Internet Art: Chapter 1

The internet is a great place where everyone has access to view world news and other important updates. A section of this chapter, tells how easy it has become to view images and text. In 1995, one of the earliest projects became public on the Internet, The Hiroshima Project. The author of this installation, Akke Wagenaar, used the web to make an interactive installation to show the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Wagenaar was able to display this project at Arts Electronica which showed many different views about the event. His work was later taken off the web in ’96. In ’97, a similar project was launched. Many other authors began to use this technology to display their work.

Another part of this chapter talks about Cyberfeminism. Cyberfeminism was a field of practice talking about gender, class and race, which informed society via the web. Feminist, Faith Wilding, noted the transformation of Feminism onto the web. The web became a place of freedom, where anyone can portray self image.

Letters to a Young Contrarian: Chapter 3

In this chapter, Hitchens talks about how life is always inconsistent, changes and there is always question of what happens next. “Wherever life exists, there also is inconsistency, division, strife.” Hitchens is saying that no matter what there is always uncertainty. In the chapter, Hitchens gives several examples to prove his point. “One admires the Greek style for its quite emphasis on symmetry and balance, but then what is the balance is tipped and the time disjointed?” Hitchens is proving the inconsistency with different beliefs. A quote from the Dalai Lama is in this passage. “I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness.” Note that in his quote he uses the term “I think”. Hitchens goes on to talk about the contradiction of this statement, he states, “The odd thing is that in the last sentence the words “I think” are inserted, as if in compliment to the old-fashioned and materialistic notion that the human brain might have a say.”

Podcast Response

Because podcasts have not been advertised much, I have not been exposed to them. I never hear people talking about podcasts or see them advertised anywhere. After watching the video in class about the popularity of podcasts, I was able to see how popular they actually are. I learned that most podcasts have a target audience. I dont think there are many out there that would relate to my age, gender and interests. After doing some research in class, I found some local podcasts that are aired on the local radio stations. I think if podcasts were advertised more on social networks targeted to my age group, I would be able to find interests in them. According to the video in class, podcasting has a future in the community.

Internet Art: Introduction

The Introduction to this book gives a lot of information on the individuals that first developed ideas for computers and other technologies. Charles Babbage, a mathematician from the nineteenth-century, developed programs. Later on, John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx further developed this idea. Technology would not be where is is today without the invention of programs. Because of Babbage, others were able to write instructions for engines to use. Augusta Ada King was able to construct instructions that were later used by the United States Department of Defense. Babbage is known to be the father of the first mechanical computer.

A big leap in technology was when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozinak developed the Macintosh in 1984. Once the Macintosh was developed they were able to compete with PC by IBM. The Macintosh was the first computer to have clickable icons, instead of having to type out instruction to the computer. This development led to the inventions of the mouse and many word processors for computers. The Macintosh changed technology into what it is today. We have become so advanced in just 20 years because of the Work of Jobs and Wozinak.

Both of these inventors contributed greatly to what we have today. The world and technology would be completely different without them and their inventions.

Letters to a Young Contrarian: Chapter 2

In chapter 2, Hitchens writes about Rilke, a fellow writer. He tells about advice Rilke has given which really speaks to me. "For under the influence of serious Things it will either fall away from you (if it is something accidental), or else, (if is is really innate and belonged to you) it will grow strong, and become a serious tool and take its place among the instruments which you can form your art with." This advice is true. He is saying that if something is meant to be it will happen. When a writer has a creative block, its not the end of the world, but rather will serve as inspiration later on.

Project #1 Reflection

The biggest challenge I faced with Project #1 was fulfilling the 40 ideas that I originally had come up with. I did manage to cover almost half and was able to explain myself pretty well through those photos. I learned that I am able to reflect who I am and how I feel by not taking a selfie.

Project #1 Photographs

Letters to a Young Contrarian: Preface, Introduction, and Chapter One response

In Letters of a Young Contrarian, Christopher Hitchens talks about how society reacts when people share there opinions about something that can be considered not a part of the social norm. In Chapter One he writes, "It could be understood from them that society, like a benign family, tolerates and even admires eccentricity". In my opinion this means that society's attention is caught when something debatable is brought forward, something that grabs attention. In another part of the chapter, Hitchens makes a relevant point. Referring to the term "free thinker", "they thought that they were defending an organic, harmonious and ordered society against nihilism, and they deployed this contemptuous word against those they regarded as the diseased, the introspective the disloyal and the unsound. The word hasn't completely lost this association and even now, though it is less frequently used as an insult". He makes a great point with this statement. It is true that people today are still criticized for their opinion's. Although you are not considered "diseased" or "disloyal" by society for stating your opinion, people are still patronized. In the last paragraph of Chapter One, Hitchens makes a valid point that you can't control what your opinion is, its just a part of who you are.

Project Update

As of now I have over 20 posts on my Instagram account for the project, but I have not fulfilled all of the categories that I hope I can before the end of the project. So far I have work, school, nature, food, health, fitness, landscape, music, photography, involvement, decoration, design, artwork and water. I noticed that I have many pictures that have to do with landscape, nature and food.

Brainstorming

After doing a little research I have come up with many general ideas that I would like to incorporate into my Instagram project. Here are 40 of them; work, school, nature, adventure, food, health, fitness, clean eating, landscape, friends, music, fashion, photography, crafting, black and white, family, love, skills, technology, architecture, transportation, relaxation, involvement, decoration, design, weather, something beautiful, a need, a luxury, daily tasks, something that I am grateful for, an outing, events, something I can't live without, artwork, a memory, a high angle, a low angle,water, something peaceful

Generation Like

After watching Generation Like, I do believe that you are what you "like". You like videos/posts/etc according to what you are interested in. When others see what you like they are able to see what you like to do and what you are interested in. Based on that, others are exposed to new posts and videos as well. Honestly, I don't mind the fact that others are able to make money off of what I "like" or my interests. I do think everyone does get a sense of empowerment from the power of the like. It gives you a sense of popularity and that people actually care what you are interested in and doing on social media.

Thoughts on Buzzfeed

Buzzfeed is a website and an app many college students use. Often there are articles from their website posted onto FaceBook that are relevant to the current entertainment gossip. The website also has fun quizzes that I know a lot of my Facebook friends use and then share with one another. In the past, I have shared quizzes and articles to my Facebook page and have gotten feedback on them from friends.. I always proceed to read/watch something that someone else believed was worthy of posting.

Google Response

Monitoring what you post on social media is extremely important. Even if you have an account private, there is always a way to find a way in. Employers today constantly check employees social media to ensure their professionalism. Before hiring people, many companies will check social media for anything that would be considered inappropriate. After googling myself, there is one picture on Google Images of myself. There is nothing on my social media that would refrain me from receiving a job. Making sure your social media is clean is very important.