30490732
Reality versus imagination
8309392
The ethics and aesthetics of the image interface
Now that we have developed and are introducing media-rich computer human interfaces, it is important to develop a taxonomy that can help us appreciate the power and value of computer systems in order to better quantify them and assess their creative and ethical impact. To date the application of semiosis has been to natural languages and human-human communications. The author suggests that this can now be applied to artificial languages and in particular, their use in human computer interactions, imaging and visualization. The semiology of Charles Sanders Peirce can be applied to this field and may be used to assess the aesthetic (creative) and ethical implications of computer human interface (CHI), imaging and visualization technology and the way it is being developed and used.
107670826
Stepping stones in the mist
Publisher Summary This chapter provides an idiosyncratic and nonrigorous account of the author's work as an artist who has been involved in the field now known as artificial life for over 30 years. The title is a metaphor for the author's view as an artist, and individual. A long time ago the author stepped off the bank of a misty river or lake and onto a line of stepping stones. Now, many years later, the stepping stones are shrouded in the mist. Those behind him are dimmed by the mists of memory, and those in front are hidden by the mists of uncertainty. The one in front of him is quite clear, but then they quickly fade as they progress. The author has no idea what lies on the further bank, or indeed if such a shore even exists! Memories of the bank he left are now long eroded. The author only really knows where he is at this moment or, perhaps, where he has just been.
215887286
What next? A provocative look at curriculum, creativity and organization in teaching artists and designers to use computers
5310188
My gasket
5349915
Distributed Component Database Management Systems
Publisher Summary A component database management system (DBMS) is a system software framework that application developers can extend by embedding modules of programming logic in it. These extensions implement database objects such as new data types, application-level object classes, analytic algorithms, and external data-access facilities. This chapter describes how distributed object relational database management systems (ORDBMSs) are constructed and how they can be used. Distributed component DBMSs such as ORDBMSs are useful because they address requirements that are not served well by traditional distributed systems technologies. Distributed ORDBMSs constitute a powerful, innovative model for generalized distributed computing. It is a unique technology that provides a framework for managing both logic and data in an abstract data model. This review is useful because the commercial versions of distributed ORDBMSs take such a system as a starting point and because detailed descriptions of ORDBMS internals are not widely available. Instances of these single-site ORDBMSs run on each node of the overall distributed system. Furthermore, this chapter outlines the architecture of a distributed ORDBMS and describes the modifications that are necessary for a single-site ORDBMS to operate in a distributed environment.
27566577
Requirements for XML functionality in relational database management systems
The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is an evolving data format standard designed to simplify the exchange of data between disparate information systems. As Informix is in the business of information management, we need to provide mechanisms whereby our customers can take advantage of XML as it evolves. The authors present some of the XML specific features that are available in various Informix products.
31883432
Implicit Fitness Functions for Evolving a Drawing Robot
We describe an approach to artificially evolving a drawing robot using implicit fitness functions, which are designed to minimise any direct reference to the line patterns made by the robot. We employ this approach to reduce the constraints we place on the robot's autonomy and increase its utility as a test bed for synthetically investigating creativity. We demonstrate the critical role of neural network architecture in the line patterns generated by the robot.
2503385
Fix my street or else: using the internet to voice local public service concerns
UK local governments have invested heavily in ICT in recent years to improve public service delivery. Most local governments now operate contact centres and websites to exchange information and transactions with citizens. But the aspirations of central government go much further - to service "transformation" - and the expectation that citizens and communities will be actively engaged in service design and delivery. In parallel with this new political agenda, technological developments are enabling users to create their own online fora, and to generate their own content. These fora often address public service areas, such as healthcare, crime and education. This paper presents an evaluation of one of the first citizen-driven systems for local public service improvement in the UK: FixMyStreet.com (FMS). The system enables citizens to report, view or discuss local problems such as graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs or street lighting, and to track their resolution by the local government concerned. The system went live in February 2007. FMS has attracted over 3000 problem reports and updates in its first six months, and is viewed very favourably by the citizens surveyed here. But many problems reported to the site remain "unfixed" with status "unknown". Local government officers voice a number of concerns: the site duplicates their own websites; they cannot report fixes directly to ensure the information is up-to-date; nor can they manage user expectations regarding service performance. And the site has no "sense of virtual community" (SOVC) [1], with individuals posting in isolation without the support of fellow citizens to amplify their voices or to contribute to problem resolution. The paper concludes by combining the concept of SOVC, factors identified as encouraging growth in online communities, and the example of a successful London community website, BRAIN, to suggest possible future developments for FMS and for public service fora in general.
28759202
Creating histories
This panel invites four speakers to discuss the history of creativity and cognition. Phil Husbands talks about the pioneering group that played an important role in the emergence of cybernetics in the UK - The Ratio Club; Margaret Boden describes the history of creativity research in AI; Catherine Mason presents her research into the role that institutions played in the development of the computer arts in the UK and; Alan Sutcliffe describes his experiences as a co-founder of the influential Computer Arts Society.