This was a pretty interesting and controversial article to consider, and most of the responses seemed to narrow and inadequate to fully express all the different factors of this subject.
I believe that the transition to digital libraries is a good thing, for many reasons. First of, the value of books has greatly decreased since the introduction of the typewriter. People purchase and dispose of unnecessary numbers of books, because they can. The widespread introduction of e-readers would mean that the value of books would increase, since they would be harder to find, and this would require less being published, yet you would still be able to pick them up at your local library. This would also be a step in reducing humanities impact on the environment, and I believe that in general that would be beneficial. People can work with limited amounts of printed material, using them in tandem with unlimited amounts of e-material.
I believe it will still be a while before e-readers will be fully integrated with out lifestyle. While it is easier to upload it than publishing it, copyrights and other hinderences are common, but i believe the economical benefits of this new technology will convince large companies to utilize this new technology. New technology, especially eink makes this a reality, instead of a conventional display, it consists of tiny black and whits particles hald in capsules that are rearranged to produce the desired image.
The social benefits of books were mentioned, eg striking up conversations with someone about a book, but I believe that in modern society, students are more likely to start a conversation about their brand of laptop rather than the books they are reading. Many people, especially students, are become more familiar with computers than books, and e-readers present an easier and more efficient method of researching than books, with familiar functions like in text searchers, and i believe this is more relateable and easier for the computer generation to handle. I support the comment that said that e-readers may be viewed as the new Model T ford in a few years, a revolutionary item that changed the way people did tasks.
I believe that once e-reader technology becomes widely popular and copyright gaps are bridged, it will easily be integrated as a part of our society, since it reflects the faster, high tech, impatient culture that we hold today.
library
Monday, 7 December 2009
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Response to New York Times article
"In the New York Times article, the author writes: 'Indeed a manipulated image, which is often more powerful than the sum of its parts, can affect not just visual perception, but opinions as well.' Reflect on this statement. What specific power do photos have to tell the truth? Are there specific guidelines that we should follow? What limitations should there be on image manipulations, posed events, and other types of fakey? What counts as manipulation, and what counts as reasonable editing, cropping or enhancement?"
Photos used to be a powerful piece of evidence, because it was a irrefutable piece of material that could display the guilt or innocent of someone much more clearly and plainly than other items of evidence. They could capture a moment in time, and display it at a later date to many more people who were not intended to see the original moment. However, with today's technology, photographs are losing much of the influence they used to have, because it is now not difficult for them to be altered to spliced together to display a false image, and it reaching the point were fake photographs can be produced with no way to detect that they have been tampered with.
It would be hard to create and enforce laws that would put limits of photo manipulation in media, because of its rampant use today, it would be similar to trying to impose prohibition in the 1920's.
The line between manipulating an image to where it is false, and reasonable editing, is hard to distinguish. I believe that the best way to ensure that people receive truth when viewing magazine and newspapers, would be to impose laws that require either a small thumbnail of the original image on the corner, or a larger image on the back of the publishing for every image that has been computer manipulated. Also, a small description of what manipulations have been performed should be mentioned, eg light darkened, cleavage enhanced, ect. While it seems unlikely this will happen, I believe it is a great way to ensure that people receive the truth about images, and don't receive false impressions about the subjects in the pictures.
It would be hard to create limitations for photo manipulation, due to the range of manipulations that can be created,and almost impossible to enforce them
Photos used to be a powerful piece of evidence, because it was a irrefutable piece of material that could display the guilt or innocent of someone much more clearly and plainly than other items of evidence. They could capture a moment in time, and display it at a later date to many more people who were not intended to see the original moment. However, with today's technology, photographs are losing much of the influence they used to have, because it is now not difficult for them to be altered to spliced together to display a false image, and it reaching the point were fake photographs can be produced with no way to detect that they have been tampered with.
It would be hard to create and enforce laws that would put limits of photo manipulation in media, because of its rampant use today, it would be similar to trying to impose prohibition in the 1920's.
The line between manipulating an image to where it is false, and reasonable editing, is hard to distinguish. I believe that the best way to ensure that people receive truth when viewing magazine and newspapers, would be to impose laws that require either a small thumbnail of the original image on the corner, or a larger image on the back of the publishing for every image that has been computer manipulated. Also, a small description of what manipulations have been performed should be mentioned, eg light darkened, cleavage enhanced, ect. While it seems unlikely this will happen, I believe it is a great way to ensure that people receive the truth about images, and don't receive false impressions about the subjects in the pictures.
It would be hard to create limitations for photo manipulation, due to the range of manipulations that can be created,and almost impossible to enforce them
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Is Digital Truth Important?
Is digital truth important, and in what ways?
I believe digital truth is very important, but the extent to which it is important varies. With harmless examples like the pyramids being photoshoped closer together by National Geographic, there is no harm caused, even though it is misleading, a photographic "white lie".
More serious however, is for example the fashion industry abusing photoshop, and making every model in a photo-shoot appear to have have perfect features, skin, body, ect. This type of digital editing can have negative ramifications, and as we talked about in class, is accountable for many body and self esteem issues in teenagers and pre-teens today. If misleading photoshop creations can lead to endangerment of human health, and even deaths in come cases, I think that something has to be done about it. The standards being portrayed to people who read fashion magazine are often adhered to by the readers, and if the readers are trying to live up to standards set by digital editing, they are trying to live up to standards naturally unobtainable even by profession models.
I think digital truth is important because without it, we can be shown an image and misled into thinking its real, when it is really the fabrication of someone who knows how to use photoshop. This can effect people in small, seeming pointless ways, for example the unusually sexy lady sipping from the coke-cola can. Or it could be used in ways that are a lot more serious, for example people fabricating evidence in courts.
The scenarios that can be portrayed through digital manipulation is almost limitless, and this make digital truth even more important.
I believe digital truth is very important, but the extent to which it is important varies. With harmless examples like the pyramids being photoshoped closer together by National Geographic, there is no harm caused, even though it is misleading, a photographic "white lie".
More serious however, is for example the fashion industry abusing photoshop, and making every model in a photo-shoot appear to have have perfect features, skin, body, ect. This type of digital editing can have negative ramifications, and as we talked about in class, is accountable for many body and self esteem issues in teenagers and pre-teens today. If misleading photoshop creations can lead to endangerment of human health, and even deaths in come cases, I think that something has to be done about it. The standards being portrayed to people who read fashion magazine are often adhered to by the readers, and if the readers are trying to live up to standards set by digital editing, they are trying to live up to standards naturally unobtainable even by profession models.
I think digital truth is important because without it, we can be shown an image and misled into thinking its real, when it is really the fabrication of someone who knows how to use photoshop. This can effect people in small, seeming pointless ways, for example the unusually sexy lady sipping from the coke-cola can. Or it could be used in ways that are a lot more serious, for example people fabricating evidence in courts.
The scenarios that can be portrayed through digital manipulation is almost limitless, and this make digital truth even more important.
Monday, 30 November 2009
Different Writing Styles
In class, you mentioned how men enjoy stories that contain more action, while women focus more on content, and I found something that reflect that pretty well. This is (supposedly) a college writing assignment, and it shows that the female aspires for a very mellow, relaxed, and in my opinion pointless piece, while the male is doing his best for an action story.Its pretty funny, (and a bit explicit.)
Chamomile Tea
ACTUAL COLLEGE THEME PAPER - HEY I COULDN'T MAKE THIS UP
Remember the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"?
Well, here's a prime example offered by an English professor
at an American University.
"Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story.
The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person
sitting to his or her immediate right. One of you will then write
the first paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the
first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story. The
first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back and
forth. Remember to reread what has been written each time in order
to keep the story coherent. There is to be absolutely NO talking
and anything you wish to say must be written on the paper. The
story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached."
The following was actually turned in by two of my English students:
Rebecca -last name deleted, and Jim - last name deleted.
------------------------------------------------------------
STORY:
(First paragraph by Rebecca)
At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The
chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home,
now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times,
that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs,
keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if
she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again.
So chamomile was out of the question.
-----------------------------------------------------
(Second paragraph by Jim)
Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack
squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to
think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with
whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation 17,
he said into his trans- galactic communicator.
"Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign
off, a bluish particle beam flashed
out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The
jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across
the cockpit.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
He bumped his head and died almost immediately but not before he
felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one
woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth
stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers
of Skylon 4. Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and
Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news
simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her
youth, when the days had passed hurriedly and carefree, with no newspapers to read,
no television to distract
her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things
around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?"
she pondered wistfully.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live.
Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership
launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted
wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament
Treaty through the congress had left Earth a defenseless target
for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the
human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty
the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough
firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop
them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium
fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President,
in his top-secret Mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor
off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion,
which vaporized poor, stupid Laurie and 85 million other Americans.
The President slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't
allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow 'em out of
the sky!"
---------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature.
My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic semi-literate
adolescent.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts
at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium. "Oh shall I have
chamomile tea? Or shall I have some other sort of F***ING TEA??? Oh
no, I'm such an air headed bimbo who reads too many Danielle Steele
novels."
----------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
Asshole.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Bitch.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
Wanker.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
sl*t.
---------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
Get f***ed.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Eat s**t.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
F**K YOU - YOU NEANDERTHAL!!!
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Go drink some tea - w***e.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Teacher)
A+ I really liked this one.
Chamomile Tea
ACTUAL COLLEGE THEME PAPER - HEY I COULDN'T MAKE THIS UP
Remember the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"?
Well, here's a prime example offered by an English professor
at an American University.
"Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story.
The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person
sitting to his or her immediate right. One of you will then write
the first paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the
first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story. The
first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back and
forth. Remember to reread what has been written each time in order
to keep the story coherent. There is to be absolutely NO talking
and anything you wish to say must be written on the paper. The
story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached."
The following was actually turned in by two of my English students:
Rebecca -last name deleted, and Jim - last name deleted.
------------------------------------------------------------
STORY:
(First paragraph by Rebecca)
At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The
chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home,
now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times,
that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs,
keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if
she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again.
So chamomile was out of the question.
-----------------------------------------------------
(Second paragraph by Jim)
Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack
squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to
think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with
whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation 17,
he said into his trans- galactic communicator.
"Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign
off, a bluish particle beam flashed
out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The
jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across
the cockpit.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
He bumped his head and died almost immediately but not before he
felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one
woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth
stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers
of Skylon 4. Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and
Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news
simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her
youth, when the days had passed hurriedly and carefree, with no newspapers to read,
no television to distract
her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things
around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?"
she pondered wistfully.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live.
Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership
launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted
wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament
Treaty through the congress had left Earth a defenseless target
for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the
human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty
the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough
firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop
them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium
fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President,
in his top-secret Mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor
off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion,
which vaporized poor, stupid Laurie and 85 million other Americans.
The President slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't
allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow 'em out of
the sky!"
---------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature.
My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic semi-literate
adolescent.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts
at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium. "Oh shall I have
chamomile tea? Or shall I have some other sort of F***ING TEA??? Oh
no, I'm such an air headed bimbo who reads too many Danielle Steele
novels."
----------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
Asshole.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Bitch.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
Wanker.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
sl*t.
---------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
Get f***ed.
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Eat s**t.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Rebecca)
F**K YOU - YOU NEANDERTHAL!!!
----------------------------------------------------------
(Jim)
Go drink some tea - w***e.
--------------------------------------------------------
(Teacher)
A+ I really liked this one.
Monday, 9 November 2009
Relates to Super Size Me
I thought this article was interesting because it relates to the "Super Size Me" video we watched earlier in the year. It says that junk food, and the sugars in it have a similar response as some illicit drugs. In Super Size Me, I remember the guy feeling really depressed and slow, until he ate McDonald's and he felt fine, and this kindof proves the articles point.
http://www.health.ninemsn.com.au/healthnews/924718/junk-foods-as-addictive-as-hard-drugs
http://www.health.ninemsn.com.au/healthnews/924718/junk-foods-as-addictive-as-hard-drugs
Sunday, 1 November 2009
'Can't Stop, Won't Stop': A History of Hip-Hop
I just wanted to comment on how I think hip hop is an example of an underground culture that has been exploited by commercialism. Hip hop began as a culture, that involved most prominently the urban lower class population, and as one song by Terra Firmma describes it "A one track mind with four bad habits,its tagging, breaking, rhyming, scratching." This line states that hip hop's main factors include spray painting, breakdancing, rapping and dj-ing. Another song by Hilltop Hoods says "In 1979 hip hop was a culture, not hip hops a business." I believe that this song sums up what has happened to hip hop. Major record labels have exploited the culture, and turned it into a money making industry. This is obvious in many popular hip hop songs today, were many of the lyrics involve degrading women, and most prominently, money making. Some artists avoided this though, in a another Hilltop Hoods song it states "I could've gone the short way, the easy option, but I chose to go the long way, the streets are watching." The rapper is stating than instead of signing to a label and having to make music for money, they chose to make it by themselves. They were offered many contracts from multi million dollar labels, including Sony and Universal, but they declined. Instead they lived of welfare, put up with minimum wage jobs for years, sold music from the back of their car for many years, moved up to iTunes, and erected their own record label, acheiving major commercial success earlier this year. Many other artists I knwo have chosen to decline offers by record labels, and surprisingly enough many of them live on welfare, they would rather support the culture and make real hip hop rather than selling out and being rich, its about more than money.
Friday, 23 October 2009
Propoganda Techniques
The explanation of propaganda techniques which you required us to read was very informative. The list of techniques utilized by the media to influence opinion and avoid the truth included techniques like; Doublespeak, fear, "glittering generalities" and name calling.
I remember how the Fox documentary mention that they would rather use the word "Sharpshooter" instead of "Sniper", because of the negative connotations associated with the latter. This is an example of doublespeak, where they use words that obscure the meaning of the word. It can also be used in the opposite way, for example to assassinate a enemy leader, the term "take out" makes assassination sound not so bad.
I believe fear is also a technique often employed by politicians to get the public to do their will, the government can convince people to go to extreme measure whenever a attack or epidemic is happening. It could be possible that political parties could use the same fear to their advantage.
I remember how the Fox documentary mention that they would rather use the word "Sharpshooter" instead of "Sniper", because of the negative connotations associated with the latter. This is an example of doublespeak, where they use words that obscure the meaning of the word. It can also be used in the opposite way, for example to assassinate a enemy leader, the term "take out" makes assassination sound not so bad.
I believe fear is also a technique often employed by politicians to get the public to do their will, the government can convince people to go to extreme measure whenever a attack or epidemic is happening. It could be possible that political parties could use the same fear to their advantage.
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