Week 3 – Reading Assignment Day 2
I believe that the Mashup Readings for Week 3 can be framed really well in context with Monday’s reading on Prototyping. To frame this context we jump from he representational role of prototyping to the tangent role of problem solving. There is a clear theme in almost all of the mashup readings that edges one to more dynamic thinking when it comes to electronic interaction.
Beyond the shameless plug of Professor Brucker-Cohen’s work in Michael Hohl’s, “Calm Technologies 2.o: Visualizing Social Data as an Experience in Physical Space”, I think these works show a very interesting methodology for changing computer interaction (both giving and receiving information) with the user. While I could see how some might view these attempts at correlating the ethereal experience of the Internet to the physical as a reduction of technological expression, it has merit towards changing the way we perceive information. At the end of the day is a drill being activated every time a website is viewed any different then having a desktop app that acts as a counter for the same information? We could argue that one might have a more clear and concise representation of information, but they both provide the same data.
Redirecting the subject back to the idea of prototyping I like how the musical “mashup” produced by Danger Mouse was thrown into the equation. It helps to push you further out of the trap of electronic collaboration. As a fan of Danger Mouse (especially his work with MF Doom and Adult Swim), I may be slightly biased, but I think this album shows a willingness to blend technical exactness with the translucent nature of artistic expression. He kept to technical specs both in the nature of music production and the technical specs of the programs he was using, but allowed himself to really creatively express a blend of two different worlds. (four if you count technology to music and the two music groups)
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