Response to R2 Readings

What is Crowdsourcing?

This article was a very good summary of crowdsourcing. It accurately described the various processes and benefits of crowdsourcing whether it be for artistic or economic purposes. However, I disagree with the claim that "by canvassing a large crowd of people for ideas, skills, or participation, the quality of content and idea generation will be superior." This guarantee of superior quality has no actual footing in reality. Just because I let anyone and everyone send me stuff does not mean that it will have a superior quality to hiring 1 person or a small group. In the end, crowdsourcing is still a genius idea, but the results aren't guaranteed to be superior versus other methods.

The Birth of Wikipedia

Jimmy Wales did a really swell job of explaining how the Chaotic Model of Wikipedia does not result in a chaotic product. While still not guaranteed, this is a good example of high-quality crowd sourcing. The methods of quality control and monitoring history were very impressive. I also respect the no-nonsense non-bias policy. The $5000 monthly price to run this site was also surprisingly low. I believe the thing I am most impressed by is the dedication, passion, and cooperation of the community. 

As someone who has grown up in the false narrative of "Teachers hate wikipedia," It is good to hear how solid it really is for a change.

Visualizing Ourselves....with crowdsourced data

"The 21st Century will be defined by the interface," I say this is a pretty fair bet. The flight patterns display blew me away. Not only because of the detailed information it presented, but also how beautiful it looked aesthetically. Who knew statistics could look so beautiful? I was also impressed by the crowdsourced drawing of the 100 dollar bill. The Bicycle Built for 2000 was one of the most disturbing things I've ever heard. 

It was cool to see how Aaron Koblin simply tested the possibilities of crowdsourcing projects one step at a time. Each project got bigger and more ambitious, resulting in a wonderful Johnny Cash music video. It was a good decision to let the collaborators know what they are working on, so that their passion also played a role in the project. 

I also loved seeing the process of the drawings - in both the 100 dollar bill and the Johnny Cash music video. This lets the viewer get an even deeper look at the creative process of each individual collaborator. 

Response to R1 Readings

Synesthesia

I don't think I have this condition to the extent that the page describes, but I can definitely relate to the associations between senses. When I listen to music, I often think of it as blue, red, brown or green. This has little to do with the mood of the music, but different instruments literally sound certain colors to me. For example, a light, arpeggiated synthesizer, (like from the Tron Legacy Soundtrack) sounds blue, while a harsh electric guitar sounds red. However, I am aware that my color associations may have to do with something other than sound, alone. For example, Tron incorporates a lot of blue in its color scheme, so the instrumentation may just remind me of the colors of the film.

I can see how this condition may be a hinderance, but I can also see how this can be a blessing, especially for artists and other creative thinkers.

Cymatics TED Talk

The first thing that struck me about Cymatics was the long history behind the study of it. I find it so interesting how certain frequencies create specific shapes when the vibrations are applied to certain objects. Other than being something cool to look at, I really wonder what the great significance of cymatics is. Evan Grant answers this well as he says this is a reminder that sound indeed has form. Then, he goes a step further in suggesting that cymatics had a role to play in the formation of the entire universe. Wow!

Daniel Tammet TED Talk

This TED talk opens with a bang. I am instantly intrigued from Daniel Tammet's introduction of himself as a high functioning autistic savant. Tammet's talk is also intriguing as he argues that perception is the primary influence of our knowledge. Using himself as an example was cool to see, as he displayed his paintings of how he sees numbers. Personally, I found his painting of Pi to be exceptionally beautiful. His theory on the evolution of language relating to sound is also interesting, and an easy sell to me personally.

Overall Reaction

Overall, I have been introduced to some new ideas through these discussions. I was not formerly aware of these conditions. Now, I am interested in learning more, especially related to filmmaking.

My written response to a Len Lye film from today's class