E-Portfolio

 Artifact 8
Friday, April 1


Artifact 9
Thursday, April 7


Artifact 10
Friday, April 15

Artifact 10: Internet Distraction, Movie-Going and Addiction

I picked the article, "Out There in the Dark, All Alone" by Manohla Dargis.  The article talks about the radical change in how Americans "go to the movies".  A statistic in the article states that 90 million Americans went to the movies each week in 1948.  This number is much higher than the 23 million who currently go to the movies each week.  Why?  Well the author says that because of the new ways we can access movies, it's no longer neccessary to run out and see a movie more than once.  Back in the 40's, people had to see a move they liked twice because they would probably not ever see the movie again after the theater stopped playing it.  Now we have ways to access any movie, at any time, through technology.  For intstance, people can now watch movies not only on their tvs, but on their computers, ipods, cell phones, etc,. 

To define some terms used in the article:

• on-demand era - the current time period in which people can instantly access movies and other media using the internet and other technologies.
• modernity - not oldness, newness or novelty
• cinema - from the Greek word kinema which means motion and emotion

In my view, it is totally understandable why people don't go to the movies in such large numbers anymore.  I mean think about it: you go to the movie theater and spend 10 dollars or more for a ticket. You then spend an additional 15 or so dollars on the overpriced snacks offered there. After this, you go into the theater to find a seat, but if you don't get their early there will only be the crappy seats left, the ones that nobody wants.  Also when going to the movies, one risks being seated next to someone who is A. talking through the movie, B. making a bunch of noise with their snacks, or C. fights you for the armrest.  Of course there are many more scenarios that could negatively affect your movie going experience, but these should do for now.

So why do all of that to see a movie when we have a plethora of other options for movie viewing?  There are so many ways that we can access movies now, that sometimes it doesnt make a whole lot of sense to actually go to the movies.  It makes sense to watch movies in the comfort of your own home, not only because it is comfortable, but because we have the ability to see a movie more than once, very cheaply.  So I definitely understand why the numbers of movie-goers have gone down.  It wouldn't make a whole lot of sense if they didn't.

Artifact 9: Sharing

I had not idea that museums were using the internet to such a great magnitude.  I really think that it's interesting because no one thinks of an art museum as being all that technological.  Some of the technological ideas that they are including in the museum exhibits and on the museum's website were really cool, not only because it's technological, but because it's amazing that we can do these things.  Not too long ago, the art museum was just a place that you go to in order to see art.  Now, there is so much more to it.  Facebook pages, and online involvment are important for keeping the museum interesting and keeping people coming.  Do we really think that people would be interested in going to the art museum now if there wasn't a technological component to it?  I liked when the author said that the museums are trying not to get caught up in fads, because this shows me that they don't see the technological movement as a fad.  They are trying to permanently transform the museum experience to something that captures the attention of this generation.  I would definitely be interested in some of these things if they were offered at the St. Louis Art Museum.  Who knows? Maybe they will catch on to this trend soon!

Artifact 8: "Social Networking & Gaming for Health"

It's amazing how much of a difference technology is making in every aspect of our lives!  Now we have healthcare information readily available online which I think is just fantastic.  I have gone online many times to seek information about an  illness or some other health issue.  This really helped me know what was going on with me and often times gave me remedies to fix it myself without going to the doctor.  However, if I did end up having to go to the doctor, the availability of this information online really helped me know: A. what to tell my doctor about the illness, and B. what I think it could be.  Doctors aren't miracle workers!  So I am so glad to have the ability to participate in my own healthcare and be aware of what's going on in my body. 

The part of this video that I found very interesting and surprising was when they talked about the video games that kids play in which characters in the game are combatting cancer cells.  The statistics of how much better these children were in their treatment was amazing.  It's amazing what wonders our minds can do for us when put into the right mindset.  This was a totally new concept to me, but I think it's great.  Hopefully all children with cancer will have access to this game or one like it to help them to understand their illness, and to get their mind around the idea of fighting it.

Artifact 7: Professors Use Technology to Fight Student Cheating

In this article, the author discusses about a million and one ways to catch cheaters on college campuses.  Although they thought of some really cunning and effective methods of catching cheaters, I don't think it will matter much because people who want to cheat, will. 

I have two issues with this article:
1. Although I agree that cheating is completely, 100% wrong, there is never going to be a fool proof way to put an end to it.  Let's face it, college kids are younger, and therefore more adept in computer technology.  This means that no matter what a college professor does to deter cheating, it is going to happen.
2. Although you only see one side of the argument from this article, it seems to me that the teachers that the author interviewed were more concerned about cheating than anything else that occurred in their classrooms.  While I do believe that the prevention of cheating should be high on the priority list, it shouldn't be the number one concern in the classroom.  Because, believe it or not, there many students who don't cheat and deserve just as much attention in the classroom.  If a teacher spends all of their time trying to reprimand cheaters, where does that leave the non-cheaters?  They are there to actually learn, and the constant war with cheaters will take away from their learning experience. 

So paying too much attention to cheaters is no good because it brings down the integrity of the learning process.  And paying no attention to cheaters is also a negative option.  So while I agree with that these professors are doing, I think that they should be sure to do it moderately, and balance these ploys with the actual classroom activities that should be taking place.

Artifact 6: I am Anonymous

Anonymity has been totally abolished since the development of the internet.  This is scary because it seems like people can no longer do the things that they want to do or say the things that they want to say.  This website that he talks about in the video gives people a place where they can be free to talk about whateever they want and express themselves in whatever way they choose.  The wonderful thing about the site is that it is totally anonymous.  Therefore, the people of the site cannot get themselves into trouble online for anything that they say because they cannot be tracked.

I think that the internet should be entirely anonymous because we live in a country where freedom of speech is a right.  However, with internet tracking, people can become targets because of their speech or beliefs.  I like the idea of this site, and it seems to be very popular.  It also shows that when people feel like they are free do express themselves, some revolutions and movements can be started online, such as the one he talked about with the cat abuser who was caught and put in jail for his crimes.  I think that people can use the internet for some real good, and this website shows it.

Artifact 5: Thank Sex for Making the Internet Hot

I had no idea that sex paved the way for the way we use internet today.  That was a huge surprise.  Learning about the guy who dropped out of school to create a porn site was interesting.  He knew that sex was where the money was and he was right! 
Until recently, sex sites were the most visited areas of the internet and they contributed to how we use the internet today.  For instance, e-commerce was pioneered by pornographers so that they could take their customers' credit cards over the internet.  Porn is a huge money making empire, and this is a well known fact even though it isn't spoken of much.  Porn is a very popular business, but the statistics of internet porn are shocking since people never talk about it, and it has some negative conotations attached to it.
I was not so much shocked at the statistics of internet porn, as I was shocked that it was such a driving force behind how the internet developed, and how it is used today.