Monday, February 18, 2008

Week 7 Day 1

Reflections on a synchronous parliament


The utility of the exercise was in the pre and post brief. In the discussion of the potential uses there is an understanding of how surveillance and power have the ability to be revealed as illusory. The behavior in the 'rooms' was indicative of a leveling of the playing field in the manner in which Faigley demonstrates in the article read earlier this semester.

If anything the conduct in the space relates how graduate students have the ability to fall to 'the lowest common denominator' as well. This sort of behavior only further reinforce the utility of the exercise. In a syllogism: If an 'educated' populace can be seduced by a space where power is demonstrated as an artificial construct, then undergraduates are likely to do the same.

Blogs are an excellent means of deconstructing the behavior that happens in the 'space' of chat. Upon reflection it provides a mechanism for analyzing not only the behavior of the 'self' but others. It has the ability to act not only as a mirror for behavior but also as a panoptic design.

All in all it was an enjoyable exercise that demonstrated the performativity inherent in identity, in addition to concepts of power.

~S~

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