Ah! Now I Get It :) October 3, 2007

Well that was interesting. I must say, reading the three required articles for class was somewhat confusing because all of the computer language was not making sense to me (then again I am not too computer literate haha). However, the Social Networking and Social Bookmarking videos were a lot clearer in what I was supposed to do in order to register for a social networking or a social bookmarking site. Clearly, I am more of a visual learner, and I prefer being shown exactly what I am to do so I am not fussing through pages trying to find directions. I found these very informative, and after watching my confusion of the assignment disappeared. I decided to register for del.icio.us because, lets be honest, the name is much cooler than diigo and the video was easier for me to understand. After watching, I was successful in creating tags and categories for all of my blogs up until this point. I am still unsure of how to do some things on here, but I am learning and I am sure I will find the answers I am looking for eventually. Things I am currently wondering…

…can someone please tell me how to post a link?

-and-

…how do you add a picture?

Perhaps we were already told how to do this, but if so, it has already slipped my mind. If anyone has a minute to give me some explanation it would be greatly appreciated J Then, hopefully I can make my blogs better by adding links to the articles I talk about.

                                                                                            -Amanda

The “Collective Unconscious of Mankind” October 2, 2007

The chat log that was most interesting to me was the Reality and Identity Group 3. They brought up a lot of points in their conversation that were very intriguing and worth mentioning. One of the statements that really grabbed me was Be Smith’s reference to the internet as the “collective unconscious of mankind”. This could not be more true. From my own interpretation, he is basically saying that when we post things online we do it almost unconsciously, without a thought or care that other people may be reading them. We use the internet (mostly blogging) as a digital diary where we can let our opinions, beliefs, fears, and even deepest secrets seep into another world; a dangerous world where everything is at stake, up front, and ultimately, permanent. This is similar to papers we hand in to professors expressing our beliefs on a particular topic. However, it is very very different in the sense that only the professors will be reading that paper, whereas online their will be more people perusing through our thoughts.

The group goes on to discuss how people tend to share things on the internet that they wouldn’t usually say. They feel safer because they aren’t in direct contact with the people they are communicating with. With the internet, we are communicating with the whole world; anyone and everyone. That, to us, sounds OK because “everyone” is doing it and that is where the “collective” part of Be Smith’s comment fits in. The internet is basically everyone’s diary. So, having said this, when we look at things like authorship a question arises of who is the true author. In some sense, we are all authors, publishing stories that are stocked in a global, digital library where not even a library card needs to be swiped or a dime needs to be spent in order to review someone else’s work. Ultimately, considering the openness off the internet, it is important that we become more conscious of what we are posting on certain cites, considering it is impossible for it to be completely erased. It isn’t like a written diary where you can write your entry, lock it with a key, and keep that key safe; in reality, the diaries we contribute to on the internet are forever and indefinitely open.      -Amanda

                                                                                          

Class Overview September 28, 2007

Class this morning was a really neat experience. When first hearing that we would be chatting on the computer instead of having a class discussion, I was wondering what the point of that was. Automatically, I came to the realization that having a discussion in a chatroom with other classmates opened up a world of possibility. Instead of having to raise your hand to share your thoughts, everyone could be talking at the same time. Also, it allowed us to withhold our identities and create a different name, so other people wouldn’t know who exactly they were talking to. Not only this, but the class went by so much faster!

            My group focused our conversation on authorship. What is that exactly? I would come to the conclusion that it is the writing one produces and claims ownership to. On terms of authorship on the internet, that is a bit of a different story. With so many people blogging anonymously these days, sometimes it is hard to tell who a true author is. If people blog anonymously they are risking the chance of someone else stealing their work and claiming it as their own. With the digital world producing so many possibilities, it is hard to come up with a clear cut definition of what authorship really is. What does authorship mean to you?

                                                                                                -Amanda

I Write. September 28, 2007

At the long-awaited conclusion of DeVoss’ article, “Why Napster Matters to Writing”, reasons are given as to why people write:

 

“People write because they want to interact, to share, to learn, to play, and to help others. They engage others for connection, compatibility, love, sex, desire, self-fullfillment (or egomania), the thirst for justice, the thirst for freedom, out of boredom, out of need for interaction, to make their lives more comfortable…”

             This got me thinking. I am a Writing Arts major. When first applying to Rowan I declared undecided because I was torn between education and journalism. After taking some education courses, I found that I really do want to be a teacher. My College Comp I course, though very challenging, was the most writing-intensive course I have ever been involved in. The articles we read and topics we wrote about were very intriguing and even though it was difficult to master, I was always pleased with the final drafts of my writing. I was writing at a level I didn’t know I was capable of achieving. Reaching desired goals on terms of grades, I found self-fullfillement. My professor was very informative and thus I requested her for College Comp II. So what am I rambling on about here? I have always had a desire for writing, and for conquering seemingly difficult tasks. That’s why I came to declare Writing Arts as my dual-major. 

            On more personal terms, I write because I can. I write because I want to. I write because I have to. I write because I need to. I write to relieve stress. I write to remember. I write to study. I write to inform. I write to understand. I write to vent. I write to impress. I write for the fulfillment I feel after producing something valuable and worth reading. Ultimately, I write for me. So far this course has introduced me to ways in which I can write freely, publish my own thoughts, and receive feedback on my own written words. Stories of bloggers being recognized for blogs they post provide me with the motivation to start doing the same. I can write what I want, when I want, at the convenience of my own home. This suits me perfectly, since my main profession will be in teaching. I don’t know what I want to do with writing when I “grow up”, but I do know that it is something I will always have a desire for. With the advancements of writing in digital spaces, who knows what I will get myself into. Whatever it may be, I am looking forward to it.

                                                                                                -Amanda

Lonely Girl 15 September 28, 2007

Wow! Prior to this assignment, I never had any idea about LonelyGirl15 and the amount of attention she drew from viewers across the nation. After reading “The Secret World of Lonely Girl” I was anxious to watch some of the videos. It seemed really neat to me that some kid just wrote a little series, decorated his room as if it were a girl’s, and found an actress to play the role of a geeky girl in a lonely town. It leaves the impression that anyone can make it big in this world. The videos that I watched were pretty good. I never really just go on YouTube and browse for videos so this was kind of a new experience for me. I have watched videos on YouTube, but I never viewed a series quite like this.

Honestly, I think her videos are cute. She comes off as a typical girl just bored in her room, venting her emotions. The only difference: she’s talking to the entire world. In my opinion, it makes no difference whether she is pretending to be someone else or if she is acting as herself. The only thing that matters is that she is entertaining and keeps the viewers’ interest. After all, we all watch a multitude of shows on TV and those people are not acting as their true selves. I guess the only problem here was that she posed as if it really was her, when really it wasn’t. But oh well, that’s how it is these days. Anything online can deceive you, especially with the technology that is out there and on the advance. Kind of gets me thinking…what’s in store for Lonely Girl now?

                                                                                                         -Amanda

The Virtual World of MUDs September 25, 2007

Before reading “A Rape in Cyberspace” I didn’t even know that a virtual world like LambdaMOO even existed. After reading the detailed descriptions of the so-called “rape” that happened within this world, it really got me thinking about the dangers of getting oneself involved in such an activity. In this virtual world users have the ability to create characters that are either similar to their actual being, completely different, or show a side of themselves that no one else knows about. In participating in this virtual world experience, every user knowingly sets themselves up for whatever events are thrown at them…in this case, rape. After seeing how the “user community” reacted to this event, it really got me thinking. Is a place like this such a good idea? I guess it really all goes back to the Freedom of Expression, which Dibbell mentions at the end of his article. LambdaMOO is a site that allows words to persuade, misdirect, and potentially emotionally harm other users, since the only form of communication is writing. Every user has the ability to tell you anything they want with a certain knowledge that every other user will believe them because, honestly, in a situation like this there is really no way of really knowing what is the truth and what isn’t. Ultimately this leaves the possibility that the virtual community is nothing but an abyss of lies, deception, and misunderstanding.

On this same note, “Who Am We” goes into more detail about the virtual world through several descriptions of MUD (Multi-User-Dungeon) programs. As previously discussed, “the anonymity of MUDs gives people the chance to express multiple and often unexplored aspects of the self, to play with their identity and to try out new ones”. Males often register as females and visa versa. It gets particularly interesting when it goes into detail about cyber sex. How do you know if you’re even communicating with someone of the “true” opposite sex? There is really no way of knowing. The argument then arises if the other partner (in the real world) would consider this cheating. In my opinion, yes. In all honestly, I find the idea of randomly talking to another user (whose identity could be nothing more than a lie) about sexual activity is nothing short of pathetic. What is the purpose? Forgive me if I offend anyone here, but what is the purpose of participating in such a conversation if you are married or are dating someone? Is this virtual world, even beyond the world of cyber sex, even necessary? Within the article it states that many people, having made their character someone they “wish” they were more like, do not feel that they gain any benefits or find any character changes in themselves once having a virtual relationship with someone that could live anywhere in the world. Yes, in their virtual world they may develop many friends, but where does that get you in the real world? Nowhere. So, that in mind, what is the point of sitting in front of a computer pretending that you’re someone you’re not? Personally, I just don’t get it. Yes, I understand there is a-whole-nother world out there with technology expanding and everything, but to me a danger arises in communicating like this. Wouldn’t you much rather communicate with honest people whose identities you know are real?

                                                                                                                        -Amanda