User:Zigbe/MediaObject

Draft 2

Technoprimitivismo )( Analogue Futurism

With this text I intend articulate on one aspect of what I understand as technoprimitivism. This writing will focus on the use of analogue technologies in order to carry certain message, as well on technological bricolage as a method to bypass control.

“In 2014 real hackers write letters.” Chants Goodieparl on his performative lecture.

We now need to understand that analogue technologies no longer relate to nostalgia but to some level of digital resistance. As technology evolves they tend to become closed boxes which alienate us from understanding its functionality. Black boxes which hide and protect its mechanisms. It's right to say that it also becomes more friendly to be used by average users, but together with operational simplicity unnecessary limitations are imposed. A famous example is PRISM, the clandestine mass electronic surveillance data mining program launched in 2007 by the National Security Agency (NSA). PRISM collects stored data from on line corporations by enforcement of surveillance laws. PRISM asks those Internet companies to provide wholes on their security systems in order to allow NSA to track and collect data flow from the grid.

The internet has never been free, and will never be free. Its a matter of hardware: fiber optics cables, satelites, servers inside buildings from New York to Nairobi. Paul Garrin already talked about it in his interview in 1999. All this hardware belong to someone who has powers to control it. While Assange writes that “the Internet, our greatest tool of emancipation, has been transformed into the most dangerous facilitator of totalitarianism we have ever seen. The Internet is a threat to human civilization. ” Leandro Nerefuh says in an e-mail converation that “total control, surveilance, etc, are very common western fears. And the main problem is that this perspective dominates discussions. It reduces and simplify those discussions as it is more than just surveilance. Control cannot be reduced to surveilance.”.

As technology develops our understanding should develop together making us intelligible of its possibilities.

The Russian parliament ordered hundreds of typewriters in order to replace computers on top secret matters. This action announced publicly that there was no trust on anything wired (via cable or radio) to the grid. The infinite speed a file can be copied and perpetuated within cyberspace. The knowledge that there is nothing “personal” on computers (PC) came into light with the realization that both hardware and software are developed by corporations maintained by political interests. Now official documents have to travel hand by hand on a piece of paper. Since the Internet has been open to the public, its development has not been to make it better, but to make it proprietary. To build borders of control. Was with the Macbook Pro (2000???) that Apple displayed its understanding that they no longer they would sell a computer, instead, they would offer a service. Once you turned on you Macbook for the first time, you had to agree with the terms which said you had no rights over the hardware. The hardware belongs to Apple, and the user had only the right to use that computer. All the hardware and software limitations imposed by those corporations close the possibilities of unpredictable behaviors from the user and at the same time, those limitations teach us how to behave with technology.

It's hip to use analogue equipment. Record Shops are poping up in every corner. Instagram mimics film. Tape cassete labels. Silkscreen. Those are trends might be connected to a desire to bring back craft in order to give value to cretive work. But I also believe there's a natural need bringing those technologies back. The creative mind will naturaly find its freedom within a system. Nietzsche says “ Photography, music. More often artists refuse using digital technologies. Some defend the idea of a trend. To bring back the crafts aesthetics. In the underground scene loss of quality, errors (not glitches), unprofessionalism, are qualities that bring back originality of the artists. There is a confrontation of the high standard quality of digital tools. Ableton Live, with the minimum effort one can deliver crispy sounds, high quality tracks. But what about the “soul”?

Tape cassettes are back in town. Record shops are appearing in every corner. CD are back too. There is a trend behind it own. But there also a manifestation of an ideal, the tangible media seems to gain more importance than its perfect qualities of high definition.

There is a hidden fear of loosing that amazing track you found the other day. SHIT! Youtube erased another great track for some unknown corporative reason. Record a tape, burn a CD, write a letter. It seems the digital promise of foreverness is fearfull. One days you check your hard drive and all your memories are different, that perfect moment in your mind has been transformed with you. But once you check your HD videos, and 26GPixels Cannon photos the crispness and perfection shows just another boring night. While Artists borrow the ideology of 90’s hacking culture in order to discuss political formalities. But they seem to miss the content.

Draft 1

Technoprimitivismo )( Analogue Futurism

“In 2014 real hackers write letters.” Chants Goodieparl on his performative lecture.

We now need to understand that analogue technologies no longer relate to nostalgia but to digital resistance. When the Russian parliament ordered hundreds of typewriters in order to replace computers they announced publicly there was no trust on a wired computer. The infinite speed a file can be copied and perpetuate within cyberspace. The knowledge that there is nothing “personal” on computers (PC) came into light with the realization that both hardware and software are developed by corporations maintained by political interests. [Steve: NSA and wikileaks... aim of article well stated good examples] Now official documents have to travel hand by hand on a piece of paper.

Since the Internet has been open to the public, its development has not been to make it better, but to make it proprietary. To build borders of control. Was with the Macbook Pro (2000???) that Apple displayed its understanding that they no longer they would sell a computer, instead, they would offer a service. Once you turned on you Macbook for the first time, you had to agree with the terms which said you had no rights over the hardware. The hardware belongs to Apple, and the user had only the right to use that computer. All the hardware and software limitations imposed by those corporations close the possibilities of unpredictable behaviors from the user and at the same time, those limitations teach us how to behave with technology.

It's hip to use analogue equipment. Record Shops are piping up in every corner. Instagram mimics film. Tape cassette labels. Silkscreen. Those are trends might be connected to a desire to bring back craft in order to give value to creative work. But I also believe there's a natural need bringing those technologies back. The creative mind will naturally find its freedom within a system. Nietzsche says “ Photography, music. More often artists refuse using digital technologies. Some defend the idea of a trend. To bring back the crafts aesthetics. In the underground scene loss of quality, errors (not glitches), unprofessional, are qualities that bring back originality of the artists. There is a confrontation of the high standard quality of digital tools. Ableton Live, with the minimum effort one can deliver crispy sounds, high quality tracks. But what about the “soul”? Tape cassettes are back in town. Record shops are appearing in every corner. CD are back too. There is a trend behind it own. But there also a manifestation of an ideal, the tangible media seems to gain more importance than its perfect qualities of high definition.

There is a hidden fear of loosing that amazing track you found the other day. SHIT! Youtube erased another great track for some unknown corporative reason. Record a tape, burn a CD, write a letter. It seems the digital promise of foreverness is fearful. One days you check your hard drive and all your memories are different, that perfect moment in your mind has been transformed with you. But once you check your HD videos, and 26GPixels Cannon photos the crispness and perfection shows just another boring night. While ....

Artists borrow the ideology of 90’s hacking culture in order to discuss political formalities. But they seem to miss the content.