http://www.justinpowelldesign.com/blog/2010/03/virtual-people/ Interaction Design and Digital Strategy Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:34:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://www.justinpowelldesign.com/blog/2010/03/virtual-people/#comment-22901 justin Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:33:47 +0000 http://www.justinpowelldesign.com/blog/?p=302#comment-22901 Interesting thoughts Gavin. I think I need a dictionary to fully comprehend what you're saying. Your comment does start to sound a lot like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_polarization" rel="nofollow">Group Polarization</a>, or 'the tendency of people to make decisions that are more extreme when they are in a group.' Interesting thoughts Gavin. I think I need a dictionary to fully comprehend what you’re saying. Your comment does start to sound a lot like Group Polarization, or ‘the tendency of people to make decisions that are more extreme when they are in a group.’

]]> http://www.justinpowelldesign.com/blog/2010/03/virtual-people/#comment-22898 Gavin Johnston Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:04:25 +0000 http://www.justinpowelldesign.com/blog/?p=302#comment-22898 Throughout history, people have faced the question of how best to respond to a wide range of alleged and/or actual transgressions. A fundamental uncertainty, in this regard, is whether our reactions to such transgressions would differ depending on whether we respond to them as individuals or as groups. Groups embolden people, leading to mod violence in the physical world. Hence, the lynch mob or pogroms. Civil society and the act of communication, however, have universally worked to curtail vitriol by 1) endowing the communicative act with a degree of intimacy, 2) providing an outlet for public censure, and 3) giving voice to the reality of possible physical retaliation. Until recently, these processes manifested themselves in the virtual space through self-imposed anonymity. The more outlandish, crude, and vitriolic the language, the more like the writer would be to use a false name. No longer. Language that extends into the grotesque is now tied to a face. Why the shift? To Justin's point, the instigation of a few people shifts the dynamic of the group, allowing its commentary to become more extreme. This in turn changes the dynamic of the group, perpetuating greater and greater extremes. Suddenly the language moves, as is the case on the discussed sites, into areas of homophobia, the celebration of racism, the joyful mocking of another's pain. Retribution is conceptually abstract. But is it? As was mentioned, the web remembers. One has to wonder if we're seeing a permanent change in the dynamic of human interaction or just a moment of mob stupidity. Throughout history, people have faced the question of how best to respond to a wide range of alleged and/or actual transgressions. A fundamental uncertainty, in this regard, is whether our reactions to such transgressions would differ depending on whether we respond to them as individuals or as groups. Groups embolden people, leading to mod violence in the physical world. Hence, the lynch mob or pogroms. Civil society and the act of communication, however, have universally worked to curtail vitriol by 1) endowing the communicative act with a degree of intimacy, 2) providing an outlet for public censure, and 3) giving voice to the reality of possible physical retaliation. Until recently, these processes manifested themselves in the virtual space through self-imposed anonymity. The more outlandish, crude, and vitriolic the language, the more like the writer would be to use a false name. No longer. Language that extends into the grotesque is now tied to a face. Why the shift? To Justin’s point, the instigation of a few people shifts the dynamic of the group, allowing its commentary to become more extreme. This in turn changes the dynamic of the group, perpetuating greater and greater extremes. Suddenly the language moves, as is the case on the discussed sites, into areas of homophobia, the celebration of racism, the joyful mocking of another’s pain. Retribution is conceptually abstract. But is it? As was mentioned, the web remembers. One has to wonder if we’re seeing a permanent change in the dynamic of human interaction or just a moment of mob stupidity.

]]> http://www.justinpowelldesign.com/blog/2010/03/virtual-people/#comment-22897 justin Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:54:07 +0000 http://www.justinpowelldesign.com/blog/?p=302#comment-22897 A couple other observations about the shift. <strong>1</strong>) Not only are personal brands and reputations getting involved, but corporate brands like Nike and Adidas (by association) are caught in the crossfire too. The Nike tournament ready campaign spoofs for example. <strong>2</strong>) although I haven't followed political discussions much, I'm sure there are very similar patterns of 'virtual' discussions with neglect for reality there as well. A couple other observations about the shift.
1) Not only are personal brands and reputations getting involved, but corporate brands like Nike and Adidas (by association) are caught in the crossfire too. The Nike tournament ready campaign spoofs for example.
2) although I haven’t followed political discussions much, I’m sure there are very similar patterns of ‘virtual’ discussions with neglect for reality there as well.

]]>