Talk:Kennedy Kaufman

Comment by Gauri Govil

Kennedy, I think your autobiography may be one of the most interesting things I have read in a while! The creativity with which you dissected your presence online is remarkable. The introduction intrigued me--all the metaphors with which you crafted your identity was such a cool way to use objects in our life that we may not normally use to construct how we define ourselves. I liked the logical progression of your autobiography--how you went from describing your use of Facebook to then trying to understand what it all means. For example, you described your posts and interests in real life but then connected them to how the way you present yourself online may make you just a brand and nowhere close to your true identity.

The way you related your identity to your job as a Microsoft Surface representative was thought provoking, and made me think differently about the way Facebook forces people to merely becomes advertisements for objects and ideas without even realizing it. Throughout your entire post I found myself only wanting to read more, so your writing was definitely engaging!

Your writing style was fluid, and with very minimal grammatical errors. Using the theme of identity online, as well as brand, was clever and well understood. I felt I was able to gain a grasp of how you projected yourself on Facebook and the way you thought about your online presence, as well as who you are offline. Great job!

Kennedy, Your Avatar is an extremely interesting and creative read. To start, your introduction hooks the reader by raising cryptic notions about identity, but the later, deeper reflections on your own persona round out the biography and add heart. Clearly, the photos that you choose to display online each bear immense, unique meanings to you, and your walk-through of that symbolism was both fluid and fun-to-read. As an essay, your organization is spot-on.

I find it particularly interesting that you find Facebook to be a "place for brands" rather than "for friends." Specifically, I find your confessions that, "(You) want to be at the top; (You) want to be read; (You) want to be seen; and (You) need to be clicked" chillingly honest and important. You say that you fear "commercials" possess similar desires, a metaphoric idea that is exotic but raises its point in an effective manner. In your revisions, I would love to see you dive deeper into these fears. I cannot help but wonder what about Facebook's affordances specifically encourage you to enact a brand, and how your behavior here compares to that on other social media platforms.

Overall, great job! Your bio is a refreshing and fun read. I look forward to visiting the revisions!

Best, Sal DiGioia