Week 5

In our last session we talked about identity – about selfhood. Why do we behave how we behave? Why do we think what we think? Why are we who we are?
There are different approaches about this topic:
Trait theorists think that every person has unique characteristics. His character is unchangeable and authentic. He has an honest soul. He behaves always in the same way. Honesty sounds good. But that would mean that we are how we are and that we can not change our character, that we have no influence on it. Consequently the system of rehabilitation of criminals is absurd and senseless. For me it´s unimaginable that all the experience that we make in our lives that they have no effect on us. In my opinion almost everybody says about himself that some specific experience influenced not only his life but above all his character.
Another theory about the identity is the role theory. His ambassadors think that everybody has different personas. We perform like actors. I am a student, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a neighbour etc. Depending on my role my behaviour changes. As a daughter I am acting in another way as I behave as a friend. My behaviour is a response to the social circumstances. There is no doubt about it that in different situations I act in different ways. But which persona is the “real” – the authentic self? I remember a situation: it was New Year´s Eve, I were on a party with some friends. We danced, drunk, laughed and had a lot of fun. But then somebody tapped me on the shoulder: my older broughter. It was totally weird. His little sister is shy, calm and well-behaved. And there were I with a drink in my hand telling dirty jokes.In my opinion Freud´s model of personality is a good combination of the role theory and the trait theory. In his model our self consist of three elements: the id, the ego and the superego. The id is unconscious and includes of the instinctive and primitiv behaviours. This component is present from birth. The superego on the other hand is the result of the social circumstances, the norms and values of our society. And the ego stands between the other both and has to decide whose wishes are more important. I know this antagonism. Do you know it?

Week 3

For tomorrow´s session we should prepare two readings: “As We May Think” by Vannevar Bush and “Sociable Media” by Judith Donath.
I read the first text two times. For me it was not so easy to understand. But the language was not the only reason. It was written in 1945, it´s a historical document. But during reading I forgot about this fact because Bush had ideas about future invention which came more or less true. When in these days somebody would write down these kind of thoughts it would be boring and uninteresting. But Bush had these ideas in 1945! He didn´s know mobile phones, computers, digital cameras etc…

The other reading “Sociable Media” was for me very interesting. It´s about the social aspect of communication especially communication via a medium. That´s what Donath calls mediated communication. It inclueds every communication which is not face-to-face but via every sort of medium: written letters, telephone calls, email, skype etc.
When I talk to somebody I don´s get even information through words, it´s also the tone of voice, the gesture of the other person, his clothes and the facial expression. Maybe I have prejudices when I have all these information. But on the other hand when I don´t see all these things - for example when I´m chatting with the other person – I also don´t see if the other person is sad or is smiling or maybe laying. I think that a good communication incluedes all these aspects. Thank God for skype: I can mediated communicate with my friends and relatives thousands of kilometers away from me without missing their tone of voice or their smile. Even if the smile comes a few seconds after the joke…
Although communication technologies are often developed within the context of business they became a fixed part of almost everybody´s private life. To be social, to communicate with each other is a part of our nature. And on a planet that geografically is very big modern communication technologies make it possible to stay in contact with people all over the world. And that in a much more cheaper and faster way than visiting.

week 1 & 2

Numbers & Waves
10100001011 – hard to understand that these are more than just numbers, that they have a meaning: “hello”
A looong time ago the world was “analogue”. Every information was transported through waves. But now in the digital century everything consists of 1s and 0s – on or off. Transportation of information is easier and faster. There is more place for music on a compact disc than on a cassette. :-)

Western Eye
Because our “western eye” is used to read from left to right and from top to buttom the most important things on websites are in the left corner: the logo, log in etc.
But in other cultures the concept of websites is different. Peter showed us an Asian website. Totally interesting, for me the site seemed to be very confusing because my eyes are used to another “style”.
But when the most important things are placed at the top why do I have to scroll down at webCT to write my passwort? My passwort is important, isn´t it? Or is the webCT from another culture?

'As we may think'
I was really surprised last week that just three or four persons had read the text 'As we may think' espescially because I was one of these persons. I have to say that I understood just about 30 percent of it. There are two reasons: English is not my first language and I am no insider. And the 30 percent that I have understood….I can´t remember. It´s too long ago.
I am wondering how many people will read the text for tomorrow. And will I be one of them?

sorry, I´m a tourist...

First I want to excuse my bad English. I am an international student from Germany (but born in Poland) and English is my second language (or my third?) so I will make a lot of mistakes. Nevertheless I hope you will understand what I try to tell you!