In our group discussion, Anna, Reshma, Ian and I talked about Professor Taylor and what he represents on the whole. We found ourselves distracted, at a point, discussing the difference between computers and humans because Professor Taylor is a human personification of what Lentz and Powers are striving toward with Helen. Professor Taylor is the epitome of a computer, at least through a literary lens. He has super-human abilities of recitation and exposition and wit. All these ideas build up to establish him as a symbol for human capacity. If one were to devote ones life to a particular topic, literature, in this case, one would be as witty and scholarly and super-humanly as Professor Taylor seems to be. The human aspect comes into play when he dies. Granted computers can die too. Thats not the point, the point is, while he is literally on his death bed, Powers visits him and still sees him as this Light, this purpose, the acquisition of knowledge and it’s final product. Professor Taylor still has his memory. He still has his knowledge. He even epitomizes himself when he surprises Powers when he proves that he still has his intellect as his body deteriorates. The closest thing to Professor Taylor, from Powers’ perspective, is Helen. She houses the ability to be clever, to use her past programming to decipher present contexts/contents/problems/challenges…(exactly what Powers’ narrative is doing too.)

Group #2: Posthumanism and Helen

Once you know what you’re doing, I’d encourage you to work with the library NOW to make sure that you can get a copy of the piece (some are chapters from books, some available through journal databases, etc.).  A week before your presentation, you’ll need to send me a pdf of the piece so that I can distribute it to the class to read.

As it says in the expertise project assignment: I’m happy to read your project in advance and to give you some revision tips.  Give me a holler if you want me to read anything.  Otherwise, happy hunting!

Kara

Adrianna

Lauren

Nicole

Dani

Ian

Heather

Suzelle

Reshma

Anna

Ann

Taylor

Nikki

Jon

Emily

 

1. what is the current status of narrative, and how are the functions and ubiquity of digital media changing definitions,uses, and pleasures of narrative?
2. literary scholars and writers have traditionally been the champions, custodians, and advocates of narrative.  As narrative changes, so to must our roles.  In what ways are we called to perform differently?  How might our functions, values, and cultural roles shift in the digital age? [all of those italics are to signal some key terms for the class...]

In the service of exploring these two questions, there are a set of tasks that I’d like you to get started on this week.  Primarily, they are related to the second of the two questions above, and they are the basic tools that underpin new dimensions of writers/scholars networked communication.  Here’s a link to the article that we discussed in class, if you’d like to review; you’ll see why I want you to create both a blog and a Twitter account, and start to experiment with them.    Below are detailed instructions on how to set up both, if you need them, as well as instructions about what to do with them once you have them.  What I need from you posthaste: the url for your blog and your twitter “handle” (name), via email, by 1/19, so that the class can follow you.  Don’t forget to post to your blog and to Twitter (see assignments below). Finally, come back by this site before class on Monday, 1/23, to leave comments on classmates’ blogs (they’ll appear in the sidebar) and add to your twitter network.  Too much?  Too confusing?  Don’t hesitate to ask.

BLOG SET-UP AND ASSIGNMENT

Before next week Monday (1/23), you’ll need to get yourself a blog to use for online writing. If you have one already that you’d like to use, that’s super—just send me the link.  If you don’t, there are quick and easy instructions to follow. Here‘s the way I usually describe it to students.  Once you’ve got an address for your blog, I’ll need it so that I can put a link to it on this site. Please email the link to me no later than Thursday evening, January 19 (that’s tomorrow!).

You’ll also need to complete your first blog post by Sunday, Jan. 22 @ noon. Over the course of the semester, we’ll use the space as a way to coalesce your own ideas and possible theories about the reading/viewing for the week, and to participate in an ongoing network of thinking about the class topics.  Most of the time, we’ll aim for an analytically-focused post: In approx. 500 words, you’ll aim to develop a significant idea or two about the reading or source; provides specific examples or quotes and textual analysis; link these ideas to another’s idea, outside conversations, or resources. I’ll give you more direction on this as we go along.  Your first post, however, should serve as an introduction.  What do you think we should know about you?  In what ways do you position yourself vis-a-vis the terms we’ll discuss this semester: the digital age, narrative, writerly/scholarly identity and performance?  Tell us a story about your experience getting situated within these digital networks.

Finally, sometime between Sunday and Monday’s class, please come to our course site, choose two of your classmates’ blogs to read, and post thoughtful comments on them.  I’ll provide you with a chart so that you can record where your comments are, and I’ll collect the chart at the end of the semester as part of your “social media portfolio.”

TWITTER SET UP AND ASSIGNMENT

1. Register for Twitter (want some tips?  See YouTube for a variety of tutorials)
   • Send me your Twitter screen name/handle.
2. Create your network: follow the class hashtag (#eng498) and the other members of the class (check back here for their info).
   • On any individual’s page, you can choose to follow that person. The option is right beneath his, her, or its picture/image. Click on that button. You can then choose if you want to receive device updates from that individual.
   • Find some other interesting people to follow.  Check out writers and scholars that you like, and suggest them to your classmates. (Example: We’ll read Jason Mittell later in the semester, and he’s an avid Twitter user.) You can also follow different services to get updates from them, like CNN, McSweeneys, or local outlets, like All Over Albany.  (If you get super-interested in the article I linked to in the introduction, you can also follow the star of the show, Brian Croxall.)
3. Post at least 3-5 times a week, if not more! from Monday to Monday.  Consider various kinds of tweets: personal, observational, content-rich (with links to reading/viewing you think is relevant to the class), retweets, etc.
4. For the first week, experiment with Twitter and get a feel for a variety of posts.  Familiarize yourself with the functions and protocols of twitter—hashtags, following, trending topics, etc.  Try out what you see!

Bonus: Other interesting ways to use Twitter.

1. There are a number of desktop applications. A popular one for Mac OS X is Twitterific. Twitterific is also available as a free application for iPhone or iPod Touch.
2. You can sync your Twitter updates to your Facebook status and vice versa. Just install the Twitter application on Facebook.
3. Use your cell phone camera in conjunction with Twitpic.

(adapted from Brian Croxall’s Twitter Assignment)