One Room, One Paintball gun controlled via the Web, and one Iraqi-American

Mr. Brightside · May 19, 2007

Saw this earlier today. Too cool!

http://www.networkperformancedaily.com/2007/05/interview_with_wafaa_bilal_les.html

I recently interviewed Wafaa Bilal, an Iraqi-American who teaches at the Art Institute of Chicago. He's currently part of an exhibit there called "Domestic Tension." http://wafaabilal.com/

There may be a lesson there for those who work in consolidated data centers.

Bilal moved his entire living room into the gallery and now spends 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over 30 days in an enclosed space, and his only companion is a paintball gun hooked up to a Web cam, which can be aimed and fired by people who go to a Web page.

And over the past 13 days, there have been over 6,500 shots taken at him. Some near his head - which, because he doesn't wear any protection other than goggles, can cause serious injury.

Even though shooting a man with a paintball gun over the Internet probably won't kill him, it seems to me to be more than art - but also a psychological test about the human condition. People who choose to aim and fire the gun at him are doing so knowing that they hurt him - but either they show no remorse when they inflict pain - a hypothesis that I'm not keen to accept but would be foolish to dismiss - or because the distance and remoteness of the location "on the Internet" is dehumanizing, and people do things anonymously behind an IP address that they'd never do when people can see your face.

While it may not be as extreme as shooting paintballs at end-users, IT departments are notorious for having staffs that are removed from the concerns of the people who actually use information technology they provide, create, and maintain. But at least an IT staff usually worked in the same building as the people they served - now, IT staffs can be continents away in a consolidated data center. With the tyranny of distance creating a dehumanizing factor, it's just that much harder to remember that the end-user experience is really what matters in maintaining a network.

( Interesting interview is on the link)
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Yaozer · May 19, 2007

I wish it was Bonzi or Sloan there..

Invisible Fan · May 19, 2007

I can see why people would shoot. It's kind of feels like a video game. Plus there's no way of knowing if the person is really being shot.

The net is all about novelty and a dependable stream of information.

Ziggy · May 19, 2007

Ya ya ya... How do I shoot this mofo up exactly?

Ziggy · May 19, 2007

I bet if it was a puppy less people would shoot.

nyquil82 · May 19, 2007

Smart, the guy created quick passes to hell for anyone who clicks on it.

Two Sandwiches · May 19, 2007

I'd have fun just aiming and trying to shoot things in his living room - not him.

hooroo · May 19, 2007

Ziggy said:

I bet if it was a puppy less people would shoot.
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I dunno, this reminds me of that live goldfish in a blender artwork from several years back.

bladeage · May 19, 2007

Tried it but its too damn slow. I was gonna shoot his exercise bike.

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One Room, One Paintball gun controlled via the Web, and one Iraqi-American

Mr. Brightside Member

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