A Nameless Generation of Interfaces

Aaron Koblin is entirely accurate in announcing our generation as a century of interfaces. These technological experiments he performs can undoubtedly be regarded as a creative art form, and often reflect a general image of the population. Taking a glance at humanity through something such as flight patterns or cell phone traffic is incredibly enlightening; we see where the majority of people are traveling to, where they are traveling from, and who is communicating most often. Not only do his experiments allow us to view and observe this data, but they do so in a way that is aesthetically appealing. In an age where cell phone communication is so common, it was not surprising to see an alarming number of outgoing messages concentrated in a highly populated city on New Years Eve.

            The most intriguing portion of this Ted Talk, however, was the segment on mechanical turks, and the various experiments Koblin conducted online with thousands of essentially nameless contributors. The idea that people from all different walks of life can make contributions to a common goal that is ultimately so moving and purposeful is a massive accomplishment for our generation. When listening to or viewing these mechanical turks one does not pay attention to single noises or images, but rather absorbs them in their entirety, taking away an impression of our current populous. Alone, each drawing or each noise generated had little significance, but when compiled with the others these pieces were charged with life and meaning, and became a part of an unbelievably impressive project.

            These mechanical turk projects speak volumes about our generation, with the Johnny Cash resurrection/memorial music video being the most impactful in my opinion. To think that each individual photo was created by an individual with his or her own story and background, and then transformed into a full length music video is astounding. For one it clearly demonstrates the magnitude of talent that we possess in manipulating technology and utilizing all it has to offer. It also defines us as a generation when it comes to rhetoric by showing the importance of expression in our society. Not only were all of these individuals willing to contribute their own drawings to a cause with little to no recognition other than a small photograph and their name, but they most likely recognized and were motivated by the musical icon Johnny Cash. This new wave of experiments exists solely because we are now aware that it can; once we discover as a society that a cultural advancement is possible, it is in our nature to explore every tangible aspect of that new opportunity. Koblin is completely accurate in claiming that we have an obligation to share our stories through visionary interfaces, because they truly do reflect what we are currently capable of, and what we can accomplish in the future.