Calligrams

Assignment 18: Time Travel

I found the concept of digital scanning very interesting, although I would not consider it “time traveling”. To me, time traveling is physically going back to a different point in history. The digital images they are making allow you to see how different places looked in the past, but don’t allow you to actually be there. I think that there is a lot of potential for this technology. The thing I am most interested in is how historians and artists could use this for conservation of sites and art. Not necessarily rebuilding after destruction like mentioned in this article, but to maintain a site as close to the original as possible. It is also interesting how this technology can be used in the future of architecture. The article explained how buildings could be designed and shown in the exact place they would be built. This design could be seen from every angle and at every time of day. There seems to be many potential uses for this laser scanning.

"It's the Real You"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html?pagewanted=1&8dpc&_r=1

This article opened me up to a new virtual world. I had never really heard about avatar-based social networking sights so this concept is very interesting. Although I am not interested in becoming part of that world, I can see the appeal. With times so tough, people are making major adjustments in their lives. Many people are stuck in jobs they hate but wont quit for fear of not finding a new one. Many more nights are spent at home instead of going out due to the expense. These avatar worlds let people escape reality and live how they wish they could live. They can also create a new and different person, the person they wish they could be. It is a fantasy and a way that someone could make their dreams come true. I think that a problem could arise when to much time is spent in this virtual world. This other life may make you happy, but you also need to be happy in your real life.

Virtual Self

Assignment 7: virtual self

Facebook, email, forums, myspace, Second Life - parts of you and your identity exist in the "virtual" realm of digital technology. Some say that this is just the beginning of an emergence of a "virtual self" where our sense of identity is inextricably intertwined with technology. What do you think: would you still be "you" if you had never had contact with a computer?  Is human experience really changing? If so, is it for better or worse? Write at least 200 words on these topics on your blog

It is hard to imagine what life would be like today without the technology i am so used to. My virtual self exists in the form of facebook, email, and this very blog. Where and who would I be without them?

I can only speculate that I would be the same me without these extensions of myself, just a little slower and out of touch. My facebook reflects me exactly as I am in person. You could ask me what type of music I like and would find the exact same answer to that question on my facebook page. The same goes for my interests, hobbies, favorite movies, birthday, and relationship status. Without this social networking site, I may not be as good of a friend. For example, facebook helps me keep track of my friends’ birthdays. Being awful at remembering dates, I would miss a lot of those birthdays and people would not be very happy with me.

 Human experience really is changing, and I can’t say that it’s either good or bad. So many people can benefit from this improvement and emergence of technology. Businesses can grow, you can keep in touch with friends who live thousands of miles away, and you can express yourself in so many different ways. One concern I have is the decrease in human interaction and safety of putting yourself in cyberspace. As long as you exist as yourself in reality more then you exist virtually, I believe that this ‘second life’ can be a great thing. 

Chaos