User:Tash/grad testplay2

Introduction (40 mins)

My research

• the initial promise: social media as a tool of democracy
• the reality: a gendered and political space which rewards misogynists, supremacists and extremists
• networked harrassment as a silencing mechanism

"While facilitating freedom of expression, social media also encourages users to practice their freedom to hate, where individuals exercise their right to voice their opinions while actively silencing others."
Source: Lim, M. (2017) ‘Freedom to hate: social media, algorithmic enclaves, and the rise of tribal nationalism in Indonesia.’ Critical Asian Studies, 49(3): 411-427.

Collective Reading

• An Anti-Social-Media Art Project by Sarah Ciston : https://adanewmedia.org/2019/02/issue15-ciston/

• Making Silences on Social Media: Graduation Thesis

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  Profile: 'Account closing service'. Bio: 'Admin is a Muslim sister / Facebook, Instagram, Twitter / Payment after.'

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  'Images and video of ourselves will haunt us in the afterlife'

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  'Not ready to cover your aurat? Don't worry, there's still space in hell'

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  A happy customer

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  'My sister, don't upload your photo'

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  'A strong Muslimah is: Not one that can lift a gallon, but one that can take a good photo of herself and not upload it'

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  'Thank God, there are no photos of my wife on social media'

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  Blurred women's faces on a popular Muslim account

Warm-up & stretching (15 mins)

• Discuss: What hostile spaces or communities do you have experience with online?
• Write down: What are the things that stop you from engaging / speaking out / expressing yourself? Online or offline? https://pad.xpub.nl/p/deletecomment

The Game

Live Action Instagram RPG A critical multimedia game, which invites you to role-play characters on a social media platform, with the goal of infiltrating, exploring and disrupting its more hostile practices and spaces. Composed entirely of found techniques, scenarios and language used by the world’s most manipulative trolls, buzzers and campaign operatives, this game asks you to rebel, and rethink your own relation to the medium.

How to play

1. In teams of 2, either choose out of the list of available game characters, or decide to create your own character.
2. Then, open a new account for these characters on Instagram. On mobile, go to Settings > Add Account > Sign Up with Email.
3. Follow each other's accounts, and the gamemaster account, @raksasi1.
4. Each team gets a deck of 'Maintenance' cards, each of which can be played only once, in place of an action card of your choosing.

Level 1:

1. One team starts by picking up one card from the first action deck. Every team then gets 5 minutes to perform the actions on the card, as many times as they want, and using whatever channels they decide. Play 3 rounds in this level.
   

Level 2:

1. One team starts by picking up one card from the second action deck. Every team then gets 5 minutes to perform the actions on the card, as many times as they want, and using whatever channels they decide. Play 3 rounds in this level.
   

Level 3:

1. One team starts by picking up one card from the third action deck. Every team then gets 5 minutes to perform the actions on the card, as many times as they want, and using whatever channels they decide. Play 3 rounds in this level.
   
2. Document the engagement you receive. More attention = more points.
   
3. The team with the most points after 9 rounds, wins.
   

Rules

• Stay in character until further instruction
• First rule of improv? Always say yes!
• Always screenshot your engagements in order of play
• Always tag / mention the game's main profile in your posts & comments, this way we can document your actions @raksasi1
• After the game, decide together whether to kill / donate the profile

Test questions

1. Characters? Rather given or build yourself? What would make them more interesting?
2. Format? Cards or tactical handbook? More game <--> less game?

Point System

• For every follower at end of game: 1 point
• For every like on comments or posts: 2 points
• For every flagged comment or post: 4 points
• For every DM received: 3 points
• For every reply to a comment or post: 2 points

Documentation

1. Evaluation pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/tash-testplay02
2. Each team should request profile data from Instagram. These will be sent as json files to the profile's email address. I will collect them for archiving on the wiki.
3. Send your screenshots to +31626791044 or tashberting@gmail.com
4. The raksasi1 account will aggregate all player's activities. This account will be scraped via an automated script, and the results will be archived on the wiki.