Jabès creates a field of tension between the words “page”, “word”, “white”, “writing”, “sand”. What would be an aquivalent for these words in the domain of computing? May we translate

“page” with task?

„word“ with number?

„white“ with equal?

„writing“ with counting?

„sand“ with nature?

Every number is something special. Each integer has its own character. So numbers can be thought as persons. So the computer, which is called a number-cruncher can be thought as a person-cruncher. The cruncher processes data, for example news. Every news can be represented as a number, which can be crunched. So the world of news can be crunched, so the world can be crunched.

The computer seems to be powerful, powerful like the book or powerful like god. Is the computer powerful like a word? A word like the word „god” is powerful. It is an expression of god. Without words god would not exist.

French “trou” means hole, prison in a ship, nest, backwater, gap. Is the computer something like this? Is a computer a prison in a ship, in spaceship earth?
Is the computer something closed, something that does not stand in communication with others?

The door, the roof, the wall were a gap. We have only this gap in order to err, to love, to die. (Jabès)

Given the fact, that everybody uses numbers and computers. Given the fact, that everybody uses numbers and computers to express himself. How it is then possible to speak the language of the other?

To speak the language of the other, but in an interrogative manner. (Jabès)

How is a translation of this words into the context of computing  thinkable?

Is there any hint, that numbers and computers change, when they are used by different persons? Is there any difference between my numbers and the numbers of the other? Between my computer and the computer of the other? His computer may be faster or slower than mine.

To be subverse in this condition implies to respect the difference of speed and performance and organisation of the computer of the other.

Arvanda is one of the many names for Anna Livia Plurabelle. Anna Livia is one character and Anna Livia is more than one character. She is Arvanda, Eve, Isis, Iseult. She is the great mother, and the great caring character in Joyce Finnegans Wake. She takes care of the water. She is a symbol for multiple chances of using one liter of water and saving more water.

She would please Peter Brabeck.* Maybe Arvanda – Anna Livia Plurabelle becomes a goddess of water saving.

But do we want this?

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“I am like a deaf mute saving up for a tone film apparatus. To be really wortkarg one must know every word”.
This quote from Beckett is relevant in the context of water saving.*
In order to reduce our daily consumption of water, we have to train our imagination. So we may transform Becketts words:
To reduce really the daily consumption of water one must know every possible way to use one liter.

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The ground of water is covered with stars. When we use per day 25 liters water,* we use a treasure of stars according to Jabès. I understand this in a subversive way.

A traditional reading would argue: So, you simply adopt to a necessity and you use poetical thoughts in order to modify your imagination. So you simply accept a political and economic directive (to use not more than 25 liters per day). You accept this and you calibrate your mind by means of poetical thinking. But a subversive poetology is different.

There water is a flux and reflux of trouble. On the ground of trouble stars can be found.

* See: Interview with Peter Brabeck – CEO Nestlé: “Es gibt kein Menschenrecht auf einen Swimmingpool” –  Das Magazin 17 – 2007

25 liters shall we use per day, not more.*
How can we imagine this. An idea of Jabès is helpful.

Jabès is a poetical thinker of inbetweeness. He reflects the blanks between to letters in a text. Out of this blanks he creates ideas of infinity and of limitation. Of course the restricted use of 25 liters will change our feelings and thoughts about limitation and freedom.
It will change our body and mind. It gives body and mind another rhythm. In this aspect the restriction equals the book. Jabès writes: Body and mind are subjected by the rhythm of the book. He adds: The field of subversion is free.

We will come back to this.

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Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck suggests that 25 liters are the maximum. More nobody on earth should use. Otherwise more wars and more tensions will arise.*

The Journal wants to contribute to this challenge. The Journal wants to understand this as a challenge for our imagination. Let`s start simple: We can separate 25 liters into

IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII. Does this make sense? Yes, it seems a lot. It gives us some hope.

But: 8000 liters for example cannot be separated intounits of one so easily.

Of course we can start:

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIetc.

But this is exhausting. It exhausts also our imagination. Let us think of 8000 in other way:

8000 liters are needed in Europe to produce our daily food. For everybody in Europe 8000 liters are needed to produce his daily food.*We have problems to represent this in units of one. But have an idea, that this is a lot. And it is too much.
For todays training of imagination this is enough.

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Is it possible to use numbers as a mirror? Do numbers reflect the world?

When numbers reflect the world then: What kind of mirror is the computer, the numbercruncher?

In the clima – debate numbers are used. This numbers are concerning the quantities of energy or of water, that we are allowed to use. Currently numbers are used as guidelines, as forms of government.

„Thus when I walk along the seashore and hear the great noise of the sea, I hear separate sounds of each wave but do not distinguish them; our confused perceptions are the result of the impressions made on us by the whole universe. It is the same with each monad“.

(Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm , The Principles of Nature and of Grace, Based on Reason [1714] [Translated by Leroy E. Loemker], in: Philosophical Papers and Letters, ed. Leroy E. Loemker (Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1969, p. 640)