Overwhelmed by Dependence:
A recording and analysis of using and interacting with technology within a 24 hour time span.

Shipka's Forum Prompt:
After noting your interactions with technology...

After you have spent a day recording your interactions with technology, I would like to hear (and/or see) something about the specific choices you made while responding to this task.

1. How did you decide what counted (or didn't count) as technology when you began collecting your data? (This gets to your definition of what technology is, or what it includes.)

2. Please provide us with a sampling of some of your interactions with technology. You need not post your whole list here, just some excerpts or examples from it. Don't just write, "At 10:15, I unlocked the front door, opened it, walked down the sidewalk and got into my car, looked at the map and then turned on the radio," but talk specifically about why there was a need for you to interact with those technologies at all. Beyond addressing the matter of what your interactions with a technology allowed you to accomplish, you might also talk about whether or not this was a typical interaction (a technology you engage with everyday), or was this unique in terms of your day-to-day routine? If you would like to re-present one or more of your interactions with images as well as words, feel free to explore the drawing tool on flash-gear.com.

Note: Posts are due before 5:00 pm on Wednesday, Feb 8th. A passing (C-level) post must be at least 250 words.

K. Bailey's Response ·  C. Gatton's Response ·  P.C. Paul's Response ·  A. Campbell's Response ·  S. Norfolk's Response

E. Woodward's Response ·  Y. Martin's Response ·  E. Berman's Response ·  N. Barsky's Response

B. Bauhaus's Response ·  M.J. Bowen's Response ·  A. Sheikh's Response ·  M. Purcell's Response ·  K. Zajdel's Response

E. Jones' Response ·  S. Miller's Response ·  B. Mechairia's Response ·  N. Horstman's Response ·  A. Reed's Response

         The second example of technology unique to me was the exchange and new purchase of a digital camera. At Christmas I was given a digital camera as a gift and did not care for that particular camera. Typically, I am a disposable camera, point and shoot, kind of girl. Many of today's digital cameras have far too many bells and whistles for me to want to deal with. Today's technology allows you to use a digital camera and gives you the option of deleting those "oh-so-bad closed eyes" pictures. The camera that I purchased, while having various features, is very simple for me to use. Technology, in my opinion, means processes that improve over time and make the things in our lives simpler, yet better.

         Below, click on the link to see a special picture taken by my new digital camera.

         http://six.flash-gear.com/eye/eye.php?c=e&id=195714&k=71318870

Response to K. Bailey's "Interactions With Technology" by Y. Martin
Hey Kelley I am also a disposable camera chick so I completely agree with what you said about the bells and whistles. Technology has many advantages but I am a simple person in regards to some things. So does this mean I may fall behind the times because I have the newest fad but have no clue how to operate it? My cell phone is new and trust me all the bells and whistles on that will never be used by me because bottom line is as long as I can effectively and efficient make and receive calls everything else on that cell phone takes a back seat. What I have realized that my younger sister on the other hand loves the "Extra Stuff" so she went out and bought the high tech digital camera and was highly upset that I was not too interested in her purchase. That is only because newest model of better caliber is being formulated and put on the shelf the moment she left the store. Technology will always have a window for advancement so therefore we will buy it.

         What I'm getting here (I tend to babble) is that I believe technology is just about everything--but it must be accepted into our lives or into a particular society before it gets the deserved name of "technology". For example, the Amish have turned away to the growing technological world (although, somehow I do believe they too are being forced out of their natural way of living into the advancing world in order to survive). In the most recent years, I have witnessed some Amish using cars (although older and less aesthetic looking--in other words, chosen and used for more functionality than anything else) to get to certain places. I believe the things that aren't naturally occurring can be deemed as technologies. For instance, this laptop didn't naturally occur or grow into its shape, form, and function; however, neither did per say, medicinal plants or even fruits or vegetables. These things naturally formed, however, their functions were invented/found/developed and eventually, chemically mutated, etc. to become improved in their executions, functions, etc.

         My next thought about technology is the fact that: Is there ever a possibility for society to know everything about each technology sitting before us? I hate to use this corny analogy, but like people, how much do or even can we know about technology? It's interesting to notice as well, that people assume that they know all there is to know what their using. But after reading the first readings of the class, I'm sure more than half the class didn't know how a pencil came about. I didn't know it's extensive history but I assumed I knew all about the pencil because I've been using it since the first day of school. The same goes for people. I can say I know someone because I know some information about them, but do I really know them? Probably not. Like people, technology can be quite complex and the truth is, with the invention of more technologies, people tend to get lazier in to getting to know their surroundings. The only real thing that people pay attention to these days is the media. How many people are interested to watch the history of some superstar or their reinvention of themselves throughout their growing stardom? It seems as though people have more of an interest in Hollywood then their immediate surroundings.

         This may seem a bit harsh and my opinions aren't towards criticizing anyone or people as a whole; it's just a growing observation. I'm guilty of all of what I've been suggesting. I for one was sitting at work at 4:00 p.m. this past Friday more concerned with missing Oprah and special guest Dave Chapell than finishing my work load for the day or thanking whoever invented files and filing labels to help organize my extremely unorganized file cabinet. We take advantage of these technologies, but then again, we are only HUMAN.

         So finally to my day of recording technologies--I chose Friday Feb. 3, 2006. Fridays are work days for me so I thought it would be a good day for recording the technologies I interacted with. Well like I said earlier, it turned out to be extremely overwhelming for me. From the paper, choice of pencil (mechanical pencil), the way in which to record my technologies to the copier machine (in its totality aka toner, ink waste bottle, the structure, paper inserts, etc.), stapler, paper clips, staple remover, stamp pad, envelope opener, envelopes, typewriter (in its totality aka ink ribbon, correction tape, etc.), the signs marked personnel parking, rubber bands; ink cartridges, hanging file folders, color coding labels, letter file and legal file folders, foam cups, plastic spoons, stamps, postage weight scale, address labels, old typewriter correction strips, and the microwave are only part of my huge list of technologies I interacted with before and during work hours. One of my most favorite interactions with technology actually happened before leaving for work--Portia's (my puppy) house training puppy pad. It looks like a simple invention, but I chose to buy it over using the traditional newspaper to collect her bathroom trails all over my bedroom floor because newspaper appears less aesthetic to me than a simple puppy tray with a white mat inserted into its inserts. Of course, I chose the more expensive path, which is something I really don't have the option for at this point in my life. Anyhow, this technology seemed simple but helpful in training a puppy where to potty. In order to do its magic, the white mat must be sprayed with a certain spray that releases a smell that somehow "tells your puppy to pee on the mat and not anywhere else, undesired by you, the owner." I found the device interesting so I bought it at PetSmart. Well ever since the purchase, I no longer look at this technology in the same light I used to. Why? Because it's not doing what it's intended to do! Every morning including this Friday morning, I find Portia ignoring the tray altogether and soiling the carpet--the entirety of the carpet, and I do believe she purposefully misses the tray as much as she possibly can. And as much as Portia rejects doing her business in this tray, I still refuse to sprawl newspapers across the floor because of its simple lack of beauty. I find this interaction funny as a whole (as well as frustrating) because people tend to move up with the increase of technology, instead of using or accepting to realize that sometimes the out of date technologies are more useful than newer/more refined technologies. I must be one of these people because I don't think I'll ever break from the tray, somehow determined she will use it one day!

2. My recording began on Saturday, February 4, 2006 at 11:00 a.m., when an electric alarm clock woke me. Everything I recorded in my log up to the point of where I describe walking down the sidewalk of South Caton Avenue was typical of my routine no matter where I am going. Taking the bus is also typical for me right now as a poor student. The log on the micro-tape recording my actions at work is not typical. The actions would be typical while at Pep Boys, but now having returned to school working at Pep Boys becomes unique and what I would do at the university would be my typical day. I work as an Automotive Parts Counterperson at Pep Boys. I'm a salesperson so everything I work with is a technology, everything I talk about for the most part is about technology, and a good deal of the interactions are in problem-solving. My day there was not typical as the stock replenishment came in on Friday and not Thursday. In addition, employees hours are cut back due to low sales. This meant that most of the parts had not been put away for picking at a later date. Also this meant on the busiest day of the week we were working short-handed. This places me in a position where I am putting parts away while at the same time serving customers and answering the phones.

         The trouble I am having is trying to explain what I accomplish which places the focus on me. I accomplish very little for myself. It is easier for me to focus on what I accomplish for others. The main technologies I use on my job are the computer, the telephone, a ladder, and oral speech. The computer allows me to look up parts for cars and trucks, quote prices and determine if it's a part that Pep Boys carries. If I get the customer to commit to a sale I print out the parts I need on a computer printer and run around the building picking them. In the old days, instead of using a computer, I would have looked up the parts in a catalog, wrote the numbers down on a pad with a pen and looked up the prices in another book. If the customer found the prices were acceptable I would then run around and pick the parts.

         What's the difference in using catalogs versus using a computer? Not much, using the computer really isn't any faster, actually it's more cumbersome. The software system used was written by computer people and not someone who is familiar with automotive and computers. The program was written as to what a computer person thought an automotive counterperson would need. Certain parts are easy to find in the system because we have to look them up constantly. Parts that are sold less often can be a bear to find in the system because of the poor database query strings. Many of the ordering processes the software does not alert the computer user which keys to press in order to complete a step and people working there who haven't worked with the cumbersome system for years get stuck in processing orders. The only two advantages to the computer system are it shows the part number and price on one screen versus looking these up in two books and writing them down. One can print out a pick list totaling the parts and also use it as a pick list if one knows which keys to press to select the items and tell the computer to print. The computer doesn't tell you which keys these are and you have to learn from someone next to you. Versus the old days the computer tells me how many we should have in stock, but the quantity is never right, so as in the old days, I have to run to the self to see if we have the part. A few of us can key in data faster than the computer can accept it and we find ourselves waiting for the computer to catch up to us.

         Gunther Kress in many of his books likes to use a three-year olds drawing of car as a visual communication of a car. The picture consists of six circles and nothing more. Four of the circles obviously represent wheels and Kress likes to cite this as the three year old recognizing that cars consist of the essence of wheelness. The three year old's picture is a sign of car or an abstract symbol of a car. When I think of this image the three-year-old is pretty close to what a car essentially is, except that practically everything in an automobile is circular, therefore a better abstract symbols for a car might be four big circles and 100's of smaller circles, representing that cars have an essence of circleness.

A Car: Essence of Circleness

         Now, as I began documenting my interactions with technology, I being noticing that there were other, non-electrical, items that I also thought of as technology, so I also included those in my documentation. I want the reader to keep in mind that I did literally use one piece of technology consistently throughout the day, and that was my Sidekick 2 cell phone. The reason I used my phone the entire day is because I used the "Notes" section of my phone to document all my interactions with technology. So, my documentation is almost in perfect sync with what I actually did throughout the day.

         My day started pretty normal. I woke up without an alarm at about 11:37 am, and as soon as I forced myself out of bed I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and take a shower. In my opinion, the only things that I interacted with that, by my definition, I consider technologies were the sink and shower, but I wrote down that I used my toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, etc because I also consider those a different type of technology.

         After I finished getting ready, I went to my car at approximately 1:00 pm and started driving to my friend's house for his Superbowl party. While driving, I used my cell phone to call Wings Etc. and I ordered Buffalo wings for everyone at the party. Of course, I consider my cell phone technology and I also documented my car as technology.

         Throughout the rest of the day, my technology list gets slimmer simply because I was constantly doing one thing for long periods of time. From approximately 6:30 pm to 9:50 pm I was watching football on television; therefore, the only technology that I recorded was the television and the remote. But occasionally, I got up to use the bathroom or to get some snacks so I also recorded those technologies.

         For the most part, Superbowl Sunday was a fairly routine day for me. All the technologies that I encountered on this day are technologies that I interact with almost every day. By the end of the day, I did realize that my definitely of technology may be slightly off simply because I did find myself recording items such as couches and darts as technology.

         So, after all was said and done, I can honestly say that even after spending an entire day recording my interactions with technology, I am still not 100% sure of how I would define technology.

"Only Things That Require Electricity Are Technology?" a response to A. Campbell's "A Day in the Life of Ashley..." by P.C. Paul
A.Campbell said, "I am going to start by providing, in my opinion, what I believe the definition of technology is. To me, technology has always been something that is electronically driven, or in other words, something that relies on electricity for it to be able to function properly." I find this definition extremely flawed.

         Would you not agree that a loaf of bread is a technology, or better yet, in order to describe your day and your interaction with technology you described your interaction with what we may describe as an ancient technology: the transliteration of your account of interacting with technology through the use of the Indo-European alphabetic transcription system, i.e., writing. In order to describe your account to us considering we could not all meet in the same place at the same time and use an even older technology to convey our experiences, oral language, one had to use writing to convey our accounts. Because a technology is not on the "bleeding edge" does this make it any less of a technology? What we find is the technology is so old we have taken it for granted and it has become invisible. But it is only invisible up to the point that say either it entirely fails, or the power system decides the technology will no longer exist.

         Please see my account of the aftermath of the elimination of 85% of the human population by a virus. This may help to sort out what a technology is. As an example neither you nor I can build a computer. This is not to say that we may not have the knowledge to do so, but buying a bunch of components and putting them together to form a working computer is not really the same as making the green motherboard from its various raw materials to make the board, making the silicon chips that are soldered onto the board and so on. Each process was a technology in itself. My post better describes the problems concerned.

         First of all the domestication of animals resulting in pets (in this case). Second a door on the house to maintain security and insulation. Third, the bowl for the cereal and the cereal itself. While made from naturally occurring materials, such as the sand that is used for the glass that makes up the bowl and the grain that is processed to make the cereal. During the rest of the morning 8:00 -12:00 pm. I watched television and played DVDs. These electronic devices, as well as the lights in the house are more like what most people think of when they think about technology. They harness the power of electricity and advanced technology such as lasers and silicon micro chips. All of these (except electric lights) are relatively recent advancements in technology.

         For the rest of the day I observed how everything around me, according to my definition of technology could be considered technology. From the processed brick and steel of the house to the woven fibers of the carpet. However, when I look at the definition of Technology that was provided by the Campbell and Hogan article much of the technology has become invisible because it is so common place and widely accepted. I feel as though just because technology is accepted and common place that does not mean it is not technology.

         I decided I couldn't possibly record everything without boring my professor to death, and it was then I realized that technology is everywhere. I resigned to record my main activities of the day, activities that I do every Saturday almost religiously, and shied away from writing down every movement I made. Even in doing that, I realized how dependent I am on technology just to eat, bathe, read, write, communicate, sleep (though I didn't record this--to use the bathroom). Technology is necessary for life, and definitely life as I define it. To eat, for example, I used plates and silverware. Once plates and silverware were a new technology, now they are commonplace, so much so that I didn't look at my silverware and plates as technology, but rather the means of their production as technology. To bathe takes water pressure, engineering of pipelines, water-heaters, shower head production, and the manufacture/ creation of various soaps and shampoos. I was able to read via the induction of the printing press. I was able to write via the invention of the pen and paper. (It would be rather difficult to carry around a clay tablet and chiseling tool.) I called my mom and friends on my cell phone, checked my homework and the weather over the computer. (Being an 80's baby I remember when I had to dial 411 to get the weather, now I can get the weather while checking my e-mail.) Even the bed I awoke in that morning was created by technology--the sheets and blankets I covered myself in, and the pillows on which I rested my head were all present due to technological advances. It reminded me of the short story about the day the computer stops--the day the computer stops--everything stops! Even technology that wasn't originally produced by computer is now manufactured by computer. I'm glad I live in a technologically advanced society; I just hope the computer never stops.

Monday, February 6, 2006
         7:30 am--Turning on the television--this is a stay-at-home ritual for my family if we do manage to stay in the house or are relaxing. Having the television on helps to keeps me going while I running around the house getting ready in the morning. There a four televisions in my home and sometimes they are all going on at one time with each one of us watching cable. Even our two year old daughter has a pink princess TV in her room.

         8:25 am--Brushing my teeth--I can remember when my cousin had an electrical toothbrush, back when I had the regular manual Oral B, and I thought that was so weird very fashionable but today I would feel strange not to have the electrical toothbrush.

         9:10 am--Driving the car--I realized how technology has allowed us to purchase the biggest and best vehicle with the most upgrades humanly possible without coming to grips with the main purpose of having a car being able to commute from one place to another safely. Many people have lost sight of that key concept of this technology as well as others.

         I woke up at around 9 am on Monday February 6. My first encounter with technology was my alarm clock, followed by me turning on the TV, with the remote control, so both of those are technologies. I went to my computer and used Mozilla Firefox, and turned on my music through itunes, and also used my cell phone. I went to the refrigerator and got some milk out and put it on my cereal. All of those encounters are daily, and before this assignment it never crossed my mind to being technology, it was the norm for me. I went to classes between, and none of my definition of technologies were used. At 1 pm, I used a crank-type thing to set up the volleyball net, since I am on the varsity volleyball team. Forty-five minutes later, I was hooked up to two different kinds of stimulation machines. I have had two shoulder surgeries over the past fourteen months, so my rehabilitation includes machinery to work my muscles for me, followed by another machine to calm those muscles down. Most people would find this rare and weird, but to me, it has been in my life for three years now. Since I came to UMBC, used about five days per week. I slept from 3:30 until 7 pm, and used my TV and alarm clock at that point. I then used my car, went to an ATM machine, and went to Giant Food. Giant has many technologies, like the pharmacy itself uses many different technologies, all of the refrigeration, etc. I used the credit card swipe thing to checkout, using the Self Checkout method. I go to Giant once a week, so this isn't a daily encounter for me. I got in bed at 10 pm, watched television, read using my reading lamp, turned my itunes off on my computer, and set my alarm clock for 6:20 am. That was my day of technological encounters.

         The broad view raises some questions. Technology is often described as something man-made, and indeed one of the reasons for identifying something as technology is to distinguish between man-made things like airplanes and their counterparts in nature, like birds. Yet many examples of technology aren't very different from what other species do. I sleep on a bed, on a mattress and blankets that have been fashioned for that purpose by other humans. Certainly this is technology, even though an animal might gather materials together before going to sleep. When I put on my clothing, I am using technology, even though clothing has partly a natural function, to insulate us from the cold or protect us from the sun, which may have something to do with the fact that humans are the only primates without fur. When I drink a glass of orange juice, I am utilizing technology. Animals can also drink the juice from an orange that fell from a tree, they just don't gather it together as efficiently as humans have figured out how to do.

         Many of us have already heard the story: scientists used to describe man as "the only animal that made and fashioned tools." But around the 1960's, scientists discovered that other primates and even some birds did the same thing. For example, a chimpanzee will take a branch and poke it into a hole to gather termites. Actually, I find it interesting that we're told scientists only discovered this phenomenon in the 1960's. People have always known that various animals build things: birds build nests, beavers build dams, and bees build hives. I'm guessing that the reason these weren't considered tools is that the animals do these actions instinctively, so it isn't a form of knowledge that gets passed from one individual to another. The discovery was that animals can also develop tools as a learned behavior.

         If animals create tools, then they are producing technology. So why do we tend to think of technology as entirely a human product? Probably because it's a part of the traditional practice of distinguishing between man and nature. This division is very deeply ingrained in our thinking, and accounts for the distinction we make between natural science and social science. It's a useful distinction that works most of the time, but it breaks down upon close scrutiny.

"Maybe not..." a response to N. Barsky's "Does Technology Have to be Man-made?" by P.C. Paul
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I remember this. The animals that use tools. I didn't remember the monkey until I returned home, but now I remember. Didn't this particular species stick a reed or something into a rotten log to draw the ants out or was it some maggot like thing? I remember the bird specifically. Maybe the bird was the one who was hunting for ants. There is also another bird that builds a "house," a little birdy hotel complete with a little pathway and decorates with flowers and such. I'm not kidding. It's real weird because of the aesthetics that the bird goes through to attract a mate.

         I thought about using the animals in my argument but refrained because the jury is still out on this as far as animals using tools. The argument others make is that the animal has not altered the twig or reed that they use in order to accomplish the task at hand and that early man must have altered let's say a stick and sharpened it to a point. The other point they argue is that there may have been one particularly bright animal that figured this "trick" out and taught the offspring to do the same and so on.

         The other problem is if you try to present this argument in a philosophy class with someone like Dr. Templeton, he will blow holes through it like it was Swiss cheese. He will also do the same with the argument that there is a God. Now if you present Professor Wilson with this same argument, animals using tools and is there a God he will argue on the side that animals use tools and that there is a God. Here it seems to come down to human ego and that Templeton is of the camp that man is the highest ordered being and no other being comes close in achievement. Wilson is a little more humble.

         I agree with you that in essence that it is a tool and the animal is using a rudimentary tool but does not have the dexterity to that the tool to the next level, but man because of his opposable thumb was able to accomplish more. When it comes down to it early man probably did the same thing and one particularly bright person said, "What if I do this, will it make my tool better and accomplish more?" I avoided the animals because I couldn't support it strongly enough.

"The Dining Philosophers" a response to P.C. Paul's "Maybe Not..." by N. Barsky
First of all, the chimpanzees do alter the twig: they strip the leaves away before using it. And I'm not sure why you think it's a counterargument that some bright animal might have figured out the trick and taught the offspring. Isn't that just how human knowledge works? You can argue that these examples are exceptions, but they're enough to call into question the definition of technology as something man-made.

         Your philosophy professor might shoot down these arguments, but I suspect I could hold my own in such a debate. Philosophers can poke holes in just about every belief; they're not even in agreement that there's proof of an external reality.

         People react to this issue strongly because it cuts to the core of human uniqueness. I do believe humans are unique. I just don't consider technology an absolute example of this. I'm not even sure about intelligence. We presume that humans are the most intelligent species on earth, but whales have substantially bigger brains than we do. I know, I know, there's no inherent correlation between brain size and intelligence. But how do scientists know whales aren't as intelligent as human beings? It's hard to study their behavior (except with dolphins). True, they don't build skyscrapers or write poetry, but their bodies aren't designed to do such things. If humans were physically unable to walk and talk and build things, then we could never invent all this technology, but we'd still technically have the same mental powers. We'd just be using that ability for other purposes. Or, as Douglas Adams put it, "Man always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much--the wheel, New York, wars and so on--while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man--for precisely the same reason."

         I awoke early so that I could have the whole beach, and all it's waves, practically to myself. Before I could run out there and jump into the water with my board I needed to strap on my wetsuit, boots, hood, and gloves of course. This was a necessary practice so that I didn't freeze to death out in the 40-degree ocean. Contrary to popular belief, those wetsuits keep you so warm that they actually make you sweat! Anyway, putting on a wetsuit is not something that I usually do every day. I think I would look a little funny walking around campus with that get-up on...

         My next task was to rub wax on the top of my surfboard. This is needed so that I don't fall of the board when I attempt to stand up on it in the water. The surfboard is made from fiberglass, the water can make it a bit slippery if not waxed properly. Again, this is not something I usually do on a day-to-day basis, but it's a practice in which I always take part before I go surfing.

         After my board was waxed up and my suit was strapped on, I was ready to go. So, I picked up my board and headed out to the ocean. it was around 7:30 am at this time and I, indeed, had the whole beach to myself. So, I layed my board down on the sand and practiced a few "pop-up" exercises before I hit the waves. This is also something that I normally do before I surf. As I was sitting on top of my board, out in the ocean, waiting for a wave to ride, I got to thinking about the ocean itself and the beach I was on right at that moment. Was that man-made? I scared myself for a minute, but luckily I realized that a hurricane actually created ocean city some years ago. But, of course, I knew that all of the buildings like hotels and high-rises and such were technologies in themselves.

         Then I surveyed the beach to check if anyone else was up and in the water yet and the dunes caught my attention. I walked past them as I was walking onto the beach. I actually stubbed my toe on a piece of the wooden fence that was surrounding the dunes. That was not an interaction that I normally have nor do I ever hope to experience it again. In any case, the dunes protect the community of ocean city from actually being swept away in the event of a hurricane or other natural disasters that could create huge ocean swells.

         Honestly, my reason for going to the beach is to escape the man-made world and all it's crazy technologies. I go to the ocean to experience nature. That's my main goal. But, after looking around while sitting on my board, still waiting for a good wave, I realized that technology is pretty much all-encompassing. It's all around us and very, very hard to escape. Even most forests these days are man-made! Parks are actually constructed and animals are fenced in for "their own protection." I think it's just so humans can have easy access to these creatures for their own amusement.

         I'm going off on kind of a tangent here but I wanted to make a point that even though I was on the beach for the greater part of the day on Saturday, I was still constantly surrounded by man-made technology, from the wetsuit I was wearing and surfboard I was riding to the sand dunes and actually parts of the beach itself (Ocean City has had a lot of sand filtered into it to make the beach seem much wider than it used to be).

         In any case, aside from the alarm clock, these technologies may not be things that I experience every day, all the time, but I am no stranger to them. Though I normally go to the beach to escape technology and I realize now that even sand dunes are considered a technology, I'm still gonna surf. and actually, I'd like to thank the guy(s) who created those tall, sharp, willowy plants for saving OC's butt more than a few times!

         So, it's Friday morning. I unfortunately have a 9 am class, followed by a day of work. So, I'm up no later than 7 am. Well, I am a deeeeeeeeeeep sleeper, so even though I have an alarm set, I can't depend on it. Instead, I have my friend call me on my cell phone. It's right next to my alarm clock with its volume all the way up. It plays the Phantom of the Opera when my friend calls, and it never fails to wake me up. As my eyes open, my whole world is saturated by technology. It's everywhere. My alarm, that didn't wake me up, my cell phone, my bed, my sheets, my pillows, my house, the carpet, the closet, my clothes, everything else inside my room, my shoes. All technology. I make my way to the bathroom. The toilet and the sink are technology. Going to the bathroom isn't, though. I brush my teeth and put in my contacts. All technology. I get a shower, with shampoo and conditioner, and body wash. I get dressed and go downstairs for some food. The instruments that I use to make my breakfast are all technology too. There's the cereal box and the cereal and the bag inside the box. I have a carton of orange juice. Now, I'm not sure what I would say about orange juice. The packaged kind is technology, but is it technology if I am on an island and I bite into an orange? I'm not sure how to answer that one. I'd love to hear what anyone else has to say. Anyway, moving on...I go get in my car and drive to school. The car and all its parts are technology. The road is technology. The radio, the traffic lights, the street signs--all technology. I get to school and walk to my class and sit down in a classroom at a table with many chairs. These are all technology. So is my pen and the paper I write on. Writing itself is technology. After class, I return to my car and drive to work. The movie theatre has a ton of new things to encounter. Take the projector, for instance. There's a huge array of technology there. And most people in the class are surely not as familiar with a movie projector as I am. Every individual part is in itself technology and then those parts come together to create more technology. After work, I went to Best Buy and browsed around the DVDs until it was closing time, finally settling for Corpse Bride (WS, of course), a couple CD's, and a cheap horror movie. The store was technology, everything in the store, from the shelves, to the products on them were technology. I went home and popped Corpse Bride into my DVD player and watched it. The television, the DVD player, the remote controls, the chair I was sitting in, and the lights that I set to dim to watch the movie were all technology. I pretty much did nothing afterward and then went to sleep, but in a day's time, I must have encountered thousands of technologies. WOW! It was a good date, though.

         I'll leave you with a nice, memorable quote from Napoleon Dynamite:

"Why do you love me? Why do you need me? Always and forever... We met in a chatroom, now our love can fully bloom... Sure the world wide web is great, but you, you make my salivate... I love technology, but not as much as you, you see... But I STILL love technology... Always and forever. Our love is like a flock of doves, flying up to heaven above... always and forever, always and forever... Why do you need me? Why do you love me? Always and forever... "

         The day I documented was the day where I practically had the whole day off. It was interesting to see how even on my day off I rely so much on technology. I wonder how I would have lasted in the earlier days when one of this was available. As I was noting what kinds of technology I came across to I noticed some of the items were redundant and it seemed I was dependent (might not be the right word but it felt like that) on these items, so my day can go by.

         The cell phone was something I noticed I was using quiet often. Interestingly I have had this cell phone for 2 years now and I still don't know how all the features work. I know the basics of it (how to answer a call and send message's). But I don't know how the email function works on my phone, or how I can change the ringer to my favorite songs. But this phone came out of my pocket it is pretty high tech for me so I consider this technology that apparently (noting the number of times I have used it) I am using quiet often.

         I was also using my computer going on the internet quite often. I personally think this is technology because I know how to use it but I personally don’t understand it. For instance if there was a virus. Going on the internet and looking at all the different Internet sites (some to inform me about the world and my community like the news and others to inform me about my friends like face book). I consider these sites technology because I feel the numerous features that are on these sites had to be programmed in here. There are also special features that are new every hour like the news. I find this fascinating, that even if someone is glued in their own world they can come on the internet and still be updated in what is going on around them.

         In the end I do feel that my definition of technology is to small, maybe because I have yet to understand what technology means to me or what the definition of technology is. Maybe later on I will understand why to some non-electrical items are technology.

         Everything that I encounter that day I later realized I considered a technology. The shower, deodorant, brush, hairdryer, car, shoe, clothing, the Internet, phone, television, playstation, etc. Everything, even the simple things like the spoon, hair tie, and beer bottle were all created to make life easier, and in a sense, quicker. The only things that I did not consider as technologies were emotions like happiness, sadness, euphoria, etc. Even speech could be considered a technology because it has evolved to incorporate words and phrases to express ideas and feelings in a quick and concise way.

         Overall, my favorite combination of technology for the day was the use of duct tape, sharpie, and written language. All of these combined got me from the Recher Theater to a party where I had many laughs and a great time. But that is not the only reason I liked this particular combination. It is the idea that there are so many different types of technologies to accomplish the same end that if there is not the traditional paper and pen, one can improvise. Thus leading to my definition of technology, which is anything that is allows life to flow easily and quickly, that aids in accomplishing an end, and is almost always unnatural with a few exceptions such as speech.

         Saturday was very uneventful, in the traditional sense, as I was at home and basically sat around all day. When I look at my list however, it appears that I did quite a few things that day, and even the most mundane activities were rather complex from a technological standpoint. For instance, I brushed my teeth three times that day. Everyone brushes their teeth daily, but when I thought about it, I realized that I was interacting with many different technologies by performing this small task. Running water is definitely a technology, as is the use of a toothbrush and toothpaste. In the not so distant past, people used to rinse their mouths out with water from a stream or well, and that was the equivalent of brushing their teeth. These innovations have not only helped tackle the problem of morning breath, but have also drastically cut tooth decay and gum disease.

         Another interaction I had with technology that day was to run on a treadmill. I think most everyone would agree that a treadmill is technology as is the television I was watching at the time. I also noted that the clothes I wore, and the shoes that were specifically designed for running were technology. Nike conducts research on runners and other athletes to constantly improve their products (at least I hope they do...their stuff is expensive!). The clothes and shoes I was wearing were designed specifically for running and I would have found exercising a lot less enjoyable and may have even hurt myself if I had been wearing jeans and sandals.

         In conclusion, I think technology is everywhere, and many technologies have certainly seemed to disappear into the background. Clothing, shoes, and a sink are all something we take for granted everyday, but at one time or another they were all considered new and innovative, helping to improve users' quality of life or to accomplish tasks.

         Technology (in my words) is any method or process used in order for an advancement of some kind. I know it is a bit vague, but technology is too broad of a matter to specify any one aspect and by doing so, the meaning will be missed. My original definition before the data was simply, any object that ordinary people use to get ordinary things accomplished. Despite the many descriptions I can rattle on about technology, it has become a natural habit for my daily life and is an inseparable quality that is essential in order for me to make it through a single day.

         I started my recording on February 3, awakened by the alarm clock and given sight by my glasses. I continued the morning doing the usual, washing, dressing, contacts, combing hair, television, make-up, perfume and so on. Within the first 30 minutes of starting the assignment, I had a notepad full of recordings. For me to even sit here and list all the interactions would be a bore. Of course, as a college student, I used pens, pencils, computers, UMBC card, steps and etc. Then later I went to work at Nine West where I interacted with the cashier, telephone, and refrigerator. But I must not forget the use of man’s best creations, my car and cell phone (needed for all daily purposes). By 10 pm after reviewing and adding recordings, my entire day had basically revolved around the use of technology. From the simple things as speech and writing to something more complex as PSP (playstation portable), technology smothered my every thought and action. At one point I became so frustrated with jotting down everything that I tried not to use any technology at all. Though I was unsuccessful, it helped me further realize my lacking capabilities without technology. I even notice during parts of my day, I began taking advantage of the technology by using the handicap button to open the door, taking the elevator to the second floor and even paying for a two dollar purchase on my card. Come to think of it, the only thing I performed that didn’t require technology was breathing, which even now can be done with the help of technology. To end my Friday night, I took out my man-made eyes, set my alarm and was prepared to return to the blindness (literally) that I have of technology.

         Concluding the recordings and reading selections, I decided to ask myself a new question: If we take away technology, do we take away a part of us? My answer is yes, and by all means it will not ever change. Technology has become like the new face of human existence. It is the first and the last thing we see, use and touch. Man made technology, but man cannot restrain its control of everyday life. It is so prevalent, that I truly believe it has transformed into the basic nature of humanity. Technology has become my fourth essential part of life after air, food and water because I can’t live without it.

         To wake up at the exact moment to prepare for work, I had to rely on the alarm option on my T-Mobile cell phone. Punctuality, which is seen by society as a positive personal trait for not only work but for class and any social meeting but even this occurrence is not solely dependent on that individual because this individual is depending on technology to be on time. If an alarm, watch or clock should fail the person, they are still responsible for their timeliness. In the eyes of the person waiting or being “stood up”, technology is not to blame but, instead, the individual whose has been let down themselves by some glitch in technology.

         Just to prepare myself to meet the outside world required a repeating secession of interaction with gadgets, devices, tools and inventions. From the specialized St. Ives face wash, tweezers, nail clippers, razors, to cover up, bobby pins, lipstick, blush, hairbrush earrings, not only was I to realize the ridiculous amount of time and effort I subject myself to every day but I realized the level of invention used to create an object also mirrors the importance of the function of that object in the society that uses it. Go to any make-up counter at Hecht’s or Nordstrom and it is apparent the amount of time, consideration, and innovation that went into the “smoothest” eye-shadow, the “longest lasting” lipstick, or the “most age-defying” face moisturizer. If we as a society did not feel such an overwhelming need for these objects than the creators would not be so hard at work at constantly re-innovating and redesigning them to create the “best” for the self sustaining demanding market. I, apparently, am no different.

         During the course of my already long and boring work day the repetitive tasks of my job were brought into a stronger focus when I had to document the small and redundant actions asked of me. As a circulation assistant I have to check books out to the patrons of the Catonsville branch of Baltimore County Public Library system. I receive the books, which are designed small for lightness and easy transportation, or the circulation desk which is fully equip with a small shelf on the side of the patron to be used as a perch for purses or baby bottles for convenience of the patron. I take their library card which is square and thin to fit in their wallets and scan the barcode which saves me from manually typing in the number. Their account is brought up and I scan each black barcode that appears on the back of each desired book that was previously located due to the dewy decimal system of filing. I run each spin that has the title and call number over a desensitizer to ensure that it would not “beep” as they exited the branch. I repeated this exact secession of actions a painful amount of times to the point I felt like a machine.

         Even in my free time after work I found my actions very uniformed. I showered as I did that morning, applied make-up and dressed in clothing with zippers and buttons with the distinct purposes of keeping the cloths on my body while fitting my shape enough as to not make my body resemble that of a potato sack. After this assignment I feel like have as much choice in my actions as those offered to a sack of potatoes. Even though I have a wider range of motion, I felt that my actions were predestine by the products, edifices, and innovations created by society to benefit me in my daily life. Because these “technologies” are so readily available to me with no pre-existing thought necessary on my part I feel like my hand is divorced from decision making because my actions are reactions to the technologies surrounding me.

         There were many interactions that merit notice but for the sake of length, I will only choose those who immediately sparked my interest.

         Through my routine I noticed many technologies (I was overwhelmed), but this technology was front and center, it resided on the wall directly behind the main couch. The painting radiated an abstract purpose (more abstract then the stairs, or the couch, or the shirt on my back).

         The painting’s reason (as I understood it) was to define my living space. The painting radiated with vibrant with color and pleasing form and composition form, this piece of art had a sense of nature; it was like looking at a field or a rainbow but there exists a more substantial (personal) conclusion to this piece of technology.

         The painting gave me, more then anything else, a sense of belonging, comfort, but also vulnerability. It came to me that this painting, in the middle of my house, categorically defined a marginal portion of my being. I began to acknowledge that the painting, on some sub-conscious level restricted my ability to mold my character outside the semiotics of that painting.

         If technology was made to better man-kind, then why do I smoke cigarettes? Throughout the entire day this thought rang in my head like a loud bell. The tobacco, the preservatives, the filter, the rolling machines, but what was it all for? So I dissected this to the best of my ability and felt the purpose of the cigarette was to entertain and give a little head buzz. Maybe the real purpose of this technology is to kill, maybe that is a bit irrational.

         But if my medications aid my being, solidify my health then cigarettes do the exact opposite.

         My day usually starts with being awoken by an alarm clock, and doing basic activities like washing my hair, and using special facial cleansers to control acne outbreaks. After drying my hair, the simple act of using my campus card to buy food is an interaction with computers and cash registers. Throughout the day I use my cell phone to check the time, or to send and receive calls and text messages. I check my email at various times each to receive messages over various listprocs, and just the act of doing my makeup before a class is an interaction with chemical technology, for the sole purpose of making me look better. Out of my ordinary routine, I went to a recruitment event for the Panhellenic Association, to help recruit girls for my sorority, and at this event I interacts with Operations to turn on the lights, used a pen to sign girls in, and made copies of applications on the machine in the Student Organizations office. Towards the end of the night, I drove my car to the gas station to use a credit card and pump gas.

         After listing all these things, I started to see the validity in what Bruce and Hogan were saying in their essay on the disappearance of technology. I use it almost every minute of my life throughout a single day without even registering in my mind what I'm doing. My day would screech to a halt if these things were removed, until I could find a way around using them in order to get what I need done. Even then, though, most of what I do on a day-to-day basis would be impossible.

         First I woke to my standard alarm clock/radio before I actually woke to my cell phone alarm. By this time it was 10:00 am. I'm always hungry in the morning, so, I went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and used the microwave, and stove to fix myself some breakfast. That was around 11:00 am. For the remainder of the morning I used the house telephone, the remote control and television, my laptop computer, my cell phone, and eventually a light switch (so that I could see in my bathroom). Later in the day I went to the mall in my car listening to my radio. I had to stop at several traffic lights both ways of my trip. I also witnessed a car getting caught by the traffic light cameras.

         During my visit at the mall I used an escalator, elevator, and an electric sliding door. While I was in one of my favorite stores, I used a credit card swiping machine hooked up to a computer to purchase my items. On my way back home I stopped at the gas station to use the ATM machine. I then got some gas from the electric gas pump. Upon my return home I used the garage door opener. I then went up to my room, turned on my clock radio and my tiny fan and relaxed in my room the rest of the evening. I also became friends with the television once again (although this time I didn't use the remote). After turning off my television and using the light switch to turn off the lights, and turning setting my alarms, I finished my encounters with technology on Sunday Feb. 5th.