From the beginning to…. the future

Last Tuesday was the final lecture for the 112MC module so naturally we quickly recapped what we had discussed throughout the trimester. Going all the way back to the beginning we were reminded of the key theorists in media convergence: Henry Jenkins, Marshall McLuhan and Lev Manovitch. The last of the named theorists discusses in his essay From Mass Consumption to Mass (Cultural) Production how media has become mainly user generated and raises questions about the shift observed in today`s way of using the internet. One of the first issues he looked at was how media has become social and everything is now being catered to the users`s needs. If in the beginning internet was a domain where you could obtain information , now this is mostly a publishing space and content is circulated between users thanks to various platform like Facebook, YouTube, My Space and so on. As stated in Lev Monvitch`s work , De Certeau, another key theorist and social analyst we are using internet the same way we use infrastructure provided by the Government. To exemplify we might create our own blog , or profile on a social network and personalize this space but we are still “creating” within limits and using provided tools. The same way we might have a favorite tv show we watch but we still have to choose from what the operating networks offer us, or we might have a shortcut we take everyday walking to the city center but it is still available to us because someone created it for us to use. Regarding a different aspect Manovitch focused his attention to conversation through media. It is very interesting how today we can offer our opinion on something, let`s say a new piece by posting comments , blogging about it from the opposite side of the globe. Web 2.0 gives us the possibility to communicate from a distance and access whatever is generated by any user around the globe. All of the constant innovation that is taking place makes us wonder about what comes next. If  Web 3.0 is happening right now with all the customizing and catering to each and every individual`s preferences what will Web 4.0 be ? Should we fear it? I believe the answer to this question is no. Losing privacy and choice is something we shouldn`t regard carelessly but simple awareness to what information we give out and what services we sign up for is enough to keep us well protected.

The map

This is the map we had to create as one of the tasks for the module. I enjoyed using this tool and I found it to be very useful as you can easily point out places of your choice and send maps to whoever you need to give direction.
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Something useful

Recently we finished up one of our projects for another module and as I looked back on all the work that was done I discovered that what I was encouraged to do for 112 MC has actually proven to be of use sooner that I had expected. Convergent Media is all about using internet and the applications it provides to ease our work which is exactly what I`ve done. In need of a soundtrack for a video we made we discovered that there were no sites that enabled download for the song in question so I had to figure out a way to work around this problem and still get audio for the project. Going to YouTube the song came up from the first search so I tried to find out if there was any possibility to get songs from a YouTube video. As it turns out at You Convert It! you can paste the URL for the video you want and then download it. To make this just audio simply go to the convert file section , upload the video and click the format you want to convert it to. Afterwords all there is left to do is check your email and go to the link provided to get you converted file. I know it sounds much but it`s very easy to do!

Embeding my map ( not the real thing)

This is just an exrecise:

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Ubiquity of convergence

In our latest 112 MC lecture we discussed the omnipresence of convergence in today`s internet. We looked way back to web 1.0 which meant no interaction and was a one way street that simply offered information in a “static, authoritarian, passive, closed” manner. Named retrospectively after the appearance of Web 2.o a version of the internet that gave access to  communication, Web 1.0 seem now a very primitive technique of media. Web 2.0 characterized by “democracy, activity, collaboration” is basically what we used today, a very dynamic service that provides with pretty much everything we desire: social networks, chat programs , news, search engines, live web feed , shopping and so much more. In a nutshell everywhereness of connection with the outside world . So what is Web 3.0 then? Well this goes a bit further and delivers an even wider range of services like booking vacations online, preparing our shopping cart , a computer that can perform actions a human normally would. Having faced we need to ask ourselves the facts where is all this going ? Are we becoming less and less dispensable and can we really be replaced by computers? Ten years from now will the new generation even hear of salesmen, travel agents , accountants or will everything be digitally controlled and operated? Taking one more step further in the technologic field sometimes means moving closer to our roles as humans. We are heading into a direction where we eventually become useless, and if we do reach that dangerous point there`s no telling what will happen. We need to feel like we make a contribution and even though we sometimes complain about our tasks we enjoy completing them and knowing we` ve accomplished something no matter how small or insignificant it may be. Incontestably web makes our lives easier but what did we ever do before it? Maybe we just found a way to deal with it and manage the situation by ourselves something I`m sure we still are capable of doing…

Troubleshooting

Working further on my task for Convergent Media I encountered a problem that has slowed me down a bit. After creating a new map and tracing my path by using the “draw a line” function I started placing markers on the points I wanted show additional information. Having pointed all the places I considered to be representative for my journey I wanted to add text to them in order to give out information about the reasons I went there or the events that made the location important. Having added text I then wanted to enrich the map with pictures and video. This is where I encountered a setback: I uploaded the photos to Flickr in order to get the URL but when I actually added the photos Google Maps wouldn`t show the images. Instead there was a small icon with a question mark on it.

After encountering this problem I decided to try a different approach and upload the pictures on Facebook because initially I thought the problem came from the site the photos were posted on. As it turned out this was not the issue so I tried looking at the map from a different computer and discovered that when I did this not even the question mark icon appeared. I will return with an answer as soon as I obtain it.

A few days later after more failed attempts to include pictures in my map I finally found out how to do it. Embedding a picture from Flickr was possible by entering the edit mode > right click > properties and copying the URL for the image which ended in “.jpg”. The process was not as obvious as you might think.

Maping

Last week we were introduced to using Google maps not only for finding locations but also for producing maps , placing markers , creating routes and so on. Our next assignment is to make a map that could represent our way to University or any other trip we might like. After maping our path we should add markers that contain text, picture and video. I started this task in workshop but when I got home I discovered that I still wanted to work. I quite enjoyed the program and I think it`s very useful and simple to use. You simple click new map and take off on a journey to whichever place you want documenting moments, people you met, places you`ve seen, restaurants you liked and many others. What takes the most time of this assingment is zooming in on the map to the place you want The rest is  a piece of cake!

I`ll be uploading a link to my map for the assignment as soon as I`ve finished it. It shouldn`t take very long.    

Under control

In the tuesday lecture of the 8th week we discusses how media is used for surveillance. By constant progress of technology we now have the ability to record data as an actual participant by using microscopic equipment that individuals can`t be aware of. In today`s world our actions can no longer go unseen, our every move is being watched. Begging with harmless traffic control cameras and ending with very sophisticated “sousveillance” equipment we are under 24 hours protection. What is all this for? Are we being protected or restrained? It is believed that when they know they are being watch people tend to follow a conduit . If we know we could be seen and punished for what we do we wouldn`t still do it . On the other hand with no consequence to follow we wouldn`t think twice before acting on something that might not be the right thing to do. There is only one obvious answer to this matter that we are constrained to act within certain parameters. Moving over to the questions of who imposes this boundaries we were shown a very interesting  film by Naomi Klein and Alfonso Cuaron called The Shock Doctrine. This piece shows techniques that governments use to control masses . The theory is that when dealing with a shock humans tend to become childlike and loose awareness of wrong doings, the same phenomenon takes place in the case of groups. This form of manipulation takes various form and has proved itself to be very efficient. Without even knowing it we become slaves of political leaders and their supporters because they appeal to us in a fragile state when we are likely to let someone take control. The film can be found on you tube , the link is here.

Mash ups

Mash up is a term that designates a merge between online applications that resulted in an innovative new tool people can use for a more personal and to the point internet experience. As today`s topic in 112 Mc lecture mash ups were discussed from a very basic point of view but even so they seem such an amazing idea .  A very simple concept that stands behind mash ups is actually a very effective tool to any user of the web. Finding the exact information you are looking for in a specific area is now simpler than ever before. Amongst the versions we were introduced to stand Yahoo Pipes, Tune Glue and Flippity . I found these tools very innovative and I am still amazed at how I haven`t heard of them before. I recommend using them as they seem a real advantage in today` busy world where every little minute counts. It spares us a lot of struggle and gives the opportunity to access the exact information we look for in real time.

Statistics about my life

We received the task of shooting a set of ten images that represented statistics about our lives. The images were supposed to be processed with Photoshop and then uploaded to Flickr. In addition we were asked to create more visualization  of the statistics using online applications. I chose to reflect some of my routines and habits through these images that contain everyday facts. Most of my pictures were taken spontaneously without careful planning. I simply decided the best way to complete the task was to have a camera on me and just capture natural moments instead of artificial ones.