Reading Programming Code as a Cultural Object

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Prereq: None

So much around us is driven by programs and written in code, in one or several computer languages. We use algorithms to visualize data, interpret behaviors, read trends, and drive decisions. Programs and algorithms are culturally determined objects, often observable as aesthetic works or philosophical gestures. It’s time to think more about the cultural aspects of code and what goes on “under the hood” of digital manifestations. How is code written and by whom? Under what conditions? How does code circulate? Where do the creative aspects of programming lie? What do porting code and natural language translation have in common? How do we understand the obsolescence of computer languages? Let’s talk about what it means to start reading code differently, as cultural objects and statements. Let’s raise the questions that need to be raised.

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Comparative Media Studies
Contact: Patsy Baudoin, 14S-230, 617 253-4979, patsy@mit.edu