All posts by nortojas803583d717

student blogs

High Muck a Muck Reflection

For me each experience inside High Muck a Muck reached all my senses, engulfing me with each icon, symbol that I clicked that would trigger a voice, music, movement sometimes fading in and out or present until I decided to move on.  I was engaged throughout the entire time in front of my laptop, one hand on my mouse the other on the keyboard; my instruments of how I interacted waiting and expecting to either hear the music, someone’s voice, or an object moving across my screen. At times these all happened together or in separate that presented a different experience. emotion to the piece. “A lot of small pieces broken from a long stick promises “was one of many lines of poetry that stood out to me and sparked a curiosity in me of similarity. “That anger of not having language itself-never mind the words – was another powerful line to read.

It was smart to offer the option of a video tutorial to learn how to interact by clicking on the icons that represent a particular experience, place, person and the Pak Ah Pu lottery card. The map laid out across the body reminds me of a Chinese medicine map of energy meridians in the body, similar to an experience I had when I got a shiatsu massage. The wall had various posters of our energy levels, circuitry running though our meridians and what affected or interrupted them from having a open flow of freedom. The locations spread across the silhouette lines forming the anatomy of the body or certain extensions made me feel that each experience would be something permanent, personal that happened and all that remains is the story just like a tattoo that the graphics, print reminded me of a represented location or name of a person. This even more so with the arm and the Canadian Pacific Railway interest since I worked on the railroad in the past and could relate. I enjoyed the pleasant sounds from traditional Chinese instruments being played, the tinkling then a commentary interview comes on speaking that I didn’t expect. The pop-up/poem or explanation of text that faded in and out kept me engaged as well waiting to the next poetry or information to show related to the particular icon I clicked on and presented as an addition to the experience a narrated story that made me want to know more about what I was learning about.

The Pacific Rim was filled with electronic noises, tinks, and nautical sounds of the ocean and movement of a petrol cargo ship moving across the screen with small type print Made in China barely visible in the background representing the waves, current and ocean. This for some reason reminded me of the experiences when sitting and watching which I don’t do much the instrumental theme music of a Netflix original movie during introduction to gain your attention while they show brief clips while it is being played.  Words associated with trade such as cheap labor, global while music celebrating an event or I assume strong economy was ironic. The pains of their labors, the ones who don’t have a choice or voice due to economic struggles, insufficient dispersing of wealth, oppression, are for me realties not discussed in public or heard outside of their own surroundings. At least some of the narrative in various parts of this project provides that voice allowing me to realize its effects on the culture of the people there in China throughout history.

The idea behind the Pak Ah Pu lottery card is brilliant. While interacting with the Chinese lettering characters I enjoyed waiting to see where it brought me to. Being exposed to Hanzi lettering I research it some on my own as it seems to be part of a Logographic system where its difference compared to traditional alphabet letters I am used to using. Each character of Hanzi which is referred to as a logogram contains its own particular sound, shape, and meaning to it. This provided a better understanding of the importance and significance of the Chinese characters being used on the Pak Ah Pu lottery card in relation to the experience and what was being told, shown to you once I clicked on the stained dotted circle on the card. There is so much to take in and experience each time I go back to the screen and click on another symbol. I found that even though I visited a few over and over again I didn’t mind as the experience felt fresh and new each time.

student blogs

Reading Reflection BLOG

Michael Joyce: Twelve Blue & Jessica Pressman: Navigating Electronic Literature

The biggest take for me when reflecting on both electronic literatures introduced from Pressman article and Joyce is that those such as Blue Hyacinth, Façade the readers interaction and navigation contribute to their experience or story development differently for me than Twelver Blue. Even though by clicking on the hyperlink threads it changes my experience of the content that shows. Another similarity is that this type of electronic literature I find the reader, myself will not find an end point in either situation or reading. As long as I interact the story will change and depend on my involvement.

I really enjoy the idea that the hypertext story will be different for every reader, their experience depending on how they navigate the text and read. The openness of possible endless meanings, interactions with each hypertext story reading makes it unique and a form of electronic literature that I know would be beneficial to my short fiction and poetry. Being able to create an experience that will be personal to each individual keeps the story fresh, alive and not just to be discussed from one critic, or viewpoint that the reading has been analyzed according to. I also think experimenting with hypertext as seen in the Pressman reading and with Blue Hyacinth piece navigating is central to each reader’s experience keeping them engaged and interacting instead of just reading a linear line of the story waiting for something to happen in the plot. The reader is making it happen or not depending on their attention span or involvement. Functioning this way appeals to some but there will also be those who will be distracted or maybe even get frustrated with hypertext if they are a more traditional reading type and not familiar with this type of electronic lit digital technology but wanted to try it out.

 In order for a relationship to form from participation between the reader and hypertext content they will have to be open minded and wanting a new stimulating experience where they are the ones creating the story as they actively navigate using the mouse or whatever device is implored to promote action moving along the reader along and not become boring or looping to the same images, words, phrases already experienced. The navigational action that becomes necessary becomes a performance art in my eyes as participation leads to its own creation and will vary depending on the person who are looking for a new experience of digital stimulation through their interaction that the hypertext platform provides.

There are also flaws, anxiety it seems though with how to have such interactive technology where the reader can continue to navigate with no known ending in site. How would a standard be put in place so there was a certain amount of time that can only be spent on the hypertext link, or will there be a limited amount of page numbers to go through a story or even the reader becoming entertained at first and feeling involved but eventually becoming bored like any technology introduced and has exhausted its use or newness. It would be challenging to find a middle road with this type of technology because any kind of restrictions and rules may downplay the experience of the one navigating and creating the same time. This could be the issue present in the Façade character navigation process as the participant uses an avatar representing them and their involvement in the game. This reminds me of Actor Network Theory that I did an article on last semester and the student Brian who also developed an avatar which kept him involved with a certain interactive game. Lastly the virtual space we decide to interact with comes with a responsibility of acknowledging the fantasy we are creating and the world we are hoping to create away from our own. Also, the changes to how we are reading text, interacting with it can become challenging when a new genre of digital technology arises and everyone seems to be talking about it, playing it. It may not be for everyone and their experiences if they do choose to interact will be distinct from their own interaction. I guess that is one of the benefits to this type of experimental digital electronic literature.

Michale Joyce: Twelve Blue

After reading the brief synopsis on the initial page of what Twelve Blue is about I clicked Begin and followed the directions on the main page by spontaneously clicking on the colorful threads on the left of my screen, these resembled to me sound waves in their appearance. Frist thing I did notice was the difficulty of reading the light blue text on the dark blue background. I thought by clicking from top to bottom in a particular order the reading would follow some sort of progression, it just kept changing every time. I would read a few then click again curious and skeptical to see what the next page would have on it for the story. There was a relation and connection to what I discussed in my experience of Pressman’s article and the readers interaction with the story thus creating their own experience as they choose to participate and navigate. I did get annoyed though, but as a creative appreciated the changes as I navigated and clicked on each thread thinking it would build upon the previous line, I guess expectations of form as I tried to put a story together with each line I became uncomfortable and not accustomed to such changes in how we read as story and its structure.  Each one has a different angle to them, or flatness. Since this is my first experience of experimenting with hypertext using HTML frames and image maps to follow along the story I did not know what to expect or if I was doing it right. I did tend to refer back to Pressman reading again of the type of similar role of interaction needed to produce the necessary reaction similar to Blue Hyacinth, and Façade with being part of the story as I choose to interact with the content and add to it with my own navigation. But I let myself go and didn’t put too much thought into the process or pressure to understand what was happening, just enjoyed how each time I clicked on a thread the lines produced different part of the story not in any particular order and changed for me the story itself being aware of characters and the different incidents, plot points happening in each line.

I really had to pay attention to which thread I clicked on and see if it was a linear progression of the story or out of place leading to a whole new experience with the story as I read out of order. This made things interesting in a disoriented way with some of the descriptive text in each line kind of started to blur my experience of what I was reading. It no longer seemed to me a story but like I was there present wanting to know more about why things were the way they are. It seems to take me to different destinations, personal moments with conversations of the characters and what they are going through.

student blogs

Introduction

Hello All,

I am excited to be in this course with everyone. This is right up my creative alley with wanting to apply my short fiction stories to various electronic literature technologies and see how they can evolve into new ways of reaching my audience and changing not only my experience and interaction with characters, plot, storytelling but theirs as well. I feel this course will offer a new portal of electronic innovations, variety, exploration applying various electronic lit storytelling technology towards my writing style and seeing where it takes me giving the reader a whole new unexpected experience as they read my stories.  Experimenting with various immersive, interactive storytelling digital platforms such as hypertext and interactive fiction, generative and maybe ergodic literature if it is included.

My personal and academic goals related to taking this course resonate and reflect with being curious and also looking for new endeavors and technology that can assist with my storytelling. As well as being around fellow classmates who are also going to be sharing and using the same technologies with their own vision and purpose attached. This will be helpful with seeing new perspectives and uses of electronic literature and also any effective past uses from those examples we learn about in this course who have been successful at applying these electronic lit technologies in various creative ways that elevated their own writing to create a new niche or voice.