by Jodee Fong, Jennifer Wang and Lillian Vongratsavai
Bendegúz strikes a pose!
Bendegúz Daniel Devenyi-Botos is not your typical 20-something man, and he knows it. Having recently competed in reality TV show, 'Beauty and the Geek', Bendegúz has seemingly stepped into D-grade celebrity status. On his home turf at UNSW, he is easily recognisable with his 'cat whisker' moustache and whimsical dress sense. As if he had stepped out of a Charlie Chaplin movie, he wears a tailored suit, top hat and briefcase in tow, while most students don sneakers and jeans. “I know I am not Captain Handsome, but I do appreciate beauty,” he says.
Having participated in Channel Seven's reality TV show 'Beauty and the Geek', Bendegúz puts a lot of effort into grooming and appearance. He spends 10 minutes waxing and straightening his moustache, which he has nicknamed “little fellow”. And with over 20 hats and expensive tailor-made suits, Bendegúz has dubbed his unique sense of style as 'Bendeguizm'.
His passion for the 1930-40s period started long time ago, led to his unusual obsession for uniforms, suits, mannerism and the prestige of lordship. As for his signature moustache, he recalls “as a kid, ...whenever there’s a character [on television programs] with moustaches, I just like them a little bit more.”
But Bendegúz’s childhood was far from smooth sailing. He experienced the perils of childhood bullies, “I remember back in primary school I was bullied a lot. In fact, in high school I was bullied a lot [too].” He believes he was targeted in part of his immigrant background and for being different.
As the only kid in the school who wore a tie, Greek fisherman’s hat, blazer while other children wore normal polo shorts, he got picked on all the time. Children would always run away with his hat and make him chase it. He has also once experienced being poured with super glue by a classmate.“I had to...walk with my legs stretching because if I move my legs too much, the skin would rip.” Instead of reporting to his school, he fought for himself, like he always does. “One of the ways I got respect was that I was not afraid to fight. Even if someone was twice my size I would always fight.”
Bendegúz believes that despite being targeted by bullies and being content with his solidarity, people were attracted to him. ''I didn’t try to ingratiate myself with certain social groups, because I was the only child. I was quite happy being on my own. I didn’t need friends. [...] People gravitated towards me, which is what generally happens. People knew that I [had] a strong personality, [...] integrity, that I was different and I didn’t give a damn.'
With his Hungarian immigrant background struggling to fit in the school, it sounds as if it came from a Marvel action comic book in which the stoic underdog who later blossoms to be the hero of the story. And you can't help but wonder if Bendegúz has ever stopped living such a dream.
“To be honest I forgot about [the bullies]...They are not the people who dominate my life. Obviously [...] the resentment is there.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons Bendegúz was obsessed about “power and revenge”.
For a man who is so humble and open about his love life (or lack thereof) it is hard not to feel sympathetic towards him. Bendegúz has began counting his rejections: with 31 rejections to date, he is honest about the lack of love life. 'I’m just gonna be frank about this: well, I’ve never been popular with women in the slightest.'
The one and only love he has had so far was five years ago, in which he describes it as “the fortune to be loved”. The girl liked the look of his moustache back then, but has requested him to shave it off since “the moustache wax would accidentally rub off [when they get intimate].” He was too proud to shave it off, which is why they went their separate ways in the end. Since then, according to Bendegúz, it is “rejections after rejections”.
“Girls LOVE having me as a friend, I’m the best damn friend there is. Girls are just never or very, very, very rarely interested in me. Well I could go and talk to that girl but then I’m going to spend what? Six months of becoming her friend only to be rejected?”
In fact, Bendegúz did receive female attention for a while after his makeover in the Beauty and the Geek show. Like the ugly duckling turned swan story, he was transformed into a clean shaven and manly looking guy. Unfortunately, his old identity and looks took over the first moment he stepped out of the mansion. “I changed back because I am an honest man who wears his ideals on his sleeve unapologetically. If I am doomed to romantic loneliness because of it, then at least I have my integrity in solitude and can look MYSELF in the eye. I live for myself, not for others.”
However, some geeks have seemingly made the transition from 'Geek' to 'Beauty'. Lachlan, the winner of the latest season, has found love and started a career in the music industry. Another geek Gilbert has also been popular with women with his amazing six packs. But Bendegúz remains confident that his friends from the show would reverse to their old selves at some point.
It is a dire outlook for a gentleman with a moustache that wiggles as he talks, who continuously tells us “it's okay to be who you are”. You can't help but feel pity for the man who finds it difficult to reconcile with the world he lives in. As we watch him leave, we're amused to see him standing stationary, looking at his watch, then to the flurry of university students passing him by, as if he is actually trapped in time. “Oh my god! It’s Bendegúz over there!” One of the girls said.
The impatient, hungry crowd gathering in front of Eat Art Truck
With the food truck mania hitting Sydney, foodies are gathering in the city despite the cold and rainy weather to explore the latest food movement revolutionising Sydney’s dining landscape.
On this chilly and slightly rainy evening, I find myself in the middle of a buzzing crowd full of hungry Sydneysiders. On the crisp air from the Sydney Harbour, there is a strong scent of barbecue with a hint of sweet-and-sourness. Peeking into the kitchen, I was welcomed by the sizzling sound and hot smoke arising from the stove where the former Tetsuya sous chef Stuart McGill is cooking.
Located right in front of Customs House, Eat Art Truck is lucky to have its customers entertained with a sequence of striking colours with state-of-art 3D animation displayed on the sandstone building. With the Disney-like, dreamy music playing in the background of Vivid Sydney, I almost forgot I came here for the food. Finally, it is my turn to order.
Just as many pedestrians, Wong was attracted by the elaborate graffiti art printed on one side of the truck. I started a chat with him as he curiously walks to the menu stand displaying food ranged from $5 to $12. The first thing he asked me was ‘how long have you been waiting?’ I said 10 minutes so far. ‘That’s long...it shouldn’t take that long,’ he said. With my total waiting time of 17 minutes including queuing, ordering and waiting for the food, I am lucky compared to those who have stood for almost two hours at its grand opening. As soon as I received a hot pulled-pork bun with thick spicy sauces in my hands, people in the queue started staring at my food with envy.
Yes. It’s official: everyone has gone bananas for the food truck phenomenon in Sydney. The mania has hit Sydney with the opening of the second food truck - Eat Art Truck. Originating in the US, the trend has proven successful in major cities such as London and Melbourne. 10 Sydney-based operators were chosen among 30 competitors by food critics. As part of the city’s 12-month trial of Night Time Policy, opening hours of these trucks are planned around the closing times of existing cafes and restaurants; four hours maximum for each period. Each truck has its own artistic design, as promised to be a part of its sensational package. They offer affordable gourmet street food ranging from Chinese Yum Cha, Mexican tacos and burritos, organic dessert, vegetarian and Italian. The 13 approved sites include the CBD, Sydney Central, Alexandria, Annandale, Glebe, and Haymarket.
Out of the ten licensed food trucks, there are two rolling in the city at the moment. As one of the very first fleet, Cantina Mobil serves authentic Mexican food including Mexican-imported nachos and non-alcoholic Sangria. The prices vary from $4.5 per taco to $10.9 per burrito. It took them three minutes to serve each customer, in vast contrast to the cooking time of Eat Art Truck. ‘What makes [us] unique is the way we cook. The slow roasted meat [is prepared] up to six hours, as well as the sauce,’ said one of the owners, Rode Vella. Having run a Mexican and Spanish restaurant in Manly for nine years, his philosophy for food doesn’t vary much from his former restaurant. ‘Our goal is to make sure we feed people with really good food. The key to this industry is the gourmet taste and [word of mouth].’
Owner of Cantina Mobil and his team serving it up on a chilly Thursday night
Even though these food trucks enjoy the luxury of an efficient kitchen with low overheads and flexibility, one critical factor of the business is its location. On a Thursday night, Cantina Mobil has experienced a slow night in Queens Square. Located in a quiet side street two blocks away from Martin Place Station, most customers were office workers, passer-bys and foodies who came especially for the food. With the cold weather in Sydney, ‘people are always rushing home...[business] wasn’t that great in some other locations [as well],’ said Vella. ‘We are constantly on the hunt to file [better] locations that aren’t on council’s land.’
Although many have agreed that the food served is great, there are some sceptics. With the price of $12 for a pork bun from Eat Art Truck, some find it too small for their appetite and the quality not worthy of the price. David, a Czech who has stayed in Sydney for seven years, chose a Big Mac over Eat Art Truck. ‘I don’t know what “this” is (pointing at the food truck), but I know what McDonalds is, [which is just a few steps away].’
Using social media as a major tool to communicate with the foodies, the truck owners release real-time updates on the time and venue two to three hours before serving. Most of them don’t have an official website. It was only an hour before vending when a cancellation was made through Eat Art Truck’s twitter account due to pouring rain on a Saturday. Some might support this short-noticed system. Carsten, a traveller from Melbourne, went all the way from his hotel to the Eat Art Truck after reading the news update on Facebook.
There are also people who find this last-minute update system ‘completely insane’, ‘[We] went all the way from Pennant Hills to the city to try their food and only like what, 40 minutes before [the event] they tell us “Whoops! Sorry! We’re rained out!”on Twitter? [I feel like telling them] “Whoops! Sorry but we’re on our way!”‘said Joanne, a mother of two.
The City of Sydney, a council which licenses these trucks, will release a smartphone application for foodies to track the trucks down as soon as all the trucks are on the road.
While people know about the food trucks mostly from television, newspaper, word of mouth and social networks; the rest remains uninformed. Many of the owners of small cafes and restaurants around the area, including the manager of Appetito, an Italian restaurant in The Rocks, have never heard of the trucks. ‘We offer different [kind of] service. Here we have nice atmosphere and luxurious food. If people want a quick bite they’ll just go there. It’s not like they’ll cancel their reservation just because they see the truck in front of [our restaurant].’
It was once reported in Sydney Morning Herald that there are concerns about the competition from these trucks. However, all small cafes are closed by the time these food trucks are operating. Out of all the eight nearby restaurants and food kiosks, none of them have heard about their competition, let alone feel threatened by it.
With hype building to monstrous proportions, you might question how long these trucks will continue to blossom? Are they really prepared to handle the frenzy of Sydneysiders who really love their food and booze?
You can spare yourself the trouble of chasing these trucks by embracing the next big food movement: underground dinning, as known as ‘guestuarant’.
Again, originating in the US, underground dining is the concept of spontaneous supper club and closed door dining in private space such as homes, galleries and offices. Strongly influenced by the food truck culture, underground dining is exclusively for its members or people who are listed by strict recommendations. Serving a surprise menu of authentic food made by the host with home decorations and alternative music, a sense of novelty, intimacy and secrecy is built within the groups of strangers.
Some secret dining groups are also closely aligned with political and social movements for like-minded foodies. Members will be sent a private message on the same day, or even hours before the one-off event, requested with a strict code of conduct.
As a further diversification to Sydney being a cultural hub, the food movement echoes the art happenings in the 70s and music raves in the 80s. The landscape of dining is rumoured to be transformed by these spontaneous dinners of secret locations, homemade decor, live music and a surprise menu with authentic ingredients.
In this bad economy, foodies are now looking for an affordable yet intimate quality eating experience. So caterers, make sure you’re prepared for the mayhem to come!
Behind the scenes: Shermaine Heng tells her struggles and fun to be in a ‘glammed-up’ fashion world
At the age of 23, Shermaine Heng has completed six internships in the area of fashion, marketing and public relations (PR) within two years. As a fresh undergraduate, she now furthers to climb on her career ladder within the fashion industry.
Shermaine works as the Senior Account Executive of a high-end Australian publication, ‘Poster Magazine’, established in Australia and Pan-Asia. The magazine pioneers to inspire people with high disposable income through exposure of the latest in luxurious fashion, design, automobiles, travel and global affairs. The job requires her to write proposals and present them to clients, which encourages collaborations with Poster Magazine through involvement in editorials, advertisements and photo shoots.
After her graduation at the end of 2010, Shermaine decided to pursue her dreams. She stepped out of her comfort zone, left her family and friends in Perth and explored the glamorous city life in Sydney by herself.
‘Fashion and design is something I’ve always wanted to do, since I was a kid,’ Shermaine says. This has brought her to a sophisticated and networked hub of professionals, artists, models as well as well-known businessmen.
When asked if her boss resembles with the demanding boss of a fashion magazine as portrayed in the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, she smiles, ‘well, most of the people I’ve met are nice. But I do get extraordinary requests and asked to do things that I’ve never heard of before. ’ She often finds herself getting thrown in the deep-end, leaving her rather clueless but figures it really is the best way to learn. Google often helps, along with shout-outs over the paintings of seascapes used as a barrier between herself and her fellow workmates.
She then continued with interesting stories of her internships: ‘It was an ‘eat pork’ campaign. The producers wanted to place wings on cooked pigs under a cloche so I had to hunt around a shopping centre to buy all the available wings…from crafty, glittery wings to big, dress-up angel wings.’
There was another time when she spent six hours arranging shoes, from high heels to Converse sneakers, in a perfectly colored coordination on the shelves. She also organized the coat hangers in the showrooms and ensured that they were ‘perfectly and evenly spaced with exactly one centimeter apart’.
There have been other unusual encounters along the way. When working for a fashion festival, she had to frantically search for appropriate background videos and music for a runway show, just a few minutes before it began. She also had to ask her father, CEO of Refresh Pure Water, to drive the company van and personally deliver boxes of bottled water to a fashion bar at midnight as there were no other suppliers.
When it comes to the most unforgettable experience is, she recalls ‘running around the entire city to look for a Diet Coke in a glass bottle because her boss absolutely refused to drink Coke from a can.’
‘Of course I don’t like all of the work that I have been required to do. But because of my passion, I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time at all. For most of the time, I enjoy what I’m doing!’
The job only provides her with a basic monthly salary and her longest extended working hours were from 9am to 1am, without extra pay. However, Shermaine does not see this as a disadvantage, ‘It’s like that In this industry. People don’t get paid very well in the first few years. Money shouldn’t be a priority if you want to be part of the fashion industry. It’s all about connections, networking and the experiences that you gain.’
Regardless of all the long hours and low starting pay, Shermaine gets to travel around the world and is invited to numerous A-list events and parties, such as the Vivid Sydney launch party, concert after-parties, product launches, as well as art gallery exhibitions and openings.
She remembers one of the best moments as ‘getting inspired by all the successful people I meet. It’s amazing how talented people like artists and professionals can work seven days a week not for money, but for their passion and be motivated all the time. As one said, “It’s not considered work when you love what you do.” ’
Alone in Sydney, struggling for her career, Shermaine does not regret any bit of her decisions. Instead, she is grateful to be granted the opportunity. ‘It is very hard to get into the industry. But once you’ve started and worked hard enough, you can excel.’
Shermaine replies to whether she thinks she is successful, ‘no, not at all. This is just the start of it.’ Quickly finishing her lunch, she looked at the time from her Blackberry and then hurried back to her office to make up for her half-an-hour lunch break.
Rodney Disciple Ahenkan raps in the stage, where audiences in the church raised, started clapping and even crying.
Rodney was tall and muscular. When we first met, what got my attention wasn't Rodney's big physique, but his huge bag full of notebooks. It was later revealed that he carries his written poems and music compositions with him wherever he goes. With his good manners and unquestionable confidence, it is hard to believe he's had a dark past.
Unlike most rappers, Rodney combines poetry in his lyrics and raps about his faith, lifestyle and religion and that his listeners can relate to. “[Mainstream] songs are always about sex, money or a woman being objectified as a piece of meat in the club, I found them degrading.”
God, Rodney’s inspiration, always comes first in everything he does, including his music. His stage name is D.I.S.C.I.P.L.E- the abbreviation of Dedicated In Serving Christ In Preparation of Living Eternally. Even for his internet account names, he includes the number ‘314’ that stands for ‘three’ nails where Jesus was killed; ‘one’ cross where Jesus was hanged; and ‘four’ for forgiveness.
Rapping about religion for seven years now, he has released singles, albums and gained reputation in the church community around New South Wales. However, there is a dark story behind his success.
“People deserve a second chance. And the second chance was given to me by God.”
This can be traced back to the time when Rodney was four years old. Before his parents divorced, his father had abused his mother to a point where she developed sickness. Rodney was separated from his family by foster care for a few months before re-uniting with his mother.
Rodney was rebellious in his teenage years. He started drinking and beating people up. “Life was unfair. I didn’t have a proper family and we were poor. I wanted to see people in pain because I was always in pain. It made me feel better,” he recalls.
The turning point came at the age of 15 when God transformed him. “I was always forced to go to the church and I didn’t believe in God. But in 2005, when we were praying in a camp, I saw God. From that moment, I believed God exists.” Since then, Rodney has become a better person.
At 16, he taught himself piano by playing random key chords. In addition, he started composing music and writing poems.
“I would prefer to be known as a minister, rather than a rapper.” Other than normal rapping, Rodney dedicates each section to specific church members who are experiencing the downside in their lives.
Rodney has encountered a lot of frustration. “Some of my closest friends didn’t believe in me because I didn’t go the usual, American-dominated way,” however, he sees this as a test for him to grow “stronger, wiser and better”.
“The world we live in is so separated, with all kinds of discrimination and misunderstandings. I believe through my music, people will put aside arrogance and ignorance.” Other than producing music, Rodney spreads love by doing voluntary work that helps orphans, widows, homeless people, prisoners and prostitutes. “I don’t do music for fame. I don’t care about awards. Spreading hope, love and faith- that’s what I truly care about.”
I was curious. By rapping religious music, did he want his listeners to become Christian? Rodney shakes his head, “people don’t have to be Christian to listen to my music. What I value is diversity.” In fact, with nearly 2000 fans on Facebook, 30 per cent of his fans are Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim.
“People always ask ‘how much do you charge?’. I tell them I charge nothing. It’s whatever you feel. If you feel like blessing me and supporting what I’m doing, then go ahead. If you don’t give me a dollar, as long as I know I’ve moved someone, it’s fine.”
Rodney’s upcoming album will be released in December with a launch concert accommodating 800 fans. His future plans are to build a record label in Australia and perform in his home country, Ghana.
When asked about his biggest success so far, he smiles, “my best show is my next one, my biggest goal is my next appearance.”
Visit D.I.S.C.I.P.L.E.’s fan page to find out more:
www.facebook.com/314disciple
The Generosity of New Media - Science, Technology and Innovation
This week's theme is a field that dominates and permeates every aspect of our lives. In the learning materials, we have explored the complex issues surrounding the scientific research - how the role of media has facilitated, accelerated and simultaneously slowed down the process of research.
While the lecture focuses on open and shared data's macro benefits and the communication between scientists, I wish to explore these various questions: How has the way of conducting scientific research transformed throughout the years? What are the changes in the communication channels of science? How have the sharing and publication of science (within academic circles and to the public) changed? How has the use of database facilitated scientific research?
Science, technologies, invention and innovation create ongoing transversals - they transform media, which then change all forms of science in what Murphie (2013) calls a 'feedback loop'. Wilbanks (2011) states that scientific research is still profoundly tied to the media of print, including academic journals, releases of latest innovative development and databases. The print systems aren’t very adaptable to the world of the internet, unfortunately. Even worse, the paper-based status quo relies on strictly enforced barriers to public access which prevent the rapid dissemination of vital knowledge (Wilbank 2011). Although this way enables secured profits through punitive pricing, such a rigid and outdated way of communication has diminished the transfer of knowledge. In addition, it has slowed down the efficiency of innovation in the research industry.
Producing and storing data is not enough. As Rosling (2010) puts forward, researchers need to be able to present them in a way that is both accessible and comprehensible for the viewers. A video below shows Rosling's short and interesting visualisation of life expectancy and income level of 200 countries over 200 years, using augmented reality animation.
If scientific data is presented in an easy and visual way (like in the video), the same group of tedious data immediately becomes much more engaging and meaningful. Thus, it is empirical for the industry to understand the philosophical transactions of knowledge - the importance of a platform which enables researchers to collaborate, publish and share the knowledge which is comprehensible to the public.
Though peer-reviewed work has arguably constrained the discourse of ‘fact-making’ in the scientific community, it has largely facilitated collaboration and critiquing of research methods. In academic circles, research paper serves as the ‘container’ of knowledge that is learned from and disseminated (Wilbanks 2011). Science knowledge has been turned into an economic transaction all because of publishing. Yet the current publishing system delays the dissemination of research, considering the time-consuming production and verification of journals and their standard distribution time.
Even though the cost of digital publishing and distribution is constantly decreasing, the knowledge industry constantly enforces legal covenants that make it difficult to transfer knowledge in research circles. With crippled knowledge-compression systems, under-developed protocols for digital science database, multiple hoops to jump through when publishing, such as digital library access and copyright law, it's getting harder to produce AND consume scientific knowledge (Seed Magazine 2011). But if we can enjoy free digital transfer of cultural objects, why should the digital transfer of knowledge be any different?
It's difficult to find a smart and transversal solution, especially one that overlaps existing ecologies of publishing and scientific practice. But how can we find a new and sustainable 'container' for scientific knowledge?
Perhaps a better way to facilitate scientific research and publishing is to think beyond the idea of knowledge as copyright. Emerging global challenges demand rapid responses and flexibility from the scientific community. This can only be achieved through a reformation of the culture and practice of science. Seed Magazine (2011) suggests a market-driven change toward access which tackles with the limitations of the outdated copyright laws - open source knowledge. 'Rip, Mix and Burn’ is an unspoken mantra in the distribution and re-distribution of cultural content in the digital landscape to disseminate knowledge (Wilbanks 2011). For instance, publishers like BioMed Central and the Public Library of Science use Creative Commons copyright licenses to grant all rights to their users to 'make and distribute copies, to remake and remix the knowledge, reserving only the mandate for attribution' (Wilbanks 2011). This is a fundamental change from the conventional copyright-reliant, paper-based research publishing to a realm where the data, ontologies, and machine-readable knowledge meet. Unlike our ordinary readable platforms such as blogs, videos and music, this system is a field where the publication of research serves as a distributed commons of knowledge which can be created, shared and spread without restrictions.
If all fail, maybe the industry can consider to transfer knowledge and skills the 'Dollhouse' way. Look at the short video clip below to get an impression of this amazing idea!
Dollhouse's concept explained
Basically, it is a technology which manipulates people's neural system to achieve a blank state. This requires people to surrender their minds (despite their willingness). Subsequently, their minds will be stored in a database and replaced by one of the personality imprints stocked in a character bank. If such a technology is ever available for humans, the science community could save the valuable, scientific knowledge in a hard drive, and transfer such data into people's minds, without corrupting with their personalities, of course. Instead of publishing via print and digital platforms with associated constraints such as copyright, one can easily purchase a hard drive full of knowledge and simply plug it in our heads. (Perquisite: if the distribution channels are fully established and the technology has diffused to provide affordable prices.) How amazing would that be? Yes, this is unethical, disturbing and a violation to human rights. But hey, for all I know, it's always good to have something to fall back to?
Word: Open Science
References:
'Dollhouse' explained in under three minutes Eliza Dushku, 2009, YouTube video, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0MhT7H-j1U>.
Hans Rosling's 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes - The Joy of Stats - BBC Four, 2010, YouTube video, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jbkSRLYSojo>.
Murphie, A. 2013, The Generosity of New Media - Science,Technology and Innovation/The Future, lecture notes, University of New South Wales, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.andrewmurphie.org/3091/lecture-notes/#weeks-ten-and-eleven-science-technology-innovation-invention-the-future>.
Open Science Summit - Openness by far and away will win out! 2011, YouTube video, accessed 16 May 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMxYymZ8Zqo>.
Imagine an Utopian world without hierarchy, just plain transparency. What would happen when no one is in charge? You might think there must be disorder and even social unrest. But in many fields of the real world, a lack of effective leadership has given rise to powerful groups that are turning the pyramids of industry and society upside down (Brafman and Beckstrom 2010).
Due to the shifts in the engagement with social media and the rise of other media platforms, there are new changes faced by social organisations, and threaten various institutions, especially our government. Consider the leaderless yet superbly powerful organisations like the Anonymous group, WikiLeaks, Al Qaeda; collaborative platforms such as Wikipedia and Craigslist. Think significant social movements such as Kony 2012 and peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing medium. Can you point out the common features between these media platforms and social groups?
Simply put, they all involve a high level of engagement with technology and interaction with social media. They mostly consist of a new sociological type - the graduates who reject traditional and endemic ideologies, who are driven by governmental and economic failures. They usually demand for the idealised autonomy and personal freedom. More often than not, these social movements are promoted through memes. These movements have turned traditional media events into ceremonial occurrences that are treated with reverence by broadcasters (Dayan and Katz 2007, cited in Usher 2011). Horizontalism is the golden rule of these social movements, as it 'kills vertical hierarchies spontaneously' and thus, is quintessential to eliminate bureaucratisation and facilitate communication (Mason 2011) .
So, the essence of the social movements lies within the people, the medium (social networks) and the cause. Technology is one of the key agents which unleash the force of the people. This intensifies decentralisation and ultimately influences businesses and world politics (Brafman and Beckstrom 2010). Isn't it interesting how these think tanks, grass roots organisations, networks and even politicians are using liberating media channels to rally support? Have the social organisations replaced the government as authority? Epipheo's video below illustrates how the Occupy Wall Street group is operated under a horizontal, transparent and leaderless structure. These social forces have changed the rules of the game. More importantly, they have challenged and defeated established institutions.
What is Occupy Wall Street?
The absence of structure, hierarchy, and formal organisation - once considered a weakness, has become a major asset (Brafman and Beckstrom 2010). Most of these social movements are driven by the same hidden force. The harder you fight this force, the stronger it gets. The more chaotic it seems, the more resilient it is. The more you try to control it, the more unpredictable it becomes (Brafman and Beckstrom 2010).
There are of course, many more challenges for the government, including 3D printing. Recently, Cody Wilson has designed a prototype for a 3D handgun and posted the blueprints online for anyone to download. After two days, and 100,000 downloads (Ball 2013), the State Department ordered him to take them down the computer-aided design (CAD) file. A few months later, two journalists from DailyMail UK even smuggled this 3D printed handgun on Eurostar without being noticed by the security check (Murphy and Myers 2013). What does this imply for the people and the government?
No doubt, it decentralises manufacturing and purchasing, it also provides much more freedom and flexibility for citizens to own weapons. On the other hand, the government is panicking about this development, which is why they have attempted to stifle the 3D-printer gun designs online until it ultimately fails (Ball 2013). It is not hard to understand the government's worries. The problem isn't so much about citizens downloading the plans, but the abstract risk of sanctioned groups, or those affected by export bans, downloading the plans and printing armaments (Thornhill 2012).What seems to be even more problematic, is the spread and reach of these 3D handguns in countries where weapons are not traditionally or lawfully allowed, such as Australia and England. Though this may entail a series of stricter gun control, 3D printer regulations and a lower transparency in governments, it is a good start for the citizens.
While the notion of governments operating under pure transparency is naive, that seems to be the trend. Governments are under immense pressure to offer a higher level of transparency through open data and sources, regardless of the strengths and threats it may pose to the people. As Styles (2009) puts it, “Transparent, collaborative decision-making is satisfying, even when you don’t get what you want.”
However, it is just as important to consider the downside of having too much transparency. According to Lessig (2009), 'We are not thinking critically enough about where and when transparency works, and where and when it may lead to confusion, or to worse'. This view has some level of wisdom. Indeed, what people want is transparency, without the consideration of when or where it's appropriate. When they find out the absolute truth, it will not liberate them, but disgust them. Though the process of enhancing transparency can be time-consuming and taxpayers'-resources-dumping, it would definitely lead to a fairer and more ethical society.
Word: Transversally (given in lecture 7, in preparation for the seventh tutorial for week 8)
References:
Ball, J. 2013, 'US government attempts to stifle 3D-printer gun designs will ultimately fail', The Guardian, 1 May, accessed 3 May 2013, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/10/3d-printing-gun-blueprint-state-department-ban>.
Bloomfield, A. 2013, 'How Much Does a 3D Printer Cost? Still Expensive, But Becoming More Affordable', Policy Mic, accessed 2 May 2013, <http://www.policymic.com/articles/41111/how-much-does-a-3d-printer-cost-still-expensive-but-becoming-more-affordable>.
Brafman, O. and Beckstrom, R. D. 2010, ‘The Power Of Leaderless Organizations’, National Journal, 11 September, accessed 2 May 2013, <http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/the-power-of-leaderless-organizations-20100911>.
Epipheo 2011, 'What is Occupy Wall Street (and how will it be remembered)?', Youtube video, 2 December, accessed 2 May 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VbrdplVRLw>.
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Usher, N. 2011, ‘How Egypt’s uprising is helping redefine the idea of a “media event’, Nieman Journalism Lab, 8 February, accessed 2 May 2013, <http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/02/how-egypts-uprising-is-helping-redefine-the-idea-of-a-media-event/>.
Zizek, S. (n.d.) 'The Interpassive Subject', The European Graduate School, accessed 2 May 2013, <http://www.egs.edu/faculty/slavoj-zizek/articles/the-interpassive-subject/>.
I find this week's theories a little confusing and abstract. For people who has not studied media ecologies or this course, they might not have heard of the terms 'Transversality' and 'Framing' used together as, neither did I before this week.
As technology advances, our technological footprint consequently enlarges. There are more assemblages and divergence between multiple media platforms, which in turn create new ways of doing things, and essentially, change our mentality, behaviour and perceptions towards old and new technologies. According to Murphie (2006), such change in attitudes and actions is known as 'transversality', in which the divergence or convergence of platforms result in dismantling or the gathering of elements. In other words, transversality is to grasp as much from infinity as we can.
On the other hand, 'framing' refers to the basic foundation and influences from the world in which our perceptions, beliefs and attitudes are formed and gathered (Cola and Prario 2012, p. 188). From our daily media consumption, our minds are 'framed' to behave, react and perceive a certain way, either leaning towards or extremely against the stance as portrayed in the media. As a result, our social behaviour, memory and protention is simultaneously influencing and influenced by the process of 'framing'. In short, framing is to reject infinity as much as we can in favour of what are known (Murphie 2006).
Being my skeptical (sometimes even cynical) self, I can't help but wonder: So what's so special about the formation of our behaviours and perceptions, as well as their subsequent alterations?
Scholars like to use these theories to explain the transformations happening in the media sphere. One example is the change in the music industry, where traditional CDs are no longer popular as free (often pirated) music is made available with the advancement of peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing, well connected networks and piracy. Does that mean the music industry is dying or more alive than ever? Neither. With the robust sharing capability and people's desire for easily accessible and up-to-date music, the industry needs to adapt to the needs of the customers and find new, legitimate ways that satisfy all parties with a vested interest, in order to sell music online. Yet the industry is not more alive than ever because it has failed to transform their operational modes to the current trends. Suing Kim Dotcom's MegaUpload for 'illegal user content' and raiding various music sharing sites is not a solution. The roots of the problem are their ancient business model and most importantly, the outdated version of the copyright law. There are numerous opportunities in the new era, it all depends on the company itself and its capability to change. Think Spotify and Rdio, online services which allow unlimited streaming of legal music with a fixed premium every month. A new service called Megabox was also introduced by Kim Dotcom to compete with music streaming rivals, and it boasted to allow artists to keep 90 per cent of the profits earned from their music (2012). As we can see, through the process of transversallity, pre-established frameworks (revenues through traditional distribution channels such as selling CDs) have been challenged, changed and diminished by a new technology and hence, users' behaviours.
Another example is the assemblage and convergence between printed books and the online platform, which created hybrid books, e-books and e-magazines. Through such transversality process, the pre-established platform of printed books has been somewhat diminished, there are more and more publications have axed their printed books production and moved their production to digital platforms. Think Newsweek magazines, which has been printing for 79 years (Saba and Lauria 2012), and the complete shutdown of the Australian Grazia magazine, as well as the recent announcement to cut the Australian Madison magazine (mUmBREALLA 2013). It is clear that these changes are done in response to the rising popularity of iPads and tablets, combined with the effects of a bad economy, which consequently result in a sharp decrease in readers of print-based media and decline in their revenues. The media has the power to 'frame' their readers into perceiving and believing what is true and what's not. In saying so, they should be held partially responsible for the Domino effects of printed publications. To me, how transversality works in the real world is not as ideal as depicted in the theory. It is especially saddening when the media has failed to figure out a sustainable model to keep both its traditional ways and to cater for those new tablets demands. Because ultimately, the experience and satisfaction from reading printed books will never be the same as e-books. I wonder if our future generations will be able to witness or experience printed books at all?
Transversality and framing take place on a daily basis. But the way institutions and individuals tackle the associated problems, is the key issue. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one question: How much are we willing to sacrifice for the advancement of technology?
Word: Data (given in lecture 6)
Reference:
Cola, M. and Prario, B. 2012, 'New ways of consumption: the audiences of public service media in Italy and Switzerland', Media, Culture & Society, Vol. 34 (2), March, p. 181-194, accessed 24 April 2013, from SAGE Journals.
Murphie, A. 2006, ‘Editorial’, The Fibreculture Journal, Issue. 9, accessed 26 April 2013, < http://nine.fibreculturejournal.org/ >
(No name) 2012 'Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom announces music streaming service', News.com.au, June 25, accessed 24 April 2013, <http://www.news.com.au/technology/kim-dotcom-says-megabox-is-still-coming/story-e6frfro0-1226407676843#ixzz2RXLXnrr5http://www.news.com.au/technology/kim-dotcom-says-megabox-is-still-coming/story-e6frfro0-1226407676843#ixzz2RXLKLPgP>.
Saba, J. and Lauria, P. 2012, 'After 79 years in print, Newsweek goes digital only', 18 October, accessed 24 April 2013, <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/18/us-newsweek-digital-idUSBRE89H0L020121018>.
mUmBREALLA 2013, 'Bauer to close Madison magazine', mUmBREALLA, 3 April, accessed 26 April 2013, <http://mumbrella.com.au/bauer-to-close-madison-magazine-148778>.
This week I find myself mourning the death of privacy, triggered by the idea of data, and its relation with media, humans, the social and all forms of institution.
Data exists in a plethora of forms surrounding our lives. It is anything that affects one or is perceived by one. One way of approaching data is to gather, process and analyse data from experiences, thoughts, memory, sensation or perception. This is known as ‘processual data’ (Murphie 2013). ‘Technical’ or ‘scientific’ data, on the other hand, is gathered and distributed by technologies ranging from printing presses to computers to complex scientific networks (Murphie 2013). In this post, we will focus on the technical data available and affecting our everyday life.
Here, we are presented with Latour’s (2005, p. 23-24) Actor Network Theory (ANT). This idea seemed pointless to me at first, but it was later proved to be simple and useful in analysing the intertwined relations between data, media and users. The theory is illustrated in my diagram drawn below.
In the diagram, an example is drawn from the networks of social events on social media (Facebook in particular). All the human and non-human actants/elements involved are treated as neutral, which subsequently forms a ‘flat ontology’. In the assemblage of social events, an actant is not just an object, but an association of heterogeneous elements which constitute a network. The image presents the various human and non-human actants involved in creating a social event on Facebook, and considers the relations between the two as well as some overlapping elements. The graph continues to explore the chain effect of a hypothetical change in a human element - the increased control such as censorship by local government, like the Chinese government. The graph illustrates how this actant’s change leads to the changes in all the other actants, and ultimately, the changes in the relations involved in the assemblage. Though the ANT model is useful in understanding the complex relations and elements within a social network, it can be seen as over-simplifying and undermining the important of human actants, which are treated as minimal objects just to accompany the data and technological elements (Dudhwala 2012).
With the democratisation of data, the sharing, distribution and access to data archive has become unprecedentedly easy. Despite the numerous advantages, it is important to acknowledge the immense threats behind this - users giving away their valuable data to the companies. Take Google as an example. As a search engine giant, major email provider, smartphone developer and location service provider, Google has a large stake in controlling our data. The data range from our personal details from our search history, to our alarms set on Google phones, to our locations and routes taken to work everyday, to our daily experiences captured by Google Glass, and even important information such as passwords, intimate conversations, which can be retrieved, predicted and tracked by Google’s services. By using Google’s free services, we are compromising our privacy and crucial information. Google's potential power of the world's information cannot be ignored. Yet there are no existing laws to protect users from these large commercial corporations, and most importantly, the government. It is so easy to give away our data even without us noticing.
Indeed, data is a powerful tool and an indispensable element in our lives. Some may utilise the global data networks with integrity, like Paul Edwards; while some may exploit and manipulate the access the important data. As Rogers (2011) says, ‘Anyone can take on a fearsome set of data now and wrangle it into shape’, particularly the data brokers and the government.
It is an interesting yet depressing observation of the seemingly ‘improvement’ of our lives brought by accessible and available data. Quilty-Harper (2010) suggests that data has positively transformed our relationships and advertising strategies. One of these improvements is the combining and analysis of users’ specifics to provide users with more convenience and efficiency. Think Facebook selling users’ personal details (age, interests, gender, siblings, country, relationship status) to advertisers and data brokers for commercial purposes. These data brokers trade specific information about people, such as their names, addresses, shopping habits, and personal data, without providing the sources of how they got it (Opsahl and Reitman 2013). Essentially, these data brokers work closely with the government, which poses an even greater threat to our privacy. Opsahl and Reitman (2013) show that government agents have access to extensive database and multiple social media sites on the grounds of ‘terrorist threats’, criminal investigations and citizenship requests.
It is not news anymore that content / service providers are doing this to their users. But should they be entitled to? Personally, I am appalled by the highly unethical practices of data brokers, and the conspiracy behind. The benefits of free-sharing and accessible data are undeniable, but how much control are we willing to give away? How many of the users have even considered the threats that these services pose? Even if we have noticed, how much influence we have to make it less intruding or make it stop?
Word: Augmented (given in lecture 5)
References:
Dudhwala, F. 2012, What is Actor-Network Theory?, Academia, accessed 14 April 2013, <http://www.academia.edu/542543/What_is_Actor-Network_Theory>.
Edwards, P. N. 2010, ‘Introduction’ (eds.), in Murphie, A. 2013, ARTS3091 Study Kit, University of New South Wales, p. 138-145.
Harris, D. 2013, ‘We Need a Data Democracy, Not a Data Dictatorship’, Gigaom, 7April, accessed 18 April 2013, <https://www.diigo.com/bookmark/http%3A%2F%2Fgigaom.com%2F2013%2F04%2F07%2Fwe-need-a-data-democracy-not-a-benevolent-data-dictatorship%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dreferral%26utm_source%3Dpulsenews?tab=people&uname=andersand>>.
Latour, B. 2005, Reassembling the social: an introduction to actor-network-theory, e-book, accessed 18 April 2013, <http://dss-edit.com/plu/Latour_Reassembling.pdf>.
Murphie, A. 2013, Lecture Week 5—(The Senses), Mixed Realities, lecture notes, accessed 18 April 2013, <http://www.andrewmurphie.org/3091/lecture-notes/#lectures-week-5-6>.
Opsahl, K. & Reitman, R. 2013, ‘The Disconcerting Details: How Facebook Teams Up With Data Brokers to Show You Targeted Ads’, Electronic Frontier Foundation, 22 April, accessed 18 April 2013, <https://www.diigo.com/bookmark/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eff.org%2Fdeeplinks%2F2013%2F04%2Fdisconcerting-details-how-facebook-teams-data-brokers-show-you-targeted-ads?tab=people&uname=andersand>.
Rogers, S. 2011, ‘Data journalism at the Guardian: what is it and how do we do it?’, The
Guardian, 28 July, accessed 18 April 2013, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jul/28/data-journalism>>.
Quilts-Harper, C. 2010, ’10 ways data is changing how we live’, The Telegraph, 25 August, accessed 18 April 2013, <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/7963311/10-ways-data-is-changing-how-we-live.html>.
There has always been some fascination about virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in human history. As represented in numerous sic-fi Hollywood films, we often encounter VR and AR in the forms of virtually navigated drones (think Matrix), systems which display holographic information, and systems which bring the virtual into reality, think the real wicked animals created from a computer in The Hunger Games.
While most of the readings explored the philosophical implications and commercial products of VR and AR technologies, I am most interested in thinking about them in the context of commercial possibilities and threats. But first—how do these differ?
Virtual reality refers to the simulated environment similar to or replacing the real world, in an attempt to create a lifelike experience, or to provide a virtual escape which can be significantly different from the reality, such as in VR games (Drell 2012). Virtual reality aims to remove the individual from the real world completely, and place the user into a virtual world where completely different sensations and possibilities are open to be experienced. It transplants us into separate, isolated realities that replace our sense of belonging within one sensory environment with that of another.
Augmented reality, on the other hand, is a live, direct or indirect view of a physical, real world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data (Wikipedia 2012). This modified, mediated (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) reality functions by enhancing one’s perception of reality and inserting technology into the real world to maximise or improve on the sensations. Augmented reality enhances our experience and perception of reality when engaging with live (but heavily mediated) views of the real-world.
Traditional AR is flat, yet attaches information intensively and effectively (Hidden Limited 2010). When it comes to recent breakthrough in the AR technology, one would immediately think of Google Glasses - a product facilitating augmented reality through enriching, sensationalising our vision and incorporating it into a computer screen. Visualising your Facebook chat in front of you instead of looking at it from our desktop or smartphone screen, sure sounds cool. If not, why would Tony Stark wear them to remote-control other automated Iron Mans in Iron Man 3, right? According to Hidden Limited (2010), AR has extensive commercial functions - it can be used as a tool to sell real estate, where customers can virtually foresee how the desk/furnitures can be set up, while displaying the costs related to each change. It breaks the barrier of the conventional laptop and smartphone, as AR technologies provide instant information whenever and wherever. In essence, AR allows us to embrace the new virtual world and a whole new space where our mind is the only boundary. According to Drell (2012), augmented reality can radically improve our lives by facilitating explorations; improving e-commerce and services associated with a product across boundaries of time and space.
For example, Lego used to enhance customers’ vision of what their boxed products looked after they were built. Another exciting movement is that the Sesame Street production brought still objects/dolls into lively characters, as seen in the video below. (It is really cool, please watch it!) It is believed that augmented reality helps consumers to envision what is possible and promised in a product.
Sesame Street Augmented Reality Dolls Take AR to the Next Level
Despite the overwhelming commercial potential of augmented reality, Havens (2013) criticised the intrusion of privacy, the blurring of the moral and social boundaries, as well as the ethical issues surrounding augmented realities. Indeed, these concerns are reasonable. Think about the latest autonomous drones developed by the American navy (Hennigan 2012). Flying plane/weapon without a pilot is no longer a dream or representation in Hollywood films like Oblivion, it has become a fact. Instead of controlling these technologies, the AR products in turn possess control over us, in forms of weapons, media consumption, beliefs and perceptions.
What about virtual reality? Most of the current virtual reality environments are primarily displayed on either a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information (Wikipedia 2011). They allow the creation of virtual worlds and enable users to participate differently in the virtuality of the world. An excellent and engaging example would be the virtual barber shop shown in the video below. Just plug in your headphones and close your eyes for four minutes, you will be amazed to experience a virtual haircut. (You have to do it to really experience it!)
Virtual Barber Shop Hair Cut - 3D Sound
So how did it feel? Did you feel virtually suffocated when he first put the plastic bag over your head? Did you feel a tingling sensation on your back when the barber cut the hair from your back? Did it feel real when he whispered in your ears? My answers to these, are all 'yes'. Such response from a virtual experience is known as the 'autonomous sensory meridian response', in which we experience a tickling sensation in our bodies in reaction to various visual, auditory and cognitive stimuli (Wikipedia 2011).
What does this experiment tell us? It proves that our sensations can be formed or even tricked by virtual elements. This explains how players can get so engaged and identified with virtual games and even create their second life, such as the game World of Warcraft. Indeed, virtuality is not just the mediation of transfer of message, it is also about shifting the whole field of human-social-ecological potentials into our future, and changing the potential relations that are embedded in that future (Murphie 2011). Due to this shifting of VR into the reality, many issues have arisen, including the mixing identities and statuses derived from video games. In some extreme cases, gamers that are overly attached to the virtual realities of World of Warcraft and have committed suicide after finding out their weapons have been stolen or hacked (Cheung 2005).
Critics have argued VR products are enriching individuals' experiences as they are exposed to situations that are impossible in their real worlds. However, VR products can get problematic. Imagine how dangerous would it be when virtual reality becomes aware of itself and gets attached to its users?
Examples include the first virtual sex device for men, which complement and synchronise with video aids (Gizmag Team 2010); and the recent emergence of virtual sex simulation game with series of 'fully-immersive erotic encounters', developed by Sinful Robot (Fox News 2012). With the intensified sensation, pleasure and glorified status gained from these virtualities, users are tricked to believe that they exist in and belong to such reality.
According to Murphie (2011), there are two sides of real: virtual and actual. And most often than not, the virtual is too real. When media speed up and alter the mediated realities, there is a reality change - a change on an either global scale or hyperlocal scale. And before you know it, you'd already be addicted to and blindfolded by these realities. Undoubtedly, virtual and augmented realities benefit our lives and indicate the future of human development - AR technology facilitates our lives and add layers and perspective into our realities; while VR technology provides us with a platform to experience entirely new sensations and encounters to enrich our lives. However, it is just as important to acknowledge the potential risks associated with exploitation and over reliance on these technologies.
Should one 'embrace the new virtual universe' and experience 'a whole new space where our mind is the only boundary' (The Future of Augmented Reality 2010)? It's your choice.
Blog word: Experience (given in lecture 4)
References:
'Augmented City 3D', 2010, Youtube, online video, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TL80ScTLlM&feature=html5_3d>.
'Augmented Reality', Wikipedia, wiki article, January 2011, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality>.
'Autonomous sensory meridian response', Wikipedia, wiki article, January 2011, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_response>.
Cheung, H. 2005, 'Parents blame death of son on World of Warcraft', TG Daily, 22 November, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.tgdaily.com/business-and-law-features/21757-parents-blame-death-of-son-on-world-of-warcraft>.
Drell, L. 2012, ‘7 Ways Augmented Reality Will Improve Your Life’, Mashable, December 20, accessed 13 April 2013, < http://mashable.com/2012/12/19/augmented-reality-city/ >.
Fox News 2012, 'Sinful Robot developing fully-immersive virtual reality sex game', Fox News, 17 December, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/12/17/company-developing-fully-immersive-virtual-reality-sex-game/#ixzz2ReEoG34I>.
The Future of Augmented Reality 2010, Youtube, online video, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnRJaHZH9lo>.
Gizmag Team 2010, 'RealTouch - World’s first virtual sex device for men (NSFW)', Gizmag, 10 February, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.gizmag.com/realtouch-virtual-sex-device-for-men/14126/>.
Havens, J. 2013, 'The Impending Social Consequences of Augmented Reality', Mashable, 9 February, accessed 14 April 2013,<http://mashable.com/2013/02/08/augmented-reality-future/>>.
Hennigan, W. J. 2012, ‘New drone has no pilot anywhere, so who’s accountable?’, Los Angeles Times, January 26, accessed 13 April 2013,< http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-auto-drone-20120126,0,740306.story >.
Hidden Limited 2010, Hidden Limited, Manchester, United Kingdom, accessed 14 April 2013, <http://hiddenltd.com/our-solutions/>.
Jurgenson, D. 2009, ‘Towards Theorizing An Augmented Reality’, The Society Pages, 5 October, accessed 23 April 2013, <http://thesocietypages.org/sociologylens/2009/10/05/towards-theorizing-an-augmented-reality/>.
Murphie, A. 2011, 'Virtuality', Australia, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.andrewmurphie.org/3091/course-outline-and-readings/#virtuality>.
Sesame Street Augmented Reality Dolls Take AR to the Next Level 2012, Youtube, online video, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2jSzmvm_WA>.
'Virtual Reality', Wikipedia, wiki article, January 2011, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality>.
Virtual Barber Shop Hair Cut - 3D Sound 2008, Youtube, online video, accessed 13 April 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IXm6SuUigI>.
Once upon a time, there was a young, cheerful girl. One night, she followed her parents to Manly Beach for a brisk walk. After half an hour or so, they all went back to the curb side to get some ice cream. As they reached the curb with street lights, they tried o sweep off all the sand from their feet, and put on their shoes. However, what the little girl found under her bare foot was beyond her imagination. It was a dead, splashed corpse of a cockroach attached to her foot. Her experience at such a young age has traumatised her forever. Whenever she goes to the beach, she sees the moving pictures playing in her head vividly, as if it just happened yesterday. She can feel the same fear, the shear shock the exact way she felt during the time of the incident. Since the unfortunate event, she has never walked bare feet in any occasion - not even at her home. Yes, that girl was me. Thanks to that experience, I now have a condition diagnosed as 'phobia'. Simply looking at the word makes me sick, not to mention looking at its picture or seeing it in real life. We don't need to go in depth of my fears, but for the sake of this article, let's call this creature "C". What's interesting in my suffering, is the embodiment of my fears and shock from years ago when I was much younger. When I go to the beaches, I can clearly remember my emotions and reaction from the distant past when that incident took place. As much as I regret this has happened to my childhood, it is surprising how much trivial events and for how long our minds can remember. This experience has moved from habitual to the conscious, with shifting forms of attention, memory and sensations which enabled me to apply such panicking feelings to other similar situations, for instance, walking along a dark street alone at night and being constantly aware and afraid of giant 'C's attacking me out of nowhere. This material memory is a spirit with its life of its own, circulating outside the boundaries of my skin and skull (Clark and Chalmers 1998, p, 8). In the paper of Clark and Chalmers, the idea of the 'extended mind' is explained. It is the division point between the mind and the environment by promoting the view of active externalism (similar to semantic or "content" externalism) (1998, p, 11). Through this concept, it can be said that there is a separation between the mind, the body and the environment. Applying this to my experience, 'C's, as objects in the external environment, are utilised by my mind in a way that they can be seen as extensions of my mind (Noë 2006). My mind is designed to encompass every level of the 'cognitive process', which often includes the use of external environmental aids, such as the similar settings - a dark night, an isolation street- which engage me into the scenario of my childhood trauma. Because external objects play such a significant role in aiding cognitive processes, the mind and the environment act as a "coupled system", where the external objects must function with the same purpose as the internal processes (Chalmers 2009).
'Perception is not something that happens to us, or in us. It is something we do,' Alva Noë wrote (2006). In fact, none of my feelings towards 'C's are by choice. Rather, they are involuntary emotions attached due to the random events happened in my life. Instead of remembering the pictures, sensation and emotions of that night within the boundaries of my brain for recollection, I have been actively participating in an extended mine, where there is an archive of the incident through a recording. Just as Chalmers said, “a lot of things that used to happen in our mind are now being offloaded into the world” (2009). Ultimately, I have been using the technology of an extended mind as a technical support for my haunted memory.
How do these 'cognitive technics' affect our interactions and communications with the world? One idea explored in the lecture is meta-communication, a way of communication that surrounds nominal verbal communication and carries additional meaning from non-verbal communication cues such as kinesics and paralinguistic elements (Segal, Smith, Boose and Jaffe 2013). Meta-communication plays a crucial role in conveying and decoding the messages beyond the spoken words, sending second level messages about the meaning of first level messages. Cues like facial expressions, change of tone of voice, accompanying gestures, secondary signals sent to bystanders. They are the unspoken words that help us develop our perceptions, sensation and emotions in a conversation. According to Gregory Bateson (2000, p. 23), meta-communication may match, contradict or support the verbal communication. But how much of these silent communication is ignored, due to our technological advances? Technology has become such an integral part of our lives that sometimes, we might accidentally apply the rules in the reign of the online world into reality. Ever heard those irritating kids saying 'O.M.G.' instead of 'oh my god' in real life? How many of the non-verbal cues are ignored in transmitting our messages through the Internet? Our understanding of each other and the quality of communication have declined with the rise of 'cognitive technologies'.
Another example of these 'cognitive technologies' include is our smartphone. Instead of remembering what events to attend and their times and venues, we now put them down in eCalendars and get reminders beforehand. The outsourcing of memory into technology has brought about a concern of ' los[ing] an ever-greater part of our knowledge' which may make humans obsolete (Steiger n.d.). Even though it is reasonable to have such skeptical concerns, there is actually a great chance of a new learning experience through these 'cognitive supports' outside of the boundaries of our minds. As Noë argued, our perception and perceptual consciousness are dependent on the capacities for action and thought (2006). To perceive, according to his enactive approach to perception, it is not merely to have sensations; it is to have sensations that we understand (Noë 2006). Although sometimes we have to switch off part of our brain to focus on another part, we can learn and explore more efficiently (Kay 2008), and have a better understanding of our sensations and about our past, present and future.
Word: Metacommunication References: Bateson, G. 2000, Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology, University Of Chicago Press, USA.
Chalmers, D. 2009, ‘The Extended Mind Revisited [1/5], at Hong Kong, accessed 30 March 2013, Youtube, Hong Kong, < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S149IVHhmc >.
Clark, A. and Chalmers, D. J. 1998, 'The extended mind', Analysis, Vol. 58, Issue 1, p. 7-19, accessed 30 March 2013, Wiley Online Library, <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8284.00096/abstract>.
Kay, A. 2008, 'Alan Kay on Learning', accessed 30 March 2013, Youtube, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50L44hEtVos>.
Noë, A. 2006, Action in Perception (Representation and Mind series), MIT Press, Cambridge.
Segal, J. Smith, M. Boose, G. and Jaffe, J. 2013, 'Nonverbal Communication', accessed 30 March 2013, Help Guide Org <http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm>.
Stiegler, B. n.d., ‘Anamnesis and Hypomnesis: Plato as the first thinker of the proletarianisation’, accessed 30 March 2013, Ars Industrialis Organisation, < http://arsindustrialis.org/anamnesis-and-hypomnesis >.
With the overwhelming amount of online media these days, I can’t help but wonder, how does it benefit or destroy the ordinary publishing industry we’ve always had? Today, I’m going to take iPad as an example to discuss on the dramatic impacts.
With the rising popularity of Apple’s iPads, there are more and more media arising that is compatible with such platform. It has even become a must-have study tool for many grade schools and high schools in Sydney. Many people say it has replaced the conventional textbooks, is it true though?
In the long history of publishing, humans have relied on the method/ technology of jotting down the ideas and process them with machines into papers or hand written on blackboards or other medium. However, facilitated by iPad, more and more publishers follow the trend of e-publications, that is, publishing online instead of actual printing. for example, instead of printing massive piles of exercises, teachers are now giving out the mathematical equations on students’ prescribed exercise application on their iPads. This is not a voluntary thing like it used to be when I was in high school anymore, it is a rather compulsory task. Each student has to pay for their own iPad with specific applications installed by the schools (at least it’s what they do in private schools). Student jot notes on their iPad, read texts and revise on their iPad, even produce their essays on it. The ordinary readers in the past have in fact become e-readers and e-writers.
This is not only happening in the education world, it is also the similar case in the commerce and business world. With the technology of iCloud – a program of Apple which enables 3G transmitting of data across time and space, officers tend to read documents and produce the respective PowerPoints or minutes for a meeting on their iPads. One minor adjustment done on their iPad, the next minute, it will be updated on their Mac laptop by iCloud. The same goes for newspaper, magazines and other publications.
So how has this transformation impacted on the publishing industry? Is it good or bad? Well, it’s a bit of the both. Undoubtedly, with the abundance of online publishing, like news status or articles shared on Facebook, news update on ABC.com, copies of Harry Potter on Kindle; there is a smaller demand for print media. But there is one thing that we cannot neglect: the need for print media will always be there. When we go to work in the morning, we would still want to quickly grab a copy of MX just to have a good laugh. When we are in uni, we would still want to take a copy of Blitz instead of actually going online and check out what’s new. Personally, I’d much rather buying books than reading e-books. 1. It hurts my eyes if I stare at the screen for too long, 2. I love the feeling an actual book gives me (the smell of fresh paper, the flickering of each page, the drawings and foldings that I can do to personalised my book), 3. If I were to spend half the price to get an e-book I might as well spend the full price or either pirate it or not read at all. I would also prefer to buy glossy magazines that sometimes come with little gifts because it is simply irreplaceable by e-magazines.
Even though the media landscape has largely been prioritised to the online platform, there is always this share kept for print media. It is not necessary a bad development for the conventional media, not to mention most media has already started their online empire….
Here's my morning routine: Alarm on my iPhone rings, I snooze. It rings again, I wake up. I put on my glasses, and laying on the bed, I check my iPhone for notifications, then read the news for about 30 minutes. No matter how busting I am every morning, there's just something about my phone that keeps my hands and legs nailed to my bed until I've had enough of news feeds every morning. The media has never been so interactive, responsive and addictive. The machinic assemblage and convergence of previously distinct media platforms into a whole new media form has led us to an unprecedented stage of evolution, where our 'machinic ecology’ - the combination of technology, techniques and technical systems - has been transformed.
Have you ever taken a look into our lives, and wondered how much of the part of our lives are being intruded by these instantaneous technologies? It is true that with the instant news updates and online communications, we have enjoyed easy and immediate access to the world. However, at the same time, how much of our user data and our personal details are given away in the World Wide Web? Think about the social chatting application Whatsapp. Not only does it give away our user data, it also allows our private conversations to be read and intercepted by anyone on the same WiFi network due to an insufficient encryption system. What about our beloved search engine giant Google? Google Now is a new technology supported by recent Android phones, which allows Google to give people information or advertisement they might need, without them even asking for it. Google knows where you are and where you are going through your phone, about your appointments through GMail and the calendar, your interests through your searches and much more. Using all of this information, "Google Now" can alert users to leave earlier for their appointment if there is traffic on the users' usual route. Is that convenient? Absolutely. But for me it is more of scary than convenient! These technologies are the media of the epoch that define the essence of our society and have vastly altered our media ecology. The term 'media ecology', as Neil Postman (1980) describes it, it is about how media technologies create our actions, gives people roles to carry out, and makes us play this role. In simplistic terms, media ecology delves into the matter of how media of communication affect human perception, understanding, feeling, and value; and how our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances of survival (Media Ecology Association 2009).
In this day and age, we all crave for the latest updates of the news. For instance, people prefer to consume stimulating images of natural disasters taken by citizen journalists with first-hand experience, instead of the pictures taken by the news crew which arrived the area two hours later the incident. There is a blur between the division of consumer and producer when all citizens can produce, share and comment in a click away. We all have become 'part time journalists', as Milissa Deitz (2010) once said, there is an 'intertwined and complex relationships between the journalists, accidental journalists, non-journalists, celebrities, bloggers and the general public'. An example is a video below (included in the news report clip), where a racist attack against two Asian tourists on a Sydney bus was recorded and uploaded by one of the passengers immediately after the incident (Ten News Sydney, 2013). It is this kind of immediacy and spontaneity in information that occupies our mediated communications.
'Technology has advanced to a point where it no longer needs us to make things happen, and I can safely assert that the roles have flipped: – we are now the ones who need this technology in order to operate and to function properly' (Postman 1980).
Indeed, such shift in the contemporary media ecology has serious implications. Instead of the effect of 'centralising and hierarchical media which privileges economic and social elites’s perspective on public discourse' in the television era, we now have an illusion of autonomy in producing and spreading information that exposes wrongdoings and secrets of the government (think whistleblower WikiLeaks) (Taffel 2008). It is undeniable that these technologies have create huge convenience in every aspect of our lives, but at the same time, we allow them to intrude into our private lives, closer and closer, inch by inch. Other concerns of these technologies's impacts include the increase of mental health disorders and stress related disorder, just to name a few (Taffel 2008).
Within the ‘media ecology’, there are information and technology which connect, disconnect and reconnect. The media can be seen as an environment and composed of living organisms and interconnected networks existing at the scales of mind, society and the environment which form an ecosystem, according to Gregory Bateson (2000). Even though there might be some scathing consequences of the new technologies, we can always find 'the same nagging paradox' (Taffel 2008), in which the continuous development of technologies can potentially resolve some dominant ecological issues, yet with an inability to constitute subjective formations to take hold of the specific resources to make them work.
A good way to put this is, “changing changes” (Massumi 2002). Let's all just wait and see what will happen next in our beautiful word of media after Google Glasses, Facebook and Whatsapp.
References:
Bateson, G. 2000, Steps to an Ecology of Mind, 2nd ed, University Of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Deitz, M. 2010, 'The New Media Ecology’, On Line Opinion: Australia’s e-journal of social and political debate, accessed 28 March 2013, <http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11410&page=1 >.
Massumi, B. 2002, A Shock to Thought: Expression After Deleuze and Guattari (eds), Routledge, London/New York.
Media Ecology Association 2009, 'What is Media Ecology?', Media Ecology Association, Washington, accessed 28 March 2013, <http://www.media-ecology.org/media_ecology/>.
Postman, N. 1980, 'The Reformed English Curriculum' in Eurich, A. C. (eds), High School 1980: The Shape of the Future in American Secondary Education, Pitman Pub. Corp, New York.
Taffel, S. 2008, 'The Three Ecologies – Felix Guattari', Media Ecology and Digital Activism, weblog accessed 28 March 2013, <http://mediaecologies.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/the-three-ecologies-felix-guattari/>. Ten News Sydney 2013, 'Racist attack on Sydney Bus - 2/4/2013', Sydney, online video, accessed 28 March 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=134SMR8DIlo>. Blog word: Machinic (given in lecture 2, in preparation for the second tutorial in week 3)
