:: Sir Tim and the Semantic Web ::
As this Technology Review article notes, Tim Berners-Lee did not gain a lot of financial advantage from his inventions of the World-Wide Web but has certainly been reaping status and other things as a result of it.
The truly notable thing though about this article is more the definition it provides of Sir Tim's latest baby, the Semantic Web. While I've heard a colleague extol the virtues of the semantic web for a few years now, I never really understood it that well or its advantages until I read this article.
Rather than botch my own explanation of it here, I encourage you to go read the article and learn about it and Sir Tim yourself.
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
:: Skepticism and vigilance ::
I've been told that I'm overly cynical of the members of the Fourth Estate, given that I once had aspirations myself of being a journalist, or at least a columnist.
Stories like these about the invented news that crops up in respected media channels give me food for my skepticism.
Cynical? No. Critical? You bet. And so should you be too. As the article states, "Today's reporting needs to be read with a great deal of skepticism and vigilance".
I've been told that I'm overly cynical of the members of the Fourth Estate, given that I once had aspirations myself of being a journalist, or at least a columnist.
Stories like these about the invented news that crops up in respected media channels give me food for my skepticism.
Cynical? No. Critical? You bet. And so should you be too. As the article states, "Today's reporting needs to be read with a great deal of skepticism and vigilance".
Monday, September 27, 2004
:: Another tool in the copyright wars ::
I came across a tool called Copyscape that boldly claims it provides "Interent Infringement Protection".
While I'm not sure exactly what they mean by that, I think it is an interesting tool for authors to add to their arsenal as they attempt to stem the tides of cultural appropriation in the war to preserve the Industrial Revolution's concept of copyright.
I came across a tool called Copyscape that boldly claims it provides "Interent Infringement Protection".
While I'm not sure exactly what they mean by that, I think it is an interesting tool for authors to add to their arsenal as they attempt to stem the tides of cultural appropriation in the war to preserve the Industrial Revolution's concept of copyright.
:: Blog of note ::
Jean Burgess is a graduate student who maintains a blog called creativity / machine centred around the emerging academic field of Internet Studies, the same field I want to hurry up and become a formal part of.
In any case, his blog is thought-provoking and definitely one to watch.
Jean Burgess is a graduate student who maintains a blog called creativity / machine centred around the emerging academic field of Internet Studies, the same field I want to hurry up and become a formal part of.
In any case, his blog is thought-provoking and definitely one to watch.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
:: Cat lovers galore ::
People say I pay too much attention to my dog, Sandy. I have tons of pics of her (though strangely none have made it to this blog) in my wallet, my tube at work, on my laptop.
But, dog lover that I am, even I would not have had the weird but cool brain turn to come up with something as interesting, odd, photograph-filled and waste-of-time-yet-addictive as the Infinite Cat Project.
Brings to mind the Big Red Button from early 1995. You just can't stop hitting that "Next Cat" icon...
[thanks to Teri for the link]
People say I pay too much attention to my dog, Sandy. I have tons of pics of her (though strangely none have made it to this blog) in my wallet, my tube at work, on my laptop.
But, dog lover that I am, even I would not have had the weird but cool brain turn to come up with something as interesting, odd, photograph-filled and waste-of-time-yet-addictive as the Infinite Cat Project.
Brings to mind the Big Red Button from early 1995. You just can't stop hitting that "Next Cat" icon...
[thanks to Teri for the link]
:: Online resources ::
Once again, blogging to capture a link to Terri Senft's excellent journal - might provide me some links that would be useful for this semester's research into digital community.
Once again, blogging to capture a link to Terri Senft's excellent journal - might provide me some links that would be useful for this semester's research into digital community.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
:: Personal webpage = ?? ::
For my first real blogpost in a while, I've chosen to blog this musing from a british academic David Brake on the difficulties in defining the term personal webpage. This is a term that I thought had fallen out of favour but apparently not. David is working on a project in which a definition of this term would be useful and he has the admirable desire to consult his fellow academics for their take on the term.
While browsing his post, also go and check out the Habbo Hotel he mentions. I don't claim to have fully grokked its concept yet, but I will take a closer look at it when I start working intensively on my deliverables for my Community Studies class in sociology this fall. Could prove interesting and useful then.
For my first real blogpost in a while, I've chosen to blog this musing from a british academic David Brake on the difficulties in defining the term personal webpage. This is a term that I thought had fallen out of favour but apparently not. David is working on a project in which a definition of this term would be useful and he has the admirable desire to consult his fellow academics for their take on the term.
While browsing his post, also go and check out the Habbo Hotel he mentions. I don't claim to have fully grokked its concept yet, but I will take a closer look at it when I start working intensively on my deliverables for my Community Studies class in sociology this fall. Could prove interesting and useful then.
:: Blogging, take 3 ::
As often happens for me, now that school has restarted for this year and now that I'm taking a few courses that require me to pay attention to various happenings, places and interactions on the net, I'll be blogging intermittently but with more frequency.
So consider this my blog, take 3. And...yes...I may once again be blogging for marks. More details on this to come in the upcoming days...
As often happens for me, now that school has restarted for this year and now that I'm taking a few courses that require me to pay attention to various happenings, places and interactions on the net, I'll be blogging intermittently but with more frequency.
So consider this my blog, take 3. And...yes...I may once again be blogging for marks. More details on this to come in the upcoming days...
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
:: Walking the walk ::
So many of us have had to grit our teeth and slog our way through badly designed websites on a daily basis, just to get things done on the net. Thus, it is welcome news to hear that a few fed-up usability experts have started to do something about it by redesigning and hosting their own version of what they believe these sites ought to be.
The companies who own the original sites on which these crusaders have done their guerrilla redesigns are not amused. If this is what it takes for companies to realize that bells and whistles and flash and sizzle aren't what is fundamentally important on the web, then I say to these usability champions, "HURRAH!" and "keep it up! Change is coming, thanks to you".
So many of us have had to grit our teeth and slog our way through badly designed websites on a daily basis, just to get things done on the net. Thus, it is welcome news to hear that a few fed-up usability experts have started to do something about it by redesigning and hosting their own version of what they believe these sites ought to be.
The companies who own the original sites on which these crusaders have done their guerrilla redesigns are not amused. If this is what it takes for companies to realize that bells and whistles and flash and sizzle aren't what is fundamentally important on the web, then I say to these usability champions, "HURRAH!" and "keep it up! Change is coming, thanks to you".
Friday, June 18, 2004
:: Blogs go black ::
Once upon a time, I paid Blogger for my blog so that this very situation at weblogs.com wouldn't happen to me. Since the acquisition of blogger by Google, I've not been able to continue to pay and thus have essentially been in the same situation as the bloggers who have now lost their blogs. Does give me pause.
Once upon a time, I paid Blogger for my blog so that this very situation at weblogs.com wouldn't happen to me. Since the acquisition of blogger by Google, I've not been able to continue to pay and thus have essentially been in the same situation as the bloggers who have now lost their blogs. Does give me pause.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
:: Is "consumerism" a myth? ::
Rob Horning thinks so. Don't know if I agree with him, but his opinion and arguemnts make interesting reading.
Rob Horning thinks so. Don't know if I agree with him, but his opinion and arguemnts make interesting reading.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
:: One word. 60 seconds. Go!...::
How creative can you be with a word in 60 seconds?
Try it for yourself at One Word.
How creative can you be with a word in 60 seconds?
Try it for yourself at One Word.
Monday, June 07, 2004
:: Email bankruptcy - stunt or trend? ::
I would be more inclined to see this as a stunt, if it weren't coming from Lessig himself.
I would be more inclined to see this as a stunt, if it weren't coming from Lessig himself.
Monday, May 31, 2004
:: A tattoo story? ::
Shelley Jackson takes performance art, writing and tattooing and mixes it up to create something entirely new.
Shelley Jackson takes performance art, writing and tattooing and mixes it up to create something entirely new.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
:: Is it still bookmarking? ::
I realized recently when I told someone to "bookmark" a webpage that I was dating myself, as the Dark Side's browser uses the more unwieldy phrase "Add to Favorites". Can you tell I was there when?
In any case, the true point of this post isn't to do a netgramma routine but rather to bookmark this interesting discussion on technoshamanism, for me to read later when I have more time.
I realized recently when I told someone to "bookmark" a webpage that I was dating myself, as the Dark Side's browser uses the more unwieldy phrase "Add to Favorites". Can you tell I was there when?
In any case, the true point of this post isn't to do a netgramma routine but rather to bookmark this interesting discussion on technoshamanism, for me to read later when I have more time.
:: Foundations and feelings for a city::
While I live in Montreal now, Toronto is and perhaps forever will be the city of my heart. It is where I first forged my identity as an adult, where I made the break from family and the west that I grew up in, where I took a job that became a career and where I left my civic heart four years ago to move down the 401 to follow my new marriage.
All the same, it holds me.
And so I guess it is inevitable that comparisons between Toronto and Montreal are omnipresent for me: Montrealers are arrogant, Torontonians apologetic; Montrealers puff up their chests about their bars and nightclubs and terrace cafes where Torontonians extol their treelined neighbourhoods, streetcars and arts scene; Montreal wallow in their self-declared French europeanism, in contrast to Toronto's quieter pride in their UN-like multilingual polyglot culture. Montreal is proud of a few of their shopping streets and yet everything closes up tightly at 5:00 on most nights and there isn't a mall or drugstore open past 6 anywhere. In some areas of Montreal, even grocery stores hold to this.
Montrealers scream their virtues in the newspapers (in both official languages), on the airwaves and in conversations with others. They put down other cities achievements, belittle the sports accomplishments and commercial successes found outside their island and generally show a pettiness of civic spirit that seems to hide an actual sense of inferiority and backwardness about their place as a North American city. Outwardly they are proud, but looking inward they are scared.
Torontonians, on the other hand, self-flagellate themselves. To others, in the same venues and conversations, they will be self-effacing, openly insecure, too aware of the stereotype that the rest of the country either envies or hates them. They will state that they are second class, a good city but never quite achieving the hip bohemianess of Vancouver or the pulsing pace of New York or the gritty commercial dedication of Chicago. Outwardly, Torontonians are worried about their place, but an inward look shows they are generally comfortable with their city and their place within it.
Another major difference between the two cities is architecture. The European feel and influence may be obvious in the Old Port of Montreal, but elsewhere, the city is a jumble of endless streets of seemingly-dilapidated, graffitied, glued-together row top-down duplexes and triplexes, built for the sprawling turn-of-the-20th-century Catholic French families, on tiny lots with almost no greenspace at the front and sinuous concrete arteries as allies in the back. Toronto's landscape is more brash, more "American" it is said, at least in the business, restaurant and arts districts, but move a few streets away and you find Toronto's version of the duplex - a "side-by-side" as it is called, one roof holding two homes glued together at their centre, with greenspace surrounding it. The brick colour is mainly shades of red and the influence here is more obviously Protestant, someone like Max Weber might say, built for the more standard 4 person family plus dog and car.
I've often wondered if the increased amount of space each individual feels in Toronto is perhaps partly thanks to having ravines and a huge lake as opposed to being on an island in the middle of a marine shipping artery. Some might claim erroneously it is because Toronto is so close to the US, and yet in actual fact, Montreal might as well make the same claim, for just a bridge and an hours drive away and you can be either Vermont or New York.
I can't claim to totally understand the reason why Montreal is where people in Canada fly alone to party with others and Toronto is where they fly to do touristy stuff with their family. I also can't explain why Montreal will forever feel masculine to me -- is it the grittiness? The graffiti? The insanely-designed highways? Just as I can't explain why Toronto is forever female for me, why it feels like a well-kept lady of a certain age. The phallic symbolism of the CN Tower next to the Skydome notwithstanding, is it the family-oriented neighbourhoods? The politeness of muli-cultured people? The cleanliness of the streets? The arts scene?
One thing I can understand is why I don't much like Montreal and am therefore now content to live in one of his bedroom communities across another bridge and river, rather than living in the heart of everything the way I preferred to do in Toronto. In Toronto, living the in suburbs would be impossible for me, making the decision to live in a condo over a sprawling suburban house obvious for the payback of living in her.
Ultimately, Toronto is so much "me" that I have integrated her attitudes and gestures and habits into myself. The entire city has felt like home to me since the day I stepped off the Greyhound bus one dark and snowy late December day in 1989 and crossed the street to the enormous Eaton Centre shopping complex.
And perhaps because of the quiet fierceness of my love for her, since moving to this city of my current life and my husband's family, I have kept informed on her state and being as much as my homesick heart could handle. I have done so by reading the online version of the quintessential Toronto magazine, Toronto Life, in which I recently foundthis link to an excellent article on the architecture and feeling and foundations of Toronto.
Reading it, you will perhaps better understand her and, therefore, in turn, me.
Enjoy.
While I live in Montreal now, Toronto is and perhaps forever will be the city of my heart. It is where I first forged my identity as an adult, where I made the break from family and the west that I grew up in, where I took a job that became a career and where I left my civic heart four years ago to move down the 401 to follow my new marriage.
All the same, it holds me.
And so I guess it is inevitable that comparisons between Toronto and Montreal are omnipresent for me: Montrealers are arrogant, Torontonians apologetic; Montrealers puff up their chests about their bars and nightclubs and terrace cafes where Torontonians extol their treelined neighbourhoods, streetcars and arts scene; Montreal wallow in their self-declared French europeanism, in contrast to Toronto's quieter pride in their UN-like multilingual polyglot culture. Montreal is proud of a few of their shopping streets and yet everything closes up tightly at 5:00 on most nights and there isn't a mall or drugstore open past 6 anywhere. In some areas of Montreal, even grocery stores hold to this.
Montrealers scream their virtues in the newspapers (in both official languages), on the airwaves and in conversations with others. They put down other cities achievements, belittle the sports accomplishments and commercial successes found outside their island and generally show a pettiness of civic spirit that seems to hide an actual sense of inferiority and backwardness about their place as a North American city. Outwardly they are proud, but looking inward they are scared.
Torontonians, on the other hand, self-flagellate themselves. To others, in the same venues and conversations, they will be self-effacing, openly insecure, too aware of the stereotype that the rest of the country either envies or hates them. They will state that they are second class, a good city but never quite achieving the hip bohemianess of Vancouver or the pulsing pace of New York or the gritty commercial dedication of Chicago. Outwardly, Torontonians are worried about their place, but an inward look shows they are generally comfortable with their city and their place within it.
Another major difference between the two cities is architecture. The European feel and influence may be obvious in the Old Port of Montreal, but elsewhere, the city is a jumble of endless streets of seemingly-dilapidated, graffitied, glued-together row top-down duplexes and triplexes, built for the sprawling turn-of-the-20th-century Catholic French families, on tiny lots with almost no greenspace at the front and sinuous concrete arteries as allies in the back. Toronto's landscape is more brash, more "American" it is said, at least in the business, restaurant and arts districts, but move a few streets away and you find Toronto's version of the duplex - a "side-by-side" as it is called, one roof holding two homes glued together at their centre, with greenspace surrounding it. The brick colour is mainly shades of red and the influence here is more obviously Protestant, someone like Max Weber might say, built for the more standard 4 person family plus dog and car.
I've often wondered if the increased amount of space each individual feels in Toronto is perhaps partly thanks to having ravines and a huge lake as opposed to being on an island in the middle of a marine shipping artery. Some might claim erroneously it is because Toronto is so close to the US, and yet in actual fact, Montreal might as well make the same claim, for just a bridge and an hours drive away and you can be either Vermont or New York.
I can't claim to totally understand the reason why Montreal is where people in Canada fly alone to party with others and Toronto is where they fly to do touristy stuff with their family. I also can't explain why Montreal will forever feel masculine to me -- is it the grittiness? The graffiti? The insanely-designed highways? Just as I can't explain why Toronto is forever female for me, why it feels like a well-kept lady of a certain age. The phallic symbolism of the CN Tower next to the Skydome notwithstanding, is it the family-oriented neighbourhoods? The politeness of muli-cultured people? The cleanliness of the streets? The arts scene?
One thing I can understand is why I don't much like Montreal and am therefore now content to live in one of his bedroom communities across another bridge and river, rather than living in the heart of everything the way I preferred to do in Toronto. In Toronto, living the in suburbs would be impossible for me, making the decision to live in a condo over a sprawling suburban house obvious for the payback of living in her.
Ultimately, Toronto is so much "me" that I have integrated her attitudes and gestures and habits into myself. The entire city has felt like home to me since the day I stepped off the Greyhound bus one dark and snowy late December day in 1989 and crossed the street to the enormous Eaton Centre shopping complex.
And perhaps because of the quiet fierceness of my love for her, since moving to this city of my current life and my husband's family, I have kept informed on her state and being as much as my homesick heart could handle. I have done so by reading the online version of the quintessential Toronto magazine, Toronto Life, in which I recently foundthis link to an excellent article on the architecture and feeling and foundations of Toronto.
Reading it, you will perhaps better understand her and, therefore, in turn, me.
Enjoy.
Monday, May 17, 2004
:: Continuing the copyright debate ::
My list of books from Lawrence Lessig that I've not yet read just got longer. He's released a new one into the fray called "">Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity". With a provocative title like that, it sounds like a must read and money can't even be used as an excuse for not reading -- Lessig has provided it for free.
A recent Miami Herald article on the book says this of it:
Ok, ok..add it to the summer "want to be reading scifi but am catching up on my cyberculture instead" list then....
My list of books from Lawrence Lessig that I've not yet read just got longer. He's released a new one into the fray called "">Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity". With a provocative title like that, it sounds like a must read and money can't even be used as an excuse for not reading -- Lessig has provided it for free.
A recent Miami Herald article on the book says this of it:
It's an interesting and provocative book, and one that ought to be read by artists and others who make their living creating, buying and selling pieces of culture"
Ok, ok..add it to the summer "want to be reading scifi but am catching up on my cyberculture instead" list then....
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
:: Trying to make things easy often makes them hard ::
The "no fly" system is more proof that software or raw data alone cannot, at this moment in human history, take sole responsiblity for averting or solving human problems.
After all, they are designed and managed by humans who are, by design, biased and flawed.
The "no fly" system is more proof that software or raw data alone cannot, at this moment in human history, take sole responsiblity for averting or solving human problems.
After all, they are designed and managed by humans who are, by design, biased and flawed.
Friday, April 02, 2004
:: Google, how I used to love thee! ::
It seems its time to look for a Dogpile toolbar for Mozilla!
Why?
Read on...
Back in the long-ago day of 1999, when I as a then-developing Googliophile was extolling the virtues of the super search engine, I would tell my enraptured (or was it captive?) audience all about why Google was great. To make a long story very short, it boiled down to one thing: Focus.
Unlike their rivals over at Yahoo and MSN, Google kept it simple, easy and focused on one thing only -- great search results. Not for Google were the bells and whistles of so-called Portals. Pay for positioning? Ads? Why bother? Free web-based email for the masses? No way!
Oh how things have changed.
In the last 90 days, Google has fiddled with their search algorithm, rendering it far less efficient and accurate (The answer for all searches these days seems to be something on eBay). They've added on a bunch of other services I've not even bothered to figure out. But perhaps the most striking sign that today's Google isn't my beloved Google of old is the news I read in Information Week today that says that Google is "in a fierce fight for web supremacy" which somehow translates to the fact that they are going to be offering "Gmail", a free web-based email service chock full of advertising links. Like fleas on a dog's back, these ad links will go along with your email to assault the eyes of your unsuspecting email recipients, whether you (or they) like it or not.
Google, how I used to love thee!
It seems its time to look for a Dogpile toolbar for Mozilla!
Why?
Read on...
Back in the long-ago day of 1999, when I as a then-developing Googliophile was extolling the virtues of the super search engine, I would tell my enraptured (or was it captive?) audience all about why Google was great. To make a long story very short, it boiled down to one thing: Focus.
Unlike their rivals over at Yahoo and MSN, Google kept it simple, easy and focused on one thing only -- great search results. Not for Google were the bells and whistles of so-called Portals. Pay for positioning? Ads? Why bother? Free web-based email for the masses? No way!
Oh how things have changed.
In the last 90 days, Google has fiddled with their search algorithm, rendering it far less efficient and accurate (The answer for all searches these days seems to be something on eBay). They've added on a bunch of other services I've not even bothered to figure out. But perhaps the most striking sign that today's Google isn't my beloved Google of old is the news I read in Information Week today that says that Google is "in a fierce fight for web supremacy" which somehow translates to the fact that they are going to be offering "Gmail", a free web-based email service chock full of advertising links. Like fleas on a dog's back, these ad links will go along with your email to assault the eyes of your unsuspecting email recipients, whether you (or they) like it or not.
Google, how I used to love thee!
:: Identity Theft ::
It is because of the crooked tactics of identity thieves as described in this CSO Magazine article that I recently made a trip to Walmart solely to buy a cross-cut paper shredder for my annual spring cleanout of my personal paper files.
It is because of the crooked tactics of identity thieves as described in this CSO Magazine article that I recently made a trip to Walmart solely to buy a cross-cut paper shredder for my annual spring cleanout of my personal paper files.
:: The never-ending story ::
In the never-ending story that is the Windows vs. Linux debate, this InternetWeek article gives a succinct analysis of the common conception that Linux is more secure than Windows.
In the never-ending story that is the Windows vs. Linux debate, this InternetWeek article gives a succinct analysis of the common conception that Linux is more secure than Windows.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
:: Weblogs and Discourse ::
From one of my favourite soci mailing lists comes a link to a conference paper that was presented at the Blogtalk conference in Vienna last weekend. The paper is called Weblogs and Discourse.
I haven't had time to read it fully yet, but my preliminary scan of it shows a fertile set of possiblities, concepts and possible applications to some of the work I'm doing both personally and academically. I'm going to have to go back and read it through in some depth and see if I can apply any of the ideas to a site I'm putting together with my academic colleagues for the Montreal GameCODE project.
From one of my favourite soci mailing lists comes a link to a conference paper that was presented at the Blogtalk conference in Vienna last weekend. The paper is called Weblogs and Discourse.
I haven't had time to read it fully yet, but my preliminary scan of it shows a fertile set of possiblities, concepts and possible applications to some of the work I'm doing both personally and academically. I'm going to have to go back and read it through in some depth and see if I can apply any of the ideas to a site I'm putting together with my academic colleagues for the Montreal GameCODE project.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
:: Marc Andreessen on open source ::
I like this article that details Marc Andreessen's 12 reasons open source software is better than proprietary closed system software. I just wish you didn't have to be such a code geek to be able to often take full advantage of it.
I like this article that details Marc Andreessen's 12 reasons open source software is better than proprietary closed system software. I just wish you didn't have to be such a code geek to be able to often take full advantage of it.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
:: Better cellphone clip ::
According to a Wired magazine ad, the Rivet Shift cellphone clip from RadioShack will do what other clips have failed to do for me -- keep my phone clipped to my belt or the inside of my jeans pocket.
So, with one of these babies on me, my phone won't go flying across the pavement just because I bent down into the trunk? It won't fly off my belt and hit a hapless co-worker because I bent down to plug in the projector?
Cool! I want one!
Wonder if they're available in Canada?
According to a Wired magazine ad, the Rivet Shift cellphone clip from RadioShack will do what other clips have failed to do for me -- keep my phone clipped to my belt or the inside of my jeans pocket.
So, with one of these babies on me, my phone won't go flying across the pavement just because I bent down into the trunk? It won't fly off my belt and hit a hapless co-worker because I bent down to plug in the projector?
Cool! I want one!
Wonder if they're available in Canada?
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
:: Google goes Gaelic ::
I'm disappointed that both Google.ca and Google.com didn't honour St. Patrick's Day today!
In an attempt to see if the British or Irish version of Google did, I stumbled across the gaelic version of Google.
Wow! Tough language!
Oh! and Yes! Both the European sites honoured Clover Day.
I'm disappointed that both Google.ca and Google.com didn't honour St. Patrick's Day today!
In an attempt to see if the British or Irish version of Google did, I stumbled across the gaelic version of Google.
Wow! Tough language!
Oh! and Yes! Both the European sites honoured Clover Day.
Monday, March 15, 2004
:: Flying the Maple Leaf over Turks & Caicos ::
The dream hasn't died, apparently. There are still some influential people in both countries who hope to make the dream a reality. A tropical province? Is it possible?
The dream hasn't died, apparently. There are still some influential people in both countries who hope to make the dream a reality. A tropical province? Is it possible?
:: Usable technology ::
I regularly have to fumble with the 600 different remotes that clutter my coffee table, because my hubby, who is a computer integrations specialist with a Bachelor's in Computer Science, hasn't been able to figure out the Harmon-Kardon "universal remote" universal. As a consequence, he hasn't been able to get the single spaceship-sized Harmon-Kardon remote to control these various components in our many-vendor home entertainment system:
Therfore, I really do agree with Jakob Nielsen's take on inferior usability in consumer products.
I regularly have to fumble with the 600 different remotes that clutter my coffee table, because my hubby, who is a computer integrations specialist with a Bachelor's in Computer Science, hasn't been able to figure out the Harmon-Kardon "universal remote" universal. As a consequence, he hasn't been able to get the single spaceship-sized Harmon-Kardon remote to control these various components in our many-vendor home entertainment system:
- Harmon Kardon Universal Receiver
- Sony CD jukebox,
- Toshiba DVD player,
- Sony Playstation 2,
- Panasonic VCR,
- Hitachi HDTV
- Bell ExpressVu PVR satellite system
Therfore, I really do agree with Jakob Nielsen's take on inferior usability in consumer products.
:: Volvo YCC ::
Volvo decided that women needed to have a say in car design, so it let a bunch of female engineers, designers etc. design a car that is female friendly.
Dubbed the "YCC" for "Your Concept Car" , the car is easy to clean, has tons of storage, looks cool....but has no hood?!?
Not sure what I think of that. While Lisa Fitterman at the Gazette may think its because women don't actually want to drive, I guess I buck that trend. In my teen years, I restored classic cars.
In this case, the form is important and the function of the car is given over completely to the idea of transportation of goods and a few adults. This definitely won't be a car for those who like transparency in their technology.
Volvo decided that women needed to have a say in car design, so it let a bunch of female engineers, designers etc. design a car that is female friendly.
Dubbed the "YCC" for "Your Concept Car" , the car is easy to clean, has tons of storage, looks cool....but has no hood?!?
Not sure what I think of that. While Lisa Fitterman at the Gazette may think its because women don't actually want to drive, I guess I buck that trend. In my teen years, I restored classic cars.
In this case, the form is important and the function of the car is given over completely to the idea of transportation of goods and a few adults. This definitely won't be a car for those who like transparency in their technology.
:: Google as group mind ::
Those of you who read this space regularly know that I have a soft spot for Google. This is partly because of the fact that Google was responsible for bringing pure search back into style in the late 1990s, when it looked like the "portal" a la Yahoo and MSN would dominate everything.
The simplicity of the Google interface, coupled with its awesome power, fascinates me. As a software designer and student of human nature, I'm alternately awed, pleased and tickled at the effect Google has had as a technology, a philosophy and a pastime. Thanks to its citation analysis style method of determining rank relevance of a page to a search, based on how many other pages have linked to it, I agree that Google has evolved into the first semi-intelligent technological group mind of our times.
Those of you who read this space regularly know that I have a soft spot for Google. This is partly because of the fact that Google was responsible for bringing pure search back into style in the late 1990s, when it looked like the "portal" a la Yahoo and MSN would dominate everything.
The simplicity of the Google interface, coupled with its awesome power, fascinates me. As a software designer and student of human nature, I'm alternately awed, pleased and tickled at the effect Google has had as a technology, a philosophy and a pastime. Thanks to its citation analysis style method of determining rank relevance of a page to a search, based on how many other pages have linked to it, I agree that Google has evolved into the first semi-intelligent technological group mind of our times.
:: My future ::
If I don't make it to the ivory towers, will I end up working in this kind of environment?
If I don't make it to the ivory towers, will I end up working in this kind of environment?
:: Taking on Nielsen ::
While googling wiki usability, I found this article (it's somewhat old yet still relevant) that analyzes the usability mantras and myths of guru Jakob Nielsen. Good stuff.
While googling wiki usability, I found this article (it's somewhat old yet still relevant) that analyzes the usability mantras and myths of guru Jakob Nielsen. Good stuff.
Friday, March 12, 2004
:: Crying real tears ::
I'm shocked. Shocked almost speechless actually, and for those of you who know me, you know that's tough to do. Shocked and I have cried more than a few real tears this morning, because of what I discovered is happening here in Canada.
This morning, as usual, before starting work, I sat down with my cup of coffee in my office to read the morning paper. As a general rule, now that I live near Montreal, I read the Montreal Gazette, a paper not normally known for its treatment of animal rights.
Given what happened in Spain yesterday, the front page portion of this PMU animal issue story was relegated to a small bottom sidebar with a small photo. I noticed it but the copy wasn't compelling so I read it and kept browsing the front section. Then, on page A10, I came across the full story.
It is called "Adopt a Horse, stop its slaughter". I'd link to it here if it were possible but the Gazette only puts the most important news (per their decision of what's important) up on their site. However, here's a related story I found on MSNBC about the same thing in the US, all caused by the same pharmaceutical company, Wyeth.
The gist of the story is this - over 20,000 Canadian horses (with many more in the US), many of them pregnant, risk being sent to slaughterhouses and turned into horse meat for sale overseas because the ranchers that own them no longer need their urine for the pharmaceutical hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) market. All of these horses in Canada and the US were used as the key producers of the key ingredient for the HRT industry, pregnant mare urine (PMU). The HRT industry has undergone a serious downturn in the last year due to new medical information about HRT, with demand for HRT drugs dropping over 40%. This has prompted a severe production cutback by the pharma company, which, in turn, has hit the ranchers who kept these horses in factory situations. These ranchers now want to get rid of these money-losing horses and move on to other financial pursuits.
The woman featured in the story, Barbara Claussen, is trying to get as many of these horses adopted as possible by non-kill buyers. Given that the western Canada market is now reaching an adoption saturation point, she is trying to bring as many as possible to the Maritime provinces or is trying to compensate the ranchers while she tries to get them transported to recreation-oriented horse auctions in Canada and the US.
For more information on her efforts specifically, please visit her site and read through it carefully. Googling the issue shows that Barbara isn't alone in her efforts -- I got over 3000 hits on my initial search.
But I'm not posting just to alleviate my shock. I want to do something.
I grew up out west and spent tons of time on my family's wheat farms. There were always horses about for riding and just watching play in the fields. I was a horse mad little girl, like many girls. I might be all grown up, but I still have a large soft spot for horses. Soft enough that if I had the space, I'd adopt a few of these beautiful tragic animals myself.
Unfortunately, hubby and I didn't buy that large acreage up north like we'd dreamed about. Practical employment concerns forced us into the suburbs. However, I'll be donating whatever dollars I can to the cause, and I will do what I can to raise awareness of the plight of these animals in Canada and the US.
So...if you are reading this and you have a more influential and well-read blog than mine, could you consider doing a post about this issue and the plight of these horses? Tell your friends and family members. Spread the word.
I've sent Barbara an email suggesting she set up a free Paypal account. Thus, perhaps another way to help would be to put up a Paypal button on your blog to request donations to Barbara's non-profit organization.
In the interim, until she decides if she will follow through on my suggestions, if you have some money you want to give to this cause, send Barbara an email or call her.
I'm shocked. Shocked almost speechless actually, and for those of you who know me, you know that's tough to do. Shocked and I have cried more than a few real tears this morning, because of what I discovered is happening here in Canada.
This morning, as usual, before starting work, I sat down with my cup of coffee in my office to read the morning paper. As a general rule, now that I live near Montreal, I read the Montreal Gazette, a paper not normally known for its treatment of animal rights.
Given what happened in Spain yesterday, the front page portion of this PMU animal issue story was relegated to a small bottom sidebar with a small photo. I noticed it but the copy wasn't compelling so I read it and kept browsing the front section. Then, on page A10, I came across the full story.
It is called "Adopt a Horse, stop its slaughter". I'd link to it here if it were possible but the Gazette only puts the most important news (per their decision of what's important) up on their site. However, here's a related story I found on MSNBC about the same thing in the US, all caused by the same pharmaceutical company, Wyeth.
The gist of the story is this - over 20,000 Canadian horses (with many more in the US), many of them pregnant, risk being sent to slaughterhouses and turned into horse meat for sale overseas because the ranchers that own them no longer need their urine for the pharmaceutical hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) market. All of these horses in Canada and the US were used as the key producers of the key ingredient for the HRT industry, pregnant mare urine (PMU). The HRT industry has undergone a serious downturn in the last year due to new medical information about HRT, with demand for HRT drugs dropping over 40%. This has prompted a severe production cutback by the pharma company, which, in turn, has hit the ranchers who kept these horses in factory situations. These ranchers now want to get rid of these money-losing horses and move on to other financial pursuits.
The woman featured in the story, Barbara Claussen, is trying to get as many of these horses adopted as possible by non-kill buyers. Given that the western Canada market is now reaching an adoption saturation point, she is trying to bring as many as possible to the Maritime provinces or is trying to compensate the ranchers while she tries to get them transported to recreation-oriented horse auctions in Canada and the US.
For more information on her efforts specifically, please visit her site and read through it carefully. Googling the issue shows that Barbara isn't alone in her efforts -- I got over 3000 hits on my initial search.
But I'm not posting just to alleviate my shock. I want to do something.
I grew up out west and spent tons of time on my family's wheat farms. There were always horses about for riding and just watching play in the fields. I was a horse mad little girl, like many girls. I might be all grown up, but I still have a large soft spot for horses. Soft enough that if I had the space, I'd adopt a few of these beautiful tragic animals myself.
Unfortunately, hubby and I didn't buy that large acreage up north like we'd dreamed about. Practical employment concerns forced us into the suburbs. However, I'll be donating whatever dollars I can to the cause, and I will do what I can to raise awareness of the plight of these animals in Canada and the US.
So...if you are reading this and you have a more influential and well-read blog than mine, could you consider doing a post about this issue and the plight of these horses? Tell your friends and family members. Spread the word.
I've sent Barbara an email suggesting she set up a free Paypal account. Thus, perhaps another way to help would be to put up a Paypal button on your blog to request donations to Barbara's non-profit organization.
In the interim, until she decides if she will follow through on my suggestions, if you have some money you want to give to this cause, send Barbara an email or call her.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
:: Google bar meets Mozilla ::
Thanks to a heads-up post on Tama's blog, Ponderance, I now have a spiffy Googlebar in my Mozilla!
Whooho! Now I really _can_ almost use Mozilla exclusively. Thanks!
Thanks to a heads-up post on Tama's blog, Ponderance, I now have a spiffy Googlebar in my Mozilla!
Whooho! Now I really _can_ almost use Mozilla exclusively. Thanks!
:: Net changes culture consumption ::
A great BBC article that contains concise synopses of the net's effect on popular culture.
A great BBC article that contains concise synopses of the net's effect on popular culture.
:: Geek god ::
Found a book I'd like to check out, given my own interest in geek culture. It's called "Matters of Gravity" Written by Stanford university professor Scott Bukatman who is a self-professed "god of geeks" , the book is a series of essays on superhero comics, theme parks, movies, pop culture and digital culture.
Cool.
Kind of like the sort of things I'd like to study, if I can ever finish my BA.
Found a book I'd like to check out, given my own interest in geek culture. It's called "Matters of Gravity" Written by Stanford university professor Scott Bukatman who is a self-professed "god of geeks" , the book is a series of essays on superhero comics, theme parks, movies, pop culture and digital culture.
Cool.
Kind of like the sort of things I'd like to study, if I can ever finish my BA.
:: Grad school option? ::
I regularly keep my eyes open for potential schools to consider for my grad and post-grad years. There aren't a lot of schools in North America that "get" the idea of digital culture and digital sociology. Also, I'd prefer a school that is well-respected in the field, since I do intend to go on to a life in academia.
So I perked when I read this story about the renaissance of the sociology department at Yale. Given that they're reviving themselves, perhaps they'll be open to someone like moi.
I regularly keep my eyes open for potential schools to consider for my grad and post-grad years. There aren't a lot of schools in North America that "get" the idea of digital culture and digital sociology. Also, I'd prefer a school that is well-respected in the field, since I do intend to go on to a life in academia.
So I perked when I read this story about the renaissance of the sociology department at Yale. Given that they're reviving themselves, perhaps they'll be open to someone like moi.
:: Youth culture ::
Found this excellent article in The Weekly Standard about youth culture. Seems a fairly balanced view and it really makes me want to take that 400 level sociology course on youth culture during fall term this year.
Found this excellent article in The Weekly Standard about youth culture. Seems a fairly balanced view and it really makes me want to take that 400 level sociology course on youth culture during fall term this year.
:: All in the family? ::
While I'm not claiming to completely believe the stats in this report, it is interesting to note the report's claim that british children seem to regard their PC in higher esteem than they do members of their family.
While I'm not claiming to completely believe the stats in this report, it is interesting to note the report's claim that british children seem to regard their PC in higher esteem than they do members of their family.
:: Is it true? ::
Will Google really lose its prominence as the search engine of choice for us "googlers"? Forrester Research thinks so.
Will Google really lose its prominence as the search engine of choice for us "googlers"? Forrester Research thinks so.
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
:: Ludologist ::
I'm capturing this link to ludologist Jesper Juul's blog so that I don't lose the link. Through him, I finally have a good easy definition of ludology: the study of games.
I'm capturing this link to ludologist Jesper Juul's blog so that I don't lose the link. Through him, I finally have a good easy definition of ludology: the study of games.
:: Bush's misuse of science ::
From one of my soci email lists comes this report which states that Bush has been misusuing science to further his own ends and this is endangering science in general.
From one of my soci email lists comes this report which states that Bush has been misusuing science to further his own ends and this is endangering science in general.
:: Interesting option ::
Found Squarespace today while looking around other blogs. Given its feature list, it might make a better blogging system for me. I think I may be considering switching.
Found Squarespace today while looking around other blogs. Given its feature list, it might make a better blogging system for me. I think I may be considering switching.
:: Rationalization of ethics ::
In studying Weber this semester, I'm learning about his concepts of ethics, particularly rationalization and its effects on societies.
Perhaps that's why the whole debate about performance enhancing drugs in sports is interested to follow. And, as Harry Siegel points out in the New Partisan. the hue and cry is often not for the valid ethical and honour issues that have arisen, but rather the rationalized issue of whether or not the record books need to be adjusted.
How very po-mo!
In studying Weber this semester, I'm learning about his concepts of ethics, particularly rationalization and its effects on societies.
Perhaps that's why the whole debate about performance enhancing drugs in sports is interested to follow. And, as Harry Siegel points out in the New Partisan. the hue and cry is often not for the valid ethical and honour issues that have arisen, but rather the rationalized issue of whether or not the record books need to be adjusted.
How very po-mo!
:: Lifespan of email ensures honesty? ::
According to a the results of study by a Cornell University researcher, people are more honest in email than on the telephone.
Apparently, this is because emails can be retained and reviewed in the future.
According to a the results of study by a Cornell University researcher, people are more honest in email than on the telephone.
Apparently, this is because emails can be retained and reviewed in the future.
Monday, March 08, 2004
:: IRV ::
I'm not quite sure I get how it works yet (I haven't had the time to truly research it) but apparently, there are many Americans pushing for Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) to be used in the federal elections, to make running a third or fourth presidential candidate viable and to ensure that there are no more spoiler elections like those of 2000.
Much of the outcry has come on the heels of Nader's announcement that he will run again as an independant in this year's presidential elections. Nader's left-leaning detractors claim that he could spoil the Democrats chance at regaining the presidency and denying Bush a second term. Those who support both Nader and the Democrats are pushing for IRV to be adopted to avoid this.
If you understand the issue better than I obviously do, please feel free to email me.
I'm not quite sure I get how it works yet (I haven't had the time to truly research it) but apparently, there are many Americans pushing for Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) to be used in the federal elections, to make running a third or fourth presidential candidate viable and to ensure that there are no more spoiler elections like those of 2000.
Much of the outcry has come on the heels of Nader's announcement that he will run again as an independant in this year's presidential elections. Nader's left-leaning detractors claim that he could spoil the Democrats chance at regaining the presidency and denying Bush a second term. Those who support both Nader and the Democrats are pushing for IRV to be adopted to avoid this.
If you understand the issue better than I obviously do, please feel free to email me.
:: Supporting gay marriage ::
The American Anthropological Assoication has come out with a statement in response to Bush's support for a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as something between a biological man and a biological woman only.
The AAA statement says that "more than century of anthropological research ...provides no support whatsoever" for Bush's view.
I commend them for taking a stand on the issue and supporting the vast numbers of individuals out there who have been excluded from a cultural practice solely because they are in a relationship with a member of their same sex.
The American Anthropological Assoication has come out with a statement in response to Bush's support for a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as something between a biological man and a biological woman only.
The AAA statement says that "more than century of anthropological research ...provides no support whatsoever" for Bush's view.
I commend them for taking a stand on the issue and supporting the vast numbers of individuals out there who have been excluded from a cultural practice solely because they are in a relationship with a member of their same sex.
[ AAA Statement found via the SASlist as posted there by John Glass, sociologist and director of The Family Place ]
:: Interesting ::
I don't know if I want to join this project but I certainly want to see the real-time map of the Web that is supposed to result from it.
I don't know if I want to join this project but I certainly want to see the real-time map of the Web that is supposed to result from it.
:: Timely quote ::
While reading today from the works of German social philosopher and scientist Max Weber, a few passages from his "Politics as a Vocation" essay lecture stuck with me as being interesting and pertinent, particularly when juxtaposed into today's post-9/11 world.
Weber goes on to talk about the idea that the when a war is over, the vanquished nation should say to the victor:
For today's world, his next words in this passage could be seen as a scathing view of the emptiness of the moral rhetoric we are bombarded with:
Particularly prosaic words, considering they were written and delivered by Weber in 1920, just after one world war and before the next one.
[ All italics are as shown in the original text ]
While reading today from the works of German social philosopher and scientist Max Weber, a few passages from his "Politics as a Vocation" essay lecture stuck with me as being interesting and pertinent, particularly when juxtaposed into today's post-9/11 world.
"Damage to its interests a nation will forgive, but not damage to its honour" (Weber: "Selections in Translation. 1978. p.215)
Weber goes on to talk about the idea that the when a war is over, the vanquished nation should say to the victor:
"We lost the war, you have won it. All that is now over and done with: now let us talk about the conclusions to be drawn...in the light of the responsibility towards the future".
For today's world, his next words in this passage could be seen as a scathing view of the emptiness of the moral rhetoric we are bombarded with:
"Everything else is undignified. Every new document which comes to light years later leads to the revival of the undignified howls, the hatred and the anger, instead of allowing the war and its outcome to be a least morally buried. This can be done only if we adopt a realistic and chivalrous, but above all a dignified attitude. It cannot be done by insisting on 'morality': that really means no more than a lack of dignity on both sides". (p.215)
Particularly prosaic words, considering they were written and delivered by Weber in 1920, just after one world war and before the next one.
Friday, March 05, 2004
:: Gates is nuts! ::
So I get spam. So I don't like it. But so what? I have a delete button don't I? And filters that can filter out 90% of it? Why worry anymore about it? It is my opinion that the more visibility we give spammers, the more they will think that spamming works.
So you can imagine my reaction upon reading this story on CNN where the horned one himself, Bill Gates, is proposing that we start buying "stamps" for email which is somehow supposed to stop the proliferation of spam.
Yeah right. Like that will really stop the flow. Does Gates honestly think that spammers won't find a way around something like that? Geez.
So I get spam. So I don't like it. But so what? I have a delete button don't I? And filters that can filter out 90% of it? Why worry anymore about it? It is my opinion that the more visibility we give spammers, the more they will think that spamming works.
So you can imagine my reaction upon reading this story on CNN where the horned one himself, Bill Gates, is proposing that we start buying "stamps" for email which is somehow supposed to stop the proliferation of spam.
Yeah right. Like that will really stop the flow. Does Gates honestly think that spammers won't find a way around something like that? Geez.
:: Boundary erosion ::
I recently wrote a theory paper for my Digital Games indie course that examined the concept of "the virtual" and of "virtual reality". I proposed ditching the term, accepting that everything is real if someone perceives it so. However, given that we are still in the early days of the transition from an industrial age to a technocized age (thanks to my pal Kelly for the terms), I accept that, for now, we still need a term to differentiate the different realms in which we exist and experience life. Thus, I propose the use of the "digital realm" versus the "concrete realm".
One of my central arguments in that paper is that people need to get over the idea that the digital realm isn't real. One of the arguments I've heard used by detractors of the reality of the digital is the concept that the interface or tools used to interact in the digital realm are too artificial and not bio-body centric enough.
However, thanks to a colleague, I read this article about the new PS2 game, "Lifeline" that is completely controlled by voice. You speak commands, ask questions, etc. and the game responds. Unlike in other games, this isn't a gimmick that is added to spice up what would otherwise be a joystick/gamepad mediated experience. For this game, your voice is the controller.
Are the boundaries finally starting to erode in a way obvious enough for others to begin to grasp? Will the supposedly more "natural" mediation and control of this type within digital space make it easier for traditional or conservative individuals to accept the reality of the digital?
I recently wrote a theory paper for my Digital Games indie course that examined the concept of "the virtual" and of "virtual reality". I proposed ditching the term, accepting that everything is real if someone perceives it so. However, given that we are still in the early days of the transition from an industrial age to a technocized age (thanks to my pal Kelly for the terms), I accept that, for now, we still need a term to differentiate the different realms in which we exist and experience life. Thus, I propose the use of the "digital realm" versus the "concrete realm".
One of my central arguments in that paper is that people need to get over the idea that the digital realm isn't real. One of the arguments I've heard used by detractors of the reality of the digital is the concept that the interface or tools used to interact in the digital realm are too artificial and not bio-body centric enough.
However, thanks to a colleague, I read this article about the new PS2 game, "Lifeline" that is completely controlled by voice. You speak commands, ask questions, etc. and the game responds. Unlike in other games, this isn't a gimmick that is added to spice up what would otherwise be a joystick/gamepad mediated experience. For this game, your voice is the controller.
Are the boundaries finally starting to erode in a way obvious enough for others to begin to grasp? Will the supposedly more "natural" mediation and control of this type within digital space make it easier for traditional or conservative individuals to accept the reality of the digital?
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
:: Shedding light on irrational reality ::
One of my academic email lists sent out this link for a new academic-focused research organization whose goal is to "promote research and discussion on irrational realities that are ubiquitously felt, tacitly accepted, but rarely addressed...The iARC communicates today's irrational reality for tomorrow's hope to facilitate "life with consciousness" rather than "life despite consciousness."
Interesting purpose and goal. Not sure yet how doable it will be, but this group's output will be interesting to monitor.
One of my academic email lists sent out this link for a new academic-focused research organization whose goal is to "promote research and discussion on irrational realities that are ubiquitously felt, tacitly accepted, but rarely addressed...The iARC communicates today's irrational reality for tomorrow's hope to facilitate "life with consciousness" rather than "life despite consciousness."
Interesting purpose and goal. Not sure yet how doable it will be, but this group's output will be interesting to monitor.
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
:: Fallen heroes::
Okay so maybe he wasn't really a hero, but I still don't think Stowe Boyd gets it right in his recent Darwin Mag post on why Wikis are wicked.
In my opinion, any technology that presents a barrier to a task is not good. Wikis break the web paradigm by paradoxically making it tough to post things for non-techie users. Ditto any software that goes against commonly held conventions in an attempt to go backwards in time. Thus, to my eye, Wikis are wicked bad in the true sense of those words.
Give me a graphical interface any day and leave the hard code in the hands of the slingers. Just let me get my words up there on the page without having to learn anything more complicated than how to use formatting buttons.
Yeah maybe I'm missing much of his points today cause I'm cranky. I'll re-read it later when I'm in a better mood. Maybe I'll refute my own position.
And maybe not.
Okay so maybe he wasn't really a hero, but I still don't think Stowe Boyd gets it right in his recent Darwin Mag post on why Wikis are wicked.
In my opinion, any technology that presents a barrier to a task is not good. Wikis break the web paradigm by paradoxically making it tough to post things for non-techie users. Ditto any software that goes against commonly held conventions in an attempt to go backwards in time. Thus, to my eye, Wikis are wicked bad in the true sense of those words.
Give me a graphical interface any day and leave the hard code in the hands of the slingers. Just let me get my words up there on the page without having to learn anything more complicated than how to use formatting buttons.
Yeah maybe I'm missing much of his points today cause I'm cranky. I'll re-read it later when I'm in a better mood. Maybe I'll refute my own position.
And maybe not.
:: Google fumbles social networking ::
Google is the latest company to enter the social networking fray with their Orkut service (dorky name!). Unfortunately, they seemed to have fumbled the ball. I could go into why and analyze it, but Rebecca Blood does a much better job of it. Just go read her take.
Google is the latest company to enter the social networking fray with their Orkut service (dorky name!). Unfortunately, they seemed to have fumbled the ball. I could go into why and analyze it, but Rebecca Blood does a much better job of it. Just go read her take.
Monday, February 23, 2004
:: Differing levels of texting adoption::
I'm ankle-deep into Howard Rheingold's latest novel, "Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution" and its already ringing all kinds of idea bells in my head.
In attempting to explain why Americans haven't taken to the texting phenomenon sweeping Asia and Europe, he quotes anonymous analysts who lay the blame on "clueless marketing" and "competing standards" (p.22). But later on in the same chapter, he raises a more intriguing possibility: the idea that the public and the private are more sharply delineated in North America, due to the sheer amounts of physical space, both public and private, that we North Americans have at our disposal.
He make the point that Japanese teenagers rarely have a private bedroom and have their lives tightly controlled by parents and teachers. Thus, texting via their cellphones gives Japanese teens the ability to have a private space of community that they wholly control and that they can occupy simultaneously with the more public spaces that is their life at school and in the family home.
Contrast this with the world of the US, with the average teen having their own bedroom, their own car, their own computer, a distinct sense of personality separate from their family and a picture of US teenagers with a defined feeling of entitled individuality emerges.
One notable omission: Rheingold oddly ignores Canada completely. I say oddly because Canadians still have one of the quickest and highest adoptions of telecommunication techs in the world, certainly higher than in the US. I don't have an exact figure to quote or link to prove this assertion, however. If you've got one, send it over to me and I'll include it.
I'm ankle-deep into Howard Rheingold's latest novel, "Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution" and its already ringing all kinds of idea bells in my head.
In attempting to explain why Americans haven't taken to the texting phenomenon sweeping Asia and Europe, he quotes anonymous analysts who lay the blame on "clueless marketing" and "competing standards" (p.22). But later on in the same chapter, he raises a more intriguing possibility: the idea that the public and the private are more sharply delineated in North America, due to the sheer amounts of physical space, both public and private, that we North Americans have at our disposal.
He make the point that Japanese teenagers rarely have a private bedroom and have their lives tightly controlled by parents and teachers. Thus, texting via their cellphones gives Japanese teens the ability to have a private space of community that they wholly control and that they can occupy simultaneously with the more public spaces that is their life at school and in the family home.
Contrast this with the world of the US, with the average teen having their own bedroom, their own car, their own computer, a distinct sense of personality separate from their family and a picture of US teenagers with a defined feeling of entitled individuality emerges.
"Japanese don't have...homes large enough to entertain friends and colleagues, private bedrooms for children, kitchens with storage space and appliances, more than one car...free parking for card when out, cheap gas, toll free expressways, PC with Internet access (and space to put a PC in the home), more than one phone line with competitive rates...
All of these items work for the use of the private and against the use of street and public spaces. Americans move between private nucleated homes, private transport and often private offices and cubicles as well, with quick forays in the car to shop occasionally (not daily grocery shopping as in Japan)and use of public space and restaurants has the sense of an optional excursion rather than a necessity."::p.23::
All of these items work for the use of the private and against the use of street and public spaces. Americans move between private nucleated homes, private transport and often private offices and cubicles as well, with quick forays in the car to shop occasionally (not daily grocery shopping as in Japan)and use of public space and restaurants has the sense of an optional excursion rather than a necessity."
One notable omission: Rheingold oddly ignores Canada completely. I say oddly because Canadians still have one of the quickest and highest adoptions of telecommunication techs in the world, certainly higher than in the US. I don't have an exact figure to quote or link to prove this assertion, however. If you've got one, send it over to me and I'll include it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
:: Die newsletter, die! ::
I don't get it. Call me a total webhead perhaps, but I just don't get it.
If you have an intranet site or a big-I website, and you have an easy publishing tool so you don't have to fiddle with HTML code, AND you know that getting people to read information is crucial, why? oh why? would you ever put up a page that looks like the old fashioned cheezy newsletter of yesteryear?
Now - if you still want to publish on paper that old-fashioned thingie, go right ahead. I won't say that I will read it...but then I'm probably not your target audience anyway.
But...in a new medium like the net....why try to force me to follow a sentence break over a column across a FOUR COLUMN newspaper format - complete with silly sidebars and an HTML enabled table of contents that refers to the newsletter pages further down by PAGE NUMBER? And use stupid ugly amateur clipart like that friggin' "champagne bottle with cork popping out" graphic that I've seen on every god-awful newsletter in the universe?
And, as if that weren't bad enough, then send me an email asking me to go to a web page to read something that needs actually to be printed first anyway in order to be read properly??!?!?!
ARGH! My head's gonna explode.
You know what? People in corporations who don't get the web shouldn't be allowed to publish on the web, internal corporate web or otherwise.
"Psst! Yeah..you...hey!!! You may not have noticed but we're in the 21st century here! Newsletters are a dead format, people! Get with it!"
I don't get it. Call me a total webhead perhaps, but I just don't get it.
If you have an intranet site or a big-I website, and you have an easy publishing tool so you don't have to fiddle with HTML code, AND you know that getting people to read information is crucial, why? oh why? would you ever put up a page that looks like the old fashioned cheezy newsletter of yesteryear?
Now - if you still want to publish on paper that old-fashioned thingie, go right ahead. I won't say that I will read it...but then I'm probably not your target audience anyway.
But...in a new medium like the net....why try to force me to follow a sentence break over a column across a FOUR COLUMN newspaper format - complete with silly sidebars and an HTML enabled table of contents that refers to the newsletter pages further down by PAGE NUMBER? And use stupid ugly amateur clipart like that friggin' "champagne bottle with cork popping out" graphic that I've seen on every god-awful newsletter in the universe?
And, as if that weren't bad enough, then send me an email asking me to go to a web page to read something that needs actually to be printed first anyway in order to be read properly??!?!?!
ARGH! My head's gonna explode.
You know what? People in corporations who don't get the web shouldn't be allowed to publish on the web, internal corporate web or otherwise.
"Psst! Yeah..you...hey!!! You may not have noticed but we're in the 21st century here! Newsletters are a dead format, people! Get with it!"
Monday, January 12, 2004
:: Canadian cyborg ::
A schoolmate passed along a link to this story about a Univeristy of Toronto professor who goes about his daily life wired into a tiny camera that he wears in front of his eye.
Gibson would be proud!
A schoolmate passed along a link to this story about a Univeristy of Toronto professor who goes about his daily life wired into a tiny camera that he wears in front of his eye.
Gibson would be proud!
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Friday, January 09, 2004
:: Vision, parody, or..? ::
I am not sure what to think about this story/article in Harpers.
But I figured it was worth blogging regardless of my opinion of it. I'll let you read it and make up your own mind about it.
I am not sure what to think about this story/article in Harpers.
But I figured it was worth blogging regardless of my opinion of it. I'll let you read it and make up your own mind about it.
Thursday, December 18, 2003
:: Wish list item #3 ::
Okay it's really geeky and everything...
...but how do I get one of these t-shirts?
And if I find one and wear it out shopping, anyone who heckles me the way they did Doc, I'll take them out!
... or at least bitch to the store manager.
Okay it's really geeky and everything...
...but how do I get one of these t-shirts?
And if I find one and wear it out shopping, anyone who heckles me the way they did Doc, I'll take them out!
... or at least bitch to the store manager.
:: Participatory media ::
Rebecca Blood has recently published another great article about blogging in The Guardian.
She calls blogging a new form of media, something she calls "participatory media".
I think I'm going to borrow this term for my SOCI498 paper - should fit in well with what I'm looking to do.
Rebecca Blood has recently published another great article about blogging in The Guardian.
She calls blogging a new form of media, something she calls "participatory media".
I think I'm going to borrow this term for my SOCI498 paper - should fit in well with what I'm looking to do.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
:: Google = "The Brain" ?? ::
I hadn't really worried much about my own googling habits until I read this article in Business Week.
Dress me up and call me Pinky, I guess. I hadn't ever thought of Google in this light.
[ ... and for those of you who might otherwise have missed my TV pop culture references herein, check out this site in order to get it... yeah I'm a fan...]
I hadn't really worried much about my own googling habits until I read this article in Business Week.
Dress me up and call me Pinky, I guess. I hadn't ever thought of Google in this light.
[ ... and for those of you who might otherwise have missed my TV pop culture references herein, check out this site in order to get it... yeah I'm a fan...]
:: Introducing... ::
There's a new blog out there called The Loom that might be interesting to keep an eye on for people like me interested in all things scientific.
The Loom's creator/blogger is a guy by the name of Carl Zimmer, who, according to the New York Times Book Review is "as fine a science essayist as we have"
There's a new blog out there called The Loom that might be interesting to keep an eye on for people like me interested in all things scientific.
The Loom's creator/blogger is a guy by the name of Carl Zimmer, who, according to the New York Times Book Review is "as fine a science essayist as we have"
[ Found via Corante ]
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
:: Excellent RSS Resource ::
Found this RSS tutorial while searching the net for information on RSS and XML content syndication behind a corporate firewall.
It's well-written and clear. Doesn't quite answer the question I posed to Google but it is still useful nonetheless.
Found this RSS tutorial while searching the net for information on RSS and XML content syndication behind a corporate firewall.
It's well-written and clear. Doesn't quite answer the question I posed to Google but it is still useful nonetheless.
Monday, December 15, 2003
:: Overkill? ::
I know spam is annoying, but wouldn't it be faster and easier to use the delete key?
I know spam is annoying, but wouldn't it be faster and easier to use the delete key?
:: Interesting read ::
I'm including a link to this Wired article about autism and genius because...well...it's an interesting read.
I'm including a link to this Wired article about autism and genius because...well...it's an interesting read.
[If this keeps up, I'm going to need to create a CSS trick just to reference things I find through Rebecca's Pocket.
:: Memories of childhood Decembers ::
Interesting how strongly I remember the date December 1 from my childhood. I guess because that was always the day when, after a shopping trip to Zellers, my mom would bring home a big, Christmas-scened multi-doored Advent Calendar and put it up on the fridge.
The calendar had little chocolates behind each date's brightly-illustrated door and I looked forward to going home from school each afternoon so that I could carefully tear open up the day's door to see what the shape was for that day's chocolate piece. My favourite was always the angel, which usually came around the 15th. (Odd thinking of that now, considering how devoutly religious I was...then.)
Leslie Harpold obviously remembers this excited feeling of discovery -- her online advent calendar, while not containing any chocolate pieces, still gives you the same feeling.
Interesting how strongly I remember the date December 1 from my childhood. I guess because that was always the day when, after a shopping trip to Zellers, my mom would bring home a big, Christmas-scened multi-doored Advent Calendar and put it up on the fridge.
The calendar had little chocolates behind each date's brightly-illustrated door and I looked forward to going home from school each afternoon so that I could carefully tear open up the day's door to see what the shape was for that day's chocolate piece. My favourite was always the angel, which usually came around the 15th. (Odd thinking of that now, considering how devoutly religious I was...then.)
Leslie Harpold obviously remembers this excited feeling of discovery -- her online advent calendar, while not containing any chocolate pieces, still gives you the same feeling.
[Found via Rebecca Blood]
Saturday, December 13, 2003
Friday, December 12, 2003
:: Part of the 47% ::
I was talking to my sociology advisor/professor recently about the nature of sociality for various sexes as it relates to the activities they do together the most.
I theorized that men who don't play sports play computer games. Also, based on my own experiences (how ethnocentric of me!) I posited that women shop.
According to the CBC, I'm part of the 47% of women who cite "shopping" as a hobby, activity or pastime.
I was talking to my sociology advisor/professor recently about the nature of sociality for various sexes as it relates to the activities they do together the most.
I theorized that men who don't play sports play computer games. Also, based on my own experiences (how ethnocentric of me!) I posited that women shop.
According to the CBC, I'm part of the 47% of women who cite "shopping" as a hobby, activity or pastime.
:: Christmas dream item #2 ::
A 19" LCD monitor that is height adjustable, folds flat for transport and can be hung on the wall like a plasma TV? For under $800CDN?
I want one!
A 19" LCD monitor that is height adjustable, folds flat for transport and can be hung on the wall like a plasma TV? For under $800CDN?
I want one!
:: Big brother may soon be watching ::
Developers of Instant Messaging (IM) software have developed IM prototypes with predictive "rhythm awareness". The software tracks your available versus away times and days.
The goal? Provide a service to your contacts that can predict the best times of the day to find you online.
I understand why this might be useful and I know that perhaps this is being developed for altruistic reasons, but nonetheless it makes me uncomfortable. The possiblities for mis-use are too high.
Developers of Instant Messaging (IM) software have developed IM prototypes with predictive "rhythm awareness". The software tracks your available versus away times and days.
The goal? Provide a service to your contacts that can predict the best times of the day to find you online.
I understand why this might be useful and I know that perhaps this is being developed for altruistic reasons, but nonetheless it makes me uncomfortable. The possiblities for mis-use are too high.
:: Online trust ::
I am an avid long-time eBay member. I love eBay probably partly because I love to shop, partly because it gets me stuff from the U.S.A. without the 2-hour drive. Mostly, though, I eBay because I save money and can trust the people I am buying from. Or so I thought.
A recent auction in which I was the "winner" got me questioning the whole thing a bit.
I live in Canada. Most of the sellers in the categories I frequent are from the U.S.A. I know that shipping costs from Canada to the U.S.A. are not the same as shipping from, say, Canada to Europe. I know the same is true in reverse because I have won my fair share of auctions and paid my share of shipping costs to ship from the U.S.A to Canada.
In this recent auction, I paid $6 shipping for something that cost the seller 89 cents to ship to me, based on the U.S. Post Office postage marker on the bubble envelope... Even if you do include the envelope in the seller’s cost, the total thing probably did not cost this seller more than $1.30 to ship to me. That means that this seller made a nice and easy automatic $4.70 pure profit from me. In U.S. greenbacks too.
What does all of this have to do with online trust?
The entire eBay business model is based on trust. The site and company could not function if the buyers and sellers did not trust one another. Without the trust, the two sides of an auction would not come together.
In eBay, you gauge trustworthiness based on an individual’s “Feedback profile”. If you come across an item you are interested in possibly purchasing, you can check the seller’s feedback profile to see how others have viewed that seller, based on the feedback they have left for him. From browsing the items available for auction to the actual receipt of the item, the entire process of eBay is based on an exchange centered around virtuality; the proof of trustworthiness therefore is essential to the equation.
I had never questioned this concept much or thought much about it in any depth before this transaction. Based on this one transaction, though, I am now thinking about it.
(To preserve the principle of anonymity on eBay and out of respect to the seller, I am not linking here to the auction in question.)
I will spare this space the long list of “he said, she said” details about this auction transaction. Instead, I will just cut to the chase: when I notified the seller that I was unhappy with the transaction’s conclusion and that I felt I had overpaid, the seller was deaf to my words until I notified them that I would leave them negative feedback to alert other Canadians to this seller’s profit-generating shipping costs.
The seller panicked and a flurry of emails ensued in which they tried to convince me to practice that old chestnut “if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all”. Keeping their supposedly “perfect” eBay feedback record of positive feedbacks intact was ultimately more important to them than actually keeping me happy. This means that they are working for their trust record without working with trust itself.
I say this because if I had gone ahead and posted my negative or neutral feedback, as I was/am sorely wanting to do, I would have “spoiled” this seller’s trust record and this, in turn, could have affected this seller’s ability to convince other Canadians to trust them enough to buy from them in the future. The circle of trust would have been affected, publicly, visibly, openly.
By encouraging me to not post negative or neutral feedback, they are misleading the eBay community into believing that they are trustworthy and have had nothing but positive and happy eBay customers to date. Because I have caved into the seller’s pleas and I have decided not to leave any feedback at all on this somewhat fraudulent transaction, I walk away from this completed auction knowing that this seller is ultimately dishonest and yet I have colluded with them to ensure that the rest of the eBay community remains ignorant of this.
If sites such as eBay depend on the feedback generation of buyers to reassure other buyers that the sellers are trustworthy and that their money is safe with this selling group, what kind of negative subversion have I engaged in by not following suit? What kind of deceitful collusion have I agreed to by not accurately, honestly and openly acknowledging the unsatisfactory practices of this one seller with whom I have done business?
What happens to the virtual circle of trust when it is not fully reflected in its entire truth, bad with good? When the bad and negative are consciously excluded from the feedback circles and records?
How accurate, then, is the online trust mechanisms within eBay and its sister sites?
How does this whole experience translate to the trust aspects of other areas of virtuality?
All questions to ponder further.
I am an avid long-time eBay member. I love eBay probably partly because I love to shop, partly because it gets me stuff from the U.S.A. without the 2-hour drive. Mostly, though, I eBay because I save money and can trust the people I am buying from. Or so I thought.
A recent auction in which I was the "winner" got me questioning the whole thing a bit.
I live in Canada. Most of the sellers in the categories I frequent are from the U.S.A. I know that shipping costs from Canada to the U.S.A. are not the same as shipping from, say, Canada to Europe. I know the same is true in reverse because I have won my fair share of auctions and paid my share of shipping costs to ship from the U.S.A to Canada.
In this recent auction, I paid $6 shipping for something that cost the seller 89 cents to ship to me, based on the U.S. Post Office postage marker on the bubble envelope... Even if you do include the envelope in the seller’s cost, the total thing probably did not cost this seller more than $1.30 to ship to me. That means that this seller made a nice and easy automatic $4.70 pure profit from me. In U.S. greenbacks too.
What does all of this have to do with online trust?
The entire eBay business model is based on trust. The site and company could not function if the buyers and sellers did not trust one another. Without the trust, the two sides of an auction would not come together.
In eBay, you gauge trustworthiness based on an individual’s “Feedback profile”. If you come across an item you are interested in possibly purchasing, you can check the seller’s feedback profile to see how others have viewed that seller, based on the feedback they have left for him. From browsing the items available for auction to the actual receipt of the item, the entire process of eBay is based on an exchange centered around virtuality; the proof of trustworthiness therefore is essential to the equation.
I had never questioned this concept much or thought much about it in any depth before this transaction. Based on this one transaction, though, I am now thinking about it.
(To preserve the principle of anonymity on eBay and out of respect to the seller, I am not linking here to the auction in question.)
I will spare this space the long list of “he said, she said” details about this auction transaction. Instead, I will just cut to the chase: when I notified the seller that I was unhappy with the transaction’s conclusion and that I felt I had overpaid, the seller was deaf to my words until I notified them that I would leave them negative feedback to alert other Canadians to this seller’s profit-generating shipping costs.
The seller panicked and a flurry of emails ensued in which they tried to convince me to practice that old chestnut “if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all”. Keeping their supposedly “perfect” eBay feedback record of positive feedbacks intact was ultimately more important to them than actually keeping me happy. This means that they are working for their trust record without working with trust itself.
I say this because if I had gone ahead and posted my negative or neutral feedback, as I was/am sorely wanting to do, I would have “spoiled” this seller’s trust record and this, in turn, could have affected this seller’s ability to convince other Canadians to trust them enough to buy from them in the future. The circle of trust would have been affected, publicly, visibly, openly.
By encouraging me to not post negative or neutral feedback, they are misleading the eBay community into believing that they are trustworthy and have had nothing but positive and happy eBay customers to date. Because I have caved into the seller’s pleas and I have decided not to leave any feedback at all on this somewhat fraudulent transaction, I walk away from this completed auction knowing that this seller is ultimately dishonest and yet I have colluded with them to ensure that the rest of the eBay community remains ignorant of this.
If sites such as eBay depend on the feedback generation of buyers to reassure other buyers that the sellers are trustworthy and that their money is safe with this selling group, what kind of negative subversion have I engaged in by not following suit? What kind of deceitful collusion have I agreed to by not accurately, honestly and openly acknowledging the unsatisfactory practices of this one seller with whom I have done business?
What happens to the virtual circle of trust when it is not fully reflected in its entire truth, bad with good? When the bad and negative are consciously excluded from the feedback circles and records?
How accurate, then, is the online trust mechanisms within eBay and its sister sites?
How does this whole experience translate to the trust aspects of other areas of virtuality?
All questions to ponder further.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
:: Topic found? ::
Reviewing my blog posts of late, wading through eh everyday and ordinary, I see a distinct theme emerging...
I seem to be showing a definite interest in the emergence of individuals and groups who use technology to get around the current corporate strangehold of the virtual and its technology.
Ok so maybe that isn't news, given that this space was created to explore that type of theme as it relates to bloggers.
But I'm now faced with doing an exploration paper as the culmination of my SOCI489L class and I need a theme that revolves around virtuality or digital culture.
With all the writing I've done in the last few months about googling and the like, I guess I might have enough to do that paper on this type of stuff.
As long as I don't change my mind...
Again...
Reviewing my blog posts of late, wading through eh everyday and ordinary, I see a distinct theme emerging...
I seem to be showing a definite interest in the emergence of individuals and groups who use technology to get around the current corporate strangehold of the virtual and its technology.
Ok so maybe that isn't news, given that this space was created to explore that type of theme as it relates to bloggers.
But I'm now faced with doing an exploration paper as the culmination of my SOCI489L class and I need a theme that revolves around virtuality or digital culture.
With all the writing I've done in the last few months about googling and the like, I guess I might have enough to do that paper on this type of stuff.
As long as I don't change my mind...
Again...
:: Now I get it ::
Ever since a programmer I know mentioned to me the "Eclipse Project" and showed me his coding window, I'd been under the impression that the Eclipse buzz was about an open-source competitor to Dreamweaver. I'm not a programmer myself - what do I know?
Then I read thisin the ACM Queue.
Now I know better. Guess I've been looking pretty silly in meetings of late then.
Ever since a programmer I know mentioned to me the "Eclipse Project" and showed me his coding window, I'd been under the impression that the Eclipse buzz was about an open-source competitor to Dreamweaver. I'm not a programmer myself - what do I know?
Then I read thisin the ACM Queue.
Now I know better. Guess I've been looking pretty silly in meetings of late then.
:: I want one::
Too bad that it's too late to put this on my Christmas list.
I've been despairing of ever producing Brulerie St-Denis-style coffee at home, even with my beloved Cafe Britt Dark Roast beans.
Or at least I did until I read this in the Washington Post.
Too bad that it's too late to put this on my Christmas list.
I've been despairing of ever producing Brulerie St-Denis-style coffee at home, even with my beloved Cafe Britt Dark Roast beans.
Or at least I did until I read this in the Washington Post.
[Found also via Rebecca Blood]
:: A bouncing baby blog ::
Okay so I may not have kids but with my pal Tim's newest blog, I certainly show that I can birth bloggers.
With the addition of Tim's four new blogs, I've been responsible for influencing the creation of 18 to date.
Methinks I need to start a count in this space [over there on the right perhaps?] of my influential ways.
Arrogant maybe? But then..isn't every blog somewhat arrogant?
Okay so I may not have kids but with my pal Tim's newest blog, I certainly show that I can birth bloggers.
With the addition of Tim's four new blogs, I've been responsible for influencing the creation of 18 to date.
Methinks I need to start a count in this space [over there on the right perhaps?] of my influential ways.
Arrogant maybe? But then..isn't every blog somewhat arrogant?
:: Weak ties ::
Contrary to the common wisdom that says that strong ties between collaborators are necessary for brilliance, Stanford professor Martin Ruef claims that, in fact, weak ties are more important. He has published details of his study in the magazine Stanford Business . The article suggests that strangers and acquaintances are vital to an individual's ability to come up with great ideas.
Contrary to the common wisdom that says that strong ties between collaborators are necessary for brilliance, Stanford professor Martin Ruef claims that, in fact, weak ties are more important. He has published details of his study in the magazine Stanford Business . The article suggests that strangers and acquaintances are vital to an individual's ability to come up with great ideas.
[Found via Rebecca Blood]
Saturday, December 06, 2003
:: Yet more fun with Google ::
I'm thinking of writing a paper on the ways in which individuals and groups use corporate-provided tools like Google to be subversive and do culture jamming.
Another example:
Go to Google and type in "Weapons of mass destruction" and hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.
Pay close attention to the result. Do not adjust your monitor.
I'm thinking of writing a paper on the ways in which individuals and groups use corporate-provided tools like Google to be subversive and do culture jamming.
Another example:
Go to Google and type in "Weapons of mass destruction" and hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.
Pay close attention to the result. Do not adjust your monitor.
[Again, found via the AIR list]
Friday, December 05, 2003
:: More fun with Google ::
Quick! Before "they" get wise and make Google change it....
Go to Google. As your search words, type in the words "miserable failure".
Take a look at the first hit to come up in the list.
[ Hint: lives in a big white house in the middle of a swamp ]
Google gets it; I've always said so.
I found this via the Assocation of Internet Researchers (AIR) mailing list, but this whole thing started at the very cool blog, Blah3.org
Quick! Before "they" get wise and make Google change it....
Go to Google. As your search words, type in the words "miserable failure".
Take a look at the first hit to come up in the list.
[ Hint: lives in a big white house in the middle of a swamp ]
Google gets it; I've always said so.
I found this via the Assocation of Internet Researchers (AIR) mailing list, but this whole thing started at the very cool blog, Blah3.org
Thursday, December 04, 2003
:: IM research ::
An interesting piece of research has been done by Ellen Isaacs et al.. They examined IM use at AT&T labs and discovered that all our notions about IM use for business purposes are wrong.
An excerpt:
Although people consistent with our "light user" profile have until now been generally regarded as typical of all IM users, our research suggests that the majority of IM traffic actually involves heavy users working collaboratively to address complex, work-specific problems.
An interesting piece of research has been done by Ellen Isaacs et al.. They examined IM use at AT&T labs and discovered that all our notions about IM use for business purposes are wrong.
An excerpt:
Although people consistent with our "light user" profile have until now been generally regarded as typical of all IM users, our research suggests that the majority of IM traffic actually involves heavy users working collaboratively to address complex, work-specific problems.
[ Found via Stowe Boyd at Corante ]
:: Strongly left ::
According to The Political Compass, I am strongly leftist, ranking down in that southwest left corner with the likes of Mandela and the Dalai Lama, oh, and Stowe Boyd (from whom I found the Compass).
My exact scores:
- Economic Left/Right: -5.62
- Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.00
Can't tell I'm a liberal, urban, academic, sociology-studying, digitally-focused Canadian Gen-Xer, hmmm?
According to The Political Compass, I am strongly leftist, ranking down in that southwest left corner with the likes of Mandela and the Dalai Lama, oh, and Stowe Boyd (from whom I found the Compass).
My exact scores:
- Economic Left/Right: -5.62
- Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.00
Can't tell I'm a liberal, urban, academic, sociology-studying, digitally-focused Canadian Gen-Xer, hmmm?
:: Googling memories of Merlin ::
While playing around with Google recently and typing in the names of various people I used to know and/or call friends, I came up with some hits for a fave former mentor of mine, Mark Windrim. In particular, I found his blog!
Of course, unless he's changed considerably since we were last in regular touch, it probably shouldn't surprise me that he blogs.
Anyways, while browsing his blogspace, I found this article about the transition days of Magic Online from a free BBS to a paid service and it got me waxing reminiscient about my own former salad days as a Magic admin under "Magic Merlin"'.
Ah...I remember when...
Thanks for the memories, Mark.
Gotta love Googling!
While playing around with Google recently and typing in the names of various people I used to know and/or call friends, I came up with some hits for a fave former mentor of mine, Mark Windrim. In particular, I found his blog!
Of course, unless he's changed considerably since we were last in regular touch, it probably shouldn't surprise me that he blogs.
Anyways, while browsing his blogspace, I found this article about the transition days of Magic Online from a free BBS to a paid service and it got me waxing reminiscient about my own former salad days as a Magic admin under "Magic Merlin"'.
Ah...I remember when...
Thanks for the memories, Mark.
Gotta love Googling!
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
:: Making amends ::
I mentioned a friend of mine in a post I made recently about the black market economy surrounding gaming.
My friend took me to task for how I made her sound in that post and pointed out I misunderstood her. Based on the persuasive argument she presented, it would seem that I did.
Apparently, I let the power of my own word-making ability seduce my brain and run away with my foolish fingers.
She has apparently prepared part of a written rebuttal that she wants to send to me. Once I get it, I'll post it here.
In the meantime, I am now saying to her here, simply:
"I'm sorry".
I mentioned a friend of mine in a post I made recently about the black market economy surrounding gaming.
My friend took me to task for how I made her sound in that post and pointed out I misunderstood her. Based on the persuasive argument she presented, it would seem that I did.
Apparently, I let the power of my own word-making ability seduce my brain and run away with my foolish fingers.
She has apparently prepared part of a written rebuttal that she wants to send to me. Once I get it, I'll post it here.
In the meantime, I am now saying to her here, simply:
"I'm sorry".
:: Foucauldian terminology ::
I'm blogging this link here so that I don't lose track of this page.
I like Highberg's concise explanation of Foucault's conception of power.
I'm blogging this link here so that I don't lose track of this page.
I like Highberg's concise explanation of Foucault's conception of power.
:: Online voice, literally ::
Blogger, the nice people who give me the software to maintain I-Space so that I don't have to fiddle with too much code, have come up with a way to allow me and all the other bloggers out there using their service to blog by voice?!?
They say that it is as easy as leaving a voicemail.
Apparently they're using software from a company called AudBlog.
While I like the theoretical idea of this, I'm not sure how I feel about the actual practice of sharing my literal voice with any of the people who happen to stumble across this little piece of Internet space.
Knowing that my wriitten words are possibly getting out there on other people's screens is spooky enough - the idea of people actually hearing me say them?
Not me.
Not yet.
Blogger, the nice people who give me the software to maintain I-Space so that I don't have to fiddle with too much code, have come up with a way to allow me and all the other bloggers out there using their service to blog by voice?!?
They say that it is as easy as leaving a voicemail.
Apparently they're using software from a company called AudBlog.
While I like the theoretical idea of this, I'm not sure how I feel about the actual practice of sharing my literal voice with any of the people who happen to stumble across this little piece of Internet space.
Knowing that my wriitten words are possibly getting out there on other people's screens is spooky enough - the idea of people actually hearing me say them?
Not me.
Not yet.
:: Getting a clue ::
Why have I never read this before now?
Makes me anxious to find time to read my copy of Small Pieces Loosely Joined.
Why have I never read this before now?
Makes me anxious to find time to read my copy of Small Pieces Loosely Joined.
Monday, November 24, 2003
:: It doesn't happen, huh? ::
I was chatting with a close friend of mine recently, someone who is a fellow undergrad sociology student and fellow researcher on the digital games research project I'm part of at Concordia. During our conversation, I mentioned that I'm interested in studying the subversive tensions and power plays between gamers and the MMPOG VWs they play in.
She asked me, "what tensions? what power plays?"
I mentioned that one area in particular that interests me is the active underground pseudo-black market that goes on around the net for things like high level spells, game objects and game points/credits, the kind of thing that can let a 1st level dwarf in EQ become a 150 level something just by buying these virtual items or statuses on the major auction sites or at any of the player-managed auction sites that specialize in this kind of thing.
She laughs and says, "that kind of thing is over-hyped. It doesn't really happen".
Now, coming from anyone else, I might have laughed back at them and argued. But this person is an EQ veteran, participant in many an EQ quest, and one of the most knowledgeable people I know on the true inner dynamics of the game, from the player perspective.
So I didn't laugh back. I just shrugged and changed the subject.
Then today, I found Edward Castronova's blog. Edward is an assistant professor at Fullerton University and is interested in the digital games and virtual worlds (VWs), just as I am. He's been researching this stuff too, but from the economics perspective.
And there, on his blog, was my rebuttal for my friend...
Since July 1, 2003, players have traded and bought over $6 million in virtual game assets.
$6 million!
...in US dollars!
Wow!
But that kind of thing doesn't happen, huh?
Guess I'm learning.
I was chatting with a close friend of mine recently, someone who is a fellow undergrad sociology student and fellow researcher on the digital games research project I'm part of at Concordia. During our conversation, I mentioned that I'm interested in studying the subversive tensions and power plays between gamers and the MMPOG VWs they play in.
She asked me, "what tensions? what power plays?"
I mentioned that one area in particular that interests me is the active underground pseudo-black market that goes on around the net for things like high level spells, game objects and game points/credits, the kind of thing that can let a 1st level dwarf in EQ become a 150 level something just by buying these virtual items or statuses on the major auction sites or at any of the player-managed auction sites that specialize in this kind of thing.
She laughs and says, "that kind of thing is over-hyped. It doesn't really happen".
Now, coming from anyone else, I might have laughed back at them and argued. But this person is an EQ veteran, participant in many an EQ quest, and one of the most knowledgeable people I know on the true inner dynamics of the game, from the player perspective.
So I didn't laugh back. I just shrugged and changed the subject.
Then today, I found Edward Castronova's blog. Edward is an assistant professor at Fullerton University and is interested in the digital games and virtual worlds (VWs), just as I am. He's been researching this stuff too, but from the economics perspective.
And there, on his blog, was my rebuttal for my friend...
Since July 1, 2003, players have traded and bought over $6 million in virtual game assets.
$6 million!
...in US dollars!
Wow!
But that kind of thing doesn't happen, huh?
Guess I'm learning.
:: Shades of HSX ::
Another entry in the "I remember when" file, as in, "I remember when this trend started on the Internet, through the Hollywood Stock Exchange. It was 1995 and I had just..." oh! um.....oh. never mind.
If you are interested in blogs and bloggers' culture, but like me are still a bit wet behind the ears, you may not have known that this existed.
Now I know. Now what?
Another entry in the "I remember when" file, as in, "I remember when this trend started on the Internet, through the Hollywood Stock Exchange. It was 1995 and I had just..." oh! um.....oh. never mind.
If you are interested in blogs and bloggers' culture, but like me are still a bit wet behind the ears, you may not have known that this existed.
Now I know. Now what?
:: Everything but democracy ::
Read this today on Terra Nova about designing virtual communities for democracy, then watching them self-organize in every way but that.
Made me go, "whoooaa!"
I smell a juicy research topic.
Anyone know any political scientists jonesing for a virtual research gig with a bunch of sociologists from Canada?
Read this today on Terra Nova about designing virtual communities for democracy, then watching them self-organize in every way but that.
Made me go, "whoooaa!"
I smell a juicy research topic.
Anyone know any political scientists jonesing for a virtual research gig with a bunch of sociologists from Canada?
:: Reversing 'progress' ::
So this is why Turkey Days (aka Thanksgiving/Christmas) don't taste as good as they once did .... when I was little, eating holiday turkey raised on my uncle's farm.
And I thought it was just nostalgia!
Found on MetaFilter
So this is why Turkey Days (aka Thanksgiving/Christmas) don't taste as good as they once did .... when I was little, eating holiday turkey raised on my uncle's farm.
And I thought it was just nostalgia!
Found on MetaFilter
Monday, November 17, 2003
:: That which is so in essence ::
From Shields' book, The Virtual:
Later on in the summary of this chapter of the book, Shields makes an argument for recontextualizing the polarized argument between what is virtual and what is real into an examination of the difference between what is virtual and what is concrete. This is an important argument, I think. More people need to understand it, for while it seems obvious when you read it, too many seem to feel that if it isn't concrete, it can't be real -- a sophistic assertion, in my opinion and seemingly also in Shield's.
Thus does Shield make the argument for a definition of the virtual as "that which is so in essence", a definition I accept and will use from herein.
From Shields' book, The Virtual:
The space of metaxis (is) the operation of the imagination which connects the perceptual environment with the virtual and abstract world of meanings which over-code our perceptions [p.39].
...Techniques of the virtual create the illusion of presence through props, simulations, partial presences (such as a voice conveyed by a telephone or thoughts written in a book) and rituals which evoke the past and make absent others present. They aid metaxis from the virtual to the actual by giving concrete presence to intangible ideas [p.41].
...The virtual is ideal, but abstract, real but not actual...The roots of the virtual (are) in the everyday mental ability to accept the 'almost so' in place of the actually so. Metaxis (is therefore) the ability to imaginatively close up the gap...[p.43]
...Techniques of the virtual create the illusion of presence through props, simulations, partial presences (such as a voice conveyed by a telephone or thoughts written in a book) and rituals which evoke the past and make absent others present. They aid metaxis from the virtual to the actual by giving concrete presence to intangible ideas [p.41].
...The virtual is ideal, but abstract, real but not actual...The roots of the virtual (are) in the everyday mental ability to accept the 'almost so' in place of the actually so. Metaxis (is therefore) the ability to imaginatively close up the gap...[p.43]
Later on in the summary of this chapter of the book, Shields makes an argument for recontextualizing the polarized argument between what is virtual and what is real into an examination of the difference between what is virtual and what is concrete. This is an important argument, I think. More people need to understand it, for while it seems obvious when you read it, too many seem to feel that if it isn't concrete, it can't be real -- a sophistic assertion, in my opinion and seemingly also in Shield's.
Thus does Shield make the argument for a definition of the virtual as "that which is so in essence", a definition I accept and will use from herein.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
:: Metaxis? ::
While reading John Shield's book, The Virtual, I came across a concept he calls "metaxis".
I've had to return the book to the library and now I can't claim I fully understand the concept, but it does apply to the virtual.
I'll look into it at a later date, when my own copy of Shield's book arrives in the mail from Amazon.
While reading John Shield's book, The Virtual, I came across a concept he calls "metaxis".
I've had to return the book to the library and now I can't claim I fully understand the concept, but it does apply to the virtual.
I'll look into it at a later date, when my own copy of Shield's book arrives in the mail from Amazon.
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
:: Being of two minds ::
Again, from Dewdney:
Again, from Dewdney:
Rather than being evidence of the breakdwon of logic, or of low-grade hypocrisy, our ability to hold contrary opinions, to be of "two minds", is really a practical solution to the difficulties of dealing with complex environments. It is a mark of our flexibility and evidence of our multiplicity that we accept new ides without evicting our old "tenants".
Whatever identities we play out in our fantasies and regrets...are understudied by our multiple personalities. We tend to invent identities and characters in order to act out a particular narrative, and then, if we take our lives elsewhere, these characters become forgotten identities that we allow to wither. [p. 160]
Whatever identities we play out in our fantasies and regrets...are understudied by our multiple personalities. We tend to invent identities and characters in order to act out a particular narrative, and then, if we take our lives elsewhere, these characters become forgotten identities that we allow to wither. [p. 160]
Monday, November 03, 2003
:: What the....? ::
I've been a Sarah McLachlan fan for years, not rabid or anything, but I've seen her live about a dozen times and have all her albums.
It's been six years since she's released anything new. So it isn't surprising that I would have pre-ordered her new album, "Afterglow" [ flash required to view well ]
It came in the mail today from Indigo and I promptly opened it up, popped it into my PC (I've never bothered to buy a stereo for my office, since I have a high-quality sound card and speakers attached to my computer). I waited for the autorun to activate and for that sweet and haunting voice to emerge.
It didn't happen.
Instead, I was greeted with a screen from something called "Bandlink" that looked like a popup ad. Now, at first, I thought it was because I'd been browsing eBay and Canada.com and had both of these still open in browser windows. I thought perhaps that a popup had made it through my Google toolbar popup suppressor.
Nope. The popup was from Sarah's CD.
Hmmm...
I double-clicked on the E: drive and find it called "Bandlink". No other files apparent on the CD other than this Bandlink.exe thing. Even the CD icon showing for the E: drive is a Bandlink icon, not an icon from Sarah or Nettwerk, her production company, or anything else recognizably Sarah-related.
After 10 minutes of fiddling, I gave up. I could not access Sarah's music if I didn't install this software thingie.
With a big sigh of disgust and resignation, I gave in. I have no other choice -- as I said, I have no stereo up here.
I read the privacy statement and usage agreement for this bandlink thingie, as best I could given the highly jargoned legal language used. I watched the CD "install the software, though in reality it looks like it was downloading the music?!?!
2 minutes later, ahhhhhhh there she was.
But I'm still nonplussed.
What did I just buy? I was under the impression I was buying a CD full of music. I've got to assume there is music on the CD, or else how will I be able to play it in my car on my way to class later?
If so though, why are the music files "invisible" to my PC? Is this Nettwerk's way of circumventing digital appropriation?
The Bandlink site says this of their software. But read the small print at the bottom...i.e.:
So...
Bemused and somewhat unsettled, I sit here, listening to Sarah's sublime voice slide out of my PC's speakers, wondering.
Have I just been greeted with the next one-up strategy of corporate control over culture and popular tactics, with the strategy now disguised as a copyright protection gadget and forced on me against my will?
Sarah isn't sounding quite as sweet today.
I've been a Sarah McLachlan fan for years, not rabid or anything, but I've seen her live about a dozen times and have all her albums.
It's been six years since she's released anything new. So it isn't surprising that I would have pre-ordered her new album, "Afterglow" [ flash required to view well ]
It came in the mail today from Indigo and I promptly opened it up, popped it into my PC (I've never bothered to buy a stereo for my office, since I have a high-quality sound card and speakers attached to my computer). I waited for the autorun to activate and for that sweet and haunting voice to emerge.
It didn't happen.
Instead, I was greeted with a screen from something called "Bandlink" that looked like a popup ad. Now, at first, I thought it was because I'd been browsing eBay and Canada.com and had both of these still open in browser windows. I thought perhaps that a popup had made it through my Google toolbar popup suppressor.
Nope. The popup was from Sarah's CD.
Hmmm...
I double-clicked on the E: drive and find it called "Bandlink". No other files apparent on the CD other than this Bandlink.exe thing. Even the CD icon showing for the E: drive is a Bandlink icon, not an icon from Sarah or Nettwerk, her production company, or anything else recognizably Sarah-related.
After 10 minutes of fiddling, I gave up. I could not access Sarah's music if I didn't install this software thingie.
With a big sigh of disgust and resignation, I gave in. I have no other choice -- as I said, I have no stereo up here.
I read the privacy statement and usage agreement for this bandlink thingie, as best I could given the highly jargoned legal language used. I watched the CD "install the software, though in reality it looks like it was downloading the music?!?!
2 minutes later, ahhhhhhh there she was.
But I'm still nonplussed.
What did I just buy? I was under the impression I was buying a CD full of music. I've got to assume there is music on the CD, or else how will I be able to play it in my car on my way to class later?
If so though, why are the music files "invisible" to my PC? Is this Nettwerk's way of circumventing digital appropriation?
The Bandlink site says this of their software. But read the small print at the bottom...i.e.:
By uniting the existing CD media distribution model with online media and new software technology, Bandlink offers the full power of the Internet without the loss of revenue and piracy issues common to many Internet Music services.
So...
Bemused and somewhat unsettled, I sit here, listening to Sarah's sublime voice slide out of my PC's speakers, wondering.
Have I just been greeted with the next one-up strategy of corporate control over culture and popular tactics, with the strategy now disguised as a copyright protection gadget and forced on me against my will?
Sarah isn't sounding quite as sweet today.
Sunday, November 02, 2003
:: Life in-between ::
A concept I keep tripping across lately in the books I'm reading is the concept of liminality. Essentially it is a transient time or event boundary, an in-betweenness of a moment or event, in between one state of being or identity and another. Common liminal events are weddings, graduations, new unemployment, going into labour, etc. Common liminal moments are the person who is about to shoplift for the first time, just before they do so and become irrevocably forever a shoplifter, or the closing of a door on an old apartment or house before the person hands in the key and moves on to the new home.
I think liminality is a time in which we truly feel our humanity, our ability to choose. It's a state of being between choice and action, between decision and effect.
The poet Robert Frost understood liminality deeply -- his poems "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Eve" and "The Road Not Taken" suggest or dramatize it.
While I've been reading about liminality in Turkle and Shields, neither really fully apply the concept it to the online space and experience. Both mention it just in passing - it isn't a part of their overall thesis.
Somehow, though, the concept speaks to me at many levels when applied to the virtual experience. There are so many liminal moments and events online, enough that each person might be said to experience many in a given year. They can be as small as switching ISPs and therefore IPs, or as large as letting go of an email address and assuming a new one, deliberately killing off a character in an online game and preparing a new one, or deciding to learn a new game and thereby preparing to embark in the new online world.
If applied to digital gaming, per the example above, what might be learned if the liminal moment of "dying" and being recreated in the game are examined? If the process of creating a new character, liminal definitely, were observed and questioned and thought about? What is that feeling that beats in the chest when you assign yourself a name and begin to craft a new identity? How does that experience change a person?
This whole concept is one I'm going to bookmark in my head and here, to keep an eye on and consider as a research topic. I think there is lots there to study and attempt to understand.
A concept I keep tripping across lately in the books I'm reading is the concept of liminality. Essentially it is a transient time or event boundary, an in-betweenness of a moment or event, in between one state of being or identity and another. Common liminal events are weddings, graduations, new unemployment, going into labour, etc. Common liminal moments are the person who is about to shoplift for the first time, just before they do so and become irrevocably forever a shoplifter, or the closing of a door on an old apartment or house before the person hands in the key and moves on to the new home.
I think liminality is a time in which we truly feel our humanity, our ability to choose. It's a state of being between choice and action, between decision and effect.
The poet Robert Frost understood liminality deeply -- his poems "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Eve" and "The Road Not Taken" suggest or dramatize it.
While I've been reading about liminality in Turkle and Shields, neither really fully apply the concept it to the online space and experience. Both mention it just in passing - it isn't a part of their overall thesis.
Somehow, though, the concept speaks to me at many levels when applied to the virtual experience. There are so many liminal moments and events online, enough that each person might be said to experience many in a given year. They can be as small as switching ISPs and therefore IPs, or as large as letting go of an email address and assuming a new one, deliberately killing off a character in an online game and preparing a new one, or deciding to learn a new game and thereby preparing to embark in the new online world.
If applied to digital gaming, per the example above, what might be learned if the liminal moment of "dying" and being recreated in the game are examined? If the process of creating a new character, liminal definitely, were observed and questioned and thought about? What is that feeling that beats in the chest when you assign yourself a name and begin to craft a new identity? How does that experience change a person?
This whole concept is one I'm going to bookmark in my head and here, to keep an eye on and consider as a research topic. I think there is lots there to study and attempt to understand.
::Real, authentic and saturated ::
I was thinking about identity presentation online and so I went back to flip through a few pages of Turkle's ""Life on the Screen" and found one truly notable section. It is in chapter 10, in a section called "Logins R Us" on page 256-258.
Turkle is applying the concepts of a social psychologist called Kenneth Gergen (1991) and she makes reference to his theory of the "saturated self".
She says of the concept:
I've deliberately picked out what I see as the the best parts of her argument to share here, but I invite you read or re-read the section…For now, I'll use Turkle's own words to sum it up .. It's about the idea of "identity as multiplicity" (p.258)
What fascinates me about this is the juxtaposition with the other things Turkle has gone over in this book i.e. is online real? And can online be authentic? When these questions are fused with the question of a saturated self or a multiplicitous self, a new meta question appears...How does a real person who happens to be virtual also be simultaneously multiple and authentic?
Other questions are also suggested...
Where are the boundaries between front stage and back stage?
Do they still exist?
If they do, are they even relevant in this context?
The questions, then, aren't so much about the "why" of it all, as it is the "how" and the examination of the end result. While Turkle didn't deal specifially with the gaming identity aspects of MOOs and MUDs and MMPOGs etc, the question is clearly there in her work, though not necessarily synthesized in this way.
When you add in aspects of gaming where the demand to juggle an ever-larger multitude of selves that may or note be "other" for your flesh self, when your online identity saturates and splits and refracts your presentation of self over and over, what is the micro and macro social and personal consequence of this act? And is this act truly so different from the multitude of selves we already juggle in our daily lives i.e. co-worker, mother, manager, webbie, etc. etc. etc.? or is the only difference the place or the quantity of selves juggled?
It is my belief, therefore, that this is where sociologists should be focusing attention, in order to observe, examine, ponder, theorize and inform. This is certainly an area I intend to focus on in my own future research.
I was thinking about identity presentation online and so I went back to flip through a few pages of Turkle's ""Life on the Screen" and found one truly notable section. It is in chapter 10, in a section called "Logins R Us" on page 256-258.
Turkle is applying the concepts of a social psychologist called Kenneth Gergen (1991) and she makes reference to his theory of the "saturated self".
She says of the concept:
"we colonize each other's brains" causing us to become "saturated with the 'many voices of humankind -- both harmonious and alien'…we exist in a state of continous construction and reconstruction; it is a world where anything goes that can be negotiated. Each reality of self gives way to reflexive questioning, irony, and ultimately the playful probing of yet another reality'…(we) come to embrace new possibilities. Individual notions of self vanish "into a state of relatedness. One ceases to believe in a self independent of the relations in which he or she is embedded'…". (p.257)
I've deliberately picked out what I see as the the best parts of her argument to share here, but I invite you read or re-read the section…For now, I'll use Turkle's own words to sum it up .. It's about the idea of "identity as multiplicity" (p.258)
What fascinates me about this is the juxtaposition with the other things Turkle has gone over in this book i.e. is online real? And can online be authentic? When these questions are fused with the question of a saturated self or a multiplicitous self, a new meta question appears...How does a real person who happens to be virtual also be simultaneously multiple and authentic?
Other questions are also suggested...
Where are the boundaries between front stage and back stage?
Do they still exist?
If they do, are they even relevant in this context?
The questions, then, aren't so much about the "why" of it all, as it is the "how" and the examination of the end result. While Turkle didn't deal specifially with the gaming identity aspects of MOOs and MUDs and MMPOGs etc, the question is clearly there in her work, though not necessarily synthesized in this way.
When you add in aspects of gaming where the demand to juggle an ever-larger multitude of selves that may or note be "other" for your flesh self, when your online identity saturates and splits and refracts your presentation of self over and over, what is the micro and macro social and personal consequence of this act? And is this act truly so different from the multitude of selves we already juggle in our daily lives i.e. co-worker, mother, manager, webbie, etc. etc. etc.? or is the only difference the place or the quantity of selves juggled?
It is my belief, therefore, that this is where sociologists should be focusing attention, in order to observe, examine, ponder, theorize and inform. This is certainly an area I intend to focus on in my own future research.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
