“error 404: page not found”

Presenter and Advisor Information

Megan Soria, Illinois Wesleyan University

Major

English – Writing

Second Major

Philosophy

Submission Type

Oral Presentation

Area of Study or Work

English-Writing

Faculty Advisor

Michael Theune

Location

CNS E103

Start Date

4-12-2025 11:15 AM

End Date

4-12-2025 12:15 PM

Abstract

“error 404: page not found” is a multi-form collection of short stories that imagines a world that postdates the existence of the internet. Utilizing niche internet references as well as broad categories such as online dating, right-wing propaganda, and anonymity, “error 404: page not found” explores characters’ relationships with the internet and how its death shapes their relationship with others. This collection is inspired by my own experience and reliance on the internet for connection, including the use of techniques like stream of consciousness, emulating AI structures, and translation tools that speak to relevant themes. While this collection includes traditional narrative forms, I have also chosen to explore other expressions of the internet through transcribed podcast episodes, video captions, and the perspective of the internet as its own entity. The goal of “error 404: page not found” is to highlight how our world capitalized on an interconnected nature through rewarding overconsumption and rewarding productivity while also reckoning with my own complicity in the increasingly disconnected culture.

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Apr 12th, 11:15 AM Apr 12th, 12:15 PM

“error 404: page not found”

CNS E103

“error 404: page not found” is a multi-form collection of short stories that imagines a world that postdates the existence of the internet. Utilizing niche internet references as well as broad categories such as online dating, right-wing propaganda, and anonymity, “error 404: page not found” explores characters’ relationships with the internet and how its death shapes their relationship with others. This collection is inspired by my own experience and reliance on the internet for connection, including the use of techniques like stream of consciousness, emulating AI structures, and translation tools that speak to relevant themes. While this collection includes traditional narrative forms, I have also chosen to explore other expressions of the internet through transcribed podcast episodes, video captions, and the perspective of the internet as its own entity. The goal of “error 404: page not found” is to highlight how our world capitalized on an interconnected nature through rewarding overconsumption and rewarding productivity while also reckoning with my own complicity in the increasingly disconnected culture.