Like mother, like daughter!

I never thought life after my undergraduate years would be so complicated.  I am finally living my dreams, but seem to be drained.  Working a full time job, attending grad school, completing a graduate assistantship, being a co-manager and choreographer of a dance team, and simply living and enjoying life is a hand full.  As a child when my mother would always talk about how tired she was, I would often think she was over exaggerating, but now that I am following in her footsteps, I finally understand her pain. She is mother, a wife, an owner of two day care centers, an educator, an actor, a singer and the best role model anyone could ever ask for.

She use to always tell me “wait til you’re living in the working world with bills and priorities and see how you like it”….well I’m finally here and I hate it!!!!!!!  Well not really, but I thank her for being who and what she is.  She has brains, beauty, talent and so much more, and I appreciate having her around to motivate and guide me to be young, successful, and focused individuals in life…I am my mother’s child!

Life is a game

Computers have had a huge impact on society’s way of receiving and transmitting vital information.  These same machines serve as a source of entertainment.  Chris Crawford’s work “The Art of Computer Game Design,” chapter 1, goes into great detail about games and how they are an important element in life.  No one would think something as simple as playing a game would be taken so seriously.  In this chapter, we see otherwise, he states, “Games are a fundamental part of human existence” (Crawford 1).  Crawford feels there is a deeper underlying message behind the use of game playing.  He states, “First, our liberal use of gaming terms promotes an exaggerated perception of our own understanding of games” (Crawford 1).  I find his analysis to be very interesting.  While playing games we tend to merely follow the instructions in hopes of finding the easy way out and to get to the finish line first.  We never actually think why and how the game was created, let alone what were the logistics behind it.  Every individual interprets games and its purpose in their own way. 

     

Crawford’s second obstacle is “ambiguity”.  As I stated earlier, no one cares about the concepts behind the game.  The last thing on anyone’s mind is what players should be getting out of this experiment which I would also call “gaming”.  The first words I associate with games are “winning” or “first place”.  My thoughts prove Crawford’s explanation when he states, “We have applied the principles and concepts of gaming so widely that we have watered down their original meaning” (Crawford 1).  I believe all games were created with an educational as well as entertaining purpose.  Unfortunately for society, we only seek the entertainment part of it.  When we think of play or playing we automatically associate it with games.

 

The term “play” is discussed in Johan Huizinga’s work “Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon.”  Although society today use the term completely different from way back when it was originated, Huizinga gives a little clarification on its definition and history.  He states, “Play is older than culture, for culture, however inadequately defined, always presupposes human society, and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing” (Huizinga 1).  I was not sure at first what he was trying to say, but have come to the conclusion that society sits around and waits for instructions and directions on how things should be done.  For every game that we come upon, there is a set of instructions.  Play is not something only related to humans, everyone source of life has some form of play.  Animals play, and in no way seeks instructions from humans, so why is it that we wait around to be instructed or told what to do and how it should be done.  A good statement by Huizinga is when he says, “In play there is something “at play” which transcends the immediate needs of life and imparts meaning to the action.”  He goes on to say, “All play means something” (Huizinga 1).  His thoughts make complete sense because everything is life was created with and serves a purpose.  I feel society fails to look at the educational aspect of “gaming” or “playing.” 

Play can be associated with everyone from children, animals, and adults.  It is a part of life.   Even though games are presented to us as source of entertainment, we have to seek the underlying message behind games.  All games have an educational purpose.  We have to not only dissect the game for what it is, but also think why it was created.  What is its purpose and what it trying to teach its players.  Users have to think about the creator’s intentions when creating this game.  Life is a game; we are continuously learning new things everyday and taking new paths and shortcuts to what we would like to call success or betting yet, “winning” in life. 

Lost….

It takes me a while to get from point A to point B in the real life, and sad to say it also took me a while to get from point A to point B in Second Life, as a matter a fact, I never made it to point B.  I guess traveling and navigations is just not my thing.  Thursday night while trying to get to the Berkman campus in second life to join the rest of the class, I became easily angered and frustrated.  I was so close, but so far.  I was always told I was not the best driver, and according to second life, I’m not the best walker either.  I kept falling off clifts, bumping into things, and running away from people who continued to approach me invading my so called “breathing space.”  And I thought living in the real world was tough….does anyone know the number to a cab service in second life who can take me to the next meeting?(lol)…………until next time, blessings!!!!   

The Internet and the world

The internet has had a great impact on the way the world relates to and engages with one another.  The internet has a huge impact on journalism, the web, online news, weblogs and so much more.  Donald Matheson’s “New Media and Society,” article questions interactive journalism.  The lines of communication become blurred when it comes to what is and is not acceptable in interactive journalism.  “Jon Katz (1997) has attacked US newspapers for remaining ‘insanely stagnant in an interactive age,’ failing to provide such minimal interactivity as reporters’’ email addresses on stories” (444).  I find Katz positioning to be very interesting.  Although society views journalists as credible sources who are suppose to relate the truth about everyday events/encounters, it is not their job to provide their personal information to the public.  I am not sure as to how valuable a reporter’s email address would be to society.  No matter what information is related to the public, it is our job to properly decipher that information and make the best choices in life. 

        Matheson’s article goes on to talk about weblogs.  It questions, “Why look to weblogs, rather than to other forms in which journalism is happening on the internet, in order to track such epistemological shifts?” (445) This question was very interesting because I am in no way familiar with weblogs before this course, but a red flag went up upon reading this.  It is hard for me to understand why people would read information from people who could be posting absolutely anything.  What was even more interesting was the fact that Katz questioned credible sources contact information, yet blogs are so huge and authors can be completely anonymous.  When we sign up for blogs, it is not a requirement to provide accurate personal information to the public who may read our postings.  I must agree that weblogs are in fact a great way to interact with one another, but they in no way serve as credible sources.  People are allowed to express their thoughts, ideas and beliefs, but it is hard for me to understand why so many people quickly adapted to them.

 

       Cass Sunstein’s “Democracy and Filtering,” article also discusses the internet and how it related to the world.  This article approaches the issue from a governmental point of view.  The article questions, “Is the Internet a wonderful development for democracy?” (57)  Sunstein feels it is when stating the internet provides far more information than before enabling society to learn at a much faster rate (57).  I can agree with Sunstein on this because when we talk about print, the process is much longer concerning news coverage being related to the public.  The internets greatest factor is it’s up to the minute coverage.  The internet also furthers its educational element as Sunstein makes it clear.  I never viewed blogs as being an educational outlet, but Sunstein views it as an opportunity for people to read and write an extraordinary array of topics (57).  It was this statement that gave me a different outlook on weblogs.

 

       When thinking about weblogs, there was never a clear definition for me.  As I continued to question what purpose they served, Rafaeli and Sudweeks article further enhanced my knowledge when discussing computer-mediated communication (CMC).  They define CMC as “An experiment in social intergration and democratic participation” (1997, 4).  Without the internet there would be no weblogs, my question is what makes a person become interested in blogging?  Though the answer to my question is not readily provided, the authors, “Propose to examine how captivation occurs through interactivity” (1997, 4).  I feel this interactivity has to do with the networks of networks.  These new programs are basically like trends, they will forever exist and they will forever be followed.  No matter what emerges from the internet, it will most likely succeed because it is appealing to society and mainly because it relates to the internet.

Interactive Communication Systems

The “Connective and Communal Public Goods in Interactive Communication Systems,” focuses on public goods and how it serves as a source of communication. Technology is used to transmit information. A great quote from the article is “Public goods theory can be extended to explain the conditions associated with the relative success or failure of interactive communication system linkages among individuals” (61). It’s amazing the ways in which interactive communication can be used for both law enforcers and criminals. Interactive technology makes organized illegal drug cartels to fly under authority’s radar.

The reading “Shibuya Epiphany,” takes a very interesting stance on the technological regime that exist. The article “Community: From Neighborhood to Network,” by Barry Wellman was very interesting. It starts off with “Communities are networks of interpersonal ties that provide sociability, support, information, a sense of belonging, and social identity” (53). The many forms of communication is discussed whether it be long distance, gossip, online communication or whatever. The advancement of online communication has taken a major change over the course of the years. I am not certain, but the article seems to be saying the more distant a community is the more of a social network they are. I soon began to better understand when he compares a community to the internet, “Like the Internet, they are best characterized as a ‘network of networks’” (54). The ties that are created within a network can be closely related to the interaction that transpires on the internet.

The article also talks about “cross-cutting.” The more we communicate throughout multiple networks, the more we become linked with one another. Unfortunately, we can not keep track of what occurs during these linkages. The article states, “Social circles tend to be sparsely knit most participants’ behavior and limited commitment to their well-being” (54). By connecting networks, every social circle is “a resource within themselves” (54). Communication within communities is changing dramatically, “The nature of community is changing: from being a social network of households to a social network of individuals” (55). CMC “Extends the social range of networks: allowing people to maintain their ties and fostering more specialized relationships” (55). Mobile technologies have on the other hand reinforced the person-to person community. Mobile phones, wireless computers, and other wireless portability’s are a tremendous help in furthering communication because “they shift community ties from linking people in places to linking people wherever they are” (55).

The interaction between communities is very important. It is amazing how such online interactive services such as facebook, myspace, hi5 and other networks are created. What is even more interesting is the way in which they work. They allow a community of people with some sort of common interest to interact with one another. Technology is advancing in ways that I could have never imaged, and even to this day, I can not fully understand how such devices are able to link people in communities from all around the globe. Guess it is something I have to become accustomed to because whether I fully understand it or not, technology will forever advance and change the world.

Evolution of Interactive Communications

Technology has advanced tremendously over the past decades.  Although the advancements are very helpful, there also came some complications.  As the article”Technology as systems, control and information” states, “Because of this complexity, the control, or management, of technological systems becomes a major problem for engineers and other expert professionals” (77).  From this chapter, it is evident that technology has had a major impact on weapons, transportation, war, the military and so much more. 

Technology played a major role concerning war.  As the article focuses on the era around WWII and the Vietnam War, it describes both positive and negative outcomes from the advancement of systems, controls, and information when concerning technology.  Engineers and Scientists wanted to improve these failures and complications, when the chapter states, “Aware of the failure of controls and the frequency of ‘normal accidents,’ engineers and scientists sought to improve control theory and practice” (90).  During the times of war, there was no room for failure or errors, so scientists and engineers worked hard to improve all aspects of technology during the time.

As the advancements continued, so did the setback.  The section ‘Reaction to the Information Revolution’ focuses on both the advancements and setbacks when it states, “Humanists, public intellectuals, and artists lamented the constraining influences of large technological systems upon individual freedom and associated them negatively with the Vietnam War and the deterioration of the environment” (103).  It goes on to state, “In contrast, reactions to the information revolution have been decidedly positive” (103).  Not only is technology important, but how man is able to use and benefit from technology is also important.

 

 In the article “As We May Think” by Vannevar Bush, he talks about man and the use of science and the instruments used for research.  Science and technology has made man’s life way to easy.  Bust states, “Science has provided the swiftest communication between individuals; it has provided a record of ideas and has enabled man to manipulate and make extracts from that record so that knowledge evolves and endures throughout the life of a race rather than that of an individual.”  There are many benefits from technology, and man can tremendously benefit from its advancements.  Bush states, “Machines with interchangeable parts can now be constructed with great economy of effort.”  Technology is in a way, mans best friend.

 

Although it is true that technology is very beneficial and makes life a thousand times easier, I feel as though it is also a setback in life.  We are so accustomed t having everything done by machines and technology that we forget how to function as human beings.  Everything is to readily available for society in a way.  I do love the luxury and ease that technology brings, but at times it seems a little overwhelming.  Technology is amazing when it comes to war, but it is frightening in knowing your enemy can use that same technology to defeat you.  When it comes to all the new gadgets and such; they are amazing but at times I fear that society will not be able to function if they were to wiped away from existence.

It’s Me: Tia-Monae’

I am a 22 year old college graduate.  I am from the Bronx, New York but I now reside in Connecticut.  I am majored in E-media and minored in English.  I landed a job as a part-time Production Assistant at The Worx Group, LLC.  There I did html coding, worked in Photoshop and many other programs.  It was a great learning experience that further enhanced my knowledge in the field.  I enjoy html coding and web design, but I also have a passion for writing.  Being fresh out of college and immediately entering graduate school I do not have that much experience in the corporate world. 

Outside of schooling, I have a strong passion for music and choreography.  I have been dancing and doing choreography for many years.  I love reggae and hip-hop music.  I would love to choreograph a reggae/hip-hop video one day.  I love to embrace my culture and my people, while still being open minded to all people from all walks of life.  My main focus at the time is furthering my education and fulfilling all my goals in life.

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