Lecture 6 The Academic Study of Video Games

Lecture 6 focuses on The Academic Study of Video Games. As games are becoming popular day by day among young children, there are large concerns about social and cultural affects of video games. Lecture focuses on various types of games such as arcade, consoles, computers and mobile games. Then it talks about theoretical aspects of study of games by means of media effects and games, the persistence of effects, games and Utopia etc. Basically it talks about the video games as new form of cultural practises where youngster and teenagers spends most of time. Traditionally children and teenagers used to play outside, which involved more social interaction and physical exercise. After introduction of video games it has changed drastically. Video games has their own rules separate from real world, the game is a self-contained system of rules. The gamers follow this rule in order to play the game and as they progresses the game becomes much more difficult. Gaming world is shaped around the virtual space. Aesthetics are crucial aspect that makes games more enjoyable and popular. In some way it relates concept of virtual reality to the video games, where designer emphasis on making games more real as possible.

Task 5:

What is different about the kinds of socialising that happens in these spaces? Does the 3D aspect make much difference? 

In my opinion, IM programs such as MSN provides socialisation, which is very convenient and easy to use, in contrast the 3D aspect of socialisation on website such as ActiveWorlds appears to be more complicated. However, I was impressed by 3D dimensions on the ActiveWorlds website, which was more entertaining experience than normal MSN or Yahoo chat rooms. Even though it appears to be very far away from reality, I was impressed by 3D world more than IM programs. IM programs appears to be good way to chat in case of communicating with friends and family but to get excitement out of socialisation with strangers it seems 3D world gets my vote. There are few problems with the graphics on the computer and slow internet connection to run this 3D world but for socialisation it provides better means than IM programs. Quality of the 3D images are bit poor but its better than no fun visual of IM programs. IM programs provide some features such as web cam, which I really loved when I talk with family and friends. 3D programs are not as famous as general IM programs due to no major support from large corporation but they will gain popularity as the technology advances in this century.

Lecture 5 the concept of virtual philosophy

Lecture 5 discusses the concept of virtual philosophy. To understand the concept it uses very popular example of “Matrix”, which presented concept of future where machines dominate humans by keeping them ignorant of reality by creating virtual world. Major critique of Virtual rationality is that it keeps human away from real feeling and imaginations, people engaged in virtual world loose their sense of reality and how the real nature and world feels like. Then it talks about evolution of virtual reality from traditional technology of telegraph to modern era. Elements of virtual language use combination of sound, music and visuals to create new way to communicate.

Virtual reality is a computer-stimulated environment that enables users to interact, move and react in this stimulated environment. It provides privilege of experiencing things, which are physically difficult to experience. To deliver this experience it requires help of various hardware such as goggles, headphones, gloves and body suite to create stimulus world, which feels like real world. It involves use of various senses such as vision, sound, touch and taste and smell to create feeling of real world which is virtual. This all seems very exciting but it has its own consequences such as physiological and psychological issues. VR still has long way to go to create real life sensation in human being.

Lecture 4 the creative free culture and society

Lecture 4 discusses the creative free culture and society by means of creative commons open source software. It talks about collaboration, community and choice. Even though, emphasis on creation of free culture and open source software, there should be acknowledgement of copy right. For instance, creative commons.org is a non profit organisation dedicated to promote reasonable copyright to balance between free culture and copyright laws.
The section of open source software talks about how the software develops by contribution from various people, it’s free for everyone to contribute and use. Open source software provides freedom to use it for any purpose, understand its operations, sharing it and freedom to improve it. However, there are some restrictions that control what we can do with free software such as GNU Public License. Other type of software involves proprietary software, in which code remains confidential. This is in contrast with open source software where codes are not confidential. Thus, open source software involves more freedom to use and contribute towards development of software for common good of everyone in the society and business world.

Session 3: Tutorial - Scavenger Hunt Questions

Part 1:

 1.    What did Alan Turing wear while riding his bicycle around Bletchley Park?
I used yahoo7 as my search engine, for the first question I typed Alan Turing Clothing Bletchley Park, I have used the first search result it gave me accurate information.

Alan Turing was untidily dressed, good quality clothes mind, but no creases in them; he used a tie to hold his trousers up.
http://www.elyrunners.co.uk/Turing/history.htm
2.    On what date did two computers first communicate with each other? Where were they?
I typed time line of computer communication in search engine and the first item in the list was from the website Webopedia gave me full timeline of the computer communication and I found Oct. 1965 was the date of first Network Experiment: Directed by Larry Roberts at MIT Lincoln Lab, two computers talked to each other using packet-switching technology.

http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/timeline.asp

3.    What is Bill Gates’ birthday and what age was he when he sold his first software?
I typed Bill Gates biography in search engine and I got and article from Microsoft website to find his birthday. He was born on 28th October 1955. For the second section I typed in Bill Gate’s first software sale in yahoo7 and found that he sold his first commercially developed software for $3.000 and royalties in 1975.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/bio.mspx
http://www.answers.com/topic/bill-gates

4.    Where was the World Wide Web invented?
This was pretty easy I just typed in whole question in search engine and the first item on the list specified that World Wide Web was invented in the European Organization for Nuclear Research. I found this information on following website.
http://www.boutell.com/newfaq/history/inventedweb.html

5.    How does the power of the computer you are working on now compare with the power of a personal computer from 30 years ago?
I typed in evolution of computer in search engine. It gave me list of history of personal computer. The computer thirty years ago were from third generation (IC) and fourth Generation (microprocessor) computers. They were big and cost too much, in contrast, personal computer now a days are very affordable, compact and easy to use.
http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/recording/computer1.html#gp03

6.    What is the weight of the largest parsnip ever grown?
To find answer for this question I typed in record for largest parsnip and the first item on the list took me to website, which stated the weight of larger parsnip ever grown is 8 lb 6 oz according to Guinness Book of World Records.
http://www.vintageassessments.com/vd/rawf_2003.html

7.    When did Queensland become a state and why is the Tweed River in New South Wales?
I typed in Birth of Queensland on yahoo7 search engine and it came up with list of suggestions. I chose fourth item on the list and it says On 6 June, Queen Victoria signs the Letters Patent, approving Queensland be established as a separate colony from New South Wales, with its own representative government.
http://www.q150.com.au/AboutUs/Birth.aspx

8.    What was the weather like in south-east Queensland on 17 November 1954?
I typed in Queensland Cyclone in 1954in search engine Yahoo7. I chose the first item in the list, which took me to the website of Australian Government Bureau of Meterology. This website suggested that south east Queensland suffered from major east coast tropical cyclone on that day.
http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/cyclone/about/cyclones-eastern.shtml

9.    Why is is Lord Byron still remembered in Venice?
I typed in Lord Byron in Venice in search engine Yahoo7 and it came up with history of Lord Byron. He was one of the foremost English Romantic Poets. He contributed to the romantic genre through his poetry and his life. Because of his contribution to literature and time he spent in Venice he is still remembered in Venice.
http://www.wisegeek.com/who-is-lord-byron.htm

10.    What band did Sirhan Chapman play in and what is his real name?
I typed Sirhan Chapman musical band in search engine Yahoo7, it came up with the list and I chose the first item in the list. It took me to revolution rock website, which was the name of the band he played in. He was reluctant to give his real name.




part 2:
Search engine use key words that we type in the search box and rank the most relevant stuff as first on the list. There are some advantages of getting too much information and also some drawbacks. Some web pages does not contain the full details of the items typed in search engine, in contrast, some has more details. Thus the web pages with more details and relevance appeal to me. Google and Yahoo are my favourite search engine, they always provide me with relevant information. I love Google because It has various application such as books, images, scholar and maps.

Lecture 3 The new media and social media

Lecture 3. Discusses the new media and social media. In the beginning it describes the definition of technology and media. Technology is considered to be mechanical art and media uses technology for social and cultural communication. It goes on explaining the virtual community as the group of people, who publicly discusses with sufficient human feeling to form the webs of personal relationship. This makes people feel connected without physically being there. Internet has created social revolution by bringing people together irrespective of their geographic location, race, sex or colour. Ego-Centric Social networks emphasis on individual rather than groups of people with common interests. Web 2.0 brought a new era in the web’s history, which is more focused on user’s experience of the technology. the essential features of Web 2.0 includes organising knowledge by means of tags on posts to make users define the categories and user generated content such as photos, images and videos. It also involves open API, which enables open data sharing between services on the internet. This reduces the complication for average people to contribute to the internet; for instance, average people are not capable enough to write on the web site. Thus by creating a service that enables them to write on website easily will bring revolution to the internet.

The section on social media describes the advances in social communication due to internet by means of blogs, Social network services (Facebook, orkut…) and content sharing communities. This has changed the way people spend their time and brought them much closer to each other.

task 2

I chose this video because of its credibility. In this video Stephen Carter, who is Minister for Communication, technology and broadcasting of Britain talks about new communication technology and explains report on digital economy that it will change the future of Great Britain. It is important because it focuses on political perspective of new technology. He talks about technological advance from digitalization of the Britain. Government needs to maintain good deal of focus on digital technology because it is technological roads and rails of future. In order to succeed in future Great Britain needs to focus on digitalization on businesses. The content should be nurtured and develop this technology. He talks about introducing framework to securely use this new technology, how to place legal constraint on use of new technology. He talks about Participation, infrastructure, engagement, government responsibilities associated with digital technology. Because digital technology is virtual, Technology provides people great deal democracy by means of access, control, information, knowledge, roots to market that is liberating idea for people and nation like Great Britain.
How long have you been using these communication technologies?
I have been using internet as communication technology for about 10 years now, I’ve started using it when I was in school. It has advance to greater level since its introduction.
    * What influenced you to start using these particular technologies?  How did you find out about them?
The main influence was the convenience of using it. From home I can search any information or news at anytime. It provided me great deal of freedom to chat and talk with my friend at my own pace. I found out about them through various means, mostly by word of mouth from friends or teachers.

    * Is privacy an issue for you when using new technologies?  What do you think of companies like Facebook and Google who collect information about their users?   (How do you deal with issues around privacy?)
I think privacy is a great issue with these new technologies, as they collect our personal information, they can use it for their own benefits such as marketing and sending junk emails. They create their own database about the behavioural pattern and this can be breach of privacy laws. Especially, when some company such as Google or Facebook keeps record of all of their clients such as all of their emails, this puts us at risk in so many ways. There is no confidentiality that whatever we communicate is private.

I think it is better not to give phone number or personal contact details or home address over the internet. It is better to keep it limited to emails. Also, I avoid using credit card over internet.

    * Do you have friends whom you know only from the internet and have never met in person?   Is this different to people that you know in person? 
Of course it makes great deal of difference, my friends are my life. I usually don’t engage in internet conversation with people I don’t know. It is just for amusement of people, who don’t like to socialise in real life. Internet keeps us away from our real friends, with whom we can go out share our feelings and we know them in person. I would not trust someone over internet to care for me or help in tough times.


The other side of this might be that you don't use new communication technologies for such trivial things as socialising. Explain why you don't use them. Is it a very conscious choice? Under what circumstances do you think you would consider using them?
As I said before I like face to face communication rather than chatting on internet; however, when I am away from my family and friends I use web camera to chat with them over the internet. It gives me great encouragement to do my work when I am away from them. It makes me feel connected to them.