Category: Creative Practice & Strategy

As of 10th November 2007, this post moved to:
https://www.christydena.com/online-essays/why-args-arent-hoaxes/

Jason Nelson, an internationally regarded (yet not deservingly so in Australia unfortunately) digital artist, has created a great literary game about games, religion, society, net art and interaction design in general called “game, game, game and again game”. It is a great fun and very clever work that has attracted over 7 million hits from newspapers and magazines. The game is described by Nelson as:

a digital poem/game/net artwork hybrid of sorts. There are 13 curious levels filled with poetics, hand drawn creatures, scribbles backgrounds and other poorly made bits. The theme (cringe) hovers around our many failed/error filled/compelling belief systems, from consumerism to monotheism. But more it repels the tyranny (cringe) of clean design and cold smoothness of much of the web/net-art.

It would make a great subject for study in classes on games, net art and interaction design, as well as a rich topic for an academic essay. 

Check it out: http://www.secrettechnology.com/gamegame/gamegame.html

Danah Boyd has asked for feedback on an article she is writing with Nicole Ellison on the ‘History of Social Network Sites’. Here is an excerpt:

The first recognizable social network site launched in 1997.   SixDegrees.com allowed users to come to the site, create profiles and list their Friends.   The site promoted the ways that users could connect with and send messages to Friends based on degree (SixDegrees.com, 1999). While SixDegrees attracted millions, it was before its time (Weinreich, 2007).  While people were already flocking to the Internet, most did not have extended networks of friends who were online. Some participants also complained that the site provided very little incentive to return following the articulation of one’s network; meeting strangers was not in vogue.   SixDegrees closed its doors in 2000.

Read the work in progress and give feedback