internet « white male consumer

CCS was at tax cap with +4.27% (last year voters sunk a 1.8% inc.) #518vote budget cuts 17.1 staff, extracurrics, and 1/2 of sports prog

— May 15th via Twitter
#Cambridge school budget (failed 1st time last year) passes by healthy margin, 780-427; two educators win empty board seats

— May 15th via Twitter
Budgets at Hoosick Falls and Cambridge Central schools both pass, as do bus props, etc. #518vote

— May 15th via Twitter
Plenty of activity at HFCS; concert, art show, voting, and BOE meeting. Local school election results 2nite from #Cambridge & #HoosickFalls

— May 15th via Twitter
Morbid obesity kills famously fat cat - Times Union http://t.co/VuZm463y

— May 7th via Twitter
The Barackness Monster ain't buying it!

— April 25th via Twitter
Spit out that chew and get yo mouth checked foo: free oral cancer screenings thru month of April http://t.co/M5Djk6ru

— April 7th via Twitter
Building stuff was easier in the'40s: furniture store owner wants 2 rebuild 19' ladderback landmark, expects resistance http://t.co/UzJQF077

— April 7th via Twitter
Local NY municipalities largely don't heed open meeting law amendment to post info online http://t.co/2ZeCwKVs Does your's?

— April 7th via Twitter
Bennington Vt Big Bros Big Sis celebrates 25th "silver" anniversary of Bowl fer Kids event by raising $50k http://t.co/dI9PG36n

— April 2nd via Twitter

Reading: Response (Andrew)

Posted February 13th, 2007 at 11:59AM

Andrew F., The Last New Media Essay

An apt subtitle for this piece might be along these lines: “A formal essay, published on the internet, lamenting the end of the essay in the face of the internet.”

Andrew begins by butchering the traditional essay, an outmoded form of writing. The claim is then made that the weblog is the 21st century platform for nu-essay writing. He outlines several examples that take advantage of the benefits of online digital media to varying degrees. The first blog features staid, lengthy pieces that might be at home in any print book. The second features shorter posts and links to other sites on the interweb. But it still quotes extensively â€“ a holdover from print media, we are led to believe. The integration of third-party Web 2.0 wunderkinds like YouTube or Flickr is the final, most comprehensive embrace of the new digital essay.

For the most part, I feel no need to argue with Andrew’s assessment here. (What’s the point?) But I am still led back to that question of why this change is even occurring. Is it what popular society wants, or is it the result of advancing technology? A decade ago, we did not expect our internet writers to pull photos from their photo albums or videos from their favorite video site. Now that we have the ability, we clamor for it and say that it’s the natural progression of things. Of course writing must become more visually slick and engaging, focused less on big words and more on aesthetic considerations. Of course we want to dumb down the written word to the level of television. It’s so obvious in hindsight, right?

Can the de-emphasis of text really be the future of writing? Are picture books considered literary works? What if we put them online and stream music?\

The times they are a-changing.

Moving In, School, Yadda Yad

Posted August 28th, 2006 at 1:14PM

We came down to Ithaca last Wednesday to look at apartments. We found one, which I’ll write about in a later post. Then I had a few days to pack, before moving in on Saturday. The apartment wasn’t furnished, so we had to bring my bed, furniture, and a variety of odd knick-knacks for the kitchen, bathroom, etc.

My parents slept over Saturday night, then returned on Sunday. I busied myself around the house. Everything is pretty much settled, except I still need to find a chair for my desk. Going to check out the Salvation Army and the odd used furniture store here and there.

Typing this post up in the pub on-campus. Still no internet at my place, although my neighbors in the same building sometimes get a wireless signal from one of the other houses in the area. I’ll have to investigate this further â€“ my laptop doesn’t pick up any signal. Or perhaps I’ll just forgo internet at home. It’s not terrible. Forces me to do stuff other than surf the interweb. Like read newspapers.

Classes start this Wednesday. Not looking forward to it. Glad this is my last year, I’m over college. I hate people my age.

Google Self-Censors

Posted January 25th, 2006 at 8:25PM

Google’s launch of a new, self-censored search engine in China is a “black day” for freedom of expression, a leading international media watchdog says.

Reporters Without Borders joined others in asking how Google could stand up for US users’ freedoms while controlling what Chinese users can search for.

Its previous search engine for China’s fast-growing market was subject to government blocks.

The new site – Google.cn – censors itself to satisfy Beijing.

Google argues it would be more damaging to pull out of China altogether and says that in contrast to other search engines, it will inform users when access is restricted on certain search terms.

It is believed that sensitive topics are likely to include independence for Taiwan and the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, as well as human rights and democracy in China generally.

The Chinese government keeps a tight rein on the internet and what users can access through its so-called “Great Firewall”.

The BBC news site, for example, is inaccessible, while a search on Google.cn for the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement directs users to a string of condemnatory articles.

Google rivals such as Yahoo and Microsoft already use censorship in China.
…

Right. Google takes it down another peg.