Cairns HBW has continued to evoke
passionate opinion this week through its use of provocative and controversial
language. Its articles, which I believe
sometimes romantasise the truth, are successful in promoting heated discussion
between its users. Through this
discussion each user imposes their own meaning on how they believe Cairns
should be governed. In this way, this virtual space has become “place, through
humans imposing meaning on it” (Van Luyn, 2013).
Although I have decided to remain
anonymous, users often take on pseudonyms that relate to where their core
values lie within the community. They
sometimes also indicate a particular issue within Cairns that they are
passionate about. “Cairns Cynic” and “CBD
warrior” are two examples that highlight this. “Cairns Cynic” appears to be highly skeptical
of Cairns leaders, (portrayed by HBW as being narrow minded and underserving of
their position), and their decisions within the community. “CBD Warrior” is campaigning for an upgrade
of the city’s facilities and mall.
The approval of the Aquis Great Barrier
Reef Resort in Yorkey’s Knob remains a highly debated topic. On one side Aquis and its supporters are
trumpeting the revolutionising of the Cairns economy and its tourism industry. However locals are justifiably concerned
about the social and aesthetic effects the development will have upon Yorkey’s
Knob. No doubt the community’s identity
will vastly change as developers impose a new meaning upon Yorkey’s.
The type of language and graphics used by
HBW evoke passion and loyalty to the region. As Tuan (1991), p. 690 states
“dramatic narration is able to create and sustain place”. The people of Cairns
feel represented and supported by the blogger, so this virtual space binds
together the community. The website is cynical against most politicians,
particularly council members. This
creates an “us vs. them” mentality, connecting the community members. An example is the image shown below, displaying a council member in the mouth of the crocodile. This illustrates the general sentiment towards community leaders.
References
Crocodile crisis in Darwin [image]. (2013). Retrieved on 31st August 2013 from www.hillbillywatch.com
Crocodile crisis in Darwin [image]. (2013). Retrieved on 31st August 2013 from www.hillbillywatch.com
Tuan,
Yi-Fu. (1991). Language and the Making of Place: A Narrative-Descriptive
Approach. Annals of the Association of
American Geographers 81(4), 684-696.
Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives
and the Making of Place, Week 5 Notes. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
http://www.learnjcu.edu.au