Thesis 14

Corporations do not speak in the same voice as these new networked conversations. To their intended online audiences, companies sound hollow, flat, literally inhuman.

I think this is really true. Corporations do not know what people want but they still try to sell it. Therefore they keep talking in this commercial advertisement way that sounds very inhuman. By trying to be funnier than everyone else they lost all the humor. It seems that when you go online you see only adverstisement. You are getting really confused about the overwheliming amount. Or they try to talk to you in a very mechanic way that attracks no one. I do believe that markets are doing a good job with this. They know how to attract their online audience much better than corporations do.

I think that the introduction gave a very good quote:
"But learning to speak in a human voice is not some trick, nor will corporations convince us they are human with lip service about "listening to customers." They will only sound human when they empower real human beings to speak on their behalf."

I think that that is the solution for corporations, if they want to catch up to the markets that do know how to speak in a human voice. It is definitly possible for corporations to catch up again, as long as they make a real change and not a fake change by pretending to be human.

By
Merel van Helden

Funny cultural difference

Hi guys.
I just wanted to tell you guys some cultural differences, even though they are not really related to class. But in the extension of our cultural differences in leisure time I thought I could share this.

The Cannabis College, an advisory body to softdrugs in Amsterdam, has existed for ten years. To celebrate the College holds a festival of ten days, including films and hemp wine. There are awards for people that have praised hemp and cannabis in art and movies and of course there are discussion about the legalisation of softdrugs.

I, for one, think it is ridiculous that my country is doing this, but in the words of Matt: You think why? We think why not?

By
Merel van Helden

gamer theory

Wark makes some cool points, i do find the idea of Gamer Theory interesting, especially the military entertainment complex Professor Dean talked about during class. I enjoyed when the class discussion moved to the topic of boredom. Two points were made (i dont remember who made them) but they both stand out in my mind. The first was "Boredom is what creates designers" and "Boredom is a liberation...a kind of freedom." Boredom as liberation or a kind of freedom is neat concept. What a cool way to consider boredom? I agree with that point. When you're bored you often need something new to do to keep you occupied. At this point you're free to move away from what you are doing and to try or engage yourself in something new. This ties into the point "boredom is what creates designers" because if people weren't bored or looking for a new entertainment outlet, the desire for new things would be non-existent as well as unnecessary. I wouldn't go as far as to say boredom is the basis of our creativity but I do believe that boredom is quite often the baseline for new ideas.

Overall, Gamer Theory definitely was a difficult book for me. The beginning reminded me a of a riddle but then once we got to the chart i began to feel very confused. Both times after the class discussions i went back and re-read sections of the book because i had a better understanding of what was going on. For me, the foreignness of what Wark was talking about made the experience of reading his book feel like a mini game...One where his content became some secret code that i had to decipher or crack in order to get to the next level of understanding.


-adrienne

A Community all about games - created by You, played by everyone

so i found this website - XNA creators club online - where you can actually make your own games and then other members can play the games you created. If i understand it all correctly, if you have windows creating / submitting your games is free, but if you purchase the premium membership you can actually develop games for xbox 360, which is cool.



-Adrienne

Gamer Theory

Gamer Theory has been a book I have struggled with. I have had a very difficult time grasping the concepts the author is talking about. I am not sure I like the format of the book. I know we talked about how the book reads as a game. That bothers me. I do not comprehend material very well if it is not directly stated. I know the points of learning and is dig through information and dissect information. However, sometimes the author just needs to get it out there. I would not mind digging around and figuring out what the author has to say in Gamer Theory, but every time I do or the class does, we get no where I feel. I guess I am disappointed. When i looked at the books for the class that we would throughout the semester, I think I was most looking forward to this one. I guess i did not live up to my expectations. I know I am putting off some strong feelings of dislike towards this book, but I feel like I needed to get it out there. No offense Prof.

Regarding the model we have been so intrigued about the past few class meetings. I don't get it. I don't get what we are supposed to get out of it. I think the only step in the direction of understanding the chart was from the help of David. I was lucky to have Dave in my group when we first went over the chart. He really helped me understand the book for one, and the chart as well. The idea of the lines connecting made sense to me. The idea of progression was intriguing. Yanina also had a interesting thought about connecting the chart with digital enclosure. Overall, I think Dave and Yanina explanations have made the most sense, but I still am having trouble with Gamer Theory as a whole.

After reading over what I just wrote, I realized that i was rather negative in me feelings towards Gamer Theory. I just have had a hard time comprehending the material and understand what the author wants me to learn. On another note, I have really enjoyed our class discussion and what we have been doing. I like hearing Prof. Dean lecture and tell us what she thinks. It is pretty helpful. Talking about our final projects yesterday got me excited to hear what people may be doing. It is approaching soon!

Sam

Youtube to sell advertising on Pages of Search Results

the title says it all. Check this article out in the Ny Times.





adrienne

Internet in space.

Hi Guys,
Another fun message from the Dutch News:

"AMSTERDAM - NASA has successfully tested a network that allows distant satellites and space vehicles communicate with Earth as computers with internet.

The software for the network, disruptions-tolerant Network (DTN), was developed by Vincent Cerf, the grandfather of the Internet. He is the inventor of the TCP / IP protocol that is the basis for the terrestrial Internet.
There is the risk that communication will be interrupted in space, because a spacecraft is behind a celestial body or because there is a solar storm. The distance between earth and the space objects make it difficult to send information too. A message from Mars for example, takes 3.5 to 20 minutes to reach the earth - depending on how far the two planets are from each other. On this moment people on earth must determine when the circumstances are most favorable for a transmission to planetary explorers. With DTN that work fully automated.
For the test with the DTN, which was held last month, photographs were sent back and forth between a network with nine points on earth and the Epoxi, a satellite that is on course for a rendezvous with the comet Hartley, in 2010. Next summer there will be a test with DTN on board the international space station ISS."

As you can read the internet is advancing fast. Soon we will not only be able to facebook with people in space but also with aliens :P.

By
Merel van Helden