Tag Archives: internet

Good old internet

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Please tell me what you CAN’T find on the internet.

An hour ago I signed up for a free three day trial of a “brain training program” . Sound a bit fishy doesn’t it? Well, it is dead serious friends.

I’ve come to accept the fact that I have a bad memory, especially when it comes to names and dates. It has been like that for as long as I can remember actually, I was always the one who would have no idea of who the gossip was about in High School. That wasn’t such a big loss, but now, when I’m at university, I feel quite scared that it is something that will affect my education.

So when I saw an article that said “Train your brain” I was slightly interested. According to the article it is normal to forget things, but that this can affect our social, professional and personal well being.  But fear not!

A Web-based company called Lumosity, which is designed by “some of the leading experts in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Stanford University.”
The program contains exercises that improves your memory and attention skills over time. You start of by identifying which skills you want to improve, and as the days go by the program keeps track of your progress and provides daily feedback on how you are doing.

 Most importantly, it constantly modifies and enhances the games you play to build on the strengths you are developing–much like an effective exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.

 

Hell yeah. But does it work? According to the article students who used the program (for six months) scored significally higher than students who didn’t use it.

The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness and awareness, elevated mood, and better concentration at work or while driving.

 

I decided to give it a go, since it says on their web page that all it requires is 15 minutes training every day. Even I can squeeze that in. And who can resist touching success stories on the front page?!?

I’ve been playing around with it for a while now, and it’s actually quite entertaining. What looks like child games (the animation is very childish) is actually quite challenging after a while.

I’m going to consider signing up for a year, as it is only like 6 dollars a month. Maybe it will change my life and I can function normally in conversations for once. Not to mention beating my dad in Trivial Pursuit, that is a wound that has yet to be healed..

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Books vs the internet

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I keep getting good tips from Zoe’s blog, not to mention motivation; how that girl manages her time is a mystery to me, she always have things done in time, works 3 days a week, and is one of the most social persons I know. Some days ago I came across a post about how paper is going to slowly disappear, while the internet will prevail, that is according to Weinberger.

“…now if you want to know something, you go online…if you want to make what you have learned widely accesible, you go online.” – Weinberger, Too Big to Know (PG5)

Zoe doesn’t discuss wether she thinks books (or the use of pen and paper for that matter) will disappear, but she does state that whenever she needs information about something, she turns to the internet. I agree. However, I would argue that there are certain benefits that comes with books in regards to obtaining information, or knowledge if you like.

If I need to know what the capital of Sudan is RIGHT NOW, I would not even consider looking in a book. If I had a weird ache in my back I would Google it. If  I wanted a break from, lets say, filming, I would go on www.imgur.com to watch some silly images, or to youtube for some fun videos. The internet is perfect when you need something then and there, but not necessarily if you want to really learn delve into a subject.

With the internet and social media came a slow but steady change in our attention span. The internet is encouraging skim reading, which is convenient if you just need a little bit info on e.g. The Beatles, but not so much the “in-depth” reading you get from a book. I often find it easier to focus on a reading from school when I have it printed out, and sit in a room without the computer nearby. If I’m trying to do the exact same reading on my computer, I get tempted to check if there is any updates on Facebook or Twitter, if I have any mail, if there is any interesting news, etc.

Although I am living proof that Internet “encourages” short attention span, I figured it would be a good idea to find some sources. I found an article about how for example Google, or to be specific, the way we use Google, “has altered our thinking habits. The author remarks that most of today’s internet usage habits promote disorganized and ‘scattered’ thinking.”

It goes on to explain that the amount of information that is delivered to us every time we put a search word into Google gives us what Weinberger would have defined as information overload. Oh wait, that expression is used in the article as well.
According to an article by BBC (which for some reason seem to have disappeared from the net, or changed URL) we now have, thanks to the frequent internet browsing, an attention span capacity to about 9 seconds. Try doing the god damn Certeau reading when you get distracted every ninth second!!

Researchers has found that there is a small part of out brain that functions almost like a spam filter; according to them it is

“specifically meant to sort out which information is relevant and what the brain labels “junk mail,” so to speak. If the brain is constantly bombarded with new stimuli (which is often with the current setup of the internet), it will compensate by skimming through information much more than it did with printed material such as a book.”

I don’t know if I trust this article a 100%, but I found several other articles related to the subject. Here’s a few of them:
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1312119/Facebook-internet-wire-brain-shorten-attention-span.html

- http://motherboard.vice.com/2011/2/9/attention-the-internet-is-killing-yours-a-q-a-with-rachel-dretzin

-http://cultureandcommunication.org/f09/tdm/sara-hardwick/attention-span-in-the-internet-age-information-overload-memory-and-teal-deers/

I’m just like any other 21-year-old (in this part of the world anyways), and use the internet for just about anything. I would go so far as to say that I am addicted.

It’s just something to be aware of. Try to see if it works better for you to read something on the computer or in a book/on a sheet of paper (with the computer in a different room). See if you can stagger your attention span a little bit longer.

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Participation?

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Yup yup, a quick update on how well I think I’m doing in this course.

Just to refresh your (and my) memory, here’s the first post I made about participation.
The second post contained a list of things I would have to follow in order to earn a good grade, and I think I have been doing an alright job with it. Lets double check.

1.     Attend 80 – 90% of all lectures and tutorials
So. I have missed three lectures, but only one of them should be counted. The first one I missed was because of the terror attack in Norway. If I remember correctly I did get to the lecture in time, but walked out because I started crying.
The second time ws my fault, I had a long weekend with a lot of work, and slept in. SHAME on me.
The third time was so annoying.. I’m usually five minutes late, which means I have to race as fast as I can on my bike on the way to school. This usually results in me being sweaty and tired in every lecture. On this particular day I got up a bit earlier than usual, and enjoyed riding to school without rushing. However, when I arrived (ten minutes before the lecture) it turned out that the key to my bike lock was gone. So I had to go all the way back home (20 minutes ride) and then to uni again. I did read up on what the lecture was about on other students blogs, and I also went through the slides.

I think I’ve been to every tutorial? I’m pretty sure. Yup lets just say that.

2.     If by any chance I miss a lecture, I’ll look at the notes online
Boyah, there we go, I’m checking this one. Good girl Sunni.

3.     Do all the essential readings, and not just read through it, but also understand the content.
Check, all the readings plus some more.

4.     Do 80% of the extra readings (with the same objective as nr.2)
Hah, good job, there isn’t any.. I have watched a lot of tutorials for web design online, hopefully that will count.

5.     Minimum four blog entries every week
Blogging frequently has probably been my biggest strenght in this course. Not so much in terms of academic updates, I’ve put more effort into making the blog my own. I haven’t counted, but I’m pretty sure I’ve blogged at least four times a week, often more.

6.     Understand and be able to write and publish HTML
Getting there, slowly but steady. I’m lucky to have Rosa Gollan as my hypertext partner, she seems to know quite alot about it and she has offered to help me out. However, I know far more about coding than what I did in the start of the semester.

7.     Seek information outside school, on other people’s blogs and pages relevant to the course.
Check. I never thought I would say this, but I’ve actually started reading a few blogs. It gives me inspiration to write and ideas of what to put on the blog. Like I mentioned earlier, I have also been looking at different tutorials online to help me with my coding.

8.     Work towards meeting the required learning objectives in the course guide
I would say that I’m well on my way to reach this goal. I’ve gotten a quite different look on text in relation to internet, and on internet in general; there’s a world of oppertunities there, and I think it is important to have some understanding of how it is all bound together.
However, there are still four more weeks to go, and much to learn.

So far I’m doing pretty good I’d say :)


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Dammit

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Internet keeps failing on me when I’m in my Networked Media tute! I always have to take notes and post it after I get home from school.. Annoying.

Info for the hypertext essay:

Hypertext essay. 5 pages.
Not allowed to use java script or webpages that create webpages for you.

Not supposed to makes us perfect webdesigners, but to explore the possibilities of crating a website. What can you do on the net that you cant with constant pages?
Show a way it can be put together in relation to the Annotated bibliography.

Contextualised statement. Discussion of what, why, how. Estetic desisions.
Contain 6 references, has to be page with bibliography.

Observing copyright protocols.

Group work: if you ever get a job, you’re doing group work. Fundamental part of working in the world.

The other part of the assignment: Assessment. Think about how it will be assessed to get the best product. What is being asked of me?

Research? Contextualised statement? Academic knowledge? Exhitib an understanding of internet writing? Hypertext?

Don’t copy paste all your work, consider internet as a space where your essay fits in?

Content very important. First page should communicate an idea about what the page is about. Describes the concept.
Can be visual, how? Narration. How do you want to tell it?

Concept of navigating space.

Week 1: Content concept
Week 2: Images
Week 3: Coding
Week 4: Finish Coding
Week 5: Nothing Works
Week 6: Finish?

Navigation:
Brain – Iphone – Car – Book – GPS – etc

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Mangt skal vi møte. Mangt skal vi mestre. Dagen i morgen skal bli vår beste dag.

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It seems like the clouds covering Melbourne is crying just as much as I am. The rain keeps falling down, and it is almost a small comfort. Norway is crying, and people all over the world are showing their support, in forms of words, flowers and tears.
I woke up early today so I could prepare for my classes, but ended up on the Internet again, which has been prioritised more than anything else this weekend. News about home seemed more important than sleep. The first thing that met me on all the web pages was gatherings of people all over Norway, sharing the sorrow and praying for the ones that are still lost. Ten thousands of people was gathered in front of a stage in Oslo, all holding roses, and as a shaky but beautiful voice sang “Mitt lille land” (My Little Country) all the flowers were raised high up in the sky. One of the survivors from the island massacre said, “Together the teenagers wanted to make Norway, and the world, a better place. They stood together for justice, for solidarity, for equality, and against racism. Someone tried to take this away from us, but never before have we been united like we are today”.
I can’t describe how impossibly proud I am to be Norwegian today. Despite the fear and sorrow we all feel, people are standing together to protect the elements that make Norway into what it is, and answer the terrorist not with violence, but with more humanity and democracy.

I spoke with my mum for the first time since the attack today. She told me that the unity that can be seen on pictures on the net is just a small part of the country’s recovery; every time you meet someone you know, you hug, shake hands, pat backs. People talk about the future, and how to help the survivors and the people who have lost their loved ones. No one talks about the man who is responsible. No one should.

I’m aware that this isn’t very relevant to this course, but in many ways it can be. I don’t know how I would have coped with everything if I were unable to get the news and updates through the net. I have been able to follow the developments, the numbers of people missing, the capture of the man, and last but not least, the first steps towards recovery and the endless love that is being shared in my country. It has also helped inform the world about this terrible massacre, so people can be aware of the political views of this monster, and fight against it. But of course is there both good and bad sides of it.

This man had a plan, a plan he’s been working on for maybe as much as nine years. Every photo you see in the news of him is photo’s he took knowing that they would travel around the globe. He published a manifest, which he knew people would read, and he added a video on youtube, which is some kind of short version of this manifest. He interviewed himself, wrote about his life, knowing that people would want to read it to try and understand his actions. My biggest fear is that we are doing exactly what he wants, that I’m doing exactly what he wants right now, writing about him, giving him attention. In these days it is so easy to find whatever you wish to find on the Internet, even if it should not be shared. He is able to spread his ideology, his thoughts and ideas, while being locked up in prison. In the last couple of days I have spent hours looking for every piece of information I could find about events happening, but also for information about this man. I did the mistake of looking at his youtube video, and I ask everyone who reads this to avoid it; it is not worth it.  Don’t give him the satisfaction, don’t let him win.

Mitt lille land

Mitt lille land

I want to thank everyone for the support and comfort I have been given, face to face and on Facebook.  “When one man can cause this much evil, imagine how much love we can create together”

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