ROFL.

We were revolutionaries!

What was your first screenname? Mine, I’m almost ashamed to admit was “Daslyfox.” Ha. “Sly Fox”, get it? So why “Da”? Simple. “Da bomb.”

I know. Soooo "I'm-a-loser-1997." Because that’s what year it was that my parents first got the internet. We were surely behind the curve—I mean most of the people who resembled friends (who really is a friend in middle school?) were already online. All of them were already wearing badges stating their self-chosen aliases in attempt to draw a black line around their identity and give people a clearer idea of how they wanted to be seen. Most of these were not the typical bread and butter ones (SeanFox123), of course many of them had a youthful, creative “twist” to them. I won’t embarrass anyone; I don’t remember others’ screennames anyway.

We were all teenagers, eager to carve out a social presence on the net. I sought friends and allies by participating in AOL chatrooms and cheap-o online gaming communities back when those AOL communities were innovative, or at least virtually monopolizing the online community, and none of us had any idea how this all worked.

It occurred to me when I was noting some friend’s screennames that if I were 40 and instant messaging with a young associate in my company across gChat or AIM after friending them on Facebook (I’m a hip and “with-it” executive), their (our) screennames would strike me as infantile. And yet, to me, their friend, they’re nothing. These images are only digital doppelgangers or glances of the people I know and love from a time in their lives I didn’t know them—when they picked their last screenname.

Now we can “safely” use our real names on Facebook or gChat; maybe we’re too grown-up to want those fronts up anymore in any case—too grown-up to want people to think we’re interesting or cool based on a carefully chosen array of letters and digits. We haven’t totally given up yet; we are still attempting clever e-mail identities, blog titles or MySpace “names” (sorry, I hate MySpace, I have no idea what it’s actually called when you can pick a clever alias).

Do these levels of self, or more accurately, these public identifications have precedent? To my knowledge, only with pennames by great authors and fake IDs and passports. Nicknames don’t count, after all. Nicknames come from friends and social circumstances. We’ve named ourselves. And whether my friends have felt that I have been accurately portrayed by anyone of my hundreds of assumed names, or even by my current screenname, DJSharpie27 (the only one I currently have that I have that is truly disingenuous)* is not important. It was our foray, our invention, and our mysterious mutual attraction to this duality that generated the excitement and interest that led our technology to where it is. Despite it all, I don’t care what Bill, Larry, or Sergey or Mark say. We built Web 2.0.

LOL!

*For those who are interested, I want to be a DJ, I love Sharpies, and since the screenname was taken, I used 27, a number I’ve always fancied for some relatively unremembered reason. I think it was a fortune cookie from the China Garden in my hometown during a dinner celebrating the completion of the Homecoming float…one of the best times of my life. I think that’s where it came from anyway. Read more

Artomatic 2008

Last night I went to Artomatic 2008.  Artomatic (tagline: by artists, for everyone) is a cross-section of artists from all over the DC-metropolitan area.  It features photography, ceramics, sculptures, paintings, crafts, sketch-comedy, cabaret and even a tattoo parlour.  I went because some former coworkers of mine, Jim Tretick (Jim's site is down, otherwise I'd link) and Matthew Dailey, were exhibiting.  

Most of the art is modern or pop, so other than the photography and ceramics (which I just love in general), there wasn't that much I really liked.  I think the exhibit that affected me the most was actually Caitlin Phillips' Rebound Designs.  Ms. Phillips takes the covers of old books and turns them into handbags.  Given my reverence for books, even old, decrepit ones, I'm not sure if this is the most awesome idea I've ever seen or sacrilege.  

Still, it was an enjoyable evening, with plenty to see.  Last night we watched a sketch comedy group perform, and checked out the finalists of the second annual Sunday Source Peeps Diorama Contest.  

More importantly, I think, is the sympathetic environment and helping hand Artomatic extends to local artists.  Artomatic is growing in renown in the DC area, and thus attracts an audience full of potential buyers.  In addition to giving them a gallery venue in which to display their art (many of these artists do not have their own shops, or even work full time as artists), Artomatic artists and members give tips and pointers to new artists (including how to set up an affecting (and effective) display).  From talking to Jim, I got the impression that Artomatic is a big family - extraordinarily welcoming of new faces, but also very close.  Artists look out for each other, answer questions about their friends' and neighbors' work

I'm not sure how likely it is that DC will ever have a big art scene, but Artomatic seems like a good start.  Definitely make the time to visit before it closes on June 15.

Read more