literature – textual media

Lost Pig and Shade

Blog post for Admiral Jota, Lost Pig and Andrew Plotkin, Shade

In certain interactive fiction (IF) I find a subtle variation in response time, which I believe is an important aspect of IF. For example, the Eliza interpreter link off the course syllabus responds instantaneously but with normal human interaction this normally does not occur, people have to think before speaking; whereas with Eliza there is a full response in less a few seconds. With Lost Pig, I have not checked the source code to this piece of IF, but there is definitely a 1-2 second delay when performing actions. The computer I am using not slow, nor is the server, it is most likely a delay put into the piece by the author. This is very peculiar, I wonder if different pieces of IF use different delays based on the actions performed by the characters to make the interactivity seem more realistic? In addition, I like to keep track of the code types used for each piece of IF we read in class; in this case they are both javascript-does the software used-java, javascript or flash affect interactive fiction differently? I ask as different functions and capabilities are available in the code bases that may allow some things to occur in java and others in flash.

Admiral Jota, Lost Pig

In Lost Pig, on the top, a “menu-like” bar informs the user of location or subject that is presented in the text on each screen. In addition, there is also a numerical score on the top right of the bar. The Grunk character reminds me of an oricish-like figure; in the Release information presented on the first slide the serial number appears to be a date code, 08/04/2006. When I typed help, the web page had errors so I referred to the e-mail Prof. Sample had sent out for assistance. Following the help page I moved around exploring the bushes, climbing the wall and eventually ended up burning the forest. The pig started squealing, Grunk grabbed it, and the game was over.

Andrew Plotkin, Shade

The serial number also appears to be a date code, according to Wikipedia this piece was written in 2000 so the year begins in the beginning of the date code; I miss the help feature as was given to us in Lost Pig. There is a menu bar like there was in Lost Big, but in this case, only the location is given, there no score. Incase anyone was curious the hyacinth refers to a plant which are “bulbous herbs formerly placed in the lily family Liliaceae but now regarded as the type genus of the separate family Hyacinthaceae” (Wikipedia). The “help” option does work in this piece of IF; however, it is not too useful. After about 30 minutes, trying to figure out what was going on I looked for help and found http://waxy.org/2003/03/shade_and_inter/. Apparently, I am not alone in my trouble with this piece. Overall, I prefer the “Lost Pig” type of IF where one can traverse multiple pathways and has more leeway in terms of where one can visit. I felt like I was in a box in this game and without a substantial help page it makes it difficult to figure out the main idea behind this piece of IF.

CYOA Reflection

I came into this assignment utterly daunted by the idea of mapping out several possible, potentially inter-connecting outcomes from one segment of the book to another in House of Danger. Unfortunately, my nervousness was not unfounded in that I had great difficulty being able to complete my map. Several times, I found myself at various endings (whether they included death, an uncertain ending involving other dimensions/etc., or safety.) Still, I could not make my way to the end of the book–while reading through it repeatedly, I could not propel my character towards the latest pages in the book, which I found extremely frustrating.

Just as this book was clearly written for the reading level of a sixth grader (approximately), I felt like one, as well, because I felt helpless in trying to complete my map and finish the book overall. Each day, however, I was able to approach it and find myself further down various paths.

As a reader, however, I did enjoy the book in the sense that it inspired me to attempt to create a project like this of my own. Daunting as it must be for a reader, it must be adventurous and perhaps quite daunting for the author, as well. Nonetheless, the concept of the book interests me and it was an intriguing introduction into a genre of literature with which I had not previously been familiar.

It interested me that risky, sometimes-altruistic choices led to speedy deaths, whereas timid, erring-on-the-side-of-safety choices resulted in my character living longer or ending up in an entirely different reality (several plot lines were in play in my book.)

Coherence / Lialina

Focusing on: Can Coherence Be Saved?

An intriguing read, I tend to agree with the author on most of the points expressed in this article. One theme that is visited repeatedly throughout the text is the idea of hypertext vs. the standard novel. Will hypertext replace novels in the future? Games, hypertext and interactive CD-ROMS are given as examples how they compare to a standard novel but also how they will most likely never replace it.

As stated in the text, most readers “read on” to find out what happens next in a novel, moving linearly, page-by-page, the reader knows what to expect at least in terms of context of a novel. With hypertext and other forms of electronic literature, you have multiple forms as are outlined in the end of the article. Some forms of electronic literature as defined by hypertext immersion, go way off, leaving the reader lost, which in turn relegates that piece of literature to academic study and not for the masses. Spatial immersion would seem a better choice giving the reader some context and control over the text itself. Followed by emotional immersion, which is described allowing the user to choose different outcomes based upon his or her own personal interests.

I have to concur with the conclusion of this piece. Currently, people usually books when they want to read a story. I do not believe interactive textuality is quite there yet in terms of it replacing the book to tell a story. If history to judge, look at the recent products that are best sellers, such as Amazon’s Kindle or Sony’s eBook Reader, these products demonstrate that people still enjoy the concept of a book that can be read linearly. The next logic step may be to incorporate a type of interactive textuality within the pages of an electronic book; this would help to bridge the gap between a regular novel and selective interactivity.

Focusing on My Boyfriend Came Back from the War:

In Olia Lialina’s My Boyfriend Came Back from the War, the work itself has more context than Hegirascope in that the text and imagery relate to the title of the work. However, after the first viewing of this site it appears to follow the hypertext immersion model, as one can traverse multiple paths where one can easily get lost. Like Hegirascope, some paths lead to empty pages such as the following URLs: http://www.teleportacia.org/war/150.htm and http://www.teleportacia.org/war/152.htm.

Unlike Hegirascope, My Boyfriend Came Back from the War seems to differ in a few ways. First, the work appears to be black and white throughout the entire piece, where Hegirascope was a mixture of colors. Hegirascope is a simplistic online text in terms of what one can do with HTML. With My Boyfriend Came Back from the War, it utilizes the characteristics not found in Hegirascope. First, it used blinking text, where I do not recall seeing in Hegirascope- although I did not traverse every page on Hegirascope. Second, it uses images where Hegirascope only used text. Third is the use of frames in addition to allowing the user to traverse further by clicking in the frames themselves. Hegirascope was a set of standard HTML pages that one could traverse but it did not take advantage of any advanced HTML features.

Hegirascope took a different approach. There appears to be some sort of randomness accompanied with an automatic meta re-direct to the next page. Second, in some cases the text is the same color as the background. Third, the links around the text also seems to change if the same page is re-visited at a later time. My Boyfriend Came Back from the War is more interactive and coherent than Hegirascope in that the user controls his or her path through the work itself and need not worry about the page changing automatically.

My Boyfriend Came Back from the War – Hypertext as Relevant Art

In My Boyfriend Came Back from the War, Olia Lialina merges visual images and narrative to create a realistic mini drama in hypertext. The pages/frames are artwork that could stand alone without any text; the text could stand alone as free form poetry. Lialina’s choice of black and white amplifies the dramatic effect of the work and dually serves to symbolize the tension associated with the words/relationship of the lovers. Although after the third page the reader is offered more choices of links to click, regardless of the order in which they are selected and read, the meaning is the same. Each frame contains a fragment or piece of the narrative. Linear order is not essential to the meaning. This hypertext is representative of Marie-Laure Ryan’s jigsaw-puzzle metaphor. All of the fragments together – visual and text – complete the narrative picture. Unlike the obscure text of Hegirascope’s, the message of My Boyfriend Came Back from the War is clear. Anyone who has experienced the changes that result from long term separation from a lover can identify with this interactive narrative. The fact that the lovers were separated by war adds deeper dimension to the conflict and further magnifies the drama. The sequence of frames moving from simple to more complex and then to nothingness, visually maps the relationship from the boyfriend’s return until nothing is left. This is the first hypertext I have experienced that has emotionally moved me. According to Marie-Laure Ryan, emergent meaning produced through the interaction of the reader with the text that results in an emotional response is called emotional immersion. I am impressed by Lialina’s hypertext and her ability to emotionally connect with me. For me, this hypertext is poignant, relevant, and has redeeming value. My test for good literature: After investing myself and my time, am I a better person? After reading My Boyfriend Came Back from the War, I can honestly say that my time was well spent. Olia Lialina passed my good literature test and has dramatically changed my view of hypertext as relevant art.

Hegirascope 2.0

I decided to take the liberty to create a Trailfire trail, for lack of a better term.

This is a link to my main page: http://trailfire.com/vertizontal

This link will take you to the trail page: http://trailfire.com/vertizontal/trailview/65734
Click on the first page listed to get started.

Navigating through Hegirascope was actually a lot easier this way, in retrospect. I actually took the time to think about what I was reading and how it might pertain to an overall message the author could try to convey to the reader. While I am not fully comprehending an overall message or theme, I think the potential is certainly there in some instances. Hegirascope makes many a reference to the Internet, literature, and itself within its vast vault of pages. I find the self references to be the most insightful and funny, too. After reading many passages detailing unnavigable waters and the like, I got the feeling that the author knew what he was getting the reader into and lined Hegirascope with more than a few “I told you so”s. In the end, Hegirascope was a different experience for me and visiting it a couple times was more than enough!

JABBER: Just Nonsense?

First, I’d like to respond to ekimbell’s comment about Orson Whales. I agree that although Orson Whales is unchanging, it does have an element of randomness in the sense that it can be interpreted in several different ways. If the same holds true for “old media,” however, in what ways is Orson Whales considered new media? Does it really just go back to the rather dull definition of new media as cultural objects that make use of digital technologies? I don’t think there’s a clear-cut answer here, but I will take a stab at another definition. It seems to me that new media is a amalgamation of several different media forms. For instance, Orson Whales can be considered literature, art, music, all of the above or a combination of these things. New media challenges our ideas about text, as well as the ways in which we experience and thus interpret text. We read Moby Dick and think about the several different meanings it can possess. As for Orson Whales, we’re not really sure how to read it or if we can even read it at all. Do we read Orson Whales? Do we watch Orson Whales? Or do we listen to Orson Whales? This is what I mean when I say new media challenges the way we experience and interpret text.

In terms of representational meaning, Neil Hennessey’s JABBER: The Jabberwocky Engine is pretty much what it looks like. In short, it’s a bunch of letters that when bonded together, form “nonsense words.” According to Hennessey, “JABBER realises a linguistic chemistry with letters as atoms and words as molecules.” In this way, Hennessey challenges our preconceived notions about language and text and how we interpret them. After all, you usually don’t think about chemistry when talking about letters and words. At face value, JABBER is just like the game of Boggle: You put certain letters together to form certain words. The irony in JABBER, however, is that although the bonds between letters are determined by the likelihood that they would appear alongside each other in the English dictionary, the words those letters form are mere gibberish. This is where evocative meaning comes into play. Could Hennessey be commenting on the arbitrariness of the English language? Well, he’s definitely underlining the concepts of letters and words, concepts that we overlook on a day-to-day basis. But who determines which combinations of letters constitute a word? We are all guilty of throwing our words around or talking gibberish, if you will. As a result, others can misconstrue our intended meanings. Although the nonsense words in JABBER and the gibberish we speak have no true meanings to outsiders, they still have some meaning to us. In Electronic Literature, Katherine Hayles asks, “Is literary quality possible in digital media or is electronic literature demonstrably inferior to the print canon?” (2). I think Hennessey prompts his audience to ask a similar question. JABBER just produces nonsense words, but isn’t there more to it? After all, why are we studying it in the first place?

Blog #1: Thoughts on JABBER

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.

Blog 1: Focus on Firefly

Overall in comparison:

Jabberwocky relies on random moving bits of language and Orson Whales utilizes an animation-like presentation, both of which seem to be created to entertain or entice the user and try to make the user make sense of the work. However, if the user is not interested, he or she may not delve into it any further. In the assigned reading, it was noted that while electronic literature may be the new and next best thing compared to regular printer literature; it also noted that one must not become misguided in the “media” itself, otherwise the meaning is lost.

Representational meaning:

Firefly is contextually based like a book, the user interface is shaped like a novel and it has arrows to flip to the next page. There are clear instructions directly to the right on how to navigate the piece, giving the work a sense of direction that gives the user an idea of what to expect. While the work itself can express many stories depending upon on the selections of the user, the interface is somewhat normalized compared to Jabberwocky for example.

Evocative meaning:

When the user first loads the page they are presented with a nice daytime picture looking through the woods at a nice patch of grass. Soon thereafter, it becomes very dark and the title is displayed “A tale told in 180 degrees of separation.” The animation change from day to night could represent a degree of separation even before diving further into the content. The other question or detail I ponder is the “fog and green light,” is that represented by the ghostly green image backdrop throughout Firefly? It appears to be décor for the tale itself but is it supposed to represent something or someone? In the very first page that is loaded, the “green fog” appears on the right side. When the user moves to the next page, it is flipped to the left side as if one was looking at the “green fog” in a mirror. When you click to go to the next page, the fog is flipped to the left side. Is this intentional? Is there anything to be gleamed from the change of the fog backdrop throughout the tale and that it stays on the left side all the way to the end and does not change after the first page? The color also stood out to me, nearly all the text and components of the user-interface are some shade of green and “fog and green light” is also stated in the first part of the tale. What is the relationship between the color green with this author? Is there one? Even the text on the side of the page, which is the instructional text, not a part of the work, is also green.