Constructing Identity Online: ChatRoulette

Looking for a Random Stranger

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/weekinreview/21bilton.html?scp=1&sq=Chatroulette&st=cse

ChatRoulette:

ChatRoulette is a social website that connects random strangers to through webcams.

Creator: Russian Andrew Ternovskiy, 17 years old

Launched November 2009

Creating Your Identity on ChatRoulette:

·      Requires a camera and microphone

·      No Log-in necessary

·      No registration

·      Users are encouraged to be at least 16 years old but the age limit is not enforced

·      Prohibits pornographic material

·      Ability to ‘disconnect’ from conversation

·      Screenshots, black screens, empty rooms—still creating identity?

·      If using webcam and showing one’s true self, they aren’t able to hide behind a written description. As David Huffaker and Sandra Calvert argue, "While physical constraints such as the body, biological sex, race, or age can have a profound effect on self-definition and self-presentation (Collins & Kuczaj, 1991), many of these attributes become flexible in online environments. In a virtual world, one even gets to construct one's body. The anonymity afforded to youth within virtual worlds allows adolescents more flexibility in exploring their identity through their language, their role play, and the personae they assume" ( David A. Huffaker and Sandra L. Calvert http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue2/huffaker.html) this does not apply in ChatRoulette as the camera adds a new dimension to creating one’s identity. Users are able to choose what clothes to wear, where to chat, background music, etc. The live aspect both limits and enhances the users’ identity.

·       

Frequent ChatRoulette Identities

·      Strangers just sitting at home surfing the web

·   College students (usually groups of kids)

·   Weird/Creative people

·   Sketchy/Creepy older men

http://nymag.com/news/media/63663/

“Real” Celebrities on ChatRoulette

·      Ben Folds- Musician played an improv ChatRoulette during a concert in Charlotte, N.C. 

<o

·      Paris Hilton

·      Chris Brown

·      Ashton Kutcher

**Users have claimed to have interacted with these celebrities while on ChatRoulette, but none of them are certain. Creates an ethical issue of stealing/’borrowing’ one’s identity

Reactions to ChatRoulette

•“chat with the most socially depraved people you will ever interact with” (http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/the-24-best-chat-roulette-screenshots-nsfw)

•“I hadn’t felt this socially trampled since I was an overweight 12-year-old struggling to get through recess without having my shoes mocked. It was total e-visceration. If this was the future of the Internet, then the future of the Internet obviously didn’t include me.” -Sam Anderson(http://nymag.com/news/media/63663/)




Sources:


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/weekinreview/21bilton.html?scp=1&sq=Chatroulette&st=cse
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/chatroulettes-founder-17-introduces-himself/?scp=2&sq=ChatRoulette&st=cse
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/new-site-unmasks-chatroulette-players/?scp=4&sq=ChatRoulette&st=cse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatroulette

Computer Games: But are they Art?

http://www.e-kidstoys.co.uk/video_games.jpg

How does Adams define art? Do you agree with his definition?

In defining art, Adams first refers to Encyclopedia Britannica’s definition of art, as it claims there are many different types of art. Continuing with this definition, Adams breaks art into different types including:

            -Literary Arts: writing and drama- categorized by presence of the narrative (includes film and television) and object/method

            - Fine Arts: sculpture, painting, music and dance

            - Decorative Arts: wallpaper, fabrics and furnishings

            - Architecture/Industrial Design

In his definition, Adams clarifies that “the boundaries between art and non-art are not hard and fast; there is a gray area” (Adams, 255).

Adams continues to explain that art must:

-       Contain content

-       Have an aesthetic

-       Have ideas

-       Make you feel things

-       Not formulaic

Although I am not really experienced in art, I have to agree with Adam’s definition of the word. Nowadays people have different experiences and beliefs and are all so unique that art to one person may be trash to another. Having one concrete definition of art would be very limiting, as it would restrict new or even old things/pieces to be considered as art. In addition, this wide/vague definition of art allows different people and cultures to have different opinions of art. If the world was going to define art according to one culture, the art of art would be lost. Adam’s definition of art gives artists/regular people the opportunity to create any type of art. Since art gives artists and regular people the freedom to express oneself, an open definition of art allows for the freedom of expression through art.

  = 

http://static.commentcamarche.net/en.kioskea.net/faq/images/2574-mario-top-10-games-s-.png

http://www.artnewsblog.com/famous-paintings/mona-lisa/mona-lisa-painting.jpg

According to Adams, what is needed for videogames to be considered as art?

According to Adams, a videogame must fulfill 7 criteria points.

1.     The videogame must look beyond ‘fun and games.’

a.     Adams uses adults and theme parks to explain this point; he argues that adults don’t usually spend time at theme parks and aren’t really entertained by the usual emotions of ‘funny’ or horror’ so for a videogame to be considered an art, the videogame must go further than just creating entertainment or a good laugh.

2.     The videogame needs an aesthetic.

a.     Adams explains that for a videogame to be considered an art, it must be ‘harmonious,’ or become like a second-nature. Adams asks the questions: “Is it smooth, easy and natural?” of videogames in considering them as an art.

3.     The videogame developers must experiment.

a.     Adams argues that creators cannot just stick with things they know- they must try new mediums, challenge themselves as well as the player/viewer. By doing this, developers have the opportunity to change the way we look at videogames.

4.     The videogame must challenge the player.

a.     Adams states “Great art challenges the viewer. It demands the viewer to grow, expand his or her mind, see things they have never seen before, think things they have not thought before”(261). For videogames to be considered an art, they must also challenge the viewer to grow and develop in unexpected ways.

5.     The videogame awards’ must change.

a.     Adams argues that the current awards for videogames are about craft and not art and that they should be switched; “Game awards must honor aesthetic content, not merely technological prowess” (262).

6.     The videogame must have critics, not just reviewers.

a.     Adams argues that currently, videogames have no critics, and to be considered an art, videogames must have critics. “Real critics bring to their profession not just a knowledge of the medium they are discussing, but wide reading and an understanding of aesthetics and the human condition. An art form requires not just reviewers that can compare with one work with another, but critics who can discuss the meaning of a game in a larger context” (262).

7.     The videogame requires and artist.

a.     Adam claims that the artists’ name must be ‘household names’ and known around the world; “For games to be taken seriously as an art form, the people who make them must receive adequate public recognition” (264).

Source: "Will Computer Games Ever Be a Legitimate Art Form?" Ernest W. Adams. pg. 255-264.

The Ethics of Digital Games

 Source: http://myvideo-zoolander.blogspot.com/2009/04/gamer-revolution.html

According to the film, Gamer Revolution, what are the pros and cons of playing videogames for individuals and societies?

As seen in the film, there are many different pros and cons of playing videogames. For individuals, videogames gives them something more than a book. Numerous people stated in the film that videogames provide players with the role of an "active participant" while providing color and motion while a book is simply black and white where the reader is an recipient. In addition, videogames provide a medium of expression for both individuals and societies. 

Using the Korean gamers as an example, digital games also create a sort of community for society and individuals.  Digital games provide a mean for people to connect through a common interest. It also boosts the economy/certain supporters.through branding.


In one game in America, America's Army, this game supports the army society and encourages people to join the army or provides them with insight into what soldiers in the army do. The game is changing attitudes about the army, ultimately increasing enrollment rates.

According to the film, Gamer Revolution, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and antisocial actions in the real world? Do you agree?

The film did not provide any concrete information that digital games could encourage aggressive values or antisocial actions in the real world. There was one researcher, Weber who found that there was a connection between aggressive action and aggressive brain activity but not behavior. 

The film also talked about a lawyer who claimed there was a connection between the actions and behavior but the film didn't really go into it.

Should governments have the right to ban certain games? Why or why not?

It depends... In America for instance, no. Because the army/government have created and encourage the usage of America's Army, the government should not have the right to ban certain games because they are promoting the usage of their own violent game. Other countries though, countries with government that don't promote violent videogames have the right to ban certain games because they are not promoting violent games themselves.

Case Study:

During our class discussion, I had the opportunity to talk with "Student A."  Student A enjoys playing the SIMS because he/she enjoys being able to create almost anything and have control over the characters' actions and lives. He/she found that some of the characters' actions that he/she weren't able to control were sometimes questionable.

Mouchette

So this website, Mouchette, is rather odd. It's 'out there' in terms of websites. I'm not really sure what the purpose is, but the visual and audio make me question the purpose and intention of the creator. In my opinion, I don't think there is a purpose of this website. Although the website says a 13-year old girl created this website, I don't believe it (Later to find out, her artwork is in an art gallery in Japan--> not a real identity. So that leads me to ask why does she want our own identity if she's using a fake one?). 

The flash media throughout the website requires a wealth of knowledge and then there are frequent sexual references throughout the website. I just don't see a 13 year old creating this. In our class discussion her age came up- is 'she' just a character/online identity? Probably.

The colors and images that Mouchette uses is rather old-looking. It reminds me of my first computer, a Windows 90 (?). It's very interactive and uses flash but doesn't seem to match my understanding of modern internet usage. 

It's also interesting because she frequently asks for your information- your email, your name, etc. Why does this anonymous person need this information? She also discusses 'sensitive' topics like suicide and asks the viewer what the best way to kill yourself if you're under 13.

Some pages, like Blind Shells, reminds me of jodi, which we discussed last week. It's rather random and the viewer is able to choose what and how they view something, It's interesting how both Mouchette and Jodi give the viewer control on what they see on a specific website. It's making the viewer and active viewer rather than a passive viewer.

This website is controversial because it looks at rather tough subjects in a light way. The creator doesn't seem to care about suicide, sex, or death and how people emotionally react to them. The creator looks at these with an odd-outlook and doesn't seem to take these matters seriously, which I think hurts the overall website. 

My Online Identities

I have about five or six online identities- Facebook, Twitter, my Hong Kong Blog, this blog, another personal blog, and my 'lurker' identity. As I was discussing with my classmates, my Facebook page is the closest identity to my real-person identity. I'm not sure why, but I am able to share/more willing to share more things on Facebook than on other sites).

My Twitter account is rather a mix of my different accounts- I tweet about some daily occurrences about my time in Hong Kong, sometimes I update about crew (when I'm at HWS) and sometimes I tweet about other random things.  

My Hong Kong blog is catered to talk about my experiences during my semester abroad in Hong Kong- I try and focus on the details and descriptions of my experiences so those at home are able to understand my daily happenings.  

As I am sure you can already tell, this class blog focuses on things that relate to class. You won't find things about my personal life but you will find my opinions about digital media here. The writings here are mainly academic and for academic purposes even though they do incorporate social media.

My other personal blog is basically for my own purposes, rants and raves. Nobody knows about it or reads it, but it is out there on the Internet. It has a focus but I rarely update it- usually once every month. If it's found, it's found, but I haven't really given the link out like I have with my Hong Kong blog.

My final online identity is what I call a 'lurker.' As a lurker I read blogs but never comment or participate in them. There are about 6-8 blogs that I read daily and have for over a year, but I have never commented on them. I like to sit back and read about their lives and continue with my own. Since I don't have a blog that they can comment back on I feel like if I were to comment, it'd be a one-way conversation (even though it isn't, but that's another story) so I am not inclined to comment. Maybe if I ever release my other personal blog or create another blog then I might leave my 'lurker' status behind, but only time will tell.

Constructing Identity Online

Key Quotes (at least 5):

"After the arduous task of constructing your aesthetically pleasing and accurate chuck of the ‘net, you have to be diligent enough to keep it updated frequently.  Old information that is no longer of interest to your target group can drastically impact how you and your online identity are received by the public: you will look like a lazy vagabond if you simply dump a truck load of pertinent personal information on your site, but never update it for months at a time.  Band profiles are perfect examples of why this is important.  If someone visits a band profile and samples some of their tunes, they will most likely come back every once and a while to see if something new has been uploaded.  Obviously, if fresh, new content, isn’t always being provided, the listener will most likely lose interest and start frequenting a different band’s profile (one who is on top of things and releases new tracks once a month)." (Ryan Passey, http://www.pcmech.com/article/construct-your-online-identity-carefully/)

"While physical constraints such as the body, biological sex, race, or age can have a profound effect on self-definition and self-presentation (Collins & Kuczaj, 1991), many of these attributes become flexible in online environments. In a virtual world, one even gets to construct one's body. The anonymity afforded to youth within virtual worlds allows adolescents more flexibility in exploring their identity through their language, their role play, and the personae they assume" ( David A. Huffaker and Sandra L. Calvert http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue2/huffaker.html) 

"Sometimes referred to as netspeak, the language of the Internet entails both traditional linguistic forms and adapted ones that include slang and non-standard forms that are sometimes used in offline life. Netspeak is an emergent discourse that is shaped entirely by the creativity of its community (Crystal, 2001). The introduction of acronyms (e.g., "lol = laugh out loud," "brb = be right back"), plays or variations on words (e.g., "cya = see you", "latah = later"), graphical icons that represent emotions, called emoticons (e.g., :) or ;-{} ) or graphical icons that represent a real person in a virtual context, called avatars, are all examples of language produced by online communicators. This language continues to evolve and remains an important area of study when considering the ways in which Internet users interact and express who they are" ( David A. Huffaker and Sandra L. Calvert http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue2/huffaker.html) 

"In everyday terms the argument is that children are largely defined by the significant adults in their life, but in adolescence they have to make a series of self-defining choices to allow them to function as autonomous adults."Working with Adolescents: Constructing Identity. Contributors: John Head - author. Publisher: Falmer Press. Place of Publication: London. Publication Year: 1997. Page Number: 7.http://www.questia.com/read/103388342?title=Chapter%202%3a%20Acquiring%20a%20Sense%20of%20Identity). 

Key Links:

Constructing Identity and Community Online: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=727231961&Fmt=7&clientId=25836&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Online Social Networking on Campus: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/01/08/network

Key Books and Articles:  

Online Communication: Linking Technology, Identity and Culture by Andrw Wood

Online Social Networking on Campus: Understanding what Matters in Student Culture by Ana M. Martinez Aleman and Katherine Lynk Wartman

 

Youth, Identity and Digital Media edited by David Buckingham

Case Study

Who is the artist/maker of the artwork/website/game?

What is its name?

When was it produced/released?

Describe it in detail

What is interesting/unusual/thought-rpovoking/aesthetically pleasing/puzzling about this artwork/website/game?

What are key issues or questions does this artwork/website/game raise?

Creative Culture

Do you remember the days when you had to do a presentation for school or work relying on just Powerpoint? And how boring they were? Youtube didn’t exist so you couldn’t rely on an outside video to further emphasize your point or entertain your audience. Since it’s establishment, Youtube and other video-sharing sites have enhanced creative culture. Video-sharing sites have added a new level to creative culture. They’ve changed the way we look at videos and video making and give everybody the chance to be a filmmaker; they are allowing everyday humans to create videos on topics they are interested in and share them with the rest of the world.

As Marek argues in “Creativity meets Circulation: Internet, amateurs and the process of evolution,” there are different types of users with different aims, professionals and amateurs; “The professional user can be an institution or an individual. The crucial distinction is that a professional user acts strategically. This means that a professional user publishes a video in order to achieve a certain goal - mostly a commercial one” (Marek 2). Despite the different aims, both professionals and amateurs aim to show their video to the world; they want to share their creative culture. Youtube and other video-sharing sites have also created a new platform for video makers, Marek argues; “a small but nonetheless very important group of users that is somehow located between the group of professionals and the group of amateurs, the so called Internet-celebrities, i.e. individuals that have gained a great reputation within the Internet community” (Marek 3). These Internet celebrities use their creativity to enhance the creative culture of the world. Internet celebrities like Chris Crocker (‘Leave Britney Alone’) and the creator of the Potter Puppet Pals series take a pop culture phenomenon and use their own creativity to shed the subject in a different light. Without Youtube or other video-sharing sites, we would not have seen these different viewpoints.

Video sharing sites like Youtube enhance creative culture. They offer a free platform for human beings to visually and audibly voice their point of view. Without these sites we would still be restricted to words, and although words are powerful, sometimes watching a video can get a point across a larger audience better- actions speak louder than words.