Comments on: Snapshots from Autostart http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/30/snapshots-from-autostart/ A group blog about computer narrative, games, poetry, and art. Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:43:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Time-Lapse Interactive Fiction - Taking Inventory http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/30/snapshots-from-autostart/comment-page-1/#comment-380487 Time-Lapse Interactive Fiction - Taking Inventory Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:44:38 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1342#comment-380487 [...] various events and news that might be of interest to me and the documentary. One of these was a reading of interactive fiction given at the school he was finishing up his Ph.D in, entitled “Autostart” (or [...] [...] various events and news that might be of interest to me and the documentary. One of these was a reading of interactive fiction given at the school he was finishing up his Ph.D in, entitled “Autostart” (or [...]

]]> By: nick http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/30/snapshots-from-autostart/comment-page-1/#comment-99527 nick Thu, 02 Nov 2006 18:52:50 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1342#comment-99527 Noah, thanks for pointing out those more direct rejoinders. The Blake test seems very interesting as a challenge to oneself - can I create a work that maintains its power when transcribed and re-presented in different media, partially and in degraded ways? It's provocative, and leads to some of the questions that Brian discussed in <i>ebr.</i> But this doesn't seem like a useful criterion for all digital work, or all multi-media work. I think it is best used to point to a particularly remarkable subset, not to rule out out works that have essential textual <b>and</b> essential visual aspects, or works that have essential textual <b>and</b> essential computational aspects. Noah, thanks for pointing out those more direct rejoinders.

The Blake test seems very interesting as a challenge to oneself – can I create a work that maintains its power when transcribed and re-presented in different media, partially and in degraded ways? It’s provocative, and leads to some of the questions that Brian discussed in ebr. But this doesn’t seem like a useful criterion for all digital work, or all multi-media work. I think it is best used to point to a particularly remarkable subset, not to rule out out works that have essential textual and essential visual aspects, or works that have essential textual and essential computational aspects.

]]> By: noah http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/30/snapshots-from-autostart/comment-page-1/#comment-99525 noah Thu, 02 Nov 2006 18:22:48 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1342#comment-99525 Also worth checking out, in this regard, are two of Brian's blog posts: <a href="http://www.arras.net/fscII/archives/2004/12/ive_failed_the.html" rel="nofollow">I've failed the Blake test!</a> and <a href="http://www.arras.net/fscII/archives/2004/12/postscript_the.html" rel="nofollow">Postscript: The Blake Test.</a> I certainly agree that the "Blake test" seems rather odd when talking about software. It's like asking if the Tetris blocks would survive as images without their accompanying game mechanics. Also worth checking out, in this regard, are two of Brian’s blog posts: I’ve failed the Blake test! and Postscript: The Blake Test.

I certainly agree that the “Blake test” seems rather odd when talking about software. It’s like asking if the Tetris blocks would survive as images without their accompanying game mechanics.

]]> By: nick http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/30/snapshots-from-autostart/comment-page-1/#comment-99410 nick Tue, 31 Oct 2006 21:15:31 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1342#comment-99410 I suspect that elsewhere is in Brian's excellent essay <a href="http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/firstperson/databased" rel="nofollow">"Privileging Language: The Text in Electronic Writing"</a> in <i>ebr.</i> I suspect that elsewhere is in Brian’s excellent essay “Privileging Language: The Text in Electronic Writing” in ebr.

]]> By: BKS http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/30/snapshots-from-autostart/comment-page-1/#comment-99405 BKS Tue, 31 Oct 2006 18:29:34 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1342#comment-99405 Yes, I agree. I don't think Clarke's screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey would last were the movie to disappear. But I've shot my load, so to speak, about the Blake test elsewhere. Yes, I agree. I don’t think Clarke’s screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey would last were the movie to disappear. But I’ve shot my load, so to speak, about the Blake test elsewhere.

]]> By: scott http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/30/snapshots-from-autostart/comment-page-1/#comment-99379 scott Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:38:43 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1342#comment-99379 Ron Silliman provides a <a href="http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/2006/10/imagine-how-much-harder-it-would-have.html" rel="nofollow">mixed review</a> of Autostart on his blog. Silliman makes some interesting observations about the current nascent state of e-lit -- such as that he felt as if he were at printer's conference in 1455. Yet I wonder about the validity of his "Blake test." He asserts that his measure of a poem that will stand the test of time is whether or not the work is platform independent, so that the greatness of the work shines through even when decontextualized from its original media. While this test may work for most (though certainly not all) print poetry, applying this test to electronic poetry seems somewhat misguided. For much electronic poetry, this would be more like judging a graphic novel by its text alone, or judging a painting by a xerox of a photo of it from an art history textbook. The interface, programming, and visual elements are every bit as much a part of the poem as are the words. He's correct that this platform-dependence poses great archiving challenges, but I think it would be wrong to use the Blake test as a qualitative measure of a given work's worth. Ron Silliman provides a mixed review of Autostart on his blog. Silliman makes some interesting observations about the current nascent state of e-lit — such as that he felt as if he were at printer’s conference in 1455. Yet I wonder about the validity of his “Blake test.” He asserts that his measure of a poem that will stand the test of time is whether or not the work is platform independent, so that the greatness of the work shines through even when decontextualized from its original media. While this test may work for most (though certainly not all) print poetry, applying this test to electronic poetry seems somewhat misguided. For much electronic poetry, this would be more like judging a graphic novel by its text alone, or judging a painting by a xerox of a photo of it from an art history textbook. The interface, programming, and visual elements are every bit as much a part of the poem as are the words. He’s correct that this platform-dependence poses great archiving challenges, but I think it would be wrong to use the Blake test as a qualitative measure of a given work’s worth.

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