Judy Malloy
Implementing YOU.BAS on Windows 7
Overview
YOU! is an interactively created, computer program generated data
structure that simulates an intimate relationship between two people.
Participants were asked to "think about someone you might be in love with, are in love with
or are no longer in love with.
Write a *short* sentence addressed to that person."
Contributions were immediately sorted by a computer program, written in BASIC --
YOU.BAS c 1991 Judy
Malloy - for IBM compatible computers -- which made judgments about the
length and the content of the sentences and inserted them into an array.
The program placed short sentences that it "thought" were indicative of
the first flowering of a relationship at the beginning. It considered all
long sentences to be indicative of the full communication that takes
place in an established relationship and placed them in the middle.
Short sentences that it thought indicated disintegration of the
relationship were placed at the bottom of the structure. The program also contained
a Jesse Helms filter which generated word substitutions.
After each new entry, the program printed the array on the computer screen with the
new sentence included. If the author of the new sentence chose to be credited,
the computer also added his or her name to the array.
Historical Context
Encouraging text-friendly authoring that incorporated commented code, BASIC was important
in the early stages of development of new media writing. It was used by Gregory Yob to
create Hunt the Wumpus and by Scott Adams to create the "adventure virtual machine" for a
series of early "Adventure Games", as well as by bpNichol to create First Screening.
I used BASIC to create the Apple II and IBM PC versions of Uncle Roger.
(which I also programmed online with UNIX shell scripts)
The creation of interactive generative text works harkens back to Christopher Strachey's 1952
love letter generator to which YOU! makes reference in its subject matter. Interactively created
collaborative works -- such as Sonya Rapoport's Shoe-Field and works created by the group of
artists and writers associated with Art Com Electronic Network [1] -- were a part of the environment
in which I was working in the eighties and early 90's. In the more arduous process of creating
hypertext literature, the fun of interactive collaborative text creation was a welcome co-project
with the more difficult hypertext literature, The Yellow Bowl, and narrative data structure,
Wasting Time, I was writing in the early 1990's.
You! is a classic work of late BASIC-era interactive generative text which was very effective
in gallery situations because viewers could add their own sentence and immediately see their words
placed in the array, their name in the credits, and also in some cases receive a printout of
the array that contained their sentence.
Because it was exhibited at the Sao Paolo Biennial, there are quite few sentences in Portuguese.
Although in the online version, this disrupts the flow of the work for English speakers,
I felt that it was important to allow people to participate in their own language. This was an
Internet issue at the time this work was created because of the dominance of English.
The final YOU! is multilingual and works best as a printed text art array.
However, in 1991, the screen version was also visually effective because of the full
screen and the glowing yellow or green text on black screen.
Speed of text display could be controlled with the "SPEED=" command.
Preparing the Program and Files
- create a directory, such as gwbasic
- using wordpad or notepad, cut and paste the program at
http://www.well.com/user/jmalloy/you/you_basic.html
and save it as a text file named YOU.BAS in the directory gwbasic. (or whatever you called it)
- make the following changes to the program
_at each "FILE$ =" statement
add the .txt extension to the filename
ie FILE$ = "you1"
should be FILE$ = "you1.txt"
This is because Windows now automatically adds .txt to files saved as .txt files.
If you have access to DOS on your system, it is also possible to use "copy" to
create files without the .txt extention. (copy intro1.txt intro1) If you do this, you do not
need to add ".txt" to the FILE$ statements in the program.
_If you want to activate the program's Jesse Helms Filter,
replace the data statements that have been "filtered"
in lines 310 - 316 with words
of your own choosing. These are the words that will be replaced, if they are entered in the program.
Replace the word "filter" in lines 329 - 339 with words that the program will choose at random
to substitute for the Jesse Helms filtered words.
_make any other changes you would like to make (such as calling the sound routine less often)
_save the program as YOU.BAS
- Page down to the files, make a separate text file for each file on the page,
and put these files in the same directory as GWBASIC and YOU.BAS
_If you prefer to start with a blank YOU!, you can make a blank file
and add your own sentences at the prompt. But it will best to create a blank .txt
file for each file that the program calls.
_Note that the information in the current files was entered by
usenet users and gallery participants, and because the work was shown at the Sao Paulo Biennial,
some of the sentences are in Portuguese.
_By the time the work had been shown in three exhibitions, it was quite long.
The current (original) program first displays each sentence individually and then
displays the whole array. The part of the program that displays each individual
entry by itself can be eliminated if you wish to speed up the display.
_Originally, it was possible to turn the printer on within GWBASIC and in
some gallery situations, each participant received a printout of the array.
Running the Work
- download GWBASIC which is available from several sources on the Internet
- create a directory for DOSBOX, such as dosbox
download DOSBOX at
http://www.dosbox.com
and put it in a this directory.
Create a desktop icon for DOSBOX
- click on the DOSBOX icon
when you see the Z: prompt,
type mount c c:\gwbasic
or sometimes mount c c:gwbasic will work
- type C:
type dir to make sure you are in gwbasic
type gwbasic
at the prompt in gwbasic
type run "YOU.BAS"
you will need to include the quotes
- You! displays better if you expand the DOSBOX screen to full screen
This is done by pressing alt and return
The same action returns the screen to its smaller size.
The Files for YOU!
Note that originally the program started with blank
files, (except for "intro1") and each file gathered data as the work traveled to
different venues. Thus to make a new array, it would be necessary to create blank
files with the same names as the files here and then enter new sentences.
165 file$ = "intro1"
This is an introductory file.
The original read something like this:
YOU!
conceived and programmed by
Judy Malloy
YOU! is an interactively created data structure that simulates an
intimate relationship between two people. To participate
Think about someone you might be in love with,
are in love with or are no longer in love with.
Write a *short* sentence addressed to that person.
840 CLS: FILE$ = "you1"
You!
When?
lux
900 CLS: FILE$ = "you2"
You have nice eyes.
May I kiss you?
I love you.
Where are you?
I want you with me.
See you soon.
eu amo a arte
Sound good?
970 FILE$ = "you3"
May I touch your hair?
I like you like that.
Do you like stock car racing?
You light up my life.
You will be going away today.
That's a great line you have.
Did you ever name your cat?
WOW! Does that feel good!
Done Done Suki-ni Natchaune
Why d't you listen to me?
I like you! Do I like you?
Thanks for the time...
Please wear that pink shirt.
Simplicity is beautiful
ok, voc^ \ venceu milk shake.
(kitchen table) you
1060 FILE$ = "you4"
Thank you for the parmesan cheese.
I like your pea-green corduroy pants.
I see your eyes at night in dreams.
Last night, your car was in my driveway.
What is your religious affiliation?
I miss you more than you can ever know.
I really have a fun time with you
You are an endless source of amusement.
Gracias por tenerme tanta paciencia.
Did you make it back to Paris?
I wish you would answer my letters.
I love you, but you talk too much!
You're my conduit to the great unknown!
I wanna sail on my LIBERA VITA!
ACONTECEU...CARINHO, SONHO....TESAO....
Life has no meaning without you
You are the only reason of my life.
1170 FILE$ = "you5"
I love the doppler sound you make when you swim.
You touch lightly, lightly each day in peace.
I love waking up feeling your body against mine.
I would go tonight, if I knew you would be there.
maybe we'll have sex next week, Lady Remington.
People say my face changes when I say your name
Would you like to come and see my etchings?
Sometimes, you make me feel like crying.
I really love you! Do I really love you?
Your face on Sundays on Cal Football highlights.
You are the muse who inspires our allucinations.
We will be happy while we stay together.
Do you to drink a guarana champagne with me?
Que me desculpe a ousadia de um bem querer.
So' te esqueerei quando o sol apagar.
I am sitting by the phone waiting for your ring.
i love you. i love you, but you love me?
1190 FILE$ = "you5a"
I adore the way you move your body when you dance.
Your big, long, penetrating (pony) stays on my mind.
I don't want to escape the grasp of your smoldering eyes.
Hey, maybe we should quit fooling around and ahhhhhhh....
Take me for a LONG ride in your Honda, I'm tired of short trips.
Your body writhes to the rhythm of immanent pleasure.
No matter where you put your shoes, I always trip over them.
An ocean away, where the sun's not set, you're having lunch.
No matter where you put your shoes, I always trip over them.
Art is the biggest manifestation of this feeling - love.
To perceive the divine self is to go beyond logic.
Your shirt was unbuttoned at the top when I stood behind you.
You are Spring and I am Fall, even so I want you all.
Every loved person is a bright star in our universe.
It was warm in the back seat of your older brother's car.
VIVER E' SER NA~O SOU SEM VOCE ENTA~O VEM
1300 FILE$ = "middle"
Souvent en ce moment, memoire du Lac Tahoe, cotton blanc contre ton
ventre, rocher sous nos fesses et puis....
As I drifted into the deep volcanic fires of your eyes, my soul was
absorbed by your hunger.
The note that you taped to the refrigerator door fell on the floor, and
I stepped on it by mistake.
You have relieved my soul of guilt and opened my heart to freedom.
Have you noticed that dogs dream? Have you noticed dogs' dreams? Would
you like to be a dog's dream? Would you like to be a dream dog?
my kinky twinky's black & blue, and fits in the handcuff and the
handbag for you.
The blood, broken glass, and cardboard faded away, and there you were.
You were unforgettable soft white magic, magical beginning and
mysterious breaking.
I wished you would throw away those cheap smelly bracelets, now I miss
them as much as licking the cream from your face at night.
Your short black hair reminds me of her short black hair, but the
differences outweigh....I'm so happy when you're here!
Kiss me, Hold me, Touch me It is no use crying over split tty driver
Estou morrendo de saudades. Nao vejo a hora de estarmos juntos aqui.
You can leave your clothes in the middle of the room and your underwear
on the ceiling fan, I'll still care.
Ggod dddamn I wish I'd kissed kissed you-- though bbeing held was enough
I'm in love with you (instant LOVE!!!!) and your PROJECT!!!... and this
is serious.
Who can see the invisible can get the impossible.....Believe, you will
get it.
I love all my friends. Those that have helped in the most difficult
times of my life. And they keep helping me.
The love I have for all of you is stronger than the love I have to
my own family.
I love you very much. Is that dog going to get in bed with us every
night?
How short can be the distance between us, and how far at the same
time? Like a computer communication!
A mysterious connection of love links people and things, and decreases
distances and makes people surpass fronteirs and get here. This is a
human feeling. Peace for you.
Last night as I lay under the warm blankets, you climbed in beside me,
and I felt your cold foot on my thigh.
o prescrutar de nossas falanges usurpou a intimidade de nossa poesia,
mesmo que provida do mesmo afeto.
They have painted the sky, they have painted the sea, but they never
could paint the shining of your eyes.
QU'EST QUE CE QU'LAMOUR? CE DE LA MERDE L'AMOUR. ET COMMEME JE T'AIME
MON AMOUR!
If by chance you aren't fall in love by me no problem I have been fall in
love by you in the same manner.
Ya better know that!!! I'm heading for Germany on Sat................
te amo muito meu amor , eu nao posso ficar sem voce,
voce faz parte da minha vida .
I'll never forget the words you said when you walked into my kitchen and
saw the dirty dishes piled beside the sink.
na verdade, nem te li direito, mas gostei. o acaso me coloca sob teus
olhos. e vice-versa. n~ao acredito na gratuidade do acaso e atribuo
a ele uma intencionalidade. mas a mensagem eh outra. veja: se voce tem
um parafuso a menos, nao se defenda. te apertarei com minha chave... de
fenda. tiago araripe, sao paulo
Everytime I want talk with you, you are in the basement with your
computer.
You, and I. You and we. YOU, YOU ARE the MOST STUPID IDIOT LIFE OF HOLE
WORD. YOU, YOU ARE the .... INPUT YOUR NAME: INPUT YOUR PROFISSION:
ENTER. ENTER....TTYPE ESC FOR CONTINUE PROCESS... INSERT THE DATA DISK IN
A FLOPPY DISK DRIVE. SERCH A FILE FOR ME. I AM YOUR MASTER. I AM A MOST
IMPORTANT MACHINE FOR YOR LIFE.
Sou um com voce. Nao nos vemos, mas ja estamos intimamente ligados
I like your diamond earring and your lopsided smile when you look at me.
por supoesto el amor intercambiado / es la forma de passion platonica
onde / la verbalizacion non debe existir como / forma de un tiempo
imprescindibel para / el refluxo emocional ponerse en tierra /
firme e que posammos mirar las personas / amadas como a nos miesmos.
I can read empty words and I can write them too, but I know you are there
behind, behind me.
claudia b, claudia b, claudia b qualche giorno io ti vedro', tu mi
vedrai juntos com Paolo e Rebeca without any further scaring dream
alguem muito especial e me sinto presa por essa limitaXa~o do amor;
gostaria como disse STING de conhecer todas as pessoas do mundo
- e acrescentando amar - amar voce tambem.
I'll never forget that moment in the rest room in San Jose when I first
saw your (potted plant).
Oh Age Of Aquarius ! I wonder what Love will bring along. Will Thou be
the Universal Remedy?!
When I got home from work, I couldn't believe that you had forgotten to
take out the garbage again.
You are shapeless and complete in your possibilities as you belong to
the whole. Be part of it...
pode nao parecer, mas essa ainda e' uma boa base para se comec,ar
tudo outra vez
Have you ever considered whether or not you wish to have children, and
if so how many do you want?
You are the finest example of intelligence combined with gentleness that
I have ever experienced.
At first I liked your University of California Marching Band Centenial
Recording, but as time went on, I was surprised that you played it so
often.
Na tentativa louca/ de tentar dominar/ o mundo/ o homem/ tamben/ se
destro/ i.
Antes a du'vida / de que me ama / Do que a certeza / que me odeia.
I want to tatoo your name on my biceps. Or my name on your biceps.
What the hell am I going to do with you, for you, against you, to you?
Kate, I'll always adore you and I know I can never hold you.
1320 FILE$ = "you6a"
If you were only half the woman you pretended to be.
You make my head swim like a 3 lb. fish in a 2 gallon tank.
I'm burning in the passions of your frigid desire.
I'm so miserable without you dear, it's just like having you here.
Get out of New York! It's eating you and I'm jealous!
These days of separation from your eyes and lips can kill.
Now you are just a faint scream in my City of Forgetness.
Por que as vezes e' ta~o dificil expressar seus sentimentos?...
1450 FILE$ = "you6"
Why did you buy a semi-automatic weapon?
You never want to talk about conceptual art.
I think that nothing is better than you.
You're not the person I thought you were.
Talking with you, I wish you were older.
You don't love me, and I love you for it.
Take your QUEEN IDA tapes and get out.
1620 FILE$ = "you7"
Who was that man you were talking to?
Are you going to feed the cats?
It's your turn to wear the handcuffs.
Our hardware is not compatible.
Don't you cry two night.
1810 FILE$ = "you8"
You forgot my birthday.
Your zipper is stuck.
Tu es un communist dactylo.
Are those your smelly socks?
You take the trash out!
Are you leaving town forever?
Texas where are you?
Where the HELL did you go?
2020 FILE$ = "you9"
Where are you?
You're a user.
Why the torture?
(refrigerator)
You (potted plant)!
2250 CLS: FILE$ = "you10"
YOU!
2690 FILE$ = "credits"
Judy Malloy, Producer
Ray Chung
Roger Malina
Cliff Pickover
Fred Truck
Daniel Platt
Sonya Rapoport
Steve Mann
Drawrof
Neuron
Sean Malloy
Andrew Garton
Anna Couey
David Gaw
Carl Loeffler
cdp!peg!scotart
Sue Harris and Phillip Bannigan
Cyber Encounters (ACEN at N.Y.U.)
The Normals
Ray Gallon
Jamie E. Vargas
Carolina Pinzon Cortes
Michael McCool
Adele Ponty
Mark Hayes
Matt Wrbican
Timothy Anderson
James Kocher
Alex Zbyslaw
Jim Logue
Sally Sorrel
Jun Ebihara
T.A.P.E.
Anna Couey
Eduardo
Fabian Free
Rick Innis
Holly N. Kilheffer
Rohan Hawthorne
Doktor Pete
Artur Matuck
Jesse Cohn
REFLUX (at the Sao Paolo Bienal)
Sonia Nakano
Celia Paiva
Paolo Lyra
Patricia G. da Silva
Lenister
elke
Cristinia Marcello
Theomaria Alves
Nicole Reiss
Natividad Pereira
Fabiano de Oliveira Gomes
Wagner Camargo Martinez
Cid Luiz Bertelli Jr.
Roberto de Oliveira Santos "Bob"
Gracias Hermano
THE COMPUTER
DRAI
marina helena pimentel hodgkin
Bruce
doraci f. gonalves
Beth Angelica
pierro
roberto smeraldi
angela saboya
Simone Menezes de Faria
Sandra Jansen
Silvana Jacques Ibrahim
Christine Syrgiannis
adriano
carol
rachel
Denise Stela Bruni
Heloisa Stela Bruni
Jill McAllister
Kate McDonnell (Grenade)
Candice Cook
Aileen Cho
Peter Stevens
John Carlisle
1. To revisit work done on Art Com Electronic Network, the special issue of
Leonardo -- Connectivity: Art and Interactive Telecommunications, Roy Ascott and Carl Eugene Loeffler,
eds, Leonardo 24(2):195-202 -- is recommended.
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Conceived and
programmed by
Judy Malloy, YOU! is a collaborately
created, computer-generated
data structure that
simulates an
intimate relationship
between two people.
The You! Array
YOU.BAS
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