Kenny's Blog

As stated in class, collective intelligence are heaps of people that are all interested in the same thing, coexisting in the same online space, so they can gather and network information. But the information that is shared, does it just have to be in-between people? Or can it be shared between people and artificial intelligence.

The first step in constructing collective intelligence is allowing yourself to coincide with machines. I absolutely agree that giving too much power to machines can limit ourselves and our human capabilities, but allowing just enough power to them can benefit us beyond belief.

In this article Malone states “I encourage leaders to take a step back from the day-to-day and consider what their business would look like if it had perfect collective intelligence.” He believes that if we figure out how to work with artificial intelligence, the possibilities are endless. We should embrace the relationship with computers than be scared of what can happen and reject it.

I hate to be bias, but from this blog I think it’s pretty clear that I am pro artificial intelligence to expand collective intelligence. The capabilities of computers and algorithms are way beyond any person to ever live on this earth. The accuracy, the timing and the persistence can only help a company and humans complete their work to the fullest extent.

Although there are some arguments that question this logic and possibly the safety of this theory, I believe that with the correct programming that this can be beneficial to society. That connected intelligence with artificial intelligence can only be a bonus to a company and not be detrimental.

This evening I uploaded a video to youtube showing the 5 people that care and watch my videos an exhausting full body workout. This workout consists of the 3 compound movements and a little more to target growth in every single one of your muscles.

We start with the squat which obviously targets your legs and glutes, but this is one of my favorite exercises because it forces you to carry weight throughout your whole body. Bringing down your shoulders while your biceps are flexed holding the bar and giving pressure on your back. In this exercise though, it is very important that you keep your back straight and not arch it as well as not bending your knees over your toes. When done successfully, you can avoid messing up your posture and having knee problems when getting older.

Next we have the deadlift which many weightlifters say is the absolute best workout you can do. It is the art of picking things up and putting them down. When performing any task, such as picking up groceries, furniture, etc. you are always pulling on them and engaging your back, core and arms. The deadlift is the quickest way to get stronger and have an all around better physique. One of my favorite sayings is “I’ve seen a weak man with big arms, but you’ll never see a weak man with a strong back.”

The bench press is every persons first ever compound movement they perform when starting to weight lift. You always here people asking each other “yo how much you bench bro?” Some people view bench as how strong you are, as in the more you bench the more respected you’ll be. I think that’s bullshit, it’s all about the deadlift. Buttttt, even with that being said, the bench press is the best workout for your chest and who doesn’t want a nice chest?

Furthermore, the power clean is gruesome. Known to be a workout targeted for American Football players, this exercise forces you to be explosive and is a different movement from the rest. Here you target your arms, shoulders, back and traps. When doing them for a lot of reps with a decent amount of weight, it will get anyone winded.

Lastly, we have the standing shoulder press which is a good burnout as the last workout. Having to consistently put weight over your head is great for your shoulders, but don’t jerk it around too much if you don’t want to strain your lower back.

It is no secret that everything we post or view online is saved on your computer and the internet forever. Every click of the mouse, every letter we type or even erase has been processed and transcribed into the system.

Kevin Kelly shows us this when he writes “The internet is a copy machine… in order to send a message from one corner of the internet to another, the protocols of communication demand that the whole message be copied along the way several times.” This tells me that every message you send has numerous copies of itself and gets less “real” every time you see it. What you see on the internet is not the copy that you originally wrote down.

A way that this topic relates to the medium is the message is that the whole idea of the medium is the message is not the way it written per se, but how it is interpreted. A message through this copy machine concept has numerous copies of itself, so the actual message itself is also worthless. It is what is written, how people view it is what’s important in both situations. Without a message, there is no medium. Without a medium, there is no message.

https://www.edge.org/conversation/kevin_kelly-better-than-free

It is no secret that everyone wants to change at least one thing about themselves. Most things that people want to change about themselves may be impossible or very expensive to do. Other things are attainable and all it takes is a bit of effort and discipline.

Discipline is crucial when it comes to trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One of the key aspects of improving your life is doing things you may not want to do in times that are not ideal. For example, you had plans to go to the gym in the morning but you wake up extra tired and it is pouring rain. Do you cancel the gym and just watch Netflix for the day? NO!! What I have come to notice is when you follow through with your plans at times you rather not, it sets the bar for you and increases your standards. I have never heard anyone say “I wish I didn’t just go through with that workout”. I promise you will always be satisfied when you take care of your body.

Continuing with the idea of discipline. When you start one good habit, other good habits start to form as well. You wake up in the morning wanting to go the gym, so you eat a healthy breakfast to get your mind and body ready for a period of stress. Once you’re at the gym, you are forced to drink more water because your body needs it in order to function more efficiently. As soon as you finish you’re workout you want to refuel your body. You’re already in that mindset to eat something healthy after your workout so you can provide your body with the proper nutrition it needs to recover. So at that point it is not even noon yet and you’ve had 2 nutritious meals, a workout and an ample amount of water.

Discipline and consistency are two major components when trying to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Good habits form even better habits in the long run and will come almost natural after a period of time. Keep grinding and always have your eyes locked forward. Never forget how far you have become.

The medium is the message… a freaking paradox right? WRONG! I believe that i have figured out what Marshall McLuhan was trying to tell us. He explains that a medium is “any extension of yourself” (Federman, M 2004). A medium can be a shoe, a shirt, your hairstyle, ANYTHING that sends a message about who you are or how you portray yourself.

But you see, the medium is not the message that you are sending in of itself. Instead it is how the message comes across to who is viewing it. The feeling someone gets when they see what you are wearing or what you are saying etc.

Another point that McLuhan tries to get across is the “unintended consequences” that a medium may get across. The hidden message if you will. The message that disrupts what usually flows willingly by disrupting the pattern is the medium. I understand how this may be getting a tad confusing so let me break it down a little bit.

The audience receives some type of message. It tries to translate the message and relate it to perhaps past experiences or something they are accustomed to. But that’s just it. The audience trying to connect this message with something else and trying to connect it with something they are familiar with causes an immediate effect in the brain and is therefore the medium.

Federman, M. (2004). What is the Meaning of The Medium is the Message?. [online] Individual.utoronto.ca. Available at: http://individual.utoronto.ca/markfederman/article_mediumisthemessage.htm [Accessed 24 Mar. 2019].

There will always be debate between which media has the upper-hand, digital or analog. Although there is no simple, clean cut answer; digital media does seem to be more prevalent in todays era.

Analog media ranges from printed paper, recorded sound, magazines, videotapes, magazines and so on. Digital media on the other hand can be a combination of these as well as leveraging these already existing channels. Digital media includes display ads, paid search and native advertising.

The shift from analog media to digital media has been tremendous in the past years mostly due to a huge increase in the ability to advertise products, services, etc. A person can just be scrolling through their phone and not even realize that they’re being sold a product through their time and attention. The algorithms that are put in place through your past searches, your interests or even recent conversations (to be believed) all translate into ads that you may be attracted to. This all is done through digital media.

Another topic that I would like to address is this whole so to believed “paradox” of the medium is the message. After doing some digging I have come to the conclusion that the medium is in fact the message. But in a sense that the medium isn’t the thing that is deliberately being said or portrayed, but the medium it is traveling under. The way it reaches the audience is the entire message in of itself. The way it affects the audience is the medium.

Sources:

https://boomm.com/boomm-blog/the-three-types-of-digital-media-and-how-to-make-them-work-for-you

https://medium.freecodecamp.org/the-meaning-of-medium-is-the-message-9bbe732869a7

Just uploaded my first youtube video about my digital artifact on health, fitness and food. What a process it was! I definitely need to get used to the sound of my own voice no matter how much it makes me cringe.

In other news, I am so glad I took the first step in making my digital artifact into a reality and am that much closer into encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone and to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

In my video I talked about how my youtube videos will mainly consist of meal prep ideas and workout videos because thats what I figured most people would need help with. I am sort of open to also speaking about mental health and how to achieve clarity. Is this also something you guys may want to see? I am still on the fence about this as it can be an uncomfortable topic to some viewers. Initially I planned on using my blog to talk on that topic, but perhaps some people would prefer the words coming out of my mouth rather than on the computer screen.

Thank you to all those chiming in and I hope that you too can join me on this journey and make your life a healthier one!

I am making this blog for my Emergent Media class BCM112, but also because I want to encourage people to live a healthier lifestyle. I have been interested in fitness and nutrition for around 3 years now and I believe that I have the passion and knowledge to inspire those who want to make a positive change in their lives. What I’ve come to notice when I take care of my body physically is that I also see a positive effect on my body mentally. I will also focus my digital artefact not only on physical health, but also on mental health and techniques to help overcome with whatever you may be dealing with.
My goal is to update this blog with mental health tips and then update my youtube channel and instagram with perhaps workout routines and meal prep ideas.
I’m very excited to start this journey and hope to have a positive impact in other people’s lives.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton