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Eric Wardell

Can History Be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past - 0 views

  • possessive individualism
  • A historical work without owners and with multiple, anonymous authors is thus almost unimaginable in our professional culture
  • freedom
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  • “avoid bias.”
  • Are Wikipedians good historians? As in the old tale of the blind men and the elephant, your assessment of Wikipedia as history depends a great deal on what part you touch. It also depends, as we shall see, on how you define “history.”
    • Eric Wardell
       
      A parable often used to describe the different interpretations of religion.
  • You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either commercially or noncommercially, provided … you add no other conditions whatsoever to those of this License.”
  • Wikipedia as History
  • online historical writing
  • Part of the problem is that such broad synthetic writing is not easily done collaboratively.
  • Yet what is most impressive is that Wikipedia has found unpaid volunteers to write surprisingly detailed and reliable portraits of relatively obscure historical figures—for example, 900 words on the Union general Romeyn B. Ayres.
  • whatever-centric,” they acknowledge in one of their many self-critical commentaries.
  • Wikipedia can act as a megaphone, amplifying the (sometimes incorrect) conventional wisdom.
  • great democratic triumph of Wikipedia—its demonstration that people are eager for free and accessible information resources.
  • Even Jimmy Wales, who has been more tolerant of “difficult people” than Sanger, complained about “an unfortunate tendency of disrespect for history as a professional discipline.”
  • Wikipedia's view of history is not only more anecdotal and colorful than professional history, it is also—again like much popular history—more factualist.
  • the problem of Wikipedian history is not that it disregards the facts but that it elevates them above everything else and spends too much time and energy (in the manner of many collectors) on organizing those facts into categories and lists.
  • also affect how scholarly work is produced, shared, and debated
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    This is an article that discusses the views of professional historians regarding wikipedia. I think it makes a number of interesting claims both regarding the management or historical data and wikipedia's role in promoting a particular historical paradigm.
Eric Wardell

AXE's Channel - YouTube - 1 views

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    This probably seems ridiculous that I'm sharing this, but this directly relates to a paper I wrote last semester about the rhetoric employed by AXE and now I think they're making a move that applies to this class. Here we have some combination of McLuhan's idea of media being an extension of man and we see elements of IF as people actively contribute the making of a graphic novel and then are characterized by the creators for their input all the while fusing their digital selves to some sort of global and digital AXE alliance. Imagine how difficult it would be to by a different product once you become part of their story and your digital self participates (to channel the ideas of Barry Brummett) in this particular reality.
Eric Wardell

Prometheus - Peter Weyland TED 2023 [OFFICIAL CLIP] - HD - - YouTube - 0 views

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    Considering how often we look at TED talks, I thought it might be worth including this fake TED talk used as a clip for the new Ridley Scott movie, Prometheus. I know this probably looks a little like getting off track, but I thought it was interesting that the author claims that humans have become gods through their acts of technological creation (in his case, "cyberkinetic individuals). Science fiction often does a great job extrapolating certain ideas or issues, and I think in some ways we can find links to the issue and use of Wikipedia in which we can freely take place in the act of creation or manipulation of a text and even the meaning behind the entries we change. Obviously this is not necessarily created in our own image the way a cyborg would be, but it is still using McLuhan's idea of the extension of man into the cyber world. The question we're left with here though, is whether or not we deserve the moniker of "creator" if we create anonymously.
Eric Wardell

Wikipedia - YouTube - 0 views

shared by Eric Wardell on 04 Apr 12 - Cached
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    And we know we couldn't avoid adding the thoughts of Michael Scott on the use of Wikipedia. Obviously, some of our sources seem to take a more genuine approach at propagating the veracity of Wikipedia, but the Office's use of Michael Scott as a supporter does represent people's general fear of the quality of contributor on the site.
Bonnie Thibodeau

Dante's 'Inferno' Makes A Hell Of A Video Game : NPR - 0 views

  • In the video game version, he's doing it all for love. Beatrice, a love from the real Dante's life, becomes the fictional Dante's reason for going to hell — he must rescue her from the clutches of Satan.
  • These plot twists are a far cry from the poem, which is woven with philosophical discussions and monologues about life and death.
  • Italian poet was trying to reach out to ordinary folks with his writing.
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  • maybe those Dante scholars just don't play video games.
  • impressed by the renderings of the river Styx
  • But he doesn't think you can really compare a game to a poem.
  • it's not a narrative in the way that a movie or a text or a work of literature is
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    I don't have much experience with video games (I still rock out with Sonic on my Sega Genesis), but this could be a gateway game for me. I love the concept of adapting and crossing lines of genres and mediums, but it's interesting to note some of the dramatic differences and losses that must take place in translation. In this example there are some real game changers (I'm not sorry for the pun) involving plot and narrative. It's as if Dante has suddenly been inspired by Mario and must save the princess from the castle. I wonder what the equivalent of Yoshi would look like in the 7th ring of Hell...
Eric Wardell

Get Started with My IGN - Online Gamer Community - IGN - 0 views

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    This is the social networking homepage of a online gaming website, IGN. I wanted to share this because it seems to overtly combine the gaming and social elements of social media. It also, similar to the AXE site, allows users to follow certain products and claim an identity based on what products the user owns in comparison to other members of the community. Within the site itself members have some level of gaining badges and competing by listing and comparing their games and interacting with each other. Also, on the level of competition, there are prizes available for different interactions on this site which further invokes the sense of gaming and competition.
Rachel Henderson

Just Fucking Google It - 1 views

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    This is a completely pointless website that kind of made me laugh. I'm one of those people of 50% of the time uses "Google" as a verb ("Just Google it") and who 50% of the time still asks an actual human being the question first but inevitably gets: "Well, did you Google it?" So...this isn't an article. But still kind of funny. Digital technology is certainly changing our language: Just Google it, Wiki it, I friended her the other day, when I was Pinning, I wish I had a "Like" button right now!, and so on...
Jillian Swisher

The U.S.'s Weak Legal Case Against WikiLeaks - TIME - 0 views

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    This article (which mentions the Manning situation that is the focus of the video I posted earlier today) outlines the pros and cons of prosecuting Julian Assange, the editor-in-chief and founder of WikiLeaks, for publishing and disseminating thousands of classified State Department cables on his site. The First Amendment is at the crux of this debate: "How do you draft a law that targets WikiLeaks but leaves intact our system of press freedoms?"
Jillian Swisher

Pinterest Copyright Policy vs Pinterest Terms | WebProNews - 0 views

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    According to the Terms & Conditions of Pinterest, all users must have complete ownership of everything they "pin," a condition that completely goes against the purpose of the site, or legal action can be taken against the user. Not only should this article be a wake-up call for Pinterest users (including me), but it is also an interesting addition to the conversations of copyright and ownership/distribution of digital information.
Eric Wardell

Twouble with Twitters: SuperNews! - YouTube - 0 views

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    This is a short cartoon that satirizes the experience of using twitter to communicate. It has some funny phrases including when one friend inquires about people on twitter "who are they talking to?" the other friend responds "this is how we communicate now in bite sized yippity-yap!" Once the first friend becomes extremely cynical and essentially awakens the people in the "twitter-sphere" from a zombie-like slumber, the whole reality begins to crumble. As silly as it is, it says some interesting things about social networking and the public's perception of the different forms of communication.  Also, it's worth noting that the video was made prior to some of the Iranian and Egyptian conflicts in which twitter played such an important role in empowering the masses (but is it the opiate of the masses?).
Bonnie Thibodeau

Multiple Usernames & Passwords No More: OneID Unveils Its Next-Gen Identity Service | T... - 0 views

  • our online identities are fragmented across an array of usernames, email addresses, screen names, social media accounts, passwords
  • can cause cracks in our security armor,
  • San Jose-based startup launching in beta today
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  • made possible by a combination of asymmetric cryptography, the maturity of mobile hardware/software (and their ubiquity), as well as a distributed architecture
  • won’t be exposed in the event of a central security breach.
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    Keeping track of passwords is definitely a hassle for most of us, so a service that groups all of them didn't seem far off. It will be interesting to see how this develops, and if it will catch on and be secure.
Mikenna Pierotti

A Day Made of Glass 2: Same Day. Expanded Corning Vision. - YouTube - 0 views

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    This is the second version of a promotional video made by specialty glass and ceramics company Corning Inc. I interned there in 2008. Seems to fit with a lot of McLuhan's ideas of technology becoming an extension of our bodies. I think my fingers would get sore. Also, if this is the future, would buy stock in Windex...
Mikenna Pierotti

Memories of Friends Departed Endure on Facebook - 0 views

  • The question soon came up: What do we do about his Facebook profile? We had never really thought about this before in such a personal way. Obviously, we wanted to be able to model people's relationships on Facebook, but how do you deal with an interaction with someone who is no longer able to log on? When someone leaves us, they don't leave our memories or our social network. To reflect that reality, we created the idea of "memorialized" profiles as a place where people can save and share their memories of those who've passed.We understand how difficult it can be for people to be reminded of those who are no longer with them, which is why it's important when someone passes away that their friends or family contact Facebook to request that a profile be memorialized. For instance, just last week, we introduced new types of Suggestions that appear on the right-hand side of the home page and remind people to take actions with friends who need help on Facebook. By memorializing the account of someone who has passed away, people will no longer see that person appear in their Suggestions.
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    From facebook itself on the idea of memorializing.
Martina Helfferich

Vanessa Place reads from Statement of Facts at KWH - YouTube - 0 views

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    Here is a live recording of Vanessa Place reading at the Kelly Writers House in March 2011. Vanessa Place was of course cited frequently in Kenny Goldsmith's Uncreative Writing. I think listening/watching the live reading really aids in the comprehension of his discussion of her work.
Bonnie Thibodeau

An Erotic Novel, '50 Shades of Grey,' Goes Viral With Women - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • The problem has been finding it.
  • distribution in print has been limited and sluggish, leaving bookstores deprived of copies.
  • more than 250,000 copies
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  • has come from ever-discreet e-book downloads, which have propelled “Fifty Shades of Grey” to No. 1 on the New York Times e-book fiction best-seller list
  • No. 3 position on Amazon’s best-seller list.
  • “We’re making a statement that this is bigger than one genre,”
  • “The people who are reading this are not only people who read romance. It’s gone much broader than that.”
  • “It’s taboo for women to admit that they watch pornography, but for some reason it’s O.K. to admit that they’re reading this book.”
  • habit of printing lengthy contracts and e-mail exchanges between characters in the text.
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    What strikes me as especially interesting about this book review is that it emphasizes and leads with the buzz surrounding its predominantly digital publication instead of the controversy about the popularity of hardcore erotic literature for women.
Mikenna Pierotti

Paul Conneally: Digital humanitarianism | Video on TED.com - 0 views

  • Haiti allowed us to glimpse into a future of what disaster response might look like in a hyper-connected world.” (Paul Conneally)
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    Paul Conneally describes the future of humanitarianism in a hyper-connected world. The idea of re-typing and transforming texts to tweets to websites and digital maps in disaster situations etc. seems like an act of uncreative writing--something that is, in a way, re-presenting information while at the same time creating a profound new piece of writing.
Jillian Swisher

The Secret To Pinterest's Success: We're Sick Of Each Other - 0 views

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    Since Mikenna bookmarked a New York Times article about Pinterest, I've been thinking about what makes that site different (and, in my opinion, more successful) than other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. According to this Huffington Post article, "What sets Pinterest apart and makes it so appealing is its focus on who we want to be -- not on what we're doing, where we've gone, how important we are or how beloved. While much of the content shared on existing social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare screams, 'Look at me,' Pinterest posts urge, 'Look at this.'" While I agree with that idea to some extent, I wonder if we can ever engage in social media/social networking without an air of "look at me." This made me think of Goldsmith's idea of Internet identity: "On the Internet, these tendencies move in different directions, with identity running the gamut from authenticity to total fabrication" (84). So, maybe Pinterest allows its users to create a more authentic identity for themselves while Facebook and Twitter promote more fabricated identities.
Jillian Swisher

The Ballad of Sand and Harry Soot - 1 views

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    This is the hypertextual poem by Stephanie Strickland called "The Ballad of Sand and Harry Soot," to which Hayles refers in her article "Electronic Literature: What Is It?" Hayles's idea that we must recognize "the specificity of new media without abandoning the rich resources of traditional modes of understanding language, signification, and embodied interactions with texts" is absolutely at work in this poem.
Rachel Henderson

Lawyer assesses Pinterest's copyright situation - 0 views

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    These are the kinds of risks today's digital users face without even realizing it. How many of us actually sit down with a site before registering for an account and read through the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy? Or if you do, how far do you get before you're bored to death or completely confused? This kind of stuff terrifies me. But why are we at fault? Does this mean I have to delete my Pinterest account?
Mikenna Pierotti

House Passes Controversial Cybersecurity Measure CISPA | Threat Level | Wired.com - 1 views

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    Interesting in terms of issues of ownership. Once our identities are "published" online, who owns them? Who "owns" our search histories? Google owns most of mine, I'd say, but it also allows me to supposedly delete items. Are our search histories too public now to be hidden? And who ever said we had a right to privacy on the world wide web? It does seem contradictory to the nature of a "web."
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