Literature in a Wired World

This blog vote was a major shakeup, with the class expressing some pretty clear dissatisfaction with the previously reigning champs, Royale with Cheese. This time around, each of the blogs got multiple votes, which is awesome.

The margin between the winner and the runner-up this time around was again one slim vote.

• Runner up: Indigo Squirt
• Winner: Grandma’s Blog

Congrats to Tess, Chas, and Slide!

Exit polls indicate, however, that the playing field is now wide open. Are the shakeups over? Have we found a new reigning champ, or will one of the other blogs take the title next time? Wait and see!

I’ve been buried under multiple stacks of papers from both classes (note to self: plan paper turn-in schedule more carefully next semester!), but I’m digging my way out, slowly. In the meantime, here’s something to distract entertain and inform you.

I posted earlier about a great satirical video purporting to show the “Petticoat 5,” the first computer by women, for women. That video came from the British show Look Around You, whose creators, Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz, are now at work on a new project.

Popper and Serafinowicz are reportedly in talks with Adult Swim to develop their new show. I was initially doubtful about the enterprise. I loved the video, but I had no idea how they could spin this into a regular series.

That was before I clicked through to the main page for Tarvuism. There I learned everything never knew I needed to know. And it was so easy! After reading the fun stuff on the main site, I poked around the Tarvupedia. Holy crap on a cracker! There is a ton of stuff there. And it’s fantastic. Now I really, really hope they get their show. I’m dying to see Tarvuism in action.

And here’s an added plug for my spring classes! Notice that the Tarvunty is illustrated!

Yes, this spring I’ll be teaching a seminar for senior English majors on The Illustrated Novel. If only the campus bookstore would agree to carry the Tarvunty! I’ll also be teaching a graduate seminar on 21st Century Literacies. The entire Tarvuism web site is an excellent example of the literacies we use now that we’re living in the future 21st century.

(X-posted to Digital Digressions and the Teaching Practicum blog)

Here’s what you need to have done by Tuesday’s class:

• Read 26 Lies / 1 Truth M-end
• E-mail me your blog tally for Oct. 1-Oct. 17
• If you didn’t e-mail me your blog tally from Sept. 8-Sept. 31 (8 entries), do so now

Blog vote #3 is here! Who shall prevail? Who shall fall?

Vote. And, as usual, explain your vote.

The fate of the world may rest in your hands.

Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson’s Epic 2015 looks forward to the future of the infomediascape.

Perhaps to distract us from the future they intend to make inevitable, Google is celebrating its 10th birthday by encouraging us to look backwards at the distant, quaint past world of 2001.

Click here to go to Google 2001, where you can search through Google’s earliest complete database of online material. Links will take you your choice of the current version of your search results or to cached versions of the sites on the Internet Archive.

What do you notice is different? What is the same? Should we expect massive change in only 7 years?

Esquire magazine celebrated its 75th anniversary by using electronic paper for its cover. The magazine incorporated the same eInk technology that Amazon’s Kindle reader uses, but limited the production of the issue to a mere 100,000 copies. And Esquire isn’t sending the e-issue to its subscribers. Furthermore, Wired reports the result of all of this “new” technology is decidedly underwhelming:

The cover implementation reveals/conceals text, reverses the foreground and background shades of black, white and gray, and backlights pictures and illustrations drawn on the plastic overlay.

The ad (for a Ford Flex Crossover) on the inside cover has a flashing loop which highlights three sections of the panel. Supposed to indicate motion at night, we suppose, but the result is hardly moving.

The whole cover feels thick, like one of those musical greeting cards your friends really don’t want you to give them anymore. The batteries have a life of about 8 to 9 months, but as a static message there is no ability to re-use, let alone a reason to re-read.

Adding insult to injury, Wired concludes: “Time magazine seems to have accomplished more with less last year, by placing a simple mirror on the cover, when “You” were person of the year.”

E-Ouch!

By the smallest of margins, Royale with Cheese won the second Blog Vote and another heaping helping of extra credit. Yes, one vote separated the returning (and still undefeated) champions, 72ner, Erik, and Austin, from their strongest challengers yet, C@-Amounts.

Sadly, the voter turnout this time was less than stellar. Five classmates refused (or forgot) to vote this time, including one of the C@-amounters, who could have cast the deciding vote.

We’ll talk in class on Tuesday about how the blogging is going, what you like, and how the leading blogs are making their blogging magic happen.

Remember: there are four more votes this semester. And everyone likes to root for the underdog(s).

Have you ever thought that what your life was really lacking is a soundtrack? Well, if so, and if your idea of a rocking backing track are the effects from the Mario Brothers games, then have I got an iProduct application for you! meet Audible Realities’ World 9, a program that runs on your iPhone or iPod and watches its accelerometer and gyroscope. When it notices movement, it plays a (theoretically corresponding) sound effect.

I think it’s an interesting idea, but when I imagine the soundtrack of my life, I’d like something a little less plumber-related and more… epic. Now if World 9 came loaded with The Legend of Zelda sounds, we’d have a winner!

As you may recall, the digital story also gets an analysis, courtesy of you.

Here’s what the syllabus says:

Digital Story & Analysis

You won’t merely by reading/watching/playing digital narratives in this course – you’ll also be creating your own. Our first digital narrative will be a digital story using images, text, and sound. We’ll compose these in class using iMovie on the classroom computers. You will need to assemble or create 10 or so meaningful images to use in your story. We’ll discuss this in more detail as we approach the project.

You will also write an analysis of your digital story that addresses the structure (how is it put together and sequenced?), rhetorical strategies (how does it try to affect its viewers?), and effectiveness (how well does it succeed at its goals?). Your analysis should be 4-5 pages long, double-spaced.

That analysis is due on Tuesday. You can e-mail it to me or bring it to class in hard copy. Your final draft of your digital story should be uploaded to your blog by that time.

It’s time for blog vote #2! Which blog has learned the lessons of the first vote and catapulted itself into the stratosphere of blogging?

Vote below for your favorite blog from this course, and as always, remember to post a brief explanation for your vote.

Good luck, and may the best blog win!

UPDATE: Voting (commenting) is closed. If you missed your chance, resolve to get commenting earlier next time.