Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the presentation in class on the Hollywood Dropouts' Villans the Series (spawned from the popular series, Heroes).
Here are some links for your indulgence:
Official Website: http://www.villains-theseries.com/#
Director's Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Crymer
Youtube Series: http://www.youtube.com/user/villainstheseries
Some other media "products" that I wanted to show was Wong Fu Productions:
Official Website: www.wongfuproductions.com
Wong Fu on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/wongfuproductions?blend=1&ob=4
If you guys have any questions or comments, feel free to do so! =)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Discussion Questions for Brun's chapter on Produsage
1. What is different about user-led content “production”?
2. Why does it need a new name?
3. What is social software?
4. What are the wider economic and legal questions which the emergence of produsage as an alternative model to production raises?
5. How does he open his book up to produsage of his readers?
2. Why does it need a new name?
3. What is social software?
4. What are the wider economic and legal questions which the emergence of produsage as an alternative model to production raises?
5. How does he open his book up to produsage of his readers?
Learning the Past to Understand the Future
I use to think that i new a little about computers, but i am soon realizing that may not be entirely true. I thought i could work photoshop and Illustrator, make movies on flash, and navigate around the internet pretty well. But it is now only the second week of the quarter and it is becoming clear that i don't understand as much as i thought! There are vast corners of the internet i never knew and i will have to train myself to blog consistently. However, it has also come to my attention that there are other devices of the computer i never thought about.
A new wave of computer information is creeping its way into my life, and i am not sure how to compute such a process. It's called computer programing. This idea has been around since computers were first invented and my dad always talked about "I remember when computers use to take up a whole wall and only had 1K of memory." Apparently this was true and due to the developments of computer programing overtime we are now allowed to have laptops that can hold an exorbitant amount of memory and i can talk to you through such a device even if you happen to be halfway across the world. Computers have evolved just like the internet has, but if the web is at 2.0 than the computer must be at 55.0 or even higher.
So i am learning backwards, because i already know how to use a computer i have to now learn how to create computer knowledge. My computers class will oddly enough go hand-in-hand with this class, first by learning the future of what's to come with the internet and computers, while at the same time learning basic knowledge of the past. In our lives now a days it is necessary to understand one to be able to understand the other.
Monday, September 21, 2009
End of a day
I will also start in saying that I am not a blogger or blog poster. But that is no excuse. So being that I am (the only) freshman in the class I feel I can write on and on about everything pertaining to this new time of my life. Unlike the rest of my freshman classmates and even freshman all over the nation I cannot say I am thoroughly impressed by college in general. Do not get me wrong: DU is beautiful and has so many many opportunities, but I mean college to me has been somewhat of a let down. For one, I didn't enjoy all of the orientation activities, it was too much "forced fun." Secondly, I find there is too much downtime, but maybe that will change over time. And lastly, the cafeteria hours are so strange! But I know it has only been 2 weeks so I will give it more time until I make my final judgmental opinion on college. Until then I can use all of my free time to read up on others who feel just like me as they dislike college.
GOODBYE SUMMER...
So I'm sure we all noticed it was like 45 degrees in Denver today (and snowing in the mountains)! I know this is just a temporary cold front moving through (suppose to be back up to the 70's by the weekend), but you can't help finding yourself slip into that fall/winter mindset after a day like today. I know a lot of people dread the warm weather leaving us, but I have to say I am not one of those people. Walking out my front door this morning and seeing my breathe put a smile on my face. I actually like when it starts to get cold again. It gives you that cozy feeling when your able to bundle up and escape the cold, rather than the irritable feeling from the summer heat (I hate being hot). Maybe it is just because I grew up in New England that I welcome the cold. Or maybe it is because I am a passionate skier and that I am already DYING to get back on the slopes (just bought new skis yesterday, check it!). I can't put my exact finger on it, but there is something about the transition into Fall that I love! I think the cold weather brings people closer together too, because people spend a lot more time huddled indoors. I'm I crazy or does anyone else welcome the cold weather?
I would like to leave you with a short video from youtube related to winter coming. It's not crazy popular or anything, but my roommates and I always get a good laugh out of it... enjoy.
I would like to leave you with a short video from youtube related to winter coming. It's not crazy popular or anything, but my roommates and I always get a good laugh out of it... enjoy.
My First Blog!!
I was born in a time when their was no real main stream technology. Average everyday people could never have imagined life with a computer in the home. Hell we were in complete amazement over the microwave oven that was the size of small car. I took typing lessons on a typewriter and my music was on cassette tapes where god forbid if you want to listen to the first song of the other side. If we wanted to order something we did via the mail and something called COD (cash on delivery) for those that don't know what that means. My first real technological gadget was a beeper. I just got my first computer about 6 years ago I bought my first laptop last year and don't even get me started on the cell phones. Needless to say I have seen first hand how the Internet and computers have completely changed our world and how we see it. The world of blogging is the newest form of this world wide web that I am now experiencing. Hopefully I will improve my technique over time and learn how to blog properly!
Random Youtube Videos
I am not talented in the realm of blogging, so I apologize. The above video is one of those random videos that friends bring to your attention in the evening hours as a form of procrastination. It is quite hilarious and deserves at least a couple repetitive viewings.
Personal side note: I hope to god that a) I get to witness something this funny in real life b) This never happens to me. But it probably will seeing as though I just wished it upon someone else for my entertainment value- freaking karma.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
TvTropes: Or Why I'm Posting This So Late
[[This Image is My Disclaimer. If you are weak to wikis it is advised that you DO NOT click any of these links, and it might be wise to avoid reading this 'article' altogether.]
So, I sign onto my computer, someone mentions that yesterday was talk like a pirate day.....and TvTropes.com had updated it's homepage language accordingly- into a disturbing mix of valley girl and gangster. Now, a good 48 hours or, in internet time, over nine thousand links later, I need to come up with a post....and that's just about the only thing that is on my mind. Fortunately, it is uniquely relevant to what has been discussed, so I have few qualms not quenched by the lateness of the hour. [I am also going to attempt to write this without directly going back to TvTropes, or quite frankly I will never finish this....never mind, too late]
Why TvTropes?
Because it doesn't really exist. Honestly. On one hand, we have someone who has read TvTropes. On the other, we have an english major. Try analytically discussing some popular tv show, and I guarantee that the two will have issues communicating. Why?
Because the following paragraph includes phrases and words which don't exist outside of the collective conciousness of those who have read TvTropes, or talked to someone who has. Admittedly, some things are borrowed from reality and are actual phrases, others are fairly obvious and thus inferential (ie: the Magnificent Bastard or Cool Old Guy trope)
The Dumbledore is an apparent contradiction, a sagacious figure who seems eccentric and possibly even foolish, a font of power and respectability who acts like comic relief. Quite possibly, The Dumbledore is too wise and self-assured to care what anyone else thinks. Then again, maybe they're just resting on their laurels. Typically The Dumbledore is an older male character, connected to the back story, who acts as a sort of mentor, protector, or guide. They often feign senility and weakness when it is useful to do so, and rarely take pains to avoid such an appearance if it requires effort. When pushed, The Dumbledore easily demonstrates how they have earned their status. Those who underestimated them are suddenly confronted with heroic badassery, Sherlock Holmes-level insight, moral fortitude in the face of death, or simply being a step ahead of everyone else. Due to their age, wisdom, and conviction, they fear death far less than a loss of integrity. Combines aspects of Cool Old Guy, The Obi-Wan, Old Master (sometimes), Crouching Moron Hidden Badass, Bunny Ears Lawyer, often Cloudcuckoolander, and Zen Survivor into one cranky, tough old biscuit. They may fill any of a number of mentor roles, such as Trickster Mentor or Reasonable Authority Figure, related to their personality and their role in the story. As such, no matter how much power they have, they want the heroes to solve the problem... ...which The Heroes may have to, courtesy of the Mentor Occupational Hazard. Compare with The Wonka."
11 links....and... dear heavens, what exactly is a Bunny Ears Lawyer or a Cloudcuckoolander or a Mentor Occupational Hazard? I'm not sure, but once I click the links I'm sure I'll know
What is a trope?
TvTropes is perfectly fine at providing it's own definition but I'll be happy to copy and past the most vital line
"According to the Codes theory, a Code/Trope is an attempt to "give meaning to what would otherwise be a series of happenings. They are... constructs and patterns of behaviour."
Why did I pick TvTropes?
1) Collective Intelligence - underneath everything, TvTropes is a wiki. Tropes are created by anyone, anytime, anywhere. There is a community in there, and its a bit more obvious, what with the on-page discussions and asides, than say, Wikipedia
2) Links- the key to TvTropes is the links. Every trope contains links to other tropes, to references, to anything anyone considered relevant. And each of those links lead somewhere else....and it is a subtle ensnarement that leads to you look up from your screen hours later and try to remember if you last at lunch or was it possibly breakfast? Tropes live and prosper by the number of links that they generate. More links, more visibility, more life. And all the names of the tropes are used as if the reader inherently understands everything about them, but not to worry, they have links so that you can read all about them...which in turn lead to links...
3) Sheer unadulterated fascination at the mix between an almost-serious sense of scholarship, analyzing all the new media in context with the other media and the different tropes that exist......and the complete lack of any need, desire or movement for references, fact checking or quotations.
Just go to their home page, type in any series you might be following, and read down the tropes for it, and their descriptions. On the whole, the tropes are funny, accurate, and will probably reference something you're interested in, or amused by. Try it, I dare you.
Now, before I leave you for the night, I leave with a link to one of my absolute favorite pages Spanner In The Works and the opening paragraph
WAIT! Who.. How did that idiot get in here?! No! Get away from that! NOOOOO!
**BOOM**
no.. NO! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! *breaks down sobbing*
For sheer link density, combined with complete incomprehensibility and very well known and common trope, I think this is one of the top tropes.
-Lia
So, I sign onto my computer, someone mentions that yesterday was talk like a pirate day.....and TvTropes.com had updated it's homepage language accordingly- into a disturbing mix of valley girl and gangster. Now, a good 48 hours or, in internet time, over nine thousand links later, I need to come up with a post....and that's just about the only thing that is on my mind. Fortunately, it is uniquely relevant to what has been discussed, so I have few qualms not quenched by the lateness of the hour. [I am also going to attempt to write this without directly going back to TvTropes, or quite frankly I will never finish this....never mind, too late]
Why TvTropes?
Because it doesn't really exist. Honestly. On one hand, we have someone who has read TvTropes. On the other, we have an english major. Try analytically discussing some popular tv show, and I guarantee that the two will have issues communicating. Why?
Because the following paragraph includes phrases and words which don't exist outside of the collective conciousness of those who have read TvTropes, or talked to someone who has. Admittedly, some things are borrowed from reality and are actual phrases, others are fairly obvious and thus inferential (ie: the Magnificent Bastard or Cool Old Guy trope)
The Dumbledore is an apparent contradiction, a sagacious figure who seems eccentric and possibly even foolish, a font of power and respectability who acts like comic relief. Quite possibly, The Dumbledore is too wise and self-assured to care what anyone else thinks. Then again, maybe they're just resting on their laurels. Typically The Dumbledore is an older male character, connected to the back story, who acts as a sort of mentor, protector, or guide. They often feign senility and weakness when it is useful to do so, and rarely take pains to avoid such an appearance if it requires effort. When pushed, The Dumbledore easily demonstrates how they have earned their status. Those who underestimated them are suddenly confronted with heroic badassery, Sherlock Holmes-level insight, moral fortitude in the face of death, or simply being a step ahead of everyone else. Due to their age, wisdom, and conviction, they fear death far less than a loss of integrity. Combines aspects of Cool Old Guy, The Obi-Wan, Old Master (sometimes), Crouching Moron Hidden Badass, Bunny Ears Lawyer, often Cloudcuckoolander, and Zen Survivor into one cranky, tough old biscuit. They may fill any of a number of mentor roles, such as Trickster Mentor or Reasonable Authority Figure, related to their personality and their role in the story. As such, no matter how much power they have, they want the heroes to solve the problem... ...which The Heroes may have to, courtesy of the Mentor Occupational Hazard. Compare with The Wonka."
11 links....and... dear heavens, what exactly is a Bunny Ears Lawyer or a Cloudcuckoolander or a Mentor Occupational Hazard? I'm not sure, but once I click the links I'm sure I'll know
What is a trope?
TvTropes is perfectly fine at providing it's own definition but I'll be happy to copy and past the most vital line
"According to the Codes theory, a Code/Trope is an attempt to "give meaning to what would otherwise be a series of happenings. They are... constructs and patterns of behaviour."
Why did I pick TvTropes?
1) Collective Intelligence - underneath everything, TvTropes is a wiki. Tropes are created by anyone, anytime, anywhere. There is a community in there, and its a bit more obvious, what with the on-page discussions and asides, than say, Wikipedia
2) Links- the key to TvTropes is the links. Every trope contains links to other tropes, to references, to anything anyone considered relevant. And each of those links lead somewhere else....and it is a subtle ensnarement that leads to you look up from your screen hours later and try to remember if you last at lunch or was it possibly breakfast? Tropes live and prosper by the number of links that they generate. More links, more visibility, more life. And all the names of the tropes are used as if the reader inherently understands everything about them, but not to worry, they have links so that you can read all about them...which in turn lead to links...
3) Sheer unadulterated fascination at the mix between an almost-serious sense of scholarship, analyzing all the new media in context with the other media and the different tropes that exist......and the complete lack of any need, desire or movement for references, fact checking or quotations.
Just go to their home page, type in any series you might be following, and read down the tropes for it, and their descriptions. On the whole, the tropes are funny, accurate, and will probably reference something you're interested in, or amused by. Try it, I dare you.
Now, before I leave you for the night, I leave with a link to one of my absolute favorite pages Spanner In The Works and the opening paragraph
- "A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
WAIT! Who.. How did that idiot get in here?! No! Get away from that! NOOOOO!
**BOOM**
no.. NO! IT'S NOT FAIR! IT'S NOT FAIR! *breaks down sobbing*
For sheer link density, combined with complete incomprehensibility and very well known and common trope, I think this is one of the top tropes.
-Lia
A faceless vigilante
In correlation to what we have been discussing about in class this week, I thought about how the internet connects individuals to the world by opinions and how they choose to express these opinions.
Although I am not a big blogger, I do follow one blog that is very well known in “The Sims” community. Needless to say I suppose, but I’m a huge “The Sims” fan. Because of this I tend to read articles and blogs from fellow fans. This one blog in particular is my favorite and I trust it whole-heartedly because of how the blogger portrays the facts to its audience. This is what I want to discuss in my short blog for this week – what makes this blogger’s blog trust worthy to me. I believe that passion in what a blogger is writing about is definitely important, however, if there are two sides to the blog’s topic it can only be trustworthy if it presents irrefutable proof along with their opinions versus only presenting their opinions. In other words, everyone can have an opinion but for an opinion to be persuadable it needs to have proof of some kind. Of course, since the proof is presented online it does stand the chance of being forged…
The blogger that I trust most in “The Sims” community goes by the name “Coconut”. He or She has decided to remain anonymous but none the less tries to bring the “truth” about TSR (The Sims Resource) – a Sims money mongrel community – to the otherwise free Sims community. Long story short, Coconut, among fellow vigilantes have decided to voice their opinions about TSR to the open sims community. However, unlike the other vigilantes, Coconut actually uses different types of proof – such as written messages and e-mails from TSR.
In connection with the class discuss, I believe that the internet and various blogging sites allows people to connect by being able to anonymously or publicly blog about their ideas.
Here is Coconut’s Hut (His/Her Blog) if you’re interested in checking it out:
Click Here for the Link
Although I am not a big blogger, I do follow one blog that is very well known in “The Sims” community. Needless to say I suppose, but I’m a huge “The Sims” fan. Because of this I tend to read articles and blogs from fellow fans. This one blog in particular is my favorite and I trust it whole-heartedly because of how the blogger portrays the facts to its audience. This is what I want to discuss in my short blog for this week – what makes this blogger’s blog trust worthy to me. I believe that passion in what a blogger is writing about is definitely important, however, if there are two sides to the blog’s topic it can only be trustworthy if it presents irrefutable proof along with their opinions versus only presenting their opinions. In other words, everyone can have an opinion but for an opinion to be persuadable it needs to have proof of some kind. Of course, since the proof is presented online it does stand the chance of being forged…
The blogger that I trust most in “The Sims” community goes by the name “Coconut”. He or She has decided to remain anonymous but none the less tries to bring the “truth” about TSR (The Sims Resource) – a Sims money mongrel community – to the otherwise free Sims community. Long story short, Coconut, among fellow vigilantes have decided to voice their opinions about TSR to the open sims community. However, unlike the other vigilantes, Coconut actually uses different types of proof – such as written messages and e-mails from TSR.
In connection with the class discuss, I believe that the internet and various blogging sites allows people to connect by being able to anonymously or publicly blog about their ideas.
Here is Coconut’s Hut (His/Her Blog) if you’re interested in checking it out:
Click Here for the Link
Connecting over a passion
Although I was born during the era of bloggers and video-bloggers I have yet to find myself actually becoming part of this culture. That being said I do spend a good amount of time on a web forum directed towards the free-ski community of today. I suppose one could argue that forums are just another version of blogging, but I find myself more often than not just lurking (being a quiet observer) and seeking new information. The forum site is: www.newschoolers.com
I think this fits in with our class discussions of convergence and the connectivity of today's world because it creates an community in which any one and everyone around the world who enjoys a similar passion can come to discuss ideas, share media, and help others out who are just getting started. I feel that the connectivity that newschoolers creates is easily found on thousands of other sites but I chose to point this specific site out to exemplify how one hobby can be a bases on which hundreds of thousands of people can connect.
I thought this site was also very important, because in today's free-skiing world it acts as a trailblazer for the sport. What I mean by this is that the members of the forum are truly guiding the sport in the direction they want it to go by putting their input and feedback into the site. Not only are the members just regular people who like to ski but there are also pro and am skiers, along with company leaders and filmmakers. This creates a world in which the head people in the sport can listen and interact with the members that make up this worldly community.
I think this fits in with our class discussions of convergence and the connectivity of today's world because it creates an community in which any one and everyone around the world who enjoys a similar passion can come to discuss ideas, share media, and help others out who are just getting started. I feel that the connectivity that newschoolers creates is easily found on thousands of other sites but I chose to point this specific site out to exemplify how one hobby can be a bases on which hundreds of thousands of people can connect.
I thought this site was also very important, because in today's free-skiing world it acts as a trailblazer for the sport. What I mean by this is that the members of the forum are truly guiding the sport in the direction they want it to go by putting their input and feedback into the site. Not only are the members just regular people who like to ski but there are also pro and am skiers, along with company leaders and filmmakers. This creates a world in which the head people in the sport can listen and interact with the members that make up this worldly community.
Six Youtube Classics in Two Minutes
I started just doing a search for collective culture and convergence of culture and used certain keywords to find videos and articles related to what we were talking about in the previous class and by the time I found this video, I realized that it was not necessarily part of my keyword search anymore but it still relates I believe. A few posts in this blog have already posted some YouTube videos on the collective of viewers on the web and in this video we can see the same type of collective that we have been talking about. The user Gevaalt11 displays their view on the top rated videos on YouTube. As I watched the video I easily could, before the scene started, tell which video they were reenacting and I found myself looking at the embed videos afterward to get a few more good laughs. I thought this video was appropriate to our readings and thoughts on the collective and I hope you enjoy!
Exclusively.... FFFFOUND
Ffffound is a collective intelligence blog stated by graphic designers who allow users to post their favorite images that they find online. You are able to trackback to the original source to see where they found the images. Users are able to save their favorite images in-turn creating a interesting bookmarking site for inspiration. What I think makes this site interesting compared to other collective intelligence sites is that its user exclusive.
The only way someone can become a user to contribute and bookmark is to be invited by someone who is already a user. They set-up the site exclusively so that not just anyone can be a user or upload just anything that could make the site lose its integrity or turn into a pseudo photobucket or flikr blog.
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