Immediate Music. “Us Three.” Romantic Comedy # 2. Imperative Records.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Good ol' GT Band.
Up to this point in the course we have defined "community" in many and very different ways. All of these "communities" have had one aspect in common, interaction between its members. This, I believe, is the edge of the definition of a "community". The Band at Georgia Tech reaches the edge of this definition and pushes itself even further, as a community.
The Georgia Tech Band is a group of individuals who maintain their own individuality outside of the band in some of the most obvious ways possible. However, within the group as a whole, each individual shares a common interest or belief with another equally individualistic member of the group. Although there are many of these smaller more personal bonds between members, there is the one uniting interest of all the members of the Organization, music (or for a select few flags, and others free football tickets). Each member of the band wants to be a member, and wants to be a member of the organization. Along with commonalities between the members of the organization there are also the unifying actions of the band. When the Band is in uniform, it is not a group of individuals all dressed alike; it becomes one unified body that acts, works, and often thinks together.
Communities also often serve as an escape for its members, and a place they can go for support and guidance. The Band at GT very much exhibits this characteristic. Practice and performances can be an escape from the typical stresses that a Georgia Tech student may be subject to. Therefore members are able to relax and enjoy themselves in a fun and low-stress environment. Also The Georgia Tech band begins its “bonding” an entire week before classes begins. New members to the band begin to make friendships with other rookies as well as those more experienced members before the stresses of school set in. This allows the new students to become acquainted with their unfamiliar environment with the help of those who have been there before. Here the Georgia Tech band becomes a support group of sorts that helps new students adapt to the college experience, as well as provide opportunities for students to escape the stresses of school.
Although a “community” can be defined as many different things, there are characteristics that if a group meets them, the group can undoubtedly be considered a community. The Georgia Tech Band is a group of individuals who have come together for a common purpose; it creates a comfortable, fun and safe environment for students to participate in, and gives students the much-needed extra support to help them achieve excellence in the rigorous academics at Georgia Tech. The Georgia Tech Band is a community.
The Georgia Tech Band is a group of individuals who maintain their own individuality outside of the band in some of the most obvious ways possible. However, within the group as a whole, each individual shares a common interest or belief with another equally individualistic member of the group. Although there are many of these smaller more personal bonds between members, there is the one uniting interest of all the members of the Organization, music (or for a select few flags, and others free football tickets). Each member of the band wants to be a member, and wants to be a member of the organization. Along with commonalities between the members of the organization there are also the unifying actions of the band. When the Band is in uniform, it is not a group of individuals all dressed alike; it becomes one unified body that acts, works, and often thinks together.
Communities also often serve as an escape for its members, and a place they can go for support and guidance. The Band at GT very much exhibits this characteristic. Practice and performances can be an escape from the typical stresses that a Georgia Tech student may be subject to. Therefore members are able to relax and enjoy themselves in a fun and low-stress environment. Also The Georgia Tech band begins its “bonding” an entire week before classes begins. New members to the band begin to make friendships with other rookies as well as those more experienced members before the stresses of school set in. This allows the new students to become acquainted with their unfamiliar environment with the help of those who have been there before. Here the Georgia Tech band becomes a support group of sorts that helps new students adapt to the college experience, as well as provide opportunities for students to escape the stresses of school.
Although a “community” can be defined as many different things, there are characteristics that if a group meets them, the group can undoubtedly be considered a community. The Georgia Tech Band is a group of individuals who have come together for a common purpose; it creates a comfortable, fun and safe environment for students to participate in, and gives students the much-needed extra support to help them achieve excellence in the rigorous academics at Georgia Tech. The Georgia Tech Band is a community.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Freedom to Socially Network on Facebook
The realm of Facebook is inhabited by a variety of individuals from all walks of life. This brings many different people with different beliefs together in one area. When such a large group of individuals is brought together, there are bound to be instances of varying beliefs and opinions. On Facebook the largest problem, or “crime” as it may be called, is the exchange of harsh words against another member of the Facebook community. Another problem which Facebook doesn’t have a problem with due to its preventative measures, is the problem of inappropriate pictures being uploaded by members. This problem is addressed every time a user uploads picture, there is a message which warns them that inappropriate content is not allowed. If the user uploads the content anyway it is quickly removed by administrative authorities of Facebook. On the subject of the arguments between users on walls and comment boards, the administrative authorities of Facebook do not control the conversations between individuals. There is no punishment for using obscene language or bullying other members of the site.
I believe that the methods that Facebook uses to control the crimes that go in are very fair. They have to ability to control the content that is uploaded to the site; this allows them to keep from having any issues involving material that may not be appropriate for the users of all age on the site. Although this may control what the users are able to upload to their own profiles, it also keep the website from getting in trouble for having content for mature audiences only that younger audiences have access to. The issue of the verbal assault that often takes place on the site, I don’t believe that Facebook is being fair or unfair. I believe that they are merely providing a place where users can post their opinion of something. In the advanced cases where there are eventually instances of bullying, I believe Facebook needs to intervene and keep bullying from happening, but they should not step in too early and hinder the communication that is necessary to make a community thrive.
The ways that Facebook controls crime helps to maintain the community atmosphere of the website, which in turn makes it a more enjoyable environment to be a part of. The limitation of inappropriate material makes sure that Facebook continues to be a social networking site as opposed to a site designed for adults. Also, the freedom to have a conversation between individuals, as long as it does not go too far, helps maintain the networking freedom that Facebook has always allowed among its members.
I believe that the methods that Facebook uses to control the crimes that go in are very fair. They have to ability to control the content that is uploaded to the site; this allows them to keep from having any issues involving material that may not be appropriate for the users of all age on the site. Although this may control what the users are able to upload to their own profiles, it also keep the website from getting in trouble for having content for mature audiences only that younger audiences have access to. The issue of the verbal assault that often takes place on the site, I don’t believe that Facebook is being fair or unfair. I believe that they are merely providing a place where users can post their opinion of something. In the advanced cases where there are eventually instances of bullying, I believe Facebook needs to intervene and keep bullying from happening, but they should not step in too early and hinder the communication that is necessary to make a community thrive.
The ways that Facebook controls crime helps to maintain the community atmosphere of the website, which in turn makes it a more enjoyable environment to be a part of. The limitation of inappropriate material makes sure that Facebook continues to be a social networking site as opposed to a site designed for adults. Also, the freedom to have a conversation between individuals, as long as it does not go too far, helps maintain the networking freedom that Facebook has always allowed among its members.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Pureness of an Embodied Community
Our final project is the creation of an active lifestyle living center for retired citizens. The creation of this community has very little relevance to Webb’s article, as it deals with aspects of virtual communities and our community is a pure embodied community.
Webb's article deals with the culture of the avatars that are used to depict the members of a virtual community. Avatars are not a part of our embodied community because the members of the community will be represented by their actual physical appearance because they will physically interact with each other, as opposed to interaction via an electronic medium. This gives each member of the community an accurate depiction of the other members of the community rather than a depiction that can be altered to fit what the other members of the community want to be view as. Webb’s article also focuses on the difference of communication in a virtual community as opposed to an embodied community. Communication of a virtual community can often be offensive and vulgar because members of the community often have an anonymous identity to protect who they are. However, in an embodied community the communication is between those who know each other, and therefore, language and communication is often kept more civil and polite.
The idea of members of a virtual community being able to hide their true identity gives virtual communities a sense of almost being fake because the members of the community are not themselves, but in fact are merely representations of people who do not exist. This makes the community bond between the members to be weaker because they are not sharing everything about themselves. Our purely embodied community gives all of the members the chance to be part of a community will people who they know and can physically interact with. By staying in the realm of embodied communities our group was able create a community that does not have problems with people hiding their identity, or problems with the members acting in such a way that they would not at if their true identity were know. The embodied community we have created is much more pure and strong than any community that can have anonymous members.
Webb's article deals with the culture of the avatars that are used to depict the members of a virtual community. Avatars are not a part of our embodied community because the members of the community will be represented by their actual physical appearance because they will physically interact with each other, as opposed to interaction via an electronic medium. This gives each member of the community an accurate depiction of the other members of the community rather than a depiction that can be altered to fit what the other members of the community want to be view as. Webb’s article also focuses on the difference of communication in a virtual community as opposed to an embodied community. Communication of a virtual community can often be offensive and vulgar because members of the community often have an anonymous identity to protect who they are. However, in an embodied community the communication is between those who know each other, and therefore, language and communication is often kept more civil and polite.
The idea of members of a virtual community being able to hide their true identity gives virtual communities a sense of almost being fake because the members of the community are not themselves, but in fact are merely representations of people who do not exist. This makes the community bond between the members to be weaker because they are not sharing everything about themselves. Our purely embodied community gives all of the members the chance to be part of a community will people who they know and can physically interact with. By staying in the realm of embodied communities our group was able create a community that does not have problems with people hiding their identity, or problems with the members acting in such a way that they would not at if their true identity were know. The embodied community we have created is much more pure and strong than any community that can have anonymous members.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
ITube, YouTube, We AllTube.
Is there a video that a friend has told you about? Maybe you are just bored and looking for a way to pass a few hours on the the web. Where do you go, Youtube. This online video-sharing community has become the hub for those wishing to share their videos online, and those wishing to get a few laughs. The comment boards on some of the popular videos become the setting for many discussions and information sharing sessions. The viewers who participate in these conversations create a community where ideas and personal beliefs are shared.
The community that created is a very conversation based community, and often does not carry many of the basic characteristics of community. Because many of the members who use the comment board treat the other users in a way that they would not do so in person these YouTube comment boards are not a postmodern community. The comment boards do not reflect a “re-enchantment” of an everyday life because there are often harsh insults and comments traded between those who comment on a video containing a controversial issue. There are a multitude of videos which have comment boards with derogatory remarks posted on them about either the video or another member who has made a comment; this goes against one of Delanty’s ideas of a postmodern community having practices that do not include battle between self and other. Thus the constant arguments and battles between members of the community keep the YouTube comment boards out of the realm of postmodern communities.
When it comes to networks, YouTube is a great site for networking. Although it is not called a social networking site, there is a great amount networking that exists by Day’s standard. Each video that a YouTube viewer subscribes to links them to that person, as well as any other individual who has subscribed to that video. Also, any video that one user comments on, links them to any other user who has commented on that video. Since networking is defined by Day as the connection of one person to another, YouTube is a fantastic networking site because it connects all of its users together into one large web of users.
YouTube has created a great online space for users to create their own network of individuals with common interests, and a place to share their thoughts and feelings. Although the site cannot be considered a Postmodern community due to the way that the users act while participating, it still makes networking between individuals very easy and simple.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Individuality within Unity.
The marching band at Georgia Tech, and more specifically the drum line, is an extremely diverse group of individuals. However, on game days we become one mass of individuals that function as one large entity. The Marching band's uniqueness is plainly seen by any spectator of a weekday rehearsal, yet when we take the field for pregame or halftime, we all lose our individual appearance, but the individual underneath remains. The marching band uses uniforms to make hide the individual appearance of the members without changing the attitudes or non-visual aspects of the members.
Drumline at rehearsal. -------------------Drumline in the stands.
(on top)
Miller, Eric. "GT Drumline." Photo. www.gallery.me.com 13 Aug. 2009. 01 Nov. 2009
(on bottom)
Miller, Eric. "GT vs. VT." photo. www.gallery.me.com 17 Oct 2009. 01 Nov 2009
The entire band pregame.
"Miami." photo. www.gtband.net 01 Nov 2009
Drumline at rehearsal. -------------------Drumline in the stands.
(on top)
Miller, Eric. "GT Drumline." Photo. www.gallery.me.com 13 Aug. 2009. 01 Nov. 2009
Miller, Eric. "GT vs. VT." photo. www.gallery.me.com 17 Oct 2009. 01 Nov 2009
The entire band pregame.
"Miami." photo. www.gtband.net 01 Nov 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Did you feel it?
Emotion is a driving force within the Human body. People can make decisions based solely on the emotions they are feeling at a particular instant. Emotion can also mess with the human’s perception of a certain event. Hotel Rwanda plays its rhetorical strategies to influence the viewer’s emotions on the situation so they feel the way the movie was designed to make them feel.
Within Hotel Rwanda there are many instances that cause the viewers to feel a great amount of emotion. When Paul finds his son covered in blood and in intense shock after watching his friends family get murdered, the state the child is in makes the viewer begin to imagine what he could have possible witnessed to put him in a state where his family would believe that he is injured. The viewer’s own imagination gets put to use to let them determine what the boy might actually have seen. The viewers begin to envision their own fears of what might have happened. This makes the scene appeal to the most emotion within the viewers because they imagine the worst thing for them.
The movie also uses the emotion that someone feels for their family. Most people can relate to the fear they would fear if their own family were in danger as Paul’s was. The viewers then begin to feel the fear that Paul feared for the loss of his own family. Viewers then have something that they can personally relate to, and it brings the horrors of genocide closer to home. The entire movie consists of moments where Paul’s family is in danger; therefore the entire movie has this continuous appeal to the emotions of the viewer and therefore becomes much more impactful on the viewer.
One of the biggest emotions that is used throughout the movie is fear. There is a constant overtone of fear through all the characters in the movie. The fear for the lives of all the characters in the movie is very apparent in most of the scenes of the movie. This fear is much stronger than the fear that would be seen in a horror film. This is fear that is real life, and was actually experienced by the people of Rwanda. Therefore the fear that is seen in the movie has a much more emotional effect on the viewers.
Within Hotel Rwanda there are many instances that cause the viewers to feel a great amount of emotion. When Paul finds his son covered in blood and in intense shock after watching his friends family get murdered, the state the child is in makes the viewer begin to imagine what he could have possible witnessed to put him in a state where his family would believe that he is injured. The viewer’s own imagination gets put to use to let them determine what the boy might actually have seen. The viewers begin to envision their own fears of what might have happened. This makes the scene appeal to the most emotion within the viewers because they imagine the worst thing for them.
The movie also uses the emotion that someone feels for their family. Most people can relate to the fear they would fear if their own family were in danger as Paul’s was. The viewers then begin to feel the fear that Paul feared for the loss of his own family. Viewers then have something that they can personally relate to, and it brings the horrors of genocide closer to home. The entire movie consists of moments where Paul’s family is in danger; therefore the entire movie has this continuous appeal to the emotions of the viewer and therefore becomes much more impactful on the viewer.
One of the biggest emotions that is used throughout the movie is fear. There is a constant overtone of fear through all the characters in the movie. The fear for the lives of all the characters in the movie is very apparent in most of the scenes of the movie. This fear is much stronger than the fear that would be seen in a horror film. This is fear that is real life, and was actually experienced by the people of Rwanda. Therefore the fear that is seen in the movie has a much more emotional effect on the viewers.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Creationists vs. Evolutionists.
Ever since Charles Darwin published his book "The Origin of Species" there has been a constant battle between those who follow Charles Darwin, and those who follow the bible. The major conflict has been which of the two topics to include in the curriculum in public schools. Members of both sides of the conflict are against the teaching of the opposing and often poke fun at the ideas of the other. but i believe that the answer to this conflict is the marriage of the two ideas together as completely different theories that are both widely believed and letting the students believe what makes the most sense to them.
Daniel-Hughes, Brandon. "Darwin v Creationism." Drawing. LiberalEvangelical.com 04 Sep. 2008. 18 Oct. 2009.
"Dichotomy." Cartoon. Creationistidiocy.blogspot.com 23 Mar. 2009. 18 Oct. 2009 . .
"Holy Bible." Photo. www.bibleverse365.com 18 Oct. 2009.
.
"The Origin of Species." Photo. www.uregina.ca 28 Jan. 2008. 18 Oct. 2009.
"College prep Biology Textbook." Photo. www.oncoursesytems.com 18 Oct. 2009.
Daniel-Hughes, Brandon. "Darwin v Creationism." Drawing. LiberalEvangelical.com 04 Sep. 2008. 18 Oct. 2009
"Holy Bible." Photo. www.bibleverse365.com 18 Oct. 2009
.
"The Origin of Species." Photo. www.uregina.ca 28 Jan. 2008. 18 Oct. 2009
"College prep Biology Textbook." Photo. www.oncoursesytems.com 18 Oct. 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Communities in the Stands.
"Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field." Photo. football.ballparks.com. 27 Sep. 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
How to Create an MP3 for the web "podcasting"
below is the citation for the picture we used as the background for our podcast.
"Tech Tower." Photo. gatech.universityvisitorsnetwork.com. 21 Sep. 2009.
Monday, August 31, 2009
FACEBOOK.
Along with most of my fellow students here at Georgia Tech i am a member of Facebook. This infamous website which draws our attention away from anything and everything. However addicting and luring Facebook may be, the question is still presented as to whether or not he social networking site which withers away our adolescence and for a select few, adulthood as well, is considerded to be a community.
Community is a term which is thrown around very loosly in todays society. A clear definition of what a community actually is, is very hard to comeby, and continuity amongst definitions is even more sparse. As i have come to understand it, a community is a group of individuals who come together to share interests as well as share differences. These individuals must be just that... individuals. The differences among members in a community are what make that community effective, and are what drive that community to grow and advance.
With these parameters in place, we are finally able to make a decision as to the community status of Facebook. First of all, Facebook is certainly made up of a diverse group of individuals. there is no limit as to who can become a member. This smorgesboard of cultural, economical, and philisophic backrounds and identities makes Facebook a very likely place for discussion. However, in my mind Facebook as a whole does not fit into what a community is. Facebook as a whole is merely a device which is utilized by many different communities as a forum for discussion as well as a means of advertisement and expansion. Calling Facebook a community would be equivilent to calling the church structure itself a community. The community is made up those individuals which take part in the discussions, and make their beliefs known. Facebook is mearly the walls that enclose the meeting halls of thousands of smaller communities which share members all across the board. It is the smaller groups which exist inside of Facebook which are the real communities.
I feel as though while being a member of Facebook, I am involved in a community. Actually, i am involved in many diverse and different communties. however, I am not involved in a Facebook community. Facebook is mearly the interfcace which i use to be involved with other smaller communities.
Community is a term which is thrown around very loosly in todays society. A clear definition of what a community actually is, is very hard to comeby, and continuity amongst definitions is even more sparse. As i have come to understand it, a community is a group of individuals who come together to share interests as well as share differences. These individuals must be just that... individuals. The differences among members in a community are what make that community effective, and are what drive that community to grow and advance.
With these parameters in place, we are finally able to make a decision as to the community status of Facebook. First of all, Facebook is certainly made up of a diverse group of individuals. there is no limit as to who can become a member. This smorgesboard of cultural, economical, and philisophic backrounds and identities makes Facebook a very likely place for discussion. However, in my mind Facebook as a whole does not fit into what a community is. Facebook as a whole is merely a device which is utilized by many different communities as a forum for discussion as well as a means of advertisement and expansion. Calling Facebook a community would be equivilent to calling the church structure itself a community. The community is made up those individuals which take part in the discussions, and make their beliefs known. Facebook is mearly the walls that enclose the meeting halls of thousands of smaller communities which share members all across the board. It is the smaller groups which exist inside of Facebook which are the real communities.
I feel as though while being a member of Facebook, I am involved in a community. Actually, i am involved in many diverse and different communties. however, I am not involved in a Facebook community. Facebook is mearly the interfcace which i use to be involved with other smaller communities.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
GT... a community, or just a gathering of bright intellectuals?
When it comes to whether or not Georgia Tech would fall into the category of a "community" would very much depend on how idealistic or realistic of a Community is setting the standard. When it comes to an idealistic society, it would be very difficult for the vast amount of students who collectively make up the student body of Georgia Tech to all fit into the confines of an idealist community. Georgia Tech certainly has community aspects, although it does lack some of the more idealistic qualities. Georgia Tech is an exclusive body of students by nature due to its prestigious status and high expectations of incoming members. However, just because there are academic requirements , this does not make Georgia Tech a completely Exclusive community, as any student who truly desires to become part of the Georgia Tech student body do what is necessary to reach those goals. Georgia Tech can be looked at as one large community, which has come together for the purpose of furthering their knowledge. Within the larger community which is Georgia Tech there are many, more tight-knit communities which exist. These are communities such as Fraternities and Sororities, clubs, Student Groups, dorms, and even every class on campus. each one of these smaller communities have their purpose for existence which draws in new members, and continues its impact upon the Georgia Tech campus.
Although these communities may not fulfill every requirement of an ideal society such a Peck suggested, These collective bodies of students have their purpose and their own individualistic characteristics which define it as a unique community. Georgia Tech is undoubtedly a community setting, we all have a reason for being here, and we all call ourselves a part of this prestigious institute, and we are all a part of this community.
Although these communities may not fulfill every requirement of an ideal society such a Peck suggested, These collective bodies of students have their purpose and their own individualistic characteristics which define it as a unique community. Georgia Tech is undoubtedly a community setting, we all have a reason for being here, and we all call ourselves a part of this prestigious institute, and we are all a part of this community.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Well then....
Hey kids,
I'm Glenn McDaniel, I would say that i'm doing this to familiarize myself with blogger. but i wouldn't want to lie. To be perfectly honest, im sitting in the student center right now bored out of my mind and figured that this might help. and for the moment, it is.
a few random facts about myself. i have always wanted to go to Georgia Tech ever since my sister was accepted. I'm not quite sure why i wanted to go here, but i did. however, now that i am here i am questioning a bit of my sanity as to why on earth i would do that to myself.... oh well. I am a member of the GT Drumline. i have marched a competitive indoor percussion ensemble since my sophomore year in high school, and we went on to win world championships this year. I am an Eagle Scout. I own a six-foot tall trebuchet which i built my senior year of highschool. and as most guys my age are, i am always up for a bit of shenanigans.
well. im pretty sure that i have ranted quite long enough and i am tired of typing.
also if you didn't figure it out, thats a picture of my Trebuchet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
