[-empyre-] -empyre- in 2002- a trip down memory lane

Sun Feb 4 05:14:39 AEDT 2018

Hello empyreans, 
To all of you historians and fans of early coding I found this post that Melinda wrote in describing the technology behind this online community of –empyre-.  If you were an innovator in coding early online listserv’s, chat spaces, or blogs or perhaps a technologist coding new forms on online communities I hope you will comment. 

Melinda Rackham wrote: 
<snip>
“Empyrean was a multi-user interactive "artistic" virtual community mostly hand coded in VRML2 -  sounds crazy -  designed to play in the non-proprietary environment of VNET,  a VRML and Java based 3D Virtual World client/server system, then freely available under the GNU Public Licence. Empyrean.alpha, the initial single user web site, premiered in September 2000 at la Biennale de Montreal at the Centre International d'Art Contemporain de Montreal (CIAC)

…virtual space was far more experimental than it is today.  Construction and evolution of virtual spaces was taking the same road as every other technology .. many many small players, interesting niches, community developments, different software solutions.. Then in mid 2003 Second Life - which was sort of the money laundering Facebook of VR, appeared on the scene and almost levelled that experimentation and difference. 

Promising "Enter a world with infinite possibilities and live a life without boundaries, guided only by your imagination"  It had what the discussion has already flagged- easy access, low level of tech knowledge to use, instant fun avatars. The result however  is that imaginations got narrower.. and the resultant space is just a recreation of reality. Ben wrote a few weeks ago “We make reality, and reality remakes us. Reality makes us, and we remake reality.” The soft spaced world now seems to be a replicant of the hard bodied world, but we were idealistic think otherwise.”
<end of snip>

Melinda’s intent of hosting an open and equitable space has inspired all of –empyre’s- moderators since Melinda hosted her last discussion topic.  Back in the early days she recanted that she would invent alter egos, subscribers of her invention, that were designed to be “naïve” about the topics at hand to intentionally introduce other points of view.  Our longtime moderator Christine McPhee  posted under her own name or Nax Mash her alter ego.  As I mentioned in my last post –empyre- was never intended to be a highly theoretical space where only the voices of experts were encouraged to participate but that it be a discussion space for invention and innovation to reflect the emerging qualities of the evolution of the technology and its use for anyone interested in networked culture. 

In looking at some of Christina’s poetic posts from the archive I found one from February 1, 2010--reflecting on –empyre’s- name--
<snip> 
 I loved the image of a soft-skinned space, as if one of Ant Farm's
inflatables, escape from the cubicle or the white cube.  Melinda's
slightly nerdy use of lower caps for the name of the list - it was
never 'Empyre'-- but always  " -empyre- " with those little dashes on
either side, made the idea of 'empire' itself as absurd and as pompous
as it may be-going up in flames (pyre or gyre?).
<snip>

I see that Tim Murray also just posted.  Please feel free to join in. 
Renate

Renate Ferro
Visiting Associate Professor
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Art
Tjaden Hall 306
rferro at cornell.edu

On 2/3/18, 12:27 PM, "empyre-bounces at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au on behalf of Renate Terese Ferro" <empyre-bounces at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au on behalf of rferro at cornell.edu> wrote:

    ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
    February 3, 2018
    Hello Theresa, 
    Your comment echoes what Tim Murray, our other long -term moderator here, and I have been hearing from so many of our subscribers.  The tempo of the listserv can move exceedingly too fast.  We all can acknowledge that there are times we just don’t have the time to open and read posts carefully let alone respond to them.  The bio-artist Paul Vanouse shared with me his frustration that he had intended to respond to a fascinating post and by the time he got to writing a week had passed and he felt that his comment was not timely. Alternatively, there are other times when it moves at a snail’s pace or simply remains silent.  Over the years we have become quite comfortable with the pacing that is so inherent in a listserv which is so directly related to the ebbs and flows of those who are participating.  That is also why we often take the months of August and December completely off.  

    I want to add that the anxiety of some over responding to a post later in the week or month is not a problem.  Take a look at our archives and you will see that the discussion is organized according to SUBJECT, AUTHOR, THREAD, or DATE.  The THREAD organizational tool allows a reader now or later or organize posts and responses to posts that are delayed.  The only caveat being that we cut off all posts not related to the topic at the end of the month. All of our subscribers are encouraged to respond to posts at any time in the month just be sure subject line in the email is identical to the thread it is in response to.  

    You wrote
    I prefer Empyre as a listserve. I have gone back through previous
    discussions and looked up artists, followed threads and ideas when I
    had time. I've gone deeper; the list moves fast for me.

    I think that everyone agrees that our archive is the jewel of our online community.  
    http://lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au/pipermail/empyre/
    Since 2002 the University of New South Wales in Australia has generously hosted our history thanks to Melinda Rackham.  Tim Murray and I are also suggesting to our Editorial Board that in the coming year we archive the site at Cornell University as well within the Rose Goldsen Archive of New Media Art.  –empyre- soft-skin space reflects the emergence of technology and how artists and writers use and think through technology.  One of the things our Editorial Board will also be working on is a KEYWORDING system that searches the entire eighteen years of discussion topics and is not just monthly.  

    You mentioned FACEBOOK.  To subscribers not following us on Facebook here is the link.  While it is public you must request to actually post directly.  
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/empyrelistserv

    And on Twitter
    https://twitter.com/empyrelistserv

    Just a reminder that although  snip its of posts and photos are launched through Facebook and Twitter, the full discussion and its archive can only be accessed by becoming a subscriber through our website.  

    Thanks Teresa for responding about how slowness even works today. 
    I am about to post a bit about the nuts and bolts of Melinda’s early coding of –empyre-soft-skinned space in a few minutes. 
    Renate

    Renate Ferro
    Visiting Associate Professor
    Director of Undergraduate Studies
    Department of Art
    Tjaden Hall 306
    rferro at cornell.edu

    On 2/3/18, 11:39 AM, "empyre-bounces at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au on behalf of Theresa Ramseyer" <empyre-bounces at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au on behalf of tlr280mp at gmail.com> wrote:

        ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
        Evening,

        My computer-internet connection is still dial-up. It is unusable for
        the moment, for various reasons. My phone is now my main connection,
        but I can't get everything. Instagram, for example, is always a blank
        page. Many times I'll click on a link and get nowhere.

        I prefer Empyre as a listserve. I have gone back through previous
        discussions and looked up artists, followed threads and ideas when I
        had time. I've gone deeper; the list moves fast for me.

        It's much easier to find a post on gmail or yahoo than to dig through Facebook.

        I know Empyre has a Facebook presence, and Facebook is easy to reach
        on my phone. But besides the searching difficulties, Facebook changes
        their algorithims so often that I keep lists of my "must read" pages
        and communities. It's annoying, to say the least.

        Theresa Ramseyer
        _______________________________________________
        empyre forum
        empyre at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au
        http://empyre.library.cornell.edu

    _______________________________________________
    empyre forum
    empyre at lists.artdesign.unsw.edu.au
    http://empyre.library.cornell.edu