Finish Digital Nation

Lets finish Digital_Nation..

Then we will have a discussion about the film, followed by any questions or topics raised from your assignment (reposted below)



Social Media and The Wisdom of the Crowd Postings (DUE FRIDAY)

I would like to pose the Following topics taken from online talks from boingboing.net about "the crowd" - particularly the way group activity, creativity, and awareness are both enhanced and exacerbated by our digital networks. 

TOPICS LIST:

Open Source and Crowdsourcing.
What are the values implicit in both collaborative open source activities and "crowd-sourced" activities on behalf of a corporation or organization? Has the open source movement created new forms, or just copies of old ones? What are the possibilities, here, for new cultural and economic institutions, and how might they be improvements on the status quo? 


The Mob.
What are the, perhaps, unintended effects unleashed by our connectedness? Does anonymity plus connectivity always equal misbehavior and cruelty? How are we to explain some of the collective anger that seems to be unleashed online - and is it a result of the same anger characterizing much of our society's discourse, or is it the cause?

Whither the Individual?
As we join groups and social networks from affinity sites to Facebook, are we extending and expanding identities, or increasingly conforming to the cookie-cutter profiles demanded of these interfaces? Is the loss of "personal space" and "reflection" so many users complain of merely the necessary surrender of "ego" as we learn to participate as members of a more evolved "collective organism" of "hyper-people?"

Folksonomy and the Folks.
Everybody is, indeed, here now - but should everyone be here? Does the rise of the amateur lead to an unnecessary devaluation of the professional? Do collective online activities promote a new form of participatory democracy and the development of new and accurate folksonomies, or rather to they lead people to overestimate the value of their unconsidered posts and opinions? Do representative democracy, academic disciplines and other seemingly elitist artifacts fall by the wayside?

FULL POSTING DUE FRI the 1st:

choose one of the above topics for a blog posting on the topic equivalent to at least a 3 page paper ..

You can take a positive or negative stance towards your chosen topic, but you need to back up your opinions with examples from valid sources. This means to include links to your sources.

After that I am going to have you respond to each others blogs in the form of commentaries.

I

Continuing Digital Nation... Topics/assignment about the "wisdom" of the crowd

start at 1:11:32 on tues.

Today we will finish watching Digital Nation--> we left off at 34:08, I believe

Watching Rushkoff and Dretzin's Digital Nation

life on the virtual frontier

I would like to pose the Following topics taken from online talks from boingboing.net about "the crowd" - particularly the way group activity, creativity, and awareness are both enhanced and exacerbated by our digital networks. 

TOPICS LIST:

Open Source and Crowdsourcing.
What are the values implicit in both collaborative open source activities and "crowd-sourced" activities on behalf of a corporation or organization? Has the open source movement created new forms, or just copies of old ones? What are the possibilities, here, for new cultural and economic institutions, and how might they be improvements on the status quo? 


The Mob.
What are the, perhaps, unintended effects unleashed by our connectedness? Does anonymity plus connectivity always equal misbehavior and cruelty? How are we to explain some of the collective anger that seems to be unleashed online - and is it a result of the same anger characterizing much of our society's discourse, or is it the cause?

Whither the Individual?
As we join groups and social networks from affinity sites to Facebook, are we extending and expanding identities, or increasingly conforming to the cookie-cutter profiles demanded of these interfaces? Is the loss of "personal space" and "reflection" so many users complain of merely the necessary surrender of "ego" as we learn to participate as members of a more evolved "collective organism" of "hyper-people?"

Folksonomy and the Folks.
Everybody is, indeed, here now - but should everyone be here? Does the rise of the amateur lead to an unnecessary devaluation of the professional? Do collective online activities promote a new form of participatory democracy and the development of new and accurate folksonomies, or rather to they lead people to overestimate the value of their unconsidered posts and opinions? Do representative democracy, academic disciplines and other seemingly elitist artifacts fall by the wayside?

FOR TUESDAY HAVE 1/2 FINISHED TO START DISCUSSION, FULL POSTING DUE FRI the 1st:

choose one of the above topics for a blog posting on the topic equivalent to at least a 3 page paper ..

You can take a positive or negative stance towards your chosen topic, but you need to back up your opinions with examples from valid sources. This means to include links to your sources.

After that I am going to have you respond to each others blogs in the form of commentaries.

I would advise you to start thinking about and researching your chosen topic as we finish the documentary..

Digital Nation by Douglas Rushkoff

1. Discussion of Web 2.0 questions..

2.Discussion of Terms:
user-generated content
network as platform
folksonomy
syndication
mass collaboration
computer supported collaboration
social-software
mashups

3. Watch Digital Nation Online Today and Fri

Social Media and Web 2.0

IN CLASS ASSIGNMENT ONE:

We are going to follow up the last assignment with another photoshop in-class project.

For this assignment, I would like you to create another version of the last assignment.. so,
choose another example of a medium write a blog posting explaining the content, message, etc..
post this on your blog at the end of class..


Read "Social Media and Web 2.0" and The Blog Posting on Transparency in Social Media Please answer the following discussion questions Include any relevant links or media in a your blog entry due tuesday.

1. Today many TV shows and advertisements try to look amateurish or "homegrown" to emulate what is often seen on the Web. Do you think professional production values will continue to drop, or do you think amateur user-generated content will get better over time? WHY??
   
   
2. What social media sites do you find yourself using the most, and why? In your opinion why is Facebook so much more successful than MySpace, and do you think Facebook is "here to stay" for the long term.
   
   
   before answering question #3 please read the Transparency in Social Media Blog Article
   
   
3. Why is transparency such an important concept in the Social Media world? Is it MORE or LESS important in the offline world? Why?
   
   The wikipedia article on "Astroturfing" may be of help

In Class Lab to Complete McLuhan Photoshop Assignment

NOTICE:
You have Until the end of class to finish your McLuhan Compositions..

Make a blog post "McLuhan Photoshop Final Post"--Including your image and description.
Leave your self enough time to save your file as a .jpg or .gif not a .psd and post a thoughtful explanation with your image. ->This should incorporate the idea of content vs. message from The McLuhan reading and Lectures.

I will be here to help with photoshop questions as much as possible.

photoshop techniques tutorial

1. Photoshop Composite techniques for Production Assignment one

setting up a document
Layers
image size
canvas size
selection tools.. filters, layer effects
cut/paste
cropping
save as .PSD
save for web and devices


Production One: Channeling McLuhan into Photoshop

Project Description:

choose one of the three mediums you found from your previous assignment.
making the distinction between the content of your medium and how McLuhan would see the Message caused by this innovation

Seek out various Visual representations symbolizing this Medium and it's effects.

Photoshop Assignment Part TWO--- Due Tues. the 14Th
for next class: taking cues from the medium is the message, and WIRED magazine's virtual interview with McLuhan create a photoshop composition that VISUALLY CONVEYS shows what effect or significance this medium's introduction had on society.
You may use a combination of 4-10 or more images, Layering, Effects, Text, Graphic and Photographic Imagery to convey your ideas

For Next Class bring a Photoshop Document on Your Flash drive with your layers intact at a minim 800 X 600 pixels, 72ppi, that composites 4-10, or more different images to create your Photoshop Document .PSD

ALSO Post the a .jpg version of your progresss using the save for web and devices function to post on your blog.

remember

Make sure you explain the difference between the mediums' content and "message".

Start to come up with ways you will visually represent the effect and consequences that emerge in culture and society with the introduction and widespread acceptance of your chosen extension of ourselves.

Channeling McLuhan into Photoshop!

"The efficiency of the machine age cannot discover anything worthwhile now."
Marshall McLuhan, WIRED magazine interview

1. Discussion---> channeling a virtual Marshall Mcluhan from WIRED MAGAZINE

2. Look at some of your examples of mediums

3. Photoshop Composite techniques

setting up a document
Layers
image size
canvas size
selection tools.. filters, layer effects
cut/paste
cropping
save as .PSD
save for web and devices

4. Channeling McLuhan into Photoshop
Photoshop Assignment #1.1 Due Fri the 10Th
choose one of the three mediums you found from your previous assignment.
making the distinction between the content of your medium and how McLuhan would see the Message caused by this innovation

Seek out various Visual representations symbolizing this Medium and it's effects.

Create a New Photoshop Document at a minim 800 X 600 pixels, 72ppi, that composites 4-10, or more different images to create a .PSD that VISUALLY CONVEYS shows what effect or significance this medium's introduction had on society

SAVE YOUR PROJECT, RETAINING THE LAYERS AS A .PSD AND STORE IT ON YOUR FLASH DRIVE BRING IN your progress next class

Mc Luhan Reading / Homework assignment 1

assignment one / medium/message
TODAY: INTRO TO Adobe Creative Suite. (see also What's New)
Setting up a document for this class
BASICS OF PIXEL GRAPHICS
TAKE NOTES!!

1. Passout McLuhan packet, be ready to discuss next Thur.
"Understanding Media: Extensions of Man (1964)" -- "Medium is the Message" read by next class

2. Discussion of Interactivity (In New Media)
If you are interested in further study/exploration in this see: Lev Manovich Texts

3. Post in 3 examples of current "mediums", innovations/inventions/breakthroughs in communication technology, along with visual examples of these mediums
One of these should be an example of interactivity.
Post these examples as a single blog entry by next class (Tuesday 7th) , but also save them to your USB drive.