Readings 1: Digital Photography and Social Networking

• In reading Danah Boyd’s first article on “Viewing American class division…” I felt as though she lacked a lot of professionalism. Although she warns it’s primarily ‘just what she sees,’ I felt she some of her points were made crudely. As a result, I instantly questioned her authority on the subject she was writing.
• Ironically,  in reading “Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?,” she instantly spoke with a poise and credibility she otherwise did not imply in her first article. So this had me curious as to why someone with a PhD would publish something publicly that was too casual for comfort?

• In Friend Game, the very popular story around Megan’s suicide is discussed at looked at. This event to me has always been very ‘on the fence,’ so to speak. In reading about it more closely, one must wonder is this story a one time horror story or is it foreshadowing?

• “Here I am Taking My Own Picture,” is an excellent article, however it’s nothing ground breaking to me. As an experienced myspace/facebook user, I was never a stranger to self portraits that would be unique/creative/above the rest.  Personally, I feel the older generations are just exposing things that anyone who’s been involved already knows.

Questions:

1. When looking at Danah Boyd’s “Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and Myspace,” did you feel there was her OWN racial/socio-economic bias throughout the article?
2. Why do you think there were such different tones in how Danah Boyd makes her point in her readings “Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and Myspace,” and “Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?”
3. After reading, “Animal Game,” who do you think is really responsible for Megan’s suicide?
4. In “Here I Am Taking My Own Picture,” they raise the point that facebook/myspace profile pictures are less photography and more about communication: how do you feel about that?