DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTS

Paul Rothemund details DNA folding

2010-09-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

DIGRESSION: TED

2010-08-30T03:55:00.001-07:00

Charlie Brooker:

2010-08-23T02:56:00.001-07:00

Stephen Wolfram: Computing and Wolfram|Alpha

2010-04-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

In some way an awkward presentation but an AMAZING project!

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

Digital Book: Pending in the intermediate Lake

2010-04-25T08:58:00.001-07:00

This is a new version, both will be available for sale in the next few months. Using a new painting for the cover here but hoping to do some screen print jobbies to wrap around it all.

Open Source: MAKEZINE

2010-04-12T01:54:00.000-07:00

I found out via youtube (researching the Arduino) about MAKEZINE.COM

One of the many exciting projects they share was this 3D puzzle: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/make_projects_-_easy_3d_models_with.html

Its excellent, for example it is a great way to practice using 3D software and rapid prototyping. Even suitable for a lazer cutter. The tutorial talks about OpensSCAD (from makezine.com):

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the excitement surrounding Clifford Wolf's new freeware OpenSCAD program. OpenSCAD uses a cool keep-it-super-simple approach to 3D modeling, eliminating the resource-hungry what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) editing environment favored by most 3D modeling packages, and replacing it with a text-based scripting environment in which models are programmed, instead of sculpted. Basically, you write a script describing your model's shape and then compile it to produce the actual model, which is then rendered onscreen and can be exported to STL format for 3D printing or other purposes.

OpenSCAD has two powerful features to facilitate this programming processes. The first is support for so-called "constructive solid geometry" (CSG) modeling, in which complex forms are built up as intersections, unions, and differences of simple primary shapes like boxes, cylinders, cones, and ellipsoids. If you've ever used the ray-tracing program POV-Ray before, this idea will be familiar to you.

The second, less-well-publicized (but perhaps equally powerful) feature of OpenSCAD is "DXF extrusion," in which OpenSCAD will import a 2D drawing in AutoCAD's popular drawing exchange format (DXF) and "extrude" it into the third dimension. OpenSCAD has support for linear extrusion, in which the resulting part has straight vertical sides, and also rotating extrusion, which results in a part with helical sides. Since a large number of models for rapid prototyping are simple extruded profiles, I expect this feature to see a lot of use.

In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how to use OpenSCAD to produce a simple 3D model by extruding a part profile produced in normal drawing software. I use Adobe Illustrator CS3 because I have access to it and am familiar with its interface, but the popular freeware drawing program InkScape will read and write DXF files natively, and there's no reason why it couldn't serve just as well if you prefer it. There are a number of other free and low-cost programs that will export DXF files. OpenSCAD's developer mentions QCAD, which is available from its developer RibbonSoft for €24.

Its basically amazing, and brilliant for any one who goes to University of the Arts who is even remotely interested in rapid prototyping. These images are all from the tutorial. It clearly describes exactly how to use the software.

Good will on the internet

2010-04-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

An extraordinary event occurred, I am very interested in getting the manuscript for Edvard Greig's, March of the Drawfs. Jonnyeightagain of youtube posted a video performance of himself playing Edvard Grieg's- March of the Dwafs (Zug der Zwerge). I enjoyed his performance and commented, asking how and where I can aquire a manuscript of this music. Someone called MusicMakerV, after reading my comment decided to give me the music (an act of kindness).

Most Recent Comments see all

anunexpectedgrid @MusicMakerV That is incredible! I will send you an email. Thankyou so much!
MusicMakerV @anunexpectedgrid i can send yout the sheets..??
anunexpectedgrid WOOOAAAHHHH! This is amazing. I would love to learn this. Can I buy manuscript on line? I Don't know. Ill have a look actually rather than waste your time when all I wanted to do was praise you. Good work.
siggdigg this is so awsome
TiffanyXMooree huhuwenn jemand sich um mich kümmern würde wäre ich glücklich^^ bin so einsam
whitestripesftw @XtreOo I'm kinda confused at your comment... I was just complimenting him on his octaves. They aren't easy. He should play some ragtime.
XtreOo @whitestripesftw

GG at pointing out the only 'obvious' mishap in the entire vid. Pretty much down to the second as well. Then proceeding to complement it, which illustrates that you got even less clue than me :(
But wow at that performance. I'll agree with the other 200-and-so and say: masterfully played.
Strawberry16x Amazing speed, but it sounds perfect. Great sound recording too! Lmao (: Love it. :D
HiFisch94 i can just say wow

PENDING IN THE INTERMEDIATE LAKE Treasure Hunt book by Jennifer Crouch (Version2)

2010-04-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

You have SEVEN DAYS to download this breath taking a PDF for none of your currency units. It is a treasure hunt I've set up. Enjoy.

PENDING IN THE INTERMEDIATE LAKE Treasure Hunt book by Jennifer Crouch (Version2)

The wonderful Dr Michio Kaku on Artificial Intelligence, Moore's Law and Quantum Computers

2010-04-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

WATCH THIS! Here is some informs from WIKIPEDIA about Moore's Law:

Moore's law describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware, in which the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years.^[1] [see image nearby]

The capabilities of many digital electronic devices are strongly linked to Moore's law: processing speed, memory capacity, sensors and even the number and size of pixels in digital cameras.^[2] All of these are improving at (roughly) exponential rates as well.^[3] This has dramatically increased the usefulness of digital electronics in nearly every segment of the world economy.^[4]^[5] Moore's law precisely describes a driving force of technological and social change in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The trend has continued for more than half a century and is not expected to stop until 2015 or later.^[6]

The law is named after Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, who described the trend in his 1965 paper.^[7]^[8]^[9] The paper noted that number of components in integrated circuits had doubled every year from the invention of the integrated circuit in 1958 until 1965 and predicted that the trend would continue "for at least ten years".^[10] His prediction has proved to be uncannily accurate, in part because the law is now used in the semiconductor industry to guide long-term planning and to set targets for research and development.^[11]

Mooers' Law

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the observation regarding integrated circuits, see Moore's Law.

Mooers' Law is an empirical observation of behaviour made by American computer scientist Calvin Mooers in 1959. The observation is made in relation to information retrieval and the interpretation of the observation is used commonly throughout the information profession both within and outside its original context.

An information retrieval system will tend not to be used whenever it is more painful and troublesome for a customer to have information than for him not to have it.
—Calvin Mooers

[edit]
Original interpretation

Mooers' Law, as detailed by Mooers himself, focuses on the idea that people may not want information, as it obliges them to study the information and come to an understanding about it. In this context, people will avoid an information system because it gives them information, and the "painful and troublesome" comes from possessing the information.

CLICK HERE FOR MICHIO KAKU'S WEBBE: http://mkaku.org/

Different view on gaming

2010-03-30T03:12:00.000-07:00

I suppose this almost ties in with the protein folding online game FOLDIT as a form of real life problem solving.

I don't really know what to make of this, I don't really play online games but I know people who love them and I know game designers. Anyway, its interesting! Interesting when you apply her thinking principles to online social networking. Think about what people hide about themselves in online social environments, choosing what to show in an attempt to show their best. "Their best" may be subjective but the intention is to improve, even when 'to alure' or 'to portray' false images of grandeur are involved. Self improvement is a good thing but of course, we all know that people can (and often are) deluded by convincing self projections.

But this is about a GAME where people have a common goal. It all seems a little sketchy, but I like idealists and optimism and I think their role in the world is very important in provoking positive change. All the things this lady says are considerable concerning collaboration and improvement although the practicalities and applications of her research seem a bit unrealistic but they have immense value and potential in theory and learning about people in the digital environment and its potential to solve problems.

The Grid

2010-02-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

A video about www spin off 'the grid'. For sharing processing and storage space between researchers.

Evaluation

2010-01-14T10:14:00.001-08:00

The extensive discussion & exposure undertaken throughout our elective classes has encouraged us discover new and existing digital technologies can be used. This has uncovered the creative potential and capabilities this medium offers that are to our disposal. We have been given an opportunity to research refreshing new perspectives of the Internet and thus have earned a better and broader understanding with consideration to the positive and negative sides of this innovation. Thorough out the last ten weeks we have had some outrageously interesting discussions and participated in some enlightening workshops concerning the translation of digital to physical and ideas about the Internet as a place for artistic practice and interpretation. The digital human endeavour is a significant achievement culturally, historically, socially, scientifically and artistically. Considering this topic to such great detail will have broadening effects on my course and practice in the future.

The groups as a whole we very capable to work together and were equally driven to offer new and interesting perspectives on the subject which worked catalytically towards our understanding of the many aspects to consider such a broad topic. Our discussions and individual research has certainly encouraged me to feel content with the role of the Internet in modern culture. I still believe it to be a tool, but with profound effects on how people feel and act.

I understand the tractability of web 2.0 which opposed to make me sceptical of how it can be used exploitively in terms of advertising and attempting to gain revenue, in real terms I’m not to bothered with junk mail, I have pop-ups blocked and target advertising doesn't really encourage me personally. But it is an opportunistic environment among many other things, and that is the case with everyone. Having said this I have considered more profoundly the way in which the Internet can be used manipulatively to influence and sway people and that it can have a negative impact if used in a corrupt, selfish way by governments and enterprises who limit and even prevent people from accessing its broad content because of fear of how they may interpret information. It is surprising how clearly the internet illustrates the power that knowledge and information can provide us and how threatening this simple fact can be to powerful people in certain parts of the world, even in the UK.

I am very exciting about having been awakened to the potential of mobile technologies, how an affordable device can potentially offer information (and the freedom to access it) to many people all over the world who would else need many more resources to access this. I like to consider the future of the internet and its place in the lives of generations to come, for example contemplating how schools can be more economical especially in parts of the world with restricted resources. I believe there is a clear definition between reality and a virtual existence and that any boarders may be taken to be relative to the users and observers. Questions concerning the electron, neurology and thoughts about the relationship between biology and technology in the future have begun to stir, but these topics are beyond my current understanding.

Creatively it has given me a greater confidence in using open source material for the use of interactive animations or instillations that breed physical and digital mediums. Generally I feel encouragement for the future of the Internet, comforted but the concept of user-generated content and for the directions in which my practice can spread. These directions include using 3D software for rapid prototyping and sculpture as well as projected interactive animations using open source programs.

WEEK 10: Laser cutting

2010-01-08T10:54:00.001-08:00

As a group piece we each created a nice vector file of our own to put through the laser cutter in the 3D department on Peckham Road in the hope that we will devise a way to connect them together. Presumably revealing an example of the physical extent of the digital and resembling some kind of network.

Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high power laser, by computer, at the material to be cut. The material then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas,^[1] leaving an edge with a high quality surface finish. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials.

Laser cutting is fantastic. Here is an image of the file I put through the laser cutter on an A3 sheet of some aptly named laser-jet paper (which is very smooth often white card/paper that is good for printing on.) What we will do with our individual works to make them one is yet to be decided.

WEEK 9: I was in Paris however.......

2010-01-08T10:52:00.001-08:00

I was absent for WEEK 9, having a smashing time in Paris working and playing and blah blah. What I can gather took place using the WIKI concerning week 9 is that there were more interesting discussions. The WIKI states the following:

This week we watched 2 talks by Clay Shirky. The first was in 2005 when tags was a new feature in Flickr, the 2nd talk was from 2009 and in some ways show how quickly things have developed.

The session started with the following statement:

digital environments create the possibility for . . .

everyone was asked to consider what they might add to this statement and we looked at in again after watching each talk.

talk 1: http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_on_institutions_versus_collaboration.html

talk 2: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html

Further notes and video: http://zx31.com/elective/

These are very interesting and relevant to my post: Who or WHAT is Rupert Murdoch http://positivenonpositive.blogspot.com/2010/01/who-or-what-is-rupert-murdoch.html

These are the responses people in the group came up with concerning the following statement:
digital environments create the possibility for . . .

1) Increasing the impact of the individual voice
2) Mass action
3) Less institutionalised, professionaly driven world moving towards one that is more socially driven.
4) Breakdown of institutional hierarchy.
5) The human archetype.
6) Equality for expression, instability of information access (loss of history).
7) Having a choice to find the right answer.
8) Freedom of expression.
9) Powerful, global group influence.
10) Mass collaboration of individuals.
11) Access to hi-technology (rejection?)
12) Bitesize media consumption.
13) Less linear and geographic based communication/societies/communities.
14) A more level playing field, producers and consumers are one.
15) Complete exposure.
16) Diluted power structures.
17) Positive and negative.
18) Ease?
19) Escape from reality?
20) Triangular to circular (reference to 4. Breakdown of institutional hierarchy.)

It is difficult to understand the precise meaning of these points. From what I can make out they all hold validity. The individual is certainly able to make an impact (in support of 1) although not often on their own. Amidst the immense noise that constitutes the internet or perhaps the "the vast ocean of trivial musings and mind-scat wedged in the intellectual sewage pipe" (To quote from Jack Sharp 's interesting commentary again) it is not all that clear how to filter the voice of an individual or how to understand their message or their needs. Referring to the comments about mass collaboration and action (2 and 10) it is these that enable the exposure of a powerful, global group influence (9). Weather the influence is conscious (e.g. planned group action) or not is not always clear however it is not always necessary to clarify this. In the example of the 2009 earthquake in China, the masses of people who were uploading information about it said something very clear about it because it was such a dramatic event. The nature of the event was violent, unexpected and was effecting real life instantly. It was worth talking about it, it effected so many people who all had the means to share information concerning how it effected them at the same instant that it was happening, be it a photo up load or on twitter etc. Similarly it was something people outside China were very interested in. The so called great firewall of China could not predict such a surge of information, similarly it could not predict an earthquake. This indicates none other than the obvious; that massive Earthquakes, events and dramatic events are a big deal when they happen, of great public interest for the clear fact that they effect people so much and that such things are definitely worth preparing for.

The internet leads us to assume it encourages freedom of expression (8) because with out the additions by people the internet would not be as immense, far reaching or as diverse as it is. Also, almost anyone and every one can and could start some kind of blog or join some kind of network from which they can personally express some kind of opinion and/or add some kind of information (no matter how trivial, meaning full or relevant that information might be). Which is the opportunity digital software's use to be made user friendly- and democratic in reference to 4.
Take two examples of 3D software as an example: MAYA- A 'professional' 3D software which is quite expensive, complicated to learn and immensely capable of highly meticulous operations Vs. Google 3D, which is free for everyone, fairly self explanatory and still yields some of the greatness achievable with MAYA but never to such degrees of accuracy. If I wanted to make something simple, like a ball with in a ball, I may as well use the free-ware.
The internet almost teases out new technologies from individuals and demands they be democratised. Probably a result of the high volume of internet users and their human desire and nature to respond, e.g with the creation of interactive websites, animations and games etc and how people in-turn create a reply to these ideas.
The digital environment it one that is generative and so simplistic in its most basic form, which in principal is packet switching. This is an idea as clear as day yet it's applications are potentially infinitely complicated. The fact that this form of communication is based on sharing a circuit is as symbolic as it is practical.

APPEEL: Prelude digital noise- WEEK 8

2010-01-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

The contribution of internet users at any moment or point in time moving from point A to B or from C to A to D, are attributes to the concept of noise. Constant movement, sounds, images and emails in addition to all the unwanted information that may be aimed in your direction or be in your way.

APPEEL is a clever instillation, basic by nature that concerns itself with human interaction. Not by means of a digital process but by presenting a wall of orange stickers arranged on a grid and exposed to humans peeling and moving them around. This exposes an endearing creativity and behavior that is evident on the internet.

More tasks for WEEK 7: Murdoch (again)

2010-01-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

With reference to the following article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/10/newpaper-internet-paywall-murdoch-live

There is something quite unfortunate about the article. I do not usually purchase newspapers, I tend to read either on those the internet of the ones that come across my path on public transport, in a cafe, library or read those that others have bought (which is a bit cheeky perhaps). These days there is always a lone newspaper flapping about somewhere, waiting to be saved from the rain, recycled or something. And although I enjoy of the physical aesthetics of publication and print I rarely feel the desire to own my own newspaper. The most convincing and moving stories are those devised with a creative, diverse, rousing and/or amusing use of language. Peoples opinions are valid and can take into consideration factual information about an event or idea but can rarely represent it, so I am therefore naturally skeptical about some of the claims newspapers make.
One daunting thing about Rupert's move is that it might encourage others to charge for information, I agree that 'everything comes at a price' but I disagree that it is helpful to builds barriers around internet access to information, especially when those publications are basically editorials. Its a bit ridiculous I think. An almost cartoon-like, condescending slap in the face from Rupert's lucrative white glove of profit-making. Economic means 'pertaining to the production and use of income' and economical is 'avoiding waste, being careful of resources'. Rupert is taking that concept against how it relates to modern communication and there is little proof that the production of income under his rule is being used in a most effective way, its like he is wiggling down a narrow road. Social enterprise could to be the way to enhance content in the best interest of the public.

QUESTIONS:
2. Is Rupert Murdock correct in saying that there is not enough advertising revenue to go round, therefore news papers and other news providers will have to charge for their content?
Rupert Murdoch has now declared the free ride over. His titles – the Times, Sunday Times and others – will be obtainable in some shape or form online only through a credit card number. Such charges are already levied for the nether regions of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. But attempts to put mainline news and comment behind a "paywall" have in the past foundered, because of the ease of circumvention and the bruised egos of writers suddenly denied the bulk of their "market".Murdoch's move is comparable to his attack on union-led newspaper costs when he moved his British titles to Wapping in 1985. Then the rest of the industry jeered and rushed to undermine him, while privately praying for him to succeed. When he did they rushed to imitate him. Britain's newspapers enjoyed two decades of prosperity and choice unparalleled in the western world. Now Murdoch wants to transform not costs but revenues. Getting history to repeat itself will not be easy. The bogus idea that "news is free information" has captivated a generation of media managers. It is like saying fruit is free food or wind is free energy. As James Harkin, the author of Cyburbia, wrote in the Guardian last week, newspapers were "seduced by the evangelical gee-whizzery of the electro-hippies". Editorial machismo was boosted by multimillion "unique hits". The truth was that online newspapers were free-sheets for slow learners.

Note: A very big priority to any newspapers is to fill pages, so that they have something to sell- I would like to say a little bit about free news papers. They are free, sustained by advertising revenue but upon reading any free paper it becomes clear that quality had been compromised for its freeness. In my opinion the metro is rubbish, lets be honest and the london evening standard is no better, if I want to read one, Ill pick one up, but I do not take these sources as anything more than editorials and I would much rather read them on line. Online newspapers generally contain diluted versions of their printed counterparts. The sense of obligation to charge for this superficial, edited content, seems a bit odd, perhaps that is all people what to read in which case perhaps the use revenue earned from charging could change this. But this is mere assumption, and regardless of this the content would only account for a fraction of available information.
Concerning "not enough advertising revenue to go round", I assume that this refers to all the small departments that contribute to the production, distribution, proofing, broadcasting, management and creation of news and advertising. Alot of people work in this area and alot of people need to be payed for their work, but this is seems to be within an aging framework. Having sympathised, I am curious to know about the state and location of internet advertising revenue that is made by being online? There is something in Rupert's motive that is not entirely clear to me and the kind of revenue Rupert Murdoch is talking about appears to be from a time who's end is drawing nigh. Short term solutions that profit a minority leads to an influx, imbalance and collapse in the long term.
Rupert charges people to watch sport, news and all sorts of programs on Sky and then collects the advertising revenue. TV is not my concern although mentioning it shows that he believes it is correct to charge for information. Television can not reach as far and it is a one way form of communication, it talks and the viewer sits and listens. This will inevitably be replaced but something more interesting in the future. Its unnecessary to simply start charging for content. Rupert's enterprises already build up huge fractions of economy, by all means I am not an economist, so I could be utterly wrong but I just dont understand how these enterprises are distributing their income when they say there is not enough to go round, this seems inefficient.

This presentation illustrates a relevant point regarding business.
Here are two comments from the page under the article:

bouledesuif

10 Aug 2009, 10:54PM
"I purchase several newspapers everyday, local, national, and international. The online experience so far is superficial for content and also behind the speed with which I can assimilate what I need from a newspaper. When I have been away from an internet connection for a while, I read a book- a -day. Recently, on holiday away from the internet I realised what I was missing ( or not missing) and will continue to be a print junkie thanks."

ThomasReturns
10 Aug 2009, 10:56PM
"I'm more concerned about the disappearing virtual rain forests! The mountains of virtual sawdust being pulped through the relentless virtual paper mills. And of course, the real power stations polluting the real atmosphere to fire up all those naughty Guardian readers' computers. In any case, the internet is more like a giant reference library than a news-agent. That's why Murdoch will surely fail. But he'll probably bring down the Times in the process."

Rupert's got too much money to fail hasn't he? Maybe some one else will fail, get fired or perhaps this moneywall will only be temporary?

3. What do you think a Murdock shaped internet would look like in the future if his ideas were successful?
If Rupert's plans succeed then they could be capable of making the internet less exciting and have inhibiting results on our access to information on a larger scale. Then again for every action there is a reaction and so one certain thing is that the way in which people spread and read content will take new forms that will flitter around Murdoch's plans even though parts of the internet will be segregated, but there will be very little he can do about people overlooking regulations like this. Attempting to apply a hierarchical structure on the internet might have little effect on the overall shape of the internet, it would be like trying to put a triangle shaped block into the circular hole of a jigsaw- it will not fit well. It cant really work, the web's volume is predominantly built by user content so people could (for example) write about content that must be payed for to be seem and there is no rule/law that states this is illegal because everyone is entitled to their view and the internet is a medium through which this can propagate. What it represents is one man's financial empire desperately trying to expand their territory in to a virtual realm in which so many average people can and will contribute what they can to reach out to one another. To deprive them of the freedom to do this would be illegal and an infringement of their basic human rights. Not everyone can make a TV channel or mass produce printed media but all people who can use the internet are capable of spreading information and getting attention. There are greater threats to professional journalists, photographers etc but I don't think they can be shut down so easily, professionals can and will have to devise alternative strategies available to them in order to work and get payed.

WEEK 7: A web of opinions (more discussions- Different points of view)

2010-01-07T04:25:00.000-08:00

INFORMATION FROM THE WIKI PAGE: We looked at 5 views of the internet as outlined by Charles Leadbeater.

1. Just a tool

the importance of the internet is overblown it's the same as we have always done
- just quicker, bigger audience eg. ebay is just a large and convenient flea market.

2. big but becoming dull: dull = integrated into everyday life. Big changes can lead to big gains but only after the technological changes have become integrated but it's a long time before we really see what impact the internet will have, if any. Saying Big changes can lead to big gains but only after the technological changes have become integrated contradicts big but becoming dull. It doesn't consider time, that the internet will continue long after all the living of this generation die, nor does it consider the acceleration of technological developments or what it might be like for someone in the world who is just learning for the first time about the internet. Digital environments allow us to create new ways of using the internet, and people will always be renewing and adding modified updated content.

3. big but BAD: There are 3 reasons why some people see the internet as bad:

1. killing experts & professionals - mass amateurism
2. dependency on web - eroding independent thought - dumbing down
3. eroding privacy & identity

4. big and getting bigger FAST: For those holding this view, they see the internet as mainly good but there are different views as to why it is good:
a. more diversity, choice, frictionless markets, free stuff, choice, capitalist cornucopia, long tail
b. community & collaboration, commons production, peer to peer, non market, non hierarchical, open source, wikipedia, we think, communitarian utopia.
c. different options for organising ourselves, get the things that matter done, innovation & knowledge sharing, collaboration, professionals & amateurs (but will all this social networking, new conversations, actually help in tackling major issues like environmental problems?)

5. big, good - could become bad
growth of the internet = pollution in the internet
spam, malware, surveillance, invasion of privacy, trivia, chaos, abuse of net = clogged up

This view sees the current self-organisation as only a passing phase, it needs traditional control someone to organise it - this leads to paid for access the internet needs someone, business or maybe governments to regulate it, clean it up, build areas of easy quick access, free from spam, trivia etc paid for access would of course mean that not everyone would have the same access. It is interesting that we talk about THE internet, one internet. It wasn't always like that, for example Compuserve and AOL started as walled off parts of the world wide web.

Implications
It is important to be aware of these different views so that as you walk into this new and ever expanding world, you have your eyes wide open and are able to see the implications for your own creative practice.

* Traditional control/organisation is not versatile in a virtual environment such as the internet which is ever changing and ever growing. It thus follows that the way we use, view, organise, control and influence this environment must be adaptable to the substance in question. There is an ever increasing abundance of information that can not traditionally be dealt with. This is what's exciting about technology today and change will make the best of it. The internet IS a tool, I agree with this, but the fact that it is such a diverse and effective one means that what it is used to do sometimes has implications on people that really effects how they feel, what they know and what they want to do, so its probably a little bit more than 'just' a tool. Just like how the printing press was more than a tool. All grand technological and cultural advances have a good side and a bad side. The good (in my opinion) always overrides that bad, mainly because things like photosynthesis astound me to such an extent that I oblivious to overriding negativity, although not totally ignorant in being aware of negative things like manipulation, fraud, theft and abuse that would take place with or with out the internet.

NOTE and question: Ebay is not a flea market at all, its an auction. There is no haggling on ebay, only bidding perhaps an element of betting. Its not comparable to a flea market at all because the whole point of a flea market if the physical experience of the masses of old junk you can find- this aesthetic is integral to the purpose of the flea market, even though there is loads of junk on ebay too. Similarly one could probably sell a broken glass in a wet cardboard box for 2p at a flea market, or at least try but its highly unlikely that anyone would do this on ebay (not impossible though of course). For starters this is not cost effective on a pay account. Its notable the impact of the revenue of ebay and paypal the impact of this on modern economics and our relation ship with it and things like online banking, shopping etc.
This stance neglects that SELF ORGANISATION automatically takes the most effective route. Education and awareness through the internet concerning dangers and forums where people can discuss this is definitely favorable over 'traditional control/organisation/leadership'. What is exactly meant by this anyway? It does not make sense to me, he could mean a feudal system equivalent for all I know. Governance and leadership should always be a response to what is needed, be adaptable and relative to its time. Else any possible regulation processes could threaten progress by being outdated.

QUOTE: Self-organization is a process of attraction and repulsion in which the internal organization of a system, normally an open system, increases in complexity without being guided or managed by an outside source. Self-organizing systems typically (but not always) display emergent properties.

Here is video from http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/. Below is an extract from his website that is an excellent example of the collaborative nature of the internet and what that nature can lead too and how it connects to physical environments all over the world.

Matt is a 32-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames. Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made this site so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is. A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said "Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it." He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It's actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea. A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on the internet. No, not that guy. The other one. No, not him either. I'll send you the link. It's funny."

The response to the first video brought Matt to the attention of the nice people at Stride gum. They asked Matt if he'd be interested in taking another trip around the world to make a new video. Matt asked if they'd be paying for it. They said yes. Matt thought this sounded like another very good idea.
In 2006, Matt took a 6 month trip through 39 countries on all 7 continents. In that time, he danced a great deal.
The second video made Matt even more quasi-famous. In fact, for a brief period in July, he was semi-famous.
Things settled down again, and then in 2007 Matt went back to Stride with another idea. He realized his bad dancing wasn't actually all that interesting, and that other people were much better at being bad at it. He showed them his inbox, which, as a result of his semi-famousness, was overflowing with emails from all over the planet. He told them he wanted to travel around the world one more time and invite the people who'd written him to come out and dance too.
The intro of this presentation in 2008 will give you a summary of Matt's dancing all over the world followed by a lecture by Dr. Jeff Sutherland about how high performance depends on the self-organizing capability of teams.

WEEK 6: Unity Panda

2010-01-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

This week we explored the digital from several different angles.

Keir Williams, Chris Poolman and Jonnet Middleton, presented several art projects they have been working on over the past few years. They focused on the 'unity panda' project for which all of three of them are collaborating.

You can read more here:

http://unitypanda.wordpress.com/

http://chrispoolman.co.uk/

http://chrisandkeir.com/Chris+Keir/Home.html

This is what the organisation refer to as "Peer panda production - a collaborative knitting event in online and offline communities" identifying a connection between the organisational benefits of the internet and real community projects. The use of bringing people together to be creative through the age old craft of knitting using the present benefits of new technology and communication over the internet units people from different age groups and with different cultural back grounds. It organises groups of individuals who meet up and knit pandas. The purpose of knitting a panda might be because they are rare endangered species. The unitypanda blog also promotes other knitting groups, which are all aimed at encouraging community activities in public spaces such as galleries, pubs, bars and museums.

The playful collaborative work of Chris and Keir is engaing by nature through their enjoyment of and through performing comic and misbehaviors body offers, looking to engage with the flip side of the equation: what happens when the body isn't revered, but a site for the comic, ridiculous and compromising. Some of their works is almost reminiscent of Trigger Happy TV or has a similar interactive feel. The internet is used to communicate and almost reflect this and add some much obliged nonsense to the internet in a similar way to that they do do their physical environment.

Information spreading and Cross-Blogging

2010-01-06T05:11:00.000-08:00

I originally found this blog entry via a post from google blog (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/). It is originally from citizentube.com which specialises in publishing you-tube videos that reveal events of some kind social, anthropological or political significance uncovering peoples related behaviors and reactions. It is an example of how information spreads and how people respond to topics that effect them or of great importance to them. (Please read the comments too). This makes the internet an influential and informative medium.

http://www.citizentube.com/2009/12/ordinary-citizens-extraordinary-videos.html

WEEK 5: CAD and rapid prototyping

2010-01-06T02:20:00.001-08:00

On week 5 we made a visit to the 3D printing (rapid prototyping) facility in Central Saint Martins, being part of University of the Arts London fortunately means we can use this. Designing something on a 3D modeling program, be it MAYA or be it google's freeware can be processed in to physical structure.

Wikipedia: Rapid prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology. The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the late 1980s and were used to produce models and prototype parts. Today, they are used for a much wider range of applications and are even used to manufacture production-quality parts in relatively small numbers. Some sculptors use the technology to produce complex shapes for fine arts exhibitions.

It works by 'printing' layers of plastic that are only just molten one on top of the other. It does so with two types of plastic; one which makes up the actual model and one which is a support, which is added if necessary and can be broken down in some kind of solution (revealing only the model).

This opens whole can of worms. Not only IS everything possible (regarding you master to some degree at least the basics of 3D modeling- which is very difficult I have been told or find someone to help you do it) BUT also this has introduced the possibility to make stop frame animation of a physical work, which is something I am very interested in doing at a later point while at Camberwell.

Im more determined (not just mildly interested) in learning how to use a new software, any software that can make this possible. The machinery used to develop these real models is fascinating. Theoretical and practical all in one operation! Another interesting thing about this process is that one could possibly make casts of models with plaster or clay to be filled with any other material or use 3D lazer scanning of other objects for example. Possibilities are immense. Examples below from google image search.

WEEK 4: Video responses

2010-01-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

Here are some interesting video responses about how the world is changing because of digital environments becoming more assessable to people.
There exists a paradox in the fact that digital environments can resemble a more humane and diverse way to manage, communicate, share, create and govern in contrast to cases of individual users who devote the majority of their time to online socialising in opposed to physical socialising. Maybe to the detriment of their physical health? I don't know, but I say this because we have bodies to use them to express and move ourselves. Having said this, thanks to mobile technologies it is easier now than ever before for us to be online all while your moving and do so all day with out must physical hindrance.
We are able to make independent rational decisions about our future and the internet offers us more access to one another and to old or new information. We invented the internet and it is by nature generative and based on sharing circuits and data so it goes with out saying that 'the machine' to some extent is us and that we are it.

The user interface (also known as human computer interface or man-machine interface (MMI)) is the aggregate of means by which people—the users—interact with thesystem—a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tool. The user interface provides means of:

Input, allowing the users to manipulate a system
Output, allowing the system to indicate the effects of the users' manipulation.

http://www.charlesleadbeater.net/home.aspx

Here is an extract from his homepage:

"IDEAS IN PROGRESS

Why relationships are central to innovative public services solutions: a state of relationships

The Art of With : draft of my essay for Cornerhouse, Manchester can be downloaded here

The Art of With is about whether the web is creating a more open, participative and collaborative approach to culture and art, and whether that is a good thing.

You can also download the essay, comment on the draft and make your own point at the Cornerhouse site - www.cornerhouse.org/theartofwith

My long draft response to the British government's Digital Britain report can be downloaded here

The Search for a New Capitalism: a speculative essay for The Spectator, can be found here"

There is no stopping internet use, or preventing the encouragement for more participants to use it. I think it definitely is an open, participative and collaborative approach to culture and art. People are curious about each other and the internet allows them to discover more about what was previously inaccessible. It has physically effected more people than any other medium and some of the innovations people have created on it are extremely clever, interactive and fun to use. I do not consider it the MOST OPEN participative and collaborative approach to culture and art, for starters one needs a means to be online (but this can be done through an affordable hand-held devise). I consider it rivaled by real-life physical interactive events and arts. These may not summon the same audiences that are online (due to the sheer volume of that audience) nor does live physical work need the same type of cunning required to make the most the diverse digital medium, but live physical collaborative events are very important as they demand a tactile, tangible, 3-Dimensional dexterity that only yields rewards upon physical experiences of such concrete things.
Of course these two combined, the internet allowing a means to spread real-life events is currently the whole point. Recorded online broadcasts of important events or collaborative arts are one of the great attractions the internet offers us, and is one of the reasons why we turn to it. Its ability to facilitate communication and the variety of ways in which we can do this makes it collaborative and participative.

http://www.everyoneforever.com/

Whether the internet's influence is a good thing or not is an important to consider. In essence it is and was designed to enable the transfer on information (e.g. data or ideas) and it one we should definitely endeavor to improve and maintain. The information we share (e.g. Ideas) has however more profound implications on individuals now than because of their meaning. As people grow closer to the internet and its use spreads further and faster this is increasingly the case. What ever your view on the matter may be, the fact is that this technology will not cease to grow. People want to use it because we want to know about the other things people are doing, be it art, events, organisations, trivia or an important discovery. A good out come would work in our favor, so its in our best interest to encourage open and positive use.

WEEK 3: Manovich essay discussion

2010-01-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

In response to a discussion about Lev Manovich's essay about

The Practice of Everyday (media) Life:

http://digital-environments.wikispaces.com/Manovich+essay

http://manovich.net/

It would be safe to state that there is a lot one can say about only one aspect of the internet. The compelling nature of the discussion we had in class lies in the impact digital environments has had and is having on our actual lives. The internet having been introduced and shuffled in to public domains throughout the last 25 years. Generations of the future will be born into an era where the internet is in use and used across the world. It has shifted from being an area used for publication to a realm of communication, which is very significant fluctuation. The internet content is increasingly produced by amateurs and this has particular consequence as it is an example that many more people are becoming able to express them selves and communicate in a creative way exploiting digital environments. Every continent is in some way on line, all countries and potentially all people could communicate with each other. Through out the discussion, questions emerged that challenged how this effects our lives.

Here is lecture expressing a positive assessment of the facilities available to us through internet communication and the implication it can have on physical relationships.

http://www.ted.com/talks/stefana_broadbent_how_the_internet_enables_intimacy.html

QUESTIONS:

The first part of the essay has lots of statistics about media use, can you add any personal experiences to support or contradict these facts? One example of misguided internet statistics lies in the fact that users are continually shifting how, when and where they communicate. With the increasing use of mobile technology and mobile internet, some people today can be 'online' all day long with out much inconvenience to their lives or routines. The internet is a fluid field (or pool) of data with users logging in and out all the time, individuals signing up to news letters, remaining logged on to sites for days, having their emails added to databases and so on and so fourth. Manovich's statistics were perhaps completely true at one point in time, 2008 is recent history. The fact that this essay was written in 2008 and the internet has since then already changed dramatically makes it easy to disagree with their certitude.
One example of change being the increase in users of twitter. As long users continue using, digital social migrations will continue to spread in to a variety of new and already existing networks. By writing about change there is an indication that such things are inevitable.
I will use myself as an example: I have not used my my-space account for a long time (over half a year perhaps). Statistically, because I am still registered I am still a user. As Manovich states himself, ‘The real challenge may lie in the dynamics of Web 2.0 culture – its constant innovation, its energy, and its unpredictability.’? So perhaps the methods we exploit to gather and analyse data will bustle into methods that integrate the mappability of web 2.0 and real time analysis with be more capable and/or these methods will be more adaptive or general terms that firmly refer or anchor themselves to the particular point time.
This wedsite on INTERNET STATISTICS: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
Indicates, 25.6 % of the population of the world having used the internet for September 30, 2009. The deomographic numbers are based on data gathered by the US census beuro. This graph might be out dated in a only a few months. (Please click for greater detail or follow the link to internetworldstats.com to see how they are changing)

Manovich suggests the merging and even reversing of De Certeau’s categories of ‘strategy’ and ‘tactic’, do you agree with this point? Is there a democraticing of media or is it still in the hands of ‘big business’
Like the many other millions of internet users, I get sent adverts (or spam) to my inbox, with out fail these messages either go to junk, which is seldom checked and always deleted (a method employed by many of the receivers of such information). Its a very interesting time for business because it is so competitive and people are very sensitive to information privacy, making them perhaps doubtful of intrusive spam. EBAY is one significant development in terms of trading. Users can be sellers and reach potential buyers. The advertising partly takes place in the searching process as all things are categorised. Reputation, nonetheless does NOT cease to be of importance, people like to have a reason to trust whoever they are buying from.
Adverts appear when I access my facebook account but considering all the information in the 'about me' section of my profile is utter nonsense its very unlikely any advertisers with be able to get through to me. The only extent to which advertising on Facebook has directly effected my existence is when I have been made aware of a particular event which has appeared interesting to me and brought to my attention by someone I know. So the element of a person interacting with you still seems to be very important in a successful internet commerce.
I think the influence of the internet becoming more democratic and is slipping out of the hands of big businesses into the hands of people for example who that are happy to promote ideas or events for free and out of interest. This signifies an interesting view of the future for modern economics (which is quite difficult for me to get my head around.) There will always be a demand for something, and somewhere some one will always be willing to provide a solution to for fill it. So there will always be opportunity for business, but not in a conventional hierarchical way.

Takes for example the success of WIKIPEDIA, which is free and exists as verified user generated content in comparison to to the diminishing ENCATRA, which you had to pay for. Similarly the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE (is also user generated).

There certainly exists a strategy and tactic in the way the internet is shuffled between users when money is involved. The goal to materialise revenue via a far reaching medium- the internet, cheaper that any other kind of media and user friendly, it could potentially develop a massive clientele. Some of whom may without the use of internet may never be made aware of your services and how they can benefit them from the comfort of their own homes. This concept is extremely attractive to business. Even when primarily there is no financial transition being made from a network or database, the database in use will still certainly have value because of its potential commercial value. People often discuss their concerns about social websites such as facebook, twitter, my-space and to a greater extent second life. Concerned because of privacy issues that are embroiled in the fact that their personal information could fabricate revenue for someone. Another concern is the influence that online socialising has on relationships because a broad physical experience of the world (socially, objectively, personally, etc) is much better for us in comparison to residing within one or few realms which do in-fact mute some of the greatest aspects of being human e.g: regardless of how far interactive technologies could go, optically or haptically there is nothing quite as good as a REAL breath of fresh air. Surely?
Questions concerning the ownership of data on facebook for example yields intrigue from users. The answer is that the data provides revenue for some one or some group of peoples somewhere beyond the internet. Facebook make it impossible for you to completely shut down/erase your profile, you can merely suspend or freeze it. Only recently did this enterprise hold the rights over all things published and posted, and the content on Facebook is only vaguely real considering it goes through such a rigorous selection process by the individual. Leading me to assume that as there is no real, informative meaning to the information on facebook (although it can be at times entertaining) this however is that the trivial pool provided by facebook has value. It seems that it can be a target indicator to advertisers, and the persistence of internet advertising directs me to conclude that SOME revenue is actually made. Facebook can only really indicate some facts concerning peoples lifestyles e.g. photos may reveal what people get up to on the weekend which may (or may not) be of importance to employers when selecting employees. It is interesting that people are selective of the information they post or allow to be posted about them selves despite this fact. I like to contemplate who they are trying to appeal too if such is the case. It is easy to be skeptical of such networks internet, although it is an unavoidable response to how it has changed our time. Perhaps its only a matter of time before big businesses will have no choice but to adopt the role of the average user to be successful. Like many wolves in sheeps clothing.

What do you make of Manovich’s statement, ‘ it is only a matter of time before constant broadcasting of one’s live becomes as common as email’? It is already possible to continually broadcast one's life, regarding you have continual internet connection and some mobile devise with a camera that allows you to do so. The benefit of continual broad casting being as common as email is hard for me to understand, its seems like it would be really boring and unnecessary to watch (unless perhaps for vital research or art? This idea reminds me a bit of the film The Trueman Show).

Nonetheless, twitter is extremely popular and concerns itself with thousands of one sentence 'broad cast' from thousands of contributers.

THE MAPPABILITY OF WEB 2.0
Here is a link to interesting, paradoxical and rather sad counters comparing internet activity to child death's related to hunger: http://www.wfp.org/1billion

WEEK 2: What is digital (and related topics)

2010-01-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

'The interpretation of a binary sequence into something meaningful'

This was the best thing I could think of. Data in the form of a sequence being translated possibly into networks in the form of pictures, sounds, games, messages etc. All things that hold some kind of importance to us.

"Very simply, 'analogue' is used to describe systems which operate using the principle of signals whose characteristic varies in proportion to some other function which they represent. An example is a gramophone record where the depth of the groove varies in exact proportion with the sound pressure level recorded. By contrast, 'digital' systems work on the principle of numerical representations and calculation."

from: http://www.techmind.org/digital/

1) PROBLEM SOLVING: Digital technologies offer a solution to problems relevant to our time and culture that are relative to modern culture and technology. Concerning communications to and from a mass audience across vast distances, the typical problems we might expect involving time and reliability are now easily avoidable if not void in some places with many people being able to access alternative ways to send messages, have real-time conversations and spread news and ideas. Technically, by making it easier for us to communicate, we have solved and important problem. Computers are also able to solve long complex problems and calculations making a cost and time effective alternative providing ourselves with more time to do other things that a computer can only assist in doing e.g. create and discover.
There are things that computers are very unlikely to achieve, such as creation and abstract thought. But a possible argument against the statement 'COMPUTERS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CREATE' resides in the possibility that there is an underlying order (or law) to everything in the universe (the fabled and ever mysterious 'Theory of Everything'). If there is a universal physical law that we can discover, then in some way events are statistically predictable by some use of probability theory. If the likely-hood of an event can calculated (through probabilities) then it potentially can be done by a computer. No such thing can currently be proven and even though this topic is interesting this is that my priority.

With regards to probability: Please visit blog entry on LE POMP: Monday, 9 November 2009

Probability and Patterns: Vagueness beyond your standard drunken memory is nothing more than fact

(http://thejenistempire.blogspot.com/2009/11/probability-and-patterns-vagueness_09.html)

2) MAKING LINEAR TASKS EASIER GIVES US TIME TO MAKE, DISCOVER AND PLAY: If I want to find the answer to something I cant remember, the internet provides me with an instant and diverse solutions. This is exciting, because it means such a task can be done by a machine, giving me more time to be creative or interactive in a human way. However the down side lies in the risk that we could neglect our memory and leave things to be learnt in a way that is not thorough or substantial enough. We already rely heavily on the directories and operations of computers and the internet as a substitute for linear memorising and operations.
This in its self has a good side because it connects us to each other. A practical example of the benefits of using computers is when they are used in scientific research in inaccessible areas such as Mars and Volcanoes- I personally dont see the point in manned space missions, our technology is not advanced enough for this to be cost/time effective and it is currently better suited for collecting and processing data needed to understand more about such physical environments before assessing how realistic, practical or culturally significant it might be to send folk into space (or into volcanoes.)

*NOTE: Its our responsibility to take care of our memory and the parts of our brain that carry out linear tasks that a computer is more easily capable of processing. Its exists to be used and it makes sense not to let this perish at the expense of practicality- our processing capabilities on the whole (i.e. biologically) are far more advanced than those of any machine.

3) GLOBAL CONNECTION: We are potentially all able to be connected to each through the digital environment and all able to access information for free. This can only be a catalyst in our development and understanding of one another and problem solving.

4) TECHNOLOGY/ CAD/ MEDIA/ ART: There are things we can do with computers that we can not do alone. I mentioned Mars earlier as an example but consider things like laser scanning, satellite imaging, interpreting and/or detecting Infrared signals are a few things amongst many that require computer/digital assistance.
Computers can also assist in design. CAD (Computer Aided Design) has revolutionized the world of art, design and commerce- with the emergence of digital arts. We can make interactive projected or online animations or games that depend on some kind of network or human action. We use layers, selecting and mapping tools to assist design using programs such a those made by Adobe. Digital printing has opened up an immense variety of possibilities: Choice of printing methods, printable on many surfaces with many different finishes, production and prototyping is made easier, vector images can be lazer-cut into a variety of surfaces as well as 3D scanning, printing (rapid prototyping) aided by 3D modeling softwares.

The film industry is changing: Not only with the development of technologies in HD (High Definition) and more sophisticated but digital equipment is becoming more accessible, affordable and editing softwares are becoming increasingly user friendly. Digital environments appear to be democratising many creative processes. However many big movies and documentaries are still recorded on film, their is a certain currently irreplaceable aesthetic in the physical imprint of moving images on film that is vital to many creative film makers and directors. Some photographers would agree- but an excellent digital camera to a professional photographer or photo-journalist is indispensable.

NONETHELESS!
As a human, it is clear that there will always be an aesthetic and pleasure in all things human made and human done: i.e. communicating with people, walking through a park early in the morning on a sunny day, going to the pub etc. For most people these things are more satisfying in person, possible because sitting in front of a computer screen all day (no matter how interesting its content) is not what we have physically evolved to be able to deal with (yet?).

There are things a human can do that remain impossible to computers/robots/programs, although through logic it may be possible to imitate these things. Will it ever be possible for computers to be capable of independent abstract thought or ideas that are inconclusive and/or contradictory? In a computer, a contradiction would perhaps result in a crash or a never ending loop, which made physically impossible to do even on an infinite time scale because the physical capacity of a processor. (Which is finite and will 'use itself up'). Computers work by translating numerical calculations that are in a sense like the 'arguments' of logic or PROOF.

Deductive logic can be proven incomplete. This proof was published in 1931 by Gödel; a good reference is Hofstader's Gödel, Escher, Bach. The key being ingrained in 'self-reference'. He proved that all mathematics (unless they are trivially limited) contain statements that are both true and false or neither true nor false. They are infact simply unprovable.

Take for example this 'self referencing' argument: "This statement is false."

"Note that if this statement is true, then it must be false. If the statement if false, then it must be true. So we have a chain of True » False » True » False ...."

http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/PVB/Harrison/BellsTheorem/BellsTheorem.html)

The discussion we had during our meeting on Friday was very interesting, everyone has something to say about WHAT DIGITAL IS. Probably because in London and at Camberwell College of Arts, digital communication networks are very important to how we contact our tutors and each other. For many other people across the world this is the same.

Who or WHAT is Rupert Murdoch?

2010-01-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

Here is an extract from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/murdoch-google

Rupert Murdoch says he will remove stories from Google's search index as a way to encourage people to pay for content online.

In an interview with Sky News Australia, the mogul said that newspapers in his media empire – including the Sun, the Times and the Wall Street Journal – would consider blocking Google entirely once they had enacted plans to charge people for reading their stories on the web.

In recent months, Murdoch his lieutenants have stepped up their war of words with Google, accusing it of "kleptomania" and acting as a "parasite" for including News Corp content in its Google News pages. But asked why News Corp executives had not chosen to simply remove their websites entirely from Google's search indexes – a simple technical operation – Murdoch said just such a move was on the cards.

"I think we will, but that's when we start charging," he said. "We have it already with the Wall Street Journal. We have a wall, but it's not right to the ceiling. You can get, usually, the first paragraph from any story - but if you're not a paying subscriber to WSJ.com all you get is a paragraph and a subscription form."

The 78-year-old mogul's assertion, however, is not actually correct: users who click through to screened WSJ.com articles from Google searches are usually offered the full text of the story without any subscription block. It is only users who find their way to the story through the Wall Street Journal's website who are told they must subscribe before they can read further.

Murdoch added that he did not agree with the idea that search engines fell under "fair use" rules - an argument many aggregator websites use as part of their legal justification for reproducing excerpts of news stories online.

"There's a doctrine called fair use, which we believe to be challenged in the courts and would bar it altogether... but we'll take that slowly."

Rupert Murdoch's ideas on how he wants to deal with the internet are regressive. This is not just an opinion but an observable fact that can be deduced after reading this article (but I will look for some others relating to this story because I dont want to be biased). This clarifys that the news is not just news but an enterprise. Ol' Rupert already has A LOT of money. He is old and successful enough to not need any more I'm sure, not that this can ever be a realistic or rational reason (let alone an excuse) for ANYONE alive to stop working/making or trying at what they do best HOWEVER it is perhaps one of many reasons for some one like him to continue allowing people to access information for free. (Is this an observable fact too? Am I wrong? Is it true to state that his idea is too greedy and backwards?) I like to repeat myself so I will now, diversity=success, this is well known and obvious.
Ideas that focus on improving only ONE aspect of our modern culture/society (e.g: Money- as important as it may be) will neglect and dilute other aspects of culture. No one should have that kind of power over something as diverse as the internet. THE sense of necessity that is integral to design and innovation in art, technology and science funnily enough is more often pure endeavour and not financial gain. The best and most useful creations/inventions/discoveries etc were found by accident or through a purposeful and/or industrious undertaking (especially ones that require effort and/or boldness). And always as part of an earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something, attempting so by employing effort and interest in the project/subject at hand.

Please watch the following presentations, I think the first one demonstrates and explains some of the dangers of draconian control over the internet and its content to our future, while the second describes other views and dangers of the internet and how it can be used to manipulate (but then again so can T.V and Newspapers etc...Which coincidentally are some of the things that Rupert owns).

Generally there are 2 sides to every coin

2009-12-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

In response to Manovich's essay and what was earlier discussed in class: The internet is definitely a marvel, and so are newspaper and both radio and televised broadcasts etc. Needless to say, all of the said forms of media and beyond are subject to manipulation. People are also partial to formulating opinions and in (many parts of the world) some way obliged- socially perhaps? (although not forced) to contribute towards the grand, plentiful data pool that is... The internet.

There are certain benefits of this invention, mainly being related to its democratic 'all may contribute' nature, because every one can and does have a voice in some way shape or form, and the internet is one place where your voice can be publicly expressed.

This is a powerful principle, perhaps frightening to some. I think we can all agree that there IS an abundance of digital noise out there and that a lot of internet content is trivial but what the input represents in terms of technology, communication and censorship is much more important.

Its important that there is a means that encourages freedom of expression. No matter how trivial, else censorship would become far too severe and depends on the opinion of perhaps very few individuals.

Of course, the immense mass of data dilutes some a sense of intelligence, necessity, creativity and/or ingenuity just like how the sounds of a busy road or noisy environment may drown out parts conversation you are trying to engage in. Lots of people enjoy talking about nonsense, which is not necessarily an insult because its an observable fact. The process and experience of the internet is by nature a selective one. In most countries you may select the content you view as much as you select the content that you contribute.

My sister forwarded me an email containing a public message from her friend. This blog entry is a comment on what he has said despite his request at the end "PS Please don’t comment on this. I don’t want to hear what you think and it will only encourage me to post more useless shite." I agree with the content and think its funny. At the same time its relevant to this part of my course. Its all an important part of the information development process. I presume there is a use for the reflections people produce in response to what other people say when given unlimited opportunity to express themselves, never mind how blandly they decide to do so.

Keep your trivia to yourself... by Jack Sharp

I don’t want to know what you had for lunch, what hat you’re wearing

or what type of dog you just saw. Stop spewing mindless content into

the great expanse of the internet in the vain hope that someone will

read it and give you a virtual pat on the bum for the cute little life

you lead.

True, the human mind has been a festering hive of trivial sewage for

thousands of years, but the sluice gates tended to stay shut or at

least only open on street corners or in public houses where the stink

could disappear harmlessly into the atmosphere. Now the stench of

mindless drivel is trapped and displayed for the entire world on the

internet. Constantly being replaced and updated with more totally

pointless shit.

The absolute worst thing about it is that when I inevitably stumble

across these shit-nuggets I feel compelled to read them and further

dull my over-stimulated brain when I would much rather be reading a

novel or playing my guitar or ….actually anything… jamming cocktail

sticks into my tear ducts.

But I’m unable to turn away and just end up making myself feel wretched.

-‘Happy 1st Birthday Winston (the dog)!!’

-‘I’m drinking tea and all happy about watching episode 7x21 of Buffy’

-‘Now that the new Lotus Tesco Market has just opened on my street, I

have it plus three 7-Elevens to shop at. All within a half km. Cool!’

-‘Now I have to wait ten minutes in the cold’

-‘Fun start to the day. Coffee while doing laundry’

See, you just read all those and what did it contribute to your life. NOTHING!

And yet, here I am, committing my worthless opinion to virtual print

for someone to like/comment/blog or twitter on about. I feel sick.

My only hope is that on reading this a few people may be compelled to

ignore the vast ocean of trivial musings on the web and most

importantly refrain from contributing their own mind-scat to the

intellectual sewage pipe.

PS Please don’t comment on this. I don’t want to hear what you think

and it will only encourage me to post more useless shite.

WHAA HAA HAAAA! I feel like I have completed the cycle some how. If this is referring to facebook, Jack should adjust the settings so that that he receive NO NEWS from any one. Its an option. On media: It's useful to be skeptical, patient and informed. And to question all things presented to you without irrational assumptions that you know everything. Question things with out feeling obliged to follow unreasonable and extreme theories or conspiracies.

No one has all the answers and no one ever will.

Interactive internet stuff: FOLDIT and Richard's Loops

2009-11-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

I found this performance on youtube using an MPC 1000 and recorded samples of Mozart's 'Ronda Alla Turca': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN4H1vRsw7Y

Its shows some more extent to which the digital environment can expand our creative capacities. I though this was an excellent example because you can clearly see and hear exactly how and how well this MCP has exploited a digitised performance of Mozart's piece, a basic drum loop and some good timing. It introduces potential in a really clear way. (Listen to Ronda Alla Turca if you do not already know it).

I found Richard Houghton's youtube channel and then his website. An interesting feature of his website is that it allows you to mix loops he has made. Making it whoely interactive and dependent on the internet for its success. It allows many different combinations through use of his website on the internet, perhaps an infinitely large number of combinations (in theory) of 9 simple looped sounds.

http://www.richardhoughten.com/secretmix.html

A very large volume of combinations is only possible through using the internet. Have a look at his website: http://www.richardhoughten.com/

FOLDIT (Online problem solving game)
Similarly: http://fold.it/portal/

and blog: http://fold.it/portal/blog
and wiki page: http://foldit.wikia.com/wiki/FoldIt_Wiki

This experiment depends on internet interaction to for fill its intentions. 'FoldIt' is an online game in which humans try to solve one of the hardest computational problems in biophysics: protein folding. Almost like trial and improvement the success of its interactive nature is due to the fact that the more people try/build/make/fold/etc different varieties the more likely the program is able to find a solution to a protein folding problem testing the limits of the game with existing problems with known solutions.

FROM PHYSICS WORLD Volume 22 Number 7 July 2009: "FOLDIT draws on the idle hours of several thousand data-crunchers for help in solving scientific puzzles. FOLDIT is all about biophysics. The project's goal is to understand how proteins- the chains of amino acids that drive processes inside living cells- fold themselves into a myriad of different shapes. But the most striking difference is that FOLDIT's protein folding operators are actual human beings, and the datasets they are sifting are disguised as an amazingly addictive computer game."

Its educational, user friendly, Tetris-like by nature and takes advantage of the human penchant for pattern spotting. It outsources these problems to any one with a computer and spare time, seeing what the game is capable of telling us about interactive problem solving in the hope that human players can one day tackle protein-folding problems that have no current solution.

Switching and some history

2009-10-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Before solid state digital electronic devices became available circuit swithed network technology used analogue electronics operating with variables represented by continuously measuring voltages and other quantities.

How a microphone works:

Microphones are an example of a device that changes information from one form to another. Sound information exists as patterns of air pressure; a microphone changes the information that makes the patterns what they are into patterns of electric current.

In 1960

Many companies started to use computers to manage and organize their business. Thus a network was needed for these different computer terminals to communicate with each other and transmit data.

Data was first encoded in the same way that the voice networks encoded sounds. The data was sent over conversional telephone circuits. The devises used to convert data from digital to analogue signals appropriate for telephone circuits are called modems. The 1st modems operated at rates of 110 bits per second. With in 5 years they had reached speeds of 300 to 1120 bits per second. Today, bandwidth of a typical copper line reaches 56kbps (56000 bits per second).

Processor and memory technologies developed throughout the 60's becoming faster and more capable to deal with more signals. Circuit-switched communication was not able to catch up. The US DOD became aware of the potentials of strategy planning through this technology. The circuit switched technology prevented them from using hight speed computers and so ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) worked on developing better communications technologies. Resulting in a simple solution of allowing many computers to share the circuit so each individual one receives a part of the total capacity, making packet switching switching automatic and fair. In this solution data had to be divided into packets. The network accepts packets from multiple senders each with its own destination in a header. Then routes them to their respective destinations. The need for better communication networks stimulated much of the research, Bell Labs being a pioneer.

In 1991

Packet switching data network ARPANET celebrated its 20th anniversary, faster high speed communications became more popular and the original ARPANET with its network address 10.0.0.0 was discontinued.

Intrigue: The work of Field and TRAUM

2009-10-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

(OLD POST FROM 'LE POMP' BLOG- Interesting use of digital environments to create art)

On the evening of the opening reception of the exhibit at the Pebbledash Gallery (EXHIBIT X), were two very wonderful instillation/performances.

INTERIM CAMP: By FIELD

A wondrous due from Germany who through the power or their patience programed and animated this wonderful place (click for HD)

Poor visibility; weather again unsettled today. Surreal rocks and riven lowlands, valleys fog-shrouded. Frightening depths, and emptiness. Rarity of air is noticeable. What are you looking for in this hostile stretch?

www.field.io/projects/interim-camp

TRAUM: By Martin Hampton

'Traum' enters the derelict landscape of the Lee Valley, London, UK, the site of the 2012 Olympics. Cut to a complex score by Isambard Khroustaliov the film proposes a way of looking through the surface of banal things to find new and surprising territories.

Music by Isambard Khroustaliov, film by Martin Hampton.

Made as part as part of the Not-Applicable project. 2008.

http://www.not-applicable.org/

http://www.differance.org/

I found both FIELD and DIFFERANCE very inspirational. I was very glad to be associated with them.

Graphics programming and animations imitating them before they existed

2009-10-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

"Early Abstractions" (1946-57), Pt. 4

Yantra - James Whitney (1957)

L-SYSTEMS

DND

Robot dialog

2009-10-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a dialogue between a robot and someone (another robot maybe?) giving it instructions. I found it rather amusing, confusing and endearing. (Please read the associated text, refferenced from a book called Robots from the Library who’s author and publisher I cant remember at the moment.) This is not partiucularily relevant right now but an interesting representation of 'intelligence' through what I can only assume are pre-programmed responses to predicted (or likely) changes in data input from environment, that are subject to annalysis and argument through formal logic.

Please stack up the yellow and purple blocks, and either a blue cube or a pyramid.
Ok.
Which cube is sitting on the table?
The large blue one that supports the green pyramid.
Put a small cube onto the blue cube that supports a pyramid.
Ok.
Put the littlest pyramid on top of it.
Ok.
How many things are on top of the blue cubes?
I’m not sure what you mean by ‘on top of’ in the phrase ‘on top of the blue cubes.’
Do you mean:
1 - Directly on the surface?
2 - Anywhere on top of?
2.
Three of them.
Had you touched any pyramid before you put the red one the little cube?
Yes, the red one.
When did you pick it up?
While I was stacking up the purple cube, a large yellow block, and a large blue cube.
Why?
To get rid of it.
Why did you do that?
To clear off the purple cube.
Why did you clear off that cube?
To put it on the large blue cube.
Why did you do that?
To stack up the purple cube, a yellow block and a large blue cube.
Why did you do that?
Because you asked me to.
Very well. Now please stack both the blue cubes and the smallest pyramid.
Ok.

(Photo courtesy of Rosanne Eveleigh here is her blog DOUBLE RAINBOWS http://howthewaterfeelstothefishes.blogspot.com/)

WEEK 1

2009-10-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

WEEK 1's introduction to the Digital Environment elective drew my attention to the different between the things we learn about the world that are objective, real and in clear existence just waiting to be understood against the aesthetics humans so infamously create and construct. That we can all say (when speaking of a certain bird that can fly e.g. pigeon) 'That bird can fly' but we will not all say 'that bird is beautiful'- Aesthetics are constructed, and subjective. They depend on your preferences and ideas, which develop depending on upbringing, culture, environment, personal choice and many other derivatives of the nurture and nature of individuals.

Here are four videos from you-tube:
1) Demonstration early digital music technology

The Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) was the first polyphonic digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia.^[1]^[2] It rose to prominence in the early 1980s and competed in the market with the Synclavier from New England Digital. Both instruments would be put through their paces by famed producer Trevor Horn, much to the chagrin of rival Martin Hannett (who left Factory Records after the company refused to subsidize his purchase of a Series IIx model mere months before Horn's production of "Relax" hit the airwaves).

2 ) This is an example of the improvements of the applications of the digital in more recent times (Wii Hacking http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/) by taking advantage of infrared technology using infrared camera in a Wii remote.

3) Johnny Harcastel's video to his 1981 composition 'King Tut'.

4) This is a video from "bionicTechnophobe's" you-tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/bionicTechnophobe#p/u/0/nRNkJnxUa4o

Using the 8x8 LED matrix of the Meggy Jr as a low resolution video display. The video is captured with the built-in iSight camera of a MacBook Pro using Processing. The image is formatted specially for the Meggy then sent via serial. The refresh rate is certainly acceptable, although there needs to be more error checking with the video sync.

FUTURE SHOCK is documentary from 1972 reaches into some interesting topics. Its based on the book written by the sociologist and futurologist Alvin Toffler in 1970 and contemplates ways in which technology might change the future. It is suggestive of disposable, temporary life styles and distant relationships through computers. These examples are now quite real e.g. fast food, Primark, Ikea, face-book etc. Some people live in knowledge that fast food is bad for you and still eat it. That physical encounters with our environment are currently unrivaled health wise and in terms of experience by anything networking sites can offer and still spend hours on end on them. Some also speculate that primark clothes are inexpensive because they are made in sweatshops and still shop there. Needless to say encouraging wasteful/spoilt behavior through the fact that things are so easily replaced and produced reduces reasons for purchase to something very decadent and pointless. This particular episode seems try expose potential dangers of technology. I cant take it seriously but Id like to read the book.

I have added this video predominantly for aesthetics. I think technology is overwhelming- predominantly a good and wonderful thing. Concerning disposable lifestyle and the current state of the environment this era of wastefulness will inevitably have to end, our environment does after all contains us so we must keep it livable in one way or another.

DIGRESSION: Newton's laws of motion.

I. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

II. The relationship between an object's mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma. Acceleration and force are vectors (as indicated by their symbols being displayed in slant bold font); in this law the direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector.

III. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Here is a link to and interactive learning website which includes some Java applets on Physics so you can play around with that. Java is a digital environment. http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph11e/index.html

ELECTIVE POST FROM "LE POMP"

2009-10-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

My elective is digital environments. The progressive emergence of digital technologies over the course of the 20th century and into the 21st is one of exponential growth. If we look back to the 1930's we happen across George Stibitze, researcher at Bell Labs and mathematician (who today is internationally known as one of the fathers of digital computers, but Im sure had he not figured it out, some one else definitely would have.) He devised Boolean logic digital circuits using electromechanical relays as the switching element. (Switching element being the word coined for the component and/or element which is responsible for the transfer of data within or across a network/s. For example, using the electron.) We could probably claim that the work Samuel Morse and his creation of Morse Code were also partly responsible. Similar code related contributions by other mathematicians and logic derived by philosophers and physicists could also be relevant. We could say that they are also collectively responsible for the emergence of the computer.

(Link to Bell Laboratories)

This topic is going to be a very interesting part of my course. Digital information is transfered, stored and understood through the interpretation of two states of an electron: positive and non-positive. Read as 1 and 0 respectively. Thats It!.

Everything in the computer, on the internet, programs, games, digital cameras, mobile phones, other small processors e.g; found in microwaves, washing machines and DVD players. All the information; images and sounds in your lap top/computer/ipod/MP3/any digital device, is just the translation of one of these two states in a sequence (or instruction?) that is interpreted and translated into understandable or meaningful information.

As it stands, I already find it flabbergasting to say the least that the elementary, ordinary matter (such as electrons) that our world is built from can and does exhibit such extraordinary behavior in living plants and beasts.

Down to the functioning of all the bodily systems that make us alive, from the mechanical and chemical digestion of food to the complexity of the nervous system and the consciousness of the brain, charge movement/shift is responsible.

Generally, what we do and what occurs naturally with electrons in the environment is astounding. Of course the creation of the digital environment that we are vaguely familiar with is not apart from this. I needn't elaborate when I remind myself (and yourself) that all things have a bad side as we can expand networks, share data, create and edit music, art and film within digital environments but it is a predominantly tremendous boon to our understanding of the world and the development of the modern culture and creativity that emerges in response to it.

I look forward to what I will be doing later on this year. Another reason why seeing the work of Field on the opening of the exhibition was so interesting. Ill be looking up some of what other people have been up to once October begins.

(Extract from LE POMP: Digital Environments)