We live in a world of rapidly evolving digital networks, but within the domain of media theory, which studies the influence of these cultural forms, the implications of aesthetical philosophy have been sorely neglected. Vito Campanelli explores network forms through the prism of aethetics and thus presents and open invitation to transcend the inherent limitations of the current debate about digital culture. The web is the medium that stands between the new media and society and, more than any other, is stimulating the worldwide dissemination of ideas and behaviour, framing aesthetic forms and moulding contemporary culture and society. Campanelli observes a few important phenomena of today, such as social networks, peer-to-peer networks and 'remix culture', and reduces them to their historical premises, thus laying the foundations for an organic aesthetic theory of digital media.

Make small changes to your surroundings and create extraordinary happiness in your life with groundbreaking research from designer and TED star Ingrid Fetell Lee. Next Big Idea Club selection—chosen by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Dan Pink, and Adam Grant as one of the "two most groundbreaking new nonfiction reads of the season!" "This book has the power to change everything! Writing with depth, wit, and insight, Ingrid Fetell Lee shares all you need to know in order to create external environments that give rise to inner joy." —Susan Cain, author of Quiet and founder of Quiet Revolution Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset, or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people—regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity—are mesmerized by baby animals, and can't help but smile when they see a burst of confetti or a cluster of colorful balloons? We are often made to feel that the physical world has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward—through mindfulness or meditation—and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible source of joy? In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology, she explains why one setting makes us feel anxious or competitive, while another fosters acceptance and delight—and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.

Real Website Design is a new methodology that fuses traditional strengths of structured, stepped, and iterative approaches to design and implementation, sharply focused throughout a project on defining and achieving the desired purpose, usability and aesthetic characteristics – which are essential requirements of any website. This book offers practical discussion of new perspectives on usability and aesthetics, and a down-to-earth, structured approach to designing a website or teaching website design.

"This innovative collection of analyses builds a badly needed bridge between solid visual communication research about legacy media and emerging scholarship about Web-based media."---Julianne Newton, Professor of Visual Communication in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon; Co-author of Visual Communication: Integrating Media, Art, and Science --

A compelling exploration of the convergence of Jane Austen’sliterary themes and characters with David Hume’s views onmorality and human nature. Argues that the normative perspectives endorsed in JaneAusten's novels are best characterized in terms of a Humeanapproach, and that the merits of Hume's account of ethical,aesthetic and epistemic virtue are vividly illustrated by Austen'swriting. Illustrates how Hume and Austen complement one another, eachproviding a lens that allows us to expand and elaborate on theideas of the other Proposes that literature may serve as a thought experiment,articulating hypothetical cases which allow the reader to test hermoral intuitions Contributes to ongoing debates on the philosophy of literature,ethics, and emotion

Comic Performativities: Identity, Internet Outrage, and the Aesthetics of Communication studies patterns of criticism and public debate in the relationship between humour, identity, and offense. In an increasingly reductive and politically charged debate, right-wing pundits argue leftist politics has compromised a free and open discussion, while scholars take right-wing critics to task for reifying systems of oppression under the guise of reason and respect. In response, Goltz scrutinises twenty-first century "comedic controversies," the notion of "political correctness," and the so-called "outrage machine" of social media. How should we appropriately determine whether a joke is "sexist," "racist," or "offensive"? Informed by communication, performance, and critical identity theory, Goltz examines infamous controversies involving performers like Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, and Seth MacFarlane, and the social media backlash that redefined these events. He investigates the ironic interplay between spoken word, identity, physicality and, as a result, the contrasting meanings potentially construed. Consequently, the book encourages a greater appreciation of the aesthetics involved in comedic performance that help signpost interpretation and emphasizes the role of the audience as self-reflexive and self-aware. This book highlights the significant parallels between the nature of performance art and comedic performance in order to elevate analysis of, and discussion around, contemporary comedy. In doing so, it is an important critical contribution to the field of performance studies and cultural criticism, as well as communication studies, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Ever have one of those days where you're talking to a smokin' hot chick online and she turns out to be a robot working for an evil cult... and that hot chick sends a computer virus masked as dirty pictures... and that computer virus allows Satan to come through everyone's computers and hypnotise them... but the family computer has parental locks on it so you don't get the virus... and then God messages you to say you're the only person on earth who can save human existence? Anyway, that's the set up for this part art book, part graphic novel and 100% true, deep dive into early internet culture from creator of 'Ghosts, Etc.' George Wylesol! "yo. ur abt to read 1 of the greatest storys ever told. its the story abt how i went on the internet and single handedly saved the world, killed the devil and made friends w god. i call this story Internet Crusader." - BSKskator191

Robert Burnett and David Marshall explore the key debates surrounding Internet culture, from issues of globalization and regulation to ideas of communication, identity and aesthetics.

Does new media represent a 'new avant-garde' of information? How can an information society be represented iconically if the activities that define it are all so dynamic? What are the cultural consequences of extending the internet into the physical world? In proposing software as modernity's new societal force, this book seeks to reclassify software as today's revitalized combustion engine, underpinning the logic of contemporary culture. Manovich investigates the ways in which the shift from an industrial to information society has resulted in new aesthetic sensibilities and representations. He describes software as the internal combustion engine of the information society, arguing that it is in software that the new cultural logic manifests itself most clearly. This is a cutting-edge and systematic examination of contemporary culture by the creator of the field of software studies.