In the article "Does Lara Croft Wear Fake Polygons?" There is a section about Lara being a positive role model to girls and women. Many of the games or other media for female depict a frilly little world where no wrong is ever done and everything is perfect. However this is seldom the case in real life. These types of interactions don’t help females to learn from these experiences or practice problem solving skills. It is said that in games such as Tomb Raider there are puzzles to solve and situations that require getting out of. Therefore the players are required to problem solve in order to continue in the adventure.
Personally I never did spend much time playing computer or online games, but I have seen some of these frilly “girl” games they are talking about. These are games about Barbie’s Fashion show, Slumber Party, or some other seemingly ridiculous and meaningless theme. What is the point of putting different clothes or completing a make-over on virtual dolls? Does it somehow teach them to dress better? And if it does, does that really matter in the real world?
When I played board games or card games I enjoyed games with a challenge. Games that make you think are always the most rewarding (in my mind). I think that we are doing females such a disservice by only encouraging them to play games with little to no educational value. I don’t always agree with the theme of the games that boys are playing now days and I don’t think that games are the only way to learn or that they should be played all the time. I do however think that if we are going to provide problem solving games that appeal to boys we should do the same for our girls.
I believe that one of the reasons why women are known across the board as having less computer knowledge than men is partially due to the fact that boys were more drawn to computers as kids, giving them more experience with computers even on a basic level. Do I think women are less able to thrive on computers than men? Not at all. I do however think that we need to give our girls just as many opportunities as we give our boys so that they have a better chance of succeeding.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
BLOG Assignment #6
Looking Toward Cyberspace: Beyond Grounded Sociology
By Sherry Turkle
This article is about how cyberspace has altered our relationships as well as our own personal identity. Turkle explains that we become learn to adapt to a virtual world, connecting with people in a whole new way. Some people integrate well into this new world with little to no effort, other feel anxiety and a sense of “fragmentation.” With technology it’s possible to live multiple lives, or play multiple roles, at the same time. When connected to the internet on your computer you can be connected to Facebook, MySpace, MSN messenger (as well as multiple other messengers), twitter, and a plethora of chat rooms all at the same time … playing a different role in each of these social networks. It’s not even unheard of for people to play the role of someone of the opposite gender, or a completely different age. With the help of cyberspace it seems that we have been able to redefine how we look at identity and our self images. We need to not look at ourselves so much as one person as our parent’s parents did but as multiple selves expressed through different means.
I find it to be very interesting how people take on multiple selves when online. I knew several gamers that would have multiple “players” on one game, each having its own personality. Many of the male gamers would have at least one female character, and often it was their main character. I also know how easy it is to portray a different self when you are around one group of people vs. another. How much easier is it then to portray a different self online? And to have the capability to play multiple roles or be multiple selves all at the same time is truly amazing. We really have come a long way with technology. I think you’ll find how common place this really is in today’s society. How many of you have experienced this first hand or know of someone that does?
By Sherry Turkle
This article is about how cyberspace has altered our relationships as well as our own personal identity. Turkle explains that we become learn to adapt to a virtual world, connecting with people in a whole new way. Some people integrate well into this new world with little to no effort, other feel anxiety and a sense of “fragmentation.” With technology it’s possible to live multiple lives, or play multiple roles, at the same time. When connected to the internet on your computer you can be connected to Facebook, MySpace, MSN messenger (as well as multiple other messengers), twitter, and a plethora of chat rooms all at the same time … playing a different role in each of these social networks. It’s not even unheard of for people to play the role of someone of the opposite gender, or a completely different age. With the help of cyberspace it seems that we have been able to redefine how we look at identity and our self images. We need to not look at ourselves so much as one person as our parent’s parents did but as multiple selves expressed through different means.
I find it to be very interesting how people take on multiple selves when online. I knew several gamers that would have multiple “players” on one game, each having its own personality. Many of the male gamers would have at least one female character, and often it was their main character. I also know how easy it is to portray a different self when you are around one group of people vs. another. How much easier is it then to portray a different self online? And to have the capability to play multiple roles or be multiple selves all at the same time is truly amazing. We really have come a long way with technology. I think you’ll find how common place this really is in today’s society. How many of you have experienced this first hand or know of someone that does?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
SUPERUSERS ...
Apologies to my group for being behind this week ... hopefully my first, last, and only offense
When reading pages 123-125 of Digitizing Race, Nakamura discusses how the white males (Mr. Anderson and Detective Anderton) in both Minority report and the Matrix Trilogy are able to interact with technology at a higher level than their non-white comrades.
In the 2003 movie Paycheck, Ben Affleck plays a role where he is skilled in reverse engineering. This White male’s job involves taking current technology and improving it giving him some sort of empowerment and authority in the area of technology. During the movie he is depicted using a transparent technology to disassemble and reassemble the product that he is working with.
Like Mr. Anderson (Neo) and Detective Anderton, Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a “superuser”. He is able to interface with technology in a way that not everyone can. Jennings is called out to do a job because he is skilled in reverse technology giving him an advantage over others. Nakamura talks about how Mr. Anderson and Detective Anderton, like Mr. Jennings interface at a higher level while their counterparts interface with technology as lesser users requiring analog interface via things such as keyboards or other hard-wired communication devices.
Paycheck also depicts the lack of non-whites as technological authorities in the vast number of technologically advanced peoples portrayed in the movie and the lack of appearance of non-whites. This shows that the whites are technologically superior to non-whites whether they are physically present or not. There is a non-white agent in the movie Paycheck, Agent Dodge. Agent Dodge is portrayed as a working class male trying to understand and get to the bottom of what Jennings has done, but doesn’t have the technological advantage that Jennings has, putting him at a obvious disadvantage. This correlates to the natural disadvantages of Link and Jad in the Matrix Trilogy and Minority Report.
When reading pages 123-125 of Digitizing Race, Nakamura discusses how the white males (Mr. Anderson and Detective Anderton) in both Minority report and the Matrix Trilogy are able to interact with technology at a higher level than their non-white comrades.
In the 2003 movie Paycheck, Ben Affleck plays a role where he is skilled in reverse engineering. This White male’s job involves taking current technology and improving it giving him some sort of empowerment and authority in the area of technology. During the movie he is depicted using a transparent technology to disassemble and reassemble the product that he is working with.
Like Mr. Anderson (Neo) and Detective Anderton, Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a “superuser”. He is able to interface with technology in a way that not everyone can. Jennings is called out to do a job because he is skilled in reverse technology giving him an advantage over others. Nakamura talks about how Mr. Anderson and Detective Anderton, like Mr. Jennings interface at a higher level while their counterparts interface with technology as lesser users requiring analog interface via things such as keyboards or other hard-wired communication devices.
Paycheck also depicts the lack of non-whites as technological authorities in the vast number of technologically advanced peoples portrayed in the movie and the lack of appearance of non-whites. This shows that the whites are technologically superior to non-whites whether they are physically present or not. There is a non-white agent in the movie Paycheck, Agent Dodge. Agent Dodge is portrayed as a working class male trying to understand and get to the bottom of what Jennings has done, but doesn’t have the technological advantage that Jennings has, putting him at a obvious disadvantage. This correlates to the natural disadvantages of Link and Jad in the Matrix Trilogy and Minority Report.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Codes of life: identification codes and the machine-readable world
The article I choose to read was Codes of life: identification codes and the machine-readable world by Martin Dodge and Rob Kitchin.
I was initially intrigued by this article because of the vertical lines forming a rectangle, similar to that of a universal product code (UPC) barcode we are all somewhat familiar with.
Codes of life: identification codes and the machine-readable world talks about many different types of codes that are assigned to people, objects, locations, as well as others. As it turns out these codes are generated using mathematical algorithms. Though the concept had been around 30 years prior, it was not developed for use until the 70’s. The first item to have a UPC barcode was a package of chewing gum; it was first used in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974. About two years later three-fourths of US supermarket goods had their own barcode. Barcodes became very important in making the checkout process more efficient.
Some codes are used to increase workplace production and efficiency, some to provide security, while others are used to monitor the employee’s performance and whereabouts. Codes can be used to make calculated decisions eliminating human error and in some cases replacing the need for human workers.
With the advancement of technology we can now track things closer than ever before. We have GPS units that tell us where in the world we are (or where someone else is). We have transaction codes that aid us in purchases with things like credit cards and ATM cards. We have territorial codes that help track and manage populations and businesses. The ability to continually track a person’s activities and movements is getting increasingly easier and more affordable with advances in computer storage.
Life has certainly become more “efficient” and “continent” but at what cost? Do we have any privacy left, and if so for how long?
I was initially intrigued by this article because of the vertical lines forming a rectangle, similar to that of a universal product code (UPC) barcode we are all somewhat familiar with.
Codes of life: identification codes and the machine-readable world talks about many different types of codes that are assigned to people, objects, locations, as well as others. As it turns out these codes are generated using mathematical algorithms. Though the concept had been around 30 years prior, it was not developed for use until the 70’s. The first item to have a UPC barcode was a package of chewing gum; it was first used in Troy, Ohio on June 26, 1974. About two years later three-fourths of US supermarket goods had their own barcode. Barcodes became very important in making the checkout process more efficient.
Some codes are used to increase workplace production and efficiency, some to provide security, while others are used to monitor the employee’s performance and whereabouts. Codes can be used to make calculated decisions eliminating human error and in some cases replacing the need for human workers.
With the advancement of technology we can now track things closer than ever before. We have GPS units that tell us where in the world we are (or where someone else is). We have transaction codes that aid us in purchases with things like credit cards and ATM cards. We have territorial codes that help track and manage populations and businesses. The ability to continually track a person’s activities and movements is getting increasingly easier and more affordable with advances in computer storage.
Life has certainly become more “efficient” and “continent” but at what cost? Do we have any privacy left, and if so for how long?
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article for this week
I am working on Codes of life: identification codes and the machine-readable world... More coming soon
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