Author: Ryan Voce

After finishing the reading by Snyder I was completely fascinated and utterly amazed with the discussion of virtual reality.  Today, VR has become an increasingly popular subject within the gaming community.  Most notable is the Oculus Rift, a head-mounted display that allows the user to experience a whole new level of immersion within video games or simulations.  Something many of us imagined as kids is soon becoming closer to reality.  Within the reading presented by Snyder, many aspects of virtual reality are described such as: the technology involved, the roles within a virtual reality project, limitations, and much more.  Most specifically, Snyder attributes virtual reality to the creation of historical environments by using examples of the Temple Mount at the Davidson Center, Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela.  While I found these to be very interesting, in regards to their constructions, I felt that the focus was ironically one dimensional.

3-D environments have been created for some time especially if we look at the thousands of video games that have been released in these past ten years.  Although this has made video games much more immersive, there is still a lot that could potentially be done.  By referencing the Oculus Rift again, the device allows the user to feel that they are actually in the game.  There are many videos on Youtube that show individuals physically looking around and the game reacting in the same movements.  While this is quite the feat and as a result has stirred much anticipation for the device to be released, I still feel that virtual reality has a long way to go.  In the example of the headset, our physical environments can be limiting on our movements in game.  Looking behind you in the video game while using the Rift can consist of awkward physical movements, especially while sitting down.

 

Another instance where VR has encountered popularity is from the anime series Sword Art Online (SAO).  The show revolves around a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) called Sword Art Online and the characters experiencing this whole new world.  The individuals in the show use a headset that stimulates the five senses in the brain to become fully immersed into the game.  While this story displays many fantasy elements, it makes me curious of this sort of technology and if it will ever be feasible.  It’s one thing to put an immense amount of time and focus on a 3-D model but to have enough technology and resources to fully immerse and provide feedback for consumers seems far out of reach.

In the Snyder reading, the author discusses how resources and costs towards a virtual reality project can influence what can and cannot be done.  Therefore, if a game was to be developed in a way such as SAO, then it would need a tremendous amount of funding.  Whether it would pay off once the game is complete would also be up for debate.  Furthermore, I wonder if it is possible to capture smells, textures, and other stimulations and then replicate them within a game.  If so, possibly a “smell bank database” could be created that would have various smells captured so that others could use this information.  Otherwise, it would be costly for game developers to go out and find particular smells specifically for their game every time.

Although this sort of technology seems almost fantasy-like, over the years we have been able to achieve things that were thought to be the same.  Through VR technology, the digital world and our reality may soon become one.  For further insight on this idea, I suggest individuals to take a look at Augmented Reality (AR) technology if they are interested.  I am glad to have been presented this article by Snyder and look forward to hearing more developments regarding VR technology and how far it advances.

 

Sources:

1. Lisa M. Snyder. Virtual Reality for Humanities Scholarship.

2. Sword Art Online anime show

After going through the assigned readings for this week I found “The Knotted Line” to a be a very interesting website. As the website describes, “The Knotted Line is an interactive, tactile laboratory for exploring the historical relationship between freedom and confinement in the geographic area of the United States”.  After launching the tool the website becomes an interactive timeline with a very peculiar layout. The simple visualizations become greater in detail as you pull apart the black line and find new pictures underneath. Sometimes there are dots to indicate a significant event along the timeline, which provides further information when clicked on.

Another feature of the tool was including a way for viewers to not only passively view the timeline but participate as well. While searching for specific events, questions at the bottom of the screen would pop up and allow viewers to answer them. These questions largely consisted of injustices and instances where rights were violated. Furthermore, individuals could also see answers by others and hear about a wide array of experiences.

Among the other unique features of “The Knotted Line” I found the constant audio to be very obtrusive. The sound was both unpleasant and strange. There was no explanation on the website to detail its significance. While navigating through the timeline, the noise would react and become even more unpleasant. My only guess for the reasoning behind the audio was to create a setting that was dark and emphasize the ugliness of injustice in a country so determined to represent righteousness.

Unfortunately, no other source came to mind after navigating through “The Knotted Line” website. I found the features and the overall visualization to be quite unique. It did not look like a typical timeline yet had the fundamental aspects of one. Additionally, the experience was far more immersive than any timeline or visualization tool we have used throughout the quarter. Therefore, I would just like to point out how unique we can choose to represent the data we gather. We have looked at various visualization tools that all function fairly similar and appear quite basic. “The Knotted Line” exemplifies how a timeline can be turned into something interesting and even fun. The creative element provided a breath of fresh air and an enjoyable experience.  Hopefully this level of detail will be replicated in further data visualizations to deter away from the stale and even intimidating representations that are often seen.

 

Sources:

1. http://knottedline.com/

This week’s reading consisted of several articles that discussed Geobrowsers, such as Google Earth, and their functions.  Goodman’s, What Does Google Earth Mean for the Social Sciences, argues that these Geobrowsers can aid social scientists “both as tools for visualization and as subjects of research”.  Furthermore, the reading discusses both the capabilities and limits these programs have in displaying as much visual information as possible of the Earth.  New methods are required to allow Google Earth, and programs alike, to achieve the depth necessary for social scientists to make serious use of what these visual representations can offer, while finding ways around cutbacks that seem to hinder the data needed.

After finishing the reading, I was reminded of what Google had done back in March of this year.  With April Fools in mind, Google announced a challenge to the public that involved both their map app and Pokémon.  In order to be qualified as a “Pokémon Master”, representatives of Google allowed individuals to find Pokémon scattered across Earth that could only be seen with their application open and in use.

The video provided by Google shows an exaggeration of how to catch these Pokémon of which are found at various locations.  Unfortunately, the AR technology that is present throughout this video was not a feature during the challenge.  Instead, the task merely required a simple click once a Pokémon was located on the map.  Nonetheless, the concept and the encouragement for others to explore seemed to be a neat idea in itself.

This small example does reemphasize Goodman’s discussion of Geobrowsers’ limitations and the need for improvement.  While we have the world displayed on these programs, I can’t imagine they are complete.  Even during the reading, Goodman discusses how imaging, especially when zoomed-in, and rendering non-visual elements meet obstacles that may prevent social scientists from seeing properties of interest.  Therefore, by possibly having these immersive scavenger hunts, Geobrowsers would be able to obtain denser data that otherwise would not be possible from distant satellites.  Furthermore, by enabling VR technology, not only would we see the world in a new way, but bridge the distance closer between the physical and digital world.

 

Sources:

1. Goodman, Michael – What Does Google Earth Mean for the Social Sciences

2.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/31/google-maps-pokemon_n_5064473.html

3. Youtube video provided above

 

 

What I found to be interesting when reading “Demystifying Networks”, was how Scott Weingart argues that it is necessary to know all of the ways to study sciences.  As he mentions this includes the studies of culture, philosophy, history and even sociology.  He then discusses how science tends to have certain periods of innovation and prominence, while other times where it was taken back.

After continuing to read his research plans and the goals he had for conducting it, I became curious to know at what times were methods of sciences (ex. Astrology, Sociology, etc.) found to be especially useful or followed and whether there are any patterns.  For example, when we think of philosophy there are certain periods throughout human life that come to mind.  We often associate this method of study with figures such as Plato, Socrates, John Locke and even more contemporary individuals.  They are each known for their individual views.

Then there are studies of sciences such as Sociology that did not “exist” until far later, where it became accepted as a means of specific study.  A timeline could possibly indicate it’s time origin and display where it was most active and the periods where innovation seemed to decrease.

Though I could not find any sort of data visualization that seemed to correlate with this interest of mine, I think it would be a possible task and possibly an interesting one at that.  We would be able to see the amount of influence each study of science has had and when in time did it have the most influence.  Additionally, there may be other ones that no longer exist now.  Either way, I find that the lack of this gathered data to be peculiar and hope that it does find its existence sometime in the near future.

 

Source: http://www.scottbot.net/HIAL/?page_id=22226

 

Although relatively short, I found the “With Criminal Intent” article to still reveal significant information.  Put briefly, the article discusses a way of datamining through the use of three online resources: the Old Bailey Online, Zotero and TAPoR.  Together, the narration uses the programs to research various data pertaining to criminal cases to uncover particular information.  I did not find the overall process to be all that intriguing but I did find the combination of several programs to reach a goal to be very fascinating.  Using the three resources in conjunction not only allowed for a denser and more thorough research, but expanded the capabilities that one could do alone.

Often, there are various items or programs that ultimately serve the same purpose but vary in their strengths and weaknesses.  We have to then weigh the pros and cons of each product and commit to the one we find best suited.  In the case provided from the article, there is unification between the programs that allows for cohabitation and a process that efficiently goes beyond the scope of each individually.

Similarly, this example is very similar to the Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) used for audio engineering.  As mentioned, certain programs may have aspects that the others do not offer or allow for secondary purposes that are not capable through another program.  In the case of DAWs, a method known as Rewire allows there to be communication between different software. For example, by using Rewire, an audio engineer can use Logic Pro X with Live (both DAWs) and increase functionality.  Through this process, a wide array of musical instruments and mixing capabilities become available along with an efficient workflow.

While others may not find my example to be relatable or significant, the mere fact that two separate programs can be bridged together to increase efficiency and expand upon their individual capabilities should be.  Furthermore, allowing for a proficient linkage between programs may lead to greater and speedier developments.  As we continue to gravitate towards a technology-rich world, cohesion between programs will become even more important to promote a sense of seamlessness.

 

Sources:

1. http://criminalintent.org/%20%20getting-started/

A lot of time and work is involved when developing a research project, accumulating the data, and then using that information to ultimately find a sense of clarity regarding the significance behind the entire activity.  The focus of Data + Design appeared to describe the steps involved in a manner that would be easily understood and beneficial to the reader.  While simple, the reading was very thorough and went into detail regarding data visualization, data organization, creating eloquent questions, homing in on the purpose of the research, and much more.

I found a lot of the material to be somewhat of a review since I took a Sociology class that focused on quantitative research and an upper division stats course.  Therefore, I could see how helpful this could be for someone with no knowledge of such information and to now be able to have all of it in one location.  Nonetheless, the review of measurements and research questions was a great refresher and I enjoyed the explanations as to why these subtle aspects of research can be so significant.  On the other hand, I found one area of the reading to be troubling and did not properly describe the subject efficiently.

During the portion of the reading that described the various types of surveys that can be conducted, Ginette Law seemed to critically underplay the effectiveness of Administered Surveys.  Although the author included pros and cons for each of the various forms of surveys, she did not go into any great length in describing them.  Furthermore, she made it appear as if surveys conducted through the internet, over the phone, and other indirect methods were just as viable and effective as Administered Surveys.  Taking into account of the information I was given in my previous classes, I would have to disagree and say that Administered Surveys are one of the best options of acquiring unbiased and diverse data.

For example, if a researcher is looking to obtain a diverse population, the internet would not be a good way to go about it.  Not only would certain ages (very young and very old) be unlikely to participate in the survey/poll, but there is also a high likelihood of being bias.  Say the Fox website has a poll displayed on their website for viewers to participate in, not only would there be an age group neglected but the results would most likely lean towards a right-wing, conservative view.  This is because Fox happens to be a right-wing network and most likely the audience is as well.  Therefore, this would not be a proper method in acquiring data from a diverse population to make any sort of conclusion from.

While this is just one example, the other indirect methods of surveys fall in great risk of biased results as well.  All in all, I do understand that Law was trying to provide the reader with various ways to conduct research, but I feel that obtaining unskewed and accurate results cannot be stressed enough.  It is especially important when the researcher intends to form statements and conclusions from the acquired data.  Overall, I did enjoy the reading and found it to be very informative, but just thought that the survey portion could have been improved upon.

 

 

Sources: https://infoactive.co/data-design/titlepage01.html

After completing the reading, I initially found Madrigal’s Netflix quest to be daunting and failed to see the significance behind her efforts.  Simply put, Alexis Madrigal, with the aid of others, discovered that Netflix possessed 76,897 unique genres on their website.  As a result, this indicated how precise and descriptive the teams of taggers at Netflix truly were.  This high level of specificity has allowed Netflix to accurately provide suggestions to subscribers of what to watch based on their history.

 

I soon realized just how remarkable this complex and interrelated system was by comparing it to the densely-packed world wide web.  Michael Stevens from Vsauce goes into detail about the origins of the web and how it connects various sources through a nonlinear fashion.  This relates to the Netflix article in some sense because all of the tags that are created are linked to one another in some level.  As Madrigal describes, “every movie gets a romance rating, not just the ones labeled ‘romantic’ in the personalized genres.”  Furthermore, every movie’s plot is tagged, as well as the job of the actors and the locations.  Thus, all of the movies have a degree of similarity that they share and continue to make the system evermore complex.

 

During the beginning of the internet, information was organized illogically through a hierarchical method.  As explained by Michael, it was not until Tim Berners-Lee sought to change how information was connected to one another by writing a proposal.  In his Information Management: A Proposal, Tim desired a structure that would allow information to develop and evolve and reduce information loss.  He continued to argue that by having “web” of notes with links between information would be far more efficient than the fixed hierarchical system that was present at that time.  In other words, documents would be connected to one another through nonlinear ways, known as hypertexts, which would ultimately allow unification between the web and the internet.

 

The way this all ties into the article regarding Netflix is by acknowledging how intricate the system or organization has become.    What started as simple relationships between information, or in Netflix’s case, tags, has developed into vast webs that have evolved through continual ingestion of new data and algorithms.  In the Netflix article, Todd Yellin, VP of product management, discusses the way in which these instances of unexplainable occurrences makes life interesting by serendipity.  He even states, “The more complexity you add to a machine world, you’re adding serendipity that you couldn’t imagine.”  To think that in a digital world of 1’s and 0’s there can still be surprising elements that cannot be entirely foreseen is in a sense quite beautiful.  Whether a bug or a feature, as both Todd and Madrigal described, these imperfections contribute to an intricately dense system, thus producing an element of surprise and excitement to an often-perceived realm of rigid analytics.

 

Work Citied:

1. Alexis C. Madrigal, “How Netflix Reverse Engineered Hollywood,” The Atlantic, January 2, 2014

2. http://www.w3.org/History/1989/proposal.html

3. Video Provided in Post

 

Julia Gaffield’s article, Haiti’s Declaration of Independence: Digging for Lost Documents in the Archives of the Atlantic World explores the significance regarding the absence of historically-enriched documents and the restlessness that can follow.  Soon after becoming the second independent nation in the Americas, Haiti’s copies of its Declaration of Independence somehow disappeared.  This document not only represented its origins, but provided a symbolic statement that argued and gave credibility to its independence as a nation.  Even after two centuries, Haiti’s own Declaration of Independence remained lost, with no leads on its whereabouts.

Eventually, through vigorous research and devoted traveling, Julia Gaffield discovered copies of the document.  This not only brought closure, but ease to the country that had recently endured a devastating earthquake.  Though a great ending, this discovery brings to light the reality of other significant documents that may remain unfound.  Over at the National Archives, (http://www.archives.gov/research/recover/missing-documents.html#pres) many documents are presented as still missing.  Cases such as these re-emphasize the importance of indexing in order to close the gaps in history that continue to persist.  Dr. Carl Sagan once said, “You have to know the past to understand the present.”  Thus, without a past, one lacks a fundamental foundation to thoughtfully utilize for the future.  In order to prevent this, archives become crucial in respects to preserving the past and the information to be learned from it.

As a result of Gaffield finding the two copies of the Haitian Declaration of Independence, historians became encouraged to conduct their research in new ways such as extensive traveling and caused new discoveries to be made regarding Haiti’s history.  These positive changes to the present were influenced by historical documents and indicate how archives and proper indexing can be so important.   A sense of reconnection can be restored by bridging the chronological gap that once stood, as is the case in Julie Gaffield’s article.

The issue of unfound documents is further illuminated by CBS’ 60 Minutes special which focused on the many national artifacts, such as the Wright Brothers’ patent, that have gone missing in the libraries and museums they were once held.  Therefore, as individuals who learn from the past and thirst for knowledge, the issue of lost historical items becomes relevant to everyone.  Those of us who have experienced and grown up alongside the digital age may take for granted just how much information we have access to.  Not only is archival work difficult and fatiguing, but it places the archivist with a great responsibility of managing the world’s history and accurately documenting significant events.  Hence, the more information that is archived and can be obtained, the more we know of ourselves.

 

Work Citied:

1. Gaffield, Julie. “Haiti’s Declaration of Independence: Digging for Lost Documents in the Archives of the Atlantic World-Vol. 2, No. 1.” The Appendix Combined. N.p., 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

2. ThinkExist.com Quotations. “Dr. Carl Sagan quotes”. ThinkExist.com Quotations Online 1 Sep. 2014. 12 Oct. 2014 <http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/dr._carl_sagan/>

3. http://www.archives.gov/research/recover/missing-documents.html#pres

4.Ho, Erica. “Thousands of Historical Treasures Missing from National Archives.” TIME. N.p., 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.