“Network Aesthetics” Questions
Hello everyone. Excited for our class this evening. Wanted to briefly touch on a few questions I had when I found myself reading through as much of Jagoda’s Network Aestheticsas I could. I found it to be a bit of a dense read, and one filled with numerous examples that I had minimal experience with previously.
1.) Jagoda briefly references Don DeLillo’s Underworldas an example of a text which emphasizes network aesthetics, thought the interconnectivity of characters and events. Can you think of any examples of such work in other forms such as films, plays, video games, and the like? What was it like experiencing those stories in such a manner?
2.) Jagoda discusses the ways that networks have moved into our language to describe fluid and indecipherable things, such as the term “terrorist network.” In what ways does the term “terrorist network,” play on technophobic fears, as well as misunderstandings of networks as well? What would be a possible alternative to the term “terrorist network?”
3.) Jagoda introduces a new concept titled “network realism,” focusing on marrying his understandings of networks with pre-established notions of realism in art. Is it possible to do the same with other artistic movements, for example, could a “network surrealism” be possible? Would such a concept be nightmarish, or fascinating?
4.) The section on networked games seems to touch on previously explored territory regarding developments in gaming and the supposed importance playing digital games with others. Online gaming has thus grown into a phenomenon explored by Jagoda within Network Aesthetics. In what capacity has the rise of digital gaming networks changed the textual content of games both for the better, and for the worse? Is it possible that online play has hindered the proliferation of the diversity of game possibilities more than it has helped? Furthermore, consider the changes in gaming culture and acceptance afforded by online play. Did the rise of online networks legitimize gaming in unforeseen ways?