Reading this piece reminded me of things I didn’t realize I had experience with. Most of the elements that were introduced as the disappearing aesthetics of the past like the under-construction sign and the starry background were things that I would never have known before but the general aesthetic of the signs and symbols share were reminiscent of the general digital arts that were around me when I was little- the vibrant colors, 3d looking designs, somewhat glaring effects. Although minimalism and simplicity are the keys in the modern days, I think bringing back the same comic-like aesthetic to the improved concepts of modern society can be an interesting factor that can be used to emphasize certain functions and meanings. Overall, it was interesting to find out about the creative and aesthetic symbols of the past in an organized manner and what kinds of ideas led to the creation of these symbols.
In this reading, Laurel Schwulst uses poetic metaphors to explain the different aspects of websites and how they influence themselves by both holding information and being the information itself. The author argues that it is problematic that the internet is referred to as a “cloud,” and this part was the most impressive to me. Cloud is a term used in different browsers and systems to indicate a pack of information and it is used generally with the development of internet society by reading this part I realized that I’ve never thought that this term started from a metaphor- I have just so naturally have been perceiving it as a proper noun, without questioning. She offers new metaphors that are more suitable to call the concept and those were a flock of birds or a sea of punctuation marks, to embrace the fact that each of the creative nodes is what makes up the web.
This reading argues the relationship between tools and design. The invention of new tools leads to the development of the whole society. Therefore it not only leads to the elevation in quality but also widens the spectrum of diversity to design which sometimes creates a new style or genre. Nowadays, we can choose to make something retro design because now we have more data in terms of reference and types as time goes by and now there are more choices to choose from and the tools to embody the idea accurately. The passage introduced a term that was interesting to me, WYSIWYG. It is an abbreviation for “What You See Is What You Get.” I agree with the idea and think this could be applied to the design industry and any existing knowledge. Without knowing the existence of certain mediums, it would be impossible to come up with ideas that communicate by utilizing the unique characteristics of the mediums. Understanding the functions and characteristics of computers would have provoked new inspirations and new ways of communication in design in terms of aesthetics, convenience, and practicality. Would that mean that the tools used in a design can’t be replaced in order to call it the same design?
This reading cheered me up by claiming the ideas that I agree with, relieved me of being scared of making websites, and encouraged me by helping me set some standards for my design goals. I was deeply inspired by this part in the reading that says we eventually work through the naive belief that profundity comes from complication. As a person who agrees with the idea that knowing and being able to do something doesn’t always that you should do it, I couldn’t agree more with the part “ it is fascinating that you can do that, but it’s really not what a website is supposed to do.” Also, I am still unsure of how to think of websites as a tool rather than a blank canvas. This makes sense to me in a way that I should always remember the reason and aim of the making of this website fundamentally, but I can’t imagine how I would be able to do that. I felt like this would be something that I need to work on to find the answer.
The article explains the meaning of GUI (graphical user interface) and how it is developed, and the whiteness of the screen we all know, but didn’t realize. GUI is often called “gooey,” and this was developed primarily from a project to create an accessible computer in order to lessen the burden of the developers. This then naturally led to the emergence of the “user.” I was also very surprised by the fact that whiteness is still the core of silicon valley. Although I acknowledge the early days of the engineering industry would have been white and male-based environments, I never expected such a well-known place for openness, freedom, and no restriction would still be a white-centered place. I think this is absurd, especially for this industry where their ultimate role is to develop interfaces for diverse people around the world. The part “the screen never represents something existent elsewhere but renders for the first time all things are seen, whether a reference exists prior to its representation on screen is arbitrary.” stood out to me because this helped me deepen my understanding of what a screen or a website holds both in terms of context and as a medium.
Reading this became an opportunity for me to think of what kind of design I should pursue and what I should expect from the users as a designer. There were a few parts from the reading that I could deeply relate to, and one is “There is no generic FUNCTION. FUNCTION is life. I cannot foresee FUNCTION." Form follows FUNCTION predefined by the designer, but the user can accept, reject or develop this prefabricated FUNCTION. I am interested in those objects that can be used with totally different FUNCTIONS and narrations relative to them.” I agree with the author’s opinion on how if people use the same thing for different functions, therefore it is better to create a product that could be used in various ways and could be interpreted in as many ways as possible. This would eventually lead to the expansion of accessibility of the design, too. To add to the thought, the author also mentions that man-made products no longer function simply based on their physical appearance since we live in this era of Internet but the relationship between FUNCTION and form never goes away. I acknowledge that form doesn’t follow function directly due to the invention of the microchip, but I believe that this led to the designers’ opportunity to demonstrate their creativity even more and the positive effects of getting rid of barriers in making the idea come true in real life.
Reading this made me realize that I am one of the people who believed in false information introduced in the reading about thinking that once something is posted on the internet, it lasts forever. I remember the adults telling me that every embarrassing thing I post will always follow me like a label to tell me to be thoughtful of what I put on the internet. However, through reading this piece, I learned that this actually is not true with the introduction of “link rot” and “content drift.” Link rot means when the web page you are trying to access has been overwritten, which means that the previous data has been deleted to make a space to store new data in the same place to save the cost in the era when computer storage was expensive. Content drift is worse than link rot, in a way that it is impossible to tell what you’re seeing as a result of which action. “The Web dwells in a never-ending present. It is—elementally—ethereal, ephemeral, unstable, and unreliable.” this stood out to me because even though I have acknowledged that the web is a continuously changing space, I never thought of the action I regret in the present has been in the present in the moment of posting, and it looked okay at the time. This led me to the realization that whatever I work on now would look stupid in the future and that is not because of my lack of ability or immaturity as a person- even Buzzfeed deleted more than four thousand of its staff writers’ early posts, apparently because, as time passed, they looked stupider and stupider!
Through this reading, I was able to break the process down of working with metadata and what would be the attitudes that each people should have in order to succeed in the project. The article introduces the unequal distribution of data and power due to the attributes of unethical and biased perspectives of the researchers, and the effort of DGEI and Angwin to make this right.” The identities of these makers matter, their proximity to the subject matter matters, the terms of their collaboration matter, and the leadership of the project matters,” said in the reading. I realized that I have only been thinking about how to display the data and different ways to visualize it, but thinking of the whole process of projects that deal with data, the fundamental and therefore the most important thing would be to collect the right data to work on.
This article discusses the meaning of the term cyberfeminism, how it became a thing of its own, and the choices Mindy Seu made to convey her idea. Seu made a website that is an archive of various sources regarding feminism through the internet, therefore cyberfeminism, such as projects and references. The “Index” is the term she uses for the website. She introduces “the Index” a continuous call-out and invitation to edit, “a billboard for submissions,” as she expresses in the interview. The key point of this project is the multiplicity that comes from the experience of the visitors to arrive and see a curated lens of the index from specific perspectives, she says. The way Seu called herself as a “digital hoarder” stood out to me because this expression made me realize that I might as well be a digital hoarder from the perspective of creating a web-based collection project.
This reading discusses Indigenous Futurism, which is a movement that uses science fiction and new media to consider how traditional Indigenous perspectives can be envisioned in the present and in the future. Skawennati creates a futuristic vision that folds temporalities into and upon themselves so that all moments coexist, by using contemporary technology. To convey her idea, she creates an avatar called Xox, that embodies her aspiration for indigenous people. Skawennati allowed xox to have a lot of autonomy, even letting xox stand for the artist. They now hope to effect real change in the offline world. I thought this was a great example of using the new technology with a positive influence to the world promoting development and change.
What stood out to me was the fact that Xox wants to be more like Skawennati, while Skawennati wants to be more like Xox. Reading this part was very interesting thinking about the relationship between the two subjects, a person wanting to be like a man-made thing, an avatar. Some other questions that arised in my mind while reading this was “would the avatars get as much respect as a human being in the future?” and “which is more likely to cause repulsion between ai and avatars?” Also, could the commercialization of avatars lead to changes in the appearance or outlooks of real humans? If so, how?
This article shares how online could be a space to share ideas of minorities, and some thoughts that we should keep in mind to fully utilize the web. The most important thing that Legacy Russel said during the interview was not to allow the internet to be relegated as a fantasy space, nor to think of it as a place where violence is happening, ignoring the bigger problems of the world. Following this mindset, the goal of glitch feminism is to recognize that the groups that are having a hard time surviving in the current systems and are considered unimportant are the ones that have the potential to elevate our society to its breaking point. Some parts that stood out to me while reading this were that part of being online is also thinking about how to exist within the world and that we should keep exploring and experimenting with ways to collectivize and find our voices.
This article introduces the role of alt text and what impacts it has on the accessibility of the design world. Alt text is a written description of an image posted online, which allows the visually impaired to interpret the context through a reader machine. The problem the article addresses is that alt text these days most of the time lack of description. Shannon and Bojana created a project that allows sighted people to experience what it is like to understand images just by the description in words, and also get a deeper understanding of the lack of details in the descriptions of alt texts. Even though I had some sense of what alt text is before reading this, I never thought if the extent of details was enough for people to fully understand without visual support. Reading this article made me want to pay more attention to alt texts when using images in my web projects in the future.
This article is about the environmental and social costs of our dependence on Amazon. Madeline Reddington presents a personal account of her own experience as an Amazon user, highlighting the convenience and affordability of the platform, as well as questioning the ethical implications of its business model. The reading also provides a detailed analysis of the environmental impact of Amazon's operations, including its carbon emissions, waste generation, and contribution to deforestation. Reddington also raises concerns about the company's labor practices, particularly the exploitation of workers and the use of automation to replace human jobs. I felt a connection to the part where the author says that it can be difficult to make ethical choices as a consumer in a world where convenience and low prices are prioritized, but we have a responsibility to consider the impact of our actions on the planet and on other people. Reading this made me become more mindful of my consumption habits.
This article discusses the growing trend of people who are turning towards the internet to connect with others who share their love for nature and a more sustainable way of life. The author highlights the potential of the internet to bring people with common interests and values together, even when they are geographically distant. The article also acknowledges the challenges that come with trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle, such as the high cost of land and the need for practical skills and knowledge. The author encourages readers to reflect on the intersection between technology and lifestyle choices, and how digital platforms like Are.na can help individuals connect and form digital communities centered around shared interests. She also highlights the difficulty of translating these online connections into real-world actions and also cautions the readers about the potential limitations and challenges of pursuing a more sustainable lifestyle. Reading this part "The back-to-the-land movement is a response to the fast-paced and consumerist nature of urban living and an expression of a desire for a slower, more intentional way of life" stood out to me because although I’d say I am a generation who grew up with the fast-paced society most of my life, I sometimes feel overwhelmed and think of a world where there were no smartphones, downloading music on my mp3 with my mom.
This article explores the impact of social media on society and offers a solution to the problems it presents. According to Darius Kazemi, creating our own social media platforms can address issues such as privacy concerns and algorithmic bias. Kazemi explains that social media platforms are controlled by a few large corporations, which may not always have the interests of their users in mind. The idea that "social media is not a natural monopoly, but a result of network effects and winner-takes-all dynamics" is encouraging, as it suggests that building our own platforms can challenge the dominance of existing ones and create diverse alternatives that reflect our values. The article also provides practical advice on how to build a social media platform. After reading this article, it is important to be more aware of the potential risks associated with traditional social media platforms and take steps to protect our data and privacy online.
In this reading, Shoshana Zuboff talks about how the rise of a type of capitalism called "surveillance capitalism" is causing problems for our democracy. She argues that big companies are using our personal information to try to manipulate us to buy things and do things that they want us to do. This gives them much power over us and can hurt our ability to make choices for ourselves. Zuboff says this problem has been happening gradually and slowly, so it's hard to notice. The part where she used a metaphor of a frog being boiled alive in water that's slowly getting hotter caught my eye. This problem is made worse by the fact that governments and people in charge haven't done enough to stop it from happening, and we need to do more to protect our privacy before we are fully under control. I felt the need to think about how my personal data are being used on the web and life in general and be more mindful about the exposure of personal data.The Coup We Are Not Talking About by