Re-thinking the cultural codes of new media: The question concerning ontology

The digital world need not solely be conceived in Western, elite terms, but instead can and should be re-envisioned as a space that empowers the values, priorities, and ontologies held by global users from the ‘margins’, within the developing world. This paper asks us to re-consider the ontologies of the digital world in light of the cultural beliefs, languages, and value systems of emerging web users. I argue that as we design new media technologies and develop projects we must think about local ontologies and practices rather than singular Western-created representations of knowledge. I present several examples that think past rigid, hierarchical classifications, opening up the codes of new media to better listen to diverse community and cultural voices.