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Exercise 3: Experiment
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reminder:
ZONES OF EMERGENCY: heartbreaks/feeling close/feeling connected/feeling lonely.
New technologies and web based forums are provoking shifts in our social dynamics. Relationships that are being made between people on the web are based on the absence of the other. In this way the relationship is anonymous almost narcissistic
(as if the reflective plane of the monitor was a mirror.) Absence, dependance and loneliness are inherent to this exchange. The zone of emergency that I choose to define in this context is therefore "feeling close/feeling connected/feeling lonely," the way the single anonymous individual navigates the decentralized community.
3 possible PROJECTS, which one to choose?
This week I began experienting by offering my help over the medium of the internet.
As I began prompting the participation of my audience I finally understood how I will need to pose the invitation to this project in a way that guides the input from my audience. Unable to know in what way I could be most useful to my audience I chose to make 3 sample groups and study their responses.
2 of the groups were volunteers posed with a slightly different question and I chose a 3rd ( non-volunteer) group from Craigslist.
PROJECT ONE: iwanttomakeuscloser.com
> sample group one:
The invitation extended to sample group one is to ask me for help in their relationships:
From the question: "Can I help you", Here are the responses I received:
Can you tell R to have a little more patience and that things will work out if we just try a little harder. and that i love him very much."
Please tell my friend Brooke that I picked up a quarter smack in the middle of the street the other day--it was a Wyoming coin, and made me smile. It's been four years since we've seen each other.
Can you help me... Convince Adrian to move to Brooklyn ;-)
PROJECT TWO: iwanttohelpyou.com
>sample group two is broader, i invited them to ask me for help of any kind in their life :
From the question: "Can I help you", Here are the responses I received:
can you find me a good and cheap yoga class?
can you find me a summer job?
can you find me a good hair stylist?
can you find me a good hair product that will make my hair less frizzy?
make my thesis
can you help me draw pictures more?
put my life in order.
bring all my friends closer to me so we can all live in the same neighborhood that is a combination neighborhood of where they live now, and where i live.
help me help my dad feel better/good/happy.
calibrate the monitors on my mac mini and my laptop.
PROJECT 3: iwanttohelpyou.com ifuckingmissu.com
Is a selection of postings from craigslist's missed connections
BERNIE - w4m
Reply to: pers-609353446@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-03-17, 4:24PM EDT
WE SEE YOU WALKING AROUND THE COMPLEX. WE ALL THINK THAT YOU ARE HOT AND SEXY. WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE VERY MARRIED AS YOU HAVE STATED, WISH YOU WERN'T. I AM ONE OF THE YOUNG BLONDE'S THAT WATCH YOU DURING THE DAY. GUESS WHO.
* Location: NEWPORT HALL OF FAME
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Laundry Club on Friday eve....Beauty in scrubs - m4w - 29
Reply to: pers-609340995@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-03-17, 4:13PM EDT
Well I thought I would at least get through the weekend without thinking of your smile but it is way too cute and it made me smile on Sat and Sun!
You: Had on hospital scrubs and drove a white car.
You were on your phone and thats not an "approach" time in my book. But when you were off I was folding my unmentionables and I couldn't figure out how it would be if i was to turn around, strike up a conversation while holding the boxers!
* Location: Providence
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Reply to: pers-609317775@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-03-17, 3:53PM EDT
You were standing at the teller counter around 3:15 this afternoon.. your hair, was brown and just long enough to curl a little. You glanced and smiled as I walked up to the counter... as I was walking past you to leave.. you again smiled and absolutely melted me with those eyes and that smile when you said hello! You made my heart skip a couple beats and I haven't felt that "feeling" in a very long time. I would love to know who you are... the chance to meet you for coffee... I know you probably won't see this, but a girl can dream and wish, right!?
* Location: Downtown Providence
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
My hopes, dreams & fears for the project?
a cloud, a collective story, a warm feeling, a better place.
& thanks to Marcos, I am testing these ideas here. (check it out)
& making responses here.
& testing a new site called tellmesomething.
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