Social defense mechanisms : tools for reclaiming our personal space
Name
62256572-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
9.05 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
ae8707e44e98aa0accb87b234edd86c1
Author(s)
Fried, Limor
Advisor(s)
Chris Csikszentmihalyi.
Date Issued
2005
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
In contemporary Western society, electronic devices are becoming so prevalent that many people find themselves surrounded by technologies they find frustrating or annoying. The electronics industry has little incentive to address this complaint; I designed two counter-technologies to help people defend their personal space from unwanted electronic intrusion. Both devices were designed and prototyped with reference to the culture-jamming "Design Noir" philosophy. The first is a pair of glasses that darken whenever a television is in view. The second is low- power RF jammer capable of preventing cell phones or similarly intrusive wireless devices from operating within a user's personal space. By building functional prototypes that reflect equal consideration of technical and social issues, I identify three attributes of Noir products: Personal empowerment, participation in a critical discourse, and subversion.
Description
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2005.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 67).
Subjects
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
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