DAI 227 Week 6 Questions

1.       Steve Mann describes his wearable computer invention as a form of ________ for one person (fill in the blank)
(see youtube link to Mann interview in web resource page)

Building; architecture of one

2.       Steve Mann's concept of opposing camera surveillance with "Sousveillance" is described as a form of “reflectionism”. What is meant by this?
(in ReadingsF)

Sousveillance described as reflectionism refers to the philosophy and procedures of using technology to mirror and confront bureaucratic organizations. Organizations were observing people to an increasing extent and reflectionism especially relates to “detournement,” which is the tactic of appropriating tools of social controllers and resituating these tools in a  disorienting manner to equal the playing field between the surveiller and the person being surveilled.

3.       In the section of "Sousveillance" called "Performance Two" Steve Mann describes how wearing his concealed device becomes more complex when used in what type of spaces?

Spaces such as shopping malls which are semi-public rather than fully public make his concealed device become more complex. Since the potential for confrontation between the wear and security is increased it becomes more interesting, however, if this boundary is crossed too much it becomes less playful.

4.       The final paragraph sums up what Mann considers the benefits of "sousveillance" and "coveillance". What are they?
(ReadingsF)

The benefit of Sousveillance is that it allows those being surveilled to surveil the surveillers. Essentially, it is empowerment for the common people in a situation that used to be one-sided and favored large hierarchical organizations.

5.       In William J Mitchell's 1995 book "City of Bits" in the chapter "Cyborg Citizens", he puts forth the idea that electronic organs as they shrink and become more part of the body will eventually resemble what types of familiar items?
(ReadingsF)

As electronic organs shrink they will become small cameras that can reach small scales that we could not even grasp before. These electromechanical bugs can act as miniature spies, which relates back to the idea of sousveillance.

6.       From the same book/chapter, list two of the things that a vehicle that 'knows where it is' might afford the driver & passengers.
(ReadingsF)

Vehicles that ‘know where it is’ can also look up interesting information that is related to the designated location. With a little more programming it can even learn what the driver cares about and will highlight specific information that pertains to the owner. No matter what the driver is looking for, the vehicle will know the facts. It will even be able to calculate efficient routes, finding the shortest and quickest path.

7.       Mitchell tells the story of Samuel Morse's first Washington-to-Baltimore telegraph message. What was it?
(ReadingsF)

The message was “What hath God wrought”

8.         Donna Harroway in "A Cyborg Manifesto" argues that women should take the "battle to the border". What does she say are the stakes in this border war?
(in ReadingsF)

The stakes in this border war are territories of production, reproduction, and imagination.

9.        Harroway posits the notion that:
"We require regeneration, not rebirth, and the possibilities for our reconstitution include the utopian dream"
What is this dream?
(in ReadingsF)

This dream is a monstrous world without gender.

10.   Many have argued that 'we are already cyborgs' as we use devices such as glasses to improve our vision, bikes to extend the mobility function of our legs/bodies etc, computers and networks to extend the nervous system etc. What do you think? Are we cyborgs?
(one paragraph)

The majority of the human population may not literally be extending their bodies, but the human dependency as well as the infrastructural dependency is definitely significant. In a sense, we are now cyborgs. Not yet literally, but if we lost our computers today society will crumble since many systems are embedded in technology. One example would be this class; we would have to reconstruct the entire structure of this class since homework is done online and the lecture runs on technology.