Cosmogony

Digital artificial world is structured by specific rules that are somewhat different from those expressed and manifested in the physical world we normally experience. One relevant difference is the definition of identity. Since every 'singularity' is reproducible in infinite number of identical copies, and there is no substantial difference between copy and original, because the copy of a copy is exactly the same as the copy of the original, the basic distinction between copy and original is not relevant, and digital identity is not unique.

Comparing this to any analogue reality, we can immediately perceive that some of the values
applying to physical world are to be reconsidered within the digital domain. For example, an analogue tape recorded from a vinyl record will play a different quality of music than that of the vinyl, and the quality of the incision will be more and more compromised if we continue copying the same track from one tape to another. This quality decrease structures an inversely proportional relation with the distance from the original content. Reproduction always depends on the system used, both in case of analogue and of digital carriers. Speakers, amplifiers and players reproducing a sound can affect the quality of the result. But, in the case of an
.aiff audio file, for example, any copy will perform the same music, given an identical system to be played from. Although this argument is rather obvious, it leads to the idea that, since there is no constitutional uniqueness inside 'digitality', there is no relevant reason to limit the amount of copies that are to be created. From another perspective, this example shows a peculiar
fragility that electronic content implies. In fact, any electronic resource is depending on a certain variety of elements to be reproduced and perceived (a player, an hard disc, a computer, a mini disc, and so forth). Any damage to a single part of such complex system is compromising the fruition of the entire. If a photographic picture on paper can be visible when a corner of the image is corrupted, it will be very difficult to display a file whereas a small part of it is damaged. Although electronic and digital creatures have certain properties in common, Virtual Entity is focusing on digital entities living in the net, so to say
digital files online. The possibility to define these as 'immaterial' lays on the fact that the region where these are perceived is often very far from the server they are laying on. People belonging to generations not educated to a basic computer literation often think mails are physically landing on their specific machine, missing the point internet is basically 'sitting' somewhere else and simply copied and/or displayed on local terminals. This apparent immateriality and cohereness renders the perception of the internet obfuscated by common beliefs. There is a specific moment when a file is created, and there exists a very first instantiation of any file that is uploaded, published and shared online. Once this poiesis is performed, the entity is free to proliferate
indefinitely. Virtual Entity names this very first file that reaches the internet a 'native file', or master. There is no way to distinguish it from all its 'nemesis', after the act of creation. Since identity appears to be distributed rather than concentrated, digital identity requires a specific approach according to its essence. Virtual Entity is a project structured by a double nature, and these two perspectives interweave a dialogic relation. While a theoretical reflection on 'digitality' and its constitution is taking place in the background, the development of a practical system to license and identify files online has begun.