Sunday, December 7, 2008

Final Part 1 -- SL Partner Work with Erin

It was nighttime when we went to Capital Hill. Christmas lights and pumpkins were set around the walkways, seeming to confuse the holidays. Leaves were orange and falling from the trees. It was a very good representation of the actual area. There were memorials set up in the fashion of the Lincoln Memorial with different subject headings: stem cell research, minimum wage and energy independence were the few that we looked at. These sites offered views of the legislation and the proposals offered by both parties—democratic and republican. If you chose to go under the memorial, your avatar could sit on these hovering chairs and discuss the issue with other avatars.
Attempting to fly, we wound up in the bottom of the reflecting pool and it was really gross with leaves and debris and little ducks swimming around up top. Randomly, as we were walking through the grounds, there was an elephant standing in between memorials. It provided the option to ride and command it, so we attempted, but it would not move when we told it to. It did make that trumpet sound elephants are supposed to make. Exactly what an elephant was doing on the grounds of capital hill was something we were not quite sure of, and then we stumbled upon a donkey or a horse that also had the option of riding it around. These random animals provided a very strange twist to the area, and then we left.

We attempted to go to other real life places to see how they were represented in Second Life and the only Paris we could find easily was Paris, New York. But, it was set up the like the real Paris, with the shops, street names and the Eiffel Tower (that we couldn’t figure out how to go up). There were bikes to rent for free, but were really funny when we attempted to ride them for it looked like our avatar was running but pushing a bike… very funny graphics on that.
There were elegant looking shops, pretty streets and street lights and a few people roaming around. Most of the people wouldn’t talk, but we just explored to see what all Paris, New York offered. We were able to take a picture of the Eiffel Tower.

For my next choice I saw an option for a Cultural Arts Museum in Classical Greece and Rome, but it was very weird. There were just Parthenon look alike temples with fires burning in little pots, waterfalls and no people. There really wasn't anything to explore because everything looked the same. Down by the river we did find Hera the dog. But we got bored very quickly and moved on to Venice Beach.
Well, Venice Beach on Second Life was just like what you hear about it in real life. It looked dirty, even for a virtual place. The shops were all the same: Erotic City Night Club, Tattoos, and underwear stores were just a few examples. It is one of those places in California that is always stereotyped as a slum or a place where the young people go, and it’s easy to believe. There were more people at Venice Beach than any of the other locations we tried.
Jen and I struck up a conversation with these three guys who were talking about getting laid right before we showed up. Of course they quickly ignored each other to speak to us, asking us things like where we were from and what we were doing there. The three avatar men were easy to place in that area. One looked like a body builder, one looked like a free-spirit artist type and the other looked like a surfer, so it seemed comical that they were there. Jen and I looked a little out of place—me in my suit and Jen in her chic looking outfit. And since our avatars had the same haircuts, of course the guys were like, “Are you twins?” I quickly got bored with their conversation and roamed to find a girl riding a motor cycle, whom I awkwardly asked if I could take her picture, and I did. Jen continued talking to those three boys, a very interesting conversation.
We re-visited the Vietnam Memorial Wall. During class, we found it really interesting how people could memorialize a loved one through Second Life. Because of this, we thought we'd further explore the island. First of all, it was early morning sunrise when we arrived at the wall. This made it especially beautiful giving it some ambiance. We thought this made it seem more like reality. The idea that time passes and daylight changes to night brings a sense of continuity with the "real world." We were able to take a picture of both of us in front of the sunrise. We most particularly liked the Wall because it truly reflects and connects the real world and real feelings with that of the virtual. Many people place items such as flowers and American flags up against the wall. Your avatar is able to touch the items and see who they are honoring. We felt that this offers people a way to show their respect and memory of someone on that wall. Not all people are able to get to the actual memorial each time they want to honor someone, but they are able to find their loved one on that wall and honor them. Also, we explored the island more and found many different statues honoring different sets of soldiers. We took a picture of us standing amongst a big statue of war vets.

We also visited Harvard Law School. This was very interesting and had many different places to explore. It appeared the island was set up to hold many different law classes. This really shows just how much Second Life has permeated today's culture and society. A school as prestigious as Harvard has used this virtual world to help better their students. We felt this really showed the importance of virtual life in our own. This picture shows different signs that were advertising the meetings or lectures that took place on this island. There were different things such as classes or discussions held to court cases being played out through Second Life. A large court room was build to hold the classes mock court trials. It would be so interesting to actually hold a full discussion and something as elaborate as a trial through Second life. This picture represents what appears to be a place to hold discussions. There were many places like this that offered avatars areas to sit and gather and talk.

Our Second Life event was held at Venice Beach, which we have perviously talked about becuase we visited for one of our five islands. We liked the setting and thought it was be cool to meet and hang out there. We decided to play the movie game so that we actually had something to do. It's really neat that people can simply do anything through an event and through Second Life. It was a little difficult because we weren't friends with everyone who was coming, so we had to simply stay at the teleport landing spot so we were able to all be in the same place.
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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Final Part 2 -- Thesis

In today's society, technology has taken on such a huge role in every day life. Almost no one spends a day without interacting with one form of technology or another, and most face technology through interactions. By interacting through a technological interface or virtual world, people form an entire virtual identity. Because of the uniqueness of virtual realms, this identity is quite different than that of "real life." These virtual spaces go beyond simply e-mailing and instant messaging. Entire communities are created through the internet. Second life is a great example of how an entire lifestyle can be portrayed and lived out via the internet and technology. The virtual identity created through second life works as "a parallel life" to the person's "real life." In Julian Dibble's book, Play Money, he explores the true nature of living part of your life through virtual space. This long passage helps illustrate the very nature of how a virtual identity can parallel real life:

"I knew then that I was in trouble, and just what kind of trouble it was. Like most players, I had joked about being addicted to the game. And sometimes--after I'd lost half my work day to a four- or five-hour "lunch break" of game play or as I lay in bed actually hoping for insomnia so that I could get up and slay lizard men for a couple of hours--I wondered whether it was more than a joke. But now I saw plainly that, at least as far as certain quarters of my brain were concerned, this was more than an addiction. It was a parallel life. A career, in fact, and in some ways a career more straightforwardly rewarding than the writing career I had chosen to follow in my real life. And as long as there was room to rise in this career -- as long as there were bigger monsters to slay, bigger piles of gold to amass, and a distantly attainable day when I might have some sort of revenge on the prick who'd killed my horse--then I would go on feeling compelled to pursue it right up to the limits of the sensible."

One main point Dibble brings up is the idea of a virtual identity being a "career." He explains how through his virtual life "there is room to rise." This is very much like real life. People strive to become the best they can be and to reach their goals. That's a main reason why we do anything we do. However, in one's real life, this may turn out to be much more difficult than imagined. Dibble claims his virtual life is "more straightforwardly rewarding" than his real career. I feel this helps manifest the parallelism between life and a virtual one. People want to be rewarded for their work; they want to feel they have accomplished something. These accomplishments are very visible through a community like second life. While it is not strictly a game that one either wins or loses at, there are different ways to become an expert. Almost every island I traveled to had some sort of "mentor" there. These avatars were present to help "noobs" understand the islands. I also think they enjoy showing others how much knowledge they have of the specific place or want to explain it because they created it.

While many people do use a second life virtual identity to parallel their own life, there are many different aspects of a virtual life. I think they use it to parallel real life, which, in turn, becomes a form of escapism. Like I previously mentioned, many people want to achieve greater things and they are able to through virtual worlds. I feel that by mirroring one's own life, the virtual identity also acts as an escape. They are able to still be themselves, and live a life very similar to their "real life," but people are able to do things and be things they are unable to in real life. So even though it is a life very similar and parallel to a real one, there is a sense of retreating from society and being able to express oneself freely. I feel this is mostly noteable through the different avatars found throughout second life. My personal avatar is a picture of what I desire to look like. She has the perfect body, hair, clothes, etc. While I act like I do in real life, I am able to appear the way I wish I did, therefore escaping the doubts I have about my appearance in "real life." Also, many people create avatars with wings, multi-colored hair, animal body parts, etc to help express their personality.

As Dibble writes, "I would go on feeling compelled to pursue it right up to the limits of the sensible," many people become fully wrapped up in their virtual identity that it becomes a parallel life to their "real" one. People still function in society, but go up to the logical limit. They use virtual communities such as Second Life to supplement their outside lives. Through Second Life, people are able to mirror their own lives and, at times, even escape from them.
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Our SL Event!

Come to Venice Beach to play the movie game with me and Erin! We'll be there Thursday, Dec 4 right after class (so about 2:15) or right after Tacey and Jennie's event. Make sure you're there...the movie game is really easy, if you watch any movies at all, you can play! See you there!
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Stelarc SL Response

From the reading we have done on Stelarc, I feel that he would definitely be in favor of each individual creating a Second Life avatar. Stelarc explains that he feels the body is "obsolete." He doesn't feel the body will be able to adapt and function in the ever changing, technologically advancing society. Through this passage, Stelarc explains his view of the human body and how he believes it would be possible for it to survive and thrive:
"[The body's] survival parameters are thus very slim, and its longevity is limited. So the body with this form and with these functions is not adequate, and we should consider its redesigning, its reengineering. Do we accept the biological status quo of the body, or do we consider alternate enhancements?...This is not about utopian blueprints for perfect bodies but rather speculations on operational systems with alternate functions and forms. Perhaps ergonomically designing technology for the body is not enough. We have to design bodies to match our machines." (page 229-230)
This passage of Stelarc's found in the chapter seven interview leads me to beleive Second Life would be a promising endeavour for this artist. I feel that, while the passage goes on to talk about hollowing out the current body, by creating an entirely new one Stelarc would be pleased. He explains that "this form...is not adequate," relating that the body we have today does not match the technological advances and progress we have reached. Stelarc asserts that the lifespan of the body is quite short and it must be altered to remain functional. While I believe it's a stretch to say somehow perserve the mind and everyone create an avatar on second life, I think Stelarc would agree this would be a step in the right direction. The passage of his concludes with the idea that we need to have "bodies [that] match our machines." Considering the Internet and computerization are basically the main "machines" of today's society, it's easy to see that second life avatars or "bodies" could be ones that fit with the repetiore of machines in the current environment.
I definitely feel, however, that, through my experience with Second Life, I am not entirely ready to commit to a machine-like body or an entirely virtual universe. I have found my Second Life experience so far eye opening and challenging at the same time. The people that I have seen there are so very interesting. I believe the bodies or the avatars each individual creates for himself would impress Stelarc. However, I don't think he would appreciate the creativity behind them. He doesn't seem to focus on the individuality of each person, but the functionality. I definitely cannot imagine a life without a functioning body, but the idea that a person's life could be totally represented through an avatar in Second Life does seem somewhat plausible. From the islands we visited during class yesterday, I realized a person can do absolutely anything on Second Life. It truly is a "second" life and allows the body to take a form that fits more naturally in the ever changing technological environment that we live in today.
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Thursday, November 13, 2008

Project 3

Turing studied artificial intelligence in the 1950s. Through his essay, he explores the notion of machines thinking. He doesn't necessarily argue that machines have the capacity to think in a nonphysical sense, but he raises the question of whether machines can do what humans do--which could mean thinking. From his studies, the Turing Test was created. For a machine to pass this test, a human administrator must mistake the machine as human. Lacan creates the idea of the "mirror stage," where a person continues to form their sense of their physical self through the portrayal of themselves in interactions. Through these two studies along with other readings and discussions from our course, I can see the way identity is portrayed through chats. I chose to interact with strictly bots. I was interested in seeing the different responses each bot had and how human-like they came across as.
My first chat was with a program called Jabberwacky Chat.
I was unsure of the exact nature and intent of Jabberwacky. I had never heard of it, so wasn't sure what to expect. The website, jabberwacky.com, explained that this "chatterbot" is meant to provide conversation that simulates human interaction. The bot aims to be "entertaining, humorours, and interesting." This bot has the ability to learn, which I feel is important when attempting to pass the Turing Test. The bot takes what its chatters say and stores it to reuse them later. The stored information is used through a "contextual pattern matching techniques." To become more human and "think" like Turing asserts, I feel this is a necessary thing for a bot to do. I, personally, didn't think the bot felt very human. While it did have a sense of character, he (which I'm not sure why I say he...the bot even told me it was a woman) seemed to know very random facts and change the subject frequently. However, this does remind me of Lacan. The bot learns from what the other person says. This, then, reflects my own personality and identity back to myself. Since the bot attempts to be like its user, the user is able to get a sense of one's self.
The next chat I used was Eliza.
It appears the purpose of Eliza is to offer a "pyschiatrist-like" feel. It works like a parody of the traditional therapist session. Whatever one asks Eliza, she repeats back with a question. I definitely do not feel this bot would pass the Turing Test. She seems to be completely unable of doing what it is that humans do, like Turing suggested. Her repetiore of information is completely canned and has no oringiality. When I converesed with Jabberwacky, she was able to give me information about herself, which seemed entirely human. I asked Eliza questions, and she did not understand them at all.
Finally, I talked to Smarterchild on AIM.
I had always used Smarterchild when I was in middle school. I thought it was funny to get a rise out of or annoy a computer. I watned to look more into the Smarterchild phenomenon, so I, of course, checked out Wikipedia. I found that Smarterchild is more than I thought. Oringinally, it had been created to offer advertisements while conversing with users. Smarterchild would have access to the person's previous converstaions to find triggers of what products the user would be interested in. I think this is so much like Lacan, by understanding your persona through your appearance online. I feel that by offering a product to someone reveals to them their personality. Now that Smarterchild isn't strictly for selling and advertising products, it still attempts to find information about the users. During the beginning of my converstaion, Smarterchild asked me a few personal questions. I feel that this is to later keep up a friendship persona. I think this is definitely creating a more human bot. By recalling the things I had previously said, Smarterchild becomes very much like a human. I definitely think Smarterchild has the ability to pass the Turing Test. Their conversation flows very nicely and doesn't seem robotic or out of place. The answers to my questions actually made sense or he admitted he couldn't answer them.
This project definitely showed how human idenitity and the way we think is portrayed through robots. Through these three different "chatterbots," I realized that coversing with a robot can, at times, be very much like speaking with a human.
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Thursday, November 6, 2008

stelarc

Stelarc is a performance artist who uses technological advances to enhance the human body.
He believes the body is obsolete -- which means the body is out of date and useless.
Most of his performances include mutating his body using some form of technology or futuristic idea. He has added a third mechanical arm to his body. He has implanted a third ear on himself.
Stelarc the Monograph is a compilation of essays taking a critical look at his art.
Ch 1
Jane Goodall writes that Stelarc believes "we have brought ourselves to an evolutionary crisis point by generating a technological environment to which we cannot effectively adapt as a purely biological species." (1)
This relates to the World Transhumanist link. This organization is made up of advocates for researching technological advances that can better human life.
This idea is hard for people to grasp because it has been embedded in us through media that the advancement of technology leads to the destruction of the human race. The "paranoid scenario" has stigmitized the development of human-related technology.
Stelarc believes that technology is considered an environment and that the human bodies will be unfit for this enviorment without technological evolution.
He wants to create "hybrid humans" with the "organic and synthetic coming together." He belives that this "parasitic relationship" goes both ways.
The fear of extinction motivated Stelarc's imagination.
The third hand was operated by EMG signals from the abdominal muscles and encorporated a feedback system to create the sense of touch.
He also suspended his entire body by hooks through his skin surrounded by natural objects, such as rocks.
Stelarc's goal is unlike Darwanism because he is attempting to eliminate the struggle between technology and human life. He wants to make them work together.
Avatar: an emissary from a transcendent world--a diety incarnate or a spiritual emanation. Mythologically, it can take the guise of an uncanny double. When avatars break into the "virtual world" hysteria usually ensues. Stelar believes the opposite--"the body performs best as its image."
He split his nervous system so that one side of his body was not controlled by him. He had it wired to a touch screen in a different country and they were controlling it. He later did this via random Internet Activity.
Stelarc believes we must abandon agency, consciousness, and deliberation as we know them to evolve.
Fear and terror, however, are the least controllable instinctual reactions -- and these emotions are conjured through Stelarc's work because it breaks the idea of a "self."
Stelarc also plans to create a "talking head." It is an avatar that greets a person before they speak and then adapts the conversation--sort of like Eliza.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

google maps

Google Maps
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