Aside: Internet Rising Documentary

I thought this was a very interesting documentary.  It covered so many of the topics we discussed in class.  It described the Internet as a means of creating a direct connection between people and ideas.

They brought up the issue of if Internet access should be a human right.  I think this is an interesting topic because in developed countries that are run based on the connectivity of the Internet, I think people that do not have a stable, high speed connection are put at a severe disadvantage.  This is only because our society as developed in a way that we have become dependent on this technology.  When thinking about the Internet in terms of the virtual world, it creates an alternative reality were a majority of people, to some extent, act in a way they would not in a face to face interaction.  The documentary mentioned how it creates a realm of fiction and fantasy.  I believe people use their digital lives as an escape to reality or as a way to recreate themselves in a different ‘life’. 

     The Internet is also used as a means of empowering individuals and giving them more freedom.  People are able to express themselves and connect to one other in a way that was never available in the past.  The documentary stated that the Internet has transformative power, but I think this is only in a certain context.  I think of the Internet as an enabler for change, but for anything substantial to actually take place people must take action. It enables communication and offers a tool for formation and spreading information. 

     I thought it was very interesting when the video discussed how these new emerging technologies are transforming us into ‘something else’.  I have read articles in the past about how technology has made physical changes in the structure of the human brain.  The video discuses how the image of an individual has been extended to the image of an individual holding an iphone.  This is an interesting idea because we are at the point where many people, mostly the younger generations, literally feel lost if they do not have their phone with them at all time.  When my phone has been broken for a few days, I have the constant feeling that I am missing something.  Our phones have become an extension of ourselves that allows us to be in constant communication with one another.  It scares me to think we have come this far and been this dependent in such a short period of time, where will we be ten years from now?

Week 15

Remix Culture:

When I hear “Remix Culture” I mainly think of the recent change in the music culture, with the large transition to using the works of others to create something new or entirely different.

I think the biggest consequence of the remix culture is it is hard to determine who is the real creator of a work and who gets credit or recognition for their creativity. It hard to determine the point where the new author has changed the original work enough to create something entirely different, versus if they are just stealing someone else’s idea. 

The remix culture is affecting innovation because people are creating less original works and are basing their works on something that has already been created.  I think this is creating a different type of innovation as the culture in our society changes.  Especially with the switch to the digital realm, the increased availability of creative works and use of new tools for innovation. 

Aside: What is Peer-to-Peer?

             I think the idea of peer-to-peer is very interesting and I see many benefits and chances for further innovation that can be created from this sort of sharing and access to resources.  I also think there are many limitations and situation where this type of approach would not work or would not be the most effective choice.  The video discussed how peer-to-peer is a result created by forming a network of people where there are no limitations on how people can connect to one another.  Building this type of network, also begins building relationships between the people in that network, or between ‘peers.’ 

There were three main factors discussed.  The first was peer production, which is the creation of the work.  This is the stage where innovation happens because people in the network volunteer to join a project and contribute the knowledge and expertise they have.  I think this is a great idea, because people are often inspired by works or ideas of one another.  Each person in the network has something unique to add or learn through the creation of the project.  The video discussed how in the corporate work world; many relationships have become dysfunctional because in a highly competitive culture the relationships are based on what is given in return for ones input.  In a peer-to-peer environment the relationships are based on all users freely giving as much as they can with little or no concern over what they will get back in return.  The second factor was peer governance, which was how are the relationships in the network managed.  I don’t know much about how peer-to-peer networks initially begins so I was curious if there is a limit for how many people can join a network, if only specific people can join, or if it’s open to everyone regardless of your skills and abilities? The third factor was peer property, which covers how do you protect what you have created.  This confused me, because if the whole point is to create an open, common work for anyone to use, why is there a need to protect it.  

Aside: Google Street Artist : Doug Rickard

            I chose this video because I thought it was very interesting that someone was able to use something so simple that most people just see as a navigation tool and turn it into a form of modern photography art.  I’ve looked at Google Street view many times but have never considered it an art form or never even saw any true meaning behind the photographs. Once I saw some of the images Rickard created from this and heard his explanations, I saw the images in a whole new way.  Google Street view is a very interesting concept because it is capturing people, unexpectedly at a specific place and time.  It gives us the ability to look back at that moment in time/history and creates a feel for how things were at that time.  It ranges from the style of the buildings, the fashion, the wealth and poverty levels of certain areas ect.  In the clip, the images were described as digital artifacts that could be used for social documentary purposes.  I thought it was interesting that Rickard said the images could be used as a ‘deep political message’ because they give a glimpse of the reality of what its like to be at a certain place in our current times. 

            As we move into a digital age, I agree that the tools and potential for creating art has shifted into a new territory.  The possibilities for art are expanding but I think it is also increasing difficult to create something special and unique.  I think the new digital tools that are available today have raised expectations for art. I liked that Rickard claimed that he was ‘looking through Google as his lens.’  The Internet has opened new doors of possibility, and has created new ways of looking at things.  In my opinion, it takes a great photographer to look at something that most people see as ordinary and turn it into something special that has meaning.  

Aside: Time to Socialize Social Media

            This article raised a very interesting point concerning the right citizens have in regards to their freedom of speech in the realm of social media.  It suggested that citizens personal communication online would be more protected if the government was the provider of social media.  The argument was that our rights online would be protected like they are with the postal service.  I had never really thought of it in that way but it doesn’t make sense that the government can easily access our digital conversations while it is much more difficult for them to read our mail spent through the postal system.  Seeing as there is no difference besides the medium of communication the protection should be the same.  I think since communication via the Internet and social media is a relatively new concept, there are no laws in place yet to protect citizens speech and privacy in these spaces.  How can we assume that if the government begins running our electronic communication it will be protected under the same rights as our mail that is sent through the post office?

            I think the solution besides making it a public service run by the government is there needs to be more competition in the private sector for electronic communication and social media websites. This will allow consumers who are not satisfied with one site, to switch to an alternative.  The problem is that social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, have a monopoly over the social media industry.  Many users are unhappy with changes that are made or how these companies use and distribute our personal information but there is no other option available so users just have to accept that way things are or not participate in the system at all.   

I think the possibility of either of these solutions taking place to protect our privacy rights is very unlikely.  I do not think the government will every take control of the social media sector, especially if they benefit from the setup and legislation of the current situation.  I also don’t think there will ever be competition among the social media networks enough so that consumers have a choice of which network to participate in or not without opting out of the entire social media system.  A think a major benefit of a social media network is that a large number of the people you know and associate with are all using the same network.  So if people were given choices of which network or sites to be a part of, people would have different preferences, resulting in the use of different sites which defeats the purpose social media was created for in the first place.  I think it will be interesting to see what changes will be made in the future to protect the privacy of citizens in the digital realm. 

Atlas Speaker Series -‘Earth Imagery Industry’

For the Atlas Speaker Series, I chose the Earth Imagery Industry.  Walter Scott was the presenter; he is the founder and chief technology officer of DigitalGlobe.  DigitalGlobe is a provider for commercial high-resolution imagery products.  Going into the presentation I knew very little about satellite and commercial imagery products, all I really knew is that the quality of images has greatly improved in the recent years with the increasing technology.  I’ve always been interested in how location providers like Google maps collected there data, and curious about how they were able to collected so many specific images across the entire globe.

         I liked that Scott began the presentation with the history of satellite images, beginning in the 1970s. It made me realize what a dramatic difference has been made with the creation of new technologies in such a short period of time.  He started with images that only portrayed relatively blurry outlines and eventually moved to satellite images of today which were crystal clear pictures where one can pin point their house. The improvement in quality images began with the improvement of resolution and accuracy.  I thought it was interesting that he said the accuracy has improved to the point of being able to hit a quarter from three miles away. Scott also discussed how drastically the capacity of the industry has increased, meaning the area that can be collected in a certain time and space.  The capacity of the Earth’s area that can be collected has increased by a factor of 25 since 2002.  I thought it was interested that the satellites orbit the Earth from pole to pole.  I’m curious how many satellites are currently in orbit collecting this type of data.  I also wonder if all the data and images collected by the satellites is shared among many different organizations and the government.

         Many of the advantages of this new technology were discussed.  One was the location-based service that consumers use all the time.  As increases in technology is made, and consumers have more and more data and information available, the expectation for this instant information is created.  Another advantage that was discussed was how these images are used to help with disasters. One example was the wild fires in Colorado, this new technology allowed us to better track the fire and allowed for quicker notify of any changes.  Scott also discussed that these high-resolution images have helped with our national defense.  I think this can be seen as both a helpful tool but also another factor we must protect ourselves against.

         Scott mentioned that in the future the goal is to have real time video with sound included.  I don’t like the idea of this; I would feel like I was constantly being monitored and recorded.  I think there needs to be a boundary for how far this technology should be taken. From the presentation, I realized many of the benefits high-resolution imagery can provide.  It also made me consider where this technology is headed in the future and at the current rate it is increasing where will we be in 30 years?  

Week 14

Group 11: Digital Divide Presentation
Here is the link to our presentation; each slide contains the relevant sources used:
http://csel.cs.colorado.edu/~vargasp/#(14)

Group 12; IPR, Copyright / Copyleft Presentation

Do you think the general patent period of 20 years is an acceptable time frame? 

I think intellectual property right is very important because it provides an incentive for further creativity and innovation.  At this point in my life I think the only intellectual property I create is my writing and photography, which is just for enjoyment purposes rather than profit.  I think it is important that intellectual property has a limited amount of time it is protected for because often times, good inventions can become great with only small changes or additions that other people can help contribute.  Something can be perfected or created most effectively with the impact from many people rather than just one sole creator.