Issue Oriented Programming

A New Yorker cartoon, celebrating the utopian belief in the mutability of identities online once featured a dog stating as axiomatic, 'On the internet, no one knows you're a dog.' To which, bay area techno-activist Art McGee sharply retorted, 'What's wrong with being a dog?' While there are now more channels for discussion and research into the relationships between race, gender, economies and geographies and that elusive construct 'cyberspace,' the discussion has only really begun. A new email list, dedicated to exploring the role of feminist, postcolonial and queer scholars and activists in internet research, should help broaden the terrain. Developed from affinity group meetings during an Association of Internet Researchers' Conference, the list promises to provide a forum for the discussion of topics concerning the intersection of identity, politics and technology. - Ryan Griffis