Copyright

The question I am going to address is:

What are the challenges faced by artists in the digital age when it comes to the ownership and sustainability of art?

There are many challenges faced by artists in the digital age when it comes to the ownership and sustainability of their art. Let's use music as a focus to answer this question. First, let's look at the 3 stages of copydom: perfection, freeness, and liquidity. Perfection is seen in both the analog and digital age. This perfection did not create too many challenges for artists as the perfection was solely used to design the modern world and make music modern. Freeness is when the challenges started coming in. Freeness made napster possible which made a music revolution possible; consumer were able to download music in mind-boggling numbers, but the real question is: what did they do with this music once they downloaded it? We can fool ourselves by thinking that all they did was listen to the music, however, the third stage of copydom came in to play: liquidity. Once music becomes digitized (freeness, napster), it becomes liquid. Once music becomes liquid, it can be morphed, migrated, flexed and linked, and from here you can filter it, archive it, rearrange it, and remix it. Thus, if consumer can manipulate music in all these ways, especially rearrange and remix it, then they can inevitably make it their own. This new creation from prior work is what we today call a Mash-Up. Many artists hate mash-ups because they feel that consumers can claim copyright over creations that have been influenced from prior works, but with digitization, music went from being a noun to a verb.

Music is becoming a commodity that is traded, co-created, and co-produced by a networked audience. This poses challenges for musicians because they are no longer in control, thus, copyright issues arise. Most of the music that consumer are manipulating come from online sources where there is a lack of enforcement of intellectual property laws. When someone is online at home sitting behind a computer, downloading various musical tracks, who is there to arrest them? What if the copyright laws where the artist resides or has created the music does not apply to the consumer downloading and manipulating because they reside in a different country? These are just a few of the many challanges faced by artists when it comes to their work.

signed,

g.i.a.c.w.

Changes in Art History propelled by Changes in Technology

The question I am going to address today is:

We've seen how changes in art history have been propelled by changes in technology (painting, photography, and film). How might contemporary technological shifts create changes in perspective? Consider one specific example in your response (cell phone? iPod? digital video???)

I will consider the evolution of the cell phone. I believe that the technological shifts in the design of a cell phone has created changes in perspective. The cell phone has created changes to what is and isn't considerent art. When cell phones first came out, all you could do was dial a phone number. Now that cell phones have evolved, you can dial a phone number, sms text, instant message, take pictures and record videos. Thus, for example, whether I am at home or I visit another country, I don't even need a camera. As long as I have my cell phone I am set! Not only can cell phones dial, sms text, instant message, take pictures, and record videos, most cell phones also have the option to use the internet! Thus, these pictures and videos can be uploaded on facebook and other websites, and can also be sent to a friend via text. What does this equal? Globalization. The question now is, should these globalized videos and pictures be viewed as art? In my opinion, I believe that anything can be seen as art.

Thus, in my eyes, someone taking a picture with a loved one or even a picture of a still tree is artistic. A million dollar art painting could be an image of a thin black straight line with a white background; art is the meaning behind what is actually before your eyes. It must be remembered that art is rarely ever expicit. Cell phone photos and videos are sometimes candid moments, and these candid moments create memories. Once these memories are uploaded for others to see, it becomes artistic because the viewer begins to imagine what exactly was said right before the picture, what exactly is going on in the picture, why the picture was taken, who took the picture, what the picture is symbolizing etc. These are all the same questions we might ask ourselves when we visit a digital art gallery are they not?

We live around art, we make art; We are art.

signed,

g.i.a.c.w.

Statement of Interest

Winter Blog Assignment

The question/theme I am interested in exploring is:

How will artists produce works in the future, given the challenges of the new media?

My initial thoughts in regards to the above theoretical question is:

My group and I have chosen to explore music on MySpace. To approach the above theoretical question, I think it is most appropriate to refer to the consumers as the listeners and the producers as the major record labels or artists. My initial thoughts include how MySpace has created some sort of consumer-producer reciprocal relationship. What I mean by this it that the consumers, also known as the listeners, have now themselves become the producers. This is so because the consumers are able to listen to other artist’s music but also upload their own music as well all for free. So, the consumers have now become consumers and producers. Since the ‘consumer-producers’ listen and upload for free, they now hold some sort of power. This power also increases as these ‘consumer-producers’ may also download the musical track that they are listening to on MySpace. Thus, the ‘actual’ producers, in this case the major record labels, must incorporate innovative techniques to continue to produce musical works in the future in order to combat the challenges given by the new media (MySpace). New techniques might include: bonus content exclusive to their compact discs or even multi-track media which would allow consumers to adjust each individual track to their desired taste which would again be exclusive to their compact discs or other purchasable media forms.

My basic thesis in regards to the above theoretical question is:

Despite the given challenges of the new media, musicians must develop new techniques to ensure that their artistic productions continue to be successfully reproduced. With online communities such as MySpace, which has predominantly been instrumental in the creation of a consumer-producer reciprocal relationship, it is important to remember that consumers are not only able to listen to uploaded musical tracks, and upload their own musical tracks, but are also able to download other musical tracks for free and without consent. Thus, if new techniques such as multi-track media becomes available exclusively to the producers, and is added only to compact discs, iTunes and other purchasable media forms, then 'consumer-producers' will gravitate back towards purchasing musical works in the future.

Technological Determinism....

The question I am going to address today is:

How does Technological Determinism affect our relationship with technology?

Why is this way of thinking of technology so pervasive?

Technological determinism most definitely affects our relationship with technology. First, I'd say that it only makes sense to define what technological determinism means. Technological determinism, as discussed in yesterday's lecture, means that society is shaped by technology and that technology determines social change. Technological determinism, also known as media determinism, represents a relationship between technology and society, and this relationship is often seen as a negative one by many social scientists. According to one of the readings, "technological determinism seeks to explain social and historical phenomena in terms of one principal or determining factor. It is a doctrine of historical or causal primacy. " Furthermore, technological determinism is mono-causal and offers a single cause or independent variable. Due to its mono-causal explanation, technological determinism reduces complexity and makes strong claims which many people may find attractive.


In my opinion, individuals that incorporate the ideology of technological determinism seems to portray a way of thinking that is so pervasive in today's society. These individuals argue that we (the users) are determined by the technologies that we use on a day to day basis. Just like how we continue to fault society's actions due to media representations, or game representations such as guns in an xbox game, the same goes for technology. We continue to fault society's actions due to technological representations. Thus, when we engage in absent-minded behaviour that involves the use of technology, we point our fingers at technology instead of taking responsibility for our own actions. Since we are the ones who actually go forth and use the technology shouldn't we be taking the blame???

Well, you know what they say....when you point one finger, there will always be THREE pointing right back at you!!!!

I would like to leave you with an important statement:
By giving technology so much power to change us, we in a sense rob technology and rob the individual....It's up to you to recognize how.

signed,

g.i.a.c.w.

Will To Virtuality...(in a post-Christian world)

The "Will to Virtuality" is a concept embraced by non-other than Arthur Kroker. However an article written by Yusuf Progler has a different insight on the Will to Virtuality. The article written by Yusuf Progler is entitled "The Will to Virtuality in a post-Christian World."

In Progler's article he claims that "It is a virtual journey, seeking virtual knowledge, in a cold virtual world." The article reveals how western culture praises technology claiming that technology allows for easy access. Progler continues to talk about how Arthur Korker is an advocate of the will to virtuality, and how in his eyes, humans are evolving into electronic species and that they are becoming "half-flesh and half-data." This notion is rejected in a post-Christian world because in a post-Christian world the idea of the separation of the body and soul is embraced. The idea that the soul is more important than the body is embraced, which is not paralell with the notion of the "will to virtuality."

According to Progler, "Fascism, violence and pornography are other symptoms of the will to virtuality in a post-Christian world." This quote is one of the most intriguing quotes in the entire article because it definitely reveals a somewhat detailed description of a post-Christian's analysis on the virtual world. In my opinion, Progler presents how Christians are disgusted with the virtual world and the ideology of the "will to virtuality" and this, want, need, and crave to be in another world and out of your own body. This techno-obsessed society, in a Christian's point of view, incorporates recurring themes of sex and death in the virtual world.

Furthermore, Progler also states that "the devil is not in the detail, but in the form and the structure," thus, continuing to diss this will to virtuality, inevitably showing absolutely no sign of respect for the virtual world. In my opinion, this post-Christian world sees this will to virtuality as a sin committed by all indivudal users of western society who embrace this desire to leave the physical world behind and experience some kind of virtual environment.

In my opinion, Christian or not, I think wanting to have an out of body experience does not hold a devlish or sinister manerism, but just a curious one. I mean, we live in these bodies every single day, so who are we to judge those who would just like to feel like they can escape reality for once?? Some people may have too much stress from work, school, or kids and would just like to feel like they are not themselves for a day. Is it wrong to dream?? And is it wrong to try to virtually live out this dream?????? .....I think not!

signed,

g.i.a.c.w.

The Machine Stops- By E.M. Forster

In class, we viewed the movie adaptation of "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster. This movie was an extremely interesting piece devoted to technology.

Although the movie was central to the development of technology, I definitely saw a central theme based on technologically enhanced communication; particularly the telephone. After watching this movie, I could not believe that it was written in 1909. It just seemed like a 2009 movie that was re-formatted to black and white with the effects of an older camera. As Vishta and Kuno communicated through the mirrors,which seemed to be the new technologically enhanced telephone, it reminded me of the semantic web. The idea that the semantic web design will allow for the web to "understand" and satisfy the requests of people and machines to use the web content was directly portrayed in the Machine Stops. An example of this can be seen as Kuno asks the machine to send him oxygen masks and the machine is able to respond to his request.

At the end of The Machine Stops, Vishta (who is a lover of technology and a lover of the machines) claims that "fear is out of date" when Kuno tries to tell her that he has something frightening to tell her. Such a metaphor designed by E.M Forster is intriguing because I really get a strong understanding of how humanity might turn out if we continue to depend on technology. Because we are so dependent on technology, there is a chance that some of us may actually embody Vishta's habbits and begin to serve the machine, and follow a "machine bible." One of the more scarier scenes in The Machine Stops was presented when Vishta claims she is sick and calls, or shall I say "requests" a doctor, and this machine doctor drops down ready to operate on her.....I mean REALLY??.....That is extremely disturbing!

Another interesting concept presented in The Machine Stops was Vishta's repetitive comments and excuses of not wanting to visit earth because it will not give her "ideas" and that the machines give her "ideas." What Vishta fails to realize though is that these ideas are secondary ideas, and that the ideas the machine gives her are not her own ideas, however she behaves as if they are. This is a clear representation of today's society because as we surf the web we gather information, and embody it and embrace it as if it were our own, but many of us fail to realize that the ideas obtained are not our own ideas....they are someone elses!

In my opinion, I do depend on technology. For example, because I don't have a printer, when I have finished my assignment I will 1) e-mail a document attachment to my york e-mail account 2) e-mail a document attachment to my hotmail account 3) post it in the body of both e-mails 4) save it on a USB and 5) bring my laptop incase none of 1-4 work. So in a sense, I do depend on technology, however I am always prepared with a backup plan, inevitably not letting technology control me, and not controlling technology, but as a user, using technology as a cognitive tool. Although I don't depend on technology, I do love it. I own a blackberry and it is definitely a way I keep in touch with my friends through e-mail, sms, blakcberry messenger, facebook on my phone, msn messenger on my phone, and I can even browse the web. Sometimes I misplace it and I suddenly get that "disconnected" feeling....do you know what I mean? It's kind of like...your world has come to an end (LOL). However, I did go a long while without having internet...almost 4 months, and when I got it back, things were the same old...but I think that is only because I had my blackberry as a backup plan, so I was up to date. However, returning to The Machine Stops, according to Kuno....the machine DOES stop. So, what would happen if I didn't have my internet on my laptop, and also lost my blackberry.....then what??????????? ....It's a scary thought indeed. HOWEVER, being a slave to technology is even scarier........

signed,

g.i.a.c.w.

Consequences of a Networked Society

Hello, Hello.

The question I am going to address today is:

Are the consequences of a networked society positive or negative?

In Manuel Castells' article, "Why Networks Matter," he outlines various positive consequences to a networked society. Some of the positives include:

• networks are the organizing form of social life.
• networked societies expand on a global scale and know no boundaries, thus societies can become interconnected throughout the world.
• networked organizations outcompete all other forms of organizations.
• the networking of political institutions answers the call for global governance.
• networked societies answer the need for sharing and co-experiencing.
  
• networked societies allows for social practices (both global and local) to communicate in the media space.

Those are some positives outlined in Manuel Castells' article, which I do agree with, thus a networked society does have positive consequences...however, I also do agree that a networked society does have negative consequences as well.

In my opinion, some negative consequences of a networked society may be:

• there may be online bullying from teens to other teens.
• there may be images easily accessible by minors; images that they should not be seeing at a young age.
• articles provided for free via the Internet does not allow authors to take full profit for their work, inevitably losing out on money.
• in a networked society, people may create virtual identities of themselves and these virtual selves may have positive or negative affects. Also, individuals may start to believe these virtual selves are themselves "real."
• a networked society may increase the number of multiple personality disorders.
  
• a networked society may isolate some individuals who begin to design some sort of 'second life' and these individuals inevitably forget about their real life.
  

Although I've outlined various negatives of a networked society, there are positives that weren't outlined in Manuel Castells article. One of the major positive consequences of a networked society is that through the creation of a virtual self, individuals may be able to use this virtual self as a form of healing, experimentation and testing. Being able to escape reality, and escape the physical world may be a way of keeping certain people sane. With the stress that we, individuals, face on a day to day basis, sometimes the feeling of stepping outside of your own body may be the best feeling in the world. Some individuals claim to not feel like themselves when they are experimenting with their virtual indentities, but state that they like that they don't feel like themselves......so who am I to judge a networked society?

signed,

g.i.a.c.w.