As We May Think

Workshop / Installations & Presentations
"Early Summary Thoughts", Saturday 5th March 2005. Excerpt: "In the spirit of our daily browsing of infinite amounts of data / information / content, of which an origin is only partly relevant or traceable - if only because such material is in the constant process of being reviewed, altered, recontextualized - a "signature of information" has a different relevance from what we are used to with other "content", Whether we are looking at material, tool, or product is uncertain. Whether we are free to take, make or break the rules that might govern it is uncertain. How we relate to previous "authors" remains to be found out. This is what is called "launch-and-learn". Good practice develops in fair use and shared experience. To collectively build content also means to share the burden of gathering, managing and contextualizing or framing any cultural production which is supported by extensive resources. The database can be formatted in different output media, being customized for presentation to different audiences. To work on Claudia’s database means to work in Claudia’s database, from within Claudia’s database, indeed like working in an environment which can stand quite some intervention without loosing its qualities. How far such a work can be allowed to drift away from its initial aim to relate material from the backgrounds of computer science, popular culture and Internet history is the responsibility not only of those who add to it but certainly also of those who take from it." Jouke Kleerebezem