The network is a disruptive technology. It challenges and threatens how we go about doing things.

In today’s symposium we discussed neutral technologies. Adrian was of the very, and I mean VERY, strong opinion that no technology can be neutral. Jason and Elliot argued that some technologies can be ‘more’ neutral than others. Adrian said that technologies have affordances and are better suited to doing some things than other things. He used the analogy of a hammer. Now, if I had a dollar for every time Adrian mentioned the word ‘hammer’ throughout this symposium, I would be eating a steak dinner tonight (Or at least a steak sandwich from Grill’d.)

Moving on we spoke about the difference between plot and story. Plot does not equal story. Plot is the order in which something is narrated, how it’s told. The story is what actually happens. Adrian said the plot is so much more important than the actual story. I don’t 100% agree. If the story is bad, it doesn’t matter how it’s told (aka. the plot), the whole thing is going to suck. True a well organised and thought out plot can enhance a story, but you need that initial basis to be solid in order to make the whole thing great.