1. Why was the period at the turn of the 20th century so important?

 

In this period of time, a lot of new inventions arose, including the lightbulb, the recording of sound, as well as new technologies in cinema. It was a time of innovation and advancement that encompassed not only the world of media, but science and socioeconomics as well.

2. What aspects of the Dada art movement are important from the point of view of the rise of the computers and digital visual media? (for example Marcel Duchamp's "readymades"?)

 

The establishment of the Dada movement brought forth new ideas and beliefs in the world of digital visual media. In the Dada movement, new movies were being made that were quite expirimental and utilized digital visual media in ways that were never brought forth before.

3. Name one aspect that links "The Man with a Movie Camera" with digital media according to Lev Manovich (ReadingsB).

 

One such aspect that links both the film and the readings is the expirimental combination of random images being used as an art form.

4. What was 'constructivism'?

Constructivism is the idea of wanting to constructing a new society

 

5. Read pages VI-XXII of "The Language of New Media" in ReadingsB:

What does Lev Manovich suggest are the 'three levels' of "The Man with a Movie Camera"?

The three levels consist of the man shooting the film, the audience watching the film, and the film itself.

6. Who first developed the idea of "Cybernetics"?

Norbert Weiner

7. In "Computer Lib" Ted Nelson describes Hypertext as "Non ___________" writing (fill in the blank)

sequential

8. Why were transistors, even though 100 times smaller than vacuum tubes considered impractical for building computers in the 1960s?

 

They were incredibly expensive at that time to make and even more to purchase.

9. What was the name of the first commercial available computer (kit)?

The Altair 8800

 

10. Write a paragraph:

In your own words: What are things going to look like in 20 years from now in the average living room in terms of digital visual media? What types of digital media will your kids be using around 2030?

 

I think that in 20 years, we will have a whole entire new genre of digital visual media. We will have the technological advancements to not only be able to watch films in 3D, but maybe even in 4D. Holographic images and 3-dimensional figures will replace the media that we watch on television sets. We might even have the technology to utilize a special sort of table in which a film will be reproduced in small scale. We may also be able to utilize a newer version of surround sound which will be more clear, more crisp, and will directly replicate whatever form of media that is being televised. I am thinking of something similar to that of the holographic forms of communication used in Star Wars films.