Clicks

CLICKS & CLICKS_LIVEMIXER - 2003

Connecting clicks across the globe.

Clicks & Clicks_Livemixer - currently unavailable for download.

Overview
Clicks is a downloadable networked application that provides an ambient connection to other people's desktops by collecting and distributing desktop mouseclicks. Once collected, clicks are sent to a central server and each connected client is assigned a unique tone which is played in a physical location (currently installed at MLE), creating an ambient sound installation as an indicator of computer activity and use on a global scale.

Clicks_LiveMixer allows people to "hear" the incoming clicks and mix the sounds by changing pitch, tone, and duration of each note associated with the incoming clicks. Version 1.5 allows for drag and drop of users into specific pitch and tone coordinates that assigns unique notes for each person connected.

Prototype
Mouse clicks are ubiquitous elements of the modern computer GUI interface. A mouse still exists as the key device we communicate and interact with elements on screen. Our use of the mouse is so natural that we even forget we use it and without it our methods of computer interaction would change dramatically.

Clicks centers on this background activity of clicking. Specifically, it looks at everyday computer activities and how when shared, these actions take on new meaning. From providing a window into computer usage in local communities (such as offices, homes, schools, or events) to global use as distributed over the Internet, Clicks allows an ambient link between computer users within the desktop sphere. When multiple users are connected, their click total is added to the collected total and distributed to everyone connected.

Clicks is the fourth installment of my "Desktop Subversibles" theme which includes MouseMiles, ClipIt!, and MouseTraces. These projects allows people to be aware of each other's computer usage and to "get a feel" for what they are working on or thinking about in real-time. They are all focused on sharing the low-bandwidth information of everyday interaction.

System
The Clicks system works as a downloadable application for both Mac and PC that is meant to run all day long in the background of your networked computer. Clicks will record only your clicks (not where you are clicking), and relay the tallied number to the server. Thus there is no security risk with using Clicks. On the physical side, users in the space can hear the sound collage and get a sense of how much activity is being registered on the network.