memory

(...) Moreover, a quite interesting part of the research project analyzed above, was a connection between the interactive, real time, informational map of SL with the real world online mapping (google maps/earth, GIS as well) (...).

Συνεχίζοντας απο εκεί και πηγαίνοντας κάπου εντελώς διαφορετικά.

Κατεβαίνω το royal mile, ή αλλιώς τον δρόμο που κάποτε έπαιρναν οι ντόπιοι βασιλιάδες για να κατέβουν από το κάστρο του εδιμβούργου προς τα ανάκτορα, και που πλέον είναι ό,τι πιο τουριστικό έχει να επιδείξει η πόλη, παρόλ'αυτά πολύ γραφικό και όμορφο. Και -πολύ λογικά- γεμάτο με τουρίστες και ξεναγούς. Άλλοι σοβαροί και (ψιλό)κουστουμάτοι, άλλοι πιο χύμα και προσιτοί, σε διάφορες γλώσσες να λένε πάνω-κάτω τα ίδια παραμύθια.

Το εντυπωσιακό είναι αυτό το πάνω-κάτω. Προφανώς και ο καθένας τους έχει κάποιες γνώσεις ιστορίας, ίσως έχει και κάποιες αναμνήσεις να αφηγηθεί, τελικά αυτό που ενδιαφέρει -τον επισκέπτη- όμως δεν είναι μία πιστή και εξακριβωμένη ιστορικά αφήγηση γεγονότων, αλλά μια αληθοφανής εκδοχή μιας/της ιστορίας. Και μάλλον εντυπωσιακή.

Έχοντας στο μυαλό μου τα digital media (που φροντίζουν να μην βγαίνουν εύκολα από την σκέψη μου) και κυρίως το απόσπασμα που παραθέτω παραπάνω από το research proposal σκέφτομαι το google maps/earth και το σύνολο των φωτογραφιών που έχουν ανέβει online για μέρη σε όλο τον κόσμο + τις 3d απεικονίσεις του earth/ή τη δυνατότητα εικόνας 360 μοιρών που σου δίνει το street view και έτοιμο το puzzle!

Προφανώς είναι πλέον πολύ πιο εύκολο να έχουμε πρόσβαση σε πληροφορίες για περιοχές που δεν έχουμε επισκεφτεί. Μπορούμε να υποθέσουμε, επίσης, ότι η κάθε εικόνα μπορεί να μας δημιουργήσει αναμνήσεις. Ή τέλος πάντων, η κάθε εικόνα να έχει επίδραση σε κάτι μεταξύ της μνήμης/αντίληψης/φαντασίας μας (memory/perception/imagination).

Οπότε φτάνουμε κάπου εδώ:

Can we really talk about constructed memory because of the digital media? Or maybe we should rephrase saying that the boundaries among memory/perception/imagination become more blurry on the informational age?

What happens is that anyone can easily access interactive/informational maps. Maps of real/built environment, where he/she can not only process various information referring to the area of interest, but also see pictures of the area. According to the engine being used, he/she can either have a panoramic view of the neighborhood (google street view) or a 3d model (google earth). Thus, our perception of an area we've never been to becomes more and more clear. Virtual worlds like SecondLife also offer the possibility to the user/citizen to experience a walk close/through monuments or characteristic spots of almost every (very real) city.

Even though it's quite far from someone to be confused between real/virtual it becomes much more common every day to use digital media in order to recognize areas through interactive and informational mapping. The more we use it, the more familiar it gets. How far are we actually from having constructed memories of places we've never been to? From neighborhoods seen only through google's applications or 3d virtual worlds?

research(ing)@edinburgh

Αντιγράφω (και) εδώ το research proposal με το οποίο έγινα δεκτός στο msc by research digital media and culture του university of edinburgh.

Απλά για να είναι η αρχή στο νήμα που (ελπίζω) θα ξετυλιχτεί σιγά σιγά.

Έχουμε και λέμε:

One of the most up-to-date research interests worldwide is about the commitment of computers and networking in social life. Phenomena known as Web 2.0, social networking (facebook, twitter, etc), blogging, free/open source software (linux) tend to set completely different bases on the way we think about everyday actions, such as socializing. My topic of research interest includes 3d virtual worlds (like Second Life), social media (like facebook, twitter, linkedin etc) and the way they transform the human profile. Researchers believe we are living in an era resetting the human profile into a dual (virtual and real) one, where every person tries already to find how to manage his/her time/work/pleasure between his/her virtual and real profile.

A key point of my academic career has been my research project regarding the, very famous at the moment, virtual world of Second Life (SL), and its historical, sociological and architectural parameters. Running through the history of online gaming/socializing can be noticed the progress of the way people used to understand/imagine/live in virtual space, from the very first MODs/IRC (internet relay chat), where text-based environments recreated virtual worlds/while the term “chat-room” also refers to a space-based socialization, to the 3d virtual, real time worlds, where it's on user's virtual (or not) hands to create his/her own (still virtual) world/house/decoration/clothing/body/self. Questions arise on the way such online platforms can be used to rethink on, among others, architectural issues, based on space. If and how, for example, can scripting [a necessary way of creating in the world of SL used by everybody (including architects) when at the s ame time the very same tool is used in real architectural projects, considered to be the mainstream creating procedure] be tested in a unreal (from the materialistic aspect), yet full of socialization, environment.

Moreover, a quite interesting part of the research project analyzed above, was a connection between the interactive, real time, informational map of SL with the real world online mapping (google maps/earth, GIS as well), where tons of information seems to be really easily and widely accessible, sometimes even more than (what is supposed to be) normal, considering the violation of human rights and personal data. On the contrary, from personal experience, I could dare to guess that younger people tend to be much more revealing about their personal info, than older ones, since they're more familiar in using/understanding(?) digital media. A research in the change of human profile and the way people tend to think about what is personal and what is not, what can be pinched on our (virtual) wall and what not, the (new) boarders of our hidden area, sounds quite interesting.

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this ground was purchased by his family,
consisting of 9 feet in length
and 3 feet in breadth

Πίσω, λοιπόν, από Εδιμβούργο.

Let's see.