Made to Break the sequal

The second part of this reading brought out the concept of obsolesce through innovation; however it also makes one wonder if indeed this is obsolescent or simply a byproduct of society. Evolution teaches that adaptation is necessary to survive, society is no exception. For instance, Giles Slade’s example of the AM FM radio dispute; Slade acknowledges that AM radio had many problems, and that another superior technology was needed. Edwin Armstrong worked to create a better product and was successful at doing so. The FM radio, was in fact superior to the AM radio; there was less static and could be broadcasted to a greater amount of people. This new technology was a great aid during World War Two because it allowed for better communication on the battle field. This is a very different situation to the General Motors and Ford dispute. In the automobile case, GM created a mindset which encouraged the idea that new is better, regardless of the technologies abilities. By making new cars in different colors, or changing a simple feature, he made previous cars unattractive and unwanted by the general public. People cannot avoid innovation, there are always forces operating in society to which people must adjust. The invention of nylon stockings is a perfect example of a new environment forcing change. Creating nylon stocking was not about replacing silk and taking over the market, but a byproduct of American ending trading ties with Japan. During World War two Americans wanted a product which removed them from trading with Japanese and Nylon filled that gap. There is a difference between purposely making something out- of- date and natural progression in society. GM did not create a new product but the idea that old is outdated. Silk is now a high quality fabric, while nylon has its own place in the market. GM changed the car before the market responded; changing nylon from silk was because of American demand. Slade goes on to discuss things like basements and porches being obsolete. But, this was just the time period; when the mass migration to suburban homes occurred, there was a need for quickly constructed residences. Homes without porches and basements could be made cheap and easily. Now both exist in modern suburban homes, when the sudden rush ended, these features reappeared. For a society to progress, innovation must occur. While these innovations may take older products off the market it is not a purposeful move to create the mindset and acceptance of obsolescence.

Current Event Blog

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11460897 Link to article
Internet eyes is an England based company which hooks up store security cameras to the Internet. The footage is streamed throughout the European Union, subscribers to the site can watch the footage for twenty minute intervals and report any suspicious behavior for cash rewards. My first reaction was if people would use the site or not. As someone mentioned during the class discussion, the idea is somewhat lame. Having to pay to spy on random people in the hope of a cash reward is not the most exciting way to spend time. On the other hand, people love reality TV, watching people shopping may peak this same interest. In addition, the popularity of shows like CSI, and other crime dramas demonstrates an interest in crime. If people are interested in this site the next question concerns motivation; would people watch because culture has a sick obsession with watching other people’s lives or because people generally want to help? I think it is less on the helping end, and more about being able to watch random people. As we have discussed in class, people like to stalk one another on Facebook and Twitter , this is a similar activity with a cash reward. I don’t think as many people would be interested in the site if there was not some sort of reward for catching the bad guy. America’s Most Wanted and wanted posters operates under a similar principal, offering money in exchange for information. This is odd, the idea people are unwilling to stop crime unless it comes with some personal benefit. Someone mentioned in class that Americans have negative stigmatisms and names, rat, tattle tale, cannery, connected with telling on others. However, if a person receives monetary gain by talking, it becomes acceptable to break this social norm. By offering a cash reward, Internet Eyes eliminates the possibility of associating itself with the tattle tale name. Knowing about our cultures obsession with crime and stalking on computers, it seems logical Internet Eyes is driven by profit rather than preventing crime, particularly because people have to pay to use the site.
Privacy is another problem with this site. When entering a store a person agrees to let the store watch and record them, this right is not necessarily open to anyone in the world. As citizens we give up a certain amount of our privacy to authority in return for protection. However, people watching at home are not authority figures, they are people out to make money. Furthermore, the people being watched are in a public space, however the watchers are in a private space. Thus the people at home retain their privacy while invading others. Privacy International, (http://www.privacyinternational.org/) a group who keeps tabs on surveillance organizations, has taken an issue with the site. Even so, because the law has not caught up to technology it is hard to tell if this site really invades people’s privacy rights.

Social Network

Social network-
The movie really demonstrated how it is now possible to exist in two worlds, the virtual and the actual, and the eventual outcome of their simultaneous existence. By telling Mark Zuckerberg’s life story, the film brought up the dilemma between online actions and real life consequences.
After breaking up with his now ex- girlfriend, Mark goes directly to his computer and begins to blog. He doesn’t talk to a friend or even call his mother, he finds solace on the Internet. However, there is a big difference between talking to a person and a blog as Mark soon learns. In his blogging session, he insults his ex girlfriend, compares women to farm animals, and describes his illegal hacking activities. Each of these situations shows an interesting mix of these two worlds. One of Mark’s friend’s originally had the idea of comparing women, however he only said it to whoever was in the room, Mark put it online. These words would come back to haunt him repeatedly during his trials. When people say some mean or regretful things in real life there are direct results. Form name calling on a playground to a politician denouncing homosexuality, words have consequences. Online is no different, in fact it is worse because the Internet makes a permanent record of information and sends it to the entire world. That is what the Internet is, a place where information becomes permanent and available to anyone who can access it. Mark proved the availability of any information when he hacks into the school system and finds all the photos. While doing so, he writes about it on his blog, and details his illegal actions online. He does not see his blog as being part of the actual world and having real consequence or the difference between writing a blog and writing in a journal.
For most of the movie Mark is more concerned with this internet life than his real one; he devotes his existence to creating Facebook and while he created something revolutionary, he is alone. The people who surround his world, lawyers, interns, are there because of Facebook, not for Mark. The problem is that the internet it not the real world, you can not confuse them, no matter we attach ourselves to the Internet, we still have to deal with reality.

Made to Break part one

One of the my personally favorite parts of the book is when Giles Slade asks “Will America’s pyramids be pyramids of Waste?” Throughout Europe and Asia are structures and products which although built centuries ago still exist today. For Instance, Greek museums showcase bowls, water jugs, mosaics even structures and even artifacts from the first few Olympics. In terms of buildings, the old city of Jerusalem dates back thousands of years. These things, built with ancient tools and processes were not built with the mindset they would survive to this age, and still they lasted. If making products which were durable and could last was a common and a central part of the making things process, what changed? Made to Break, address this question, which can be seen as a the chicken or the egg qualm; which came first, the idea of obsolesce or people’s needs for better and newer products. The invention of the Kleenex and Kotex, in some ways originated from a need. There were left over supplies from World War one, and women were looking for a more sanitary product than using a rag. However, the introduction of these inventions encouraged people to throwaway useful products such as left over clothing. These clothing parts have so many uses and can be turned into quilts, rags, diapers; however the mass amounts of products available makes reusing an outdate fashion. After further reading it became less of a question as if needs or the theory of obsolescence came first, this has nothing to do with need; the battle between GM and Ford solidifies this. Ford strived to build a durable car which could last and a person would only need to buy one. The company, at least Henry Ford, seemed more concerned with producing a genuinely good product than making a profit. GM, in their effort to compete went about it in the exact opposite manner. They created a car which would coin the idea of “psychological obsolescence”. Their goal was not to create the best product but one which could and would be replaced ever year or so. This idea is particularly terrifying when you think that about the phrase “what is good for GM is good for the country.” What is good for GM is a product which should be replaced, and creating a poorer quality product and eventually a mindset that newer is better forces people to spend. This is what is best for America, making products which replaces a feeling of pride in making a good product with the pleasures and prestige which comes with commercial and finical gain. The Ford company could only stay in business by adapting a policy of obsolescence. GM managed to connive America they did not want the best, but the newest of whatever was being made. Now society gets the latest and newest product every year, the Apple store and all of their news phones is the perfect example of this; new phones come out all the time, however they always has flaws or problems. Yet people continue to buy them, not because they need them or they work well but because they are new and therefore better.

WIKI WIKI

The second part of Andrew Dalby’s book touches on how the larger society reacts to Wikipedia. Most love fear and hate the site for a single reason; being able to write anything a person wants and get there name and ideas out on the Internet. Anyone writing anything allows for the widespread of knowledge and for people to edit and delete information which is not accurate, this helps to regulate and keep the site, in theory, accurate. Not having to wait for an editor to approve the work or a deadline for the article to print means Wikipedia can be constantly updated and changed almost immediately after an event occurs. These reasons mentioned by Dalby do one additional thing, which should be taken into account when entering the site; constant updates and corrections help to transform the Wikipedia page from an information site to a community of users.
In fact two communities exist, that of constant and active users and that of laypeople, the casual reader who goes to the site for information. The first community is established by things such as user names, and ranks on the page site, for instance becoming an administrator, and the constant bickering between users. By participating in such ways people can create an identity on the site, an identity which can be anyone from anywhere. A high school dropout can feel like a professor on the site by updating and changing information, making him an authority figure. Allowing people to create identities along with a hierarchy changes Wikipedia from a simple encyclopedia to an Internet community; the active site users join and constantly update to feel as though they are a part of something. “I felt I was a part of a community with a common goal” quotes Dalby on page one hundred and twenty seven. A major concern here is the word goal; the sits’ goal comes from its active users, and the intention of the site becomes dependent on these people. Having a common goal, separates the casual users who just want the information to the addicted users who want to feel a part of something larger than themselves. This need for control can attribute for the constant updates, additions and deletions on the site. The constant users manipulate and alter information to make it form the community rather than an outsider. Daly explains this phenomenon when he writes “Insiders account for the vast majority of the edits. But it’s outsides who provide nearly all of the content” (page 145). This in turn hurts the second part of the Wikipedia community, the person who just wants information. The information they want has been subjected to the communities’ changes and opinions, and someone who goes to the site in each of something unknowingly becomes subjected to the internal community. It then becomes important for this reader to know where the information is coming from and how it got there, which the site does allow. However, few readers will take the time to search references and footnotes, and without knowing it read subjective rather than objective information.

Free Blog Post

The recent tragedy which took place within the Rutgers Community really questions the effects of technology on culture. During such situations it is possible to criticize and question the influence of technological advances; however it is possible to use similar mediums for good. An example of this is the “It Gets Better” video series on YouTube. The videos are messages from gay, lesbian and bisexual kids from all over the country talking to youths about dealing with bullying. The videos share a similar message, that the bullying and the teasing because of sexual identity ends and life goes on and gets better. Most speakers were bullied in high school and say once they left for college they were able to find communities and groups which supported them and their lifestyle. These videos, along with other online sites, establish communities which are specifically created to help and support people who are being taunted, bullied, or rejected by their families because of their sexual orientation. Where once a child from a small town in Kansas had to wait until maybe college or even post college to find such a community, the same child can go online and find the care and assistance they need. This online community not only provides aid to kids, but also save lives by giving people reasons to not kill themselves. The concept of community in these situations becomes completely redefined. The community a person actually lives in forces someone to want to kill themselves, while one which only exists in cyber space can convince the same child to not take their own life. This demonstrates a new phenomenon in technologically influenced cultures; the possibility to choose or create a new community without leaving home. And while these groups may only exist online they are so real and powerful they have the ability to outdo what has been done by the physical community or even family a person lives with. The message “you are not alone” connects people who once were outsides to similarly marginalized people eventually creating a virtual community filled with the love and support humans require.

Wiki book

Andrew Dalby’s book The World and Wikipedia: How we are Editing Reality, articulates one of the more problematic elements of the Internet: vast amounts of information without regulation. Wikipedia, by “allowing anyone to write anything “as quoted by Daly on page fifty, ignores the need to provide factual content to readers. The potential for Wikipedia to become one of the greatest innovations of our time exists, but only in theory; while the need exists, the social responsibility to provide accurate information becomes a crucial flaw. When describing the history of the encyclopedia, two main ideas emerge; the need for such a reference book to protect and disperse knowledge, and that such an idea cannot exist in modern times without adapting to technology. The change from written to electronic word not only exposed reader to knowledge, but information to reader. The difference being where information was once able to change the minds and opinions of minds, now the same information is susceptible to change by human hand. In addition to this, the problem of the anonymous nature on the Internet furthers people from any liability and inserts a feeling of doubt as to the authenticity of what is being written. Where once a single author could take credit for their creation and provide sources, Wikipedia demands none of this. Instead, it can be more beneficial to write whatever a person wants and not use a real name. The story of Richard Worth the politician from New Zealand written about by Dalby provides a great example of this. Postman’s Technopoly book warns of the dangers of vast amounts of information entering into the main stream but not knowing what to do with all that is presented. Anyone reading a Wikipedia page must do so with a grain of salt, however the convenience and accessibility of the pages outweigh the quest for accurate facts. Wikipedia holds so much potential to inform the world, however the lazy and nameless nature of the Internet prohibits this from happening.

Postman book blog 2

Postman Blog 2
The second half of Neil Postman’s book continues to exam the dangers of living with an abundance of readily accessible technologies. One such harmful side effect of living in the Technopoly age is the loss of responsibility. A similar issue was discussed on our second day of class during a current events presentation. Access to the Internet makes cheating, in school or life, that much easier and while making taking or placing blame harder. Modern societies, as Postman argues, see technology, the computer in particular, as thinking machines. However, a computer’s lack of full cogitative abilities makes it less than human; the computer is allowed to have thoughts and think, but the thoughts do not belong to anyone or anything. People are now able to blame a poor idea on a thinking machine rather than take responsibility for the consequences. The merging of social sciences with technologies helps to fuel this problem. Postman argues it is possible to find a study which will verify anything and allow people behave as they wish and blame some static as to why they partook in some action. Technology is everywhere from modern medicine to politics, it is not simply availability of technology, but the absolute belief in the validity of the information provided which encourages people to continue using technologies. Postman describes this new age phenomenon when he writes how he is “constantly amazed at how obediently people accept explanations that begin with ‘The computer shows.. .’ or ‘the computer has determined’… it is Technopoly’s equivalent to it is G-d’s will!” (Page 115). Such statements lead to the growth of a culture which feels void of any real responsibility. Being an adult human means being able to understand actions have consequences, it should not be possible to remove people from the responsibility of knowledge.
This morning I experienced a real life example about questioning information being presented. My friend showed me a YouTube video about childhood obesity which compared feeding fast food to a child to giving the child heroine. This was one episode in a series warning about the dangers of unhealthy eating habits. However, after a while it becomes apparent the ads are attacking the fast food industry, McDonalds in particular, and paid for by a vegan foods campaign. Being a vegan and fan of nutrition, I automatically supported what I was being told by the all mighty computer, however it began to bother me that the advertisement had its own agenda. Rather than a message about nutrition, the video was concerned with issues of eating meats, especially from fast food restaurants. Taking a step back and questioning who was really telling me what information, made me have a different take on what I was seeing. Noticing how ready I was to embrace the complacent attitude Postman warms against brought the significance of his words to reality.