Danny's reflection

I think this course is very helpful. First of all, the content is quite "new" for me, as I never thought about the problem of cybrog and do not know there are courses discussing it. The course is a bit philosophic to me, questions about cybrog are all about the future, althought something is actually happening around us, but I still got a feeling that they are quite far away from us, why we need to dicuss them? It is just like the situation of philosophy, the topic is quite abstract that we are hard to make connection with our daily life, but of course, this doesn't mean it is not important, it can help us thing logiclly and to notice the moral problem of technology. I think it's very helpful with the form of discussion  during the turorial class, since we have got more examples with our daily life, help us to link the the concepts of lectures to our living. I think this is important for learning.

But as I mentioned, I think some of the content of this course is too abstract, it is hard to encourage students to be interested in them. And most of the examples in lectures are foreign's one, they are a bit far away from us, and may be the cultural difference could provide differnet approachs to some concept, and raise the interest of students.

Kenji's reflection

When i knew i have to study this course, i was wondering what will be including in this course. After the first lesson, i knew it is related to digital media. Although i understood what will it include, i felt strange. Because it is a little bit irrelevance to what i have studied in this 2 years. As we study Asian studies, i expect the subjects that we study will mainly related to social; but this subject seem to be related to technology. Especially the first few lecture which talk about Cyborg. It talk about the relationship between Cyborg and Human, and so on. It is interesting, but actually, i am still confused the function of this topic.

Excluding this topic, others are really useful. Normally, we only study by focusing social, economic, etc. but this course give us another view to study in any other social issues. Like the topic i have studied, work and play. The improvement of technology give another way to work. It is also a kind of gender issue. 

At the end, this this is a interesting course. it give us more information in this Internetional world.

Course Reflection

The course forces me to think more about our relationship with machine. Before attending this course, I am unaware of the boundary between human and technology now becoming blurred. The development of technology helps us a lot in our daily lives. At the same time, our lives being deeply influenced by technology. We would put a lot of time participating in cyberspace, such as communicate with friends via facebook, writing blogs, playing online games, etc. We seem to become a cyborg as we should perform such activities through technology. Spend much more time sitting in front of the computer, we would find that the relationship with technology becoming very intimate. We would then rely on the technology to help doing works.

Besides, the course also makes me to imagine human in the future. Is it possible that human can be embodied with machine as a part of body? Since the robot would become more human like, will it become one of the citizens in the community? Is it necessary to differentiate between human and robot? It is quite interesting for us to consider the posthumanism.

The blog serves as a platform to interact with our classmates. Through posting the comments or feedbacks on blog, I can revise what I have learnt in the lectures. On the other hand, the classmates may have different points of view on the topic. It would let me use another way to rethink and generate more ideas about this. The blog undoubtedly is a good way for learning.

By Annie Cheng

Haze's reflection on the course

This course is really something new to me that I have never get in touch with before. The concept of cyborg and the impacts of advancement of technology do open up my mind. The concept of cyborg let us to rethink about our future that is how we can combined with computer or cyber technology to address disability or enhanced body ability; yet it does faced a dilemma that is the development is also something like playing god, committed with immoral aspects and other unexpected hazards (e.g. Everyone got relied on cyborg technology, if one day the device gone down, what will we become?). It is certain kind of new concept making us to be debunking, especially about the matter of absolute boundaries.

Apart from cyborg, the topic of resistance really captured my attention as its discussion on the culture of Internet online communities and forums was definitely what usually happened in our daily life. Personally, I almost view the forum called Hkgolden everyday which is famous in Hong Kong as its contents always related to subculture and online bullying. This topic made me to think more about the problem created in certain area, rethink how advancement of technology is not a double-edge sword, it also brings trouble to our life. Besides, it also let me understanding how irresponsible that online communities, forum or users can be.

The subject is interesting and helpful to our living. Yet, perhaps I had never studied about certain subjects before, there could be really difficulties for me to understand all about it. Anyway, this course is creative and critical but it could be better if there is no essay to hand in although I do believe it is impossible.

by Haze (10463287)

Christy's Course Reflection

This course is very interesting and meaningful for me. I still remember the new term “cyborg” introduced on the first lecture, I was very confused at that time. But after the 12 weeks, I have much more understanding about “cyborg”. Most of the time, something are very common in our everyday life that are also related to “cyborg”. Besides, I think the study of “cyberspace” and “work and play” are the most interesting topics throughout the whole course. In the digital age, the boundary between “public” and “private” become blur. After I attend this course, it leads me to have much more reflection on technology. When we over-rely on technology, is it a blessing or a curse for us?

Moreover, this blog is helpful for us. It is not only used for submitting assignments, but also a very useful and effective tool for us to learn. We can share our works with our classmates. Through reading others’ works, I have learned a lot. This blog allows us to leave comment and discuss on the topics. The blog acts as a communication tool which we can interact with others.

I think I am a cyborg, because I rely much on the technology. When I am awake, I need to use technology – glasses. In addition, if I cannot use computer or mobile phone for one day, it is already uneasy for me.

Cho Ka Ian, Christy (10381371)

Valerie's course reflection

At the beginning of this course, what would this course include? I have no ideas what do digital media do with our identity. Not to mention how it connect and affect women’s liberation, feminism. I just know that technology is affecting our daily superficially like computer make our communication easier and also make us lazier.
After studied this course, the idea of cyborg, digital economy, digital culture and how digital technology affect people’s concept of space, gender and identity. After a lot of deep thoughts and discussion which almost held in every week’s tutorial, the course do make me have a new understanding and thought of how powerful and influential of the technology. The topics of the course are really interesting; the topics are fascinating because it connects to our daily life which can easily stimulate my interest and curiosity. Through these topics and examples, I have a deeper understand of identity and able to think more on it in this digital age.
At the end, I have to say our lecturer Franco is a really good lecturer, the new concepts in this course is not easy to understand, yet Franco successfully makes these concepts comprehensible and arouse my interest. I really think that worth to attend any lessons.


Chan Ching Yi, Valerie (10349849)

Henry's course reflection

Time flies and it is the end of the semester. In this semester, we have this course. For the first lesson, we have learned a key concept ‘Cyborg’. It keeps appear in different topics. The human transformation is based on the technology development. The human rely on the technology in their everyday lives. The concept of cyborg is about the combination of human body and the technology to help them in lives. I am a cyborg because I need to wear glasses otherwise I cannot see. I need to rely on the technology to be my eyes. The cyborg concept is not just only focus on the combination of human body and technology. It is also related to the concept of dualism. There is no absolute boundary on everything. The boundary is set by the power. Yes, in our ordinary lives, there are many things related to this dualism. However, we seldom pay attention on. After this course, I may have more reflection on the gender aspect. We may have many stereotypes on the image of male and female.

Furthermore, the development of the Internet is very important in the course. The Internet is a part of our lives. We need to access to the Internet for communication, getting information or even doing homework. The morality in the virtual and the reality is totally different. In the reality, we have many regulations which limited our thoughts and our actions. We liberate our true self in the Internet. We express our comments in the Internet but not the reality. It is because we think the Internet is safety to us. However, people may abuse the safety and become the internet bullying. Do the Internet users think that their responsible comments may hurt others?

For this course, there is a online blogging for us on education purpose. Nevertheless, we have the same thing in last semester. We need to have online discussion on the online platform. The reactions seem frustrated both of these two courses. It is because we view the online platform is a place for doing homework. If we finish the mission, we ignore the blog. I do not is it related to the culture differences. In Australia, the reaction is different with Hong Kong. The students in there are more enthusiastic in participating the blog. Maybe the students in Hong Kong like face to face communication more than online communication when related to academic aspects. We use the Internet for exchanging the gossip information more than the academic purpose. Maybe when we were young, we do not have much interaction with the Internet. In our mindset, the boundary of academic and entertainment of the Internet is quite strong and it is quite hard to go beyond this. XD

Chau Ka Leung Henry  (KU)

10380315

Course Reflection

To me, the blog did help us to know more the related topics. For instance, we have to post before we have the presentation. The other classmates can take a look before we present. It can help us to have a better discussion on the related topic or the discussion question. Aside of we need to comment to each other. It also helped us to criticize the interesting topic. When we need to keep update our schoolwork in this blog. It is good activities for us to do more research or know more the new information.

Form the top of above, this course is useful enough. “Cyborg” is a new word or term for me and it is another word that I cannot forget, as it is common in nowadays and it will become more popular in the future. It is really interest for me to know about the cyborg and the cyberspace. People cannot without computer, mobile phone, etc in their daily life. Though different kinds of case studies or examples, we can understand more about the society in nowadays.

Ella Yeung Ka Yan (10348676)

Course Reflection

At the beginning of this course, it introduced a new term “cyborg” for me and makes me aware of this “human-machine’ more often since I always ignored them though I watched sci-fi movies. It was interesting to discuss about their feelings, skins, sensations and so on. Then, it brings a new idea of subject and object to me, for example the Jenni. cam. The online pornography and blogger makes me reconsider the definition of “private sphere” and “public”, in addition to ethical question and privacy problems. Blogger can be a platform for user to express their opinions even depression through cult culture, but it can also be a way for cyber bullying. Apart from that, the development of technology make women can work at home is liberating females or reinforcing the gender ideology is an inspiring discussion as well. In addition, whether technology is a progression or regression is fascinating, too.


Finally, I realize and agree that the boundaries of those perceivably dualities such as subject/object, nature/culture, biology/technology, etc. become blurred. We can hardly classify a substance which it is not that extreme and can fit either one of the categories. Besides, this course also seems helping us to predict human’s future. Nevertheless, the development of technology change with each passing day, we cannot assure what shall we be and how we look like in the future.


Wong Lo Ying, Vinice (10384184)

Course reflection

What i think this course about cybrog did interest me. It discuss about the possibility of the future and mention some gender issues from the sterotypes. What i enjoy the most was the presentation of this course. Each topics inspire a lot of interesting discussion during the class to help me to understand more about the topics.

About the blog project, I think this is a new try for us to put more focus on everyday news. I suggest the blog project should have more tasks. Such as posting a post for every weeks to train the attendion on cybrog.


Zack Wong, 10458805

Course Reflection

Blogging is not a new thing to our generation. It is a platform for people expressing their opinions. Through this blog, we can share our ideas and discuss the tutorial questions every week. It is surely helpful for us, we can understand the concepts clearly after discussions. It can provide a alternative learning platform.

This Course is quite interesting, since "cyborg" is very new to me. After this 12 week, I realized that human cannot live without technology now. And every issues should consider different sides deeply. For example, Work at home seems so good, but if we think deeply, it is reinforcing the existed "responsibility" of women. From the first lecture to now, the most profound keyword of this course is boundary. In the past, we never doubted that the boundary between gender are very clear. By the rapid development of technology, it is no longer clear. Boundary of gender can become blur. We are also difficult to separate the boundary between public and private sphere. I believed I am a cyborg. I am heavily relied on technology. Cell phone, internet are the necessities for me. I cannot imagine What will I be if they are disappeared one day!

Wong Lok Ting (10451467)

Course Reflection

Although the technology development is advantage for our daily life, it also brings some problem in the same time. In this course, it not only explains cyborg meaning, it also talks about influence of digital media in our life and we should not indulge in social network.

In the course, we can know that the digital media (e.g. internet) affects ethical value, race, work and communication with others in our daily life when the technology development is progressive continuously and people are more and more rely on technology. Although we cannot be without electronic product in nowadays, we need to keep our ethic to be elevated in this modern era.

In my opinion, this blog not only provides a way for us to upload homework, it also provides a chance for us to share opinion with other classmates about different topic, so it increases our interaction with classmates and it is useful for student learning this course.

Tang Chui Yu, Kitty (10352498)

Course Reflection and Evaluation

This is indeed a very interesting course, which has broadened my point of view.
The use of blog is indeed very useful for students, people can comment back and forth with each other and sharing their ideas and experience within this blog. And to be honest, the assignment of Webliography is indeed a good practice of all of our students, I have a feeling that most of the students began to understand the idea of Cyborg after that assignment. :)
It has given all students a chance to participate in during their rather busy schedules; blog does provide us an alternate way of engaging into intellectual activities.


As we are growing to be more intimate with technology, it becomes an essential part of our daily life. For instance, without the help of computer, we wouldn't able to be on here and share our experiences. From socializing with friends, to being on Webct to attend I lecture..etc. Every human who jacks in has immediately transformed into a cyborg, soon enough, we might routinely put them inside our bodies and brains as an inevitable process. We can see many example of how scientists engaged in developing new technology that can make us become of part of machine. I.E. from installing chips into body which directly link to computer ( Mind computer research to a trendy Iphone culture. I do believe we will become ultimately more become an non-biological being in the soon future.

As technology became our routine of daily life, it is important to understand Technology not only help us improve the quality of life, but also show us the discourse of disemboidment.
As Manuel Castells stated that, we were moving in the direction of a culture founded on a “space of flows”, which replaced the " space of places and timeless time". With all these transformation, the dominant narrative of cyborg culture has given us a culture of disembodiment. In such a technological age, we are more liley made out of “information , rather than bodies and physicality.

Moreover, it blurs the boundary between authenticy and “real”, in which it also bring out the new circumstance of virtual ethnic and the new possibility of gender relation in society.
As Haraway stated in her “A Manifesto for Cyborgs", she stated that, cyborg broke down the traditional point of view of Woman and Nature, it actually could release female which imposed by patriarchal society. For instance, women were able to use private sphere I.E. Internet ( showing their body under their will powers), to become their own platform of public sphere, or a female could be a male on internet as the person’s new identity, all of these examples showed that cyborg helped us to negotiate within the dominant patriarchy society.

Chen Yi Chen, Rebecca 10465704

Course Reflection

I found that blogging has different kinds of function.
In the past, I thought blogging can express what I did in daily lives only. After this course, it provides a chance that I can use blogging to reflect different kinds of views, such as news reflection.

This blog helps me reflect my point of view effectively and share my views with my classmates. Also, I can see others’ point of view too which enables me to think more critically towards different issues.

However, I do think I am a cyborg because I am part of a machine as I rely on different machine to finish different tasks like using computer to finish assignment.
Nowadays, we have to rely on computer, machines and others electronic gadget in our daily lives.

In this course, I have to rethink my identity. At the beginning, it is so confused about the idea of cyborg as it is difficult to admit I am a cyborg.

By Cheung Ho Yan

Course Reflection and Evaluation

This course talks about the communicative environments of the digital age to examine the impact on identity, with particular emphasis on gender, sexualities, race and class. It also brings us a “new” theory, the cyborg theory.

To be frank, I really like this theory and think it is very interesting, because it moves beyond the traditional dichotomous boundaries that all people already used to. It leads us rethink about the gender, race and class constitution, and especially rethink about the identity, which whether I am human being or I am a cyborg.

In fact, this theory makes me regard myself as a cyborg, since I am now wearing glasses, and typing my reflection into the computer. I am fusing myself with the technology. The more important is, I am sure that I cannot survive without the help of technology, so I regard myself is a totally cyborg.

Overall, I found that blog is quite useful for interactive learning. It is a good platform for discussion, sharing and expressing ideas. Firstly because it is easy to use, secondly it is very interactive. People can have direct reflection on your points and also you can read and know other’s point of view on different topics. Therefore, I think blog is a great and new learning platform and method.

By Cheng Hoi Yan, Cindy

Summary of Presentation: Posthuman Conclusion

Hello, I and Zack. Tomorrow 28/4 me and Danny will discuss about what Posthuman is.

During the presentation, we have seperated into 4 sub topics of posthumanism, embodiment, cognition and coevolution. In each topic, we will explain what these terms were and using examplpes to present them.

Then, in each sub topics we would have a small discussion about some issues. Well, we hope to see you all in tomorrow and maintain a good discussion.

Thank you for your attendion.

Week 11, Work & Play

This Week, Haze and me will have a presentation on Work and Play.
We found that, because of the changing of Internet, the status of women also changed in Work and Play.
It is a little bit related to Gender again.
If you want to know more, come to our presentation at 10!!

Kenji's reflection

More than a Social network.


Normally, we will say Facebook is a kind of social networks. It used to connect friends and sharing things. For example, you can sreach your classmates when you were in college. You can also group somebody who are having same interest as you. Its function is connecting people; make people seem to be closer.


But in this article, we can see another kind of function of facebok. This news is talking about facebook in mid-east. Just a few months before, the Egypt Revolution. The leader of revolutionists thanked to facebook special. Because of the group function, they are find people who also want to overthrow government easily. After this experience, many of the states in mid-east concentrate on facebook. This not only discover another kind of function of facebook, but related to the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities of facebook. The example in this article, "Third Palestinian Intifada", want to do the same thing like Egypt. They created a group named "Third Palestinian Intifada", try to group the people who would like to against Israelis. Initially, facebook got some of the complains from Israelis. Those Israelis hope facebook shut down the page, but facebook refused to do it. The facebook also stated that.

"While some kinds of comments and content may be upsetting for someone— criticism of a certain culture, country, religion, lifestyle or political ideology, for example—that alone is not a reason to remove the discussion." The statement added, "We strongly believe that Facebook users have the ability to express their opinions, and we don't typically take down content, groups or pages that speak out against countries, religions, political entities or ideas."

Then, Facebook made a U-turn by shuttingdown the "Third Palestinian Intifada" page, claiming the page's developers and monitors of participating in calls for violence.

This is not only showing facebook could be a kind of political tool. It also show the usefulness of the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities of facebook. Because facebook can change it anytimewhen they like. Facebook is difficult to maintrain their neutrality sometimes.


http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=World&article=4106