The 9th Wonder of the Modern World: the Internet. The almighty, all
powerful, all seeing, all knowing Internet. My fascination with this
creature of electrons and wires is known to all my readers and I think I
periodically return to this subject.
Today from another point of view: a rather provocative question if you will: Do you believe the Internet is helping or hindering the creative potential of mankind?
On the one hand, the World has gotten infinitesimally smaller. We are now able to exchange ideas with people from across the Planet in seconds. Which certainly promotes multiculturalism and does have the power to advance the human innovative potential.
On the other hand it is making us lazy. Why go to the library, or look up a word in the dictionary when you can Google it instead. Why develop a pattern for a dress, an idea for a story? Google it! Someone, somewhere out there has done it already. So we can just take their idea, copy paste it on our Facebook wall and for a minute or two we'll even appear profound or ingenious. And then somebody else will paste it on their wall till it becomes just another chain letter sort of conversation filler.
Until next time I leave you with this, sans caption and I'm very interested in your opinion on creativity as well as the young man in the video:
Today from another point of view: a rather provocative question if you will: Do you believe the Internet is helping or hindering the creative potential of mankind?
On the one hand, the World has gotten infinitesimally smaller. We are now able to exchange ideas with people from across the Planet in seconds. Which certainly promotes multiculturalism and does have the power to advance the human innovative potential.
On the other hand it is making us lazy. Why go to the library, or look up a word in the dictionary when you can Google it instead. Why develop a pattern for a dress, an idea for a story? Google it! Someone, somewhere out there has done it already. So we can just take their idea, copy paste it on our Facebook wall and for a minute or two we'll even appear profound or ingenious. And then somebody else will paste it on their wall till it becomes just another chain letter sort of conversation filler.
Until next time I leave you with this, sans caption and I'm very interested in your opinion on creativity as well as the young man in the video:
You pose an excellent question. It would indeed be a shame if creativity got lost. We also know that practice and mistakes are necessary to advance in any art form.
ReplyDeleteThe video is excellent and he gets top marks for creativity.
Helen
Helen, I agree. I believe there's a saying about how some lessons need to be learned the hard way, if some one's there to hand you all the answers, how will you learn the intangible things that often accompany failure, success, etc.
DeleteMathew is a sort of hero of mine and I was greatly inspired by him when I was looking for my first employment.
I've always felt that the Internet has made it easier to create, and especially to distribute, one's work. When I remember my days as a young aspiring composer, I remember how I had to go to a studio and borrow/rent equipment such as mixers on large consoles to produce recordings of my work. You had to go to a record company to publicize your work. Nowadays, all you need is a laptop.
ReplyDeleteI also feel like the Internet has sped up the rate of creativity. New ideas are popping up every day, and you'd better keep up if you want to be noticed.
And yes, there is a lot of copying. But I'd like to think that the copiers will run out of ideas sooner than the original thinkers will, so it will work itself out. (Wishful thinking? Maybe. I know there are lots of crooks out there, just plain stealing things at an alarming rate.)
Then there's also the fact that sometimes the copiers turn out to be better at something-- they improve it beyond the original idea. I don't know if that's fair, but there have been examples of this in the past. It's all just moving faster and more out in the open, with the Internet.
Ms. M (I've moved to Wordpress)
The keeping up the pace is so very true and it's scary and exciting at the same time.
DeleteAs for the copier upgrading the original idea, I'm all for it: like the opensource approach. But I am worried that ideas tend to group into a trend, even off beat, completely outrageous concept no matter the genre has become a trend. I miss new, fresh but most of all sincere. That's why I like Matthew, he appears sincere and isn't afraid to go after what he wants.
I'll put your new blog on my blogroll!
I'm trying to comment again :). I think if anything the internet increases creativity because access to ideas stimulates new ideas. Artists take inspiration from what's already been created. It's not necessarily copying to start from an existing idea. It's what you do with the idea.
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for Matthew because he came across as pretentious. I'm also not a big fan of attention-getting measures to find employment. If it works for a particular person, I suppose that's good, but it's sad if that's what impresses employers.
yes, he is a bit pretentious but underneath the pompous act is a real potential. If he doesn't get too star struck by his sucess that is.:-)
Deleteglad the commenting worked!
From a business prospective I find Matthew shallow,would certainly not buy a car from him.(sorry Ana just my take on him) though he will probably become a success!!
ReplyDeleteThe internet has helped many small entrepreneurial businesses get started with a small amount of money that had no chance of suceeding normally.
Depending on how we use the internet it is good for creativity. Ida
ida, like I wrote in reply to Susan's comment he looks pompous but I see a potential in him. And I loved how he's confident and isn't afraid to go after what he wants. Too many people just whine how something is too exclusive and out of their reach, how you need either money, connections, good looks or whatever to get it, thus making excuses for their inaction.
DeleteHe didn't get the job at Google but at least he went for it, I think that's an admirable quality and probably why I like Matthew, but I completely understand your point of view too.
On this one, I will join Ida. I don´t understand the " thing " about the video at all (; I really must be " out ", not getting it at all.
ReplyDeleteAs to internet, it has opened a whole new world for me.
Really, no need to look something up from the dictionary.
Internet saves time and money, if one is able to use it correctly.
I think it's more of love/hate thing, being closer to Matthew's generation and going through some tough times trying to get a job I completely understand him. Today educated young people with no experience can't get decent jobs, not even starting positions so the way I see there are only two options: whine/do nothing or go out and do something about. But I agree with Susan too, I fear this will become the norm the employers expect out of job seekers. Not everyone is as outrageous and flamboyant as Matthew and they shouldn't be!
DeleteI tend to agree with what Susan said above about creativity and the internet. Access to new ideas usually does stimulate more creativity, but it's what you do with those ideas to make them your own that counts. And, as far as Matthew's video here - I laughed my butt off! Not certain that's actually the reaction he probably wanted from his prospective employers though. I do applaud people for going out of their comfort zone and going after what they want in life and so that part of the 'resume' was a good effort.
ReplyDelete