Encyclopedic: Computers are encyclopedic in that they allow us to access vast amounts of data almost instantly. Once we have access to the data we are able to transform the data into information that is useful for our purposes. What is also important is that computers allow us to access the data in many different formats. We are long past just thinking about data as text and numbers. We now have access to videos, online presentations, podcasts, etc. that enable us to get a better understanding of data from many different viewpoints.
Participatory: Computers allow us to collaborate with one another without being physically present. We can now gather the information noted above and get together to hypothesize about data and outcomes and create higher quality products as a result. The participatory nature allows us to take advantage of our collective intelligence. Computers are also participator in that we are able to directly interact with the machine and receive feedback through well-defined interfaces with set behavior.
Procedural: The procedural aspect of computers is what provides the behaviors associated with the interfaces. Programmers write procedures that enforce the rules of interaction with the computer.
Spatial: As computers become more powerful we are able to take advantage of their spatial nature. As Griz noted we are able to move up and down and interact with the computer spatially. What is becoming more evident is that the spatial nature is increasing and becoming more immersive. For example, the X Box now allows you to be the controller. It won't be long before we can interact with 3D computer interfaces just using our natural body motions.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Murray's four characteristics of a computer
Encyclopedic: Computers are encyclopedic in that they allow us to access vast amounts of data almost instantly. Once we have access to the data we are able to transform the data into information that is useful for our purposes. What is also important is that computers allow us to access the data in many different formats. We are long past just thinking about data as text and numbers. We now have access to videos, online presentations, podcasts, etc. that enable us to get a better understanding of data from many different viewpoints.
Participatory: Computers allow us to collaborate with one another without being physically present. We can now gather the information noted above and get together to hypothesize about data and outcomes and create higher quality products as a result. The participatory nature allows us to take advantage of our collective intelligence. Computers are also participator in that we are able to directly interact with the machine and receive feedback through well-defined interfaces with set behavior.
Procedural: The procedural aspect of computers is what provides the behaviors associated with the interfaces. Programmers write procedures that enforce the rules of interaction with the computer.
Spatial: As computers become more powerful we are able to take advantage of their spatial nature. As Griz noted we are able to move up and down and interact with the computer spatially. What is becoming more evident is that the spatial nature is increasing and becoming more immersive. For example, the X Box now allows you to be the controller. It won't be long before we can interact with 3D computer interfaces just using our natural body motions.
Participatory: Computers allow us to collaborate with one another without being physically present. We can now gather the information noted above and get together to hypothesize about data and outcomes and create higher quality products as a result. The participatory nature allows us to take advantage of our collective intelligence. Computers are also participator in that we are able to directly interact with the machine and receive feedback through well-defined interfaces with set behavior.
Procedural: The procedural aspect of computers is what provides the behaviors associated with the interfaces. Programmers write procedures that enforce the rules of interaction with the computer.
Spatial: As computers become more powerful we are able to take advantage of their spatial nature. As Griz noted we are able to move up and down and interact with the computer spatially. What is becoming more evident is that the spatial nature is increasing and becoming more immersive. For example, the X Box now allows you to be the controller. It won't be long before we can interact with 3D computer interfaces just using our natural body motions.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
EM820 Week3 part 2
Q: What are the technical AND economic transformations that are making the new emerging media practices possible? Be specific—not just internet, but how, what capacities, materials, etc. Think about other technologies, roads, satellites, phone, alternative energy sources, ..
A: It seems to me the continuously lowering cost of developing content and hardware are making new emerging media practices possible. For instance, it really wasn't that long ago that cellular phones were gigantic (by modern standards) and resembled normal wired phones; they were so expensive that only the wealthy were able to take advantage of them. Now, it seems that almost everyone has a cell phone that fits in our pockets and many of us have smart phones that are more powerful than the first computer I owned way back in the 1980's. As the production costs continue to fall, more powerful phones will be able to be given away free and even more people will be able to access their power.
Another enabling practice is the open-source movement. Taking advantage of the skills of multitudes of talented people, software applications/services are becoming more and more advanced/reliable. The open-source market is forcing traditional companies and markets to reconcile their business practices with the new consumer expectation of "free".
Another enabling practice is the open-source movement. Taking advantage of the skills of multitudes of talented people, software applications/services are becoming more and more advanced/reliable. The open-source market is forcing traditional companies and markets to reconcile their business practices with the new consumer expectation of "free".
EM820 Strategic Use of Social Media Week 3
Remediation: presenting content through a new media format than originally presented or conceptualized.
Mediacy: The goal of mediacy is to immerse the user/viewer into the content. To basically make them forget the interface exists.
Hypermediacy: The goal of hypermediacy is to remind the user of the interface while they are using the content. In many cases it is used for organizational purposes.
It was interesting to me to think about perspective when trying to understand these concepts. There are the creators, the presenters, and the users for each of these terms. Each perspective can be accomplished through human action or a tool/media of some sort (I guess a human can present content so can be considered a form of media also).
Older Technologies:
Remediation - Cavemen and other ancient cultures drew pictures on stone walls to communicate ideas and tell stories. Story telling was remediated to take advantage of newer technology by writing on paper using ink. The content (story) was originally presented as a picture on a stone and was remediated via pen and ink with paper.
Mediacy - Sticking with the pen and paper for technology, these tools were created to allow the user (author) to immerse themselves in their thoughts, "seemlessly" transferring their ideas to paper.
Hypermediacy: Print layouts are a form of hypermediacy. The content on printed pages are organized in such a way that you are able to quickly tell where one article or advertisement ends and another begins.
Newer Technologies:
I believe the Disney is well on their way to mastering these concepts beginning with:
Remediation - They take classic fairy tales or TV shows and remediate them as animated films which they can then turn into interactive video games or amusement park rides.
Hypermediacy - sticking with Disney. At Disney World you enter a line that wraps seemingly endlessly through roped off areas to organize the crowds. They take advantage of this "organization" to begin the ride experience communicating parts of the story you are about to enter. For example, with the Tower of Terror ride at Disney MGM you enter the Hollywood Hotel lobby. you are reminded of the interface by the ropes keeping you in line but there are decorations and "cast members" dressed in period clothing to help set the mood.
Immediacy - Once you reach the head of the line you are immersed in a Twilight Zone episode narrated by Rod Serling. It starts as a TV show interface and quickly becomes an immersive experience as you ride the doomed elevator up to your room. Following along with the story you get totally immersed, seeing the ghosts of the original victims in the story on different floors of the hotel.
You are finally snapped back to reality when you enter the Twilight Zone and the elevator doors open and you get a panoramic view of the theme park with nothing in front of you just the open/missing elevator shaft...pause long enough to realize what is happening and scream...then plummet down the elevator shaft to complete the ride.
Mediacy: The goal of mediacy is to immerse the user/viewer into the content. To basically make them forget the interface exists.
Hypermediacy: The goal of hypermediacy is to remind the user of the interface while they are using the content. In many cases it is used for organizational purposes.
It was interesting to me to think about perspective when trying to understand these concepts. There are the creators, the presenters, and the users for each of these terms. Each perspective can be accomplished through human action or a tool/media of some sort (I guess a human can present content so can be considered a form of media also).
Older Technologies:
Remediation - Cavemen and other ancient cultures drew pictures on stone walls to communicate ideas and tell stories. Story telling was remediated to take advantage of newer technology by writing on paper using ink. The content (story) was originally presented as a picture on a stone and was remediated via pen and ink with paper.
Mediacy - Sticking with the pen and paper for technology, these tools were created to allow the user (author) to immerse themselves in their thoughts, "seemlessly" transferring their ideas to paper.
Hypermediacy: Print layouts are a form of hypermediacy. The content on printed pages are organized in such a way that you are able to quickly tell where one article or advertisement ends and another begins.
Newer Technologies:
I believe the Disney is well on their way to mastering these concepts beginning with:
Remediation - They take classic fairy tales or TV shows and remediate them as animated films which they can then turn into interactive video games or amusement park rides.
Hypermediacy - sticking with Disney. At Disney World you enter a line that wraps seemingly endlessly through roped off areas to organize the crowds. They take advantage of this "organization" to begin the ride experience communicating parts of the story you are about to enter. For example, with the Tower of Terror ride at Disney MGM you enter the Hollywood Hotel lobby. you are reminded of the interface by the ropes keeping you in line but there are decorations and "cast members" dressed in period clothing to help set the mood.
Immediacy - Once you reach the head of the line you are immersed in a Twilight Zone episode narrated by Rod Serling. It starts as a TV show interface and quickly becomes an immersive experience as you ride the doomed elevator up to your room. Following along with the story you get totally immersed, seeing the ghosts of the original victims in the story on different floors of the hotel.
You are finally snapped back to reality when you enter the Twilight Zone and the elevator doors open and you get a panoramic view of the theme park with nothing in front of you just the open/missing elevator shaft...pause long enough to realize what is happening and scream...then plummet down the elevator shaft to complete the ride.
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