That title is terrible, I'm sorry. Anyway, I've been struggling finding a topic I want to stick with and I think what I've settled on is teetering on the verge of report and argument, so I'd appreciate any feedback.
The current iteration of the web and cyberspace communities in general have been called collaborative, social, and supportive. Most of these have positive connotations, but anti-social and negative activities still occur all these years after the events outlined in Dibble's "A Rape in Cyberspace." Although we like to think that people and cyberspace have evolved over the past 10+ years I argue that cyberspace has tremendous potential for creating good, but it is also a cesspool for awfulness, which can be seen on a regular basis. Examples: Myspace suicide, griefing in online games, chatroulette trolls, etc.
I may also argue that this is not necessarily happening because people take on "different" identities in cyberspace, but rather accentuating latent or suppressed facets of their real world identities. Real world has more to do with crafting specific identities and rules of conduct than cyberspace. Supporting concept: Idea that there is less risk and fewer perceived enforced norms in cyberspace/virtual spaces.
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As in mass media, we don't see the constant good that is being done in cyberspace. We only see or hear about the bad or fantastic. Sex, violence and strangeness is what seems to rise to the top. Imagine the tens of millions of people that are online every minute and the sheer numbers of conversations, support, encouragement that is going on. But it's the suicides and stalkers that make the news...or mainstream news. Maybe it's the good that needs to be culled and separated from the rest of the drivel.
ReplyDeleteAgreed on the human nature of focusing on the bad thing. And maybe I should consider focusing on the good, but it seems like commercial entities, collaborative tools, and even the news outlets (sensationalizing of mishaps aside) promote virtual spaces as these clean, helpful areas. However, the same duality we see in physical space/nature still persists when we migrate into cyberspace.
ReplyDeleteI guess I need to think on it a bit more, but my initial plan focuses on using examples of "bad behavior" in virtual communities to make connections between real and virtual that may narrow any conceptual gaps between those spaces.
You're right - you are teetering on summary report of all sorts of things we've already read. I'm not seeing the inherent Kris-ness of an argument yet. Even if you do focus on bad behavior, and even if you do focus on good behavior, I don't see you coming out of it with a "so what"/something new, yet. I don't know what I can do to help - maybe talk it through in person after class? Or you can shoot some more specific thoughts via e-mail in between? I know that you know how to make an argument, so I'm not going to give you the same spiel I've given elsewhere -- just need to know what I can do to help at this point.
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