File spoon-archives/blanchot.archive/blanchot_2001/blanchot.0102, message 2


Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 23:31:00 -0800
Subject: MB: Re: Switch Launches New Issue V6N2!



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<P>
As managing editor of Switch, I am proud to announce the launch of the
current issue of Switch: Social/Networks.
</P>
<P>
If any social system functions and exists within a describable, measurable
network structure, then perhaps the question at hand is: can any network
structure be described as a social system? In this issue <A
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/mainnetwork.html">Social &
Networks</A>,  we  explore, describe, define, represent  and even test
social network theories on individuals, organizations, art and technology.
Like most social theory we are looking at how individuals, organizations,
and software exist and behave within a network. With the bombardment of
interactive capability in the past few years our social networks are quite
extensive and complex. They have become increasingly more difficult to
describe and visually represent. Switch aims to look beyond the expected and
into areas relevant to artists today.

<P>
In <A HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/wright.html">Racism and
Technology</A>, Michelle Wright looks at the concepts associated with "the
digital divide" in which different sections of the community living side by
side, exist within different social systems and therefore have access to
different powers.
Beryl Graham's <A 
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/graham.html">Live from
Bangladesh</A>  reveals other aspects of globalization
and theories of postindustrial society influencing/creating new media.
Graham touches on many of the similarities and differences between India,
the U.S. and Great Britain.
Marc Böhlen's <A
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/bohlen.html">Time Types and
Table Manners</A> describes experiments with artificial intelligence.
Böhlen explores ideas of time, machine interaction, and authorship. In
<A HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/wittig.html">Situated and
Distributed Knowledge Production in Network Space</A>, Geri
Wittig examines issues of identity and self-organizing social networks
amidst the mutable boundaries of network space.
Joel Slayton's <A 
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/slayton.html">Social
Software</A>  develops arguments on "how membranes enable autopoiesis in
software." Slayton infers that software is social and behaves socially.
Wendy Angel's <A 
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/angel.html">IdeaConsciousness
NetWorks</A> is an obscure look at abstraction and consciousness in
relationship to network theory and painting.
Matt Mays looks at the role of the artist as lawyer and the lawyer as artist
in <A HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/mays-law.html">Defining
the Lawyer/Artist</A>. Mays touches on some of the biggest cases to
influence Information Technology.
In Exclusive interviews Matt Mays, Nora Raggio, and Sheila Malone look at
the role and function of individuals in progressive and ground-breaking arts
organizations; <A 
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/mays-creative.html">Creative
Disturbance</A>, <A
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/raggio-takahara.html">GroundZ
ero</A>, <A 
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/raggio-viola.html">Bill
Viola</A>, <A 
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/malone.html">The Kitchen</A>.
Cindy Ahuna reviews Ken Goldberg's newest book, <A
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/ahuna.html">The Robot in the
Garden</A>. Jody Berland and Rob Riddle may  have opposing ideas about
social interaction and the sound art scene today. In <A
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/berland.html">Musicking
Machines</A>, Berland looks at how machines have changed the nature of
collaboration and musicianship. Riddle's <A
HREF="articles/riddle.html">Audiononlocation</A>, argues that the internet
has empowered a new kind of collaboration and exploration of sound art form.
Susan Otto's <A 
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/otto.html">Manifesto for a
Virtual Favela</A> is a haunting but sober look at art practice in the
complicated mediated world we live in today.
Steve Cisler, assists local community networking advocates and has
lectured worldwide on the promise and the cultural challenges of the
Internet and in his latest <A
HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/articles/cisler.html">Letter from
Aspen: Cultural policy</A>furthers his dialogue about private vs. public,
culture vs nature.

</P>
<P>
Examples of social network complexities can be found in our Projects
section. Code Zebra is a highly interactive interdisciplinary, performance
and software system where art meets science. Sara Diamond creator and
developer of <A HREF="http://www.codezebra.net">Code Zebra</A> is a
television and new media producer/director, artist, curator, critic, teacher
and artistic director who has represented Canada and the USA at home and
internationally 
for many years. 
<A HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/images/conference.gif">Conference
Mapping Project</A> by graduate students Ben Eakins, Darby Smith, Minqing
Zhou is an intricate web of visual representation of the contemporary
academic and artistic gathering of individuals. In Electronic Disturbance
Theater's <A HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/ztps/">Zapatista
Tribal Port Scan</A>, the participation of activist intermingles in a social
network of the radical and complex political issues facing contemporary
society. Tommy Alvaran's and Darren Wong's undergraduate senior project:<A
HREF="http://cadre.sjsu.edu/%7Edwong/art180/">Internetica</A> cleanses
websites from unnecessary code leaving them with a new Internetic Code
consisting of X, Y, and Z values.</P>
<P>
<A HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu/web/v6n2/mainnetwork.html">Social &
Networks</A> is perhaps a confusing spider web of dynamic and critical ideas
about art, science, and our need to make sense of it all.</P>
<P>
<A HREF="http://switch.sjsu.edu">Switch</A>
</P>
<P>
Sincerely,
Sheila A. Malone
Managing Editor
Switch: http://switch.sjsu.edu
e-mail:Pythonldy-AT-aol.com
</P>
<P>
Text Version:<P/>
<P>
If any social system functions and exists within a describable, measurable
network structure, then the question at hand is: can any network structure
be described as a social system? In this issue Social & Networks we explore,
describe, define, represent and even test social network theories on
individuals, organizations, art and technology. Like most social theory we
are looking at how individuals, organizations, and software exist and behave
within a network. With the bombardment of interactive capability in the past
few years our social networks are quite extensive and complex. They have
become increasingly more difficult to describe and visually represent.
Switch aims to look beyond the expected and into areas relevant to artists
today.</P>
<P>
In Racism and Technology, Michelle Wright looks at the concepts associated
with "the digital divide" in which different sections of the community
living side by side, exist within different social systems and therefore
have access to different powers. Beryl Graham's Live from Bangladesh reveals
other aspects of globalization and theories of postindustrial society
influencing/creating new media. Graham touches on many of the similarities
and differences between India, the U.S. and Great Britain. Marc Böhlen's
Time Types and Table Manners describes experiments with artificial
intelligence. Böhlen explores ideas of time, machine interaction, and
authorship. In Situated and Distributed Knowledge Production in Network
Space, Geri Wittig examines issues of identity and self-organizing social
networks amidst the mutable boundaries of network space. Joel Slayton's
Social Software develops arguments on "how membranes enable autopoiesis in
software." Slayton infers that software is social and behaves socially.
Wendy Angel's IdeaConsciousness NetWorks is an obscure look at abstraction
and consciousness in relationship to network theory and painting. Matt Mays
looks at the role of the artist as lawyer and the lawyer as artist in
Defining the Lawyer/Artist. Mays touches on some of the biggest cases to
influence Information Technology. In Exclusive interviews Matt Mays, Nora
Raggio, and Sheila Malone look at the role and function of individuals in
progressive and ground-breaking arts organizations; Creative Disturbance,
GroundZero, Bill Viola, The Kitchen. Cindy Ahuna reviews Ken Goldberg's
newest book, The Robot in the Garden. Jody Berland and Rob Riddle may have
opposing ideas about social interaction and the sound art scene today. In
Musicking Machines, Berland looks at how machines have changed the nature of
collaboration and musicianship. Riddle's Audiononlocation, argues that the
internet has empowered a new kind of collaboration and exploration of sound
art form. Susan Otto's Manifesto for a Virtual Favela is a haunting but
sober look at art practice in the complicated mediated world we live in
today. Steve Cisler, assists local community networking advocates and has
lectured worldwide on the promise and the cultural challenges of the
Internet and in his latest Letter from Aspen: Cultural policyfurthers his
dialogue about private vs. public, culture vs nature.</P>
<P>
Examples of social network complexities can be found in our Projects
section. Code Zebra is a highly interactive interdisciplinary, performance
and software system where art meets science. Sara Diamond creator and
developer of Code Zebra is a television and new media producer/director,
artist, curator, critic, teacher and artistic director who has represented
Canada and the USA at home and internationally for many years. Conference
Mapping Project by graduate students Ben Eakins, Darby Smith, Minqing Zhou
is an intricate web of visual representation of the contemporary academic
and artistic gathering of individuals. In Electronic Disturbance Theater's
Zapatista Tribal Port Scan, the participation of activist intermingles in a
social network of the radical and complex political issues facing
contemporary society. Tommy Alvaran's and Darren Wong's undergraduate senior
project:Internetica cleanses websites from unnecessary code leaving them
with a new Internetic Code consisting of X, Y, and Z values.</P>
<P>
Social & Networks is perhaps a confusing spider web of dynamic and critical
ideas about art, science, and our need to make sense of it all.</P>

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