|<--------- Breite: 72 Zeichen - fixed font: Courier New, 10 --------->| Matze Schmidt ASCII flyers are red Flyers received by email, not on paper during a night out, belong in a particular category, a category all of their own. But this doesn't mean that they are merely self-reflexive, or accessories for techno geeks on account of their allegedly digital character. They are only digital because they are created using digital processing. What they are is their social context. In other words, their specific field of action is not the official catalog or the objective anthology. Their museum is their mailbox. But "what remains" is not what they are. This temporal conflict, which applies to all objects of theoretical contemplation (i.e. that looking at them creates a blind spot at the precise moment of this contemplation), distances flyers in general from that which, to vulgarly quote Freud and Marx, could be termed the anally fixated accumulation of assets. Non-paper flyers are faster, more versatile, more adaptable, more ephemeral than museum archives. Flyers can be collected, but in the case of email flyers it is about a mix of distribution and access. ASCII flyers are like open source (OS), apart from any costs incurred. This means that when they appear on an email client, they are complete, as every one of their characters is taken directly from the QWERTY (or whatever) repertoire with no diversions via complex remix filters, and they can be addressed discreetly, can be exchanged, meaning that the entire text can be rewritten, because its code is disclosed – "real" email flyers, then, are ASCII/pure text emails. This is not the case for the kind of email flyers that are sent as attachments consisting of a fixed GIF or PNG whose elements are not individually accessible; in these cases, a remix never has access to the basic components. ASCII is structural. Their OS-like status is also their aura, their halo. This is illustrated by the ASCII graffiti typography of cracker NFOs (info files). You can just about read it, but it is supposed to be cryptic. Their fluidity, a property they share with all digital goods, and their endless, virtually cost-free copyability make them a utopian residue in the gray area between writing and speaking. Texts that are images, and vice versa, are hybrid, like the typical two-headed front-door keys in Berlin, or at least that is what the latest media theory teaches us. But it seems that email flyers are content to be classified as "mail art", "ASCII art" and the "rebellion of characters", and this contentment is the problem. The problem of their economy of coziness. | But if their classification – their division into sectors, their cut-up, their speed – were to come from within, then we would have reached and reproduced the standard of bourgeois art categorization, with all its sub-phenomena like difference, distinction, branding, etc.: art is that which refers to itself and which is devoted to nothing but its appearance, but which nevertheless includes "everything else". That is the original "l'art pour l'art", linked to society but defining the autonomy of art in the 19th century. Meanwhile, experienced ASCII masters like Markus Gebhard preach that all content can be see through ("dia") something and graphically ("gram"), and that it is a fun craft to enlarge the possibilities of text by means of a tool. Gebhart is the author of JavE (Java ASCII Versatile Editor), a freeware ASCII graphics editor based on Sun's Java Runtime Environment: _____________________________________ ,' create ASCII art ! `. / draw sketches for e-mails ! \ | comment source code of programs ! | | diagrams for visually handicaped people ! | \ ... ! / `._______ ____________________________,' /,' O /' /|- /| (from http://www.jave.de) This media craftsmanship deprives the aura of something that was so crucial to punk in the late-70s, i.e. using and abusing operating instructions for something the gentleman artists of imperial China couldn't call a hobby (because it was all they were doing) and which is precisely not the mark of true dilettantism. Characters acting at odds with their original function of forming textual syntax, being spread across the surface in such a way that they form structures, sounds like someone using something against something. This is known as resistance. "The most beautiful flyers are the ones made by programs." The cleverest people are those who let machines do the work for them. --------------------snip-------------------- ASCII flyer = txt-flyer. The America Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) produces a fixed-pitch font where the individual text elements, the characters, do not appear in proportion to their neighbors in the line of text. Using such a font, the length of line can be accurately calculated, as each character occupies the same amount of space in absolute terms (uniform character width), which is important in order to be able to create coherent graphical figures that would fall apart immediately if converted into other fonts, which can in turn lead to surprising results, such as the famous Picasso experiment with broken-off noses, etc. "It is a coding scheme which assigns numeric values to letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and other certain characters such as control codes. By standardizing the values for these characters, ASCII enables computers and computer programs to exchange information. ASCII is the basic coding system which computers use to communicate with one another." ASCII texts are compact, i.e. they take up little memory space, and they are platform-independent. All operating systems provide editors to read and write ASCII texts. As such, ASCII is ubiquitous, but not universal, because these non-graphical graphics are unable to recreate all designs. Taken together, the limits of the 128 characters of the ASCII table and the desire to make images constitute the technical/media program of ASCII flyers. What with a typewriter was only possible with complex planning of the distribution of letters on the sheet of paper, i.e. by means of imagination, can be achieved with text editors, ideally Word or maybe the email program The Bat!, in handmade mode by reversible trial and error. By contrast, the asco-o mailing list (http://www.o-o.lt/asco-o), whose A community constantly produces ASCII flyers, works to a certain extent via automatic text manglers; the "unstable digest" from Florian Cramer, sent out via nettime (http://www.nettime.org), is one long flow ASCII flyers – correct me Florian if I'm wrong – because instead of the legible data per se, the information content of the flyer consists above all of what is left out! --------------------snip-------------------- This form of cultural production contains something known as a symbol, or signified/signifier, or allegory. A scientific approach is not sufficient to grasp the full effect of visual texts. But the "ungraspable" aspect of txt-flyers lies not in the transcendent code, but in the underground milieu as a technical/media context, in what is referred to in media theory as translation or transmission, in what is meant by *appropriation of technology*. Everything that needs to be communicated must be transmitted and deciphered, otherwise it would not be communicated. It lies in the nature of this production as an always incomplete apparatus of a memory of writing that triggers an instantaneous effect. At this point in this text this just had to happen: ASCII flyers are communications guerillas, of course. Or are they sport? O_ /\| /\/ \ Using the handy JavE program, symbolic repressions à la Jackson Pollock can be given form and reminiscences can be established that go against the grain of the naturalistic conservatism of the international ASCII art scene. In the case of Pollock, what is repressed is figuration, which in the case of ASCII flyers evokes the desire for abstraction that wishes to see a line in a cleverly arranged combination of , \ \ \ ` . | \. This abstraction is simple because the proximity of the meaningless characters as elements on the keyboard shapes its contours. The kick comes from a simultaneous use and misuse of characters, moving the characters out of the rigid context of a semantic framework and into a layout in 2D space. Information service is refused ... ../._,.-' . ,8. ___, __,,....._ooo,'' _.--' '-----' | `-]8[.-- '\ | ' ,oOP""'\ `b oL ,Y-' ,!!.|.!_`-._|...___,]8[. \ ; (!.P' ,. `-.. `,-' \ `OL `!!|.!O`-!!'oOo!!!!dPoo`..XXXX,\XXo O`!...`MMM _,.-'' `. `' . ,``'dOOO'-`.OOP;!,8P_XXX__....._\P' dO' ''`'!.... ..'''..._ \ .:' ,!,------..OO\,,o8P',,,''_ /`-.`.ooO8oo,,-' '`''.'' _.-'......:'' _,'! O :O-o8PP'_-,'.. `--._XX`||_.--'XP_.-'.''M_.-'X '' ` ._ ;!!.]OO_.,..___,,.-'-...... ; '_.|-\`.=.--: ..'_.-'MP X _ | `' !!!:O,,''' -' || ;!!!-. _.--'' |,-|'``' .'-._...::..=..-,.._''''' `!_,'|O`.._,-'-._oo`_.-''._\|_,'`-.. .''_ | `-. ' X.'.'``..|,..`' '''-'Y,.-'`.P! _.-'.._!. _.` ,,`-.._,..| `-._.'XXX`-+``!'' '! ..| `!/!`.dO/_,-'OPdO ``i___..._;'' .,-''`._-`-. '--__XX +: `!..' `. '`\---'_---dO':O:o,'__;.-''``.-''.:---`.-|``.---XXXX`..+++\ \ _..`-.__`._OP. +-'--' ,''`\_| /X|XX|`.X | `._++----- .---,' `Yb _.`'----.._ ,--_---.['; ]__...-'.,-...._`-. ,-' +|+`._ ,'!!\ ,-''.-,OOP--.`.``-_,..,---'']'X_,'`.-,,' ` `-. /d| \`-. _| `''J/ `YOdOO''''',,-' `..X`-./X'/=d--"`...------._b do8O. \ `` Y'.o_ /O\ `Op':8L,' X`._XX|: / ,/=,_ _ _...._/. `.Ob `YOo. // ``YO`P \X_,dPP `-b._ (PY8``_,,'-'/| ``'''-----''''`._o.`.oooodYOL| __,boo\P"' XXXX``'---'':' `/.\_ |88888'.P""\' 'Y-`.o.`.i''"]|P _,,'-'O':X`. _ Y8_ ,'. :8. / ``.."'' `. \ ( Y||88``. d| .'''o,O' `-.`-. `8o Y8o `Y88:bo.'.____|`-._____' `.`--||88 `.O| 'OO'`.' X `..`-.`8ooo_o8PP':''''";"""|""""`.._| \. | 8.`8`\o_ ]O' \ X _.-:| ````Yb. : _.. `.,' _''..|.-._._ / _88|[`O[`|Y -YO----|----,'`\ |.b `Yb_.--' \ |. `--.|.`. `,'oo888,' `' | YOL,' ----X |_ |./ ,'.'`-.._b`._``.oooooo|o`-.,'88`.8_,' ,' ,'POooo______,' '-..../8P' d8.'-`._`\.888,'.,-'`..-..' | _,,' _, '`""""",'PPPOL /8'`. ,'"""""`-.`-..-' : `._ `._,.--. ' _,,--' `"'/d| `...-' ,-' : `,''---./ ' ``. .--' ' / `''---'' ... or positioned somewhere between legible and illegible: ../._,.-' . ,8. ___, __,,....._ooo,'' _.--' '-----' | `-]8[.-- '\ | ' ,oOP""'\ `b oL ,Y-' ,!!.|.!_`-._CALL 4 E-MAIL FLYER !; (!.P' ,. `-.. `,-' \ `OL `!!|.!O`-!!'oOo!!!!dPoo`..XXXX,\XXo O`!...`MMM _,.-'' `. `' . ,``'dOOO'-`.OOP;!,8P_XXX__....._\P' dO' ''`'!.... ..'''..._ \ .:' ,!,------..OO\,,o8P',,,''_ /`-.`.ooO8oo,,-' '`''.'' _.-'......:'' _,'! O :O-o8PP'_-,'.. `--._XX`||_.--'XP_.-'.''M_.-'X '' ` ._ ;!!.]OO_.,..___,,.-'-...... ; '_.|-\`.=.--: ..'_.-'MP X _ | `' !!!:O,,''' -' || ;!!!-. _.--'' |,-|'``' .'-._...::..=..-,.._''''' `!_,'|O`.._,-'-._oo`_.-''._\|_,'`-.. .''_ | `-. ' X.'.'``..|,..`' '''-'Y,.-'`.P! _.-'.._!. _.` ,,`-.._,..| `-._.'XXX`-+``!'' '! ..| `!/!`.dO/_,-'OPdO ``i___..._;'' .,-''`._-`-. '--__XX +: `!..' `. '`\---'_---dO':O:o,'__;.-''``.-''.:---`.-|``.---XXXX`..+++\ \ _..`-.__`._OP. +-'--' ,''`\_| /X|XX|`.X | `._++----- .---,' `Yb _.`'----.._ ,--_---.['; ]__...-'.,-...._`-. ,-' +|+`._ ,'!!\ ,-''.-,OOP--.`.``-_,..,---'']'X_,'`.-,,' ` `-. /d| \`-. _| `''J/ `YOdOO''''',,-' `..X`-./X'/=d--"`...------._b do8O. \ `` Y'.o_ /O\ `Op':8L,'SEND UR POLLOCK 2:e-mailflyer@n0name.de `YOo. // ``YO`P \X_,dPP `-b._ (PY8``_,,'-'/| ``'''-----''''`._o.`.oooodYOL| __,boo\P"' XXXX``'---'':' `/.\_ |88888'.P""\' 'Y-`.o.`.i''"]|P _,,'-'O':X`. _ Y8_ ,'. :8. / ``.."'' `. \ ( Y||88``. d| .'''o,O' `-.`-. `8o Y8o `Y88:bo.'.____|`-._____' `.`--||88 `.O| 'OO'`.' X `..`-.`8ooo_o8PP':''''";"""|""""`.._| \. | 8.`8`\o_ ]O' \ X _.-:| ````Yb. : _.. `.,' _''..|.-._._ / _88|[`O[`|Y -YO----|----,'`\ |.b `Yb_.--' \ |. `--.|.`. `,'oo888,' `' | YOL,' ----X |_ |./ ,'.'`-.._b`._``.oooooo|o`-.,'88`.8_,' ,' ,'POooodeadline: 31.12.2003_ d8.'-`._`\.888,'.,-'`..-..' | _,,' _, '`""""",'PPPOL /8'`. ,'"""""`-.`-..-' : `._ `._,.--. ' _,,--' `"'/d| `...-' ,-' : `,''---./ ' ``. .--' ' / `''---'' The conflict of not wanting to be that which is expected by the collectors and "deep storage" machines, the memory media and the rumbling archives, is a technical and a capitalist conflict: writing is cheap, memory space is cheap, but this enjoyable work usually remains unpaid because it is included in the wages. This is exactly the dilemma of the free software movement: only a financial backup safeguards after-hours production. But their delivery via electronic transmission is also their future, their technical production determines their legibility and, besides their technical/media program, their style horizon. The historical restriction of the symbol-processing machine known as the computer to a table for the transfer of electrical signals from cryptic machine language into culturally legible script has a defining influence on style. But this specificity does not surpass the transform of *arrival* via electronic post that is transformed by reading into its *future*, i.e. meaning. This little DJ from a design for an email flyer for a plug-in party in Berlin, rocking his laptop, with a tilde for a cable, has to be set in Courier 10 otherwise it looks wrong: 'O' /_\ '-'~ This kind of connoisseurial, textophile details, that have their roots in control over translation and copying, is nothing other than the guarding of books by priests: text flyers have the advantage of functioning on any platform, meaning that in classical terms, they belong in the """virtual""" book, which is a metafile as long as a truly endless reel of paper. The writing machine, the combination of an editor and a writer, then uses copy&paste to make something more out of it (value added); this is something the authors and recipients of spam texts, who still read text as text and not also as texture (like wallpaper) have sadly yet to grasp. --------------------snip-------------------- Rubric: Lat. rubrica red earth, refers to the titles written in red in Medieval manuscripts and early printed works that separated the individual sections. --------------------snip-------------------- ASCII flyers are red because instead of ignoring the conflict between text, image and doing, they show it and go beyond it, maybe someday even concerning the bourgeois fear of traffic and its costs. One group called "bad fame", for example, doesn't give a damn about what writers in the graffiti scene might regressively call "fame", i.e. 'alternative cultural production', that allows itself to be aestheticized and then actually calls in the style police. That's something that flyers in the mailbox still have to learn: to relate their hygiene (style) with their output (conditions of production). in: Mike Riemel. _Flyer Soziotope. Topographie einer Mediengattung_. Berlin: Archiv der Jugendkulturen, 2005. 600 pp., Flexobrochur, 196 x 249 mm, German/English, 2.500 Illustr., 40,- €. http://www.flyersoziotope.net, redaktion@flyersoziotope.net