Friday, January 22, 2010
Virtual Space Blog #2 475
My obscure existence in the virtual world may be a little odd to some. I scuttle about on Face Book but dislike the format. I like my friends! I am constantly bombarded by invites to games, trivia, responses to cards, and other stuff. I don’t have the time. I also thrive in the political arenas at time, blogging or exchanging ideas (complaining, grassroots) about the rights of America. I express ideals on Roseanne Barr’s forum, Obama’s, Canada (when they listen to me), and many others. I withdraw pending the flow of issues that are present or no longer important on the mainstream. Does that mean I am not interested? I lose the responsiveness when there is a shift in the news or my time is taken elsewhere. Where I thrive the most is in the mechanical world of Thumper (Motorcycles), Ford Tech, Suzuki Forum, Writer’s digest, Scriptwriting, Honda tech, NW Explorers, Rock hounding, Prospectors, and other outdoor stuff. My interactions mainly have to do with technical support, sharing fabrication ideas, supporting backyard mechanics, and learning old-school techniques for rebuilding cars and bikes. I chat with the geology explorers and learn and share about mining practices, exploring historical mines, and ore values in the mining districts. What separates me from other social realms and friends are the types of virtual groups I hang with. Women are a rarity within these groups and often are not accepted unless they can demonstrate an aptitude of some type. That is unfortunate as it makes it almost exclusionary, and veers off the mainstream. I feel isolated as well. The barriers to these communities are obvious for the most part. Your lack of interest in these hobbies would be a huge barrier. The other thing is that having some knowledge to communicate in specialty areas such as Geology or mechanics. Some do however support newcomers with a desire to learn!
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One of the issues we have discussed in the digital divide is literacy and in this case it's the pervasiveness of many a narrow minded male that thinks that a woman can't have the same skill sets as he can. Too bad too, because I can find my way around a kitchen, laundry room and classroom. But I was not as accepted in the PTA, cheerleading camps and get surprises when I am adept in the kitchen. Even though it's virtual, we are all still human.
ReplyDeleteForums are a good example of virtual communities with distributed community members.
ReplyDeleteforums are a great way to communicate and relay information to others, and is a great place to either argue your point of view (which cams make more power) or for newbies to get on there and fill their head with what sounds best to them and the build they are planning on doing. and on a good forum like hondatech you can find almost all the information you need, and if your not sure about something it is a good starting point
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog! Learning about your virtual community was interesting, and what really stook out to me was about your motorcycle interest! Sounds awesome! But how you mentioned that women arent always accepted as well as men in these communities is very unfortunate! But it sounds like youve been fitting in well and really know your stuff : )
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