[Air-l] Identity and Internet

Mary L. Gray mgray at weber.ucsd.edu
Mon Mar 18 02:16:43 PST 2002


> From: "Ben Davidson" <bendavidson at totalise.co.uk>
> Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 03:46:43 -0000
> Subject: Re: [Air-l] Identity and Internet

Ben wroted:
> I am baffled that you don't see the link between these two events you
> describe.

ben, i must've been writing unclearly. i meant to draw this connection--but
make a distinction--between establishing legitimacy and what existence means
on a mailing list. i wanted to tread more lightly (than john) in claiming
brown's 'existence' was in question and instead think about what challenging
one's legitimacy online means...and why folks are drawn to as much interest
in credentials as statements actually uttered.

>I don't know about sexually charged,
> but wouldn't you say this is a fairly clear manifestation of power dynamics?
> CV's at dawn.

** that's kinda what i was getting at...again, perhaps i wasn't clear, but
you put it nicely. 

> And anyway, isn't that really the objection to Lachlan?  So far as I can
> see, folk simply don't like his style of contributions.  He just doesn't use
> the right language, adopt the right (academic) 'voice' and often appears to
> be having a conversation with himself.  He talks personally rather than
> academically.

** i think it's a bit more complicated than this...i think i'm rather fuzzy
on what constitutes the 'right' language or 'right' academic voice
here...but, i feel i have a clearer sense of when gender is used in
insinuation to undermine someone speaking or asking a question.
 
> I really enjoyed reading John's and Denise's postings about Identity and the
> Internet, and Mark's postings today about research gaps - seems a much more
> useful pursuit to springboard from all this into subjects that are relevant
> to the list, than focusing all this energy into labelling someone a troll
> and trying to eradicate them, bacause we don't like their style of
> engagement.

** again, i'd like to suggest it's a bit more complicated than this...but,
i'm also glad to see the discussion shift to other topics.
 
> This post of course reflects my own bias - as a practitioner in the mental
> health field, I get very hot under the collar when I see people damaged by
> the process of being labelled and pathologised by groups, groups who are
> often actually doing no more than trying to silence and deny the experience,
> often of domination and abuse, for which such people are trying to find
> expression.

** you lost me here ben. i have this hunch you're saying we shouldn't
address the content of lachlan brown's posts because it would pathologize
him and would "silence and deny [his] experience of domination and abuse"?
this list doesn't seem the appropriate place for expression of such an
experience...but, perhaps you can explain if i'm misunderstanding you
off-list...i'm sure folks are over this thread.

best,
mary





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