Ever Since Frankenstein

Why technology bites back. This, I'm sure, is one statement that many cannot figure the answer. However, there are reasons that technology does so. For every postitive adjustment in life, comes flaws - even we as humans have them. We must learn to live and strive among them and technology itself is certainly no expection. However, looked upon as negative, I believe the biting back of technological advancement is actually positive. It allows us to further our technology among influential studies such as medicine and science. Without flaws we wouldn't know what works and what doesn't. In some aspects, I'm not sure we'd survive. This being said can we as individuals learn to live with technology's flaws?

I believe we can. There are multiple reasoning behind the postivity of the flaws in technology. How advanced it is today is the primary one. Back when technology began influencing our daily lives to today's smaller, faster gadgets just goes to show how it can enhance our lives. Many back then, I'm sure, never thought technology would ever advance to the state we all use it now. There are millions of people around the world that would very well atest to the fact that they cannot survive without technology. With that, when technology DOES bite back, how do those survive? By enhancing th eprobability of less flaw and greater outcome. With this, technology and society can cooperate at a very level base, regardless of flaw. That's a bite we can afford to love.

Blogger

In this assigned blog, we were told to write a blog about....blogs. I was a little surprised at this assignment, however after reading the article correllating with it, I have come to a few conclusions.
I believe basically what I did before about blogs. I think they're great. It's an open and honest way to communicate your thoughts and ideas to family, friends, even strangers with similar interests and goals. It allows you to experience complete freedom and publish your opinions about subjuects that really matter in life.
Sure there are multiple versions, however it doesn't really matter what they are because at the end of the day people are going to find one not based on a version, but to display their words to the worldwide public. It's not about what version someone has or what it's for, it's about what you say, and that seems to much much more important than anything.

The Future of Life

According to Wilson, more than 6 billion people fill the world. One billion of those people are severly poor and "on the edge of starvation." Comparing this to the environment, Wilson goes on to say that the wreckage of the planet is in direct correllation to an ingenious humanity that has about 1/6 of the planet in sever economic struggle.
Wilson compares the environmental struggle to a race that can be won. He says everyone has some sort of environmental ethic and that it mainly consists of the fact that people come first. Humans will always come before the well-being of the environment and the world in which we dwell.
After stating all the hot spots that are in danger, Wilsonn concludes with the notion that the Earth is still productive enough to raise the standard of living. the new issue is how to raise the poor to a decent standard of living. Success or failure will come down to the ethical decision Wilson mentioned before.

I feel as if Wilson had a lot of good points, but I felt the article was scatter-brained to say the least. Comparing economic growth, or lack thereof, to environmental struggles didn't cut it for me. The two didn't seem to correllate.

Modern Times

In Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, it was blatent that technological times were not nearly as advanced a\s one may assume. Especially knowing the technologies we have in our times, taking a look back with as little as they had is quite an eye-opener in itself. Watching the tramp struggle with the technologies in his many jobs, in his many visitations in the jail, and with his associations with the woman, it was clear that he had a difficult time adjusting.

Assuming that we are at our technological peak, currently, it's always interesting to see how times can and have changed our everyday lives. From cell phones to internet to cell phones that have internet, there is a world of technological advancement that we have yet to discover. Realizing this, we can begin to hopefully appreciate the technologies we currently have, because I am sure, in 50 years we will see a film based on today and wonder how anyone could have ever survived. Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times teaches to appreciate and live inthe age you're in. Technologies wll always advance and always be more than they were when started. It's imperative to dwell in those moments and live them to the fullest.

A Space Odyssey

In the short clip from the film: 2001: A Space Odyssey, there were multiple visions of the future. In terms of the apes and the way they grew to develop technology in their lifestlye, it's easy to see where technology comes into play. The apes begin with defense mechanisms of bones from other dead animals and use them by beating other animals for nurishment or in terms of defense against other species much stronger than the apes. The apes could begin to sirvive much longer and more sufficiently than before with these new forms of technological advancement.
Later, the movie goes on to show the future, 2001, and a space mission taking place. It's symbolic of the transformation of humans and technology. How the human race utilizes technology and the exact technologies that they use has come a long way, obviously, and the movie resembles that from the apes to the space odyssey.

Cyberhood vs. Neighborhood

In John Perry Barlow's Cyberhood vs. Neighborhood, Barlow writes of virtual communities in terms of how closely they can relate to real communities. Does a community is the virtual reality actually exist, and if so, how? He states that many people find links or shared virtual communities as a means to get out there, so to speak. many people share their feelings, thoughts, ambitions, etc to a wide array of none other than strangers and claim it is easier to do so than in reality - face to face. He claims he feels as if it's a new local of human community. People are fearless to login and dig into their true identites and feelings on a "body" with no arms, legs, or torso.

However he goes on to describe how his enthusiasm for this world has slowly decreased. With the exception of e-mail, he claims the whole internet community scene is missing something. He states that the breath and spirit from community and human interaction is msising from this world wide virtual reality. Where's the tone, body language, or beauty? None of that exists in such a world. Diversity is essential to a well rounded community and with the virtual ones seeming to take over, diversity and difference seems to be lacking.

Finally, Barlow concludes that it doesn't really amtter at all. In 10 years we're all going to communicate via e-mail or IM or blog, ironically. Maybe when we're all together in cyberspace we can recreate "human spirit and connectivity" again, and then maybe reinstate it to the next big thing. I mean, going to cyberspace allows us to stay where we are while exploring the rest of the world, right? Maybe worlds will just kepe being created inside and outside of 'reality.'

Deborah Tannen's "Connections"

Deborah Tannen’s “Connections” reflects on technological progress within the past 50+ years. It speaks of how technology has influenced our lives and the lives of the people we love. She writes of what can be gained and lost within the realm of technological advancement and speaks of how communication is affected in these ways.
Her father, when young, went through the alteration from the telephone to e-mail to instant messaging – the true enhancement of technology. He experienced the transition from the telephone to e-mail while he was away, across country. He mentioned that to his family, e-mail was accepted and appreciated much more, and he was surprised at this. He assumed the telephone was the most personal, the most connected. However, his family states that e-mail was easier for them to communicate with him. It could be at any time, day or night, and they state that they could enclose private information and personal thoughts when writing e-mail, something they felt uncomfortable doing over telephone.
Tannen writes, “E-mail makes possible connections with relatives, acquaintances, or strangers, that wouldn’t otherwise exist.” This statement insists that our technological advances has had and still does affect the people in our lives as well as our own. It allows for communication to continue and it creates a network for people to stay connected and close to the friends and family they love.
Whereas technology has enhanced the way we live, many argue that it also has hindered the way we communicate – that people hardly talk anymore because it’s all about e-mail or instant messaging. They argue, “How can anymore express emotions over a computer screen?” Can You? I believe that amongst the technological advances of our time, there are good and bad outcomes. Many can’t find a way to communicate at all whereas others believe it solves their problems of estrangements in their lives. Technology can save a family, whereas some believe it only tears them apart. I believe that with change come compromise and patience. With both, anyone can live happily.