The Pickering Institute in Missouri is pimping out its edu domain names. The Institute, which falls under my definition of a "questionable institution," is clearly not what we expect when we hear the .edu domain. Its home page consists of a standard blog template and two short front page entries, the oldest of which is from March 2008. PI's ethos is no better established by its two-paragraph long "About us" page.

So what does computers and composition sound like?

I guess I thought that the Resident Evil 5 trailer that we watched on Thursday was disturbing enough to watch again and then contemplate how, in the name of all thorough consideration, this video game got made. Maybe even more disturbing than the fact that it was made, tested, sent through control groups, etc., is that YouTube commenters seem to not recognize this issue in the least.

Someone may have already mentioned this in class, but there is a program, DOSBox, that will allow users to play old DOS-based games on a computer running current operating systems. (Supports Linux, Mac, and Windows) So, if you feel like some old school pixelation, check it out!

When I was reading through the first couple of chapters in Shaffer’s book, I keep getting stuck on the idea of school being a type of game. In Shaffer’s words, “much of schooling is about learning to access parts of this cultural record: learning to read, and write, and work with mathematical symbols” (63). Shaffer also states, while talking about microworlds and autoepressivity, that “[w]hatever you do, you do based on assumptions about how the world works.

The virtualization software, Parallels, makes it possible to run Windows within Mac OSX and thus, allows for the simultaneous use of Windows and Mac programs. In order to use Windows programs on the Mac, you must purchase Parallels and a licensed copy of Windows. But what if you just want to be able to play some PC games?

A quick note about an upcoming conference in Pasadena, CA: The Art Center Design Conference 2008: Serious Play. Every two (?) years the Art Center College of Design hosts a conference focused on a central theme relevant to design. Past years have included Radical Craft and Stories from the Source: Design Excursions Out of the Ordinary.

I've been re-reading Steven Johnson's Everything Bad is Good for You again this year, mostly because I'm using it for 106, but I've been more impressed this time around with the main thrust of his argument. I think he has a lot to say about the topics that we've been going through recently in 605. For example, he makes a clear distinction between the cognitive benefits of video games and the potential for problematic content. Since we've been discussing transferrence, and the topic is certainly short of resolved, but Johnson's take on this issue is surprising clear-minded and practical.

I guess there's been a bunch of stuff from this series of reading on gaming that I found interesting, and that I haven't really thought about before. Just like infusing my courses with new media what-not, I'm now kinda into the idea of using games, or at least persuasive games, in my comp course next semester. I think the tough issue that I keep butting up against is: what strategies will I be using to help students investigate games as a site of complex social and rhetorical issues?

So out of curiosity I downloaded the online version of Magic The Gathering (If you are unfamiliar with the game or my history with it, see my post from last week: http://www.digitalparlor.org/sp08/blackmon1/node/161). At first I was sucked into the new environment because I could navigate to a game room where other players were waiting to start up a game. But, after playing a few really engaging games with the other online guests, and going undefeated with a few last minute come from behind victories, I became very aware of the solitude I was experiencing.