Gogocentral.com Anthony Smith

Prof. Anthony Buccitelli AMST 100 Digital America 3/21/2013

In this age of technology it seems that the personal computer is growing as a medium for interpersonal relationships. With social media sites, blogs and forums most people don’t have to go further than their desktops to mingle and/or exchange ideas and interest. There are also sites that allow people to share files, videos, music, etc., sites such as 4shared.com and rapidshare.com. A close acquaintance of mine introduced me to a website that combines these elements creating a cyber community where members can upload files, music and movies while being able to create threads and join in on ongoing discussions. This site, gogocentral.com, is unique to the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) metropolitan area. This websites surrounds mostly the go-go music culture but to a point it is accommodating to those who are not into the music as much as the site. This site operates to document the thoughts, ideals, interests and even requests of its members through its various forums and threads. This site and many sites like it are responsible for channeling a voice of those unheard in an environment that is for the most part supportive, encouraging communication and freethinking. To better understand the site, its important to understand the culture it surrounds. Go-Go is a form of music native to the Washington DC area, it’s a percussion driven brand of funk and was made popular by the late Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers (Kip Lornell). My acquaintance, a DC native, explained to me, “Go-go has changed over the years. It has evolved with the times, going from a funk-type influence to a hip-hop/ rap influence.” Among the many forums, there is a section named “The Photo Booth” for uploading pictures from parties at clubs that host go-go shows. During these go-go shows go-go bands perform live, sort of like mini concerts. This website allows for comments and sharing of the picture on social media sites further increasing connectivity between members. Bill Tomlinson, an assistant professor of informatics at University of California, Irvine, says, “It is [the] sense of connectedness, of community, that drives many readers to blogs.” This is the interpretation of his results of a study conducted by him and his colleagues at the university (Tom Corwin). Together they interviewed 15 avid blog readers for common motivations. This along with a multitude of discussion forums and various download threads generate mass appeal to this brand of connectivity. The culture is upheld through the discussion as well as the music. There is an entire section dedicated to advertising for new band members. The topics of discussion also vary vastly. They range from music, to politics and even local happenings/ latest gossip in the DMV area. Accommodatingly enough the music available for download crosses into all genres. In fact, the non go-go music has its own section as well. This is also the case with the movie selection which is under the non go-go related downloads tab. The reach of the blog has touched YouTube as well. There are a number of videos explaining to users how to use the upload and download functions of the site. This availability serves as another attraction of this website. Allowing the free sharing of files of interest over the Internet is a sure fire way to win people over these days. Who doesn’t like free stuff. The trend of free and even illegal