Liveness, Code, and DeadCode in Code Jockeying Practice

This paper explores notions of ‘liveness’ and ‘code’ to situate emerging Code Jockeying (CJing) practices in reference to Live Coding and blank-slate improvisation. Chun’s (2008) notion of ‘source code as fetish’ and theory on slow design are employed to critique compulsions in Live Coding towards code, liveness, and ephemerality. It is suggested that CJing evokes different manifestations of liveness and code, perhaps deviating from celebrated blank-slate approaches. The DeadCode (Dead) CJing software is presented; a browser-based, tablet-friendly, and language-agnostic CJing interface that supports improvised mixing of pre-written code (‘deadcode’), different code projections for audience members and performers, and gestural controls. Dead’s divergence from both liveness and normative representations of code are examined, inviting criticism as to whether the use of Dead still constitutes ‘Live Coding’.