Beyond the Physical Form

Beyond the Physical Form

Jordan Kulmar

Terms such as transhumanism or post-humanism are seldom thought to relate to the Facebook network. However, both can and do apply. However this does not mean that they are the same thing. Post-humanism focuses on cybernetics or, the combination of humans and intelligent technology. Function rather than form (LaGrandeur, 2014, para. 2-3). Vice versa there is transhumanism. Transhumanism focuses on fields such as bio-engineering and genetic engineering, with the goal of improving humans using technology (La Grandeur, 2014, para. 5-6). So with this in mind, how Facebook is contributing to post-humanism and transhumanism can be revealed.   

Transhumanism and post-humanism improves human functions. Retrieved from: http://www.igyaan.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Transhumanism.png

If Laurie McNiell is correct, modern humans can have two identities, one "real" and the other "virtual" (McNiell, 2012, p. 68). This is evident on the Facebook profile as you are not the only person constructing your identity (Kuttainen, 2017, pp. 6). So, by allowing users to choose what they would like to show the public, most users will disclose their positives, and not their "real" selves. On top of this, Facebook only allows a person to fill in fields specified by Facebook (McNiell, 2012, p. 69). This means that a person's virtual identity is designed in Facebook's ideal image, making Facebook a kind of co-author of the identity. Using this line of thinking, and applying the aforementioned definition of post-humanism, it can be seen that the interaction between the user (humans) and Facebook (intelligent technology), creates something more post-human than human.

Following the profile, the newsfeed consists of posts from the user, friends, and other pages or people the user has liked. Selecting who shows on the timeline however, is the extent of control the person has. Facebook predominately controls what appears on the new feed based on the user's "connections and activity" (Facebook, 2017) meaning, a person's virtual identity is created from the post-humanism interaction between the user and Facebook's software. This furthers the point that Facebook co-authors a user's identity (Mcneill, 2012, p. 73).

Now that it is clear that people have different "virtual" and "real" identities on Facebook (McNiell, 2012, p. 69), we can see that the virtual identity is certainly post-human. For it to be a cyborg like entity however, Facebook's software needs to improve a human aspect in some way (La Grandeur, 2014, para. 5-6). Consider a hypothetical situation where someone receives a prosthetic eye. This eye would allow the person to see further thereby, improving the person. Ultimately though, what the person sees is defined by the parameters set by the eyes' software. This would fall under the definition of transhumanism. Now examine Facebook. Like the prosthetic eye, Facebook allows its users to see further than they originally could. For example, they can read other countries news. But, also like the eye, the user is limited by the software parameters. So there is a degree of control and lack thereof, in both cases. But both would be considered a form of transhumanism.  

For more information on the difference between post-humanism and tranhumanism follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwvbzbJO4ow (Fuller, 2014).

References

Facebook. (2017). How News Feed Works. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/help/327131014036297/

Fuller, S. [Transhumanist Party UK]. (2015, October 14). Transhumanism vs. Post-humanism [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwvbzbJO4ow

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 6 notes [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

LaGrandeur, K. (2014). What is the Difference between Posthumanism and Transhumanism?. Retrieved from https://ieet.org/index.php/IEET2/more/lagrandeur20140729

McNeill, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography. Biography, 35(1), 64-82.https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2012.0009

Zehra , R. (2015). Transhumanism [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.igyaan.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Transhumanism.png

“Café Tumblr”

The impact of social media can be seen from every Vantage Point. Online people use their various site accounts to Garner followers, receive support, learn, vent, and much more. The web has also become a platform for the touchier points of life such as humanitarianism and politics. Tumblr has become a site that aids such causes.

The "public sphere" a phrase coined by Jürgen Habermas, was described as a "theatre in modern societies in which political participation is enacted through the medium of talk." coffee houses were a good example of such spaces. People would sit and have a beverage, meanwhile discussing things of political importance and trying to reach common agreement. In the modern world we witnessed this "public sphere" has moved location and audience. People now have access to such discussion and ideas online, speak to a broader further reaching audience. This can be seen with the site Tumblr.

Many political and humanitarian blogs have been created and become quite prominent through the sites reblogging option. These pages game more and more power as their posts are shared.

" power is not a thing it is relational" (Kuttainen 2017).

One can see the power these blogs have simply by observing the effects on the material world that have come about. Mental awareness blogs for example, a popular on Tumblr. But beyond their posts these blogs have given support to people by contact through personal messages. They also raise material support via fundraisers and by inspiring people to act. One blog that I found named "Our Angel Olivia" holds fundraisers that raise money for different mental health organisations every few months, and this is just one example.

Picture of “Our angel Olivia” Homepage 

There is one obvious difference between the coffee shops of Old and the new online public sphere. Online, much easier to ignore opinions contrary to your own. Instead of being confronted by living people who have different opinions and views to you these people are instead behind screens and can be silence and edited out by the push of a button. In this way we edit out reality.

Humanism is explained as being a "philosophical and ethical stance; value and agency of human beings individually and collectively" by editing these parts we are in a way becoming posthuman. No longer are things real and genuine but filtered by our own view and the view of people we follow. In a sense the web both dismantles and sustains the humanist subject (McNeill). They do this by providing a place to discuss concepts and problems but making tools that we then use to remove anything not concurrent with our own view.

Ysabel Lancaster

References:

1)      An Angels Resting Place http://our-angel-olivia.tumblr.com/

2)      Jürgen Habermas on society and politics: a reader/ edited by Steven Seidman (1989) Beacon Press books, Boston.

3)      Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, lecture 6: Networked Narratives. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.

4)       auMcNeill, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography. Biography, 35(1), 64-82.https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2012.0009

The Duality of Nature - By Elijah Weightman

The Two-Faced Nature of The Roar

What does it mean to be human? Does walking around and breathing the air make us human? Or is more required? In the words of anthropologist Samuel Hyde, there is a distinguishment between humans, and what he refers to as “NPCs” (Hyde, 2015). NPC, or non-playable character, is a term common to role playing games, meaning those characters in the game that the player cannot control. According to Hyde, a person can cease to be human, and therefore becomes an NPC. A person undergoes this transition when they begin to “go through the motions of life”, without second thought, or they fail to question why things are. According to Hyde, the majority of people in society are ‘NPCs’. Hyde uses the example of why Australia imported 189,000 migrants in 2016, when during the same year only 300,000 jobs were created. There were also roughly 70,000 university graduates during 2016 (Hyde, 2016).

According to Hyde, the majority of society is comprised of "NPCs". Retrieved from:

According to McNeill, a person can possess both a “real” and “virtual” identity (McNeill, 2012). Analysing this statement, one can interpret it as meaning that a person can express themselves differently via the internet medium. For instance, persons who are normally quite shy and reserved under their “real” identity can become knowledgeable, confident and frank under their “virtual” identities. Additionally, shrouded by the veil of anonymity, people can express their true thoughts regarding matters that do not fit the accepted “narrative” (Kuttainen, 2017). However, whilst one’s identity may be anonymous to another internet user, it is likely that Google and Facebook know their thoughts better than even they themselves do (Kuttainen, 2017).

Networked narratives is another interesting concept explained by McNeill (McNeill, 2012). Narratives which delineate from the accepted and comfortable narrative are often censored by those in control, as it does not suit their agenda. On The Roar, the prevalence of networked narratives can be witnessed firsthand. The Roar, which initially championed itself as a website where “your sports opinion” was valued above everything else, has since backtracked. Now only “some sports opinions” are allowed to be published. Opinions which tow the party line, so to speak, of being all inclusive, and benign. Some comments, no matter whether they be written by a guru or rookie, are universally blocked on questionable grounds.

For instance, one can pick any page and scroll through the comments. Raucous allegations are made, allegories to bestiality can sometimes even be viewed. One must wonder why such comments as these pass through the editor’s filter, whereas others, which are often articulately written and well-researched, are prevented from being published.

The contradictory nature of The Roar is alarming. The medium appears to quickly be alienating traditional commentators, who are now quickly finding that their opinions are being considered irrelevant, and unwanted. The Roar is in somewhat of an identity crisis. Because it is not mainstream enough to appeal to younger fans, it is jeopardising its relationship with old ones. Perhaps the Roar’s hierarchy should undergo an identity check, so as to reconnect with their true self.

References:

Hyde, S. (2015). On the subject of being and the mind. Richmond, VA. Royal Press.

Hyde, S. (2016). Concerning global immigration and the fall of western civilisation. Richmond, VA. Royal Press.

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, lecture 6: Networked Narratives. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

McNeill, L. (2012). There is no “I” in network: Social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography. Biography, 35(1), 64-82. https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2012.0009

We know your dreams. (2015). Dream interpretations - People. Retrieved from: http://weknowyourdreams.com/people.html. 

Signs and Wonders - By Elijah Weightman

Unaccountable Knowledge and Other Curious Stories

Different cultures perceive the world in alternative ways. Consider, for instance, the Dogon people, who inhabit the arid desert regions of Southern Mali. To the ordinary observer, the Dogon would seem indistinguishable from other West African tribes. However, the Dogon have closely protected information of the most profound nature, for several hundred years. The Dogon can accurately describe the so called “Dog Star”, Sirius B, in the Canis Major constellation, to Western astronomers. A star, which is invisible to the naked eye, and only discovered by Westerners in the mid-1800s. The Dogon, who claim such knowledge was imparted upon them by visitors from another star system, have passed down their learnings through the years via a combination of story-telling, and song (Temple, 1976).

The Dogon people are renowned for their colourful dancers and lively festivals, as well as curious knowledge of the Sirius system. Retrieved from: http://blissadventuretravel.blogspot.com.au/p/about-kent.html. 

Other societies impart tradition, teachings and lessons through song and stories. The Indian national epic, the Mahabharata and the Babylonian Talmud are such examples. Western civilizations achieve such through printed mediums (Kuttainen, 2017). Native American tribes, such as the Crow and Cherokee peoples, through feverish rituals and celebrations (Noorbergen, 1977).    

The Australian aborigines impart their knowledge in a manner similar to the Dogon. Australian aborigines perceive the land, and existence, through song (Chatwin, 1987). They believe that each feature and distinction of the land is explained through some ancient story, such as the ‘rainbow snake’ and ‘champion kookaburra’ (Indigenous Spirituality, 2017). Each region had a different language group, considering the fractured nature of indigenous society, there exist many variations of each story. Most involve similar elements, however.

Stories and places can be difficult to explain, and can be even more challenging to interpret. The world outlook held by and indigenous Australian would be difficult to perceive by a European person, and vice versa. Anglo Australians perceive the world in a more grounded, scientific fashion, whereas indigenous peoples see it on a more conceptual basis.

On The Roar, stories are imparted through contributors. Contributors come in the form of professional sports writers, or non-professional fan writers. Great stories, known as ‘features’, are imparted by only the most championed authors, such as father of The Roar, Spiro Zavos, and prince of The Roar, David Lord. Cautionary tales are sometimes devised by fans in the comments sections, generally regarding the demise of certain sportspersons. The tales can also apply to the fall from grace of sporting clubs that once stood like shining beacons upon a hill, but have since tumbled into obscurity from mismanagement and greed. Rumour and myth are perpetrated by unsavoury types, their whispers generally only garnering the attention of the naïve, foolish or incompetent.

As Terrance Pratchett said, “stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.” Such would explain the contempt that most Australians regard Aboriginal myth with. 

References:

Blogger. Retrieved from: http://blissadventuretravel.blogspot.com.au/p/about-kent.html. 

Chatwin, B. (1987). The Songlines. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au.

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives and the making of place. lecture five: Stories of Place: Story Lines. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au.

Noorbergen, R. (1977) Secrets of lost races. United States. TEACH Services, Inc.

Paulson, G. (2017). Retrieved from: http://australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/indigenous-spirituality?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqTNBRDVARIsAGsd9MpJI6iy-3v1-bYfejNE14VzG3ZCNecm1s9IYbcrN6WvKf1JhOV_8u4aAtu2EALw_wcB

Temple, R. (1976). The Sirius mystery. Lincoln, Nebraska. St. Martins Press. 

Who are you?

Who are you?

Jaime Ogston

                                                Figure 1 - The All Seeing Eye (2017)

If you think that social media is some benign concept created purely for the social satisfaction of its users, then you are not alone. Thousands join Instagram every day around the world with little thought into the true objective of its creators.

Instagram, a photo sharing platform, provides the opportunity for users to upload the highlights of their lives and share them with their community of followers. Your page, your story, narrated by you. From a humanistic perspective, there certainly are elements of individuality, authenticity and agency evident (McNeill, 2012, p.67). But dig a little deeper and you may just find a whole other realm that will have you questioning who it is that is really telling your story.

According to the Four Corners episode – Cracking the Code, aired on ABC (Greste & Cohen, 2017), Facebook has a wealth of data on millions of people globally. Through its myriad of algorithms, Facebook is able to track your network of friends, judge your interests and even tell what mood you are in. This data is then used to tailor you page according to your data. Instagram, now owned by Mark Zuckerberg, founder and creator of Facebook, also collects and has access to this bank of personal information. According to Adam Helfgott, who appeared on the Four Corners episode, you don’t even need to be a Facebook or Instagram user for Facebook to be able to create a profile on you. And opting out, well that’s just not an option.

If we then go on to look at the ‘liking’,’sharing’,’tagging’ and ‘commenting’ aspects of the Instagram site, we need to question how this impacts our social media behaviour (McNeill, 2012, p.71). What does being socially acceptable in the virtual world entail? And does this then put the humanistic ideal of authenticity in question? Bringing to light the social media features and software that have the power to ‘silence’ unacceptable narratives and persuade you to present yourself in a certain way (Kuttainen, 2017), then one would have to argue that we are indeed not our authentic selves.

So, if our humanistic ideals are being challenged and we are unknowingly complying then doesn’t that then make us posthumanistic in the virtual world? Our narratives are no longer our own but rather are networked according to cyber the world (McNeill, 2012, p.78). The influences of the network itself with all of persuasive software directing us to be fit a certain mould accompanied by the influences of the virtual community further shaping our behaviours renders us incapable of maintaining individuality, authenticity and agency. We are being stripped of our very own identities and edging closer to resembling a community of cyborgs.

References:

·         McNeill, L. (2012). There Is No “I” in Network: Social Networking Sites and Posthuman Auto/Biography. Biography, 35(1), 65-82. Retrieved from http://www.muse.jhu.edu.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/article/480243

·         Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narrative and the Making of Place, week 6 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

·         Greste, P. (Writer), & Cohen, J. (Director). (2017). Cracking the Code [Television series episode]. In Neighbour, S (Executive producer), Four Corners. Sydney, NSW: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

·         The All Seeing Eye [Image]. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/149260337@N06/33736294501

Are You Who You Say You Are?

Are You Who You Say You Are?

(That’s a lot of “you”)

Katelyn Gilchrist 

When sitting at home, feeding your face, and watching an hour-long compilation of your favourite Viner, it’s fair to assume the last thing you’d be questioning is their authenticity.

On Youtube, there is a cesspool of inspirational youtube videos that end with popular YouTubers saying things like “stay true to yourself”, “be yourself” and basing their success of their authenticity and originality, but how many online stars actually follow their own advice? 

Figure 1: Inspiration (Englert).

In the lecture, Victoria mentioned how in an online network we are not the only ones constructing our identity (Kuttainen, 2017). I believe that in the vine network, with everyone striving for popularity, there are many constraints potentially constructing users online identities. Certain traits such as attractiveness, wealth, humour, and youth draw in views more than others so many users may alter themselves to fit these desired qualities. Once vine began to gain status and popularity as a major network it wasn’t long before many Viners all began making similar content, acting alike and collaborating constantly. The ALS ice bucket challenge is a great example of this. Rather than researching and understanding the purpose of the challenge, many just jumped on board to hopefully gain popularity while the challenge was viral. However, this sheepish display could also be a demonstration of the embedded peer pressures in place for users to act a certain way within this network. Which young users are increasingly susceptible to.

Vine provides its users with the power to portray themselves as whoever they want to be. Shy individuals can express their comedic or outrageous side while the life of the party can have some down time and upload a cooking or art time-lapse. 

A great example of an alternate online persona is Viner Zach King. He rose to the spotlight with his skillfully edited videos of him performing magic. He is well known around the world for his mind-blowing videography and even appeared on the Ellen show and has had his abilities and popularity utilised by many advertisers. However, unlike other popular magicians such as Dynamo and Houdini, Zach’s tricks are purely video editing. The only thing that everyone knows him for, he is unable to do in real life, so does this make his online identity unauthentic? Or is vine just an outlet for him to show talents and express his true identity in ways he may be unable to in reality? 

While many content creators, identities are built around the videos they upload and how they represent themselves through that, users who don’t create content also build their own identity within the app. Despite lacking the autobiographical style profile of a Facebook account that Zuckerberg argues gives accounts their authenticity, I still believe the average vine user would have a generally authentic profile (McNiell, 2012, pp.68). Due to this identity being built around what they revine and like and who they follow. I’d assume it would be quite out of the ordinary for an individual to purposely like, revine and follow certain genres, vines and content creators just in the hopes of building an identity unlike their own. 

All I can say is, I'll be going to bed tonight very confused about which of my internet idols are and aren't "real".

Reference List 

Englert, A. (unknown). Retrieved from https://au.pinterest.com/pin/54184001744473025/

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, lecture 6: Networked Narratives. [Powerpoint Slides] Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au
Mascheroni, G. (2015). "Girls are addicted to likes so they post semi-naked selfies": Peer mediation, normativity and the construction of identity online. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychological Research on Cyberspace, 9(1), article 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/CP2015-1-5

McNiell, L. (2012). There Is No "I" in Network: Social networking sites and post-human auto/biography. Biography, 35(1), 65-82. https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2012.0009

Power of Language and Naming (Assasins Creed PSN)

POWER OF LANGUAGE AND NAMING

BY KURT TY

(Google Images)https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.GnimoaamqLOyOu-617itDgEsDY&w=230&h=166&c=7&qlt=90&o=4&dpr=1.5&pid=1.7

In regards to the topic ‘Space and Place’, I have linked my blog with Tuan’s reading “Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative- Descriptive Approach”. The topic will form around the idea of language and how it defines a sense of place, self or community identity. In the social network of PlayStation, the series of Assassins Creed games became global favourites in the gaming world due to its action-packed adventure platform based on historical events. The game forms in the life of Desmond Miles, who presumably had genetic memories of his ancestors which turned out to be assassins’ who fought for peace and free will centuries ago. In the game’s plot, Desmond is able access his memories through a teleportation device called the “animus” (Fandom, 2015) where he is able to experience the historical setting and occurrences from places like Italy, France and England. The game is also filled with characters that have played a part on their countries history like Leonardo da Vinci, Pope John Paul and Galileo.  

Assassin’s Creed uses the style of language and naming to further distinguish the space in which the character can be found during different scenarios of the game. For example, when Ezio visits the Vatican City in the game; the characters in the current virtual world consists of people speaking Italian and having a strong connection to the catholic church. Using the concept of language and naming within the game allows gamers to identify a sense of community identity and provide the help to identify key people or places in the game which allows them to have a better understanding of the objectives in the game.

In conclusion, language can be foreseen as a form of knowledge and “knowledge is power” according to previous lectures. Without language, the world we live in today will struggle in forms of communication. Language allows people from different parts of the world to be identified within a community and identifying which country or place in the world they belong to. Furthermore, the use of naming relates in the aspect of language as it provides identity on a place, thing or a being.  

Reference:

Fandom http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed_Wiki

Tumblr is (not?) Life

 Caroline Mercer

                When people think about curated lives on social media, they often consider Facebook or Instagram, where people commonly edit their life to show the positive side, leaving struggles to be dealt with privately. However, this sort of edited life appears all over the internet, including on Tumblr. As individuals set up their Tumblr, following a variety of blogs and adding to the content on their own, they choose which aspects of their own personality are to be emphasized. For some, this may be an authentic version of themselves, in which they display their struggles, their hopes, and their interests rather equally. For others however, Tumblr is a place to go for a certain interest, a certain aesthetic, or a certain version of themselves that may not match up with their self in the “real” world.

                McNiell (2012) discusses an “authentic” self that was supposedly set up through the creation of a social media profile (according to Mark Zuckerberg). Tumblr, lacking a profile in itself, never promises such a thing. Yet the idea is there- that each person’s blog should reflect a unique combination of their own interests and therefore display aspects of the individual behind it. This is not how Tumblr manifests, however. Just as identities on Facebook are partially created through the interference of an algorithm (McNiell, 2012), Tumblr users find the blogs the follow (and reblog from) through a search function. The people we follow and the content we add to our own blogs (and our own identities) is dependent on the mechanisms of Tumblr itself, which edit what we see when we search. In such a system, the individual is not completely in control of who they present themselves to be- they can only reblog what Tumblr allows them to see.

                Identities on Tumblr are tricky to grasp. While there are some incredibly strange subcultures on the site, as Kuttainen (2017) discussed, in a network such as Tumblr some narratives are more dominant than others, and those that don’t meet certain standards will be grounds for deactivation. While Tumblr is touted as a space for individuals to find their own niches and explore new horizons, they have topics that are off limits. Some people are required to hide certain aspects of their personality to explore others through Tumblr, and aren’t displaying a truly “authentic” version of themselves. Others choose to highlight one of their interests over another, such as blogs dedicated to kpop stars, or certain tv shows. On the other hand, certain people choose to reveal large amounts of their personal life to their Tumblr followers, discussing their hardships, their happiness, and their day-to-day lives in addition to the exciting moments often shared on social media. Yet while these individuals may be said to be portraying their “real” identity on Tumblr, there will still be moments in which they will not speak, and activities they will not reveal. Although an idea of who users are may be gleaned from their blogs, it’s always appearing through a filter by which they can decide how much (or how little) of themselves they reveal. On Tumblr, that is just fine. 

Image 1. An excerpt from Tumblr's new(ish) Community Guidelines. (Moss, 2014).

References

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, lecture 6: Networked Narratives. [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

McNiell, L. (2012). There Is No “I” in Network: Social Networking Sites and Posthuman Auto/Biography. Biography, 35(1), 65-82. https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2012.0009

Moss, C. (2014). Tumblr Community Guidelines [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/tumblrs-new-terms-of-service-is-inspiring-and-funny-2014-1?r=US&IR=T