Codex Documentation

Updated November 20

The Codex Project

Project Codex is an investigation into the nature of information and knowledge. As a scholarly project, it adopts a novel methodology that combines imaginative exploration through the creation of web-based artifacts with more traditional scholarly writing intended for publication within the academic community. The project purposely crosses styles, that in itself being a focus of investigation into the nature of communication.

The project was begun in the Fall of 1997 upon the reading of Snow Crash, although its antecedents predate the Codex web site. Initial work on the story was undertaken in 1993, and then abandonned for a number of years. Research focus on information design during 1997, on the heels of 2 information-oriented articles in the past few years, have led me to shift away from learning per se and tackle the bigger picture of information. In parallel, personal investigation of wisdom within a Buddhist framework has contributed to the perspective being investigated in the Codex project.

Codex operates on many levels:

One of the ploys of the adventure and one of the aims of the investigation into information calls for deliberately confusing the external validity of the information encountered in project Codex. This will undoubtedly lead to much confusion and questioning, although the more adventurous will likely stay the course and charge on.

 The Codex Site

The codex project is web-based, opearating out of a site that is fairly autonomous. The site contains 2 spaces: Codex Hall is the external interface for most people. It is being designed as a building within the Metaverse described by Stephenson in 'Snow Crash'. Codex Hall remains far removed from a true metaverse building of course, although that is what is will hopefully evolve towards over time.
 

 
 


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