Curiosities of SelfConsciousness

1
Curiosities of Self-Consciousness

• Identity performances on the Russian Internet

2
Thematical focus

• We focus on the complex relationship between
  integration and diversification of Russian
  culture, being part of global and local contexts
  and performed in the worldwide communication
  networks.
• Can we suppose, that life in the intermediate
  spaces of the Web will lead to a synchronization
  of diasporic culture and the home culture, to a
  virtual (re)unification?
• Do we have to deal, in contrary, with the
  development of most subtly differentiated sub-
  and regional cultures?

3
Runet - Virtual (re)unification?
Countries of users visiting Russian Internet
resources which belong to the Rambler.ru
banner-network in , period 14.06.-20.06.2004,
source Rambler.ru, statistical data of the
companies banner-network
4
Runet - Digital divide?
Percentage of population in the Russian regions
with Internet access, period autumn 2003,
source Foundation for public opinion FOM,
interviews with residents of the Russian
Federation
5
Object Curiosities of consciousness

• We may even sketch a typology, different layers
  of our consciousness ... qualifying a ressource
  as being Russian. But any way this typology
  will not be able to explain all the curiosities
  of this consciousness.
• Roman Leibow

• Object(s) of our case study are not only content
  and form, e.g. genres of communication, but also
  the underlying processes of (self)determination
  self-representation, which Leibow calls as well
  recursiv-autoreflexive elements.

6
Materials
Focus
Methods
Contentanalysis
Discussion forums
Transterritorialidentities
Statistical analysis
Web-Logs
Regional identities
Website analysis
Websites
(Russian) Internet-Identity
Visualization tools
Media art / Net Literature
Qualitative interviews
7
Materials
Focus
Methods
Contentanalysis
Discussion forums
Transterritorialidentities
Statistical analysis
Web-Logs
Regional identities
Website analysis
Websites
(Russian) Internet-Identity
Visualization tools
Media art / Net Literature
Qualitative interviews
8
Website analysis Evaluation criteria

• Identification
• Accessibility
• Authorship
• Credentials
• Currency
• Transparency and Objectivity
• Organization and Browsability
• Information Design
• Interactivity
• Networking

9
Website analysis Evaluation criteria

• Identification
• Accessibility
• Authorship
• Credentials
• Currency
• Transparency and Objectivity
• Organization and Browsability
• Information Design
• Interactivity
• Networking

10
Seraja loschad The grey horse

• Self-Representation of regional literature
• Located in Wladiwostok / Far East
• Style of Peripherical naiveness
• Programmatics of Transit-Ideology
• Idea of virtual cross-roads
• Bifocal optics
• Cultural sphere Axis Moscow Wladiwostok
• Interactive literary conferences
• Top of activity 2002-2003

11
Boboshki and Marzans

• Self-Representation of regional literature
• Located in Bratsk / Siberia
• Peripherical optics
• Idea of virtual cross-roads
• Cultural sphere Bratsk Russian American
  Diaspora
• Net-Ideology
• Non-normative approach
• Orientation on American Alternative Literature
• Top of activity 2000-2001 / 2004

12
Methodological problems

• (Quantitative) definition of websites
• Large amount of relevant materials
• Choice of relevant materials
• Fluidity of materials / documentation of results
• Reflection of specific net-ideology, norms
  values
• Documentation of non-lineary processes
• Visualization of cultural spheres

13
Methodological problems

• (Quantitative) definition of websites
• Large amount of relevant materials
• Choice of relevant materials
• Fluidity of materials / documentation of results
• Reflection of specific net-ideology, norms
  values
• Documentation of non-lineary processes
• Visualization of cultural spheres

14
Curiosities of (self)consciousness -Curious
Visualizations
Personal brain 3.02, The brain technologies Corp.
15
First results / Hypothesis

• (Re)Formation of distinct cultural boundaries
• Regional Self-Representation avoiding central
  determination
• Cooperation of regional diasporic resources
• No remarkable trend to a hybridization of
  cultures
• Mostly traditional content(s)
• Only few examples of innovative use of
  technological features

16
Literature in German English

• Gorny, Eugene (2004) Russian LiveJournal
  National specifics in the development of a
  virtual community. Version 1.0 of 13 May 2004.
  URL lthttp//www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/russ-cyb/libra
  ry/texts/en/gorny_rlj.htmgt.
• Konradowa, Natascha (2004) Das Problem der
  Identität im russischsprachigen Internet,
  dargestellt am Beispiel der literarischen
  Internetseite "Zagranica Ausland
  (world.lib.ru). Aus dem Russischen übersetzt von
  Martin Proppé. URL lthttp//www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
  /russ-cyb/library/texts/de/ konradova_zagranica.ht
  mgt.

17
Literature in Russian

• ????????, ?????? / ?????????, ?. ?????? ?
  ??????? ????????. ????????????? ???????????e.
  (?????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ??
  ??????????? ?????? ? ????? XX ????,
  ???????????? 57 ?????? 1998 ?. ? ????????????
  ?????????). URL lthttp//www.socio.ru/wr/00-1/Cast
  ells.htmgt (02.02.2004).
• ?????????, ?????? (2004) ???????? ???????????? ?
  ????????????? ????????? ?? ?????????
  ????????????? ????? ????????? (world.lib.ru),
  ???? 2004. URL lthttp//www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/rus
  s-cyb/library/texts/ru/konradova_zagranica.htmgt.
• ??????, ????? "????? ??????? ????????? ???
  ????????? - ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?????????, ??
  ??? ?????? ???????????". ?????? ??? ???????
  ?????? // ??????? ????????? ? ??????". URL
  lthttp//www.nethistory.ru/memories/1040595042.html
  gt (24.01.2004).