My project follows the Activity Theory principle of ascending to the concrete by bridging theory and reality by studying culture of modding communities in the real world. I am currently a third year PhD student at University of California, Irvine. I am doing my PhD with Professor Bonnie Nardi.

I am a Singaporean, and Chinese by ethnicity. Singapore uses English as its common and official language. Most families like mine speak mother tongue at home, and in my case - Chinese language. I, as a result, is exposed to both English and Chinese, and well aware of both culture.

I like Chinese culture more, particularly its depth and broadness in cultural knowledge. My keen-ness in exploring the Chinesey dimensions motivated the types of questions I asked in my research. At the same time, I respected the American culture. Particularly its community spirits. I saw both culture complementary in many ways.

Before I started my PhD, I was a HCI consultant, with my own firm. Thus, I am part Anthropology, part HCI. I did not think about these artificial dichotomy too much. I believes researchers should think more about applications, rather than differentiating academic origins. We are here to solve human problems. So here I am, as I always do, mix in my research multiple methodological traditions.

I believed that is the way technological communities are evolving as well, solving real world issues, bringing different people together. In modding communities of World of Warcraft, people are facing hurdles - both legal and social. My hope is that my two cents can make a difference.

Outside of my research, I am a Chan (Chinese Zen Buddhism) practitioner. I meditate, and have been attending annual week-long retreats in New York and Malaysia for the past ten years. Meditation calms the mind; and in calmness other parts of my life comes together.

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ykow@uci.edu

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