Hi all,
I want to post this thread to share my thoughts and research on this workspace. Since it’s a rather quirky game proposal, it should be fun to have a conversation about it!
Here’s my original proposal
Additionally, I want to share a sentence that has been haunting me for a couple of days:
Same, art is not for expression, and protocols are not for communication. Only with this fundamental understanding can we begin to explore what constitutes communication that isn’t communicative, expression that isn’t expressive, and what uncommunicables really is.
Maybe I am wrong! But I hope I can be wrong in a fun way.
I hope I could set this as the origin of coordinates to start this project.
Hi everyone. Although it has been quite quiet here, I have been conducting research at my own ‘strange’ pace for the past few weeks because my thoughts tend to diverge significantly. I often delve into many seemingly unrelated topics. I can sense their connections, but it’s hard for me to explain my intentions and objectives until I find precise content.
However, I think there might have been a breakthrough in my thoughts on the definition of Protocol recently. I must first thank Nadia for her records in the ‘Working notes for Summer of Protocols.’ I strongly agree with the statement that ‘- We don’t want to broaden the definition of protocols so much that it becomes meaningless, which is a real danger when evaluating protocols in a non-purely-technical sense.’ A more precise entry point helps me understand the now completely generalized concept of Protocol. I also read about Protocol’s definition from Toby, Rafa, and Dorian. Thank you all for the great help before I got lost.
I have discovered a crucial word for understanding the concept of Protocol: Objectivity. To me, writing the protocol is a process of finding or building objectivity. I plan to use icons for illustration, although there are few words, but I hope it will make it clearer.
I also want to share some of the paths I’ve taken to think about the Pill, and some recent articles that have been important to me. They might also sound interesting:
‘How Forests Think: Toward an Anthropology Beyond the Human’ by Eduardo Kohn.
I attended a board game convention and played over 20 non-verbal games that rely solely on physical perception.
I’m also moved by Tom’s view that, compared to certainty and safety, how much capacity and courage to embrace the complexity and creativity that chaos brings. I discussed the concept of Hardness with another participant, Cecilia. ‘When thinking about what is hardness, all that is soft and changeable shattered me.’ That’s the sentence keep hovering in my head.
it’s also been really important to me that while thinking and working with protocols, we need to keep in mind to think and work with the history and current practice with the technology, and if that means more specifically the development of network technologies with how the use of the word “protocol” increases. i agree with the danger in stretching the discussion to every possible corner that could probably dilute for our purposes today or perhaps shaping unwanted power with the shift to discussions of protocols in mere rhetorics?
and it’s also interesting to see “objectivity” as the starting word here… it almost reminds me of how objectivity is knowingly considered as the goal/effect/method for documentary or journalism, which is under some broadly public consensus. however, at the same time, we surely know that it is not all that simple… (if bringing back the performativity from today’s PILL meeting discussion) there’s almost a seemingly objectiveness in the performance of protocols. then it’s interesting to me how the step such as “manipulation” is here after the “perceivable”… especially given that if thinking in technical/technological terms, not leaving out what could be cultural or potlical etc…, it’s probably hard to be purely objective? maybe it is the exact paradox to be dealt with…
Have been thinking after today’s PILL group discussion about how this project has some extremely “punk” elements (referencing the use of the term in today’s discussion) with the idea of making space for the disorder of things like crying babies and pigeon waste. Those seem like vivid types of imagery which would be easy & attention-getting to share. I’d be curious to hear if your notions about how that imagery will be used have changed as the project has evolved; it would be neat if that sense of chaos continues through to the project’s final output!
Yes, shaping, opening the space for conversation and talking about the navigation is quite important. I think that is also the reason why we would like to put our efforts in building the concept.
And about the “objectivity”, now I feel I need to emphasis more on the verb I choosed. ‘building’ also contains what you mentioned about the paradox. But it is not totally ironical. Cause to make sense of the world is the way we protect the meaning of our life. I do think that’s the reason why I should deal with the method cautiously.
Actually, when I initially chose these intentions, I knew they meant two levels, just as you said. On the surface, they are very suitable for attracting attention and spreading the concept of Protocol. But at the same time, ‘absurdity’ itself deals with the boundary between rationality and irrationality. I spent a lot of time thinking and searching for how to embrace the complexity as a whole in a way that seems to establish objectivity. ‘Objectivity,’ I understand, is the major psychological need of the technical world for Protocol, I’m not sure if this summary is accurate. In terms of understanding the whole of complexity, I agree with today’s lecture by Qiufan on the recognition of the ‘other.’ the way of using these imaginaries, according to my understanding, as language essentially being a construction of internal thought, ‘gazing’ itself implies integration and symbiosis, and external rationalization is also a process of constructing internal cognition, etc, don’t know if this can convey my thoughts on the project. Thank you very much for your comments, and of course, I will make every effort to ensure that the sense of chaos is continues through to the final output of the project!
