It’s official: technology hates me

This was originally going to be a response to the chat we had in class over internet plagiarism, but this is getting so ridiculous that I have to say something. I do not know if this has happened to anyone else in the class, but when I went on to the Netvibes site I saw that all of the widgets I added were gone. Even my game of plinko wasn’t there! throughout this semester we have been reading things about technology and how it is evolving, but no one is saying anything on the fact that sometimes it just doesn’t work.

I know I am an extreme case, already starting off as a technophobe, but it has been proven that technology like to malfunction around me. When I had to connect to the VPN everything went wrong. I actually stumped nearly everyone at the IT desk. It has happened before too; at my old school I manage to stump the entire IT department as to why my computer wouldn’t hook up to the internet.

I think that’s why I am so bipolar with what this class has taught me. On one hand, I am exited and intrigued as to the new things to learn, but on the other hand part of me is saying, “Great, another thing for me to break.”

 

We Are The Web

Technology has opened so many doors for human life. In the reading “We are the Web” by Kevin Kelly, it discusses how there is a different type of thinking in the world today. One way of thinking is part human and other is part machine. He uses the example of hyperlinking to prove this idea. For example, we use our minds to express or try to prove that idea; however we use the machine to convey it. Hyperlinking we find the idea and then use the machine to show it. It interesting to see that back in 1995, major headlines read “THE INTERNET BAH,” saying that now is almost unthinkable. Our adaptation to society makes us unable to live without the internet. I could not imagine my life with out the internet. What would I do? I almost said how I would think with out the internet. It has made a substantial impact on society, that will never be the same.

I loved the video that we had to watch on youtube. It was very insightful and really shows how the internet shapes us. Take a look:

Using the Machine

 

 

As We May Think

While reading Vannevar Bush’s “As We Many Think,” a few things crossed my mind that made me think. One thing that stuck out the most was when he stated, “what are scientist to do next?” I feel every time you turn around something new is being invented or updated to be better. When the new and latest thing comes out, you rush to the store to buy it, and then you find a months later something better than that will take its place. Then you do not have the “coolest” thing anymore. As Bush says new and powerful instumentalities are coming into use. Bush also discusses photocells which are capable of seeing things in a physical sense as well as having advanced photography are now being discovered.

We are seeing evidence of this today. I saw recently on “Regis and Kelly” the top 10 must have toys for the 2007 holiday. On there was this really interesting toy called the “Eye.” It actually looks like this big eye. It hooks up to your tv. You can place the eye on anything and it magnifies it to appear on the television. I assume this new technology is using photocells. In addition they demonstrated the “eye” on human skin, and you could see the blood capillaries and pores. It was absolutley amazing. It is a fabulous way for youngsters to learn. Technology is ever changing our society and communcation. It is morphing our learning processes, our way to retrieve information, and digest the information. It is interesting to think all the new technology today that we feel is fascinating will be boring and dull ten years from now. It is definitely chaning how we may think.

Moreover I find in really neat how Bush published his piece in 1945 predicting all the future technology that is actually happening today. I think he would be amazed to see that in the year 2007, we are embracing the new cutlure of technology that he predicted. Many scientists today are predicting future technology, such as a plane than can travel from New York and Toyko in 2 hours. It will do this by lauching straight up into space and orbit for a few minutes and then find where it needs to land. It will land at the destination. They predicted this happen within the next 50 years or so. It will be interesting to see if this will happen. I could not imagine only being on a plane for 2 hours and arriving on the other side of the world. This is pretty cool stuff.

 

not a reading response, but I find this to be important.

Recently, this author had a doctor’s appointment for severe headaches and blackouts. And before you jump to alcoholism, no this author is very much sober. At said doctor, let’s call him Dr. Fred asked random questions that may b the cause of said episodes. The first question he asked was, “Do you spend a lot of time on the computer?” Now I asked why would that have to do with anything and he replied with interesting information about how computers can cause severe migraines. The two big factors are posture and eyestrain. Supposedly, one is supposed to take ten minute breaks every hour he or she is on the computer. Since most people do not do this, it causes severe eyestrain in, well, the eyes. Also, your posture has a lot to do with the computer. Most people hunch, causing the spine to put pressure on the brain which leads to migraines.

With these issues occurring now, I can only imagine what health problems will show up with our entire culture morphing and relying more and more on technology. Instead of books, people are staring at books online for hours on end, not to mention the addiction qualities of facebook. Now I am not saying to shut down facebook, trust me I am pro-facebook, but we should probably look into what the future hold medically for us who spend 8 hours a day hunch over a computer, staring at the screen.

 

Technology Literacy

“It is a fact for instance, that schools primarily serving students of color and poor students continue to have access to fewer computers and to less sophisticated computer equipment than do schools primarily serving more affluent students or white students. And it is a face that schools primarily serving students of color and poor students continue to have less access to the Internet, to multimedia equipment, to CD-ROM equipment, to local area networks, and to videodisk technology than do schools primarily serving more affluent white students (Coley,Crander and Engle 3)” Page 6

I feel this contradicts the National Literacy Project, which wants all students to have access to technology to better them educational and professionally. They want all students to be able to climb the social ladder and excel in learning which will result in higher paying jobs in their futures. However, if they are saying they want equal access for all students, then why are the lower income schools not receiving the funds? They are being denied the proper equipment to teacher and grasp the understanding of technology. I do not understand as a nation how you can look past that, and think that all students have equal access, because that it far from the truth. Are we setting these schools up for failure?

 

Writing and Remediation

In this reading “Writing as Technology” it discussed writing spaces as well as remediation. I learned through the reading that writing spaces are merely anything that text or words can be written on. For example, when I was 3 years old I got a hold of my mom’s lipstick and drew all over her bedroom walls with the lipstick. My writing space was my mother’s walls. I am proud to say that I have changed my choice of writing spaces over the years. Today, with all the new technology being imposed on society, we are forced to “update” or adapt to the new trends. The writing spaces I use the most frequent in my life does not consist of the good old paper and pencil.  All of my writing spaces are digital or electronic. I think this is based purely on immediate reaction as well as convenience from the immediate reaction. One writing space that I use constantly through out my entire day is my cell phone screen for text messages. Yes, I fell into the trap of text messages a few years ago, and feel I could not live with out it now. For me it is a way to stay connected to my friends, to my work place, and to my family. It is very similar to an email; however text messaging has to be short and sweet, since the screens of cell phones are tiny. So, text messaging for me is great because it is short and sweet, as well as I get my message communicated to who ever I need to. I also like this because I do not have to make a phone call and waste more time on the phone. In addition, the type of language that is incorporated into text messages or even email is even different. Everything is abbreviated for the most part; to make the message become long, however appear shorter. Another writing space that I use a lot is the computer with email. Again this is a fast and easy way to communicate. It is all at the snap of your fingers. Someone on the receiving end can retrieve the email instantly. This is great for my life that is always on the go. In addition my other writing space is my PDA that I use for work and can email at any moment; no matter where I am. The nice and unique thing about this is it is like having a computer in the palm of your hand. Bolter and Grusin discussed the definition of remediation. Remediation can be seen in all of the writing spaces I discussed. For instance, we can see remediation with emailing on the computer, which has been replaced or updated with PDA’s that can go everywhere with you. However, you can see traces of history in this new concept as well, such as the tablet of clay. The clay fit into the palm of your hand, as well as had a stylus to write on the clay. Remediation can also be seen with cell phones. Cell phones had the idea of “mini” emailing or sending messages, which also evolved the PDAs. All of these writing spaces change over the years, however still hold the concept of communicating words and thoughts.

 

oh technology…

I think we were supposed to write our responses for this weeks reading as a blog on this site. I’m not sure: anything with technology confuses the bejesus out of me. Which is why I am using this blog to say such, which is quite ironic when you think about it. I know that the technology of writing has grown immensely and that I myself am proof of that (I am using the internet as a medium to write, am I not) but honestly there are so many times where I want to take a 5 iron to my computer. Why a 5 iron, you ask? Well, they are known for their grace and strength. A perfect example would be the past two weeks. My laptop keyboard is broken so half of my keys stick. The worst are the semi colon and apostrophe keys; I have to pound on them to make them work. Oh, the aggravation of it all!I would rant some more, because God knows I have some pent up rage within me right now, but I am tired. So until next time

~Laura