Tag: First

Hypertext Make-Believe

arthurcortez on

This post is possibly going to be the shortest I am going to post on here…

This week’s reading by Landow, once again touches upon the concept of hypertext, more specifically fictional hypertext. The essay technically describes the advantages such technology brings to modern fiction, allowing the reader to create their own stories through the use of multiple variables that allows replay capability.

Just as with any hypertext reading that I had done in the past, the ideas being introduced are completely understandable, but I still found myself somewhat foreign to the idea. I was unable to link the technology being described to any sort of technology I have come across in my life. It was not until I have actually googled examples that I was confronted with this, a sample of everything the author mentioned in his essay.

Surprisingly, I have come to turns that this is the first time I have come across hypertexts. I don’t know about my peers, if this is something that predates our known awareness of the nineties, or maybe it is due to my different cultural upbringing.

Fish to fish

arthurcortez on

This first reading by Adrian is his own metaphorically poetic way of illustrating what exactly this subject is for us.

Basically, we are constituted to be that of a boat, amongst an ocean and/or sea of ideas. The boat does not have a specific destination, nor is there shore to be seen in the distance. Once again comes the idea that we are in charge…for this subject at least. It’s not about following a quota of work that we are expected to complete, but that we are expected to pave our own paths. Or in this case, row our own sea.

Just as in any learning environment, some will choose to row vigorously, some will choose to float by amongst the waves and live by the moment. If I was to take on a more biblical stance to the prose, we fish our own fish and it is up to me to decide the quality and quantity. Of course, there was no fish mentioned but you can’t blame me for going that-a-way with “sea of ideas”. Most importantly, it is up to me to open up myself to what is around me and believe that there is, fish to fish.

Unlecture No. 1

arthurcortez on

This blog post has been long due, considering that the first unlecture happened about two days ago. Sure I can sorta blame other “commitments” blah blah… Procrastinate, Procrastinate, PROCRASTINATE!

Anyway, I will attempt to sum up what I can remember from the illuminating experience to begin the aptly labelled unlectures.

First things first, what really struck me was the minimal use of explosive imagery with the slides, in comparison to the other lectures I have attended in the past. What really drove the unlecture was Adrian’s attitude towards the whole conventional learning process. Of course, I can’t really compare the subject to how it was in the past, but the idea of having no strict curriculum used repetitively gives me the idea that this will be a refreshing change to everything else out there… For once, I think we actually have the opportunity to experiment with what we’ve got, learn valuable skills for the industry and create stuff that could potentially be published!

In summary:

Pardon my français.

However, there is something that scares me a little about this subject. Despite the organic-ness of Networked Media, there is the prospect of unlectures being about opening up and exploring topics as a communal group, or at least that’s what I perceived of it. I can’t help but wonder if the whole thing would then be reliant on students’ contribution to the topic? I admit that I am slightly afraid of being so open, solely because I am not used to it more than anything else. Would that then mean that we would be faced with a more debatable forum rather than a learning environment? I shall have to wait and see…