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One the ongoing and persistent problems with the presentation of
histories is that must always be written from a limited perspective which favors
the fantasies and bias of the writer and the values they write from. This is
unlikely to change, but the Internet offers a new challenge and opportunity,
that of the un-fixed and evolving text. Unlike its offline counterparts that are
etched into dead trees and expensive typesettings, the Net Texts offer the
chance for any netizen to contribute by way of addition, or any political body
to request or fight for alterations by way of consensus and other appeals.
Generally this is done by the request for link exchange, though text and
graphics may also be directly added to web, ftp and gopher sites.
Earlier in 1996 we published on the Web an educational center for the ASD
conference XIII in Berkeley and since then several new historic cyber-dream
items were revived, such as John Herbert's research on comparing face-to-face vs
computer mediated dream groups and the beginnings of alt.dreams.
What I would like to propose is a continuation of this cyber-history
compilation. I've already sent in a request to have this project mentioned in
the next ASD program in Asheville next year and will be doing a two part column
on this in the ASD Newsletter. If anyone that is going to the conference is
discussing dreams and cyberspace, the site will make a nice background support.
If you are interested, begin thinking about what you might want to
contribute. My own focus will be on dream sharing, which I see as including such
wide categories as dream inspired art galleries and dream statistical analysis
programs as well as more traditional forms. But there is also places for dreams
and science, dreams and anthropology, dreams and literature, journaling online,
dream talk and discussions, dream education and extraordinary and alternative
dreaming
"Last year's" exhibit is still up at :
http://www.dreamgate.com/asd-13/2lb16.htm
And the new site will be more distributed between those interested and having
available servers, but my link in spot will be www.dreamgate.com/dream/history
Drop me a line if you are interested in participating in this collective
history project.
Richard Wilkerson,
rcwilk@dreamgate.com
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