I thought the readings from Rosen's writings about technological mediums were very thorough in some aspects of the way that the mind thinks.  I could see how there could be negative effects on the mind when you do too much of one thing can and in this case only gaining knowledge about the world through images rather than texts.

I like how she brought up the legitimacy of photographs.  I think that we give too much credit to images we see when it is presented from an accredited source or what source we value.  It could potentially be the downfall of intelligence if we constantly give into sources that we respect without any follow up.  But I guess it really depends on what kind of intelligence you are referring too.  Rosen is referring to the complete dumbing down of humanity without the use of text.  I see where she is trying to get at with this point but I think that some images cause people to investigate more about the image.  Like who took the picture, who mad the picture, and so on and so forth.  In order to do further research it is imperative that you know how to read and thus write.

For those who choose to take images at face value it can become a potential problem.  But this also could be a different kind of intelligence.  Certain images can correlate to common thought and building on these images could help you refer back to things you have already seen in the past.  If a child first sees fire and touches it and it burns them they are conditioned to not touch it again.  This idea can also be applied to any given situation if one chooses to think the situation through or has the ability to do so.  If i see an image of a beautiful woman on the cover of the magazine a lot of observations comes to mind.  The portrayal of beauty is swayed to one spectrum of what beauty is.  What about the beauty of a fifty year old woman or a woman of color?  These things say a lot to women when we look at what is portrayed as beautiful.  Most covers have light skinned models that are mostly Caucasian.  Rarely will you see a Indian woman, African, Asian, or Latin woman.  I'm not trying to get into a battle of the races, I am stating what I see on the racks throughout California.  The publishers of these fashion magazines show us that beauty is a youthful woman who has perfect complexion, who is fashionably in tune, and is rail thin.  If I choose to let this idea rule my opinion of what beautiful is then I will constantly give into the things around me that mimic that image.  If I sit back and really think about the production of the magazine, who is distributing the magazine and why I think certain things are beautiful I then begin to put myself in a box that I don't fit in.  I know that its not natural for all women to have rail thin bodies, immaculate skin, full breasts, perfect hair, perfect make-up, and fashionable attire.  These are all sellers that keep us in the loop of consumerism for beauty products.

We buy the products that models are wearing.  We wear the make up to try to mimic what we think is beauty.  It becomes a vicious cycle that Rosen has talked about.  Getting caught in the loop of images rather seeing past what the image is saying.  I have fallen guilty to this too.  But I think without getting lost you will never really try to find your way out of the misguided articles.  The complete spectrum of what beauty is lacks in this kind of system.  Older women feel they are too aged and younger women want to be something they're not as well.  This is why it is important to investigate your sources.

I don't think that all of humanity will follow the same thought though when reacting to an image.  People often develop their own theories or beliefs about images they see and not everyone takes it at face value.  I think that when I see something repeatedly through the day like on a bus or stop signs my subconscious is working to store it and use it to my advantage.  My first initial thought is 'what are they trying to get me to buy'?  Maybe because I'm skeptical or maybe because I have learned through trial and error that a lot of advertisements try to tap into you believing in what they are selling is legit.

When sitting back and thinking about how images affect me I could see how it could be bad  if you get caught in the cycle of a image based life.  But texts are just a collection of symbols that are images, so you could take that stance that texts can be harmful to one's intelligence.  Each letter is a symbol is represented by images and the collection of the symbols make a statement too when you take a stance on how you want to organize you ideas with these symbols.  Reading into things that are falsely reported can be a dangerous road to travel down as well.

Communication Taking New Paths

Vlog: "Privacy & Voyuerism on the Tube"

Since the introduction of technological mediums as a source of communication the adaptation of using them has affected the way humans communicate. Through centuries of trial and error there has been a selection of useful communicative traits that have developed into considerable efficient characteristics that are then passed on to the next generation as an adaptation for social survival skills in the environment you are in.  Darwinism carried itself into social and technological communication and is changing the way that we interact with each other on a day to day basis online.

When I was watching my video blogger speak about the points she had gathered about changing communication skills online it made me think of questions that I would have asked for her to further diverge on: what social skills through technological mediums have proven to be favorable traits in her opinion, what causes us to react the way we do when filming ourselves when using these mediums, how we choose to portray ourselves when reaching out when in need of attention online, and what is considered okay as far as comfort levels when sharing personal information about ourselves to strangers online.

People naturally try to bond with each other by creating communities that make us feel like we belong to a group.  Our behaviors are shaped by the hierarchical process within online social communities filtering out the undesirable behaviors when video blogging.  After gaining the trust and status from online communities, video blogger's are left to mimic only the favorable traits that conjure the responses that they desire.  People in online communities have developed a new kind of social system onto online forums on the Internet.  What is learned as favorable skills when communicating face to face reflects how we choose to interact with each other online.  Through these adaptations brought about by  technologies many mediums we are beginning to build new characteristics within ourselves that are successful in helping us convey what we feel brings us together to each other. We have brought our community building skills and have projected them into videos, electronic music, and writing on the Internet.

Responses that we would rebuttal with when in discussion can be seen through my video bloggers conversation with the camera and herself.  For example, when she reflection of why we like to be watched  online she later helps herself into a question answer kind of conversation.  This is something that would happen naturally when conversing with another person.  A question, answer, then bonding happens and you could see how her learned reactions are being recorded as such.  She discusses how we like to be watched and how we are beginning to feel okay with this 'voyeurism' that surrounds us. The feeling of being watched in the outside world when we are facing each other as something rude or intruding. I wanted to focus on the definition a little bit before going further on my thoughts about being watched. When I think of a voyeuristic person I visualize someone who watches people in a perverted way rather than gathering data that helps them bond better with others for platonic relationships. So in the sense of gathering data, I see the what we do to protect our ego and how we develop lines that we allow ourselves to cross and draw for each other to make us feel loved.

What was once considered rude or prying has evolved into something we now accept because it is builds community and enforces the moral the group formed online.  Communication is changing and with that what is dynamics of what is considered respectful is going along with the change.  Our natural behaviors like venting or confining in some one has other extensions in which we could release our stresses. 

Technological Darwinism

The use of technology has become more and more abundant across the world.  People with computers, cell phones, or even a type writers have begun to explore the world through devices that are changing the way we communicate with each other without really giving it any thought.  Our thoughts mostly define instruments that we use to interact with the world as just a simple method of communicating.  Marshall McLuhan states in his book, Medium is the Massage, that "societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication."

I think that McLuhan was trying to say something very important to future generations about how our ability to take in technology is a direct affected of the device we received it.  What we categorize as important and what is not important has been in direct relation to how we came about receiving the information.  In this case, most of the information we get now-a-days is less by word of mouth and more by the electronic mediums.  We are directly affected how we view the world by the way information has arrived to us.  Having the face to face conversation and the old way of learning has been completely thrown out and we have a new respect for the reign of technology in our lives.  The social biology that is affected by what I call technological Darwinism has made us into sheltered from human interactions.  Maybe this isn't such a bad thing when you look at it.  From one point of view it does save time and money when you are able to access information through these mediums.  But on the other hand you have conditioned yourself to become impatient and lessened your attention span with quick answers.

McLuhan describes the way technology alters our way of thinking in the following passage:  "Media, by altering the environment, evoke in us unique ratios of sense perceptions.  The   extension of any one sense alters the way we think and act--the way we perceive the world."  The technological Darwinism that is taking place is beginning to change us.  So two important things that we should think about is how much we rely on technology in our lives and what will we do if electricity ceases to exist?  This reminds me of a quote from Albert Einstein saying something about technology-- "Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal."  Taken literally I felt that he was trying to say what McLuhan was trying to report:  the power using these mediums is damaging to ourselves as people.  Even thought we can keep in touch with people over seas or be warned about a potential disaster coming our way we are still becoming to reliant on something we shouldn't.  Destroying and unlearning all that we have come to learn as people is setting us back.

I sometimes see this social disorder in myself.  I fidget with discomfort when I'm surrounded by people on the MUNI and this is because I rarely expose myself to the public in the masses.  I have come very comfortable with my pod of a room and used my laptop to communicate with the world.  Maybe its comfort of being at home or just laziness but the sense of a safe sheltered place is something I like to constantly feed myself with and is usually accompanied with some sort technology that allows me to interact with people not in my room.  I'm not saying that I don't have day to day interactions with people I live with or with people in general but I could see how technology could impair ones ability to communicate at ease and interact at ease.  When you are face to face with a real person there is definitely a kind of chemical reaction that happens within you that you don't get from technology or any of its mediums (debatable).  Maybe I am just shy but the thought of technology helping me hide myself from the world isn't necessarily something I should rule out as a side effect to my self sheltering.  I could relate to the text in that way.  It is easy to get used to the electronic devices we use to interact with the rest of the world.

McLuhan thinks of the many aspects in which technology touches the many relationships we have in our lives.  One thought points to our interactions and how it is affected by technology in the lines of being raised by a collective world rather by parents.  "Character no longer is shaped by only two earnest, fumbling experts.  Now all the world's a sage."  I know he probably didn't mean this in the literal context (actually thinking about the copy right date he probably did) when he was talking about two parents but I do see how raising a child and building character within that child has so many more factors now than before.  If a child is hurt or being taught a lesson that child may vent online or to friends.  Those friend's opinions or thoughts are put into the memory bank as a something that can be used to help solve problems in which the parents and the child is having.  So in conclusion, I would say that McLuhan definitely had some very insightful thoughts to technology in modern day life. 

Not Downloading Facetious Babble

Do you agree with Postman that all we must define all media ethically?  Why or why not?  As always, consider how these issues affect you.
I thought that Postman's passage was well thought out and had a great emotional appeal that the public could relate to.  We as humans, in my opinion, are rough by nature and the conditioning that we go through definitely has some benefits as well as disadvantages to living in a life of technology.  We are spoiled by time saving devices that can affect the way that we function as a person when problem solving.  Miscalculating time or even being dependent on a device such as computers to get information across are two of the many important things that could set back our lifestyles drastically.  I have seen many movies that convey how technology can contribute to the human life and how it could strip it bare of its meaning. 

The value of human connection is definitely at risk.  But with any advancement there comes a consequences both beneficial and hurtful to humankind.  Technology has contributed to fast and easy access to limitless information.  If there was a devastating earthquake that might potentially cause a tsunami miles away we have the technology to monitor that now and suggest a warning based on what is gauged.  In the event of something drastic happening we are able to respond within minutes rather than weeks or months.  Pre-industrial and post-industrial lifestyle has definitely made marks on the way that we live our lives.

The people in charge of giving information can distort it or censor what is given though.  Technologies could be used in a bias manner in which would only beneficial to those who had the power to control advancement can pick and choose the demise of entire populations.  With technology I could convey my feelings through written symbols, reminiscence thoughts I have had reading old entries, reach out to my sisters over seas, urge my brother to hang out with me more via text.  I could do an infinite amount of things that I would have to think twice about doing before making moves to do if I didn't have the ability to communicate.  These are reasons why technology is good for humanity.

The bad things that technology could provide in multiplying: false illusions of beauty, yellow journalism,and even pump out false information to start wars.  The way I see it is if a human is involved in out sourcing any information the possibility of it being untrue or a mistaken print is highly likely. 

The Control of Fear

Your thoughts and reactions are a big part of the way you were conditioned to react to certain situations.  With that, feelings like fear, love and what your definition of freedom is may differ as well.  Films like, V for Vendetta, sends a deep message about how it is so easy to give in controlled thought because of laziness, lack of knowledge, or plain out fear.  All of these may be learned and influenced by what you see or what you choose to expose yourself to.  Sometimes there are hidden agendas with groups sending their message that may influence you to sway towards their favor.  This film seemed very political charged and I felt that it was a message to the system that England has given into. 

England automatically comes to mind because of how it is known as the surveillance-society.  Having cameras on almost every street corner produces a fear whether consciously or unconsciously.  The thought of being watched doesn't make anyone feel at ease.  So I really felt that it was a message about the whole big brother idea.  Having satellites watching, scoping and transmitters surrounding all of us causes some to not be free with thought and the way they live their life.  This also may help groups influence the reaction they would like you to succumb to.  Being non threatening, unaware, passive little citizens was a common reaction to the society that was in V for Vendetta.  Only until you are exposed to pain you are aware of existence to self. 

What I'm trying to get at is that through every system, something is learned and what you take from it helps you think about what your next moves would be when faced with a challenge.  There were many stories within the plot that had a message to the viewer.  Do not give into fear because of pain.  Fear played a huge part of what was happening to Evey as well.  Evey was a part of the norm that went about her monotonous, meaningless life.  She was aware of the system that was built around her and the suppression of normal human expression that was being controlled through her parents.  Through another system of suppression brought to her by the character V she was awakened to the truth that had been looking her in the face since she was a child.  You have the ability to chose what your demise would be and that action alone will shape you.  Evey becoming fearless opens her minds eye to what is going on around her.  Although her exposure to the truth came about cruel and unthinkable it still taught her something very important.  This system of being conditioned into thinking further beyond the results was an important part of her life.  The strength to become free has been within her and her will is strong.  A domino effect of this thought reaches out to people in the masses and the power of knowledge leads to an complete uproar of this society.  Revolutions give rise to new thought and order all the time.  Knowing something is wrong or corrupt causes many of us to rise up and think outside the box. 

Evey's captivity in itself was a kind of imprisonment.  Like the prisoners in Plato's Allegory Cave, the one freed was exposed to the truths about life.  Things aren't always what they seem to be.  Your ability to control your actions and control the fear that eats you up can be taken a hold of.  What you have been conditioned to believe or react can be changed for the better.  We know that being influenced could go so far to the point where you get stuck in a monotonous sort of march in your life though.  We all can and have fallen victims to this train of thought in our lives.  Your definition of a productive day becomes so natural and comfortable that sometimes we don't question why we do the things we do religiously.  Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and so on and so forth and habits of being silenced or living in fear is passed on from generation to generation.  The importance of knowing that you have a choice to break free from this cycle seemed to be one of the biggest themes.

Another thing that came across to me was that knowledge is power.  The more you know the more attainable conclusions you are aware of.  The more you are aware of the more you could identify what must be changed and not ignored.  Sharing this knowledge and passing it on will also be a struggle.  Making moves to progress will seem a minute gesture compared to the lesson at hand once these feelings become fueled by things that are not right.  I think that the importance of revolution is good for humanity to progress.   I am not saying go ahead and throw a fit about everything that you feel is unjust and wrong but having a great orderly way of organizing to better all is a good way of going about injustice.  Without order there is complete chaos.  But in order to gain this level of progression that is good for all there must be some sort of set of rules that we have to respect.  When these set of rules become distorted or influenced by greed this is when the system starts to fail.  

Breaking free from a failed system and gaining knowledge of what corruption underlying what these groups were practicing an important revelation to the film.  So be it a cave, corrupted political system, fear as a suppressor it is important that you seek the truth of it all and step back and think about what is going on.

Your Lying Eyes

Following the ideas of Plato's Allegory Cave in comparison to what I took from the movie the Matrix I feel that the theme was that perception is subjective. The things you see in life that stimulates experiences in your memory bank can affect how you view situations thus, effecting your response. Results are infinite depending on all the tangible results so one may or may not be able to stumble upon all of the truths to life.  The decision you may have for yourself when you face something new can answered only by the few results to the paths you choose. So the question of your experiences that you have under your belt isn't enough in comparison to the complexity of a difficult situation in which you are forced to decide poses a big problem if your searching for the truth.  One truth may be true completely through and through for one individual according where they are viewing it and the same for you.  Being the product of your environment is a direct result of you being bias.  The normal situations become somewhat of a home to self.  Home becomes comforting and in that comfort habit is formed.  Once that habit becomes a part of your ritual it becomes a part of you.  The characteristics that become a part of you is a direct result of your environment.  In the case of the theme at hand is that environment leads you to believe that the world has a set of rules that things must abide by as far as result.  I am not talking about the results of gravity or basic physics.  Just simply that the world is a learned place for both the mind and the body.  You are conditioned to have learned reactions to a system.  The question you have to ask yourself is what kind of system are you being exposed to.  Because we are trained to have a systematic reaction we don't question things the ending result.  The result you are left with is expected.  A learned norm can begin to act as a blinder to the other events that are happening without your knowledge because of your assumption of things.  Whether you look at it scientifically, spiritually, or politically whatever path you go down the stance you take is influenced by your very own skewed perspective.  Scientifically, our knowledge is minuscule to what time itself has experienced.  So what we think we know may not be all that should be or could be known.  We are a part of a galaxy within a universe in which we do not really know where  begins or ends.  For example, black holes can bend time, space, and gravity at to its will.  Spiritually, we are unable to know what happens to self after death.  Politically, we are informed of only what is given to us through mass media. So on and so forth, the human mind isn't capable seeing the world all the dimensions so in that we are victims to ignorance.  Knowledge is infinite and this itself causes a problem what the truth really is.

Philosophy Makes Me Want To Rant & Rave

The thought of being kept in the dark brings politics to mind.  How it effects me directly as a citizen in a low economic standing is like being imprisoned in this cave of shadows.  The cave being the controlled mass population and the cave being the system.  The way that tax payers dollars are divided have begun to frustrate me.  The budget cuts from our schools are ridiculous and I have to thank the people responsible for cutting funds.

It trickles down from the higher ups cooking the books and pocketing god know how many of millions of dollars.  Plato's thoughts brings to mind America's politics.  What if the smartest, most suited, or the wise have been suppressed by those with large amounts of money & power?  In this case I really feel that our society has been subjected to this demise.  This reminds me of a very funny line in the hit movie Avatar "now they're just pissing on us without having the courtesy of telling us its rain". When the heck are we going to wake up and see that we are being controlled like puppets? Ignorant bliss may be at hand here.  What if a whole society is kept 'in the cave' and those who are able to better themselves are silenced by America's aristocrats? 

Here's a thought--Lets keep the poor and the middle class on under wraps by doing things like having city cops ticket citizens on the Municipal Transportation Agency for drinking or eating.  All natural things that are needed to sustain the body right?  The citizen's dollar is paying for this service and it cycles back to bite them in the rear in.  People use the transit  system to get to their low paying jobs. How about we cut the funds that go to education so we keep the lower class ignorant. Lets sell dirt cheap crap food to low income communities so we can raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancers in that group. Yes it is your choice to avoid all this. Yes you can work out of a crap society. YES YOU CAN! Arnold, how do I love thee, let me count the ways.

Not only is this issue becoming more alive to me but I knew how much the fear has been embedded in me when the New York Times wrote a story about San Francisco State University and the budget cuts. My week consisted of showing up for about 30 classes, participating, being attentive to the instructors only to either be turned away or looked out sourly if you waltz in late. God damn it I've been walking up and down stairs, booking across campus, emailing, visiting departments, and trying to sell myself to a system that mind you is taking money from me by the thousands. I understand that a good education must be earned. I understand that I choose to be there. And I also understand that it is in my power to achieve were I want to be in life. But there is a line that must be drawn if it seems like you over enroll and offer next to nothing that is required of us to graduate. You hare a higher education system San Francisco State University! You should be able to think this out thoroughly and use your critical thinking skills to come up with a more feasible plan don't you think? If only these professors knew what was happening or least try to remember that the budget cuts are killing our alternatives. 

I have gone off on a crazy tangent but I really do feel that America's education system is part of some money conspiracy of those who are more knowledgeable of where the tax payers dollar REALLY goes.  Maybe I don't know enough to pass judgment on the shadows that are caste on the walls.  But this system seems to be a bit corrupt and what we should be informed is kept in the dark.  We bills being passed that have hidden articles that relieve those responsible to stray away from what they should be held responsible for.