R(2.0)-D(2.0) explores communications protocols that allow for data transmission in a network. This project involves the creation of a custom protocol designed to function with little error recovery, celebrating the lack of reliability while providing "Best Effort" service. By focusing on and showing the effects and mechanisms of loss in information transfer, R(2.0)-D(2.0) exposes the underlying data transmission systems that form the basis of digital communication. This project is inspired by historical work with iterative information loss/modification including resonance studies and fax or photocopy degradation as well as recent explorations in glitch art, musical remixes, and net art including network surveillance tools such as route tracing. R(2.0)-D(2.0) continues LoVid's work with signals, memory, and decay.

This project's title stems from its use of reverb decomposition, where a signal is sent back and forth repeatedly, and becomes increasingly degraded. A simulation, including some anticipated parameters of the decay, has been performed using a model of reverb decomposition that does not perform its actions over the network. Results from this simulation, R(1.4)-D(1.4), are included below. Aside from running independently from the network and working with pixels rather than packets, this simulation differs from the effects of the proposed protocol in that information is simply lost, never reshuffled, as will be possible with R(2.0)-D(2.0) due to packet swapping. Of course the title, R(2.0)-D(2.0), also pays homage to a cute blue and white droid who taps into computer systems.

R(2.0)-D(2.0) will be realized through production of a custom communications protocol, which will be used to repeatedly send, receive, and resend information packets, but will not have many of the built in safeguards ensuring that all data is received and reconstituted in the original order. Through repeatedly sending files, the information they contain will be increasingly altered and will become something new. This R(2.0)-D(2.0) protocol will be used to modify various media including image, sound, and video files. Files will be generated specifically for this project and will include figurative video, recognizable images and sounds, as well as abstract pieces. Interested community members will be invited to participate in the processing by downloading software to run the protocol on their computers as part of a peer-to-peer network. Finally, the resulting mutant files will be presented to the public.

This protocol will be developed through November 2007 and files will be sent using the protocol beginning in December 2007. The system's output will be presented beginning in January 2008.