As a quick methodological note, I am here using the
ethnographic form to portray from the perspective of lifeaquaticblog.com how it
articulates its aesthetic, and conceives of itself in relation to other virtual
and non-virtual entities. It is true that the criticism of this approach could
come in two major lines: one that lifeaquaticblog is not the exclusive purveyor
of a similar musical aesthetic. To this criticism, I reply that such a notion
is not only not important to the ethnographic perspective, but it also renders
impossible any sort of scholarship concerning micro-trend blogs of any variety.
Few blogs are able to be monopolistic, or exhaustively representative over
their content domain. The second anticipated criticism is that the music and
photography here can be looked at from an entirely different perspective, as
embodying larger genre or meta-stylistic trends. To this criticsm, I suggest
that the ethnography approach constitutes a more organic understanding of the
blog, and perhaps could dispel some of the artificiality that comes with the
causality of genre-labeling by culture broker
One of the problems that studying blogs of this sorts
presents is the issue of finding a representative blog. It is true that many
blogs are effectively second-wave blogs. What allows one to be first-wave is
not always the same, whether its access to newly released music, curatorial
prowess, a niche sound. There are lots of distinguishing factors. Nonetheless,
I have attempted to avoid this question by focusing on one blog, and attempting
to articulate the view from this blog looking out — at other blogs, at music,
at people. It is from this perspective that I hope to have began in my thesis.
Finally, certain avenues had to be neglected due to space
concerns. The most missed of these is a more thorough account of the different
online resources (Soundcloud, Dropbox, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter) that Life Aquatic uses.
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