three posts

My three nominated posts would be ‘How is it?’ posted on October 20, ‘Next’, posted on October 1, and ‘The best worst place to be’, posted on August 25. I nominate them as I believe they display elements of networked media. They all either display another possible networked service. They also engage with the content within the unit and are a general reflection on my experience within the unit.

Overall, my blogs content was a mixture of unit content, personal hobbies, assignment progress and a little web experience. For me, the log is more like a journal which would explain the low rates of comments made and traffic received. I am not disillusioned by this however as the blog was never meant to attract attention to my life, or progress through the unit. The log was not coherent enough to want to read it week in, week out but it was a great reflective practice, which I am more than happy with. I believe that is the key in attracting a large audience to a blog, coherence. I make this assumption based on the blogs I am subscribed to. It seems that blogs that have a personality and are coherent, with regular posts containing common themes. An example of this would be my subscribed ‘Arseblog’ which is a day by day commentary of the Arsenal Football Club.. Looking back, the blog is quite large which is interesting as I initially thought that it would not amount to a whole lot as I had only written little when starting the blog.

Through participating in this unit, I have learnt a little more about the services I have used now for a number of years. It’s not that significant that I am using the services that have been put forward within the unit, but it is significant that it has forced me to look at networked media consumption/production from a critical perspective.

It’s amazing when you try and comprehend the rate at which networked media has grown over the past decade. It has risen to probably the most popular medium of networking across the western world and (despite it not really being covered within the unit) greater parts of Asia.

Networked media has given the common people a chance to be heard. It is a powerful publishing tool that is affecting the way within which individuals define themselves and communicate. Networked media production can be said to have helped develop the taxonomy of the internet which has made it an accessible highway of vast information – a powerful medium that is becoming ever present in communication throughout the world.

PROJECT B LINK

projectb_seemymusic_3011376

Come and get the pdf.

If you cannot see it in a new tab, right click and save as!

PROJECT B!

I opted for the first option of project B. The concept was to build a data visualisation displaying data filled with any information. Data visualisations are powerful. They are able to display information often hidden in the data and when utilised properly are an effective tool in any medium. Option B was chosen as I was impressed by the Data Visualisation lecture presented in week 12 at the University of Canberra. I was especially impressed by the examples provided such as the feltron report and Hans Rosling’s visualising of development economics. I drew on both of these examples for inspiration when visualising my data and overall design of the piece. The piece will be presented as a .pdf file. A .pdf was chosen for the ease of compiling the all the information and the possibility for print at a later date. I had no problems with licensing was all the data was my own or public. My data was algorithmically generated through the use of last.fm, The Australian Bureau of Statistics website, itunes libraries and playlists. All visualisations were handcrafted in Adobe Ilustrator, sound files were generated with vOiCe, a web-based piece of software that generates sounds based on simple graphs. I aimed to keep my piece simple, both in layout and colour scheme. It was planned that each visualisation within the piece would be given a few sentences explaining the data. This however did not eventuate as most people who I asked to interpret the visualisations had similar answers. It should be noted that the piece is a representation of play count, not of liking, though you could assume the two are related.

The data that was chosen for visualising was my itunes library. Over the past 3-4 years I have been adding, listening to, and recording my music. It was convenient as it was already organised within itunes with a decent amount of variables to work with, and there was a sense of fulfilment in looking back at the soundtrack of my late teenage years.

To obtain an even closer look at my library data I created a last.fm account. Last.fm is a community driven internet radio and music streaming service. Its strength is in its ability to keep a tab on what you’re listening to, and then storing the information on your online profile. It is then able to generate numerical charts to give you an idea about what you like listening to, how much you listen to it, and when you last listened to it. With the information stored, it is able to then suggest music you might like based on other users who have common artists. The last.fm database was instrumental in the development of my data.

The first visualisation is a basic bar graph that was constructed in Adobe Illustrator with variations of the line tool. The graph represents the top 30 artists according to tracks played. The graph is a clean design and a clear representation of what is played most in my itunes library. It was intended to look like a soundwave for visual appeal by using the lines and artists names. This however did not eventuate as a wave, but more like a normal graph. By reflecting the graph however, I was able to achieve what looked like a soundwave. The soundwave was then replicated on a piece of software found here to generate an interesting abstract sound.

For the first and second visualisations I decided to try and replicate the data audibly, as I felt it was an interesting take as the data was a musical history. By listening to the file, and viewing the graph you can both hear and see a generated instance of my musical history.

The second visualisation was of the top 30 albums listened to. Similar to the first visualisation, it was based on a bar graph but visualised as an equaliser for visual interest. Similar to the first visualisation, a second bar graph was chosen as the data could be illustrated in means that would be visually easy comprehend what is listened to, how much it is listened to, and how it compares to others sampled. An audible version was also created.

By viewing the graph, it’s interesting to see that I tend to listen to artists, and not necessarily albums. This can be seen as most albums are played together which results in similar play count.

The third data set was visualised in the form of a coloured pyramid. The data was collected through my itunes library with data sorted by date added. Data from 2006 was only selected so it could contrast with the temperature of the month. The greater the amount of tracks added, the further down the pyramid the moth was ranked. A gradient was used to display the rough amount of genres added. These variables were visually represented so I might be able to compare when I obtain most of my music with each month, and if the temperature of the month has any relation. It’s interesting to see that the cooler the period of the year, the more metal music I obtain. Although the variable is not illustrated, it should be noted that I have travelled overseas at the end of each year since and including 2006, which may point to why I don’t seem to obtain much music at end/start of a year.

The final visualisation is the most abstract. The fourth visualisation is a representation of genres played in my itunes library. Each genre is colour coded and randomly placed around the image. The number of circles is a rough estimation of the amount of each artist in each genre, the greater the size of the circle and the more the artist is played. Although it is not extremely accurate, it is still effective in communicating generalisations about the genres in my library. It should be noted also, that categories created for the genres were based on the artist categories at my part-time job.

I am annoyed that the text chosen for the piece has randomly bolded a number of the letters ‘i’ and ‘l’. I would love the opportunity to change the text but they have been rasterised and are unable to change with the amount of time remaining. It’s more annoying that the problem only occurs when the files are converted to .pdf, my choice of format. Time providing, I’d also like to graph my perceived top 30 artists, albums, genres and tracks to see if the play count displayed in this piece coincides with what I believe to be my favourite.

Overall, the assignment was an interesting exercise that forced me to relearn how to utilise Adobe Illustrator. I have learnt a little more about what I listen to.

Quiz, Title page

Good afternoon everyone, me.

I have completed my cover/title page for my Project B! I like the look of it, it has my name, data used and brings to life the colour scheme for the assignment. Say hello to it below =D

I also sat the exam the other day. I attended late, but the quiz (exam is a scary word) was short – nice. I was annoyed when the question came up asking us to explain that tail thingy…. there was a diagram in the lecture notes but no description – so naturally I did not think it was important. After speaking to a few others I was comforted when I heard they also, had no idea what it was…

How is it?

How is it going you might say mmmm?

Well, project B is going well thank you. Below is a graph I just finished actually. Have a look see! =D

As you can see, I have created an equaliser looking chart. I think it the chart is effective in displaying the information and revealing the fact that I more often than not, listen to artists in general and not specific albums. It also creates an easy layout for me to turn this into an abstract sound using a little tool that can be found here.

I am sure if the people marking will like the sounds that some of my graphs create. Lets just say I am trying to take the graph a little further, whether it will work or not, I’ m not really sure, I’ll still add it….

I have become more and more interested in the work of Christopher Doyle. I want to spread the news about him. For me, he is one of the most interesting people around these days. Christopher Doyle is an Australian cinematographer. This however is not an occupation he has been working on for his lifetime, not by  . He only started making films in his late 30′s and prior was a cow herder in Israel, a sailor on a Norwegian ship, an oil driller in India and has also worked as a doctor of Chinese medicine in Thailand. He speaks french, Cantonese, mandarin and obviously English, it is noted that though he actually speaks better mandarin than English which is astounding. He does not really work with colour theory and does not mind a drink or two….most interesting…..I encourage all to watch a little clip about him I found on youtube which can be viewed below.

I find his rants relevant to a large chunk of my degree – Multimedia. I am inspired by his vanguard approaches and use of colour…. Despite his wisdom’s on not using too many rules we are told time and time again, that you must learn the rules in order to break them.

Oh and I found a rather funny data visualisation clip starring Dimitri Martin on another students blog…..check out Thao’s blog here.

I’ll keep working and you, my lack of readers up to the minute on my matters of networked media.

Project B

I have put my itunes library up on last.fm. You can visit my page here. Its worked out well as last.fm is able to read the itunes library .XML data. In doing this, it has helped me get an idea of who and how much I listen to. It also gives me a reasonable understanding of how the artists might look visually. I am able to see album pics, band pics and a little info on the band/artist. Last.fm displays the information visually with a bar graph. This will help me read my library visually a little better.

The idea I am focusing on now is to try and alphabetise my artists, perhaps my top 100, then display them like a sound wave. The more times I have listened to them, the greater the spike. It will take some time to plot the points but I am sure it should look okay. I might be able to put the wave into something like audacity and listen to it ??? Maybe. I will try to display my information in a few different ways. I am a little annoyed however, I have been looking for so many different ways of displaying my data, even looking a few examples where an itunes library has been turned into an interactive 3D space. I spent a few hours learning how to do it, but then discovered how difficult it was going to be.  Only a few weeks to go now.

On another note, my love for Chinese director Wong Kar Wai has grown even deeper. I have finished watching most of his films now, from his debut As tears go by up until 2046. His work, photographed by Australian Christopher Doyle is amazing. I feel fresh, like I have rediscovered a love – Cinema!

Below is what I attempted to replicate.

iTunes Library Visualization from Scott Murray on Vimeo.

Datavisualisation

I’ve been thinking over the past few days about what I should do for Project B. I was thinking about doing the geotagging assignment – but now I am swaying to the datavisualisation. At first I thought the visualisation would be cool (the data one that is) but my key concern was finding/constructing interesting data. I would get more out of it if the data were personalised as I would be able to look back on it with meaning. I just remembered I have an itunes library with a lot oh music. Most of it is properly organised and I have a play count stretching almost 4 years…. It could make an interesting visualisation, I just need a method now to make it work. More to come.

Datavisualisation

Was (like always) not able to get to the lecture, but give the notes a little love.

This week we are looking at Datavisualisations. What are datavisualisations? Michael explained them by describing them as representations of abstrac, no-physical information. Therefore a map or a photograph is not a datavisualisation.

How are they constructed. Elements within a datavisualisation can be distinguished through scale, colour, shape, position and movement. Simple enough (i love lecture notes). Nicholas Feltrons report was produced again as an example but I thought (at first) that it was just a good case of smooth consistent graphic design. Chris Harrison’s visualising bible was pretty but I would have much trouble trying to find a practical use for it – but it really was pretty (new wallpaper atm – pick up a yummy big res copy here).

The NYTimes market analysis is no where near a gorgeous but much more practical. This is datavisualisation at its *yawn* best so to speak.

Hans Rosling blew me away. I was sceptical at first but now, now I see the true power behind datavisualisation!!!!!!!! The visualised bible wa pretty, the NYTimes market analysis was practical bu Hans Roslings presentation was both. WATCH IT HERE PEOPLE. These are the best stats you have ever seen (no, really). Could you imagine if all the statistics, from all the countries, across periods of time, were represented in a numerical fashion? Disregarding the key elements of datavisualisation (scale, colour, shape, position, movement)? Impossible, you could not engage with anyone, let alone an audience. Its not just about presentation however, the learning possibilities here are endless. A table with child survival% over time from a huge amount of countries around the world would not be comprehended in a table.

Datavisualisation is important.
In light of the up coming assignment I have added an RSS feed for all to see other pieces of work that students are doing in this unit. **Update** feed not working anymore.

Next.

The next assignment was delivered in the tutorial. It seems to require roughly about the same amount of time/effort as the first with a similar weighting. Project B asks use to either build a data visualization (scientific, sociological, personal – something about your own life), or a photographic tour built with geotagged photographs using flickr and google earth/maps. The third option is to create a youtube/vimeo video that critics the service. Either option must be engaging, interesting, creative and appropriately licensed.

When considering my attempts at Project A – the second option (photographical tour) would be awesome – too awesome almost. For project A I made an exhibition on flickr of my tour of China in January this year. I have tagged organized photographs from all around the country. Perhaps the photographs would have been more suitable for Project B than A. despite this, I asked Nathan on his opinion – he felt I would not really be challenging myself, learning anything new, or creating any new content. If I was do decide to do it, he explained I would need to think of a way to further what I have already done and then it would perhaps be acceptable. I had roughly 30 photographs in the online exhibition – 30 from only about 900. I am thinking of making the sample size larger, perhaps 60-100. The assignment is not just about the photographs though, its also about narrative and the tagging within the maps. I believe the assignment will work if I work on these along side a larger sample space. Nathan explained he would chat with the other tutors and get back to me.

Within the tutorial, Nathan showed us some examples of what might do for Project B. One that caught my eye, not for a willingness to replicate but just because it was quite amazing was  Feltron eight. I love the graphic design of the site/work. I feel its, simple, clean and well organized. At times however I felt the methods used to display some objects (text, picture (lack of ) resizing could be an issue, but these are overshadowed by the consistency and amounts of data – its mind blowing.

I wish I was motivated enough to replicate something similar to this. It would be interesting to look back at the end of the year – a quirky study of yourself.

Its also the time of the year when football games are released. As a PES fan I am wary of FIFA09, just as I was shocked at the efforts put into FIFA08. Konami has yet to release a demo of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 as yet, but I am eagerly searching for hardcore fan blogs with any information possible.

Throughout this semester, we have been encouraged to write good blogs. Nathan showed us a few articles at the start of the semester about how to blog well (which I have not given a thorough read – as you can probably notice). In time however (certainly before I have to produce my 3 best posts) I will have to rework a few posts to make them ‘better’, or even start writing ‘better’. It would have made sense though to read them when they were offered – like in week 1 or 2, before the last 10 posts anyway.

Hurrah! I’m back!

A short uni break coupled with the deletion of my wordpress account details has put me slightly behind the 8 ball – but now I am back – with details saved!

My first week of the holidays was nice. I went up to Queensland with Corinna and had a really pleasant time. It was nice to have some warm weather for a change as Canberra had been fairly cool and was slowly warming for spring. It was also nice when we got back to Canberra as it had really gotten into the swing of spring with floriade and some warm days.

The second week was a frantic rush (well the end of it was) to get catch up with as much uni-work (mainly Chinese) as possible. I completed an assignment for another class and typed about 4 or 5 of Corinna’s. The first week was intense also with the assessment due. In our first NMP tutorial of the term we worked on a little CSS which was a really nice refresher for me. I had touched on html and css script in my first year but had forgotten much. Nathan explained everything on a need to know bases so we got through quite a lot in the hour or so we were working on it. More to come – off to work now…. I miss my weekends.. =(