I’ll take part of the blame; its my fault i didn’t back up all my midterm projects immediately after finishing them, but what can i say? I don’t own an external hard drive, mainly because i believe things can wait a week or two, and i’ll have the chance to back everything up on disc then. I certainly don’t expect my boot AND hard drive to crap-out on me over night and take all my work with them. Maybe i’ve been naive in this respect, but none the less: my experiences over the last week have definitely tainted my outlook on the “empowering” potential of technology. Benkler’s introduction to his book “The Wealth of Networks” entitled “A moment of Opportunity and Challenge” resonates differently with me then it did before. At first i saw the opportunities, but now i’m understanding the challenges. The internet may revolutionize, but the limits of the computer technology used to access it should be taken into heavy consideration as well.
In the book, Benkler talks about how technology has the ability to enable society to create culture that is more democratic, self reflective and participatory, but whether or not it will is dependent on what people end up doing with this technology (18.) However, what people end up doing with technology will be determined by the parameters the technology places on the individuals, as well as how easy it is to use (17.) After having my hard-drive die on me this final point was not taken lightly. The wording “easy to use” should be extended beyond user interfaces, and be used to describe the how easily it can be financially obtained as well. I mean, the internet isn’t free. Yes, limited access is offered through community centers and libraries, but for an “at home” set up there are costs. Once you’ve paid for the hardware (and software, if you’re not an e-pirate) you still have to pay for the monthly access. Once you’ve paid for the month access- beware: your computer still has an expiry date, which varies depending on your usage. Either way, this adds up. When Benkler talks of the web having the potential to create decentralize culture and media, its worth considering the limitations of changes when they come with a dollar sign attached.
*Off note: Here is my podcast, inspired by a back spasm…
(The Relationship Between Stress & Our Shoulders)
Tags: socs socs300 sosc sosc300 300 wikinomics decentralization internet crash
November 11, 2008 at 2:04 am |
Oh boy I feel for you, I lost some work at the end of one of my semesters. Data recovery software, and loads of time spent got most of my files back but a few only have low res previews, and are gone until I rebuild them. The pain of being a DIVA artist, a GraphicDesigner is that work is in fact digital. The file is what matters to me, because it seems like the finished product even if I output it. Its not to say my files are more important than anyone elses lost data is lost data. Cheesecake makes the heart hurt less:) Okay maybe it just tastes good!
November 11, 2008 at 11:35 am |
Aye… you really don’t realize how valuable those files are until they disappear, and you’re right, the a final printed output doesn’t feel quite the same. Thank goodness this lesson has only been a half-hard one to learn, cause as it turns out: my friend does data recovery, and he was able to recover EVERYTHING for me. (yaaaaay) Although, between thinking it was all gone & getting it back… yeah, cheese cake sounds like a necessity