digital ethnography design workshop at derc rmit

Digital Ethnography Design Workshop

Wendy F Hsu ACLS Public FellowCity of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs

wendy.hsu@lacity.org @wendyfhsu

DERC @ RMIT

Part 1Touchpoints:

pivoting between digital and analog empiricism

How do ethnographers engage with the changing form of culture as it becomes increasingly mediated by digital technology?

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inter/multi-modality

s

scalability

reframing counting calculating

augmented empiricism

context-shifting zooming in/out

data analysis / visualization

data gathering / mining

data parsing/ management data as evidence

theorization/ interrogation

evidence/ argument

What is the relationship between the digital and the analog?

an ethnographic take on

Friction

Fabien Girardin @ Near Future Lab http://vimeo.com/16759280

Touchpoints

What does the digital do with the analog?

Automate, program/script, monitor/surveil, disrupt, transform, rescale, rematerialize, control, recontextualize, regulate, replace, disable/enable, fragment, atomize, remix, connect.

What does the analog do with the digital?

resist, recontexualize, disrupt, subvert, contest, re-program, re-perform, re-embody, rematerialize, recycle, regenerate, remix

algorithmically governed → privacy, surveillance, capital, neoliberalism human-machine interface → labor, materiality regulation/activation → agency, materiality, governmentality data performativity/empathy → agency, materiality, labor

interactive context-dependent

digital-analog touchpoints are:

1. the digital-analog field

What is the geographical distribution of the musicians’ Myspace friends?

How has digital social media reconfigured the geography of a musicians community?

theoretical:

methodological:

Data gathering: Webscraper API

lat lon username location / link iconSize iconOffset icon 39.952335 -75.163789 Sunny Ali & the Kid Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.myspace.com/249012225 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 41.850033 -87.6500523 Al-Thawra CHICAGO, Illinois http://www.myspace.com/161456047 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 30.375321 69.345116 Dead Bhuttos Pakistan http://www.myspace.com/182738567 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 31.54505 74.340683 Noble Drew LAHORE, Nehr-o-Nehr http://www.myspace.com/399152518 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 22.277493 114.16824 The Fatsumas starters. http://www.myspace.com/84108530 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 40.7142691 -74.0059729 Michael Muhammad Knight New York http://www.myspace.com/220205473 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 42.299795 -71.426627 Dankill Framingham, Massachusetts http://www.myspace.com/19780 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 42.3875968 -71.0994968 Handsome Chuck somerville, MASSACHUSETTS http://www.myspace.com/24961 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 6.042681 102.1391122 Pompuan_akit_jiwa PasIr-MaS, KelaNtaN, MY http://www.myspace.com/27249 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 47.162494 19.503304 –Øaphael Hungary http://www.myspace.com/40317 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 38.893375 -77.022942 Majda DC Area, Virginia http://www.myspace.com/41488 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 39.7150631 -86.2977342 Andrea Niceschwander we are a brutal kind... http://www.myspace.com/65716 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 32.802955 -96.769923 Alexis Nicole Pimperton Dallas, Texas, US http://www.myspace.com/77352 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 26.640628 -81.8723084 Mo-zilla Ft. Myers, Florida http://www.myspace.com/102945 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 37.8215929 -121.9999606 Osman Danville, CALIFORNIA http://www.myspace.com/103093 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 39.952335 -75.163789 SassyBritches philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.myspace.com/105998 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 40.7159357 -73.9868057 C(see)Squat LOWER EAST SIDE, New York http://www.myspace.com/110390 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 42.3492506 -71.0750332 Amit 02116, Massachusetts http://www.myspace.com/122102 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 40.7364911 -73.8779136 Clay N. Ferno ELMHURST, New York http://www.myspace.com/123247 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 53.4107766 -2.9778383 THRASHGIG LIVERPOOL http://www.myspace.com/129891 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 34.0522342 -118.2436849 Nahal Bahal Los Angeles, California http://www.myspace.com/132615 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png -27.46874 -58.80531 Musicians Exchange RIZATEK http://www.myspace.com/134537 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 36.778261 -119.4179324 Ali Wali SF BAY AREA/LA/OC, CALIFORNIA http://www.myspace.com/145148 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 41.153332 20.168331 Sehej Albania http://www.myspace.com/146522 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 38.4404674 -122.7144314 Dilluminatti Santa Rosa, California, US http://www.myspace.com/151660 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 36.778261 -119.4179324 LSS San Fran ( in delhi for a few) , California, US http://www.myspace.com/164464 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 38.9059849 -77.0334179 saracen dc http://www.myspace.com/191181 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 34.0211224 -118.3964665 Samir Culver City(L.A.), California http://www.myspace.com/201875 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 34.5008311 -117.1858759 Reshma Apple Valley, California http://www.myspace.com/221129 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 36.114646 -115.172816 CHRIS MASSES Las Vegas, Nevada, US http://www.myspace.com/222319 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 40.0583238 -74.4056612 Fuerza Dulce West Staines Massive, New Jersey http://www.myspace.com/257373 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 39.5500507 -105.7820674 in limbo, COLORADO http://www.myspace.com/265905 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 38.2541667 -85.7602778 bigthinc. Louisville, Kentucky http://www.myspace.com/280065 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 37.7141454 -122.25 Miss.Banga San Francisco-Bay Area http://www.myspace.com/290508 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 41.7858629 -88.1472893 d3z Naperville, Illinois, US http://www.myspace.com/290767 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 40.7142691 -74.0059729 JuliaGhoulia NEW YORK http://www.myspace.com/300958 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 38.8951118 -77.0363658 George W Washington D.C. http://www.myspace.com/306065 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 33.7877944 -117.8531119 Your Singaporean Soldier Orange, CALIFORNIA http://www.myspace.com/328555 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 53.7608608 -98.8138763 Omar X Kinnarath The Peg Gritty., Manitoba http://www.myspace.com/330034 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 42.6334247 -71.3161718 jonathan Lowell, Massachusetts http://www.myspace.com/342176 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 37.826325 -81.142507 Pulin (believes in you) Veganville, Virginia, US http://www.myspace.com/354312 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 25.7742657 -80.1936589 J Miami, Florida http://www.myspace.com/359596 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 42.3094288 -71.0854325 Steve Theo Boston/Cambridge, MASSACHUSETTS http://www.myspace.com/404205 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 33.530904 -117.7738916 The Legend of SWITCHBLAAliso Viejo (1503), California, US http://www.myspace.com/40687121,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 34.0423446 -118.3461948 KillRadio.org Non-Corporate Media From the Heart of Los Angeles http://www.myspace.com/407004 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 42.6055893 -83.1499304 Reena Evita Troy, MICHIGAN http://www.myspace.com/413644 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png 41.9028099 -87.7208896 bradley Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois http://www.myspace.com/434741 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png

Geocoding...

Mapping Musicians’ Digital Diaspora

The Kominas: South Asian American (Pakistani / Indian) members

Kite Operations: Korean American members

2. Digitizing the analog field

https://storify.com/wendyfhsu/flow-listening-to-the-wandering-underlass-of-taipe?utm_source=embed_header

3. digital-analog research / design

Questions? Comments?

Part 2Workshop:

design your digital ethnography touch points

!• What formats are your field data currently in? • Are they digitally born? • Are they analog-born? • Are your data a mixture between analog and digital? !

Let’s scope your project first.

Refer to your 3-page handouts

What did you discover in this exercise that you didn’t think about before?

Did this exercise give you a new context to raise new questions? If so, what kinds of inquires can you consider now?

What unresolved problems did you encounter in this exercise?