Date: 13 Oct 92 01:15:59 From: The Dark Adept Subject: File 3--The Essence of Programming The Essence of Programming by The Dark Adept What exactly is a computer program? Why do people wish to copyright it? Why do people wish to patent its effects? Why do programmers enjoy programming? A lot of these questions cannot be answered in a straightforward manner. Most people would give you a different answer for each, but there is an indirect answer: the essence of programming. In a recent CuD issue a question was raised about Cyberspace being a culture. I am no sociologist, but it is apparent to me that every culture has some form of artistic expression. Cyberspace is no different. Beneath every piece of E-mail, beneath every USENET post, beneath every word typed into a word processor is an underlying piece of art hidden from the user's eyes: the computer program. "A computer program is art? Is this guy nuts?" Well, yes and no in that order ;) Art has many different definitions, but a few things are apparent about true art. True art is an extension of the artist. It is his view of the world around him. It contributes to his world, not only aesthetically, but by influencing people. This is true whether the art form is music, sculpture, photography, dance, etc. True art is also created. It fulfills the artist's need to create. It is no less his creation and part of him than his own child. The source code for a computer program is art pure and simple. Whether it is written by one programmer or many. Each programmer takes his view of the world the art will exist in (the core memory of the computer and the other programs around it), and shapes the program according to that view. No two programmers program exactly alike just as no two authors will use the same exact sentence to describe the same thing. And the computer program will influence people. Aesthetic value may come from either video games, fractal generators, or even a hot new GUI (graphical user interface -- like MS-Windows(tm)). But it does more than this. It changes how people work, how people think. The typist of the 1920's most certainly would look upon his work much differently than the word processing secretary of the 1990's would look upon his. No longer is the concern restricted to "should I single- or double-space," but also to "what font should I use? What size?" Furthermore a computer program is interactive art. Once the program is written and executed, people interact with it. Other machines interact with it. Other programs interact with it. In fact, it is not only interactive art, but *living* art. It reaches its fullest not when looked at and appreciated, but put to use and appreciated. It is not created to sit in the corner and be enjoyed, but also to be interacted with and brought to life. And just as the literary world had artists whose influence upon society was negative instead of positive, their works are also art. Hitler, Manson, Machiavelli, etc. all wrote great works whose influence tore apart society and crippled it. However, even though their work caused evil, it is nonetheless a form of art. _Mein Kampf_ caused more deaths in this world than almost any other publication. For one piece of printed text to have this great of an effect on society, the soul of the writer must be within those words. In another vein, think of the Bible. Wars have been fought over it, miracles have happened because of it, people have laughed and cried over it. The reason is that the soul of the reader is stirred by the authors' souls who are in the work itself. In any case, even thought _Mein Kampf_ caused much evil, no one can deny that it was a powerful work full of Hitler's soul, and deserves study and thought. The negative art of the programming world would most certainly be viruses and worms. Whether the author follows from Hitler and is bent on the destruction of all unlike him, or is more of a scientist trying to create life that is autonomous from the creator and it gets out of hand like Dr. Frankenstein's, they are still great works. The miniscule amount of "words" in a virus program can cause a greater effect on people than the millions of "words" used to create DOS. There is an elegant evil to them like there is to Machiavelli's _The Prince_ which deserves study and thought. To ban viruses, to ban worms is to ban the free expression and the free thought of the artist. Yes, they should be stopped, but so should the genocide proscribed in _Mein Kampf_. However, neither the writing of _Mein Kampf_ nor the writing of viruses should be disallowed and neither should their reading be restricted since if nothing else both serve as a warning of what could happen if a brilliant madman bent on killing and destruction is given an opportunity to fulfill those psychotic fantasies. For those programmers out there who have dabbled in Object Oriented Programming (OOP), this relationship between art and programming should be even clearer. In OOP, each part of the program is an actor ("who struts and frets" -- thanks, Bill) whose dialogue with the other actors (objects) creates the play. Each object has his own personality and capabilities, and, sadly enough, tragic flaws as well. Now as for copyrighting and patenting and other such topics, I give you this to think about. Who is the truer author of a great work: Jackie Collins or Edgar Allen Poe? Why would each copyright? One would copyright to protect their income, the other to protect their child borne of their artistic expression. Computer programs should be allowed protection in various forms, but to protect the inspiration and expression within and not the dollar value generated by them. To do so cheapens them and turns them into nothing more than trash romance novels. Both may serve their purpose and be useful, but only one is a great work -- the intent of the author comes from his soul as well as his work, and only those of the purest origins will be great while the others may only be useful. Like many artists, the programmer pours his blood and sweat, his heart and soul into his work. It is his child, a creation from his brow and hand, and he loves it as such. The essence of programming is the essence of the artist within the programmer. To cheapen it by calling it a "product" is like calling the "Mona Lisa" a product. Sure a price value can be placed on the Mona Lisa, but the value stems from the affect that Leo's paint has upon the observer, and not a sum cost of materials and labor so that a profit of an acceptable margin is met and maintained. Those who aren't programmers may not understand what I am talking about, and there are programmers out there who may not understand what I am talking about. However a select few may understand what I am saying, and they are the true programmers and the true artists of Cyberspace. Within them is the essence of the programmer and within their source code is the essence of programming: their souls. ------------------------------ Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253