Abstract
The article addresses the challenges of online ethnography, inspired by anthropological research experiences with digital media during the pandemic. It focuses on the multiple identities of technological artifacts, emphasizing the need for digital ethnography to be sensitive to the practices and contingencies associated with these artifacts, rather than considering them neutral and isolated from human relationships. The challenge of working with global scales, both in the context of the pandemic and on internet platforms, is also discussed, along with reflections on ethics in digital research. This ethics is seen as a constant negotiation exercise with the study participants, rather than with the digital platforms themselves. It is argued that it is crucial to focus on local practices to avoid confusing the global with homogeneity or universality. Finally, it is maintained that digital ethnography should not replicate the algorithmic procedures of the platforms, maintaining a clear distinction between native and analytical categories in anthropological research. In summary, it is defended that ethnography is not data mining.
Keywords:
online ethnography; multiple scales; ethics; data mining