‘UNIVOCITY’- The new Ethio-Aesthetic Paradigm (mind map)

“Patently, art does not have a monopoly on creation, but it takes its the capacity to invent mutant coordinates to extremes and engenders unprecedented, unforeseen and unthinkable qualities of being.” Guattari, Chaosmosis.

 

‘Generative’

Week 11 Audio Blog

‘Transparency’ week 8

‘Against Transparency’

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/books-and-arts/against-transparency?page=0,0

‘A Government 2.0 idea – first, make all the functions visible.’

http://catherinestyles.com/2009/06/28/a-government-2-0-idea/

‘Twenty reasons why it’s kicking’

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/paulmason/2011/02/twenty_reasons_why_its_kicking.html

The aforementioned readings discussed the pros, cons and motivations of the ‘naked transparency model’ being implemented in society,  particularly in relation to it’s potential effects on Government reform. What resonated throughout all readings is the bipartisan nature of effects that the  “naked transparency movement,” has/will have.  Whilst  its ‘virtues and its utilities’ mirror a  global progressive movement, Lawrence Lessig in ‘Against transparency‘ states that there will be problems caused in certain facets of society if we do not ‘think critically enough’ as to where and when transparency is applied’ it may lead to confusion or worse corruption’ The point being made here being that although transparency upholds a virtuous progressive movement of solidarity it can simultaneously lead to confusion and distabilisation.

Why does transparency pose a potential threat ?

In today’s western, capitalist societies the power is  information and whoever holds, obtains, has access to data/information are key publics who are able to influence and contribute to reform or a revolt. Transparency finds its vehicle in social media technologies and it’s technique: ‘horizontalism ‘ or TRANSVERSism(ally) is able to  ‘kill vertical hierarchies spontaneously,’ or simultaneously create new models of governing and governance.

The Pro’s of Transparency and Collaboration in Government reform:

Transparency and accountability, through which government is open and transparent regarding its operations to build trust and foster accountability.

Democratic participation and engagement using social media technologies  to involve the public in government decision processes and the development of new policies.

Crowdsourcing  innovations: To facilitate crowdsourcing, the government shares data  so that the public has a platform on which to utilise their knowledge and talent to develop innovative solutions to large-scale societal issues.

Co-production, through which governments and the public jointly develop, design, and deliver government services to improve service quality.

Con’s

Accessibility barriers regarding issues with language, geographic location, technology.

Issues will arise in regards to privacy, security, and accuracy issues regarding social media technologies. i.e.personally identifiable information, security of government data and information, and accuracy of publicly available data.

Measuring the extent to which certain data are valid and reliable. i.e there is a danger of policy and decision making being based on inappropriately combined data.

The distribution of power in a networked society can blur the boundaries where government leaves off and communities begin.

What needs to be done?

There exists the need for a development of and support for research about a comprehensive policy framework to better understand the use of social media in is agency  to certain governmental functions. i.e. policy making and implementation.  Which will then require an evaluation of which practices will be the most effective and efficient  in the use of social media to deliver government information and services.

A Considerable  amount of research is needed to explore the types of services that people actually want from government through social media and the types of services they do not want to use through social media. Understanding user needs, behaviors, and expectations will be critical to the development of social media-embedded government services and resources. Furthermore Governments must evaluate the best ways to reach diverse users and non-users of social media populations through social media.

As more social media content is implemented by governments, there is a need to create and support research efforts to better understand the impacts of social media technologies on government and the public, particularly as technologies increasingly serve as agents of government-public interactions.

Bibliography:

‘Engaging the Public in Open Government: Social Media Technology and Policy for Government Transparency’ Accessed 29th April

Click to access 6.IEEE-Computer-TMSP-Government-Bertot-100817pdf.pdf

Transversally/ism

Week 5 Reality-Actual, potential and virtual

In today’s tutorial we engaged in a class discussion of what is reality? If in fact engaging in a Virtual reality fits into to what our perception of reality is?

How do you differentiate between what is real what is not? At this point of our group’s discussion a question was raised as to how how are we able to differentiate what is real if reality can be so accurately simulated?’ 

My view of  Reality is of being in a present harmonious physical and mental state, fully aware of and immersed in stimuli of your immediate physical world i.e all senses engaged. The use of the word ‘simulated’ which by its very definition is to imitate the appearance or character of, or to pretend to feel (an emotion). (dictionary.com) therefore the word reality i.e is something that is real. Real as an adjective is defined as an Actual existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed

Reality: The world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. 

A close look on these definitions reveals a correlation or rather a binary opposition  between the words ‘Reality’ and ‘Simulation’, therefore media  and its technologies ‘create or enable’ (Course reader pg 25) a different form/nature/mode of reality to be experienced. Although the way in which our senses are engaged will differ across alternate realities i.e Wii boxing as opposed to the original sport of boxing, the reality of both acts are valid within their unique contexts. However our experiences with technologies in Virtual and Augumented realities, tend to amplify one or two particular senses and sensations and at the same time can mute out others.

 Nevertheless Thus the Media’s role in alternate realities can facilitate, intervene, exploits, extend and substitute all aspects of experience.

 

Media Ecologies Week 3

This week’s readings attempted to grapple the concept of media ecology’ what it defines, describes, involves and to what degree has it impacted on human affairs. The term itself, from my understanding was loosely defined by Guattari’s  rationalisation of an ecology compromising of “three inter-connected networks existing at the scales of mind, society and the environment.” Despite the statement being made before the introduction and mass utilisation of World Wide Web,  it is more relevant and reflected in the nature of today’s media ecology. Today’s media environment is compromised of convergent and divergent technologies that require active participation, engagement and a collaborative effort in order for information and messages to be created and transmitted in society.  The traditional hierarchical model of the production and dissemination of news and information (in other words the distribution of power), has instead been replaced by more of an ‘ecosophical model…That requires an epistemological system of analysis based on an understanding of non-linear systems governed by feedback loops and non-linear causality.'(Anon, 2008 The Three Ecologies-Felix Guattari) Now more so than ever do we see a more complex and dynamic relationship between beings, objects, processes etc and the more interrelated and involved our relationships/ interactions become the more dependent we become on them. For example if we look at the complexity of today’s computer programs, technologies and the techniques by which we use them they have become far more complex in nature and functionality. Our dependency on these objects and processes has become a necessity in order for beings to keep up with the ebb and flow of society, whether it be on a micro ( personal/social) or macro (economical, political) level.  This challenges the assumption that was touched on in the week three’s lecture of our ideas about who we are that is ‘based upon a clear separation between: technology and nature, dead media archives and life, our own interior thoughts and the exteriorization of these through technology.’ This assumption neglects to acknowledge that any relationship exists between those binary oppositions and therefore assumes that our identities and perceptions are formed isolated from the world that consists of knowable objects or things, a relation that philosopher Martin Buber termed as the inescapable ‘I-It’ relation (Ich und Du, 1923).

Neil Postman lends a definition of media ecology that acknowledges not only the different elements and their interactions that form media- ecosystem but also the effects of such interactions “it looks into the matter of how media of communication affect human perception… The word ecology implies the study of environments: their structure, content, and impact on people” (Postman N, 1970).

The technological determinist’s INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION mind map

Machinic