Jsimpson1's Weblog

Before taking this class, Intro into Communication and Technology, I felt that I had a good grip on new technology and media. Looking back, I can honestly say that my views towards such services were naïve and mostly inexperienced. Growing up during the dot.com era, I never realized what was happening on the Internet and how far we have come in only a decade. Learning the extent and coverage of the Web was not the only bounds that I made during this semester. Understanding the sociological point of view about the future of technology came through the readings and videos that we watched in class.

Identity was also an integral part of discovering the complexities of technology. I had not realized how much of one’s self is involved in new technologies and social networking online. The chapter that still stands out to me is 4.2.6 in New Media: A Critical Introduction. It is titled “Home pages: everyday identity in global networks”. The author refers to the social networks as “public theatres” (Lister et. al, pg. 245, 2006). It is true that our pages on these social networks give even the most introverted, shy individual the opportunity to express themselves and their opinions. The network becomes the public theatre in the sense that each home page has the ability to work as one’s own personal stage, given the amount of effort put into it.

The fasting project that our class participated in also opened my eyes to how involved new technologies are in simple, everyday activities. Much reflection occurred during this period, where it became jarringly obvious that our society has lost the ability to occupy their time without the use of new media. I realize that it is not fair to generalize everyone in that way, and there are still many people who get by day to day without their cell phones, iPod or laptops. However, most rely all too much on such luxuries that may deter them from interpersonal communication and lead to a more isolated social community.

Prior to this class, I did not posses much knowledge of the dystopian views that others may hold about the role that technology will play in the future. I watched two movies this semester that distinctly highlighted and portrayed these views. They were 2001: A Space Odyssey and eXistenz. The second movie, eXistenz, was about the future of gaming. Players brought into a virtual reality had a hard time distinguishing life in the virtual world from life in the real world.

At first, this concept was hard for me to swallow or understand because I had no experience with online gaming. After studying online games during lecture, specifically “World of Warcraft”, I realize that this fear of losing the distinction between game and reality is not so far-fetched. The clincher for me was when we visited the online chat room for “widows” of the online gaming world, created by family and friends of those who are addicted to online gaming. This was both disturbing and fascinating at the same time. I find it sick that an individual can spend so much time in a “second life” online, but I can also relate to the need for a sense of belonging and community. For someone with awkward social skills, or someone who just has a lot of time on their hands, online gaming can serve as an excellent medium for communication.

Overall I have gained a new insight and appreciation for new technology, especially for the Internet. Participating in the class had broadened my knowledge of how I can use the Web and online resources for research, communication and entertainment. I feel that as a result, I will be able to continue exploring the immense frontier of the Internet on my own after the semester has ended. I leave equipped with the right amount of knowledge and skepticism to be able to navigate my way around the Internet.

 Here is an example of one of the many fascinating uses of online media I picked up in class-

Information overkill. With the development of the Internet, news is more accessible then ever before. Some people will praise the media for using different outlets to reach readers and viewers across the board. Others tend to dwell on the disenchanted public, stating that the amount of information available numbs the readers to important information. News on the internet had taken a new form, resembling what may be a “two way street” between the media and public. It enables us not only to give feedback to those providing us with our news, but also to do some investigative research of our own. This in turn, has lead us to become skeptical of everything that we read in the news. It is not that we do not believe what we are told, but instead that we have grown accustomed to always wanting more information. Instead of just simply not believing the headlines, our lack of trust goes much deeper. We now feel the responsibility to discover the whole story. This reflects in “knowledge communities” where individuals come together in online chartrooms and forums to collaborate findings from their respective research. 

Most recently, the public’s obsession with finding  the rest of the story has found its new target in this coming election’s Republican candidate for Vice President. Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, was a fairly unknown member of the political realm prior to being shoved in the spotlight of this election. Now, every aspect of her life, including her past and her family members morality has been delved into and investigated.  How far will the media and gangs of knowledge communities go to find out the whole story? Once again, our obsession with knowing everything might just cross the line between what should be accessible to the public and what is indeed a private matter. Recently, her e-mail was hacked into and photos of her family were released on the internet. This is where I see the obsession with news spilling over into an invasion of privacy. How can we go back now? With all of the technology available today, there is no way to undo the damage. It is nearly impossible to try to further protect our personal information from being used against us. Scary.

Following the reality series Survivor, websites suck as “Survivor Sucks” and “Watching Survivor: Gaben” have risen all over the web, devoted to the discussion and deliberation of this hit reality television series. These websites grew into what Henry Jenkins refers to in his book Convergence Culture as “knowledge communities” which are the result of “people harnessing their individual expertise towards shared goals and objectives” (Jenkins 2006 p. 26-27). As much as I am impressed by the work that some of these individuals have done, I cannot help but wonder “Why reality television?” If these people have such amazing resources and connections why are they wasting them on such things as mapping out past locations of Survivor series. One man uses his connections with the company who owns IKONOS, a high-resolution commercial remote-sensing-satellite to take photos of these locations from space (Jenkins 2006 p.33). Again, WHY THIS SHOW? I understand how it can be fun to play detective and try to beat the editing crew to find out who has already won the game. What I don’t understand is why so many valuable resources are being blown for something as insignificant as a television reality t.v. show. How is it possible to become so involved in something that is so superficial?

In my opinion, all of the investigation, time spent traveling to these remote locations, and dedication to spoiling, is crazy. Jenkins claims that “spoiling is collective intelligence in practice” (Jenkins 2006 p. 28). Well, I would like to argue that the lengths these individuals go to in order to figure out the results to a television game show should also be regarded as collective insanity in practice. So much time, money and research could be dedicated to different studies, some of which may actually benefit society. Why aren’t these knowledge communities focusing their efforts on real issues, such as the genocide going on in Africa or the loss of more endangered species everyday. But no, these valiant, investigative efforts are being directed at something as meaningless and trivial as Survivor. It is no wonder that fan’s loose interest after awhile and disperse into new knowledge communities. It is because when you get down to it, these games that producers, editors and spoilers play have no real substance. These obsessions have lead to a steady decline in reality television, as fans become more enthralled in the edited drama and producers relish in the applause for their insane cast members. It is sad to see how crazy reality television has become.

Here is proof that the reign of reality terror continues. “Game On Bitches”

What is it about new frontiers that drives pioneers into the unknown? Could it be their desire to conquer and understand that unknown variable? Well whatever it is, that drive can be seen in the technological imaginary that is produced around some of the new media and technologies available today. The term “technological imaginary” refers to the way that new technologies are adapted and bought into cultures and then weaved within the fabrics of societies’ social and psychological desires (New Media and New Technologies).

Websites such as Facebook and MySpace create new social networks that connect people online to others in their communities and all over the world. For someone who is shy, or for a friend who just moved out of state, it is much easier to communicate and keep up on other’s personal business via one of these websites. Not only do they make communicating between peers less personal, they also set the standard for meeting new people very low. You do not even need to know the people who you friend online. There are more social networking sites, but none have gathered the kind of culture cults that Facebook and Myspace have. As much fun as is had on sites such as these, there have also be fears and scandals involved with them. With the development of online profiles and social networks came the fear of online predators and stalking. 

Another good example of new technology coming in a changing a culture is the MP3 player, especially the Ipod by Apple. This technological development replaced the walkman by being able to hold hundreds of songs at once as opposed to most CD which cannot even hold 20 full length songs. Their convenience has made them popular and addicting, to the point where every other person walking down the street is listening to either their Ipod or some other form of MP3 player. This trend has aroused speculation that these habits promote isolation from one another. They have given way to events such as “silent raves”, in which all the participants listen to the same music on their individual MP3 players at the same time and hold wild dance parties. 

The technological imaginary includes all of the cult obsessions with the new technology as well as all of the fear of that same new technology. It goes back to the pioneers forging the new and uncharted territory. No matter what the fear of the unknown is, someone is always going to push the envelope a little further then the person before them had, supplying society with new ways for technological imaginary to take over.