This paper will present a humorous and excessive exploration of how computer culture is altering the subjectivity of computer users. Although this raises serious theoretical issues about conceptualising technology in relation to subjectivity, our approach will be to come at the theory through concrete examples, in an accessible, though not simplistic way. For instance, we will foreground the way language and metaphors of the human body and social body alter with computers and how this affects people’s experience of themselves. The mechanical self of plumbing and tubes and sparking on all four cylinders has given way to the hardwired self with serious identity crises about its insufficient memory banks. These are the sorts of issues that have raised theoretical interest in cyborgs (Donna Haraway), hackers (Sherry Turkle) and gender activated techno-dreaming (Kathleen Mary Fallon and Sherre DeLys). Our own approach is somewhat different in being more from the inside, making use of the technology (computer art and audio art) to carry out a diagnosis of the’ computer user. (A search for ourselves inside our tech heads?)

Norie Neumark (USA/Australia) Biography

Maria Miranda (Australia) Biography

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