Playing games (After presentation)

In our presentation, we have chosen Mia Consalvo’s reading to present our topic about the gender and sexuality issues in video game. Firstly, we have introduced some important ideas which are mentioned in the readings such as the sexuality representation and the erotic triangle in video game. With the example of The Super Mario Bros and The Sims, we discovered the representation of heterosexuality is often occurring in the common video game. It means that the structure of video game is mostly affected by a heterosexual society that we are living in.

Therefore, we have set up an implicative question in the discussion part. For the reason is that we think it is a interesting topic for peoples to concern more about do the video games have reinforce the dominant ideology about heterosexuality and the representation of gender. During the keen discussion, we don’t think that the video game may reinforce the representation of gender as it is mostly depend on the player interests. For example, one of our classmate’s boyfriends likes to play cooking game and one’s girlfriend likes to play violent game respectively. It is really difficult to say that video game may reinforce the dominant ideology. Finally, we think it is a quite interesting topic for us to discuss.

Online Communities (after presentation)

After the presentation on the topic of Online communitites, there are several arguments that I should consider deeply. the most important is the the question of 'Real'. As there are so many online communitites on the Internet nowadays, such as forums, communicate platforms (e.g. msn) and social webpage (e.g. facebook), etc. We chat with each other in front of the computer monitor at our own home, without any interaction, but we would smile, laugh, cry, anger or sad, etc. all these emotions and the chat history become part of our lives and memories, yet all these things were done by text or image. so, are these experience real or not? it is very hard to define as we are experiencing them but not with real people. This is a good question for all of us to think carefully. Besides, the interaction among people became less with the development of technology and we should bare in mind that our reality is through interaction, we should not rely on technology too much or we would lose the social skills in the near future.

Week 11 : Playing Games (before presentation)

The topic we are going to present is "Playing Game". Our focus reading would be "As We become machine: Corporealized Pleasure in Video Games" from The Video Game Theory Reader by Mark J.P.Wolf & Bernard Perron (eds). According to the reading, there are 3 main parts we would like to further discuss. The bodily dimension is going to extend through the development of technology. Video games give players to get involved in "third place" in order to identify their self to the video games and perceive their own point of view.

However the boundaries between the games and players are erased in terms of increasing the tactile involvements. By using the examples, we can easily point out that the strong interconnection between human and technology in which our body sensory is going to be much actual and realistic from the video games. it is no longer limited into a visual aspects. At last, the cyborgian relationship can be fully developed while human are melding with the technology.

Week 11 Playing Games (before presentation)

Our group is going to present the topic of week 11: Playing Games, Sim(ulating) Worlds and Having Divine Powers. We have chosen to highlight and discuss the the second reading of this week, ‘As We Become Machines – Corporealized Pleasures In Video Games’ from The Video Game Theory Reader by Mark J.P. Wolf & Bernard Perron (eds).

Although there are two main foci within this reading, we would like to present the first focus, how the game space is being the ‘Third Place’. We will discuss the notion of how games provide the more real cyberspace for gamers by the development of video games. They are the dimensional improvement of graphics, the use of first person point of view for gamers and the sensory immersion for games. With the examples of these developments, the boundaries of the screen are being removed and that is why the writers commented that human and technology are merging together and having a new cyborgian relationship.

 

Critical Annotated Webliography

In writing the brief explanation of how feminists think towards the Donna Haraway’s figure of the cyborg, I found that I have to fully understand the key concepts of it. In order to start, I used to search the words like cyborg, Haraway, post-gender, etc. in different search engine. It is not easy to find the journals or article in which containing both pros and cons for Haraway’s argument. Indeed, feminists are commonly tends to totally against or mostly correspond to her. For academics writing, I believe I can only avoid bias if I have received those viewpoints. The more articles I read, the more complete ideas I get. So, I would like to use my sources in different styles or types such that they may help me to rich my statements. Here are the sources:

[1] Caddick, Alison. (1992) Feminist and Postmodern: Donna Haraway’s Cyborg. Arena. Retrieved 12th April 2008, from http://www.arena.org.au/ARCHIVES/General%20Archive/arena_99-100/haraway.html

Naming Haraway as the second wave feminism, the author has stated the difference of post-modern-determinit and historical-determinist ideologies. Different from other sources, this article has discussed the notion of cyborg in different aspect. Caddick figured that even Haraway may not recognize the powerful ability of cyborg. ‘Feminism occupies a privileged moral ground in Haraway's cyborg essay. With examining the philosophical meanings of cyborg, Caddick did believe that ‘cyborg’ metaphor help feminism to spur both political activity and helping us in adjusting and understanding the meaning of the techno-scientific era. 

[2] Du Preez, Amanda. (2002) Chapter Six, The Cyborg body. Gendered Bodies And New Technologies. Retrieved 30th March 2008, from http://etd.unisa.ac.za/ETD-db/theses/available/etd-08232004-155034/unrestricted/10Chapter6.PDF. 

This is the most details explanation of cyborg within the six sources. Rather than the key concepts of cyborg, the author has also mentioned that Harraway is technological determinism as well as social determinism. Different from those feminists, biological determinism, Harraway does not use the traditional briary categories to construct her analysis. It is because the cyberspace is now challenging the existed boundaries. Back to our traditional ideologies, women trends to be absent from technologies. Men own technologies as toys while women are seem to be apart from them. However, Harraway did prove that cyborg could absolutely fit into the post-gender world in which there is no gender at all. She believes that the cyberworld is a utopian post-gendered world without definite outlines and boundaries.

In contrast, the author used comment by another feminist, Alice Jardine, to doubt the originally idea of gender in cyberspace. Like parts of the feminists, Jardine only adopted some of the cyborg theory. In fact, they do dispute for the real sex of cyborg, regarding machines as the women. The author has used couple of Hollywood films as the examples to illustrate that the popular culture has been continuing the myth towards cyborg. Most of these films portrayed feminised cyborg as evil and hyer-masculinised cyborg could always retain popularity over a feminised cyborg. It is clear that cyborg is also based on sexed and gendered biases. 

[3] Haraway, Donna. (August 2000). Birth of the Kennel: Cyborgs, Dogs and Companion Species. Lecture at the European Graduate School with Schirmacher, Wolfgang. Saas Fee, Ski Switzerland. Retrieved 11th April 2008, from http://www.egs.edu/faculty/haraway/haraway-birth-of-the-kennel-2000.html.

This was the transcript of a lecture by Donna Haraway presented in 2000. She delivered her lecture with the explanation of Cyborg Manifest, the additional point of view in the modern cyber-world and in responding to the questions by the Audience and other scholars. She has used dog as the cyborg metaphor in explaining the new notion of her argument since dogs have been under evaluations in living with humans. Haraway suggested that human were not really into what is dog. Indeed we do certain about who we are. Sometimes we need to look away from ourselves in order to understand ourselves deeper. Just like the lecturer, Schirmacher, raised that this is not the time to discuss ‘who is dominating whom’, but this is the generation to evolve and investigate the relationship between the human and machine. That is why Cyborg acts as the new organism for human to investigate the relationship. She has then highlighted the essentialism of Cyborg.

[4] Kluchin, Abigail. (8th April 2003) The Cyborg and the Golem. The Global Spiral. Retrieved 10th April, 2008, from http://www.metanexus.net/Magazine/ArticleDetail/ tabid/68/id/8173/Default.aspx.

‘Cyborg feminism is a bold new myth; it cannot afford to ignore the old...’ In this article, the author used the word, golem, as the title in which point to the loophole of Harraway’s argument. Since Cyborg demonstrates the hybrid post- modernism of humans and technology, Cyborg feminists trend to mix the nature of the new and the old. Those feminists use cyborg to rebuild new concepts toward our society. Thus, the author used Nili as the argument to show the counterpoint of Harraway’s cyborg in referring simply ignored the history of human.

[5] Scott, Krista. (1997) The Cyborg, the Scientist, the Feminist & Her Critic. The Feminist eZine. Retrieved 28h March 2008, from http://www.feministezine.com/feminist/philosophy/Cyborg-Scientist-Feminist.html.

Similar to Amada Du Preez, the author has also focused on the gendered or non-gendered cyborg. Screening the headings and the graphics of the article, we can be easy to realize the standpoint of the author. With her reasons, we can discover that cyborg can be gendered. Besides, she has provided her analysis on how Harrayway’s cyborg is accepted and objected by cyber feminist and anti-technological respectively. Although the author used a large portion in criticizing the Harraway’s Cyborg Theory, she has shown her agreement on Harraway’s suggestion. They both thought that it is necessary for feminists in adopting science into feminism in order to enlarge their vision and bring the feminism forward. 

[6] Senft, Theresa. (2001) Theresa M. Senft's reading notes for 
Donna Haraway's
‘A Cyborg Manifesto’. Retrieved 13th April 2008, from http://www.terrisenft.net/students/readings/manifesto.html. 

This web is an introduction for Senft’s students to get the brief ideas of the Cyborg Manifesto. It is very suitable for the beginners or students to use as reference or even the dictionary to search the key words in related to cyborg. Out of the six sources listed here, this one is the only one to clearly state the three crucial arguments within Haraway’s text. Although Senft has not shown a clear standpoint within this article, she has described and breakdown from point to point. She has also referred to the four descriptions of the cyborg (cybernetic, hybrid, of the present, of the future). She commented Haraway’s cyborg concerns mainly on ‘boundaries crossing’ of the present instead of the prediction for the future. 

To conclude, Haraway’s Cyborg is absolutely incredible for describing our modern life, as it seems that we are living in a techno-determined world. Cyborg helps to bring feminism forward as feminists are no longer separating gender and technologies. Harayway’s argument about the hybridization of human and machines are meaningful to both popular culture and science fiction. Although most scholars has used the counterpoints of cyborg theory, like the homosexuality of cyborg verse the framed bias towards cyborg, in arguing Haraway’s theory, there is no clear assumption could be make in objecting the cyborg theory. Like most of the academic theory, Haraway could not avoid in being challenged by others due to the fact that the incompleteness of cyborg. Again, cyborg is applicable to many aspects since it is required to be the new organism for us to intensify the relationship of human and technologies.

Topic 10: Online communities (After presentation)

In the presentation, the concept of virtual community on the Internet was examined clearly with the case of Facebook. It included the features of online communities, such as embodiment, personal network, and its correlation to the real life experience. To some extents, we believe that online communities do help communication as it act as a platform for the interaction between people in the cyberspace, as mentioned in the discussion part. In which, it do change some of our communication practice in real life that we may more depend on online communication. For example, as said by some classmates in the discussion, even they don’t like Facebook, they also have an account in this online community and add into other people’s friend list, or say, network, for intercommunication. In this way, we can say that such online communication or communities have become a part of our life inevitably, as told in Rheingold’s reading.

Besides, some potential problems involving in online communities in aspects of privacy, anonymity and censorship are investigated in the presentation, with examples from news. Instead of these issues mentioned, the commercialization of virtual communities is pointed out as one of the problems and discussed in the tutorial discussion. Taking Facebook as a case, the commercial elements does not only refer to the increasing advertisement in the online community, but also applications such as quiz or questionnaire given by some companies. We think that those applications do have commercial purpose of collecting information and targeting the potential consumers as well as promoting. For examples, the psychological tests and the virtual gifts and applications of brand name like Starbucks and Gucci. In this way, Facebook may act as a tool for those companies rather than a pure communication platform. Moreover, the privacy may again become an issue to be concerned in this case, as the personal information may be transferred to the companies for commercial purpose without users’ permission.

In fact, the positive side and the ubiquity of virtual communities are realized obviously nowadays. But the impacts and potential problems involved in have also been disclosed gradually along with the increased online communities, and it should be put in concern.

For the presentation, there is a space for impovements. Paticularly, it may be better to give more examples, such as forums, to explain the ideas of online communities .

Week 11: Playing games, Sim(ulating) Worlds and Having Divine Powers (Before Presentation)

The presentation topic is ‘playing games, simulating worlds and having divine powers’. Our group will base on Mia Consalvo – Hot Dates and Fairy-Tale Romances. The presentation will be divided into parts. The reason that we chose this reading is the topic of video game is very interesting. And it is a chance for us to understand how the gender and sexuality issue are represented in the virtual world. Firstly, we will summarize the writer’s point of view. There have three main ideas in this part, which are ‘images of male/female’,‘sexuality representation’ and ‘Erotic triangle’.

According to Mia, the representations of women and girls in games reapply many stereotypes of feminity and vulnerability found in more traditional media. Those female and male game characters do not exist in isolation from each other, but interact in varied situations. And these interactions are sexualized, usually with the presumption of heterosexual interests. We will discuss with the game – The Sims, to talk more about those idea of reading.

Then, we will also take the game ‘Super Mario’ as an example to apply on this idea. All in all, we found that this is the truth that most of the video games which having stereotypes of feminity.

Topic 9 (After presentation)

After this presentation, obviously the discussion part about the example part of consumption within Internet was the most attractive. Everyone of us were very interested in the latest product, like the umbrella that can cover upper part of our body. Also i raised a very latest example of buying rice and food through internet, like ebay. It was because the price of them increased sharply or even double within 2 weeks. Of course online consumption gave customer new ways to buy, but like Anna mentioned in the discussion, some people only like to buy things where they can touch and feel the product as this gave them more securer and an unique feeling.

In the other hand, i would like to restate that the consumption behaviour and pattern is changing every single minutes from passive to active under the emergence of digital media. Therefore new and multiple possibilities coming in the future that we should bear in mind and try our best to catch this new trend. It is because in our future online shopping will be replace the existing consumption patter and behavior.

Week 10 Online Communities (Before Presentation)

The presentation topic is Self.Org I: Online Communities. Our group will base on Howard Rheingold’s “The Virtual Community”. The presentation will be divided into two parts. First, we will summarize Rheingold’s point of view about the virtual community in very early stage. After that, we will introduce popular virtual community nowadays, Facebook.

In the first part, we will talk about the new form of human social life, virtual community. According to Rheingold’s experience, his sharing is about the use of WELL (Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link), so we will examine how the virtual life related to the relationship in real life. Then, we will also focus on the features and impact of virtual community.

In the second part, we will take Facebook as a case study to examine the present virtual community. Referring the Rheingold, the establishment of relationship in virtual reality will be discussed.

All in all, we agree the positive influences of virtual community, but we would still like mention the problem caused in virtual community.

Presentation on Online Communities

In the reading "Virtuality and Its Discontents: Searching for Community in Cyberspace" by Sherry Turkle, I discovered that the popularity of computer using is due to its similarity with watching TV. With the development of technology in the past decade, the virtual reality seems more real than 10 years ago. We can see our families and friends by msn through the web-cams, and we can go shopping on the Internet, it seems that the Virtual life has bring us convenience. Yet, the online communitites might bring us negative effects that we could not imagine. Such as the economic trap, there are so many people doing illegal things with the Internet. And we might be one of the victims next time. beside, some people take it so serious in the virtual reality and they see VR as their real life. this is very dangerous and some people might commit suicide due to the failure in the VR and we are going to discuss it in the presentation.

Presentation on Online Communities (Before presentation)

In our presentation of “Online Communities”, we will focus on Howard Rheingold’s article, “The Virtual Community.”

With referring to the experience in the online community, the WELL (Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link), and with different computer-mediated communication such as MUD (Multi User Domains/ Dungeons), Rheingold has indicated the features of the virtual communities such as the disembodiment of users, various functions and communication regardless of the barriers of time and space. In which, he has examined the close relationship between the virtual communities and our real life practices. Beside, issues related to the development of virtual communities and the CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication) technology are also discussed.

Our presentation will be divided in to two parts. First, we will summarize the key points of Rheingold’s article. It includes the definition of virtual communities, its features, the influence of the virtual communities and the real life experience towards each other, and the possible problems involved in the virtual communities.

Then, we will take Facebook as a case to examine the ideas of virtual communities mentioned by Rheingold. And the related issues such as the privacy and censorship will also be investigated, with some examples.

In fact, we agree with Rheingold’s idea of the influence of virtual communities and the close relaions between the virtual realilty and real life shown in it. However, we think that we should also pay attention to the problems revealed in the development of such online communities.

Presentation_Topic 9

During this presentation, our group will focus on Mark Poster’s article “Consumption and Digital Commodities in the Everyday”. This presentation will be divided into two parts:

1) Summarise his ideas about the consumption behaviour and pattern are changed from passive to active under the emergence of digital media. Also new and multiple possibilities occur and penetrate in our everyday experiences.

2) Discuss in detail about the new forms of consumption practices and method nowadays. Different examples will be use to illustrated.

Nowadays advertisement can not be found in public areas, like streets and shops, they can also be found in private areas. Also it is impossible to live without advertisement. Moreover, digital media such as internet even give us more ways to make our own choice from consumer to producer, or from consumer or seller. It seems nothing is impossible in our future. However, constrains can also be found.

I hope this can give all of us a chance to discover the new aspects and issues which related to consumption. Also we can be active in using and receiving the advertisement in our everyday life.

Presentation Topic 9 : Consumption and Digital Commodities in the Everyday" (Before presentation - Juliana Chan)

The topic of our group presentation is “Consumption and Digital Commodities in the Everyday”, we will focus on how internet influence our consumption practices. It is divided into two parts. Firstly, Amie will talk about how the consumption pattern and method are changed, new consumer behaviour and new advertisement and promotion, etc exist. Moreover, she also illustrates the effect of the emergence of digital media.

In my part, I am going to discuss how the digital technology influences our consumption practice and how copyright exists as a problem of the online world. Everyone can be a consumer and also a seller. Nowadays, we are more and more active in consumption. For example, we will actively search a product which is rare or brand new overseas through internet. I also want to share my experience in this part. I would like to show some examples of online shopping such as Amazon, Yesaisa. In addition, I will go to examine how the new model of digital technology changes the consumer to be also a seller - online auction. At last, I will talk about the problem of copyright and illustrate the example of a band “Radiohead”.

by Juliana Chan

Topic 7: Vitual Ethics (after presentation)

In this presentation, we focused on Mark Poster’s reading to discuss about the virtual ethics. Based on his argument, we found that what is the good and what is the bad is hard to be defined on the internet. Then, we used two websites as the cases to study about it during the discussion.

One was the public forum discuss.com.hk and it contains some pornographies. In fact, the censorship about the pornography is not really effective, that mean any people, even the browser under 18, can access to it. In the discussion, some said it is not really bad because even kids read it, they may learn more about what the sex is and not to be too naive. However, when we moved to another page, the content was the girls were being the sexual object unconsciously, some said it is not acceptable because the girls in the picture were victims; but some said they may be the “actresses” and just pretend to be the victims.

Also, we showed the lesbian forum from Hong Kong Lesbian Community. We discussed whether it is morally good or not this lesbian group has their “community” on the cyberspace “visibly” and they may be “invisible” in the real society. But some pointed out the problem that this public forum may bring many support for the lesbians, on the other hand, may also bring the attack easily from non-lesbians or homophobias. It is because any one can access to this website, and the identity can may hide or fake, so the opposers may attack to the lesbians on the websites without thinking any consequences which may need to consider in the real society. Anonymity of identity is also one of the challenging ethics issues Poster has mentioned about it.

This presentation did bring out some ethics issue for the discussion and found that most of the classmates are open-minded people. But if could ask them any actual advices to control the problems which have mentioned during the discussion, the presentation would be perfectly good.

Bibliography:

Discuss.com.hk. http://www22.discuss.com.hk/forumdisplay.php?fid=16&page=5 (accessed 24 March 2008)

Hong Kong Lesbian Community. http://blur-f.net/ (accessed 24 March 2008)

Topic 7: Vitual Ethics (after presentation)

In our group presentation, we have chosen Mark Poster’s reading to discuss in the tutorial. We have pointed out that we are now living in the age of information, and we succeed to bring out that it is hard to define what is good or bad in ethics due to the different culture, gender, historical background and classes. We agreed that culture construct ethics. Through the discussion, we have showed the class a few links to discuss about the ethical problems.

We used this site to talk about the censorship problem in internet. Although it showed the warning in the top of the page, but it does not block anybody visiting the site.

We used this page to discuss the problem of ethics. That was some pictures taken without the lady’s permission. Most of us think that the above act was bad and illegal.

We came out without conclusion if the above pictures or similar pictures were taken with permission or willingly by the girls/men. The point we finalized was the blurring of ethics nowadays.

The following sites were used in the tutorial also, please feel free to have a look.
http://www.blur-f.net/forum/index.php
http://http://www.netvigator.com// (The adult movie part, everybody with the ID and password is available to watch the movie with some payment.)

Tammy's webliography

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

In 21st century, people's lives are merging with a lot of technological devices, like computer, mobile phone and car etc. With the advanced technology, the relationship between the human and machine gets closer and closer, even become part of their lives. It might relate to Mary Shelley's worry, because there is danger in technological development. Therefore, Frankenstein has been occupying the dominant discussion about the fears towards the technology. This webliography is used to answer how Frankenstein's idea applies to the present stage. To start the research, some key terms like "Frankenstein and technology", "technology and humanity" and "fear of technology" are used through the online search engines, Yahoo and Google scholar. The followings are the result.

1. According to Damyanov's article (1996), it compares Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer in term of the negative influences of nature and human life brought by the technology. At these two different eras, people face vast changes due to the rapid technological evolution. The former one is undergoing the industrial revolution; the latter one is going through the transformation into information society. Owing to the changes, Frankenstein implies the new born of fear due to the uncertainty. Actually, behind the Frankenstein project, it relates to the power, the creator wanted to become god to control everything. The main theme of this article is that human conquest the nature results in destruction of nature and human. It clearly shows that new born fear of immoral scientific development after rapid growth of technology. It is a good starting point to introduce the background of Frankenstein and the link of fear towards present technological development, like powerful artificial intelligence.

2. In addition, Chandler's (2000) website has separated into three main parts, including the relationship between human and machine, the optimistic and pessimistic sides towards technology and fears of technology. The first part, it shows the intimacy between human and machine, human start to give the identity to the machine, likes gender. It also involves people's emotion, love and hate. So, it can see that technology has saturated in every aspects of our daily lives. Secondly, the opposite point of view in technology, hope and fear, are discussed. It shows that human in ancient Greece and middle age still possess positive view of technology, it helps to create the utopia. Gradually, the discourse of utopia is replaced by distrust and response of fear due to the wars, because people can see the destructive power of technology. Therefore, the dependency and misuse of machine shows the fear. Lastly, it lists out the four different fears in details, including knowing too much, losing control, losing our souls and being supplanted. This website helps to reinforce how the historical changes cause the negative thinking of technology. Also, the explanation of fears can help to make different layers discussion in the essay.

3. Besides, Pierro's (2005) observation is worth for discussing the present technological development. Nowadays, people can live in a room with a computer, then they can finish all stuff, like working, ordering food, shopping and communicating with others. Undoubtedly, it can bring the convenience. However, it seems to restrict the people in certain area. At the same time, when people rely on machines too much, people just become incompetent. Especially, artificial intelligence is well-developed, people will be replaced by the high technology. It is one of the main fears in technology. Moreover, the author feel shocked because of the speed of new technological devices. Within the five years, the mobile phone is outdated. New technologies are integrated into a palm-sized machine, like internet service and camera. At present day, when people are still learning the function of their mobile phone or other technological devices, new technology is waiting for them to explore. From Pierro’s personal experience today, it shows the new pattern of life which to chase the new technology. This helps to have better understanding of the struggle in humanity at present.

4. Referring to Burns's (2002) "Frankenstein of the future", she developed the idea of artificial intelligence based on the monstrous creation in Frankenstein. When people are giving greater power to the machine, we should consider the capacity of intelligence. Otherwise, it is just like what Victor did to give lives to the monster, finally, he was destroyed by his creation. This article urged the people to aware what ability is added to artificial intelligence. Technology can be destructive upon how the user controls it. Also, the power of technology exceeds our own ability, so it becomes dangerous when we lost our control. The article gives us an insight in handling the artificial intelligence, then I can raise the impact on artificial intelligence in the essay.

5. Apart from power struggle between human and machine, let's take a closer on Armitage's article (1999) "Resisting the Neoliberal Discourse of Technology". In the article, "totalitarianism is latent in technology" is the main theme. Human labour is not important anymore in business and political practices. Recently, human labour is replaced by technology. It links to the neoliberalism idea which means the pan-capitalist theory technologized in economic globalization. In fact, dealing with the technology, we should start to think about the cyberculture, because it expresses the various aspects of our lives, such as socioeconomic, geographical and political interests, partialities, alignments and commitments. So, you can see that it merges the body with science and technology. This article can help to elaborate on a new direction of the virtual class and politics in technology.

6. According to Robinson (2001), it mainly covers the historical framework about the progressive embodiment and reviews the technological futures and determinism. As the last source in the essay, I would like to clarify who takes the control in technology, machine or human. Is it really that the tool made me do it? Refer to Robinson, the tool has two sides, like the hammer, it can be used for building house or striking a blow. The choices are still in our hands, we can use it or refuse it. The situation is not fixed in any way, so this article is good to analyze the power based on the users.

To sum up the six online sources, the focus is on the Damyanov's article and Chandler's website. These sources are relevant to contribute the linkage between past hideous creation Frankenstein and present new technology artificial intelligence and the reason of fears towards technology. Behind the fears, power struggle between technology and nature will be further explained. In the last part, the discussion is whether the technology shaping us in future. As a result, the danger of new technology should not be neglected, but we should concern more about how people use the technology.

References:

Armitage, John. (1999). Resisting the Neoliberal Discourse of Technology: The Politics of Cyberculture in the Age of the Virtual Class. Retrieved March 31, 2008, from http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=111

Burns, Alisa. (2002). Frankenstein of the Future. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/frank.comment4.html

Chandler, Daniel. (2000). Imagining Futures, Dramatizing Fears: The Portrayal of Technology in Literature and Film. Retrieved March 29, 2008, from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/SF/sf.html

Damyanov, Orlin. (1996). Technology and its dangerous effects on nature and human life as perceived in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5972/gibson.html

Pierro, Robin. (2005). Will Technology Change Humanity, or has it already?. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/robin022805.htm

Robinson, Wendy. (2001). Technological Futures and Determinisms: Technoculture and Progressive Embodiment, Precedent, Causality and Marketplace Choice. Retrieved March 31, 2008, from http://www.duke.edu/~wgrobin/ethics/spr02/tech_future.pdf

Critical Annotated Webliography

3. Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Recently, technology is a tool for people to improve their living standard. Therefore, the relationship between human and technology intersect with each other. As a result, many people rely on the technology very much. Due to the production of Frankenstein, many scientists tried to clone different animals including human. Some people realized that robot or Frankenstein may have the great influence on people. This will bring the bad effect if we rely so much on the technology. Then I start searching in the search engine ‘Google’. In the following, I will find the sources that related the negative effect of the technology.

[1] Trapped in the Net: The Unanticipated Consequences of Computerization
In this article, Rochlin said that compact electronic digital computers have moved more rapidly through the stages of development, deployment and social incorporation than any major technological innovation in history. He also wondered that are the computer really taking over the conduct of human affairs. Besides, Rochlin divided the ‘computer trap’ into four parts which are the lure, the snare, the costs and the long-term consequences. The lure is simply a powerful and adaptable tool with more human-centered interfaces. The snare is what usually followed. Once heavily invested in the use of computers to perform central tasks, or ganizations and individuals alike become heavily invested in and irreversibly committed to the new capacities and potentials. Then, the costs are varied. Computerization creates a new set of institutional dependencies, including a dependency on the manufacturers of hardware and software. This book is mainly discussing the recent technologies. Actually, computer developed very fast. When it can be more humanize for the future, we begin to fear about the computer.

[2] How the breakout of technology threatens human sovereignty
This article argued that our technology abilities are soon transform the basic conditions of human life. Due mainly to advances in computing, a number of technologies are combining so that it could be termed a ‘technology breakout’. The impact of technology on modern life is very serious. As the extraordinary capabilities generated by the information technologies developed over many years, all of our technological capacities are being enhanced. Besides, some theorists argue that the technology becomes completely unpredictable and out of control. As technology grows very fast and it can change the world, there should have two basic concepts which have leaded over all the others. Those are economic efficiency and national security. Besides, it pointed out the technological juggernaut is not an automatic development. It needs to take many resources such as people, money and materials to generate the new technologies. The most important thing is we need to think of the basic modes of social, economic and environmental practice, otherwise the technology will control us. As we can see, Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

[3] The New Politics of Technology
Eric Cohen stated that the problems of the new technologies. The problem is so vast and complicated. In this article, it mostly talked about the burdens of modern technology in our national politics and our everyday life. The problem of technology cannot be separated from the character of human life as a whole. If we want to have a well living standard, it often requires developing new and better technologies. In fact, many aspects of our lives are based on the new technologies. Besides, advances in technology will shape the character of human life in the years ahead including the possibility of fear of destruction and dehumanization. It noted that human fear about the technology.

[4] Microchip Implants, Mind Control, and Cybernetics
This article is mainly talking about the cybernetic technology. This technology links the brains of people via the implanted microchips which are controlled by the computer. In 1950s and 60s, electrical implants were inserted into the brains of animals and humans. This was used to change human behaviour and attitudes. Their brain functions can be monitored by computers. Besides, nowadays, with the help of the satellites, the implanted person can be tracked anywhere on the globe. This technique was testing a number of times and used on the military. Every thought, reaction, and observation causes a pattern in the brain and its electromagnetic fields which can be decoded into thoughts, pictures and voices. Therefore, electromagnetic stimulation can change a person’s brainwaves and affect muscular activity and causing painful muscular cramps experienced as torture. However, this technology may lead a large effect on humanity. There should have such kind of problems appeared. We can’t imagine that the robot could replace our daily lives. As we can see, recent technologies still threaten us.

[5] The probable future world forecasted in Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and H.G. Wells’ ‘The Time Machine
In this article, Kai Li Liu is mainly focused about the idea of Frankenstein. Firstly it analyze what is the story of Frankenstein. Frankenstein is a Science-fiction novel. However, Kai Li Liu stated that the story was not only a science fiction. We needed to be considered more about the purpose of science fiction. We can think about the impact of new technology on our future life. Frankenstein complex indicates that people’s fear of uncontrollable situation resulted from applying advanced technology to human beings such as cloning. The writer thought that the aim of technology is to benefit human beings, not to lead to a catastrophe. The people need to know how to apply the technology, so that the advanced technology won’t have the destructive effects on people. On the other hands, he thought that if human beings and science try to break the natural system, the imbalance between human and nature will increase finally. There is no possible existence of one without the other. That means, human can live with technology. However, we can’t rely so much on the technologies. Otherwise there should have many technological sides effects.

[6] How Does Technology Affect You?
From this article, the writer said that technology is affecting us everyday. It affects our work. It affects our lives. He pointed out that Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (NT&T), Japan’s largest telephone company, have developed some startling new technology which turns humans into remote controlled automations. NT&T researchers discovered a way to control the human brain based on the electrical impulses. The new technology is so called ‘Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation’ (GVS). Through this new technology, we can order some commends. After that, by tapping into the electrical impulses of the brain, it might develop a virtual reality program that controls every sense of the user such as sight, sound and taste. GVS seems has many beneficial purposes. It is because it can be used for many purposes. However, this new technology is very danger as it can control the mind of the human. Especially in Japan, the scientists liked to investigate more about new technologies such as robot. Frankenstein still continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies. From this article, we can see that the new technology dominant our daily of lives.

Conclusion
Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. However, Frankenstein was created by human. After studying those sources, I found that most of the people seem fear about the new technology. Technology is so powerful. They fear that the robot will control the human in one day. To avoid this result happen, we should learn how to use the technology correctly. We try to don’t rely so much on the technology!

[1] Gene I. Rochlin. Trapped in the Net: The Unanticipated Consequences of Computerization, (1997)http://books.google.com/books?hl=zh-TW&lr=&id=GzzttDF1spcC&oi=fnd&pg=PP13&ots=F9JcAcQnxm&sig=2qBf_3TKFqKS9379b1kR34gkmGo#PPP13,M1
(accessed 29 March 2008)

[2] McMahon, P. “How the breakout of technology threatens human sovereignty.” The National Forum. 16 Mar. 2004.http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2071 (accessed on 29 Mar. 2008).

[3] Eric Cohen. ‘The New Politics of Technology’, The New Atlantis A journal of Technology & Society (spring 2003)http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/1/editorial.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)

[4] Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde, Microchip Implants, Mind Control, and Cybernetics. 6 Dec. 2000.
http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/NWO/microchip_implants_mind_control.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)

[5] Kai Li, Liu, “The probable future world forecasted in Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and H.G. Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’”<http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:P9XjcT6HH-YJ:www.knu.edu.tw/knu1/web/teach/IGECC/%E4%B8%AD%E5%BF%83%E5%AD%B8%E5%A0%B1/03/Frankenstein%2520and%2520The%2520Time%2520Machine.doc+The+probable+future+world+forecasted+in+Mary+Shelly&hl=zh-TW&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=hk>, June 2003,
(accessed 30 March 2008)

[6] John J. Fanning, How Does Technology Affect You?http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/2325.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)

Critical Annotated Webliography

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

In many researches, articles and essays, we may find out millions of them are related to the Frankenstein topic, many are related to the invention of new technologies and ethics struggles. Why Frankenstein is related to the technologies? The reason is that Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein was a scientist who created his “son” with complex of dead bodies. However, after the galvanization, he adopted his “son” because of his ugly appearance. The story continued with the chasing of the “son” to “father” with lots of anger and revenge. It brought a question to me, in fact who was the monster? The monstrous scientist who wanted to create being without a female or the “son” with monstrous appearance? Nowadays technologies are just like the “son” in Frankenstein, created by their “father”- the scientists or maybe our own wills. I do think that new technologies are helping us to have a more comfortable live, however, to some extent, the ethics should be remained or create a new ethics since we all would not like to see the Frankenstein appear in the real world.

[1] This article is about how the roboticists and scientists are encouraging people to make good use of the new technologies. Lee Gutkind, author of Almost Human: Making Robots Think claimed that in observation days, robots will be living in most American household doing different kinds of work. Roboticists wanted to let people know that the advantages of using technologies or Robots to involve in living could help a lot. According to Jochem, head of Applied Perceptions, a robotics company said that a robot is something that senses its environment, decides what to do, and then acts on that decision, simply a vending machine could be called a robot. The article also pointed out that people in the USA or other places (except Japan) are afraid of the use of new technologies because that is an unknown sector to them, and people were affected by the science-fiction films’ robots: which were smarter than human once they have their own porgramme to think. In fact, robotic technologies are gradually creeping into our lives, e.g. the high-tech gadgets in cars. Jochem said that people will care less about if they are robots and just accept them as a helpful machine.

[2] This article used an opening of Mr. Ludd and the broken knitting machines, the machine was a modern technology in the time of industrial revolution. The use of breaking the knitting machines by Mr. Ludd was to tell the truth that there are Luddites anywhere with technologies. Nowadays, neo-Luddites are not afraid of the user-friendly machines, they are in fact fear of the upcoming of technologies will dehumanize and destroy the environment. No matter in what era, there are still stocking frames to be destroyed by people.

[3] Jonathan Skillings has interviewed journalist Timothy Hornyak, author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robotics". Timothy has been living in Japan since 1999 and did a lot of researches about Japanese robot culture. One reason why Japanese love robots but not the Americans is due to the appearances of the robots. Images of robots in America and Europe are in Frankenstein tradition, however, those in Japan are designed like human beings. That brings closer and friendlier to the Japanese. Moreover, the important thing to understand about this aspect of robots in Japan is that not only do Japanese have a love of robots, they have a practical need of robots because the Ifbot and Paro are designed to help the sick and elderly to feel good and get comfort. The government is also taking a leading role since they realized that the population problem. And he mentioned that there is a need of robot psychologists in future, to deal with people who have developed relationships with robots that are excessive attachments, that kind of thing. To Timothy, Astro Boy is his favourite robot because of his kindness and human hood.

[4] People suggested that robots should have rights in ethics, or laws. In Korea, a group of people has composed a Robot Ethics Charter, which is a guideline on the role and ability of robots. After that, Japan followed to issue the Draft Guidelines to Secure the Safe Performance of Next Generation Robots. In Kerr’s argument, “AI is a business and businesses are notoriously uninterested in fundamental safeguards — especially philosophic ones.” He believed that the “Laws of robotics” are not able to guide the developments in artificial intelligence. Moreover, there is no guarantees researchers will be capable of implementing a code of ethics. Nor the public are willing to adopt it. Besides, writer also questioned about the ability and the will of autonomous machines to over the code in their own.

[5] This article is about the scientists to create embryos with human DNA and animal cells. The Prime Minister expected all Labour MPs will back the whole bill when it comes to the final Commons vote. However some Catholic Labour MPs and cabinet ministers were ready to rebel due to the religious problem and moral questions brought out by it. The leader of the Scottish Catholic Church, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, described the proposed legislation as a "monstrous attack on human rights, human dignity and human life", adding that it would allow experiments of "Frankenstein proportion". But there are people supporting the bill because of the new science may help human in medical way, and prevent “bad genes”.

[6] He discusses a symposium, ``Human Enhancement Technologies and Human Rights," held at Stanford Law School and found out students do not totally support his view. They believed that changing human biology is acceptable. In popular culture, the desire to transcend biology is almost treated as dangerous, Frankenstein-like pursuit made by human arrogance and recklessness, are likely to have sad consequences. Moreover, she agreed that gene therapy targeting various diseases could help human suffer less. However, we should think deeply about the consequences and what new biology will bring us if we adhered to change the nature biology.

Today’s technologies are helping us, but also frightening us. We do not know technologies can grow up to what extent in the future. But the good use of technologies really helps us in many ways. I believed that invention of robots and human transcending biology are totally different. To me, the previous one can be counted as invention of new technologies in working, while the later one is concerned as rebelling the nature. We should find a balance in new technologies otherwise there will be Frankenstein made by us in the real world.

Bibliogrphy:
[1] Tom. A. Peter. ‘Frankenstein complex' stalls robot acceptance’. (2007).
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/robotics/2007-05-31-robot-slow-acceptance_N.htm (accessed 29 March, 2008)

[2] ‘Where there's technology, there will be Luddites’. (2 February 2008).
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08033/854155-371.stm (accessed 30 March, 2008)

[3] Skillings, Jonathan.‘In Japan, robots are people, too’. (5 October, 2006). http://www.news.com/In-Japan%2C-robots-are-people%2C-too/2008-11386_3-6122761.html?tag=item (accessed 30 March, 2008)

[4] Tomsons, Corey. ‘Framing Frankenstein: Coding Ethics for robots’. (5 August, 2007). http://thoughtcapital.wordpress.com/2007/05/08/framing-frankenstein-coding-ethics-for-robots/ (accessed 31 March, 2008)

[5] ‘Brown compromise over embryo vote’. (25 March, 2008). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7312715.stm (accessed 31 March, 2008)

[6] Young, Cathy. ‘When humans transcend biology’. (10 July, 2006). http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/07/10/when_humans_transcend_biology/ (accessed 31 March, 2008)

Bertha's Critical Annotated Webliography

Question 3:

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussion of recent technologies.

I have chosen question 3 as the main topic to be discussed in my webliography. As a webliography, no doubt that all the sources that I used were found from the Internet. The article of Catherine Waldby “The Instruments of Life: Frankenstein and Cyberculture” gave me some hints on how to deal with the question. Referring to the question of Frankenstein, this definitely made me think of something that related to science and machines. Therefore, I began my searching with the keywords like “Frankenstein” and “technology” through several of channels, such as Goggle Scholar, UWA Library SuperSearch, the online journals from Wired Magazine and Capitalism Magazine. I found that this gave me plenty of articles or websites on my question. However, some of the links were not able to access while some articles needed to be purchased in order to view the full content. The following six online sources that I found could be the most applicable in answering the question.When we mentioned about Frankenstein, people may immediately think of the green monstrous character of Mary Shelley’s movie in 1816. For today, Frankenstein is being metaphor as the new technologies that give great improvement on the medical and biochemical sectors.

[1] “Technology and Evolution: The Quest For a New Perspective” by Taede A. Smedes

First of all, in Taede A. Smede’s paper, it was a well-organized which gave a quite detail description on the relationship between technology and human nature. He had suggested a lot of useful statements that our relation to technology has become one of the symbioses between humans and machines. At the same time, it pointed out the issue that we may concern today, the fear of Frankenstein-effect, our technology has advanced up to a point where we have lost contact with the natural environment. The rapid change of technology has brought with it the danger of the destruction of the biosphere.

[2] “Will technology change humanity, or has it already?” by Robin Pierro

We are all living in such a technological world, the machines did enhance our bodily abilities, they can help us to do what we could not do which improved our life a in many ways. I found that Robin Pierro’s article is yet rather short but it brought out an interesting discussion. He has shown his own experience and perspective on the argument of whether technology changes the course of our humanity or not. He has also pointed out the most valuable point that the transformation of the new technologies would turn us find ourselves completely lost within the society.

[3] “Technology vs. Humanity” by Michael J. Hurd

In this modern society, human life seems to be intimately connected with the technologies; everything that we used in our daily life has be deal with machines or technologies. At this stage, there’s come to an argument that the technology has actually surpassed our humanity. In Michael’s article, he had another way of perspective. He defined that our technology is in fact a consequence of our humanity. That is the meaning that we could not live without the technology but at the same time the technology could not survive without human to operate them.

[4] “Why the future doesn’t need us” by Bill Joy

As to further elaborate the discussion of the future for the body within human and machines interactions, the online journal “Why the future doesn’t need us” from Wired Magazine had effectively explored the possible danger of machine replication and the replacement of human with the robotic technology. With providing some very great examples for the discussion, including the writer’s personal involvement with the technology industry. More than this, this article also brought out the possible challenge of human life over technology, which is the developing intelligent machines can do all things better than human beings can do with. In a sense, I appreciated the writer did include the solutions on how to maintain the boundary between machines and humans.

[5] “Frankenstein of the Future” by Alisa Burns

Similar as the above article, in the article written by Alisa Burns, it explored the technology of Frankenstein deal with the human future. It was an article that easy to follow and give strong supportive to the question. I agreed what the article suggested the statement that the link between human intelligence and machines would precipitate to immense proportions, which reshaping our daily lives. It implicated the creation of Artificial Intelligence nowadays is just like the story of Frankenstein. In another way, Alisa applied the example of the film “The Matrix” in order to explain the immense power of Artificial Intelligence that actually intends to take over human.

[6] “Cloning Can’t Be Stopped” by Daniel J. Kelves

As we knew that the advance technology nowadays could even make impossible things in the past to become possible today. In Daniel’s article, it covered the controversial issue that related to the reproductive technology, which is human cloning. The prospect of human reproductive cloning has been widely condemned, and it became an ethical topic to be discussed and observed. It stated out that there was already existence of the cloned animals and therefore probably will get the human clones in the very soon future. Other than this, I found there’s a quite interesting point that he has mentioned. He thought that there would be the demand for such of human cloning for those who were not able to have children, such as the gays, lesbians and infertile couples.

To conclude, I really think the invention of technology is very important to the people. It possibly became the essential parts of our life and brought us a lot of conveniences. However, what a contradictory point is that people benefited from the technology that they love it very much. At the same time, they felt fear about it because they afraid the technology will control them one day. Therefore, we have to learn how to deal with the technology in our life but not fully reliance on it.

References:
[1] Smedes, Taede A. (2005) “Technology and Evolution: The Quest For a New

Perspective”
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.uwa.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=120&sid=5a1f6cb7-ebb9-4a43-b7af-e786ab703f7e%40sessionmgr104

(Accessed on 28/03/2008)

[2] Pierro, Robin. (2005) “Will technology change humanity, or has it already?”

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/robin022805.htm
(Accessed on 28/03/2008)

[3] Hurd, Michael J. (2001) “Technology vs. Humanity”

http://capmag.com/article.asp?id=152

(Accessed on 29/03/2008)

[4] Joy, Bill. (2004) “Why the future doesn’t need us”

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy_pr.html

(Accessed on 29/03/2008)

[5] Burns, Alisa. (2002) “Frankenstein of the Future”

http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/frank.comment4.html

(Accessed on 29/03/2008)

[6] Kelves, Daniel J. (2002) “Cloning Can’t Be Stopped”

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/12852/

(Accessed on 29/03/2008)