Response to "The Interface"

1. Are not there many similarities between interaction with semiotic content through the human-computer interface and analysis of "classical artwork" through the veil of our own psyche? Presumably, the user, in the former case, has no control over the interface that was designed by a third party. And the viewer, in the latter case, did not choose and cannot change his subconsciously developed mental state.

2. The author discusses and seems greatly intrigued by the effects of variabilty of interface and the fluidity of run time on the integrity of new media content. But what are the artistic implications of merely creating artwork that does not, even at the interface, physically exist?

the interface

1. because technology rules so much of our lives that it can change the way we percieve people, objects, news, etc. in "real" life as well in technology based interactions, why don't we place more control on the orginization on it? we have created a means of transfering information that affects the messages it transmitts and brings its own messages, and by this we have created a being that suddenly has power over us. we, as lay people use computers and technology daily yet, I for one don't understand a bit of what is occuring on the coding level. And this ignorance is so incredibly dangerous, as it affects nearly every aspect of the way we percieve the world. So, why is it that we aren't more informed about the technology? is it simply that humans are lazy and want the convience of technology without the trouble of untangling its coding? is it that we are oblivious and don't realize the potential for distortion and manipulation? is it that the majority of us are too stupid to understand the way it works? is it that we are just apathetic and don't give a shit?

2. can anything exist without the medium to transfer it? doesn't the medium then become part of the information, because it is a) necessary to the transmitting and b) as stated earlier, affects the raw data/art/information? are there millions of ideas and feelings floating about that we aren't even aware of and we have only found mediums to describe a small, small percentage of the total? that doesn't mean that those ideas/feelings/whatever don't exist just because we can see/understand/articulate them? or does it?