Exploratory Writing 3B
Exploratory Writing 4A
The reading this week stirred up some old thoughts from my old professor/mentor who had a particular love for etymology. While it was an annoying habit he may have had, it was hard to deny how useful it was to know a words origins. For the oddest reason I happen to remember that the word glitch comes from an old radio term meaning mistake or Slip-up. Upon further research I found that the word itself has Yiddish origins, and directly translates to slippery. I am fascinated to see how technological terminology evolves based on what seems to be the current needs of the time. The word glitch itself seemed to have quite the journey, and represents a much broader form of usage than what it had originally.
The reading was quite fascinating, and finishing I found that as the reading progressed the concepts became more complex but in many ways remained abstract. (In the best of ways) I couldn’t help but feel that we as human somewhat embody the concept of the glitch itself. A quote that stood out to me states ...We, the viral glitch, want broken ruins, a pollution as politic: punctures in the surface, a bubbling skin, all hell to break loose, destroying all that shit. The alternative is this world right now, this life—and this world is not enough. We cannot wait around to be remembered, to be humanized, to be seen... (87) Our physical bodies are symbolic of larger glitch themes as shown throughout the reading, but it is interesting to consider how we in many ways glitch our surroundings as well as ourselves. I cant help but think of how this impacts our creations intentional or otherwise. There are many glitch artists out there that specialize in the concept of glitch as a medium. The glitch artists of today make use of technology as a way to help bring their glitch concepts to life, and yet the sense that a level of control is sacrificed seems to always come through. I suppose that may have to do with the nature of glitch itself. In many ways the modern glitch is erratic and spontaneous.
I also appreciated the statement The Internet continues to be a place of immense intimacy, where an opening up of being can occur, and where one can dare to be vulnerable. The Internet’s virtual channels provide protection from physical injury, make room for an expression of ideas and politics in a fantastic forum, thus amplifying collectivity, coalition-building, and one’s courage to individuate.” (93) I am reminded that the internet is not only vast in its scale of networks, but perhaps more importantly it serves as a vehicle of sorts, one that allows the user to traverse a digital world compiled with information. The internet is in many ways a form of “stage” that allows one to share themselves in the most raw/intimate of ways. This has grown into a space that allows for inter-connections between people, digital systems, various technology peripherals, and so much more. I personally cant help but think of my own digital footprint within the various virtual worlds I have inhabited. I am in many ways grateful for the internet, and its ability to allow the individual to explore oneself in a way that not only promotes forms of growth, but also create a system in which all users have the opportunity to take advantage of the shared digital stage.