Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Andrew Keen Questions
1. Andrew keen is not very fond of Democratized media and the effects that it has had on our society as a whole. Keen especially believes that this generation of web 2.0 is destroying the young, creative minds of today's children. He believes that children are beginning to lose a sense of reality when it comes to playing today's realistic video games. Keen was also concerned about the effects of web 2.0 on big businesses and the government. He argues that mankind is slowly losing its creative thinking and becoming more and more reliant on the internet. An example of a modern deomcratized media would be Wikipedia. This is essentially a wiki and a encyclopedia combined into one. The problem with this is that anyone can make adjustments to the content wihout it being credible information. This can pose a major problem because some people may interpret this information as being accurate just because it is on the internet. Overall, Andrew Keen seems to be very pesimistic when it comes to the internet. I believe that as long as it is used in moderation and for the right reasons, the internet can be a worldwide university.
2. Douglas Rushkoff and Andrew Keen seem to having opposing viewpoints on web 2.0 and its effects on society as a whole. Rushkoff believes that the internet is a great place where people can interact instantly from all over the globe. In addition, the internet has increased the flow of information throughout our society and therefore it enables people to learn using a different approach rather than always sitting in a classroom. On the other hand, Keen believes that people are spending too much time on the web and he believes that people are beginning to become lazy and sometimes even brainwashed bythe webs content. I believe that we are predominantly a web based society and that this is just another step in the process of human evolution. I think that Keen and Rushkoff would agree with me when i say that I think just like anything else, everything is ok as long as its in moderation.
2. Douglas Rushkoff and Andrew Keen seem to having opposing viewpoints on web 2.0 and its effects on society as a whole. Rushkoff believes that the internet is a great place where people can interact instantly from all over the globe. In addition, the internet has increased the flow of information throughout our society and therefore it enables people to learn using a different approach rather than always sitting in a classroom. On the other hand, Keen believes that people are spending too much time on the web and he believes that people are beginning to become lazy and sometimes even brainwashed bythe webs content. I believe that we are predominantly a web based society and that this is just another step in the process of human evolution. I think that Keen and Rushkoff would agree with me when i say that I think just like anything else, everything is ok as long as its in moderation.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Partners Thesis
One of my partners for the thesis response was Lauren Hoheusle. She spoke and wrote about the topic of folksonomy. After speaking with her and reading her response i concluded her thesis to be "Again, I think we just need to find a happy-medium as a society between professionalism and the new advancements in technology, for things to work out for everyone." Furthermore, she gave examples of both how the internet is both a positive and negative influence on today's society. Her comments had validity because she referenced specific examples from our class readings, videos, and discussions.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Whither the Individual
In terms of the social sites that we use in todays web based society, I believe that they are both enhancing and hindering our true identities and potential as human beings. The use of these sites allow for instant communication to millions of individuals all over the world. On the other hand, some people believe that our society and young individuals are beginning to hide behind a computer screen and a user profile rather than conventional face to face interactions. Both the positives and negatives of this increasingly cyber world and expanding user personalities are portrayed in the documentary "digital nation."
In the documentary "digital nation" by David Rushkoff and Rachel Dreztin, they look into specific web based programs and observe and study the effects on the individuals while using these programs. They look into programs such as second life, world of warcraft, military gaming, and children being subjected to a virtual world.
I believe that second life is a fun and educational way to meet new people and gain new experiences. I say this because while in second life people may approach others that they would not normally approach in real life. Its a kind of place where people are more willing and comfortable just being themselves and maybe to try new things.
World of Warcraft on the other hand seemed to be less beneficial as users sometimes become addicted to gameplay and eventually it takes over their life. As we saw in digital nation with the young boy rushing through his dinner just to get back to his beloved game. I believe they said that particular boy played up to 10 hours a day and sometimes would stay up all night playing. I had a friend in high school that was very similar to the boy we saw in the documentary. Basically, the game took over his life, literally!
One of the best selling video games out right now is the new call of duty game. This is a highly realistic and addictive game. The U.S army built a center where people of all ages can come and play the game 24 hours a day. Some people are outraged at this because they are comparing a video game to actual warfare in an attempt to recruit these war hungry individuals. I believe that it is not ethical for the army to recruit these people on the basis that they enjoy a game. I believe games should be separate from reality. Especially when it comes to war.
One of the biggest problems I had with the documentary was when they put the young children in a virtual world at seaworld and made them believe they were actually there. After being subjected to the virtual world, the children were brought back in a week later for some questioning. They were asked whether they had been to seaworld and the children responded by telling them that they do in fact remember visiting the animals. I believe that this study was morally wrong and studies like this should not be lawful in the future because your messing with a young growing mind.
I believe these sites, games, and studies allow people to be something they are not but wish they could be in the real world. It gives them a chance to meet new people and gain new experiences as well as portray who they actually are on sites like facebook. Furthermore, I believe these sites and games can be both good and bad for the user. It can allow them to go outside the realm of their everyday life but at the same time when does it become dangerously real to the user? I believe it becomes too real when the game or site begins to deprive your actual daily life. Basically, I believe the user has a problem when it is affecting their studies, health, and or job responsibilities.
In the documentary "digital nation" by David Rushkoff and Rachel Dreztin, they look into specific web based programs and observe and study the effects on the individuals while using these programs. They look into programs such as second life, world of warcraft, military gaming, and children being subjected to a virtual world.
I believe that second life is a fun and educational way to meet new people and gain new experiences. I say this because while in second life people may approach others that they would not normally approach in real life. Its a kind of place where people are more willing and comfortable just being themselves and maybe to try new things.
World of Warcraft on the other hand seemed to be less beneficial as users sometimes become addicted to gameplay and eventually it takes over their life. As we saw in digital nation with the young boy rushing through his dinner just to get back to his beloved game. I believe they said that particular boy played up to 10 hours a day and sometimes would stay up all night playing. I had a friend in high school that was very similar to the boy we saw in the documentary. Basically, the game took over his life, literally!
One of the best selling video games out right now is the new call of duty game. This is a highly realistic and addictive game. The U.S army built a center where people of all ages can come and play the game 24 hours a day. Some people are outraged at this because they are comparing a video game to actual warfare in an attempt to recruit these war hungry individuals. I believe that it is not ethical for the army to recruit these people on the basis that they enjoy a game. I believe games should be separate from reality. Especially when it comes to war.
One of the biggest problems I had with the documentary was when they put the young children in a virtual world at seaworld and made them believe they were actually there. After being subjected to the virtual world, the children were brought back in a week later for some questioning. They were asked whether they had been to seaworld and the children responded by telling them that they do in fact remember visiting the animals. I believe that this study was morally wrong and studies like this should not be lawful in the future because your messing with a young growing mind.
I believe these sites, games, and studies allow people to be something they are not but wish they could be in the real world. It gives them a chance to meet new people and gain new experiences as well as portray who they actually are on sites like facebook. Furthermore, I believe these sites and games can be both good and bad for the user. It can allow them to go outside the realm of their everyday life but at the same time when does it become dangerously real to the user? I believe it becomes too real when the game or site begins to deprive your actual daily life. Basically, I believe the user has a problem when it is affecting their studies, health, and or job responsibilities.
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