#blogpost10

This week with this project has been difficult. Trying to go through the data that has been collected in GIS is proving to very difficult. I took ArcMap and popped it open, added a base map that has topography and labeled landmarks. I searched through the shapefiles available through Esri online and was able to find one that was the state of Florida and the boundaries of the counties. Using the editor tool, I highlighted individual counties that were not Orange county and deleted them. This just left the boundary of Orange county on the base map. Since the base map was of the world and we only need a small section for this project, I went into the data frame properties for the layers and used the clip tool. I then clipped the base map to only orange county. I did this step to save on processing power required for the project. There is no need to render the world if we are only working in a small portion. Once getting down to a workable area things began to get drastically more difficult. I attempted to take 2 of the .jpegs that have been gathered and then try to upload them into ArcMap. I was getting several errors and when I did not get errors the images would not load. I did get one of the images to load in, but since there is no location metadata on the images the projection was not correct. So I tried to convert them to transverse mercator so that I would be able to superimpose the images. I was not able to get past this step. I was getting several errors.

Talking about these issues with my partner, we discussed further steps for this project. Due to the struggle so far to simply project the image, and not having been able to properly work on the buildings and their location, we have dedicated ourselves to change the scope of our project. We began to look for a different visualization that may fit our ideas. We came across Google MyMaps and we got excited about the possibilities. This still keeps the visual map aspect of our original project, but allows us to go about it in a different manner. 

via The Next Web

Nick Srnicek in the second chapter of Platform Capitalism explores the characteristics of the platforms of the digital world through the lens of capitalism and its economic dynamics. 

Capitalism, as an economic system, reinvents itself when a crisis hits. For example, at the end 1990s the end of the ban on commercial activities on the Internet was accompanied by a great enthusiasm. Everyone was investing in this market until it crashed because it was a giant market to sustain. Therefore, a few powerful players remained which adopted the data-centered business model like Google. The changes and technological development translate themselves in informational, or cognitive, or knowledge, or immaterial economy. The powerful players of the digital media world gain ownership over information rather than ownership over the means of production. Indeed, there is a shift toward a more immaterial production: cultural content, knowledge, and services. The richness of Internet-based companies relies on users’ data extraction. Data are the new oil; however, they are not completely immaterial. Data are stored into physical data centers and the global internet traffic requires an immense amount of energy to be sustained. Therefore, the product of work is immaterial, yet the infrastructure is material.

The business model for an effective data extraction revolves around the platform. But, what is a platform?

Srnicek explains that platforms are digital infrastructures that enable two or more groups to interact. They therefore position themselves as intermediaries that bring together different users (30). They provide the environment that enables the users to interact. Nevertheless, they do not constitute the environment solely since they are taking over the entirety of life becoming entities. Another characteristic of platforms is that they rely on the “network effect”: the more users are on the platform, the more the platform gains value. Platforms fight for attention economy and find ways to keep users on the platform as much time as possible.

Platforms are a new type of monopoly, employing cross-subsidisation for which one side of the platform reduces the cost of a service, while the other side raises the cost in order to make up for the losses. Platforms have control and governs all interactions possible in the game and they embody politics. The ownership of platforms is of both software and hardware, and who owns the entire unity holds code, data centers, and servers.

There are 5 types of platforms:

• Advertising Platform – the business model is based on extracting data from users, analyzing it, and transforming it in personalized data for targeted advertisements. Google and Facebook adopt this business model. For example, yesterday I searched on Google for the website of a shoes brand. Immediately after I closed the site, on my Facebook page (and on other social media), appeared several advertisements of shoes from that brand.

• Cloud Platform – the business model based on owning software and hardware and renting them out. Amazon is the largest cloud platform provided.

• Industrial Platform – it builds the hardware and software to transform traditional manufacturing into internet-connected processes and transforms goods into services.

• Product Platform – it transforms a traditional good into a service by collecting subscription fees. The example of this business model is Spotify for music industry.

Unique

Portable

Fun & Vibrant

Challenge

I chose a package that had strong branding, so my focal point will be creating another product line. My coffee bags will be smaller than normal ones so that people can take them on the go. 

Fitting the main content on smaller packages will be difficult, as well as the right materials. Making sure content is readable for all ages and in all light settings will also be a challenge. 

Approach

I created a portable coffee bag by decreasing the size. Since the size is smaller, it allows for creating something more fun. The package takes on a coffee bean shape, which will have an interesting colour or pattern on the sides. The inside will have foil and a seal to ensure freshness.

Outcome

Knitting has been a good therapy from day-to-day life, to get a break studying and work. Now, it has become a tradition for me to knit before I start working on my university assignments. It has become a coping mechanism.

Listen to the playlist I made for internal activism.

In the last few months interacting with knitting I have been thinking a lot about writing a manifesto for female promoters, because, there has not been enough conversation about it. There have been some manifesto’s about women in the music industry but not specifically women who promote shows. The promoter business again, is dominated by men and to enter as a women has it’s ups and downs. But there is also another aspect, promoter are expected to be party animals but I’m not or maybe I used to be when I started? The music environment changes individuals in good and bad ways. Gets you into some circles that you just want to see and not be a part of. I guess I have always been the odd one out in promoting shows in Lugano, Switzerland. Sometimes I think I was placed there as a joke, to see if I would be able to survive? But my passion for music and seeing my ultimate favourite or a band I admire play in my city is a feeling that nobody will be ever be able to take away from me. It’s not all selfish, I also enjoy letting other people discover new genres of music or weird bands. Overall, knitting has helped me find myself in messy promoting game. Maybe, to start a knitting club at concerts?

I’ve gained  more ideas to further my future independent projects. Of course, with a little help of my friends. Sometimes, you might be scared of crazy ideas but if you believe in them and you have friends that support you, it’s the best combination. The key word is collaboration, we can try as much as we want to be “I can do it by myself” but get smart. This means connecting with the right people that you can trust with your projects. I’m speaking from experience, be careful who you decide to bring into your projects. Sneaky snakey people are out there, to take full advantage of your projects. I’m not saying to have a contract but have a clear layout of what you expect and what they should expect. 

Gif sources:

1 Gif: https://giphy.com/gifs/oFNyN0smj99Qyv1Bdv

2 Gif: https://www.harmonieaupetit.com/go-honor-go/

Dear Walter,

Good morning. I received your proposal yesterday and I have reviewed it thoroughly. I have looked at your suggestion to switch advertising agencies from ABC Agency to XYZ Agency. I appreciate the input and hard work you’ve provided to the company in the past, however, I believe that in this situation, it would be best for us to stay with our current advertising agency, ABC Agency. ABC Agency has been a valuable contributor to our company’s marketing strategies for the last ten years and they continue to provide great work. They have helped increase the volume of sales on a year to year basis and increased our profits. There is no need for us to discontinue our relations with them as their work has been satisfactory in the time we have done business with them. I would ask you to reconsider your position. While it is true that a smaller agency like XYZ Agency has less clients and can so divert more time to them individually, I believe you’ll find there are a number of other factors that ABC Agency excels in, such as in cost, creativity, technology, and experience to name a few. We will be choosing to stay with ABC Agency for the time being. Thank you nonetheless for your contributions, Walter. You have been a great asset to our team and I do not wish to discourage you from suggesting improvements or ideas, as I do value the research and work you put into our marketing endeavors.

This semester has been challenging in the aspect that I am not taking any classes for my major so I have not been as interested in my classes. However, I do have to apply for my major and attain a certain GPA to get in, so I wish I would have worked harder, especially first semester to get closer to a 4.0. But I am proud of myself because I did adjust to the transition to college with the amount of work I have to do each night.

My next step is to get into the Early Childhood Education program and actually enjoy the classes I am taking from here on out. I hope to raise my GPA in the next three years because I know it is possible, I just have to really work for it. I am genuinely excited to get into the elementary classrooms because I know that’s truly what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Kortney Cardin

The Hill

Blog Post 10

Joe Shih Architects and Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop, The Hill, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 2018

           The concept of the “The Hill” seems strikingly similar to a conceptual theme that we just recently discussed in class. Rem Koolhaas’s design for the French national library had the same idea utilizing sloped ramps to give a sense of continuity throughout the whole building. Even though his design plan was rejected, it clearly has been noted and incorporated into modern architects’ thought pools today. Joe Shih Architects and Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop may have just happened upon this idea themselves, but I would like to believe that they are taking the ideas of a great architect and refining them even further.

Joe Shih Architects and Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop, The Hill, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 2018

           The theme for the art gallery is to not only be connected with the outside environment, but for the building to have an open and flowing design. By adding grass and trees along the slopped roof, the gallery is given a sense of life for those inside and outside the building, which will draw visitors who are not art enthusiasts. Also, for the artist that choose to go there to seek inspiration, the open concept will allow their senses to not only experience indoor stimuli, but they will be able to observe their surroundings from inside out as well.

 Joe Shih Architects and Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop, The Hill, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 2018

           In conclusion, this building is not only an art gallery, it is capable of being a park, office space for display, and more which will lead to many different type of people connecting in one central place sharing new ideas and experiences.

  Cover Images: