Q:
Discuss issues relating to the regulation of the internet by goverments.
A:
Ai Weiwei is an artist in China who constantly speaks out against the communist party, something not many people are courageous enough to do. Through his blogs he can freely comment about the government and he has a large amount of support. When a town in China suffered an earthquake and poor government buildings collapsed the government refused to release names. Weiwei put together a project to find out the names of the people and children in a school killed. The names were published on the web and ever since Weiwei has been watched very agressivly by the Chinese government. They removed blog posts on his website and eventually shut it down entirely in 2009.
The government was uncomfortable with having a citizen who could freely speak out through the internet about injustice. The government was afraid of what kind of support he could garner. They sought to control and stop him through censoring and controlling his blog. They even demolished his studio recently. In this case the government wants to be able to hide information and control its people. Its all about keeping its hold over its people in order to keep power.
The internet is one of the places almost anybody can go to in order to speak out and use it as a tool. Therefore, if a government were to censor it like in the communication decency act (1996), or the internet kill switch legislation, or allow legislation regarding net neutrality to go through, the internet would start down a slope of becoming more and more controlled and eventually loose all effectiveness and spirit of what it actually is. The government should keep its hands off the internet because it is already a tool for free speech. As soon as the government starts playing with free speech we get into very dangerous territory.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Internet
Q:
Do you feel empowered by the internet?
A:
The internet is one of the most empowering tools that everybody has access to. There are so many ways you can utilize and spread information. Blogs and communities offer information we could never find out alone. The anonymity that the internet provides helps people become more free with their words, opinions and actions. People have comment wars on youtube comment sections where they call each other idiots and morons and constantly flame each other. You don't see people act like that in person.
That can be seen as a bad thing but the fact that you can do those kind of things brings the real power of the First Amendment to light. If you can call someone an idiot 500 times in a day o the internet then there is nothing stopping you from voicing an unpopular opinion about something important.
You can be anything you want on the internet. You can almost do anything as well. Want to play a game? Its a click away. Want to find a Chinese pen pal? A click away. Want to speak out against a corporation? A click away. Want to read the daily headlines? A click away.
Do you feel empowered by the internet?
A:
The internet is one of the most empowering tools that everybody has access to. There are so many ways you can utilize and spread information. Blogs and communities offer information we could never find out alone. The anonymity that the internet provides helps people become more free with their words, opinions and actions. People have comment wars on youtube comment sections where they call each other idiots and morons and constantly flame each other. You don't see people act like that in person.
That can be seen as a bad thing but the fact that you can do those kind of things brings the real power of the First Amendment to light. If you can call someone an idiot 500 times in a day o the internet then there is nothing stopping you from voicing an unpopular opinion about something important.
You can be anything you want on the internet. You can almost do anything as well. Want to play a game? Its a click away. Want to find a Chinese pen pal? A click away. Want to speak out against a corporation? A click away. Want to read the daily headlines? A click away.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Q:
The internet evolved from what we might "do" to how we live our life.
Comment.
A:
The internet and social technology is entering our daily life more and more each and everyday. We used to "use" the internet. we would look up information for a paper, or do research. Now we can exist entirely online if we want to. Facebook, online gaming, chat rooms and many more countless ways exist for use to literally live online. People do it every day.
We live our lives with social technology now. Texting and cell phones are a great example. 10 years ago, cell phones were a relatively new and early technology just getting into the hands of average everyday people. Now everyone has them and uses them to great effect. The internet is being used on phones everyday and has become the new norm. You can carry the internet with you literally in your pocket to use whenever you want. Your not tied to a computer at a desk at home. You can take it whoever you go.
This trend will continue to grow more and more. The applications of the internet related technology and this virtual space will continue to enter our lives more and more everyday. It wont stop because people love it and want more of it.
The internet evolved from what we might "do" to how we live our life.
Comment.
A:
The internet and social technology is entering our daily life more and more each and everyday. We used to "use" the internet. we would look up information for a paper, or do research. Now we can exist entirely online if we want to. Facebook, online gaming, chat rooms and many more countless ways exist for use to literally live online. People do it every day.
We live our lives with social technology now. Texting and cell phones are a great example. 10 years ago, cell phones were a relatively new and early technology just getting into the hands of average everyday people. Now everyone has them and uses them to great effect. The internet is being used on phones everyday and has become the new norm. You can carry the internet with you literally in your pocket to use whenever you want. Your not tied to a computer at a desk at home. You can take it whoever you go.
This trend will continue to grow more and more. The applications of the internet related technology and this virtual space will continue to enter our lives more and more everyday. It wont stop because people love it and want more of it.
Identity in Cyberspace
Q:
In what ways has building and communicating through online profiles changed you personally?
Do you think that online communities and role play have helped us more (in terms of self reflection and growing) or hurt us more (in terms of addiction to fantasy and disconnect from reality)?
A:
When interacting in online communities, people do fragment themselves, or pick and choose what is best needed for the situation. Facebook: time to look pretty, be witty and be friendly. Online gaming: Time to kick ass and show how awesome I am. Posting in a Art Forum: time to show how cultured and smart I am.
Using the theory on these window personalities we really differentiate ourselves much more than people used to. We become specialists in each area trying to portray a relevant side to ourselves and improve/show it to the best of our ability.
I think online personalities have allowed me to really explore any aspect about me I could possibly want to explore. THe freedom and anonymity really helps with the freedom of exploration. Face to face time has been reduced a bit, but not eliminated all together for me.
Online communities have helped us evolve socially with self exploration ad growth. The addiction to fantasy and disconnect from reality are side effects of when these online communities become used exclusively for social interaction. Face to face time is a very important part of communicating and social health. Disconnect from reality should be carefully gauged to keep things from getting out of hand. Enjoying online communities is a great thing, but diving into them and completely forgetting real life is not healthy and really cripples people socially.
In what ways has building and communicating through online profiles changed you personally?
Do you think that online communities and role play have helped us more (in terms of self reflection and growing) or hurt us more (in terms of addiction to fantasy and disconnect from reality)?
A:
When interacting in online communities, people do fragment themselves, or pick and choose what is best needed for the situation. Facebook: time to look pretty, be witty and be friendly. Online gaming: Time to kick ass and show how awesome I am. Posting in a Art Forum: time to show how cultured and smart I am.
Using the theory on these window personalities we really differentiate ourselves much more than people used to. We become specialists in each area trying to portray a relevant side to ourselves and improve/show it to the best of our ability.
I think online personalities have allowed me to really explore any aspect about me I could possibly want to explore. THe freedom and anonymity really helps with the freedom of exploration. Face to face time has been reduced a bit, but not eliminated all together for me.
Online communities have helped us evolve socially with self exploration ad growth. The addiction to fantasy and disconnect from reality are side effects of when these online communities become used exclusively for social interaction. Face to face time is a very important part of communicating and social health. Disconnect from reality should be carefully gauged to keep things from getting out of hand. Enjoying online communities is a great thing, but diving into them and completely forgetting real life is not healthy and really cripples people socially.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
How we became Post Human Questions
Q:
What do you think differentiates a human from a machine?
Do you think we will be replaced? Do you think Turing’s test is a good representation of deciding which is which?
A:
Machines are only as good as their makers and programers. Things we have evolved to be good at like social interaction, walking and movement are things computers cannot do very well. However logic, erasing and arithmetic are pretty new inventions and computers have already outstripped us there.
However emulating things like emotion, empathy, and other very social things, even what a soul is. Programmers cannot program a soul. Programmers can try to emulate feelings and empathy but right now its not in a very good place. In the future computers might be able to do things like this.
Will we be replaced? A good example to look at is car manufacturing. Machines completely changed the way that industry works. It replaced many jobs inside those factories. In terms of becoming completely replaced I don't know if we would ever see something like that. Humans might become threatened but then we would probably just put limitations upon robots for as long as we could.
Turing's test is flawed because it does not measure anything scientifically. Deciding which is which is hard to do, but a good point was that when trying not to be tricked sometimes a human would assign one of the humans in the test to be a computer! It was more of a psychological experiment than anything else.
What do you think differentiates a human from a machine?
Do you think we will be replaced? Do you think Turing’s test is a good representation of deciding which is which?
A:
Machines are only as good as their makers and programers. Things we have evolved to be good at like social interaction, walking and movement are things computers cannot do very well. However logic, erasing and arithmetic are pretty new inventions and computers have already outstripped us there.
However emulating things like emotion, empathy, and other very social things, even what a soul is. Programmers cannot program a soul. Programmers can try to emulate feelings and empathy but right now its not in a very good place. In the future computers might be able to do things like this.
Will we be replaced? A good example to look at is car manufacturing. Machines completely changed the way that industry works. It replaced many jobs inside those factories. In terms of becoming completely replaced I don't know if we would ever see something like that. Humans might become threatened but then we would probably just put limitations upon robots for as long as we could.
Turing's test is flawed because it does not measure anything scientifically. Deciding which is which is hard to do, but a good point was that when trying not to be tricked sometimes a human would assign one of the humans in the test to be a computer! It was more of a psychological experiment than anything else.
Monday, March 14, 2011
How we became Post Human
Q:
Humans have limited capabilities. Humans sense the world in a restricted way, vision being the best of the senses. Humans understand the world in only 3 dimensions and communicate in a very slow, serial fashion called speech. But can this be improved on? Can we use technology to upgrade humans? Comment on this statement by Professor Kevin Warwick with reference to the image of the post human in popular culture.
A:
As Professor Warwick said, technology has never been rejected by humanity when it is useful. Im sure many people distrusted the telephone when it first arrived (calling it the work of the devil, or saying its not necessary or changes too much about daily life). But it was still embraced eventually and improved the quality of life and the speed at which we can communicate with each other.
However people do fear technology to a point. The Borg, The machines in the Matrix, and Skynet all play upon peoples distrust and fear of technology. when it comes to enhancing ourselves with technology people get nervous and threatened. We are closer to a time when technology will have the potential to change the human condition then ever before. Technology is rapidly improving at speeds we have never seen.
In Futurama in an episode called "Attack of the Killer App" the EyePhone is inserted directly behind your eye and projects a holographic screen in front of you. The characters talk to each other through this means even when sitting next to one another. Its a funny episode, but defiantly relates to this subject.
Technology is changing how we interact socially with Facebook and Twitter. but I don't think people are ready at this point in time to deal with technology changing us as humans biologically. Enhancement and augmentation being mainstream consideration are a far ways off. Right now these things are used in a strictly medical way with advanced Prosthetics, bacteria that can be built to help you, and even nanotechnology. This is the way it will stay for a very long time until social and everyday augmentation is a normal consideration (think strictly visual plastic surgery that is not related to medical emergencies).
Humans have limited capabilities. Humans sense the world in a restricted way, vision being the best of the senses. Humans understand the world in only 3 dimensions and communicate in a very slow, serial fashion called speech. But can this be improved on? Can we use technology to upgrade humans? Comment on this statement by Professor Kevin Warwick with reference to the image of the post human in popular culture.
A:
As Professor Warwick said, technology has never been rejected by humanity when it is useful. Im sure many people distrusted the telephone when it first arrived (calling it the work of the devil, or saying its not necessary or changes too much about daily life). But it was still embraced eventually and improved the quality of life and the speed at which we can communicate with each other.
However people do fear technology to a point. The Borg, The machines in the Matrix, and Skynet all play upon peoples distrust and fear of technology. when it comes to enhancing ourselves with technology people get nervous and threatened. We are closer to a time when technology will have the potential to change the human condition then ever before. Technology is rapidly improving at speeds we have never seen.
In Futurama in an episode called "Attack of the Killer App" the EyePhone is inserted directly behind your eye and projects a holographic screen in front of you. The characters talk to each other through this means even when sitting next to one another. Its a funny episode, but defiantly relates to this subject.
Technology is changing how we interact socially with Facebook and Twitter. but I don't think people are ready at this point in time to deal with technology changing us as humans biologically. Enhancement and augmentation being mainstream consideration are a far ways off. Right now these things are used in a strictly medical way with advanced Prosthetics, bacteria that can be built to help you, and even nanotechnology. This is the way it will stay for a very long time until social and everyday augmentation is a normal consideration (think strictly visual plastic surgery that is not related to medical emergencies).
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Neuromancer
Q:
1. "Case found himself staring through a shop window. The
place sold small bright objects to the sailors. Watches, flick knives, lighters, pocket VTRs, simstim decks, weighted man-riki chains, and shuriken. The shuriken had always fascinated
him, steel stars with knife-sharp points. Some were chromed, others black, others treated with a rainbow surface like oil on water. But the chrome stars held his gaze. They were mounted
against scarlet ultrasuede with nearly invisible loops of nylon fishline, their centers stamped with dragons or ying yang symbols. They caught the street's neon and twisted it, and it came to Case that these were the stars under which he voyaged, his destiny spelled out in a constellation of cheap chrome."
What is the significance of old technology in such an advanced world? As a more specific example, Case carries a shuriken throughout the book, but never uses it. What might this imply?
A:
The reason Neuromancer was such a significant step for Science Fiction was that before the genera was mostly accepted as a fantasy world very apart from our own. Gibson makes a huge effort to create a bridge between the fantastical science fiction worlds and our own to create a dialog between the two. It finally becomes something that can seriously be talked about. What effects does the technology of the future have on our societies and humanity?
The reason Gibson uses old technology in his book is to help bridge the gap between the fantastical science fiction of the future and the world today. Old technology creates a ground in which people can start to finally think about what exactly this future could mean for humans. It makes them start to believe these possibilities Gibson presents in the novel and critique them.
The book won accolades for its push towards a possible future people could believe rather than an escape world people could dive into. He wanted people to connect the two, not separate them.
1. "Case found himself staring through a shop window. The
place sold small bright objects to the sailors. Watches, flick knives, lighters, pocket VTRs, simstim decks, weighted man-riki chains, and shuriken. The shuriken had always fascinated
him, steel stars with knife-sharp points. Some were chromed, others black, others treated with a rainbow surface like oil on water. But the chrome stars held his gaze. They were mounted
against scarlet ultrasuede with nearly invisible loops of nylon fishline, their centers stamped with dragons or ying yang symbols. They caught the street's neon and twisted it, and it came to Case that these were the stars under which he voyaged, his destiny spelled out in a constellation of cheap chrome."
What is the significance of old technology in such an advanced world? As a more specific example, Case carries a shuriken throughout the book, but never uses it. What might this imply?
A:
The reason Neuromancer was such a significant step for Science Fiction was that before the genera was mostly accepted as a fantasy world very apart from our own. Gibson makes a huge effort to create a bridge between the fantastical science fiction worlds and our own to create a dialog between the two. It finally becomes something that can seriously be talked about. What effects does the technology of the future have on our societies and humanity?
The reason Gibson uses old technology in his book is to help bridge the gap between the fantastical science fiction of the future and the world today. Old technology creates a ground in which people can start to finally think about what exactly this future could mean for humans. It makes them start to believe these possibilities Gibson presents in the novel and critique them.
The book won accolades for its push towards a possible future people could believe rather than an escape world people could dive into. He wanted people to connect the two, not separate them.
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