Route To Becoming A Cyber-Flaneur

 Image: Cyber-flaneur

Commencing from week three’s lectures and set readings that discussed power, space and place, this week’s discussion furthers the perception of space and place within the notion of maps. The concept of maps represents what someone captures, it reflects what one see or has seen. And as mentioned in the lecture slides “maps are both mirrors and shapers of place and space…maps serve a purpose” (Kuttainen, 2017). Maps can be of a virtual space and not just as an actual place. However while the actual place may have limits to exploration within the boundaries of its map, the cyber-space has no limit ‘as it as no fixed boundaries in time or space’ (Barnes, 1997).

‘Cyber-space is an alternate geography that needs to be seen, witnessed, and experienced in order to exist‘…‘it exists only as a cognitive map’ (Ibid).  As participants in the cyber-space, everyone creates  their own map ; A map in which they had cognitively shaped and obliviously follow it as the ideal route  for travelling the virtual social networking space.  When entering that cyber-space, there is a sense of freedom to roam, but there is also the sensation of being watched. Much like the notion of the ‘Panopticon prison’ (Turkle,1995), there is the notion of a flaneur; in this case a cyber-flaneur. Hence drawing on Prouty’s ‘Turtle on a Leash’ blog and Barnes essay, a flaneur as discussed emerged from the overcrowding of an urban area and ‘urbanism’. Whilst a cyber-flaneur is a modernised anonymous (flaneurs) that ‘has the best view of cyberspace’ (Barnes, 1997).

Nonetheless a flaneurs is always unidentified in both the virtual cyber-space and in the real world.  A cyber-flaneur moves around the cyber-space as a spectator, it watches the movements of others with no intention of any involvement. Anyone can become a cyber-flaneur.

Thus, cyber-flaneurs are freelancing in every sort of virtual social networks; networks such as eHarmony. The organisation itself is a large modern network of cyber-space, observing and creating a cognitive map for the very purpose   to create a link  between compatible individuals. Yet the guarantee that every member of eHarmony will be compatible with another often does not pass, hence the emergence of cyber-flaneur. After a period of waiting for the “one”, many take the role of a cyber-flaneur and observe other individuals search for their match.  One may be constantly travelling on this virtual social network  of eHarmony, with the belief that somewhere within the realm of cyber-space, there is a compatible partner while others observe. Nevertheless many have come to comprehend that this established network in the cyber-space is classified as a “commodity fetishism’ (Barnes, 1997) that offers a different kinds of experience for  human interaction and connections.

In the end, the desire for experiences  gives power to web sites control by becoming powerful gatekeepers (eHarmony), formulating ‘strategies that attempt to control space whilst also conveying a sense of user-generated content, user empowerment’ (Kuttainen, 2017) which draws more people into becoming an active participant of the organisation even though  there is likely chance of members becoming cyber-flaneur rather than participants.

By Jelintha Koyaiye  

References

Morozov, Evgeny (2015).  The Death of the Cyberflaneur [Image of painting].N/A; Synthetic Zero. Retrieved from https://syntheticzero.net/2015/11/16/the-death-of-the-cyberflaneur-by-evgeny-morozov/

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 4 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/

Barnes, G. (1997). ‘Passage of the Cyber-Flaneur. (p.p.1 & 5). Otago, USA: Otago University. Retrieved from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html

Turkle, S. (1995) ‘Life on the Screen; Identity in the Age of the Internet’. New York, London, Toronto and Sydney : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks

Prouty, R. (2008, October 28). A Turtle on a Leach  [One-Way Street]. Retrieved from http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html

Stephen, B.  (2013, October 17). In Praise of the Flanuer. The Paris Review.  Retrieved from https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2013/10/17/in-praise-of-the-flaneur/

Pauwels and Hellriegel (2009) “Strategic and tactical uses of internet design and infrastructure: the case of YouTube”” quote. In Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 4 notes [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/