Assoziations-Blaster

The Assoziations-Blaster is an interactive text network, in which the entered texts combine with each other automatically in real-time. Every internet user is called upon to contribute to the database with texts of his own. It is not possible to browse through the texts in a linear way. Instead, movement from one text to another is determined by arising connections, revealing new meanings and associations. The text database is organized according to keywords. Each text is assigned a keyword, and all the connections between texts are made using these keywords. It is also possible for users to create new keywords after given intervals. Each contribution helps to build up a non-linear map of all existing things. The database contains more than 360,000 texts, so far. The Assoziations-Blaster was awarded the first Ettlinger Internet-Literaturpreis.

Alvar Freude

lives and works in Stuttgart as a communication designer, media artist, and programmer.

Dragan Espenschied

born 1975, lives in Nordheim, worked at the Fraunhofer Institut Stuttgart (Labor für Virtuelle Realität) from 1998–2000, and has been lecturer at Merz Akademie Stuttgart since 2000.

> www.a-blast.org
> Alvar Freude
> Dragan Espenschied


	Assoziations-Blaster The Assoziations-Blaster is an interactive text network, in which the entered texts combine with each other automatically in real-time. Every internet user is called upon to contribute to the database with texts of his own. It is not possible to browse through the texts in a linear way. Instead, movement from one text to another is determined by arising connections, revealing new meanings and associations. The text database is organized according to keywords. Each text is assigned a keyword, and all the connections between texts are made using these keywords. It is also possible for users to create new keywords after given intervals. Each contribution helps to build up a non-linear map of all existing things. The database contains more than 360,000 texts, so far. The Assoziations-Blaster was awarded the first Ettlinger Internet-Literaturpreis. Alvar Freude lives and works in Stuttgart as a communication designer, media artist, and programmer. Dragan Espenschied born 1975, lives in Nordheim, worked at the Fraunhofer Institut Stuttgart (Labor für Virtuelle Realität) from 1998–2000, and has been lecturer at Merz Akademie Stuttgart since 2000. > www.a-blast.org > Alvar Freude > Dragan Espenschied