Rather than end my "race to seven posts" with an analysis of some technology, social movement, or another related topic, I decided to pull a page from last year's "Vinsel class" and take a look back at my own experience with Computers & Society (C&S). Call it a cop-out, but I'll be doing enough further analysis in the final paper and don't want to flesh out that topic anymore as my last post was a good appetizer. Plus, I think this is important not just in general, but to me as well. Without further ado (and self-rationalization/-justification), let's dig in.
Day One
I felt comfortable. I've taken a class with Professor Vinsel before (Intro. to Science and Technology Studies), but this was my first Science, Technology, and Society (STS) class since that and my second overall. As the other non-Computer Science (CS) majors might agree, being in a room with over 90% of CS majors is a bit intimidating, especially when terms are thrown about -- ones I've never heard of or heard in passing -- like this was "Intro. to Feeling Out of Place." Doubly so for me, I haven't even heard of Edward Snowden or the NSA; I'm quite out of the loop with respect to news. This was going to be an interesting experience: I didn't know a damn thing, but the type of class was in my wheelhouse. Heck, it's my second major. But my general ignorance to the topics at hand was a good thing, as this class would be, just as Intro. to STS was, a new learning experience from top to bottom.
The Beginning and Middle of the Semester
Indeed it was. After our first batch of readings, I was intrigued by the "Snowden leaks," now knew who he was and how impactful this particular incident was. Of course, despite this post's title and this paragraph thus far, C&S is not an "Intro. to Snowden" by an means. To be honest, the NSA controversy was the, albeit cliché, "tip of the iceberg" for me in the long run. While it occupied my interest, it was just the key that opened "Pandora's Box" to the vast world that C&S covered. From nudges to Mechanical Turks to artificial intelligence and transhumanism, I, the uniformed, clueless blank slate was being bombarded information, forever inscribed (keeping with the analogy) into me. The exposure I received on a variety of topics allowed me to not just talk about them with some foundation of knowledge but to created informed opinions on the topics, opinions that would stick with me throughout my STS career at Stevens.
The End
So far, this post has been a course evaluation -- I don't like it. However, I think the evaluation-like set-up was necessary in order for me to truly address things on a more grounded level. We're now at the end of the semester, a final paper looming, and some final discussions on a motley of topics to wrap things up. To this point, I have received much knowledge, understand many concepts (and the ramifications thereof), but have not felt compelled to delete my cookies, engage with Tor, or take other precautions that I "should." If anything, an impetus for that would be to eliminate annoyances such as spam and other easily deletable nuisances. Other than that? I still have not felt the need to do what perhaps everyone in the class has not only suggested and urged, but rolled their eyes at people who don't. (I'm sure I'm one of them, too.)
It's odd, because one would think that with all of the disclaimers staring you straight in the face, it would be enough to evoke change. I think this, along with some other topics of personal interest, interests me most. The fact that I know what's at stake and care about discussing and reading about it but not changing my own habits to avoid it is STS hypocrisy. Technically, STS involves the study of these realities, not necessarily the enactment of precautionary measures to avoid them, but it's still such a peculiar... thing. Maybe it's because I feel that I'm already "too deep" to really chip anything off, but I don't see it changing anytime soon.
(To Infinity and) Beyond the Course
It seems that I've been ranting thus far. I definitely agree with what seems to be, but in a way, this is my experience with what I've learned in the course. It has been a sort of back-and-forth struggle to grapple with the topics at hand. On some level, I realize how important these concepts are. I realize that I should be an educated, concern citizen, the one that Zach and Victor and the other CS people exalt (and rightfully so). For whatever reason though, and the irony is sweet here, I have a difficult time fully engaging with these areas outside of class. If I have free time, I don't go to Ars Technica or ensure that I'm anonymous on the Web -- I catch up on The Walking Dead, on wrestling, play Pokémon, or do things that, when you look at it, contribute to none of the problems that have been on display in C&S (and arguably myself).
Perhaps it's in my reading of my final paper's book or the fact that I realize that I am not exactly engulfed with these topics on a not-just-in-the-classroom level, but I'm beginning to genuinely be interested in them. I don't know if these leads to a change of heart in my desire to maintain security apply other practical measures to what I study, but I know for a fact that I want to delve into them more deeply. It begins with my paper on Apocalyptic A.I. and, hopefully, doesn't end; and with today's world and how swiftly it's changing, I know it won't.
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