Trees! Blog 3

The basics of this reading come down to: "A lumper takes things that seem disparate and combines them because they have something similar. A splitter tends to take two thins that are lumped together and separate them into smaller categories." Personally, I believe no one can be a lumper. If you think about when your organizing and categorizing, your splitting something eventually, even if it is just two branches off the main subject. People can be extraordinary splitters and keep making and defining new branches off the tree, but there is no lumping. Lumping is just the definition of someone that hasn't even started the organization process. Lumpers are just lazy splitters! 


The most interesting part of this reading was when the author started to talk about digital "trees". If Aristotle was around in the digital world I think his head would have probably explode. He helped pioneer the the pre digital way of categorization. The pre digital way of categorization consisted of starting with something basic, like an insect, and splitting insects into different branches, i.e flying, non-flying. From there you would break it up into even more branches/categories. In the digital world categorizing, searching, and organizing is built around you. The tree consist of you defining where you want to start and you wouldn't be limited to certain branches. Instead of having to categorize some kind of flying insect under just insects, you are now able to jump around the "tree of knowledge" and have flying insects under flying and insects. The last paragraph from chapter three sums it up perfectly!


When looking at myself within this world of organization I would have to say that in the digital world I am more of a splitter, but in the physical world I would come off more of as a lumper. In the digital world I have to have organization. I can't just have a file that says "Homework" and put all of my assignments in it. On my computer at work I will split it up the Homework folder into sub-folders with names of the classes. On my external hard drive it opens with Washington State University-> The semester of school-> The course registered for-> HW assignment. An example of the physical world, and why i'm a lumper, would be that of my cloths. A true lumper would have his/her cloths in a big pile to sort through everyday. Personally I like to at least hang some up or put in draws. The draws don't really matter that much and i'm not to picky. Technically you could call me a splitter... but whatever! 


People that aren't in the a technical major/field could find my way of digital organizing over the top. Its all about personal preference. Having a organized digital life shows people what my priorities are. I have to admit though, sometimes the digital world can become too overwhelming with information. I definitely need to do a major clean up of certain areas on my hard drive. 

Organization Blog 2

What caught my attention the most out of the beginning of Everything is Miscellaneous- the power of the new digital disorder was the idea of tagging and cataloging digital items. The prologue to this book caught my attention immediately; i was hooked. The idea of organizing in the physical world is kind of a humorous idea now. We as a society are moving more and more closely to a pure digital world. Personally, I cant decide yet if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Anyways, I even laughed a little out loud at this point "... the solution to the overabundance of information is more information." It seems funny that in order to be organized we have to add information (tagging) to digital artifacts. But, it makes total since. Instead of having to have a physical label and a physical location, we know have the opportunity to tag and find the same digital artifact in millions of different "places". "Instead of everything having its place, it's better if things can get assigned multiple places simultaneously."


Personally I am not the more organized person... I will be the first to admit that. I feel that if I actually organized I can make my life easier. Maybe I find it fun and it works the brain having to remember where i put certain things digitally and physically. I guess I can say I organize better in the digital world then the real world. I have my Google calendar plugged and ready to go as well as a semi-organized work hours sheet to keep track of my job. I like to label folders and I have an external hard drive that has music and school work organized. But, for the real world, I really need to get better at keeping things organized and neat. I know where the important stuff is at all times: cellphone, wallet, keys, and my watch. 

Web 2.0 Five Years On

When I look at the advancements of the web from when the original Web 2.0 idea came around the main difference I see is that of the improvement of the actual hardware and technology. One of the main focuses in this article is that of mobile devices and the applications they run. Smartphone’s and PDA’s have been around for years, but within the last 3-5 years they have transformed how communication and social networking work. I bring hardware into this discussion for the fact that people have great ideas, but without the development of better equipment, it only stays an idea, a theory. The building of cell towers, Internet connections, and advancement in computers, Smartphone’s, and now tablets make it easier to interact with people around the world, as well as develop amazing ideas we would have never thought possible. These devices are also becoming cheaper and more people are able to afford them; thus connecting people to the online world and contributing to the ever growing human network.

A part of the article I found very interesting was that of Photosynth, Gigapixle Photography, and Infinite Images. This idea of combing thousands of photos and making 3D worlds is very interesting and amazing. Infinite Images gives, “the ability of the computer to synthesize imaginary worlds that never existed, extrapolating a complete 3D experience from a set of photos.” This idea will be played into geo-tagging photos. Millions of people around the world will come together and design amazing 3D images. It’s not just about the beautiful images they create, but about the exploration of this idea that really excites me.

Deciding the most exciting web application I have seen this past year is pretty difficult. Overall I just think it is interesting how social networking has developed and how big the industry has gotten these past couple years. I would have never thought of my mom having a Facebook account, but now I am used to the idea. It’s interesting to see where the media goes with this social networking phenomenon. Companies no longer just advertise their website or physical location; they want the consumer to know that they are on Facebook, or have a Twitter account.

Mobility is the future!

Thought this was kind of funny… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz4GwLpxAhc

Blog 9- electronic literature

In Hayles reading Electronic Literature, explain the term electronic literature. How has electronic literature evolved? Is there a difference between “classical” and “contemporary” electronic literature? If so, what is it?

According to the text, electronic literature is literature that is digitally born. It is a “first –generation” virtual/digital object created using a computer. Most of the time this artifact is supposed to be viewed on a computer.  An example of electronic literature would be that of ESPN.COM. The articles here are created on a computer and viewed on a computer; ESPN includes videos, hyperlinks, pictures, and text.

Hayden explains that there are two periods of electronic literature. The first generation, known as the classical time, refers to pre 1995. Storyspace was the main aspect behind this era. Many different authors used Storyspace to create their work and would distribute it via CDs and floppy disks. The Internet came to rise around the end of this time, which in turn changed how electronic literature was distributed.  The advancement of technology and software led to better developments in multimedia. The combination of these two aspects led to the second generation of electronic literature, referred to as the contemporary time. This new era brought upon the utilization of better graphics, animation, colors, and sound that was distributed over the World Wide Web.  All of this advancement in technology brought upon authors utilizing videos, sound, and animation instead of just simple text. 

Blog 8-Communication circuit

The Internet and the electronic age has changed the way business works. Dartons communication node to focus on here is that of the printing/manufacturing and shipping. In the Adams and Barker article is talks about how “manufacturing is primarily a matter of technology and economics.” Technology has advanced the paper industry throughout the years. From the print revolution to the industrial revolution it was always a matter of making cheaper and faster paper. Economics is the driving force behind if something is going to get published. Electronic technology, such as the Internet, has changed how we read.  Making it possible to deliver text wirelessly over cyber space has made literature more attainable then ever before. The main aspect behind running a business is making profit. If it is possible to not have to pay shipping cost, warehouse cost, paper and binding cost, then why not reproduce text electronically and sell them as electronic books. Companies, such as Amazon, are heading in this direction and are making great profit in the progress. Accoring to The Atlantic the E-books on the Kindel reader have recently outpaced hardcover sales. Since many aspects of life are evolved around money, this change of they way literature is read will have a lasting impact on society. I’m not saying hardcover books will be extinct in our lifetime, but the electronic age has added a whole new way of purchasing and reading literature.
 

Blog 7- Alphabetizing

Aww being a little kid again. The good days of waking up and not having a stress in the world. Riding your skateboard around, playing in the park, and knowing that your the best bike rider in your neighborhood. A time where you're learning how to spell doctor and finding out who George Washington was. This is one of the most important events in a young persons schooling life is that of how language works. Language and images define how "things" will be perceived. From The republic of ABC article: "An idea is generally defined a representation of a thing in the mind; it is a representation of something that we have seen, felt, hear, &c or been conscious of." The very first ways we learn and how we learn them will forever be remembered, consciously and subconsciously.

When ever you think of a word you always have some kind of image in your head. Why is it this image? Well a lot of it has to do with what surrounds you and what culture you grew up in. People might not remember that much about being in kindergarten, but subconsciously, in america, it seems we associate A with Apple. This seems like a cliche example, but it works and it makes sense. Since A is also the first letter in the alphabet, it seems we associate it with education in general. Apple is the cliche gift you give to a teacher and has been associated with this concept for ages. In my personal experience a way of teaching language was through rhyme. I still remember how we used different good bye expressions, such as: bye bye butterfly; so along king kong; see you soon raccoon. This was important aspect of learning words and pictures. Pictures were always associated with learning new words. These rhymes and pictures are forever implanted in a child's head.

An example I want to talk about is the of god vs God, or even saying a god for the proper God. I think it is interesting when were writing a paper and we come across a point where we have to write god/God. What do we do? What is are natural instinct? It can basically come down to what religion you are affiliated with, but that is not the most important part of this discussion. People that view your paper are going to have an immediate opinion once you decide to use god or God. If your writing a paper: ...only a god can save us now"; compared to: ...only God can save us now"; it puts a different view into our heads and changes the meaning of the sentence. This just shows that even the capitalization of one letter can change the perspective of a whole sentence.

Blog 6- MAPS!

Maps have come very long way haven’t they. The digital world has forever changed how location and directions are viewed. What I want to focus on here, about digital maps and distortions, is that of Iphone navigation applications. There are many navigation applications that are available in the Apple store that focus on different aspects of directions and location. The common theme I found with these applications is how the information is portrayed. You can tell that there are certain sponsors that promote their physical location. The Where application has sponsored ads that will come up when you are looking for a place to eat. These sponsored links will show you exactly how to get to their restaurant. Another common aspect that is incorporated into many of the navigation applications are social network tools. 

The article explains how Google Earth “…uniquely engages its users, not as disembodied voyeurs, but as participants in global dialog, represented spatially on the digital map.” Google Earth allows users to pin locations with dialog that lets users communicate with each other about that location. There are many Iphone applications that have the same type of function. The Where application allows people to write reviews on the certain locations that are in the program. Writing these reviews can change the outcome of somebody’s day. A personal experience of this happened last weekend. My parents were in town and I was looking for a place to eat. I searched for restaurants in Pullman and people recommended Swilleys. We ended up going, but the wait was 45 minutes. It did look like a nice place though. Facebook also has a function that allows users to post where they are. They can “tag” themselves at these locations to let their friends know where they are. 

Physical maps can be changed/made in many different ways. The main reason why map would look different from another map would be the person who makes the map. In the article it “… Details are commonly eliminated, falsified, or distorted so as to improve a map’s efficacy toward a particular end, resulting in the misrepresentation or exclusion of information which may serve other ends or reveal inconsistencies’.” Historically empires would alter maps to fit the needs of their empire. This change effects territorial borders and how society and cultures thought of them. 

All in all, maps and navigation have come a long way with the help of the digital world. The difference between physical maps of old and digital maps is that of social networks effect and empirical distortions effect.