administrator Michael Allan
This is an informal survey to determine the level and nature of interest among potential users of textbender, toward a planned beta version. The survey is directed at creative writers and poets of all skill levels, and anyone who is interested in experimental, new media. Below are the premises and the question:
The good part of textbender is the medium of recombinant text.
It promises benefits for poets and writers,
from engaging in critical dialogue,
to contributing to new forms of art.
For a list of benefits, please see:
http://reluk.ca/project/textbender/d/benefits.xht
For a more general overview of recombinant text, please see:
http://reluk.ca/project/textbender/d/overview.xht
The bad part is the current implementation. Textbender is still primitive, and the medium will be a challenge for writers to work in. The beta will be almost as primitive as the alpha version shown here: http://reluk.ca/var/cache/textbender-demo/textbender/a/b/demo/instructions.xht
And the question, assuming that the planned beta were developed:
Would you be inclined to participate as a beta user?
Why? (In a word or two, what do you like or dislike about it?)
The survey was posted to the forums below. Responses are tabulated as of July 11, 2007.
One respondant ‘intrigued’, but no definite answer was given.
| Yes, interesting. Independant revision lines, vs. Wiki. AmberV | No, too early in development. mamster |
The thread presenting the survey was viewed 374 times.
| Yes.1 silvermander | No.1 Jack_Carter |
| Yes.1 teflon | No, dislikes collaborative writing. Mike C |
The thread was viewed 181 times.
No response. The thread was viewed 37 times.
| Yes, likes it, ‘at first glance’. Cynthia B. Rubin | No, too difficult to use. David Inkey |
| Yes, it is collaborative. Jeremy Hight | No, until easier to use. Joanna Howard |
The list had 258 subscribers.
The respondants were split; 5 answering ‘yes’ to beta participation, 5 answering ‘no’.2 The results indicate that some artists, at least, would be inclined to participate in the proposed beta, despite a primitive implementation.
The frequency of positive responses was higher than expected. It suggests that some artists might also be inclined to participate earlier than beta. To test this possibility, the project has now been opened to artists (and to other participants as well). For anyone who is interested, please see: http://reluk.ca/project/textbender/contributors.xht
| 1. |
These respondants answered yes or no in the click-poll, but did not post a reason. |
| 2. |
Not all of the responses were a definite ‘yes’ or ‘no’. In the tabulation of results, I interpret any strong expression of interest or disinterest as a definite answer. |