Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Idea for final project
For my final project, I like the idea of writing about human rights crises in the world. I seem to be magnetically drawn to writing about global crises and human rights issues. I have written about workers' rights in Dubai, womens' rights in Saudi Arabia, the current violence and grass roots peace efforts in Colombia, the current humanitarian crisis in Burma, reconciliation efforts in Rwanda, and the current crisis in Darfur.
I think it will be interesting, given the focus of this class, to (as Dr. T suggested) examine the ways in which increased accessibility and use of the internet, and wider modes of media over the internet has affected global awareness of particular global humanitarian disasters. Instead of looking at just one region or country, I would like to look at a number of different cases, including Darfur (because it is an excellent example of how the internet has been used en masse to reach a global audience and garner solidarity and support for the victims as well as working to influence change) as well as Tibet, and Burma.
I think it will be interesting, given the focus of this class, to (as Dr. T suggested) examine the ways in which increased accessibility and use of the internet, and wider modes of media over the internet has affected global awareness of particular global humanitarian disasters. Instead of looking at just one region or country, I would like to look at a number of different cases, including Darfur (because it is an excellent example of how the internet has been used en masse to reach a global audience and garner solidarity and support for the victims as well as working to influence change) as well as Tibet, and Burma.
Online Academics
I wasn't sure whether we were supposed to write about the online academics links posted or to merely read them and discuss them in class.
In general I think I would have to say that I support MIT's open course initiative. This seems to be a step in the right direction in terms of breaking down the long-established wall that has held University curriculum up on an elitist pedestal. What I mean is that by making everything that MIT teaches completely open and accessible to the public--a public consisting in part of those individuals who may never have the chance to attend an ivy league school--there are no secrets and MIT suddenly becomes relevant to everyone, less untouchable. In the long run, I don't know whether this will prove to be good or bad for MIT. One the one hand, MIT is significantly acknowledging that knowledge is meant to be free, whether it is in the form of a lecture developed by a teacher or not. Yet they are making a subtle distinction between knowledge and academic accomplishment. The information is free; the degree and the MIT name still cost money. In addition, this means that MIT becomes almost more elitist because this distinction--the fact that people will still want to go to MIT and get a degree there because it's respected, because it's established as being upper-crust--almost negates the academic element involved in MIT's respectability and places an emphasis on MIT as a name more than anything.
That aside, the fact that inevitably, someone somewhere is going to put university materials online makes MIT's decision preemptive and wise. They are branding themselves as technologically ahead of the game.
But what about the teachers? By MIT giving away its curriculum, it seems to be disregarding the authorship of the professors and claiming that all work produced or developed at MIT whether it is a class or lecture or an invention or some sort of software, belongs to MIT in the end and thus they can do what they want with this information.
This doesn't necessarily tie into the controversy involving the professor suing for the note to his lecture being sold, but still, there's the issue of whether knowledge can be owned and whether a professor owns the information he gives as a part of a university course. I mean, if the professor gets to sue, does the university get to sue as well? At the same time, I can appreciate the fact that a professor would see his lecture as his own intellectual property and thus lecture notes from that as being part of that property. I don't think it's wrong to share lecture notes, but definitely to profit from them when the professor doesn't share in that profit is wrong.
In general I think I would have to say that I support MIT's open course initiative. This seems to be a step in the right direction in terms of breaking down the long-established wall that has held University curriculum up on an elitist pedestal. What I mean is that by making everything that MIT teaches completely open and accessible to the public--a public consisting in part of those individuals who may never have the chance to attend an ivy league school--there are no secrets and MIT suddenly becomes relevant to everyone, less untouchable. In the long run, I don't know whether this will prove to be good or bad for MIT. One the one hand, MIT is significantly acknowledging that knowledge is meant to be free, whether it is in the form of a lecture developed by a teacher or not. Yet they are making a subtle distinction between knowledge and academic accomplishment. The information is free; the degree and the MIT name still cost money. In addition, this means that MIT becomes almost more elitist because this distinction--the fact that people will still want to go to MIT and get a degree there because it's respected, because it's established as being upper-crust--almost negates the academic element involved in MIT's respectability and places an emphasis on MIT as a name more than anything.
That aside, the fact that inevitably, someone somewhere is going to put university materials online makes MIT's decision preemptive and wise. They are branding themselves as technologically ahead of the game.
But what about the teachers? By MIT giving away its curriculum, it seems to be disregarding the authorship of the professors and claiming that all work produced or developed at MIT whether it is a class or lecture or an invention or some sort of software, belongs to MIT in the end and thus they can do what they want with this information.
This doesn't necessarily tie into the controversy involving the professor suing for the note to his lecture being sold, but still, there's the issue of whether knowledge can be owned and whether a professor owns the information he gives as a part of a university course. I mean, if the professor gets to sue, does the university get to sue as well? At the same time, I can appreciate the fact that a professor would see his lecture as his own intellectual property and thus lecture notes from that as being part of that property. I don't think it's wrong to share lecture notes, but definitely to profit from them when the professor doesn't share in that profit is wrong.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Response to group projects
There were about three projects that really caught my attention during our group project show last Thursday. Tammy and Alyse's project was one of these three, and since they both volunteered for Camile and my interviews and were subsequent inspirations for two of our fairy tale characters, it seemed fitting to review their project. Somehow this seems to let things come full circle.
One of the things I really liked about Tammy and Alyse's project, "What is Love," was that each of their voices was distinctly present within the work as a whole. While this aspect is inherent to the particular structure of their project, it still bears mention since being able to clearly identify two distinct trains of thought within the work added, I think, to the personality of the piece, adding extra layers to it. By adding extra layers, I mean that not only was their a flash fictional work, which did indeed create imagery and evoke emotion that lingered long after the story itself was over, but there was also a completely separate--yet relevant and connected--dialog occurring in which I as the reader was able to hear both Tammy and Alyse's voices and to understand each of their understandings of the text. In this context, I like that way that Tammy apparently had not been briefed by Alyse on the work she was writing ahead of time, as this would have spoiled the very realistic process of reader reaction and author answer that is documented within their "conversation." Moreover, I liked the way that the stucture lent itself fluidly to a natural explanation of the text. Having an explanation from Alyse, the author was useful, and yet they allowed this explanation to necessarily be displayed in a non -self aggrandizing, non-self righteous way. The author is not setting out a forced interpretation on the reader.
I also like the way that the text can be read in several different ways, which all will influence the way the reader will initially understand the work as a whole. This means that some readers will not go through the reading experience that Tammy went through, as she had only one choice in reading. I chose to read through the flash fiction first, then proceeded to clicking on each of the hyperlinked lines in the text to read Tammy's comments, along with Alyse's responses to them. I usually went back to the text to read the next hyperliked line, but in some cases I would link over to Tammy's full commentary. I never found the jumping back and forth impeding or inconvenient. Rather, I enjoyed the span and webbing of the work and the chance to get a glimpse into the minds of each of the writers.
In addition, I liked the way that
One of the things I really liked about Tammy and Alyse's project, "What is Love," was that each of their voices was distinctly present within the work as a whole. While this aspect is inherent to the particular structure of their project, it still bears mention since being able to clearly identify two distinct trains of thought within the work added, I think, to the personality of the piece, adding extra layers to it. By adding extra layers, I mean that not only was their a flash fictional work, which did indeed create imagery and evoke emotion that lingered long after the story itself was over, but there was also a completely separate--yet relevant and connected--dialog occurring in which I as the reader was able to hear both Tammy and Alyse's voices and to understand each of their understandings of the text. In this context, I like that way that Tammy apparently had not been briefed by Alyse on the work she was writing ahead of time, as this would have spoiled the very realistic process of reader reaction and author answer that is documented within their "conversation." Moreover, I liked the way that the stucture lent itself fluidly to a natural explanation of the text. Having an explanation from Alyse, the author was useful, and yet they allowed this explanation to necessarily be displayed in a non -self aggrandizing, non-self righteous way. The author is not setting out a forced interpretation on the reader.
I also like the way that the text can be read in several different ways, which all will influence the way the reader will initially understand the work as a whole. This means that some readers will not go through the reading experience that Tammy went through, as she had only one choice in reading. I chose to read through the flash fiction first, then proceeded to clicking on each of the hyperlinked lines in the text to read Tammy's comments, along with Alyse's responses to them. I usually went back to the text to read the next hyperliked line, but in some cases I would link over to Tammy's full commentary. I never found the jumping back and forth impeding or inconvenient. Rather, I enjoyed the span and webbing of the work and the chance to get a glimpse into the minds of each of the writers.
In addition, I liked the way that
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Groupo Projectos
My group consists of me and Camile.
Our idea for the group project is mutli-tiered. First we'd like to create a play loosely based on an ethnographic approach--but without the ethnographic ethics in the sense that we will create five characters and build scripts for them based on short interviews we'll do with them in class, but the characters we create will be stereotypes based on the interviews. The questions we ask will be formed to bring out easy stereotypes in our informants. For example, the question, "what is your favorite music" might elicit a response that an informant likes country music. They might then turn into a character named Bubba who wears a red bandana. The point is that we want to be blatantly clear that we are creating stereotyped characters. Our class mates will be aware of this when we announce that we are looking for volunteer informants. Those who do not want to participate don't have to. Once we know who is interested in volunteering, we'll pass numbers around and randomly choose 5 informants, with whom we will conduct short 10-15 minute interviews.
Once we have our information, Camile and I will create characters and develop a script so that we have a play/story. This play will be acted out with hand and mouth PUPPETS as a puppet show. We will film scenes separately so that we will be ble to develop a "choose-your-own-puppet-show" type presentation online. Viewers will have the task/opportunity to click on links as they come to the end of a scene which ill direct them to a new scene and an alternate development in the play so that each viwer's experience will be a little different. In addition, we hope to create at least one looped scene, similar to 12 Blue, where a viewer will continuously return to a random scene and will have to back track and find a new path to the end of the play/puppet show. Our hope is that this will be a light, comical show in which informants will be able to identify their contributions to a certain character, and where at the same time, classmates will enjoy the process of finding their way through the visual narrative.
We will include intrview transripts and the script we write on our websites.
Our idea for the group project is mutli-tiered. First we'd like to create a play loosely based on an ethnographic approach--but without the ethnographic ethics in the sense that we will create five characters and build scripts for them based on short interviews we'll do with them in class, but the characters we create will be stereotypes based on the interviews. The questions we ask will be formed to bring out easy stereotypes in our informants. For example, the question, "what is your favorite music" might elicit a response that an informant likes country music. They might then turn into a character named Bubba who wears a red bandana. The point is that we want to be blatantly clear that we are creating stereotyped characters. Our class mates will be aware of this when we announce that we are looking for volunteer informants. Those who do not want to participate don't have to. Once we know who is interested in volunteering, we'll pass numbers around and randomly choose 5 informants, with whom we will conduct short 10-15 minute interviews.
Once we have our information, Camile and I will create characters and develop a script so that we have a play/story. This play will be acted out with hand and mouth PUPPETS as a puppet show. We will film scenes separately so that we will be ble to develop a "choose-your-own-puppet-show" type presentation online. Viewers will have the task/opportunity to click on links as they come to the end of a scene which ill direct them to a new scene and an alternate development in the play so that each viwer's experience will be a little different. In addition, we hope to create at least one looped scene, similar to 12 Blue, where a viewer will continuously return to a random scene and will have to back track and find a new path to the end of the play/puppet show. Our hope is that this will be a light, comical show in which informants will be able to identify their contributions to a certain character, and where at the same time, classmates will enjoy the process of finding their way through the visual narrative.
We will include intrview transripts and the script we write on our websites.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
What is Narrative?
Well, I thought I had a vague idea of what narrative was, and then I read Arseth's article...now I'm totally befuddled. I kept waiting for Aseth to specifically address narrative and discuss what that is--or at least what he thinks it is. He discusses text and what that is and what it's been thought to be. He also discusses cybertext--obviously--and provides a definition of what that encompasses, which was actually quite informative. I was one of the naive people who thought that cybertext necessarily implied computers. Surprisingly to me, Arseth explains that cybertext is any text/"system" that possesses some sort of information feedback loop. Ok. He also refers to ergotic literature as a machine. Interesting. I can't say that I understood ALL of what Arseth talks about, but my perspectives on text and literature and cybertext and ergotic text have been broadened assuredly.
But that still leaves me with the question "what is narrative?" to answer.
UGH.
Is narrative different from text? Is narrative different from literature?
Somehow I feel like narrative falls somewhere between the two. Narrative is more specific than text in that it tells some sort of a story. It is a text, but a text, I think, might not necessarily be a narrative. Similarly, literature seems a bit too narrow a term, since narratives can include non textual aspects. A picture can be a narrative. A song can be a narrative.
People question whether multiple user dungeons and text-based games and digital role playing games and other hypertexts are narratives. They seem to be up in arms about whether these texts can be considered linear or literary, etc. At least in terms of being narrative, I tend to think, well, yes, why not? Whether the author is totally the author and the reader totally the reader, or whether the author sets the groundwork and the reader takes on part of the authorship-creatorship, or is simply more of a participant, engaging in the illusion of authorship, a story is still, in the end being told. As a narrative, I think that's what counts. a narrative can be a story of past, present or future, made up or true, or parts of both. I think the end result--what comes out of every reading, even if each reading is totally unique, counts as narrative.
But that still leaves me with the question "what is narrative?" to answer.
UGH.
Is narrative different from text? Is narrative different from literature?
Somehow I feel like narrative falls somewhere between the two. Narrative is more specific than text in that it tells some sort of a story. It is a text, but a text, I think, might not necessarily be a narrative. Similarly, literature seems a bit too narrow a term, since narratives can include non textual aspects. A picture can be a narrative. A song can be a narrative.
People question whether multiple user dungeons and text-based games and digital role playing games and other hypertexts are narratives. They seem to be up in arms about whether these texts can be considered linear or literary, etc. At least in terms of being narrative, I tend to think, well, yes, why not? Whether the author is totally the author and the reader totally the reader, or whether the author sets the groundwork and the reader takes on part of the authorship-creatorship, or is simply more of a participant, engaging in the illusion of authorship, a story is still, in the end being told. As a narrative, I think that's what counts. a narrative can be a story of past, present or future, made up or true, or parts of both. I think the end result--what comes out of every reading, even if each reading is totally unique, counts as narrative.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Remix Peer Review
I really loved watching all the presentations last week; it made me regret not being a film or art major and being able to have the chance to appreciate other peoples' creativity in an intimate communal (yes, it's a class, but it still felt at least somewhat communal) environment. I kicked myself after sitting back down from my own presentation and realizing that there were all sorts of things I had planned on saying and then forgot to under the projector light and in the "hot seat." Ah well.
There were several projects that struck me particularly--especially Bo's since he used lines from the text of my faith. Actually, I have to say that I felt really happy to see those lines up there on the screen, since not a lot of people have ever heard of my faith, and if they have, chances are it's some ignorant gossipy negative misinformation that they picked up (on the Internet).I guess that's why Bo's project made me feel so--um, accepted?--so happy; because without any preconceived notions, Bo took my faith's text with all the rest and sort of equalized everything.
BUT. The project I actually wanted to talk about here is Rose's project: "Strength and Weakness."
I think one of the things I liked most about it was its simplicity, which in fact allowed the detail and meaning of the piece to emerge more fluidly. I was surprised to find that while I had been so engrossed with making my project complex enough and interesting enough, Rose had succeeded in achieving these things with very little technical methods required. Had I once again gone overboard?
Well, that aside, I love the arrangement of Rose's words on each page of her site. Some pages seem to make a shape with her words, particularly the "devour" page, which begins with "a single act of good will" on the left, with words above and below moving to the right in a funnel or arrow and ending with "lonely." The movement makes sense here, I think.
I enjoyed trying to imagine what these sentence fragments were once a part of--what thoughts were they expressing? It's strange to think of all those diary entries shattered and strewn around on the web pages, forming new meanings and significance on their own, and as they exist with other fragments on the screen. I also enjoyed finding the links--looking for the one or few words that would channel me to the next collection of loosely-strung words and phrases. IEach page certainly reads like a poem, and what's great is that there isn't one set order in which to read the poems; each one can change every time depending on how I choose to read it.
There were several projects that struck me particularly--especially Bo's since he used lines from the text of my faith. Actually, I have to say that I felt really happy to see those lines up there on the screen, since not a lot of people have ever heard of my faith, and if they have, chances are it's some ignorant gossipy negative misinformation that they picked up (on the Internet).I guess that's why Bo's project made me feel so--um, accepted?--so happy; because without any preconceived notions, Bo took my faith's text with all the rest and sort of equalized everything.
BUT. The project I actually wanted to talk about here is Rose's project: "Strength and Weakness."
I think one of the things I liked most about it was its simplicity, which in fact allowed the detail and meaning of the piece to emerge more fluidly. I was surprised to find that while I had been so engrossed with making my project complex enough and interesting enough, Rose had succeeded in achieving these things with very little technical methods required. Had I once again gone overboard?
Well, that aside, I love the arrangement of Rose's words on each page of her site. Some pages seem to make a shape with her words, particularly the "devour" page, which begins with "a single act of good will" on the left, with words above and below moving to the right in a funnel or arrow and ending with "lonely." The movement makes sense here, I think.
I enjoyed trying to imagine what these sentence fragments were once a part of--what thoughts were they expressing? It's strange to think of all those diary entries shattered and strewn around on the web pages, forming new meanings and significance on their own, and as they exist with other fragments on the screen. I also enjoyed finding the links--looking for the one or few words that would channel me to the next collection of loosely-strung words and phrases. IEach page certainly reads like a poem, and what's great is that there isn't one set order in which to read the poems; each one can change every time depending on how I choose to read it.
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