Brittany2986's Blog

Concerns aboout the crash.

brittany2986 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:00:33 +0000

In the opening chapters of Hamlet on the Holodeck by Janet Murray, we are introduced to “the future of narrative in cyberspace” as the extended title suggests. I immediately thought of her novel when looked up Snow Crash on Amazon.com. Amazon has a feature that you can select that allows the buyer to read an excerpt of the book before purchase. The pages that I was allowed to read before I got the book were pages 38 and 39. Those pages gave me a general description of the metaverse that serves as a central figure in Snow Crash.
The world of Hiro Protagonist is one that we have been able to catch glimpses of in our reading throughout the semester. The idea that technology has become integrated into every aspect of our daily lives is one that is seen throughout the novel. The metaverse of Snow Crash brings into the forefront the concept of “second life”. Second life is a program that has since become a part of our culture. Commonly marketed by “The Sims” games early on, the idea of living a life on the computer and the net has spread exponentially since its introduction. In Snow Crash much of the characters lives take place in a space that is a mesh of the web and real life, known as the metaverse. More and more people have begun to integrate their relationships and activities into an online forum, social network, or game.
While reading Lessig’s text, Remix, I was introduced to the legal changes and consequences that our technological aptitude and advancement have caused. If we continue to evolve with the constraints that our government has on our creativity, a life like the world in Snow Crash might be hard to attain. Lessig’s fear is that with so many laws and regulations concerning copyright and intellectual property that the creativity and progression in technology of younger generations might be stifled in turn holding up our evolution as a society. The metaverse in Snow Crash has allowed for this progress to be made. There is less of a state centered world and more of a feel of the free market. More is allowed by society because there is less law and more weight put on the trade of education and ideas.
Many of the concerns addressed in the reading of our texts were seen in the novel Snow Crash. What would happen if our way of communicating was compromised? Could we ever return to a normal way of life if our technology was compromised? As we grow technologically as a society, we move farther and farther away from our instincts. The characters in Snow Crash have seemed to find that balance that is needed to survive in the natural world as well as in the metaverse that has been created. The authors of our texts may not have originally envisioned a world like the novel, but the novel can be taken as a valid representation of the ideas that have been placed throughout the semester.

Marrying A Zapper

brittany2986 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:41:21 +0000

There is a section in Jenkins book in the chapter titled “Buying into American Idol” called “Zappers, Casuals, and Loyals.” (p.74) While reading this section I was able to pinpoint specific people, shows, and series that fit into the mold described by Jenkins.

Jenkins describes Zappers as “people who constantly flit across the dial-watching snippets of shows rather than sitting down for a prolonged engagement.” To be stereotypical, this person is my boyfriend and every other guy I’ve dated. I think think may be a defense method. While watching television with me, he flips quickly through the trash television that I love asking me, “How can you watch this crap?” Then gives me a synopsis of what happened in the past episodes and the storyline of individual characters. Now, you tell me, “Who’s watching this crap, really?!” I think he is. He’s just a zapper when he’s with me so I don’t think he really watches “the crap.”

When I think about the Loyalist, my mind automatically recognizes that audience as 24 watchers. Any time I get on facebook on 24 nights it always seems like someone is posting before, during, and after the show. Missing an episode is not an option.

The web has made missing an episode a thing of the past. Jenkins mentions the TiVo as a new device that allows viewers to never have to miss a moment, but he left out one of the outlets that has changed how we watch televsion as well. The web with sites like “hulu” and “YouTube” as well as industry sponsored sites allow viewers to watch shows after they are aired even if they don’t have access to a TiVo. This allows for everyone to become a “Loyal” viewer.

A major concern to advertisers is that the TiVo allows viewers to skip over the commericals. Online viewing is a more effective tool for advertisers to use. The website has the control over what can be skipped over and how often the ad is plugged. Not only will ads be seen on the video roll but as well as all around the space that the video is airing. To be fair, I don’t think that viewing online was as prominent in 2006 when Jenkins wrote this book. The dilema about advertising has caught up a little bit although technology is still much farther ahead then what some ad men have found ways to integrate. They are catching up and finding ways in every time we try to find ways around it.

I guess they can still find refuge in those viewers who have neither a TiVo or initiative to watch a show online. My boyfriend will continue to be one of those viewers who thinks the computer will eat his soul and programming a TiVo is too much trouble. So continue with the Blondes Boobs, and Beer tactic and the ad guys will keep the old school frat boys watching… and buying.

Murray: Unfinished Business

brittany2986 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:14:44 +0000

In the section “Refused Closure” Murray discusses how technology has changed our narrative so that we never really have to end the story. She elaborates on how we are allowed to take different paths when reading, continue to surf on the endless web, and use cheat codes to continue on in gaming.

Briefly at the end of the section, she states that “The refusal of closure is always, at some level, a refusal to face mortality. Our fixation on electronic games and stories is in part an enactment of the denial of death.”

We see these ideas used over and over in the human mindset now. We constantly start over wether it’s hitting the reset button on a console or getting a divorce or going back to school.

Has this disillusionment with finality been caused by technology or are we simply just reflecting our displeasure in having an ending with electronic narrative? I guess what I’m asking is which came first?

Hello world!

brittany2986 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:11:42 +0000

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