Papers by Abigail De Kosnik
Social Movements, Cultural Memory, and Digital Media, edited by Samuel Merrill, Emily Keightley, and Priska Dephi, 2020
In this chapter, we examine how a range of American transgender (which we abbreviate as ‘trans’) ... more In this chapter, we examine how a range of American transgender (which we abbreviate as ‘trans’) communities, events, and cultural productions have been transmediated—that is, adapted and transformed—into live events, independent and studio films, television series, news stories, online crowdfunding campaigns, and social media controversies.
I n November 1969, an SDS Sigma 7 computer at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an S... more I n November 1969, an SDS Sigma 7 computer at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an SDS 940 computer at Stanford were connected via telephone for the fi rst permanent host-to-host connection of ARPANET, the US Department of Defense's project to build a dispersed computer network. 1 This initial connection would grow over the coming years to form the physical and logistical infrastructure of what eventually became known as the internet, encompassing technologies and technological discourses at the global level. Along the way, new communication systems, codes, and protocols were developed (and just as important, evangelized) that fundamentally recast the functions and expectations of media culture. Like almost every other endeavor in advanced societies over the past few decades, fi lm and media studies has long relied on the internet for its basic operation, but it has yet to fully acknowledge, understand, or incorporate the internet as such into its fundamental scope. I prompted the contributors of this In Focus to use the fi ftieth anniversary of ARPANET's connection to explore concepts and uses that the internet has fostered that challenge, expand, and illuminate our fi eld in signifi cant ways. These essays argue that the fi eld should regard the internet not only as a conduit for audiovisual texts and their related discourses but also, regardless of its "content," as a system of technical aff ordances, policies, and discourses that has long shaped and will continue to shape the parameters of media and politics.
[0.1] Abstract-Three fan productions are analyzed that delve into the question of what the Philip... more [0.1] Abstract-Three fan productions are analyzed that delve into the question of what the Philippines and the United States have meant to one another, what the nature of their multifaceted involvement has been for more than a century, what Filipinos feel about the United States of America, and what Americans feel about the Philippines. Fan art and fan fiction are often laden with affect because it is the fact that fan creators are so affected by their favorite media texts that leads them to create fan works in the first place, and that makes their fellow fans, who understand the affects that inspire them, appreciate their works so deeply. Fan productions about the Philippines/United States are similarly suffused with feelings-the feelings that two nations and two peoples have for one another, which are difficult to define, articulate, and express for Filipinos, Americans, and Filipino Americans.
Emotional biosensing is rising in daily life: Data and categories claim to know how people feel a... more Emotional biosensing is rising in daily life: Data and categories claim to know how people feel and suggest what they should do about it, while CSCW explores new biosensing possibilities. Prevalent approaches to emotional biosensing are too limited, focusing on the individual, optimization, and normative categorization. Conceptual shifts can help explore alternatives: toward materiality, from representation toward performativity, interaction to intra-action, shifting biopolitics, and shifting affect/desire. We contribute (1) synthesizing wide-ranging conceptual lenses, providing analysis connecting them to emotional biosensing design, (2) analyzing selected design exemplars to apply these lenses to design research, and (3) offering our own recommendations for designers and design researchers. In particular we suggest humility in knowledge claims with emotional biosensing, prioritizing care and affirmation over self-improvement, and exploring alternative desires. We call for critically questioning and generatively re-imagining the role of data in configuring sensing, feeling, 'the good life,' and everyday experience.
In the Fan Data project, we collected data from online databases that archive media fan productio... more In the Fan Data project, we collected data from online databases that archive media fan production (specifically, fictional fan texts). We developed software and visualization tools to analyze these archives. Digital analysis focused on counting and graphing the rate of the fan fiction production
I n the early 2000s, my three-year-old son wanted a Doctor Who birthday party. He had been watchi... more I n the early 2000s, my three-year-old son wanted a Doctor Who birthday party. He had been watching old 1980s-era PBS recordings on our VHS, and he couldn't understand why the party stores didn't have the Fourth Doctor next to Buzz Lightyear and Arthur paraphernalia. Now, ten years later, when I research fannish cakes, I fi nd entire commercial cooking programs dedicated to baking a TARDISshaped cake, along with Doctor Who party-and bakeware. One reason for this change is clearly the resurgence of the Doctor Who franchise (BBC, 1963(BBC, -1989(BBC, , 1996(BBC, , 2005 and its wider popularity than before. Clearly, this amount of fan merchandise for even marginal shows is a recent phenomenon, testifying to both the expansion of media tiein commercialization and the increased popularity of fan and geek cultures. Twenty years ago, our Doctor Who mugs were a special PBS fund-raising gift; today, there is merchandise available not only for the most niche shows but also for specifi c fans: if you want a T-shirt, tote bag, or iPhone case dedicated to Superwholock (the slashy Doctor Who / Supernatural / Sherlock crossover of "Hunters and Doctors and Boys from Baker Street"), there are dozens of designs and options available on sites that cater directly to this audience.
[0.1] Abstract-After the drawn-out, heated contest for the Democratic Party presidential nominati... more [0.1] Abstract-After the drawn-out, heated contest for the Democratic Party presidential nomination and Senator Obama's victory over Senator Clinton, a segment of Clinton's supporters are threatening to leave the party rather than fall in line behind the nominee. This essay argues that the battle between Clinton's and Obama's followers is best understood as a war between fan bases, with Obama enthusiasts constituting as the dominant fandom and Clinton voters occupying the position of marginalized fandom. Marginalized fandoms tend to blame the opposing fan base, intermediaries, and The Powers That Be for their fan campaigns' losses, and Clinton's fans are adhering to this pattern. However, the Clinton marginalized fandom's complaints can be regarded as valuable critiques that, if noted rather than dismissed, could greatly strengthen participatory democracy in the United States.
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Papers by Abigail De Kosnik