NewMediaArtAndDesign

Lecture Series: Do You Believe in Users?

Do You Believe in Users? This question, asked in the legendary 1985 movie Tron, nowadays would have to be asked with a smile, as a nostalgic remark about the days when “apps” in neon costumes competed with each other and their users in racing games — but instead it is gaining earnest relevance.

The series is organized in cooperation with the Stadtbibliothek, Stuttgart. Lectures will take place at Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz (Max Benze Forum), beginning 19:30.

Do You Believe in Users? This question, asked in the legendary 1985 movie Tron, nowadays would have to be asked with a smile, as a nostalgic remark about the days when “apps” in neon costumes competed with each other and their users in racing games — but instead it is gaining earnest relevance.
Three years ago in the introduction to the Digital Folklore Reader we asked “Do you believe in Users?” to emphasize that the personal computer must be regarded as a medium with a cultural history shaped more by its users and less by its inventors. In this lecture series we raise the question again, for the sole purpose of reminding that computer users do actually still exist, along with their right to understand how their computers, big and small, work. This is essential in times when interaction processes got way too smooth, pleasant and invisible, when designers and developers don’t even talk about interfaces, but about emotions people (not users) should feel by experiencing (not using) their products.
We’ve invited five speakers, whose academic, artistic, curatorial and archival work make personal computer and its user visible again.

Wednesday, 31.10.

“The Power of User Error” Christina Xu, co-founder of Awesome Foundation and ROFLcon (Boston)

Wednesday, 14.11.

“Hackers and Suckers: Understanding the 8-bit Underground” Anders Carlsson (goto80), musician (Göteborg)

Tuesday, 04.12.

“Where are the Files” Jason Scott, archivist and computer technology historian (New York)

Tuesday, 04.12.

“Useless Things”, Niklas Roy, artist (Berlin)