Cyborg hoaxes: Disability, deception, and critical studies of digital media

This article examines academic and popular examples of a cyborg hoaxan articulation of gender, dis/ability, and technology that is deceptive, reinforces an ideology of ability, and prevents users and scholars alike from seeing the value of disability for digital media cultures. The article uses cyborg theory, cyberculture studies, literature on online deception, and critical disability studies to argue that cyborg hoaxes are a dominant but stereotypical representation. This is contrasted with ethnographic data about disabled peoples' online experiences, which suggest that alternative linkages of disability, gender, and technology can provide valuable insights into the critical study of online cultures.