third reading responses

"What Relational Aesthetics Can Learn From 4Chan"

The opening question of this article made me consider art is almost always defined by the space it is in, whether it be a gallery or in the middle of a field, and that because of the context it is in the art must hold a certain meaning. I have not used 4Chan before, but I have heard about it, and I have heard that pictures and scenarios on the site are interpreted in a multitude of ways. The context of the internet, and the fact that a viewer can express their own opinion without compromising their identity, has to play a part in how vulgar some comments are. The article talked about how contests are thrown on the site and how people come together through the internet;so, with that being said, while some users use their anonymity to ridicule, others use it for good. This article helped me realize that art can be defined by anyone, and that the definition of art is whatever the artist believes. 4Chan has questioned art, and has pushed the limits of art.


"Sociable Media"

This article forced me to consider how the internet has changed how we communicate, and how social media has changed how we get news, even how we grow relationships. The luxury of reading nonverbal communication is in the past; but, as the article mentions, social cues are still to be found in text. It is interesting how social cues have transferred from talking (tone/intonation of voice) to text cues (punctuation/capitalize). In terms of bandwidth, it is much easier to transfer large amounts of information through talking with a person who is in front of you instead of trying to convey a message to a person over text. Ultimately, I believe it is harder to form a relationship, form an identity, and stay in contact with people nowadays because of the disconnect technology forces us to have. It might be less of a hassle to communicate through text because of new technology, enabling us to keep in touch with more people, it is harder to maintain meaningful relationships with everyone we communicate with.