Thursday, 12 April 2007

Teresa FMP



Hey guys,

Spam e-mail is a growing practice (90 billion messages are sent
everyday) with which any internet user is familiar. What is not as
well known is the creative effort undertaken by hackers to bypass
anti-spam security systems. The lines below are an example:

"It is this way of it, said she. Either you will go on to speak or
set-off. I left our chambers pretty bare. If we had beds, if
Catriona, Will you not forgive me that time?"

This curious bit of text was designed to elude security software.
It was composed using the modern day equivalent of the cut-up
technique popularized by William Burroughs, by mixing bits
of separate texts (often literary works available online) to create a new one.

I propose to: 1. Actively seek out spam by creating a spam-magnet email account; 2. Select interesting examples to create a book that documents this work; 3. Create a website/mailing list to which people could subscribe to receive their monthly spoem. This would be an inversion of its original role: it would be received by people who actually requested it, and the text would be the main element of the email.
What I find interesting about this is the repositioning of something
that is discarded and is connected to a darker side of contemporary
capitalism (spam e-mail main topics are Pornography,
prescription drugs, sexual enhancement products, fake University diplomas) into a more noble context of art/poetry.


Any feedback very much appreciated!
thanks,
Teresa

7 comments:

gdcom student said...

Project has potential although I would be surprised if there is not work out there on this area already.
Please note that before I can approve you must do the following:

*Produce a simple weekly schedule, many other students have done this already, to demonstrate how you wil use your time...YOU HAVE EIGHT WEEKS REMAINING FROM NEXT MONDAY!

* Ideally this should all be design time, so you have really got very little time for research, so this should be limited.

Unfortunately you are the last project to be approved and we have seen little evidence of work so far, this may ultimately effect your final grading for this project.

Please respond so that I know you are clear with these issues.

GTS

gdcom student said...

I'm clear on those issues,
thanks

Teresa

gdcom student said...

Can I suggets that you edit your concept text on the blog...perhaps use bullet points, dsecription way too long for others to read easily.
GTS

gdcom student said...

hi,
Have tried to shorten the text, hope it is a bit more readable now.
thanks

Teresa

gdcom student said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gdcom student said...

Hey Teresa, check out German artist Henning Wagenbreth, he produced the book 'Cry for help: 36 scam emails from Africa'. There's a small article on him and spam in general in Creative Review March 2007 (pg 15) (let me know I'll scan and mail it for u if required, r.sohanpal1@chelsea.arts.ac.uk) Should help inform your project, good luck, Ravi.

Teresa said...

Thanks Ravi, will definitly look it up!
Best, Teresa