Crank the Web is a browser that allows people to physically crank their bandwidth in order to see a website. Simply enter a URL, start cranking, and text and images appear in the browser window. The idea behind Crank the Web is to combine ancient forms of automation with today’s digital telecommunications technology. All bandwidth should be free and everyone should have access to the fastest speed connection. It is up to you to physically crank your bandwidth so that your internet connnection will rely on your personal strength, not personal wealth.
Press Mentions
Included in “Internet Art“, by Rachel Greene, Thames and Hudson, 2004.
1st Prize Winner at the Fourth International Browser Day, March 29, 2001 at the Great Hall at Cooper Union, NYC. Interface Explorer Conference, October 18 – Nov. 9, 2001, Vienna, Austria.
Users type in a URL on the screen and hit “ENTER” and a blank browser page appears. The page they entered is read into a buffer and using the crank, they send a bit of data at a time to the computer which then unloads the buffer (containing text, images, animation, sound, etc..) into the open window. The page loads according to how fast they turn the crank. There is an indication on screen of the approximate bandwidth speed they are cranking.
Video
Video of Crank The Web at International Browserday, Cooper Union, NYC, 4/10/2001.