Response 7

Steve Mann
What I found really interesting about this article was the descriptions of the new technologies used in video surveillance and also ones that are not even created yet. I found some of the ideas creepy. If there were to come true, such as the idea of having a camera in your bathroom mirror that could tell you of skin conditions, your world would become and rely on video surveillance. Steve Mann also talked about how “successful” surveillance truly is. His definition of totalitarian visual surveillance, “state of being in which individuals are ‘seen’ by a remote and unobservable entity but do not ‘see’ each other through the apparatus,” brings a new perspective to the idea of surveillance. He also talks about the WearCam and how it brings ‘“mirror like symmetry” between the person wearing it and people placing that person under surveillance.’ The idea that surveillance is only effective because people know that they are being watched so choose not to commit a crime instead of having the surveillance directly stop someone from committing that crime is a topic that Steve Mann directly addresses in this article.

Mark Caro
“A point-and-shoot exhibit,” really caught my attention. This form of video art directly relates to the public and viewer, by allowing them to directly interact, and uses the internet as a method of distribution. The part I found most interesting was how different viewers choose to shoot different things. Allowing someone’s curiosity and nature choose what to shoot. This was also an anti-war art installation that was meant to affect the viewers and people that interacted in a direct manner. By putting the viewer in that position, it can bring a new understanding to the idea of war.