Posts Tagged: Jenkins

In my first question this week I was confused about Lanier’s discussion of the “Fourth Quadrant.”  He talks about this quadrant, but in a roundabout manner such that I am not sure what he means.  In addition, if this is the fourth quadrant, what are the first three?  I was still unclear about this concept, so I did a little research.  Lanier is referring to an idea posited by Taleb.  Lanier is discussing the idea of the “wisdom of the crowd”– the intelligence of a crowd.  Taleb’s Fourth Quadrant comprises of “problems that have both complex outcomes and unknown distributions of outcomes” (59).  What Lanier is saying here is that the wisdom of the crowd can be dangerous when they are asked questions that are too complex.

In my second question, I asked about the circle of empathy, and if people really do change drastically when their circle is expanded or contracted.  I think that Lanier gives a harsh statement on the subject, but it also has a lot of truth to it.  So much of who we are as human beings is made up of our environment and those in it.  Those we associate with do have a strong impact on us.  However, I also think that there are parts of us that will never change based on those around us.  We are all programmed a certain way, and specific things cannot be changed.  When technology enters the equation, our circle has the ability to grow exponentially.  This could be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on if this expansion leads to an adaptation for the better or for the worse.  But, there is know question that our circle will change parts of who we are, especially with such a drastic change in our circles’ diameters.

In my last question, I asked how grassroots fan productions fit into corporate media convergence.  Upon further reading and contemplation, I can easily see how the two are related.  The Star Wars fan productions added to the already large amount of Star Wars content available.  Star Wars fanatics had more content to interact with, which can get them excited about the professional Star Wars content.  If someone likes a fan production, they are more apt to buy the official DVDs, T-Shirts, and everything else that is associated with Star Wars.  The corporate media, especially in regards to Star Wars, has converged to include just about any trinket that you can think of– figurines, clothing, toys, etc.  Fan content can only add to the hype.

This week, I asked about how the current system of doing things affects the future of technology. I wondered how we can avoid being “locked-in” to certain systems and structures of technology. The answer, according to Lanier, is that we can’t. We have already built too much on top of what was already created. To go back and unlock the system would mean that we’d have to rebuild the Internet, and even then, we would just lock ourselves into other ways of doing things.

Lanier uses the example of MIDI in his text. He says that Dave Smith created MIDI “casually” as a way to “represent notes.” Now it is the very foundation that music in software is built on. This was never Dave Smith’s intention– he was only creating something for his specific use and purpose; but the system stuck, and in order to get rid of it we’d have to recreate all of the software that uses the system– a feat that would be nearly impossible.

I also asked about whether the mob wisdom we discussed last week can co-exist with the individual wisdom Lanier favors. According to Lanier, no it cannot. However, I don’t know that I necessarily believe Lanier’s extreme side of the argument. Lanier believes that the collective culture will eventually make information seem like it belongs to one big book. He says that creativity and knowledge is better shared by an individual who does not have to prescribe to preconceived structures like a Facebook page or Wikipedia article. I, however, believe that the truly creative and intelligent will break free of these molds and make something that doesn’t fit into the standard notions of what a Web page should look like or what information an article should contain. Whereas Lanier believes that mob wisdom is the death of creative culture, I believe that it is only a bump in the road– and that great minds will overcome.

Finally, I wondered about Jenkins’ theories of media convergence and participatory culture in relation to the consumption and creation of media. Jenkins believes that pop culture has largely replaced folk culture and that fans are applying age-old responses to pop culture. Thanks to the birth of the Internet fans have a medium full of endless possibilities. It is important to be able to have fair use of content in order to be able to foster creativity. Participatory culture makes fans, the biggest consumers, want to comment on their favorite media. Commentary breeds creativity and the cycle continues. These are obviously very important elements in the creative process and may be the kinds of actions we need in order to stay away from the inevitable death of creativity for which Lanier argues.

1. Lanier believes that some of the ways in which program and use computers today could be updated. How can we do this without changing the foundation that the modern Internet was built on? By changing one feature of programming, how would other features/websites/technologies change?

2. How are mob wisdom and individual wisdom at odds as Lanier suggests? Can the two co-exist? For example, can we retain the power of the individual even with sites like Twitter and Wikipedia?

3. How do media convergence and participatory culture affect the way we view and create media? Jenkins is arguing that they are somehow related to the Star Wars phenomenon in that we are able to create commentary, spoofs and satire relating to the film. How does this cross over into other genres and examples?

1. Lanier talks about a “Fourth Quadrant.”  I am unclear as to what this quadrant system refers to, and specifically what are the other three quadrants in regards to crowd schemes?
2. Lanier spends a large part of the first chapter talking about a Circle of Empathy.  He says that when you change your circle, you redefine your self.  This seems a little strong to me.  Are we so wrapped up in who we associate with that we are redefined completely when we change our circle of empathy?
3. Jenkins talks about convergence in both grassroots campaigns and in corporate media.  I understand how fan productions are part of grassroots convergence of media.  But, how does grassroots Star Wars fan productions fit into corporate media convergence?

Jenkins talks about media convergence, or the overlap of content into several different forms of media, as a major corporate strategy of today.  How does the ever-evolving world of fan fiction affect this system, and how does it influence what new content is professionally produced?

Parodies and fan-made films are popping up everywhere. Based on this, as well as the fact that almost anyone can pick up the technology needed to produce a film, how do you think amateurism will affect the future of digital cinema and the film industry in general?

Lanier’s take on the “hive mind” that Web 2.0 and technology are creating is pretty unsettling and cynical. While his opinions are over-the-top, he makes some decent points throughout. One the stuck out for me was his stance on music, and how nothing original has been created since the 90s.  He claims that all we do now is steal from previous artists.  How accurate do you think his statement on music is, and how is amateurism affecting the production of music today?