Derek Hrynyshyn: Globalization, nationality and commodification: the politics of the social construction of the internet (in New Media & Society vol 10, no 5, October 2008)

Discussing social structures and power structures on the internet, especially as illustrated by the domain name system. He makes several interesting points about governance and administering of the internet, but I was most interested in the semiotic aspects of the topic. He explains the basics of the domain name system - first there were 7 top-level domains: '.com', '.org', '.net', '.int', '.mil', '.gov' and '.edu' and later the country codes were implemented - and that the reason for the DNS is not technical (computers do just fine by knowing each other by numbers). It's to make it easier for humans to remember how to get where they want. Words are easier to remember than long strings of numbers, because we give meaning to words. So for example, it's hard for us to associate something like "543.432.65.43" with an internet community about fantasy - giving it a name that suggests fantasy and community makes it infinitely easier for us to remember where it is and how to get there. All we need to learn is the suffixes, dotcom, dotorg, dotnet, dotcodotuk... and what they signify. Easy as pi. :)

But. Some of the suffixes evolve to mean something else. So while every country in UN's ISO-3166 list got its own countrycode, not all of them were able to put them to use (for obvious reasons of material imbalance on our planet) as they were intended - that is, to signify which information originates in which part of the planet. As these codes are not technically tied to any physical location, nothing really stops a person in Moscow from getting a .ca domain - except the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. Their minimun requirement for someone registering a .ca domain is Canadian citizenship or registration of a corporation in Canada. Basically you are not allowed to have a .ca domain if you have nothing to do with Canada. Bad news for Marica in Moscow, for mari.ca would be a really cool name for her website. But this is not the case with all country codes. Some countries do sell their domains to people from other countries. But why would anyone want a website with a countrycode that has nothing to do with their nationality? The reason is semiotic - that is, the countrycode has a meaning aside from just signifying the country. The obvious and famous example is '.tv', the country code of Tuvalu, but there are a few others. So the question is, should there be country codes at all if they are not being used in the way originally intended? Or should this different way of use be restricted, so that the country codes would only apply to content relating to the country? What happens to meaning of those country codes? What happens to the internet as a national and as a global space?

Interesting :)

Easterling wants to see Viking's balls.

Yesterday we did a trip to London to the galleries. Went to the British Film Institute and the Hayward Gallery.

This is of particular interest to [deeterhi]
The BFI had an installation by Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, The All-Seeing Eye (The Hard-core Techno Version), which was utterly awesome.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/exh_gfx_en/ART60898.html
So it's a room, in which there is a revolving projector in the middle, which is projecting a video of a panorama of a room (so the camera was turned 360 in the middle of a room several times) and on every revolution some objects go missing from the room, with the only thing that never disappears is the tv set that is playing a scene from the film Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - even when we don't see the TV (when the camera points to the opposite side of the room) we can still hear it.
What a fantastic idea and a fantastic installation.

One thing I hate about going to galleries with other artists, especially to see new media work with other media artsist, is that we fall into the trap of "how is it made, ah yes, they did that and then they did this and that made that happen and now the magic is gone -_-"

The Hayward had a massive Andy Warhol exhibition, focusing on his films. It was a really humongous exhibition with far too many things to see them all. Some of my favourites were the Factory Diaries where he'd just filmed the people he hung out with, like making home videos. There was one of Candy Darling singing, and another one where someone showed polaroids to the camera while gossiping about who was at a party. I really liked the audio recordings too, they had these little cushioned benches built inside the walls with a set of speakers inside, and each bench played one of Andy's tape recordings. I listened to the one of Man Ray talking to them about photography, and by the sound of it they had some kind of photoshoot too. I love Man Ray's voice, it was really lovely. Then they had all the Andy Warhol's T.V. episodes in one room, and I chanced by the one with Pee Wee Herman in it <3 Seeing Pee Wee Herman beat Andy Warhol on the head with a toy hammer (while Andy is wearing a pirate hat)... that alone was so worth the admission fee to the exhibition :P Then there was a room with, what, 19 big screens each showing one of his later, better films. Including Empire (which is a 24 film of just the Empire State Building), Blowjob (which is a 40 minute film that shows nothing but the face of a young man, while someone gives him a blowjob off-camera), Sleep (another really long film of someone sleeping) and Inner And Outer Space was a two-screen projection of Edie Sedgwick (one general shot where we see most of her and some surroundings, and one closeup where we only see her bust and the TV behind) in front of a TV, smoking and talking and laughing, and on the TV was a film of her in profile. This last one was my favourite, but the layout of the room was so busy and confusing that it was impossible to focus. I'd say they'd work better in single-screen cinematic projections. Ah well, to be able to say that you've seen any of Warhol's video work at all is pretty special in itself, the Warhol Foundation is pretty anal about not sharing them >_> And lastly, they had the Silver Clouds (silver rectagle balloons filled with helium) in a room too. So that was quite awesome.

Another thing in the Hayward (that place is gigantic) was this artist (can't remember the name, Rhode was the last name I think) who uses chalk-drawing and photography/video to make things that have an element of illusion (like he'd draw a chalk skateboard ramp on the floor and pose in skateboarding poses on it and display the pictures upright so it looks like he's actually skateboarding on a drawn ramp). A bit similar to blublu.org 's video (Muto is it called? The one that everyone loves) with the animation by wallpainting.

This is of particular interest to [Delladreing]
They also sold in the Hayward shop chocolate stilettos. I wanted them so badly.

Enough rambling.

I must tell humanity:
There is a monster with a tentacle that has the power to vacuum time out of the universe! We are running out of time. Or at least I am. There is no other explanation as to why I am so hopelessly behind in all things ET.

So a lot of catching up must happen (after I've applied to loads of jobs that I probably won't get, done my helping duties in university and church, and attended some fun arty things and visited Silvie).

But I did catch up with xkcd. And I think life would be happier if only this was true: http://xkcd.com/481/

z0mg!

Well then.
I haven't been around much lately, and might not be in the future either, I don't know yet. I don't know if you kids have been around or not either, but by the looks of my forum replies and wiki/member changes and diaries, at least some of you are.

The exhibition finished. Here are the results:
-I have now four amazingly awesome friends who I hope I'll always be able to keep in touch with (there's no better way to bond than spending hours together getting bored out of your skull waiting for people to come see an exhibition - and abusing the interactive installations while doing so :D) And I'll miss the lot of them every day I don't see them.
-Many people - including the Dean of the school - said that our exhibition was the first time that little gallery in the art building was really put to good use, in the sense that the show was really professional and worked well, and all the works felt like they were really at home in there.
-I actually feel/know that my teachers are sincere when they say we were an exceptional year and that we will keep in touch and work together in the future (huzzah for teachers who are practitioners as well!)
-And finally: I have the confidence to say I am a highly trained professional artist. As much as someone who's gone through medical school can say that they are a real doctor, so I can now say I am a real artist. And it's great because I didn't feel like I could say that after my BA.

72 is now my favourite number. :3 Distinction, baby! *dances*

In other words, results are in. I am a real Master of Media Art, with distinction. That means I'm distinct! In other words, it means I r00l!! XD *happyhappyjoyjoy*

Exhibition private view tomorrow 6-8, then fri-sat is A Thing About Machines and the rest of next week is the duration of the exhibition.

Did I mention that I'm happy? I'm kinda happy ^^;


^{Distinction. ^^}

Whaddaya know, he has a website.
www.banksy.co.uk
If you aren't yet acquainted with this wonderful... phenomenon¹ that is Banksy, do so now. :)


^{1 I think there's more than one guy...}

Cat Days Are Here!

...dudes:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/09/04/call-for-lolcat-art-submissions-the-lol-arts/
LOLcat art exhibition call for artists. o.O We all must.

Yesterday was great. I helped my crazy friend re-shoot her art-videos (the previous ones were really pixelated, no idea why). So we drove to our teacher's house (and got really lost and were two hours late) because he has a studio at the back. And we worked really hard, had to do the fish-thing twice, and the ketchup-one was really painful for her because the ketchup got into her eye half way down the shoot and she just had to sit there still with the vinegar of ketchup burning her eye, etc... It was a tough shoot. But it was great, I love doing that. And it was so much nicer to do it at his house, everything was more relaxed. And when we were all done, my friend had washed the fish and ketchup off herself and we all sat down for a cuppa to talk... I had a moment there, in the fading light of the evening, that this is the kind of life I want to have. And that I'm in the right place being here. And these are the kinds of people I want to spend time with. I want this kind of life where it's perfectly normal to buy the biggest fish in the market (in fact, to be known by the fish-monger as the person who wants to buy a gigantic fish); and having to solve the problem between ketchup being to viscous to drip from a tiny hole in a plastic bag suspended from the ceiling and being too liquid so it doesn't look red enough anymore; and having to wait around for hours to see whether something filmed well or not, anxious whether we have to film everything all over. And I'm glad that my life is going in that direction, and I hope I won't lose that when I leave university. I know my friend is staying here too, so at least I'll be able to help her film more. But I wonder at my work. What am I doing. Steadily, Constantly, Always is ready, done and dusted, just need to sort out kit, and that has nothing to do with art. I don't want to do something similar to it, I don't think. The camera has really become an extension of my eye, so that might stay. But I also desperately want to be an internet artist. And I want to use Flash. And then there's the Free Culture -stuff that I want to be involved in. And I want to learn French. I feel a bit directionless right now.

Earlier this week I went to the cinema with my sisters (yes I'm doing a quick stint in Finland, I'll be back where I belong on Monday) and we went to see the Dark Knight. Today I am going to see the Dark Knight with my little sister again. She handled all the arrangements while I was upstairs, erm, being busy¹ and when I came downstairs while she was in the shower, my mom asked "so, what film are you going to ee tonight." For five seconds I considered lying to her, but I couldn't think of any other movies that were showing, so I just told her it was Batman again. Fortunately, she just laughed a little. But that means that I have seen the Dark Knight tonight in the cinema for the fourth time.

^{1 I have a problem. I am horrifyingly addicted to Gilmore Girls. They make references I get, they live like I should live (except the excessive coffee drinking), they have bad relationships with gorgeous men I should have good relationships with, and they are so incredibly cool it breaks my heart. I am the third long-lost Gilmore Girl. So this past week I have been addictively watching my way through season three, and now I will have a shower and go to the cinema and then return to season four, hoping that Lorelai and Luke finally get together, or if not that at least Rory and Jess find each other again. Bye all, see you when I'm back on the map.}

An unfinished thought/feeling.

I was leaving my mind to wander idly this morning after reading on about the disaster going on in Georgia. And I had a change of heart: Russia should be part of Europe. I've been somewhat adamant about Russia not being a part of Europe (neither geographically nor in any other ways) - but I changed my mind and all I can do is plead Finnishness (we can be so very Russophobic, especially where I live, especially in my family...)

This came about after reading an opinion article, that basically outlined how Georgia's stupidness is more less the West's fault. We haven't handled things too well with the post-Cold War stuff. We never told Georgia about the bear. And now Georgia's gone and poked the bear with a sharp stick. -_- And now we are told it's none of our business (even though it very much is).

Russia can't be conquered - even Napoleon knew that (though he found it out the hard way). Russia probably can't be trusted at the moment (and that bit can't be improved upon as long as so many people go around thinking it's the enemy). But we can't have more Finlandisation of countries because of Russia; we can't have everyone tip-toeing around it because we're scared. We need friendly relations. We need Russia in Europe.

Wheemz!
I've been looking for this for a long while nao, because I constantly want to reference it in my work, And now I founded it.

Your Computer Is Made Out of Magic

Dear Diary.
A friend of mine just called me, to ask for help with a computer problem.
I am someone's personal IT support! My geekdom has reached a new height!
This is one of the many happy days of my life! I feel complete and useful!

Holey camoley. A website. We has it.

http://art-moment.co.uk/

Inspirational YouTube lecture of the Month

Vote: Name a colour contest

Today's pet peeve: people who tell me that I use a word wrong or out of context, when in fact the word, according to a dictionary, means both what they think it means and what I mean it to mean.

Example: I was trying to tell my not-as-cool teacher about the sort of epic-but-trivial aspect of my work, and he said that I use the word epic wrong. After the tutorial I looked epic up in the dictionary and (including his version of epic being about a story that has a really long arc) it said:
epic
3. heroic; majestic; impressively great: the epic events of the war.
4. of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions.
Which is what I meant, impressively great, and great size or extent. Nothing to do with literature or narrative, but a feeling. Something can feel epic.

Anyway, that isn't the only time that has happened, it's just the most recent one. Next time when someone says that, I'm gonna whip out the dictionary and shut them up. -_-

The Body Shop in the UK has discontinued my smell. :( My smell is one of the Invent your scent -series, Amorito (it smells of chocolate <3) They don't sell it anymore in the 30ml bottles, only in the little tester packs. And I fear for my scent, because I can't survive without it :(

It's not discontinued in other countries, it seems. But I fear they might do that. So I want to stock up.

So if you love me dearly (or even just kinda think I'm ok... or think that I don't smell too bad... or wouldn't kill me first if you could kill any five people in the world without danger of consequences of laws...) and you see Amorito in your local Body Shop, please get it for me if you can. I'll totally refund you and love you long time.

It's a great gift idea...? :3
Pwease? o.O


http://www.thebodyshopinternational.com/Products/Fragrance/Invent+Your+Scent/Invent+your+Scent.htm

Today's fun YouTube idea.
Badly Drawn Roy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUIv7poWJFU

I love the way YouTube enables this kind of creativity. <3