The Dox Files

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

In a world where we are all constantly evaluating each other's arguments based on our own ideas of what are 'good' and 'bad' facts, author Jenny Rice argues that we need to find new, more productive ways of engaging in discourse with one another:

“In order to make inroads in public discourse—especially when facing recalcitrant rhetorics—we need new ways of seeing. We will inevitably fail by continuing to claim that this evidence outweighs that evidence, or this archive is superior to that archive. It’s our challenge to invent new modes of responsible response, like the demons we are.” (Rice, 2020, p. 182)

The Demon Archive, then, was created to be a strategic writing practice—one that allows us to step away from composing argumentative essays that pit us against each other and lead us into dead-end discourse. 

BUT WHAT IS A DEMON ARCHIVE?

An excellent question, but unfortunately, not an easy one to answer.

The 'archive' in the name refers to a collection of artefacts: of events, ideas and concepts that exist (have existed, were erased, or never existed in the first place) in public discourse, that inform one another, but that don’t particularly draw a conclusion. The conclusion, then, is the author's role to decide—that's where the 'demon' part comes in. 

Rice explains that the "demon" in 'Demon Archive' refers to the Latin word 'daimon' or genius. However, it doesn't mean genius in a typical sense. Rather, the 'daimon' is the version of the 'self' that we disclose to others, but also that is disclosed to others without us knowing—a version of our ‘selves’ that can only be perceived by people around us (Rice, 2020). She clarifies that, while Demon Archives aren’t testimonies or personal narratives, they are impossible without the individual's perspective (Rice, 2020). 

We can understand the Demon Archive, then, to be a kind of collection; curated differently by each author, based on their own 'genius'; an invention practice that seeks to learn what our artefacts can tell us about an event, problem or situation rather than simply deeming something valid or invalid (Rice, 2020). 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR "THE DOX FILES"?

“The Dox Files” being a Demon Archive means that this is not a traditional research paper. It means that, rather than writing an argumentative essay on why doxxing is unethical, something everyone already knows and would likely do very little in terms of opening up the conversation on this topic, I asked myself "what can I learn about why doxxing is happening?" and went from there.

I intended for this essay to be an archive: a collection of stories, Tweets, websites, definitions, forum posts, etc, that I curated while researching for this project, laced with my own reflections—my own ‘genius’—on this issue and why it happens. 

The website itself is an artefact; a visual representation of where all of my artefacts exist: in online spaces that live in the hyperlink labyrinth of the internet. The way I've written this piece, formatted in 'wiki-style' pages and forum posts, means that it can only be fully understood in this web-text context. Each online space is home to it's own type of discourse, discourse that doesn't make much sense when you remove it from it's original context. This website functions in much the same way: it is a product of the web, made to showcase the discourse that exists in these spaces, as it exists in those spaces. Navigating through this site may seem confusing at times. It may even feel like you’re getting lost in all the information. That’s okay—it’s intentional. I wanted my readers to experience the same disorienting, nonlinear path I took through this virtual labyrinth to help them understand how I came to my conclusion.

It’s okay if you’re confused. Even Rice admits that the Demon Archive is a very theoretical, experimental medium. Even so, I hope you’ll keep an open mind as you join me on this deep dive through the internet. 

Welcome to 

“The Dox Files”.