I absolutely agree with how Interactive Media is a step towards harmonizing human imagination with scientific technology. Even though today’s media still seems to be boxed in, ‘Its like a Monologue’, the Nike campaign as discussed in the article ‘The three dimensions of Iculture’ seemed a very intelligent step towards mass interactivity and consumerism, allowing consumers to be also designers and ultimately participatants in the production of the equipment on how they want it to be.
Techonology today strives to further these capabilities, of being able to ignite a sense of aliveness when users are engaged with interactive media, with real time - SL is a great example for the lively interaction that occurs on web, it seems today’s interactivity in media has brought the web world back to life towards continous enhancement reducing the emptiness between the user and the medium and making a two way communication possible- effective, lively, informative and fun at the same time.(hopefully in coming years)
The freedom of expression the user cherishes with the Nike Id concept seems to also allow users to express themselves, for towards purposeful and real time happenings which I feel engages the user further towards being more open and as expressive as possible with their creations. This also relates to my discussion in the earlier article, Interactive media seems to not demarcate amidst the real and virtual but rather curves in - a pattern -balancing the real and virtual.
Importantly is also our role as users and consumers to also realize our ego centric character, such as in the case of the Nike ID controversy that it had with a consumer. The company had to deny printing the design the consumer asked for because it was some way of hindrance to the company as a whole, maybe towards their mission or image, the emphasis here is to have some form of a control strategy to let users also know that they own the shoe but not the company, and the privelege should rather be used in a proper form appreciating the ability to have something exactly the way we want it, worthwile the amount paid.
Besides, Interactive media can also be considered as a whole new realm in the world of Entertainment because it indulges equally if not less, contradictions and possibilities as much as the Web has provided since when it was launched. In other words, Interactive media also has numerous facets and that it requires for some kind of control (not to hamper individual rights but at the same time let also collective thinking prevail) in turn preventing from wildfires to occur in cyber space.
The concept Iphone is an example that has heightened features of high end Interactive media :
