Q1JacobWisnesky

Document Q1JacobWisnesky

1. Your Name

Jacob Wisnesky

2. Your field of study?

Computer Science

3. In which semester of study are you?

8th

4. Why are you interested in taking this course?

Computer Science is a pretty broad field; I like having a little bit of knowledge about everything. I took Digital and Social Systems Foundations in the Fall and found it somewhat interesting, so I decided to take the follow-up course. Plus it fits into my schedule very nicely.

5. What courses / work activities / background knowledge do you have which might be relevant to this course?

Courses and background knowledge include everything in DSSF from Fall 2008. As a relevant activity, I was once a moderator and then an administrator for an online forum, though not for work but rather recreation. Why I did it still escapes me, as the experience was not fun.

6. Indicate your own digital literacy / fluency:
6.1. Describe your programming experience (languages, projects)

I'm relatively proficient with some more common programming languages: C (which I find vastly superior to C++), Java, and Python. I also have varying levels of experience with other, less common languages. I find functional programming intriguing. The only significant projects I've been involved in is my Senior Project, an application for 3D Visualization for Satellite Control.

6.2. What applications are you familiar with (e.g. Photoshop, Canvas, Dreamweaver,...)?

Microsoft Paint and Notepad, two of the finest applications ever conceived.

7. Give a brief description of the most important book / article which you have read with respect to the topic of the course.

I'm sure a lot of people will search for a book/article that's widely regarded as substantive, insightful, or meaningful in the academic world, but my pick is an early 90's book titled PC Roadkill that's probably best described as a comedy. As the new PC revolution was taking hold, this book took an in-depth look into the emerging PC culture, including bizarre business models, outrageous and failed marketing campaigns, anecdotes and stories from industry, underhanded/shady business deals, and a lot of the outright absurdity going on. The connection to this course may not be obvious, but I think it serves as a warning to how digital/social systems and design/creativity can produce things that aren't for the better.

8. What do you hope and expect to learn from this course?

I'm interested in the possibilities of new media, but I consider all learning to be worthwhile, and will be happy with anything that I learn.