The Culture of Technologies and Interfaces

Realtà Aumentate: videogames tra simulazione ed esperienza

by Dario De Notaris

Published on Krill, n.2

Cultura software e consumo modulare / Software culture and modular consumption

by Dario De Notaris

short paper (see http://wpage.unina.it/dario.denotaris for more details)

This paper aims to analyse the different modes of consumption and digital socialization based on
“applications”:... more This paper aims to analyse the different modes of consumption and digital socialization based on
“applications”: small software programs developed for unique tasks in entertainment, socialization,
production, information etc. Examples include “apps” for mobile devices (iPhone/iPod/iPad) and web-based
apps (such as games, tests and quizzes on Facebook). In fact, these applications symbolize the modularity of
the production, diffusion and fruition processes of digital information content; also the convergency in a
single device and acceleration of consumption time. These tasks, just a few years ago, required a special
computer while, today, a smartphone is sufficient. So, as Apple’s advertisement states, “there’s an app for
just about anything”, and this situation creates a software culture which we can access anywhere and
anytime. Relationships, work, and entertainment are mediated by ad hoc software. We can find a restaurant
in our neighborhood, read a book, see tourist and language information superimposed on the location that we are capturing through the camera on our cell-phone. This culture is not only linked to the software but also to
a screen that is a frame for the “global village”.