“No Beast In My Village”

We were asked to verify our opinion on the 'Strengths & Weaknesses of the web as a medium of communication.
*~*~*~*~*

Here is my response. This writing actually goes with the Remediation reading from 'Living in The Information Age' read Critique / to sample chapters, Understanding New Media. Personally, the whole reason that I took this class was to get, just a tiny bit, caught up with a world that was quickly passing me by. In just ten years I have gone from owning a would-be computer machine (5megs of ram) never connected and seldom got played with, to being connected everywhere! I'm wired in dozens of coffee shops across the country. Having infinite information, literally at your fingertips is a truly mind-boggling occurrence. The elderly would never have regarded it, and, the next generation couldn’t live without it.
~ Writer's Definition of 'Beast':
It's big for one thing! It’s dangerous, cunning, uncontrollable, consuming and it’s banging on my door. The Internet is a beast.
Now, there's intention, for one thing, to want to get all mid-evil in this characterization and have 'The Beast' drool and smell. But, we all know what this is really about. It’s one of the biggest meanest ‘baddest’ mothers of the ‘global’ valley and it needs to be respected for those Goliath-like reasons alone. When something really big is in your neighborhood the appropriate action would be to never let it out of your sight. Study it. Know its habits, what it likes to eat and if it’s looking for you in particular. I cannot control this beast, I wouldn’t even want to, however, to be educated to it would be the smart thing. The irresponsible thing here would, to be the libel ostrich and pay no attention to the hot breathing on the back of my neck.
“No Beast In My Village”
A story by Dln
Once upon a time, there was a simple community on the East Cape of the north island in very rural New Zealand. Māori society has traditionally been one based on rank. That particular village had a female at the helm. She was a big, straightforward woman married, weirdly enough, to a red-headed X-film director from Hollywood. Who incidentally had been out of the loop for a very long time, he appeared happy, yet seemingly starving for information about the world outside his current situation. “What’s happening out there?” “Who’s in charge - how’s society doing? …any new discoveries?” He wanted the scoop from the outside world. What could I possible tell him that he might need to know there in a nowhere New Zealand paradise? His wife, we’ll call her ‘Mrs. Chief’ became quite guarded, started throwing rank and prejudice around till there was little room for much else like ‘The News.” It was visibly clear that she was the editor and ‘chief’ of all reports that come to this quiet village. If she did not deem the information worthy, or it would be harmful to her power, it would not be allowed. There was no radio in the house. Television and newspapers had no place either on the property. All current events went by her first. She would decide how much weight to put on them, and she had ‘heaps of heavy’ to go around. The community, the director’s wife and kids and their home were all in a wonderfully scenic spot about 30 miles or so south of Gisborne. While that is understated dramatically, it was a lost piece of heaven on earth. And, the Big Mama’ wanted to keep it that way. I couldn’t have blamed her for that. Making myself aware to her defensiveness I laid subservient and respectful throughout the visit. Trying to stay off her toes wasn’t an easy task. She let me know repeatedly how I was out of line with their ways. I understood her disdain at my messenger-like presents, with news from the outside world –Big City Info and all - and slept on the beach that night. Thinking about her feelings of power, her ownership of the village, her position, it wasn’t hard to see the way she viewed it: “If I don’t know about it, it’s not worth knowing.” "It's existence is insignificant and therefore denied."
Well, that kind of stand will get you just so far, and in that world, that was far enough. The personal effect this had was of humbled awakening. I understood her fear cloaked in dominance. Yet, what I got out of that power struggle was this. It’s OK to deny the beast access to your home. It’s fine to forbid him to even speak in your presence. It’s even suitable to believe in your own welfare and safety for the village. But, don’t pretend that ‘The Beast’ doesn’t exist… that he’s not nearing your door, and otherwise lives on your island, moreover, will eventually grow larger that you given enough to eat. Know the creature called technology. Don’t live in ignorant resistance. Educate yourself on the habits and tendencies that come with the territory.
The Information Age is upon us. It will be a part of the future, sooner or later - probably sooner in my world than later in hers.
. . .And they all lived and died happily ever-after.
The up shot... -the deal, you know there’s always a deal. My dad sent me an article cut from the Honolulu Star Bulletin ‘On the Net’ Inventive visuals reign in this site. There are some pretty phenomenal sites out there. These are a must to check out!

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can."

~Danny Kaye

Worlds Highest website
Circoripopolo goes Artistque
The Human Brain Cloud
Light Bright

and more at the 'Artful Web'!!!!

podcasting – Hawaiian style