Eliot Che
Eliot Che is a researcher and web developer. He studies the political implications of technological transformation and the social effects of virtual space. His other interests include human rights, art activism and untraining his dog, Max.
E-mail: eliot@culturalshifts.com
Web Page: http://www.dailyloaf.ca
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Recent Posts:
Governance 2.0: Virtual Space, Virtual Economies, April 1st, 2008
What do virtual worlds mean for governance, production and identity? What is the relationship between these new spaces and contemporary capitalism? In this paper, I explore some of the political-economic implications of technological transformation and reflect on the social effects of producing, communicating and existing in virtual space. Although the use of online social networking …(no comments, posted in Abstracts)
IP Rights and New Technologies: Pills, Pirates & Sex Dolls, March 18th, 2008
Comments on the first panel of the Institute of Political Economy annual conference. (no comments, posted in Reviews)
Server migration and co-authors, March 8th, 2008
We’ve migrated Cultural Shifts to a new server with more data capacity and processing power. You shouldn’t notice any difference in the functioning of the site (but if you do, please contact us). The main purpose of the migration is to make the site a little more future-proof.
We’ve also been working on implementing a …(no comments, posted in X-Internal News)
Piracy, Copyright and Entertainment in a Digital Age, March 5th, 2008
Looking at some of the issues behind the 2008 Digital Entertainment Survey results. (no comments, posted in Editorials & Interviews)
From Guerillas to Gangsters: Neoliberalism, Transnationalism, and the Rise of Mara Salvatrucha, February 27th, 2008
Contemporary security discourse emphasizing “terrorism” has displaced the focus on the “gang epidemic” that prevailed in the latter decades of the twentieth century. However, since 2005, law enforcement agencies and media organizations have sparked a renewed interest in gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), dubbed “the world’s most dangerous gang” by the FBI. Thus far, …(no comments, posted in Abstracts)
Money, Debt and the Subprime Crisis, January 27th, 2008
There is a short animated documentary called Money as Debt worth checking out. The video, which goes through a brief history of monetary and banking systems, raises a number of questions that relate to the US subprime crisis, not to mention the global financial system at large. Moving from a monetary system based on …(1 comment, posted in Notes & Asides)
Moody’s: US may lose triple-A credit rating, January 12th, 2008
The Financial Times is reporting that the US may lose it’s triple-A credit rating due to the nation’s rising healthcare and social security spending. The change would be the first since 1917.
Of course, FT goes on to contend that the triple-A rating doesn’t mean much these days. Nonetheless, I think the credit rating …(5 comments, posted in Notes & Asides)
To Pay or Not to Pay? Selling and Distributing Music Online, January 4th, 2008
Saul Williams’ most recent album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust, has been released online in a high-bitrate mp3 format, giving consumers the choice of downloading the album for free, or paying 5$ for it. Which would you choose? The album’s producer, Trent Reznor, says that out …(no comments, posted in Notes & Asides)
Graffiti/Anti-Graffiti as Art, December 11th, 2007
There is a great documentary called The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal, which takes a look at the art created out of anti-graffiti campaigns and graffiti removal actions (like buffing). The Web Urbanist looks at the documentary and some of the net culture emerging from it. Also check out this video of …(no comments, posted in Notes & Asides)
Interesting notes, November 25th, 2007
Some interesting things out there today, including the Washington Post’s analysis of the Ron Paul Revolution in US politics (looks like they can’t ignore the issue anymore); and the sad fate of Superman. (no comments, posted in Notes & Asides)
Buy Nothing Day, November 25th, 2007
This past Friday (November 23rd) was Buy Nothing Day. While I don’t think it’s effective at curbing spending, I do think that it has its place in the campaign to raise awareness about over-consumption. I can definitely enjoy and appreciate Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.
“Piggy” Adbusters Promo:
[audio:http://culturalshifts.com/wp-content/uploads/eliot/buy_nothing_day_2005_vbr.mp3]
“Stop Shopping” by the …(no comments, posted in Notes & Asides)
On Realism and Environmental Advocacy, November 24th, 2007
Recent, separate discussions with Elise and Matt prompted me to think a bit more about epistemology (how we can know things) and debates on the environment. Matt, in a post about a lecture given by Manuel DeLanda on the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze argues that we cannot understand the world …(3 comments, posted in Editorials & Interviews)
British government loses personal data on 25 million citizens, November 21st, 2007
Gordon Brown’s government is under intense criticism today after acknowledging that it has lost computer discs containing names, addresses, birth dates, national insurance numbers and, in some cases, banking details of nearly half the country’s population. (1 comment, posted in Notes & Asides)
Public inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski, November 19th, 2007
Looks like the government of B.C. is going to have a public inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski. Dziekanski died Oct. 14 after being tasered by the RCMP at the Vancouver International Airport (video below).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHKk5qQRzL4[/youtube] (no comments, posted in Notes & Asides)
Rethinking neo-liberalism, November 3rd, 2007
The term ‘neo-liberalism’ is one that is commonplace in both academic and activist circles. Understood as capitalist imperialism by some, as market-based policies by others, neo-liberalism is a contested term that continues to have exceptional significance in a period of renewed globalization and transnationalism.
Aihwa Ong’s latest book, Neo-liberalism as exception, is …(no comments, posted in Reviews)
