Academic Cypher

In hip hop culture, the cypher is a circle of MCs, B-boys/B-girls, beatboxers, etc who freestyle and/or battle one after the other without interruption, exchanging rhymes and flows back and forth or around. The cypher is where training takes place and skills are tested, where people collaborate, and where people create "off the top" or written/choreographed, tapping into the place where thought and action come together to share energy and advance the craft...the Academy should aim to do the same.

Author: Chvonne Parker (page 6 of 6)

January 21, 2014

The collection of articles on WiFi and Mobile technology on the How Stuff Works? website, though dated, provide some insight into the technology that paved the way for the sophisticated mobile technology that exists today.

Today, when one hears the phrase mobile networks thoughts immediately go to which network one is connected with and how strong that network is. Mobile companies promote their services by promising to have the fastest or the largest network. Verizon uses a series of commercials in which they ask customers to look at network coverage maps in order to show that their network provides more coverage.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFUUybc_M40&w=560&h=315]

Commercials, like these, only provide a glimpse into mobile/cellular networks because consumers are concerned with where they will be able to receive cell service and what the quality of that service will be. Mobile networks also known as cellular networks are wireless networks that utilize cellular radio towers to transmit frequencies. The image shows how the land area is separated into cells. the cells are serviced by different base stations, antennae, and transmissions.  This image shows how complex the cellular network is. There is a lot of infrastructure behind the scenes. cell_network

This cellular technology is what enabled programs like Google Maps to get directions and provide the location of the nearest coffeeshop, hotel, movie theather, or whatever is needed.

Google associates information such as anonymous GPS readings with the cells to create a database of cell locations. Then various algorithms are applied to approximate a Blackberry user’s location related to the nearest cells. The more mobile towers and cells in the area, the more accurate the estimation of your location will be. Google expects accuracy to be within 1,000 meters, or 3,280 feet. ().

Behind the colorful maps, there is a lot of technology at work to ensure that users are able to surf the web quickly.  In “How WAP Works,” Jeff Tyson provides an overview of how mobile devices are able to access the Internet on the go. According to Tyson, “ probably the most important factor in the birth of wireless Internet has been the proliferation of digital cell phones in the last few years.”  In order to ensure a successful wireless Internet, “Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, and Phone.com came together to create the WAP.” WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol.

At the time of this article’s publication in 2000, “Making a web site accessible through a wireless device [was] quite a challenge…only a small portion of the more than a billion Web sites provided any wireless Internet content.” This is much different than today when most websites have a mobile version to make their websites more accessible to mobile device users.

Some wireless services that work with WAP are:

  • Short Message Service (SMS), also known as text messaging
  • High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data (CSD), which is 4 times faster than the standard data rates
  • General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), which provides data rates from 56 to 114 kpbs
  • Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD), which is used to send text between mobile phone and application program in the network

Mobile devices utilize WAP for “transfer speed,” “size and readability,” and “navigation.” Because a typical device can transfer data at higher kbps, has larger display, and uses a mouse, WAP provides a workaround for wireless devices. Today, there are a variety of WAP enabled devices. Many people have smartphones, tablets,  notebooks/laptops, and netbooks (small notebooks). Prior to this proliferation of devices, there wasn’t a clear bridge between computers and cellphones. An alternative was to purchase a portable internet device. Portable Internet Devices “combine the portability of smartphones with the functionality of a PC” (). These devices function in between cellular technology and computer technology. They were lighter than a computer but had more power than a smartphone. These devices would be the parents of modern tablets (iPad mini and Samsung Galazy Note 3). These came in different forms, such as notebooks, tablets, and sliders (Tmobile Sidekick). At the time of this article, 2008, portable internet devices were faster and more reliable than cellular devices. People who needed to access emails and complete larger tasks that couldn’t be done on a smartphone, would prefer one of these devices. Now, many people use smartphones and the newer smaller tablets as if they were computers. This technology is interesting because it provides a glimpse at how fast technology has advanced and is advancing.

What can WAP enabled devices do?

Wireless Application Protocol enables such services as mobile ticketing.  The user can purchase tickets to an event and choose to have the ticket sent via text or multimedia message. Phones that are WAP enabled can receive the message with the barcode, which can be scanned at the venue. (Roos). At the time this article was written, applications for mobile devices had not become as popular as they are now. Most smartphones have apps that allow the user to purchase and download the ticket all from the phone.

WAP also makes it possible for phones, such as the iPhone, to run preinstalled applications, such as iTunes. iTunes is a web application that was created/modified from the desktop version to run on Apple devices. WAP also enables the App Store to function on mobile devices. Apps allow users to do a variety of things, such as “track news, play games, help you finish your homework, plan and journal your workout routines, track work schedules and tasks, and find recipes” (Chandler). These advancements in mobile technology allow users “to perform almost all of the task’s you’d use your iTunes [or any other program] desktop for.” (Chandler).index

These days, users are accustomed to downloading apps and games onto their mobile devices, accessing the Internet, and checking emails. Behind all of these activities are several layers of technology.

According to Tyson’s  “How WAP Works,” here is what takes place when a mobile device with WAP enabled access a web site:

wap_gateway

  • You turn on the device and open the minibrowser.
  • The device sends out a radio signal, searching for service.
  • A connection is made with your service provider.
  • You select a Web site that you wish to view.
  • A request is sent to a gateway server using WAP.
  • The gateway server retrieves the information via HTTP from the Web site.
  • The gateway server encodes the HTTP data as WML.
  • The WML-encoded data is sent to your device.
  • You see the wireless Internet version of the Web page you selected.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Asynchronous Learning Activity:

How much do you know about your mobile device? Test your knowledge: Cell Phone Quiz

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Below are a couple of videos that provide a little more information about how WAP works?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxu__YtYvKE&w=420&h=315]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2d200LIvv4&w=560&h=315]

Works Cited

Chandler, Nathan.  “How iTunes Mobile Works”  09 March 2010.  HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery. Web.  21 January 2014.

Dannenfeldt, Diane.  “How Portable Internet Devices Work”  03 March 2008.  HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery. Web.  21 January 2014.

Dannenfeldt, Diane.  “How Google Maps for BlackBerry Devices Works”  03 July 2008.  HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery. Web.   21 January 2014.

Roos, Dave.  “How Mobile Ticketing Works”  26 June 2007.  HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery. Web. 21 January 2014.

Tyson, Jeff.  “How WAP Works”  07 November 2000.  HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery. Web. 21 January 2014.

Images

Guo Meng, W. “Cellular Network Layout.” Digital Image. ES96T: Advanced Wireless Systems and Networks. Warwick. Web. 20 January 2014.

Lie, Robert “How WAP Works” Digital Image. Mobilefish. Web. 20 January 2014

Nita, Ilinca. “Apple working on radio app with iTunes support” Photograph. Unwiredview. Web. 20 January 2014.

Reading Notes #1: Foucault Parts I and II

January 20, 2014 / / 1 Comment

The first two parts of Foucault’s Archaeology of Knowledge reminded me why I have always avoided literature and philosophy. Reading Foucault was like trying to run through mud. I spent much of my time flipping back and forth between different chapters, dictionaries, and Google in order to make heads or tails (or any other part) of Foucault. There were too many words that I could not define or pronounce. So, I have come to the conclusion that in about 15 years, I will read Foucault and it will make sense. For now, I will keep running through the mud and fake it till I make it.

Part 1: History and the Historian

Part 1 served as a reminder of how much Foucault I have managed to avoid. He refers to previous works several times, which required me to take several quick trips to Wikipedia. The two terms that stood out in the introduction were history and document. History is defined as “one way in which a society recognizes and develops a mass of documentation with with it is inextricably linked” (7). History transform documents into monuments. There is a change in what constitutes history. The most significant change is the document. The relation between history and the document has changed. History is no longer linear.

history has altered its position in relation to the document: it has taken as its primary task, not the interpretation of the document, nor the attempt to decide whether it is telling the truth or what it is it expressive value, but to work on it from within and to develop it; history now organizes the document, divides it up, distributes it, orders it, arranges it in levels, establishes series, distinguishes between what is relevant and what is not, discovers elements, defines, unities, and describes relations” (6-7).

This visualization helped me to understand the change or shift from progressive, linear history that has unity to the more expansive, complex history (dispersion).

Foucault

Part 2: T.G.F.B (Thank God For Books)

I started Part 2 of Foucault in quite a funk. I was still trying to wrap my head around all the terminology from Part 1. I was also pushing my self to understand and make connections. My ray of hope came on page 23:

The frontiers of a book are never clear-cut: beyond the title, the first lines, and the last full stop, beyond its internal configuration and its autonomous form, it is caught up in a system of references to other books, other texts, other sentences: it is a node within a network.

This passage was my light-bulb-moment. My first thought was: yes, of course. Books/texts enter into conversation with one another all the time. That is what academic writing is all about. Then Foucault hit me with this next part:

And this network of references is not the same in the case of a mathematical treatise, a textual commentary, a historical account, and an episode in a novel cycle; the unity of the book, even in the sense of a group of relations, cannot be regarded as identical in each case. The book is not simply the object that one holds in one’s hands; and it cannot remain within the little parallelepiped that contains it; its unity is variable and relative. As soon as one questions that unity, it loses its self-evidence; it indicates itself, constructs itself, only on the basis of a complex field of discourse.

This section helped me to make connections to a concept that I already understand: intertextuality.  With intertextuality, the reader brings knowledge and experiences of reading other texts to the reading of the new text. This section of Foucault’s work reminded me of discussions I’ve had in other classes about one book’s dialogue with another. This of course lead me to Kristeva and Bakhtin. Kristeva goes beyond the idea that texts are in conversation or a network of references, presenting that the text, itself, is made up of utterances taken from other texts. Kristeva’s work is influenced by Bakhtin’s definition of the novel as a combination of diverse languages and voices organized in an artistic manner.

The connection to books helped me to visualize and ground Foucualt’s work. Hopefully, I will have another light-bulb moment in Parts 3-5.

Key Terms

  • Discontinuity-is a break with unity, challenges cause, effect, and tradition
  • Discourse-this was a complex term in Foucualt’s work. I think he uses it to refer to the verbal/written parts of history
  • discursive formation: I’m still debating and fleshing this out.
  • archaeology: Foucault’s approach to examining discourse of the past in order to understand the present; what led to now?

Works Cited

Bakhtin, Mikhail. The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays Austin: University of Texas Press, 1992. Print.

Foucault, Michel. Archaeology of Knowledge. New York: Vintage, 2010. Print.

Kristeva, Julia.  Desire in Language: A Semiotic Approach to Literature and Art. Ed. Leon S. Roudiez. New York: Columbia University Press, 1980. Print.

MindMap #1: Rhetorical Situaion

January 20, 2014 / / 1 Comment

Mindmap: http://popplet.com/app/#/1575978

My first mindmap built upon what was started in class on Tuesday. Since the course used the Rhetorical Situation as a jumping off point, I decided to use it as a jumping off point for my exploration into Snapchat. I began with trying to make a connection, for myself, between Bitzer and Vatz. I decided to focus solely on Bitzer. I wanted to break his definition down into audience, exigence, and constraints. I was drawn to the idea that rhetoric alters reality. I was also drawn to the idea of a rhetorical audience being one that is capable of acting or choosing not to act. I thought this was interesting because an inactive audience or one that chooses not to act seems to come across as a constraint. I realized that I was unsure of what a constraint was exactly. From here the mindmap ventures into random questions and thoughts that I had in regards to audience, exigences, and constraints.

The majority of my pondering was centered around the idea that rhetoric alters reality. This made me think of Snapchat, specifically the emphasis they place on changing/altering the way people communicate and the focus improving friendships/connections through fleeting messages. Snapchat places a lot of emphasis on the author of the snaps and their connection to the receiver. The tagline on their Google Play webpage reads: “the allure of fleeting messages reminds us about the beauty of friendship — we don’t need a reason to stay in touch.” For me this provides a mental bridge between Bitzer and Vatz. Bitzer places agency with the rhetor. In Snapchat, the rhetor does have agency when choosing what images to snap and what text/drawing to layer on the image. However, the image is not important/significant until it is sent/viewed by the receivers. On the other hand, I wonder if the meaning in snaps are intrinsic [meaning is the “result of a creative act” (Vatz 161)].

This exercise helped me to see Snapchat in a different way. It also helped me to realize that I agree with Vatz, but as a composition instructor, I utilize Bitzer. I wonder if I am doing my students a disservice. Hopefully, continued mindmapping will help me to craft a new approach to teaching the rhetorical situation and a new approach to Snapchat.

What is Snapchat?

January 19, 2014 / / 0 Comments

What is Snapchat?

Snapchat is a photo messaging application that can be downloaded on to a smartphone in order to share photos and recorded videos. The users can add text and/or drawings to photos and videos before sending them to friends. The user has the ability to set a time limit (ranging from 1 to 10 seconds) on how long the recipient can view the photo or video.  After the time has passed, the photos and/or videos “disappear,” which means they are hidden/blocked on the recipients device and deleted from the Snapchat servers. Snapchat also allows user to create a Snapchat Story, which can be shared with all friends. Snapchat Story allows users to connect snaps together, creating a narrative. The story is visible for 24 hours after which recipients lose access and the snaps are deleted from the server.

The creators of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel and Robert Murphy, state that Snapchat is a response to the documentary nature of social networking and the obsession with online identity. Snapchat’s emphasis is on communication and feeling rather than the idealization and archivalization. Whereas traditional social networking and smartphone applications encourage connectivity and documenting experiences. Snapchat focuses on limited connectivity and no documentation. Users are able to share experiences with friends, but these shared experiences are bound by time limits. In addition, users cannot document or access a timeline of their “snaps” because nothing sent is stored and nothing sent can be searched. Snapchat’s aim, according to the creators, is to provide a spontaneous and uncontrived way of communicating:

Snapchat is a direct response to the permanent nature of social media. The focus on authentic moments, communication, and the ephemeral is what makes it stand apart from the other technologies that are utilized today whether they be social networking platforms or smartphone applications. It is important to note that Snapchat does not present itself as a social network, even though it is often grouped with other social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Snapchat’s move toward shifting what it means to engage in the digital world brings about questions in regards to what counts as connection, what counts as authenticity, and what counts as communication.

Object of Study: Snap Chat

January 19, 2014 / / 3 Comments

mzl.worsuyet My object of study for the course is SnapChat. SnapChat is a photo messaging application that allows users to take/record pictures and videos with texts and drawings. The users are able to set the time limit, controlling how long the recipients will be able to see the image. The time limits range from 1 to 10 seconds. Once this time lapses, the recipient will no longer be able to access the images. According to the SnapChat website, once the time lapses the recipient will be unable to access the image and it will be deleted from the Snap Chat’s server.

The design of SnapChat itself is simple. Once the application is open the users camera is activated. The user sees a screen with a large circle, outlined in white at the bottom center of the screen. The user can snap a photo by pressing this circle. The user has the option to hold the circle and record up to 10 seconds of video. To the right of the circle the user has a menu button, which lead to the “My Friends” list. To the left of the circle, the user is able to access a log of sent and received “snaps.” Once a “snap” is taken, the user can add a indexlayer of text by touching the image and typing a message. The user also has the option of selecting a pencil icon, choosing from a list of colors, and drawing on the image. After the user has taken the “snap” added text and/or drawing, the user can select the amount of time the recipient will have to view the image. Finally, the user hits a small arrow, shaped like a paper plane, to send the snap. Once this is selected, the user can decide who will receive the snap. The snap can be sent to as many individuals as desired.

I am interested in examining SnapChat as a network because, currently, the most popular concept of network right now is a social network. Social Networks like MySpace, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all networks that focused on the creation of profiles, sharing, and making lasting connections. What is interesting about SnapChat is that it encourages users to connect with their social network, but between 1 and 10 seconds at a time. SnapChat is interesting as it allows users to make connections with existing friends, but also open themselves up to send and receive chats from people unknown. An interesting aspect of Snap Chat, according to Liz Gannes in “Fast-Growing Photo-Messaging App Snapchat Launches on Android, a significant number of SnapChats are sent to groups instead of individuals. What impact does this have on the concept of social networking? What does this new, ephemeral form of communication mean for social networking and mediated communication?  These are the types of questions, I am interested in exploring in regards to Snap Chat.

Snap Chat is useful to English Studies because it offers a glimpse into rhetoric of messaging, networks, and the study of time/space in communication. SnapChat offers an exploration of kairos and spontaneity, privacy concerns, ephemeral nature of social media, and the role of body in communication.

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