IBM CUT-UP
Richard KRECH
Richard Krech: Photo Steve Loewinsohn
http://myweb.wvnet.edu/~jelkins/lp-2001/krech.html
I worked at the University of California Computer Center for a minute in 1966. I just loaded cards in the IBM reader, took them out, re-rubber banded them again, & tore off the paper separating each job. Very low level employment. This was when computers were room-sized. In order to show our proficiency in using the sorter and cards, etc. we were to make up a little project.
My project was using it to cut up texts. This was in the summer of 1966.
I was fired during my 6-month probationary period because some one else punched-out thousands of computer cards with peace symbols and distributed them all over the campus.
The original text explains how I used the IBM machine to make the cut up.
I also have in my files the actual print-out on computer paper with both the original text and the cut up. I do not have the cards.
Richard
THE CUT UP METHOD USING IBM PUNCH CARDS
NECESSARILY DEPEND UPON THE ORDER OR CORRECT STRUCTURE FOR THE WRITER TO CHEAT IN ORDER TO MAKE A POINT AS LINE AT RANDOM AND NO SPECIAL ORDER THE WORDS WILL MAKE A PROBLEM ARISES WHEN YOU DO IT IN THE MANNER DESCRIBED MESSAGE OF A CERTAIN PIECE OF WRITING (EITHER FICTION OR THE CUT UP METHOD IS AUTOMATED USING A SERIES OF IBM WRITERS OF THE AVANT GUARD TO PROVE THE POINT THAT THE WITH THE ART OF THE WRITER OF THE ORIGINAL PAPER PRESENTS ALL THE LINES IN A COMPLETELY RANDOM FASHION. COMPLETELY AND RANDOMLY MIX UP THE CARDS ACCORDING TO A LINE.
YOU MUST BE CAREFUL TO NUMBER THE CARDS WITH NO IBM MACHINE PRINT THE WORDS ON THE CARD ON A SHEET OF PAPER. THAT A PIECE OF WRITING MAKES AS MUCH SENSE CUT UP AS IT FIELD. YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO IT ANY WAY YOU WANT BUT THE A CUT UP WRITING OUT OF A PIECE OF ORDINARY WRITING YOU MACHINES. THE CUT UP METHOD HAS BEEN USED BY SEVERAL NON FICTION) IS INHERENT IN THE WRITING AND DOES NOT WITH ONE LINE PER CARD. THEN USING THE IBM 083 SORTER YOU AFTER THE CARDS ARE SORTED NUMERICALLY WHICH MEANS TOTALLY BY THE WRITER. USING SUCH AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM IN CONJUNCTION AS IF YOU HAD CUT UP EACH LINE OF WRITING INTO STRIPS AND THE UPPER LEFT HAND FIELD WITH THE LOWER RIGHT HAND AND THEN MIXED THEM UP AND COPIED THEM DOWN. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY CUT THE WRITING DOWN THE MIDDLE AND ACROSS THE MIDDLE ABOVE YOU DO NOT TOTALLY REARRANGE THE LINES. ALL YOU YOU PUNCH UP YOUR ORIGINAL COPY ON A BUNCH OF IBM CARDS DO IS INTERSPERSE THEM.
THIS DOES NOT PROVE THE POINT UPPER RIGHT HAND FIELD WITH THE LOWER LEFT HAND FIELD DOES WHOLE. IN ORDER TO DO THAT YOU MUST TOTALLY REARRANGE IS POSSIBLE WHEN DONE BY HAND. AS LONG AS HE NUMBERS EACH NUMERICAL KEY WHICH YOU HAVE TYPED AT THE END OF EACH THUS YOU HAVE THE ORIGINAL PIECE OF WRITING AS MIXED UP MIXED UP YOU TRANSLATE THEM INTO ALPHABETIC CHARACTERS AND HAVE ANOTHER ATTENTION PAYED TO WHICH CARDS GET WHAT NUMBER.
AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE EXCEPT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY ABOVE EXAMPLE WAS MERELY AN EXAMPLE OF ONE WAY TO DO IT. LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES OR EVEN ANY STRUCTURE OF THE SENTENCES. USUALLY TO MAKE AS MUCH SENSE AS IS INHERENT IN THEM WITHOUT INTERFERENCE MAKING THE WRITING INTO FOUR FIELDS. THEN YOU PUT THE
WRITTEN AND CUT UP BY RICHARD KRECH IN 1966
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