[Air-l] >Anyone care to lessen my confusion?

[Lachlan Brown]

>Anyone care to lessen my confusion?

Yes, I will do that. 

I am Lachlan Brown and I do Cultural Studies. 
Some people appear to have a problem with that.
 I have an introduction to AoIR. Thanks for:


"The Association of Internet Researchers is an academic association =
dedicated to the advancement of the cross-disciplinary field of Internet =
studies. It is a resource and support network promoting critical and =
scholarly Internet research independent from traditional disciplines and =
existing across academic borders. The association is international in =
scope."

This is a cultural studies mandate. ‘cross-disciplinarity’ 

I'm making an intervention, a long intervention it seems, 
perhaps a series of interventions covering a number of years, 
if necessary, into the state of Internet scholarship to identify 
productive lines of inquiry that scholarship in this field has
felt for one reason or another unable or not empowered to take on. 
They are meant to inflect the course of Internet industry from
present trends (which I am sure Industry will welcome) 
towards ones more compatible with our culture(s) and to
 help inform our culture(s) at large about Internet.

 I have considerable experience in the field. 

It makes common sense to me to intervene 
here to highlight significant lapses, oversights, 
absenses, and indeed erasures in Internet scholarship.
The intervention may seem confusing, that’s partly 
the point, to de-familiarize or make what you think 
is normal (and what some people here think is normal 
is very odd indeed) seem strange, but given the subjects 
to be discussed confusion along with distress, followed 
by collective action toward a healing seem appropriate 
emotions and responses.

I have an introduction in the AIR-L. It would help if 
there was some way of seeing other peoples’ names, research 
interests, links and a brief statement of interests, like they 
used to have (still have?) in MediaMOO. It is difficult to write 
to people’s queries or interests without knowing their work and 
affiliations.

Don’t feel bad about your confusion. Confusion is an 
appropriate way to feel given the nature of the field. I 
wonder what your area of expertise is.

Lachlan Brown
Cultural Studies
Golsmiths College
University of London

Thirdnet, Toronto
(416) 826 6937
(416) 822 1123

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