Critical Review

All in all NCT has made me feel smarter. I feel as though I can compete with the 'creatives' in the know. You know that ones you pass by sipping latte and discussing existentialism in the latest genre nude-Parisian-foreign films. Well maybe not them, but I certainly feel I have credibility when discussing issues such as Cyberspace, MySpace, Convergent Technologies and Virtual reality. Issues such as how broadcast to many has become an interactive convergence of media to the few, is now watercooler chit-chat for me. In fact, in my retail job, I often 'rant' to other sales girls, about how our political economy does not allow for the greatest democracy we could potentially have. " We are in a Marxist, capitalist society where the oligarchy control too much. But that will change with the dissemination of more information via new technologies in the near future", I say. No, not really, but it would be funny.



The fact is I do not know whether I believe the convergence of communication technologies will form a dystopia or a Utopia. Certainly movies like EXistenZ and Alphaville make me think a technocratic society would be a dystopia. Although, like the theory of dialectics, it seems there will be good and bad (thesis and antithesis) no matter what. It will be the society that determines the synthesis, or whether the outcome will be dystopian or Utopian.



Before I did this course I was obdurate that technology should only ever be a supplement. Knowing now what 'technology' is, I think this belief only applies to certain material applications of technology ( e.g. instant messaging) . I believe that technology will be a vital tool in enabling a more democratic society that is well informed. Our views need not be unknowingly moulded by the Capitalists in power, when we can be well informed with the whole truth. Important news will no longer be mediated by professional journalists, it will also be available for the common to analyse and understand.



Ithink this course was good, but also vital. I did not realise how important it is to understand how our communictions are being transmitted and the changing technology which is ultimately changing society. I would recommend NCT to anyone who wants to know where the future is headed.

Week 13

Spelling and grammatical mistakes annoy me. Yes, they are the bain of my eXistenZ. I cannot stand when I go to a shop (e.g. Coles) and a sign reads;

"Brushed potatoe's
only $2.67/kilogram"

"Potatoe's?" does the potato own only? If so (which doesn't make sense) would it not be spelt 'Potato'. Yet, while I am usually a stifler for speling, I can't help but become a terrible speller everytime I use NCT. Whether I be blogging, MSNing, or texting my skill's pervade me. My attention to detail dissappears!

In the final exam today (where there were a few mistakes I noted), my spelling skills and also my reasoning skills abandonded me. I was glad we were only colouring in dots. What I hate about Multiple choice is the two true answers that test my knowledge. I know other courses do it aswell, but It needs to stop. However, I was pleased to find there were jokes interspersed through the exam. Thankyou.