Assignment: Cyberpunk and Cinema

Cyberpunk is a genre of storytelling that has directly influenced the face of cinema. Its’ power to compel audiences continues and thrives in today’s communication technology dependent culture. Although the images presented in Cyberpunk depict a science-fiction based reality, there is a direct link to our own reality. Our modern society continues to be so immersed in technology that the realities presented in Cyberpunk, despite their fictional properties, could easily become the world we will inhabit in the future. The cyberpunk genre centers upon the relationship of humanity to technology. Its significance is that cyberpunk literature and film creates anticipatory fictions which are based upon existing and upcoming technologies.

William Gibson, born in 1948, is widely acknowledged as the ‘father’ of Cyberpunk (Weir, 2003). He had his short stories published in the early 1980s and then moved onto writing novels, with one of his most influential works being Neuromancer, published in 1984, which is considered a landmark of the Cyberpunk Literary Genre (‘Cyberpunk’, 15/05/08). Gibson, who coined ideas such as "Cyberspace", allowed for the mainstream acceptance or cyberpunk as a legitimate mainstream genre (Weir, 2003).

As best surmised by Hafner & Markoff, ‘Cyberpunk revolves around high-tech rebels that live in a dystopian future, in a world dominated by technology and beset by urban decay and overpopulation. It’s a world defined by infinitely powerful computers and networks that create alternative universes filled with electronic demons. Interlopers travel through these computer-generated landscapes and some of them make their living by buying, selling and stealing information, with information being the currency of a computerised future (1995, p.9).’

Cyberpunk can be simplified to the struggle between man and technology for the control and manipulation of information. As Gibson himself puts it, we are ‘rushing headlong towards some unthinkable degree of interactivity, of connectivity, of the speed and breadth and depth of information’ (Gibson, 1994, p.278). The fear examined and defined in cyberpunk is based on our dependency on technology and is forecast as our downfall (‘William Gibson Biography’, 22/05/08). Our personal connections and interactions crumble and fall by the wayside because of our reliance on technology. Gibson ‘exploits our fear of and fascination with the modern world, especially its enthrallment to the personal computer and the ‘freedoms’ of ‘cyberspace.’ (Bennie, 2007). Cyberpunk literature is unfairly grouped in science-fiction because of its seemingly fantastical elements. However, because Cyberpunk ‘not only deals with possible, not just the probable, but technology that man already has (Walchak, 1993), there exists a reality-based fear that is expressed in cyberpunk literature and motion pictures.

Cyberpunk was born from the need to rebel against the rise in reliance on technology. Cyberpunk stories serve as cautionary tales for technology based communities and ‘increasingly prophetic of the way the world is changing’ (‘What is Blade Runner?’, 12/05/08) Cyberpunk presents stories of individuals or groups that try to revolt against the status quo present in the current society, to undermine the authority that exudes its power over the people. The authority is either in the form of technology itself or multi-national corporations’ control over technology, like in the film Blade Runner (Scott, 1982).

Visual presentations of Cyberpunk themes were inevitable. Cyberpunk Cinema has been forged from earlier works of science fiction and cyberpunk literature but in turn helped to redefine and influence Cyberpunk literature. William Gibson once said about the film Blade Runner,

‘About ten minutes into Blade Runner, I reeled out of the theater in complete despair over its visual brilliance and its similarity to the "look" of Neuromancer, my [then] largely unwritten first novel. Not only had I been beaten to the semiotic punch, but this damned movie looked better than the images in my head! With time, as I got over that, I started to take a certain delight in the way the film began to affect the way the world looked. Club fashions, at first, then rock videos, finally even architecture. Amazing! A science fiction movie affecting reality!’ (Loud, 1992)

This cements the argument that the most succinct and demonstrative example of Cyberpunk in Cinema is in fact Blade Runner, made in 1982 (Scott, 1982). Blade Runner was adapted from a novel by Phillip K Dick titled ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep’, which was published in 1968 (Dick, 1968). After being shown some preliminary footage of the film version of his book, Dick said: ‘This is not like anything we have ever seen…. It isn’t like anything that has ever been done.’ (Spinard, 1990, p.64)) It depicted a dystopia where Globalised companies and technology have obtained control over society, and where the lines between man and machine have been blurred. Those who do not have the control are forced to live substandard existence in the relative slums. It has been stated that ‘Blade Runner cannot be understood without comprehending the deeply felt moral, philosophical, ecological and sociological concerns that are interwoven throughout the story’ (Whitehead, 2002), and therefore succeeds in representing the themes vital to Cyberpunk.

Motion pictures attempt to harness a movement of self reflection for society, to challenge how far technology has taken us and how further it will go in the future. As popular Cyberpunk author Bruce Sterling puts it, ‘Say goodbye to your stale old futures. Here is an entirely realized new world, intense as an electric shock.’ (’Cyberpunk’, 15/05/08). It challenges how humans relate to each other and with technology. Cyberpunk cinema gives the viewer an inescapable view of the perils of over-reliance on technology, and the removal of power that inherently comes from giving control of society over to technology.

It will always be a relevant sub-genre of story telling because the themes it represents are timeless. The connection between humanity and technology is becoming even more relevant topic with the emergence of and dependence on new communication technologies. Cinema is a vital component in the transfer of themes and ideas of Cyberpunk to a mainstream audience. Cyberpunk Cinema gives the audience an insight into the possibilities of our own future, in most cases a bleak and damned state of affairs. By having a visual presentation of the themes that exist in Cyberpunk, the viewer is able to fully grasp the possible consequences of a technology predominant existence.

Cyberpunk and Cinema Bibliography

Bennie, Angela (September 7 2007), A reality stranger than fiction, The Sydney Morning Herald.

‘Cyberpunk’, http://hem.passagen.se/replikant/cyberpunk.htm (Accessed 15/05/08).

Dick, Philip K (1968), Do androids dream of electric sheep, Ballantyne Books, New York.

Gibson, William (1994), Neuromancer, Ace Books, New York.

Hafner, K. & Markoff, J. (1995), Cyberpunk: outlaws and hackers on the computer frontier, Touchstone, New York.

Loud, Lance (October 1992), 10th anniversary of Blade Runner, Details magazine.

Scott, Ridley (Dir) (1982), Blade Runner (Motion Picture), The Blade Runner Partnership.

Spinard, Norman (1990), The Transmogrification of Philip K. Dick, Science Fiction in the Real World, Southern Illinois University Press.

Walchak, J. A (1993), Where the Street Finds Its Own Use for Things: Cyberpunk Fiction and the Philosophy of Technology. Humanities and Technology Conference, Atlanta.

Weir, Robert (2003), Text, Analysis of a Subculture Group: Cyberpunk http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/analysis_of_cyberpunk_subculture.html, (accessed 20/05/08).

‘What is Blade Runner?’, http://www.brmovie.com/What_is_BR.htm, (Accessed 12/05/08).

Whitehead, John (2002), Blade Runner: What it means to be humans in the cybernetic state, Gadfly online. http://www.gadflyonline.com/02-18-02/film-blade_runner.html, (Accessed 25/05/08).

‘William Gibson Biography’ (2007), http://www.antonraubenweiss.com/gibson/biography.html, (Accessed 22/05/08).

Topic Twelve: Electronic Civil Liberties

Lecture

This weeks lecture by Adam 'addressed' the whole issue of free software. It was basically him promoting Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Creative Commons, two organisations he is affiliated with. The EFF's tagline is "Protecting and promoting on-line civil liberties". It tries to protect and inform consumers of injustices in the online arena. Creative Commons is an interesting sounding idea. It sits somewhere between complete copyright and free source information. It allows an artist (music, film, visual artist) to have some control over how their works are distributed and shared amongst the public. It allows them to retain some control, but allows easier distribution and circulation to interested parties. We also were told about the emergence of more and more free software available to consumers. Software designers are creating products that either rival or surpass those created by electronic software giants. The main advantage with free software in the form of open source software is that it can be adapted and changed to suit your needs for it.

Tutorial

In this weeks tutorial allowed me to catch up on my blogs that I hadn't given enough attention, and most importantly to tweak my assignment to make sure all of the references were correct and up to standard. I did get to think about my personal electronic civil liberties, and also how I would feel if someone took my artistic property and circulated it without my permission, or altered it in a way that i wouldn't approve of. The idea of creative commons does have certain appeal though to get your work out into a public arena, allowing the work to gain recognition, which certainly is a good thing if that's your desired intent. I guess it would depend on whether you wanted the work to stay in designated circles or you wanted to get it out to the largest possible audience.

Topic Eleven: The Ethics of Peer-to-Peer Filesharing

Lecture

In this weeks lecture we we informed of the ethics of peer-to-peer filesharing, and the different points of view on the subject. Adam's point of view was that free peer-to-peer filesharing was immoral and lead to victims, in the guise of music execs and the artists themselves. Vast amounts of money has been spent by big business that makes its money from the control and distribution of artistic works, whether it be music, movies or copyrighted images and other material. The other side of the debate says that information, in any form, should be free to everyone.

Tutorial

In today's tutorial we further discussed the ethics attached to the debate over peer-to-peer filesharing, mostly focusing on the music and film industry. The problem is they base their distribution on old technologies and techniques. They have not evolved with the times, therefore they have fallen behind and new technologies have allowed for easier and quicker distribution of these entities. Now the music and movie industries have caught on, they wish to either destroy these means, or somehow make their cut from it. They are failing miserably, because consumers realise they no longer have to be dictated by what big business says. In most cases this behaviour is considered illegal, however the digital revolution is taking place, and big businesses will lose in the end. The masses have spoken, and they no longer wish to be controlled in regards to gaining and distributing their chosen media.

Readings

Week eleven’s readings consisted of an article named ‘When Pigs Fly: The Death of Oink, the Birth of Dissent, and a Brief History of Record Industry Suicide’. It serves as commentary on the fairly recent debate over illegal downloading of music. It comments about the state of affairs in the music industry of yester year, and how the music environment has changed because of the increase of illegal downloading. The article looks at both sides of the debate. One side, from the pro free music point of view is that the music is out there for free, thus we are entitled to it and we are not doing anything wrong by downloading it. The other side is a bit more complicated, in that it takes the view of the majority of the music industry and music artists and aficionados. This side believes that by illegally downloading music, the artist and the producers are missing out on their hard earned proceeds from their work. The author takes middle ground I guess, as he states that the music industry should have taken the idea of digitising their catalogues long ago, when the technology first presented itself. Consumers have shown their preference for digital media, as most young consumers have an ipod these days. The music industry needs to further adapt to the digital age, or it will become practically extinct because independent companies will swoop in to take advantage of the trend towards digital music, and away from traditional physical sale of music.

Topic Ten: Blade Runner

Lecture

We watched the film named Blade Runner, made in 1982. We watched it in its theatrical version. Over the last twenty five years there have been three or more different versions floating around, with my favourite being the 'Final Cut'. The version we watched included overly simple and irritating narration and a 'feel good' or positive ending, which differs from the ending in the 'Final Cut'. In that version there was a bleaker yet more realistic ending and the narration had been removed to add more mystery and ambiguousness. The movie followed on from our discussion on Cyberpunk and includes such themes as artificial intelligence, cities out of control and post-industrial dystopia dissected all contained in a film noir sensibility. We have a protagonist who is deeply conflicted and whos motivations come into question throughout the movie. His jobs consists of hunting down human looking android fugitives and 'retiring' them. He falls in love with one of these creations created by a large corporation, but the question remains if he is in fact a replicant himself.

Tutorial

Talking about Blade Runner directly relates to my chosen assignment of Cyberpunk and its effect on film. My research for the topic has ranged from the creation or emergence of cyberpunk and cyberpunk themes, cyberspace and Utopian/Dystopian ideas and ideals. My research will continue to gather more scope of the effects that this type of literature has on film. Blade Runner's influences can clearly be seen when compared with movies like Alphaville and Metropolis. It was however adapted from the book "Do androids dream of electric sheep?", but a few changes were made. The whole cyberpunk genre appeals to be because it can be acknowledged as an indicator of what will befall society if we rely too greatly on machines and technology. Sure technology can increase efficiency and productivity, which are two great advantages, but in some cases over reliance can result in detachment and segregation. I believe there must remain a balance between human elements and technology, and that face to face communication must always be the preferred option, however today's society limits this, and in fact encourages communication by technology means (i.e phones and internet). Cyberpunk themes foreshadow that this disconnection of face to face contact, and shows where this disconnection could possibly lead to.

Readings

The readings for the week consisted of an essay named 'An exploration of what it is to be human'. It discusses our interpretation of what being a human entails and focuses on the novel "Do androids dream of electric sheep?", that i mentioned earlier. It discusses the way humans and replicants in the book can be told apart by the Voight-Kampff machine. The machine uses technology that deciphers the difference between instinctive and stimulated responses. The essay comments on our growing lack of humanity in regards to people or things we don't understand and wish to control. The more control we wish to have, the less distinctive traits we are allowed to exhibit. The essay suggests that we judge and interpret people based on only what we already know about them, as opposed to what we can find out about them. It also brings up the point that one of Philip Dick's prevailing themes in his novel, that is, that empathy is what makes us human. By negating empathy we in turn start to lose our humanity.

Topic Nine: Cyberpunk

Lecture

Our main focus for the lecture was the different aspects of cyberpunk, from its foundations and clear definitions of the topic. There is a subsequent importance of the cyberpunk writer William Gibson. He was a writer who drew influences from other writers such as Phillip K Dick. There are common themes throughout these works such as hackers vs corporations (big business), artificial intelligence, cities out of control and and post-industrial dystopias. Cyberpunk themes can be grouped together into headings like 'Technology and Mythology', the difference between a Utopia and Dystopia, seeing Cities as Machines, Technological change in a society, and the difference from Modernism to Postmodernism. The cyberpunk tries to evaluate who has control or controls the switches in society. Is it corporations, the government or is it all self regulated by societal pressures.

After the discussion on cyberpunk, we watched the French New Wave film, La Jette. If followed the story of a man, who happened to be a prison inmate, who is sent back in time as an experiment. While in this time he falls in love, but in his heart of hearts realises that he cannot be with the woman because he it is not a natural state of being. The film consists of still images linked together with the aid of voiceover to form a narrative. There is only one frame that does have movement, which is when the female character looks lingeringly into the camera. This was a vital part of the film, where we the audience are made to feel what the male character is feeling in regards to the female character, his love and adoration of her.

Tutorial

We spent most of the tutorial discussing our assignment topics and how I was going to tackle the arguments I have chosen to delve into. My assignment will focus on why individuals chose to play a game such as 'Second Life'. I will include an introduction, that wont be too boring for those already familiar to the game. I'll talk about who made it and why, how the avatars in the game represent the users of the game, and in turn talk about why people chose to represent themselves in particular ways (i.e adding more hair, having bigger breasts, being trim and tall etc.) and why people can become addicted to playing the game and how it turns from playing the game to living the game. I'll sum up by commenting why people chose the game and how that affects their lives.

Readings

The first reading this week was the allegory of the cave by Plato. The main point that Plato addresses is that the majority of humankind can 'think, and speak, etc., without (so far as they acknowledge) any awareness of his realm of Forms'. In basic terms, humanity in the form of the general public, has an awareness of a 'reality', but only has the tools to identify it, but doesn't have the tools to step back to see whether reality actually exists or is just their interpretation of events that happen to them. In the allegory, the shadows on the wall represent the prisoners 'reality' and their reaction to that reality. The second reading was The Burning Chrome, which consisted of ten short stories by author William Gibson. This is the first book to coin the phrase "cyberspace", and would cement his name as the 'father' of Cyberpunk. This book and Gibson's other popular book Neuromancer persuaded me to delve into the Cyberpunk topic for my assignment, instead of the topic listed above. I put a fair bit of effort into the Second Life topic, but would rather focus on Cyberpunk and Cinema. Personally i love the connection of Cyberpunk literature and Cyberpunk cinema, or cinema that has been influenced by Cyberpunk, but doesn't necessarily fit exactly into that genre.

Topic Eight: Are computer games a waste of time?

Lecture

The lecture today was split into two parts. One part was presented by Stephen and the other by Adam. The main focus of the lecture was to discuss the relevance of video games and, and even more so computer games. People put forward what types of games that interest them, and what trends there seem to be in game use, relating to gender and social groups. There is the possibility for gamers to become so immersed in games that they can become obsessive. It can lead to the blending of reality and their game presence, which can have detrimental effects. There is a definite difference between computer games and video games, as computer games are really a sub-genre of video games. Computer gamers seem to be more immersed and take it more seriously than a casual gamer who probably more prone to use console games instead.

We went on to learn about military simulations and similar games and how they can be seen either as simulations of a real environment, or as a representations of real environment. Sometimes the line between the two can become blurred. The main point to be made is that where does this line occur? I guess it's each persons perception of reality that dictates this. We went on to discuss the progression of games over time. Thats where the two words narratology and ludology come up. Many believe that narratology, the supposed advancement of storytelling found in games has helped to form what we see as relevant games today. The other side of the coin says gaming and games is all dependent on what entertains the gamer and has nothing really to do with the storytelling aspects of the games in question. I believe the evolution is dependent on both sides, as games, like cinema can broadcast a social consciousness or conscience that relates to a current state of affairs. However, games will always be dependent on how much pleasure can be gained from the game. The gamer must attain some satisfaction in order to keep playing the game.

Tutorial

There was a short discussion about the lecture and some of the topics brought up in it. We then moved onto our tutorial tasks for the week. This was an arduous task, as some of the tasks took a while to complete but would have definite advantages in a business environment. We went through some of the processes in Microsoft Word, like the ability to type a letter, add a header and footer and other cosmetic changes, but also mail merging and tracking changes. The next task involved Microsoft Excel. The program allows you to enter large amount of figures, for calculating complex formulas and for creating graphs and other things using your data electronically.

I did some more research for my assignment. I looked for information regarding the amount of people that are getting involved in internet gaming communities founded through games like World of Warcraft and Second Life.


Readings

The reading for this week consisted of the book Trigger Happy. It's all about the aesthetics of videogames, their supposed birth and their connections to gamers lives and gaming habits. As Steven Poole states "Videogames can only continue to thrive and evolve into a truly revolutionary entertainment medium as long as they concentrate on what they do best: build us ever more coherent constructions of ever more aesthetically wondrous worlds." The prevalence of videogames in today's current technology saturated environment is no surprise as games advance with the needs of gamers. New technology allows for different gaming experiences, whether it be better graphics or increased interactivity. The gaming industry will continue to grow and evolve to suit gamers needs.

Topic Seven: Cronenberg - Cinema and Technology

Lecture

Today's lecture was very interesting in that it continued to feed my curiosity about connections individuals (and society) have with a fictional based world, or virtual reality in the form of computer games. Stephen Stockwell started with a discussion about David Cronenberg, who just happens to be one of my favourite film Directors. His discussed his influences and some of the vast range of films he has directed over his career, highlights for me including The Brood, Eastern Promises and Crash. I have great respect for Cronenberg both as a story teller and also a visionary on social debates, arguments and trends. He often uses strong imagery to express the heavy issues to wants to address. We had the privilege of viewing his film existenZ, which dealt with the computer game industry and its effect on society and our perceptions of 'reality'. "What is reality?" seems to be the most easily identifiable theme throughout. When 'real world' gamers are playing in this artificial world, does the line between the two blend so greatly that they in fact begin to be one entity? Cronenberg has the last frame of the film ask this exact question in the form of "Are we still in the game?". Virtual reality has become to 'real' that the gamer cannot distinguish between reality and the virtual reality that has been manufactured.

Readings

The reading for this week comes from two of our Lecturers, Stephen and Adam. I involves the exploration of the connection of War and the development of war simulators. Our current war in Iraq had been prepared for by using war simulators for soldiers to get a grasp on what the job entailed, and how moves were to be executed. However, the planning that went into creating these simulators did not represent a reality, however created something that probably confused soldiers more than helped them. As the text says, "The simulations that began as theories about reality for planning and training purposes took on the form of reality in the heat of battle only to be revealed to be inaccurate as either reality or simulation in the harsh light of peace." The article also proceeds to discuss the connection between military and games based on military goings on, and why the government relies on the game industry to help train their soldiers, and why the entertainment industry relies on the military and war so much for inspiration. Why is the media and consumers interested in war so much? Have we been conditioned or desensitised to war so much that we can see it as a genuine form of entertainment?

Topic Six: History of the Computer

Lecture

In the lecture on Wednesday we delved into the history of the computer, and then went on to learn about the Internet. We started with the birth of the computer. Charles Babbage's 19th century Difference Engine which was designed to calculate and print mathematical tables is regarded as a machine that facilitated the creation of the computer. It was Alan Turing, however, that developed the serious groundwork for the real development of the computer. He created the BOMBE machine that was instrumental in the victory over the Nazi's in World War II. This machine enabled the encoding of the Nazi Enigma machine that they were using to send messages to each other.

There has been a constant fight for supremacy in the world of computers. The main companies in contention have been Xerox, Apple and IBM (Microsoft). There is a long, sordid history of deception and deal making in order to make optimal profits. The fight between IBM and Apple has been historic and continues to this day.

We were informed of how the Internet is different from the world wide web. The world wide web is a part of the internet. It is only one application of the internet. Others include email and file sharing (Napster, Limewire, Kazaa). The internet is simply a collection of interconnected computers that are able to communicate with each other. We watched a visual presentation about how the internet works and basically represented the requesting and sending of information bytes (the giving and taking of information or data).

We went on to discuss the term cyberspace. It essentially lies between reality and imagination in an individual. The debate lies in whether cyberspace represents a 'consensual hallucination' or another form of reality? There are many that argue the point on both sides, but I believe one can create an artificial world for themselves that either entertains or distracts but if everyone lived in these artificial worlds then reality loses its value. In the lecture we went on to talk about early internet applications like email, and file transferring and military use, and then went moved onto recent applications such as instant messaging, peer to peer sharing (p2p), portable audio (podcasting) and voice chat (Skype).

Tutorial

In this week's tutorial we discussed different uses and functions of the internet and the world wide web for a bit. We talked about our assignment and how to research the university journals to help with the gaining of information. At this stage I'm still trying to define the exact topic I want to focus my essay on, and I may be influenced on how much information I can find on a particular subject. I think I am going to focus my argument on the connection between reality and virtual reality and its real world consequences or effects (good and bad). My main thought process has been derived from the studying of the game "Second Life" and the viewing of movies such as eXistenZ, the Matrix and Blade Runner to a certain extent too. My main point is that when an individual begins to limit their interactions to a virtual state, is the real life of the individual and of society deprived of rich relationships that help keep society civil?

Readings

This week our reading consisted of the article/paper What's new about 'new media'?. From the article, I ascertained that although media is often classified as new, in most cases it is just a modified or improved version of a previous product. Its about extending the possibilities of a current technology to better suit the needs of society. Things such as phones, computers and other communication tools have evolved to accommodate the needs of a society to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas with each other. New communication technology, or advanced communication technologies are vital to express ideas through new medias. New forms of digital video and digital photography technology allows for more freedom within the discipline and often allows for direct transfer from ideas to application of those ideas, a freedom that has been out of reach because of lack of capacity and usability (ease of use) of of previous technologies.

Topic Five: Why I hate Wikipedia

Lecture

How do we know what we research from Wikpedia is the truth? This was one of the main points in the lecture. We took the example of the Lee Cox entry in Wikipedia. It was created to show that someone can post incorrect and blatant lies in this forum. It then brings into contention the validity of other entries on Wikipedia. Also what we know now can always be monitored when new information is obtained or exposed, which means Wiki could come in handy when the updating of information is necessary.

Virtual truth was also mentioned in the lecture with one of its points of interest being the film "The Matrix". It blends the idea of reality and virtual reality or manufactured reality. The distinction between the reality and virtual reality has become blurred, as virtual reality brings about the same feelings or actions as that of actually experiencing a 'reality'.
Although this reality may be virtual it doesn't make it any less real to the individual experiencing in, and it raises the possibility that mundane reality is no less virtual anyway.

Tutorial and Tutorial Tasks

I believe that Wikipedia does have its place when researching topics, however it needs to be monitored by certified researchers in order to verify the information that is being posted. How can individuals be trusted to regulate and the entries when they may have found the information from an unreliable source. We were assigned ten questions to research using an internet search resource other than Google or Wikipedia. The answers to the questions are listed below and stated as fact. In order to be as certain as one can be about the correctness of a question that is being answered one must check a number of sites and sources to check their validity, but I have only listed the first source used for each question. But who knows, many sites in succession maybe reporting incorrect information by gaining the information initially from an incorrect source.

1) Onel De Guzman is supposedly the person that created the “lovebug” computer virus.

Source: http://www.computerbytesman.com/lovebug/index.htm

2) William D Middlebrook invented the paperclip. He also invented the machine used to produce it.

Source: http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/paperclip.htm

3) The Ebola virus received its name from the river located in the Congo where the virus was first observed.

Source: http://www.mc.edu/campus/users/mcgowan/jaredgregg.htm

4) Chile is the country that has had the largest/ strongest recorded earthquake.

Source: http://www.extremescience.com/GreatestEarthquake.htm

5) There are 1,000,000,000 kilobytes in a terabyte.

Source: http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid5_gci213118,00.html

6) The creator of email is believed to be Ray Tomlinson who developed a local program in the 1970’s, and in 1971 developed the first APRANET email application.

Source: http://www.livinginternet.com/e/ei.htm

7) A storm worm is used to blast out millions of junk emails for advertising web links that when clicked or accessed become a host for the latest copy of the worm for download.

Source: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2007/10/the_storm_worm_maelstrom_or_te.html?nav=rss_blog

8) The most efficient way of contacting the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is by calling Parliament House located in Canberra or by visiting his official ministerial website www.pm.gov.au/

Source: http://www.alp.org.au/people/qld/rudd_kevin.php

9) Stephen Stockwell plays in the Brisbane-based punk band Black Assassins in which he plays the keyboards.

Source: http://live-wirez.gu.edu.au/Staff/Stephen/default.html

10) The term Web 2.0 is a new and more disciplined way of using the internet. The hype is removed and the goal is complete and easy access and transfer of information. It will hopefully make it easier for individuals and businesses interact and transact in our fast paced and technology based world.

Source: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

I found that Internet search engines generally rank the searched websites on how popular they are (how many times they have been accessed) therefore if there is some obscure information or view you are seeking, the pursuit may take a bit longer. You have to wade through generic sites in order to gain the specific information you require in many cases. In saying that, this popularity ranking does help when looking for simple information like many of the questions listed above. My favourite search engine would have to be Google as it accesses websites quickly and more precisely than any other engine that I've tried such as "Ask" or "Yahoo". It has helped to refine my searches when researching for assignment topics. It does help when you are able to search for sites a more efficient way by utilising key words related to your chosen topic.

In relation to virtual truths mentioned earlier, i believe an artificial reality can feel just as real as 'reality'. Films like The Matrix and Dark City put forward the idea that a society could living in a false state of consciousness. If an individual thinks that they are feeling a certain emotion or are experiencing and event that feels real, I think it then becomes that persons reality, whether or not it has been manufactured or not.

There is another Wikipedia related task that was set for us. We were required to research two topics that we have some understanding of. I chose the topic film and the dance music group Sash!. I went to Wikipedia to check if their articles were correct and informative. I found in both examples that the information was exact and their sources allowed for more education on the topics which in turn allows for greater grasps on the topics at hand. Their was no argument involved in both topics so there was no way of checking for bias, but other Wiki experience has resulted in a lack of bias. Only when you start getting into topical arguments that you may find discrepancies at the hands of Wikipedia. From my experience though, their guidelines in their content criteria, in theory, does not allow for bias of any sort. Articles are supposed to be deemed neutral and be factual, notable and sited from reliable sources (verifiable). This is done so that the information is hopefully truthful and does not exhibit any bias towards a subject or argument therefore creating a safe environment for those that which to use Wikipedia as a reliable learning or research tool.

Readings

This week we were required to read the short story "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius". It is a brief but succinct fictitious piece of work, a that deals with a conspiracy by intellectuals that imagine, thereby create an idealistic world. It is essentially a detective story told from the perspective of a fictitious version of the writer, Jorge Luis Borges that is set in a world going mad under the pressures of society. It is a fictional work but has real world connections in that his environments are modeled from potentially real locations and the moral and intellectual standpoints in the dialogue derive from the standpoints of that era. (It was written in 1940, though it is set in the near future of 1947) Through the narrative he aimed to dissect, speculate and challenge certain ideals in society such as materialism and totalitarianism.

Topic Four: Old Communication Technologies

Lecture

In our lecture Stephen discussed communication technologies that have been used in the past and that have paved the way for new and more efficient ways of communicating information and expressing ideas in a modern setting. There was a discussion of Walter Benjamin's work in the field of analysing communication technologies.

Tutorial

Our tutorial started with a discussion regarding the work of Walter Benjamin and then moved onto more specific topics within his area of expertise. We talked about old ways of communication from tribes using different markings to decipher clan from clan to ancient Egyptians communicating information by the use of hieroglyphics. We also talked moved on to discussing telegraphs, telephones and finished with semiotics. After our discussion which only touched on subjects contained in the course readings I moved onto completing the tutorial task for week four.

Our task for the week was concerned with delving into the connections Walter Benjamin's work has to do with modern society, in particular the artistic world and 'new' media. I believe their is a direct connection as his work illustrates how art is not affected by the elite. They may have created to avenues for expressing art but they do not have monopoly on how it is expressed, especially in today's terms. Contemporary digital media allows for the majority to create forms of artistic expression. There seem to be no boundaries, except in terms of decency and perverseness, but even those lines continue to be blurred. Art is no longer bound by education and most likely never was, it was only that access to these artistic expressions were either not shown to the public or their expression took another form, possibly that of perfecting a profession or hobby. Art derives from creativity, and its motivations lie solely in the need for expression of ones identity. We are asked the question, is a photoshopped image "authentic". I believe that is in indeed authentic in that by modifying the original image, you thereby create something that becomes its own entity. By becoming its own identity it therefore has an authenticity to it, that then can be modified to an even greater extent. We were also asked do digital "things" have an aura? Digital things do have an aura because there is a certain mystery or mystique that attaches itself to the process or object. However when a society becomes accustomed to a digital process or thing, there is less mystery and more understanding. It therefore loses its strangeness or foreignness and becomes part of the social consciousness instead (A social norm or requirement).

Readings

This week we were required to read The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. He talks at length on his views of what shapes the particular aesthetics of creating art, whether it be Film, Theatre, Photography, Painting, Music or any pursuit of expression. I believe he is extremely passionate in his views regarding such subjects and is even able to find poetry in the horrors of war, which is no mean feat. Benjamin states that the arts were created by people in society that held the supreme power in a time much earlier than ours, however the pursuit of beauty, or the Beautiful, is not limited to a time, space or position of power. It instead relies on knowledge and in gaining knowledge we ultimately change the techniques, ideas and habits of those that wish to attain beauty through the arts.

Topic Three: Alphaville

Lecture

We started our lecture with a short discussion about We were shown a DVD of the film "Alphaville" which was made in 1965. I felt a real connection to the film, as it is a genre I am interested in. It introduced topics such as mind control and the repression of feelings and impulses. The film was difficult to watch for many, and some started to annoy me as they were being rude and obnoxious while the film was playing because they didn't like it. I discovered that many of the films i have watched in the past had obviously been influenced by this film. Even the other films that we will be watching for the rest of the semester, Blade Runner and Existenz.

Tutorial

Our tutorial for this week started with a discussion about Alphaville. We talked about its themes of control and repression. The film depicted a world governed by computers, much like our own. We do not however live in a Utilitarian society like the one shown in the movie, but it can be seen as a scary potential forecast of future. After our discussion we moved onto our blogs and updating them for the week. We networked our blogs with each other in order for people to see each others blogs an comment them. From there we moved onto our reading for the week. The reading for the week posed the question of how we used new communication technology to communicate with friends an family. It made me think about how much i rely on myspace and other new technologies such as mobile phones.

Topic Two: Is email dead?

Lecture

Is email dead? This is the question we delved into during our second lecture. The main focus of the class was to firstly answer this question but to also consider other forms of communication technologies that we come into contact on a constant basis. Last week we completed a survey that included questions ranging from what kinds of technologies we use and how frequently we use them, to our reliance on technology over human contact as a way of communicating with each other. The survey showed us that email certainly is not dead and in fact it plays a vital part in communicating with friends and colleagues.

We were shown that one of the downsides of using email is the constant attack from internet savvy companies or individuals that focus on infiltrating our personal email accounts in order to make profits. They send as many emails as possible to as many people as possible in order to gain optimal exposure. These unwanted emails, or spam, are widely considered a major inconvenience. These emails are designed to either market a product or are a skillfully created scam that is designed to trick consumers into investing their money by enticing people using monetary incentives or by using scare tactics. Phishing is the technique used by ‘spammers’ to gain a person’s email details in order to send the recipient the desired information.

Weblogging, or ‘blogging’ as it is commonly referred to, is another topic that was discussed in the lecture. Blogging is an increasingly more frequently used communication technology tool in today’s society. It allows people that have access to the internet to post their views on the world or current information or personal information that interested parties may view and leave comments about. It has become a tool of concerned citizens to broadcast their views on establishments and governments however as there are no codes of ethics when they publish this information for the viewing public, the credibility and validity of these posts are constantly in contention.

Tutorial

In our second tutorial we were able to discuss the above topics and how they relate to us as consumers. We all agreed that spam is certainly undesirable, annoying and an unneeded communication technology by-product. We agreed that email is essential to the way we communicate, and does not look like being obsolete for some time to come. Blogs are becoming quite common to internet and technology savvy individuals or groups looking to voice their opinions or views about topics. It is a tool for free speech that in turn can be used negatively. It does how however allow same minded individuals to share their ideas and internet communities are common.

We set up our own blog towards the end of the class by visiting the ‘blogspot’ website. The blog is linked to my email account and allows me to post information at any time and as mentioned before allows for comments back about the information or views I have posted. I believe blogging is relevant as it allows information that might have otherwise been hidden or destroyed by governing bodies to reach the public. One must be aware though that the information presented in a blog may not be of truth in all cases, so diligence is required.

Topic One: Overview & Second Life

Lecture

Steven Stockwell introduced us to the subject in the first lecture. He covered the course outline and other information important to the course. The start of the class was very basic but the second half of the class was the most entertaining and thought provoking. There was a screening of a Four Corners feature story named “You only live twice” on the gaming phenomenon Second Life. Second Life is a game where the gamer is able to interact with people all over the world by using a personalised character and inserting this character into simulated environments and engaging in acts with other users of the game. The game is not ruled by ethics instead it revolves around impulse and desire.

Tutorial

Our first tutorial allowed us to discuss the impacts from a game such as “Second Life”. It was very interested to see how many people escape into this artificial world. There were a few major points raised about the reason behind so many people being interested in escaping into this artificial world created in “Second Life”. I believe that the main selling point behind the game is that one can escape their reality and live an idealistic life controlled by their desires instead of their responsibilities towards society. Their animated character, or Avatar, as they are known enables the gamer to represent themselves in a glamorised or idealised version of themselves which in turn allows the gamer to not be restricted by the confines of reality. The gamer is able to live a ‘life’ that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to live in the real world. Their actions are uninhibited and their actions have no real world consequences. This technology is seen by some as being able to connect people but in my opinion it disconnects people from the outside world. The gamer doesn’t understand accountability and loses touch with reality by living a simulated life instead of a personal and interactive life in the real world.