contemplating cyberculture, dystopia vs utopia and some of the arguments presented in the rading I can;t help but feel the need to ask  myself the question is it really possible to have evolve a cyberculture. I can't help but thin that whilst I sit at my computer posting inofrmation and files and blogs and working with a variety of programmes what am I really concerned about from a cultural persepcetive that is.  I can only think that what seems to be important is that I follow certain protocols and rules that would enable my informatio to reach its destination.

initially, I could not get into the filem festival videos , I didn't know what I was supposed to be looking for, and was not feeling anything, had no intuitin about what was actually going on. however it was not until the final two videos that it really struck me -even the blue fairy cannot work miracles. what are the miracles? making the boy feel and be human.

this seems to be the themes running through the videos. human senses , sadness, joy, shame..... etc cannot be felt by digital creations no matter how much music we attach to the videos

 music evokes feelings in us that can make us think these digital creatures are experiencing human emotions but surely we must fully appreciate that the creations cannot actually feel .

would we feel the same way viewing the videos wothout music....it is likely you might watch faces more closely looking for an expression which indicates an emotion. or you might look at the eyes - as with the cyberpunk. searching for a clue as to whats going on emotionally and make a judgement.as to what is going on.

Just about to start recording my thoughts about my chosen community when have just heard on the news that  young person found dead on Monday evening meeting up with a man she met on facebook! This is really shocking and terribly sad for the families concerned.  What makes a young person meet up with a total stranger? 

the fact that this stranger was a virtual 'friend' initially is probably crucial. there was likely to have been a series of friendly chats in the first instance, chats whereby the girl felt as if she had got to know the other person.

I might be controversial in my views but I don't think keeping young people away from facebook or any IM/social networking site will stop this kind of thing happening. It needs to be about educating the children and young people surely. I believe this awful situation would have happened even if the young person had met her killer in a cafe.  

This predator won't be wearing a badge or have horns he will be charming, otherwise the young person would not have agreed to meet him in the first place. So there needs to be more education of young people to be less trusting of strangers no matter what. I have no reall answer but I do feel that the social networking available to young people can have more benefits than disadvantages.

  will come back to ethnograhic ramblings later - on way to hosp!!