Re: Peace Is Not a Game

Yes - an excellent piece of work - I was very surprised that it was not
not covered on here, makes one wonder…mmm.

marc

>Haven't checked this out yet, sounds good … on a
>connected note I don't think Ruth Catlow's excellent
>'Rethinking Wargames'
>http://www.low-fi.org.uk/rethinkingwargames/
> got NAN coverage -it should have!
>michael
>— Net Art News <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>———————————
> NET ART NEWS May 24, 2004Peace
>Is Not a GameAntiwargame, a free online game by the
>San Francisco-based futurefarmerscollective, has a
>simple premise: stay president of the U.S.A. while
>thecountry is in crisis after a terrorist attack. The
>presidentaE

HI Marc
personally I meant no more than I said.
Ruth's piece is a great piece & more people should
know it.
However I don't believe NAN or Rhizome is run
conspiratorially.
I love what you are doing on Furtherfield and with the
Netbehaviour list - but I continue to enjoy and
benefit from Rhizome -there's room for plenty of
different approaches in my view.

People keep saying , in various quarters, "Rhizome is
dead" or words to that effect -I can't say it seems
like that to me -I think there've actually been some
pretty interesting discussions here recently and for
breadth I think it still can't be beaten, and while I
entirely understand the argument about making the
content available, which does seem to need to be
addressed in some way, I still think $5 is actually
ridiculously cheap .
When we bandy words like collectivity or solidarity
whatever about I think its not some tribal thing- you
know -I'm loyal to *my* list( and definitely God help
us not a *national* thing like Brits V. US or whatever
) but that we should link arms with our fellow artists
in the interests at a minimum of useful discussion and
maybe at some point we might be able to collectively
work to improve opportunites and conditions for *all*
of us.
I think *this* list against *that* list or *this* way
of organizing a for want of a better word "curatorial"
site against *that* way of doing it is a pointless
distraction.
best
michael

— marc <[email protected]> wrote:
> Yes - an excellent piece of work - I was very
> surprised that it was not
> not covered on here, makes one wonder…mmm.
>
> marc
>
> >Haven't checked this out yet, sounds good … on a
> >connected note I don't think Ruth Catlow's
> excellent
> >'Rethinking Wargames'
> >http://www.low-fi.org.uk/rethinkingwargames/
> > got NAN coverage -it should have!
> >michael
> >— Net Art News <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >———————————
> > NET ART NEWS May 24,
> 2004Peace
> >Is Not a GameAntiwargame, a free online game by the
> >San Francisco-based futurefarmerscollective, has a
> >simple premise: stay president of the U.S.A. while
> >thecountry is in crisis after a terrorist attack.
> The
> >presidentaE

Regarding Net Art News' not covering any given works, artists, etc.:

This is how Net Art News works – there are two ways a Net Art News
gets commissioned. 1. Once the Editor identifies a topic or receives
email notice of an event/project/book/etc., an email describing the
event/project/book/etc is sent to our list of Net Art News writers
(emails sent to [email protected] are always seen by our stable of
writers). If one of them wants the job, he/she let's the Editor know
and writes the Net Art News. If no one wants to cover a particular
project, event, book, etc., then likely that topic will not be covered.
2. One of our Net Art News writers pitches a topic and if the Editor
approves it, the article is written. I suppose I should add that there
are editorial parameters about word count, word repetition, and other
guidelines. If writers don't follow these basic terms, perhaps the Net
Art News would not get published. This rarely happens – it's basically
negligible.

If Ruth's project was submitted to [email protected] but wasn't
covered, one should assume, unfortunately, that at that moment none of
the writers were game to cover it. Wonderful events/projects/books/etc
don't always get covered and given how we work with writers I am afraid
it is inevitable.

Net Art News is our most widely-read email list and its Editor/Kevin
works very hard to find projects happening internationally, and to
offer a balance of events, projects, books, etc.

Anyone can send ideas for Net Art News to [email protected] or
Kevin McGarry ([email protected]) with Net Art News in the subject
line. Rachel

To Michael and Rhizome bunnies…

I think that I should mention - that I am still part of Rhizome and
still use its resources regularly just like everyone else does here. I
have generously given money to Rhizome in respect of subscriptions for a
while now - usually between $35 to $70 a year, not because I can afford
it, but because I wish for this place to exist and continue.

I think that I might add here, cuz it's funny - that we at Furtherfield
have not asked money from rachel or anyone else out there to support our
core activities - but if we do get in trouble and need cash - i hope
that Rhizome people will support us also financially just as we have
ourselves actively supported rhizome in the past and still do, it's all
about mutual respect surely ;-)

Just because I have disagreed in the past with some of what rhizome has
done and does, does not mean that I wish it dead - on the contrary, I
respect rhizome - i think that this is part of the problem for the many
who have grown with rhizome through the years.

Please - please please - just because one debates about things does not
mean that they are terrorists! it feels like that stupid Bush saying
'you are either with us or against us'. So, that means that T.Whid is
now against Rhizome and he should be seen as a subversive scum-bag
commy. Of course, this is not the case - but I do not wish to be tarred
with such simple dichotomies either…and (hopefully) I am not.

And, I just hope - I really, really hope - that there is not some kind
of nationalist macho fist thumping going on at both sides - The UK or
USA. I am not interested in such shallow values - I personally, am
totally against killing creativity, for it is a soulless act - and it
kills hope. Alternative and imaginative creativity needs to breath free
from idiots who love Killing for their own egos - an empty, despotic and
nihilist mannerism.

Rhizome is a completely different entity to what was asked for by many
of the people who have dedicated a lot of their mind and soul to this
list and Rhizome's other facilities - which of course have been useful
to all concerned.

I now do not agree with T.Whid - I now think that Rhizome should do what
it wants (which it will do anyway and always has done) and develop,
explore its own evolution, it cannot turn back now - it has gone too far
down a certain road. The irony is, that Rhizome has been trying to tell
everyone for years - that it was not going to be what everyone asked it
to be.

I am sure that if it is supported, which I will continue to do myself
-be a part of its user/social-network, and questions about its new
growth are much more about its potential futures, rather than what it
could of been or should be - a more constructive contribution from
everyone. It will be better for all concerned.

There are certain things that I have questions for - regarding my own
personal relationship with Rhizome, but that is a personal issue, a
micro one - separate from the other practices that I am involved in,
net-based or new media related. I know that you are right - and no one
at Rhizome would even be bothered to stoop so low as to black-list or
actively ignore mine and Ruth's work - or furtherfield projects etc - it
is just stupid and myopic. They have got more interesting and more
important things to do than waste precious time on such banal actions.

I would like to take this opportunity to be brave enough, and publically
aplogize on this list for my silly article that had Mark River and
Rachel green shouting at me - they were right to, it was irresponsible
and everything what Mark said was right, mostly - except that it was
about promoting the project I was embarking on at the time. Looking back
on it - I was wrong, the timing, the words, the intentions, the damage
it may have caused, the hurt, the delusion and the disrespect directed
towards rachel herself. Sorry again…

I am very positive about future things regarding Rhizome, and feel that
myself and others should just get real - and use Rhizome for what it is
now - and use it well. If you want Rhizome to be something else, then
get out there make something else as close as you can that resembles
such visions.

Shall we just get on with things - and stop fighting each other -
dividing ourselves from working with each other, move out of the 'faded
dreams section' and into the' now' section, with questions like where
are we now? What shale we all do now, together?

much respect to all.

marc


>HI Marc
>personally I meant no more than I said.
>Ruth's piece is a great piece & more people should
>know it.
>However I don't believe NAN or Rhizome is run
>conspiratorially.
>I love what you are doing on Furtherfield and with the
>Netbehaviour list - but I continue to enjoy and
>benefit from Rhizome -there's room for plenty of
>different approaches in my view.
>
>People keep saying , in various quarters, "Rhizome is
>dead" or words to that effect -I can't say it seems
>like that to me -I think there've actually been some
>pretty interesting discussions here recently and for
>breadth I think it still can't be beaten, and while I
>entirely understand the argument about making the
>content available, which does seem to need to be
>addressed in some way, I still think $5 is actually
>ridiculously cheap .
>When we bandy words like collectivity or solidarity
>whatever about I think its not some tribal thing- you
>know -I'm loyal to *my* list( and definitely God help
>us not a *national* thing like Brits V. US or whatever
>) but that we should link arms with our fellow artists
>in the interests at a minimum of useful discussion and
>maybe at some point we might be able to collectively
>work to improve opportunites and conditions for *all*
>of us.
>I think *this* list against *that* list or *this* way
>of organizing a for want of a better word "curatorial"
>site against *that* way of doing it is a pointless
>distraction.
>best
>michael
>
>— marc <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Yes - an excellent piece of work - I was very
>>surprised that it was not
>>not covered on here, makes one wonder…mmm.
>>
>>marc
>>
>>
>>
>>>Haven't checked this out yet, sounds good … on a
>>>connected note I don't think Ruth Catlow's
>>>
>>>
>>excellent
>>
>>
>>>'Rethinking Wargames'
>>>http://www.low-fi.org.uk/rethinkingwargames/
>>>got NAN coverage -it should have!
>>>michael
>>>— Net Art News <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>———————————
>>>NET ART NEWS May 24,
>>>
>>>
>>2004Peace
>>
>>
>>>Is Not a GameAntiwargame, a free online game by the
>>>San Francisco-based futurefarmerscollective, has a
>>>simple premise: stay president of the U.S.A. while
>>>thecountry is in crisis after a terrorist attack.
>>>
>>>
>>The
>>
>>
>>>presidentaE