"The Internet's Role in Campaign 2008"

This is the title of the report published by Pew Internet and American Life Project. You don't want to miss it! It's like reading a cool American thriller! The PDF version is a click away! =))

My Grand-grandmother Was Technophobic

My grand-grandmother was technophobic. She was “Staroverka” (that stands for female Old Believer). Today, we are supposed to be technophilic---or at least techno-friendly---in order to function and develop our skills and talents to their full potential within the modern society. (Or ‘post-modern’, if you please).

There is a never ending debate between those who see new informational and communicational technology as the key to solving problems of social and human life, opposed to those who see technologies as something dangerous, harmful and unnatural. Nevertheless, the companies and corporations involved into development and improvement of information and communication technologies position themselves as lending hand in solving problems of the 21st-century Homo sapiens. Communication is the key. Talking, texting, connecting to data services, etc---these are like oxygen to us. (In my opinion, the ‘O2’ brand successfully managed to incorporate all these values in their logo and branding strategy).

What was considered internet addiction in 90’s is socially acceptable today. (To what extent are you addicted to the internet? Take a test). “The concept of addiction is not easy to define, but central to it is dependence on a substance or activity.” (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 2004) “Hooked on Internet? Help is just a click away.” (Unknown internet user) Fight fire with fire (?!).

The advances in computer technology and internet have changed the way humans live, learn, and interact. Thanks to internet, I found out about the Master and PhD opportunities in Germany. I had a long-distance relationship with my Beloved. If something happens and there will be no internet, I am afraid, there will be no way for me to carry out my research projects and fulfill my career dreams. All in all, I am pretty sure, my grand-grandmother would have exclaimed, “My God, she is crazy!”

Obviously, internet has become an integral part of economic, political, and social life. Yet one should not forget that there are places on the Earth, where internet is still considered to be luxury. According to the 2007 report of the OpenNet Initiative, “an emerging regime shift toward more restrictive policy, dependence upon Russian and Chinese Internet connections, and political instability pose problems for clear and continual access to Internet in Kyrgyzstan.” (Interested in details?.)

Prof. Richard Rogers, who introduces himself as a Web epistemologist, views the Web “as a knowledge culture distinct from other media”. He concentrates on the research opportunities that would have been improbable or impossible without the Internet. The IssueCrawler software, which helps to trace “issue networks” on the Web, was one of his initiatives. Unlike Google Search which bases results on outside factors like links and popularity, issue networks do not privilege individuals and groups. His book "Information Politics on the Web" opened my eyes: there are certain “philosophies” behind new information and communication technologies. They do have (different) impact on certain dynamics within our society. And I am looking forward to dicussing it all in class in the closest future. The first "moment of Zen" (for those who don't know: this is our in-class excercise) demonstrated that there are many students interested in learning more about these problems.

I did not expect this Zen-moment to be so "juicy" from the very start! I have done a preliminary overview of the potential research questions and hypotheses the students shared with me---this is awesome. I really hope someone decides to write a research paper or thesis about any topic we touched upon during this class. The "moment of Zen" excercise demonstrated how reflective my students are ("my students"--- hey, folks! I am sorry if it sounds possessive!!:) You have many reasons to be proud of yourselves!! I will prepare a brief report on your successful start with a list of top-questions and problems you shared today. The *Zen-moments* will be available next week. This is a very good material for your future blog-posts. Just don't forget to give credits to those authors who triggered your interest in the problems.

One of the purposes of this course is to create a mini-community on the web, and see how it functions. We will start our blog-projects in two weeks. Yet I already encourage you to start thinking about the topics for future blog-posts. ...Did you also have a technophobic grand-grandma? :)

Comfortably Dull

I love poetry. Sometimes I have some rhymes in my head. I will share this with you.

Comfortably Dull

It’s good when people leave
And shut the door---politely.

Emerging from black sleeve,
Refined white fingers
Clutched door-handle lightly
And tightly shut the door.

The micro-slam caused fracture of the skull.

Then everything became so
Comfortably dull.

The Joe Trippi Effect

Today I've reread Joe Trippi's Afterword from "Revolution Will Not Be Televised". It is awesome. Every time I read it, I become inspired.

Yet my enthusiasm was shattered by dreadful news which relate to me directly. I can say, "Why, who cares?" But I am not a little scared animal anymore. And I hate it all too much to stay away this time.

For the sake of my record: it started with a Wikipedia entry about Kyrgyzstani presidential election, 2009. I copy-paste the piece which drives me mad.

A presidential election will be held in Kyrgyzstan on 23 July 2009. The date was set after the constitutional court ruled that the extension of the presidential term from four to five years did not apply until the next presidential election, calling for elections by 25 October 2009; in response, a parliament committee proposed the July election date, which was then passed by the incumbent president Kurmanbek Bakiyev's Ak Zhol-dominated parliament.[1] Bakiyev had previously announced his intention to run for reelection.[2]

The article is available here.
NOW READ THIS.
Unfortunately, The Pre-election Fauna of Beshbarmakiya (whole website is a political satire) is available only in Russian.

And the it-feeling motivates me to do something. But due to many reasons (personal and political) I shut up my mouth and carry out my plan alone in darkness.

P.S.: Joe Trippi, you are awesome.

On Postmodern Aesthetics

My art and conduct
Demand no interpretation.

I draw a portrait of a man
Demanding logical (!)
Justification:
"What does it mean?"

"Sincerely, I don't know.
But how does it make you feel?
Does it hurt? Or does it heal?

There is no meaning,
Depth,
My own interpretation."

(Voices scanding)
NARRATION!
WE
DEMAND
NARRATION
!!!

"Well, maybe it is all about sex.
Yet it's too simple---More complex.
May be, it's all about pain
Which brings me pleasure to record...
Or, may be, it's about your brain---
All coffee-stained---
In dirty train!
Aesthetics over ethics.
I never really know.

But it is very nice."

Hi, I am Postmodernism. I am a Ghost (!)

This post (as many others) are not supposed to be scientific articles. They are written for fun and for the sake of putting down some ideas related to my research interests.

---
Division of the human intellectual heritage into convenient historical "periods" is always a big problem. Ungrateful task, so to speak. If you will, these attempts are conspiracies of the literary and art historians who earn money by publishing articles in obese dusty anthologies(!)

I have learned about postmodernism within the context of literature & art lectures and seminars as a university student. The term itself is applied to the literature, art, philosophy, etc. shortly before, during and after World War II. All the definitions of bla-bla-ISM usually deal with wars. Some would insist on technological inventions (for fighting wars, but not only, of course).

So, how does a common definition of the European postmodernism in most of the dictionaries or anthologies start? Here is the step-by-step scenario:

POSTMODERNISM. Okay, folks, it's difficult. Veeerry difficult. Even for us, the literary and art historians. Remember World War II, nazis and communists? Postmodern art, music and literature HATE those. Postmodern artists, musicians and writers (pre)tend to reject traditional authority, experiment with their body-psyche, (frequently) behave bizarre, preach about eclecticism and multiculturalism, naively think they were the first to start the club of the arrogant cynics, etc. What is special about POSTMODERNISM? Hmm.... We would suggest that postmodernism is an exaggeration of modernism. What is modernism?

MODERNISM. Okay, folks, it's difficult. Veeerry difficult. Even for us, the literary and art historians. Remember World War I...?

Really, one should be very careful with these classifications. Stay sceptical. These amorphous historical classifications should not be taken for granted. Not at all.

In my M.A. thesis I was studying SENTIMENTALISM. I felt like I was studying a ghost (!)