Digital Media and Information in Society/Student Journals/Bart Casabona

project idea
User:Bart Casabona/sandbox

Manuscripts and Storytelling
In order to extend the discussion we had in class I asked ChatGPT about how the invention of manuscripts changed storytelling. It told me that manuscripts shaped the way stories were recorded, shared, and experienced for centuries and laid the foundation for the modern book industry and storytelling practices. However this did not properly answer my questions so I asked if storytelling get worse or better after the invention of manuscripts. In return it told me manuscripts improved the preservation, dissemination, and standardization of stories but also introduced issues related to accessibility, control, and the potential for errors. Whether storytelling improved or worsened after the invention of manuscripts depends on one's perspective and the specific context in which storytelling took place. This made me think about a previous class where we had discussed how our memories have gotten worse over time as we have not need to remember as much. The more things were recorded it seemed the less the mind was able to recount fantastical stories and relay information. I wanted to get inside the mind of storytellers so I asked a follow up question, has the invention of manuscripts restricted storytellers' imagination or grown it? It told me the invention of manuscripts did not inherently restrict storytellers' imagination but rather provided a medium for creative expression. Manuscripts allowed for the preservation of ideas, standardization and refinement of narratives, and the potential to reach a broader audience. In the end its up to the induvial to decide if more tools put writers and storytellers in boxes or gives them the tools to expand and build on their stories. Personally I think it has helped storytellers refine their tales and better share them with the world.https://chat.openai.com/share/f308ed91-effd-465c-af74-b39f8ba1cb21

Paper topics
The topic of my research paper will be how cybernetic implants will affect aspects of society like inequality (wealth and socail), medical procedures, public safety, etc.

Collaborate with ChatGPT on orality
In order to extend the discussion we had in class I asked ChatGPT how did people record information in the age of orality. I always wondered how people were able to keep all of this information in their minds and be able to produce reliable infuriation. ChatGPT told me that people relied on various methods to record and transmit information orally like memorization, oral codes, and songs and chants. This information got me to think about the credibility of other classic oral stories that have been written down like the bible and other texts. I asked ChatGPT how we can be creatin that these texts are accurate. Among the reasons it gave me one of them was many translations and iterations, which i had always thought would hurt its credibility due to translation errors. I then asked ChatGPT wouldn't multiple variations and interpretations of the bible increase the chances of mistranslations and other errors thus decreasing the overall credibility? ChatGPT then contradicted itself by aggreging that it would be a disadvantage. As an atheist i didn't find this response surprising. This whole conversation got me to think if any stories from the age of orality are accurate and how can we trust information if it wasn't written down. https://chat.openai.com/share/88c9957c-8ba5-4c53-968f-3f6c3fa9262f

Collaborate with ChatGPT
In order to extend the discussion we had in class I asked ChatGPT when the alphabet was first invented in response it told me the alphabet came when the Phoenicians created the first true alphabet around 15th century BCE, which represented individual speech sounds (phonemes) with consonants. This efficient system spread throughout the Mediterranean and was adapted by the Greeks, who added vowels, forming the basis of the Western alphabet. The Romans further modified it, creating the Latin alphabet that influenced many European languages. After that I asked how the alphabet changed ancient life and it told me the adoption of the alphabet revolutionized ancient civilizations by promoting literacy, improving communication, fostering cultural and intellectual growth, and contributing to the development of more organized and efficient societies. Its impact on these early cultures continues to resonate in modern societies, where alphabetic scripts are the foundation of written communication. https://chat.openai.com/c/b6eb72cc-8bd2-4f6a-834e-23871517995a

Evaluate an Article
I will be evaluating an article on American rapper Destroy Lonely. Overall this was good article with strong factual information. That formatting of the article, which was a timeline of his ongoing life, was a clever way of structing the information. Other than one or two small grammatical errors this article was flawless. I would give this article an A. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Bart_Casabona/Evaluate_an_Article

Copy Edit an Article
I edited an article about American rapper Destroy Lonely. In one of the paragraphs the word was was used which disrupted the tense of the sentence. I changed the word was to the more appropriate would be in order to keep tense consistent. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Destroy_Lonely&action=history

Collaborate with ChatGPT
I asked chatGPT how digital media has expanded the flow of information world wide. ChatGPT informed me that digital media has helped spread information through the use of search engines, constant contact with other parts of the world, and brought more attention to global research. As a follow up question I asked chatGPT how we can make sure the information we receive is accurate. ChatGPT told me that the best way to ensure the accuracy of information on digital media is to cross-reference multiple reputable sources and employ fact-checking websites. Additionally, evaluating the credibility of the source, checking for citations, and being aware of personal biases are essential steps in verifying information online. https://chat.openai.com/c/56a6cdf8-a2a3-4608-9ad5-9b5db23d27d4

Hello, World
I'm Bart Casabona

Wikipedia assignment, Get started on Wikipedia and Wikiversity
In order to complete the assignment I had to read a series of pages and take quizzes on the basics on Wikipedia which included but are not limited to citations, notability, fact checking, proper editing, and posting articles. No links are available since this took place on the class homepage.