WindKiller, one of my regular correspondents and readers, sent me a response to Drunken Pirates, Anyone? or "Interlife Realities 101". I called him up and talked with him about it, asking if I could use his response as a blog post. He agreed, so here we go...
As I did with my Conversations with the Past arc, WindKiller's comments will be in regular type, my responses will be in italics.
Howdy,
Read the posting of the drunken pirate teacher and I wholly disagree with you (and I know you were aching to learn my position on the matter).
And I think you have more to say on the matter. You had 15 posts that dealt with what a person is saying about themselves when they sign their name and address, based on font size and shape. What does a person say about themselves when they post their own picture to the world with the appropriate caption "Drunken Pirate"?
Yes, and I used my own signature as the example there. The question "What does a person say about themselves when they post their own picture to the world with the appropriate caption 'Drunken Pirate'?" is too large a question to answer in this format, I think (unless people want to read a what might become a very long arc). Answering that question with any measure of validity requires sociology, social psychology, cultural anthropology, ... It's an answerable question that could easily turn into a thesis or term-long class if it is to be answered with any hope of accuracy.
It at least suggests that this is how the person wants to be viewed (her interpretation of the picture may be someone who is fun and sociable and others may be someone who is of low moral character).
You touch on a core element in this discussion; how Ms. Snyder wants to be viewed versus how she and others are interpreting what they're viewing. My Drunken Pirates, Anyone? or "Interlife Realities 101" posting dealt more with how people are interpreting what they're viewing and how that interpretation will (probably) change over time.
Further, I believe myspace allows you to make your photos viewable by 'friends' only or by the public, and she chose the latter.
I don't know if MySpace allows this type of separation. If it does and if Ms. Snyder knew this and if she chose the latter, my question becomes "What did she hope to gain?"
(more to follow...)
I'll be speaking at the Society for New Communications Research Annual Awards Gala Summit on 5-6 Dec 07 in Boston. Come on by and say hello.
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