what is new media?

New Media is a new category; a new discrete syntax term, the limits of which reflect the limitations of the object-oriented, colonial epistemology that created it.

New Media is a capitalist term; it describes new tools that come about through the process of digitization, the construction of virtual systems, or the organization of digital information. The Internet in its entirety is not “new media”—this network of analog cables and interstellar satellites are seldom referred to this way.

an alternative gospel

*in some ways, parenting is first about teaching a child about the material world—the things we believe to be solid and fixed, literally and figuratively. “parents” “mom and mom” “dad and dad” “mom and dad” etc.

the transition into adulthood seems to be one of uprooting the foundations of what people believe to be the material world. adultness or maturity is often understood by a person’s capacity for open-minded thought, but how does one become open-minded? it comes from being lied to, learning that not everything people tell you is “true.” having an open-mind is a polite way of reframing a filter/censor that, over time, becomes more adept at hearing ideas, then organize them, then articulating why something is “shit” or “not shit.”

representing the self

<shower thoughts>

i spend a lot of time thinking about videogames in relation to representations of the self.

who is the self, what is the self?

is the self an algorithm that reactions to cross-cutting concerns?

selves and their utility, success, agency are contingent on structure, placement.

is there such a thing as re-imagining the self,

or is our time better spent reshaping structures that value and anticipate all possible selves?

</shower thoughts>

unbind the book

wouldn’t it be cool if, when you loaded a webpage, all of the words appeared as floating objects on the page? and you could organize them however you liked? frequency would determine size, and words could be categorized by color in terms of their document hierarchy. menu items could be red. story copy could be black, and headline/subhead/byline copy could all be purple.

the mouse cursor could be used to move words around like slippery objects on a table top, which would obviously be an optimal interface for tablet users. an overlay menu would provide users with default organizational structures. instead of dictating hierarchy and categorization, the user could map their own consumption of the content. place all the ads in one place. all the pictures and videos in another.

like food on a plate.

intersectional // dimensions

my mind is swimming.

algorithms, algorithms, algorithms

patterns found in nature.

identity is not tangible, a navigable sea

materiality is simply the third dimension

but what of creativity?

gridiron

as a kid i loved football.

along with hockey and the occasional trip to Volcanoes Stadium, football was how i spend a lot of time with my dad. everyone living in the house (except my mom) had a team that they rooted for; i rooted for the Pittsburgh Steelers, brother1 worshipped the Packers, and brother2 and my dad supported the SF 49ers.   my dad always gave me a hard time about choosing the Steelers—i never fully admitted that i chose the team as a 10 year old because i liked the colors of a winning (’79) team in the Madden ’99 football videogame for N64.

quarters

game dev idea:

you’re a traveling woman

you need to find a place to park your car

because you need to pee (SOON)

you’re on your period

you need to find a bathroom with a dispensary

all of the meters that accept credit cards are taken

you have one quarter

…time is running out…

the feminism brand

when someone criticizes my explications, my opinions, in a private space

I am able to process that feedback in a private way. I can meditate, mediate, talk-back, accept, reject, and ultimately move on. the criticism ultimately fades or becomes part of my newfound way of thinking;

when someone criticizes me in public

there is nothing private about the processing of that feedback. everything about that process becomes entertainment for someone I don’t know. I become a circus performance.

I’ve been following the “feminist infighting” (brief guide). the language about “toxic” culture is horse shit, unless you’re more concerned about your brand than the way your message is received by others.  branding is negatively affected by critical engagement with your ideas and messages. branding is affected long term when you offend another person inadvertently. people are able to grow from criticisms, form new relationships with each other, apologize, and learn—but brands are destroyed and must be rebuilt over time. 

on Twitter everyone has a branded identity, but not everyone is invested in their brand. those who are—those who benefit financially—are naturally going to perceive criticism as inherently toxic.

bullying is a form of harassment.

criticism can certainly feel like harassment, but if you identify

“hey, what you just said was hurtful”

as harassment….

you’re going to have a bad time on the internet.