Florence's Reflection

THE USE OF WEBLOG FOR LEARNING PURPOSES

This weblog is very useful for us because it is a good platform to express our thought about this course. Apart from the academic webliograhy exercise and the presentation outline, we can post our comments upon the others and we can know more about our fellow coursemates in this "disembodied" environment. It is an interactive learning platform.

AM I A CYBORG?

After this course, I believe that I am a cyborg. At the very beginning, we always ask about 'what is cyborg? What are the requirement to be a cyborg?" I think all these are not important now. The most crucial point is the cyborg concept. Apart from the glasses and clothes I wear, the technology around me makes me think that I am a cyborg. One day I forgot to bring my mobile phone to school and I was filled with anxiety. I could not pay attention to my lessons the whole day. This psychological reaction is telling that I am a cyborg.

COMMENTS OF THIS COURSE

Cyborg, cyberpunk, posthumanism... all these were very abstract concept for me and I had never thought of before studying this "SELF. NET" course. However, attending the seminars at school, listening the I-lecture can widen my knowledge in this field. Besides, the required reading materials are very useful and can cover the content of this course.

This course named as "Self. Net" is really appropriate because most of the units are about the relationship between the "self identity" and "Internet (digital age)". I think below are the interesting issues that I have learnt in this course.

In week 2, I am happy to know Donna Haraway. Her Cyborg Manifesto profoundly influences the cyberfeminists and the Cyborg Studies. Although I have not read the whole Cyborg Manifesto, some of the ideas that Professor Bartlett mentions in the seminar is very interesting and profoundly simulate my deep thought. For instance, the destruction of binary opposition after the First World War and the cyborg concept which challenges gender dualism. Besides, Frankenstein, the monster that I read about when I was small, is really a revolutionary idea on cyborg studies.

In week 3, the cyberpunk issues fascinate me a lot! Before the lesson, the very early punk band, Sex Pistol, hackers were portrayed as bad "icons" in the society. After attending the seminar and reading the required reading, what I am more concerned is not "bad" or "good" issues, but the cultural semiotics and the reasons of their emergence. Besides, William Gibson's imaginary work Neuromancer is a very interesting reading.

In week 5, the relationship about gender and Internet can aroused my attention. The studies about JenniCAM is very worth reading. Guerrilla Girls that Wesley introduced is a revolutionary feminst. I tried to read the Guerrilla Girls' website afterwards. It's great!

In week 6, the race issues in the Internet is ought to be concerned. Is Internet a utopia for all the races? After the readings, I think there is no such perfect world in the cyberspace. The Net is a reflection of the reality. There are still boundaries in the cyberspace.

In week 9, I learnt that the "power" and "resistance" relation has been happening every moment. Foucalt's theory is an account of the action of the Adbusters' Spoof Ads, barbie Liberation Organisation campaign, culture jamming etc. I really enjoy this seminar!!

Above are the most interesting parts in the lessons. Of course, what I have not mentioned are also very worth learning. I think what this course has given me is not only telling something I had not heard or thought before, but also simulating my thought to a critical way.

In conclusion, I think the whole course is worth studying. The only one thing I dislike is that the percentage (60%) of the final research is too heavy for the assessment.