Sporadic Posting

And for that i apologize. The end of the semester has proven to be one of the more challenging ones i have had – perhaps the most difficult one so far. I still have two papers to do before tuesday (5pm latest!). I have an exam on wednesday, that i would like to do at least ok in, and then there are two more exams (20th and 23rd) Then its a week off and into a new semester. [Comparing Democracies and Social Change]

Between that time, i have two final reports to work on for my Research Assistance-ship (is that a word?), to be fair, the deadline is self-imposed, as i tend to need some sort of “deadline pressure” to be able to produce. I am eager since i was told that this will be [more then likely] my first ‘published’ piece of work, meaning that i will be able to put the final product on my academic resume of published works =)

I will try to keep this space up to date in my thought process, but sometimes, I understand my professors response to blogging as “who has the time!”. There are still a bunch of things i want to get out of my head – but they will just have to wait for the time being.

My Next Addiction?

I loaded the open beta of Lineage 2 this afternoon, and i have to say, i really like it. Just spent the last 3 hours making it to level 6, and trying to figure out the player perspectives, exploring the towns, the tradeskill system etc. etc.

The animation is very Final Fantasy (which i have always liked) and the graphics are stunning, the learning curve is small (for me) and I even have a former Everquest guildmate to play with…..smells like a recipe for addiction to me!

Virtual, Hyper & Reality

Continuing with the trend of asking more questions then answers, i move onto a new subject we just started last week in my contemporary theory class – Hyperreality. We have excerpts from both Beaudrillard and Eco – but i realize, i need to read more on the topic to understand how the concept fits into my general concept of reality (that encompasses both the tangible and the abstract/virtual)

My professor gave a very nice, simplified definition of both the virtual and hyper concepts of reality so we can be clear as to their seperation.

Hyperreality – a ‘better’ or more ‘pristine’ version of reality. In this version of reality, there is a necessity to be able to see the difference between everyday and hyper reality so you can make the distinction [that hyper is better?]

Virtual Reality – is a simulation of reality. The point is to make as little distinction as possible between the virtual and the real in terms of our senses, actions and perceptions of what is and is not real.

With these two versions of reality in mind, i have been trying to see how it all fits into my avatar research. Whereas the video games are obviously not real since they are forms of animation and not photorealist images transposed into a movie like setting. But the immersive factors of mmorpg’s has been said to skew the player’s perception of identity, of reality… not knowing where one’s character ends and their tangible selves begin.

Obviously, i have more thinking to do about it, and more reading as well since we were only privy to two articles from two theorists, nonetheless i stand slightly confused how this will all flesh itself out.

We watched an interesting documentary last night in class called Synthetic Pleasures. It was a bit dated technologically (it was made in 1995) but the issues are essentially the same. The debate between modern and post modern, natural versus synthetic, technology as power and technology as savior, as well as many other subtler things that creep up as you think about the scenes that are laid out for you with the voice over explaining it…

Interestingly, Orlan, the performance artist i wrote about in a post about perceptions of beauty, is in the film discussing her work, and how it fits into this idea of fabrication of self, restructuring of the tangible body etc. Beware though, there is a graphic scene where they actually show her plastic surgery – and not in the TLC channel, clinical ways we are used to seeing it.

There is also an interesting portion on sex through the ‘virtual’ and ‘hyper’ perceptions. (again, graphic content – i cant believe i had to sit through 15 minutes of pure porn in a classroom!!) But, as was pointed out by my professor after the film, the voice over and interviews spoke of virtual sex and the potential for hyperreal orgasmic experiences, yet the imnages that we were privy were pure, old-fashioned pornography, and essentially, little to do with the actual idea of connected body gloves with sensors and probes for this new futuristic version of sexual and sensual pleasures.

Which makes me think about how visual and oral representations can confuse the viewers. Simple example: Brittany Spears (yuck i know!) She went on and on about how she was a virgin, and that abstinence was best, and the mature, responsible thing to do, yet her image, her visual representation of herself completely contradicted her words by dressing provocatively and even at times downright skanky. (sorry hehe) This can be tied into, again, my earlier post on perceptions of beauty and the myth of power women hold when using their body and their sexuality in what they consider to be strong ways (teasing men with skant clothes and preaching abstinence is a dangerous concoction that all too often leads to rape – but alas, that is another issue all together)

So, how do we deal with these issues? Hyper real and real? Contradiction of oral and visual stimulations? Trying to fit it into traditional moral or even ethical belief structures. (the film speaks to bioethics as well – again another topic for another time)

I guess i just need to keep reading!

Technical Glitches

Last night i made a comment to a friend that there was no such thing as bad technology – just bad people (who dont know how to use the technology)

Well, this morning, i logged into this blog, as i use it to access my friend’s blogs with the links i posted on the right hand side of the blog… and they’re gone!! i did not remove the code from template, yet when i look at the template it is no longer there.

Similarily, two days ago, i logged in to see that the comments feature was missing… after refreshing the site several times, i took a peek into the template and lo and behold, the code for HaloScan was missing.

Now. i ask myself this question… is this bad technology – or someone messing around (ie a bad person) from blogger or just bad design – that things randomly disappear from my settings…. /sigh

So now, i have to go back and put the pain in the ass little commands to link the blogs AGAIN to this site…

More Term-Ending Questions

As the semester winds down in terms of time, it seems to be building up in intensity with a flurry of papers to write and last minute scurrying by profs trying to squeeze in the last bit of their syllabus into class time.

On the one hand, i have the feeling that things should, essentially, be winding down – concepts becoming clear, looming questions being answered, generally, i am awaiting some sort of satisfying finale to my third complete year at university (heaven help me!) Yet, this is not how i feel at all. After said three years completed, i feel like i am just getting wound up. The questions that are flying around at light speed in my head seem to get squeezed out faster then i can write them down. I enjoy being in an environment that makes my head hurt, and forced to think, but is the point to all of this ‘education’ simply to prompt me to ask more questions?? I want answers. I want a definitive answer to what power is. I want ONE interpretation of the post modern. I want to know what good all this technology is bringing us, if we are essentially in the same place as the greeks in terms of philosophy, politics and so much more! I want to hear a prof tell that the girl in the third row, who keeps arguing with him that her opinion is simply that… back it up or be quiet! (sorry – was another aggravating night in my media tech poli class – although i did make an appointment with my prof to discuss some of the issues that have plagued me most of the semester)

I know i know… if i want concrete, definitive answers i should have gone into mathematics or something (although i hear their debates can get quite intense at times hehe)

I truly enjoy having all of these questions in my head, dont get me wrong, but i am frustrated that i cant possibly read and digest all of the books that i want/need to read to understand things people say. Example, the SAGSA conference was wonderful, and i was indeed very happy to know who the majority of the theorists discussed were. (thanks to contemporary theory!) But the fact that, although i have read some Foucault, i was no where near as well read as those presenting papers. I dont mind people knowing more then i do, hell, its even better if they can explain it well, but i took so many notes about books, articles etc that i want to read… when do i get the time to do it? When can i just sit and read book after book after book, immersed in some other thinker’s words, without the hinderance of being graded on my ability to reiterate my understanding of it?

Guess its time to debug my brain – and go watch some mind numbing television before bed…

SAGSA Symposium

Conference Information

Spent almost 7 hours last friday sitting in a conference room (apprx. 100 people i would guess) listening to some wonderful academics talk about issues that surround Foucaultian theories on fear and risk as well as biopower. It was a very interesting symposium, with 7 guest speakers in total topped off with coffee, pastries, wine and cheese.

It was interesting to be in that type of academic forum, although i am still at the stage where i dont feel comfortable to approach any of the speakers. I am not ready for commentaries per se, but I definitly enjoy digesting the knowledge – eventually it will manifest itself in some conversation or other. Actually got to use a quote from Dr. Alan Hunt from his talk “Governing Through Anxiety” for my last poli sci paper, so its all good!

Media/Technology/Politics – Discussion Topics

More questions we are asked to ponder – the thread itself has given quite a few … interesting/long winded answers that don’t quite answer the question per se – but a good exercise for some to work on honing in on key points in their arguements. Unfortunately, the forums aren’t open to the public, but would be good for a smile if they were.

On to today’s topic: Question 1

1.In the midst of a service-oriented economic period, minds produce commodities that are data, information, binary products of all kinds. Can this still be called labor?

If the efforts, whether physical or intellectual, of one man/woman makes a profit for another, then essentially, this is still labor in the Marxist sense. The traditional structure of capitalism and its hierarchies of power are still evident in the ‘wired’ age, regardless of the ‘type’ of work that is being done.

see Barney pg.107/108 :: Ownership of the Means of Power

Thinking Technology

While working on research for my poli paper, i came across an article that discusses, among other things, the need for smarter computers to fight the war on terror. A computer that has the ability to reason – instead of simply repeat the data and sequences that has been placed into it’s memory by people. Although some forms of AI appear to have independent thought, it still cannot make rational decisions with consequential actions without some form of human input.

I am reminded of J.F. Lyotard’s work on something of cyborgian theory. The seperation of body and mind – and basically, he states that the one thing seperating man from machine is the inability for computers to truly think for themselves, since the very nature of coding lies in logic.

Crossing this line is potentially very dangerous – man creates machine – machine takes over man – this is a common theme in alot of sci-fi…if only the people pushing for this type of technology would heed a bit of warning from the prophetic nature of sci-fi history.

Slow Connections

In this world of hi-tech toys and 5 minute meals, i have to say, i have completely lost the patience to sit and wait 20 minutes for a web page to open up only to get a “cannot connect to server” message. I have been working alot from school, and the time it takes for some pages to load is embarrassing for an ‘institution of higher learning’.

Adjustments

Made a name change, shouldnt make that much of a difference since the space’s intent is still the same, just simplified a few technical issues.