Digitization Module? Check. Sort of...

Preemo Advertisement Project

     Supposedly a comprehensive project designed to test a student's understanding of content, this project showed me that there are many nuances of digitization that i didn't understand.  In other words, i had to research a lot of the topics outside of class in order to write the digital interview. The one thing i appreciated most this week was the chance to look around at other portfolios. The experience solidified the idea of "work smart, not hard." The digital interview did not need to be written as a thesis paper. It could be as simple as a powerpoint with each question answered on a slide. In other words, the interview could have been short and sweet but i chose to write it as i would in a dissertation. There is always room for improvement : ).
     As for some good news, I really appreciate the groups i've been in so far. All group members have been very complimentary and hardworking--the best groups i've had in my academic life thus far. For this project especially, one group member was experienced in audacity and photoshop, one in voiceovers (is that the proper term?) and another in script writing. In the future though, I hope to be able to delegate work more equally. What do I mean? I have a tendency to take the initiative...be the boss...take on the bulk of the work...It's actually rather tiring.... Other people deserve a chance to learn too. By trying to do everything, I am in fact hindering others from learning the concept. I guess it only shows my priorities...grades over development of peers...Perhaps I will be able to back off next project...perhaps...

The Module
      What can i say that hasn't already been said? Only the benchmark will tell....

Arggghhh Matey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7m5Int1hAA

     I never imagined myself to be a pseudo Jack Sparrow. But I guess  it isn't too far from the truth. Although I haven't pillaged ships or hoarded stolen treasure,   I can't deny not having done my fair share of  fishy actions.  Even if other people never give the proper credit to artists when using their images or listen to illegal tracks, that doesn't make it right for me to do the same ...Although the consequences of my actions are never the first thing on my mind, this week's debate has definitely served as a good reminder to consider the impacts of my choices for other people, the industry, and the country.  

Some Highlights

Auto-Tune:

       What do all popular songs have in common regardless of artist, theme, or lyrics? According to some, its their pervasive use of auto-tune. Essentially the post-processing effect used to correct and perfect an artist's natural sound, auto-tune has come to corrode the good name of the entire genre. Furthermore, the lure and effect of auto-tune  are such  that stopping completely might not even be an option anymore; the symptoms of withdrawal would be too much for produces and audience alike to handle.

Representing Digital Images:

Vector or raster, size,  brightness, one must consider all these factors when creating or editing a digital image.  For one vector and raster speak of what kind of format one desires the image to be in. Choosing one over the other requires that images be edited in different programs and may impact the quality and visual aesthetics of an image if format is not properly considered. Other than that , the basics of digital image encoding as far as color concerns had to deal with..wait for it....the oh so confusing BINARY CODE (*end dramatics).

Group Portfolio So far:
Topic? Done
Images? Selected.
Interview? Started.
Problem? Well, not so much problem as an observation. I have a tendency to act as project manager even when that isn't my official role. This could become a problem in another group with peers with just as strong personalities....

Project Numero Dos

  Now binary makes sense. In introducing the concept, students were taught the fundamentals of binary, that its a code used to store information in a computer, and how to convert numbers into said code. This week was a continuation of last week's bit, byte,0,1, discussion. So, how are alphanumeric symbols and letters encoded in the computer? Still in the form of zeros and ones except the method of version is through code! There is the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) and then there's Unicode. Fun fact: ASCII only applies to the English. That means programming for non-english language must be done in Unicode. Although seemingly better at first, the internationally friendlier version of code takes up more space than it's american counterpart. It has a state space of 2^16 versus ASCII's 2^7. Even though this might make instill the notion that ASCII is better, Unicode can code for way more symbols. So, which is better? Depends on how much space you have and where you live : )

Just Byte Me

        Binary Code: the illusive term  I had absolutely zero knowledge of until last fateful Monday. Allow me to regurgitate my week's learnings.

        When it comes to programming computers, the computer needs to have the capacity and ability to store information. This data is best represented via a 2 symbol system. Why only  two you ask? Because the computer either does it or it doesn't. The next subcategory under this system is called a base system.I am only familiar with  two base systems though there are others. Out of  10 and 2, 2 is  the more common system. Binary code represents decimals and bits, or in other words, regular numbers and just about any kind of  information ( computers work in 8-bit groups called bytes). An example of such is the code 1000001111.  Increasing from left to right, the digits's state space grows exponentially. As the state spaces grows, the power of 2 increases right to left. Whatever base one chooses to start with,  begin at  X^0 or I. In numbers,  this code can represens 751. This number is derived from adding 1+2+4+8+ 0+0+0+0+0+512=527. To convert from numbers to code, work from left to right. First find the largest number that can go into the decimal without going over. Put a one there. Subtract that number from the decimal, and put 1 or 0 under the corresponding "columns" which add up to the remainder without going over. Wahlah, there you have it. your very own binary code.

*Gulp*

            Monday was the day that it hit me. I only had seven days to research and complete the Conspiracy Theory assignment. Needless to say, my parasympathetic system went into overdrive. I guess i never realized the scope of this project until the midnight Friday. Still, I only have positive thoughts about this project. Its definitely a refreshing assignment-- i've never played detective or professional stalker before. Plus, now i know the purpose behind all those inclass discussions. They serve to familiarize students with modern web-related conveniences. While those discussions were informative and emphasized a different learning style than what i'm used to, i have come to realize that this project is the test. The test of our understanding and our ability to convert that understanding into writing. Do i like the project or the class any less than last week? Not really. I just wish i had gotten the wake up call sooner than the Monday before the due date.  Either that or a more organized work calender. While i do realize that the student should bare the responsibility of organizing a work schedule given the due dates and not the teacher, this newfound freedom is well,....new. To take a positive spin on this whole situation: this assignment is another opportunity to brush up on time management skills while learning about this scary, fast-paced-sometimes-heinous world called the internet.

Innovations- Part II

        Much like last week, the bulk of this weeks topics were more discussion based rather than problem-solving based. Even though I can't claim to have learned how to do something new, i really do appreciate the topics we have discussed (digital manipulation, wiki pages, and the pros and cons of social networking) as well as the socratic-seminar-like environment of this week's class. Even though this idea of digital manipulation  frequently appears in news feeds or tabloids, people usually don't sit down to really think about how much Photoshop or something of the sort is directly impacting society. In other words, this week's discussions were really meaningful because they all expounded on programs or ideas that are used everyday.   That's not to say i didn't learn anything new though. Prior to Wednesday, Wiki pages were something completely unfamiliar but now i can claim i know how Wikipedia works! Well, sort of....

An attempt to describe Wikipedia:
       Wikipedia is like a big public google document where one can add information or revise information at will. The biggest difference is that Wiki pages can track all  revisions made on the page. In other words, there is a sense of accountability when contributing to such a resource. As far as usability goes, google docs seems to be more geared to private projects where all the contributors are known  whereas wiki pages seem to be most useful in a forum-like setting.