In an age of reproduction, most people are familiar with the idea of ‘the completed story’. People buy stories. They buy books or watch a film. They all have fixed beginnings, middles and endings. Before the age of print however, stories were much more fluid. They largely existed in an environment of oral folklore where the story changed as often as the story was told and retold. With this piece, I am exploring the openness of a legend and how it can be applied to stories within our new technologies.
– Jem
participation 
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August 13, 2007 at 7:04 pm
about your project (by jem) « participation
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September 10, 2007 at 11:53 am
sarah
Hi Jem,
I just looked up swarmtv to have a look at your work – I don’t think there’s a link to it from the blog though? I think the subject you’re exploring is really interesting, and thought The Legend of King Arthur was a great story to start with. Its strange and exciting to be asked to contribute to a site in the way that yours offers, but I think thats just because its easy to be very passive looking at websites. I also really like the film, and the way it can evolve. I’m quite hesitant to start using the editing tools on the site though, because I feel like I don’t want to ‘mess up’ your work. I’m very tempted to explore what I can do with the site anyway. I wonder though if the hesitation from potential participants is going to be a problem to any of us and our work, and what we need to do to overcome it.
I also wondered who you hope/think will use the site? People who know your work? I’m interested to know what you will have in the exhibition? I don’t know how I could have missed your Open Research presentation, but I think I must have. Are you intending to include a link to your site from the blog? And are you intending for site to have received a certain level of input before the exhibition?
October 18, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Jem Mackay
Hi Sarah,
All very good questions. I think that I need to generate the motivation for people to participate, which is why I’m planning on staying at the exhibition the whole time. I know a few friends who may well pitch in, but I think the key is really how I lay out the website itself (which I haven’t done yet) – I keep meaning to, but you know how these things get sidelined I’m sure. Anyway, I’ve just come back from a trip to London and so I’m now on the case.
My presentation was the last one (10th October). Maybe I should put in the link: http://www.swarmtv.org