Last Group of Presentations (and a Broken Phone?) -- Updated

Presentations

So, I figured I'd write this before I potentially break my G1 by installing Android 2.1 on it.

UPDATE!!! - I should have updated this after I actually updated to Android 2.1, back when someone might have actually read it. Anyway, phone is running a kind of stripped down version of Android 2.1. It's pretty good, save for the data connection issues and that it killed my beta install of Swype.

(Note: Sorry Brent, I showed up late to class and missed the first presentation. I don't feel that I'll be able to add anything to the discussion about the presentation because I'd be basing it off someone else's thoughts. So, there is no entry for Brent in this blog post.)

(Note 2: Wow, more people than I realized are no longer in this class)


Tuesday, April 27

Dan
Lee
Mike
Angel
Kristin

Thursday, April 29

Brent - Missed
Cynthia
Neil
Josh
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1 - Dan - Video Games and Virtual Communities

So, the argument I took away from Dan's presentation was about gaming communities and how they're just as much about learning as they are about hanging out. In other words, learning principles are enhanced in online environments (games) and this may account for the rise in the number of users online.

I think it is an interesting topic, but as I look at my notes I have some thoughts about the stats you're using. I think you were quoting Xbox Live user stats. How are those broken out? Is it only Gold level (those who pay a monthly/annual rate, can play online, and get demos). Do the figures include Silver level (those who have a free account, can only do voice chat and send direct messages, but can't play together online)? Are the recorded accounts just the pure number of accounts or is it the active accounts. For example, I have Gold XBL account, but my 360 broke over Christmas break and I haven't been on since (nor have I fixed it). Are people like me included in the total? It doesn't hurt your overall argument, but I think that's something that needs to be made clear.

This part of my notes is a little dicey, but you noted an "Affinity Group Principle" and how multiplayer/collaborative play in that context contributes and makes learning possible/better. Considering improvements in machine AI (see the Eureka Machine), can a artificial participant simulate that now. If not now, would an artificial player(s) (not conversationalist, but just playing) comparably contribute to learning in virtual gaming environments.

A step down from the AI thing, I was wondering if you were going to address the trial and error learning found in puzzle games. Afterall, there are many puzzle games on iPhone, MySpace, Facebook (Bejeweled Blitz) that can be played in a vacuum. Do those intersect or counter your argument/paper?

That's all I got.

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2 - Lee - Political Activism and the Perpetuation of Hate (Youtube's Unique Roles)

There's a lot to this topic and presentation. In fact, I think there's a bit too much. For example, the discussion of how fact-based discourse is "better" than emotional. There just seems to be things in the presentation that are beyond the scope of DTC 475 that I would take out. I don't have a ton of specific examples of things to remove, but if this were my topic I'd approach it this way...

We know that there are extremes on Youtube and we know there are people who are looking to spread hate/wild opinion and those looking to spread "fact-based" arguments. I would argue something like why/how YouTube is such an effective (and neutral tool) for this rather than the fine details of what various arguments are and how they are presented on Youtube.

That's not a great argument I just outlined there, but I would focus the paper on Youtube or video sharing sites and how they encourage or discourage things people want to talk about.

Fin

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3 - Mike - CYBERCRIMES! REAL VS VIRTUAL! (-- What's the Difference?)

The title is all caps because that's how I wrote it down in my notes. Strange.

Anyway, on to the presentation. Not to get all super critical right up front, but this felt kind of like a report than an argument. What we saw in the presentation was more about you can do this, that, and the other, to protect yourself from cybercrime rather than something like -- Crime is all around us. As more money and information move to the anonymous realm of cyberspace, criminals are increasingly taking advantage of these opportunities to remediate meatspace crime online.

You then outlined 3 reasons why this is. Convenience, freedom/anonymity, and growing pools of information (people and money) accessible online. You could incorporate your personal experiences into the intro section of your paper to set the table, so to speak.

Overall, I think you know what you're doing and are on an appropriate track. I just wasn't sure exactly where you were headed based on the presentation.

End of the line.

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4 - Angel - Bridging the Digital Divide Through Game-Based Learning?

I didn't really have any significant notes. Overall I thought it was an interesting argument that not only can games teach groups things, but considering the digital context, that learning process can also help bridge the digital divide.

I don't remember the specifics of your proposal so this not might be irrelevant, but I wrote down "When access != Access. Access in school vs home" In other words, when "access" isn't the same as "access" and how access in school and access at home might have different impacts on learning and ultimately the digital divide. You might have addressed that in your presentation, but my notes aren't that detailed. If you aren't covering it, you might want to touch on something like that.

Cease reading. Unless you want to read other stuff.

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5 - Kristin - Proposal: Healthy Online Presence Education

I like the idea and concept. I don't know if this was in the presentation, but I wrote that the goal of the project is to create a proposal for a program focused K-7th graders that strives to make kids effective users, safe netizens, and good stewards of net culture/communities.

I had some comment written down about the long term viability of this program. In the near term it really makes sense, but down the road, assuming cyberspace continues grow in importance and use, wouldn't something like this just be part of the standard elementary education curriculum. However, this is a proposal hat highlights a need and explains a jumping off point that could lead to other things. So, my note about this is rather pointless.

So, I had a comment, but really no comment.

---EOM---

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6 - Cynthia - Under-represented Can Be Represented in Cyberspace

I only caught the end of this presentation due to my tardiness, but based on what I saw and heard I think there is a good argument here about how cyberspace is (or can be) a space of increased diversity and this allows for representation and additional understand of various groups.

Exposure and discourse helps us find a common ground. This affordance of access to groups who are otherwise "hidden" in meatspace also gives them tools of representation they wouldn't otherwise have.

Again, I don't know what examples (and counter examples) you were looking at using, but I like the argument and it sounds good.

Halt.

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7 - Neil - The Advantage of Smartphones: Closing the Digital Divide

Similar to Derek's topic. The topic and argument sound decent, but I did have a note or two written down.

I don't know what I meant by this, but maybe it will spur something if you read it. Next to a note about your discussion of mobile use in developing countries, I wrote, "wealth as access?". I think I meant something like you could use measures like average income per capita in various countries to illustrate how as these communities get more money, they get more connected. I think this is beyond the scope of your paper, but it might help identify a financial "sweet spot" where connectivity become feasible in emerging economies. I don't know, I just wrote it..

Another comment I wrote was a potential question that might come up about your example of mobile phone loaning. That does improve access, but does it do anything to the knowledge side of the digital divide equation. Sure, someone can get online with someone else's mobile phone, but what good is that if they aren't fluent or able to participate online?

Done.

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8 - Josh - Phones and Connected Communication Tech as a Way to Affect Change in Meatspace

First of all, sorry for potentially adding extra work to your paper by bringing up SMS. Especially if you were already done.

Anyway, I felt like you're on the right track and everything.

My only concern was SMS since you brought up phones as an example and used the WTO protests in Seattle (1999). As we saw in the readings for DTC 375, SMS can effectively be used as a tool to make changes in meatspace, people can create communities in meat space by recording a list of numbers and then the community gets virtualized when the SMS part takes over.

I don't recall what examples you were linking to the WTO riots, but most if not all mobile connectivity in that case would have had to be via SMS since internet connected phones weren't viable for most people or cell networks.

I don't know, just a thought.

Stop - Hammer time.

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