Nicole Glassman's and Tamara Pokahanni Computerless Algorithm

Phone Experiment ( in short)

1. A person has someone else’s phone
2. Searches through contact list.
3. When a person reaches the 5^th contact, a te

xt message is send
4. Waits for a reply.

5. What is the result?

The directions:

The piece was created to take people out of their comfort zone, focusing on

three areas of the experiment. The first part was the experience of using someone else’s cell phone. This may have been difficult or confusing to do, due to people not used to using phones that are not there’s. This could have also been empowering as the participant could feel as if they have control of another person’s destiny.

The next part was the experience of watching someone else using your phone. This part of the experiment was nerve racking, as several people were hesitant to give up their phones, because they felt a loss of control.

The final part of the experiment was to reconnect with a random contact in your phone; several people were hesitant since they were unsure as to who would be selected. This raises the question: if you are afraid to send a simple text that says, “Hey, long time no talk” then why is that contact in your phone? Could the person be an ex boy/girl friend, a friend you had a falling out with, or a person you don’t even know? If so why is this person still in your phone? This could also be a chance to reconnect with the person you lost touch with. One student approached me after class and said she reconnected with an old friend and now they are texting back and forth.

Documentation