“Tap, tap, flap, flap.” Ludic Seriality, Digitality, and the Finger

Till A. Heilmann

doi:10.7557/23.6154

Authors

Till A. Heilmann University of Siegen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/23.6154

Abstract

This article tries to answer the question, “What is ‘digital’ about digital media?” Building on the concept of ludic seriality as proposed by Shane Denson and Andreas Jahn-Sudmann and taking as an example the popular mobile Game Flappy Bird, it discusses the serial character of gameplay, in particular the intra-ludic serialization of in-game and operator actions. The article argues that the principle of digitality relates to the fingers of the human hand and the corresponding cultural techniques, from the ancient art of finger-counting which brought forth the abstract number concept to our current every day use of buttons and keys to operate digital devices.

Author Biography

Till A. Heilmann, University of Siegen

Till A. Heilmann (Dr. phil.) is a researcher at the Department of Media Studies at the University of Siegen. He studied German, media studies, and history. Assistant at the Department of Media Studies at the University of Basel (2003–2014); doctorate for a thesis on computers as writing machines (2008); visiting scholar at the University of Siegen (2011); Fellow-in-Residence at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies at the University of Iowa (2012); assistant at the Department of Media Studies at the University of Siegen (since 2014); book project on the history of the push-button and the concept of digitality (ongoing). Publications include: “Handschrift im digitalen Umfeld [Handwriting in the Digital Environment].” Osnabrücker Beiträge zur Sprachtheorie 85 (2014): 169–192; “Medien als Metaphern – oder Metonymien? [Media as Metaphors – or Metonymies?]” In: Interventionen. Ed. together with F. Haase (2013): 123–142; Textverarbeitung: Eine Mediengeschichte des Computers als Schreibmaschine [Word Processing: A Media History of the Computer as a Writing Machine] (2012); “Digitalität als Taktilität: McLuhan, der Computer und die Taste [Digitality as Tactility: McLuhan, the Computer and the Key].” Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft 2 (2010): 125–134. Fields of research: Media history; media theory; media semiotics; history of media studies. Research focus: Digital media and digitality; cultural and technological history of keys and buttons; “Canadian School” and media archaeology; (hand-)writing and algorithm.