Monday, June 30, 2008

Precarious assemblages

Technology still doesn't manage its own trajectory and the quality of supposed electronic magic continues to be strained.
I am reminded of symphony in the park one summer where there was a clash of titans; a ballet played out in Auckland's domain with two bulldozers performed as two prima ballerinas.
Such is my experience today as one educational electronic data management system clashes with another electronic management system.
And in addition, one of these systems refuses to play with my mac.
The human actor clashes are nearly as dramatic.
The actors (human as well as non-human) do not want to play with one another today.
it takes a lot of work to make this network work cooperatively.
Today the fragility of such a network is more evident.
Today, my own fragility in such a network feels more immediate.

I had not been so aware previously of the human frailty when playing with technology, but i was forewarned; I just didn't understand that part of the story performed in Aramis. While Latour discussed the death of the nonhuman and yet to come into being, Aramis, the human actors too are fragile.
Norbert as the Professor performing the Aramis research personally demonstrates the precarious and social nature of assemblages.
One can only do what one can only do, no more.

Dancing diggers

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