I Don't Want To Become A Brainless Idiot

Hmmmmmmmm... so here we are at the very last topic of DIGC202. The Internet of Things.

I've been pretty unsure about this advancement, to be honest. I am a bit of a dystopic novel fan and have read into so many ways where this kind of thing can go wrong that I really just don't know if the benefits are going to outweigh the consequences.

So firstly, for those who have not yet caught up - What is this phenomenon I'm talking about? Well - check out this video from Ericsson. "Ericsson believes that in the Networked Society, more than 50 billion things will be connected, in order to make our lives and our businesses more efficient and more enjoyable."

THE SOCIAL WEB OF THINGS

The connecting of everything to the internet will have pretty damn crazy changes in how we interact with our environment as well as how we live our lives. Everyone who has so far blogged about it sees it as a good thing and I guess so far, it hasn't been so bad. Cars with automatic window wipers, fridges that beep if you forget to close them for too long and the weird "siri" thing on the new iPhone S. It does look like the world is heading that way.

It seems so funny to me that we would want to give ordinary objects the ability to "think" and "communicate" with us. We're talking pretty extreme when you can have an MSN conversation with your HOUSE! Still, it's an interesting thing.

Some consequences:

- Unpredictability of the Internet at the best of times. We have pretty horrible internet connection as it is... I mean it probably is just because we live in Australia, but we all know how unstable the internet can be. The issues we had during group presentations on Prezi are an example of this. Like Schumpeter says, "surely it makes little sense to entrust everything from our health care to our ovens to a technology that can easily crash. We are trying to run before we can walk." We really SHOULD be working on getting consistent and stable internet connection globally before connecting everything in the world to it. 

- No more Privacy. Well, the interconnection between social networking, privacy, surveillance and power was the topic behind my major project presentation. So I have some pretty big opinions on this. Not only will the big companies and governments be able to have even MORE access to collecting information on us but commercially, businesses will know everything we do, all of our buying and living habits and use this to tailor their ads to us - Minority Report style~! Not just companies though - but amongst ourselves... we will have even more chance to monitor everyone all the time. Stalking is becoming the norm....

We are rapidly proceeding to a point where the range of data being collected can literally be used to reconstruct a person’s life. The privacy issues brought about by the Internet of Things will make concerns about our interactions on social media giants such as Facebook seem trivial by comparison. David Glance

- Our increasing reliance on technology I dunno about you, but I personally quite like to do things for myself. I am an independent person and I like to have an aspect of control in what I do. Probably why I am a PC person and not Apple. (haha ho ho) As I have said in a few comments on other people's blogs, I have not got a problem with winding down my own windows of my car (I actually prefer it) and I don't need the car to turn the headlights on when it's dark... I'm pretty sure I already know when it is dark. I already have been rather concerned because my actual handwriting has gotten rather rubbish seeing as I now type everything. I just can't help but wonder, why it is necessary for us to be so lazy? Is it really necessary for us to merely exist and have all of the objects around us do everything for us while we stand there like babbling idiots?

It kinda makes me think, no wonder in all the dystopic films/novels - the objects/machines end up revolting and rising up to take control; because we will have become idiotic mindless people who can't do anything anymore.

I know it sounds exaggerated but seriously! I just don't see the point really.

Sure, universal connectivity means the ability to act on improvements in health, food, production in a way we never thought possible. But on the other side, there is so much at stake! I just don't know....

Apple vs. Google - Basically The Best Topic Ever (if you pop in Microsoft along with the Google)

As I'm coming in a bit late with this blog - all the hype, I assumed would've died down but it looks like I'm not the only passionate lover of my chosen vessel for technology. There's some pretty dedicated Apple and PC/Google lovers out there voicing their opinions not just in our class but all over the web and in our lives.

I'll just put it out there - I do not like Apple products. I have never liked Apple products. I don't even like iPods. I have no reason not to like them. I just didn't like them because they are Apple. I'm also a Graphic Designer. So it is assumed that I will love Apple. But I don't - I just don't. I cop a bit of slack about that from other designers but I can't help how I feel. I think they look like fun, shiny, toys but I have always thought they were stupid in terms of functionality and actually getting stuff done.

Yet, people do get stuff done on them. I see them do it and it amazes me. I felt it must be me! I just can't function not having all my options laid out in front of me, with tool bars of settings of options under sub-headings with little plus tabs, and the ability to go into properties like Microsoft allows you. A Mac lets you to an extent - but it never seems to let me do what I want. I even bought myself a Macbook Pro to learn to be able to "do the stuff" on it and found it way too restricting... oh and I got a virus on it somehow straight away. Oh, and it wouldn't system upgrade at all. Oh it also liked to do this thing where the screen died:

And the service I got from Apple was crap as they permanently bent my laptop a little bit prying it open, and did not actually fix the problem because I STILL COULD NOT UPDATE! So all these people saying Apple products are SO FAST and SO EASY. It was not for me. I guess apparently I don't like change - having grown up with a PC loving father who owned an Asian computer store (you know, those really cheap ones?)  - I was taught in the ways of the PC.

Still, after a very insightful lecture on Apple vs Google by Ted last week (which I had been looking forward to for aaaages) - I now feel much more knowledgeable on both platforms. It's fascinating - the difference in ideologies and philosophies between Google and Apple.

Apple is all about being a "closed device" - a "walled garden." Why? - Firstly, A Better Experience - this is because they have completely designed your experience from start to finish making everything simple, to the point, swish and swanky. Secondly, Control - Apple acts at the gate-keeper, filtering out any malicious or 'crap" apps or anything they deem inappropriate and only allowing you things on their phone that they allow meaning a sterile, carefully policed device with less viruses. Morton Hjerde blogs about this and I particularly liked what he said here:

"The iPhone is currently a closed device with very basic functionality, but it has turned the "mobile phone world" on its head. Its a beautiful but expensive device. It does not do a lot, but what it does, it does better that anyone else. "

Google is all about being an OPEN SOURCE and FREE PLATFORM. An Open garden where they do not control the platform, content or the user. As such, there is no set standard of quality, no gatekeeper telling us what we can and can't have on our phones; Anyone can make Apps and upload it to the market (even malicious apps). The advantage? We are the ones in control, we have the choice to do what we want. We have the freedom and every opportunity is given to everyone to create more things for the platform and grow it. As Ted said, compared to Apple - which is just one company, albeit, a giant one - Android is now EVERY OTHER COMPANY working on improving the platform, apps and usability of the device.

Companies aside though, I really just love the idea that people are making and creating things for other people with the only benefit being to better the platform for themselves and others. I love the communal aspect of this - the human aspect of this - and despise the corporate philosophy of Apple which is against people working together for a common cause and better experience - instead - for dictating what users can and cannot have and for money.

I guess I am a bit of a hippy.

Financially, things get quite interesting too!  This article says that "there's money in closed systems". However, it seems that while they are indeed a very popular company making a stack of money, basically all the other phone companies are using Android as their platform (Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, Huawei etc) and thereby simultaneously work together to clock up a pretty hefty amount of sales themselves. Sure, the profit doesn't go to Google in the way Apple does but it comes in other ways. And believe it or not, it looks like Australia has FINALLY caught up with the rest of the world! Android is now beating Apple in Australia.

GO AUSTRALIA. I now have respect for you again :)

Power by Numbers, Thanks to Social Networking

I am, unfortunately, a pretty ignorant person when it comes to the news and the happenings around the world. It is not that I am not interested - but I just never seem to find out about it. I guess it would help if I watched the news or something except my television doesn't really work so I've made a mental note to try and patrol online news sites more often in a way to combat this. Regardless, what I wanted to write a bit about today is about the Social Network Revolutions (Arabsprings) and some of my thoughts.


To be honest, I knew nothing about this except that it was happening and so the lecture we had on it was a pretty big eye opener for me. It was so inspiring to hear of people who stood up and risked their lives for freedom and really brought home how lucky we are to live where we do. I thought it was amazing that some of the people who were really leading the revolutions were women who were prepared to put their faces on the internet asking people to join them in fighting for their rights in countries where women are not treated as equal to men.


I particularly liked the interactive timeline we were shown of the Middle East Protests which is a very well put together way to get an idea of how truly amazing the revolutions are. This picture also shows how amazing the revolutions are: look how many people came! The kind of political protests that happen here where a couple hundred people march along a bridge holding signs is nothing in comparison to this! This is just an uncontrollable crowd, an immense amount of people. It's amazing that they are all there, wanting the same thing, all working together. And how did it happen?

Well, Social networking. I particularly liked the quote from an anonymous protestor:

"We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate and Youtube to tell the world"

So I do believe that Social networking is an essential tool to the arabsprings; however, Morozov argues "that these digital tools are simply, well, tools, and social change continues to involve many painstaking, longer-term efforts to engage with political institutions and reform movements." I do agree with that as well.


Social Networking is just a tool albeit an amazing one. Without the people, social networking would be nothing. Without somebody actually having the courage to post a video on youtube calling for people to act, there would be no revolution. However, I think that social networking is very useful for getting a mass reaction. One person by themselves protesting can't achieve a lot usually. However, if they post something on Facebook about why they are protesting, and people like it and spread it - that can spread like wildfire. The more people are talking about it, the more people want to get involved. The more people want to get involved, the more people hear about it and in the end - EVERYONE IS ACTING when before - without social networking - people wouldn't have known about it and people wouldn't have been pushed to act. It really is quite infectious and I'm sure that while many of the people in the middle east would have felt a want to stand up for themselves, it could only have happened when they KNEW they had the full support of so many others that they can rise up together.


Power by Numbers. Thanks to Social Networking.