17. More comments on picture sharings...

Here are some more comments from the picture sharing sessions:

• 15) Okay Martine: for me, photos in my status updates are primarily of my children. I do it mostly for family and for friends who are interested in my kids. Most of the time it is something cute or funny that I think others might like as well. I sometimes use Facebook as a kind of journal, though I have stopped doing that so much and use my blog as a kind of journal, instead. :)

  Yesterday at 3:30pm

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  Question for 15) remember when we were sitting at the crimson cafe and took pictures and uploaded them with attached to a status update. Who did you think of when uploading the pictures? Your friends, your family, and what kind of friends? (high school, church, others..)

  Yesterday at 3:50pm

  
  
  

  15) hmmm--I guess it was mainly for the people my age. Probably schoolmates or those who would have been in school around the same time that I was.

  
  

  • 1 6) When I post a picture with a status update, it is usually something I've done, such as go to a ballgame or the beach. I do it for my friends and family who I don't get a lot of face to face contact with.

    
    
    
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    17) When I post a pic with a status update it is usually of my kids. We have a lot of friends and family that live far away so I like to keep them updated on how we are doing.

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  • 18) We have lots of friends and family we see once a year at most, so it's usually pictures of our little boy or family activities. We want grandparents and all of his "aunts" and "uncles" to feel as included as possible in his life!

    
    
    
    
    

16. Some comments on picture sharings on status updates and audience

Initially, I was only thinking about concentrating on the written status update, but my instructor encouraged me to also consider pictures, links and videos.

On Monday I asked the following question:

When you post a picture as part of your status update: What is the motivation behind it, and who do you immediatly think about that will read and enjoy the picture? (Who do you think is your immediate audience?)

Here are some answers I received:

• 11) When I post pictures, it is primarily to show them to my nearest social network.. what I am doing, like baking caks, enjoying the sunshine in a park etc. and then I hope they will comment on it :-) 
  

  Monday at 10:48am · 
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   Question for 11): Is your nearest social networker a certain cirkle of friends or a mixture of friends, colleagues, fellow students ect. ?
  

  Monday at 10:49am · 
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   11)Yes it is a certain social network that is a mix between people from university, high school, orchestra etc. If I have to define them more specifically, it is people, that knows about my every day life and who I talk to regularly .. and about everything. But when that said, I share my mobile picture uploads with everyone I am friends with on Facebook, that is, everyone can comment on it, but it is primarily to the ones close to me I post it for:-)
  

  
  

  
  

  Monday at 11:06am · 
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  • 12) The picture has to illustrate or supplement the status I am writing/creating. It is primarily directed to people who know the things that I am doing, or know the story behind it. It is like a follow up to that "story".
    
    

    
    
    

    Monday at 10:50am · 
  • Question for 12) What defines those people? Are they people you see offline, who already knew the story, or people who read your status updates and often comment on them? Or is it something else?
    
    

    
    

    Monday at 10:51am · 
  • 12) They are people, who know the story from offline activity - but also my friends on Facebook, who I know will read my status updates, and are possibly interested in a follow-up. 
    
    
    

    Monday at 10:55am · 
  • 12) But it can also be fun things, that doesnt include a real story from my life, but those pictures are usually directed to those I know will comment.
    
    

    Monday at 10:56am · 

    
    

    
    

    • 13) I see the text as part of the picture.. if I write anything at all. I usually upload and post on the go, so it is very "here-and-now" and directed to everybody as in "look where I am". To me, it is very much like checking in somewhere. (Like Foursquare or Facebook places.)
      

      
      
      

      Monday at 11:59am · 
    • Question for 13) Who do you think of when you post the picture? Do you have anybody in mind, when you post the picture even though you dont direct a dialogue to them?
      
      

      
      

      Monday at 12:01pm · 

      
      

      13) Naah I really don't thin I do. Otherwise I would tag them in the picture or mention them in the commentary section. And I have never done that......
      

      
      
      

      Monday at 12:52pm · 

      
      

      
      

      • 14) My immediate audience consists of my close, offline friends. Often it is a clearly defined group of people I indirectly write to: fellow students, my brother, high school friends etc. But often, I (almost) always know who will comment on my updates. (Possibly because I have a steady group of people, who I consequently share and exchanges likes and comments) :-D
        

        Monday at 12:13pm · 
      • Question for 14) But what comes first as an audience? Your close offline friends or those who interact with you online ... or are those the same people?
        

        Monday at 12:32pm · 

        
        

        14) Mostly it is the same people. But I think my status updates can be categorized, and from this I can tell who I expect to comment and like, and that will be my concept of immediate audience.
        

        
        
        

        Monday at 1:02pm · 

15. Today's comments

Yesterday I asked on Facebook:

Who do you think about, when you write your statusupdates, who do you have in mind? Your family, friends, church people, school 

mates?

These are the answers I received:

5) "Friends...close friends."

6) "hmmmm kind of no one and everyone at the same time. it is simply a social venting area for me. sometimes i just want to talk but there is no one around to talk to. so the internet gets my mental treasures."

7) "I seldom write status updates on FB - when I do, it is in fact more my own situation or context I write and think about rather than my audience"

8) "I mostly write for my own sake, random thoughts without thinking about an audience. Sometimes I will admit, that the status updates are directed to a certain circle of friends in a very esoteric way." Me: "Do you sometime write to a particular circle of friends one day, and then another day direct your status update to another circle of friends?" "Yes most definitely! Sometimes I direct my status updates to fellow students, other times friends with the same musical taste as mine".

9) "To me it is also different. If I write something about sign language, it is mostly directed to my fellow students because they know what I am talking about. If I write in English, it is directed to my friends abroad. When I put out music, it is unconsciencely mostly directed to those I know, take an interest in that kind of music."

10) "I dont write many updates, but when I do, It is mostly because I want something. Like if I have an IT problem, then I guess I mostly think about ITU students as my audience. If its apartment-seeking (and it has been the case a couple of times), then it is EVERYBODY. My imaginary audience is also effected by who is active on Facebook. I have a tendency to think about those who are active, and will get surprised, if somebody is not usually active suddenly comment on a status update". ‎

14. Comments I have received so far...

I asked on Facebook yesterday:

Who are you writing to when you write your status updates?
Who do you imagine is your audience when you write your status update? Of your network of friends, how many do you have in your head as your audience when you write your status update?




These are comments I have received so far:

 1) "To answer your questions, my children are mostly who I direct my updates to, and most of my audience is family!"

2) "Honestly, generally myself to all the questions. I know I have about 7-10 friends that may regularly comment or "like" something, but it's not really directed toward anyone.....I'm just "thinking out loud""

3) "I think of all those I love and try to uplift them with a positive thought or something light hearted. I think of all of them. Some are my family, some are friends I went to school with and some who I have met on facebook. There are also friends I have reconnected with after 20 years."

4) "I write for myself and assume that most people will ignore it. :)"

Concept of Audience: An introduction

In January I was travelling in the southern states of US and as always I was updating my friends on my travels and experiences on Facebook. Suddenly it hit me. Whenever I am in the US I start to update my status in English rather than in Danish. My concept of audience and who is reading my status updates changed. Now, virtually I know, that my audience has not changed. No matter where I go geographically, virtually I am in the same place. I can use privacy settings for status updates, and discard some and elect others to read my status updates. However, when I create a status update I always have an audience in mind. Sometimes it is my classmates at IT University of Copenhagen, sometimes its the people I go to church with, sometimes its my friends from Alabama and sometimes its just a mixture of a circle of near friends. My concept of imaginary audience changes. My real audience doesn't.

Who am I and what is this blog about?

My name is Martine and I am a master student at IT University in Copenhagen, Denmark and I study Digital Design and Communication. I am looking at doing a research on concept of audience in the subject Digital Culture and Society, and right now I am looking for people to discuss this concept with me, and later a target group to investigate with further. Would you like to be a target to my research? Write me an email, facebook me or reach me on Twitter.

Who am I again?
I like to travel, especially to the southern states of US, I live in rural Copenhagen with my cat, Cirkeline, I love to blog, I love music and books, to cook especially Indian food, to DJ at private parties, and I work part time as a student assistent doing online marketing on social networking sites for an online marketing consulting firm.

If you would  like to join the discussion, I would be much obliged.

To think about and comment below:

Who are you writing to when you write your status updates? Of your network of friends, how many (a number count) do you consider in your mind as your audience when you write your status update?