HW 2-16

Ad Nauseam Parts 3 & 4
1.
The chapter about Channel One hits home for me simply because I saw that program every morning my sixth grade year. It may've been a long time ago but i remember it distinctly as the first tv I saw in a classroom. Looking at the reading it really worries me that not even the student teachers can differentiate betweene an ad and a public service announcement. The Persuaders frontline special talks about this kind of advertising as selling not just a product but an idea, a philosophy. Imprinting young kids with a brand philosophy is pretty scary too, considering how effective those ads are.
Secondly, in part 4, Coca-Cola's efforts to get more "stomach share" is pretty frigtening, again it's like in the persuaders, amoungst all the clutter companies need to use new methods to reach people. The phasing out of water is particularly upsetting considering how harmful that much soda can be in place of simple water.

Is Google Making Us Smarter
2.
Cascio's main thesis is, the constantly-changing nature of technology and the subtly accumulating nature of the changes will mean that over time our intelligence will increase in ways that seem frightening now but at the time they occur will seem inevitable and beneficial.
I really thought his comment about the travel agent industry was interesting. I hadn't thought about how you don't see or hear about them anymore. I really hope that the loss of pattern-matching jobs doesn't result in a loss of that ability in people at large.
I also like Cascio's description of PDA's as an example of augmented itelligence in our everyday lives, and his explanation of writing as an augemented intelligence expansion of our memory.
I disagree with Cascio's opinions about the widening gap of rich and poor extending to technology. I think the speed of it's development puts it in a different boat that just monetary distribution.
Secondly, although I think he has good points regarding A.I., I think Cascio is underestimating our ability to regulate and control such a rapidly developing technology. I hope that the prevasiveness of the "robot threat" will prevent a terminator-like event. But in the same way that A.I. is possible I think a singularity event could grow out of our control.

The Persuaders
3.
-Frontline highlighted the shift from "head" to "heart" advertising. It was a change that while I've been marginally present and aware of, I didn't notice.
-We've lost the tangible differences between different brands of products, it's about selling a lifestyle now. Like a Mac, "not just a computer, a lifestyle" I've heard.
-I'd never been aware of how obvious the advertising of Fed Ex is in Castaway, it's scary how well it's integrated, I never noticed.
-Even Bob Dylan is a sellout! I'd had no idea.
-Lastly, I've looked at old political ads and it's startling, it isn't about the politican's stands on the issues, or the facts. Narrowcasting is a dangerous technique, it's basically advertising segregation.