Essay 6

Option 1
In Me++, William Mitchell talks about urban life and how it's defined by a series of networks and that these networks are potentially vulnerable. I believe that Mitchell has a great point and I will explain why through examples of my networked life, how it might be vulnerable and how we are becoming cyborgs.

In Me++, Mitchell explains how we have changed the way we network from a face-to-face contact to a electronic way to communicate. Mitchell states, "In the past, such networks would mostly have been maintained be face-to-face contact within a contiguous locality...Today, they are maintained through a complex mix of local face-to-face interactions, travel, mail systems, synchronous electronic contact through telephones and video links, and asynchronous electronic contact through email and similar media"(17). In my networked life, I contact people every other way besides face-to-face contact like email, text message, phone calls, Facebook, video messaging and many more networking techniques. In the film The Matrix by the Wachowski brothers, people on board the ships in the real world would make contact to the people in the matrix by making a phone call. In the film The Truman Show by Peter Weir, Truman Burbank is being filmed and broadcasted on live television all over the world. These are examples of how we advanced greatly in how we network through the years.

Mitchell discusses how networks are prone to failing and it's ripple effect in the his book Me++. He states, "The simplest way to crash a network is to block or sever a crucial link." He also states examples like an accident on the freeway or a blood clot blocks an artery. In my networked life, the computer lab in my school contains hundreds of computers that can access the internet. Hundreds of students use it at the same time. The simplicity of the internet crashing can disrupt all those student's work or whatever they might be doing. In the film The Matrix, As Trinity receives the call in the subway station to go back home, one of the agents shoots the phone preventing Neo from returning home. That network was blocked by that gun shot. In The Truman Show, a network crashed because a crucial link was disrupted. In the film, a thirty year continuous live feed to televisions around the world of "The Truman Show" was terminated because Truman Burbank was nowhere to be found. The network of the live feed was blocked by Truman's disappearance.

We are becoming more and more like cyborgs as the years progress. Mitchell discusses how he is a cuborg. He states "... disconnection would be amputation. I am part of the networks, and the networks are part of me. I show up in the directories. I am visible to Google. I link, therefore I am"(62). He considers disconnecting from the world is amputation. Disconnecting from the world can simply mean shutting off your cell phone. This brings stress upon anyone who is a cyborg. In my life, I network every day through Facebook and I do also consider it to be amputation if I am withheld from using it. This make me consider myself a cyborg. In the film The Matrix, Neo himself is a cyborg, being literally plugged in through the back of his head to enter the matrix, so his life depends on it. In the film The Truman Show, Truman Burbank life is revolved around a television show, without the show, there would not be a Truman Burbank. In which case he is a cyborg as well.

Through William Mitchell's Me++, I have giving examples of how we are cyborgs, how networked lives can be easily manipulated and how vulnerable they are. The films The Matrix and The Truman Show has great examples of these ideas. My networked life shows also that I am a cyborg.

Blog 10

I think I did fairly well on my writing process this semester. Most of the time research writers seem to face the problem of getting related resources to your topic. I think thats what i had the most problems with just because of the time constraints but otherwise always have enough time in your hands to complete your task and do a great job.

Workshop 11/12/09

I'm thinking of doing a group project with two other classmates about 2012 theories and how people feel. It might be a web pages all about it or video commentary. Interview people and see what they think about what may happen in 2012. The web page may contain videos of interviews and theories about it.

Blog 9 - Final Project Ideas

I might do a video and commentary on the philosophy behind the film Donnie Darko, if any. This would lead me towards blogging the process. The video would probably have clips from the movie and how it involves the philosophy behind time travel and such. I like idea a lot but I might consider another idea like the history and culture of kendama. A Japanese ball-and-cup toy that everyone appeals to once they get a hand on one. I mostly see it play amongst aggressive skaters. Same process here were I would make video with commentary and blog the process. I believe this process would be better because instead of doing a work for each Dr. Smith and Dr. Lucca, it appeals to both. I don't know yet on a solid topic and how I would carry it out into the Final...

Essay 3 rewrite

Do I think my life is determined by a special individual fate, or am I free to choose as a I wish? I believe that I am free to choose as I wish. Theodore Schick Jr analyses the possibility that freewill exist in The Matrix in the book The Matrix and Philosophy. Their is also the existence of freewill in my life.

I believe in freewill because I believe you have the ability to choose whatever you want to do. Back in high school, I was doing poorly in one of my classes. A passing grade on the final was a must for me in order to pass the class. In this situation I was given the choice to either study and pass or not study and fail. I ended up studying and passing for the year to advance in my high school career. Schick explains, "Even in a world where casual determination is true, knowing a prediction can lead us to its falsification." This is where he talks about the book the recorded the major events of your life up to and including past, present and future. I was determined to pass the class so I predicted if i didn't study I would fail. To lead this to its falsification I had to study. In the film The Matrix, Neo has to make a choice of freewill. He either had to save Morpheus or save himself. He Knew if he had not gone back to the Matrix, Morpheus would have died.

I was walking on a path through the woods to get to this house when I saw a swarming bee hive. Now I know that is i continue to walk the path I would get multiple stings. So I had the freewill to make a rational choice to reverse and find another route. Schick says that according to the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, "the only thing that's intrinsically valuable - good in and of itself -is ability to make rational choices."He believes that to lead a good life is not the experience you've had is what choices you have made. In the film, Neo had the freewill to make the rational choice to leap off the helicopter to catch Morpheus. He knew if he had not done so, Morpheus would have died.

Therefore, I do think everyone has the freewill to do whatever they have the desire to do. It is just how you approach your choice and the amount of will power to end in the desired outcome.

Blog 8 - Me++

Personal boundaries that define me as a person to start is my skin. It's what protects me from harmful bacteria,viruses, and basically exposing my flesh. Then going outward would be my jewelry, this can define my personality and fashion. That also includes my glasses. My cologne can be another boundary. Then depending on the weather, the amount of layers of clothes varies. This would be he boundaries of myself, but there is more. My room defines me as a person as does my apartment. I consider Astoria, the area I live in, my boundary then New York City as a whole, except Staten Island,who goes there? Besides New York I have traveled within the western hemisphere to Dallas because my sister lives there and to Brazil because I have family there. The western hemisphere is probably my last boundary.

What network connects and penetrates my boundaries starting with my skin would be food or any type of medication being swallowed by mouth. My cologne can be easily be penetrated or washed away with water. My clothes can be taken off, zippers can be opened, and buttons can be unbuttoned. Their are windows and a doors to my room because I network in and out of it and there is a door to enter and exit through my apartment. I network in and out of my neighborhood without even noticing because it has invisible boundaries. You can just walk across the street and end up on the other side of the boundary. I penetrate through the boundaries of New York simply taking a plane as I did to go to Brazil and Dallas.

Certain time structures that regulate the existence of my life could be the time I wake up everyday. And a schedule time to go to class and work. That dictates the regularity of my life.

Blog 7 - Paper Reflection

Well at first my Mid-term paper topic was the invention of the mp3 player. A week and a half prior to the due date I decided that the topic was lame and wanted to change. I changed to a more mature topic, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. It was a major setback but nothing I cant handle. First I started with a claim to my paper which was that Upton's The Jungle did have an effect on the evolution of mass media. I started buy gathering whatever information having to do with my claim. Books, Internet, and newspaper articles is what I mostly used. Then I outlined my paper according to my evidence that's proving my claim. Then basically starting the first draft. had a few people comment on it then start another draft. Finally did my final draft. Keep in mind doing this a week and a half prior to due date. Once I had my final copy of my paper in hand I could tackle my power-point part of the project. That was simple just because I used my paper as a reference. What I would probably do differently would be choosing a solid topic otherwise nothing else really. I'd say on a scale from 1-10 on my effort, 8.5. And on a scale from 1-10 on my final product, 9. Have a nice day lol