Culture in Action 6: Stations of the Cross

During the Lenten season, Roman Catholics observe the Stations of the Cross. This devotion marks the final hours of Christ by recognizing 14 events that culminate in the entombment of Jesus. For many Catholics, it is spiritual pilgrimage performed as an act of reparation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon Jesus as he labored to Golgotha. Many Catholic churches hold a Friday mass during Lent for the Stations. This past Friday, my Bengali-Catholic family members hosted a private prayer in this same spirit.

An altar was arranged with candles, a few religious statues, and of course, a cross. The readings were conducted in Bengali and involved much standing and kneeling. It was beautiful in its simplicity. And a staunch reminder of the reach of colonialism. But it was also a means for this family to reconnect and reaffirm their sense of community. Given the intimate atmosphere of the event, I didn't take too many photos, but here are a few (apologies in advance for the quality of the shots):

Above: Side view of the home-made altar. (03/10)

Above: Those gathered kneel for a reading led by the woman in the green sari standing in the left of the shot.

Above: Standing for a reading.

Though it's perhaps not clear in the pictures I managed to secure, the gathering was not segregated—there just happened to be more women than men. Following the prayer, there was a light vegetarian dinner (of course—we've already explored the central role food plays in many different cultures!) which was filled with merry cries characteristic of a joyous reunion.

You can view additional installments of the Culture in Action series here.

In the News: Weekly Roundup (3/7 - 3/13)

I'd like to start a new recurring feature to highlight interesting posts/articles that I've stumbled upon during my weekly web travels. Naturally, the organization below is completely subjective.

Anthropology

Baby Christened, Dad Unhappy and Surprised to Learn (Aardvarcheology)

Ethnoprimatology in Sulawesi: Macaques in Farms and Folklore (time traveling)

Lessons at an Indian Hospital About Births (NYT) (Okay, this one is from last week, but I'm sneaking it in here.)

USO and Banana Pie With Anthropoid Bread Crust: An Exercise in Optimal Foraging Theory (A Primate of Modern Aspect)

60,000 Year Old Ostrich Eggshell Canteens From Diepkloof, South Africa (AVRPI)

General Interest

New York is Finally Taking Its Coffee Seriously (NYT)

Super Heroes Take New York (NYT)

Taxicab Confessions (NYT)

Social Media

Young Adult, Men, High Earners Most Likely to Use Social Media (BNET)

Facebook's Killer Feature: The Mutual Friend's List (NYT)

Google Tweaking Buzz to Declutter Gmail (CNET)

Why No One Cares About Privacy Anymore (CNET)

Feel free to post your own articles of interest below!

In Pursuit of Authenticity in the Digital Age

I often wrangle with the idea of digital authenticity. How do we know who we're talking to online? How do we know they are accurately representing themselves? Does it matter? As an ambitious graduate student, I devised and carried out a study investigating the creation of "authenticity" on the Internet. I wanted to see if I could fake my way into an online community. How'd it turn out? I was banned; they weren't happy with me. My exaggerated emulation of other members marked me as a rat right off the bat. But it's a study that I'm prepping to revisit in my wizened old age. I think these issues are salient as we struggle to tame the digital beast that has taken hold of our lives.

In this vein, the WSJ recently ran a story concerning the intersection of public and professional lives in social media. By now you've certainly heard the horror stories (and perhaps know someone personally who's experienced a social media mishap)—for example, the guy who interviewed with CISCO and tweeted about the potential cons of the job, the intern who called in sick and then posted photos of himself at a Halloween party, the Eagles employee who should have kept his commentary to himself instead of posting his feelings to Facebook, and of course the professor whose Facebook statuses have been construed as threats against students. More and more it seems that the web is the place we turn to reveal ourselves. Behind a computer screen it's easy to feel invisible, when the truth is that we've laid clear digital trails concerning our interests, amassed scores of followers, and now can broadcast our location with the push of a button. We're anything but anonymous.

An article on CNET talks about the growth of Generation X-hibitionist, who according to Harris Interactive have few concerns about privacy and the Internet: 59 percent were happy to provide personal information to marketers. Compare this data to 1998, when 80% of people cited privacy concerns as a obstacle to shopping online. And digital and social media developers are encouraging this new-found comfort level:

At a technology conference in January, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told his audience that Internet users don't care as much about privacy anymore. The 25-year old said that, in the seven years since he started the company, "people have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people—and that social norm is just something that has evolved over time." Zuckerberg defended the company's decision in December to push users to reveal more, saying "we decided that these would be the social norms now and we just went for it." 

Thinking back to "earlier" days, digital sociality seemed in many ways to encourage individuality while protecting identity. You could create multiple screen names to cater to different aspects of your personality and keep them all separate if you so chose. (Sex fiend by night, book worm by day? Or vice versa? No one needed to know!) The emergence of avatars further encouraged this. Green skin, pink hair, surf clothes—if those attributes presented a closer representation to who you felt you were, you were free to roam cyber-space in your new skin. This removed some of the limitations we may experience in the physical world in terms of expressing ourselves—I don't think my coworkers would look at me the same if I showed up wearing green face paint.

[Avatar screen for MSN Minimise Me. © MSN]

So Zuckerberg may be right. It appears that we have been moving in this direction for some time because diminished privacy standards encourage a truer representation of who a person is. And perhaps these relaxed rules about representation online are crossing over into the physical world in the form of a more relaxed view about personal representation. Perhaps some time in the near future it'll be okay if I decide I want to wear green face paint all the time—it wouldn't raise any eyebrows on the street, people would still sit next to me on public transportation, and I wouldn't get referred to HR for an evaluation. But we're not there yet. And until that time, perhaps what we are perceiving as relaxed rules about online privacy is an attempt to author an authentic self online?

Blog News

Hello, dear readers! Thank you all for joining me during my adventures in New York City. I'm taking a moment to touch base with you all and invite you to "delurk"—say hello, let me know what interests you, what you're doing in your corner of the world, etc.

I also want to talk about some upcoming posts that are "tumble-weeding" through my mind:

• As the weather warms up and the snow becomes a distant memory, I hope to resume some of my neighborhood explorations. I've got the Five Points, Central Park, and a few neighborhoods in the other boroughs on my list which will bring us back to discussions about the past in the present.

• Updates to some of the landscape changes I've noted on here previously—the city is planning an aquatic carousel in the Battery Park, which should be interesting to watch unfold.

• More ruminations on digital and social media. I would like to introduce you more to the academic literature and will be making more of an attempt to connect you with the articles and books I'm reading.

• And of course, continued explorations of how the past and technology are intersecting daily life.

So I hope you'll continue visit and that you'll continue to share your ideas with me. Cheers!

If Thieves Can Do It So Can You: A Case for the Potential of Social Media

The story about the New York City bike messenger who used Twitter to find his stolen bike has been making the rounds on the Internet. Also making the digital rounds of late is the website PleaseRobMe.com, which is a glorified Twitter list of people who choose to disclose that they aren't home. The theory behind this site is that people are all too willing to share information on social media sites and give little thought to how this information might be harvested and used. In this case, would-be thieves could case this list and identify prime targets to burglarize. For me, PleaseRobMe.com both raises an important point regarding the digital management of personal information, and adds to the uncertainty surrounding the role and use of digital media in our lives. Yes, we need to be aware of what we're sharing and the digital image it creates (i.e., your digital persona), but fear of using this technology will only increase its misuse and delay its proper implementation in daily life. The bike messenger story adds a nice balance to this view.

Digital and social media are here to stay, and are quickly changing the ways we interact and connect with each other. Fear or mistrust of social media, if not properly countered with education, will not detract from its reach, but will impact the quality of the interactions. Discussions concerning netiquette are important, as is an awareness concerning how shared information can be used and how to properly manage and control different aspects of personal networks. Fear and uncertainty minimizes the user's ability to wield the social web effectively. The power of connectivity is immense and the lesson that it can hurt you is not something that should be overlooked, but users should not forget that they have the upper hand right now: As businesses scramble to understand the social web audience, it is the users who are in the position to guide the development of this technology as something that will be meaningful to them and not something that they are fed as part of a marketing tool. As a result, shying away from this technology without learning how to awaken its potential forces the user to relinquish ownership of his or her network, which opens the user up to external interlopers.

The bike messenger story demonstrates how connectivity can be mobilized—it's a story where the potential power of the social web shines through. Hopefully users can take away the message that we are a community that is united virtually, but with a very physical presence in the world. It reduces the strangeness of strangers in a world where we are taught that mistrust is the norm. While proper precautions should be taken to safeguard sensitive information, the social web is a source for information as well as support. If the idea that you only connect to people you have an interest in holds true, then your network is one that cares about your well-being. So if you lose your bike, or your book, or something of greater value, or need advice or a recommendation, because your network is invested in you, you'll activate a group of people who want to help you find a resolution. This raises the issue of network management, which I  believe is actually key to the strength and survival of the social web. Network management does away with auto-following and friending everyone you met at happy hour last night. It means making meaningful connections, and creating a holding pattern for people you may want to give greater access to your life. Until users learn how to actively manage the members of their network—to draw distinctions between the different tiers of connections via privacy settings—the individual's social network will be inefficient and weak. 

Social media is not to be feared. If would-be thieves can harness the power of the social web, there's no reason users cannot claim this same power for their own purposes. We cannot afford not to understand this technology, both personally and professionally.

How do you see the social web evolving in the future? What will it take to raise an awareness of netiquette and social power via the web?

Hubble 3D—The Final Cut

A few months ago, I enthusiastically reported that I thought the IMAX feature HUBBLE 3D would allow theater-goers to claim a piece of the telescope for themselves and get a glimpse into a world that they would not otherwise experience. Tonight I was able to view the final cut of the documentary and while it was still exciting and my statement proved to be be an accurate assessment, some of the promise held in the raw footage was unfortunately lost during editing. The shuttle launch still fills you with anticipation; the crew's excitement is still palpable; the images from HUBBLE are still breathtaking; and the repairs to the telescope still capture your imagination. However, serious science buffs may feel that the documentary comes up a bit short. As one audience member commented at the end, "It didn't tell me anything new."

The film does provide a cosmic adventure—though some may find it better suited for a grade school science class than a mature audience. While I can agree with this evaluation, I think it's probably a good introduction for the general public to HUBBLE and space exploration. It does a lot in terms of making science accessible to the public at large by opening doors that have been previously unreachable. I mean, when's the next time you're going to get to tag along as astronauts perform repairs on an important scientific instrument in space? If you think it might be awhile, then you might want to grab the family and check out HUBBLE 3D. 

If anyone does check it out (release date: March 19th), I'd love to hear your perspective—particularly in the vein of whether this is an appropriate tool/medium for giving science public exposure.

Food Cart Vendors Get Hip to Digital Media

I pass any number of breakfast vendors in the morning. From eggs and bacon to buttered rolls and bagels with cream cheese to oatmeal to coffee—oh, the heavenly smell of coffee (which I only drink maybe once or twice a week)—the carts and trucks that line the sidewalks, sometimes two or three to a block, are responsible for feeding a good majority of this city in the morning. Some also do lunch duty. And it's not always a case of one side fits all. These vendors offer slight differences: For example, a husband and wife team serve tortas, another offers Turkish coffee, and another makes a gigantic breakfast wrap with egg whites, cheese, tomatoes, and possibly avocado. (It's always seemed a bit too big of a breakfast for me, so I haven't actually tried it.)  

 [Above: The Love Truck serves up coffee with the Beatles and other favorites playing in the background.]

But there is one that has come to stand out because the husband and wife team offer something I haven't seen before: They have a sign inviting people to text message their orders! So you're sitting on the train trying to stave off those lingering waves of sleepiness when someone boards with a large cup of coffee. Suddenly, heads snap up, people sit up a little straighter, and an almost audible sigh sweeps through the car—I've both seen and experienced this phenomena first hand. Now that you've been teased fully awake by the aroma of freshly brewed caffeine, you want a cup too. And you're thinking of how you'll have to either stop and get a cup or make do with the office sludge—er, coffee. Well, what if when you got off at your stop (or maybe even while you were in the subway tunnels and had a cell phone signal for a brief moment), you texted your order to a breakfast vendor and it was waiting for you to pick up as you scurry to your office?

Okay, admittedly, this isn't exactly new. Several nearby food establishments accept orders placed over the web or via fax. However, this is the first instance I've encountered of a street vendor trying to attract business in this way. And it's exciting because it means that the trickle of digital and social media is indeed filtering through society. Is this going to revolutionize breakfast? No, but it's a sign of how the social order is changing—adapting—to reflect a new social norm. Digital and social media is changing the way we interact with each other, and our expectations regarding turn-around times. By implementing this service, this particular vendor is catering to the culture of this city. First, he's tuned into a medium that most people can access and understand, and linked himself to them with it. Second, he's reduced wait-time, or at least he's attempting to reduce wait time. Presumably, if you text your order, you can bypass the line and just pay and go. A person who's running late isn't likely to wait online. With this extra service, he's added the potential to keep the business and create a loyal customer base. It's a smart strategy. [Left: A vendor advertises Turkish coffee.]

Have you placed an order for food recently via Twitter, the web, or any other way using digital/social media? Are these options available where you live? And would you use them if they were? Talk to me—how does this compare to your neck of the woods?