Electracy: Part One
When I consider the factors that create ‘electracy,’ I think of time, progress, people, culture---all the intangibles. While the idea in itself may be new and constantly evolving, I believe that people have always formed their own electracy by means of technology.
The psychology behind it is the ability to draw from oneself and create a new world. While I mentioned the intangibles, tangibles involved in electracy can be anything from a cell phone to a blog. ‘Internet Invention’ is a word that is as broad as it is hard to define. There are numerous ways for people to use electracy and that is why its growth has been so empirical. The idea of the pedagogy involves learning, applying, and creating in ways that make the transition from literate to electracic thinking, as Ulmer had mentioned.
This MyStory is a chance for all of us to utilize our world around us and create something that is new. My own memories and experience has helped with the process so far because I can draw from many ideas.
I hope to create a MyStory in which I don’t have to think about the actual process; I put in everything that first comes to my mind and just run with it. The idea of the “story” in the MyStory will be a depiction of my life in a form similar to a diary, notebook, or profile page.
I also believe this will be a learning experience about my own self. I’ve already drawn from many memories that I had somewhat forgotten or just compartmentalized. The difficulty will be to choose an Invention and shape it into its own discourse and affect on my own life. There are so many out there and so many beginning to form; it is a constantly-evolving wheel that all of us have to keep up with in this age of internet.
Keeping everything in mind, I hope that this process will enhance my understanding of everything that is now within our own reach through technology. Ideas and visions have given us access to thousands of ways of doing or learning things through a simple click of a mouse. Within ourselves and through means of the variables that have created this somewhat digitalized life, going with the process will be inevitable.
For now, I’m taking everything as I see it and drawing on it or around it during this creation process. Instinct alone will guide me; MyStory is MY STORY of my life, activities, and everything that I know and have learned as a guide both in writing and thinking.
Electracy: Part Two
My idea of electracy has changed a lot since my previous attempt at understanding it.
At this point in time, I see electracy as not something that can be defined in one word, definition, or even example. Electracy itself is a revolution within our evolution that cannot be pinned down or stopped.
By being afraid of our movement towards an electronic and internet age, we are resisting a quality of life. Once we allow for things to shape us in a certain way, we, as a civilization and creatures of habit will find ways to adjust and even grow from experimentation and the results of being 'electracic.'
Our use of terms may change in the way in which we may find more relevance in a 'punctum' rather than a 'familiar place.' History has shown us that movements toward a certain way of life or 'being' involves shaping and growing; much like learning and education.
I'm not interested in looking for complete answers right now; I don't think anyone can. The focus is more on application and adjustment TO these new applications---we take what we can from there.
Exercises within the Mystory allow us to dig our heels a little bit deeper into understanding the nature of our world. Through the outlets of digication and virtual images we can make connections with areas of our lives in ways that we may not have previously understood.
While I don't have a complete grasp on the understanding of this new era, I believe by working with the ideas have helped me at least get better sense of what to be ready for.
The Playlist: Formatting the Mystory
These are a few songs from my 'Playlist,' in which have some semblance in my life:
The Playlist
1.) Cecilia-Simon and Garfunkel
2.) Dance Magic Dance-David Bowie
4.) Morning Train-Sheena Easton
6.) Live in Hyde Park-Red Hot Chili Peppers
7.) That Was a Crazy Game of Poker-O.A.R.
8.) Rollercoaster-The Ohio Players
9.) Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)-Looking Glass
10.) Copacabana-Barry Manilow
11.) Billie Jean-Michael Jackson
Explanations:
1.) Cecilia is my grandmother's name, although everyone calls her Nancy now. I also used Cecilia as my Confirmation name.
2.) This comes out of a scene from the Labyrinth; self-explanatory.
3.) A song I learned at Camp Hayward (Google Map) and used when I was working at children’s camp (it’s a ‘repeat after me, do as I do so’ song).
4.) A song that plays at every family birthday, anniversary, reunion, and gathering---no idea the significance other than we just always play it.
5.) My father is the most mild, poker-faced man I've ever met---until this song starts playing. "Built like an Amazon" is his favorite lyric.
6.) Again, self-explanatory; Hyde Park is one of my communities.
7.) For whatever reason, this O.A.R. song pretty much became my high school's anthem. Whenever it started playing, everyone would come alive. Speaking of which, "Alive" by Pearl Jam also had the same effect.
8.) Relating to my amusement park vacations, the rest of the song gets a bit explicit; just focus on the 'rollercoaster' piece.
9.) Fishing was an activity that brought my father and me closer. There were many of times when neither of us had to say a word in order to know what the other was thinking.
10.) I had to throw this in because when I traveled to Acapulco for Spring Break, the hotel we stayed in, The Copacabana, would play this song on the hour, every hour. I hate this song now.
11.) Michael Jackson is my favorite artist of all-time. I never get sick of listening to this song and many of his early 80's pieces. While in present-day he doesn't exactly 'make me feel' at good ease with a stage performance, it's his old stuff that I love.