Strolling Through Cyber Space

Cyber Flaneur

Have you ever got lost deep in cyber space, strolling, floating with the feeling of freedom from one non-space to another?

(Prouty, 2009) Describes a Flaneur as “someone adrift in the city, a detached observer strolling through the streets at a leisurely pace.”
This impression of the Flaneur is related to countless if not all Tumblr users in there own manner. Hidden behind our profiles in somewhat of a camouflage in the masses of users we have the ultimate freedom to scroll or roam through Tumblr mindlessly as a Cyber-Flaneur. I myself have become consumed by my interests, loosing track of time and being drawn to different Tumblr communities, creating new networks, travelling to different links.(Barnes, 1997) Summarizes this by insisting “they wander anonymously within the boundaries of virtual space, developing a virtual identity while connected.”

 
We design our profiles and shape the content we share; Tumblr is a reflection of what we want ourselves to be seen as. We map our profiles to feel a sense of power, generate a space in which we feel comfortable to be perceived. “Maps are both mirrors and shapers of place and space.”(Kuttainen, 2016.)

This leaves the door open for users to stray their imagination and create a false sense of significance, a fabricated virtual persona. (Kuttainen, 2016.) Expresses, “Maps are how we see the world, or see our world.” Maps produce a spectacle of physical correlation; they provide us a graphical image.

A flaneur can also appeal for attention and gather this through what they post, comment and share. A hierarchy of control usually involves a large following; a popularity of somewhat is clearly mapped as it is re blogged and shared by users. They spread their ideas, thoughts or opinion connecting to more networks and entering additional space.

So I leave this with you, what type of flaneur are you? We are all one in one way or another…

Reference List
Barnes, G. (1997). Passage of the Flaneur.2. Raynbird.com. Retrieved 19 August 2016, from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html

Kuttainen, V. (2016). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, week 4 notes (PowerPoint Slides). Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_2417221_1&course_id=_76323_1&framesetWrapped=true

Prouty, R. (2009). A Turtle on a Leash. One way Street. Retrieved from http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html

Stengali,. (2014). Resurrecting the Cyberflaneur. Retrieved from http://stengali.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/resurrecting-cyberflaneur.html