read:
- DTC 101 Textbook: 03 The Internet
- Program or Be Programmed by Rushkoff: 2. Place
blog prompt:
Vannevar Bush and Ted Nelson were visionary thinkers seeking solutions to the problems of information overload and hierarchical storage systems that seemed to stifle human creativity and associative thought. Now that we have the World Wide Web, in what ways have these visions of Bush and Nelson been realized? What remains unrealized?
video lecture:
Notes
Digital Media: numeric representation, modularity = perfect copies
Networks – tree/rhizome, nonlinear, distributed, many-to-many, peer-to-peer
Internet: “network of networks”, non-hierarchical growth, decentralized but hubs = power
Copyright = ownership vs commons, creative commons, fair use, public domain, free software, open source, hacker movement
Place (Program or Be Programmed) – biased toward dislocation, , non-locality
How do digital media and the internet simulate the local – communities, embodied living?
What are the consequences and the opportunities of mediating interpersonal interaction?
Project 1: Mosaic Probe – DUE TUESDAY JULY 13th
Write a visual or multimodal essay in the “mosaic style” of The Medium is the Massage. You may expand one or more blog post(s) or start in a new direction.The topic is open. It can be personal, argumentative, exploratory, evidence-based or creative nonfiction. However, the essay, should reference at least two readings and it should “probe” a single idea or aspect of digital culture and should address how digital media changes human interaction, communication, identity or community.
Digital Tools:
- Powerpoint
- Keynote
- Google Slides
- Pages
- Word
Guidelines:
- Do not approach this as a linear college essay with an introduction, development and conclusion. This a mosaic. Start by writing in fragments or as a mind map around your central idea. Integrate quotes from the readings, design and media elements (you may use images from google search) and put these into play with your written fragments. Then edit/refine the writing.
- Experiment with typography, color, imagery and sound, but try to make meaningful juxtapositions of text and design elements. You will not be graded on your design skills, but on the thinking you put into these relations
- Always check spelling and grammar. Always proofread your writing.
- Reference/quote from at least two readings
- 500-1000 words
- Include a notes section where you properly source any text, image, video, or sound file that is not your own
Idea suggestions:
- A reflective personal essay about how digital media has changed you
- Pick a social network and “probe” how the medium shapes social interaction and personal identities
- Expand a blog post or connect ideas from two blog posts
- Reflect on the consequences or implications of the reproduction, storage and distribution of digital media
- Speculate about the future of digital media 10, 50, 100 years from now