This project I handled the structure and layout with html, css and javascript. I communicated with my partners Judy and Kylah to display their parts on our website. A challenging part was making the api quotes show as captions as you hover over the cards. I looked through the server side to figure out what was going on and I was able to display the quotes in the front-end. I also did a typing animation for some text on the pages to make it more dynamic. I looked through a lot of examples online to learn how to do it and in previous projects I did for other classes. Overall I am very happy with the tarot card experience we made.

Judy's Blog Post
Kylah's Blog Post

Figma

Live Site

The Web’s Grain A basic webpage has fundamental characteristics such as adapting to screen sizes and its vertically stacked elements. Most webpages follow a similar structure of design because that is whats most responsive and consistent for all screen sizes. Having to account for different screen sizes can sometimes limit the experience you’ve created. A dynamic game-like webpage made for desktop won’t be the same experience on mobile. Interactions like hovering is taken away. The author describes websites that don’t follow a natural characteristics as “a bear riding a bicycle” that fancy websites aren’t what a website is supposed to do and that it is fighting against natural flow. The author talks a lot about working with a web’s ‘natural flow’ and stop chasing new ideas. I disagree with the author because I think following the same basic principles are boring. Why should we limit ourselves to a web’s fundamental design? We don’t need all web experiences to be responsive to all screen sizes. I think that we should continue to innovate new experiences and designs for the web.

ChatGPT Is a Blurry JPEG of the Web ChatGPT - like a compressed file isn’t a perfect replica of the original. It is just repackaging information but some bits get blurry and lost in translation. AI isn’t coming up with anything new, it's just recycling old information and matching up words that seem to make sense. AI also ‘hallucinates’ because of how it doesn’t really think. It/s not a good source of information because its rephrasing original material. Similar to how digital media like Instagram contorts actual information to become more easily digestible. Information loses its original meaning when its processed through technology like chatgpt.

Heavy Lies the Digital Cloud There is so much personal information in the cloud that today, our whole lives are documented online. Algorithms display this information back at us usually for marketing purposes. Leaving a digital footprint is no longer a ‘free’ unmonitored place. But our information is recycled, memories are bent towards engagement to make us more attached to technology. Our daily searches, location, and who know what are being gathered and its largely out of our control.

The chapter begins by explaining how the digital realm has become embedded in our daily lives and is reshaping what we consider “home.” I definitely feel that it’s no longer possible to fully escape technology and we've become dependent on it. Most people don’t hesitate to accept cookies or check the box under “terms of service” without thinking twice. Our data is constantly being collected and shared, now more than ever. The chapter mentions a thermostat that won’t function unless you agree to its contract. That example really stood out to me because it shows how much power technology holds over us. We interact with the visible, usable surface of devices, but rarely think about the software and systems operating underneath. This connects back to the first two readings about how intricate technology truly is and how easily we take its functionality for granted. I’ve received one too many settlement checks in the mail due to data leaks, which makes the issue feel very real. I also think about how social media apps are tailored to my interests, and honestly so is almost everything on my phone. The chapter discusses surveillance capitalism, that our data is extracted and analyzed to better market products to us. I notice how Instagram ads often show me exactly what I’ve been looking for (I’ve spent money on ads too). My feed feels curated to reflect my interests, and because of that, I rarely question it. Looking back, social media has likely shaped my opinions and interests more than I realize. The article about Facebook discusses how advertisers use racial proxies - categories that correlate with race to target users. That makes me think about the kind of online bubble we exist in. We are constantly shown content that aligns with who we are or what we already like. As a result we may miss out on news, and perspectives that fall outside of that algorithmic filter.