Self.Net 2008 HK Tutorial B

Final Reflection - Julie

2008-05-16T05:45:00.001+08:00

Before I’m going to type my reflection toward the course, I would like to say using this webblog is quite interesting! Since we are exchanging our own opinions and commenting some works from other schoolmates by typing a blog, a very much user friendly way for me, I think the pressure of handing an assignment is reduced. We can just simply click on “New Post” or “Comment” to show our thoughts. I think it’ll be quite an interactive way in a long term basis.

Throughout the whole courses, once again, it reinforced that human being nowadays can’t live without technology, or let say we have no choice to neglect it. There are three topics which raised my interest most: virtual ethics, online communities and technology related games. What have been covered in these topics are closely connected with my daily life. The invention of technology no doubt improved human life a lot, but it may also ruin human beings someday.

Reflection post by Cody

2008-05-14T00:25:00.000+08:00

I am not good at computer and the digital technology. I think that digital world is an imaginary world. It is unbelievable, unstable and a non human thing. It was because when the computer suddenly turns down, I will feel upset and worry about the file will lost. It is incredible brain, communication tool and recorder. Moreover, I don’t like to open the computer in the spare time and do not play any computer game. I seem not belong to recent and in digital world.

After I study this course, I find that we cannot live without digital technology. Technology can brings some convenient to us. Even, we are reconstructed by digital technologies, digital media and rely on the digital communication. The interesting point is in the digital world, it also have the online community. It means that technology also can be a warm and human thing for us to communicate and sharing. I discover that nature and technology is not totally binary. If we have a well control in the digital world, it is not the destroyer.

Ivee's Reflective Post

2008-05-11T01:12:00.002+08:00

After attending the course, I have a deeper impression between humanity and technologies. It seems that many people in the world had become a cyborg. It is because we need to use this technologies everyday at everywhere. We alwsy communicate with people through the internet. Although we would talk in phone, the main tools for us to contact is the computer. Also, we would write think on the blog and share with people. It really show that we have immersed with the technologies.
Althoguh sciences bring a lot of benefits to us, it may cause some disadvantages. For example, the problem of pornographies and violent online games. We should be careful in the place that full of illusion. It can cause many things that we can't imagine.
I think this course is really very useful since there are so many concepts that i haven't make contact with before.

Annie's reflection post

2008-05-10T23:58:00.001+08:00

Before I took this course, I think my knowledge towards digital media is not enough, which is only had a little understanding on it. After finishing Self. Net/ identity in the Digital Age, I got to know more about the cyborg and the relationship between technology and human being.

Also, I think the weblogs is very convenient and useful for us to have a discussion. It makes the class have a better atmosphere that we can communication on the weblogs whatever we want. It is really funny when doing the presentation, searching for the information of video game is not bored as well.

Erica's Reflective Post

2008-05-09T20:19:00.003+08:00

Before taking this course, I totally don't understand what this course is about. It's so difficult to understand with the title "Self.Net" and the term "cyborg". However, after this semester, I found that it is interesting to know more about internet and cyborg. There is a big connection between the real and virtual world. Technology brings lots of convenience to us. For example, we can chat with friends and find lots of information easily through internet, enjoy different types of video games to immetate what we can do in the real world. However, there are still lots of problems in virtual world. Youngsters are easily meeting bad guy through internet. A news very noticeable in these days is about a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in a poor family and needs to find jobs to help her parents. Unluckily, she met bad guy though internet and said they'd introduce job for her. Finally, she was being killed and they cut apart her dead body. There are lots of such kind of news that aroused the public's concern on internet.

Reflection on the course

2008-05-08T23:45:00.000+08:00

This course encourages me to think about the relationships and politics between human and science. As digital culture has totally been permeated into our lives, to the extent that it is “fatal” to us, we seldom consider the problems which caused by that, such as, isolated social relationships, playing online games obsessively, virtual rape, etc. However, the advantage and disadvantage whether science has brought to us ~~are~~ still remain undefined. Science and technologies are insufficient for our imperfections, building us houses to live, giving the infecundity to babies, extending lives and curing diseases, meanwhile, they also create weapons, cause more illness by chemical pollution and threaten the ecological balance.

My reflection of the course

2008-05-08T16:53:00.002+08:00

This course is quite difficult to understand during the first few lessons as many theories and new terms that I haven’t listened before, such as the term of “cyborg”. Although I always use computers or new technologies in everyday, those theories and social problem in the virtual world that are neglected by myself, and now I can realize all kinds of people’s practices, include constructing many different identities from a online user in the virtual world are valuable to study.

Indeed, some problems are should be concerned in the Internet, especially pornographies and violent online games, since many young children are knowledgeable enough to play the computer or even surfing online, they may not know how to identify what right or wrong is while getting visualized images of nude body and violence. I think that adults should concern this problem, not just only parents. I hope this problem can be solved by human beings in the reality. Furthermore, I appreciate with Anna’s teaching attitude so much, as she is the first time to teach this course, she is hardworking on finding many sources and prepare many information from those readings for us in every lecture. Many students agree that she is quite hard to understand many new theories in this course before the lecture and she can clearly explain them to us.

Gabriel

Carrie Yu's reflective post

2008-05-08T15:11:00.000+08:00

After the course, I had come up a question: Are we become as a cyborg now? I think the answer is yes; we had become as a cyborg , as Cyborg is an integrated entity of machine and human. In nowadays technology can be found in everywhere, even on your body such as your mobile, i-pod, electronic watch, etc. Moreover, in the medical point of view, technology can replace the lost functions of human’s body such as robotic legs. It can replace the human legs which had lost in the accident. Therefore, we are relying on the technology very much and it seems we can’t still alive without technology. It can’t separate the human and the technology, as it seems we had integrated together. Because of that, it may cause the problem as technology may become too powerful and over control. As we are fears towards technology because of the well developing of the technology in nowadays, that is a contradiction to take a balance between them.

Jessie's reflective post

2008-05-08T14:43:00.000+08:00

The use of weblogs for learning purposes is very effective. Through the weblogs, we can share the assignments with peers; discuss the unit topics and readings; respond or comment classmates' opinions. It is very convenient that we just sit in front of the computer and thus can gain a lot of knowledge and information.

I think I'm a cyborg. In fact, I prefer face-to-face communication rather than CMC. However, as the rapid developments of technology and people have lesser time to see each other, we have to communicate with people through technology and it is the only way to keep contact with our friends. I'm not sure it is good or bad. I'm quite contradictory to this.

I think the course is interesting. It helps me think deeper about the relationship between humanity and technology, as I have never thought this kind of issue before. However, some of the readings are quite difficult to understand.

Daisy's Reflective Post

2008-05-07T21:06:00.000+08:00

After attending the course, I realized that I have become a cyborg unconsciously. Technology has become part of my life. The first day I do is to press the “on” button of my computer. I spend more than ten hours in the Internet, to read the newspaper, bid the things I like on ebay and get the information I want. You can see that many people are using their i-phone to connect to the Internet or communicating with others in the MTR. I can’t imagine how the world would be if we cannot connect to the Internet one day, especially when the due date of essays is coming, I think the consequence would be horrible. All the things, including the banking system, stock market, and the whole economy of the society will be lose control. We should think about are we relying too much on the technology? Is it a time to pull out myself from the virtual world?

Although there are some topics very difficult, some are still very interesting such as video games and online communities. There are many stereotypes embed into our daily life as well as in video games. I understand human and technology is inseparable nowadays and we should be aware of the side effects. Or one day we could do nothing without the help of technology.

Most of us own a weblog and it is becoming more common. Through using the weblogs on the Internet, we could exchange comments and understanding what my classmates are thinking about. Their responses are very useful for me to learn. Also we can have more interaction besides posting our homework. When I have difficulties in one of the topics, I can go to read the weblogs as some of my classmates can give clearer explanation through their post after presentation. As a result, the weblogs is effective for helping me to learn.

Eileen's Reflective Post

2008-05-07T15:39:00.002+08:00

From the subject name “Self. Net”, it seemed to be a very difficult things. But after twelve weeks lectures and tutorials, I think that it is not as difficult as imagined. It is just talked about the technology around us everyday such as video games, culture jamming and virtual community. It helps us to understand more about the negative and positive impact on technology which we may not know before.

Writing weblog become more popular today. I think it is very convenient for us to know others response, feeling and information about a specific event. Also, it functioned as dairy. We can get some interesting story and information about other people. But in this course, weblog become a tool for us to exchange our knowledge. For example, all of us post our webliography on the weblog, we can see that each of us have different perspective although we may do the same question. To a certain extent, it helps us to widen our horizon.

I believe that I am a cyborg. It's so hard for me to exclude technology in my life. Technology invaded our lives from different aspects. Undoubtedly, technology gives us so many advantages, such as easier to communicate with others. However, it made human depend on it. After doing the webliography of Frankenstein, I know more about the relationship between technology and humanity. I think that we are still need to work hard on keeping harmony or equality between technology and humanity.

I really enjoy this course. Through the lectures, different classmates' presentations and discussions, I learn more about how the technology affects our lives. And although I rarely play video game, after my presentation, I got a deeper understanding about the issues of video games. Undoubtedly, technology helped us a lot when we did our assignments for this course.

Refection of the course

2008-05-07T02:55:00.001+08:00

Before I take this course, I am just a “normal” internet user and think that internet is part of my daily life and help us to connect the outside world. However, this course let me know that new cyber community and cyborg not only brings the convenience, but also brings the side effect to the society. Some scholars mention in the course worry about the harmful of cyber community. Therefore, when I am using the cyber community, some key concepts I learnt in the lecture will come out in my mind. When I visit the cyber community, such as facebook or some discussion broad, I will try to think deeper in it.

In addition, I think the webliography is a interesting task. As other courses will not accept us to is many internet sources as academic references, and we have to find a “real book”. However, this course provide us to take a chance to search some academic sources online, I think this opportunity let us to observe a different side of internet but not only the leisure part of it.

Anthea's reflective post

2008-05-06T20:18:00.000+08:00

Before I attend to this course, I don't know any ideas of relationship between technology and human. I think the weblogs work for me. It is because it reminds me what people talks about in the tutorials. Although we discuss the question and give any comment or ideas in the tutorials, we will forget important points or ideas. The weblogs help us easy to find out what the topic is and help us to do our essay. And we read our classmates' webiogarphy to see other ideas and learn more.

I believe that I'm cyborg. I always play online games and video games. Sometime, I read the forum and talk with my friends in msn or Facebook. So, I'm in the virtual communities. In the past, I could not separate my real life and virtual life. Just played game when I was at home, and stop it when I sleep.

The readings that we discussed in the lesson are useful. I think the topic of culture jamming is difficult. After I read those reading and listen our classmates' presentation, I get what it is. All the topic is helping us to learn more our society.

Reflection on the course

2008-05-06T17:38:00.001+08:00

After finishing all the lessons, I found that I have learned more about what cyborg and cybercommunity are. Besides, I discovered many side-effects and the bad impacts of digital technologies, digital media and online communication. Before taking this course, I think technology is really good for us and our daily lives although it helps us a lot. However, people become rely on it. It is not a good phenomenon and we are facing the crisis that technology takes over human.

Moreover, I think the assignments help me a lot, especially the webliography. We have to search our information online. It seems to allow us to experience the searching journey on the internet which relates to our course. Also, we post our works on the blog is another way that to have opportunity to reach the cybercommunity and have online communication. We can learn during doing the assignments.

Adelaide's reflective post on this course

2008-05-06T15:33:00.000+08:00

Before attending to this course, I had no idea about cyborg and believe that technology is positive to human being. However, after twelve-week lectures of this course, I have learned the concepts of cyborg and cyberculture in different perspectives. Technology not only brings us convenience in our daily lives, it also blurring the boundaries between gender and class as Haraway mentions. At the same time, some scholars worry that technology may harm human being like Frankenstein's monster. In fact, when I come across this course, I found that I have already become a cyborg unconsciously! Since technology has invaded as an important part of our lives, machines such as computer, mobile phone as well as television are associated with us. The issue of virtual identities and communities interests me a lot because it is closed to our real lives. Surfing on the internet and form communities in cyberspace like facebook and online forums becomes our daily activity, and I believe that it would be interesting to see how people construct their virtual identities after going through this topic. Although some concepts like cyberpunk and postmodernism are abstract and quite difficult to me, the weblog helps me to learn effectively. As we share what we have learnt as well as our opinions on particular topics, we can learn from each other and even have a in-depth understanding.

Reflection of the presentation (Playing Games, Simulating Worlds & Having Divine Powers!)

2008-04-24T21:42:00.001+08:00

In the presentation, we have proven that heterosexuality is portrayed as norm in both virtual world and reality. For example, in the Japanese game Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン綾波育成計画), the image of female character are being portaryed at submissive and having good body shape. The duty of the player is to protect the girls. Althought there are more and more homosexual elements inserted into some new games, such as Sims and Boys Love, the culture is not very popular. There are still some restrictions on these games such as gay couples cannot get marry and having babies, they could only live together and could not enjoy the same treatment as heterosexual couples.

During the discussion part, students agree that although there are homosexual characters in the games, heterosexuality is still the norm. On the other hand, the games of portable games such as PSP are target at male players, while the games of NDSL are target at female players. Is there a change in the male-dominated game world? No. We can see the answer in the games of NDSL. For example, the most popular games such as cooking mama and Nintendo dogs, stereotype the representation of women as patient and mild. I think it still need some time for changing the role of sexuality.

Reflection of the presentation (Playing Games, Simulating Worlds & Having Divine Powers!)

2008-04-24T20:25:00.001+08:00

We used a Japanese game, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku as an example to examine the sexuality in the game. It showed that heterosexuality is portrayed as norm in the game just like traditional media text. Also, we have gave out the example of The Sims and Japan BL game (Boy Love game) to show LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) characters in video game have increased after the company find out that the dominant group of players who are young white heterosexual male are willing to play a strong and powerful female character, e.g. Tomb Raider and Resident Evil.

From the discussion, we discussed about the nowadays trend of homosexual element in the video games and the example of Japan BL game. In fact, the companies want to earn pink dollars. So, they start to design and promote homosexual element in the game. But, it is not popular among the dominant trend. From The Sims, we can see that there are discriminations about homosexual pairing. They cannot marry and cannot have a baby. Also, for the example of Japan BL game, it is not really a game about homosexual. Because these games are mainly targeted at female players and the male characters in the games are always have feminine-looking, it is hard to distinguish the gender of the characters. So, female players can get involved into the central characters and easy to identify with the character.

Actually, different subject position can be challenged the sexuality in the video games such as female players acted as male central characters in the game and homosexual players. Nowadays, NDS, PSP and Wii become more popular which change the trend that young white heterosexual male dominated the game market. There are different games which targeted at different players. So, there are still have a lot of spaces to explore the role of sexuality played in the video games.

Self.org II: Playing Games, Sim(ulating) Worlds & Having Divine Powers!(Before Presentation)

2008-04-24T02:30:00.003+08:00

Our presentation topic is "Self.org II: Playing Games, Sim(ulating) Worlds & Having Divine Powers!", which is based on the reading" As We Become Machines: Corporealized Pleasures in Video Games." by Martii Lahti. Video games are not only games that we play by vision, but there are also interaction and it is corporeal in nature.

Video games were developed from two dimensions to three dimensions, lack of bodily movement to full of bodily movements. He explained that why players' bodies are not just sitting in front of the computers or television monitors, but also travelling through the virtual space in the game world. For examples, shooting games in game arcades are games that players sit astride a motorcycle and using their whole bodies to control the game world.

We agree the point of Martti and we use several examples of such kind of games like Dance Dance Revolution, Initial D and Wii to explain how players are interacted in the game world.

Playing Games, Sim(ulating) Worlds & Having Divine Powers! (Before Presentation)

2008-04-23T17:28:00.002+08:00

Our presentation topic is studying sexuality in video game. We are based on the reading, “Hot Dates and Fairy-tale Romances: Studying Sexuality in Video Games” which is written by Mia Consalvo. In this article, she focused on the construction of sexuality become an integral element of characterization and storyline in games and explored the presumption of heterosexuality is portrayed as social norm in the video games.

She analyzed with two perspectives which are concept of “game” and concept of “play”. Concept of “game” referred to the representation of the characters and heterosexuality. Concept of ‘play” focus on the activity of gameplay. It explored that how a player manage his desire for the main character. She used Final Fantasy IX as a case study. The game represented ideal heterosexuality through the central character’s sexual orientation and the female character image. We will use Evangelion Chinese as an example to reflect her analysis. From the video games, we can see that heterosexuality is portrayed as norm which is similar to traditional media representation such as film.

Also, as Consalvo has mentioned about homosexuality in video games, we has used some examples to examine homosexuality factor in video games. Although The Sims can let the player to choose the character’s sexuality, homosexual couple still has many limitations when playing the game such as they cannot marry and have a baby. On the other hand, Japan BL (boy love) game is about gay male which included sex scene. However, these games are not targeted at gay male, but female player. It is not a game which specific to homosexual players.

We agreed that heterosexuality portrayed as norm in both video games and traditional media text. However, there are still spaces to explore the homosexual issues in video games.

Self.org II: Playing Games, Sim(ulating) Worlds & Having Divine Powers! (Before Presentation)

2008-04-23T13:21:00.002+08:00

Our presentation topic is “Self.org II: Playing Games, Sim(ulating) Worlds & Having Divine Powers! Our content is base on Mia Consalvo’s reading “Hot Dates and Fairy-Tale Romances: Studying Sexuality in Video Games.” The reading told us heterosexuality is not only a norm is our real world, the concept of heterosexuality and patriarchy is also reinforced in the video games.

As Mia said, the representation of the female character is being stereotyped and there is a presumption of heterosexual desires. The female character, like the princess, is always shown as submissive and need the protection from the hero. The reason of creating a erotica triangle is further explain.

We agree the point of Mia and we have provided two examples, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ayanami Ikusei Keikaku and the Sims to support his arguments – heterosexuality is normalized and presented as a “regular" part of life.

Reflection on the presentation of "Online Communities" (After Presentation)

2008-04-19T12:44:00.003+08:00

We discussed some reasons of obsession with online communities, for example, playing online games and finding new friends on the internet after the presentation. We believe that everyone has one or more than one ideal image of ourselves and our fantasies can also be achieved by establishing a virtual identity. These fantasies can be accomplished by those characters in online games, for instance, you could be a magician, dealing with evil by witchcraft; or became a king who fought for honor and territories, which is unable to achieve in the reality but it is a supplement to our dream and illusion. The options of meeting some new friends on the internet and telling them about your secrets are also understandable. Sometimes, you may feel safe and relief by sharing your secrets with strangers as they have no reasons to expose your thoughts and they won’t judge you like what your real friends may do. Therefore, we think online communities are attractive, and even addictive because of the reasons above as well as the theories of scholars which we had illustrated during the presentation.

Reflection on the presentation (Online Communities)

2008-04-19T12:10:00.001+08:00

It can be said that dangers exist in virtual communities. Online information is actually not reliable enough. The e-mails you received may be just some of the rumors. You even do not know the writers of those e-mails and whether they lie or not.

Online dating has never been as popular as it is today. However, many teenagers venture on meeting their friends who are from the match-up websites. They like doing that because they think it is exciting. Moreover, they do not have to pretend themselves in front of their net friends as those net friends do not know them so much. As a result, there are always predators who will take advantage of new ways to meet victims.

Some real life examples including both positive and negative were raised in our presentation. The purpose is to ask our classmates to pay attention to and to aware of those incidents. Such incidents make explicit the imaginary fantasy level of all these interactions. When it comes to cyber-love, what is most shocking in these incidents is the realization that it was only a fantasy – which has now been ruined.

Reflection of the presentation (Self. Org I: Online Communities)

2008-04-17T18:49:00.001+08:00

In the presentation, we gave out some examples when people wallow in playing online game and why people enjoy their life in virtual community. After the presentation, we discussed why they spend too much time in the virtual communities and discussed any positives and negatives impacts in virtual communities.

The common problem of the virtual communities is lack of communication. As people like to talk with other in the virtual communities, they do not know how to communicate with their friends, family face to face instead of they talk with them in the online game. One example is one of my friends, he did speak too much when we had a gathering, but he always talks in the online games when I play online game with him. So, he just knows how to communicate with technology.

In addition, people spent too much time in the virtual communities. Some of them may spend whole day in the forum and online game etc. It is not good for their health and we should change our online habits.

There are positive impacts for the virtual community, for example, Facebook. It is new way to communicate with others. We can search our friends, classmates, schoolmates in the Facebook. And help us to keep in touch with people.

Sometime, we could say anything in virtual community but we do not know how to talk something face to face. We still cannot always focus on the virtual experience because it will separate our relationship with our friends and family.

Online Communities (Before Presentation)

2008-04-16T22:38:00.004+08:00

Nowadays, many people participate in the computer-mediated social groups known as virtual communities. People in virtual communities do just about everything people do in real life, such as, finding friends, falling in love, chatting, playing online games, etc., but we leave our bodies behind. The online communities are attractive and even addictive. We are going to discuss this feature in our presentation and illustrate how virtual communities affect our real life by some relevant examples. Also, some scholars present a number of useful and comprehensive overview of this issue which put many of the debates about cyberspace in perspective.

Online Communities (Before Presentation)

2008-04-16T22:34:00.002+08:00

A virtual community is that a group of people who particularly interact with another group of people through communication media such as letters, telephone, email, chat room or instant messenger rather than face to face.

Our presentation is mainly focusing on online tools such as chat room and instant messenger. Computer conferencing emerged as a tool for using the communication capacities of the networks to build social relationships across barriers of space and time. “Computer-mediated relationships” produce an entire range of transference and counter-transferences that occur between players. Therefore, computer conferencing causes positive results and also negative cases.

Online Communities (Before Presentation)

2008-04-16T20:07:00.000+08:00

Our presentation topic is Online Communities. We will talk about the reading from Sherry Turkle, ‘Virtuality and Its Discontents: Searching for Community in Cyberspace’. This article is all about multi-user dungeons (MUD) and Turkle concerned about many of us appear to be choosing to invest ourselves in unreal places.

As the development of technology keeps going on, human want everything that commutes right into our homes and depend more on virtual reality. Turkle challenged that this kind of desire will make our real life even more separate because people no longer have social contact. She pointed out that virtuality tends to skew our real experience in three ways. The first one is Disneyland effect. Another effect of simulation is that 'the fake seems more compelling than the real'. She lastly pointed out that 'virtual experience may be so compelling that we believe that within it we've achieved more than we have'.

We agree with Turkle's point of view that although virtual environments are valuable, we still need an authentic experience of self.

Self. Org I: Online Communities (before presentation)

2008-04-16T17:39:00.001+08:00

Our presentation topic is “Self. Org I: Online Communities”. Our presentation content will base on the article which written by Sherry Turkle, “Virtuality and Its Discontents: Searching for Community in Cyberspace”.

In the article, Sherry Turkle introduces what is MUD (Multi User Domains/ Dungeons). It is one of the virtual community and the players can create their character and type command when they are playing the game. The MUD and the MMORPG are the virtual community. One of the Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), The world of Warcarft, it is modern graphics- based. It is one of the changes for the MUD.

Turkle mentions different examples that people is wallowing in the MUD. So, we will give some examples when people wallow in playing the online game from the newspaper article, such as they didn’t having bathing for three days.

We agree that Turkle's point of view. We cannot wallow in the virtual community. Real life experience is more important than the virtual community.

After the presentation (Week 9) Self. Gov II: Resistance

2008-04-11T00:44:00.001+08:00

In our presentation we were talk about our relationship between Consumption and Digital media. Nowadays, advertisements and consumers are everywhere. It pushes us to consume their products and services. As Poster, Mark said “We are not simply consume the object, at the same time, we also consume the hidden meaning behind the object.” We are making, creating and using the cultural meaning by consumption. Moreover, as digital media have well developed nowadays, “Consumers” becomes not just a user but a creator or an advertiser also. We are not a passive consumer affected by the advertisement through media. Consumers are
from passive to active.

In the discussion part we have shown some brand names to the classmates to discuss about what did we consume in the consumption process. As we are not simply consume the object, at the same time, we also consume the hidden meaning behind the object. Classmates were come up the same ideas with us; for example, the higher-class people would like to choose to go shopping at the international supermarket like City-super rather than the PARKnSHOP. As it is representing which group you are belonging to.

Moreover, as Blogging is so poplar in nowadays and it is a common platform to read some the comments about the product before you want to consume. This is a platform to resist the large amount of advertisement from the society, as their common would be more objective than the commercial advertisement. We are not a passive consumer affected by the advertisement through media. Consumers are from passive at the past to active at the moment.

Presentation (Week 9) Self. Gov II: Resistance

2008-04-09T20:52:00.002+08:00

We are going to present the topic of Self. Gov II: Resistance is Fertile and in our presentation, we will base on the reading—“consumption and Digital Commodities in the Everyday” which is written by Poster, Mark.
In our presentation we would like to talk about our relationship between Consumption and Digital media. Nowadays, advertisements and consumers are everywhere. We were affected by these advertisements everyday. It pushes us to consume their products and services. As Poster, Mark said “We are not simply consume the object, at the same time, we also consume the hidden meaning behind the object.” We are
making, creating and using the cultural meaning by consumption. Moreover, as digital media have well developed nowadays, “Consumers” becomes not just a user but a creator or an advertiser also. We are not a passive consumer affected by the advertisement through media. Consumers are from passive at the past to active at the moment.
In the discussion part we would like to show some brand names to the classmates to discuss about what did we consume in the consumption process. As we are not simply consume the object, at the same time, we also consume the hidden meaning behind the object. After the discussion we will come up the conclusion as consumers are from passive at the past to active at the moment.

Week 9 – Resistance is Fertile (The introduction of our presentation)

2008-04-09T19:44:00.000+08:00

Our presentation topic is Consumption and digital media in everyday. We will base on the course reader “Consumption and Digital Commodities in the Everyday.”, written by Poster, Mark in the content of presentation.

As Mark pointed out that in most industrialized countries, individuals in their everyday lives are bombarded continuously by advertisement. It means we cannot live without advertising and media. Moreover, most of the advertising are contains the invisibility and inaudibility elements. For instance: When we are enjoying the DVDs in living room, we can discover that the promotional material at the beginning of the movie. However, we cannot avoid it by fast forward. That why, Mark brings up the idea that advertising and consumers are in everywhere and anytime.

Another main point is consumption as cultural creation. That mean we are not simply consume the object, at the same time, we consume the hidden meaning behind the object. According to Mark, “A city that is real ‘imaginary museum’ forms the counterpoint of the city at work.” In city, all the advertising is come from our imagination not the real. City seems as the imaginary world. When we consume a product or service, we are satisfying our imagination not our real body.

However, when the digital media have a well developed, the consumption pattern has changing now. “Consumers” become an active role. We are not a simply consumers. We start to become a creators and advertisers. Moreover, we can express and discuss our opinion in the weblog. It also produce the side effect blogging becomes advertising. In the presentation, we will push many examples to support those above statement. I hope this introduction can give you a basic concept of our presentation.

By Cody Wan

Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-04-08T00:36:00.002+08:00

Question 3: Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Frankenstein is a famous novel character. In the story, there are so many technologies appear when making Frankenstein. Are the technologies that appear in the story affected nowadays people or science? It’s the thing that I’m going to talk about in the above essay by using some article documents.

1. This article is about there is two western doctors decide to have some experiments of human cloning since they have successes in cloning animal and livestock before. However, there are so many religious and medical organizations criticize or them and said that they are “Doctor Frankensteins”. As a results, there are no country support their ideas and help them to develop the human cloning project. They disagree with this project because they think that it has violated the moral minefield and worried about the treatment between clones and naturally born humans. On the other hand, it seems that cloning is scientifically possible. Two doctor point out that since cloning human is just the same as the process of cloning animals or Dolly etc.
Although there are so many people against human cloning, however, it still has many scientists’ continuous researching and experimenting about it around the world. Moreover, Wople said that in the coming decade, the doctors are able to control about the embryos and they would become bio-engineer.
Is it possible for them to clone human, it still have many problem remain and waiting to be solve while the researching process.

2. This article is about the changing technologies from the relations between Frankenstein and modern human cloning. As we know that, science would always change no matter in which period of time, it just changes spectacularly. After Industrial Revolution, Mary Shelley has written a novel about Frankenstein. Although what she has written seems outdated and horrid nowadays, it still has her own saving grace. She believed that science would go to the dark way and down turn in the coming days; however, our sciences have not go to the way that she thinks and the scientists have tried to bring this ideas and its benefits to our society.
Since the technologies have opened up and developed, it becomes more updated and brings some modern creations of robots and biological clones. As a result, there would be some changes between Frankenstein and modern human cloning. The article gives some hits that modern human cloning is different from Frankenstein. It is because our technologies’ are more updates and the scientists have tried their best to bring benefits to the society. So, we don’t need to afraid what had happened in the story will happen in the real society.
3. This article discusses about are the stage of Frankenstein seems become a new reality. A Scottish scientist, Ian Wilmut, has conducted a research about embryology successfully. He had taken the adult mammal cell to develop embryo. Ian Wilmut has cloned a sheep called Dolly by using some simple method with limited funding. Although he had cloned Dolly, he just wants to get better in farm animal’s productivity. Some people said that Ian is the modern Frankenstein and think that science fiction idea, cloning human, has become real. However, according to what Ian has said, he thinks that it is impossible for people to clone human by using the same method. Moreover, there would have many problem need to concern. For example, the social status of the clone and the life of them etc.; we should consider about it seriously.
Since there is so many people banned the idea of human cloning, some people suggested that the research should conduct underground and the clone should create secretly. They think that it is just the problem of time and who is the first person to create human clone. If the first human clone has appeared already, the criticisms are not important at all.

4. This article is about the different between Frankenstein and cloned human. There are a lot of people think that human cloning is not good for the society. From a research, it shows that more than 75% of people disallow the experiment of human cloning. However, more than 95 percent of people do not really know about what is human cloning. In their mind, they just think cloned human is something like Frankenstein monster or mindless zombies. It is what uneducated people think and most of them always affect by the image of Frankenstein. However, the technique that used in the film or novel would not happen in the reality. Also, it is impossible for the dead people alive again by using the same method. In fact, human cloning does not mean there would be two same people appear in the world. It just takes some DNA of a person and develops the cell. After nine months, a new baby was born and grows up just like a naturally human baby. They just share almost the same DNA like Twins but not two same people with same appearance in the world. So, there are some different between Frankenstein and human cloning.

5. Some people said that Frankenstein is being brought to the reality. Since there are some case of clone animals and genetically engineered food, people may believe that the novel character, Frankenstein, would be brought to our society possibly. From the time of the word ‘Frankenstein’ appeared, it has some meaning of it, that is, ‘anything unnatural with its origins in the lab or transgressions into the unnatural’. In the past, the things, which people think that it is impossible to happen, are able to occur nowadays. For example, we can transplant the human organ form the recently dead body; the scientists discover what is pacemaker, smallpox vaccine, the atomic bomb as well as the cloning animals and genetically engineered food.
It is no doubts to said Frankenstein bring a lot of affection to the science or technologies part. It makes us know that those things happen in the novel may have the chance to become visible in another way of scientific method. Just like Lederer had said says, it is impossible for us to rid of Frankenstein's monster whenever we talk about science and scientists.

6. According to the article, Frankenstein is the novel characters which contain technology and humanity in the modern West society. It shows that the technologies in it may bring some benefits as well as some adverse effect to our society. Since Frankenstein had included so many elements in it, it had provided a series of interlinked characterizations and associations which concern scientists, technology and human society. Also, we would see that Frankenstein monster is full of ambiguous. It has the potential for good and the potential for evil. The monster is the technology which presents technology as amoral and non-human. Frankenstein also shows as a product of science. There is no Inquisition or Royal Society to control the scientist and creation. Although it’s just a novel, it clearly shown Frankenstein would bring the technologies to our society.

To sum up, the technologies that appear in Frankenstein have brought a lot of effects to nowadays science and the society. Although the real person of Frankenstein may not really exist in our society, it’s concept of creating human clone may the same as Frankenstein. It really a important feature for the scientific aspects.

Webliography

1. Jeremy Bransten. ‘The Cloning Debate -- Real Science Or Frankenstein Fantasy?’
http://www.zavos.org/library/articles/Frankenstein.htm

2. Connor. ‘Changing Technology’ (2008)
http://www.bookstove.com/Classics/Changing-Technology.96015

3. TIME MAGAZINE. ‘Frankenstein: a new reality’ (1999)
http://web.quipo.it/frankenstein/thenewreality.htm

4. Esmaeili. ‘Human Cloning’
http://www.humancloning.org/essays/esiann.htm

5. LaShunda Prescott-Manly. ‘Bringing "Frankenstein" to life…’
http://www.engr.wisc.edu/wiscengr/november04/frankenstein.shtml

6. Tranter, Kieran. ‘Frankenstein and law as technology’ (2007)http://techtheory.blogspot.com/2007/02/frankenstein-and-law-as-technology.html

Review of the Internet pornography presentation

2008-04-03T02:47:00.001+08:00

In our group presentation, I mainly focus on the advantages of Internet pornography and our group also point out the discussion about whether Internet pornography is ethical or not. Students may only blame the problem on the one side, Internet or the producers who upload porn videos or images. However, I can apply the relationship between human beings and technology (i.e. “cyborg”) to give out a clear explanation about this issue the presentation.

Firstly, we should realize that the function of the Internet’s World Wide Web system. It means if online users post something on the web, the others would watch it with clicking the appropriate address of that website. Then, people can’t blame on the cyberspace to deliver porn videos or images widely.

Secondly, cyberspace aims to provide virtual space for online users to fulfill their satisfactions or desires (sexual desire is included as well) in their imaginary world. That mean people are free to express their (sexual) preferences on the net without legal punishment. So, it also can’t blame the problem on these producers who upload the porn online.

Nevertheless, it is true that the term of “cyborg” is obvious to explicit because porn amateurs or producers need to use webcam, cameras or digital cameras to capture porn images, and then upload them by the computer. Indeed, when the problem of ethical or unethical issue is involved, the morality and ethics of human beings are being presented at the same time. Therefore, one of the reasonable answers to explain this discussion topic is that before the sexual amateurs or producers upload images, they do consider about how it may affect children’s mind towards sex after they watch it. Furthermore, parents should become open-minded to share about what the sex is with their children, and hence to educate them getting a positive and save attitude towards sex.

Gabriel

Critical Annotated Webliography by Julie Lam

2008-04-01T01:50:00.002+08:00

Question 3: Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Many of nowadays science or futuristic movie is an adaptation of Frankenstein. Frankenstein is the surname of Victor Frankenstein. He is a scientist who becomes obsessed with the creation of life. Frankenstein play a god-like power, he animated his creation and yet immediately horrified by what he has done. The creature is a horrible monstrosity, a caricature of a man. His hideous looks draw screams everywhere, and even his good acts brought him punishment. He owns a human like outlook but being treated as a non-human object. Frankenstein shuns the creature but soon he felt offensive and seek his creature around to destroy it. Most of the movie both depicted Frankenstein’s monster as a bulky moron but also a humanity with emotion and feeling. The monster originally named as Adam in Mary Shelley’s book, but often shown nameless in the movie.

Story become an artificial creature turns upon to its creator. Such a conflict happened in between human and created science object led to our nowadays’ concern: As the prosperous and rapidly growth science technology, is there a possibility when one day human lose control to it entirely? Since recent “Frankenstein” technologies continues obsess our daily life, let’s see how people look into this.

Frankenstein films: Mad Scientists and Monsters
According to an in-depth analysis of Frankenstein science films, Andreas Rohrmoser listed several futuristic films which mirror from Frankenstein. Such as, one of the best movie about artificial human – Blade Runner (USA, 1982), and also another Frankensteinian product – Robocop (1987). “Artificial human beings and their creators have become a standard ingredient of modern science fiction/horror films and literature”. From past to now, the artificial presented in science film tends of lacking the monstrous and scary features of the Frankenstein’s monster and appear to be more mechanized form as robots, androids and cyborgs. As the phenomenon, the idea and image of Frankenstein does affect the afterward creations of futuristic movie. Which science technology is also being accepted and transform in nowadays.

Literary Essay on Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
In this source, Jean-Philippe Pellet has overcome some controversial argument between human and scientific knowledge, such as “can science find solutions to all human problems?”, and also she pointed out what makes Frankenstein still being popular today and how it related to our life. It is because, according to Jean’s reading to the story of Frankenstein, in order to achieve his goal, he makes an extensive use of knowledge and science that ultimately led him to desolation, loneliness and result in a complete failure. Jean proven the reason of the popularity of Frankenstein is that “there is something universal in Victor’s attempt to reach this God-like level”. This is human’s aggression towards science and technology. Scientists believed they construct science and technology, and the also have the entire power to control or terminate it. They thought themselves own the ability before God. “Man’s ambition, man’s desire for glory pushes him beyond the ‘human borders”. There, should be no “omnipotent science” in the world.

Technology in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer
Here, Orlin Damyanov cited two science films: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer to discuss the dangerous effects on nature and human life perceived by science and technology. As Orlin’s mentioned about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to technology and some of the other crucial issues, also the exploration of the dangerous implications of human acts of creation. Technology and human life are being merged together without any consideration on moral stage. However, both authors have been able to clearly predict the consequences of immoral technological utilization. The nature of humanity was unscrupulously to be reconstructing as a mechanical object. Orlin once again described today’s scientist like Frankenstein, shun to think about the consequences of hybridize technology. This make me thing about the cloning technology in this century.

'Frankenstein Science' Row Over Cloned Embryos Plan
"PRO-LIFE campaigners have described a project to clone Britain's first human embryos by North-East scientists as 'Frankenstein science'". So far, technology of cloning is being seen as unethical action. It goes against to the world’s and humanity nature. Some religious scholars said this may blaspheme their god and demolish the circle of life. I am so agree to this article that the manipulation of human life should never be tolerated, no Frankenstein science is needed in this world. Somehow, I appreciated the invention of cloning technology since it is just a basic science technique, and it does help a huge convenience for some patients such as body part implant. I have never feeling proud when the cloning sheep Dolly is being “created”, and so as if one day a cloning human named no matter what is “birth”.

The Frankenstein Syndrome
“The message of Frankenstein that attracted people in 1818 and still energizes us today is: How much is too much in science?” Question upraised by Bob Calverley on USC Health Magazine. There are billions possibilities but there are some that we should never try to get the answer or experiment. Control, is what we need. Bob is talking about currently generic engineering which is seems to be unethical as cloning. These up-to-date technologies are gradually corroding moral standards. Bob indicated that like Anderson stated, educate and inform the public is the only way to protect human from technology.

The Curse of Frankenstein --The Campaign in Defense of Industry and Technology
If you think those generic engineering, or cloning technology is too complicated, too far away from our daily life, so what about the myth of “Frankenfood”? Have you ever think about science of Frankenstein is invading our daily life including what going to eat into our stomach? Compare to many other science technology, genetic food is not something very gorgeous and tremendous. However, how many people know about the harmfulness brought to human? As Robert W. Tracinski dressed in his writing, genetic modify on food is just an easy and beneficial method. This already helps lot of peasants on their agricultural and harvest. This also has been proven with a lot of successful result. For instance, genetic seeds may survive in some place that it should be able to grow, or they may inbuilt a strong defense of harmful insects. Yet, may be some years later, what we eat originally are something that is not possible to be eaten. Horrible?

From all the above, Frankenstein myth, and its theme of the dangers of science consists of unknown number of risks. Science and technology have no doubly improved human life in countless ways. From the steam engine to the pasteurization of milk, from electrical power to antibiotics. On the other hand, human life is indeed on top of the manipulation of science and technologies. Frankenstein has been told and retold, present and represent in hundreds of times, and has probably been adapted in one way or another thousands more. We do not mind if there are more new versions of Frankenstein, but what about next Frankensteinian, “Franken-man”?

References:
1. Andreas Rohrmoser (1999). “Mad Scientists and Monstrous Creations: The Continuation of the Frankenstein Myth in Modern Science Fiction and Horror Films”http://members.inode.at/359743/frankenstein/frankenstein-madprofs.htm (accessed 29 March 2008)
2. Jean-Philippe Pellet (2001). “Literary Essay on Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley” http://www.gymnase-morges.ch/docs/Eleve/frankenstein.html (accessed 30 March 2008)
3. Orlin Damyanov (1996). “Technology in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer” http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5972/gibson.html (accessed 30 March 2008)
4. Northern Echo (2003). “'Frankenstein Science' Row Over Cloned Embryos Plan” http://health.mappibiz.com/mpelembe/Frankenstein_Science.html (accessed 30 March 2008)
5. Bob Calverley (2001). “THE FRANKENSTEIN SYNDROME” http://www.usc.edu/hsc/info/pr/hmm/01fall/frankenstein.html (accessed 30 March 2008)
6. Robert W. Tracinski. “The Curse of Franken” http://www.moraldefense.com/protech/Archives/Curse_of_Frankenstein.htm (accessed 30 March 2008)

Critical Webliography by Adelaide Wong

2008-03-31T23:44:00.002+08:00

Question 3: Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussion of recent technologies.

Technologies help to improve human lives but also destroy human’s identities. Catherine Waldby’s ‘The Instruments of Life: Frankenstein and Cyberculture’ brings out the notion of monstrous imagination of Frankenstein’s monster of Mary Shelley’s story. In order to examine why Frankenstein’s monster launches a wide discussion in society, I would conduct searches of online materials through Yahoo and Google search engines, and six sources written by Sanstone, Gelardi, Sack, Grubbe, Locke and Richard are used for the question.

[1] I think Sanstone’s article is useful as she gives a general picture of the concept of cyborg, which helps me to organize the structure of my essay, as well as elaborate the ideas with its examples. In Sanstone’s article, she tries to explain the concept of cyborg in two dominant perspectives: ‘the cyborg as a reconceptualized post-human body and the cyborg as machine-controlled monster.’ Base on the view of scholars like Clynes, Kline and Haraway, the cyborg is an extension of human body, which is believed to be positive to human body by enhancing human’s capabilities. On the other hand, as cyborg is an integrated entity of machine and human, Santone states the monstrous images of machine / human relationship, which is origin from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Some scholars such as Sherry Turkle and Sandy Stone stress that human heavily rely on technology, which leads to the significant role of machine towards human daily lives. One of the examples is the alternative identities on the internet. In the cyberspace, human characteristics such as race, gender and age are disregarded, and it helps to reconstruct the identity without physical human body. Sanstone also mentions that the reason of ‘human regards cyborg as monster’ is a reflection of technology-phobia. Since the intelligence and automation of cyborg may take over the human brain, cyborg has the potential to liberate to be ‘human’ and even uncontrolled like Frankenstein’s monster or the Terminator.

[2] From Gelardi’s article, I believe that it can explain human’s fears towards technology / humanity in both gender and identity aspect respectively. Gelardi’s article shows the reason why Frankenstein’s monster is imaged as monster by focusing on the genderlessness of Frankenstein’s monster. In the discussion of monstrous image of Frankenstein’s monster, he says that the emergence of Frankenstein’s monster blurs the distinction between human and monster, and the identity of Frankenstein’s monster is ambiguous. It is regarded as a part of human being because of its physical human body; yet, it was not born in human’s womb but created by human dead body with advanced technology in a laboratory. Moreover, Gelardi also points out that even though Frankenstein’s monster looks masculine, its gender is still uncertain. Similar to Haraway’s concept of cyborg, Frankenstein’s monster is created by technology and does not have its biological sex, as well as has no original unity (i.e. not simply born and raised with a family). All these characteristics are conflicting to human being, which threatens human with technology / humanity.

[3] Sack’s article is about the question of the human nature and artificial intelligence, shows that the technology is too powerful to duplicate the ‘human nature’. Sack states that it is easier for us to define the differences between us and them from artificial beings such as cyborgs and replicants, since machine is supposed not to have emotion and spirit. However, with the development of artificial intelligence, machine is indistinguishable from human. Therefore, human starts to worry about the computer acts like a person, and himself as being like a computer. Therefore, Sack uses the example of ELIZA to explain how the ‘Wired-style community’ disregard the man-machine relationship. ELIZA is a computer program could carry on a textual conversation with people by varies replies. Scientists and researches have attempted to merge some human characteristics like the senses, perception and social discourse with computer. As the result, the artificial human perception and sensation of cybernetics would eliminates the artificial / natural boundary and challenges human identity.

[4] In order to give a further explanation on human’s phobia of cyborg or technology, I would use Grubbe’s article as an example to show how technology burring and threatening the human nature. Grubbe’s article gives various living examples on how the technology functioned on human body. Being an expert of biomechanics and tissue engineering, Dr. Meloy and Dr. Warwick shares his experience on implantation of human body. Dr. Meloy pinpoints that it is common to use tools to replace lost functions of human body. For instance, robotic legs, knees and ankle can replace amputated or paralyzed legs, and it is believed that with the aid of machine, the artificial legs will be better than human legs for running in the next decade. It seems that people who disabled benefited from biomechanics, Grubbe states that some people worry that technology would goes nuts, or people would misuse these technology. One of the obvious examples is the creation of fighting machines for military use.

[5] I found that Locke’s article ‘Literary Examples of Man’s Fear of Machine’ is useful, which offers a further discussion on human’s fear on machinery out of control. Locke stresses that machines can be very powerful by enhancing the ability of human being as well as guarding men from harm; on the contrary, it is also resulting in people lacks self-reliance and being manipulated by machines. According to Locke, some writers have realized the rebellion of technology, and express human’s fear of machines through their works. Those storylines are usually about people afraid of machinery rebellion, or people begin to lack social interaction by relying machine for living. At the end of the article, Locke cites a scholar’s saying that “A machine… can be the great Liberator of human drudgery, but it can also be the monster of Doctor Frankenstein's genius", which reaffirms that human should not neglect the hidden machinery crisis with technology flourishes.

[6] Richard’s article ‘Clones, Genes and Faustian Technology’ explores the issue of reproductive cloning in both positive and negative way. In fact, cloning technique is widely used in farming but not animal cloning. However, it is suggested that human cloning should be practiced in order to cure some disease. Though the cloning technology, humans can choose the genes they like based on their genetic structure. Nonetheless, in the aspect of morality, Richard states that human cloning brings out the problem of genetic variability and demean the human nature, which is regarded as diminishing human dignity and morally unacceptable.

In short, the six sources I chose show the reasons why human afraid of the images of cyborg or man-machine as technologies are too powerful, which is similar to the monstrous images of Frankenstein’s monster with negative impacts to society.

Bibliography:

[1] Santone, Jessica (2003) ‘cyborg’ http://humanities.uchicago.edu/faculty/mitchell/glossary/cyborg.htm (accessed 29 March 2008)

[2] Gelardi, R. Adrienne (2006). ‘Parallels Between Frankenstein and the Cyborg’
http://www.kristinscott.net/gelardi.html (accessed 29 March 2008)

[3] Sack, Warren. (1998) ‘Artificial Human Nature’. http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/artificial_human_nature.html#fnB11 (accessed 29 March 2008)

[4] Grubbe, H. Charlotte. (2007) ‘The Blade Runner Generation’
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article2079637.ece (accessed 30 March 2008)

[5] Locke, Amber. ‘Literary Examples of Man's Fear of Machine’http://www.mindmined.com/public_library/nonfiction/amber_locke_mans_fear_of_machine.html (accessed 30 March 2008)

[6] Richards, J. Robert (2004) ‘Clones, Genes and Faustian Technology’ http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/1/777777190263/ (accessed 30 March 2008)

Critical Annotated Webliography by Cody Wan

2008-03-31T23:02:00.002+08:00

Guiding Question 3:
Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Introduction
In the beginning, technology is helping people to improve our daily life and raise our living standard. However, after we are increasing the technology skills such as cloning animal, creating the robots army, genetic engineering, xeno-transplantation and vitro fertilization techniques. We find that there are still many unknown area in it and those technology are challenge us what is the human purity. When the novel – Frankenstein has been written by Mary Shelley, it is a stock narrative for technology out of human control. As Catherine Waldby said that “The monstrosity of the creature’s body implies the monstrosity of our own.”, actually, the fear of technology mostly is coming from our human ourselves. Therefore, Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies such as biomedicine and bioscience.

Source One – Charity Battles Imaginary Killing Machines
Source from Wired.com, accessed March 28, 2008, written by Sharon Weinberger. This article is talking about the autonomous robots to become killing machines or killer robots. Because many countries are using robots to do landmines, however the robots are the cluster bombs exist in the world. Nowadays, some of the science and technology organizations are making the machine-gun wielding military robots are remotely controlled by soldiers. The US Department of Defense want the robots work without supervision, that mean they can use their artificial intelligence to make their own decisions about when to pull the trigger. In this article, the writers think that there is nothing wrong to develop the technology. It is because the technology can help us to improve our life and protest our human body. However, we should set up some restrictions and have a healthy discussion on how to control these systems. I think it is a good example to show human are afraid those robots out of human control.

Source Two – Technology Fear Factor
Source from KurzweilAI.net, accessed July 21, 2002, written by Daintry Duffy and Sari Kalin. This article has taken notice on different factors of technology fear. There are three futurists – George Gilder, Ray Kurzweil, and Jaron Lanier. They are agreeing that technologies can be used in good and bad ways. They points out that the most dangerous technology is artificial intelligence, biotechnology and nanotechnology. Although those technologies can help us discover miracle drugs, it also can help the terrorists to build super dangerous weapons. Another main point is we are more focus on the privacy and encryption. In the past society, everyone knew what everybody was doing. At now, we are expanding the domains of privacy and encryption and keep the communication private, like terrorists. Privacy is becoming more and more pervasive. Therefore, the technologies are more easily to apply in the destructive purposes. So the main method to solve the fear is using the technology in correct place. Those above writers are suggest that the human should build up our humanity more powerful and keep connection to humanity. Those scholars’s speaking can reinforce the point that technology is dangerous without human control and the solving methods are we.

Source Three – Show your high-tech ID, How does technology shape who we are?
Source from TechnologyReview.com, accessed October 25, 2001, written by Alan Leo. This article makes all the fear of technology to be close to our own identity. It points out that human are always talking an identity, but the identity as something we create. Some fellow scholars discussed how our identities shape and are shaped by new technologies in it. There are contains different new technologies to identify our identity. For example: using the gene and the genome to identify our identity, demonstrated a system to identify people by the way they talk, walk and spot the suspicious behaviors. Unfortunately, those of the new technologies cannot perfectly to identify our identity. It is because the machines can have the same human being such as the robot called Gizmo, it behaves more like a “creature” than tool. Gizmo reacts like a human with facial expression, body language and responds to positive and negative feedback. It shows that the technologies are harm the most basic human purity – identity and are shaped by the technologies.

Source Four – Science: consider it your friend or your enemy?
Source from CSUN.EDU, accessed and written by unknown. This paper talks about technology can help us to cure many human illnesses, but it has been considered harmful to society and extremely influential to civilization. The simply explanation is many of us cannot go out without a mobile phone now. As J. Michael Bishop said that science today is increasingly mistrusted and under attack. Moreover, the science has influenced our lives in ways never imagined before, science developed instruments of war and used for the destruction of humanity, as in Hiroshima with the atomic bomb. Society has become completely depended on technology. Many of us are relying on our technologies. It feels like a part of us. However, it is causing a great harm to our children. Because the children will believe that the virtual toys can know what they feel and understand their thoughts. They think that the toys and games have a brain. They are difficult to distinguish between real and fantasy. Many children believes the robots to be “Sort of alive”, they thinks that the robots have personalities just like humans do. Therefore, it shows that the creatures as a “copy of human”. Those are the simulacrum of our humanity. The technologies will bring out the social problems.

Source Five – New Robots Clone Themselves
Source from Livescience.com, accessed May 11, 2005, written by Michael Schirber. This post told us the new technique in robot, some researchers have built a simple self-replicating robot. Before, we will use the reproduction to discriminate which is technology and human. At now, the robots can make a copy of itself. The self-replicating robots can take care of themselves without any human help. That mean the robot can live alone of themselves, their life become stronger and durable. In the future, if the human cannot control the robots, the robot will have the opportunity to take control of the world. Technologies become more powerful than before.

Source Six – Forward Thinking
Source from ACMqueue.com, accessed December, 2006, written by Charlene O’Hanlon. It told that the humans are not flexible creatures, are technologies. When human feel fear, human are often held back by this scary feeling. Furthermore, too much fear will prevent us from discovering our true talents. However, the technology doesn’t know what fear is. When technology becomes smarter than human a day, man and machine have the same level intelligence. Then technology will evolve to surpass man. But it doesn’t mean human should lose our emotion, should not lose our humanity.

Conclusion
Most of us agree that the creature seems as monster and harm objects in the world. However, who is the creator, is human. If we fear of the technology, we should fear of ourselves. Therefore, human should take the responsibility to control the technologies and use it in right place. On the other hand, the most fears element is the technology product become more similar to us. The technologies such as robot have the similar social practice with us. Then the technology is creating new forms of life. So some of the people argue that the machines should follow our social rules or not. Moreover, it is causing many of social problems, the most influence group is the children. That why we start to fear and discuss of the humanity and technology.

Notes for Written Sources
Waldby, Catherine. “The Instruments of Life: Frankenstein and Cyberculture.” Prefiguring Cybercultures: An Intellectual History. Eds. Darren Tofts, Annemarie Jonson and Alessio Cavalaro. Sydney: Power Publications, 2002 28-37.

Notes for Online Sources
1) Sharon, Weinberger. (2008) “Charity Battles Imaginary Killing Machines.” Retrieved from March 28, 2008, source from http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/03/charity-will-ba.html

2) Daintry, Duffy and Sari, Kalin.(2002) “Technology Fear Factor.” Retrieved from
July 21, 2002, source from http://www.kurzweilai.net/meme/frame.html?main=/articles/art0510.html

3) Alan, Leo. (2001) “Show your high-tech ID, How does technology shape who we are?” Retrieved from October 25, 2001, source from http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/12633/

4) CSUN. (2008) “Science: consider it your friend or your enemy?” Retrieved from unknown, source from
http://www.csun.edu/~sa822008/paper3.html

5) Michael, Schirber. (2005) “New Robots Clone Themselves” Retrieved from
May 11, 2005, source from http://www.livescience.com/technology/050511_self_replicator.html

6) Charlene O’Hanlon. (2006) “Forward thinking” Retrieved from December, 2006, source from http://www.acmqueue.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=448

Jessie's Webliography

2008-03-31T17:25:00.002+08:00

Question 1: Judy Waczman argues that Donna Haraway's figure of the cyborg has taken on ‘a life of its own’ in popular culture, science fiction and academic writing. In what ways has it been taken up by feminists?

In order to answer the question that how Donna Haraway's figure of the cyborg been taken up by feminists, first, I read the reading of Judy Waczman so as to get the general idea of this topic. Then, I searched with the keywords such as ‘cyborg’, ‘feminist’ and ‘Donna Haraway’ etc. in the online search engines Google and Yahoo as well as in online journal websites. In the process of searching the relevant materials for my guiding question, I found that there have some external links after an article. Some of them are useful and relevant so it can reduce my time to search again in the online search engines or online journal websites. I have also tried to search the materials in HKU Libraries. However, the online sources cannot be accessible on the weblog because the electronic resources have restricted access.

Slavoj Zizek's article‘The Cyberspace Real’ introduces Peter Hoeg's novel called The Woman and the Ape, staging sex with an animal as a fantasy of full sexual relationship. The role of man and woman is that the animal ape is as a rule male whereas the cyborg is as a rule woman. This novel is about the fantasy of Woman-Machine, just likes Blade Runner. The man wants his feminine partner to be a programmed doll rather than a living being whereas the woman wants a strong animal partner. Slavoj argues that the scene of a male ape copulating with a female cyborg is confronting us with an unbearable scene of the ‘ideal couple’. In this kind of science fiction novel, it seems that woman is being marginalized because a living being cannot win acceptance. On the contrary, a cyborg is preferred.

Rosi Braidotti has pointed out some feminist visions on science fiction in her article 'Cyberfeminism with a difference'. Many feminists have turned to both writing and reading science fiction in order to assess the impact of the representation of sexual difference. Braidotti thinks the post-human plight implies a blurring of gender boundaries does not always have advantage of women. To a certain extent, she has the same point of view with other feminists. For example, she has argued that sciene fiction horror films play with fundamental male anxieties and displace it by inventing alternative views of reproduction, thereby manipulating the figure of the female body. She has also mentioned the cyberpunk and argued that it is male dominated. Cyberpunk dreams about the dissolution of the body into the Matrix. Braidotti called feminists and herself as riot girls that they have been persecuted and repressed by Big Mama all their life. The female image is just the image of the caring, nurturing and self-sacrificing. Women cannot be expected to share easily in the fantasy of a return to the Matrix. She has a complaint about lacking of space and time to develop and express their wishes. However, she is still willing to sit down to a good talk in order to negotiate margins of mutual toleration.

‘You Are Cyborg’ written by Hari Kunzru, is discussed the notion of cyborg based on Haraway's document ‘The Cyborg Manifesto’. Feminists around the world have seized on the possibility that women and men can all be reconstructed if they are not natural but are constructed, like a cyborg. And Kunzru mentioned that Cyberfeminism is based on the idea that it is possible to construct your identity, your sexuality, and even your gender in conjunction with technology. Being a cyborg is not just about the freedom to construct yourself but is about networks. Modern citizens are taught to think of themselves as beings who exist inside their heads. We are a collection of networks. We receive a lot of information from the networks and make up our ‘world’. Kunzru said that human beings in the '90s show a surprising willingness to understand themselves as creatures networked together. And the way we talk shows that we know we are really cyborgs. However, Kunzru challenges whether there is a need to seriously believe in this idea. For Haraway, feminist concerns are inside of technology, not a rhetorical overlay. Feminists are talking about cohabitation, such as between organisms and machines.

Kate Phillips has dealt with the concept of Haraway's Cyborg in relation to Feminism in her paper, 'Haraway's Cyborg and Feminism'. The Feminism that mentioned in her paper is referred to the movement to critique the power systems and social structures. Phillips argued that the mind/body split concept conceived by Descartes is problematic in which men were seen to be the rational creatures (the mind), while women were seen as being firmly rooted in the body. She also disagrees with the idea of sensuality towards body. In Feminism, there is a call for reclamation of the body and mind. The use of Cyborg as the tool to accomplish the goal is well proved. Besides, Phillips finds something interesting that some feminists both give in and critique in relation to cyberspace, the Cyborg, technology, and the way in which these may blur boundaries. For her, the Cyborg is ‘decentered.’ ‘Decentering’ is a postmodern concept that means a ways of seeing multiplicities and critiquing the social systems of oppression by seeing the linking's between them. She also states that a Cyborg, while frightening in its implications, is also the most powerful liberator that we can imagine.

Krista Scott's essay ‘The Cyborg, the Scientist, the Feminist & Her Critic’, has explained why feminists should concern with Haraway's vision of the cyborg. Scott has the same concern with Haraway that is some feminists are too quick engaging in ‘anti-science metaphysics and demonology of technology.’ Activists should not mount a defense against technoscience. Cyborg can represent a more positive thing for Scott. She indicated that Haraway hopes to use the cyborg to represent ‘lived social and bodily realities in which people are not afraid of their joint kinship with animals and machines, not afraid of permanently partial identities and contradictory standpoints.’ To satisfy the problem of cyborg politics upon feminist identities, Scott tends to make an attempt to devise some kind of naturalized self. As identities seem contradictory, partial and strategic, it is difficult to name one's feminism by a single adjective.

Maria Fernandez and Suhail Malik cooperated to write an article, ‘Whatever Happened to the Cyborg Manifesto?’ in order to express their objection against Haraway's ‘The Cyborg Manifesto’. From Fernandez's point of view, the Cyborg Manifesto urged feminists to embrace new technologies as tools for feminist ends was a compelling antidote to the harmful notion that women belonged exclusively to ‘nature’. Malik has even pointed out five complaints towards the notion of cyborg in the article. He thinks that the tendentious appropriation of techno-scientific development as ‘cyborgian’ prohibits a creative understanding of organico-machinic nexus.

In conclusion, I found six online sources for my critical annotated webliography. I would like to discuss the overall feminist thinking on Donna Haraway's concept of the cyborg first. Many feminists disagree with Haraway's idea. However, I still found that there are different opinions towards the notion of the cyborg. I will remain neutral during arguing this guiding question. Therefore, I adopt a comprehensive point of view of feminists, some of my sources are agree with the notion of the cyborg that becomes important and prominent and some are not. The second article is the most important source and in accordance with my direction.

References

Zizek, Slavoj. ‘The Cyberspace Real’, European Graduate School Faculty, http://www.egs.edu/faculty/zizek/zizek-the-cyberspace-real.html [accessed 31 March 2008].

Braidotti, Rosi (1996). ‘Cyberfeminism with a difference’, http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/rosi/cyberfem.htm [accessed 31 March 2008].

Kunzru, Hari (1997). ‘You Are Cyborg’, Wired Magazine, Issue 5.02, http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffharaway.html [accessed 31 March 2008].

Phillips, Kate (2007). ‘Haraway’s Cyborg and Feminism’, Associated Content, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/226769/haraways_cyborg_and_feminism.html [accessed 31 March 2008].

Scott, Krista (1997). ‘The Cyborg, the Scientist, the Feminist & Her Critic’, The Feminist eZine, http://www.feministezine.com/feminist/philosophy/Cyborg-Scientist-Feminist.html [accessed 31 March 2008].

Fernandez, Maria and Malik, Suhail (2001). ‘Whatever Happened to the Cyborg Manifesto?’, Mute Magazine, http://www.metamute.org/en/Whatever-Happened-to-the-Cyborg-Manifesto [accessed 31 March 2008].

Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-03-31T16:56:00.001+08:00

Question 3: Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

In order to analyze the ways that how Frankenstein continues to haunt the recent technologies, first, I used the Electronic Resources which provide by the University of Hong Kong Library. Those databases that I chose are ProQuest, Academic Search Premier, and the Search Engine, such as Yahoo (Hong Kong, Google (Hong Kong) and the E-Newspaper which found in Yahoo Hong Kong News. There were over twenty items after I searched from the database and over one thousands items from the Search Engine. After I read those items and I found the most suitable one to answer the question. “The Probable Future World Forecasted in Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and H.G. Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’, the search term which use in the Google is Frankenstein and technology. “Frankensteins and Cyborgs: Visions of the Global Future in an Age of Technology”, the search term is Frankenstein, humanity and technology in Academic Search Premier. Using the word Frankenstein, technology and humanity in Yahoo, and the article of “Frankenstein Complex: Man's Obsession with & Fear of Technological Advancement” is one of the most suitable one. I used the term “robot” for “Again Japan looks to robots” in Yahoo Hong Kong News. For the database “ProQuest”, I used the search term of “technology, humanity, Frankenstein and cloning” for the article “Cows and Cloned Babies Tax Us” and “Is Rush Into Cloning Another False Scientific Dawn?”

The Probable Future World Forecasted in Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and H.G. Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’ was one of the sources which provide the background information from the story of Frankenstein and how the story creates the name of “monster”. Although people recognize the story of Frankenstein, some of them do not recognize this story. In the article, the author mentions that Mary Shelley gave “a warning of the danger in technological development of modern science of us.” The modern science cannot support those technologies that in the story, however, the scientists develop those technologies in the recent time. And it provides “negative consequences” for the recent scientists.

Frankensteins and Cyborgs: Visions of the Global Future in an Age of Technology mentions how the Frankenstein gives the ideas to the scientists in the development of the machines and gives different examples how the technologies development. It also talks about “what kind of technology” and “what kind of humanity” in the recent and the future time. The examples of the technologies development give the support for an essay. There are the negative aspects for the usage of the recent technology. This is talking about the problems of the technology in the essay.

In Frankenstein Complex: Man's Obsession with & Fear of Technological Advancement, Frankenstein is affecting the ideas of the film producer and the improvement of the technology. “Robotics are by no means new to mankind” because of the film “I Robot”. The monster was created by Frankenstein and it is the same as the scientists create or improve the technology of the robot. In addition, the robot, which use in the house working, we think that they are not dangerous, however, it may not true, just like the story of “I Robot”. The human may have the same situation that we watch in the “I Robot”. The truth is we do not have the ability to control vanguard technology as the technology is powerful. It is one of the negative aspects that the technology is developed too fast.
There is one more example for the robot. Japan is one of the countries which develop different kinds of robots and Aging Japan looks to robots talks about what the robot reduce the government expenditure and the robot is useful in Japan. Toyota, the world's largest car company, would like to produce more robots as the government will subsidize the development of those machines. It is the positive way that people who like to develop the robot technology and they use the robot in daily life. In Japan, there is aging population so one of the robots will look after the elderly. "Robots can be useful, but they cannot come close to overcoming the problem of population decline," the robots will solve numbers of problems while they cannot solve the aging population. It is comparison of the negative way for the robots.

The problem of technologies development is the cloning of the animals and human. Cows and cloned babies tax us is about the cows carry human gene that may destroy after the high court ruling in New Zealand. The cloning sleep, Dolly, was shocked in 1997. The cloned animals affect our morality and rise up the problem of cloning children. The parents like to “order” their children which have better appearance and intelligence. It is the conflict between those who support the cloning animals and oppose the cloning animals. The development of the technology occur the problems that the parent reply on the technology for choosing their children. Maybe everyone is a copy cat from the cloning gene. There is no more unique person in the world. And everyone is the same. It is very frightened as everyone is looking at the same.

In Is rush into cloning another false scientific dawn? there are two different of cloning, “reproductive (making a new animal or human) and thera-peutic (making new cells which can be used for medical purposes including, hopefully, replacing defective cells in humans).” People think that reproductive cloning animals is a new term and it is not. In the 17th century, it was “sheep-blood transfusions” and the scientists consider different methods on cloning animals. We discover that the cloning animals is not the prefect one, the cloning animals still get diseases. The scientists think it was improvement about the cloning animals and reduce the diseases in the world. Is it really solving the problem? It may carry out the other diseases and spread it out. So, people afraid the new disease comes out and it is unsupportable.

All of the source give statements how Frankenstein affect the technologies development and technology how to affecting our daily life. In the recent period, the scientists would like to improve the system of the robots. Robots could helps the human and do everything. Although the robots do different kinds of works in our society, they cannot solve the aging population in the developed countries. The cloning of the animals carry human gene is affecting our morality. Moreover, the true is we cannot control the technology as it is powerful. So, it is fear concerning the technology and humanity.
Reference List:
K, C. (2007). Frankenstein complex: man’s obsession with & fear of technological advancement. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/381828/frankenstein_complex_mans_obsession.html.

Graham, E. L. (2003). Frankensteins and cyborgs: visions of the global future in an age of technology. Studies in Christian Ethics, 16(1). Retrieved March 20, 2008, from Academic Search Premier.

Leader. (2002, January 5). Is rush into cloning another false scientific dawn?. The Scotsman, pp. 13. Retrieved March 20, 2008 from ProQuest.

Liu, K. L. (2003). The probable future world forecasted in Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and H.G. Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’. Retrieved from March 18, 2008, from http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=zh-TW&lr=&q=cache:DVn74DKsF3gJ:www.knu.edu.tw/knu1/web/teach/cge/%25E6%2595%2599%25E8%2582%25B2%25E9%2583%25A8%25E7%25AC%25AC%25E4%25BA%258C%25E6%25A2%25AF%25E6%25AC%25A1%25E8%25A8%2588%25E5%258A%2583/5/paper/03/Frankenstein%2520and%2520The%2520Time%2520Machine.pdf+Frankenstein+and+technology

Waikato (2001, May 7). Cows and cloned babies tax us. Waikato Times, pp. 6. Retrieved March 20, 2008 from ProQuest.

The Standard (2008, January 10). Aging Japan looks to robots. The Standard. Retrieved March 21, 2008 from http://hk.news.yahoo.com/080109/318/2mqj8.html.

Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-03-31T16:50:00.002+08:00

Qs.3. Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Our technology is developing too fast in nowadays, it seems technology is become more powerful than human. A fear of the technology would be occurred as the technology has surpassed our humanity. Will the technology replace and take control with the human in the future?

The writer Orlin Damyanov point out in the article [1] Technology and its dangerous effects on nature and human life as perceived in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer as our technology is developing too fast in nowadays, it seems technology is become more powerful than human. A newborn fear would be occurred. Will technology take over and control us in the future? As at the being, Frankenstein was created by human and he is obey and serve the human. However, at last, he has the power to destroy his creator and to resist the human society. It means that technology is becoming a danger thing. If technology was become too powerful, it may lose control and would cause the danger effect. If we haven’t got any solution and take the well balance within the two, technology may cause dangerous effects on nature and our human life. In a worse, the Frankenstein --technology would replace the human and take control with the human in the future.

From John J. Fanning article [2] How Does Technology Affect You? He point out that, technology is totally affect us. As in his article he told us that at Japan's largest telephone company, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corporation (NT&T) have developed some startling new technology, which call "Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) ". It can turn humans into remote controlled automatons, as the human brain can be works on the electrical impulses. From this GVS system, we can see that the technology is totally controlling us. We can enter the command to the GVS system and it may release the electrical impulses to then human brains so the human call receive the electrical impulses and take action with this command. As he said “this mind-controlling technology had deprive humans of control over their own mind and body should be worthy of debate as to its very existence.” This is a danger thing that the technology is more powerful than human. As at the beginning, technology is created by human but in nowadays, the situation has been reversed. It seems it is similar to the case of Frankenstein, technology has became resisted human, and technology has been took control of the human. It is the time that we should concern about this moral question of the technology is totally affected or it should said that the technology is totally taking control us.

From [3] Technology vs. Humanity, which is written by a psychotherapist --Michael J. Hurd from the Capitalism Magazine, he point out that the technology has surpassed our humanity. Although the technology is devise and give birth by the human, however, in nowadays, our technology has seems surpassed our humanity. As we were rely in these technologies too much, such as mobile phone, saving medicine, etc. If we hadn’t get these things in our daily life, we seems we will not still alive. The Technology is become so powerful and it seems it is over controlling us. Our daily life is controlling by these technologies. Therefore, at the end of Michael J. Hurd article, he remind us we should not rely on the technologies so much as we may lose our humanity if we were so fascinated in it. He believes that our human mind is the best. As I will talk his point to discuss about we should not let them to over controlling us and we need to talk a balance between the technology and our humanity.

[4] Will technology change humanity, or has it already? is written by Robin Pierro from Canada Free Press. As Robin Pierro was concerning of the people who were following the technology tend so insensitively due to the fast growing of the technology would let us lose our humanity. Nowadays, technology is seems controlling us. As most of the people would like to keep follow the updated technology things such as mobile phone, mp3 players, etc. It seems the technology has became a dominant role. It guides the people to work with it. The technology has been changing our humanity already. The writer said, “People already rely on machines to do things for them to much. Our species is becoming incompetent, because we have machines to do everything for us. In the future I just see it, people will become so lazy and incompetent, and machines will take over.” We may lose control of all other technology advances. As we don’t want to be like that in the future, we should stop and slow down a bit to think about our relationship between technology and us. We should take a balance for it and don’t just follow the tend so dead so we may not let the technology over controlling us.

[5] Humanity Among Technology is written by the free article sharing website—hypnodean.com by Dean Montalbano. In the article, he shares the opinion that we should keep our humanity in this technological world. Nowadays, we can do everything we want at home as we just need to go online and click a button for pay the bill, go shopping and chat with friends, etc. He brings up the idea that our home is just like a personal castle, we trapped ourselves at home and it is also trapped by the technology as he said much of our humanity has gotten swept aside. It decrease the chance for us to communicate with people face to face, it decrease the chance for us to enjoy our natural environment such as our sunshine, the fresh air from the outside, etc. Why we don’t take a chance to talk with people face to face rather than talk with them through the electromagnetic waves. Do we dependent on the technology too much? It seems technology is control over us, so our humanity has been gotten swept aside by the technology. Therefore, we should talk some time to have self-examination to our humanity among technology.

[6] If We Fear Technology, We Really Fear Ourselves is written by Dr William Reville from The Irish Times. As Dr William Reville thinks that technology is natural just as same as natural as human, if we fear the technology, it is fear ourselves. The technology has been appear at the very being of our world such as the people would use a tool to hunt an animal at the past so technology was appearing in a very natural way. However, as our technology was developing in a fastest way, our mind of fear has been appeared. We feared about the technology will over controlling us in the future. At last, Dr William Reville said we no need to fear about our technology because it is natural just as same as natural as human, so we should accept that technology is a natural product of human activity and a natural extension of the human capacity. As we all come from natural, so we should appreciate and to make a well use of our technology.

References:

[1] Orlin Damyanov , Technology and its dangerous effects on nature and human life as perceived in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson's Neuromancer
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5972/gibson.html (accessed 27 March 2008)

[2] John J. Fanning, How Does Technology Affect You?
http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/2325.htm (accessed 28 March 2008)

[3] Michael J. Hurd, Technology vs. Humanity on Capitalism Magazine ( 2001) http://capmag.com/article.asp?id=152 (accessed 28 March 2008)

[4] Robin Pierro, Will technology change humanity, or has it already? (2005)
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/robin022805.htm (accessed 25 March 2008)

[5] Dean Montalbano, Humanity Among Technology on hypnodean.com (2008)
http://www.hypnodean.com/humanity.htm(2/2008) (accessed 25 March 2008)

[6] William Reville, If We Fear Technology, We Really Fear Ourselves on The Irish Times (1999) http://www.monsanto.co.uk/news/ukshowlib.phtml?uid=1988 (accessed 25 March 2008)

Eileen's Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-03-31T16:41:00.001+08:00

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyze some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Frankenstein is a classical novel written by Mary Shelley in 19th century. Frankenstein and the monster he created become a typical image of fear about technology. Nowadays, Frankenstein still occupied the important position in discussion about technology. It represented the fear between humanity and technology and induced different debate over religion, morality and technology. Google search engine is used to locate most of the online sources, especially Google Scholar which provided different kinds of scholar research by using the keywords of “Frankenstein and technology, cloning, fear, humanity”. Different discussion about Frankenstein showed on the search engine including the discussion of reproductive technology, the debate of Christianity and Frankenstein and other perspectives.

Damyanov gave complete background information of Frankenstein, the relationship with technology and compared with other science-fiction, Neuromancer in “Technology and its dangerous effects on nature and human life”. It talked about the theme of Frankenstein and the message that Shelley wanted to bring out. In this research paper, it mentioned that Frankenstein gave us warning about inherent dangerous in the development of modern science. As modern science and technology will increase the inequality between human and nature, they will destroy the nature and caused different problems such as moral responsibility. Modern technologies such as genetic engineering increase the chances to manipulate life. The essay provides a good starting point for us to understand about Frankenstein and its relationship with technology. It has compared two classical science-fictions in different period which showed a similar theme and message as both explore the dark side of technology and science development which clarify the importance of moral science and technology research.

In “Biotechnology and the fear of Frankenstein”, it mentioned that the story of Frankenstein is always used to discuss about biotechnology. Although Frankenstein is a story wrote in 19th century, it has a relevance to nowadays technology. Campbell illustrated the difference between “scientific fact” and “science-fiction”. It discussed about 1970s rDNA revolution caused the fear of Frankenstein as Frankenstein myth realized and are not just fantasy of a novel. As people can change or control the nature of human by biotechnology including DNA or genetic technology, it terrorizes the human sense of identity, uniqueness and primacy. At the same time, Campbell pointed out that the ambition of Frankenstein to trace the sources is good, but careful and caring science and technology is needed to avoid turning the success into monstrosity just like Frankenstein. This paper is contained an in-depth discussion about Frankenstein. It is very useful to see the relationship between biotechnology and the story of Frankenstein, the fear of people about the biotechnology nowadays as Frankenstein myth may become real.

Vurdubakis and Bloomfield stated that Frankenstein is a common metaphor in the debate of reproductive technologies. They discussed about reproductive technologies comprised the role and effect of technology in human affairs in “Frankenstein Unbound?”. It examined that the media representation of science lead to the people thought of science and technology. As Frankenstein occupied an important fear imagination of technology, it increased the unease in human heart which faced about the rapid development of science and technology. Also, the paper mentioned about human bodies becomes the site for bio-technology took place of and the biotechnology has the power to re-shape the nature of humanity and the society, e.g. cloning caused moral controversy and struggle. As cloning may involve commercial interest, it will result a new monster myth and moral concern. This paper analyzed how the media representation of science and technology influence human perspective. It illustrated the new concerns and the new monster myth which caused by reproductive technologies effectively.

In another way, Frankenstein becomes a term which represented the reproductive technologies such as cloning, advanced cell. In “Frankenstein’s Minister”, Saletan mentioned about the new moral problem. As advanced cell technology can cure diseases and immortalize cells, it caused another new moral problem such as dissolving human nature. Moral challenges on reproduction are mostly focused on stem cell technologies. Some scholars argued that those experiments are under law protection which the stem cells were only capable of forming many tissues, but not an entire body. However, Saletan stated that the collapsing distinction of organisms and non-organisms created a moral challenge. In fact, the moral challenge is also depended on the definition of organism. This passage has another view on biotechnology ethics as most of the ethicists and people are emphasized on the moral problems in cost, but not in benefit. Also, biotech companies should be played a careful role on dealing with the science and technology. Otherwise, it may make Frankenstein myth realized.

In the blog called “Harmonious Glow Writings”, the author, Wheeler, compared the similarity between Frankenstein and cloning. She used religious perspective to discuss Frankenstein and cloning. In her view, cloning is modern Frankenstein including different types of technologies such as DNA and reproductive cloning. Cloning refers to the processes used to create copies of DNA or cells to create a new organism whereas Frankenstein assembled the body ingredients into new specie. The blog obtained the opposition view of Christian. As she stated that cloning let the scientist become the creator just like Frankenstein is the creator of the monster, human tried to take God’s place. But clone is created in unnatural way. And the debate of creator: God or human existed. In fact, there are many debates on Frankenstein and religion. It mostly related to the morality of reproduction technology and the perspective of Christian. As Christian think that reproductive technology violated their principles and morality, they always held the opposition point of view.

Against Nature is a program broadcasted by UK and it has a different point of view on technology. This part of program, “How Irrational Fears Are Paralysing Scientific Research” is interviewed different scientists and most of them think media representations of science promote fear and anxiety to the public. (Against Nature, 1997) The ethics committees supported to tighten the control of science in order to protect the nature. But, at the same time, many scientific researches are banned and influence the development of science and technology. The scientists mentioned that people should be frightened about the banning of valuable researcher. In their perspective, Frankenstein science should be protected as the fear of Frankenstein caused the people disagreed with the scientific research, e.g. John Gillot, the author of Science and the Retreat from Reason considered Frankenstein as hero. They think that the restriction obstruct the development of science and technology, such as finding the way to cure cancer. It is interesting that the program expose the different opinion of the scientists. And it raised a question that is the fear of Frankenstein being exaggerated? The truth is people ignored the benefit of the technology development and keep on attacking the science. Although the modern technologies make the scientist look like modern Frankenstein, some technology such as cloning has benefit to cure cancer and other disease if it used properly.

According to the research, the discussion about Frankenstein is mainly related to the fear between humanity and technology. Most of the sources used Frankenstein as a metaphor to illustrate the problem of modern science and technologies such as reproductive technology and cloning. And the discussions are mostly extending to the topics about moral issues, humanity and religion. On the other hand, some sources explored the other side of opinion. The scientists and some scholars think that the negative representation of Frankenstein influenced the public and reinforced their fear. However, their fear will retain the scientific and technological progress. So, there are different ways to discuss Frankenstein and recent technologies, both positive and negative.

References:

Against Nature. (1997). How Irrational Fears Are Paralysing Scientific Research: Environmentalists Are The New Enemies of Science. Retrieved from March 30, 2008, from http://www.ourcivilisation.com/aginatur/prog3.htm

Campbell, C. S. (2003). Biotechnology and the Fear of Frankenstein. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 12. Retrieved from March 29, 2008, from http://journals.cambridge.org.eproxy2.lib.hku.hk/action/displayFulltext?type=1&fid=170174&jid=CQH&volumeId=12&issueId=04&aid=170172

Damyanov, O. (1996). Technology and its dangerous effects on nature and human life as perceived in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and William Gibson’s Neuromancer. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5972/gibson.html

Saletan, W. (1998). Frankenstein’s Minister: Ethicists Diffle While Biotechnology Remarks Human Beings. Retrieved from March 29, 2008, from http://www.slate.com/id/10137

Wheeler, H. (2007). Frankenstein vs. Cloning – Man: Created or Cretor. Retrieved from March 29, 2008, from http://harmoniousglow.blogspot.com/2007/06/frankenstein-vs-cloning-man-created-or.html

Vurdubakis, T. & Bloomfield, B. P. (2004). Frankenstein Unbound? Monster Myths and Metaphors in the Debate over New Reproductive Technologies. Retrieved from March 30, 2008, from http://www.wickedness.net/Monsters/M2/vurdubakis%20paper.pdf

Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-03-31T14:23:00.005+08:00

Q3. Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

The haunt discussion of recent technologies has always based on the produce of Frankenstein. To improve our living standard and letting human beings to make more progress, scientists tried to clone mammals in experiments and researches before human cloning is succeeded. In answering this question, I will first discuss how Frankenstein was important to cloning. The reasons human cloning will then be discussed. However, many people think that human cloning will bring lots of harm to us. Lots of problems still need to be solved before human cloning is really succeeded.

1. Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics and Popular Culture
This article article talks about how the book report the recent ideas of biomedical science is being affected, e.g. cloning, vitro fertilization and recombinant DNA. A sheep called Dolly was first created by cloning which is similar to the Frankenstein’s method to give a life to it; Creating life artificially had reinforced the public’s interests. After a few years, a child was given birth in America by vitro fertilization; in 1975, some biologists restricted recombinant DNA experiments. Others argued that “modern Dr. Frankensteins have found a way to create brand-new forms of life.” And believing that the recombinant DNA research was approved and a cartoon shoed a mad scientist created Frankensteinian monsters very rush.

2. Frankenstein and Human Cloning
This project is referring to how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein affects cloning. The first cloning was in 1997 which a sheep was called Dolly being born. Except cloning from sheep, cloning other mammals would be very common and even human cloning. Some people may think that cloning is unethical and unmoral. Religious studies believe it is threatening our existence. Some others believe that cloning can bring lots of benefits to us. There are medical benefits and scientific benefits. The author did not support either one side about the debate of human cloning. We may consider should we against or accept human cloning and had a better understanding about cloning and how it is harmful or beneficial to humankind and our existence.

3. The Benefits of Human Cloning
The third article talks about the benefits of cloning. The author listed several benefits includes rejuvenation, infertility, defective genes, plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery etc. not only the scientists support human cloning, but also other normal citizens over the world. For example, cloning can help those couples who are infertile to have a second child or even the first child. If these couples suffer painfully from unable of having children, human cloning can reduce the time and money consumed by them to have a baby. Also, those couples who have given birth to children with serious diseases and the children finally died, cloning can help them free from these diseases. Heart attack and cancers are very famous killers in many countries. Cloning can let us differentiate cancer and inject the healthy heart cells to the patient’s hearts and avoid from dying too soon and extend their lives.

4. Cloning & Genetics
This article includes two sources titled with “Beyond Cloning: Where’s the rest of me?” and “Scientists take a giant step towards cloning humans”. These two sources give us examples of how scientists attempt and success in cloning. In Cleveland, the scientists cloned monkeys and did researches on it. Some believes that full-body transplant can help people to replace the old bodies and become youth. There are still questions bringing out in the successfulness of human cloning. On the other hand in Hawaii, they cloned mice successfully. They believe that the scientists have made a huge step towards human cloning’s success as the genes and mechanics are similar between human being and mice. In succeed of cloning mice, human cloning will also be worked.

5. Cloning is wrong; Cloning is unnecessary
In this article, people claimed the harmfulness of cloning to human beings. In doing researches of cloning, creating a new embryo is necessary. It is unethical to create a new embryo and then destroy it in helping of another life. Cloning would also be harmful to women in killing lots of the eggs per clone. If they use animals’ eggs to do research, it is wrong. Also, the article mentioned that cloning is unnecessary in helping people for better life. Lots of benefits can also be gained by stem cells without human cloning which takes time, researches and money to do so.

6. Obituary for the first human clone, and for cloning
The author of this article from the blog mentioned that human cloning has been outdated. Though a cloned human embryo was created a few months ago, it was then out of concern over the world that very few people mention it again anymore. A new technique “reprogramming” has started by the scientists without creating or destroying any embryo. It reduces the use of stem cells and brings less harm to humans. Even the professor who first cloned the sheep Dolly is walking away from human cloning towards reprogramming. The author proves that many of the scientists are doing research on reprogramming and leaving human cloning. Reprogramming is regarded as more ethical and effective with less harm to humans and our humanity will not be downgraded.

Conclusion
These sources first help in defining how Frankenstein affected the recent technologies. Every biomedical science was being ignored and misunderstood by different professionals. The appearance of Frankenstein helps approving lots of these sciences like cloning and recombinant DNA. This book can strongly support about the nature of biomedical science. Cloning was the hottest issue in the past years. There are lots of pros and cons towards this issue. These sources provide support and spaces for us to consider should we against or accept human cloning and had a better understanding about cloning and how it is harmful or beneficial to humankind and our existence. The discussion of cloning is not only enthusiastic in America, but also in other western countries. The article from Dr. David Van Gend who is an Australian doctor proves that cloning has been left behind and other new technologies are being brought.

References:
1. Robert S. Schwartz, M.D. "Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics and Popular Culture". http://www.amazon.com/Frankensteins-Footsteps-Science-Genetics-Popular/dp/0300074174 (accessed on 29 March 2008)

2. J. Wilson and C. Sullivan. “Frankenstein and Human Cloning”. http://webhome.idirect.com/~zendo/FrankenClone.html (accessed on 29 March 2008)

3. Simon Smith. “The Benefits of Human Cloning”.
http://www.humancloning.org/benefits.php (accessed 30 March 2008)

4. Salon Magazines and London Times. “Cloning & Genetics”. http://www.countdown.org/end/cloning_03.htm (accessed on 30 March 2008)

5. Australian for Ethical Stem Cell Research. “Cloning is wrong; Cloning is unnecessary”. http://www.cloning.org.au/ (accessed on 30 March 2008)

6. Blog of Dr. David Van Gend. “Obituary for the first human clone, and for cloning”. http://davidvangend.blogspot.com/ (accessed on 30 March 2008)

Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-03-31T13:05:00.003+08:00

Q3. Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

Before starting to write the webliography, the first thing I need to do is to read the required readings to have a basic concept why ‘Frankenstein’ is related to today’s technology although it is only a fiction. People are fear that the ‘Frankenstein science’ today would bring harm to our society. Then I start searching in the search engine ‘Google’. I use the key words ‘Frankenstien’, ‘Cloning’, ‘Reproduction’ and ‘Fertilization’. Various types of articles come out. Most of them have a clear perspective against the idea of ‘Frankenstein science’. Only a few of them support these new kinds of technology.

The article of Kai Li Liu [1] provides a comprehensive view of why the idea of Frankenstein should be banned. It analysis what the story of ‘Frankenstein’ inspire us. The story was not only a science fiction, but also a warning. Mary Shelley, believes that a newly born technological society results in exploitation of nature, which means that “a morally irresponsible scientific development can release a monster and destroy human civilization.” (Liu, 2003) Similar to our reality, we got the technology to manipulate life forms like cloning and vitro fertilization. She advice us should be very careful with it and should not create something that would harm our lives. Although the aim of advanced technology is to bring us convenient, there is also a great impact on moral values. Finally the writer emphasis that breaking the nature can be dangerous. We should think deeply what the story told us. The purpose of choosing this article is the investigating of the fiction itself. It also provides us a clear understanding and good background information about the side effects of technology. The write don’t tell us why we shouldn’t rely too much on technology directly, but by using the content to hint us.

‘A Warning As Science Catches Up On Cloning’ [2] is an article examining different science fiction movies to illustrate one point – ‘Do not play around with the creation of life or you will come to a bad end.’ (Caryn, 1997) For example, Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, is a warning about the technology. Although it is conceived in 1816, its warning still resonates today and brings fear to the society. In another story, “Multiplicity”, when the master orders his clone to do housework, this clone orders clone 2 and clone 3 to do for him. This proves that copy can never better than the original. Also, the writer claims that, the motive of these cloning comedies is to tell us human nature is preferable. This essay is suitable is it reflects the side effects of cloning through various cloning comedies.

The article ‘Frankenstein vs. Cloning – Man: Created or Creator’ [3] is an interesting topic. From a God’s believer angle, they believe all the thoughts against God are unacceptable. First of all, the writer thinks that the novel ‘Frankenstein’ and the concept of cloning are similar. And cloning is the modern Frankenstein. Cloning means the reproduction asexually, which is controversial to the church. Harmony points out that scientists have the desire to be God. They want to be the creator but cloning is only imitating something that already exists. Unlike God creates everything with his imagination at the beginning. Therefore human cannot compare with God. Furthermore, Eve listened to serpent and believes eating the apple can made her as great as god. That’s why Adam and Eve were punished. This proves that try to gain the power of God will results in extinct. Like the story of ‘Frankenstein’, the creator was killed. The writer re-emphasis that human is the created, while God is the creator. The article provides a strong argument. It discusses the matters of the newly technology from a different perspective, not form the normal citizen, or scientist perspective, but from the Christian’s view, which is very unique.

Mariam Durrani [4] expresses her feeling on human cloning through a story. The success of the first fully cloned mammal, Dolly, was celebrated by most of the scientists. They saw this success as the step of entering the realm of human cloning. But the writer disagrees with their point, because the scientists didn’t mention the hundreds of sheep sacrifice. Although the scientists mentioned the technology of human cloning was not for making human babies, but for therapeutic cloning. The inconsistent opinion of different countries shows the fear of such technology. On the other hand, the scientific company Clonaid, found by a religion called Raelians, declared that they had the motive to human cloning. Although they guaranteed that they only want a healthy baby, the writer worry about the situation. Mariam states that these cloning human are not natural. Human isn’t composing of muscles and nerves only, human are very complicate, their souls cannot be created. This article is suitable because it shows the fear of human cloning. Although cloning is a great step in science, most of the people ignore the consequence if the experiment is fail.

Unlike the previous articles, “Frankenstein for Cloning Tech” [5] is supporting the idea of cloning. People have different views on cloning. To the scientist, the science of cloning can save many people’s life, including those are dying, handicapped, by transplanting the organs of the clones to them. On the other hand, people argue clones also have lives and they should not sacrifice for saving another person. They should be treated as individual. What the writer wants to say is, those people who disagree with cloning are not objective enough. Frankenstein, the scientist in the novel, just saw his invention as a failure. But he hasn’t notice that his creation, which involve body repairing, has scientific value and beneficial to our society. He can use his idea to help many people. Cloning also offer positive results. Because Victor has a negative view, that’s why there is an unfavorable consequence. The writer emphasis having a positive point of view helps making a wise decision. The article is very valuable because it teaches us every thing has both sides. We cannot have bias in making decision. If we try to think on the opposite side, we may find the merit of cloning.

In Julian Savulescu and John Harris [6] article, a few reasons were given to those accepting natural reproduction should also accept cloning, as natural production is a creation lottery same as reproductive cloning. About 80% embryos perish in natural reproduction. Even the embryos can survive, some babies may be born disable. The death of embryos and the production of disable babies are unavoidable. On the other hand, it is possible for not producing spare embryos during assisted reproduction. The deaths of spare embryos can be avoided. That’s why people accept natural reproduction should accept cloning also, because it is more safety and efficiency. On the other hand, if people deny the way using genetic testing to choose the best people, they should not say that human by natural reproduction is superior to those from new ways of reproduction. The writer claims sometimes natural does great harm. For example, natural disease, floods, fire, can cause serious damage to human life. We should not prioritized and glorify natural. The reason for choosing it is because it provides a very strong and persuasive point for choosing cloning.

From the articles collected, the perspective from both sides, supporting or challenging the idea of ‘Frankenstein’ can be seen. For the supporting sides, the writers tell us don’t always think about the side effects, try to look at the positive. While the opposing side use the novel to show us the implied meaning inside, cloning should be banned, otherwise it will cause harm to our society. All the points and examples given by these articles are valuable and suitable for my webliography.

References

[1] Kai Li, Liu, “The probable future world forecasted in Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and H.G. Wells’ ‘The Time Machine’”
<http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:P9XjcT6HH-YJ:www.knu.edu.tw/knu1/web/teach/IGECC/%E4%B8%AD%E5%BF%83%E5%AD%B8%E5%A0%B1/03/Frankenstein%2520and%2520The%2520Time%2520Machine.doc+The+probable+future+world+forecasted+in+Mary+Shelly&hl=zh-TW&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=hk>, June 2003, [accessed 28 March 2008]

[2] James, Caryn, “A Warning As Science Catches Up On Cloning”
<http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04EFDD1631F935A15751C0A961958260> 26 February 1997, [accessed 28 March 2008]

[3] Harmony, Wheeler, “Frankenstein vs. Cloning – Man: Created or Creator” <http://harmoniousglow.blogspot.com/2007/06/frankenstein-vs-cloning-man-created-or.html> 21 June 2007, [accessed 29 March 2008]

[4] Mariam, Durrani, “The 21st Century Frankenstein”
<http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/95/69/03_3.html> 28 November 2001,
[accessed 28 March 2008]

[5] “Frankenstein for Cloning Tech.” <http://azninja66.tripod.com/Rafeng/essay.html> [accessed 30 March 2008]

[6] Julian, Savulescu and John, Harris, “The Creation Lottery: Final Lessons from Natural Reproduction: Why Those Who Accept Natural Reproduction Should Accept Cloning and Other Frankenstein Reproductive Technologies” <http://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/Resources/Cloning_StemCell/creation_lottery_harris_savulescu.pdf> [accessed 28 March 2008]

Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-03-31T03:45:00.002+08:00

3. Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

1. Orlin Damyanov pointed out that science fiction is the search for a definition of amn and his status in the universe which will stand on our advanced but confused state of knowledge. This is all about the science. Also, he clamed that technology and those dangerous are effecting on the nature and human life nowadays, which can observed in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In Frankenstein, we are necessary to understand the compliable problem of technology. While Frankenstein was written in the industrial revolution, so technology was effect to the whole plot. Also, according to the article, ‘the relation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to technology and some of the crucial issues concerning technology in relation to human life, and exploration of the dangerous implications of human acts of creation. It is interesting to mention that Shelley's novel is our first and still one of our best cautionary tales about scientific research.’ Also, Frankenstein described that the passive female can be penetrated, because they wanted to satisfy the male desires of the scientist, ‘penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places.’ The most important is Frankenstein implicit the warning of the inherent perils in technological developments of modern science.

2. Mary Shelley was the author of Frankenstein, she stated the detail background of the novel. First published of it was in 1818, it became a literary sensation. The novel has been examined by a multitude of literary critics. Psychoanalytic readings emphasize Frankenstein's issues with women, particularly his dead mother. The critical readings also think that the monster is the embodiment of Frankenstein’s unconscious murderous desires. Marxist readings suggest that Frankenstein is a representative of the alliance of science and capitalism that generated the Industrial Revolution. The monster in this reading is the working class, while it is the dominant class at that period of time, which have been created by the owners of factories but then abandoned by them. The monster serves as a warning of the consequences of unfettered, irresponsible capitalism and its thoughtless creation of a new 'race' of people. Moreover, Frankenstein is described in the rational scientific term. Nature is portrayed in Frankenstein as passive and feminine, something that can be penetrated and understood by the man of reason and science. The scientist controlled the role of God to take power over nature with destructive results, creating a monster that nobody can control.

3. According to ‘Frankenstein and law as technology’, it stated that Frankenstein involved both ‘Law, Technology and Society Studies’ and ‘Account of Law and Technology’. Frankenstein is the quintessential text on technology and humanity of the modern West. As the dilemma of the modern West is technology and humanity, it is not an extreme position to regard Frankenstein as an Ur-text of modernity. The foundational position within science technology studies and within popular representations of technology proved to its significance. Moreover, Frankenstein provides a series of interlinked characterizations and associations concerning scientists, technology and human society. In this Victor Frankenstein represents the logical scientist with his techniques to consider the wider context of his illicit creation, while to metaphase for technology the monster is ambiguous. It has the potential for good and the potential for evil. They can consider as two sides. It is at once a thing to be pity and a thing to be feared, and most readers are quick to see that Victor, with his ego and petty offense, as the true monster. But the monster’s “thing-ness”, its status as external to humanity, is repeatedly emphasized through its exclusion from human society and its want to get for a mate of its own kind. When the monster is presenting the technology, it is amoral and non-human. Frankenstein shows the vulnerability of human society and the bloody, products of science. Society passively lets the scientist created and it seems very weak when against the evil of the monster.

4. Mosses, Lyria Bennett commented that we need to evaluate our policy recommendations mindful of the fact that they might cause harm. At the same time the Frankenstein metaphor which talked in ‘Frankenstein and law as technology’ can be useful, it is highlighting that the harm caused by law as technology can be compared to the harm caused by applied science technologies. We need to be careful that we do not create a new monster in order to control Frankenstein. That observation is important. But we cannot make sure whether it changes the nature of the other theory. On the other hand, technologies are varied that some are indeed monstrous, potentially harmful and all that. It is set out a scheme for understanding the ways in which technology poses challenges for law, also discussing various "solutions" - which include some policy recommendations. Following the rational-seeming argument might lead to all kinds of disorder, breaking down and lost lives. It is not enough to say "law is technology and, like Frankenstein, capable of great harm."

5. Peter Nicholls is talking that Science fiction is difficult to define, as it includes a wide range of subgenres and themes. According to science fiction writer Robert A. Hennlein, ‘a handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method.’ Authors and filmmakers draw on a wide range of ideas. There can have a hard science fiction, soft and social science fiction. Hard science fiction, or "hard SF", is characterized by strict attention to accurate detail in sciences, especially physics, astrophysics, and chemistry. While, the description "soft" science fiction may describe based on social sciences such as psychology, economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology.

6. Forester, Tom is talking about the point of view about the information technology revolution. To further explained, The Information Technology Revolution emphasizes actual case studies and the material has been written by computer engineers. Which are involved the revolution in telecommunications, artificial intelligence and the "fifth generation" of supercomputers, the rise of the personal computer and the use of information technology in schools, factories, offices, banks, shops, and hospitals. When the technology revolution happen, it produced many social issues, such as computer crime, privacy, the impact of new technology on women, the Third World, 'smart' weapons, and the future of work itself. Also, we can says that ‘no technology revolution, no western society’.

Bliography:

1. Orlin Damyanov. ‘Technology and its dangerous effects on nature and human life as perceived in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and William Gibson' s Neuromancer’ (1996)
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5972/gibson.html (accessed on 27 March 08).

2. Botting, Fred. ‘Making monstrous. Frankenstein, criticism, theory.’(1991)
http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/lit/texts/frankenstein.htm (accessed on 27 March 08)

3. Tranter, Kieran. ‘Frankenstein and law as technology’ (2007)
http://techtheory.blogspot.com/2007/02/frankenstein-and-law-as-technology.html (accessed on 28 March 08)

4. Mosses, Lyria Bennett. ‘Frankenstein and law as technology’ (2007)
http://techtheory.blogspot.com/2007/02/frankenstein-and-law-as-technology.html (accessed on 28 March 08)

5. Nicholls, Peter. ‘The Science Fiction Encyclopedia’ (1993)
http://books.google.com/books?id=26NyHREJwP8C&pg=PT268&dq=monstrous+technology+The+Encyclopedia+of+Science+Fiction&lr=&hl=zh-TW&sig=ae_lhIY46Xmz4WK09vycEQnV3ck (accessed on 28 March 08)

6. Forester, Tom. ‘The information technology revolution’ (1985)
http://books.google.com/books?id=sLFlHgAACAAJ&dq=The+Information+Technology+Revolution&lr=&hl=zh-TW (accessed on 29 March 08)

Critical Annoted Webilography

2008-03-31T01:04:00.004+08:00

Discuss some of the issues raised by the Visible Human Project about the embodiment of race, class and gender.

On the Internet, people doesn’t need to show their physical bodies or face to face interaction to others, so there is no characterization of Internet online users’ race, class and gender, and hence to reduce much more discrimination or marginalization between different class, race, sexuality and gender in the virtual world than in the physical world. However, nowadays many websites or forums require people to classify their gender, class and race before doing the registration of the website.
I am going to discuss some reasons about people always think that the embodiment of physical identity in cyberspace is good to us and a problem of showing your race on the net.

Firstly, it should be realized that what the reason of using virtual body and the meaning of virtual body is. In the article, “The Body in Cyberspace: Invented, Morphed, Generated, Dismissed”, written by Roberto Simanowksi stated that the physical body is of no consequence - communication is reduced to the word as body-free representation of the Self. This opportunity to leave the body behind may be felt as liberation since body inscriptions such as age, gender, race and social class can no longer rule communication, though the relation and interdependency between body and Self is certainly not eliminated. However, this disembodiment did not cause people to forget the body. In contrast to the letter and the book, in digital media one can observe the desire to reconnect the Self with its body. [1] Therefore, it could be suggested that there is a desire for bodyness in digital media, a desire for a digital substitution, a need for a virtual body.

T.L.Taylor’s article argued that new forms of embodiment push online users to think about their corporeal bodies, but they sometimes find, or create, an aspect of themselves that was previously unrealized. Ultimately, these moves raise the stakes on what the nature of these spaces are. If I can embody, I can be made deeply real.[2] His statement can explain the popular phenomenon of the embodiment in virtual worlds and most online users don’t think that it is a problem because they still have their freedoms to choose their preference identities, which are different from their inherent physical appearances.

Since the online world provides a choice or users to determine which sex, sexuality preference and sexual characteristics they would like to embody. In each online encounter, a user ultimately has the opportunity to interchange which identity they would like to portray. In the article, “Sexual Identity Online” written by Femke Mason, he pointed out that the apperances of virtual sex with different people, without physicla interaction. In cyberspace, one’s sexual prowess, dysfunctionality, confusion, genitalia and many more aspects, all become blurred and are only defined by the user. Herein again questions of truth are raised, particularly in reference to online dating and virtual sex. Virtual sex allows for a certain freedom of expression, of physical presentation and of experimentation beyond one’s own real-life limits. At its best, it not only complicates but drastically unsettles the division between mind, body and self that has become a comfortable truism in Western metaphysics.[3] Cyber sex can provide a place for users to explore desires which are taboo, embarrassing or dangerous for offline life (bisexually, exhibitionism, group sex and promiscuity.) , and it makes heterosexual women feel safer and more confident in their experimentation with alternative sex practices.

Furthermore, giving a virtual name and reputation are necessary to express some ideas or opinions on the websites, forums and newsgroups and the way to show your identity. In the article, “Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community” written by Kollock, P. and Smith M., they illustrated the use of doing that because Identity plays a key role in motivating people to actively participate in newsgroup discussions. People feel a desire or obligation to help individuals and to contribute to the group. Building reputation and establishing one's online identity provides a great deal of motivation. There are people who expend enormous amounts of energy on a newsgroup: answering questions, quelling arguments, maintaining. Their names - and reputations - are well-known to the readers of the group. In most newsgroups, reputation is enhanced by posting intelligent and interesting comments, while in some others it is enhanced by posting rude flames or snide and cutting observations.[4] Although the rules of conduct are different, the ultimate effect is the same that reputation is enhanced by contributing remarks of the type admired by the group. To the writer seeking to be better known, a clearly recognizable display of identity is especially important.

On the other hand, the embodiement on the online learning platform , without face to face interaction, which can avoid showing embrassment or stressful or nevious to the others. In the article, “Issues of embodiment and risk in online learning”, written by Ray Land, he illustrated an example about the professor’s approving or disapproving response might carry some emotional weight, but it would be much less intimidating to offer a comment and get a reaction from the professor if one had never met the professor and was not in her presence. Online learning’s limitations where embodiment is concerned, namely the absence of face to face learning, can lead to a stunting of students’ learning, curtailing their development to a stage merely of ‘competence’, as opposed to ‘proficiency’ or ‘expertise’.[5]

In addition, it is obvious that the identification of race in some newsgroups may be discriminated by others, seem like in the reality. In the article, “Reading Race Online: Discovering Racial Identity in Usenet Discussions”, written by Byron Burkhalte, he mentioned that each soc.culture newsgroup concerns a particular racial or cultural group around which members organize their participation. One aspect of participation are the subject lines in soc.culture groups which quite often mention a cultural, racial, or ethnic name, term in bringing a topic up for discussion. Even potentially race-neutral topics are made race-relevant in subject lines. For example, an SCAA discussion about women not properly appreciating "men who treat them right" was titled "Sisters please explain." "Sisters" here isbeing an idiomatic reference to African-American women. In this way, the topic is framed as a question to African-Americans. Through the use of such "cultural frames" discussions start with an explicit connection to a specific racial topic.[6] The problem of discrimination of race can be seen on the net, so it should be concerned that whether it is necessary to show the own race in cyberspace or not.

To conclude, cyberspace offer us to create multiple identities freely, the embodiment of race, class and gender really make us to reinforce our virtual preferences, desires to be more real. Indeed, cyberspace protects online users to avoid embarrassment when rejecting someone’s request or someone’s request being rejected, direct physical harm when some argues is hold on the net. Moreover, users can express their opinions or anything they want to say on the net, but they do get a respect to the others significantly, especially avoid the discrimination, isolation and insulting minority or marginalized groups in the community.

Footnotes:

[1]Roberto Simanowksi.“The Body in Cyberspace: Invented, Morphed, Generated, Dismissed”, (April 2003).
http://www.brown.edu/Research/dichtung-digital/2003/parisconnection/durieu-review.htm (accessed 30/03/08).

[2] T.L. Taylor. “Living Digitally: embodiment in Virtual Worlds”, London, (2002), p.58.
http://www.itu.dk/~tltaylor/papers/Taylor-LivingDigitally.pdf (accessed 30/03/08).

[3] Femke Mason. “sexual Identity Online”, (September 2004).
http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Sexual_Identity_Online
(accessed 30/03/08).

[4] Kollock, P. and Smith M. “Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community”,

(November, 1996).

http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html
(accessed 30/03/08).

[5] Ray Land. “Issues of Embodiment and Risk in Online Learning”, Coventry University UK, (2004), p.533.
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth04/procs/pdf/land.pdf
(accessed 30/03/08).

[6] Byron Burkhalter. “Reading Race Online: Discovering Racial Identity in Usenet Discussions”, University of California, (January 1997).
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/grads/burkhalt/RRO.htm (accessed 30/03/08).

By Gabriel To

Critical Annotated Webliography

2008-03-30T23:05:00.007+08:00

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

1. Rochlin's article [1] argued that the computers and computerization have been embedded into our lives swiftly and successfully than any other technology. Restricting our experience with the real world, narrowing our scope of our choices and declining our modes of control, eventually, we may probably lose our capability of living without the assistance of technology. The computer trap what Rochlin mentioned can be divided into four parts: the lure, the snare, the costs, and the long-term consequences. The lure is simply the trend of continuously upgrading tools with simpler and more user-friendly interfaces. The snare is usually raised afterwards. Once invested greatly on the computerization on the core tasks, new capacities and potentials would then be expected by organizations and individuals alike, whether the investment is found out valued or not eventually. The costs contain an unlimited desire for catching up the technological change which is sometimes unnecessary and a dependence on the producers of hardware and software. Finally, an extremely rapid speed of response and a lack of alternatives make human manipulation or intervention difficulty at best when (and not if) something breaks down.

The "net" in the title is not the Internet but, rather, the all pervasive network of computers and networks that surround us. The "trap", according to Rochlin, refers to “shorthand for the elaborate, long-term, collective effects of the possibly inevitable and largely unexamined desire to computerize and network everything and anything where efficiency or economic performance might thereby be improved." Limited in understanding of the potential vulnerabilities the technology is creating, we begin to have fears about the unknown. This book is suitable for discussing recent technologies and how people react to the imaginary fears of science.

2. Wilson's article [2] suggested that postmodernism is a breakdown of boundaries and a playful creation of new meanings from old forms enables the realization of a posthuman (cyborg) condition. We are posthuman, and the way we think about that condition is considered as postmodernism. The discussion outlined the relationship between the human body and technology. Technology extended the ability of the human body since the emergence of the virtually reality games in video arcades, meanwhile, the perceived boundaries of human have been increased. However, it is no longer the technology used to simply extend the reach of the human body. For example, Wilson indicates, “The pacemaker sits inside the chest of the heart patient, and yet we do not perceive its owner to be the stuff of fantasy, nor is he perceived as inhuman – he is a human whose continued survival is enabled by technology.” Therefore, the development of technology is beneficial as long as we use it in a positive and contributive way.

Wilson has a comparatively positive point of view to technology. The success of science does not only satisfy our curiosity about the nature, giving us the capability to build a rocket and broadening our horizons towards the universe. Also, the recombination of DNA helps to avoid a number of hereditary diseases, a great liberator for human progression.

3. Squier's article [3] points out, “Modern representations of reproductive technology built on the romantic separation of developing fetus from machine-like mother to serve ends not political but productive, and ultimately industrial. The emerging political technologies of the body in the wake of postmodernity-technologies apparent in medicine, entertainment industries, politics, and the arts, etc…” The development of bio-medical technologies reduced or violated the nature of motherhood. Freezing the fetus, the surrogate mother, the test tube baby, and the pregnant man became achievable. Reproduction is the object of expert knowledge and power rather than an inborn ability. Being a mother is not fatal to a woman anymore. For those, Squier illustrates, “provide bodily sites for potentially oppressive scientific/technical interventions, yet the (re)construction of the human being is not uniformly negative, however returning to “nature” is no longer possible.”

Women are liberated by the great power of technology. “The birth of fraternal contractual democracy” is introduced by the success of medical science. Some people may argue that women can have more freedom, while some people worry that it is the exploitation of the limited power which is born with women in nature. Women are already being marginalized in patriarchal societies, and I wonder that lacking of the unique power of reproduction can actually brought them more choices or further declining their rare power.

4. Rothenberg's article [4] claims, “Nowadays, much criticism of technology tends to fall into on of two camps. On the one hand, it fears technology as an impersonal megamechanism, rejecting it as a threat to human beings. On the other hand, it imagines technology to be an entity separate from humanity, but one that will most fulfill human purpose when it is allowed to pursue its own inner logic.” Fears of the unexpected power of technologies and anxiety of not knowing how far they can reach threaten the extinction of human beings as well as the nature. However, the author believes that human is the creator of the technology. It is totally under control. He assisted that technology does not exist without the human intent that drives it. Besides, technology is an extension of what it is to be human, at a deep level, and that the way we see nature is powerfully influenced by our technologies.

Rothenberg’s article is very thoughtful of the relationship between the nature, human and technology. These three elements are powerful and they are also interdependent. The way we observe and understand the nature is highly relied on the advanced technology. He also strongly agreed that we “use” technologies to receive the world. We control the technologies like we drive a car. A car cannot move by itself and also cannot work without fuel or without a driver. Human is the one who operates it and if it hits on someone or something, it is driven by a human instead of its own mind. We can turn technology to be good and evil which is open to our determination.

5. Melzer's article [5] concerns “technology appears to be more than a mere collection of means, subordinate to human choice, but is an independent force with its own logic or destiny to which humanity is compelled to submit. This claim introduces the conceptions of technology as the most determinative or fundamental phenomenon. We not only have more technologies, but somehow we are more technological.” Human life as such is so inseparable from technology that modern man is commonly distinguished as ‘the tool-making animal’. We somehow are unable to resist but addicted to technologies. We tend to dig out more latent energy of science and challenge the extremity of ourselves.

Melzer’s article arouses a reflection of our value of living. Are we enriching its power for our interests and convenience? Or do we become the servants of technology, sacrificing our whole lives to prove that how worthless we are and how great it is? We are gradually losing our ability of living, such as, farming and building houses by machines. We can no longer separate our lives from technology. Or even worse, we cannot live without it.

6. Redmond's article [6]studies the social relation of science and technology, including crucially the systems of myth and meanings structuring our imaginations. He also explains, “Haraway’s idea of Cyborg which is a kind of disassembled and reassembled, postmodern collective and personal self.” He raised some examples of fantasy films, regarding the fears of machines or of technology, usually negatively allege the social values such as freedom, individualism and the family. Technology, base on his observation of various texts, is a metaphor for everything that threatened ‘natural’ social orders and traditional values.

"Liquid Metal" examines the science fiction cinema for accusing how this genre has stereotyped the popular imaginations while transforming the physical and social world in which we live. It also tells the relationship between the development of technology and how the cinema reconstructed that phenomenon and represented in media industries. This book is detailed and comprehensive for illustrating how science and technology affect us and being perceived in science fictions, indicated the process we have been influenced by the media which exaggerated our fears towards technologies.

References

[1] Gene I. Rochlin. Trapped in the Net: The Unanticipated Consequences of Computerization, (1997)
http://books.google.com/books?hl=zh-TW&lr=&id=GzzttDF1spcC&oi=fnd&pg=PP13&ots=F9JcAcQnxm&sig=2qBf_3TKFqKS9379b1kR34gkmGo#PPP13,M1(accessed 25 March 2008).

[2] Jennifer Wilson. “Of Machines and Meat: Cyberpunk, the Postmodern Condition and a Posthuman Reality”,
http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/491/wilson.pdf (accessed 25 March 2008).

[3] Susan M. Squier. “Reproducing the Posthuman Body: Ectogenetic Fetus, Surrogate Mother, Pregnant Man”, Posthuman Bodies, (1995)
http://books.google.com/books?hl=zh-TW&lr=&id=MkQPztA7TTIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA113&dq=monstrous+scientist&ots=3u7QDG2gbx&sig=4qwBP8UMf0TOQfL4Zim-rHKoNJM#PPA113,M1 (accessed 28 March 2008).

[4] David Rothenberg. Hand's End: Technology and the Limits of Nature, (1995)
http://books.google.com/books?hl=zh-TW&lr=&id=BKV0na-v2wMC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=fear+between+humanity+and+technology&ots=zTDWbb3BXq&sig=nBTIv3hyOrFi6vu3OyQq2Zfl3y8#PPR12,M1 (accessed 28 March 2008).

[5] Arthur M. Melzer. “The Problem with the “Problem of Technology”, http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=zh-TW&lr=&q=cache:He9juPrgF4AJ:www.mgimo.ru/fileserver/2004/kafedry/eng7/The_problem.doc+fear+between+humanity+and+technology (accessed 29 March 2008).

[6] Sean Redmond. Liquid Metal: The Science Fiction Film Reader, (2004) http://books.google.com/books?hl=zh-TW&lr=&id=ha5O_0BCCrgC&oi=fnd&pg=PA158&dq=monstrous+technology&ots=VEOzYfBGEu&sig=Zj1mx98nLcUGsF5p_yjlDSRAjQU#PPA165,M1 (accessed 29 March 2008).

Critical Annotated Webliography - Question 3

2008-03-30T21:49:00.005+08:00

Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

1. This article [1] is talking about human cloning. Cloning of human embryos has already been achieved. Cloning of adults has been successful and announced but not yet proven. Before trying human cloning, scientists have cloned sheep and other animals. Dolly the clone sheep, however, died with a few years life. Scientists tried to clone dairy cattle for their milk; nevertheless, it raises out problems and shows the limitation of this technogenesis breakthrough. Failure rates are high, deformity and other development problems are very common. This author pointed out that clone animals could be easily affected by bacteria, viruses and other germs. So would it be safe to consume the dairy products and meats from the clone animals? Moreover, scientists claim that technically human organism and body parts could be created by cloning methods. This issue is broadly discussed by the public ethically, morally, legally, religiously, economically.

The article is chosen as it describes the progress of cloning. Scientists have tried to clone animals before cloning human. It tells human cloning actually takes risk and explains why people want human cloning. Cloning is one of the ways to shows Frankenstein still appears in our world and continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

2. The link [2] also mentions human cloning. It summarizes out the problems of human cloning in a more humane way. Human cloning raise out similar problems as condoms rose out to the Catholics when the world separate sex from procreation. People even claim that this would be an evil behaviour as it is trying to interfere marital acts that had been happened with the born of human. Catholics claims that children should beget through the loving act of marriage, instead of through scientific breakthrough.

The uses of condoms helps human to control fertility, so as for human cloning if it happens in the human society. When people accept that human cloning technique has legal authority or moral authority over when and how to have children, the clone child itself is believed to be a product of science instead of natural creature. Men then become a God in deciding when and how other human life could be created or destroyed. Catholics believe that to insure human cloning will not dominate our world is to preach that it is not man who is charge of deciding who comes into existence, but God. The article also points out some real life situations that would lead out by human cloning.

This article is regarded as one of the sources since it talks about our living mode and pattern have changed because of technology. Catholics are discontent and blame on it. Men will become the arbitrator of the next generation if people accept human cloning. A table is listed to tell the problems of human cloning in the piece. It is another example to show Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

3. This article [3] argues that the technology constantly develops and it has improved a lot. Our technology will soon take place of human life. As computing has made great progress, the “technology breakout” is led that different kinds of technologies are associating to create theatrical and new abilities. Technology in our daily lives affects us seriously. The side effect of technology becomes to expose in our society.

The precipitating technological capacity is so obvious. Some theorists announced that it will meet a point where the technology will soon totally lose control since it reaches an unexpected level.

It points out that the technological juggernaut is not an automatic and self development. It actually needs a large number of resources such as people, money and other materials to generate these new technologies. After short period of time, human will face a very serious problem that the technology will control and decide the future for us if human do not rethink the basic modes of social, economic and environmental practice. It obviously states that Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

4. This piece [4] states that technology is wonderful which takes over a good percentage of the jobs people are pursuing. It seems to imply that it could somehow run itself and ignore humans’ control of them in a manner detrimental to the world.

The author interviewed different people with different jobs including journalist, doctor, writer, actor, college professor and her friend. They all agree technology really help them a lot or even saying that they cannot live without technology. The actor she interviewed said, “Three words: computer generated graphics.” These three words are so powerful to describe computer helps to create the things which people want such as background, view, figures and environment in a movie. It seems inevitable that computers and robots will soon be able to carry out a good percentage of human functions. Technology has already taken over and threatened the world. Thus, it is chosen to be one of the sources for the essay.

5. The article [5] talks about the impact brought by computers and robots in the modern world. With the aid of robots and computerized machines, manufacturing jobs have declined in a significant scale. Industrial processes have yet become increasingly automated. Robots are applied to different industries from car assembling to surgical assisting. These kinds of machines can even perform duties that are considered difficult or dangerous to human, like exploring the surface of Mars. General purpose robot arms, nevertheless, are becoming increasingly popular as they become less expensive, easily adaptable and user friendly programmed. They will be able to handle manufacturing wider range of products with high quality, accuracy and lower cost than human without ever needing to rest.

With the past 20 years, sophisticated software packages are taking over the routine tasks of office management, fully automated offices will soon begin reducing the need for office workers. Farms, mining operations, industrial plants are connected by truck, trains and ships like an assembly line, higher profits are generated which drives investment into greater automation and leads to more research and development where commercial could be take place in producing robots such like these.

This source is selected because it shows the improvement of technology and people become to rely on it although it really helps people a lot. Machines can help people to do the dangerous things. Positive effects are included in the article that shows Frankenstein continues to haunt discussions of recent technologies.

6. The chapter [6] starts introducing novels describing a future society fully dominated by technology, which there would be no freedom, beauty or initiative, and no private life for individuals. Technology began to show its ability to control humans, in which scientific monsters and robots reigned over the world. The time when technology was considered neutral is gone forever.

It exhibits the image of technology governing the future world and brings up to the discussion of how technology influences us at the present. The nature has profoundly influenced by technology, and has penetrated in our social life.

The article points out the positive effects and negative effects in the latter part, which gives an idea of the pros and cons argument of whether technology has a good impact on us. Technology not influences our nature and our productivity, it also affects us sociologically. The argument continues in discussing how human could do in balancing tech development and protecting the nature. It also suggests ways that human should do in order to gain opportunities in realizing free development.

References:

[1] Dixon, P. Human Cloning Headlines.
http://www.globalchange.com/clonenews.htm (accessed on 29 Mar. 2008).

[2] LoJacono, J. “Human Cloning: A Fruit of the Contraceptive Mentality.” Human Life International Inc. 2004.
http://www.hli.org/sfli_human%20_cloning_fact_sheet.pdf (accessed on 29 Mar. 2008).

[3] McMahon, P. “How the breakout of technology threatens human sovereignty.” The National Forum. 16 Mar. 2004.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2071 (accessed on 29 Mar. 2008).

[4] Runyan, A. “Technology taking over human functions?” The Stanford Daily. 28 Apr. 2005.
http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2005/4/28/technologyTakingOverHumanFunctions (accessed on 30 Mar. 2008).

[5] The Academy of Evolutionary Metaphysics Home-Page. 2005.
http://www.evolutionary-metaphysics.net/advancing_technology.html (accessed on 29 Mar. 2008).

[6] Wang, M. Y. Development of Technology and Social Life.
http://www.crvp.org/book/Series03/III-11/chapter_vii.htm (accessed on 29 Mar. 2008).

Critical Annotated Webliography - Q.3

2008-03-30T20:01:00.003+08:00

1. In this article, Recent Human Cloning[1] written by Dr. Patrick Dixon discuss the biological reason to against the human cloning. He gave three main arguments to support his point of view. Firstly is a health risks from mutation of genes. He point out the risk of the cloning technology is extremely high right now. Because “genetic material used from the adult will continue to age so that the genes in a newborn baby clone could be - say - 30 years old or more on the day of birth.”
Secondly is emotional risks, because “Unbearable emotional pressures on a teenager trying to establish his or her identity”. For example Every time her mother looks at her she is seeing herself growing up. Unbearable emotional pressures on a teenager trying to establish his or her identity.
Lastly is the risk of abuse of the technology. Dr. Patrick Dixon suggests that There are powerful leaders in every generation who will seek to abuse this technology for their own purposes. Going ahead with cloning technology makes this far more likely.
Since Dr. Patrick Dixon provides three strong biological arguments with examples to against cloning technology. Therefore, I think it is a good article to support the risks of cloning technology.

2. There is an article, Cloning Yes or No?[2], gives a briefly background information about what is cloning, which helps the readers to know more about the concept of it. Then it raises the most famous cloning case- Dolly, to be an example to explain the steps of clone a sheep. After that, the article provides the pros, cons and dilemma arguments and let the reader examine themselves. The PROSScientists think that cloning may be a way to increase the populations of endangered species. Moreover, it could be used for medical research and the study of genetic diseases. Cloning could also be used therapeutically, cloning only a few cells to replace the cells in a sick person.The CONSThere are many reasons why people believe cloning is undesirable, mainly due to ethical reasons. And some people also believe that cloning would result in children who do not having an "open future," because their genes will cause them to become like the person they are a clone of. In addition, Religious organizations feel that cloning puts too much power in the hands of humans and that cloning ignores the fact that each human has a unique soul. Religious leaders believe that we need to draw the line between right and wrong more clearly in cloning.The DILEMMA Provide an open ended of the article, it let the readers know that there are benefits, there are also risks of cloning, so the reader can decide for yourself whether it is good or bad.

3. Now's Not A Good Time; Can We Talk Later?[3] is a short article talking about the potential problem of human cloning. Although the article is short, it discuss the reason why people want to give birth of a cloning baby. “Many individuals have been perceived as wanting a clone to live the life that they didn’t have , bringing back lost memories of relatives, and being responsible for designer children. Cloning is no more than a possibility for people to explore themselves. They try to compensate for lost time through their future clones, a condition that people may have seen in parents that force their children to live the dreams that they were unable to live.”Moreover, the article raise a question “Being born a clone is one thing, but living as a clone is an idea that has not been clearly thought through” This is a open question, but can give a chance for people to think about more of the result of cloning.This article not only states the potential problem of cloning, and also provides some question to let people knows that how to clone is a new technology which scientist want to develop. However, the result of after cloning a child will bring what kind of problem. This kind of refection is not always in the similar article which talk about cloning.

4. Cloning: As Quintessential Human Act[4] by Philip Hefner gives us a clear concept of how Christian comment cloning. From the article, Philip think that cloning is an unnatural issue. It collapse the nature, morality and the religion. “My Christian tradition offers some very general, but yet pertinent, guidelines for this discussion: (1) all life is a gift of God, including the life that is able to discover how to clone; (2) we are expected to be good stewards of God's gifts, which mean (3) that we are both free and accountable to God and our fellow humans for what we do; we have a vocation from God to be free and accountable; (4) all of this takes place under the conditions of sin--we are finite, fallible, motivated by self-interest that can include greed and desire for power; sin is not an excuse for withdrawing from life, but rather a reminder of what sort of realistic vigilance must accompany our decisions of how to live. My Lutheran tradition asserts that we are saints and sinners at the same time. This describes precisely the condition of humans as clones of other animals and of themselves.”From his point of view, we can see that the dissenter provide the points to against the cloning. Moreover, cloning is usually described as the collapse of Genesis. Therefore it is a good example to use in the article to show the arguments of different side.

5. In this article Modern Technology: A Threat to Jewish Sanctity[5] by Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum talks about the technology makes the human life not purity anymore. “While modern inventions have made life easier and more enjoyable, they have brought in their wake a very great threat to our holiness. In times of old, one could easily barricade himself within the sanctity of his own home in order to avoid the many temptations and pitfalls of the perverted world. Modern times are making this more and more difficult. We are no longer safe even in our own homes, as the worst of Mitzrayim's abominations threatens to invade our privacy and sanctity.”The author suggests that people are difficult to isolate themselves nowadays. Because of the technology waves, people are easily linked together. If someone hides himself in his home just the telephone and computer lines also can link him to the outside. Compare to the time of old, human are not easily to barricade himself within the sanctity of his own home in order to avoid the many temptations and pitfalls of the perverted world.Therefore, this article can totally show that how technology change human life and the technology are not easily to prevent no matter the people isolate himself in his own home.

6. Rich Heltzel writes an essay Modern Science: Technology and the World[6] to discuss the technology only contribute to some high income group and “superior race” in the world. “Low income countries are plagued with hunger, while we have an excess. We are not wrong for our excess food supply, but only wrong if we do not help others obtain this abundance with modern technology.”Moreover, the technology causes the problem of pollution to result different kinds of disease nowadays. The article supported by some evidence and data which provide by some international organization. This can make the article more convincing.

Bliography
[1] Dixon, Patrick, ‘Recent Human Cloning’ on Globalchange.com
http://www.globalchange.com/noclones.htm (accessed 29 March 2008)
[2] ‘Cloning Ethics’ http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312650/cloning.htm (accessed 29 March 2008)
[3] ‘Now's Not A Good Time; Can We Talk Later’ http://www.u.arizona.edu/~tuanv/CEthics.html (accessed 29 March 2008)

[4] Hefner, Philip , ‘Cloning: As Quintessential Human Act’ in Chicago center for religion and science http://www.usao.edu/~facshaferi/HEFNER2.HTML (accessed 29 March 2008)

[5] Teitelbaum, Rabbi, ‘Modern Technology: A Threat to Jewish Sanctity’ http://www.campsci.com/articles/modern_technology.htm (accessed 29 March 2008)

[6] Heltzel, Rich, ‘Modern Science: Technology and the World’, The People’s Media Company. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/220747/modern_science_technology_and_the_world.html?page=3 (accessed 29 March 2008)

Virtual Ethics: Pornography

2008-03-27T23:24:00.001+08:00

Our presentation will be based on the 3rd reader of the topic - Virtual Ethics "The Ethics of Porn on the net". Firstly, we are going to define what the traditional meaning of pornography is and how it has changed from the porn online nowadays. Secondly, we will analyze the distinction of professional and amateur pornography, how Internet pornography bring out both positive and negative sides for ordinary online users and how internet blurried the ethic boundaries of porn.

After our presentation, we hope our classmates to think about whether it is ethnical on some issues of uploading amateur porn or not. Additionally, is there any change of moral and ethical values through showing pornographic images, video or joining sex chat in the virtual way? Or we should have an objective mind to judge every porn issues individually?

Gabriel To

Reflection of our presentation (Hong Kong Cyberculture)

2008-03-27T21:46:00.003+08:00

Our presentation is based on Amy’s article ‘Hong Kong Cyberculture: A Case Study’. When we prepare the presentation, we found that it is quite difficult to understand how the concept of ‘invisible boundaries’ of dominant groups as we all believe that cyberspace is free from censorship. Therefore, in order to make a clearer concept to our classmates, we choose a Chinese-language forum ‘Uwants.com’ as an example to elaborate the ideas of Hong Kong Cyberculture and cyberdemocracy. On the wholem, I think that our presentation is quite successful, because the examples are funny as well as related to our lives, and also initiated a discussion of cyberdemocracy among our classmates.

Virtual Ethics: Pornography

2008-03-26T14:49:00.002+08:00

Our project will be based on the 3rd reader of the topic - Virtual Ethics "The Ethics of Porn on the net". We are going to analyse the distinction of professional and amateur pornography, discover both the positive and negative side may led by pornography and how internet blurried the ethic boundaries of porn.

According to our project, we intend classmate might think about issues related to moral and ethics of uploading amateur porn. Is there any moral and ethics values changed, by what and how, while putting some private "stuffs" out to public? Any boundaries have been blurried under some circumstances?

Groupmates: Charmie Liu, Gabriel To and Julie Lam
Present date: 27 March, 2008

Hong Kong Cyberculture( After Presentation)

2008-03-20T23:05:00.002+08:00

After the preparation of this week. I found out no matter English-language or Chinese-language cybercommunity in Hong Kong, the cyber culture more or less the same. The "main stream" culture marginalize the subordinate group. We can easily find the similar case from Uwants.com which Amy did in ICERED.

However, in our presentation face a limitation of TIME. It maybe create a confusion of cyberculture to some classmate. Actually, cyber community not only negative. There are also some positive case we can discuss. For example, some voluntary animal union share their love to some dogs and cats which is homeless. They held some adoption of cats and dogs. These can also catch the public attention and concentrate the love online.

Note for the reading ‘Hong Kong Cyberculture: A Case Study’

2008-03-19T21:25:00.000+08:00

With reference to the article ‘Hong Kong Cyberculture: A Case Study’, the scholar Amy Lai Tak-yee tried to examine the issue of cybercultre and cyberdemocracy of Hong Kong. As Lai (2002) stresses ‘anonymity is safeguarded to the extent that one does not have to be responsible for his/her words’, it seems that people are free to express their view without censorship and greater democratization of the society is achieved; however, in other words, for those people who belong to the subordinate group (i.e. low income, low educational level / less elitist, non-white, women and homosexual, etc.) may be easily criticized or even be ‘flamed’ by dominant group. Since there are lots of invisible boundaries set by the discourses of marginalizing ‘others’, the context of ‘cyberdemocracy’ seems to exist in name only.

Hong Kong Cyberculture( Before Presentation)

2008-03-19T21:05:00.002+08:00

In this presentation, we base on the research of Amy Lai Tak-yee (from 2000-2002). She choose an English-language community website, ICERED, to examine. The aim of her research is find out the Hong Kong cyberculture, discuss the context of ‘Cyberdemocracy’ and also want to dig out which group of people are marginalized, how they are being marginalized by others.

After reading the research, we find that the case is very similar in some local Chinese-language community. Therefore, we choose one of the forum Uwants.com and discuss the issues with some Chinese example. The result show that no matter the target user in ICERED and Uwants is different. But the issues which Amy suggests is more or less the same.

Is the appeal of reading blogs that they filter the mass of information on the web, or that they provide a human voice and perspectives?

2008-03-06T11:10:00.002+08:00

We think that blogs provide a platform for people to express their own opinion rather than filter the mass of information. . Generally, bloggers believe that blogs are their own private spaces, so they can express their stand points freely without any censorship. When people are giving their own opinion, they are actually showing their point of view in certain stand point. They may filter the information that they don’t agree with. Bloggers only show their perspectives on certain issue and intend to persuade others to agree with them. For example, Salam Pax said that his opinion about war, ‘… here is an another article in the New York Times about the war plans. I’m actually getting tired of these…’ It is obvious that the Salam Pax’s stand is to against war, but he didn’t show the opposite side of information, which is not the opinion of general public.

From Adelaide, Gabriel, Julie

good morning!!!

2008-03-06T10:53:00.002+08:00

Hello, I am Annie =v=
Nice to meet you all!!!!!

Hello everybody~

2008-03-06T10:51:00.001+08:00

Hi there! My name is Julie. Well, seems this is my first time that open my own blog, no matter for personal or assignment purpose. More is upcoming later. See ya!

Comments of Q3 by Cody & Carrie

2008-03-06T10:48:00.002+08:00

Although there are many blogs organizing in various lanuages and countries, we don't think that blogging is still a predominantly US-centred phenomenon. Nowadays, blogging is so popular in Taiwan, China , Hong Kong, etc. So those countrys have their own blogging systems in the internet for their citizen.
Because blog becomes user friendly, different group of people also can publish their own blog. Moreover, the main aim of the blogging is share their own opinions and express their feeling, so they always use their own lanuages not just write English in the writing. Therefore, we don't think that blogging is still a predominantly US-centred phenomenon.

Week 4 Are blogs journalism? If not, what’s the difference?

2008-03-06T10:45:00.002+08:00

A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. People will use it however they wish. And it is way too soon in the invention of uses for this tool to limit it with a set definition. That's why I resist even calling it a medium; it is a means of sharing information and also of interacting: It's more about conversation than content ... so far. I think it is equally tiresome and useless to argue about whether blogs are journalism, for journalism is not limited by the tool or medium or person used in the act. Blogs are whatever they want to be. Blogs are whatever we make them.

Michael Conniff. "Just what is a blog, anyway?", USC, (September 2005)
http://203.84.223.237/srch/cache.html?p=blog+is+journalism&fr=FP-tab-web-t&ei=UTF-8&meta=rst%3Dhk&u=www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050929/&w=blog+blogs+journalism&d=EW9vYfH_QVn5&icp=1&.intl=hk (accessed 6 March 2008)

Cyrus, Gigi, Joanne

Week 4: Does Blogging Software enable a digital voice for the 'average citizen'?

2008-03-06T10:43:00.009+08:00

In our opinion, blogging software can enable a digital voice because it makes a stronger sense of coherent. As people get news from different channels, they receive different angel or perspective of the story. It would be quite fragmental. People use blog to combine different angel of different topics and therefore it makes a stronger sense of coherent.

The Government and state can control the traditional mass media, but not blog. The bloggers have freedom to express their opinion. However, for some states, such as China, the government has the strict control on the Internet and they may even delete the blogs of controversial issues. It can enable a digital voice for the 'average citizen' but it still need to depend on the government's policy.

Posted by Anthea, Eileen, Jessie, Daisy

Blood, Rebecca. "Weblogs: A History and Perspective." Rebecca's Pocket, 7 September 2000, http://www.rebecaablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html, accessed 6 Mar 2008.

I'm Carrie Yu in Tutorial B

2008-03-06T10:43:00.006+08:00

Hello^^
I'm Carrie Yu In Tutorial B~
Nice to meet everyone in here^^

My first post!

2008-03-06T10:43:00.005+08:00

Hello everyone!
I am Cody in Tutorial B.
I hope both of us can get the meaningful and funny time in this weblog!

Hello

2008-03-06T10:30:00.000+08:00

Hi, everyone, have a nice day.

try hyperlinking now...

2008-03-06T10:29:00.001+08:00

nice to see everyone populating this blog. Don't forget to try a hyperlink on your first post!
alison in perth

Hi

2008-03-06T10:19:00.002+08:00

Here's Adelaide. Nice to meet you all~

2008-03-06T10:16:00.000+08:00

Hi~ everybody........

2008-03-06T10:13:00.000+08:00

Testing~

Good Morning

2008-03-06T10:12:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone
Here is Cyrus

Hello

2008-03-06T10:11:00.005+08:00

Hi everyone!

I'm Jessie. Nice to meet you all here.

Good Morning!!~

2008-03-06T10:11:00.002+08:00

Hello!! Everyone~~~

Joanne ^^

hello

2008-03-06T10:10:00.003+08:00

Good morning.
Have a nice day~

Hi everyone

2008-03-06T09:53:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone

Looking forward to your contributions on this weblog!

Anna

welcome

2008-02-27T07:48:00.002+08:00

greetings! I think this blog is going to be a fun way to learn in this unit. I've just found a graphic text of Donna Haraway's Manifesto for Cyborgs if you want to take a look. Looking forward to reading your posts!
alison