Structure: - A solid foundation from which the idea could spread from.
Introduction-
This document explains the structure behind the process of this-covery. An exchange of technologies, from the written word to the MP4. A letter was sent, a handwritten letter to max 50 people. The letter contained instructions and a memory of a place. The instructions were to read the memory aloud and record the reading on a phone and email the recording. The following structure illustrates the foundations of thiscovery’s process.
Sorting people:
1. Ask the person for addresses 2. Ask for their addresses
The Letter
- Key to anyone replying. The balance of asking for something and getting something and telling to do something. - The importance of the right word in the right place. - What did I want people to know? How much information do I give? How much do people want to know? How much do they need to know? - The need for it to be handwritten. The reader/receiver engages with the text in a different way when it is handwritten. But the problem of bad handwriting. Comprehension, incomprehensible.
A Path of Communication
A letter is not enough, what is needed is email and an interface for the future videos. - The creation of an email account marked the first solid (but formless) part of the process. Now there was something out there, a mediator between the future receiver and I. A blog. Connecting the idea of writing, of control, of power. Is the power taken with the introduction of a blog? - Fluidity of writing. - Another solid grounding for the process. A guy rope, holding down the aims of the process. - A blog posed more difficulties than first imagined; although anyone can write, they cannot write without an account. There is always a way in which people are drawn in, caught in the web of the web.
Collecting Addresses Collecting People
- Went through list of contacts in my email, so many people it couldn’t be sent to, that I had no contact with or didn’t really know. Why were they there?
Requesting Addresses
- There was no certainty in this process. It all relies on other people, something I try to avoid. A solitary. - Every email sent was written individually for that person. - The home address is a private thing. You would avoid calling a home number, mobile is always better. There is still something formal attached to the home. In part it makes no sense to contact someone through a letter sent to their address. But the letter sent was not for contact but more of an interaction. Not for communication but to enforce a request. - Asking for an address you cannot judge how someone will react. It could be prying, an invasion, inappropriate. Now I know where you live.
A forced Interaction
Sometimes you do need people. People are always there but cannot always be seen. Look down, you’re probably sitting on them.
End of Phase 1:
- The first surprise was people giving me their addresses. I hadn’t anticipated that there would be so many replies and people that I’m not close would give up their addresses with such ease. - Now let’s see what becomes of this process. There is always the possibility that this is where it will end.
Miscommunication= this-covery