Week 4 - Response to Content

Do science fiction films forcast the future?

eXistenZ (1999, directored by David Cronenberg) is a horror/science fiction movie based in the near future about a famous game designer Allegra Geller, who created a new game to be trialed out by a group of gaming enthusiast, eXistenZ was the name of the game. “eXistenz is an elaborate game in which the players wire themselves up via a bioport - a plug inserted in the spinal column - to a semiorganic game pod, to induce plotted hallucinations” (leigh D 1999). The game pod is an organic virtual reality game console that has replaced electronic ones. Its hard to recognize the difference between reality and the gaming world.

In April this year, researches at Washington University in St. Louis reported a woman moved a cursor on a computer by thinking and not pronouncing certain words by having a host of electrodes temporarily positioned over the speech centre of her brain (Halpern, Sue 2011).  At Brown University at approximately the same time, scientist also had a women move a mouse cursor by just thinking. They used a different kind of brain interface called BrainGate. At USC, Dr. Theodore Berger, who has been trying to make a neural prosthetic has started to implant this device into rates that bypasses a damaged hippocampus in the brain and works in its place. This invention has high hopes into helping cure Alzheimer’s by overcoming memory loss from aging.
Sounds like a science fiction film? We cannot predict the future, but with these new technologies available, science fiction films do seem like a way of the future.


References

Halpern, Sue (2011) "Mind Control & the Internet", New York Review of Books June 23.

Leigh D 1999, eXistegZ, Sight and sound (London), vol. 9, iss. 11 pp. 64, data based used ProQuest

 

Week 3 - Tutorial Task

Research and Early Internet communities

Task 1

What was Stephen Stockwell's first article in an academic journal? What year? Provide a full citation. What database did you use?

- Stephen Stockwell  1981, Kuranda police shooting, Legal Service Bulletin, Vol. 6, P. 48

Data base used HeinOnline

In which comic did Governor Slugwell appear? Which Issues? Give their full citation for the earliest. Where did you find this information? What database did you use? (Check the trial databases)
- Governor Slugwell appeared in Flaming Carrot Comics in issue number 11. The Data base used to find this information was Underground and Independent Comics. I found this information from the trial database through Griffith.

What is the latest medical thinking on the dangers of mobile phones? Provide a full citation.
- Peter Bowditch 2011, Are Invisible Rays Frying Your Brain?, Australasian science, Vol. 32 no. 6, P. 44

In Bladerunner, what is Leon's reaction when Holden asks him about his mother? Quote the 1982 draft script and provide a full reference. (Check the trial databases)


- "Leon looks shocked, surprised. But the needles in the computer barely move. Holden goes for the inside of his coat. But big Leon is faster. His laser burns a hole the size of a nickel through Holden's stomach. Unlike a bullet, a laser causes no impact. It goes through Holden's shoulder and comes out of his back, clean as a whistle. Like a rag doll he falls back into the seat. Big slow Leon is already walking away, but he stops, turns, and with a little smile of satisfaction fires through the back of the seat."

Fancher, H, Peoples, D, Webb, D, Kibbee, R 1982, 'Blade Runner' (1982). Draft Script, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., Alexander Street Press, viewed 24 August 2011, Data base used The American Film Scripts Online.

What does Paul Soukup say Walter Ong saw as the main paradox in 20th century communication? Cite your source.

- “that a society given so much to the use of diagrams and to the maneuvering of objects in space … should at the same time develop means of communication which specialize not in sight but in sound”

Soukup, P 2004, 'Walter J. Ong, S.J. A Retrospective,' Communication Research Trends: Centre for the Study of Communication and Culture, vol. 23, pp. 23, viewed 25 August 2011, used Trial Database via Griffith. 

Task 2

The old Internet community that I’m using is MySpace. MySpace was a popular social media site used to communicate with friends and others. On MySpace you could upload photos that you want others to see, upload songs that you like on your page, add your top friends list, personal message others, look at friends profiles and photos, edit and personalize your own background and post comments on friends pages. MySpace was most popular in June 2006 in the United States and kept that place through to 2008 (Cashmore 2006). In April 2008 their biggest competitor Facebook overtook MySpace (Techtree News Staff 2008). Science 2008 MySpace users have declined with more people joining Facebook and MySpace’s other competitor Twitter.  In 2006 to 2008 MySpace had 1,600 employees, in June 2009 MySpace fired nearly 30% of its workforce now only leaving them with 1000 employees (Goldman, D 2009).  In 2010 MySpace changed its logo from MySpace to My_____ to try and stage a comeback and now is not know as a social networking site but as a “social entertainment destination for Gen Y”(Sutter, J 2010). 

MySpace was one of the first most popular social media websites and absolutely influenced they way that we use communication technology today. Below is a graph from April 2007 to June 2008 with the number of victors to MySpace and other social media sites. You can see where Facebook over takes MySpace is the visitor’s count.

References

Cashmore, P 2006, "MySpace, America’s Number One", Mashable.com. Viewed 18 August 2011

< http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/>

Goldman, D 2009, "MySpace to Cut 30% of Workforce", CNNmoney.com, viwed 18 August 2011

< http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/16/technology/myspace_layoffs/index.htm>

Sutter, J 2010, "Praise for MySpace's new look - but that logo?", CNN, viewed 18 August 2011

< http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/10/27/myspace.revamp/>

Techtree News Staff 2008, "Facebook: Largest, Fastest Growing Social Network", Techtree.com, ITNation, viewed 18 August 2011
<http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Facebook_Largest_Fastest_Growing_Social_Network/551-92134-643.html>

Week 3 - Response to Content

The History of Computing and the Internet


When was the first computer made and why?
History was made when Alan Turing developed the first computer called the Bombe during the Second World War to decrypt the Germans Enigma Machine.  

Alan Turning born in Warrington Lodge, London, on the 23^rd of June 1912 was awarded a major scholarship to King College, Cambridge in 1931. He studied quantum mechanics, probability, logic and presented his first paper to the London Mathematical Society on computable numbers and proposed an abstract universal computing machine. On the 4^th of September 1939 reported for duty at Blechley Park. “It was the darkest time for Britain and for British intelligence. Not a single Enigma-coded message had been solved in almost 10 months” (O’Connor 2000, p. 14)

The Enigma Machine was a device that was used by the Nazis to communicate with each other by secret codes; thousands of codes were transmitted each day. The codes were changed every day so that the British could not decrypt them. 

The Enigma Machine

http://www.eclipse.net/~dhamer/Enigma1.htm

Alan Turning developed the Bombe in 1940 with the help of Gordon Welchman. The Bombe was created to discover the daily codes of the enigma machine, once the bombe determined the secret messages; the British decrypted the codes. The first Bombe made was named “victory” and was based at Bechley Park (Bletchley Park Jewels). The Bombe won the Second World War for the British. 

The Bombe

http://www.computermuseum.li/Testpage/Bombe-1943.htm

References

O’Connor, Jerome M, 2000, “Alan turing-enigma” British heritage, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 14

Bletchley Park Jewels, Qutstations – A Brief History, Viewed 18 August 2011,

< http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/bpt/Outstations/Wavendon.htm>

Week 2 - Tutorial Task

Building a Community and Your Skill Base

Part 1

(b)This video is about the future of communication technology (was made in 2009). I selected this video because I liked how it provides great information but yet has simple images and language so everyone can understand. I personally think that it’s based on the concept of Moore’s Law. Moore’s law is “The number of transistors that can be packed on a slice of silicon doubles every year” (Merritt, Rick, 2005, p.8).

(c)Buffer is an application that allows you to social network more effectively. Buffer is a free application that connects you up to all your social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, ect.) and lets you post all your updates or tweets on scheduled times through the day. Say most your friends are online at 8pm but you are unavailable to post or tweet at that time. With buffer you can set up your post or tweet and what time you want it to be posted, save it so when that time comes it will atomically do it for you. I don’t think that this app is very useful for me as I can use facebook anywhere anytime but for someone who only have internet access at limited times, I think that it could be useful. I would give this app 3 stars out of 5 as I do think it is quite a smart idea.

http://bufferapp.com/

Part 2:

http://www.gforgames.com/gadgets/news-gadgets/rumor-white-iphone-4-release-date-scheduled-april-6393/

The communication technology that I would use the most would be the iPhone. I use it to communicate with friends and family via text and the Facebook application. I have been using the iPhone for about two years now. At first I was a bit hesitant about purchasing the iPhone as I did not like the touch screen. My mind was changed when a friend of mine showed me the application for facebook and how easy it was to work, from that moment I was addicted and had to get one that afternoon. Privacy is an issue for me when searching the net or Facebooking on my iPhone. I’m concerned that someone could hack into my phone and retrieve my private details. I think that it is wrong and should be illegal that companies like Google are allowed to collect information about their users. When using the internet through my computer or laptop I make sure that I have a security system running (Nortan 360). I’m a bit hesitant when meeting new people online, I don’t really talk to anyone online that I have not meet in person unless it’s a friend of a friend. I communicate better person to person and I feel like I get a better sense of who they are when meeting them than just typing to each other.  

References

Merritt, Rick, 2005, ‘Moore's Law: not just a crazy idea’, Electronic engineering times, issue 1367, p. 8

Week 2 - Response to Content

Are we communication?

History of communication – What can rock art tell us about communication?

Rock art was one of the earliest forms of communication. Rock art are any human made markings made on natural stone. Rock art can also be described or known as “Rock drawings” and “rock paintings”. There are two types of rock art Petroglyphs and Pictographs. Petroglyphs are carvings into stone surfers by starching, pecking, drilling and sculpting. Pictographs are rock and cave paintings by using clay or hematite with other oxides, usually painted one with their finger. There are quite a lot of technical difficulties when dating rock art, which sometimes makes it difficult to determine the correct date and year. One of the earliest forms of rock art was discovered in Arnhem Land in northern Australia and is estimated to be over 60,000 years old (aboriginal art online 2004). Australia dose not have the oldest know rock art, India holds that title at such sites as Auditorium Cave and Daraki-Chattan. Australian rock art is know to be one of the most expensive to purchase as they show some of the oldest know artistic images.

Petroglphys

http://www.washoe.k12.nv.us/americanhistory/elementary/index.htm

Pictographs

http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/paintrock.html

References

Aboriginal art online 2004, How Old is Australian Rock Art?, viewed 18 August 2011,

< http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/art/rockage.php>


Encycl. Relig. & Ethics 1908, "The rock-paintings are either stenciled or painted in outline."


Winkler H 1938, Rock-Drawings of Southern Upper Egypt I, "The discovery of rock-drawings showing boats of a type foreign to Egypt.

Week 1 - Tutorial Task

Introduction post
Found under introduction at the top of the page

Week 1 - Response to Content

What are the main issues in new communication technology?

There are a lot of issues with new communication technology, some more serious than others. Some main issues are: Hacktivism, Privacy and Security, Private investigators and National Broadband Network

Hacktivism is an illegal act of hacking, or breaking into a computer system, for a politically or socially motived purpose. Its getting easier to do so and more popular each year. People can hack into social networking websites and get information about your credit card details, personal information, etc.

Another main issue is the National Broadband Network, it is a high speed broadband network that will deliver high-speed broadband to all Australians using fibre optic cabling. Australian homes, Schools and businesses will use it. 

How do we distinguish between old and new communication technology?

We distinguish between old and new communication technology by finding out whether it’s analog or digital.  Analog technology was described in the lecture as functions by representing various forces (through dials) and the relatively imprecise modulation of those forces. Analog technology is classed as old communication technology. In the lecture Digital technology was pronounced that it relies on storing bits of binary information (whether the current of electricity or light in on or off) and allows for the precise modification of forces”. Digital can also be described as new media and is know as new communication technology. 

Under what circumstances will new communication technologies become old communication technologies?

New communication technology will be phased out by newer communication technologies available. It’s based on the concept of Moore’s Law. Moore’s law is “The number of transistors that can be packed on a slice of silicon doubles every year” (Merritt, Rick, 2005). 

I have provided two pictures below to compare old and new communication technologies.

Old Communication technology

New Communication Technology

Reference


Merritt, Rick, 2005, ‘Moore's Law: not just a crazy idea’, Electronic engineering times, issue 1367, p. 8