- Color Symbolism
- Color in Motion (Claudia Cortes' M.A. thesis, interactive introduction to color theory and symbolism--video on primary & complimentary colors approximately 10 minutes)
- Ponyter Institute Interactive Installation; "Color, Contrast, & Dimension in News Design" (Very cool physiological section, interesting activities (such as modify the colors on a magazine cover, rich discussion of contrast with exmamples and exercises)
- "Color Meanings and Colors that Go Together" (Jacci Howard Bear article on About.com--particularly helpful if you are attempting to identify the meaning of a specific color)
- Color Wheel Pro Easily digestible introduction, discusses different hues of the same color and basic symbology.
- Color Palettes
- Adam Polselli (Color palettes, see especially "Get The Look" for sample palletes accompanied with "personality" explications)
- "Choosing Color Combinations" (article from Design In-Flight, contains helpful links)
Jan 31, 2008
color theory resources!
Jan 30, 2008
Web Design Book Chapter 6
This chapter will probably be the most help to me because it really lays out the basic but important elements to an effective webpage. The similiest changes can really be the difference between a good and bad page. I really agree with the contrast element. My eyes are directed to the most contrasted image or text on a page, so the element that I want everyone to see first should be bigger than the rest and contrast to the background of the page. Proximity and consistency were also important to realize. I can recall a number of instances where I thought I had entered a totally different site and couldn't navigate my way back to where I started. By having a navigation tool always at the left or top and having the logo in the same place on each page, navigation can be easy and I wouldn't get frustrated getting lost within a site. As I build my own webpage, this chapter will be an easy reference for me to double check to ensure that I follow the simple guidelines that can make my site better and run more efficiently.
My idea for my webpage would be to take my White Paper Project on identity theft and transform it into digital text. This paper was about the dangers of identity theft and how you can prevent it. It will be a reference-type website for businesses who want to ensure that they are following the correct steps for the safety of their employees, customers, and themselves. I plan on using images, diagrams, and maybe some graphs to split up the text. The color of my site would be a serious, professional tone, so there will be little bright or sassy colors on the site (like pink, orange, or lime green), unless I use them for contrast. Since in my White Paper Project, I choose to represent a business who helped companies prevent identity theft, I would create a logo that would also show on each page. I am very open to suggestions at this point as I try to lay out what material I will be transforming and how I will do that.
My idea for my webpage would be to take my White Paper Project on identity theft and transform it into digital text. This paper was about the dangers of identity theft and how you can prevent it. It will be a reference-type website for businesses who want to ensure that they are following the correct steps for the safety of their employees, customers, and themselves. I plan on using images, diagrams, and maybe some graphs to split up the text. The color of my site would be a serious, professional tone, so there will be little bright or sassy colors on the site (like pink, orange, or lime green), unless I use them for contrast. Since in my White Paper Project, I choose to represent a business who helped companies prevent identity theft, I would create a logo that would also show on each page. I am very open to suggestions at this point as I try to lay out what material I will be transforming and how I will do that.
Jan 29, 2008
NWDB Chs. 3 & 4
Madison Ultis
January 29, 2008
Although there wasn't much to chapter 3 except laying out the basics of how to go about designing a web page, I thought it was interesting, because I have absolutely no idea how to even begin. I look at the blank Dreamweaver screen and get pretty overwhelmed, which is interesting, because not much on the computer alienates me. This chapter definitely got me excited, though, about the different things I could create online. I think it's going to be very cool to take something that I created on paper, and convert it to something on the web where people can navigate through in a different way than just turning the page. I know that I would prefer to have Dreamweaver or FrontPage do all the coding for me...I think this will alleviate any stress or added frustration to learning web design. I do think that if this is something that I end up doing pretty well, then I would try to take on learning codes, etc...but for now, I'll just stick with letting them do it for me. In terms of all the other things they went through, such as layering, graphics, text boxes, that is all stuff that seems so foreign to me still, but I am excited to see if I can really do this!
I liked chapter 4 because I liked being able to figure out what I need to do before getting started. Again, I think it did a nice job of laying out important things to remember when starting a web page. Luckily, my fiance is a web designer/graphic designer and he works from home, so the last few months I've watched him create websites, and it's definitely interesting and takes a lot of time and work. Some of the stuff seems kind of tedious. In terms of hosting a site, and all that, I am fairly familiar because we own a few different domain names through godaddy.com. My fiance sees it as an investment, so I am somewhat familiar with the idea of hosting a site.
Overall I found the reading to be worthwhile because it gave me an idea of what we would be diving into first.
January 29, 2008
Although there wasn't much to chapter 3 except laying out the basics of how to go about designing a web page, I thought it was interesting, because I have absolutely no idea how to even begin. I look at the blank Dreamweaver screen and get pretty overwhelmed, which is interesting, because not much on the computer alienates me. This chapter definitely got me excited, though, about the different things I could create online. I think it's going to be very cool to take something that I created on paper, and convert it to something on the web where people can navigate through in a different way than just turning the page. I know that I would prefer to have Dreamweaver or FrontPage do all the coding for me...I think this will alleviate any stress or added frustration to learning web design. I do think that if this is something that I end up doing pretty well, then I would try to take on learning codes, etc...but for now, I'll just stick with letting them do it for me. In terms of all the other things they went through, such as layering, graphics, text boxes, that is all stuff that seems so foreign to me still, but I am excited to see if I can really do this!
I liked chapter 4 because I liked being able to figure out what I need to do before getting started. Again, I think it did a nice job of laying out important things to remember when starting a web page. Luckily, my fiance is a web designer/graphic designer and he works from home, so the last few months I've watched him create websites, and it's definitely interesting and takes a lot of time and work. Some of the stuff seems kind of tedious. In terms of hosting a site, and all that, I am fairly familiar because we own a few different domain names through godaddy.com. My fiance sees it as an investment, so I am somewhat familiar with the idea of hosting a site.
Overall I found the reading to be worthwhile because it gave me an idea of what we would be diving into first.
journals and sites that use hypertext
Pre/text: a hypertext journal of rhetorical theory
Kairos: another academic journal on technology, rhetoric, and teaching.
Enculturation: hypertext academic journal on rhetoric
Insomnia: hypertext poem
Translation example 1
Kairos: another academic journal on technology, rhetoric, and teaching.
Enculturation: hypertext academic journal on rhetoric
Insomnia: hypertext poem
Translation example 1
Response To Chapters 3 and 4
While reading the latest assignments, nostalgia was brought about gazing at the pages of code. It amazes me how the complicated system of coding can be turned into a web page. It has made me really think about what I would want to make my web page about and how I would style it. Whether I would give it layers or put multiple pages on one page--such as a banner on top and text on the bottom or perhaps even a split screen. My ideas for my project came floating into my head, one as unlikely as the next. First I thought I would make a family page based on the example in the book of the mother who made a page about her children and then remembered that the page had to be translated from something previously written. Then I thought I would make a picture diary of my summer trip and then remembered that the page would probably have to be more of a text page than image. My mind then wandered to the only texts that I have abundances of which would be my poetry, but I thought the world would be a safer place if no one ever read that--however it is my fallback due to the possibility of multiple links and image use. All in all, the reading did wonders to stimulate the thoughts of sites that I can make and gave great insights on how to make a site intriguing yet clean. It gave wonderful variation of design and content. I just need to decide what to use.
Jan 28, 2008
Chap 3/4 reflection
A lot of the aspects concerning creating webpages seems too good to be true because of all of the horror stories about how difficult and how much time it takes that I have heard from family members. Because I am not exactly "technologically savy," my concern is not with the teachings of chapter 4 (because I feel that I am able to organize and coordinate my ideas well enough), but rather the parts of chapter 3 (becuase I am unsure as to how quickly the programs like frontpage are going to comprehend in my mind). Also, because I have heard my family talk about web page design for years now, my curiosity was lifted when reading the information in chapter 3 because I wondered how many steps were cut off with the production of frontpage-type applications and if this is a main reason that the internet has become so widely spread or if the interent is just another type of technology that people are bound to learn. I feel that the internet may have gotten too big too quickly and because of applications that make the building of websites easier, we, as a public, have gotten too used to the internet being there and having the constant ability to change whatever we want about certain websites with the click of a button. My wonder is not on how exactly the internet grew, but instead on how the introduction of these applications helped or stunted people's views of the "art" in webpage design or if it has become just another thing that a majority of people can do only because the programs do the hard work for you.
Response to 3 & 4
I had done a lot of the basic stuff from chapter three before, so a lot of this was review to me, although it was presented in a really easy-to-understand way, and I thought the visual aids were awesome for illustrating exactly what the book was talking about. The sections about layering and frames were new to me, and I thought they were fairly easy to pick up on. I think this chapter laid a good foundation for some more complicated design stuff, which I’m looking forward to getting into.
January 29-Chapters 3 and 4
Chapter 3: I've never had any experience making a web page, so I liked that this chapter called my nerves by making it seem easy and usable. I get stressed about doing new things, but the laid-back approach this book uses is comforting. I like that the book was easy to read and relate to. I found it funny that they didn't care about things such as what HTML stands for. It was refreshing to read a course book that was so carefree and not swept up in technical jargon. It was interesting to learn that making a web page could actually be fairly simple. I liked that they gave you helpful hints not only on how to make a web page, but what was the best software package for beginners and those on a tight budget. I also liked the step by step directions to making a web page. For me, someone who likes to not only follow directions, but likes to see a set of directions to be able to follow step by step, and someone who always makes lists, I really appreciated this. I found it helpful that they listed everything you would need to know to make a web page: how to format the text, change the colors, create links, add graphics, etc. This was so helpful to me because now I can just reference back to the book when I am making my own web page.
Chapter 4: In this chapter they really stressed the importance of organizing your folders, which should not be a problem for me because I am a extremely organized person, but I don't always have the greatest time with technology. The tips for naming your files was helpful because I probably wouldn't have really thought about naming my file. I never knew that you should use all lowercase letters, that you should not use characters, or that you can never use a space. The explanation of browser and server was helpful because I honestly did not really know what either of those were. I hear those words all the time, but I never really knew what they meant or did. I liked the checklist at the end of the chapter because it was a refresher of everthing you need to do. It was a review of all the things I had just read about.
Chapter 4: In this chapter they really stressed the importance of organizing your folders, which should not be a problem for me because I am a extremely organized person, but I don't always have the greatest time with technology. The tips for naming your files was helpful because I probably wouldn't have really thought about naming my file. I never knew that you should use all lowercase letters, that you should not use characters, or that you can never use a space. The explanation of browser and server was helpful because I honestly did not really know what either of those were. I hear those words all the time, but I never really knew what they meant or did. I liked the checklist at the end of the chapter because it was a refresher of everthing you need to do. It was a review of all the things I had just read about.
January 29th Blog -- Web Design Chapter3&4
Besides having done a very basic free website and myspace, I have very little experience with web design (especially hypertext and coding). Chapter three really calmed my nerves a little because the basics are very much like putting together something on Microsoft Word and mixing the style so that it is very reader-friendly and appealing (bold, italics, spacing, alignment, etc.). I also agree with the importance of the background. I have come across so many websites where the "busy-ness" of the background took away from the text or made the text completely unreadable. When I come to websites like these, rarely do I stay for more than a few seconds because I'll get frustrated with trying to read the text.
Chapter four taught me a lot more about getting started with designing my website. Organization really is key to making any plan work, so it really helped to get tips on how to organize my folders and how to label them so I have easy access. I have so many documents and pictures and it usually takes me forever to get them organized because I have them saved under one folder. This project will really teach me the importance of managing all files. This chapter gave me very useful information that extended beyond just the basics and started the actual web design planning and overview. I do wonder what web host we will use and how FrontPage can correspond to that webhost. I've only worked with geocities and they have their basic web page setup, so I'm still unsure of how Front Page will coordinate with a web host.
Chapter four taught me a lot more about getting started with designing my website. Organization really is key to making any plan work, so it really helped to get tips on how to organize my folders and how to label them so I have easy access. I have so many documents and pictures and it usually takes me forever to get them organized because I have them saved under one folder. This project will really teach me the importance of managing all files. This chapter gave me very useful information that extended beyond just the basics and started the actual web design planning and overview. I do wonder what web host we will use and how FrontPage can correspond to that webhost. I've only worked with geocities and they have their basic web page setup, so I'm still unsure of how Front Page will coordinate with a web host.
Chapter 3 & 4 Notes
I have never made any web sites, and reading these two chapters actually made me more nervous because it seems like there is so much to learn! I am interested in seeing how much I can learn and take from this class. It seems like there is no exact way of telling someone how to make a website because I noticed many times in the reading it was mentioned that this book doesnt give exact directions for any one program or any specific sort of computer. It seems very important to pay attention to how you title your folders, and where you put each of your pages. I wouldn't want to lose a whole web page that I worked on. Since I am just beginning I feel that I am going to try and mess up a few times before I get the hang of what steps I need to take to avoid extra work. Some of the directions seemed relatively easy, especially concerning the font. I have ideas for what I want my web site to look like, so I hope I can catch on right away. The book seems very helpful as a checklist when finishing the web page. There is so much to pay attention to, and the book offers reminders and tricks to help fix them. I thought that the section on layers was difficult. I didn't really understand how they work and it was confusing to me. Mainly I think if we are organized, we should be able to play around with the programs and understand them.
more resources! woo!
esources
hey everyone--here's a number of resources for you to play with, including sites for you to create and download images, text, buttons, banners and more!!
* Gifworks <http://www.gifworks.com/> You use this program to modify gifs you have created in other programs or have downloaded from free sites.
* MyImager <http://www.myImager.com/myImager.cfm?p=open&f=0> . Manipulate gifs or jpegs up to 200K.
* Cool Archive Logo generator <http://www.coolarchive.com/logogen.cfm> Easy to use site that displays font samples, nice effects.
* 3dtextmaker <http://www.3dtextmaker.com/> Easy to use site with a great selection of fonts.
* Flamingtext <http://www.flamingtext.com/start.html> An endless variety of headlines styles and large selection of fonts and, you can edit your header after you have created it.
* Banner Creator <http://www.crecon.com/newbanners.html>
* flamingtext <http://www.flamingtext.com/buttons/> A large variety of buttons to which you can add your own text.
* CoolArchive button maker <http://www.coolarchive.com/buttons.cfm>
* AAA Buttons <http://www.aaa-buttons.com/> A little more difficult to use if you’re not too familiar.
* Anthony's WWW Images <http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/images/Images.html> . Large open source collection of images.
* Absolute Web Graphics< http://www.grsites.com/webgraphics/ >
* Free Graphics <http://www.freegraphics.com/>
* Web Design Studio <http://www.windyweb.com/> An interesting site with a wide range of resources.
* Absolute Textures and Backgrounds <http://www.grsites.com/textures/> - great site for backgrounds - has everything imaginable
* Enchanted Backgrounds <http://the.enchantress.net/>
* Gifworks <http://www.gifworks.com/> You use this program to modify gifs you have created in other programs or have downloaded from free sites.
* MyImager <http://www.myImager.com/myImager.cfm?p=open&f=0> . Manipulate gifs or jpegs up to 200K.
* Cool Archive Logo generator <http://www.coolarchive.com/logogen.cfm> Easy to use site that displays font samples, nice effects.
* 3dtextmaker <http://www.3dtextmaker.com/> Easy to use site with a great selection of fonts.
* Flamingtext <http://www.flamingtext.com/start.html> An endless variety of headlines styles and large selection of fonts and, you can edit your header after you have created it.
* Banner Creator <http://www.crecon.com/newbanners.html>
* flamingtext <http://www.flamingtext.com/buttons/> A large variety of buttons to which you can add your own text.
* CoolArchive button maker <http://www.coolarchive.com/buttons.cfm>
* AAA Buttons <http://www.aaa-buttons.com/> A little more difficult to use if you’re not too familiar.
* Anthony's WWW Images <http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/images/Images.html> . Large open source collection of images.
* Absolute Web Graphics< http://www.grsites.com/webgraphics/ >
* Free Graphics <http://www.freegraphics.com/>
* Web Design Studio <http://www.windyweb.com/> An interesting site with a wide range of resources.
* Absolute Textures and Backgrounds <http://www.grsites.com/textures/> - great site for backgrounds - has everything imaginable
* Enchanted Backgrounds <http://the.enchantress.net/>
frontpage resources!
frontpage resources
I have found a number of frontpage resources for you to use, ranging from beginner tutorials to more complex techniques. Two simpler tutorials : FrontPage 2000 Tutorial from Florida Gulf Coast University and the MSDN tutorial will be good ones to look at before Monday's class.Peter Pappas, from edteck press, has a quickie guide that you may find useful.
Other tutorials: webworksite has a number of different tutorials for more complicated tools; frontpage templates and themes also has many resources as well as accessFP
Webdesign.org , technorati.com, webpages that suck, and Robin Williams' Good Design Features , and the web style guide, 2nd edition (great one, btw) are all sites that focus on design.
Jan 24, 2008
1/24 reflection
Madison Ultis
24 January 2008
Article Summary/Response
I read the Kress article first and I have to say what I agree with most is the technological informality seen everyday. I think this is so true in the form of emails especially. I also liked how he laid out where he thought we, as society, were headed in terms of technology and the written word, as well, though as visualization altogether. On page 63 he notes that language is no longer the sole means for conveying information. Language now is only a partially vehicle in transmitting information to the public. When I read that, for whatever reason, my mind moved to Excel spreadsheets because even when there is written language anymore, people tend to give it a different look and feel. Using Excel spreadsheets, as well as graphs, pie charts, etc. helps to convey a message quicker and thus easier than just a random block of text on a page. I liked how he went into how if a teacher asks for his/her class to make a drawing of a specific event, it looks much different than it would sound had he/she asked for it to be a written account of that same event. Different representations occur between writing and visualization.
The Hefland article, which is much shorter, adds to the Kress article in the sense that as a society we are moving toward a much faster paced electronical era. Everything is in that sort of “I needed it yesterday” mode and because of that, the way we communicate as a society is ever changing.
I definitely think it will interesting to see how we continue to evolve technologically, and what different advances arise in just a few short years.
24 January 2008
Article Summary/Response
I read the Kress article first and I have to say what I agree with most is the technological informality seen everyday. I think this is so true in the form of emails especially. I also liked how he laid out where he thought we, as society, were headed in terms of technology and the written word, as well, though as visualization altogether. On page 63 he notes that language is no longer the sole means for conveying information. Language now is only a partially vehicle in transmitting information to the public. When I read that, for whatever reason, my mind moved to Excel spreadsheets because even when there is written language anymore, people tend to give it a different look and feel. Using Excel spreadsheets, as well as graphs, pie charts, etc. helps to convey a message quicker and thus easier than just a random block of text on a page. I liked how he went into how if a teacher asks for his/her class to make a drawing of a specific event, it looks much different than it would sound had he/she asked for it to be a written account of that same event. Different representations occur between writing and visualization.
The Hefland article, which is much shorter, adds to the Kress article in the sense that as a society we are moving toward a much faster paced electronical era. Everything is in that sort of “I needed it yesterday” mode and because of that, the way we communicate as a society is ever changing.
I definitely think it will interesting to see how we continue to evolve technologically, and what different advances arise in just a few short years.
reflection
Although somewhat repetitive, I thought the Kress article did a good job explaining how the role of written, spoken, and visual methods of communication relate with one another and how the relationship between these continue to evolve. As a former journalism major I studied media convergence in a couple classes, and how, in the future, it will probably be necessary to possess a wide range of skills in a variety of mediums in order to be successful in the field of communication, and probably in fields outside of communication. Kress’s article took a look at how this has come to fruition. I think the best part of the piece was his analysis of newspapers and news programs in the 1960s with current papers and programs. This provided a good example of how much the field of communication has evolved over the last thirty or forty years, and is a good indicator of the changes we might expect to see in the future.
I thought the Hefland article introduced some interesting things to consider. The role of time and the emphasis on up-to-the-second information seems to be rapidly increasing in our society, which means that going into a professional atmosphere, it is going to be extremely important to be able to function within a non-stop environment that stresses the importance being able to provide information instantaneously. With the constant improvement of technology, I think this may not be as daunting as it sounds, and will in fact improve the workplace in general, especially within the field of communication.
The effect of reading both of these articles together makes it seem like we’re headed towards a world where we will be receiving instant information from multiple media sources at one time, so being ready to function in a world like that will obviously be important. At this point, it already seems like television, radio, and the internet are all slowly headed towards something along these lines, so it will be interesting to see how these outlets will develop and adapt to fit the “real time” needs of their listeners/readers/viewers.
Jan 23, 2008
Kress/Hefland reflection
The main point that I wanted to address is the issue of formality of emails. As Steph points out, there is not a true format or hint of professionalism to emails. In daily life, email seems to be unavoidable, and because of the growing amount and need to vocalize via email, there does indeed need to be some sort of business or specified formality to email layout. This, then, in turn, makes me wonder how far the formality can be pushed. Take for instance, this blog. We can write as formally or and informally as we need/please because it is not considered a professional or formatted type of writing, but if this were a business-oriented blog or even email, then there has to be some level of formatting set in place. In this case, I wonder who gets to decide what is the correct way to write an email. Would is be more related to MLA style writing for essays and/or papers, or would it mimick the more accepted styles of writing paper letters? Or, in the case that neither of these forms of writing can be modified to fit that of writing blogs, emails or any other type of internet writing, would some intellectual or professor somewhere get to create another form of accepted format for writing. I feel that, if yet another form of writing format is created, too many students, or people in general, will get completely confused as to what style teachers will want for papers or, maybe by that point there will not be physical papers, but rather, email/blog style electronic 'papers'. As of now, some students seems to have difficulties switching between MLA and APA formats when going from or between diciplines. In reality, how many formats for writing can there be before one type dominates all the others and will that someday be an electronic format for writing and will paper formats become rarer and rarer until totally gone?
Jan 23
The first sentence of the article, “Visual and Verbal Modes..” I really felt was very true. Technology is not at all a causal phenomenon. To me it is something elite and took a lot of time and effort to create. It did not just happen over night. Later in the article they talk and compare different newspaper articles. This was also interesting to me. Language here has the role of expressing all the essential information while images are assumed to have the function of illustration or vise versa. I for one would much rather have pictures describe something rather than have to read the full explanation. I remember learning things in science classes like photosynthesis or other methods. With out pictures I think the methods or processes would have been more confusing. Design really is important. I agree with Mariann when she says that pictures speak a thousands words. Pictures can be understood from all parts of the universe. You cannot always translate a picture as you can with a sentence. Languages I feel are always changing and so is technology.
January 24th Reading Response
In "Visual and Verbal Modes," it mentions the informality that has become a social norm when it comes to communicating through technology and I think this is very true. There has never been an email formality presented when emails suddenly appeared. And since technology is constantly changing, email is on its way out and facebooking, instant messaging, and texting are in. There are no formalities with them either. When working in a world that is growing increasing diverse and spreading to all parts of the world (like globalization), it is essential to know professionalism and formality that is respected in a business world. This generation hasn't practiced these formalities and it may hurt them in the long run (from a business standpoint). This article also talks about the visual aspect of the media -- how newspapers publish more photos and news shows have pictures dominate the screen. I instantly thought of all the tabloid magazines that are loaded with pictures with few scraps of writing here and there. One reason for this may be the "seeing is believing" mentality and since we now have the technology available to take and generate pictures so easy, it has become a visual standard for society to have visual proof of what is written. This has extended into the educational system as well with the wide-spread use of Power Point as a visual aid for speeches instead of handouts with lots of writing on them. The use of visuals from the technology resources available have brought society into a whole new era of learning and communicating.
In the "Myth of Real Time," I was confused as to what he means by "real time." He said we wait in line at the supermarket or bank, but we also wait as users online when there is heavy traffic on a site or if a site if verifying information after you purchase. Sometimes you get instant results, but other times you wait just like in real life. Speed is necessary when dealing with a computer because most of our lives are intertwined with computers -- from ordering pizza, to banking and shopping online, to communicating online. With this evolution of, we expect to be able to do it fast and efficiently. That is the point of having those things - in order to speed up the process and save time. But I don't think there ever will be a time when everything comes up instantly with technology. There's always a bug, always a catch that might delay a download or keep people waiting. So cyberspace is like its only little community -- everyone experiences the occasional setback.
In the "Myth of Real Time," I was confused as to what he means by "real time." He said we wait in line at the supermarket or bank, but we also wait as users online when there is heavy traffic on a site or if a site if verifying information after you purchase. Sometimes you get instant results, but other times you wait just like in real life. Speed is necessary when dealing with a computer because most of our lives are intertwined with computers -- from ordering pizza, to banking and shopping online, to communicating online. With this evolution of, we expect to be able to do it fast and efficiently. That is the point of having those things - in order to speed up the process and save time. But I don't think there ever will be a time when everything comes up instantly with technology. There's always a bug, always a catch that might delay a download or keep people waiting. So cyberspace is like its only little community -- everyone experiences the occasional setback.
Response to Reading 2
Mariann Daniel
January 23, 2008
Electronic Word
Response to Readings 2
In the essay “One, Two, Three, Faux: The Myth of Real Time” a contradiction is made between real time on the internet and real time is real life. The article states in its second paragraph, “As it is, there is nothing real about Real Time, and certainly nothing human about it.” I suppose this statement at first glance, but once explained as I read it is it still true? There is nothing humanly about getting whatever you want at any time of the day wherever you may be, however, it is very human to want the ability. So even though Real Time is not humanly it is certainly humanly to have it. Real Time is a natural progression of technology to make life easier.
In the essay “Visual and Verbal Modes of Representation in Electronically Mediated Communication: The Potentials of New Forms of Text” by Gunther Kress, the subject explored is particularly interesting when applied to the meshing of technologies. In today’s world, technology is constantly changing. Like Dr. Consilio stated in class, a few years ago, there was no way a person could get a phone that would take great pictures and be able to go on the internet with it or watch streaming television on it. Today though, everyone has at least one of these abilities at the tip of their fingers and what’s better is that they want it. People crave a way to keep in contact with other people. As Dr. Muench once stated in a creative writing class, we as a species are social creatures. It seems logical then to assume that if marketed, humans would want to have the opportunities to stay connected. At one point in the essay Kress states that offering visual means of communication avoids the insensitive problems of globalizations. But is that really a fair statement seeing as the only reason pictures could act as a universal communicator is because industries are already globalized (this is not a real word, I know)?
I think it is interesting how pictures really do speak a thousand words. Visualize any summers day that comes to mind and I’m sure there are many different ways to describe it, by telling what was going on that day to the weather or how you were feeling that day. The weather and activities are only a couple of things that can be described visually, eliminating the need for language. However, the problem comes in when you take a thing like feelings and expect to represent it clearly. Perhaps I am rambling. I think, to kind of go along with the discussion from last class, one of the double ended sword type things about blogs is that I tend to think of them as more of an informal medium. Whatever the answer is to the visual verses words debate I think that a combination of the two is the best. Like I stated, technology is ever changing who knows what could be next.
January 23, 2008
Electronic Word
Response to Readings 2
In the essay “One, Two, Three, Faux: The Myth of Real Time” a contradiction is made between real time on the internet and real time is real life. The article states in its second paragraph, “As it is, there is nothing real about Real Time, and certainly nothing human about it.” I suppose this statement at first glance, but once explained as I read it is it still true? There is nothing humanly about getting whatever you want at any time of the day wherever you may be, however, it is very human to want the ability. So even though Real Time is not humanly it is certainly humanly to have it. Real Time is a natural progression of technology to make life easier.
In the essay “Visual and Verbal Modes of Representation in Electronically Mediated Communication: The Potentials of New Forms of Text” by Gunther Kress, the subject explored is particularly interesting when applied to the meshing of technologies. In today’s world, technology is constantly changing. Like Dr. Consilio stated in class, a few years ago, there was no way a person could get a phone that would take great pictures and be able to go on the internet with it or watch streaming television on it. Today though, everyone has at least one of these abilities at the tip of their fingers and what’s better is that they want it. People crave a way to keep in contact with other people. As Dr. Muench once stated in a creative writing class, we as a species are social creatures. It seems logical then to assume that if marketed, humans would want to have the opportunities to stay connected. At one point in the essay Kress states that offering visual means of communication avoids the insensitive problems of globalizations. But is that really a fair statement seeing as the only reason pictures could act as a universal communicator is because industries are already globalized (this is not a real word, I know)?
I think it is interesting how pictures really do speak a thousand words. Visualize any summers day that comes to mind and I’m sure there are many different ways to describe it, by telling what was going on that day to the weather or how you were feeling that day. The weather and activities are only a couple of things that can be described visually, eliminating the need for language. However, the problem comes in when you take a thing like feelings and expect to represent it clearly. Perhaps I am rambling. I think, to kind of go along with the discussion from last class, one of the double ended sword type things about blogs is that I tend to think of them as more of an informal medium. Whatever the answer is to the visual verses words debate I think that a combination of the two is the best. Like I stated, technology is ever changing who knows what could be next.
January 24 Response to Articles
In "Visual and Verbal Modes of Representation in E-Mediated Communication" by Gunther Kress, he states that technology is socially applied knowledge. Which I find to be rather interesting because it's true. The internet spread because of its social appeal to people. Each culture differs, but we can all learn things from one another. We are able to transmit large amounts of information at once through email. Technology is so advanced today that we can even communicate to others who speak different languages with the click of a button. Unfortunately though, sometimes the translations don't match up, and can be interpretated quite differently than we meant. I found the idea of airlines using visual, instead of verbal, means to display information. I never really thought about it, but everything from the no smoking sign, to the fasten seatbelt sign, to the what to do in case of a crash sign on airplanes is visual. I found this interesting because then this applies to a entire mass of people. The airlines never need to speak in one language, then have to worry about translating it, and then have to worry that people did not interpret accurately what they said. Even today, many products and places are associated and well-known by their symbol. McDonalds, for example, is known for their golden arches all over the entire world. All over the internet are visual ads, trying to persuade you to click on them. They need to be eye catching and unique, or else no one will pay attention to them. If these ads can appeal globally, then they will be successful internationally. It is amazing to see how the internet, TV, text, and all of technology have changed greatly over the years. As our society and the world become more technologically advanced, we have to find ways to keep up in the electonic age.
"Myth" by Hefland, starts off in an interesting way, saying that Lewis Mumford once wrote that he believed the industrial age was merely a passing phase in which the quality of human life would be sacrificed to further the prowess of technology. I find this quote to be very interesting because it is true to some extent. Technology has taken over people's lives. Nowadays peoples' main concern is to get home to check their emails, or their facebook or myspace. I think technology has made people more uncaring. I know someone who will facebook their friends when they are mad at them about something. It's so odd because if you were really upset about something wouldn't you take the time to speak to them in person. We rush to get things done, and get angry if the internet is working too slow. We just want things to be over and done with. With such technologically speed, the need for speed carries over into the "real world," causing us to get impatient in lines. I feel like Americans especially are this way, it's not the entire world. We are so pressed for time between deadlines, school, work, errands, and technology adds to this. Sometimes its good just to stop and take a minute.
"Myth" by Hefland, starts off in an interesting way, saying that Lewis Mumford once wrote that he believed the industrial age was merely a passing phase in which the quality of human life would be sacrificed to further the prowess of technology. I find this quote to be very interesting because it is true to some extent. Technology has taken over people's lives. Nowadays peoples' main concern is to get home to check their emails, or their facebook or myspace. I think technology has made people more uncaring. I know someone who will facebook their friends when they are mad at them about something. It's so odd because if you were really upset about something wouldn't you take the time to speak to them in person. We rush to get things done, and get angry if the internet is working too slow. We just want things to be over and done with. With such technologically speed, the need for speed carries over into the "real world," causing us to get impatient in lines. I feel like Americans especially are this way, it's not the entire world. We are so pressed for time between deadlines, school, work, errands, and technology adds to this. Sometimes its good just to stop and take a minute.
Response to Kress/Hefland Articles
I think it's interesting to read articles on technology because it is something that is so new and still changing drastically over a short period of time. It talks about how technology is socially applied knowledge, and how through its use has developed and promoted informality. It took me a while to think about how I felt about this, because I feel it does, and does not. It is pretty easy to notice that technology through computers has developed a different way of writing. We have come up with our own terms and short hand even through typing. Looking at it in this way shows me that it is pretty lazy to develop a "faster" way of typing compared to just a few years ago when everything was handwritten. This article helped me understand that there is a difference between the written word, and the written word that is published online (hypertext). Hypertext includes links, and a page where sound and images can be applied to help develop your voice alongside what is already written. A reliance on writing was mentioned, and I feel that it will always be this way. Although visuals are emerging, I think that writing is the most direct and easiest way to express and emotion, or idea. I feel that visuals have always been around, but the article says that pictures are now doing what writing used to do. I dont understand this, then what did visuals and pictures from before do? Everyone seems to agree that in this day and age, we have an overload of information. It is good to have many resources to look to, but it is almost impossible to reference the ones you need to.
In some cases, pictures do work better to show an idea or action, like the flight deck example. But, I dont think that this is a new movement where pictures are taking over the written word. Pictures definately have developed, for instance through looking at newspapers. They went from being in black and white to color. Now, sometimes pictures are the main focus of an article.
I thought that this article spent alot of time describing the changes of images used throughout textbooks. I feel that this is mostly a style change that has happened over the last few years.
I liked how they said that language can be used to say anything you need to say, rather than to show and illustrate like pictures do. I think that the difference is how the person engages with the text or picture. This article definately got me thinking about how I want to design my web pages to attract and engage the audience they will receive.
In some cases, pictures do work better to show an idea or action, like the flight deck example. But, I dont think that this is a new movement where pictures are taking over the written word. Pictures definately have developed, for instance through looking at newspapers. They went from being in black and white to color. Now, sometimes pictures are the main focus of an article.
I thought that this article spent alot of time describing the changes of images used throughout textbooks. I feel that this is mostly a style change that has happened over the last few years.
I liked how they said that language can be used to say anything you need to say, rather than to show and illustrate like pictures do. I think that the difference is how the person engages with the text or picture. This article definately got me thinking about how I want to design my web pages to attract and engage the audience they will receive.
Jan 22, 2008
Vannevar Bush’s article “As We May Think” offered an interesting look into how technology and communication interrelate with one another. The article looked at the development of technology both past and present (as of 1945) and in doing so, demonstrated how this relationship has shaped the world we live in. I found this examination to be quite interesting and it helped me consider just how much of an impact technology has made on everyday life. It also causes the reader to wonder what the future holds, and how potential jobs may be influenced by the new waves of technology.
Although somewhat technical, “A little history about the world wide web” was a very interesting to read. The most striking affect that this article has is that it demonstrates the small amount of time, relatively speaking, it has taken to develop a technology that has so drastically changed the world. Similar to the Bush article, this causes the reader to wonder, where does it go from here? If a technology that has become so central to our way of life has been developed in such a short time span, one must consider what the next great technology will be and how we will need to adapt professionally to take full advantage of it.
“Realising the Full Potential of the Web” was the best of these articles. The style with which it is written in addition to the wealth of information about the development and future growth of the web were very enjoyable to read. Having knowledge about the future of the Internet is very valuable for someone who is interested in a career in the communications field and this article brought up a large amount of subject matter that allows the reader to intelligently consider what the future holds for the web.
Although somewhat technical, “A little history about the world wide web” was a very interesting to read. The most striking affect that this article has is that it demonstrates the small amount of time, relatively speaking, it has taken to develop a technology that has so drastically changed the world. Similar to the Bush article, this causes the reader to wonder, where does it go from here? If a technology that has become so central to our way of life has been developed in such a short time span, one must consider what the next great technology will be and how we will need to adapt professionally to take full advantage of it.
“Realising the Full Potential of the Web” was the best of these articles. The style with which it is written in addition to the wealth of information about the development and future growth of the web were very enjoyable to read. Having knowledge about the future of the Internet is very valuable for someone who is interested in a career in the communications field and this article brought up a large amount of subject matter that allows the reader to intelligently consider what the future holds for the web.
Jan 21, 2008
Ref #1 articles 4-6
Megan McMurray Reflection #1
To be completely frank, the article titled As We May Think, was as dry as the photography that is talks about. I feel the opening of the article was good and stimulated many thoughts such as: Why is it that we rely so much on technology in professions that were built on the opposite of technology and rather focused on the mind and its capabilities. I feel that technology, although useful and helpful in many ways, seems to cause more trouble than it seems to try to cure. Take, for instance, me. I am diabetic, and because of this diagnosis and the fact that my body hates me, I am constantly connected to a machine that decides whether or not I am healthy. I am on a pump that has the power to make me incredibly sick or incredibly unstable or even in a coma. This very machine has made me very sick because it has malfunctioned or completely broken or just decided to make its own decisions. Although it was built to make my life a whole lot easier, it has made my life harder in some respects. I feel that this article makes me incredibly bored because it talks too much about the specific aspects of pieces of technology and strays too far away from the point that was made in the beginning paragraph. Another aspect that makes technology, mainly the internet, seem like it stems off of past ideas in a simpler and easily accessible object is the article of the History of the WWW.
This article is very interesting to me because I never would have thought the first references to the World Wide Web dated back into the 60’s, and rather I would have thought that the first indications that the future would hold some sort of system that can readily show related topics at first glance is that of the Dewy Decimal System. I feel that many people can easily relate this system with that of the WWW because a search for a certain word using google or another search engine, one can easily see related topics, just like if one was to consult the Dewy Decimal System. But another valid point to ournecessity of the internet is that most people, if they even know what the Dewy Decimal System is, they do not know how to use it anymore.
To be completely frank, the article titled As We May Think, was as dry as the photography that is talks about. I feel the opening of the article was good and stimulated many thoughts such as: Why is it that we rely so much on technology in professions that were built on the opposite of technology and rather focused on the mind and its capabilities. I feel that technology, although useful and helpful in many ways, seems to cause more trouble than it seems to try to cure. Take, for instance, me. I am diabetic, and because of this diagnosis and the fact that my body hates me, I am constantly connected to a machine that decides whether or not I am healthy. I am on a pump that has the power to make me incredibly sick or incredibly unstable or even in a coma. This very machine has made me very sick because it has malfunctioned or completely broken or just decided to make its own decisions. Although it was built to make my life a whole lot easier, it has made my life harder in some respects. I feel that this article makes me incredibly bored because it talks too much about the specific aspects of pieces of technology and strays too far away from the point that was made in the beginning paragraph. Another aspect that makes technology, mainly the internet, seem like it stems off of past ideas in a simpler and easily accessible object is the article of the History of the WWW.
This article is very interesting to me because I never would have thought the first references to the World Wide Web dated back into the 60’s, and rather I would have thought that the first indications that the future would hold some sort of system that can readily show related topics at first glance is that of the Dewy Decimal System. I feel that many people can easily relate this system with that of the WWW because a search for a certain word using google or another search engine, one can easily see related topics, just like if one was to consult the Dewy Decimal System. But another valid point to ournecessity of the internet is that most people, if they even know what the Dewy Decimal System is, they do not know how to use it anymore.
Response to Readings 4, 5, and 6
Mariann Daniel
January 21, 2008
Electronic Word
Response to Readings 4, 5, and 6
While reading “As We May Think”, “History of the WWW”, and “Realizing the Full Potential of the Web” I realized some things about myself. For instance, the web is a complicated system of links, websites, and junk sites yet I know very little about how it works. For instance in the essay “Realizing the Full Potential of the Web” by Tim Berners-Lee, I realized that I had no idea what a proxy cache is or how exactly metadata works. However, some of the things the essays talked about I did understand like “When you are working in a group, you do things you would not do outside the group; you share half-baked ideas, reveal sensitive information. You use a vernacular that will be understood; you can cut corners in language and formality. You do these things because you trust the people in the group, and that others won't suddenly have access to it” (Berners-Lee 1). This concept is one that can be applied to the web and to everyday life, yet Berners-Lee seems to be making the argument that the web is the best way for people to communicate with each other because there is more honesty there and less embarrassment. Even if it is the best way to communicate with each other, Berners-Lee seems to state in his last sentence, it is best to only communicate and not force ideas on other people.
Berners-Lee speaks of the web as a great force in people’s lives stating in his closing paragraphs that the web affects the cultures of countries and the markets around the world. I agree that the web is a great force and to an extent is does affect the markets (black Monday for example) but could the internet really change a culture of a country. If one were to look at a specific culture like that of the Saudis from Saudi Arabia—a culture that is landed in conservatism—is it likely that an internet with everything and anything on it be taken lightly enough to affect the way life is lived there? Perhaps the question is way to general—many variables would need to be taken into consideration.
The essay “As We May Think” by Vannevar Bush seems to explore questions like the one posed by Berners-Lee. Bush is saying too that so many people put their ideas out there that there is an overflow of information and that the problem with the internet is that is no way to organize it. Indeed a new web user would recognize this problem gradually and eventually learn how to weed out the old and junk data presented from searches. Bush goes into history and presents the reader with objects used in the past like typewriters. The point of this seems to be to show how humans have always made machines to adapt or make certain jobs easier. It is true that many devices were made for convenience sake, but was the internet? I think that at first it was—think of the situation, all of a sudden scientist across the ocean could share with others with a click of a mouse. It was when everyday website makers started putting personal information or making site of personal interest on the internet that it changed from being a place of science to a place where everyday humans could come together and interact. Both essays gave their readers a different way of viewing the internet: as a tool of convenience or as a concept of community.
January 21, 2008
Electronic Word
Response to Readings 4, 5, and 6
While reading “As We May Think”, “History of the WWW”, and “Realizing the Full Potential of the Web” I realized some things about myself. For instance, the web is a complicated system of links, websites, and junk sites yet I know very little about how it works. For instance in the essay “Realizing the Full Potential of the Web” by Tim Berners-Lee, I realized that I had no idea what a proxy cache is or how exactly metadata works. However, some of the things the essays talked about I did understand like “When you are working in a group, you do things you would not do outside the group; you share half-baked ideas, reveal sensitive information. You use a vernacular that will be understood; you can cut corners in language and formality. You do these things because you trust the people in the group, and that others won't suddenly have access to it” (Berners-Lee 1). This concept is one that can be applied to the web and to everyday life, yet Berners-Lee seems to be making the argument that the web is the best way for people to communicate with each other because there is more honesty there and less embarrassment. Even if it is the best way to communicate with each other, Berners-Lee seems to state in his last sentence, it is best to only communicate and not force ideas on other people.
Berners-Lee speaks of the web as a great force in people’s lives stating in his closing paragraphs that the web affects the cultures of countries and the markets around the world. I agree that the web is a great force and to an extent is does affect the markets (black Monday for example) but could the internet really change a culture of a country. If one were to look at a specific culture like that of the Saudis from Saudi Arabia—a culture that is landed in conservatism—is it likely that an internet with everything and anything on it be taken lightly enough to affect the way life is lived there? Perhaps the question is way to general—many variables would need to be taken into consideration.
The essay “As We May Think” by Vannevar Bush seems to explore questions like the one posed by Berners-Lee. Bush is saying too that so many people put their ideas out there that there is an overflow of information and that the problem with the internet is that is no way to organize it. Indeed a new web user would recognize this problem gradually and eventually learn how to weed out the old and junk data presented from searches. Bush goes into history and presents the reader with objects used in the past like typewriters. The point of this seems to be to show how humans have always made machines to adapt or make certain jobs easier. It is true that many devices were made for convenience sake, but was the internet? I think that at first it was—think of the situation, all of a sudden scientist across the ocean could share with others with a click of a mouse. It was when everyday website makers started putting personal information or making site of personal interest on the internet that it changed from being a place of science to a place where everyday humans could come together and interact. Both essays gave their readers a different way of viewing the internet: as a tool of convenience or as a concept of community.
Jan 22
The first article I read was, “A Little History of the World Wide Web” it was very interesting to see when this great invention really started. I never really thought about how much time and effort it took to create something like the web. It was more than one person and came to be because of not just one single idea. After reading this, though some of it was hard to understand with the lingo, it really gets your brain thinking about the web and all the different parts to it.
The second article I read was “As We May Think” by Bush and what was most interesting about it was that it was written so far back. I was not aware that people could be so ahead of their time even in that day and age when technology was not as big and important as it is now. It once again amazes me how much actually goes into this invention. To hear about it from the scientific viewpoint was something I think everyone should read about. I think it would really open up peoples eyes. That face that sometimes people are in such a hurry to get things done or think that things just happen right away, this article proves it to be different.
The last article, “Realising the Full Potential of the Web” was probably my favorite. The way it was organized was easy to read and understand. I liked how he used it as his dreams. Everyone has dreams and can make them work. One thing that really caught my attention was the part about the “oh yeah” button. People either completely trust the web or do not at all. Some may not even think about the harm or dishonestly of the web. I think that the “oh yeah” button is a great idea. Why should you believe what a certain page is saying or what makes this page so important that you should even read it? Another thing that caught my attention is the use of the words, Tree and Matrix… I was not sure what exactly those things were.
Overall, these articles really got my thoughts flowing. Technology these days is just fascinating. The things people can do or just communicate with one another across countries is something I do not know how the world survived without. Even the simplest thing like movies and how much action you can have look so real amazes me.
The second article I read was “As We May Think” by Bush and what was most interesting about it was that it was written so far back. I was not aware that people could be so ahead of their time even in that day and age when technology was not as big and important as it is now. It once again amazes me how much actually goes into this invention. To hear about it from the scientific viewpoint was something I think everyone should read about. I think it would really open up peoples eyes. That face that sometimes people are in such a hurry to get things done or think that things just happen right away, this article proves it to be different.
The last article, “Realising the Full Potential of the Web” was probably my favorite. The way it was organized was easy to read and understand. I liked how he used it as his dreams. Everyone has dreams and can make them work. One thing that really caught my attention was the part about the “oh yeah” button. People either completely trust the web or do not at all. Some may not even think about the harm or dishonestly of the web. I think that the “oh yeah” button is a great idea. Why should you believe what a certain page is saying or what makes this page so important that you should even read it? Another thing that caught my attention is the use of the words, Tree and Matrix… I was not sure what exactly those things were.
Overall, these articles really got my thoughts flowing. Technology these days is just fascinating. The things people can do or just communicate with one another across countries is something I do not know how the world survived without. Even the simplest thing like movies and how much action you can have look so real amazes me.
January 22 Articles-3
"As We May Think" by Vannevar Bush is interesting because it focuses on how knowledge, specifically scientific knowledge, has come about and changed our lives dramatically. Because of this we now have better food, homes, and shelter; it has increased our knowledge and understanding of disease; and it has increased our life span. Like others have stated previously, I too find it amazing that this was written in 1945. Their knowledge of technology back then was so extensive, so I can only imagine what today must look like to them. If we had all this knowledge back then, we surely must have advanced throughout the years, so today's generation must have more knowledge than ever before. Reading about Leibnitz's calculating machine was fascinating to me because he invented a keyboard 2 centuries before 1945, and keyboards were a recent thing in even the 1980s. So, for him to be that technilogically advanced in his day and age is amazing. These people were definitely ahead of their time.
"History of the WWW" was interesting to me because while I figured most of the information would come from the 1990s, it was amazing to see how previous generations were so advanced. Vannevar Bush seems to have set the ball rolling with this idea of science and technology in 1945. It's crazy to think anyone was even thinking about the web in that time period.
"Realising the Full Potential of the Web" by Tim Berners-Lee was interesting because it dealt with the idea of connection. The web is one giant link, linking us from one piece of information to the next. The web is a place for information and communication, but if you do not know how to use it properly it can be a detriment to you. The web allows us to see and put things on a global scale. It is connecting us to a much bigger scope worldwide.
What stood out to me the most throughout all of these articles was the connection of human communication and knowledge. We need to share all of our knowledge in order to create a wider understanding. There is not one person who knows all, therefore, we need to communicate with our ideas and strategies with each other. The whole web was created by many different people contributing many different ideas. It's really interesting to see how the web came about, how it is used, and how it has advanced over the years. It's amazing to look back and see how it started, and to think ahead and imagine what will happen next.
"History of the WWW" was interesting to me because while I figured most of the information would come from the 1990s, it was amazing to see how previous generations were so advanced. Vannevar Bush seems to have set the ball rolling with this idea of science and technology in 1945. It's crazy to think anyone was even thinking about the web in that time period.
"Realising the Full Potential of the Web" by Tim Berners-Lee was interesting because it dealt with the idea of connection. The web is one giant link, linking us from one piece of information to the next. The web is a place for information and communication, but if you do not know how to use it properly it can be a detriment to you. The web allows us to see and put things on a global scale. It is connecting us to a much bigger scope worldwide.
What stood out to me the most throughout all of these articles was the connection of human communication and knowledge. We need to share all of our knowledge in order to create a wider understanding. There is not one person who knows all, therefore, we need to communicate with our ideas and strategies with each other. The whole web was created by many different people contributing many different ideas. It's really interesting to see how the web came about, how it is used, and how it has advanced over the years. It's amazing to look back and see how it started, and to think ahead and imagine what will happen next.
Response to 1/22 Articles
I thought that these articles offered a good point of view, especially for us since we use the Internet and are more computer-literate. I have always felt that technology was so advanced, and have wondered what other technological findings will occur later in my life. Reading these articles, especially "As We May Think," by Bush, I see that although technology is in a different place than it was just ten years ago, it is still in an early stage of development. What the Internet is today offers a view of the relationship between human thinking and our knowledge. I liked to think of the Internet as an actual "record" for people. So far, for me it has served as a convenience but reading this article shows how future generations will find it very useful. It was interesting when he used the example of an idea dying down simply because the process of getting the material to read to people was slow. It was basically stated that not much can happen to an idea if it doesn't reach people that can understand the idea and take it further. Although records can be useful, they are difficult to consult if they are bulky and inaccessible. Because we have so much information to look through because of the web, people have to go through a selection process, which because of our nature works through association. Older people who aren't very comfortable with computers and technology probably feel that times are very advanced, but Bush offers a new perspective that shows that its still an "embryo".
The timeline was interesting because you can see that its so recent and short that it is given to us in months. Now, if we were to look at a timeline of human development for example, it would be given in years and perhaps in decades. These advances are so recent, the developments are listed per month.
The last article actually listed some of the goals for what would become of the web. I feel like it makes its readers think and analyze the web today to see if they have been achieved. Without reading this article I think I would have felt that the web was to communicate, and feel that it does a good job at that, but this article shows that there have been some distractions to what the original purpose was. Its funny that one of the goals was to prevent misunderstandings between people because I feel that the web now is so subjective that direct communication really cant be done. I like the image and idea of the web being a tool where people can work together based on ideas people come up with on their own.
The timeline was interesting because you can see that its so recent and short that it is given to us in months. Now, if we were to look at a timeline of human development for example, it would be given in years and perhaps in decades. These advances are so recent, the developments are listed per month.
The last article actually listed some of the goals for what would become of the web. I feel like it makes its readers think and analyze the web today to see if they have been achieved. Without reading this article I think I would have felt that the web was to communicate, and feel that it does a good job at that, but this article shows that there have been some distractions to what the original purpose was. Its funny that one of the goals was to prevent misunderstandings between people because I feel that the web now is so subjective that direct communication really cant be done. I like the image and idea of the web being a tool where people can work together based on ideas people come up with on their own.
Jan 22 - 3 articles
The article that struck me as most interesting was "Realising the Full Potential of the Web" by Tim Berners-Lee, and it was the one that I read last. I liked the way in which the article was formatted in this past, present, future sort of way. It began with what the original idea for the web was, what happened when that idea took off, where we are now in today's current web world, and where this is all headed. Much like what Stephanie said in her post, it's strange to think of how long all of this development takes. As a consumer, I just go with the flow, and never really realize all that goes into this production. What comes out today was conceptualized twenty-some years ago, and that is crazy!
The first article I dove into was the "As We May Think" one from TheAtlantic.com. This was interesting because it was about the scientific side of technology, and again correlates with what I was saying previously that, these ideas are conceptualized so far in advance. The amount of science that goes into producing the web is remarkable and it's important to understand that science is what makes all this communication possible. Bush wrote this article in 1945 and so it's pretty amazing to see how ahead of time this whole idea was.
"A Little History of the World Wide Web" begins with Bush's article in The Atlantic Monthly and how that shaped the way for future technology. While most of this article was just dates and other crazy coding lingo, it was again interesting to see how far advanced technology was.
I thought all three of these articles were fascinating because I had no idea how all this came about. While I've had computer classes for years, I was rather unsure still about the time frame to develop all these ideas, as well as what all went into it. I liked how Stephanie pointed out some dates like in 1989 3D film making came into play, but it wasn't until 1995 when Pixar released the first feature film, Toy Story, with this animation. I liked putting that into perspective, especially because it took that many years to create it, but instantly 2D animation was replaced!!
The first article I dove into was the "As We May Think" one from TheAtlantic.com. This was interesting because it was about the scientific side of technology, and again correlates with what I was saying previously that, these ideas are conceptualized so far in advance. The amount of science that goes into producing the web is remarkable and it's important to understand that science is what makes all this communication possible. Bush wrote this article in 1945 and so it's pretty amazing to see how ahead of time this whole idea was.
"A Little History of the World Wide Web" begins with Bush's article in The Atlantic Monthly and how that shaped the way for future technology. While most of this article was just dates and other crazy coding lingo, it was again interesting to see how far advanced technology was.
I thought all three of these articles were fascinating because I had no idea how all this came about. While I've had computer classes for years, I was rather unsure still about the time frame to develop all these ideas, as well as what all went into it. I liked how Stephanie pointed out some dates like in 1989 3D film making came into play, but it wasn't until 1995 when Pixar released the first feature film, Toy Story, with this animation. I liked putting that into perspective, especially because it took that many years to create it, but instantly 2D animation was replaced!!
January 22nd Article Reading
The first article "As We May Think" by Vannevar Bush really struck me because it was written before I thought anyone had any inkling about the future technology that would be available from cameras and photographs to the "memex" or what would be known as the computer. The biggest idea of this article for me was the fact that ideas that promote big changes are not just implemented and started. It takes time, resources, and motive to pull-off. The article gives examples of how the calculator was thought of, but the financial and labor means to produce it outweighed the benefit of having it. I remember seeing a Pixar film for the first time where three-dimensional, computer animated movies overtook the classic two-dimensional, hand-drawn cartoons. "Toy Story" became the first feature-length Pixar movie in 1994, but the idea and first attempt at producing these kinds of movies dated back to the early 1980's. The idea was there, but the resources (especially the fact that computers were still "new" and didn't have the capacity that they do now) inhibited the process and took so much longer than it does today. Once the benefits outweigh the costs and that initial barrier from idea to finished product is made, replicas and followers emerge and continue that process until it becomes an easier, quicker process.
These ideas are also closely connected to the relationships of people. In order for these ideas to really take off, an interdependent mentality is needed. Not one person knows every part of their idea and how to make it work and flourish, otherwise they would be beginning the project as soon as they thought of it. It needs other people to see potential and to have resources to begin the process. With Pixar, it needed people who were experts in the computer field, people who knew the mechanics of producing a feature film, financial people to watch and maintain the budget, and people willing to experiment with new graphic design software to create the characters. Connections with people of all skill types need to be made and a collective mentality and motivation to complete the project is needed to expand an idea into reality. This is exactly what happened with the web and the article even mentions "Mendala" as an example.
The article "Realizing the Full Potential of the Web" takes off where the last article left off. Bush describes his view of the future of technology where we can now review and evaluate how close he came to what has already happened. This article takes off now with the technology that we currently have and build to what she she's for our generations future of the web. The web has become such an important tool in all aspects of your life. Out of all the ideas that were generated, the one I truly think would be the most beneficial would be the "meta-data" and the "Oh Yeah?" Trust is such a key issue when it comes to getting information on the web. It seems so easy for someone to generate false information on the web and post it as being from a legititmate source. There is no security to find out if the information is reliable, and having some sort of filter that helps verify documents and links information would make the internet a more legitimate source (especially in the area of academics where online information could be banned for some students whose teachers do not trust the sources). The meta-data would also be of great use when trying to find information by transforming browsers to databases that would automatically filter and sort information found (at least this is how I interpreted this). This would compact the vast amounts of information available that you can access through browsing and analyzes that data to give you the best possible information.
All three of these articles have shown me just how long of a process it has gone through to give us the web that we have today. I don't think the web is perfect, and I don't believe it can ever have the subjective capabilities that only humans possess. The more information the web holds and the more involved it becomes in organizations and part of the processes of our lives makes it more of a risk for privacy and security issues -- especially with the growing threat of online identity theft and the potential viruses. So with the new technology and ideas that were presented in the "Realizing the Potential...." should come with new security measures to make sure any changes connect with the issues and problems that could arise.
These ideas are also closely connected to the relationships of people. In order for these ideas to really take off, an interdependent mentality is needed. Not one person knows every part of their idea and how to make it work and flourish, otherwise they would be beginning the project as soon as they thought of it. It needs other people to see potential and to have resources to begin the process. With Pixar, it needed people who were experts in the computer field, people who knew the mechanics of producing a feature film, financial people to watch and maintain the budget, and people willing to experiment with new graphic design software to create the characters. Connections with people of all skill types need to be made and a collective mentality and motivation to complete the project is needed to expand an idea into reality. This is exactly what happened with the web and the article even mentions "Mendala" as an example.
The article "Realizing the Full Potential of the Web" takes off where the last article left off. Bush describes his view of the future of technology where we can now review and evaluate how close he came to what has already happened. This article takes off now with the technology that we currently have and build to what she she's for our generations future of the web. The web has become such an important tool in all aspects of your life. Out of all the ideas that were generated, the one I truly think would be the most beneficial would be the "meta-data" and the "Oh Yeah?" Trust is such a key issue when it comes to getting information on the web. It seems so easy for someone to generate false information on the web and post it as being from a legititmate source. There is no security to find out if the information is reliable, and having some sort of filter that helps verify documents and links information would make the internet a more legitimate source (especially in the area of academics where online information could be banned for some students whose teachers do not trust the sources). The meta-data would also be of great use when trying to find information by transforming browsers to databases that would automatically filter and sort information found (at least this is how I interpreted this). This would compact the vast amounts of information available that you can access through browsing and analyzes that data to give you the best possible information.
All three of these articles have shown me just how long of a process it has gone through to give us the web that we have today. I don't think the web is perfect, and I don't believe it can ever have the subjective capabilities that only humans possess. The more information the web holds and the more involved it becomes in organizations and part of the processes of our lives makes it more of a risk for privacy and security issues -- especially with the growing threat of online identity theft and the potential viruses. So with the new technology and ideas that were presented in the "Realizing the Potential...." should come with new security measures to make sure any changes connect with the issues and problems that could arise.
Jan 17, 2008
a few things to keep in mind....
here's a few things to keep in mind when you post your blog responses--
- always explain why the topic of your post is interesting, relevant, intriguing, etc., rather than merely stating that it is, in fact, interesting to you
- posts do not need to have definitive answers, but instead are often written to invite others to respond, engage in conversation, etc.
- consider offering something new (perspective, opinion, idea, etc.)
- post comments that contain substance, rather than only "agreeing" with a post, explain why as well as the significance of the agreement
- feel free to respond to someone else's post in lieu or in addition to your own post
- don't feel that you have to address absolutely everything in every reading
Well, that's it! Have a great weekend and I will see all of you on Tuesday!!! :)
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