Digital Metaphors

[Gerry Mckiernan]

To All/

  I am in the process of revising my working essay
_Morning Becomes Electric: Post-Modern Information Access,
Organization, and Navigation_ at

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/Morning.htm

and wish to use appropriate metaphors to characterize the 
nature of digital objects. I am using or considering using the 
following concepts and am interest in whether they are 
appropriate or inappropriate

      Fluid / Fluidity
      Malleable / Malleability 
      Plastic / Plasticity
      
[Ironically, I am criticizing the general tendency of treating 
digital object as physical objects, and above am using terms that 
apply to physical objects [:-)]

I want to strongly state that digital object in their digital form 
have a great potential for manipulation [another physical 
context?] and re-use.

       I am also interested in any other metaphors that other have
used or would be appropriate for characterizing The Digital.

      Liquid [?]

       As Always, Any and All contributions, queries, critiques, comments, questions, concerns, etc., etc. regarding this
post are Most Welcome.

  Regards,

/Gerry McKiernan
Theoretical Librarian
Iowa State University 
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu 

   "The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Invent It!"
                              Alan Kay 
     http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/GASCH.KAY.HTML 


BTW: I hope to finish my revision by the end of this month 
to move onto other writing projects. For those who are curious,
my revised version is taking shape at 

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/Morning3.htm

I am currently working on the 'Foundations' section and will be
addressing Streaming Media and Collaboratories later this week.