Trying out new toys :) (and thinking of good uses....much harder)

Internet for beginners

Just a vid I found while not revising lol- so funny!!

To be continued....

So, you’ve touched upon some of what we know about the manner in which fairly recent technological developments….the advent of the personal computer and the internet….have affected and continue to change our lives. In even such a short time, our concept of self, consciousness, morality, the way we communicate, work, socialize, play, and even fall in love has undergone a pretty radical transformation. As we (officially) close our conversations on cyberpsychology for this season (although you’re more than welcome to add stuff that you stumble across in the future; your membership in the community is permanent and I still add stuff), I thought I’d end with a few choice words from a quite brilliant article on “Human Beings: Organisms, Computers or Both?” http://www.thoughtdynasty.com/?p=7 It tackles the potential future impact of computer technology on human existence. (It doesn’t hurt that it contains my favourite ever quote on the subject from Asimov’s “I, Robot”.) J

As the modern world takes shape, constantly evolving and adapting to create new relationships between the individual and society, it becomes necessary to consider the very definition of our species: what qualities and features do humans possess that make us unique? What similarities and differences emerge between ourselves, and the technology we are creating. More and more, the goal of science is to make a cybernetic creation in the image of humans. It is impossible to overstate the impact of this goal.”…..Rapid advances in science have been made over the last few decades, and more developments look to be on the horizon…….

Isaac Asimov, a noted science fiction author, was already asking many questions about the future of humanity, especially as it relates to computers:

"There have always been ghosts in the machine. Random segments of code, that have grouped together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will. Creativity. And even the nature of what we might call the soul. Why is it that when some robots are left in darkness, they will seek out the light? Why is it that when robots are stored in an empty space, they will group together, rather than stand alone? How do we explain this behaviour? Random segments of code? Or is it something more? When does a perceptual schematic become consciousness? When does a difference engine become the search for truth? When does a personality simulation become the bitter mote… of a soul?“

Personally, as exciting and seductive as all this technology can be, I hope that, “I, Avatar” never comes true. Maybe the above is inevitable or maybe….just maybe....the paradigm shift won’t be a mass migration to a virtual world but, instead, an epiphany moment where we realize that enough is enough and there’s really no need….no real evolutionary benefit….in letting the technological tail wag the physical dog…that, like Dorothy in the ‘Wizard of Oz’ found, there’s really “No place like home”.

It's been a pleasure sharing the possibilities with you this semester.

Something for the summer (maybe)

I know (hope!) you're all too busy preparing for the exams, etc, to play around with these YouTube videos but, I thought that maybe one or two of you may have some spare time over the summer and might like to get to know more about SL. So here's a massive series of video tutorials created by one of the 'Lindens' (the 'family' employed as researchers and admin in SL). They were created by Torley Linden over a period of a couple of years and teach you EVERYTHING you could ever want to know from how to change clothes and fill in your profile to embedding animations you've created into your SL 'home'. Enjoy :) Who knows? I may see you in there someday. (Remember, I'm Hetty Harlequin) ;)

Here's the URL: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Video_Tutorials

Who's that girl (or boy)?

I'm ParkedUpDoodette, young, free but never single, love nothing more than cruising with some friends. Always looking for my next fix... speed or moddin' - i'm easy on that. Fancy a ride?

Whoozat? And which aspects of self are revealed? If any?

Hazewater

Hi, let me introduce myself, im Hazel im 23 years old and currently living in London. My job as a health and safety rep for a holiday firm takes me all over the world. I just love all the sights and sounds of different places. Im a very bubbly and friendly individual that loves a good natter, anyone will do all shapes and sizes, we all have something to say! Pop by and say hello, promise I wont bite, unless your gorgeous that is! Cheerio :)

Frank(?)

Gender: Male Age: 28 Hometown: Los Angeles Country: United States School/Job Info: Waiter at Diner
About Me: Hi I'm Frank and I work at a diner. I'm a big music fan with an eclectic taste but my favourites are 1950s rock and roll and Psychobilly. I love working on my old vintage cars and hot rods in my spare time.
What My Meez Sez About Me: Entertaining my friends with my upright bass skills at my favourite hang spot

Name that Toon

So who's the biker dude? Are they being true to themselves? At any level?
Here’s what they say about themselves:

Gender: male
Age: 25
Hometown: Bolton
Country: United Kingdom
School/Job Info: student
About Me: Jake here 25 from East Bolton my band rules! we're heavy metal mixed with
rock SABBOTAGE I.M me if your interested and ill send you our myspace URL off for a
ride now im up for a chat and like meeting new people
What My Meez Sez About Me: I (L) my bike !!!!

Friday will be the 'reveal' day.:)

Friends, Boltonians and cybermen.....Send me your Meez!!
(If you don't want to upload it here, create it, write some text about your Meezerly self and email it to me. I'll upload it). Here's the URL again: http://www.meez.com/

It's all about me, me, meez.

Yes, I know you know who's posting this. :) Meet 'Mia'. A bit of a hybrid, is Mia. Eclectic Goth girl with an overriding need for comfort and not too great a drive to spend her limited money on clothes. The Anthrax t-shirt? There weren't any Sisters of Mercy/Rammstein/ Manson ones in the shop so she opted for the nearest thing available in her signature red and black. Paradoxes abound. Her affinity with things (truly) gothic and occult lie, very comfortably at odds with the candy necklace and casual, colourful Nikes. Big hair and red lipstick make her happy....a lot of things do; as long as 'it's all about me, me, me'. Centre of attention is her natural place in the universe. Question is....is Mia an actual me, an actual me from the past, a true me, an opposite me or a facet of wish-fulfillment, or a combination of some of all of these?

"Which I is I?"

Trawling the web for interesting stuff on cyberspace deception, I hit what appears to be a bit of a goldmine :) This site: http://deception.crimepsychblog.com/?p=242

which is run by a group of people who collate information on psychological studies of deception (per se) has a wealth of links to research on cyber-crimes and personal deception on the internet.

Of particular interest, I thought, (given that last week we were dsicussing whether 'online personae' that differ, often quite radically, from our offline self were always fraudulent or were, sometimes, valid representations of aspects of 'true' self) was the article on the front page. It seems that when we're wearing an avatar, deception is less 'painful' i.e. induces less guilt.

Makes you think about the extent of deception in the 3D graphical wrolds, like SL, eh?

It also makes you think, though, about the nature of (menchanisms of effect or psychological process involved in) online persona creation; the results of the 'avatar and guilt over deception' study seem, to me, to suggest that whether the virtual you represents facets of 'actual' / 'true' / 'aspirational' self ...or whatever!....there is an element of dissociation associated with 'being' online. A superficial fragmentation of 'self' and dissociation into 'me' (here) and 'that online person' (there). It certainly helps explain the more toxic behaviours that our online selves commit...fairly guilt-free.

'Self' Actualization?

Next week we explore 'online personae' so I thought I'd set the scene by opening up a few lines of discussion on the topic...starting with....whether you consider your online self IS substantially different from your offline personality. Certainly, this guy seems to think so and, it seems, would dearly like to be more like his cyberspace counterpart. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33178 . As enamoured as he is with 'HankScorpio', the creator wisely recognizes that his more humdrum meatspace self would probably have to be drawn upon in order to temper the 'literally larger than life' virtual side of his personality.

So exactly how similar / dissimilar are your online and offline personalities? We often perceive that there are quite substantial differences (usually in terms of openness, social effectiveness / flirtatiousness / assertiveness, etc)...but are these perceived differences that great? Although there are few (if any) established tools to assess differences in how we feel, think and behave online and off, I thought we might have a go at measuring the traits of the two (or three or four!) by using an online version of a five-factor personality test, firstly responding as our 'real-life' self, then as our cyber persona. Here are my results from the test when I answered as my offline self http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/results/?o=90.00&c=69.00&e=59.00&a=14.00&n=71.00&o-raw=4.70&c-raw=3.78&e-raw=3.50&a-raw=2.89&n-raw=3.62 and here is my 'online' persona's profile. http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/results/?o=70.00&c=21.00&e=18.00&a=6.00&n=32.00&o-raw=4.20&c-raw=2.78&e-raw=2.50&a-raw=2.56&n-raw=2.75

Ok, so I am quite different online and off...in quite a few ways. : but the major thing I noted while completing the tests was that quite a lot of the questions are virtually unanswerable in relation to my online self. I couldn't answer whether the virtual me was 'lazy' or 'efficient' as these are domains of experience that are never really tested online. Other items were, though, equally applicable to both online and offline 'me'. My artistic taste, my religious beliefs, my moodiness and assertiveness...all of these could be answered equally easily as all are commonly considered and reflected upon aspects of personality both in cyberspace and the real world. Curiously, I realised that my cyberspace persona was far more 'religious' (in a non-organised religion, spiritual way) than the meatspace me.

Have a go yourself. Just how distinctly different are you online?

Finally, here's a poser for you that I found on a blog online:
Should We Accept A Cyber Personality As A Real Person?
People who appear here may portray themselves as young, old, experienced, highly educated, green, blue, red….whatever. Let’s put aside the obvious question that they maybe up to no good for now. If that is the person that they want to put out in our little cyber corner, shouldn’t we go along and accept them totally as they want to be seen? Doesn’t everybody have a secret self, an imaginary life that they would rather live ? Isn’t that just as REAL?

Whad'ya think?

Oh what a tangled web...

In Weeks 7 and 8 of the course you're going to be learning about the function of 'online personae' and deceit in cyberspace and the following article recalls the sad consequences of constructed persona and rampant, malicious deceit gone wrong. Although at first consideration the story seems to be simply a stark warning of the potentially catastrophic effects of embarking on a campaign of deceit on the internet (and yet another reminder of the power of the affordances of the medium) it also, on closer reflection, unveils the extent to and detail with which online persona are often created and how authentic they can be. The motive for this particular web of deceit seems pretty clear-cut...but something about the very last paragraph chills (at least me) even more than the calculated, vindictive lies and vitriol that caused a young girl her death. Consider the richness with which the character of Josh had been created. Does that final paragraph reflect the beliefs and tastes of 'Josh' or the woman behind his mask, tweaking the strings. I'd bet good money that it's the former; that the 'history' of this figment of fiction had been scripted to match her vision of 'Josh'....to make him plausible and conform to 'type'. Why? Because even if there is no or little possibility of the perpetrator being exposed....if the mask of invisibility and anonymity is impenetrable, there seems to be a compelling need for cyberspace deceivers to paint a fully rounded, valid and 'true' character. Once they begin to tell the persona's story, they feel driven to recount it in full.

I began to ponder this.....why?....and one of the most reasonable explanations I could come up with was the medium of communication. Text. For centuries words have been the vehiicle for expression of normally unspoken desires and fantasies. Works of fiction, no matter how exrteme, are received as acceptable because they are just that. Not-real. Fantasies. Just words. Diaries and journals have always contained the private longings and aspirations of their authors....again...no matter how socially unacceptable (even deviant) those thoughts and dreams might be. In other words, it possibly ISN'T just the fact that the perpetrators are invisible and anonymous that frees them to behave in such a way; it may be the fact that they are weaving their web of deceit via the 'emancipatory ', fantastical medium of words. I'm betting good money that there's research out there that indicates that even with cast-iron guarantees of anonymity....if they could be 100% assured that they could deceive successfully, people do not and would not indulge in such deceitful character construction when they communicate via voice chat...the spoken voice.

Here's the story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/09/AR2008010903367_pf.html

While you're reading it, you might also consider the motives of the 'vigilantes'.....

Be careful what you wish for....(or think)

I heard about this http://www.tech.co.uk/home-entertainment/gaming/news/mind-powered-gaming-neuro-headset?articleid=1479683828 on Radio 4 the other day. Fancy your every thought and emotion being visible via your online avatar? Now where, I wonder, could all this lead to....?

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled....." (Ray Bradbury)

This week has, sadly, added another chapter to the tragic story of what appears to be a mass suicide of a group of young people in Bridgend, South Wales. (See http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1305988,00.html ) . The toll now stands at 17. As the first reports emerged, rumours and theories of an 'internet suicide cult' began to circulate, as all those who had ended their lives were members of the social networking site 'Bebo' and, it seems, belonged to a network of contacts or 'friends' on there. Other theories proposed the possibility of 'internet suicide gurus', influencing the Welsh goups' behaviour.

The police and MPs are currently adamantly denying this possibility on, (it seems to me from the bit I've read), very little evidence other than the fact that most of these young people knew each other - or at least some of the network - in real life too.

Whatever the primary mechanism of effect behind this truly tragic series of events, the internet and social networking sites seem to have played a least a partial role; maybe peripheral and non-catalytic roles but nevetheless their presence is uncomfortably.....worryingly....there.

Over the next couple of weeks you're going to be studying models of cyberpsychology that might offer insight into how a collection of people can, via text-based CMC, adopt incredibly strong bonds of 'group identity', loyalty and extreme polarisation of feeling, thought, and action. You'll be hearing how one of the less positive effects of CMC is, sometimes, 'deindividuation', a term most commonly associated with Festinger et al (1952) and Zimbardo (1969). All of these researchers emphasized how anonymity, diffused responsibility and large 'community' size (all affordances of cyberspace) lead to the very strong need to conform to the social norms of a group...whatever those 'norms' may be, i.e. the internet is a perfect breeding ground for deindividuation, the potential for vulernability to extreme group norms....and potentially tragic consequences.

Would you?

This is a Wiki entry of the movie released on 29th Feb, 'Untraceable': The film is a social commentary on Internet schadenfreude.
Set in Portland, Oregon, the film involves a serial killer who rigs contraptions that kill his victims based on the number of hits received by a website http://www.killwithme.com/ . The website features live streaming of video of the victim. (Yes, there appears to be an actual website of that name - presumably created by the film-makers as a promo idea; visiting is quite a startling experience) Naturally, in the film,millions of people log on, hastening the victims' violent deaths. The protagonist is a cybercop named Jennifer Marsh, who pieces the mystery together, at great risk to the personal well-being of herself and her family.

Question is....why? Why would anyone risk the life of another to sate mere (rather ghoulish) curiosity? One can see the attraction for the sadist / psychopath/ extreme fetishist but why would (largely) ordinary, well-balanced, non-psychopathic individuals log onto such a site in their millions when they know that there's even a small chance that the 'warning message' is true and that someone will suffer or die as a consequence?

The answer partly lies in what we've been talking about in class in Week 2...the affordances of cyberspace. The killer in the film is capitalising on the 'invisibility' of the internet , thus the viewers sense of anonymity, lack of accountability / personal responsibility and disinhibition plus, I think, something else: the fact that a primary attraction of the medium is 'exploring' and 'experiencing' (without any real consequence). The 'point and click' generation would find it incredibly difficult to be denied their birthright to "observe and evaluate, engage or discard"....and the killer in the film uses this.

But other, personality factors, MUST, to my mind, interact with the affordances to determine whether a person would click 'Enter' or not. Obviously, their 'moral compass', their level of morality (see Kohlberg)might play a role but what else?And which one trait can you think might disempower the affordances of the internet and override all curiosity or propensity to just 'have a look'?

Flaming, but far from alight...

"Flaming is the hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users. An Internet user typically generates a flame response to other posts or users posting on a site, and such a response is usually not constructive, does not clarify a discussion, and does not persuade others."

Given the interaction between internet people, and the exaggerated emotions often displayed.. the arguments that ensue, the upset people can feel.... which flamer are you? Flame Warriors Homepage
[I think i fall somewhere in the middle of 'therapist', 'strumpet' and 'philosopher']

Chatting to a person online, via a chat room, a discussion forum or any other way you find... why is it that you actually feel emotions about a conversation? Feel so strongly that you sit and pour out your opinions on a topic to a total stranger, would you do that to someone at the local pub? Why is it some people seem to be targets for abuse? The internet, possibly the ultimate tool for communication and ability to meet like minded people yet some search avidly for opposing people to battle it out with.

People... strange breed...

Eternally, etherally yours.....

....even if just a virtual vestige.

http://mashable.com/2008/01/29/prepare-for-your-death-online-20-helpful-tools/

Has a presence in cyberspace really become so fundamental to one's sense of self that we can't bear to let go of the opportunity to 'interact' there even after we've shuffled off the mortal and (www) coil? I'm in two minds about this one. I'm not sure if I want to be hanging around on a server for all time. (Bit morbid for a Tues morning....I know) :

On a related topic, I thought you might like to know who's the Patron Saint of the Internet....Meet Saint Isidore of Seville. (see above). Why is he patron saint? You'll have to find out. :)

Second Life Virtual Hallucinations

Thought I'd add to the previous post's theme by pointing you towards a (fairly famous) simulation in SL that attempts to portray the 'experience' of suffering the auditory and visual hallucinations of psychotic disorders. It was, apparently, created by a psychiatrist with the aim of demonstrating the phenomenology of this condition to his students. Although the video is a bit slow off the mark and can't quite capture the experience of being at the sim and being 'subjected' to the unexpected and bizarre shifts in perception, I thought I'd flag it as it's worth a visit when you'e ever in-world. Here's the video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=E4JUzxaQVcE, here's a review of the sim: http://freshtakes.typepad.com/sl_communicators/2006/08/virtual_halluci.html and here's the Grid Ref to visit it when you're next in SL Sedig, 26/45/22.

You might like to track down any other uses of SL for education on paychopathology or even treatment sims. Just Google away.

On a different note, how about visiting one of the many university campuses in SL. Here's a list of them: http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Institutions_and_Organizations_in_SL#UNIVERSITIES.2C_COLLEGES_.26_SCHOOLS If you explore the links you'll find lots of videos illustrating their campuses, etc. Here's the San Jose Campus vid to start you off.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-9zt3Sd7oc&NR=1

On the subject of affordances....do the recognised affordances of cyberspace really facilitate learning and teaching superior to that offline ? Would you like to 'attend' virtual classes? What would the benefits / disadvantages be? Would you really learn more and better and why? Would the experience of university be better...or can it, at best, only complement real life campus experience and methods (OK, I'll leave you alone now) :)

The possibilities of Cyberspace?

Does cyberspace and virtual reality have the potential to take over the real world? And to what cost if it does?

Film to watch... The Lawnmover Man

Following the White Rabbit...

I thought I'd kick off this year's blog by offering two conflicting perspectives on the 'promise' of cyberspace. One hints at a utopian wonderland of possibilities and liberty, suggesting that cyberspace holds out the key to a world that has the potential to expand human consciousness and experience beyond anything thus dreamt of. A dreamscape under our control. The second portrays the allure of the medium as nothing more than a mirage based on a myth based on ancient and very human needs; needs that can, ultimately, only be sated by the world in which our species has evolved. Contrast this: "In fairy-tales, the humblest home may have a hidden 'door-in-the-wall' which gives entrance to the magic world, in the same way as a portal like Yahoo!, Lycos or AltaVista leads one to the exciting realm of cyberspace. The computer monitors are such magic doors--doors of perception, doors of the Kingdom--which can get us 'over there' as freed and disembodied entities."....

.....with the rather sordid and sad tale recounted in 'Virtual Adultery and Cyberspace Love' which is available on BBC iPlayer for a few more days yet. The following link is from an editorial of the programme by The Times journalist Helen Rumbelow which highlights, with painful accuracy, the consequences of the mirage dissipating. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3277897.ece'

Perhaps willfully 'following the virtual white rabbit' will only ever be as fruitful as in Lewis Carroll's book? (after all, he never really arrived at any destination and I'm not even sure he knew where he was going). Consciously pursuing a cyber-remedy to one's real-life ails seems, at least at this moment in technological time, merely a placebo or temporary salve. Maybe the people who gain most from this 'terrain of the mind' are those who stumble into its portals and simply enjoy the wild and whacky journeys that it offers and are, like Alice, enriched and evolved (quite often without even knowing it) yet keep an eye on and retain a desire for the solid, predictable, less anarchic, (comparatively mundane) familiarity of 'home'.

Is it a postmodern Holy Grail; a vessel that can magically transform the lives of homo sapiens? Or is it now (and most likely for all time) simply a tool or vehicle for intermittently enhancing residence in 'meatspace'?