Curating and Sharing Interactive Moments with the Game and Interactive Software Scholarship Toolkit (GISST)
Submission Type
Paper
Start Date/Time (EDT)
19-7-2024 4:45 PM
End Date/Time (EDT)
19-7-2024 5:45 PM
Location
Hypertexts & Fictions
Abstract
The Game and Interactive Software Scholarship Toolkit (GISST) is a funded project to develop a system for durable, web-based, interactive references into running software programs. GISST manipulates in-browser software emulators (programs that run older programs) to allow for the citation of emulated computational state ("moments" of software execution) and input recordings ("performances" of software inputs). Once created, these moments and performances can be embedded in web pages and linked to online descriptive text. GISST opens up the possibility for web-based curation of historical interactive works with indexed links to particularly salient moments of expression.
For branching interactive fiction works, this means that a literary scholar could record themselves traversing the text to a variety of points along a narrative and then save citations directly to those moments for others to examine and re-experience. It is also possible to juxtapose a collection of moments from the same or different works (across multiple different platforms) to highlight comparative differences. GISST is designed to provide persistent, durable links to these executable moments, and can also be run locally by institutions or individuals wishing to organize their own collections of executable references.
This talk will outline the basic functionality of GISST, and present a selection of case study provocations for the sharing, exhibition, and analysis of interaction fiction works made possible by the system. By making historical IF works more present and shareable on the web, we hope to open up new possibilities for the analysis and representation of their history.
Recommended Citation
Kaltman, Eric and Osborn, Joseph C., "Curating and Sharing Interactive Moments with the Game and Interactive Software Scholarship Toolkit (GISST)" (2024). ELO (un)linked 2024. 14.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/elo2024/hypertextsandfictions/schedule/14
Curating and Sharing Interactive Moments with the Game and Interactive Software Scholarship Toolkit (GISST)
Hypertexts & Fictions
The Game and Interactive Software Scholarship Toolkit (GISST) is a funded project to develop a system for durable, web-based, interactive references into running software programs. GISST manipulates in-browser software emulators (programs that run older programs) to allow for the citation of emulated computational state ("moments" of software execution) and input recordings ("performances" of software inputs). Once created, these moments and performances can be embedded in web pages and linked to online descriptive text. GISST opens up the possibility for web-based curation of historical interactive works with indexed links to particularly salient moments of expression.
For branching interactive fiction works, this means that a literary scholar could record themselves traversing the text to a variety of points along a narrative and then save citations directly to those moments for others to examine and re-experience. It is also possible to juxtapose a collection of moments from the same or different works (across multiple different platforms) to highlight comparative differences. GISST is designed to provide persistent, durable links to these executable moments, and can also be run locally by institutions or individuals wishing to organize their own collections of executable references.
This talk will outline the basic functionality of GISST, and present a selection of case study provocations for the sharing, exhibition, and analysis of interaction fiction works made possible by the system. By making historical IF works more present and shareable on the web, we hope to open up new possibilities for the analysis and representation of their history.
Bio
Dr. Eric Kaltman is an Assistant Professor of Media and Technology Studies and History at the University of Alberta. He is a historian and computer scientist who runs the Software History Futures and Technologies (SHFT) group (shft.group). SHFT develops new tools and methodologies for the study of historical software objects, including games and interactive media works.
Dr. Joseph C. Osborn is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Pomona College. His research spans media studies, artificial intelligence, and software verification in the domain of videogame design and development. His current research areas include automatically retrofitting accessibility features onto 1980s-1990s videogames and structured knowledge representations for automated playtesting of adventure and role-playing games.