Reflection on "Virtual Ethnography" by Christine Hine:

This article was wonderful to get me started to think more of how I will go about doing my part of the research in our collaboration. As I consider that I am a newbie in the area of actually participating in an ethnographic research project, this was a good start to introducing me to the emerging field of virtual/digital ethnography, which is relatively as new as I am in respect to the field of Anthropology. Hines describes a lot of older ways of more traditional ethnographic research. Such as the idea of Anthropologists as 'story tellers,' travelers, and their unique outsider/insider views of ones own and other peoples culture's. Hines notes that these old methods can be adapted to the new medium of cultural interactions, the internet. Also Hines notes that there is a bigger need to think of new ways of doing research beyond traditional settings where one has to go to a new space, rather than traveling to a foreign place, find informants, participate and etc. Hines really hit at a lot of what Ive been thinking in terms of the idea that the internet makes space and time irrelevant in terms of where and when one can conduct research, considering that as long as you have a means to use the new technology then one can become an active member of an ever evolving new social space. 'Space' is no longer defined explicitly by geography, but rather the accessibility and ability to 'connect' to the internet via an electronic device. As I think about my own abilities of connecting Ive realized no longer is connecting bound by a massive computer from the 60's or the desktop of the 90's. Connecting has increasingly become more mobile with newer smaller computers. Just think I have access to the internet, at any time and almost any place, in the palm of my hand with the new smart phones. One can connect to the internet almost anywhere, this benefits people doing virtual ethnography since they have the ability to be a participant in internet cultures 24/7, just like one would be involved 24/7 in a more tradtional ethnography.
As I start to think about my research into the history of computer mediated communications I think its going to have to incorporate more than just a general description of how virtual communities have been formed using cmc's. There is in ever increasing desire of mine to look into more than just the history of cmc's alone, speaking in terms of the software that enables our interactions and limits the types of interaction that can be achieved. Its crazy to think that our interactions and abilities to show culture via the internet is bound by those that write code and invent new technologies. A few people have made a major impact in the way we organize and construct culture on the web. Come to think of it there is an anonymous aspect to the ones that have coded the software that enables our interactions, especially with the ever growing open source software. No longer do we as consumer's have to rely on corporations who demand a high premium for their software. You can get the same thing products now a days that have been coded by a multitude of people collaborating all across the globe. Anyways, I will have to look also into the history of the hardware that has given rise to a new medium of cultural interactions. This article has really made me think that there's a lot more history than I previously thought in regards to cmc's and that limiting myself to only the history of the software would limit my understanding of how we have used the technology and how the technology is using us, as Dr. Wesch has implied.

Now on to Yochai Benkler's article "The Wealth of Networks"

Benkler's article focuses on the new medium and how we have been using this new medium in our social lives. The article goes to explain how we use cmc's to strengthen/thicken, our already close family and friends (strong ties). Also goes into how we are using the internet to strengthen ties with less close friends, neighbors, and even general acquaintances. Even though these weak ties appear to make us know more of those around us our actual deep connections with these people stay fairly non-existent. Benkler points out the different views of the internet one side being more utopian and the other more dystopian. The article points out that both are never fully correct but continue to change their ideas as the technology changes and allows for different forms of interaction from email, im, blogs, vlogs, second life, etc. Benkler goes more into the positive view more or less winning in terms of followers/believers. Yet our inspection of anonymity fits in the bad side of the internet. As I reflect more on my research I need to look at how anonymity has taken a foothold in the new medium starting from the beginning of the internet to now. Also I need to look into the aspects of early scholars writing about how anonymity would destroy the new medium and how it actually has allowed the new medium to create a more stable platform to communicate ideas. It allows what earlier poets, anarchists, intellectuals, etc could only dream of especially in the realm of potential readers of their work and in the ways of expression that are limited to written words alone. The potential of the internet and how we/it will shape our lives is intimidating.
Benkler writes about the internet in regards to face to face interactions and their importance to us. The internet allows one to hide our face yet also allows one to show their face to a much larger audience than ever before. This idea that at anytime, anywhere, and anyone can be anonymous or be anything but anonymous is baffling, especially thinking that you can do so at the same time. I can have a face to face talk to a friend by meeting up with them in a traditional interaction, while having a faceless interaction going on through IM by using my phone in the middle of my face to face interaction. I can have simultaneous conversations going and I can pick and choose my identity in each of these interactions, the way I show/hide my identity is based on the medium that my interaction is taking place.
Enough of my ramblings for the time being I would conclude by saying that I have a lot to think about and a lot more to learn as this project progresses.