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The personalization of this image and text portray an ethnography of ones home. It tells the reader a story that is proven through the writer's experiences. The descriptions of toxic smells put images in my head that derive from similar smell-memories. The city nicknames added to both the visualization, the story, and give the reader something to smile about. All the examples and stories give are something that one can relate to. This toxic visualization wins me over with its heart and honesty. 

The personalization of this image and text portray an ethnography of ones home. It tells the reader a story that is proven through the writer's experiences. The descriptions of toxic smells put images in my head that derive from similar smell-memories. The city nicknames added to both the visualization, the story, and give the reader something to smile about. All the examples and stories provide something that one can relate to. This toxic visualization wins me over with its heart and honesty. 

My initial response was shaped by the deep familiarity with the image, taken from a piece of software I use almost every day. I therefore started looking closer at the image to see if there were any modifications to it. Due to the angle and resoluton, I assumed that it must have been taken with an additional camera. Since I did not find anything out of the ordinary – except for locating El Segundo – I turned to the design statement with more anticipation.

When I first looked at the image, it reminded my of the “god-trick” or “view from nowhere” discussed in Feminist STS in debates on objectivity. This is not surprising given that it is a satellite image. The image description, in turn, is very rich in communicating the history of the place, how toxicity is governed and what it was like to grow up in what is certainly a “toxic assemblage.” The distant and sober satellite image is therefore in contrast to the evocative experience of smell that the image description points to.

When I first looked at the image, I had to think of what Feminist STS calls the “god-trick” or “view from nowhere.” This is not surprising given that it is a satellite image. The image description, in turn, is very rich in communicating the history of the place, how toxicity is governed and what it was like to grow up in what is certainly a “toxic assemblage.” The distant and sober satellite image is therefore in contrast to the evocative experience of smell that the image description points to.

While the image and description point to the absence of sound and smell, it would be interesting to see attempts at folding such data into the map, e.g. base on the recommended odor diaries.