i-dosing

I tried out an i-dosing video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQhPasj25k). I was skeptical of these before watching it, and boy how my opinion has changed! Nah, not really. Nothing happened. It was just a bunch of clicky noises that got annoying after a while. It seems ridiculous that anyone could believe that this would work, and especially ridiculous that this would cause a "technopanic." This seems like the kind of thing that some kids started a rumor about, and people who knew little/nothing about the internet heard about it and decided it was a threat to society. The only bad that comes from this video is the fact that it's annoying.

Video Response

It was extremely interesting and informative to see the history of the creation of the internet laid out in this video, especially in such an aesthetically pleasing manner. It really did a good job of getting the key points down without bogging us down in technical details that us common laymen might not understand. I definitely learned a lot about the creation of the internet that I did not know before. What really strikes me about the internet, the more I think about it, is its key characteristic: decentralization. Like the video said, the DARPA hardware was eventually taken down, but the internet was already up and running - it exists outside of the control of any one party. No individual, government, corporation, or cat has the power to control the internet as a complete entity. I find this fascinating.

Introduction: Cyrus Heffernan

Hey, my name is Cyrus Heffernan, and I'm a senior at UW majoring in International Studies and History. I'm from Madison, and currently work making fine gourmet cuisine at Subway. Yep, I'm a sandwich artist. Anyways, I'm really looking forward to this class because I love exploring the internet; learning more about it should be a fascinating experience. I look forward to working with all of you and making this a fun semester!