# Precession of the Equinoxes

> creative work by Simon Biggs

**Wikidata**: [Q132197515](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132197515)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/precession-of-the-equinoxes

## Summary
*Precession of the Equinoxes* is a creative work and software application authored by Simon Biggs in 2001. Classified as a piece of generative literature, it was built using the Adobe Shockwave engine and distributed via a web page format.

## Key Facts
- **Author:** Simon Biggs
- **Publication Date:** 2001
- **Genre:** Generative literature
- **Instance of:** Creative work, Application (software program)
- **Software Engine:** Adobe Shockwave
- **Distribution Format:** Web page
- **Language:** English
- **ELMCIP ID:** 146

## FAQs
### Q: Who created Precession of the Equinoxes?
A: The work was created by Simon Biggs, an artist known for working with digital media.

### Q: What type of software is Precession of the Equinoxes?
A: It is classified as both a creative work and a software application designed for end-users. Technically, it functions as a generative literature piece.

### Q: What technology is required to run Precession of the Equinoxes?
A: The work was built using the Adobe Shockwave software engine and was designed to be distributed as a web page.

### Q: When was Precession of the Equinoxes released?
A: It was published in 2001.

## Why It Matters
*Precession of the Equinoxes* serves as a significant example of early 21st-century electronic literature and generative art. By utilizing Adobe Shockwave, a prominent technology for web-based multimedia at the time, the work illustrates the historical transition of literary arts from static text to dynamic, software-driven experiences on the internet. Its classification as "generative literature" places it within a specific lineage of computational creativity where text is often produced or altered by an algorithm. The work is indexed in the ELMCIP (Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice) knowledge base, highlighting its relevance to scholars studying the intersection of literature, art, and digital technology. As a web-based application, it demonstrates how artists utilized the browser as a platform for interactive storytelling and poetic expression.

## Notable For
- Being an early example of web-based generative literature created in 2001.
- Utilizing Adobe Shockwave, a standard multimedia platform for early web interactivity.
- Existing as a hybrid entity, classified formally as both an artistic creative work and a functional software application.
- Its inclusion in the ELMCIP Knowledge Base, a primary resource for the electronic literature community.

## Body
### Overview
*Precession of the Equinoxes* is a digital artwork created by Simon Biggs. It is identified in academic and knowledge bases as a creative work and an application. The project was released in 2001 and is written in English.

### Technical Specifications
The work operates as a software application built upon the Adobe Shockwave engine. This platform was widely used during the early 2000s to create interactive web content. Consequently, the distribution format for *Precession of the Equinoxes* is a web page, intended to be accessed through a browser equipped with the necessary plugin.

### Genre and Classification
The primary genre of the work is **generative literature**. This classification indicates that the work likely involves algorithmic processes to generate textual or narrative content, distinguishing it from static digital text. The work holds the unique distinction of being classified simultaneously as a "creative work" and an "application," reflecting the nature of code as an artistic medium.

### Academic Indexing
The work is recorded in the ELMCIP Knowledge Base under the ID 146. This database focuses on electronic literature, confirming the work's status and relevance within that academic and artistic field.