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Mirror of Your Mind — Real Life

February 14, 2021 samplereality
How “algorithmic feeds conflate identity with diagnosis”
Tagged DIG101, links, syllabus

How Fair Is Zoom Justice?

August 19, 2020 samplereality
The same audio processing features in Zoom that eliminate echoes and background noise might also be eliminating high and low frequency audio cues that foster empathy between people.
Tagged DIG101, links, syllabus, Zoom

When SimCity got serious: the story of Maxis Business Simulations and SimRefinery

May 19, 2020 samplereality
This piece by @itstheshadsy is going onto my Intro to a Digital Studies syllabus. It’s a doubleheader of media archaeology and simulation studies.
Tagged DIG101, links, SimCity, simulation, syllabus

A Theory of Zoom Fatigue

April 23, 2020April 23, 2020 samplereality
Tagged DIG101, links, syllabus, Zoom

A Theory of Zoom Fatigue

April 23, 2020 samplereality
"We are paying attention to ourselves in an odd way"—yes! This idea from @lmsacasas is something I haven't been able to put my finger on until now about teaching through video.
Tagged DIG101, links, syllabus, Zoom

Creepypasta, ‘Candle Cove’, and the Digital Gothic

April 20, 2020 samplereality
Bookmarking Jessica Balanzategui's piece for the next iteration of my Death in the Digital Age course
Tagged creepypasta, dig215, digitaldeath, gothic, horror, links, syllabus

Creepypasta, ‘Candle Cove’, and the Digital Gothic

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020 samplereality
Tagged creepypasta, dig215, digitaldeath, gothic, horror, links, syllabus

Destroy / Wait

February 7, 2020 samplereality
Pierre Chevalier's "Destroy / Wait" is another dilemma game in Twine, with every move a choice between the two title actions. An existential god game that undoes the meaning of "god" game.
Tagged links, Twine, Twine-library

Destroy / Wait

February 7, 2020 samplereality
Pierre Chevalier's "Destroy / Wait" is another dilemma game in Twine, with every move a choice between the two title actions. An existential god game that undoes the meaning of "god" game.
Tagged links, Twine, Twine-library

Let’s Punch a Nazi!

February 7, 2020 samplereality
Do you or don't you punch a Nazi? A Twine game by Rex Mundane. The graphics and text don't necessarily tell the same story. Also notable for being a "dilemma" game, where every move is a choice between two opposing choices.
Tagged itch.io, links, Twine, Twine-library

Let’s Punch a Nazi!

February 7, 2020 samplereality
Do you or don't you punch a Nazi? A Twine game by Rex Mundane. The graphics and text don't necessarily tell the same story. Also notable for being a "dilemma" game, where every move is a choice between two opposing choices.
Tagged itch.io, links, Twine, Twine-library

Why protests are becoming increasingly faceless

December 14, 2019 samplereality
Quick overview of the influence of art and design on protests masks, including dazzle masks and Zach Blas' facial weaponization suite.
Tagged design, links, masks, Twine

Why protests are becoming increasingly faceless

December 14, 2019 samplereality
Quick overview of the influence of art and design on protests masks, including dazzle masks and Zach Blas' facial weaponization suite.
Tagged design, links, masks, Twine

A Bestiary of Player Agency

December 6, 2019 samplereality
A loose and overlapping catalog of the kinds of agency choice-based games can give their players
Tagged DIG220, elit, links, syllabus, Twine

Small-Scale Structures in CYOA

December 6, 2019 samplereality
One of the must-read articles about designing structure on choice-based interactive fiction
Tagged DIG220, elit, links, syllabus, Twine

A Bestiary of Player Agency

December 6, 2019 samplereality
A loose and overlapping catalog of the kinds of agency choice-based games can give their players
Tagged DIG220, elit, links, syllabus, Twine

Small-Scale Structures in CYOA

December 6, 2019 samplereality
One of the must-read articles about designing structure on choice-based interactive fiction
Tagged DIG220, elit, links, syllabus, Twine

The 7 Deadly Sins of Interactive Fiction

December 2, 2019 samplereality
I don't agree with every rule here by a long shot. These are more like "things to think about" when creating a certain kind of interactive fiction game.
Tagged IF, links, syllabus, Twine

The 7 Deadly Sins of Interactive Fiction

December 2, 2019 samplereality
I don't agree with every rule here by a long shot. These are more like "things to think about" when creating a certain kind of interactive fiction game.
Tagged IF, links, syllabus, Twine

Unraveling the Secret Origins of an AmazonBasics Battery

October 31, 2019 samplereality
This would make a great introduction the materiality and labor in a class about digital culture and infrastructure
Tagged Amazon, energy, labor, links, materiality, syllabus

Unraveling the Secret Origins of an AmazonBasics Battery

October 31, 2019 samplereality
This would make a great introduction the materiality and labor in a class about digital culture and infrastructure
Tagged Amazon, energy, labor, links, materiality, syllabus

Period-Tracking Apps Say You May Have a Disorder. What if They’re Wrong?

October 30, 2019 samplereality
Worth including on my Gender and a Technology syllabus
Tagged DIG340, gender, links, syllabus

Period-Tracking Apps Say You May Have a Disorder. What if They’re Wrong?

October 30, 2019 samplereality
Worth including on my Gender and a Technology syllabus
Tagged DIG340, gender, links, syllabus

Maybe It’s Not YouTube’s Algorithm That Radicalizes People

October 23, 2019 samplereality
A counter to the "red pill" theory of YouTube radicalization
Tagged DIG101, links, radicalization, syllabus, YouTube

Maybe It’s Not YouTube’s Algorithm That Radicalizes People

October 23, 2019 samplereality
A counter to the "red pill" theory of YouTube radicalization
Tagged DIG101, links, radicalization, syllabus, YouTube

the relief of impact by ghoulnoise

October 17, 2019 samplereality
Here's an evocative Twine horror game to include in the next version of my Death in the Digital Age course.
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, games, links, Twine

the relief of impact by ghoulnoise

October 17, 2019 samplereality
Here's an evocative Twine horror game to include in the next version of my Death in the Digital Age course.
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, games, links, Twine

Escape from the Crazy Place

September 9, 2019 samplereality
Tagged e-lit, links, Twine

Escape from the Crazy Place

September 9, 2019 samplereality
Tagged e-lit, links, Twine

Surface Reading

September 9, 2019 samplereality
Worth including at the beginning of the semester in an e-lit class
Tagged DIG220, e-lit, links, syllabus

Surface Reading

September 9, 2019 samplereality
Worth including at the beginning of the semester in an e-lit class
Tagged DIG220, e-lit, links, syllabus

Jeffrey Epstein’s influence in the science world is a symptom of larger problems | Kate Darling | Opinion | The Guardian

September 7, 2019 samplereality
A not entirely convincing case for why Joi Ito should remain head of MIT's Media Lab (because he has the humility to work toward change)
Tagged DIG340, Epstein, ethics, gender, links, medialab, MIT

Jeffrey Epstein’s influence in the science world is a symptom of larger problems | Kate Darling | Opinion | The Guardian

September 7, 2019 samplereality
A not entirely convincing case for why Joi Ito should remain head of MIT's Media Lab (because he has the humility to work toward change)
Tagged DIG340, Epstein, ethics, gender, links, medialab, MIT

My Twenty Favorite Works of Interactive Fiction

August 15, 2019 samplereality
A great overview of some must-play new and newish interactive fiction, including Twine, ChoiceScript, and other platforms.
Tagged elit, links, syllabus, Twine, videogames

My Twenty Favorite Works of Interactive Fiction

August 15, 2019 samplereality
A great overview of some must-play new and newish interactive fiction, including Twine, ChoiceScript, and other platforms.
Tagged elit, links, syllabus, Twine, videogames

Verge exposé on the horrific working lives of Facebook content moderator

June 23, 2019 samplereality
“Facebook needs to shut down” says one content moderator.
Tagged DIG101, links, syllabus

Verge exposé on the horrific working lives of Facebook content moderator

June 23, 2019 samplereality
“Facebook needs to shut down” says one content moderator.
Tagged DIG101, links, syllabus

[untitled]

May 30, 2019 samplereality
Glitching images and making eerie glitched GIFs out of photos
Tagged databending, glitch, links

[untitled]

May 30, 2019 samplereality
Glitching images and making eerie glitched GIFs out of photos
Tagged databending, glitch, links

Was this Google Executive deeply misinformed or lying in the New York Times?

May 28, 2019 samplereality
Tagged algorithms, links, YouTube

Was this Google Executive deeply misinformed or lying in the New York Times?

May 28, 2019 samplereality
Tagged algorithms, links, YouTube

AI Ethics: Seven Traps

March 30, 2019 samplereality
The traps that discussions about AI ethics fall into. Especially appreciate "the rule of law" trap, wherein we assume laws about AI will inherently be ethical.
Tagged algorithms, DIG101, ethics, links, syllabus

AI Ethics: Seven Traps

March 30, 2019 samplereality
The traps that discussions about AI ethics fall into. Especially appreciate "the rule of law" trap, wherein we assume laws about AI will inherently be ethical.
Tagged algorithms, DIG101, ethics, links, syllabus

DNA Friend

March 17, 2019 samplereality
"All it takes is a mouth and a phone" - Brilliant parody of the DNA-testing industry
Tagged dig401, links

DNA Friend

March 17, 2019 samplereality
"All it takes is a mouth and a phone" - Brilliant parody of the DNA-testing industry
Tagged dig401, links

“Pac-Man: The Untold Story of How We Really Played The Game”

March 17, 2019 samplereality
Fascinating look at the embodied and material nature of the classic arcade game
Tagged links, pac-man, videogames

“Pac-Man: The Untold Story of How We Really Played The Game”

March 17, 2019 samplereality
Fascinating look at the embodied and material nature of the classic arcade game
Tagged links, pac-man, videogames

How Amazon’s Algorithms Curated a Dystopian Bookstore

March 6, 2019 samplereality
Honestly though you'll soon be able to replace "bookstore" with any noun.
Tagged algorithms, Amazon, dataculture, links

How Amazon’s Algorithms Curated a Dystopian Bookstore

March 6, 2019 samplereality
Honestly though you'll soon be able to replace "bookstore" with any noun.
Tagged algorithms, Amazon, dataculture, links

The Famous Photo of Chernobyl’s Most Dangerous Radioactive Material Was a Selfie

February 27, 2019 samplereality
Good background on Chernobyl for when we talk about "dark tourism" in "Death in the Digital Age"
Tagged Chernobyl, dark_tourism, dig215, links

The Famous Photo of Chernobyl’s Most Dangerous Radioactive Material Was a Selfie

February 27, 2019 samplereality
Good background on Chernobyl for when we talk about "dark tourism" in "Death in the Digital Age"
Tagged Chernobyl, dark_tourism, dig215, links

Inside the Secret Sting Operations to Expose Celebrity Psychics

February 27, 2019 samplereality
Perfect timing for this NYT article on contemporary mediums. Just yesterday in DIG 215 we were talking about the Fox sisters and their "spiritual telegraph" to the afterlife.
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, links, psychic, social_media, syllabus

Inside the Secret Sting Operations to Expose Celebrity Psychics

February 27, 2019 samplereality
Perfect timing for this NYT article on contemporary mediums. Just yesterday in DIG 215 we were talking about the Fox sisters and their "spiritual telegraph" to the afterlife.
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, links, psychic, social_media, syllabus

Thieves of experience: On the rise of surveillance capitalism

February 6, 2019 samplereality
Pretty thorough review of Shoshana Zuboff’s new book. Key idea is the “extraction imperative” that drives Google, Facebook, etc.
Tagged links, surveillance, syllabus

Thieves of experience: On the rise of surveillance capitalism

February 6, 2019 samplereality
Pretty thorough review of Shoshana Zuboff’s new book. Key idea is the “extraction imperative” that drives Google, Facebook, etc.
Tagged links, surveillance, syllabus

They Will Not Return

February 3, 2019 samplereality
Possible Twine game to include on my Death in the Digital Age syllabus, with shades of Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”
Tagged dig215, interactivefiction, links, syllabus, Twine

They Will Not Return

February 3, 2019 samplereality
Possible Twine game to include on my Death in the Digital Age syllabus, with shades of Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”
Tagged dig215, interactivefiction, links, syllabus, Twine

The Fyre Festival and the Trumpet of Amplification

February 3, 2019 samplereality
Terrific/terrifying post by Mike Caulfield showing that the same principles that underwrote the Fyre Festival apply to disinformation and conspiracy theories
Tagged DIG101, disinformation, links, syllabus

The Fyre Festival and the Trumpet of Amplification

February 2, 2019 samplereality
Terrific/terrifying post by Mike Caulfield showing that the same principles that underwrote the Fyre Festival apply to disinformation and conspiracy theories
Tagged DIG101, disinformation, links, syllabus

How To Pay Attention

January 11, 2019 samplereality
Tips include "Look slowly," "Look repeatedly," "Follow the quiet," and "Let a stranger lead you"
Tagged design, dig401, links

How To Pay Attention

January 11, 2019 samplereality
Tips include "Look slowly," "Look repeatedly," "Follow the quiet," and "Let a stranger lead you"
Tagged design, dig401, links

Code and data for paper “Deep Painterly Harmonization”

December 17, 2018 samplereality
Maybe I should add “deep painting” to the glitching and databending section of my “Hacking, Remixing, and Design” seminar...
Tagged dig401, hacking, links, syllabus

Code and data for paper “Deep Painterly Harmonization”

December 17, 2018 samplereality
Maybe I should add “deep painting” to the glitching and databending section of my “Hacking, Remixing, and Design” seminar...
Tagged dig401, hacking, links, syllabus

STET by Sarah Gailey

December 11, 2018 samplereality
Short experimental fiction with a fresh take on the AI trolley problem.
Tagged AI, digitaldeath, links, syllabus, trolley_problem

STET by Sarah Gailey

December 11, 2018 samplereality
Short experimental fiction with a fresh take on the AI trolley problem.
Tagged AI, digitaldeath, links, syllabus, trolley_problem

“Blackfishing” on Instagram

December 3, 2018 samplereality
Adding this to future syllabuses, to be paired with Lauren Michele Jackson's digital blackface article in Teen Vogue.
Tagged DIG101, DIG340, gender, links, race, syllabus

“Blackfishing” on Instagram

December 3, 2018 samplereality
Adding this to future syllabuses, to be paired with Lauren Michele Jackson's digital blackface article in Teen Vogue.
Tagged DIG101, DIG340, gender, links, race, syllabus

Video Games In East Germany: The Stasi Played Along

November 30, 2018 samplereality
Fascinating history of the Commodore 64, East Germany in the 80s, and the surveillance state.
Tagged hacking, links, surveillance, videogames

Video Games In East Germany: The Stasi Played Along

November 30, 2018 samplereality
Fascinating history of the Commodore 64, East Germany in the 80s, and the surveillance state.
Tagged hacking, links, surveillance, videogames

Atlantic article on the rise of exorcisms

November 21, 2018 samplereality
Adding to my Death in the Digital Age class, where we’re already discussing demons and exorcism in the 21st century
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, links, syllabus

Atlantic article on the rise of exorcisms

November 21, 2018 samplereality
Adding to my Death in the Digital Age class, where we’re already discussing demons and exorcism in the 21st century
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, links, syllabus

Before You Make a Thing

November 15, 2018 samplereality
Yeah, I think I’m stealing this for my spring Hacking, Remixing, and Design course.
Tagged dig401, links, syllabus

Before You Make a Thing

November 14, 2018 samplereality
Yeah, I think I’m stealing this for my spring Hacking, Remixing, and Design course.
Tagged dig401, links, syllabus

The United States of Guns

November 10, 2018 samplereality
Powerful post by @jkottke on the (minority of) Americans’ obsession with guns.
Tagged links, NRA

The United States of Guns

November 10, 2018 samplereality
Powerful post by @jkottke on the (minority of) Americans’ obsession with guns.
Tagged links, NRA

MIT’s Docubase

November 3, 2018 samplereality
Not sure why I didn't know before about MIT's Open Documentary Lab and its Docubase, a database of digital documentary projects
Tagged database, digitalstudies, links

MIT’s Docubase

November 3, 2018 samplereality
Not sure why I didn't know before about MIT's Open Documentary Lab and its Docubase, a database of digital documentary projects
Tagged database, digitalstudies, links

Cult Conversations: A Series on Horror, Exploitation and the Gothic · Henry Jenkins

October 30, 2018 samplereality
Terrific look at where horror has been in the past 100 years, and what the genre looks like now.
Tagged cinema, horror, links, syllabus

Cult Conversations: A Series on Horror, Exploitation and the Gothic · Henry Jenkins

October 30, 2018 samplereality
Terrific look at where horror has been in the past 100 years, and what the genre looks like now.
Tagged cinema, horror, links, syllabus

Digital immortality: How your life’s data means a version of you could live forever

October 23, 2018 samplereality
Adding this to my “Death in the Digital Age” syllabus for the spring.
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, links, syllabus

Digital immortality: How your life’s data means a version of you could live forever

October 23, 2018 samplereality
Adding this to my “Death in the Digital Age” syllabus for the spring.
Tagged dig215, digitaldeath, links, syllabus

Games really need to fall out of love with Lovecraft

October 18, 2018 samplereality
“It's time to let go of Lovecraft. No more tentacled multi-eyed monstrosities, no foggy fishing towns or ancient aliens posing as gods.”
Tagged links, lovecraft, videogames

Games really need to fall out of love with Lovecraft

October 18, 2018 samplereality
“It's time to let go of Lovecraft. No more tentacled multi-eyed monstrosities, no foggy fishing towns or ancient aliens posing as gods.”
Tagged links, lovecraft, videogames

From Memes to Infowars: How 75 Fascist Activists Were “Red-Pilled”

October 15, 2018 samplereality
White supremacists credit YouTube with being the single-most important media source in their radicalization.
Tagged alt-right, links, nazis, YouTube

From Memes to Infowars: How 75 Fascist Activists Were “Red-Pilled”

October 15, 2018 samplereality
White supremacists credit YouTube with being the single-most important media source in their radicalization.
Tagged alt-right, links, nazis, YouTube

Standard Patterns in Choice-Based Games

October 11, 2018 samplereality
A bit dated now, but still a good overview of the dynamic between interactive narrative structures and narrative motifs.
Tagged games, IF, interactivefiction, links

Standard Patterns in Choice-Based Games

October 11, 2018 samplereality
A bit dated now, but still a good overview of the dynamic between interactive narrative structures and narrative motifs.
Tagged games, IF, interactivefiction, links

“We’re Going to Have to Do Things That Are Unthinkable”: Masculinity/Games/Torture

October 11, 2018 samplereality
Fascinating reading of torture in videogames as masculine ritual and affect (and builds on my own work on virtual torture)
Tagged links, torture, videogames

“We’re Going to Have to Do Things That Are Unthinkable”: Masculinity/Games/Torture

October 11, 2018 samplereality
Fascinating reading of torture in videogames as masculine ritual and affect (and builds on my own work on virtual torture)
Tagged links, torture, videogames

Undum returns

October 10, 2018 samplereality
Undum, an interactive fiction platform that was never as widely adapted as it should’ve been, is now on Github, complete with all the documentation. Go write something!
Tagged hypertext, IF, links

Undum returns

October 10, 2018 samplereality
Undum, an interactive fiction platform that was never as widely adapted as it should’ve been, is now on Github, complete with all the documentation. Go write something!
Tagged hypertext, IF, links

Walmart’s Patent for a Biometric-Enhanced Cart

October 9, 2018 samplereality
Walmart just patented a procedure for capturing customer health data via shopping cart handles. No way this data could be misused, no-sir.
Tagged data, DIG101, links, surveillance

Walmart’s Patent for a Biometric-Enhanced Cart

October 9, 2018 samplereality
Walmart just patented a procedure for capturing customer health data via shopping cart handles. No way this data could be misused, no-sir.
Tagged data, DIG101, links, surveillance

Two popular conservative Twitter personalities were just outed as Russian trolls

September 25, 2018 samplereality
Revisiting this 2017 article after reading about Kathleen Hall Jamieson's new "Cyberwar" book.
Tagged DIG101, links, Russia, trolls

Two popular conservative Twitter personalities were just outed as Russian trolls

September 25, 2018 samplereality
Revisiting this 2017 article after reading about Kathleen Hall Jamieson's new "Cyberwar" book.
Tagged DIG101, links, Russia, trolls

Amazon Alexa Will Take Over Your Home – The Atlantic

September 22, 2018 samplereality
Will probably add this to my DIG 101 syllabus. And it would pair well with Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains.”
Tagged Alexa, DIG101, links, syllabus

Amazon Alexa Will Take Over Your Home – The Atlantic

September 22, 2018 samplereality
Will probably add this to my DIG 101 syllabus. And it would pair well with Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains.”
Tagged Alexa, DIG101, links, syllabus

21 of the Best Horror Books by Women

September 19, 2018 samplereality
I second many of the novels here, but will admit I was disappointed by The Grip of It.
Tagged fiction, horror, links

21 of the Best Horror Books by Women

September 19, 2018 samplereality
I second many of the novels here, but will admit I was disappointed by The Grip of It.
Tagged fiction, horror, links

First Monday Volume 23, Number 9

September 16, 2018 samplereality
The entire September 2018 issue of First Monday is devoted to emoji 💛🧡❤️💚💙💜
Tagged emoji, links, syllabus

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