Q#1:

Choose one of the following options for your Post:

Option #1: Art & Writing

After reading Heineman’s interview with “Chris Melissinos,” Kirschenbaum’s chapter, “Word Processing as a Literary Subject,” and Pequeño Glazier’s chapter, “Jumping to Occlusions,” in the Required Learning Materials, please do the following:  

1. Identify and explain two specific ways that technological developments have changed our understanding of what art or writing is and how it can be created.   
2. Looking carefully at Kirschenbaum’s chapter, “Word Processing as a Literary Subject,” and Pequeño Glazier’s chapter, “Jumping to Occlusions,” describe one way artists and writers are resisting how digital technology is changing their fields. Then try to relate this resistance to an unintended consequence of the use of digital technology in these fields. What information from the resources leads you to this conclusion?  
3. Do you think that technological determinism or social constructivism plays a stronger role in how digital technologies shape the arts? Briefly explain your answer.  
4. Use two quotes from any of your resources to support or explain your points. Make sure to provide in-text citations for both quotes in MLA format.  
5. Provide references for all sources in MLA format.   

Option #2: Digital Music

After reading Prior’s article “Beyond Napster” and Heap’s commentary “Blockchain Could Help Musicians Make Money Again,” please do the following:  

1. Identify and briefly explain one way the digitization of music has changed the creation, distribution or consumption of music.   
2. Explain one unintended consequence of the rise of digital music. What problem(s) did this create in the music industry?  
3. Do you think Heap’s proposed solution to music ownership could work? Why or why not?  
4. Relate some of the history of digital music to how your music consumption changed over the past ten years.   
5. Share one example of some of the first digital music you knew about.  
6. Use two quotes from any of your resources to support or explain your points. Make sure to provide in-text citations for both quotes in MLA format.  
7. Provide references for all sources in MLA format.  

Option #3: Digital Humanities

After reading Terras’ chapter, “Digitization and digital resources in the Humanities,” please do the following:  

1. Identify and explain one advantage and one disadvantage of the digitization of Humanities resources.  
2. Explain the difference between a digital repository and a digital project.   
3. Find a specific digital repository OR digital project online and do the following:  
4. Provide a brief description of it. Include things like where it is housed, who created and maintains it, what kinds of information it contains, what subject in the Humanities it covers (art, music, history, religion, literature, languages, theater, film, etc.)  
5. Examine and describe how the information is presented. For instance, do you have to use a search engine? Are there subject guides? Does it use a mapping tool?   
6. Point out any difficulties you had navigating the information or any particularly well-designed features for the user.  

Q#2:

This week, the text readings include a discussion of inflation. While you are already familiar with the basics of inflation, do read the text with care, as it gives you useful fuller detail on the relationships between money supply, monetary policy, and inflation.

But at the moment, the world isn’t facing any meaningful inflationary pressure. But there are numerous signs of potential deflation. And that has several central banks nervous.

However, we rarely discuss deflation in economics courses. The last time it happened in the US was during the Great Depression. Japan dealt with deflation during the 1990s and off and on since then. China has come close, but central bank actions seem to have prevented it. And now the Euro Zone is facing possible deflation to which the European Central Bank has finally started to respond.

This week, explore the causes of deflation, why it is considered to have negative consequences for an economy, and how it can be prevented or stopped once started. Is there a linkage between inflation and deflation?

Do respond to all of these parts so as to provide a complete picture.

Following are some recent articles from The Economist, which should be helpful. You will, of course, want to do additional research.

The Dangers of Deflation

The Euro Zone Slides Towards Deflation