Reading 8:Interface culture - Steven Johnson

Chapter 2: The Desktop

It is extremely interesting how this writer describes these events with the use of metaphor and analogies and I understand his usage of them, as it can be very difficult to describe some of the more technical aspect without the use of technical details that could be hard to decipher without prior knowledge or an in-depth understanding of operating systems. The birth of the desktop metaphor, which has played a major part in mainstream computers, was made possible by the advances in interface design. This was described as a physical representation of a working desktop within an office, this analogy gave people the impression that it was a simple transition from normal office working practices to the more modern one of the computer environment. The new interface gave the user an easier way of navigating the computer from previous interfaces such as DOS and command line. Enabling the user to navigate the interface with the use of a mouse and a visual representation of objects such as folders, files and application made it even more appealing. The desktop was an important step in interface design and leapfrogged personal computers into nearly everyone’s mind, the idea that this could develop into today’s consumption and need for computers was surly not envisioned on the scale of today.

Comments

This book was an interesting read and each chapter gave good explanations on each of the subject presented. It’s well worth a read if you get the opportunity.

Reading 7: E-learning 2.0 - By Stephen Downes, National Research Council of Canada

This was an interesting article and covers the subject of E-learning in a short and concise manner. The way that the web has been changing over the last decade has seen some significant changes to the way we use, process and understand the information readily available on the net. Web 2.0 has played a key part in the development of these knowledge based systems along with the sharing philosophy used by them.

Comments on chapter

I believe that this was a likely outcome from the days of chat rooms, gaming forums and other such site of yesteryears web. The idea of learning this way from multiple sources of information is far more beneficial than conventional teaching method of textbooks alone and Involves some interactions from the users.



Link to Mauri

Reading 6: Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything - Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams

Chapter 10 - Collaborative Minds

This chapters describes various ways in which companies have adapted to the digital age and explains other ways in which revenues can be made by adopting different approaches. It discusses some of the previous examples from the beginning of the book such as Wikipedia, IBM and Linux. The author also makes reference to the Goldcorp example which Mauri discussed in the lecture. Goldcorp had shared their data with the outside world which lead them to become the biggest gold mining company in Canada. The overtone of this chapter is that major changes have come about since web 2.0 and the mass exchange of information. This is largely due to the availability of software and hardware which has helped amateurs bridge the gap between professionals in the industries.

One example from this chapter conerned the music industry and how they should adapt to the ways users are acquiring music and suggested a total different approach was needed to stay ahead.

Radiohead had released their last album on their website only and allowed users to download it and pay what they wanted to pay. The average payment was 6-8 dollars and since they are independent from a label they don’t share the revenue.

Comments on chapter

I understand that some software companies are also adopting this model of allow users to pay what they want for the product as this entice users from illegal downloads and also promotes the continued development of the products in question.

An interesting view to the future of media

I found this while searching for stuff to help with the forthcoming essay. I thought that I would share it with you all as it had an interesting outlook to the progression of media.

Video

Reading 5: The Language of New Media - Lev Manovich

Chapter 3 - The Operations

This chapter begins with a brief description on computer programming from the simplest form to today's high- level languages. Being with low-level machine code which talks directly with the central processor through to higher-level languages such as COBOL, FORTRAN and C. Other languages such as HTML, Java and Action script which maybe more familiar to most are used to develop a verity of applications. These have all played a major part in progressing application development and with each step helped in closing the gap between old practices with new digital ones. One of the main emphases throughout the chapter is how things we see in digital technologies are replications of old techniques.

The book unfolds by breaking this chapter into three parts Menu, Filters, Plug-ins makes the first section, Compositing the second and the final being Teleaction. It's a large chapter to cover so I shall only write a few things on it.

First section

The first section describes the logic of selection behind Menu's, Filters, Plug-ins we see in application today. The author uses Adobe Photoshop and Premiere as his examples against Printing and Film editing of past practises. He compares the terms and techniques used and applies them to today's application. There are also explanations on how digital media has begun to bridge the gap between Professionals and Standard users due to costs of hardware and software coming down and becoming more widely available, this is also due to many open source software being made available for free.

In brief, Filters and Plug-in are a way of extending the program with more pre defined operations. Allowing the user to simple select from a menu has been made possible by the modular nature of the application. An example of plug-ins would be ones used within Photoshop to extend operations such as, larger filtering option with images, different photo effect and so on. This has given greater flexibility within the application and most software allows this in one way or another.

The menu Idea does not need much explanation as we all use them in one way or another to make a selected choice not just on computers but also in our day to day lives, choosing food in a restaurant, selecting what to watch on TV and so on. In terms of software, the idea has been adapted to allow the user to select various options from the menu to manipulate the object without the use of lengthy code or commands such as before the GUI.

Human and technology

Digital representation of the world

The digital world model is a revolutionary phase in the human evolution, establishing the species of homo representans digitalis:

The digital age like Louise had said has made most things accessible, and Pehr comments on the social aspect are spot on. I feel it is an exciting era and constantly changing for the better. One of my main thoughts is to the people that do not embrace the change and are left behind.

Extended body

Are we cyborgs? Is there a difference between cyborgs and the technologically extended body?

I do not think we are cyborgs in that respect, we create technology to enhance are lives or prolong it, heart pumps, Artificial lung and so on. The Idea of cyborgs for me is half-human half-machine devoid of all human emotions and programmable. Like Pehr Henric had commented on in his blog.

Extended mind

The more the consciousness of man must have changed with digital representation. What would change if we could install a computer under the skin and connect it with the brain:

I'm not sure that idea appeals to me but of course that doesn't mean I'm totally against it. My concern is what the usage would be. I'm sure that this probably be possible at some point in the future, certainly not in my life time. This would of course be the first steps to human cyborgs. Louise commented on how it could help drug addicts stay away from drugs but I think that would be a waste of the resource and sounds a little like a police state.

Represented body

Will the layer of the brain develops in the future with the media age?:

I think that the continued use of media effects the brain in different ways and have yet to be discovered. I believe that curtain parts of the brain will be less active and other parts may develop in its place. Whatever the overall effect are, I am sure is being researched as we speak.

Socially extended body

Housing as collective skin:

I agree with this as we all wear clothes but the type we wear defines who we portray ourselves as. The house to most is their castle and the one place of which they can truly make their statement.

Represented world

What difference does it make to be able to extend the representation to paper or digital means:

I agree with the collective comments made by Louise, Mike and Kamil. Consistency in key in both medium.

Holistic view

Opposes the view that mind, body and technology are separate but interact. Holistic view: The body, mind and the technological extensions as one and the same system. What does interaction mean then:

I think that in an ideal world, they could be one of the same thing but as Markus pointed out all three is not always so in tune.

Reading 4: Interface culture- Steven Johnson

Chapter 4 - Links

This was an interesting chapter and introduces the idea of how hyperlinks in the author's opinion have been overlooked in curtain ways and has yet to be exploited to their true potential. The author describes the way that surfing had been the wrong description for most internet users as he compares the term to the days of the television surfer flicking from channel to channel. It is a nice comparison as he points out the fact that he or she whom is flicking from channel to channel is doing so without making any relative links between the channel other than what is being broadcast, news, cooking program, cartoons and so on.

Whereas, hyperlinks have the potential to link relative information in turn leading the user through a path of discovery therefore the user is not surfing aimlessly instead he is making conscious choices linking from page to page.

The author describes an earlier Idea of relative linking with the example of Memex theoretical proto-hypertext computer system envisioned in 1945 by Vannevar Bush. This system would allow an individual to read a large self-contained research library add or follow associative links and notes created by that individual, or recorded by other researchers. I think that this was an interesting idea.

Personal Thoughts

I am thinking that maybe as an individual am I really creating anything new from the applications I am using or simply putting together possible combinations of the object provided by it. I may be able to create something from the options provided by the application but does that truly equate to me as being the full creator of what I have done.

Distance collaboration

I think that distance collaboration is a good idea and can be helpful in many ways I have previously work on this type of collaboration with friends when it had been totally impractical to have either of them fly in from their locations in order to have a face to face meeting.

I feel that this went well largely due to the fact that the internet connections here are very good. I have had occasions when using Skype where the connection between people have been slow had this became frustrating due to the lag in communication also the video can be affected with the jitters.

Doc

Assignment 7/9/09

Kamil and I decided to produce a bike interest site. Bring the community of hardcore riders to one place. Allowing the user to log in and get up to date information on trails, events and other things related to the cycling scene.

We think that a small income could be generated through sponsorship. This would be made possible as the users increase. Thus making it inviting for companies to advertise there brand ie, Rock Shox, Marzocchi, Red bull.

By collaborating with various bike stores we could offer the users of the site discounts in participating shops.

Money could also be made by charging users a small fee when selling stuff through the site ie, Secondhand bikes or accesssories. The percentage could be as small as 5% to make it inviting for the users to use the built in function rather than selling it elsewhere.

Screen Shot

Marketing will be carried out via the users themself, word of mouth and posters in participating stores.

We expect that word of month would be key in generating new users of the site.

Internet-based activism - Ben Kinsella

Ben Kinsella was murdered in London 2008 and became the 17th victim of knife crime. This sparked a mass campaign against knife crime in the capital. A march was organised through the use of Facebook.


Link to Doc

Reading 3: Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything - Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams

Chapter 3 - peer pioneers
This book gave an insight to how the exchange of information on a global scale significantly changed the business industries. It introduces the Idea of peer production and the impact to date. The chapter outlines some of the pioneering companies which adopted the model first and some reasons behind their decisions. Mass collaboration within industries appears to be the new business model bring together whole societies to the globe marketplace and shaping the way we as individuals can contribute to this ever growing economy of information exchange. In would appear that sharing information in a collaborative manner has become the norm and has produced some new ways of innovating, enhanced products and availability.

This chapter discuses a few of the first pioneers and gives Wikipedia and IBM as good examples. It describes how IBM adopted the openness approach in terms of business to stay ahead and has since become a major contributor within the industry in peer production, despite for years being a company that only produced Hardware and Software that ran only on IBM machines.
It also describes how Wikipedia uses the mass collaboration approach to become one of the world leaders in information gathering. I will only focus on Wikipedia and a few key points I found interesting as it would be hard to summarise both with any depth.

Suggestions made in the beginning years of Wikipedia were that the information provided by them could not be relied upon since anyone could interject with the content of the site. A user may simple post what he or she wanted to and was edited by whomever. Their approach to this was to introduce user id's in the form of registration, which of course can still lead to abuse but would alleviate the problem. In at least holding someone accountable for the postings. Like chat rooms there are often mediators that monitor what's being discussed on a full time basis, here the masses are the mediators and the users of the site are in a way are responsible for the content.

A comparison was made with Encyclopaedia Britannica on various articles and it was found that mistakes had been made in both Britannica and Wikipedia, whereas Wikipedia was able to correct these mistake with relative ease, Britannica could only correct theirs in forthcoming production and because they are printed never at all with what is in circulation.

The credibility of the site has since changed and is regarded in high esteem largely due to the sheer input of expertise from the collaborating users . This is certainly an argument that working collectively has brought about major changes in how we do things and been beneficial in many areas. It was an insightful read on how things have changed and what the future may have in store for those whom continue to contribute in this manner.

comments
When I was at University the use of Wikipedia for research was limited to only a few references per assignment and traditional research method where carried out such as, academic papers, reports, white paper and so on.

Mock up

I have decided to produce a mock-up of the Mountain Bike interest site. Bring the community of hardcore riders to one place. Allowing the user to log in and get up to date information on trails, events and other things related to the MTB scene.

The persona for this site was:
users : both Male and females
Age: 14 upwards
Interest : The great outdoors, biking , Camping


Screen shot

Reaction to Kamil's comment's on chips..:)

Sorry mate but I have to disagree on your comment concerning computer chips under the skin. One of my main concerns is it's not for everyone, I think that if people where given the choice there would be a large percentage that would not want to participate. Just look at the whole idea in England of the introduction of ID cards, no one there really want them. Concerned with what kind of data is kept on it and who has access to the information. Now fling into the mix your implementing this in the way of imbedding it under the skin, there would be uproar.

It is also intruding and many people cringe at the thought of going under the knife.

Beside that what type of thing would you want the chip to do in regards to enhancing your life?

Kamil's Post

I should add I have no problem with ID cards here and I think they work well here, but on a larger scale when your talking 50 million plus it gets very hard to scale up.

Interaction and consciousness

I think that how we interact as human beings is learned over time and I think that we can interact consciously and unconsciously depending of our own experiences and I think this impacts on the things we interact with . Some interaction's become second nature and are done without a thought or conscious effort, where on the other hand things may need a little more deliberation before engaging.

Like Mike had pointed out in the recent assignment the door code for him was a new way of interacting with a locked door, for the people that live in Sweden it is common place although it is not implemented on the front door to your apartment, instead you interact with a key a more traditional method for most..what's the thinking behind that I wonder? they both take about the same time to open, if you have the keys in your hand. This also means remembering a lot of four digit codes which can of course get confusing when trying to remember everyone's.

What makes interactive media interesting

The things that make it interesting for me is all the new possibilities to do far more things on a cross platform nature not just on the internet. Reaching out to a wider audience with new and innovating ways of delivering rich content and user experience.

The advances in new technology has bridge the gap between devices and also helped to bring all types of media together, it would now seem that you are only limited by your thoughts .

one example of new technology that interests me would be the emergence of technologies such as augmented reality and its use with mobile phones. Mobile phones today do far more than just making a call or sending a message and now play a major part in almost everyone lives. Application are begin developed every day to bring different types of services and interaction with your phone. This makes it for me a very interesting topic. I also find it very interesting as the subject of Interactive Media Design covers such a wide variety of industries.