[IDC] Interview with Eduardo Navas

[eduardo at navasse.net]

As it has been a few days since I was interviewed by Trebor Scholz, I
find it necessary to comment on the interview; in particular, the last
question.

I request Trebor Scholz to include this comment in the
newmediaeducation.org website, right after my last answer and before
the list of references. I also ask that he send it to other lists that
received the original interview that I may not be including in this
e-mail.

The overall interview process was rather organic, both Trebor and I
adjusted our questions and answers until we were happy with them. 
However, when I read the last question as it was published in its final
form, I realized that my answer was not responding to Trebor's final
question, but rather it was still largely left untouched extending a
commentary on the "art star system,"  an element that was brought up by
Trebor in previous questions when he started to talk about networking in
the artworld vs. online communities.  My commentary on "self-interest"
was commenting on his original point of view on "art stars."  As
readers will notice, Trebor took this specific comment out of his final
question/commentary.  When he did this he also added a long comment on
networking that set up a reasoning for my Afro-cuban analogy.  And this
makes my comment on "self-interest" rather odd in its final form. 
Admittedly, when I read his adjusted commentary, I decided to also
adjust my rumba analogy to support the dialogue, not really knowing
that my answer was becoming something else.  I did not realize that
with this I ended up turning Rumba improvisation into something exotic.
 This hurts me because this is a musical activity that I have practiced
for over ten years.  Had I realized this at the time, I would have
pulled out my rumba analogy, but I admit I liked it and thought it made
sense, at least it did for the initial question.

I cannot take back the fact that I let the Rumba analogy stand in direct
relation to a commentary on networking as a new media actvity.  But I
can say that I would not have used it to talk about networking in such
terms had that really been the initial question.  As it stands, I find
that I can only write this comment admitting my mistake of letting the
process of editing lead me to accept a position I never intended.  This
was my choice, asI approved the interview for publication.  At this
point, I find myself entitled to clarify that I do not find my analogy
appropriate to Trebor's comment on networking.

So how would I answer or follow up his comment on fostering a civil
society?  I would say that it all starts with basic communication. 
Something we lost track of at the end of the interview.  It is ironic
that I made a comment on "listening" while "playing," and while this
may work for some activities such as rumba improvisaton, it certainly
does not work for others.  It is obvious that we both lost our "tune"
on that last question.  Neither the question nor the answer really
correspond.  

Best,

Eduardo Navas
http://navasse.net
http://netartreview.net