Start: Monday 10th
End: Tuesday 11th
My world without technology:
When faced with the idea of giving up all technology for a day, it seems like an easy task. But, its always easier said than done, as with many other things. Though, my inclination has always been towards limited use of technology, coming to college has made me dependent on it fully.This assignment wasn't exactly Walden pond, but it did help me personally to clear my head of all the stresses that accompany technology.
I was able to get out of town for a day and go up to visit a few friends at FSU. There we spent the entire day just walking around campus, talking about my second favorite thing: art history. But it wasn't simply the much needed conversation that I enjoyed, but the lack of phone calls asking me to pick up something on the way to class, or texts asking me questions that I didn't know the answer to in the first place. My day without technology was more than a day. It was a breath of fresh air.
I remember as a child, being able to lay out in the front yard and watch the clouds go by, thinking about anything and everything. That was my one day. Among the Platonic and Socratic arguments, the admiring of the beautiful architecture, and taking time to enjoy lunch with friends, were the reminders of how fast paced our lives really are with technology at hand. Our dependence on technology is a bad thing in my opinion; but then again, ive always wished to live in the 18th century. Our education has been transformed by the technology that we are forced to work with, and so will our society be changed by it. The faster the technology improves, the less time we will spend staring at the clouds, wondering where they will be tomorrow.
That is the value of a technology deficient world: happiness in simplicity.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Problem.
War.
It is a simple, unique, and completely undefinable term that impacts our lives everyday. Whether it is a "war on terror", Russians invading South Osetia, or simply african tribal warfare, it all effects the world around us. In africa there has been a war going on for 23 years; an unceasing onslaught of kidnappings and violence in Northern Uganda especially. Here, though the situation has improved politically, the social structures for the next generation is still in ruins. Invisible Children, a non-profit organization, has led the way to finding a solution to this by investing in the education of the younger gnerations now. They have rebuilt schools, spent time and money in the largest book drive ever attempted, and continue to send their "troops" of students to raise awareness all over the world. They shed light on the devestation that is still taking place long after the LRA has left the region. But despite the fact that the LRA, who has beem mostly responsible for capturing innocent children and turning them into ruthless child soldiers, has gone from Uganda, they have spread their terror to Sudan and other regions of Africa, putting an even larger group of people in jeapordy.
The issue of "Africa" is not new. AIDS and illness has been sweeping the continent for years. But it is finally this group of teens from california who founded Invisible Children, that are making a difference in some lives. Their goal is not simply to rebuild schools, but to bring back a culture and a people that have been so long plagued by war and illness. To bring them supplies that they need to live healthier lives, and to keep in touch with the friends that they make along the way.
This is an organization and a cause to live for.
It is a simple, unique, and completely undefinable term that impacts our lives everyday. Whether it is a "war on terror", Russians invading South Osetia, or simply african tribal warfare, it all effects the world around us. In africa there has been a war going on for 23 years; an unceasing onslaught of kidnappings and violence in Northern Uganda especially. Here, though the situation has improved politically, the social structures for the next generation is still in ruins. Invisible Children, a non-profit organization, has led the way to finding a solution to this by investing in the education of the younger gnerations now. They have rebuilt schools, spent time and money in the largest book drive ever attempted, and continue to send their "troops" of students to raise awareness all over the world. They shed light on the devestation that is still taking place long after the LRA has left the region. But despite the fact that the LRA, who has beem mostly responsible for capturing innocent children and turning them into ruthless child soldiers, has gone from Uganda, they have spread their terror to Sudan and other regions of Africa, putting an even larger group of people in jeapordy.
The issue of "Africa" is not new. AIDS and illness has been sweeping the continent for years. But it is finally this group of teens from california who founded Invisible Children, that are making a difference in some lives. Their goal is not simply to rebuild schools, but to bring back a culture and a people that have been so long plagued by war and illness. To bring them supplies that they need to live healthier lives, and to keep in touch with the friends that they make along the way.
This is an organization and a cause to live for.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Paper 2 directions
1. The game I have chosen, Full Spectrum Warfare, is the perfect example of the ethical delima in showing war related violence to children. Questions such as: does simply viewing acts of warfare impact the young psyche? If so, how? And what can be done to prevent them from reenacting what they do in the game?
2. Simulation games: should they be used strictly for the purpose of training employees? what other uses do they have? and what impact can they have when released to the general public?
3. Hume's view of sentimentalism is the basis for many fights against violence in the media. What basis does he have for claiming that such violence has an impact on human action? Being a humanistic theory, how does it help society process the fears and realities that come with war?
2. Simulation games: should they be used strictly for the purpose of training employees? what other uses do they have? and what impact can they have when released to the general public?
3. Hume's view of sentimentalism is the basis for many fights against violence in the media. What basis does he have for claiming that such violence has an impact on human action? Being a humanistic theory, how does it help society process the fears and realities that come with war?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Artical Responses
http://www.slideshare.net/johnnord/ethics-white708/1
The thorough analysis of the use of video games as tools i thought was very effective. This article, by way of example more than anything, showed how the ethics of the game or the person playing it can be determined only by the real goal of the game. If it was made purely for entertainment, then there are bound to be actions like in Super Mario Brothers, all of the bashing and the battling of characters, that we would never engage in during our real lives. However, not all games reveal the unethical side of humanity when played. Some simulation games are used to help reduce "on the job training" and are utilized by companies such as Cold Stone Creamery. So as a result this article shows that there is more to the video game industry than games that promote violence.
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/video-game-panel.html
Taking the evils of the video game industry to an extreme the above article mentions Hot Coffee, which is in essence a manipulated version of Grand Theft Auto. This example and many others identify the whole industry as a way to introduce unwelcome and unethical topics to the young minds of players. No doubt this multi-billion dollar industry is fueled by the very topics society wishes to be rid of, but can not be separated from them no matter how many good games they produce. There will always be the unethical, unreal, unlawful games as there will be any other media, but it, unlike other forms of media puts the player into the game, creating a danger of reenactment.
The thorough analysis of the use of video games as tools i thought was very effective. This article, by way of example more than anything, showed how the ethics of the game or the person playing it can be determined only by the real goal of the game. If it was made purely for entertainment, then there are bound to be actions like in Super Mario Brothers, all of the bashing and the battling of characters, that we would never engage in during our real lives. However, not all games reveal the unethical side of humanity when played. Some simulation games are used to help reduce "on the job training" and are utilized by companies such as Cold Stone Creamery. So as a result this article shows that there is more to the video game industry than games that promote violence.
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/video-game-panel.html
Taking the evils of the video game industry to an extreme the above article mentions Hot Coffee, which is in essence a manipulated version of Grand Theft Auto. This example and many others identify the whole industry as a way to introduce unwelcome and unethical topics to the young minds of players. No doubt this multi-billion dollar industry is fueled by the very topics society wishes to be rid of, but can not be separated from them no matter how many good games they produce. There will always be the unethical, unreal, unlawful games as there will be any other media, but it, unlike other forms of media puts the player into the game, creating a danger of reenactment.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Thesis
I. Intro
Brief description of both games
Explanation of the major issues raised by each
How the games' biases impact its credibility
II. Game one: Fatworld
Choices that the game encourages you to make.
How the realism effects the persuasive aspect of the game.
Examples of how different choices impact outcome of game.
Bias of the particular point of each outcome in each situation.
III. Game two: Pictures for Truth
Setting of the game and object of it
Freedom of choice: but introduces flawed morality
Shows bias that the game wants you to support: freedom of the press in China
IV. Conclusion
How each game produces its bias and how each issue is presented differentlySo far here is my running thesis but it still needs a bit of work:
The educational aspects of both Fatworld and Pictures for Truth are far outweighed by the biases presented; that people should live healthy lives by following the example in the game and that the journalists in China should stand up to the restrictive government in order to publish what they want.
Brief description of both games
Explanation of the major issues raised by each
How the games' biases impact its credibility
II. Game one: Fatworld
Choices that the game encourages you to make.
How the realism effects the persuasive aspect of the game.
Examples of how different choices impact outcome of game.
Bias of the particular point of each outcome in each situation.
III. Game two: Pictures for Truth
Setting of the game and object of it
Freedom of choice: but introduces flawed morality
Shows bias that the game wants you to support: freedom of the press in China
IV. Conclusion
How each game produces its bias and how each issue is presented differentlySo far here is my running thesis but it still needs a bit of work:
The educational aspects of both Fatworld and Pictures for Truth are far outweighed by the biases presented; that people should live healthy lives by following the example in the game and that the journalists in China should stand up to the restrictive government in order to publish what they want.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Video game analysis
Of the games that were listed there were several which would fit the three categories we discussed in class.
Fatworld was most definitely one of the most convincing persuasive games I have played. It transforms you into a lifelike person with real health delimas and shows you how all of your decisions in everyday life will impact health later on in life. This is a great tool for educational purposes as well. It shows through the characters, how bodily health is impacted by the food we eat and buy, the places we go (the running track), and what we do during our everyday lives (walking round town).
The Intel game was a great example of an advergame but it is also one that could be used as an educational tool. No doubt the computer technology that is used in the game is there for advertising purposes but in gaining the skills you need in order to use them and conduct business properly, you also gain knowledge of the business workplace.
Pictures for truth is also an important serious game with a persuasive twist. It brings to light the struggles of journalists in China but may show the government in a bad light because of some of the trouble the journalist has. This game fuels the ongoing debate about freedom of the press and communisim while putting you inside the country to get another view of the situation.
Fatworld was most definitely one of the most convincing persuasive games I have played. It transforms you into a lifelike person with real health delimas and shows you how all of your decisions in everyday life will impact health later on in life. This is a great tool for educational purposes as well. It shows through the characters, how bodily health is impacted by the food we eat and buy, the places we go (the running track), and what we do during our everyday lives (walking round town).
The Intel game was a great example of an advergame but it is also one that could be used as an educational tool. No doubt the computer technology that is used in the game is there for advertising purposes but in gaining the skills you need in order to use them and conduct business properly, you also gain knowledge of the business workplace.
Pictures for truth is also an important serious game with a persuasive twist. It brings to light the struggles of journalists in China but may show the government in a bad light because of some of the trouble the journalist has. This game fuels the ongoing debate about freedom of the press and communisim while putting you inside the country to get another view of the situation.
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