I've been thinking a bit about the idea of reprogramming the machine, and thought of something I came across a few years back.
Early in the days of the civil rights movement, there was a concept of frown power. Whenever anybody said something racist, people were supposed to frown at them pointedly. Thus exerting a low level social pressure to not be racist, or at least, not admit that you are.
Thoughts?
Edit: I cannot spell, at all.
Frown power - sounds very effective if it spreads.
I'm attempting to reprogram the local Machine through POSTERGASM. The idea is that even if it doesn't blow people's minds, at least I'll have transformed my neighborhood into an area which I find more pleasant.
The part of the Machine which I am fighting is the urge to "clean up" the area of anything which "doesn't belong". People might not get a chance to like or dislike the pictures I put up because they see it as graffiti or something. Cops, garbage men, parking meter guards, and people who are "just tidying up" tend to take them down. But the posters from Volume Dingus have remained - perhaps because they look like the sort of stuff The Machine ignores (lost dog and apartment for rent signs). I'm hoping that over time, I can transition from the really subtle stuff in Volume Dingus to the flashy full color stuff I print from deviantart and what-not.
My hope is that I can slowly push the line of what's "acceptable" until something really cool is included.
I mean, that cranky parking meter guard may not like this stuff - until she finds something really funny.
Take that frownpower and turn it into upsidedownpower!
hmmmm i like the frown power idea, but I think it only really works to keep minorities in check.
Cus if say (just to be otherwise) a killer frowned at those prosecuting him, even if all the killers ever/everywhere did it, it wouldn't really have any effect.
So frown power might actually be a tool of the Machine(TM).
Even so, I reckon I'm a prime user of frown power, when it comes to people being inconsiderate/rude. :argh!:
Quote from: barumunk on February 18, 2008, 08:27:27 AM
So frown power might actually be a tool of the Machine(TM).
IAWTC.
cause it kinda hints at witch hunts to me
Quote from: barumunk on February 18, 2008, 08:27:27 AM
hmmmm i like the frown power idea, but I think it only really works to keep minorities in check.
Quote from: triple zero on February 18, 2008, 10:36:51 AM
Quote from: barumunk on February 18, 2008, 08:27:27 AM
So frown power might actually be a tool of the Machine(TM).
IAWTC.
cause it kinda hints at witch hunts to me
yup, let the witch hunts begin ...no wait... (as a subculture) we aren't exactly in a position to witch hunt anyone.
we have to go about undermining the machine in other ways.
Quote from: Requiem on February 16, 2008, 06:13:50 PM
I've been thinking a bit about the idea of reprogramming the machine, and thought of something I came across a few years back.
Early in the days of the civil rights movement, there was a concept of frown power. Whenever anybody said something racist, people were suppossed to frown at them pointedly. Thus exerting a low level social pressure to not be racist, or at least, not admit that you are.
Thoguhts?
Interesting idea. I admit I'm a bit cynical and wonder if it would really have that much of an impact overall, though I think it certainly could impact certain individuals. Individuals who are blindly and unaware of their racist speech, and in their mind, not intending to be malicious. Perhaps it would be a good diffusion tactic for these types.
Quote from: barumunk on February 18, 2008, 08:27:27 AM
So frown power might actually be a tool of the Machine(TM).
It would definitely be a part of the machine. The point of the post was talking about a way to use the machine to effect a change in it's own programming. The catch is you need to have an already existing body of people who agree with suppressing the point of view you want to suppress. The flipside, is that if you already have that group of people, it's probably not that hard to convince them to participate. IE, low cost to them, they probably don't like the person they're frowning at much anyway, and it plays into The Machine's desire for victims.
Edit: response to RWHN: It is a diffusion tactic, meant more (in my mind) at convincing people not to say racist (or whatever) things even if they are racist (or whatever), thus limiting the spread of the targeted idea to the next generation. Though chipping at casual racism would have been an effect I hadn't considered.