Windows & Mirrors

I thought Windows and Mirrios by J. David Botler and Diane Gromola was an excellent read. The book brings about these two perspectives when looking at the computer: windows as something we look through to help frame what we want to see and mirrors that we use to see our reflection; participating and interacting with the computer, as if it was an extension of ourselves. It's safe to say that the computer has reached the ranks of television and radio, and it's still considered a new medium. Botler and Gromola believe the computer is more than just an appliance to assist us in our daily routines. I'd have to agree with them, the computer has the potential to change the world even further than what it already has. In a way Botler and Gromola argued that the computer is a creative medium that creates more genres for creators of any art/craft form. I never really saw the computer as an "untensil" for creating art. Usually, when you think about the computer you think about science, technological advancement, communication, etc. So it was very interesting to think about the computer as something other than a way of doing my homework and searching weird stuff on the Internet. I think the computer is both an window and a mirror. The computer is a window in which we look to find information about things that interest us. The computer is also a mirror that acts as an extension of our minds; creating in cyberspace what we cannot in reality, at least for now.