At least with a reporter – there are what seem to be guidelines established through years of practice (by reporters and related administrators) and rule-making around news-making and reporting. When a reporter meets us f2f for a story or is going to be amidst us in a public venue we are aware that we will likely be “reported” on.

But what of the daily blogger – what are the warning signs for someone who is going to be written about in a blog? What are power dynamics at play – when a high ranking academic blogs vs when a graduate student blogs – what social capital permits the blogging of certain events (bloggers are hardly ever about stating multiple perspectives – they state their own and those of their friends – just as I do – not that reporters are objective necessarily either but there are other checks and balances…)

I have so many recent events happening around me and that I have been a part of that I want to report on and comment on on my blog – but hesitate because I feel that my view on some of these events will not be taken too kindly …

This is not an issue of marginalization and empowerment – it is an issue of judgement and viewership.

Specific situated audience communities interacting with Writers produce “texts” – but where the blog goes – we cant always map the route.

but I may blog the reports eventually anyway.

Had a very productive conversation with N about the Machinima she and her group produced – will have something to write about that with quotes from her after a few more meetings and conversations with her.

stay tuned!

There is a very interesting discussion going on on the AIR-L list that I am trying not to get drawn into replying to posts on. Too much stuff to do here with Grad step week and all (and last week the Digital Mirror and New Faculty presentation as well as prep for Grad step week took up most of my time).

This post is mostly a public note to myself (yes Public – if it is on a blog it is public and however stupid my public comment may have been or is – yes it can be traced back to my “real” self – even if I use a psuedonym – it can… how many times do we rehearse these arguments on lists anyway?)

Performativity and everyday negotiation of online existence as a not so “new” thing is a point (among others) that gets missed in some discussions of “privacy” and the internet as “public space” arguments – but more later. Just as digital literacy and digital divide discourses are still stuck in early generations of Internet user paradigms even as they use buzz words such as “web 2.0″

Nuances are so easily disappeared in the focus on static in looking at online existence/texts as if (implicitly) they were either just speech on the one hand or written text (as defined by print paradigms) on the other while viewing online engagement as unproblematically “disembodied”…

more later

cyberdiva.org » Use of Secondlife in WS780/COMS780 Feminist Research Methods (summer 2007

Nirma Designs is selling rad Zabibha’s creations.

My team has set up the stream at

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Brouwer/88/173/43

Since none of us can be online at 9 am today – we wont be able to troubleshoot or to check if it is streaming.

Only play the video – do not play the music (or it will be totally confusing).

The screen looks like a huge sheet of fabric (of course) – you’ll figure out where its play ing once you get in.

I am asking my team to lay out some cushions – but really you can sit anywhere you like if you can see the videos.

see image to get a sense…

to find out more about what it means to “quilt conceptually” according to rad Zabibha (born in 2006) and Cyb Tabla (born in 2004)

go to http://slurl.com/secondlife/Brouwer/172/149/42

work in-progress – always

considering also linking to Diva’s earlier moo projects – at least those that are still accessible

SLumming » community, discussion and building for dialogue on SL

Sample image of an RL Maidaan

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/India/photo701549.htm

August 2nd, 3.30 pm SLT – attended by about 20 SL avatars…