YAY! this week there is no task set for us. Hope everyone catches up on any weeks lost or makes a start on their essay research! I'll be taking this opportunity to begin my essay before all my other assessments for other subjects get on top of me...
Good Luck, Ez :)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wikipedia!
This weeks tute exercise was involving Wikipedia, as discussed in the lecture. We were asked to pick 2 topics that we knew alot about. So firstly i have chosen Pomeranians, and secondly the rapper 50 cent. Two totally unrelated topics, i know!So lets start with the article on Pomeranians.
I recently received a puppy for my birthday, a little Pomeranian, who i called Coco-Chanel. And, yes, she is the cutest puppy you will EVER see!! Anyway, so in acquiring such a pup i had to read up and know exactly what i was getting. My best friend, who gave me Coco, has 2 Pomeranians so i did know a bit about them already but its always interesting to read more. I've read everything from the history of Poms to how to toilet train them! So by now i'd say i know a fair bit..
I found the article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeranian_(dog)
It is a very informative, detailed and accurate piece. It talks about all the normal details of a dog that you need to know, as well as health problems, history and an interesting part about famous people in history who owned Poms and celebrities who own them today. Quite interesting to note that Paris Hilton has 2 Poms! The article goes into detail on Pomeranian appearance and standards which is good for the beginner who wants or needs to know about this type of dog. It also has external links for further reading which is quite helpful. It is hard for this article to be biased as it is written as an informative piece, not an argument trying to influence you to pick a side.
Finally, one thing i would add to this article would be "traits", which i noticed has a heading on the page but is empty. In fairness, all dogs do have their own personality but there are certain traits that these Poms do posses that would be helpful to people who are considering getting a Pomeranian or for those who have just got one.
Now for the second part, American rapper 50 cent.
50 cent is an artist who people may think is a little out-of-left-field for my tastes, but theres always more than meets the eye and what people don't know about me is that i like all types of music. I have seen 50 cent's movie "Get rich or die tryin" and i must say i was quite impressed! It is a good insight into his life and the battle he's had. It actually provokes feeling and emotion, not your typical singer-turned-actor movie, that's for sure.
You can find the article here on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_cent
It is quite long and detailed, discussing the history of the artist, his rise to fame, controversies and disagreements with other rappers, his business ventures, a lawsuit, and the list goes on. It may seem like alot to read but i think you definitely need to read all aspects of this article in order to understand who 50 cent is and what he's about. It definitely covers all areas of importance in regard to 50 cent and his life, which is important for understanding this topic. It even goes as far to offer many links to related articles and subjects mentioned in the article. There are quite alot of references in this article which makes it fairly accurate, as it has not just come from one persons point of view. Which also coincides with the article being mostly unbiased, i'd say. There are alot of opportunities for bias in this piece, especially as it discusses controversies concerning certain other rappers, which leaves it open for people to take sides. But all in all it is pretty fair. I don't think i would want to add anything to this piece because if i was reading it for the first time i would know a fair bit about him!
I hope you have all learnt something today and perhaps gained a bit more insight into my life.
Til nxt time, Ez :)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction.
Walter Benjamin. An ideas man. A thinker. A person way beyond his time. Well i think so anyway.. The piece he wrote in 1936 (title mentioned above), set about some serious thought processes in my mind over the last week. It has made me look at the world we live in, things surrounding us, day to day life, very differently, albeit in a different light. We don't realise how much we take for granted and how much passes us by without us taking a second look and appreciating it all. It has also opened my eyes to much of what is real and what is, for a better word, edited.
Some questions posed for us to think about and answer...
First of all, it is important to establish that when Benjamin refers to 'art' he does not simply mean paintings or drawings. His reference is to everything artistic from painting to acting to singing. He encompasses all the different art forms. Benjamin states "when the age of mechanical reproduction separated art from its basis in cult, the semblance of its autonomy disappeared forever", which basically sets the theme for the rest of his piece.
The ideas suggested by Benjamin are that of authenticity and originality disappearing because of the technology we have invented in the modern age and this digital era that allows anything to be edited, changed, reproduced etc. without a second thought. Through the lack of authenticity the "total function of art is reversed", that is the process changes, both mentally and physically. It is no longer "based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice - politics". So for the first time in our history, art is no longer dependent on ritual, this due souly to mechanical reproduction. Therefore, art is now more widely available to the masses in exhibition form. In this instance Benjamin shows the ease of a portrait being exhibited, compared to "the statue of a divinity that has its fixed place in the interior of a temple". This now leads me to the idea of an 'aura' in works of art. So while we may not be able to see the 'original' statue of a divine god, modern technology allows these to be easily mass produced and sent anywhere in the world. I would have to say that literally being there, standing in front of a statue of a divinitythat is thousands and thousands of years old brought all the way from Greece, in the British Museum last year, is priceless compared to looking back on those memories in pictures. Same goes for beautiful sunrises i've witnessed on tropical islands in the pacific where the moon is still setting as the sun is rising, and viewing this all through scattered coconut palms over the ocean. Words could not explain how amazing it was, yet looking back at the picture just isn't the same. So when Benjamin talks about the 'aura', he is referring to the essence of the object that it accumulates over time from beginning to end in "testimony to the history it has experienced". The "authority of an object" is also jeopardised through mechanical reproduction which in turn eliminates the "aura of the work of art". In a sense, the reproduced object is removed from tradition through this technique and all essence or 'aura' is lost. The same can be said for live performances. Viewing live concerts or acting enables the audience to become deeply involved and to experience the performance and the ambience. Whereas watching a movie, someone acting on a screen "permits the audience to take the position of a critic, without experiencing any personal contact with the actor", says Benjamin.
As for photoshopped images being classed as authentic. I think it really depends on the object and the reason. Generally i'd say no in a sense, that photoshopped images wouldn't be authentic if you edit, crop and change an original image then they lose all value. But that then poses the question that if an image is changed enough, is that classed as authentic to the new artist? But also what is classed as enough? And if an artist creates an image from scratch on photoshop then who's to say it's not authentic? Photoshop can create some great altered images, like black and white etc. It definitely is up to the individual but it's also a bit of a grey area as far as rules and laws of authenticity go! Benjamin states "mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art". I guess this is due to all the technology we have at our fingertips we are now able to create or change any form of art so it no longer surprises people anymore. We are in a world moving forward and art will never be the same again!
Some questions posed for us to think about and answer...
- How do the ideas from Walter Benjamin's "The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction" apply to contemporary digital media?
- There was a time when "Art" was made by artists who were skilled professionals. Now that anyone with a computer can create things digitally (music, images, videos, etc), what does it mean for art?
- Is a Photoshopped image authentic?
- Do digital things have an 'aura' (in Walter Benjamin's terms)?
First of all, it is important to establish that when Benjamin refers to 'art' he does not simply mean paintings or drawings. His reference is to everything artistic from painting to acting to singing. He encompasses all the different art forms. Benjamin states "when the age of mechanical reproduction separated art from its basis in cult, the semblance of its autonomy disappeared forever", which basically sets the theme for the rest of his piece.
The ideas suggested by Benjamin are that of authenticity and originality disappearing because of the technology we have invented in the modern age and this digital era that allows anything to be edited, changed, reproduced etc. without a second thought. Through the lack of authenticity the "total function of art is reversed", that is the process changes, both mentally and physically. It is no longer "based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice - politics". So for the first time in our history, art is no longer dependent on ritual, this due souly to mechanical reproduction. Therefore, art is now more widely available to the masses in exhibition form. In this instance Benjamin shows the ease of a portrait being exhibited, compared to "the statue of a divinity that has its fixed place in the interior of a temple". This now leads me to the idea of an 'aura' in works of art. So while we may not be able to see the 'original' statue of a divine god, modern technology allows these to be easily mass produced and sent anywhere in the world. I would have to say that literally being there, standing in front of a statue of a divinitythat is thousands and thousands of years old brought all the way from Greece, in the British Museum last year, is priceless compared to looking back on those memories in pictures. Same goes for beautiful sunrises i've witnessed on tropical islands in the pacific where the moon is still setting as the sun is rising, and viewing this all through scattered coconut palms over the ocean. Words could not explain how amazing it was, yet looking back at the picture just isn't the same. So when Benjamin talks about the 'aura', he is referring to the essence of the object that it accumulates over time from beginning to end in "testimony to the history it has experienced". The "authority of an object" is also jeopardised through mechanical reproduction which in turn eliminates the "aura of the work of art". In a sense, the reproduced object is removed from tradition through this technique and all essence or 'aura' is lost. The same can be said for live performances. Viewing live concerts or acting enables the audience to become deeply involved and to experience the performance and the ambience. Whereas watching a movie, someone acting on a screen "permits the audience to take the position of a critic, without experiencing any personal contact with the actor", says Benjamin.
As for photoshopped images being classed as authentic. I think it really depends on the object and the reason. Generally i'd say no in a sense, that photoshopped images wouldn't be authentic if you edit, crop and change an original image then they lose all value. But that then poses the question that if an image is changed enough, is that classed as authentic to the new artist? But also what is classed as enough? And if an artist creates an image from scratch on photoshop then who's to say it's not authentic? Photoshop can create some great altered images, like black and white etc. It definitely is up to the individual but it's also a bit of a grey area as far as rules and laws of authenticity go! Benjamin states "mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art". I guess this is due to all the technology we have at our fingertips we are now able to create or change any form of art so it no longer surprises people anymore. We are in a world moving forward and art will never be the same again!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Search Engines and You!
This week we've been asked to look at search engines and how they work. Things like how do pages get ranked and what makes one more important or relevant than another one. Complicated stuff, i know, so here we go..
Each search engine follow a set of rules known as an algorithm, but how each engines algorithm works is a trade-secret. Generally, they follow what is called the location/frequency method. This involves the location and frequency of keywords used on a web page. Also used is how pages link to each other, which may give them higher ranks, thus determine how one page is ranked higher than the other. But also based on relevance of the page when you're searching keywords.
It's all very technical as far as im concerned, so this is just my general take on how its done, according to the reading i've done.
My favourite search engines would be yahoo.com and google although i do use altavista occasionally. Google scholar is also another good one for academic research, i highly recommend it!
Feeewww...i need a break now. Keep a look out for my nxt update on my travels in New Comms Tech and wat else ive discovered..
Til nxt time, Ez :)
Each search engine follow a set of rules known as an algorithm, but how each engines algorithm works is a trade-secret. Generally, they follow what is called the location/frequency method. This involves the location and frequency of keywords used on a web page. Also used is how pages link to each other, which may give them higher ranks, thus determine how one page is ranked higher than the other. But also based on relevance of the page when you're searching keywords.
It's all very technical as far as im concerned, so this is just my general take on how its done, according to the reading i've done.
My favourite search engines would be yahoo.com and google although i do use altavista occasionally. Google scholar is also another good one for academic research, i highly recommend it!
Feeewww...i need a break now. Keep a look out for my nxt update on my travels in New Comms Tech and wat else ive discovered..
Til nxt time, Ez :)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Tutorial
Scavenger Hunt!
Last week we got a list of questions and had to find them without using google. so i tested out some other search engines and discovered they do exactly the same thing. Thus, poses the question "why does everyone use google?"
Below are the questions and answers:
philippines.lovebug.02/index.html
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/paperclip.htm
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070215111506AAXHZJq
http://openmap.bbn.com/~tomlinso/ray/firstemailframe.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2007/10/the_storm_worm_maelstrom_or_te.html
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/10/the_storm_worm.html
http://www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~toxicoh/blackas.htm
http://socialsoftware.weblogsinc.com/2005/09/29/approaching-a-definition-of-web-2-0/
Well i'll leave that with you coz im sure you're on information overload as it is.
Til nxt time, Ez :)
Last week we got a list of questions and had to find them without using google. so i tested out some other search engines and discovered they do exactly the same thing. Thus, poses the question "why does everyone use google?"
Below are the questions and answers:
- Who was the creator of the infamous "lovebug" computer virus?
- Who invented the paper clip?
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/paperclip.htm
- How did the Ebola virus get its name?
- What country had the largest recorded earthquake?
- In computer memory/storage terms, how many kilobytes in a terabyte?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070215111506AAXHZJq
- Who is the creator of email?
http://openmap.bbn.com/~tomlinso/ray/firstemailframe.html
- What is the storm worm and how many computers are affected by it?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2007/10/the_storm_worm_maelstrom_or_te.html
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/10/the_storm_worm.html
- If you wanted to contact the Prime Minister of Australia directly, what is the most efficient way?
http://www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm
- Which Brisbane-based punk band is Stephen Stockwell (head of school of arts) a member of?
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~toxicoh/blackas.htm
- What does the term 'Web 2.0' mean in your own words?
http://socialsoftware.weblogsinc.com/2005/09/29/approaching-a-definition-of-web-2-0/
Well i'll leave that with you coz im sure you're on information overload as it is.
Til nxt time, Ez :)
Something to Ponder..
It has been awhile since my last post, so alot to say about whats been on my mind as far as New Comm Tech goes. And although this isnt part of our weekly task, its just something i find interesting so im putting it out there! In the lecture a few weeks ago we were presented with the results of the survey for our subject that asked questions about new and old technologies and how/why we use them and the patterns that they take in our lives. Quite interesting to note that people rely alot on technology these days. I mean, i knew that but these results put it out there in black & white for all to see and its amazing how reliant we have become on all the technology thats available today! Looking back at the "written letter" compared to email, results showed barely any people use letters at all and some claim to have never posted a letter or received one - how bizarre?! Not only is email a whole lot more convenient compared to "snail mail", as i like to refer to it, but it has become deeply etched into our generation and most of society i'd say. Something else that surprised me somewhat, the findings that online usage (the net) is more favourable than time spent on video games. i'm not sure if that has to do with the fact that there are more girls than boys in 1501ART, approx. ratio 2:1, or that video games are slowly being replaced by on-line gaming. The internet also provides more control and convenience for us, as the survey results showed, and people like having alot of information available. But who wouldn't? It makes our lives a whole lot easier, giving us more time for other things in life. I would even go as far to say that the internet improves quality of life somewhat. It definitely saves me time and can eliminate problems, as i do bill paying, net banking, keep in contact with friends and family etc, all on-line and it even gives me access to all my uni subjects and notes on-line. This makes for a greater convenience in my life thats for sure!
One other thing to think about, results of the survey showed that students are working less and studying more. This is an interesting claim and may have many factors contributing as to why this is. I'm sure this has changed alot in the last decade, and definitely since our parents were studying at uni, when they had to work full time as well as study. Again, something to do with the amount of technology available to us today?
Overall, the survey results when put into graph form, indicated that we, being the students, use alot of networks. Email and phones were used 100% by everybody, whereas myspace, facebook and file sharing (p2p) also showed high usage.
Something to ponder...
Till nxt time, Ez :)
One other thing to think about, results of the survey showed that students are working less and studying more. This is an interesting claim and may have many factors contributing as to why this is. I'm sure this has changed alot in the last decade, and definitely since our parents were studying at uni, when they had to work full time as well as study. Again, something to do with the amount of technology available to us today?
Overall, the survey results when put into graph form, indicated that we, being the students, use alot of networks. Email and phones were used 100% by everybody, whereas myspace, facebook and file sharing (p2p) also showed high usage.
Something to ponder...
Till nxt time, Ez :)
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