“Cybernetica”: the digital goals

Giorgio Buccellati – December 2022

Introduction

The notion of cybernetics subsumes methods and techniques (see also I. The project), and the project aims to deal effectively with both, but highlighting the primacy of method within the framework of digital humanism. And we do this in two ways, through (1) a theoretical statement of the principles and (2) an actual implementation of these principles.

At the same time, we continue to be deeply involved in the technical aspect, and so we will continue to develop (3) a set a programs that serve two main purposes: (A) the processing of data and (B) the articulation of a digital argument.

Programming

Several suites of programs have been written to make this implementation possible. They constitute the technical backbone of the system. Some have been completed in the first stage of the Balzan phase of the project, others will be finalized in the course of our work.

The entire programming aspect of the project is now entrusted to Bernardo Forni.

There are two main aspects in the Cybernetica Mesopotamica programming plan: one that is more specifically linked to the processing of primary data, and the other that is geared to prepare an output in browser format especially in view of an effective interlacing of levels (interplanarity).

Data processing

There are three sets of programs, one for each of three of the project’s domains: sites, texts and bibliography.

(1) The set of programs for the Urkesh Global Record (UGR), within the Sites domain has been fully operative since the beginning. A major rewrite has been completed in the first stage of the Cybernetica Mesopotamica project, and is being currently used on a regular basis.

(2) The set of programs for the Texts domain has not been in use in recent years, and needs to be rewritten. For the time being, however, one can use the old outputs, which are available in ASCII format.

(3) DABI (Digital Analysis of Bibliographical Information), a program written by Bernardo Forni, processes bibliographical entries and integrates them into the overall narrative of the 4Banks websites.

In the service of the argument

A new program (MID) has been largely completed, and is in current use. It is used in all websites, from all five domains: it prepares the input for browser display and produces indices, in addition to enabling a full Search function.

What is currently needed is primarily the conversion of existing websites to a format that is suited for this program.

The MNI program, which produces the “Multi-Nodal Index,” will also be implemented for all websites in the Bibliography domain.