Posted: February 28th, 2013 | Author: dcosgrove | Filed under: Assignment 3 | No Comments »
I was interested in how remembrance tools are meant to map the computer’s framework into the realm of human memory to make interactions more fluid and positive. Though I did begin to wonder how necessary this would be in the future–are human brains instead fully mapping themselves into the digital framework? There is increasing research on cognitive differences for this generation growing up immersed in technology. Sophia’s comments in class about her own experience also made me wonder how much we’re in fact meeting in the middle with technology on this front.
I thought the context tags as a memory structure was a very human and “brain friendly” approach. But it also made me think about how individuals store memories differently from each other–maybe I remember how to get to school based on landmarks, where another person remembers it based on geometry. It would be interesting to personalize systems based on these difference–and possible use this as a way to experience and explore someone else’s memory framework.
Furthermore, many of my strongest memories are “tagged” not by normal, easily captured, context clues (e.g. visual, location). Instead I reference them through an emotion, or a smell, or a texture. I wonder how these triggers might be supported–and whether these ways of remembering fall to the side if they’re not reinforced by technology support while others are.
Posted: February 21st, 2013 | Author: dcosgrove | Filed under: Assignment 2 | No Comments »
I thought the authors raised a few interesting points for consideration as well as offering an informative overview of the state of AR.
First, I was interested in the everyday future of AR. Beyond the specialized applications, what could AR look like to the average person in day to day life? I like the idea that AR presents opportunities for playfulness and exploration, but find it much more likely that everyday AR will be a means for marketing and advertising. I found this possibility fairly discouraging, though the authors seem more accepting of it. We are already so immersed in advertising and it concerns me that this could provide yet another means for marketing to become more constant, subliminal, and pervasive.
The range of interactions that tactile AR might present also interests me, though it is perhaps more difficult than visual approaches to implement thoroughly at this point.
It’s also interesting to consider AR’s path to social acceptance–I expect that after some kinks it will be taken for granted, as social media generally is today. Google glass will be an interesting step in “widespread” implementation. The cultural conflicts that emerge from it may lead to new manners and social norms that facilitate its integration–though I expect Miss Manners will not approve as we stumble through the process.
Posted: February 14th, 2013 | Author: dcosgrove | Filed under: Assignment 1 | No Comments »
Kamvar
–The measured thing becomes the important thing. But some things are very difficult to measure–the ones that are easy may not be truly important to our purpose, but yet as the metric they gain value and risk becoming the purpose. How to we tie people to the purpose behind the metric instead of the metric itself? Can we? Lots of metrics (or then we have no time for anything but measuring?) There can be fame/glory in “winning” the metrics, which makes them very tempting and short-term profitable to game. (e.g. standardized tests w/NCLB) Metrics as a way to create legitimacy (becomes self-reinforcing?).
–The idea of tool-centric activism resonated with my experience in international development and environmental health. Using education as a means for change was part of the goal in both cases. In international development, tools could be a huge help (e.g. functional blackboard to teach with) yet you also often saw an excess of tools that lacked people, or tools that were poorly delivered or designed for the circumstances. For example, un-staffed medical posts and schools left totally empty or drug shipments with dosing instructions in Italian. Also, even good tools need to gain some currency in society to be fully adopted and effective; this is non-trivial.
Engelbart
“Clinical psychology seems to provide clear evidence that a large proportion of a human’s everyday activity is significantly mediated or basically prompted by unconscious mental processes that, although “natura” in a functional sense, are not rational. The observable mechanisms of these processes (observable by another, trained person) includes masking of the irrationality of the human’s actions which are so affected, so that few of us will admit that our actions might be irrational, and most of us can construct satisfying rationales for any action that may be challenged.”
–It’s interesting to consider the ways that this fundamental irrationality can be leveraged in learning (or already is? classroom management techniques, motivation, emotional side to learning)
“After all, we spend great sums for disciplines aimed at understanding and harnessing nuclear power. Why not consider developing a discipline aimed at understanding and harnessing “neural power?” In the long run, the power of the human intellect is really much the more important of the two. “
Recent Comments