Research about the Forum

edited January 2018 in Community

Hello people!
My name is Sophie, I am a Master's Student at the Department of Science and Technology Studies in Vienna. Due to my love for science fiction, I am fascinated by the fusion of technologies and bodies. I want to conduct a study about your forum for one of my seminars. Primarily, I want to get an overview of the ideas behind the self-modification community and the structure of your forum. I could not really make out an introduction board for newbies, so I just want to introduce myself herewith. Since I cannot provide your community with a traditional informed consent, I will attach a link with information. It means a lot to me to assure an ethical research practice, that you are informed about my presence and that there is clarity in regard of whose data I am allowed use. I would be happy if there are people interested in participating and I am looking forward to getting in touch

Comments

  • Hello! Welcome to the forums.

  • While I don't believe we've ever had a formal discussion about it, the unspoken agreement is that all form data provided on the forum that is related to grinding & biohacking is free-use, so long as it's not something that can be used to identify an individual.

  • Thanks for the welcome and the information!

  • I'm really keen on this social anthropology type of thing that seems to happen every once in a while. Hello friend :)

  • hey glims :) happy to hear that, I am also excited! Do you happen to know if anyone published a social science paper on your community?

  • @Sophie_Huber said:
    hey glims :) happy to hear that, I am also excited! Do you happen to know if anyone published a social science paper on your community?

    Hi Sophie
    There have been a few projects over the years. Quite a few humanities/documentary things, though I haven't seen many of the finished projects. I'm not sure how often stuff gets abandoned or if they're still in production. For soc/anth/STS, my PhD dissertation should (finally!) be done in a few months. I have a few things in the publication pipeline, though it's really backed up so I don't know when they'll be actually available (as an example, I have a book chapter in an edited volume where my part was done in 2014 but is still being held up by editors/publishers). I know Lauren Britten (anth/comms I think?) was doing work on the USA east coast, so she may have pending publications. Other than waiting for those to surface, feel free to message me if you have any questions.

  • There was a book someone wrote a few years ago. I know that Alex Pearlman did her thesis in bioethics and referenced this community. There have been maybe half a dozen documentaries, and mtv series episode, and a failed syfy channel series.

  • thanks proteus and glims!

    I know some of you have already seen that I posted a questionnaire in the slack chat, for those who have - please ignore this.
    Due to the fluidity and speed of the chat I wanted to post the link here as well for those who might not have seen it but still would be willing to participate:

    https://researchinformationshuber.wordpress.com/questionnaire/

    thx in advance for any replies

  • Our biohacker/grinder community is a group of people willing to share information about improving human performance through technological means. We keep each other safe with warnings as well as information.

    I don’t have any strong preference how people refer to us. Grinder, biohacker, cyborgs are all names I’ve used to describe myself and the community.

    The distinction I see between us and the DIY Biology movement is that we focus on human enhancement as a result.

    Medicine, piercing arts, and DIY electronics are common movements in our community. The transgender community has a strong presence here as well.

    Grinder, to me, means someone who implants technological parts without medical oversight, and with the goal of improving her or his performance.

    Body modification should expand to allow people to exercise their body autonomy. Functional as well as cosmetic changes should become more acceptable socially, and the medical community should join to make procedures safer and more accessible.

    My interest in biohacking has to do with sensory expansion. Being able to sense magnetic fields with a magnet implant has helped me in my job as an electrical engineer. Implantable compasses may become feasible in the future, and that would be exciting.

    I reach out to people through forum threads and private messages. Occasionally I will exchange email addresses or phone numbers.

    I check the forum regularly, and I don’t use the Slack channel.

  • thanks McSTUFF :)

  • How do you describe your community?

    A community of people who want to expand their capabilities through technology.

    Do you want to be referred to as a community or would you prefer any different definition?

    Personally, I see biohacking more like a precursor movement to something much bigger, what I haven't decided.

    How, if at all, do you make a distinction to the DIY biology movement?

    DIY Bio is just one type of biohacking to me.

    Do you feel connected to other movements or schools of thought?

    Transhumanism, Cyberpunk, futurism, etc

    What does the name ‘grinders’ mean to you?

    Personally, to me, grinder doesn't mean anything I can't stand the term Ik where it comes from but because of the app it turns so many anyway at the very name and it requires too much explanation.

    **Do you have a vision for body-modification?
    **
    I eventually see technological body mods becoming as common as phones.

    **Please describe your personal interests/fascinations about (self)biohacking
    **

    I am actively trying to make the future possible, and a huge part of that is trying to advance biohacking

    How do you reach out to people?

    DM's on slack or the forums

    How do you use the forum and how the slack chat?

    I use them to stay up to date on the latest ideas research and topics occasionally butting in and often getting into arguments(not entirely on purpose).

Sign In or Register to comment.