Response to the Manovich article

After reading the Manovich article, the Bush Article, and viewing the short videos on the history of digital media and its impact on society, I was very intrigued by how far digital media has come in such a short time.  Perhaps it's my mindset, but to hear that "ancient" machines and tribal ideas could contribute to the areas of mass-digital media we use today are very mind-opening statements. I found all of this information very interesting, however, because I find that one of the best ways to completely understand a current topic is to trace back to the roots of the product or mentality.

While reading the Manovich article, I found the section on gaming and artificial intelligence particularly interesting because of my, well, extensive knowledge on the intelligence systems modern video games use to challenge players.  I fondly remember playing puzzle games like Frogger or racing games as a young child, but the games I play now seem to incorporate computerized opponents that would have (and probably still could) out-played me on every game I played.  Since games like Halo and Battlefield started incorporating computerized enemies that "learn" your moves as you progress, I have noticed an evolution of sorts in how modern games are played.  Though this is just one example that caught my interest in the article, it is the one that I feel best exemplifies the evolution of media.

Though there are countless forms of digital media and the number increases every day, it is very interesting to see some of the roots that have contributed to all the media we experience today.  It is also important to see where our media forms started to better predict where future forms will go as well as getting a better idea on what problems may come up.  Though digital media will always evolve and adapt to the needs of the mass populace, it is fascinating to read about how modern-day HTML code that runs the internet had a start as a sequence of 1s and 0s on a recycled film strip.  Innovations such as this ensure digital will be our main resource for any information we will need.