Virtuality

It would seem that today’s world is becoming two worlds. The virtual plane of existence is an online dramaturgy where all the world wide web’s a stage. The real world is much less flexible, constrained by time and space, social norms and prejudices.

Marc Prensky argues that the online life being created by today’s techno-geek is merely communication in its evolutionary form that the online world is an exciting, new and emergent form of life. Dave Weinberger, on the other hand, seems to hint that life on line is like a box of chocolates ...you never know what you are really going to get. What you think you have managed to glean from an online experience might be thrown into disarray the next time you log in.

Weinberger opens his essay with a warning. “When Michael Ian Campbell used an online alias, no one was suspicious. After all choosing a name by which you’ll be known on the Web is a requirement ...” (Weinberger, 1)

Weinberger alludes to the idea that any combination of personality traits you want to test out can come to life in an online environment whether it’s a chat room or a virtual world in the guise of an avatar. It’s a place where you are afforded safety from judgement over your true self. Especially from the awkwardness of personal interactions, body language and facial expressions that everyday life confronts you with. Prensky agrees; “Online relationships are not affected by the ‘lookism’ and status that is so important and frustrating in kid’s face-to-face social lives – online you and other people are judged only by what you say and produce. Reputations and influence are earned, and not based on social caste.” (Prensky, 12)

The problem with written conversation is that it lacks intonation, body language and facial expression, not to mention accent, wit and sarcasm. Even in a face-to-face situation with all of these visual signals there is the still the reasonable chance someone might misinterpret your meaning, let alone a situation, without it all. Without visual signals there is the chance that what you say might get you fired, land you in jail or equally as bad the hospital psych wing. “John Paul Denning found himself locked up in the Bellevue hospital’s ward for the mentally disturbed ... because he’d written an email to an old friend in which he said, ‘Maybe I should stop showing people my new gun, but I’m so proud of it. Makes me feel like a real New Yorker,’ as well as some references to the mayhem he could commit.” (Weinberger)

It’s not all danger Will Robinson, danger though. Denning was sent before a board of inquiry and his job reinstated “when he was able to show that the email was meant as dark humour to a close friend.” Weinberger’s angle of argument definitely warns us about the potential for the internet to do harm to us by crossing over the virtual threshold from the online domain to the real one. It appears though that the internet is just another step in our technological and human evolution combined.

For the people, whose ordinary life is just that, it opens up an opportunity to become on line what they can never bring themselves to be in reality. Online role playing games (RPG) allow for transformation into character much like an actor does on a stage. Fantasy fulfilment might involve things that people would never have the courage or stomach for in real life. For example role playing games create socially accepted violence against constructed beings. The sense of killing a living thing in the virtual world is neither frowned upon nor punishable – unless of course you lose. Alternately there is the nurturing side of the gamer that can be fulfilled through the need to feed, love and pay attention to their online creations. So do we play the games or are we playing games?

The widely agreed norm is that the internet is an unreal world where we must be cautious and not to reveal too much of our true selves. Being careful about what information we share both privately and in an open public forum, hence the use of an alias. So are we creating characters out of self protection? And are we creating them to be more appealing to the information super highway trippers? The perceived pressure within the culture to fit into the ‘online norms’ would suggest yes.

Prensky talks about the creation of an online life. That the “digital natives are inventing new, online ways of making each activity happen”. (Prensky, 2004) Does that mean that we are participating more or less in life? Today’s kids are becoming communication junkies - never without a mobile phone, logged in to facebook, plugged into an iPod or logged in to multiple chat windows. These technologies allow for streaming of data in a time portal not possible in the real world. The possibilities for dissemination of information, a consistent exchange of ideas, opinions, news and gossip are absent in time constraints. It is the ultimate way to proliferate the rumour mill. Gossip is no longer reserved for the playground or the staff room - now it is communicated instantly and waiting at your fingertips the next time you log in.

Both Prensky and Weinberger’s lines of argument give an accurate description of the potential that the internet and online life has for moral decency and the obvious antonym of moral decay. As in all things there is balance. It’s not about censoring what people do or say as much as letting the virtual participants censor themselves. Contemporary internet usage is going to change on a regular basis, probably as often as my virus protection updates. As the online users search, create, change, play, chat and log off the internet grows within its black hole to accommodate all of the whims and fancies of the people it serves. So, should we fear the creation of life on line and cautiously navigate the maze or should we dive in head first and see how deep the oblivion really is? I, for one, am about to dive in. Why not? If I virtually die I can always hit the restart button.




Prensky, Marc. (2004) The Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native. http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Emerging_Online_Life_of_the_Digital_Native-03.pdf
Prensky, Marc. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, part II: Do They Really Think Differently? http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part2.pdf
Weinberger, David. (2002) Small Pieces Loosely Joined {A unified theory of the web: Chapter 1: A New World. http://www.smallpieces.com/
Weinberger, David. (2005) The New Is. http://www.hyperorg.com/misc/thenewis.html

An opinion on politics... this could be dangerous.

I fear that this might get a little biased and opinionated. But then if there wasn't bias and opinion we wouldn't have politics. Nothing like a good political argument to cement divisions and ruin friendships. Oh, and make you rethink the alliances in your household.

Democracy as a global idealism... great in theory. Probably not practical in practice. Considering that there are still many governments only put in place through a power struggle and then an ensuing power struggle to stay in power. Seems somehow less democratic than democracy strives for.

The theory of political power being a structure and vehicle for change and some form of equality is a great theory. Pity that those in power tend to come from influential, financially supported backgrounds, who happen to be friends of friends. There is something else to be said about political clout and social capital. But that is hardly relative to the subject, it's just my highly cynical opinion of the way the world works - politically of course!

Practice... politics practices well rounded manipulation of the facts, avoidance of the question and promise breaking. Politics would make a terrible parent. If we were instilling those values in our kids we would be facing the guilt tribunal of children's mental abuse.

Now onto the real political agenda... The government plans to censor the internet? Who doesn't like the odd pop-up window on their screen that advertises something nude, naughty or morally corrupt? And if you're not smart enough to use the tools that are built into your system to help avoid things of a sexually explicit nature then I think perhaps the government needs to be censoring more than the internet content you are receiving. Plus how hard is it to click the little red x on the screen if you find something you weren't really looking for, and if what you were looking for was close to something that might offend your sensibilities then perhaps your moral meter is erring on the side of deviance anyway.

Who really cares if our kids learn about the birds and the bees by watching 'how to fake it for dummies' anyway. It's not like we do a good job of hiding all of that from them with the content available on the small screen, in magazine advertising and movies. Sex sells, within socially acceptable norms. As long as it doesn't involve child pornography, abuse or really deep and meaningful German made stuff then I think it should be there for us to see. At least making your own judgements on what you do and do not like is then democratically given to you - considering we live in a democracy surely that is our right.

Just in case you want to fight the political oppression of pornography

Freeware applications...

In the world of intelligence overload there are lots of things you can obtain for free. It's something to do with sharing. A value we try to instill in everyone who isn't a born capitalist.

There are lots of sites for you to search for open source software.

http://sourceforge.net/

http://www.opensourcewindows.org/

http://www.opensourcemac.org/

I have been using Gimp since last year when we were told similar stuff in the web course I was doing then. It is the GNU Image Manipulation Programme, designed to be used with photos and to create text boxes. I found it a little difficult at first but then I'm not the most computer savvy person on the planet. For the simple stuff like reducing photos, manipulating them or writing some text over the top after a few attempts I found it a reasonable system to use. I don't like the separate boxes for opening the picture and the tools, but then it might have been updated since I last looked!

Gimp

Week 8 -

Sign an e-petition. I figured saving something was worth signing up for...

Save Eumundi

Respond to a professional blogger at a major news site.

I have nothing to say. I must be the least opinionated person in the world!

What is Barak Obama up to today?

Obama blogs!


Find out who your local, state and federal representatives are:

I might be in the x-generation category but I don't follow politics. I had to vote for the first time ever this year! That was well avoided on my part I think.

Local: Dr Alex Douglas

State: Anna Bligh (Always makes me giggle and think of Captain Bligh)

(And the fact that I am putting up a video of his grave should in no way reflect upon my feelings about she who rules in any way what so ever...)

Federal: Stuart Robert. Fadden. ( I have a great publicity shot of him on my fridge with all the emergency numbers you could ever need. Pity when there is an emergency the last place you think to look for help is the fridge!)


Look up the Queensland or Australian hansard to find the last time your local member spoke in parliament.
HUH? The what. Hansard? Who really knows what all this stuff means. I have watched parliament, its like a circus on steroids with undiscovered species of animals. I'm guessing that when he spoke he probably didn't actually say anything anyway...

Let your local member know what you think about their last speech.

How about I do that right here...In a few short well thought out words.

"Say something, anything, make a point. In fact speak up! I CANT HEAR YOU! Oh, you don't have anything productive to say? Help, we need someone to run the country. Any suggestions?"

3 Short Films

As a medium for exposing new short films, or anything creative for that matter, the internet must have been every budding film directors dream come true. The internet makes the possibility of distribution of the short film format accessible on a massive scale with a very tiny cost per view ratio.


I chose this first short animated film for a few reasons. The first one is that I am a kiwi...don't say it I know it's patriotic and completely commendable on my part! With over 23.5 million views on youtube since June 2006 it has obviously appealed to a much greater audience than just all of the ex-patriot kiwis out there. It is simple, the story line is clear and leaves you with your own end interpretation. To feel the wind in your face, even if it is only once.




This second film speaks volumes about itself and about our opinions.
(I was also impressed this week to see it shown at the lecture!)




I liked the idea of this third film because it relates a bit more closely to my degree. The idea of a story being born without and ending, which all writers fear. I can relate whole heartedly to that interpretation of the difficulty of being creative...

The generatorblog has a heap of ideas for sites you can do things on. From making puddles of vomit to putting your own design on a t-shirt.

Tiltshift

This application was fun and simple. I think it might take a little bit more practice to master the use of the blurring effect but on a simplicity scale it was very easy to use.

If you are into fashion or perhaps want to see what other peoples idea of fashion is this site is for you...Polyvore. You get to mix and match outfits, celebrity pictures handbags and my favourite shopping item...shoes!

I looked at both of the art portal listings, but I'm not sure I get it! Art is that way I suppose...

Emergency and Disaster Information Services (EDIS) For anything you could ever want to know about natural disasters the world over...

I'm really glad that this volcano is miles from Tokyo where I will be going in about a weeks time...

I have no idea why you would want to test the speed of the computer? If it's being slow and annoying I take a coffee break...

I would recommend testing your reaction time instead. This involves sheep and a tranquilizer dart, and it's addictive.

Me on the Net and Firsts of Me

A search for my name at personas media comes up with this...

It could not be much further from the truth as I am the least sportiest sports person with inadequate ball handling skills and the ability to only trip over my own feet whilst running...

Following is a map of all the places I have done something for the first time...


View Places I did something for the first time in a larger map