The document discusses digital preservation methods for electronic literature using the case of 'First Screening' by bpNichol, focusing on techniques like emulation, porting, and documentation. It highlights the challenges of translating e-literature to new formats while preserving linguistic text, graphical text, and interactivity. Recommendations include producing multiple versions, documenting decisions, and considering the original programming environment for effective preservation.

1. Porting E-Poetry: The Case of
Leonardo Flores, PhD
University of Puerto Rico: Mayagüez

2. Digital Preservation Methods
for Electronic Literature
• Bit-by-bit preservation of source materials.
• Documentation – through image, audio, and
video capture of a performance of the work.
• Emulation – emulating the original
computational environment in another OS.
• Porting - translating software from one
programming language to another with the
goal of producing the same effect in different
hardware and software configurations.

3. bpNichol First Screening
• Created on an Apple IIe
between 1983-1984 in
Apple Basic.
• Underwhich edition (1984):
100 copies published in
5.25” floppy disks.
• Apple II series discontinued
by 1993.

4. First Screening on Hypercard
• J. B. Hohm started
working on a Hypercard
version of First Screening
in 1992.
• It was published in 1993
by Red Deer College Press
in 3.5” disks.
• Hypercard was
discontinued in 2004.
• Classic Environment not
functional beyond Mac
OS 10.4 (Tiger), released
in 2005.

5. Digital Preservation of First Screening
• 3-year preservation project (2004-2007) by Jim
Andrews, Lionel Kearns, Dan Waber, Geof Huth, and
Marko Niemi produced and published:
1. The original DSK file of the 1984 edition, which can be
opened with an Apple IIe emulator, along with the
Apple BASIC source code as a text file, and scanned
images of the original printed matter.
2. A video documenting the emulated version in Quicktime
format.
3. The 1993 HyperCard version, along with the printed
matter of that edition.
4. A JavaScript version that runs in browsers.

6. First Screening (video version)

7. Evaluating First Screening Digital
Preservation at Vispo.com:
Pros Cons
• Well documented • Different formats
• Offers work in multiple presented as (more or
formats less) equivalent
• Offers supplemental representations of work
materials • Porting focuses on
• Includes source code linguistic text and
animation
• Javascript port preserves:
• Graphical text is
– Linguistic text
neglected
– Animation
• Lovingly executed

8. Emulated version
Pros Cons
• Most faithful version • Requires installation of
• Same source code as emulator on user’s
original computer
• Emulator simulates Apple • Nichol assumes user
IIe operating system knowledge of Apple Basic
• User enters visual and • Contemporary users may
conceptual space of have difficulty using
Apple IIe computers and emulated version.
Apple Basic. • Emulators have to be
ported
• Variability with emulation

9. First Screening (emulated version)
• AppleWin 1.20.0.0 for Windows
• Available at: http://applewin.berlios.de/
• Copyright Information:
• © 1994-1996, Michael O'Brien
• © 2001, Oliver Schmidt
• © 2002-2005, Tom Charlesworth
• © 2006-2011, Tom Charlesworth, Michael
Pohoreski, Nick Westgate, Linards Ticmanis
• Reminder: List 100,116

10. Emulated Version of First Screening
• Interactions are part of design:
– Typing in commands
– Constraints and affordances on interactivity
– Interacting with and exploring the code
– Code poem at the end (coda?)
• Code has “voice” and is part of textual
performance.
• Interaction with hardware is lost in emulation.

11. Issues with
Quicktime Video Documentation
• Different digital object: easy to confuse with the real
thing because it has the same linguistic text and
animation.
• Different typography (graphical text).
• Different interactivity:
– Video controls: play, pause, fast forward, rewind.
– Random access: skip around video
– Scalable full screen
• Incomplete:
– Off screen romance
– Code poem

12. First Screening (Hypercard port)
Pros Cons
• Authorized by Ellie • Hypercard stack
Nichol (bpNichol’s changes interface.
widow) • Offers customization
• Preserves linguistic and options to users:
animated text – Animation speed
• Extended the life of the – Font
work by a decade. • Hypercard is obsolete &
emulation is difficult.

13. First Screening (JavaScript port)
Pros Cons
• Runs in browsers • Different computational
• Ease of use for object(s): 36 files
contemporary • JavaScript standards
audiences evolve, so code must be
• Simulates interaction updated:
• Replicates linguistic text – Bug at the end of Tower
poem ends sequence.
and animation
• Different font (graphical
text

14. Graphical Text Comparison
Emulated version Javascript version
• Shape of numbers: 3 & 0
• Apple Font: Motter Tektura, designed by Othmar Motter in 1975
• Lines & dots given limited resolution
• Sans serif, monospaced font
• Javascript Font: Courier, designed by Howard Kettler in 1955
• Slab serif, monospaced font designed to evokes typewriter keystrokes
• Official US Government font until replaced by Times New Roman in 2004

15. Code Poem Comparison
Emulated Version JavaScript Version
• Look the same
• Read the same
• Not the same

16. Screen Text vs Code
JavaScript Screen Text JavaScript Code

17. REMarks about Screen & Code
• Differences between code and screen are
significant in bpNichol’s work:
– Title “First Screening” evokes computer and film
– Early (est?) kinetic digital poem
– “Offscreen Romance” plays off of onscreen
chemistry and off-screen romance between Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rogers
– Code poem is not a kinetic text
– Code poem engages REM programming code

18. Challenges of Translating E-Literature
• The work of electronic literature isn’t just
what is seen on screen.
• Translation should take into account:
– Linguistic text: sequence of words
– Graphical text: typography, formatting
– Interface: interactivity, navigation
– Textual behavior: movement, timing, etc.
– Code: porting, emulation

19. Recommendations
• Be sensitive to:
– Interface, functionality
– Graphical text: typography, formatting
– Original source and programming codes
• Emulate & recreate environment, or
• Translate to new environment or interfaces for
contemporary audiences.
• For preservation purposes:
– Produce multiple versions
– Make original materials available
– Document every decision

20. ¡Gracias!
Leonardo Flores, PhD
Associate Professor of English
University of Puerto Rico: Mayagüez
leonardo.flores@upr.edu
I ♥ E-Poetry
http://leonardoflores.net