Thoughts on “Why Cyberculture?” By David Bell

         The growing inventions of technology have swept the world up in the latter years of the 20^th century and have become “out of this world” so far in the 21^st century. David Bell reflects his ideas and the ideas of other theorists to explain why the earth’s growing technological advances came to be called cyberculture.

            David Bell uses the terms cybernetics, cyberspace, and cyberpunk, all words that stemmed and are all linked from cyberculture. The term cybernetics is  “the science of communication and control in living beings or machines” (60). Bell explains that a scientist, Norbert Wiener, who published many best selling books that dealt with the idea of “teleological mechanisms”, developed the term as early as the 1940s. Wiener brought about ideas and relationships between humans and machines.   To Bell, the term cyberspace is vastly imaginative and very “sci-fi” like, and believes that is how the future is meant to be. He thinks that cyberspace involves many different types of technologies such as digital animation, cell phones, medical equipment, iPods, and much more. Bell gives recognition to William Gibson, writer of Neuromancer a novel that came out of the cyberpunk genre, in coining the term cyberspace in to describe the setting of computer operation stations that characters would get linked into.  According to this reading, cyberspace involves technologies, and or humans that experience the use of these technologies.  It also involves people affected by technological advances who can tell of their experiences through stories and the use of imagery. The phrase cyberpunk goes back to the 1980s and is a word that is used in the genres of science fiction texts, and film. Its main focus is on the uses and effects of new technologies like, computers, and promotes images of cyberspace and other artificial intelligence. A prime example of cyberpunk in film is the movie Blade Runner, made in 1982.

             While terms, like cyberspace and cybernetics, are claimed by specific people, cyberculture is not. The origins are uncertain.  Bell gives us his definition as this: “cyberculture is a way of thinking about how people and digital technologies interact, how we live together… ways of life in cyberspace, or ways of life shaped by cyberspace, where cyberspace is a matrix of embedded practices and representations” (62).  I can totally understand Bell’s point of view. Cyberculture involves the evolving relationships with new technologies and humans and making it part of their culture. Bell brings up an interesting point stated by Paul Taylor. Taylor describes everyday interactions with cyberculture as “living in the gap” (63). He means that everyone utilizing technology is living in the gap, and people who do not, are living in a more archaic pre-cyberculture reality. This assertion goes along with the term, technological determinism, which is how technology and society shape each other.           

            Many people use technologies, like the computer, and are connected to the world of cyberculture. They can be active or passive. Bell seems to be urging individuals to be active members of cyberculture. He gives a lengthy list of cyberculture studies, or ways to contribute to the world of cyberculture. Part of his list includes: media studies, work on new media, multimedia, digital media, film studies, work on sci-fi cinema, digital film making, and new modes of film production (66). These are some of the cyber-based subject materials that I am learning about, or will be learning about, in future classes of my major. I am contributing to cyberculture studies right now by writing this blog. David Bell lastly, in so many words, states that the world of cyberculture is ever changing, and that even the act of theorizing it and writing about it is never set in stone or concrete, it is complex and truly amazing.  With this I fully agree!

             

               Works Cited

Bell, David. “Why Cyberculture?” A Media Studies Reader. Editor: Williams, Kevin. 2010, University Readers Inc. and Taylor & Francis Group. P. 59-69

Comm 203 The Graphic Novel as a Mode of Communication

So far in my communications and new media class, the most interesting and enjoyable project that I had the pleasure to work on was creating my own graphic novel.  At first, I was apprehensive about this assignment because I have never been a reader of comics or graphic novels.  I was worried that I might not be able to recreate the style of a classic graphic novel.  Fortunately, using the program Comic Life made this task easier for me, as did my professor’s instructions. Comic life is a really fabulous program that allows you use pictures that you either take yourself, or retrieve from the Internet.  The Comic Life program transforms these pictures to look like a drawn, or cartoon-like print. There are many page templates to choose from to fit these filtered images by stretching, and bending them to your liking.  These layouts look like the pages of a comic book.  You can put in thought and speech bubbles, and caption boxes to show the characters thoughts and dialogue. There are also many text fonts and colors to choose from.  The program has many more features, but since this was my first attempt at using it, I tried to keep the features simple so I could better focus on my story. 

While incredibly fun, my graphic novel project presented some special challenges because I choose to do my own photography using my not so well trained cats as characters. I created a fictional story called, “The Unwanted.” It is about my two cats, Pixie and Sophie.  The premise of the story is that the main human characters, Hannah and Owen (played by my boyfriend and me), want to adopt a new cat to give their existing cat, Pixie, a new playmate.  Not wanting to loose her position as her owners’ center of attention, Pixie devises several wicked plots in an “Evil Plot Book,” to force her owners to take the new cat, Sophie, to the animal shelter. “Evil will not prevail over good” is the main message or moral that I wanted to communicate in the narrative. Pixie is the evil antagonistic force that tries to prevail over Sophie, the protagonist.  Like most stories featuring a malicious plot, the bad guy, or in this case, the bad cat comes out the loser.

The amazing thing about comics is that they express themselves though pictures more than words.  While the use of words was necessary in conveying the plot of my graphic novel, not all comics are reliant on a plethora of dialogue to communicate their message.  While my graphic novel was meant to entertain, the comic-like style of a graphic novel could be used in other forms of communication. I have seen printed advertisements that utilize this style.  I’ve also been exposed to educational materials written in the style of a graphic novel.  Even Liechtenstein uses comic style images as art pieces. Using visual images, with or without, dialogue is an excellent, eye-catching way to communicate a thought or idea.  The graphic novel concept could be used to make more complex ideas simple.  For example, instructions for assembling something would be much easier for a visual learner if the directions were presented in the form a short graphic novel.  After all, a picture is worth a thousand words! 

Hit Me Up On My Facebook!

Facebook is an absolute Internet phenomenon that millions of people of all ages, especially the young, spend their free time with. Facebook is ubiquitous and infectious because it is such an amazing tool for communication.  In using Facebook people can express themselves, connect with family and friends, meet new people, enjoy entertainment, promote themselves, and even find new job opportunities.

I finally jumped on the bandwagon, and signed up to become a member of Facebook the summer of 2008 on my eighteenth birthday. I was memorized by the infinite features that it had.  The search feature allowed me to connect with old friends that I had not seen since elementary school, and friends that I see frequently by simply sending them a “friend request.” I remember when I first signed up I spent hours setting up my profile information, filling out my “interests,” choosing some “favorites,” and uploading pictures and videos for all my close friends and acquaintances to view.  The safety/ privacy settings allow you to choose who sees your profile. This gives me a feeling of security knowing that I have control over who sees my information. My security settings allow only my friends to view my profile.  It is also remarkable in the fact that it has features like instant messaging and sending personal messages, like that of an email, to someone or to many people all at once. I really appreciate those particular features because it’s a lot more personal and not out in the open for all to see. Personally, as a rather shy individual, instant messaging is a great way to get to know a person as a “follow up” icebreaker after meeting someone new.  In other words, asking if someone is on Facebook is equivalent to asking for his or her number! The personal message option is also a great way to send invitations, and make plans to hang out with friends. I usually always communicate to my friends via Facebook to confirm plans if I can’t see them in person or talk to them on the phone. It is an especially great tool for communicating with friends who don’t attend Shepherd University, or with friends who live too far away to inexpensively communicate with via telephone.

I love to write on my friends’ wall just to say hello, and keep in touch. I know it brightens my day when I receive a “hey, what’s up?” or if someone comments on my status update. Internet interactions like these make me feel like I am closer to my friends, even though they are miles away. It makes me feel happy and secure about the people I connect with.

If chatting, commenting, uploading pictures and videos, and posting isn’t enough entertainment in itself, there are always fun little quizzes and games that you can play for fun.  Although I do not partake in the games or quizzes on Facebook, connecting with my friends keep me entertained and content.  

Another great tool of Facebook is that it can serve as a virtual scrapbook.  I can look back at pictures and entries that I’ve made over the years and relive some wonderful memories with friends and family.

Facebook is a fantastic way to promote a product or business, as well. There are ads that are designed to fit your consumer personality and the Facebook user can also promote products by “liking” or “subscribing to them.  I have “liked” or subscribed to certain bands and products that I am interested in and they keep me informed of their new products and promotions. For example, I am subscribed to the Facebook pages of certain clothing stores, whenever they are having a sale, I get the news right away because it’s on my wall feed, or I know when my favorite band is going on tour.  How great is that?

Searching for jobs is an extremely bright option that is included in the many folds of Facebook. I haven’t really explored this realm of Facebook, but I am sure I will in the near future.  

Facebook is an extraordinary tool that can facilitate communication in many realms of a person’s life.  It can serve as a tool to keep in touch with friends, to preserve memories, to meet new people, to entertain, to promote one’s self or products, and can aid in a job search.  I can’t imagine life without Facebook!

The VALS Survey

       The VALS survey is used to determine your personality type as a consumer. It includes forty statements such as, “I like a lot of variety in my life,” or “I follow the latest trends in fashion.”  It then gives the survey taker the answer choices of “mostly disagree”, “somewhat disagree”, “somewhat agree” or “mostly agree.  After completing this survey, the survey taker is shown eight different areas of behaviors that reveal their consumer type.  The final results show the two main personality characteristics that supposedly suit the survey taker. These categories of personality are: innovators, thinkers, believers, achievers, strivers, experiencers, makers, and survivors. The results for my personality as a consumer revealed that I am a striver and an experiencer.

            The test results explain that strivers are fashionable and carefree. Strivers are inspired by successes, and worry about the thoughts and approval of others. Although money delineates achievement for strivers, they don’t have sufficient funds to obtain their wants. They prefer trendy products that imitate the buyers of individuals with large material assets. Many strivers look for a job rather than a career because they lack skills to move forward. Strivers are lively consumers because shopping is a social experience and shows others that they are able to purchase. As consumers, they are willing to spend as much as their financial status will permit. The other personality type I was given that goes along with being a striver was an experiencer. Experiencers are young and active in their social lives. They look for excitement and entertainment when purchasing products. They are attracted to new and exciting things!  They become excited about a product but are disinterested in it after a short period of time. The items that they purchase show that they deem having new and current items as something very important to them.

            I would agree at this point in my life that I am a striver and an experiencer to a certain degree. I am a young college student with not a lot of income. When I do have money, I tend to purchase items such as clothing, jewelry, movies, music, and concert tickets. I also enjoy spending money on meals out with my friends.  I, however, do not tend to grow tired of a product quickly after purchasing it. I am the type of person who takes great care of the items I buy and am inclined to keep them for a long period of time. I do like variety and tend to shop for unique items. I very much disagree that I am worried about the opinions and approval of others in making choices about my purchases.  I usually buy what I like, or what I think is a good value for me regardless, of the opinions of others.  Money is not the definition of success to me, as the survey indicated. I could care less about what other people think of me, and happiness defines how successful you are not income or possessions. 

            Although there are some truths to my results in the VALS survey, I think my current position as a college student with a low income and a low amount of financial responsibility helped to shape those results.  Once I am out in the real world, with my own career, my own income, and my own bills, I know my priorities are destined to change.