You and Your Software

Those who follow 'software culture,' a field which applies critical discourse to the software we use every day, likely know the work of Holland-based critic Matthew Fuller. Not only was he a co-conspirator with Simon Pope and Colin Green on the Web Stalker (the first artist-made web browser), and a frequent collaborator with Mongrel, but he is also a well-known promoter of nefarious, indie software projects (one of the latest is runme.org). Some of Fuller's writings have been published in the just-released book 'Behind the Blip.' Not sure which Fuller essay I recommend the most: maybe the classic Web Stalker intro which first introduced the term 'not-just-art' (opposed to 'anti-art,' 'art,' and 'non-art') into my lexicon... or maybe 'It Looks Like You're Writing a Letter: Microsoft Word' which will have all readers wondering how word processors inhibit creativity and autonomy. If net art itself can be understood as a contestation of new media, isn't software culture a hot topic? -- Rachel Greene