Wiki Experiment

As an experiment to see how fast Wikipedia edits their pages, I added my name to the list of references for the Westlake High School page. Within one minute my name was deleted.

Standard Time

http://www.standard-time.com/index2_en.php

Hybrid art incorporates various approaches to media art while using a multitude of mediums to express it.  I analyzed an artwork of Mark Formanek called “Standard Time.”  In his video, Formanek documents 70 workers building a wooden 4 x 12 m digital time display in real time.  This involves 1611 changes within a 24 hour period.  When I began to watch Standard Time, I was confused as to what was going on.  There were blocks of wood and many construction workers with ladders going in and out of the shot. I thought I was viewing the construction of a building (like the ones featured in the background of the shot).  As I continued to watch I realized the blocks were forming numbers—these men were constructing a “digital” clock. 

What fascinates me about this hybrid art is that the viewer (myself) is watching time being constructed.  I am not concerned about the present time in the slightest, or how it is passing as I watch this video; only about how these construction workers are spending their time and energy on simply displaying the time on a clock that has essentially already passed.  Or has it?  “This film is much more than just the recording of an action, or the recording of something that has taken place in the past; it is also a clock,” Formanek said.  “A clock for use right now and in the future which, as each day goes by, extends further into the past, but is still up-to-date and punctual.”  This leads me to believe that no matter how much time passes, there is still work to be done in the present and we must keep moving forward.  We work and we live like clockwork.

            The construction workers are fighting against the clock, minute by minute, in order to make sure their time stays accurate.  Yet they are also working for the clock, basing the entire project on what the clock reads.  In order for the project to succeed, each minute must be constructed promptly and perfectly.  If the construction workers were to fall behind, would the project fail?  Would the men even realize that they have fallen behind in the midst of constructing their own time?  The concept itself makes me wonder whether it is possible to fail at such a thing. 

Hackers, Crackers, and Open Source

The Hackers Work Ethic Summary:

“The hacker finds programming intrinsically interesting, exiting, and joyous.”

“Hackers program because programming challenges are intrinsic interest to them. Problems related to programming arouse curiosity in the hacker and make him eager to learn more.” 

Hacker Life-style: “Hackers can do almost anything and be a hacker. You can be a hacker carpenter. It’s not necessarily high tech. I think it has to do with craftsmanship and caring about what you’re doing.” 

“Flesh-life”: Outside of their jobs they continue their joyfulness

Example: riding naked on horseback 

Summary:

People once believed that technological advances would somehow make our lives less work centered. But in reality “work is, and will be for the foreseeable future, the nucleus of people’s life.” 

Before the protestant ethics: 

The answer to the purpose of life was Sunday

Viewed work as punishment

Believed that in Hell you had to complete useless work

Protestant ethics: " It is an obligation which the individual is supposed to feel and does feel towards the content of his professional activity, no matter whether it appears on the surface as a utilization of his personal powers, or only of his material possessions.”

Turned work into a blessing not a punishment 

Himenan believes that the hackers work ethics resembles more pre-protestant work ethic. ”Hackers want to realize their passions, and they are ready to accept that the pursuit even of interesting tasks may not always be unmitigated bliss."

Hackers realize that all of the job might not be joyful but it is necessary. Even though its not all perfect hacking is still their passion.

May  the Source Be With You “We live in a world with ‘free’ content, and this freedom is not an imperfection.” Listening to music, watching movies, and telling jokes all without the permission of the directors.

Monopolies are copyrighting for the sake of their own interest and not for the good of society. “Before the monopoly should be permitted, there must be reason to believe it will do some good-for society, and not just for a monopoly holders.” 

 Lawrence Lessig’s believes that dated codes should be free to the public. While the public is able to freely view other sources, it is illegal to access source codes. 

Summary:

The Open Source Movement is comprised of individuals who believe that software should be produced altruistically. This approach to software development allows anyone to obtain and modify open source codes. (ex: Cassandra)

Lessig is proposing that Congress creates an incentive for companies to donate their codes to conservancy, so that others can use the outdated codes to produce an updated version.

“The consequence of this enclosure is a stifling of creativity and innovation.”  

Google Wave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDu2A3WzQpo

Discussion

Is using material created by other producers considered theft? 

Do you agree with Lessig and the Open Source Movement? Is open source needed to improve and advance the Web?

If hackers didn’t exist do you think that technology would be as advanced as it is today?