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INFOWAR: info as difference, war is simulation, or something very different???
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ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 98
INFOWAR. information.macht.krieg
Linz, Austria, september 07 - 12
http://www.aec.at/infowar
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Hello!
I have some questions to the list members:
1. Which underlying concepts of "information" do you have when you speak of
"info-war"? Is it "information" according to Gregory Bateson ("a difference
that makes a difference")? So if information is a doubled difference, I
would agree that "war" (whatever that is) always is about the
"hierarchisation" of differences. But this is rather abstract and
empirically blind. So maybe you mean something else.
2. If "info-war" means war as a simulated game instead of war in "material
reality", I think ars electronica is a bit late because the gulf war took
place in 1991 and we had many "real" wars since '91...
3. Is "info-war" a war ABOUT (the property of) information or a war WITH
information as strategic means (to gain something else) - or both?
4. The notion of "info-war" seems to fit pretty well into the militaristic
logic of turning away from "real" war. Whilst Baudrillard observed the
precession of simulacra and the agony of reality (the logic of "info-war" -
as I understood it - would see this tendency in a positive way), today I
observe rather the opposite: The resurrection of "real reality" - and
"simulation" as a strategy and excuse to cover reality. You turn away from
"reality" by saying it was only simulation.
5. I think the industrial music group "Throbbing Gristle" were one of the
first artists speaking of "information war". I would be interested in
linking this concept from the (industrial) 70's with the contemporary
(informational/virtual) discussion.
These questions do only reflect my interests in these topics, and I'm not
quite sure if anybody's out there who thinks in similar directions.
By the way: Is Arthur Kroker on the list? If so, I miss his statements!!!
Stefan Weber
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mag. Dr. Stefan Weber
Universitaet Salzburg
Institut fuer Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft
Rudolfskai 42 A-5020 SALZBURG
Tel. 0043 662 8044 4191
Fax 0043 662 8044 4190
http://www.sbg.ac.at/autojour/
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