[Thesis] A Critical Theory of Web Culture in 4chan’s /b/ Mediascape
This post contains the abstract and download link to a thesis project which examines the infamous online forum 4chan and its most notorious image board, known as /b/.
Occupy Realism: Or How I Learned to Stop Protesting and Love Protocol.
As you may have realised, the title of this blog post is a parody of Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film Dr Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb. If you’ve seen the film, you know...
Online Fan Communities and Research Ethics: An Interview with Dr. Natasha Whiteman
Where there are communities there will, almost inevitably, be researchers observing and studying them. Just as the Internet provides a refuge for fan communities to dwell, so to does it provide a site for academics to research. Dr Natasha...
App Review: Avoidr & Anti-Social Networking.
Avoidr is a plugin powered by Foursquare which allows users to see check-ins of those they want to avoid. It seems perfect for dodging that awkward moment when you bump into an ex, evading conversations with that annoying or...
“Ask Me, Ask Me, Ask Me” – Formspring: Asking, Answering and Telling the Truth.
Social networking sites allow a user to have all the combined knowledge of their social groups at their fingertips. It is no wonder that the Facebook status tool, for example, has been re-appropriated for question asking purposes. Even outside...
Book Review: ‘Voice: Vocal Aesthetics in Digital Arts and Media’ by Norie Neumark, Ross Gibson and Theo van Leeuwen (Editors)
I am sitting in a room, different from the one you are in now. I am trying to find my voice. (Maybe I should just steal it). “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.” (Polonius’ advice Laertes...
4chan, Ethics and Digital Methodology
How much are you willing to disclose online? Do you post your phone number? Do you have embarrassing pictures on Facebook? Do you Tweet your current location? I think it’s fair to say most people have boundaries when it...