Overall the three electronic literature pieces (Orson Whales, Firefly, and JABBER: The Jabberwocky Engine) viewed in class were interesting. Of the three I liked JABBER the best.
Its functionality is both simple and complex. Simple in that the user pushes a button and watches passively while the program runs. I can’t imagine the programming needed to actually create JABBER. As we discussed in class the letters are attracted to each other based on whether or not they would appear together in a word. They can also form compound words. However at some point it realizes that some letters, though they are “attracted” to certain letters cannot actually be put together to make a real word and “explode” in fiery red letters.
I think one evocative meaning to JABBER is asking you to think about how words quickly evolve. For instance, years ago “email” would mean nothing to people; it would be considered a nonsense word. Now email is a word used in everyday conversation. But that meaning is just looking at what the program does. Setting aside what it does you also need to take into consideration the visual effect.
When it is first started the letters are moving quickly about the screen and immediately begin to bond. Blue letters representing words or word fragments are quickly formed. Sometimes the blue words combine and green words appear showing compound words. This also happens rapidly, I think it is like what may have happened when we created words like “cowboy” and “something”. They are still moving around bouncing off the sides and other letters that have not yet bonded. And every once in a while the combined letters turn red and “explode”. The exploding words remind me of the explosive nature some words have on people and conversation more so than letters that do not make words.
For me, I think that this new media is just the latest way an artist can use to ask the viewer to look at even the most ordinary thing in a new way.