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Step 10Epilogue
My favorite part of the installation was the reaction of the visitors. I was pleasantly surprised to find that few were as shy as I had feared they would be- they answered the phone, and opened drawers. Someone started taking notes on the calls, and others continued throughout the exhibition. Some developed minor addictions, hanging around, waiting for just the right call. They left messages, invited strangers to other parties, and tried to explain the telephone.
If you hear the phone ring, pick it up.
Male Voice: Hello?
Male Voice 2: Hi! Who is this?
Ben: um- This is Ben... Who is this?
Tim: Oh. This is Tim. Are you in New Haven?
Ben: Yes... How did you know that?
Tim: I saw the 203 area code. I grew up in New Haven, so-
Ben: Oh! Awesome, so... I was pretty confused when you called. I'm in the middle of taking down an art installation I put together, which has this phone in it. I modified the phone so it would call people randomly. I mean, so. But, I just turned the ringer off. So it shouldn't have rung-
Tim: But I called back because I saw a missed call. If the ringer was off, how did you hear it?
Ben: It's a little complicated, but the idea is that I would make it ring when it called someone else, so it would seem to both people like the other had called them, right? But the phone still works as normal, too, so when you called, it rang just like it would if I hadn't messed with it.
Tim: That's crazy. I just thought it was one of my friends from back home or something.
Ben: Sorry-
Tim: No, it's pretty cool. I'll just give them a call anyway...
Ben: Where are you? You said you grew up in New Haven?
Tim: Yeah- I live in Tucson now.
Ben: [Laughs] I grew up there, myself. I guess this thing works...
Tim: [Laughs] It was nice talking to you. Good luck with the phones.
Ben: Thanks, nice talking to you, too.
[Disconnects]
And special thanks to two world-class educators without whose help I'd have cried myself to sleep listening to a busy signal. Jeffrey Stuker and Ed Jackson- heroes of art and engineering.
If you hear the phone ring, pick it up.
Male Voice: Hello?
Male Voice 2: Hi! Who is this?
Ben: um- This is Ben... Who is this?
Tim: Oh. This is Tim. Are you in New Haven?
Ben: Yes... How did you know that?
Tim: I saw the 203 area code. I grew up in New Haven, so-
Ben: Oh! Awesome, so... I was pretty confused when you called. I'm in the middle of taking down an art installation I put together, which has this phone in it. I modified the phone so it would call people randomly. I mean, so. But, I just turned the ringer off. So it shouldn't have rung-
Tim: But I called back because I saw a missed call. If the ringer was off, how did you hear it?
Ben: It's a little complicated, but the idea is that I would make it ring when it called someone else, so it would seem to both people like the other had called them, right? But the phone still works as normal, too, so when you called, it rang just like it would if I hadn't messed with it.
Tim: That's crazy. I just thought it was one of my friends from back home or something.
Ben: Sorry-
Tim: No, it's pretty cool. I'll just give them a call anyway...
Ben: Where are you? You said you grew up in New Haven?
Tim: Yeah- I live in Tucson now.
Ben: [Laughs] I grew up there, myself. I guess this thing works...
Tim: [Laughs] It was nice talking to you. Good luck with the phones.
Ben: Thanks, nice talking to you, too.
[Disconnects]
And special thanks to two world-class educators without whose help I'd have cried myself to sleep listening to a busy signal. Jeffrey Stuker and Ed Jackson- heroes of art and engineering.
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