Re: <nettime> Facebook

[Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>]

On Mon, 4 Nov 2019, mp wrote:

> On 03/11/2019 20:36, Alan Sondheim wrote:
> > The loss is more important to me
>
> > On Sun, 3 Nov 2019, Frederic Neyrat wrote:
> > > 1/ FB enables to create a "community," that's good for sure;?
> > > 2/ but in the same time, it destroys?the condition of the possibility of
> > > community/togetherness/Gemeinwesen/?tre-ensemble, etc.
>
> Individual, particular and hence relatively short term perspective and
> context (Alan's) vs. collective, abstract and hence relatively long term
> perspective and context (Frederic's).
>
> A common disjuncture.

What disturbs me here is the assumption of passivity "relatively short 
term perspective" for example. Unless you know my work, read my posts, 
etc., you have no idea how long my perspective is. I've run talkers, a 
MOO, conferencing in IRC years ago, CuSeeMe, and on and on. I've taught 
courses in internet culture from 1995 on. And one of the things that keeps 
me generally from posting on nettime, is its own toxicity, these constant 
presumptions about one another, about the world, etc. And re: below, there 
is no "on the one hand, on the other hand" - the issue is far more complex 
as is people's usage of Fb or other platforms (for example email lists 
themselves). So "email is also shit"?

I know a hell of a lot of free jazz musicians who work through Fb, fight 
racism, and take advantage of the platform. I know people who have found 
community on Fb that is absent for them in rl. I've participated in 
courses taught on Fb. I've engaged in political action on the platform. I 
don't expect purity anywhere; I never have. And one person's purity can be 
another person's hell. I'm appalled at Fb's policies but also given that 
the platform has between 1 and 2.4 billion users, the sociality is far 
greater (and far more diverse and interesting) than its public image.

Alan


> It is a complex issue. On the one hand it makes sense to adjust your
> means to the ends you desire. Be the change you want to see and all that.
>
> On the other hand, it could be seen as a form of neoliberalisation when
> the responsibility for the future of the system is distributed to
> individuals - and at the end of the day, it is impossible to live in
> this planetary urbanisation without acting in destructive ways, so we
> all have to cut corners. Email is also shit for the web of life we are
> entangled in.

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