| is the middle of the web One thing the web user has structurally in common with a bellybutton andthis is the paradox condition of being »ubi quique«, whichmeans, being at the same time everywhere at each point and neverthelessnowhere in special, a determination, which applied once only to gods. The Web, the world-wide network, doesn't have a measurable space, isno Res extensa, which could be drawn into a system of coordinates, thereforeeveryone, who participates, is at the same time in the center and at itsoutermost edge, an annoying paradox, to whose removal different strategiesare chosen. One goes on the increase of the users value, his »reputation«or »value« in the web, promoted with Vote me's, banners andlink exchanges and representable in a possible internet formula »Value= n * eyeballs«. One could say: the value of a user - his reputation- increases with the number of eyeballs, which pay attention to his ownpage. Further possibilities are: to start own clubs, to operate with chatroomsand forums in order to create with this family-similar membership sucha thing like a virtual home. Homeland grounds and leads back into the generation chain, in whichone is connected by his navel cord not only with direct ancestors, butis related to all humans, if one stretches the time window only far enough.A structure, which is quite comparable to the Web. Cutting the cord is necessary, and nevertheless it is canceled in lifeagain and again in favor of new navel cords, new connections and dependencies,transformed structures, which forces a repeated cutting of cords. Even if the first attempts start to make internet connections cordlessalready, the communion of computers appears to be like a collective navling(Vernabelung). (as that man says in a german spot for Pay TV: »What,you still have no cable?«) Cabling is horror to most of us like deciphering manuals, but oncethe connection is set up, all previous confusion and despair is immediatelyforgotten and giving way to that incomparable luck feeling of this »useryour-name is logged in« (the astonished tennis star: I am in it?!) To be logged in = to be in! To be wired to the network, to this new El Dorado of everywhere andnowhere, in the scope of general availability of all files produces a splitof consciousness, a schizoid existence. Interconnected through eyes, handsand cables with the world behind the monitor, the body before the displayis getting at a disadvantage and now waiting for its rediscovering. Whetherthe fact, that live Webcams are now beginning to look back is sufficient,is however questionable. The Dolmus bus from Alanya to Manavgat in the southwest of Turkey ishanging full of amulettes against the evil eye, altogether seven eyes intheir typical form of blue drips or tears, as they are offered all overthe markets in order to center another view and steer him away, just toleave his carrier undisturbed. What is the evil in these eyes? Why muslimwomen have to protect theirselves against them by veiling? Response: because they are covetous. Eyes are basically covetous and desiring, therefore a dealer needsonly to focus ones attention to the goods, which he would like to sell,in order to stir up the hidden, natural desire. All is advertisement; vegetabledisplays on the weekly market over TV-spots up to the "banners" on theinternet pages. But in the Web the type of eyes have changed. The making eye at eachother,the exchange of views, flaring affectionately good up to desiring evileyes does not count any more, is becoming uninteresting more and more.Not the quality, but only the quantity »of eyeballs« is ofimportance, counted as hits and analysed by the logbooks on all servers. Splitting our existence by a digital interface into a world beforeand behind the display causes a gap through our personal identity too.It threatens on one hand to get lost, since we morph into a simple advertisingtarget group, to just numeric eyeballs, but on the other hand it contains the chance of a brandnew,a virtual identity. What is getting out of it, is not yet researched and answered, but one question is already certain: whatwill be with our real body before the monitor? Two body things remind us of our biological identity: our navel andour eyeballs, which are in addition also the carriers of our social personality,that's why they must be covered with black banners under suspicion. The picture of a navel gazing man to western people, who are crazyabout work, was considered long time as a thing out of correctness, despicably,almost disgusting. He regards this picture of the Oriental, Indian, Chineseas an example of someone, who misses to give actively a meaning to hislife. Instead he seems to fall in love to his own mirror image like narcissus.The asiatic understanding of just to let things happen opposes diametricallythe western view of meditation as an intellectual work, bible researchfor example. The eyesight, to old philosophers the guarantee of being comparableto God, shall not bend down today for the origin of the own life, shallnot gaze at its own navel, before extinguishing, but shall merge with thatblue display light, shall flow with him in the same rythm, producing hitby hit. Therefore you can regard here an open collection with portraits ofreal bellybuttons, enjoy their pure beauty and individuality without havingto shut your eyes to the display. Pages with pics of bellybuttons are growinglike the web itself. This is an index for me for the general attempt ofrediscovering our real body. Even the advertising banners on top are important here, because they are also a reason, why this page seemsto become necessary at all. Cologne, Alanya, in February 2000 | |