enlargement of GIF posted to dump.fm by KUM2ME (no, I'm not kidding)
Speaking of Rhizome, we're discussing Ben Davis' terrible essay about social media art over there, after it was pronounced "required reading" by the institution without any explanation of why it was so noteworthy.
Update: Never mind, the conversation is stillborn. Well, I tried.
Update 2: Another comment!
Update 3: The conversation died again.
Update 4: Rhizome staffer explains why the Davis essay was "required reading." I reply (by implication) that Rhizome has been covering social media art for at least six years and now seems awfully accepting of newbie scholarship that ignores or dismisses that history.
Update 5: Some people weighed in with interesting counterarguments to Davis' theses, plus scorn, sarcasm, posturing, neologisms, and coffee-spewing. Rhizome staffer acknowledges that the essay needed some context.
Update 6: The usual blowhards showed up late to the party to defend their vision of "net art" from 15 years ago. At least one of them is a certified nut case. Should have split; things went badly.
