We are still in the immediate wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, but it is already clear that the investigation into these attacks is taking a very different shape than the investigation into the 9/11 attacks. One of the big reasons, naturally, is the explosion of smartphone use in recent years, providing a wealth of […]
Dialogue: reflecting on Chapter 1 of Tim Jordan’s Internet, Society, and Culture: Communicative practices before and after the internet
A few weeks ago, Tim Jordan shared the opening chapter of his new book, Internet, Society, and Culture: Communicative Practices before and after the Internet, published by Bloomsbury. (You can still read it here.) The comments that followed raised some interesting observations, both about it and inspired by it, so we’re re-posting those comments here […]
Public (Research) Design: Un-friend Stories
An Introduction [Cross Posted at the CASTAC Blog] Ask an anthropologist a question and they’ll tell you a story. In this case, you didn’t ask, but I’m going to tell. During the fall of 2012, I was perusing my Facebook feed before bedtime, imagining myself to be reconnecting with old friends and keeping up with […]
Pirates of Yesteryear: The King Is Dead. Long Live the King!
@KimDotcom: Hollywood had a plan, the copyright Taliban, hired the White House clan & John the fan, sending 72 armed men to Megauploadistan I admit: I am fascinated with Kim Dotcom. I know, this is a highly problematic confession to make. My fascination with him isn’t because of his cool last name (though it helps) […]
What Socialbots Tell Us about Social Media
The last tweet you got may have been from a robot. A socialbot, to be exact. Like some neo-Asimovian science fiction story, networks of socialbots are beginning to spread across social media, liking, Tweeting, and friending unsuspecting humans, biding their time, gathering information, and subtly shaping our online lives. Moreover, these ‘bots are fascinating, and […]