While television continues to fulfill its McLuhanist expectation to be a "window to the world," digital media—especially as they are linked and webbed via the internet—actually connect the user to the world.
 
— Florian Brody, from The Medium is the Memory

The Concept

This experiment consists of a one-time global distribution of 25 "devices" based on evenly spaced geographic coordinates. The devices are self-contained webcams with high-capacity Flash card memory, a small color LCD display, global positioning satellite (GPS) capabilities, and the ability to upload data to a central web server. The experiments begins when each device is individually shipped to randomly selected recipients at the 25 initial geographic coordinates.

See System Views for details of initial distribution.

Recipients, also referred to as "users", are encouraged but not required to make one or more recordings with the device before passing it along to another person. Each unit has a prominent "new user" button or similar function that allows the notation of time and location of each hand-off. When the device is activated, users (including the initial recipients) are prompted to select from three subject areas or themes.

Once a subject area has been selected, the user is able to browse existing recordings under that particular subject area. Browsable recordings include all content generated by all devices in the system, not just recordings produced by that particular device. With the exception of the initial recipient of each device, users are required to select an existing recording from the system before making a new recording. This requirement exists to facilitate connections between all recordings under a given subject. Moreover, it is designed to facilitate connections between users in the system and encourage contextualized content and a collection of thoughts and ideas that are expressed in response to the ideas, recordings, and statements of other users regardless of their location and background.

Users are free to make recordings in a variety of ways; devices are equipped with suction cups and a freestanding mechanism for mounts and a pivoting lens for a wide range of orientations and perspectives. The recipient may choose to wear the device, mount it on their car, bring it to work, leave it at home, point it out the window, and so on. While in operation, each device captures low resolution video and low-mid quality audio along with GPS data. Data is either stored temporarily via Flash card memory before being transmitted to a central web server in an opportunistic manner via Bluetooth technology or utilizes a self-contained wireless modem that uploads data on a frequent or constant basis.

Access to Infrastructure and Cultural Response

After considering the relevance and impact of imposed time limits on individual device possessions and the overall duration of the experiment, it was determined that an open-ended approach to both would provide a more substantive examination of behaviors and interactions. With an unlimited time frame and data published on an ongoing basis, consideration was given to the effect of imprinting a web site address on the device itself to encourage users to access the site to see the current output of the experiment. Will a user's ability to view her possession through site visualization on a global stage and in the context of a small number of globally distributed devices prompt users to be a more active participant in the experiment? Will it influence their decision about handing off the device to others (whether to do it or not, how much distance to insert between users)?

And perhaps more significant, what of the inability for users to access this level of information? Many users located in remote and developing countries will have no such access and will likely interact with the device in a very different manner based on a different lifestyle, set of priorities, and interests than that of "typical" users in developed countries.

Because users can access the vast majority of content with only the device, the core browsing and recording experience does not provide the means to record the user's ability to access technological infrastructures like the Internet. It is for this reason that an additional level of interaction and user requirement is proposed, though it is important that it not be a requirement to publish the user's recording as it would dramatically limit the global breadth of ideas and expressions based on access to technological infrastructure. One possibility is to present a code at the end of a user session that the user would be required to enter via the engraved web site address. There would need to be a strong incentive for the user to follow through with this activity. One idea is to provide users a full view of their recorded material in the context of other recordings, which could be combined with an appeal that the code be entered by the user to complete the experiment.

Whichever solution proves most effective, it remains critical to the experiment to document the access to technology infrastructure on a individual user basis. This data can then be analysed to assess general trends in access from region to region and to study potential relationships between the editorial content is select subject areas (i.e., division of wealth, role of technology) and user's particular geography and infrastructure access.

The Secondary Publication

While the devices provide the sole means of generating content and expressing ideas for this new book, the need for a secondary publication outlet exists. The need for this secondary outlet stems from both an interest in opening up the content, ideas, and shared cultural expressions and experiences to a wider audience and if deployed properly, can serve to feed the system's database to address the access to infrastructure aspects of the experiment.

At the start of the experiment, all devices exist at one location prior to being shipped to the 25 initial destinations. At this point, the core content of the online publication consists of a set of navigable interactive maps with blinking indicators or "points" piled up at a single location. Because no users have interacted with the devices at this stage, the points do not serve as links to any content.

Once the devices are shipped to the initial destinations, the opportunity for each device to transmit the first user interaction begins. Within a few days of receipt, we would expect some but not all recipients to begin interacting with the devices. As described, users begin by pressing the "new user" button, which maps the geographic location for each of the activated devices and aligns those coordinates with a unique user ID and the content recorded by that user. At this stage, we have the first set of connecting lines between points to display on the online publication. As audio and video footage is captured and uploaded to the central web server, the material becomes available for public browsing via the points, which now serve as links to rich media content. The interface and set of interactions available for users of the online publication following point selection will be explored and described later.

Other Considerations

How can central topics or themes be defined to narrow the focus of the exchange and resulting content and to (1) be applicable to the widest range of cultural situations, and (2) connect directly to the experiment's developing theme of documenting the digital divide? Consider looking to existing global exchanges like 1 Giant Leap.

Is there a way to supplement the device interaction with online interaction in a way that is not mandated, but provides additional information about the user's situation and/or provides additional content for the publication that is directly applicable to the theme of the experiment? What about allowing users to add written commentary to their captured footage? The ability to edit their own footage or highlight certain aspects of the footage through visual notation?

©2002 ekaratzas - all rights reserved