# Fidget (Applet)

> creative work by Kenneth Goldsmith

**Wikidata**: [Q132204084](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132204084)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/fidget-applet

## Summary
Fidget (Applet) is a creative work and application composed by Kenneth Goldsmith in 1998. Classified as electronic literature and digital poetry, the work was constructed using HTML and Java. It functions as a multi-modal project that exists simultaneously as a software application, a web page, a performance, and an exhibit.

## Key Facts
- **Author:** Kenneth Goldsmith
- **Publication Date:** 1998
- **Genre:** Electronic literature, Digital poetry
- **Programming Languages:** HTML, Java
- **Instance Type:** Creative work, Application, Web page, Performance, Exhibit
- **ISBN-10:** 1-55245-989-6
- **Language:** English
- **Distribution Format:** Printed matter
- **ELMCIP ID:** 10575

## FAQs
### Q: Who created Fidget (Applet)?
A: Fidget (Applet) was created by the author Kenneth Goldsmith.

### Q: What type of work is Fidget (Applet)?
A: It is classified as a creative work, specifically falling under the genres of electronic literature and digital poetry. It is also identified technically as an application and web page.

### Q: What technologies were used to build Fidget (Applet)?
A: The work was built using HTML and the Java programming language.

### Q: When was Fidget (Applet) published?
A: The publication date for the work is 1998.

## Why It Matters
Fidget (Applet) represents a significant intersection of computer programming and literary practice within the field of electronic literature. By utilizing Java and HTML—technologies prominent in the late 1990s—the work exemplifies the early adoption of web-based technologies for artistic expression. Its classification highlights the fluidity of digital creations; it is not merely a text but a performance and an exhibit that relies on software execution to be experienced. The existence of an ISBN (1-55245-989-6) alongside its digital nature suggests a bridging of traditional print publishing distribution methods with new media formats, marking it as a notable case study in the history of digital poetry and net.art.

## Notable For
- **Genre Hybridity:** Uniquely classified simultaneously as a creative work, software application, web page, performance, and exhibit.
- **Early Digital Poetry:** An example of late 20th-century electronic literature utilizing the then-emerging Java applet technology.
- **Dual Distribution:** Notable for having a printed matter distribution format and an ISBN despite being a software-based application.
- **Authorship:** A work of digital poetry by Kenneth Goldsmith, a figure often associated with conceptual writing.

## Body
### Overview and Classification
Fidget (Applet) is an English-language creative work authored by Kenneth Goldsmith. Published in 1998, the work serves as a prominent example of electronic literature and digital poetry. It is distinct in its multifaceted classification, identified in knowledge bases as an instance of a creative work, an exhibit, an application, a performance, and a web page.

### Technical Specifications
The application was developed using two primary technologies: HTML and Java. The use of Java classifies it technically as a software program designed for end-users, specifically functioning as an applet within a web environment. This technical foundation places the work firmly within the context of 1990s web development and internet art.

### Publication and Identifiers
While primarily a digital artifact, Fidget (Applet) is associated with the physical distribution format of "printed matter" and possesses an ISBN-10 identifier (1-55245-989-6). The work is indexed in the Electronic Literature as a Model for Creativity and Innovation in Practice (ELMCIP) knowledge base under the ID 10575.