Similarities and Differences

To say Songlines and the virtual communication network have nothing in common is to only look from a surface deep perspective. It is through the understanding of how virtuality becomes a reality in both cultures, and how this shapes personal identity and creates community; that you begin to see similarities.

I must confess that being an Indigenous Australian myself, initially I found it extremely hard to look past the comparison of such a rich Dreamtime concepts, such as Songlines with the new age technology of virtual communication networks. To me these two networks are not on the same level to compare. However I was happily proven wrong.

Both, the Dreamtime concept of Songlines and virtual communication networks are virtual worlds. To understand how these virtual worlds can be brought into reality, we firstly need to understand the transcending nature of each cultural group. Indigenous people believe Songlines are reality, to understand this non- Indigenous people must as Stanner suggests, “learn to think black, not imposing western categories of understanding but seeking to conceive of things as the black fellow himself does”.

Non-Indigenous peoples’ ability to understand how virtual worlds become reality is new and developing. I believe non-Indigenous peoples’ ability to understand Songlines is increasing through the understanding of the virtual world. Facebook for one example “has been designed to become part of the users’ daily lives, and [shapes] their offline narratives and selves in Facebooked ways” (McNeil, 2012). Like the way Songlines has the ability in Aboriginal culture to be sung into reality, Facebook in non-Indigenous culture has become a reality through its ability to shape the users’ “offline narratives” (McNeil, 2012). In deepening this understanding Barnes suggests cyber space manages to “engage the viewer in a virtual transportation”. Reiterating this, Margaret Morse states the “viewer [leaves] reality and [moves] into another world”.

Along with understanding how virtuality becomes a reality, the individuals’ identity becomes the centre of question. McNeill states, “since the World Wide Web debuted, more nuanced understandings of identity in cyberspace have emerged, suggesting close connections between “real” and “virtual” selves”. In order to contrast self we draw on narrative (Van Lyun 2013), from both the real and virtual world; such as Facebook, SIMS and for Indigenous communities Songlines. These narratives are all apart of who we are and how we connect ourselves to a community. One’s identity on SIMS and Facebook is heavily developed “by the connections that she [or he] chooses to establish with other individuals, activity groups and religion and secular organizations” (McNeil, 2012).  This meaning that the community chosen on Facebook and SIMS has major influence on ones virtual identity. Songlines unlike Facebook and SIMS doesn’t have the ability to choose its community. Facebook gives the user the ability to privatize their profile, giving access to only the chosen family, friends and groups, or otherwise the user can also chose to open up their timeline to the global virtual world. It is all up to the user. SIMS similarly to Facebook, gives the user the ability to create a community with the ability to invite others in. Songlines on the other hand, is a birthright. It is not a choice of the individual. Although it can be shared with others, it does not have the ability to choose another community or group.

In concluding, to say that Songlines and virtual communication networks are completely different is only a surface deep perception, as they do indeed have similar concepts. However to say they are similar is to completely ignore the clear and obvious differences. Like any concept or topic, you can connect the dots where they fit, but this doesn’t mean they are on the same level to compare.

Reference List:

•    Barnes, G (1997). Passage of the Cyber- Flanuer. Otago University.

•    McNeill, L. (2012). There is no "I" in network: social networking sites and posthuman auto/biography. Biographical Research Center.

•    Morse, Margaret. An Ontology of Everyday Distractions: the Freeway, the Mall, Television in Logics of Television Indiana University Press.

•    Stanner, W.E.H (1979) White man got no Dreaming. Australian National University Press.

•    Van Luyn, A, (Lecturer). (2013 August 20). Networked narratives. Podcast retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Images Retrieved from www.thesimsresource.com