Assignment 2 – Review
Name: Shaun Rimes s3530111

 I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services

Blog reflections

Week 5 – Analogue Photography (practice analysis)

Week 6 – Analogue Video (practice analysis)

Week 7 – Networked Photography (practice analysis)

Week 8 – Networked Video (practice analysis)

Word count: 1089 words

1. Provide a definition for ‘analogue photography’.

Analogue is the term used to define the process with which physical properties can be copied and stored onto another physical form (Lister 2009), and in the case of photography, there are a number of physical, mechanical and chemical stages that occur before a photograph is produced.

When a camera captures an image, the shutter opens briefly allowing light in and exposes a film strip to that image. Furthermore, it is magnified through the lens and this exposure burns an imprint of it into the film. That film is then developed into a negative which is projected onto light-sensitive paper and bathed in various chemicals in order to create the photograph (Leibovitz, A 2019).

As this process is very time consuming and requires a photographer to have numerous rolls of film on hand when shooting, artist like Henri Cartier Bresson have tended to be very specific with the images they capture, waiting for just the right moment when something unique happens.

2. Provide a definition for ‘analogue video’.

Analogue video, much like photography uses light in order to capture a physical image and then recreate that same image in a duplicate physical form however in this instance it’s the recreation of moving images (Lister et al. 2009). The process for capturing and displaying analogue video involves a video camera scanning an electron beam onto phosphor and its intensity is determined by the amount of light focused on it by the lens. That beam is then transmitted to either a recording device which records voltage changes of the electron beam onto tape or a display device which converts the voltage back into an electron beam and directs it to another phosphorus surface that the image is recreated on and can then be viewed (Norman 2014). An example of this process can be seen in the works of Num June Paik. His “TV Buddha” for example shows a video camera capturing an image of a wooden buddha using this system and then transmitting a copy on a display monitor.

3. Provide a definition for ‘networked photography’.

Photography has evolved considerably in numerous areas the most notable however would have to be the proliferation of digital camera technology integrated with mobile phones. There are certainly more formal digital cameras out there that physically resemble their analogue predecessors but the introduction of cameras into mobile phones was a catalyst for a cultural phenomenon where everyday people began documenting their own lives unlike ever before and are now the default camera of choice for consumers (Palmer 2014).

A digital image is made up of a grid of pixels, those pixels are allocated with a number which represents the colour and shade of each of them. The image is stored either within a device’s memory or on a removable memory card. Furthermore, it can be electronically transferred from one electronic device to another as a data package via a network. In this digital form the image can be modified in innumerable ways and the author can copy, display, print their work as desired (Cummins 2008).

4. Provide a definition for ‘networked video’.

Networked video is a digital recording of a moving image captured for the purpose of distribution on online network platforms. This form of documentation began in the early 2000 long before YouTube’s launch in 2005 and since that time has proliferated throughout society and become an integral part of the cultural zeitgeist (Berry 2018).

The production of the digital video is much the same as digital photography including the capacity for unlimited variability and manipulation however in this case it is dealing with moving images rather than still (Spielmann 2007). There are some limitations with networked video dependant on which particular site you use to distribute it, for instance Instagram has restrictions on the time limit of videos posted on their service.

5. Provide definitions for the terms ‘authoring’, ‘publishing’ and ‘distributing’.

Authoring refers to how the different forms of media are created. This includes but is not limited to, the creative process, the type of equipment used and elements of the mise en scéne.

Publishing and distribution are the processes that facilitate the particular media creation to reach its intended audience. The medium that is used for this depends on the media form and the artists intent, for example, a photographer can choose to have his work appear on an online network, within a magazine publication, as part of an art exhibit or all of the above.

6. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked photos are authored, published and distributed?

The differences between the way analogue and digital photos are authored, published and distributed are numerous. The process to author analogue photographs is quite complex involving chemicals and requires a level of education to understand the process, furthermore there is a time delay with analogue as photographers cannot be certain of what image they captured until they have processed the film, where as digital cameras afford the author the ability to instantly view their work via display screens (Price & Wells 2015). Before the internet photographs publication and distribution options were limited to that of a physical form such as magazines and art galleries, however once the internet came to be it opened up a multitude of new options for which authors could connect to audiences with their work, additionally with the introduction of camera phones authorship became capable to do so on the move and “are capable not only of recording and displaying images but also instantly sharing them” (Palmer 2014).

Similarities between the way analogue and digital are authored are mise en scéne and the creative forethought that goes into the construction of a shot. Furthermore, light remains to be an integral part of both forms as part of the shot itself and an essential element of both technologies. With regards to publication and distribution mediums such as book and magazine are still widely used by photographers to reach their intended audience as well as displaying their collections as part of art exhibits.

7. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked videos are authored, published and distributed?

The differences between authoring analogue and digital video most obviously is the different types of equipment and technology used to capture the video, additionally with regards to the editing process analogue requires the entire physical object to be altered which is a long drawn out process where as digital remains in a permanent state of flux until its final distribution point allowing innumerable possibilities for fast and easy editing and manipulation (Lister et al. 2009). Publishing and distribution before the digital space was restricted to art galleries, theatres and analogue home entertainment technologies whereas networked video has dissolved the limitations of accessibility due to the nature that it exists on a network rather than having a physical location.

The similarities for authoring these two types of video is that they both still require a physical video camera to capture the footage and light remains to be an essential element for both forms. Commonalities also exist in the way that creators target specific audiences and distribute according to that intent.

References:

Berry, T.B 2018, ‘Videoblogging Before Youtube’, Institute of Network Cultures, Theory on Demand, viewed 3^rd May 2020, http://networkcultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Videoblogging-Before-YouTube-web.pdf

Cummins, J 2008, ‘Digital versus Analogue Photography: A Comparative Analysis’, Master Thesis, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland.

Leibovitz, A 2019, Complete Guide to Film Photography: How to Develop Film and Film vs. Digital Photography, Masterclass, viewed 1^st May 2020, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complete-guide-to-film-photography#how-does-film-photography-work

Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I & Kelly, K 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, New York, pp. 16-21.

Norman, T 2014, Integrated Security Systems Design: Electronics Elements (Detailed Discussion), 2^nd edn, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK.

Palmer, D 2014, ‘Mobile Media Photography’, The Routledge Companion to Mobile Media, Routledge, New York, US.

Price, D & Wells, L 2015, Photography: A Critical Introduction, 5th ed, Routledge, New York, pp. 9-27.

Spielmann, Y 2007, Video: The Reflexive Medium, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, pp 1-6.

Mike Corey

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?

Mike Corey is a Canadian born Marine Biologist graduate that turned film maker that is known for seeking out the bizarre and extreme sides of travel (Fearless And Far n.d.). After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Canada, Corey backpacked around the world volunteering as a research assistant for various scientists studying ocean conservation (BBC 2020). During that time Corey always had a camera with him which afforded him the opportunity to capture unique content that he won several international travel video competitions for and launched his career into travel filmmaking (Fearless And Far n.d.). Corey has been traveling the world for the past 9 years documenting some of the most unique and obscure cultures and destinations creating content for his YouTube channel and as a presenter on the BBC Travel Show (Hoffman 2019).

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)  

The title of the video piece I have chosen to do my analysis on is “Sunken Warships of Coron”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/BkSfQgulfDN/?hl=en

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?

This video was produced on the 21^st June 2018.

How was the photo or video authored?

The video uses a combination of natural light shinning through various corroded sections of the sunken warships and handheld flashlights.

There is no specific information as to what equipment Corey used for this particular video however the camera he has stated he uses mostly is the Sony A7s due to its low light performance. The lens he tends to use most of the time and what he considers his work horse is a Zeiss 16-35mm F4 zoom lens as the range affords him the ability to shoot a variety of different scenes one of which being hand held facing himself which features quite a bit in this video (Mike Corey 2017).

Additionally, because the video was filmed underwater he would have used a camera housing in order to protect the equipment from damage.

The raw video footage would have been saved onto an SD card within the camera then imported into an editing program in order to cut the footage together, add effects such as the title screen and a soundtrack.

How was the photo or video published and distributed?

This video was published on Corey’s Instagram page “Fearless & Far” as part of his IGTV feed. IGTV works in conjunction with Instagram and is designed for mobile optimized viewing of long-form videos (DMI n.d.). This allows the user to post videos that are longer than the constraints of Instagram normally allow.

The video serves as somewhat of a preview for a longer video piece entitled “SCUBA DIVING Coron Palawan Philippines | WRECK diving w/ Exploring with Cody” published on his YouTube channel also named “Fearless & Far” where most of his video content is published and distributed.

References:

BBC 2020, World News – The Travel Show, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5HH2VXCksbThj137SndDzWD/mike-corey

DMI n.d., DMI Daily Digest – What is IGTV Video and How Can Brands Use It, Digital Marketing Institute, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/en-au/blog/what-is-igtv-video-and-how-can-brands-use-it

Fearless And Far n.d., About Mike Corey, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://fearlessandfar.com/about-me

Hoffman, D 2019, Celebrity Travel Addict: TV Host Mike Corey of Fearless & Far and the BBC Travel Show, David’s Been Here, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://davidsbeenhere.com/2019/06/18/celebrity-travel-addicts-mike-corey-of-fearless-far/

Mike Corey 2017, Most Efficient Travel Camera Set-up For Video/What’s in my Backpack, YouTube, 25^thNovember, Fearless & Far, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi8RS6APR4g

Mike Corey 2018, SCUBA DIVING Coron Palawan Philippines / WRECK diving w/ Exploring with Cody, YouTube, 6^th December, Fearless & Far, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVa1bOwyprA

Chris Burkard

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing? 

Chris Burkard is a self-taught photographer, film maker, adventurer and social media influencer that has travelled to the furthest reaches of the planet to capture images and stories that ask people to question their relationship with nature while promoting and advocating for the preservation of wild environments everywhere (Burkard Studios 2017).

Burkard started shooting photos in 2004 at the age of 19 and continues operating in the field today. During that time Burkard has won several awards for his work and was listed in the Forbes top 10 social influences in 2017 (People Pill n.d).

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?) 

There is no specific title for this image however it was taken in the West Fjords region of north-western Iceland as part of a trip for SURFER Mag (Burkard Studios 2017).

https://www.instagram.com/p/B80K2SSl3qW/

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?

This photograph was produced in 2016 in conjunction with a film Burkard was producing called “Under an Arctic Sky”.

How was the photo or video authored?

The shot uses the rule of three in its construction. In the foreground it shows waves breaking on the shore with a man surfing and the middle ground shows the edge of an icy mountain formation. The far ground displays the Aurora Borealis however due to its powerful presence within the shot it holds space in both the middle and far ground. Aside from the natural elements displayed Burkard used a flood light to artificially light up the backside of the wave in order to elevate the shot (Haddad 2017).

Burkard captured this image with a Sony Mirrorless A7SII due to its low light sensitivity mounted on a Peak Designs Travel Tripod and has stated that he shot between ISO 3200 – 40,000 for this particular shoot. It was saved as a digital copy on an SD card within the camera.

There is no recorded information stating what particular lens was used for this image however these are the particular lens’ that Burkard uses for night shooting with this model of camera, “Sigma 20mm f1.4 w/ Adapter and a 35mm f1.4” (Burkard Studios 2017).

How was the photo or video published and distributed? 

 In 2006 Burkard begun interning for various surf magazines during which he learned the workings of the editorial publication process and began to have his own work published (Chhabra 2017).

This particular work has appeared in various different forms and on a number of platforms. It was produced in 2016 in conjunction with the film “Under an Arctic Sky” and can be seen as part of the final sequence. It can be seen in digital form on Burkard’s studio portfolio as well as in various articles about him and it has appeared in Burkard’s Instagram feed on three separate occasions as well as other social media sites of his such as Twitter. It features as a print as part of a collection in the photo book “Under an Arctic Sky” and can be purchased as a print through his website though he does not produce the reproduction prints himself, he has various staff working for him that conduct that on his behalf. These physical reproductions are printed from digital copies using laser printing methods. Finally it can be seen on display in his gallery at Pismo Beach, California.

References:

Burkard, C 2020, chrisburkard – Instagram,viewed 22^nd April 2020, https://www.instagram.com/chrisburkard/

Burkard Studios 2017, About – Chris Burkard, viewed 22^nd April 2020, https://www.chrisburkard.com/Pages/About

Burkard Studios 2017, Adventure Stills – Chris Burkard, viewed 22^nd April 2020, https://www.chrisburkard.com/Stills/Adventure/i-KfBrZ6S/A

Burkard Studios 2017, Frequently Asked Questions – Chris Burkard, viewed 22^nd April 2020, https://www.chrisburkard.com/About/FAQ

Chhabra, E 2017, How Chris Burkard Built A Creative Company Based On His Photography, Forbes, viewed 22^nd April 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/eshachhabra/2017/06/23/how-chris-burkard-built-a-creative-company-based-on-his-photography/#49b50c2a35d0

Haddad, S 2017, Chris Burkard’s Best Photographs / My Life In Pictures, Mpora, viewed 22^nd April 2020, https://mpora.com/travel-photography/chris-burkards-best-photographs-life-pictures/

People Pill n.d, Chris Burkard – American Photographer, viewed 22^nd April 2020, https://peoplepill.com/people/chris-burkard/

Nam June Paik

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?

Nam June Paik, was an avant-garde musician and video artist born in South Korean in 1932 and is known as the father of video art (StateoftheArtsNJ 2019). He studied music composition and art history in Japan and Germany in the 1950’s. In the late 50’s and early 60’s Paik was predominantly a composer and performance artist but in 1963 he became the inventor of a new art form, an engagement of television and video as an instrument (Guggenheim n.d.). He adapted audio synthesisers to co-invent the world’s first video synthesiser (Weinberg 2014). Using black and white cameras they devised a colour encoder that afforded artists the ability to create images and pictures electronically.

Paik moved to the U.S. in 1964 and was instrumental in igniting a new artistic movement amongst an emerging generation looking for new and interesting ways of expression and distribution (Guggenheim n.d.). His installations continued to be ground breaking and subversive throughout the decades and despite having a stroke in 1996 worked up until shortly before his death in 2006.

Nam June Paik was a visionary well ahead of his time, he accurately predicted several advancements in technology such as the Internet, a global media network and even smart phones with video conferencing capabilities and saw technology as a devise to connect the world and share art regardless of cultural differences (Tate Modern 2019).

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)  

The title of video piece I have chosen to do my analysis on is “TV Buddha”

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?

This particular installation was produced in Sydney 1976 however TV Buddha has had various incarnations throughout the decades and displayed in numerous galleries.

How was the photo or video authored?

This piece was constructed with an old wooden Maitreya, (Buddha of the future) facing a round late 1960’s model rear projection television. There is a tripod mounted camera behind the television pointed at the Buddha on display (Art Gallery NSW n.d). This creates a closed loop where the Buddha is perpetually looking at a past tense image of himself blurring the distinction between object and subject. Furthermore, it creates a juxtaposition between the historical and the modern (The Art Story n.d).

How was the photo or video published and distributed?

The exhibit was initially created and displayed in Sydney 1976 and was the featured in the following exhibitions:

• From Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Jeff Koons: John Kaldor art projects and collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia, 12 Dec 1995–17 Mar 1996
• Journey to now: John Kaldor art projects and collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 18 Apr 2003–06 Jul 2003
• Nam June Paik, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 10 Jan 2004–08 Feb 2004
• 40 years: Kaldor Public Art Projects, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 02 Oct 2009–14 Feb 2010
• Conversations through the Asian collections, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 25 Oct 2014–13 Mar 2016

Refernces:

Art Gallery NSW n.d, TV Buddha: Nam June Paik, viewed 14^th April 2020, https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/342.2011.a-f/

Guggenheim Museum n.d, Artists, Nam June Paik, Guggenheim Collection Online, viewed 14^th April 2020, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/nam-june-paik

StateoftheArtsNJ 2019, Nam June Paik’s PBS (1963-2000), YouTube, 1^st October, StateoftheArtsNJ, viewed 14^th April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueHNZbQRsMs

Tate Modern 2019, 5 Times Artist Nam June Paik Predicted the Future, YouTube, 20^th December, Tate Modern, London, viewed 14^th April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMUJB5aFvdo

The Art Story n.d, Nam June Paik: Artworks, viewed 14^th April 2020, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/paik-nam-june/artworks/

Weinberg, H 2014, Nam June Paik & TV Lab: License to Create (Preview), Vimeo, Howard Weinberg, viewed 14^th April 2020, https://vimeo.com/116094187

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born in 1908 in Paris, France. He initially studied as a painter before taking up photography in 1931. The following year he bought his first camera, a Leica 35mm for which he is well known to have used throughout his career and begins to travel the world. That same year he was first published in Voilá and Photographies (The Foundation n.d).

Throughout his long career going into the early 1970’s Cartier-Bresson’s travels of the world afforded him an opportunity to witness and capture some of the most significant events of the 20^th century, such as the Berlin Wall, the rise of the people’s republic of China, and In India he photographed Gandhi just before he was assassinated. He was even taken prisoner by the Germans during World War 2 where he was part of the “Film and Photography” unit of the Third Army (The Foundation n.d).

Henri Cartier-Bresson is considered as the master of the “decisive moment”, capturing a moment in time that reveals a deep and compelling truth, which is considered to have shaped modern photography as we see it today (Estrin 2016).

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)

The title of the photo I have chosen to do an analysis on is “SOVIET UNION. Leningrad. 9 May 1973” which commemorated the victory over the Nazis and is part of his Soviet Union collection spanning from 1954 – 1973.

SOVIET UNION. Leningrad. 9 May 1973. Commemorating the victory over the Nazis.

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?

 This photograph was produced on the 9^th of May in 1973.

How was the photo or video authored? 

The 9^th of May has been celebrated since 1945 as Victory Day in the Soviet Union and commemorates the surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II (History n.d.). This image captures a moment in time where Military personnel are on parade conducting a ceremony to commemorate the events, and a civilian girl breaks the formation with flowers in her hand, a prime example of the “decisive moment” (Estrin 2016).

Although there is no specific information on the device used to capture this image, Cartier-Bresson was known for only using a Leica rangefinder with a 50mm lens for almost all of his work.

Something to note about Henri Cartier-Bresson and his process is that he had no interest in the development stage of photography and would send all his meticulously numbered rolls of film to magazines and photo agencies to conduct that stage of the processes for him (Cotter 2010).

How was the photo or video published?

This photo was published as a black and white print using the gelatin silver process as part of the Soviet Union collection. It has been displayed in exhibitions and has been able to be obtained through auctions. More recently digital reproductions can be purchased through Magnum Photos, a company which Cartier-Bresson was a founding member of.

How was the photo or video distributed?

This image was published in “à Propos de l’ U.R.S.S.” a collection of Cartier-Bresson’s photographs showing everyday life in the USSR. It can also be viewed on various photographic websites and be purchased as a silver print through Mutual Art and as a digital copy through Magnum Photos.

References:

Cartier-Bresson, H 1973, à propos de l’ U.R.S.S., 1st edn, Chene; Prima Edizione, Paris, Fr.

Cotter, H 2010, ‘A Photographer Whose Beat Was the World’, The Times, 8^th April, viewed 7^th April, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/arts/design/09cartier.html

Estrin, J 2016, ‘Henri Cartier-Bresson, Whose “Decisive Moment” Shaped Modern Photography’, The Times, 3^rd August, viewed 7^th April 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/obituaries/archives/henri-cartier-bresson-photography

History n.d, This Day in History, viewed 7^th April 2020, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe

Magnum Photos Pro 2014, Henri Cartier-Bresson, viewed 7^th April 2020, https://pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MAGO31_10_VForm&ERID=24KL53ZMYN

Mutual Art 2012, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Commémoration de la victoire sur les nazis, Leningrad, URSS, 1973, viewed 7^th April 2020, https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Commemoration-de-la-victoire-sur-les-naz/99A211C57B00261E

The Foundation n.d, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Biography, viewed 7^th April 2020, https://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/hcb/biography/

This week’s readings covered a lot of ground both regarding theory and the practical elements of social media networking and the physical structure of the internet (or web) itself.

Web 2.0 is a more complex and abstract idea than it initially appears. The distinction between Web 1.0 and web 2.0 is essentially a retrospective distinction which doesn’t really describe differences in infrastructure but rather a difference in attitude towards the use of the internet. I was particularly interested in the way in which the approach to Web 2.0 was described as being driven by the desire to monetize the internet and the initial failed attempts by capitalists and entrepreneurs to do just this.

I found some of the ideas and attitudes described in the readings to be a little dated. “The danger of participation is that there are hundreds or even thousands of potentially critical eyes watching every entry. A faulty fact will be challenged, a lie will be uncovered, plagiarism will be discovered. Cyberspace is a truth serum” is a quote used in Understanding Social Media. I can see how theoretically this idea is plausible, however it fails to accurately depict the practical reality of the user driven platform which is the internet and the human nature of its users. For the internet to be a truth serum, users need to fact check information disseminated by platforms, and have a platform big enough and influential enough to be able to believably refute false statements made on social media.

There is something almost Marxist in the description of the dichotomy between user and used, controller and control reflecting the ongoing tension between the proletariat and bourgeoisie. The paradoxical nature of the user driven internet and user-as-product paradigm described brings to mind the limitless possibilities of anarchy juxtaposed with the power dynamics inherent in neoliberal capitalism.  Updating to remain the same describes the logic of software upgrading to be fundamentally neoliberal in nature. I was surprised a discussion of neoliberal-capitalist recuperation was not included, as the profit motive, indeed capitalism itself, seems to have an uncanny and almost unstoppable capacity to coopt methods of subverting traditional power structures and regurgitating them back to the masses for profit.

While it is true that social media platforms have allowed communities to organize in the face of totalitarian censorship, it is also true that the driving force behind the creation and dissemination of the platforms themselves is capital and therefore will ultimately serve the interests of capital.

REFERENCES:

Chun, W.H.K 2016, Updating to Remain the Same: Habitual New Media, MIT Press, Massachusetts, USA.  pp. 1-20.

Hinton, S & Hjorth L 2013, Understanding Social Media. Sage Publications, London, UK. pp. 1-31.

Assignment 1- Annotated Bibliography
Name: Shaun Rimes s3530111

I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services

Blog reflections

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Annotated Bibliography

Selected text 1 – Software Literacies (word count 512)

Khoo, E, Hight, C, Torrens, R & Cowie, B 2017, ‘Introduction: Software and other Literacies’  Software Literacy: Education and Beyond, Springer, Singapore, SG. pp. 1-12.

Software literacy is a complex and multifaceted idea. Traditional understanding of software literacy usually describes the set of skills used to interact with and manipulate software. Software Studies takes a boarder approach to the idea of software literacy.

Software underpins many aspects of modern life, it functions in the background of industry, socialization and interaction; hospitals, education, government, transport, finance and communication (to name a few) are all heavily reliant on software to carry out integral functions. Software Studies approaches software literacy in terms of interaction between user and software. It conceptualizes software as both an agent through which a person can access media, but also as a medium in and of itself. By virtue of the fact that users interact with software, each interaction is unique and not static in the way that traditional media is static. For example, a hard copy document is fixed, whereas a word document is changeable, it evolves as the user interacts with the word processing software. This has a series of implications, not only for the product of the software itself but also, theoretically, may impact the way users think about information. Software Studies describes the affordances of software, those aspects of software that offer users frameworks within which to interact. These frameworks offer agency to the user in the form of avenues through which to interact with software. However, they also constitute restrictions as they confine the user to actions within the affordances available. This means that software is both a product of the function for which it was created to perform, but also influences the nature of the function itself. Further, it influences the way the user conceptualizes that action for which the software was created.

The interactive nature of software is not limited to software and user, software exists within a network and human users are social and also exist within a kind of network. The pervasive nature of software in modern society profoundly impacts the way human users conceptualize information, perform functions and interact with each other. This gives software producers significant power. The affordances of software both offer agency while simultaneously restricting the nature of, and possible outcomes of user-software interaction.

Due to the dynamic and interactive nature of software, literacy is conceptualized as more than the foundational skill set needed to perform the basic functions of a program. Software Studies suggests that basic skills will allow a user to operate within the framework offered by a given piece of software, however literacy is demonstrated by the capacity not only to independently problem solve and customize software, but to critique it.

This is conceptually and theoretically very interesting. It is clear that software has influenced culture in a multitude of ways, social media has influenced human psychology, artistic reception and the global nature of communication. However, the affordances of software exist for the purpose of performing a function (the very function for which the software was created). Giving users so much agency within a given constructed framework could in fact undermine the very function the software was created to perform.

Selected text 2 – Affordances (word count 563)

Norman, D 2002, The design of everyday things, Basic Books, New York, USA. Sections (preface vii-xv; pp. 1-13; 81-87; 177-186).

Design Of Everyday Things describes the psychology of design and the way in which the design of everyday objects encourages users to engage with these objects. DOET postulates that human error resulting from the use of objects or appliances is primarily if not entirely the result of flawed design, as opposed to fault on the part of the human user.  This is illustrated by a number of examples from extremely basic objects like doors, to more complex appliances like computers.

The general hypothesis is that various aspects of design indicate to users the way in which an object should be effectively used. If an object is designed successfully, its function will be reliably intuited by a person who has never seen it before.  These design principles describe both the physicality of objects, the moveable or changeable aspects of objects which comprise processes and the execution of function of an object or appliance.

The basic principles described are visibility, constraint, affordances, natural mappings and feedback. Visibility describes the level to which the function of an object is visible to the user, for example when a cup is full, the user can see that the action has been performed. Constraints describes the ways in the use of an object is limited and therefore communicates what the object does by virtue of what it cannot do. Affordances describes the function that an object offers the user for example the finger holes in scissors indicate which fingers are to be placed in which holes by virtue of their size. The design communicates to the user how the scissors are to be held. Natural mappings describe the indicated interaction between user and object, and feedback describes the way in which an object communicates to the user that the task has been completed. Feedback is particularly relevant to computers, as their function is largely invisible and feedback must be programmed into the function of the computer. If an appliance does not demonstrate that the action of the user has accomplished the task, the user is likely to erroneously perform the function multiple times.

These ideas are certainly applicable to design, the user-friendly quality of various appliances can be what makes or breaks them in the market place and has obvious and legitimate implications for the use of an object particularly within the sphere of complex appliances like computers. However, DOET takes this idea to an almost comical or absurd length when it describes a person’s failure to correctly use a door as a failure of design and not a failure of common sense. This kind of black and white thinking leads to the kind of design that caters to the lowest common denominator and essentially insults the intelligence of the average person by assuming that they will not be able to adequately operate a door unless all possibilities for error are eliminated by the very design of the door. When applied moderately however, and particularly in the context of information technology these ideas are particularly relevant.

DOET suggests that when the design of computer technology adequately employs the principles of design, the computer itself becomes invisible. For example, when one is driving a car one does not think of oneself as “using a computer”, the use of the computer is disguised behind the experience of driving a car as the computer technology blends seamlessly with the function of driving.

Selected text 3 – The Network (word count 562)

Niederer, S 2018, Networked images: visual methodologies for the digital age,  Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam. pp. 1-20.

“Networked images” describes research methods into digital imagery in the modern age. It describes a number of factors which need to be considered and applied to create a detailed and effective methodology for collecting and analyzing the way images are manifested and interpreted on digital platforms.

Niederer describes the way in which visual images can be analyzed as both data and content. What is particularly relevant is the interconnectedness or “networkedness” of images on digital platforms. The visual methodologies program proposes an approach to analysis which is contextualized by the dynamic nature of images on digital platforms. This includes the ways in which images are shared, adapted, engaged with and distributed. Images on digital platforms can be understood and interpreted as data, an approach which collects visual imagery on a given platform and allows the researcher to identify patterns or observe the movement of images. This method evolves into an understanding of images as content. Researching images as content involves looking at series of images which exist as a set. Approaching the research of visual images across digital platforms as dynamic, as “content” opens up areas of research which may otherwise be obscure. Niederer describes digital media platforms as not only avenues for the distribution of images but also as space in which they are produces. The moveable, changeable and networked nature of digital media platforms offers researchers insight not only into the way people use images, but they ways in which various platforms facilitate and generate their own unique style. This can show trends in cultural attitudes towards certain issues but more importantly allows insight into way various platforms “perform” certain issues. The example put forward here is the nature of images most prominently displayed on Wikipedia before and after America withdrew from the Paris agreement.

Various disciplines of study are relevant to the development and analysis of this kind of research methodology. Simple data collection and analysis is not broad enough to give a nuanced and relevant interpretation of the meaning of such data. Input from art theory, anthropology and various humanities is drawn upon to give context and relevance to the findings of such research.

The unique way in which various digital social media platforms perform certain issues is called platform vernacular. By collecting and analyzing the kinds of images most engaged with across various platforms, researchers are able to articulate the flavor of various platforms. Again, the example used was the way various platforms performed the issue of climate change. This was essentially done by collecting the most engaged with images on various platforms and collating them into a single image. The platform vernacular indicates the ways in which platforms encourage engagement and therefor the way in which the platform is used. These different “perspectives” serve to portray the issue of climate change in different ways and through different contexts.

The monumental volume of data and constant changing nature of digital media platforms could present significant problems to such research. Ascribing significance to the ways in which images are engaged with on various social media platforms assumes that such a hierarchy of relevance exists in the practical use of social media. Research into engagement with images themselves gives little insight into the motives behind such engagement and perhaps does little to accurately describe or give insight into the reality of the everyday user or into the cultural zeitgeist.