Sex & Longing & Web 2.0–My talk at Gnomedex (Susan Mernit)
Jun 29th, 2024 by Viviane
I’m going to be talking about sex and relationships at Gnomedex this year–specifically about the bloggers, vbloggers, podcasters and photographers who are using Web 2.0 tools to give voice to their longings and experiences with a vitality unmatched since the Victorian era– and the communities forming around these topics.
This isn’t a talk about porn, though much of this work is erotic; it’s a talk about how digital identities (masked and cloaked in many cases) have enabled regular people–many of them geeks–to build a frank and authentic shadow world focused on free expression, sharing, and sexual celebration–and to connect with one another.
Some of the questions that interest me on a high level:
–How do we think about personal stories, erotica and porn in the framework of participatory media?
–Who is writing and creating in this realm and what motivates them?
–Given the huge business of porn online, where do these creators fit into the hierarchy?
On a personal level, and as a blogger, I also want to talk about this set of questions:
–How do we all interact with and experience bloggers whose sexually frank or personally honest blogs defy standard norms of *polite* society?
–What are we comfortable exposing about ourselves–and what do we keep back or cloak?
–Is authenticity different when sex is involved?
–Outing: Many sex-positive bloggers have been outed; hacked, attacked–what does this say about cyber standards and our digital communities?
This will be a discussion, not a lecture; I’m eager both to share thoughts and stories and to hear from conference attendees about their thoughts on authentic voice, personal sexuality online, privacy and toolsets that make it all possible.
Feel free to post comments/ideas/links here–looking forward to seeing you all at Gnomedex.
Tags: bloggers, media, privacy, sex, tes
Dagnabbit! What is the world led me to you today, three days late? I would have loved to have been present at your Gnomedex discussion right here in my home town! Ergh, the frustrations of having missed it.
I hope you’ll post some results from your experiences at Gnomedex. Your voice is frank and honest. And your questions regarding disclosure in the cyber world are important to community/cultural evolution. Is the cloak a deception or a protection or something entirely else? What was the result of that conversation?
I haven’t made the jump to a publically consumed blog – not sure that’s my aim – but I admire the talent and stamina it takes to speak to the public. Your voice is a welcome addition to my favorites.
Your unmet pal,
GG