Compressed IMG_2179Commentary

As I have mentioned elsewhere in this ethnography I first found Davidsfarm when I was searching for life histories on YouTube and came across ‘10 minute life history of Dave, of Davesfarm’.  I was struck at the time by how it was constructed, how by his filming the various locations he lived, you could see how his family were upwardly mobile.  It provided a coherent account of a life. I also noticed the little asides – particularly his resentment of his father who kicked him out of the house when he was in his mid-20s. Having explored Davidsfarm I now see how that account was crafted – what was left out, how he was presenting himself as an ordinary Joe.  At the time, when I explored a bit more, all I could find were the crazy car stunt videos which certainly did not appeal to me.  But I was struck with how popular Davidsfarm was on YouTube.  And I was curious to discover why – which is why in the end I chose it as the subject of this micro ethnography.

My research questions when I started this exploration were:

  • What is Davidsfarm?
  • What  is a virtual community?
    • What would constitute as evidence of a virtual community?
    • Is Davidsfarm a virtual community?

    • The possible answer to What is Davidsfarm? – a pedophile’s lure – was something totally unexpected.  And something I cannot possibly say for sure with the limited research I have done.

    I feel I have found within Davidsfarm elements that I considered would constitute as evidence of a virtual community:

  • Identification – rednecks, lessons learned
  • Shared interests – cars, sharing knowledge, teaching
  • Human interest – Wolf, the cats
  • Solidarity against a common enemy

    • There is certainly identification among fans of imagining a redneck lifestyle for themselves and a feeling that they were participating in this lifestyle by viewing and commenting on the videos.  Fans also had a shared interest in cars and Dave’s detailed instructions on aspects of mechanics encouraged knowledge sharing not only from him to fans but between fans.  Davidfarms videos often have little human interest vignettes – of his cats, of Wolf the dog.  And when this imagined virtual community was threatened by an alternative version from outside, fans immediate reaction was solidarity against this common enemy.  And as the evidence increasingly favoured this alternative reality, many fans were angrily reluctant to let go of their imagined community.

    So much for my construction.  What is yours?