06-06-1998 Joachim Sauter - 'Auteur van de informatieruimte' workshop.

Part of the workshop series Author in New Media. How do you let new media do what you want? In 1998 and 1999 Mediamatic organised a series of workshops in which writers, artists, theorists and designers worked together to develop the artistic, editorial and content possibilities of the Net. At the end of the 1990s, the Internet was on the rise and a 'hot topic' for discussion. However, Mediamatic thought it was time for action and organised four workshops on the Author in New Media. These workshops focused on actively exploring the practical possibilities of the Internet. The first workshop 'Author in context' looked at the importance of context. On the internet, things are kept longer, when is something finished? Does work in another context still remain useful or understandable? How does the author deal with this and can he (continue to) get his message across? Author of the information space' was the second workshop in which virtual space was central. How does our information remain findable in the infinite space provided by the internet? What does the interactivity of the internet add? In what way can the author develop genres and conventions? The third workshop 'Author of behaviour' was about consciously designing behaviour. New media 'react' when you use them. You want them to do something and if it's good, they show the desired behaviour. How do you let new media do what you want them to do? What kind of language can you develop to communicate in? From what different angles can we study this behaviour? Joint authorship' was the fourth and final workshop. This one was about the internet community. We can share our knowledge on the internet and perhaps achieve more together. What kind of social roles can such collective digital environments play? How can you all deliver an understandable and coherent product? How can you regulate and control such a digital environment? As a follow-up to this series of workshops, a series of 'Behaviour Design' workshops was organised in '99/'00.