Response to Labor Writing Technologies, adn the shaping of composition in teh academy

It quite honestly surprised me the huge discrepancy in the differences in the different races. I didn't think there would be such a dramatic percent change between them. I thought that there wouldn't be such a difference in internet usage between races. I thought we were in a day in age in which we all had equal access and opportunity. It almost seems like Markus from the essay is almost saying that he is the minority of African-American students who are interested in things other than rap music. For him it seems like it will be a challenge to create such a change, but he seems like he is dedicated to it.

I find it extremely disturbing that white is considered the default. This isn't okay. Since when should your race matter? It has been proven time and time again that race means nothing, but skin color. It disturbs me that racism is even more prevalent on the internet. Since when did it become okay to hate? to discriminate based on color? It is greatly disappointing to see people act that way. Quite honestly it makes me want to start my own colonial town where acceptance is the only law. Think of it that way. If we accept and respect each other, than there really isn't a need for any other law.

It makes me sad that computer literacy is not equal either. I can't believe we would let that happen as a nation. Why would we allow education to be unequal? We want everyone to have the same chance, so why would we allow some races to be less educated in computer literacy? This is not okay. Quite honestly this essay made me quite depressed for the state of race and the internet.

Digital Natives

I realize I am a "digital native," but I honestly don't feel like one. I was raised with technology and use it a lot. It is just that I don't think I act like other digital natives do. The ones that can't do things without the help of technology (like how to write a letter) or are busy texting all of the time when they are with people, I just can't relate to that. Personally I think it is important to be able to do almost anything business type thing without the use of technology and honestly it is just rude to be texting someone else when you are hanging out with someone. It may just be how I was raised but I don't like when people do that. My parents had always stressed to me that yes we are in a digital age but this stuff matters too. Mainly because you never know when you'll need to do it. You never know when you need to write a thank you note or a business letter. Not everything can be done digitally either. Some things are just better when they are hand written.

On the topic of texting when talking to people. Well that is just rude. You are with the person you are hanging out because you are friends and want to. Why would you text people when you are with them? It is rude to not be socializing with the other person. That goes for phone calls and computers too. There are instances when you have to take a phone call or text, but excuse yourself first. Let them know that it is important and then quickly take the call. Basically on this one follow the basic rule of "Don't be a d"

Internet Testing!

So I found an internet testing tool. Awesome tool! This tool allows you to test to see how fast your internet is. Well considering the internet is out at my house (So I can already conclude that the score for my house would have been super low.) I tested my school's internet.

I'm sitting in  my lab. All is quiet (except for that one obnoxious kid in the corner who can't seem to use his "inside voice" to save his life!). Work is happening quite fast (or slowly if you are the kind of person who "multitasks" and "facebooks while working") I pull up the internet tool. Get cozy in this big old comfy chair in the corner, by myself, waiting for the right moment to press the button and find out the facts. I do it. I press that button like no other woman has pressed that button before! Then there was a loud beep. It startled me a little. I look around and pretend it wasn't my computer that made the noise. (It was fairly obvious that it was my computer though. I'm the only one sitting in the corner. Plus I frantically turned the sound down on my computer.) It starts slowly. Then gets faster, and faster and faster! I wait for the tool to be done. It finishes and I get these results.

Download speed: 5743 kbps
Upload speed: 5086 kbps
Latency: 20 ms
Jitter: 2 ms

I then realized.

I have no idea what any of this means.

Internet...research?

Okay I don't know about you but I found this pretty cool! There is an organization called The Pew Center that researches the internet! Woooo!!! Now how do you research the internet you ask? Well I suppose you ask people about it and their feelings about the internet. It isn't too hard of a concept. Figure out who uses the internet, what they do and what they do not the internet.

The part that puzzled me about this study is the staggering amount of people who do not think affordable internet is important. Personally I am a strong advocate of this (for many reasons and I know I have stated this before). The biggest being equal opportunity. Honestly the internet has provided the world with a vast amount of knowledge and resources. Doesn't everyone deserve to be able to find opportunities and knowledge? I think so. I mean look at Monster (the website, not the drink) they are specifically designed to help people obtain jobs. Some jobs are only posted on sites like this. How are people without the internet supposed to be able to find work?

Also the technology increase in the classroom is growing quickly. Teachers now require students to have internet access at home. Internet is not just for college students anymore What if they don't though? Sometimes kids cannot stay after school and they need the internet to do their homework and to get assignments or to email teachers.

I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I think the internet is an equal opportunity maker, when used correctly.

Internet Access

So there is a website out there with statistics about the internet (Magic Hyperlink) (<- not-very-technologically-advanced-me just found the hyperlink-button-thingy at the top) The website contains information on why people do NOT have internet at the bottom.

This confuses me so much.

I love the internet

Why not have the internet?

LOL cats.

I can see some of them being reasonable. Like being physically unable to use the internet (I would still try. The LOL cats are worth it.). I'm not sure how you can be physically unable to use the internet. Why would we not have the technology by now to be able to make sure each and every person has access to information that the rest of the world does? It just seems like something that should at least be heavily worked on. Also that some people cannot get internet yet. I can understand that. Many of my friends who live outside of town do not have internet. This is something that also needs to be worked on. It shouldn't be something that is limited to those who can afford it, but something that everyone has access to, because it is a right to information. Also I believe that access to the internet is something that separates the classes in the world. The more educated people who have jobs have the ability to have the internet and access to the information withheld from the poor.

Lap tops and internet

So recently for some odd reason my internet at my house and my lap top have been crapping out on me. First my internet had gone out. The area we live in is such a place that when something wrong with technology happens it takes quite some time to fix, therefore my internet was out for a week. Which was awful. I never realized how much I really do depend on the internet. It is a major way I use to communicate with my peers. A lot of people use facebook to create social plans with me. It was nearly impossible to be able to even answer any requests on my facebook during this time. I also rely heavily on my email to get the information I need from my professors and peers. I felt so lost during the time I did not have internet. I couldn't have imagined what it meant to not have the internet.I never realized how much I needed it.

Then I got it back.

Then my lap top crashed and flashed white lights.

Then I cried.

I use my lap top on almost every couple of hours. I have so much online homework and homework I need to type that I needed it that much. Plus I couldn't check my email on a whim. Email is like my virtual crack. I couldn't do anything with a computer unless I was on campus. So I spent about 13 plus hours on campus. I hated it. It sucked. I just wanted to cuddle up in my blanket and do my homework and maybe watch a movie.

The best part of this story though is that one of my friends was able to fix my lap top.

Then my internet went out again.

Reddit: A Strange Digital Artifact

Reddit: A Strange Digital Artifact

            How is a nation created? How about a community? Define a community. Define a friendship. Can these be created online with a digital media artifact? It seems so. There is a web site that seems to do just that. Reddit is a social media website that has created quite the stir. It has been known in the political world as a united community willing to create a change in politics. This is the first time a digital artifact has created quite a difference in the political sphere. The simulated world that Reddit created for itself is rather intriguing. Reddit is by far one of the strangest digital media artifacts that have been created.

            Reddit is basically a social media website with a twist. The website is basically a list of articles, stories, and pictures that people link on the website have found interesting. Users can “upvote” or “downvote” posts depending on if they like the post or not. The posts with the most “upvotes will end up at the top of the list, while the ones with the least amount of “downvotes” will end up at the bottom of the list. One can also browse the list by certain subjects. Reddit is like a large community. The top list is like a nation. It is one’s first impression of the whole website. It is also where the general rules for the entire website are enforced. The main moderators, presidents if you will, moderate this part of the website. There are then subreddits, which are like states. These “states” are all about different subjects.  The subreddits all have their own special rules and their own moderators, governors if you so please. This is why reddit is a strange digital artifact. (Giltmen)

            Reddit has always been a place where word about a topic can be spread very fast. An example of how Reddit has been able to do this is when the president did an AMA. AMA is short for ask me anything. In this kind of post someone starts a thread in which the users of Reddit can post a comment to the thread asking any question they please; in turn the person that started the thread (OC or original creator) answers the question. President Obama answered any question that was asked him. He quickly spread the word about what he plans to do if he was re-elected as well as what is currently going on in the political world. Coverage for this event was quite large. It was talked about in several large media sources and many smaller media sources. (Guarini)

            Now Reddit has taken an even bigger awareness program. The users are currently supporting an internet bus to travel across Middle America. During this time the bus will be helping advocate the importance of the freedom of the internet. This was inspired by the SOPA blackout that happened about a year ago. In this instance Reddit did not allow anyone to use their website, because it would have been shut down if the SOPA bill passed through congress. This made quite the impact. SOPA was immediately thrown out and Reddit had succeeded in keeping their website open. (Patterson)

            This type of media is not only effecting politics, but also how people communicate. The absolute anonymous messages on Reddit make people believe that they can say anything. The idea that no one will ever find out who you are makes people believe it is okay to say anything. The same thing happens in the subreddits as well. The content is not very important in this situation, but how these people communicate. The content will change from message to message and from comment to comment, but the way the users are communicating. The anonymous messages and comments lead to the user being able to tell the truth, all of the truth. Nothing is held back when there is no risk of people figuring out who you are. This anonymity shapes Reddit into a controversial community filled with new ideas. There is no fear of personal ridicule or attacks outside the community. One can also delete their comment or message. This means that the ridicule will slowly go away. When there is no concern for what one says, then why hold back? (McLuhan)

            This nation in the internet is a type of simulation. The community creates friendships that exist in a virtual reality and a sense of unity. The idea of simulation is very much a debated topic. Is simulation a real world thing or is a virtual world a false world. The existence of a nation in the internet is quite strange. Can people unite to form a union as strong as a nation without ever meeting each other? It seems like it is possible that this simulated place has created quite that.  Reddit has a strong sense of unity amongst its users. Not very many of the users know each other in person though. Ideas are created, and sometimes even implemented between people who have not met and have no plans of meeting. This could be a problem. Can you be friends with someone without even knowing what their face looks like? It seems like no. How can you truly know someone unless you know how their voice sounds like? (Baudrillard)

             The idea of a one simulated nation under the internet is rather complicated. There are so many questions, like is it possible? How are the users united? What impact will it have? It will take time to find out the answers to these questions. The digital artifact has survived for quite some time with its own laws and policies. Reddit has even won its own personal war against SOPA.  It has already been seen that Reddit can have an impact on the political sphere of the world. It will take time to see if this strange digital artifact will be able to hold its own throughout the years.

Work Cited

Baudrillard, Jean. "Jean Baudrillard - SIMULACRA AND SIMULATIONS - 1998." The European Graduate School - Media and Communication - Graduate & Postgraduate Studies Program. The European Graduate School, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.egs.edu/faculty/jean-baudrillard/articles/simulacra-and-simulations/>.

Guarini, Drew. "Reddit AMA: Obama Talks Small Business." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 30 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/during-reddit-ama-obama-t_n_1843105.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012>.

McLuhan, Marshall, Quentin Fiore, and Jerome Agel. The medium is the massage: an inventory of effects. Corte Madera, CA: Gingko Press, 2001. Print.

Patterson, Sean. "Reddit Launches Bus Tour to “Promote the Open Internet” | WebProNews." WebProNews - Breaking News in Tech, Search, Social, & Business. WebProNews, 11 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.webpronews.com/reddit-launches-bus-tour-to-promote-the-open-internet-2012-09>.

"reddit: the front page of the internet." reddit: the front page of the internet. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.reddit.com>.

BFF!

Have you ever had a realization while working on your computer? One minute you are typing about digital media while texting your best friend back home, then the next you know is that you realize how valuable your crappy little phone is. Now I realize this isn't all about digital media but it is at the same time. I was texting my best friend, Dan. We've been friends since high school and he is one of the only people I have been able to keep in my life after high school. I tell him everything. I miss him so much when I go to school and I text him on a daily basis. My day isn't complete if I don't hear from him.

This made me realize I'm so dependent on him to get me through the rough times. I honestly don't think there is something he doesn't know about me. Him and I have talked about dating before but we always decided it would be a bad idea. It isn't because of the distance between us or because we are so close, but because we are the only two people in each other's life who we can always depend on and who can always make each other smile. Over the years he has become not just my friend but my brother as well.

If it wasn't for my phone and being able to text him, then I don't think I would be able to make it through the days sometimes. He will always text me back trying to make me destress or not worry. Right now our phones are the only two things that are able to keep us connected. Many people think this is insane. Keeping  a friendship so strong, even though you have no idea if you'll even see each other again after graduation. Why not just let go?

I'll tell you why. Because no matter what happens I'll always have my phone on me

Just in case my best friend calls.

The Medium is the Massage

Recently I read the book The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects, by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore. This book is about the media using new means to get their message across. It uses an interesting way of describing its ideas about the media. The whole idea of the book is that the new cannot do the old's job. It is impossible. As time goes on we need to figure out as a society how to keep the old ways of the media to be able to run, or find a way to create a type of media where the old is no longer needed. The concept of the latter idea is quite complex though. McLuhna states that the new cannot do the job of the old, so we must make the old useless to be able to replace it. How do we do this without replacing the old. I don't have the answer to this. It is some food for thought. I'm sure that one day the creative minds of the world will find a way to make the old useless and the now new media be the old. As of right now though we seem to need both the old and new media to be able to get messages out to the world.

The most interesting part of the book I found was the small section on education. I strongly agree that we need to redo our education system. As a future teacher I think that what we have now is not working. We need a way for students to explore and to create, not to sit and memorize. It has been shown over the years that what we have now is not that effective. The drop out rate is high and the test scores are low. We create a prison cell for students. They do not enjoy their schooling, because they are forced to memorize facts that are not relevant to them. Teach a student what they enjoy and let them find the joy in learning. Of course this will not always work. A student does still need to learn math and memorize historical facts, but let's change how they do it. Instead of memorizing the equation for  the average, let the students do a project in which they find the average of something they love. Instead of memorizing a date, recreate the day. At this point in time that kind of teaching is impossible. Students have to pass tests, so schools past tests. How can teachers focus on helping the student love to learn, when they are forced to focus on making sure their students have the content of the class memorized?

Reading response to Baudrillard

Throughout this entire piece I only had one question in my mind that plagued me. I didn't not have the answer for myself, nor do I think Baudrillard, as smart as he is, really knew either. What does reality mean? We think of reality as what is happening to us. Reality is our experiences. What experiences count as "reality" and which ones as "fiction." As we explore new ways of creating communications and simulations we are testing our knowledge of what is real and what is not. Today we have so many different ways to create our own worlds within today's natural experience. In olden days the worlds we would create would be the stories we imagine or the dreams we have at night. These two ways to create our own worlds still exist today, but what about the interactions we have in role playing games online? Or what about dating websites? Or even the forums we find online? What do those worlds mean to us?

Personally I believe these are all new ways of forming an alternative reality. These are experiences some people have on a daily basis. None of them are too permanent, which is what I believe is the intent of these realities. These realities were never meant to become a way of reality, but a way of escaping and better your own reality. You see the idea of a video game is to allow the user to create their own little world, in which they can play God. This playing of God can get aggression out or a release of some kind of emotion. All powerful in your own world to forget that in reality you cannot control as much as you would like to think. A personalized world and it is all for the player's taking. A dating website is simply a place to find love. A reality in which that the hope of love is shared with many other romantics. It is simply a virtual reality that is a club for the romantic. Forums are much similar to this. They are realities in which people with similar interests meet and discuss.

Simulation does not mean that you are not in reality but in an alternative one in which you can be what you please and the bonds you make can be just as strong as a lover's, companion's or friend's. In all of the examples shown we can see that they are all a type of reality. I guess I just answered my own question about the piece, but I think it is still worth it to mention it. The piece very well could have very well answered it, but who knows. Baudrillard had a lot to say, and was very dense about his writing.

Response to New Media

I am writing this at a not so ungodly hour, but I am writing this in a very comfortable bed, with blankets, and wishing for some hot coco, a big snack, and a pretty cute dude to cuddle up next to. Needless to say I have hit the wall and this blog post will probably not be the greatest. Damn busy Wednesdays.

Anyway there was only one thing that popped out to me during this was 404 error codes. This is mainly because these codes make my life a living hell. I'll be doing my research for my papers or looking up LOL cats on the internet and BAM! 404 error. They are what make my life worth not living. Okay that might be a little dramatic but you get my picture. 404 errors make me a super sad panda. Of course there is always the 404 error when I'm browsing reddit. A super popular link pops up that I want to see. Nope. I can't. Why? 404.error. I wouldn't even mind them that much if I could still some how figure out what was on the page or figure out the information I needed.

but no

404 error.

My weariness is honestly making this blog harder and harder to write and making my hatred for 404 errors increase.

Might also have to do something about the fact that I spent about 4 hours researching today on the internet, where the 404 errors are.

It seems as if a definition is needed for everything that is exists. It should be known then that we need a definition for new media. In Lev Manovich's essay, The Language of New Media, he gives quite the definition. The essay defines what new media is throughout the essay and it seems as if new media is things we would not think of. It is everything from a CD-Rom to a website. New media can be media we would consider old now, but it still exists, therefore it is still new media. At least that is my understanding of the definition of "new media."

The part of this essay I found interesting was the part about numerical representation of new media. I have never before thought of media as being able to be represented by numbers. Needless to say this shocked me quite a bit. I have always thought of media as a form of artwork that can be easily sold. Math and art to me are two totally different things that should never be combined. The concept of being able to combine them is very logical though. You cannot create a picture without being able to measure out the angles. You cannot be able to make music without counting out the beats. Most importantly you cannot make a photograph if you cannot manipulate the light. You see everything we do has some mathematical algorithm to it. Even as I am typing this right now there is an algorithm for how many times I need to backspace. Every aspect of media can be explained through a mathematical function. It is something that isn't thought of very much, but art is just math.

Response to Bush

The idea of science expanding as technology expands seems like a very obvious thing. Technology seems to be invented by science and vise versa. I recently read an article, As We Think by Vannevar Bush, that made this fact even more apparent. This article provided copious amounts of evidence to back up the facts.

One of the things about this article that I found extremely interesting was that physicists are the scientists that are most affected by technology.  I had trouble believing this at first, but then I thought of my friends who are studying physics. The slightest update in technology excites them to an extreme. I don't quite understand this, but they tell me it is because of how it will make their research easier, how there will be new ways to do experiments and do experiments they've only dreamed of, and, of course, how this puts us one step closer to time travel. This is why it affects physicists so much. They're science holds a lot of power within technology. As measurements become more precise, then physics becomes more clear.

Another thing that intrigued me about this article was the part about cameras. I never quite realized how quickly cameras have developed. I feel like this source is even a little outdated, because it talks about developing film using a black room. As we know now this is an outdated way of creating photography. The idea behind it is still really cool and some photographers still enjoy using their black room. It has been for a great while though that a photographer only needs their camera and their lap top to develop and create photographs.

Overall I found this article quite informative about how technology and science are related to each other. It is very obvious that they are connected, but I never thought how they were. After reading this article I honestly do want to go out and see for myself how science and technology are related. I'd really like to be able to see the consequences of technology on science and vise versa.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!! My name is Kimberly and I'll be blogging to you for quite some time! :)