Virilio - Open Sky

In Paul Virilio's Open Sky, a great deal of the book made sense and confused me at the same time.  The rhythm that he writes in is tough to follow, but I was able to grasp a lot of his ideas when I separated many of the quotes and analyzed them individually.  Reading this book towards the end of the semester was very beneficial for me.  I was able to draw comparisons to other books such as Alone Together.  Virilio and Turkle seem to be weary of the same issues that can arise from increasing technology, but Virilio goes in a different direction that is very interesting to think about.

I was able to grasp three main concepts from the book, though at times I wasn't sure what point he was actually trying to make with some of his examples.  The emergence of technology is actually changing nature, the internet is pulling us farther away from the "real world," and future technologies will eventually make us unable to determine the real world from the digital.

"Having been first mobile, then motorized, man will thus become motile, deliberately limiting his body's area of influence to a few gestures, a few impulses, like channel-surfing," permitting himself only the most restricted of views (p.17)."

I found this quote to be interesting because Virilio is suggesting that technology will do the exact opposite of what the claimed advantages of it are.  The purpose of the internet and electronic media in general is to provide more exposure of information to larger groups of people.  Ideally this process would create a broader perspective within the people using it, but Virilio believes that technology will begin to serve as a crutch for its users and they will stop thinking for themselves and instead just use a small amount of information that is presented to them.

Throughout the book he seems to relate this problem to the world both mentally and physically.  Not only will we limit our individual thoughts, but we will become more immobile and become unaware of the environment that we actually exist in.

"If the possibility of acting instantaneously without having to move about physically to open the blinds, switch on the light, or adjust the heating has partly removed the practical value of space and time intervals to the sole benefit of the speed interval of remote control, what will happen when this capacity for . . . instantaneous interaction migrates from the thickness of the walls or floors of the wired apartment and settles not on, but inside, the body of the inhabitants, introducing itself, lodging itself inside their bodies, in the closed circuits of their vital systems (p.54)?"

This idea was very significant to me due to the way that I was raised during my childhood.  I was not allowed to watch television during the week, and I spent nearly every summer in sports camps.  I am certainly glad that I developed athletic ability, and I developed a lot of social skills through interacting with different people in different sports.  However, I do feel like I missed out on a lot of skills that have been more difficult for me to develop now.  Not being around computers at home or being exposed to a great deal of technology has created a steep learning curve for me now that I am in a graduate program.  I certainly understand Virilio's thought of the pendulum swinging too far in one direction, but I believe a balance can be attained between our environment and existing technologies.

He uses the term "stereoscopy" to describe the simultaneous existence of the real and virtual worlds.  His argument is that the networked telecommunications do not actually exist, and are actually pulling us away from what is real life, therefore taking away from the human experience.  This leads into the idea of living in the moment, which is one of the areas in the book where I agree with him completely.  As the world speeds up and becomes more intense, we have a natural inclination to look into the future without processing the present.  I have experienced this personally as I have gotten older.  During high school, I was able to really enjoy a lot of experiences that I had.  As I have become older and moved through my career, responsibilities mount up and I often find myself doing enjoyable activities that I do not fully process while I am doing them.  It is difficult to enjoy meeting up with friends for dinner knowing that there is a laundry list waiting for me as soon as I walk out of the restaurant.  While some of this is self-induced, I do think that technology plays a role in how we live on a daily basis.  Communication happens at a much faster rate, and we as a society seem to feel the need to push ourselves constantly without ever decompressing.

The idea of mindfulness (being aware of the present) is something that I believe we could all benefit from.  This is a meditation practice that has been used in Buddhism for centuries, and Virilio makes very solid connections to this concept.  While I don't think that technology needs the dark cloud Virilio constructs through this text, I can relate to a lot of his ideas and how technology can create a negative impact on our daily lives.

Ulmer - Electronic Monuments Part Four

I really enjoyed reading Ulmer's explanation of Mind over Machine.  Throughout all of the readings we have done in this course, the constant question regarding developing technology is the ability to make a "gut" decision.

"For a network to be intelligent it must be able to generalize; given sufficient examples of inputs associated with one particular output, it should associate further inputs of the same type with that same output. (Dreyfus, 10)."

This quote leads into the question of how technology can simulate expertise, such as the situation Dreyfus mentions earlier about purchasing a car with one's instincts.  This reminded me of a car buying decision I was faced with just before I was accepted into this program.  A dealership in south Charlotte had an RX-8, which is the exact sports car I was looking for.  It was silver, the Grand Touring Model, and had every single option that I was looking for.  I drove it several times and even kept it over night when trying to make a buying decision.  To this day, it is the smoothest and best handling car I have ever driven.  For some reason, I felt like it would be a bad idea to purchase the car.  Ultimately, I kept my car and the RX-8 was gone from the lot the very next week.  One month later, the buyer returned the vehicle under North Carolina's lemon law.  It did not pass the state's safety inspection and had a rebuilt rear axle that was considered unsafe.  My gut instinct prevented me from buying the car, but can that feeling be duplicated?

It was also interesting to read about the effect that TV and media had on how law enforcement works at the ground level.  Certain images regarding the Miranda rights have been portrayed negatively to the public which has made law enforcement officials approach their jobs differently than they may otherwise operate.

"The authors warn the trainees to avoid performing scenarios made familiar by the media, such as the good cop/bad cop routine."

"The handbook adds that, because of TV, people expect interviewers to take notes.  To be credible, therefore, one should at least have the props of writing available, unless the situation becomes accusatory, in which case such props should be hidden, so as not to remind the suspects that what is said could be used against them."

To me, these quotes basically say to tailor the law to the situation in a manner that will be the most effective in convicting a suspect.  After reading this, I can think of dozens of different television shows that I have seen that portray law enforcement in this same light.

In chapter 8, Ulmer further explains the peripheral of MEmorials and their significance.  I liked that he listed the individual components of the Y Collaboration and expanded on them.

Questions:

1. Derrida's "Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Science" describes the center of a structure and the idea of the center existing outside of it.  Do you see emerging technology as a potential center of our society?


2. I enjoyed the reference to the Enron scandal being the "internal equivalent" to the 9/11 terrorist attack.  When banks fail and/or merge, who should the MEmorial be constructed toward?  Should it be the people losing their jobs, the people losing their investments, or the general public that is effected by the swing in the economy?

Ulmer - Electronic Monuments Part Three

The third section of this book is certainly a lot to take in.  After reading the story of Bradley McGee, I looked at several online news articles, as well as several sites dedicated to the tragedy.  With regards to this story, it certainly seems like people have embraced the idea of a MEmorial.  There were dozens of sites that were designed for the sole purpose of making people aware of his passing and that Sheryl Coe currently had custody of another child.  If constructing a MEmorial is designed to form a type of collective intelligence to create awareness of national tragedies, shouldn't more people be aware of this?  Shouldn't this have played out differently?  After reading that and the stories after it, I found it difficult to focus on the concepts that Ulmer presented.  It may be because of the recent allegations associated with Penn State, and the fact that I have heard about that story repeatedly for over a week.  This is a very taboo and heated subject in our society, and reading so much about it is rather difficult.

I would have preferred a different example to use with his concepts, although this one definitely makes them stick.  The idea of everyone having two different identities was very interesting to me.  I like the relation he makes with gender and the emblems of the male and female on the doors of public bathrooms.  We are taught our entire life that gender and our sexuality should be kept private, although his breakdown of the fifth grader's trip is probably a little farther than I wanted to read into this separation.

I completely agree with Ulmer that we memorialize certain tragedies in our society but do not link others together.  I think the disdain for child abuse is universal, but I do wonder why it is not viewed in the same light as war casualties.  Child abuse isn't really a result of something we have created, so if anything it should be memorialized even more.  I don't think it can be classified as a sacrifice either, so comparing it with war may not necessarily be comparing apples to apples.

Ulmer first sentence of chapter 6 may be the most significant statement I have read so far in the book.  Transitioning from thinking to feeling the situation should be the source of constructing a MEmorial.  I think what he is referring to is what makes monuments, memorials, and any other image substantial.  Most of the powerful images I can think of that display some sort of tragedy stand out because of the feelings they generate.  In a way, Ulmer leads this thought by example.  When I first began reading chapter 5, I could feel the situation before I had even read anything external about it.  The way Ulmer described it and questioned the universal knowledge of the events in the text made me feel each of those stories.  I didn't enjoy reading them, which should be the point in a MEmorial to child abuse.

The idea of $incere was particularly interesting to me.  Ulmer used perfect examples to describe this term.  I think this term is a combination of sincere and what is politically correct, with financial incentive.  O.J. did

Ulmer - Electronic Monuments Part Two

After reading and discussing the first part of the book in class, I think a better approach to understanding Ulmer's text is to read it in sections, much like levels in a video game.  Writing down the coined terms he uses and looking for pieces of the definitions around them has helped me to grasp the ideas that he discusses.  I liked the explanation that Ulmer gives for EmerAgency.  I think it would have been a little better served earlier in the book, but he lists all the terms that are linked to it and what associations they have with the ideas he is conveying.

Reasoneon is the combination of neon and reason.  Ulmer takes Benjamin's concept of a neon sign and combines it with the reasoning behind a message to form this term.  Reasoneon can be applied as the approach people take when working through issues electrically, and is more of a rapid, image based type of reasoning.  Just like neon lights that run through the skyline in Las Vegas giving it an unmistakable feeling, reasoneon projects and emotional appeal that is designed to catch a netizen's attention.

Krzysztof Wodiczko's description of the homeless people in New York was very interesting to me.  After finishing undergrad, I lived in Charlotte for the better part of four years.  I have been able to see the city grow and develop into what it is, and I have been able to witness the exact occurrence that Wodiczko is describing.  During the development of a city, many different types of people settle into one area with no defined roles.  As the city gains notoriety and revenue, the architecture changes and the city begins to push out the people that are considered less successful.  As the real estate market continues to crash, you can see more and more Charlotte residents displaced from their homes and becoming the "architecture" that is actually more recognizable that the buildings themselves.

My image would have fun with her image.

Ulmer begins chapter four with the idea of all news being a part of the entertainment industry because every business is driven by profit.  Regardless of the message being conveyed, the writer and service must catch the attention of readers to remain relevant.  Ulmer relates the direction of media to a teacher that became a transsexual.  Just as the lines of gender are being blurred, so are the lines of electracy.  People don't have to accept what they are given now and are able to interpret different sources to form the role they want to.

He expands on this idea by relating the images that are given to celebrities.  Entertainment discourse gives celebrities an image that may or may not be accurate, citing Mariah Carey in particular.  In response to a tabloid portraying her, she was quoted as saying, "My image is having more fun that I am!"  This statement reminds me of Facebook and the way people construct their profiles.  While Mariah Carey had her image shaped for her, we are able to shape our own image and convey whatever message that we want to on our profile.  It is very easy to project a great, entertaining life on Facebook regardless of what you actually have going on.

Ulmer - Electronic Monuments Part One

Although I am not quite sure of some of the points that Ulmer makes in his book, I found many of his statements very interesting.  9/11 will always peak the interest of Americans, so I liked that Ulmer used this example as a springboard into some of the terms he describes.  I've never been a fan of coining terms (i.e. Al Gore, George W.), but in this particular instance I think it is necessary since he is discussing concepts and ideas that do not currently exist.

Florida Rushmore?

After reading the introduction, the text reminded me of when I met Paul Flemming, founder of P.F. Changs.  Between 2002 and 2008, Paul Flemming opened 110 restaurants, while the average publicly traded restaurant group actually closed locations.  His message in explaining this statistic was that it will always benefit people to be proactive rather than reactive.  This is similar to what I gathered from Ulmer when he addresses how we as a society have reacted to tragedies such as 9/11.  He describes America as an "idea," and tragedy gives us the opportunity to reflect on our values and possibly alter them.  

In the past, the media has essentially controlled the mourning of our nation because they construct the text and images that are presented to us.  As the internet has evolved, we are exposed to much more information, creating the needs for citizens to be self-informed.  The idea of a MEmorial is an electronic monument that would involve citizens (netizens), much like an ongoing town hall meeting.  This would provide a type of collective intelligence that would benefit democracy in general and create more of a unity between "self" and "nation."

I can certainly understand the idea of a MEmorial, and even the relation that it has with tourism.  The example of Mount Rushmore was a great example because it is a symbol of achievement rather than mourning.  However, I am not quite sure of the relationship it has with tourism in an electronic sense.  I read and re-read the proposal concerning Florida Rushmore.  It is a very interesting concept but I think that an electronic monument loses the critical feature of physical presence.  I really like the concept of forming a collective identity to solve social problems, but I don't see the relevance it has to an increase in tourism.  Each "tourist" having an opportunity to be a "living" monument is a great idea that I think would be very successful, and like Ulmer said adds functionality to the monument (46).

The Real Florida Rushmore?

The idea of an electronic monument definitely makes sense in reference to things that are generally overlooked or devalued.  Ulmer points this out with the idea of victims of car crashes, and presents some alarming statistics to support it (41,821 deaths in 2000).  I think that people place more value on lives that are lost in the pursuit to maintain our self interests (i.e. military), but not necessarily because of monuments associated with them.  Its interesting to compare the two because the military and the ability to drive and automobile both have assumed risks.  More value is assigned to the military or any other national tragedy because it is supporting the idea of America, and driving an automobile is a self interest that we are provided because of the freedom we have.

  

The Orc Assassin

My eyelids, seemingly stuck together from being in such a deep sleep, begin to peel apart from one another.  The bright light of a foreign land begins to contract my pupils.  The air has a dry, yet musty scent that I am not familiar with.  Where am I?  Where is my family?  How did I get here?  Still disoriented, I manage to sit up on the cool, dirt floor.  I am not sure where I am, but I know this is not Draenor.  It smells different.  It feels different. 

I begin to stand up.  My legs are weak.  My body is unstable.  My dry, calloused skin now has a bright green tint to it.  As I look around, the lush green swamps of my home had now been replaced with dry, compacted dirt that created a dusty haze with each step.  As my vision becomes more focused, I see a figure moving just ahead on the slope of the hill.  I move in that direction, uncertain if I am dealing with friend or foe.  I rattle off the three questions I wanted to know the most.  “Where am I?  What is this place?  How did I get here?”  The bright green beast stands up, the sun gleaming off of the chain armor draped across his shoulders.  “Greetings, Hogrik.  You have just awoken from a spell that was cast over our entire race.  Please, have a seat and I will explain the rest.”

We sit down beside the campsite at the top of the hill.  For the first time, I can feel the waves of heat and hear the crackling embers from the fire.  I anxiously await the explanation of my past as my senses are slowly coming back.  “My name is Gorek, chieftain of Razor Hill.  The Orc race was once a proud one, in complete harmony with nature.  The Burning Legion of Azeroth has destroyed our planet, and our race was put under a spell to aid them in their conquests.  The spell has been broken, and now we must fight to keep our freedom.”  I knew that I must act quickly.  Thoughts of my past began to race through my head; blurs of battles and combat blended with slavery and suppression.  I immediately proclaimed to Gorek, “I am ready to fight.  Show me the way.”  “You must get your strength and instincts back before you leave Razor Hill,” Gorek responded.  He gave me several tasks to complete to aid me with this, so I grabbed my axe and headed for the edge of the village.

My first task was to slaughter the mottled boars in the valley.  As I come down the hill, the boars are in my sight.  My senses became heightened as I gripped the cracked leather stitched down my axe’s handle.  The first boar began to run towards me.  I wind up, the rotation of the axe in perfect sync as the boar approached me.  With one swift swing the axe digs into the back of the boar, nearly splitting it in two identical pieces.  I immediately turned to face my next victim as blood poured from the first one.  Each swing contained more velocity and accuracy than the first.  I would stop at nothing to have my revenge for the Orc race.  I climbed back up the hill, dragging the carcasses of 12 boars behind me.  I did not speak to Gorek, and Gorek did not speak to me.  He knew I was ready to begin my quest for justice.

After days of trekking across the dismal terrain, I came upon a village of Taurens.  They welcomed me with open arms, appreciative of my desire to restore order to the land and make those pay who abused it.  As I looked around at the mammoth Taurens, I noticed the advanced weaponry and equipment they had.  Racks of swords hung along the walls of the Inn.  Armor covered nearly every one of them.  I too would need this.  I decided right then that I would prepare myself for battle in Bloodhoof Village.  There were many Taurens needing help, and I could gain experience and weaponry by helping them.  I first met Grimtrak, the village butcher.  I delivered meat to Orgimmar for him for a small fee.  It was a very simple task, and I moved along the village in pursuit of more opportunities.  I soon met Ahmo Thunderhorn, a seasoned warrior that had become disgusted with the way the land was being treated.  Ahmo requested that I aid him in calming the earth spirits north of Bloodhoof.  They were angry at the way the humanoids disrespect the land, burning and polluting everything around them.  I headed north, and suddenly saw figures scattering across the horizon.  I began to hug the sides of the cavern to the east, using the small tree line running down it as cover.  The shadowy figures became clear, and I realized that they were watchmen, carelessly expanding their territory without regard for others.  No wonder the spirits had grown restless.  From what I could see, there were five of them.  I was unsure of their combat skill, and still unsure of my own as well.  As they began to spread apart, I leapt from the tree line, charging toward the first one with my axe in hand.  The first swing was not the best as it glanced off of his chest plate, sending sparks in the air.  As I wound up for another blow, the watchman struck me just above the waist cutting me along my ribcage.  This was the first blow, and it was also the last.  The strike did nothing but heighten my senses, sending a wave of rage through my body.  Every swing of my axe had the rage of thousands of orcs behind it.  The blade tore through their armor and limbs simultaneously.  After killing the last one, I piled their bodies up and took the money that I could find, which would go to a fund for killing more of them.  I then headed to my original destination, and calmly soothed the spirits before heading back to Bloodhoof.

My reputation preceded me as I headed back into the village.  Several of the warrior Taurens showered me with booze and offered up lady orcs that had traveled for miles to show me just how much they appreciated my accomplishments.  I had no time for this.  Killing five watchmen was the tip of the iceberg.  The rest of the humans still needed to pay for the damage they have caused the Horde and this planet.  I took the money I had made and went to Mahnott Roughwound, the village weaponsmith.  Back against the wall stood an enormous, two handed mallet that had been taken from the Lich King’s army.  I immediately imagined the irony of killing him with his own weapon.  To complement the new weapon, I had enough silver left to buy a loose chainmail vest and leggings.  Before leaving Bloodhoof, I knew that I would need more.  I had heard that Maur Raincaller was looking to hire someone, so I headed to the west side of the village to see what he needed.  “Hogrik, I do not have my strength right now.  I was bitten by a Mazzranche and haven’t been the same since.  Can you please help me by getting the femur from a flatland cougar?  That is all I need to finish the serum to heal my wounds.”  I gladly obliged, mainly because he was paying 12 silver for it.  I also agreed to clear out the rest of the swoop up north for him since I was headed in that direction anyway. 

After returning from the quest, I was able to purchase more armor and a shield.  I was very happy with the armor.  The gloves, leggings, and vest were all brushed steel, providing me with protection but it would not draw the attention of enemies in the sun.  I was now ready to continue my conquest to avenge the Orc race.  I approached the village warrior trainer, Ruul Eagletalon, for his blessing to move forward.  “You have done great things for us, Hogrik.  We feel honored that you have trained with us, and may you restore order to this planet.  For the Horde!” 

I headed to Durotar to the Dranosh ‘ar Blockade.  Ruul had mentioned the Alliance’s desire to press their territory in this direction, and I was determined to stop them.  The first Orc I spoke with was Gor the Enforcer.  As I approached him, I could see the deep scars embedded in his chest from years of combat.  His hair and beard were stringy and blew with the faint breeze coming from the nearby lake.  He wore a mask to cover his face, concealing the pain he had endured fighting for his survival.  I knew that I must help him.  He informed me of a goblin that had been the head of some of the Burning Blade camps in Durotar.  A flood in the southwest wiped out most of the camps, but he was still down there, lurking and feeding off of unsuspecting travelers.  Once a proud leader for the Horde, he was now a nuisance that needed to be eliminated.  He had sold many of the good from the camps to the Alliance, turning his back on the very group that allowed him to survive.  With each following statement I became more and more enraged.  He still had an orb that the warlocks in Orgrimmar could use developing new spells and healing potions.  As I headed southwest to find him, I came across another Orc named Shin Stonepillar.  He had heard about my past conquests, and wanted to speak with me to ensure that my mind had developed as quickly as my combat skills had.  He began with a story about an ambitious wolf.  “You are transformed into the wolf, which is hungry and seeks prey to the east and finally eyes two battling Kodos.  He decides to wait until one defeats the other, to then feast on the loser.  When that happens, the wolf approaches the fallen Kodo, but before he can take a bite, he is slain by the other Kodo.  The moral of the story; hasty, lazy actions have ruinous results.  We mustn't take shortcuts... we must work for our rewards.”  I appreciated this message.  While I was intent on slaying every human left, I must do it carefully.  I knew that I would be approaching creatures with powers much greater than my own, and I must go about this strategically.  With this in mind, I continued on my quest to find Fizzle Darkclaw, the goblin traitor that must pay for betraying the Horde. 

Dark storm clouds began to circle around the valley.  There was no cover in sight as slight, rolling thunder quickly became booming echoes against the canyon walls.  Lightning cracked in the background and sheets of rain rushed in from the north.  The packed clay roads began to flood, hardened from years of drought.  As the rain came, I ran into a cave in just before the canyon ridgeline ended to take cover.  I gathered some of the dry, dead wood scattered across the floor.  I made a small fire and began to take my armor off to dry.  I had been carrying the chain armor for days, and needed to take it off to rest before my battle tomorrow.  As I looked into the fire, I hear the same crackling sounds and waves of heat that I did with Gorek as I anxiously awaited for my senses to return.  It was a bittersweet feeling as I thought about Razor Hill with reserved optimism.  The Alliance was moving unpredictably, and there was no way to know if the village was still safe.  Unable to sleep because of these racing thoughts of past villages, I sat by the fire until the embers faded.  As the fire died, the rain began to subside.  The sun began to rise over the ridge, reflecting on the bright red mud puddles scattered across the uneven roads.  I continued southwest, feeling a wave of excitement come over me as I approached Thunder Ridge.  I knew that I was ready, and I knew that I was different than Orcs that preceded me.  I was quicker, faster, stronger, and pissed off.  I ran into the ridge in a full sprint, pinpointing Fizzle immediately.  I pulled the mallet from behind my back, clenching the handle at the top to generate the most handle speed possible.  I was approaching so rapidly that I could have killed him before he managed to turn around, but that wasn’t what I wanted.  I wanted him to see me.  I wanted him to know why I was killing him.  And I wanted to see the fear in his eyes and in his soul as with each strike I dealt.  25 yards out, I gave a thunderous roar that shook the entire ridge.  Fizzle turned, simultaneously drawing a blade out of a sheath on his hip.  As he raised the knife, my mallet cast a shadow over his entire body as it came down.  The face of the mallet came crushing down just between his head and his right shoulder, immediately snapping his collarbone.  Through the weapon I could feel each bone crack against another.  I delivered the second blow from behind, internally separating his skull from his spine.  I sat him up against his campsite so he could watch as I took the orb, his money, and all of his food.  As I headed back to the village, I drug Fizzle behind me just outside of the ridge.  By nightfall, the animals of the region would clean up anything that was left.

Fireworks erupted from the Horde posts and children were lining the streets as I came into town.  Women offered up baked goods and casseroles.  Men offered their daughters.  I was grateful of all of these gestures, but I mission was still in progress.  I gave to orb to the warlocks, and headed further North, seeking new and better ways of helping the Horde establish its rightful place on this planet.

I came into the Crossroads, the largest town in the Barrens.  I met with Thork, who was in charge of the movement to drive the Centaurs out of Horde territory.  I knew of the conflicts between the Centaurs and Taurens, and knew this was the quest I was born to undertake.  The love I had developed for the Taurens made me want to do everything in my power to help them.  The disrespect for the land that the Centaurs show is unacceptable.    As Thork explained their location, another Orc overheard the conversation and became interested.  Mogre, a fellow warrior, was also after the Centaurs.  He too had made the journey to Crossroads in hopes of killing all of the Centaur camps.  With Thorks blessing, he and I headed to the outskirts of the Northern Barrens.  As we approached the Lushwater Oasis, scattered camps of Kolkar Marauders covered the terrain.  I knew we would not be able to overtake the camps by ambushing them, so we used the underbrush to navigate the treeline to the west of the water.  The first Centaur I could see was gathering fruit along the shoreline.  Leaning just to the right of the tree, I carefully pulled out a throwing knife from my bag.  Holding the point of the blade, I slung the knife through the air, watching it rotate end over end as the sunlight beamed off of it.  Just as the Centaur rose from the bush, the knife dug into his back.  The serrated edges of the blade gripped his flesh as he writhed in pain.  It was too far in for him to pull it out.  I watched him fall to the ground, and I slowly rolled him into the water to hide the body.  I crawled up just to the edge of their first tent before I saw the next one.  Mogre and I both stormed into the camp, immediately killing the two guards.  By the end of the attack, 16 Centaurs laid in front of the camp they once considered theirs.  Mogre and I continued into the Southern Barrens for the next two days, clearing out all Centaurs that we could find.  We returned to the village with dozens of bracers to give the Blacksmiths, and gold for the village vault.  I bid Mogre farewell, as he was off to seek further quests in Orgrimmar.  The weaponsmith had developed a new staff for me that had the brute force of the mallet with the razor sharp edge of a sword.  I exchanged the loose steel armor for custom fitted, indestructible chain armor. 

I knew there were more enemies to the north, so I headed toward Ashenvale in search of them.  I do not know what will become of all of the Horde villages, but as long as I am there, we will hold our ground.  This war is far from over, but I will only continue to get stronger.  My weapons will become harder.  I will not stop until every Orc can roam free.

My Life as a Night Elf Priest - Chapters Six through Nine

Chapter six was of particular interest to me because it deals with addiction.  I have always been a very extreme person, and I can't think of a single game that I have ever played casually.  That paired with my limited access to games growing up created the hesitancy that I have had towards gaming in general.  I remember playing Mario Kart religiously, staying up all night playing Goldeneye, and spending all of my summer savings for a steering wheel and pedal set to play Daytona USA.  All of these were solo games, so I can certainly understand how someone could become addicted to WoW.

I liked how Nardi addressed the actual term addiction.  As much as I have thrown it around all semester, I didn't really understand how strong of a word it actually is.  Referring it to a term used by medical professionals puts it in perspective, and the supporting evidence from the AMA shows that we should not apply this term to video games.  Similarly to Turkle, she relates the term addiction to things that always carry negative connotations, such as drugs or alcohol.  As demonstrated by both of them, online gaming has postive aspects, so addiction should have never been a term attached to them.  Quotes from players mentioned in the book were all supportive of each others responsibilities in RL (Real Life).

The game is harder than it looks.

Theorycraft and modding made me instantly think of the Sega Saturn that I had in middle school.  I asked for a Gamepro subscription for Christmas just so I could read up on how to beat all of the Mega Man games.  At the time, magazines like Gampro and EGM were the "forums" where information like this could be accessed.  The modding in WoW is very interesting and I was surprised to read that many people began doing it as a supplement to the game.  To me the game is till very overwhelming, so it's hard to imagine wanting to add more to it.  I would like to add some of the features that are mentioned in the text, and Cosmos has a lot of nice features.  Being able to track my statistics would be nice, and would help me stay motivated through some of the drawn out quests.

The issue of gender in WoW seems to be a combination of how are society operates paired with the freedom people feel when communicating electronically.  I appreciate that Nardi points out that she did not mind the banter because she understood they were only joking, and merely testing her.  I think that is a solid attitude to have when going into something that is dominated by men.  Females playing this game is just like females that work in restaurants.  Both are dominated by males, and many of them will often test the women to see what they can get away with.  I have seen that my entire career, and it was interesting to see how closely it translates into another form of communication.

Reading about the study Nardi did in China makes me wish that internet cafes existed here.  Internet cafes could serve as a great merging point to dispel the negative image that gaming has in general.  Though the Chinese use these somewhat as a product of circumstance, I would much rather play in a cafe with other people that I can celebrate with than in my room alone.  I enjoy interacting with people in the game, but playing with them in person would be a lot of fun.  Just like playing NCAA football at a party with your friends, the competition would become that much more intense when the people you are competing with are directly beside you.

Questions for Nardi:

1.  As you moved through the levels, did it become increasingly harder to focus on conducting research as the game increased in difficulty?
2.  After spending the time in China and seeing the cafes that they play in, which environment would you prefer?  Do you think it has an impact on the gaming experience itself?