Ethnographic Encounters with Computer Code in its Various Dimensions

Abstract

Programmed algorithms and computer code are increasingly shaping everyday life, while simultaneously being influenced and shaped by people and everyday life itself. But where exactly can we encounter computer code ,its effects and impacts ethnographically? It can never be pinned to a singular instance or moment, but is always many. In this article, we discuss methodological approaches to computer code in its different dimensions and illustrate them with ethnographic examples. We differentiate the following five dimensions: a) Code as text and its inscriptions, b) Computer code in its performance and execution, c) Programming as practice: development, tinkering, debugging, and hacking, d) Infrastructuring with and through computer code, and e) Governance and governmentality: governing with and through computer code. These perspectives are not mutually exclusive; rather, thinking together these different dimensions of code as a sociotechnical assemblage allows for a deeper understanding. We discuss which dimensions can be useful for specific research interests and emphasize the importance of reflecting on the methodological and conceptual decisions made during the research process.