I think that the future of digital cultures in incredibly interesting as our world is being driven by technology and as we find ways to make things better. Although it is a positive to have technological improvements, the negative side to that will be the controversy. With new technology in the last 20-30 years there has always been problems such as social-networking sites have issues concerning privacy and safety and users don’t feel safe using it, as they are not sure whether or not their information is protected.
I think that teaching is an area that will be most affected by the change in digital culture as we are now able to learn/teach without being in a magic circle and we are now able to see the information over the Internet. This can lead us to believe that the future of teaching is one that is not physical but one that will make it easier for both teachers and students and they will not have to commute to one place in order to have a lesson. Other ways in which I believe that technology will change teaching is that work/assignments now are being done over the Internet. As time passes and improvements are make to the reliability of the internet, we will no longer have to do coursework/assignments on paper which is good news for our economical position as we are in a time in where we should be recycling.
As a whole I think that the future for digital cultures in a bright despite it being a controversial one. Some areas will get more benefits of technology advancements than others, especially online companies as we are in a time in where more and more people are having access to the Internet.
Monday
Virtuality
The virtual world in where we can become anyone that we want if we wish to escape reality such as world events or if we just wish to change our identity. Margaret Morse said that "VR is like passing through the movie screen to enter the fictional world of the 'film', and entering a virtual environment is like being able to walk through one's TV or computer, through the vanishing point r vortex and into a three-dimensional world field of symbols" (Margaret Morse, 1998:281, in New Media: A Critical Introduction p.114). From this we understand that the virtual world is a place of easy access (as long as there is access to the internet) in where we can become immerse in anything that we are able to reach over the net.
A state of immersion is "Narrative immersion in games is much the same in books or movies. A player gets immersed in a narrative when he or she starts to care about the characters and wants to know how the story is going to end." (Ernest Adams, 2004). As we become so immersed within a game or a book or a movie, we wonder what world is the reality and which is the virtual as a majority of people spend most of their time in virtual reality than they do in the real world. An example of this would be the game called 'Second Life' in where the user is living in a virtual world that is very similar to the real world in where they can purchase property, clothes and socialise with other users.
Virtual reality is only what the users makes of it, for personal reason such as wanting to change their identity or wanting to meet new people, they make that world their own as they have the same characteristics as they would in the real world. Virtual reality is a reality.
Virtual Life
A state of immersion is "Narrative immersion in games is much the same in books or movies. A player gets immersed in a narrative when he or she starts to care about the characters and wants to know how the story is going to end." (Ernest Adams, 2004). As we become so immersed within a game or a book or a movie, we wonder what world is the reality and which is the virtual as a majority of people spend most of their time in virtual reality than they do in the real world. An example of this would be the game called 'Second Life' in where the user is living in a virtual world that is very similar to the real world in where they can purchase property, clothes and socialise with other users.
Virtual reality is only what the users makes of it, for personal reason such as wanting to change their identity or wanting to meet new people, they make that world their own as they have the same characteristics as they would in the real world. Virtual reality is a reality.
Virtual Life
Open Source
Through the World Wide Web, some information is given to us to see called an 'open source'. This allows us to see all the code to a website as long as owners and the servers that are used allow us to view it. In this source code, everything that makes the website is shown, including everything the user can see i.e. the layout, titles, colour and things that they cannot such as the functionality of the site, how a page would link us to another page once we click on a button. Open source material is difficult to use in some ways as their code can easily be taken to use for another users site. This is where copyright and intellectual properly comes into play.
Information can be used without permission if it is used as fair use. Fair use "s a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the copyright holders, such as for commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship."(Wikipedia). If users follow the fair use rule, they will be allowed to use the material on other websites. If it is used for their own personal use, there is a high chance that they can face legal action as the information/data used is not their own.
Creative Commons is an idea that was developed by Lawrence Lessig. It is described as " a word in which creators enjoy a wide range of freedom but are left vulnerable to exploitation. Balance, compromise and modernation - once the driving forces of a copyright system that valued innovation and protection equally - have become endangered species. Creative Commons is working to revive them. We use private rights to create public goods: creative works sets free for certain users" (Creative Common website)
From this we can see that although sites are free to see they can have strong repecusions if they are used incorrectly. Creative Commons allows users to use data depending on the reason so that it does not have to go through legal action. It has become a lot more convinient for users and companies as they dont have to worry about who is using their site for the wrong reasons.
What is CC?
Information can be used without permission if it is used as fair use. Fair use "s a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the copyright holders, such as for commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship."(Wikipedia). If users follow the fair use rule, they will be allowed to use the material on other websites. If it is used for their own personal use, there is a high chance that they can face legal action as the information/data used is not their own.
Creative Commons is an idea that was developed by Lawrence Lessig. It is described as " a word in which creators enjoy a wide range of freedom but are left vulnerable to exploitation. Balance, compromise and modernation - once the driving forces of a copyright system that valued innovation and protection equally - have become endangered species. Creative Commons is working to revive them. We use private rights to create public goods: creative works sets free for certain users" (Creative Common website)
From this we can see that although sites are free to see they can have strong repecusions if they are used incorrectly. Creative Commons allows users to use data depending on the reason so that it does not have to go through legal action. It has become a lot more convinient for users and companies as they dont have to worry about who is using their site for the wrong reasons.
What is CC?
Wednesday
Privacy and Survelliance
As we know Surveillance is everywhere, in the streets, shops and on the Internet. It has become impossible for us to do something without somebody else knowing about it. Improvements in technology has led to us leaving a digital footprint everywhere, internet history allows us to track the sites we have visited, everything that we purchase with debit/credit cards can be tracked and there has been an increase in CCTV cameras on the roads.
The privacy that this has left us with has been questioned, as people are unable to do everyday activities without worrying about who are watching them. The CCTV cameras that are used as suppose to keep us safe and reduce crime as the police will be able to catch the criminal in a more effective way. Although some members of the government has said that it doesn't make the roads a safer place, it can be said that it makes us feel as if we were more safe knowing that we were being watched.
Social networking sites such as Facebook has also been focused on as question on their privacy and security of information put on facebook leads people to ask if they are actually owners of their own information of if the company own it. "The internet has created a plethora of new information and personal security issues, which range from e-mail spamming, computer virus proliferation and online harassment to forms of cyber-fraud and identity theft".
Rather than having surveillance to makes us safer, it seems that it has made us feel more under threat, as we are no longer able to do things in our own space electronically without it being recorded. This can only leave is to wonder on how technology will have an affect on privacy and surveillance in the future.
CCTV and crime
Facebook privacy issues
The privacy that this has left us with has been questioned, as people are unable to do everyday activities without worrying about who are watching them. The CCTV cameras that are used as suppose to keep us safe and reduce crime as the police will be able to catch the criminal in a more effective way. Although some members of the government has said that it doesn't make the roads a safer place, it can be said that it makes us feel as if we were more safe knowing that we were being watched.
Social networking sites such as Facebook has also been focused on as question on their privacy and security of information put on facebook leads people to ask if they are actually owners of their own information of if the company own it. "The internet has created a plethora of new information and personal security issues, which range from e-mail spamming, computer virus proliferation and online harassment to forms of cyber-fraud and identity theft".
Rather than having surveillance to makes us safer, it seems that it has made us feel more under threat, as we are no longer able to do things in our own space electronically without it being recorded. This can only leave is to wonder on how technology will have an affect on privacy and surveillance in the future.
CCTV and crime
Facebook privacy issues
Digital Divide - Does technology drive culture?
Different counties have access to certain amount of advanced technology, some countries more than others. "The development and spread of digital media across the world has culminated in the centrality of these media in the social, political and economic activities of people and organisations in many countries, especially in the developed world ... ". (P122, Digital Cultures: Understanding New Media Creeber G & Martin, R (eds).
Countries such as China and America, as well as a large amount of European countries are world leaders in technology in different ways. China is incredibly advanced in computing and is therefore world leaders in this department. Less technological developed countries that do not have access to the internet will not have the ability to socialise with networking sites such as Facebook or such engines such as Google. Seeing as they do not have access to particular new media technology, they tend to live differently that those that do. From this I believe that technology does drive culture and the way people conduct themselves.
Those that have new media technology such as Iphones and PDAs can tend spend most of their time on it rather than socialising face-to-face with others. Their lives are more centralized to the gadgets they use, which drives their culture.
"The idea that technology determines social and cultural trends and patterns in known as technological determinism and is often criticised" (Jill Walker Rettberg, Blogging) others would say that their culture is not determined by the technology they use but by how they wish. And only use the technology because is it their for them to use at their disposal.
Countries such as China and America, as well as a large amount of European countries are world leaders in technology in different ways. China is incredibly advanced in computing and is therefore world leaders in this department. Less technological developed countries that do not have access to the internet will not have the ability to socialise with networking sites such as Facebook or such engines such as Google. Seeing as they do not have access to particular new media technology, they tend to live differently that those that do. From this I believe that technology does drive culture and the way people conduct themselves.
Those that have new media technology such as Iphones and PDAs can tend spend most of their time on it rather than socialising face-to-face with others. Their lives are more centralized to the gadgets they use, which drives their culture.
"The idea that technology determines social and cultural trends and patterns in known as technological determinism and is often criticised" (Jill Walker Rettberg, Blogging) others would say that their culture is not determined by the technology they use but by how they wish. And only use the technology because is it their for them to use at their disposal.
Digital Games and Players - Why do people cheat in video games?
In Roger Caillois' book, 'Man, Play and Games', Paidea is defined as "wild, free and improvisional play" (p.36). When we get bored or playing a game and following the rules of the game we tend to divert from that and find new things to do in that game without any second thoughts of the rules of the magic circle we would be breaking. John Huizinga's Homo Luden says, "The spoil-sport shatters the play-world itself. By withdrawing from the game he reveals the relatively and fragility of the play-world in which he had temporary shut himself with others. He robs play of its illusion-apregent word, which means literally "in-play". (P.11).
This question that this can lead to is if Paidea (which is exploring games) is actually the same as cheating as you are not following the rules of the game but looking to expand on the boundaries. Titles given to "spoilsports" and cheaters are generally hackers that are looking for something new within a game to make it more interesting for them.
If we explore the rules of a game without breaking those rules but just understanding the boundaries, that can be known as Paidea as we are not changing anything but knowing the game more. If we intentionally search for glitches within a game, knowing that we are not staying within the boundaries and breaking the rules, that can be known as hacking due to the fact that we are searching for something that the designers of the game has not intentionally put in, meaning we are not suppose to find them.
People will also use walk throughs to help them complete a game as they find it too difficult and do not find satisfaction in finding ways to complete a particular 'mission' but just completing it, itself.
This can tell us that game players are finding it more difficult to follow game rules as they can become distracted and what to create their own rules of the game.
This question that this can lead to is if Paidea (which is exploring games) is actually the same as cheating as you are not following the rules of the game but looking to expand on the boundaries. Titles given to "spoilsports" and cheaters are generally hackers that are looking for something new within a game to make it more interesting for them.
If we explore the rules of a game without breaking those rules but just understanding the boundaries, that can be known as Paidea as we are not changing anything but knowing the game more. If we intentionally search for glitches within a game, knowing that we are not staying within the boundaries and breaking the rules, that can be known as hacking due to the fact that we are searching for something that the designers of the game has not intentionally put in, meaning we are not suppose to find them.
People will also use walk throughs to help them complete a game as they find it too difficult and do not find satisfaction in finding ways to complete a particular 'mission' but just completing it, itself.
This can tell us that game players are finding it more difficult to follow game rules as they can become distracted and what to create their own rules of the game.
Game Theory
John Huizinga's book, Homo Ludens, shows how the "arena, the card-table, the magic circle, the temple, the stage, the screen, he tennis court, the court of justice, etc.are all form and function play-grounds, i.e. forbidden spots, isolated, hedged round, hallowed, within which special rules obtain Are all temporary worlds within ordinary worlds, dedicated to the performance of an act apart." (p.10). From this we see that he says that by playing a game, a special time and space is created which allow us to abide by those rules. Examples of these magic circles would be a football pitch, the office and the golf course. The reason why it is the magic circle is because, while you are in that space and time, everything else except for the rules of that game or that space that you are in is not important at that time.
A videogame is a more complex example of the magic circle as there are different aspects as to what the boundaries of the circle would be. Such as the space the game is played in (the living room) or the screen the game is played on. These boundaries can often change the rules of the magic circle, its is not always just the game. John's Homo Ludens also talks about the space and time of the game continuing after the game is played. If the game is multi-player, the player can often feel as being apart of something, which can lead to socializing with the other players and have community-building activities.
Roger Caillois’ Man, Play and Games have these for basic types of play, which are Agon, Alea, Mimicry and Llinx. These four can be put in the two categories of Ludus and Paidea. Paidea is defined as ". Wild, free-foam improvisational play..." (p.36). Ludus is defined as being "complementary to and a refinement of paidea" (p.29). Agon is described as being "competitive" with an outcome of a "winner" (p.14) Alea (Latin word for dice) is described as an "outcome over which he has no control" (p.17). Mimicry is a game, which uses imagination, "one is thus confronted with a diverse series of manifestations, the common element of which is that the subject makes believe or makes other believe that he is someone other than himself." (p.19). Llinx, being the final game is having the sense of sensation while playing a game. "Every child very well knows that by whirling rapidly he reaches a centrifugal state of flight from which he regains bodily stability and clarity of perception only with difficulty." (p.23).
Ludus is generally viewed as more grown, as Paidea is a lot more free and focus' more towards the inprovional play, that tends to be more for children although it also depends on the four types of play.
These game plays apply to digital games as they determine the type of game the player is going to have. Online multi-player shooter games are often Agon as they are extremely competitive and winners are provided. Adventure games such as Heavy Rain are Mimicry based, as the end result of the game is dependent on the users imagination within the magic circle.
From this, we see that games are all similar in terms of having a magic circle, a place in which a person can literally escape from reality and play a game as long as they follow the rules of the game and stay within the boundaries of the magic circle.
A videogame is a more complex example of the magic circle as there are different aspects as to what the boundaries of the circle would be. Such as the space the game is played in (the living room) or the screen the game is played on. These boundaries can often change the rules of the magic circle, its is not always just the game. John's Homo Ludens also talks about the space and time of the game continuing after the game is played. If the game is multi-player, the player can often feel as being apart of something, which can lead to socializing with the other players and have community-building activities.
Roger Caillois’ Man, Play and Games have these for basic types of play, which are Agon, Alea, Mimicry and Llinx. These four can be put in the two categories of Ludus and Paidea. Paidea is defined as ". Wild, free-foam improvisational play..." (p.36). Ludus is defined as being "complementary to and a refinement of paidea" (p.29). Agon is described as being "competitive" with an outcome of a "winner" (p.14) Alea (Latin word for dice) is described as an "outcome over which he has no control" (p.17). Mimicry is a game, which uses imagination, "one is thus confronted with a diverse series of manifestations, the common element of which is that the subject makes believe or makes other believe that he is someone other than himself." (p.19). Llinx, being the final game is having the sense of sensation while playing a game. "Every child very well knows that by whirling rapidly he reaches a centrifugal state of flight from which he regains bodily stability and clarity of perception only with difficulty." (p.23).
Ludus is generally viewed as more grown, as Paidea is a lot more free and focus' more towards the inprovional play, that tends to be more for children although it also depends on the four types of play.
From this, we see that games are all similar in terms of having a magic circle, a place in which a person can literally escape from reality and play a game as long as they follow the rules of the game and stay within the boundaries of the magic circle.
Digital Literature
As people we are used to a linear structure, a beginning, middle and end. The reason for this is because it is the easiest way to understanding something. The first films or television programmes we watched, was linear so that we could understand the plot as easy as possible. When we read books we start from the front (beginning) and make our way to the back (end). This is same for words, we do not understand them when they are put in random positions (single letters) but when they are together they have meaning and therefore we understand them.
As years pass by, events occur and technology improves in ways we have no imagined they would. In 1994 Annie Proulx said in Books on Top tat "nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen. Ever". 15 years later we have seen technology such as the Ipad and the Kindle that allow us to read book, interact and do many other things from a screen.
Could this then mean the end of books? Hundred of thousands of books are novel available over the web and a large amount of those books are available for free. Using the internet for books is a lot easier as we can find a book straight away without searching for it in a library Although it can be argued that books are more portable as you wont need a big laptop or a computer to carry around, it can be more convenient to use the web as you wont need to flick through hundreds of pages in order to get through the book.
A larger question would be is this the end of libraries? The web has access to almost every bit of information that is possible. Going to a library can be seen as time consuming and pointless if you are unable to find the information you are looking for. Similar problems would be the death of the author. "The birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the author" (Roland Barthes). Narrative is become more and more like the web in which the reader is the author and the author is the reader. When information is put on the web, the reader becomes the author as they are creating that information and sharing it for others to use. Books however are very much restricted as it is author orientated as the author shares the book our to reader.
This shows us that narrative has become a lot more interactive in the last 15-20 years, which has meant our understanding of it has broadened. I think this is for the better as we are able to share our knowledge on a much larger scale through the net as books can restrict us from sharing throughout the world. Web 2.0 is easy to access and it is fast making everything around it easy to access too.
Books on top
linear story telling (beginning, middle and end)
The End of Books
Ipad 2 features
As years pass by, events occur and technology improves in ways we have no imagined they would. In 1994 Annie Proulx said in Books on Top tat "nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen. Ever". 15 years later we have seen technology such as the Ipad and the Kindle that allow us to read book, interact and do many other things from a screen.
Could this then mean the end of books? Hundred of thousands of books are novel available over the web and a large amount of those books are available for free. Using the internet for books is a lot easier as we can find a book straight away without searching for it in a library Although it can be argued that books are more portable as you wont need a big laptop or a computer to carry around, it can be more convenient to use the web as you wont need to flick through hundreds of pages in order to get through the book.
A larger question would be is this the end of libraries? The web has access to almost every bit of information that is possible. Going to a library can be seen as time consuming and pointless if you are unable to find the information you are looking for. Similar problems would be the death of the author. "The birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the author" (Roland Barthes). Narrative is become more and more like the web in which the reader is the author and the author is the reader. When information is put on the web, the reader becomes the author as they are creating that information and sharing it for others to use. Books however are very much restricted as it is author orientated as the author shares the book our to reader.
This shows us that narrative has become a lot more interactive in the last 15-20 years, which has meant our understanding of it has broadened. I think this is for the better as we are able to share our knowledge on a much larger scale through the net as books can restrict us from sharing throughout the world. Web 2.0 is easy to access and it is fast making everything around it easy to access too.
Books on top
linear story telling (beginning, middle and end)
The End of Books
Ipad 2 features
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