Now I just want to go over some parts of the article which I found both fascinating and enlightening. First, some individuals see hoaxes such as the Kaycee Nicole Swenson one as representing the "dark side" of the net. These incidents are seen as "self contained" events, rather than as a moment in a virtual community's continuum (202). I thought this was a very good point. Often times when I think about the internet, I view it in binary terms instead of on a continuum. Second, Jordan brought up a good point about how on the internet, "the standard seems to be more about consistency than absolute certainty." (204). A person's online identity is only viable if it is convincing to another individual. Thus, on the net, a person's identity is more about acceptance then authenticity.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Virtual Death
This has to be my favorite article of the whole semester. I thought it was a really interesting, as well as informative read. From this article, I learned about the relationship between computers, communities, and communication. Using the Kaycee Nicole Swenson hoax, Jordan investigated how participants engaged in debates with one another over the topic of identity and what it meant in a virtual community, specifically after a crisis. Depending on a person’s perspective, he/she interpreted the situation differently: "Trust became the rhetorical vessel used to distinguish and evaluate the types of communal activity that emerged in response to Kaycee's death and Debbie's confession." (213). For example, as a skeptic, I would see the hoax as the perfect example of why trust cannot be formed on the internet. As an optimist, however, I would interpret the situation as one in which I learned a good lesson. Yes, I was fooled but in the end, I was still able to connect to other community members despite the evils done by the hoaxer.
Now I just want to go over some parts of the article which I found both fascinating and enlightening. First, some individuals see hoaxes such as the Kaycee Nicole Swenson one as representing the "dark side" of the net. These incidents are seen as "self contained" events, rather than as a moment in a virtual community's continuum (202). I thought this was a very good point. Often times when I think about the internet, I view it in binary terms instead of on a continuum. Second, Jordan brought up a good point about how on the internet, "the standard seems to be more about consistency than absolute certainty." (204). A person's online identity is only viable if it is convincing to another individual. Thus, on the net, a person's identity is more about acceptance then authenticity.
Now I just want to go over some parts of the article which I found both fascinating and enlightening. First, some individuals see hoaxes such as the Kaycee Nicole Swenson one as representing the "dark side" of the net. These incidents are seen as "self contained" events, rather than as a moment in a virtual community's continuum (202). I thought this was a very good point. Often times when I think about the internet, I view it in binary terms instead of on a continuum. Second, Jordan brought up a good point about how on the internet, "the standard seems to be more about consistency than absolute certainty." (204). A person's online identity is only viable if it is convincing to another individual. Thus, on the net, a person's identity is more about acceptance then authenticity.
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I was also engaged in this reading. I would never believe people would actually waste their time making up stories to gain attention, but I am now aware that this can happen in any online community. Using Kaycee's death, Debbie obviously had some type of attention that was lacking in her life. But what better way to be a part of a hoax than on the Internet? Seriously, anyone can create an online community and it could be completely fake. So after reading this article makes me question how anyone can trust the Internet and blogs. I enjoy how you brought the positive out of the hoax situation. I mean in reality, it isn't the end of the world that you were a part of a hoax, so to be able to appreciate the fact that you were able to connect to other online community members, is really cool. I like your opinion on the article as well, because the identity of the person in the community is automatically accepted because you are giving that person the benefit of the doubt that they are being real. It really is about convincing others who you are through creating an online identity. Great article, thanks for your opinions and responses all semester!
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