Work and Culture in Tech Ecosystems Winter 2022

  In a recent news article I found online, Alberta is planning on becoming a "sandbox" for innovative financial tech firms. In the article it states that Alberta is hoping that new legislation will turn the province into a hot spot for financial technology and cryptocurrencies seeking the freedom they need in order to launch products and services. The companies that want to participate in this new hot spot for technology have to have detailed business plans and must also the applicant must be based in the province of Alberta.  Do you think that this will work out and Alberta will become a new tech ecology in Canada and maybe even the world? Why or why not? https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-wants-to-become-sandbox-for-innovative-financial-tech-firms-1.6402898

In today's digital world we are all living in a networked society. These networks exert power and control over society as they work to constitute the fundamental pattern of life by organizing the ideals and values of society. They do so by structuring the production, consumption, communication and power of a network. Communication theorist Manuel Castells explains this idea of a network as “a set of interconnected nodes”. Every component of a network is a node and its function and meaning depend on the programming of the network and on its interaction with other nodes in the network. Recently, a tiktok creator has posted a video that exposes the structured nodes that function behind the network that is TikTok. The creator noticed that the app works to censor the word “unvaccinated” when creating the text captions on its videos, revealing TikToks pro-vaccine secret. This discovery brought about a mixed reaction within the TikTok community as some users expressed anger, arguing that ...

  Throughout this semester we have looked at a few different places that seem to be hotspots for technology as well as creative industries as a whole. Some of the examples we've talked about have been Silicon Valley of course, our own Kitchener/Waterloo hub, Toronto's entertainment district and others. In our world today creative jobs are taking the driving seat in our economy. Richard Florida has made many correlations between place and creativity. He believes that certain places have more aspects than others to convince creative and likeminded individuals to work or move to a certain location. Some of the things he considered were the buzz, energy, vibe, and quality of a place. However one thing he didn't mention would be the climate. I personally do not like the cold or even snow for that matter, and the climate of a region in which I may want to be employed at one day is definitely something I would consider. That being said, feel like the climate of some of these locat...

  Author Gershon outlines the idea of personal branding as she uses the example of Coca-Cola as an example. In order to become and stay successful within an industry like technology (Silicon Valley), a company has to promote itself and create a reputable brand image that can easily be identified by its customers and its target market. Gershon identifies the importance of creating a reputable image through personal branding, as Gershon states "if people now need to manage themselves as though they are businesses, then it isn't that far of a stretch to think that a person can have a marketable image (pg, 26)" This goes hand in hand with Wittel's notion of network sociality as in order to maintain a successfully networked sociality (creating networked and forming connections) you have to create a reputable image for yourself. For example, Apple has been able to consecutively and consistently create new products that their customers love as they upgrade technology and des...

Hulu recently just released its new miniseries called The Dropout which is a 5 episode series that tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her failed invention of Theranos. As we looked at her at the beginning of the course, this series was intriguing as Amanda Seyfried does an amazing job playing Elizabeth Holmes and the talking in circles and personalities that she pulls on different people in order to continue her venture. The docuseries takes you behind the story of Holmes and her invention as it looks at the trials and tribulations she faces throughout the journey as well as the support and the hate she got from many along the way.   Q: Prior to our understanding and review of Elizabeth Holmes in class, what did you think of Theranos? Did you think it was a legitimate invention and that it would go far/be successful or did you get the feeling that it was too good to be true? Q: Even though Theranos failed, do you think there should be an invention similar to it (one that ...

Authors Lee Rainie and Barry Wellman discuss the idea of networked work within networked organizations which we can clearly see today throughout the pandemic. I touched on both of these readings within my presentation and found a lot of comparisons between the two as we live in such a networked world today with many individuals more worried and focused on making business connections rather than personal ones, and how applications today are dedicated to finding that balance between work and play (with apps like LinkedIn and Facebook). Author Andreas Wittel outlines network sociality as he is concerned about the divide between business and personal, much like Rainie and Wellman.  I provided an example of Priority Bicycles creation and production of their Lemonade Coast Bike which was created at the height of the pandemic through networked work within networked organizations as the bike was created through different levels, all of which was done remotely.  My questions for the cl...

     Author Alice Marwick outlines the overlap between the usage of social media within Silicon Valley and the way in which venture-based startup companies and start-ups, in general, rely on the social media industry to advertise their startup and build revenue. As some of the biggest venture-backed start-ups today are social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook), it is crucial for these businesses to use social media and take advantage of user-generated content and datafication in order to expand into the world of business and Silicon Valley (Marwick, 315). Silicon Valley is comprised of tech startups and technology-based companies, which have gotten their start online and on the Internet, as has social media platforms and industry. Both social media and Silicon Valley go hand in hand today as neither could be successful without the other, as many of these social media platforms were created within Silicon Valley, the Valley is beginning to look at social media through ...

  Source: Unsplash In chapter 3 of “ Counterproductive ”, Gregg talks about how enhancing productivity has become part of our personal lives, and no longer only a part of our jobs. The use of technology that allows us to record, remind, or even control us, enabling us to be more productive in our everyday lives. We don’t really think about it, but every time we record an event in our calendar, set an alarm, or use Siri, we are essentially enhancing our productivity in our everyday activities.  An app that I use to enhance productivity is the Flora app, which basically allows you to set a timer, and during that time you are not allowed to use your phone. If you succeed in not using the phone in that set time, a tree will be planted in real life. I use this app to control myself to not use my phone when I’m studying or writing an essay, and the added benefit of having a tree planted also motivates me to stay productive.  https://flora.appfinca.com/en/ In chapter 4, “Mindful...