Monday, April 27, 2009

Presentation Outline by Viven Szeto

“Cyborg Citizen: Posthuman Possibilities” by Chris Hables Gray

Within certain technologically determined limits, we can socially construct the future we choose. The process of choosing, however, is profoundly political and therefore it is anything but straight-forward

Subjectivities of posthumanity
-Talk about the different attitudes towards cyborgs in different cultures
-Bodies can be remade technologically

Carnival Cyborg
-Humans have always aspired to be cyborgs and we have always feared that aspiration
-Cyborging ourselves is costuming ourselves from the inside out, a disturbing technocarnival with permanent consequences
-We are a cyborg society of tools, machines, and organisms but we deny it
-Cyborging is something we do to ourselves as well as the world
-Cyborgs are invented as new technosciences

The future is not yet written
-Cyborg politics are about power, as all politics are. Power is both coercive and constructive
-Knowledge is power. Knowledge as power moves from the specific to the general and back again
-Knowledge is situated. Specific types of cyborgization have their own histories and implications
-Meanings are constructed, which means they can be chosen

Cyborgization will not make us like gods, but we may be able to live better and longer than any human or protohuman has before

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Reflection

The use of weblogs for learning purposes is the first time happened in my study time. I think it is a quite innovative learning experience. However, the posts were assessable and compulsory, seemed not to meet the purpose and nature of blogging. We did not use it as a typical blogger would, such as we did not discuss or give any opinions on current events, but we need to meet the requirement for the unit. The blog was just the medium to submit assignments, not a forum for debate, opinion or even simple conversation. On the other hand, it has been helpful reading outlines of tutorial presentations before the actual in-class discussion.

As I believe myself to some extent of a 'cyborg' after all the theoretical analysis, I have to remark on how prevailing the internet and cyberspace really is. I am also excited by all the virtual communities. I really do consider that the internet is an extension of our physical reality.

I disliked most about the course was that we begun with the early heavy theoretical issues. They were totally unfamiliar to me and frightened me off a bit. But as we continued, I found the topics and theories really related to my daily life, which made it much easier to identify with them.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Presentation Outline by Nik Yu





From Wuake Grrls to Desperate Housewives: A Decade of Gender and Computer Games
by Henry Jenkins and justine Cassell


Based on two Conferences
  1. From Barbie to mortal kombat, Gender and computer Games,
  2. conference held by Yasmin Kafai, Carrie Heeter and Jill Denner at UCLA 2006.

The Girls Game Movement, Took shaped by five factors,
  • Economic , Political , Technology, Entrepreneurial, Aesthetic

How Computer Games Construct a Gender Divide.
  • From first wave of girls' games to The Sims
  • From the Sims to Desperate Housewives






Presentation outline by Margaret Leung Foon Ming

"As We Become Machines: corporealized pleasures in video games"
By Martti Lahti




Suggestion:
A "new cyborgian relationship" between players and technology is attempted to erase the boundary between the virtual and the real.
Claims:
video games as a unique "paradigmatic site for producing, imaging and testing different kinds of relations between the body and technology in contemporary culture."
"games actually anchor our experience and subjectivity firmly in the body or in an ambiguous boundary between the body and technology."

Her argument consists of two view points:
1. the dissolution of the boundary between players and the game world.
3D graphics, rumble packs, joysticks, pedals and wheels produce the physical immersion with the game world. --> "corporatization of perception”.
First person point of view -->representation of their bodies.
The bodily experience will create “a hybrid condition resonant with the cyborg”.

2. video games encourage a merger between perspectives and subjectivities with the onscreen world.
The virtual self can be created and customized
The pleasure-->the ability to control and construct the body we desire, the ability to ‘try on’ different bodies and to ‘trespass or toy with racial and sexual boundaries’.
Conclusion:
Video games focus on an immaterial and disembodied vision in a virtual world but at the same time offer players to rethink our “bodies.
"the body is a site where sensory stimuli are registered"
Video games WILL NOT turn players into cyborgs
but build up a close relationship with each others.

Presentation outline by Kristy Leung

Hot dates and fairy-tale romances studying sexuality in video games will discuss in the following:

Final Fantasy IX and The Sims will be used for case study.

- Players are encouraged position themselves in as the character.

- Different expectation of man and woman in game.

Final Fantasy IX:
- The main character( Zidane) is heterosexual.
- Potential problems addressed when played by different players.
- Woman used for rescue Male from gayness.

The Sims:
- More liberate game
- Reaffirm social norms
- Possible pairing allowed
- Different language used in different type of sexuality.

--> Heterosexual is always preferred and natural.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Presentation Outline by Allan Wong

My assigned readings is "Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life" by dannah boyd.

My presentation is basically separated into numerous parts in accodance to the readings, and they are:

1. Introduction
2. Methodology and Demographics
3. The Making of Social and Network Sites
4. Profiles, Friends, and Comments
5. Networked Publics
6. Initiation: Profile Creation
7. Identity Performance
8. Writing Identity and Community Into Being
9. Privacy in Public: Creation MY Space
10. But why there?
11. Conclusion

Monday, April 13, 2009

Presentation outline by Kelvin So

My assigned reading for the presentation is “The virtual community” by Howard Rheingold.

The article can briefly divided into two parts, the first section covered how the author make use of internet, how he interact with the virtual community in his online or offline time, his observation towards the virtual communities, and the potential benefits that the virtual communities can bring to us.

The second part of the article talks about the development of virtual communities. In the beginning there are small number of computers start to form a network for the American Military research institution, then the computer conferencing technology change the way who people communicate. After civilians put a lots of affords to build up the telecom networks, the bulletin-board systems (BBSs) appears and it allows general citizens to make communication through internet. As there are particular number of people formed different kind of virtual discussion BBSs, virtual communities like WELL start to be formed. As the computer technology is improving, virtual community brings revolutionary changes to the way how people communicate to others.

Presentation outline by James Pang

The reading I am going to present is "A Rape in Cyberspace; or How an Evil Clown, a Haitian Trickster Spirit, Two Wizards, and a Cast of Dozens Turned a Database into a society." written by Julian Dibbell.

The narration of the "virtual" rape.

Background of the criminal and virtims

Punishment of the criminal, Mr Bungle

Different opinions from technoliberstarians, anarchists, wizards and other MOOers

The consequence of Mr Bungle

The changes of the writer toward "virtual" rape and LambdaMOO

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Critical Annotated Webliography by Kelvin So

Guiding question 1.

We are living in an age which technology dominant our lives. In the past centuries, people’s living standard improved by wisely use of technology. Now, people start to further enhance human life by integrating technology to our body, the concept of Cyborg emerged under the notion of technology integration.

Kelvin Warwick’s article[i] gives us a practical example how to integrate technology with body and experimental usage of computer chip implant. By implanting a chip in his arm, he is able to switch on the light automatically without physically touching the switches when he enters his lab. That is only part of his experiment, he use similar techniques later to implant chip in to human to record bio-electrical signal between brain and muscle, and try to analysis emotion and sensation of human. Such research is very useful in the medical field, for example helping the limb-transplant patient gain the sense from the artificial limbs. In his second experiment, Project Cyborg 2.0, he try to install micro chips into silicon made artificial skin, by scanning the brain activity, the chip can transmit the signals which are possible for people to control computer system just by using their brain


When we talk about “Cyborg”, we may instantly have an image of Terminator, which has steel body and computer brain coated with “organic skin”, a “cybernetic organism”. Dan Sharpe’s article[ii] mentioned ethical problem that may encountered when we enter the age of Cyborg. One positive opinion of being Cyborg is enhancing human lives, take contact lens as example, it improve people’s vision by integrating a lens into their eyes. But the negative opinion is people will lose their will, or “be less human” by under control by technology. The example Dan takes is Borg in Star Trek, using technology to make their body perfect, but individuals do not exist in ­Borg, it act as collective consciousness. No matter Cyborg is good or bad, Terminator can only be classify as robot because Cyborg must be part of human, or “transform” from human. Terminator also lack of soul of humanity, of the concept of “Ghost” in Ghost in the shell.

In general people’s mind, Cyborg is the enhancing solution for many purposes. Military soldier cyborgs[iii] is not a new concept for us. There are already many projects about how to enhance the combat ability of soldier by integrating technology into their body. Some of them are aim to improve the communication ability: real time video and body status transmit, some are aim to re-engineering human body to make soldier gain more muscle strength and recover more quickly, and some projects are researching the way that make soldier can stay awake and remain alert for 7 days. These are not new concept for us, many movies has imaged such kind of super soldiers. However these projects are actually exist, funded by government and some of them already entered field-test stage. The article show us that Cyborgs are not only appears in our imagination, there maybe practical prototype cyborgs existing.

As mentioned before, Cyborg technology can be used in Military purpose, such technologies also can be apply in medical purpose. Samuel Dokko’s article[iv] give us some examples that Cyborg technology enhance our lives. In his article, he mentioned the Cyborg technology-artificial body parts can be implant in to human body, to “restore lost function, organs and limbs.” Artificial organs are not something new to us nowadays, we have commercial artificial heart invented in the last decade, which extend the patient’s life let them survive until they found the suitable organ donor. There are also researches which aim to invent a fully functional artificial limb to restore human limbs. The article give a detail example of a artificial hearing device which is implanted to restore the hearing ability to the deaf people, such technology enhance human lives greatly in physical way.

Except the “hardcore” cyborgs mentioned above, some people think that we are already become cyborgs since our modern lives have close relationship with technology. Amber Case’s Blog[v] has suggested that human are becoming cyborgs through uploading hypertext, or constructing their identity on the internet. This weblog entry are mostly talk about the cyborg anthropology, but his article gives us some online social interaction examples that how people using internet to construct their identity and build the power relationship to order people: “On facebook, identity and value is constructed through images, on Twitter, power is constructed through text, retweeting, link exchange, etc.” As we entered the digital age, such kind of social interaction is becoming part of our life. Under the current situation, we are all cyborgs existing both online and real life.

When we come across the identity on internet, we may have whole new experience because of the variety of identity we can choose to be on the internet. Jennifer Breen’s article[vi] give us details that why sex swapping is so common on the internet. While we can not choose being male or female when we were born, and it is difficult for people to take gender reassignment surgery, sex change online is relatively easy. The article suggested that under online environment, male would like to become female to express their woman aspect opinion, which they would not do it in actual life. Females also like to become male to experience “the feeling of a guy” or to see how other women interact with man. There are also interesting examples about gender changing in online game, the male players may tend to become female characters to gain the help from other male players, and the female players would like to become male character to get higher levels by helping the female characters. The essential element of gender changing online is not just take a opposite sex name or choice opposite sex character, the most important thing is to make other people sitting in front of the computer believe that you are a woman/man. The way to do so is the pretend the way how woman or man behaves, how they talk to others, and how they present themselves. This may solidify the stereotype of gender, but we can understand the way how the opposite sex thinks, such gender relationships cause a significant change in the way that we think about gender.

To conclude, as human are more depends on technology, if cyborg are figures that integrating technology into human bodies, people living under digital age can be classified as cyborg no matter they are “hardly” or “softly” technology integrated.



Reference:

[i] Kelvin Warwick. “Cyborg 1.0”, Wired Magazine, 8.02 (February 2000)

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.02/warwick.html (accessed 2 March 2009)

[ii] Dan Sharpe, “Cyborg Philosophy: ethical issues concerning augmentation”, CYBORG D. (2007)

http://cyborgdb.org/sharpe.htm (accessed 2 March 2009)

[iii] “Cyborg Soldiers”, Tactical Gear. (2007)

http://www.tacticalwarfightergear.com/tacticalgear/catalog/Cyborg_Soldiers.php/ (accessed 2 March 2009)

[iv] Samuel Dokko, “Cyborg Body in Medicine”, CYBORG D. (2007)

http://www.cyborgdb.org/dokko.htm (accessed 2 March 2009)

[v] Amber Case, “Robots, Robots, Everywhere – A Field Guide to Cyborg Anthropology”(12 December 2008)

http://oakhazelnut.makerlab.com/2008/11/12/robots-robots-everywhere-a-field-guide-to-cyborg-anthropology/ (accessed 2 March 2009)

[vi] Jennifer Breen, “Cyber Gender”

http://www.cyborgdb.org/breen.htm (accessed 2 March 2009)

Presentation outline by Goofy

The title of my reading is "Pranking Rhetoric: "Culture Jamming" as Media Activism" by Christine Harold



-"culture jamming" as a strategy of rhetorical protest

-what is culture jamming

-the political art of culture jamming

-what is media prankster


-3 case studies

a. the culture jamming collective ark

b. the San Francisco- based Biotic Baking Brigade

c. the American Legacy Foundation's INFKT Truth campaign


-conclusion

Eunice's presentation outline





















- Why there is an anti consumerist organization?


example: Nike
used a billion-dollar advertising budget to force you to consume their products
but offer bad conditions to their employees


- About Adbusters

a not for profit organization
mainly for anti consumerism



- What is cultural jamming?
aim is to to create a large contrast between the corporate image and the real consequences of corporate behavior









- What are adbusters's campaigns?


Blackspot campaign
An Anti- megacorporation (mainly is Nike) campaign
The shoes is designed to resemble the Nike-owned Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
100%made from organic hemp and recycled car tires






- More about Adbusters

Monday, April 6, 2009

Presentation outline by Crystal Tsang

Tomorrow I will present the article "Consumption and Digital Commodities in the Everyday" written by Mark Poster.

Introduction
1. situation of advertising in USA
2. main theme "relationship between media and consumption"

Consumption Culture
1. modernity
theorists: Firat and Dholakia
2. postmodernity
theorist: Michel de Certeau

Digital media and consumption
1. identity of consumer changed
2. problem of copyrights

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tutorial Presentation by Eva Ng

The reading I am going to present is "The Ethics of Porn on the Net" written by Kath Albury analyzes the domestication of pornography , morality and ethics on the net.

Here is the outline of my presentation.

1. Four reasons of pornography for being immoral.

2. blurring of the categories of different posts in the internet pornography

3. Pornography is immoral

4. what's ethical about pornography?

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Outline - The Good, the bad, and the Virtual: Ethics in the Age of Information

This article mainly discusses the ethics issue of using the Internet. Since the internet is a new environment, it is a part of virtual world. So, it is not all principle or moral standard can be applied on it.

In the presenatation, I would state that
1. What is good and bad?
2. What is "the age of information"? Why do writer say it is the fate of ethics?
3. Is real world and virtual can share same moral norm?
4. How new media change the ethical enviroment? and how to solve?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Critical Annotated Webliography

3. Frankenstein continues to occupy the popular imagination as a monstrous scientist. Analyse some of the ways in which Frankenstein haunts discussions of recent technologies.

In this short article, I am trying to show Frankenstein haunts discussions of recent technologies specifically human cloning. I have chosen six online research articles which are all critically annotated and relevant to the existence of Frankenstein in the recent technologies.

According to the article of “Ethics, Human Cloning, and Procreation” written by David Chan[1], human cloning has its own benefits and harms to the human. Human cloning is beneficial because it “widen the range of reproductive choices for the infertile couples and to eradicate certain diseases”. (Chan, p.3) However, some people worry human cloning will create human monsters like Frankenstein. The writer also states that human cloning are “threats to social institutions such as family and marriage, and to the value and sanctity of life.” (Chan, p.3) The clone may have psychological harm and the life of a person is not respected and valued. Moreover, human cloning brings about more benefits than the harms to the human. Since the benefits are immediate that it is new cure and helps for infertile couples. Nevertheless, disastrous consequences are predicted only and have not existed yet because it can be avoided and minimized. They are also often exaggerated. Some people doubt about whether we have the right in gene selection and both parents value a genetic link to the child. The writer points out that human cloning is twinning but not natural reproduction by giving in-vetro fertilization and test-tube babies as examples. This article is useful to illustrate the fear of the people to human cloning which may produce a human monster like Frankenstein did in the past. It also indicates the ethical problems of human cloning and some possible alternatives instead of human cloning.

With reference to the article of “FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND? Monsters Myths and Metaphors in the Debate over Reproductive Technologies” written by Theo Vurdubakis and Brian Bloomfield[2], the writers discuss the New Productive Technology which arouse the concern of the people. People reflect on the role of technology in human affairs after the successful clone of Dolly. The writers also demonstrate that New Reproductive Technology leads to “interpretive struggle and moral controversy”. (Vurdubakis & Bloomfield, p.2) It is a continuous bio-technological revolution. As Vurdubakis and Bloomfield go on to explain, “Concepts such as ‘danger babies’ or ‘genetic engineering’, can be considered ‘monstrous’ insofar they being simultaneously to distinct and even incompatible realms of experience and systems of meaning”. (Vurdubakis & Bloomfield, p.5) New Reproductive Technology goes around a number of monstrosities such as pigs with human hearts which is physical metaphors for border displacement. Some opponents worry that it is a moral breakdown with the use of this technology. The Dolly creation shows that science fiction is true like the story of Frankenstein. Technology turns to be an autonomous force which brings about dilemma between the stance of society and the interest of individuals. The writers believe that, “moral and intellectual failure often accompanies techno-scientific success”. (Vurdubakis & Bloomfield, p.18) In this article, it reveals that Frankenstein still haunts in the discussion of New Reproductive Technology which implies that the story in the science fiction becomes true because of the technology advance. Nevertheless, people are afraid of the possibilities that some may misuse the New Reproductive Technology which creates monsters.

According to the article of “Human cloning and human dignity” written by Dieter Birnabacher[3], the writer first of all questions whose dignity is important in human reproductive cloning. He defines that “in its marginal meaning human dignity means a kind of moral status”. (Birnbacher, p.2) We cannot physically obtain it but we should have it in the society. Furthermore, the writer believes that, “The cloned child is the object of the parents’ wishes”. (Birnbacher, p.3) Because it is existed for some purposes such as saving the life of their children so their parents may particularly select a specific gene in the cloned child. The writer claims that, people have “the wish to prevent the irritation caused by the potential birth of a modern analogue of Frankenstein’s monsters”. ((Birnbacher, p.5) People believe that human cloning does not produce monster even though it highly manipulate. Scientist can distinguish the consequence of creating a monster. Since human cloning is seen as something monstrous, it seems to be objected to origin. The writer not only supports the legal ban of human cloning in the short term, but also in the long term. In this article, it indicates that human cloning bears the risk that it will create a monster although some may believe that the scientist can control themselves critically. This technology harms the human dignity to different aspects including the cloned child and the one who is being cloned.

According to the article of “The Dolly case, the Polly drug, and the mortality of human being”, written by Fermin Roland Schramm[4], he states the bio-techno scientific relevance of the Dolly fact. In the words of Schramm, “SCNT allows to expand procreative techniques in mammals and improve human reproductive health, without going through the standard fertilization procedures”. (Schramm, p.3) It helps the infertile couple to reproduce when they cannot reproduce by using traditional reproduction method. The writer claims that, “it appears unlikely that ‘cloning’ in humans will become commonplace. It is more likely that humans will continue to reproduce using the traditional method, which appears to be much more pleasurable”. (Schramm, p.5) Human cloning is an exception method for the people to reproduce unless the other reproductive methods fail. Time magazine compared Dolly case to Frankenstein. It also implies dictators will make use of the technology of human cloning to produce their clones. Moreover, the United States, England, France have different ideas on the Dolly case and mostly oppose human cloning. Two camps of polarization were formed in France after the Dolly case was exposed. In addition, there are two methods to distinguish whether human cloning is good or bad, that is good or bad in itself and good or bad to its consequences. In this article, it discusses about the recent technology, cloning of Dolly, and derives it to the safety and public perceptions on it. It points out that abuse of human cloning will result from the Frankenstein case.

According to the article of “On Replicating Persons: Ethics and the Technology of Cloning”, written by Frederick Ferre[5], he indicates the ethical problems and concerns in the technology of human cloning. “Clones are being maintained as mere organ farms, manufactured and raised for their spare parts by persons anticipating the need for transplanted hearts or kidneys, livers or lungs”. (Ferre, p.3) This arouses the ethical concern on the human cloning which sounds like a science fiction like Frankenstein. It is impossible in the past but now the technology proves that it becomes possible. Moreover, cloning is not quite new since plants can do so. The writer further indicates the human rights and ethical questions. Scientists have to go through many failures until success while reproducing human cloning. He questions how to deal with the visible human embryo during the cloning process. In this article, human cloning is relevant to the ethical problems of Frankenstein. Visible human embryo is controversial like the monster in Frankenstein.

To sum up, this webliography concentrates on the five articles about reproduction of human cloning which arouses many ethical problems and public concerns on the purpose of applications and the consequences on misusing and abusing.

[1] Chan, David, “Ethics, Human Cloning, and Procreation” <http://www.valueinquiry.net/CloningChan.pdf>, Retrieved on March 8, 2009

[2] Vurdubakis. Bloomfield. , Theo. Brian. , “FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND? Monsters Myths and Metaphors in the Debate over Reproductive Technologies” <http://wickedness.net/Monsters/M2/vurdubakis%20paper.pdf>, Retrieved on March 8, 2009

[3] Birnbacher, Dieter, “Human cloning and dignity” <http://www.gencat.cat/salut/depsalut/pdf/di4.pdf> Nov 5 2004, Retrieved on March 8, 2009

[4] Schramm, Fermin, “The Dolly case, the Polly drug, and the mortality of human cloning” <http://www.scielosp.org/pdf/csp/v15s1/0337.pdf>, Retrieved on March 8, 2009

[5] Ferre, Frederick, “On Replicating Persons: Ethics and the Technology of Cloning” <http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/SPT/v3n2/pdf/FERRE.PDF>, Retrieved on March 8, 2009

Introduction

Hello , everyone. My name is Ng Yuk Wah, Eva. Similar to some of you, I studied Associate of Arts(Media and Cultural Studies) in SPACE and chose to study this course in order to get a degree for better career prospect.

I have 1 sister and 1 brother in my family and I 'm the second. I live in Tseung Kwan O so I always take MTR.

I love hunting for food in my leisure time. Let me share some of it to you guys.






Tonkichi in Causeway Bay

Lobby Lounge in Prince Hotel

AL CID
Other than that, I love playing badminton, reading, sport climbing, watching TV and surfing in the internet. I played the game of "Bubble Town" in facebook before and recently I 'm playing the game, "Pet Society" in facebook.
It's time to stop now. Hope you enjoy your school life in CIDP or Perth. Welcome to chat with me, I'm glad to know more about you in these two years.
Cheers,
Eva ^_^

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Self-feedback of the oral presentation - Sophie

I have almost forgotten to post a comment here. To those who've reminded me, thank you.

After my reflective thinking, I realised that I could have done better in my many ways. I admit that I failed to provide examples illustrated by Alison Adam. Though 3 minutes aren't enough, what I should do is to make a long story short to allow audience understand better.

Surely the overall improvement will be there if I prepare better next time. I hope I can be in a better shape so that I can really throw my voice and stretch myself further.

Presentation outline for Chris Mung Pak Yu

My reading is " Ruminations on Cyber-Race" by Jerry Kang.
I will present the general ideaof the readings base on the theory of Race, the role of cyberspace with people and the abolition and integration.

Moreover, i will talk about the transmutation, which means the cyber passing method.

Looking forward to the presentation

Outline of Presentation by JASON

Hong Kong Cyber culture: A Case Study by Amy Lai

Using an English Language community website as an example --- ICERED

ICERED
- Launched in Hong Kong in March 2000
- Target users is the working professional in the city
- Example to examine HK cyber culture
- Discussion in the broader context of cyber democracy
-
II. “Your English Sucks”
Class discriminations in the Internet (ICERED)
- 1. University Banding
- 2. College Teaching
- 3. Banking
- 4. Level of English
à Discriminate those who are the lower class, on the other hand, promote the higher class and celebrate them.

III. The Unbearable “White-ness” of ICERED
Battle of different races
- Most of people called Internet a “Radicalized” place
à Criticized the color-blindness
à Dominated by whites

IV. “Men are after sex, women after money”
Hong Kong Man
- Sex-oriented
- Car
- How much they earn
Hong Kong Woman
- Unintelligent
- Bad-looking
- Money-mined
- Lowest IQ in Asia

à No limitation as to how people might describe themselves in cyber space.


V. Homophobia and Queerness
Homosexual discussion in ICERED is accept
- Western people’s mind
- Respect homophobia
However, discussion homophobia in Hong Kong is prohibited
- Not open-minded
- Believed natural value
- Respect Family
- Example for children
à ICERED as a discussion panel online is allowed different voice in the cyber world. à Internet fails to become the equivalent of a public sphere.


VI. “Who wanna be superstars?”
“Party Animal of Hong Kong” of Lynne Lee on ICERED
- Rude and obscene comments
- Appearance can replace the real in virtual space
à Chat Room Culture
- Chat room identities which are continuously invented and forever changeable

Monday, March 9, 2009

outlines of my presentation - KC Luk

the readings topic i was assigned is Menu-Driven Identities: Making Race Happen Online by Lisa Nakamura in her work Cybertypes.

the reading discussed some issues about the 'appearing' of the race of the users of the internet.

it demonstrated with different valid examples such as website, and gave some detailed description of how people's race will be shown in the web.

moreover, it explored the purpose of some forwarding e-mails.

in addition, it have mentioned some issues about those ethnic websites

more details will be given out in my presentation.