Circuits Ablaze^*

Abstract

Foreword

Introduction: Beholding the Digital Ephemeral

• Topic, Objective and Methodology of This Master Thesis
• The Historic Developments and Achievements in the Years 1987 - 1989
• Limitations by Choice
• Limitations by Necessity
• Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Prior Academic Research

Chapter 1. Demos as Cultural Heritage

• Introduction
• 1.1 Demos as Cultural Heritage
• 1.2 Demos as Part of Computer History
• 1.3 "The Desire to Do the Impossible": Demos As Digital Folklore
• 1.4 Online Collections of Demo Art
• 1.5 What Are Limitations?
• 1.6 Demo Art Online Collections and Archives
• 1.7 Conclusion: Demos as a Means of Artistic Expression Fueled by Popular Culture

Chapter 2. A Hitchhiker's Guide to The Exceptions

• Introduction
• 2.1 Who Are the Exceptions?
• 2.2 The Origins of Tex on the Commodore 64
• 2.3 The Atari ST and the Amiga Demoscenes
• 2.4 Conclusion: Limitations of Early Home Computers

Chapter 3. Birth of the ST Demoscene in 1987

• Introduction
• 3.1 Contest of Champions: Analysis of the Demos
• 3.2 README.PRG
• 3.3 Little Sound Demo (LSD)
• 3.4 Little Color Demo (LCD)
• 3.5 Super-Neo-Demo-Show
• 3.6 Backlash Cracktro
• 3.7 Conclusion: The Achievements in 1987

Chapter 4. Breaking the Limits in 1988

• Introduction
• 4.1 B.I.G. Demo
• 4.2 Amiga Demo
• 4.3 Mainstream Exposure
• 4.4 Conclusion: The Time of Breakthroughs

Chapter 5. Demo Coders Unite in 1989

• Introduction
• 5.1 Union Demo
• 5.2 Inspiring Collective Creativity
• 5.3 Conclusion: Limitations Fueling Creation
• 5.4 Computing Since the Days of The Exceptions

Chapter 6. Pushing the Limits Using Constraints

• Introduction
• 6.1 Breaking Limitations as the First Motivating Factor
• 6.2 Reading the Absence
• 6.3 Subculture as the Second Motivating Factor
• 6.4 Putting the Conclusion to the Test: Examining Limitations in an Art Historical Context
• 6.5 Discussing Limitations
• 6.6 The Demoscene's Refusal to Accept Limits

Appendix I: Conservation and Preservation of Demos

• Introduction
• A1.1. Running the Demos on Original Hardware
• A1.2 The Perniciousness of Salvaging Fickle Files from Obsolete Media
• A1.3 Cathode Ray Tubes in the Age of Liquid Crystals
• A1.4 Modified Original Hardware
• A1.5 Pretending to Be Worse than They Are: Emulating Obsolete Systems on Modern Computers
• A1.6 FPGA: Dedicated Field Programmable Gate Arrays
• A1.7 Demo Recreations Using Modern Technologies
• A1.8 Saved from Failing Media, but Not from Obscurity

Appendix II: Concepts for a Demo Archive

• Introduction
• A2.1 The Necessity of Conserving New Media Art in General
• A2.2 The Quest for the Preservation of Digital Art
• A2.3 Objectives of a Demo Archive
• A2.4 Achieving Critical Mass Through a Collaborative Effort
• A2.5 A New Demo Archive?
• A2.6 Technical Solutions for Implementing a Demo Archive

Bibliography

Collections

^[*] The original thesis handed in for the master's program was titled "Shattering the Limits" available here as a PDF in the university's online library.
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