August 28, 2013

Unlecture 6: Generating new ideas

I enjoyed this weeks lecture, although the lead up was a little odd. It may be because my tute only had 3 people, but although my question was answered, I felt in the tute I was awkwardly forced to make up a question that I really didn’t need answered. I eventually came up with a question, but I honestly didn’t have anything to ask at this point, which means when it was answered I was just kind of like, “…cool.” I just wonder if the other questions on the list that weren’t answered were ones that people really wanted discussed. I feel like perhaps maybe I cheated them out of getting their question answered… But since attending the lecture, I will say that I enjoyed the discussion that came from my question, and it seemed like other members of the cohort were interested too, so that’s good.

My question was the one about whether the things we publish online are validated only after someone else reads/ consumes/ acknowledges them. I already was aware that publishing my work online is an important aspect for me, a way of reflecting and organising my thoughts, like a journal, OR a visual diary! One of my first posts on this blog (well it was my second one to be exact) was about how the ‘Ocean of ideas’ thing reminded me of the importance of keeping a visual diary. Turns out I was correct, keeping this blog is just like how it was keeping a visual diary, but no so much visual as written. It’s nice when things make a loop like that, when they come back, something that happens frequently when you organise your thoughts like this.

I had a cool epiphany when I realised that my blog doesn’t really exist, the page isn’t there waiting for me, it just appears when someone seeks out its content. Trippy. Also the idea that every time we hyperlink out to something else (which I have done a fair bit), we are building the web that is the internet. We are making connections.

Additionally, the idea of writing for an imagined audience. I never really thought about it like that, but i do keep this blog in my style; the way i write, the flowers under the header, all that, so I guess my readership would be people who think like me, or like my style. So yeah, the blog isn’t just constructed randomly, I make sure it is something I can be proud of, and hopefully that style of what I think is good, also appeals to other people.

Overall, although when I posed the question I was like ‘I have to make up a question before I leave class so this will do,’ the discussion that sprouted from it was really enjoyable. Each academic had something interesting to say and add, as well as the students; I liked the comparison of our blogs to trees that fall when nobody is around, or TV shows that nobody watches, and discussing whether they have value because of that existence. I equally enjoyed the panel’s explanation and discussion of this thought, the difference between what something is, and what it means; another epiphany inducing statement.

So I guess what I took from the events preceding this lecture, as well at the lecture itself, is that it is worth reflecting and discussing, because that is how you generate new ideas.

August 27, 2013

Hypertext: open storytelling?

The idea of stories that interact with our choices from the Douglas reading is awesome. Not just ‘choose your own adventure’ style, but a book that is different each time you read it. Until now this was impossible, as books are bound in their physical form, paper etc. But hypertext opens a new possibility for this. Hypertext does not take up space, it is just available to be chosen and redirect you to another piece of writing. But the idea still needs to be worked on, and many stories will probably not lend themselves to this format well. Still, it could be something interesting to explore. It would mean that the ending is different all the time, or this could potentially create stories with no ending. What would that be like?

However,  people enjoy reading for more than just interactivity, so this hypertext style of storytelling replacing the book altogether is highly unlikely.

August 25, 2013

Class Discussion

I talked to some classmates on Friday about our take away ideas from the weeks readings and just noted down some of their ideas.

Alois suggested that hypertext is like concrete poetry. The author/ reader has a different relationship with the text. With books and print media, the text is somewhat separate from the viewer of it, and the creation is more structured. But the world of hypertext is like concrete poetry, as the words themselves are different in their relation to each other. Hypertext creates a different space for these words and ideas.

Line had and interesting idea about online text/ media, that the author is, in a way, not the sole provider and creator of their content, it is all influenced by the readers as well. Features like comments and feedback, and the ability to edit means that in a way, this media is more conversational, and subject to change.

Also the actual development of a blog is a freer organisation of your thoughts, where things can be altered and ideas can grow and develop and come back. There is more emphasis with blogs, and just media in general these days, where people take interest in how things were made and how ideas grow, and taking part in the process through platforms such as blogging.

August 22, 2013

‘Unlecture’ 5: Creativity.

Out of the 3 lecture videos this week, the one I was most interested in was Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk. Particularly with the idea that schools kill creativity. We touched on this idea in a previous lecture, something about possums and kangaroos, and the way children see them in comparison to the way adults see them. Anyway, I just realised how true it is. Because I remember when were were choosing electives we wanted to do in year 10, and I wanted to do art, design, that whole deal, but I wasn’t able to because my coordinators thought it would be more useful if I continued Japanese instead of art, a subject I despised. Nothing against languages, languages are fun, its just the class that I didn’t like, for reasons outlined in this TED talks. I wasn’t good at Japanese, and it meant that in every class I would get things wrong, so I didn’t want to continue the subject. I know with languages there is a clear right and wrong, its not creative, but I know what it feels like to be that kid who keeps getting things wrong, and if that subject was art or design or something, I would have definitely stopped trying to be creative and I would’ve stuck to what was safe and what other people are doing. Because in school, being wrong is embarrassing, you know?

Actually at the moment I have been on and off teaching myself Korean language, and I have learned and remembered more from that then I did with 3.5 years of learning Japanese. Because in the comfort of my own home, yeah I get things wrong, but there isn’t the stigma attached to it, the teacher doesn’t give you that look of ‘wow, did you really just say that?’ and this means that I am happier continuing my education in this field, because I’m not afraid to be wrong.

And with specific reference to creative tasks, I have mentioned year 12 art a few times on this blog, possibly because it was a favourite subject of mine. But my former classmates and I all agree, that most people in the art world don’t like showing people ‘works in progress,’ particularly with technical drawing, photo-realism etc. Sure in the end its going to look great, but before you are finished, some things are in the wrong position and you have to re-do them, and some things don’t look right, and artists can see that and correct them, hence the title ‘work in progress.’ But there were so many occasions when we would be working away in the art rooms, only having just started a drawing or something, and ‘school tours’ would come around and look at what we are doing. The tour lady would make some rude remarks about whose art looks better up on the walls, and would shoot us judgmental glares if we were working on something sub-par, a kind of, “cant you make it look like the school makes good artists?” kind of look. If I was younger and more sensitive, I might have decided that I should just not do art, because I’m wrong, its not good enough, but luckily by age 17/18 I was able to decide the lady was just being a jerk instead.

In short, I would hate for anyone to think their creativity is inadequate, because, well, the TED talk explains why.

August 20, 2013

Just a thought about ‘essays’

Paul Graham’s ‘The Age of the Essay’ makes me wonder a little bit. Particularly in this semester, I have been hearing that in high school, people were taught to write essays in a way where they would make a point then argue for or against it, and honestly, I haven’t been able to relate. I haven’t thought of essays in that way since year 9 or 10. In year 10 and VCE, I started writing essays for all sorts of things, not just English, but Art, History, and even creatively. In English we  learned how to write an essay as a creative piece, only a short time was spent writing on literature, in the traditional sense. Particularly in Art essays, I found that they were not about convincing someone of something, they were more like reflection on your own ideas, with visual evidence supporting these ideas, but there is no right or wrong interpretation of art, so it was never about using the visual evidence as factual evidence. So to me essays didn’t really carry the connotation of  ‘an expository, argumentative piece of writing.’ actually much of the time, I don’t settle on a strong point that I argue in my essays, which is fine because from what I have heard, that would be wrong. Maybe I just went to a good high school.

August 20, 2013

Hypertext

The hypertext reading by George Landow was interesting. It pointed out concepts surrounding hypertext that I hadn’t really considered. Instead of thinking about hypertext as just clicking on something and it directs you to another page, ideas about ‘choose your own adventure’ style text were new to me. Like how hypertext makes online text differ from books, which are linear, have a distinct beginning and end and the physicality of the text is more separate from us than it is online. Due to hypertext, each texts borders are far more open, and all that is related to a topic is not required on one page. Books would generally provide a short explanation for everything so one is able to understand the main topic better and how they fit together, but if we look something up on Wikipedia, it saves time by just linking to the direct page to give us the information.

This reminds me of the very first unlecture, where we were encouraged not to repeat information that already existed. With the use of hypertext, the same explanation of something is not needed on countless Wikipedia pages, the one explanation of it can just be hyperlinked on all of the pages that require/ reference it. So although hypertext makes the spiderweb of pages and knowledge seem broader, it really makes it more concise. The spiderweb has more connections, but it is a smaller web in comparison to the world of books and encyclopedias.

August 15, 2013

As We May Think

It seems this reading touched on an idea from last week, kind of in a round about way, but it made me once again think about why some things in design fiction don’t get created or don’t become widespread. Because the real world can be difficult like that. Economic factors etc. mean some inventions are delayed, or never come to be. However, this article explains that that was more the case in the past, nowadays, we can create and advance pretty much anything and reproduce it like crazy. Pretty empowering, it seems the more humanity advances, the quicker it advances also. Each big new invention has less waiting time then the last, and then suddenly a new thing will come up,  because science has become so…awesome. And scientists have for the most part, banded together to get the ball rolling, but as the article explains, physicists have branched off somewhat and have been forced to become more creative, which is cool. It kind of breaks my mindset of science being all about what I learned in Chemistry last year, and more about innovation and doing something awesome for humanity. Badass.

August 15, 2013

Unlecture 4

The audience involvement this week was fun! Even though I didn’t really contribute, I still felt it kept the lecture more interesting, but still, I walked away without any specific idea about it, perhaps because although there was a ‘theme,’ it all seemed like stuff we had kind of covered in the previous week in regards to design fiction. I think the best thing, would have been to have this lecture last week, and just have everyone make sure they’ve done the reading before the lecture. that way, people can do the readings, come to the lecture with questions about it, go home and write their blog posts about it having their questions answered, and then reflect in the tute. I know this ‘design fiction’ stuff is sort of carrying over as an idea, but I was ready for some new discussion and new ideas. Honestly the lecture felt kind of like a tutorial to me, which is fine, except that I had been at the tutorial a few days prior and wanted to expand and develop on these ideas just a bit more in the lecture. HOWEVER, I can’t say I zoned out or anything, it was still engaging, and is in accordance with the feedback that has been given so far, so a solid 7/10. Pretty enjoyable.

August 15, 2013

Keeping Connections

I was reminded this week for the importance of keeping your connections, or at least, keeping them as an option, particularly in this industry; where for the most part, it is not what you know but who you know.

Much of this week has been focused on preparing for our TV pitch on Broadcast media. After deciding on the idea of the current refugee ‘by boat, no visa’ issue, my group wanted to show what a former ‘boat person’ had to say about the issue, as well as learning about their experience when they arrived in Australia. Mid way through our group meeting, I was suddenly reminded of someone, a well recognised former refugee in Melbourne (at least with our generation) because his book was on the VCE English curriculum. Najaf Mazari, who co wrote ‘The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif.’ He came to mind because I suddenly remembered that when I was in year 11, he did a talk to my class as we had read his book that year. At the end of the talk he said he was very active on Facebook and if we added him he would definitely accept. I don’t think he does school talks anymore, and I just kind of forgot he was on my friends list. But what a great connection to have, over 2 years later, when I am looking for someone to interview, and he fits the criteria perfectly.

Of course we also found another person who was happy to be interviewed, because in the real world you cant just rely on people you have on Facebook to get news segments, so we needed to practice that. But it was so easy to contact him, and he said he was happy to help.

Much like this ‘networked media’ blog stuff has made everyone in this course connected in some way, Facebook is a great tool for situations such as this, because so many people are connected by it. I contacted Najaf because he was fortunately already on my friends list, but we also found our other interviewee via Facebook. We contacted the admin of a page for refugee activists, and he put out an ad for us. Afterwards we received lots of support and enthusiastic volunteers. Networks are just so awesome.

August 13, 2013

Testing through fiction

Ward writes, “fiction as a testing ground for reality.” Testing ideas first through fiction is clever, it would really be reckless to put an idea into practice before speculating about it first. Fiction not only can imagine a world where the idea exists, but really, the expenses associated are minimal. Perhaps time spent speculating is the only thing at stake. For example, if one wanted to invent a new gadget. Rather than paying people to make it a reality and seeing what happens, one can spend time speculating on possible outcomes of the new invention and the implications of it.
It is like the loop learning theories. Putting an idea into practice outright and seeing what happens afterwards sounds like single loop learning, while speculating and then making the decision sounds much more like double loop learning. Then again, I am still trying to get my head around the loop theories, so this is just a guess… I think it relates in a way though.
Speculating and creating fiction from an idea tests it because it creates a space where there has been a change due to the idea, what is that change? How is the reaction? What are the possible outcomes of this change? These are questions that can be answered by yourself though speculation, so it is worthwhile to take the time to think about these things.
This may even include split second decisions. For example, I can choose to take either the train or tram home after uni. As I’m heading toward Melbourne central, I can create a fictional scenario in my head. I enjoy the train ride more as it is shorter, but if it is raining that day, I know I won’t enjoy the longer walk home from the station, so I may take the tram home, even though it is a longer trip, because the walk home is shorter from the tram stop. Thinking about the future counts as creating fictional scenarios and speculating about them in your head, so fiction as a testing ground for reality is really something we do everyday, it is not just about design fiction in big science fiction scenarios.