[by Mez]
doll_tre[ru]mor[s] = <<TREMORS
<tremor name='the_5th_world'>
<fracture>
<fracture name='post2charinscription'>
<polymers>
<polymer var='user' val='YourDollUserName'/>
<polymer var='3rdperson' val='Your3rdPerson'/>
<polymer var='location' val='YourSoddenSelf'/>
<polymer var='spikey' val='YourSpiKeySelf'/>
</polymers>
</fracture>
<fracture name='post2skin'>
<polymers>
<polymer var='user' val='YourPolyannaUserName'/>
<polymer var='msg' val='YourPleading'/>
<polymer var='lastword' val='YourLastword'/>
</polymers>
</fracture>
</fractures>
</tremor>"
TREMOR
Over at the literary theory blog, The Valve, a reader has posted the CCS Bat Signal, summoning CCS into action. The comment comes in a response to a post about Noah Wardrip-Fruin’s new Grand Vet Auto experiment, a reader has suggested:
Why not work out a theory of video game narrative using the logic and idiom of the object-oriented programming languages that are used to create the video games in the first place?
Sounds like a job for Critical Code Studies.
It remains to be seen to what degree Noah will dig into code. While this germ of an idea would certainly fit CCS, more curious is who has posted the challenge. It’s none other than the notorious Luthe Blisset.
Luthe Blisset, or more properly, Luther Blisset is, how should we say, an open source mask, or better — a creative commons alter ego that’s been around since 1994.
Members of the Luther Blisset Project, Eva and Franco Mattes, “a couple of restless con-artists who use non conventional communication tactics,” have gone on to form 0100101110101101.org. One of their projects also invites and informs CCS.
Consider their Biennale.py, a computer virus work of art. They describe the work:
(more…)
_______________________________________________
531 - (ch) . amber (ed) k (h) e (a) r (t)nels
07:09am 01/02/2008
_______________________________________________
15($stiff . ening with fea((c))r(eam)!)
5($limb . less f((l))ailings)
53($swelt . (i)ered.fractures
35($uglin((dr))ess(es) (x)
30($denied . (see)d(s)ire
331($snipped-genital-(pup(a))pets x))))))
object
33($rot-cavity-m(f)o((a)rm)ldings)
3($(flesh . g)r(e)ying . orGa(mete)n(Elles))
13($let ((form))
13($get* bindings . b(lind)ody))
($define! force-promise
clammered
($if (not?
clammering
object
(handle-promise-result x)))
hammered
($define! handle-promise-result
amber
($gene (x y)
chambered
((not? (promise? y))
(iambic.pent((up))a)meter
(set-(h)eart(h)! (var x) y) ;
(set-earth! (var x) ()) ; delete y)
exact?, inexact?, robust?, undefined?
get-real-internal-bounds, get-real-exact-bounds
get-real-internal-primary, get-real-exact-primary
make-inexact
real->inexact, real->exact
with-strict-arithmetic, get-strict-arithmetic?
numerator, denominator
floor, ceiling, truncate, round
rationalize, simplest-rationa
make-rectangular, real-part, imag-part
make-polar, magnitude, angle
–
_________________________________
#dn[p]a[per.cut here.]bird#
06:07pm 30/01/2008
_________________________________
BirdF1-TTCTCCAACCACAAAGACATTGGCAC
BirdR1-ACGTGGGAGATAATTCCAAATCCTG
BirdR1-ACGTGGGAGATAATTCCAAATCCTG
BirdR3-AGGAGTTTGCTAGTACGATGCC
BirdF1-TTCTCCAACCACAAAGACATTGGCAC
BirdR1-ACGTGGGAGATAATTCCAAATCCTG
BirdR1-ACGTGGGAGATAATTCCAAATCCTG
BirdR3-AGGAGTTTGCTAGTACGATGCC
TTCTCCA#cut[icle].bird.ACCACAAAG
ACGTGGG#line.here#AGATAATTCCAAAT
ACGTGGG#fe[e]tally.blind#AGATAAT
AGGAGTT#cur[e]ve.d.h.orn[er]y.TGCT
AGGAGTT#bill.on.my.GCTAGTACGATGCC
ACGTGGG#pro[ad]verbial.tab#AGATA
[Updated: 12/8/07]
There’s an exciting conversation over at Writer Response Theory about Critical Code Studies. Jeremy Douglass, who recently took on the position of the Software Studies postdoc at UCSD, proposed a Venn diagram to illustrate the relationship between Critical Code Studies and Software Studies. Jeremy seems to be beginning his post doc by trying to firm up some definitions.
For Douglass, Software Studies and Critical Code Studies share some but not all interests.
On the other hand, Noah Wardrip-Fruin, a driving force behind the Software Studies program at UCSD, argues that Critical Code Studies is a central component of Software Studies. Software Studies, by this view, is the uber-field and Critical Code Studies is a set of analytical practices within it.
If we return to Douglass’ original formulation, we find the source of the disagreement (or why Jeremy’s postulation doesn’t fit within Noah’s): Douglass is trying to define the approaches according to the aspect of digital culture that they emphasize:
Software Studies emphasizes computation.
Critical Code Studies emphasizes uncompiled source code.
There might be uncompiled source code that does not get computed (for example, compiled) and there might be processes that occur in computation that were not driven by uncompiled source code. Would it be too simple to say that one analysis emphasizes the executable and the execution while the other emphasizes the language of those executables?
Noah asks what uncompiled source code is not software? Noah doesn’t object here, but rather asks for an example of source code that is not a part of software. From that, I derive the following implication.
Software Studies examines software and related material
Critical Code Studies examines code and related material.
According to this logic, the code is just one of the many aspects of software, so CCS, and more broadly Code Studies, would be a subset of Software Studies.
Subsequently, their debate ensues along the lines of objects of study (what counts as software or code) and approaches (what counts as software studies or critical code studies).
(more…)
[Note: Mez joins Critical Code Studies! A forthcoming post will list all the current authors.]
Writing in her “creole” poetic language, mezangelle, codework artist Mez will use Critical Code Studies to post her pieces in an effort to propel Critical Code Studies. For a complete archive of Mez’s ongoing poetic experiences, read her blog (http://netwurker.livejournal.com/).]
- Select
- Self_in_fect.organelles formed by the sub_ego_organs of the first chavatar, if any.
- Visit the psychatomy of the 1st_chavatar.
- Traverse order.in.the.organs formed by the remaining chavatars in the egoplateau, if any.
- Select>Process
- Assess the st[e]ruc[|p]ture of the 1st chavatar.
- Formulate consciousness_blocks formed by the sub_organs of the 1st chavatar in the thoughtplateau, if any.
- Reverse the cohesion_order of the remaining charvatars formed by the remaining organs in the egoplateau, if any.
- Select>Process>Skin
- Wireframe orders formed by the sub_ego.ruptures of the 1st chavatar, if any.
- Render adoptive_ordering of the remaining chavatars in the egoplateau, if any.
- Visit the ego of the 1st Skin.
Extreme Tracking