<nettime> _Tracking a Net.Wurk O(r)bit_ (+ trajectory translation)

[Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>]

[ This is excellent - I've been following mez' work for years - especially
those aspects dealing with language, sliding "frameworks" across texts,
body, sexuality, dissemination, netwurkings - translation (which never
does justice to the work imho) follows at the end - Alan ]



From: "][mez][" <netwurker@pop.hotkey.net.au>
Subject: _Tracking a Net.Wurk O(r)bit_ (+ trajectory translation)


i like 2 think my perception][s][ is/r geared 2wards/thru-out a range of
inputs & ob.serve.][r][ations, all gathered 2g][t][ether][ed][ more often
than ][k][not a manifest][ering][ net.wurked sp.here][&
now][.........

....the cybagenic lattrix if u will ][or won't:)][....

.....my tendency 2 fuse actions that r performed b.yond this ][forced
reality][ field N the very procedural nuances that this sensing d.mands
x.ists as a very fragile, convoluted actuality.....

...this percept is currently taking a battering, as the very structure that
has allowed its gestation, its nesting, m.mergence, & x.tended x.pression
is b.ing gradually ][sl][a][ugh][ltered....
][e.motive lang.u][s][age, i know, but bear with me][.....

--

...when i ][*.][ini.tially orbited this net.wurked reality ][& by this i'm
n.ferring a state of passive flux, where my hands first crab-crouched a
keyboard & slid ova a su.Pine mouse, waiting 4 a con][cussive][nection
hit][ the amnesiac-like newness, its fugue capabilities were so
n.trinsically seductive that @ 1nce, the resultant output was infernoesque,
participants all collaboratively
floundering in this creative niche that allowed 4 x.tended x.ploration N
wild rewritings of creative cod][a][es, or established artistic
conventions, or critiquer f.actua][ry][nts...

....predicated questionings and standardizations were not even
termed/realised as truthful reference points or relevant POV's, largely
b.cause][N e.ffect][ of the formless "cyberspace"
condition][ing][........of course, i'm blin][d][kered in terms of the
sphere of functioning that ][i have deemed][ *was* e.mergent in terms of
mailing lists N web/net.insitution construction, and of course, i'm being
terribly intro][duction lacking][.spec][ula][tive][, n yes, i'm pixellating
the past with a nostalgic you.topian sweep, but there was a stage of the
net.wurked development that more than re][n.][flected this type of
][de][function][........even as others rushed to
quantify. anal.][e][y][e][se & rati][onalize][fy it.......smooth it in2
satis.Factory communication corners...........

............][4give me my meme.ory n.dulgence, please][...................


..now u may all clip away typing that this er][ror][a neva x.isted, or that
the tendrils r still deliciously ][&n obviously][ pre.s][c][ent, that i'm
becoming 1 of those old, crusty "net.art is dead"
advocat][ions][es, that i'm missing the meat of the x.change, the distended
details........


........i mite well be......i fervently think ][hope][ not......from this
e.longated angle, my mezangelled perceptive base - N granted its a
difficult one to "get" in terms of affective merging with this
communication style in which i wallow - this stage of explosive n.quiry &
blase ][net][ wurking is bleeding dis][t][ast][e][rously in2 the
][predictable][ established, an n.s][i][t][u][itutionialised strain of
though & overt action.......N its not blanket-d][ea][f.ined thru the
corp.][r][o][a][r.ate glutt.ON.isation of the web, but thru much more
n.siduous modes........


........4 x.ample, when we ][read: artists who m.brace & position
them.cell][ves][s as firm advo.Ka][n][ts of things net.wurked, whether that
b electronically/collaboratively/spouting new media ethics till we r blue
in the screen][ drag traditionally-ratified mechanisms of critique back in2
play, or fall in2 the power-dynamically-d.fined act of
][cap][s][lock][houting in order 2 make our point, or seek 2 regulate the
way a peer releases output via mandatory subtle regressions in2 labels that
postulate absolutes ]["design", "use.ability" "ease of use"][, or reason
our position via logos, we are shutting the door on a multi][log][tude of
prospective actualities, we are cutting off the avenues that make the
net.wurk a place worthy of creative x.pansion...........


...& i kno some of u will retort, correct, s.sue differences of opinions,
portray a stance that allows 4 acceptable banter that seeks +itive fluid
resolutions....& all the while i weep 4 the mis][b][gotten phrase, the
typo, the flame-bait that isn't, the nudge that is bypassed in terms of
readability & community function......


....this closing-off, shutting down, m.bracing of the literal over the
nodal/lateral is ridiculously difficult 2 describe, given the tools that
i'm m.ploying r drenched in the very stench of this terror- vision of the
concrete, the conflagration of the predictable, the x.plainable, the
acceptable, the *ma][i][n*.if][then][est.......


][even now, my post is too long, i've dis.m.bowelled the n][etwurked
key][.cremental & sp][outing][iderling meaning threads, the potential of a
personalised re][wurking][affirmation....all this in an f.fort 2 offer
x.][& y & z][planations, 2 rationalise my position, 2 justify my e.motives
in order that others can ][*][app.rehend....i'm contemplating transcribing
this in2 "regular" english 4 the masses.......so nettime might post this as
they now re.fuse 2 post anything from me that's remotely mezangelled...this
will be another terrible net.wurk fracture, another crawling back in2 the
comprehension shell][........

i will leave u now with no safe ending, no cloistered summation
paragraph][ic][. i'll send this as a translated piece][meal][ as well

._____________________________________________


_Tracking a Net.Wurk O(r)bit_
(I like to think that my perceptions are geared towards/through-out a range
of inputs & observations, all gathered together and tethered (more often
than not) via a manifest net.wurked sphere.......the Cybagenic Lattrix if
you will. My tendency to fuse actions that are performed beyond this
(forced reality) field - and the very procedural nuances that this sensing
demands - makes this detection exist as a very fragile, convoluted
actuality. This detection percept is currently taking a battering, as the
very structure that has allowed its gestation/ emergence/nesting and
extended expression is gradually being slaughtered.)
--


When I initially orbited this net.wurked reality (and by this I'm referring
to a state of passive flux where my hands first crab-crouched a keyboard
and slid over a supine mouse, essentially waiting for a concussive
connection hit) the amnesiac-like newness and fugue capabilities were so
seductive that, at once, the resultant output was infernoesque, with
participants collaboratively floundering in this creative niche that
allowed for extended exploration and wild rewritings of creative codes and
established artistic & critique conventions. Predicated questionings and
standardizations were not, therefore, termed or realized as "truthful"
reference points (or even relevant points-of-view according to the concept
of the formless "cyberspace" condition). Of course, this reasoning is
blinkered in terms of the sphere of functioning that (I have deemed) was
emergent in terms of mailing lists and web/net.institution construction -
and of course, I'm being terribly introspective, and yes, I'm pixellating
the past with a nostalgic Utopian sweep. I would counter, however, that
there was a stage of net.wurked development that more than reflected this
type of (de)function, even as others rushed to quantify, analyze,
rationalize and smooth entity-spacing into satisfactory communication corners.

Now, you may all cogitate away that this era never existed, or that these
tendrils are still deliciously and obviously present - in essence, that I
am becoming one of those crusty "net.art is dead" advocates and in doing so
am missing the meat of the exchange as well as the distended details. And I
might well be. I do, however, fervently think (and hope) this not to be the
case. From this elongated angle (my mezangelled perceptive base) - and
granted it is a difficult one to "get" in terms of affective merging with
the communication style in which I wallow - this stage of explosive enquiry
& blase net.wurking is bleeding disastrously into the predictably
established, an ins(i)t(u)itutionialised strain of though and overt action.
It is dangerous to assume that blanket-defined corprorate gluttonisation of
the web is only to blame, as there are much more insidious modes that have
created this situation.

For example, when we (read: artists/theorists who embrace and position
themselves as firm advocates of things "net" - whether that be
electronically/collaboratively defined - or those who spout new media
ethics until they are blue in the face/screen) drag traditionally-ratified
mechanisms of critique back into play, or fall into
power-dynamically-defined acts of caps-lock shouting in order to make our
point, or seek to regulate the way a peer releases output via mandatory
subtle regressions into labels that postulate absolutes ("design",
"usability" "ease of use") or even rationalize our position via logos, we
are shutting the door on a multitude of prospective actualities and are
cutting off the avenues that make the net.wurk a place worthy of creative
expansion.

This closing-off, shutting down, embracing of the literal over the
nodal/lateral is ridiculously difficult to describe, especially given the
tools that I'm employing are drenched in the very stench of this
terror-vision of the concrete, the conflagration of the predictable, the
explainable, the acceptable, the manifest.

I know some of you will retort, correct, issue differences of opinions,
portray a stance that allows for "acceptable" banter in order to seek
positive fluid resolutions. All the while I weep for the misbegotten
phrase, the typo, the flame-bait that isn't, the nudge that is bypassed in
terms of readability & community function.

--
(Even now, my post is too long, I've disemboweled the incremental &
spider-like trails of meaning and the potential of a personalized re-worked
affirmation - all this in an effort to offer explanations, to rationalize
my position and to justify my (e)motives in order that others can
ap(com)prehend. This will be another terrible net.wurk
fracturing-through-solidification, another crawling back into a
communicative comprehension shell.)


. . .... .....
net.wurker][mez][
.smothering..n.struments..go.here.
xXXx
./.
www.hotkey.net.au/~netwurker
.... . .??? .......


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