My Relationship With Communication Technologies (Week 3)

No, I don't have a facebook. 

How come? 

Well I've never really been one to follow trends. While I get the advantages of having a facebook... 1. You have a constant presence with everyone you know & 

2. you can spend lots of time playing games and quizzes about "which Friends Character you are"... Wait, did I say advantages? haha

No but seriously I get that it's a nice way to stay in touch with your family & friends who perhaps live in another state/country/planet... But when did the good old fashioned letter, or email go out of fashion? The moment face book came on the scene is when. 

The public display of your life is unsettling. An example of the harm it can cause is this:

My friend is a dancer. This guy is obsessed with her. He makes up a fake profile of himself, pretends he's a professional dancer from the US. She accepts him as a friend. All of a sudden this freak has access to her whole life. Her friends, where she lives, what she does... And she has no idea.

I believe we're some how losing the charm of real human interaction. Anyway, I've been told that I'm an old soul before and I guess I believe it after reading over this rant of mine. 

A space on the internet for just anyone can be a dangerous thing! 

A (short) history of Computing and the Internet (Lecture 2)

The computer and the internet developed in much the same way as all technology does- Gradually. A number of different educated people have left their mark on this development over a number of years. From Charles Babbage, who invented the first mechanical digital computer and the Analytical Engine in the 1800's, to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who produced the Apple II (the first PC for people who weren't techies.)

The lecture also went into the distinctions between the Internet and the Web.

I got the impression that this distinction means alot to the "computer nerds". It must be frustrating when researching something of interest on the web is referred to as "I just looked it up on the internet" 

The reason behind this frustration is the fact that the web is just one single part of the broader internet which includes many other things as well as the web.

Yet another aspect of the internet is cyberspace. It is a conceptual space where words, relationships, data, ideas, wealth and power exist and it has been debated on whether cyberspace is a 'consensual hallucination' or just another form of reality. This is a profound question, so I am aware of why the answer is debated. 

As much as technology has made our day to day lives easier, I have to wonder how beneficial it ultimately is. People rely on technology to a huge extent, and this extent is only getting larger as technology develops. Thus, we are increasingly further from the natural life we used to live. For example, in preparation for winter, we used to chop our own firewood instead of ordering an electric heater online. We'd catch up with friends over a good meal, rather than post them a message on their 'facebook wall'. So when you look at it like that, you could say technology is robbing us of our skills! in terms of our social and physical ability. 

I believe the 'consensual hallucination' is becoming our reality. Whether this has more benefits than problems is another question. I suppose where we are today is a result from our natural progression as a species.

MAC & PC CHALLENGE: A comment on technology (Week 3)

The long standing competition between Mac and the PC...

Kinda like our generations version of "Coke VS Pepsi"

The PC is our Coke (the original) and MAC is our Pepsi.

There is a vast difference however:

Coke will always be better than Pepsi

But Mac will always be better than the PC... haha

Just goes to show that in some cases, the traditional is superior.

Not in the case of technology.