Week 8 – review

This week has been mainly reading and digesting the other ethnographies; commenting on them; and responding to comments on my own study.

I found the variety of submissions very refreshing, and picked up hints and tips around the benefits of transliteracy. I was particularly struck by the methods which Gina and Anabel used in documenting the facts and happenings in a separate unit within their ethnography. I thought that this was an effective method of encouraging the audience to draw their own conclusions before (or even during or post) receiving the analysis of the author. I would like to try this method in the future. Phil’s rural piece stirred up socio-material thoughts wherein the agency of the broadband infrastructure forced a company to move away from their preferred geographical location and offline community. This ties quite nicely into week nine’s posthumanism’s theme and it connected also with an interest I have in the city as a metaphor, and what that leaves behind. Nikki’s ethnography encouraged me to think about inclusivity and exclusivity and about whether we have to prove our credentials more, or differently, within an online group. Candace’s piece really got me thinking about how communities and networks bleed into each other, and how tricky a negotiation that can be. Finally, Chantelle’s piece was clearly very personal and felt incredibly valid because of that. I was drawn in to the story, and in a way, wanted to get to know Auntie Em and understand her influence on her community.

I’ve received some great comments from the others on my fiatforum piece of work which have set me thinking about the changing meanings of notions; technological diversions; more on online/offline boundaries and how relationships are formed and enacted where there is a cross over. And connected to that note, I have also been thinking more about ‘places’. I had actually wanted to touch on this in my ethnography (ran out of time) especially transversing between ‘places’, so this is something that I will continue to think about.

Just as a final note, I am hugely looking forward to the next block!