sunday lunchtime question

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<html>
<head>
<title></title>
</head>
<body>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">hi, anyone out there a Weiser/Ubicomp.
fan?</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><br/>
</div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Just before he died Weiser said &quot;They've
completely missed the non-
technical part of what ubiquitous computing is all about&quot;. If he had got a
chance to explain what he believed the non-tech aspect was, what (if
any) effect would it have had on net.art…?</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><br/>
</div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">thoughts, links to any writings or
artwork about this would be greatly
appreciated </span></font></div>
<div align="left"><br/>
</div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">If you want to see the article that
started these musing see:</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">http://www.purselipsquarejaw.org/mobile/cult_studies_draft.html</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><br/>
</div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">cheers,</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">jess.</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><br/>
</div>
<div align="left"><br/></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> o</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">/^ rssgallery.com</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> ][</span></font></div>
</body>
</html>

Comments

, Kate Southworth

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
Hi Jess

Been looking for awhile at Ubicomp and relationship (if any) to ambient net=
art. I'm not being very stringent about it, just letting these ideas fuse=
with those already in my mind. I'm at the stage where I'm gut-feeling my =
way towards something I can't quite identify, so would love some chat aroun=
d the subject.
best
Kate

—–Original Message—–
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Je=
ss Loseby
Sent: 01 February 2004 14:19
To: [email protected]
Subject: RHIZOME_RAW: sunday lunchtime question


hi, anyone out there a Weiser/Ubicomp. fan?

Just before he died Weiser said "They've completely missed the non- technic=
al part of what ubiquitous computing is all about". If he had got a chance =
to explain what he believed the non-tech aspect was, what (if any) effect w=
ould it have had on net.art…?

thoughts, links to any writings or artwork about this would be greatly appr=
eciated

If you want to see the article that started these musing see:
http://www.purselipsquarejaw.org/mobile/cult_studies_draft.html

cheers,
jess.


o
/^ rssgallery.com
][
+ -> post: [email protected] -> questions: [email protected] -> subscribe/uns=
ubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz -> give: http://rhi=
zome.org/support -> visit: on Fridays the Rhizome.org web site is open to n=
on-members + Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the=
Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php

, Jess Loseby

Hi Kate,
lovely to hear from you.

I have pottering about the subject of ubicomp. for a while too (again, not in any strict
sense, just nosing around:) drawn to Weiser ideas and (from a social perspective) these
notions of relational spaces, streams and flows…. I'm trying (still!) to identify a
framework in which to outwork my pet theory 'cyber-domestic aesthetic'. I have almost
reached the conclusion that I am almost more intrigued by the hyphen that I am (in a
binary way) to the cyber and domestic. Hence, Weisers advocation of ubicomp. not
being the complete invisibility of tech (as originally conceived) but as having 'beautiful
seams' has been bouncing around making all so of relevant and irrelevant connections!
I don't know. 'Seams', hyphens, the dot in net.art…

As one of my 'aims' is to render the invisible,visible (i.e. body/domesticity/relationship)
in a media that is striving to become ubiquitous at first glance it would seem that
ubicomp. is the enemy of the cyber-domestic. However, the ubicomp. texts are full of
the need it to 'domestic' the technology, tech relationship to the the home, the need for
'mobility' of tech because people are mobile + Weisers talk of privileging the body' over
tech….all of which rings bells for me.

At the same time it seems it repeatidly asserts that tech must become 'context aware'.
Does that really have to be limited to larger and grander tech - smart clothing, smart
architecture, closer and more invisible surveillance.(opps, sound rather arrogant, I
mean limited, as in scope of thematic rather than ambition and 'cleverness') I'm
wondering how this effects net art. Can non-data driven artwork been 'context aware'?
should ubiquity be a goal? Lots of the calls have been talking recently about the
'ubiquitous self' - what exactly is that - the cyber-self with baggage?

hmmm.

sorry, rattling on - just so pleased someone has been scratching their heads too from
another angle. Please let me what is drawing you to it.
cheers,
jess.

> <?xml version="1.0" ?>
> Hi Jess
>
> Been looking for awhile at Ubicomp and relationship (if any) to ambient net art. I'm not being very stringent about it, just letting these ideas fuse with those already in my mind. I'm at the stage where I'm gut-feeling my way towards something I can't quite identify, so would love some chat
around the subject.
> best
> Kate
>
> —–Original Message—–
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Jess Loseby
> Sent: 01 February 2004 14:19
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RHIZOME_RAW: sunday lunchtime question
>
>
> hi, anyone out there a Weiser/Ubicomp. fan?
>
> Just before he died Weiser said "They've completely missed the non- technical part of what ubiquitous computing is all about". If he had got a chance to explain what he believed the non-tech aspect was, what (if any) effect would it have had on net.art…?
>
> thoughts, links to any writings or artwork about this would be greatly appreciated
> o
/^ rssgallery.com
][

, Kate Southworth

Hi Jess,

I found your post really really interesting. I've been going backwards and forwards with some of this stuff, and its a bit of a relief to see (what I think are) commonalities between our approaches.

I have pottering about the subject of ubicomp. for a while too (again, not in any strict
sense, just nosing around:) drawn to Weiser ideas and (from a social perspective) these
notions of relational spaces, streams and flows….

This is part of what interests me too.

Hence, Weisers advocation of ubicomp. not
being the complete invisibility of tech (as originally conceived) but as having 'beautiful
seams' has been bouncing around making all so of relevant and irrelevant connections!
I don't know. 'Seams', hyphens, the dot in net.art…

To me, this is part of the process of making contradictions explicit. I have spent so many months trying to wrestle my way out of endless contradictory positions that I have resolutely decided to try and embrace contradiction and make it explicit. I think that contradiction is a massively powerful dynamic.

As one of my 'aims' is to render the invisible,visible (i.e. body/domesticity/relationship)
in a media that is striving to become ubiquitous

With you with this one as well Jess. The work I do with Patrick, purposefully tries to 'map' relations and processes at a macro level. Where I'd like to twist the ubicomp gig a bit is in the assumption that it is everyday space that becomes central. I think the relationship between everyday and macro is hugely interesting.


at first glance it would seem that
ubicomp. is the enemy of the cyber-domestic. However, the ubicomp. texts are full of
the need it to 'domestic' the technology, tech relationship to the the home, the need for
'mobility' of tech because people are mobile + Weisers talk of privileging the body' over
tech….all of which rings bells for me.

The biggest thing that has happened to me over the last few months is the very simple realisation that we are all in the midst of a massively powerful dynamic - the commodification of areas of our lives hitherto relatively untouched by capitalism. This helps to contextualise most things for me now. I think that creativity, art, education, knowledge, the home, family etc. are all being commodified more intensly than ever before. I think it is this dynamic that is driving change, not technology. But, I don't seem to be able to take a simple stand on this. I am part of the commodification processes, even actively contributing to it at times, yet I am also actively critiquing it. This contradiction is incredibly difficult for me to get hold of , but I do feel the wind of the energy its creating.

Lots of the calls have been talking recently about the
'ubiquitous self' - what exactly is that - the cyber-self with baggage?

A while ago Patrick (Simons) told me about the emerging phenomenon of the 'entrepreneurialisation of self' - perhaps these calls are looking for cyber strategies for getting your luggage of f the carousel first?

mega rattling on from me. bin a while.
forwords,
Kate

> <?xml version="1.0" ?>
> Hi Jess
>
> Been looking for awhile at Ubicomp and relationship (if any) to ambient net art. I'm not being very stringent about it, just letting these ideas fuse with those already in my mind. I'm at the stage where I'm gut-feeling my way towards something I can't quite identify, so would love some chat
around the subject.
> best
> Kate
>
> —–Original Message—–
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Jess Loseby
> Sent: 01 February 2004 14:19
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RHIZOME_RAW: sunday lunchtime question
>
>
> hi, anyone out there a Weiser/Ubicomp. fan?
>
> Just before he died Weiser said "They've completely missed the non- technical part of what ubiquitous computing is all about". If he had got a chance to explain what he believed the non-tech aspect was, what (if any) effect would it have had on net.art…?
>
> thoughts, links to any writings or artwork about this would be greatly appreciated
> o
/^ rssgallery.com
][