(from post #22, social protocols)

They have a quality that uses a reward system to keep people playing them. They can use either delayed or immediate gratification so that each time the player plays and does something good or whatever, then they get a feeling of satisfaction that makes them want to do it again because this feeling does not last and must soon after be satisfied again, and the process continues.
(from post #19b, social protocols)

In the novel the media fills their heads with images of war and fighting. They watch videos of the first invasion and are made to believe that is what is going to happen. In our society we watch the news and see some pretty terrible images as well. The chances of something like that happening to us is not good, but we feel a need to prepare ourselves and live with that constantly.” (post #5, visual vs writing)

These techniques are effective because in order to get your message across it is important to make sure it can be first noticed, then understood. People tend to gravitate toward images rather than words. In other words, and image on the wall will catch your eye better than an essay. So, by using strong imagery and organized techniques, people will understand better, and hopefully take something from it.” (post #9, visual vs writing)

 The word I chose to pull from both my freewrite and from Gitlin’ s work is information. From my freewrite i used this quote, “The information is often displayed in such a way that it appears to be accurate and you may even start to question your own information in the belief that the wiki information is more probably true.” From Gitlin’s work i chose the quote, “Who in his right mind could be against information or want to be without it?” Information in both cases has similar definitions. In both cases, we are somewhat questioning information as an idea. (from post #16 , surviving)

 It doesn’t make sense to me how something can come off like accurate information yet be possibly completely wrong. Wikipedia is someting i used a lot throughout high school and it kind of upsets me to now kow how inaccurate it is, or possibly is. But i suppose the good side is how quickly the informtion grows and how much there really is. You ca find basically anything on Wikipedia. But you never really know if its true or not. (from post # 15, surviving)

hapland, #12

October 9, 2007 by kellyf89

my experience with playing Hapland was not a very good one. I also do not entirely agree with Steven Johnson’s theory. He compares these video games to coke, something that is unarguably addictive. I personally did not have an addictive experience. I got frustrated when i could not accomplish the goal, that is, figure out the game. And I got annoyed when i tried things over and over and they did not work. However i am not sitting here wondering if I would have ever figured it out and I am not about to leave and go try. I see it as a waste of time. Even if I did finish it, what does that really accomplish. There is no real reward as far as i can see. Johnson talks about how dopamine is released when we do something and it makes us feel good. I did not get much of this sensation. Its not that i didn’t like the feeling when i did figure someting out, it is just that i don’t care enough that it really matters. 

I also think that i didn’t learn much of anyhting as a result of playing this game. It did not improve my “probing” skills or teach me anything. There is not, as far as I am concerned a lot that video games can really teach you. The elements of them are mostly things like repitition and pattern recognition, and memory. I suppose these things can be useful, but by using them on an “addictive” game they are not being put to good use.

Johnson talks about how the games are not fun. and they are sometimes very hard. I agree with this, but unlike him, I cannot even begin to understand why someone would spend so much time on somehting they did not enjoy. Especially when other than a minor feeling of accomplishment there is not reward and you really have nothing to show for it. You completed a game. That really doesn’t mean anything.

I am not saying that there are no positive aspects to these games, because I am sure that there are, just that I personally would not get much out of them. I think that the idea that games do make people apathetic and passive is not entirely inaccurate. Some people get so absorbed in them that they would rather do that than go hang out with friends. To comapre games to books I will go back to the idea that games do not make you think deeply like books can. Games have to with strategy and figuring things out, not about really thinking and taking something deep from a topic.

 (social protocol, surviving)

 There was no distraction from other ideas or themes. It was very to the point. I saw a lotg of imagery. So were mildly disturbing pictures like addiction, a syringe going into someone’s arm, and skeletons, symbolizing death by media. These images are extreme, but they make a poinbt and will get noticed. Sometimes it is necessary to go to extremes if you want to get people’s attention. (blog #9, visual)

The interenet can be very helpful, almost anything can now be done on it. You can get almost any information you need as well as connect with the majority of people. However, this could also be a bad thing. If we are all so connected thenprivacy becomes an issue, as presented in scenario four. Any information on the web is not completely safe and no one really wants theirpersonalk information being accessed whether it is by the people with whom they are connecting or my possibly a government figure. (4)

So that i don’t forget the hints for the final essay exam… we should find a video- probably on youtube that resembles in some way the footage that is the subject of the novel. I could look for somehting really piecy that would remind me, or i could look at the comments under the video, which until class i was unaware that i could do, because i dont use you tube, and try to find a video that created some kind of debate, as did the video we read about.

Glitlin, Todd. Media Unlimited. New York, NY. Henry Holt and Company.

Hall, Alice. “Viewers Perceptions of Reality Programs”. Communication Quarterly. May 2006, Vol. 54 Issue 2, 191-211.

Mendible, Myra. “Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV.” Feminist Media Studies. Nov 2004, Vol 4, Issue 3, 335-338.

Reiss, Steven & Wiltz, James. Why People Watch Reality TV. Media Psychology, 2004 Vol 6, Issue 4, 363-379.

In Slideshow:

Image 1: http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f112/Hopefulheart/Reality%20TV/?action=view¤t=RealityTVCollage.gif

Image2: http://flickr.com/photos.jleveque/201359957/

Image 3: http://flick.com.photos/patrick_q/105021433/

Image4: http://flickr.com/photos/ari/10072618/

Image 5: http://flickr.com/photos/steena/232210240/

Image 6: http://flickr.com/photos/confusedvision/244668033

Image 7: http://flickr.com/photos/nesster/168228119/

Image 8: http://flickr.com/photos/aproffer/1405231110/

Image 9: http://s38.com/albums/e139.joz7/reality%20tv/?action=view¤t=forn2741.jpg

Image 10: http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/LetsRunAway13/?action=view¤t=calvin.gif

Image 11: http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d2/x_iconss_x/LJ/?action=view¤t=reality.jpg

Reality television has become very popular in our culture. It is hard to find a channel that does not air at least one show. It is everywhere! There are even Fear Factor candy and ice cream. Its increased popularity means that it is more readily available for people to watch. But is this convenience a good thing? People love to watch reality television and glorify it in popular culture, but in reality, it is helping people to rely more on vicarious experience as well as reinforcing judgment and competition among it viewers; especially its female viewers.

 A study done by Steven Reiss and James Wiltz covers the 16 basic joys according to sensitivity theory. Their theory, in simplist form, says that each person has a goal of satisfying 16 basic joys. Which joys they focus on the most are dependent on their individuality. They try to fulfill these joys via television because it is a “convenient, minimal effortmeans of experiencing the 16 joys repeatedly” (368). This experience is vicarious, and therefore not as strong as a direct experience.

As Gitlin explains in his Media Unlimited essay, people watch television in order to evoke feelings. This goes right along with experiencing joys. Giltin says, “We aim, through media, to imdulge and serve our hungers by inviting images and sounds into our lives, making them come and go with ease in a never-ending quest for stimulus and sensation” (5). Also, “Even the quest for includes the delight to be found in retrieving it- a quest, that is, for a feeling” (6).  

People tend to gravitate toward reality television due to several factors. There is the relatability factor, the competition factor and the versitility factor.

When watching reality television, people generally consider the factor that the people on teh show are ordinary people, much like themselves. The see tose people on TV and it makes them feel as if they could be them. The things they do are things that can be accomplished by anyone who is willing to put the effort.

The study done by Reiss and Wiltz showed that the majority of people who watch reality television are status- oriented. Also, the main factors they look for in a good reality show are status and competition. They like to watch people compete. According to Myra Mendible, humiliation is a key factor in a reality show. Thsi goes hand in hand with competition. People like to watch people compete and get humiliated. It makes themselves feel better. This factor increases judgements. This factor is especially prevalent in women, reality television’s biggest viewer. Women are ruthless when vying for male attention” (Hall 337). Women watch dating and other varius shows in which they judge the other women. They judge their appearance, behavior ,and status. This is a definitely negative effect. It reinforces behavior that will only degrate the female gender.

After interviewing my friend Jaylin, I was reassured of the negative effects of RTV on female viewers. She watches a good amount of RTV and is a victim of many of its effects. When I asked her why she watches RTV she said, “Its exciting, I like the drama, and personally, I would like to be on the Real World.” She admitted to judging the girls who  are on the show about their appearance and  status as wsell as comparing them to herself. She also reaffirmed the idea that reality shows have an addictive quality to them that  makes you need to watch the next episode and find out what happens.

The third factor that makes reality televison so appealing is its versitility. There is reality show out there for just about everyone. There are competitive shows for competitive people, dating shows for romantic people shows that follow lives for nosy or dramatic people, how- to shows for people who want to learn. The list goes on.

For people to get the most from their experience they may consciously ignore the fact that the shows are not entirely real. There was a major controvery after people found out that in the first season of Survivor some scenes were scripted and reshot for better angles. The show was still, however, successful after the fact and didn’t lose much popularity even though people now knew it was not entirely real. I find this a little alarming. Is watching RTV really that great?

This is an important topic to look at because reality television is becoming so widespread. It affects everyone because everyone is exposed to it. Obviously it is not the most dangerous thing ever, but such excessive viewing is not exactly a good thing.

Look to next blog post for works cited.

My thesis is that reality televison is becoming overwhelming popular, however its negative effects become increased as a result.

Main points: According to sensitivity theory, there are 16 basic goals and joys that people work to fullfill and are dependent on their individuality. These joys can be quickly and conveniently fullfilled by watching reality television. It is a vicarious experience and therefore does not satisfy as well as direct experience. – People who are status or competition oriented tend to watch RTV. These are also the main components they look for when watching.- Women are the primary viewers and its can reinforce negative competitive behavior among them; comparing and judging.

Quotes: It is a “convenient, minimal effort means of experiencing the 16 joys repeatedly” (Reiss 368)

“”true but condensed” (Huff 172).

“”humiliation is the unifying force behind a successful reality show” (Mendible 335).

“humiliation is a commodity produced specifically for entertainment purposes” (336).

“Women are ruthless when vying for male attention” (Hall 337).

1. Cayce is 32, her father dies on September 11th, 2001. She found footage and began to follow it. She has a severe allergic reaction to name brands and labels and an in-comprehensive ability to recognize urban trends.

2. The way that Cayce interacts with the footage is that she follows it and talks to Parkaboy about it and then she began to work with Boone Shu to discover its source (they are both working for Bigend). Also, being a part of the forum gives her a feeling of belonging, and makes her feel like she has a second home.

3. The reason she interacts is because it gives her something to focus on and gives her a feeling of belonging. She also does it because she is fascinated by how timeless it is, and she is trying to recognize patterns in the footage.

4.  Gitlin says, “The media has been smuggling the habit of living with the media….”  This has a lot to do with Cayce and the forum.  She constantly is coming back for more of the footage and the media is sucking her in.  Cayce sees it as a job but it is her whole life, and that is what she bases her life on.  She doesn’t realize that the media is sucking her in, she cannot even get away from it.  Todd Gitlin i saying that the media does this to us, and Cayce is a perfectly good example of what Todd Gitlin is explaining.  She is living through the “digital world.”

“Remember the whiteout, when they kiss?… Meanwhile, exhausted, baffled, but unhealthily excited, I remain, Parkaboy” (Gibson 170).

1. Parkaboy is Cayce’s footagehead buddy and they spend countless hours analyzing the incoming clips. There isn’t much known about him, except that he resides in Chicago, is fond of Cayce, and has a Progressive viewpoint.
2. He discusses the footage in the F:F:F and he emails Cayce for more elaborate analysis. As more clips are released he and fellow footagehead, Darryl, attempt to locate the creators. They come across Taki, a game designer, and create a fake female persona to attract him and extract the code which was found embedded in one of the clips. This passage is an email which Parkaboy sent to Cayce where he discusses, in depth, the watermarks which may have been embedded in other clips.
3. Parkaboy interacts with the footage because he is fascinated by its timelessness. This turns into somewhat of an obsession as his desire to find the creators grows. The prospect of eventually discovering the people who filmed it, and the reason why they released it, is what motivates him to continue. He doesn’t have an economic stake in this and is mainly driven by curiosity and the intellectual and artistic aspects.
4. The author of Media Unlimited, Todd Gitlin, would probably characterize “users” as people who search for “something we call fun, comfort, convenience, or pleasure…”(Gitlin 5) from the media. We see this in the character of Parkaboy because he is intrigued by the clips and spends his free time watching and analyzing them. Gitlin also states, “Even the quest for information includes the quest for the delight to be found in retrieving it, a quest, that is, for a feeling” (Gitlin 6). This is also evident in Parkaboy’s case because his quest to discover the meaning of the footage brings him a certain feeling of gratification. Every time he puts a piece of the puzzle together he is rewarded, even stating that he is “unhealthily excited” by their progress.

 Gibson describes two specific kinds of technology here. First, the iBook.  It is a personal cellular device for Cayce, which allows her all possible ways to get in contact Bigend, or anyone for that matter. It can obviously be programmed, as all of Bigend’s numbers are in it. The second is a cell phone. She says it is huge which could possibly look powerful but at the same time people tend to want smaller, more convenient cell phones.

If   were to compare these things to something, well cell phones obviously are existant in and of themselves, and maybe a blackbook or palmpilot  could be comparable to the iBook.

Cayce doesnt seem to be overly ecited about these things, i’m guessing they are something she is often exposed to.

 Gibson describes two specific kinds of technology here. First, the iBook.  It is a personal cellular device for Cayce, which allows her all possible ways to get in contact Bigend, or anyone for that matter. It can obviously be programmed, as all of Bigend’s numbers are in it. The second is a cell phone. She says it is huge which could possibly look powerful but at the same time people tend to want smaller, more convenient cell phones.

If   were to compare these things to something, well cell phones obviously are existant in and of themselves, and maybe a blackbook or palmpilot  could be comparable to the iBook.

Cayce doesnt seem to be overly ecited about these things, i’m guessing they are something she is often exposed to.

- Donny- he played a major role in Cayce’s life

-problematic- says something about who Cayce chooses

-Beautiful and funny- also what Cayce sees as important even if not practical

-Period of finding herself- who she is now, that people can spark certain things in her

- never really planned to- shows that she doesnt necessarily plan her life out and goes with what happens- same way she wouldn’t have usually picked Donny to begin with

- apartment on Clinton Street- possibly important location, apartment as a living establishment 

1. Beautiful and Funny- These traits are what drew Cayce to Donny so we can learn about her by her preferences and how she can ignore the practical for the beautiful. This could possibly be a theme in the novel.

2. Never really planned to- This also ahows what kind of person Cayce is and how she may value feelings of planning and practicality. It may go along with her traits needed for her carreer as well- how she notices and just knows whether or not it is appealing to her- acting on impulse.

3. Period of finding herself- This theme may seem to contradict the idea of her using feelings as a basis for action- but it was an unintentional finding herself so it wasnt really planned0 so this too could possibly be consistent with the theme that some things cannot be planned.

This quote by Jenkins is about how peple have to work together and use collective information in order to create a better finished product. This relates directly to our experience with the wiki. Most of the class used their own knowledge and put it together to make the wiki pages. My group just edited the page of another group and not only did each of us have each other’s information to discuss and build off of, but we used the page that the other group had composed as a base. We edited and slightly changed some of their ideas and also added completely new information that connected to what they were saying. They now have a chance to go back and do another edit on our added information. So, we all shared out knowledge to get a better product which was more complete and had information that was either forgotten or unnoticed by others. Because  we had somewhere to start it was easier. For instance, if someone says an idea that you had forgotten it often puts it back in your head as well as reminds you of the informatio that you can add that they may not have included themselves. The whole thing was held together by multiple sources and as Jenkins says, “mutual production.”