Introduction to New Media

How amazing would it be to actually own ELF? I mean, it is basically a program that would allow me to write a story's first copy, and then edit it, and still keep intact the old edition, and then from the second new edition make a whole different new one, and still have the ability to go back to the first one; yes, this is possible in Word, but ELF makes it seem like it'll do it for you automatically, no hassle, no pain of creating a new Word Document, or of inserting brackets to divide from old work to new added pieces. I wish I had one.

The "Man-Computer Symbiosis" is hopefully too far-fetched to the point to be incapable of actually occurring more than we have seen it in current years.

There's a project in progress at MIT called '10x'

It's a project which specifically looks to design symbiotic systems between human and machines, which enhance the strengths of both parties. This idea appears to be directly derived from Linklider's vision and it feels positive.

In our last class we talked about arguments regarding whether or not computers can think. That discussion and this project have been whirling about in my mind to create this post.

In the manufacturing process it's arguable that the machine does a better job than a person, with smaller room for error. However, the one skill that humans possess that machines do not is boundless creativity in design and finding solutions.

The Licklider reading got me wondering if we have in fact reached true man-machine symbiosis today. Computers seem to always be more or less "dependent" on humans, in that if humans did not build them and use them they would cease to exist and function. But do humans ever really depend on computers to stay alive? While we all like our computers, gadgets and the Internet, we could surely still live without them. But then I thought about all of the computers used in hospitals and medical procedures, and realized that maybe some humans really do have true symbiotic relationships with machines.

I love Pomona. And thank goodness for its Information Technology Services. But I feel that because it is considered one of the Top 20 Wired Colleges in the nation, it has overlooked its most basic service, the FAQ. I commented earlier on SariKayla's "attached to our technology?" blog, describing how Pomona's Information Technology Services still has not updated their suggestion on computer necessity.

This may be completely irrelevant, but I have to say, I really enjoyed today's form of class interaction. I liked that we broke off into small groups with the mission to analyze and gain a deeper understanding of one designated question. One of the most significant questions that arose during the discussion was: "What would happen if we became so dependent on a system like the Memex, and then it failed?" I think this is a concept that should be further touched upon at some point, as it fully connects to the overall notion that our society has become heavily dependent on, and influenced by computers and other technological devices.

The technological revolution of the last 50 years is incredible. The ideas put forth by Bush have not only been realized, but exceeded. His "memex", although not the size of a table, is available to everyone in the form of laptops and desktops. However, the camera, I believe, has had the most startling improvements. He speaks of a Polaroid camera as the next coming of God; "Often it would be advantageous to be able to snap the camera and to look at the picture immediately." (p.39) He couldn't even comprehend something like the digital camera. Sure he made reference to the ability to form digital copies from a developed picture, but the ability to have an LCD built in?

I don't remember who said this, but it was recently said that, "the future is here, but it's unevenly distributed". A lot of this has to do with economics beyond the scope of new media, however new media technology may be able to provide internet access to those who cannot currently afford it. I read an article about the development of a new technology which should provide affordable internet access to those who do not live near urban areas or big cities.

I love to eat. Ok, let me clarify that -- I love to eat good food. Today while savoring the Sunday NY Times Style section, I saw an article of blogging interest, Sharp Bites. Exploring how restaurant critics (or the more likely case on blogs, people like me who just love to eat out and sample new venues) are blogging their way into internet fame; "hundreds of thousands of hits" it what one blog got after it started posting a comical recipe for cupcakes that resembled Janet Jackson's bare breast at the Super Bowl.

Somebody suggested that our Wiki be a database on Web 2.0 companies.

I found this site which has a ton of information on Web 2.0 companies. I think it is a good starting point if we decide to do Web 2.0 companies for our project.

Of course, I am still all for the Wiki that shows the interconnectedness between all our lives. I feel that the sharing and the connections aspects capture the true essence of Wikis. A few people have been discussing it on our Wiki

On an unrelated note, I would like to apologize to my group on Wednesday.

This entry doesn't relate specifically to any of the readings or discussions, but I still thought it might be interesting to discuss within the context of our class. I'm wondering what people thik about blogs/new media being used to promote old(er) media... it seems like there's been sort of a mixed track record. For every Snakes on a Plane failure in blog-to-reality translation of profits, there's also something like Cassie, who was a big success based on her relentless myspace promotion.