About / Networked Terrorism

Text and Writings

Digital Information in the Age of Networked Terrorism or:
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Leftovers

CRUFT
/kruhft/

1. An unpleasant substance. The dust that gathers under your bed is cruft.
2. The results of shoddy construction.
3. from `hand cruft', pun on `hand craft'
4. Excess; superfluous junk; used esp. of redundant or superseded code.

In the age of networked terrorism
when our electronic communications are routinely monitored
when our right to alternative opinions is routinely questioned
when our right to privacy is routinely at risk

I choose to make art
not with my hands
not with traditional materials

I choose to use the tools of the age
writing automated scripts that harvest information from the Internet
processing 0's and 1's into hexadecimal colors to create a new image
calling these digital leftovers 'Cruft'

In the age of networked terrorism
where my reality does not match the reality of our elected officials
where lies become true when they are endlessly repeated
where elections are fixed
where CIA operatives are outed
where foreign nationals are tortured

In the age of networked terrorism
where criminal acts are business as usual

In the age of networked terrorism
where fear is created
where pandering to the masses is rewarded

I choose to ask
who controls the images?
who is allowed to speak?
who is silenced?
who worships the most?
who salutes the longest?
whose truth is your truth?

--
Robert Spahr
August 24, 2005
New York City