Linking Assignment
Task # 3 Voice to Text Task
Given that literacy surrounds each and every one of us each day, one would think that in this technologically literate era, that most people would appreciate the impact computer technologies has had on all of us. This task has given me a new profound appreciation for texts of all kinds and a realization that before dismissing or choosing not to utilize a certain technology, it is best to learn it thoroughly before judging its usefulness. Jess O’Hanley and I shared a common struggle with this assignment, she states “The story seems to lack organization. I wish I could go back and add details”. The lack of proper punctuation and paragraph breaks was a barrier for both of us. Perhaps had I/we taken the time to learn the technology more thoroughly before commencing this task, we may have been able to apply strategies that do allow for punctuation in a voice to text program. Given the challenges this technology posed upon us this week, it is impossible from our perspective to wonder why one would chose such a tool for personal or business use. That said, our opinions may be different with proper training.
Task #4 Manual Script
Writing came easier to me this week compared to verbalizing a story. The art of pencil on paper afforded me the time to reflect on a deeper level while being creative. Charles Currie described our shared opinion with his comment “I like the flexibility and easy editing that comes from typing, but there is a connection between pen and paper that I miss.” Not being rushed and taking the time to think on a deeper level added a level of quality that was not present in last weeks voice to text task. A realization that in the evolution of technologies for writing, we have gained much ground but we’ve also lost some of its artistic value.
Task 7 Mode Bending
In the information age, it is easy to read horizontally for breadth when we know at any second we can gain access to the complete information should we chose to do so. If I wanted to know the ingredients in my hand sanitizer, I know that it is on the bottle or I can look in up, therefore I don’t need to read it until I need to. This is my own personal mind set in relation to the information the items in my bag contain. Eva Somogyi and I shared a common challenge for this task of having to represent our items in non visual mode. This task brought to life a new creative dimension that was refreshing from a student’s perspective. I used IMovie for this task and Eva used Garage Band which is more sophisticated. Having to represent our items with sounds only posed a challenge for us because we know that one single item can be represented in multiple ways ie: a sanitizer bottle can be just a bottle, or the liquid gel inside, or the fact that it has the power to destroy bacteria and control the spread of pathogens. Do we best represent it visually, by audio or by written mode? This left me wondering how to best represent this tiny but powerful item, and if I chose to represent it via audio only, I knew that much would be lost in the message I wanted to send.
Task 8 Golden Record Curation Assignment
Jennifer Kerr and I used a similar selection strategy for this task, we didn’t want to select songs according to our own personal preferences, knowing this would involve some selection bias. “However, since I am not rocketing off, I attempted to be strategic, consciously remove any personal bias and focus instead on general geographical representation for my main criteria.”
Therefore in order to avoid biased selection as much as possible we decided to ensure that as many geographical regions were represented. This also posed some challenges however, Dr. Smith Rumsey explains it well “What can we afford to keep and what can we afford to lose?
The chosen selection strategy immediately made me wonder the impact my list would have and that perhaps it was not my own list that was most important but the songs left out.
Task 10 Attention Economy
Evan Rodgers and I shared a common appreciation for this task, he states “ this task taught me to slow down and actually read”.
He and I completed the task in approximately the same amount of time and both realized that the psychology behind the subtle messages that were before us did not differ much from those in 1960’s advertising for example. The sophistication and the precision of the steering in today’s media is quite disturbing and could be considered predatory in nature. We are aware that these mind controlling strategies exists but yet we still can’t see it all the time. We feel pressed to move quickly through tasks when there really is no need to do so. Lesson learned, we must take the time to absorb everything in front of us before taking action. The time spent doing so is really not a concern and we know now that count down clocks are used to pressure us to go faster and hence make mistakes.
Task 11 Algorithms of Predictive Texts
This week we were exposed to the limitations of predictive texts. Having to create a text using only those pre-selected by our devices made us quickly realize that the message being created would not have the same tone, quality or intentions as one manually typed out word by word.
“These statements did not have my “voice” or sound anything like me. The predictive text feature on our phones seems so basic in contrast to what it could be.” states Nicki Krastel. She brings up a great point that in today’s era when we all have our devices on us as an additional limb, that it is not wrong to wonder why these algorithms of predictive texts are not more sophisticated, why can’t they sense tone or offer more choices? What barriers do the creators of such algorithms have when using the power of observation and do we as the user share in the responsibility to offer improvements?
References
Haas, C. (2013). “The Technology Question.” In Writing technology: Studies on the materiality of literacy. Routledge. (pp. 3-l).
Smith, A. (1999). Why digitize? Retrieved June 15, 2019, from Council on Library and Information Resources website: https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub80-smith/pub80-2/