Second Order Information: how today's technologies play games with our minds

            As I read an article for one of my classes on the way our modern world currently communicates, I really felt that the idea of “second order information,” as defined in Ilana Gershon’s article, “How Do You Know,”  really related to the idea of gaming. Second order information is an essential part of everyday communication. As it is “not what is actually said but rather the background knowledge of a situation and expectations of communication that allows one to interpret the words,” (Gershon, 2010; 123) it allows people to interpret and understand the actions and intentions of the person expressing a message through the choice of medium used and how it is expressed.  We use second order information every day as it plays an essential role in grasping the true meaning of a message by guiding us into understanding how particular words and statements should be interpreted. As Gershon gives examples that happen everyday such as Facebook and AIM statuses, away messages, relationship statuses, and updates that quote lines from songs and movies to express the way people feel, second order information in a sense has the power and ability to give a desired effect of a message while not directly stating it. For example, receiving a text message from a college roommate saying “Hey! There is something I want to talk to you about” is more casual and comfortable than receiving a typed up letter from them on your bed saying the same thing. While the former scenario seems like the roommate has something interesting or exciting to say, the medium in which the latter situation is used, seems more formal and serious, causing the recipient to feel as if there is a problem that the roommate wants to talk about. The medium in this scenario is crucial in understanding and interpreting the intended message.    

About a few days ago, I encountered an experience in which second order information drastically influenced the way I interpreted a message. I was talking to my friend on Blackberry Messenger when we began to debate about what time we were going to meet up for dinner. As we continued to disagree about the set time and I wrote her a long paragraph explanation of when I thought we should meet, she replied with a simple “Ok.” I then sent her a “?” as to express, “is that all you have to say to my long response?” I then saw that she read my “BBM” because of the check mark and capital “R” next to the last message I wrote meaning, “read” and did not answer. I understood this as her getting upset and making a dig at me by reading my message and not responding. Because of second order information, reading a message and not responding could mean one of either two things; she either read the BBM and did not answer purposefully in order to make a statement expressing she was annoyed at me, or she read the BBM and was busy doing something so she could not answer right away. Like Gershon explains in a similar example with denying friend requests on Facebook, this is a new way to “insult people that [you] now try to avoid” (Gershon, 2010, 131). It is clear that second order information is used daily in various if not all cases of communication as it allows us to understand and interpret a message through the means and medium in which a message is expressed.

            Thinking about this concept, I have realized that the assumptions that innately come along with second order information, are essentially a form of mind games. Because second order information requires you to interpret the tone, intent, and essential overall meaning of a message through a medium involving only text, there are endless ways to interpret the intent of the messenger by only being exposed to text. In my example via Blackberry Messenger, the fact that there was no possible way to be certain of the tone of the message, is ultimately what created conflict in my mind. It could have been that my friend was simply busy doing something and was unable to answer my response in great length, or she could have been trying to make a point that she was annoyed at the situation. Regardless of her true intent, I have realized that text messaging, AIM, IChat, Twitter, Facebook, or any other medium that involves simply using words without attaching voice to understand the tone, will create conflict when trying to be interpreted, essentially playing with one’s mind. While the new technologies of today’s world move farther and farther away from face to face contact, we must ultimately remember that while doing so, we are increasing the amount of second order information, essentially using mind games everyday! 

Bardio Competition

As a part of my regular daily workout routine, I go to a ballet bar class with a few of my friends. While I am naturally very motivated to do the daily routine of 6 excercises, each consisting of 30 second intervals of four sets, I am always competing with myself, trying to beat my limit from the last class. Whether it is doing high knees, and choosing a spot in the mirror where I want to get my knees to reach, or trying to progress in the number of push ups I could do in the 30 second intervals, there is no doubt that I am very competitive with myself. While it is obvious to everyone else in the class that I am always pushing myself to my fullest potential, I have in a sense established my role in the class as the most intense and competitive person among the regulars of the class. One girl even gave me the nickname "the energizer bunny."

Today, I walked into the class and took my normal spot on the front right. As i began to stretch before the class began, I noticed a new girl who had never been in any of my classes before. Assuming that she would not threaten my role in the class, I gave her a welcoming smile. Once the class began, everything changed.

As she constantly looked at me in the mirror while doing each workout move, our stares were enough to say "Back off, I will beat you." Thinking about it now, "beat you" at what? Isn't working out a personal and individual goal with ones self. So why was i getting so frustrated that this girl was openly competing with me; but then again, could it just be that I was playing a mind game with myself? After thinking about whether or not it was all in my head or there was in fact true competition, I finally realized; IT DOESN'T MATTER!  By the time these thoughts had settled in my mind, the class was over, and I had successfully completed it without for a moment dreading each move. While I was constantly in conflict with myself throughout the class, my thoughts were a way to distract me from dreading the class until the end. Therefore, my class had in a sense become a form of gaming for myself, making working out more enjoyable and effective!

Let It Fly

Talking about violence and sexism in class made me think back to my childhood. When I was younger I was influenced by my dad and older brother who lived and breathed sports. I was brought along to every practice, game, and sporting event my brother and dad attended and I loved it. I wanted to be just like my brother in every aspect of his life, from his clothes to the shows he watched to his after school activities. So, when I was denied the option to play football just like my older brother I was devastated. I always played with the guys at recess, always helped my brother practice, learned the ins and outs of the game from my dad, but when I turned the age when tackle football began I wasn't able to put my knowledge and skills to use. My dad tried to get me as close to playing as possible by entering me and my five tomboy friends into an all boys flag football tournament called Let It Fly. 

We were the only girls there, and ended up winning the championship, which resulted in a lot of boys left in tears at the thought of being beaten by girls. The next year they created a girl's league for our age which we were forced to play in, however it was not nearly as fun or challenging. 

While I was not scared of being hurt or not being able to "hang with the guys," in retrospect me being part of an aggressive tackle league would probably have ended in injury and defeat. I was not as strong, although just as tough, as my boy classmates, although I didn't see it like that at the time. From an early age, girls are not put into the same violent settings as boys such as tackle football and although it might seem sexist to raise a child with that mindset, I think it is more parents protecting their daughters and keeping them safe rather than setting them up for failure and injury. 

In class, we talked about a fundamental feature of sports being safety, however the unwritten rules of the game in sports like hockey or football add an uncontrollable violence that a girl might not be ready for at a young age. 

"Deep Play" and Trobriand Cricket

      Today's lecture on the discipline of Anthropology really brought back some memories of the Anthro 101 class I took last year. As I thought back to some of the topics we had discussed, a key term was brought to my attention from an article I had read by Clifford Geertz called, "Notes on the Balinese Cockfightn," was the idea of "Deep Play." 

In Clifford Geertz’s article, “Notes on the Balinese Cockfight,” Geertz explores the idea of deep play as something essential in understanding the true importance and significance of the Balinese cockfight. It is important when understanding the cockfight to take into account the two different levels of meaning it holds; the actual level, which can be apparent as viewed by onlookers and others who are not submerged in Balinese culture, as well as the metaphorical ritualistic level, one that gives social significance to the cockfight and must be understood as well in order to discover the true meaning of it. Geertz understands the importance of these two levels as “deep play,” both ideas that really relate to the concept of the "Magic Circle."  

            Along with the actual physical competition between different cocks, Geertz understands that cocks are also metaphors of competition and for the types of men their owners are. It also, “says something about Balinese social order, abstract hatred, masculinity, demonic power, status virtue” (Geertz 1973; 10). Cockfights are different from everyday affairs. They are set apart from ordinary course of life as they “provide a meta-social commentary upon the whole matter of assorting human beings into fixed hierarchical ranks and then organizing major part of collective existence around that assortment” (Geertz 1973; 10). Geertz points out the differences of social status through the act of the cockfight. While wealthy men are known to spend lots of money on preparing their cocks for the fight, Geertz also points out that there are many smaller cockfights that take place as well among lower class individuals. He then presents the idea that even women and children are represented through the practice of the cockfight as they make bets and cheer on from the sideline. It is evident that Balinese society can be represented and understood through the practice for this very reason.

            Geertz continues to define the idea of “deep play” through the rules and limits he puts on the cockfight. “The more a match is between near status equals and between high status individuals, the deeper the match…The deeper the match is, the less economic and the more a “status” view of gaming will be involved” (Geertz 1973; 10). By understanding the deeper meaning these rules address, outsiders of Balinese society are able to better understand the culture and significance the Balinese people put on the practice. Geertz definitely emphasizes the fact that understanding deep play is essential in understanding a cultural practice and addresses this idea by dissecting the Balinese cockfight.  

         Another game that relates to the idea of "deep play" is Trobriand Cricket. As the initial purpose for introducing Cricket was in hopes of colonizers to introduce a change in warfare style to Trobriand Islanders, making the practice act as a moralizing force, it soon evolved and transformed into something more for Trobriand Islanders and their culture. Like Geertz’s example of the Balinese cockfight, Trobriand cricket includes metaphors that give the practice a deeper significance and meaning as opposed to being simply a game. Because war was banned by colonizers of the time, this twist on the game of cricket allowed Trobriand Islanders to incorporate many of their traditional practices associated with war into a controlled environment. As an example of syncretism, Trobriand Cricket is in a sense a hybrid of two cultural forms, the original traditional culture of the Trobriand Islanders, as well as the new contribution from the colonizers, the game cricket. This aspect of the game definitely contributes to the deep meaning of the practice as a whole.    

One major theme this game addresses is the concept of power. The fact that the host team always wins despite the fact that the guest team could have won in reality, makes a statement about the type of competition the Trobriand Islanders crave. This rule is symbolic of the war-like environment they were deprived of after being colonized. By understanding this deeper aspect of the game, one understands that the game is no longer simply the recreational cricket game, but rather a symbol for something more meaningful to them.  

           Another main aspect of society that can be understood through this game is the role gender plays in the Trobriand Islands. Because women are only on the sideline watching and supporting the men playing, we understand how power is distributed among society and that political power is male centered. “The element of sexuality is displayed in dress, chants, and dances. The words are sexual metaphors used as one team taunts the young women on the sidelines” (Peters-Golden 2009; 252). Had one not understood the fact that only men are allowed to play the game, and the symbolism of these many aspects of the practice, they could possibly misunderstand this aspect of Trobriand society.

            Geertz’s definition of deep play definitely applies to the practice of Trobriand Cricket, as the deeper meaning it addresses of status competition, Trobriand Cricket is very similar to his identification of deep play in the sense that it attains a deeper layer of meaning to it as well. In this case, cricket expresses a message about the society of the Trobriand Islands, one that is competitive and proud. Although one may view the practice as a simple cultural dance, by understanding the rules and deeper meaning behind the act, they are able to further understand what kind of culture Trobriand Islanders have.

            Both the Cockfight and Trobriand Cricket express the idea of maximizing the individual, something only understood once taking a deeper look at the game. While the Balinese cockfight represents the social status of each individual based on how much money they spend on preparing their cock for a fight and how their cock performs, Trobriand Cricket attempts to maximize the individual through their own performance of the practice as well as the communal significance the game stands for. 

            Although Trobriand Cricket and the Balinese cockfight are two drastically different practices that hold different purposes and have different intentions, they are quite similar because of Geertz’s understanding of deep play. Both practices clearly make a statement about their relative cultures, morals, and societies. By understanding not only the evident aspect of each practice, but also the metaphorical deeper meaning each practice represents, one is able to get a better sense of the whole picture.

           

The Second City Mainstage: See the Funniest People in the World Before Everybody Else Knows They're The Funniest People in the World

I suppose that tagline is a bit verbose, but I assure you, it is apt. At 1:00 pm on Saturday March 31st, the RCPlayers Improv Troupe gathered departed to the Mecca of Improvisation, Chicago. By 7:30 am on April 1st, we had returned, and had packed more funny into one sleep cycle than recommended by the Surgeon General.

The Second City breeds funny people. Based in Chicago, the hub of sketch and improvisation has churned out more SNL alum than any other training center and sells out their main stage every single night. This year they performed their 100th revue, loosely entitled, "Who Do We Think We Are?" I say the title is loose because, although the show debuted in January, they build and rework their sketches constantly. How do they do it? Well gersh darn it, IMPROV! Two thirds of the show we saw was completely scripted sketch material, the last third was completely improvised. I am proud to say they used one of my suggestions, gumball machine, to do an musical improv game. It is here I shall focus.

When the scene began, one man was pantomiming working on some sort of device while his supposed lady friend watched. At this point in the scene, very little is happening. The battle at the top of any improvised scene is to find out what the true meat of the scene will be. Most of the time, this is fueled partially by the relationship of the characters within the scene. But there needs to be something else. Something that makes this scene unique. We call that, "the game." CHAD, THIS CLASS IS ABOUT GAMES AND YOU JUST USED THE WORD GAME. I know. It's pretty awesome. In the previously mentioned scene, the man working on the device, which we learn to be a gumball machine, fixes it and proves to his lady friend that he is a man and can fix things. She then comments on the fact that he may be a man in this case, but has hardly been one in the bedroom of late. Ooo, our relationship has taken quite the twist, and now these characters have a specific issue to discuss. But still, it remains relatively undynamic. Suddenly, we learn part of his issue with their bedroomness is that she wants to be called strange names during their stuffs. BOOM. Strange names in bed? Isn't that something that gets a guy in trouble? Yes. And that's why it's interesting. They found their game. Each continue to one up the quirks of the other, being very funny in the process. Also, THEY DID IT IN SONG. Improvising is hard, people. Singing is hard, people. IMPROVISED SINGING IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. These people did it. They even harmonized at one point. Yeah. It was crazy.

For anybody who actually read this entire post, I like you a lot, and I reward you with a thank you and a link to the Second City website.

http://www.secondcity.com/

Thank you

Chad Rhiness

If a Martian came to Earth, what would they conclude about Earth's languages?

So in today's lecture, Robin Queen mentioned something about a famous linguist (who's name slips my mind) who was famous for asking the question. "if a martian came to earth, what would they conclude about Earth's languages".

That made me think about the book "Ender's Shadow", which I read for my book quest. While this is not my book quest and I don't want to give the whole background of the book, the important point for this post is that 70 years before the book takes place, the Earth was almost destroyed by an alien race known as the Buggers. A key difference between the Buggers and humans, besides the insect resemblance of the buggers' bodies, are the styles of communication. Unlike humans, the buggers don't speak, they rather have a direct connection to what all the others are thinking, the thinking is controlled by the queen.

                                                   (anti-bugger propaganda)



Before reading this book (well the prequel "Ender's Game"), I was always caught up simply on whether or not there was other life out there, not even considering the fact that if there in fact was, that their style of communication would be something completely different than ours. Now, the point of this post isn't to start up some debate over possibilities of alien life. I rather want to focus on asking the question, could they conclude anything from our language? They may not even the physical abilities to be capable of understanding our language, just like we may have no way of understanding them. Any thoughts?

The Olympics: What Have They Become?

After Professor Babiak came to talk to us about the Olympics, I began to think about what role these bi-annual games play in the lives of people across the globe. For years, both the summer and winter versions of the Olympics were outlets for the best athletes from hundreds of countries to display their skills on a world stage. There was a certain romance that existed within the games, and it was infrequent to hear people question the legality of certain events. However, in the last ten to fifteen years, it seems as though scandals have flood the Olympics to a point where the entire spectacle feels impure.

In recent Olympics, no sport has been free of scandal. In 2002, a French figure skating judge admitted to being pressured to pick a Russian couple to win the pairs event regardless of the results, when many felt that the Canadian team of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier deserved to win. The scandal took on an even greater presence when the judge attempted to retract these statements, causing further controversy and chaos. More recently, in the summer games in Beijing in 2008, serious questions were raised about the ages of some of the Chinese women gymnasts, who appeared to be much younger than their reported age. Regardless of the truth in either of these cases, the public attention brought to these scandals severely tainted the result of the respective competitions. Gymnastics and figure skating, long two of the Olympics purest and most graceful sports, have been tainted by recent controversies, raising the question: what has happened to the Olympics?

I grew up a huge fan of the Olympics. I have distinct memories of watching every Olympics starting at just six years old, with the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Therefore, when faced with the question of how relevant or “believable” the Olympics are now, I will admit I am the first to come to their defense. Sure, there is no shortage of scandal in every sport across both kinds of games, but I am hesitant to think that these take away the legitimacy of winning a gold medal. After all, I find it hard to believe that there has been a true increase in scandals in Olympics of recent years, and instead believe it can be better attributed to the increase in media and the speed of news travel over the last thirty years. In our class discussion of the Olympics, we came up with at least ten downsides of the modern games, also known as reasons one might not want to watch. Many of these reasons had to do with scandal, yet viewership for both the Winter and Summer Games has continued to increase. So, while we may be more skeptical of the results we see, my opinion is that the Olympics are no worse than they were decades ago, when scandals were more rare and less reported.

What does everyone else think?

- Alex Jacobs