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Ambient Intimacy Vs. Ambient Awareness , revisited

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In a recent conversation between two people nearby I overheard the following statement in relation to twitter:” Twitter gives me a panoramic overview of the modern human mind in action”

When I asked the person who said the statement how long and how often does he twit, the answer to my surprise was that he has a twitter account and follows many but does not himself twit. He simply observes, not even clicking on the links.

Now that was to me very surprising, how do you take part in the global conversation if you do not contribute to the conversation but only observe, read and peruse, what others are saying, linking to and so on.

 I believe we have already tackled some parts of this issue here on this twine, but try as I may, I cannot wrap my mind around the issue of spectators (we decided not to use the unflattering word ‘lurkers’), claiming that the main advantage of social networks is for them the “observation (see overview) of the mind happening.

Another claim I heard is that for most the very fact that the conversation happens gives them some kind of assurance (insurance?) that all is ok with the human race/civilization, since the conversation happens (at least on the web).

 I therefore went and reviewed what we did here on this twine under the heading of friendship in hyperconnectivity, and I now think that we missed a very important issue relating to the concept of “ ambient intimacy”

I refer to the fact that some minds (see people, but at times appearing to be bots/spambots) diminish the importance of what is loosely termed : Ambient intimacy

 

At present the definitions I have found for the term ambient intimacy/ ambient awareness:

 

1.   “Ambient Intimacy is a term sociologist use to define awareness of other’s emotional cues without having to communicate directly..” (link)

2.   “Ambient intimacy is about being able to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible”(link)

3.   “Social scientists have a name for this sort of incessant online contact. They call it “ambient awareness.” It is, they say, very much like being physically near someone and picking up on his mood through the little things he does — body language, sighs, stray comments — out of the corner of your eye” (link)

 

So, as I am unhappy with most of these papers, comments and definition here are some new definitions/questions that I would like to try out here and use to re-ignite the polylogue concerning FHC(_)

 

General definition questions, what Is Ambient intimacy?:

 

Is Ambient intimacy:  The overall sense of ‘belonging’(tbd) emerging in an online community?

Is Ambient intimacy: the mental emotional attitude or state of affairs of a person (a mind) in an electronically mediated environment?

Is Ambient intimacy: an emergent phenomena of the web indicating a new ecosphere of relationship?

Is Ambient intimacy: the very ecology in which trust is engendered via incessant communication?

 

Does Ambient intimacy = Ambient awareness?

 

Please your thoughts on the issue

 

Comments

  • Public Comments

    • Phil Duby Phil Duby
      7 months ago


      "Does Ambient intimacy = Ambient awareness?"
      I would say No. Awareness is one way. intimacy *could* be 2 way. The spectators can get awareness of the participants. The Participants do not get awareness of the spectators. At least not usually. Depending on the technology capabilities, the participants *might* know that the spectators exist. Maybe how may, maybe who, maybe even a little about them, but nothing with 'emotional cues'.
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

      • wildcat wildcat
        7 months ago


        true, nevertheless I think the term 'awareness' in this case does not (or should not) refer to what we usually refer to. what I see here is a kind of atmospheric (for lack of a better term) awareness it is as if the very flow of information in the infoverse, allows the individual an extended awareness into the overall mind happening on the web. very hard to describe this, cant be reduced to metrics, its more of a sensation that rises when being ,so to say ,incorporated in an electronically mediated environment. I am aware of the spectators, even if technically speaking I have no immediate knowledge of their existence, I have an extended information that a written comment or a twine item or a twit will be propagated and read, hence the term ambient awareness. it might be an assumption only of course, but then wouldn't you say that knowing (or assuming with a very high degree of probability) that your words are being read influences the words and links you choose to embed, transmit, propagate? so though we do not have immediate emotional cues, we may be developing a new sense of awareness, a cyber sense, cyberintuition? cyberawareness? that might what creates the sense of intimacy (also here we need new terms). intimacy doesn't cut it.
        Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

        • Phil Duby Phil Duby
          7 months ago


          You do not get direct cues for the emotional state / response of the spectators, but you do get some for other participants, and extrapolate that to the invisible audience. Also indirect and filtered cues from the invisible majority, through unknown paths and back through the participants. Based on very little real data, a lot of assumptions, intuition, and extrapolations, but spread over a lot of 'beings', a sense of 'presence'. A 'feel' for the ?response range? of the 'Joe Public' (Joe the Plumber), that approximation of the audience in 'local space' (ambient).

          I *think* I understand. A learned and developing skill. An extension of what happened when letters and long distance postal communication became possible. Writing a letter to a specific person, but with the knowledge that the 'personal' communication was likely to be shared with immediate family, and possibly with neighbors. Not just 'personal' communication, but information [to be] consumed by a wider and unknown [or partially known] audience.

          I think that will overlap with the [under development] cyberculture, about what is expected and acceptable in the near, mid, and long range context. The assumed hyperculture (multiple 'scales') will be the basis for any current communications, and the direct and indirect cues will modify that over time.

          I think I am getting off on a tangent from your original questions though.

          Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

    • . .•∞º˙ . .•∞º˙
      7 months ago


      This whole phenomenon is relatively simple, and easy to explain. We've had commercial radio broadcasting for almost 100 years, and TV since the 1930's and as a result, at least 3 or 4 generations have grown up, passively obtaining their entertainment via remaining motionless and receiving audio and visual inputs from some form of electronic device. This 'ambient awareness' is strictly one-way--unless the broadcaster gets feedback from a paid Nielsen family, they have no insight into the activities or awareness of their informational recipients.

      This passive participation is carrying over into the next medium, since it is a learned and familiar behavior. People are used to receiving their 'culture' from TV dramas--it's always "my soap" or "my show"--that's their sense of community these days. The internet, Twitter, and even Twine, for many people is simply an extension of this behavior. Your 'ambient intimacy' is nothing new, it's simply been polished up and dressed in a new outfit. How the masses interact will still be the same.

      In some respects I don't even think it comes close to 'awareness'. People simply turn off and become so absorbed in the inputs they are receiving, that they shut down. It's not called the boob tube by accident, right? If anything, it's the surrender of awareness--one's surroundings and activity taking place around you fades into the background as you engage in the medium of choice, and reject all other inputs.
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

      • wildcat wildcat
        7 months ago


        good points, however if that was the whole story we wouldn't have this polylogue going on. I agree with some/ most of your points but I see these as being applicable to the 'supposed' passive majority, the minds I am interacting with are anything but passive absorbers. In my communications over the years I have come across a vast array of minds and options, personalities and characters, all more or less agreeing that the 'vast majority' only absorbs and digests not, in other words, I have yet to find who or where is this vast passive majority, who simply absorbs and surrenders their awareness. look at us here on twine on twitter and other social networks of interest, I see here interesting humans, having open minds and definitely engaging each other in deep and meaningful communication.
        isn't it the case that by engaging each other's thought processes we in fact are allowing the arisal of said ambientation as an "ambient intimacy"? or indeed by the sole fact of being aware of each other's thoughts we are developing (evolving?) into an ambient awareness situation or state of affairs?
        I know some of us listen, consider seriously and 'ponder the wonder' :-) of other minds via these electronically mediated actual realities/ evolving realities, this for me is an indication that something is happening.

        Ambient awareness : developing trust in hyperconnectivity via informational flows?
        Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

        • . .•∞º˙ . .•∞º˙
          7 months ago


          "...'supposed' passive majority..." case in point #1: this twine (at the moment) has attracted 142 members. http://www.twine.com/twine/11h43rww7-2xq/friendship-in-hyperconnectivity-fh/members From all the various conversations we have had here, I think I can count on two hands (sorry FTF!) the number of people who have ever commented or contributed. WE are the show, and THEY are watching US.

          case #2: Twine now boasts almost 120,000 members http://www.twine.com/search?type=Member&text=&scope= and last time I really checked, only a small subset of that group, about 10% are actively participating. Sure, a great deal of those members signed up, looked around and have walked away, but I've gotta believe at least 1/2 that group is still watching. If that's not a passive majority, I don't know what would be.

          They may trust us to put on a good, entertaining show, but only because they have learned, through passive interaction, what to expect. The honeymooners was one of the most watched shows in its time, yet there were only 4 or 5 major characters, and they always followed a familiar formula. We still don't have any way to establish a two-way trust--insufficient feedback.
          Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

        • Phil Duby Phil Duby
          7 months ago


          This may be obvious, but that 'passive majority' can and does make choices about *what* to 'sit and watch'. Changing technology has been increasing the number and variation of those choices. Just that fact that they exist and can [sometimes] be counted is part of [and affecting] the ambient environment. Just being there is feedback. Not as 'accurate' or detailed as it could be, but still feedback.
          Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

          • wildcat wildcat
            7 months ago


            "Just being there is feedback" +1
            that is probably the quintessence of ambient intimacy, we must assume that some kind of choices are being continuously made, shaping and reshaping , iterating the flow of information that comes your/their way, without this assumption, the whole point of interest reverts to conditioned response. choice is crucial (even if philosophically unsound ;-)
            Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

            • . .•∞º˙ . .•∞º˙
              7 months ago


              but how do you know they are "being there"? Just because I have a membership to the Gym at the YMCA doesn't necessarily mean that I go there every tuesday night and work out for 2 hours. They actually have to log me as "in" or "out" when I present my pass at the front desk. I could be like the thousands of other 'well intentioned' New Years resolvers who plunked down the membership fee, with full intentions of getting back in shape, but like many others, find reasons not to be there.

              There is a disconnect between apparent presence and actual presence, that is still unmeasurable, unless you take roll call every day. And with that in mind, I ask, in the traditions of Pink Floyd... IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?
              Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

              • Phil Duby Phil Duby
                7 months ago


                Mostly you do not *know* they are there. If you have membership counts, you do know that at some point they made the decision, and expended the effort to join. They *were* here. After that it is all assumptions, and maybe statistics. Over time, some portion will continue coming back, and others, like your New Years resolvers, do not. In twine, there can also be spectators that never show up in the membership counts. They can be viewing using the RSS feed without ever becoming a member. It is all guesses and gut feeling on how many are there, their real level of interest, their emotional response, etc. Each active participant will have their own 'awareness' level about the passive (supposed) majority. That awareness is one of the evolving items. Some are more aware than other. The accuracy of the awareness varies, some care about the spectators more than others.

                "IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?"
                depends when. Twine, and a lot of online interaction (or viewing) is 'time shiftable'. There is no requirement to be there (here) 'every tuesday night'. For spectators, it is perfectly valid to drop in irregularly, and get caught up.
                Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

              • wildcat wildcat
                7 months ago


                re:"There is a disconnect between apparent presence and actual presence, that is still unmeasurable" ,

                true, though there are metrics that might given an inkling, these are completely irrelevant. your words (as are mine and all other contributors) are both recorded for posterity, given no databases collapse, and projected/transmitted/fed into a wide and large audience pool and though we do not know the specifics, we can assume with a fair amount of certainty that many (there probably is a constant multiplier somewhere) are reading our communications in this and other polylogues and thus are influenced, as are we by the sole fact of writing publicly, and being conscious of the fact.
                that is where the concept of ambientation comes in, the web has become via social networks the new Agora or Piazza or what have you, minds come and go as they please, sharing or not, contributing or not, the infoverse is alive and flowing and allows the rise of a new state of affairs, (having said all that maybe Intimacy/awareness are simply not the correct terms, we may need new ones) . the web's awakening..

                Totally agree with Phil re: "..online interaction (or viewing) is 'time shiftable' (+1). There is no requirement to be there (here) 'every tuesday night'. For spectators, it is perfectly valid to drop in irregularly, and get caught up..."
                Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

    • Fast T Friend Fast T Friend
      7 months ago


      As always you bring into discussuon an interesting issue. I have been missing this polylogue:)
      Unfortunately (for me) i'm somewhat limited in typing ability these days, more acurately, reduced to one hand usage (and much greater gap between thought to manifested representation) so i'll keep it short. The point i do wish to make is, the 'surrendering' is more complex than that. I think it involves a certain suurendering of the effort of shaping active direction and relying on other 'agents' as chief interprators of the in-coming flows of information. The sense of flow of activity that surrounds us is therefore partially an assurance, partly a navigational aid, not necessarily reducing awareness but a componrnt of certain strata of a "general ambience".
      It also has a role in one's intimate activation as in reflecting via 'it' one's own awareness.
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

      • wildcat wildcat
        7 months ago


        sorry to hear about your hand issue (but then you can practice the sound of one hand clapping.. :-)

        re: "..a certain surrendering of the effort of shaping active direction and relying on other 'agents' as chief interprators of the in-coming flows .."

        as I see it the point is to let go of the old fashion of description in which a particular agent is a chief interpretation manager and allow the so called flow of info events to 'as it were' morph the meaning of the events. that relates to another issue we discussed, the issue of hierarchy. I am a great believer in the (creative & innovative) strength of 'combined interactive intelligence' (see #Polytopia) to allow a simultaneous emergence (or co-emergence) of directionality in the infoverse. My interest in the issue of ambient intimacy and ambient awareness concerns a de-localization of both the decision making process and the conscious event of the individual. we are (possibly/probably) approaching a moment of global ambientation, in which the particularity of the feedback mechanism will morph into a new shape/form/fashion/manner of realizing the interactive nature of our social minds. as a result sooner than later our whole conception of 'trust' and 'identity' will re-adapt to the new state of affairs.
        Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

        • Fast T Friend Fast T Friend
          7 months ago


          I agree to your take by all means. The point I am making is that in the "de-localization of both the decision making process and the conscious event of the individual",in this case - the polylogue itself, is an agency.
          There are various fashions of partipations/interactions and influence within this agency. And while we move away from hierarchical orders, certain dispositions remain and even grow in complexity. The phenomenon of 'spectators' is one facette of participation. In fact, that's why i don't think the term 'spectator' is accurate here.
          The very publicity of the exchange, including the "silent" participants, is an element in the composition of the exchange. It is forming perhaps a more complex and inyeresting agency.
          Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

    • meara02 meara02
      7 months ago


      Very interesting issue....
      fishead say:
      "I think I can count on two hands (sorry FTF!) the number of people who have ever commented or contributed. WE are the show, and THEY are watching US"..
      Yes YOU show ...and THEY watch...and so?
      You like perform yourself ...other not ... the production of the "obscure presence" is relevant in the performance because you want to reach an increasing audience... it gives you the sensation to be viewed, touched, listened..(also if nobody answer)....and to be proud of your comment and contribution....
      the "obscure passive mind" is alive, ...:-)
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

    • wildcat wildcat
      7 months ago


      see Mr.Fish.." they" do listen.. ;-)
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

      • Phil Duby Phil Duby
        7 months ago


        And given the 'right' ... encouragement ... occasionally add to the polylogue, providing better feedback.
        Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

        • . .•∞º˙ . .•∞º˙
          7 months ago


          heh-heh. never thought of myself as a performer--and personally, it's not about reaching an audience for me, since there isn't any awareness of an audience to begin with. Unlike a true Stage Performer, we don't get to hear any applause or cat-calls within this medium. I can't see your face, or your eyes following my as I traipse across the stage, with Yorik's dried noggin in my hand. So that sensation as you call it, isn't really the same, as a matter of fact, the only way we get that kind of feeling at all is when someone comments, so,

          THANK YOU meara02!!!
          Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

          • . .•∞º˙ . .•∞º˙
            7 months ago


            Which begs the next question...how do we know (and we've said this before) that different avatars are actually different individuals? Is this another StarFish perhaps? ;-)
            Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

            • wildcat wildcat
              7 months ago


              A. we don't. and in a manner of speaking we probably shouldn't be concerned with this
              B. we could in principle allow for total transparency (see :the transparent society- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transparent_Society ) however at this point I do not see in what fashion total transparency will change the state of affairs of ambientation. (at present only, in the coming future this will become increasingly relevant)
              C. what makes the difference at the end of the day is continuity, consistency and cyber-intuition
              D. as we said before (same twine/other thread) a trust relationship is developing right here, right now. example: it will be very difficult to describe the 'why?' in why I trust you. however if you were to vouch for someone (a person, a website, an article, a commercial company and so on) I would give this 'vouching' a very degree of trust.

              Finally, when someone from the (still to be reckoned with) large audience comments, it is like a sign or short message:" hey there, we are listening, we think about it, we process it, we are intelligent observers and though we do not always articulate that which we hear/read/see we take it seriously into consideration, please keep on"
              it goes without saying that this is my very own interpretation, however based on my experience in the infoverse, this one and others, it appears that the messages do pass on and serious thought is taken seriously.
              Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

    • meara02 meara02
      7 months ago


      we need to know?
      tanks fishead
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

      • wildcat wildcat
        7 months ago


        "we need to know?"

        depends, I do not think that the answer is a straightforward 'yes or no'. at times we need (or better yet , desire) to know what the feedback to our thoughts are, at other times the feedback is less important. be that as it may, ambient awareness implies that we are conscious of the fact that there is an increasingly large audience to our stream of thought, this very fact when taken into consideration is an amplification of our self-description and allows for an enlargement of our ambient intimacy in hyperconnectivity.

        thank you for joining this polylogue
        Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

    • meara02 meara02
      7 months ago


      .. "Needs and wants--different at times, but also the same"
      You mean the same individual?....biochemical sense?:-)
      Yes ... sometime we want and contemporary we need to know...
      personally for what I can see, it's not relevant in "this" contest.....but it can become relevant (for example) if I want to invest money and a bank try to sell me throught different agency, the same preferred stock :-)) ...
      ..if different avatars are not different individuals and suppose I "discover" that ...I will clap my hands...... than I will see:-)))
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)

    • Phil Duby Phil Duby
      6 months ago


      Are we a bit ahead of the curve or what here? (even if the referenced article is actually from September 5, 2008)

      http://www.twine.com/item/1268n1d48-d1/i-m-so-totally-digitally-close-to-you-clive-thompson-nytimes-com
      Scroll down in the article to the first bold heading at "Social scientists have a name"
      Friendship in Hyperconnectivity - FH(_)
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