Jordan Shaw

@yourcity looks at the level of exertion when using Twitter as a way of shameless self-promotion. Comparing itself to graffiti culture, @yourcity attests to the concepts of fame between the two cultures and their different effects due to the medium. Both mediums set out to conceptually accomplish a similar end intent, but they are executed very differently. Arguably, each medium could be perceived very differently in terms of authenticity and labour involved. Since the emergence of technology, the effort and dedication required to gain personal notoriety within one's culture has changed drastically. Technology can make certain tasks easier to complete, however, the quickest route may not always be the best or effective solution.

Technology has made our quest for fame easier in all aspects of the process; from execution, to publishing ideas, to the number of people you can reach in the population. A single Tweet can be broadcast to many different services, such as Facebook and Tumblr, allow it to be viewed in any location around the world. Twitter, along with technology, has made it more efficient to send ideas, via a Tweet, having it consumed by numerous people around the world in a matter of seconds. Unlike graffiti tagging, Tweets don’t have to be connected to specific locations. With Twitter, your message is no longer tied to a one­to­one relationship between the created location and where it gets consumed. Twitter removes your messages' geographical restrictions making their consumption boundless. There is no doubt that Twitter is much more efficient, but what is the cost for efficiency. Much can be lost in the meaning of a message based on its context in which the Tweet is being viewed. Twitter also eliminates the dedication and work ethic required to gain recognition and fame, unlike that of a graffiti writer. This eliminates the feeling of gratitude and satisfaction of achievement in the quest to gaining notoriety.

Being on Twitter has largely become a fame game where the accounts with the most followers hold the most “credibility”. Twitter has become the layman's equivalent of tagging in the digital space, in such that, every Tweet being shared has a slight hope of gaining a new follower attached to it. As well as Twitter logos and user “handles” are being used and added to all points of culture and communication without much forethought. In essence, these brands could be considered as tagging their own communication with advertisements for these social media brands.

@yourcity connects the simplicity of online creation by promoting my Twitter handle ( @JSHAW3 ) throughout the streets of Toronto with a more demanding and time-consuming creation process similar to that of a graffiti writer. Creating a digital piece through non­digital means takes the simple task of Tweeting and reintroduces it to the traditional work ethics, dedication and exertion of effort that is used in graffiti culture.

Strava Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/30644985

http://atyourcity.jordanshaw.com/

Ride Facts

To complete @yourcity I travelled a total of 47.6 miles, climbing 649 feet, and dedicated 04:06:58 hours to complete the cartographic portion of the project.