10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10

A single line of code--the extremely concise BASIC program for the Commodore 64 inscribed in the title—is used as a lens through which to consider the phenomenon of creative computing and the way computer programs exist in culture. Nick Montfort, in collaboration with nine other authors, treat code not as merely functional but as a text--in the case of 10 PRINT, a text that appeared in many different printed sources--that yields a story about its making, its purpose, its assumptions, and more. They consider randomness and regularity in computing and art, the maze in culture, the popular BASIC programming language, and the highly influential Commodore 64 computer.

©2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
  • SpeakerNick Montfort
  • HostDonald Brinkman
  • AffiliationMIT
  • Duration01:16:33
  • Date recorded17 January 2013
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