The idea of engaging community presented in this week’s viewings goes straight to the heart of the issues with participatory media. On one hand we saw extremely thoughtful process for community engagement with the Saving the Sierras project, and on the other hand a highly produced project that connected communities and stories across the world through their connection to the high-rise building.
My question has to do with the digital divide inherent in these projects.
While multi-media and transmedia projects can manifest in a variety of ways, I am curious about the choice to create community in all of these projects by using explicitly online forums. The Highrise director addressed this, saying she was aware of the digital divide and that this project was only part of the interactive element of connection she had planned. In general, however, regardless of how collaborative or participatory a media project is, I find the concept of housing it online the worst option for a project intending to create community.
Thoughts?
I wonder where else you could house the projects though and have as many people to see them. Would they have been in a museum or gallery before the internet? This is definitely a limited way to have the project out there. Maybe they could possibly live in the lobbies of highrise buildings? Though I wonder if people would get annoyed at visitors coming to the building. I do understand the feeling that an online project might not be the best place to create community (though World of Warcraft people seem to be doing fine), but I also find the concept of community one that is hard to pin down. It seems possible that it can mean so many different things and look very different depending on the context.
I agree with Jarratt,I don’t think we live in actual world now, but in a digital one! plus i was like an interesting history lesson more than being a part of the community. I just feel i’m more knowledgeable now, and i would’ve never read that topic had it not been presented the way it did.