Abstract

HOFFMANN, Daniela. Virtual environments and networks: aesthetics and sociality. ETD [online]. 2011, vol.13, n.01, pp.63-76. ISSN 1676-2592.

This essay aims to present two virtual environments, AMADIS and Orkut, to establish relations between them, with theoretical support of the concepts of aesthetics and sociality. The first is a virtual learning environment designed to teaching purposes; the second is a virtual environment that has a global reach and gathers individuals for their networks of interests and friendships. The goal of this paper is to analyze the relationship between theory and some properties of the environments, their similarities and distinctions from the study of the formation of digital networks raised by aesthetic influences. A qualitative comparative structural study was conducted between the environments, putting them in parallel, tracing analogies between their areas, features and possible actions of users. At the end of study and argumentation, it is concluded that networks relationships between the key- concepts of the study correlation aesthetic-sociality (neo-tribalism, collective body, the actor-persona, spatiality and belonging, according to Maffesoli), structured from the confrontation between the subdivisions of environments, are re-arrangeable and re-creable.

Keywords : Aesthetics; Sociality; Virtual Environments; Digital Networks.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )