Digital Literacy
Digital literacy to me is being literate in all things web and computer. From internet know how to using code, to using programs to express yourself via the computer and internet. I dont think it will be that long till most of our population is digitally literate. The next generation of designers and computer programmers will be the best there ever was because they would have grown up around a computer their entire life. I only started using a computer when i was about 9 or ten. The younger kids have been using computers and technology since they were able to walk. So digital literacy for all is not too far away
The infinite loop
My first experience with a computer was very similar to that of Maedas. Staring at a constantly green screen, and really not being able to be entertained by the computer. The idea of humans creating computers to make everything automated is a true fact. Maeda also goes further in saying that why stop there. Why wouldn’t computers make the already automated even more automated, so that the presence of humans is not needed for certain tasks. Computers would be able to work for themselves with out the presence of man, in a kind of infinite loop. The infinite loops would carry on mankind’s thinking, but it would not dirrectly involve humans of anykind. it would be strickly automated.
In the last two paragraphs of Maeda’s essay he goes on to talk about how people are needed to create this kind of technology, but there is a gap between the creative and the technical. Maeda goes on to say that there really should not be a gap between these two fields. They are one in the same, and in Maeda’s personal experience it is possible to be both technically savvy and creative. He goes on to say the key to future technology and design lies in the past not the future. If we look to the future and don’t learn what happened in the past we will keep repeating ourselves, like an infinite loop.
Technology mediates attention
I can safely say that i have never even attempted to read 10 books at a time, but i can say i have had 10 or more tabbed web pages open at one time. The convenience of the internet leads to such multitasking. I is nearly impossible to read two books at the same time but it is an everyday thing when looking at two web pages at the same time. I am the exact same way with TV too. I had “TV A.D.D” whenever there is a good show on TV i am constantly looking for a better show on other channels. Even when i order a movie on TV i have to check all of the listings before watching that movie because something better could be on another channel. Or my eyes are constantly shifting from the TV to the computer because i am looking at both at the same time. The positive is that we have the technology to be fully entertained at all times with TV and the internet. The downside would be the fact that this has affected the way we act in real life situations. I am easily bored, and it is hard to read books, and be interested in reading books and going to a library. I much rather look it up on the internet, because while i do that i can check my facebook, look for new stuff, shop, or play games: Way better than a book, because all you can do with that is read, and you cant look up the newest funniest youtube video.
15min of fame
Andy Warhol talked about 15 minutes of fame 40 years ago, now i believe we get even less time. With the use of the internet, more TV channels, and more entertainment news than ever, i believe anyone can be famous. The only problem with that is once you are famous, someone more interesting will be found even quicker, compared to Warhol’s time, 40 plus years ago. If i was i throw out a number i would say its about 3 minutes of fame now a days. Some good examples would be all of the crazy internet stars. Those people found on Youtube, doing stupid things. Half of those crazy people we know were famous not to long ago, and now we barley remember them. The turn around rate for fame is becoming quicker and quicker as technology progresses. The positive side of this is that once you become famous, you are now internationally famous with a click of a button. The internet is the reason for this.
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