July 2003 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

History and architecture of chat rooms/spaces
by Amanda Lenhart 22 Jul '03

22 Jul '03

Hello AoIR list-ers: I am trying to find some background materials on the history and origins of chat rooms, as well as some more technical information about their architecture/software. To my mind this includes IRC, MUDs, MOOs as well as your standard AOL-style chat room, but I am open to expansions or contractions of this definition. At the moment, I'm leaving out IM, but I could be convinced otherwise. Anyway, if anyone has any articles, web sites, books, or other resources that they know of, I'd be most appreciative. Thanks, Amanda Lenhart Pew Internet & American Life Project alenhart(a)pewinternet.org

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email extraction program
by Rhiannon Bury 21 Jul '03

21 Jul '03

Hi all: Does anyone have a suggestion for a program that turns email messages (I use Netscape 7) into text files? I tried mail2txt but it included all the hidden html codes, which means I'll still have to strip each one individually. I'm trying to find the most painless way to get 4 months of listserv messages into text files so I can import them into QSR N6 for analysis! I was led to believe that this latest version of NUD*IST had a utility to do this itself ("swift data import"). But no! All documents must be text files, which was the case when I used it last a few versions back. Grrrr. Rhiannon Rhiannon Bury Assistant Professor Communication Studies Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, ON. Canada N2L 3C5

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Studies on K-12 reading, reading comprehension, and/or learning on the Internet
by Don Leu 21 Jul '03

21 Jul '03

Hi everyone. I have really enjoyed following the posts to this list and exchanging information and ideas with a number of members. We seem like a wonderfully diverse and supportive group. I am hoping to get to my first conference this year in Toronto so that I can begin to make personal contact. I am writing to let interested individuals know of a project we are working on at the University of Connecticut and to request advice. First the work. This year we are conducting a reanalysis of the 2002 US National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data on reading (national data of reading achievement in the US). We seek to develop a factor analytic model of relationships between reading achievement and technology use by race, class, and gender. Part of this work also involves completing a research review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies of reading, reading comprehension, and learning among K-12 (roughly ages 5-18) students within Internet contexts. The purpose of this review is to inform both the factor analytic model we are developing as well as to inform the development of the next NAEP assessment, with an eye to possibly expanding NAEP’s current definition of reading to include reading on the Internet in their assessment. Now the request for advice. We have started an extensive review of the literature for this last part of the project using the traditional tools: PsychInfo, ERIC, Soc Abstracts, etc. As part of our procedures, we are also querying experts as to the most important journals where this type of work appears and to the most important studies with which they are familiar on reading, reading comprehension, and learning within K-12 Internet contexts. If you are familiar with this area of study, could you provide the titles of the most important journals publishing this type of work and/or any critically important studies that we should not overlook. If it seems appropriate, please send this to me off list. (djleu(a)uconn.edu) Many thanks! Cheers, Don -- Donald J. Leu John & Maria Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology University of Connecticut Office: 860.486.0202 Home page: http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~djleu/ Visit the Literacy Web: http://www.literacy.uconn.edu " Every one of us is given the gift of life, and what a strange gift it is. If it is preserved jealously and selfishly, it impoverishes and saddens. But if it is spent for others, it enriches and beautifies." -- Geraldine Ferraro, Acceptance speech at the 1984 Democratic Party National Convention

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Workshop on 'UbiDesign, HCI aspects in scenarios of convergent me dia'
by A.C.Roibas＠bton.ac.uk 21 Jul '03

21 Jul '03

Workshop on 'UbiDesign, HCI aspects in scenarios of convergent media', 14th March, Orlando, Florida (USA)- in adjunction to PerCom 2004. Abstract The workshop intends to explore and analyse crucial issues in the design of the interaction in scenarios of ubiquitous communication (multi-device interaction). Theme and interest of the topic The recent developments in communication technologies (3G, iTV, broadband, etc) will strongly enhance and extend communication possibilities in ubiquitous contexts. In this sense, convergent media is becoming one of the main relevant HCI issues. Therefore, new design approaches, HF studies, behavioural theories and evaluation techniques must arise in order to be able to design interactive mobile artefacts that provide the user with a positive experience. Objectives Development of a HF research agenda for this specific issue, to identify and extend the research community in this topic. Moreover, to sensitise designers to the particular interaction-design issues in these kind of communication scenarios (learning models, interface evaluation, etc.). Target audience The workshop is intended for practitioners working in the communications industry (as telecom and iTV: device manufacturers, service providers, etc.), for HF academics and for students with interests in human computer interaction and mobile interaction. Participants will be asked to submit a brief position paper or a reference to a Related project in which they have been involved (max 5 A4 pages). Participants will be selected on the basis of their interest in and familiarity with the topic. Although not particular skills are required, basic knowledge of interaction design issues are recommendable. A group not bigger than 20 participants will be very suitable to a positive share knowledge and experiences. However, if the interest in this topic significantly increases and request to participate warrant, then it would consider reformatting the workshop to accommodate larger numbers. Duration and organization The workshop is designed as a one-day practical activity with relevant theoretical discussion, ending with a poster design session. After the presentations and debate, participants will be invited to choose a format of interactive service for ubiquitous contexts and hypothesise a suitable scenario of use that will enhance users' interactive experience with several devices. Each team will be asked to summarise its findings with a poster presentation. Expected outcomes This workshop will evaluate the evolution of HCI for convergent media and discuss new challenges for the industry in this field. Posters will summarise findings from groups' works. Results of the Workshop will also be made available on the Workshop's Web site. Participation Workshop candidates are requested to send a position paper (no longer than 5 A4 pages) before the 1st November to a.c.roibas(a)brighton.ac.uk <mailto:a.c.roibas@brighton.ac.uk> . Important Dates / Deadlines * Position papers' submission deadline: 1st November, 2003 * Acceptance Notification: November 15, 2003 * Camera Ready Manuscripts: December 10, 2003 * Workshop Date: March 14, 2004 Workshop organizers Dr. Anxo Cereijo Roibás Senior lecturer, School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences University of Brighton. Professor of Interaction Design and Multimedia Strategies Faculty of Design, Politecnico di Milano University a.c.roibas(a)brighton.ac.uk <mailto:a.c.roibas@brighton.ac.uk> Stefania Marcoli Design consultant stefania(a)marcoli.it <mailto:stefania@marcoli.it> Lucia Terrenghi Dipl. Designer Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology lucia.terrenghi(a)fit.fraunhofer.de <mailto:lucia.terrenghi@fit.fraunhofer.de> *Please note that participants need to register to the PerCom 2004 conference. For registration details and fee see http://www.percom.org <http://hcilab.uniud.it/mobilehci/registration.html> For more information, see http://www.it.bton.ac.uk/staff/anxo/Workshop%20PerCom'04.htm <http://www.it.bton.ac.uk/staff/anxo/Workshop%20PerCom'04.htm>

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Re: [Air-l] Re: research methods
by Andrew Herman 21 Jul '03

21 Jul '03

Jon- I hope a good time was had by all at IASPM. See you at the AOIR conference. Andrew P.S. From now until further notice my contact e-mail is andrew.herman(a)comcast.net. Andrew Herman, Ph. D. Visiting Associate Professor of Sociology College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA 01610 (508) 793-2531 >>> jsterne+(a)pitt.edu 06/14/03 14:09 PM >>> Hey Andrew, Two books I'd recommend: C. Wright Mills, _The Sociological Imagination_ Bourdieu and Wacquant, _An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology_ (really just the third section for a methods course) Neither is comm or method specific, but they are, in my opinion, two of the most important books ever written on research design. Mills attacks the fetishization of theory and method, and closes with a really derisory description of his work patterns. Some of the book is dated, but it's amazing how much of it ISN'T dated. The third section of the _Invitation_ is about doing research that matters and learning to ask intelligent and important questions before applying method. I've taught both books at the graduate level with great success. You'll need some methodologies as well (remember: a methodology is a theory or description of a method, not the method itself), but these Mills and Bourdieu will give you something many methodologies don't. Best, --Jonathan _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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RE: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates
by Ildiko Kaposi 21 Jul '03

21 Jul '03

Oops, apologies: your context is crystal clear. Ildiko >>> pphkai01(a)phd.ceu.hu 07/21/03 10:39 AM >>> And if I may add something - just for the fun of it, not the money: Aren't you placing this bet on shifty grounds? Already, liberal and leftist came up somewhat interchangeably in the wording of the bet, and you merely imply the context of the terms (US politics, apparently). So, which left, which liberalism, and which internet are you betting on? Ildiko >>> rodcarveth(a)hotmail.com 07/20/03 22:46 PM >>> Hey, can I get into some of this action? Now that I just bought a house, I need all the cash I can get. I'll take JSG's position. I can't think of a theoretical reason why the Net should result in more political sophistication (how exactly would you measure that, by the way?) or more liberal political thinking. In fact, the first wave of Internet adopters tended to be Republican (given that they were more affluent than the general population), and there doesn't appear to exist any research indicating that group has become more liberal. You could make the argument that the Internet, because of its low cost of entry, allows far more voices to enter into the political discussion, and hence it's more democratic (though that does not equal liberal). And, unlike radio, the political discourse reflects more positions (other than conservative). In reality, however, most Internet users go to websites that are "branded", often through their association with other media (that is, CNN.com, MSNBC.com) or mentions on the major media (that is, Matt Drudge and WorldNet daily). Thus, while the Internet theoretically offers lots of choices, users tend to select from a limited menu. In addition, they tend to engage in selective exposure when they do select websites and discussion groups (you don't see many Rush Limbaugh fans selecting fair.org) I don't know when a political candidate will be able to attribute his or her win due to the Internet (Howard Dean's success so far with the Net appears more media hype than reality), but I much more sanguine about those prospects than the Internet creating a more politically sophisticated (and liberal) voter base. I'll even put up 1$US. BTW, JSG, getting midnight blue paint in your hair will probably make you popular with your students. All you will need is a tongue piercing. Rod Carveth RIT >From: "Jennifer Stromer-Galley" <jstromer(a)albany.edu> >Reply-To: air-l(a)aoir.org >To: <air-l(a)aoir.org> >Subject: RE: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates >Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 13:15:35 -0400 > >Inane rivalries are the stuff of psycho-drama, and perfect for the >academy. So, you're on, Philip. I'll even have $1CAN after the AoIR >conference, although I won't need it, as I'll win this bet. > >I would be positively shocked (and secretly thrilled) if you could find >that Internet adopters become either more politically sophisticated or >more left-leaning. But, if people aren't interested in politics in the >first place, how will their Internet use somehow get them interested? > >Off to paint one final room, ignoring Philip's color suggestion. I was >thinking midnight blue. . . Buyers will like that, right? > >~JSG >Who is sick of scraping cream-colored paint off her elbows and out of >her hair . . . . > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: air-l-admin(a)aoir.org [mailto:air-l-admin@aoir.org] On > > Behalf Of Philip N. Howard > > Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 10:12 AM > > To: air-l(a)aoir.org > > Subject: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates > > ><snip> > > > Maybe an important part of becoming a sub/discipline is > > having inane bets and rivalries. So I'll bet Jen 1$Canadian > > that I can show that Americans are more politically > > sophisticated after making the Internet one of their regular > > media tools OR that the Americans are slightly more > > left-leaning after making the Internet one of their regular > > media tools BEFORE she finds a national political leader for > > whom their campaign internet strategy was the sufficient > > condition for winning. In other words, I'll either find more > > people engaged in politics, their political sophistication > > higher, or their political norms more lefty because of the > > Internet before she can find a candidate who wins office > > because of the internet. > > > > This may take years, but I'll wager another 1$CAN that I > > collect from JSG before she makes Emeritus. > > > > Open to friendly amendments. > > Phil > > Philip N. Howard > > Assistant Professor > > Department of Communication > > University of Washington > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Air-l mailing list > > Air-l(a)aoir.org > > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Air-l mailing list >Air-l(a)aoir.org >http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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RE: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates
by Ildiko Kaposi 21 Jul '03

21 Jul '03

And if I may add something - just for the fun of it, not the money: Aren't you placing this bet on shifty grounds? Already, liberal and leftist came up somewhat interchangeably in the wording of the bet, and you merely imply the context of the terms (US politics, apparently). So, which left, which liberalism, and which internet are you betting on? Ildiko >>> rodcarveth(a)hotmail.com 07/20/03 22:46 PM >>> Hey, can I get into some of this action? Now that I just bought a house, I need all the cash I can get. I'll take JSG's position. I can't think of a theoretical reason why the Net should result in more political sophistication (how exactly would you measure that, by the way?) or more liberal political thinking. In fact, the first wave of Internet adopters tended to be Republican (given that they were more affluent than the general population), and there doesn't appear to exist any research indicating that group has become more liberal. You could make the argument that the Internet, because of its low cost of entry, allows far more voices to enter into the political discussion, and hence it's more democratic (though that does not equal liberal). And, unlike radio, the political discourse reflects more positions (other than conservative). In reality, however, most Internet users go to websites that are "branded", often through their association with other media (that is, CNN.com, MSNBC.com) or mentions on the major media (that is, Matt Drudge and WorldNet daily). Thus, while the Internet theoretically offers lots of choices, users tend to select from a limited menu. In addition, they tend to engage in selective exposure when they do select websites and discussion groups (you don't see many Rush Limbaugh fans selecting fair.org) I don't know when a political candidate will be able to attribute his or her win due to the Internet (Howard Dean's success so far with the Net appears more media hype than reality), but I much more sanguine about those prospects than the Internet creating a more politically sophisticated (and liberal) voter base. I'll even put up 1$US. BTW, JSG, getting midnight blue paint in your hair will probably make you popular with your students. All you will need is a tongue piercing. Rod Carveth RIT >From: "Jennifer Stromer-Galley" <jstromer(a)albany.edu> >Reply-To: air-l(a)aoir.org >To: <air-l(a)aoir.org> >Subject: RE: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates >Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 13:15:35 -0400 > >Inane rivalries are the stuff of psycho-drama, and perfect for the >academy. So, you're on, Philip. I'll even have $1CAN after the AoIR >conference, although I won't need it, as I'll win this bet. > >I would be positively shocked (and secretly thrilled) if you could find >that Internet adopters become either more politically sophisticated or >more left-leaning. But, if people aren't interested in politics in the >first place, how will their Internet use somehow get them interested? > >Off to paint one final room, ignoring Philip's color suggestion. I was >thinking midnight blue. . . Buyers will like that, right? > >~JSG >Who is sick of scraping cream-colored paint off her elbows and out of >her hair . . . . > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: air-l-admin(a)aoir.org [mailto:air-l-admin@aoir.org] On > > Behalf Of Philip N. Howard > > Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 10:12 AM > > To: air-l(a)aoir.org > > Subject: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates > > ><snip> > > > Maybe an important part of becoming a sub/discipline is > > having inane bets and rivalries. So I'll bet Jen 1$Canadian > > that I can show that Americans are more politically > > sophisticated after making the Internet one of their regular > > media tools OR that the Americans are slightly more > > left-leaning after making the Internet one of their regular > > media tools BEFORE she finds a national political leader for > > whom their campaign internet strategy was the sufficient > > condition for winning. In other words, I'll either find more > > people engaged in politics, their political sophistication > > higher, or their political norms more lefty because of the > > Internet before she can find a candidate who wins office > > because of the internet. > > > > This may take years, but I'll wager another 1$CAN that I > > collect from JSG before she makes Emeritus. > > > > Open to friendly amendments. > > Phil > > Philip N. Howard > > Assistant Professor > > Department of Communication > > University of Washington > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Air-l mailing list > > Air-l(a)aoir.org > > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Air-l mailing list >Air-l(a)aoir.org >http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 _______________________________________________ Air-l mailing list Air-l(a)aoir.org http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l

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RE: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates
by Rod Carveth 20 Jul '03

20 Jul '03

Hey, can I get into some of this action? Now that I just bought a house, I need all the cash I can get. I'll take JSG's position. I can't think of a theoretical reason why the Net should result in more political sophistication (how exactly would you measure that, by the way?) or more liberal political thinking. In fact, the first wave of Internet adopters tended to be Republican (given that they were more affluent than the general population), and there doesn't appear to exist any research indicating that group has become more liberal. You could make the argument that the Internet, because of its low cost of entry, allows far more voices to enter into the political discussion, and hence it's more democratic (though that does not equal liberal). And, unlike radio, the political discourse reflects more positions (other than conservative). In reality, however, most Internet users go to websites that are "branded", often through their association with other media (that is, CNN.com, MSNBC.com) or mentions on the major media (that is, Matt Drudge and WorldNet daily). Thus, while the Internet theoretically offers lots of choices, users tend to select from a limited menu. In addition, they tend to engage in selective exposure when they do select websites and discussion groups (you don't see many Rush Limbaugh fans selecting fair.org) I don't know when a political candidate will be able to attribute his or her win due to the Internet (Howard Dean's success so far with the Net appears more media hype than reality), but I much more sanguine about those prospects than the Internet creating a more politically sophisticated (and liberal) voter base. I'll even put up 1$US. BTW, JSG, getting midnight blue paint in your hair will probably make you popular with your students. All you will need is a tongue piercing. Rod Carveth RIT >From: "Jennifer Stromer-Galley" <jstromer(a)albany.edu> >Reply-To: air-l(a)aoir.org >To: <air-l(a)aoir.org> >Subject: RE: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates >Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2003 13:15:35 -0400 > >Inane rivalries are the stuff of psycho-drama, and perfect for the >academy. So, you're on, Philip. I'll even have $1CAN after the AoIR >conference, although I won't need it, as I'll win this bet. > >I would be positively shocked (and secretly thrilled) if you could find >that Internet adopters become either more politically sophisticated or >more left-leaning. But, if people aren't interested in politics in the >first place, how will their Internet use somehow get them interested? > >Off to paint one final room, ignoring Philip's color suggestion. I was >thinking midnight blue. . . Buyers will like that, right? > >~JSG >Who is sick of scraping cream-colored paint off her elbows and out of >her hair . . . . > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: air-l-admin(a)aoir.org [mailto:air-l-admin@aoir.org] On > > Behalf Of Philip N. Howard > > Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 10:12 AM > > To: air-l(a)aoir.org > > Subject: [Air-l] 1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates > > ><snip> > > > Maybe an important part of becoming a sub/discipline is > > having inane bets and rivalries. So I'll bet Jen 1$Canadian > > that I can show that Americans are more politically > > sophisticated after making the Internet one of their regular > > media tools OR that the Americans are slightly more > > left-leaning after making the Internet one of their regular > > media tools BEFORE she finds a national political leader for > > whom their campaign internet strategy was the sufficient > > condition for winning. In other words, I'll either find more > > people engaged in politics, their political sophistication > > higher, or their political norms more lefty because of the > > Internet before she can find a candidate who wins office > > because of the internet. > > > > This may take years, but I'll wager another 1$CAN that I > > collect from JSG before she makes Emeritus. > > > > Open to friendly amendments. > > Phil > > Philip N. Howard > > Assistant Professor > > Department of Communication > > University of Washington > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Air-l mailing list > > Air-l(a)aoir.org > > http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Air-l mailing list >Air-l(a)aoir.org >http://www.aoir.org/mailman/listinfo/air-l _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963

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1$CAN on sophisticates and lefties over candidates
by Philip N. Howard 20 Jul '03

20 Jul '03

I think JSG should paint her room fire-engine red. If this is boring somebody has to tell us to go off list. JSG's post has me thinking of what other 'media effects' on political life that academics have tried to look for. Here maybe the three most plausible, bottom-line, large scale internet effects on American political culture: INTERNET CANDIDATE? I think this is JSG's favorite, a candidate who could not possibly have won without the internet. However it is hard to imagine a candidate ever admitting this for a recording. Perhaps we could survey 100 pundits by asking them true/false if candidate X only won because of their internet strategy. One might argue that with web-based campaigns many districts have more 3rd candidates than ever, internet candidates whose only organization is online. This is a new, important phenomena that would not be interesting to someone waiting for a mainstream candidate to win with their internet campaign. POLITICAL SOPHISTICATION? There are many studies about whether citizens are smarter or dumber than they were 30 years ago, when verba/king/nie first started asking political sophistication questions. I think consensus point is that we are only modestly more politically sophisticated than we were, more credit due to rising level of general education than any particular news media or inspiring political leader. Unfortunately, simple questions about voter sophistication like "Who is your mayor?" are only asked occasionally. Respondents often feel they are being tested by such questions, so professional polling houses are afraid that respondents will get discouraged and decline further questions; academics rarely have enough grant money to ask the same questions over time. But I imagine that a small battery of questions about which media people used, demographics, and voter sophistication could be run through statistical tests to see if there is a relationship between the kinds of media people use, their political sophistication, and change over time. Do any AIRers know of datasets with internet use and political sophistication questions asked over time? MOVING LEFT? There are many studies about how the American public is slightly more left leaning than average pollster samples, and slightly more left leaning than the group of voters who show up on election day. I think consensus point is that reducing the transaction costs of political participation makes the median political norm shift slightly left. For example, in states where Moter-Voter legislation made it necessary to register at the time of renewing a car license, there was a slight increase in Democratic registrations and marginal increase in Democratic voting. But voting is NOT the only way to express political preferences, and since the Internet is a great tool for bugging your representatives after you have elected them, maybe the mark of impact would be a rise in the number of people who consider themselves political engaged (regressed on media choices). The number of people who contact their rep between elections? A slight left lean in the median political norms of the electorate would be an incredibly important bottom line media effect - a shift in the tectonic plates of the political landscape. Much deeper structural impact than a single candidate winning 'because of the internet'. A couple of weeks Christian Sandvig made a bet about warchalking that added both added mystic to his research and allowed him to collect data. Maybe an important part of becoming a sub/discipline is having inane bets and rivalries. So I'll bet Jen 1$Canadian that I can show that Americans are more politically sophisticated after making the Internet one of their regular media tools OR that the Americans are slightly more left-leaning after making the Internet one of their regular media tools BEFORE she finds a national political leader for whom their campaign internet strategy was the sufficient condition for winning. In other words, I'll either find more people engaged in politics, their political sophistication higher, or their political norms more lefty because of the Internet before she can find a candidate who wins office because of the internet. This may take years, but I'll wager another 1$CAN that I collect from JSG before she makes Emeritus. Open to friendly amendments. Phil Philip N. Howard Assistant Professor Department of Communication University of Washington

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Beadgee
by tmr_s 19 Jul '03

19 Jul '03

To: Air-I members, I would like to invite you to visit Beadgee, a net.art project commissioned by Impakt.nl. I believe it would interest some of you since it deals with the disintegration of texts in an on-line environment. I would be happy to hear any comments. Best Regards, Tamar Schori Direct link http://www.tamar-schori.net/beadgee/beadgee.html For mac users http://www.tamar-schori.net/beadgee/be.html Through Impakt as a part of the "Art of the Narrative" contest - http://www.impakt.nl/online/index.html Beadgee by Tamar Schori The book 'Three Young Rats and other rhymes' edited by James Johnson Sweeny (Museum of Modern Art, New York) served as the starting point for Tamar Schori's 'Beadgee'. As a teenager she read this book and was fascinated by the rhymes. When she juxtaposed the rhymes with her drawings she made privately since she was an art student, accidental layers of meanings were created. The drawings are imaginary gizmos consisting of entangled parts that can be reassembled. Some of the parts (beads) are rigid and some seems to be alive. 'Beadgee' holds an abundant of different drawings; each drawing corresponds to one rhyme. The user is invited to choose from the gizmos, explode them and pick desired beads to comprise a new gizmo. Each individual bead within a gizmo is associated with a word from the enclosed rhyme. As long as the user is in the 'explode mode' the words from the rhyme are being played. When one selects a part of the exploded drawing, a word from the rhyme is selected and attached to this part. The order ofthe selected beads dictates the order of the words in the new rhyme. The newly made gizmo can be submitted into the gallery, where any user can follow the narrative that is built by the participants. 'Beadgee' tailors a new story and a new visual landscape that will manage to use given elements to enfold into a new story. The new images make new combinations and reveal each time more information which can differ every time as new juxtapositions are put forward. The projects relates to narrative art through a process of dissociation and reassembly. It becomes a vehicle to translate the spirit of absurdity and fantasy into a different form of reading.

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