Monday, October 1, 2012

Network Culture-- Network Dynamics Visualized and The Digital Economy

If watching binary code scroll down terminal monitor's on your computer screen at Monday's media lab felt like TMI...

some visual representations try to explain how data moves on/through/over the Internet in prettier ways.
(Image via http://www.cheswick.com/ches/map/gallery/index.html via google image search == How does the Internet Work )


Before addressing thoughts on about the digital economy (with the image and text above serving as inspiration)


"If we managed the impossible task of freeze-framing the Internet for a second, we would be faced with a bewildering picture......"
pg. 53


Throughout the second chapter of "Network Culture" Terranova offers vivid descriptions of the processes involved in getting data moved in/on/through the Internet, giving details  (packets, nodes, )  that conjured up the most accurate mental image than could be found through Google images or anywhere online.

Although not all data is art (pixels are pixels are pixels...)  Walter Benjamin essay
"The Work of Art in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction." comes to mind.

Issues of authenticity, context and meaning arise when using mediums that are able to produce and reproduce images.  Although the essay is specific to photography and film, this can be applied to creating content on the Internet.

“During long periods of history, the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity’s entire mode of existence. The manner in which human sense perception is organized, the medium in which it is accomplished, is determined not only by nature but by historical circumstances as well” 










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