6: The Leviathan in an Artistic Community

I don’t find myself in many social communities strictly governing socially “normal” behavior-- that have not already been discussed by our classmates. After telling a friend about my difficulty in finding a subject for this assignment, he suggested that I discuss a network that he was a part of as a photographer, Modelmayhem.com. This website is a network for models, photographers, makeup artists, and other artists. Modelmayhem has a Myspace feel, where artists create profiles posting bios and fill their photo galleries with images. The content of most photos is model photography and predominately nude. Members can participate in a variety of other ways: They can post comments under “Announcements” on the homepage, “Tag” one another’s photos or main profile page, and can also post on discussions forums.

There appears to be different norms for each of these activities. With regard to profiles, members cannot post any pornography, they must abide by copyright laws, and cannot harass other members or use “hate speak”. Members are also prohibited from spamming and using the network for dating. These rules are outlined in a written code of conduct and presented as, what Patricia Wallace terms, a “sign on the door”. A Leviathan emerges here to keep the environment friendly and safe. Conformity to the rules is further enforced by the presence of moderators who have the power to censor, edit, or ban members in the event of nonconformity. When the rules are broken, members might also experience reproaches by other member’s in the form of an “arched eyebrow.” Members might either send a private email or publish a Tag indicating the unacceptable behavior.

The anonymity feature here, created by not sharing any personal information about lives outside of the community, encourages people to become more forthcoming with their artistic preferences, opinions, and interactions with other members. This provides an even greater necessity for the presence of a Leviathan, as seen through the existence of written set of rules, moderators, and the arched eyebrow communicated by other members. Members through these means achieve netiquette, compliance to written and unwritten rules.

People also learn the rules through the powers of observation. Seeing what other people choose to post on their profiles and how others interact in different channels seems to have created standard uses for the various avenues of interaction. For example, people usually post only positive comments on the main page of people’s profiles, articulating approval of artistic expression or desire to collaborate together. Under images, people communicate what they do or do not like about a particular image. And under the Announcements people say simply “hello.”

People give up many of their freedoms in artistic expression or in expressing negative opinions in order to promote a Leviathan that ensures a desirable environment. As Wallace explains, people desire orderly and moderated environments, even the in case of artistic expression.