Course Overview and Introduction English 10 LC Course Overview and Introduction

Agenda 1/10 Attendance Introduction and Syllabus Review Short Essay Discussion - “What is a text?’ Glossary and Group Sign Ups

Syllabus Review http://kimknight.com/?pageid_4

Culture of Information Definition of “Information Culture” Time Period New Media Critiques of Information Culture Implications for Literary Study

Definition Visual Culture What is Information Culture? 1. Definition of Information culture a. Parallels visual culture i. Mitchell – Pictorial Turn 1. surrounded by / worship of images 2. simultaneous fear of images and privileging of text b. ways information is presented c. organization and retrieval of information d. patterns of user interaction

Time Period What makes our epoch unique Bush’s Memex Babbage’s Analytical Engine Jacquard’s Loom 1984 1. Info Culture not unique to our time frame a. Manovich – overabundance of information b. Vannevar Bush and the Memex – 1945 i. Too much info – issue becomes how to access ii. Foresees the memex and associative trails c. 1833 Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine i. punch cards used to enter info into the machine ii. data stored in the Engine’s memory iii. processing unit iv. results printed out v. performed mathemathical functions and decided which instructions to execute next. vi. didn’t really catch on d. 1800 even earler machine – J.M. Jacquard’s loom i. loom controlled by punched cards to make intricate patterns ii. Manovich – image / computer connection 2. 1984 a.Mac and the GUI BladeRunner Neuromancer

New Media Numerical Representation Modularity Automation Variability Low level automation High level automation Variability Transcoding 1. New Media = overabundance of information? a. Numerical representation i. Formal / mathematical representation ii. Digitizing = information composed of discrete data 1. Pixels example 2. Not a radical shift a. most old media = combo i. film – discrete cells + soundtrack, etc. iii. link to Industrial Rev and standardization 1. EXCEPT info culture all about individuality b. Modularity i. Elements are combined into an object ii. Objects combine into larger objects iii. Remain independent c. Automation i. Low level automation 1. photoshop correction / filters 2. wizard layouts a. like this powerpoint ii. High Level Automation 1. AI a. Not just that kid from the Spielberg movie b. Gaming characers - AI d. Variability i. Lack of fixity 1. library vs. website for research ii. different versions 1. upgrades & variants iii. scalability iv. hypermedia  different “experiences” of same work v. correlation with social change e. Transcoding i. Two levels of organization 1. cultural layer a. representation b. recognizable to users i. images, etc. 2. computer layer a. deeper level b. machine readable ii. mutual influence of the two levels iii. when representation affects the way we organize data and when data organization affects the way we read representation – translation

Critiques of Information Culture Manovich Barbrook & Cameron Baudrillard 1. Critiques of Information Culture a. Manovich – overabundance of information b. California Ideology i. British term – Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron ii. Liberal viewpoint of the liberation of the web iii. Conflicts with software developers working with large corporations and raking in the big bucks iv. Ignores paradox v. Ignores issues of who has access and who is developing technology c. Baudrillard – Simulacra i. Matrix – Welcome to the Desert of the Real ii. Borges story 1. make map so accurate it covers the entire territory iii. now the map precedes the territory iv. or there is no territory

Short Essay What is a text?

Implications for the Study of Literature Discussion - what is a text? Art & Technology Role of the Computer What is reading? Means of study

Glossary & Presentations Glossary assignments - Thursday Group Presentation - next week?