Author: ejaderyan

Reading different examples of Uber's (often-awful) data practices made me think about the way Uber still presents itself to users as something of a branded experience rather than a utility or service, which to me paradoxically makes the experience less enjoyable and dehumanized (despite relying on it so often.) When I'm paired with a driver, … Continue reading Uber, Airbnb, and “Experiences”

I don't know how much my title fits, but I needed something. So much of Martinez's article felt a bit pearl-clutching with regards to "the youth" in ways which eclipsed the real salient points I felt he made. The real issues I think I take are the ways in which modern memory and remembering is … Continue reading Post-truth and Romanticizing the Enlightenment

Perhaps this is a knee-jerk reaction, but while we've seen many times and in different contexts how games can obviously be incredibly useful for pedagogical purposes, I'm not sure how to feel about Quest to Learn School approach using such an encompassing level of gamification. The use of interactive chatbots or "teachable agents" to test … Continue reading McGonigal, Duolingo, Gamified Education

A good amount of the reading this week felt overly dense to me, but the Wendy Chun reading touched on some issues relating to identity in the age of the Internet as it specifically relates to the gig economy. When she describes "'We' as a temporary network weapon," in a way, I feel like that's … Continue reading Wendy Chun and the Gig Economy