DTC 356 "Extra Blog Post"

In light of our reading about "Exhibitionism", why don't you share the first viral video you remember watching "back in the day".

Here's the one I most clearly remember:

    As suggested in the prompt, Stiglitz seems to be more focused on deriving a general model for how changes in technology correlate to changes in economics. Stiglitz doesn't give any “real-world” analogies in his paper, choosing instead to build a standardized view of how a market works, regardless of what machines or technology is being used at the current moment. Stiglitz explains in detail how the risk-reduction put into place by every major business while on the verge of a recession does not stave off the recession, but only hastens its arrival.

    Stigltiz also makes the noteworthy observation, stating that a free markets are “institutions that have evolved to solve information problems ”. In one sense, a free market is self-regulating computer, that, when one issue arises, acts in a certain way to counteract that issue.

    Shapiro and Varian, on the other hand, argue that they (like Stiglitz) do not seek to predict the future, but rather seek standardized models that work in any economic situation, no matter what technology is currently being used. While they conclude their paper, saying that they wish to avoid analogies in their arguments, their entire introduction relies on real-world examples of what has and hasn't happened with certain technologies and tech companies.

    Now, this does not mean that S & V had nothing to contribute. In fact, I found many of their arguments and points very interesting, especially the part about “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention”. I think that phrase, in particular, is very relevant in our current society (see my last post, the comic strip, for my opinion about that).

    As for who I align myself with ideologically, I'd have to say that I don't really like either situation. Now, I'm no Communist, but personally, I hate it when people think of money as the highest, best standard of value. Yes money is necessary and important, but I really wouldn't mind working for a 501c3 non profit one day. 501c3's do not work to earn money for their stockholders or even their owners. They work to provide a service or resource to the public. Most museums are 501c3's. All money earned from ticket sales, train rides, donations, tours, etc. goes back into the organization to fund and further improve the organization's achievement of its mission statement. And yes, some of that money can be used to pay employees to keep the organization's doors open. I would love to be able to support myself and possibly a family one day, while providing a service and educational resource to the larger community.

So, I never draw comics, but I felt that this would be the best medium for expressing my observations on why the "Memex" would never work with the modern mindset. So here it is, a commentary on both the consequences of never building what you design, and the problem that I think modern man faces when it comes to technology: it's too entertaining. 

So, here you go; a 6-frame comic strip. Enjoy :)

Randomness & Information: English 356

Prompt: "Gleick, in considering the relationship between randomness and information, makes a distinction between interesting and uninteresting numbers. As we start thinking about the midterm, I'll be looking for interesting projects from you. What might "interesting" mean in a DTC project, and what would its opposite be? Offer examples (in whatever media you choose) to help you make your point."

"Interesting" & "Random" are two different possible interpretations of information. Someone who determines certain information "interesting" is intrigued by that information, and will likely rule that that information has some effect on his life and actions to some degree. On the other hand, "random" information  has little to no bearing on that person's life/ course of action, and is considered "useless" or "un-needed". 

In a DTC project, we deal with information. The hard part is taking that information and making it applicable to our audience. We want the information we present and the way we present it to be interesting. Even if the information is interesting, a poor presentation of that information will quickly lose you your audience. 

Now, one interesting way to present boring information is to use a method that, at first, at least, seems random. There is definitely an order to the information being presented, but a "slippery slope" argument can definitely be entertaining to your audience. I think a good example of this are the DirecTV commercials, which try to make an otherwise uninteresting message interesting (or at least memorable) by using a slippery slope argument to entertain their audience (which will, hopefully, cause their audience to remember the DirecTV name when upgrading their TV service): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtdBe4ILXyM

The other, and perhaps better option, though, is to have an interesting message to begin with. Rather than using comedy to disguise a weak message, interesting information with an interesting presentation might be used instead. One of the best examples I can think of for "interesting information presented in an interesting way" is the ending of the "Bioshock: Infinite" video game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOBELxAoztM 

This ending takes some complicated theories about reality and parallel universes and makes it visual, using lighthouses standing in an ocean to represent each separate reality (if I understand it correctly). 

Media that share information in an interesting way usually become hailed as a "classic", and are often remembered well-after current technology has rendered it "obsolete". Though the media may be dated, the message and the way that message was given becomes timeless.

When it comes to creating a mid-term DTC project, I think the hard part will be creating media that is interesting in and of itself. Creating a method to give a message in an interesting way isn't too difficult. Coming up with a good message in the first place could prove to be the hard part.

Complexities in the Gleick Reading: 9-27-2013

Prompt: What is the most complex or difficult about the reading's references to Boole, Russell, Gödel, Maxwell, and others? Why is it challenging? What words or concepts in particular are problematic? I pose these questions because I know that difficulty is often a way in or point of access: if you figure out what's difficult about a text, you've figured out its problem.

I enjoy figuring out how things work. I enjoy tinkering with machines to make them work better, or at least work again if they are already broken or problematic. I think part of being a tinkerer is to recognize what you are capable of, and what is "over your head". For example, I do not completely understand how capacitors on a circuit board work. To me, they are "instant-discharge batteries that have some magic chemicals inside them that hold and discharge electricity". I could not build you a new capacitor. However, I understand enough about them to know what they do, generally how they work, how to identify a bad one, and, most importantly, how to be safe around them. 

When Gleick starts explaining the mathematical formulas for the basic units of meaning, I admit that that information is over my head. I have no idea how that equation works. I proved way back in grammar school that my head was not designed to hold or process numbers and equations. I can't do math. However, that doesn't mean I disregard it. I may not fully understand how Hartley's equation works, nor do I understand how Hartley arrived at that equation. However, I do understand that Hartley's equation works, and I understand what it does, much like that capacitor on the circuit board. I couldn't build you a similar equation, but, if trained, I could learn to apply the current one. 

When it comes to tinkering, I've found that I learn best by doing. I came to understand how computers work by removing viruses and messing around in my Windows registry. I came to understand how basic programming is done by taking a Python coding class. Was I good at coding? No. Did that class help me understand the concept of coding? Yes. I learned about bandwidths, audio feedback, and over-modulation from working sound crew at church and other live events, and from converting old tapes to mp3 for friends. I learned about the difference between AC and DC electricity, short circuits, and voltage vs. amperage, along with numerous other handy skills, from my model railroading hobby. I don't know all the equations relating to voltage and amperage, but I do understand how to two work, and how they're related to each other. I guess you could say I have a practical understanding of the world around me, rather than an abstract one.

As the old saying goes. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from having bad judgement. I've messed up a fair amount of projects, but each experience has led me to (in most cases) do better on the next project. Part of understanding is recognizing what you will never quite "get", and getting a "good enough grip" on that material so as to be able to apply your knowledge practically.

Railroad Time; Moving Information versus Things

Prompt: Gleick writes early in the chapter that in 1849, "already railroad time was telegraphic time" (125). Why was this so? How did the invention of railroads lead to time zones? What are the implications of differences in the velocity and magnitude of transporting information and transporting things? Are those differences today getting larger or smaller, and what do you see as the effects of that trend? Find at least one Web link that supports your opinion and quote it and link to it in your blog post.

Railroads & Timezones:

I can't remember for sure which book I read this in. I seem to recall that it was an antique book of mine titled “Railroads”, but I do not have the book with me, and finding any reference to it online is near impossible with such a vague, general title. Anyhow, the description of the invention of time zones ran something like this;

You are traveling across the U.S. By train, starting a new life in the open West. While the trip lasts a mere ten days now, rather than a grueling 6 months, you are still exhausted from your travel. You lean back and take a nap on your wooden bench as you roll down the line.

Some time later, you awake, and ask what time it is. The German immigrant across from you looks at his watch. “9 o'clock” by my watch he says”. The New Yorker in the seat behind responds “2 PM”.

You look out the window, and notice that it appears to be high noon. Confused, yes?

The railroad allowed such ease and speed of movement across land that it became necessary for time zones to be put in place. Noon in Arizona happens after Noon in New York and before Noon in Oregon. This, of course, would wreak havoc with train schedules, which depended on strict adherence to a “timetable”, a set of company-issued times that certain trains were supposed to occupy certain tracks. Confusion of times would result in, at the very least, delays, and at the worst, a “cornfield meet” (a.ka. Head-on collision). In America, this led to the introduction of five different time zones.

While Gleick barely touched in the subject, other countries, such as England, opted for a standard system-wide time for the entire rail system, with that electric telegraph clock being used to standardize clocks across the system, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_time, making “railroad time telegraphic time” in England. In the U.S., however, telegraph operators in one time zone would have to recall the difference in time when sending messages to another time zone, thus making telegraphic time dependent on railroad time.

Moving: Information v. Things

One could argue that the point of moving information is to change and affect how things move. People post ads on Craigslist to get rid of possessions and get money. Election ads move people in or out of office. Take a look at any online shopping page such as Amazon.com. Photos, buyer reviews, item descriptions, cost savings, shipping addresses, and all the rest, all to encourage you to buy a product or two. From these observations, one could draw two conclusions. 1. Information is a whole lot cheaper and easier to move than plain objects. Look at how much code appears on one Amazon.com product page in order to sell one product. Information is cheap and necessary to move product. 

It would also seem obvious that moving objects is a concrete, set-in place system that people don't really care about as long as their order shows up within a week. People don't want to wait for information, however. We want that music now. We need to read that text message during class. We can't wait 30 seconds (anymore) for a webpage to open, and if I don't find it on Google in 2 minutes, it doesn't exist. We are always looking for new ways to get information. We used to wait for both information and physical objects because information was sold on physical objects. “I'll wait for it to come out on VHS”, “I only get the Sunday newspaper”, “I'll borrow that book from a friend next week”. We want more and more information and we want it faster and faster, but, usually, we are fine with choosing the cheap (read: slow) shipping option when we order something. Why is that? I do not know for sure.

Lack of Creativity, or Loss of Freedom?

Prompt: "What are the most important "harms" that you, personally, see facing the ways intellectual property operating today, and how are those different from or similar to the harms faced by previous generations?"

While Lessig continuously warns of and mourns over the loss of general creativity in our culture, I think that the general loss of creativity is only part of the problem. Honestly, I see this domineering over the people by the major corporations and the government as a forerunner of the type of world we see in Fahrenheit 451, the Hunger Games series, and even the reality of the Soviet Union. We are not so much suffering a lack of creativity (there is plenty of that out there, just underground), we are suffering a lack of control over our own lives, a lack of freedom. In the end, the only way that freedom is bought back is with the sacrifice of innocent blood. It will be America's second war for Independence.

In previous generations while the major corporations often had unfair control over a market, as evidenced in the Armstrong vs. RCA battle, the key feature that allowed the individual to succeed was the fact that the government and the corporations couldn't monitor the individual's actions 100% of the time. Now, with modern technology, “big brother” can, and likely does, always watch. Your everyday action on a networked device can be monitored, and the possible consequences of such a world have perhaps been foreshadowed by the “Bourne” movies.

 I do not think that our “lack of creativity” is the most important thing to be worried about. I think, rather, that this unfair, unjust over-regulation of our society is merely a symptom of the larger problem at hand. Perhaps the American people will rise up and fight for their rights. Judging by the example of the Occupy Wall Street “protests” (where the protesters sat around on their hands and did nothing), I rather doubt it. Even if everyone stopped using existing content owned by the major corporations, I am sure those corporations would stop at nothing to manipulate us to ensure their own survival.