KYHOI Summary and Referenes

             It’s funny how sometimes our gut instincts ring true in the end, regardless of wherever the path may lead. In a not-too-distant time near the beginning of the semester, a question was thrust upon me with little prior warning. I was asked to write on a note card a tentative topic for my final project (on the first day of class no less!), and with little more than a passing thought I hurriedly scribbled a crude “4CHAN” onto the card. And that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. At this point, all that I knew was that my opportunity had finally come to build a project around everyone’s favorite online image board. Over the following weeks my idea came to barely resemble its original form, and I cycled through a study of Japanese culture and a brief stint with video games before finally arriving back at my original idea.

              But what was the idea, exactly? I struggled for awhile to uncover a concrete purpose and move beyond merely “a project about 4chan.” I began to analyze why I preferred frequenting 4chan over social networking sites like Facebook, and realized that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. What I thirsted for was anonymity; the polar opposite of the persistent identity encouraged by social networking sites. I had become bored of the never ending pursuit of an attractive social persona attributed with these sites, and felt restrained as to what I could post without upsetting the image I had worked to achieve. And suddenly I had my KYHOI, which in its most basic essence is that anonymity does not merely provide us with a way to mask our identity; it frees us to reach beyond the restraints imposed by a persistent identity.

             This entails several things. Firstly, we are more likely to post unflattering or jeopardizing information under the guise of anonymity. When our identity becomes a factor, an entire realm of discourse is being suppressed. Previous social ties are of little consequence via anonymity, and each participant in the conversation stands on relatively equal footing. In a nutshell, anonymity allows us to fail and recover gracefully. Rather than obscuring who we are to the world, our anonymous personas are actually indicative of our “true selves” and allow us to move closer towards the concept of complete authenticity. This has been shown to increase originality by a noticeable degree. The temporary disposal of our ego, or our desire to maintain and elevate our social status, is a necessary component of anonymity.

             This all sounds great until you realize that anonymity in its current form is a dying animal. Sites like 4chan have been a bastion of hope in the past, but have recently been on the decline due to a lack of revenue and support. If nothing is done, these sites are at risk of either disappearing or folding to business interests, and taking some of the most prominent venues for anonymity along with them. In order to preserve anonymity it must be allowed to coexist peacefully with persistent identity, a goal which is being worked towards with websites like moot’s most recent venture, Canv.as.

 My video attempts to communicate these ideas by using the idea of Facebook vs. 4chan as a parable that represents the current conflict between anonymity and persistent identity. I briefly describe the uses, limitations and structure of each site to give an idea of what role they play in society. Whether or not the video accomplishes its full purpose is up for debate, but I hope that at the very least I provided the viewer with enough of an overview of the anonymity/identity debate to spark further research of their own.

Sadly, the video was unable to realize its full potential. I experimented with narration via a voice synthesizer, but I couldn’t get it to mesh well with the project without scrapping the majority of my draft. Due to a mistake on my part, my draft in its original form in Vegas was overwritten by my new attempt. Given more time I may have been able to find a way to salvage the project and integrate narration along with the additional information that accompanied it. While I feel regretful, given how the situation currently stands my draft will have to suffice as my final project.

References

Poole, Christopher "moot" Speech. SXSW. Austin Convention Center, Austin. 13 Mar. 2011. Youtube. 13 

 Mar. 2011. Web. 1 May 2011. 

 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DurQRZhREe0>.

- Used as a supplement in the video to help communicate ideas and add credibility (note: although moot’s views coincide with my own in many respects, the ideas expressed in my video were not lifted from him but rather are from an amalgamation of sources, including my own thought processes)

Connolly, Terry, Leonard M. Jessup, and Joseph S. Valacich. "Effects of Anonymity and Evaluative Tone

on Idea Generation in Computer-Mediated Groups." Management Science 36.6 (1990). Jstor.

ITHAKA. Web. 1 May 2011. 

<http://www.jstor.org/pss/2631901>.

- In the idea-generation experiment presented in the article, the anonymous groups produced a greater number of original solutions than the identified groups. At the same time, the identified groups perceived a higher level of effectiveness when in fact the anonymous group had bested them.

Dwyer, Catherine, Starr Hiltz, and Katia Passerini. Trust and Privacy Concern Within Social Networking

Sites. Rep. Association of Information Systems, 2007. Google Scholar. Web. 1 May 2011.

<http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.148.9388&rep=rep1&type=pdf.>.

- Indicates that privacy of information and trust of both the website and those that use it are large factors in what does and does not get posted on social networking sites. Overall, individuals are less likely to share new information that may jeopardize them if they sense a lack of privacy and trust.

McGonigal, Jane. Reality Is Broken. Penguin HC, 2011. Print.

- While this source may not have had a direct impact on the content of my video, it served as an inspiration of sorts. McGonigal’s idea that we are our “best selves” while in the gaming realm struck a chord with me, and I thought that it could also apply to the concept of anonymity (although in this case it might be more of a “true self”, seeing as the results can be both good and bad.)

Hewitt, Anne, and Andrea Forte. Crossing Boundaries: Identity Management and Student/Faculty

Relations on the Facebook. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006. Web. 1 May 2011. 

<http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.94.8152&rep=rep1&type=pdf.>.

- Facebook preserves authority based relations, which limit the kinds of interaction that can occur between people in hierarchical relationships. Anonymity does away with this.

Brophy-Warren, Jamin. "Modest Web Site Is Behind a Bevy of Memes." Wall Street Journal (2008). Wall

Street Journal. Dow Jones, 9 July 2008. Web. 1 May 2011.

<http://www.sheep.ru/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/4chan-wsj.pdf>.

- A meme is “a unit of cultural information” that is passed on virally (coined by Richard Dawkins in “The Selfish Gene.” 4chan is a throwback to pre social networking sites. The embracing of this archaic style is a reaction to the pervasiveness of social networking. 4chan is at risk of being swallowed by business and transforming into something marketable.

Dibbell, Julian. "Radical Opacity." Technology Review Sept. 2010: 82-86. Google Scholar. Web. 1 May

2011.

<http://www.magazine.org/asme/magazine_awards/2011-nma-pdfs/18-profilewriting                                       /technologyreview.pdf>.

- Mainstream internet is moving away from anonymity. Once a defining feature of online interaction, it is now seen as something that needs to be fixed. Anonymity allows you to fail without fear of reprisal. Social networking sites like Facebook epitomize this shift, appealing to both users and marketers. Each method of interaction may not be mutually exclusive, as evidenced by moot’s recent venture, Canvas.

Herwig, Jana. "The Archive as the Repertoire." TS. Google Scholar. Web. 1 May 2011.

<http://homepage.univie.ac.at/jana.herwig/PDF/Herwig_Jana_4chan_Archive_Repertoire_2011

             .pdf>.

- 4chan requires collaborative participation and engagement with people as well as the information being exchanged. This process transcends simple classification. The exploits of Anonymous displays the manifestation of this process in the real world, with the formation of “anonymous collectives.”

Bernstein, Michael S., Andres Monroy-Hernandez, Drew Harry, Paul Andre, Katrina Panovich, and Greg

Vargas. 4chan and /b/: An Analysis of Anonymity and Ephemerality in a Large Online                  Community.Rep. 2011. Google Scholar. Web. 1 May 2011. 

                <http://projects.csail.mit.edu/chanthropology/4chan.pdf>.

- Anonymity fosters strong communal identities as opposed to attachment on an individual basis. It increases equity and sidesteps the “economy of attention”.

Pseudo-Sources: 4chan, Facebook, KnowYourMeme, EncyclopediaDramatica – I obviously couldn’t get away without crediting 4chan and Facebook. These two websites pretty much formed the foundation of my video and the ideas presented within it. By browsing the sites, I was able to become more familiar with their structure and purpose. KnowYourMeme and EncyclopediaDramatica also deserve a mention, as I have poured countless hours of “research” into these sites to become more acquainted with the content that comes out of 4chan.

Oh, and here's the video. Nothing has changed between this and my draft.

"Detailed" Script

- "Many wars have raged throughout history..." Montage of random war related scenes that I deem appropriate, epic musical score slowly building to a crescendo, fade to white then black
- "With technology comes a new breed of warfare..." Facebook vs. 4chan (I want to do something reminiscent of an arcade fighting game Vs. screen... challenger approaches, sparks flying, etc... we'll see what happens)
- Clips of Zuckerberg and moot talking about their views on the world, the opposing site, etc... interspersed with either text or me talking if I'm feeling bold
- Examples of content from both sites, how they have interacted and distinguished themselves, possibly with narration and fancy editing maneuvers
-Use Anonymous related stuff to depict the public's concept of anonymity from media, why public opinion is ridiculous and wrong in certain aspects
- KYHOI: anonymity doesn't merely mask us, it frees us... the reaction to persistent identity, encourages us to dispose of our ego... me donning or removing a Guy Fawkes mask (maybe)

Alot of this revolves around whether or not I decide to use webcam footage/sound to supplement the video or not... I'm not entirely sure yet. The effects and intricacies haven't been decided upon entirely, and some parts might prove to be beyond my ability. "Detailed" might not be the best way to describe this script at the moment, so I'll definitely be improving upon it in the coming weeks.

Prepare For Decapitation

So I've been trying pretty hard to nail down my KYHOI (aka Knock Your Head Off Idea) over the past few days, and have arrived at what I lovingly refer to as a SDYNI (read: Slightly Dislodge Your Neck Idea). My tendency to procrastinate into the wee hours of the morning coupled with a strenuous amount of schoolwork will most likely have an adverse effect on the degree that I explore said idea in this post, but I half-heartedly assure you that I will at the very least get my general point across.

When I wrapped up my last post, I came to the shocking realization that I didn't have very much in the vein of concrete ideas or research relating to my project of choice; this has not changed substantially. My quest to add links and widgets to my blog in order to fulfill my assignment gave me a false sense of progress. What I am not going to do in this post is scour my brain for various links and examples that make it seem as though I have not been wasting my time (although the prospect of MOAR WIDGETS still seems pretty enticing.) While there still remains the possibility that I stumbled across something amazing, the amount of potential filler clouding my head, including the majority of this paragraph, gives me serious doubts.

I'll admit that I felt pretty damn satisfied when I hit that big yellow upload button several weeks ago. While it wasn't perfect, I felt like I did a bang up job on my project trailer considering the intense time limitations I imposed on myself. It's only now that I realize that this video conveyed little to nothing about my project's intentions; it amounted to little more than a amateurish amalgamation of various 4chan memes with an Anonymous spiel tacked on at the beginning to give it a hint of meaning.

While lurking around on the blog pages of my fellow classmates, I began to notice a sort of interconnectedness to their posts that mine still seem to lack. I've been drifting by on a week by week basis, fulfilling the basic requirements for my assignment-of-the-day and unleashing a sigh of relief at having successfully postponed my failure for another week. If I will continue to follow this pattern is anyone's guess. A little voice in the back of my head is telling me, "Soon, everything will be illuminated." Whether this should be interpreted positively, negatively, or as straight up schizophrenia is yet to be determined. At the moment I'm pretty intimidated by the stuff coming out of my classmates, which admittedly I should expect being in a 500 level class and surrounded by upperclassmen. Sometimes I feel as though I've hit a brick wall in my cognitive development, with the Kool-Aid Man nowhere in sight.

Enough dilly-dallying. A KYHOI is now approaching your face at speeds of at least 100 miles per hour. In your final moments you come to the sudden realization that the thirst for anonymity is a reaction to the "required" maintenance of a persistent identity online and our culture's obsession with achieving celebrity status through any means possible. Anonymity allows us to communicate ideas, be they good or bad, in a way that is otherwise unobtainable due to fear of reprisal. It does not mask our ability to express our individuality; rather, it frees us. We are given the opportunity to be a different person every day if we so choose, eliminating the baggage of our own histories from the equation. The pursuit of the elusive celebrity status is replaced by a nobler goal: the progression of humanity as a whole (or flat-out trolling; I never claimed it was always a pretty picture.)

The realm of popular culture today is strongly influenced by the process of anonymous exchange. Memes, which were once a sort of secret code for "channers" and users of other online media, have penetrated into mainstream culture and been adopted by many who are still oblivious to their origins. The recent surge of Anonymous coverage has relegated anons to the bottom rung of the social ladder in the eyes of many.

 Complete authenticity is a difficult objective to achieve, but I believe it starts with the disposal of our ego - the desire to maintain and elevate our social status. Anonymity encourages us to do this, and as such is one of the last bastions of hope for humanity if we hope to obtain the divine state of Absolute Truthiness. That's my piece, anyway.

Pic somewhat related.

With another spring break under my belt that amounted to little more than a tragic joke, I am now diving headlong into what remains of my first year as a college man. "Vacation" and "productivity" are two words that rarely coincide for me; AKA, I haven't really progressed much project-wise since my last log. However, I did do a sizeable amount of "fieldwork" over the break by grazing the verdant pastures of Encyclopedia Dramatica (view at your own risk), as well as a host of other websites, a few of which might be found within the links section of this page.

I am now on Steam. Huzzah! As part of my project and because I have too much time on my hands, I'm making an attempt to integrate myself into several online communities that I have become aware of through social contacts, general popularity, and my own curiosity. The fact that I can now play games as a part of my research is icing on what was already a delicious cake. For you countless readers who may be interested, my account information can be found here. While on the subject, if I'm on my computer I'm probably on MSN so if anyone has a burning, insatiable desire to contact me I can usually be reached via ilehew@hotmail.com.

My fellow ANTH522 buddy Melanie Roberts is currently running a project that is congruent with mine in a number of ways. I too can say that I cite Jane McGonigal as an inspiration for pursuing my project. As a gamer myself as well as a consumer of internet culture, I can see her ideas on gaming's unrecognized potential applying in a similar way to internet enthusiasts. I won't go into detail about it, but rest assured McGonigal possesses some fascinating ideas that should be worthy of every gamer's attention.

Contrary to my previous disposition, I'm starting to think this project might actually turn out all right...

...although Phoenix Wright seems to argue otherwise (Guess who has jury duty?)

Anth 522 Project Trailer - The Imageboard

Behold, the trailer for my upcoming project in Mediated Cultures. The actual project itself is barely in the pipeline, but I'm aiming to look at the culture of imageboard communities, their place in the pantheon of internet history, and their relationships with other communities both online and off. Enjoy! Or don't. Whatever works.

Final Project Envisionment - A Tale of Two Groups

After much deliberation, I have decided to focus in on "otaku" culture (which I'll get to in a minute) under the broader category of virtual communities. How did I arrive at this decision, you ask? Until recently my allegiance was torn between two separate projects groups: Japan, and virtual worlds. The decision seemed nigh impossible... until the answer came to me in a dream. And then God said: "Thou shalt have one unified topic, the combined force of thine two warring interests, their tempest transformed into glorious harmony." Or something like that.
At the moment my direction for this project could be considered sketchy at best, so i urge you to not take it definitively. I hope to look at the rise of otaku culture in Japan, the history of its spread throughout America and elsewhere, and the social implications that can be made about it as a lifestyle. I find myself occasionally identifying with this group, and enjoy the idea of learning more about it while integrating my own personal experiences. I might touch on offshoots of otaku culture, such as the imageboard as an avenue for community.
The first article that I found provides a brief background on what it means to be an otaku, and analyzes its implications by examining a subject that belongs to the group. Modern computer literacy isn't taught in schools, it is a skill that is acquired outside of the traditional environment at an individual's own accord. In Japan the term otaku is used to identify individuals who possess an avid interest in computers and popular culture, sometimes at the expense of traditional social interaction. Otaku are usually condemned by traditionalists, who have gone so far as to refer to them as a new breed of human beings. Parallels can be made to American views on cyberculture, which has created a new sense of self among many of its participants. The lifestyle choices of newer generations are inevitably scrutinized by prior generations, and the article provides a look into the life of a young American otaku through his father's eyes. The story catalogues the evolution of a boy with an interest in the Warhammer universe into a known and respected Warhammer guru. His hobby allowed him to nurture his skills in computer programming and art design.
The second article I found focuses on the attributes of Japanese animation and its propagation in American culture. Japanese anime addresses many adult themes in a unique way that for a long time was largely absent in the U.S. When it first arrived in the states, anime was propagated via underground networks and peer to peer video sharing. As the popularity of anime developed, so did the native otaku culture of Japan migrate to American shores. While at many times seemingly irreverent, anime is a product of the times and almost always has a message to convey (whether it pertains to us or not).

Writing in Japanland

*This post is for an assignment

The Japanese written language was, unsurprisingly, ripped straight out of China. This posed a bit of a problem because of the stark differences between the two languages, and soon after its adoption Chinese writing was adapted to mesh with the intricacies of Japanese. Reconfigurations ranged from subtle to extreme. Japanese was initially modeled phonetically, using representations of sounds and syllables from the Chinese language and stringing them together to match a Japanese word. Eventually Japanese began to use the characters ideogrammatically, which followed the meaning of the Chinese word rather than its sound. These two techniques fused together came to be known as kanji. Japanese encountered problems when there were no words in the Chinese language that represented certain distinctly Japanese concepts, and the rules for spelling were a complete mess. Kana was soon introduced, which literally meant "borrowed words". Kana split off into two types, hiragana and katakana, of which hiragana became the dominant writing system in Japan. Reading Japanese requires the mastery of several different writing systems, including kanji, kana, and most recently, a knowledge of the European alphabet. While Japanese has its own unique history, its development was similar to those of many languages throughout the world.