Visual Language: Semiotics

Before reading this, I had no idea what semiotics where and what I can take away from this after reading it as that it's different visual ways in which we communicate. I like how the author used different concepts and there meanings with the word. Being that we were just talking about this in my Intro to New Median class, i understand what the author means in how the things are match together, comparing the coin to how we know tree by the symbol but without the symbol the word is just a word. Therefore, because of one you have the other introducing how they relate to connotation and denotations.

Respond to Swastika and Symbols

I thinks it's really messed up that a symbol and had such good intentions and meaning could have just flipped to the opposite so quickly. Initially when I saw the swastika, before I learned about the Holocaust, I thought it was a cool symbol and now if I see there is a totally different feeling. The reading discusses how it can be found and so many different cultures as a good luck charm or in a different way but since we are so familiar with the usage by the Nazis, the thought seeing it as a good luck charm is the furthest thing and the symbol has been corrupted.

After reading the articles about the Modern Hieroglyphs, I found that symbols can be used as for anything as simple to just a man and woman to renting a car in the airport. I think learning to change English words to symbols would be extremely hard and I like how they used the a Japanese and Chinese writing to show how they have symbols for words and phrases and although, they look the same have total different meanings according to punctuation.

New Respond

My respond to the reading of “What is a sign?” is kind of confusing. Like, I understand what he means by the different states of mind we have and how without some likenesses we wouldn’t be able to communicate. However, I don’t get what’s going on in all of this. Also, he explains the other different kinds of signs which include indications and symbols. I do like how he tells how before words the pictures played a big part from the Egyptians to the Greek. Then, I comprehend what he means by the fact that pictures aren’t enough; you need symbols and words to complete it, using maps as example. On the contrary, after reading this, I thought to myself what the hell did I just read.