So today I found out something magical about the internet: you can watch youtube videos, and play snake at the same time.On the same screen.
That's right. While you're watching any youtube video, if you press the left & up keys at the same time snake will appear over it. Here's a video giving a much better explanation than mine. Personally I suck at snake and it's kinda hard to see it, depending on the color of the video, but I'm endlessly amused by the concept. I love that it's not enough to waste time watching videos of kittens on the internet--no! Now we must be able to watch kittens and play games simultaneously. Oh, internet! Is there anything you won't do?
I don't think Viola or Berners-Lee & co would have thought this is where we would end up in our digital age, though I think Borges had a good enough sense of humor to at least take it in stride--many of his writings certainly entertain weird, pointless endeavors. In a way, videos-and-snake also reflects Borges' writings on mazes, labyrinths, and multiple layers--the last one quite literally.
I think it's incredibly interesting to see how technology was predicted to develop, and the weird ways that people were right and wrong at the same time. For instance, I do think that we have established a pool of human knowledge, so to speak, one that allows us to share and collaborate! I mean, for instance, I was just able to share with all of you the knowledge I just learned within a couple of minutes. Was this life-changing knowledge? Probably not. But still interesting, entertaining, or at least mildly diverting! And really, that's the best part of the internet, I think: how incredibly weird and complicated it is and how wonderful it is to observe.
I've had an active online presence since about...uh, fourth grade? Maybe fifth. I feel like I've become familiar with various subsets of culture online mainly through sticking around on message boards for so long and meeting friends through them. My project is quite heavily influenced by internet-culture, as is a lot of my more traditional work--I've found most of my favorite contemporary artists through the web, and some of my biggest design influences are web-based, or things I've only been able to find out from being connected digitally (like Japanese or Korean pop design, for example.) The internet! So big. So weird.
First of all, thank you for sharing this new piece of information with us, about being able to do multiple things at the same time on the Internet! And secondly, did you know that there is also some website (can't recall what it is called right now), where you can have four different windows of Google opened at the same time. For example, if you go on the website, it opens up four little windows of Google, which fit onto your entire screen. This way, you don't have to go back and forth and open multiple tabs for Google; you can work in one all at once. It is quite fascinating!!
ReplyDeleteAs for your project, I don't think it is only you from the class, who is using technology or the Web for his/her project. We are all using technology to a certain extent to create our projects and then also promote and publicize it on the Web. It is incredible how much we rely on technology today. Imagine if we were unable to use such programs and had to create everything by hand; that would've been quite interesting!
But is simultaneity really the pinnacle of internet experience? Is that what it has been working toward or the most it can accomplish? I know people love the novelty of this kind of thing and how you can experience something going on somewhere else in the world at the same moment, but it seems to me like that is still sort of a small concept when considering the web as a whole.
ReplyDeleteHOLY WOAH! I think simultaneity is certainly the way things are going given that the advances in technology allow me to surf the net while going 60 down the highway and skyping with my buddies. This snake game is not by itself the pinnacle of the internet experience, but it is certainly a brick in the wall of stuff I can do at once.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you mention this. I actually just play snake while watching tv shows on my computer all the time. It's super fun, but at the same time, I never have my best snake games, and often seem confused by the episodes. Yet I still crave this simultaneity. Somethings work better together than others, but snake and TV, that is a great combo.
ReplyDeleteIs all this simultaneity building or depleting brain power? The sensory overload of walking in an unfamiliar hostile natural environment may be comparable as all the senses are called into play in order to navigate.
ReplyDeleteThe simultaneity is crazy but really, I feel like myself and this society have been around so many technology advancements that i'm pretty much desensitized from most of the developments unless i'm trying to think analytically about them. I like your connection with the snake and videos with Borges. very entertaining.
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