Post on 12-Mar-2020
In defense of eavesdropping: Twi2er as conversa4on, not self-‐indulgence
Shannon Sindorf PhD student, Journalism and Mass Communica6on
University of Colorado @shannonsindorf
Presenta4on for Theorizing the Web 2013
The “self-‐indulgence” frame
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
Social media are thought of as performances
Par4cipa4on in social media is oGen considered a self-‐indulgence
Twi2er carries the baggage
of Facebook
The “conversa4on” frame
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
A be2er frame with which to view Twi2er is to see it as a broad conversa4on
года з канвеера Ніжагародскага аўтамабільнага завода (сышоў першы грузавы аўтамабіль НАЗ-‐АА[ Першыя тры з паловай тысячы машын НАЗ-‐АА з-‐за недахопу штампавальнага абсталявання былі выпушчаныя з драўлянай кабінай.
Überprüfe anschließend bioe auch die weiteren Beiträge des Benutzers – wenn jemand eine. Hört der Benutzer trotz Ansprache mache den Fall auf der Vandalismusmeldung bekannt.
Oes, os wnawn ni gychwyn sgwennu erthyglau! Mae yna hefyd
gynlluniau gan Wici Cymru i hyfforddi golygyddion, a bydd cyhoeddiad am hyn cyn hir.
Überprüfe anschließend bioe auch die weiteren Beiträge des Benutzers –. Vandalismusmeldung bekannt.
Oes, os wnawn ni gychwyn sgwennu golygyddion, a bydd cyhoeddiad am hyn
cyn hir.
Conversa4on in Democracy
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
Delibera4ve democracy theory: Democracy works primarily not through formal processes such as vo4ng, but through the debate and discussion that precede vo4ng
Twi2er can be one venue for that crucial,
informal delibera4on
What we gain when we see Twi2er as a conversa4on
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
The “self-‐indulgence” frame is a hindrance to conversa4on
Twee4ng is not (necessarily) a self-‐indulgence, but rather the taking of one’s turn
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
On Twi2er, eavesdropping is invited but
unacknowledged
Eavesdropping is not an an4-‐social act, but a
pro-‐social one
Eavesdropping on Twi2er
Good and bad conversa4on
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
A lot of online conversa4on is
very bad conversa4on
A “conversa4on” frame allows us to dis4nguish between good and bad forms of conversa4on
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
We need to acknowledge and talk about the fact that we’re in a conversa4on if it’s going to be a produc4ve one
Irony and self-‐reflexivity are tools of meta-‐conversa4on
Meta-‐conversa4on
# A conversa4on is more than a hashtag
Discourse analysis and cri4cal discourse analysis are great
methods to use to analyze Twi2er-‐as-‐conversa4on
DA and CDA will likely need to be more autoethnographic—mass media methods won’t work on Twi2er
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
Twi2er and scholarship
Shannon Sindorf v In Defense of Eavesdropping v Theorizing the Web 2013 v @shannonsindorf
Benhabib. S. (2002). The Claims of Culture: Equality and Diversity in the Global Era. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Mansbridge, J. (2012). Everyday talk in the delibera4ve system. In Barker, D. W. M., N. McAfee, & D. W. McIvor (Eds.), Democra<zing Delibera<on: Poli<cal Theory Anthology. Dayton, OH: Ke2ering Founda4on Press. Marwick, A.E. & boyd, d. (2010). I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twi2er users, context collapse, and the imagined audience. New Media & Society, 13(1), 114-‐133. Van Den Eede, Y. (2010). ‘‘Conversa4on of mankind’’ or ‘‘idle talk’’?: a pragma4st approach to social networking sites. Ethics of Informa<on Technology, 12, 195-‐206.
Selected References