Chell's blog

Thoughts, ideas, and other things 'a bit unkempt'…

Database as Symbolic Form, Lev Manovich

September27

Manovich introduces the idea of ‘new media’. Suggesting that we have moved in to a computer age, after having the novel and cinema as society’s main form of cultural expression, Manovich explains the concept of a database.

In line with what we have recently learnt about the internet being a hypertextual space, Manovich says that new media object such as websites, do not follow a narrative structure, they do not have a beginning, middle or end, and “they don’t have any development, thematically, formally or otherwise, that would organise their elements into a sequence”. Manavich highlights that instead, each item is valued as an individual piece.

A few key ideas to understanding databases:

– Databases use different models to store and organise data.

– Databases appear as a collection of items which the user can perform various operations such as view, navigate and search.

Therefore, the user experience of databases is quite different to that of a narrative. To put this into perspective, Manovich uses the example of computer-games, which there is some argument about as to whether they count as hypertext or not. According to Manovich, computer-games are not hypertext, because they do follow some sort of narrative. There is always the underlying objective for the user to ‘win’ the game, by completing challenges, solving puzzles etc. But a true database on the other hand, such as the most common cd-rom encyclopaedias, are collections of masses of information where the user can choose to go in any order to learn, view, interact etc with the data stored on the disk.

Furthermore, Manovich goes to the extent of saying that the world is a database. “The world appears to us as an endlessand unstructured collection of images, texts and other data records”. This may seem like a very large-scaled example to describe a database, but it helped me get the idea; a database can continue to grow, be added to, change directions, and all unexpected events can happen to it.

 

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Vivienne Westwood: Standing up for Earth

September20

So it’s London fashion week this week, and prominent designer Vivienne Westwood used her runway presentation as a platform to express her views on “humanity’s current path of destruction”.

Climate change was an overwhelming theme in the designer’s runway line, featuring garments sporting slogans about climate change in floral print and earthy colours.

Westwood even went as far to portray animals caught in car headlights by styling models and having makeup to look like corpses. Perhaps Westwood shares Jaques Ellul’s view that technology is corrupting humankind and we are losing sight of what is most important and what is not really needed?

Here is a great report on the story, plus a few images and a video of supermodel Lily Cole opening the runway show.

Protocol: How Control Exists after Decentralization,Alexander R Galloway

September20

This reading addresses very clearly what the title portrays. I liked how the first paragraph set everything out clearly and in context:

This book is about a diagram, a technology and a management style. The diagram is the distributed network, a structural form without center that resembles a web or meshwork. The technology is a digital computer, an abstract machine able to perform the work of any other machine (provided it can be described logically). The management style is protocol, the principle of organisation native to computers in distributed networks. All three come together to define a new apparatus of control that has achieved importance at the start of the new millennium. 

The information that resonated with me the most from this reading was about ‘protocol’. Protocol is at the core of networked computing systems. It is a set of rules and recommendations for the computer that outline the specific technical standards.

Prior to its usage in computing, ‘protocol’ referred to any type of correct or proper behaviour within a specific system of conventions… Now, protocols refer to standards governing the implementation of specific technologies. 

Galloway gives an analogy of a highway system to explain computer protocols. He describes how many different routes are available for someone to get from location A to B. But one route has more restrictions and rules you must follow (protocol) such as red lights, double lines etc.

Galloway’s main argument is that protocol is in fact how technological control exists after decentralisation. I tend to follow the author’s flow of thought here, but I find it difficult to analyse and summarise. I intend to continue this post after we discuss this reading in class this week. I’d like to hear other people’s ideas too.

Culture and Technology, Andrew Murphie and John Potts

September20

This reading was of interest to me, I actually kind of understood it which was a nice change 🙂

So here are my main take away points on Culture, Technique and Technology:

– The current meanings of the word technology only come about in the late 19th century, before this prominent writers including Karl Marx did not use the word.

– It came about at the same time as terms such as ‘Industrial Revolution’ to describe the radical restructuring of Western societies that was underway.

– “Words can be sites of contests between competing social groups as they attempt to assign and control specific meanings”. For example, the word ‘Technocrat’ (emerged in the 1920’s), is an adjective that could both praise or insult a person, depending on the political point of view… *Culture*

– Furthermore, all “important” words carry the traces of social changes… *Culture is ever changing beacuse societal views and values are ever-changing*

– The ever-changing definition of the word ‘Technology’: a study of the arts> the system of mechanical and industrial arts> the application of knowledge to production> even individual machines such as computers are now considered technology.

– Technique as technology: technique is the way we do something, and technology is the the equipment.. on a most natural level, the way we eat, sleep, and run are people using technique on their own technology, the human body.

– Culture: ever-changing human values and views.

– The stigma of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture: apparently, reading the Herald Sun newspaper is ‘low’ culture because it is the less prestigious and read by the less educated fraction of society… I really don’t like these terms, I started reading the Herald Sun because it was more physically managable than the Age, and now I am invested in the journalists that write for it.

– Fact I didn’t know (but feel like I should have): The internet was invented by the US military as a means of decentralising military authority incase of attack; but it became a public sphere/ a space where any citizen with something to communicate could put their ideas forward on a public platform. Hmmm…

 

 

Week 8 Unlecture

September18

This week’s symposium was quite fascinating. I am with Brian and Jasmine, or probably even less knowledgeable about video-games, my knowledge base spans from ‘they take first priority over girls’… thanks guys! to crashing into walls on a scooter thing and falling into the abyss on my little brother’s Mario Kart Wii game. However, despite my lack of understanding of video-games, I was really interested in the discussion of whether they could be considered hypertext narrative or not. The consensus was generally no; intentional hypertext usually links different types of content to the original text, something completely different, but on the other hand, video-games exist in “a World”. They provide a diagesis. Everything in some way relates as it all exists in this fictional, yet consistent and comprehensive society.

I furthermore liked the discussion about what makes a game? And this supported the hypothesis that video games aren’t hyper-textual narrative. Games (which don’t just mean video games) are driven by the aim of winning. Narratives, or stories on  the other hand don’t share this specific objective that is crucial to defining a game. Hypertext is primarily about narrative, even if it is non-linear; but games are not really about the story. They can have very cleaver story-lines that the avatars follow (so I’m told) but there is still the overwhelming desire to win the game. That is why you “play”. Hypertext is structure in the making.

I like how Adrian put into perspective reality t.v. shows such as Survivor and XFactor as ‘games’ bought into reality. There still exists a story for the audience, but it is centered around the characters/ players trying to win/ acheive something.

I remembered this point from high-school and it is just annoying; ‘Everything is a text, everything that communicates meaning is text’… so a pencil is a text, a chair is a text, I am a text… Ok… I get it… but I don’t like it and I just don’t want to talk about it!

And finally, some food for thought…I really like Brian’s idea of creating an online forum to store his family history in a hyper-textual way. I think this is a really cool idea!

 

 

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My new blog!

September12

I did it! I couldn’t wait any longer! www.fairychell.blogspot.com

Networked Media after the blogs ‘don’t count’ anymore…

September12

Now that the blog assessment has been submitted I feel like the incentive to do well on blog posts is going to deteriorate among my peers. But I have really enjoyed it so this is my pledge to continue to get 10/ 10 for my participation record for the rest of the semester, not only because I am a stress-head who freaks out about anything less than a HD, but because I want to stay in the habit of blogging. Like I said 6 weeks ago when we started this blogging adventure, I have always wanted to do it. And now that I have had a little taste I want this even more. As soon as the semester ends and I start my intensive summer course at the RMIT fashion school, I am going to create a brand new blog dedicated to fashion and beauty and random daily life things. I am an avid blog reader and I now have the motivation and skills to start my own. I don’t mind if my readership is small to start with, the record of my thoughts is simply satisfying for me.

I am actually really excited about doing this and my intentions are bigger than I even think possible at the moment. I’d like to start a youtube ‘vlog’ as well so I can start up a fashion/ beauty personality profile. I’d really like to know what blog spaces are best for this type of blogging. Do I need to pay for one? Can I desdign my own template instead of using one that is already created and available? What other websites offer blogs? I only know of mediafactory and wordpress. These are the questions distracting me from my homework! 🙂

The 80/20 Rule & Rich get Richer, Barabási, Albert-László

September12

The first reading introduced the concept of the 80/20 rule, one which I had learnt in year 9 economics suggesting that 80% of a business’s sales are from 20% of their customers, and takes it further, applying it to numerous societal patterns. Some of which include 80% of decisions are made during 20% of meeting time, 80% of crimes are committed by 20% of criminals and 80% of customer service problems are created by 20% of customers.

It then went on to apply the rule to networks, although the numbers are slightly different; 80% of links on the web only point to 15% of webpages for example. To me this seems quite accurate. I mean, how many ads with hyperlinks do you see that direct you to Facebook, eBay, Apple etc? Compared to those of small, unnoticed webpages such as our blogs for example? I think if a comprehensive study were carried out, calculating all the webpages online and all the links to every webpage,  the 80/20 (or 80/15) rule would be very close to the truth.

The second reading bought into context, how could you ever calculate how many webpages exist on the world wide web? It explains in terms of nodes, links, hubs, connectors etc, that the web started as a single node. And it eventually gets ‘linked’ to another node. All nodes are equal. Nodes can have many links to other nodes which are linked to several others and so on. The web is a network of nodes that is ever-increasing. Like my example last week about a spider-web, this reading helps put the foundation of the world wide web into comprehensive terms for me. See diagram below.

 

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Product Review- L’Occitane En Province Repairing Mask for Dry and Damaged Hair

September11

After a recent expensive trip to L’Occitane in Melbourne Central last week, I thought I might get myself a treat. (read: you’ve already spent $200 on perfume for your mum, whats $40 more?)

I am so glad I tried this product. I rely on deep conditioning products to keep my hair from literally breaking off! The amount of heat and chemicals I apply to it on a daily basis should mean I have no hair left. I use a deep-conditioning treatment once a week. And I have tried so many. Most of which I have loved. But this product just raised the bar for me.

The product distributes well on damp-wet hair and soaks in to the hair pores until it is barely visible. Leaving in for between 5-10 minutes your hair starts to feel heavy, for lack of a better word, but this was actually really satisfying for me. When I washed it out my hair was more soft and smooth than it had ever been before, but what was a new element for me, and the reason I will repurchase this product, is that it didn’t leave my hair feeling light and stripped of its natural oils. It felt really strong and healthy. And the rose scent is just a bonus! But you know you’re going to smell great with any product you use from L’Occitane, thats just a given.

But give this a go 🙂 xxx

Week 7 Unlecture

September11

The first Unlecture back since the mid-semester break had a disappointing turnout. I really don’t understand why people enrol in the course if they aren’t going to turn up. Sure there are acceptable reasons as to why you miss some sessions but could that many people have had the flu? Then again, if I’m being completely honest, I am intending to miss an Unlecture on Tuesday 24th September for “Comm Ball related reasons” (It takes a girl like me a whole day to get ready for a 7pm dinner party!)

I took conscious note of Adrian’s point that we need to stop instantly describing hypertext as ‘create your own adventure’, which I have been doing a lot of. When you think about it, those stories have limited possibilities. Hypertext is more than that. It has possibly endless routes. The example Adrian bought in was a childrens’ book ‘, with 10 pages and 3 flaps on each page. Apparantly this book can make 1000 combinations (10 x 10 x 10). And would take a really long time to read! And that’s only a childrens’ book. I was thinking what could be comparable in adult literature?

Adrian introduced us to some software that allows authors to create several folders if you like, which can have inexhaustable links between them. This sounds really cool! A great way to store all your information, and link it to other information completely sparse in time and location but connected by one key idea for example. This sounds like my kind of thing. I really like having recorded and archived all of my thoughts, ideas, lists etc. But when I am limited to chronological order, I can forget things. I think this thing was called TinderBox. Is this right Adrian Miles?

The second key idea I was thinking about after this Unlecture was that authors can’t control the minds of the readers. As I said in a post last week, but I feel so strongly about it now, why in high-school are we instructed to right to “create a sense of… in the reader”? When we can never actually confirm that this is how it will be taken on at the receiving end. I understand that we can definitely try, and many things just seem to have certain reactions among people, i.e. babies are cute, chocolate is yummy, you can trick people into answerring a really easy question with an obviously incorrect answer… but I’d like to explore this further… I’m still not satisfied. Like Adrian said, ‘What is communications without intent?’, where does this leave me when I graduate my Bachelor of Professional Communication. There are 2 very strong sides to this and I’d like to settle my opinion on 1, but I need to ponder some more.

Lastly, the idea of the interactive documentary. Haven’t watched one. Would like to. My Mum thinks I’m weird because I quite enjoy documentaries. (Particularly about animals and really really old things). Maybe I’ll look into that 🙂

 

 

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