FOW023 - Michelle Proksell and the Chinternet (live @ 32c3 Sendezentrum)

At 32c3 we talked to Michelle Proksell about the Chinese internet, with a focus on WeChat, memes and a rainbow-shooting Mao

Introduction

Guest: Michelle Proksell (Twitter: @proksell; WeChat: mutedrainbow)
Michelle’s talk at 32c3

Michelle’s research 00:58

WeChat

Message in a Bottle: shake phone, find random people near you
People Nearby: people active within a 1000m radius near you

Michelle’s current research partner Gabriele de Seta
Their paper on Chinese selfies: „The Aesthetics of Zipai: From Wechat Selfies to Self-Representation in Contemporary Chinese Art and Photography“

Examples. So many examples. 08:25

„Demographics“ folder
美图秀秀 měitú xiùxiù: photo editing app (English name: Meitu Pic)
Uniqlo: popular clothing store chain

E-commerce on WeChat
Business Insider: „WeChat is helping Chinese buy US homes“
Tencent, huge internet company
QQ, instant messenger platform
WeChat has international appeal/international connections
Weibo (literally „microblogging“) (often compared to Twitter to make it easier to understand for foreigners)
Michelle’s „small data“ database, individual assessment, chance of infering something wrong not as high as with big data
Fundraising through WeChat is also possible
红包 hōngbāo: „red envelope“, which is used to gift money (esp. on Chinese New Year) to children and unmarried women
WeChat described as „China’s homegrown OS (Operating System)“

can be used to play games
not an OS in the traditional sense, but in the way its used and the broad functions it provides; driving a lot of app development

1.3 billion Chinese: still ~600 million people are still offline (Xi Jinping wants everyone online by 2020)
Older phones more prevalent in rural areas, not as many smartphones as seen in urban areas. Worse/no 3G coverage in the countryside?
Migrant workers (PIC 1. bunk 2. selfie with bed in background 3. group of people)

indicator: bunk beds
indicator: gestures

crab legs formed to spell 中秋快乐 („Happy Mid-Autumn Festival“)

Slightly modified WeChat startup screen

 

ca 48:00

我不年轻了: Obama, Kim Jong Un, Shinzo Abe, Duang

„duang“, a Chinese neologism

 

51:40: Escalator memes

53:20 Tianjin explosion: „Pray for Tianjin“
„“ originally intended as a high five, not hands folded in prayer

Michelle enjoys fish pics

520 = 五二零 = wuerling   ~>   woaini = 我爱你

Q&A 1:01:30

Thank you, Sendezentrum!