The concept project can be found at the link in the right hand menu bar
Monday, 4 May 2009
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Final Thoughts behind "Deskription"
Despite it being a working prototype, I feel that this project provides a link between the ideas of shulgins 'Desktop is' and popular up to date social networking sites. I think that creating a social network that allows people to view what is going on within other users desktops provides a deeper insight into the original idea of simply providing links to images of users desktops which are not always a true representation due to the fact they can be altered before submitted.
The idea of viewing someone's personal computer which would include files, pictures, music collection as well as possibly even more personal data is in a way how a social network operates, the only difference being that the user is fully aware of the information being shared to the outside world whereas this is not always the case with real social network sites.
The idea of viewing someone's personal computer which would include files, pictures, music collection as well as possibly even more personal data is in a way how a social network operates, the only difference being that the user is fully aware of the information being shared to the outside world whereas this is not always the case with real social network sites.
Monday, 20 April 2009
"Deskription" Contd.
As described in the previous post, this idea is a working prototype, it will work as a fully functioning project although the way in which users content and registration won't be as fast processing as you'd expect from other social network site due to lack of knowledge in areas.
The first factor is that each time the user wants to display their streaming desktop, they must sign into their 'Mogulus' account as well as making sure cam twist is turned on and that it is being streamed within 'Mogulus'. This way the embedded video within my site will then stream the live desktop.
The second factor is that in order to register to the site, the user must copy and paste the embed video code into a text box that is then emailed to me on submission and I have to manually add the embed video code to the site rather than it happen automatically.
Aside of these problems the site works and does provide a social network of live streaming desktops despite the inconvenience that goes with it.
The first factor is that each time the user wants to display their streaming desktop, they must sign into their 'Mogulus' account as well as making sure cam twist is turned on and that it is being streamed within 'Mogulus'. This way the embedded video within my site will then stream the live desktop.
The second factor is that in order to register to the site, the user must copy and paste the embed video code into a text box that is then emailed to me on submission and I have to manually add the embed video code to the site rather than it happen automatically.
Aside of these problems the site works and does provide a social network of live streaming desktops despite the inconvenience that goes with it.
"Deskription" Idea Contd
I plan on creating a Curatorial social network that allows any one to view and participate in. The plan is, by using web cam technology and software, to stream a live video of each users desktop each time they log into the social network. It will show users that are on-line as their desktops will be streaming and those off-line as they will be not.
After researching how this can be achieved I came across a free web cam program called 'Cam Twist'. This program basically allows users to use their web cam for a variety of different tasks that involve the use of web cams. It is compatible with a range of other services such as yahoo chat messenger and Skype, but more importantly for me it works with a service called 'Mogulus' a live streaming website similar to you tube but with the addition of live video streams rather than just recorded uploaded video. It turns out that Cam twist is only available to Mac users but Mogulus provide a similar free web cam software called 'Procaster' which happens to be exclusive to Windows at the present moment.
At this stage I should point out that the reason for using these other services is due to the fact that I do not at this stage have the technical knowledge of programming to create a fully functioning social network site that has live streaming capabilities. So for now I will be creating a working prototype.
By registering with Mogulus I am able to link this streaming video site with the cam twist software I downloaded due to the fact that Mogulus supports this software fully. By turning on cam twist and setting up the options to display my desktop it can then be streamed onto Mogulus and live upon the internet. The option to embed video from mogulus to anyother self managed webpage is simple. So by creating an account I can place the live video stream onto my social networking site and display all particpating users within one page.
After researching how this can be achieved I came across a free web cam program called 'Cam Twist'. This program basically allows users to use their web cam for a variety of different tasks that involve the use of web cams. It is compatible with a range of other services such as yahoo chat messenger and Skype, but more importantly for me it works with a service called 'Mogulus' a live streaming website similar to you tube but with the addition of live video streams rather than just recorded uploaded video. It turns out that Cam twist is only available to Mac users but Mogulus provide a similar free web cam software called 'Procaster' which happens to be exclusive to Windows at the present moment.
At this stage I should point out that the reason for using these other services is due to the fact that I do not at this stage have the technical knowledge of programming to create a fully functioning social network site that has live streaming capabilities. So for now I will be creating a working prototype.
By registering with Mogulus I am able to link this streaming video site with the cam twist software I downloaded due to the fact that Mogulus supports this software fully. By turning on cam twist and setting up the options to display my desktop it can then be streamed onto Mogulus and live upon the internet. The option to embed video from mogulus to anyother self managed webpage is simple. So by creating an account I can place the live video stream onto my social networking site and display all particpating users within one page.
Desktop is and its lead to my idea "Deskription"
After looking through Kingdom of Piracy for project ideas, I thought about designing an extension to the BURN idea to make it even more relevant to todays use of technology. However after thinking about it.. there was no significant way of extending it in a way that hasn't already been done with the use of legal and illegal software/methods. The Idea was to encorporate video to download and use for multimedia devices but the range of 'free; software that allows users to rip straight from youtube etc and convert to iPod/iTunes or similar made this a fairly weak idea.
I then did some research into an online exhibition from 1997-'98 called 'Desktop is' by Alexei Shulgin (http://www.easylife.org/desktop/) as provided by Joasia. Being online for twelve or so years old the webpage for this exhibition isn't exactly up to date with the majority of exhibit links innactive. However the idea of 'Desktop is'; A curatorial project/exhibition in which participants submit images of their computer's desktop which is intended to represent their own personalities.
From looking at the website and what remains of it, The idea is simply for participants to provide links to images of their desktops, which have been manipulated in order to provide information about that user via their desktop. The site is designed to replicate a typical Macintosh desktop using folder icons as links. There are actually only two pages to this web site the first linked 'desktop.is' takes the user to a page which features a variety of descriptions as to what Alexei Shulgin feels a users desktop represents. The second link named 'Desktops' takes the user to the list of links that participants have provided.
This project is no more than an online gallery allowing anyone to view users desktops in a static state which would lead to the interpretation of the personalities and interests of these particpants.
This caused me to think about a more up to date method of recreated/expanding this idea further. The idea of allowing anyone to view something that is fairly personal, in this case a desktop image, made me link it with a more recent technology that is social networking. What if this idea could be reproduced and linked with a technology that too allows users to freely view in some cases, information and media added by that particular user. In addition to the obvious viewing of information, there is the personal information that social networking sites will take and use without the users knowledge for marketing purposes etc.
With these ideas in mind I plan to create a cutorial project which is an expansion of Shulgin's Desktop is, but is incorporated within a social network.....
I then did some research into an online exhibition from 1997-'98 called 'Desktop is' by Alexei Shulgin (http://www.easylife.org/desktop/) as provided by Joasia. Being online for twelve or so years old the webpage for this exhibition isn't exactly up to date with the majority of exhibit links innactive. However the idea of 'Desktop is'; A curatorial project/exhibition in which participants submit images of their computer's desktop which is intended to represent their own personalities.
From looking at the website and what remains of it, The idea is simply for participants to provide links to images of their desktops, which have been manipulated in order to provide information about that user via their desktop. The site is designed to replicate a typical Macintosh desktop using folder icons as links. There are actually only two pages to this web site the first linked 'desktop.is' takes the user to a page which features a variety of descriptions as to what Alexei Shulgin feels a users desktop represents. The second link named 'Desktops' takes the user to the list of links that participants have provided.
This project is no more than an online gallery allowing anyone to view users desktops in a static state which would lead to the interpretation of the personalities and interests of these particpants.
This caused me to think about a more up to date method of recreated/expanding this idea further. The idea of allowing anyone to view something that is fairly personal, in this case a desktop image, made me link it with a more recent technology that is social networking. What if this idea could be reproduced and linked with a technology that too allows users to freely view in some cases, information and media added by that particular user. In addition to the obvious viewing of information, there is the personal information that social networking sites will take and use without the users knowledge for marketing purposes etc.
With these ideas in mind I plan to create a cutorial project which is an expansion of Shulgin's Desktop is, but is incorporated within a social network.....
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Researching Kingdom of Piracy - 'BURN' & 'DIVE"
The project 'BURN' featured on Kingdom of Piracy is "a web interface and installation, addresses the collateral damage of the international copyright regime, recalls the burning of pirated CDs in China and celebrates the act of BURN (CDs) as common cultural practice in the age of digital reproduction. BURN acknowledges the file sharing practice of P2P (peer to peer) and the abundance of MP3 files on the net, while creating a browser based public upload and download sharing space on the web. The BURN interface further encodes MP3 music files uploaded in assorted colors. Free for download and burn, the media lounge installation consists of piled up CDs available for free public consumption".
(http://kop.fact.co.uk/burn/html/about.html)
Created for the media lounge at Fact in Liverpool. BURN as was an installation piece in which users would take a blank CD and fill them with uploaded music files created by participants of the project. Each song uploaded would be categorised into coloured categories, where the user would choose which coloured category their song belongs. Participants of the project were asked to fill the Cd with songs from any category and take the disc full of songs away with them. The purpose of this installation according to Kingdom of Piracy is to focus upon the act of duplication and allows people to participate in the 'Illegal' act of piracy.
The alternative web based interface lets users again choose a number of tracks to be burnt onto disc by simply choosing a file and dragging it onto an image of a Cd and downloading an .iso image of the disc ready to be burned into an audio Cd. The uploaded tracks are obviously a part of the project and added by participants to avoid actual copyright laws.
Being around six years old now, this project had and still does have a strong relevant cultural link in the form of peer to peer file sharing and the technology to create custom audio Cd's. I like the way in which this project is a simplified demonstration of the way in which people use peer to peer sharing to both upload and download media illegally, and incorporates the use of technology most popular at that time to allow the user to use that media in a certain way, in this example creating an audio Cd.
Obviously technology has advanced within the six or so years that this idea was created, so therefore it could improved to make it even more relevant.
I can't remember the last time I burned an audio CD for playing back due to the fact that my music collection is all in digital format and played backed from my Laptop and also synced with my iPod. This seems to be the current case with many people so rather than allowing a user to burn a Cd, the 'BURN' interface could be redesigned allowing users to upload audio aswell as video that could be downloaded in a format that could be perhaps tailored to a portable media device, such as an ipod. In particular the video format inorder to run at the correct resolution and be the right kind of .mp4 format.
This would still hold a relevance to that of piracy and illegal download, whereas it wouldn't necessarily break any laws, for example uploading self create youtube style videos to the project, Possibly the uploading of videos added to sites like youtube from other users or compaies would start breaking piracy laws but perhaps that could be the point by disguising the application as a curatorial project which pokes fun at copyright laws, but actually holds elements of illegal piracy within it.
'DIVE' was originally a Cd-Rom, again created for the Media Lounge at Fact. Dive is also featured on Kingdom of Piracy and features additional works not included in the Cd-Rom
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Researching 'Kingdom of Piracy'
Kingdom of Piracy as described on their website is "an online, open work space to explore the free sharing of digital content - often condemned as piracy - as the net's ultimate art form".
Yukiko Shikata. The site features a vast range of projects and ideas all of which are intended to encourage the sharing of digital media and content using a number of licences based around Open Source and aims to challenge artists, writers musicians to create works to be shared and collaboratives to be made within this on-line environment.
In the emergent information, or immaterial, economy, Intellectual Property (IP) - copyrighted content and patented ideas - constitutes the central resource of many of its biggest industries, from IT to entertainment, pharmaceuticals and biotech. The definition of Intellectual Property Rights in the digital domain has emerged as one of the central struggles to shape the culture of the information society.
Kingdom of Piracy «KOP» is an online, open work space to explore the free sharing of digital content - often condemned as piracy - as the net's ultimate art form. Commissioned by the Acer Digital Art Center [ADAC] in Taiwan for ArtFuture 2002, «KOP» was designed to include links, objects, ideas, software, commissioned artists' projects, critical writing and online streaming media events. Hailed as the first international online exhibition sponsored by Taiwan's computer giant Acer Group, a pilot website «kop.adac.com.tw» was launched in December 2001 and presented with a press conference at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipai, Taiwan.
In April 2002 the leadership and direction of ADAC changed. At about the same time a major anti-piracy initiative was launched in Taiwan. «KOP» became a politically sensitive issue in Taiwan and by May, the curatorial and artists' FTP access to the «KOP» server was denied. By mid-June, «kop.adac.com.tw» was taken offline. ADAC demanded editorial rights to artists' links and requested a change of the title, Kingdom of Piracy. The joint curatorial team rejected this demand and sought ways of preserving the project as both a Taiwanese initiative and an International online art project. Through the efforts of ADAC's former director Ray Wang, «KOP» server access at ADAC was resumed. However, an IP address 211.73.224.150 was assigned, the use of the domain name is denied.
It seems to me that the Kingdom of Piracy idea seems to have many similarities to the art form of Dadaism, in the sense that in order to create content, the user must follow instructions to a certain degree in order to achieve the intended outcome. In my opinion, culturally the ideas behind the two are similar in the way in which the movement of Dada was about being against the way the contemporary art movement of the time was being appreciated and defined; just as the Kingdom of Piracy idea is against the laws being pinned upon digital media and content. Both seem to utilise the idea of setting instructed tasks to provide new Art and in the case of KOP music, literature video.....
(http://kop.fact.co.uk/)
The curators and creators behind this are Shu Lea Cheang, Armin Medosch andYukiko Shikata. The site features a vast range of projects and ideas all of which are intended to encourage the sharing of digital media and content using a number of licences based around Open Source and aims to challenge artists, writers musicians to create works to be shared and collaboratives to be made within this on-line environment.
In the emergent information, or immaterial, economy, Intellectual Property (IP) - copyrighted content and patented ideas - constitutes the central resource of many of its biggest industries, from IT to entertainment, pharmaceuticals and biotech. The definition of Intellectual Property Rights in the digital domain has emerged as one of the central struggles to shape the culture of the information society.
Kingdom of Piracy «KOP» is an online, open work space to explore the free sharing of digital content - often condemned as piracy - as the net's ultimate art form. Commissioned by the Acer Digital Art Center [ADAC] in Taiwan for ArtFuture 2002, «KOP» was designed to include links, objects, ideas, software, commissioned artists' projects, critical writing and online streaming media events. Hailed as the first international online exhibition sponsored by Taiwan's computer giant Acer Group, a pilot website «kop.adac.com.tw» was launched in December 2001 and presented with a press conference at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipai, Taiwan.
In April 2002 the leadership and direction of ADAC changed. At about the same time a major anti-piracy initiative was launched in Taiwan. «KOP» became a politically sensitive issue in Taiwan and by May, the curatorial and artists' FTP access to the «KOP» server was denied. By mid-June, «kop.adac.com.tw» was taken offline. ADAC demanded editorial rights to artists' links and requested a change of the title, Kingdom of Piracy. The joint curatorial team rejected this demand and sought ways of preserving the project as both a Taiwanese initiative and an International online art project. Through the efforts of ADAC's former director Ray Wang, «KOP» server access at ADAC was resumed. However, an IP address 211.73.224.150 was assigned, the use of the domain name is denied.
(Shu Lea Cheang, http://kop.fact.co.uk/KOP/html/proposal.html)
It seems to me that the Kingdom of Piracy idea seems to have many similarities to the art form of Dadaism, in the sense that in order to create content, the user must follow instructions to a certain degree in order to achieve the intended outcome. In my opinion, culturally the ideas behind the two are similar in the way in which the movement of Dada was about being against the way the contemporary art movement of the time was being appreciated and defined; just as the Kingdom of Piracy idea is against the laws being pinned upon digital media and content. Both seem to utilise the idea of setting instructed tasks to provide new Art and in the case of KOP music, literature video.....
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Rethink of Ideas
After Presenting my ideas to Joasia and Gianni they both provided feedback in order to improve the ideas I had presented. The whole idea of collecting and uploading images of areas from around the world seemed a bit too specific. Joasia mentioned the idea of curating so that the user has an instructed task rather than just an uploading of images that may not even be relevent.
Speaking with Joasia at a later stage, recommended a list of references and previous works to study and critique in order to gain a more solid idea for the critical context project. I was advised that my idea doesn't have to be original and more than likely wouldn't have been, but I can adapt an existing idea to make it relevant to today's technology, or simply to improve the idea/project in ways in which I think it would benefit.
Speaking with Joasia at a later stage, recommended a list of references and previous works to study and critique in order to gain a more solid idea for the critical context project. I was advised that my idea doesn't have to be original and more than likely wouldn't have been, but I can adapt an existing idea to make it relevant to today's technology, or simply to improve the idea/project in ways in which I think it would benefit.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Further Research for Web Based Idea
I'm undecided if this idea goes ahead whether to use a 'Google Earth' approach to the world or whether an atlas view is the way to go with this one.
Looking at Google Earth, I again need to be careful if using a similar design as not to replicate the idea of this. Google Earth allows you to navigate around the earth and zoom in on countries, regions, towns etc. The difference with the web based idea I have and Google earth is that rather than being a static collection of satellite images, my idea will use constantly updated images from users uploading images that will controlled by time in terms of the time of day the image is shot.
the world view will be more of a live representation of time with half the 'world' in darkness and half in light. The ability to zoom in will occur how ever not as in depth as Google earth, but will show countries in full with thumbnails of the uploaded images to represent the landscape.
Looking at Google Earth, I again need to be careful if using a similar design as not to replicate the idea of this. Google Earth allows you to navigate around the earth and zoom in on countries, regions, towns etc. The difference with the web based idea I have and Google earth is that rather than being a static collection of satellite images, my idea will use constantly updated images from users uploading images that will controlled by time in terms of the time of day the image is shot.
the world view will be more of a live representation of time with half the 'world' in darkness and half in light. The ability to zoom in will occur how ever not as in depth as Google earth, but will show countries in full with thumbnails of the uploaded images to represent the landscape.
Researching Current Image Sharing Continued
For the idea of creating an immersive 3D environment, there is a technology developed by Microsoft called 'PhotoSynth' The video below provides a good demonstration of what the technology can do. This is the Image sharing application I need to be most wary of in terms of how my idea represents an environment. PhotoSynth basically creates a virtual on screen 3D environment by taking a number of uploaded images to create 3D representations of buildings inside and out, as well as landscapes etc.
Researching Current Image Sharing
I need to look into they types of current image sharing websites and applications that are available for use and how my idea differs from them.
One of the most popular sites for users to upload images is Flickr.com. This is a free service that offers uploading of images. This is what the site states within the "Tour" section....
I should mention Facebook at this point. Primarily a social network, the site does give an option to upload Images in the form of Galleries. Again a similar layout and style as Flickr and Photobucket.
One of the most popular sites for users to upload images is Flickr.com. This is a free service that offers uploading of images. This is what the site states within the "Tour" section....
"What is Flickr?
Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Let us show you why!
Flickr is a way to get your photos and videos to the people who matter to you. And since basic accounts are free, there's no reason not to explore further...
Upload
Upload from your desktop, send by email, or use your cameraphone.
Edit
Get rid of red eye, crop a photo, or get creative with fonts and effects!
Organize
Use collections, sets, and tags to organize your photos and videos.
Share
Use groups and privacy controls to share your photos and videos.
Maps
Share where your photos and videos were taken, and see photos and videos taken near you.
Make Stuff
Sexy cards, photo books, framed prints, Target pick up, DVDs, etc.
Keep in Touch
Get updates from family and friends."
"Maps
Great shot - where'd you take that?
Flickr's great for exploring photos and videos by photographer, tag, time, text, and group, and now it's also great for exploring photos and videos by place.
Drag-and-drop your photos and videos onto a map (using the Organizr) to show where you took them, or browse a world map to see where other people have been and what they saw."
The maps section of Flickr is the one I need to compare with the most. This option allows users to tag images according to their location of which they were taken. The images are then pin pointed on a map (similar to google maps) and are popped up when rolled over. This then allows the user to scroll through the images tagged under that region.
Another similar sharing site is PhotoBucket. Pretty much the same features as Flickr offers. It again ahas the ability to create albums, upload videos, as well as sharing photos and videos with friends you have on the site. I should point out that both Flickr and Photobucket offer an 'add friends' option... giving the sites a social networking slant oposed to just a site that allows uploading.
I should mention Facebook at this point. Primarily a social network, the site does give an option to upload Images in the form of Galleries. Again a similar layout and style as Flickr and Photobucket.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Is this Generative Art?
"Generative art refers to any art practice where the artist creates a process, such as a set of natural language rules, a computer program, a machine, or other procedural invention, which is then set into motion with some degree of autonomy contributing to or resulting in a completed work of art." (Philip Galanter).
The two ideas pretty much fall under the category of Generative Art due to the autonomy that will be used in order to randomise the images. Although the data of Time Zones also plays a role in the type of image being displayed (i.e. Day or Night). The tagging system of the images location and the time of day the photo was taken will be predetermined and will link with other images of this kind in order to achieve a number of similar images.... this will be one of the only planned and controlled methods for displaying the right type of image depending on the time. The Region/ country where the image belongs is the second controlled method, the rest of the images will be automated at random within Flash or Java.
Two Ideas
My idea is to create a social image sharing application/website. I have two ideas for this, one alot bigger than the other but both incorporating the same sort of idea.
The first idea is a web based application that the user uploads images of areas and regions from around the world which are then tagged and categorised with other users images of the same areas. The images are then positioned on a globe or atlas graphic. I hope to to use a combination of Java and Flash to control data regarding time zones which will categorise the images into there zone which will result in the randomising of the images displayed on the globe depending on the time.
The second idea is to again use a upload system of images and still using timezone data create an immersive environment of a single area (e.g. TimesSquare New York) and project the images to create a 3D scene of the area.
These two ideas are kind of an extension of the Google Earth idea but presenting it in accordance to the time of day and the use of randomisation.
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