VA 310 – An Inquiry

1. As We May Think
            If only they could see the kind of technology we have now. It’s interesting to see the ideas they came up with at the time. They used their existing technology to produce the equivalent to a modern day computer. The ideas, the tasks the inventions could perform, as well as the broader spectrum of what each invention could do, was all in all, a modern day computer with ancient technology.

 

2.*being digital
            Before this article I had never really thought about how important and priceless many of these ‘bits’ really are. It’s hard to believe that something which has no mass, no presence, and especially no visible existence, can be worth so much.

The most interesting thing is that in comparison to say a newspaper, which is ‘atoms’ bits aren’t delivered the same. According to the article however, the line between to computer medium (bits) and the historic atom medium of newspapers etc. will slowly fade away.

3.*blogging from inside the ivory tower
            When you think about where blogs were in 2000 versus where they are now, its amazing to see the kind of multimedia they incorporate. When I began on the internet I can remember xanga, later there was myspace, then there was facebook. All of these, and many more before them, began to push the boundaries with music, video, picture, etc. With this much competition out there, it will be interesting to see where this takes us in the future.

4.*web work: a history of internet art
            In the last paragraph they talk about varying ways of displaying internet art in museums. I think with the advancements in technology and the potential for high resolution digital screens, there is definitely a very real possibility that future digital art can be displayed on huge plasma screens, or perhaps there will be a futuristic canvas that may be used to incorporate digital pixels.

 

5.*how to be an internet artist
            I found this article to be quite amusing. It had some truth to I suppose, but I had a good laugh. Everything Mark Amerika said was true, it was funny when he would say something like, “Achieve all of the previous eight goals in less time than it

takes to develop a passionate sexual relationship with someone

you love.” He is very right when it comes to how many hours it really takes to be an artist, and what type of sacrifices you have to make.

 

6.*internet performances as site-specific art
            I like the way the artists of the sites used old styles and graphics to create something modern while still retaining a ‘historic’ feel if you will.

7.*how i was played by caroline online
            This puts a new twist on avatars and role-playing simulation games or scenarios. Kind of scary to think that the future of computers could be much more than just games and fun, computers could potentially tell you what to do and know more about you than you do of them.

8.*definition of HCI (human-computer interaction
            When you think about how close computers have come to acting like humans it’s almost scary. We can actually speak to computers, and through a specific set of instructions through coding and programming they are able to respond back to us. Some computers are able to powerful enough to control humanoid robots like Hondas ASIMO robot that can walk up stairs and recognize obstacles. The future looks bright for artificial intelligence, but how much is too much?

9.*pixels, politics, and play
            In my point of view, while this is a neat idea to portray real life situations into a video game, I think it potentially runs the risk of ‘dumbing’ down people to real life situations. While fun and exciting, I think it is harder for people in this day and age to find the line between reality and virtual reality.

10.*race in/for cyberspace
            “The dream of a new technology has always contained within it the fear of total control.” This statement really defines what people fear about technology. Everyone wants new and innovative ways of doing chores, or simplification of tasks due to new technology. People really are afraid that they will not have total control, and I think for many the fact that a machine can do the work of a man is an unsettling feeling.
11.*data mining in the post 9/11 environment
             This article really broadened my knowledge on what data mining really was. I had always heard about situations like this, but was unaware how easy it is and invading this technology really is. It’s hard to believe that people all over our nation may at anytime or anywhere will potentially be at risk of data-mining. I suppose as long as you have nothing to hide you are out of harms way, but just the fact of sensitive information that can be taken is one scary ordeal.

12.*free software as collaborative text
            Without the use of free software and the ability to edit these free ‘codes’ I think that we would not be as far along in internet technology as we currently are. This semester alone, I think we all used at least some form of free software, or software that was derived from an editable free source code. Its true, this binary code language is a lot like poetry in the sense that these numbers, in the right order, can produce amazing things that when translated to your computer screen, will produce breathtaking results.
13.*the abc of tactical media
            While I fall under more mainstream ideals, I think that without this form of media, there would never be any envelopes being pushed. Nothing would be done to potentially change the mundane consistent ways of mainstream media. More often than not, tactical media tends to be so new and innovative, that it becomes the ideal form of mainstream media.
14.*simulations
            This article was a little confusing but what I got out of it was that the line between simulation and the real thing is blurring so much that it is hard to tell where truth resides. Due to the internet age, this line begins to blur so much that it tends to create a virtual reality that is sometimes more interesting than our own reality.
15.*what is biomedia?
            Quite an interesting article. It is interesting to think of the future and how it might be enhanced by biomedia as well as other types of ‘bio’ genres. I had no idea that piercing and tattoos may fall under this term, but alas, they do. I believe that it is a very broad term and used primarily for cutting edge or non-mainstream ideas.

16.*free your collaboration
            After reading this article I took sometime and thought about the mural project we created. We achieved these things (the mural) that we couldn’t normally do on our own. What was great about that project was that it took all of us to create our collaboration.

17.*DIY survival

            This article had the same premise as the tactical media we read earlier on. It really plays on the theme of this sub-culture technique and non-mainstream ways of doing things. An interesting article with a lot of information

18.*DIY: the militant embrace of technology
            I really liked this article. With the fast paced growth of technology in our lives, I think it brings that back down a bit when people tear these things apart to form art. They begin to take on a different life when made into something new. While they may not serve the same purpose in which they were created for, they will serve a new purpose in the context of art.

 

19.*the hacker manifesto
            Very interesting article. “To hack is to release the virtual into the actual, to express the difference of the real.” This really plays on the theme of many of these articles. What is real? What isn’t real? It creates once again that blurring line between what it means to be in reality.
20.*freeze frame:sound in the era of digital networks
            It’s hard to believe what computers can do with sound. This article opened my eyes a little bit more than what I had previously thought. For a computer to take a sound, convert it to 0’s and 1’s and play that piece, transmit that piece, and send that piece to anywhere in the world is mind boggling.

22.*streets into stages
surveillance camera players
            Surveillance cameras are helpful and scary all at once. It’s nice to know they are they if you are in trouble, but if you’re not, it almost feels like someone watching on the other end is waiting for you, stalking in a sense. I have actually seen videos by this group and some of the ‘projects’ they have done.  A good article that sums up the problems with too much surveillance.
23.*the future of the reciprocal ready-made
            “art must have the grace to respect

that absence with its own.” I really like this quote. To me it basically states that art is in a realm of its own and can be anywhere, anyplace, and anything.

24.*questioning the frame
            its interesting how this article defines much of what the internet is today. The fact that we have such a huge database of knowledge creates potential for astounding sources of information or lackluster sources of misinformation.