Assignment:

Pick 3 New Media Strategies from Journal 8 and find at least one project for each of these three strategies.

Then explain how each of these three project works, what influence it has, and how it exemplifies the strategy.

Use images, URLS etc to SHOW the projects, not just URLs or titles.  We want to be able to see and explore the projects.

Strategy 1: Crowdsource the Job

Project: Wintergatan Marble Machine X

Description:

The marble machine X is the successor to the Original Marble Machine, a programmable marble-drop based instrument that took the internet by storm in the early 2010s. This new version, the X, takes a lot of cues from the previous version, with many upgrades in quality and precision. Considering the thousands of specialized parts, Martin, the creator of the X has sought after the help of machinists and designers across the world to aid in the creation process. The project has been ongoing for a little over a year now, and following the completion of the project, Martin will take the X on tour with his band Wintergatan. The team of nearly two dozen creators, many of which Martin has never met in person, exemplify the Crowdsourcing model.

Strategy 2: DIY

Project: Make Your Own Graphics Card

Description:

For many years now, Ben Eeater has created DIY micro-processing-computers on his YouTube channel. He has explored many of the fundamental circuits and programming techniques for the field of Computer Science, touching upon everything from SR-Latches to Assembly Language. His profound ability to explain complex computational concepts has led to a reputation of the DIY God of Simply Computing. Recently, he created a video featuring the actual processes that go into classic graphics cards, how to build one, and how to actually use it using parts that have existed in the hobbyist market for decades. With just a bit of circuit understanding and a basic grasp on programming essentials, even the most novice of viewers can be creating their own 8-bit computer in through the guidance of Ben Eater.

Strategy 3: Upstage the Man

Project: an image of a girl releasing a red balloon – [destroyed]

In October of 2018, an original print of “an image of a girl releasing a red balloon” was up for auction. The piece was made by the most famous graffiti artists in the world – Banksy. Historically, Banksy has been hyper-critical of consumerism, and the standard understanding of government control/bureaucratic systems. Out of protest, just after the titular print was sold for $1.4 million, a system rigged to automatically shred the print was activated remotely. In front of the auctioneers and the entire audience, the classical piece of art destroyed itself. Many have speculated on the meaning behind this, but it is clear that Banksy wanted to make a statement about the fine-art world and to mock “the man” where it hurts the most–their wallet. As it goes, the print was still sold and is actually valued higher now than it was at auction thanks, in part, to the publicity around the stunt.