Video Responses

'The Machine is Us/ing Us' by Michael Wesch

I was glued to the screen as I watched this clip. We always are connected to the web but rarely think about it using us. I use it pretty much everyday, from research, to communicating. In the beginning, the clip shows various ways we use the web but the twist is, in the end it's about how the "machine" uses us. How the "machine" can keep tabs on my likes, and find a pattern in my life by my frequent visits to certain information.

The basic idea of the video is that before, data was organized in a "stupid" way. HTML would only describe things such as how a text should be coloured, what's the size of the picture on a web page and so on..
With XML, we are describing the 'meaning' of the content. When i.e. you tag something, you aren't telling about its colour or shape, you're teaching an idea.  What Professor Wesch wants to point is that there are huge ethics going on with this. There's a terrible "big brother" going on...

'We Think' by Charles Leadbeater

I LOVED this video.  I think it was created beautifully, and extremely clever.   Very thought provoking and timely - this needs to be thought through as things are happening so quickly. I agree the old corporations are on the way out - history is being made and our futures are being reshaped in an extraordinary way. Even we cannot predict how different things will become.

Manovich's Essay

I completely agree that "It is only a matter of time before constant broadcasting of one’s life becomes as common as email." People appear to be broadcasting their lives via internet sites like Facebook and Youtube more and more. With the ever growing popularity of sites such as these as well as Twitter, we are getting constant updates of peoples lives. In fact i very rarely even receive emails theses days from friends or family as i get constant reminders of their lives throughout the day. 

This phenomenon is even more marked on Facebook, to the extent that to send someone a private message implies quite a high level of intimacy.    The constant advance of technology like cheap digital cameras and 'Mobile Uploads' , fuels all this as well as the likes of Flickr and Youtube. People take photos and videos as parts of their lives, and it seems almost inevitable that they will want to show them off to a much wider audience now that is is possible.  The quick and easy accessibility of it, make it to be a less time consuming way to let others know what you are up to. 

I believe art will still be possible after web 2.0. As Manovich believes, most the content is being produced by young professionals or professionals in training.  However i think this will expand, new talent is being is being discovered all the time, especially talent on the web.  Its hard to dictate who you would consider a 'prosumer' as people who make a carrier from online uploads don't need of had any training..

Laura Farrat