NCT ESSAY- 2nd life or get a life?

Stacey Guymer 2680496

Virtual Reality or ‘VR’ as it is known, is a process that has taken the world by storm throughout the past few decades. Virtual reality itself is a computer generated program that immerses the participant in a world outside of reality. As a result of this it would seem as though people are confusing their own reality with their virtual world lives. This can be seen through players spending the majority of their lives on the game, using real money to buy and bet on items in the ‘2nd Life’ realm and the introduction of virtual reality casinos and violence entering this VR world. With this new VR world sweeping the real world by storm, many questions have risen as to whether VR worlds are safe, and if not what health risks do they impose, the life changing abilities 2nd life is having on real players lives, as well as weighing up the effects of virtual reality on human existence.

An article released in Washington Technology, in July 1994, expresses the intense need for people to understand and believe that virtual reality is not safe and is something that can harm your health. Within the article it is stated that simulated virtual technology once immersed in a game can cause vertigo, motion sickness, flashbacks, spontaneous seizures and in more general cases; anti-social behaviour. (Washington Technology, 1994). Yet on a more general scale, when discussing virtual reality games using a computer or television screen, there a many side effects of prolonged use, even in the short term. These problems are often associated with the eyes, small screens can cause cases known as ‘flicker vertigo’ which can cause epileptic seizures, in only a very small population however. Virtual Reality itself does not seem to present a large number of side effects with prolonged use, especially when it comes to VR games such as 2nd life, yet it would seem as though there are other areas of such a game that are causing people to become cautious when playing such a large, mass used game.

One of the main problems with such a popular and expanding game is that, VR worlds such as 2nd life are not longer just a ‘game’ but instead are becoming the centre of business and money making centres, this is a good outcome at first glance but is causing violence and illegal behaviour online. When immersed in a reality such as 2nd life, a player can make ‘linden dollars’ whilst playing which can be converted into US dollars with roughly 300 linden dollars to 1 US Dollar. (2nd Life Website, 2004). An article released in News Week, in July of 2007, stated that one woman in particular; Ailin Graef, who’s virtual avatar, Anshe Chung made her the first 2nd life millionaire in 2006. This virtual character, controlled by Ailin in the real world, bought and developed 2nd life land which has made her over one million dollars worldwide. (Bennett, S; Beith, M, 2007) Yet although this aspect of a virtual world is an enticing way to make money in a quick and easy manner, 2nd life has brought in over 8 million online avatars, creating a world within our own reality. Violence and illegal behaviour has become evident and caught the eye of many FBI investigations of late.

Within the virtual reality world of 2nd life, FBI investigations have led to the shut down of in realm casinos, media reports suggesting that 2nd life may be a playing field and training area for future or current terrorists. Yet these were all to be stopped with the introduction of a banning of ‘Broadly Offensive’ behaviour (Tech Crunch, 2007). This would be put in place by US authorities entering 2nd Life to help stop and reduce acts of virtual paedophilia. As a result of this investigations found that there is a place within 2nd life called ‘Wonderland’ which encompasses current players dressing as children offering prostitution in the virtual world, in a state that looks like a playground that children would play in, in real life. As quoted by one digital guru, Douglas Rushkoff, ‘It makes me realize how truly sacred real space is.’ Douglas encompasses the feeling of many because as this virtual world grows, our reality suffers as a result. (Evans, G; 2001) Expenses are being spent on discovering online paedophiles instead of the non-virtual ones in our real parks and playgrounds.

Virtual reality can be defined as an artificial environment created by computer technology, in which people can immerse themselves and feel that an alternate reality actually exists. (science.org, 2007). Being a fairly new technology that hasn’t been around for all that long, VR has become very controversial with many views as whether it is a positive or negative new technology, yet one of the main reasons as to why people can’t decide is the simple fact that people in our society are scared that technology will become so advanced that it will be to hard to distinguish whether they are in an actual or virtual-reality world (Study World, 2008)

The evolution of more intense video games, computer software and virtual reality is causing the world to be unsure as to where true reality stops and virtual reality begins and has created the question as to whether using these new technologies is safe for humans at all. The health risks associated with simulated virtual reality games causes its viewers to wonder whether it is safe to use such programs at all. The News Week article embeds just how much importance people are placing on their VR lives, at the risk of basing their business in a VR setting or losing grip on reality. As a whole it is seen that although VR games can involve a player to feel that they are wanted and that they have a purpose, there is too much importance placed on their VR lives. Are people losing grip on what is true reality and what is not real; Virtual Reality? As a result, has our world become so computer generated that there is no line stipulating reality from virtual reality at all? As an article written in an online portfolio about virtual reality versus real life reads, ‘DON’T waste it on Second Life, because this reality is fancy enough. If you need to escape your reality, buy some weed, some liquor or some smokes. It’s better then watching your e-cool character dance in a virtual club whilst you could be out there wasting your money on something cool?’(Klewes, J, 2007)

References
Hof, R. D (2006) http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982001.htm

Evans, G (2001) http://www.independent.co.uk/
Oakwood, M (2008) http://studyworld.com/newsite
Klewes, J (2007) Why ‘Second Life’ is crap http://www.h4x3d.com/why-second-life-is-crap/#get-a-life
Lindin Research (2008) www.secondlife.com/
Author Unknown (2007) www.science.org.au/nova/021/021glo.htm
Hill, G (2003) http://www.simulatedworlds.com/

Virtual Reality (2007) http://www.studyworld.com/newsite/ReportEssay/Science/
Washington Technology (1994) www.washingtontechnology.com/print/9_8/9026-1.html Vol. 9 No. 8
Author Unknown (2007) http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/30/virtual-pedophilia-report-bad-news-for-second-life/

Wiki-Crap?

Wikipedia is an internet based encyclopaedia made free to the public to access and edit. Complete with over 2 000 000 articles its easy to see why so many people decide to use such a big service, yet cannn we really trust what we are reading when anyone can edit the facts and manipulate the truth. I visited an article on the Gilmore Girls, which I found on the Wikipedia site itself. The following questions outline what i found by looking at one article amongst millions.

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


* Does it cover all the basic facts that you'd need to understand this topic?

This article does give a good overview of the series yet at times it is a bit of a spoiler. The article gives away too many secrets of the show that people want to discover while watching. The article doesn’t include enough if not any picture of the characters or actors themselves to show people what the characters look like. With this being the case, the language used in the article doesn’t describe the characters personalities in enough extent. The article also does not contain any quotes from actors or from the director and producer herself, Amy Sherman-Palladino. The following were a few things I noticed about the article;

-When discussing history of certain aspects of the show and its characters, it is not referenced or made note when in the series it occurs, for example season 4 episode 20.
-Also makes notes to happenings within the show that were not main events but a written as if they were.
-Lorelai in fact proposes to Luke in the final seconds of the last episode of season 5 and in the premiering 6th season he accepts.
- The relationships of lorelai section is not in chronological order which would make it hard for people unfamiliar with the entire show to understand who she was with first.

Is this article fair and balanced, or is it biased towards a particular side or argument?

This article is self promoting of the Gilmore girls itself and does not in fact promote it in any negative light. Perhaps this is because the person writing the article created it for fellow fanatics to read and for people interested in the show to gain a better knowledge.

What changes would you make to this article to improve it and make it useful for the wider Wikipedia community?

If I was to edit this piece I would place more photos and pictures to illustrate the show as it is about a show that people might want to view after reading the article so by having a picture or two people can see what it is they are looking for when they go to ezy dvd etc. I’d also place in text referencing to which season and episode the occurrence being mentioned was from so the relevant information is given for someone to revisit that time and place within the series.

Walter Benjamin

Art work is an extremely subjective topic that is often up to the receivers taste as to whether they like it or not, yet the introduction of digital media is creating new boundaries from the old culture known as true art. Can something digitally mutilated still be known as art? With paintings such as the Mona Lisa preserved for years, a photo shopped picture could surely not be placed on the same pedestal? Could it? The following questions contain my answers and true and correct extracts from Walter Benjamin’s work “Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” which outlines the 1930’s worries of art being lost in future society.

How do the ideas from Walter Benjamin's "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" apply to contemporary digital media?

Walter Benjamin’s "Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" portrays many ideas that relate profoundly around mass media and the essence of true art within mechanical reproduction. ‘Today the cult value would seem to demand that the work of art remain hidden.’ Written in the 1930’s, Walter was on the mark for his assumption of the future of technology. His statement above relates to modern contemporary digital media whereby mass produced ‘digital media’ does not in fact contain a glowing amount of true art work, it is more hidden as a result of its decreasing validity. Walter was presenting in his work the aspect of art as being an ‘instrument of magic’ that imbedded pure and raw talent that was sought after in past times, whereas in later times it was officially recognised as a work of art. Yet as a result of new technologies such as digital media, can we honestly say that this is a piece of art?

There was a time when "Art" was made by artists who were skilled professionals. Now that anyone with a computer can create things digitally (music, images, videos, etc), what does that mean for "art"?

By digitally producing music, images and videos the implied term of art is under great duress. Works of art that used to be promoted and given its credibility through the skilled people and society that made up the artistic world, but as a replacement, computers can now generate a computerised replica of art that is able to be mass produced. Art has now become a reproduced clone of itself as a results of the introduction of computers and the technology is embeds. True art still remains yet the technology that replicates itself as art does not contain the true aspects of such a thing. Walter Benjamin stated; ‘the unique value of the “authentic” work of art has its basis in ritual, the location of its original use value’

Is a Photo shopped image "authentic"?

Throughout his work Walker Benjamin makes the point that; ‘Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be. This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence.’ This extract highlights and confirms to a modern society that something used on a regular basis in today’s society is in no way explicitly authentic. A true authentic art work contains a history and place by which it was created and by doing so people can attach themselves to the item. A photo shopped images has been digitally mutilated to contain a presence that never existed originally, falsifying the true view of the piece. As a result of this application people are being presented with a false reality and in doing so diminishing the true essence of the original piece of Art work.

Do digital "things" have an "aura" (in Benjamin's terms)?

Walter Benjamin believed that; ‘One might subsume the eliminated element in the term “aura” and go on to say: that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art.’- as a result of this that with true art comes an Aura with age. A painting created centuries ago contains an aura, a certain amount of history and presence within society that people can relate and be fascinated by. Digital media and its presence in society have altered this view of all art work containing an aura for the future. Digital things cannot possess an aura as they are a common, mass produced piece of art work. This act of cloning has diminished the aura of true art work as it is readily available for people to replicate.

No Google For Me

Tutorial Task 4- Scavenger Hunt without using GOOGLE and WIKIPEDIA.

1. Who was the creator of the infamous "lovebug" computer virus?

Onel de Guzman, 24, a computer school student, has admitting writing a password-stealing program as a school project. De Guzman's attorney told a news conference that the virus may have been sent out from de Guzman's apartment by mistake and that he meant no harm.
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/06/29/philippines.lovebug.02/index.html

2. Who invented the paper clip?

Invention:
paper clip in 1899
Definition:
noun / paper clip, gem clip, paperclip
Function:
A paper clip is a device which holds several sheets of paper together by means of pressure: it leaves the paper intact and can be easily removed.
Patent:
636,272 (US) issued November 7, 1899
Inventor:
William D. Middlebrook
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/paperclip.htm
That familiar double-oval-shaped clip, sometimes called the Gem clip, we all know and love was actually never patented. In 1901, an American named William Middlebrook patented a paper-clip making machine for the Gem Manufacturing company in England. A sketch of the clip was included in the patent, but the patent only covered the machine itself.
http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20031120.html
1867 Samuel Fay invents and patents a Ticket Fastener that also can be used to hold paper1899 William D. Middlebrook invents and patents paper clip and production machine1899 Middlebrook sells patent to Cushman & Denison1899 Cushman & Denison trademark the name GEM for their paper clip1901 Johan Vaaler patents paper clip1903 George McGill patents a paper clip that looks very similar to today's versionpaper clip, gem paper clip, fastener, clasp, george middlebrook, cushman and denison, johan vaaler, samuel fay, george mvgill, invention, history, inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating facts.
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/paperclip.htm
3. How did the Ebola virus get its name?
Ebola was first recognized in 1976, and since then it has appeared sporadically. The virus gets its name from a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it was first recognized.
http://ebola.emedtv.com/ebola-virus/from-what-place-did-the-ebola-virus-get-its-name.html
4. What country had the largest recorded earthquake?
1960:
The world's strongest recorded earthquake devastates Chile, with a reading of 9.5 on the Richter scale. A tsunami 30ft (10m) high eliminates entire villages in Chile and kills 61 hundreds of miles away in Hawaii.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/422390.stm

5. In computer memory/storage terms, how many kilobytes in a terabyte?

A file size of 1 terabytes can also be expressed as
1099511627776 bytes
1073741824 kilobytes (abbreviated as KB or Kb*)
1048576 megabytes (abbreviated as M or MB)
1024 gigabytes (abbreviated as G or GB)
1 terabytes
0.0009766 petabytes
0.00000095 exabytes
http://www.t1shopper.com/cgi-bin/calculate.pl

6. Who is the creator of email?
In 1971, there WAS such a thing as a computer mailbox. It was simply your text file that other users on the same machine could add stuff to the bottom of. It was kind of a long running note that other people could add to, but only the owner could clear. It was simple, and worked fine on one machine.
At this time, an engineer named Ray Tomlinson was working writing on a file transfer program that would allow files to be transferred BETWEEN machines. He figured out that his program could easily also add something to someone's mailbox file - on another machine! To identify the users on different machines, he decided to use the "@" symbol, mostly because it made sense. First, they were "at" that machine. Also, two people on two different machines might pick the same mailbox file name, but if their address had a last name too (so to speak), then addresses would always be unique. He tried sending a couple of messages to his own mailboxes at different machines. It worked, and real across-the-network email was born.
http://jackysuch.com/Email/EmailHistory.html

7. What is the storm worm, and how many computers are infected by it?
The so-called Storm worm is actually not a worm, but rather a family of Trojans that typically have the following components:
A backdoor component that allows surreptitious access to infected systems;
A spam relay component that turns infected machines into spam-bots;
A peer networking component that allows the Storm Trojans to communicate with other infected computers on the Storm botnet;
An email harvester to steal email addresses found on infected computers;
A downloader/dropper component to update itself or download additional malware; and,
A rootkit is often included to hide the presence of the Storm Trojans.
http://antivirus.about.com/od/virusdescriptions/a/stormworm.htm
Using YAHOO search engine.

8. If you wanted to contact the prime minister of australia directly, what is the most efficient way?
Parliament House
Suite MG 8Parliament HouseCanberra ACT 2600
Tel:
(02) 6277 7700
Fax:
(02) 6273 4100
Griffith Electorate Office
630 Wynnum Road Morningside, QLD, 4170
Tel:
(07) 3899 4031
Fax:
(07) 3899 5755
Postal Address:
PO Box 476AMorningside, QLD, 4170
Web:
http://www.pm.gov.au/

http://www.alp.org.au/people/qld/rudd_kevin.php

9. Which Brisbane-based punk band is Stephen Stockwell (Head of the School of Arts) a member of?
Stephen Stockwell has previously worked as a journalist for 4ZZZ-fm, JJJ and ABC TV’s Four Corners. He has also worked as a press secretary and media adviser in the political arena. In the creative sphere, Stephen played keyboard for Brisbane punk band, the Black Assassins, wrote many satirical articles for the Cane Toad Times and had his documentary Big Things shown at festivals in Berlin, London and New York. Stephen’s PhD was on rhetoric and democracy in political campaigns and most recently he has been working on books about political campaign strategy and the politics of trash culture
http://www.griffith.edu.au/school/art/staff/stockwell.htm


What is Web 2.0 in you own words?
The web is now a platform that everone can use an alter to any extent. It is the transition from old to new internet possibilities.

Tutorial 3- Using New Communication Technologies

Week 3's Tutorial Task

In the following Blog you will read about what drew me to become a user of New Communication Technologies, alongside the priovacy it brings and the sites i enjoy using. Enjoy.

For the past 5 years i have been apart of the 'cyber community' essentially to have contact with my friends from school and work. Programs such as MSN and the typical search engine-Google where the first new communication techniques i endeavoured to understand. More recently in the past year I signed up and created a MYSPACE account.

I was influenced by my friends to begin using new communication technologies and in particular MSN and MYSPACE. Another major influence on my use of New Communication Technologies is the increased load of assignments and urge to use multiple sources other than books and encyclopedias. By searching on the internet you are able to access a variety of different resources that you wouldnt be able to find in paper copy. Any of these resources are overseas sites that offer that extra bit of information needed to create a good assignment.

To a certain extent i think everyone worries about their privacy when accessing various types of New Communication Technologies. By installing Anti-virus Programs and security software I am reassured that the likelihood of my privacy being tampered is much smaller. But a problem with an evergrowing world of new technologies comes bigger and more devastating virus' caused by Hackers. With this being the case its important that i update Internet Security each year with a program that has up to date protection.

Although it is excellent to use New Communication Technologies to communicate with friends or to research a paper it is also good to steer away from technology and just go out with friends or to the beach. By doing so we are still enjoying the things we did before these programs became accessible, and not losing sight of the general things we enjoy.

The Beginning

1501 ART New Communication Technologies is a free choice elective that i have chosen as part of my first semester of my Bachelor of Psychology degree. After reading the course outline for this course i was interested in taking up such a class as it explores the ever-growing technology that is present in society within the internet and computer genres.

This blog will be primarily used to post activities which i will be completing during the the tutorial for 1501 ART each week until the conclusion of this semester. by completing these activities each week i will be able to comment on the topic at hand and gain greater understanding of new communication technologies which is the basis of this course.

Now for a little bit about myself. I am 18 years of age and recently completed my grade 12 education at the end of 2007. I am looking foward to having a heap of fun in my first year as a uni student and living it up. I have a strong love for music, i couldn't function without it and i enjoy hanging out with my friends- they are everything to me.

Thats all for now...