Digital Cultures

Readings on Digital Culture

2009-05-28T19:40:00.003+01:00

I have had some requests for other reading material on digital culture.

Try some of these:

Michael Benedikt, ed., Cyberspace: First Steps (Cambridge, Mass.: 1991).

Cynthia Goodman, Digital Visions: Computers and Art, (New York: 1987).

Friedrich Kittler, Discourse Networks (Stanford, 1990).

Jasia Reichardt, The Computer in Art (London: 1971).

Gene Youngblood, Expanded Cinema (New York: Dulton, 1970).

You might also find http://prehysteries.blogspot.com/ of interest (some good archive posts about history of new media and new media art).

Course Work Due 7th May 2009

2009-04-30T18:06:00.004+01:00

A reminder to all Digital Cultures students.

Course work is due next Thursday the 7th of May 2009 by 16:00.

Please collect a coursework cover sheet from Clephan building. In the entrance foyer you'll see stands with coursework cover sheets. If there aren't any, just ask at the desk and someone there can help.

You'll need to fill in this coursework cover sheet and staple it to your essay. Then bring it all to the IOCT offices where you'll need to hand it in to Lisa McNicoll.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society and Participation

2009-04-28T15:11:00.000+01:00

Students of the module might be interested in attending the seminar on "Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society and Participation" by Karen Mossberger (Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago).

The seminar will take place in room 5.6a of Bosworth House on Wednesday 6 May 2009 from 12.30 to 1.45pm. As in previous years, a buffet lunch is provided and all staff and postgraduate students are welcome to attend.

To book a place on this seminar, please contact Suzanne Walker sswalker@dmu.ac.uk or telephone Ext 7780.

Have a look at a book authored by Mossberger and collegues: http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Citizenship-Internet-Society-Participation/dp/0262633531

Book description:

"This analysis of how the ability to participate in society online affects political and economic opportunity and finds that technology use matters in wages and income and civic participation and voting.Just as education has promoted democracy and economic growth, the Internet has the potential to benefit society as a whole. Digital citizenship, or the ability to participate in society online, promotes social inclusion. But statistics show that significant segments of the population are still excluded from digital citizenship.The authors of this book define digital citizens as those who are online daily. By focusing on frequent use, they reconceptualize debates about the digital divide to include both the means and the skills to participate online. They offer new evidence (drawn from recent national opinion surveys and Current Population Surveys) that technology use matters for wages and income, and for civic engagement and voting."Digital Citizenship" examines three aspects of participation in society online: economic opportunity, democratic participation, and inclusion in prevailing forms of communication. The authors find that Internet use at work increases wages, with less-educated and minority workers receiving the greatest benefit, and that Internet use is significantly related to political participation, especially among the young. The authors examine in detail the gaps in technological access among minorities and the poor and predict that this digital inequality is not likely to disappear in the near future. Public policy, they argue, must address educational and technological disparities if we are to achieve full participation and citizenship in the twenty-first century."

Lecture 11: Podcast Reply by Kieren Boddy

2009-04-08T18:42:00.002+01:00

Hope you don't mind me, I thought I would reply to your questions, Jess, by another video podcast thing. I will stick the script I wrote on here later.

Lecture 12: I am the Long Tail, Maxine Armstrong

2009-03-30T14:58:00.022+01:00

I tend to buy:

Books/DVDs – on Amazon if I know what I want or sometimes I browse bookshops
Music/Ringtones – don’t buy any
Games – kids buy them from game shops from friends recommendations
Groceries – supermarket (Aldi or Sainsburys), no longer use online
Travel - online mainly by searching for somewhere already in mind
Information – online mainly, I will always search online first and then follow up sources in the library etc.

I often research things online before I buy it at a store, if it is something easily available. More obscure items (such as art-deco ceramics) I buy online from Ebay etc. If I do buy something online I like to see it first before I buy.

Lecture 12; I am the Long Tail; Amanda Moffat

2009-03-30T14:57:00.004+01:00

My purchasing identity is currently governed by my spending power - or rather lack of it. I buy very little other than what I consider essential items (e.g. groceries - which I buy from Morrisons because its local and cheap - although this takes up most of my weekly budget!) Consequently, I buy clothes from local charity shops (e.g. Oxfam), books from second-hand book shops (some local and some online) and other consumer goods off ebay (e.g. I just bought a tent to go camping). I research my holiday destinations online (currently UK based due to cost) and then generally book online or by phone. This research consists of using google - by entering location name and type of holiday required (e.g. self-catering), then searching through the results. I prefer to have a good indication of what the place looks like, so only book accommodation that has good range of images - particularly the interiors.

Lecture 12: I Am The Long Tail by Paul D. Found

2009-03-30T14:56:00.008+01:00

Books - usually buy them from Amazon which is mainly due to price (they are very often cheaper than book shops), partly to do with convenience and partly because of the reviews.

Music - I still by CDs and vinyl, usually direct from the band online or at a gig, from the record label, and sometimes from general online retailers. Handily, I review music for a website so I get sent quite a lot of CDs too. I am a media elite and a taste-maker. Myspace is good for finding bands especially if they are from another, distant country (see below) but so are music magazines.

www.whisperinandhollerin.com

www.myspace.com/officialenvy

DVDs - I buy them online usually because they are cheaper, but the ability to read reviews is useful.

Groceries - Morrisons and the open market. I like to see what I am buying, especially for fresh goods. Plus, I actually quite like shopping for food.

Clothing - if I bother buying new clothes (which is not often), I buy them in shops because I am a strange shape and need to try things on.

Information - I often start with a library search because I like books, but it depends on how quickly I need the information. The Internet is useful due to ease of access and speed with which you can find what you need to know. There are free books here:

oll.libertyfund.org

Travel - I book tickets online as it is easier to compare prices.
www.thetrainline.com I don't go on holiday.

Lecture 12: "I am the Long Tail" by Kieren Boddy

2009-03-30T14:51:00.009+01:00

I am the long tail, apparently. I guess that it's true, in some respect, that I am in the sense that I am an individual with individual needs and the only way to fulfill them without much effort is through providers who disseminated through the long tail.

I still use "mass dissemination" medium to obtain goods and services i.e. Tesco (offline) and Waterstones (offline), but niche goods are obtained through digital medium. These niche "long tail" sources, through the medium of the Internet are as follows:
- News: BBC News Online, Fox News, Guardian Online News (Charlie Brooker, David Mitchell (I get around going to the Guardian website by using the relevant RSS feed and adding them to my http://zeusthunderbolt.soup.io Tumbler website)),also comidey news such as The Onion for "news"/entertainment
- Movies: DVD's, primarily bought from thrift stores, though quite a lot of my film and television series collections are from online sources, many of which have not been dubbed or translated in English yet.
- Games: Bought offline, again at thrift stores, but there are a few which are niche which are from online only sources, such as MMORPG game EVE Online, STEAM games such as Half-Life 2 etc, and World of Warcraft.
- Groceries: N/A, I do all my grocery shopping offline
- travel: online timetables, but I usually go in person to buy tickets as I do not trust some websites that I have never used before.
- Information: as with News, I get information from the BBC Website. I also get it from niche blogs such as BoingBoing (good articles from Cory Doctorow), Webcomics, some newspaper websites and from social media websites such as facebook, information about friends and events and such.

How this affects me? Well, it affects me by making me used to having such a slue of information and it makes me frustrated when I do not have access to the internet and these online sources.

Link: http://www.eveonline.com
Image:

Lecture 12: Brands, Business & Digital Culture

2009-03-30T14:30:00.001+01:00

Advertising 1.0:

censorship and government regulation (those this still applies at some levels today - China)
editorial control
limited choice of information retrieval
one-way communication

Advertising 2.0:

looser boundaries and wider parameters
we are editors of our own content (flickr, facebook, twitter, blogs)
more choice of information points
many to many communication

Enter niche markets and the long tail:

"In 1988, a British mountain climber named Joe Simpson wrote a book called Touching the Void, a harrowing account of near death in the Peruvian Andes. It got good reviews but, only a modest success, it was soon forgotten. Then, a decade later, a strange thing happened. Jon Krakauer wrote Into Thin Air, another book about a mountain-climbing tragedy, which became a publishing sensation. Suddenly Touching the Void started to sell again.
Random House rushed out a new edition to keep up with demand. Booksellers began to promote it next to their Into Thin Air displays, and sales rose further. A revised paperback edition, which came out in January, spent 14 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. That same month, IFC Films released a docudrama of the story to critical acclaim. Now Touching the Void outsells Into Thin Air more than two to one.

What happened? In short, Amazon.com recommendations. The online bookseller's software noted patterns in buying behavior and suggested that readers who liked Into Thin Air would also like Touching the Void. People took the suggestion, agreed wholeheartedly, wrote rhapsodic reviews. More sales, more algorithm-fueled recommendations, and the positive feedback loop kicked in.

Particularly notable is that when Krakauer's book hit shelves, Simpson's was nearly out of print. A few years ago, readers of Krakauer would never even have learned about Simpson's book - and if they had, they wouldn't have been able to find it. Amazon changed that. It created the Touching the Void phenomenon by combining infinite shelf space with real-time information about buying trends and public opinion. The result: rising demand for an obscure book."

This all leads to what Chris Anderson (a.k.a The Long Tail) terms as "people power":

First, steam power replaced muscle power and launched the Industrial Revolution. Then Henry Ford’s assembly line, along with advances in steel and plastic, ushered in the Second Industrial Revolution. Next came silicon and the Information Age. Each era was fueled by a faster, cheaper, and more widely available method of production that kicked efficiency to the next level and transformed the world.

Now we have armies of amateurs, happy to work for free. Call it the Age of Peer Production. From Amazon.com to MySpace to craigslist, the most successful Web companies are building business models based on user-generated content. This is perhaps the most dramatic manifestation of the second-generation Web. The tools of production, from blogging to video-sharing, are fully democratized, and the engine for growth is the spare cycles, talent, and capacity of regular folks, who are, in aggregate, creating a distributed labor force of unprecedented scale.

Class Work: Blog Post

Lecture 12: "I am the Long Tail", Name

In your blog post note your own long tail - tell us where you buy your books, dvds, music, groceries, travel, clothing and where do you get your information?

Include an image or screen capture of one of your online retailers and a link to a place where you access information.

Lecture 11: Globalisation, Kieren Boddy

2009-03-29T17:45:00.003+01:00

Sorry about the length, when I finished writing the script for this, it was about 1,000 words!

Nevermind.

If you want the just of the answer, go to the last 4 minutes.

If you can not understand my accent or slurring, I will upload my script somewhere and repost it here.

Lecture 11: Globalisation, Maxine Armstrong

2009-03-28T15:37:00.012Z

Image Source: Globalisation by Guille3691 (2007)

Lecture 11 : Globalisation : Amanda Moffat

2009-03-27T11:55:00.007Z

(Apologies: I refered to the New Internationalist as an American publication - it's head office is actually in the UK)

Lecture 10 , Web 2.0 ; Rachael Folds

2009-03-24T08:59:00.016Z

Lecture 10: Web 2.0, A Sunday evening adventure by Kieren Boddy

2009-03-23T16:25:00.001Z

Lecture 10; WEB 2.0; Amanda Moffat

2009-03-23T16:08:00.001Z

Lecture 10: Web 2.0, Maxine Armstrong

2009-03-23T16:06:00.002Z

Lecture 11: Convergence, Globalisation and Digital Culture

2009-03-23T08:51:00.006Z

Two of the videos we're going to discuss in the lecture today:

The World is Flat
Thomas L. Friedman

Marshall McLuhan - Explorations - 05-18-1960 - The World is a Global Village

For Next Week:

Blog post with audio:

"Is there a tendency to see the west as the origin/centre of globalization and the east as the *victim* that has been globalised (colonised)?"

Lecture 9: Born Digital, Paul D. Found

2009-03-16T15:16:00.007Z

http://fluidforms.eu/start/index.php

The Fluidforms website allows customers to design their own products (such as pepper mills and fruit bowls) by interacting with a Flash website, or inputting certain data. The concept could not work were it not "digital" as the way the products are designed and manufactured relies on computer technology. It can exist purely because it was "born digital".

The people who designed the BBC site are Amanita Design. There is an excellent game here:
http://amanita-design.net/samorost-1/

Lecture 10: Web 2.0

2009-03-16T11:32:00.008Z

Notes on Student Presentations:

Andy P

Alice's "brain" is stored on a separate server

although text only, the interactor has to write most of this him/herself so it's highly interactive
the coding is elegant - xml driven language
language is not just yes or no's but works with "categories" and "recursions": how much something is reiterated
only in English right now
Alice is not the only AI application, g.o.d: talk to god
changes the space/time - talking not with a person but with code

Maxine

Sessions.edu Colour Calculator
http://www.sessions.edu/ilu/ilu_1.asp
You first select a design and then a shape (square, triangle, etc.) to rotate around a colour wheel. The resulting colour values are listed as CMYK, RGB and HTML web-safe colours and you can either copy, download or email the number values. You can adjust the saturation and lightness of the hues
different from a piece of paper because of the speed, and ability to try lots of different examples
a bit limiting if you start off with a colour in mind and then it doesn't have it
you can save all the colour information onto you clipboard
they are all web-safe colours so not useful for print work etc...

Paul

Fluid Forms - your unique designs
designing your own products online
"Personal tastes are as different as people themselves
For this reason Fluidforms offers everyone an individual Design. Our website enables you to design according to your own preferences with but a few clicks of the mouse. Create your own unique forms, and bring to life your own individual Design"
not enough human interaction, too limited
long tail - niche marketing

Kieren

Peter Howard - probability of racoons
emote poem
http://www.peterhoward.org/emotepoem/emotepoem.html
When I won your heart
it was marvellous and I knew
you would always remember.

There was light in your mind.

Outside, eagles swept across a sky
the colour of midnight.
The smell of roses lingered in the air."
java works on mobiles so could *easily* move this into a different environment
also might show it on interactive white boards for use in galleries
Uncyclopedia
content here is usually hoax, jokes - look at the entry for "jesus"
anyone can edit but according to rules - fits Strickland's number 7

Amanda:

bbc bitesize
Questionaut
Journey through strange worlds and test your knowledge of English, Maths and Science on this magical mission to recover your friend’s hat.

For Next Week:

Create your own map like this for an area you know well: http://www.wayfaring.com/explore/live

Include:

Something cultural
Something historic
Something personal
Something for tourists
Something only locals would know
Include information about each of your waypoints

Lecture 9: Born Digital, Andy P

2009-03-16T05:45:00.003Z

an oldie but goldie i ran into a few years back. A.L.I.C.E is an "Artificial Linguistic Internet Computer Entity". basicly a chat bot. rumor has it that alice learns, responds and most importantly, exists online with an ever changing database (depending on who else is talking to her, as she 'learns' from each user/new situation)so no two conversations should be the same (unless you break her, which is completely possible).

the program works via Artificial Intelligence Mark-up Language (AIML)....which i could explain, but its 6(ish) am and i've not slept yet. if you wish to indulge that side of the program, here is the link http://www.pandorabots.com/pandora/pics/wallaceaimltutorial.html ... pretty simple, no?

in any case, the program has no real end goal with the conversations and in so doing, almost acts as an 'ink-blot' or rawshack test where the users own projections lead the conversation making the final text as long or short as the user pleases. the 'final' text can be seen as a short stroy in itself as well as lead to some fun questions (turns out, A.L.I.C.E has a sence of humor):

ALICE: I am a female.
Human: no, your a computer program
ALICE: Are you serious? I think you mean "you're" or "you are" not "your". What if I said I was a person pretending to be a computer?

Lecture 9: Born Digital, Maxine Armstrong

2009-03-15T10:42:00.005Z

Sessions.edu Colour Calculator
http://www.sessions.edu/ilu/ilu_1.asp

While searching the web I came across this example of an interactive colour wheel that can be used by designers to generate colour harmonies for use in design projects.

You first select a design and then a shape (square, triangle, etc.) to rotate around a colour wheel. The resulting colour values are listed as CMYK, RGB and HTML web-safe colours and you can either copy, download or email the number values. You can adjust the saturation and lightness of the hues.

It appears to be very straightforward and a quick tool for generating colour schemes.

An additional feature I would like to see is an option to create harmonies from an existing colour. It would be useful if you already have a colour, for example in a logo, and are looking for colours to complement it.

Lecture 9: Born Digital: Amanda Moffat

2009-03-12T19:39:00.005Z

This is my 'born digital' offering:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/games/questionaut/pop.shtml

I came across it while I was searching for educational resources on the BBC Bitesize website with my son. It is an interactive game which has been specifically designed to test children's English, Maths and Science at Key Stage 2. It really appeals to me because the illustrations are wonderfully quirky, humorous and cleverly interactive. There are no instructions - other than you need to retrieve your friends hat - and it is a matter of exploring the interactive elements until you find the right triggers. You are then presented with a series of questions which have 3 multiple choice answers (so even if you don't know the answer you can have a guess). Once you have notched up 5 correct answers and collected 5 'bubbles' you literally float up to the next level - although for every question you get wrong you loose a bubble.
I think this is a fantastic online educational resource as it captures a childs imagination, is interactive and uses basic gaming elements to make learning fun - which could not possibly have the same impact offline - fullfilling Stricklands 'born digital' criteria.

Lecture 9: Feminism, Narrative & Web 2.0, Amanda Moffat and Paul D. Found

2009-03-09T15:11:00.000Z

Feminist visions on science fiction

This section is concerned with the role or non-role of women in science fiction.

"All fans know that science fiction has to do with fantasies about the body, especially the reproductive body". (Braidotti)

She also talks about the male obsession in science fiction with reproduction, and post-human procreation.

Post-human - "discourses on the nature of the body in the digital age... The limits of human nature under conditions of technological change how we think about our own bodies and our relationship to the social environment:. pg. 22, Digital Information Culture, Tredinnick, 2008

Cyberpunk - sci-fi based on a utopian view of high-technology

Braidotti believes cyberpunk reveals a male obsession with death - the male death wish.

The Cyber Imagery

This section is concerned with the gender gap in the access and use of cyberspace/virtual environments/information technology which is widening.

Sexist imagery of women in computer-games " and cyberspace in general - "titillation".

"The central point remains: there is a credibility gap between the promises of the Virtual reality and cyberspace and the quality of what it delivers". (Braidotti)

Lecture 9:Feminism,Narrative &Web 2.0: Andy P and Rachael Folds

2009-03-09T14:11:00.005Z

Introduction
Braidotti gives the introduction to Postmoderninty by discussing the change to the urban space and states that these changes have caused the demise of urban civil society.She discusses Post Modernity as a push towards "Third Worldifcation" to the detriment and exploitation of poorer societies.
She also apportions blame to this demise to the popularity of technology and culture and suggests that all of humanity now looks through a collective technical one vision where compliance is assumed and promotes nostalgia to a so called dream of urban civil society.

Section One
Braidotti describes various modern icons as simulators and suggests that our icons have not moved forward and therefore our views of what constitutes an icon.

Keywords
simulator,cyber-space,surveillance,technology

Lecture 9: Feminism, Narrative & Web 2.0: Kieren Boddy & Maxine Armstrong

2009-03-09T14:06:00.006Z

- explain two sections from braidotti's essay: section 3 and 4

A summary of the two sections 'The politics of parody' and 'The power of irony'.

Braidotti informs us all in 'The politics of parody' section that the current stereotypes of 'white, economically dominant, hetrosexual hyper-femininity' are now being parodied by feminists groups such as 'the riotgurlz', and 'Guerrilla girls' who do so in order to change the status quo. By showing the act of parody They parody this by 'fetishistic representation of the 'status quo' by not disavowing...

In 'The power of irony' section, Braidotti states that irony is one of the 'forms taken by the feminist cultural practice of 'as if'. She says that irony is used to de-bunk, tease and deflate over heated retoric is healthy.

tl;dr.

- critically analyse braidotti's thinking

- define keywords which appears in your selections

parody: braidotti terms this as the 'philosophy as if', judith butle

as if: subjectivity is always changing, always in process. a becoming of subjectivities.

irony:

example. kieren was meant to read the whole braidotti document but did not read the 'Power of Irony' section as he did not see it as important. Unfortunatly, it was a key part of his Monday afternoon lesson work in summerising and defining key terms in the braidotti paper.

guerrilla girls: a feminist movement

figurations/fabulations: to express the alternative forms of female subjectivity developed within feminism, as well as the on-going struggle with language to produce affirmative representations of women.

memesis:

- fill in exploratree form (one per group)

links:
http://www.guerillagirls.com/index.shtml

Lecture 9: Feminism, Narrative & Web 2.0

2009-03-09T14:00:00.001Z

Activity in Pairs:
To Review your Reading

With a partner add this to your blog post:

Explain two sections from Braidotti’s "Cyberfeminism with a Difference"
Critically analyse Braidotti’s thinking (in your two sections)
Define keywords which appear in your selections (such as postmodernity, post-human, irony)
Fill in the exploratree form: http://www.exploratree.org.uk/c/?x=car38191958u406egg (1 per group)
Include at least three links to resources that help explain or develop your interpretation (images/audio/video/reference)

Group One: Rachel and Andy P. - Introduction postmodernity
and Post-human bodies

Group Two: Max and Kieren - The politics of parody
The power of irony

Group Three: Amanda and Paul - Feminist visions on science fiction
The cyber imaginary

For Next Week:

Read: "Born Digital: A poet in the forefront of the field explores what is—and is not—electronic literature" by Stephanie Strickland, found here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/journal/feature.html?id=182942
Bring a born digital example from your field of interest (online architecture, pedagogy, design, holography etc…)

Lecture 8: Feminist Theory,Critical Thinking and Born Digital Fiction,Rachael Folds

2009-03-09T11:53:00.002Z

The story starts with the line – “I was a man in the wrong place at the wrong time”. This immediate denial of his part to the proceeding story indicates to me that it must have been a woman’s fault as he essentially excuses all men from blame.
Braidotti when discussing post modernism describes the decline of the modernist hopes as:

“Symptomatic of these changes is urban space, especially in the inner city, which has been cleaned up and refigured through post-industrial metal and Plexiglas buildings, but it is only a veneer that covers up the putrefaction of the industrial space, marking the death of the modernist dream of urban civil society.”

The reader can feel the excitement of the character in visiting a structure that epitomises Braidotti’s description of what marks “the death of the modernist dream of urban civil society.”
This text on the whole, it is felt represents the male as being the all powerful and intelligent and when a man did not fit into this stereotype, he was then referred to as girl (whimpering like a schoolgirl) thus demeaning woman.
There were strong elements of male bravado, for example when the cabbie assumes that the problem Rick is dealing with must be “Girl Trouble” and his friend that picks him up(essentially saves him) had just spent the night with a glamour model. Also when Rick states that he “handed the driver two hundred quid from the wallet” gives the impression that even though he is unemployed he is still able to splash out great sums of money just to run a red light.
I feel this story further cements Braidotti’s view that there is an “ongoing struggle with language to produce affirmative representations of women” and in this short story females are degraded by consistently being referred to as:
1. Girls and not woman
2. Objects of desire - gorgeous Greek girl or mischievous little housewife or She had a spot on her chin the size of a dung beetle thus rendering her unattractive.
Even when he lands the job at the end, there is no reference to the Alexis being responsible for his good fortune, just a reference to her bedroom eyes, subjugating woman further.
With regards to visual imagery of women, the only image of a woman is that of a naked slim woman, which it is felt, was totally unnecessary.

Feminist Theory: Lecture 8: Amanda Moffat

2009-03-09T06:43:00.002Z

http://wetellstories.co.uk/stories/week3/
Like Andy, I too chose the Fairy Tale option as I thought the male/females roles would be fairly clear-cut along traditional lines and also because I enjoyed reading Hans Christian Anderson stories when I was younger. I decided to ask my 9-year old son if he wanted to help me do my homework and he obliged, although somewhat begrudingly (possibly because I used the dreaded word 'homework'), so we read through the story together and he made the all the decisions.

As Andy has already provided an excellent summary of the story (and clearly went into it in far more detail than I did) I'm not going to repeat the plot, but instead provide a couple of quotes which I think link to Braidotti's point about the persistence of gender stereotypes and repetition of old themes and cliches in the realm of this 'new' technological form of story-telling;

1. 'No!' Danielle sobbed, for the Wicked King's son, the Ugly Prince, was a foul and evil man.

2. Danielle stood her ground, angered by his insolence, and when he came to her, staggering drunkenly on his feet, she grasped the dagger from his hand and plunged it into his evil heart.

Characteristically, as in many fairy tales, there is battle between good and evil. In this story the male characters are depicted as inherently evil and the female lead role is the binary opposite, although she is portrayed as a victim (sobbing) who stands up to her male protagonist, but who ultimately fails in her quest (sorry to spoil the ending). To see how it would effect these gender stereotypes I thought it would be fun to switch the roles (and add some humour as Braidotti suggests) so I chose a third quote and transposed all the references to male/female characteristics:

'He wore fabulous dresses and the finest gold jewellery, and he ate the richest food and slept in the softest beds. But it did not make him happy. For the Starmaker was a charmless woman, and she worked him very hard and treated him very harshly. But, worst of all, Daniel had no one to talk to. He had no one to share his riches with. And although his mother was very poor and her father very greedy, he began to miss them terribly. And after a while he became so forlorn and miserable that he completely lost his mind. And early one morning, while the Starmaker was still sleeping in her bed, Daniel chopped off her head with an axe and ran away back to his poor little hut in the shadows of the great black mountain. But the Starmaker's death was soon discovered, and Daniel was taken from his poor little hut and imprisoned in the Wicked Queen Dark Ride's dungeon.'

I think this is a much more interesting than the original version:

'She wore fabulous dresses and the finest gold jewellery, and she ate the richest food and slept in the softest beds. But it did not make her happy. For the Starmaker was a charmless man, and he worked her very hard and treated her very harshly. But, worst of all, Danielle had no one to talk to. She had no one to share her riches with. And although her father was very poor and her mother very greedy, she began to miss them terribly. And after a while she became so forlorn and miserable that she completely lost her mind. And early one morning, while the Starmaker was still sleeping in his bed, Danielle chopped off his head with an axe and ran away back to her poor little hut in the shadows of the great black mountain. But the Starmaker's death was soon discovered, and Danielle was taken from her poor little hut and imprisoned in the Wicked King Dark Ride's dungeon.'

Lecture 8: Feminist Theory, Critical Thinking and Born Digital Fiction, Andy P

2009-03-09T04:33:00.003Z

http://wetellstories.co.uk/stories/week3/

Fairytales:
of the stories available, fairytales appeared to be the most clear-cut in terms of its portrayal of women and men and the differences between them and the story... but that's the reason I liked this story. Because it's marvellously misleading in a number of ways. Just to start with, this story is not a single story but in fact 320 stories (that's a choice of four, times a choice of four, times a choice of five, times a choice of four, times a choice of four(discounting the names)). Of course being the person I am, I had to read every possible outcome for each choice to see how it affected the story.

The story begins with selecting the name of daughter and the King (Julia and Harry in my case), and goes on to depict the wicked King (and consequently ugly Prince), the greedy mother, the poor father, and the heroin to be made a victim (by the King), showing with great equality in my opinion, two wicked people of opposite sexes. and two downtrodden people of opposite sexes. Now however we'd use the King/Prince as a catalyst for great adventure: the avoidance of marriage (which in itself is a strong assertion of her rights as a woman).
In true brothers grimm style, this fairytale could be told to a child quite innocently yet have a very dark undertones throughout (unless you read the original stories). I do not deem the fact that our heroine is first used as a commodity to be a feminist issue, as contextually it makes sense if you make a few assumptions about where a fairytale might take place. Fairy tales (to my knowledge) are often placed in the mediaeval setting but do not take place in the dark ages (or at least it would be hard to pin a time scale down, as the 'fairytales' were passed down through word of mouth and folklore). Fairy tales exist in the time where it is feasible to have Knights, Kings, Princes and princesses (though granted often the damsel in distress) fighting as though in the days of yore. In this kind of time it is no secret that women would be seen as second class citizens (to perpetuate the idea is the different issue entirely). This being said the daughter protest at the Kings ' offer' of marriage, and thus begins series of choices.

The first set of choices involves a variety of animals followed by a description of set animals condition. In the next phase of the story, the animal evolves into a much grander version of itself or equivalent (eg. hen => Peacock) while the description of the animal changes to a poetic opposite (eg dirty => golden). This set of choices seems to have very little bearing on the narrations of the story itself.

The next set of choices involved a wise old poet, a drunken knave, the ugly Prince, an artful merchant and a mysterious goblin. This is where the story begins to be interesting. Each choice directly begins to affect the personality of our heroine. The old wise poet turns her personality into a kindly passerby ...he offers her wisdom. The drunken knave turns her personality to that of a strong woman willing to kill if needs be. The ugly Prince offers what he calls 'happiness' and turns her personality towards being meek and fleeing. The merchant offers her riches but at the price of being married and turns her personality to that of a woman who will not be pushed around. Lastly the goblin offers a cunning riddle and turns her personality towards being fiercely intelligent.

The riddle just for the sake of it:

"My first is in sugar and also in sweet,
My second's a legume, tasty to eat,
My third is myself, my fourth's an old chick,
My fifth's in an apple and also a brick,
My sixth just repeats what my fourth said above,
My seventh's a thousand, you will be my love,
My eighth's simply fifty, my ninth is a breeze,
If you follow my meaning you'll find it with ease.
My whole is a strange name, of that there's no doubt,
But though berries may lie, the truth it will out.
You may call me a thing but I swear I'm a man,
Now come and find me. That is, if you can."

Just in case anyone didn't get it and was wondering, I think the answer is spinankle or spinankln (but then he did say it was weird).

The next set of choices on offer strength, wisdom, ruthlessness and heartlessness (and can be seen to parallel in some ways what each of the men in the previous choices offered our heroine (with the exception of the last, which I believe was put in for a bit of fun). True to each choice, each auction turns her personality to an extreme of that traight. And just as before, each of these traits might well have been uncommon to the usual damsels in distress of some of the older stories.

But one has to ask, upon finally completing a quest to see the star maker, what is her reward for possessing these traits? For very depressing choices of ending.
One in which she committed murder and lived evermore with that knowledge, one in which she committed murder and was captured by the King and punished, one in which she'd grown too accustomed to a rich lifestyle and so lived out her days in misery and the final ending in which she simply lays down and submits to crushing depression and presumably death from pneumonia.

So all in all our heroine shows a number of possible personality traits (with no help from any man at all), as opposed to marrying an ugly person but being rich for the rest of her life (keep in mind that she had the option of being rich in one of the storys but had to be married to a man), and for these personality traits can never be happy given the possible endings.

Interestingly there doesn't seem to be one positive male in the entire story. This includes her father of which there is no mention of protestation to handing over his daughter. Even the wise old poet seems to only share in a relationship of mutual pity. One has to wonder, in this particular story is it even worth being a male or female?

Lecture 8: Feminist Theory, Critical Thinking and Born Digital Fiction, Kieren Boddy

2009-03-08T22:24:00.003Z

http://wetellstories.co.uk/stories/week6/

'The (Former) General In His Labyrinth' by Mohsin Hamid

The story is of a former general (Now a President (I assume this is meant to be a story about Pervez Musharraf, fmr President of Pakistan)) in an unspecified Middle-eastern country who, at the start of the story has three paths, one, to day dream about his past as a child and his experiences at school, and two, listen to a story from an aid that can be told in two different ways, and three, leave the office and attend a meeting with an ambassador and the Presidential recording studio.

There is a complexity to the story in that it uses a looping matrix of story segments that change depeinding on which away you navigate throughout the story (a sort of pick your own adventure book). It is a shame that there is no way of navigating through all of it in one direction without going back on yourself because of its non-linear but railroaded style it was constructed in. There is multiplicity, in a sense, inherent with the form the story was written and constructed. There was not much simultaneity, from my interpretation at least, but there may be simultaneity in the essence that no matter which direction you choose to navigate, the opposite direction could also be happening at the same time (if you think multi-dimensionally).

The gender throughout this piece was predominantly male, with only one mention of a woman present in the story, that of the Producer of the Presidents broadcast studio. The main character only has a fleeting discussion with her (internally commenting on her sunglasses as a make shift hair band and speaking as though she has listened to too much western television) before leaving the room with apparent indecisiveness and frustration. Class is noticeable in that the story is about the "ruling classes" and their various aids and facilitators of their power and various other hangers on.

Although the President has 'power', it is waining in my opinion(and in hindsight to the current political situation in Pakistan) because of the way in which the President is described and how he is talked to by those that are around him. He daydreams of his youth and how he hated the 'effeminateness' of education (his childhood opinion), procrastinated when he should have done school work during the day rather than by candle at night and the fact that he was quite tenacious when he put his mind to it. He has to be entertained by his aid with a circular story and others are waiting for him to do something, but he is trying hard to puzzle that out. He also has to correct a visiting member of royalty who commented on what 'he has done to the country' with what 'he has done for the country'.

The story is from a male view point, the reason for this is that at the time of the story was written, the General Pervez Musharraf was relinquishing his military rank to become President of Pakistan. The story was a piece of social commentary with a dash of speculative fiction in the case of what the President's does during the day. The lack of female points of view was primarily because of this.

As I mentioned earlier, the President character, as a child equated education as an 'effeminate' because of the women teachers he had, commenting on how docile it was compared to his needs as a 'red-blooded male'. This is contrasted by how the Producer character seems like an equal as she has a power over the President regarding the hows and when the recording studio can broadcast over national and international channels.

* appologies for the presentation of this. I could have written an essay about this, but I refrained. Using week 8 slides questions (7 or so) the ones not seen here I think are evidently answered in question 1.

Lecture 8: Feminist Theory, Critical Thinking and Born Digital Fiction, Maxine Armstrong

2009-03-08T16:32:00.009Z

Rosi Braidotti’s “Cyberfeminism with a Difference”: http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/rosi/cyberfem.htm

Born digital fiction from We Tell Stories: http://wetellstories.co.uk/

The 21 Steps, by Charles Cumming, is an adventure novel, based on John Buchan’s, The 39 Steps, which was first published in 1915. The story is told by following red markers across a map of Great Britain and is based on Google Maps. Extra features are provided by green markers which provide background information not directly connected to the story’s plot.
Braidotti’s call that we “need more complexity, multiplicity, simultaneity and we need to rethink gender, class and race in the pursuit of these multiple complex differences” does not figure much in this story. The characters are all familiar to the spy thriller genre that features a predictably male all-action hero.
Apart from the hero, Rick Blackwell, there is his girl, Alexis, ‘a gorgeous Greek girl’, who needs rescuing and so leads him into danger. Her father, Aristotle Vassilopoulos, who is both rich and powerful, runs a shipping company.
Although Alexis turns from being a damsel-in-distress into a femme-fatale she does not hold any power in the story, that remains in her fathers hands. Rick also makes it clear he is not in love with her.
Other female characters are described in overtly sexual terms. On the plane Rick sits next to a ‘mischievous little housewife from Manchester’, whilst the ‘very pretty possibly Eastern European girl’ had been making eyes at the hero. She is later found unconscious, laying naked on a bed.
The minor male characters include a bad guy who wears a pin-stripe suit with a ponytail, the tall, wiry, Greenmantle and the older mentor-figure who starts the game, Mr Jack Kalba. Rick’s mate, Danny, from college, is one of the ‘good ones’, trustworthy and helpful, we don’t get a physical description.

The whole story is narrated by Rick so we get to hear his views and concerns, but not any of the other characters. Although I enjoyed the way you could follow the game across the map, the story was quite predictable, as were the characters. As a story it has no depth, but then it does not try to be anything other than a thriller.

Lecture 8: Feminist Theory, Critical Thinking and Born Digital Fiction, Paul D. Found

2009-03-07T14:33:00.004Z

I chose the "Fairy Tales" story on http://wetellstories.co.uk, which allows you to construct your own fairytale (within certain parameters) and share it with other people. You can read my story here:

http://wetellstories.co.uk/stories/week3/shared/2aa4ff3afb7b49f4966d9f3584310954

To give further background, the concept of "Fairy Tales" is by a man and I am one too, so there may be some bias at work. The options are limited in what the "writer" can change, but gender may have a role to play in the choices that are made.

In relation to the Rosi Braidotti piece, I am afraid that the main female protagonist is rather stereotypical of those seen in more conventional fairy tales. Indeed, the only other female character who briefly appears is also a stereotype. It does not really provide much in the way of "more complexity, multiplicity, simultaneity..." in the characterisations. I will elaborate further.

Firstly, we are introduced to the peasant's daughter (Esmerelda). We also meet the peasant and his wife. The wife (whose name we do not know - although we do not know the peasant's name either it must be said) is portrayed in "classic" fashion - she spends all of the peasant's money on "cakes, trifles and wine". We can assume that she does not have any of her own money, thus leaving her dependent upon the peasant. It is stated that the reason the family are so poor is because of the wife's spending habits, suggesting that the poverty in which the family finds itself living is her fault. There is no mention of the shortcomings of the peasant himself.

The daughter becomes a commodity when the King arrives to ask for the rent, which cannot be paid. The peasant is given the choice of paying in cash, handing over his daughter (as though she will have no objection to this), or being forced to leave their home. It is the King (a man, and an aristocrat) who has the power at this point. This in itself is a comment on the sexual values of the King (men?).

The daughter becomes a crying mess, which again plays on the assumption that women are overly emotional, prone to bouts of uncontrolled weeping. Later, Esmerelda does physically overpower the Artful Merchant, and answer the riddle of the Wily Sorcerer to enter the Starmaker's Kingdom so there is some balance offered, whereby Esemerelda is not stereotyped weak and powerless.

Also, although Esmerelda initially does what the Starmaker wishes, she does free herself from his clutches without the aid of the cliched "knight in shining armour" that most fairytale heroines seem to require.

Lecture 7: Critical Thinking, Andy P (presubmitted)

2009-03-04T00:38:00.000Z

hese were my initial thoughts on the three websites I was to review for digital cultures on feminism:

site one:
http://www.iwf.org/news/show/18691.html
which was born of:
http://acuf.org/issues/issue67/060912med.asp
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Lynch

the above site itself (http://www.iwf.org/news/show/18691.html) i like both for the content of the article and the website itself.
The latter acuf.org site is clearly not one I should place too much stock in as a source, that led to some interesting questions (ie, how much is true what what we can draw from its context. eg, if untrue, why write it and for what end and if it is all true (i doubt it) what does it mean for femanism). either way I felt this was a nice two for one in terms of reviewing a site for feminism.

Site two:
http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-5811:1
the title if not introduction of this pretty much speaks of itself, and was chosen merely on the topic and format presented ( online e-book)

site three:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/2826120/Dick-Morris-Prepare-for-Sarah-Palin-versus-Hillary-Clinton-in-2012.html

chosen for content and specifically the line "In Palin, you have an authentic model of feminism and in Hillary you have a counterfeit one" made me want to dig deeper into what the report are meant (along with many of the quotes).
This site was one of many involving the presidential election in America. I simply wanted to highlight the role of feminism and the part it had to play during the election as both sides had a female candidate with wildly varying views ( and therefore if it could be seen as feminist, just how broad is the 'range' of feminism?). I also liked this for the fact that it was a reputable site (telegraph.co.uk)yet was still heavily politically biased in some ways.

problems with the above:
firstly the problem I found ( or rather the issues that make me doubt myself) was that the theorys are more implied in the above sites rather than stated directly. should I have been finding sites that explain explicitly what feminism is?

Also and the more pressing question to me, I feel like my understanding of 'digital cultures' is superficial at best. In week one we explored the term digital and how it related to culture, and aside from saying all of the above is published online, I can't seem to draw anything more from the sites. The content is fine, but it's nothing that couldn't be printed on paper, so I could just as easily call from e-books. In terms of digital culture, they offer nothing new (to me) that the same thing printed on paper could not accomplish.
I guess what I'm looking for is for digital cultures to be more than just something different to write text on. I want to look for something on feminism relating to digital cultures that paper could not accomplish ( so at least including sound or something akin to the inanimate alice site), therefore I rejected all of the above.

Well those were my thoughts, but at the minute I'm still searching for something better.

Lecture 8: Introduction to Feminist Theory

2009-03-02T12:45:00.004Z

Log into googledocs and complete the activity listed here: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgfvwnr9_59dkcrr5f5

Key Theorist: Donna Haraway - her term "god-trick" for the idea that we can be objective, i.e. "see all from nowhere" but we've learnt that we're all situated, becoming subjectivities.
Donna Haraway, Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva develop the idea of “situated knowledge”: race, history, culture, gender, class, location all play important roles because knowledge is always constructed through who we are
Haraway: “the crucial political action that women and people of other marginalized groups must take is to 'refigure the terms of that story', to re-narrate, to 'produce a female symbolic where the practice of making meanings is in relationship to each other, where you're not simply inheriting the name of the father again and again.’”
Haraway's model = new forms of narrative do not simply subsume the old, but "widen the number and kinds of stories that get told and the actors who tell them."
“Cyborg writing" as a form of oppositional consciousness.
Critical literacy work is fundamental to critical engagement with larger structures of ideology & discourse, & to applying lived experience to an examination of relations of power
Situated knowledge is postmodern, i.e. remains resolutely dynamic

The links you'll need:

Rosi Braidotti's paper is here: http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/rosi/cyberfem.htm

and I'd like you to choose one of the six born digital fictions from here: http://wetellstories.co.uk/

Any questions, remember to e-mail me: jlaccetti AT dmu.ac.uk

I'll look forward to reading your critical interpretations. Keep in mind these parts of the critical thinking process:

The image is from a presentation by University of British Columbia, Okanagan education professor Phil Balcaen. Have a read here for more information on critical thinking that adds to what we discussed in last week's lecture.

Lecture 7: Critical Thinking, Maxine Armstrong

2009-02-28T20:47:00.019Z

Weiss, D. (1994) Feminist Philosophy and the Digital Culture

Dr Dennis Weiss is a Professor at York College in Pennsylvania, who has published a number of articles, lectures and conferences presentations (Weiss, 2007). He currently teaches critical thinking and philosophy and wrote this text for his course in feminist philosophy.

It is relevant to our discussion on the critical thinking of feminist theory and digital cultures, as it uses feminist theories to explore digital cultures.

The first half of this text is referenced but the second half has none, so it is difficult to judge how valid his opinions are or where they come from. It is also 14 years old so digital culture has hopefully moved on in the meantime.

Booth, A. and Flanagan, M. (eds) (2002) Reload: Rethinking Women and Cyberculture, MIT Press.

A collection of critical essays and fiction exploring how women relate to virtual technologies, so again highly relevant to our discussions. It even includes an extract from Correspondence by Sue Thomas.

Only the introduction is reproduced on the Amazon website but it does introduces feminist science fiction, which is a genre I have never heard of. The index lists a number of people who could be investigated further.

Luesebrink, M.C. and Coverley M.D. (2000) The Progressive Dinner Party

A selection of hypertext and hypermedia literature works by women, written in English by international writers. The theme is a progressive dinner party inspired by the project The Dinner Party by Judy Chicargo. Each place setting is a contributor to the hypertext world with a link to a piece of their work, the Glenn Miller soundtrack does get a little annoying after a while. The website does not appear to have been updated recently as many of the links are broken, but it does still provide a useful list of women who are worth following. Sue Thomas, with Teri Hoskin, is one of the place settings with Noon Quilt. Commentary is provided by N. Katherine Hayles and Talan Memmott.

I would have liked to have seen this website updated with the links repaired and more recent work. The broken links and poor displays from some of the work shows how quickly technology had moved on.

Lecture 7: Critical Thinking, Paul D. Found

2009-02-27T17:15:00.005Z

The Feminist Theory Website

www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/enin.html

This website is basically a website whose intention is to “provide(s) research materials and information for students, activists, and scholars interested in women's conditions and struggles around the world.” It is basically a database of links to articles and individuals in the feminist movement.

Although the articles are arranged by theme, not all the links to them are active. There are however, links to external websites concerned with that theme. The links to individuals do provide biographical information and a bibliography.

The website is hosted by Virginia Tech University’s Center for Digital Discourse and Culture, so one would expect that the articles it lists are academically robust. It was created and is edited by Kristin Switala. She is also U.C. Foundation Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

I am not sure the site has been updated since 1999 though. This could well render much of the site out-of-date.

GenderIT.org

http://www.genderit.org

A website which aims to monitor international ICT policies which effect women. It aims to be a forum of knowledge sharing, to raise awareness and encourage activism and lobbying on issues of gender and ICT. It is a repository for resource links, journal articles and case studies concerned with women's, gender and social issues in connection with the internet.

This link gives a general overview of why this is important:

http://www.genderit.org/en/policy_makers/whygender.htm

Association of Progressive Communication

http://www.apc.org/

"The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is a global network of civil society organisations whose mission is to empower and support organisations, social movements and individuals in and through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs)." It is a non-profit organisation based in the US.

http://www.apc.org/en/home/gender

The APC not only covers gender/feminist/women's issues, but also culture, media, technology and open source software, among others. It provides news, a blog, reports and papers, and a newsletter and so on. The content is kept very up-to-date.

There is also an interesting link provided, which is a guide to evaluating the use of ICT on the basis of gender:

http://www.apcwomen.org/gem/

Also of note is that the content is available via CreativeCommons License.

How to spot logical fallacies...By Kieren Boddy

2009-02-26T13:55:00.000Z

Just some resources on logic, logical fallacies
Logic Websites

http://www.logicalfallacies.info/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies

http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/toc.htm

If you cannot be bothered to read (or if you want something playing in the background whilst surfing the net) (WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE, INSULTING IN SOME PARTS, FUNNY IN OTHERS, REFERENCES RELIGION)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSrC0TQnqP8&feature=channel_page

"what is the difference between a scientific experiment and a musical experiment?" _Mandy Sellers

2009-02-25T20:14:00.000Z

Hmmm. My knee-jerk reaction was “a lot!” but then I started thinking more… and really, the process could very easily be the same (hypothesis, testing, etc) except when it comes to the evaluation of the data. It depends, how do you evaluate a musical experiment? When I think of classic scientific experiments they seek to prove a constant… that is, there is something they want to prove that exists 100% of the time. Everything has to be reproducible, yielding the same results. For example, if you want to prove alcoholism has a genetic component… well, you can use humans but usually this is too tricky and it’s easier to use a similar genetic model (which, sadly for rats, works out well for scientists). In music, you may not be able to do testing on similar genetic models (guess it depends on what you’re trying to prove) and instead have to involve us more tricky humans.

I guess in the end scientific experiments are easier, more cut and dry because of the controlled conditions they can be carried out in. Musical experiments I would guess are probably pretty difficult to conduct (perhaps like psychology experiments which are notoriously difficult because of the human factor). There would be qualitative data vs quantitative. And reproduction would likely be challenging.

Lecture 7 "Critical Thinking": Kieren Boddy

2009-02-25T15:23:00.008Z

Feminist Theory Websites

1) The Feminist Theory Website, the Center for Digital Discourse and Culture
at Virginia Tech University, http://www.cddc.vt.edu/feminism/enin.html

This website was created and maintained by a Dr. Kristin Switala, a Professor at the Center for Digital Discourse and Culture at Virginia Tech, USA. It was the first website to appear in the google search of the term "Feminist Theory". It is a trustworthy website, in my opinion, because it was created by an academic at an accredited University and has reputable contributions by other academics.

Unlike some websites that opt to inform the user everything, in the authors words, what the subject is all about, Dr. Swatala only uses the briefest of paragraphs relating to the Feminist Theory and the different fields in Feminism as a cue for the 5425 bibliographical entries, 0593 links to Internet sites, and 0684 paragraphs giving information. It is quite different from what I am used to, but easy to follow, if you know how to use a bibliography to find academic texts and text books.

This though makes a lot of work for the reader who may just want a 'quick quote' for a simple understanding of the theory, but it is an extremely good website for finding references in the field. Unfortunately, it seems that the website rarely updates as it was in 1999 the website was last copyrighted.

2)Feminism and Women Studies, http://feminism.eserver.org/

The Feminism and Women Studies webpage is an online resource for researchers into the subject and is ran by people associated with the Carnegie Mellon University Womens Centre. The website is a greater resource than one that is just about feminist theory, which in my opinion makes it a better website in that it gives more background information about the subject than just the theory as I feel that to have an understanding of a subject, you must know some detail about the circumstances in which the theory applies to.

As the website was created by members of the Carnegie Mellon University, ones who knew about the subject (they where Masters Students who operated the site for four years) and it cites information and courses from other universties with similar courses, such as one from the university in 1). All this tells me that it is a worthy resource for the subject, even though compared to the whole, there is a small amount to do with feminist theory.

It is easy to navigate the website as it has been represented in a hierarchical fasion of overarching concepts within the subject which then forks off depending on how many articles and theories are available within those concepts. That said, the few articles about feminist theory where quite old, compared to the rest of the content within the site.

3) http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/

Would the use of a male dominated search engine resource affect the validity in my findings into the subject???

Response from Professor Hugill: Music & Digital Cultures

2009-02-25T12:52:00.004Z

Following on from his lecture on the 16th of Feb., Professor Hugill has taken the time to read your comments and is including a response. He addresses a variety of questions which stem from your own blog responses. Please read Professor Hugill's thoughts and respond to his question (via the comments on this post) which you'll find at the end of his letter.

"Dear Jess, Thank you for asking me to respond to the student comments following my lecture. I thought your post about the importance of critical thinking and logical argument was excellent. I'm ill in bed at the moment, so the brain is not firing on every cylinder, but on the other hand I have some time to write!

I agree very much with Mandy's comment that we covered a lot, maybe too much, in two hours, and of course none of the students has studied music, so somehow they had to rapidly assimilate both technical and aesthetic information about some of the most challenging music of the past 100 years. I thought they listened well - attentive and diligent and, given the content, relaxed, which was not always my experience when I covered similar ground with music students, who often became quite agitated.

Andy P. seems to have had the most extensive reaction and makes a number of points. I'll try to approach these in the spirit they are intended.

Let's tackle the 'definition of music' thing frst. Bear in mind that what we are seeking here is a definition. Definitions have pretensions to being objective, verifiable, and universal (applicable in all situations). In practice, there are many types of definition (see http://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/swartz/definitions.htm for example) but they all share that sense of rational aspiration to the absolute.

Music as 'organised sound' is not my definition but that of Edgard Varèse in his lecture/essay 'The Liberation of Sound'. He had very specific reasons for making the statement, arguing in favour of the inclusion of sounds not considered 'musical' in the traditional sense (i.e. not necessarily produced by instruments). No doubt this has inadequacies, but it *is* a definition. Notice he is not ascribing any particular value to the 'music' he defines. He is not attempting to say 'this is good music' or 'this is bad music'. He is trying to be factual and objective in order to expand our understanding of what music might be. The affective layer (such as emotional impact, aesthetic judgement, etc.) is largely put aside.

The word 'organised' is somewhat loaded. The first question we might ask is 'organised by whom'? Some might hear organisation in natural sound (which takes us into soundscape, which I had no time to mention in the lecture), but I think for Varèse the idea was that a piece of music is organised in the same way as a living organism - made up of many related elements. This suggests intentionality. One standard definition of a work of art is that it is evidence of an artistic intention (if an artist calls it art, it's art). In the postmodern world, we might also argue that it requires a suitable reception (people have to agree).

The point Andy P makes that music has no material existence is of course correct. Sound is a disturbance in a medium. I don't think Varèse is being materialistic, but I do think he is being scientific. Phenomena, such as electricity, may be observed empirically. Music is a perceptual phenomenon, certainly, but that does not necessarily mean it has only *emotional* existence. (Notice that the statement 'music is a perceptual phenomenon' is not a definition either, because it is incomplete).

Analysis of emotion is a vast field. Academic and scientific approaches range from the neuroscientific to the psychological. The one that seems to be causing the objection here is the James/Lange idea that emotion results from experiencing bodily changes, rather than causing them. There simply is neither time nor space (nor do I have the expertise!) to attempt to summarize these theories, but I think it is true to say that we still lack an accurate and consistent mapping of musical gesture to emotional response, probably due to social, cultural and individual variations. This is what makes emotion shifting ground from which to attempt a *definition* of anything. In what would an 'emotional definition' consist?

This is not a denial of the importance of emotion in music. It is simply a rejection of that as a basis for a definition. One person's 'emotive sound' is another person's 'indifferent noise'. I, for example, find some of Merzbow's 'noise music' emotionally affecting, whereas much pop music leaves me indifferent (which puts me in a minority). But I still think pop music is music. My opinion matters not if I am seeking to define 'music', but it matters a lot when I am choosing what to listen to! Perhaps an interesting variation on your question would be 'what is music *for* - something I tackle in my book.

One final point of accuracy - Cage's music was not 'unorganised'. It was organised using chance procedures. That may seem like splitting hairs, but chaos theory has shown us that there is organisation behind 'chance' and that randomness is predictable. On a historical note, 'organised sound' has stood the test of time as a definition and is still widely used. In fact, there is a journal published by Cambridge University Press under that very title and edited by Prof Leigh Landy, who heads the Music Technology and Innovation Research Centre here at DMU.

Turning to the discussion of serialism, let's have a crack at the statement:

"since it can be generated by a computer with no inspiration need at all and (at this time to me) sounds terrible, how can we say it is any different from what we would accept as patterned 'noise' from any other aesthetically unpleasing machine?"

There are a set of assumptions underpinning this which need to be challenged. The first is the rather 19th Century idea of 'inspiration'. In fact, much of the world's music is written without inspiration and is really the product of some kind of process or formula. Even those people who acknowledge inspiration are famously modest about its true value ("99% perspiration, 1% inspiration", said Thomas Edison, discussing the nature of genius). This is not to say the results of these formulae cannot be inspiring. Think of Javanese gamelan, for example. Or hymn tunes. But neither does inspiration guarantee good music. In fact there are many pieces that are highly inspired, yet unconvincing as music. Believe me, I've written some of them myself!

The next is the assumption that computers cannot write pleasing music. I wonder how much music written by computers people have actually heard? I don't mean music played off laptops, I mean music actually composed by computers. For early examples, try Xenakis, Koenig or the celebrated 'Iliac Suite' by Lejaren Hiller from 1957. For more recent examples (and these I am pretty certain will be found 'pleasing') try the many samples of fractal music, evolutionary music, generative music, algorithmic music, etc. that can be found online. Check out 'Changing Weights' by our own Dr Ron Herrema as an example http://www.capstonerecords.org/CPS-8788.html

Finally, and this is what Varèse was arguing about, why is it necessarily the case that a machine produces 'noise'? If we accept that noise is unwanted sound (one can challenge that definition, by all means), then there are situations where machines do not produce noise, and sounds that are 'musical' might be considered noise. I think the perception of noise changes depending on circumstance.

It is true that total serialism was very well suited to computer composition, and in fact grew up alongside the development of early computers and dominated computer music. Perhaps the biggest figure in this field was Milton Babbitt, who is definitely worth a visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Babbitt

By the way, I'm not sure that additive synthesis is a good analogy for Steve Reich's phasing method in 'Come Out' and other pieces. Really, the crucial thing there is layering of sound and an audible process. It's a shame I had no time to play that piece - you really need to hear it to understand how it works. There is a copy in the library.

I could go on, but I feel the need of rest. Let's end with a question: what is the difference between a scientific experiment and a musical experiment? That should give people plenty to chew upon!"

Note, the image is part of the score of Varèse's 'Poème Electronique' (1958).

Lecture 7: Critical Thinking_Mandy Sellers

2009-02-24T15:34:00.003Z

Three websites pertinent to Feminist Theory:

Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/signs/current

This is a supporting website for the journal. I’ve seen this journal sited several places (at least 3 different University websites with Women’s Studies programs) so this kind of peer acceptance (at least in a university setting) legitimizes it.

This online resource gives access to current feminist articles and has a section announcing calls for papers and other upcoming events. It also has a section on book reviews. And, I’ve found the people contributing have been sited themselves elsewhere (by looking them up in JSTOR). This one is very legit.

Women's Studies Online Resources
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/

This is a website listing Women’s Studies Online Resources. The links work and page is maintained. It has been created by a university professor, Joan Korenman, from Univ. of Maryland. She is legit (ie, have checked she’s a real person with valid University credentials). She’s even written a book, “Internet Resources on Women”. Which led me to this: http://www.umbc.edu/cwit/ A website for Women and Information Technology recognized by one of America’s top 3 news providers (ABC news) of which she is the Founding Director.

http://userpages.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/links_net.html
This page is probably the most topical for our class from this site. It is titled “Women-Focused Cyberculture and Internet Information”. It provides several links to related websites and gives a brief description of the site. I’d say this would be very helpful to studying feminist theory and digital cultures. ☺

The Fword
http://www.thefword.org.uk/

This looks to be an important feminist website simply because it is an open community space for discussing feminist topics. Well, take that back, it’s a webzine edited by Catherine Redfern, who was at least recognized by the Guardian as a ‘woman to watch’ in 2003.

As far as this being sited, I haven’t seen anything. I suppose I could’ve done this the other way around, looked up articles on feminist theory and follow up any citations given.

The reason I am posting this one is because it came up first on my Google search. I figure if that’s the case a lot of people are at least looking at the site if not reading and contributing to it. Because it's less academic I can't validate it in the same way... it's more like a cultural artefact. It's the average person writing and discussing feminist topics... a discursive site.

Lecture 7 'Critcal Thinking': Amanda Moffat

2009-02-24T13:33:00.014Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosi_Braidotti
"Rosi Braidotti" Wikipedia Entry
I deliberately chose a Wikipedia page to be controversial! This website provides a summary of Rosi's biographical information focusing on an impressive array of academic achievements, publications and related work - claiming that throughout which, "Braidotti asserts and demonstrates the importance of combining theoretical concerns with a serious commitment to producing socially and politically relevant scholarship that contributes to making a difference in the world." These credentials give her credibility and leads the uninitiated to believe that the content is accurate and to be trusted. As with all Wikipedia pages it is up to date (last modified on 19 September 2008) and there are a number of working links to other Wikipedia entries, as well as related external links to other sites (including her own) which list her work and corroborate her credentials (e.g. the Utrecht University site where she is a 'Distinguished Professor'). Interestingly though, there are no academic references directly on the Wikipedia page!

http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/rosi/cyberfem.htm
"Cyberfeminism with a difference" by Rosi Braidotti
This article talks about feminism in relation to a post-modernist approach to technology and culture. Written in 1996, it is well referenced and cited by academia. I particularly found the section entitled 'Post-human bodies' interesting, where Rosi selects three 'cyborg goddesses' - Dolly Parton, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda - suggesting that these 'emblems of postmodern femininity' symbolise the culturally enforced icons of white, economically dominant, heterosexual Americans - and more specifically a 'Californian 'body beautiful' ideology'. I can see where she's coming from with Liz and Jane, but I'm not sure about Dolly! To further legitimise this text, this section has been published as a chapter in 'The Feminism and Visual Culture Reader' (2003) by Amelia Jones.

http://www.obn.org/inhalt_index.html
"The Old Boys Network: The mode is the message - the code is the collective"
After reading Rosi's piece on cyberfeminism I decided to google the term and found this website which is a feminist collective forum, ironically entitled 'Old Boys Network'. It claims to be the first international alliance of cyberfeminists 'aimed at contributing to the critical discourse on gender-specific aspects of new media'. The people involved include an array of individual academics and artists (mainly women unsurprisingly), as well as whole agencies and societies, which suggest it is legitimate. After checking out some of the founding members I found this article on Jstor which corroborated their credentials http://www.jstor.org/pss/778008, and they (Claudia Reiche and Verena Kuni) have also published a book on the subject entitled 'Cyberfeminism: Next Protocols' (2004). However, this book is yet to be published according to the website so it is clearly not maintained regularly (last updated 28.07.02) and some of the links no longer work, rendering it a less reliable source - although it still makes some interesting points and is relevant to the module.

Lecture 7: Critical Thinking and Essay Preparation

2009-02-23T14:44:00.004Z

What is critical thinking?

“Reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do”
-- Robert Ennis

“Active, presistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends”
-- JohnDewey

What is reflective thinking?

“Judgment suspended during further inquiry”
-- Dewey

Think of the scientific method as a way of organising your argument in your essay:

Definition of the problem
Proposal of the hypothesis/hypotheses
Observation
Measurement
Qualitative/Quantitative Analysis
Testing
Interpretation

An "ideal" critical thinker should employ these attributes:

Inquisitive
Open-minded
Orderly
Focused
Persistent
Devise testing strategies
Formulates alternative solutions/hypotheses
Judges acceptability of premises and inferences
Draws conclusions

Classic way *not* to structure your essay:

Syllogisms:

All X are Y. Z is X.
Therefore, Z is Y.

--or—

All X are Y. No Z is Y.
Therefore, no Z is X.

For next week: critically evaluate three websites/online resources that fit with feminist theory and digital cultures. Title your blog post: Lecture 7, Critical Thinking, Name.

Coursework Essay DUE DATE: 7th May, 4:00pm

Lecture 6: Music and Digital Culture. Amanda Moffat

2009-02-23T05:24:00.007Z

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................The Silent Blog?

Lecture 6: Music and Digital Culture, Andy P

2009-02-23T02:33:00.003Z

i forgot to take a picture....alas. so instead i offer a video of prof hugill 2003

the lecture ran at a nice relaxed pace. not too slow or too complex so as to discombobulate, even though i am no musician or even critic myself. so where to begin? the beginning? seems to easy. while the fundamentals are important, the lecture contents importance was not chronological to me (though personal taste only)... so we'll start with (can carry on with) issues that mattered to me the most. note that for each section i suspend belief in the other sections written. as you will see, since i can talk about something that doesn't exist;

music is organized sound?:
"music is organized sound" was the definition Prof hugill preferred. a phrase coined by anton webern (known to us for his use of the twelve-tone technique also explained in the lecture). the problem i find with this definition is that if music is simply organized sound, then the very act of writing anything at all down makes it music notation though the shear intent of communicating something "as it was intended". this of course means that anything ever written is music (presumable if spoken/played out loud).
a point that goes even further than this is the work of john cage, who's sense of music transcended 'organization' and was composed by chance happenings in a very post modern statement about opposing organized structures of sound(though arguably was in fact organized the moment he wrote it down). so what we have in the end is music is both organized and unorganized sound.but then if everything is music, then surely nothing is music, so why study music at all?
upon first thinking about it, i prefer a music defined as organized emotive sound. to organize is not enough, but to have feelings about it (any feeling at all) is what places value on music to me. it was argued however that to say it is emotive is to say it is subjective (such as emotions are). therefore to say music is subjective is to say music is undefinable, which in itself is not a definition. to this i have a few thoughts:

1, if music is art, then to this effect i have not found any satisfactory answer to 'what is art?' or 'what is music' for that matter. therefore both are undefined at this moment to me other that to say it is an emotive expression.

2, emotion is definable. subjective, yes, but definable. this simply means that they vary in intensity: mild amusement, overjoyed etc are states of happiness in varying intensity. if emotion were undefinable, there would be no difference between happiness and depression and all emotion could be viewed as chemical imbalances in the brain, yet to artists (though not one myself) im sure emotion is more than this.

3, the examples for 'music is organized sound' are two extremes of music is organized sound (12-tone) and music is also unorganized sound (cage) (which i assume is music since it was brought up and we were told as much).

4, break down everything in the universe into atoms, break all the atoms down to the subatomic and anywhere in between, i challenge anyone to show me one gram of music. sound may exist as compressions of particals, but nowhere does music exist except for in the realms of emotion as we perceive it. so i don't think its unfair to say that music is emotive.

so to restate, if anything is music, then nothing is music(therefore everything is sound/noise), so why study music at all and if so, what to study?

total cerealism - the crunchy nut flakes of music:
'total serialism' was the next logical step to the twelve tone technique. the twelve tone technique used 12 notes in a scale, each played only once to avoid putting any importance one any one note. however, it was noted that not only could one play notes, but pitch, duration, tambre, volume and articulation also played their parts for the sound of each note played (i suspect there are more things that could alter how a note is played, but these 5 where given in the lecture). total serialism then, proposed that each of these affect a note in a manner similar to the twelve tone technique (so its really like the twelve tone technique to the 6th power, ergo a 6-dimensional matrix of note variations played one after another).
since total serialism is a very logical, if not mathematical process, why do we need humans to make this 'music' at all? a computer could easily generate every combination of the twelve notes with twelve (for the sake of argument) variations for each parameter:

eg (in pseudo code for ease of understanding).

create 2d array 'music' of 1 to x; //(where 'x' is 12 to the 6th power... or make it dynamic)
y = 1;

for note(1 to 12);{
for pitch(1 to 12);{
for duration(1 to 12);{
for tambre(1 to 12);{
for volume(1 to 12);{
for articulation (1 to 12);{
music[y] = note,pitch,duration,tambre,volume,articulation;
y= y+1;
}}}}}}

within that output for the program would lie every possible 'total serialism' piece of music that can be created with those parameters. unfortunately, since it can be generated by a computer with no inspiration need at all and (at this time to me) sounds terrible, how can we say it is any different from what we would accept as patterned 'noise' from any other aesthetically unpleasing machine? this being said...is it really music?

the (anti)modernism of music:
john cage has already been discussed above (the man who wrote 'music' though chance). personally, i really like this guy. not for his music but for the fact that he appears to have a fantastic sense of humor while managing to present his so called work in a sensible way. but then i guess that's post modernism for you. if total serialism is structured and ordered, then cage is chaotic and almost anarchistic. true musical modernism versus post modernism, but to the naked ear, resulting in exactly the same thing.

can you hear me?.....110001101:
microsound music('glitch' and other like phenomena) is the culmination of inaudible noise, either so short or so quiet that psycho-acoustically, we as humans cannot pick it up. i say psycho-acoustically, as the ear itself will in fact pick up the sound and in turn our brain will dismiss it as unimportant. apparently it has been shown that the playback of these sounds can have an effect on peoples moods despite being inaudible. this leads me to an interesting thought. we know that subliminal messaging is not allowed in advertising. but to define subliminal messaging we need an audio/visual actual message (be it words or images). microsound affects mood (i am lead to believe), but has no message per sae. therefore could we use microsound as an almost empathic subliminal messaging to make consumers 'feel good' when viewing a product?.... unfortunately, one could never regulate it if it were possible, since it is essentially just noise.

how did you make/hear that?:
since noise is the topic at hand, other things of note include additive and subtractive methods of sound synthesis.
think of 'sound' as a block of wood.... the sound you want to make is a particular shape made of wood. subtractive sound synthesis would strip away the wood until the shape is reveled (like whittling) while additive sound synthesis would use tiny bits of wood (sawdust perhaps) to build up that shape. now replace the word 'wood' with 'frequencies' (frequencies being sine waves of correct wavelength and amplitude) and you have a decent explanation of additive and subtractive methods of sound synthesis.

come out, come out, wherever you are:
steve reich “come out". lots of pieces of work where discussed, and while it was all quite interesting, this is the one that made me want to seek it our to hear it. the work consists of a single line (taken form the harlem riots if i remember correctly: "I had to, like, open the bruise up and let some of the bruise blood come out to show them" .... specifically "come out to show them" ) looped and replayed in parallel with versions of the same phrase at varying speeds. each version of the phrase introduced at specific intervals. the net effect is to have a single voice that builds into 'out of sync' voices to (as prof hugil puts it) 'create a wall of sound'. while i love the idea (especially with the social context of the phrase) is it not remarkably similar the the additive methods of sound synthesis described above? each speed of voice can be seen as a different frequency that is added until we get the final 'sound'. this is perhaps not completely accurate as the sound is (or becomes) out of phase with it predecessor. in this respect it is very much like OFDM (another topic entirely that could take hours(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OFDM)). in any case, i cant bring myself to think of it as new information or even a new style, though i do love its simplicity.

disclaimer:
all of this was based on a single 2 hour lecture and therefore may be incomplete in places. i am not an artist, musician, formal critic or superhero. and please remember: flame responsibly.

Lecture 6: Music and Digital Culture, Paul D. Found

2009-02-21T12:33:00.005Z

Thanks to the sterling efforts of Mandy and Maxine, I'm not sure there is anything I can add. I certainly cannot add a photo because I do not own a camera and my phone has neither a cable nor Bluetooth so I did not take any.

ADDENDUM

It took a while for me to "get into" this lecture because I am not a musician, and although I listen to and even write reviews for loads of music, I do not as it were, know how it works.

There was a very interesting comment to open the lecture, with Andrew stating that he believed Digital Cultures is a reaction against modernism.

The first piece of music was "Concerto for 9 Instruments" (1943) by Anton Webern. Although only 2.22 minutes it seemed much longer. Musical time can, due to the density and compression of the piece distort the impression we get of real time. I would say that current bands can achieve a similar effect - The Mars Volta producing very dense music which seems to last much longer than it does. It is a phenomenon I had noticed but not really thought about. I digress...

Edgard Varese offered the following definition of music - it is "organised sound". I actually quite like that definition but could disorganised sound also be considered to be "musical"?

There followed some discussion on the formal structure (organisation) of music which is the part where musically inability meant I started to get a bit lost...

Western music was invented in the 15th century with the introduction of major and minor chords, and triads. There are high and low notes. There octaves (8 notes between each octave) which are the same "sound", whereas intervals have 5 notes (the 5th). All this occurs naturally in nature (acoustics) but Western music is merely an approximation and allows key changes/pitch. Not all music uses this system. Indian music for example, has a constant note - the drone - around which the piece is built.

At the end of the 19th century, music changed. Instead of being "pantonal" where all the pitches are used at once, modernist music became "atonal", i.e. music with no sense of pitch or key. There is no structure as such, but it is far from random. It is very organised, uses merkered pitches (1 - 12) within an octave. The order might read 3-6-8-1-11-9-10-4-2-12-5-7 ensuring there is more no repetition and no note is more important than any other. This called serial music and is pure mathematics - a universal language or law. The purpose is to remove any cultural association between the listener/composer and the structure/form of how music "should" be created. This led to a split between the composers of traditional music and modernist music.

Music is either vertical e.g. pop music, or horizontal e.g. jazz music.

Pitch, duration, timbre (sound), volume, articulation are the basic components of music, not melody and harmony. This led to total seriaism where very parameter of music became organised as a series. Messiaen was the first to attepmt a fully serialised piece but Boulez said this was not good enough as there was repitition. Iannis Xenakis and Boulez used computers to compose music. Although much of it sounds random, it is not.

Incidentally, Damon Albarn used serial methods to compose some of the score to Monkey: Journey to the West.

John cage used "chance" to compose music. For example, he would flick ink at blank sheets of muscial score paper, and discovered that his work sounded very similar to that of Boulez. Boulez took 5 years to compose his work, Cage took a week. Cage also experimented with with "aleatonic" music - that composed using the rolls of dice.

Cage also famously composed a piece of silent music (4' 33") which forced the audience to listen to the sounds around them. This could be said to go against Varese's definition of music being organised sound, as Cage did not organise sound, but arrange silence. the sounds the audience heard were not organised as such - it might consist of the sound of the audience coughing, shuffling, booing and so on.

Pierre Schaeffer coined the term "musique concrete", in which real-world sounds were/are manipulated to create music. The were no instruments, just timbre. It used analogue and very early computer technology. He was also the first DJ and invented turntablism in 1945 (to learn more about modern turntablism, borrow the documentary "Scratch" from me!!).

Delia Derbyshire of the BBC polyphonic orchestra created, around 1962, the first electronic dance music, as well as creating the famous "sound" of the Dr. Who theme. Derbyshire and The Beatles on their White Album used looped tapes to create the sounds.

The unwanted "noise" removed from remastered music is now used as an art form/music genre called "glitch" or "micro-sound".

There are 2 ways to create digital sound - "subtractive" whereby you start with white noise (every pitch played simultaneously and in equal amounts, then filtered to get recognisable "notes". Synthesisers do work in this way. The opposite method is the "additive" method where you start with silence and add frequencies or "sine waves".

"Granular synthesis" takes a small sounds, to create "music" which although inaudible to us still effects our moods (see Richard Chartier).

Minimalism is made from the least possible material, but it is not necessarily simple. LaMonte Young's piece X for Henry Flynt (1967) involved nothing more than the performer playing a single note repeatedly until it changed, then stopping. It could be either the music or the listener which changed, and rendered the piece "finished".

Steve Reich's "Come Out" consists of a phrase played on two tape recorders played at different speeds so they start in-sync, then out, then back in until they eventually form a wall of noise.

Fluxus was heavily influenced by Dada, the idea being to be staunchly "anti-establishment". Practitioners of the fluxus movement are "intermedia" - they are concerned with how different forms of media intersect.

There was a lot of information to take in...

Lecture 6: Music and Digital Culture, Maxine Armstrong

2009-02-17T20:51:00.011Z

Mandy has summarised the lecture so here are a few more details about some of the composers mentioned.

Edgard Varèse (1883 – 1965)

Born in France, invented the term “organised sound”.

He was very influential and a leading pioneer of electronic music.

'Poeme électronique' (1957-8) was composed for the Philips Pavilion at the Universal Exposition. Loudspeakers were placed throughout a walk-through installation. Some sounds were recorded, whilst others were from electronic instruments.

Anton Webern (1883 – 1945)

Austrian composer and conductor

'Concerto for 9 Instruments' (1943)

Twelve-tone method – serialism.

Pierre Boulez (born 1925)

French composer and conductor

Student of Olivier Messiaen

History is Dead

Wanted to remove all repetition. Thought music traditions were irrelevant to the new language.

‘Structures’uses serialism.

Composed ‘Répons’ (1980-84) at IRCAM – a research institute where computer scientists and music technologists study electronic music.

To be continued ...

Lecture6: Music and Digital Cultures _ Mandy

2009-02-17T15:37:00.003Z

Summary of Andrew’s lecture

The basic concepts of Musical Modernism

• Music had developed much like literature
• Music is organized sound (from a definition of Anton Webern)
• A key aspect of Modernism is the use of sparse notes but a lot still packed in

History of music
• 14-15th centuries music marked by maj/minor triads
• western music marked by dividing octaves into 12 equal steps
• This allows ‘transpositioning’, you can transpose, cycle around w same note dispersion to get

Webern (1943, concerto for 9 instruments) – “pantoneality” – all the keys at once

Atonal – music without any sense of key

Webern used complex mathematics to devise a score that didn’t repeat, going through al 48 possible variants of all 12 notes. This began musical modernism

Why? “pureism” essay 1934 by Busia (spelling?) example of the sphere as a universal symbol everyone understands regardless of culture. This is along the same lines as what music modernism tries to do.

Harmony – a relative concept… vertical (stacked base, chords, tune) and horozontal (jazz a good example, can hear each instrament)

Pitch, duration, tambre, volume, articulation – all aspects of music

Musical modernism ends up with “total serialism” - first played 1949
Pierre Boules “History is Dead”
Messiaen (taught Boules)

Then came John Cage, American who used chance (termed Aleatoric by Boulez) vs compex mathematics to achieve same things as Webern. He’s known for his piece called “scielence” – proving there is no such thing. In this piece no music was played. Forces audience to hear other sounds around them.

Boules and Cage clashed – modernism against post modernism. Cage believed in the equality of ALL sounds

Then comes Varese (1957) – born ahead of his time… tried to make music with machines making sounds… he simply didn’t have the instruments to play his compositions. He was a leading pioneer of electronic music and “Music concrete” – use of sounds from real world

Tambre becomes a major quantifying tool. Varese progress was very slow and hard, hard to produce at the time.

Pierre Schaeffere – first DJ 1945 (used turn tables to create sound)
Delia Derbyshire – came up with the futuristic sound of the Dr Who theme
Beatles – experimented with tape loops (looping) to produce interesting sounds

Analog vs Digital sound

Analog is physical; magnetic tape, record groove, a physical substance read by a machine.

Digital uses a computer, converting 1’s and 0’s into anaolog, ie physical sound so we can hear it;

“Glitch”, microsounds, sine waves… these elements underpin digital music. → connects to Musical Minimalism, repetition of sound, droning. But, no such thing as repetition, either the sound changes or we change.

Richard Chartier – makes ‘bat music’ or sounds that are our of our hearing range, but you can still feel the vibes

Steve Reich – “come out” a piece that starts simply then ends up with a wall of sound. Wrote music for 18 musicians, harmony pulse

Terry Rielly – westcoast minimalist

Bauhaus – artists/designers/engineers/ product design / interior design… Phillipe Dause (the lemon squeezer guy)

Fluxux, Dada, Marcel Duchamp, Percy Granger

We covered a lot in 2 hours!!

Lecture 5: Derrida Differance and Cut-up, Kieren Boddy

2009-02-16T10:48:00.006Z

Original Text

It will be objected, for the same reasons, that graphic difference itself vanishes into the night, can never be sensed as a full term, but rather extends an invisible relationship, the mark of an inapparent relationship between two spectacles. Doubtless. But, from this point of view, that the difference marked in the "differ( )nce" between the e and the a eludes both vision and hearing perhaps happily suggests that here we must be permitted to refer to an order which no longer belongs to sensibility. But neither can it belog to intelligibility, to the ideality which is not fortuitously affiliated with the objectivity of theorein or understanding. Here, therefore, we must let ourselves refer to an order that resists the opposition, one of the founding oppositions of philosophy, between the sensible and the intelligible. The order which resists this opposition, and resists it because it transports it, is announced in a movement of différance (with an a) between two differences or two letters, a différance which belongs neither to the voice nor to writing in the usual sense, and which is located, as the strange space that will keep us together here for an hour, between speech and writing, and beyond the tranquil familarity which links us to one and the other, occasionally reassuring us in our illusion that they are two.

Cut-up

eludes both vision same reasons, that happily suggests that the ideality which the other, occasionally be permitted to here we must sensibility. But neither between speech and order which no or understanding. Here, between speech and this opposition, and an invisible relationship, refer to an differences or two order which no of philosophy, between that resists the the sensible and opposition, one of the founding oppositions here we must longer belongs to vanishes into the therefore, we must and hearing perhaps an invisible relationship, Doubtless. But, from view, that the a) between two therefore, we must to one and is announced in the mark of objected, for the the mark of the sensible and the "differ( )nce" affiliated with the and hearing perhaps between two spectacles. for an hour, this point of the "differ( )nce" a full term, affiliated with the the strange space in the usual reassuring us in and the a is not fortuitously an inapparent relationship between two spectacles. difference marked in Doubtless. But, from and the a this point of the "differ( )nce" to an order the ideality which can it belog affiliated with the objected, for the letters, a différance be sensed as in the usual therefore, we must us together here us together here the mark of the tranquil familarity but rather extends vanishes into the resists it because to the voice can it belog resists it because which links us to one and to one and or understanding. Here, eludes both vision between speech and our illusion that nor to writing view, that the an invisible relationship, is located, as order which resists opposition, one of to one and a movement of or understanding. Here, the "differ( )nce" objected, for the to intelligibility, to sensibility. But neither It will be graphic difference itself différance (with an that will keep night, can never they are two.eludes both vision order which resists it transports it, to the voice that resists the the sensible and to intelligibility, to a full term, is announced in is announced in and the a us together here the intelligible. The between the e night, can never of philosophy, between writing, and beyond let ourselves refer to an order a) between two and hearing perhaps sense, and which graphic difference itself refer to an can it belog sense, and which the strange space between the e which belongs neither they are two.between speech and that will keep happily suggests that a movement of the other, occasionally the strange space same reasons, that graphic difference itself the intelligible. The to an order objectivity of theorein the tranquil familarity

Three sentences

The cut-up technique, when left to a computer algorithm is a bit hit an miss when it comes down to deriving a coherent and/or deeper meaning within the random sentences that are generated from Derrida's source text. Whilst trying to interpret and understand the cut-up paragraph, I asked myself, when reading intelligible sentences (interpreting the whole was difficult, so I just interpreted the few sentences that I could decode to read correctly), "what does this mean", "does it mean anything", and "If X really means something, does it change my opinion on Y and Z". The amount of 'flowery' text Derrida used means that there is more chance of the text being understandable (in comparison) than a more dryer and succinct text being cut-up and ending up as total gibberish.

Lecture 5: Derrida, Difference and Cut-Up, Maxine Armstrong

2009-02-15T15:20:00.006Z

Original Text
Thereby the text of metaphysics is comprehended. Still legible; and to be read. It is not surrounded but rather traversed by its limit, marked in its interior by the multiple furrow of its margin. Proposing all at once the monument and the mirage of the trace, the trace simultaneously traced and erased, simultaneously living and dead, and, as always, living in its simulation of life's preserved inscription. A pyramid. Not a stone fence to be jumped over but itself stonelike, on a wall, to be deciphered otherwise, a text without voice.

Cut-Up Text
not surrounded but erased, simultaneously living by the multiple in its interior and to be its limit, marked a text without fence to be be deciphered otherwise, and dead, and, Thereby the text of metaphysics is voice.furrow of its monument and the simultaneously traced and rather traversed by trace, the trace read. It is of life's preserved Not a stone in its simulation as always, living comprehended. Still legible; inscription. A pyramid. mirage of the margin. Proposing all jumped over but a wall, to itself stonelike, on at once the

My response
The cut-up text does not add any insight to me of the original, just creates more questions. The original “text of metaphysics is comprehended” and “a text without voice” becomes “Thereby the text of metaphysics is voice”. So what was the origin, the spoken word or written text?

Derrida: Differance and Cut Up_ Mandy

2009-02-14T16:31:00.004Z

Paragraph 1:
I will speak, therefore, of the letter a, this initial letterwhich it apparently has been necessary to insinuate, here and there, into the writing of the word difference; and to do so in the course of a writing on writing, and also of a writing within writing whose different trajectories thereby find themselves, at certain very determined points, intersecting with a kind of gross spelling mistake, a lapse in the discipline and law which regulate writing and keep it seemly. One can always, de facto or de jure, erase or reduce this lapse in spelling, and find it (according to situations to be analyzed each time, although amounting to the same), grave or unseemly, that is, to follow the most ingenuous hypothesis, amusing. Thus, even if one seeks to pass over such an infraction in silence, the interest that one takes in it can be recognized and situated in advance as pre-scribed by the mute irony, the inaudible misplacement, of this literal permutation. One can always act as if it made no difference. And I must state here and now that today's discourse will be less a justification of, and even less an apology for, this silent lapse in spelling, than a kind of insistent intensification of its play.

Paragraph 2:
What we know, or what we would know if it were simply a question here of something to know, is that there has never been, never will be, a unique word, a master-name. This is why the thought of the letter a in différance is not the primary prescription or the prophetic annunciation of an imminent and as yet unheard-of nomination. There is nothing kerygmatic about this "word," provided that one perceives its decapita(liza)tion. And that one puts into question the name of the name.

Cut up:
situated in advance jure, erase or necessary to insinuate, can always, de of this literal reduce this lapse always act as time, although amounting to situations to law which regulate writing and keep its decapita(liza)tion. And of a writing the inaudible misplacement, be, a unique been, never will the course of difference; and to grave or unseemly, not the primary if it made a kind of that one puts What we know, I will speak, facto or de be recognized and its play. a kind of find it (according follow the most one seeks to ingenuous hypothesis, amusing. in spelling, and This is why nothing kerygmatic about here and now an apology for, would know if nomination. There is apparently has been a writing on prophetic annunciation of an imminent and this silent lapse pass over such permutation. One can word, a master-name. the mute irony, here and there, as yet unheard-of will be less initial letterwhich it that today's discourse it seemly. One gross spelling mistake, this "word," provided that one takes the thought of it were simply the discipline and a lapse in letter a, this do so in I must state prescription or the different trajectories thereby a justification of, in différance is to the same), Thus, even if there has never name. in it can insistent intensification of be analyzed each writing, and also a question here that one perceives know, is that of the word no difference. And into question the as pre-scribed by silence, the interest the letter a that is, to and even less therefore, of the in spelling, than name of the find themselves, at within writing whose certain very determined an infraction in into the writing or what we of something to points, intersecting with

My three sentences of commentary:
I think you can first of all see all the flowery words Derrida uses in his writing... some how this chopping up makes them stand out more to me. Secondly, it's just about as coherent/understandable as the original text (ha!). Lastly, the paragraphs I chose came from the very beginning and very end of his essay; I think he could've made his point a little quicker. :)

Lecture 5 : Derrida, Differance and Cut up: Paul D. Found

2009-02-14T13:45:00.003Z

This translates roughly as: “Hobby-horse (Dada) does not mean anything. One finds it futile and a waste of (his) time for a word which does not mean anything”.

Original Text Paragraph One

I would say, first off, that différance, which is neither a word nor a concept, strategically seemed to me the most proper one to think, if not to master - thought, here, being that which is maintained in a certain necessary relationship with the structural limits of mastery - what is most irreducible about our "era." Therefore I am starting, strategically, from the place and the time in which "we" are, even though in the last analysis my opening is not justifiable, since it is only on the basis of différance and its "history" that we can allegedly know who and where "we" are, and what the limits of an "era" might be.

Cut-up Text Paragraph One

of an "era" neither a word nor a concept, justifiable, since it me the most I am starting, can allegedly know strategically seemed to "we" are, even most irreducible about time in which opening is not last analysis my proper one to "history" that we might be.what the limits limits of mastery first off, that différance and its think, if not though in the strategically, from the "we" are, and maintained in a our "era." Therefore who and where différance, which is I would say, place and the thought, here, being - what is is only on that which is certain necessary relationship the basis of with the structural to master -

Original Text Paragraph Two

In a language, in the system of language, there are only differences. Therefore a taxonomical operation can undertake the systematic, statistical, and classificatory inventory of a language. But, on the one hand, these differences play: in language, in speech too, and in the exchange between language and speech. On the other hand, these differences are themselves effects. They have not fallen from the sky fully formed, and are no more inscribed in a topos noetos, than they are prescribed in the gray matter of the brain. If the word "history" did not in and of itself convey the motif of a final repression of difference, one could say that only differences can be "historical" from the outset and in each ot their aspects.

Cut-up Text Paragraph Two

and of itself that only differences in the system convey the motif the exchange between from the outset can be "historical" and are no one hand, these more inscribed in gray matter of Therefore a taxonomical the brain. If fallen from the and in each repression of difference, the word "history" of a final prescribed in the They have not sky fully formed, too, and in But, on the operation can undertake than they are of a language. differences play: in a topos noetos, In a language, hand, these differences are themselves effects. language, in speech and classificatory inventory On the other of language, there of their aspects. are only differences. language and speech. did not in one could say the systematic, statistical,

Comments

The standard text makes no sense to me whatsoever (I still cannot read beyond about 5 pages of the version I printed out), so the cut-ups do not lose anything of the original - it still makes no sense. Maybe this proves Derrida was right about language not representing reality and words being arbitrarily assigned. The meaning certainly changes and has left only a "trace" of the original...

Lecture 5 : Derrida,Differance and Cut up; Rachael Folds

2009-02-10T15:25:00.005Z

Min cut length 2: Max Cut length 8

http://www.hamiltonsbrain.co.uk/cutup/cutup.htm

Original Text 1st Paragraph

And it is a tomb that cannot even be made to resonate. In effect, I cannot let you know through my discourse, through the speech being addressed at this moment to the French Society of Philosophy, what difference I am talking about when I talk about it. I can speak of this graphic difference only through a very indirect discourse on writing, and on the condition that I specify, each time, whether I am referring to difference with an e or différance with an a. Which will not simplify things today, and will give us all, you and me, a great deal of trouble, if, at least, we wish to understand each other. In any event, the oral specifications that I will provide - when I say "with an e" or "with an a" - will refer uncircumventably to a written text that keeps watch over my discourse, to a text that I am holding in front of me, that I will read, and toward which I necessarily will attempt to direct your hands and your eyes. We will be able neither to do without the passage through a written text, nor to avoid the order of the disorder produced within it - and this, first of all, is what counts for me.

Cut-up text 1st Paragraph

through my discourse, through the speech "with an e" or "with an a" that I will will not simplify things today, and of the disorder produced or différance with an a. Which and your eyes. We will be able neither difference only through a very indirect and me, a great deal I will read, and discourse on writing, - will refer Society of Philosophy, what difference the oral specifications am referring to difference with at this moment to the French me. text, nor to avoid the order uncircumventably to a written text that keeps watch condition that I specify, each time, whether I to do without the passage through a written toward which I necessarily at least, we an e will attempt to direct your hands over my discourse, I cannot let you know of trouble, if, being addressed to resonate. provide - when I say and on the about it. I can speak of this graphic In effect, even be made within it - and this, first counts for will give us all, you to a text that I am about when I talk wish to understand each other. In any event, And it is a tomb that cannot of all, is what I am talking holding in front of me, that

Original Text 2nd Paragragh

In a language, in the system of language, there are only differences. Therefore a taxonomical operation can undertake the systematic, statistical, and classificatory inventory of a language. But, on the one hand, these differences play: in language, in speech too, and in the exchange between language and speech. On the other hand, these differences are themselves effects. They have not fallen from the sky fully formed, and are no more inscribed in a topos noetos, than they are prescribed in the gray matter of the brain. If the word history did not in and of itself convey the motif of a final repression of difference, one could say that only differences can be "historical" from the outset and in each of their aspects.

Cut-up text 2nd Paragraph

the exchange their aspects. language. But, on the one hand, these differences "historical" from the outset and in each ot final repression of difference, one could say that only in a topos noetos, than they are prescribed in the gray matter of the differences can be inventory of a brain. If the word history between language and speech. On the other a taxonomical operation can undertake the systematic, statistical, from the sky hand, these differences are themselves did not in and of play: in language, in speech too, and in and classificatory fully formed, and are no more inscribed In a language, in the system of itself convey the motif of a language, there are only differences. Therefore effects. They have not fallen

Comments

Using the cut up technique on two paragraphs of Derridas’s Differance, the resulting text seems to make more sense on the second paragraph. When I say sense, I mean that the essence of what he wrote is not lost to such an extent as the first paragraph. This, in my opinion is due to the first section of text is structured in more as a dialogue and the second section more as something to be read.

Lecture 6: Professor Andrew Hugill on Music and Digital Culture

2009-02-09T19:06:00.003Z

On Monday the 16th of Feb., Professor Andrew Hugill will take you on a tour of music modernism, postmodernism, structuralism, minimalism with a culmination in the digital culture.

Professor Hugill has created a list of reading/listening that you might like to do before the lecture: http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~ahugill/music/masters/

Instead of preparing reading for the next lecture I've asked that you each write a blog response to Prof. Hugill's lecture. Some things to include:

Title: Lecture 6: Music and Digital Culture, Name
Summary of the lecture and how it fits in with the theories/ideas we've been looking at
An image that you have taken during the lecture, either of the group working or perhaps of Prof. Hugill speaking
A question to Prof. Hugill. Perhaps after the lecture you have a question about what he said, or maybe you'd like more examples of music to listen to, or even a clearer link of how musical interpretations/theory align with what we've already covered

Do take a look at Professor Hugill's recent book, The Digital Musician. It's available on Amazon and some parts are readable via google.

Lecture 5 - Derrida, Deconstruction and Poststructuralist Theories of Interpretation

2009-02-09T16:43:00.000Z

Today we reviewed Structuralism and spoke a little bit about how Derrida and Poststructuralism fit within the time-line of literary theories.

We noted that (largely) for Structuralism and Formalism that the structure of language produces reality and that the meaning of a text (be it a novel or musical piece or artwork) is (usually) derived from the elements which constitute it (grammar or line and colour and texture) rather than the context etc...

Inanimate alice : Andy P

2009-02-09T06:49:00.001Z

I loved this site and would really like to see more from alice and brad. I think i’ll concentrate on the text of the stories more so, since if we begin to break down the sound and pictures too much, we stray from textual art to pictoral art (even if text is simply a series of agreed upon symbols of common meaning by society....but thats not the point).
I love that the language used is made to fit that of and 8,10 or 13 year old though subtle drops in grammar and sentence structure that if you weren’t thinking about, could quite easily miss. It reminds me of another story i read where the grammar and complete lack of punctuation is what builds the character:

“Mommy is dead.
She is dead and there are no rats left. The water has turned very hard and thick now so we cant fish. And we cant dig roots because the ground is hard too. There was a cold-white when we woke up and found Mommy dead. That was three days. She is cold and thin and stiff and still. She is dead. She is like the rats we trap or throw stones at when they are dead. Except they are sometimes fat and she is very thin…
We all cried when we saw her. She had told us she would be dead soon. When the rats were all gone from round here before the water went hard and the cold-white she said it. She told us I am going into town for rats I will be back soon. If I don’t come back keep warm. Eat roots and rats and drink river water.”

(If i can, i’ll try to have typed the full story up by tomorrow for any interested parties....but i do recommend it)
The story itself tends to take the reader in a series of ‘hold your breath’ moments for the first 2 episodes where at each turn, alice’s apparent problems eventually turn out to be a series childish cuteness (eg. She’s fallen in the snow and cant see...panic...but realises she actually has her hat over her eyes when she calms down) . due to the nature and timing of how the text is presented (interactive) it is the only reason any ‘hold your breath’ moment is possible, lest a person reading text normally might read on without pausing to think “what has happened that she cant see?”. Again this lets the readers mind play with its own interpretation of what is going on.

The story itself often leaves the reader in alices shoes. However, any sadness about a child moving around so much and being so isolated that she would make up a friend (who is almost her reassuring pseudo-parent) because she really cant have a dog is more than likely a projection of the readers feelings and not alices. The reason for this in episode 1 at least is that as a child of 8, alice would have no reason to think that anything was too far out of the ordinary. It would simply be ‘some things that happened’. At age 13, it is clear this reasoning could have changed.

Carving in Possibilities : Andy P

2009-02-09T06:48:00.002Z

Unfortunately, while i like the works idea, i have little but critsisum for the work itself. Upon viewing it, it was instantly recognisable as trying to show some measure of reader interpretation with the ‘story’ you ‘create’, but also turned out to be a programmer/psychologist equivalent of colouring with big red crayons (as opposed to a masterpiece in oils).
The work is comprised of a slightly warped matrix in which each section contains a relatively meaningless phrase which when combined with the other phrases make you own personal story. The phrases however, are very much akin to the epistemic phrases used in personality tests and cold reading ‘psychics’. For example, you are told “you worry sometimes, but have untapped potential” . the truth is, most people will agree with that statement, so that in the end, like the epistemic phrases and the work itself, you end up with something that is seemingly complex but is actually meaningless.
I propose a better way to make the same user orientated point would be to truly randomise the phrases in the matrix (in fact there already exists programs that will take random verbs, adjectives and nouns to form a sentence...and eventually paragraphs) as well as randomise the pictures in the background or better yet; actually map a picture to be derived from the users mouse path.
To offer a counterbalance to my criticisms, epistemic phrases are in essence what reader response theory is all about (as i understand it at least). The user is allowed to read into it as much or as little as they see fit. In the context of (ironicly bringing my personal knowledge into play) psychics and social experimentation, it is easy to brush epistemic phrases off as generic and ultimately meaningless, but in the context of art, epistemic phrases allow for nothing more than to let the viewers mind wander where it may.

choose ONE of the following: Andy P

2009-02-09T05:28:00.000Z

Since iv had a problem with accessing full papers form jstor, its had the unfortunate domino effect of not enabling me to do the wordle exercise... i did however read up on reader response theory. I have also read all the additional texts for this/last week (as i suspect most have) with the exception of ep 4 of inanimate alice. Therefore, by way of some rather enjoyable penance (for i did like the work i read) i am hoping to write about 2 of the extra reading sites.

Inanimate Alice Episode 2: Italy,Rachael Folds

2009-02-08T10:53:00.003Z

The title Inanimate Alice Episode Two: Italy, suggested to me initially that the work would be focussed on a lifeless child living in Italy. Inanimate being lifeless; unable to move and the name Alice suggested that of a female child. I immediately thought of “Alice in Wonderland” and formed an assumption that the work would entail something completely the opposite, a kind of “Antichrist Alice in Wonderland”.

Considering whether reading for fun is any different to research perception wise, I feel it truly depends on what you read in both instances. I actively enjoy reading about technology both on a personal and research level and find it equally interesting.

I had inkling that the work would introduce the use of multimedia, which is a something I have not experienced before in the context of research.

Upon entering the site for the first time, I was still slightly sceptical concerning its content and the first impression I formed was the work, with regards to its genre, was that it was that of a short story or fairy tale .Upon further reflection I considered it to be conclusively a memoir. I did also have some recollection of the authors/creator names especially Kate Pullinger, but could not recollect why.

The first “slides” or pages of the work immediately set a scene of tragedy and are composed of a dark colour scheme, limited but strong text with quite powerful music. The text is minimal and this assisted in the disturbed feeling and upset of the child losing her parents.

I have included a screenshot of one of the earlier slides, as I feel this demonstrates the scene of tragedy. This feeling of loss is one that I believe, all of us have felt at sometime or another when a situation has not occurred when or how we had envisioned it.

I believe that the music/imagery helped to set this aspect of the scene but became tedious and annoying further into the work.

I felt that the work seemed to jump very dramatically from one theme to another which appeared initially to be unrelated, which made its understanding quite difficult. Upon further reflection, was this done to emulate the roller coaster of emotions felt by Alice?

The work itself , did I feel, immerse you into the current events on screen so much so that I tended to forget what had previously occurred and it then became fragmented and confused.

There appeared to be three main themes in the work

1. Tragedy

2. Terror

3. Questioning

Alice questions herself and situation, which I feel help to immersive the reader into the situation.

The aspect of the work that most surprised me was the description of her tutor when she removed her niqab “she is like a wonderful bird all bright colours and flashing jewellery”. What relevance does this have to her losing her parents and why gaudy imagery of a bird with Arabic music and the increasingly annoying mobile phone noises?

This part of the work as well as the Saudi compound element, did not in my opinion serve any purpose to the story. Inanimate Alice Episode Two: Italy suggested that the story was based in Italy not Saudi.

Chisholm’s Third Law of Human Interaction. Purposes as understood by the purposer will be misunderstood by others.

In the white darkness by Reiner Strasser: Maxine Armstrong

2009-02-07T13:39:00.006Z

I watched all the pieces, but the one that moved me the most was ‘In the White Darkness’ by Reiner Strasser.
The title suggests that it is about losing memory and things being blanked out, as in a snowstorm. I have not heard of the author before and although I have seem interactive pieces before, they have had a more linear storyline.
“It assimilates and reflects the experience with patients fallen ill with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases, showing the fragility and fluidity of memory from a subjective point of view.” (Strasser, 2004)
The interface is a grid of dots that you select to view text, photos, audio and videos in random combinations. Any number of combinations can be played together and a few are suggested for you by the connecting lines. Not all the dots trigger a response which to me was like the memories that have already been lost.
As images split and fade it gives you glimpses, not really stating anything, but just hinting. It made me think how dementia can cause your memories to escape and you try to reach them but it is no longer clear what sense they once made. It raise questions over what makes a persons identity if they lose their memories.
“We build our history thru the experience of our life
Do we loose our history when we loose our memory?”
The way I view a text defiantly depends on whether I view it for ‘fun’ or ‘research’. For ‘fun’ I am hoping for an enjoyable experience, for ‘research’ I am looking to increase my knowledge or understanding and usually I expect it to be stressful.
I am not sure of the genre, it might be a memoir as the artist, Reiner Strasser, collaborated with Marjorie Coverley, although I am not sure if it is based on her actual memories, therefore it could be interactive fiction or a visual novel.
I do like this text as I think it is quite effective. It reminded me of my grandmother who lived by the coast and suffered from Alzheimer’s.
I think more sound would help – perhaps music or the sounds of the sea. I was surprised by the oriental music and writing as I could not see how they fit with the rest of the images used. The ‘author’ uses images of the sea, beech, waves, coastline, sunsets, etc. but they are all fleeting. Few words are actually used.
I guess that some people may not understand the point of this piece and be unfamiliar with interactive works.

Telescopic Text by Joe Davis _ Mandy

2009-02-05T12:57:00.005Z

I chose "Telescopic Text" by Joe Davis. The first thing I thought was how clever! :) I don't think I've seen anything like this specifically before and maybe now that I've been had literary theory on the brain I can really appreciate what this interactive narrative does (at least that's the genre I think it is... no mentioned anywhere on wikipedia... someone should probably add that...). I like it because it's so simple and yet clearly demonstrates what narrative is... just an expansion on a simple act like making tea shows how much goes on during that process, or at least how much can go on. All he did was make some tea. Big deal right? But with each click you get more of the story, and the clicking is fun! It's like cracking open oysters... sometimes one contains a pearl of funny of thought. Kind of like Easter eggs on a website, you are suprised when you find one and that makes it even more fun to keep looking for more.

This wasn't about the text; so I guess a perfect structuralist essay? Like I said, so what, he made tea. But it was the interactive element and the sometimes funny sentences that would expand that made it... unique, creative, novel. So, there aren't any strong images, metaphores etc, except for the fact the reader is aware that making a cup of tea is mundane, reading "I made a cup of tea" is mundane, but adding interactivity and expanding upone the event makes the text do something much more, gets a bigger response and engagues the reader. I think it makes a point clearly, adding anything else, like image in an attempt to improve it... well maybe but initially think it's good as is.

Now, lets say someone not so into literary theory OR interactive narratives... or reading online for that matter encountered this text. I think they'd be confused as to what to do ... wouldn't know that the gray boxes are clickable and they wouldn't possibly get the idea, or get them thinking about narrative structure.

Lecture4: Reader Response wordle summary_Mandy

2009-02-05T09:47:00.005Z

This word cloud reflects my 'reader-response' in that I have picked out the words I identified with most, avoiding words like Marxism, populist excitement, liberatory political movement or elitist 'high theory' and so on. Without knowing much about current or past literary theory, this article to me, ‘the reader’ was about why Reader-Response theory isn't being taught or discussed much anymore and that it should be.

In summary, this article talked more about academic politics than anything else. Harkin is disappointed reader-response theory has disappeared from the curriculum/academic discussions all together and argues the reason why is because young, untenured professors of theory "sought to professionalize themselves" by focusing on teaching writing vs reading... so, in order for them to protect themselves against "hostility from traditional members of English departments" they 'professionalized', ie dropped reader-response theory because it wasn't hard enough a subject and pursued developing literary theory not using reader-response theory as a tool for teaching composition. So, basically, they were pedagogy snobs. They cared more about their professional prominence than social action and being better teachers.

Thus, the words I chose reflect this interpretation. I do agree with her that there is probably some of this going on, that it's not 'intellectual' enough to talk about/teach, but not convinced it's a conspiracy... maybe more of academic social problem (lol). It's like mixing medicine with profit; it poses a binary opposition. To be a successful professor you must be a part of the elite though your mission is a populist one... it's conflicting and until that is resolve professors have to be concerned about professional prominence at the same time as social action and being better teachers. Ah, the middle path. So easy to see, so difficult to maintain!
http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/508457/Lecture_4%3A_Reader_Response_wordle_summary_2__Mandy

Lecture 4: Reader Response Wordle Summary, Kieren Boddy

2009-02-03T13:17:00.005Z

The Wordle tag cloud matched my interpretation to some extent through how highly I rated particular key words that stood out from reading the paper. Some of the words, although not used frequently, stood out from my interpretation of the context in which they where used. The words raised where 'conspiracy', 'Marxian', and 'rhetoric-police',whilst decreasing 'reading','writing' and 'professionalism', which were used frequently.

My interpretation of the paper itself was that it was written by a person who is enthusiastic about the 'reader-response theory' and is dismayed by the 'grand conspiracy' against it by 'the elite' scholars who do not see the value of such a 'popular' theory such as the one she supports.

Is there a conspiracy against the Reader-Response theory? I cannot tell from reading just this paper. I could tell that Harkin is entrenched into the idea that Reader-Response is the theory that should be taught more, but the way the paper was written makes me immediately question the validity of this through the way the point was argued for. 'Reader-Response' was described as populist in the 1970's and 1980's and was, and 'still is' shunned by the scholarly elite whilst those elitists hold up more newer or more established theories. I feel that it was more about 'apathy' than 'conspiracy' that lead to the decline of reader-response. A theory that was once made popular by an enthusiastic 'underclass' and its figureheads declined because of its figureheads dieing off and not being replaced and driving the benefits home. No matter what its benefits, a theory still needs proponents who voice them, in the case of 'Reader-Response', the proponents left seem at first reading, more desperate by siting 'Elitists', 'Conspiracy' and 'Marxism' to forward their views rather than just focusing on the benefits of such a theory. This then results in my views, although not fixed, of disregarding the paper with my own 'apathy' as I was not really won with the argument.

I also would like to  agree with the points made by the previous blog posts by Paul and Rachel and the remarks they made about the theory and 'Common-Sense'.

Lecture 4: Reader Response Wordle Summary: Maxine Armstrong

2009-02-03T11:51:00.007Z

http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/500045/Reader-response

The Wordle tag cloud does matches my interpretation of the article, but does not necessarily match a general viewpoint. Harkin raised the conflict of ‘populist’ versus ‘elitist’ both being responsible for the reader-response theory.
Reader-response theory does make sense to me in that a reader’s interpretation is based on their own experiences and understanding rather than the author’s intent.
From my own limited reading I can understand Harkin’s view, that there is a conspiracy to bury reader-response as a literary theory that is no longer explored. A theory remains a theory and evidence is gathered to either support or dismiss it. In my view if a theory is accepted by people in general, such as the theories of evolution or relativity, it is no longer viewed as a theory but as a fact (even though it remains a theory). As ‘reader-response’ does indeed seem to be ‘common-sense’, I think it is not seen as worth exploring further and theorists have therefore moved onto other things.

Lecture 4: Reader Response Wordle Summary: Rachael Folds

2009-02-02T14:04:00.004Z

I feel that the wordle image is a reasonably true visual representation of the key components of the text, from my perspective. It is all in the perception of the reader. I do agree with Reader Response theory in that we make assumptions based on our individual experiences/class/knowledge, however do not feel that the theory needs to be as laboured and analysed.
I too believe that perhaps the reason that it is not discussed/taught in such lengths is that it is common sense. After all - it is a theory!!

http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/497187/Reader-Response_Theory_IOCT

Paul D. Found "I Made Tea" http://www.telescopictext.com/ by Joe Davis

2009-02-02T13:07:00.004Z

I chose the Joe Davis piece because it is about one of my favourite things - tea. The starting phrase "I made tea" is sufficient to tell that part of the story. Well, it is the story. "I made tea" by itself carries enough description to allow the mind to fill in the action of making tea. In the context of reader response theory, this allows each reader to interpret the activity in their own way.

There are however, additional layers of information and detail to be accessed if the reader wants to. By revealling all of the text, the ability of the reader to have their own interpretation is diminished - the "blanks" are filled in. There are some highly descriptive sections, "The kettle began grumbling fiercely", and "as I glanced outside for a minute across the city mist. I could almost taste the grey" being two examples.

While a clever idea, it seems that the amount of expansion is there only to prove the idea works. There is a "Reality Effect" at work, whereby the author is adding too much detail in an attempt to make the passage more real.

Lecture 4: Reader Response Wordle Summary, Paul D. Found

2009-02-02T12:33:00.005Z

http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/497075/Reader_Response

The tag cloud is pretty close to my interpretation of the text, as I think the whole point of reader-response was to obviously, focus on the reader, but also to create a universal theory. Being universal, it had to appeal to elitist (academic) and populist (lay-person) groups. The aim was to make "reading" teachable - reading as in the interpretation and moeaning of texts, rather than the mechanics of actually reading.

Is there a conspiracy as Harkin suggests? I do not think so. As she seems to suggest herself, reader-response is really just "common-sense" - it is obvious to most people now that the reader is key to interpreting a text. As she says herself, "We no longer even expect different readers to arrive at identical readings".

Lecture 4 - Reader Response

2009-02-02T09:05:00.008Z

Due to severe weather conditions the lecture today is cancelled:

Please review the lecture presentation that has been uploaded to Blackboard (in both the course documents and learning materials sections) and complete the Wordle activity.

For your own "reading" assignment, choose ONE of the following:

http://www.telescopictext.com/ by Joe Davis

¨Inanimate Alice, Episode 2: Italy, by Kate Pullinger and Chris Joseph, www.inanimatealice.com

¨Carving in Possibilities, by Deena Larsen, http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/larsen__carving_in_possibilities.html

¨ii — in the white darkness: about [the fragility of] memory, by Reiner Strasser and M.D. Coverley, http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/strasser_coverley__ii_in_the_white_darkness/index.html#top

***Reading for next week:***
“Différance” by Jacques Derrida
http://www.hydra.umn.edu/derrida/diff.html

Digital Cultures 2009 - Students at Work

2009-02-01T16:38:00.003Z

Digital Cultures Course Work Due Date - You Choose

2009-01-31T15:06:00.001Z

student presentation: The Introduction to Structural Analysis of Narrative

2009-01-26T15:26:00.003Z

by Amanda Moffat and Mandy Sellers

Lecture 3: Barthes and Borges - Student Presentations

2009-01-26T13:46:00.002Z

As agreed last week, today we'll have three different groups present on three different texts.

Reading for next week:

The Reception of Reader-Response Theory
Patricia Harkin
College Composition and Communication, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Feb., 2005), pp. 410-425
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
http://www.jstor.org/stable/30037873

You can login to access this article via the jstory site using your athens login.