# Blog 3: Virtual Networks and their Story and
Place.
Habbo hotel is a social networking site
that is similar to “Sims”. It is a game that can be played online, considered
as a virtually reality. The sole purpose of this site is to create a virtual,
digital, character that is like an avatar; which has the ability to form
cybernetic interactions with anybody in the world. This network gives the
user’s the ability to be a part of online chat rooms, regular day-to-day post
boards, and allow the user to make various changes on your digital character’s
appearance and the room which Habbo Hotel has allocated the user. Like majority
of virtual networks they all have a sole purpose, to create online interaction
devices that allow the user to find friends instantly. Often these friends can
be regular users from the age of 13 and up, come from all over the world, speak
different language and can from various cultural backgrounds. To evoke a sense
of space and place within Habbo Hotel virtual like avatar images are used to
display each character and the communication to each other is at simple and
similar to the typical online chat messaging.
For online communication to occur some
form of language needs to be spoken. Language is the simple forms of any “text”
that can be seen virtually or privately. However, language is advancing and
creates place which can be described through personal thoughts, feelings, and
people’s perceptions. In virtual networks, the narratives and the making of
place can also include various stories and places. As Petray (2013) explained
in week 2 lecture, power can be seen as a relationship that shows three core
elements; domination, competition and cooperation. These can be interpreted as
such things that are different to its actual meaning, which may affect the
reader’s response from what was actually being stated. Thus giving the reader,
alternative power to choose how they would represent them and respond to these
actions.
Although all social networks aren’t
fundamentally made for each user’s requirements and needs, it ideally creates a
sense of meaning and belonging. Van Luyn (2013) discussed in week 5 lecture,
“space becomes place through humans imposing meaning on it and a sense of place
is created through humans perceiving, as well as contrasting that location”.
When online the virtual space users interact in is known to be of non-reality
and as Tuan, (1991) mentions “… the right to speak and be heard, the right to
name and have the name “stick”- is empowerment,” “ …..Much the same is true of
places created by language, oral and written”. On http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/the-language-of-social-media-unlike-any-other/,
Ben Zimmer discusses more on social networking and its language.
Reference
List:
Petray,
T. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks,
Narratives and the Making Of Place, Lecture 2: Power: Big Brother and
Self-Surveillance [PowerPoint Slide Notes]. Retrieved From: http://learnjcu.edu.au
Tuan,
Y. (1991). Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative-Descriptive Approach. Annals of the Association of American
Geographers. 81 (4), 684-696 Taylor
and Francis, LTD
Van
Luyn, A (2013) BA1002: Our Space:
Networks, Narratives and the Making Of Place, Lecture 5: Stories and Places
[PowerPoint Slide Notes]. Retrieved From: http://learnjcu.edu.au
Image
Credits:
Giannicatalfamo.
(21.05.2012) Son of Geek Talk DA Blog, So Me and Donuts (Rel 4). Retrieved
From: http://sonofgeektalk.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/some-and-donuts-rel-2/
Hi Kathrine,
ReplyDeleteYour online place is one where the individual does indeed contribute to the narrative of their own identity. The character you create is indeed given life and identity by the use of your words which allow the other users to gain their impression of you. Tuan reflected on the creation of a Chinese garden that it "will seem unfinished and lacking in poetry unless the written word comes to their aid" (Tuan 1991). It is similar in your online world where your character personality is only fully created by the use of words in your conversations with others. You have created a very good example of how the use of words is used to allow for the full development of characters and situations.