Virtual Violence Article: “Extreme Sex, Death, and Computer Graphics Imaging Technology”
Virtual violence has always been a topic that garners a great deal of attention, and in 2002, Claudia Herbst wrote an article that critiqued technology that continues to display extreme sex, death and computer graphics. One of the most important ideas that Herbst focuses her article on is the idea that “the cornerstones of CGI are the sciences, mathematics, and the military, all disciplines in which women have had little presence”. With this in mind, she continues to say that since women have not been as involved with these fields as men have, that they are not being accurately represented in CGI.
Although a few main characters in videogames have been women (i.e. Lara Croft, Parasite Eve, Tekken 3), they have only recently been portrayed as self-reliant, strong, and confident, which is clearly better than being just a submissive sex object. However, Herbst points out that the women characters are still ridiculously violent and “images of sexy violence are no more desirable than the previously common images of sexy incompetence”. Violence is still a huge issue because many people believe that children who play videogames look up to the characters as role models. This is especially problematic for girls who may see huge-boobed, tiny-waisted, gun-toting Lara Croft as the ultimate woman. Unfortunately when they get older and most likely do not develop the same sexual features as Lara, the only way left to imitate her is with the violence.
One other way to look at the lack of progression in the CGI industry in regards to women is that it is largely due to the fact that the women in the games are “not a product of women’s vision of themselves but of the male-dominated CGI and film industries”. This is quite problematic when women are still attempting to find their place in the world that is yanking on them to be both mother and worker, care-giver and powerful, natural and beautiful, etc. Hopefully women will one day have a larger say in how CGI is presented and thus how women are being depicted to the masses.
Identity Article: Downloads and Upgrades- The Cyborg Future
Philippa Taylor discusses Professor Kevin Warwick’s technological advancements in the article “Downloads and Upgrades: The Cyborg Future”. Warwick is pioneering some very interesting/disturbing technology that could essentially “upgrade” humans, giving us capabilities such as being able to have a brain that is linked to a computer.
This technology is actually already being implemented, at least in Warwick himself. He “experiments on himself in order to see how the human brain can affect and alter basic behavior by purely electronic stimulation”. This could lead to advancements in treatments and therapeutic purposes to help people that have injuries and illnesses.
The real question behind the article, though, is a moral one. Although his technology could help people in need, it could also be the beginning of blurring the lines of what defines us as humans. Where does the computer end and the human begin? I think that Warwick may have had good intentions, but it is a step in the wrong direction (I’m getting a vision of some crazy movie where human-robots are taking over the world). The conclusion of Taylor’s article quotes C.S. Lewis saying that “Each new power won by man is a power over man as well. Each advance leaves him weaker as well as stronger. […] Human nature will be the last part of nature to surrender to man”. I think this speaks a great deal about what may happen if Warwick’s technology goes mainstream, and due to this he should be extremely cautious in the way he proceeds.
Article 5- “Split Over the Mormon Church, But Maintaining Some Ties”
This article was surprisingly heartbreaking, dealing with the issue of the Mormon community and those who choose to leave the church. It begins with a story about a Mormon couple who is getting married, and the parents of the groom are unable to attend their son’s wedding because they are no longer Mormons. Many years have passed since the Bergeson’s left the church, and recently Mrs. Bergeson joined the website group www.PostMormon.org. The site is set up to help people that are questioning the Mormon faith and those who have left the church be able to deal with the aftermath, such as being shunned by family members, just coping with new difficulties, or even being excommunicated. Although PostMormon is more for support, other sites like www.exMormonFoundation.org and www.exmormon.org additionally offer arguments against the Mormon faith. The reaction from the Mormon church has been one of tolerance and friendliness, in hopes of overcoming their past image of persecution of those who speak out against the Mormon faith.
Even though PostMormon may have a negative connotation, I think that it is a great site for building a community of people struggling with their faith. Just as the church is a community for people with solid Mormon beliefs, there needs to be something for people who do not completely agree with that faith or for people who just need to ask questions without feeling insecure. I really enjoyed Mrs. Bergeson’s opinion when she said she “appreciated reading about other people’s philosophical approaches and humor, all of which help sharpen my beliefs and shape them into something that has worked for me.” I think that ultimately spirituality is something unique to everyone, and if a person does not entirely agree with every aspect of a religion they should not be obligated to believe it anyway. It may be convenient to put everyone in a few religious boxes, but the reality is that everyone is different and everyone also has the right to find their own community for religious beliefs. By joining a community like PostMormon, people are able to find a community that may be more open to alternative religious ideas.
Article 4- “All Hope Abandon”
This piece by Eric Eve was a pretty neat article to read, particularly because he went so in depth with the interactive fiction game that he created. I think that the idea of interactive fiction is really neat, but perhaps a little dated. I got pretty frustrated with the game when I played the sample version, just because you get to points where you just don’t know what else you can do to move forward. When you are playing a videogame that you can see, your options are much more straightforward. I suppose that if someone who really enjoyed interactive fiction were playing that they might enjoy the challenge rather than be discouraged by it, but that wasn’t my reaction. Eve did make some good points that can be applicable to any game, such as when he is discussing detail in scenery (or any object) that is in a game. He mentions that “it is better if a discription of the wallpaper is provided in response to “X WALLPAPER” even if the “not important” message is used in response to any other command involving the wallpaper; this kind of detail can make the difference between immersion in the story world and the feeling that, after all, you are merely interacting with a computer program”. Little things such as that really do make a big difference, particularly in interactive fiction because you can only imagine what the game is trying to present. It would be like reading a book that doesn’t give you the description of the main character or the location; you would probably feel like it is harder to relate to the book.
The actual game that Eve created is a nice addition to the interactive religious game world. He actually incorporates a unique feature called “Think About” that allows the player to get more information on things unfamiliar to them, such as certain words or references. This feature builds in an enormous amount of extra religious information and really allows for a player to play a game while learning new facts. The way that Eve incorporates intertextuality is also impressive, particularly because of his reference to biblical texts while doing so. He mentions that “for the most part ‘All Hope Abandon’ uses biblical texts (and other texts) allusively, occasionally quoting them, sometimes representing aspects of them more or less closely. This is similar to the way in which many New Testament texts make use of the Old Testament”. That idea is neat because there is certainly an overlap of text in the bible, and for Eve to recognize and implement that into his game is compelling. Overall “All Hope Abandon” was a cool interactive fiction game to play and I really enjoyed Eve’s own analysis of the game and the way he incorporated religious information into the play.
Reading Response (2-18)
I thought that Eric Zimmerman’s article “Narrative, Interactivity, Play and Games” was one of the most helpful readings so far. He did an awesome job defining all four and brought up some interesting points in the mean time. One of my most favorite points was in his discussion of play when he wrote that “the designed structure can guide and engender play, but never completely script it in advance. If the interaction is completely predetermined, there’s no room for play in the system”. For some reason, this idea of allowing for play within a videogame is really interesting to me because there ultimately is a line that must be drawn between play and predestination (in the sense of a videogame). When you stop and think about it, all of your options when playing a game have already been considered and determined. You are not able to do something that is not compatible with the game, so you are forced to follow the rules that the designer has put in place, and when we do this we are interacting by “playing”. That is really kind of crazy, especially when you get really deep and apply that same idea to real life. If you belief that God has created (designed) the world and everything in it, and you are only capable of doing something that God has physically allowed for you to do, then is life predetermined? If God had created everything and every option in life then God would know everything that we could possibly do and our only choice would be to “play” in life. Well clearly, I got away from Zimmerman’s article, but overall I thought it was a great piece to read to really understand the ideas we have been circling so far in class.
Reading Response (2-11)
I think that the relationship between textuality and videogames is pretty interesting, but I have to say that I am beginning to become annoyed by the authors who feel that the two can never intersect. In my opinion, textuality is a very important part of most videogames. It is a great way to increase the immersion level because then there is some sort of storyline or purpose to the game. Janet Murray’s piece called “From Game-Story to Cyberdrama” made some thought-provoking remarks, such as the idea that gaming and storytelling have always overlapped. She says that it is unnecessary to have dichotomies between stories and games, “we can think instead of matters of degree. A story has greater emphasis on plot; a game has greater emphasis on the actions of the player” (Murray, 9). I mean, clearly games are not the same as stories, but they combine many of the same elements and can allow the person interacting with each to be equally immersed.
It is actually interesting because it seems that most of the people who do not think that textuality has a place in videogames seem to favor the idea that stories have higher levels of immersion. Perhaps the way a story is told, whether it is textual or in a videogame isn’t really the issue, though. Maybe it is the person who is interacting with each that should be studied because I am sure that every individual will react differently to different types of games and storylines, depending on their own preference. I think I would have a much higher immersion level with a classic novel when compared to Assassin’s Creed and the storyline it develops. However, my boyfriend can sit and play the game for hours and hours on end and would never touch a book even if he was being paid. So maybe all of these critics are focusing on issues that can never really be put to rest because the immersion level may not depend on textuality, but rather the person who is interacting with it, no matter form it appears in.
Article 3- “Information Technology in Seminaries”
Raymond B. Williams published his article “Information Technologies in Seminaries” in The Christian Century in 2001. Writing from the perspective of a religion professor, he offers some interesting insights into new technology that can be incorporated into education. Over time education styles have radically changed; where students once populated libraries, read books from cover to cover to gather information and were educated mainly by teachers and professors, students now have the vast resources available on the internet. In order to keep up with society, Williams points out that schools can not simply ignore the “white elephant” that is technology. Instead, it is necessary to embrace it and enjoy the benefits it has to offer.
New technology can create a dilemma for theological education, though, because it diminishes key parts of a student’s educational experience. Some schools are expanding via the internet, allowing students to take classes without physically being in a classroom with a professor and other students. Williams wisely points out that “many schools want to emphasize close interpersonal relationships with faculty mentors and student peers as part of formation for ministry. It is difficult enough to find time for these relationships on a full-time, residential campus. How will students do this from a distance?”. Particularly for students pursuing ministry, being able to develop relationships with other people is a vital part of their education that seminaries can not let technology eliminate.
Even though technology can cause problems when it is embraced, it also can not be ignored because that will cause even more difficulties. Children are now growing up with the internet by their side. Mainstream teachers are adapting by using PowerPoint presentations to teach, assigning homework online, and teaching children how to use the internet for research. Due to children having this constant exposure, technology must be adapted by seminaries if they want to continue to resonate with young students.
There are currently many amazing religious resources available on the internet. For instance, religious literature is being digitalized and made available on CD-ROMs and the internet, religious guides for research are online, and seminaries are providing clergy the ability to engage in lifelong learning opportunities. Clearly the internet must be embraced by religious leaders because it has become an integral part of society and it has the ability to provide vast resources to millions of people.
Reading Response (2-4)
This week’s readings contained some interesting ideas from Bogost’s Persuasive Games text. A typical discussion topic around videogames is violence; however, I don’t know if I believe that virtual reality situations always impact those engaged in a negative way. Bogost writes on page 283:
“Jenkins has pointed to a general decrease in violent crime during the same period that videogames have become more popular. He adds that ‘people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing their crimes than the average person in the general population’.”
Perhaps virtual reality acts as a means for people to release their repressed needs and desires. For instance, playing violent video games could be a way to release real pent up aggression in a virtual world. This wouldn’t apply only to violent videogames; rather it can work with many examples. The game The Sims could be played by people who enjoy buying things, and in the virtual world, they have the ability to furnish as many homes as they want. Children often spend more time playing action videogames than running around outside. Maybe this is because they become so immersed in the game that they feel like they truly are the character that is jumping and running all around, and thus they feel active themselves. On a slightly different note, I was told by a friend of mine that the number of rapes has decreased since the introduction of pornography. Now, I can’t vouch for how accurate this little factoid is, but if it is true, it would make sense with my theory. Pornography can become a virtual world for someone, and it can allow them to release sexual tension without harming someone else.
Virtual reality is really a neat thing to think about, particularly because people can become so engaged that it becomes part of reality. What is done when using virtual reality possibly has enough of an impact on a person that their desires and needs can be satisfied by that realm.
Article 2: “GodTube Offers Wildly Popular Alternative to YouTube”
After noticing the amazing popularity of the secular video sharing site YouTube, Christians decided that making a similar site for Christian videos may actually be a smart idea. YouTube is visited millions of times a day; however the content found on the site is not always a positive reflection of religious groups. Realizing this, GodTube was created by a seminary student and it has become quite popular since the site’s launch. They boast a 1.6 million unique visitor count each month, and it really seems to be a great alternative video source for Christians. Following GodTube’s lead, Jewish groups and Islam groups have also created video sharing sites specific to their religion. Although they are growing slower than GodTube, spokespeople from both sites are pleased with GodTube’s success. Even though their own beliefs are not specifically reflected, GodTube promotes videos with positive messages and does not allow discriminatory videos to be uploaded.
Ultimately it is a site that others have found helpful because of its positive portrayal of religion, and the hope of the creator is that it will bring people back to church. The specific content of the videos ranges from tasteful humor to sermons that have been recorded in churches, which allows site visitors to access videos that can encourage their faith to grow. There has also been some criticism of GodTube, though, claiming that it is just another company following the popularity of secular successes and copying them in a Christian way. Since this statement is essentially true, it is interesting to think about its implications. Isn’t it bad that Christians are just copying secular ideas in a Christian way? Why do Christians always need to sponge the popularity from mainstream things? Maybe they are just a little late in the game and slower to adopt to technology; however, I think that by using the popularity of things like YouTube, which is known to be very secular, is a great way to lose credibility for Christian sites. Overall, GodTube clearly is a great concept and alternative to secular websites, but I am not sure that it will be driving Christians back to church or attracting people who are not religious.
Article 1: The Church on the Web
In 1999 Michael Keene wrote the article “The Church on the Web, which was published in Christian Century. Keene is a member of an Episcopalian Church and teaches a Sunday school class for thirteen-year-olds.
His article offers a supportive view of the internet from a religious perspective, and he includes various ways in which anyone interested in religion can use the resources online to strengthen their bond with spiritual communities. The internet can be a great tool to use when researching church history, searching for random theological information, or even looking for someone who has similar beliefs. He explains that he often searches the internet for Bible verses when he can’t quite recall where to find them; even more broadly, he looks up hymns and sermons that he has heard. He does acknowledge that it is important to make sure the websites being used are valid and written by authoritative people to ensure that the information can be trusted.
Not only does the internet serve as a quick, efficient way to look up information, Keene also explains that it can be useful when traveling to church or a conference simply isn’t possible. E-mails are an easy way to communicate information quickly to someone when they miss a church meeting, and it is also a great venue for someone who has a problem or question. Keene recalled that he was never able to attend the annual Episcopalian convention, but was delighted when the events and discussions became available via the web. The array of religious information on the internet has become invaluable; now anyone with an internet connection can learn and truly feel connected to a larger spiritual body. He also mentions that there are churches based entirely online. Cyberchurches allow people to connect and form spiritual communities without needing to be in the same physical location.
Keene obviously offered a positive perspective of the internet in regards to religion in his article and explained countless benefits it can have for someone who is religious. I have to wonder, though, if the fact that he wrote this piece in 1999 has any impact on his portrayal of the web. Writing today, Keene may have had a different opinion, given the fact that there are so many anti-religious websites. Of course, all of his points would still be helpful and valid today, if not enhanced due to even more advances in technology. Emails can now be replaced with instant messaging, and web forums can be great places to ask questions and receive responses. I just struggle with the fact that many religious sources online today can be biased, which makes it very difficult to trust information that could be put online by any old Joe-Schmo. When referring to religious information, especially, it can have a huge impact on someone’s life and I would hate for someone to be too trusting and then be unknowingly misled.
