Week #2 Discussion Questions

As someone who has no background in this, I do have a few basic questions, just to understand the background. First, on page 4, Bogost says "computer softwarre establishes rules of execution, tasks and actions that can and cannot be performed." For someone who is trying to get a very basic understanding of how computers and software work, does this mean that software is programmed to allow the player/user to certain things and not others. My nephew is a big Sims 2 player, so I have some understanding of that program, so I will use it here as my example. In the sims 2, players control people in the program but there are somethings that are not options for the player to chose the person in the game to do. Example- in the game adults can increase relationship levels to such that they can have sex, or in the game it is called woohoo, with another person in the game. However, teenagers, no matter how much they have built a relationship with another teenager, they can not have sex. Is this an example of that? Like I said before, this is all very new for me and I am trying to figure out how the software is programmed...

A similar question on how software is programmed came about on page 5 where Bogost talks about symbols. It says " computation is 'interpretable symbol manipulation' in which symbols 'are manipulated on the basis of rules operaing only on t he symbol's shapes...'" Is this similar to how math symbols such as the plus, minue, multiply and divide symbols along with parentheses and equal signs organize an equation into the correct order of operations? For example 1+ (2x3) would tell us that you multiply 2x3 first (because of the parentheses) and then add the 1 such that you get 7.


On a less basic note, the author spent a good deal of time talking about rhetoric beyond oratory. With my background being in architecture, the first thing that came to mind was architectural rhetoric. While this could fall into the realm of artistic rhetoric in many ways, I think it is its own distinct category. Merriam-Webster defines rhetoric as Main Entry:

rhet·o·ric
Pronunciation:
\ˈre-tə-rik\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English rethorik, from Anglo-French rethorique, from Latin rhetorica, from Greek rhētorikē, literally, art of oratory, from feminine of rhētorikos of an orator, from rhētōr orator, rhetorician, from eirein to say, speak — more at word
Date:
14th century
1: the art of speaking or writing effectively: as a: the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times b: the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion 2 a: skill in the effective use of speech b: a type or mode of language or speech; also : insincere or grandiloquent language3: verbal communication : discourse

Bogost says " rhetoric... also came to refer to effective expression, that is writing, speech, or art that both accomplishes the goals of the author and absorbs the reader or viewer." (pg. 19) With that said, Architectural rhetoric is an effective expression where the goals of the architect/designer are expressed to the person experiencing and seeing a building, space, or environment. Behind any good architecture and well-designed building or environment, there is an idea that is being expressed, that if expressed well, will be persuasive to the person who experiencing the architecture.

I also found where Bogost talks about visual rhetoric extrodinarily interesting-- possibly because architecture could fall into this realm of rhetoric or possibly because I think that globalization has become what it is because of the fact that at a click of button (via the World Wide Web) you can be seeing, learning, experiencing, etc, just about anything from anywhere in the world all through visual experiences coming from your computer monitor/screen. Bogost talks about how "Helmers and Hill agrue that visual rhetoric is particularlly essential in the face of globalization and mass media. Visual images on television, clothing, retail storefronts, and public spaces are nearly ubiquitous, offering a strong incentive to understand the rhetoric of such media." (pg. 21) We know that it has been proven that the images on perfect, beautiful girls on the covers of magazines have negative impacts on young girls self-esteem and leading to feelings that they need to look like that. That, to me, seems only logical that it would be considered rhetoric because of its persuasive nature and and communication of what beauty should be.