This document discusses digital ethnography and the relationship between digital and analog methods. It addresses how ethnographers can engage with culture that is increasingly mediated by digital technology. Some key points discussed include inter/multi-modality, scalability, data analysis and visualization, and digital-analog touchpoints. The document also presents a workshop on designing digital ethnography touchpoints, asking participants to consider the formats of their field data and scope their projects. Participants are asked to reflect on what they discovered and new questions that were raised.

1. Digital Ethnography
Design Workshop
Wendy F Hsu
ACLS Public Fellow
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
wendy.hsu@lacity.org
@wendyfhsu
DERC @ RMIT

2. Part 1
Touchpoints:
pivoting between digital and analog empiricism

3. How do ethnographers engage with the
changing form of culture as it becomes
increasingly mediated by digital technology?

5. +
inter/multi-modality
s
scalability
reframing counting
calculating
augmented empiricism
context-shifting zooming in/out

6. data analysis
/ visualization
data gathering
/ mining
data parsing
/ management
data as evidence
theorization
/ interrogation
evidence
/ argument

7. What is the relationship
between the digital and
the analog?
an ethnographic take on

8. Friction
Fabien Girardin @ Near Future Lab
http://vimeo.com/16759280

9. Touchpoints

10. What does the digital do with the analog?
Automate, program/script, monitor/surveil, disrupt, transform, rescale,
rematerialize, control, recontextualize, regulate, replace, disable/enable, fragment,
atomize, remix, connect.

11. What does the analog do with the digital?
resist, recontexualize, disrupt, subvert, contest, re-program, re-perform, re-embody,
rematerialize, recycle, regenerate, remix

12. algorithmically governed → privacy, surveillance, capital, neoliberalism
human-machine interface → labor, materiality
regulation/activation → agency, materiality, governmentality
data performativity/empathy → agency, materiality, labor
interactive
context-dependent
digital-analog touchpoints are:

13. 1. the digital-analog field

17. What is the geographical distribution of the
musicians’ Myspace friends?
How has digital social media reconfigured
the geography of a musicians community?
theoretical:
methodological:

18. Data gathering: Webscraper API

20. lat lon username location / link iconSizeiconOffset icon
39.952335 -75.163789 Sunny Ali & the Kid Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.myspace.com/249012225 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
41.850033 -87.6500523 Al-Thawra CHICAGO, Illinois http://www.myspace.com/161456047 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
30.375321 69.345116 Dead Bhuttos Pakistan http://www.myspace.com/182738567 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
31.54505 74.340683 Noble Drew LAHORE, Nehr-o-Nehr http://www.myspace.com/399152518 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
22.277493 114.16824 The Fatsumas starters. http://www.myspace.com/84108530 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
40.7142691 -74.0059729 Michael Muhammad Knight New York http://www.myspace.com/220205473 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
42.299795 -71.426627 Dankill Framingham, Massachusetts http://www.myspace.com/19780 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
42.3875968 -71.0994968 Handsome Chuck somerville, MASSACHUSETTS http://www.myspace.com/2496121,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
6.042681 102.1391122 Pompuan_akit_jiwa PasIr-MaS, KelaNtaN, MY http://www.myspace.com/27249 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
47.162494 19.503304 –Øaphael Hungary http://www.myspace.com/40317 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
38.893375 -77.022942 Majda DC Area, Virginia http://www.myspace.com/41488 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
39.7150631 -86.2977342 Andrea Niceschwander we are a brutal kind... http://www.myspace.com/65716 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
32.802955 -96.769923 Alexis Nicole Pimperton Dallas, Texas, US http://www.myspace.com/77352 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
26.640628 -81.8723084 Mo-zilla Ft. Myers, Florida http://www.myspace.com/102945 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
37.8215929 -121.9999606 Osman Danville, CALIFORNIA http://www.myspace.com/103093 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
39.952335 -75.163789 SassyBritches philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.myspace.com/105998 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
40.7159357 -73.9868057 C(see)Squat LOWER EAST SIDE, New York http://www.myspace.com/110390 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
42.3492506 -71.0750332 Amit 02116, Massachusetts http://www.myspace.com/122102 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
40.7364911 -73.8779136 Clay N. Ferno ELMHURST, New York http://www.myspace.com/123247 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
53.4107766 -2.9778383 THRASHGIG LIVERPOOL http://www.myspace.com/129891 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
34.0522342 -118.2436849 Nahal Bahal Los Angeles, California http://www.myspace.com/132615 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
-27.46874-58.80531Musicians Exchange RIZATEK http://www.myspace.com/134537 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
36.778261 -119.4179324 Ali Wali SF BAY AREA/LA/OC, CALIFORNIA http://www.myspace.com/145148 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
41.153332 20.168331 Sehej Albania http://www.myspace.com/146522 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
38.4404674 -122.7144314 Dilluminatti Santa Rosa, California, US http://www.myspace.com/151660 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
36.778261 -119.4179324 LSS San Fran ( in delhi for a few) , California, US http://www.myspace.com/164464 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
38.9059849 -77.0334179 saracen dc http://www.myspace.com/191181 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
34.0211224 -118.3964665 Samir Culver City(L.A.), California http://www.myspace.com/201875 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
34.5008311 -117.1858759 Reshma Apple Valley, California http://www.myspace.com/221129 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
36.114646 -115.172816 CHRIS MASSES Las Vegas, Nevada, US http://www.myspace.com/222319 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
40.0583238 -74.4056612 Fuerza Dulce West Staines Massive, New Jersey http://www.myspace.com/257373 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
39.5500507 -105.7820674 in limbo, COLORADO http://www.myspace.com/265905 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
38.2541667 -85.7602778 bigthinc. Louisville, Kentucky http://www.myspace.com/280065 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
37.7141454 -122.25 Miss.Banga San Francisco-Bay Area http://www.myspace.com/290508 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
41.7858629 -88.1472893 d3z Naperville, Illinois, US http://www.myspace.com/290767 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
40.7142691 -74.0059729 JuliaGhoulia NEW YORK http://www.myspace.com/300958 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
38.8951118 -77.0363658 George W Washington D.C. http://www.myspace.com/306065 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
33.7877944 -117.8531119 Your Singaporean Soldier Orange, CALIFORNIA http://www.myspace.com/328555 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
53.7608608 -98.8138763 Omar X Kinnarath The Peg Gritty., Manitoba http://www.myspace.com/330034 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
42.6334247 -71.3161718 jonathan Lowell, Massachusetts http://www.myspace.com/342176 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
37.826325 -81.142507 Pulin (believes in you) Veganville, Virginia, US http://www.myspace.com/354312 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
25.7742657 -80.1936589 J Miami, Florida http://www.myspace.com/359596 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
42.3094288 -71.0854325 Steve Theo Boston/Cambridge, MASSACHUSETTS http://www.myspace.com/404205 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
33.530904 -117.7738916 The Legend of SWITCHBLAAliso Viejo (1503), California, US http://www.myspace.com/40687121,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
34.0423446 -118.3461948 KillRadio.org Non-Corporate Media From the Heart of Los Angeles http://www.myspace.com/407004 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marke
42.6055893 -83.1499304 Reena Evita Troy, MICHIGAN http://www.myspace.com/413644 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
41.9028099 -87.7208896 bradley Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois http://www.myspace.com/434741 21,25 -10,-25 http://www.openlayers.org/dev/img/marker.png
Geocoding...

21. Mapping Musicians’ Digital Diaspora

22. The Kominas:
South Asian American (Pakistani / Indian) members
Kite Operations:
Korean American members

23. 2. Digitizing the analog field

30. https://storify.com/wendyfhsu/flow-listening-to-the-wandering-underlass-of-taipe?utm_source=embed_header

31. 3. digital-analog research / design

34. Questions? Comments?

35. Part 2
Workshop:
design your digital ethnography touch points

36. !
• What formats are your field data currently in?
• Are they digitally born?
• Are they analog-born?
• Are your data a mixture between analog and digital?
!
Let’s scope your project first.

37. Refer to your 3-page handouts

39. What did you discover in this exercise that you didn’t
think about before?
Did this exercise give you a new context to raise new
questions? If so, what kinds of inquires can you consider now?
What unresolved problems did you encounter in this
exercise?