Hi all, Just copying the email I sent to Matthew a few days ago to contribute to the scholarship on this subject. "....a copy of my recent book (*High-Tech Trash: Glitch, Noise, and Aesthetic Failure <https://www.luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.83/>, *University of California Press, 2019) which addresses themes of error, accident, and failure in computational systems, albeit primarily from the perspective of aesthetics." The book can also be downloaded for free, through open access here: *High-Tech Trash: Glitch, Noise, and Aesthetic Failure <https://www.luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.83/>* Best, Carolyn L. Kane, Author of *High-Tech Trash: Glitch, Noise, and Aesthetic Failure <https://www.luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.83/>* (University of California Press, 2019) *Chromatic Algorithms: Synthetic Color, Computer Art, and Aesthetics after Code <http://www.amazon.com/Chromatic-Algorithms-Carolyn-L-Kane/dp/022600273X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387478152&sr=1-3>* (University of Chicago Press, 2014) https://www.ryerson.ca/kane/ Associate Professor, School of Professional Communication Faculty of Communication and Design Ryerson University 80 Gould Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5B 2K3 Carolyn L. Kane, Author of *High-Tech Trash: Glitch, Noise, and Aesthetic Failure <https://www.luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.83/>* (University of California Press, 2019) *Chromatic Algorithms: Synthetic Color, Computer Art, and Aesthetics after Code <http://www.amazon.com/Chromatic-Algorithms-Carolyn-L-Kane/dp/022600273X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387478152&sr=1-3>* (University of Chicago Press, 2014) https://www.ryerson.ca/kane/ Associate Professor, School of Professional Communication Faculty of Communication and Design Ryerson University 80 Gould Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5B 2K3 On Fri, Jul 3, 2020 at 1:55 PM Matthew Kirschenbaum <mkirschenbaum@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello all,
I am interested in a better understanding of the nature of computational error. My sense is that actual, literal (mathematical) mistakes in modern computers are quite rare; the notorious Pentium bug of the early 1990s is the exception that proves the rule. Most bugs are, rather, code proceeding to a perfectly correct logical outcome that just so happens to be inimical or intractable to the user and/or other dependent elements of the system. The Y2K "bug," for instance, was actually code executing in ways that were entirely internally self-consistent, however much havoc the code would wreak (or was expected to wreak).
Can anyone recommend reading that will help me formulate such thoughts with greater confidence and accuracy? Or serve as a corrective? I'd like to read something fundamental and even philosophical about, as my subject line has it, *the nature of computational error*. I'd also be interested in collecting other instances comparable to the Pentium bug--bugs that were actual flaws and mistakes hardwired at the deepest levels of a system.
Thank you-- Matt
-- Matthew Kirschenbaum Professor of English and Digital Studies Director, Graduate Certificate in Digital Studies Printer's Devil, BookLab University of Maryland mgk@umd.edu _______________________________________________ This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/ and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org