Aramis and Me

Maybe I am crazy (which could be), maybe the sore throat medicine I was taking this weekend messed with my mind, or maybe I watched too many episodes of Saved by the Bell, but I loved Latour’s book. Now, I hope I just got the message right!

First, I have read articles and web pages online, but this is the first time I have read an entire book online. And it really changed how I read versus reading the physical book. Since I couldn’t highlight and comment in the book or even download and save the book, I decided to take notes, which proved to be really helpful. I didn’t really think much about reading online until after I finished the book, but I am more than willing to read more books online – maybe an Amazon Kindle will find its way on my Christmas list after all.

Onto the book, what I gathered from the creative work was the influence of research and environment on technological ideas and innovations. Research seemed to be a reoccurring theme toward the end of the book. Those working on Aramis didn’t research throughout the project (as the environment, context and time changed) – Aramis stayed constant, which was related to its death (I just loved the murder mystery aspect of the book - so creative!). It didn’t seem as if the actors involved with the project really communicated as much as they should have to keep the project alive.

Some other key things that stuck out to me were, ‘technology follows ideas,’ ‘innovations have to interest people and things at the same time,’ ‘no technological project is technological first and foremost,’ ‘technological project is not in a context, it gives itself a context’ and calling projects innovated projects or research projects. I was also interested in the idea of anthropomorphism – I don’t know why, it just seemed like a really neat concept.

Overall though, I feel as though this book brought together readings from earlier in the semester. I could see some use of relevant social groups, and actors, and who is in control (ie politics). And, I must say this is one of the few technology books that have made me laugh.