The "Eat Me Drink Me" article was interesting because it allowed me to understand a lot of things on the computer that I did not know before. Such as what a wizard is. I realized what type of pages I should use for what type of services I offer. If I wanted to go through something very complex in my site that required visitor interaction I would use a wizard (but only if it was used sometimes) and if I thought the wizard was too time consuming I would use a box of options. Basically I need to be aware of my audience while designing the page.
In the "Politics of the Interface" I read that technology is difficult to use if it is English based and a person does not know English. It was interesting to learn that the authors thought the reliance to change such things fell on English teachers. Becoming a technology critic as well as a user was an interesting section because it really stressed that teachers become aware of what programs are out there for their students to use, and determining which is the best one.
The website I used is www.webkinz.com
Initially the interface expects me know what I am looking for. When I look in the webkinz catalog I am given only a simple page that has a tool bar on top. When I click on what I want, the page changes to show that, but it is the same thing over and over. Within the webkinz world, once you have signed up, you can create a world for your animal. In that interface you choose what type of webkinz you have, whether it is a boy or a girl, what it lives in, what its world is going to be like.
Conventional across the interfaces are the option tools that allow you to view specifically what you desire. Non-conventional tools on this interface is probably the fact that it does not allow you to be specific—its bottons are too broad.
The thins I would change about this interface is that I would make it more specific. I would make the bottons that refer to the webkinz collection, for instance, break down into types of animals that they offer. This not only makes it more user friendly but allows the sit to be more customized for the user.
In the store locater portion, where one can choose which city, state, and country that they are looking for, the interface is pretty basic there too. It begins with choosing what specific product you are looking for. It allows you to choose and search for your area. The thing that I would change about it though is that there are a few cities on there that have no matches to what one is looking for so I would change that. I would add the option to go back or to have the option on the state-country-town page to go and change what you are looking for intially.
Mar 27, 2008
Interfaces
The Selfe article was pretty interesting because it pointed out a few things about interfaces that I had never given much thought to, especially the way in which they favor white middle to upper class men. The article states that the icons and navigational features of most computer interfaces are geared towards this group and feature an interface featuring objects that would be common in the daily lives of this group.
The Eat Me Drink Me article was a little more applicable to what we are actually setting out to do for this class to some extent, which is to make a website that is user friendly as well as visually appealing. The article discussed various aspects of interfaces such as navigation features that one may or may not want to use when designing a website as well as the use of wizards to help users work their way through certain features of a site. The best aspect of this article was the use of visual aids and how the author breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of different websites. This was a good way to help me start to form some ideas on how I would like my own website to look like and function.
I chose to look at the iTunes interface since I use it pretty much everyday For the most part I really like this interface. I think it's easy to use, and even somebody using it for the first time is able to grasp all the basic features. I do have a couple issues with the program's interface that I do not like. First, the tool bar is pretty confusing in some ways. When looking for more advanced features of the program -- especially since I switch between using the Mac and PC versions -- in the tool bar becomes confusing and it's sometimes difficult to find the option I am looking for. The other issue is that songs can only be classified by one genre, which makes sorting your music library tricky sometimes as some songs can fit into multiple genres. I think this would be something that would be easy to fix and make sorting music files much more convenient. Other than that I enjoy every other aspect of the iTunes interface, especially how a user can easily organize his files and add playlists with only a couple clicks.
The Eat Me Drink Me article was a little more applicable to what we are actually setting out to do for this class to some extent, which is to make a website that is user friendly as well as visually appealing. The article discussed various aspects of interfaces such as navigation features that one may or may not want to use when designing a website as well as the use of wizards to help users work their way through certain features of a site. The best aspect of this article was the use of visual aids and how the author breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of different websites. This was a good way to help me start to form some ideas on how I would like my own website to look like and function.
I chose to look at the iTunes interface since I use it pretty much everyday For the most part I really like this interface. I think it's easy to use, and even somebody using it for the first time is able to grasp all the basic features. I do have a couple issues with the program's interface that I do not like. First, the tool bar is pretty confusing in some ways. When looking for more advanced features of the program -- especially since I switch between using the Mac and PC versions -- in the tool bar becomes confusing and it's sometimes difficult to find the option I am looking for. The other issue is that songs can only be classified by one genre, which makes sorting your music library tricky sometimes as some songs can fit into multiple genres. I think this would be something that would be easy to fix and make sorting music files much more convenient. Other than that I enjoy every other aspect of the iTunes interface, especially how a user can easily organize his files and add playlists with only a couple clicks.
Interface
I thought that the "Eat me, drink me, push me" article cleared up a lot of confusion that I had abour interface. I had always heard about interface but didnt know what it was at all. I still have some confusion about it since I am very new to all of this. This article really showed how much detail goes into designing a web site. There are so many decisions to make, dealing with fonts, colors, sizes, themes, etc. I think it's easy to come up with an idea for a website sometimes, but can be difficult to transfer your idea onto the screen. It seems like its really hard to make a website that holds a lot of information. It makes me think about search bars and how they know where to direct you when you spell something wrong. The article also talked about wizards, but I always thought they were a distraction. I knew they had a purpose but I always just kept pushing next so that it would get off my screen! They mentioned making websites for people who arent savvy with computers, which seems difficult. Obviously you want to make a wensite clear, but thats for every website so I wonder what the difference would be for people who cant really use computers besides making them boring and super easy to follow.
I didnt even realize how great it is that when working with a program on a computer, all of the tools and resources are available to you on the same page. I never even thought of having to open a new page for every new tool. It would be very hard to work with the GIMP if each tool was on a separate page. The undo button is a lifesaver. Their examples of Compaq and Dell were way to advanced for me. But, websites like these seem very convenience to me, (Job searches, pet finders, friends, etc.) The Nike ID was my favorite just because its so fun to do. The idea of designing something Its never a good idea to blindly believe in something just because. Maybe instead we should work on getting money for minority schools since they dont have access to computers and then work on making them useable to them. It was cool to read about Sherry Turkle again, it shows how much she knows about this area of technology.
Another side of me does see the slight oppression though. For example, the clip art on default computers usually just has white people. Also, there arent many programs that will let you write in other languages. We have a diverse set of people in this country and its up to us to come to a compromise. Sorry if this feels confusing to read, but I feel two different ways about this subject so Im thinking as I type!
I didnt even realize how great it is that when working with a program on a computer, all of the tools and resources are available to you on the same page. I never even thought of having to open a new page for every new tool. It would be very hard to work with the GIMP if each tool was on a separate page. The undo button is a lifesaver. Their examples of Compaq and Dell were way to advanced for me. But, websites like these seem very convenience to me, (Job searches, pet finders, friends, etc.) The Nike ID was my favorite just because its so fun to do. The idea of designing something Its never a good idea to blindly believe in something just because. Maybe instead we should work on getting money for minority schools since they dont have access to computers and then work on making them useable to them. It was cool to read about Sherry Turkle again, it shows how much she knows about this area of technology.
Another side of me does see the slight oppression though. For example, the clip art on default computers usually just has white people. Also, there arent many programs that will let you write in other languages. We have a diverse set of people in this country and its up to us to come to a compromise. Sorry if this feels confusing to read, but I feel two different ways about this subject so Im thinking as I type!
Mar 26, 2008
Thursday Article & Interfaces
I think that graphical interfaces are very important in a technological advanced society. I don't think that the world wide web would have had as much success if it had stuck to one interface.....it wouldn't appeal to the broad range of people with different skill levels, and people would have gotten bored with it after a while. The amount of different interfaces allow people of all skill levels to use the internet and allow people to become more advanced with the internet as they move from one interface to another. I am not as familiar with the interactive interfaces as I am with the other, but because I am very familiar and comfortable with the other interfaces, I see this interactive area as a challenge.
As a business, the use of interfaces can greatly affect their profit and revenues. If they have invested a lot in their online shopping network, then they need to invest a lot into discovering the best interfaces for their customers because if it is too complex, then they risk losing customers and risk losing profit. The easier it is to order from an online company, the better rated the business will be. The website that I looked at was oldnavy.com. It does not have a wizard interface because the time spent going through each individual product to order would take more time than the customer has patience for. It did have a toolbar that let you see a product and change the color and pick out the size for when you bought it as well as zooming toolbar to get a closer look. The product would change on the interface as the mouse would hover over the color square. This is a very important customer tool because customers can see how the product would look after the change. This is a very good way to grow in your e-business. Once you get to the checkout, the interface changes to a wizard design because it has to deal with money and not all customers are computer wizzes. It takes you through the purchasing process step by step as to not miss any crucial information regarding credit cards and such. The interface is user-friendly and designed to give the customer as much convenience as possible.
As a business, the use of interfaces can greatly affect their profit and revenues. If they have invested a lot in their online shopping network, then they need to invest a lot into discovering the best interfaces for their customers because if it is too complex, then they risk losing customers and risk losing profit. The easier it is to order from an online company, the better rated the business will be. The website that I looked at was oldnavy.com. It does not have a wizard interface because the time spent going through each individual product to order would take more time than the customer has patience for. It did have a toolbar that let you see a product and change the color and pick out the size for when you bought it as well as zooming toolbar to get a closer look. The product would change on the interface as the mouse would hover over the color square. This is a very important customer tool because customers can see how the product would look after the change. This is a very good way to grow in your e-business. Once you get to the checkout, the interface changes to a wizard design because it has to deal with money and not all customers are computer wizzes. It takes you through the purchasing process step by step as to not miss any crucial information regarding credit cards and such. The interface is user-friendly and designed to give the customer as much convenience as possible.
interface stuff
In terms of the reading, I thought that the "Eat me..." article was very informative in terms of breaking down the different types of interfaces. I really had no idea all the different kinds of interfaces, although once I read the article, I could think of each kind in context. I don't see the wizard interface all that often, but I'm a bit confused of the difference between wizard and control panel, when it comes to, say, student loan sites like Sallie Mae. There they ask you a series of questions on one page, and then you hit next to go to the following set; however, you are able to travel backwards, but not forwards until the material is complete, so I think that makes it linear. I'm just not sure if because it's more information than just one question on each page, if that makes it a control panel?
What I got from the second article is just the realization that many interfaces both in software and internet do not allow for a language option before entering. I know certain ones do, such as Nike, but many do not. Some programs have only English as the option and that excludes many cultures from accessing the site. I know personally, if a site was entirely in Spanish with no option to change to English, I would not be able to use it.
The interface that I chose to look at was Facebook because I frequent the site quite a bit during the week! I think Facebook's main goal to users is obviously for them to sign in or sign up and begin the social networking. For convetional icons that they have, I would say the HOME, LOGOUT and ACCOUNT buttons are all pretty standard on most sites these days. But since this is a different type of site, then say NIKE, there are few similarities other than that. There are all sorts of different buttons like PROFILE, FRIENDS, NETWORKING, etc. There is also the side navigation that allows to look at PHOTOS, GROUPS, EVENTS and more. I am not sure what I would customize to the site, because overall I think it's pretty well structured. The one thing that I have really gotten annoyed with is ALL THE APPLICATIONS! That's where it becomes too messy for me and too difficult to view others' profiles. It's a little bit too MySpace, and while I have that account, too, I use it much less because it's less navigable. On the whole, though, I think the Facebook interface is well put together and easy to navigate. The account set up is all pretty straightforward and easy to follow through.
What I got from the second article is just the realization that many interfaces both in software and internet do not allow for a language option before entering. I know certain ones do, such as Nike, but many do not. Some programs have only English as the option and that excludes many cultures from accessing the site. I know personally, if a site was entirely in Spanish with no option to change to English, I would not be able to use it.
The interface that I chose to look at was Facebook because I frequent the site quite a bit during the week! I think Facebook's main goal to users is obviously for them to sign in or sign up and begin the social networking. For convetional icons that they have, I would say the HOME, LOGOUT and ACCOUNT buttons are all pretty standard on most sites these days. But since this is a different type of site, then say NIKE, there are few similarities other than that. There are all sorts of different buttons like PROFILE, FRIENDS, NETWORKING, etc. There is also the side navigation that allows to look at PHOTOS, GROUPS, EVENTS and more. I am not sure what I would customize to the site, because overall I think it's pretty well structured. The one thing that I have really gotten annoyed with is ALL THE APPLICATIONS! That's where it becomes too messy for me and too difficult to view others' profiles. It's a little bit too MySpace, and while I have that account, too, I use it much less because it's less navigable. On the whole, though, I think the Facebook interface is well put together and easy to navigate. The account set up is all pretty straightforward and easy to follow through.
Interface Articles
The interface I chose was www.yahoo.com The interface gives you an opportunity. As the aritcle Politics of Interface stated, "map the virtual world as a desktop--constructing virtual reality, by association, in terms of corporate culture and the values of professionalism." This is how the interface I looked at was set up. It was a professional desktop that was obviously used in our culture. Based on the initial interface, the software expects you to make decisions. The entire page is one link after another, and it is up to you which one to click. The software also excepts you to know English. Icons that are conveniently across interfaces are toolbars,search engines, and help buttons. Even ads and pictures are across many interfaces. Icons that are not conveniently across interfaces are small icons or pictures of what the words are describing. Many toolbars have these, but many interfaces do not. Since most interfaces only have English as the possible language, I think icons would be useful for non-English speaking people to understand what the words mean. Symbols can help represent words.
I would make this interface less busy. There are so many links and buttons that I feel it becomes overwhelming. Too much of something is not always necessarily a good thing. The page is so busy that it could drive people away. It becomes confusing when there is so much to pick from. I would customize a search engine like they did. By putting it at the top, dead center, it makes the page easier to navigate and understand. I would customize the email link. Many people go to this site primarily to check emails, so I would make that more prominent on the page. People are going to be annoyed if they have to search around for this link. I would also customize the toolbar. The font size on the toolbar is different for each word, which I think looks tacky. It is almost insulting in a way, implying that some are more important than others. So, I would make all the tools the same shape and size. The interface I chose had so many functions and features that I would probably not add any more, I would maybe take some away. I think there are too many ads on the page. Ads make the page looked cluttered and unprofessional.
The Politics of the Interface article really made me think about how websites can be directed towards one specific group of people. If many people cannot even read major, prominent webpages, such as yahoo, because it is in a different language is that fair? It seems like many groups of people are deliberately being left out.
The Eat Me, Drink Me, Push Me article was really informative to me. I had no prior knowledge about interfaces, I did not even know what they were, so it was interesting to see the different categories of interfaces. By looking at the different ways in which they are constucted, you can get a good idea of what you want yours to look like. It was interesting to see the transformation from page to website.
I would make this interface less busy. There are so many links and buttons that I feel it becomes overwhelming. Too much of something is not always necessarily a good thing. The page is so busy that it could drive people away. It becomes confusing when there is so much to pick from. I would customize a search engine like they did. By putting it at the top, dead center, it makes the page easier to navigate and understand. I would customize the email link. Many people go to this site primarily to check emails, so I would make that more prominent on the page. People are going to be annoyed if they have to search around for this link. I would also customize the toolbar. The font size on the toolbar is different for each word, which I think looks tacky. It is almost insulting in a way, implying that some are more important than others. So, I would make all the tools the same shape and size. The interface I chose had so many functions and features that I would probably not add any more, I would maybe take some away. I think there are too many ads on the page. Ads make the page looked cluttered and unprofessional.
The Politics of the Interface article really made me think about how websites can be directed towards one specific group of people. If many people cannot even read major, prominent webpages, such as yahoo, because it is in a different language is that fair? It seems like many groups of people are deliberately being left out.
The Eat Me, Drink Me, Push Me article was really informative to me. I had no prior knowledge about interfaces, I did not even know what they were, so it was interesting to see the different categories of interfaces. By looking at the different ways in which they are constucted, you can get a good idea of what you want yours to look like. It was interesting to see the transformation from page to website.
interfaces...
Interface…(mastercraft.com)
I think this site wants you to create and personalize your own boat. Also I think that it wants you to look and buy a boat; along with clothing and other accessories to match your new boat. I also think the interface wants you to learn about their company and give you reasons why you should by their boat and what makes them better than other companies.
Good Buttons:
The design your own boat
The new 2008 series
The dealer locator
Bad Buttons:
The topic bar- master craft boats, living, company… it’s a roll down and on slow computers it might not roll down fast enough
Mctv. Cause you don’t know if it is an actual button
The check it out button that just lights up… what are you checking out
After reading the second article, it reminded me that my facebook homepage where you login is actually in Spanish for some reason. I did not change anything. One day I just noticed it was in a different language and I was kind of confused. I never thought about how people of different ethic backgrounds really used a computer. It would be hard for a Spanish speaking person to write a letter or anything in Spanish using word because it does not recognize it. I think it would be a good idea for some schools to get the programs in order for students to use different languages. I remember when I was taking Spanish and French in high school when we had to write paper or dialogue, it had to be done by hand because it was harder to deal with the computer changing or not allowing the word to be typed.
After doing the exercise it really made me look at the site. I could not find anything I wanted to add or customize. Though it was a website and most professional websites are done very well, I thought I would be able to come up with at least one thing to add. I did find some things to change though:
Change about interface…
The topic bar- master craft boats, living, company… it’s a roll down and on slow computers it might not roll down fast enough
Mctv. Cause you don’t know if it is an actual button
The check it out button that just lights up… what are you checking out
The eat me drink me article was very informative. The more I learn about website and the proper names for things, the more I realize how hard and how much time must go into them. When the article talked about the control panel, I just thought it was a standard thing not something that had rules of when to use it and when to use say one page layout. It is nice though when website make it easy to compare products and I think more and more of them are doing it. Even when you google something, it compares it with a bunch of other places and prices.
I think this site wants you to create and personalize your own boat. Also I think that it wants you to look and buy a boat; along with clothing and other accessories to match your new boat. I also think the interface wants you to learn about their company and give you reasons why you should by their boat and what makes them better than other companies.
Good Buttons:
The design your own boat
The new 2008 series
The dealer locator
Bad Buttons:
The topic bar- master craft boats, living, company… it’s a roll down and on slow computers it might not roll down fast enough
Mctv. Cause you don’t know if it is an actual button
The check it out button that just lights up… what are you checking out
After reading the second article, it reminded me that my facebook homepage where you login is actually in Spanish for some reason. I did not change anything. One day I just noticed it was in a different language and I was kind of confused. I never thought about how people of different ethic backgrounds really used a computer. It would be hard for a Spanish speaking person to write a letter or anything in Spanish using word because it does not recognize it. I think it would be a good idea for some schools to get the programs in order for students to use different languages. I remember when I was taking Spanish and French in high school when we had to write paper or dialogue, it had to be done by hand because it was harder to deal with the computer changing or not allowing the word to be typed.
After doing the exercise it really made me look at the site. I could not find anything I wanted to add or customize. Though it was a website and most professional websites are done very well, I thought I would be able to come up with at least one thing to add. I did find some things to change though:
Change about interface…
The topic bar- master craft boats, living, company… it’s a roll down and on slow computers it might not roll down fast enough
Mctv. Cause you don’t know if it is an actual button
The check it out button that just lights up… what are you checking out
The eat me drink me article was very informative. The more I learn about website and the proper names for things, the more I realize how hard and how much time must go into them. When the article talked about the control panel, I just thought it was a standard thing not something that had rules of when to use it and when to use say one page layout. It is nice though when website make it easy to compare products and I think more and more of them are doing it. Even when you google something, it compares it with a bunch of other places and prices.
Mar 25, 2008
Assignment for Thursday
Our next assignment will focus on online interfaces. Please read the following 2 articles:
Eat Me, Drink Me, Push Me: In which the subtle arts of the interface are examined.
The Politics of the Interface:Power and Its Exercise in Electronic Contact Zones
Much of the last article is geared towards teachers of writing although, there are a few sections that reallly interrogate how interfaces function and what they represent. So, read those sections:
--Mapping the Interface of Computers as Educational Space
--Interfaces as Maps of Capitalism and Class Privilege
--Interfaces as Maps of Discursive Privilege
"Within the virtual space represented by these interfaces, and elsewhere within computer systems, the values of our culture--ideological, political, economic, educational--are mapped both implicitly and explicitly... interfaces are cultural maps of computer systems" (Selfe & Selfe, p. 485).
Then, move on to the next part of the assignment:
Launch an application that you use regularly and examine the interface. Think about the following:
* Based on the initial interface, what are a few things the software expects you to do?
* Identify a few icons or symbols that are conventional across interfaces
* Identify a few icons or symbols that are not conventional across interfaces ( are unique and/or proprietary)
Create a list:
* What would you change about this interface?
* What would you customize?
* What functions or features would you add?
Blog on the articles and your reactions and/or what you have discovered from the exercise.
Eat Me, Drink Me, Push Me: In which the subtle arts of the interface are examined.
The Politics of the Interface:Power and Its Exercise in Electronic Contact Zones
Much of the last article is geared towards teachers of writing although, there are a few sections that reallly interrogate how interfaces function and what they represent. So, read those sections:
--Mapping the Interface of Computers as Educational Space
--Interfaces as Maps of Capitalism and Class Privilege
--Interfaces as Maps of Discursive Privilege
"Within the virtual space represented by these interfaces, and elsewhere within computer systems, the values of our culture--ideological, political, economic, educational--are mapped both implicitly and explicitly... interfaces are cultural maps of computer systems" (Selfe & Selfe, p. 485).
Then, move on to the next part of the assignment:
Launch an application that you use regularly and examine the interface. Think about the following:
* Based on the initial interface, what are a few things the software expects you to do?
* Identify a few icons or symbols that are conventional across interfaces
* Identify a few icons or symbols that are not conventional across interfaces ( are unique and/or proprietary)
Create a list:
* What would you change about this interface?
* What would you customize?
* What functions or features would you add?
Blog on the articles and your reactions and/or what you have discovered from the exercise.
GIMP tutorials!
Gimp tutorials
I have found a number of GIMP tutorials for you to peruse:This site has links to many tutorials, focusing on both simpler and more advanced concepts.
The Gimp User Group has a number of tutorials on image and text manipulation, creating backgrounds, etc.
This tutorial is for your "first friendly contact with the gimp", according to its description.
This one has a number of useful tutorials, as well.
Mar 17, 2008
CSS resources
CSS Tutorial for FP
Front Page Wizard Tips and Tricks (has a lot of tutorials about front page, including CSS:
Tons More Resources and Tips!
And, here is what I went over in class on Thursday:
Front Page Wizard Tips and Tricks (has a lot of tutorials about front page, including CSS:
Tons More Resources and Tips!
And, here is what I went over in class on Thursday:
3 kinds
- External style sheet—(same as linked)—link to it
Good if you want to apply all same styles consistently across your site
2. NEW button
3. type a period and then name without spaces for new style (.redtext)
4. format button—font—arial—12 point—red
5. supply new style
- choose whichever one you want and save it as .css
From scratch
- format—style sheet
- highlight on element you want to modify
- modify—make selections
- click ok
- make as many styles as you want
- save in .css format
link to your style sheet
1. open page—format/ style sheet links
2. add—select .css file--ok
Mar 13, 2008
Webstyle Guide
I really agreed with the fact that posting text on a computer screen for a website is harder than in print. In print, it is much easier to see how the text will fit on a page and for most publications, editing would quickly discover if text were off the page. With a website, it is much easier to make mistakes with the complex coding and all of your steps must match up -- to the out-dated operating system that won't allow you to have certain fonts, to missaved files, etc. More details mean more room to make a mistake. I think contrast is very important to the style of the website and directly contributes to the reader's want to read it. I would rarely ever read something that was just plain text unless I was forced to. The alignment and use of white space are always important, especially on the web were you have more than just text, you have images, links, backgrounds, etc. that also need to be on that page, so deciding what goes where without taking attention off of what you want to be most important is critical for a good web page. The alignment also talks about justified, flushed left, and flushed right in deciding how a text should be presented. Most of the time, I believe it is better to go with flushed left because that is where the eye naturally goes. Centering is ok for headlines, but I find that flushed right is more distracting than helpful. I feel like I have to read each line carefully or I will miss the next line. It does not make for an easy read. Another major theme is use of white space to generate a space between paragraphs instead of indentation. It is more reader-friendly, and since some screens are small with the text smaller because of the other elements on the page, it is easier to distinguish a break in the paragraphs. Reading a book is different because the pixels are much higher and easier to read with just indentations. The typefaces will need to be different between the books and the computer screens. I have always understood that Times Roman was the best font to use as a standard font for a lot of text, but I did not know that it wasn't the best choice for web documents. I thought about using it for my first website but found out that Georgia looked much better, so I'm glad I make that choice so my readers could read my text more easily. I also found that I was using a bigger font size because I did not want my readers to be strained in any way and have to hurt their eyes from trying to read small text on screen.
Consistency was my biggest concern with my first website. I wanted to make sure that all of my links were visible on every page as well as the same font, same headings, etc. so people would know that they are still on the site, and I believe that this is an important part of digital text and something that really separates it from printed text, which is usually consistent. The possibilities are seemingly endless for digital text, which would make it a lot easier to stray off the track with other design ideas that could really confuse the reader. Something I learned from this reading which can be very helpful to me is the antialiased type that can be created to smooth out a look through Photoshop. This could help out a lot with bigger headers and also create a more reader-friendly web document. Overall, this site contains very good reference points for web designers just starting out and in need of direction.
Consistency was my biggest concern with my first website. I wanted to make sure that all of my links were visible on every page as well as the same font, same headings, etc. so people would know that they are still on the site, and I believe that this is an important part of digital text and something that really separates it from printed text, which is usually consistent. The possibilities are seemingly endless for digital text, which would make it a lot easier to stray off the track with other design ideas that could really confuse the reader. Something I learned from this reading which can be very helpful to me is the antialiased type that can be created to smooth out a look through Photoshop. This could help out a lot with bigger headers and also create a more reader-friendly web document. Overall, this site contains very good reference points for web designers just starting out and in need of direction.
3/13 readings
Chapter 10 was pretty straight-forward and easy to understand. I already had a general understanding of a lot these things, but it was good to have it simplified and I think I was able to get a better grasp on these concepts. To me, the most useful part of this chapter was the breakdown of file sizes for different types and sizes of pictures. Just from minor experience working with websites and photo editing programs, this does tend to get tricky sometimes, so it was good to learn some new ways to deal with potential problems, and some new ways to use pictures and graphics as links and things like that. I also found the typography reading to be pretty useful. I hadn’t really read anything like this before, so it was good to look at an article like this and get a better grip on the subject. I think the most interesting part about this reading was just the general explanation of exactly what typography consists of and the definition of the role it plays within technology and how people use it.
I looked at George Landow’s and Julian Dibbell’s websites. Landow’s home page gives links to three other pages he has created and or managed at the top of the page. At the bottom he links to his own personal page with biographical information and his professional accomplishments. There’s also a link to a site that lists honors he has received. Over this site is pretty simple and easy-to-use and lets users move easily from site to site. Julian Dibbell’s was a lot less formal, but I thought it was a much more interesting website. The layout, color scheme, and overall style of the site are pretty cool to look at, and fit with his laid back writing style and presentation.
Identity
Mariann Daniel
March 12, 2008
Electronic Word
The readings we had for today were interesting because they informed me about things that I knew very little about. For instance that while creating a web page a person should keep the line size of a text down or that while making the page the type should be larger because it will appear smaller on the net. It is also interesting to note how files should be saved which is very important for organization for projects. Also the anti-aliasing section was interesting and showed the importance of a well done picture and how that enhances a site as a whole.
I took a look at Sherry Turkle and George P. Landow's websites. Sherry's was interesting because it looks so professional. The first thought when I saw it was that this site is sort of like her personal resume for anyone who wants to know what her professional life is like. The site gives no personal information--it does not connect her reader to the Sherry Turkle outside of work. Her site conveys the aura of being her life being all about her profession. It is interesting to see hers that focuses so much on her professional career-her interviews, profile, work history, and affiliations-and compare it to George Landow’s which is professional yet still personal.
George Landow’s site began with a frontpage that allowed the viewer to view the multiple sites that he created. This in turn allows the reader to understand what Landow’s interests are such as post-colonial works, victorian literature, and hypertext. By clicking on the site entitled main the viewer is brought to Landow’s personal page. On this page one can not only find his professional history but also his hobbies which he entitles “Very Unprofessional Activities” which include building small models and photography. I would consider this site to to construted to allow the reader to think that he puts his personal life first, then his publications and profession, and then his hobbies. A good layout to make the site connect to the viewer more—his life is not all about his profession.
It was helpful to take a look at these sites to understand what I should include in my identity site because I now know that I can make it very professional or professional and personal—before I did not understand how to combine the two.
March 12, 2008
Electronic Word
The readings we had for today were interesting because they informed me about things that I knew very little about. For instance that while creating a web page a person should keep the line size of a text down or that while making the page the type should be larger because it will appear smaller on the net. It is also interesting to note how files should be saved which is very important for organization for projects. Also the anti-aliasing section was interesting and showed the importance of a well done picture and how that enhances a site as a whole.
I took a look at Sherry Turkle and George P. Landow's websites. Sherry's was interesting because it looks so professional. The first thought when I saw it was that this site is sort of like her personal resume for anyone who wants to know what her professional life is like. The site gives no personal information--it does not connect her reader to the Sherry Turkle outside of work. Her site conveys the aura of being her life being all about her profession. It is interesting to see hers that focuses so much on her professional career-her interviews, profile, work history, and affiliations-and compare it to George Landow’s which is professional yet still personal.
George Landow’s site began with a frontpage that allowed the viewer to view the multiple sites that he created. This in turn allows the reader to understand what Landow’s interests are such as post-colonial works, victorian literature, and hypertext. By clicking on the site entitled main the viewer is brought to Landow’s personal page. On this page one can not only find his professional history but also his hobbies which he entitles “Very Unprofessional Activities” which include building small models and photography. I would consider this site to to construted to allow the reader to think that he puts his personal life first, then his publications and profession, and then his hobbies. A good layout to make the site connect to the viewer more—his life is not all about his profession.
It was helpful to take a look at these sites to understand what I should include in my identity site because I now know that I can make it very professional or professional and personal—before I did not understand how to combine the two.
Ch10 & Typography
I thought that Chapter 10 was really useful. I noticed that there is still so much for me to learn. Every chapter that I read teaches me things I have never even heard of. So far in the class I have a better but general understanding of how to put a website together but I wasnt completely satisfied with my first website and wish I could change things around and learn how to stop my pictures from moving around ever time I open up my web. I've struggled in the past with understanding file format, which the book did a good job at explaining. I have heard of GIF and JPEG before but didnt even know when it would be better to use one over the other. It was interesting to read the section about bitmapped versus object-oriented because I felt that these technical terms were being defined by other technical terms I dont understand. It is good to know these specifics that deal with pictures because I feel that pictures are the most uncooperative and difficult when putting them on the web. I was definitely mixed up about compression. I thought that compression dealt with the actual size and clarity of the picture, and not the file size which actually is what it deals with.
Also, it was kinda fun to learn about bits and bytes. I guess I knew that for them to be standard measurements they need some specific amount that they cover. In turn, I learned that bit is the smallest unit of measurement. 8 bits equal 1 byte which is enough to cover just 1 letter on the screen. Computer screens are always filled with so much text and colors, that it made me realize that a lof of memory is needed. When I was reading about the image map I was a bit confused, but the picture helped a lot. I thought it was something much more confusing. Overall, there were a lot of things I added to my minimal knowledge concerning these terms. Thumbnails for example, werent new to me. I knew what a thumbnail but after reading this Chapter I realized their convenience in being small. You can look at a small version of the picture without having to wait a while for it to load.
The typography reading had more information that I already knew. I like that it lists that typography works verbally as well as visually. Margins provide visual relief and separate elements. Its weird to go from the person reading the web pages and sort of taking their elements for granted, to actually putting the website and their elements together. They talked about how some elements come up differently on some monitors which I think is very annoying. I think that is what happened to my first web page, but being brand new with making web sites, I have no idea how to fix it?!
Also, it was kinda fun to learn about bits and bytes. I guess I knew that for them to be standard measurements they need some specific amount that they cover. In turn, I learned that bit is the smallest unit of measurement. 8 bits equal 1 byte which is enough to cover just 1 letter on the screen. Computer screens are always filled with so much text and colors, that it made me realize that a lof of memory is needed. When I was reading about the image map I was a bit confused, but the picture helped a lot. I thought it was something much more confusing. Overall, there were a lot of things I added to my minimal knowledge concerning these terms. Thumbnails for example, werent new to me. I knew what a thumbnail but after reading this Chapter I realized their convenience in being small. You can look at a small version of the picture without having to wait a while for it to load.
The typography reading had more information that I already knew. I like that it lists that typography works verbally as well as visually. Margins provide visual relief and separate elements. Its weird to go from the person reading the web pages and sort of taking their elements for granted, to actually putting the website and their elements together. They talked about how some elements come up differently on some monitors which I think is very annoying. I think that is what happened to my first web page, but being brand new with making web sites, I have no idea how to fix it?!
Chapter 10 & Typography Readings
Madison Ultis
Typography Reading & Chapter 10
13 March 2008
I particularly liked the reading on Typography from the WebStyle Guide because it opened my eyes to different programming things that I was using in DreamWeaver, but really had little no idea about, especially that of CSS. I used that on my first website for the class, but did not really understand what it was that I was creating; I was more or less just following along with my tutorials, never thinking too much about what I was doing, just trying to get it done well. I really liked CSS because they do have complete control over the visual style of headers, paragraphs, lists, and so on. It also let me create one page, and then it was used as this sort of template for all the other pages. The marginal information and properties like that were all fixed then from this one template. So much of this article was focused on the difference between basic HTML and CSS.
It’s crazy to me how many variables there are to consider to when choosing a typeface for a site; these include size, color, and font, how you want the text to fit on a line, the justification, et cetera. It’s important to consider white space when designing a page. If the text bounces around too much and there are not any consistencies with the white space, a reader will lose his/her focus and a site may be viewed as poorly designed. The reading suggested keeping line length to approximately nine or ten words per line. This increases readability because readers do not have to work so hard to get to the next line of text. While you can use any font you’d like for your site, most operating systems have default fonts installed, and therefore, your font may not translate correctly from computer to computer. It is very important to remain consistent with these choices, also, so as not to make a site look messy. The reading suggested no more than two different fonts per site.
Chapter 10 began with the different types of file formats and what each of them meant in terms of web design. It also included information on file sizing and the importance of finding the correct size, as well as how to do that. It ended with information on thumbnail graphics and how to create those. I had some basic knowledge of most of this information from my years as Editor-in-Chief of the school yearbook/newspaper. It was important to know how to save the photos we had in order to pull them back up in the correct format; as well as know how large to bring the photo into the computer as when scanning it in. One thing I did not know much or anything about was anti-aliasing, which was also in the Typography reading. Anti-aliasing involves the smoothness of the edge of a graphic. According to the chapter, most designers in today’s world think that anti-aliased, or larger sized graphics are better for a higher quality image. I have seen my fiancé do this a few times in Photoshop when he was working on a site. He took some sort of tool, and defined the edges. This made them appear smoother to the viewer’s eye, which in turn, enhanced the page.
Overall, I thought this information was definitely some worthwhile reading. It was a combination of things that I knew either nothing about or very, very little about. I think that knowledge of all these variables will definitely help me create a much better second website, as well as however many I may create in the future.
Typography Reading & Chapter 10
13 March 2008
I particularly liked the reading on Typography from the WebStyle Guide because it opened my eyes to different programming things that I was using in DreamWeaver, but really had little no idea about, especially that of CSS. I used that on my first website for the class, but did not really understand what it was that I was creating; I was more or less just following along with my tutorials, never thinking too much about what I was doing, just trying to get it done well. I really liked CSS because they do have complete control over the visual style of headers, paragraphs, lists, and so on. It also let me create one page, and then it was used as this sort of template for all the other pages. The marginal information and properties like that were all fixed then from this one template. So much of this article was focused on the difference between basic HTML and CSS.
It’s crazy to me how many variables there are to consider to when choosing a typeface for a site; these include size, color, and font, how you want the text to fit on a line, the justification, et cetera. It’s important to consider white space when designing a page. If the text bounces around too much and there are not any consistencies with the white space, a reader will lose his/her focus and a site may be viewed as poorly designed. The reading suggested keeping line length to approximately nine or ten words per line. This increases readability because readers do not have to work so hard to get to the next line of text. While you can use any font you’d like for your site, most operating systems have default fonts installed, and therefore, your font may not translate correctly from computer to computer. It is very important to remain consistent with these choices, also, so as not to make a site look messy. The reading suggested no more than two different fonts per site.
Chapter 10 began with the different types of file formats and what each of them meant in terms of web design. It also included information on file sizing and the importance of finding the correct size, as well as how to do that. It ended with information on thumbnail graphics and how to create those. I had some basic knowledge of most of this information from my years as Editor-in-Chief of the school yearbook/newspaper. It was important to know how to save the photos we had in order to pull them back up in the correct format; as well as know how large to bring the photo into the computer as when scanning it in. One thing I did not know much or anything about was anti-aliasing, which was also in the Typography reading. Anti-aliasing involves the smoothness of the edge of a graphic. According to the chapter, most designers in today’s world think that anti-aliased, or larger sized graphics are better for a higher quality image. I have seen my fiancé do this a few times in Photoshop when he was working on a site. He took some sort of tool, and defined the edges. This made them appear smoother to the viewer’s eye, which in turn, enhanced the page.
Overall, I thought this information was definitely some worthwhile reading. It was a combination of things that I knew either nothing about or very, very little about. I think that knowledge of all these variables will definitely help me create a much better second website, as well as however many I may create in the future.
Mar 12, 2008
Chapter 10, Identity, and Typography
The authors really seemed to stress the importance of chapter 10, which really made me examine it closely, because the authors are usually so laid back. But with his chapter, they seemed serious and down to business. GIF files seem to be the most popular because they can be viewed on all computers, compressed, and can create animations. It was interesting to learn about GIF and JPEG files because those are the ones I use most often. I never really thought about them before. The section on image maps was interesting because I see those all the time, but I never knew what they were called. I automatically thought back to that Melanie Griffith website that we visited in class. Her home page was an image map.
At first glance, Sherry Turkle’s website portrays her as a professional career woman. Her entire website is about her job, career, what she does for a living, and all the accomplishments she’s achieved. Her second page lists everything that she has written and or published: books, reports, chapters, articles, notes, lectures, papers, affiliations, accomplishments, and other professional activities. Her final page is about her interviews and profiles. To me, her identity is a very professional one. I also get almost a conceited feeling of identity from her page. Everything on this page revolves around her accomplishments, it’s almost as if she is bragging about all that she has done. I don’t get a personal sense of identity from her at all. We know nothing else about her. Every single page has the same layout, text, and a picture of Sherry Turkle. She seems very guarded.
The identity I got from Robin Willilams’ website was a very approachable, conversational one. She seemed like a genuine person from the quote at the top describing her to her personal website to her books. Her identity seemed very real and true. She is not afraid of who she is and letting people know who she is. She’s very willing to share herself with anyone who cares to look at her page.
The typography website was interesting because before this, I had no idea what typography was. The part that interested me the most was learning that alignment, line length, white space, typeface, type size, and case were all part of typography because I never really associated them with anything; I just knew they were there. It was interesting to learn what they did and how they worked.
At first glance, Sherry Turkle’s website portrays her as a professional career woman. Her entire website is about her job, career, what she does for a living, and all the accomplishments she’s achieved. Her second page lists everything that she has written and or published: books, reports, chapters, articles, notes, lectures, papers, affiliations, accomplishments, and other professional activities. Her final page is about her interviews and profiles. To me, her identity is a very professional one. I also get almost a conceited feeling of identity from her page. Everything on this page revolves around her accomplishments, it’s almost as if she is bragging about all that she has done. I don’t get a personal sense of identity from her at all. We know nothing else about her. Every single page has the same layout, text, and a picture of Sherry Turkle. She seems very guarded.
The identity I got from Robin Willilams’ website was a very approachable, conversational one. She seemed like a genuine person from the quote at the top describing her to her personal website to her books. Her identity seemed very real and true. She is not afraid of who she is and letting people know who she is. She’s very willing to share herself with anyone who cares to look at her page.
The typography website was interesting because before this, I had no idea what typography was. The part that interested me the most was learning that alignment, line length, white space, typeface, type size, and case were all part of typography because I never really associated them with anything; I just knew they were there. It was interesting to learn what they did and how they worked.
Chapter 10, Identity, and Typography
The authors really seemed to stress the importance of chapter 10, which really made me examine it closely, because the authors are usually so laid back. But with his chapter, they seemed serious and down to business. GIF files seem to be the most popular because they can be viewed on all computers, compressed, and can create animations. It was interesting to learn about GIF and JPEG files because those are the ones I use most often. I never really thought about them before. The section on image maps was interesting because I see those all the time, but I never knew what they were called. I automatically thought back to that Melanie Griffith website that we visited in class. Her home page was an image map.
At first glance, Sherry Turkle’s website portrays her as a professional career woman. Her entire website is about her job, career, what she does for a living, and all the accomplishments she’s achieved. Her second page lists everything that she has written and or published: books, reports, chapters, articles, notes, lectures, papers, affiliations, accomplishments, and other professional activities. Her final page is about her interviews and profiles. To me, her identity is a very professional one. I also get almost a conceited feeling of identity from her page. Everything on this page revolves around her accomplishments, it’s almost as if she is bragging about all that she has done. I don’t get a personal sense of identity from her at all. We know nothing else about her. Every single page has the same layout, text, and a picture of Sherry Turkle. She seems very guarded.
The identity I got from Robin Willilams’ website was a very approachable, conversational one. She seemed like a genuine person from the quote at the top describing her to her personal website to her books. Her identity seemed very real and true. She is not afraid of who she is and letting people know who she is. She’s very willing to share herself with anyone who cares to look at her page.
The typography website was interesting because before this, I had no idea what typography was. The part that interested me the most was learning that alignment, line length, white space, typeface, type size, and case were all part of typography because I never really associated them with anything; I just knew they were there. It was interesting to learn what they did and how they worked.
At first glance, Sherry Turkle’s website portrays her as a professional career woman. Her entire website is about her job, career, what she does for a living, and all the accomplishments she’s achieved. Her second page lists everything that she has written and or published: books, reports, chapters, articles, notes, lectures, papers, affiliations, accomplishments, and other professional activities. Her final page is about her interviews and profiles. To me, her identity is a very professional one. I also get almost a conceited feeling of identity from her page. Everything on this page revolves around her accomplishments, it’s almost as if she is bragging about all that she has done. I don’t get a personal sense of identity from her at all. We know nothing else about her. Every single page has the same layout, text, and a picture of Sherry Turkle. She seems very guarded.
The identity I got from Robin Willilams’ website was a very approachable, conversational one. She seemed like a genuine person from the quote at the top describing her to her personal website to her books. Her identity seemed very real and true. She is not afraid of who she is and letting people know who she is. She’s very willing to share herself with anyone who cares to look at her page.
The typography website was interesting because before this, I had no idea what typography was. The part that interested me the most was learning that alignment, line length, white space, typeface, type size, and case were all part of typography because I never really associated them with anything; I just knew they were there. It was interesting to learn what they did and how they worked.
Typography and Chapter 10
Typography is the balance and interplay of letterforms on the page, a verbal and visual equation that helps the reader understand the form and absorb the substance of the page content. It plays a two part role, verbal and visual. Though headlines are just headlines, they server some importance. The main on is so that both human readers and automated search engines can look at a document and easily determine its information structure. CSS sheets are Cascading Style Sheets. The provide control over the exact visual style of headers and other text on the page. Good typography depends on certain things, such as legibility, alignment, surprising enough the kind of computer one has. Repeating patterns established throughout the pages help the reader establish the location and organization of your information and increases the legibility. Alignment, define the reading area of a page by separating the main text from the surround text. Lastly, depending on whether you have a MAC or Windows affects the font sizes. On windows web browsers the text display will look 2 to 3 times points larger than on a MAC. For example a 12 font size on a windows will look like a 14-16 font size on a MAC.
Chapter 10 was very informative. I never actually knew the difference between the file formats. I always just saved things as what would come up. Also I agree that when you open a website and it takes to long to load it is just annoying and you don’t want to wait. I usually just skip ahead and find a new one, which in many cases probably isn’t good because if I waited for it to load it could be an amazing site with lots of good information. The anti-aliasing thing was very interesting to me. I have noticed before images not always being clear on a site but just thought maybe it was my computer or a bad picture. I did not know there was an actual reason and name for it. Later I learned that it is good for large display type, but it is not good for small type sizes. Anything small than 10 points wouldn’t work because it reduces it too much that one could probably not even read it.
After reading the Typography piece it brought to my attention color bind people. I completely forgot that without seeing the colors a page may look like nothing of importance. I really enjoy colors and like to use them whenever possible but like in the article you have to show another way to emphasis what the color means because not everyone can see the color. Also sometimes colors do not always show up the same on different computers. Another thing that was interesting was that the font sizes are different between MAC’s and windows. I have always used windows so I would not even know how to use a MAC but I did not think they would be different in font size.
Chapter 10 was very informative. I never actually knew the difference between the file formats. I always just saved things as what would come up. Also I agree that when you open a website and it takes to long to load it is just annoying and you don’t want to wait. I usually just skip ahead and find a new one, which in many cases probably isn’t good because if I waited for it to load it could be an amazing site with lots of good information. The anti-aliasing thing was very interesting to me. I have noticed before images not always being clear on a site but just thought maybe it was my computer or a bad picture. I did not know there was an actual reason and name for it. Later I learned that it is good for large display type, but it is not good for small type sizes. Anything small than 10 points wouldn’t work because it reduces it too much that one could probably not even read it.
After reading the Typography piece it brought to my attention color bind people. I completely forgot that without seeing the colors a page may look like nothing of importance. I really enjoy colors and like to use them whenever possible but like in the article you have to show another way to emphasis what the color means because not everyone can see the color. Also sometimes colors do not always show up the same on different computers. Another thing that was interesting was that the font sizes are different between MAC’s and windows. I have always used windows so I would not even know how to use a MAC but I did not think they would be different in font size.
Mar 11, 2008
my avatar
OK, so I just figured out how to upload my avatar. This did not take me as long as I orginally thought it would. I was going to spend my time picking out clothes and stuff like that, however, the avatars that truely represented me had premade outfits, and I could not change them. Therefore, I picked the one I thought most represented my style. I also put the background in so as to allow others to identify that I like science fiction. I picked the hair, glasses, and jeweraly according to what I normally wear. I had fun doing this. And I feel it went well with the articles we read.
Assignment for Thursday
Constructing Identity
All the people listed below are authors of pieces we have read for class or authors I have mentioned in class. Choose two authors and explore their web sites.
Pay particular attention to how they construct, represent, and assert identity on their sites, paying specific attention to how they visually construct their identities (e.g., through graphics and photographs, with the use of particular colors or font faces).
Be ready to share the sites and to talk about the visual identity-construction work the author(s) have done.
Jessica Helfand (Screen)
http://www.jhwd.com/
Julian Dibbell (My Tiny Life)
http://www.juliandibbell.com/
Sherry Turkle (Who am We?)
http://www.mit.edu/~sturkle/
Lisa Nakamura (Race In/For Cyberspace)
http://www.lisanakamura.net/
George Landow (What's a Critic to Do?)
http://www.landow.com/
Robin Williams (NonDesigners Web Book)
http://www.ratz.com/
Jean Baudrillard (Simulations)
http://www.egs.edu/faculty/baudrillard.html
http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/projects/current.php
March 11, 2008
Mariann Daniel
Electronic Word
I think the most interesting thing about the essay “Who Am We” is the differences between the expectations for computers from when they first came out to now. Before, as the author states, all that was expected of a computer was to be one huge calculator. Now, the author states, children especially expect a computer to be almost like a brain. The problem is that children see all the things a computer does and all the different programs and they assume that a computer can think—they believe a computer to have intelligence even if it does not half blood. This is untrue, it is the programmer who gives a computer its life and one that can take it away. In a sense the computer is still just a calculater with larger more complicated calculations. I think it is interesting to believe that the computer has intelligence when humans are the ones putting all the intelligence into it.
In the beginning of the essay the author stated that there are many of her on-line and then proceeded to list them all. Within her essay, an interviewed subject expressed this same type of belief, stating that he can be many different people at once and indulge each one of his different personality traits by having one corresponding life on-line. This is an interesting expression of what life is to people in this day and age. It also is interesting that people who have these lives on-line think that their real lives are too narrow. An interesting contrast to how some of the human population think of on-line gamers or people to spend too much time from there life on-line to begin with.
Yet as Nakamura’s essay states, “This utopian vision of cyberspace as a promoter of a radically democratic form of discourse should not be underestimated.” Identity is a key aspect to most gaming sites. As a member creating a new character, one must give a description about one’s self. This type of identification allows people to express the different aspects of their personalities. All in all, the on-line societies, even with no thought, are as real to some people as real life is to the rest of the human population.
Electronic Word
I think the most interesting thing about the essay “Who Am We” is the differences between the expectations for computers from when they first came out to now. Before, as the author states, all that was expected of a computer was to be one huge calculator. Now, the author states, children especially expect a computer to be almost like a brain. The problem is that children see all the things a computer does and all the different programs and they assume that a computer can think—they believe a computer to have intelligence even if it does not half blood. This is untrue, it is the programmer who gives a computer its life and one that can take it away. In a sense the computer is still just a calculater with larger more complicated calculations. I think it is interesting to believe that the computer has intelligence when humans are the ones putting all the intelligence into it.
In the beginning of the essay the author stated that there are many of her on-line and then proceeded to list them all. Within her essay, an interviewed subject expressed this same type of belief, stating that he can be many different people at once and indulge each one of his different personality traits by having one corresponding life on-line. This is an interesting expression of what life is to people in this day and age. It also is interesting that people who have these lives on-line think that their real lives are too narrow. An interesting contrast to how some of the human population think of on-line gamers or people to spend too much time from there life on-line to begin with.
Yet as Nakamura’s essay states, “This utopian vision of cyberspace as a promoter of a radically democratic form of discourse should not be underestimated.” Identity is a key aspect to most gaming sites. As a member creating a new character, one must give a description about one’s self. This type of identification allows people to express the different aspects of their personalities. All in all, the on-line societies, even with no thought, are as real to some people as real life is to the rest of the human population.
Articles/Avatar
The Nakamura article, which dealt with identity on the internet, was fairly straight-forward, and for the most part just affirmed many things I have come to accept as part of the internet. She discussed how the internet can function as a buffer between real life and the online communities where users of particular groups are asked to represent themselves through gender and self description, but little other than that. Additionally , she points out, users can and often do intentionally misrepresent themselves in a form of what she calls “cross dressing.” She also discusses race and how this classification is less defined in online communities where gender and physical description is often asked for without the mention of race or ethnicity. I found this article to be pretty interesting because it identified some of the things I have come across when playing games or surfing around online. I didn’t really think there was as much research and thought being devoted to online representations of self, and I think this article did a good job of taking a closer look at this.
Creating my avatar took a long time because even though it shouldn't seem too difficult, I found myself seriously debating about what items best represented my online "identity" because it was a representation of me. So everything, down to the last detail, was thought out and everything has a reason. I based my identity choices off who I see myself as now and who I want to be. For example, I picked the outfit based on what I love to wear and the colors I like and I picked the purse because anyone who really knows me knows I love purses. My choice in dogs represents that I am an animal lover but also that I want to always have a dog in my home. My background is what I chose based on who I want to be. I'm not a very good cook, but I want to be able to cook for my family someday, and I believe in sitting down together at the table for meals, so the kitchen may not represent me as a person now (because I'm not motivated to cook or improve my cooking skills, but it is something that I want to become important and I think is important).
Mar 10, 2008
Turkle and Nakamura
According to Turkle, computers profoundly shape our ways of thinking and feeling. They also contribute to how ideas are carried by technology and are reshaped by people for their own purposes. Computers these days are not just changing our lives but also who we are. The internet links millions of people in new spaces that are changing the way we think and form our communities. The ‘life on the screen’ permits us to project ourselves into our own dramas in which we are in control of. Turkle also talks about windows. Windows allow us to be in several contexts at the same time. Another thing this articles brings to our attention is to look at a computer as a calculator; inside it could be mechanically unpacked. But with technology today, computers are not as simple as calculators are. Today it is more than just typing a simple command. We now can paint, crop, fly simulated airplanes cockpits. One of the interesting things while reading this article was how children viewed computer games and then the MUDing with adults. Children knew nothing on the computer was real or lifelike. Children who so effortlessly split consciousness and life are forerunners of a larger cultural movement. On the other hand, adults are out their having cybersex with others while married. Mud’s are a kind of virtual parlor game and a new form of community. The Mud players are their own authors and creators. They become who they want to be and can be as many different people as they want.
This part of the article really got to me. I thought it was kind of disturbing that people were okay with their mate having a sexual experience who another human being. Though it is only words and not actually meeting up the person, they are taking time out of their day, along with wanting and thinking about the act. In another case though, it is a good way to experience what it is like to be the opposite sex. If you are an assertive man it is code for being a bastard and if you are assertive women it is code for modern and together. The double standards of what a women and male should be are something ridiculous. Also, the idea of a person spending 40 hours a week on a computer virtual reality identity is just a waste and appalling to me haha. I feel that is someone wants to be that other person so bad or is that unhappy with themselves that they maybe need to seek help, I do not know. I could not imagine wanting to create another identity or several different ones for that matter and spend numerous hours playing with it. It is like the story about Stewart. Finding someone and having an online date or engagement did not help his social issues or anything else for that matter. It actually hurt him and caused him to have more issues. I think sometimes people get too wrapped up in computer stuff and it is a struggle to get away from it.
After reading the Nakamura article I found that internet does one good thing. Your race is not a factor is anything really. No one has to say what they are unless they want too or asked too unlike when your in person you can clearly see if their black, Asian, or white. It actually gives people a chance and not have to deal with prejudice. Overall, I find it kind of disgusting or creepy that people are so trusting that they will tell or do anything and especially with someone they think they know. They have no clue who is behind the other computer. More young kids these days are taking up adult type activities and if you say your 30 but only 13 and talking to another 30 year old in a sexual manner is just wrong to me and unsafe.
This part of the article really got to me. I thought it was kind of disturbing that people were okay with their mate having a sexual experience who another human being. Though it is only words and not actually meeting up the person, they are taking time out of their day, along with wanting and thinking about the act. In another case though, it is a good way to experience what it is like to be the opposite sex. If you are an assertive man it is code for being a bastard and if you are assertive women it is code for modern and together. The double standards of what a women and male should be are something ridiculous. Also, the idea of a person spending 40 hours a week on a computer virtual reality identity is just a waste and appalling to me haha. I feel that is someone wants to be that other person so bad or is that unhappy with themselves that they maybe need to seek help, I do not know. I could not imagine wanting to create another identity or several different ones for that matter and spend numerous hours playing with it. It is like the story about Stewart. Finding someone and having an online date or engagement did not help his social issues or anything else for that matter. It actually hurt him and caused him to have more issues. I think sometimes people get too wrapped up in computer stuff and it is a struggle to get away from it.
After reading the Nakamura article I found that internet does one good thing. Your race is not a factor is anything really. No one has to say what they are unless they want too or asked too unlike when your in person you can clearly see if their black, Asian, or white. It actually gives people a chance and not have to deal with prejudice. Overall, I find it kind of disgusting or creepy that people are so trusting that they will tell or do anything and especially with someone they think they know. They have no clue who is behind the other computer. More young kids these days are taking up adult type activities and if you say your 30 but only 13 and talking to another 30 year old in a sexual manner is just wrong to me and unsafe.
Nakamura and Turkle Responses
"Race In/For Cyberspace: Identity tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet" by Lisa Nakamura
The internet offers people endless possibilities for communicating with each other. It enables us to control how we are portrayed and represented. Our "self" online may be completely from our true self. We feel we are given more power with creating our own identities online. I don't think places like LambdaMOO are very healthy atmospheres after reading this article. These places let users create characters for themselves. It seems that people just make up someone else. Is their personal identity so bad that they have to create some false person and sit online in a cyberworld being someone else? It's almost scary that people dedicate so much time to these fake worlds instead of just living in the real world. People create their own description; therfore, no one knows the true you. The idea of not mentioning race at all was interesting to me because they want to cross over racial boundaries temporarily and recreationally. It seems like a good idea, though if you can make everything else up, why not just add in race and make that up too. They spoke of the idea of tourism and surfing the web, and how it allows people to travel from their computer screens. It links people to each other in new, different, exciting ways. I found the idea of the incorporation of computers into the white collar workplace diving the line of work and play to be interesting and hilarious because all day my sisters and dad send me forwarded emails from work. They send those forwarded "celebs in wisconsin" and ones that are scary and trick you. I always question them, shouldn't you guys be working? So that was really funny to see mentioned in the article because it hit close to home for me. I don't think the cyberspace communities will ever really take over because they are so far from reality. Sure they are fun for people to spend time doing, but in the back of their minds people must know that they need to get back to the "real world" at some point.
"Who Am We?" by Sherry Turkle
I found it very interesting that she pointed out how the computer has changed so much even in 15 years. 15 years ago it was only used for typing, nowadays it does anything and everything. I'm sure no matter what you were trying to do, somehow it could be done on a computer. I think that programs like Sims and MUD allow people to belive in non-life. It's almost as if technology has taken over and made us all robots or something. We all rely so much on our computers. If the internet is ever down I'm the first one to freak out about not being able to check my emails. I feel like the internet and these types of programs make us unattached from life. We don't know what's real and what is fake anymore. Our "self" is taken over by these "characters" we create. We begin to want these characters to become real, we want to be like them. We idolize these characters, feeling that they are better than ourselves. I just feel that virtual reality has gone too far and some people blur the line between real life and cyberlife.
The internet offers people endless possibilities for communicating with each other. It enables us to control how we are portrayed and represented. Our "self" online may be completely from our true self. We feel we are given more power with creating our own identities online. I don't think places like LambdaMOO are very healthy atmospheres after reading this article. These places let users create characters for themselves. It seems that people just make up someone else. Is their personal identity so bad that they have to create some false person and sit online in a cyberworld being someone else? It's almost scary that people dedicate so much time to these fake worlds instead of just living in the real world. People create their own description; therfore, no one knows the true you. The idea of not mentioning race at all was interesting to me because they want to cross over racial boundaries temporarily and recreationally. It seems like a good idea, though if you can make everything else up, why not just add in race and make that up too. They spoke of the idea of tourism and surfing the web, and how it allows people to travel from their computer screens. It links people to each other in new, different, exciting ways. I found the idea of the incorporation of computers into the white collar workplace diving the line of work and play to be interesting and hilarious because all day my sisters and dad send me forwarded emails from work. They send those forwarded "celebs in wisconsin" and ones that are scary and trick you. I always question them, shouldn't you guys be working? So that was really funny to see mentioned in the article because it hit close to home for me. I don't think the cyberspace communities will ever really take over because they are so far from reality. Sure they are fun for people to spend time doing, but in the back of their minds people must know that they need to get back to the "real world" at some point.
"Who Am We?" by Sherry Turkle
I found it very interesting that she pointed out how the computer has changed so much even in 15 years. 15 years ago it was only used for typing, nowadays it does anything and everything. I'm sure no matter what you were trying to do, somehow it could be done on a computer. I think that programs like Sims and MUD allow people to belive in non-life. It's almost as if technology has taken over and made us all robots or something. We all rely so much on our computers. If the internet is ever down I'm the first one to freak out about not being able to check my emails. I feel like the internet and these types of programs make us unattached from life. We don't know what's real and what is fake anymore. Our "self" is taken over by these "characters" we create. We begin to want these characters to become real, we want to be like them. We idolize these characters, feeling that they are better than ourselves. I just feel that virtual reality has gone too far and some people blur the line between real life and cyberlife.
Creating My Avatar
I had actually created my avatar about a month or two ago after some serious convincing by my sisters. I thought it sounded really dumb, but they told me it was so much fun. Once I started, I got really involved in creating my avatar. I spent a long time deciding what hairstyle, outfit, accessories, background, etc. to choose. I would pick one and then decide to change it. I can't tell you how many times I changed my avatar around. It was really fun to do. I was really impressed by how much it looked like me.
Nakamura andTurkle Reading
The Nakamura reading talked about Identity tourism. Going beyond the concept of anyomonity, it gives users the chance to stretch their boundaries on their own identities, crossing gender and racial lines to become anything. This has become an important tool in helping to track down online sexual predators by police personnel becoming different ages and genders to impersonate a minor and lure them to arrest. I don't think race should be a mandatory option when playing these games. I believe that racial tension is stronger than gender tension and that in this "race-free" fantasy, you should be able to remain anonomous and if you choose to describe yourself using race, then you need to be prepared for some tension because you will encounter people who are ignorant and will speak their mind. But you can't impose legislations on things like this because you can't trace it back to one person and that person can certainly enter the game again under a new identity and it would just be time-consuming. I'm not saying that it is right, but the internet is too vast and as the article states, race "should not be "necessary" to socially interact on the community.
In Turkle's article, I really agree with the statment that "computer screens are the new location for our fantasies and are using life on computer screens to become comfortable with new ways of thinking." Although I've never had an onscreen MUD or anthing of that sort, I can understand "escaping" from real life to enter a place where anything is possible.......where I can be anybody. I remember first entering a chat room (I think I was around 12 years old) and telling everyone I lived in California or Australia......I never wanted to reveal where I really lived or who I really was (I always said I was older) because to me it was cool to be a different person and have people believe it. The article also stated that "creating screen personae is thus an opportunity for self-expression, leading to her feeling more like her true self when decked out in an array of virtual masks." It is an opportunity to be what you might have been. For example, if you've always wanted to be a writer but afraid to present your work, fanfiction.net allows you to be a writer without the pressure because you can stop or continue a story with ease and it still reaches an audience without the risk of real-life letdowns or embarassments. However, this can also be a negative thing, because too much time spent in this imaginary world only projects what you are lacking in real life with no improvement methods available in the fantasy world. As to the question whether technology is really "alive." I think I, like most people, believe that computers have a certain kind of intelligence that can rival even the smartest person, but for me, in order for something to be alive, it must have its own conscious and its own soul......no technology can replace decisions based on values and morals......technology bases it on facts but the easiest or most logical decision isn't always the right one. Something that is alive must be able to feel pain or remorse and many hard decisions are based on the emotions and morals of a person.......no computer could copy that.
In Turkle's article, I really agree with the statment that "computer screens are the new location for our fantasies and are using life on computer screens to become comfortable with new ways of thinking." Although I've never had an onscreen MUD or anthing of that sort, I can understand "escaping" from real life to enter a place where anything is possible.......where I can be anybody. I remember first entering a chat room (I think I was around 12 years old) and telling everyone I lived in California or Australia......I never wanted to reveal where I really lived or who I really was (I always said I was older) because to me it was cool to be a different person and have people believe it. The article also stated that "creating screen personae is thus an opportunity for self-expression, leading to her feeling more like her true self when decked out in an array of virtual masks." It is an opportunity to be what you might have been. For example, if you've always wanted to be a writer but afraid to present your work, fanfiction.net allows you to be a writer without the pressure because you can stop or continue a story with ease and it still reaches an audience without the risk of real-life letdowns or embarassments. However, this can also be a negative thing, because too much time spent in this imaginary world only projects what you are lacking in real life with no improvement methods available in the fantasy world. As to the question whether technology is really "alive." I think I, like most people, believe that computers have a certain kind of intelligence that can rival even the smartest person, but for me, in order for something to be alive, it must have its own conscious and its own soul......no technology can replace decisions based on values and morals......technology bases it on facts but the easiest or most logical decision isn't always the right one. Something that is alive must be able to feel pain or remorse and many hard decisions are based on the emotions and morals of a person.......no computer could copy that.
Mar 9, 2008
Creating My Avatar
Creating my avatar took a long time because even though it shouldn't seem too difficult, I found myself seriously debating about what items best represented my online "identity" because it was a representation of me. So everything, down to the last detail, was thought out and everything has a reason. I based my identity choices off who I see myself as now and who I want to be. For example, I picked the outfit based on what I love to wear and the colors I like and I picked the purse because anyone who really knows me knows I love purses. My choice in dogs represents that I am an animal lover but also that I want to always have a dog in my home. My background is what I chose based on who I want to be. I'm not a very good cook, but I want to be able to cook for my family someday, and I believe in sitting down together at the table for meals, so the kitchen may not represent me as a person now (because I'm not motivated to cook or improve my cooking skills, but it is something that I want to become important and I think is important). Here's the link......I don't know if I did it right....
http://avatars.yahoo.com/
http://avatars.yahoo.com/
Yahoo Avatar
Creating my own Avatar was both fun and exhausting. I found myself taking it really seriously, and trying hard to best represent what I'm about. I don't really know if I was able to fully accomplish that, but I think I did OK for my first try at it.
This helped me to better understand how people can go online and really be whomever they wish to be. It probably helps some step away from the mundane hum-drum of their everyday lives. The options for clothing, accessories, backgrounds, etc. seemed to be never-ending. It really was a neat experience, though, trying to showcase who I am through a computer image.
Here's the link...
This helped me to better understand how people can go online and really be whomever they wish to be. It probably helps some step away from the mundane hum-drum of their everyday lives. The options for clothing, accessories, backgrounds, etc. seemed to be never-ending. It really was a neat experience, though, trying to showcase who I am through a computer image.
Here's the link...
Turkle, Nakamura, Avatar
Madison Ultis
Turkle & Nakamura Readings
11 March 2008
I read the Turkle piece first, and I have to admit that I thought it was pretty long and drawn out for the first half. This could be because I really have no working knowledge of any MUDs or other references made to that same idea. I used to play the Sims games quite a bit when I was younger, so I do know something about how that works, and that was some pretty advanced technology then, so I can imagine it’s even more “alive” seeming now. The Nakamura piece was less interesting to me, and although it was about the same general idea as the Turkle piece, it focused more on the race identity.
From the Turkle piece, I was completely blown away by the whole idea of being able to create an identity different from who you are to your family and friends; or at least creating an identity out of some small, secretive part of yourself that you wished could show more. She notes in the piece that “…the games are laboratories for the construction of identity” (Turkle). This wasn’t the case, though, for the graduate student, Stewart. His involvement with the MUDs caused him to be even more reclusive than before immersing himself in this online world. The idea of being able to create someone completely different than what you are everyday is very fascinating to me, but I could see how it would eventually prove troublesome in your real life. Being able to have an affair through this kind of program seems so strange to me, and I could again see how that would cause problems in your real life, and I guess it’s just something that would never seem to be of any interest to me, so maybe that’s why it seems odd.
There was an episode of CSI:NY where there was a murderer on the loose, and a MUD called SecondLife was involved in the whole plot of that episode. If I remember correctly, the murderer found out who the avatar on SecondLife was in real life and was able to hunt her down. This was the first time that I had ever even seen something like this, but didn’t know if it was contrived just for the show or if it was real.
The Nakamura article focused on racial identity in cyberspace, and again, I really don’t know anything about this because I have never created any sort of avatar online before to where I would want to be someone different than I am everyday in real life. I liked how this article talked quite a bit about leaving race out of the MUDs because I think that it adds an interesting element to meeting someone online and not knowing what race they are.
Both articles were concerned with the idea of creating an identity for yourself online and the vast ways to go about this. I definitely find this concept very interesting, and it is something I think I will explore a little bit on my own time. I did take a look at the SecondLife website, but haven’t been able to figure much out from it yet, as to how it works. I’m going to look into a bit more because I’d really like to get a first hand account of why people are so intrigued with this form of social interaction.
Turkle & Nakamura Readings
11 March 2008
I read the Turkle piece first, and I have to admit that I thought it was pretty long and drawn out for the first half. This could be because I really have no working knowledge of any MUDs or other references made to that same idea. I used to play the Sims games quite a bit when I was younger, so I do know something about how that works, and that was some pretty advanced technology then, so I can imagine it’s even more “alive” seeming now. The Nakamura piece was less interesting to me, and although it was about the same general idea as the Turkle piece, it focused more on the race identity.
From the Turkle piece, I was completely blown away by the whole idea of being able to create an identity different from who you are to your family and friends; or at least creating an identity out of some small, secretive part of yourself that you wished could show more. She notes in the piece that “…the games are laboratories for the construction of identity” (Turkle). This wasn’t the case, though, for the graduate student, Stewart. His involvement with the MUDs caused him to be even more reclusive than before immersing himself in this online world. The idea of being able to create someone completely different than what you are everyday is very fascinating to me, but I could see how it would eventually prove troublesome in your real life. Being able to have an affair through this kind of program seems so strange to me, and I could again see how that would cause problems in your real life, and I guess it’s just something that would never seem to be of any interest to me, so maybe that’s why it seems odd.
There was an episode of CSI:NY where there was a murderer on the loose, and a MUD called SecondLife was involved in the whole plot of that episode. If I remember correctly, the murderer found out who the avatar on SecondLife was in real life and was able to hunt her down. This was the first time that I had ever even seen something like this, but didn’t know if it was contrived just for the show or if it was real.
The Nakamura article focused on racial identity in cyberspace, and again, I really don’t know anything about this because I have never created any sort of avatar online before to where I would want to be someone different than I am everyday in real life. I liked how this article talked quite a bit about leaving race out of the MUDs because I think that it adds an interesting element to meeting someone online and not knowing what race they are.
Both articles were concerned with the idea of creating an identity for yourself online and the vast ways to go about this. I definitely find this concept very interesting, and it is something I think I will explore a little bit on my own time. I did take a look at the SecondLife website, but haven’t been able to figure much out from it yet, as to how it works. I’m going to look into a bit more because I’d really like to get a first hand account of why people are so intrigued with this form of social interaction.
"Togetherness"
Madison Ultis
“Togetherness” Reading
11 March 2008
I really enjoyed the “Togetherness” piece. I thought that Weinberger did a wonderful job of showing just how vast the Web can be, but how it’s possible to join together under a common interest, hobby, literature, etc. I liked how he constantly went back to how the Web isn’t just a mass of faceless people, but rather, it is a mass of individuals, all with their own ideas, beliefs, and so on.
When he went on talk about how marketers reduce each person to the lowest form, I found that particularly interesting. It is true that to marketing geniuses I am nothing more than a Caucasian woman, ages 21-40 or whatever it would be; however, that doesn’t by any means comprise all that I am.
Weinberger then discussed the idea of fame, both in the ‘real’ world and on the Web. He says that fame off the Web is when people know of you, like in his example of Melanie Griffith on television, etc. Fame on the Web, however, is when people get the chance to know you. That sort of fame is acquired when people can read about you and know something of what you’re about as a person. Fame on the Web doesn’t matter where you live because it has no geographical location. The circle of fame can continue on endlessly. As Weinberger says, “We’re connecting in a way that real-world fame does not permit” (104).
He went on to discuss the differences between Metcalfe’s Law and Reed’s Law in terms of the Web. This part did not interest me quite as much as the rest of the piece. I really enjoyed the last half of the piece about threaded discussions and how the conversations can be never-ending. Unlike groups that meet once a month at the local library where each member should actively participate, the Web allows “members” to just follow along, almost nodding in agreeance without ever having to leave the comfort of their own home. Weinberger calls it “lurking” when people do not participate, but rather read posts without ever posting back. This is something that I am completely guilty of. It’s actually how I get a lot of my information. I am able to go onto a particular site and read about what other people have said about the topic.
Lastly, I liked how he closed the piece out, describing how he has found himself starting at the masses of people driving by before and thinking how crazy it is that each person has his/her own thoughts, feelings, etc. and he’ll never know anything about them. I have totally done this so many times, especially while driving on the highway. I’ll pass someone and think about whom they are, where they’re going, and it really stupefies me, the same way he described. Overall, I thought this piece was really great because it opened my eyes to ideas about the Web that I had never before even thought about. I never realized just how connecting this “Web” is woven, and it’s ability to bring together the most unique individuals.
“Togetherness” Reading
11 March 2008
I really enjoyed the “Togetherness” piece. I thought that Weinberger did a wonderful job of showing just how vast the Web can be, but how it’s possible to join together under a common interest, hobby, literature, etc. I liked how he constantly went back to how the Web isn’t just a mass of faceless people, but rather, it is a mass of individuals, all with their own ideas, beliefs, and so on.
When he went on talk about how marketers reduce each person to the lowest form, I found that particularly interesting. It is true that to marketing geniuses I am nothing more than a Caucasian woman, ages 21-40 or whatever it would be; however, that doesn’t by any means comprise all that I am.
Weinberger then discussed the idea of fame, both in the ‘real’ world and on the Web. He says that fame off the Web is when people know of you, like in his example of Melanie Griffith on television, etc. Fame on the Web, however, is when people get the chance to know you. That sort of fame is acquired when people can read about you and know something of what you’re about as a person. Fame on the Web doesn’t matter where you live because it has no geographical location. The circle of fame can continue on endlessly. As Weinberger says, “We’re connecting in a way that real-world fame does not permit” (104).
He went on to discuss the differences between Metcalfe’s Law and Reed’s Law in terms of the Web. This part did not interest me quite as much as the rest of the piece. I really enjoyed the last half of the piece about threaded discussions and how the conversations can be never-ending. Unlike groups that meet once a month at the local library where each member should actively participate, the Web allows “members” to just follow along, almost nodding in agreeance without ever having to leave the comfort of their own home. Weinberger calls it “lurking” when people do not participate, but rather read posts without ever posting back. This is something that I am completely guilty of. It’s actually how I get a lot of my information. I am able to go onto a particular site and read about what other people have said about the topic.
Lastly, I liked how he closed the piece out, describing how he has found himself starting at the masses of people driving by before and thinking how crazy it is that each person has his/her own thoughts, feelings, etc. and he’ll never know anything about them. I have totally done this so many times, especially while driving on the highway. I’ll pass someone and think about whom they are, where they’re going, and it really stupefies me, the same way he described. Overall, I thought this piece was really great because it opened my eyes to ideas about the Web that I had never before even thought about. I never realized just how connecting this “Web” is woven, and it’s ability to bring together the most unique individuals.
Mar 6, 2008
Nakamura and Turkle Response
Again, I saw why these articles are important right now because they each talk about different aspects about creating identity online. I definately learned about things that I had never heard about and makes me feel distanced from the internet more that I thought. In the beginning, it talked about how there is no need for gender when creating an online identity. I automatically felt that this had two different outcomes. One is good because it allows for people to be someone outside who people think they are, but also can be dangerous because it is extremely easy for people with criminal backgrounds to acts as others online. I've never heard of role playing sites. I knew that people can lie when filling out their descriptions, but I didn't know that there are sites that give people fantasy worlds to live in. As a game, they seem entertaining but these articles made me hesitant and afraid to even look at one of these sites because they seem addicting and almost perverted! The internet is now like its own huge world, where people can "travel" from place to place. I was really surprised to read about men crossdressing online and acting as women, and vice versa. What bothers me is that these people are using the internet as a place for social interaction, where they cant in the real world. What I do like is that the Internet is very free. It has hardly no barriers which can allow people to be any version of themselves, because I feel that society today has eliminated part of our "selves" off. I was confused when they were talking about race. I wasn't sure if they were saying that race does or doesn't matter. I dont think that it is important to know that most internet users are middle-class white males. I do agree that race matters, but why does it matter at all online. I feel like it is just convenient to know in order to figure statistics when writing articles like this.
I also liked the Turkle article. It brought light to the idea that we have many different sides to us, and sometimes we do not have the oppurtunity to be certain sides in the real world. I agree that some people use the internet for erotic and intellectual fantasies. Its amazing that this soon after computers, we are now able to manipulate the computer to do what we want for us. Children especially are very aware of how computers work, which I think is awesome. Basically, what I get from this article is that these virtual masks offer users self-expression. I was kind of disturbed when reading about Stewart and how he lives in his fantasy world. He is a loner, but acts as a completely different person online. I think it is good that he can use these other sides of his personality, but why use them online by fake dating another fake identity online and buying pretend things for them on pretend dates. Why not act this way in real life. What really got me thinking was the man that talked about doing this virtual sex/dating versus having to have ANOTHER affair in real life. First, I hate that men have this NEED it seems to be with other women even if they are perfectly happy with their spouses. I cannot believe that the internet is offering an alternative to men having to cheat. I would hate to be the woman who said shes always paranoid that her husband is doing something when hes on the computer. I never heard of MUD's that seem so real. A line that really stuck out to me said that we are making meaning of our lives by using the screen. Overall, I think I learned a lot and had a lot to say.
I also liked the Turkle article. It brought light to the idea that we have many different sides to us, and sometimes we do not have the oppurtunity to be certain sides in the real world. I agree that some people use the internet for erotic and intellectual fantasies. Its amazing that this soon after computers, we are now able to manipulate the computer to do what we want for us. Children especially are very aware of how computers work, which I think is awesome. Basically, what I get from this article is that these virtual masks offer users self-expression. I was kind of disturbed when reading about Stewart and how he lives in his fantasy world. He is a loner, but acts as a completely different person online. I think it is good that he can use these other sides of his personality, but why use them online by fake dating another fake identity online and buying pretend things for them on pretend dates. Why not act this way in real life. What really got me thinking was the man that talked about doing this virtual sex/dating versus having to have ANOTHER affair in real life. First, I hate that men have this NEED it seems to be with other women even if they are perfectly happy with their spouses. I cannot believe that the internet is offering an alternative to men having to cheat. I would hate to be the woman who said shes always paranoid that her husband is doing something when hes on the computer. I never heard of MUD's that seem so real. A line that really stuck out to me said that we are making meaning of our lives by using the screen. Overall, I think I learned a lot and had a lot to say.
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