Final Presentation... outline =)

Intro to the Virtual world has been a very interesting class. U might ask why? The reason why it has been interesting is in part due to the teacher and partly due to the subjects covered, blogs written and projects done. Do to the fact that we are nearing the end of the autumn quarter we are going to have one more test coming up and a final group project. This final group project is centered on a book of our choosing, which in this case titled “World without Secrets” is written by Richard Hunter. Our group consists of 7 team members and we have decided to split the reading up by chapters with me getting chapter 8 & 9. What I am going to do is summarize these chapters and use this blog as a draft in preparing for my group project.

Chapter 8 is titled “Distracted consumers, mentats and Timothy McVeigh”. The chapter starts out with the thought that we know and believe that we know what went down on April 19, 1995 at the Oklahoma City bombing. Hunter states “We know what we’ve read and heard. We heard it from the media, who heard it from the FBI, who learned it through dogged investigation” (135). What Hunter is trying to get at here is to get us to think outside the box as he further explains his theory. “Does it matter that some will-informed observers—independent Mentats—believe that that message (that McVeigh committed the bombings all by himself) is false, or even fraudulent?” (135). Now u are going to ask me what is this person advocating here, and what are u advocating by repeating it? What Hunter is trying to say here is that sometimes we are feed what we want to hear, and in this case, the fact that McVeigh was the sole perpetrator of this crime. “We want to believe them”. When we take their explanations at face value, we allow time to go along for the ride. “We are so glad that there is nothing more to learn. We want out of this horror show, fast.” The people in charge know of our desires and they give us what they know and believe that we desire. The networks that surround us, the internet, radio, TV all amplify the story that is given and that is what gives the story power. This fact makes everything known, but at the same time no one will know that truth. The question that Hunter poses for us as readers begins with the premise that the government, the Federal Bureau of Investigations made a choice for us in regards to what they believe that we want to hear. “ Are u willing to accept that the bureau made the right decisions for you when it decided what not to tell you about how it investigated the case and what it did or didn’t find?” (140). Chapter 8 helps us to reexamine our true values, the real truth to them, and to reexamine how much do we really desire the truth. We as the generation of knowledge have the world at our hands. Are we going to be easily led by what we prefer to hear?

Chapter nine is titled “In the exceptional economy, be exceptional”. What does this mean? Hunter starts explaining this by stating “When everything is known, no one knows everything” (145). Do to the fact that there is so much information available in our world people, over time will only pay attention to the deviants of information. These exceptions, the highs and lows, will be the focus of our attention. Exceptions will not only be the focus of our attention but they will be the driving forces of the economy. The reason behind this is that humans get used to everything very easily and they need new objects to stimulate their electrons. Hunter also talks about relationships and how they matter. People don’t trust what they don’t know, and relationships authenticate us. These relationships protect us against the “seas of information” that are out there. In the context of economy mentats, people who are who are well known, who can vouch for someone or something, matter greatly. This singling out may be a good thing or it may be a bad thing, it can make or break a company or a product. In the context of earning money or of becoming someone, being at the right place, at the right time is very significant and networking adds to the spice of life to a business. Hunter also talks about business and why it’s imperative for it to share information. One of the reasons for this sharing of information is because modern businesses are networks. Businesses depend on each other too much, and successful businesses will be able to focus more on what they do better then anyone else. The way this can be achieved is through the sharing of information. The more networks expand the less the choice a business will have in sharing information because everyone is and will be dependent on everyone else.

Finally! I am done summarizing all these points, some I covered in more detail while others in less. What are the basics of these two chapters? Chapter 8 teaches us not to take everything at face value because we might be buying into the information that someone believes, knows that we want to buy into. We should look for the truth because it is available to us; we have the resources to reach for it. Chapter 9 talks about the sharing of information, those businesses will not be able to survive without it. This chapter also talks about how in the world of much information only exceptions capture our numbed mind and this exception is the driving force of the economy.