Mapping and Embodying Space Across Borders
- How would one define digital borders (if one believes they exist at all)? Are border crossings online different from crossing physical ones? How? I’m particularly interested in these questing because of my own interest in the ways linguistic borders are pervasive (yet invisible) online. As an example, China produces huge amount of “internet traffic,” yet those outside of its immediate geographical sphere of influence often have no idea just how many Chinese communicate online–except, of course, when the story is of interest to (in my case) and English-speaking audience because it fits the “right” kind of narrative.
- Moving ahead to Albertschlund (maybe this question can be returned to, since I’ve already read Albertschlund outside of class), how can we see participatory surveillance acting in the spaces Manovich talks about? Is there value in being complicit in one’s surveillance?
- Reading Sletto’s article (as well as the responses), I was reminded of Basso’s discussion of place in Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape and Language Among the Western Apache. Some of the Apache he works with in the book are ambivalent about the idea of mapping as “setting down” places which exist primarily as resinous of stories – to go to the place is to experience its meaning. Thus, I wonder what it would mean to think of certain places as not being meant to be mapped?
Definition:
Fluency – To have a familiarity which enables one to speak and move easily. Relies on interior knowledge without needing support from others. Has the character of flowing.