Author Archives: Christo de Klerk
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought”
… and so: “Targeted memory erasure and enhancement may be possible,” says neuroscientist Andre Fenton in response to that Guatama Siddharta quote. This lecture appears to be part of a series on The Future of Hope. This explains why the … Continue reading
the virtue of planned erasure
What if you were asked to set an expiration date for every file you saved on your computer? Imagine what would take place on that date. Your file would be automatically erased from your computer and anywhere else that it … Continue reading
erasing in mind: of wax tablets and blank slates
In the nature versus nurture debate, tabula rasa is a powerful image representing the idea of the mind as a “blank slate” open from birth to impression through learning and perception. Yet, the term is somewhat inaccurately translated and oddly … Continue reading
importing forgetfullness, staging erasure
Erasability was an important feature of the Renaissance writing tables. These little books were heralded for their functionality, portability, affordability, and by some accounts, their value for reflection upon the human condition. In “Hamlet’s Tables and the Technologies of Writing … Continue reading
deleting texts: a formal and forensic materiality
To combat the cultural expectation of the fleeting electronic text and the “illusion of immaterial behavior” that the digital environment projects, Matthew Kirschenbaum brings into focus the mechanisms that facilitate inscription and transmission in Mechanisms: New Media and the Forensic … Continue reading
linking to other media + materiality projects
A hyperlink seldom tells us where we will be physically drawing information from. The suffix in the URL string may hint at a country, but the IP address that the URL serves is a more accurate indication of the content’s … Continue reading
the object of deletion
The way of expressing deletion typically references a media device or a content platform from which the erasure is performed. The idea of a digital object comes into play mainly in a discussion about effective archiving practices and not deletion … Continue reading
Is the EU “right to be forgotten” a “right to delete”?
”Internet users must have effective control of what they put online and be able to correct, withdraw or delete it at will. What happens if you want to permanently delete your profile on a social networking site? Can this be … Continue reading
deleting photos from facebook & CDN awareness
Delete a photo on Facebook and it will persist on the social network’s content delivery network and be accessible via a direct link for as long as two and a half years, reports Ars Technica. The issue was first raised … Continue reading
undelete at your local drugstore
A drugstore chain is now in the media recovery business. Customers can bring in their USB drives, flash disks, or hard drives for recovery of deleted files. Walgreens offers the new service at more than 7,500 locations across the United … Continue reading