Monday, August 22, 2005

Online mugging - whatever next?

Well here is a fascinating news story. It seems that a canny young Chinese student has further interweaved social pursuits across on and offline spaces. Online mugging indeed!!! and then the conversion of virtual artefacts into real life lolly. This surely will inflame critics of children's computer games further. I mean OBVIOUSLY the very wicked act of playing this game incited the act of mugging in the first place.

Perversely, I think that it shows remarkable ingenuity - even if it is an immoral act. And at least no one got hurt. Infact, I think I will support online mugging as a preferable alternative to the use of knives and fists - until we do have some laws to govern the trading of virtual possessions.

The concept of virtual possessions is quite cool isn't it.

I am now trying to think of all my virtual possessions: my Blog obviously. Perhaps my comments on other people's blogs. Yes, they must be possessions because they do hold value don't they? After all, that poor wee lass in America was sacked for her defamatory postings. So blog postings must be possessions of sorts. Emails? Flickr images?

Now, I do know that in academic circles, the issue of ownership is not new - but I am enjoying having simple thoughts about it today.
Link

10 Comments:

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10:28 AM  
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10:56 AM  
Blogger Clare said...

So fed up with the spam that I now require verification for comments. Sorry to be a bore... but let's see how it goes.

12:47 PM  
Blogger Joolz said...

Gosh poor you. I don't get spam on Blogger but have loads everyday on my Blogtrax blog.

8:06 PM  
Blogger Joolz said...

Anyway; this is a VERY interesting post. Thinking about the idea of blogs as being items to own etc.

This is very good and not simple at all Simply Clare.

8:07 PM  
Blogger Internet Street Philosopher said...

Wow, so that means if someone posts excerpts from my blog which aren't approved by me, I can sue them? Sweet!

9:08 PM  
Blogger Clare said...

Thank you Dr Joolz - my excuse is that I was supposed to be writing leaver reports! and hello all the way across the pond to Street Philosopher. I am not sure if you can sue them yet - but I guess it might come to this. Are we coming round to a form of censorship perhaps? Ishis a new form of symbolic violence?
Possibly a good time to get into virtual litigation. Let me know how the su(e)ing goes.

10:02 PM  
Blogger Red said...

Blog comment ownership is something that's been bothering me too actually. I'm writing a play based on The Virgin Student Blog (http://www.virginstudent.blogspot.com) and I think it's very important to include some of the comments that people left as they were a driving force in the development of the character but I'm not quite sure whether or not I have the right to use them. I can't ask permission from most of the commentators as, probably because of the sensitive nature of the blog, they were left anonymously.

4:35 PM  
Blogger Clare said...

Hi Sha. Thanks for your comment.
I am going to read TVSB tomorrow. I have to ration myself as I can be rather compulsive and then matrimonial situations occur due to neglect of husband.
Anyway... how fabulous that you are writing a play around blogging. If you visit Dr Joolz's site, you will see that a novel has been published using the blog format - you may already know it.
How are you going to create an online/offline setting on stage - I am intrigued as I am SO interested in how identity is constructed across on and offline spaces. Please let me know.
Who is the play for, and do you have plans for it to be performed -or is it still in a conceptual stage?

I guess that if people have left anonymous comments, they can't be knowingly defamed - but it is tricky territory. Can you put a disclaimer at the beginning like they do in films?

9:44 PM  
Blogger Clare said...

Hi Sha. Thanks for your comment.
I am going to read TVSB tomorrow. I have to ration myself as I can be rather compulsive and then matrimonial situations occur due to neglect of husband.
Anyway... how fabulous that you are writing a play around blogging. If you visit Dr Joolz's site, you will see that a novel has been published using the blog format - you may already know it.
How are you going to create an online/offline setting on stage - I am intrigued as I am SO interested in how identity is constructed across on and offline spaces. Please let me know.
Who is the play for, and do you have plans for it to be performed -or is it still in a conceptual stage?

I guess that if people have left anonymous comments, they can't be knowingly defamed - but it is tricky territory. Can you put a disclaimer at the beginning like they do in films?

9:44 PM  

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