Posts Tagged ‘Reading Summary’

13
Mar
2016

Reading Summary #5

categories: Reading Summaries, Uncategorized

“Better Online Living through Content Moderation” Melissa King

“Better Online Living Through Content Moderation”, is an article written by Melissa Kings. In this article she discusses the uses of block and ignore functions, content/trigger warnings, block lists and privacy options that help to improve one’s computer experience by dismissing content that one chooses not to see. She goes into further detail as to what kind of people who would benefit from these content managers, such as those who suffer from PTSD who are avoiding triggers or topics that could cause anxiety, those with limited patience and anyone who wants to improve their online experience. After all, no one should have to view any content that they would prefer not to.

In this article she mentions that those who prefer to use these content moderators are criticized as being too “weak” or “sensitive”, which then creates the stigma for people to expose themselves to things that they cannot handle or is too much, whether it be violence, graphic content or even cyber-attacks due to an disagreement or in some cases intentional provoking of attacks or violence.

She then began to discuss the arguments against content control. One being that people tend to blow abuse and harassment received out of proportion and therefore should be less sensitive in terms of coping. This has been the greatest argument of them all. The term she associated with that argument is exposure therapy. Kings discussed this term by saying through gradual exposure you will be able to overcome these triggers. In other words, the more you are exposed to something, the less you will be effected. Which is not necessarily true especially for PTSD victims because overexposure can magnify the trauma instead of heal it.

She goes on to say that this is only one aspect as to how open our younger generations are to complex and emotional content and how they now suffer from a great pushback against sensitivity and political correctness in the western culture. She then discusses how ignorance is depicted through media and myth about the truths of PTSD and it not being something that only veterans suffer from, but can also stem from cyber-attacks. She also included a statement from Caleb Lack, who is a psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders who spoke out on the truth of disorders and the effects of cyber bullying on mental health.

She then goes on to discuss the uses of block lists towards hate groups, how to opt into them and the compelling arguments against them that come from those who haven’t done the harassing.

The article ends with the discussion of how vicious these online attacks can be and the dangers that they can cause even going as far as harassing and calling family, and posting personal information.  Which is why having these content blockers, and block lists are useful for those who want and desire to use them at their own whim for the purpose and security of themselves and to protect their mental health from the unpleasant and anxiety-triggering trolling and cyber bullying.

 

King, Melissa. “Better Online Living Through Content Moderation,” Model View Culture 28 (October 14, 2015). Web: https://modelviewculture.com/pieces/better-online-living-through-content-moderation.

16
Feb
2016

Reading Summary #4

categories: Reading Summaries, Uncategorized

His and Hers: Designing for a Post-Gender Society is an article published on Metropolis magazine which is written by Suzanne Tick in March of 2015. She is the creative director for Teknion Textiles and also the United States’ number one leading textiles designer.  In this article she argues for gender neutrality in the workplace.

The article opens up talking about how society’s roles of traditional females and males are changing. This is mostly due to the advancements of science and technology. She begans to address how designers should be on the lookout for advancement too, in order to accommodate these cultural changes in order to promote acceptance as society has.

We address how feminism is now making its way into this once male dominant society. For many years males have always been dominated in power, certain job fields and in top offices, with the example being that eighty-five percent of IT and web design being male.

Emma Watson’s “He for She” movement speech has went viral causing a lot of support for gender equality. Currently, gender roles have been altered in the workplace as women become more important. With all of this taking place, the actual designs of places have become a lot softer creating a gender neutral working environment with open windows, carpet and textiles.

She talks about how gender roles have been switched and that fashion and beauty were the first to embrace this change by some making products like makeup more appealing for men, and women’s coats getting a masculine, militia cut. She then goes on to discuss the confusion of gender roles in today’s society. Which I believe was inevitable.  Nothing is solely for women or for men these days. Especially given the fact that now we have children who oppose to being identified by either male or female at school, but rather just an individual.

We also discuss the recent changes in corporations in adopting gender-neutral atmospheres such us workplaces and not to mention bathrooms, which seems to be a great deal debate. The idea is to grow with society’s advancements allowing everyone to feel a sense of inclusion and acceptance all while feeling comfortable in their work environments or in any places open to the public.

She then speaks about how girls are dressed like boys and boys dressed like girls and how adrogony is truly taking place in today’s society. People have the opportunity to be whatever and play whatever roles they want to these days and how schools and fashion designers have become accepting of these things in ways of creating multistall restrooms and creating clothing designs that fits individuals and not just females or males.

Tick then discusses the trans CEO of United Therapeutics, who is the highest paid female executive in the United States, who was biologically born male. This goes to show how things has made a tremendous turn around and this is only the beginning.As we made advancements in our society,we must stay alert and ahead with our design to help implement change.