that affected mostly “people who fit into rather distinct classes of outcasts and social pariahs,” [2] it was ignored by the general public and the government. The disease began to attract more widespread concern and attention only when it began to affect populations that had previously been considered “safe,” and more mainstream.
Sometimes, the media's treatment of HIV/AIDS was worse than simply neglect; news sources often represented gay men, who made up the bulk of the early HIV/AIDS cases, as deviant and morally corrupt. The sort of disdain that this approach produced was not at all conducive to a wider social movement to stem the tide of the epidemic. Instead, it broadened the previous problem of homophobia into a wider problem of HIV/AIDS phobia. The mis-portrayal of HIV and AIDS also kept the media from fulfilling its important role of informing the democracy that would then act to help stop the epidemic.[1]
Since AIDS began to become more recognized as a serious health issue by the American general public and government, it has begun to receive more attention. In fact, outrage over most of America's original disregard for the disease has turned it into a social justice issue and fueled more support for treatments, such as drugs that improve quality of life as well as social resources to assist people living with AIDS, as well as funding and interest for research aimed at a cure.
In a strange way, the history of the Internet mirrors that of HIV/AIDS. It began about 35 years ago in the relatively small communities of the Department of Defense and research scientists at large universities, and has only recently gained prominence among a wider class of American denizens. As the resources available on the Internet have become more widely recognized, it has become clear that the Internet may be useful for those infected with HIV/AIDS. Since then, it has been used to build virtual communities that provide social support for those suffering from HIV/AIDS, and as a resource for health information. The internet is also becoming used advocacy as well as a way to escape from the pressures of having to deal with the stress of having AIDS.
The internet as a tool for HIV/AIDS patients has become increasingly more helpful and useful in a variety of ways. Expanding and unlimited information on HIV/AIDS topics has made it easier for patients to have access to different views and develop a deeper sense of the methods and opinions available for them to consider. The internet also offers very up to date information that is easily accessible at any time. Patients are now entering the doctor’s office informed and prepared to engage in discussions. This search through information has become itself not only a tool for understanding but also a useful coping technique for patients that makes them more active participants in their personal health decisions. Another common use of the internet is to form communities in a way that forges social connections, and allows for catharsis and commiseration. Chat rooms and one-to-one interactions have brought together many individuals coping with HIV/AIDS into intimate and emotional conversations and friendships. This new network of people has served as both a supportive community to help deal with their situation as well as a new link to exchanging information and understanding. One HIV patient, interviewed by Reeves, claimed that the internet generates an "encouraging effect," since it "puts [him] in contact with men and women who have become infected and who've somehow decided to take that on as a challenge, instead of some kind of personal embarrassment or defeat."[1] In that sense, the internet not only helps people's psychological state, but also their overall health, in that it encourages them not to despair but rather to live and cope with the disease, and "take it on as a challenge." The internet allows HIV positive individuals to form what many of Reeves' interviewees called a community. By making friends on the internet, HIV positive patients are able to strengthen themselves, and find others dealing with similar issues, who can understand what they are going through.
Another result of these communities has been an increasing use of the internet for activism. Individuals have created websites as informational, encouraging, revealing and promotional sources. Information sites have helped bring the importance of the issue into the hands of the general public. Sites are also made for telling auto-biographical stories to serve as a lesson for individuals going through similar situations. In Gillet, an individual tells a story to inspire bravery and help others in overcoming common obstacles. It reads, “I was not prepared to be some test lab rat and die a horrible death, but then one day I looked at my skinny self and decided that if I wanted to give myself another chance I had to decide right there and now otherwise it would be too late.” [2] Other stories are made to show the humanity of individuals with HIV/AIDS and their achievements. These individuals show pride in having overcome what they have and being able to inspire others to be strong and persistent. The internet has also served to help raise awareness about individuals who cannot represent themselves through the media or internet. Information is available showing links of HIV/AIDS to poverty and injustice. Other sites have also been created to express dissent. Both disapproval and disbelief in current treatments or approaches have appeared on the internet. All these portals of information have created an expanding discourse on HIV/AIDS and a supportive community online for patients.
While it seems true that the internet serves as an excellent tool to aid individuals in dealing with HIV/AIDS, there is also a digital divide amongst different groups of individuals with HIV/AIDS. Austin et al. found that Whites are more likely to use the internet for information and support than African Americans. [3] In general, these studies showed that individuals with more education, greater income and who were not part of an ethnic minority were more likely to use the internet as a tool for information and methods for coping with HIV/AIDS. In fact, the vast majority of the people that have HIV/AIDS are those individuals who are not as likely to have access to the information and communities on the internet. In order to extend internet access to more individuals, computer and internet availability would not be sufficient. Education in technology and information analysis is also important for the internet to be useful to these individuals. More availability to information could also serve as a preventive tool for individuals most at risk of HIV/AIDS. More availability to information could also serve as a preventive tool for individuals most at risk of HIV/AIDS.
Amongst individuals with access to the internet, the information and opportunities available online has enhanced both their health and coping ability with HIV/AIDS. The discourse created online communities and friendships, easily accessible and up to date information banks, and a voice for those who are otherwise unheard. The value of the internet to the HIV-positive community only underscores the problem of unequal access. It seems as though a (perhaps) unanticipated effect of the class and educational divide in this country is an unequal access to some of the most useful resources available for those who need them most.
Resources:
[1] Reeves, Patricia M. “How individuals coping with HIV/AIDS use the Internet.” Health Education Research, Theory & Practice. Vol. 16 no.6 Pages 709-719. 2001
[2] Gillet, James. “Media activism and Internet use by people with HIV/AIDS.” Sociology of Health & Illness. Vol. 25 no. 6 Pages 608-624. 2003
[3] Kalichman, Seth C. et al. “Health-Related Internet Use, Coping, Social Support, and Health Indicators in People Living with HIV/AIDS: Preliminary Results From a Community Survey.” Health Psychology. Vol. 22 no. 1 Pages 111-116. 2003
Both the Internet and HIV/AIDS have been making significant impacts on human history for over 20 years, but their combined history has just recently begun. From the outset, the HIV/AIDS community has been marginalized and ignored. Even though the first documented human case of AIDS was recorded in 1981, it wasn't until 1985 that AIDS received any serious media attention, with the death of famous television and film actor Rock Hudson. By then, about 12,000 Americans had died or were dying of AIDS, and there were hundreds of thousands more who were already infected with HIV. Nevertheless, it took President Ronald Reagan until the late 1980s, at the end of his time in office, to publicly acknowledge the public health danger of HIV/AIDS. [1]
By this time, it was too late to stave off an epidemic. Indeed, had the government recognized the public health crisis that HIV and AIDS had become, it could have allocated more funds towards research and education geared towards prevention, but because it was seen as a disease that affected mostly “people who fit into rather distinct classes of outcasts and social pariahs,” [2] it was ignored by the general public and the government. The disease began to attract more widespread concern and attention only when it began to affect populations that had previously been considered “safe,” and more mainstream.
Sometimes, the media's treatment of HIV/AIDS was worse than simply neglect; news sources often represented gay men, who made up the bulk of the early HIV/AIDS cases, as deviant and morally corrupt. The sort of disdain that this approach produced was not at all conducive to a wider social movement to stem the tide of the epidemic. Instead, it broadened the previous problem of homophobia into a wider problem of HIV/AIDS phobia. The mis-portrayal of HIV and AIDS also kept the media from fulfilling its important role of informing the democracy that would then act to help stop the epidemic.[1]
Since AIDS began to become more recognized as a serious health issue by the American general public and government, it has begun to receive more attention. In fact, outrage over most of America's original disregard for the disease has turned it into a social justice issue and fueled more support for treatments, such as drugs that improve quality of life as well as social resources to assist people living with AIDS, as well as funding and interest for research aimed at a cure.
In a strange way, the history of the Internet mirrors that of HIV/AIDS. It began about 35 years ago in the relatively small communities of the Department of Defense and research scientists at large universities, and has only recently gained prominence among a wider class of American denizens. As the resources available on the Internet have become more widely recognized, it has become clear that the Internet may be useful for those infected with HIV/AIDS. Since then, it has been used to build virtual communities that provide social support for those suffering from HIV/AIDS, and as a resource for health information. The internet is also becoming used advocacy as well as a way to escape from the pressures of having to deal with the stress of having AIDS.
The internet as a tool for HIV/AIDS patients has become increasingly more helpful and useful in a variety of ways. Expanding and unlimited information on HIV/AIDS topics has made it easier for patients to have access to different views and develop a deeper sense of the methods and opinions available for them to consider. The internet also offers very up to date information that is easily accessible at any time. Patients are now entering the doctor’s office informed and prepared to engage in discussions. This search through information has become itself not only a tool for understanding but also a useful coping technique for patients that makes them more active participants in their personal health decisions. Another common use of the internet is to form communities in a way that forges social connections, and allows for catharsis and commiseration. Chat rooms and one-to-one interactions have brought together many individuals coping with HIV/AIDS into intimate and emotional conversations and friendships. This new network of people has served as both a supportive community to help deal with their situation as well as a new link to exchanging information and understanding. One HIV patient, interviewed by Reeves, claimed that the internet generates an "encouraging effect," since it "puts [him] in contact with men and women who have become infected and who've somehow decided to take that on as a challenge, instead of some kind of personal embarrassment or defeat."[1] In that sense, the internet not only helps people's psychological state, but also their overall health, in that it encourages them not to despair but rather to live and cope with the disease, and "take it on as a challenge." The internet allows HIV positive individuals to form what many of Reeves' interviewees called a community. By making friends on the internet, HIV positive patients are able to strengthen themselves, and find others dealing with similar issues, who can understand what they are going through.
Another result of these communities has been an increasing use of the internet for activism. Individuals have created websites as informational, encouraging, revealing and promotional sources. Information sites have helped bring the importance of the issue into the hands of the general public. Sites are also made for telling auto-biographical stories to serve as a lesson for individuals going through similar situations. In Gillet, an individual tells a story to inspire bravery and help others in overcoming common obstacles. It reads, “I was not prepared to be some test lab rat and die a horrible death, but then one day I looked at my skinny self and decided that if I wanted to give myself another chance I had to decide right there and now otherwise it would be too late.” [2] Other stories are made to show the humanity of individuals with HIV/AIDS and their achievements. These individuals show pride in having overcome what they have and being able to inspire others to be strong and persistent. The internet has also served to help raise awareness about individuals who cannot represent themselves through the media or internet. Information is available showing links of HIV/AIDS to poverty and injustice. Other sites have also been created to express dissent. Both disapproval and disbelief in current treatments or approaches have appeared on the internet. All these portals of information have created an expanding discourse on HIV/AIDS and a supportive community online for patients.
While it seems true that the internet serves as an excellent tool to aid individuals in dealing with HIV/AIDS, there is also a digital divide amongst different groups of individuals with HIV/AIDS. Austin et al. found that Whites are more likely to use the internet for information and support than African Americans. [3] In general, these studies showed that individuals with more education, greater income and who were not part of an ethnic minority were more likely to use the internet as a tool for information and methods for coping with HIV/AIDS. In fact, the vast majority of the people that have HIV/AIDS are those individuals who are not as likely to have access to the information and communities on the internet. In order to extend internet access to more individuals, computer and internet availability would not be sufficient. Education in technology and information analysis is also important for the internet to be useful to these individuals. More availability to information could also serve as a preventive tool for individuals most at risk of HIV/AIDS. More availability to information could also serve as a preventive tool for individuals most at risk of HIV/AIDS.
Amongst individuals with access to the internet, the information and opportunities available online has enhanced both their health and coping ability with HIV/AIDS. The discourse created online communities and friendships, easily accessible and up to date information banks, and a voice for those who are otherwise unheard. The value of the internet to the HIV-positive community only underscores the problem of unequal access. It seems as though a (perhaps) unanticipated effect of the class and educational divide in this country is an unequal access to some of the most useful resources available for those who need them most.
Resources:
[1] Reeves, Patricia M. “How individuals coping with HIV/AIDS use the Internet.” Health Education Research, Theory & Practice. Vol. 16 no.6 Pages 709-719. 2001
[2] Gillet, James. “Media activism and Internet use by people with HIV/AIDS.” Sociology of Health & Illness. Vol. 25 no. 6 Pages 608-624. 2003
[3] Kalichman, Seth C. et al. “Health-Related Internet Use, Coping, Social Support, and Health Indicators in People Living with HIV/AIDS: Preliminary Results From a Community Survey.” Health Psychology. Vol. 22 no. 1 Pages 111-116. 2003
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Tipping Point/Czech Dream Response
Czech Dream: This was a very interesting project. Some of the fooled shoppers in the movie mentioned how ridicilous it was that their tax dollars are going to these sorts of things. I assume that these two students thought that the message they were trying to get across was truly important or the community they were trying to get together could really benefit from this prank. I'm not sure if I agree with them....
I can't help but to try and think up more helpful community projects that would be possible with that money to educate and bring people together. But perhaps this project really did get everyone thinking and concerned about their behaviour...it would have been nice to have seen more follow up on the fooled shoppers...whether they actually changed their habits or even took on a active role in educating communities or at least their own children. Or do some kind of compare and contrast to see whether those individuals that reacted positively in the movie were already aware of the issue versus those that responded negatively.
Perhaps it would be an interesting project for me to show this video to my teenager sister and her friends and other people I know and see how they react. Cuz as Joe (i think?) mentioned in class (or i just thought of in my head...oops), lots of the things that we see and read are partly "preaching to the choir." Since none of us in class really buy into that "stuff"...
Tipping Point: to be cont...
I can't help but to try and think up more helpful community projects that would be possible with that money to educate and bring people together. But perhaps this project really did get everyone thinking and concerned about their behaviour...it would have been nice to have seen more follow up on the fooled shoppers...whether they actually changed their habits or even took on a active role in educating communities or at least their own children. Or do some kind of compare and contrast to see whether those individuals that reacted positively in the movie were already aware of the issue versus those that responded negatively.
Perhaps it would be an interesting project for me to show this video to my teenager sister and her friends and other people I know and see how they react. Cuz as Joe (i think?) mentioned in class (or i just thought of in my head...oops), lots of the things that we see and read are partly "preaching to the choir." Since none of us in class really buy into that "stuff"...
Tipping Point: to be cont...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Response to Heart MySpace Reading
This article focused on teenagers, their social practices/tendencies, and MySpace's role in this. Having a 15 year old sister (Angie), I have asked myself similar questions to the ones he tried to give answers for in this article. Should I discourage Angie from going on MySpace all the time and encourage her to do more "productive" things with her time? or should I "reward" her behavior by standing up for her when my other sister's pick on her or when my mom tells her to get off the computer?....This article unfortunately didn't shed any new light on my own reflections probably because it didn't really give much data to go by except that there are a lot less predators on MySpace then one would think...whatever that happens to be...
Boyd did give us a personal perspective on why teenagers do what they do and why parents should chill out a little more when they react to it. I do find MySpace interesting...I have one myself though I only get on about once a month for 2 seconds. I always find myself going to my friend's pages that actually use it regularly and to Angie's page to listen to what new song they put up since I never actually take the time to discover music that I like on my own. But yeah...I could definitely see it as a place to hang out that is inferior to actual physical hanging out. And Boyd's ideas about it being a private space for teenagers I certainly would agree with. As long as the kids go out to play as well and parents talk to them and make sure they know they can tell them anything if they need them....haha this article just makes me think about parenting skills...
Boyd did give us a personal perspective on why teenagers do what they do and why parents should chill out a little more when they react to it. I do find MySpace interesting...I have one myself though I only get on about once a month for 2 seconds. I always find myself going to my friend's pages that actually use it regularly and to Angie's page to listen to what new song they put up since I never actually take the time to discover music that I like on my own. But yeah...I could definitely see it as a place to hang out that is inferior to actual physical hanging out. And Boyd's ideas about it being a private space for teenagers I certainly would agree with. As long as the kids go out to play as well and parents talk to them and make sure they know they can tell them anything if they need them....haha this article just makes me think about parenting skills...
Friday, February 1, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Response to keen
so i'm just going to write out my scratch notes right now and try to fix them up later when i get a chance...
keen says:
that mediocre media is being created thanks to all these internet portals. he thinks news isn't reliable anymore since everyone is just giving their own version of it. he gives a lot of credit to big news corporation for their ability to transmit what is really going on. He observes that nowadays people are buying less music and movies, reading less newspapers and magazines. To sum up his thought, he feels that there now exists a mob rule of ignorance, egoism and narcissism with bad taste.
Well...first off, big time artists that are always the center of attention are probably more (or at least just as) egotistical then this big mob...just because people can manage to entertain themselves instead of worshiping those artists who are “better” doesn't to me sound so bad... at least they are starting to realize that they are interesting too...and its good to appreciate that...not just the movie stars are interesting but really everyone is...
he talks about having himself believed in the internet creating some greater good after giving people new tools to use...well sometimes things that we have planned as our dream to pursue don't turn out exactly the way we planned because we can't control how people will use the tools they are given. It's funny how he mentions on page 12 that those individuals have a messianic faith in the benefits of technology... Oh my science! Some people think they are getting rid of religion, I think it might just be evolving....the sun....many gods..one god...now technology. He talks about Darwinism and his survival of the strongest in this media anarchy...but isn't that the way has always been...the voiceless are voiceless and the loud are loud...
wow he's really anti Web 2.0. I do think it is good that we never stop taking a step back and analyzing what we are doing. If we blindly just said this was going to fix everything and stopped making sure it was then we'd have a problem. Skepticism can be good since it keeps one on their toes.
Wow: he says “and even disappearance of truth”....he sure has a lot of faith in the way things were before this Web 2.0 age...where is his basis for this. Clearly the world wasn't a perfect place and there was hardly truth floating around before....I would like to see some data on what he thinks was so much better before...just because he has to hear all the mediocre talk now that he couldn't hear before since there was no internet doesn't automatically mean suddenly the “truth” that was supposedly there before is now gone and everything is getting worse. Give me some numbers on poverty, on health problems, depression, suicides, education...any of that...and then maybe I will consider being scared of what's to come but really now...were things so great in the past??? I'm not saying they are great now but there have always been wars and pain ... maybe give me some numbers on people loving each other more in the past...cultures evolve all the time...clearly people aren't always happy with this. To use a religious example, Vatican II made lots of very devout Catholics very angry and many left the church. That doesn't mean it's the most terrible thing in the world because it doesn't contain the same traditions or “culture” that it had in the past. How is he measuring whether things are good or not? Just if he likes them? Who is this guy anyway? Why does culture have to have economic value???? I would imagine it's “priceless”....What is it with his use of the word “truth”...does he know the truth? What is the truth? Why is he wanting to somehow impose “the truth” on everyone.... I mean I'll be honest, I think there is one truth...but I wouldn't begin to say that I know what it is and that other people are making it become more lost....in fact, I say things very differently, I say that my interactions with people and the world I hope will help me become closer to the truth....i don't expect some big business media place to tell me the truth...
He talks about books and how they are turning liquid and digital...well we didn't always have books... why is he so scared of not having them....
I don't know that much about how the economics of the internet work, like who gets jobs because of people using it and who gets paid and whatnot but I'm pretty sure that regardless of how much people use the internet and it's free stuff they need jobs themselves because not everything is free, like food, electricity, housing, ect. So there are still plenty of jobs out there to be had and there is still a huge market because people need these things and in fact, LOTS of people don't have them. So yeah... maybe all this free stuff will just make salaries lower since nobody has to buy things so who cares... I don't understand why he thinks it's so necessary to have these super talented (in his opinion), super experienced (in his opinion again) people...instead of everyone just interacting with each other and getting to know one another and growing from one another....
Perhaps instead of trying to find ways to entertain himself with quality music, movies or books maybe he should go out into his community and make music with the children or the families and learn from them and teach them or something....He is calling everyone else egotistic but it seems like he is thinking about how he likes to be entertained and how he doesn't have time for all this nonsense.... I don't know...people didn't use to have access to what he considers valuable entertainment or news.... and they managed. I just don't see what the big deal is.
“we will have no choice but to read everything with a skeptical eye” says this guy with regards to wikipedia and such...shouldn't we be doing that now anyway?
It's interesting...according to his theory..if experts pay will go super down and there will no longer be a financial incentive for people to pursue any field to a deeper level, then probably the only experts left would be ones who were truly passionate about the subject....
You know reading this makes me thing of the well known situation where there is a ruler or large group of upper class individuals that control an even larger group of unskilled, uneducated individuals (like slaves)....the arguments they had to justify their keeping the unskilled, untrained voiceless was that they knew better ,,,and then of course there are revolutions and uproars and whatnot when those who are kept voiceless find a way to break free from that....
keen says:
that mediocre media is being created thanks to all these internet portals. he thinks news isn't reliable anymore since everyone is just giving their own version of it. he gives a lot of credit to big news corporation for their ability to transmit what is really going on. He observes that nowadays people are buying less music and movies, reading less newspapers and magazines. To sum up his thought, he feels that there now exists a mob rule of ignorance, egoism and narcissism with bad taste.
Well...first off, big time artists that are always the center of attention are probably more (or at least just as) egotistical then this big mob...just because people can manage to entertain themselves instead of worshiping those artists who are “better” doesn't to me sound so bad... at least they are starting to realize that they are interesting too...and its good to appreciate that...not just the movie stars are interesting but really everyone is...
he talks about having himself believed in the internet creating some greater good after giving people new tools to use...well sometimes things that we have planned as our dream to pursue don't turn out exactly the way we planned because we can't control how people will use the tools they are given. It's funny how he mentions on page 12 that those individuals have a messianic faith in the benefits of technology... Oh my science! Some people think they are getting rid of religion, I think it might just be evolving....the sun....many gods..one god...now technology. He talks about Darwinism and his survival of the strongest in this media anarchy...but isn't that the way has always been...the voiceless are voiceless and the loud are loud...
wow he's really anti Web 2.0. I do think it is good that we never stop taking a step back and analyzing what we are doing. If we blindly just said this was going to fix everything and stopped making sure it was then we'd have a problem. Skepticism can be good since it keeps one on their toes.
Wow: he says “and even disappearance of truth”....he sure has a lot of faith in the way things were before this Web 2.0 age...where is his basis for this. Clearly the world wasn't a perfect place and there was hardly truth floating around before....I would like to see some data on what he thinks was so much better before...just because he has to hear all the mediocre talk now that he couldn't hear before since there was no internet doesn't automatically mean suddenly the “truth” that was supposedly there before is now gone and everything is getting worse. Give me some numbers on poverty, on health problems, depression, suicides, education...any of that...and then maybe I will consider being scared of what's to come but really now...were things so great in the past??? I'm not saying they are great now but there have always been wars and pain ... maybe give me some numbers on people loving each other more in the past...cultures evolve all the time...clearly people aren't always happy with this. To use a religious example, Vatican II made lots of very devout Catholics very angry and many left the church. That doesn't mean it's the most terrible thing in the world because it doesn't contain the same traditions or “culture” that it had in the past. How is he measuring whether things are good or not? Just if he likes them? Who is this guy anyway? Why does culture have to have economic value???? I would imagine it's “priceless”....What is it with his use of the word “truth”...does he know the truth? What is the truth? Why is he wanting to somehow impose “the truth” on everyone.... I mean I'll be honest, I think there is one truth...but I wouldn't begin to say that I know what it is and that other people are making it become more lost....in fact, I say things very differently, I say that my interactions with people and the world I hope will help me become closer to the truth....i don't expect some big business media place to tell me the truth...
He talks about books and how they are turning liquid and digital...well we didn't always have books... why is he so scared of not having them....
I don't know that much about how the economics of the internet work, like who gets jobs because of people using it and who gets paid and whatnot but I'm pretty sure that regardless of how much people use the internet and it's free stuff they need jobs themselves because not everything is free, like food, electricity, housing, ect. So there are still plenty of jobs out there to be had and there is still a huge market because people need these things and in fact, LOTS of people don't have them. So yeah... maybe all this free stuff will just make salaries lower since nobody has to buy things so who cares... I don't understand why he thinks it's so necessary to have these super talented (in his opinion), super experienced (in his opinion again) people...instead of everyone just interacting with each other and getting to know one another and growing from one another....
Perhaps instead of trying to find ways to entertain himself with quality music, movies or books maybe he should go out into his community and make music with the children or the families and learn from them and teach them or something....He is calling everyone else egotistic but it seems like he is thinking about how he likes to be entertained and how he doesn't have time for all this nonsense.... I don't know...people didn't use to have access to what he considers valuable entertainment or news.... and they managed. I just don't see what the big deal is.
“we will have no choice but to read everything with a skeptical eye” says this guy with regards to wikipedia and such...shouldn't we be doing that now anyway?
It's interesting...according to his theory..if experts pay will go super down and there will no longer be a financial incentive for people to pursue any field to a deeper level, then probably the only experts left would be ones who were truly passionate about the subject....
You know reading this makes me thing of the well known situation where there is a ruler or large group of upper class individuals that control an even larger group of unskilled, uneducated individuals (like slaves)....the arguments they had to justify their keeping the unskilled, untrained voiceless was that they knew better ,,,and then of course there are revolutions and uproars and whatnot when those who are kept voiceless find a way to break free from that....
del.icio.us slideshow
Actually i can't figure out how to make this a slide show but here's my del.icio.us page....
PUSH HERE
enjoy! :)
PUSH HERE
enjoy! :)
3 part project
For the project i want to try and tell the story of an important issue...i have chosen global poverty since it is what i want to dedicate my life to working on. my plan is to research and piece together all the discourse i can find online about this issue and make it either into a short film or audio podcast. for the first part i would like to gather any facts about what is going on just to give an understanding to the viewer what is happening. Then i want to find both articles and films by professionals and experts on poverty like jeffrey sachs and vandana shiva and somehow break it all apart and put it back together to show the different opinions that are out there. last i want to discover the opinions or discourse that is out there amongst rpi students about this issue by interviews or surveys or something of that sort.
i think this is an important piece to add to the poverty discourse because it will try to sum up what is going on and help people to think about where they stand on these issues. There is so much information out there and so many opinions maybe seeing them all together will make it seem less chaotic ....hopefully not more! :P
i think this is an important piece to add to the poverty discourse because it will try to sum up what is going on and help people to think about where they stand on these issues. There is so much information out there and so many opinions maybe seeing them all together will make it seem less chaotic ....hopefully not more! :P
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Response to Jenkins
Wow….I had no idea…I mean I guess I had some idea, I’m not completely surprised but really wow that’s a lot of Star Wars stuff… I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised though. There are quite a few fans of big commercial products. The general trend seems to me to be that people are very much entertained by these things....
I mean, the celebrity obsessions for one…its funny seeing all those magazines about what this or that celebrity is doing or who they are dating now while standing in line at the grocery store. The market, or large corporations, or whatever, seem to know what people will buy into without having to be too creative. And they definitely have their propaganda tools mastered to get them to keep coming for more….
But this article offered an interesting perspective. That is, the phenomenon of “participatory culture.” I don’t think I’ve thought of all these sorts of fan based movements as participatory culture. I don’t know what I’ve thought of them really. In my life, I have managed to never be a part of these types of grand movements and haven’t sat down and really analyzed what is going on or tried to appreciate it. Ben mentioned something about Lucas' plan to rule his life.…really I guess these corporations are trying to profit maximize or something and whatever they can do to catch someone’s attention for as long as possible, they will do it. Personally, I feel like Wal Mart is trying to take over mine :P
But in many of the cases Jenkins pointed out, it was not only the huge profit making industries who were hyping up this particular story/product but also the viewers themselves…the fans…Not only were they consuming many different kinds of products that came along but they were creating their own products as well for the sake of enjoying and enriching their experience, and I suppose… enhancing their cultural experience….
Our prof said in a comment on igor's blog that sums this up nicely: "fan culture goes mainstream = participatory culture" and that he wants to find out what this means... is this a good thing? It's hard to say...
I guess its better than everyone sitting and being entertained by these huge corporations.... since using ones creativity to make something a little different is a form of participating. But do we still end up being limited in our creativity?
Ok I have a story...I don't know why I always tell this story, but i really like it...anyhow, a friend told me once that he was talking to his advisor about life and his prof said that (and i'm probably completely misquoting this but you get the idea) he said research, or I would say ideas, is like a big rickety wagon...you have this idea (wagon) and it goes along and is kinda falling apart so what an "average" person does (which he considered himself to be) is just try and fix little parts of the wagon to keep it together. Like nail down a loose board or cover up a hole with something. And then he said every once in awhile you get a different kind of person, a person, he said, that doesn't follow the conveyer belt lifestyle of being born, going to school, getting a job, getting married, having kids, and dying...someone who is passionate and really wants to do something different...he says these kinds of people instead of just putting patches on the wagon, end up building a new wagon.
I don't know if that made sense...but i was thinking how this might relate...since there are these big ideas floating around (star wars) and people kinda put their patches on this idea to help it live on and also to get learning experience from it of course...and every once in awhile a person will break away and start another big idea. Now in my wildest fantasies, it would be great if the system worked in such a way that there weren't just a few big movers and shakers (that in some cases become strong corporate bodies) but rather many many movers and shakers..... perhaps participatory culture will inspire "normal" people to be more passionate and have big dreams and goals that go beyond the normal life pattern... though i wouldn't know how to begin to show that it would...
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
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