Reading for Monday April 9th

The reading for today was entitled "Erasing @race: Going white in the (inter)face" written by Beth E. Kolko. The argument that Kolko is presenting in this article is that race seems to lose its face in cyberspace. This means that people's perception of race disappears when they enter the internet. For example, if it weren't for the picture on the main screen of this page, few people would ever know that I was a white male. There can be tell tale signs, such as written communication that I am a white male, or sometimes it can be as simple as a name. However, there is no way to be sure who the person on the other end is, making the internet a "protoutopian" environment.
As mentioned on page 218, users are subject to "representative norms and patterns, constructing a self replicating and exclusionary category of "ideal" user, one that, in some very particular instances of cyberspace, is a definitively white user". The author is mentioning that there are characteristics that can separate us in a cyber world, however, they are harder to find than visually categorizing individuals in day to day circumstances. Even in standard computer games such as solitaire, the computer does not have an understanding of age, race, ethnic background or any of the factors that could help it win. It is unable to judge, which makes it easier for the player to win than in real life.
A question that I would like to pose is why aren't computers, with all the technology present, more apt for for different types of people. There are features for young adults that make it easier for them to understand computers, as well as foreign language programs. However, would there be a way that a computer could be made to suit more of an individual's needs than a general public need? The home computer or laptop is more generic than it really should be, and customizing it for certain groups could make it easier for groups to understand. I'm not promoting the segregation of cyberspace by making classifications of computers for certain type of people, I am simply suggesting that it could be beneficial for some people to have computers more convenient for certain types of people.
I was intrigued when reading this article because it is a very valid point. The internet is a type of utopia, where people can't be judged or scrutinized. It is also an environment that enables people to meet others with similar likes and dislikes. For example, the article about racism in cyberspace. It shows that there can be a group for just about anything on the internet that may not be casually accepted in everyday life.