The Nonhuman Community and Technology
For an upper level undergraduate anthropology course I'm in, I've decided to do an ethnography documenting the nonhuman community and their use of technology to create and mantain community.
This project is not about nonhuman identity. While the exploration of identity will come into play, I am not here to explain or document us. Instead, I am looking at how different online platforms (IRC, forums, social media, etc.) impact how we form community and how changes in this technology go on to change the community itself.
This research will not be published. It will be presented to my class at the end of the semester and then shared online (likely on this page here) for those in the community to see. This is being done under the guidance of my professor and is being held to ethical standards.
What is the point of this?
My goal is to see how the online landscape impacts how we communicate. Do algorithms on TikTok make it harder to form a connection with others? What are the benifits and drawbacks of more closed-off communities like discord servers or forums? What changes in online community formation happen because of a change over time vs. a change in technology?
Why the nonhuman community?
I chose the nonhuman community for this project for multiple reasons. First and foremost, my familiarity with it. I am already here, it is easy for me to access. But... so are a ton of other online communities. The nonhuman community is wonderful for this in particular because of how old it is. This is easily one of the longest-standing communities online. We have been here since the birth of the internet, since the early 1970s for sure, at least. What a great opprotunity to watch a community change with technology! The nonhuman community also loves to document themselves and be documented. We love a survey, a census, and a good-faith project documenting our experiences. I was confident that there would be a population who'd be excited to help me out with this project, and I was right?
Can I be apart of this?
If you are over the age of 18, yes. I will be conducting interviews and a survey. Ideally, the interviews will be done via voice chat or call, however I am willing to conduct email interviews for those who are unable or unwilling to communicate over call.
What information will you need from me?
A promise that you are over the age of 18, a way for me to contact you (however you prefer), a name I can call you, and some information about your online experience. I do not need your legal name or any other form of legal identification.
Do I need to do both the interview AND the survey?
No. You can do only one, or you can do both. You do not have to do anything you don't want to.
What other things can I do to help with this?
Word of mouth is the best tool I have. Reposting my posts and reaching out to any communities that you're in would be greatly appreciated. Finding individuals to talk to is the hardest part of this all!
The survey is not out yet, and I am yet to start conducting interviews. This page will be updated when this changes!
If you have any questions or concerns about this project, you can reach out to me at actualamadeus@proton.me
If you have already expressed interest, then you do not need to reach out to me again. But if this is something you're interested in and you're yet to talk to me about it, please do! You can either reach out to me on social media or email me at the address above!