Sunday, April 22, 2007
My Senior Project is Gonna be late
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Partnership for Watauga's Future
Partnership for Watauga's Future
High Country Forum on Livable Communities
(Barely) Working Bibliography
Blakely, Edward and Snyder, Mary. “Forting Up: Gated Communities in the United
States.” Journal of Architectural Planning and Research 15:1 (1998):1-13
“
<>
“Gated Communities.” Wikipedia: The free Encyclopedia. 2006. 20 April 2006
<>
Newman, Oscar. “Defensible Space: A new physical planning tool for urban
Revitalization.” Journal of the American Planning Association vol. 61 no. 2
(1995): 1-8
U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division on Sustainable Development.
Environment and Development.
Williams, Marguerite. “Growth in Davidson: Discovering and Sustaining
Ourselves.” Presentation with power point slides on the town of
Smart Growth Award
Williams, Marguerite. Interviewed by Mary Horton. 4 February 2006. Interview 1.
Zillow.Com, online Real Estate Information. 2006. <>
Search.z?addrstrthood=carriage+run&citystatezip=Raeligh%2C+27614&mode=
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Real Project Proposal
Our Growth, Smart Growth
Two years ago, while taking Geographic Perspectives on Human Behavior with Roger Winsor, I wrote a research paper on
With a specific focus on small-town development, I intend to explore the implication of such growth on life quality. The goal here is to formulate a paper that focuses on learning to learn from one another. What has Davidson done that could be equally or differently affective here in the High Country? I will use my research paper as a base for a case study, with a follow up visit and report on Davidson’s new progress, problems, etc. My thesis will be a combination of an emphasis on the cooperation of local communities with each other to learn sustainable development in their own context, and the importance of activism in maintaining life quality in the small-town setting.
I will also be attending a conference later in April called the High Country Forum on Livable Communities sponsored by The Partnership for Watauga's Future, the
Initial Proposal--what I talked about in class
Community Involvement, Spirituality, and Local Activism
As I tried to articulate the second week of classes, this idea of community involvement strikes a chord with me. When I began to think of how to get people more involved in things like town meetings and local activism, I faced myself with a question: What is keeping people that want to be active from doing so? And what can I do to help them?
I came up with some (scattered) ideas: money, time, circumstance, lack of childcare, intimidation, the feeling of not having an impact on one’s environment, language barriers, and many other ideas. So what can the community do…to help the community overcome some of these obstacles. I came up with two ideas. What if volunteers from school or organizations like High Country Amigos helped bring local latinos a translator to town meetings? What if local babysitters, church groups, etc, helped provide childcare for parents at these sort of things? I then began to think of the idea of the church involvement further.
I am not an extremely religious person, but I do believe that spirituality, God, a good conscience, and whatever else have a common ground as far as the environment, equity, and these sort of things go. Should not then institutions for each realm work together in attaining such ideals they ascribe to?
What does spirituality have to offer an effort for sustainability?
I thumbed through a few books about this idea, and realized:
I simply cannot come to a conclusion on anything new in one semester as far as this goes. (At least not one I can articulate well enough for my Senior Project)
I will probably continue to formulate my ideas on this topic for the rest of my life.
And so I decided to focus on something I have a little more experience with, something a little more tangible and attainable for me, right now.
Back to the drawing board
Just a little bit about me...
MH55032
Majors: IDS-Sustainable Development
Spanish
My name is Katy Horton and I have been a student here at Appalachian State since August 2002. When I began studying here, I don’t think I really had any idea of what I wanted to focus on. I took courses in Psychology, Political Science, and Communications, loving them all, but not exactly finding an inner passion for any of them. I then decided on majoring in International Business. I enjoy the Spanish language and have always been interested in foreign affairs and culture, especially those with Central and
I knew that I had a passion for connecting with people, for culture, and anthropology. I care deeply about my fellow man and for the Earth that we all share. I am interested in knowing why we, as people, Americans, students, whatever, are the way we are. I have the same interest in understanding others in the same light. I tend to see life as a mostly grey area, as circumstantial, and relative. Because of this I have an appreciation for many different kinds of ideas, people, and cultures, no matter how contradicting they might be.
Then I came to the IDS Department.
I am a very scattered person. I am interested in and involved in many different things at once. My whole life has been this way. There are few things, however, that I can pinpoint my exact feelings on. I know we, as humans, face a serious challenge today. Not only is that challenge to do right or to “save the world” without absolutely destroying each other, but also, to stay somewhat sane while doing it. I am not sure that the latter is not equally as difficult.
To me, one of the greatest ideas is coexistence. (Cooperation, mediation, harmony, etc.) In my life, I hope to begin help create a coexistence between the areas in my life and others’ that pull us in a different directions; Individualism, self-interest, and maximizing potential, working together, the idea of the greater good, etc. Concentrating in Sustainable Development seems to be something that will perpetuate within me, this passion, or striving (although I find it hard to articulate my goals) to create such harmony in all aspects of life (social, economic, environmental, political, personal, etc.). So here I am. All tangled up in ideas, fears, ‘isms’, and assignments, trying desperately, and with a positive attitude, to work this out.
I have an interest in Planning and Development as well as the cultural implications that result. Along with courses in Economics, business, Spanish, and IDS (of course), I have taken several geography classes as well.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Assignment 2
A look at the internet from the viewpoints of Hawthorne and Bush
In the early nineties, alongside the introduction of the internet, came a spurred wave of both criticism and admirations. Many people thought that the internet was going to increase knowledge worldwide while some thought it would deteriorate our social and technical skills. Either way, the general consensus was that the internet would somehow change the world.
And it did just that. Now, someone can pay bills, write to Mom, write a research paper, buy Christmas gifts, fill prescriptions, and even grocery shop without leaving the comfort of their own office. There are two sides to this; 1) The new “easier” lifestyle that has resulted and 2) The destruction of culture as a whole because of the lack of interpersonal contact. These two theories strongly reflect the ideas of Hawthorne and Vannevar Bush’s ideas on the wood stove and the “memex”, respectively. (Bush) My new blog perfectly displays the issues presented by both gentlemen. I have increased the number of people that I can share my ideas with by them accessing my ideas, but I have decreased my desire to seek those informants myself.
In Hawthorne’s essay, “Fire Worship” he describes the complications with the new and modern wood stove. He describes that sadness of a family no longer hovering over the flames in a home to stay warm, but that with the stove, they may revert off to separate rooms. They are more independent, which eventually will lead to the demise of the family as a whole, cohesive unit. He explains that this wood stove will indirectly affect life in such a way that “…moral intercourse be chilled with a fatal frost.” The technology here has changed our lifestyle for the worse, creating a lonelier, immoral existence. He curses the wood stove in saying “Heaven grant that it may shatter the abomination all to pieces!”
Vannevar Bush, Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development in America’s wartime years describes technology, and more specifically data technology, as a means to unite individuals under the umbrella of knowledge. His proposed machine which he calls the “memex” is much like the current computerized database. It is a way to store knowledge and data in order to make it available to an endless number of intellectuals for an endless amount of time. He foresees the positive affect this will have on society as a whole. My blog however, is not going to be the ultimate downfall of my family or lifestyle. It may, however, help me win a war (of sorts).
In creating my blog, I am not exactly positive what the effects will be on my life, but I do know this; I am more engaged with my fellow classmates, friends, co-workers, and an endless number of other people I have never even met. I learn form these people, get entertainment from them, and they from me. This is the actualization of the dream of Vannevar Bush. It also fights against his view of our “ineptitude” in analysis caused by the “artificiality of systems of indexing.” Although his ideas were about technology in a time when technology saved the world from communistic and fascist regimes, he still regarded the sharing of knowledge as important to a simple lifestyle, such as mine.
Basically, I view my blog as a possible index of my own life. I can add to it as I please with my school work, journal entries, or simple statements that are catalogued chronologically to where someone ,without seeing or knowing me, can get a general idea of what my life is like; if I am a student, if I am weird, if I have a sense of humor. What needs to be appreciated her is that with blogs and the internet, I am learning about humanity and interpersonal experiences. I still have day to day experiences for myself, and learn about other people’s when they share them, but I learn even more about the human condition every day without even realizing it. I see my blog as a sort of offensive part my own, personal war that I wage everyday against my own alienation from my fellow man.
Although it can be viewed in many ways, I parallel my viewpoint with that of Vannevar Bush’s. Yes the technology seems threatening every day to our world as we know it, but what is it threatening? A possible breakdown of communication? Or simply a change? I usually don’t like change, but I am learning that most of the time, it is for the better.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Assignment 3
One of the more interesting new developments in home-based commodities is in fact the home itself. For decades, the technology industry has created new, more convenient machines and gadgets to assist with common tasks and the general upkeep and maintenance of a household. Now, previously tedious and difficult tasks such as actually opening a freezer door to remove ice, standing up to change a television channel, waiting three extra minutes to heat a can of soup over the stove, or god forbid even vacuuming, are almost extinct. And thank God for that. Now, with just the touch of a button, we can spend more time sitting on the couch drinking soda, and eating Spaghetti-O’s, while a tiny box-like vacuum thing that runs around the room, sucking up dirt until it hits a wall. We finally have time to do things that are really important. Like tell our house to raise our kids.
The new Smart Home system is becoming wildly popular as a means to conveniently maintain in-house control systems like lighting, power, and security. Voice activated software can be set to turn lights on and off at different times while a family is out of town to give the illusion that someone is home, warding off possible burglars. Although many of these things are simply commodities of luxury, many, like security for example, truly can improve the quality of life (safety) in a home.
What is becoming more popular, however, is software and technology that can perform some of the simplest tasks of parenting. The new, ‘Power Cop’ can monitor and “Limit the amount of time your kids waste playing video games or watching TV with this programmable timer for electronic devices that can be set for different times each day” (Smarthome website). A parent doesn’t even need to go in the upstairs bonus room to check on their eight year old, because he may be up there alone, but at least they know he is not watching television. Many of these new developments are what attract so many buyers, but also perpetuate a large sentiment of fear and resentment toward computers. If we give so much responsibility to a computer, what happens if it falters?
Such a question brings in mind a very popular computer technology film of 1968, “2001: A space Odyssey”. In Stanley Kubrick’s film about a journey to find buried objects on the moon, the main character, Dr. David Bowman, more commonly known as Dave, is paired with a computerized companion, HAL. Hal is a voice activated supervisor of the passenger’s health, mental well-being, operations, and procedures. Like the SmartHome, Hal can open doors, control temperature and lighting, and perform tasks of entertainment with a simple voice command. In these ways the two software are much alike. Hal is simply an exaggerated system built for, let’s say, an exaggerated, and much more expensive home, a space shuttle.
However, in the latter half of the film, Hal begins to what seems like turn on the crew of the ship. In simply performing tasks that preserve it or himself rather, he kills off all of the other crew except for Dave. I use the word kill, but I want to say murder. In the end, Dave has to destroy Hal in order to stay alive. This is one of the more emotionally charged scenes in the movie because its seems almost sad when he cuts Hal’s wires. The machine begs and pleads for redemption, and something in us wants to respond to that.
So was Hal alive? Would we think that the Smarthome was alive it the garage door crushed every member of our family? The first question is probably more difficult to answer than the second. In Sherry Turkle’s Life on the Screen , she paraphrases Minsky’s idea of artificial life as “ the discipline of building organisms and systems that would be considered alive if found in nature” (Turkle, 151). Both Hal and the Smart home, although it would be unlikely to find in nature, would most commonly be compared to simply another human. The software would not be considered alive in the same way as Blind Watchmaker can be, as a growing, unpredictable organism. What would be hard to distinguish however, are our feelings toward such a human-like machine.
These machines help us, and make us happy, but at the same time can hurt us with their malfunction. I haven’t heard of anyone being killed by a Smart home, but if it did happen, I think it would be spoken of as faulty technology. Turkle would probably explore the implications of this new technology challenging the way she perceives life, but then toss it aside as actual life itself. Hal’s situation would be harder to decipher. In Hal’s case, he is a perpetuating organism that is self-serving and mostly unpredictable. It is very clear that he is an object of technology, but he seems to have evolved into one of real animal, and even further, human characteristics.
Both cases however, portray a certain way that humans begin to interact with computers. In our more real scenario, with the Smart home, many people begin to rely on this technology and trust it as a huge part of their lives, almost like a butler, maid, and nanny combined. We may not yet see the technology as alive, but it plays such an active role in our new commoditized, day to day living, that we may value it as much as a person or pet. The trouble with determining AI and liveness, is the set of emotions that exist within ourselves. We are capable of loving people that help and entertain us, so we make the connection of the same emotions with many technologies that do the same. The issue is within our set of what real value is. And in our world, with such a strong value placed on convenience, We love our technology like a close friend. To others, these things may not be alive, but we breath life into them with our own emotions.
Monday, October 09, 2006
A history with computers
Soon after, I began to acknowledge our computer at home. It was a huge, bulky thing. It was possibly a Mac Classic. The screen sat way up high on top of the machine, and I remember sitting in the chair and cocking my head way back to see the neon writing on the greenish-black face. The box of floppy disks, which were actually big floppy, plastic things, was not to be touched because I could “mess up very important information,” so my parents said. I mostly watched my older brother and sister play games with this huge joy stick until I got enough courage to really engage with the thing. Most of my early memories of computers are more visual. I remember looking at the screen and watching others play the games, but not really what it was like to interact with it. Not until, that is, I discovered Solitaire.
“C-D space w-i-n-enter. C-D space w-i-n-enter C-d-space w-i-n-d-o-w-s.” I remember not knowing why, but when the black screen came up after turning on our newer computer, this was the exact typing that took me to that lovely card game I couldn’t get enough of, Solitaire. This jump started my interest with computers as a source of entertainment.
Programs like Number Crunchers and Oregon Trail were used in middle school when we went to the lab. About once every month or two classes would get to go to the computer lab on a Friday or something to practice math. If we finished early, we could play Oregon Trail.
In the late nineties, our Compaq became the source of many fights between my brother and me. We always fought over instant messenger. There were times when I couldn’t get enough of it. I would chat back in forth with a few other friends who had the program. Mostly, in the beginning we would go into chat rooms and try to have some silly and perverted conversation with god knows whoever else was in those chat rooms. I remember reading things like “16 yr old male here, looking for female.” For all I knew, it was probably some other curious twelve-year old. Thinking back on it now, there is no telling who we were talking to. As time went on, however, it was a source for ‘real communication.’
AOL instant messenger probably caused more fights in middle school than I could ever know. Cutting and pasting (and then printing) became a grand new mechanism for showcasing someone’s feelings, trash-talking, crushes, and any other gossip to all who saw it. The loss of inhibition due to the medium was incredible. I would never have said some of the things that I typed back then.
Throughout this time period, typed assignments became a norm at school. All major papers should be typed, unless you had no access to a computer, but those exceptions were made less and less. I had to type a 50-page novel for my eighth grade language arts class. All in just a couple of days too. That was probably my first experience with a late-night, procrastination driven computer experience.
It was not until the ninth grade, 1998, that I became a heavy user of e-mail. My boyfriend went to Lebanon each summer and that was our only source of communication. Making a trip to use a computer was so rare for him that I only heard from him three times over the course of two months.
Over the next few years, my computer usage rose exponentially. School work required typing. In college, I had to email teachers. I downloaded music. I chatted. I played games. And now, all of those things are even more convenient, and because of that, required. Now, a computer is a must as a student, or mostly as anything else for that matter. It’s how I get news, talk to friends and family, entertain myself, and get work done. Who knew, in 1989, that I would spend approximately 8 hours a week, sometimes much more, in front of one of these silly machines?
What the computers at school looked like in the first grade:
My first computer at home: