A programme about the Y2K bug, and how to survive it, hosted
by Tim Druckrey (media theorist and historian of technology,
USA)
The field of electronic media has been cast as sphere
of managed interactions and programmable subjectivities.
Expectations of flawless computational performances are
met by acknowledgement of imperfection, failure and error.
This interpretation of the digital media is not about technophobia
but about extending the ideology of functional technology
into destabilised, ruptured and absurd systems more laughable
than logical. Discussing the millenium problem (Y2K bug),
this panel will be about interference and absurdity, wit
and creativity. It will look at failure and accident as
signifiers of folly, indiscretion and possibility.
Two
digits ignored by programmers and hardware designers have
posed more than a dilemma to a culture subservient to computers
and their infallible memory for numbers. Rather than include
19 before the year in the 20th century, computational dates
were indicated only by the last 2 digits. And now, 14 months
before the millennial clock ticks to a new century, the
"time bomb" looms ahead as what Paul Virilio calls "the
integral accident." "Y2K, probably the most ominous logo,
the most threatening symbol to human life, since E=MC2."
(Alistair Cooke)
Why 2K? - an evening about the millenium
bug, and how to survive it. Computer experts, accident pilots,
political advisors and creative technologists present, discuss
and question the phenomenon that is testing the controllability
of digital technologies, fuelling apocalyptic fears, conspiracy
theories, survivalism and the hope for creativity in the
face of failure.
Participants:
Daniel Ockeloen
(NL), IT-expert at the Dutch VPRO broadcasting service,
explained some technical aspects of the problem and questioned
the way it was being discussed.
Michel Knops (NL) had
struggled with the bug in practice. His company, Berenschot
Informatica, did several pilot projects for the Dutch Millennium
Platform.
Hans Nijman (NL) was the Head of Information
Policy and Y2K project manager for the City Government of
Rotterdam. He was particularly concerned about the dangers
lurking in the Rotterdam harbour and the industry surrounding
the city.
Simon Davies (UK), technology critic and
privacy advocate, Visiting Fellow in the Computer Security
Research Centre of the London School of Economics, was writing
a book about political strategies of tackling and denying
the Y2K problem.
Perry Hoberman (US), media artist
who builds interactive installations that make use of the
unpredictabilities of human behaviour and technology.
The
evening was hosted by Timothy Druckrey (US), curator and
media-theorist.
With creative interventions and disruptions
from the Institute of Affordable Lunacy - IBW (NL).
