We will bring energy to the entire world.

Despina surprised me today. The linear path our class had followed from module to connector and then to network seemed quite logical. The concepts, at least, all seemed to build upon each other in a cohesive way. Yet after class demonstrations of our group network assignments, Despina began to lecture about energy and sustainability.

Of course!

How could we explore manifestations of these concepts without of course discussing what makes them work. We discussed Massive Change and Cradle to Cradle, and how this literature, more than ever, applies to our work and our world. As part of our weekly assignment we had to create a project focused on energy as well as keep a log of our waste output during the week. Prior to the class assignment my good friend and classmate, Taylor, and I built upon our idea of connecting physical and virtual spaces through a new form of person-centric advertising. We’d spent some time thinking about how ‘broadcast’ style advertising can often times deter interest in a product. We also discussed the limitations of advertising and why it fails so miserably when adapted to the web. After class, and several discussions later, Taylor and I came to the conclusion that advertising is a physical construct no longer necessary with the advent of a much more visibly interconnected space like the web. Through advertising, advertisers seek to create connections with potential consumers. In the process, they spend considerable amounts of money, target people who could/will never be interested in their product, and waste great amounts of resources to spread their message. Luckily for us, the process is: 1) Energy Intensive 2) Wasteful. Just what we were looking for.

Why is advertising so wasteful? Simply, put advertising is an inefficient means of establishing a connection. But, how does this relate to energy. Well, Taylor and I had to explain that part as well. This PDF file explains our analysis of advertising as a highly energy consumptive process. To the best of our ability we attempted to remain true to our previous definitions of space and connection. These axioms were essential to our understanding of waste. We emphasize that advertising in the physical world is limited by the inability to reach pathways. On the web, these pathways are clearly marked, and users explore them freely. We relate this dichotomy to learning theory, specifically behaviorism and social constructionism. Physical world advertising is an attempt by advertisers to mold consumers while the web provides for a much more user-centric experience. The web provides the channels for the consumer to find out about anything he/she desires without an advertiser directing when and how.

‘Social constructivism argues that the most optimal learning environment is one where a dynamic interaction between instructors, learners and tasks provides an opportunity for learners to create their own truth due to the interaction with others. Social constructivism thus emphasizes the importance of culture and context in understanding what is happening in society and constructing knowledge based on this understanding (Derry 1999; McMahon 1997). ‘  Wikipedia

Rather than keeping track of our own personal waste for the week, Taylor and I decided to collect the waste we were forced to take on by advertisers in NYC. We obtained all sorts of junk including: t-shirts, flyers, postcards, and booklets. Each piece of media was handed to us by a person on the street trying attempting to forge some connection with us in order to push their product. We spent over half an hour talking to a group of Nokia advertisers in Washington Square Park about the best methods to ensnare an audience. The most shocking revelation came when one of the advertisers mentioned how much propaganda (warehouses full) is kept in storage for this type of advertising. More than a few dollars, man-hours, and resources are being wasted to push product. Unfortunately the majority of this type of advertising ends up in trash bins around the world.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.