Myspace Suicide

Here's a link to my webpage.

Futuristic Photos of the Past

I absolutely love ads from the seventies and eighties, particularly ads about technology. Here are a few of my favorites.

Technophobia vs Technophilia

After reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Fire Worship”, and Vannevar Bush’s “As We May Think”, I was left with one thought in particular. Is technology pushed onto a society, or does a society push for technology? I believe it is both, and perhaps that is why we get such contrasting views when it comes to relationships between society and technology. Hawthorne’s piece reflects a "technophobic" view of modern technology while Bush’s argument reflects that of “technophilia”. Both authors bring up interesting points, but I tend to agree with Bush’s view, particularly his ideas about using technology as an extension of the human mind. While Hawthorne’s writing is engaging, and choice of words, beautiful; it’s hard for me to take him too seriously. I think he may have been reminiscing one dark and lonely night. Perhaps about a memory he had around an open hearth, we all get a little nostalgic from time to time.

In general, I think that technology can take on the appearance of a “threat” to society when it is carried out by a government in a corrupt or exploitative way. The Luddites failed to realize this when they destroyed all of those textile machines back in the early 19^th century. It wasn’t the machines that threatened the livelihoods of the textile workers; it was how the technology was carried out under the system of capitalism. China’s extreme censorship and heavy monitoring of the internet is another example of how a government can use technology to the detriment of a society. This BBC article on technology addresses China’s stance on the internet. It is very characteristic of the secrecy, propaganda, and censorship exhibited by China in the past, particularly under the rule of Chairman Mao Zedong.

For the most part, I think a society decides if a specific technology is useful, worthy, and morally acceptable. DDT, Agent Orange, and Napalm have all been subject to extreme public scrutiny because they were considered morally unacceptable forms of technology. To the best of my knowledge they are no longer used today. In many cases it is a society’s desire and demand that drives technological advances. In some cases it’s political; in some cases it’s economic. The technology that is created by a society, tells a story about that society. America has always been known for its pioneering spirit, whether it be in scientific discovery, technological innovation, or individualistic principles.

“Consider a future device for individual use, which is a sort of mechanized private file and library. It needs a name, and to coin one at random, “memex” will do.” – Vannevar Bush

How could anyone be fearful of such a delightful gadget?!?!?

Bush’s vision of the “memex” is so similar to the modern day computer it’s downright eerie.


“Thus he builds a trail of his interests through the maze of materials available to him.” – Vannevar Bush

Equally as impressive is Bush’s 1945 vision of linking information. Now a reality, it serves as one of the primary functions of the World Wide Web and hypertext.

Blogging is yet another extension of Bush’s vision which I consider to be a very profound technology. It can be a conversation with ourselves, or a conversation with the world. You get to decide. It can be extremely personal or public. Once the writing is published, it can be changed by the author, even deleted if one so felt the desire. It is a living and breathing document that can engage a meaningful discussion, or result in public scrutiny from its viewers. Most importantly, I think it a way for the author to become more aware of their own ideas and become self reflective on a regular basis. It also gives shy people like myself a chance to express their opinions.

No one can deny the vast changes that have come about after the introduction of the internet. Our lives are simply not the same. The changes came about so quickly, so rapidly, that it was hard for us to digest, process, and comprehend. Now we are left with a bizarre feeling. Such a short time, yet it is hard for us to remember what it used to be like. I often reflect and ponder how we ever lived without our cell phones, computers, and the internet. How did we do it? Has this process dehumanized us in some way? Is this the decline and decay of modern civilization as we know it!? I would be interested in what Nathaniel Hawthorne would say if he were still alive. Although these changes have strongly influenced the way we live, I think that it has been for the betterment of society. I am also astounded at what a visionary Vannevar Bush turned out to be.

Works Cited

Bush, Vannevar. “As We May Think.” The Atlantic Monthly (1945)

Hermida Alfred. Behind China’s internet Red Firewall. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2234154.stm. 3 Sept. 2002. Accessed 12 Sept. 2007

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 13 Sept. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation. 13 Sept. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org>.

Computer Memories

At some point during 1992 my parents received an Apple computer from my grandfather. It was an older model that had been sitting in a room, gathering dust for quite some time. My grandfather thought it would be a nice tool for my father to utilize, especially since he worked out of our home. I remember it took hours for my dad to set the computer up. He went downstairs and locked himself in his office. After about 2 hours had passed, my sister and I went downstairs and listened by the door. We heard him mumbling, talking to himself, and reading the manual out loud. He seemed stressed, so we decided not to bother him.

A few hours after that, he finally came up stairs, dripping in sweat. We all thought he was done setting up the computer, but he was only coming up for a drink. I remember how frustrated and bitter he got over this thing called “DOS”. I think he was also angry at my grandfather for giving him the computer in the first place; like he was trying to play some cruel joke on him. It ended up being too much of a hardship for my dad, but we did figure out how to play Oregon Trail. I really liked that game, but my oxen always died while trying to forge the river. A few months after we got the Apple my parents decided to have a yard sale. I got off the bus from school and there sitting in the drive way was the computer with a $10.00 price tag on it. It made me sad because I really liked playing Oregon Trail, but I didn’t want to make a fuss about it because I knew how much my dad hated the computer.

Here's a computer similar to the one that almost took my father's life

It wasn’t until about 1997 when our family got its first P.C. which was much, more user friendly. I spent numerous hours on instant messenger and in chat rooms, mainly chat rooms about music. My mom always got mad at me because I would stay up past my bedtime. “What kids your age could possibly be on the computer right now?” I guess she thought I was speaking to dirty old men. My response would always be, “There are kids still up on the west coast!”

When Napster launched a few years later I stayed up really late. I’ve always had voraciousness when it came to music. In a short time I had downloaded over 1,000 songs all on dial up, which amounted to many, many hours spent on the computer. I never really felt like I was stealing though. Through Napster, I discovered so many bands that otherwise I would have never known. I went to their concerts, bought their C.d.’s and was introduced to a whole counter-culture of people who were interested in the same things as me. I guess you could say Napster was a critical building block in the development of my musical taste.

It was nice to share

This Is Just To Say...

Hi, my name is Jessica. I'm an IDS major with a concentration in Sustainable Development, and a minor in Geography. I am taking this class to fulfill a requirement, but it's also a topic of great interest for me. I guess you could say I'm a bit of an internet nerd. I spend a lot of time on youtube and myspace, perhaps it's just the voyeur in me. Well, I hope you like my page. Bye for now.

Here's a link to my favorite blog, it really IS wonderful.

Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things

AND

This is a video of inmates at the Cebu City Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines, doing a synchronized dance number to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". At first glance, I thought this video was some kind of fun, extra curricular activity that the prisoners got to participate in. I mean what American jail would allow their prisoners to put on a "Thriller" show??? I later found out that the whole show was just for the warden's own entertainment. These prisoners are forced to practice 12-16 hours a day, while living in the most deplorable conditions. The video is both shocking and sad, and all together an amazing performance.