When I entered this class I did not expect to learn as much as I have. I have not only learned how to use a multitude of new technologies, but also I have learned about these technologies in our culture.
I have learned so much about media and the internet culture. I have NO idea that this is such of a big world, and that so many people participate in it. The class made me really think a lot about issues like Intellectual Property and peoples’ rights in regards to the technology and internet. I believe that people do have some rights to owning what is theirs, but also that it is ok to borrow and share ideas. What I mean by this is especially all forms of fan fiction are ok. The creators would not be important without their fans, and should allow them to cultivate the themes and characters further.
Reading Doctorow’s Little Brother made me really question some of my beliefs about the United States government and how it operates. Although the book was slightly unrealistic, it was a good portrayal of how technology is at use.
The hypertext projects were all certainly a great learning experience! The first project scared the hell out of me because I have never made a website before, and am pretty technologically illiterate. I managed to pull it together, although it is not the greatest looking website, and there are still portions missing because they are not working for some reason.
The second hypertext project was a great learning tool because I learned all about second life, and the dynamic of working on a group project. It was hard to not be the leader of the group, and to allow some of the other members to have control over what the machinima turned out like. My second hypertext is a vast improvement from the first one, and I think it is actually pretty good.
The third project is by far the best! I really applied the idea of having a multi layer website that unfolds in front of the reader. The site really allows you to navigate as you wish, and only read the topics that are appealing to you. The final project is 13 original web pages linked together in some fashion, as well as a few pages that are not my own. The word count is at about 2,500 original words.
The multimedia for my third project was not what I intended originally. I wanted to get testimonies from people who directly had a problem in their life due to alcohol consumption in college. As it turned out, there were no willing participants for this sort of film. I ended up having to settle for 2 people who had experienced the negative effects of drinking in college through another person. Even these 2 individuals did not want their testimonies published to YouTube, and so I had to agree to only embed the interviews into my website.
The class forum was a very useful tool not so much because of my reflections, but rather the chance to just go on and read what other people are thinking about these issues. My blogging is not ver good (I feel like) because half of the time I did not even comprehend what the reading was talking about! I tried really hard to make sense out of everything, and often found myself asking other classmates questions about the readings in order to gleam more information on the subject. |