Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Webliography : Question 3 - Frankenstein
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.
Recent technologies is usually being interpret as 'Frankenstein' which leads to the conflict in social, ethical and technological categories. For referencing and relate to the topic in which modern cyberspace do take place in creating humanity fear, I should first consider what should be mentioned in this hypothetical essay. To what extend do technologies live with us inseparably? What is the relationship in between human and technologies? And, the major concern for this essay is to understand the way that technologies bring dangerous to us. Thus, the lists of researching online article by covering in Yahoo and Google searching engine by using keywords like 'cybercrime', ' technologies fear', 'roborts control' and 'technologies problem', which help in answering those questions are listed as follows,
(1) Relationship in between human and technologies – fear of changing power structure
The dangerous technologies is undoubtedly as the theme of this essay, either Mary Shelley[1]'s Frankenstein or Daintry Duffy [2] - ' Technology Fear Factor' do arouse the agreement that – "Technologies has always been a double-edged sword" while artificial intelligent is possible and lower the risk for medical treatment and researching nature. This article rises up lots of discussion and reflection from audiences, almost all of them agree that technologies do bring benefits with side effect to the society as various reason such like the terrorists use technologies as their communication channel, human-made virus damage human harmony, privacy, etc. Besides, by using of this web conclusion, its mentioned the future can still be dominate by human when we use it correctly and always keep in mind that to ask and think about those serious problems.
(2) Addiction to technologies
Except the fear of changing power structure, others presented the over dependency on technologies is also a problem towards the studies of cyberculture like Charles Eisenstein [3] using term – addiction to interpret the relation in between human and machine nowadays. From his readings, I can remind technologies do not only mean to Internet, but also the daily life invention like air-condition and car. Furthermore, the using pieces is that he pointed out the dependency on technologies shares many features in common with drug addiction which I am partly agree with. Author claimed that the technological fix is attractive but it is problematic and it is only from the short-term perspective. He consider technological addiction slowly destroyed the natural and social environment which have the same ideas of many citizen are frighting for having better living environment. As long as this piece of readings is not comprehensive enough for defining the technologies and human relationship as he did not discover that technologies do help human finish difficult and dangerous task or other advantages that bring with scientific development and therefore others articles were being used to introduce that points I want to make in the essay.
(3) Controversial ideas: Human should be the controller
As long as most of the website do agree that technologies results as challenging the humanity, the interesting and reverse ideas like Jeanne Dietsch [4] wrote is useful in discussion of who is the controller. Even though somehow other studies do use lots of proving and example to sum up that artificial intelligence is not as obedient as the human planned, the author argued the fear were made by problematic sci-fi movies. The opinion she claimed up is actively being seen in ethic issues whether I am wondering too - Do robot have the ability to classify right and wrong when the human user used it in criminal activities? Who decides how to control the controlling human? Hence, this reading give some controversial ideas whose believe machine and human can live together happily in the future and for me to criticize her points in order to prove the struggle do exist and it is not unnecessary.
(4) Example: TankPitstop create unemployment or benefits?
TankPitstop [5] as a recent automated fuel robot draw my attention to its relation to the unemployment though it is not a critical analysis article, but a product introduction. The information being told was that this robot allow motorists to refuel and pay without actually doing anything themselves, and it can also bring safety and environmental benefits to its user. However, it rises up the concern of over power and unemployment when human rely on the technologies too much. This promotion pamphlets may then being as the example to explain how unemployment occurred by developing and depending on the new and effective technologies.
(5) Cybercrime – children sexual abuse
The article – cyberspace as a locale of violence by ECPAT [6] (End Child Prostitution, Child pornography And Trafficking of children for sexual purposes association) hand out the problem in which Lupton [7] suggested in 'Risky computing' resulting 'cybercrime'. This article is mainly focused on how multi-functional and wide Internet generate pornography and harm children 'individually' and 'collectively'. Moreover, for the concern of whether Internet as a virtual world, this article also support the ideas that the harm caused through cyberspace is real in either physical or psychological way and that it one of the way that people consider growing technologies do not only contain advantages when information is more easy to access and edit. For instance, this article also points out one group of people - the parents were being threaten by the sexual harassment come from the world without censorship and boundary.
(6) Statistics – Hong Kong Cases
Recent Hong Kong 'cybercrime' statistics [8] issued on 2003 may throw the studies on Hong Kong cases and define what is technology crime. We can see the increasing criminal and total loss through the hacking activities and therefore demonstrate the fact that cyberspace and technologies become more dangerous when time passes and more technical stuffs being invented. Referring to the sexual criminal in cyberspace I mentioned previously, economic law-breaking is under Hong Kong police watching, too. The E-Banking Theft, spam email and virus created by humanity may turn to be the example in which human develop technologies and finally lost the power in controlling and being affect by the technologies. Again, this report may pointed to the frightening computer which caused fear and the sense of over-controlling humanity in public mind.
Conclusion
To briefly conclude how those sources help in my essay, I would first pick Daintry Duffy article to refering Mary Shelly's Frankenstein to explain and give the ideas of the relationship between human and artificial intelligence and the fear of changing power structure. Then, Charles Eisenstein's piece of readings will make use by presenting other way that technical development create fear in social context. Controversial ideas like Jeanne points out other side opinion and I would use both of her and TankPitstop as the example to prove technologies benefits human life with conflict. Later on, cybercrime will be mention and statistic will be proven the fear that public concern is necessary and logical.
Sources:
[1] Written Sources: Mary Shelley. 'Frankenstein' Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1980.
[2] Daintry Duffy. 'Technology Fear Factor'.
http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0510.html
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[3] Charles Eisenstein. ' The Ascent of Humanity: Chapter I: The Triumph of Technology – The Addiction to Control'
http://www.ascentofhumanity.com/chapter1-3.php
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[4] Jeanne Dietsch. ' Will Robots take over the World?'.
http://www.activrobots.com/HISTORY/
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[5] Inton Development. 'TankPitstop – The TankPitstop'.
http://www.tankpitstop.nl/index.php?pid=2&lang=en
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[6] ECPAT. 'Cyberspace as a locale of violence: ECPAT international concept paper'.
http://www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_inter/projects/ECPAT%20Cyberspace%20Concept%20Paper%20for%20Violence%20Study.pdf
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[7] Written Sources: Lupton Deborah. 'The Embodied Computer/ User' The CyberCultures Reader Eds. David Bell & Barbara M. Kennedy. London / New York: Routledge 2000: 477- 488
[8] Hong Kong Technology Crime Division. 'Sean Lin Senior Inspector – Commercial Crime Bureau : Cyber Crime 2003 and Issues Relating to e-Business'.
http://www.hkcert.org/ppt/event099/hkpolice.pdf
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
Recent technologies is usually being interpret as 'Frankenstein' which leads to the conflict in social, ethical and technological categories. For referencing and relate to the topic in which modern cyberspace do take place in creating humanity fear, I should first consider what should be mentioned in this hypothetical essay. To what extend do technologies live with us inseparably? What is the relationship in between human and technologies? And, the major concern for this essay is to understand the way that technologies bring dangerous to us. Thus, the lists of researching online article by covering in Yahoo and Google searching engine by using keywords like 'cybercrime', ' technologies fear', 'roborts control' and 'technologies problem', which help in answering those questions are listed as follows,
(1) Relationship in between human and technologies – fear of changing power structure
The dangerous technologies is undoubtedly as the theme of this essay, either Mary Shelley[1]'s Frankenstein or Daintry Duffy [2] - ' Technology Fear Factor' do arouse the agreement that – "Technologies has always been a double-edged sword" while artificial intelligent is possible and lower the risk for medical treatment and researching nature. This article rises up lots of discussion and reflection from audiences, almost all of them agree that technologies do bring benefits with side effect to the society as various reason such like the terrorists use technologies as their communication channel, human-made virus damage human harmony, privacy, etc. Besides, by using of this web conclusion, its mentioned the future can still be dominate by human when we use it correctly and always keep in mind that to ask and think about those serious problems.
(2) Addiction to technologies
Except the fear of changing power structure, others presented the over dependency on technologies is also a problem towards the studies of cyberculture like Charles Eisenstein [3] using term – addiction to interpret the relation in between human and machine nowadays. From his readings, I can remind technologies do not only mean to Internet, but also the daily life invention like air-condition and car. Furthermore, the using pieces is that he pointed out the dependency on technologies shares many features in common with drug addiction which I am partly agree with. Author claimed that the technological fix is attractive but it is problematic and it is only from the short-term perspective. He consider technological addiction slowly destroyed the natural and social environment which have the same ideas of many citizen are frighting for having better living environment. As long as this piece of readings is not comprehensive enough for defining the technologies and human relationship as he did not discover that technologies do help human finish difficult and dangerous task or other advantages that bring with scientific development and therefore others articles were being used to introduce that points I want to make in the essay.
(3) Controversial ideas: Human should be the controller
As long as most of the website do agree that technologies results as challenging the humanity, the interesting and reverse ideas like Jeanne Dietsch [4] wrote is useful in discussion of who is the controller. Even though somehow other studies do use lots of proving and example to sum up that artificial intelligence is not as obedient as the human planned, the author argued the fear were made by problematic sci-fi movies. The opinion she claimed up is actively being seen in ethic issues whether I am wondering too - Do robot have the ability to classify right and wrong when the human user used it in criminal activities? Who decides how to control the controlling human? Hence, this reading give some controversial ideas whose believe machine and human can live together happily in the future and for me to criticize her points in order to prove the struggle do exist and it is not unnecessary.
(4) Example: TankPitstop create unemployment or benefits?
TankPitstop [5] as a recent automated fuel robot draw my attention to its relation to the unemployment though it is not a critical analysis article, but a product introduction. The information being told was that this robot allow motorists to refuel and pay without actually doing anything themselves, and it can also bring safety and environmental benefits to its user. However, it rises up the concern of over power and unemployment when human rely on the technologies too much. This promotion pamphlets may then being as the example to explain how unemployment occurred by developing and depending on the new and effective technologies.
(5) Cybercrime – children sexual abuse
The article – cyberspace as a locale of violence by ECPAT [6] (End Child Prostitution, Child pornography And Trafficking of children for sexual purposes association) hand out the problem in which Lupton [7] suggested in 'Risky computing' resulting 'cybercrime'. This article is mainly focused on how multi-functional and wide Internet generate pornography and harm children 'individually' and 'collectively'. Moreover, for the concern of whether Internet as a virtual world, this article also support the ideas that the harm caused through cyberspace is real in either physical or psychological way and that it one of the way that people consider growing technologies do not only contain advantages when information is more easy to access and edit. For instance, this article also points out one group of people - the parents were being threaten by the sexual harassment come from the world without censorship and boundary.
(6) Statistics – Hong Kong Cases
Recent Hong Kong 'cybercrime' statistics [8] issued on 2003 may throw the studies on Hong Kong cases and define what is technology crime. We can see the increasing criminal and total loss through the hacking activities and therefore demonstrate the fact that cyberspace and technologies become more dangerous when time passes and more technical stuffs being invented. Referring to the sexual criminal in cyberspace I mentioned previously, economic law-breaking is under Hong Kong police watching, too. The E-Banking Theft, spam email and virus created by humanity may turn to be the example in which human develop technologies and finally lost the power in controlling and being affect by the technologies. Again, this report may pointed to the frightening computer which caused fear and the sense of over-controlling humanity in public mind.
Conclusion
To briefly conclude how those sources help in my essay, I would first pick Daintry Duffy article to refering Mary Shelly's Frankenstein to explain and give the ideas of the relationship between human and artificial intelligence and the fear of changing power structure. Then, Charles Eisenstein's piece of readings will make use by presenting other way that technical development create fear in social context. Controversial ideas like Jeanne points out other side opinion and I would use both of her and TankPitstop as the example to prove technologies benefits human life with conflict. Later on, cybercrime will be mention and statistic will be proven the fear that public concern is necessary and logical.
Sources:
[1] Written Sources: Mary Shelley. 'Frankenstein' Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1980.
[2] Daintry Duffy. 'Technology Fear Factor'.
http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0510.html
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[3] Charles Eisenstein. ' The Ascent of Humanity: Chapter I: The Triumph of Technology – The Addiction to Control'
http://www.ascentofhumanity.com/chapter1-3.php
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[4] Jeanne Dietsch. ' Will Robots take over the World?'.
http://www.activrobots.com/HISTORY/
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[5] Inton Development. 'TankPitstop – The TankPitstop'.
http://www.tankpitstop.nl/index.php?pid=2&lang=en
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[6] ECPAT. 'Cyberspace as a locale of violence: ECPAT international concept paper'.
http://www.ecpat.net/eng/Ecpat_inter/projects/ECPAT%20Cyberspace%20Concept%20Paper%20for%20Violence%20Study.pdf
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
[7] Written Sources: Lupton Deborah. 'The Embodied Computer/ User' The CyberCultures Reader Eds. David Bell & Barbara M. Kennedy. London / New York: Routledge 2000: 477- 488
[8] Hong Kong Technology Crime Division. 'Sean Lin Senior Inspector – Commercial Crime Bureau : Cyber Crime 2003 and Issues Relating to e-Business'.
http://www.hkcert.org/ppt/event099/hkpolice.pdf
[accessed on 30 March 2008]
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Topic 7: Vitual Ethics
In our presentation, we will mainly focus on the first reading by Mark Poster’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Virtual”. The reading is about the ethics in the age of information, especially discussing about the good or bad and evil or virtuous in the internet space. However, it is now complicated to distinguish that because the media boundaries are so blur. We will question about the ethical aspects, do we need to create a new rules or orders to deal with the ethical problems in the mediated world?
The reading is separated into three parts: ethics as a problem, anonymity of identity and overload and censorship. Through them, we know more about the ethical aspects of the media, there are problems brought out not just in the “composed” world (the media), but now becoming a “real” world problems as media is so close to us.
The reading is separated into three parts: ethics as a problem, anonymity of identity and overload and censorship. Through them, we know more about the ethical aspects of the media, there are problems brought out not just in the “composed” world (the media), but now becoming a “real” world problems as media is so close to us.
A Brief on Mark Poster’s The Good, The Bad, and The Virtual: Ethnics in the Age of Information
In Poster’s view, media likes film has the very clear binary between good and bad when studying at the genres and the protagonists; and the distinctions between good/ bad and virtuous/evil are containing the privileged class here. However, he observes that internet may not “fit into existing definitions of the good and the bad”.
The reason is now we live in “the age of information” that large population can access to the internet to get information “across territorial boundaries”; this activity “involves the cultural exchange” and it made people aware the cultural diversity when dealing with the ethnics issues.
Another reason is people who have different classes, genders and beliefs can express their ideas through the particular websites and this activity is creating various groups of people by their “common interest” that also blur the distinction between the good and the bad.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Week 6 Presentation Topic: Erasing Markers of Difference (Self-reflection)
I think our group had shown those concept and main idea from the read to classmate in this presentation. And we may let the classmate have the better understanding of discrimination on Internet is truly exist. Also, we used some examples to elaborate more about the phenomenon of discrimination in Hong Kong Cyberculture. Those examples can reflect the real fact in some forums which happening quite often in Hong Kong.
In circumstance, as we think that the ICERED website that was an example raised by author may not be very effective for other to totally agree with. So, we used the other examples that about “Kong Gal”, “MK Look”, and “Mainlander” which can create the familiar about this kind of Cyberculture for classmate.
Mostly, it seems that classmate were agree the discrimination was appear in the cyberspace, especially about the “Kong Gal”. And, we had also explained the reason that appearing of this discrimination which is due to the used of cyberspace. We think that people can not see the real identity with others in the cyberspace was a main reason that creates discrimination. In the discussion part of “Kong Gal” could show more detail to classmate about the truth or untruth of discrimination about those girls.
I hope the discussion part can bring more ideas for classmate to understand the phenomena of Cyberculture no matter in Hong Kong or other places.
By Yan Chan
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Week 6 : Erasing Markers of Difference presentation self-reflection
I think the presentation that we made out today did really help our classmates understand much more about the contradiction cyberspace having. All of us agree with that the discrimination occurs on internet, and the point that we have not mentioned in the presentation is that what is the reason that made the 'free' platform turns into a discrimination. My answer is because as the net is too free which contains no censorship and people do not take the responsibility for making any trouble. When the others join into the sensitive topics which may led to the discrimination, majority usually win and form a bigger circle and depress the controversial ideas.
Moreover, the example given by the author do not really fit into describing the Hong Kong cyberculture and hence the other models we presented are successfully drawing classmates discussion and understanding of the topic. As long as some of us claimed that the discrimination is not fair and not truth whether Hong Kong girls are not stereotypically being as a "Kong Gal" as the website described; Local English is not better than the Mainlander which we have strange translation, too.
I conclude that it is true that we should be more careful and critical when we read the messages on internet whether it is not always peace and the assumption, representation we learn online may influenced our original, offline life.
For those who are interested into have a look on our findings, the link shown in following may help,
Gender issues: Hong Kong Girl
http://konggirl.hkloves.com/
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=I5K4OHLUVog&feature=related#
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/hkstories2007/20070114.html
Classes inequality: MK Look
http://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK%E4%BA%BA
http://hk.geocities.com/mklookcom/
Racism: Mainlanders versus local
http://forward.hkwebs.net/post/1/3701
http://forward.hkwebs.net/post/1/3676
Moreover, the example given by the author do not really fit into describing the Hong Kong cyberculture and hence the other models we presented are successfully drawing classmates discussion and understanding of the topic. As long as some of us claimed that the discrimination is not fair and not truth whether Hong Kong girls are not stereotypically being as a "Kong Gal" as the website described; Local English is not better than the Mainlander which we have strange translation, too.
I conclude that it is true that we should be more careful and critical when we read the messages on internet whether it is not always peace and the assumption, representation we learn online may influenced our original, offline life.
For those who are interested into have a look on our findings, the link shown in following may help,
Gender issues: Hong Kong Girl
http://konggirl.hkloves.com/
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=I5K4OHLUVog&feature=related#
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/hkstories2007/20070114.html
Classes inequality: MK Look
http://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK%E4%BA%BA
http://hk.geocities.com/mklookcom/
Racism: Mainlanders versus local
http://forward.hkwebs.net/post/1/3701
http://forward.hkwebs.net/post/1/3676
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Week 6 Topic: Erasing Markers of Difference
In this presentation our group is focusing to analysis on the reading of Hong Kong Cyberculture: A Case Study by Amy Lai Tak-yee. The discrimination in cyberculture is the main issues that had been discussed in this reading. As she pointed out the cyberspace is a place which provide freedom and no restraint for people, but this also create the phenomenon of discrimination through this cyberculture.
Actually, the discrimination is divide as few parts to discuss about such as, class discrimination, racism, gender discrimination and homophobia in the cyberculture. And, this kind of issues can be actual happening in the cyberspace instead of the real world only.
Besides, the hyperreality and simulacrum can also be found in the cyberculture. Even it can not see the real body of the person in the cyberspace, it still involve the self-experience to communication with the other. So, it leads to difference identity will appear during the online or offline situation. There is no doubt that the discrimination is appearing in the cyberculture. And our group will use some local examples to elaborate more detail about discrimination of cyberculture in the coming presentation.
By Yan Chan
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