Errors in Things and “The Friendly Medium”

What is it about a particular media that makes it successful? Drawing a mini history from printing-press smudges to digital compression artefacts this lecture considers the value of error, chance and adaptation in contemporary media. Biological evolution unfolds through error, noise and mistake. Perhaps if we want to maximise the potential of media, of digital text and compressed file formats, we first need to determine their inherent redundancy. Or, more profoundly, to devise ways to maximise or even increase that redundancy.

This presentation was designed and delivered as part of Coventry University, Media and Communication Department’s ‘Open Media‘ lecture series. Browse the Open-Media /stream for related material.

UPDATE: The audio recording and powerpoint presentation (should) work in harmony.

Listen/watch/download here:

[audio:http://machinemachine.net/noise/open_media_Lecture_Daniel_Rourke_feb_2011.mp3|titles=Errors in Things and “The Friendly Medium”]

Browse the Open-Media /stream for related material

[scribd id=48954914 key=key-19gpngehvexs2igqlaca mode=slideshow]

Many thanks to Janneke Adema for inviting me to present this talk and for all her hard work with the series and podcast.