Posters Missed the Point
on
iPods at War
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· Score: 3, Insightful
Many of the above entries have been quick to criticize the article as negatively portraying troops as tech-addicted consumer whores or even implying that we should deprive soldiers of morale boosting comforts. The author painted these perhaps unflattering portraits of American soldiers enjoying Counterstrike and porn to illustrate that these are aspects of the American lifestyle that we aggressively defend. The amount of posters who have apparently ignored this main argument to defend the after hours activities of troops shows just how much we hold our gadgets dear to us.
I love playing an online FPS, watching porn, and listening to my iPod as much as my fellow countrymen, but it seems crass to have these icons rise to the forefront of American ideals and Democracy. It creates a bit of dissonance with those commericals featuring Marines single-handedly slaying lava monsters (unless most Marines are really into WoW or something). Anyway, the author made the point that we need to re-examine our global image, especially as manifested through our fighting forces.
Initially I noticed that I was spending too much time on computer games such as solitaire and cruel. I became so absorbed in games that I neglected or delayed meeting various personal obligations. I stayed up too late. This led me to realize that behavior of this kind could be an addiction.
I personally give credence to the notion of video game addiction (I've been clean from CS for three years now, Halo for six months). Even so, if you can stand playing solitaire for more than an hour, you must already be addicted to crack.
Even video games' most recent media relative, film, arguably took decades before it fragmented into high/low brow poles. The pre-requisites for this meant having standardized formats, distribution models, and exhibition models (not to mention more accessible or "democratized" means of production). With game developers and console manufacturers constantly raising the technical bar before socially/culturally conscious game artists can catch up economically, you will not see enough diversity for a high/low brow distinction.
Although I consider someone like Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) to be an analog for the Spielberg's of the film world, the Godards out there are working instead with new media at large as the interface of the conventional video game combined with the industrial complex in place precludes any external innovation, artistry, or deviation in form.
For anyone who wishes to be better equipped to understand the topic question, I highly recommend Lev Manovich's The Language of New Media.
The next generation of media theorists/journalists are currently in training. To rise to the titular "superstar" status, one will need to meet these two criteria:
1- Have mastery over the (presumably) English language. This is usually accomplished by studying English Lit, Creative Writing, or some related field.
2- Have a rigorous background in the relation between old/new media and society (Film Studies, Art History, or New Media concentration helpful) AND/OR have a broad understanding of the way technology functions at the technical level.
Today's college students are subject to a system of academic fragmentation that has finally caught up to the division of labor needs of (at best) the mid 1980's. This are already enough forward thinking students and professors out there concentrating in previously disparate fields such as Systems Design and English Literature. I think there already is a "superstar" out there who has majored in the latter combo. Her name is Wendy Hui Chun and she teaches at Brown. If you can handle a little philosophy peppered with psychoanalysis, I highly recommend her most recent book, Control and Freedom, to any slashdotter.
In time, a newly educated crop of ambitious and curious writers will fulfill this burgeoning demand for journalists who are literary as well as literate in technology. We just need to push for more New Media departments at the college level.
Slashdot Mirror
Many of the above entries have been quick to criticize the article as negatively portraying troops as tech-addicted consumer whores or even implying that we should deprive soldiers of morale boosting comforts. The author painted these perhaps unflattering portraits of American soldiers enjoying Counterstrike and porn to illustrate that these are aspects of the American lifestyle that we aggressively defend. The amount of posters who have apparently ignored this main argument to defend the after hours activities of troops shows just how much we hold our gadgets dear to us. I love playing an online FPS, watching porn, and listening to my iPod as much as my fellow countrymen, but it seems crass to have these icons rise to the forefront of American ideals and Democracy. It creates a bit of dissonance with those commericals featuring Marines single-handedly slaying lava monsters (unless most Marines are really into WoW or something). Anyway, the author made the point that we need to re-examine our global image, especially as manifested through our fighting forces.
Even video games' most recent media relative, film, arguably took decades before it fragmented into high/low brow poles. The pre-requisites for this meant having standardized formats, distribution models, and exhibition models (not to mention more accessible or "democratized" means of production). With game developers and console manufacturers constantly raising the technical bar before socially/culturally conscious game artists can catch up economically, you will not see enough diversity for a high/low brow distinction. Although I consider someone like Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) to be an analog for the Spielberg's of the film world, the Godards out there are working instead with new media at large as the interface of the conventional video game combined with the industrial complex in place precludes any external innovation, artistry, or deviation in form. For anyone who wishes to be better equipped to understand the topic question, I highly recommend Lev Manovich's The Language of New Media.
The next generation of media theorists/journalists are currently in training. To rise to the titular "superstar" status, one will need to meet these two criteria: 1- Have mastery over the (presumably) English language. This is usually accomplished by studying English Lit, Creative Writing, or some related field. 2- Have a rigorous background in the relation between old/new media and society (Film Studies, Art History, or New Media concentration helpful) AND/OR have a broad understanding of the way technology functions at the technical level. Today's college students are subject to a system of academic fragmentation that has finally caught up to the division of labor needs of (at best) the mid 1980's. This are already enough forward thinking students and professors out there concentrating in previously disparate fields such as Systems Design and English Literature. I think there already is a "superstar" out there who has majored in the latter combo. Her name is Wendy Hui Chun and she teaches at Brown. If you can handle a little philosophy peppered with psychoanalysis, I highly recommend her most recent book, Control and Freedom, to any slashdotter. In time, a newly educated crop of ambitious and curious writers will fulfill this burgeoning demand for journalists who are literary as well as literate in technology. We just need to push for more New Media departments at the college level.