Chatrooms Did not vanish, they evolved

Brushaud Stanislaus
CAS 283
9/3/2014
BLOG #2

Just as technology evolved throughout the years so have communicating and interacting as well.  Discussed in our textbook Internet Relay Chat also known as IRC was developed in 1988. This was our first form of a chatroom. People connected to servers, supported by different networks available at the time and were able to communicate via text. As the years progressed CMC finally came along the lines of instant messaging and web-based chats. But, at this current stage in life this form of communication has slowly began to diminish due to texting and social media related forms of communication. However virtually based gaming has picked up the pieces of the chatroom environment and found a way to encrypt the format into their gaming programs.

There are many kinds of chatrooms, some with just audio, video and audio, or simply text based. From experience I have been through multiple forms of these chatrooms. At one point in my life I was a member of the game DC Universe Online. This software opened you to a world based network capable of creating your own hero or villain and pretty much doing anything you want. You were given the ability to create a being based on your own preferences. A form of selective self-presentation can be applied here because people were able to create their avatars of how they would want people to view them. I have encountered characters that preferred to be the opposite sex to as far as people wanting to be a gorilla in a batman costume. The language used throughout the game was based around that type of universe: codes, insiders, relationships of all forms were prevalent. Though my experience was normal playing the game I cannot say the same for the audio only created chatrooms.

If anyone ever played games from Call of Duty or Battlefield, you instantly know exactly where I am going with this! These networks managed to become very negative similar to comments posted on YouTube. Applying what we learned in class about face to face interaction we can see from these networks that people are more comfortable expressing their selves online than in person.  Fighting online is a lot easier online than confronting someone in their face. Majority of the people that have insulted me or made negative connotations towards me I would confidently say 85% of them would never say any of what they said to my face. The reasoning behind this I would blame for the lack of social context cues. This ability to communicate anonymously while interacting gives everyone the ability to speak freely regardless of their position in society such as: jocks, geeks, nerds etc.

 

Like our outlines points out, without cues people become self-focused and don’t care about others. People just begin to hate each other just based on their interactions online. With these problems developing it opens up new doors for potential dangers for CMC. For example cyberbullying, the use of electronic communication to bully someone. Cyberbullying usually is a form of intimidation or simple threats but through the years this problem has gotten very serious and no longer a matter to sweep under the wrong. Cyberbullying has the ability to destroy and end lives of all ages. And as everyday users of the evolving CMC ways of life we are the only ones capable of adapting and changing these forms of communication for the good of human kind.

Stephanie Niemiroski
CAS 283 - Section 004
Obsolete Technology & Electronic Waste

Last week, three new concepts were brought to my attention: obsolete technology, the digital divide, and electronic waste, also known as e-waste. During the short 50 minutes of lab, my internal clock paused, and I was able to catch up with reality. We discussed the hot commodities of the late 90s/early 2000s, got nostalgic over our old MySpace pages and AIM profiles, and laughed at the idea of Hit Clips. As we blasted to the past, I looked down at my new Macbook Pro laptop computer and my iPhone 5S. Thinking of how technology has evolved over the past 20 years is mind-blowing to me. Things that I used so frequently as a child, such as the VCR, floppy disk, and palm pilot, are now just mere memories. I became interested in what else is now considered obsolete technology, other than what we viewed in class, so I went searching and came across a few websites. Dial-up modems, answering machines, public payphones, pagers, and even blind dates were just a handful of obsolete items that were brought to my attention. New communication technologies are constantly replacing many more traditional technologies at an exponential rate. The lifespans of technologies are decreasing exponentially. Think about how the way we've listened to music has evolved over the past decade. We rarely hear the words 'tapes', 'records', or 'CDs' anymore. At this moment in time, we are able to purchase music with the click of a button. And where will it go from here? 

With the growth of new technology comes an increase in the digital divide. As Rachael defined in class, the digital divide is the idea that certain people with certain financial capabilities will be able to keep up with the new technology, a privilege to advance themselves digitally. The other half of the divide are those who cannot afford the new technology. As those who can afford the new technology purchase these items as they become available over time, the digital divide will widen.

As we live and witness the technology boom, we now yearn for the "bigger and better." Every year we buy new and updated equipment to support our wishes and needs. However, as we're waiting in line to purchase our iPhone 6, we completely disregard the thought of where our old equipment ends up. To be honest, this thought has never crossed my mind. When this image was brought up on the projector, I was speechless. 



According to e-stewards.org, electronic equipment and gadgets are the fastest growing waste stream in many countries. All of these electronics become obsolete or unwanted, often within 1- 3 years of purchase, meaning the iPhone 6 I just bought will end up somewhere near this child in about that time, harming the environment she lives in. Little does everyone know, this global mountain of waste is expected to continue growing 8% per year, according to e-stewards.org. With the little amount of e-waste that is recycled, this epidemic is what we'll be facing during our generation.

http://io9.com/25-obsolete-technologies-that-future-generations-will-n-1526922030
http://www.techhive.com/article/169863/obsolete_tech.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/21-things-that-became-obsolete-this-decade-2009-12?op=1
http://www.e-stewards.org/the-e-waste-crisis/

Obsolete Technology

In class Friday we spoke about dated technology and how the innovation curve has grown exponentially over the past decade.  When I was a kid, technological advances seemed to be at a stand still.  People would hold onto cell phones for 3-5 years and, for the most part, there was only one major operating system people had for their home computers.  I can remember when my dad got the new and improved Windows 98- we went from using colossal floppy disks to the 3.5 inch floppy drives, not to mention a processor strong enough to play Zoombinis and Jump Start 1^st Grade without crashing.  The concept of upgrading to a new, better device was such an enigma.  Oh, how times have changed! Newer is better.  Products are now designed to be smaller, lighter, sleeker, and faster than the predecessor.  This is congruent with what I experience and see today.  It only takes a rumor from Silicon Valley for an increased battery life and half megapixel improvement for people to throw their phones to the curb and camp outside the apple store as if it were black Friday.  With this growing pattern, most devices only see a fraction of the life they would have had a decade ago.  While I think the innovative curve is a huge component to this, I also think the saying ‘they don’t make them like they used to’ holds true.  With a better understanding of material science and revolutionized assembly methods, companies can produce products using a fraction of the materials- which in turn cuts down on the cost to produce each individual device, while at the same time making them more susceptible to damage and shorter life spans.

While these kinds of advances are great for the market, it contributes to a very large scale problem called Electronic Waste.  In a segment that 60 minutes did back in 2008, they estimated that the U.S. alone throws out about 130,000 computers everyday, on top of the 100 million cell phones we dispose of each year.  It is the fastest growing component of the global municipal waste stream.  With a majority of the hardware containing toxins such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and chromium- you can see how this is an epidemic when they are being disposed of at an exponential rate.  As these products sit in land fills, the toxins over time can seep out into the ground, atmosphere, and drinking water, affecting the local communities with known dangers such as reproductive disorders, kidney damage, and cancer.

Having known previously what I now know about electronic waste, I would have made a much stronger point for myself and my friends to recycle old technology rather than throwing it out.  Devices like cell phones could be sold back into the market as refurbished; the male connection to a USB flash drive could be recycled and used towards new products.  There are many possibilities as to how we can minimize our industrial footprint in the world; the only thing lacking in most cases is the awareness needed to make a difference.

E-waste

In class we discussed that technology is the fastest growing waste stream on the planet and that the U.S. is one of the largest contributors to the e-waste.  I believe that our country, at least some companies are taking responsibility for this and doing the right thing by recycling the waste properly. I use to work for Best Buy and they have recently launched their Renew Blue program, which means that customers can get rid of their old or unwanted appliances and electronics in several ways. Every U.S. Best Buy store has recycling kiosks, just inside the front doors, to drop off ink and toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries, and wires, cords and cables, plastic bags and gift cards. You can also recycle in-store at the Customer Service counter. Best Buy will also remove an appliance or TV free of charge from a customer's home when a new product is purchased and delivered by Best Buy. They also can schedule a pickup with no product purchase. With the program they ensure that your obsolete technologies will be recycled properly.

I knew about the issue of e-waste before we talked about it in class because at Best Buy they make their employees go through a lot of trainings to learn how to dispose of the unwanted technology properly. Someone mentioned in class that a way to help cut down on e-waste was to stop over producing products. I agree with that to an extent, but if enough products are not produced I think that would have an equally detrimental effect on the company itself. For instance, if a new phone came out and you per-ordered it and were so excited for it, then got a call from the company saying that you would have to wait another 3 months to get your new phone because they did not make enough, you would be infuriated. Most people would. In my experience when we were out of a product and people would only have to wait a week to get it they still would either go with a similar product from another company or not buy it at all, at least from our store. Another way to help would be to stop making obsolete technology. Best buy still sells portable CD players and VCRs and in the entire time that I worked there I did not see one person buy one, yet they are still on the shelves and being produced.

Source: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Global-Promotions/Recycle-FAQs/pcmcat174700050009.c?id=pcmcat174700050009&ref=30&loc=KW-4327 

Obsolete Technology: Optical Drives

Last week in lab we talked about obsolete technology and it turned out what classifies as obsolete technology to most people are the technologies that aren't really even being produced nowadays: Walkmans, VCRs, floppy disks, etc, etc. But I think there’s a unique case of it emerging that many other people also share but don’t really realize it. By this I mean something that is still commonplace in every new laptop and computer with a few exceptions. I’m talking about a CD/DVD optical drive.

Think about it, when’s the last time you used a CD/DVD drive on a computer/laptop? I may be way off base with that belief, but I know I haven’t used one for years considering I have no use for one any longer. They still make physical music, physical games, and physical DVDs but you can also get the vast majority of those online through digital media whether you buy it, pirate it or stream it.

I currently own a Microsoft surface pro, a mash-up between a tablet and laptop for all intents and purposes because it isn't fully one or the other. To facilitate its use as a tablet, it’s lacking some things, namely a CD drive similar to some macs. The laptop I had before this one did have a CD drive but it sounded like the laptop was going to spontaneously combust when anything was put into it. Thus, I never used it with the exception of when I found a Hannah Montana music video CD one summer.

I get my music online, not through CDs, but through iTunes/Google Play music/YouTube/Pandora. I watch movies through the internet, often by streaming from various websites like Netflix or Amazon Prime or on the occasions when a physical movie comes with a code for the digital download. Games are no exception either with both Steam and various seedy, illegal websites providing digital versions of the games that travel with you everywhere (seriously, Steam is my best friend) making game disks for PCs more of a hassle than anything.

Even taking into account the other things that they are used for like writing to a CD/DVD for storage purposes, then you have flash drives and cloud storage outclassing them. Not to mention drives are often quite large and something more useful could be put in its place instead like a better hard drive or graphics card. They just aren't the most convenient method anymore and I've never seen anyone walking around with loads of physical CDs/DVDs/game disks so that they can pop them into their laptops around campus to enjoy their music/movies/games while everyone stares wondering if their laptop is actually an explosive.

I remember what they were originally used for, I remember having to put in the Diablo II disk every time I wanted to play the game or putting in music CDs and ripping songs to my computer and then burning playlists onto empty CDs. I remember my dad actually saying no to my first laptop and picking one that was $50 more because it had a Blu-ray/CD/DVD drive rather than just the CD/DVD drive. I remember all those times, and I don’t miss them. I think that little by little, the optical drive is dying especially since in this society we love any and all ultra portable technology (ie everything Apple) and it’s one of the things that being left out more and more in every new piece of technology that comes out.

Written vs Digital Communication

Five years ago when I joined the ARMY, I was sent off to boot camp. I sent a letter home to my girlfriend everyday. This required a lot more time and thought because I wasn’t used to sending letters, nor had I really ever sent them. Just as we spoke about in class, I put much more thought into hand written notes than digital communication. This could have something to do with the asynchronicity of the message; I knew there would be a delay, so I knew I had to really think through everything I said before I put it into the mailbox. Asynchronicity is the use of communication with a delay (e.g., letters, email). The opposite would be synchronicity, which includes forms of communication that transmit in real time (e.g., face to face, phone conversations). 

I know that when I’m at home or at least within a direct contact situation, I tend to quickly say things that otherwise, I would think twice about. I suppose that’s the part about syncronicity that we as humans in this day and age take advantage of. There’s a distinct difference between the two types of communication, and the way in which we use them is generally different by nature.

3)

Secondly, I would like to talk about Social Constructivism and its affect on society, especially in the past couple of decades, taking into consideration the newer developments such as email, texting, and even something as old as phone communication. Social Constructivism could simply be explained as the way in which a person learns as part of their interactions within any group. For example, a cell phone is a device that has shaped the way we communicate. Currently, it possesses uses such as texting, calling, and emailing, however, when cell phones were first invented, their sole purpose was for phone calls. As humans, we took that concept and ran with it. Last week, I was walking to a class and someone ran straight into me while looking at their phone after my attempts to avoid him due to his lack of attention. I can honestly say that even 5 to 10 years ago, this wouldn't have been an issue. 

In an interview with Sherry Turkle, she talks about solitude. We take on this role where we are afraid to be alone, and even if we are given a second in situations as simple as the checkout line in a grocery store, we will take out our phones and occupy ourselves rather than either take that time to ourself, or even scarier, have a conversation with strangers. We have socially constructed the way we use technology in general. Everything has been made portable, and we have everything to distract us when we need it most: when we are lonely. Additionally, solitude helps develop your social skills during childhood; it’s how you learn to speak to yourself. We could bring into question how this will affect society in the coming decades. 

In conclusion, I believe that the social construction we put behind these technologies is forever going to shape the way we interact. As the interview with Sherry Turkle states, we need places that are sacred (e.g., dinner table, church, family movie night, etc.). This could be the push society needs to set some boundaries so that technology isn't totally overrunning every aspect of our daily lives. Sometimes, we create things without realizing how they could really affect us in the long run, and as technology evolves, it’s important for us to continue to take these concerns into consideration.

Source

Fischetti, M (2014). The Networked Primate. Scientific American, 311(3), 82-85.

Obsolete Technology

Last week in lab we talked about obsolete technology, it was really an eye opener. To be honest I haven’t really thought about old technology that much, such as floppy disk, cd players, PlayStations or even social media such as MySpace and yahoo. It’s crazy to think about all of these technologies, once they were very important in our society and now they don’t even exist. I was scrolling online and came across this video. (http://www.cnet.com/videos/top-5-soon-to-be-obsolete-technologies/). This video shows the next top 5 soon to be obsolete technologies today that will soon be in the museums of tomorrow. I was pretty shocked; one of the technologies mentioned in this video was the home printer. I don’t know about you but I use my printer a lot at school and to see this go obsolete will be crazy. However, technology is vastly growing and I can realistic see the home printer being obsolete in the next 10/15 years, by then who knows if we will even need to print anything out on paper.

What happens to all of these old, obsolete technologies that we don’t use anymore? Do we recycle them? No, do we burn them down into smaller pieces and then reuse them? No, it gets trucked into our landfills or we ship it to other countries where it gets piled up on the ground in poor communities. People are literally living right along side this waste.  E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life." Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused; refurbished, or recycled, however it costs more to recycle them or to break it down into smaller pieces so therefore it just lays in the big gigantic piles shown below.

E-waste is extremely dangerous. E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste. The extreme amount of lead in electronics alone causes damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems, the blood and the kidneys.

We all need to become more informed about the hazards of e-waste and proper ways to reuse, recycle or dispose of all our unwanted electronic equipment. American’s love technology and can’t seem to resist the newest cell phone, computer or other electronic gadgets, but give little thought to what to do with the “old/outdated” stuff.  The options are to reuse, recycle or “trash” these items and it is important that we take steps to ensure that whatever options we choose, it is done correctly.

Are laptops hindering classroom learning?

I walk into class on Thursday and sit with my two friends. I pull out my notebook and pen. They already have their laptops and tablets on their desks. The professor starts talking and I start writing- going off of the powerpoint and what he is saying. My notes are organized, with dates, topic headings, and bullet points. I prefer to abbreviate and shorten sentences. Side notes of the professor's comments are included. Halfway through the class I look at my friends. One is on her tablet doing work for another class. The other is on his computer looking at Facebook and messaging one of his friends. I start paying attention to what they're doing. I notice that they are only typing down what is on the powerpoint. They do not seem to be paying attention to what he is saying.

Our CAS lab spent a long time today discussing the differences between handwriting and typing. We did an activity: send a text to somebody you care about. Next, get out a piece of paper and pen and write a note to someone you care about. What were the differences? Was one longer than the other? Was the content different? It was interesting to hear people's answers. I, for one, had written a longer and more thoughtful note on paper. 

The lab discussion and my experience in class got me thinking. How many students use laptops for note-taking in class? Is it better to handwrite notes or type them up? I did some research and looked at a few articles. A study done by two psychological scientists from UCLA showed interesting findings. Students were given a laptop or notebook and instructed to take notes on a lecture. A half hour later, they were tested for factual recall and conceptual learning. The results showed that laptops may indeed inhibit the learning process. Sure, students with laptops were able to take more copious notes, which can be beneficial when learning. However, they were also more prone to taking verbatim notes, which appeared to cancel out these benefits. Both groups memorized the same number of facts but the laptop users did significantly worse on the conceptual section.

The scientists did another experiment, this time giving the students a week before their exam. Those who took notes in longhand did significantly better than any other students. They took fewer notes overall, with less verbatim recording. They did better on both factual recall and conceptual learning. These results show that taking notes with paper and pen lead to higher quality learning. It is also beneficial for storing new learning for later study. Overall, longhand note taking leads to better academic performance.

So, for those of you who bring your laptop to class, you might want to rethink your decision. Are you really paying attention or just mindlessly transcribing whatever the professor says? Also, how much of your time is spent on Facebook or Twitter? Computers are not only a distraction in class, but they also hinder the learning process. Maybe it's time to go back to the old school methods of a notebook and pencil. Give it some thought, and happy note taking!

http://www.medicaldaily.com/why-using-pen-and-paper-not-laptops-boosts-memory-writing-notes-helps-recall-concepts-ability-268770

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/were-only-human/ink-on-paper-some-notes-on-note-taking.html

Obsolete Technology

Harry Papasavas

 Obsolete technology is a topic we discussed in class that caused everybody to have some flashbacks. I myself was thinking back to the Sega genesis days and the original black and white Gameboy. Obsolete technology is basically outdated equipment that has either been replaced or modified to be better and more productive. Technology is always changing with the goal to be more convenient and appealing to the consumer.  Another piece of technology that has become completely obsolete is the beeper. I remember when I was little and my older brother had a beeper and I used to think that he was the coolest most important person in the world whenever it would ring and he would have to go find a phone to call the number back. Now, if you need to contact someone all you have to do is shoot out a text to them and usually get an answer back within minutes. Growing up in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, I would come home from school and start knocking on doors for kids to come outside and play. Today, all someone has to do is send out one mass text to all their friends and it is usually to get together on some online video game. Obsolete video games are another thing that is contributing to the lack of face-to-face interaction we encounter today. Before the internet, I used to get together at a friend’s house and a bunch of us would play Mario party and other fun games. But now because of the internet, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to play with your friends.

I personally think that the fact that technology is constantly changing is both a good thing and a bad thing. The perks of all the changes is that there are a lot of things that have drastically changed the way we do things. Pretty much everything can be done through the use of technology. Anything from taxes to online banking can be handled online now. When I am hungry I don’t even have to pick up a phone and talk to someone, all I have to do is go online and place an order and in about 20 minutes my food is at my door. When I want to go to the movies, the internet is there to purchase the tickets from. All these conveniences although good, can have negative effects as well.  Since technology has pretty much taking over the way we do things, it has pretty much taken away most of our face-to-face interactions. Peoples social skills are starting to deteriorate due to the presences of social media. Our way of life today pretty much revolves around our technological devices. When was the last time anyone has seen someone reading a newspaper, magazine, or even a payphone? We can even get books online which eliminates having to go to a bookstore. Some may argue that the technological age is a “lazy” generation. There are plenty of pros and cons to the new technologies that have made other technologies obsolete and I guess we just have to accept them.

"By the time you read this story, the Internet may be obsolete."

http://www.techhive.com/article/169863/obsolete_tech.html

Reflecting on obsolete technology in the past weeks got my nostalgic gears turning. During my research, I came across this article that is definitely worth a read. This list of 40 activities are rapidly approaching extinction or have already dissapeared. 

One of the ones that stood out to me was the extinction of the "blind date." At first, I was confused on how this extinction applied to technology, but after I read the description, it is interesting to ponder the dissapearance of this once-common dating technique. With social media, "stalking someone" has taken a whole new definition than it had in the past. If we know someone's full name, and want to learn more about them, instead of settling for a play-by-play from a trusted friend, we type their name into the search bar of as many social media sites as we can get, craving information overload about a stranger. We are quick to judge the books by their cover without ever even meeting them in person. 

Another that stood out was #40:
"Giving Someone Your Undivided Attention During a Social Interaction. Status: Showing signs of illness. Oh, come on--talking without simultaneously texting or tweeting is so 2008." This one made me a little sad to be honest. Me and my friends have been on this "no phone zone" kick and I think that more people should join this trend. Having social interactions face to face is part of human nature. I actually have a fear of being sucked into the technology world so deep that my relationships suffer in exchange for "likes" on a post or "number of followers." Our conversations are interupted by us feeling the need to keep up with the instant updates happening from everyone we know. It's not even necessary to ask old friends what they have been up to because we already know from social media. There is a weird relationship between feeling connected to so many people at once, while simultaneously feeling disconnected from our closest friends. I strive to not let my relationships spread thin due to this epidemic and hope that more of us become nostaglic for deeper interpersonal interactions.

E-Waste Crisis

          It has recently been brought to my attention that old electronics cause horrible health concerns to people all around the world. Electronics, such as computers, phones, and TV’s, contain very toxic substances, such as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, beryllium and brominated flame-retardants.  These toxic materials in electronics can cause cancer, reproductive disorders, endocrine disruption, and many other health problems if this waste stream is not properly managed. (e-stewards.org) Sounds like a death wish to me. Even knowing this horrific information, society continues to send old electronics to areas where humans live. Now that I have knowledge on this topic I want to spread awareness and stop the world distribution of old electronics.

            According to e-stewards.org, an electronic recycling business, in 2012, global sales of new equipment included 238.5 million televisions, 444.4 million computers and tablets, and 1.75 billion mobile phones. All of these electronics become obsolete within 1-3 years of purchase. They are then shipped across seas to China and neighboring countries that will accept old electronics. It only seems that these numbers will go up over time and the crisis will grow larger. In 2008, CBS 60 minutes ran an award-winning documentary on the e-waste crisis that has been seen by 25 million viewers. People know about the issue yet they continue to be apart of the problem. I’m sure that my family and I have contributed to e-waste because we are too lazy to take our old electronics to a credible landfill. I am a person that cares about others even if I have never met them. So from this point on I am pledging to take my old electronics to the right facilities that will not bring it overseas. I am going to continue to convince my family and others to do the same. I love doing things like this so I feel that I am making a positive impact on the world. I also think that there needs to be more businesses in America that take old electronics and recycle them without any harm to society.

            On the other side of things, the Chinese encourage countries to bring old electronics over to there landfills so that they can scrap the metals for resale. Countries gladly bring all of their electronic waste over just to get it off of their homeland. To fix this issue their needs to be an arrangement between both sides, the world and china, to stop the harmful disposing near human civilization. An estimated 70-80% of the e-waste that’s given to recyclers is exported to countries with developing economies. (e-stewards.org) There needs to be a way for recycling plants to destroy e-waste and keep the community out of dangers way.

            Learning about the crisis on e-waste was a very interesting experience for me. I’m always looking for ways to make an impact on the world and the beautiful people that live all over. Recycling old electronics seems like something that is easy, but everyday there are hundreds of thousands of old toys being thrown out the wrong way. If the world comes together on this crisis I believe we could save a lot of health issues in the countries that hold the worlds e-waste.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5274959n

http://vimeo.com/10383952

 

Atari Landfil

Jorge Galindo
CAS 283 Lab, Section 004
9/12/2014
Obsolete Technology/E-Waste

Atari Landfill



 

In our lab last week we talked about obsolete technology and e-waste that pollutes other countries around the world. E-waste is discarded pieces of hardware that consumers do not want anymore, and end up causing pollution when they are broken down or recycled. Obsolete technology is tech that is no longer useful or has been replaced by a "superior" product; thus, this can/does ultimately lead to e-waste. Personally, when I heard "e-waste", my brain immediately went to the videogame crash of 1983.

 

From 1983 to 1985 the videogame industry in North America had their preverbal bubble burst. There were a lot of factors that went into the drop in sales from $3.2 billion in 1983 to $100 million in 1985, but the most important thing that happened was how the company Atari reacted to the whole situation. One of the main causes for the crash was video game titles having inflated projections of sales; moreover, the tie in video game to the movie ET holds a place on most videogame aficionados lists of worst videogames of all time. This crash lead to Atari making a landfill in New Mexico to bury all of their e-waste.

 

Initially spokesmen for Atari said that the landfill  was only made to get rid of malfunctioning consoles and cartridges (including 700,000 copies of the E.T. video game), but the truth was that Atari was getting rid of inventory they could not move because of the before mentioned videogame crash. The cartridges and old Atari 2600s had become obsolete because there was no demand for them. Instead of recycling the materials, Atari dug a hole, filled it with e-waste, then put a concrete slab over it. This is by far not the worst instance of e-waste in recent history, but I think it is significant that back in the mid  to early 80s computer companies could just decide to dump all of their "bad" or obsolete merchandise wherever they could.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_video_game_burial

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_crash_of_1983

Obsolete Technology

       Last week in lab, the class discussed Obsolete Technology, which was a complete blast from the past.  We live in an era where technology is vastly and rapidly producing new things that can do infinite amounts of things.  Because new things are created, developed and produced everyday, we tend to forget about the technology we were using just ten years ago.  Looking back on these technologies, they actually make me feel old now that they are irrelevant and new technologies are the new thing.  When I was a kid, you could catch me with my Gameboy Color playing either Pokemon or Super Mario Brothers anywhere I went.  Looking back on that then seeing how I go about my daily activities now with my iPhone always in my hand, it is crazy to see how times have changed.  It is actually incredibly overwhelming to think about.

           

            Recapping the lab, the class discussed many obsolete technologies.  Obsolete can be defined as something that is no longer in use and outdated.  The class thought about what technologies we had that are now obsolete, how long they lasted, and why we do not use them anymore.  Most of my answers for why we do not use these technologies anymore are because there is some type of technology that was created that was an improvement or upgrade of the previous technology.  Some of the big obsolete technologies that were mentioned were floppy disks, Nintendo 64’s, and MySpace.  I had these three on my list and I very easily remember when those technologies were the best technologies used.  Thinking about it now, these technologies got taken over by USB’s, PlayStation and Xbox and Facebook respectively.  It is crazy to think how far we have come in a short span of time.  There are good and bad to producing new types of technology.  The good is obvious – it is an upgrade of the previous and each technology makes everything more convenient for everyone.  One can pretty much do everything now on their phones, which is another reason why producing new technologies is good, because everything is now consolidated into one device.  However, people are blinded by the negatives of producing these new technologies.  Last week in lab the class discussed the problems of E-Waste and its negative effects on the environment.  This is the problem of mass producing so many technologies, when they want to get thrown out or when they break, where do they go?

The picture above answers that question.  The E-Waste goes into the environment because they have no other place to put it.  This picture was taken in China.

            Summarizing obsolete technology, it is the sources of technology people once used but it is now outdated and more often than not, no longer used.  The production of new technologies is both good and bad.  Convenience and consolidation are two major positives about the technology that is being produced today.  However, as I stated earlier, E-Waste is an extremely negative part to new technology and it will only get worse as long as we do not have a place to put this waste.  This lab was useful for me to put this problem in perspective, and although we talked about some possible solutions, no solution seems like it will work anytime soon.

Obsolete Technology or Evolving Technology?- Melaina Chapman

9/5
    The idea of obsolete technology to me doesn't really seem like an actual thing. These technologies that have become 'obsolete' actually means that the older versions aren't used anymore but the technology has just evolved and is still around. The cell phone is still a technology we have now it's just more involved than it used to be, with Apple's announcement of the iPhone 6 and 6+ it's still a cell phone it just has many things all jumbled into one device. It can still call people and send messages just faster and with a higher quality, it can take pictures and give them to you instantly just like a polaroid or digital camera, and you can even get Gameboy apps to play these games on the same device. The VCR was one of the examples of Obsolete technology that we came up with in lab but it, just like cell phones, isn't obsolete either. It has evolved into DVDs and now Bluray movies and is still a common item in every home just like it once was, technology doesn't become obsolete it evolves and then gets replaced with that upgrade but the upgrade still has all the same ideas.

This idea of technology becoming obsolete made me think of all the different things I have or have had that could be considered these obsolete technologies. I used to rely on my Scooby Doo PDA to keep track of things that were going on like my friend's birthdays and parties and what not, but now I have a calendar on my cell phone because it was 10x easier to keep just one device than to have a bunch of different devices to carry around, it makes me appreciate the fact that our devices become more and more convenient and portable. Having a laptop that I can take in my room when I want is so much nicer than to have to sit in the living room and use the slow desktop, however there is a bad side to this. There has been an increase in problems because of the evolution of these technologies, kids have so much more access to technology now and it's causing so many problems, the emergence of sharing nude picture online and through texting is becoming and issue because now that these are portable and more accessible it's causing a divide through generations, and maybe the evolving of technology has finally started going too far? Maybe the evolving should stop and then the hype and hysteria of the newest iPhone, iPad, Laptop anything like that could stop and people would start socializing more, there are advantages and disadvantages to evolving technology.
http://www.useoftechnology.com/modern-technology-advantages-disadvantages/

CMC and Obsolete Technology – Making an Inference

Frankie Cruz

CAS 283

Blog 9/5

CMC and Obsolete Technology – Making an Inference

 

            One aspect I considered during the first couple of weeks of class is that perhaps CMC is the counter to obsolete technology – to an extent.  So new cell phones replace old cell phones, however, the technological advancement is simply an update, rather than a whole new piece of technology.  To elaborate, a cell phone is different from a beeper, but an old LG Envy touch and a new Samsung Galaxy S5 are essentially the same thing, except the newer S5 has more capabilities.  I believe that certain pieces of technology will never become obsolete simply because their uses and gratifications will keep them in human use. The strongest gratification a piece of technology can offer, in my opinion, is convenience.  Humans love when things are simplified or made easier to do, it’s a natural desire for ‘efficiency’. This is why I believe phones and cars themselves will never become obsolete, as a beeper or type writer may.   

            I would like to address my favorite aspect of the course to me so far which is the focus on computer mediated communication.  I’ve always had my ‘ethics’ when it comes to communication, and focused on doing what I thought was logical.  It’s exhilarating to see that what I deemed logical is also what we are being taught.  I don’t mean to sound full of myself by any means, just imagine thinking two plus two is four, and then going to class and learning that you were right (weak analogy).  I’ve even told friends and family about the ‘you’ language that would cause one to become defensive.  As an English major, I suppose I feel slightly guilty knowing that I enjoy my rhetoric and communications classes more than the literature courses I’m required to take.  Primarily because I can apply what I learn to everyday life.  One question I’ve been stuck on is which category of a user I would fall into, ritualized – someone who uses media often, and as a diversion, or an instrumental user – one who uses media for a specific purpose.  I’m not sure I could label myself as either or, for some days I’m an instrumental user and others I’m simply procrastinating.  Which brings me to my concluding claim about the internet.  I’d say the internet is probably the most convenient invention in the history of mankind, and I believe that because of this it will never become obsolete.  It may have updated versions, but the technology itself will forever be used thanks to its convenience.

Our Lives Reflecting Technology

Sarah Hammaker

The rise of computer technology has occurred within just a couple of decades, changing our entire lifestyles with it. Everything has changed so rapidly that we are still trying to catch up. From nostalgia of old experiences, to E-waste, our experiences today now include a reflective response to this sudden boom, but only if we take the time to observe it.

Our conversation about E-waste during lab resonated strongly with me. I had never heard the term before, but the more I thought about it, the more I recognized that E-Waste seems like the epitome of human exploitation of the Earth. We use our magnificent human minds to create this amazing technology that allows us to achieve feats inconceivable just a few decades ago. We can have conversations without needing to visit one another, have things delivered to us the day after we pushed the “Add to Cart” button, and hold thousands of songs, pictures, and videos in our palms at one time. This technology is power that WE created …and then we throw it away because “ooohh that one has a bigger screen! I want it.”

Now, not all of us are this impulsive with technology. However, this impulse represents the new concept of the “Digital Divide” where hard work won’t get you as far as that person who works just as hard and owns the latest technology to boost them just a bit further. Whether your old device breaks and you panic because you can’t check your email while walking your dog, or you “just want it,” the Digital Divide introduces a new pressure of our everyday lives.

As far as E-waste goes, the article below offers an interesting, and comforting take on what to do about E-waste. However, one of the most important sayings in environmental health awareness is “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” so even though we have developed a certified strategy to combat our e-waste, we still need to work on the other pillars of caring for the environment in terms of our electronics.

http://www.nrdc.org/living/stuff/what-do-about-e-waste.asp

Another topic that we talked about in lab was obsolete technology.  We mentioned many “tools” that we once used like fax machines, CD-roms (which spell check does not even recognize actually), Floppy disks, Gameboys, landlines, TV antennas, even typewriters that now just seem bulky, non-portable, and nonfunctional with our fast-paced lifestyles of today. The more I think about it, the more I see how rapid we have been experiencing this transition through technological advances. A 9 year old experiences life much differently that 9-year old me did 11 years ago. This article talks about the experiences we no longer have as a result of obsolete technology:

http://www.techhive.com/article/169863/obsolete_tech.html

It’s true- I will probably never get to go on a blind date now that Facebook, google, twitter, Instagram, and any other social network exist. I don’t even have to belong to a social network to find information on myself via the internet. Facebook and google have become “givens”- it would be weird not to facebook stalk your blind date. These once-revolutionary innovations are already, and will eventually become invisible technology, only to make way for new advancements. How much further can we go?

Our entire life experiences are changing extremely rapidly in order to keep time with technology. So rapidly however, that we do not have time to look back even five years to what was once important. For instance, before I even knew it existed, E-waste became a problem and has been solved.  I didn’t even realize what experiences I was missing the past 10 years until a simple article showed me.

In conclusion, technology is great, and the advancements have taken us unimaginable distances. However, it is important to be attuned to the issues we have caused for ourselves through our creations, and be able to face the new form of human experience we have today. Part of the human experience is conscientiousness, and it’s important for us to stop and take a look at the advances we have made in tandem with the Earth itself in order to truly appreciate all that we have.  

Obsolete Technology

Taylor Keselica

Obsolete Technology

Last week in our lab classes, we discussed the topic of obsolete technology.  Until talking about it in class, I never really thought about or realized how many different forms of technology I have used in my lifetime.  Another thing I did not think about was how many items I use in my everyday life are forms of technology.  For example, when we talked about microwaves and dishwashers and other household items as types of devices that no one really looks at as technology, but instead just sees them as devices we use to make a job easier, like dish washing.  

Though there are many forms of technology that are now considered obsolete in our society, these obsolete forms of technology formed a building block for all forms of technology that we use today.  Like we discussed in lecture, the first computer was very large, taking up the size of a whole room.  Scientists continued to try and find better ways to generate computer technology, leading us to where we are today with computers within our cell phones.  However, as well as the obvious positives that came from the original and basic forms of technology, obsolete technology has a dark side.  This “dark side” can be known in more correct terms as E-waste, as we also discussed in lab class last week.

E-waste is accurately defined on the California government website called CalRecycle as “consumer and business electronic equipment that is near or at the end of its useful life.”  Though this definition paints a good picture of E-waste, there is no clear and exact definition.  To put it blankly, E-waste is the left over pieces of technology that we as people no longer desire or need that do not get properly disposed of.  Because our technological demands keep changing, technology keeps changing and newer technology is being produced at a higher rate, making E-waste a serious problem for some environments.  In lab, we were told to look up E-waste on Google and this was a picture that I found that really stuck with me:

This picture stuck with me because you can see all of the waste that consumes most of the land seen in the photo.    This waste is taking over the environments in other countries that people live in.  Learning about obsolete technology, specifically in terms of E-waste has changed my perspective of technological advances at least a little bit.  I had thought for a while that our society and the world in general, has advanced and continues to advance in the technological world far too quickly.  Although this is my belief, I still keep up with the trends of technology and I like having the latest forms of technology.  I guess you could say that I have double standards and mixed views when it comes to technology.  However, I mostly believe that, like I said above, our world is evolving in the technological sense too fast for most of us to even realize it.

Frequent technological advances are a huge negative in my eyes for multiple reasons.  One reason is that we have relied far too much on technology that it, in my opinion, is taking away from our real life experiences because people are paying too much attention to their phones, tablets, computers, etc. instead of paying attention what is happening around them.  Another main reason why I feel as though we are moving through technological advances too quickly is because of the fact that we have all of this old, obsolete technology that we are creating so much waste across the world that no one has any idea what to do with.  Therefore, I believe that the issue of obsolete technology is a real issue that should be paid more attention to.