Not sure if these are "inspiring" per se, but here are two of my favorite sites that I visit daily due to their content:
http://www.sott.net/
Like the heading says, Signs of the Times is a site for people who think. It contains various content including current events, politics, science, archaeology and various other topics. It is not a biased media outlet; the articles posted on the site discuss many things that are not shown by the media. Some of the material could be viewed as conspiracy theorist, but all of the content is backed by compelling evidence, not speculation that someone just made up.
http://www.alternativeaddiction.com/
This site is my one stop shop for music needs. It posts the latest news on bands, concert info, album releases, etc... You can listen to some songs before they are released as singles and you can vote on your favorites which are then kept on the top 20 singles list. It is also a good place to listen to music from bands that are not well known who are unsigned to a label. The site also has album reviews which are generally pretty good and you can buy the music from the site's store. There are also interviews that you can listen to that are very enjoyable.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Against the Machine Chap. 1 Response
The beginning of the chapter reminded me of a couple weeks ago, when I met a client at a Starbucks and I remember looking around noticing that almost every person inside was busy with a laptop. I remember looking over to see three people sitting next to each other, all looking at their computers and I thought how funny it was where a place of "social interaction" became a place of isolation. I agree with the author that the Internet has cut us off socially and psychologically from others. The invention of forums and chat rooms, while they are useful in communicating with people from across the country and around the globe, have created a social barrier between people. Typing out thoughts, feelings and ideas isn't the same as being in the same room with people. Those clever acronyms that everyone loves to use, you know, like LOL, WTF?, OMG! are the closest thing to human emotion as you're going to experience over the internet. The net is not very socially engaging when sitting in front of a screen that acts as a barrier that shields or deflects humanity.
The author brings up an interesting thought: "The sudden onset of Web culture is really a dramatic turn in the timeless question of what it means to be a human being (pg.18)." I think it can also be said that Web culture can transform the notion of identity and the self. The internet allows people to create their own identity, one that is completely different than who they really are. If I want to be a six foot, two-hundred pound rockstar with bulging biceps and a rock-hard eight pack, then I can be. The computer screen can hide our most unflattering features, masking our identity. It can transform our notion of the self so much that we might actually start to believe in our created identities. And if that is the case, what does it mean to be a human being? When we interact with others over the internet, are we really interacting? Is the person who they say they are? Do bitmaps and pixels determine who we are as people? These are just some of the thoughts that ran through my mind as I read the chapter. I love the internet and the convenience it provides, but I wonder: what kind of people would we be if there was no internet. Would we live in a less violent society, would we appreciate our family and friends more, would the lack of a computer screen enrich the social interactions that we have? Lee Siegel's book raises some interesting questions.
The author brings up an interesting thought: "The sudden onset of Web culture is really a dramatic turn in the timeless question of what it means to be a human being (pg.18)." I think it can also be said that Web culture can transform the notion of identity and the self. The internet allows people to create their own identity, one that is completely different than who they really are. If I want to be a six foot, two-hundred pound rockstar with bulging biceps and a rock-hard eight pack, then I can be. The computer screen can hide our most unflattering features, masking our identity. It can transform our notion of the self so much that we might actually start to believe in our created identities. And if that is the case, what does it mean to be a human being? When we interact with others over the internet, are we really interacting? Is the person who they say they are? Do bitmaps and pixels determine who we are as people? These are just some of the thoughts that ran through my mind as I read the chapter. I love the internet and the convenience it provides, but I wonder: what kind of people would we be if there was no internet. Would we live in a less violent society, would we appreciate our family and friends more, would the lack of a computer screen enrich the social interactions that we have? Lee Siegel's book raises some interesting questions.
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