THIS IS SPARTA

In the reading Writing in the 21st Century I particularly liked the example given of the power of Internet networking. Using Internet networking, AP test-takers organized writing “THIS IS SPARTA” on their exams then crossing it out. 300,000 students partook in the event. The reading also mentioned that younger people are showing notable skills at Internet networking. I agree that younger people can Internet network extremely well. A lot of it they do for social reasons, but Myspace and Facebook our powerful networking tools and mostly youth are using them.

Cavemen or Cyborgs?

At the beginning of this week I thought that a cyborg was something that could only be found in Star Trek. I consider a cyborg to be something that is part technology and part human. After the readings and discussions in class, I soon realized that many people (including myself) are cyborgs. At first I blamed this phenomenon on newer technologies such as iPods and cell phones. Then I started thinking back to our previous discussions about Thoreau and the pencil. As a class, we established about three weeks ago that the pencil is indeed a technology. If this is the case, then mankind really has been a cyborg since the pencil! However, why start at a pencil? Humans have been using technology ever since cavemen started crafting tools. I guess it all really depends on how you define a cyborg and what you consider technology to be. There's definitely a difference between a sharp rock attached to a stick and a mechanical third arm.

iPod popularity

I really liked the reading from Sound Moves: iPod Culture and Urban Experience and the discussion we had in class. I think that it really makes sense that iPods have great popularity in urban areas. Music can be used as a way to make hectic situations more relaxed. The city is a chaotic place with many random and abrupt noises. With an iPod, people can choose what they hear instead of listening to the chaos. Mark from the reading says, “sometimes it seems to look a lot more hectic and almost like I’m in my own slow world, going at the speed of the music I’m listening to” (29). The city can be very fast. People in the city seem to be in more of a hurry. Listening to music is one way for a person to slow everything down. Many are able to remain calm in the hectic city through music.

I use my iPod in the city for a different reason. Whenever I am walking in a city, I get bothered by people asking for money or trying to convert my religion. The iPod is a way that I can create more private personal space. When I have on my iPod, it’s like I am removed from my surroundings. No one tries to talk to me. Listening to an iPod is a great way to find isolation in a crowded area. Some find isolation by talking on phones, playing video games, or watching movies. However I enjoy listening to music and find commuting from place to place more enjoyable with an iPod.

Take two

Well maybe I got a little carried away in my last blog entry. The Internet is an amazing invention that is tremendously useful for connecting people and as a source for information. Even the new speech recognition technologies that Nuance and other companies are developing are good for writing. They allow people with disabilities, who can’t write by hand, to be able to write. However, I do believe that the new trend of communicating with others as quickly as possible via text or instant message is damaging the quality of writing as a whole. However, if school systems can keep up with the technological advancement, the problem will be limited.
Moving on… There have been some very interesting readings assigned this week. I can not say that I completely agree with Kuhn’s theory of paradigm shifts. I think scientific revolutions are mostly based on the information scientists have available. I believe the rate of scientific discovery has sped up over time, and will continue to do so. In today’s modern world, scientists have an abundance of accessible information. Therefore scientific advancement is growing at an exponential rate.