Monday, May 23, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Additional Thoughts on Arts in the Digital Age
The Digital age really has brought art to a new level. More tools and available for all kinds of arts, and art of all kinds can be spread rapidly to a wide audience. In a way, this may seem to devalue certain arts. For example, in the 1800's one could go to a Tchaikovsky Symphony and maybe hear it once in their lives, now someone can sit and listen to it over and over again. At the same time, new digital age technology may even be helping bring back ancient art forms that would never be heard by a modern audience. The ASTRA Project (Ancient Instruments Sound/Timbre Reconstruction Application) is a project in which researchers are using advanced computer and modeling equipment to reconstruct the sounds of ancient instuments that today we only have broken remains of. Many musicians spend much time studying performance practice, that is playing a piece of music in the style it would have been played when it was written(for example, singers did not utilize vibrato in Renaissance sacred music). It seems that as technology moves towards the future, it may be connecting us with the past.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Is Digital Media Bad for Us?
Many people have differing opinions on how we as individuals and as a society are being affected by the new "Digital Age". Marshall McLuhan seemed to believe with all that we gain from new technologies, we may risk losing some of our older functions. He saw new technologies as "extensions" of ourselves, and if we used the extensions to much it might result in "amputation". For example, one day maybe our use of automobiles will hender our ability to walk.
The Digital Age has also brought about and unheard amount of connection between individuals and societies, meaning that information can be spread rapidly. This can be seen as a double edged sword. For example, their is a search engine called Forestle that seeks to reduce CO2 emissions and save the rainforests. The Internet has also brought about a whole new criminal enterprise. Albert Gonzales was a computer hacker who stole and resold more than 170 million credit card and ATM numbers.
The Digital Age, in particular the internet, has also provided people with information that would have been otherwise impossible to obtain. For example, I learned about Albert Gonzales through Wikipedia, a wiki encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone.
With increased connectivity between individuals and groups of individuals, good moral behavior can be spread as can the bad. I believe that in this new globalized connected world, it still comes down the the morals of the individiual more than ever so in history, because these can be spread and reach others like wildfire. An individual's ideas can now start world wide movement at the click of a mouse.
The Digital Age has also brought about and unheard amount of connection between individuals and societies, meaning that information can be spread rapidly. This can be seen as a double edged sword. For example, their is a search engine called Forestle that seeks to reduce CO2 emissions and save the rainforests. The Internet has also brought about a whole new criminal enterprise. Albert Gonzales was a computer hacker who stole and resold more than 170 million credit card and ATM numbers.
The Digital Age, in particular the internet, has also provided people with information that would have been otherwise impossible to obtain. For example, I learned about Albert Gonzales through Wikipedia, a wiki encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone.
With increased connectivity between individuals and groups of individuals, good moral behavior can be spread as can the bad. I believe that in this new globalized connected world, it still comes down the the morals of the individiual more than ever so in history, because these can be spread and reach others like wildfire. An individual's ideas can now start world wide movement at the click of a mouse.
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