Sounds like the title of a novel.
But it is an application; and a short-story.
And it is a piece of software. Version 1.0.
Of course it is in compliance with the year 2000.
Let's call it a kind of short-ware.
Not a soft-story.
It is also a piece of interactive art, an
installation, based on the existence of the
Core
of the
AART-Net.
Times are changing and they are changing us, too.
It's easy to lose track of things.
So let's call it
a kind of novellation. Truth is where the logs are kept
on the safe side.
The true story is about being a VIRT, a Very
Important Receiving Target.
To become a VIRT with Version 1.0 of
The
Color of Email,
you need a pager,
or a
handy,
a faxmachine,
or an emailaddress,
or
a computer,
preferably a notebook.
This
doesn't mean you need to own all of these,
it's
enough if you have access to a pager,
or a handy,
or a faxmachine or an emailaddress.
To become
a VIRT, you don't have to be rich, you just have to be
reachable and on target,
no extra time.
And while using Version 1.0 of
The
Color of Email , you can make anybody a VIRT.
Somebody you like, somebody you don't like.
Or somebody who doesn't like you yet.
The
Color of Email extends the scope of one's own
actions.
Make yourself a VIRT.
Imagine being at your
(boring) neighbours', having a drink and your pager is
ringing.
Ringing his loud pagerringing sound.
Sounds
like an important call, suggesting an even more
important message.
Then you are very sorry, but you
have to leave.
Your neighbours' are impressed,
maybe.
Anyway, you have been able to leave.
Because
you are a VIRT.
Because you have made yourself a
VIRT.
Make your boss a VIRT.
Imagine, you the
upstart being at a conference with your boss, talking
about the next steps of your career.
The secretary
enters, bringing in a piece of paper - from the
faxmachine - for your boss.
A few sentences on the
fax only, a few sentences asking your boss,
if he
might agree to let you go,
to let you take your
next steps somewhere else, faster.
Your boss is
impressed.
He regrets very much, but you have to
stay in his firm, sorry.
The secretary might be
impressed as well.
Anyway, you have been able to
make the next step in your career, faster.
Because
you have made your
boss fast like a VIRT.
Better not imagine, being around with someone who
likes you.
Then, while talking about the way you
still like each other,
the handy of someone who
likes you is ringing, bringing in a message.
A
digital message.
But not for someone who has a
handy and who still likes you.
This digital message
is only for you.
Reminding you that you liked
somebody else, very much.
Somebody else who had
just sent this message.
Only for you.
On
target.
Somebody who likes you regrets, very much,
but you better leave, for somebody else.
Everybody
is upset, maybe hurt.
Because somebody else made
somebody who still likes you a VIRT.
But you were
the target.
Henning
Timcke
proposed constructing a scenario
that would project
a vision of the virtuals being and named this idea
The
Color of Email.
He is the Managing
Director of Ideen Werft22 GmbH.
Andreas
Trottmann
wrote all the Perl-Scripts
and
built all the
Gateways.
He is the Assistant Director of Ideen
Werft22 GmbH.
Well,
The
Color of Email , Version 1.0
has been
produced by Ideen
Werft22 GmbH ,
the company,
that was
able
to buy the AART-Net
,
and has kept it up and running,
since 1995,
still preventing the Core of the AART-Net from
melting down.
And Ideen Werft22 GmbH keeps
working
on the next versions of
The
Color of Email ,
e.g. the VIRT dove-gateway,
a version
to fly
like an eagle.
Copyright1997- 1998 Ideen Werft22
GmbH
All Rights reserved
April 1998
Werft22 ® and the Werft22 Logo
are registered Trademarks of Ideen Werft22 GmbH,
Baden, Switzerland