tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455277388900637928.post8050287864589955477..comments2024-03-19T02:14:31.704-04:00Comments on <center>OnFiction</center>: Staring at an Empty WallKeith Oatleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16419339550879570935noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455277388900637928.post-23284193244696584592009-01-22T20:33:00.000-05:002009-01-22T20:33:00.000-05:00Thank you Allan for this comment. I think the idea...Thank you Allan for this comment. I think the idea of people appearing on the internet behind different masks, and as different avatars is indeed interesting. Part of the issue is that a mere face tells you rather little about a person. Perhaps a choice of avatar can tell you almost as much as a face. It seems to me that to know someone you have to undertake joint activities with him or her over a longish period. And perhaps a piece of fiction can tell you quite a lot about an author, because reading an author's work is a pretty much a joint activity.Keith Oatleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16419339550879570935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5455277388900637928.post-15502923911495002832009-01-21T13:09:00.000-05:002009-01-21T13:09:00.000-05:00I'm certainly not up to snuff on Lacanian psychoan...I'm certainly not up to snuff on Lacanian psychoanalysis. But I do find this idea of social masks facinating. For example, think about social networking websites like facebook--which millions of Canadians use. There must be a variety of tact/subconscious decisions that go into place before individuals choose a "profile picture." In fact, I recently saw a talk by a fellow graduate student on this phenomenon. Males, for example, tend towards group shots; whereas females tend towards solo 'beauty shots.' This profile photo (similar to the avatars that we bloggers use) is carefully selected and is meant to represent some aspect of our personality. Or is this a social mask? Am I missing the poing here?<BR/><BR/>I must admit, though, I'm confused as to how art relates to the social mask concept.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com