Cybernetic tourism

It's interesting how Nakamura talks about cybernetic tourism and transnationality through the internet and how these virtual field trips are metaphorically taking us, as privileged first world "tourists" or users, wherever we want to go. The theme of all different nationalities sharing the same language - computer talk, technology language.... is found in all sorts of advertisements. There is also the implied theme of unity and connection between people of all different races, ages, ethnic backgrounds, etc...ultimately leading to utopia. The technology advertisements try to give us the message that "cybertechnology.....will magically strip users down to 'just minds,' all singing the same corporate anthem"(Nakamura, 25). Yet the world wide web and other technology is far from World Wide. How will people from all over the world be united by this technology when it is inaccessible to a vast group of them? And then the question would be - if we were all to be connected without the factors of race/gender/age/culture/religion.... would it lead to utopia?

For many years advertisements have attatched the concept of unity and understanding amongst people of different cultures to utopia in order to sell their product. Nakamura mentions the Coca-Cola ad from the seventies and eighties showing a very diverse group of people united by a song, "I'd like to teach the world to sing" and drinking Coca-Cola together.

One of the commercials I viewed on youtube from this summers olympic games was the AT&T "We are all Team USA" in which people of all different nationalities are coming together and being victorious as, essentially, members of the same team. The add says, "We will shatter records; we will pull off miracles; we will make history. Stay connected with your TV, Computer, and wireless phone. AT&T." Again, this commercial strongly presents the image of utopia when we are all connected and speaking the "transnational tongue" of American technolanguage.

The interesting thing I'm finding in this article, as well as the other articles we've read and discussed is the idea that technology, networks, and the internet can solve the dilemma of cultural, ethnic, racial, age, and gender differences. At the beginning of Nakamura's article she introduces the idea of human interaction occuring as "pure, democratic cerebral form of communication....uninfluenced by the 'rest of it'. I find this fascinating because even without a face or body to attatch to the written communication, culture/age/gender and all of that still influence a person's communication. Their thought processes, beliefs, values, experiences..... all play a role in what comes out "on-line" or whatever. They have a distinct mind set that will inevitably influence their responses and "image" with any style of communication. But it is great that minorities can be empowered because the label minority isn't attatched so readily and quickly to them. But to just cross out 'the rest of it'?? I don't think it's quite that easy.