...Not happening.
I'm far from photogenic, but that's not why I hate photos. I'm hyper-photosensitive in my right eye, so flashes basically see me blind for a little while. That I hate.
But let's put that aside, as it's not the issue here. We're talking about people and photos.
Group photos. They're a way of saying 'yeah, see, I was with these guys' and a way of remembering exactly who 'these guys' are. People take photos because they don't want to have to remember everything, (and more often than not, because they CAN'T remember everything. =_=)
But that's not all a photo is used for. People send them via mail and e-mail to friends and family across the globe, as a way of saying, 'this is me now, compared to the last photo I sent you'. It allows families to keep in touch, despite distance.
Maybe that's not all, but the majority of people use their cameras for such purposes. As for the small minorities, we have the professional photographers, who take photos for a living...and then the others...who we will not speak of.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Construct: Our World, Our Reality
What is 'Reality'?
Do we really understand it?
Do we experience it? Or do we simply live while trapped in a virtual recreation of it, like in the Matrix?
As humans, we've turned ourselves into cyborgs. We cannot function without technology, almost to the point where it is quite literally 'attached' to our bodies. If you went around asking people if they had a phone, 99.9% of people would say yes. It is almost a requirement of society to own one. But our society also spends so much of its time on the internet, and on the social networking sites that people are essentially living a 'second life' online.
Our realities have changed, where our living selves have become secondary to the 'self' we've created online. Our Avatars are who we are now, and we have become unable to escape from it, as we've grown so accustomed to it.
But now, when offered the blue pill or the red pill, I am confident that most people would take the blue pill, avoiding reality out of fear of what they were and losing everything they now have.
Even I live my life 'jacked in' but I'm aware of it, and I don't create any 'virtual self' in order to interact with others. (Or at least, I'd like to think that, since I don't use Facebook or any other SNS.)
Do we really understand it?
Do we experience it? Or do we simply live while trapped in a virtual recreation of it, like in the Matrix?
As humans, we've turned ourselves into cyborgs. We cannot function without technology, almost to the point where it is quite literally 'attached' to our bodies. If you went around asking people if they had a phone, 99.9% of people would say yes. It is almost a requirement of society to own one. But our society also spends so much of its time on the internet, and on the social networking sites that people are essentially living a 'second life' online.
Our realities have changed, where our living selves have become secondary to the 'self' we've created online. Our Avatars are who we are now, and we have become unable to escape from it, as we've grown so accustomed to it.
But now, when offered the blue pill or the red pill, I am confident that most people would take the blue pill, avoiding reality out of fear of what they were and losing everything they now have.
Even I live my life 'jacked in' but I'm aware of it, and I don't create any 'virtual self' in order to interact with others. (Or at least, I'd like to think that, since I don't use Facebook or any other SNS.)
Celebrities...and the Law.
Not quite what you're expecting, I'm afraid. No juicy gossip about why Lin**ay Lo*an's back in rehab.
No, this is about the simple fact that copyright law has taken celebrities away from the public forum. Gone are the days where famous characters and people belonged to the people. Nowadays, they belong to the corporations, and the common man has no access to them.
Take for example, the Barbie in a Blender case that Mattel made against Tom Forsythe in 1999. He was creating artwork, but Mattel instantly called him on infringement of copyright, which the courts overturned. Surprisingly, even they believed that it was frivolous of Mattel to claim on such a minor issue.
Even now, many years after that case, companies are still strong-arming those that would try to use their copyrighted icons, and are attempting to protect themselves by making their ever-changing terms even stricter.
Another example, Blizzard Entertainment's EULA (End-User License Agreement): It states that nothing you do or create via the use of an Blizzard software belongs to the creator; that it instantly becomes the intellectual property of Blizzard Entertainment. On top of that, Blizzard goes on to note that you don't even own the CD/DVDs that you paid for, claiming that they're just leased to you for an indeterminate term, and that Blizzard reserves the right to change their systems or charge more for their products at any time.
What's worse?
They can get away with it. Challenge the multi-billion dollar company and you'll get powered out of court by their army of lawyers and unimaginably deep pockets.
No, this is about the simple fact that copyright law has taken celebrities away from the public forum. Gone are the days where famous characters and people belonged to the people. Nowadays, they belong to the corporations, and the common man has no access to them.
Take for example, the Barbie in a Blender case that Mattel made against Tom Forsythe in 1999. He was creating artwork, but Mattel instantly called him on infringement of copyright, which the courts overturned. Surprisingly, even they believed that it was frivolous of Mattel to claim on such a minor issue.
Even now, many years after that case, companies are still strong-arming those that would try to use their copyrighted icons, and are attempting to protect themselves by making their ever-changing terms even stricter.
Another example, Blizzard Entertainment's EULA (End-User License Agreement): It states that nothing you do or create via the use of an Blizzard software belongs to the creator; that it instantly becomes the intellectual property of Blizzard Entertainment. On top of that, Blizzard goes on to note that you don't even own the CD/DVDs that you paid for, claiming that they're just leased to you for an indeterminate term, and that Blizzard reserves the right to change their systems or charge more for their products at any time.
What's worse?
They can get away with it. Challenge the multi-billion dollar company and you'll get powered out of court by their army of lawyers and unimaginably deep pockets.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
P2P, Remix, Piracy
Piracy. Everyone's done it. There are very few people in this world that can say that they've never donned their swashbuckling hat and waved their cursors around to ravage the internet and plunder the profits of the big record corporations.
But where do we actually get our pirated things from?
Perhaps our 'piracy' is actually more of a mob activity. After all, most people these days are familiar with torrents and other peer-to-peer networks. And what is downloading music from one of these networks if not organized crime?
Personally, I think that the negative hype about piracy is overrated. After all, the artists don't get their money from their record sales. They get their money from their endorsements and all of the other advertisements and such. The only people we're 'stealing' from are the profit hungry corporations, and frankly, I don't see a problem with that.
But where do we actually get our pirated things from?
Perhaps our 'piracy' is actually more of a mob activity. After all, most people these days are familiar with torrents and other peer-to-peer networks. And what is downloading music from one of these networks if not organized crime?
Personally, I think that the negative hype about piracy is overrated. After all, the artists don't get their money from their record sales. They get their money from their endorsements and all of the other advertisements and such. The only people we're 'stealing' from are the profit hungry corporations, and frankly, I don't see a problem with that.
Social Networking....bleh.
And we come to the bane of my internet existence...social networking sites. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter....the list is endless, as is my hatred for them, but that is another point for whenever I get another chance.
Social networks. Our society finds them unbearably attractive...but why?
These sites cater to people of all age groups, and many attempt to connect those with similar interests. Yet, these people are often not the same people they are in the real world, as the digital buttress of the internet gives them the ability to either shed their skins and be who they are or put on a mask and be who they want to be. Further still, these sites allow people from across the globe to keep in contact with one another, and at a pace that is comfortable for all parties involved.
The problem here, is that people are spending more and more time on these sites, and are allowing their interactions on them to run their lives.
Social networks. Our society finds them unbearably attractive...but why?
These sites cater to people of all age groups, and many attempt to connect those with similar interests. Yet, these people are often not the same people they are in the real world, as the digital buttress of the internet gives them the ability to either shed their skins and be who they are or put on a mask and be who they want to be. Further still, these sites allow people from across the globe to keep in contact with one another, and at a pace that is comfortable for all parties involved.
The problem here, is that people are spending more and more time on these sites, and are allowing their interactions on them to run their lives.
User Control...Right. =_=
When was the last time you truly felt in control of things? For me, I've long since become conscious of the fact that I really haven't been in control. My entire life has been spoon fed to me, right down to my usage of my technology.
Sounds odd, doesn't it? Humans use technology. We control it. We harness its power and make it ours.
But do we really do this? Is the power of technology really our own? We are encouraged to harness the powers of 'user control' but what is that, really?
Take for example, TiVo. Sure, you tell it what to record for the first little while, but then, it starts learning your preferences and then chooses for you. So in a sense, we are given the semblance of control, only to have that control then wrested from our grasp.
So then, why do we still believe we are in control? Because of the marketing of concepts like Apple's 'i' line of goods. the iPhone, the iPod, the iPad. The 'i' signifies the user, granting them the illusion that the product is theirs to manipulate as they see fit.
Sounds odd, doesn't it? Humans use technology. We control it. We harness its power and make it ours.
But do we really do this? Is the power of technology really our own? We are encouraged to harness the powers of 'user control' but what is that, really?
Take for example, TiVo. Sure, you tell it what to record for the first little while, but then, it starts learning your preferences and then chooses for you. So in a sense, we are given the semblance of control, only to have that control then wrested from our grasp.
So then, why do we still believe we are in control? Because of the marketing of concepts like Apple's 'i' line of goods. the iPhone, the iPod, the iPad. The 'i' signifies the user, granting them the illusion that the product is theirs to manipulate as they see fit.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Let's see, where to next?
Ideally, I'd be doing this on the train, but my schedule would never allow it. I'm beginning to understand exactly why it's easier for me to do these after the tutorials in question. Perhaps the delay between doing the readings and discussing them in class has a bigger impact on my thought processes than I imagined.
Or perhaps it's just that I'm not used to sitting at a desk and thinking like this. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that it's the latter. The pseudo-comfort zone one builds when on the move has become something of a drug for me. Blocking out the world with a pair of headphones and staring at a laptop screen in order to put down a series of ideas or enjoy an e-book is a habit I cannot say i would be comfortable breaking.
I am totally reliant on my mobile media. I'd certainly feel naked without it, and a good portion of my 'armour' would be instantly broken were my laptop or my mp3 player to disappear. It creates my 'place' and without it I'd be lost.
Unbelievable, isn't it?
Without that particular object; an inanimate object, I'd be as vulnerable as a newborn animal.
What's worse, however, is that much of today's society would probably agree with me. Without their mobile 'security blankets' life just isn't the same. The ability to send and receive information even while on the move has become so natural for us, we may as well have a mobile phone or mp3 player implanted in our heads.
People have thus found even more reasons to avoid making face-to-face relationships, preferring the reinforced digital walls of the cybersphere. More tribute to the evils of social networking.
Mobile Facebook? Almost enough to make agnostic me pray for the souls of all humanity.
Or perhaps it's just that I'm not used to sitting at a desk and thinking like this. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that it's the latter. The pseudo-comfort zone one builds when on the move has become something of a drug for me. Blocking out the world with a pair of headphones and staring at a laptop screen in order to put down a series of ideas or enjoy an e-book is a habit I cannot say i would be comfortable breaking.
I am totally reliant on my mobile media. I'd certainly feel naked without it, and a good portion of my 'armour' would be instantly broken were my laptop or my mp3 player to disappear. It creates my 'place' and without it I'd be lost.
Unbelievable, isn't it?
Without that particular object; an inanimate object, I'd be as vulnerable as a newborn animal.
What's worse, however, is that much of today's society would probably agree with me. Without their mobile 'security blankets' life just isn't the same. The ability to send and receive information even while on the move has become so natural for us, we may as well have a mobile phone or mp3 player implanted in our heads.
People have thus found even more reasons to avoid making face-to-face relationships, preferring the reinforced digital walls of the cybersphere. More tribute to the evils of social networking.
Mobile Facebook? Almost enough to make agnostic me pray for the souls of all humanity.
Late, but getting around to it.
The last few weeks have been a blur.
Quite literally, I'm losing track of what I've done and not done. Writing things down is useless, since I'm not in the habit of checking a planner and so don't remember to do so if I really do write something in one. Which is ironic considering how much writing I do otherwise, and the fact that writing things down has supposedly removed the need for us to remember things.
Unlike many, I know that writing is one of mankind's greatest technological advancements. Without the written word, today's society wouldn't exist as we know it. Perhaps there would be another in its place, but it would not be the society we live in now. As Walter Ong put it; "we find it difficult to consider writing to be a technology", simply because we've grown to see it as an innate part of our natures. Humans can write, therefore they do.
But the written word has in the past been overshadowed by artworks or theater, music and philosophical debates, yet it has never been stamped out of our history. Rather, it's more like it simply grew stronger for the adversity.
Understandably, I'm biased. Being a writer, I have a great respect for the written word. It allows me to convey my thoughts in a way that I could hardly manage to do with words. The time delay given when putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is a much needed buffer for people these days, where saying the first thing that comes to mind is often the worst thing one could say, or not what they're really trying to say.
The prime example - Social Networking Sites. Where once, face-to-face meetings were the way to go, now people can communicate and stay in touch with mere text. Admiring artwork come down to a picture and a few words via SMS. A review for a play; a Tweet on Twitter. But all of these methods can be carefully considered before they are sent/posted/etc. (not that they always are, humans being the imperfect creatures they are).
Quite literally, I'm losing track of what I've done and not done. Writing things down is useless, since I'm not in the habit of checking a planner and so don't remember to do so if I really do write something in one. Which is ironic considering how much writing I do otherwise, and the fact that writing things down has supposedly removed the need for us to remember things.
Unlike many, I know that writing is one of mankind's greatest technological advancements. Without the written word, today's society wouldn't exist as we know it. Perhaps there would be another in its place, but it would not be the society we live in now. As Walter Ong put it; "we find it difficult to consider writing to be a technology", simply because we've grown to see it as an innate part of our natures. Humans can write, therefore they do.
But the written word has in the past been overshadowed by artworks or theater, music and philosophical debates, yet it has never been stamped out of our history. Rather, it's more like it simply grew stronger for the adversity.
Understandably, I'm biased. Being a writer, I have a great respect for the written word. It allows me to convey my thoughts in a way that I could hardly manage to do with words. The time delay given when putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is a much needed buffer for people these days, where saying the first thing that comes to mind is often the worst thing one could say, or not what they're really trying to say.
The prime example - Social Networking Sites. Where once, face-to-face meetings were the way to go, now people can communicate and stay in touch with mere text. Admiring artwork come down to a picture and a few words via SMS. A review for a play; a Tweet on Twitter. But all of these methods can be carefully considered before they are sent/posted/etc. (not that they always are, humans being the imperfect creatures they are).
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Lost in Cyberspace
Well, for starters, I'd like to point out that while I'm not a huge fan of blogging and whatnot, I despise journals even more. Sad, when you consider I'm a writer, but I'm more the kind that prefers to save his energy for things he really enjoys.
Understandably, I'm supposed to discuss the main idea of this week's topic, but frankly, if I actually got started, there'd never really be a way for me to finish without tearing down this page in a fit of outright rage.
Well, here's hoping my laptop survives this semester.
We live in a technological world. Wherever you look, there is always someone with their nose in a laptop or a mobile phone. Someone's always checking their Facebook page or sending a Tweet. Though people still meet face-to-face (in the flesh, at least) all the time, the need for that has almost disappeared in the last 5 years.
With the advent of the *CAUTION-EDITORIAL* absolutely worthless and downright despicable *END EDITORIAL* social networking sites [Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.] and other communications programs, [VoIP, MSN, Skype, etc.], the reason for people separated by long distances to remain out of contact is gone. With the touch of a button or the click of a mouse, people tens of thousands of kilometers apart can send instant messages to one another and relax in the knowledge that they're connected to their friends in real-time.
We can make video calls to our friends and family to let them know how we're doing, or drop them an e-mail to the same effect. You can update your status on a Facebook page and then comment on your friends' status at the same time. The need to make physical contact with those people dissolved, almost quite literally, into the phantasmagoria that is cyberspace.
Personally, I prefer dealing with people when I can see, hear, smell and touch them. Granted, I don't generally go around sniffing or touching random people, but actually being able to do it is the point here. The coldness of a machine or the slightly hollow, metallic sound of a voice over the phone doesn't appeal to me. Yet I can tell that in the near future, that slightly hollow sound will become even more of a staple in our world, and I am not beyond envisioning a world where people no longer have to leave their own homes in order to go and 'meet' with friends.
Understandably, I'm supposed to discuss the main idea of this week's topic, but frankly, if I actually got started, there'd never really be a way for me to finish without tearing down this page in a fit of outright rage.
Well, here's hoping my laptop survives this semester.
We live in a technological world. Wherever you look, there is always someone with their nose in a laptop or a mobile phone. Someone's always checking their Facebook page or sending a Tweet. Though people still meet face-to-face (in the flesh, at least) all the time, the need for that has almost disappeared in the last 5 years.
With the advent of the *CAUTION-EDITORIAL* absolutely worthless and downright despicable *END EDITORIAL* social networking sites [Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.] and other communications programs, [VoIP, MSN, Skype, etc.], the reason for people separated by long distances to remain out of contact is gone. With the touch of a button or the click of a mouse, people tens of thousands of kilometers apart can send instant messages to one another and relax in the knowledge that they're connected to their friends in real-time.
We can make video calls to our friends and family to let them know how we're doing, or drop them an e-mail to the same effect. You can update your status on a Facebook page and then comment on your friends' status at the same time. The need to make physical contact with those people dissolved, almost quite literally, into the phantasmagoria that is cyberspace.
Personally, I prefer dealing with people when I can see, hear, smell and touch them. Granted, I don't generally go around sniffing or touching random people, but actually being able to do it is the point here. The coldness of a machine or the slightly hollow, metallic sound of a voice over the phone doesn't appeal to me. Yet I can tell that in the near future, that slightly hollow sound will become even more of a staple in our world, and I am not beyond envisioning a world where people no longer have to leave their own homes in order to go and 'meet' with friends.
--- Sandeep Sumithran
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